Give Thanks to the God of Our Salvation
Isaiah 12:1-6 - Victory Fellowship
November 20, 2022 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
Thanksgiving Sunday
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord God is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
Introduction: Chapter 12 seems to be a hymn of praise. It is a graphic prophecy of the people’s joy when Christ comes to reign over this earth in the Messianic kingdom, which is yet to be. However, it is also descriptive of the here and now concerning the child of God.
I. A Great Truth.
“Behold, God is my salvation…” Could there ever be a greater truth spoken? If there is any salvation to be found, it must be found in God.
A. God is the Originator of salvation.
Humans could never design a plan of salvation that would be fitting for all of eternity. God is the great architect behind the plan of salvation, for it is He who designed it. He is the originator. When it comes to salvation we must put all of the emphasis on God, for that is where it is due.
B. God is the Orchestrator of Salvation.
Humans would never come to God on their own, for the Bible makes that very clear. The Bible states in at least 4 places what Paul says emphatically to the Romans 3:11 “"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; With this truth in mind we can only come to one conclusion; God must be the divine orchestrator behind salvation.
We need to give thanks to the God of our salvation. Without Him there is no hope.
II. A Great Trust.
“…I will trust, and not be afraid…” If we are ever to be at ease in this life we must learn to trust God every day, about everything.
A. Isaiah claims God’s trust.
“…I Will…” In this statement he is making an affirmation regarding his trust in the Lord. He does not say, “I might”. He says, “I will”. In other words, he is saying no matter how dark the night, how stormy the sea, how terrible the enemy, or how forsaken I may feel, I WILL TRUST!
This is an affirmation that we should make every day.
B. Isaiah claims the Consequences of his trust.
“…and not be afraid…” Here we have the consequences of such a trust in the Lord. Fear is dispelled for the believer who fully trusts in God. I am fully persuaded that the individual who is always afraid, or always worries, is an individual who trusts God very little.
We need to give thanks to the God of our salvation. Without Him there is no trust.
III. A Great Triumph.
“…for the Lord God is my strength and my song…”
There is triumph for the believer in this life. It is found in the Lord, and Him alone.
A. There is the Strength of our triumph.
The little song that we sing nearly every Sunday in church is “Jesus Loves Me”. The First line says, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.” No truer words have ever been spoken. Indeed we are weak, but He is ever so strong. Triumph will never be out of reach as long as The Lord God is our strength.
B. There is the Song of our triumph.
“for the Lord God…is my song” Notice the song of the prophet Isaiah. It is a song of undiluted praise toward God. It is not only toward Him, for He is the subject of this song. Isaiah said, “He is my song”.
IV. A Great Transcendence.
“…He also is become my salvation.” What an enormous truth we have before us. He is not only my salvation; He has become my salvation.
Notice two things with me concerning this tremendous truth:
A. The Person spoken of. The “He” that is spoken of is God. He has transcended the very portals of glory and came down to this earth to become my salvation. He has become “Jesus” the incarnate one. The very name Jesus means “God is salvation”. Do you remember why Joseph was told to name the baby that was to be born Jesus? Was it not because He would save His people from their sin? Who are we that He would become our salvation?
B. The Atonement spoken of. To become our salvation it was not enough for Him to become a living breathing human being, He must also become our sacrifice and that is exactly what He did. He did not come to this earth to live for us; He came to this earth to die for us so that through His death we might live. Who are we that He would become our salvation?
Conclusion: When we consider God’s Salvation, our Trust in Him, and His Transcendence, we cannot help but proclaim with Isaiah, “Thank the LORD! Praise His name! Tell the nations what He has done. Let them know how mighty He is! Sing to the LORD, for He has done wonderful things. Make known His praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout His praise with joy!
We need to continually give thanks to the God of our salvation
PRAYER
SONG: Awake My Soul
Isaiah 12 NLT
In that day you will sing: “I will praise you, O LORD! You were angry with me, but not anymore. Now you comfort me. See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.” With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the LORD! Praise His name! Tell the nations what He has done. Let them know how mighty He is! Sing to the LORD, for He has done wonderful things. Make known His praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout His praise with joy!