Series: Isaiah
Title: They That Wait Upon the Lord
Text: Isaiah 40: 27-31
Date: April 17, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
As believers we often find ourselves in situations where our way is full of troubles that seem too difficult for us to bear. At times we begin to imagine our path of difficulty is overlooked by God. We begin to imagine that our judgment—our privilege as the child of God—is passed over by God.
Such is never the case for one of God’s children. But when we turn our attention to the troubles, to circumstances in our lives, to the length of time we have had to bear these troubles—and we judge from the outward appearance whether or not God is with us, we are sure to err in our estimation of things.
Proposition: The cure is faith and hope in the Lord our God.
Our text is God's answer to God’s chosen remnant in Israel in the day when they were carried away captive into Babylon. It is God’s answer to each believer in our day when we think our case hopeless and ourselves forsaken of God.
Isaiah 40: 27: Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? 28: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
I. CONSIDER WHO YOU ARE
Isaiah 40: 27: Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel,…
This is the name of every chosen, redeemed, regenerated child of God. In ourselves, we are “Jacob”. In Christ by God’s grace, we are “Israel.”
Jacob
Jacob means supplanter, trickster. What are you, believer in yourself? Grass—a supplanter, a trickster—“thou worm, Jacob.”
Israel
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel—it means “as a prince thou hast prevailed with God”. Jacob prevailed with God by the Lord pinning him, breaking his bones, and causing Jacob to cry out for mercy—mercy which God had already given and mercy which God would see to it that Jacob had.
Believer, that is how you prevailed with God—not by your wrestling with God, but by God coming to you, by God’s invincible grace which made you cry out for God to save you entirely by God’s grace alone!
So it is now, you will be strengthened, renewed, preserved by God alone—may he come to you now and lift your eye of faith to him.
The Work of God
Since it was God who began this good work in us, we can be sure it is God who shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ—never forget that!
· When in Egypt, God delivered Israel!
· In the wilderness, God provided all for Israel!
· In Babylonian captivity, God provided all for Israel!
· So today, God provides for his Israel!
Now that we are known of God—given spiritual life, faith and repentance, made the righteousness of God in Christ—even now, it is as much unbelief to look upon the flesh, our natural relationships or the circumstances of our lives to determine if God be for us, as it is for a self-righteous man to look at himself and think he is saved. Look to God only, believe God only, trust God only! 27: Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
II. CONSIDER OUR GOD
Isaiah 40: 28: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
His Name
The Everlasting God—immutable, unchanging and unchangeable GOD. His gifts and call are without repentance (Romans 11: 29.) Salvation is by his grace, not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of his mercy. So look not upon your circumstances, let not our sins make us think they are too much for God to forgive us for the sake of his Son—look to our immutable, everlasting God.
The LORD—Jehovah—self-existent, self-wise, all knowing, all powerful God of heaven and earth, who rules all things in heaven and in earth.
The Creator of the ends of the earth--the Maker and Upholder of all things—even to the extremities of the earth.
Isaiah 40: 28: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard,
I’ve preached 6-7 sermons from this chapter. I have tried to show you how big God is and how tiny we are. How that salvation, calling, keeping, is all of God—salvation is of the Lord! What have we seen about God?
· God the Comforter of his people.
· Christ is the Captain of our warfare—accomplished!
· God has rewarded his people Righteousness when the only wages we have earned are the wages of sin—death. (Isaiah 40: 1-2)
· Our God is the mighty Savior, whose glory is his reward, his recompense the people who are his workmanship (v. 10).
· He is the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. He feed us. Clothes us. Protects us. Provides for us. (v. 11).
· This same Savior is the omnipotent, omniscient God our Creator (vv. 12-14). (Rom. 11:33-36).
· Compared to Him all the nations and peoples of the earth are nothing, less than nothing, and vanity (15-17)
· God is the self-sufficient God and the whole world has nothing to offer him. (v. 16).
· So great is our God that nothing can be compared to him- Idolatry is foolish nonsense! (vv. 18-20).
· He is sovereign Monarch ruling the entire universe (vv. 21-26).
His character. (v28.)
He fainteth not, neither is weary--Man who puts so much confidence in his strength—sleeps. Man who puts so much confidence in his will—grows weary. God never sleeps or grows weary—the one who is Creator of the whole world, upholds all things by the word of his power, and all things are held in store and operate according to his power.
There is no searching of his understanding--We may become depressed, cast down, and find ourselves thinking “My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God”—He knows, there is no searching of his understanding. Often the ways God goes about to perform our good does not appear to be good to us at all, but even sometimes appears to work against us. Though we may encounter perplexing providences God is fulfilling his promises. (Rom. 8:28).
Illustration: A boy watching his father unable to figure out what he is doing—Joseph—you meant it for evil, but God meant if for good.
He is all-gracious to his children—he giveth…Isaiah 40: 29: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
· He gave his only begotten Son.
· He gave us freely his spotless garment of righteousness
· He gave us freely justification from all our sin
· He gave us freely spiritual, eternal life
· He gives us freely his protective hand of providence
· He gives power to the faint
· He increases strength to them that have no might
Romans 8: 32: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
2. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10. He even gives us the thorn. But what gracious giving even this is!
Philippians 4: 13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
III. CONSIDER THE BLESSINGS OF FAITH
A word to the “pretender”.
Those who the flesh rather than Christ shall receive nothing of God and shall utterly fall.
Isaiah 40: 30: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
The youths and the young men—represent that which is born of man, natural to man. Young men are 10ft tall and bullet proof—they think. Self-righteous men are worse. The self-righteous like to stand in the mirror admiring what they see: flexing the muscles of their imaginary holiness, admiring the form of their imaginary righteousnesses, walking in the strength of their own descisions and resolutions. They may carry the banner of Christ for awhile, but in time they shall faint, be weary and utterly fall
One old preacher said, “Do you despair of being saved because you are so weak? If so you are not yet weak enough. Our thoughts of strength are stumbling blocks to us, not our weakness.”
God saves those who have NO MIGHT—“to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." The weaker the sinner—the more ungodly the sinner-- whom God saves the larger display of God’s strength and God’s righteousness.
Now a word about true faith.
Isaiah 40: 31: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Illustration: Sadly, we live in a world that teaches us not to wait on anything. “Bigger, better, faster”. “Credit cards”
Waiting upon the LORD is: believing God—walking by faith, not by sight--casting all your care upon the Lord
They that wait upon the LORD shall “renew” strength. Two things: one it means: Change, substitute, exchange lesser for the better. Those who have been given the gift of faith are given repentance—we exchange the utter weakness of our flesh which we called “strength” for God who is our strength. “Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.” Two it means: refreshing, renewal, reviving. Those who wait on the Lord shall be renewed in spiritual strength by LORD.
What the strength of our Lord brings to pass.
V31:…they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
When the LORD delivered Israel out of bondage he said, “I delivered you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.” Oh, dear sinner, dear believer, dear suffering saint, would you be delivered even now though yet surrounded by this world of woe? Then look from yourself, from your sin, from your so-called righteousnesses, from your present troubles—to the LORD. Exchange the sight of your worthless, weak flesh—for a sight of this All-Powerful, All-knowing, All-Gracious Savior. He promises “you shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk, and not faint”. They shall--“run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;” Walking in one direction, in one purpose, in one hope, in one faith, strengthened by our Lord
Illustration: The airplane above the clouds
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace…