Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 44
Overview:
Here are promises of the influences of the Holy
Spirit.
(1-8)
An exposure of the folly of
Idolatry.
(9-20) Also the
deliverance of
God's people.
(21-28)
1-8 Israel is here called
Jeshurun, which means "the upright
one." Such only are Israelites indeed, in whom is
No guile.
Those that serve
God he will own. He will help them over
difficulties, and in their services. Water is the emblem of the
Holy
Spirit; as water refreshes, cleanses, and makes the
Earth
fruitful,
So do his influences the soul. This
Gift of the Holy
Ghost is the great blessing, the plentiful pouring out of which
God kept for the latter days. Where
God gives his
Spirit, he
will give all other blessings. Hereby shall be a great increase
of the
Church; thus it shall be spread to distant places. Was
there any other
Rock, or Protector, that could defend them? None
besides could foretell these things to come, of which
God By his
prophets gave notice. All was set in order in the Divine
predictions, as
Well as in the Divine purposes. Could any other
have done
So? Who can compare with
Israel's
Redeemer and
King?
9-20 Image-making is described, to expose the folly of
idolaters. Though a
Man had used part of a
Log for
Fuel, he fell
down before an image made of the remainder, praying it to
deliver him.
Man greatly dishonours
God, when he represents him
after the image of
Man.
Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers,
causing absurd reasonings in matters of religion. Whether men
seek happiness in worldly things, or run into unbelief,
superstition, or any false system, they feed
On Ashes. A
Heart
deceived
By pride,
Love of
Sin, and departure from
God, turns
men aside from his holy
Truth and
Worship. While the affections
are depraved, a
Man holds
Fast the
Lie as his best treasure. Are
our hearts set upon the wealth of the world and its pleasures?
They will certainly prove a
Lie. If we trust to outward
professions and doings, as if those would save us, we deceive
ourselves. Self-suspicion is the first step towards
self-deliverance. He that would deliver his soul, must question
his
Conscience, Is there not a
Lie in my right
Hand?
21-28 Return unto me. It is the great concern of those who have
backslidden from
God, like the Jews of old, to hasten their
return to him. The work of
Redemption wrought for us
By Christ,
encourages to
Hope for all blessings from him. Our
transgressions and our sins are as a thick
Cloud between
Heaven
and
Earth: sins separate between us and
God; they threaten a
storm of wrath. When
God pardons
Sin, he blots out, he dispels
this
Cloud, this thick
Cloud,
So that the way to
Heaven is open
again. The
Cloud is scattered
By the
Sun of
Righteousness; it is
quite gone. The comforts that flow into the soul when
Sin is
pardoned, are like clear shining after clouds and
Rain. Let not
Israel be discouraged; nothing is too hard for
God: having made
all, he can make what use he pleases of any. Those that learn to
know
Christ, see all knowledge to be foolishness, in comparison
with the knowledge of him. And his enemies will find their
counsels turned into foolishness, and themselves taken in their
craftiness. The exact fulfilling the prophecies of
Scripture
confirms the
Truth of the whole, and proves its Divine origin.
The particular favours
God designed for his people in
Captivity,
were foretold here, long before they went into
Captivity. Very
great difficulties would be in the way of their deliverance; but
it is promised that
By Divine power they should all be removed.
God knew who should be the Deliverer of his people; and let his
Church know it, that when they heard such a name talked of, they
might know their
Redemption drew nigh. It is the greatest
honour of the greatest men, to be employed as instruments of the
Divine favour to his people. In things wherein men serve
themselves, and look
No further,
God makes them do all his
pleasure. And a nobler
Shepherd than
Cyrus does his
Father's
will, till his work is fully completed.