Jesus was the arm of the lord

JESUS WAS THE ARM OF THE LORD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Isaiah51:9 9Awake, awake, arm of the LORD, clothe
yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as
in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahabto
pieces, who pierced that monster through?
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Arm Of Jehovah
Isaiah51:9-11
E. Johnson
Either the people callon Jehovah, or he is concernedas calling on himself to
awake androuse up his might for the defence of his people as in the days of
old,
I. THE ARM OF JEHOVAH AS SYMBOLIC OF HIS POWER. It is the
symbol of spiritual power opposedto that of darkness, death, the under-
world, He is saidto have "smitten Rahab, and wounded the dragon."
Commonly this has been understood of Egypt, but the reference seems to be
more general. It was in ancient thought, generally, the property of a god to be

the slayerof monsters, who all of them representhellish influences. It is
spiritual power opposedto worldly violence. He had dried up the sea, the
waters of the greatdeep, and made therein a way for the releasedto pass over.
Egypt was the dark historic memory of the people. Its king might well be
compared with the fiendish monster of darkness (Ezekiel29:3; Ezekiel32:2;
Psalm34:13, 14). And so the passage ofthe Red Sea was the standing symbol
of deliverance, of redemption (see Psalm105). And in our own hymns and
sacredallusions Egypt stands for the bondage of sin, the captivity of the mind
to sense, to the devil. And the passing over the Red Sea may be fitly symbolic
of salvationby grace, ofregenerationor conversion. The argument is from the
past to the future. The God who had overcome all obstacles inthe way of their
deliverance from Egypt was able to overcome all obstacles in the way of their
deliverance from Babylon. He might be expectedagainto manifest his mercy,
and save the nation from oppression. And so, in general, the argument holds
goodfor the Church and for the individual: "Becausethou hast been my
Refuge, under the shadow of thy wings I will put my trust." The principle is
ever applicable. All God's past interpositions on behalf of his people constitute
an argument that he will continue to regard them.
II. THE FUTURE SEEN BY THE LIGHT OF THE PAST.
1. The ransomed of Jehovahshall return. The power that lies in the word
"redeemed," "ransomed!All the notions of love, sacrifice, purchase, thatare
connectedwith it! The assurancethat flows from the realizationof such a
state!God will not desert; he cannot lose those whom he has made by so many
ties his own.
2. The joy of the return. "The custom of singing on a journey is still common
in the East. It relieves the tediousness ofa journey over extended plains, and
stirs the camels to greaterspeed. So the long tedium of the way from Babylon
shall be cheeredby songs expressive ofgladness and praise." "We are
travelling home to God. We are under the guidance of a goodPastor, who
goes before, who knows his sheep;of a Leaderof salvationwho has released
his people, and will crown his work el' redemption by glorification.
Then let our songs abound,

And every tear be dry." We are on the way to new releasesand fresh
redemptions from ill. - J.
Biblical Illustrator
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.
Isaiah51:9, 10
The awaking ofZion
A. Maclaren, D.D.
(with Isaiah 52:1 (a)): — Both these verses are, I think, to be regardedas
spokenby one voice, that of the Servant of the Lord. In the one, as Priest and
Intercessor, He lifts the prayers of earth to heaven in His own holy hands —
and in the other, as Messengerand Word of God, He brings the answerand
command of heavento earth on His own authoritative lips — thus setting
forth the deep mystery of His personand double office as mediator between
man and God. But even if we setaside that thought the correspondence and
relation of the two passagesremainthe same. In any case theyare
intentionally parallel in form and connectedin substance. The latter is the
answerto the former. The cry of Zion is respondedto by the call of God. The
awaking ofthe arm of the Lord is followedby the awaking ofthe Church. He
puts on strength in clothing us with His might, which becomes ours.
I. We have here a common principle underlying both the clauses, namely,
THE OCCURRENCEIN THE CHURCH'S HISTORY OF SUCCESSIVE
PERIODS OF ENERGYAND OF LANGUOR. It is freely admitted that such
alternation is not the highest ideal of growth, either in the individual or in the
community. Our Lord's own parables set forth a more excellentway — the
way of uninterrupted increase. So might our growth be, if the mysterious life
in the seedmet no checks.But, as a matter of fact, the Church has not thus
grown. Rather, at the best, its emblem is to be lookedfor, not in corn but in
the foresttree — the very rings in whose trunk tell of recurring seasons when
the saphas risen at the callof spring, and sunk againbefore the frowns of

winter. In our own hearts we have known such times. And we have seena like
palsy smite whole regions and ages ofthe Church of God. Where is the joyful
buoyancy and expansive powerwith which the Gospelburst into the world?
If, then, there be such recurring seasons oflanguor, they must either go on
deepening till sleepbecomes death, or they must be broken by a new outburst
of vigorous life. And it is by such times that the Kingdom of Christ always has
grown. Its history has been one of successive impulses gradually exhausted, as
by friction and gravity, and mercifully repeatedjust at the moment when it
was ceasing to advance and had begun to slide downwards.
II. THE TWOFOLD EXPLANATION OF THESE VARIATIONS. That bold
metaphor of God sleeping and waking is often found in Scripture, and
generallyexpresses the contrastbetweenthe long years of patient
forbearance, during which evil things and evil men go on their rebellious road
uncheckedbut by Love, and the dread moment when some throne of iniquity
is smitten to the dust. Such is the original application of the expressionhere.
But the contrastmay fairly be widened beyond that specific form of it, and
takento express any apparent variations in the forth-putting of His power.
We may, then, see here implied the cause ofthese alternations on its Divine
side, and then, in the corresponding verse addressedto the Church, the cause
on the human side.
1. As to the former. We have to distinguish betweenthe power, and what Paul
calls "the might of the power." The one is final, constant, unchangeable. It
does not necessarilyfollow that the other is. The rate of operation, so to speak,
and the amount of energy actually brought into play may vary, though the
force remains the same.
2. Our secondtext tells us that if God's arm seems to slumber, and really does
so, it is because Zion sleeps. He works through us; and we have the solemn
and awful power of checking the might which would flow through us.
III. THE BEGINNING OF ALL AWAKING IS THE CHURCH'S EARNEST
CRY TO GOD. It is with us as with infants, the first sign of whose awaking is
a cry. For every such stirring of quickened religious life must needs have in it
bitter penitence and pain at the discovery flashedupon us of the wretched

deadness of our past. Nor is Zion s cry to God only the beginning and sign of
all true awaking;it is also the condition and indispensable precursorof all
perfecting of recoveryfrom spiritual languor. Look at the passionate
earnestnessofit — and see to it that our drowsyprayers be like it. Look at the
grand confidence with which it founds itself on the past, recounting the
mighty deeds of ancient days, and looking back, not for despair, but for joyful
confidence on the generations ofold; and let our faint-hearted faith be
quickened by the example, to expectgreatthings of God.
IV. THE ANSWERING CALL FROM GOD TO ZION. Our truest prayers
are but the echo of God's promises. God's best answers are the echo of our
prayers. As in two mirrors setopposite to eachother, the same image is
repeatedover and over again, the reflection of a reflection, so here, within the
prayer, gleams an earlier promise, within the answeris mirrored the prayer.
And in that reverberation, and giving back to us of our petition transformed
into a command, we are not to see a dismissal of it as if we had
misapprehended our true want. The very opposite interpretation is the true
one. The prayer of Zion is heard and answered. Godawakes, andclothes
Himself with might. Then, as some warrior king, himself roused from sleep
and girded with flashing steel, bids the clarion sound through the grey twilight
to summon the prostrate ranks that lie round his tent, so the sign of God's
awaking and the first act of His conquering might is this trumpet call — "The
night is far spent, the day is at hand" — "put off the works of darkness," the
night gearthat was fit for slumber — "and put on the armour of light," the
mail of purity that gleams and glitters even in the dim dawn. Nor is it to be
forgottenthat this, like all God s commands, carries in its heart a promise.
But the main point which I would insist on is the practicaldiscipline which
this Divine summons requires from us.
1. The chief means of quickened life and strength is deepened communion
with Christ.
2. This summons calls us to the faithful use of the power which, on condition
of that communion, we have. So, let us confidently look for times of blessing,
penitently acknowledgethat our own faithlessness has hindered the arm of the
Lord, earnestlybeseechHim to come in His rejoicing strength, and, drawing

ever fresh powerfrom constantcommunion with our dear Lord, use it to its
last drop for Him.
(A. Maclaren, D.D.)
The Church s cry and the Divine answer
A. Rowland, LL. B.
(with Isaiah 52:1): —
I. THE CHURCH'S CALL ON GOD. "Awake, awake,O arm of the Lord."
1. The figure used here is simple enough. The "arm" is a natural symbol of
power, for it is through it that we execute our purpose. If it is benumbed,
insensitive, and motionless, we say that it is asleep;but when it is stretched out
for actionit is awake. And what the prophet pleads for is that some display of
Divine powermight be granted, such as had once been seenin Egypt, when
"Rahab" (the fierce and boastful power of heathenism) had been broken in
pieces and "the dragon" (or rather the crocodile, the recognizedsymbol of
Egypt) had been sorely wounded. Now, the uses to which we put our arm may,
any of them, suggestthe actions to which we would summon our God in
earnestprayer. The arm of the warrior bears the shield which protects his
own body and those of weak and wounded friends lying at his feet; and we
want such overshadowing protectionagainstthe fiery darts of the wicked. The
arm is naturally outstretched to point the wayto one who is ignorant and
bewildered, and when we are perplexed as to doctrine or duty, we find it is not
a vain thing to pray: "Teachme Thy way, O Lord." What is needed now, as of
old, is the realization and the manifestation of the presence of God in the
Personof Christ, His Son; so that now there may come about a true revival of
religion, a living, unshakable belief that God is amongstHis people of a truth.
If only He reveals Himself in and through His Church, sin will be conquered
and the world redeemed.
2. The necessityfor this prayer arises from the fact that the work which lies
before us as Christian Churches cannot be done by human power.

II. GOD'S CALL UPON THE CHURCH. "Awake, awake;put on thy
strength, O Zion," etc.. God never does for His people what they cando for
themselves.
1. The Church is called upon to arouse from slumber — and whether it is the
result of despondency, or of indolence, sleepmust be shakenoff.
2. The Church is also to endue herself with strength, to resume courage, and
renew effort with a fresh sense ofher responsibility.
3. But let us be thankful that there is room in God's heart for quieter service.
They who fail to put on strength, canat leastput on the. "beautiful garments"
of holiness;and although these should endue the most active worker, they can
transform into a saintly witness the solitary sufferer.
4. The Church is summoned here to consecrateherselfanew to God. She is
representedas a female captive in degrading servitude, whose hour of
deliverance has come, and who is to shake herselffree from the bands which
have held her, and rejoice in new found liberty. It is not only sin which holds
the Church in bondage, but sometimes formalism and ceremonialism, and we
must beware, lest, with our love for order, we become thereby crippled and
hindered. Let us be ready to make any change of mode or organization, to cast
off any prejudices, if they prevent successfulwhole-heartedservice for our
God, and let us regard this as a time for renewedconsecrationto Him, to
whom we owe ourselves, ourtime, our all.
(A. Rowland, LL. B.)
The arm of the Lord invoked
J. Parsons.
I. EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS TO WHICH THE INVOCATION IS
ADDRESSED. "O arm of the Lord."
II. THE OBJECTSWHICH THIS INVOCATION INVOLVES. "Awake,
awake,"etc. It is an earnestapplication on the part of the prophet, that God

would come forth as He had done in former periods. We may refer to a
number of greatevents, of which the people of old could scarcelyform an
idea. We remember what God did in the fulness of time when He sent His Son
into the world to restore mankind. We remember what He did on the hill of
Calvary. We remember what He did when He "raisedHim up from the dead,
and setHim on His own right hand, and gave Him to be head over all things
to the Church." We remember what He did on the Pentecostalday, when He
sent down His Holy Spirit. After allusion has thus been made to the former
displays of the Divine power, there is an evident contrastas to what was the
state of things in the prophet's day. There seemedto be a suspensionof this
energy; the heritage of God was wasted, His truth was insulted, His worship
was slighted, His requirements were contemned. And what is it we want? We
want His powerto accompanythe preaching of the Word. It must be
remembered that there is no manifestationof the Divine powerso glorious as
that which is seenin the extensionof the Gospel, and its poweron the souls of
men.
III. THE ENCOURAGEMENTSWE HAVE TO BELIEVE THE
INVOCATION SHALL BE FULFILLED.
1. Considerthe care of God overthe Church in past ages ofthe world.
2. From the characterofGod as the hearerand answererof prayer.
3. From the nature of the promises recordedin the sacredpages.
(J. Parsons.)
Prayer for national prosperity
J. Witherspoon, D.D.
I. THE IMPORT OF THIS PRAYER. "Awake, awake,put on strength, O
arm of the Lord!" In generalsucha petition as this suggests to us that our
prayers for Divine interposition and deliverance from public calamities should
be supremely directed to the glory of God. A just regardto the glory of God in
our prayers implies the two following things:

1. That we expect deliverance from God alone, desire that it may be attended
with such circumstances as His hand and powermay be seenin it, and are
willing to acknowledge Him as the supreme and only Author of it.
2. We ought also to pray for a dispensation of His grace and mercy that a
revival of religion may accompanytemporal relief.
(1)We have no warrant to ask the last of these without the first.
(2)We have no reasonto expectthat it will be separatelybestowed.
(3)If it should, in any degree, it would not he a blessing but a curse.
II. THE ENCOURAGEMENTTO PRAYER. "Awake as in the ancient days,
as in the generations ofold," etc. The prophet animates his faith, and
encourageshis own dependence, and that of others, upon the promises of God,
by celebrating the greatness ofHis power, as manifested in former memorable
deliverances grantedto His chosenpeople. Considerthe effectof such a view
upon the mind, and its influence in prayer.
1. It satisfies us of the powerof God, and His ability to save.
2. The same view serves to ascertainus of the mercy of God, and His readiness
to help us in distress.
III. APPLY THE TRUTHS on this subjectto our own present situation as to
public affairs. Let us remember that we serve an unchangeable God.
(J. Witherspoon, D.D.)
Christ the arm of God
N. Schenck, D.D.
Christ is here calledthe arm of the Lord. The arm of the Lord means God in
action. The grand purposes of redemption, conceivedin eternity, were dead
thought, if lawful so to speak, in the mind of God, until they were revealed in
Christ, the executorof the thoughts of the Godhead. Christ was ever calledthe
Logos, the expressionof Divinity. When the hand is spokenofin the Bible, it

means the exactworking of Godin nature, providence and grace. The arm is
that which sends the hand into action. "The outstretched arm" is the far-
reaching power of God. By the right hand or arm of God we are to
understand a more specialand dazzling display of God's power. In all
instances the hand or arm of God means Christ. The prophet appeals to the
past, "Awake, as in the ancient days," etc. In the context he looks to the future
and catches glimpses ofthe glory of the Advent, and he cries, It is the arm of
God! The text is an invocation for Christ to come in the Advent. This arm of
God is the revelation—
I. OF GOD'S GLORY.
II. OF HIS SAVING POWER. It is an arm that can reacheverywhere. There
is no height so high or depth so deep as to be beyond its reachto save.
III. A UNIVERSAL REVELATION OF GOD. It means the revealing of God
in creation, in providence, in redemption, in the family in the closet, in the
soul, in death, at the judgment, in eternity, where it will secure the eternal
triumph of those whose faith will then merge into sight. Conclusion:
1. What are your relations to this arm of God? Has it been to you only an
objectof wonderas the bow in the clouds, or has it been an arm bared to the
shoulder, entwined about you, filled with a vitality which it imparted to you as
it defended and lifted you?
2. Have you thought what this arm hath wrought for you? How it suffered
itself to De shorn of its strength that you might be strong!
3. Have you not thought of the final triumph of that arm?
(N. Schenck, D.D.)
Thy strength! my strength
J. H. Jowett, M.A.
(with Isaiah 52:1): —

1. Everything seemedto have gone againstthe exile. Life had no longerfor
him a programme, but only a retrospect;no longer a radiant hope, but only a
fading reminiscence;no longeran alluring vision, but only a distinguished
history. Here he lay in captivity; the songs ofZion had fled from his lips, and
his mouth was filled with wailing and complaint. "The Lord hath forsaken
me, and my Lord hath forgottenme." "Where is He that brought us up out of
the sea with the Shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put His Holy Spirit
within us?" And now and againthe exile half-turned himself in angry,
hopeless cry, "Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens, that Thou,, wouldst
come down!" And againhe relapsedinto the low and cheerlees moan:"My
Lord hath forgottenme." And yet again he pierced the heaven with his
searching supplication: "Awake, awake, put on Thy strength, O arm of the
Lord, as in the ancient days, in the generations ofold.
2. What will be the Lord's reply to the cry of the exile? Here it is: "Awake,
awake, put on thy strength, O Zion!" The Divine response is a sharp retort.
"It is not thy God who sleepeth!It is thou thyself who art wrapt about in a
sluggishand consuming indolence!Thou art crying out for more strength; but
what of the strength thou hast? Thy trumpet is silent, and thine armour is
rusting upon the walls! Thou art like a vagrant asking for help, when thou
hast a full purse hidden betweenthe covers of an idle bed! Thou art pleading
for reinforcements, and thy soldiers are on the couch! Thy prayer is the
supplication of a man who is not doing his best! Clothe thyself in thy present
powers, consecratethine all to the purpose of thy prayer, and stand forth in
battle array." I need not say that there is nothing in the Lord s response
which disparages the ministry of prayer. It does, however, tend to put prayer
in its right place, and to give a true apprehension of its purpose and ministry.
Prayer is not a talisman, to be used as an easysubstitute for our activity and
vigilance. Prayer is a ministry in which our own powers canbe quickenedinto
more vigorous and healthy service. Godhas given us certain endowments.
Certain talents are part of our original equipment. We are possessedof
powers of judgment, of initiative, of sympathy; and the primary implication of
all successfulprayer is that these powers are willingly placed upon the altar of
sacrifice. Any prayer is idle when these powers are indolent. We too
frequently pray to be carried like logs, and it is the Lord's will that we should

contend like men! The principle is this — our "strength" must back our
supplications. Is the backing always present?(1)Take the matter of our
personalsalvation. Every one is conscious how immature he is in the Divine
life. we know how dim is our spiritual discernment. We know how few and
infrequent are our brilliant conquests, and how many and common are our
shameful defeats. And againand againwe supplicate the Almighty: "Awake,
awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord!" Is it possible that the response of
the Lord, may be the retort of the olden days: "Awake, awake, put on thy
strength, O Zion"? We are so prone to divide the old psalmist's counsel, and
to pay heed to one part and to ignore the other. "Bring unto the Lord glory!"
And so we do! We bring our glorias, our doxologies,our hymns, and our
anthems, and we do well, but it is a maimed and lifeless offering if, with the
glory, we do not bring our strength. "Bring unto the Lord glory and
strength!" It is in this lacking of strength in our personalreligion that we are
so woefully deficient. We need to bring to our religion more strength of
common-sense — more inventiveness, more fertility of ideas, more purpose,
more steady and methodical persistence. And we need to bring a more
commanding strength of will. So many of us would like to be saints without
becoming soldiers, and the desire cannever be attained. Let me tell you a
story. Two little "girls" in the same class, one at the top and, the other at the
bottom. The one at the bottom consults the one at the top. "How is it that you
are always atthe top of the class?""Oh, I ask Jesus to help me!" "ThenI will
do the same," saidthe undistinguished member, and she forthwith put the
counselinto practice. Nextday their relative positions were unaltered, one at
the top, and the other at the bottom. The consultation is renewed. "I thought
you said that Jesus would help me, and here I am at the bottom again!"
"Well, so He will, but how long did you work?" "Oh, I never openeda
book!"(2)Take the matter of the salvationof the home. We have interceded
for our little ones at the throne of grace. Are we putting our "strength" into
the salvationof the home? I do not know a better pattern of a home than
Charles Kingsley's, but he brought his strength to its creation. It was a home
whose moral atmosphere was like the air on Alpine heights, home in which, in
all perplexities, the only referendum was the Lord Himself, a home all of
whose ministries were clothed in grace and beauty. I shall never forget
hearing a long conversationbetweentwo men, one of whom had inquired of

the other the size of his family. "I have ten," he said. "Whata responsibility!"
replied the other. To which there came at once the glad response:"And what
a privilege, for they are all workers on the side of God."(3)There is the matter
of socialredemption. How often have we prayed for the city: "Awake, awake,
lint on strength, O arm of the Lord!" And still, I think, there comes the Divine
retort, "Put on thy strength, O Zion!" We abuse the privilege of prayer when
we make it a minister of personalevasionand neglect. Thatis my message.
There is no true prayer without a full consecration.
(J. H. Jowett, M.A.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(9) Awake, awake.—Whois the speakerthatthus bursts into this grand
apostrophe? (1) The redeemed and ideal Israel, or (2) the Servant of the Lord,
or (3) the prophet, or (4) Jehovah, as in self-communing, after the manner of
men, like that of Deborah in Judges 5:12. On the whole the first seems the
preferable view; but the loftiness of poetry, perhaps, transcends all such
distinctions. The appeal is, in any case, to the greatdeeds of God in the past,
as the pledge and earnestof yet greaterin the future. “Rahab,” as in Isaiah
30:7, Psalm89:10, is Egypt; and the “dragon,” like “leviathan” in Psalm
74:13, stands for Pharaoh. (Comp. Ezekiel29:3.) Cheyne quotes from
Bunsen’s “Egypt,” vol. vi., an invocation to the godRa, from the Egyptian
Book ofthe Dead, “Hail, thou who hastcut in pieces the scornerand strangled
the Apophis (sc. the evil serpent),” as a striking parallel.
MacLaren's Expositions
Isaiah

THE AWAKENING OF ZION
Isaiah51:9. - Isaiah52:1.
Both these verses are, I think, to be regarded as spokenby one voice, that of
the Servantof the Lord. His majestic figure, wrapped in a light veil of
obscurity, fills the eye in all these later prophecies of Isaiah. It is sometimes
clothed with divine power, sometimes girded with the towelof human
weakness,sometimes appearing like the collective Israel, sometimes plainly a
single person.
We have no difficulty in solving the riddle of the prophecy by the light of
history. Our faith knows One who unites these diverse characteristics, being
God and man, being the Saviour of the body, which is part of Himself and
instinct with His life. If we may suppose that He speaks in both verses of the
text, then, in the one, as priest and intercessor, He lifts the prayers of earth to
heaven in His ownholy hands-and in the other, as messengerand Word of
God, He brings the answerand command of heaven to earth on His own
authoritative lips-thus setting forth the deep mystery of His personand double
office as mediator betweenman and God. But even if we put aside that
thought, the correspondence andrelation of the two passagesremainthe
same. In any case they are intentionally parallelin form and connectedin
substance. The latter is the answerto the former. The cry of Zion is responded
to by the call of God. The awaking of the arm of the Lord is followedby the
awaking ofthe Church. He puts on strength in clothing us with His might,
which becomes ours.
The mere juxtaposition of these verses suggests the point of view from which I
wish to treat them on this occasion. Ihope that the thoughts to which they

lead may help to further that quickened earnestnessand expectancyof
blessing, without which Christian work is a toil and a failure.
We have here a common principle underlying both the clauses ofour text, to
which I must first briefly ask attention, namely-
I. The occurrence in the Church’s history of successive periods of energy and
of languor.
It is freely admitted that such alternationis not the highest ideal of growth,
either in the individual or in the community. Our Lord’s own parables set
forth a more excellentway-the way of uninterrupted increase, whereofthe
type is the springing corn, which puts forth ‘first the blade, then the ear, after
that the full corn in the ear,’and passes through all the stagesfrom the tender
greenspikelets that gleam over the fields in the spring-tide to the yellow
abundance of autumn, in one unbroken season ofgenialmonths. So would our
growth be best, healthiest, happiest. So might our growth be, if the mysterious
life in the seedmet no checks. But, as a matter of fact, the Church has not thus
grown. Rather at the best, its emblem is to be lookedfor, not in corn, but in
the foresttree-the very rings in whose trunk tell of recurring seasonswhenthe
sap has risen at the call of spring, and sunk againbefore the frowns of winter.
I have not to do now with the causesofthis. These will fall to be considered
presently. Nor am I saying that such a manner of growth is inevitable. I am
only pointing out a fact, capable of easyverification and familiar to us all. Our
years have had summer and winter. The evening and the morning have
completed all the days since the first.
We all know it only too well. In our own hearts we have known such times,
when some cold clinging mist wrapped us round and hid all the heaven of
God’s love and the starry lights of His truth; when the visible was the only

real, and He seemedfar awayand shadowy;when there was neither
confidence in our belief, nor heat in our love, nor enthusiasm in our service;
when the shacklesofconventionalismbound our souls, and the fetters of the
frost imprisoned all their springs. And we have seena like palsy smite whole
regions and ages ofthe Church of God, so that even the sensationof
impotence was deadlike all the rest, and the very tradition of spiritual power
had faded away. I need not point to the signal historicalexamples of such
times in the past. RememberEngland a hundred years ago-but what need to
travel so far? May I venture to draw my example from nearer home, and ask,
have we not been living in such an epoch? I beseechyou, think whether the
powerwhich the Gospelpreachedby us wields on ourselves, onour churches,
on the world, is what Christ meant it and fitted to exercise. Why, if we hold
our own in respectto the material growth of our population, it is as much as
we do. Where is the joyful buoyancy and expansive powerwith which the
Gospelburst into the world? It looks like some stream that leaps from the
hills, and at first hurries from cliff to cliff full of light and music, but flows
slowerand more sluggishas it advances, and at lastalmost stagnates in its flat
marshes. Here we are with all our machinery, our culture, money,
organisations-andthe net result of it all at the year’s end is but a poor handful
of ears. ‘Ye sow much and bring home little.’ Well may we take up the wail of
the old Psalm, ‘We see not our signs. There is no more any prophet; neither is
there any among us that knowethhow long-arise, O Lord, plead Thine own
cause.’
If, then, there are such recurring seasons oflanguor, they must either go on
of vigorous life. It would be better if we did not need the latter. The
uninterrupted growthwould be best; but if that has not been attained, then
the ending of winter by spring, and the suppling of the dry branches, and the
resumption of the arrestedgrowth, is the next best, and the only alternative to
rotting away.

And it is by such times that the Kingdom of Christ always has grown. Its
history has been one of successive impulses gradually exhausted, as by friction
and gravity, and mercifully repeatedjust at the moment when it was ceasing
to advance and had begun to slide backwards. And in such a manner of
progress, the Church’s history has been in full analogywith that of all other
forms of human associationand activity. It is not in religion alone that there
are ‘revivals,’ to use the word of which some people have such a dread. You
see analogousphenomena in the field of literature, arts, socialand political
life. In them all, there come times of awakenedinterestin long-neglected
principles. Truths which for many years had been left to burn unheeded, save
by a faithful few watchers ofthe beacon, flame up all at once as the guiding
pillars of a nation’s march, and a whole people strike their tents and follow
where they lead. A mysterious quickening thrills through society. A contagion
of enthusiasm spreads like fire, fusing all hearts in one. The air is electric with
change. Some greatadvance is securedat a stride; and before and after that
supreme effort are years of comparative quiescence;those before being times
of preparation, those after being times of fruition and exhaustion-but slow
and languid comparedwith the joyous energy of that moment. One day may
be as a thousand years in the history of a people, and a nation may be born in
a day.
So also is the history of the Church. And thank God it is so, for if it had not
been for the dawning of these times of refreshing, the steadyoperation of the
Church’s worldliness would have killed it long ago.
Surely, dear brethren, we ought to desire such a merciful interruption of the
sad continuity of our languor and decay. The surestsign of its coming would
be a widespreaddesire and expectationof its coming, joined with a penitent
consciousnessofour heavy and sinful slumber. Forwe believe in a God who
never sends mouths but He sends meat to fill them, and in whose merciful
providence every desire is a prophecy of its ownfruition. This attitude of
quickened anticipation, diffusing itself silently through many hearts, is like

the light air that springs up before sunrise, or like the solemnhush that holds
all nature listening before the voice of the Lord in the thunder.
And another sign of its approach is the extremity of the need. ‘If winter come,
can spring be far behind?’ For He who is always with Zion strikes in with His
help when the want is at its sorest. His ‘right early’ is often the latestmoment
before destruction. And though we are all apt to exaggeratethe urgency of the
hour and the severity of our conflict, it certainly does seemthat, whether we
regard the languor of the Church or the strength of our adversaries, succour
delayed a little longerwould be succourtoo late. ‘The tumult of those that rise
up againstThee increasethcontinually. It is time for Thee to work.’
The juxtaposition of these passagessuggestsforus-
II. The twofold explanation of these variations.
That bold metaphor of God’s sleeping and waking is often found in Scripture,
and generallyexpresses the contrastbetweenthe long years of patient
uncheckedbut by Love, and the dread moment when some throne of iniquity,
some Babylon cemented by blood, is smitten to the dust. Such is the original
application of the expressionhere. But the contrastmay fairly be widened
beyond that specific form of it, and taken to express any apparent variations
in the forth-putting of His power. The prophet carefully avoids seeming to
suggestthat there are changes in GodHimself. It is not He but His arm, that is
to say. His active energy, that is invoked to awake.The captive Church prays
that the dormant might which could so easilyshiver her prison-house would
flame forth into action.

We may, then, see here implied the cause ofthese alternations, of which we
have been speaking, onits divine side, and then, in the corresponding verse
addressedto the Church, the cause on the human side.
As to the former, it is true that God’s arm sometimes slumbers, and is not
clothed with power. There are, as a fact, apparent variations in the energy
with which He works in the Church and in the world. And they are real
variations, not merely apparent. But we have to distinguish betweenthe
power, and what Paul calls ‘the might of the power.’The one is final,
constant, unchangeable. It does not necessarilyfollow that the other is. The
rate of operation, so to speak, andthe amount of energy actually brought into
play may vary, though the force remains the same.
It is clearfrom experience that there are these variations; and the only
question with which we are concernedis, are they mere arbitrary jets and
spurts of a divine power, sometimes gushing out in full flood, sometimes
trickling in painful drops, at the unknown will of the unseen hand which
controls the flow? Is the ‘law of the Spirit of life’ at all revealedto us; or are
the reasons occult, if there be any reasons atall other than a mere will that it
shall be so? Surely, whilst we never can know all the depths of His counsels
and all the solemnconcourse ofreasons which, to speak in man’s language,
determine the energy of His manifestedpower, He has left us in no doubt that
this is the weightiestpart of the law which it follows-the might with which
God works on the world through His Church varies according to the
Church’s receptiveness and faithfulness.
Our secondtext tells us that if God’s arm seems to slumber and really does so,
it is because Zion sleeps. In itself that immortal energyknows no variableness.
‘He fainteth not, neither is weary.’‘The Lord’s arm is not shortened that He
cannot save.’‘He that keepethIsraelshall neither slumber nor sleep.’But He
works through us; and we have the solemnand awful powerof checking the

might which would flow through us; of restraining and limiting the Holy One
of Israel. It avails nothing that the oceanstretches shorelessto the horizon; a
jar canhold only a jarful. The receiver’s capacitydetermines the amount
received, and the receiver’s desire determines his capacity. The law has ever
been, ‘according to your faith be it unto you.’ God gives as much as we will, as
much as we can hold, as much as we use, and far more than we deserve. As
long as we will bring our vessels the golden oil will flow, and after the last is
filled, there yet remains more that we might have had, if we could have held it,
and might have held if we would. ‘Ye are not straitenedin Me, ye are
straitened in yourselves.’
So, dear brethren, if we have to lament times of torpor and small success, let
us be honestwith ourselves, and recognise thatall the blame lies with us. If
God’s arm seems to slumber, it is because we are asleep. His power is
invariable, and the Gospelwhich is committed to our trust has lost none of its
ancient power, whatsoevermen may say. If there be variations, they cannotbe
tracedto the divine element in the Church, which in itself is constant, but
altogetherto the human, which shifts and fluctuates, as we only too sadly
know. The light in the beacon-toweris steady, and the same;but the beam it
throws acrossthe waters sometimes fades to a speck, and sometimes flames
out clearand far across the heaving waves, according to the position of the
glassesandshades around it. The sun pours out heat as profusely and as long
at midwinter as on midsummer-day, and all the difference betweenthe frost
and darkness and glowing brightness and flowering life, is simply owing to the
earth’s place in its orbit and the angle at which the unalterable rays fall upon
it. The changes are in the terrestrialsphere; the heavenly is fixed for ever the
same.
May I not venture to point an earnestand solemnappeal with these truths?
Has there not been poured over us the spirit of slumber? Does it not seemas if
an opium sky had been raining soporifics on our heads? We have had but
little experience of the might of God amongstus of late years, and we need not

wonder at it. There is no occasionto look far for the reason. We have only to
regard the low ebb to which religious life has been reduced amongstus to
have it all and more than all accountedfor. I fully admit that there has been
plenty of activity, perhaps more than the amount of real life warrants, not a
little liberality, and many virtues. But how languid and torpid the true
Christian life has been! how little enthusiasm! how little depth of communion
with God! how little unworldly elevationof soul! how little glow of love! An
improvement in socialpositionand circumstances, a freerblending with the
national life, a full share of civic and political honours, a higher culture in our
pulpits, fine chapels, and applauding congregations-are but poor substitutes
for what many of us have lost in racing after them. We have the departed
prophets’ mantle, the outward resemblance to the fathers who have gone, but
their fiery zeal has passedto heaven with them; and softer, weakermen, we
stand timidly on the river’s brink, invoking the Lord God of Elijah, and too
often the flood that obeyedthem has no earfor our feebler voice.
I speak to many who are in some sortrepresentatives of the churches
throughout the land, and they can tell whether my words are on the whole
true or overstrained. We who labour in our greatcities, what say we? If one of
the number may speak for the rest, we have to acknowledge thatcommercial
prosperity and business cares, the eagerness afterpleasure and the exigencies
of political strife, diffused doubt and widespreadartistic and literary culture,
are eating the very life out of thousands in our churches, and lowering their
fervour till, like molten iron cooling in the air, what was once all glowing with
ruddy heat is crusted over with foul black scoriae everencroaching onthe tiny
central warmth. You from rural churches, what say you? Have you not to
speak of deepening torpor settling down on quiet corners, of the passing away
of grey heads which leave no successors, ofgrowing difficulties and lessened
powerto meet them, that make you sometimes all but despair?
I am not flinging indiscriminate censures. I know that there are lights as well
as shades in the picture. I am not flinging censures atall. But I am giving

voice to the confessions ofmany hearts, that our consciousnessofour blame
may be deepened, and we may hasten back to that dear Lord whom we have
left to serve alone, as His first disciples left Him once to agonise alone under
the gnarledolives in Gethsemane, while they lay sleeping in the moonlight.
Listen to His gentle rebuke, full of pain and surprised love, ‘What, could ye
not watchwith Me one hour?’ Listen to His warning call, loving as the kiss
with which a mother wakes herchild, ‘Arise, let us be going’-and let us shake
the spirit of slumber from our limbs, and serve Him as those unsleeping
spirits do, who rest not day nor night from vision and work and praise.
III. The beginning of all awaking is the Church’s earnestcry to God.
It is with us as with infants, the first signof whose awaking is a cry. The
mother’s quick earhears it through all the household noises, and the poor
little troubled life that woke to a scaredconsciousnessofloneliness and
darkness, is takenup into tender arms, and comfortedand calmed. So, when
we dimly perceive how torpid we have been, and start to find that we have lost
our Father’s hand, the first instinct of that waking, which must needs be
partly painful, is to call to Him, whose earhears our feeble cry amid the sound
of praise like the voice of many waters, that billows round His throne, and
whose folding arms keepus ‘as one whom his mother comforteth.’ The
beginning of all true awaking must needs be prayer.
For every such stirring of quickened religious life must needs have in it bitter
penitence and pain at the discoveryflashed upon us of the wretched deadness
of our past-and, as we gaze like some wakenedsleepwalkerinto the abyss
where another step might have smashedus to atoms, a shuddering terror
seizes us that must cry, ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.’And every
such stirring of quickened life will have in it, too, desire for more of His grace,
and confidence in His sure bestowalof it, which cannotbut breathe itself in
prayer.

Nor is Zion’s cry to God only the beginning and sign of all true awaking:it is
also the condition and indispensable precursor of all perfecting of recovery
from spiritual languor.
I have already pointed out the relation betweenthe waking of God and the
waking of His Church, from which that necessarilyfollows. God’s powerflows
into our weaknessin the measure and on condition of our desires. We are
sometimes told that we err in praying for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit,
because eversince PentecostHis Church has had the gift. The objection
alleges anunquestioned fact, but the conclusiondrawn from it rests on an
altogetherfalse conceptionof the manner of that abiding gift. The Spirit of
God, and the powerwhich comes from Him, are not given as a purse of money
might be put into a man’s hand once and for all, but they are given in a
continuous impartation and communication and are receivedand retained
moment by moment, according to the energy of our desires and the
faithfulness of our use. As wellmight we say, Why should I ask for natural
life, I receivedit half a century ago? Yes, and at every moment of that half-
century I have continued to live, not because ofa past gift, but because ateach
moment God is breathing into my nostrils the breath of life. So is it with the
life which comes from His Spirit. It is maintained by constantefflux from the
fountain of Life, by constantimpartation of His quickening breath. And as He
must continually impart, so must we continually receive, else we perish.
Therefore, brethren, the first step towards awaking, and the condition of all
true revival in our own souls and in our churches, is this earnestcry, ‘Awake,
awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.
Thank God for the outpouring of a long unwonted spirit of prayer in many
places. It is like the melting of the snows in the high Alps, at once the sign of
spring and the cause offilling the stony river beds with flashing waters, that
bring verdure and growth whereverthey come. The winter has been long and
hard. We have all to confess that we have been restraining prayer before God.

Our work has been done with but little sense of our need of His blessing, with
but little ardour of desire for His power. We have prayed lazily, scarcely
believing that answers would come;we have not watchedfor the reply, but
have been like some heartless marksmanwho draws his bow and does not
care to look whether his arrow strikes the target. These mechanicalwords,
these conventionalpetitions, these syllables wingedby no real desire, inspired
by no faith, these expressions ofdevotion, far too wide for their real contents,
which rattle in them like a dried kernelin a nut, are these prayers? Is there
any wonder that they have been dispersed in empty air, and that we have been
put to shame before our enemies? Brethrenin the ministry, do we need to be
surprised at our fruitless work, when we think of our prayerless studies and of
our faithless prayers? Let us remember that solemn word, ‘The pastors have
become brutish, and have not soughtthe Lord, therefore they shall not
prosper, and all their flocks shallbe scattered.’And let us all, brethren,
betake ourselves, with penitence and lowly consciousnessofour sore need, to
prayer, earnestand importunate, believing and persistent, like this heaven-
piercing cry which captive Israelsent up from her wearybondage.
Look at the passionate earnestnessofit-expressedin the short, sharp cry,
thrice repeated, as from one in mortal need; and see to it that our drowsy
prayers be like it. Look at the grand confidence with which it founds itself on
the past, recounting the mighty deeds of ancientdays, and looking back, not
for despairbut for joyful confidence, to the generations ofold; and let our
faint-hearted faith be quickenedby the example, to expect greatthings of
God. The age of miracles is not gone. The mightiest manifestations of God’s
powerin the spread of the Gospelin the past remain as patterns for His
future. We have not to look back as from low-lying plains to the blue peaks on
the horizon, across whichthe Church’s path once lay, and sigh over the
changedconditions of the journey. The highest watermark that the river in
flood has ever reachedwill be reachedand overpassedagain, though to-day
the waters may seemto have hopelesslysubsided. Greatertriumphs and
deliverances shallcrown the future than have signalisedthe past. Let our
faithful prayer base itself on the prophecies of history and on the
unchangeablenessofGod.

Think, brethren, of the prayers of Christ. Even He, whose spirit needed not to
be purged from stains or calmed from excitement, who was ever in His
Father’s house whilst He was about His Father’s business, blending in one,
actionand contemplation, had need to pray. The moments of His life thus
marked are very significant. When He beganHis ministry, the close ofthe
first day of toil and wonders saw Him, far from gratitude and from want, in a
desertplace in prayer. When He would send forth His apostles, that greatstep
in advance, in which lay the germ of so much, was precededby solitary
prayer. When the fickle crowd desired to make Him the centre of political
revolution, He passedfrom their hands and beat back that earliestattempt to
secularise His work, by prayer. When the seventybrought the first tidings of
mighty works done in His name, He showedus how to repel the dangers of
success, in that He thanked the Lord of heaven and earth who had revealed
these things to babes. When He stoodby the grave of Lazarus, the voice that
wakedthe dead was precededby the voice of prayer, as it ever must be. When
He had said all that He could say to His disciples, He crownedall with His
wonderful prayer for Himself, for them, and for us all. When the horror of
greatdarkness fell upon His soul, the growing agonyis marked by His more
fervent prayer, so wondrously compactof shrinking fear and filial submission.
When the cross was hid in the darkness of eclipse, the only words from the
gloomwere words of prayer. When, Godlike, He dismissedHis spirit, manlike
He commended it to His Father, and sentthe prayer from His dying lips
before Him to herald His coming into the unseen world. One instance
remains, even more to our presentpurpose than all these-’It came to pass,
that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the
Holy Ghostdescendedin a bodily shape like a dove upon Him.’ Mighty
mystery! In Him, too, the Son’s desire is connectedwith the Father’s gift, and
the unmeasured possessionof the Spirit was an answerto His prayer.
Then, brethren, let us lift our voices and our hearts. That which ascends as
prayer descends as blessing, like the vapour that is drawn up by the kiss of the

sun to fall in freshening rain. ‘Call upon Me, and I will answerthee, and show
thee greatand hidden things which thou knowestnot.’
IV. The answering callfrom God to Zion.
Our truest prayers are but the echo of God’s promises. God’s best answers
are the echo of our prayers. As in two mirrors setopposite to eachother, the
same image is repeatedover and over again, the reflectionof a reflection, so
here, within the prayer, gleams an earlier promise, within the answeris
mirrored the prayer.
And in that reverberation, and giving back to us our petition transformed into
a command, we are not to see a dismissalof it as if we had misapprehended
our true want. It is not tantamount to, Do not ask me to put on my strength,
but array yourselves in your own. The very opposite interpretation is the true
to summon the prostrate ranks that lie round his tent, so the sign of God’s
awaking and the first act of His conquering might is this trumpet call-’The
night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us put off the works ofdarkness,’-the
night gearthat was fit for slumber-’and put on the armour of light,’ the mail
of purity that gleams and glitters even in the dim dawn. God’s awaking is our
awaking. He puts on strength by making us strong; for His arm works
through us, clothing itself, as it were, with our arm of flesh, and perfecting
itself even in our weakness.
Nor is it to be forgottenthat this, like all God’s commands, carries in its heart
a promise. That earliestword of God’s is the type of all His latter behests:
‘Let there be light,’ and the mighty syllables were creative and self-fulfilling.

So ever, with Him, to enjoin and to bestow are one and the same, and His
command is His conveyance ofpower. He rouses us by His summons, He
clothes us with powerin the very act of bidding us put it on. So He answers
the Church’s cry by stimulating us to quickened zeal, and making us more
conscious of, and confident in, the strength which, in answerto our cry, He
pours into our limbs.
But the main point which I would insist on in what remains of this sermon, is
the practicaldiscipline which this divine summons requires from us.
And first, let us remember that the chief means of quickened life and strength
is deepenedcommunion with Christ.
As we have been saying, our strength is ours by continual derivation from
Him. It has no independent existence, any more than a sunbeam could have,
severedfrom the sun. It is ours only in the sense that it flows through us, as a
river through the land which it enriches. It is His whilst it is ours, it is ours
when we know it to be His. Then, clearly, the first thing to do must be to keep
the channels free by which it flows into our souls, and to maintain the
connectionwith the greatFountainhead unimpaired. Put a dam acrossthe
stream, and the effectwill be like the drying up of Jordan before Israel:‘the
waters that were above rose up upon an heap, and the waters that were
beneath failed and were cut off,’ and the foul oozy bed was disclosedto the
light of day. It is only by constantcontactwith Christ that we have any
strength to put on.
That communion with Him is no mere idle or passive attitude, but the active
employment of our whole nature with His truth, and with Him whom the
truth reveals. The understanding must be brought into contactwith the
principles of His word, the heart must touch and beat againstHis heart, the

will meeklylay its hand in His, the conscience draw at once its anodyne and its
stimulus from His sacrifice, the passions know His finger on the reins, and
follow, led in the silken leashof love. Then, if I may so say, Elisha’s miracle
will be repeatedin nobler form, and from Himself, the Life thus touching all
our being, life will flow into our deadness. ‘He put his mouth upon his mouth,
and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched
himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxedwarm.’ So, dear
brethren, all our practicalduty is summed up in that one word, the measure
of our obedience to which is the measure of all our strength-’Abide in Me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, exceptit abide in the vine,
no more canye, except ye abide in Me.’
Again, this summons calls us to the faithful use of the powerwhich, on
condition of that communion, we have.
There is no doubt a temptation, in all times like the present, to look for some
new and extraordinary forms of blessing, and to substitute such expectation
for presentwork with our present strength. There is nothing new to look for.
There is no need to wait for anything more than we possess. Rememberthe
homely old proverb, ‘You never know what you can do till you try,’ and
though we are conscious ofmuch unfitness, and would sometimes gladly wait
till our limbs are stronger, let us brace ourselves for the work, assuredthat in
it strength will be given to us that equals our desire. There is a wonderful
powerin honestwork to develop latent energies and reveala man to himself. I
suppose, in most cases, no one is half so much surprised at a greatman’s
greatestdeeds as he is himself. They saythat there is dormant electric energy
enough in a few raindrops to make a thunderstorm, and there is dormant
spiritual force enough in the weakestofus to flash into beneficent light, and
peal notes of awaking into many a deaf ear. The effort to serve your Lord will
revealto you strength that you know not. And it will increase the strength
which it brings into play, as the used muscles grow like whipcord, and the
practisedfingers become deft at their task, and every faculty employed is

increased, and every gift wrapped in a napkin melts like ice folded in a cloth,
according to that solemnlaw, ‘To him that hath shall be given, and from him
that hath not shall be takenawayeven that which he hath.’
Then be sure that to its last particle you are using the strength you have, ere
you complain of not having enoughfor your tasks. Takeheedof the vagrant
expectations that wait for they know not what, and the apparent prayers that
are really substitutes for possible service. ‘Why liest thou on thy face? Speak
unto the children of Israelthat they go forward.’
The Church’s resources are sufficientfor the Church’s work, if the resources
are used. We are tempted to doubt it, by reasonof our experience of failure
and our consciousnessofweakness. We are more than ever tempted to doubt
it to-day, when so many wise men are telling us that our Christ is a phantom,
our God a streamof tendency, our Gospela decaying error, our hope for the
world a dream, and our work in the world done. We stand before our Master
with doubtful hearts, and, as we look along the ranks sitting there on the
greengrass, and then at the poor provisions which make all our store, we are
sometimes tempted almostto think that He errs when He says with that
strange calmness ofHis, ‘They need not depart, give ye them to eat.’ But go
out among the crowds and give confidently what you have, and you will find
that you have enoughand to spare. If ever our stores seeminadequate, it is
because they are reckonedup by sense, whichtakes cognizanceofthe visible,
instead of by faith which beholds the real. Certainly five loaves and two small
fishes are not enough, but are not five loaves and two small fishes and a
miracle-working hand behind them, enough? It is poor calculationthat leaves
out Christ from the estimate of our forces. The weakestmanand Jesus to
back him are more than all antagonism, more than sufficient for all duty. Be
not seducedinto doubt of your power, or of your success,by others’ sneers, or
by your own faint-heartedness. The confidence of ability is ability. ‘Screw
your courage to the sticking place,’and you will not fail-and see to it that you

use the resources youhave, as good stewards of the manifold grace ofGod.
‘Put on thy strength, O Zion.’
So, dear brethren, to gather all up in a sentence, letus confidently look for
times of blessing, penitently acknowledgethat our ownfaithlessness has
hindered the arm of the Lord, earnestly beseechHim to come in His rejoicing
strength, and, drawing ever fresh power from constantcommunion with our
dear Lord, use it to its last drop for Him. Then, like the mortal leaderof
Israel, as he pondered doubtingly with sunken eyes on the hard task before his
untrained host, we shall look up and be aware of the presence of the sworded
angel, the immortal Captain of the hostof the Lord, standing ready to save,
‘putting on righteousness as a breastplate, an helmet of salvationon His head,
and clad with zealas a cloak.’FromHis lips, which give what they command,
comes the call, ‘Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ Hearkening to His
voice, the city of the strong ones shall be made an heap before our wondering
ranks, and the land shall lie open to our conquering march.
Wheresoeverwe lift up the cry, ‘Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the
Lord,’ there follows, swift as the thunderclap on the lightning flash, the
rousing summons, ‘Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy
beautiful garments, O Jerusalem!’ Wheresoeverit is obeyed there will follow
in due time the joyful chorus, as in this context, ‘Sing together, ye waste places
of Jerusalem;the Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations, and all the ends of the earth have seenthe salvationof our God.’
BensonCommentary
Isaiah51:9-11. Awake, awake, &c. — The prophet, by an elegantfigure,
addresses himselfto God, to stir up and exert his powerin behalf of his
oppressedpeople, as he did in former times, when he delivered them out of the
Egyptian bondage. Awake, as in the ancientdays — That is, actfor us now as
thou didst for our fathers formerly: repeat the wonders they have told us of.

Art thou not it that cut Rahab — Egypt, so called, here and elsewhere,forits
pride or strength. And wounded the dragon — Pharaoh, the Leviathan, as he
is called, Psalm 74:13-14. Art thou not it that dried the sea — Art thou not the
same God, and as potent now as thou wastthen? That made the depths a way
for the ransomed, &c. — For thy people, whom thou didst redeem and bring
out of Egypt? Let thine arm be stretchedout in our behalf; for it has done
greatthings formerly in defence of the same cause, andwe are sure it is
neither shortenednor weakened. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall
return, &c. — These words express the persuasionof the prophet, that as the
Lord did these greatthings formerly, so he would certainly do the like again.
See note on Isaiah35:10.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
51:9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemedwith his blood, as well as by
his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs
such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliverance in the mean time, as
our casesrequire? In this world of changes, itis a short stepfrom joy to
sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall never come in view. They prayed for
the display of God's power; he answers them with consolations ofhis grace.
Did we dread to sin againstGod, we should not fear the frowns of men. Happy
is the man that fears Godalways. And Christ's church shall enjoy security by
the powerand providence of the Almighty.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Awake, awake- This verse commences a new subject(see the analysis of the
chapter). It is the solemnand impassionedentreaty of those who were in exile
that God would interpose in their behalf, as he did in behalf of his people
when they were suffering in cruel bondage in Egypt. The word 'awake'here,
which is addressedto the arm of Jehovah, is a petition that it might be roused
from its apparent stupor and inactivity, and its power exertedin their behalf.
O arm of the Lord - The arm is the instrument by which we execute any
purpose. It is that by which the warrior engagesin battle, and by which he
wields the weaponto prostrate his foes. The arm of Yahweh had seemedto
slumber; For seventy years the prophet sees the oppressedand suffering

people in bondage, and God had not come forth to rescue them. He hears
them now lifting the voice of earnestand tender entreaty, that he would
interpose as he had in former times, and save them from the calamities which
they were enduring.
Awake, as in the ancient days - That is, in the time when the Jews were
delivered from their bondage in the land of Egypt.
Art thou not it - Art thou not the same arm? Was it not by this arm that the
children of Israel were delivered from bondage, and may we not look to it for
protection still?
That hath cut Rahab- That is, cut it in pieces, ordestroyed it. It was that arm
which wielded the swordof justice and of vengeance by which Rahab was cut
in pieces. The word 'Rahab' here means Egypt. On the meaning of the word,
see the notes at Isaiah 30:7; compare Psalm 88:8; Psalm89:10.
And wounded the dragon - The word rendered here "dragon" (‫ןינת‬ tannı̂yn)
means properly any great fish or sea monster;a serpent, a dragon (see the
notes at Isaiah 27:1), or a crocodile. Here it means, probably, the crocodile, as
emblematic of Egypt, because the Nile abounded in crocodiles, andbecause a
monster so unwieldy and formidable and unsightly, was no unapt
representationof the proud and cruel king of Egypt. The king of Egypt is not
unfrequently compared with the crocodile (see Psalm34:13-14;Ezekiel29:3;
Ezekiel32:2). Here the sense is, that he had sorelywounded, that is, had
greatly weakenedthe powerof that cruel nation, which for strength was not
unfitly representedby the crocodile, one ofthe most mighty of monsters, but
which, like a pierced and wounded monster. was greatly enfeebledwhen God
visited it with plagues, and destroyedits hosts in the sea.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
9. Impassionedprayer of the exiled Jews.
ancient days—(Ps 44:1).
Rahab—poeticalname for Egypt (see on [841]Isa 30:7).

dragon—Hebrew, tannin. The crocodile, an emblem of Egypt, as represented
on coins struck after the conquestof Egypt by Augustus; or rather here, "its
king," Pharaoh(see on [842]Isa 27:1;Ps 74:13, 14;Eze 32:2, Margin; Eze
29:3).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Awake, awake, thou who hast carried thyself like one asleep, and unconcerned
for thy people, and unable to save them. The prophet having foretold what
greatthings God would do for his church, and longing for the accomplishment
of them, and knowing that prayer was one means by which God fulfils his
promises, he poureth forth his prayer to God in his own name, and in the
name of God’s people.
Put on strength; clothe and adorn thyself with mighty works;put forth thy
strength.
That hath cut, Heb. hewed, with thy sword, Rahab; Egypt, so calledhere, and
Psalm87:4 89:10, either from its pride or strength, or from the shape and
figure of that land. The dragon; Pharaoh, so calledPsalm 74:13 Ezekiel29:3
32:2.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord,.... The Septuagint and
Arabic versions take the words to be an address to Jerusalem;and the Syriac
version to Zion, as in Isaiah 51:17, but wrongly: they are, as Jarchisays, a
prayer of the prophet, or it may be rather of the church representedby him;
and are addressedeither to God the Father, who, when he does not
immediately appear on the behalf of his people, is thought by them to be
asleep, though he never slumbers nor sleeps, but always keeps a watchful eye
over them; but this they not apprehending, callupon him to "awake";which
is repeated, to show their sense of danger, and of their need of him, and their
vehement importunity; and that he would clothe himself with strength, and

make it visible, exert his power, and make bare his arm on their behalf: or
they are an address to Christ, who is the powerof God, that he would appear
in the greatnessofstrength, show himself strong in favour of his people, and
take to himself his great powerand reign:
awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations ofold; which is mentioned
not only as an argument to prevail with the Lord that he would do as he had
formerly done; but as an argument to encourage the faith of the church, that
as he had done, he could and would still do greatthings for them:
art thou not it that hath cut Rahab;that is, Egypt, so called either from the
pride and haughtiness of its inhabitants; or from the large extent of the
country; or from the form of it, being in the likeness ofa pear, as some have
thought; see Psalm87:4 and the sense is, art thou not that very arm, and still
possessedof the same power, that cut or "hewed" to pieces, as the word (p)
signifies, the Egyptians, by the ten plagues sent among them?
and wounded the dragon? that is, Pharaoh king of Egypt, so calledfrom the
river Nile in Egypt, where he reigned, and because ofhis fierceness and
cruelty, see Ezekiel29:3. So the Targum interprets it of Pharaohand his
army, who were strong as a dragon. And that same mighty arm that destroyed
Egypt, and its tyrannical king, can and will destroythat greatcity, spiritually
calledSodom and Egypt, and the beastthat has two horns like a lamb, but
speaks like a dragon, and to whom the dragon has given his seat, power, and
authority; and the rather this may be believed, since the greatred dragon has
been castout, or Rome Paganhas been destroyedby him, Revelation11:8.
(p) "quod excidit", Piscator;"excidens", Montanas.
Geneva Study Bible
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the
ancient days, {h} in the generations ofold. Art thou not that which hath cut {i}
Rahab, and wounded the {k} dragon?
(h) He puts them in remembrance of his greatbenefit for their deliverance out
of Egypt, that by it they might learn to trust in him constantly.

(i) Meaning, Egypt, Ps 87:4.
(k) That is, Pharaoh, Eze 29:3.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
9. put on strength] Lit. “clothe thyself with strength,” as Psalm93:1.
The arm of the Lord is apostrophised, as the symbol of His might, possibly
with a reference back to Isaiah51:5.
that hath cut Rahab &c.]R.V. that cut Rahabin pieces, that piercedthe
dragon. The verb “cut” is strictly “hewed” or “split.” Rahab is the sea-
monster (ch. Isaiah 30:7); and the “dragon” (tannín) probably one of the
“helpers of Rahab” (Job 9:13); both togetherrepresentthe chaotic elements
from whose dominion the habitable world had to be recovered;hence the line
expresses poeticallythe same thought as the following “Art thou not it which
dried up the sea” &c.? The originalmythical emblem survives in one of the
most beautiful personifications of O.T. poetry, the comparisonof the sea to a
restless, unruly creature, waging impotent war with heaven, and seeking to
devour the land, but a creature whom Jehovahholds completely in His power,
now stirring it to fury (see Isaiah51:15) by His rebuke, and againstilling its
commotions.
9, 10. These verses are addressedto Jehovah, either by the prophet himself, or
by the community of true Israelites. It is difficult to decide betweenthese two
views, but the dramatic unity of the passage is bestpreserved if we adopt the
latter, taking Isaiah 51:9-10 as a prayer calledforth by the previous
exhortation, and Isaiah 51:12 ff. as the Divine answerto this prayer.

The imagery of the verses is obviously mythological. It rests on the conception
of a conflict in days long past betweenJehovahand the monsters calledRahab
and the Dragon. Now both these names came to be used as symbols of Egypt
(see on ch. Isaiah 30:7, and Isaiah27:1); and most commentators have
thought that this is the case here, the historic reference being to the
humiliation of Egypt, and the dividing of the RedSea in the days of Moses.
But it is doubtful if this interpretation exhausts the significance of the passage.
The prophet seems to make direct use of current mythological
representations, as is frequently done by the author of the Book of Job(see the
notes on Isaiah3:8, Isaiah 9:13, Isaiah 26:13 in Davidson’s Book of Job). And
if this be so there cannotbe much doubt as to the nature of the myth in
question. It is most probably a Hebrew variation of the Babylonian creation-
hymn, according to which the creationof the world was precededby a conflict
betweenthe Godof light and order and the monsters that symbolise the dark
powers of Chaos (so Duhm; see also Gunkel, Schöpfung und Chaos, pp. 30 ff.).
The fundamental idea of the verses would therefore seemto lie in the analogy
betweenthe original creationof the material world, and the restorationof the
moral order of the universe, which has been disturbed by the reign of brute
force in the Babylonian empire (cf. Isaiah51:16). At the same time, the
undoubted allusion to the Exodus in 10 b, shows that the historicalapplication
of the imagery was presentto the mind of the prophet (see below).
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 9-11. - AN APPEAL OF THE PROPHET TO GOD TO AROUSE
HIMSELF, WITH A PROMISE OF ISRAEL'S RESTORATION. There has
been much doubt as to the utterer of this "splendid apostrophe." Zion, the
prophet, the angels, Jehovah, and God the Son pleading with God the Father,
have been suggested. To us it seems simplestand best to assignthe passageto
the prophet. Verse 9. - Awake, awake(comp. Psalm7:6; Psalm 35:23;Psalm
44:23;Psalm 78:65). When God neglects the prayers and supplications of his
people, he is spokenof as "asleep,"and needing to be awoke by a loud cry.
The anthropomorphism is obvious, and of course not to be takenliterally (see
1 Kings 18:27, ad fin.). Put on strength. Gird the strength to thee (Psalm 93:1)
which thou hadst laid aside while thou wept asleep. Art thou not it that hath
cut Rahab? rather, was it not thou that didst cleave Rahabin pieces? Here, as

in Psalm 87:4 and Psalm 89:10, "Rahab" wouldseem to be a symbolical
expressionfor Egypt. "Rahab" is literally "pride," or "the proud one." The
event alluded to, both here and in Psalm89:10, is the destruction of Pharaoh's
host in the Red Sea (see ver. 10). And wounded the dragon. "The dragon" is
another symbol of the Egyptian power(comp. Ezekiel29:3, "Pharaoh, King of
Egypt, the greatdragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers"). Originally
designating God's great enemy, Satan(Genesis 3:14;Revelation12:7-9;
Revelation20:2), it is a term which comes to be applied to the adversaries of
the Almighty generally.
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament
The prophetic address now turns againfrom the despisers of the word, whom
it has threatenedwith the torment of fire, to those who long for salvation.
"Hearkento me, ye that are in pursuit of righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah.
Look up to the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hollow of the pit whence
ye are dug. Look up toe Abraham your forefather, and to Sara who bare you,
that he was one when I calledhim, and blessedhim, and multiplied him. For
Jehovahhath comforted Zion, comforted all her ruins, and turned her desert
like Eden, and her steppe as into the garden of God; joy and gladness are
found in her, thanksgiving and sounding music." The prophecy is addressed
to those who are striving after the right kind of life and seeking Jehovah, and
not turning from Him to make earthly things and themselves the object of
their pursuit; for such only are in a condition by faith to regard that as
possible, and in spirit to behold that as real, which seems impossible, and in
spirit to behold that as real, which seems impossible to human understanding,
because the very opposite is lying before the eye of the senses. Abraham and
Sarahthey are mentally to set before them, for they are types of the salvation
to be anticipatednow. Abraham is the rock whence the stones were hewn, of
which the house of Jacobis composed;and Sarahwith her maternal womb
the hollow of the pit out of which Israelwas brought to the light, just as peat is
dug out of a pit, or copper out of a mine. The marriage of Abraham and
Sarahwas for a long time unfruitful; it was, as it were, out of hard stone that
God raisedup children to Himself in Abraham and Sarah. The rise of Israel
was a miracle of divine power and grace. In antithesis to the masculine tsūr,
bōr is made into a feminine through maqqebheth, which is chosenwith

reference to neqēbhâh. to ‫םּתבּצח‬ we must supply ‫ּנּממ‬ ... ‫,רׁשא‬ and to ,‫י,מּצח‬
‫ּנּממ‬ ... ‫.רׁשא‬ Isaiah 51:2 informs them who the rock and the hollow of the pit
are, viz., Abraham your forefather, and Sarahtechōlelkhem, who bare you
with all the pains of childbirth: "you," for the birth of Isaac, the son of
promise, was the birth of the nation. The point to be speciallylookedat in
relation to Abraham (in comparisonwith whom Sarah falls into the
background)is given in the words quod unum vocavieum (that he was one
when I called him). The perfect ‫ונןּנמק‬ relates the single call of divine grace,
which removed Abraham from the midst of idolaters into the fellowshipof
Jehovah. The futures that follow (with Vav cop.)point out the blessing and
multiplication that were connectedwith it (Genesis 12:1-2). He is called one
('echâd as in Ezekiel33:24; Malachi2:15), because he was one at the time of
his call, and yet through the might of the divine blessing became the root of
the whole genealogicaltree of Israel, and of a greatmultitude of people that
branched off from it. This is what those who are now longing for salvationare
to remember, strengthening themselves by means of the olden time in their
faith in the future which so greatly resembles it. The corresponding blessing is
expressedin preterites (nicham, vayyâsem), inasmuch as to the eye of faith
and in prophetic vision the future has the reality of a present and the certainty
of a completed fact. Zion, the mother of Israel (Isaiah50:1), the counterpart
of Sarah, the ancestressofthe nation-Zion, which is now mourning so bitterly,
because she is lying waste and in ruins - is comforted by Jehovah. The
comforting word of promise (Isaiah 40:1) becomes, in her case,the comforting
fact of fulfilment (Isaiah 49:13). Jehovahmakes her waste like Eden (lxx ὡς
παράδεισον), like a garden, as glorious as if it had been directly planted by
Himself (Genesis 13:10;Numbers 24:6). And this paradise is not without
human occupants;but when you enter it you find joy and gladness therein,
and hear thanksgiving at the wondrous change that has takenplace, as well as
the voice of melody (zimrâh as in Amos 5:23). The pleasantland is therefore
full of men in the midst of festalenjoyment and activity. As Sarahgave birth
to Isaac aftera long period of barrenness, so Zion, a secondSarah, will be
surrounded by a joyous multitude of children after a long period of
desolation.
Links

Who has believed our report? And to whom
has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
Isaiah53:1*
Some years ago, a picture appearedon the sports page of the heavyweight
boxing champion holding his newborn baby. What was impressive about this
photo was the man’s arms – massive, muscular, clearlyinstruments of hurt.
Yet with all the powerthey conveyed, they offered comfortand tenderness to
the tiny infant cradled within them.
The Old Testamentmentions both God’s “outstretchedarm” (Deuteronomy
26:8) and the “arm of His strength” (Isaiah 62:8). He can nurture and console
as a compassionatefather or fight as an invisible warrior. How the Arm of the
LORD is revealeddepends solelyon whether an individual is a member of the
family, or an enemy of God.
The gospelof John explains that Christ is the personificationof this ancient
title. He has the power and might to defeatthe devil and all of His followers,
yet He offers compassionto embrace, uphold, and heal. Only at Calvary when
these lovely arms were stretchedout in pain was the Arm of the LORD most
fully revealed– conquering sin and death and loving mankind all at the same
time.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine Arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
– Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
https://whoisheblog.com/arm-of-the-lord/

The Arm of the Lord: From Moses to Isaiahto Christ
December13, 2017 /davidsschrock
In the Bible, the “arm of the Lord” is a vivid image of God’s saving power.
But is it more than that? In Isaiah59:16 and 63:5, the prophet tells how God
will save his people by his ownarm. In context, this builds on an important
theme in Isaiah40–66.But it also amplifies the promise of the messiah.
Indeed, as we study “the arm of the Lord” across the Bible, I believe we begin
to see how the “arm of the Lord” leads to the Sonof God, who as Hebrews
10:5 says, citing Psalm40, has receiveda body prepared by God.
Indeed, by better understanding the origin, development, and goalof this
phrase (“the arm of the Lord”), we will gain greaterinsight into God’s Word
and the work he planned for Christ to accomplish—namelythe salvation of a
people from all nations. Even more, we learn something about how the
anthropomorphisms of the Old Testamentare intended to direct us toward
God in Christ.
So to organize our thoughts, lets considerthe arm of the Lord in eight steps.
1. The Arm of the Lord is anthropomorphic language describing God.
As the word anthropomorphic (anthropos + morph) implies, there are many
places in Scripture where human parts are assignedto God even though, he is
a Spirit who does not have arms, hands, or a body (John 4:24). That being
said, when God createdthe world, and especiallywhenhe made humanity in
his image and likeness, he gave us bodies that could reflectin their form and
function (1) aspects ofhis characterand (2) actions of his work in forthcoming
redemption.
In other words, God made mankind in such a way that we would be able to
understand his strength by phrases like the Lord’s “strong arm” (Jeremiah
21:5). As Andrew Abernathy puts it, “God’s ‘arm’ is a common metaphor for
conveying his powerful action in human history (cf. Ps. 98:1), particularly in

the exodus event (Exod. 6:6; 15:16; Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8;
Ps. 77:15)” (The Book ofIsaiah in God’s Kingdom, 90).
2. The language of the Lord’s arm begins with his deliverance of his people
from Egypt.
Referencesto the Lord’s arm go back to the exodus, where Yahweh saved his
people by defeating Egypt. Later Scripture reveals how Godintended to
display his power in this event (“Forthe Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this
very purpose I have raisedyou up, that I might show my powerin you, and
that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth,'” Romans 9:17). But in the
biblical history itself we find that salvationwill come to Abraham’s offspring
“with an outstretchedarm” (Exodus 6:6).
Quickly, this historical event is encapsulatedin Moses words andthe technical
description that God savedIsraelwith “a mighty hand and an outstretched
arm” (see Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:26, 29; 11:2; 26:8; cf. Psalm
136:12).
3. The Lord’s arm is often spokenof in conjunction with his hand, and
togetherthey speak of God’s power to save and to judge.
At the same time, the Lord’s “arm” occurs frequently in conjunction with
mention of his “hand.” For instance, the first two occurrencesofthese
respective words show up in the opening chapters of Exodus, where a “mighty
hand” will be required to pry Israelout of Egypt (3:19–20)and a few chapters
later, Yahweh reassureshis people that he will redeem them “with an
outstretchedarm and with greatacts of judgment” (6:6).
Here are the respective verses in context,
Exodus 3:19–20
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a
mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the
wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.
Exodus 6:6

Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out
from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery
to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with greatacts
of judgment.
Interestingly, these two verses stress the two sides to God’s work in the
exodus—(1)salvationfor his people and (2) judgment on his unbelieving
enemies. However, lestwe think that God’s hand brings judgment and his
arm salvation, we find two other occurencesofthis anthropomorphism in
Exodus.
Exodus 15:16
Terror and dread fall upon them; because ofthe greatnessofyour arm, they
are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by
whom you have purchased.
Exodus 32:11
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your
wrath burn hot againstyour people, whom you have brought out of the land
of Egypt with greatpowerand with a mighty hand?
Perhaps there is some measure of specificitygiven to eachbody part, where
eachdescribes something different in God’s work of redemption, but from
these four original uses in Exodus it seems bestto see God’s hand working in
coordinationwith his arm, and that togetherthey powerfully effectsalvation
and judgment.
4. The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings all make historicalreference to
Yahweh’s mighty hand and outstretchedarm.
Deuteronomy is the place where the power of God is most frequently
designatedby his mighty hand and outstretched arm. To geta feel for how the
term is used here are the passages.
Deuteronomy 4:34

Or has any god everattempted to go and take a nation for himself from the
midst of anothernation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a
mighty hand and an outstretchedarm, and by greatdeeds of terror, all of
which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Deuteronomy 5:15
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord
your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched
arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keepthe Sabbath day.
Deuteronomy 7:19
the greattrials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand,
and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So
will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.
Deuteronomy 9:26, 29
And I prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your
heritage, whom you have redeemedthrough your greatness, whomyou have
brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. . . . Forthey are your people and
your heritage, whom you brought out by your greatpower and by your
outstretchedarm.’
Deuteronomy 11:2
And considertoday (since I am not speaking to your children who have not
known or seenit), considerthe discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness,
his mighty hand and his outstretchedarm,
Deuteronomy 26:8
And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an
outstretchedarm, with greatdeeds of terror, with signs and wonders.
At other times, only the Lord’s hand is mentioned,
Deuteronomy 6:21

then you shall sayto your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the
Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Deuteronomy 7:8
it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your
fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed
you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
After the Torah, the language shows up againin 1 Kings 8:42, as Solomon
dedicates the temple. Interestingly, the reference does not point to the exodus,
but to the temple itself. Besides, this occurrence, everyother instances relates
either to the historicalwork in Egypt (2 Kings 17:36;2 Chronicles 6:32). This
is especiallytrue in the Psalms, where Psalm44:1–3, 77:14–15, 89:10, 20–21,
and 136:12 all recallthe waythat God savedIsrael “with a strong hand and
an outstretched arm” (Psalm136:12).
5. The Prophets repurpose the phrase to speak ofGod’s future salvation.
Importantly, God’s mighty hand and outstretchedarm become a word of
eschatologicalhope in the Latter Prophets. In all three major prophets, and
especiallyin Isaiah, the promise of God’s redemption is described by his
mighty hand and outstretchedarm. For instance,
Jeremiah27:5
5 “It is I who by my great powerand my outstretched arm have made the
earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to
whomever it seems right to me.
Jeremiah32:17, 21
‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your
greatpower and by your outstretchedarm! Nothing is too hard for you. . . .
You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and
wonders, with a strong hand and outstretchedarm, and with greatterror.
Ezekiel20:33–34

As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an
outstretchedarm and with wrath poured out I will be king overyou. 34 I will
bring you out from the peoples and gatheryou out of the countries where you
are scattered, witha mighty hand and an outstretchedarm, and with wrath
poured out.
As many have observed, the Latter Prophets call the people of Israelback to
the Sinai covenantwith Yahweh. When this fails, they begin looking forward
to a new exodus. And fittingly, they engenderhope in the people of God by
recalling God’s previous strength to defeathis enemies and to save his people.
No imagery is better equipped to express that then the mighty hand and
outstretchedarm of God.
In fact, Ezekiel30:20–26gives a window into the way in which we should
think about the way “hands” and “arms” function in the Old Testament. In
this passage, Ezekieldescribes how Godwill shatter the arms of Pharaoh and
strengthen the arms of Babylon. Because Goddirects the affairs of nations
(Psalm 33:10–11;Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah40:15–17),he has power and authority
to rise up one king and strike down another (Psalm 75:6–7). Only in this
instance, the strengthening and shattering of arms indicates how he will do it.
In language that sounds very similar to God’s judgment on Israel (“disperse
them through the countries”), Godsays he will make himself known by the
way he breaks and binds up kings. In other words, the Lord’s poweris made
known through the way he gives or takes awaypoweron the earth. And this
poweris often spokenof in terms of strong or shattered arms.
6. In Isaiahsalvation comes from the arm of the Lord.
All of this ‘arm’ imagery fits with God’s largerpurposes in redemptive
history, but it also helps explain what Isaiahis doing in his book, where the
arm of the Lord repeats throughout. Depending on how you count, there are
at leasttwelve instances where the arm of the Lord is mentioned in Isaiah
(30:30, 32; 33:2; 40:10, 11;48:14; 51:5, 9; 52:10;53:1; 59:16; 63:5; 63:12).
Beginning in Isaiah30, God’s promise of redemption is effectedby his strong
arm. This is not the only way that redemption is referenced, but it becomes a
dominant image.

In Isaiah 33:2, the people cry for Godto “be our arm every morning, our
salvationin the time of trouble.”
In Isaiah 40, where the Lord promises to comfort his people, verses 10–11
speaks ofthe Yahweh Elohim coming with might, “and his arm rules for
him.”
Isaiah48:14 promises that “his arm shall be againstthe Chaldeans.”
Likewise, Isaiah51:5 offers a word of judgment: “My righteousness draws
near, my salvationhas done out, and my arms will judge the peoples.”
Again, the people cry out for the “arm of the Lord” to “awake, awake”and
“put on strength.” Recalling the days long ago, they ask Yahwehto rise up
and deliver them again.
In answerto that plea, Isaiah52:10 says, “Yahwehhas bared his holy arm
before the eyes of the all the nations.” This verse leads into the climactic
Suffering Servant passage (Isaiah52:13–53:12), where againthe arm is
mentioned in 53:1: “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to
whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Finally, the arm of the Lord is means of salvationin Isaiah 59:16 and 63:5. As
these passages are coordinatedby a chiastic structure, they should be read
together, and they teach that salvation comes by the arm of the Lord.
Clearly, the arm of the Lord is a predominant way in which Isaiah
understands the coming salvation. But this leads to the question: What is the
arm of the Lord? Is it just another bodily metaphor, or is it something more?
7. The Arm of the Lord becomes more than a metaphor.
By the time we get to Isaiah, the arm of the Lord has become a fixture in
Israel’s hope of redemption. Weenedon the words of Moses and reinforcedby
the songs of David, the Lord’s strong arm and mighty hand would have been
the routine way Israelpetitioned Yahweh for salvation(cf. Exodus 32:11). But
there are a couple instances where the anthropomorphism seems to take on
greatershape than just a vivid picture of God’s power.

First, in Isaiah40:10, the language almostseems as if the “arm of the Lord”
has its own personhood. It reads, “Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him.” This verse seems to distinguish the Lord from his
arm, for “his arm” rules, but the prepositional phrase “for him” distinguishes
God from his arm. This curious phrasing seems to create personalspace
betweenthe arm and God. Could it be a reference to a person or a people the
way that Assyria is called“the rod of my anger” in Isaiah 10:5? Possibly, and
the possibility increases whenthis first instance of Yahweh’s arm in Isaiah
40–66 is comparedwith the lastinstance.
Second, in Isaiah63:11b–12a, we find the lastuse of the Lord’s arm in Isaiah.
It reads, “Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, who
causedhis glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,. . .?” In this
instance, God’s glorious arm is treated in a personalway, just as the Holy
Spirit also treated in a personalway. In fact, many theologians point to this
verse as Old Testamentevidence for the personhoodof the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, there is something personalgoing on with the arm of the Lord.
More than just being a metaphor for God’s strength, the arm “appears as a
type of hypostasis” (Jenni & Westermann, TheologicalLexiconof the Old
Testament, p. 393). That’s theologian-speakforpersonhood. Here, the arm of
the Lord is going with Moses to accomplishGod’s work of salvation. The
personalpresence of the Lord mediated by the Holy Spirit and the arm,
certainly match our understanding of the trinity. But before making
connectionbetweenthe arm of the Lord and the Incarnation, let’s go back to
Exodus.
Third, in Exodus the arm of the Lord (figuratively speaking)operates through
the arm of Moses(physically speaking). Fromthe beginning of Exodus, the
staff of Moses plays an important part in his leadership. In Exodus 4:20,
Moses staffis referred to as the “staffof God.” This is the staff that Moses
threw down and it became a serpent (4:2–3). And this is the staff that became
the visible sign of Moses power, givento him by God. Of this staff, God said,
“Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs” (4:17).
Moreover, this staff played an instrumental role in many signs: it became a
serpent before Pharoah(7:9); it causedthe waterto turn to blood (7:15, 17,

19–20), the canals to fill with frogs (8:5), the dust to become gnats (8:16–17),
hail to fall from heaven(9:19), locusts to ransack Egypt (10:13);and finally it
was used to part the Red Sea (14:16).
Recording Yahweh’s command to Moses,Exodus 14:16 reads, “Lift up your
staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of
Israelmay go through the sea on dry ground.” The language is striking:
Moses is commanded by God to divide the sea. Later Scripture always gives
credit to Godfor parting the sea (see e.g., Psalm77:16), just as Exodus 14:21
says, “ThenMoses stretchedouthis hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the
sea back by a strong eastwind all night and made the sea dry land, and the
waters were divided.” Clearly, no man can part the waters;only God can. But
from a careful reading of Exodus, we learn that Yahweh parted the sea and
savedthe people through the man Moses andby the raising of his arms (see
also, Exodus 17:12). Or more exactly, God parted the sea through his staff, the
“staffof God” (Exodus 4:20), which Moses lifted to the heavens.
Now, lets return to Isaiah63, where we can begin to understand how the arm
of the Lord went at Moses’right hand of Moses. In the staff, we find a
physical objectthat embodied the presence and power of God, a physical
objectwhich accomplishedthe work of God—only this objectwas a staff, not
an arm.
The arm, in this case, was Moses’. In every instance that God’s staff brought
about God’s power, it was held up by Moses. Truly, so closelyconnectedwere
God and Moses, that Numbers 12:8 could say that they spoke “mouth to
mouth.” And Numbers 20:10 records how with the staff Moses sinnedagainst
God by striking the rock and saying “shallwe bring waterfor you out of this
rock?” Tragically, in his outburst of anger, Moses provedthat he was not co-
equal to God, although greatmiracles had come through his arm. Rather, he
was co-equalwith his fellow Israelites, a sinner who must also die because of
his rebellion.
Still, in all of this, we learn a powerful lesson:the arm of the Lord worked
itself through the arm of Moses. And though God’s arm and man’s arm were

not co-terminus, soonthey would be—as the Son of God himself would take
on human form in order to bring the salvationpromised in Isaiah.
8. Christ is the Arm of the Lord
This is the payoff of this longitudinal study of Scripture: that all the promises
of the Lord’s arm saving his people, which stoodon the backgroundof God’s
salvationof Israel in Egypt is meant to bring us to God’s messiah—the eternal
Son who took on human form, including two arms that would be nailed to a
tree. Truly, as Scripture tells (Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:10; 1 Peter1:10–12),
God was preparing the way for his Sonto come and save his people and defeat
his enemies.
The exodus as a whole foreshadowedthis reality (cf. Luke 9:31), but also
individual elements of Israel’s deliverance also foreshadowedthe coming of
Christ (e.g., the Passover, the Red Sea, and the leaderMoses). Withthe
repeatedemphasis on the arm of the Lord, we find the Old Testamenta
growing body of evidence that what God did in the Exodus, he would do in a
far greaterwayin the future.
In the Prophets, we hear promises that the Lord would again save his people
by his arm. And in Isaiah, in particular, the revealing of the arm in Isaiah
52:10 leads us in that sectionto see how God would save. Isaiah53 foretells of
the Servantwhose body would offered as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin
for his people. Moreover, Isaiah59 informs us that no man was there to
intercede and bring justice to the nations (v. 15). Therefore, Godhimself
would bring salvationby his arm. Only now, in the fullness of this passageand
in the fullness of time, we know that God did not send an arm. Rather, his
arm is his Son.
Just as God’s arm was seenin the working of Moses to lead his people out of
Egypt, so now Christ has come to be a greaterMoses anda greaterSavior. He
is the arm of the Lord, and with the body prepared for him (Hebrews 10:5),
his nailed pierced hands have redeemed his people. In this way, the Word of

God is both fulfilled and the salvation that God brings is even better than
could be imagined by the saints of old.
For us, reading all of this, we should marvel at what God has done and see the
precision, the power, and the passionGod has to bring salvationto his people.
In the Old Testament, we see it in shadows. We hear it in promises. But now
in Christ, we see the whole story, and we see that God’s arm is more than a
metaphor—he is a person, who has come to bring salvation to all the earth.
At Christmas time, we do well to considerhow Godhas done this and to join
with Mary in praising Godfor the strength of God’s arm:
51He has shownstrength with his arm;
he has scatteredthe proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exaltedthose of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent awayempty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Soli Deo Gloria, ds
Photo by RobertNyman on Unsplash

The arm and right hand of the Lord
There are examples of Godusing His arm, which is a symbol of His powerto
reachinto the affairs of man. The arm was usedrepresenting God in His
agencyof strength. When the Bible refers the Arm of the Lord it is
consistentlyabout the Son, as God reaches into the Earth to do His work. The
Lord redeemed Israel“with an outstretchedarm”(Exod.6:6), “To who has the
arm of the Lord been revealed” (Isa.53:1), “Therefore my own arm brought
salvationfor me” (Isa.63:5).
In a similar manner his hand is used to most often symbolize an activity of
service. It certainly does not mean God has arms or hands like humans do.
These are anthropomorphic descriptions. Isa.48:13 tells us, “His hand laid the
foundation of the Earth, and My right hand spanned the heavens.” “The Lord
has swornby His right hand, and by His arm of strength” (Isa.62:8). “The
Lord's hand is not shortenedthat it cannot save” (Isa.59:1). We also have
numerous Scriptures combining both the arm and hand. “So the Lord
brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretchedarm” (Deut.
26:8; Deut.5:15, 7:19, 11:2; Ps.44:3;Jer.32:21;Ez.20:33). This deliverance
was accomplishedby The Angel (messenger)ofthe Lord. Godupholds and
saves with His right hand (Ps. 108:6; 138:7;139:10;Isa.41:10).The phrase the
“arm of the Lord,” brings salvation.
Ps 80:15 “And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the
branch that You made strong for Yourself.
Zech. 13:7: “Awake, O sword, againstMy Shepherd, againstthe Man who is
My Companion, (literally my equal) “says the LORD of hosts. “Strike the
Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;then I will turn My hand against
the little ones.”

This is related to Ps. 80:17: “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right
hand, upon the sonof man whom You made strong for Yourself.”
The Son of man was a Messianicterm for the Messiah, Godcoming in human
flesh. In anthropomorphic terms the right hand of God points to his exalted
position. There are numerous things that need to be consideredto understand
this phrase. The phrase right hand is both a metaphor and a position; God
exercises His authority by His right hand. It explains His exalted position He
is now active in.
John 12:38: “that the word of Isaiahthe prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spoke:“Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the
Lord been revealed?”
John is identifying Jesus in Isaiah.
Isa. 53:1-7: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the
LORD been revealed? ForHe shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and
as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness;and when we see
Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and
rejectedby men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as
it were, our faces from Him; he was despised, and we did not esteemHim.
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;yet we esteemedHim
stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisementfor our
peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheephave
gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has
laid on Him the iniquity of us all.He was oppressedand He was afflicted, yet
He opened not His mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheepbefore its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

Isa.48:13 tells us, “His hand laid the foundation of the Earth, and My right
hand spanned the heavens” (Isa.62:8). The right hand and arm are a poetic
form identifying the Messiah.
This right hand is also a place, Heb. 10:12 “But this Man, after He had offered
one sacrifice forsins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (also
Heb.12:2; 1 Pt.3:22). The phrase “atthe right hand of God,” “at” in Greek is
“en;” a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state),
and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a
relation of rest (intermediate between1519 and 1537);“in,” at, (up-) on, by,
etc. (Strong’s Concordance). Everytime it describes Jesus with God in heaven
it emphasizes the place of His being at His right hand. The phrase right hand
is a symbol of power and strength (Ps. 60:5; Isa. 28:2) meaning a place of
prominence, recognizedas the highest place of honor (Ps 45:9; 80:17;110:1;
Mt 26:64)
Some of the many examples in Scripture:.
Exod 15:3-6 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name. Pharaoh's
chariots and his army He has castinto the sea;his chosencaptains also are
drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have coveredthem; they sank to the
bottom like a stone.”Yourright hand, O LORD, has become glorious in
power; your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
The right hand can execute judgment. Exod 15:11-12 “Who is like You, O
LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in
praises, doing wonders? You stretchedout Your right hand; the earth
swallowedthem.”
Ps 21:8 “Your hand will find all Your enemies;your right hand will find those
who hate You.”

Or it canshow mercy. Ps 17:7 “Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your
right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up
againstthem.”
Ps 18:35 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;your right
hand has held me up, your gentleness has made me great.
Ps 20:6 “Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; he will answerhim
from His holy heavenwith the saving strength of His right hand.”
Ps. 44:3 “Forthey did not gain possessionofthe land by their own sword, nor
did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the
light of Your countenance, because Youfavored them.”
Ps. 48:10 “According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of
the earth; your right hand is full of righteousness.”
The right hands symbolizing the Messiah’s work in salvation:Ps 60:5 “That
Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”
Ps 138:7 “ThoughI walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; you will
stretch out Your hand againstthe wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand
will save me.”
Ps. 89:13 “You have a mighty arm; strong is Your hand, and high is Your
right hand.”

Ps. 98:1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!For He has done marvelous things;
his right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.”
Ps. 108:6 “That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand,
and hear me.”
Ps. 110:1-2 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sitat My right hand, till I make
Your enemies Your footstool.” The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength
out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Ps. 110:5-6 The Lord is at Your right hand; he shall execute kings in the day
of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with
dead bodies, he shall execute the heads of many countries.”
Ps. 118:16 “The right hand of the LORD is exalted;the right hand of the
LORD does valiantly.”
Ps. 139:10 “Eventhere Your hand shall leadme, and Your right hand shall
hold me.”
Isa. 62:8 “The LORD has swornby His right hand and by the arm of His
strength”
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THE ARM OF THE LORD Isaiah51:9-16

Intro: There are two parts to this section:1) Isaiah's prayer in vv. 9-11, 2)
Jehovah's answerin vv. 12-16.
Isaiahwas obviously praying for the people of Judah because the answerhas
to do with the nation, but there probably is also a sense in which he was
troubled as the nation was.
It shows two things about Isaiah (in addition to the fact that he may have been
troubled): 1) That he was a man of prayer. 2) That there were times when he
did not have the answer, and so had to turn to the Lord.
The problem with the people of Judah was fear. Their prayer was prompted
by fear, and the answerwas to carm-their fears. Even Isaiah's prayer shows
how he was reaching out for comfort and peace.
When we compare the prayer with the answer, there are two similarities: 1)
In both sections there is encouragementfrom the past and from the future to
trust the Lord in the present. 2) In both sections there are questions. In the
first, Isaiahwas questioning the Lord; in the second, the Lord was questioning
Isaiahand the people of Judah. Both questions need to be answered.
Spurgeonpreached a sermon on one occasiononvv. 12 and 13, and he called
it, NEEDLESSFEARS. (See Vol. 54, pp. 301 ff.) In his introduction he said
this: Objects often influence us out of proportion to their value because of
their nearness. Forinstance, the moon is a very small insignificant body
compared with the sun, yet it has far more influence over the tides and many
other matters in the world than the sun has, simply because it is so much
nearer to the earth than the sun is. The life that is to come is infinitely more
important than the life that now is, and· I hope that, in our inmost hearts, we
reckonthat the things that are seenand temporal are mere tribles compared
with the things which are not seenand eternal; yet it often happens that the
less important matters have a greaterinfluence over us than those which are
far more important, simply because the things of earth are so much nearer to
us. Heaven is infinitely more to be desired than any joy of earth, yet it seems
far off, and hence these fleeting joys may give us greaterpresentcomfort. The
wrath of God is far more to be dreaded than the anger of man, yet sometimes
a frown or a rebuke from a fellow-creature will have more effect upon our

Isa. 51 :9-16 (2)
minds than the thought of the angerof God. This is because the one appears
to be remote, while, being in this body, we are so near to the other. Now,
beloved, it will sometimes happen that a matter, which is scarcelyworthy of
the thought of an immortal spirit, will fret and worry us from day to day.
There is some oppressor, as the text puts it, whom we dread and fear
continually, yet we forgetthe almighty God, who is on our side, who is
strongerthan all the oppressors who have ever lived, and who has all people
and all things under his control. The reasonwhy we actthus is because we
think of God as if he were far off, while we can see the oppressorwith our
eyes, and we canhear with our ears his threatening words. I want, at this
time, to be the means in the hands of God of turning the thoughts of his people
awayfrom the distress of the present to the joy and comfort which, though
more remote, ought still to be more powerful over the mind and heart because
of its realintrinsic greatness (Va!. 54, pY2. 301, 302).
By putting the first part of the Lord's question in v. 12 with the latter part of
it in v. 13, we can see the fears of the people had become a continual obsession
with them every day!
Note how Isaiahprayed about their fears (and possibly, his own), and then,
how God answered.
I. ISAIAH'S PRAYER (Isa. 51:9-11).
It seems as though the Lord has been asleep(although Psalm121 was still
true). Isaiahprays as one who seeks to arouse the Lord. He addresses Him as,
"the arm of the Lord." Why?
The Lord's arm is first mentioned in Ex. 6:6.
The next time it is mentioned is in Ex. 15:16.
Then we have many references to the Lord's hand, all as His "outstretched
arm," in the book of Deuteronomy. See 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8.
But Isaiahmentions the Lord's arm a number of times. See Isa. 49:10, 11;
51:5; 52:10; 53:1; 59:16;62:8. (See also 59:1, "the Lord's hand.") This �the

figure of speechwhich speaks.ofGod's pawed'an TnaTcationthat the people
recognizedtheir weakness aninadequacy. And so we see, first of all,
A. Isaiah's plea (v. 9a).
B. Isaiah's question (vv. 9b, 10).
C. Isaiah's hope (v. 11).
Isa. 51 :9-16 (3)
We cansee from Isaiah's prayer that he had been looking backwardand
forward in order to find comfort.
II. JEHOVAH'S ANSWER (Isa. 51:12-16).
Do you remember Isa. 26:3, 4? The first and only thing that the Lord did with
Isaiahwas to point Isaiahand the people of Judah to Himself--in four ways:
A. As the Comforter (v. 12a).
B. As the Creator(v. 13a).
C. As the Conqueror (v. 15).
D. As the Coverer(v. 16).
All of these are built around the Lord's question in vv. 12b, 13. V. 14 seems to
be a part of the Lord's rebuke of His people. The problem was that the people
had forgottenthe Lord!
Concl: Oh, how carefulwe need to be not to throw reproachupon the Lord!
He is never at fault. To make it appearso will only deepen our owngloom,
and it will discourage otherChristians. The fault is ours, not His! Our vision
is so short. Our memory fails us.
What is the solution?
I have two to make:1) One is to spend much time reading and meditating on
the Word. None of us reads the Word as much as we could, nor as much as we
need to read it. 2) Never miss a communion service. Thatis the purpose, to
keepus reminded of the Lord.

Review Isa. 26:3, 4 and Phil. 4:6, 7. When we continually remember who the
Lord is, peace and joy canbe ours.
https://tbcpdx.org/LDC_sermon_notes/Sermons%20on%20Isaiah/LDC%20-
%20The%20Arm%20of%20the%20LORD%20Is.%2051.9-16%20-
%207.29.1984_ocr.pdf
MACLAREN
THE AWAKENING OF ZION
Isaiah51:9. - Isaiah52:1.
Both these verses are, I think, to be regarded as spokenby one voice, that of
the Servantof the Lord. His majestic figure, wrapped in a light veil of
obscurity, fills the eye in all these later prophecies of Isaiah. It is sometimes
clothed with divine power, sometimes girded with the towelof human
weakness,sometimes appearing like the collective Israel, sometimes plainly a
single person.
We have no difficulty in solving the riddle of the prophecy by the light of
history. Our faith knows One who unites these diverse characteristics, being
God and man, being the Saviour of the body, which is part of Himself and
instinct with His life. If we may suppose that He speaks in both verses of the
text, then, in the one, as priest and intercessor, He lifts the prayers of earth to
heaven in His ownholy hands-and in the other, as messengerand Word of
God, He brings the answerand command of heaven to earth on His own
authoritative lips-thus setting forth the deep mystery of His personand double
office as mediator betweenman and God. But even if we put aside that
thought, the correspondence andrelation of the two passagesremainthe
same. In any case they are intentionally parallelin form and connectedin
substance. The latter is the answerto the former. The cry of Zion is responded
to by the call of God. The awaking of the arm of the Lord is followedby the

awaking ofthe Church. He puts on strength in clothing us with His might,
which becomes ours.
The mere juxtaposition of these verses suggests the point of view from which I
wish to treat them on this occasion. Ihope that the thoughts to which they
lead may help to further that quickened earnestnessand expectancyof
blessing, without which Christian work is a toil and a failure.
We have here a common principle underlying both the clauses ofour text, to
which I must first briefly ask attention, namely-
I. The occurrence in the Church’s history of successive periods of energy and
of languor.
It is freely admitted that such alternationis not the highest ideal of growth,
either in the individual or in the community. Our Lord’s own parables set
forth a more excellentway-the way of uninterrupted increase, whereofthe
type is the springing corn, which puts forth ‘first the blade, then the ear, after
that the full corn in the ear,’and passes through all the stagesfrom the tender
greenspikelets that gleam over the fields in the spring-tide to the yellow
abundance of autumn, in one unbroken seasonofgenialmonths. So would our
growth be best, healthiest, happiest. So might our growth be, if the mysterious
life in the seedmet no checks. But, as a matter of fact, the Church has not thus
grown. Rather at the best, its emblem is to be lookedfor, not in corn, but in
the foresttree-the very rings in whose trunk tell of recurring seasonswhenthe
sap has risen at the call of spring, and sunk againbefore the frowns of winter.
I have not to do now with the causesofthis. These will fall to be considered
presently. Nor am I saying that such a manner of growth is inevitable. I am
only pointing out a fact, capable of easyverification and familiar to us all. Our
years have had summer and winter. The evening and the morning have
completed all the days since the first.
We all know it only too well. In our own hearts we have known such times,
when some cold clinging mist wrapped us round and hid all the heaven of
God’s love and the starry lights of His truth; when the visible was the only
real, and He seemedfar awayand shadowy;when there was neither
confidence in our belief, nor heat in our love, nor enthusiasm in our service;

when the shacklesofconventionalismbound our souls, and the fetters of the
frost imprisoned all their springs. And we have seena like palsy smite whole
regions and ages ofthe Church of God, so that even the sensationof
impotence was deadlike all the rest, and the very tradition of spiritual power
had faded away. I need not point to the signal historicalexamples of such
times in the past. RememberEngland a hundred years ago-but what need to
travel so far? May I venture to draw my example from nearer home, and ask,
have we not been living in such an epoch? I beseechyou, think whether the
powerwhich the Gospelpreachedby us wields on ourselves, onour churches,
on the world, is what Christ meant it and fitted to exercise. Why, if we hold
our own in respectto the material growth of our population, it is as much as
we do. Where is the joyful buoyancy and expansive powerwith which the
Gospelburst into the world? It looks like some stream that leaps from the
hills, and at first hurries from cliff to cliff full of light and music, but flows
slowerand more sluggishas it advances, and at lastalmost stagnates in its flat
marshes. Here we are with all our machinery, our culture, money,
organisations-andthe net result of it all at the year’s end is but a poor handful
of ears. ‘Ye sow much and bring home little.’ Well may we take up the wail of
the old Psalm, ‘We see not our signs. There is no more any prophet; neither is
there any among us that knowethhow long-arise, O Lord, plead Thine own
cause.’
If, then, there are such recurring seasons oflanguor, they must either go on
of vigorous life. It would be better if we did not need the latter. The
uninterrupted growthwould be best; but if that has not been attained, then
the ending of winter by spring, and the suppling of the dry branches, and the
resumption of the arrestedgrowth, is the next best, and the only alternative to
rotting away.
And it is by such times that the Kingdom of Christ always has grown. Its
history has been one of successive impulses gradually exhausted, as by friction
and gravity, and mercifully repeatedjust at the moment when it was ceasing
to advance and had begun to slide backwards. And in such a manner of
progress, the Church’s history has been in full analogywith that of all other
forms of human associationand activity. It is not in religion alone that there

are ‘revivals,’ to use the word of which some people have such a dread. You
see analogousphenomena in the field of literature, arts, socialand political
life. In them all, there come times of awakenedinterestin long-neglected
principles. Truths which for many years had been left to burn unheeded, save
by a faithful few watchers ofthe beacon, flame up all at once as the guiding
pillars of a nation’s march, and a whole people strike their tents and follow
where they lead. A mysterious quickening thrills through society. A contagion
of enthusiasm spreads like fire, fusing all hearts in one. The air is electric with
change. Some greatadvance is securedat a stride; and before and after that
supreme effort are years of comparative quiescence;those before being times
of preparation, those after being times of fruition and exhaustion-but slow
and languid comparedwith the joyous energy of that moment. One day may
be as a thousand years in the history of a people, and a nation may be born in
a day.
So also is the history of the Church. And thank God it is so, for if it had not
been for the dawning of these times of refreshing, the steadyoperation of the
Church’s worldliness would have killed it long ago.
Surely, dear brethren, we ought to desire such a merciful interruption of the
sad continuity of our languor and decay. The surestsign of its coming would
be a widespreaddesire and expectationof its coming, joined with a penitent
consciousnessofour heavy and sinful slumber. Forwe believe in a God who
never sends mouths but He sends meat to fill them, and in whose merciful
providence every desire is a prophecy of its ownfruition. This attitude of
quickened anticipation, diffusing itself silently through many hearts, is like
the light air that springs up before sunrise, or like the solemnhush that holds
all nature listening before the voice of the Lord in the thunder.
And another sign of its approach is the extremity of the need. ‘If winter come,
can spring be far behind?’ For He who is always with Zion strikes in with His
help when the want is at its sorest. His ‘right early’ is often the latestmoment
before destruction. And though we are all apt to exaggeratethe urgency of the
hour and the severity of our conflict, it certainly does seemthat, whether we
regard the languor of the Church or the strength of our adversaries, succour

delayed a little longerwould be succourtoo late. ‘The tumult of those that rise
up againstThee increasethcontinually. It is time for Thee to work.’
The juxtaposition of these passagessuggestsforus-
II. The twofold explanation of these variations.
That bold metaphor of God’s sleeping and waking is often found in Scripture,
and generallyexpresses the contrastbetweenthe long years of patient
uncheckedbut by Love, and the dread moment when some throne of iniquity,
some Babylon cemented by blood, is smitten to the dust. Such is the original
application of the expressionhere. But the contrastmay fairly be widened
beyond that specific form of it, and taken to express any apparent variations
in the forth-putting of His power. The prophet carefully avoids seeming to
suggestthat there are changes in GodHimself. It is not He but His arm, that is
to say. His active energy, that is invoked to awake.The captive Church prays
that the dormant might which could so easilyshiver her prison-house would
flame forth into action.
We may, then, see here implied the cause ofthese alternations, of which we
have been speaking, onits divine side, and then, in the corresponding verse
addressedto the Church, the cause on the human side.
As to the former, it is true that God’s arm sometimes slumbers, and is not
clothed with power. There are, as a fact, apparent variations in the energy
with which He works in the Church and in the world. And they are real
variations, not merely apparent. But we have to distinguish betweenthe
power, and what Paul calls ‘the might of the power.’The one is final,
constant, unchangeable. It does not necessarilyfollow that the other is. The
rate of operation, so to speak, andthe amount of energy actually brought into
play may vary, though the force remains the same.
It is clearfrom experience that there are these variations; and the only
question with which we are concernedis, are they mere arbitrary jets and
spurts of a divine power, sometimes gushing out in full flood, sometimes
trickling in painful drops, at the unknown will of the unseen hand which

controls the flow? Is the ‘law of the Spirit of life’ at all revealedto us; or are
the reasons occult, if there be any reasons atall other than a mere will that it
shall be so? Surely, whilst we never can know all the depths of His counsels
and all the solemnconcourse ofreasons which, to speak in man’s language,
determine the energy of His manifestedpower, He has left us in no doubt that
this is the weightiestpart of the law which it follows-the might with which
God works on the world through His Church varies according to the
Church’s receptiveness and faithfulness.
Our secondtext tells us that if God’s arm seems to slumber and really does so,
it is because Zion sleeps. In itself that immortal energyknows no variableness.
‘He fainteth not, neither is weary.’‘The Lord’s arm is not shortened that He
cannot save.’‘He that keepethIsraelshall neither slumber nor sleep.’But He
works through us; and we have the solemnand awful powerof checking the
might which would flow through us; of restraining and limiting the Holy One
of Israel. It avails nothing that the oceanstretches shorelessto the horizon; a
jar canhold only a jarful. The receiver’s capacitydetermines the amount
received, and the receiver’s desire determines his capacity. The law has ever
been, ‘according to your faith be it unto you.’ God gives as much as we will, as
much as we can hold, as much as we use, and far more than we deserve. As
long as we will bring our vessels the golden oil will flow, and after the last is
filled, there yet remains more that we might have had, if we could have held it,
and might have held if we would. ‘Ye are not straitenedin Me, ye are
straitened in yourselves.’
So, dear brethren, if we have to lament times of torpor and small success, let
us be honestwith ourselves, and recognise thatall the blame lies with us. If
God’s arm seems to slumber, it is because we are asleep. His power is
invariable, and the Gospelwhich is committed to our trust has lost none of its
ancient power, whatsoevermen may say. If there be variations, they cannotbe
tracedto the divine element in the Church, which in itself is constant, but
altogetherto the human, which shifts and fluctuates, as we only too sadly
know. The light in the beacon-toweris steady, and the same;but the beam it
throws acrossthe waters sometimes fades to a speck, and sometimes flames
out clearand far across the heaving waves, according to the position of the
glassesandshades around it. The sun pours out heat as profusely and as long

at midwinter as on midsummer-day, and all the difference betweenthe frost
and darkness and glowing brightness and flowering life, is simply owing to the
earth’s place in its orbit and the angle at which the unalterable rays fall upon
it. The changes are in the terrestrialsphere; the heavenly is fixed for ever the
same.
May I not venture to point an earnestand solemnappeal with these truths?
Has there not been poured over us the spirit of slumber? Does it not seemas if
an opium sky had been raining soporifics on our heads? We have had but
little experience of the might of God amongstus of late years, and we need not
wonder at it. There is no occasionto look far for the reason. We have only to
regard the low ebb to which religious life has been reduced amongstus to
have it all and more than all accountedfor. I fully admit that there has been
plenty of activity, perhaps more than the amount of real life warrants, not a
little liberality, and many virtues. But how languid and torpid the true
Christian life has been! how little enthusiasm! how little depth of communion
with God! how little unworldly elevationof soul! how little glow of love! An
improvement in socialpositionand circumstances, a freerblending with the
national life, a full share of civic and political honours, a higher culture in our
pulpits, fine chapels, and applauding congregations-are but poor substitutes
for what many of us have lost in racing after them. We have the departed
prophets’ mantle, the outward resemblance to the fathers who have gone, but
their fiery zeal has passedto heaven with them; and softer, weakermen, we
stand timidly on the river’s brink, invoking the Lord God of Elijah, and too
often the flood that obeyedthem has no earfor our feebler voice.
I speak to many who are in some sortrepresentatives of the churches
throughout the land, and they can tell whether my words are on the whole
true or overstrained. We who labour in our greatcities, what say we? If one of
the number may speak for the rest, we have to acknowledge thatcommercial
prosperity and business cares, the eagerness afterpleasure and the exigencies
of political strife, diffused doubt and widespreadartistic and literary culture,
are eating the very life out of thousands in our churches, and lowering their
fervour till, like molten iron cooling in the air, what was once all glowing with
ruddy heat is crusted over with foul black scoriae everencroaching onthe tiny
central warmth. You from rural churches, what say you? Have you not to

speak of deepening torpor settling down on quiet corners, of the passing away
of grey heads which leave no successors, ofgrowing difficulties and lessened
powerto meet them, that make you sometimes all but despair?
I am not flinging indiscriminate censures. I know that there are lights as well
as shades in the picture. I am not flinging censures atall. But I am giving
voice to the confessions ofmany hearts, that our consciousnessofour blame
may be deepened, and we may hasten back to that dear Lord whom we have
left to serve alone, as His first disciples left Him once to agonise alone under
the gnarledolives in Gethsemane, while they lay sleeping in the moonlight.
Listen to His gentle rebuke, full of pain and surprised love, ‘What, could ye
not watchwith Me one hour?’ Listen to His warning call, loving as the kiss
with which a mother wakes herchild, ‘Arise, let us be going’-and let us shake
the spirit of slumber from our limbs, and serve Him as those unsleeping
spirits do, who rest not day nor night from vision and work and praise.
III. The beginning of all awaking is the Church’s earnestcry to God.
It is with us as with infants, the first signof whose awaking is a cry. The
mother’s quick earhears it through all the household noises, and the poor
little troubled life that woke to a scaredconsciousnessofloneliness and
darkness, is takenup into tender arms, and comfortedand calmed. So, when
we dimly perceive how torpid we have been, and start to find that we have lost
our Father’s hand, the first instinct of that waking, which must needs be
partly painful, is to call to Him, whose earhears our feeble cry amid the sound
of praise like the voice of many waters, that billows round His throne, and
whose folding arms keepus ‘as one whom his mother comforteth.’ The
beginning of all true awaking must needs be prayer.
For every such stirring of quickened religious life must needs have in it bitter
penitence and pain at the discoveryflashed upon us of the wretched deadness
of our past-and, as we gaze like some wakenedsleepwalkerinto the abyss
where another step might have smashedus to atoms, a shuddering terror
seizes us that must cry, ‘Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe.’And every
such stirring of quickened life will have in it, too, desire for more of His grace,

and confidence in His sure bestowalof it, which cannotbut breathe itself in
prayer.
Nor is Zion’s cry to God only the beginning and sign of all true awaking:it is
also the condition and indispensable precursor of all perfecting of recovery
from spiritual languor.
I have already pointed out the relation betweenthe waking of God and the
waking of His Church, from which that necessarilyfollows. God’s powerflows
into our weaknessin the measure and on condition of our desires. We are
sometimes told that we err in praying for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit,
because eversince PentecostHis Church has had the gift. The objection
alleges anunquestioned fact, but the conclusiondrawn from it rests on an
altogetherfalse conceptionof the manner of that abiding gift. The Spirit of
God, and the powerwhich comes from Him, are not given as a purse of money
might be put into a man’s hand once and for all, but they are given in a
continuous impartation and communication and are receivedand retained
moment by moment, according to the energy of our desires and the
faithfulness of our use. As wellmight we say, Why should I ask for natural
life, I receivedit half a century ago? Yes, and at every moment of that half-
century I have continued to live, not because ofa past gift, but because ateach
moment God is breathing into my nostrils the breath of life. So is it with the
life which comes from His Spirit. It is maintained by constantefflux from the
fountain of Life, by constantimpartation of His quickening breath. And as He
must continually impart, so must we continually receive, else we perish.
Therefore, brethren, the first step towards awaking, and the condition of all
true revival in our own souls and in our churches, is this earnestcry, ‘Awake,
awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.
Thank God for the outpouring of a long unwonted spirit of prayer in many
places. It is like the melting of the snows in the high Alps, at once the sign of
spring and the cause offilling the stony river beds with flashing waters, that
bring verdure and growth whereverthey come. The winter has been long and
hard. We have all to confess that we have been restraining prayer before God.
Our work has been done with but little sense of our need of His blessing, with
but little ardour of desire for His power. We have prayed lazily, scarcely

believing that answers would come;we have not watchedfor the reply, but
have been like some heartless marksmanwho draws his bow and does not
care to look whether his arrow strikes the target. These mechanicalwords,
these conventionalpetitions, these syllables wingedby no real desire, inspired
by no faith, these expressions ofdevotion, far too wide for their real contents,
which rattle in them like a dried kernelin a nut, are these prayers? Is there
any wonder that they have been dispersed in empty air, and that we have been
put to shame before our enemies? Brethrenin the ministry, do we need to be
surprised at our fruitless work, when we think of our prayerless studies and of
our faithless prayers? Let us remember that solemn word, ‘The pastors have
become brutish, and have not soughtthe Lord, therefore they shall not
prosper, and all their flocks shallbe scattered.’And let us all, brethren,
betake ourselves, with penitence and lowly consciousnessofour sore need, to
prayer, earnestand importunate, believing and persistent, like this heaven-
piercing cry which captive Israelsent up from her wearybondage.
Look at the passionate earnestnessofit-expressedin the short, sharp cry,
thrice repeated, as from one in mortal need; and see to it that our drowsy
prayers be like it. Look at the grand confidence with which it founds itself on
the past, recounting the mighty deeds of ancientdays, and looking back, not
for despairbut for joyful confidence, to the generations ofold; and let our
faint-hearted faith be quickenedby the example, to expect greatthings of
God. The age of miracles is not gone. The mightiest manifestations of God’s
powerin the spread of the Gospelin the past remain as patterns for His
future. We have not to look back as from low-lying plains to the blue peaks on
the horizon, across whichthe Church’s path once lay, and sigh over the
changedconditions of the journey. The highest watermark that the river in
flood has ever reachedwill be reachedand overpassedagain, though to-day
the waters may seemto have hopelesslysubsided. Greatertriumphs and
deliverances shallcrown the future than have signalisedthe past. Let our
faithful prayer base itself on the prophecies of history and on the
unchangeablenessofGod.
Think, brethren, of the prayers of Christ. Even He, whose spirit needed not to
be purged from stains or calmed from excitement, who was ever in His
Father’s house whilst He was about His Father’s business, blending in one,

actionand contemplation, had need to pray. The moments of His life thus
marked are very significant. When He beganHis ministry, the close ofthe
first day of toil and wonders saw Him, far from gratitude and from want, in a
desertplace in prayer. When He would send forth His apostles, that greatstep
in advance, in which lay the germ of so much, was precededby solitary
prayer. When the fickle crowd desired to make Him the centre of political
revolution, He passedfrom their hands and beat back that earliestattempt to
secularise His work, by prayer. When the seventybrought the first tidings of
mighty works done in His name, He showedus how to repel the dangers of
success, in that He thanked the Lord of heaven and earth who had revealed
these things to babes. When He stoodby the grave of Lazarus, the voice that
wakedthe dead was precededby the voice of prayer, as it ever must be. When
He had said all that He could say to His disciples, He crownedall with His
wonderful prayer for Himself, for them, and for us all. When the horror of
greatdarkness fell upon His soul, the growing agonyis marked by His more
fervent prayer, so wondrously compactof shrinking fear and filial submission.
When the cross was hid in the darkness of eclipse, the only words from the
gloomwere words of prayer. When, Godlike, He dismissedHis spirit, manlike
He commended it to His Father, and sentthe prayer from His dying lips
before Him to herald His coming into the unseen world. One instance
remains, even more to our presentpurpose than all these-’It came to pass,
that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the
Holy Ghostdescendedin a bodily shape like a dove upon Him.’ Mighty
mystery! In Him, too, the Son’s desire is connectedwith the Father’s gift, and
the unmeasured possessionof the Spirit was an answerto His prayer.
Then, brethren, let us lift our voices and our hearts. That which ascends as
prayer descends as blessing, like the vapour that is drawn up by the kiss of the
sun to fall in freshening rain. ‘Call upon Me, and I will answerthee, and show
thee greatand hidden things which thou knowestnot.’
IV. The answering callfrom God to Zion.
Our truest prayers are but the echo of God’s promises. God’s best answers
are the echo of our prayers. As in two mirrors setopposite to eachother, the
same image is repeatedover and over again, the reflectionof a reflection, so

here, within the prayer, gleams an earlier promise, within the answeris
mirrored the prayer.
And in that reverberation, and giving back to us our petition transformed into
a command, we are not to see a dismissalof it as if we had misapprehended
our true want. It is not tantamount to, Do not ask me to put on my strength,
but array yourselves in your own. The very opposite interpretation is the true
to summon the prostrate ranks that lie round his tent, so the sign of God’s
awaking and the first act of His conquering might is this trumpet call-’The
night is far spent, the day is at hand, let us put off the works ofdarkness,’-the
night gearthat was fit for slumber-’and put on the armour of light,’ the mail
of purity that gleams and glitters even in the dim dawn. God’s awaking is our
awaking. He puts on strength by making us strong; for His arm works
through us, clothing itself, as it were, with our arm of flesh, and perfecting
itself even in our weakness.
Nor is it to be forgottenthat this, like all God’s commands, carries in its heart
a promise. That earliestword of God’s is the type of all His latter behests:
‘Let there be light,’ and the mighty syllables were creative and self-fulfilling.
So ever, with Him, to enjoin and to bestow are one and the same, and His
command is His conveyance ofpower. He rouses us by His summons, He
clothes us with powerin the very act of bidding us put it on. So He answers
the Church’s cry by stimulating us to quickened zeal, and making us more
conscious of, and confident in, the strength which, in answerto our cry, He
pours into our limbs.
But the main point which I would insist on in what remains of this sermon, is
the practicaldiscipline which this divine summons requires from us.
And first, let us remember that the chief means of quickened life and strength
is deepenedcommunion with Christ.
As we have been saying, our strength is ours by continual derivation from
Him. It has no independent existence, any more than a sunbeam could have,

severedfrom the sun. It is ours only in the sense that it flows through us, as a
river through the land which it enriches. It is His whilst it is ours, it is ours
when we know it to be His. Then, clearly, the first thing to do must be to keep
the channels free by which it flows into our souls, and to maintain the
connectionwith the greatFountainhead unimpaired. Put a dam acrossthe
stream, and the effectwill be like the drying up of Jordan before Israel:‘the
waters that were above rose up upon an heap, and the waters that were
beneath failed and were cut off,’ and the foul oozy bed was disclosed to the
light of day. It is only by constantcontactwith Christ that we have any
strength to put on.
That communion with Him is no mere idle or passive attitude, but the active
employment of our whole nature with His truth, and with Him whom the
truth reveals. The understanding must be brought into contactwith the
principles of His word, the heart must touch and beat againstHis heart, the
will meeklylay its hand in His, the conscience draw at once its anodyne and its
stimulus from His sacrifice, the passions know His finger on the reins, and
follow, led in the silken leashof love. Then, if I may so say, Elisha’s miracle
will be repeatedin nobler form, and from Himself, the Life thus touching all
our being, life will flow into our deadness. ‘He put his mouth upon his mouth,
and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched
himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxedwarm.’ So, dear
brethren, all our practicalduty is summed up in that one word, the measure
of our obedience to which is the measure of all our strength-’Abide in Me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, exceptit abide in the vine,
no more canye, except ye abide in Me.’
Again, this summons calls us to the faithful use of the powerwhich, on
condition of that communion, we have.
There is no doubt a temptation, in all times like the present, to look for some
new and extraordinary forms of blessing, and to substitute such expectation
for presentwork with our present strength. There is nothing new to look for.
There is no need to wait for anything more than we possess. Rememberthe
homely old proverb, ‘You never know what you can do till you try,’ and
though we are conscious ofmuch unfitness, and would sometimes gladly wait

till our limbs are stronger, let us brace ourselves for the work, assuredthat in
it strength will be given to us that equals our desire. There is a wonderful
powerin honestwork to develop latent energies and reveala man to himself. I
suppose, in most cases, no one is half so much surprised at a greatman’s
greatestdeeds as he is himself. They saythat there is dormant electric energy
enough in a few raindrops to make a thunderstorm, and there is dormant
spiritual force enough in the weakestofus to flash into beneficent light, and
peal notes of awaking into many a deaf ear. The effort to serve your Lord will
revealto you strength that you know not. And it will increase the strength
which it brings into play, as the used muscles grow like whipcord, and the
practisedfingers become deft at their task, and every faculty employed is
increased, and every gift wrapped in a napkin melts like ice folded in a cloth,
according to that solemnlaw, ‘To him that hath shall be given, and from him
that hath not shall be takenaway even that which he hath.’
Then be sure that to its last particle you are using the strength you have, ere
you complain of not having enoughfor your tasks. Takeheedof the vagrant
expectations that wait for they know not what, and the apparent prayers that
are really substitutes for possible service. ‘Why liest thou on thy face? Speak
unto the children of Israelthat they go forward.’
The Church’s resources are sufficientfor the Church’s work, if the resources
are used. We are tempted to doubt it, by reasonof our experience of failure
and our consciousnessofweakness. We are more than ever tempted to doubt
it to-day, when so many wise men are telling us that our Christ is a phantom,
our God a streamof tendency, our Gospela decaying error, our hope for the
world a dream, and our work in the world done. We stand before our Master
with doubtful hearts, and, as we look along the ranks sitting there on the
greengrass, and then at the poor provisions which make all our store, we are
sometimes tempted almost to think that He errs when He says with that
strange calmness ofHis, ‘They need not depart, give ye them to eat.’ But go
out among the crowds and give confidently what you have, and you will find
that you have enoughand to spare. If ever our stores seem inadequate, it is
because they are reckonedup by sense, whichtakes cognizanceofthe visible,
instead of by faith which beholds the real. Certainly five loaves and two small
fishes are not enough, but are not five loaves and two small fishes and a

miracle-working hand behind them, enough? It is poor calculationthat leaves
out Christ from the estimate of our forces. The weakestmanand Jesus to
back him are more than all antagonism, more than sufficient for all duty. Be
not seducedinto doubt of your power, or of your success,by others’ sneers, or
by your own faint-heartedness. The confidence of ability is ability. ‘Screw
your courage to the sticking place,’and you will not fail-and see to it that you
use the resources youhave, as goodstewards of the manifold grace ofGod.
‘Put on thy strength, O Zion.’
So, dear brethren, to gather all up in a sentence, letus confidently look for
times of blessing, penitently acknowledgethat our ownfaithlessness has
hindered the arm of the Lord, earnestly beseechHim to come in His rejoicing
strength, and, drawing ever fresh power from constantcommunion with our
dear Lord, use it to its last drop for Him. Then, like the mortal leaderof
Israel, as he pondered doubtingly with sunken eyes on the hard task before his
untrained host, we shall look up and be aware of the presence of the sworded
angel, the immortal Captain of the hostof the Lord, standing ready to save,
‘putting on righteousness as a breastplate, an helmet of salvationon His head,
and clad with zealas a cloak.’FromHis lips, which give what they command,
comes the call, ‘Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ Hearkening to His
voice, the city of the strong ones shall be made an heap before our wondering
ranks, and the land shall lie open to our conquering march.
Wheresoeverwe lift up the cry, ‘Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the
Lord,’ there follows, swift as the thunderclap on the lightning flash, the
rousing summons, ‘Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy
beautiful garments, O Jerusalem!’ Wheresoeverit is obeyed there will follow
in due time the joyful chorus, as in this context, ‘Sing together, ye waste places
of Jerusalem;the Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations, and all the ends of the earth have seenthe salvationof our God.’

Jesus was the arm of the lord

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