I invite you to turn with me this morning to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 57. Isaiah chapter 57. We will begin reading at verse 9 of chapter 56. And instead of just going through verse 13 of chapter 57, we'll read through the entire chapter 57. We know that in the latter chapters of Isaiah, he speaks often about the blessing of the suffering servant. Beginning of chapter 56, the Lord talks about salvation for those who were outside of the nation, those who felt like outsiders, foreigners, and eunuchs. Then picking up at verse 9, God gives an accusation against the wicked, and especially the wicked of his people. But our text, verses 1 and 2, we find something striking right in the midst of God's accusation against the wicked. Beginning at verse 9 as we hear the word of God. 56 verse 9. Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour all you beasts of the forest. Israel's watchmen are blind. They all lack knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They cannot bark. They lie around and dream. They love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites. They never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding. They all turn to their own way. Each seeks his own gain. Come, each one cries. Let me get wine. Let us drink our fill of beer. And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better. The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart. Devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace. They find rest as they lie in death. But you come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes. Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars? You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree. You sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags. The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion. They are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I relent? You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill. There you went up to offer your sacrifices. Behind your doors and your doorposts, you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed. You climbed into it and opened it wide. You made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness. You went to Molech with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away. You descended to the grave itself. You were wearied by all your ways. But you would not say, it is hopeless. You found renewal of your strength and so you did not faint. Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to Me and have neither remembered Me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me? I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you. The wind will carry all of them off. A mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. And it will be said, Build up, build up, prepare the road. Remove the obstacles out of the way of My people. For this is what the High and Lofty One says, He who lives forever, whose name is Holy. I live in a high and holy place, but also with Him who is contrite and lowly in spirit. To revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry. For then the spirit of man would grow faint before. the breath of man that I have created. I was enraged by his sinful greed. I punished him and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace to those far and near, says the Lord, and I will heal them. But the wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. May God add His blessing to the consideration of His Word. Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 57. The righteous perish and no one ponders it in his heart. Devout men are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace. They find rest as they lie in death. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a congregation, as a family of God in this place, once again in this past week, we have been brought face to face with death. In fact, two times in the short period of about 72 hours. First, our sister Thea Van Dyke, whom many here probably didn't know very well, last Sunday afternoon. And then our brother Steve Jaspers. Two very different circumstances. Thea at 90 years old, whose death somewhat was expected for the last couple of years as her body was aging and she was suffering from aging. And Steve at 48 years old, in the prime of life, after a battle with brain cancer. Two different circumstances. Yet this sister and brother had one thing in common, the tie that binds our hearts together in Christian love. Both belong to their faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, by grace through faith. And that is why as we mourn, as we are filled with sorrow, we mourn with hope. Now, I don't know about you, but the older I get, when I face the deaths of loved ones and brothers and sisters in Christ and dear friends, death causes me to evaluate this life. And more and more, I realize that there is so much of this life that really is not very important. Or maybe I should say, it's not as important as we make it. We have considered in our Lord's Sermon on the Mount His words when He says, do not worry about what you will eat or drink or what you will wear. And it's not that we are to be careless about these things, yet these things are not as important as we often make them. So often we major on minors, the seemingly insignificant and small details of life we make to be of priority in our lives. And we minor on majors, things that are important. Including our walk with the Lord and our witness for Him. And obedience to Him. We don't treat as important. Beloved, death is important. Sometimes I think we don't really want to talk about it and face it and deal with it until we're forced to. Death is important. It is a vivid reminder of the wages of sin, of the sin of mankind. It is a vivid reminder that truly there is only one thing that is important. And therefore I ask each and every one of you, and I ask myself this morning, are you ready? Are you ready for death? Now, there are many in the world who would say, well, no, I'm not because I want to do this and I want to do that and I want to experience this and I want to enjoy all these things and maybe after I've done all these things, then maybe I'll be ready. But there is only one way to truly be ready and that is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Boys and girls and young people, there's only one way to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you believe? If God requires your life today, are you ready? Do you belong to Him? Does He live in you by His Holy Spirit? If you can say yes, then you are ready. And then and only then do the details of this life, even the smallest details, have any sort of meaning whatsoever. You see, death itself has a powerful message And this text from Isaiah 57, 1 and 2 speaks specifically of the death of the righteous. And the death of the righteous has a unique message, we might say, which the world of unbelievers does not get. They do not comprehend it. The unbelieving world is so wrapped up in itself, never stopping to consider the glorious change for believers in death. Verse 1 points to that selfishness when it says, the righteous perish and no one ponders it in his heart. Devout men are taken away and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Yet this text teaches much more than the simple fact that the world doesn't take notice of or doesn't care when a child of God dies to this life. This text teaches that there is an important message in the death of the righteous. A message rejected by the world. And therefore, there is a warning here, first of all, as the death of the righteous results in the careless ignorance of the world, but there is also comfort for believers. As in the second place, the death of the righteous leads to the eternal blessedness of the believer. those two points I want to consider with you for a few moments first of all the death of the righteous results in the careless ignorance of the world maybe you notice as we read and I mentioned briefly at the beginning this text is tucked in the context of strong condemning language we might say it's a sort of an interlude of condemnation that comes first of all against Israel's watchmen followed by condemnation, accusations that come against the wicked of Israel, the wicked nation in general. First, condemnation against Israel's watchmen. We find that in the last few verses of chapter 56, we read about the unfaithful watchmen of Israel, leaders who were selfish, who were self-indulgent, who ignored the flock that God had placed under their care in pursuit of their own welfare, their own gain. They were simply unrighteous. With no regard for God's covenant, no regard for covenant obedience, they were unrighteous in contrast to the righteous of verse 1 of our text. And then following, condemnation, the accusation against the wicked of Israel, the nation as a whole in verses 3-13 of chapter 57, the nation that was condemned because of her wickedness, because of her apostasy, especially with regard to her idol worship. Or she looked orthodox in her practices, but the problem is she was worshiping idols. She had given herself over to the lust of idolatry. Thinking as well that if they hid the symbols of idolatry behind their closed doors, that nobody else might notice, but God notices. And therefore, He gives a warning of judgment. Judgment that was to come upon the wicked nation. She was destined for judgment. In fact, we know that Isaiah's prophecy is a prophecy of captivity. Captivity as punishment for the sin of rejecting God, of turning away from Him. In fact, when the text says the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil, literally it says to be taken away from the evil. Specific evil that was to come. And then in verse 13, the Lord says, when you cry out for help in the midst of that judgment. When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you. Go to them. Go to them. And the idea that we are to get here, beloved, is that evil was present among those who were supposed to be God's people and judgment was coming, but they were carelessly ignorant to that judgment just as they were carelessly ignorant to the rescue of the righteous from that coming judgment, from the evil. The Lord describes those as righteous, as devout. Those who walk in faithfulness to the promises of the covenant. Those who were righteous in their life and in their actions. Those who were devoted to the covenant of God. Those who were delighting in obedience to Him. All because they were in a right relationship with Him by His grace. and their rescue is pointed to in this language when the text says, the righteous perishes, and devout men are taken away. That doesn't sound like rescue language, does it? Perishes. Taken away, but it is. And the idea that comes with the word perishes here includes that at times the righteous man dies, as we say, before his time. when he is young, in the prime of life. That's what would happen to some of the righteous. And we see that too in Ecclesiastes 7, verse 15, as the writer says, in this meaningless life of mine, I have seen both of these. Here's the contrast. A righteous man perishing in his righteousness and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. The idea there too is dying young in life. Now the context here seems to say that this perishing, this taking away however it happens, whatever means God may use, even if it's at the hand of the enemy, this perishing, this taking away, what it is, is the rescue of the righteous. And that rescue points to the coming judgment that the righteous might not face it. We find this in the Old Testament in God's dealing with the world and His dealing with His people. Here with Isaiah's prophecy, the righteous are rescued from the judgment of captivity and from oppression at the hands of the wicked nations. Or think about the Ark of Noah, which is a symbol of this. As the righteous were removed from the judgment of the flood, sheltered safely in the Ark. Or you may remember King Josiah. The Bible describes him as one who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord told good King Josiah about the calamity that was to come upon the nation because of her wickedness. But the Lord promised Josiah this in 2 Kings 22, verse 20, Therefore I will gather you to your fathers and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place. Rescued through death. Rescued by perishing. Being utterly removed from this world. Vanishing is the idea. Gone completely. Through death of the righteous are taken away. Gathered up by God Himself. But the world of unbelievers is ignorant of death in general and its meaning for them. There are all kinds of ideas out there among the world when it comes to death and what may come next. For example, for some, they either think that death is just the end, there's nothing more, so eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow we might die and this life is all there is. Or for some, if they believe there is some sort of a life to come, somehow in their minds they make it a continuation of whatever an individual enjoyed in this life. For example, one might be said to go to the great golf course in the sky or to the great beach in the sky or to the great outlet mall in the sky. But whatever one might believe concerning the life to come, certainly in the world's estimation, certainly what's coming is better for everyone and not worse. They do not understand. They do not ponder. It never even enters their mind that death is a serious matter that takes place because of the sin of mankind. It never even enters their mind that apart from Jesus Christ, death for the unbeliever is the door closing forever on any hope of salvation with no second chances to believe in Jesus Christ. At the death of the unbeliever, seals the judgment of God's wrath that comes upon them. They are carelessly ignorant to death and what it means for them. And certainly, they are ignorant of the meaning of death for the righteous. For believers saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ who suffered the judgment of God's wrath for them. When it comes to the death of the righteous in the world's mind, if the world even knows that the righteous die, the world just thinks they're gone. Again, they vanish. They're not here. They no longer have a place here. To the world, this life counts. And those who live long and prosper in this life are the fortunate ones. And if someone happens to die young, it must be because they did something wrong. The unbelieving world pays attention to the lives and the deaths of the rich and famous, even observing the anniversaries of those deaths. Michael Jackson's, the anniversary of his death was just remembered by many. Every year for over 30 years now, in Graceland, Elvis Presley's death is remembered by so many. All these years later. The unbelieving world mourns the deaths of the rich and famous because of the money that they will no longer give, especially to charity, or because of the entertainment that they will no longer provide, or because of the gossip about them in the tabloids that we will no longer be able to enjoy. But the unbelieving world is ignorant to the truth that upon death, God's people are taken away, delivered from the evils and the sin and the struggles and the difficulties that still surround us in this life. Even in the midst of all the good things that we enjoy by the hand of God, we still live in a world of sin and struggle and hardship. God's people are rescued from this life of sin and from its miseries and from this body of death. And ultimately, the believer begins that rescue, that eternal protection and the glory of heaven from the second death. From eternal death. From the wrath of that final judgment as God's people are protected by the blood of Jesus Christ from the wrath of God to be poured out against those who reject Him. Unlike the unbelieving world whose death is a door closing on hope, for the child of God. Death is not that door closing on that hope, but it is an entering into that blessed inheritance kept safe by the hand of God. Beloved, physical death is a vivid reminder of the wages of sin and it is to send a message to the world that God hates sin. And that eternal judgment is coming. It is to be a call to repent of sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but also the death of the righteous points to hope that there is hope. Even in the midst of our tears and sorrow and our aching hearts, it points to the hope of being taken away from evil by Jesus Christ. We know that's a reality for you and me today as the chains of sin and Satan have been loosed. We are free in Christ Jesus. But we look forward to the fullness of it one day as the death of the righteous secondly leads to the eternal blessedness of the believer. Verse 2 says, Those who walk uprightly enter into peace. They find rest as they lie in death. Indeed, it is rescue from the evil of this world. Rescue from the judgment of eternal wrath of God that Christ has merited for us. But also, it is the real beginning of the peace and perfection of eternal glory. For those who, as Paul says in Philippians 3, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ. It is the blessing of peace, first for the body. Now that may seem strange. Josiah was buried in peace. The body, peace and rest from the storms of this life as that body lies in death. Our bodies withered from old age, our bodies invaded by disease, our bodies inflicted with pain, our bodies through which we sinned against God in this life. At the death of the righteous, our bodies no longer suffer, nor will they be used for sin. Instead, they will rest in the grave waiting for the resurrection, that blessed resurrection of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again and our bodies are raised and reunited with our souls and we are made like under Christ's glorified body forever and ever. The blessing of peace for the body, but also and more so, the blessing of peace for the soul. At death, the believer's soul is taken into the very presence of God. Our souls are precious to Him, beloved. So precious that He gave His only begotten Son. God's Word assures us of this. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, Therefore, we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. And Paul says in another place, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. And Jesus assured His disciples in John 14 by saying He will come again and receive us to Himself that where He is there we may be also. The blessing of peace for the body in the grave, the blessing of peace for the soul in the very presence of God. And that peace is peace beyond measure. The psalmist says in Psalm 71, But as for me, I will always have hope. I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. We talk about, we confess, we claim the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. We talk about peace with God. But, beloved, on this side of glory, we truly cannot comprehend. We know not its measure. When we think about peace in this life, we have the idea of many things. Maybe completeness, security, welfare, harmony, safety, assurance. Or we think of it negatively as the absence of discord or the absence of disunity or the absence of tension or hostility. Indeed, ours is peace with God right now, as Paul says, through Jesus Christ. And that is why we can live in joy today. Enjoying the blessings of family and fellow believers and worship and work and all of those good things that God pours out upon us in this life. Yet, we cannot begin to comprehend that peace in the glory of heaven. How do you begin to describe it? How do you wrap your mind around it? Maybe to say that that peace in the glory of heaven includes not even a hint of God's anger against our sin. Imagine that. When you have had an argument with a friend and you've been separate for a time and then you reconcile. Still though, when you come together, there may be a hint of animosity wondering on both sides, is that one still thinking this way? Is this one still thinking that way? A hint of animosity, but not even a hint of God's anger against our sin because Jesus Christ has completely washed it away. Our God has removed it as far as the east is from the west. He remembers it no more. And because heaven, as the Bible says, is that place of no sin, no sickness, no tears, no evil, only the pure glory and love of God and the never-ending peace in the presence of and in fellowship with Him, where we will never again offend Him. Try to wrap your mind around that, too. that one day in the glory of heaven we will never again offend Him. Instead, giving to God perfect love and honor and praise and obedience that is fitting for God alone, all because Jesus Christ reconciled us, made us one with God. That was Thea's comfort. That was Steve's comfort and assurance. Today we still come face to face with death. For the child of God, though, death holds no terror. And the grave has no victory. The believer's death is the absolute end of this world of sin for him. He will never touch it again. It is the end of his sin. It is the entering into eternal joy and everlasting peace. That is the message of the death of the righteous. A rescue from the judgment to come in Christ Jesus. and the glory of heaven. That message carelessly ignored by the world who apart from repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will face the wrath of God's judgment without peace. Even as the Lord says at the end of chapter 57, but the wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest, no rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud, there is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. but the death of the righteous is a message to strengthen God's people in the assurance of our eternal security. Beloved, is this your assurance? Death itself, as we said in the beginning, is a message that asks the question, are you ready? This is God's call. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That is God's promise to all those, only those, but all those who turn to Him. If you are here this morning and you have not yet trusted in Christ, if you have not yet forsaken yourself and humbled yourself before the throne of grace where there alone is hope, this call is for you. This promise is for you. A promise guaranteed, signed by the blood of Jesus. And for those who turn to Him in faith, Our God transforms His people by His Holy Spirit. He gives them new life. He gives them eternal life. He also blesses them with the joy of the Lord. That joy which gives us strength. That joy which gives us a desire to live for Him and to live with Him in preparation for that day. For the sake of Jesus Christ, the righteous in Him by grace are taken away from evil and they enter into everlasting peace. Why? Because precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints, as the psalmist says. Precious, valuable, costly. God has made them precious and valuable and costly because of the valuable, precious, costly blood of Jesus. Yes, death may be an interruption in the lives of those who remain. But for the righteous who die in the Lord, it is true independence. It is God's call to that better life, that glorious life, that life in His presence forever. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, we humbly bow before You with joy to thank You and praise You for the gift of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Lord, You have cast us into a difficult week once again. A hard time that we cannot endure on our own, in our own strength. But yet a time of hope in Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that we might not be scared of talking about death. That even though tears may fall as we are reminded of loved ones who have gone before, yet with confidence as your people, we may speak about the glorious life for your people that awaits us. that even as we live this life and enjoy it and live to the glory and praise of God, we might look forward to that day that You have prepared in advance for each one of us when You will take us into Your holy presence. And until that day, Father, may we sing for joy. May we be still in our souls and wait upon You and worship You, giving You thanksgiving and praise with the breath that we have. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake. And in His name we pray these things. Amen.