SERMON TITLE: Light and Peace
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 42:10-17 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Justin Stiles
DATE: 12-07-25
Sermon Discussion Guide
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Good morning, Gateway Church! It’s great to be here celebrating another Sunday during the Advent season, whether you’re joining us at our County Road 9 Campus, our North Main Campus, or our friends in Bucyrus. It’s a pleasure to share God’s Word with you today. For those I don’t know, I’m Justin Stiles, one of the elders here at Gateway Church. I’m married to Anne, and we have five children: Easton, Elyse, Robert, Chandler, and Randy. If you want to talk to Randy about your favorite professional football team, pull up a chair, as you might be there for a few minutes!
Last week, Pastor Josh began our series looking at Light and Hope as we studied the beginning of Isaiah 60. Today, we’re going to look at Light and Peace. If you have your Bibles with you, we’re going to read from Isaiah 42:10-17. Before we get there, here’s a little review of what we find in the Book of Isaiah
Isaiah was a prophet, whose job it was to deliver God’s message to his people. In the Book of Isaiah, we find a time in history where the Assyrian Empire had their eyes on conquering Egypt. However, that put the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in a dangerous position, as they were located between Assyria and Egypt – meaning that Assyria needed to go through Israel and Judah to get to Egypt. And they weren’t going to just walk through and say hello on their way to Egypt – they were going to attack Israel and Judah on their way to Egypt. We’ve got a lot of geography here, so to help keep things straight… you can think of Israel as Michigan… Syria as Ohio State… Judah as Georgia… and Assyria as Alabama.
King Uzziah, one of the good kings of Judah, was prepared to defend his people with the resources and army he had. However, after King Uzziah passed, Judah’s next king, an ungodly king, King Ahaz, succeeded him, and you’ll see that he would not be a good king in this moment. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Israel decided to form an alliance with Syria so that Israel and Syria could stand up to Assyria. Can you imagine Michigan offering an alliance with Ohio State??? And then, can you imagine Michigan and Ohio State trying to buddy up with Georgia just to take down Alabama??? Because that’s what they did - Israel and Syria try to buddy up to Judah and invite them to join them so that all three nations could defend themselves against the Assyrians. King Ahaz of Judah declined the invitation. But Israel and Syria wouldn’t let that slide, so they attacked Judah. I know, we’re getting really messy here, right?! And it gets worse. Because Georgia (or Judah) goes to Alabama (or Assyria) to get Ohio State (or Syria) and Michigan (or Israel) off their back. Assyria is the very nation that wants to destroy them all here! I bet our man Isaiah was just so tired here. Assyria accepted Judah’s friend request and defeated Israel and Syria like Judah asked, but the King of Assyria had no intention of just helping Judah without something in return. Assyria slapped some heavy taxes on the people of Judah. The Assyrians eventually conquered Israel and sent them into exile after that. When King Hezekiah became king of Judah, Assyria attacked Judah. King Hezekiah listened to Isaiah’s advice and relied on God’s faithfulness, so Judah did not fall into Assyria’s hands at that time. However, the people of Judah did not remain faithful, and they fell to Babylon, the empire that toppled the Assyrian Empire. And thus began the exile for the people of Judah (Notes on Isaiah. NLT Illustrated Study Bible. Tyndale. 2015.). For a sermon that’s supposed to be invoking Light and Peace, we’re really getting somewhere, aren’t we?!
Now that we’ve set the scene for Isaiah, let’s turn to, let’s turn to Isaiah 42:10-17:
10 Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. 11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands. 13 The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes. 14 For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. 17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, “You are our gods.”
For folks new to the Christian faith, and especially for those that aren’t followers of Jesus, it can take a little bit to follow what Isaiah’s saying here. This passage is called “A Song of Praise for the Lord.” In verses 10-12, we’re told to sing a new song to the Lord, and to sing his praises to the end of the earth! Why? Because God intends to redeem humanity – we’ll revisit this later. But everyone, from those by the sea to those in the desert, are called to praise God. We’re told in verse 13 that the Lord will march forth like a mighty warrior. Why would the Israelites compare the Lord to a mighty warrior? They could go back in history to when God rescued his people out of Egypt, as referenced in Isaiah 51:9-10:
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. 10 Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
In verse 14, we see how Israel, in exile, had experienced God’s absence. And sometimes we feel that way, too, that God is silent. How many of us grow impatient waiting on God, and how often does that impatience grow into something deeper, like dread and despair? The Israelites certainly felt like they were in a dark place. But why were they there? Because they failed to listen to God's warnings through his prophets. We’re reminded in 2 Kings 17:9-15:
9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, 12 and they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.
God had wanted his people to be set apart and holy. He wanted them to do so by obeying his commands, as obedience to his commands would glorify God – other nations would see that the nation of Israel was blessed because they were living how God wanted them to live. But as we read, the Israelites didn’t live up to God’s standard. God, however, as we read throughout the whole Bible, has a plan to redeem his people and it’s what his heart longs for. In Isaiah 61:1, we read:
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
While the Israelites failed to keep their end of the covenant God made with them, God is faithful to the covenant.
The Israelites were indeed in a tough spot, being threatened into exile and then being banished into exile because of their unfaithfulness. Isaiah looks to encourage them as the passage continues in verse 15, where he reminds us that no enemy of ours is too strong for God to overcome, through the imagery that God will reduce the mountains and hills to a wilderness.
So, where’s the light for Israelites? What comfort can they take from God? When will they experience peace? Isaiah continues in verse 16-17 (Isaiah 42:16-17):
16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. 17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, “You are our gods.”
God calls his people blind. Why? They face an enemy in the Assyrians and the Babylonians. They face destruction. They face exile. When this much gloom is before them, when they’re in despair, they’re blinded and can’t see. They can’t see where to go or where to turn to help. They can’t see their future. Yet, it’s in this state precisely that God tells his people that he will turn the darkness into light, and the rough places into level ground. He will redeem his people, as he is always faithful to his promises – he says: these are the things I do and I do not forsake them. He’s the light that they should trust to guide them in their lives. Beyond reminding his people of God’s steadfast promise of redemption, he warns them that those that cling and trust to idols as their gods will be put to shame. And what had the Israelites done, time and time again, led by numerous kings, was worshiped anything but the one true God. God’s bringing about the exile of his people because they and their kings had not trusted and obeyed God’s commands. And while God is bringing about the exile of his people at the hands of the Babylonians, he’ll save a remnant, a portion. We read of this promise in Isaiah 10:20-23:
20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
So, yes, while the Israelites are in a desperate situation, God is promising them to turn the darkness to light, and that they’ll experience peace again – they need to place their faith in God and not in idols. Not only does Isaiah share this message with the Israelites about their exile and their future return to their land, he also tells them of their ultimate redemption, in Isaiah 42:1-4:
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
The servant that Isaiah’s talking about is the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus. See how this prophecy is fulfilled as we read in Matthew 12:15-21:
15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
What a prophecy and promise fulfilled! And this message of Light and Peace that the Israelites received is also an encouragement for us today as well. If you’re here with us, you may not be facing exile into another land. But, how many of you have gone through something really tough this year or are still going through something tough, something like:
Whatever you’ve faced this year, just know that that Lord promises you light and peace. As the Israelites felt downtrodden, alone, afraid, aimless, blind, so too we might feel the same way, but God promises us redemption and hope through his Son, Jesus, who is the Christ the Savior. A Savior prophesied by Isaiah and many prophets in the Old Testament. And a prophecy that we read fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25:
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Imagine Joseph and Mary during this time. They were betrothed, which in the culture at the time, was legally binding. Mary becomes pregnant, and Joseph faced a couple of choices: Joseph could put Mary in a public trial and have her stoned to death, as everyone would believe that Mary committed adultery. Or, Joseph could obtain a divorce. However, we read that Joseph was “just a man and unwilling to put her shame,” meaning that he was obedient to the Word of God; he didn’t believe in putting Mary to shame and death. Undoubtedly, both Joseph and Mary felt that they had no way out of this predicament, and they likely felt like they were wandering in darkness. What happens next? An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream to reassure Joseph of Mary’s faithfulness and purity. The angel further explains that Mary will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, a title meaning God With Us. His personal name would be Jesus, meaning Savior. Joseph did not divorce Mary, but continued on to Bethlehem where they‘d been traveling, and Mary gave birth to Jesus, who’d be our Savior. Can you imagine the peace that this news brought to Joseph and Mary?! They’d gotten engaged a few months ago, and their little Hallmark movie had now turned into a Hallmark Movie and Mystery, where Joseph had to decide whether he gets his fiancé stoned to death, or if he pays the engagement breakup fee and they go their separate ways. But the Lord sends Joseph a message supernaturally through a dream that quiets Joseph’s heart and gives him peace. I can only imagine the reassurance Joseph and Mary felt, knowing that they could be in God’s light and experience his peace if they followed him.
That wonderful promise of Light and Peace is ours to accept as well. If you’ve experienced hardships this year and feel lost, remember the Light and Peace that God has promised you. This doesn’t mean that the pain evaporates tomorrow, but as Christians, when we go through a trial, we can remember at the same time the peace that God has promised us. We can remember that God will use the trial to increase our faith in him. Please also remember God’s call on our lives. He called the Israelites to be a nation set apart, to be holy, to be a nation that would bring God glory on the earth. We read in Deuteronomy 7:6-9 about the Israelites:
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…
This calling is repeated for us after Jesus came and preached the Good News to us. In fact, if you were around for our series in Romans, we read in Romans 12:1-2:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are to live lives that do not conform to the world, whether that’s chasing social status, material comforts, unbiblical behavior, or promoting division. We’re to live our lives according to how God commands in the Bible, out of a response of the love he demonstrated for us by sacrificing his son Jesus so he could be our Savior. While we might find ourselves facing away from God, he calls us to repent, and his mercies are far deeper than we imagine; there’s forgiveness waiting for us. We read in 2 Corinthians 1:3:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort...
I hope that whether you have found yourself distant from God, or whether you don’t think you know anything about following God, know that God is the Father of Mercies, and that out from his deepest he begets mercies (Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly, 2020).
So, during this Advent season, I hope you remember God’s Light and Peace and the promises that he has for us. And, if you’re here for the first time or even for the fortieth time and wouldn’t consider yourself a Christian, I pray that the promises of Light and Peace of God would appeal to you, that you might consider following him and experiencing his love. God desires all of his people to experience his love and salvation, as he reminds us in 2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Remember God’s brilliant light and his peace this Advent. Let’s pray.
God, thank you that you promise light instead of darkness. We live in a fallen and dark world, so this promise is so welcoming to us. Please help us to walk in your light, and to reflect your light to others. In a world that can be full of noise, full of bitterness, full of fighting, full of pride…which often we are part of…thank you Lord that you promise peace to us. That we can repent Lord and you will embrace us with an outstretched hand. Thank you Lord for your son Jesus, through him we may have the ultimate peace, salvation in Christ. Holy Spirit, please help us to follow your ways, the ways that lead to your peace. Amen.
If you desire to grow closer to God, if you are hurting, or if you have suffered loss, please let our prayer teams bless you; they’ll be here up front. And now, receive this prayer of sending: May you go knowing that God is a God of Light and Peace, and may you experience this during this Advent season. Amen. God bless you, Gateway Church. You are sent.
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