Isaiah 27:3-5 - Homiletics

The means whereby God purifies and perfects his Church.

Despite human weakness and human perversity, God will build up and establish a faithful Church—he will "purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" ( Titus 2:14 ). It is for his honor that this should be so, and he is strong enough to effect it. His "strength is made perfect in weakness" ( 2 Corinthians 12:9 ). We are shown here some, at any rate, of the chief means whereby he effects his purpose. Most prominent of all is—

I. HIS PERPETUAL WATCHFUL GUARDIANSHIP . "I the Lord do keep it." "I will keep it night and day." Incessant watchful care, never slacking, never wearied, the fruit of abounding infinite love,—this is the first thing. The Lord "keeps the city." The Lord is his Church's "Keeper," so that "the sun shall not burn it by day, neither the moon by night;" so that the thief shall not enter in, nor the fox spoil; so that the hatred and wiles of Satan shall be of no avail; so that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" ( Matthew 16:18 ). The Lord's care is unceasing—"he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" ( Psalms 121:4 ). The Lord's care is effectual—"he keepeth his mercy forever" ( Psalms 89:28 ).

II. HIS CONSTANT REFRESHING GRACE . "I will water it every moment ." Not only day by day and hour by hour, but momently , does his grace descend on his Church, strengthening it, reviving it, refreshing it. His Holy Spirit teaches men's hearts continually with a doctrine that "distils as the dew" ( Deuteronomy 32:2 ), softens them with an influence that "drops as the rain." He gives "grace for grace;" leads on "from strength to strength;" converts, upholds, confirms, sustains, each weak and wavering soul; cleanses, purifies, infuses light, and strength, and sweetness, and every other virtue into each heart that will admit them; thus constituting and "presenting to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing … holy and without blemish" ( Ephesians 5:27 ).

III. HIS KEEN PURGING FIRES . "The briars and thorns … will I burn together." The Church, while on earth, will always have imperfections, weak brethren, unworthy members, faults, ay, sins, even in the best. It is among the greatest of God's mercies to the Church that he does not overlook these, but is keenly alive to them—yea, "sets men's secret sins in the light of his countenance" ( Psalms 90:8 ). For when these things are noted, there is a hope that they may be remedied. God is ever purging his Church. He "turns his hand upon it, and purely purges away its dross and taketh away all its tin" ( Isaiah 1:25 ). By pain and suffering, by chastisements of various kinds, by sickness, and disappointment, and ill success, and loss of those dear to them, he leads men to conviction of sin, and hatred of it, and aversion from it, and contrition, and amendment. Where these fail, there is the final remedy, which saves the Church, when the individual will not be saved—the remedy of excision, when the dead branch is broken off, and "cast into the fire, and burned" ( John 15:6 ). But in thousands of cases the purging is effectual, the keen fire does its work, and purifies without destroying. The soul that was in danger turns to God, and "takes hold of his strength," and "makes its peace with him," and both the Church and the individual gain.