The sermon 'God's Gospel Provision for a Needy People' by Mike Davenport reflects on the prophecy of Isaiah, highlighting the anticipation of the promised seed who would save mankind since the time of Adam and Eve. The prophecy, set against a dark backdrop of Israel's disobedience and impending judgment, illuminates the gospel's hope. The sermon outlines various provisions detailed in Isaiah: a son, shoot, servant, sacrifice, Savior, Spirit, and soul's satisfaction, each representing aspects of God's plan for salvation. Jesus Christ is central as the promised provision who fulfills these roles, offering redemption and reconciliation to both Jews and Gentiles. The speaker emphasizes the exclusivity and sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the ultimate satisfaction found in the gospel message. The sermon invites listeners to embrace reconciliation with God through Christ and experience the fulfillment of these divine provisions.

Well, as our brother said, we have come to the end of Isaiah and are in the midst of giving some summaries of Isaiah. And so, as I come this morning, I come with a summary I've entitled, God's Gospel Provision for a Needy People. God's gospel provision for a needy people. God's gospel provision for a needy people. Ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind anticipated the coming of the seed of the woman, the seed that would crush the devil, who through his cunning had brought death and destruction to all the posterity of Adam.

Even Adam and Eve longed for this promised one, And it became quite apparent that the first two sons who came into the world would not be that promised seed. The one's actions proving himself to be a murderer and the other son's life coming to a violent end. So when Eve conceived again and bore another son, she named him Seth, which means appointed, saying, for God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel whom Cain killed. Now if you fast forward some 3200 years later, still mankind awaits this promised seed. And God raises a prophet named Isaiah, and through this prophet reveals much about the coming of this promised one.

Nowhere in the Old Testament does the light of the revelation of Christ seem to shine brighter than in the prophecy of Isaiah? And as we think about this gospel coming through Isaiah, think with me about the backdrop that God uses when He reveals through Isaiah this precious gospel. The nation of Israel is on the verge of extinction. They have refused the chastening hand of their God, and the Assyrian army will soon bring an end to the kingdom. The southern kingdom of Judah has also been unfaithful to Jehovah.

They have not turned when God has sent his chastisement. Isaiah is given a prophecy but he is told that those to whom he is to give this prophecy will be made blind and deaf to his message. A portion of the prophecy declares that the nation of Judah will feel the wrath of Assyria, but it will know its greatest judgment when Babylon comes against it. And then when God is asked by the prophet how long this judgment will be, He answers, until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man. The land is utterly desolate.

The Lord has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land." This is the dark and gloomy backdrop against which the light of the gospel shines forth from the pages of Isaiah. My friend, you are here today by the sovereign hand of our God. The gospel message you will hear today comes to you against the backdrop of your own life. What does that backdrop look like? What things have been happening in your life?

How would you describe your life? There are probably few others, if any, who really, really deep down know that backdrop upon which the gospel comes to you this day. And surely no one knows it quite like you do. But There may be more to the backdrop of your life than even you are aware of. Let me explain.

If you do not personally know the Christ who will be preached to you today, then you, like the original hearers, are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath. You like the original recipients of these gospel messages have not at this stage of your life received eyes to see or ears to hear. Your end just like the people of Judah is complete desolation and forsaking. If you have not cast your soul upon Christ, then the backdrop of your life can be described in the following way. You are dead in your trespasses and sins.

You are a child of wrath. You are without Christ. You are an alien of the commonwealth of this true church. You are a stranger from the covenant of promise. You are without hope and without God in this world.

But I have good news. No matter the darkness of the backdrop of your life, no matter how far from God your sins have taken you, And in spite of the fact that you are dead to spiritual things, the very first overture of the gospel found in Isaiah was not only for the Jews of Isaiah's day, this overture of the gospel is held out to you today. Isaiah 118, come now, come now and let us reason together says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson they shall be as wool. So as an ambassador of the Lord of heaven and earth, I stand before you today and say, be reconciled to God. Come, draw near, hear and see what God has done for sinners like you, so that your sins can be made as white as snow and as wool.

No other reasoning will do. So come now and hear the reasoning of the Lord. He stands before you today with outstretched arms saying, Here I am! Here I am. So the gospel which literally means good news or good message is found scattered throughout the pages of Isaiah.

Sometimes found in a single verse and other times incorporating whole chapters. Time will not allow us to look at all of Isaiah's references to the gospel, so I would like to focus on how it is revealed along the following lines of thought. The provision of a son, the provision of a shoot or a sprout from the stem of Jesse. The provision of the servant, the provision of a sacrifice, the provision of a Savior, the provision of the Spirit, and then the provision for the soul's satisfaction. So first of all the provision of a son.

The provision of a son. Isaiah 7 14. Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name, Emmanuel." Note first that it is the Lord who provides. He is the one who gives a sign, and the sign is in regards to His provision of a son.

God had asked King Ahaz, or Isaiah had asked King Ahaz to ask God of a sign. Ask. No sign can be too small nor too great. But Ahaz refused. And his refusal was wearisome to our God, the God of heaven and earth.

So what does God do? God provides a sign. And that sign is this provision of a son. It is the promised seed of the woman. It is the true Seth, the Son appointed by God.

And note second, a further indication that this was a provision from God Himself. This Son comes into the world by means of a virgin. It is the work of the Spirit that brings about conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Who is this Son? It is none other than Jesus Christ, Fully God and fully man.

His name is to be Emmanuel God with us What better provision could be made than God with us This is the very one we read of in Isaiah chapter 6, whom Isaiah saw high and lifted up, sitting on his throne, the mere train of his robe filling the temple, and seraphim covering their faces as they cry out, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory. This is that promised Son. This is the one who humbled himself, made himself of no reputation, taking upon himself the form of a bond servant, coming in the likeness of men, becoming obedient to the point of death, even the inglorious death the death of the cross this is that son Isaiah 9 6 and 7 goes on to tell us more about this son For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. My friend, marvel at these two words, unto us. Unto us. Unto us a child is born.

Unto us a son is given. Unto us is given a Son whose name is wonderful. Unto us who deserve the flames of hell, he reveals himself and all that he is in His wonder and majesty. Unto us is given a counselor unto us who deserve to stand condemned before the bar of the judgment of God. He shows Himself as incarnate wisdom, the true and faithful Word made flesh.

He counsels us as to how we can be reconciled to God. Unto us is given a mighty God. Unto us, who are in our natures at enmity with God. He, the Son, appears as mighty God in human flesh to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to this God we have offended. Unto us is given an everlasting Father, that is unto us who find ourselves outside of the covenant of grace.

He adopts us and becomes to us an everlasting Father that we might be granted through Him the inheritance that is His and unto us is given a prince of peace, unto us, who apart from Him can know no peace whatsoever. He whom we fought against becomes our prince and offers unto us peace. He receives us into His kingdom where His peace and government continue without interruption. Why did God send His Son? Why was His Son given to us?

John 3.16 makes it clear. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world But that the world through him might be saved Unto us a child is born unto us a son is given that the world through him might be saved. Do you know this son? Secondly, the provision of a shoot from the stem of Jesse.

The provision of a shoot from the stem of Jesse. This comes to us from Isaiah 11 verses 1 and 2 and then verse 10. There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And in that day there shall be a rude of Jesse who shall stand as a banner to the people, for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious." As we think of the family of Jesse, we see many glimpses of the coming Savior.

Jesse himself was from Bethlehem, the very city which would be the birthplace of Christ. Jesse's grandfather was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. And in Boaz we have the picture of the kinsman-redeemer, a picture of the coming redeemer, Jesus Christ. The stem of Jesse refers to David, And David himself was a type of Christ, the King after God's own heart who would arise to conquer all of his and all of Jerusalem's enemies. And just like we read here of the Spirit resting upon Jesus, even so we read the same of David in 1st Samuel 16 13 where it says, Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers.

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." And We also have the son of David, Solomon, the builder of God's house and the king who would bring peace, wisdom, and wealth to the kingdom. And it is from these roots that a shoot or a sprout will grow a fruitful branch that will bring forth much fruit. Isaiah goes on to tell us in verse 10 that this root of Jesse will stand as a banner to the people. Even for the Gentiles, Jesus is that banner. As Joaquin prayed that a few minutes ago, Jesus was lifted up Even as the serpent in the wilderness was lifted up, so Christ was lifted up.

And Christ said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all peoples to myself. He is that banner, the only banner beneath whom God calls His kingdom. There is salvation in no other. He is the hope of the Jews, but We also see that it is He whom the Gentiles will seek, and His resting place is glorious. What is that resting place?

The psalmist tells us in Psalm 110, the Lord, that is God the Father, said to my Lord, that is God the Son, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power. He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

He shall judge among the nations. He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of many countries." And the importance of this provision of the shoot or branch is seen in the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ. John describes it for us in chapter 5 verses 4 through 10. John says, So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. Christ as the root of David has prevailed. He has by the shedding of His blood redeemed a people out of every tribe and nation, and has made them kings and priests who shall reign on the earth. You there ma'am, you there sir, take note the root of David.

Jesus Christ stands as a banner to the nations and He is redeeming a people out of all nations. Are you among the people who are seeking Him, whom He has redeemed? Why do you Linger where you are when His banner stands unfurled before you. Run to His banner. Rally around this Lamb who is worthy.

Christ Himself speaks to the churches at the very end of Revelation chapter 22, verses 16 and 17 in this way, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bride and morning star, and the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who thirsts, Come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Christ here states his credentials for the demanding of your right response. It is he who testifies. He is the root and the offspring of David. He is the banner and his invitation is for you to join those rallying around Him. Are you thirsty?

Then come. Do you have a desire for this water of life? Take freely. Take freely. Thirdly, the provision of a servant.

The provision of a servant. Isaiah 42, 1-4. Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my elect one in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

He will not cry out nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised wreath he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands shall wait for his law." My friend, your greatest need is an obedience to God that you cannot render. God has provided two representatives in the world.

The first Adam and the second Adam, who is Jesus Christ. And as one Puritan has declared, all of humanity, as unique individuals, hang upon the apron strings of the first Adam or upon the apron strings of the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Romans 5.19 says, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. Please listen to me. Men, women, boys, girls, The obedience or the disobedience of Adam, his disobedience has made all of us sinners in the sight of God, all of us.

I give you the seventeenth question of our Baptist Shorter Catechism along with its accompanying answer. Here's the 17th question of our Catechism. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression? Here's the answer. Because the prohibition regarding the forbidden fruit was given to Adam as a representative representative of mankind, he disobeyed not only for himself, but for his posterity, so that all mankind, all mankind, descending from Adam by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression.

By nature, We all hang upon the apron strings of Adam. His disobedience is our disobedience. This is where you are by nature, and you need an obedience that can only be rendered by one who can do it perfectly and the good news as Isaiah tells us is that God has provided such a servant even Jesus Christ He is the one whom God the Father did uphold. He is the one in whom the Father delights. He is the one who received the Spirit without measure, and he is the one who has brought forth justice to the Gentiles.

Through the obedience of this servant, many are made righteous in the sight of God. Consider also the promise made to Christ in chapter 49 of Isaiah verses 5 and 6. And now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel is gathered to him for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength. Indeed he says it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

Christ is formed to be a servant in order to bring back through reconciliation all the posterity given to him from the Jews as well as the Gentiles. Christ is the only means of light given by God, granted to the ends of the earth in order to bring about salvation. And Jesus understood this, this servanthood and what it entailed. He described His work to His disciples in the following manner in Mark 10, 45. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.

The Puritan Richard Sibbes describes it this way. He says Christ was an extraordinary servant to do a piece of service that all the angels in heaven and all the men of the earth joined together could not perform. This great masterpiece of service was to bring God and man together again that were at variance. We were severed and scattered from God. His office as servant was to gather us together again, to bring us to one head again, to bring us to himself and so to God to reconcile us.

Now it being the greatest work and service that ever was, it required the greatest servant, for no creature in the world could perform it. Therefore when we think of reconciliation and redemption and salvation being wrought by Christ, let us comfort ourself in the solidity of the work, that it is a service perfectly done. It was done by Christ, God-man. It is a service accepted of God, therefore God cannot refuse the service of our salvation wrought by Christ. Christ was His servant in the working of it.

We may present it thus to God. It is the obedience of Thy servant. It is the satisfaction of Thy servant. Here is that which will give full content and satisfaction to conscience in this, that whatsoever Christ did, He was God's servant in it. The provision of a servant.

Fourthly, the provision of a sacrifice. The provision of a sacrifice. Joaquin read for us the entirety of the chapter of Isaiah 53. I just want to draw your attention to verses 4 through 6. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." One of the similarities of the points of my outline is this.

They all focus on some aspect of the provision, the provision of an almighty God. Jehovah has many names, names that flow out of the essence of who he really is. One of those names is Jehovah-Jireh. Jehovah-Jireh. It means the Lord will provide.

This name is introduced to us in Genesis 22 where we read of God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Isaac was a type of Christ, the promised son, the only Son, the Son given when the fullness of time had come, the Son who was to be offered. But what did God do? Having asked Abraham to provide the sacrifice by offering up the promised son Isaac, God then stops Abraham. God provides the substitutionary sacrifice, the ram that was caught in the thicket.

In this scenario, God provides us a picture of Himself offering His own Son, as He calls Abraham to do the same. But then God provides Abraham himself a picture by providing the sacrifice on the behalf of Isaac who was to die. And so here in this passage in Isaiah 53 we have the glorious promise of God's provision of a sacrifice on our behalf. Note with me as I read it again the many pronouns that point to such a provision. Surely He has borne our griefs and He has carried our sorrows, Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted, but He was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way, And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. My dear friend, if you are here today and have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, You know nothing of these benefits of this great sacrifice.

Yours are still the griefs and sorrows. Yours are still the transgressions and iniquities. To you are appointed the chastisements and stripes that His justice requires. You have gone astray and have turned to your own way. Your own way.

The only sacrifice, the only sacrifice that can satisfy the justice of God is the sacrifice that Jesus Christ became. That is why the law required that the sacrifice be without spot, to be without blemish. It could not be lame or blind or have any serious defect in it. It was a picture of Jesus, the one who knew no sin, but yet became sin for us in order to redeem us. First Peter 1, 18 and 19 says, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb, as of a sacrifice, without blemish and without spot.

The Bible tells us that there is no remission for sins without the shedding of blood. That is why the Old Testament law required so much shedding of blood in the sacrifices of that day. It was a picture of the shedding of blood that would be required of Jesus at His crucifixion. His blood, His blood was a precious blood, a redeeming blood because it coursed through the veins of the God-man, Jesus Christ. This was no ordinary sacrifice.

Unlike the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, this was a sacrifice that in and of itself is sufficient for the redemption of the entire world. That's the sufficiency of the sacrifice. The writer of the Hebrews tells us in 926, but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Praise be to God for the provision of such a sacrifice. Fifthly, we see in Isaiah the provision of a Savior.

The provision of a Savior. God in Christ has not only provided a Son for the purpose of a posterity, a shoot for the purpose of fruitfulness, a servant for the purpose of obedience, and a sacrifice for the purpose of satisfaction. But He also has provided a Savior for the purpose of redemption. Isaiah 43 verses 3 and then 10 and 11. Isaiah 43 3 and then 10 and 11.

But now thus says the Lord who created you oh Jacob and he who formed you oh Israel fear not for I have redeemed you I have called you by your name. You are mine, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior." So note first that the provision of this Savior is an act.

It is an act of God's sovereign will. See from these verses that will at work. He redeems. He calls. He claims.

He chooses. Salvation is His work. His. His is His work, His, His alone. The small word that in verse 11 where it says, Am I servant whom I have chosen?

That you may know and believe me and understand." That small word, that, makes it clear that our knowing, our believing, our understanding our understanding flow out of His divine initiative. The accomplishment and application of our redemption required his full provision. Well did the hymn writer put it, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, For, Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee, Hath thou not chosen me? Thou from the sin that stained me, Hast cleansed and set me free.

Of old thou hast ordained me that I should live to thee. Twas sovereign mercy called me and taught my opening mind. The world had else enthralled me to heavenly glories blind. My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst. This knowing, if I love thee, thou must have loved me first." Note secondly from these verses that the provision of the Savior fills the great gulf between man and God.

The justice of God, the Holy One, demands a righteousness that we are incapable of producing. If you recall the reality we were confronted with in the prophecy of Isaiah, that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before this holy God. Our sins have separated us from God. The prophet Habakkuk in chapter 1 and verse 13 said, You are of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wickedness. And cannot look on wickedness.

Yet here in verse 10 of Isaiah 43, we are given a glimpse of hope. God calls Himself the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Do you see by the use of those two names the wonder of the fullness of this provision? The provision of Christ as Savior is so full, it is so satisfactory that God in the same breath can call Himself the Holy One of Israel and yet your Savior. He is holy, and yet your Savior.

Holiness flows out of the very essence of who God is, But Savior flows out of the essence of what Christ intended to and has become. Note in the third place that the provision of this Savior is exclusive. He says, I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Savior. Besides me there is no Savior. There are not multiple ways to God.

There is one way, one way to the Father. The Apostle Peter addressed the Sanhedrin in the following way in Acts 412, Nor is there salvation in any other than Christ, For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. When the Lord provided, He provided one Savior, one way, One salvation. Isaiah 45 verse 17 gives us yet another picture of what it means for Christ to be the Savior. It says, truly you are God who hide yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior.

They shall be ashamed and also disgraced, all of them. They shall go in confusion together who are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever." I love that little phrase, saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. The eternal God saves with an everlasting salvation by providing us a Savior who was slain before the foundation of the world so that we will never know shame or disgrace for all eternity.

Now allow me to ask you a question. Did, think of this, all the words are important, did the provision of Jesus Christ secure the love of God for the elect? Did the provision of Jesus Christ secure the love of God for the elect? The answer is actually no. It was the love of God that provided a Savior who would secure the salvation of that loved people.

Let me say that again. It was the love of God that provided a Savior who would secure the salvation of that loved people. Christ in His coming And in His dying is the demonstration of the love of God, not the procuring of that love. I have found great delight the last couple of days in the contemplation and meditation of a quote that I heard from Gerhardtus Voss regarding the love of Christ. Do you ever struggle with the love of Christ for you?

Does he love me? Gerhardtus Voss said the following, the best proof that God will never cease to love us is that he never began. Let me say that again. The best proof that God will never cease to love us is that He never began. And Gerhardus Vos based that on Jeremiah 31.3 which says, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. God has loved His people with an everlasting love. It's a love from all eternity, such that Christ, as God looked upon Christ, this Savior, this Sacrifice, this Servant, it was as if Christ had been slain from the very foundation of the world because he didn't send Christ to secure a love for us his people. He loved us with an everlasting love. Therefore he sent his son to secure this loved people.

To secure this loved people. Sixthly, the provision of the Spirit. The provision of the Spirit. Isaiah 32, 15 through 17. Until, he's talking about the judgment that was to come upon the land, until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest.

Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. One of the major blessings is the promise of the Holy Spirit in ways that none of God's people had ever experienced before. And Isaiah describes this as the pouring out of the Spirit. And such is the provision of the third person of the Trinity that it can be described as a pouring out.

And when God decided to pour, who can stay His hand? As the text points out to us, this provision of the Spirit manifests itself in fruitfulness, justice, righteousness, peace, quietness, and assurance. And this is not a short-lived provision. The Spirit is given as a guarantee of the inheritance that is ours in Christ. And we see here that the fruit will dwell, that it will remain, that it will be here forever.

Bless God for such a wonderful provision. We need not pray as David did that God would not remove His Spirit from us. Isaiah 44.3 and following says, Thus says the LORD who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you, Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and you, Jeshurah, whom I have chosen, for I will pour water on him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring. They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.

One will say, I am the Lord's. Another will call himself by the name of Jacob. Another will write with his hand, the Lord's, and name himself by the name of Israel." And we see the first manifestation of this pouring of the Spirit out at Pentecost as the disciples with others were gathered in the upper room. And it was just the start. That first blessing resulted in 3, 000 souls being added to the church in one day.

Such days when the Spirit is evidently manifest are far too rare in the church of Jesus Christ of our day. Far too rare. God has said He would do this, that He would provide the Spirit and there would be fruit. Why do we not see this? There is such a lack of fruitfulness in our life.

Justice and righteousness do not mark us as they should. And because of the lack of these things, we as a people lack peace. We lack quietness. We lack assurance. God has said He would provide the Spirit.

He said He would pour Him out. We far too often grieve the Spirit. We quench this provision of God. May God give us hearts to repent, hearts that long for Him to pour out the Spirit in our midst, in our churches, that our hearts will cry out, I am the Lord's. May we be a people who experience more and more the effects of the provision of this Spirit.

And then lastly, the provision of the soul's satisfaction. The provision of the soul's satisfaction. We quoted together Isaiah 55, And I just draw your attention to the first two verses of Isaiah 55. Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no money, Come, buy, and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Dear delight itself in abundance. Dear sinner, your soul was created to find rest, to find joy, to find satisfaction, to find fulfillment, and to find delight.

First question regarding the purpose of man is that man