Isaiah 51

Isaiah 51:1-3

This chapter is designed for the comfort of the church of God in her distress. 1. God, who raised his church at first out of nothing, shall take care of shall not perish, ver. 1—3. 2. The righteousness and salvation he designs for his church are sore and near, ver. 4—6. 3. Her persecutors are weak and dying creatures, ver. 7, 8. 4. The same power which did wonders for the church formerly, is now engaged for her protection and deliverance, ver. 9—11. 5. God himself, the maker of the world, had undertaken to deliver his people out of their distress, and to comfort them under it, ver. 12—16. 6. He deplorable as the condition of the church now was, ver. 17—20. 7. The same useful circumstances her persecutors should shortly be reduced, ver. 20—23.

Mal. v. 6. 1. HEARKEN to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto each whoever ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whoever ye are digged. 2. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for I called him above, and blessed him, and increased him. 3. For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waife places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her defeat like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

This was probably designed primarily for the comfort of Israel in Babylon, but is equally applicable to the whole church.

1. The character of God’s people is here described. For that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; who earn-

ably embrace the righteousness of faith, seek the Lord in all his appointed ordinances; and desire to walk before him in all holy cornerstones and godliness.

2. Their duty is far before them: in general, in burden to all God’s words, and particularly to look back with humanity on their low original, and with faith to trust God in the time of their deepest distress, who is at this to save them, and increase his church, as to deliver Abraham from his righteous country, and make him the father of many nations, v. 2. Note, (1.) It is good for a child of God to be often remembering the hole of the pit, the state of nature and sin, from whence he hath been digged, to keep him ever humble before God. (2.) What God hath done of old for those who studied, as Abraham, implicitly on his promise, should encourage us to follow their faith, and hope for their kindred.

3. In the way of duty God will meet them with his confessions. The Lord will comfort Zion, his church, and every member of it, with the discoveries of his love. He shall comfort all her waife places, where, through the ravages of persecution, or decays of vital godliness, few faithful command; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her defeat as the garden of the Lord; in flourishing and fruitful; and this will yield matter of abundant consolation to the saints, as well as glory to God; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Note, (1.) It is matter of general joy to the God, when God is pleased to change its defeat state of nature, and by his grace renewed, to make it difficult as the garden of Eden. (2.) The tribute of praise is the least we can render for the mercies are continually receive from God.

4. ¶ Hearken unto me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. 5. My righteousness is near: my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people: the siler shall wait upon me, and of mine arms shall they trust. 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wear old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be unethical. ¶ Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whole heart is my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 8. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them up like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Isaiah 51:4-8

God promises to comfort his church, and we have here abundant ground of confidation set before us, from the views of the transcendently glorious and everlasting righteousness of God our favour.

1. We are told who they are that have an interest in it. My people, the elect of God; my nation, the chosen generation of Jews and Gentiles incorporated, that make one body, of which Christ is the living head; ye that know righteousness, and thoroughly acquainted with, and believe in the righteousness of Jesus, as wrought out for the sinner’s justification; in whose heart is my love; faith working by love, and engaging a willing obedience to all God’s commandments. Reader, is this thy case?

2. A repeated and solemn call is given to these, to hear him who speaketh from heaven, and brings to men the knowledge of salvation. Note, They who would know God’s mind and will, must be attentive to his word.

3. The glad tidings Christ brings are delivered.

(1.) A law shall proceed from me, the law of the Spirit of Life, the gospel; and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people; his word shall gain a firm establishment, and be not merely the light of Israel, but of the ends of the earth.

(2.) In this gospel the grand object is the righteousness of the Redeemer, wrought out in behalf of his people, and the meritorious cause of the salvation, which is, in consequence thereof, bestowed upon them, v. 5.

(3.) This righteousness is near, and this salvation gone forth; openly preached in the word of the gospel, and is near to every sinner, from whom no previous qualifications are required: whenever he receives God’s record as true, that moment he becomes entitled to the salvation prescribed.

(4.) Alone arm shall judge the people; either the arm of the Lord shall be revealed to them in mercy, and they shall melt upon it, as will be the case of those who embrace the professed salvation; or he will visit those who neglect to grant a mercy, and punish them for their unbelief, v. 5.

(5.) The righteousness and salvation of the Redeemer shall be eternal: it is not only free for all nations, but enduring through all ages. The heavens will decay, and the earth be destroyed,

John Child 2. 2. 2.

Isaiah 51:10-12

1. A WAKE, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the many city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised, and the unclean. 2. Shake thyself from the dust: arise, and let down, O Jerusalem: I loose thyself from the hands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3. For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought: and ye shall be redeemed without money. 4. For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to Sojourn there, and the Aflyrian oppressed them without cause. 5. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them, make them to howl, saith the LORD, and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 6. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth speak, behold, it is I.

o. 1—6. By an elegant figure Jerusalem is here described as a mountain in the most abject dithrels, sitting in the dust, stripped of every ornament, walled with sorrow, and ready to sleep the deep of death. And herein she is the figure of the church, under the prevalence of Antichrist, when the power of true religion will be reduced to the lowest ebb. In this afflicted state,

1. God awakens her with his calls; bids her arise, and shake herself from the dust; put on her beautiful garments, recover her decayed strength, and loose the captive hands from her neck; and what he commands, he will enable her to perform. Also, When the calls of gospel grace reach the future, he is the deplorable captive of sin, stripped of all righteousness and strength, and doomed to the dust of death and hell; but, awakened by the voice of God, the beautiful garments of a Redeemer’s righteousness are provided for him, strength ministered to break the hands of sin, and rising from the dust of spiritual death, he sits down among the living saints of God.

2. He promises to preserve her from the future power of her enemies. For henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised, and the unclean; which can only agree with Jerusalem mystical, the church of God in the latter day, See Rev. xxi, 27. since Jerusalem, after the return from the captivity, was professed by Antiochus and the Romans, and is possessed by the Turks at this day.

3. God will redeem his Israel freely. Ye have sold yourselves for nought; for whatever pleasure and enjoyment sin promises, misery and sanity are found the only fruits of it: and ye shall be redeemed without money; corruptible things, such as silver and gold, were of no avail to redeem the soul, but the precious blood of Christ alone; and though the parchase was dearly made by him, yet the salvation obtained by his bloodshedding comes to us entirely free, without money and without price.

4. The Lord will magnify his own glory in the deliverance of his people from the antichristian bondage, as he did of old from the prison of Egypt, when the Jews, who went to Sojourn there, were oppressed; and as he rescued them from the yoke of

the Aflyrians, who unreasonably and trustly afflicted them, v. 4. God’s glory suffered whilst they were enslaved: tyrannically treated, they hawed for nought, and their proud matters, far from acknowledging God in their conquests, blasphemed his name, as if unable to deliver them, v. 5. Therefore he will make his glory appear, and his people shall know his salvation, and acknowledge, in the day of their deliverance, the faithfulness of God in his promises, v. 6. Thus when Babylon mystical is fallen, then Jesus will be especially adored by his redeemed, as the faithful and true witness.

7. ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publifmeth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publifmeth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. 9. ¶ Break forth into joy, sing together, ye walle places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11. ¶ Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean that bear the vessels of the LORD. 12. For ye shall not go out with halfe, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you: and the God of Israel will be your retreated.

o. 7—12. Great was the joy which Cyrus’s proclamation occasioned, and happy were the Jews to spread the report; but the Apostle, Rom. x. 15. plainly intimates, that a greater cause of joy is here signified, even the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his gospel, to which these words are to be referred.

1. A blessed messenger is sent publishing the happiest tidings which ever greeted mortal ear. Some refer this to John the Baptist, but it may well be applied to the Redeemer himself and his apostles. The tidings they bring are tidings of peace, tidings of good things, tidings of salvation; pardon of sin obtained, God’s favour restored, victory over our spiritual foes, deliverance from the bondage of corruption; and, above all, our God reigneth: Jesus is risen, is ascended up on high, hath led captivity captive, sits on the throne of glory to bless, preserve, protect his people, and bring them to be with him, where he is, that they may behold his glory. These are the tidings published in the mountains publicly, and beautiful are the feet of those who bring them, worthy to be had in honour for their works alike.

2. With greatest joy the message is received. Thy watchmen, the ministers of the gospel, shall lift up the voice, and publish aloud the glad news that is arrived of pardon, peace, and salvation through Jesus. Writ the voice together shall they sing: with delight and joy shall they execute their ministry: for they shall see eye to eye, clearly and distinctly, the great truths they are authorized to proclaim, so as to have the fullest conviction of them in their own souls, when the Lord shall bring again Zion, revive his work, enlarge his church, and by an abundant outpouring of his Spirit in the latter day, call in Jews as well as Gentiles to the communion of his faith.

3. The walle places of Jerusalem are called upon to rejoice and sing for this great and general redemption. Long had desolations been formed around, but now God will build up her breaches. For the Lord hath comforted his people, with the discoveries of his rich grace in the gospel of his Son: he hath redeemed Jerusalem, his church, by the offering of the body of Jesus once for all. And this salvation now no longer, as of old, is confined to one peculiar people, but the Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; displayed his power and holiness in the work of the Redeemer; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God manifest in the flesh, whose redemption is universal, not confined to one nation or people, but free for all; whosoever will, may come and partake of it. Note, The subject of redeeming love will afford matter for praise that never will be exhausted.

4. An instant and urgent command is given to depart, and the Lord himself promises to be their retreated, that their march may be safe and uninterrupted. This may primarily refer to the return from Babylon, but is applied by the apostle, 2 Cor. vi. 17. to the separation from sin and idolatry, which, by the preaching of the gospel, would be effected in the Gentile world. Depart ye, depart ye; make no delay: go ye out from thence, from the kingdom of darkness: much no unclean thing; keep back no allowed sin, nor have fellowship with the workers of iniquity: go ye out of the midst of her, of Babylon, or rather the house of Satan’s bondage: be clean, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord; not merely be ceremonially clean, ye Jewish priests, who bear the vessels of the sanctuary Cyrus restored.

most easily beset him. Note, We can never know Chrift, aright, nor the wonders of his grace, till we become acquainted with our fallen flate, and see the depths of sin in which we were by nature and practice sunk irrecoverably, but for his interposition.

2. The nature of them. Grieks and forrows, like unto which were no forrows; reckoned by his enemies as the abhorred of God, and all his sufferings reputed as just judgments for his crimes, v. 4. Wounded with the thorns, the nails, the spear; bruised with strokes and sufferings; his back ploughed up with stripes and scourgings, v. 5. Oppressed; though innocent, condemned as guilty; afflicted with every species of misery and woe, v. 7. and ending his days on the crofs; a death the most painful, ignominious, and accursed, v. 8.

3. His behaviour under his sufferings, and his innocence. He spared out his mouth, except in prayers for his murderers: no complaint was heard of their injustice or cruelty. He is brought as a land to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shewers is dumb, so he spends not his mouth; and of him we must learn the like patient silence before our bitterest perfections. And he made his grace with the wicked, and with the rich in his death: it was intended he should be buried, as well as die, with malfections, but God ordered it otherwise; though his death was with the wicked, his grave was with the rich, Joseph of Arimathea laying his body in his own new tomb; and this honour was done him, because he had done no violence, neither was guilt; and in his mouth: though he was accused as an enemy to the flate, a mover of sedition, and deceiver of the people, the charge was infamous and false. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; and, from the cradle to the grave, in spoils’s innocence always did the things which pleaded his Father, and was thereby qualified to bear the sins of others, having of his own none to answer for.

4. The end and design of his sufferings was to make atonement for the sins of his people, and by paying the penalty due to them, thereby to obtain their discharge. He hath borne our grief, and carried our forewas: he not only healed the diseases of men’s bodies, touched with tender sympathy for their sufferings, See Mat. viii. 17. but the griefs and forrows due to our sins he took upon himself. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all; appointed him as the finner’s substitute, and conferred to accept his sufferings in their stead; and having made him to be sin for us, He was stricken and sinister of God, with the sword of divine justice; for the transgressors of my people was he stricken; standing in their name and character, the wrath of God they had provoked lighted upon his devoted head. Hence he was wounded for our transgressors, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Great, numberless, aggravated, were the sins of his people; wide, and irreparable by any human means, the breach made between God and us. But in? Jesus hath found a ransom: a blessed commutation is made of our guilt, misery, and sin to our Redeemer, of his infinite merits to us, bringing pardon, peace, and healing to our perishing souls, in virtue of his sufferings and death on our behalf. This is a pleasing theme; upon it we can never sufficiently dwell; for on this all our everlasting hopes depend. We may observe here, (1.) The encouragement given to the chief of sinners, that came to God by him, Heb. xli. 21. If Jesus, as the scape-goat in the day of expulsion, hath borne all our iniquities, then we are assured of redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. (2.) This is God’s own constitution, accepting the just for the unjust; and therefore we may with perfect satisfaction rest therein. (3.) This vicarious substitution of the Saviour’s obedience unto death in the sinner’s stead, is the grand peculiarity, and the distinguishing glory of the gospel dispositions.

5. God inflicted his approbation and satisfaction of the Redeemer’s undertaking by raising him from the dead. He was taken from prison, and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? which some interpret of the wrong done him in the unjust sentence passed upon him, when, as a malpractice, he was condemned at Pilate’s tribunal, and crucified by the men of that generation, whose cruelty and inhumanity are past description. But it may better refer to his glorious resurrection: he had been consigned to the grave, under the just sentence of death due to our iniquities, and on his resurrection from thence rested the grand proof of the sufficiency of the satisfaction he had made for sin; God therefore on the third day sent his angel as the officer to discharge him from the prison of the grave, the judgment passed and executed upon him having fully restored the honour of God’s governments, violated by the law of man, and therefore it was impossible he should be holden longer of death. He is raised therefore for our eternal justification; and who can declare his generation? since death hath done no more dominion over him, and he hath obtained for himself and his redeemed, whom no man can number, an eternity of glory.

1 Qu. When 2 And And make 3 Cor. v. 11. 1 Pet. a 84.

10. ¶ Yet it pleaded the LORD to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when then shall make his soul ‘an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall

prosper in his hand. 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul, and shall be satisfied: ‘by his knowledge shall ‘my righteous servant justify many: for’ he shall bear their iniquities. 12. ‘Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and ‘he shall divide the spoil with the strong: because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and ‘he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, ‘and made intercession for the transgressors.

These words are by some connected with the foregoing verse, thus, Though he had done no violence, See, yet it pleaded the Lord to bruise him; and they contain the same subject as was before treated of, the sufferings of Chrift, and the glory which should follow.

1. His sufferings. It pleaded the Lord to bruise him, exacting from him the punishment due to our iniquities. He hath put him to grief; Jesus, in his human nature, enduring the severest anguish in his body, and agony in his soul, when he substituted himself in our stead, and made his soul an offering for sin; yielding up himself to suffer, not of constraint, but freely and willingly: and since such was the demand of justice, that nothing but the Saviour’s life could satisfy for the sinner, he poured out his soul unto death, as a libation, shedding his blood for the remission of sin. And he was numbered with the transgressors; not only as he was reviled as such, and joined with them at his crucifixion; but as he bore the sins of many, died under the imputation of their guilt, and made intercession for the transgressors, when on the earth he cried, ‘Father’s forgive them;’ and this in virtue of those very sufferings he there endured, which were then, are now, and ever, the only effectual plea on which forgiveness of sin can be obtained.

2. His glory, in virtue of these sufferings, which was engaged for in the covenant of redemption, and for the like of which he endured the crisis, despising the shame. We have here several particulars of this glory.

[1.] He shall see his seed; he shall not die in vain, or be uncertain about the effects of his oblation: a spiritual seed is given him, a people who shall call him father; and he shall prolong his days; himself shall live for evermore, and see the children of his grace all brought home to him in time, and gathered to him in eternity, to reign with him in glory everlasting.

[2.] The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; the work of man’s redemption, in which God delights, shall be effectually accomplished by him, to his Father’s glory, his own everlasting praise, and our eternal comfort.

[3.] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and he satisfied; his pangs shall not prove abortive, but with fullest satisfaction to his soul he shall behold all those the Father hath given him, with him in glory, and not one loss of the innumerable multitude. Note, (1.) The ardent longing of the Redeemer after his people, and the travail he bore for them: well may we say, Behold, how he loved them! (2.) The certainty of the salvation of all for whom Chrift died, since he is satisfied in the trust of his labour.

[4.] By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities: He is righteous himself, and the author of everlasting righteousness to his redeemed. They are justified, acquainted at God’s far from every accusation; for their sins have been borne in Chrift’s body on the tree, and many declared perfectly righteous, and therefore entitled to all the blessings of obedience, as found in Chrift, and complete in him. They are many; not all mankind, but as many as the Lord our God hath chosen, and bestowed on his dear Son. The way in which they become possessed of this blessing of justification to life, is by the knowledge of him, becoming acquainted with his character and transactions, and receiving the record which God has given of his Son; no qualifications or previous good dispositions in us being at all required; for we are to be saved by grace alone. It is enough that we see the fulness of Jesus to supply our wants, and are content to rest our souls on his finished salvation: this is to give him the glory due to his name.

[5.] His kingdom shall be great, his subjects numerous; therefore will I decide him a portion with the great, and he shall decide the spoil with the strong; as some mighty conqueror, that by his arms subdues the nations under him, and takes their spoils. Or, I will allot him a multitude of nations, and for a prey many shall fall to his share; even very many of all nations, hundreds, tongues, and people, brought by the preaching of the gospel to the obedience of the faith. Note, (1.) Every redeemed soul is Chrift’s spoil, refused out of the hands of Satan, sin, and death. (2.) Though there may be but few faithful in any age or place, yet when they shall be collected together at the last day, they will appear an host that no man can number.

CHAP.