What God Waits For

WHAT GOD WAITS FOR

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you. Isaiah 30:18

Years ago, I sat in the sanctuary of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Jim Boice walked up to the pulpit, put his hands in his suit coat pockets, and rocked back and forth on his heels in his inimitable way. He began in his deep baritone voice, boyish face lit with a smile: “Well, we’ve come tonight to talk about preaching. And young ministers say to me, all the time, ‘Jim, preaching just isn’t popular anymore!’ And I say, ‘Well, when has it ever been so? People resent and resist the Word at first. Isn’t that the glory of it all?’” And then he delivered a marvelous message on God’s grace in God’s Word.

That’s what Isaiah preaches in Isaiah 30:1-18. He speaks of politics, government, preaching and grace––all in one neat package. We seldom hear the likes of this in our Day. Barry G. Webb comments:

It may be strange to modern ears to hear politics and religion so intimately connected, but for the people of God in Old Testament times life was not compartmentalized into the sacred and the secular as it all too often is with us. The one Lord was Lord of all, and whether or not you respected his lordship was inevitably reflected in the way you made political decisions, just as in any other sphere.¹⁷

Israel, it appears, was just plain “stubborn” (v. 1) and “rebellious” (v. 9). They were like recalcitrant children who said to Isaiah, the prophets and God: “Do not see…Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel” (vv. 10-11). In other words, “Give us a different god with a different message. We don’t like a Holy God with His message about holiness. Tell us what tickles our ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

God’s response is amazingly surprising. He neither shouts nor reacts in anger. Instead He does three things. First, he warns them of the dire consequences of their stubborn rebellion and refusal to hear the Word of the Lord––their collapse and captivity (vv. 12-14). Second, He shows them the way back to salvation and strength. They are to quiet their souls and trust in God’s Word (vv. 15-17). They may run from God, even on swift horses, but they will end up alone and desolate. Third, He shows them His heart: He longs to be gracious to them, and He glories in blessing them. Their rejection of Him cannot kill His love for them. God will wear them down, work His way and win them back with His grace (v. 18)!

If there was ever a message for today’s preachers it is Isaiah 30:1-18. God has something to say, from the pulpit, about all of life: political elections, public policy, private decisions and personal lifestyles. If people don’t like that, too bad! God is not asking permission to speak into our lives. When the pew says to the pulpit, “Stay out of politics! Keep your opinions to yourself! Don’t cram your religion down our throats! Give us something positive! Enough about sin, salvation, holiness! Tell us about health, wealth and personal happiness!” preachers should respond. Please read Isaiah 30:15a and Isaiah

30:18.

Will they like it? No, not at first. Do they need it? Yes, every Sunday. Will they ever respond in both gratitude and obedience? Yes, in time God’s grace will break through, overpower and win their hearts. In the meantime we “preach the word, in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 2:2). We do so not because the people love us, but because God loves them. And we wait, with God, until that Gospel truth changes their lives for good and forever.

And that, as Dr. Boice would say, “Is the glory of it all!”

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

CEP: Pray for the parents of the children in our churches today, that they will seek to honor God in the nurture and training of their children.

CC: Pray for safety for the Advancement (fundraising and marketing arms of the college) team as they meet with donors and friends of the college. Pray that the Office for Advancement will continue to present the distinctive of a Covenant College education that promotes Christ’s Kingdom first and foremost, bringing glory to His name rather than our own.

MNA: Please pray for MNA Special Needs Ministries Director Steph Hubach’s work on developing educational materials for PCA churches so that we might reach out as a denomination to people with disabilities and their families more effectively.

PCAF: Pray that PCA churches will respond to efforts made by the PCA Foundation to communicate its ministry, and that churches will understand the value of its ministry as well as the benefit of telling their congregations about what we do.

RH: Pray for the “Youth Ops” leadership training week to be held in conjunction with the summer camp program. This special leadership training opportunity, especially for youth pastors, leaders and workers, will explore philosophy of ministry, student characteristics, generational cultures and creation as an environment for evangelism and growth.