Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/8925/isaiah/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help me, I should call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Isaiah, chapter 19, and the last section of the 20th verse. [0:19] And he shall send them a Savior and a Great One, and he shall deliver them. [0:34] Chapter 19, the book of Isaiah, and the last section in the 20th verse. [0:49] This is a beautiful subject as grace is given for us to contemplate. [1:03] But it does need grace to be given to us to do so. So, many of you desire to get good for your souls as you are here in the attitude of worship. [1:22] And it is good that you should have the desire to do so wrought within. For you should thank God and take courage that you feel it well enough in your breast. [1:39] The soul that with sincere desire seeks after Jesus' love, that soul the Holy Ghost inspires with breathings from above. [1:52] I thought as you were singing the hymn before the sermon, I wonder if any of you found your heart beat just a little quicker than usual in singing it, because it spelt hope for you. [2:15] The feeblest soul shall hell subdue where Jesus Christ is born. And now that is a great statement. [2:31] And it is founded on the gospel of the grace of God. And every soul who may feel to be the feeblest soul possessing that desire to have matters right between his or her soul with God, you will find the word of God is sure. [3:00] The desire of the righteous shall be granted. If you should question it, you ought not to do it. But your unbelieving heart may suggest a questioning, that it is too good for you, a poor sinner like you. [3:20] I would just remind you of the Savior's words. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. [3:35] In that hunger and thirst there is life, life divine. The dead know not anything whatever about it. [3:46] But blessed be God, every sinner born again does know what that hunger and thirst really is. And I hope that hunger and thirst has brought many of you together this Sabbath afternoon, desiring to worship God aright. [4:06] And if so be, most of all, you may see Jesus, and see in him all your salvation, and all your desire. [4:18] And now I want to look at this subject from just two viewpoints. And I thought as I pondered it, how glad I should be if in trying to preach from it, I could feel like the psalmist did in the psalm which I read to you in the opening word, Psalm 45. [4:47] My heart is indicted in a good matter. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. [5:00] The margin reading, I feel, is very suggestive. My heart is boiling or bubbling up a good matter. [5:16] And now that is what it means when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking. And oh that you and I might know just a little of it as grace is given in contemplating this wonderful subject. [5:38] And he shall send them a saviour and a great one and he shall deliver them. There are two things to think about as the Lord as the Lord to help us. [5:58] In the text there is a people who need saving. And then there is the saviour and a great one. [6:14] And I should like to be able to preach a sermon in proper proportion not to take up too much time about what the context tells us of these people that they are a people oppressed. [6:32] A people who are often journeying on in a burden state. Although there must be somewhat of a description of what that experience is. [6:46] Yet too often it seems there is not enough time left to get down to that which is positive. And now that which is positive in the subject is this. [7:01] And he shall send them a saviour and a great one and he shall deliver them. the setting of the subject is rather striking. [7:17] A little difficult to define as regards the historical viewpoint of it but it speaks about Egypt. [7:31] And you know in the word of God often in the Old Testament Egypt is referred to as a base kingdom. And you all know how preachers speak about coming up out of Egypt leaving the world behind and going forth into the wilderness to journey on toward the land of promise. [7:55] But there is a statement here which says in that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord and it should be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. [8:21] And now look at this from the viewpoint of it as I understand it and that is Egypt represents the world at large and all those whom God ordains to preach the gospel whoever they are wherever they are he gives them just one commission go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and there shall be found those who are in the Egypt of this world there shall be found some who shall be doing what this context tells us they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors and he shall send them a savior and a great one and he shall deliver them if you remember [9:26] I expect you do I hope you do on the day of Pentecost when Peter was so helped to preach the gospel then you will find that there were all kinds of people listening varied nations and among them Egypt and what do you sing sometimes Egypt and Tyre and Greek and Jew shall there begin their lives anew but now everything hinges upon this are you and am I the character referred to one of these people who know what this oppression is they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors I should judge the world in all its long wicked history has never been under the domination of oppressors so much as it is at the present time and there are those who are oppressed do believe it ask God to make you large hearted enough to view what he is doing though hell itself is let loose in the world there are those who were under the heel of oppressors especially in the lands our enemies overran when the war was raging they are those who cry unto the [11:08] Lord there are his dear people persecuted for righteousness sake many of them hounded about as refugees many in prison and oppressed therein and it says of them where they are they shall cry unto the Lord because of it and now let us get right down to bedrock and make a start as to whether you and I are the characters referred to in the text go back to when you hope your religion began and remember I did not say go back to when your chapel going began with most of you your chapel going began in baby days when you were brought and from your youth up in life's mourning maybe you came you were even then a chapel goer but you were driven you were not drawn and now go back [12:27] I say and remember when you began to cry unto the Lord and what was the cause within that brought you to think about the Lord and of him as a savior and a great one was it not that something came upon you which you cannot define or describe that you felt an oppression on your spirit you could not go on living as you had been living in the world and of it but there was a load a burden a weight and it was on your conscience you were being made aware of your undone state in the Adam fall your guiltiness before God with whom you had to do and you began to feel as you never felt before my soul what will become of it having my soul as I have [13:41] I am bound for an eternal destiny either heaven or hell and as far as you could tell then it looked more like hell than heaven you were oppressed and you began to cry unto the Lord oh that is the starting point in the life divine behold he prayeth behold she prayeth go back dear friends young and old as to when you began to do it is it possible there are any under union chapel roof who have not yet begun to do it I hope you will begin to do it today then if such characters there are in our midst who have never yet known what it is to cry unto the Lord because of oppression because of your never dying soul and having matters made right between your soul and God do not turn away from it and seek to cover it up but do listen to the preacher who will not be preaching to you much longer but do listen [15:06] I say and oh that you might this very Sabbath day realize what this oppression is and go from union chapel as you have never gone before a guilty sinner before God and yet to go into a secret place to cry unto the Lord God be merciful to me a sinner oh that the Lord would grant it if you have never yet known what this privilege is to cry unto the Lord that you might begin to die look at this oppression much might be said about it it is the oppression that arises from having to do with God yes and God having to do with you and as you first begin to learn how God has to do with you it is to do with his law and God declares at Sinai's mount where the law was promulgated cursed is the man that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them it is a tremendous oppression when you enter into that truth especially as the more you regard the law and what it saith to the sinner under it do this do not do that and you find with all your attempts to be better and do better you can do nothing whatever [16:50] God requires and there you are brought low stripped of all your fancied meekness to approach the dread I am and you solemnly feel if thou lord shouldest mark iniquity oh lord who shall stand godly David says when he felt like that the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then cried I oh lord I beseech thee deliver my soul they shall cry unto the lord because of it yes but you have to be brought right down to bedrock as regards your undone state in the Adam fall and to realize nothing in my hand [17:56] I bring there is nothing you can gather together to put in your hand nothing whatever therefore you have to accept the punishment of your iniquity as you are before god at Sinai's mount as he speaks in his law and you feel if my soul is sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well eh but then there is an avenue of hope not at Sinai's mount none there justice cries with frowning face this mountain is no hiding place but here is the avenue of hope they shall cry unto the lord yes and the blessed spirit of truth will show them where there is help and where there is hope and he will lead them from [18:59] Sinai's mount to Calvary's cross and there it will be demonstrated christ is the end of the law for righteousness unto everyone which believe it and when that truth is made known you will find your heart will beat a little quicker than usual as you contemplate it because it will spell who can tell but what god will be gracious unto me and you will cry unto the lord as you are before him at Calvary's cross lord jesus make thyself to me a living bright reality everything hinges on that in our religion it is not just chapel going or outside show or what other folks think of us no it must be reality something must be known and felt and it is that which you feel and you feel the oppression of a truth and it brings you down down into the dust before god with whom you have to do but there is life in that which you are the subject of even though it is very painful to feel the oppression the evidence of that life is here they shall cry unto the lord and sometimes that is all they can do they cannot put words together to set forth just how they feel as to how things are in their soul's exercises but it says they shall cry what am I an infant crying in the night an infant crying for the light and with no language but a cry and if you look through the [21:19] Psalms and you might take the trouble to do it and take some leisure time if you get any to do it and you will find it is very encouraging how godly David refers to prayer not so much with words put together though it is a sweet relief when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth can speak and you can do that but he speaks of prayer from varied viewpoints all my desires are before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee and he says this I mourn in my complaint I make a noise unto the Lord and he speaks about a wish a sigh yes and prayer is the burden of a sigh what a striking phrase that is you sing it and maybe you do not ponder in your heart what you sing but just think of that wording the burden of a sigh you sigh and it gives you a sense of relief to do it but it is because you are oppressed that you sigh and prayer is the burden of a sigh yes the falling of a tear the upward glancing of the eye when none but [23:00] God is near they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppression but then there is another kind of oppression not only that which you feel at the first when he the spirit of truth is come and he shall convince the world of sin there is the oppression that ever arises from being what you are by nature and you know what you are by nature do you I hope you do but it is very solemn to be what you are by nature how sad our state by nature is and if you are kept well aware of it you will feel the oppression of it and I can tell you one cry that will be acceptable to you let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight [24:10] O Lord my strength and my redeemer you will want what you are by nature kept down and you will ask God to keep it down that where sin hath abounded grace shall much more abound they shall cry unto the Lord and you remember the apostle Paul he he outlines it or wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death but he does not stay there having said a word or two about the malady he goes on to encourage those who shall read what is recorded I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord there is a savior and a great one and look at this word to inspire you and he shall deliver them and now that is just what you and [25:24] I desire you do need to be saved from what you are by nature otherwise it will work much havoc in your soul's experience and you find in the word of God regarding a cry unto the Lord there were such suitable petitions Lord help me say unto my soul I am thy salvation leave not my soul destitute margin make not my soul bear and there is that one that is outstanding to some of us Lord save or I perish they shall cry unto the Lord and he shall deliver them these two things are joined together by the spirit of God therefore you must not let your unbelieving heart or the devil either set them asunder as though there can be no deliverance for you although sometimes you may feel [26:40] I cry and shout and lo he shutteth out my prayer but that is your own conclusion it is not the truth of the matter no before they call I will answer while they are yet speaking I will hear they shall cry unto the Lord and they do because of indwelling sin it is a very solemn thing to be a sinner and to be conscious that you are and like the hymn writer says I dare not promise future good to bring my heart deceitful is indeed they shall cry unto the Lord and now sometimes there is the oppression of our circumstances you may feel that when you rise in the morning everyday life especially you live business lives and desire to live the life of the godly therein you awake in the morning you think of the day and what the day holds in store and it holds so much in store that you are just under a sense of oppression how shall we do this is the way they shall cry unto the [28:12] Lord because of the oppression and he shall send them a saviour and a great one and he shall deliver them have you not been sometimes wonderfully surprised how you have got through the day when you reached the end of it and thought how you entered upon it and how your fears ran high as to how you would manage matters through the day and lo you were found divine aid afforded you you have proved they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength yes they shall cry unto the Lord and they shall send them a saviour and a great one and you and I need a great one for we are great sinners some of us are such great sinners that we cannot begin to put into words only before [29:14] God and we cannot do it even before God only to say O Lord thou knowest to thee I come a sinner great and well thou knowest all my state yet full forgiveness is with thee O God be merciful to me they shall cry unto the Lord because of their circumstances oh it may be adverse circumstances and you feel like Jacob ready to say all these things are against me or it may be you find every day new straits attend and you wonder where the scene will end and it could be God has laid affliction on you or yours and when afflictions come into our home lives be it on us or ours you have to rethink your life as to how you are going to live it while that affliction is upon you or yours because you feel that you need wisdom from above that you may as it were reorganize your life and this is the way to get help to do it they shall cry unto the [30:41] Lord and if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and afraid it not and it shall be given him and you know dear friends how many times a day you say and so do I Lord help me and like good Hezekiah parallel to this word I am trying to preach from O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me and now that is the cry unto the Lord then there is the oppression of the devil coming upon you to put your religion to some very crucial testing as to whether it is of God or no and you may then be in much darkness of mind and in heaviness through manifold temptations but there is only one means of relief for you poor sinner they shall cry unto the [31:49] Lord and if you are helped to do it you shall realize the Lord will make the tempter flee and as thy days thy strength shall be and remember this some of you who know quite a deal about the devil putting your religion to a crucial test as I said you have been following on to know the Lord for many many years some of you and the devil has had quite a deal to say about you in your profession and your religion but then you must never forget that he is a liar and you must never forget the word of God says neither give place to the devil but what I want you to remember most of all is this you are where you are this Sabbath afternoon you have not given up and gone back to walk no more with him whom you desire deep down in your heart to love and serve the [33:03] Lord bless you yes they shall cry unto the Lord and then there is the oppression of the world and that is the spirit of the world and that will increase in its weight for all of you who desire to follow on to know the Lord as you live in the world as the future unfolds especially the immediate future you will find there will be more and more oppression for at the present time the spirit of the world is a spirit of frustration and complication yes and man is determined to live as he is born after the flesh the things of the flesh and you will find as you go about in the world at large to do that which is lawful and right in your labor to earn the bread which perisheth that it will be an oppression to you as you realize what the spirit of the world really is it is enmity to [34:23] God yes and to godliness and though the world may apparently respect you and they should do for your consistent life without yet they hate your religion that helps you to live like you do and it only needs the opportunity to arise and they will show it you and I have got to learn to live like this they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppression and remember in this warfare there are no terms of peace no no flag of truce can be raised by any of us with names on church rolls no it is a warfare that you must go on and seek as the [35:26] Lord helps you to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold upon eternal life however much you were discouraged however many wounds you may get however oppressed you be you must still cry unto the Lord remember what Joseph Hart says you ought to know it for I often quote it ever on thy captain calling make thy worst condition known he shall hold thee up when falling or shall lift thee up when down they shall cry unto the Lord another thing will make you feel oppressed at least I hope you do feel oppressed by it and that is when you think of what you are and what you ought to be and now many of you and the preacher too of course has a name on the church role and that means that you have made a profession to follow the meek and lowly [36:35] Jesus and seek to show the world how Christians live and now you must admit as well as I do that you and I are not really shining lights we hope we have got some light but we cannot look at our lives and think of what we are and then think of what we ought to be and not be oppressed because you and I come so short in living the life of the righteous and all that we desire to be and to do what are you to do then under this oppression oh you are to cry unto the Lord and remember he has made all provision for you he knows how you would have these shortcomings and fail so often to be what you desire to be before [37:37] God before God and he has made a blessed provision in that day there shall be a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness yes if guilt disturb thy peace or Satan harass thee behold the Saviour's righteousness which sets the guilty free but I must look at the other viewpoint of the subject and he shall send them a Saviour and a great one and he shall deliver them and now the first he who is he and he shall send them a Saviour blessed be his name this first he is God the father of whom you read and one of the most quoted words in the word of [38:43] God God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and he how wonderful it is to contemplate that it was found in the heart of God the father to devise these means whereby God and man could be brought together again on friendly terms and there is a word I like to read in the Hebrews epistle God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time passed unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds yes and he [39:55] God the father shall send them a saviour and oh what a saviour dear friends he is oh that you and I could have our eyes anointed our understandings enlightened and our hearts enlarged that we might contemplate this saviour and a great one and remember as he is a great one you are not to think what the devil may suggest that you are too great a sinner for this saviour to save no no this dear saviour declared all manner of sin shall be forgiven and remember what you sing the vileless sinner out of hell who lives to fill his need he is welcome to the throne of grace the saviour's blood to plead and look at this declaration and he shall deliver them yes and remember what the word of god declares there is no other god who can deliver who can deliver this is the true god he who is the living god and he who has declared because i live you shall live also this is he of whom it is declared a deliverer shall come to zion and he did come and we think of it on this christmas day that he did come and was seen in the manger cradle at [41:55] Bethlehem born a babe by birth mysterious blessed be his name for coming and you find this declaration which i hope you will know something about in your soul's experience and we know that the son of god is come and that given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his son jesus christ this is the true god and eternal life the savior and a great one it needs thousands of sermons to tell how great he is he is great beyond any preacher's words to describe very much about it but we have to try as grace is given to do as well as we can dear friends and he is great in his suitability to poor sinners who are oppressed whatever their oppression may be if they find in their hearts a cry unto the lord they will know his suitability and his word declares him that cometh unto me [43:28] I will never know never know never cast out he is a savior and a great one when you think of his sufficiency he has already saved millions untold save them by his grace and he is saving millions still and he will yet save millions more ere time shall cease to be a fullness resides in Jesus our head and ever abides to answer our need a savior and a great one and think to how great he is in his willingness to save poor sinners when all is said and done you cannot get on the wrong side of this declaration if you are one who does cry unto the [44:35] Lord no sinner was ever yet empty sent back who came seeking mercy for Jesus say and that spells hope for you who can tell but what God will be gracious unto me they shall cry unto the Lord if so be there may be hope and there is hope yes a savior and a great one great in his words great in his deeds yes and he is at God the father's right hand this sabbath afternoon reigning on the throne of grace and he is there as a God ready to pardon do do think of that beautiful description a God ready to pardon and I might just add as I come to the amen a savior and a great one and now if you are one of these characters oppressed if you are indeed one who shall cry on to the [45:48] Lord as you journey on through life and find is here a tent to your cry as you know that you have done do not belittle your religion as the devil may suggest but do speak according to what you have found the savior to be did ever trouble yet before and God refused to hear thy call still may you cry unto the Lord and he is I say at God the father's right hand for sinners interceding he is there as a savior and a great one and because what you have found him to be and what you yet hope to know more of him in your soul's experience is he not great in your soul's esteem oh you have got room in your heart for him poor sinner if you are one of these poor sinners oppressed that cry unto the [47:04] Lord enter my heart redeemer blessed enter oh ever honored guest not for a transient hour alone oh come and fix thy lasting throne that is what you and I need if we are the characters in the text we want the Lord Jesus to be found in our soul's experience Christ in you the hope of glory and he shall send them a savior and a great one and he shall deliver them and now you must admit he has done this for you how many times you read in the book of Job he shall deliver thee in six troubles and in seven there shall no evil touch thee and now if you and I have to work out things on that basis you will have to say he shall deliver thee in six hundred troubles and in seven hundred there hath no evil touch thee still you are here before [48:18] God with a hope in God following on to know the Lord and whatever your thoughts have been about the troubles that have befallen you and yours you can see the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him and he shall deliver them yes and he will do it whenever you need it sooner or later sometimes it may be later but deliverance will come there is a word of the apostle Paul's which I like to think about and there he speaks of the Lord delivering and it will be good if you and I can have that frame of mind when we come down to the end of life's journey he speaks of and the [49:29] Lord should deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom to whom be glory forever and ever amen there is the apostle Paul's final word before he was taken out to become a martyr and his redeemed spirit to enter the blissful realms above and now dear friends do think on this subject I've tried to preach a sermon on it but it is just a bucketful out of the ocean depths you think on it for yourself as God shall help you think on it prayerfully and do put it to the test it will stand any test you can put upon it they shall cry unto the [50:32] Lord yes you remember in Malachi prove me now herewith and see if I will not open unto you the windows of heaven and let you down such a blessing there shall not be room enough to receive it wrestling prayer can wonders do bring relief in deepest traits prayer force a passage through iron bars brazen gates and when you are helped to wrestle like that you find in your soul's experience this truth is wonderfully confirmed and it confirms you as being a disciple indeed and he shall send them a saviour and a great one and he shall deliver them amen god will end the past will preach on wednesday eve pym number 701 tune miles lane 178 all hail the power of eeus name the angels prostrate for bring forth and love prayer them and thank you for the poor holy twenty hail the [52:25] Thank you. [52:55] Thank you. [53:25] Thank you. Thank you. [54:25] Thank you. Thank you. [55:25] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [55:37] Round him, round him, round him, Lord, all. [55:56] We ask, O Lord, that thou wilt cover with the mantle of forgiving love all that has been amiss in our worship this Sabbath day. [56:16] We do beseech thee, all that has been amiss. forgive and let thy truth within us live and oh lord we do humbly beseech thee that thou will grant in thy great mercy that those who was yet know thee not may in accordance with thy eternal purposes be brought to cry unto thee as the sinner's friend and find in thee their lord their god