Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 48
Overview:
The Jews reproved for their
Idolatry.
(1-8) Yet deliverance is
promised them.
(9-15) Solemn warnings of
Judgment upon those who
persisted in evil.
(16-22)
1-8 The Jews valued themselves
On descent from
Jacob, and used
the name of
Jehovah as their
God. They prided themselves
respecting
Jerusalem and the
Temple, yet there was
No Holiness
in their lives. If we are not sincere in religion, we do but
take the name of the
Lord in vain.
By Prophecy they were shown
how
God would
Deal with them, long before it came to pass.
God
has said and done enough to prevent men's boasting of
themselves, which makes the
Sin and ruin of the proud worse;
sooner or later every mouth shall be stopped, and all become
silent before Him. We are all born children of disobedience.
Where original
Sin is, actual
Sin will follow. Does not the
Conscience of every
Man Witness to the
Truth of
Scripture? May
the
Lord prove us, and render us doers of the
Word.
9-15 We have nothing ourselves to plead with
God, why he should
have
Mercy upon us. It is for his praise, to the honour of his
Mercy, to spare. His bringing men into trouble was to do them
good. It was to refine them, but not as
Silver; not
So
thoroughly as men refine
Silver. If
God should take that course,
they are all
Dross, and, as such, might justly be
Put away. He
takes them as refined in part only. Many have been brought home
to
God as
Chosen vessels, and a good work of
Grace begun in
them, in the
Furnace of affliction. It is comfort to
God's
people, that
God will secure his own honour, therefore work
deliverance for them. And if
God delivers his people, he cannot
be at a loss for instruments to be employed.
God has formed a
plan, in which, for his own sake, and the
Glory of his
Grace, he
saves all that come to Him.
16-22 The Holy
Spirit qualifies for service; and those may
speak boldly, whom
God and his
Spirit send. This is to be
applied to
Christ. He was sent, and he had the
Spirit without
Measure. Whom
God redeems, he teaches; he teaches to profit
By
affliction, and then makes them partakers of his
Holiness. Also,
By his
Grace he leads them in the way of duty; and
By his
Providence he leads in the way of deliverance.
God did not
afflict them willingly. If their sins had not turned them away,
their peace should have been always flowing and abundant.
Spiritual enjoyments are ever joined with
Holiness of
Life and
regard to
God's will. It will make the misery of the disobedient
the more painful, to think how happy they might have been. And
here is
Assurance given of
Salvation out of
Captivity. Those
whom
God designs to bring home to himself, he will take care of,
that they want not for their
Journey. This is applicable to the
Grace laid up for us in
Jesus Christ, from whom all good flows
to us, as the water to
Israel out of the
Rock, for that
Rock was
Christ. The spiritual blessings of
Redemption, and the rescue of
the
Church from antichristian tyranny, are here pointed to. But
whatever changes take place, the
Lord warned impenitent sinners
that
No good would come to them; that inward anguish and outward
trouble, which
Spring from guilt and from the Divine wrath, must
be their portion for ever.