Reverence and Awe

» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible

Morning: "Therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you." - Isaiah 30:18

Evening: "My people shall dwell in quiet resting places." - Isaiah 32:18

Matthew Henry, writing 150 years before Spurgeon, does a nice job in expressing God's goodness found in this morning's passage of Scripture:

The prophet, having shown that those who made Egypt their confidence would be ashamed of it, here shows that those who sat still and made God alone their confidence would have the comfort of it. It is matter of comfort to the people of God, when the times are very bad, that all will be well yet, well with those that fear God

Spurgeon expresses comfort to those who seem to experience a delay by God, in answering prayer, and provides various examples of how God may be glorified further by the delay we experience in (seemingly) unanswered prayer.

In this passage of Isaiah, the reason for the delay is evident: the Children of Israel are not trusting in God - rather they are trusting in the horses and chariots of Egypt. David had learned this lesson:

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. - [Psa 20:7 NKJV]

In this way, God gets the glory. Let us be like David, men and women after God's own heart.

Paul recounts the story of David to people of Antioch, in Acts 13:16-23:

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior--Jesus-- - [Act 13:22-23 NKJV]

God raised up a Savior. He raised Him on a pole, on a cross of shame, that all who look on Him will be saved! We remember Jesus's words to Nicodemus:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, - [Jhn 3:14 NKJV]

In Spurgeon's key Scripture, Isaiah 30:18, he only quotes the first half, shown at the top of today's blog. But what comes next is just as important:

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. - [Isa 30:18 NKJV]

In the Blue Letter Bible, there is perhaps a better English translation of this verse, by Darby:

And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he lift himself up, that he may have mercy upon you; for Jehovah is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

This is perhaps a better translation of the Hebrew in Isaiah 30:18, for the Hebrew word is Ruwm, Strongs number 7311. Ruwm can be translated 'exalted', but also 'lifted up', as you can see yourself by following the link above. And in the first Four Books of Moses, you'll see it used in reference to an offering to the Lord.

Christ is our offering to the Lord, that He may be just in forgiving us, when we turn to Him. This Jesus did willingly for us, suffering the shame of being lifted up on a cross, that all who turn to Him will be saved.

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God.'... By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. - [Hbr 10:7-10 NKJV]

Christ submitted His will to the Father, suffering shame and death on the cross. Yet He lives, our risen King! Let us follow His example, in His strength, and exalt Christ as Lord. Let us enter into His rest, and be as still as a banner on a hill (Isaiah 30:17). God will wait patiently for us, that He may be gracious to us! Let us be His people, that dwell in quiet resting places, as we are exhorted in the evening passage.