The Charismatic Christian

Isaiah 44:1-5
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, March 02, 2003
Copyright © 2003, P. G. Mathew

But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what the Lord says-he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel.”

Isaiah 44:1-5

Our Greatest Need

The presence of the Holy Spirit is the distinguishing difference between a believer and an unbeliever. Paul tells us, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us . . . . The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:12,14).

Without the Holy Spirit, we live by our natural instincts, always seeking to gratify the cravings of our sinful nature: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, disorder, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Our greatest need is a new Pentecost-a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be empowered to live holy lives and proclaim the gospel in the world.

The Bible tells us our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. The truth is, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost and he has not gone away! The Holy Spirit has been given to the church forever, yet as individuals and as a church we must pray for a fresh experience of the Holy Spirit.

Context of Revival

With this in mind, let us look at Isaiah 44:1-5, where we are told not to fear because of God’s promise: “I will pour out my Spirit.”

The context of this passage is Isaiah 43:22-28, which describes the deep trouble Israel was experiencing. Jerusalem had been destroyed, the temple was burned down, and the people were exiled from the land. All of this was divine judgment on the people of God because of their sins and stubborn refusal to pay attention to the word of the prophets.

But despite all the troubles, did God forget his people and his covenant purpose for them? Was God unfaithful to his promise to be their God? Would the stump of the tree of Israel never sprout and bear fruit again in the land? The answer to all these questions is no. Despite their sin, God’s people would be revived. So in Isaiah 43:18-21 we find a wonderful promise God made to his people:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

God’s purpose is to have a people throughout history who will proclaim his praise. This purpose and election always stand, so in Isaiah 43:25 we are told what God would do for his troubled, sinful people: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Here the emphasis is on the sovereignty and might of God, who always takes the initiative in our salvation. God blots out our transgressions and does not remember our sins, not because of any merit on our part, but “for [his] own sake.”

What an amazing promise! Israel merited the wrath of God; but here God promises she will be saved. He does not explain here how his wrath can be removed. But later in Isaiah 53, God reveals his plan of salvation coming through the substitutionary death of the Suffering Servant.

God Speaks in Grace

Isaiah 44:1-5, then, gives us several reasons why we must not be afraid._ “But now listen, O Jacob. . . .”_ First, God wants us to listen.

There are earplugs today so well-designed that one cannot hear anything through them. The Holy Spirit says it is time we took our earplugs out so that we may hear the word of God.

“Listen!” God says this to all who have troubles. Why should we listen? Because God is about to speak the word of salvation. Notice, he says, “Listen, Jacob!” The name Jacob means “deceiver” or “supplanter.” Jacob stands for us who are sinners. Yet God’s favor rests upon Jacob. He is an elect sinner.

So the first reason we need not fear is that God is still speaking in grace to us. Though we are sinful, we are his people.

“My Servant”

Second, God says, “my servant. . . .” According to the Bible, to be a servant of God is to be in a position of great trust and honor. Abraham was called God’s servant and friend, as also was Moses, Joshua, David, and Jesus.

It is a high privilege to be called God’s servant. By nature we are the servants of the devil. But when God calls us, he liberates us from the devil’s slavery and makes us servants of God. Either we serve the devil or the living God. There is no neutrality.

“Israel”

The third reason is found in the name “Israel.” We read in Genesis 31 how Jacob came to be called Israel. As he was wrestling with God, God touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, which was the source of his strength. As his strength left him, he fell down and began to cling to God and pray. But God’s strength is perfected in our weakness. During Jacob’s moment of great weakness, God gave him the name Israel, which means “prevailing prince.” Jacob became mighty, not by opposing God, but by surrendering to him. In the same way, we are God’s Israel; therefore we need not fear.

“Whom I Have Chosen”

The fourth reason is found in the words, “whom I have chosen.” In the Hebrew it is in the perfect tense, speaking about an irrevocable, finished act.

God elected us in love before we were born, before the creation of the world-yea, from all eternity-and he is not going to change his mind. In spite of all our sins, wickedness, and failures, we are God’s chosen. That is why he tells us, “Don’t be afraid.”

“He Who Made You”

The fifth reason we need not fear is that God himself is our Maker, and, thus, he has an interest in us. So we are told: “he who made you . . . .” This position will never change. As the Maker of Israel, God chose Abraham and formed a nation out of him. If God is our Maker, we need not fear.

God Our Mother

The sixth reason is found in the words: “who formed you in the womb.” God formed us in the womb; in a sense, then, the covenant Lord is also the mother who conceived us and brought us forth. How can he forget and abandon his own child? Psalm 27:10 says that our father and mother may forsake us, but God never will.

In Isaiah 66 God is also pictured as a mother: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem” (v. 13). Fear not!

We Are Jeshurun

The seventh reason is found in verse 2: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.” In the word “Jeshurun,” the ending “un” means “my dear” or “my darling.” It is used to express intense affection. The rest of the word comes from yashar which means “straight” or “righteous.” So Jeshurun means “my darling, the righteous one.”

This illustrates an amazing action on God’s part. Jacob is deceptive, but God can make the crooked straight. So God takes some Jacobs, justifies them, and makes them Jeshuruns. God himself is going to straighten us out!

Calling us Jeshurun signifies the great affection God has for us; it is the name used for Israel within the family of God. I have a name, known only within my family, which was used by my parents and other relatives when they addressed me. In the same way, we who are Christians have a name known only in God’s family. That name is Jeshurun, my darling, the righteous one, and it comes to us in and through God’s own beloved, darling, Righteous One, Jesus Christ.

In Numbers 23:10 Balaam prayed, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!” The Hebrew text uses the word yasharim, “the righteous ones,” in reference to Israel. Balaam did not get what he wanted; he died the death of the wicked. But we are the true yasharim through our Lord Jesus Christ. So Paul writes: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” and “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God (Romans 8:1, 5:1).

God Will Help Us

The eighth reason we need not fear is also found in verse 2: God promises to help his people. Our problem, like that of the people in Isaiah 43, is sin. If we had no sin, we would naturally love God. But despite this, God says, “I will help you.”

In Isaiah 43:28 God tells Israel what he is planning to do because of their sin and guilt: “So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple, and I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.” Yet, all of a sudden, in the next chapter he says, “But now listen, O Jacob, my servant. . . .” Something changed, and now the Lord promises to help his people. The Hebrew word for “help” is used here in the imperfect tense, which means God will help us, not just once, but as long as we need it. We are encouraged to come to him in prayer, for he is ever ready to help us.

What comfort it is to know that the Lord himself will help us! Yes, we need the help of God’s people, but we need God’s help more. Man may or may not be willing to help us, and he may or may not be able to. He may make a great promise to help and then die the next moment. But here the covenant Lord declares, “I will help you.” God is saying, “I will help you when you go and come. I will help you with your studies and work. I will help you with your marriage and your family. I will help you at the time of your death. I will always help you.”

The greatest help God gave us was through the cross of Jesus Christ, where he removed our guilt, wrath, sin, fear, defeat and death. He helped us there and he will continue to help us. Man’s help is uncertain, but God’s is always sure.

The Essence of God’s Help

In Isaiah 43:25 we find a description of the essence of God’s help: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Here Isaiah uses an interesting word- “blots”-which has the meaning of washing something and making it so clean that it glistens. God blots out our sin and our guilt so thoroughly that he remembers it no more. we can stand before him unafraid. And not only are our sins blotted out, but we are clothed in the irreproachable, divine righteousness of Jesus Christ and made fit to come into God’s very presence to worship him. God now receives us and communes with us.

In Isaiah 41:10 God tells us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God’s right hand-the hand he used to defeat Pharaoh and save his people-is coming to our aid. “Hand” stands for the omnipotent power of God. How can we fear?

In Isaiah 41:13 God tells us, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.'” God is saying, “It doesn’t matter what your problem is: I will help you.” We can apply this truth to any situation. When their boat was filling with water, the disciples cried out, “Save us, O Lord!” and Jesus Christ helped them. As Peter was sinking into the waters, he said, “Lord, help me!” and Jesus Christ stretched out his hand to help.

In Isaiah 41:14 God tells us, “Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob.” Whenever someone calls himself a “worm,” he is evaluating himself correctly. God’s promise is only given to worms, not to superstars. “Worms” are those who truly repent. As we read in the beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. . . . blessed are those who mourn. . . . blessed are the meek. . . .” So when God says, “Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel,” he is speaking about me and you. But then he makes a wonderful promise: “For I myself will help you.” God can send angels to help us, and sometimes he does. But, notice, the promise here is not to send angels. “‘I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

In Matthew 15 we find the story of a Canaanite woman whose daughter was demonized. When the woman heard about Jesus Christ and his wonder-working powers, she came to him and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Notice what understanding this woman had. She called Jesus, “Lord, Son of David,” at a time when even many Israelites did not do so.

Trying her faith, the Lord refused to help her, but this woman would not go away. Jesus was her only hope, so she persisted: “The woman came and knelt before him, ‘Lord, help me!'” (15:25) Jesus told her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs,” referring to pet dogs. But notice the humility of this woman! She said to Jesus, in essence, “Yes, I know I don’t deserve anything from you. I know I am just a Gentile ‘dog.’ But even a dog must eat.” Jesus told her, “Don’t be afraid; I will help you” and her daughter was healed right away.

The one who died on the cross is able to help us. He is not helping angels; he is helping us:

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:16-18).

Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” The Lord Jesus Christ secured the grace of God for us; therefore, we can come to him and receive mercy. How often are we cut down because we refused God’s help and trusted in our own strength! But that does not need to happen. God says, “I will help you.”

Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'”

No Need to Fear

We have no need to fear. Yes, we are Jacob-but we are God’s Jacob, God’s servant, Israel, the prince that prevails before God. We are the ones God has chosen, and he is not going to change his mind. We are God’s elect, chosen not for our own merit, but because of God’s own love. God is our maker and our mother, having conceived us and given us birth. We are his, and he is going to take care of us. We are Jeshurun, God’s dear, darling, righteous ones, who became righteous through his beloved, one and only darling Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

So God tells us, “I will help you.” That is God’s guarantee and he cannot lie; every promise in Jesus Christ is “Yes” and “Amen.” Not only does he promise, he fulfills. Therefore, we must not fear.

I pray that God would help us to trust in him! Our God will help us. We are like a desert, in which there is nothing because there is no water. But when water comes, the desert begins to blossom. May God pour out his Holy Spirit upon us to refresh us!

God Pours Out His Spirit

In verse 3 we find the ninth and most important reason that we should not be afraid: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.” God is speaking about pouring his Holy Spirit upon his people.

The first thing we notice here is the generosity of God. “I will pour water” implies floods, not a trickle. God is never stingy. He always gives us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or imagine. What a desert needs most is an abundance of water to cause it to blossom and bloom. (PGM) What God’s elect need most is the water of the Holy Spirit to raise them up from the dead, refresh them, and cause them to flourish.

“As the deer pants for streams of water,” so God’s people must pant after their God (Psalm 42). Notice, we are not told to pant for money, position, or power. We must come to church panting after God, our Savior and Redeemer. I hope we will reject the competitiveness and acquisitiveness of the world and submit to our great, eternal God who has extended his covenant of mercy to us.

God Will Pour Out His Spirit on Our Children

Not only does God promise to pour out his Spirit on us, but he says, “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants” (v. 3).

Parents, if you care for your children, you can be sure that God cares for them even more. So he promises to pour out his Spirit upon them, save them, and make them Jeshuruns, children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. In Acts 2:39 we read that “The promise is for you and your children.” When the jailer of Philippi asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.”

The Holy Spirit Gives Life

Fish must live in water; even so, the people of God must live in their God. God is the environment of his people. Ezekiel 37 speaks about a valley of dry bones. What did these bones need? Life. And when the Spirit of God entered them, they came to life and rose up as the mighty army of God.

Our greatest need is not money, power, health, or wealth. What we need is the Holy Spirit, who alone is the Lord and Giver of life. It is he who regenerates us and gives us a new nature. When this happens, we will repent truly and believe savingly in Jesus Christ. We will be justified, adopted into God’s family, and sanctified. We will seek holiness and live according to the Spirit’s word. We will be able to persevere to the very end. That is why we say God’s Holy Spirit is our real need.

Making the Desert Bloom

Isaiah 35 gives us a picture of the messianic age, when the Spirit of the Lord will be poured out:

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs (vv. 1-7)

We find the same idea in Isaiah 51:3: “The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and sound of singing.”

Psalm 46 uses a similar analogy, speaking of a river that makes glad the city, or people, of God:

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. (vv. 1-5)

God promises to pour out water on the thirsty, floods upon the parched land, and his Spirit upon our descendants. Deserts will blossom until they resemble the garden of Eden. There will be joy and singing, and the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested in our lives.

God’s Promise of Life

When God says, “I will pour out,” this is a guarantee from God himself. It is like receiving a check that we can take to God and say, “You said it, O God; now do it. We are not asking for silver or gold or position or power. We realize our greatest need is the Holy Spirit. Pour your Spirit out upon us, we pray. We believe that since you said it, you will do it.”

As God imparts the Holy Spirit into us, we will begin to bring forth fruit: “They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams” (Isaiah 44:4). Whenever the Spirit of God goes in, life must manifest itself. The psalmist tells us the righteous man “is like a tree planted by streams of waters, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1). In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we read, “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream.” This man’s roots go into the stream of God’s mighty Spirit; they drink and drink and drink. Jeremiah continues, “It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Oh, that is what a charismatic Christian is-fruitful, joyful, and mighty. That is why Paul could say, “We also rejoice in our sufferings.” Jesus is the vine; we are his branches. Why, then, should we fear?

Channels of Blessing

So Isaiah says, “They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” The outpouring of the Spirit means more conversions, more repentance, more faith, more praise, more worship, greater fruit of the Spirit, more power to witness to Jesus Christ, more people coming to worship, and more children saved. The elect sinners of God are making their way to the flowing streams to drink and be refreshed by the gospel. They are looking for water, and they will be satisfied.

God says, “I will pour out floods upon you, and not only upon you, but upon your offspring.” Jesus told us, “Come unto me, those who are thirsty; come unto me and drink, and out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” When God pours out his Spirit upon us, not only are we filled, but we become channels of life-giving water to others.

I pray that the mighty floods from heaven may come upon us, that we may be streams of living water in this world! In Acts 2 we read that as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance. What were they speaking about? The wonders of God. There we see the Spirit and the word. Where there is Spirit, God’s word is always present; we can never separate the two. So the apostle declared the gospel with power and wisdom; sinners were cut to the heart and cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?”; and the answer came: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:37-39). And despite all persecution, the church boldly witnessed to Christ, and the word of God grew and multiplied.

“I Am the Lord’s”

Our descendants, God says, will spring up as a manifestation of spiritual life: “One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel” (v. 5). “I belong to the Lord! I am my Beloved’s and he is mine!” will be the bold, individual, public confessions brought about by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians 12:3 Paul says, “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit comes into a person, regenerating him and giving him saving faith, he will make this confession: “I am the Lord’s.” In the words of Philip Doddridge’s hymn, “‘Tis done! the great transaction’s done! I am my Lord’s, and he is mine; he drew me, and I followed on, charmed to confess the voice divine.”

This idea of individuals trusting in Jesus Christ and confessing publicly that they belong to the Lord is clearly set forth in Psalm 87:

“I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me-Philistia too and Tyre, along with Cush-and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.'” Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion” (vv. 4-6).

The Spirit and the Word

Isaiah 59:20-21 tells us, “‘The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,’ declares the Lord. ‘As for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit, who is on you. . . .'” This is a reference to the Messiah because the word “you” is singular in Hebrew. So God says, “‘My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,’ says the Lord.”

Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke. Now all who belong to him are filled with the Holy Spirit, and he causes us to speak. So we read, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy . . .” (Acts 2:17). When God pours out his Holy Spirit, we cannot help but declare the glories of God: “The people I formed for myself . . . may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43:21).

The greatest privilege in the world is to belong to Jesus Christ and be able to say, “I am the Lord’s.” And not only do we belong to the Lord, but in Isaiah 44:5 we read, “Another will call himself by the name of Jacob.” So we also associate ourselves with Jacob, who stands for the people of God, the church. There is no solo Christianity-no “I and Jesus”-seen here. If we say, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” and “I belong to the Lord,” we are also saying, “The people of God are my people and I belong with them.” The idea here is that the individual believer joins the church, and calls himself by the name of Jacob, having become a part of the covenant community. It is of such people that we read in Isaiah 2:3 saying to each other, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” As these Gentiles were getting converted, they telling each other, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

In 1 John 1:3 the apostle tells us, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” When we say, “Jesus is Lord,” we are also saying, “His people are my people.” We echo Ruth’s words to Naomi: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried” (Ruth 1:16). How wonderful it is to belong to God’s holy community!

Application

What are the practical implications of God’s promise to pour out his Spirit upon his people?

First, in order to receive this mighty effusion of the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge, “God, I am dry, parched, weary, weak, and powerless. I have no joy or power. I cannot overcome temptation.” We must go to God and say, “This is what I am, O God. Have mercy on me!”

Second, we must pray for this most needed Holy Spirit. According to Luke 11, God says, “Ask me, and I will give you the Holy Spirit.” We must ask!

Third, if we pray to God based on his own promise, we must expect him to fulfill it. Wait for God to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may flourish like grass and like poplar trees by the streams.

Fourth, we must serve the Lord. This is very important. While we are working for the Lord, we will find God working with us. When we work for God, we can look for and expect a manifestation of the Spirit’s life in the conversion of others, including our own children, bringing about an increase in the church. May God, therefore, pour out his Spirit upon us all today! Amen.