Isaiah 33:16

DISCOURSE: 909
PROTECTION PROMISED TO THE GODLY

Isaiah 33:16. He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

WE cannot judge of men’s moral state by the dispensations of God’s providence towards them. Among the Jews indeed virtue was inculcated and enforced chiefly by temporal sanctions; and their national prosperity or adversity bore a very manifest reference to their national conduct. In some degree also the same observation will extend to individuals among them. But to us, under the Gospel, God has not bound himself to distinguish his favourites by any temporal advantages. Nevertheless, what the pious Jews enjoyed visibly in relation to their bodies, that the obedient Christian shall enjoy invisibly in his soul.
To enter properly into the subject before us, we must consider,

I. The character to whom the promise is made—

This appears clearly in the two preceding verses; in one of which it is implied, and in the other it is clearly expressed:

1. He is sincere in his profession of religion—

[The greater part of the Jews were “sinners in Zion, and hypocrites;” and they had good reason to tremble for their approaching calamities. The person spoken of in the text is placed in direct opposition to them: he really belongs to Zion, and to Zion’s God: he does not make religion a cloak for habitual and indulged lusts; or profess what he does not experience: if he implore mercy as a “miserable sinner;” and declare his trust in the mere “mercy of God through Christ Jesus;” and desire “that he may henceforth live a sober, righteous, and godly life, to the glory of God’s holy name,” he does not mock God with unmeaning words, or hypocritically assume a character which belongs not to him: he feels in his heart what he utters with his lips; and desires to fulfil his duties in Zion, as much as to enjoy her privileges.]

2. He is consistent in the practice of it—

[He has learned in a measure that important lesson, “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good [Note: Romans 12:9.].” The whole tenour of his conversation is agreeable to the strictest rules of righteousness. In all his dealings he is both just and honourable, not taking advantage of the ignorance or necessities of others, but endeavouring to do as he would be done unto. Nor is he less observant of his words than of his actions: he not only “walketh righteously,” but “speaketh uprightly:” he rigidly adheres to truth, and avoids every deviation from it, whether in criminating others, or exculpating himself.

As he thus “cleaves to what is good, so he abhors that which is evil.” Could he gain ever so much by an act of oppression, or were he offered ever so great a bribe to bias his judgment und to violate his conscience, he would “despise the gain,” and “shake from his hands the polluted gift” with utter abhorrence. Were he advised to do any thing injurious or vindictive, he would “stop his ears” with indignation, and not allow the thought for one moment to dwell upon his mind. Did a contaminating object present itself to his view, or any thing whereby his own corruptions might be stirred up, he would “shut his eyes,” even like holy Job, who “made a covenant with his eyes that he would not look upon a maid [Note: Job 31:1.].”

We say not that the Christian is never drawn aside through the influence of temptation and corruption; (for then where shall we find a Christian upon earth?) but if at any time he be overtaken with a fault, he returns to God with deepest humiliation and contrition, and renews his course with increased vigilance and circumspection.
That this is indeed the character to whom alone the promise in the text is made, is evident from parallel passages in the Psalms [Note: Psalms 15:1; Psalms 24:3.], and from the strongest possible declarations in the New Testament [Note: 1 John 3:6.]. O that all persons, whether professors of religion or others, would duly consider this!. Our conduct must be upright towards God and man: we must embrace the religion of the Gospel with sincerity, and adorn it by a holy conversation: nor can a person of any other character than this have any part or lot in the promises of God.]

Let us now turn our attention to,

II.

The promise itself—

To understand this, we must consider the occasion whereon it was delivered. The Assyrian army, that had overrun almost the whole of Judea, were now encompassing Jerusalem. The wicked Jews are given up to terror and consternation; but the righteous are encouraged with a promise of,

1. Protection—

[A fortress situated on an eminence which no weapons can reach, and founded on a rock which no human efforts can shake, may be considered as impregnable. Such a place should Jerusalem be to God’s obedient people.
To us, who are surrounded with spiritual enemies, the promise has a spiritual import. “The archers will shoot at us:” the world, the flesh, and the devil will combine against us to destroy us: but the true Christian “shall dwell on high,” out of their reach; and “his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks” which cannot be undermined. If his enemies wound his body, they shall “not be able to kill his soul;” for that is “hid with Christ in God:” and he may say to his enemies, as Hezekiah said to the besieging and blaspheming General, “The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee [Note: 2 Kings 19:21.].”]

2. Provision—

[There are but two ways in which a fortress, which will not capitulate, can be taken; namely, by assault or famine. Against both of these God promised to guard his obedient people: for as their fortress should be impregnable, so it should be supplied with manna from heaven, and with water springing out of the rocks on which they dwelt. To us also the promise may be applied with strictest propriety. Our enemies may deal with us us with Paul and Silas of old, who were cruelly scourged, and thrust into an inner prison, and their feet were made fast in the stocks: but, though there was no access to them for earthly friends, were the visits of their God intercepted? Could their supplies of strength and consolation be cut off? Did not rather their consolations abound as their afflictions abounded? Thus it shall be with us: “broad shall be given us” for the support of our souls, and “the Holy Spirit shall be within us a well of water, springing up” for our continual refreshment. Difficulties and dangers we may experiences but they shall issue only in the contusion of our enemies, and in brighter discoveries of God’s power und grace.]

Address—
1.

To those who rest in presumptuous hopes—

[The wicked Jews laughed at the judgments of God when they were at a distance, but were filled with horror at their approach, and cried out, “Who shall dwell with the devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” Similar consternation will ere long seize on those who now slight the threatenings of the Gospel. The day of vengeance is hastening on apace, and God will then shew himself to be “a consuming fire [Note: Hebrews 12:29.].” How will his enemies then stand appalled [Note: Psalms 73:19.]! How “will they cry to the rocks to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb [Note: Revelation 6:15.]!” How terrible will the devouring fire then appear! How awful those everlasting burnings in which they will be doomed to dwell! Let the “sinners in Zion,” the people who name the name of Christ without departing from iniquity, awake from their delusions; let “the hypocrites” also deceive themselves no longer. Let a holy fear possess all our souls: let us cry out, as on the day of Pentecost, “What shall we do to be saved?” and let us improve the present season of God’s mercy and forbearance in “fleeing from the wrath to come.”]

2. To those who are agitated with unbelieving fears—

[Many spend their time in anxious inquiries, Will God save me? Well would it be if we would leave God to do his part, and mind only our own. God’s part is, to save us: ours is, to serve and glorify him. This is obvious in the passage before us, and in numberless other passages of Holy Writ. We have nothing to fear but sin. Let us be sincere in embracing the Gospel, and consistent in obeying it, and we need not fear the united attempts of men and devils. God is engaged to be the God of his believing and obedient people: and, “if he be for us, who can be against us?” He will “hide us in his pavilion [Note: Psalms 27:5.],” where we shall be surrounded with hosts of angels for our guard, and supplied with the richest viands for our support: and “in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh us [Note: Psalms 32:6.].” Let us then dismiss our unbelieving fears, and look to him to “fulfil his promises, wherein he has caused us to put our trust.”]