The Church Encouraged and Exhorted
(No. 2799)
A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, OCTOBER 5, 1902.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING,
OCTOBER 27, 1878.
"Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth."
Isaiah 43:6.
IF YOU will look at the connection of these words, you will see that
they were spoken with the view of encouraging the Church–"Fear not:
for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the East, and gather you
from the West; I will say to the North, Give up; and to the South, keep
not back: bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the
earth." The Lord loves His Church and He loves to see her full of
courage and confidence, but, sometimes, her ministers appear to labor
in vain and to spend their strength for nothing. The services in
connection with the various agencies of the Church appear to be like
plowing upon a rock. The bread is cast upon the waters, according to
the Lord's command, but it is not found again even after many days have
passed away. At such times the Church begins to tremble–she is full of
fear. She cannot give up her mission which is the enlightenment of the
world, but she is very apt to continue in it with a faint and feeble
heart and, consequently, to do what she is doing as a matter of mere
routine, with very little zeal, or love, or hope, or joy.
Now, Beloved, the Lord would not have it so. He intends that His cause
and Kingdom shall prosper in the world. It is written concerning the
Messiah, "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He has set
judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His Law"–and He
would not have His people to be discouraged! Does not the farmer, after
sowing his seed, wait a long while for the precious fruits of the
earth? And for such fruits as those which are to be reaped by us we may
well be content to wait, not merely for weeks, or for months, but for
centuries! We need not be in such a hurry as we often are. God has
great leisure. He lives not merely in time, He inhabits eternity. A
thousand years are to Him but as one day, so He can afford to wait. We
are only children and we feel that we must have something done at once,
or we may be dead and gone and never see it–but Jehovah is always the
same and of His years there is no end, so He bids us cease to judge by
the appearances after a few days or years of toil for Him and to
believe in the grandeur to be revealed in the ages yet to be, for,
before the end of the age, this prophecy must be fulfilled and Christ
shall "set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for His
Law."
My subject, on this occasion, is intended to cheer up the workers for
Christ, to encourage those who are seeking to serve the Lord by giving
them full assurance that the Lord has a people whom He means to save,
that they will be saved, are being saved, now, and that it becomes us
to see to it that we help–each one of us according to his or her own
measure–in this glorious work.
I. The first Truth of God that I see in the text is that THE LORD HAS
CHILDREN FAR AWAY–"Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the
ends of the earth."
Some of them are far away in the matter of locality. They are not
dwelling where the Gospel is preached. They are nowhere near to the
happy shores where the message of salvation is constantly being
proclaimed. Some of them are where roads have not as yet been made and
the commerce of civilization has not come. I doubt not that, in dark
Africa, the Lord Jesus has multitudes of those who are redeemed with
His precious blood–those who are elect according to the foreknowledge
of God–whom He is determined to save. And in those lands of which Mr.
Hudson Taylor spoke to us the other night–in Tibet, in Manchuria, in
Tartary–Christ has a people whom He has ordained unto eternal life and
whom
He means to bring unto Himself. In all nations and among all kindreds,
people and tongues, there is a remnant according to the election of
Grace upon whom the eyes of God are especially set, and of whom He has
declared, in His eternal purpose, "They shall be Mine in that day when
I make up My jewels." It should be a great encouragement to every
missionary of the Cross to know that the Lord has a people everywhere.
He said to Paul, concerning Corinth, "I have much people in this city"
and that assurance encouraged the Apostle to preach the Word there. We
can never tell where the Lord has much people, but this we do know–our
commission runs thus, "Go you into all the world, and preach the Gospel
to every creature"–and one reason for this command is because the Lord
has many of His sons and daughters who are far off as a matter of
locality.
But we know that He also has many sons and daughters who are far off in
a worse sense than this–for they are far off as to character–as
opposed to God as darkness is to light! Alas, alas, that it should be
so! Yet so it is, for the whole race of mankind has gone astray. But
God has His chosen people among the fallen race. Some of the human race
have gone further astray than the rest by gross criminality, or by
long-continued habits of abominable filthiness, yet even among those
who are reckoned to be beyond the pale of decent society, among those
who have gone the full length of their tether and who could not go any
further in sin if they were to try to do so–the Lord still has sons
and daughters whom, in due time, He intends to bring to Himself and to
save! It is a great joy to us, when we think of the fallen masses of
London, to know that many a daughter of our Lord shall be washed and
cleansed though now impure, unhallowed, and vile. It is a comfort to us
to think that many a son of God shall yet be redeemed by power, having
already been redeemed by price, and shall be brought to Jesus' feet,
though now a slave to sin and an ardent lover of everything that is
evil! Oh, yes, the Lord has a chosen people whom He means to fetch out
of the worst dens and kennels of London–a people whom He intends to
allure away from the frivolities of fashion, the blasphemies of
infidelity and the degradations of superstition! He will effectually
call them out from all their old associations, for He has chosen them
and Christ has redeemed them–and He will, in this sense, bring His
sons from far and His daughters from the ends of the earth!
There are some who are far off in another sense. It is not so much
character that puts them far off from God, as their not being in the
way of hearing the Gospel The Kingdom of God has come near to most of
you. You, dear Friends, who constantly occupy your seats here, or who
attend other places of worship where Christ is preached, are not far
off in this sense–you are near. Alas, that some of you should be so
near the Kingdom of God and yet should not enter it! "You are not far
from the Kingdom of God," said Christ to one of the scribes, yet we do
not know that that man ever crossed the border line and entered the
Kingdom! It is a mournful fact that so many are willing to go down into
the bottomless Pit with Gospel invitations and exhortations ringing in
their ears. Bitter, indeed, shall be that man's cup who deliberately
puts from him the cup of Everlasting Life–and bitter shall be the
bread that he shall eat forever who refuses to take the Bread of Life,
even though it is set before him and pressed upon his acceptance every
Sabbath! But there are great numbers of persons, even in our own land,
who are not in the way of hearing the Gospel. They have been brought up
under some form of religion which they believe to be right, but, as
long as they adhere to the faith of their fathers, they never hear the
doctrine of free and full salvation by the Grace of God! They are
content with what they hear, but there is little likelihood of their
ever being converted, for the Gospel, by which men are converted, is
not allowed to have access to them. Yet, notwithstanding this, it is
our firm conviction that there are many among them who are the sons and
daughters of God and who shall yet be brought near to Him.
It happens, sometimes, that the more unlikely ones are the first to be
converted. You probably remember the story of the man who went to hear
George Whitefield preach and who had filled his pocket with stones to
throw at God's servant. But, as Whitefield preached the Gospel, the man
dropped one stone after another until, at last, all the stones were
gone out of his pocket and, better still, God had taken the stony heart
out of his flesh and given him a heart of flesh! There have been others
who have never heard the Gospel, yet who are opposed to it–but, in
some remarkable way they hear it for the first time and all their
opposition is overcome! It is love at first sight with them, but it is
true love! They lay hold on Christ by faith and are saved! When Lady
Erskine was riding, one day, near where Rowland Hill was preaching in
the open air, she paused and listened to him and he put the Word of
Life so clearly before her that she accepted Christ then and there, and
became one of the greatest helpers of the Methodist Reformation of the
time!
The Lord may work in a similar fashion in other cases–those who seemed
as if no one could get at them shall be reached by the Gospel and be
converted. The Lord does bring in His chosen ones! As I look round in
this audience, I can
joyfully remember some of you who seemed as little likely ever to be
brought to accept Christ as any people on the face of the earth–yet
here you are, happy in the Lord and rejoicing in His Divine Grace! I am
sure that with many of you, your own experience must make you feel that
the Lord has other sons to bring from far, and daughters to come unto
Him from the ends of the earth. If you will walk down any of our
streets and chalk upon the door of a house in which you think it is
most unlikely that anybody will ever be converted, I should feel almost
certain that someone will be brought to Christ, by Divine Grace, out of
that very house! The Grace of God often comes into the most unlikely
hearts.
Once again, the Lord Jesus Christ saves by His Grace some who are far
off in their own apprehension. It is not really true that they have
been more sinful than others, but they think they have. It is not
because they do not hear the Gospel that they are not converted, for
they do hear it and, generally, they are among the most attentive
hearers, but they consider that theirs is a case which the Gospel
cannot touch. They imagine that they are excluded from all
participation in the mercies of God. To hear them talk, you would
suppose that they had read the roll which contains the names of those
for whom the Divine act of amnesty and oblivion has been passed and had
discovered that their names were not written there. Well now, dear
Friends, though you are far off through your own fear and apprehension,
I want to comfort you with the assurance that the Lord has many sons
and daughters who are in a similar condition to yourself! I can speak
from experience upon this point, for I was long in that sad condition.
I judged that the salvation of my brother, sisters and friends was
possible, but not my own. I came to the conclusion that all other young
men might be saved, but–I did not quite know why–yet I nevertheless
felt that I never could be saved. I imagined that I had sinned away my
day of Grace, or something of that sort equally absurd–yet I lived to
prove that it was not so, for the Lord brought His son from far. And
you, also, dear Friend, may bow at the feet of Jesus! And He is here to
say to you that however far off you may be in your own apprehension of
your case, His Word still applies to you, "Him that comes to Me I will
in no wise cast out." Even if you feel that you cannot come to Him,
look up to Him, for He has said, "Look unto Me, and be you saved, all
the ends of the earth." Who will say that He cannot look? A babe may
look! A person with little education may look! One who is dying may
look! A half-blind man may look! So, look unto Christ and be you saved,
even though you are at the very ends of the earth!
So you see that the Lord has children who are far off from Him in
several senses. Have you ever known what it is to have a child of yours
far off from you? Thank God, some of us have never had the sorrow of
having our children far off from us in character, or in love. They have
always been true to us and worthy to be held dear by us, yet we know,
from our observation of others, something of what it must be to have a
son a long way off. What does a father or a mother do when the son is a
long way off? Why, they like to hear all they can about him–especially
they love to hear from him–to get a letter or a message from their
boy. Well, now, our Heavenly Father watches over all His poor wandering
children. Many of them have forgotten Him, but He has not forgotten
them. He exercises a wonderful care over them long before they are
converted and checks them in a thousand ways. There are some of you who
would have laid violent hands on yourselves, before you were converted,
if it had not been for God's restraining mercy! And some of you had so
grossly sinned that you might have sinned the sin that is unto death if
God had not held you back in the nick of time! Long before regenerating
Grace is manifest, there is a prevalent Grace which watches over the
heirs of mercy who know not that they are heirs of mercy–and keeps
them from going down into the Pit because the Lord has found a Ransom.
You who have been brought to Christ, though you were far from Him, can
tell this story as no others can!
II. Now we pass on to the second point which is that THE LORD IS
BRINGING HOME SOME OF THESE FAR-
OFF ONES. In our text He gives this command, "Bring My sons from far."
To whom is this command spoken? I think we shall be right if we say
that it is spoken much in the same way in which the Lord said, "Let
there be light," "and there was light." His fiat did the deed. So God
says, "Bring My sons from far," and, therefore, we may be sure that
they will be brought to Him!
First, Providence obeys this command. Everything that happens in the
mysterious movements of Providence is operating, under the controlling
power of God, for the bringing in of His chosen. I like to read the
newspaper somewhat in John Newton's fashion–with the view of knowing
what is my Heavenly Father's next move–watching to see where next He
means to turn His hand. I am not a great believer in the wisdom of our
rulers, nor of any rulers whatever, but I rejoice that "the Lord
reigns" and that He is just as certainly effecting His eternal purposes
by the folly of man as by the wisdom of man! To me, the one thought
concerning all the kingdoms of the earth is this–how is the Gospel
advancing
in Turkey, or in Afghanistan, or in other lands? I care for this world
only for the sake of God's own people in it. The world is all
scaffolding–the Church of Christ is the true building. The ultimate
purpose of God is the gathering out of the world as many as He has
given unto His Son, Jesus Christ, that they may have eternal life in
Him and glorify Him forever. As you see those awful wheels of
Providence revolve, those wheels that are full of eyes–and as they
grind on in their ever-widening circles, you stand aghast and are awed
and terrified by them–yet you may know that they are always revolving
with this purpose–the fulfillment of the everlasting counsel of God
and the giving unto Christ to see of the travail of His soul that He
may be satisfied. God is saying to the North, "Give up," and to the
South, "Keep not back." His voice in Providence is saying to all the
powers that be, "Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends
of the earth."
The same is true on a small scale. All manner of afflictions that come
to men are sent to touch their conscience and to bring them back to
God. Many are brought to God by the loss of infants, by their own
sickness, or by falling into poverty, who, speaking after the manner of
men, would never come to God if it were not for these trying
experiences. Many are my Master's black dogs with which He fetches His
sheep into the fold! And when they won't come at the call of the
Gospel, He often says, "Fever, fetch him in. Death, bring him to Me."
There is a mother who will not come to Christ in any other way, so He
sends the black dog of bereavement to her–her child is carried to the
cemetery and in the day of her distress she seeks the Lord! This is
frequently God's way of working, but, by one means or another, He will
bring His sons from far and His daughters from the ends of the earth.
All the dispensations of His Providence shall work to that end.
This seems to me to be a charge given to all God's people, as well as
to Providence, "Bring My sons from far." You know Me. You love Me, so,
look after My wandering children." There is a well known proverb, "Love
me, love my dog," but God could give us a better one, "Love Me, love My
children–love poor sinners. Go and find them and bring them back to
Me." Do not be satisfied till you have brought them in. Make this your
life work–let it be the one thing you live for–to bring God's
children from far. Are there some whom you know who are very near to
the Kingdom? Try and bring them, but do you also know some others who
are a long way off? Then, single them out! Pray more for them than for
other people! Be most diligent to bring in those who are the worst and
the least likely to come to Christ. "Bring My sons from far, and My
daughters from the ends of the earth." Be sure not to neglect them.
Whatever else you do, mind that you preach to the Jerusalem sinners,
the biggest and blackest sinners whom you can find anywhere. This is
God's command to us who have ourselves been already brought to Him.
But this command would be of no force unless my text were, as I have
already said it is, a fiat. In consistency with this command, the Holy
Spirit goes forth, in ways known to Himself, and He brings God's sons
from far and His daughters from the ends of the earth. You remember the
story of Thorpe and the other members of the Hell Fire Club who met
together for profane purposes on the Sabbath? It was decided that Mr.
Thorpe should imitate Whitefield, so he went to hear that mighty
preacher of the Gospel, got the sermon well memorized, preached it to
his infidel companions and, by God's Grace, became converted while
doing so! He left the Hell Fire Club to become a heavenly fire preacher
all the rest of his life! O Sovereign Grace, what is there that you
cannot do? When God says, "Bring My sons from far, and My daughters
from the ends of the earth," they are sure to be brought and laid at
His feet–and added to His Church–to the praise of the glory of His
Grace!
III. Now I am going to conclude with my third point which is that THIS
IS SAID FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD'S CHURCH.
This command has a very intimate connection with Christ's Church. Our
text says, "Bring My sons and My daughters." But the 5th verse says, "I
will bring your seed." Then, saved souls are the seed of the Church as
well as the sons and daughters of God! God puts a wonderful honor upon
human instrumentality. Paul represents himself as being, spiritually,
both father and mother to souls that were born to God. He wrote to
Philemon, "I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in
my bonds." And to the Galatians he wrote, "My little children, of whom
I travail in birth again until Christ is formed in you." Thus, great
honor was put upon instrumentality–and the Lord is pleased to consider
converts as the children of His Church as well as His own children!
Now then, Beloved, you who are members of the Church of the living God,
will you not take a deep interest in the bringing home of the far-off
ones who are your own children–the children of the Church–as well as
the children of
God? I trust that some of you will find them to be, literally, your own
children–your own flesh and blood! May they all be converted and may
your word be blessed to their conversion so that they may become your
own spiritual children! The whole Church of God ought to think, with
the deepest sympathy, of all those who are hopeful, those who are
impressed, those who are coming to Christ and never to rest satisfied
until they are all brought safely home! We should never be content till
we get them to confess their faith in Christ and know that they are,
indeed, saved in the Lord with His everlasting salvation!
Many of you know that I am expecting my son home from Australia. One
feels inclined to run down to Plymouth to meet the ship and I would
like to send some of you down to meet those who are coming where they
first touch the land– that is, where they begin to believe in Jesus.
Do you not feel that you want to go as far as you can to meet the
sinner who is coming to Christ, to try to take away his last fear, to
smooth the last wrinkle from his face and to tell him that he is fully
and freely forgiven through the precious blood of Jesus? I hope, dear
Christian friends, that you will all have deep sympathy with our
Heavenly Father, so that you will say, "If He is bringing His sons from
far, let us go meet them and do the utmost that we can to show them
that they shall have a hearty welcome, not only to their Father's
house, but also to our hearts."
I have known professing Christians whose children have grown up to be
their sorrow and their curse. I said to a Sister who brought the last
of her children to join the Church, "You are a favored woman, for I
know some who, I hope, are Christians, yet their children are turning
out very badly." She said, "Have you noticed, Sir, whether they have
family prayer or not?" That was a wise question, for, where there is no
family prayer, we cannot expect to see the children grow up in the fear
of God. There may be a public profession of religion, but, if there is
no practice of religion at home–if its true position is not distinctly
recognized every day–we cannot wonder if the young people do not go in
the right way. Neglect anywhere is sure to bring evil consequences, but
in keeping God's commandments there is always a great reward. I have
seen many of God's faithful servants who began their Christian life
early and took their stand for Christ and, in taking that stand, had to
bear opposition, persecution and loss–yet they soon got over all that
and God greatly prospered them! They brought up their children in the
fear of the Lord and it cost them many a pang to speak severely to
them, or to use the rod when it was needed–but they did what God would
have them do and He blessed them. And now you can see the venerable
patriarch with his children and his grandchildren around him, prospered
in his business, happy in his own person, blessed himself and made a
blessing to others! Many a time I have seen this cheering sight and I
have learned that even in this life, in keeping God's commandments
there is great reward!
The Church of Christ has a further interest in these far-off sons and
daughters from the fact that not only are they her seed, but they are
coming home to her All those who are God's spiritual children shall
certainly come into His Church. They may not join our portion of His
Church, but they will help to strengthen the true Church of God. But
some of these far-off ones will come to us–so should we not be getting
ready to welcome them? Let us have no surly tempers in our midst, no
cold hearts and no divisions, because when these young converts come
among us, they will be frightened if they find us full of evil passions
and with little or no love to Christ. I like to see a Church keep
herself in such a state that she is always ready to welcome "the little
stranger"–the new-born child of God–whenever it comes into her midst.
Whatever quarrels there may be in the streets, we must always have
peace at home for the sake of these little ones. I would like,
sometimes, to say to those who have noisy church meetings, or who
display a party spirit, "Hush! Be quiet for the sake of these
newcomers. Do not let them be hurt in their feelings and injured in
their minds."
And to you older Christians I would affectionately say, "Always keep
your hearts young, warm and cheerful, that you may be a help to those
who have just come into the Church for, if they see a crabby looking
face, or if they hear harsh and unkind words, they are very likely to
say, "This is not the place for us! This cannot be our Father's house."
Or else they will think, perhaps, that they have met an elder brother
like the one in the parable–and it is very likely that they have–and
it is always a pity if the poor prodigal, when coming back, meets his
elder brother before he meets his father! It was a great mercy for the
prodigal that he met his father first, for his loving welcome enabled
him afterwards to endure very different treatment from his unbrotherly
elder brother! Do not let any of us play the elder brother in
thatfashion, but let us be glad to receive the wanderers whenever they
come and unite with us!
For, remember that these who are coming–these outsiders who are going
to be brought in–these far-off ones who are being brought home–will
greatly help us when they do come. Read the 7th verse–"Even everyone
who is called by
My name: for I have created him for My glory." That is the kind of
converts and members that we want–those who are created for God's
Glory! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are living for God's Glory,
are we not? Is not that the great end and objective of our being? Well,
here come some recruits to join our ranks and some of them are the best
recruits that can be found anywhere! A number of young Christians
constantly coming into a church is a great blessing to that church. It
tends to keep all the members alive and full of earnestness and vigor.
"But," say some of the older friends, "these young converts are so
imprudent." Bless them! The Lord increase their imprudence, for that is
one of the grandest things in the world when it is sanctified! It was
most imprudent, on the part of the Apostle Paul, to go into those
cities where he was stoned, dragged out and left for dead!. It was most
imprudent of him, was it not, to lose his reputation and his standing
among men simply that he might preach Jesus Christ and Him Crucified?
May our young converts always maintain such grand imprudence as that!
"But, Sir," say the objectors, "these young people who are coming into
the church do not know much." For that matter, Brothers and Sisters, we
do not know much either, so we cannot keep them out on that ground!
"But they have zeal without knowledge." Yes, Brother, and it is quite
possible to have knowledge without zeal. Both of those things are bad
when alone, but, my Brother, if you have the knowledge and they bring
the zeal, you have only to trade with them a little in the way of
barter, to your mutual benefit. You can give them some of your
knowledge, which will not be to their loss, and they can give you some
of their zeal, which will be very much to your gain–so fetch them in
as speedily as you can!
I remember the case of a godly man who prayed very fervently for the
conversion of his children, yet he never saw one of them saved until he
was the means of bringing to Christ a very desperate sinner–and when
that great sinner was converted, hebecame the means of the conversion
of that good man's children! The Lord has many ways of working out His
eternal purposes. There are some people for whom you are praying, yet,
possibly, you will never bring them to Christ by merely praying for
them. While others for whom you have never yet specially prayed, if you
will talk to them faithfully and earnestly, you may bring them in by
God's great Grace, and then they may be the means of bringing in
others. You must never imagine that you are to pick and choose who is
to be saved! That is not a matter that is left to you–the Lord's
choice may be very different from your choice. The way for you to
ascertain God's choice is to talk about Christ to everybody you
meet–try to bring everyone to Christ. The Lord will do the sorting far
better than you can–He never makes a mistake. Your part is to cast the
net into the sea and to enclose all the fish if you can get them
in–and then haul them ashore if it is possible. There will not be one
more really in the Gospel net beside those whom God has ordained to
bless and save. Therefore do not be afraid to cast the net in again and
again. Especially, dear Friends, let all of us look after the far-off
ones who are coming home and be ready to welcome them!
God grant that they may not be wrecked in the last part of their
voyage! May all go safely, even if roughly, with them and may they come
to land praising redeeming Grace and dying love in which song you and I
will join both now and forever and ever! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: ISAIAH43:1-7,18-28; 44:1,2.
Isaiah 43:1. But now thus says the LORD that createdyou, O Jacob, and
He that formedyou, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have
called you by your name; you are Mine. Observe the tender ties that
bind our God to His people–creation, the formation of them for His
praise, redemption, the purchase of them for Himself and the calling of
them by their name. The Lord remembers the bonds which unite us to
Himself even when we forget them. He recollects His eternal love and
all the deeds of mercy that have flowed from it. Though our memory is
treacherous and our faith is feeble, "yet He abides faithful: He cannot
deny Himself." Blessed be His holy name!
2. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. His Presence
is all that we need even in the deepest floods of tribulation–this He
has promised to us. He does not say what He will do for us, but He does
tell us that He will be with us, and that is more than enough to meet
all our necessities.
2. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk
through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon you. That is a wonderful picture of a man walking through
fire and yet not being
burned. But there was a greater wonder that was seen by Moses, which
may well comfort us. He saw a bush that burned with fire and yet was
not consumed. Now a bush, in the desert, is usually so dry that at the
first application of fire, it flames, glows and is speedily gone. Yet
you and I, who are, spiritually, just as dry and combustible as that
bush was naturally, may burn, and burn, and burn, yet we shall not be
consumed because the God, who was in the bush, is also with us and in
us!
3. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior: I
gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you. And He has given
infinitely more than that for us who are now His people, for He gave
His only-begotten Son that He might redeem us with His precious blood!
Now that we have cost Him so much, is it likely that He will ever
forsake us? It is not possible!
4. Since you are precious in My sight, you have been honorable, and I
have loved you: therefore will I give men for you, and people for your
life. How sweetly this verse comes home to those whose characters have
been disreputable! As soon as they are truly converted to Christ, they
become "honorable." "Since you are precious in My sight, you have been
honorable." God does not call His people by their old names of
dishonor, but He gives them the title of "Right Honorable," and makes
them the nobility of His Court! "Unto you that believe, He is an
honor," and you have honor in Him and from Him.
5-7. Fear not: for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east
andgather you from the west, I willsay to the north, Give up; and to
the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and My daughters from
the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by My name: for I
have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yes, I have made him.
The Lord seems to dwell upon that note of the creation of His children
for His own Glory. This accounts for many of our troubles and for all
our deliverances–it is that God may be glorified by bringing His
children through the fires and through the floods. A life that was
never tested by trial and trouble would not be a life out of which God
would get much Glory. But they that do business in the great waters see
the works of God and His wonders in the deep and they give Him praise
and, besides, when they come to their desired haven, then they praise
the Lord for His goodness and God is thereby glorified.
18, 19. Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things
of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. I t is a very profitable thing
to remember the things of old. It is greatly beneficial to us to study
what God did in years and ages long gone by–yet God intends to do for
us something in the future that shall eclipse all the past! Especially
was this true in Isaiah's day, for the coming of Christ, which was then
in the future, was to be such a sun-rising of mercy that all the stars
of blessing that had shone before, would seem to be lost in the
brightness of His appearing! Dear Friends, do not always dwell on the
past. You who are getting gray are very apt to say that the former
things and former times were better than now. Do not say so, but
believe this promise of Jehovah, "Behold, I will do a new thing."
19, 20. Now it shall spring forth; you shall not know it I will even
make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert The beast of the
field shall honor Me, the dragons and the owls. I have sometimes laid
hold of this text and have been comforted by it concerning the
conversion of the very worst of men. Some people say, "What is the good
of going among blasphemers and profane persons with the Word of God?"
Well, if the beast of the field–the dragons and the owls shall honor
Him–we need never think of leaving any of the sons of men to perish!
It is not what they are, but what God is, that should give us
confidence concerning them. Even if they were worse than they are, the
Omnipotent Grace of God would still be able to reach them and to
convert them–let us have no doubt about this matter!
20. Because I give waters in the wilderness, andrivers in the desert,
to give drink to Mypeople, My chosen. Oh, the wonders of the love of
God! Wherever He has a chosen people, every mercy shall certainly come
there! If they are in the wilderness, waters shall come to them! If
they are in the desert, rivers shall flow to them! They shall have
drink till they come where they can drink to the full at the living
fountains of water at God's right hand.
21. This people Ihave formed for Myself; they shall show forth My
praise. Here is this same note again. Yet mark what kind of people they
had been–a people whom God had greatly loved, but who had backslidden
from Him. They had wandered very far away from God, yet still His
purpose of love did not change–"This people I have formed for Myself;
they shall show forth My praise." What a blessed, "shall," that is,
uttered by One who knows how to make it good by deeds of mighty Grace!
22. But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; but you have been weary
of Me, O Israel. They were not much like Jacob, for he prayed at Jabbok
and became Israel, who wrestled till he prevailed, saying to the Angel,
"I will not let You go except You bless me." Yet here are people who
bear the same name–"Jacob" and "Israel," yet God has to say to them,
"You have not called upon Me, O Jacob. You have been weary of Me, O
Israel."
23. You have not brought Me the small cattle of your burnt offerings;
neither have you honored Me with your sacrifices. Is that true of any
of you? Have you restrained prayer and have you also stinted God in
your offering? Whereas He gave His Son for you, have you refused the
small cattle of your burnt offerings?
23. I have not caused you to serve with an offering, nor wearied you
with incense. "I have laid no tax upon you. I have not demanded so much
of your income as a condition for your being members of My Church. I
have left it to your love and gratitude to bring your freewill
offerings to Me."
24. You have bought Me no sweet cane with money. No perfume or incense
that should sweeten the temple of God. 24. Neither have you filled Me
with the fat of your sacrifices: but– Oh, this "but! "But"!
24. You have burdened Me with your sins. You have made a servant of
your Master–treated your Redeemer as if He were your slave!
24. You have wearied me with your iniquities. Oh, what a terrible verse
this is about a people whom God had formed for Himself and who shall
yet show forth His praise! Alas, this is how they sometimes still
are–indifferent, ungrateful, presenting Him no tokens of love, but, on
the contrary, disobedient, grieving Him and vexing His Holy Spirit.
What will He do with them now? "Cut them off, and reject them," says
one. Yes, that is what men would do–but that is not what God will do.
Listen!
26. I even I, am He that blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
and will not remember your sins. You have forgotten His mercies–but He
will forget your sins! You have grieved Him–but He still has a tender
heart towards you! He will blot out your sins. Oh, how this ought to
melt us! How this ought to encourage us to begin again in better
style–to be much in prayer, much in holy service and much in
self-sacrifice!
26-28. Put Me in remembrance: let us contend together: state your case
that you may be acquitted. Your first father has sinned, and your
teachers have transgressed against Me. Therefore I have profaned the
princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel
to reproaches.
Isaiah 44:1, 2. Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant; andIsrael, whom Ihave
chosen: thus says the LORD that made you, and formed you from the womb,
which will help you; Fear not, O Jacob, My servant; and you, Jesurun,
whom Ihave chosen. He comes back to that point, again, you see–"Israel
whom I have chosen: thus says the Lord that made you." See the deep
argument for Infinite Love? God will not forsake the work of His own
hands. "I have formed you, and chosen you; therefore, fear you not, but
come to Me anew, and serve Me henceforth with all your heart."