Trusting in God (Isaiah 50) - Part 2

Why we fail to trust in God.

Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

"Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst.

I clothe the heavens with blackness, And make sackcloth their covering."
- Isaiah 50:1-3

When God seems far off, or we suffer calamities of many kinds, or we lack a genuine love for others, we sometimes ask why God is causing these things, or allowing them to happen. There are many different reasons, but in verse one, it’s clear in the context of our passage that God (temporarily) abandons Israel leaves her to her own devices, not because God no longer cares, or is unable, or unwilling to help, but because of their sin.

It is worth noting that though we often think that if our sin or failure to trust God has any effect, it is only on us. But here God declares that there is a residual effect of sin on those around (both you and “your mother”). For us as a family, this means that sin never happens in isolation or has no influence or effect on the harmony and happiness of the rest of the family. So, we are learning to seek God and depend upon Him, not just because He commands it, and not just for our own sakes, but also for the sake of those we mingle with.

In this instance, what was their sin? It was failing to trust God. He came near to ransom, but they had already turned elsewhere, as though God were incapable of helping, or as if He who controls Creation, has power over seas and rivers or any necessities of life is powerless to help or to deliver.

As with many truths about God, this is two-edged. He who has power to deliver also has power to discipline. Verse 3 uses strongly apocalyptic language (echoes of which are heard in Revelation 6:12) and the suggestion seems to be that if trust is insufficient motivation to lean upon the Lord, perhaps fear is.

So, why do we fail to trust God? When faced with a problem, why do we seek our help in friends, books, counsellors, our own skills, money, intelligence or countless other false securities? Perhaps pride (“I don’t need God’s help”), or convenience (“Oh, I know how to solve this problem! I’ll just do such and such..”, or flat out rebellion (“I won’t submit to His autocratic manipulation!”, or unthinking ignorance (“Oh yeah, perhaps I should have turned to God there.” The bottom-line is, such failure to trust in God and lean upon His mercy is sinful and, at some level, idolatry: elevating something above God.

Next time, we’ll consider how we can learn to trust God by following the example of Jesus.