Isaiah 48:17-18

DISCOURSE: 948
GOD’S TENDER CONCERN FOR HIS PEOPLE

Isaiah 48:17. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the leaves of the sea.

THE reducing of religion to a system is not without some use; because, by an orderly arrangement of all its parts, we are enabled to attain both a comprehensive and distinct view of the whole. But, when we presume to wrest any passages, or to weaken their true meaning, merely because they do not seem to accord with our system, we usurp a power that belongs not to us, and deprive ourselves of many benefits, which, if duly humbled, we might enjoy. It cannot be denied that God is the sovereign disposer of all events, and that “the Spirit divided to every man severally as he will.” But shall we therefore imagine that nothing depends on ourselves; that nothing is gained by obedience, or lost by disobedience? “We have not so learned Christ;” nor have we such partial views of his word. We believe, that however free and undeserved the gifts of God are, they would come down to us in richer abundance, if we were more earnest in seeking them; and that the true reason of our possessing so little is, that we labour so little to obtain fresh communications, or to improve those we have already received. If we would not enervate, or rather destroy, the force of our text, we must subscribe to this sentiment: for there God expresses his regret that the obstinacy of his people prevented the descent of his blessings to them; which is a proof, that though his mercies are in some instances sovereignly and freely dispensed, yet they are not arbitrarily withheld from any; or, in other words, though some are elected to salvation, none are lost through an unmerited sentence of absolute and eternal reprobation.
To enter fully into the spirit of our text, it will be proper to consider,

I. Who it is that here addresses us—

When any thing is spoken to us by man, we involuntarily consider who it is that addresses us, and pay attention to the words in proportion to the wisdom, the goodness, or authority of the speaker. If he be a stranger, we feel a comparative indifference towards him; but if he be a friend, a benefactor, a father, we are more observant of every thing he says. Now God frequently expatiates on his own character, in order that he may arrest our attention, and make a deeper impression on our minds. In the words before us, he describes himself by,

1. The relation he bears to us—

[God was related to Israel in a peculiar manner. He had brought them out of Egypt; and they were the only people that acknowledged him: He was therefore properly “their Redeemer: the Holy One of Israel, their God.” The Christian Church, as a body, stand in a similar relation to him; and are in that respect distinguished, like the Jews, from all the idolatrous nations of the earth. But there are some, to whom, in a higher and more appropriate sense, he bears these relations. There are some whom he has really redeemed from sin and death; in whose hearts he reigns; and on whose behalf he exercises all his adorable perfections. Amongst this happy number we profess to be.
With what care and diligence then should we attend to the words before us, when we consider them as addressed to us by Him, who bought us with his own blood, and who has given himself to us as our God and portion for ever! — — —]

2. The kindness he exercises—

[As God gave unto Israel both the moral and ceremonial law for their instruction, and guided them through the wilderness for forty years, so is he now the instructor and leader of the Christian Church, who exclusively enjoy the light of revelation. But there are a favoured few, “a little flock,” to whom these blessings are vouchsafed in a more especial manner. While multitudes never receive any benefit from the ministration of the Gospel, some are “taught to profit” by it: they are instructed in the knowledge of their own hearts; and are enabled to discern the suitableness of Christ to their necessities, and to live by faith upon him as their only Saviour [Note: Acts 16:14; 1 John 5:20.]. They are also “led in the way that they should go:” they are brought from “the course of this world in which they were walking,” and are guided into the way of peace and holiness [Note: Acts 26:18; Ephesians 2:1.Titus 3:3.].

If we have experienced these blessings, surely we cannot but “give earnest heed to the things” spoken in the text, since they are spoken by Him, to whose gracious teaching we owe all the knowledge we possess, and to whose protecting care we are indebted for every step that we have taken in the way to Canaan — — —]

Let us listen then with the deepest reverence to the voice of our Benefactor: let us hear,

II.

The regret he expresses on our account—

In his words we may notice,

1. The matter of his regret—

[God is not an unconcerned spectator of our conduct. He is not satisfied with giving us his commands, and leaving us to obey them or not, as we please: he longs to engage our most affectionate regards to him and his service: and, when all his efforts are in vain, he takes up a lamentation over us, as a father over a disobedient and incorrigible child [Note: Matthew 23:37 and Luke 19:42.]. And what abundant occasion has he for regret on our account! He has commanded us to come to him, to live in a state of holy fellowship with him, and to delight ourselves in him. But how deaf are we to his entreaties, and how slow of heart to obey his voice! It is not the ungodly alone over whom he has cause to lament, but even his own people: yes, even they, whose God he is, and whom he has redeemed with his own precious blood; they whom he has instructed by his word and Spirit, and whom he has led by his providential care; even they, I say, grieve him by their inattention, and provoke him to displeasure by their neglect: and so is he at times weighed down, as it were, by their misconduct, that he scarcely knows how to bear with them, or how to act towards them [Note: Amos 2:13.Jeremiah 3:19; Hosea 11:8.]

2. The reason of it—

[And what is it that occasions his regret? Would he gain any thing by our obedience? or does he lose any thing by our disobedience [Note: Job 22:2.]? No: he knows how much we lose by our folly; and it grieves him, that, when he is so desirous of loading us with his richest benefits, we should be so regardless of our own interest and happiness.

If we were uniformly zealous and active in the service of our God, “our peace would flow down” in a serene, uninterrupted course, “like a river;” and “our righteousness,” or prosperity of soul, would “like the waves of the sea,” be exalted, irresistible, and boundless. We should find “the work of righteousness to be peace [Note: Isaiah 32:17.];” we should have great [Note: Psalms 119:165.], and abundant [Note: Psalms 72:7.] peace; and “in keeping God’s commandments we should have a rich reward [Note: Psalms 19:11.].” Is there not then cause for regret, that we should be such enemies to our own welfare; and that, instead of enjoying the felicity of God’s chosen, we should scarcely differ, either in comfort or holiness, from the ungodly world around us? Yes; if angels rejoice over our prosperity, they may well join with their Maker in pathetic lamentations over the greater part of the Christian Church.]

Infer—
1.

How bitter will be the reflections of the ungodly in a future world!

[Now God laments over them; but they regard him not: then they will lament over their own state; and he will not regard them. Then they will adopt the very language of the text: “O that I had hearkened to God’s commandments! then would my peace at this moment have been constant as a river, and boundless as the sea.” I should not have been in this place of torment: I should not have been weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth in hopeless agony, as I now do: no; I should have been like those in Abraham’s bosom; I should have been holy as God is holy, and happy to the utmost extent of my capacities or desires. O fool that I was! O that I had hearkened to God’s commandments! I was warned, but would not believe: I was exhorted, but would not comply: O that it were possible to obtain one more offer of mercy! But, alas! that is a fruitless wish ———

Beloved Brethren, Why will ye not consider these things before it be too late?]

2. How blessed may the ungodly yet become, if they will only seek after God!

[The words of the text were spoken in reference to the very people who were afterwards carried captive to Babylon; and therefore they may be considered as addressed to every individual amongst us. God is not willing that any of us should perish [Note: Ezekiel 33:11.]: he desires rather that we should come to repentance and live [Note: 2 Peter 3:9.]. He is as willing to be their Redeemer, and their God, as to be the God of any person in the universe. He would teach and guide them as cheerfully, and as effectually as he taught the Prophets and Apostles of old. “O that they were wise, and would consider these things! they should surely then understand the loving-kindness of the Lord [Note: Psalms 107:43.]:” they should be filled with “a peace that passeth all understanding,” and have, both in their purity and joy, a sweet foretaste of their heavenly inheritance.]