Well, I want to tell you that today I’m excited about where we’re going because there’s two things that I realized at the end of this we’re going to get to together and both of them are important for me and I think that you might find at least one of them important for you.
One is we’re going to talk about how to have beautiful feet, which in my life I find to be a struggle. After 15 years of living in the desert, I find that my feet sometimes tend to reflect more of lizard style than human style. And there has to be certain proper care when you leave land of humidity to land of desert, which I’m from the East, but I’ve lived in Utah for 15 years. And on top of that I have flat feet, which little tidbit to know about your pastor, maybe that’s too much TMI for you. But anytime we talk about having beautiful feet, I want to sign up for that, right? So we’re going to talk about having beautiful feet and a little more spiritual aspect to that.
We’re also going to talk about understanding. I think there’s, well, let me just say it like this. In the Christian life, I think unknowingly sometimes we relinquish a certain power and authority that God gives to us, that he doesn’t intend for us to relinquish, right? And there’s a way that we do that and I’m going to talk a little bit more about that in just a moment. I know that leaves it vague for us. But what we’re going to engage in today is we’re going to call this prophets and beautiful feet, all right?
So we’re going to look at the idea of prophets and beautiful feet. If you’re going through this series together with us, we’re talking about the Kingdom come. We’re looking at the theme of scripture so that when you pick up God’s word, you can understand how it works together from beginning to end. And we’re entering in that part of our discussion together where we’re getting to the prophetic books.
The last 17 books of the Old Testament are the prophetic books of the Bible. And when you get to the prophetic books, you’re left to kind of wondering this question, what does it mean to be a prophet and why are there so many prophetic books in the Old Testament but you really don’t have any prophetic books except for one in the New Testament? Why is there such a degree of prophetic books Old Testament, and then you had just this one Revelation, which is kind of crazy when you read it? All of these wonderful imageries, right? Just some very descriptive thoughts that come into Revelation. Why is there so much Old Testament not in New Testament? What does this role of prophet? What does it mean for me today? How does it all relate together?
Well, if I gave you just one verse to sort of hang your hat on when it comes to an idea of prophet, to sort of shape our mind. Amos, chapter three, verse seven, is one of the best verses I could think of that really gives us some sort of working definition as it relates to prophet. It says, surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals it. His secret counsel to his servant the prophets.
So when God was choosing these prophets, it gives you an idea of what exactly he was doing through the work of this prophetic ministry, where he would reveal his message to the prophets that they could share to God’s people. So if you think of a couple of titles in the Old Testament, we’ve talked a little bit recently about the idea of King, that God wanted to ultimately be Israel’s King. That he eventually work through a people group, reluctantly, Israel wanted a King. So there’s this office of King picked in the Old Testament, but there’s also these offices of priest and prophet.
And we think in terms of priest and prophet, a priest was one who represented the people to God. So the people needed a mediator and he would bring the people in. They would offer these sacrifices and he would present it to the Lord. So a priest represented the people to God. A prophet represented more of the opposite. He represented God to the people. He was God’s mouthpiece. God revealed to him his word, and then they would proclaim it, which when you read a lot of prophetic statements in scripture, the prophets before they would speak, they would couple their statements with this thought, thus sayeth the Lord. Thus say it the Lord. Over 400 times that’s mentioned in the Bible and it was the prophet’s way of saying, look, this isn’t me saying this. This is me living in the position God’s given me and therefore I’m telling you this message. This is coming directly from God.
And God took that seriously. So much so that when you read passages like Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 18, God wanted his people to be truth tellers. And so he would look at his prophets and he would look at Israel and say, look, if someone claims to be a prophet in Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 18, and what they say does not come true, he would tell Israel, stone them, kill them. His truth to his people was that important that he wanted it protected. He didn’t want anything stated as representing him that wasn’t true.
And so God took this position very seriously. And so he’s saying in this passage of scripture that he would reveal his secret counsel to his servants, the prophets. If I just gave us maybe this, this clarifying statement, I would say it works like this. In the Old Testament, God’s spirit would come upon people to accomplish a particular task for an undisclosed amount of time. You see the spirit of God coming on David when God anointed him. You see the spirit of God coming in the life of Moses when God anointed him. The same thing with the prophets and so God’s spirit would empower his people to deliver his message. And so that’s the idea of what a prophet is. It’s empowered by his spirit to deliver God’s word or God’s message to God’s people. And when you look at the basic message of what a prophet would present, Israel would be called by a prophet oftentimes, and not always just Israel, but they would be called to repent and turn from sin. And if they didn’t, there was judgment and disobedience. And if they did, God would bring hope and restoration and forgiveness.
And so when you see this idea, the prophets as they’re proclaiming, you would see that type of message, turn, repent, if not judgment, and if so, restoration and forgiveness. When you look at the idea of the prophets in the last 17 books of the Bible, you’ll note a few things about them. One, there’s not just one prophet at one time that exists in Israel’s history. There are multiple prophets and sometimes they overlap one another. When you study the 17 books, you’ll notice that these books come at that latter end of the history of the Old Testament, meaning the last about 400 years of Israel’s history that’s recorded in the Old Testament. God goes silent for the last 400 years before Jesus is born.
But about ninth century to about fifth century, you’ll see God’s prophets speaking. And so the last 17 books are sort of poured into these last moments of the old Testament and most of them come before the captivity, which if you study Israel’s history, you’ll know we’ve talked about this together, that Israel right after King Solomon, they had a civil war. And in that civil war, 10 tribes split and went to the North, two tribes went to the South. The 10 tribes to the North had 20 Kings, never was one of them godly. In the South, you had 20 Kings and eight of them were godly and God continued to warn them as they would stray from him, turn or you’re going to be judged. And the Northern tribes never turned and in 722, God sent them into captivity by the Assyrians. And the prophets proclaimed this, turn or God’s going to send you in captivity.
Even tell them, the Syrians are going to come get you. The Syrians are going to come get you. Isaiah, one of the prophets we’re going to look at in just a moment, he warned them of this. In 586, the Southern tribes went into Babylonian captivity, again, they’re warned. You’ll see during captivity that a few of the prophets speak. Daniel’s probably one of the more popular ones, he speaks in captivity. His life is recorded, the first six chapters of Daniel in captivity, the last six chapters of Daniel are more prophetic about God bringing them out of captivity.
And then the last couple of books in the Old Testament, are our books post captivity. When God brings them out, talking about future restoration. And so you see this gamut of prophets all over the Old Testament and with this picture of repent or judgment but if you turn, restoration, right?
Isaiah 52 becomes an important piece and we’re going to lay into Isaiah 52 throughout this entire time together. But I really just want to touch on verse six and on because Isaiah 52, starting in verse six, you’re coming to a portion in this section of Isaiah’s prophecy where he is giving this idea of restoration. If you ever take the time to read Isaiah, Isaiah is a book rich and prophetic theology. In fact, the more you understand the larger prophetic books, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, the better you can understand I think the book of Revelation because a lot of the imagery in those books come into the book of Revelation. Takes a little bit of leg work to work through some of these and the understanding because we don’t speak like they speak in this type of understanding, especially apocalyptically, some of these prophets have this apocalyptic type literature. It’s not common for us today, so there’s a little bit of learning involved with it, but it shows us really the beauty of Revelations. We understand these books as well.
When you look at the book of Isaiah, Isaiah is really unique because it’s 66 chapters and some people like to break it down this way, when they read the book of Isaiah for memory’s sake. The first 39 chapters, which coincides with the fact the Old Testament has 39 books easy way to remember this, 39 chapters is a lot of judgment. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah in the New Testament has 27 books. That’s a lot of hope and restoration. And so when you get into this section of Isaiah in chapter 52, you’re getting to this hope and restoration, past the judgment portion, but God restoring his people. They’re beyond the warning part, the repent and turn and the judgment part and now they’re coming through the restoring part. God proclaiming what he sees for Israel and how Israel is going to be used as a tool to bless all nations through him.
And in this section of scripture, God is picturing the Southern tribes of Judah in Babylonian captivity. And he’s saying in the midst of this captivity is, Jerusalem has been conquered. There is hope. And if you go back and you read, starting in chapter 51 what you see as God calling his people, he’s saying to them in captivity, awake, awake, open your eyes. There is hope in the midst of your trouble, right? And in the middle of this dialogue where three times he calls Israel to awake, Israel even prays at one point and says to God, God awake, awake.
God has always been there for Israel, but Israel now seems like they’re lost from God, and so they’re calling out to God as if they think God isn’t there, but God’s there. And in verse six this is what he says, therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day, I am the one who is speaking. Here I am. Here I am, Israel. And then he gives this thought, verse seven, he says, how lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news? Look at that beautiful feet, right? Who announces peace and brings good news of happiness? Who announces salvation and says to Zion, your God reigns.
Notice he’s using in verse seven this idea of good news, which some of you will know that that’s how we translate in the New Testament the word gospel or gospel literally transliterates as a good spell. Some would say when they would hear the gospel message in English, it was like you were being put under a good spell. It was such a great message but literally translates as it’s good news. The gospel is good news because it tells us here, it brings us salvation. And just for clarity sake, when it comes to the idea of salvation, what makes it so good is that it’s not up to you, right? If you have to earn your way out of it, a lot of us will be in a rock and a hard place. Well actually, just say all of us, right? There is no way out of that. It’s a hopeless moment, but the idea of this salvation is as we are doing the rescuing. In verse seven, it tells us how lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.
Now I think this him in this passage is ultimately pointing to the Messiah because if you study this passage of scripture, you’ll notice it’s in the section of what they call in Isaiah, the suffering servant section. And right after this passage description, right after verse 12, it gets probably into the most famous section of Isaiah that if any of you are familiar with, it’s going to be this passage of Isaiah, which deals with the death of Jesus on the cross. So if you read after verse 12 in Isaiah 52, verse 13 on into chapter 53, it is describing the crucifixion of Jesus. And so it’s saying to us, how lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, your God reigns. Could you imagine?
Your people are destroyed. Jerusalem is desolate and on the mountains comes hope. Here you are in this Valley thinking there is no way out and to the mountains you look and the pronouncement that you hear, your God reigns. He is victorious. And it paints the picture. Listen, your Watchman lift up their voices. They shout joyfully together for they will see with their own eyes. When the Lord restored Zion. Break forth, shout joyfully together. You waste places of Jerusalem for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.
A couple of things here I’ll say. If you ever study prophetic literature, especially when it comes to the idea of Revelation, something interesting. It talks about the day of the Lord, the judgment of the Lord, which for many people sounds fearful, right? I don’t want to experience God’s judgment against me. I want God’s judgment to be for me and protect me, right? And when you study the idea of judgment in the Old Testament, here’s something interesting in Revelation that you will see. When it talks about people that are opposed to God and his judgment comes, they lower their heads. But when God’s people see the Lord coming, they always lifted their heads because for us it’s hope.
And that’s what exactly what he’s saying here. And he describes it as redeeming you for Jerusalem’s sake, right? He has redeemed Jerusalem and he’s redeeming us to redeem the people of Jerusalem to restore his coming. This idea of Jerusalem or this idea of redemption, I should say, paints a beautiful picture for us of exactly what this gospel message is. This good news, it’s this idea of this King going into battle on behalf of you and conquering what he needs to conquer in order to set you free and now he’s pronouncing your redemption. You’re no longer owned by another people. You belong to the Lord and he owns you. There is a reason to lift your head and to shout for joy because your God reigns.
Verse 10, the Lord has bared his Holy arm in the sight of all of the nations that all of the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God. He’s saying, look at the promise from Abraham. We’ve talked about this multiple times together. Promise of Abraham, that through Abraham will come one, one seed that will bless all nations, all people groups, and he’s living through that promise here again in verse 10. And then he says this, depart, depart, go out from there. Touch nothing unclean.
So he’s saying to Israel, look, when God calls you don’t delay. This message of salvation, this isn’t for your place to sit, but to receive. Israel, depart from Babylon, depart from the places that holds you captive. You belong to a different King now. The part he says, take nothing unclean, he’s saying to Israel in Babylon, look, don’t take any false God worship with you. Leave it all behind. Leave it all and let your identity be in the Lord. Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord, but you will not go out and haste, nor will you go out as fugitives. For the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. He’s saying, look, you don’t have to run worrying about your front side of your backside. This is not about just getting up and running fearfully. This is about getting up and walking confidently in your God. So make sure you go, but don’t run worried. God’s with you. He’s already in front of you and he’s already protecting behind you as he calls go.
I’m going to come back to this section in a moment having just explained it, but let’s just ask this question. This prophetic word, it’s a beautiful encouraging word. I think the evidence of us knowing that this word is true is because the very next verse is talking about Jesus who is to come, and Jesus dying on the cross. And we’ve seen all that historically happening. So we have this passage as being one that can be validated by seeing Christ as prophetically revealed in Isaiah 53.
But when you look at this message of prophet, as you think about what the prophets pointed to, this idea of this King in this kingdom, that was their message. This restoration in him, this turn from this false world and we’ll be judged. But if you do turn, this idea of hope in the Lord, do we need the office of prophet today? What do you do with this office? Is it a necessary office today? I mean you see the beauty of what it is and Isaiah 52, that’s a powerful passage to live in. Do we need it today?
I want to tell you, I’m going to work through that question, but I want to say, look, I’m not going to work through this to fuel anyone’s fire to prove someone right and someone else wrong. I really have an interest to just want to walk with God and understand what he’s given us in order to do that. What does scripture say about this role? Why is there so many prophetic books in the Old Testament, but you have Revelation in the New?
It’s kind of interesting, isn’t it? Like over a third of the Old Testament and you got 4% in the New Testament. And in terms of books, what is that? What does that mean for us? You look at this passage of Isaiah. Let me just give you a few verses to start off here and I’m going to go through these quickly because I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time. I do want you to know, knowing that I’m going to go through these quickly, if you want to download the Alpine Bible Church app and on the very front of the app you click Sermon Notes. The very first sermon that pops up, are verses that I want to share today. If you miss one and there’s more to it than what I’m even going to share in this section of scripture, okay? So if you want to do a study on your own, know that our sermon notes has more scriptures supporting all these points I’m going to pull out that you can do on your own and dive further into this. But is the office of of prophet for today?
Hebrews 1:1, opens up this way. If you were to read it, I’ll just let you draw the conclusions here. God after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his who? Son, right? So it’s saying in times past, God wanted to speak to this way and who does God choose to speak through? He spoke to the fathers through the prophets, right? That was in the time pass and in today, when he speaks to us, he’s done so through his final revelation who is Jesus, right?
Ephesians chapter two, verse 20 says it this way and when in defining the role of the Old Testament in prophet and the role in the New Testament and the apostles, it says, having built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
So it gives us identity in the roles of apostles and prophets as being told about those that are laying a foundation, right? You see that? They have laid the foundation. When you study these two terms, let me just throw this out for you. Ephesians 4:11 and 12 says, there’s a fivefold ministry in Ephesians 4:11 and 12 that says, there’s apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists. Right? I would say that that’s even a ranking of significance as it relates to the minister in the church or ministry in the church. Apostles take top priority, then there’s the prophets. So it’s not, in terms of ranking, prophets don’t precede but rather apostles then prophets in Ephesians 4:11.
But he says this though, in distinguishment of those two particular offices, that they lay the foundation. When you build a house, how many times you lay the foundation? Once, right? And then you build the walls of the home. I would just say this as you read throughout the New Testament, one thing that’s unique about how it’s written in regards to these apostles and prophets, is never in the New Testament do you find Paul or Peter or any of the apostles writing to the church and saying, look, appoint more apostles or appoint more prophets. There’s never any way of describing how they’re to go about that, making you lead to the conclusion of maybe it wasn’t intended for the church to do that, but rather here’s what the church has, how to appoint elders and deacons. It’s definitely described in the New Testament and those positions. And so kind of an interesting thing to look at.
And then in Luke 16:16, look what Jesus says here, the law and the prophets were proclaimed until who? John. Since that time, the gospel, the kingdom of God, has been preached. So Jesus himself was saying, look, the prophets were preaching Old Testament, Old Testament, Old Testament. All of a sudden God goes silent for 400 years but the last book of your Old Testament, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, chapter four, I think it’s verse two, he gives us this statement. He says, there’s going to come one like Elijah, and when he comes, you’re going to know the Messiah is near, right? So he’s saying, look for this foreigner to the Messiah.
And so God goes silent for 400 years, then his spirit comes on his people, once again, to give this prophetic voice to John the Baptist. And then he says, and since that point, the kingdom of God has been preached. So he’s saying you have the prophets and then there was John until the time of John. Jesus is sort of given this idea of the prophetic ministry to John and now you have the fullness of what this kingdom is about. When you think about this idea of prophet, when you ask the question or we ask the question, do we need the office of prophet today? Something to consider is, do we need further revelation in order for the office of prophet to be necessary?
And that’s what the office of prophet was about, right? God would send his word to his people and they would reveal that message. And so the question then is if we want to argue for the necessity of office of prophet, then we need beg the question also follow well, do we need further revelation for today in order for the office to be necessary?
Well, when you read in scripture, a couple of thoughts as it relates to the kingdom. It says this to us in Jude three. Jude writes, he says, I felt the need of writing wants to encourage you to fight on for the faith, which was once and for all God has given to his people. I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith, which was once and for all given to God to his people, given by God to his people. What Jude is acknowledging about our faith is that it’s complete. That Jesus has fulfilled it all. That everything that you need is found. And so Jude, Jude’s only one chapter that’s why it’s just verse three. Judah saying to us, look once and for all, I’m writing for you, for the faith, it has been passed on. It is complete. You have the message. Everything the prophets were proclaiming was pointing to this King and his kingdom. Everything that these prophets wanted you to look to, it’s right here. And Jesus has now come and the faith has been complete. And so Jude is saying this to us.
And in Second Timothy chapter three, verse 16, it says, all scripture is given inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good work. I should also add, woman could fit there too. Okay? For the women of God to be adequately equipped for every good. What’s Paul saying about God’s word?
Everything you need to do, what God has called you to do, is found there. It’s adequate for all that God calls you to in life because as Jude says, it’s complete. It’s not lacking. We’re not going to chase after people, hoping they give you more what we need to be satisfied is what God’s given us right now. I don’t want people would want more and we don’t even know what God has already written for us. This is significant because this is life transforming. This is exactly what Isaiah 52 was pointing to and everything that he was saying was founded in this word. Why add more if it’s what you need.
Second Peter 1:3 says, seeing that his divine power is granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Everything, everything. What you’re saying, if you say you need prophetic office, is that God’s word is not sufficient enough. That we’re lacking and if you lean into that, and I would just say be careful. That is a dangerous slope to walk down. In fact, if you think on the other terms of that Bible says to us in First John 4:1 and Matthew 24 verse 11, many false prophets will arise, will mislead many. Jesus even warns, look, there’s this idea of prophetic ministry I’m giving to proclaim the word, but there’s also going to be some that come that are false. They’re going to be false and they’re going to lead many astray. And you know how they lead many astray? That’s a good question. How do you lead many astray?
Well in Jeremiah 23 and Zechariah 10, it gives us this idea of what happens through the idea of false prophet ministry, lead people astray. Look what it says, similar thoughts here. Thus says the Lord, do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility. They speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord. Behold, and verse 32, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams. Zachariah 10:2, the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams.
Let me just stop there and say this. When false prophets arise, the Mark of a false prophet, is that they use something as authority other than God’s word. Why did they do that? Because God’s word disagrees with them. They can’t say because I say so on their own authority. They need to invent an authority to call on and what do they do? Well, they talk about these dreams and visions. How did God speak to you? I’m a prophet. How did God speak to you? These dreams and visions and so they’re appealing to a different authority outside of God’s word. That’s why on First John four it says, don’t believe every spirit because there are many false prophets that go on in the word, but test the spirits whether they are from God and it tells you how. It says, any spirit that teaches something other than what Jesus taught us about himself is contrary to who God is.
The Bible goes on and warns us in several places about this, that in First Timothy 6:3 and four, they’ll teach a different doctrine. Galatians 1:7 and eight, that they will teach a different gospel. And Second Corinthians 11:13 to 15, that they will even appear as people of light. In Matthew chapter seven, verses 13 to 15, that they will even, or excuse me, verses 15 to 16, that they will even do good works. They’ll look as light and they’ll do good works. They’ll appear as good, but they will appeal to something different than God’s word.
This for us should signify the significance of what God’s word says. So since you looked at these verses about prophets and what scripture has to say about this, let me just ask this. Do we have prophetic words for today? Yeah, the office of prophet, which we talked about, but what about word of today?
First Thessalonians 5:20 says this, do not despise prophetic utterances. This is a New Testament verse, do not despise prophetic utterances. Well, if we can despise it, then we must have it, right? I mean, why else would scripture be telling you not to despise prophetic utterances less there’ll be some sort of prophetic utterance, right? So what does it mean to have this idea of prophetic utterance? Do not despise prophetic utterance, that’s what it says, First Thessalonians 5:20. God’s word being told us, do not despise prophetic utterance.
Well, let me just say this in distinguishing the idea of prophetic statements in scripture, there were two ways in which a prophet would tell things in biblical times, right? There’s called foretelling and there’s called forthtelling. Foretelling was the prediction of the future. These things are going to happen in the future, right? And there is forthtelling, which is simply to speak God’s word for the conviction of God’s people that we align our hearts with what God desires for us. One is about predicting and one is about helping our hearts in the moment to walk with Jesus.
I think when the word prophet is used in scripture prophetically or prophesier, any of those things, we could be referring to either case in those circumstances. And when you think about God’s word, guys, when you hold God’s word, God’s entire word is a prophetic word to you. So anytime we open this, anytime we’re reading this, we’re receiving a prophetic word because that’s how God delivered it to his people. Second Peter chapter one, verse 21, no man has written according to his own desire, but the spirit of God’s driven men to produce God’s word for us. God inspired his people to write his word for us. It’s a prophetic deliverance into our lives to transform our hearts into the image of God. Do not despise it. It’s got power.
In Thessalonians, when Paul is writing this to the church, here’s what’s interesting is, if you look at the character or the nature of the church in Thessalonica, you have revealed in Acts 17, sort of their personality. It says in Acts 17, verse 11, the Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica because they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to determine if what was taught was true. So Paul is saying, look, there’s something better about the Bereans and the Thessalincas because they receive God’s word with readiness of mind. Then they look in the Bible, determine if it’s true. They align with what’s being taught to them prophetically, what people are saying to them about God’s kingdom, God’s word, and they’re looking at scripture to see if it matches up. They’re disciplined in Berea, with God’s word and people in Thessalonica are not. It’s probably why if you read the book of Thessalonians, why you look at a few passages, you’re like, these people are kind of messed up.
And so here’s what he’s saying to them. Don’t despise the prophetic revelation God’s given you. Don’t despise it. How beautiful it is that the prophets of old have proclaimed this for centuries, that you could hold it and know it and walk in it.
So let me tie all this together because I’m running short on time here. But if you were to flip to Romans 10, Paul is, I think, about to highlight for us why all of this matters, right? In Romans chapter 10, if you’re asked the question, okay, what does this all mean to me as we think about prophets, my role, where I’m at today and everything that we’ve said, what does this have to do with me?
Paul does something interesting in Romans 10, he dips all the way back into Isaiah chapter 52. And Romans 10 is the section of scripture where he’s calling God’s people now into action. He looks out to Israel’s own people, and he opens the chapter, my heart’s desire and prayer for Israel, for their salvation. Though they have a zeal for God is not according to knowledge. He sees his people, they have this zeal for God, but it’s not the true God and he wants him to know this God. And then he gets to verse 14 and he reminds us of our calling in this God. And that is to go out and proclaim this, and he says, how will they hear? How will they hear unless someone gives them God’s word? Look what it says, verse 14, how will they call on him and whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him and who have they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent just as is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things?
However they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our reports. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Notice here, he doesn’t call us prophet brother, he calls us a preacher of the prophetic word, really. You proclaim the prophetic word that’s been delivered.
And notice what he does in Isaiah 52, and when you get to verse 15, if you compare this Isaiah 52 verse seven and to Romans 10:15, he says, how beautiful are the feet of those? Isaiah 52 verse seven, he says, how beautiful are the feet of him, Jesus. But now for you in the New Testament, he says, how beautiful are the feet of those believers in Christ? That’s saying, this is how you have beautiful feet, flat foot Nathaniel. This is what God calls beautiful. It’s different than you want, but it’s still beautiful. How beautiful are the feet of the those?
Meaning now that God’s put you in the position of taking this word, this prophetic word that sets captives free from the beauty of the mountains proclaimed to the people in the valance, your King has been victorious. And here’s why I think it’s important, guys. I think in our lives, we look for position and power before we do things sometimes and before we act. I need a title. I need power. I need position and authority, right? And here’s what Paul’s saying. You’ve already got it.
The spirit of God came upon the people of God to proclaim God’s word. That’s how the prophets work. The spirit of God came up on them to preach God’s word. And you know what’s happened in the New Testament? The spirit of God’s come on God’s people and God has given you the fullness of his word. I just have to say to you, what are you waiting for? Don’t wait for someone else. Don’t subject your authority to someone who wants to claim a title over you. God has already given it all.
Let me just give you a couple verses and just to think about, I’m not going to dive into these. But Jesus says in Matthew 28:18, you want to know by what authority am I doing this? Jesus says, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. All authority is given me, therefore, go and make disciples. That’s your authority. The final reclamation, the final proclamation, the final restoration, everything in Jesus, that’s what’s with you.
His spirit, Ephesians 1:13 and 14, empowering you through his word to accomplish his will. Don’t subject it to other people. I have everything I need in Christ Jesus to do what God’s called me to do. That’s why when you look in the Old Testament, you see a number of prophetic books, but when you get to the New Testament, you’ve got Revelation because now God’s people carry the power to proclaim God’s word.
My hope for you as you think of Isaiah 52 this morning, as you see the beauty of what Paul’s tying into in Romans 10 in our lives. Let’s close in a word of prayer.