What does it mean that God will "keep in perfect peace" in Isaiah 26:3?

These then do not forget the public blessings of the nation, but there is also the individual saint's walk, staying upon God, caring for His glory, Who, on His part, keeps the soul in perfect peace; the mind is stayed upon God Himself. For no matter what the blessings be, if we have not God Himself as the object of our hearts, they are sure to be misused; therefore it is said, "because he trusts in thee." It is not merely the perception of the goodness of God and of the wonders He had wrought for them. Now they know Himself, and trust Himself, and this is a very real thing for our souls - the personal knowledge of God and trust in God. Need it be said that God looks for it now in a still more intimate way than even then? Yet all that ever has been done on the face of the earth will have been outwardly eclipsed with but one exception (and this exception is Christ, to say nothing of His body the church). Nothing can surpass the last Adam; nothing compare with Christ's cross, unless it be Himself; and both will be our portion, of which we will joy and boast even in glory.

The sequence of thought here is to be noted. First, salvation, then, righteousness, thirdly, peace. But peace is to be enjoyed as the mind and heart is stayed in simple trust on the Lord. Hence the exhortation of verse 4, where the name of the Almighty is, so to speak, duplicated. It is "JAH-JEHOVAH," to emphasize that He is indeed "the Rock of Ages" — as shown in the margin of our reference bibles. Isaiah uttered this exhortation to the men of his day, before God's delivering might was manifested. It is equally valid for us today; indeed more so, since to us God has been made known in Christ in a far more intimate way.

We cannot let our thoughts go astray; we must keep them on Him. Isaiah 26:3 tells us the Lord will keep us in perfect peace if we keep our minds on Him and keep trusting Him. Why let our thoughts run wild with anxious fear? The Lord has all things under control. He is, after all, the One who is above all and able to change all; and He wants to do what is for our greatest good. If we trust Him completely and keep our thoughts on Him, we will have peace of heart and mind.

We pass on to chapter 26, and there our third lesson lies plainly before us. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusts in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (vv. 3-4). Here the lesson is TRUST: a needed lesson if we are to be kept quiet and confident in the turbulent waters of sorrow and loss. We must trust, in the absolute goodness and wisdom and love of God. We have no hope but in Him, and we need no other. We must put our whole confidence in Him and rest in His strong hand and tender heart. We must trust Him even when we cannot understand His way, and go on trusting—walking by faith and not by sight—this is the way of peace—perfect peace, of “peace, peace” as the margin reads. We put these three worth together, they give us a completed course in the school of God—SUBJECTION, HOPE and TRUST.

The simile brings a picture of peace to the vision; it speaks of restfulness of heart in a secure retreat. But it does not follow that this quietness of soul springs from external circumstances—these may be most adverse to our natural inclination, yet in the midst of them the heart may be unruffled, as another Scripture says: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”

But could Paul honestly wish Peace to these saints in Philippi, when they were suffering for their Master's sake? Can Peace and Persecution go together? Yes, strange as it may seem, they can, and often do, go together. In 1 Tim. 2:2, we are told to pray for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life (New Translation); and the Word goes on to say that such a life is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Sad to say, our brethren in some lands are not leading such a life. Perhaps this is because so often we forget this prayer. These words in Timothy 2:2 imply on the one hand, tranquility without, and on the other, tranquility within. But can we have tranquility within when there is no tranquility without? Yes, we can! That is part of what we learn in Philippians. It is still true: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee." How? Why? "Because he trusteth in Thee," and "In the Lord Jehovah is the Rock of Ages." (Isa. 26:3 & 4: Margin).

What comfort for the weakest child of God who is submissive enough to trust Him: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You — In YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength" (Isa. 26:3-4). To the extent that we are able to do this, we will have a steady peace which changing circumstances cannot take away.

Here we have the blessed contrast of all this: there is a remnant whom God will make to be a strong nation, and they are called, "The righteous nation which keeps faithfulness." In verse 3 it is not merely that there is a general profession of the nation, but there will be an individual reality among them. In the past they were called "the holy nation," as a description that belonged to them, but in the future there is this comfort to all that love them that it will be real collectively and individually. No common privileges are ever meant to make us less mindful of individual fidelity. "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace the mind stayed [on thee], for he confides in thee" (v. 3).

In the next place, let us notice the remarkable words in this chapter, "No more conscience of sins." By conscience we understand, God knows and I know. If you owed a man a thousand pounds, every time you met him you would be troubled, because you knew that you were in his debt, and that he knew it too. Suppose a friend went to him and paid him, and you did not know it, then, though your debt were paid, yet because you did not know it, you would still blush when you met your creditor. But if the creditor called upon you, told you he had been paid, and bade you read the receipt in full of all demands, then would you not be at once reconciled to him, and be in such perfect peace about your debt that, however frequently you met him, your conscience would no more be troubled? You would have a purged conscience, because you knew and he knew the debt had been justly discharged. So is it with regard to God and your sins. Though Jesus had borne your sins, suffered for your sins, died for your sins, shed His precious blood for the remission of your sins, and though God gave you remission, when first you drew nigh to Him, through Jesus and His blood, yet till you knew that God was satisfied, that He pronounced you cleansed, your conscience would not be purged, you would still feel burdened, and have dread of God. When you were quite sure from God's word that through the blood of Christ you were cleansed, that He justifies you, and will no more remember your transgressions and lawlessness, your conscience would be purged, you would have no more conscience of sins. Conscious of disobedience you may be after this, which will call forth the confession of your sins to the Father as His child, in order to your communion being restored; but there would be no more question of sin as to condemnation. You will then seek so to walk as to keep a conscience void of offence, both toward God and toward man. The Scripture which cannot be broken, setting before you as it does God's mind, and brought home to your heart by the Holy Spirit, you will be kept in perfect peace. Self-occupation, or brooding over circumstances, will disturb this; but looking off again to God and His word, you will realize that you are an object of divine favour and blessing. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."

In the death of the Lord Jesus, our sins have been judged, and thus purged; by the resurrection of Christ, Satan, death, and the grave have been triumphed over and in Christ ascended we have eternal life, righteousness, acceptance, nearness to God, and all spiritual blessings; and His almighty power and perfect changeless love being to usward, we are kept for the inheritance in glory, and the inheritance is reserved for us. It need scarcely be added that the Holy Ghost is given to make all this known unto us, and to unite us to Christ. Thus, not a fear nor a doubt can possess a soul that is stayed on the accomplished work of Christ, and God's testimony concerning it; and in this way we realize the truth of that scripture, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." How wondrous are the depths and heights of divine grace! Well might the apostle call it a "great salvation." Happy indeed are those, who so grasp God's own declaration as to what has been accomplished for us by the death, and in the resurrection and ascension of Christ, as to "rejoice in the Lord always." Do we know, beloved fellow-believers, what it is thus to rest and triumph, as accepted and blessed in Christ Jesus in heavenly places?