Isaiah 41:14-16

DISCOURSE: 926
THE WORM JACOB THRESHING THE MOUNTAINS

Isaiah 41:14. 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. 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; thou shall fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall glory in the Holy One of Israel.

TO comfort and encourage the weak is among the first duties of a minister. The command of God to all his servants is, to strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees, and dispel the fears of the desponding, with an assurance, that their God will come and save them [Note: Isaiah 35:3.]. This is an office executed by our blessed Lord, who “carries the lambs in his bosom, and gently leads them that are with young [Note: Isaiah 40:11.].” The delight which the Father himself also takes in raising up the drooping minds of his people, appears eminently in this, that he frequently addresses them in terms which they, through despondency, would use to characterize themselves; and then under those very characters assures them of his most favourable regards. This is particularly conspicuous in the passage before us, where, addressing his people, he declares,

I. Their character—

[The name of a “worm” as applied to our blessed Lord, denotes his low and abject condition during his abode on earth [Note: Psalms 22:6.]: but, as applied to us, it rather represents our weakness and insufficiency for any thing that is good. In this sense it does indeed most justly mark our character: for there is no creature less capable of active exertion than a worm, or less able to effect any material good: and certainly our inability to perform that which is good is extreme; for we not only cannot of ourselves do a good action [Note: John 15:5.], but we cannot even speak a good word [Note: Matthew 12:34.], or think a good thought [Note: 2 Corinthians 3:5.]. God himself must give us both to will and to do [Note: Philippians 2:13.], and must work all our good works in us. As rational beings we have yet a considerable portion of the Divine image upon us; but as moral agents, “we are very far gone from original righteousness,” and are altogether “dead in trespasses and sins;” nor have we any more power to renovate ourselves, than “an Ethiopian has to change his complexion, or a leopard his spots [Note: Jeremiah 13:23.].”]

II.

Their labours—

[Notwithstanding our utter impotence, we have an immensely difficult work to perform: “the worm Jacob” is required to “thresh mountains,” and to reduce them all to dust: though himself liable to be crushed beneath the smallest clod, he must address himself to this mighty task. There were to all human appearance insurmountable obstacles to the progress of the Christian Church, which yet it was destined to overcome: so are there mountains in the way of every individual, which yet he must remove, before he can arrive at the Promised Land. What almost insuperable difficulties does the world present to him! its pleasures, its maxims, its habits, its company, its friendship, its hatred, its fiercest opposition, must all be regarded as a thing of nought — — — The flesh too, with all its affections and lusts, must be mortified and subdued — — — Yea, Satan himself, with all the principalities and powers of hell, must be encountered and overcome [Note: Ephesians 6:12.] — — — Alas! who is sufficient for these things? Who that is informed of Demas turning aside through love of this present evil world, and of the great Apostle himself crying “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?” must not tremble for himself? But such is the work assigned us; and the weakest amongst us must undertake and execute it, ere he can receive from God the the promised recompence of reward.]

III.

Their successes—

[Weak as they are, they all prevail at last. As the Jews, notwithstanding all the obstructions of the Red Sea, the wilderness, and the warlike inhabitants of Canaan, obtained at last the full possession of the promised land, and as the Christian Church triumphed at last over all the power of the Roman empire, so is every believer crowned with victory at last [Note: Compare Daniel 2:34. with the text.] — — — The hills and mountains are levelled through his unwearied exertions [Note: Isaiah 40:3.]: and he is “made more than conqueror through Christ who loveth him.” Through faith he overcomes the world [Note: 1 John 5:4.]; by the aid of the Holy Spirit he mortifies the deeds of the body [Note: Romans 8:13.Galatians 5:24.]; and by a steady and uniform resistance, he overcomes Satan, so that that wicked fiend is constrained to flee from him, and to yield him the palm of victory [Note: James 4:7; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 5:18.]. The full extent of the triumphs described in our text has never yet indeed been realized in the Church of Christ: we look to a period yet future, when “the mountains shall be as dust, and be scattered as by a whirlwind;” and possibly at that period the triumphs of individuals will be more complete: but even now, by a firm reliance on the promises, we may be enabled to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God [Note: 2 Corinthians 7:1.].” If we had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed, we might say to every mountain that is in our way, “Be thou removed; and it should immediately be cast into the depths of the sea [Note: Matthew 21:21.].”]

IV.

Their triumphs—

[With such weakness, and such labours, we might well expect the worm Jacob to sink in dejection and despair: but behold he triumphs and exults, “rejoicing in the Lord, and glorying in the Holy One of Israel.” Here it must be remarked, that ho does not ascribe his successes to his own arm; he does “not sacrifice to his own net, or burn incense to his own drag;” he gives the glory to Him, to whom alone it is due, even to “Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of his faith [Note: Hebrews 12:2.].” The language of David in reference to his victories exactly suits the Christian in reference to his spiritual triumphs [Note: Psalms 18:29; Psalms 18:32; Psalms 18:37; Psalms 18:42.]. He readily acknowledges whence it is that the weapons of his warfare have accomplished such mighty things, namely, that they have been “mighty through God [Note: 2 Corinthians 10:4 and 1 Corinthians 15:10.],” who “has wrought all his works in him [Note: Isaiah 26:12.],” and “of whom all his fruit has been found [Note: Hosea 14:8.].” Hence, whilst he acknowledges that “he who hath wrought him to the self-same thing is God [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:5.],” he shouts with devoutest gratitude, “Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ [Note: 1 Corinthians 15:57 and 2 Corinthians 2:14.]!”]

Let us learn from hence,
1.

The folly of unbelief—

[We are apt to be discouraged by reason of our weakness. But, what if we be as weak as the meanest worm? is God therefore weak, or unable to effect the purposes of his grace? He characterises us as “worms,” on purpose that, “when weak in ourselves, we may be strong in him, and expect him to perfect his strength in our weakness.” Instead therefore of being discouraged on account of our weakness, we should rather “rejoice and glory in it, that the power of Christ may rest upon us,” and be glorified in us [Note: 2 Corinthians 12:9.]. We should not, like the unbelieving spies, contemplate the power of our enemies, but should, with believing Joshua, regard them all “as bread for us [Note: Numbers 14:3; Numbers 14:9.]:” and, hurling defiance at them all, we should say, “Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: his hands shall surely finish the work he has begun [Note: Zechariah 4:7. with Philippians 1:6.].”]

2. The need of constant exertions—

[Our weakness is no excuse for inactivity; nor does God’s promised aid supersede the necessity of our own exertions. On the contrary, it is that very promise that encourages our exertions [Note: Philippians 2:12.]. The mountains must be threshed by our arm: “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent must take it by force [Note: Matthew 11:12.].” We must run our race, and fight our fight, and endure unto the end! for it is “to him only that overcometh, that the crown of glory will be given.” Give not way then to dejection or sloth, but go forth in the strength of the Lord Jesus: and when difficulties appear to be absolutely insurmountable, then go to him, and remind him of his promise, “I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness [Note: ver. 10. with the text; and Amos 5:9.].” Then you shall find, that “you can do all things through him strengthening you,” and that “Satan with all his train shall be shortly and eternally bruised under your feet.”]