Trusting God in the Darkness, Isaiah chapter 50, verse 4-11
10 Who among you fears the Lord
Isaiah 50:10-11
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.
11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
you will lie down in torment.
Times of Darkness
There are times of darkness in the Christian life. Discouraged, disheartened, defeated?
Who is being addressed?
One who “fears the Lord” in reverent awe. One who obeys God’s servant. Verses v4-7 show us the suffering servant to come, Jesus. So, the “Who” is one listening to Jesus. What a contrast with the self sufficient ones who trust in their own light.
What will those who walk in faith experience?
“Darkness”, as in Psalm 88:6,12,18 (“darkness my old friend”). Those in darkness are not necessarily so because of sin. Here is one fearing the Lord and listening to his servant. It’s OK to be silent, to have nothing to say. This was Jesus’ experience.
How does the one in darkness respond?
Trusting in God, his character. Actively leaning and relying on him. Ps 139,11-12 “darkness is as light to You”. God made both.
“God prefers to do things quietly and in the dark. He created in the dark, after all. He sent His son into the darkness of his mother’s womb. His son died in the darkness and was raised in the darkness. God loves to work modestly and quietly.” – Sinclair Ferguson
What might God be doing in your darkness?
A pilot flying in the darkness has to trust his instruments, especially his “artificial horizon”. So it is with the Christian. The Bible is our “artificial Horizon”.
