Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Based on the text of verse twenty-seven, Derek Thomas observes that almost the entire church of Isaiah’s time was in a spiritual depression. The Bible tells us an awful lot about depression through the lives of David, Elijah, Jonah, Jeremiah and others. Jay Adams, who writes very much about the emotional and spiritual challenges to the human soul, allows for a medical basis. In fact, he advises that whenever serious counseling is undertaken, that a competent medical authority be consulted. However, competent doctors realize the limits of medical chemistry and in most cases, people would do well to consider a proper place for spiritual causes for their depression. Jay Adams presents case after case in his writings on counseling where sin is the root cause of depression. Distrust, anger, resentment, disappointment, or other sins may lie behind depression. In two dramatic examples, people were able to walk out of mental health institutions after finally, effectively dealing with their sins. That is very good for individuals, but what about whole nations, as we see here in our text? Is it possible for a whole nation to feel abandoned by our God?
Evidently so, as we see the complaints recorded by the prophet. The national neurosis must have its cause in spite of something of a revival during the reign of King Hezekiah. I remember when I first began to minister here in Columbus. I met a lady who had moved into Franklin County from Logan County. She went on and on about the revival that was sweeping my home area as a result of the ministry of a large metropolitan church here in Franklin County. She and her family finally decided to move here to be part of that great congregation south of Columbus. That information was even announced on one of the television stations! I was left somewhat confused, because I had not seen nor heard of a revival as great as she had described back home. Is it possible for both events (national revival and national depression) to go on side by side together?
The closest thing to this model, which may explain the present predicament of American churches in the last century, has to do with a biography of one of America’s most influential “saints”. All of us to some degree have been affected by this man’s writings, as his and British ideas of theology became mainstream evangelical by the time of World War Two. This American religious leader is well known for the study Bible which bears his name. In an unflattering biography published by the Banner of Truth Trust, Cyrus I Scofield’s life and work is exposed in great detail. One of the main arguments of the biography is that Schofield along with a British leader by the name of Darby, popularized a theory of a declining Church and a division of history into various dispensations.
The arguments are long and well documented. For our purpose this morning we will focus only on a declining church, or the failing church syndrome, as it is sometimes called. Along with this underlying syndrome of failure, there has been also a historic focus on spiritual conversions, with a minimal emphasis on a godly life or a nation in obedience to God’s law. Certainly, we have to be very careful in diagnosing the actual conditions of Isaiah’s time; however, if the implications of a declining church, along with an emphasis on emotional revival and a minimal interest in leading a godly life have produced our present generation of confused Christians, then something similar could have happened during Isaiah’s time as well. Again and again the prophets called Israel and Judah to task for not obeying God even as they counted themselves among the elect. So they wonder why God has apparently abandoned them. What word does Isaiah have from God for such depressed people? In the last verses of this chapter, God’s people are called to account.
Look at the great text which begins in verse twenty-eight and runs on to the end of the chapter. Whenever God’s people feel down and out, whenever their hope is at low ebb, let them hear about God’s greatness and His ability to do all things. In the last verse, thirty-one, the word for renew literally means “exchange”. The Lord thus intends to exchange our weakness for His strength, so that His power can be made perfect in our weakness.
Will we look up and appreciate that the sovereign Lord of all the universe keeps us in mind and commands us to obey Him? “Do you not know? Have you not heard?” Isaiah asks. Our God is the God of heaven, the Creator of the ends of the earth. This Almighty God is not exhaustible; He does not suffer from any of our human frailties. His wisdom is beyond our ability to comprehend. Thus we should always be careful in thinking that we really truly know the mind of God.
A prominent philosopher in this century, Mortimer Adler, who edited the Great Books of the Western World came to a saving faith late in life. The thing that brought him to faith was his realization that our God was too big and complex to be understood. He said that only a God beyond comprehension and understanding was worthy of being worshipped. Our God is just such a God, as Isaiah declares in these verses. By His Spirit and by His son, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Over a century ago, there was a very ordinary minister in Great Britain. Suddenly and for two years, the spirit of God came upon Him and turned loose a lion of an evangelist during a great and notable revival. Just as suddenly, the Spirit’s work was completed, the Church was strengthened, and its impact upon that corner of the world was magnified.
The Lord’s work is such that even a young man’s strength and endurance can be stretched to the limit. But we have God’s promise that all “those who hope in the Lord will [exchange] their strength.” Those who look up to the Lord will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. May the Lord give us the blessing of such strength so that we may serve Him gladly our whole life long. Amen.
Resources Used:
Canfield, Joseph M.. The
Incredible Scofield & His Book.
Ellis, Charles..
The Wells of Salvation.
Thomas, Derek..
Welwyn Commentary Series: God Delivers.
Young, Edward J.
The Book of Isaiah.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
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107 August 1994
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.