Whom Will You Trust

Introduction

Trust requires vulnerability - trusting someone requires you to expose your weaknesses, your failures, your inability - at the heart of distrusting is pride

God has called upon Judah to trust him, but they have refused, trusting in themselves and others

God does not stand by helpless, or impotent, or weak when his children rebel against him. He takes action for as the Scriptures declare

God opposes the proud, but give grace to the humble. That’s what we’ll see this morning in Isaiah 31

God Opposes the Proud - 1-5 -

Setting: Assyria is looking to conquer Judah, Judah seeks help from Egypt

V.1 - Woe (word of judgment - warning of pending doom, punishment) - “if you do this, this will happen” (children, speed limit, etc)

Egypt known for their chariots, they had perfected the chariot and chariot tactics for war (driver, bowman, spearman) - they were a terror of the ancient world - think tanks in modern warfare (first Iraq war) - they often sold their technology to others - Judah was looking to buy chariots and horses to fight against the Assyrians.

Trust was in technology, military strength, military tactics - they gave into their fears

Fear is a powerful motivator and will often cause us to make wrong choices in life.

When we live by fear instead of faith we will not turn to God for help, but our own wisdom, understanding and ideas, but these have already been tainted by sin, overexposed to fear, and will produce nothing but sinful responses

the common refrain in Scripture is “fear not” - Pauls says we have not been given a spirit of fear.

Holy One of Israel - did not consult him (like doing a DYI project because you think you know how, but don’t ask an expert for help)

God had warned Israel & Judah over and over again - don’t trust in men, trust in God - their history is full of examples (Exodus, Gideon, David)

Root: PRIDE -

the very heart of all sin and sinfulness -

God hates pride, arrogance, haughtiness (There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes - Prov 6:16-17)

Pride = insidious (seems inconspicuous and harmless but has grave effects - cancer), treacherous, deceitful, beguiling (trickster)

Pride says … humility says

I can solve my own problems … I need help

Look at my strengths … I have weaknesses

I know everything … there is always room to learn more

I deserve to be praised … I appreciate the recognition

Invictus - I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

V. 2-3 - God’s response to the pride of Judah and Egypt

he is wise - God is wisdom is far above ours (my ways, my thoughts) - he is the only wise one - “You know, God knows a little something, too.” (NICOT)

brings disaster - God will thwart the plans, strength, and arrogance of Judah and Egypt

man…not God, flesh…not spirit - mortality/Immortality - temporal/eternal -

The pride of Judah will have them following their own wisdom, plans and ideas; seeking help from the Egyptians. Their pride will bring disaster. Egypt’s help will amount to nothing.

God’s outstretched hand will cause the helper (Egypt) and the helped (Judah) to fall (3) - they will perish together.

Prov. 16:18 - Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

God opposes the proud, but God does not leave his arrogant children to their rebellious ways, he humbles them and then...

God Gives Grace to the Humble - 4-9

The humbling of Judah - Assyrian army surrounding Jerusalem - flaunting their military might and accomplishments - taunting the Jews

God will humble you in your pride. He will not leave you in your sin, but will bring you low so that he might save you from yourself.

Thomas Watson - God cannot endure to see his children grow proud. He allows them to fall into sin, as he did Peter, that their plumes of pride may fall off, and that they may walk humbly.

As God humbles his children, in their humilty he gives them grace

V. 4 - he is a lion undaunted by the dangers

V. 5 - he is the mother hen who protects her chicks - Ps 91:4 - He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. - Jesus says, How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (Mt 23:37)

V. 6 - repent in the face of God’s kindness

Romans 2: 3-5 - Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

Thus again the motivation to trust is both negative - Egypt cannot help - and positive - God will help even though we have sinned in refusing to trust him. This announcement of hope before the fact is typical of this book and, indeed, of the gospel. God does not wait until we have repented to act in mercy. Rather, his mercy becomes the impetus to repent. Thus we are invited to repent as a result of attraction rather than because of avoidance. (NICOT)

V. 7 - show fruit with keeping with repentance - flee from your sin - be killing sin, or it will be killing you - put to death what is earthly (Col. 3:5) -

God’s judgment on the Assyrians (prophesied here) will be complete, final and all consuming

Heb 12:29, Deut 4:24 - God is a consuming fire

Conclusion

God has been merciful to you.

He has shown you the greatest kindness that the perfection of his wisdom could devise, he sent his son Jesus Christ to live a holy and perfect life, a life you could never live, who was then crucified, though he was holy, harmless and sinless, he became sin, suffering the wrath of God’s judgment, the fullness of his consuming fire, to save all who would come to him in faith.

God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, but some of us have responded in pride believing we can save ourselves, or add to Christ’s work - repent of your pride - accept his kindness - respond to his grace and mercy by turning from your sins, trust in Christ, look to him, be saved. Then live a life of gratitude in his grace through obedience of love to the one who first loved you.

As you consider God’s kindness remember - God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble. How will you respond to him today?