July 10, 2024 - Isaiah 53-57

In his “Deathless Sermon” of 1792, the Baptist preacher, William Carey, preached from the text of Isaiah 54:2-3:  “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.  For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.”  Though no copies of the sermon are now extant, across the board, scholars pretty much agree that his two main points were:  1) Expect great things from God, and 2) Attempt great things for God.  Carey’s sermon was a call for the church to shake itself out of its doldrums and to preach the gospel to all nations.  The following chapter begins, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (55:1).  The invitation is:  “Come everyone who thirsts” no matter the person’s skin color, culture, language, race, or anything else.  The promise is to even “the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord” (56:6).  The good news is for all.

Forward! flock of Jesus,

Salt of all the earth,

Till each yearning purpose

Springs to glorious birth:

Sick, they ask for healing;

Blind, they grope for day;

Pour upon the nations

Wisdom’s loving ray.

Forward, out of error,

Leave behind the night;

Forward through the darkness,

Forward into light!   -- Henry Alford (1865)