The God of Truth [God-Amen] (Isaiah 65:16).
“Amen” is here a title given to God. He stands in opposition to the idols of the heathen, which were not gods by nature and to whom the God of truth is ever opposed. The mention of the God of truth here is a reference to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is one of His titles in the New Testament, as you see in Revelation 3:14.
We use the word “Amen” to emphasize some profound truth or when we identify ourselves with what has been uttered in prayer. We mean—“So be it!” or “Let it be like that!” The description of the living God as the Amen is summed up in James 1:17: “The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” God is always positive, definitive, sure. He is never in a quandary—wondering whether this or that is the right course.
God As the God of the Amen
In Isaiah, chapter 65, there is a record of God’s judgments upon the nations which includes chastisement of His own people. That chastisement was seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The flowing stream of the river Euphrates, by which they sat, since it ran through the city, was swelled with their tears. They wept when they called to mind what privileges they had enjoyed—sacrifices offered—feasts kept—songs of Zion sung. But in 40:1 there is a new note: “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people.” In 52:1 there is a call to awake, “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion.” Then in 60:1, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” Finally, there is promise of full restoration, “My servants shall sing for joy of heart” (65:14). In their seventy years of captivity, they had often cried, “Our hope is lost!” Their own land was utterly devastated. There seemed no hope, no prospect, no future. Many feel the same way about present-day Israel. But God is the God of truth—the God of the Amen. Because He is that, and thus faithful to His covenants and promises, there is hope for Israel. These things are written for our learning. There are many who feel life is hopeless and that there is no future. But because of who God is, and what He is, there is hope and the possibility of singing again with joy of heart. “The promises of God in Him [Christ] are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). But God demands reality and firm conviction. “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,” says the Lord Jesus as He addresses Himself to the church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14). We must put off all uncertainty, indefiniteness, and all luke-warmness—all indistinctiveness in character—all indecisive-ness in testimony—all uncertainty of hope—and believe that the Lord is the God of truth—the God-Amen!
The Lord Jesus As the God of Truth
“These things saith the Amen.” In the days of His flesh our Lord often used the words, “Verily, verily,” which mean “Amen, amen.”
The Lord Jesus is the Amen in His death. In Deuteronomy 27 we read of the curses which were to come upon Israel if they disobeyed. At the recital of these curses the people replied, “Amen”—that is, “Let it be like that” if we do disobey. Let us be cursed of God. In His great work of redemption, the Lord Jesus was accepting that Amen on behalf of His people. His sufferings and death on the cross were a mighty amen to all of God’s wrath which was poured out upon His head on behalf of a disobedient people. In effect, the Lord Jesus was saying, “This is how it ought to be! This is what man’s sin deserves!” He was giving His amen to the curse of God upon sin. In those expiatory and substitutionary sufferings He swallowed up the whole curse, just as Moses’ serpent swallowed up the serpents of the Egyptian magicians. It was our Lord’s own attestation to the holy, just, and righteous character of God. The inflexible justice of God demanded punishment for sin. It made exaction for the iniquity of us all.
Then, too, He is the Amen in His resurrection. This is the other side of the cross. “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18). Says Paul, “[He] was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25), that is, we are justified by His risen life. This is the Amen of our justification. This is how it ought to be for all who have believed on Him. In His death we affirm God is right in punishing sin, and we believe the Lord Jesus graciously bore our sins in His own body on the tree. We are saying, in effect, “That is what I deserve!” We can never get through to the ground of salvation until we see that and affirm that! But when we come to the resurrection side we affirm what God says—that we are justified by our Lord’s rising from the dead. He is the Amen of our justification by His risen life. By that rising from the dead we know everything against us has been put away. God is committed to that!
O bless the Lord, my soul;
Let all within me join,
And aid my tongue to bless His name
Whose favors are divine.
’Tis He forgives my sins;
’Tis He relieves my pain;
’Tis He that heals my sicknesses,
And makes me young again.
He crowns my life with love,
When ransomed from the grave:
He that redeemed my soul from hell
Hath sovereign power to save.
His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known;
But sent the world His truth and grace
By His beloved Son.
—Isaac Watts