Epistle Lesson;
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Gospel Lesson;
Matthew 4:12-22
Sermon Text;
Isaiah 9:1-4
When I read a scripture text, I sometimes ask myself, "What kind of picture does that bring to mind?" And when I read this text from Isaiah chapter 9, verses 1-4, immediately this picture that I have in front of you, popped into my head.
Now, some of you who are the older ones in the congregation probably already know what this is a picture of. You see the American flag. You see a whole bunch of people holding up what younger people might think is the peace sign. But that is not the peace sign. It is a ‘V’ and it stands for Victory. It happens to be May 8th, 1945. This picture was taken in Time Square in New York. It was on Victory in Europe Day. It was the day that Germany had surrendered, after WWII. And, Italy had surrendered. It was a victory, a victory for the United States of America!
For the past four years, sixteen million United States citizens had served in the military, fighting in the bloody WWII. Almost 400,000 Americans had sacrificed their lives to preserve the liberty of their fellow citizens of the United States of America. Six hundred thousand Americans had lost arms, legs, ears, eyes, or suffered other casualties, as they fought against these enemies of the United States of America.
The people that we see in this picture had brothers, who were over seas. They had sisters. They had husbands, or wives. They had sons or daughters. And every day, for four years, many of them feared a knock at their door that would tell them that their loved one had lost his or her life, or suffered some casualty.
But, now, it was the day of victory! The battle was over. The victory was won. And these people were thrilled. They were thrilled that the rod of the oppressor was off of their back.
That is a beautiful picture of what Isaiah was telling the people of Israel, as he foretold the coming Savior. He wanted to paint for them a picture of what that day would be like, when the Savior of the world would come. Isaiah wrote this over six hundred years before Christ came. And in order for the people of his day to get a picture of what it would be like, when Jesus came, Isaiah went back in history six hundred years. He goes back in history six hundred years and tells the people that he is writing to that it is going to be like, "as in the day of Midian's defeat." That is what he says in today's scripture reading.
Now, what in the world does that refer to? "As it was in the day of Midian's defeat."
Six hundred years back, 1200BC, the Children of Israel had sinned against the LORD. They had fallen into the worship of a false god, Baal and as a result, the LORD sent judgment against the Children of Israel. He sent into the land the Midianites. The Midianites were a fierce people who had come from the northeast, (as many of the Israelite enemies did). And they came into Israel, through the lands known as the Lands of Zebulun and Napthali. Those are the lands to the northeast, ultimately where Nazareth and Capernaum are. It is where Jesus spent much of His ministry.
The Midianites came from the northeast and the Midianites were fierce people. The Bible tells us that they, for seven years, impoverished the Children of Israel. For seven years, the Bible tells us, the Children of Israel lived in clefts in the rocks. They lived in caves. They could not even live in their own homes. Here is what the Midianites would do. They would permit the Israelites to live, but they terrified them. Of course, the Israelites were hungry. They needed food. So, they let the Israelites sneak out and plant their crops. They would let those crops grow. And just about when it was time to harvest the crops, a swarm of Midianites would sweep into the land. They would set up their camp and the land would be covered with Midianites, all of their camels, and their other animals. The Midianites would eat up all of the Israelites’ food, and the animals would eat up all of the plants. They would slaughter all the Israelites’ sheep and goats. And when they had decimated the land, then they would leave.
Then, the Children of Israel would sneak back out, and they would plant their crops, again. When the crops grew, the Midianites would sweep back in.
This went on for seven years. And the Children of Israel were impoverished. They cried out to the LORD to deliver them. And, they repented of their sin.
The LORD promised and sent a deliverer. The deliverer's name was Gideon, which means, 'mighty warrior.' Gideon raised an army of 32,000 Israelites to go against the Midianites. The Midianite army was 135,000 strong. So, we have 32,000 men going against the 135,000. Those are not very good odds. But the LORD told Gideon, "Your army is too big. Tell anybody who is afraid to fight that they can go back home." Twenty-two thousand Israelites went back home. That left 10,000 to fight against an army of 135,000. Those are not very good odds. The LORD told Gideon, "The army is still too big. Take them down to the river and have them drink water. And some of them are going to get down on their knees, and they will drink water on their knees. And others will lift up the water to their mouths, and they will drink that way." Nine thousand seven hundred of them knelt down and drank on their knees. The LORD said, "Send home those 9,700." And then there were 300 men left who drank water out of their hands. Those were the 300 men that Gideon was to take into battle, against 135,000 Midianites. Those aren't very good odds. But, the Bible tells us the LORD did this to show that the victory was not by their own power. And, it was not by their own doing.
Those 300 men, under the guidance of Gideon, in the dark of night, each took a torch, covered it with a clay jar, and had a trumpet in the other hand. They surrounded the Midianite army, and at a signal, those 300 all broke their jars and the torches shown forth. They blew their trumpets, and they all shouted with one voice, "Fight for the LORD and for Gideon."
It threw the 135,000 Midianites into such a commotion, that the LORD gave the Israelites a powerful victory that day. One hundred twenty thousand Midianites were slain by the sword, (most of them by their own swords), as they fought against each other, because they were so confused.
The LORD gave the victory. Imagine the celebration in Israel that day. In our past history, we can see VE Day, Victory in Europe Day. It was a day of profound celebration. But the Israelites certainly may have had, well it might have been a VM Day, Victory over the Midianites Day. They were now free. They were free!
(Picture here)
Look at the people in this picture. You know, probably most of them never fought the battle. Most of them probably didn't go over seas. Most of them probably didn't pick up a gun. Most of them probably didn't put their lives on the line. Somebody else fought for them. But, they have their hands up in victory. The victory was theirs! The battle was fought for them.
The Children of Israel, who celebrated that victory over the Midianites, (which Isaiah describes in today's scripture readings, "As in the day of the defeat of the Midianites,") most of those people did not fight the battle. Only 300 men and Gideon did. But they certainly came out of their caves, when it was over. They came out of the clefts of the rocks. They went back and got to live in their homes. They went back and celebrated. It was a day of victory. And it is picture that Isaiah gives of the coming Savior, who we know has now come. Gideon is, as it were, a picture of what our Savior has done. These people in the picture did not fight the battle. Somebody fought it for them. The Israelites didn't fight the battle. Gideon and his 300 men, under the power of the LORD, fought the battle and won. You and I have a terrible enemy - far greater than any Germans or Italians who were faced during WWII, or, any Midianites that the Children of Israel faced.
Our children in our school memorized these hymn verses that describe the enemy that every one of us faces.
I walk in danger all the way
The thought shall never leave me.
That Satan who has marked his prey,
is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares may seize me unawares
If e’er I fail to watch and pray
I walk in danger all the way.
Grim death pursues me all the way
No where I rest securely
He comes by night
He comes by day
And takes his prey most surely
A failing breath and I
in death's strong grasp may lie
to face eternity today
Grim death pursues me all the way.
That is a battle that we cannot win. We cannot win that battle on our own power. But, the LORD has sent a ‘Gideon’ for us. Do you know the verses that come right after today's scripture reading? Literally, right after today's scripture reading it says,
"Unto us a child is born.
Unto us a Son is given.
The government will be upon His shoulders.
He will be called wonderful Councilor,
mighty God,
the everlasting Father,
the Prince of peace."
Who came to fight that battle? It was a little baby born in Bethlehem.
Who came to fight against the hoards of Hell?
Who came to fight against all the sin, of all the world, of all time?
Who came to fight against the devil?
Who came to fight against grim death, which you and I cannot escape?
It was one Man, on a cross, on a hill outside of Jerusalem.
One Man.
And there the sins of the world were poured out on the God Man, Jesus Christ.
There, all of your guilt was poured.
There, all your punishment against your sin was poured.
There, death came to that one Man.
There, scripture teaches us, by that one Man who fought that battle on behalf of all of us and went to the grave. When He burst forth from the grave three days later, the victory had been won!
He was put to death
for our sins,
but He was raised to life
for our justification!
There, God was declaring, when Jesus was raised from the dead, the victory was won. "Your sins are paid for. They cannot keep my Son in the grave. Death has been defeated."
Are you tired of ‘living in the caves’ of your sin? Are you tired of trying to overcome your sin all by yourself, on your own power? Are you tired of being afraid of death? Then, turn to this Gospel promise. Turn to Jesus, our Savior. The Bible tells us that the victory has already been won. The victory is yours, in Christ. Turn to Christ.
(Picture here)
This is such a beautiful picture, as it were, of the Holy Christian Church. The Holy Christian Church can hold up their hands in victory and say, "I didn’t fight the battle. I didn’t defeat sin. I didn't defeat Satan. I didn’t take away my own guilt. I didn't bear the punishment for all of my sins. I didn't lie in the grave for three days, and then get up out of the grave. But, Jesus did. Jesus did! My 'Gideon' fought the battle for me. He paid for all of my sins. My sins are washed away. They are gone. They are forgiven. Jesus' victory is mine!"
And you can hold up your fingers in victory. The victory has been given to you. It has been declared to be yours in scripture.
Now, those people who came out of the caves, after the Midianites had been defeated, could hold up their hands in victory. They could celebrate. They were going to get to harvest again. They had a new life again. But, their lives were changed. Their lives were changed. Somebody else fought the battle for them. The LORD had given them the victory, and now they were free. They were free to live their lives the way they longed to live them. They were free to go back to their homes. They were free to plant their crops. They were free to harvest those crops. They were free to live new lives.
You and I have been freed to live new lives. We have been freed, by Christ, to live different lives. We have been freed to live the lives we have longed to live. We have been freed, by Christ, not only from the guilt of our sin and the punishment of our sin, but we have been freed from the power of our sin. Scripture says that sin shall no longer be your master.
What did Jesus say to the woman who had been caught in adultery? Remember how the Pharisees brought that woman to Jesus and they asked Jesus, "Shouldn't she be stoned?"
Jesus said, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."
And so, slowly, they all left. Jesus looked up at the woman and said, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?"
And the woman said, "No sir."
Then Jesus said, "Then neither do I condemn you."
It is a beautiful, beautiful statement of Christ's forgiveness over her sin. And, it is a beautiful statement of Christ's forgiveness over your sin, no matter what it has been.
But then, what did Jesus say to that woman? He said, "Neither do I condemn you. Now, go and sin no more."
And, the Lord says the same to you. He says to you, "I have won the victory for you. I have suffered for your sin. I have taken away your condemnation. I have given you my home in Heaven. I have declared my holy life to be yours. I have given you the victory over death. And one day when you die, you are going to be with me in Heaven. I have given you the victory. Now, go and sin no more."
Let's go forth in victory. Let's go forth like the people in this picture, who understood the victory that had been won for them. And I can guarantee you, they appreciated that victory. They walked with a lighter step.
What did King David say? "Create in my a clean heart, oh God. And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation. And uphold me with your free Spirit."
Let us go forward today having the victory of Christ in our hands. Salvation is ours, by Christ! Let's live our lives for Him!
Amen.