Sermon. The Voice of Prophetic Preaching: Cry Loud and Spare Not
Isaiah 58: 1-14
Introduction -The Prophet Isaiah being assured of his vocation by the Spirit of God, sets himself alone against all the wickedness of His people. God gave him gifts, ability and knowledge, to discern between good and evil, and to be steadfast and endure to reprove the sins of the people, and not to flatter them. God makes an unusual request of Isaiah, his most elegant and learned Prophet. Isaiah has a wonderful handle of words. He has spent much time as a scribe in the presence of kings and royalty. But now God’s people were wrapped in Hypocrisy. They were attempting to cover their sins with a religious covering and vain outward show. Isa 28:20 “For the bed is too short to stretch out on, And the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.” God wants the prophet to reprimand His people for their total rebellion or transgression and to expose their sinful conduct. Their sins were far from being a covered, hidden or excused. The hypocritical actions were really aggravating their sins and exposing their rebellion. Isaiah must cry loud without fear or intimidation and show them their sins which they go on in. They have a clear knowledge of good and evil, sin and duty, and the convictions of their consciences concerning their sin. So, this elegant chapter contains a severe reproof of the Jews on account of their vices particularly their hypocrisy in practicing and relying on outward ceremonies, such as fasting and bodily humiliation, without true repentance. They acted confused that nothing was changing.
After laying down a clear and comprehensive summary of their sin, Isaiah moves from their duty to God to their duties they owed to their fellowmen. These hypocritical Jews had high hopes to claiming the great promises of happiness and prosperity, but they had failed to live up to their obligations to God and to the performance of their duties to those around them. These Jews were fasting and praying for the great temporal and spiritual blessedness of the righteous. They had an overestimation of themselves. God sends his prophet to remind them that if they who walk in the ways of grace, they will always find the path to blessedness. Isaiah is commanded to cry loud, because it may be easier to show sinners their transgressions, than show the religious people their hypocrisy. We have here a people who have a form of godliness, but are not godly. They have ears that are dull of hearing and eyes that are blind. God commands Isaiah to Cry Loud and Spare Not! Why?
1. Through clear prophetic preaching, hypocrisy is exposed - Notice their outward show: (1.) They go to church and observe their hours of prayer: They seek me daily; they are very constant in their devotions and never omit them nor suffer any thing to put them by. (2.) They love to hear good preaching; They delight to know my ways, as Herod, who heard John gladly, and the stony ground, that received the seed of the word with joy; it is to them as a lovely song, Eze 33:32. (3.) They seem to take great pleasure in the exercises of religion and to be in their element when they are at their devotions: They delight in approaching to God, not for his sake to whom they approach, but for the sake of some pleasing circumstance, the company, or the festival. (4.) They are inquisitive concerning their duty and seem desirous only to know it, making no question but that then they should do it: They ask of me the ordinances of justice, the rules of piety in the worship of God, the rules of equity in their dealings with men, both which are ordinances of justice. (5.) They appear to the eye of the world as if they made conscience of doing their duty: They are as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinances of their God; others took them for such, and they themselves pretended to be such. Nothing lay open to view that was a contradiction to their profession, but they seemed to be such as they should be. Note, “Men may go a great way towards heaven and yet come short; nay, may go to hell with a good reputation.” Hypocrites are those who say one thing, but do another. They are people who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They loved the appearance more than the substance. We can only please God when our outward actions reflect our heart commitment and love for God and His people. Our actions must match our words. Prayer and fasting must be accompanied by gracious conduct.
2. Through clear prophetic preaching, the heart is transformed and the conduct is changed. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, abstaining from every oppression and severity towards their brethren, and laboring as far as their influence and authority prevail, to restrain it in others; the putting forth of the finger, either as a mark of threatening or correction, or as a token of contempt and derision, and speaking vanity, hypocritical addresses to God, flattering speeches to men, or falsehood and lying in their dealings one with another. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, not only relieving their wants, but expressing for them the tenderest compassion, which doubly enhances the favor; and satisfy the afflicted soul, whatever are the cause of his distress, kindly affording him every assistance for his body or soul, then God will remember these words of faith and labors of love. Note, the world is full of people in need of compassion. We shall have many opportunities to do good to others.
3. Through clear prophetic preaching, the Path to God’s blessings are revealed. There are many rich blessings of God promised to those who are in right relationship with God, who walk in love, and live to be useful to mankind. Isaiah reveals five clear needed blessings that are available in this text:
(a.) God will remember them in the day of affliction, and cause their light to shine. Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day, out of every trouble God would deliver them. Swiftly, as the morning breaks, and pleasingly, as the rising sun dispels the shadows of the night, so should their light break forth; their comfort, credit, and prosperity, shining more and more unto the perfect day; and thine health shall spring forth speedily; if they had been afflicted in body or soul, the affliction shall be removed. Note, they will be no losers who lend unto the Lord, by relieving his people in distress; he will repay, and overpay them for their kindness. Pr 19:17 “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Not only will God remember in their trouble, God will protect and guide them.
(b.) The Lord will be their protector and guide: thy righteousness shall go before thee, as the evidence of their fidelity, or rather, the Lord, their righteousness would go before them, make their title good to the heavenly glory, and answer every charge which might be brought against them; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward, or shall gather thee: as a strong body of troops, that protects the rear, and gathers up the stragglers that none be lost, so the Lord will preserve them safe in all their ways, and magnify his own glory in their salvation. The Lord shall guide thee continually, by his word, Spirit and providences, and this continually, night and day, lest any hurt them. Note, They are happily secured, who see the righteousness of the Redeemer before them as their sure acceptance, and the glory of God engaged for their support and perseverance. God will not remember them, protect and guide them, but He will also answer the prayers.
(c.) The Lord will hear their Prayers. All their prayers shall be heard and answered. Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here am I, a very present help in trouble; whilst they are speaking, he will hear; he will be near them when they are afraid and cry to him; and he is ready to do more and better for them than they are able to ask or think. Note, If we have so great, so kind a friend ever at hand, so willing, so able to help us, let us never neglect to apply to him, and then, who can harm us? Then, God will supply their needs.
(d.) God will supply all their wants, spiritual and temporal: He will satisfy thy soul in drought, when the lions lack and suffer hunger, they shall be fed, or when thirsting in this barren land for Christ, the water of life, for his righteousness and grace, for his presence and Spirit, he will refresh them; and make fat thy bones; giving them plenty, or rather comforting and strengthening the souls of his people, and causing them to increase with the increase of God. And thou shalt be like a watered garden, adorned with divine graces as a garden blooming with beauty, breathing fragrance, and laden with the choicest fruits, and as a spring of water, whose waters fail not, the heavenly principle of grace implanted never failing, but springing up into everlasting life. Finally, God will honor them as his Righteous people.
(5.) God will honor them as His spiritual builders. They shall be honored as the instruments of building up the church of God, and they that shall be of thee, shall build the old waste places, which may refer to those of the Jews, who, on their return from Babylon, restored the cities, and especially Jerusalem, that had lain in ruins; or to those God will employ in the gospel to build up the waste places of the world, as it may be rendered, the whole earth having been covered with the desolations of ignorance and sin, till by the preaching of the word the Gentiles were converted, and Christian societies established; and thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, as when the temple was raised from its rubbish, so shall the church of Christ rise beautiful and glorious, and endure to all generations: and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, and the restorer of paths to dwell in; they shall be honored by those who have been called through their ministry; the breaches which abounding iniquity had made shall be repaired, all divisions healed, and by their means the paths of truth and holiness become happily frequented.
Again in this technological age, God is calling for his prophets and preaching to Cry aloud, spare not. The world is so noisy, and filled with misinformation. Never was a louder cry against the hypocrisy, nor a more cutting reproof of the wickedness of a people professing religion. They had all the forms of godliness without a particle of its power. In an age of political correctness and gracious comfort, we must cry loud and spare not. God knows the purposes to which He has called us and God knows our motives. God knows our longings and desires. He is not against us but for us. God provides a path for total transformation. 1. Through clear prophetic preaching, hypocrisy is exposed; Through clear prophetic preaching, the heart is transformed and the conduct is changed; Through clear prophetic preaching, the Path to God’s blessings are Revealed. God will remember us, protect us, provide for us, hear our prayers, supply our needs and use us for His glory! “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” The only path to the High Life!
