1. "How common it is to omit facts of history that are hard to acknowledge, facts that may complicate our narratives, or details that call into question our understanding of the world."

2. "If now is what matters most, what might we do to justify ourselves? To justify what's right? To determine what's wrong?"

3. "Friend, if this passage and this language seems too severe for you, I wonder if you've really begun to grasp the Bible's view of our rebellion against God. It is a severe rebellion, and one day that rebellion will be put to death."

4. "The only thing that can spare you the judgment that we're looking at in Isaiah 34 is trusting in this Lamb. Turn to him. The fact that the judgments talked about are still to come mean that God's patience hasn't yet run out. There is still time. But make no mistake, there is a day coming when His patience will end."

5. "Our pursuit of justice here can point to this ultimate justice and judgment of God. But only as a faint echo. When the Lord comes, God's judgment is cosmic. There won't be anyone to appeal his decision. There won't be anyone to charge him with error."

6. "He has covered us, not in our blood, but in His. That is the grounds of our boasting now, and that will be the grounds of our consolation then."

7. "God's specific plans and purposes now may elude us. Many decisions are costly in this life and suffering comes more often than we want to admit. But see this passage, see the Lord's judgment, see it as timely. He will soon come and set all things right."

8. "If there's that friend that you've been pleading with, you've been talking to, you've been praying for, for years, maybe even decades, don't let your patience run out on them. Eternity hasn't come yet. There's still time."

9. "Waiting on the Lord is far from a passive act. Waiting on the Lord is something that we do to deliberately prepare for the day of the Lord's return."

10. "The fires of martyrdom may not await us in this life. But we know that those who die waiting on the Lord will not be put to shame. We know that those who wait for the Lord now will receive a reward."

Observation Questions

1. In Isaiah 34:1-2, who is summoned to hear God's message, and what is the Lord's attitude toward the nations described in these verses?

2. According to Isaiah 34:5-6, upon which specific nation does God's sword descend, and what imagery is used to describe what the Lord has prepared in Bozrah?

3. What happens to the streams, soil, and land of Edom according to Isaiah 34:9-10, and how long does the text say this condition will last?

4. In Isaiah 34:11-13, what creatures are said to possess and dwell in the land, and what construction terms are used to describe what God stretches over the territory?

5. According to Isaiah 34:16-17, who has commanded and gathered these things, and how long does the text say "they shall possess it"?

6. In Revelation 6:15-17, who hides from the wrath being poured out, and whom do they identify as the source of this wrath?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Isaiah use sacrificial language (lambs, goats, rams, bulls) in verses 5-7 to describe God's judgment on Edom, and what is the significance of Edom being the sacrifice rather than offering sacrifices?

2. How does the imagery of the heavens being "rolled up like a scroll" (Isaiah 34:4) and the "line of confusion" and "plumb line of emptiness" (Isaiah 34:11) communicate the comprehensive and reversal nature of God's judgment?

3. What is the theological significance of Edom being singled out in this passage, given its historical relationship with Israel, and how does Edom function as a representative of all nations who oppose God?

4. How does the sermon's connection between Isaiah 34 and Revelation 6:12-17 help us understand the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy and the role of Christ (the Lamb) in the final judgment?

5. In what sense is God's judgment described as "satisfying" in this passage, and how does this relate to the vindication of God's name and the cause of His people (verse 8)?

Application Questions

1. The sermon emphasized that God's patience has not yet run out, meaning there is still time for people to turn to Christ. Who is one person in your life who does not know the Lord, and what specific step can you take this week to share the gospel with them or invite them to consider the claims of Christ?

2. How does the reality of God's comprehensive and eternal judgment affect the way you respond when you experience injustice or when you see evil seemingly go unpunished in the world today?

3. The sermon called Christians to "wait on the Lord" actively through lives of holiness and godliness (2 Peter 3:11-13). What is one area of your life where you have grown passive in pursuing holiness, and what concrete action can you take to address it?

4. Considering that our pursuit of justice now is described as only a "faint echo" of God's ultimate judgment, how should this shape your attitude when you are tempted to take personal vengeance or vindicate yourself rather than trusting God to set things right?

5. The sermon encouraged believers to fulfill their covenant to "exercise affectionate care and watchfulness over each other" as they wait for the Lord's return. Who is one fellow believer you can encourage this week to persevere in faith, and how will you specifically do so?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Genesis 25:19-34 — This passage recounts the birth of Jacob and Esau and the origins of the enmity between Israel and Edom that runs throughout Scripture.

2. Obadiah 1:1-21 — This short prophecy is devoted entirely to God's judgment on Edom for their betrayal of Israel, reinforcing the themes of divine vengeance and the vindication of God's people.

3. Genesis 19:1-29 — The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah provides background imagery for the fire and sulfur judgment language used in Isaiah 34.

4. 2 Peter 3:1-18 — This passage addresses the certainty of the Lord's coming judgment, the reason for His patience, and how believers should live in holiness as they wait.

5. Revelation 19:11-21 — This passage depicts Christ's return as the conquering King who executes final judgment on God's enemies, showing the eschatological fulfillment of prophecies like Isaiah 34.

Sermon Main Topics

I. The World's Tendency to Ignore Inconvenient Facts of History and Judgment

II. Wait on the Lord: His Judgment Is Comprehensive (Isaiah 34:1-4)

III. Wait on the Lord: His Judgment Is Satisfying (Isaiah 34:5-7)

IV. Wait on the Lord: His Judgment Is Timely (Isaiah 34:8-14)

V. Wait on the Lord: His Judgment Is Eternal (Isaiah 34:15-17)

VI. Waiting on the Lord Requires Active Preparation for His Return

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Detailed Sermon Outline

There are certain facts in history which the world tries hard to forget and ignore. These facts get in the way of some of the world's favorite theories and are highly inconvenient. The consequence is that the world shuts its eyes against them. They are either cut dead as vulgar intruders or pass by as tiresome bores. Little by little they sink out of the sight of the students of history like ships in a distant horizon or left behind baggage like a luggage train in a siding.

These are the opening words of J.C. Ryle's Five English Reformers. There Ryle is capturing a sentiment common in his day as well as ours. How common it is to omit facts of history that are hard to acknowledge, facts that may complicate our narratives, or details that call into question our understanding of the world. Ryle was concerned that forgetting the testimonies that he's writing of of Christian Christian martyrs would cause many in contemporary England, in 19th century England, to compromise key doctrines of the Christian faith. He thought that by them forgetting what these martyrs had believed and practiced and taught would cause many to see the core doctrines of the English Reformation as not worth fighting over any longer.

Then he thought wealth and notoriety could be gained by compromising Christian belief. I want us to consider if facts of history are so easily ignored and dismissed in the service of temporary comfort, how easy is it to dismiss or ignore the details of what awaits us at the end? It wasn't long ago that in this land many understood that after this life there was indeed a judgment. Many understood that it was a personal judgment, and some even grasped that it was a judgment that awaited the whole world. However, it seems that the thought of judgment at the end of history today are conveniently dismissed or considered irrelevant.

It's now that matters after all. Today is what counts. God is no longer the present and future judge of the world, but instead we often hear that the cold, impersonal forces of history are. I wonder if you've thought about the consequences of such a view. If now is what matters most, what might we do to justify ourselves?

To justify what's right? To determine what's wrong? Even today amongst Christians, it seems that the judgment that the end of the world is not a topic of popular discussion. The reality of God's wrath on his enemies and what eternal punishment awaits aren't topics that most Christian books want to consider. Books on hell are not at the top of the bestseller list unless it's being denied.

There is something about God's wrath that does make us, as Christians, shudder. It's a topic many would rather mark and avoid. However, friends, the Bible does not share our sentiment. As we've already read this morning in John 3, Jesus was clear about the condemnation the world deserves. And in our passage this morning, we're staring at the righteous judgment of God on his enemies.

It's a harrowing account and I pray that as we consider it together in Isaiah 34, you'll be helped to think more accurately about the coming judgment of our Lord and our response to it now. So turn with me to Isaiah chapter 34. You can find it on page 594 of those Red Pew Bibles. As you're turning there, let me remind you of some context. Isaiah you'll remember prophesied when the Israelite kingdom was falling.

The threat of a mighty power that of Assyria loomed large. It loomed over of the northern kingdom. At long gone now are the days of unity under King David and past were the days of glory under King Solomon. Israel was a shadow of its former self and the Assyrian army in Isaiah's day is on the move. To such a people Isaiah brought good brought news of warning and rebuke.

They were to see the coming invasion of the north as a consequence of Israel's sin against God. Isaiah also warned of the coming exile of the southern kingdom, Judah. What happened many years later by the Babylonians. Though Judah would be spared the wrath of the Assyrians, God would still punish them through another army. However, as you'll remember from some of our studies, all would not be lost.

Though cast out from the land, God's people would return. Though cast away, God would see they weren't destroyed. Though used by God to accomplish His purposes, God had promised to judge those nations who opposed His people. In chapters immediately preceding ours in 29-33, we've caught glimpses of this. And there, back in chapter 33, as Troy led us through, we saw that the Lord will establish His kingdom again, and His appointed king, you see there in 33:17, will reign, and in His reign, we will see His beauty.

But now, in chapter 34, the focus turns to all nations and the judgment they deserve. So, as we consider this passage, I have one point. It's a simple point this morning, and it's this: Wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. There's one point, and we'll reinforce it by making four observations of the text that'll form our outline.

Wait on the Lord. His judgment is comprehensive. That's verses 1 to 4. Wait on the Lord, his judgment is satisfying. That's verses 5 to 7.

Wait on the Lord, his judgment is timely. Verses 8 to 14. And wait on the Lord, his judgment is eternal. That's verses 15 through 17. So first, wait on the Lord, his judgment is comprehensive.

Let's look at verses 1 to 4. Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their hosts. He has devoted them to destruction; He has given them over for slaughter.

Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise. The mountains shall flow with their blood. All the hosts of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their hosts shall fall as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. Our passage in verse 1 begins with a summons.

All nations are called to hear. All nations are called to come and receive their sentence. Unlike the warnings and judgments that have come before in Isaiah, God here is not dealing with nations individually, but he's dealing with them all. He's dealing with them comprehensively. His anger, as we saw, is against them all.

The nations have opposed God and His people and now in Isaiah 34, their time has run out. He, as Isaiah says, has devoted them to destruction. They will be totally destroyed. God will no longer restrain His wrath on those who are against Him. The imagery here is striking and offensive.

Look at verses 2 and 3.

There will be no honor for those whom the Lord punishes. Their punishment here is severe. Their sin has so consumed them and their enmity to God has become so offensive that God's patience towards them has run out and His wrath now comes to consume them. The terror of God's judgment here illustrates in gruesome detail the injustice of sin against this holy God.

Friend, if this passage and this language seems too severe for you, I wonder if you've really begun to grasp the Bible's view of our rebellion against God.

It is a severe rebellion, and one day that rebellion will be put to death. Punishment will come. Our text is clear. The judgment extends, as we see also here, from the earth to the heavens, all creation's in view. You see that there in verse 1.

It says, the earth and the world. And later in verse 4, it says, the host of heaven in the skies. It's possible that there in verse 4, and the host of heaven may refer to fallen angels or simply to stars in the sky. Some translations say heavenly bodies. But the point is that the nations and what they base their senseless idolatry on, the heavens, will be rolled back.

God will expose what they've seen as permanent for so long. He'll show them that the stars in the sky he put there, that the heavens he made it, he made its expanse. He is the one who has set the boundaries of his creation. What they have thought was permanent, what they saw fit of their worship, fit of their veneration, he will roll back and show that their idolatry is foolish.

He will expose them for the false worshipers they are. These images are also used in Revelation 6:12-17. Turn there briefly and let's look at how John writing the account in Revelation picks up this language. Revelation 6:12-17. John writes, When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.

The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up.

And every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? So stay there in Revelation 6 for just a few more moments and see some of the similarities in language used. We have the sky, we have even the fig tree.

We have that, as we'll see later, different kinds of people used. But there's one detail here, I don't know if you caught it, that we don't get in Isaiah. Who is it that presides over the judgment here in Revelation? Who is it who's seated on the throne? Whose wrath is being poured out here?

It's the Lamb. It's the Lamb whose blood was shed for his people. It's the Lamb who died in the place of sinful rebels. It's the Lamb who took God's judgment so that his people don't have to taste it. Friend, if you're here and you're not a Christian, let me be clear.

The only thing that can spare you the judgment that we're looking at in Isaiah 34 and will continue thinking on this morning is trusting in this Lamb. Turn to him. The fact that the judgments talked about in Isaiah 34 are still to come mean that God's patience hasn't yet run out. There is still time. But make no mistake, there is a day coming when His patience will end.

When the skies will be rolled back, the Lamb will preside over this judgment. So turn to Him. Turn to Christ. Accept His sacrifice for sin by repenting of yours. If you have questions about what it means to do that or what it looks like to live now waiting on that day when Jesus returns.

Talk to the friend next to you. Talk to any one of us at the doors following the service. We want to be clear that waiting on the Lord is only for those who have trusted in Christ. Responding to the Lord now, based on the judgment that is to come, is the responsibility of those who are now his enemies. Turn to him.

Turn to this Lamb. Christian brother and sister, consider the scope of this judgment. Now go back to Isaiah 34.

The earth and the heavens are included. All peoples of the world answer to Him. Such judgment is indeed a stark contrast to the judgment that we receive and the justice that we pursue today. But let's be clear about one thing. It's not that judgment and justice has no place now, quite the contrary.

There are many other passages that call us now as we wait on the Lord to seek justice and to exercise right judgment. Jesus even said this in John 7:21. Our pursuit of justice here can point to this ultimate justice and judgment of God. But see in this passage that our efforts for justice, our efforts to exercise right judgment in this world, are only ever the faintest echo. The scope and scale of the judgment that awaits the end of history is great.

The scope that is at the end of this life, the end of this present order, is grand in its scale. Our judgment, our pursuit of justice, points to this, but only as a faint echo. When the Lord comes, God's judgment here is cosmic. There won't be anyone to appeal his decision. There won't be anyone to charge him with error.

His case will not be challenged. When this day comes, no deals will be made. The time for turning will be in an end, and he will come in the terror that we see here. All creation will experience this judgment. All will see it.

We will see it. We will see God's judgment on his enemies. But we'll see it not for the terror being visited on us, but brothers and sisters will see it as a vindication of the God that we serve. In him exposing the pride of the nations and peeling back the heavens, God, the Creator, Sustainer of all, will vindicate himself.

His judgment is comprehensive, and His judgment is also satisfying. Number two, wait on the Lord, His judgment is satisfying. Look there at verses 5 to 7. For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. The Lord has a sword; it is sated with blood.

It is gorged with fat; with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls; their land shall drink its fill of blood, and their soil shall be gorged. With fat. Where verse 1 started with the judgment of all peoples of the earth and ended in the heavens, here the Lord's sword starts in the heavens and descends on a particular nation.

The nation there, you see in verse 5, of Edom. Now a little bit of background on who the nation of Edom was. Edom was the perpetual enemy of God's people. From Genesis to Malachi, Edom is always at enmity with God's people and God's work in the world. Go back to Genesis 25:23 and it describes the division that will separate the descendants of Jacob, that is Israel, from the descendants of Esau, that is Edom.

Edom's enmity with Israel is a thread that, again, runs throughout. The opposition of the Edomites to Israel is kind of like that of Cinderella's stepsisters, trying to keep the Disney illustrations a theme as Troy got us started a few chapters ago. Cinderella's stepsisters, as you may remember, are annoying, they're constantly taunting, and they're always trying to get in the way. Well, the Edomites in Numbers 20:14-21 attempted to block Israel from entering the Promised Land after the Exodus. Or maybe we don't have a lot of Disney Princess fans.

Maybe Marvel's more your speed. Edom is kind of like Loki, Thor's brother. Never quite strong on his own, but always looking for that advantageous ally. Edom would look to Babylon to form an app, to be allies with them, to then defeat and capture Jerusalem several hundred years after Isaiah's prophecy. So Edom, looking for that ally, would be condemned in the book of Obadiah.

The book of Obadiah in the Old Testament is devoted entirely to the judgment of Edom for making friends with the Babylonians. But here in our text, the point is neither Edom nor Babylon would have the final say. God would judge them. The same language from verse 2 applied to all nations is here applied to Edom in verse 5. They are a people devoted to destruction.

No longer will they mock God's people. No longer will they challenge God's plan. Their end is approaching and they will be totally destroyed. For Edom here, God will be the judge. His sword will come against them.

However, notice there that it's a sword not used only for a military defeat, but it's a sword of sacrifice. Rather, you see there in verse 6 that the Lord has a sacrifice Basra. Basra, of course, is the capital of Edom, and here it's a place of another sacrifice, mirrored to the sacrifices that would take place in Jerusalem. Look also at the animals mentioned there: lambs, goats, rams, bulls. It's likely that these animals are standing in to represent the scale of God's judgment, his sacrifice in Edom, that's going to apply to all kinds of people.

From poor to rich, from weak to strong. God's judgment, His sacrifice of the Edomites is coming for all of their society, not just its leaders.

And then also we notice not just what these animals may stand in for, but that these animals are the animals of clean sacrifices for the Israelites. The animals mentioned in Leviticus of the ones to be part of Israel's sacrificial system. So, friends, see that here the point is, Edom doesn't offer these sacrifices. Instead, Edom is the sacrifice. In Jerusalem, Israel sacrificed these animals to God to atone for their sin.

In Basra, Edom would be sacrificed as the penalty for theirs. Both sacrifices are for the same God. Israel was to make sacrifices out of faith in God, trusting in Him to deliver them from their sin, and ultimately looking forward to the hope when Jesus would come. But here, Edom is being sacrificed because of their rebellion against God for generations. The sacrifices of Israel were pleasing to God when they sprang from an obedient heart.

Israel was to serve them in faith. Then as now, God is pleased in the sacrificial service of his people. Think of that as we've been thinking of in Romans, of our sacrificial service, our lives as sacrifices to God, pleasing to him, devoted to him, waiting for him. But friends, see the sad reality that in Basra, God is also satisfied in the sacrifice of his enemies. The fat of the animals of Israel was always reserved for the Lord, and you see the fat mentioned several times here.

Here the Lord's sword has consumed the fat of these animals, as the Lord's wrath is poured out on Edom until he's satisfied. But don't mistake the satisfaction God is taking in these sacrifices here. God's not interested in these sacrifices out of some sort of bloodlust. He's not taking pleasure in their demise in its own sake.

Instead, see that God is satisfied in Edom's destruction because it vindicates his name in the sight of all. Edom had turned aside from God, ridiculed his people for generations, and God's punishment and sacrifice of Edom is just and satisfying for himself.

Brothers and sisters also see that God's judgment is also satisfying for his people. As God graciously includes us and them in his plan, we are to share in the satisfaction of seeing God's name Vindicated, Vindicated in the sight of all. God's enemies are his people's enemies. God's enemies are our enemies. And one day we will see God's enemies meet their end.

But lest we jump to that end too quickly, How are we to think of God's enemies now? Well, thinking about this, I think Jesus' words in Matthew 5:44 are instructive. Jesus reminds us that our obligation now is to indeed love our enemies. We're to love those who oppose God by welcoming them, by praying for them, by inviting them to turn from being God's enemy just as we have. Our posture towards our enemies, meaning those who oppose God, is love.

However, Isaiah's writing of the day where that love, that generosity, that service, that sacrificial service will be at an end. On this day, the enmity of God's enemies will be fixed, their opposition hardened, and God's wrath will come. Then on that day, as a creator and sustainer of all, God's name will be vindicated in the sight of all, and it will be revered by all. And those of us who have turned and trusted in Christ will rejoice, rejoice at seeing God vindicated. On that day we will see God in his glory and his might, and we will see the cost and corruption of sin in brutal display.

And we will treasure that he's graciously provided for us in the punishment and through the punishment of his enemies. All that we've suffered in this fallen and compromised world will be put to right. When the Lord comes, we won't have to hide because he's already welcomed us in Christ. We won't have reason to be ashamed because he's purified us not by shedding our blood as a sacrifice at the end of history, but by shedding the blood of Jesus as a sacrifice in history. He has covered us, not in our blood, but in His.

That is the grounds of our boasting now, and that will be the grounds of our consolation then. Such truths are what we only begin to celebrate when we take the Lord's Supper together, as we plan to do later this evening. It's what our life together prepares us for, to taste and see that the Lord is good, that His provision for us is perfect, complete, lacking nothing. We begin to taste it in this life, but we'll see it then. We'll see that he's provided abundantly for us in what Jesus has done, what Jesus is doing, what we labor to do, what so many of you take great pains to do as you seek to encourage one another to grow in faith, to hold on, to wait for the Lord, not to vindicate yourself because the Lord will vindicate us all on that day.

He will come in strength. He will come in might. And he will come to bring a kingdom that he will secure as he casts out his enemies. Until then, brothers and sisters, wait on the Lord. His judgment is satisfying.

Number three, wait on the Lord. His judgment is timely.

Look at verses 8 to 14. For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion, and the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur. Her land shall become burning pitch, night and day it shall not be quenched, its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it; the owl and the raven shall dwell in it.

He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plumb line of emptiness. Its nobles—there was no one there to call it a kingdom—and its princes shall be nothing. Thorn shall grow over its strongholds, nettleS and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches, and wild animals shall meet with hyenas. The wild goat shall cry to its fellow.

Indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place.

When will these things happen? When will they occur? Well, the Lord, as we see there in verse 8, has appointed today. Has appointed a day. The Lord, it says, has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense.

He will vindicate His cause. We see that the cause of Zion. He'll vindicate it and the cause of His people at the proper time. These verses, as we've just read them, describe a once fruitful land becoming a burning pit. It'll be consumed by fire.

The land of Edom here will certainly resemble that of Sodom. From Genesis 19, being consumed, being set ablaze. A once ordered and established society will descend into chaos. Look there at verse 11. It says, He shall stretch a line of confusion over it.

And the plumb line of emptiness. Here the instruments used for construction, their line and plumb line, are now used for destruction, meaning that what's been built, what's been created, will become undone. Certainly this resembles the confusion of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, that what was once built, what humans boasted in, will be their undoing, and God will see to it. Or it's what resembles the judgment of Babylon and Isaiah 13 and 14. God is demonstrating here that what Edom relied on for their security, for their comfort in this world, will be undone.

And their ordered society will go again into chaos. What once dominated the city, its strongholds and fortresses, there in verse 13, will now be consumed by thorns and thistles. Here these images of the curse from Genesis 3 will cover up and overtake the citadels of Edom. No one will be there to guard them, not from people, but from creation. Creation will overtake it.

There will be no one to see its borders enforced. A once thriving nation we see here will become a wilderness. Now, I know when we look at verses 8 to 14, many of you are wondering, what about these animals? What is going on with the animals? Many of you have asked me that this week, and I think it's, the answer is simple, and I don't think Isaiah is here giving us a zoological survey.

Of what kind of animals will inhabit Eden at the end. Instead, I think it's best understood that these animals simply demonstrate the desolation that's coming to Eden. It's unclear here what animals are exactly being referenced, as there aren't many references in other literature of this time and after. But what's clear from what we do have is that these animals weren't the clean animals mentioned back in Leviticus. And what's clear is that these animals usually didn't live in close proximity to humans.

So again, the land once inhabited by Edom, God shows how here is now being given to these wild animals. Wilderness is consuming Edom's civilization.

Historically, it's interesting to note that not long after Edom allied with Babylon to take Jerusalem, About 200 years after Isaiah's writing here, and a little bit after 587 BC, the Nabateans, that is an Arab tribe, invaded Edom, and the Edomites were forced out of their land forever. And centuries after the Arab tribes invaded, the territory of Edom would become part of the Persian Empire. But what's interesting about that first invasion and taking it by the Persians is that for many generations, hundreds of years even, that there's no record of anyone inhabiting the land of Edom. So only a few years after Isaiah's prophecy regarding Judah would come true, that is that they would be captive, taken in captivity to the Babylonians, it would seem that these tribes would force the Edomites out and wipe away their kingdom. And not only that, the once fruitful land would become a wilderness for generations.

So Isaiah saw that the days of the Edomite empire were numbered, and though they did outlast Judah in their land by a few years, they were not promised a return. Their destruction would be complete and their people wiped out. There would never be an Edomite kingdom again, and their end was sure even if God's people didn't see it.

As I was thinking about this passage, I couldn't help but be struck numerous times as to what must this have sounded like to the original hearers. To Israel whose kingdom is falling, they may through oral history and traditions have remembered the glory days of David. They see these mighty powers converging and hear God's coming and saying, I'm going to judge all nations. I'm going to establish your kingdom and all these kingdoms that have been around you, they're going to amount to nothing. How striking must that have been?

And even today we can think that God's specific plans and purposes now may elude us. Many decisions are costly in this life and suffering comes more often than we want to admit. You may be opposing your workplace. Have your beliefs challenged by family members? Or you may be longing for the good things that we've mentioned earlier.

Or your friends may have abandoned you. Your faith has cost you something with those that are near you. Or perhaps you're fighting for faith. You're fighting to believe. You're fighting to hold on.

But it seems like you just can't do it anymore. It seems like the forces that oppose you now are stronger than your faith. But friends, see this passage, see the Lord's judgment, see it as timely. He will soon come and set all things right. He will soon come and all things will be clear.

And then when He does, your suffering, your obedience, your endurance will not be in vain. Israel couldn't see it then, Judah couldn't see it then, They knew that their kingdom was falling. They knew that things did not look good. But even from just this snapshot in history, certainly in the mind of eternity, a snapshot in history, we can see that the Lord is deliberately fulfilling His purpose. But His timeline's not ours.

We don't have His sight, but we seek to be faithful today. Because this is going to be something good to talk to your parents about over lunch. Ask them, What's been difficult in this life? How have they found it hard to be a Christian? And how is it that they endured?

What helped them to be reminded of God's plan and His purposes? These could be good lunchtime conversations today. But though God's judgment would come on the Edomites in their land, there's still part of this prophecy that's yet to be fulfilled. As Troy so helpfully reminded us when he took us through Isaiah 31-33, it's always good to keep in mind that often biblical prophecies have a chronological chronological fulfillment, a Christological fulfillment, and an eschatological fulfillment. Chronologically, we can see that it would seem part of this prophecy was fulfilled in the Edomites being evacuated from their land and no Edomite kingdom existing ever again.

Christologically, as we saw in verse 2, Christ is a sacrifice once and for all for all those who would trust in him. But there's so much of this prophecy that certainly is awaiting an eschatological fulfillment, meaning waiting fulfillment at the end. These prophecies have been fulfilled in part, but if we do look at the land of Edom, there are people who are living there now who are building their land and their lives on top of Edomite ruins. So there's still a sense in which the generations, the eternality of this passage is still yet to be fulfilled, bring us to our final point. 4 Wait on the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

His judgment is eternal. Edom's expulsion from the land so many years ago was only a prelude. It was only the beginning. The whole world does await the coming judgment of the Lord, and on that day his judgment will be fixed and the consequences eternal. When he comes to judge the world, his punishment on his enemies will last forever.

We saw this back in verse 4. The time and view here goes beyond God dealing with a particular nation. God's judgment will come to all creation once and for all. Also, though most of the passage is indeed focused on Edom, it would seem that Edom does stand in for all nations who oppose God. Though the kingdom of Edom was destroyed and its land set empty for generations, as we said, it's still somewhat filled today.

And in verse 9 through 10, the land of Edom is said to be set ablaze forever. Such imagery certainly foreshadows hell, the place of eternal punishment of God's enemies. The final verses of the chapter also demonstrate this duration of God's punishment on his enemies. Look at verses 15 to 17. There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow.

Indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate. Seek and read from the book of the Lord: Not one of these shall be missing; None shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the Lord has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them, his hand has portioned it out to them with the line. They shall possess it forever, from generation to generation, they shall dwell in it.

Here, notice simply the security of the animals and the duration of their possession. God says that these animals will indeed possess this land forever. Isaiah's hearers are invited to consider the book of the Lord there in verse 16. We're there to consider all the works and words of this God and how they all come to pass. That there's not one promise of his that fails.

That everything that he says will come to be. The timing, as we said, may be unclear to us now, but there's coming a day where it will all make sense. From generation to generation, this God keeps his word. And here he's appointed the boundaries of the wilderness and governs the creatures that inhabit it. Look, no nation is fixing these boundaries.

No one is defending it. It's not up for negotiation. God is drawing the lines of this wilderness, these wild animals, himself. And his judgment, as we see, is fixed. Again, I don't think the animals here are necessarily the point.

Instead, what God wants his readers to hear is the eternal possession of these animals and the eternal desolation that awaits his enemies. The once fruitful land of Edom has become a fiery desert. What many may take for granted today of being the beneficence, the good things coming from creation will one day come to ruin. These things will cannot be trusted without God sustaining them. The once ordered kingdom descending to chaos.

But in this punishment, observe it's not God's it's not that God is not present there. God is enforcing these judgments. His hand has cast the line. His Spirit sees to these creatures being gathered in the wilderness. He is present.

He is present in the punishment of his enemies. He's present in his wrath. See here the eternal work of the Lord. There's coming a day when he will judge the world, and the result of that judgment will indeed last.

Forever. His wrath will be poured out on those who have opposed him. In this chapter, we catch a glimpse of what desert this is that awaits God's enemies. It's a place of fire, a place of chaos, a place of desolation. No one possesses the land.

Go back to verse 12. It's nobles, there's no one there to call it a kingdom, and its princes shall be nothing. There's no good rule. There's just chaos.

There's no one to direct it. There's nothing to sustain good life. It's all desolation. God's kind hand of providence, His common graces that we all experience and are so easily taken for granted today will be gone. And His enemies will receive their just deserts.

The day of the Lord's wrath is coming. And when that day comes, as we've said, it'll be too late for his enemies to turn. But see such stark reality, such and the duration of this reality. God's wrath against his enemies, being the eternal one, goes on for eternity. Those who have turned against him, those who are at enmity to him, will be punished.

His wrath on them will go on forever. Because they have offended the eternal one. It is the just punishment for all who have turned against him, not to be wiped out and forgotten, but to turn and experience God's wrath forever. So brothers and sisters, see here that a day is coming when our friends who are enemies of God, who don't acknowledge him, they won't be able to turn. So let this spur our evangelism.

Let this spur us in treating them to turn while there's still time. To remember that God's patience as we live here and now has not run out. And because His patience has run out, hasn't run out, excuse me, neither should yours. If there's that friend that you've been pleading with, you've been talking to, you've been praying for, for years, maybe even decades, maybe it's even a child or a parent. Don't let your patience run out on them.

Eternity hasn't come yet. There's still time. Pray for them. Pray for God to do the same work in them that He's done in you. Think about how hopeless you were apart from the saving love of Christ that drew you to Him.

Be patient. Wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord to save. But be urgent. There is no time to delay.

He is coming and when He comes, as we see here, this judgment will be forever. For after this day comes, the enemies, those whose enmity is fixed, who don't turn, will go into eternal punishment. Wait on the Lord, His judgment is eternal. So if you've seen as we're thinking about this theme of waiting on the Lord, that waiting on the Lord is far from a passive act. It's not like waiting on your spouse to finish at the store.

It's not like kids waiting on your parents to finish up that conversation that seems to last forever so that you can go play outside. It's not like waiting in a line passively to receive food. No, waiting on the Lord is something that we do to deliberately prepare for the day of the Lord's return. I think of 2 Peter 3:11-13, which illustrates this so well, that waiting on the Lord, we can see, we can turn there, 2 Peter 3:11-13.

What we're thinking of here is waiting on the Lord involves action. Look there, 2 Peter 3: 11 to 13. Peter's just gone through the day that the day of the Lord will come. He says, since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in, you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the day, the coming day of God, because of the heaven, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved. And the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn.

But according to His promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So waiting on the Lord involves action. By waiting on the Lord, we're making ourselves ready for His return. We're seeking to live lives of holiness and godliness and commending this example amongst one another. Until then, waiting on the Lord, as we wait on the Lord, let's fulfill our covenant, which says, We will exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other, and faithfully admonish and entreat one another as occasion may require.

What occasions do we have to encourage one another to wait on the Lord? Not to see our name vindicated, but to wait on God's name to be vindicated. These are the actions that prepare us now for the day of the Lord's return. Then. And these are the things that stir us up to rightly wait and anticipate His return.

And certainly, as we've considered these things, waiting on the Lord does have consequences. One of the English reformers that Ryle writes of is Hugh Latimer. As his peers attest, Latimer was a man of simple faith and plain speech. In his time, Latimer preached before royalty and the poor. In one sermon, Latimer says, Latimer, Latimer, thou art going to speak before the high and mighty King Henry VIII, who is able, if he thinks fit, to take thy life away.

Be careful what thou sayest. But Latimer, Latimer, remember also thou art about to speak before the King of kings and Lord of lords. Take heed that thou does not displease. Him. Latimer sought to serve the Lord with a clear conscience and an upright heart.

He aimed to please God who stood at the end of history who would judge all kings and poor alike. And that cost him his life in this world. Latimer held fast to the truth and sought to please God, not men. He trusted the God who would deliver him through the flames of martyrdom. He and others had persevered in the faith.

And waited on the Lord to vindicate them. Though killed for his obedience, Latimer, like many before him and after, ended his life waiting on the Lord, waiting on the Lord's vindication. Friends, the fires of martyrdom may not await us in this life, although for some certainly are facing similar threats. But we know that those who die waiting on the Lord will not be put to shame. We know that those who wait for the Lord now will receive a reward.

So wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord who will come to set all things right. Wait on the Lord because we will rejoice together when God vindicates his name in the sight of all.

He is coming. He's coming soon. Until then, wait for him. Wait on the Lord, his judgment is comprehensive. His judgment is satisfying.

His judgment is timely. His judgment is eternal. And he, the judge, is coming soon. Let's pray.

Father, we do thank youk that You alone are the perfectly just judge. And so Lord, we pray that we would wait well, that we would commend the lives of holiness and godliness, that you would help us to stir each other up to do these things, to pursue you as we wait. And Lord, we do pray that you would come soon. Living in this world is often hard, but we trust that you're with us. We trust that you're helping us to wait for your glory as you vindicate your name amongst all nations.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.