What does salvation look like? Those of us who know Christ could all tell of stories when we believed, whether it took place after a church service or was something you realized over time. But we would all say that salvation cannot be defined or seen fully just by hearing my experience of yours. We would surely acknowledge that there are huge realities concerning our salvation, for there is much that had to be done in order for our redemption to be accomplished. One of the reasons, however, I think we fail at times to marvel at our salvation is because we do think of our salvation simply in terms of our response to the gospel instead of considering everything that occurred in order to make us children of God.

A gracious thing we find in the Scripture, however, is that as God’s revelation of himself and his redemptive activity progressively unfolds throughout the text of Scripture is that God gives us many pictures of what redemption looks like. Thus, for example, when we read the Exodus, we are not simply reading so that we might understand the history of Israel and know they were brought out of Egypt. Rather, we understand that God is revealing to us what redemption looks like, what are the elements of salvation. We understand that God is showing us a picture of something that we need to know concerning ourselves.

I mention the Exodus because it is a familiar story to us, and we all can no doubt acknowledge that it is meant to be a picture to us of what redemption looks like. Another incident in the Scripture, however, that paints a similar picture for us so that we might better understand the elements of redemption and salvation is God’s deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity. Though less told in children’s Sunday school classes, it is as important of a work and shows us clearly that which we learn in the Exodus. It’s as if God unfolds Israel’s history to include deliverance from Babylonian captivity so that we might be reminded again what redemption looks like, lest we forget what we learned in looking at the Exodus.

For this reason, this morning I want us to see from this text what redemption looks like, and then see how this is applied to us, why we can apply this text to us, and how we must respond to this picture of redemption.

With that said, let me quickly summarize what we see in this text as it can be confusing if we fail to remember what has taken place in the book prior to these chapters and if we fail to understand the way it is communicated (coming to us as poetry and not as narrative or other prose).

To summarize the text, chapter 47 is a proclamation to mighty Babylon, that he is about to be conquered. Isaiah had pronounced this in prior chapters, had told them the way in which they were to be conquered (i.e. through Cyrus), and now God makes clear that their conquering is the act of his hand in judgment against them, making themselves his enemy. Then, in chapter 48, we read of God’s declaration that Israel will be restored. They will be delivered from captivity and redeemed as God’s people. So, then what do these two chapters, meant to demonstrate redemption, show us about redemption? There are four aspects I want to highlight this morning.

Redemption is that which is necessary because God’s people are in captivity to an enemy because of their own sin

We see first from this text that there is a need for redemption, a need for deliverance, a need for God to bring his people from where they are to himself. The reason is because Israel is held in captivity by an enemy of God because of their own sin.

We’ve seen this throughout the book of Isaiah. Israel and Judah sin, and Isaiah tells them that they will know captivity. It is a sure thing. There is hardly a section within the book to this point that we are not reminded that captivity is coming and that it is coming because it is exactly what Israel deserves for her sin, her idolatry again the Lord. In fact, God had handed Israel over to her punishers, to her captivity. It was God’s judgment against Israel from which Israel needed to be delivered. At the same time, however, let us make no mistake; Babylon (Israel’s captor) was God’s enemy. We see both of these realities in 47:6.

In this verse God declares, “I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.” Is this not an odd reality? The sin of God’s people has led them to a position of being under God’s judgment, and yet that which now holds them captive is God’s enemy, from which he is going to deliver his people. Once we get to the New Testament, I think we will clearly see that it is not an odd reality, but let’s put that on pause and gather more from our Isaiah text concerning redemption.

Redemption, therefore, involves the conquering of that enemy which holds God’s people captive, the satisfaction of his anger, and bringing his people to himself that he might care for them

This is what is so clearly seen in our text this morning. If you surveyed a hundred people in churches across this nation and ask them to give you a picture of salvation, it would probably come to be something like a soft and tender God picking us up after we have fallen and skinned our knee and holding us in his lap. If you were to ask Israel to give you a picture of salvation, however, you would get a description of a warrior-God coming to make war on behalf of his people who are in captivity.

That is exactly why this picture of redemption in Isaiah 47-48 begins with God’s declaration that Babylon was about to be crushed. This great text of redemption begins, “Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate. Take millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. Your nakedness shall be uncovered and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one” (47:1-3). But why is God doing this? We see it in verse 4: “Our Redeemer – the LORD of hosts is his name – is the Holy One of Israel.” God is conquering Babylon, Israel’s captor, for he is redeeming his people.

The whole chapter goes on and on about how evil Babylon is and how they are going to be judged. Again we read in verses 10-11, “You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, ‘No one sees me’; your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, ‘I am and there is no one besides me.’ But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you shall know nothing.” Finally the chapter ends with the line, “There is no one to save you” (47:15).

Redemption throughout the Scripture is pictured as a conquering of God’s enemies who hold his people captive. We see this from the beginning as Genesis 3:15 (a first verse pronouncing our redemption) is a threat to the serpent, telling him he will be crushed. It is the reason that this beautiful story of God freeing his people from Egyptian slavery involves the destruction of the Egyptians, especially the Pharaoh. It is the reason why David, who typifies the Lord, is found standing as a protector of God’s people, cutting of the head of a giant after he had knocked him down with a stone from a slingshot. It is why there is simply so much destructive warfare against the enemies of God’s people in the Old Testament. People see the Old Testament as being utterly different than the New because of the inclusion of so much warfare. The reality, however, is that the Old Testament is full of warfare so that we might better understand that redemption which has occurred in the New.

Redemption involves the destruction of God’s enemies so that God’s people might be delivered and proclaimed as God’s very own, those whom he cares for deeply. In chapter 48, God declares Israel’s restoration and it ends with him saying to them, “Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!’ They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out” (48:20-21). This is a clear picture of God bringing his captive people to be his very own and caring and providing for them upon their deliverance.

However, we also have said that God’s judgment toward his people must be satisfied. We can say that because Babylonian captivity was his judgment. Therefore, has God ceased to be angry even though nothing has changed with Israel? No, rather we read in 48:9 that God deferred his anger against Israel.

ILLUSTRATION ABOUT DEFERRING WORK.

But where then is this anger dealt with? We will see that answer soon. Let it suffice now to say that redemption involves the conquering of God’s enemies, satisfaction of his anger, and bringing his people to himself so that he might care for them.

Redemption is carried out by God’s might, not based on the ability of his people

A third aspect of redemption is that redemption is the work of God and not his people. God’s people are weak and helpless. They are not capable of conquering their enemies or overcoming their own wickedness. But God is the one who will accomplish their redemption. We read in 48:12-16 a declaration that God will do for Israel what Israel could in no way do for herself.

Redemption is carried out not because God’s people are worthy but because stems forth from God’s character and purposes

In this text, another thing that is quite clear is that God does not redeem his people because they deserve it or merit it. In fact, they deserve every bit of punishment that was theirs. You might expect to read chapter 48 of Isaiah hearing God talking about how great Israel is now that she has faced her captivity. You see no such thing, however. Instead, the description of Israel is shockingly negative.

In verse 4 he says they are obstinate with a stiff neck and hard head. In verses 5- he shows that they prefer idols and are willing to credit the work of the Lord’s hand to their calved images. In verse 8 God tells them that they deal treacherously and are rebels. And in verse 18 he makes clear that they have paid no attention to his commandments.

“Why then,” we might ask, “Is Israel redeemed if it is not because of her merit or worth?” The answer is that Israel is redeemed because of God’s character and purposes. In 48:9-11 the Lord declares, “For my name’s sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”

Israel is not redeemed because of her merit but because God will show himself to be true to his commitment and he will not allow Babylon or Israel’s sin to thwart his plans. He has a purpose to be glorified in the earth through a people, and it will occur.

Thus, we see four aspects of redemption:

1) Redemption is that which is necessary because God’s people are in captivity to an enemy because of their own sin
2) Redemption, therefore, involves the conquering of that enemy which holds God’s people captive, the satisfaction of his anger, and bringing his people to himself that he might care for them
3) Redemption is carried out by God’s might, not based on the ability of his people
4) Redemption is carried out not because God’s people are worthy but because stems forth from God’s character and purposes

But how do these aspects of redemption show themselves to apply to us?

The answer is that we do not see this redemption first fulfilled in us. Instead we see it first fulfilled in Christ. God’s plan throughout the Scripture is to bring all things together in Christ (Eph. 1:10). Therefore, all the promises and blessings that are to come to God’s people come to Christ. Thus, Abraham is promised a great name, land, and many descendants. In the New Testament, however, we find that Christ comes to represent all of God’s people, that he inherits the world (indeed all things), and that he is given the name which is above every name.

The same is also true in regards to our plight, our captivity to Satan, sin, and death. Again, this falls to Christ as he who knew no sin becomes sin for us, or as we read earlier in the service, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).

Therefore, yes, the situation of Israel, being in captivity to an enemy of God because of their sin and as an act of God’s judgment is indeed a realization we know spiritually. We have sinned and are under God’s righteous judgment and in the grip of Satan, sin, and death which reign over us. However, Christ has come so that he might be identified with his people. He is the representative for all of God’s people. This is why Israel can be called God’s Son while Jesus is the true Son or Israel called the vine while Christ is the true vine. He is the king, and even a cursory reading of the Old Testament shows us that the king represents all the people.

Therefore, what occurs at the cross is that Jesus takes on God’s judgment for sin and succumbs to the captivity of Satan, sin, and death. However, in one act of dying on the cross, Jesus appeases God’s wrath, taking the punishment for the sin of God’s people and through his death defeats the one who holds the power of death. Thus, this deferring of anger we see in Isaiah 48 is not deferred indefinitely but comes to Christ, who becomes a curse for us.

Then, it is in Christ’s resurrection that we see redemption. Satan, sin, and death are dealt a fatal blow as they cannot hold Christ, God vindicates his Son as his very own (raising him from the dead, declaring him to be both Lord and Christ, and giving him the name which is above every name), and Christ is seen an object of God’s redemption and acceptance.

For us, then, what is crucial is that we are united with Christ by faith. The gospel is what we have just discussed in Christ – his death, burial, and resurrection. Our response to the gospel is that we must repent and believe so that we are united with Christ by faith. Our hope then is that being united with Christ by faith, we become one with him so that what is true of Christ becomes true of us. He has conquered Satan, sin, and death so that they no longer triumph over us. He satisfies God’s wrath so that it is appeased toward us. He is vindicated, so we are justified (Romans 4:25). He is declared God’s Son so that we might be sons of God through him. He is worthy so that we who are utterly unworthy might become worthy in him, finding our righteousness in him.

The redemption pictured in Isaiah, then, is fulfilled in Christ and is indeed true of us if indeed we have been united with Christ by faith. And if we have, then we know that though we will die, that enemy has been defeated and what awaits us is eternal life, for one has gone before us and conquered our captor on our behalf where we could not do it for ourselves.

Therefore, how do we need to respond to this text this morning?

Let me give you two ways. First, we need to make it a practice to constantly remind ourselves of what God has done for us in Christ. This will have many great effects, but let me list two. For one, this will lead us to worship God as we should. It is those who realize how desperate was their situation and how deeply God had worked through Christ to bring about our redemption who love most. Therefore, let us labor to nurture the appropriate love toward one who has sent his Son to the cross in order to free us from Satan, sin, and death. Two, we need to remember what God has done for us in Christ so that it puts in perspective our present needs and God’s faithfulness. If you do not realize the great work of what he has done for you in Christ, redeeming you from Satan, sin, and death, you will be more tempted to fear and doubt in your present helplessness concerning situations of far less magnitude.

Second, we need to obey the command to go into enemy-occupied territory and take the message of redemption to those held captive by Satan, sin, and death. Christ’s redemption of his people was also followed with a command to go and take the good news to others. Therefore, might we be found faithful as those who have been united to Christ and know the blessings of redemption to obey his command to make disciples of those who are currently in captivity to sin and death.

May God’s grace be with us. Amen.

BABYLON, ISRAEL, AND OUR REDEMPTION IN CHRIST