Let us turn once again to that
portion we were considering this morning in Isaiah chapter 55
Isaiah chapter 55 and reading at verse 8 following for my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth
the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be. that goeth forth out of my mouth.
It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it." We were then considering in particular this morning the
thoughts and the ways of God, thoughts of forgiveness and ways
of the pardon How God's thoughts and God's ways are so very different
to those of wicked and unrighteous men. In verse 7, let the wicked
forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, says God. My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. God's ways are
good. and gracious. We observed how
there, at the end of verse 7, we have that expression, He will
abundantly pardon. In the margin, He will multiply
to pardon. Oh, is a God ready to forgive? This is His gracious promise,
is it not? So vast is that forgiveness in
God that we cannot really begin to understand or to comprehend
it. Those words that we have at the
end of chapter 43, I, even I, am he that blotted out thy transgressions,
he says. for mine own sake and will not
remember thy sins. He removes them from his people
as far as the east is from the west. So the Psalmist can say
in the 139th Psalm, how precious also are thy thoughts unto me,
how great is the sum of them. We were thinking then of those
thoughts of God. holy thoughts, sovereign thoughts,
faithful and good thoughts, how God, in all His ways, is so gracious
a God. Well, I want us now to turn to
consider something of God's Word. This is what the passage goes
on to speak of, in particular here in verse 11, so shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth Let's see the connection
between verses 10 and 11. It reads, For as the rain cometh
down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that
it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return
unto me void, But it shall accompany that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. And thinking of God's Word, I
want to take up some five headings. First of all, to consider how
that God's Word is truly a faithful Word. It is a faithful Word that we
have set before us on the page of Holy Scripture. Here in verses
10 and 11, do we not see that? God's Word does not return to
him void. It accomplishes what He is pleased
to accomplish by the particular figure that is used, the illustration
that we have, is of course taken from nature, the laws of nature.
As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth
not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth,
and bade that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
eater. God is the creator of all things. and we read earlier in the 19th
Psalm, that in those works of creation God reveals Himself,
but not only in creation, in His providence. The opening words
of that Psalm clearly speak of how God's line, that is the line
of providence, goes out into every part of His creation. Though
the work of creation was completed in six days, And on the seventh
day we're told how God rested from all his work that he had
made. Yet God did not then become inactive. He is the God of providence. And there are those laws of nature
that God himself has appointed. We just sang of the rolling seasons
of the year. We have that promise, of course,
in Genesis 8 and verse 22, after God had visited a terrible judgment
upon the wicked world with the universal floods. But then God
gives that promise to Noah while the earth remained, of seed time
and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall
not cease. And God is faithful. And God's
faithfulness is to be seen as we move through the seasons of
the year. God's faithfulness is to be seen
as night follows day. When we later will retire to
our beds and seek that sleep that God gives to his beloved,
we rest anticipating the dawning of another day. God's faithfulness
is all about us. We're constantly being reminded
of these things. How God watches over all of his
creatures. Again, think of the language
that we have in the book of Psalms, and there in Psalm 65, In Psalm
65 verses 9, 10 and 11, Thou visitest the earth
and waterest it, Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of
God which is full of water. Thou preparest them corn when
Thou hast so provided for it, Thou waterest the ridges thereof
abundantly, Thou settlest the furrows thereof, Thou makest
it soft with showers, Thou blessest the springing thereof, Thou crownest
the year with Thy goodness, and Thy paths drop fatness." All
God's faithfulness then, He is pleased to favour us with abundant
harvests, and we know that we are those who lack no good thing. All of this is by the sovereign
good pleasure of God. You might think of that hymn
that we associate with the period of harvest. We plough the fields
and scatter the good seed on the ground, but it is fed and
watered by God's almighty hand. He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine
and soft, refreshing rain. How it is God who does these
things. Yes, men have to do their ploughing
and their sowing and they have to watch the crop, but it is
God, of course. It is God who makes the crops
to grow, who sends all that is necessary in order that the feels
might be covered with corn, the good hand of God. Now here, as
I said, we have this comparison between God's faithfulness in
the realm of nature and God's faithfulness with regards to
his own words. So, shall my word be what has
been said previously there in verse 10 concerning how God causes
the seed to bud, to spring forth, and that there might be that
provision of bread for the eater, so shall my word that goeth forth
out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void. But he shall
accompany that which I please, and he shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it." God watches over His Word, and God makes
His Word also to be a fruitful Word in due time. Oh, what a
comparison we have! We're reminded, are we not, of
God's faithfulness with regards to what he says concerning the
truth of his Word, the ministry of his Word. The Apostle is so
very mindful of this when he writes there at the end of that
second chapter in the second epistle to the Corinthians concerning
his own ministry. Paul says, we are unto God a
sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that
perish. To the one we are the saver of
death unto death, and to the other the saver of life unto
life. Who is sufficient for these things?" God does not send forth
His Word in vain. By His Word God accomplishes
His own eternal purpose. It was the Puritan, great Puritan,
divine John Owen, who made the observation that every time we
hear the Word of God, we are, as it were, on trial. There is
a judgment to be made. And a man can never be the same
again after hearing that Word of God. It must come to him as
either the saver of life, or it must come to him as the saver
of death. So shall my word be. Says God,
it shall not return void. His purpose is going to be accomplished. And His word is such a discriminating
word that is so evident, is it not, in the ministry of the Lord
Jesus, where we're constantly reminded there in John's Gospel
of the effect of the Lord's preaching. How there was a division amongst
the people, it might say, because of Him, because of who He was,
but principally because of His sayings, because of the content
of His preaching. There was an effect. Just as
there's an effect in nature as the seed is sown and the various
seasons of the year follow, so there must be an effect with
regards to the Word of God. Either an effect for good in
a man's life or an effect for evil. This is the faithful Word
of God. And what God says, as we said
this morning, is truth. He is not a man that he should
lie. He is not the son of man that he should repent. As he
said it, And shall he not do it as he spoken it, shall he
not make it good? So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth the faithful word of God. But as I've already
intimated, that word is not only a faithful word, but clearly
it is a fruitful word also. He says here, It shall prosper,
the end of verse 11. It shall prosper in the thing
where to I sent it. It is going to be a fruitful
work. It is not going to be a word that was sown in vain. Or there
is that law, of course, in nature that is so evident. The seed
is sown by the farmer and he sows the seed in anticipation
that there will be a crop. He prepares the ground and having
sown the seed he takes care of his seedlings. But ultimately
we know that whatever the man does it is God and it is God
only who can give the increase in the portion that we were reading
there in the fourth chapter of Mark's Gospel, where the Lord
speaks these various parables. And we conclude it with that
parable spoken of in verse 26, where Christ says, So is the
kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and
should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should
spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth
forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after
that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought
forth, immediately he put it in the sickle, because the harvest
is come." Yes, the farmer provides all that he can, does
all that is necessary for the growing of his crop. but he doesn't
know really, it is God and God only who can make what he has
sown to be fruitful and it is fruitful and so too also we see
here with regards to the word of God. God's word is a fruitful
word. Isn't that a precious promise
really that we find in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 13 and
verse 23 we read there is much food in the tillage of the poor. Proverbs is part of the wisdom
literature. We're not to imagine that the
wisdom literature, the books of Solomon there, are not spiritual
in their contents. What's the spiritual significance
then of that word? much food is in the tillage of
the poor. We're to think here surely of
that man who is poor in spirit, that man who is brought to really
feel his sense of great need, that man who is made to see himself
somewhat in the mirror of God's works. He's a poor soul, he's
convinced of his sin, He has some understanding of the word
of God in his own soul's experience. He has learned something of the
solemn truth of his sinnership. He knows the awful doctrine of
man's total depravity. He feels his spiritual impotence. He can do nothing for himself
and yet here is the promise there is much tillage. or much food
rather, in the tillage of that poor man. He doesn't come to
the word of God, he doesn't till the word of God without any profit. God will make his word to be
prosperous in that man's soul. God will watch over his word.
If God watches over his creation, God in His Providence is constantly
watching over all the affairs of men and of nations. If God is looking upon those
who work the ground and provide the food, isn't God also looking
over His own Word, His Holy Word? This Word that He has magnified
above all His name? So shall my word be, He says. that goeth forth out of my mouth,
it shall not return unto me void." God will ensure that His Word
is a fruitful Word. It is only God who can do it.
It, He says, shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. And here is the promise at the
end of the chapter, instead of the thorn shall come up the fir
tree, instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree, and
it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that
shall not be cut off." Oh, instead of the thorn, the fir, instead
of the briar, the myrtle fruit. The thorn surely reminds us of
that awful curse that came upon the earth because of man's sin,
because of man's rebellion. When we learn the truth of our
sinnership in the Word of God, it doesn't end there. God will
not only cause his people to understand what sin is and the
consequence of sin, but he will show the sinner his great salvation. This is the promise of God. He
will save the sinner. There is much food. in the tillage
of that poor man, that man who is so poor in his spirit. Oh,
he knows that all must come from God. It is God who must establish
him in the truth. Look at the language that we
have later here. In chapter 16, verse 21, Thy people also shall
be all righteous, it says, they shall inherit the land forever,
the branch of my planting. the work of my hands, that I
may be glorified." The work is God's. It is God who watches
over His Word. Oh yes, the preacher is to labor
in Word, he's to labor in doctrine, but it is God and God only who
can give the increase. Again there in chapter 61 and
verse 3, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting
of the Lord. that he may be glorified. The
work is God's. It is God the Spirit who must
come and take the Word and apply the Word and make the Word to
be truly a fruitful Word. We must know what it is to see
the fulfillment of that that is spoken of at the end of the
first chapter in 1 Peter being born again not of corruptible
seed but of incorruptible by that Word of God which liveth
and remaineth for forever." That's the Word of God. God owns His
Word. And we should desire as we come
under the Word that we might be those who are truly humble
before God, coming to acknowledge our complete and utter dependence
upon God. We want that humility of spirit,
that meekness of soul, or to receive the Word with meekness. As James says there in verse
21 of the first chapter of his epistle, we see with meekness,
he says, the engrafted word that is able to save your soul. God then help us as we come under
his word that we might be those who desire to find it a fruitful
word. that we might be learning the
truth about self, but also increasingly learning the truth about Him
who is the only Saviour of sinners. That food that is found in the
poor man's tillage. Again, think of the language
of another psalm, Psalm 126, ay, that so in tears it says,
shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth, weeping,
bearing precious seeds, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him." There is that then about the
Word of God that is fruitful. And this is what God is declaring
to us here in the text, is it not? in the comparison that is
drawn between nature and his own truth in his word, so shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It's a faithful
word that we have. It's a fruitful word that we
have before us. It's also a sovereign word. It's a sovereign word. Look at
the language. It shall accomplish that which
I please, says God. it shall accomplish that which
I please." We read about how the rain cometh
down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but
watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and but. Where
does God's Word come from? God's Word also comes down from
heaven. It is God who has given us His
Word. and doesn't John the Baptist declare in the course of his
own ministry there in the third chapter of John's Gospel that
a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. He comes to us from heaven. Our God is in the heavens. He has done whatsoever He pleased. All He sends forth is His Word. And as he sends forth his words,
in the application of that word we discover something of the
sovereignty of God. Again, the psalm that we read,
Psalm 19, which interestingly speaks so much of a God who reveals
himself. It speaks, first of all, of that
general revelation that we have in works of creation and of providence
how the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth
his handiwork how day and night speaks to us
and he goes into every part of his creation there is no speech
nor language where Their voice that is the voice of day and
night is not heard, their line is gone out through all the earth. God has given a general revelation
of himself. But then the psalmist goes on
to speak of that special revelation which we find in his holy words. And he speaks of the words under
various synonyms, different names, the Lord of the Lord, the testimony
of the Lord, the statutes of the Lord, the commandment of
the Lord, the fear of the Lord. It's interesting that amongst
the names given to the Word of God, the Scriptures of Truth,
that here in verse 9 we have that description under the fear
of the Lord. Or do we so reverence the Word
of God? The fear of the Lord is clean
enduring forever. We have these various names that
are given. And then, of course, we come
to this, more to be desired are they than gold, yea, the much
fine gold sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant
warned and in keeping of them there is great reward. Or do
we have such a reverence for the Word of God, this blessed
book, this special revelation? But look at what is said there
at verse 7. The law of the Lord is perfect,
it says, converting the soul. God's Word is perfect. converting
the soul. It may seem to suggest to us
then that God's Word will prosper simply in and of itself. But that is not the case. Not
to think that if we just come to God's Word and read the Word
of God that in some strange but mechanical way it will do us
good. That is not the case, is it?
God is sovereign. and God is independent, and God
must come by His Spirit in His Word, there must be an application
of His Word to us. We're not those who worship Holy
Scripture, we worship the Lord God Himself, but we thank God
for His Word, and we look to God to bless to us His Word in
the reading of it, or under the preaching of it. David in the
119th Psalm says, according to Thy words. We want
God to do the quickening. The Word doesn't quicken us.
The Word doesn't bring life into our soul. It's God. It's God
who is sovereign. It's God who must do it. Remember
the language of the Lord Jesus Himself in the course of His
own preaching in John chapter 6. He says, It is the Spirit
that quickeneth. It is the Spirit that quickeneth.
The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life, but the Lord Jesus must
speak the word. There must be that application.
Where the word of a king is, there is power. It is God himself
who must take of his word and apply his word. His word then
is clearly a sovereign word. We recognize that. And so when
we come into the service, when we come under the sound of the
Word of God, or we take up the Word of God for ourselves, and
we begin to read it and we want to understand it, we have to
plead with Him and pray to Him, that He would open our minds,
that He would give us an understanding. that the Word might so enter
into our souls. That's why I so much like that
expression that we have in the opening chapter of James, his
general epistle. That we are to receive with meekness
the engrafted Word, or the implanted Word, is what it says in the
margin. God has to implant His Word. And we come with all humility
before it, and we ask God that there might be that gracious
application. or that it might truly be as
bread to the eater. That's the imagery that we have
here in that 10th verse where he speaks of course of the realm
of nature and the activity of the farmer, the husbandman. How
that the Lord God so waters the earth that it bringeth He maketh
it bring forth, and by that it may give seed to the sower, and
bread to the eater. So shall my word be, that goeth
forth out of my mouth, says God. It shall accomplish that which
I please. O God, be pleased to accomplish
a good and a gracious work in our souls, as we come under the
sound of His truth, that there might be that blessed application.
His words It's a faithful word. It's a fruitful word. It's a
sovereign word. And also here we recognize this,
it is a direct word. So, shall my word be, he says,
that goeth forth out of my mouth. We want the Word to come to us,
as it were, out of the mouth of the Lord God Himself. We want
the Word to come to us immediately and directly from God. And how necessary that is. Remember those words that we
have in Romans chapter 10, where Paul is speaking principally
of the ministry of the Word, the preaching of the Word, And
he says, How shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? But particularly that clause,
How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
Now of course it is for the preacher to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That was Paul's great determination. As he tells the Corinthians,
he would know nothing amongst them save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. There was the subject matter
of the apostolic ministry. He would preach the person of
Christ, he would preach the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
would know nothing else save Jesus Christ. That's the person
of the Saviour. Jesus of Nazareth, who is the
Christ of God, God manifest in the flesh, Jesus Christ and in
crucified, there is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ because
all His obedience is ultimately leading up to that one great
thing, the one sacrifice for sins forever. He is obedient,
is He not? obedient unto death, it says
in Philippians 2, even the death of the cross. And it is for the
preacher to preach Christ. How shall they believe in him
of whom they have not heard? They have to hear of Christ.
The ministry should be full of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it
is interesting that the more literal rendering of that particular
clause should really omit that little word of. And it would
read then like this, How shall they believe in him whom they
have not heard? How shall they believe in him
whom they have not heard, is what it literally says in the
original there. They're not so much hearing of
Christ, but they're actually hearing the voice of the Lord
Jesus. my words that goeth forth out of my mouth." And wasn't
that the case with regards to the ministry that was being exercised
there in the New Testament when the Apostle is engaged in those
missionary journeys and he is going to those various centers
of population, he's all over Asia Minor. And amongst the places
he goes to preach the gospel, he goes to Ephesus. And what
does he say when he writes to the church of the Ephesians there
in chapter 4 verses 20 and 21? He reminds them of the ministry
that they've been hearing. He have not so learned Christ,
he says. if so be ye have heard him, and been taught by him,
as the truth is in Jesus." And mark what he says. He had been
the one who had preached the gospel there in Ephesus. He had
spoken to them of Christ. But they had experienced something
more than that. He says, you have not so learned
Christ, if so be ye have heard Him. They've heard Christ, and
been taught by Him. They've been taught by the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that must be the case with
everyone who is made to profit under the Word of God. You don't
just hear the words of a man. That's not enough to hear the
word of the preacher. There must be that word that
comes, as it were, directly from God Himself, the Lord Jesus. When he speaks as that good shepherd,
what does he say concerning those who bear the mark of his true
sheep, my sheep? Hear my voice, he says, and I
know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Or are you those who have heard
the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you heard the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ? If I heard that voice, there
might be certain preachers that you have been much favoured on,
you've had blessed hearing under them. Thank God for that. if
he makes some man a gracious instrument in your own soul's
experience, but it's not enough to be those who are hearing the
words of any man, even the greatest of men. Who is the prince of
all preachers? It is the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is that one who is the great prophet that's come from God,
that one that was promised back in Deuteronomy chapter 18 God
tells Moses how He will raise them up a prophet like unto Moses
and that prophet of course is Christ. Well with those who bear the mark of Christ's
sheep we know His voice. My sheep hear my voice He says
and I know them. my words, he says, that goeth
forth out of my mouth. Again, we have the promise of
the Lord Himself in John 5, 25, the hour is coming and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and
they that hear shall live. Oh, what a voice is that! It's
the voice of a King. And when the dead hear that voice,
He was there, was he not, at the grave of Lazarus? And Lazarus
was dead. And he'd been dead four days.
He was very dead. And yet the Lord stands there
at the grave of Lazarus and says, Lazarus, come forth. And he who
was dead comes forth from the grave. This is the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It is that voice that is so powerful. It is that word, you see, that's
not only a directed word, rather not only a direct word, it's
also a directed word. That's the fifth thing I wanted
to say with regards to this word of God that is being spoken of.
Yes, it's a faithful word. It's God's words. God cannot
lie. It's a word that is fruitful.
It must prosper. It's a word that is sovereign.
It's a word that God speaks directly. But as God speaks it directly,
so this in the fifth place, God also directs it. It's directed. Look at what it says at the end
of the text, the end of verse 11. It shall prosper in the thing
where to I sent it. It's the thing where to I sent
it. There is nothing at all haphazard
here. It is all so pointed and so personal. Some people say that personal
preaching is wrong. It's not wrong. It's biblical.
God's word is a directed word. It's not just drawing a bow at
a venture. but God directs his words and
he directs it to certain individuals and now that word of God finds
the sinner out that word is quick, it's powerful, it's sharper than
a two-edged sword we are told piercing to the dividing the
sun of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow it's a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart The hearts
of men are exposed by the Word of God. God's Word comes home. We see it, do we not, on the
day of Pentecost. And the great thing there, of
course, was the outpouring of the Spirit. It's not just the
words of Peter. Peter is preaching there under
the blessed unction of the Spirit. And that Word that he speaks
is clothed with such authority. And what are these men who are
hearing the Word experiencing? Why they are pricked in their
hearts, it says. They are pricked in their hearts.
The word is so pointed. It's so personal. They feel the
truths that are being preached to them. And was it not also
subsequently the same in the experience of Saul of Tarsus? He was there at the martyrdom
of Stephen. that first Christian martyr,
and remember the great apology that Stephen makes for his faith? How emboldened he is, and there
is Saul, and what is he doing? He's kicking against the pricks.
All that word of Stephen's was so pointed, and it was brought
home into the soul of that self-righteous Pharisee called Saul. and he
was convinced and convicted under that word. It is a directed word. It is that efficacious grace
of God. He makes his word to be so effectual. This is how faith comes, is it
not? Faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the word of God. God makes his words to be so
efficacious. He brings the truth home. And
that's the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is the
great plan of salvation, is it not? How that Salvation is the
work of God in all the fullness of His triune being. It's the
work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yes, it is the Son who
is incarnate. It is the Son of God who in the
fullness of the time comes and is born as a man. And He accomplishes
salvation as He executes that great work that was committed
to Him in the eternal covenant, He fulfills all righteousness,
He lives the life of complete obedience to every commandment,
holy and harmless and undefiled and separate from sinners. Oh,
He wrought a righteousness, He honored and He magnified the
Lord of God by His righteous life. But not only has He fulfilled
all righteousness, He has also died that substitutionary death. That holy man has died as a substitute
for others, and bore in His own person that punishment that was
due to the sins of His people. He has died the just for the
unjust. Yes, it's the great work of Christ. But let us not fail to see the
work of the Father and the work of the Spirit. How it was the
Father who purposed these things. How it was the Father who made
choice of a people. and the Father who committed
that people into the hands of His Son, or the great purpose
of God in salvation, and then the blessed work of the Spirit.
It is the Spirit who must take that purpose of the Father and
that that has been procured by the Son, He must apply it, He
must bring that salvation home into the soul of the sinner.
He is the one who must direct the Word so that it becomes real,
living, vital in the sinner's soul. At faith it cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God, God watching over His Word, making
His Word to be such a fruitful Word in the soul of that poor,
needy sinner. Or as the rain cometh down and
the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bathe, that it may give seed
to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be, that
goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void,
says God, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper. in the thing where to I sent
it. Oh, the Lord be pleased and to
send his word home to our hearts. Amen.