Isaiah 30_12-15    Walls Must Come Down

Rev. David Holwick      ZO

First Baptist Church

Ledgewood, New Jersey

November 19, 1989

Isaiah 30:12-15


WALLS MUST COME DOWN



  I. Wall in Berlin.

      A. Famous symbol of our times.

          1) Put up in 1961.    (Berlin is deep inside communist zone)

              a) Scores have died trying to cross it.

          2) John F. Kennedy made it a symbol of freedom in West.

              a) John Osborne was in honor guard.


      B. Seeing the Wall myself at Christmas, 1968.

          1) My father was stationed in Berlin for a year and a half.

          1) I took a chunk of it while my dad watched nervously.

                My mom later lost it.


      C. 1989.  Germans breach the wall and dance on top.

          1) One of most oppressive regimes collapses.

              a) Only months ago it would be laughed at.

          2) Dramatic symbol of change in Communist lands.

              a) What will be the results?


II. Biblical walls coming down.

      A. Walls of Jericho.        Joshua 6:5

          1) Wicked inhabitants.


      B. Walls of Jerusalem (literal fulfillment).   2 Chron 36:19

          1) The people were naked to attack.


III. Imagery of collapsing walls.

      A. Isaiah 30 and sin of Jerusalem.

          1) They think they are strong but the weak spot bulges.


             ISA 30:12  Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel

              says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied

              on oppression and depended on deceit,

             13  this sin will become for you like a high wall,

              cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an

              instant.

             14  It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so

              mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will

              be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping

              water out of a cistern."

             15  This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of

              Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation,

              in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would

              have none of it.

          2) John Osborne's driveway retaining wall.  (bulging)


      B. Chief symbolism of collapsing walls:

          1) Inner corruption due to sin.

          2) Trusting in what appears to be strong, but is actually weak.


IV. Walls of sinfulness.  (Why people put up walls.)


      A. Why people set up barriers.

          1) Ancient cities, keep out enemies.

          2) East Germans, keep in workers.

              a) "Protection" often becomes isolation.


      B. The barriers modern people hide behind in society.

          1) Wealth, possessions.

              a) I am successful, I am O.K.

                 PRO 18:11  The wealth of the rich is their fortified

                           city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.


          2) Racism.

              a) Black killed in Bensonhurst.

              b) What was he doing in a white neighborhood?

              c) What does it matter, anyway?


          3) Religion.

              a) Can be used as a weapon and false crutch.

              b) People use it to justify themselves and their actions.

                  1> Non-believers turn against faith as a result.


      C. Barriers people hide behind in relationships.

          1) Phoniness.

              a) Hide real self.

              b) Extreme - neurosis, psychosis.

                  1> Actor James Woods was asked why he did not take

                       professional lessons.

                     His answer:  they are too artificial.

                       Everyone knows how to act well by nature.

                     - Just look at people who cheat on their spouses.

                                                                    #1044

          2) Silence.       Ps 22:1-2

              a) A lack of communication can be as great a barrier as

                    a lack of forgiveness.

              b) Celeste's hatred of my silent treatment.


          3) Resentment and hatred.


          True story written by Simon Wiesenthal.

             He had 89 relatives murdered by Nazis.

          A dying German S.S. soldier confessed to him for 2 hours and

             asked for his forgiveness.

          "Weisenthal stood in silence for some time, staring at the man's

             bandaged face.

          At last he made up his mind and left the room, without saying

             a word.

          He left the soldier in torment, unforgiven."


          Comments by others (in his book) have most of them saying he

             did not have to forgive.

          Only those who are wronged can forgive.

          But the Bible teaches that forgiveness defies human reason;

             it is an unreasonable gift.

          What is more, the withholding forgiveness puts up walls.

                                                                     #986


  V. Jesus takes down barriers.


       EPH 2:14  For he himself is our peace, who has made the

        two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing

        wall of hostility, ...

       15  by abolishing in his flesh the law with its

        commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in

        himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,

       16  and in this one body to reconcile both of them to

        God through the cross, by which he put to death their

        hostility.

       17  He came and preached peace to you who were far away

        and peace to those who were near.

       18  For through him we both have access to the Father

        by one Spirit.

       19  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and

        aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members

        of God's household ...


      A. Jesus takes away sin between man and God.

          1) Reconciliation is a homely word for making up after a quarrel.

               This is done by taking away the cause of the quarrel;

             unless this is done, there may be an uneasy truce -

               but there can be no real reconciliation.

             In the hostility between God and sinners (Rom 5:10),

               the root cause, sin, was put away by the death of Christ,

                  and thus the way was clear for reconciliation.

             Much the same is the expression "making peace" (Eph. 2:15);

               indeed, so closely is Christ involved in the process

                  that he can be said to be "our peace" (Eph. 2:14).

                                                                    #1043


      B. He takes away hostility between people.

          1) Jesus takes away hostility between men & women, masters &

                slaves, foreigner & natives.    Gal 3:28

          2) Prodigal Son and Father is key to gospel.


VI. Christians must also take down walls.

      A. Heal the relationships in your own life.

          1) Are you living a lie?


      B. Heal the relationships of others.

          1) Highest Christian task is being a peacemaker.



***************************************************


  I. [Procedure:]

      A. Recognize barriers exist.


      B. Jesus takes away root cause.


      C. As he takes down barriers, we should take down other barriers

           in our lives.


      D. Examples:

          1) Northern Ireland??


      E. The believer can overcome obstacles with God's help.

           2 Sam 22:30  With your help I can advance against a troop;

                   with my God I can scale a wall.

             PSA 18:29  With your help I can advance against a troop;

                   with my God I can scale a wall.


II. Walls can be dangerous.

      A. Abimelech and Uriah.       2 Sam 11:20-21


      B. Dangerous even when they come down.

           ECC 10:8  Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever

            breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.


III. Walls can be overcome.


IV. How they can be rebuilt.

      A. Jerusalem and Ezra.      Ezra 9:9


      B. Nehemiah                 Neh 2:15-17

          1) Examination and rebuilding.

          2) Opposition from sceptics.     Neh 4:2

          3) Rejoicing at completion.      Neh 12:27-31


  V. Some walls must go up.

      A. God as our protecting wall.

          1) Exodus:  waters as a wall.      Ps 78:13


      B. Other believers as our protecting wall.    1 Sam 25:15

          1) Building up the wall and standing in the gap.   Ezek 22:30


      C. The walls of the New Jerusalem.

          1) Make up huge cube, like Holy of Holies.   Rev 21

               REV 21:12  It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,

                and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were

                written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

               14  The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on

                them were the names of the twelve apostles of the

                Lamb.

               17  He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick,

                by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

               18  The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure

                gold, as pure as glass.

          2) OT imagery.   No wall, but God.      Zech 2:3-5

               ZEC 2:3  Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and

                another angel came to meet him

               4  and said to him: "Run, tell that young man,

                'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the

                great number of men and livestock in it.

               5  And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,'

                declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.'


      D. Protection of family.

          1) What happens when they are neglected.

               Pro 24:30  I went past the field of the sluggard, past

                the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

               31  thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was

                covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.

               32  I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a

                lesson from what I saw:

               33  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding

                of the hands to rest--

               34  and poverty will come on you like a bandit and

                scarcity like an armed man.


      E. Taking a stand against sin.

           JER 1:18  Today I have made you a fortified city, an

            iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the

            whole land--against the kings of Judah, its officials,

            its priests and the people of the land.

           JER 15:20  I will make you a wall to this people, a

            fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you

            but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue

            and save you," declares the LORD.


VI. Why most walls are inadequate and fail.

      A. Isolation is not natural.

          1) The East Germans found out what the West was like.


      B. Faith in weak "god."

          1) Flimsiness of whitewashed walls.     Ezek 13


      C. Only God can truly protect us.


VII. The danger of walls coming down.


      A. It can be good to destroy them.

          1) Joy in Berlin right now.


      B. But danger can still lurk.

          1) ECC 10:8  Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever

                       breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

          2) East Germans buy real peace?  Or only postpone inevitable?

          3) Even barriers in relationships coming down can be dangerous.

              a) Stalemates are predictable.

              b) Change is not.



Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick

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