God’s Promise to His Church: Synod Sermon by Rev E A Rayner

Isaiah 33:20-21. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

¹The sermon preached by the retiring Moderator at the opening of the Synod in May 2011.

This prophecy is generally considered to refer to the time when Sennacherib, King of Assyria, invaded Judea and besieged Jerusalem. Hezekiah had shaken off the yoke of Sennacherib, the oppressor. The Lord had mercy on Israel when He sent a destroying angel, and 185 000 soldiers were killed. Sennacherib returned with the shame of defeat. After he returned to Assyria, fearing that his gods were angry, he determined to sacrifice his sons to appease them. They learned of his intention and, while the King paid his devotions, they slew him with the sword.

The prophet now begins chapter 33 with this declaration concerning Israel’s foe: “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” Despite the terror that Israel experienced while anticipating this invasion, God gave the promise of peace, in our text. There is a two-fold application: the historical application and the spiritual application, which has a reference to the Church of God, especially in New Testament times.

1. Peace is promised to the Church; the Church will be a quiet habitation.

2. The permanence of the Church is also promised: “a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken”.

3. There is provision for the Church: the broad rivers of God’s provision for His people through His beloved Son.

1. The peace promised to the Church:

that Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation. Jerusalem typifies the Church – the Jerusalem which is above, which is free and is the mother of us all. The Church is afflicted by enemies. Ever since the fall of man there has been perpetual warfare – kingdom against kingdom, Satan against God. There is the conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman; there is a constant struggle between the wicked and the godly; but we have the promise of peace to the Church through the wonderful provision that Christ has made for her.

We might consider two things that contribute to making Jerusalem a quiet habitation: first, the character of her prince, and, second, the character of her people. Consider the glorious prophecy regarding the character of Christ: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Is 9:6,7). The Apostle Paul reminds us again: “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33).

(1) The character of her Prince.

As the Prince of peace He has procured peace by the blood of the cross; He is the glorious Lord that our text speaks of. Verse 21 gives us the title of this Prince, “the glorious Lord”; He is the Prince that rules in Jerusalem, the Head of the Church. We are directed to His glory, the glory of His person as God manifest in the flesh, the One who is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of His person. He, “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God”.

There is the glory of His deity; “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth”. That is true of God, and so it is true of the Prince of peace. In the Prince of peace, the glory of His person is revealed, not only in His deity, but also in His perfect humanity. He is so glorious in His humanity that, when He took upon Him the form of a servant, there was no spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing, for He is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. The perfection of His human nature was manifested by His miraculous birth, which was accomplished by the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Again the glorious character of the Prince of peace is manifested in the love, grace and peace of God that is bound up with His eternal purpose to seek and to save lost sinners. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). Peace was proclaimed at the birth of the Prince of peace: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Lk 2:14). Also peace was proclaimed during the life of Christ. He spoke peaceably to His people. When the disciples were faced with the fact that Jesus was about to be taken from them, He spoke comfortingly to them in their turmoil. In their trouble He left them this legacy: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (Jn 14:27).

Moreover the Saviour spoke peaceably to His disciples after His resurrection when they met in the upper room. To alleviate their fears He said to them: “Peace be unto you”. He showed Himself to Thomas, and His glory was magnified as this disciple beheld in the risen Saviour the marks of the crucifixion, saying, “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28). At the ascension He comforted those that were afflicted. When Stephen was about to be stoned, he looked up to heaven by faith and, being full of the Holy Ghost, he viewed the glory of God. He saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God and ready to defend His persecuted Church. So His persecuted people, with the eye of faith, rise above the turmoil, the difficulties, the trials and the persecutions when they look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of their faith. This is what gives them peace.

He especially revealed Himself as the Prince of peace as He went forward to His death, after He rose again from the dead, and when He ascended to the right hand of God. Again He demonstrates that He is the Prince of peace by applying the peace-speaking blood of the cross. This blessing and comfort is given to His poor, needy and afflicted people: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (Jn 14:27). This provision of peace is the consequence of His sufferings and death, when He satisfied divine justice through the shedding of His precious blood. By His stripes we are healed, and here is the basis of peace.

There is no other foundation of peace, whereby our sins may be forgiven us for His name’s sake. We look for acceptance with God through His sacrifice, through the shedding of His precious blood. And so it is called the peace-speaking blood. When the Lord passes by, He says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex 12:13) – as His people shelter under the blood of atonement, the blood of the cross.

Not only is peace procured by Christ, the Prince of peace; He also preserves peace because He is in the midst of His Church. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name,” He says, “there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). This is true today; He is in the midst of His Church to breathe on her the words of peace and comfort. The Lord still speaks a word in season to him that is weary. He is gracious to His poor and needy people.

He is the Prince of peace because He is the Head of the Church. He has His seat in Jerusalem, “For God of Zion hath made choice; there He desires to dwell” (Ps 132:13). The Lord has given His servants the message of peace to proclaim. What did Isaiah declare? “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God” (Is 40:1). The Lord directs His servants to feed His people with knowledge and understanding, to comfort them because of what they find in the world that lies in wickedness, and for what distresses them within their own corrupt natures. The Lord, through the ministry of the Word of God, brings peace and comfort to His Church in a world of turmoil, uncertainty, opposition and corruption. As the Prince of peace He commands His disciples to go into all the world to preach glad tidings among all people.

He proclaims peace to those who need reconciliation, peace to those brought by God’s blessing to the exercise of repentance – who were formerly enemies to God by wicked works and children of wrath. The message is one of reconciliation and peace, as Christ is freely offered, even to the chief of sinners. They are called to repentance and faith: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). They are to believe the gospel of reconciliation. Therefore peace is promised to the Church because of the character of her Prince of peace.

(2) The character of the people.

Peace is also promised to the Church because of the character of her people. The natural man is characterised by violence, pride, arrogance and self-righteousness, and these light up the flames of discord and create distress in the world. Those who are united by faith to Christ are new creatures in Christ Jesus. They are given a peaceable disposition and have a hatred of violence, contention, wrath, strife and sedition. They are to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and meekness.

It is in the nature of grace therefore to restrain corruption and to seek reconciliation with those they have offended. The Saviour teaches us that we should forgive those who have sinned against us. “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us” (Lk 11:4). So the Lord has taught His people to be a forgiving people. We need the wisdom which comes from above, which is pure, peaceable and easily entreated. This ought to characterise the people of God and especially office-bearers of the Church. Their qualifications state that they are to be of good behaviour; not brawlers, not proud. They are to be conscious that, in themselves, they are unprofitable servants. They are a peaceable people because God works in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

2. The permanence of the Church.

In verse 20 we read of “a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken”. Because of its heavenly origin, this tabernacle is not to be taken down. The Church of God is built according to God’s Word. Notice that, in the provision of the original tabernacle, even the minutest parts were directed by God. All things were to be made according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mount. We see also that Scripture teaches the permanence of the Word of God: “the Word of the Lord endureth for ever” (1 Pet 1:25).

The tabernacle is a type of the Church. Christ said, “Upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18). Though the Old Testament tabernacle was taken down and carried about from place to place, there is a contrast between the Old Testament tabernacle and the Church; the latter is not to be taken down. Satan may try to take it down, for Satan’s policy is to divide and conquer and destroy by persecution. Everything possible is done to destroy the witness of God, the people of God and the Church of God. The Church of God may become very low. It was low in Elijah’s day, when the Prophet thought he was all alone. Today we can enter into something of Elijah’s feeling: “I only am left”. Yet God still had the 7000 who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. So the Lord demonstrates the permanence of His Church.

Tents were fastened by cords to stakes such as those mentioned here. Believers are stakes and ministers and elders are pillars of the Church. The stakes and the pillars are never to be removed. Christ will always have witnesses as long as the Church is in the world, until the end of time. There will always be those who are useful in the ministry of God’s Word until the end of time. The provision of stakes and pillars is permanent. It is true that, from generation to generation, God’s people and servants pass away, but there will be succeeding generations; God raises up others. He not only adds to the Church such as should be saved, but He continues to raise up those who will be useful in the ministry in each age and generation. They are the stakes which are held together by the cords of the electing love of God, the grace of God and the promises of God, in an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure.

So the tabernacle, or the Church of God, is maintained according to the word of promise. To His Church, God has given His Word, which is inerrant and unchangeable. The Lord has also given her the truths of His Word, which are to continue until the end of time. In addition, He has given His ordinances and sacraments. The Lord sent His servants to go “and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mt 28:19). He added, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world”. That sacrament is therefore to continue, and this is also true of the Lord’s Supper. It is permanent, for it was instituted by Christ to continue in the Church: “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Cor 11:26). Yes, it is until He come! If the sacraments are to be maintained, the Church of God is permanent, and so is the ministry of God’s Word. Until the end of time, these provisions for the Church will be continued.

Low as the cause of Christ is, here is comfort for the Church: her permanence as made known in the promises about His ordinances and the ministry. We need to think of these things when the Church is at a very low ebb, when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, when iniquity is coming in like a flood.

Thus the permanence of the Church should give peace to His people. The Lord is in control. He is sovereign and He reassures them that the Church will continue despite the onslaughts of Satan and in spite the world, the flesh and the devil. This is the permanence spoken of: “a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken”. Permanence is the security of the Church, and it gives peace to the people of God as they consider the Lord’s purpose, plan and sovereignty in all these matters.

We must also take into account the permanence of the Church of God in considering the heavenly calling of the workmen. God sends His ministers – “how shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Rom 10:15). This was the Lord’s blessing in Old Testament times when He filled with the Holy Spirit the men who built the tabernacle, “I have filled [Bezaleel] with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship” (Ex 31:3-5). The Lord raised up skilled workmen to set up the tabernacle.

In the New Testament Church, qualified and useful instruments were chosen. Christ still sends forth labourers into the harvest and qualifies them. In the early New Testament we see there were first Apostles. The apostolic era is now past; so also are the apostolic gifts. This is one matter that we need to be very clear about because of errors in Charismatic circles. When the Lord blessed Philip’s ministry in Samaria, the people heard the gospel and saw it confirmed by miracles. Many of them believed and were baptised. Among them was Simon Magnus. We note that these people had not yet received the apostolic gifts of the Holy Ghost. This could only happen when the Apostles came down from Jerusalem. Then they laid their hands upon people, who thus received the gifts of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8).

Simon had seen Philip perform certain miracles. In addition to preaching the gospel, Philip exercised extraordinary gifts. But it was only the Apostles who could transmit these gifts to those who were brought into the Church. So when the Apostles came down from Jerusalem, they laid their hands upon the people in Samaria who believed. Then they received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost. Simon not only wanted these gifts but also to be able to transmit them. He was rebuked because he thought these gifts could be purchased by money. The privilege of transmitting these gifts belonged only to the Apostles. But though the apostolic era has passed, and the apostolic miraculous gifts of that age, the ministry of the gospel has continued.

Ministers are still raised up by the Lord to preach the everlasting gospel. There are clear directions in God’s Word for those who are to serve in the ministry or the eldership. Therefore, if the sacraments are permanent and the gospel is to be preached till the end of time, God will always have servants whom He has sent out. He will prosper the preaching of the gospel so that there are added to the Church such as should be saved. The Holy Spirit makes the preaching of the gospel “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth”. The Lord has His people and His servants today. It is a great comfort to know that there are sent workmen. “How shall they preach, except they be sent?” (Rom 10:15). The Lord sends some servants to sow and some to reap. But the permanence and security of the Church are guaranteed till the end of the time.

3. God’s provision for His Church.

There is a reference to the supplies, the broad rivers of verse 21: “But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams”. This provision is of heavenly origin. Mention is made of a smooth-flowing, never-failing river yielding the blessings of refreshment. This proceeds from the glorious Lord; “there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers”. Consider the crucified, risen and exalted Saviour, who is at the right hand of the majesty on high. There He dwells in His glorious perfections, as the Lamb that was slain. Blessings flow forth from the wounded, crucified Saviour, now exalted at the right hand of God. He is the one who accomplished redemption and cried, “It is finished”. Redemption is accomplished, “for He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Is 53:5).

The redemption which has been accomplished must also be applied, for God has purposed to gather in a number which no man can number from all tribes, kindreds and nations. Redemption is applied as the gospel is preached. So we must have the faithful preaching of God’s Word – law and gospel. These heavenly supplies flow freely, because of the glorious Lord. His body was broken, and His blood shed, for the remission of the sins of many. He will accomplish His purposes in salvation by applying what He has procured.

The supplies are a heavenly provision from the Redeemer, who accomplished redemption. They are abundant, for they are broad rivers. They are to prevail, as all the tributaries join into one broad river. So there is an abundance of water. Think of all the streams of prophecies about the coming Messiah, fulfilled in His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. That supply is abundantly fulfilled in everything that was accomplished by Christ for His Church. We have a beautiful illustration in Ezekiel 47, which describes the vision of the waters that issued out from under the threshold of the temple. Christ is the glorious Lord. He is the temple and He is also the door. Living waters flow from His pierced side by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who makes the Word of God effectual among all the nations of the earth.

In Apostolic times we see the beginnings. Although there was a remarkable outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, it was a small beginning geographically. But these running waters were also living waters and increasing waters. Observe the progress of the gospel as we follow the illustration that the prophet gives us. Think of Pentecost; consider the Reformation, then the great revivals and the great missionary efforts of the nineteenth century. The waters reach the ankles, then the knees, till we have the water reaching the loins as waters to swim in.

The Apostle Paul speaks about the grafting in of the Jews to their own olive tree: “What shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Rom 11:15). He also refers to the fullness of the Gentiles, a fulfilment of Isaiah 66:12: “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river”, and of Psalm 72: “The whole earth [will] be filled with His glory” (Ps 72:19). Remember that, without a vision, the people perish. Consider the reason for our living in this world. If we have nothing to live for in view of time, eternity or the day of judgement, we perish. The Church needs the vision the Lord has given to us in His word concerning the salvation of our immortal souls and she also needs the vision of the glory and success of the gospel. Living in a day of small things, we are liable to be focused on the difficulties and on the smallness of His cause. We need the wider vision of God’s purpose, and to pray, “Thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10).

But if there is to be peace, security, provision and permanence for the Church, it must be by asking for the old paths. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jer 6:16). This is what the Reformers, Luther and Calvin, did. It was also what the fathers of the Free Presbyterian Church did. We too are also to hold fast the form of sound words. Although the day is dark and the cause of Christ is small, we are to plead that He would revive His work in the midst of the years and in wrath remember mercy. The old paths are the established ways of doctrine, worship and practice. This is how we are to enjoy the peace of God in Christ’s provision for the permanence of the Church until it is completed at the end of the world.