Isaiah 10:20

A HAPPY CONVERSION

Isaiah 10:20. And it shall come to pass, &c.

Consider,

1. What is said of their former error. When it is said that they “shall no more stay upon him that smote them,” it surely implies that they had done this before: this was their error. They had stayed upon another—upon Assyria as a refuge and defence against the confederacy that threatened Ahaz (chap. Isaiah 7:1, Isaiah 8:4), just as at other times they relied upon Egypt as a defence against Assyria,—and they were to be delivered from this tendency to trust in human help, and were to be taught to “stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.” Three things are here implied and expressed.

1. They had exercised an improper dependence. To this we are all naturally prone. We need help, and are apt to seek it in some creature rather than in the Creator. The evil of this course is, that thus we are kept away from God (H. E. I., 169–177).

2. Their dependence had been disappointed. That on which they stayed, not only failed them, it injured them (2 Chronicles 28:20; Jeremiah 17:5). Creature confidence brings a curse upon us in two ways.

(1) By disappointments (Proverbs 23:5; Psalms 62:9; Psalms 146:3; Isaiah 2:22).

(2) By Divine rebukes (Jeremiah 2:17; Jonah 4:6).

3. Their folly was to be corrected by their sovereign. They were to be taught wisdom by the things they suffered. But, alas! men often harden themselves against even such instruction (Isaiah 9:13; Jeremiah 5:3; Amos 4:6). Here we see the depravity of human nature in rendering inefficacious all these Divine chastisements. When this is the case, there is a danger of one of two things: either that God in anger will throw down the rod (Hosea 4:17), or that He will fulfil His own threatenings (Leviticus 26:21; Leviticus 26:23; Leviticus 26:27; H.E.I., 145–147). God has a merciful design in all your crosses, trials, and afflictions (H.E.I., 56–74). When this is accepted, and afflictions thus sanctified, the penitent sufferer will put his trust in God only. Thus the prodigal was starved back. “He began to be in want”—and it was a blessed want that led him to think of his father’s house, and resolved him to return. You have no reason to complain when your earthly props are taken away, if thus you are induced to take fresh hold of God.

II. What is said of their renewed experience. “But shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” Glance at three views of it. I. It is an enlightened confidence. Confidence is the offspring both of ignorance and wisdom; ignorance leads some persons to entrust precious deposits to strangers or to villains, but the wise man seeks first to know those in whom he is asked to trust. It is foolish to trust without inquiry, and to refuse to trust the trustworthy. The Christian stays himself upon God, because he has ascertained what His character is (Psalms 9:10; 2 Timothy 1:12).

2. Their confidence is very extensive. It covers all times (Psalms 62:8; Isaiah 26:4); all events that can awaken our anxiety; every condition in which we can be found; all that appertains to life and godliness, not only grace, but glory; not only our journey’s end, but also the way. Thus it should be with us, but it is not always so. Strange to say, while we readily trust God for eternal life, we often find it difficult to trust Him for what we need in this life. How foolish is this (Romans 8:32; Psalms 84:11)!

3. It is a blessed confidence (Proverbs 29:25; Psalms 125:1; Isaiah 26:3; Jeremiah 17:7; H.E.I., 1191–1934; P.D., 1157, 1160).

III. The reality of their change. “They shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.” That is the important thing (Psalms 51:6). This confidence is distinguishable, 1, from mere pretensions. There are those who profess to know God, but in works deny Him. It seems strange that persons should act the hypocrite here, for what do they gain (Job 20:5; Job 27:8)?

2. From imaginary confidence. Persons may not endeavour to deceive others, yet they may deceive themselves (Proverbs 30:12). How unreal may be the confidence that seems most assured. (Comp. Mark 14:27, with Mark 14:50.) Therefore—

“Beware of Peter’s word,
Nor confidently say,
I never will deny Thee, Lord,
But grant, I never may.”

William Jay: Sunday Evening Sermons and Thursday Evening Lectures, pp. 290–296.