Well?

“Wherefore, when I came, [was there] no man? when I called, [was there] none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because [there is] no water, and dieth for thirst.” (Isa 50:2 AV)

The manifestation of their unbelief was the absence of men willing to trust Him.  Hence the four questions at the beginning of the verse.  Specifically, trust in God to deliver.  Isaiah is preaching to Israel and Judah.  The deliverance is from Assyria and Babylon.  The challenge is simple.  God promises to deliver if they will repent of their sin and walk with Him in obedience and faith.  Without them pleading for God’s help, God comes to them and offers it.  He promises to honor His covenant with the people and conquer Israel’s enemies for them.  All they need to do is trust Him and follow.  Yet, there is no man.  Why?  According to this verse, they simply did not trust Him.  They did not trust Him to deliver, or did not trust Him enough to follow.  Either way, taking God up on His offer was a matter of belief.  One cannot help but see the similarities in the context of salvation.

We knock on hundreds of doors a month.  We talk to several people living behind those doors.  Very rarely do we get the opportunity to share the entire gospel with those whom we speak.  The excuses are many and varied.  But they all have the same cause.  There is no faith to repent and trust Christ.  It doesn’t matter what the specific cause might be.  The underlying cause is always the same.  One cannot help but notice the method here as well.  Mankind, in his fallen nature, will not naturally seek after God.  The soul will not seek out to find God.  In our sin, we run from Him.  Not to Him.  Just as the LORD went to Israel and Judah with the offer of deliverance, the church must go to the world with the same.  It is the nature of mankind to reject the grace of God.  They want nothing of it.  In pride and rebellion, they seek to redeem themselves.  Yet, just like Israel and Judah to Assyria and Babylon, they will fail.  Only God can deliver from such a formidable enemy.

The lost are not the only ones who struggle with faith.  Israel and Judah are not the lone possessors of unbelief.  The saint can struggle here, too.  We may have enough faith to cry out to the LORD for deliverance from hell, but how often do we listen for and heed His call of deliverance from an unholy or unproductive life?  How often do we take God completely at His word and respond with unhesitating faith?  When was the last time we mused over the power of God being far greater than our strongest sin or biggest fear?  How often do we read the word of God and simply choose to trust it, regardless of what we think or how we feel?  God is very gracious to every human soul.  He owes no one anything.  He is God the Creator and we owe Him everything.  Yet, He reaches down from heaven and offers to help.  We, in our pride, think God is too small.  The questions above are rhetorical.  They are asked not for an answer.  Rather, they are asked for a reaction.  That reaction is to quit our fussing and trust God.