Isaiah
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Introduction[i]
Isaiah
takes the first place; and in fact he is the most complete of all the prophets,
and perhaps the most rich. The whole circle of God's thoughts with respect to
Israel is more given here. Other prophets are occupied with certain portions
only of the history of this people.
We
will give here the division of this book into subjects. There is in the
beginning an appearance of confusion; nevertheless it helps to explain the moral
bearing of the book.
And
here what a scene presents itself to our view!-sorrowful in one aspect, yet at
the same time lovely and glorious, like the first glimmerings of dawn after a
long and cold night of darkness, telling of the bright day which soon will rise
over a scene, the beauties of which are faintly perceived, mingled with the
darkness that still obscures them-a scene that shall be vivified by the sun
that will soon enlighten it. One rejoices in this partial light: it tells of
the goodness, the energy, and the intentions of that God who has created all
things for the accomplishment of His purposes of grace and glory. But one longs
for the manifestation of the fulness of this accomplishment, when all will
repose in the effects of this goodness.
Such
is prophecy. It is sorrowful, because it unveils the sin, the ungrateful folly,
of God's people. But it reveals the heart of One who is unwearied in love, who
loves this people, who seeks their good, although He feels their sin according
to His love. It is the heart of God that speaks. These two characters of
prophecy throw light upon the two-fold end it has in view, and help us to
understand its bearing. First of all, it addresses itself to the actual state
of the people, and shews them their sin; it always therefore supposes the
people to be in a fallen condition. When they peacefully enjoy the blessings of
God, there is no need of displaying their condition to them. But, in the second
place, during the period in which the people are still acknowledged, it speaks
of present restoration on their repentance, to encourage them to return to
Jehovah; and it proclaims deliverance. And in this, the law and so the
blessings connected with it, have their place as that to which they should
return. Of this the last prophetic word from God (Malachi 4) is an expressive
instance. But God well knew the hearts of His people, and that they would not
yield to His call. To sustain the faith of the remnant, faithful amidst this
unbelief, and for the instruction of His people at all times, He adds promises
which will assuredly be fulfilled by the coming of Messiah. These promises are
sometimes connected with the circumstances of a near and partial deliverance,
sometimes with the consummation of the people's iniquity in the rejection of
Christ come in humiliation. It is important to be able to distinguish between
that part of a passage which refers to those circumstances which were near at
hand, and that which speaks of full deliverance shewn in perspective through
those circumstances. This is the difficult part of the interpretation of
prophecy.
I
would add that, although the subject of prophecy is not a figure, yet figures
are not only largely used, but they are often intermingled with literal expressions;
so that in explaining the prophetic books one cannot make an exact rule to
distinguish between figure and letter. The aid of the Holy Ghost is necessary,
as is always the case in the study of the sacred word, to find the true sense
of the passage. What I have said is equally applicable to other parts of
scripture, and in the most solemn circumstances. Psalm 22, for instance, is a
continual mixture of figures, which represent the moral character of certain
facts, with other facts recited in the simplicity of the letter. There is no
difficulty in understanding it. "Dogs have compassed me; the assembly of
the wicked have inclosed me, they pierced my hands and my feet." The word
dogs gives the character of those present. This way of speaking is found in all
languages. For instance, it would be said, "He drew a fine picture of
virtue." Drew a picture is a figure. I say this in order that a difficulty
may not be made of that which belongs to the nature of human language.
I
come now to the contents of this important book of prophecy. It is thus
divided:-The first four chapters are apart, forming a kind of introduction. The
fifth also in itself stands alone. It judges the people in view of the care
that God has bestowed upon them. But we shall find this judgment resumed in
detail in verse 8 of chapter 9 (Isa_9:8).
In chapter 6 we have the judgment of the people in view of the Messiah's coming
glory; consequently there is a remnant acknowledged. [See Note #1]
Chapter 7 formally introduces the Messiah, Immanuel, the Son of David, and the
judgment upon the house of David after the flesh; so that there is an assured
hope in sovereign grace, but at the same time judgment upon the last human
support of the people. In chapter 8 we have the desolating Assyrian who overruns
the land, but also Immanuel (previously announced in chapter 7) who finally
brings his schemes to nought. Meantime there is a remnant, separate from the
people, and attached to this Immanuel; [See Note #2] and the circumstances of anguish through which
the apostate people must pass are alluded to, which terminate in the full
blessing flowing from Immanuel's presence. This closes with verse 7 of chapter
9 (Isa_9:7); so that we have here in
fact the whole history of the Jews in relationship with Christ. In verse 8 of
chapter 9 (Isa_9:8) the Spirit resumes
the general national history from chapter 5, interrupted by this essential
episode of the introduction of Immanuel. He resumes it from the time then
present, pointing out the different judgments of Jehovah, until He introduces
the last instrument of these judgments-the Assyrian, the rod of Jehovah. And
here the immediate deliverance is presented as an encouragement to faith, and
as prefiguring the final destruction of the power that will be the rod of
Jehovah in the last days. Jehovah, having smitten the desolator, presents
(chapter 11) the Offspring of David, at first in His intrinsic moral character,
and then in the results of His reign as to full blessing, and the presence of
Jehovah established again in Zion in the midst of Israel. Thus the whole
history of the people is given us in its grand features, until their
establishment in blessing as the people of God, having Jehovah in their midst.
Only that it is to be remarked that nothing is given of Antichrist, nor of the
power of the beast, nor of the time of tribulation as such, because that is the
period during which the Jews are not owned, though they be dealt with, while
our prophecy speaks of the time when they are owned. It is stated in general terms
that God would hide His face from the house of Jacob, and the righteous in
spirit wait for Him.
From
chapter 13 to the end of chapter 27 we find the judgment of the Gentiles;
whether Babylon or the other nations, especially of those which were at all times
in relationship with Israel; the position of Israel, not only in the midst of
them, but of all the nations in the last days (this is chapter 18); and,
finally, the judgment of the whole world (chapter 24), and the full millennial
blessing of Israel (chapters 25-27). From chapters 28 to 35 we have the detail
of all that happens to the Jews in the last days. Each revelation closes with a
testimony to the glory of God in Israel.
In
chapters 36 to 39 the Spirit relates the history of a part of Hezekiah's reign.
It contains three principal subjects:-the resurrection of the Son of David as
from death; the destruction of the Assyrian, without his having been able to
attack Jerusalem; and the captivity in Babylon. These are the three grand
foundations of the whole history and state of the Jews in the last days.
From
chapter 40 to the end is a very distinct part of the prophecy, in which God
reveals the consolation of His people and their moral relations with Himself,
and the double ground of His controversy with them, whether in view of the
position in which He has placed the nation as His elect servant-the witness of
Jehovah the one true God, in the presence of the Gentiles, and their idolatrous
failure-or in respect to their rejection of Christ the only true elect Servant
[See Note #3]who
has fulfilled His will. This gives occasion to the revelation of a remnant who
hearken to this true Servant, as well as to the history of the circumstances
that this remnant pass through, and therefore at the same time to that of the
people's condition in the last days, ending with the manifestation of Jehovah
in judgment. The position of Israel with respect to the idolatrous nations
gives occasion also to the introduction of Babylon, of its destruction, and the
deliverance of captive Judah by Cyrus. This idolatry is one of the subjects on
which Jehovah pleads with His people. The other and yet graver subject is that
of the rejection of Christ. For more detail we must wait till these chapters
come under examination.
Prophecy
supposes that the people of God are in a bad condition, even when they are
still acknowledged, and prophecy addressed to them. There is no need of
addressing powerful testimony to a people who are walking happily in the ways
of the Lord, nor of sustaining the faith of a tried remnant by hopes founded on
the unchangeable faithfulness and the purposes of God, when all are enjoying in
perfect peace the fruits of His present goodness-attached, as a consequence, to
the faithfulness of the people. The proof of this simple and easily understood
principle is found in each of the prophets. It does not appear that the
prophets, whose prophecies we possess in the inspired volume, wrought any
miracles. [See Note
#4] For the law was then in force, its authority outwardly acknowledged;
there was nothing to establish; and Jehovah's authority was the basis of the
public system of religion in the land according to the institutions appointed
by Himself in connection with the temple. It was on practical duty that the
prophets insisted. In the midst of the ten apostate tribes Elijah and Elisha
wrought miracles to re-establish the authority of Jehovah. Such is the
faithfulness of Jehovah, and His patience towards His people. A new object of
faith requires miracles. That which is founded on the already acknowledged
word, and which does not demand; the reception of it as a new object, requires
none, whatever the increase of light or claim on conscience may be. The word
commends itself to the conscience in those who are taught of God; and if there
are new revelations, they are to the comfort of those who have received the
practical testimony, and have thus recognised the authority of one who speaks
on the part of God.
We
will now examine the contents of the prophecy itself in a more detailed way.
Note #1:
Note
here, the two great dealings of God with the conscience to convict it of sin
exemplified in these two chapters. First, the state of blessing in which God
had first set the person judged, and his departure from it (so man in his innocence);
and second, the meeting of the Lord in glory. Are we in a state to do so?
Note #2:
This
is largely brought out in the Gospel of Matthew. The passage itself is quoted
in Hebrews 2. What is spoken of in Isa_8:13-18
is in fact the gospel history breaking in upon the scene. Peter quotes Isa_8:14; Paul (Romans 9) the stumbling stone;
Matthew quotes Isa_ 9:1-2 for Christ's
apparition in Galilee.
Note #3:
This
term "servant" is a kind of key to this whole prophecy: first Israel,
then in chapter 49 the Lord takes Israel's place, at the end the remnant. But
of this more hereafter.
Note #4:
The dial of Ahaz in this prophet may be thought an exception, but Ahaz was really departed from God. It is also noteworthy that the apostles never wrought miracles for their own comfort. Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick. Epaphroditus "was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but on me also."