95. Let the People Renew Their Strength

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Hymns: RHC 236 Revive Thy Work, O Lord 233 O Breath of Life 280 He Is Able to Deliver Thee

Isaiah 41

1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. 2 Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. 3 He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. 4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. 5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. 6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. 7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. 8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thouwhom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou artmy servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I amthy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, andshalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, andthe pine, and the box tree together: 20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. 21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. 22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. 23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. 24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. 25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. 26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. 27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. 28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

Let the People Renew Their Strength

OUTLINE

  • Ability – In the LORD (v1-7)
  • Assurance – From the LORD (v8-29)

INTRODUCTION

God never give cause or occasion to grow weary of Him. He challengeth Israel: 

Micah 6:3 (KJV) O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

What is it that make you weary of Me? Jeremiah 2:5 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

His commands? They are not grievous, but all holy and good. His trials are not severe, nor above measure, but sure, if we had but the patience to wait for them.

John 10:32 (KJV) Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

Much good he hath done us; what is it makes us weary?

There is much ingratitude in it. He hath given much cause to the contrary. Tehre is none begin with God but they have an invitation to go – in God Himself a new inviting sweetness to keep up our affections fresh and lively.

1 Peter 2:3 (KJV) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Psalm 38:8 (KJV) I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

In His ways much serenity and peace – Galatians 5:16 (KJV) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Yea, if we be sincere with Him – Proverbs 10:29 (KJV) The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

The promise to supply our needs. It is not only matter of usual experience, but secured by promise – Isaiah 40:30-31 (KJV) 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.

Look, as in heaven God is always to the blessed spirits new and fresh every morning; so in the church, when we taste anything it doth not cloy – there is more to be had in God, still greater things than these. In carnal things, the more we try them the imperfections which formerly lay hid are discovered upon fruition; therefore, all there things are less in enjoyment than they were in expectation.  But it is not so in these spiritual things; every taste should provoke appetite. [Thomas Manton]

This was where we left off in chapter 40, the LORD’S promise to renew the strength of His people who will stay with Him and come to Him.

If you wait upon Him, strength will be renewed to you – Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) 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.

In our weakness he maketh His strength and power to appear and can enable His servants to do and endure anything rather quit His cause; they shall have new supply of strength, when they seemed to be clean spent, and overcome all difficulties in the way to heaven.

  • Ability – in the LORD (v1-7)

So the LORD gave His Word:

Isaiah 41:1 (KJV) Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

The design of this chapter is the same as that of the preceding, its object is to lead those who were addressed, to put confidence in God. 

In the introduction to Isaiah 40, notice this is addressed to the exile Jews in Babylon, near the close of their captivity. Their country, city, and temple had been laid waste. The prophet represents himself as bringing consolation to them in this situation; particularly by the assurance that their long captivity was about to end; that they were about to be restored to their own land, and that their trials were to be succeeded by brighter and happier times. In the previous chapter there were general reasons given why they should put their confidence in God – arising from the firmness of his promises, the fact that he had created all things; that he had all power, etc. 

Keep silence before me – The idea is, that the pagan nations were to be silent while God should speak. He only is the only living and true God.

Zechariah 2:13 (KJV) Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

The people are exhorted to be silent. There should be a proper awe and reverence for the LORD and a proper sense of the magnitude and sacredness of the inquiry (v21). When we are about to come before Him in prayer or praise; to confess our sins and to plead for pardon; when we engage an argument respecting His being, plans, or perfections; or when we draw near to Him in the closet, the family, or the sanctuary, the mind should be filled with awe and reverence. It is well, it is proper, to pause and think of what our emotions should be, and of what we should say, before God.

Genesis 28:16-17 (KJV) And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this isthe gate of heaven.

In this chapter there is a more definite view given, and a clearer light thrown on the mode in which deliverance would be brought to them. The prophet specifies that God would raise up a deliverer, and that that deliverer would be able to subdue all their enemies. [Barnes]

God calls the distant nations to a public investigation of His ability to aid His people; to an argument whether He was able to deliver them; and to the statement of the reasons why they should confide in Him (v1).

2 Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made himrule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. 3 He pursued them, andpassed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. 4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

He specifies that He will raise up a man from the east – who should be able to overcome the enemies of the Jews, and to effect their deliverance (v2-4).

5 The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. 6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. 7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, andhe that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

The consternation of the nations at the approach of Cyrus (the coming Persian monarch), and their excited and agitated fleeing to their idols is described (v5-7).

8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 

  • Assurance – From the LORD (v8-29)

God gives to His people the assurance of His protection, and friendship (v8-14). This is shown:

Because they were the children of Abraham, His friend, and be was bound in covenant faithfulness to them (v8-9).

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

By direct assurance that He would aid and protect them; that though they were feeble, yet he was strong enough to deliver them (v10-14).

15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. 16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

He says that He will enable them to overcome and scatter their foes, as the chaff is driven away on the mountains by the whirlwind (v15-16).

17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: 20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

He gives to His people the special promise of assistance and comfort. He will meet them in their desolate condition and will give them consolation as if fountains were opened in deserts, and trees producing grateful shade and fruit were planted in the wilderness (v17-20).

21 Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. 22 Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. 23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. 24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. 

He appeals directly to the enemies of the Jews, to worshippers of idols. He challenges them to give any evidence of the power or the divinity of their idols; and appeals to the fact that He had foretold future events; that He had raised up a deliverer for His people in proof of His divinity, and His power to save (v21-29). 

25 I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. 26 Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there isnone that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. 27 The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. 28 For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. 29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works arenothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.

From the north (cf. v2), he is said to have been raised up ‘from the east.’ Both were true. Cyrus was born in Persia, in the country called in the Scriptures ‘the east,’ but he early went to Media, and came from Media under the direction of his uncle, Cyaxares, when he attacked and subdued Babylon. Media was situated on the north and northeast of Babylon.

The argument of the whole is that the idol-gods were unable to defend the nations which trusted in them; that God would raise up a mighty prince who should be able to deliver the Jews from their long and painful calamity, and that they, therefore, should put their trust in the LORD. [Barnes]

CONCLUSION

The LORD gives assurance to His people that He is able to see them through their lives as they seek to glorify Him. Amen.