Christians find themselves at times, even for lengthy periods of time, in an experience of isolation. I am not speaking of a careless and willful disobedience, in which a person separates himself against the command found in Hebrews 10:25 ‘not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.’

I am referring to a season of one’s life that is outside of their control and in which they are forced to wait upon God. While it is an affliction that is not to be desired in itself, it is not without great purpose. The purpose is so that we might hear God’s Word, when otherwise we would not.

Jesus said in John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?”

Jesus was speaking to those leaders who were rejecting the gospel that He preached. We find the underlying reason why they would not believe. The leaders were so busy in obtaining recognition from mere men that they were unable to hear Jesus. The same problem exists today and is true of every generation. Who doesn’t want to belong, to be accepted, to be affirmed, to have fellowship? But what we need is God’s Truth, His Word, in a fresh and powerful way. Far too many leaders of our churches think that the best thing for the church is to affirm the great teachers of the past without questioning them and some even say that we should not dare to question them! Those who want to be counted great today must quote and affirm those who were before them. But when will we hear the Word of the Lord?

Jeremiah 2:8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ and those who handle the law did not know Me.

We know that there is a problem with the church today. But what is it? There is something plaguing the evangelical church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the church stuck in a rut. What will bring about change? The sheep, those not in leadership, suffer because of it. Those who lead are unable to hear God’s Word and therefore they do not ask the uncomfortable question, “Where is the Lord?” They assume that all they need to do is the usual ritual, the usual affirming of what was said by men in the past, which is the ongoing idolatry of the mere words of men.

Do not be surprised or shocked by this. There is nothing new plaguing the church. The same idolatrous way of unquestioning the teachings of men will always threaten a transformative experience of God’s Word. The people of God will never arrive in this life with a completed maturing of understanding of God’s Word. Woe to us, if all we have is to merely revere the imperfect understanding of God’s truth that was spoken in the past. The revelation of the Holy Scriptures is finished for sure, but the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in making known to the people of God the living Word of God will never be finished.

Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Imagine questioning what Paul the apostle taught, yet, Paul himself teaches that this is essential to rightly receiving the Word of God.

The Bereans are not the only ones who are to examine the Scriptures daily in order to rightly receive God’s Word. We are to do so as well. We are to keep engaging our understanding of what God’s Word says to every man’s teaching regardless of its “authority”.

The problem is that the people of God will fail to personally understand the Word of God themselves. If we do not teach the people to engage their own understanding they will never arrive at the blessing of the Bereans. Why have the people recite extra-biblical sources, such as the Nicene Creed, when they cannot explain ‘eternally begotten’ in their own words?

The Danger of Error

People will say it is too dangerous to try to understand the Word of God for yourself and to be like the Bereans. I have experienced the dangers of error, but I have always been the better for it after the growth pains that accompany it. Yes, there is real danger, so be careful and fear. Do not set out to find something new, rather, set out to rightly understand the Word of God. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture and earnestly pray. Yes, in a multitude of counselors there is safety, but what evangelical protestant does not thank God that certain individuals did act on what God had revealed to them?

So Why The Need For Isolation?

So that we might hear the Word of God, which we cannot hear while among those who will not seek daily to see if these things are so. So that we might be delivered from the idolatry of hearing mere men over God’s Word.

Again, people will accuse you of disobeying Hebrews 10:25 and that you are forsaking the assembling of yourself with others. Yes, do take Hebrews 10:25 to your heart and make sure before God that you are not in the wrong spirit.

Consider Psalm 42. Notice that the psalmist is in an exile, separated from the presence of God in the miraculous saving acts that take place in the house of God. His enemies say, “Where is your God?” showing us that he has gained an understanding of God’s Word that is presently not accepted by those who exclude him.

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me;

Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you in despair, O my soul and why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

If you are experiencing isolation, may it hopefully be only for a season and to the end that you gain a fresh understanding of God’s living Word and that this will be a blessing for the people of God.