God’s Light In My Life: Isaiah 60:1-3

 

God’s Light In My Life: Isaiah 60:1-3

 Introduction: The Gold Prospectors

In the mid-1800s A group of men set out from Bannock, Montana to prospect for gold. They endured many hardships and several of their little company died as they searched. They were overtaken by a native tribe of Indians who took their good horses, leaving them with only a few limping old ponies. Then they threatened them, telling them to get back to Bannock and stay there, for if they found them again, they would kill them all.

Defeated and discouraged the prospectors turned to back. On the return trip as they tethered the limping ponies on a creek side tree, one of the men casually picked up a little stone from the creek bed. He called for a hammer and upon cracking the rock, he said, "It looks as though there may be gold here." They panned for gold the rest of the afternoon and managed to realize about twelve dollars' worth. They kept panning for gold the next day in the same creek and collected about fifty dollars’ worth of gold, a log of money back then when the average daily wages was less than a dollar a day for laborers.

They excitedly congratulated one another: "We have struck it, rich!" Then they made their way back to Bannock and vowed not to breathe a word concerning this gold strike. They secretively set about re-equipping themselves with supplies for another prospecting trip. But when they got ready to go back, three hundred men followed them. When they asked who had said something they all swore they had said nothing. When they asked the other men following them why they were following they said, We know you’ve found gold. How, who told you we found gold. No one had to tell us, the followers replied, we can see the truth shining on your faces.

Today’s passage from Isaiah 60 is about greater riches and a brighter shining that prospectors and gold.

Command to Shine - Isaiah 60:1 ​

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

God Commands Israel

Chapter 60 brings us to an abrupt change in the prophecies of Isaiah. God speaking through Isaiah in the first half of the book has told his nation Israel it will be punished due to her sin and idolatry. They will lose their homes, their families will be broken, many will die terrible deaths.

Even here in the second half of the book He condemns their religious hypocrisy, Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

In chapter 59 He exposes their utter sinfulness Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

But then we come to chapter 60 and a new day breaks for Israel, God tells the same sinful, rebellious people, “Arise, Shine. The darkness of the your sinful past is overcome by my command. Stand up and Shine Out.”

Why? How after such a harsh rebuke for the blackness of their sin, and the inevitableness of their coming punishment, would God tell them to arise and shine. The reason is in the next part of the verse, “Arise, Shine for thy light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”

It was not what sinful Israel was doing but what God was going to do. He was bringing the light that would cast out their darkness. They would rise and shine, because the Lord’s glory would rise and shine upon them.

God’s Shines On Israel

This would happen when the Messiah, their King, the Lord of Light would be sent from God to rule and reign. This ultimately takes place at the end of the Tribulation. More specifically this is a prophecy of what will take place during the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ after He returns and scatters the night of sin and disbelief from Israel. Their light will be the light of their King, Jesus Christ. Lord of Lords and King of Kings. So, they are told to, “Arise and Shine” in His light. They will be the light of the world during the Millennial Kingdom.

Jesus Claims the Prophecy

During his first coming, Jesus himself boldly proclaimed that Isaiah prophecies were about him.  In Luke 4:16-21 we read, And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

That day, Jesus clearly and absolutely claimed the prophesies of Isaiah and with them all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. He was the promised redeemer, the Prince of Peace, the anointed and chosen one.

The command that will one day be given to Israel, has already been given to us. Today we the church of Jesus Christ are commanded by the Lord to, “Arise and Shine” for Jesus had already come to us and His glory has banished sin’s dark night from our soul and now we are to stand as light in this dark world.

Look at darkness around us, it is so prevalent that most can’t imagine a world with any light in it. To the vast majority of people, the blackness of sin is their light of life. It is the new normal, they don’t know anything else.

Never in our lifetimes nor in the history of this nation has sin, corruption, perversion and lies been so openly accepted, encouraged and applauded. Babies are sacrificed to the gods of sexual freedom, children are groomed for the gods of homosexuality, families are being shattered by the gods of selfishness and the goddesses of feminism and churches are being infiltrated gods that the pagans of ancient Greece and Roman would clearly recognize as their own. Yes, it is dark out there.

Yet, in the midst of this seemingly impenetrable darkness, we are commanded to go and be a light for Jesus. Just as God one day will say to Israel, “Arise, Shine!”

We have seen the light of Jesus Christ in salvation and as the church has been empowered with God’s Holy Spirit. So, now in the midst of this present darkness, we are commanded to stand as beacons of light and hope. We the church are to be lighthouses along a dark and stormy shore. We are commanded to show the way to salvation and hope in Jesus Christ.

Illustration: Cutting Holes in the Darkness

At age twelve, Robert Louis Stevenson was looking out into the dark from his upstairs window watching a man light the streetlamps. Stevenson's governess came into the room and asked what he was doing. He replied, "I am watching a man cut holes in the darkness." This is our task, this is our calling to cut holes in the darkness with the glorious light of God.  -James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 178-179

In verse 2 the God tells Israel that in the Millenium they will be those lighthouses for him.

Completely Dark - Isaiah 60:2

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

God’s Promise To Israel

They, the people of God, would be a great light in great darkness.

In Isaiah’s prophecy God paints a picture of strong contrasts.

A world and a people in great darkness.

The darkness upon the heart of the people even blacker than the darkness upon the world. God says it will be gross darkness.

The Hebrew word means gloom, like the darkness that comes not only from the night but also from a night is which the sky is filled with a threatening storm. A darkness so deep that even the moon and stars can’t be seen.

Then in the midst of this impenetrable blackness, God says, “But the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen in thee.”

The Darkness before the Light - Let me fill in some details of this day from Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation

When Jesus the King of the Jews, the King of the World returns for his nation, it will be, just as is prophesied here, a black and seemingly hopeless night. Acts 2:20 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Matthew 24:29 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

The Bible tells us that the stars will go out, the sun not shine through and the moon will be seen as though it is has been turned to blood.

 Revelation 6:12 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Israel will be at war with the world led by the army of the Beast, the anti-Christ. They take their last stand in Jerusalem, the City of David, Mt. Zion. Half the city if taken and all seem lost. Zechariah 14:1-4 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.  2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Zechariah 14:3-4 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

At that moment, at that moment when seems the darkness has won and that God’s people cannot survive, and certainly they cannot win. At that moment a shout will be heard, “Look in the east, there is a light.”  And all the leaders, generals, soldiers and civilians from the Jews to the army of the Anti-Christ will look to the eastern sky and there they will see the light of Jesus, tearing through the darkness like a knife ripping through black sackcloth.

The Light of Jesus Splits the Night - Matthew 24:27-30 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

He comes like a lightning strike; and all the armies of the redeemed and the angels come with him. He comes to save His people. He comes to claim the throne of David. He comes to complete victory over the darkness of the world.  

Then Israel shall arise and shine and God’s glory seen in her.

Jesus’ Promise To Us

Isn’t it always this way with God? Doesn’t he always wait until we have spent our own strength and all we have left is hope in Him?

It should not break us, or cause is to faint or fall away when we see the world around us getting darker with each passing day. Yes, it may seem as that there is no hope as the darkness upon this world and the hearts of men deepens  but remember the promise of Jesus.

John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

John 14:27 …Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

But it is in those deep, dark times that God moves and we see that the hope of the Gospel and the promise of His Word shine brighter than we have ever seen.

Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore,

2 Timothy 1:7 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

We need to believe the promise because the darker the night the brighter is the light of Jesus Christ.  The harder the path, the greater will our joy when we reach our promised destination. The more hopeless our battle, the greater is the victory through Jesus Christ.

When you think it’s time to give up on this world, this country or family or friends just remember, child of God, you shine brightest to them in their darkest hour. No, it is not a time to be discouraged. It’s not a time to shrink back due to more bad news, or bigger disappointment. No, that’s the time to Arise and Shine. Yes, it is true these are very darker nights but we commanded to shine brighter as the lights of Jesus in this world.

Look at verse 3 and see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel and to us.

Coming of Kings - Isaiah 60:3

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

The King of Kings Brings the Kings of the World

Isaiah’s prophesy tells his nation the result of God’s shining and their arising. He says, the Gentiles and Kings of the Earth would come to their light.

This tiny nation, despised, invaded, attacked, and driven almost to destruction, now becomes the nation that all the world seeks.

The Bible tells us that during the Millennium, the 1000-year reign of the Messiah upon the earth, all the world and its leaders will make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to see Jesus, the King of Kings.

Jesus will rule and reign on the throne of David and all the world will come to see the true, “light of the world.” They will come to hear Him teach the words of life. They will come to feel His healing touch upon their broken hearts, lives and bodies. They will come so that they might experience the deepest, truest love they could ever know. They will come to the Son of God and there will no longer be any doubt of who He is or what He can do.

They will also come to see the people of God, the light of their King has also become their light. When the world sees redeemed Israel shining brightly they will know their light is the light of Jesus.

Jesus Our King Brings The Lost

That same light, that will bring the nations to Jerusalem, will also bring people  to Christ today. If it can be seen in us, our families and our church. If it is seen that Jesus rules and reigns on the throne of our heart today, no matter how dark the sin, sorrow and shame of this world, then people will come. If it can be seen that we worship Him in word and in deed, they will come. If it can be seen that we love Jesus by keeping His commands, then people will come.

We must show the light and truth of Jesus in us. Remember what Jesus said, in Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We must not hide our light. We must be that city set on a hill.

Listen, if you’re a child of God, then the light of Jesus our Lord is already in you and now you are the light that show the lost to the Lord. We’ve just got to get out from underneath whatever bushel is covering up that light. Like the song says, “Hide it under a bushel? No. I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.”

Luigi Tarisio

Let me finish with the story of man named, Luigi Tarisio. He was found dead one morning in his home which was almost bare of any comfort or decoration. He seemed to be barely getting by but then they found in that same barebones house 246 exquisite beautiful antique violins. He had spent all his money, given up so many thing so that he could buy and collecting valuable, near priceless violins. But they were not on display in his home, instead they were in his attic, stored and the drawers of an old rickety bureau, a chest of drawers.

He obviously loved the violin but by collecting them in his attic, instead of letting others see, play and hear them, he had robbed the world of all the wonderful music they could have made. After his collection was discovered and gone through, they even found a priceless Stradivarius. It was refurbished and then presented at a concert so the world could hear it’s music. It was the first time in over 147 years that it had been played.

Don’t be like Luigi. You have something in your possession that is much more beautiful than a violin, you have the light of the Lord, the light of salvation, the light of hope, the light of eternal life. It must not be hidden from a world stumbling in darkness. Jesus has command us, let your light so shine. So instead of being overwhelmed by the dark lets, Arise and shine.

Conclusion: “Let the Lower Lights be Burning”

The song, “Let the Lower Be burning” Was written by Phillip P. Bliss. At DL Moody’s urging Bliss became a singing evangelist so in 1874, Bliss and his young wife Lucy, began full time evangelism, “winning souls” for Christ.

Bliss wrote Hold the Fort, Almost Persuaded; Hallelujah, What a Saviour!; Let the Lower Lights Be Burning; and Wonderful Words of Life. He wrote the tune for It Is Well With My Soul. It seemed he had a great future before him, but on December 29, 1876, Philip and Lucy were traveling through Ashtabula, Ohio to an evangelistic meeting at Moody’s church in Chicago. While the train was crossing a bridge it collapsed. All seven cars fell into the ravine. Phillip somehow survived the fall, but could not find his wife, Lucy. Now the carriages erupted in fire but Phillip Bliss would not run away, instead he ran toward the inferno find and free his wife. The crown yelled at him to stop, it was too dangerous, but as he ran toward the fire, he yelled back, “If I cannot save her, I will perish with her.” He would not let her die alone. That same love and devotion to lost souls is reflected in all his songs and this one is a fitting way to end this sermon.

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy from His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
For to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.

Chorus: Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled, loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing, for the lights, along the shore.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Eager eyes are watching, longing, for the lights, along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Trying now to make the harbor, some poor sailor may be lost.