The Glory of God’s Salvation • 06.08.25
The Glory of God’s Salvation
Isaiah 60:1-22
Anticipating the outcome of God’s plan
- God’s glory radiates from Zion
- Many nations find their hope in God
- Judgment comes for the wicked
- God accomplishes his plan for his people
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! (Welcome guests + introduce self)
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Isaiah 60; page 736)
Last week Pastor Jack revealed to us the one way rescue plan of God for sinners like Israel/Judah and sinners like us. By way of reminder, here was the three-fold breakdown of Isaiah 59:
- The Prophet’s Declaration: You have a sin problem.
- The People’s Confession: We have a sin problem.
- The LORD’s Salvation: He alone can intervene and redeem.
Through the prophet Isaiah’s ministry, God has faithfully revealed his promise to single-handedly save sinners! He has not shied away from the Bad News of our sin problem and the judgment it earns us… I hope you would agree this is incredibly loving of God – it is essential to have a right understanding of what we need saved from! Yet he has also graciously given us the Good News of Salvation from our sin problem… He has told us that he will send his Servant to rescue and redeem his people.
I don’t know each person’s background here today, nor what your experience of studying the Bible has been like throughout your life, so I want to point out that what we have had revealed to us in Isaiah is a beautiful picture of the overarching narrative of the entire Bible. The Holy God who made all things has always had a plan to make a people for himself from every tongue, tribe and nation – a people whom he would rescue from sin through the willing sacrifice of His Son and who joyfully worship and glorify him for all their days. The Bible is beautiful in its consistency in the message of redemption from sin into new life with God. (title slide)
As Pastor Jack also said a few weeks ago, “We have shifted in this text towards the end. A final large section running through Isaiah 66 which looks forward to future glory and deliverance by God for his people, not just from Babylon as highlighted in 40-48, not just from sin as highlighted from 49-57, but also from the impacts of sin on this earth.” The content of these final chapters addresses ultimate concerns of God’s plan for all things.
As we prepare to study chapter 60 today, I want you to try to imagine something with me…
Imagine a world where everyone got along perfectly… where everyone, no matter your status or position in life, served one another… A world where peace and government were synonymous… Where everyone contributed to the wellbeing of society… A world where God’s glory was the chief focus and unifying factor for everyone, everywhere… Where there was wholeness of being and lack of nothing… Where God’s glory radiates so brilliantly that there is no longer any need for sun or moon… And you get to be in the presence of the Almighty!
Can you imagine such a reality? Can you imagine a reality where there are no more days of sorrow? Where joy resonates from every corner of creation?
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, it is not! This is exactly the kind of world and future God will fashion when all is said and done in his grand plan of redemption. And we get to hear about it in our study of Isaiah 60 today.
With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to the text.
Isaiah 60:1–22 (ESV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,
and I will beautify my beautiful house.
8 Who are these that fly like a cloud,
and like doves to their windows?
9 For the coastlands shall hope for me,
the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from afar,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the Lord your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has made you beautiful.
10 Foreigners shall build up your walls,
and their kings shall minister to you;
for in my wrath I struck you,
but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Your gates shall be open continually;
day and night they shall not be shut,
that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
with their kings led in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve you shall perish;
those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The sons of those who afflicted you
shall come bending low to you,
and all who despised you
shall bow down at your feet;
they shall call you the City of the Lord,
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
16 You shall suck the milk of nations;
you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
and instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will make your overseers peace
and your taskmasters righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21 Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.
22 The least one shall become a clan,
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the Lord;
in its time I will hasten it.
Praise God for his plan! The scope of what God describes here is breathtaking… This is the fulfillment of what he promised all the way back in chapter 2, he will draw the nations to himself by the radiance of his glory and there will be peace on earth! The glory of God’s salvation will be known worldwide, and many will be drawn by it. The peoples will come to worship the One, True God. This is the outcome God is directing human history towards. And he has not kept it hidden from us. He openly revealed it thousands of years ago.
Our privilege and joy today is…
Anticipating the outcome of God’s plan
There ought to be an eagerness to understand what is coming. We all know that the number of our days are finite. And, if we’re honest about the intelligent design of our world and our own consciences, we all intrinsically know that there is a Creator who made all things. So, what happens in the end? What is the plan? God does not keep us “in the dark” but invites us into the light of his glory through salvation.
So, let’s consider what has been revealed to us about the outcome of God’s plan and how we ought to respond. Starting with…
- God’s glory radiates from Zion
A day is coming when God’s glory will shine brilliantly from the City of Zion. Zion has been used synonymously with the City of Jerusalem throughout the book of Isaiah. It is the city where God has chosen to dwell and to manifest His glory to the entire world.
This promise to the people is pretty amazing considering how they have failed to uphold the covenant with God. They have repeatedly rejected him and gone their own way. But that is the point – it is not dependent on them but on the LORD who intervenes to save! He chooses, by his own grace, to display his glory through Zion. They are the beneficiaries of God’s gracious glory.
And so are the rest of the nations! In beautiful fulfillment of the covenant made with Abraham so long ago, God demonstrates his ability to bless all the nations because of his Servant’s faithfulness. This wonderful outcome of God’s salvation hinges on the Suffering Servant’s finished work which we heard about in Isaiah 53.
The way God’s radiant glory is described in verses 1-3 provokes your imagination, doesn’t it?
Isaiah 60:1–3 (ESV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
As I was trying to picture this in my mind, the closest I could come in my own experience is flying on a plane at night and looking out the window. Often what you will find is vast expanses of darkness as you fly over the forests and lakes or oceans where there is no human life, but when you are nearing a big city you see the light(s). Together they shine brightly in the darkness, inviting you to them. It can be breathtaking. But even that analogy does not do this justice!
I even tried to generate images that might represent what we’re hearing about here, but I was not satisfied with these either.
It’s hard for us to imagine utter darkness over the earth, darkness so thick that you cannot penetrate it… But try to imagine it. And out of that darkness a light so brilliantly radiates forth. What is it? Where does it come from? What is its source?
This light originates from God. It is the brilliance, the radiance of his glory! Christians talk a lot about God’s glory without defining it. What is God’s glory? It’s a complex concept – one that communicates the weightiness of God’s perfection and beauty – his majesty. To say that God is glorious is to say that he is perfectly pure, without flaw or fault. His glory is his holiness, which is pure light, without any darkness at all. When God reveals himself in Scripture, there is a reason it is in the form of fire or brilliant light, that is his glory on display.
As we hear in Isaiah 60, this radiance of God’s glory draws the nations to Zion. The nations and kings want to experience it for themselves. In verses 4-7 the people of Zion are invited to look up and see as the nations stream to them. They come as the people of God, and the only appropriate response is to rejoice! The nations bring great wealth to offer in worship to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They recognize the worthiness of the One they come to worship and pull out all the stops to demonstrate their devotion.
Notice they bring gold and frankincense, which is a sweet foreshadowing of the gifts the wise men would bring to worship Jesus when he came 700 years later. The nations also bring good news, the praises of the LORD! They delight to open their mouths in singing to God.
If you were to investigate the specific nations mentioned throughout the chapter, you would find that these represent people coming from all directions to Zion. From the south, the north, the east and the west, they come to God! Driving their flocks, bringing their wealth, all to devote to Yahweh, the One, True God for he is the Incomparably Great God who alone is worthy of their worship.
The result of such an ingathering of the saints to worship God is that God’s people dwell together in unity and blessing. Their physical and spiritual needs are met. God’s glory has drawn them together and provided for them in every way. Can you imagine it? What a glorious outcome of God’s salvation!
In many ways the church gets to be a foretaste of such glory. Though our gatherings pale in comparison to this one, we come together drawn by the glory of God. We bring our offerings of worship. From different backgrounds and walks of life we come, united by our faith in the One, True God. As this New Covenant community of God, we care for one another, each sacrificing for the good of others.
Or at least that is what we are called to be doing. Is that the way you are living? Are you eager to gather with the rest of God’s people in your local church week after week? Does it excite you to live life together throughout the week in small group ministry or in breaking bread together? These are beautiful ways for us to foreshadow and experience glimpses of this future glory now. In fact, I know some of you have had the opportunity to experience such glimpses of glory this week! You’ve brought meals to those in need. You’ve prayed for one another. You’ve met together for fellowship and accountability to keep pursuing God! Praise God for that!
We want to be a church that radiates the glory of God. Not because we’re so special but because He’s amazing and is doing a work in each of us! Notice how the glory of the Lord is a light that can and ought to be reflected by God’s people. Our calling as Christians is to accurately reflect the glory of God by conforming our lives to the Perfect One, our Savior, Jesus!
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Christian, you reflect the glory of the LORD more and more as you fix your eyes on Him and follow Him. As you dedicate your life to knowing and obeying God, he will transform you into a glorious representative for him! What an awesome privilege.
And, if you are listening to this but do not know Jesus as your Savior, then the invitation for you is to join the nations by finding your hope in God. This is another outcome of God’s plan that we eagerly anticipate:
- Many nations find their hope in God
Verse 8 reveals the eagerness and anticipation that the nations have in coming to God. They travel vast distances, even setting sail via ship to come to him. Nothing will keep them from the One, True God! They see and recognize that he is worthy.
The divine irony of Isaiah’s writing is that Israel/Judah have long been under the thumb of foreign nations. They knew the pain of having their country overrun by enemy troops and their capital city destroyed by foreign conquerors. They had been humiliated when their temple was burnt down, and they were sent into exile for decades.
But now they are told that these foreigners will one day come and contribute to the building up of their walls. Formerly pagan kings shall become servants! This is not to denigrate these foreigners but rather to point out that they are becoming contributing members of God’s people. They find their hope in the One, True God and delight to do their part.
We’re told the city of Zion will have gates that never shut, which indicates the security they dwell in but also the constant flow of people who are coming into it. The language used in Isaiah 60 is repeated in the final book of the Bible, Revelation. Listen to this:
Revelation 21:22–27 (ESV)
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
God is consistent in declaring that his dwelling place will not need gates that shut because the people are continually coming to worship him!
Can I ask you – where is your hope found? Are you looking to the things of earth to satisfy you? Because they never will. Created things were not designed to satisfy you. Notice how the nations bring their most precious resources to worship the Lord because he is the ultimate object of their desire! All that can be obtained in this world pales in comparison to the value and beauty and glory of God. He alone is intended to be the source of your satisfaction, and he alone can satisfy you. One of the early church fathers, Augustine is famous for writing in his book Confessions, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”
Have you found rest for your heart in the Lord? A passage that has been quoted a few times in this sermon series is Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:
Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Come to Jesus. If you have never acknowledged your sin and need for a Savior… confess both now and come to Jesus. He delights to take your burdens and, in exchange, give you rest for your soul. Following him is not an easy road, but it is the way of life that will end in glory with God. And being yoked to Jesus means he’s walking with you every step of the way, bearing your burdens and providing you with his righteousness.
Christian brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep walking with him each day. Through every trial and tribulation this life brings your way. Learn from him. Rest in him. Remember that he has rescued you from your sin and the death it incurred. Live in light of this glorious truth!
The alternative that is mentioned, albeit briefly in this chapter, is not a desirable one. As we anticipate the outcome of God’s plan, we also see in verse 12 that…
- Judgment comes for the wicked
This continues to be an inescapable reality of life in God’s world. God promises to judge the wicked. The book of Isaiah has held out the reality that God is both the just judge and the gracious savior. This verse is given in the context of explaining the reason why the city’s gates can always be open. There will be no enemies of God’s people left. Those who reject God and his glorious salvation will perish.
What do you do with the reality of a divine, just Judge? The Bible is very clear that every one of us will stand before God one day to face judgment. It was Jesus’ own teaching…
Matthew 25:31–33 (ESV)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
The Apostle Paul taught it…
2 Corinthians 5:9–10 (ESV)
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The Apostle John recorded it…
Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
These teachings are for our benefit. God has graciously warned us of the eternal outcome of remaining dead in our sin instead of trusting in him. We were created to worship God. We were made to find our rest in him. The hope of every man, woman, boy and girl is receiving the mercy and grace that he provides through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. (Main points slide)
My hope for our church is that we would heed the warnings of Isaiah about the just judgment of God. There is a world full of souls out there who need to know their need for salvation. They need to be made aware of the eternal danger they are in! Who will tell them? Who will help them to know the truth? Why not you? If your life has been forever changed by God’s saving grace, then you are equipped and called to reflect his glory to the nations! Let his light shine in and through you by opening your mouth and telling others about the way of salvation. This has always been God’s plan to make his glory known – by rescuing a people to himself and sending them out as his ambassadors to the ends of the earth.
I’d like to invite you to stretch your evangelism and discipleship muscles this summer:
- Join the Witness on Wednesday crew once a month
- Sign up to serve at High Five Camp
- Get plugged into a small group (for those who aren’t in one)
- Mutual ministry + accountability
- Invite a co-worker/family/friend to church before Isaiah is over (through July 20th)
- Make it your aim to sit down with one other person in the month of June and talk to them about faith in Jesus
We ought to care deeply about where our fellow man is going to spend eternity. In the words of Pastor Charles Spurgeon:
If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. (The New Park Street and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 7:11)
These are powerful, sobering words that reflect the depth of conviction Christians ought to have for reaching the lost. It should not sit well with us to have the hope of heaven while others perish all around us.
With that being said, the primary focus of this chapter in Isaiah is that God’s glory is made known in his salvation. So, we will end our time together today by anticipating the outcome of God’s plan as he…
- God accomplishes his plan for his people
Verses 15-22 reveal that God is going to do a marvelous work of transformation and provision for his people. Where they used to be forsaken and hated, now he will make them majestic forever. Let’s read the text again:
Isaiah 60:15–22 (ESV)
15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
16 You shall suck the milk of nations;
you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
and instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will make your overseers peace
and your taskmasters righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21 Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.
22 The least one shall become a clan,
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the Lord;
in its time I will hasten it.
This passage highlights the sovereignty of God in salvation. He is the One who ensures they have this outcome. He provides for them. In the land that was so used to devastation and defeat, God will wall them in with salvation and establish gates of praise! They will no longer be ruled by harsh taskmasters, but by peace and righteousness.
Verse 16 speaks of an intimate knowledge of the LORD as their Savior and Redeemer. This is God’s desire, that his people would know him! This is New Covenant language. He wants a people who are transformed from the inside out, whose hearts are made pure and holy and draw near to him.
John Oswalt, in his commentary on verse 18 said:
In that city the salvation of the Redeemer will be the walls, protecting everyone from the mightiest enemy of all: sin. The avenue of entry to the city, its gates, will be praise. Those who enter that city will do so by laying themselves and their needs aside and joining in the endless song that the redeemed will sing to their Savior. (NICOT)
The beautiful outcome of God’s plan for his people is dwelling in his presence without fear, without sin, without sadness, and basking in the light of his glory forevermore. Again, this makes me think of the vision of John in Revelation:
Revelation 21:1–4 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
God is the One who will bring this about. He is accomplishing his plan in his timing. We have the privilege of living in a time in history after Jesus’ first coming, where we have further teaching and revelation available to live by. We can know the Suffering Servant as our Lord and Savior through faith in him! And now we eagerly await the day when Jesus will come again to usher in the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. We long for death and sin to be no more. We ought to ache for the glory of God to be made known worldwide, as it is revealed in Isaiah 60. This is the end for which all things have been created, and it is a glorious eternal life that awaits.
What will you do with this knowledge today? How will your life be different as a result of what you have heard in Isaiah 60?
I hope that your heart is both exhilarated at the reminders of what is to come and humbled by the scope of the mission set before us. If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then you have every reason to rejoice in the glory of God’s salvation as it has been revealed today. But you must not keep your rejoicing to yourself – take the Good News of salvation to as many as possible in this lifetime. Invite others to join you in Zion, worshiping the One, True God! This happens one conversation at a time, so let’s seek to live intentionally this week/this month/this year. In the words of Jonathan Edwards, “Lord, stamp eternity on our eyeballs!” May we be so overcome with joy at what is ahead that we can’t help but tell others about it as we live for God here and now.
Let’s pray.
Pray – thank God for the glory of his salvation; rejoice in the reality that we can know that we know that we’re on our way to heaven! confess our need for renewed sight/desires; confess our temptation to turn aside and allow sin to hinder our race of faith; ask for steadfast love/faithfulness in our walk with Jesus; may we fix our eyes on him and be transformed from one degree of glory to another