Isaiah 7:9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe… These words furnish us with a warning and an encouragement. I. GOD DESERVES TO BE BELIEVED. 1. He is God; and being God, He cannot lie. 2. His Word always has been true. 3. He has no motive for being untrue. 4. The honour of God is involved in His veracity. 5. Suppose even for a moment that we could not trust in the truthfulness of God, what would be left for us to trust to? When rocks move, what stands firm? II. SOME ARE NOT WILLING TO BELIEVE GOD. That is clear by the fear expressed in the text: "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established." Believing is a matter of the will. God's grace works faith, not upon us, but in us. God works in us to will and to do; and in the willing He leads us up to believing. We voluntarily believe; and certainly men voluntarily disbelieve. Why is this, this strange unwillingness of some men, nay, in a sense of all men, to believe in God? 1. They are willing to believe other things. 2. Another thing is significant, that men cling tenaciously to faith in themselves. 3. Instead of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, some prefer an emotional religion. 4. Some stubbornly suffer under unbelief. 5. I notice, too, that such people demand this and that of God, beyond what He has revealed. III. FAITH IS NOT A THING TO BE DESPISED. Have you never heard people say, "Oh, they preach up faith, you know"? "Well, what is faith?" "Well, it is just believing so-and-so." Faith is a most wonderful thing, for — 1. It is a fair index of the heart. 2. A sure proof of a change of mind. 3. It inaugurates purity of life. 4. It is faith that leads to prayer, and prayer is the very breath of God in man. 5. It is faith that glorifies God. IV. THOSE WHO REFUSE TO EXERCISE FAITH WILL MISS MANY GREAT PRIVILEGES. I might mention many, but the text gives us the one which I will dwell upon: "If ye will not believe, surely he shall not be established." 1. It means, first, that those who believe not will miss establishment in comfort. 2. Ye shall never enjoy establishment in judgment. There are many persons who do not know what to believe; they heard one man the other day, and they thought that he spoke very cleverly, and they agreed with him. They heard another the next day, who was rather more clever, and he went the other way, so they went with him. Poor souls, driven to and fro, never knowing what is what! "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established"; you shall be like the moon, that is never two days alike; you shall seem to believe this, and to believe that, and yet really believe nothing. 3. Next, we want an establishment in conduct. 4. So it is also with establishment in hope. 5. We want to be established in spiritual vigour and strength. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. |
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