Humility Rights Everything: Isaiah 17-20

Uh Lord Jesus, we do just thank you, Lord, for this morning.

Lord, thank you, God, that um you've given each of us, Lord, just unique talents and gifts.

And Lord, I just pray that we would just continue to be present in this community, Lord, to encourage, to support, to help in whatever ways we can.

We thank you, God.

Amen.

We're currently in a sermon series in Isaiah that we're calling Hope for Broken World.

And if you're here last week, it didn't feel so hopeful, right?

It was four chapters of judgment.

And this chapter, these this series of four chapters continues in judgment.

Last week we were in Isaiah 13 through 16, and the title of the sermon was Pride Ruins Everything.

If you remember, we were saying pride steals the seed of God.

Pride is not based on circumstances.

You would think that pride is based on being incredibly successful, and it is in certain cases, but in other cases it's not.

God will destroy all pride.

We talked about pride being violence, and it's not necessarily physical, but it's relational.

Pride hurts people, which is why God will destroy all pride.

Then we talked about how we get rid of pride.

Pride dies in the sight of God.

Very encouraging sermon.

This week we're flipping it.

The humility writes everything will be in Isaiah 17 through 20.

Isaiah 17 through 20.

I thought it'd be helpful to just start with defining what is biblical humility.

I think a lot of us subconsciously have a lot of things that come to mind when we think of humility.

And they're not always what is true biblical humility.

We might think of humility as being defeated or knocked out, losing or even a weakness, like Sonny Liston laying flat on his back.

It's common to think of humility like losing strength, weakness, losing confidence.

Or sometimes we think of it as not having a lot materially.

We even describe it as growing up with humble means.

We sometimes associate poverty with humility, and we we think wealth equals pride.

Humility is then living simply, having an old car, a small house, inexpensive clothes, few possessions.

This is Leonardo DiCaprio's childhood home, if you're curious.

But grew, he's described as growing up, having humble needs.

Or sometimes we think of humility as just a low view of ourselves.

We call it an honest view of ourselves.

If you remember the first Rocky, this was a little before my time, but we definitely watched it growing up.

Rocky Balboa was 30 years old.

He was living alone in a tiny, rundown Philadelphia apartment.

He was fighting in small fight clubs for a little bit of money, but to survive.

He worked as a muscle for a loan shark, collecting debts, being told to hurt people who didn't pay.

And if you remember from the beginning of the movie, there was very little in Rocky's life that communicated that he was important or successful, that he was going somewhere.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Even the boxing world basically gave up on him.

Rocky wasn't considered an up-and-coming prospect.

But if you remember from the movie, the heavyweight champion Apollo, he was scheduled to fight in Philadelphia.

And his opponent got hurt just before the fight.

Apollo didn't want to postpone the event, so he comes up with this grand marketing idea.

Right?

I will give an unknown local fighter a chance at the heavyweight championship.

He chose Rocky because he liked his nickname, the Italian Stallion.

Thought it'd be an easy fight.

Rocky was offered the fight, and his response, well, I just want to say thank you, but I don't think I want it.

I'm just a ham and egg, which is boxing slang for a low-level fighter just fighting for enough money to buy his ham and his eggs.

I won't spoil the movie for you, but for many of us, that's where we stop.

We never go on to the fight.

And we think that low view of self is an honest view.

And that honest view we think is humility.

Humility for a lot of us we see as being defeated or materially poor or a low view of ourselves that we think is an honest view of ourselves.

We can even celebrate this humility in ourselves and we can expect it in others.

Be humble.

We're trying so hard to portray this version of humility that we think is humility.

And all these things are just giving an appearance of humility when our heart may still be full of pride.

Jesus described it as a whitewashed tomb.

Well, it looks really pretty on the outside.

It's painted, it's beautiful limestone, it's clean, but on the inside, full of death and decay and rot.

That is the nature of all false humility.

On the outside, trying so hard to portray a version of humility while on the inside, still full of pride.

False humility has the outward appearance of humility, while the heart is still pride, the focus is still self, which is why Andrew Murray says there is a false humility, which makes a great virtue, in fact, of self-deprecation.

So we have some false views of humility, just subconsciously a lot of times.

But what is biblical humility?

It's not the things we described.

What is actual humility?

And I have three points on the nature of true humility from our chapters in Isaiah today.

But before I go through those points, I thought it'd just be helpful to just give an overview of these four chapters.

And it starts out with an oracle of judgment against Damascus and Israel.

See, Damascus will no longer be a city, but will become a heap of ruins.

Verse 1 and verse 4.

In that day the glory of Jacob will fade, the fat of his body will waste away.

It's a judgment to both the Aramaeans and Israel, joined together, which is interesting.

Because if you remember from the stories, the Aramaeans and the Israel joined together in this anti-Assyrian alliance, and they fell together.

Assyria conquered and deported both the Aramaeans and Israel, and the northern kingdom no longer existed from that day forward.

So chapter 17 is focused on this judgment of both Israel and Damascus.

Then it moves on, chapter 18, to an oracle about Cush.

Historically, modern-day Sudan is Cush.

And the height of their empire was during Isaiah's day.

They expanded to even rule Egypt in Isaiah's day.

You can see the green is was the height of their empire.

It's interesting, chapter 18 doesn't have any direct judgments against Cush, but it seems to include in eschatological or end-time prophecies.

Just as a reminder from the first week, we talked about there's different horizons of prophecy in Isaiah.

Some of these are immediate.

He's describing things that are currently happening.

Others are near future judgment, like in this path in chapter 17, he's saying the Aramaeans in Israel will be destroyed.

There's also this anticipation of this restoration or return, which is hundreds of years later, after the Babylonian exile, it's prophesied throughout Isaiah.

There's a horizon anticipating that though they will be exiled, there will be a returning remnant.

There's also a messianic horizon, and we've seen several already of this anticipating coming king and the line of David that will restore the kingdom.

There's also kingdom or gospel age horizon, and there's also eschatological or end-time horizons, which is why when we read Isaiah, sometimes it gets confusing.

Is this a current historical moment?

Is this some near future judgment?

Is this referring to the coming Messiah, or is this an end-time prophecy?

And the reality is they're all blended together throughout Isaiah.

Many times they're often, you'll you'll see them in parallel, where a passage may have both an immediate historical reality.

Like, for example, we read of the child, the child coming of a virgin, which also has a messianic fulfillment that we see fulfilled in Matthew through Jesus.

And sometimes they skip around, which makes reading Isaiah somewhat difficult because scholars can't figure out and decide, okay, is this an eschatological prophecy?

Was this an immediate historical prophecy?

Is this some messianic prophecy?

Is this referring to the gospel age?

But there are certain things that we do kind of tend to, or at least give us clues to whether they're eschatological or immediate, and a lot of times, again, they're both.

Chapter 18 is one of those that seems to be eschatological.

Why?

Because we read, all you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth.

When a signal is raised on the mountains, look.

When a trumpet is blown, hear.

This eschatological signal awakens the whole world to God's intervention in history.

What is that intervention?

It doesn't tell us exactly.

Joel also commands the trumpet to sound in Zion as an alarm, for the day of the Lord is coming.

So it seems to be giving us some sort of end times warning.

And it continues, for before the harvest, when the blossom is over and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away.

The image is of God allowing plans and power of nations to develop.

But just when it was about to be complete, just before the harvest, when the blossom is over, when the flowers are just becoming ripe, he cuts them down and stops their schemes at a decisive moment.

Many people read eschalogical text and they they try to interpret them incredibly literally and precisely and define them exactly what will happen.

I think for me at least, it's just best to know them so that when we see whatever those warnings might be, we can remember them.

But defining them precisely is often very difficult.

We saw that also in Jesus' day in the first century.

At that time, after the Lord cut them off, tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts.

Whether this refers only to the Kushites going up to Jerusalem or some future people going to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the Lord of hosts to worship, bringing tribute, we don't know.

But I think it's important that we remember and know what the eschatological prophecies are, so that as we go forward, we can be able to interpret things appropriately.

Chapter 19 moves into a judgment against Egypt.

It says, And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another, and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom, and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel.

They will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers and the mediums and the necromancers, and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them.

Some suggest that this powder is mirroring Egypt's history during the late dynastic period of Persian occupation.

It comes hundred years later.

Others say, no, this is still yet to come.

Defining it precisely again, I don't know if it's our place, but understanding it and knowing it, so as we see events unfold, I think is helpful.

And that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.

It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt.

So in Egypt there is a pillar to the Lord.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

Verse 24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, Blessed be Egypt, my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.

Many people think that this is referring to the gospel going out and to the Gentiles, where all of us are becoming the people of God, the work of his hands, his inheritance.

The Coptic Church, in particular in Egypt, considers this passage that they are the fulfillment of it, the fulfillment of the promise.

The Syrian Church of the East, headquartered originally near modern Baghdad, uh, in the first century, the second century, one of the most missional churches of the first few centuries also considered themselves the fulfillment of this promise.

Whether we are living in that age where this is already fulfilled or this is yet to be fulfilled.

Why Syria is trying to.

What's happening with our phone?

I I know, but why?

I don't know.

Uh if they say that things don't spying on us, then uh they're definitely not true.

You know, but but uh for for again another alternative view is that this is coming, that both Egypt and Assyria joining together with Israel as the third, as the people of God.

One of the more profound passages in Isaiah.

Then we finish in chapter 20.

Go and loose the sackcloth from your waist, God is telling Isaiah, and take off your sandals from your feet, and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years, as a sign and a potent against Egypt and Cush.

So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with butt uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.

Thought I'd just go through what those four chapters do.

So as you're understanding, reading, studying Isaiah, you can get a picture that there's multiple horizons going on all simultaneously.

Sometimes they're dual meanings, you know?

And so you're you're reading Isaiah with this expectation of that this is this is lasting prophecy, both for our day as well as in Isaiah's day, and reading um humbly just to understand.

But back to humility.

Chapter 20 is ending with this judgment, and I talked about in the first week, the judgment is always moving toward making things right.

It's not simply a matter of punishment, like we think of it.

It's in that redemption of making things right is expressed in humility.

So back to that original question: what is biblical humility?

We see three things in this passage that demonstrate what humility is.

First, humility is dependence, it's recognizing I need God.

That seems so simple on the surface, right?

Of course we need God.

Who doesn't need God?

But in practice, it's not how we typically live.

It's not how we think, it's often not how we pray.

We can be those whitewashed tombs.

If you remember from last week, pride isn't simply thinking highly of yourself, pride is living as though you can sustain your life without God.

That you are the center of the universe, the captain of your soul.

You're taking the seat of God.

And that opposite of pride is a complete dependence on God.

We read in verse 7 of chapter 17.

In that day, man will look to his maker, and his eyes will look on the holy one of Israel.

A description of true humility.

His eyes looking to his maker.

Humility changes where our eyes are focused, whereas pride keeps pulling our attention toward ourselves, our abilities, our problems, our reputation, our plans, our strength.

Humility looks away from self and towards God, though.

Humility recognizes I didn't make myself, I don't sustain myself, I can't save myself.

In fact, I have a maker, and I belong to him.

True humility is dependence.

True humility isn't walking around with your head down, thinking less of yourself, that you're a nobody, you're an egg and hammer.

It's reorienting to the complete dependence on God.

Isaiah explains the opposite of this in pride a few verses later.

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation.

You have not remembered the rock of your refuge.

God of your salvation, rock of your refuge.

These are words of dependence.

God is saying to them in their pride, they have forgotten the one who saves them, they have forgotten the one who protects them.

They started looking somewhere else for what only God can provide.

Isaiah 18 gives another glimpse of this humility expressed in dependence.

God is saying, I will quietly look from my dwelling.

In the passage that we already read, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks.

Here the nations are preparing for war.

They're seeking to control and assure their victory or survival.

They're strategizing.

And God says, I will quietly look from my dwelling.

See, one of the greatest enemies of dependence is our need for control.

We think I have to fix this to make it happen, to protect myself, to control the outcome.

In this passage, you're seeing the nations do this, strategizing, hoping for their victory, their survival.

God is quietly looking from his dwelling until he cuts off the shoots at his time.

Humility releases the need for control.

Because in the scheme of things, it's realizing that we're not in control, that he is actually the ruler of the universe, quietly in control.

But for those who in their pride miss that total dependency on God, miss this idea that we're dependent on God in all ways for everything.

The judgment of God has a way of dismantling what we depend on apart from God.

Read in 19:5, and the waters of the sea will be dried up and the river will be dry and parched, referring to the great Nile, which was the foundation of Egypt's economy.

It was its wealth, its pride, the source of its strength.

In Isaiah 19, God is systematically showing how fragile even the things we think certain are actually under his control.

Continues through the chapters that their idols were trembling, their wisdom fails, their leaders become confused.

The Nile dries up and the economy collapses.

It's almost as though God is asking, What are you depending on?

Your Nile, your money, your smarts, your retirement plan, your government, your job, your relationships, your reputation, your ability, your plans, your strategies.

No, humility is dependence.

But often we like to make the plan, right?

We determine what is right, what right seems right to us.

Must be right for everyone.

We decide what will make us happy.

We establish the direction of our life.

Then we go to ask God to bless our leadership.

Humility, though, says, I am not my own.

I am not my own provider.

I'm not ultimately in control.

I am in need of God.

And that's not weakness.

That's reality.

It's true humility.

Humility is returning, restoring ourselves to a place of dependence.

Why?

Because we are dependent.

Secondly, humility is obedience.

We tend to think of humility as an attitude, that it's something just internal, right?

That we feel.

And that dependence is an internal posture.

But biblical humility also becomes an action.

Humility is an action of obedience.

We obey God.

We read in 1921.

And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians.

They know he is in control, that he is Lord.

And the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and they will worship.

And they will make vows to the Lord and perform them.

They will do them.

Simple obedience.

They don't simply acknowledge, okay, God was right.

No, their lives change direction.

They make vows to the Lord and do them.

Their dependence translated into action.

We see this probably most clearly in Isaiah 20.

The strange passage where God tells them, Go and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet.

And what did he do?

It says, And he did so.

That is humility.

Isaiah could have certainly worried about his dignity, that this is preposterous for three years walking around naked, worried about his reputation, his comfort, what everyone would think of him.

And said, instead, God spoke.

Isaiah obeyed.

Isaiah doesn't negotiate with God.

Well, does this make sense?

How will people respond?

Does this get the message across really well?

He doesn't demand an explanation.

Well, explain to me how long and why you want me to do this.

He doesn't modify God's command into something more comfortable.

Okay, I know you told me this, but I'm going to do it in a different way.

No, he simply did so.

That's all it says.

And he did so.

That is obedience.

The humble heart doesn't merely say, God, you are Lord, dependent on you for all things.

No, the humble life says, and he did so.

Finally, humility is worship.

We often think humility begins with having a low view of ourselves.

But biblical humility really begins with having a higher view of God.

The more clearly I see who God is, the more I realize that I am not at the center.

Pride is fundamentally a worship problem.

Something always occupies the center of my life.

It will consume my thinking.

It will receive my attention, my affection, my trust, my devotion.

And very often, that something is me, my success, my comfort, my reputation, my desires, my plants, my happiness.

Back in chapter 17, verse 7, in that day the man will look to his maker, and his eyes will look on the holy one of Israel.

That is worship.

Worship is taking eyes off of ourselves, fixing on them on the one who made us, and it's inherently humbling.

Because worship reminds us, he is the creator, we are his creature.

He is sufficient.

We are dependent.

This is his story and his creation that is for him and by him.

We are not the center.

We also read in chapter 18.

At that time the tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts.

That's what humility does with everything God has given us.

My abilities become worship, my resources become worship, my success becomes worship, my work becomes worship, my entire life becomes something I lay before God.

Finally, we read in chapter 19, and the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship, which is the goal.

God isn't simply saying, Egypt, look how weak you are.

Know the Lord, your Father, your creator, and worship him.

So what is biblical humility?

Humility is dependence, obedience, and worship.

We look at God, we know him.

As we know him, we know our dependence.

Not because we're choosing to be dependent, but because we are entirely dependent on him.

We remember his faithfulness, we recognize his power, we stand amazed by his goodness.

And as God becomes bigger in our vision, we naturally become smaller in our own.

Humility is seeing so much of God that we no longer need to make so much of ourselves.

Since we were talking so much about Egypt through these passages, I was reminded of the picture of camels that are often tied to just very small rocks you'll see in Egypt.

See, sometimes I think we try to become humble by thinking worse things about ourselves.

We don't want to be proud.

So we think, okay, I'm not that important.

I'm not that talented.

I'm not that impressive.

But constantly thinking about how unimpressive we are is still constantly thinking about ourselves.

That false humility, I think, is ultimately limiting us in our ability to obey God.

If you've ever traveled to Egypt, you'll see these camels tried to a very small rock.

Apparently, the same thing happens with elephants, that they are trained at a very young age with much bigger rocks that they cannot move.

They learn from that young age that they can't move the rock.

So they give up trying.

And as they get older, even though they could physically move this small rock, they will remain tethered to in their own rhythms of defeat.

It's their own sense of false humility.

Maybe that is you, tethered to failures of the past, thinking that is your humility.

But biblical humility gives us something else.

Biblical humility is dependence on God.

Why?

Because we are dependent on God, leading us to obey God.

And so He did, as Isaiah said.

And it's driven by our worship of God.

So I encourage us today that we stop looking inward, that we look, lift our eyes, look to our Creator.

We are not the failures and fears of our past.

We're not limited by the places we've fallen.

We just need to stop making so much of ourselves and make much of God.

Because again, humility isn't becoming consumed with how small and incapable we are.

That false humility, whitewash tombs.

No, humility is becoming overwhelmed by how great he is.

So we depend on him, we obey him, we worship him.

And when God fills our vision, we no longer fill the room.

Let's pray.

Lord, I do just thank you that, Lord, you've created us as dependent.

Lord, that you are in control.

Lord, and we can rest and trust that you are wise and you are good.

Lord, and in our dependence, Lord, that Lord, we obey.

And it all is driven by our worship as we know you.

So, Lord, just grow us into a people of true humility.

Lord, free us from any sense of false humility.

Lord, that we would just be a people of increasing worship.

Thank you, God.

Amen.