Sermon #79 Series: Isaiah

Text: A Waiting God and A Waiting People

Text: Isaiah 30:18

Subject: The Long-suffering Of God

Date: Sunday Evening - June 16, 1991

Tape #

Introduction:

The people of Judah were in great fear. The Assyrians had already devastated the neighboring kingdom of Israel. And they were camped in great numbers, as a mighty army covering the land, upon the borders of Judah. When Isaiah beheld the fear of the people, he gave them counsel from the Lord as to what they must do. “Their strength is to sit still” (vv. 7, 15). But the people would not obey God. Neither would they hear the voice of his prophet. They rejected the counsel of God against themselves and followed the suggestion of their fears. They went down to Egypt for help!

They were impatient because they were unbelieving. They were slow to obey, but swift to rebel. Therefore the Lord commanded Isaiah to reprove and rebuke them - “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that covereth with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin” - (v. 1).

Judah sent ambassadors to Pharoah, king of Egypt, and camels and asses loaded with bribes, hoping that he might help them to fight off the Assyrians. Imagine that - Because Judah did not believe God she was willing to return to the land of Pharoah, the land of the oppression and bitter bondage. She was willing to sell herself again to Pharoah!

Isaiah urged them to sit still, be quiet, return to the Lord, and rest in him. But fear ruled. They could not be quiet. They would not sit still. They refused to rest in the Lord. Poor mortals they were. And we are all very much like them. We all talk about trusting God, trusting his providence, wisdom, grace, and sovereign power - We talk very well! But when trouble comes, we are far more apt to be filled with fear than with faith. When the promise tarries, we try to find a way to hurry it up…

Illus: Abraham - Hagar

Moses and the Rock

We have a very hard time waiting for God’s time. Do we not? We want everything instantaneously fulfilled. We want to be relieved from trouble, delivered from temptation, and rescued from difficulty as soon as they come. We want our prayers answered as soon as they are spoken. Far too often we are more apt to rush into wickedness than we are to sit still and wait upon the Lord.

These things ought not be so. We need to learn a more excellent way. I hope my message tonight will be blessed by the Spirit of God, that we may be, in some measure, taught the holy art of waiting upon the Lord. Read verse 18 - “And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him!”

Proposition: As the Lord God waits, with great patience, that he may be gracious, let us wait before him with faith, that we may honor him.

Divisions:

1. “Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you.”

2. “And therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you.”

3. “For the Lord is a God of judgment.”

4. “Blessed are all they that wait for him.”

Now I want us to look at these four statements, made by God’s prophet Isaiah, and ask God to teach us the holy art of waiting upon the Lord.

I. “THEREFORE WILL THE LORD WAIT, THAT HE MAY BE GRACIOUS UNTO YOU” - Here is the holy Lord God waiting to be gracious!

What an astounding statement! What can it mean? Regrettably, I have to say at the outset that this text does not mean what preachers and religious people have tried to make it mean. It does not mean that God’s omnipotent grace and saving power waits upon sinners to make the first move toward him! It does not mean that almighty God waits upon the free will of man before he can or will perform the operations of his grace. That is sheer nonsense!

This thirtieth chapter of Isaiah is a prophecy of judgment, destruction, and desolation against the people of Judah. Yet there was a remnant, there were a few, to whom God would be gracious. Therefore he waited until the set time, when he would arise and be gracious to them.

Even so now, though the world is condemned, there are a few scattered here and there among the nations of the world, an elect remnant, to whom God is determined to be gracious. Therefore he waits for the appointed time, that he may be gracious to them.

A. There is a remnant, according to the election of grace, for whom God waits to be gracious.

The Lord God has a people in the world whom he has loved with an everlasting love, whom he has chosen, whom he will call in due time. He chose to save them from eternity. He has thoughts of grace concerning them. He sent his Son to redeem them. And he has a fixed time when he will show them his love and grace.

1. This word “wait” implies a longing and panting desire.

The Lord God longs and pants, as it were, to reveal his grace to his elect. The picture is that of a father whose heart is bursting to show his wayward son his love.

Illus: The Prodigal - “His father ran!”

2. The Lord waits for the set time, which is the fit and proper time, to be gracious and show mercy.

He waits to be gracious until things are brought to their worst. He waits until the moment of utmost extremity. He waits until his people are made to see their danger, sense their guilt and sin, and know their need of him. Then, when they must have him, he comes to them.

3. Though he waits until the time of love to reveal his grace he was gracious toward us long before.

a. His election of us was an Election of Grace (Rom. 11:5).

b. His covenant for us is a Covenant of Grace (Heb. 10:16-17).

c. His adoption of us was an Adoption of Grace (I John 3:1).

d. His redemption of us by Christ was a Redemption of Grace (Rom. 3:24-26).

e. His preservation of our souls in life was a Preservation of Grace (Hos. 2).

4. But at the appointed time, in our regeneration, calling, and conversion by the Spirit of God, God openly reveals and exhibits his grace toward us in salvation (II Tim. 1:9-10; Tit. 2:11-14).

a. In the Pardon of Sin.

b. In Justifying Righteousness.

c. In Infusion of Grace - “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

d. In His Love visits to us! (Song of Solomon)

e. In Opening up the Treasures of His Grace to us.

Note: This is the long-suffering of God which is our salvation. God is long-suffering with the world for the sake of his elect. But his long-suffering is toward and for his people (II Pet. 3:9, 15).

B. But why does the Lord wait to be gracious?

If, as we have seen, God pants and longs to be gracious, why does he wait? Why doesn’t he just do it? There is a reason, there is a needs be for his waiting. Notice the word “therefore” in our text. What is it there for? It is there to tell us why the Lord waits to be gracious. He waits to be gracious because…

1. He will not be gracious until all carnal confidence has been destroyed - (vv. 2, 3, 16).

2. He will not be gracious until the rebel is exposed, the rebellion is broken, and his chosen one is made to know his need of grace - (v. 9).

Illus: The Prodigal.

Note: The Lord often permits the sinner he loves to suffer the effects of his sin, that they might the more prize and value his grace.

Illus: Luke 7:36-50

Judah leaned upon Egypt and for that she was overrun by Assyria, that she might look to God alone for help and properly value the help he gave.

3. God waits to be gracious until his elect are made to cry for him (v. 19). The Lord God is listening for sinners to pray. As soon as he hears your heart’s cry, he will answer you.

C. The Lord God waits to be gracious - Yet, all the while he is graciously working, that he may be gracious.

1. He holds back the sword of justice.

2. He continues to grant you the privileges of gospel ministry, giving sinners space for repentance (v. 20).

3. He speaks and calls to you to return to him and rest (v. 21).

4. He passes by repeated rejections of him (vv. 15, 18).

D. The Lord God waits to be gracious, until he is exalted - (v. 18).

I will say more about this in a minute or two. But the Lord God waits to be gracious to sinners until he is exalted in their eyes - He will not be gracious until in your desperate need he is exalted.

Illus: The Publican

To a Prisoner a Deliverer is Exalted! - Mocksville Jail.

Note: God waits to be gracious. But I want you to understand this -

· He does not wait in vain. Those for whom he waits to be gracious shall be made recipients of his grace - (v. 19).

· He will not wait forever - (Gen. 6:3; Pro. 1:22-33).

Note: As the Lord waits for the appointed time to save his elect, so he waits for the appointed time to deliver his people from their trials and temptations. But deliver you he will!

II. Now look at this second sentence - “AND THEREFORE WILL HE BE EXALTED, THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY UPON YOU.” Here is God exalted in order to save.

Our God is exalted upon the throne of grace, that he may give grace, and that we may find grace and mercy in time of need (Heb. 4:16). But there is more - This is a prophecy of the exaltation of Christ for the salvation of his people. The word “exalted” means “lifted up!”

A. Christ was lifted up on the cross as the sinner’s Substitute, that his people might be drawn to him and saved by him (John 12:32).

B. The Lord Jesus Christ has been lifted up, exalted, to the throne of God, to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance, pardon eternal life to God’s elect (Acts 5:31; John 17:2; Rom. 14:9).

C. Christ Jesus is lifted up, like the brazen serpent upon the pole, in the ministry of the Word, so that whosoever believes on him might have everlasting life (John 3:13-14; Isa. 45:22).

III. FOR THE LORD IS A GOD OF JUDGMENT.”

To the person who does not know the gospel, this third sentence may appear to be out of place. But it is not. The text could not be complete without it. It means two things.

A. First, the Lord is a God of justice.

He cannot be merciful toward us, he cannot be gracious unto us, without the satisfaction of his justice for us. Christ was lifted up to die, so that he might have mercy upon us, because the Lord is a God of Justice (Pro. 16:6). He is a “Just God and a Savior” (Isa. 45:20).

B. Secondly, it means the Lord is a God of discretion (Ps. 112:4-8).

With great wisdom, knowledge, and skill he accomplishes his own will, even the salvation of his elect; so that at the appointed time, he who waits that he may be gracious will be gracious!

IV. “Blessed are all they that wait for him.”

I have been talking to you about a waiting God. Here our text describes God’s people as a waiting people. “Blessed are all they that wait for him!”

1. Psalm 27:14

2. Psalm 37:9, 34

3. Psalm 123:1-2

4. Isaiah 8:17

5. Isaiah 40:31

6. Isaiah 64:4

7. Lamentations 3:25

8. Proverbs 20:22

Note: As God, waiting to be gracious, served the cause of his grace, so we waiting upon him serve his cause (Pro. 27:18).

To wait upon the Lord is to believe him, to expect good from him, to be quiet and to sit still (Isa. 30:7, 15). “Blessed are they that wait for him.” “Blessed are all they that wait for him.” Those who run here and there for help are in trouble. Those who are restless, impatient, and fretting cannot enjoy the blessedness. But, “blessed are all they that wait for him.”

A. Blessed is the sinner who waits before Christ and will not go away.

Illus: The Canaanite Woman - Matt. 15

B. Blessed is the believer who waits at the feet of Christ to hear his words and worship him.

· Mary - (Luke 10:42).

· The Woman (Luke 7).

C. Blessed is that man or woman who waits for the Lord.

· For His Gracious Presence.

· For Manifestations of His Love. “Let him kiss me.”

· For the Performance of His Promises.

· For the Answer to their Prayers.

· For Deliverance from Trouble.

· For the Blessings of His Grace.

· For Direction in His Will.

· For Eternal Glory and Happiness.

Application: Isaiah 49:22-23 - “Thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.”

To wait upon the Lord is to…

1. Trust Him.

2. Seek Him.

3. Be Strong in Him.

4. Bow to Him.

5. Never be Ashamed.

When many troubles vex you -

When trials overwhelm you -

When enemies assail you -

When the way’s dark before you -

When satan would destroy you -

Then wait, the Lord is with you!

His grace will never fail you!

He waits with grace to bless you!

Sit still, be quiet and listen -

Wait on the Lord, His children,

No shame shall come upon you!

He will defend and keep you!

“Blessed are all they that wait for him!”