The God of Agony
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak lovingly to the heart of Jerusalem, yes, cry to her that her warfare is done, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has taken from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins. Isaiah 40:1-2
Comfort – Nacham is one of the most important words in the Hebrew language. Without it, we would stand pleading under a leaden sky to an unfeeling God. With it, we have hope, no matter what our circumstances, for nacham contains within it the agony of God over our situation and the offer to help.
Read this verse again. Ask yourself, “Who is feeling this pain?” The answer is “God.” God identifies with the pain of His people. He is the One Who sends a message of comfort because He acknowledges the dire straits of those He loves. He does not stand aloof, demanding appeasement. He is moved with compassion and comes to comfort. This is a message every man and woman longs to hear and needs to know. God speaks loving words in the midst of our pain because He knows how we feel.
Nacham has another umbrella of meanings that are just as important. Nacham is also the word for “repent.” Nacham captures not only the emotional trauma and agony of human pain, it also opens the door toward restoration. It is the healing word. It tells me that God knows my suffering and He offers a solution. Nacham combines emotion and decision. It speaks to my heart and to my mind. God comes to me in my pain, demonstrates His care and asks me to come back to Him for renewed life. My emotions open the door for my decision. In Hebrew thought, feelings and choices are interwoven and inseparable.
When Isaiah heard these words from the Lord, he must have rejoiced. The long days of punishment were about to end. Even more importantly, Isaiah saw that the character of God had not changed. God was still the compassionate one. The sin of Israel had not changed the mind and purposes of God. Yes, sin brought calamity. That is what sin does. Yes, God used calamity to correct His people. That is what God does. But sin did not invalidate God’s choice. It did not remove God’s love. Covenant commitment remained. All that was needed was nacham.
You and I stand under the Hebrew umbrella of nacham. Yes, the message was addressed to Jerusalem after the days of terrible suffering. But God has not changed. We experience His hand of correction. Sometimes, we are taught the consequences of sin in traumatic ways. But nacham is still at the heart of God. He comes to comfort us, to restore us and to rejoice in our return to Him. He is the God Who shares the agony of broken relationships – and Who longs to have those relationships healed.
Do you find terrible pain when you open the secret places in your heart? God’s hand rests on your shoulder. He will help you bear it because it is the way back to Him.
