INTRO: Tell the "Good news bad news joke." There is so much bad news, on the radio, TV, newspapers, that we yearn to hear good news. Used to be a newspaper of only good news "GRIT." Isaiah is God's Word to Israel and us, and is both good news and bad news. Here we find some good news, that good times are coming. Specifically:
I. THE FERTILITY OF THE
SOIL WILL BE INCREASED (Is. 29:17)
A. This meant a lot
to Israel 2700 years ago! Farmers and herders.
Only a hundred
years ago, America was 90% rural and agricultural.
150 years ago
topsoil was 10 feet deep in Iowa. Now, ten inches!
B. Isaiah writes of
blessings on Lebanon, on the N. border of Israel.
Dominated by mountains.
In Solomon's time covered by vast forests of
giant cedars.
Now only a single grove of 400 trees, some 1000 years
old.
C. This fertility
will be true for all of Israel (see Isaiah 35:1-2,
6-7).
D. God will make over
the earth (Revelation 21:1).
II. THE DEAF WILL HEAR
AND THE BLIND WILL SEE (Is. 29:18).
A. I admire handicapped
people who won't give up. (Tell story of boyhood friend
playing
football and
riding a bicycle around the block.)
B. Our bodies are
corruptible, and become burdensome as we age, but God
promises
to change our
bodies (I Cor. 15:42-44; 53-54).
C. Spiritually speaking,
many are now blind and deaf to God's Word. God will
change
that (see Jeremiah
31:33-34).
III. EVIL PEOPLE WILL
VANISH FROM THE EARTH (Is. 29:19-21).
A. The Ruthless--It
is a "dog eat dog world."
B. The mockers--There
are many who laugh at God, Christians, Christianity,
goodness
C. Those who have
an eye for evil--"intent on doing evil." Criminals,
and wicked of all sorts
D. Liars in court--plenty
of these
E. Revelation 21:27;
22:15 describes the inhabitants of Christ's Kingdom.
CONCLUSION: The bad news is, we do have air and water pollution, soil erosion; we do have people who are physically and spiritually blind; we do have too many who are ruthless and wicked. But the good news is that Christ is coming to set up His Kingdom, and make the world what it should be. Even so come Lord Jesus. Amen.