Isaiah 58:8-14

Then shall thy light break forth

The secret of prosperity to nations, churches, and men

(Isaiah 58:8; Isaiah 58:14, “Then,” “then,” “then,” “then “):--

I. MEN AND CHURCHES CHARGE GOD FOOLISHLY, AND COMPLAIN WITHOUT CAUSE OF THEIR OWN LOW ESTATE.

II. GOD REBUTS THEIR BLASPHEMOUS CHARGE, AND ASSERTS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF HIS DEALINGS IN AN APPEAL TO THEIR OWN CONSCIENCES AND COMMON-SENSE.

III. GOD RETURNS THE CHARGE AGAINST HIMSELF ON THE SINNERS’ OWN HEADS, AND REVEALS HIS SECRET, IF MEN WILL HAVE EARS TO HEAR. “Then” is the secret of light and darkness; of health and sickness, or want of spiritual vigour and vitality; of covenant righteousness in the enjoyment of covenant blessings, or apparent breach of covenant in the withholding of what is good; of glory, such as that of Israel in the wilderness, when the glory of the Lord was “their rereward,” when the pillar of cloud and fire was in the midst of them by day and night, or shame, as when the ark was in the hands of the Philistines, or the Assyrian or Babylonian invaded God’s heritage and profaned His temple; of prayers answered, or unanswered; of God’s presence manifested in undeniable! tokens, or denied, undiscerned, apparently withdrawn; of power to be God’s witnesses and workmen in doing good to others, or impotence, conscious inability to be fellow-labourers with God and for God, want of spiritual life and energy. “Then” is the secret--then, and not till then--then, and not otherwise--then certainly-then according to the promise of the covenant, and in the way of the covenant and kingdom. In further application of the text to ourselves learn such lessons as the following--

1. The salvation of the Gospel is salvation from sin itself.

2. In the Gospel, accordingly, blessedness and righteousness go together, and so also sin and misery.

3. There is under the Gospel no substitute for repentance.

4. Man, in all the work of salvation, from beginning to end, must co-operate with God. (R. Paisley.)

God the rewarder

If a person, a family, a people be thus disposed to everything that is good, let them know for their comfort that they shall find God their bountiful rewarder.

1. God shall surprise them with the return of mercy after great affliction, which shall be as welcome as the light of the morning after a long and dark night (Isaiah 58:8; Isaiah 58:10). They that arc cheerful in doing good, God will make them cheerful in enjoying good. They that have showed mercy shall find mercy. Those that have helped others out of trouble, God will help them when it is their turn.

2. God will put honour upon them. Good works shall be recompensed with a good name. This is included in that light which riseth out of obscurity.

3. They shall always be safe under the Divine protection. “Thy righteousness shall go before thee,” as the vanguard, to secure thee from enemies that charge thee in the front; and “the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward,” the gathering, host to bring up those of thee that are weary and are left behind, and to secure thee from the enemies that, like Amalek, fall upon thy rear.

4. God will be always nigh unto them to hear their prayers (Isaiah 58:9). As, on the one hand, “he that shuts his ears to the cry of the poor shall himself cry and God will not hear him,” so on the other hand, he that is liberal to the poor, his prayers shall come up, with his alms, for a memorial before God Acts 10:4).

5. God will direct them in all difficult and doubtful cases (verse 11).

6. God will give them abundance of satisfaction in their own minds (verse 11).

7. They and their families shall be public blessings (verse 12). (M. Henry.)

“Break forth as the dawn

“Break forth” is the verb used in IsaGe 7:11; Psalms 74:15, of the bursting of waters through a fissure in the earth’s surface; by a vivid metaphor the dawn was conceived as “splitting” the heavens and flooding the world with light The same word occurs on the Moaite Stone in the phrase “from the splitting of the dawn.” (Prof. J. Skinner,D. D.)

Thine health shall spring forth speedily

A healthy Church

I. ESSENTIALS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH.

1. A Scriptural constitution.

2. Nutritious food.

3. Pure air.

4. Regular exercise.

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH

1. Health is sometimes known by outward appearances. The rosy cheeks, the sparkling eyes, the sonorous voice, all testify to health. A healthy Church may be known by its prayer-meetings, contributions, missionary spirit, etc.

2. Health is known by tastes. A sickly man’s taste is bad. Unwholesome dainties are preferred to strong meat. So with regard to an unhealthy Church. Silly anecdotes are preferred to good scriptural teaching. Thinks much of forms and ceremonies.

3. Contentment of mind. An unhealthy man is querulous and difficult to please. So an unhealthy Church. It is a fault-finding Church.

4. Work. Sickness disables a man for labour. Health stimulates to work. A healthy Church may be known by its labour.

III. THE DESIRABILITY OF A HEALTHY CHURCH. A healthy Church--

1. Is one of great comfort to itself.

2. Will survive through many trials. The healthy man is heedless of east winds, etc. So a healthy Church survives persecutions, etc.

3. Is attractive. People shun unhealthy Churches as they do fever dens.

4. Is one likely to live.

Lessons:

1. A morally sick Church is a great curse to a neighbourhood.

2. The sooner the better that many a Church should apply to the great Physician for spiritual healing.

3. The Church will by and by become perfectly whole.

4. When perfectly whole, diseased persons will no longer be admitted into its fellowship (Revelation 21:27). (J. Williams.)