Isaiah 50

[LizMusica]

I'm having a difficult time with this verse...

Isaiah 50:10-11
10 Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.

11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.

is this verse talking about those who take on the image of a "christian" but arn't really christians?:scratch Who's lighting fires and why? Why do you think they are lying in torment?

thank you

[Deepcallstodeep]

From Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 50:10-11:


The prophet, having the tongue of the learned given him, that he might give to every one his portion, here makes use of it, rightly dividing the word of truth. It is the summary of the gospel. He that believes shall be saved (he that trusts in the name of the Lord shall be comforted, though for a while he walk in darkness and have no light), but he that believes not shall be damned; though for a while he walk in the light of his own fire, yet he shall lie down in sorrow. I. Comfort is here spoken to disconsolate saints, and they are encouraged to trust in God’s grace, v. 10. Here observe, 1. What is always the character of a child of God. He is one that fears the Lord with a filial fear, that stands in awe of his majesty and is afraid of incurring his displeasure. This is a grace that usually appears most in good people when they walk in darkness, when other graces appear not. They then tremble at his word (ch. 66:2) and are afraid of his judgments, Ps. 119:120. He is one that obeys the voice of God’s servant, is willing to be ruled by the Lord Jesus, as God’s servant in the great work of man’s redemption, one that yields a sincere obedience to the law of Christ and cheerfully comes up to the terms of his covenant. Those that truly fear God will obey the voice of Christ. 2. What is sometimes the case of a child of God. It is supposed that though he has in his heart the fear of God, and faith in Christ, yet for a time he walks in darkness and has no light, is disquieted and has little or no comfort. Who is there that does so? This intimates that it is a case which sometimes happens among the professors of religion, yet not very often; but, whenever it happens, God takes notice of it. It is no new thing for the children and heirs of light sometimes to walk in darkness, and for a time not to have any glimpse or gleam of light. This is not meant so much of the comforts of this life (those that fear God, when they have ever so great an abundance of them, do not walk in them as their light) as of their spiritual comforts, which relate to their souls. They walk in darkness when their evidences for heaven are clouded, their joy in God is interrupted, the testimony of the Spirit is suspended, and the light of God’s countenance is eclipsed. Pensive Christians are apt to be melancholy, and those who fear always are apt to fear too much. 3. What is likely to be an effectual cure in this sad case. He that is thus in the dark, (1.) Let him trust in the name of the Lord, in the goodness of his nature, and that which he has made known of himself, his wisdom, power, and goodness. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, let his run into that. Let him depend upon it that if he walk before God, which a man may do though he walk in the dark, he shall find God all-sufficient to him. (2.) Let him stay himself upon his God, his in covenant; let him keep hold of his covenant-relation to God, and call God his God, as Christ on the cross, My God, My God. Let him stay himself upon the promises of the covenant, and build his hopes on them. When a child of God is ready to sink he will find enough in God to stay himself upon. Let him trust in Christ, for God’s name is in him (Ex. 23:21), trust in that name of his, The Lord our righteousness, and stay himself upon God as his God, in and through a Mediator. II. Conviction is here spoken to presuming sinners, and they are warned not to trust in themselves, v. 11. Observe, 1. The description given of them. They kindle a fire, and walk in the light of that fire. They depend upon their own righteousness, offer all their sacrifices, and burn all their incense, with that fire (as Nadab and Abihu) and not with the fire from heaven. In their hope of acceptance with God they have no regard to the righteousness of Christ. They refresh and please themselves with a conceit of their own merit and sufficiency, and warm themselves with that. It is both light and heat to them. They compass themselves about with sparks of their own kindling. As they trust in their own righteousness, and not in the righteousness of Christ, so they place their happiness in their worldly possessions and enjoyments, and not in the favour of God. Creature-comforts are as sparks, short-lived and soon gone; yet the children of this world, while they last, warm themselves by them, and walk with pride and pleasure in the light of them. 2. The doom passed upon them. They are ironically told to walk in the light of their own fire. "Make your best of it, while it lasts. But what will be in the end thereof, what will it come to at last? This shall you have of my hand (says Christ, for to him the judgment is committed), you shall lie down in sorrow, shall go to bed in the dark.’’ See Job 18:5, 6. His candle shall be put out with him. Those that make the world their comfort, and their own righteousness their confidence, will certainly meet with a fatal disappointment, which will be bitterness in the end. A godly man’s way may be melancholy, but his end shall be peace and everlasting light. A wicked man’s way may be pleasant, but his end and endless abode will be utter darkness.


Hope this helps. All sorts of commentaries are available on Crosswalk.com. :thumb

[Paidfor]

It means the same as this proverb.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

They light fires so that they can see where they are going. They trust in their own knowledge.

They lie down in torment because they are always worried. They trust in their own knowledge, so they are worried with good reason. Their knowledge and understanding are imperfect.

[LizMusica]

so what does this mean then... are these the Lords people lying down in torment, or are these unbelievers? Is there anything we christians can learn from this?

[BlessedinHim]

We should be leaning on God and not on ourselves. We cant light our own candles. We cannot save ourselves.

[Paidfor]

so what does this mean then... are these the Lords people lying down in torment, or are these unbelievers? Is there anything we christians can learn from this?

I think it has a universal application to all people, anyone who is in torment because they are worried about money or posessions. The question is, can the unbeliever do anything about their worry? They have nowhere else to turn. Jesus teaches us that the worry of the world will take our focus off of God.

Mat 13:22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

But the believer through Christ has the freedom to approach the throne of God.

Rom 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

The believer in faith can turn their concerns over to God and lie down in the peace of God.

Phl 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Phl 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[good news]

so what does this mean then... are these the Lords people lying down in torment, or are these unbelievers? Is there anything we christians can learn from this?

You've gotten the right answers already, so my two cents is less than two, but I've always read the first verse to mean the fear of the Lord (the reverrence, the awe) is the beginning of true wisdom. Pro 1:7

"Those who kindle the fire" means those that are self-reliant instead of walking in the light of the Lord and His servant, Isa 2:5. When this light comes into the world, some are going to choose darkness - John 3:16-17, and torment is God's punishment for disbelief.

[LizMusica]

yes these all sound like very good possibilities, but do you think this could be the conviction of the holy spirit with unbelievers and believers alike? To me it could be an example of christians who are walking in the light verses christians who arn't or those who claim to be "christians."

sorry still trying to understand:scratch

[Paidfor]

Those who walk in faith, who trust God are all believers. The HS will convict believers to maturity in their faith. This mature faith will be expressed by trust in God, that He loves us and will never leave us. The belief that God will do what he promised to do is the basis of the peace that we have in God. On the contrary, if believers depend on their own knowledge and understanding they will be disappointed and have no peace.

The HS will convict an unbeliever of their need for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If they don't have this faith, then they will never have the source of peace. So they are forced to depend on their own knowledge and understanding and they also will be disappointed and have no peace.

I believe that the primary focus of the passage from Isaiah in the OP is on the believer and their need for maturity in their faith. I say this because the passage implies that the intended audience has a choice. They can walk in God's light or they can walk in the light of a fire of their own making. An unbeliever doesn't have that choice.

But I believe it can be extended to the unbeliever and their need for faith. A lack of faith leads to a lack of peace with God for both believers and unbelievers alike. This lack of peace is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. For the believer, a call to maturity. For unbelievers a call to faith when combined with knowledge of the gospel.

Don't be sorry LizMusica. This is a great question.