Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 26
Overview:
The Divine mercies encourage to confidence in
God.
(1-4) His
judgments.
(5-11) His people exhorted to wait upon Him.
(12-19)
Deliverance promised.
(20,21)
1-4 "That
Day," seems to mean when the New
Testament Babylon
shall be levelled with the ground. The unchangeable promise and
Covenant of the
Lord are the walls of the
Church of
God. The
gates of this
City shall be open. Let sinners then be encouraged
to join to the
Lord. Thou wilt keep him in peace; in perfect
peace, inward peace, outward peace, peace with
God, peace of
Conscience, peace at all times, in all events. Trust in the
Lord
for that peace, that portion, which will be for ever. Whatever
we trust to the world for, it will last only for a moment; but
those who trust in
God shall not only find in him, but shall
receive from him, strength that will carry them to that
blessedness which is for ever. Let us then acknowledge him in
all our ways, and rely
On him in all trials.
5-11 The way of the just is evenness, a steady course of
obedience and holy
Conversation. And it is their happiness that
God makes their way
Plain and easy. It is our duty, and will be
our comfort, to wait for
God, to keep up holy desires toward him
in the darkest and most discouraging times. Our troubles must
never turn us from
God; and in the darkest, longest night of
affliction, with our souls must we desire him; and this we must
wait and pray to him for. We make nothing of our religion,
whatever our profession may be, if we do not make
Heart-work of
it. Though we come ever
So early, we shall find
God ready to
receive us. The intention of
Afflictions is to teach
Righteousness: blessed is the
Man whom the
Lord thus teaches.
But sinners walk contrary to him. They will go
On in their evil
ways, because they will not consider what a
God he is whose laws
they persist in despising. Scorners and the secure will shortly
feel, what now they will not believe, that it is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living
God. They will not see the
evil of
Sin; but they shall see. Oh that they would abandon
their sins, and turn to the
Lord, that he may have
Mercy upon
them.
12-19 Every
Creature, every business, any way serviceable to
our comfort,
God makes to be
So; he makes that work for us which
seemed to make against us. They had been slaves of
Sin and
Satan; but
By the Divine
Grace they were taught to look to be
set free from all former masters. The cause opposed to
God and
his kingdom will sink at last. See our need of
Afflictions.
Before,
Prayer came drop
By drop; now they pour it out, it comes
now like water from a
Fountain.
Afflictions bring us to secret
Prayer. Consider
Christ as the Speaker addressing his
Church.
His resurrection from the dead was an
Earnest of all the
deliverance foretold. The power of his
Grace, like the
Dew or
Rain, which causes the herbs that seem dead to revive, would
raise his
Church from the lowest state. But we may refer to the
Resurrection of the dead, especially of those united to
Christ.
20,21 When dangers threaten, it is good to retire and
Lie hid;
when we commend ourselves to
God to hide us, he will hide us
either under
Heaven or in
Heaven. Thus we shall be safe and
happy in the midst of tribulations. It is but for a short time,
as it were for a little moment; when over, it will seem as
nothing.
God's place is the
Mercy-seat; there he delights to be:
when he punishes, he comes out of his place, for he has
No
pleasure in the
Death of sinners. But there is hardly any
Truth
more frequently repeated in
Scripture, than
God's determined
purpose to punish the workers of iniquity. Let us keep close to
the
Lord, and separate from the world; and let us seek comfort
in secret
Prayer. A
Day of vengeance is coming
On the world, and
before it comes we are to expect
Tribulation and suffering. But
because the
Christian looks for these things, shall he be
restless and dismayed?
No, let him repose himself in his
God.
Abiding in him, the believer is safe. And let us wait patiently
the fulfilling of
God's promises.