Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1:1

The prophecy opens with, 1. A high charge against the Jewish church and nation, (1.) For their ingratitude, ver. 2, 3. (2.) For their incorrigibles, ver. 5. (3.) For the universal degeneracy of the people, ver. 4, 6, 21, 22. (4.) For their rulers perverting of justice, ver. 23. 2. A sad complaint of the judgments of God, which their sins had brought upon them, ver. 7—9. 3. A just rejection of their formal worship amidst this general defection and apathy, ver. 10—15. 4. An earnest call to repentance and reformation, setting before them life and death; life if they complied with the call, and death if they did not, ver. 16—20. 5. A threatening of ruin to those that would not be reformed, ver. 24, 28—31. 6. A promise of a happy reformation at last, and a return to their primitive purity and prosperity, ver. 25—27.

1. THE vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, before Christ which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahas, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The first verse is a kind of title to the whole book. The author is Isaiah, which signifies the salvation of the Lord: his father was Amoz, not Amoz the prophet, but a different person, and of a different name. It is called his vision, as being delivered to him in this way, and, as he had himself a clear understanding of what he spoke, he delivered it very perspicuously to others. The great subject of the prophecy is said to be Judah and Jerusalem, little mention being made of the rest of the revolted Israelites; and when notice is taken of other nations, it is because of their connection with the Jews, and their captivity by them, or deliverance from them. Under four kings

before the plea, destroyed their city and temple together. Note, (1.) The greatest enemies to the power of godliness are often those who are most rigid observers of the form. (2.) Whilst inward iniquity is harboured, and the heart continues estranged from God, the most liberal charities, or the largest gifts to God’s altar, will be rejected with abhorrence. (3.) Many in a fright will be driven to their knees and their prayers, who are not driven from their sins, and therefore pray in vain. (4.) So far are all the outward services of religious worship from pleasing God, where the soul is unconverted and self-righteous, that he abhors the sabbatas and the solemn meeting; so that the very duties on which the formalists depend, will prove their damnation. b Jer. 10. 16. c Cf. 6v. 10. 14. & 6var. 6. 17. Am. v. 17. Rom. 20. p. 1 Pet. 10. 11. 7 Or. 6p. 6. 6 Chap. 6in. 18. e Pet. II. 7. Rev. vii 16. f 7c. i. 8. 16. ¶ 1 Wash ye, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, ‘ceale to do evil, 17. Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the opprefied, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18. Come now and let us reason together, faith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, ’they shall be as white as know: though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. 20. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 1:16-20

Since the ceremonial worship was declared ineffectual, the prophet directs them to the only sufficient means of acceptance with God. 1. By washing and making themselves clean, which all their visual ablutions never could effect; and therefore they must come by faith, under the sense of their guilt and pollution, to the sincretion which should be opened in a Swining’s blood. Note, We might as soon think to wash the Ethiopian white, as to remove one foot of sin from our souls by any other method, than through the atoning blood of Jesus. 2. As washed from their sins they must amend their lives; anything away all known evil, making restitution for every act of injustice, and ceasing from allowed sin. They must not merely rest in negative holiness, but exercise themselves unto godliness in the practice of every good word and work, under the influence of divine grace, and with a single eye to the divine glory. And he instances wherein this courts of well-doing consists, under the two great points of mercy and justice, which would please the Lord better than the most costly sacrifices. Note, (1.) Where the blood of Jesus cleanses from the guilt of sin, the Spirit of Jesus will deliver from the power of it; and in vain do they hope for the one, who continue strangers to the other. (2.) Though perfectly to cease from sin is the lieffedness reserved for us above, yet here we shall obtain the utilimony of a good conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincecity we have our conversation in the world. (3.) A Christian has no time to be idle; much hath he to learn; much to do; and all his attention and care will be little enough for the great work that is before him. 3. He silences an objection which might be raised in the minds of those, whose deep views of past guilt might discourage them from returning to God, as if their sins were beyond pardon and hope. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as place: though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool; however great and aggravated their iniquities, they need not be discouraged: nay, are invited to come, yea, to come now without delity, and let us reason together, faith the Lord; though on the footing of their own deeds or duties they could not appear in any will at God’s bar, yet, when God put that prevailing argument in their mouths of the promises of full and free pardon through the blood and righteousness of a Redeemer, then they might come boldly to the throne, and fear no condemnation; the plea would be accepted, the sinner justified from all things. Note, That blood of Jesus which alone can cleanse from the least sin, as easily and effectually cleanses from the greatest: let no returning sinner despair. 4. He sets before them the blessing and the curse. If ye be wishing to submit to this advice, to wash and be clean, and obedent to the word and ways of God, ye shall eat the good of the land, the land of Canaan, in which their abode would be sure, as long as their fidelity was maintained; and a better country than this also is the portion of the faithful servants of God. But if ye refuse to hearken to these admonitions, and rebel against the government and ministers of God, and against his incarnate word the Messiah, then their ruin was determined; the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, the sincretion is fixed and irrevocable; Ye shall be devoured with the sword of the Babylonians and Romans, executing upon them God’s temporal judgment, and by the sword of eternal vengeance after death pursuing them to the lowest hell. Note, (1.) If sinners persist, it will not be for lack of warning; their blood is upon their own heads. (2.) They who will not submit to God’s sceptre, must suffer under his sword. (3.) When sinners persist in their rebellion, they reject their own mercies, and God’s justice in their condemnation will be manifest to all. Vo 2. II. 21. ¶ 1 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22. 2 Thy silver is become dross; thy wine mixt with water: 23. 3 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: 4 every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; 5 they judge not the fatherless, neither doeth the cause of the widow come unto them. 24. Therefore faith the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, 7 I will ease me of mine adversaries, 8 and avenge me of mine enemies. 25. ¶ And I will turn my hand upon thee, and 9 purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. 26. And I will enforce thy Judges 1 as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward 2 thou shall be called, the city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and 3 but converts with righteousness. 28. ¶ And 4 the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 29. For they shall be ashamed of 5 the oaks which ye have desired, 6 and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. 30. For ye shall be 7 as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. 31. And 8 the strong shall be as tow, and 9 the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and 10 none shall quench them.

Isaiah 1:21-31

As Jesus wept over the devoted city, the prophes, moved with a portion of his compassionate spirit, laments the wickedness he beheld. 1. An awful change had passed on Jerusalem: the once faithful city is become an harlot, turning from the worship and service of God, and profitstung herself to all the abominations of iniquity. It was in past days famed for justice, full of judgment, her magistrates distinguished for integrity; righteousness lodged in it, as it chosen for her favoured abode. But how aweful the contrasts 2 and murderers, who first murdered the prophes who witnessed of the just One, and then at last murdered the Son of God, Mat. xxiii. 37. Acts vii. 52. Pure once, and bright as silver, dross now only remained; their practice corrupt, and their principles depraved. Thy wine is mixed with water; the lively oracles of God adulterated and abashed by false glories, and human traditions; so that it was become of no effect. Thy princes are rebellious, ringleaders in sin; and companions of thieves, connviving at their crimes; and, for the protection they afforded, sharing of the fruits of their robberies. Gifts and bribes were their known delights, and ever carried the cause at their bar; whilst the poor, the fatherless, and widow, who had nothing to give, were suffered to be oppressed without redress; and such was exactly the character of the Jews in our Saviour’s days, See Rom. ii. Note, (1.) Prostitution of justice for gain is more infamous than the justification of the harlot for hate. (2.) Injustice and bribery on the seat of judgment are a heavier curse on any people, than the ravages of the world handists: against the one we may guard, from the other there is no redress. (3.) We must not only abstain from injuring the poor; we are criminal if we neglect to vindicate them from oppression, and to expoke the cause of the afflicted. (4.) The former good examples of preaching magistrates, or illustrious progenitors, respect double darkness on their degenerate successors. 2. God with indignation awakes to execute vengeance on his enemies. Ah, I said safe me of them, as a loud under which the earth groaned: or, I will take comfort of them, pleased with the execution of righteous judgment upon them. And this he confirms by a recital of his glorious titles, The Lord of bells, the mighty One of Israel, able to fulfill all his threatenings, and before whom every foe must fall. Terrible was the execution of this threatening in their first destruction by the Babylonians, but most fearful, when, having rejected and murdered the Lord of life, he employed the Roman sword, and commanded these his enemies, who would not that he should reign over them, to be slain before him. 3. A part shall be recovered, converted, and saved. I will turn my hand upon thee, revive the decayed state of religion, puting their dross away in the furnace of affliction, and taking away the tin, the adulterations they had mixed in their worship, and the corruptions of their practice; reffering their judges as at the first, and counsellors as at the beginning; and then they would recover their former credit and honour, as she city of righteousness, the faithful city, redeemed by judgment executed on their sins; and being now converted unto God, his righteousness became engaged for their recovery. And this was the case in a measure under Hezekiah’s reformation, and may look to their reformation from Babylon; but especially regards the day of Christ, when, by the powerful grace of God in the gospel, such multitudes of Jews were converted; their sins, as dross, purged away; their self-righteousness, like sin, renounced, as false and base alley. The apostles, as judges, were C. raised

The third riled up to recover them from the worst enemies, sin and Satan, and to counsel and direct them in the way of truth and holiness. Being incorporated in Christ’s church, they would become a praise in the earth, a people clothed with righteousness imputed and impressed, and faithful to Christ, his gospel, and ordinances. His Zion is thus redeemed by the judgment executed on the divine Redeemer in her stead, and his comers with righteousness, in a way perfectly consistent with the holiness of God, whose righteousness eminently appears displayed in the salvation of the gospel. Note, (1.) Every man by nature and practice is the slave of sin, that worst of slavery, till redeemed by grace. (2.) The work of conversion belongs to God alone; he must turn us, or we never shall be turned. (3.) The Redeemer’s righteousness is the great meritorious cause of our conversion; hereby God can be just, when he is the justice of him that believes on Jesus. (4.) When we recover the favour of God we had forfeited, we shall be restored to the honour we had left.

4. The destruction of the enemies of Christ and his people is as sure as their salvation. Together they will perish, v. 28. Their false confidence shall fail and confound them, v. 29. Stripped as the oak in winter, they shall be left naked and bare, and withered as the garden that hath no waters, v. 30. The strong shall be as unable to resist, as the tow before the devouring fire; and the maker of it, the idol; or his word, all the devious of the transgressors, shall be as a guard of fire, and they shall burn together, and some shall quench them; which will eminently be fulfilled in the day of final resumption, when God shall execute judgment upon the ungodly, and the man of sin and all his followers, who have forsaken the ways of truth for lying vanities, human traditions, false doctrines and worship, and abominable idolatries, will have their portion together in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, See Rev. xx. 10.