Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1985
“Who amongyou fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His servant? Who walks in darkness and has no Light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and rely upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10.
SEE how the Lord inquires of His people? In every congregation He asks this question—“Who among you fears the Lord?” These are the wheat upon the threshing floor. As to the thoughtless, “What is the chaff to the wheat? says the Lord.” The Lord’s heart is towards the hearts that fear Him and He makes enquiry concerning them because He loves them, cares for them and helps them in their day of trouble.
Observe how clearly the Lord describes His own people. The description is brief, but remarkably full—“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His servant?” Holy reverence within the heart and careful obedience manifested in the life—these are the two Infallible marks of the true man of God. He fears his God and, therefore, he obeys that heavenly messenger whom God has sent. No servant of God except One has such authority over us that we are bound to obey Him in all things—that Servus servorum, that Servant of servants—who was also Rex regum, the King of kings! It is the mark of the child of God that he has a holy awe of the Father and that he pays gracious obedience to the Son of God. The Lord knows them that are His and from that perfect knowledge He draws this short but sufficient outline of the character of His own. May holy fear and constant obedience be in us and abound!
Note that the Lord not only makes an enquiry of these people, but He takes note of their condition. He is not indifferent to their state. When they walk in darkness, He is with them. And when they have no light, He still beholds them. The Lord is very sensitive to the sorrows of His chosen and very quick to help them. When He finds them walking in darkness, He graciously counsels and advises them, so that He may most effectually help them. Thus says the gracious Lord to the benighted one—“Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and rely upon his God.” That same God who says of His vineyard, “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment lest any hurt it. I will keep it night and day,” also spies out His children in the dark and, looking upon them with an eye of tender love, He directs their course. This is the Word of Wisdom by which He directs each one of them through the darkness—“Let Him trust in the name of the Lord, and rely upon his God.”
To come at once to the text without further preface, I shall notice, first, what is this condition in which some of God’s people are found? They walk in darkness and have no light. Secondly, what is there to trust to when a man is in such a condition? All is dark and there is no light—and he is then bid to trust. What is there to trust to? Thirdly, why should we thus trust? What is the warrant for trusting at such a time? And fourthly, what will come of such a trust? If a man really exhibits confidence in God when he has no light, what will be the end of his confidence?
I. First, then, WHAT IS THIS CONDITION INTO WHICH A CHILD OF GOD MAY COME? The person described is one that fears the Lord and obeys the voice of His servant, yet “walks in darkness, and has no light.”
To many who know nothing of Christian experience, this condition might seem to be a surprising one. Shall the child of light walk in darkness? The normal condition of a child of God is to walk in the light, as God is in the light, and to have fellowship with Him. How comes he, then, to have no light? He that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ has passed from darkness to light and he shall never come into condemnation—how, then, does he come into darkness? In the darkness of sin and ignorance we no longer walk, but with the darkness of trouble and perplexity we are sometimes surrounded.
The Lord is our Light and our Salvation and, therefore, we do not walk in that darkness wherein the Prince of Darkness rules supreme. But yet, at times we are in the gloom of sadness and we see no light of consolation. It is not al-
ways so. Many Christian people go on year after year in uninterrupted sunshine—and I do not see why we should not all look upon continued joy in the Lord as possible to ourselves. Why should not our peace flow on like an ever-widening river? Those of you who are always bright, need not be afraid of your gladness. O Lord, we are now and then in the dark, but we do not wish others to be so! Spiritual darkness of any sort is to be avoided and not desired and yet, surprising as it may seem to be, it is a fact that some of the best of God’s people frequently walk in darkness! Yes, some of them are wrapt in a sevenfold gloom at times and, to them, neither sun, nor moon, nor stars appear.
As the pastor of a large Church, I have to observe a great variety of experiences and I note that some whom I greatly love and esteem, who are, in my judgement, among the very choicest of God’s people, nevertheless, travel most of the way to Heaven by night. They do not rejoice in the light of God’s Countenance, though they trust in the shadow of His wings. They are on the way to eternal light and yet they walk in darkness! Heirs of a measureless estate of bliss, they are now without the small change and spending money of comfort which would make their present existence delightful. It is idle to attempt to judge a man’s real character before God by his present state of feeling. You may be full of mirth and yet it may be the crackling of thorns under a pot, which is noisy for the time, but is soon over.