As Revealed by the Prophets
A Sermon on Isaiah 1:1-2
Originally preached Feb. 3, 1963
Scripture
1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and …
Sermon Description
Why should one listen to the message of the prophets and of holy Scripture? In an age of doubt and the rationalistic criticism of Scripture, this remains a vital question for the church and all believers. In this sermon on Isaiah 1:1–2 titled “As Revealed by the Prophets,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the nature of Scripture as the word of God given through the apostles and prophets. God gives His word to His people in times of need and guidance. This word from God is the only reason that the church has any authority to speak to the world and call it to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The message of the church is that Jesus Christ has died for sinners so that they might be righteous and children of God. All who repent and believe in Jesus are saved from sin and the wrath of God. This message of salvation confronts the world in its fallenness and brokenness and tells of the God who has died for the world. God’s revelation is the only reason that the church can stand and proclaim this great truth that Jesus has come and died for sinners. This sermon confronts all that they need to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The prophet Isaiah wrote to show Judah and Jerusalem the cause of their troubles and the way out.
- Isaiah's message is summarized in the first chapter. The cause of trouble is sin, false ways of dealing with trouble, and the announcement of the true way of deliverance.
- Isaiah's message is still relevant today because it deals with man's relationship to God, which never changes.
- Isaiah asks us to listen to his message because it is a vision from God, not his own ideas. God spoke through Isaiah.
- The evidence that Isaiah's message is from God includes:
- The sublime and elevating character of the message
- The unity of message across prophets separated by time
- The historical accuracy of predictions
- The timeless relevance of the message
- The condition of man and the world is an astonishing phenomenon and monstrosity according to the message. Everything is obeying God's laws except man.
- Man's troubles are due to his own rebellion against God, not circumstances outside his control.
- The essence of man's trouble is sin, which is rebellion against God, not just individual sins. Sin is about man's relationship to God.
- Man was made to live for God's glory but rebelled. This is why the world is in trouble.
- God raised up prophets like Isaiah to show people their sin, call them to repentance, and offer mercy.
- God showed the greatest love by sending Jesus to save us from the punishment our sin deserves.
- We must realize we are a phenomenon and monstrosity because of our sin, repent, and believe in Jesus to be saved.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Man's Rebellion Against God in Isaiah?
What is the main message of the prophet Isaiah according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Isaiah has only one great message throughout his book: he analyzes Israel's troubles, explains their causes, and shows them the one and only way out. In this first chapter, Isaiah provides a summary of his entire message by identifying the cause of the trouble, the false ways people were trying to escape their problems, and then announcing the true and only way of deliverance. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this message remains relevant today as it addresses humanity's fundamental relationship with God, which never changes.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe Isaiah's ancient message is still relevant today?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Isaiah's message remains relevant because:
- It deals with man's relationship to God, which never changes
- The children of Israel were a "specimen nation" whose experience represents all humanity
- The world today is in the same spiritual condition as Israel was in Isaiah's time
- The message addresses the fundamental human condition, which has remained constant throughout history
- The sublime character and consistent nature of the biblical message across different authors and time periods proves its divine origin
As Lloyd-Jones states: "Though it is old, it's ever new, because it deals with this thing that is left entirely untouched by all the advance of knowledge and all the changes in history."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary cause of human troubles?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the primary cause of human troubles is rebellion against God. He quotes Isaiah 1:2: "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." Lloyd-Jones explains that man's problems are entirely of his own making - not due to circumstances, conditions, fate, or evolutionary lag. The world's troubles stem from humanity's deliberate action of rebellion against God, which began when mankind first sinned.
He states: "Man's troubles are entirely of his own making, that he is where he is because he's a fool, because of what he himself has done."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the nature of sin in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones explains that sin is not merely the wrong actions we commit but fundamentally about our relationship with God. He states:
"Sin is not so much a matter of what a man does as of his relationship to God. The trouble with most of us is that we always think of sin in terms of sins... Though you did nothing wrong at all, it is your attitude towards God that makes a man a sinner."
He describes sin as: 1. Rebellion against God 2. Self-centeredness 3. A wrong attitude toward God 4. Defying God and living life on our own terms 5. Something worse than specific immoral acts - "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft"
What authority does Dr. Lloyd-Jones claim for his preaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explicitly disclaims any personal authority for his preaching. He states: "I have no authority whatsoever in this pulpit tonight" apart from delivering God's message. He identifies himself as "nothing but a mouth" and "a mouthpiece" whose role is "simply here to unfold this book, to let it speak."
He bases the authority of his message on the same authority Isaiah claimed - that it is a "vision" or revelation from God. "The Lord hath spoken," not human wisdom or insight. Lloyd-Jones sees himself merely as a vehicle or channel for delivering God's unchanging message found in Scripture.
How does Isaiah use nature as a witness in his message according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Isaiah calls "heaven and earth" as witnesses (Isaiah 1:2) - not referring to angels and men, but to literal inanimate nature. Isaiah addresses the physical heavens, earth, and all creation to testify against humanity's unnatural state.
Lloyd-Jones elaborates: "Everything is behaving as it's meant to behave. Everything except man." Nature follows God's laws perfectly - stars move in their orbits, the earth revolves on its axis, seasons change regularly - but man has rebelled against his created purpose. This makes humanity "a monstrosity in the whole universe," a contradiction within creation that even inanimate nature testifies against.
What solution does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer for humanity's rebellion?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that the only solution for humanity's rebellion is:
- Acknowledging and understanding our sin
- Repentance - "We've got to go down before we go up"
- Coming to God "in utter contrition and repentance"
- Falling before God and casting oneself on His mercy
- Receiving God's pardon through Christ "who bled and died to save you"
He emphasizes that no external improvements (better housing, education, entertainment, etc.) can solve humanity's fundamental problem. The only hope is the gospel message that God sent His Son to take our punishment and restore us to relationship with Him: "Though you've rebelled, he's come to take our punishment upon himself. And if we believe in him, he will rescue us."
Old Testament
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.