Isaiah 65

Isaiah 65:1

I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.

Whatsoever become of you, my late people of the Jews, my covenant shall be made good with another nation, whom ye think not of: behold, the Gentiles shall come in your room; I am sought of them, which were before utter aliens from me and my Church; and I am accordingly found of them, which heretofore sought me not: I called a people unto my Covenant of Grace, which had before no relation unto me, either of name or interest.

Isaiah 65:2

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

I have made continual and important means to these rebellious Jews; who yet will not be reclaimed, but walk on, lewdly and stubbornly, in their own vain and sinful lusts;

Isaiah 65:3

—that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

—That sacrificeth in those groves which they have in their private orchards, and upon their own-erected altars, according to their vain and superstitious fancies, contrary to the charge of God, who hath confined their services and oblations to his altar at Jerusalem;

Isaiah 65:4

Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things in their vessels;

Which, in devilish fashion, gave themselves to the practice of necromancy, consulting with evil spirits under the form of the dead, and making no difference of those meats which the law hath made abominably unclean;

Isaiah 65:5

Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Which, in the pride and scorn of their heart, are ready to say to the holy prophets of God, admonishing them of their sins, Tush, I regard thee not; keep thy counsel to thyself: I am holier than thou. These are tedious and noisome to me; and their proud hypocrisy is such, as shall provoke my perpetual indignation, to burn them up like an unquenchable fire continually.

Isaiah 65:8

Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not: for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

Thus saith the Lord, As a man, that intends to cut down or root up a sour ill-fruited vine, and, finding one branch of it yielding a kindly and pleasing grape, forbears to destroy it; so will I do with my people: though, in a generality, they deserve an utter extirpation; yet, for the sake of some of them, whom I have found careful and conscionable, I have resolved not to destroy them all.

Isaiah 65:9

An inheritor of my mountains.

A people, that shall inherit and possess that my mountainous country of Judea.

Isaiah 65:10

And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

And there shall be a frequent rehabilitation of the whole land of Israel and Judah: the late desolate pastures of Sharon, and the fruitful valley of Achor, shall be again put to use, and serve for the feeding and grazing of your flocks and herds.

Isaiah 65:11

But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering, unto that number.

But ye are they, that forsake the Lord; that do wilfully neglect my chosen mountain of Zion, and my holy temple there; that offer sacrifice to a base rabble of counterfeit gods, and furnish drink offerings to all the innumerable hosts of heaven.

Isaiah 65:12

Therefore will I number you to the sword, &c.

Therefore will I design you to destruction, &c.

Isaiah 65:13

Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed.

Ye have made a fashionable profession of service to me, but there hath been no truth therein; and ye shall speed accordingly: for, behold, those, that are indeed my true and faithful servants, shall eat, and drink, and rejoice, and enjoy the good things of the land; when ye, hypocrites, shall be held short of all these comforts, and shall be punished with shame and want. So verse 14.

Isaiah 65:15

And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.

And that name, whereof ye now vainly boast, shall no more be disgraced by you; but, contrarily, instead thereof, your name and memory shall be execrable to all my chosen; so as, when they would curse another, they shall say, So may God curse thee as he did the Jews: for the Lord God shall destroy thee, and ISAIAN, CHAP. LXV. LXVI. call his servants, out of other nations, and by other names; even by the glorious names of Christians.

Isaiah 65:16

That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.

And, all the earth over, men shall give themselves to the holy and conscionable worship of God: whether they pray, or whether they swear, or whatsoever act of religion they do, it shall be directed to the only true God; for God hath determined to put a final end to the calamities of his Church, and not to see their grievous distresses any longer.

Isaiah 65:17

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Behold, I will renew all things by the power and government of my Son Christ: the whole world shall be then cast in a new mould; the former condition, which served only for a shadow of the future, shall then vanish, and be no more of use or remembrance.

Isaiah 65:18

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

Be ye glad and rejoice for ever, O ye faithful souls, which shall receive the benefit of this happy renovation; for, I will give fulness of joy unto my Church, and will make my people eternally blessed.

Isaiah 65:20

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the children shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner of an hundred years old shall be accursed.

There shall be a perfect age and stature in Christ; no deficiency, either in a nonage or a decrepid estate, but all shall attain to their due growth: the child shall not die till he be a hundred years old, and shall reach to a happy maturity; and those, that are old, shall enjoy a strong and vigorous age: thus spiritually blessed shall they be that are in Christ; but those, who are out of him, are no less miserable: for the sinner, though he enjoy a long life here on earth, yet is and shall be accursed; the length of his days shall add to the extremity of his torment.