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Isaiah Chapter
Eleven
Isaiah 11
Chapter Contents
The peaceful character of Christ's kingdom and subjects.
(1-9) The conversion of the Gentiles and Jews. (10-16)
Commentary on Isaiah 11:1-9
(Read Isaiah 11:1-9)
The Messiah is called a Rod, and a Branch. The words
signify a small, tender product; a shoot, such as is easily broken off. He
comes forth out of the stem of Jesse; when the royal family was cut down and
almost levelled with the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David was
brought very low at the time of Christ's birth. The Messiah thus gave early
notice that his kingdom was not of this world. But the Holy Spirit, in all his
gifts and graces, shall rest and abide upon him; he shall have the fulness of
the Godhead dwelling in him, Colossians 1:19; 2:9. Many consider that seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit are here mentioned. And the doctrine of the influences
of the Holy Spirit is here clearly taught. The Messiah would be just and
righteous in all his government. His threatening shall be executed by the
working of his Spirit according to his word. There shall be great peace and
quiet under his government. The gospel changes the nature, and makes those who
trampled on the meek of the earth, meek like them, and kind to them. But it
shall be more fully shown in the latter days. Also Christ, the great Shepherd,
shall take care of his flock, that the nature of troubles, and of death itself,
shall be so changed, that they shall not do any real hurt. God's people shall
be delivered, not only from evil, but from the fear of it. Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? The better we know the God of love, the more shall
we be changed into the same likeness, and the better disposed to all who have
any likeness to him. This knowledge shall extend as the sea, so far shall it
spread. And this blessed power there have been witnesses in every age of
Christianity, though its most glorious time, here foretold, is not yet arrived.
Meanwhile let us aim that our example and endeavours may help to promote the
honour of Christ and his kingdom of peace.
Commentary on Isaiah 11:10-16
(Read Isaiah 11:10-16)
When the gospel should be publicly preached, the Gentiles
would seek Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and find rest of soul. When
God's time is come for the deliverance of his people, mountains of opposition
shall become plains before him. God can soon turn gloomy days into glorious
ones. And while we expect the Lord to gather his ancient people, and bring them
home to his church, also to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, when all will
be united in holy love, let us tread the highway of holiness he has made for
his redeemed. Let us wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life, looking to him to prepare our way through death, that river which
separates this world from the eternal world.
¢w¢w Matthew Henry¡mConcise Commentary on Isaiah¡n
Isaiah 11
Verse 1
[1] And
there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow
out of his roots:
And ¡X
And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the
anointing, he now explains who that anointed person was.
The stem ¡X
Or, stump: for the word signifies properly a trunk cut off from the root. By
which he clearly implies, that the Messiah should be born of the royal house of
David, at that time when it was in a most forlorn condition, like a tree cut
down, and whereof nothing is left but a stump or root under ground.
Of Jesse ¡X He
doth not say of David, but of Jesse, who was a private and mean person, to
intimate, that at the time of Christ's birth the royal family should be reduced
to its primitive obscurity.
Verse 2
[2] And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the LORD;
Wisdom ¡X It
is not needful, exactly to distinguish these two gifts; it is sufficient that
they are necessary qualifications for a governor, and a teacher, and it is
evident they signify perfect knowledge of all things necessary for his own and
peoples good, and a sound judgment, to distinguish between things that differ.
Counsel ¡X Of
prudence, to give good counsel; and of might and courage, to execute it.
Knowledge ¡X Of
the perfect knowledge of the whole will and counsel of God, as also of all
secret things, yea of the hearts of men.
Fear ¡X A
fear of reverence, a care to please him, and lothness to offend him.
Verse 3
[3] And
shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not
judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his
ears:
In the fear ¡X He
shall not judge rashly and partially, but considerately and justly, as the fear
of God obliges all judges to do.
Judge ¡X Of
persons or causes.
After the sight ¡X
According to outward appearance, as men do, because they cannot search mens
hearts.
Reprove ¡X
Condemn or pass sentence against a person.
His ears ¡X By
uncertain rumours or suggestions.
Verse 4
[4] But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the
meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Judge ¡X
Defend and deliver them.
Reprove ¡X Or
condemn their malicious enemies.
Thy rod ¡X
With his word, which is his scepter, and the rod of his power, Psalms 110:2, which is sharper than a sword, Hebrews 4:12, by the preaching whereof he
subdued the world to himself, and will destroy his enemies, 2 Thessalonians 2:8. This he adds farther, to
declare the nature of Christ's kingdom, that it is not of this world.
Verse 5
[5] And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the
girdle of his reins.
The girdle ¡X It
shall adorn him, and be the glory of his government, as a girdle was used for
an ornament, Isaiah 3:24, and as an ensign of power, Job 12:18, and it shall constantly cleave to him
in all his administrations, as a girdle cleaveth to a man's loins.
Verse 6
[6] The
wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the
kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little
child shall lead them.
The wolf ¡X
The creatures shall be restored to that state of innocency in which they were
before the fall of man. Men of fierce, and cruel dispositions, shall be so
transformed by the grace of Christ, that they shall become gentle, and
tractable.
A child ¡X
They will submit their rebellious wills to the conduct of the meanest persons
that speak to them in Christ's name.
Verse 7
[7] And
the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and
the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Feed ¡X
Together, without any danger or fear.
Straw ¡X
The grass of the earth, as they did at first, and shall not devour other living
creatures.
Verse 9
[9] They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
My holy mountain ¡X In
Zion, in my church.
The sea ¡X
The channel of the sea.
Verse 10
[10] And
in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of
the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
A root ¡X A
branch growing upon the root.
Ensign ¡X
Shall grow up into a great tree, shall become an eminent ensign.
The people ¡X
Which not only the Jews, but all nations, may discern, and to which they shall
resort.
Rest ¡X
His resting-place, his temple or church, the place of his presence and abode.
Glorious ¡X
Shall be filled with greater glory than the Jewish tabernacle and temple were;
only this glory shall be spiritual, consisting in the plentiful effusions of
the gifts, and graces, of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 11
[11] And
it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the
second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from
Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and
from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
The second ¡X
The first time, to which this word second relates, seems to be the deliverance
out of Babylon: and then this second deliverance must be in the days of the
Messiah.
To recover ¡X
From all places far and near, into which either the ten tribes or the two
tribes were carried captives. Pathros was a province in Egypt.
Verse 12
[12] And
he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of
Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the
earth.
Nations ¡X
All nations, Jews and Gentiles.
Out-casts ¡X
That were driven out of their own land, into foreign parts.
Israel ¡X Of
the ten tribes.
Verse 13
[13] The
envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut
off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
Ephraim ¡X Of
the ten tribes, frequently called by the name of Ephraim. Of enemies they shall
be made friends.
The adversaries ¡X
Not the body of Ephraim, for they are supposed to be reconciled, and they shall
not be cut off, but live in love with Judah, as we see by the next clause; but
those few of them who continue in their enmity together with all the rest of
their adversaries.
Verse 14
[14] But
they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they
shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and
Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
Fly ¡X It
is a metaphor from birds and beasts of prey.
Spoil ¡X
They shall subdue them, which is to be understood of the spiritual victory
which the Messiah shall obtain by his apostles and ministers over all nations.
Verse 15
[15] And
the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his
mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the
seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
Destroy ¡X
Shall not only divide it, as of old, but dry it up, that it may be an high-way.
The sea ¡X
The Red Sea, which may well be called the Egyptian sea, both because it borders
upon Egypt, and because the Egyptians were drowned in it, which is called a
tongue in the Hebrew text, Joshua 15:2,5, as having some resemblance with a
tongue: for which reason the name of tongue hath been given by geographers to
promontories of land which shoot forth into the sea, as this sea did shoot out
of the main ocean into the land.
Rivers ¡X
Nile.
Seven streams ¡X
For which it is famous in all authors.
Verse 16
[16] And
there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left,
from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the
land of Egypt.
As it was ¡X As
there was another high-way from Egypt. All impediments shall be removed, and a
way made for the return of God's Israel from all parts of the world. He
mentions Assyria, because thither the ten tribes were carried, whose case
seemed to be most desperate.
¢w¢w John Wesley¡mExplanatory Notes on Isaiah¡n
75. CHRIST¡¦S PEACEFUL REINGN.
Isaiah 11:1-9
The term ¡§ The
kingdom of God¡¨ is like a majestic river which is made up of three tributary
rivers, hence the three rivers make the one what it is, in its flow and force.
There is the kingdom of grace, or the spiritual real, into which the believer
in Christ is introduced (Col.1:13); there is the kingdom
of glory, or the millennial reign of Christ over the earth (Rev.5:10); there is the kingdom of God, or the eternal government
of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the one God (1.Cor.15:24). In the first, ¡§ Grace reigns through righteousness
unto eternal life¡¨ (Rom.v.21); in the second, ¡§A King shall reign in
righteousness¡¨ (Isaiah 32:1); and in the third,
Righteousness shall dwell (2 Peter 3:13).
Christ is now
seated upon His Father¡¦s throne (Rev.3:21), but He will yet sit
upon His own throne (Matt.25:31). it is after His
appearing in judgment with His saints, that Christ sets up His kingdom, as the
Holy Spirit implies when He speaks of Christ¡¦s ¡§ appearing and kingdom¡¨ (2 Tim.4:1). His appearing first,
and then His kingdom. There can be no millennium without the King. There is a
time coming when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdoms of
the Lord and His Christ (Rev.11:15). It is also stated that
at the end of the thousand years of Christ¡¦s millennial reign (Rev.20:4-6) He will give up the kingdom to His Father (1.Cor.15:24).
The Scriptures
are occupied with two main facts, namely, Christ¡¦s sufferings and His glory
(Luke 24:26), and these two facts
are like two mighty girders of a bridge, which are the main factors in the
bridge, and to which the rest of the bridge is related. Thus, all truth is
related to Christ¡¦s suffering and glory. Or, to change the figure, Christ¡¦s
suffering and glory are the Jachin and Boaz, the supporting pillars of the
great temple of truth (1.Kings 7:21). Now, as Christ has
actually and literally suffered and died, so He will as actually and as surely
reign in glory, and on the earth where He was rejected and where He suffered.
In the points
before us we have one or two intimations as to the character of Christ¡¦s
Kingship.
¢¹. Royal King (verse 1). He comes from the royal line of David, for
He is to be a stem out of Jesse. Christ is the Son of Man as to His humanity;;
the Son of God as to His Deity; the Son of David as to His royalty. It is as
the latter He is to sit on the throne of His father David (Luke1:32; Ps.132:11; Isa.9:6,7).
¢º. Regal King (verse 2). Many an earthly king has been royal as to the
place he occupied, but has not been attired in the regal robes of moral worth
as far as his life was concerned. It is in this sense that I use the word ¡§
regal,¡¨ for the regalia of moral and spiritual worth were ever seen in the life
of Christ, and will be seen in Him as King, as is indicated in the sevenfold
characteristic of the Holy Spirit resting upon Him.
¢». Regarding King. The Revised Version of verse 3 reads, ¡§ His delight
shall be in the fear of the Lord.¡¨ As Christ delighted to do the will of God in
His humiliation (Psalm 40:8), so the same delight
shall fill Him in His glory.
¢¼. Righteous King (verse 4,5). No unrighteousness shall be in Him, and
no unrighteous action shall ever be done by Him. No bribe shall buy Him, and no
action shall blind Him.
¢½. Resolute King (verse 4). He shall smite the wicked. Saul lost his
kingdom through his hesitation to slay the enemy of God (1.Samuel 15:22,23), but with Christ there will be no hesitation, for
resolutely and faithfully shall He put down the wicked one mentioned in 11.
Thess,2:8, and all who, like him,
are guilty of self will.
¢¾. Rest-giving King (verse 6-8). The whole creation, which now
groaneth and travaileth in pain, is to be delivered into the glorious liberty
of the children of God (Romans 8:21,22). The animal creation
is to share in the peace of the peaceful reign of Christ (Isaiah 65:25).
¢¿. Regenerating King (verse 9). The earth, which has been cursed and
blighted by sin, is to share in the blessing of Christ¡¦s rule. The time of
regeneration (Matt.19:28), the time of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21, R.V.), is when Christ reigns in millennial glory. The
presence of Christ is the great factor in millennial glory. The presence of
Christ is the great factor in this reign of peace. In like manner, as Christ is
known now, and allowed to reign in our hearts, so we have peace.
¢w¢w F.E. Marsh¡mFive Hundred Bible Readings¡n
11 Chapter 11
Verses 1-16
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse
A prophecy concerning Messiah the Prince
I.
HIS
RISE OUT OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID (Isaiah 11:1).
II. HIS
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS GREAT UNDERTAKING (Isaiah 11:2-3).
III. THE JUSTICE AND
EQUITY OF HIS GOVERNMENT (Isaiah 11:3-5).
IV. THE
PEACEABLENESS OF HIS KINGDOM (Isaiah 11:6-9).
V. THE ACCESSION
OF THE GENTILES TO IT (Isaiah 11:10).
VI. And with them
THE REMNANT OF THE JEWS that should be united with them in the Messiah¡¦s
kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-16). (M. Henry.)
The picture of the future
The picture of the future which fills the eleventh chapter is one
of the most extensive that Isaiah has drawn. Three prospects are unfolded in
it.
I. A PROSPECT OF
MIND (verses 2-5). The geography of a royal mind in its stretches of character,
knowledge, and achievement.
II. A PROSPECT OF
NATURE (verses 6-9). A vision of the restitution of nature--Paradise regained.
III. A PROSPECT OF
HISTORY (verses 9-16). The geography of Israel¡¦s redemption. To this third
prospect chapter 12. forms a fitting conclusion, a hymn of praise in the mouth
of returning exiles. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)
Three great ideals
1. The perfect indwelling of our humanity by the Spirit of God.
2. The peace and communion of all nature, covered with the knowledge
of God.
3. The traversing of all history by the Divine purposes of
redemption. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)
Assyria and Israel: a contrast
We should connect the opening of the eleventh chapter with the
close of the tenth in order to feel the full force of the contrast. There we
read: ¡§And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron and Lebanon
shall fall by a mighty One.¡¨ Then comes the prophecy that ¡§there shall come
forth a rod,¡¨ etc. The cedar of Lebanon was the symbol of Assyrian power. It
was a poor symbol. Looked at botanically, it very vividly represented the
passing pomp of a pagan empire. It is of the pine genus, and sends out no
suckers, and when it is cut down it is gone. The oak is the symbol of Israel¡¦s
power, and though it be cut down it grows again--¡§there shall come forth a rod
out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots¡¨--out of the
very lowest stump that is left in the ground. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Eternal youthfulness
What is the symbol of our power? Is ours an influence that can be
cut down and never revive? or are we so rooted in the Eternal that though
persecution may impoverish us, and we may suffer great deprivation and
depletion of every kind, yet we shall come up again in eternal youthfulness? (J.
Parker, D. D.)
Prophecy: a very good transition
It is a very good transition in prophecy (whether it be so in
rhetoric or no) and a very common one, to pass from the prediction of the
temporal deliverances of the Church to that of the great salvation, which, in
the fulness of time, should be wrought out by Jesus Christ, of which the others
were types and figures. (M. Henry.)
The Branch
The word translated ¡§Branch¡¨ is in the Hebrew Netser. The
word is said to be derived from a root which means ¡§bright¡¨ or ¡§verdant.¡¨ And
this agrees with the character of the valley in which the town of Netzer or
Natsoreth (Nazareth) stands. ¡§The bushes and aromatic shrubs, and especially
the brilliant wild flowers, take away from the bleakness of the landscape.¡¨ It
is from this title, then, Netser or the Branch, that St. Matthew quotes when he
says, ¡§He shall be called a Nazarene¡¨ Matthew 2:23). (Expository Times.)
The rod out of the stem of Jesse
Let us go back to the humblest point, the very starting line, and
learn that this Son of God was not the son of a king only, but the son of a
king¡¦s lowly father. Christianity is the religion of the common people. The
Gospel appeals to all men, rich and poor, in every zone and clime, and is most
to those who need it most. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Christ the fruitful Branch
¡§A shoot out of its roots brings fruit.¡¨ The sprout shooting out
below the soil becomes a tree, and this tree gets a crown with fruits; and thus
a state of exaltation and completion follows the state of humiliation. (F.
Delitzsch.)
The qualifications of Christ for His mediatorial office
I. The first verse
of the text foretells THE BIRTH AND FAMILY OF THE MESSIAH. The Messiah was to
be born of the house of David, the son of Jesse. But why is Jesse mentioned
here, rather than David, his more illustrious son? Partly to point out the
birthplace of the Messiah. Jesse appears always to have lived at Bethlehem, and
was known as the Bethlehemite; whereas, David resided the greater part of his
life at Hebron and Jerusalem. Jesse was in a more humble rank of life than
Jesse¡¦s son; and so Jesus, though superior to David, as a royal king, being
David¡¦s Lord, as well as David¡¦s son, yet, in the actual circumstances of His
life, was nearer to the humble rank of Jesse than the royal state of David. It
was also out of the stem of Jesse that the rod was to come forth--from a stem
where there was nothing but stem and root remaining; not out of a noble tree,
with its wide-spreading branches. ¡§And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.¡¨
It is intimated here, and elsewhere more clearly foretold, that the Branch
should spring from the family of Jesse, when it was in lowly circumstances, at
a time when the house of David should be much reduced, and that slender
expectations should be formed of it at first, but that in process of time it
should grow into a beautiful and glorious Branch. How exactly all this
describes the birth and lineage of Jesus Christ. Yet was ever branch so
glorious in its increase? What noble fruits have hung on that Branch l What
Churches have clustered around it!
II. HIS FULL
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS OFFICE, as described in this prediction (Isaiah 11:2). ¡§The Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon Him.¡¨ On Him was poured the unction of the Holy One in all its
fulness. But, remember, the Spirit of the Lord rested on Him in His office of
Mediator. Now, this is a public office, an office which Jesus sustains for the
benefit of His people; and therefore the Spirit of the Lord rests upon Him for
His people.
1. ¡§The spirit of wisdom.¡¨ He had wisdom in full measure. He must
have had a perfect comprehension of God in His nature, qualities, attributes,
works, and Ways; He must have had a thorough understanding of the only method
by which wretched man could be saved; He must have known what was in the mind
of man, for He answered the Pharisees and Sadducees, and knew the difficulties
and doubts of His disciples, even before they gave them utterance in words. How
wise were all His provisions for His Church! How wise to win souls was Jesus
Christ! And remember He has wisdom for you.
2. ¡§The spirit of understanding.¡¨ This is enlarged on in the
following verse. The Saviour had a quickness in understanding what might be for
the glory or dishonour of His heavenly Father. No tinsel could hide from Him
the foul deformity of sin; no hypocrisy could yell from Him the pride and
corruption of the Pharisee. When Satan came with his temptations, and baited
his snare with all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, Christ instantly
understood the deceit, and, ¡§Get thee hence, Satan,¡¨ was His indignant
language.
3. ¡§The spirit of counsel.¡¨ ¡§This,¡¨ says our prophet, ¡§is the name
whereby He shall be called, Wonderful Counsellor.¡¨ Christ is able to give the
wisest counsel in the kindest manner. He has advice suited to every case. He
counsels the sinner. He says to the Church in a Laodicean state, ¡§I counsel
thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.¡¨ He
counsels the Christian warrior how to maintain the fight against sin with
persevering faith.
4. ¡§The spirit of might.¡¨ He is a Lamb in meekness; He is the Lion of
the tribe of Judah in strength. His work required a very undaunted spirit, and
He never quaked with fear, nor trembled with alarm. And He has the spirit of
might for you also.
5. ¡§The spirit of knowledge.¡¨ In Christ dwells all knowledge--the
knowledge of Jehovah, His heavenly Father, of His holy will, His righteous
claims, the blessedness of knowing God as Father. And this same knowledge of
His Father He is able to impart to you.
6. ¡§And of the fear of the Lord.¡¨ ¡§The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom,¡¨ and it is also one of the highest attainments of wisdom,
and one of the best effects of the Holy Spirit on the heart. (J. Hambleton,
M. A.)
The kingdom of Christ
We may well study this picture of the Messiah¡¦s reign on earth,
drawn by a Divine hand and painted with unfading colours, because through it we
see, as we cannot otherwise, what we are daily praying for. History does not
fully interpret prophecy for us. If we knew just the changes in the nations
before the fulness of the times comes, if we could be assured where and when
and how Jesus would reign in an earthly way among men, still we should not have
what the vision of Isaiah furnishes us. He saw nothing of this. And what did he
see? First of all a mighty forest, whose tall trees sent their roots down deep
into the earth, and whose branches east wide shadows. These were the proud
nations that were oppressing Israel, and seemed strong enough to stand forever.
But they were to lose their glory. Among them there was a stump, sending up
from its decay and humiliation a small, tender, but vigorous shoot. This was
the ancient but fallen house of David; and the green shoot coming up was only in
fulfilment of the old covenant that there should always be one to sit on
David¡¦s throne. As we look, through the seer¡¦s vision, we see the young tree
dissolve into the form of a Man, a Man on whom the Holy Spirit rests with
seven-fold gifts of wisdom and knowledge and counsel and might and
understanding in the fear of the Lord. This Man is full of righteousness, and
His robes are girdled with righteousness as He sits and judges among the
people. And again, as we gaze, we see that the Man dissolves into a mountain--the
mountain of the Lord which shall be established in the top of the mountains in
the last days. This mountain is full of peace and security. Once more, as if to
express in a sentence the whole thought and hope of the prophet, we see the
whole earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Interpreting this vision there are two truths that may well be dwelt upon.
I. THE CHIEF FACT
ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS CHRIST HIMSELF, WHO MAKES HIS KINGDOM BY
DWELLING IN THE HEARTS OF MEN.
II. HIS REIGN IS
LIKE THE REIGN OF THE LITTLE CHILD IN THE MIDST OF THE ANIMALS THAT NATURALLY
HATE AND DEVOUR ONE ANOTHER. It is a reign of childlikeness and innocence, the
power of weakness and purity over brute force. (E. N. Packard.)
The kingdom of Christ in the world is only the presence of Christ
in the world
The kingdom of Christ in the world is only the presence of Christ
in the world, repeating His acts of mercy and love, uttering His eternal
truths, scorching hypocrisy and error with the breath of His mouth, changing
unruly wills ever into docile ones, cleansing and making glad everything
everywhere. There is no reign of Christ of which we can form any idea but this.
When men are holy, through His indwelling among them, that is Christ¡¦s reign.
Let us forget the scenic and dramatic elements in millennial glories and simply
think of the kingdom as being the presence of the King. Here we see the
difference between His reign and that of any earthly monarch who can transmit
his power to his son and he to his posterity, and so, with precedent and law
and tradition, there may be some approach to security and peace Frederick the
Great dies, but his empire goes on and holds him in memory. But Christ has no
successors, and there is no royal family save that which is made from all who
are named after His name. Christ must be as truly among men at one age as
another, and where He is not a living and controlling presence there is nothing
but a name. What we call Christianity--the sum total of the influences that
emanate from Christ and touch the complex life of man--has no inherent vitality
of its own. It cannot abide upon traditions of One who founded it ages ago.
Christ¡¦s perpetual presence alone makes Christianity possible. The same is true
of the Church. (E. N. Packard.)
Messiah¡¦s reign
I. THE PERSON.
II. THE CHARACTER.
III. THE KINGDOM of
Messiah. (D. Brown, D. D.)
The stem from the rod of Jesse
That this refers to the Lord Jesus is undoubted.
I. HIS DESCENT.
Three ideas seem to be involved.
1. Meanness or obscurity.
2. Progression. How decayed soever the tree might appear, yet a
Branch was to shoot and grow up out of its roots. For a time, the growth was
far from being rapid, but at length it appeared as a Plant of everlasting
renown, a Secret and mysterious operation. The metaphor is taken from
vegetation, that process of the wonder-working God which none can explain, yet
the existence of which none can dispute.
II. HIS PERSONAL
AND OFFICIAL ENDOWMENTS.
1. Their nature (Isaiah 11:2). They were--
2. The purposes for which them endowments were conferred.
III. THE BLESSED
STATE OF THINGS WHICH WILL BE REALISED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION. We dare not
lose eight of the truth, that He is mighty to destroy; but how encouraging is
it to remember, that He who speaks and acts in righteousness is also mighty to
save. And the concluding portion of this prophecy shows in how signal a manner
His saving power will be exerted.
1. The condition described. ¡§The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb,¡¨ etc. We have here two leading ideas.
2. In order thereto the most marvellous transformations will be
effected.
3. The means of this transformation will be the universal diffusion
of Divine knowledge (Isaiah 11:9).
Conclusion--
1. Let us pray that the Redeemer¡¦s kingdom may come.
2. To us, personally, the great thing is to possess the knowledge of
the Lord ourselves. (Anon.)
Verses 1-16
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse
A prophecy concerning Messiah the Prince
I.
HIS
RISE OUT OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID (Isaiah 11:1).
II. HIS
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS GREAT UNDERTAKING (Isaiah 11:2-3).
III. THE JUSTICE AND
EQUITY OF HIS GOVERNMENT (Isaiah 11:3-5).
IV. THE
PEACEABLENESS OF HIS KINGDOM (Isaiah 11:6-9).
V. THE ACCESSION
OF THE GENTILES TO IT (Isaiah 11:10).
VI. And with them
THE REMNANT OF THE JEWS that should be united with them in the Messiah¡¦s
kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-16). (M. Henry.)
The picture of the future
The picture of the future which fills the eleventh chapter is one
of the most extensive that Isaiah has drawn. Three prospects are unfolded in
it.
I. A PROSPECT OF
MIND (verses 2-5). The geography of a royal mind in its stretches of character,
knowledge, and achievement.
II. A PROSPECT OF
NATURE (verses 6-9). A vision of the restitution of nature--Paradise regained.
III. A PROSPECT OF
HISTORY (verses 9-16). The geography of Israel¡¦s redemption. To this third
prospect chapter 12. forms a fitting conclusion, a hymn of praise in the mouth
of returning exiles. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)
Three great ideals
1. The perfect indwelling of our humanity by the Spirit of God.
2. The peace and communion of all nature, covered with the knowledge
of God.
3. The traversing of all history by the Divine purposes of
redemption. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)
Assyria and Israel: a contrast
We should connect the opening of the eleventh chapter with the
close of the tenth in order to feel the full force of the contrast. There we
read: ¡§And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron and Lebanon
shall fall by a mighty One.¡¨ Then comes the prophecy that ¡§there shall come
forth a rod,¡¨ etc. The cedar of Lebanon was the symbol of Assyrian power. It
was a poor symbol. Looked at botanically, it very vividly represented the
passing pomp of a pagan empire. It is of the pine genus, and sends out no
suckers, and when it is cut down it is gone. The oak is the symbol of Israel¡¦s
power, and though it be cut down it grows again--¡§there shall come forth a rod
out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots¡¨--out of the
very lowest stump that is left in the ground. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Eternal youthfulness
What is the symbol of our power? Is ours an influence that can be
cut down and never revive? or are we so rooted in the Eternal that though
persecution may impoverish us, and we may suffer great deprivation and
depletion of every kind, yet we shall come up again in eternal youthfulness? (J.
Parker, D. D.)
Prophecy: a very good transition
It is a very good transition in prophecy (whether it be so in
rhetoric or no) and a very common one, to pass from the prediction of the
temporal deliverances of the Church to that of the great salvation, which, in
the fulness of time, should be wrought out by Jesus Christ, of which the others
were types and figures. (M. Henry.)
The Branch
The word translated ¡§Branch¡¨ is in the Hebrew Netser. The
word is said to be derived from a root which means ¡§bright¡¨ or ¡§verdant.¡¨ And
this agrees with the character of the valley in which the town of Netzer or
Natsoreth (Nazareth) stands. ¡§The bushes and aromatic shrubs, and especially
the brilliant wild flowers, take away from the bleakness of the landscape.¡¨ It
is from this title, then, Netser or the Branch, that St. Matthew quotes when he
says, ¡§He shall be called a Nazarene¡¨ Matthew 2:23). (Expository Times.)
The rod out of the stem of Jesse
Let us go back to the humblest point, the very starting line, and
learn that this Son of God was not the son of a king only, but the son of a
king¡¦s lowly father. Christianity is the religion of the common people. The
Gospel appeals to all men, rich and poor, in every zone and clime, and is most
to those who need it most. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Christ the fruitful Branch
¡§A shoot out of its roots brings fruit.¡¨ The sprout shooting out
below the soil becomes a tree, and this tree gets a crown with fruits; and thus
a state of exaltation and completion follows the state of humiliation. (F.
Delitzsch.)
The qualifications of Christ for His mediatorial office
I. The first verse
of the text foretells THE BIRTH AND FAMILY OF THE MESSIAH. The Messiah was to
be born of the house of David, the son of Jesse. But why is Jesse mentioned
here, rather than David, his more illustrious son? Partly to point out the
birthplace of the Messiah. Jesse appears always to have lived at Bethlehem, and
was known as the Bethlehemite; whereas, David resided the greater part of his
life at Hebron and Jerusalem. Jesse was in a more humble rank of life than
Jesse¡¦s son; and so Jesus, though superior to David, as a royal king, being
David¡¦s Lord, as well as David¡¦s son, yet, in the actual circumstances of His
life, was nearer to the humble rank of Jesse than the royal state of David. It
was also out of the stem of Jesse that the rod was to come forth--from a stem
where there was nothing but stem and root remaining; not out of a noble tree,
with its wide-spreading branches. ¡§And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.¡¨
It is intimated here, and elsewhere more clearly foretold, that the Branch
should spring from the family of Jesse, when it was in lowly circumstances, at
a time when the house of David should be much reduced, and that slender
expectations should be formed of it at first, but that in process of time it
should grow into a beautiful and glorious Branch. How exactly all this
describes the birth and lineage of Jesus Christ. Yet was ever branch so
glorious in its increase? What noble fruits have hung on that Branch l What
Churches have clustered around it!
II. HIS FULL
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS OFFICE, as described in this prediction (Isaiah 11:2). ¡§The Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon Him.¡¨ On Him was poured the unction of the Holy One in all its
fulness. But, remember, the Spirit of the Lord rested on Him in His office of
Mediator. Now, this is a public office, an office which Jesus sustains for the
benefit of His people; and therefore the Spirit of the Lord rests upon Him for
His people.
1. ¡§The spirit of wisdom.¡¨ He had wisdom in full measure. He must
have had a perfect comprehension of God in His nature, qualities, attributes,
works, and Ways; He must have had a thorough understanding of the only method
by which wretched man could be saved; He must have known what was in the mind
of man, for He answered the Pharisees and Sadducees, and knew the difficulties
and doubts of His disciples, even before they gave them utterance in words. How
wise were all His provisions for His Church! How wise to win souls was Jesus
Christ! And remember He has wisdom for you.
2. ¡§The spirit of understanding.¡¨ This is enlarged on in the
following verse. The Saviour had a quickness in understanding what might be for
the glory or dishonour of His heavenly Father. No tinsel could hide from Him
the foul deformity of sin; no hypocrisy could yell from Him the pride and
corruption of the Pharisee. When Satan came with his temptations, and baited
his snare with all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, Christ
instantly understood the deceit, and, ¡§Get thee hence, Satan,¡¨ was His
indignant language.
3. ¡§The spirit of counsel.¡¨ ¡§This,¡¨ says our prophet, ¡§is the name
whereby He shall be called, Wonderful Counsellor.¡¨ Christ is able to give the
wisest counsel in the kindest manner. He has advice suited to every case. He
counsels the sinner. He says to the Church in a Laodicean state, ¡§I counsel
thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.¡¨ He
counsels the Christian warrior how to maintain the fight against sin with
persevering faith.
4. ¡§The spirit of might.¡¨ He is a Lamb in meekness; He is the Lion of
the tribe of Judah in strength. His work required a very undaunted spirit, and
He never quaked with fear, nor trembled with alarm. And He has the spirit of
might for you also.
5. ¡§The spirit of knowledge.¡¨ In Christ dwells all knowledge--the
knowledge of Jehovah, His heavenly Father, of His holy will, His righteous
claims, the blessedness of knowing God as Father. And this same knowledge of
His Father He is able to impart to you.
6. ¡§And of the fear of the Lord.¡¨ ¡§The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom,¡¨ and it is also one of the highest attainments of wisdom,
and one of the best effects of the Holy Spirit on the heart. (J. Hambleton,
M. A.)
The kingdom of Christ
We may well study this picture of the Messiah¡¦s reign on earth, drawn
by a Divine hand and painted with unfading colours, because through it we see,
as we cannot otherwise, what we are daily praying for. History does not fully
interpret prophecy for us. If we knew just the changes in the nations before
the fulness of the times comes, if we could be assured where and when and how
Jesus would reign in an earthly way among men, still we should not have what
the vision of Isaiah furnishes us. He saw nothing of this. And what did he see?
First of all a mighty forest, whose tall trees sent their roots down deep into
the earth, and whose branches east wide shadows. These were the proud nations
that were oppressing Israel, and seemed strong enough to stand forever. But
they were to lose their glory. Among them there was a stump, sending up from
its decay and humiliation a small, tender, but vigorous shoot. This was the
ancient but fallen house of David; and the green shoot coming up was only in
fulfilment of the old covenant that there should always be one to sit on
David¡¦s throne. As we look, through the seer¡¦s vision, we see the young tree
dissolve into the form of a Man, a Man on whom the Holy Spirit rests with
seven-fold gifts of wisdom and knowledge and counsel and might and
understanding in the fear of the Lord. This Man is full of righteousness, and
His robes are girdled with righteousness as He sits and judges among the
people. And again, as we gaze, we see that the Man dissolves into a
mountain--the mountain of the Lord which shall be established in the top of the
mountains in the last days. This mountain is full of peace and security. Once
more, as if to express in a sentence the whole thought and hope of the prophet,
we see the whole earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea. Interpreting this vision there are two truths that may well be
dwelt upon.
I. THE CHIEF FACT
ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS CHRIST HIMSELF, WHO MAKES HIS KINGDOM BY
DWELLING IN THE HEARTS OF MEN.
II. HIS REIGN IS
LIKE THE REIGN OF THE LITTLE CHILD IN THE MIDST OF THE ANIMALS THAT NATURALLY
HATE AND DEVOUR ONE ANOTHER. It is a reign of childlikeness and innocence, the
power of weakness and purity over brute force. (E. N. Packard.)
The kingdom of Christ in the world is only the presence of Christ
in the world
The kingdom of Christ in the world is only the presence of Christ
in the world, repeating His acts of mercy and love, uttering His eternal
truths, scorching hypocrisy and error with the breath of His mouth, changing
unruly wills ever into docile ones, cleansing and making glad everything
everywhere. There is no reign of Christ of which we can form any idea but this.
When men are holy, through His indwelling among them, that is Christ¡¦s reign.
Let us forget the scenic and dramatic elements in millennial glories and simply
think of the kingdom as being the presence of the King. Here we see the
difference between His reign and that of any earthly monarch who can transmit
his power to his son and he to his posterity, and so, with precedent and law
and tradition, there may be some approach to security and peace Frederick the
Great dies, but his empire goes on and holds him in memory. But Christ has no
successors, and there is no royal family save that which is made from all who
are named after His name. Christ must be as truly among men at one age as
another, and where He is not a living and controlling presence there is nothing
but a name. What we call Christianity--the sum total of the influences that
emanate from Christ and touch the complex life of man--has no inherent vitality
of its own. It cannot abide upon traditions of One who founded it ages ago.
Christ¡¦s perpetual presence alone makes Christianity possible. The same is true
of the Church. (E. N. Packard.)
Messiah¡¦s reign
I. THE PERSON.
II. THE CHARACTER.
III. THE KINGDOM of
Messiah. (D. Brown, D. D.)
The stem from the rod of Jesse
That this refers to the Lord Jesus is undoubted.
I. HIS DESCENT.
Three ideas seem to be involved.
1. Meanness or obscurity.
2. Progression. How decayed soever the tree might appear, yet a
Branch was to shoot and grow up out of its roots. For a time, the growth was
far from being rapid, but at length it appeared as a Plant of everlasting
renown, a Secret and mysterious operation. The metaphor is taken from
vegetation, that process of the wonder-working God which none can explain, yet
the existence of which none can dispute.
II. HIS PERSONAL
AND OFFICIAL ENDOWMENTS.
1. Their nature (Isaiah 11:2). They were--
2. The purposes for which them endowments were conferred.
III. THE BLESSED
STATE OF THINGS WHICH WILL BE REALISED UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION. We dare not
lose eight of the truth, that He is mighty to destroy; but how encouraging is
it to remember, that He who speaks and acts in righteousness is also mighty to
save. And the concluding portion of this prophecy shows in how signal a manner
His saving power will be exerted.
1. The condition described. ¡§The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb,¡¨ etc. We have here two leading ideas.
2. In order thereto the most marvellous transformations will be
effected.
3. The means of this transformation will be the universal diffusion
of Divine knowledge (Isaiah 11:9).
Conclusion--
1. Let us pray that the Redeemer¡¦s kingdom may come.
2. To us, personally, the great thing is to possess the knowledge of
the Lord ourselves. (Anon.)
Verses 2-5
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him
The Spirit of the Lord
חריס is the Divine Spirit as the bearer of the
whole fulness Divine powers.
Then follow in three pairs the six spirits comprehended by הרוה, the first pair of which
relate to the intellectual life, the second to the practical life, and the
third to the direct relationship to God. (F. Delitzsch.)
The Spirit of God
The Spirit of God is absolutely the heart of all; it corresponds
to the shaft of the seven-flamed candlestick, and the three pairs to the arms
that stretched out from it. (F. Delitzsch.)
The great Preacher
Here it is distinctly prophesied that our Saviour, when He should
come into the world, would be peculiarly endowed by the Holy Spirit, with
wisdom, discernment, and might in speech, such as should make Him a remarkable
preacher.
I. WHAT A CONSUMMATE
MASTER JESUS WAS OF REAL ELOQUENCE. Of course I do not refer to the petty arts
and studied rules of the professional orator and actor. He needed none of these
to aid Him; He was infinitely above them all. His whole demeanour was perfectly
simple and natural, though earnest, discriminating, and impressive, as the pure
love and complete appreciation of truth could make one. Aside from earnestness
and naturalness, His great power of eloquence consisted--
1. In the clearness and completeness of His views.
2. In His perfect command, through language, of all the powers and
passions of the human soul
II. HOW PLAINLY AND
FORCIBLY OUR SAVIOUR PREACHED THE GREAT DOCTRINES OR FUNDAMENTAL FACTS OF THE
GOSPEL SYSTEM.
III. THE PECULIAR
MANNER AND AMAZING POWER OF THE SAVIOUR¡¦S PREACHING. (E. P. Marvin.)
The Spirit of Whitsuntide
This is Isaiah¡¦s description of the Spirit of Whitsuntide; the
royal Spirit which was to descend, and did descend without measure, on the
ideal and perfect King. Let us consider what that Spirit is.
1. He is the Spirit of love. God is love; and He is the Spirit of
God.
2. He is the Spirit of wisdom. Now, is the spirit of wisdom the same
as the spirit of love?
3. Next, this royal Spirit is described as the ¡§spirit of counsel and
might,¡¨ i.e., the spirit of prudence and practical power the spirit
which sees how to deal with human beings, and has the practical power of making
them obey. Now that power, again, can only be got by loving human beings. My
experience is this: that whensoever in my past life I have been angry and
scornful, I have said or done an unwise thing, I have more or less injured my
own cause; weakened my own influence on my fellow men; repelled them instead of
attracting them.
4. And next: this Spirit is ¡§the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear
of the Lord.¡¨ They both begin and end in love.
Gifts of the Spirit from Christ to His Church
It was as Head of His Church that the Spirit was shed forth upon
Him, and from Him descends upon His members. If we would, then, know what are
the graces we are to expect of this kind, we must inquire what our Lord
received.
I. THE GIFTS OF
THE SPIRIT UPON CHRIST, FITTING HIM FOR HIS MEDIATORIAL OFFICE. Three several
branches of grace seem intended: wisdom, might, intelligent devotion to God¡¦s
Word.
II. HOW THE GRACES
OF SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE FLOW FROM CHRIST TO HIS PEOPLE.
1. They first descended on the apostles when, assembled at Jerusalem,
they waited for the promise of the Father.
2. These gifts were not confined to the apostles. Multitudes, through
their preaching, were turned from the idolatry of the Gentiles or the
superstition of the Jews to serve the living God; and on them, too, the Spirit
was bestowed.
3. Neither are these rich streams exhausted. The Saviour still
bestows with liberal hand the spiritual influences we need. (J. Ayre, M. A.)
The Spirit of the Lord has always been in human history
It accounts for all heroisms, noble darings, self-sacrifices, for
all labours meant, not for the blessedness of the labourer himself, but for the
gratification and progress of other ages. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Spiritual endowments for earthly rulers
Modern expositors have often restricted this gracious description
of royal enrichment to the ideal King of Israel, the coming Messiah. This
application is, no doubt, its ultimate designation, but there is more than
sufficient evidence to warrant the discrimination of mediaeval teachers, who
boldly selected this heroic passage concerning the seven Spirits of God as a
perfect epitome of the gifts that might be rightly claimed for those, and by
those, who are Divinely called to wear an earthly crown, and to rule in
temporal affairs. Dean Plumptre has suggested that these verses may well
represent the programme which Isaiah himself set before his pupil, Hezekiah, on
his accession to the throne, which his weak predecessor had suffered to
degenerate into a vantage ground for abuse of justice and laxity of morals such
as had deteriorated the faith and moral fibre of his people. And, as Dr. George
Adam Smith points out, in the theology, art, and worship of the Middle Ages,
this text was constantly and consistently associated with the assumption of
royal responsibilities, and with the judicial administration of magistrates. It
was known as ¡§the mirror for magistrates,¡¨ and was commonly employed at the
coronation of kings and the fencing of tribunals of justice. ¡§What Isaiah wrote
for Hezekiah of Judah became the official prayer, song or ensample of the
earliest Christian kings in Europe. It is evidently the model of that royal
hymn--not by Charlemagne, as is usually supposed, but by his grandson, Charles
the Bald--the Veni Creator Spiritus.¡¨ So deeply did this sense of the need and
privilege of the gifts of the Spirit for the ruling class pervade the life of
the times that Henry III¡¦s order of knighthood, ¡§Du Saint Esprit,¡¨ was
restricted to political men, and particularly to magistrates. (F. Platt, B.
D.)
Coronation gifts
We may, there fore, claim abundant precedent in using the text to
correct two perilous tendencies in the national and religious thought of our
own day--one brought about by a mistake made by men of the world in the affairs
of State, and the other the result of a misapprehension by men of God in the
affairs of the Spirit.
1. The first tendency, which is to depreciate the operation of the
Spirit of God in civic life and duty, may be illustrated by a simple fact. In
the Speech from the throne, at the opening of Queen Victoria¡¦s last Parliament,
the customary reference at the close to the blessing of Almighty God upon the
labours of her faithful Commons was omitted. It was afterwards explained by a
responsible Minister of the Crown that the omission was accidental, but the
omission marks nevertheless a tendency. The recognition of the Divine in political
life has become formal. Its symbols linger, but it is assumed that thoughtful
men smile at them and lay the burthen of their survival upon the substantial
emoluments of office, or upon the popular love of the spectacular symbols of
dignity. In depreciating the ¡§Divine right¡¨ of kings, have we diminished the
assurance, ¡§By Me kings reign and princes decree justice¡¨? Do the splendours of
a coronation impress us more than its solemnities! Does the sense of widening
empire attract us more than a growing sensitiveness to the supremacy of
spiritual obligation! Are we more responsive in national movements to the
solicitations of sensual excitement than to the inward suggestions of the
Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord! It was in the midst of social and
political conditions strangely analogous to our own that Isaiah set forth his
inspired conception of the spiritual qualifications of true kingship amongst
men.
2. Between the tendency to depreciate the place of the Divine in
national life, and the further tendency in religious thought to limit the
sphere of the activities of the Spirit of God unduly to what are termed
spiritual as opposed to temporal affairs, there is an inner correspondence that
is very significant. There is a mode, popular amongst the religious, of
speaking of the work of the Spirit of God as ¡§supernatural,¡¨ and as thus
excluding processes known as natural or rational, that is distinctly perilous.
This distinction implies that we may feel and know the presence of the Spirit
of God at the Keswick Convention, but fails to expect His influence in the
Convention at Bloemfontein. It asserts His inspiration in Holy Scripture, but
has no sure place for His control or suggestion in the leading articles of the
¡§secular¡¨ press. His gifts may be possessed by the ¡§spiritually minded,¡¨ but
the man immersed in political affairs thinks and toils in quite another sphere.
His presence is invoked at the councils of the Church, but at the councils of
industry it is regarded as a negligible quality. In the problems of the soul
His guidance as the Spirit of truth may be consciously expected, but in the
problems of science men must follow the light of nature. It was against a
similar conception in his time that Isaiah¡¦s declaration of the Spirit¡¦s
seven-fold gifts was announced. Israel had made the fatal distinction between
secular and sacred that is at the root of so much of our own disregard of God.
We do not wonder that with national emergencies and necessities such as these
pressing upon him, Isaiah reveals the source and strength of political sagacity
and regal authority as dwelling with these august prerogatives of the Spirit of
the Lord that are prevailingly intellectual, ¡§the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord.¡¨ They display a marvellous coordination of the
intellectual and practical life with the sense of the direct relation of the
life to God. They cannot be too closely studied and applied as the Divine
provision for the governing and political mind, and the scientific temper of
our own day. ¡§¡¥Wisdom¡¦ is the power of discerning the nature of things through
the appearance; ¡¥understanding¡¦ the power of discerning the difference of
things in their appearance; ¡¥counsel¡¦ is the gift of forming right conclusions,
and might¡¦ the ability to carry them through with energy. ¡¥The knowledge of the
Lord¡¦ is knowledge founded on the fellowship of love; and ¡¥the fear of the
Lord¡¦ is fear absorbed in reverence.¡¨ These are the hidden springs of the
genius for statesmanship. The Spirit is the true historic glory of royalty, and
the secret of citizenship in all abiding developments of popular liberties and
imperial expansion; and to accept any statute of limitations in the opulence of
His energies in national life is as fatal to permanence as to progress. (F.
Platt, B. D.)
The Spirit of God in patriotism and judicial administration
True patriotism is an inspiring variation of the work of the
Spirit of God. Judicial administration is a part of religious life and faith.
¡§The Lord of hosts is for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment,
and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.¡¨ (F. Platt, B. D.)
The hallowing of the secular life
Whilst we are heedful of the richer revelation of the grace of the
Holy Spirit disclosed in the New Testament, the Old Testament interpretation of
His gifts is of essential importance. This may be summed up generally as the
hallowing of the secular life, the fertilising contact of the Spirit of God
with matter and mind in their organisation in nature and in human society.
Joseph as an administrator is recognised as His product--¡§a man in whom the
Spirit of God is.¡¨ It was the equipment of Moses¡¦ colleagues in the judicature,
¡§God took of the Spirit which was upon him and gave it unto them.¡¨ Of Bezaleel
and his weavers and craftsmen the record runs, ¡§I have filled him with the
Spirit of God in wisdom and understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner
of workmanship to devise cunning work.¡¨ Samson¡¦s might was the Spirit of the
Lord, and ¡§the Spirit of the Lord clothed itself with Gideon¡¨ for the prowess
of his great military enterprise. The story of the coronation of Saul, Israel¡¦s
earliest king, is the progressive history of the movements and endowments of
the Spirit of God. And time would fail to tell of David and the long line of
kings whom the same Spirit anointed and established in government. (F.
Platt, B. D.)
Christ is full of light
Going into a village at night, with the lights gleaming on each
side of the street, in some houses they will be in the basement and nowhere
else, and in others in the attic and nowhere else, and in others in some middle
chamber; but in no house will every window gleam from top to bottom. So it is
with men¡¦s faculties. Most of them are in darkness. One shines here, and
another there; but there is no man whose soul is luminous throughout. But
Christ presented a perfect character. Every room in His soul was filled with
light. He is light. (H. W. Beecher.)
Verse 3
And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord
¡§Of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord¡¨
¡§Of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord¡¨ a word which
relates to the power of smell or scent; He is to have that keen sense which the
hound has when the game is not far away, and yet is deeply hidden; He is to
know wisdom and right and truth as the thirsty hart smells the water brooks;
or, by another etymology, He is to draw His breath in the fear of the Lord; i..,
the fear of the Lord is to be His native breath. Religion is to be no burden to
Him, no superimposition which He must carry, whether He will or no; His
religion is His breath, He will pray because He breathes, He will speak because
He breathes; it is part of Himself, of His very nature; it belongs to a great
system of voluntariness, which constantly and continually gives itself out for
the benefit of those who are within the range of its influence. (J. Parker,
D. D.)
Christ¡¦s penetrating insight
This prediction was fully verified in our Lord Jesus Christ, who
was of such quick discernment and acute understanding in the dispositions of
the human heart, that He could infallibly determine with respect to men¡¦s
characters, of which some memorable instances are recorded in the New
Testament. Such was His penetrating sagacity that, at first sight, He could
easily discover a true Israelite in whom was the fear of the Lord, from those
that were wicked, hypocritical or formal, and destitute of this internal
qualification (John 1:47-48). He showed that He was
perfectly acquainted with the character of the woman who was a sinner.
According to this prophecy the Messiah, in admitting persons into His kingdom,
was not to have respect to their external advantages, their descent or their
riches, their reputation and condition in the world, or their exterior
appearances of feigned piety; but to judge of them simply by their fear and
reverence of the Lord, which forms the beauty of the inward man, and is
inseparably connected with every other Divine grace and the exercises of
dutiful obedience to God. (R. Macculloch.)
Christ and the fear of Jehovah
¡§Fear of Jehovah is fragrance to Him.¡¨ It is not meant that He has
as regards Himself pleasure in fear of God, but that fear of God when He
perceives it in men is fragrance to Him Genesis 8:21); for the fear of God is a
sacrifice of adoration, continually ascending to God. (F. Delitzsch.)
Religion quickens the intelligence
1. Those are most truly and valuably intelligent that are so ¡§in the
fear of the Lord,¡¨ in the business of religion; for that is both the foundation
and topstone of wisdom.
2. By this it will appear that we have the Spirit of God if we have
spiritual senses exercised, and are ¡§of quick understanding in the fear of the
Lord.¡¨ Those have Divine illumination that know their duty and know how to go
about it.
3. Therefore Jesus Christ had the Spirit without measure, that He
might perfectly understand His undertaking. (M. Henry.)
The fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord may here denote the devout affection of reverence,
which arises in the mind by means of the contemplation of the grandeur and
dominion, the power and righteousness, with the other Divine excellences of
Jehovah. It adores His greatness; it venerates His purity; it respects His
omniscience; it does homage to His goodness; it stands in awe of His power; it
honours His justice, and is solicitous to avoid His displeasure. It is such a
profound reverence for God as is accompanied with love, and a becoming concern
to yield an exact obedience to all His commands; it resembles the affection
which a dutiful son discovers towards his esteemed parent, and faithful
subjects entertain for a good prince. (R. Maccolloch.)
Effects of the fear of the Lord
When this principle reigns in the heart it produces the most powerful
effects, and hath an extensive happy influence over all the purposes,
affections, desires, and actions. It dispels the fear of man that bringeth a
snare, and renders superior to all the threatenings and terrors of the world;
it restrains from sin, and closely adheres to God and His ways; it renders
cautious and circumspect, and proves the watchful guardian of the heart; it
presides in every act of worship, and excites to the performance of every duty
that may please the Lord. (R. Maccolloch.)
The relation of the fear of the Lord to other graces
This filial fear and reverence of Jehovah is the fruit of the
Spirit; the offspring of faith, whereby it is cherished; the concomitant of
love, which preserves it from degenerating into slavish dread; the companion of
hope, which it keeps from falling into presumption, whilst hope preserves fear
from sinking into despair; it qualifies joy and keeps it from levity, whilst
joy shows that fear is genuine, and of the right kind. (R. Maccolloch.)
And He shall not Judge
after the sight of His eyes
Christ¡¦s impartial judgment
Impartial judgment and equitable reproof are foretold to be
administered by Him. In the exercise of His penetrating judgment He was
impartially to pronounce upon the characters of those who were to be admitted
to participate in the privileges of His people, to determine according to the
perfect rules of equity the differences that might arise among them respecting
their conduct and interests, to defend them from the injuries to which they
might be exposed, and to avenge the wrongs which they sustained. (R.
Maccolloch.)
Verse 4
But with righteousness shall He judge the poor
The righteousness of Christ¡¦s kingdom
As it may in many ways be shown that the Church of Christ though
one Church with the Jewish, differs from it as being a kingdom, so now let me
dwell on this point: that though a kingdom like empires of the earth, it
differs from them in being a Church, i.., a kingdom of truth and
righteousness. That Scripture speaks of the kingdom of Christ as not an earthly
kingdom, not supported by strength of arm or force of mind or any other faculty
or gift of the natural man, is plain. But consider some objections to which the
circumstances of its actual history and condition give rise.
I. IT MAY BE SAID
THAT THE EVENT HAS NOT FULFILLED THE PROPHECIES that the kingdom has indeed
been large and powerful, but it has not ruled according to justice and truth;
that at times it has had very wicked men among its rulers, and that great
corruptions, religious and moral, have been found in it; and that worse crimes
have been perpetrated under colour of religion than in any other way. But this
may be granted in the argument; yet the Scripture account of the Church remains
uncompromised. It is a kingdom of righteousness, because it is a kingdom
founded in righteousness.
II. IN THE GOSPEL,
CHRIST¡¦S FOLLOWERS ARE REPRESENTED AS POOR, DESPISED, WEAK, AND HELPLESS. Such
preeminently were the apostles. But in the prophets, especially in Isaiah, the
kingdom is represented as rich and flourishing and honoured, powerful and
happy. If the Church of Christ were to seek power, wealth, and honour, this
were to fall from grace; but it is not less true that she will have them,
though she seeks them not--or rather, if she seeks them not. Such is the law of
Christ¡¦s kingdom, such the paradox which is seen in its history. It belongs to
the poor in spirit; it belongs to the persecuted; it is possessed by the meek;
it Is sustained by the patient. It conquers by suffering; it advances by
retiring; it is made wise through foolishness.
III. TEMPORAL POWER
AND WEALTH, THOUGH NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE CHURCH, ARE ALMOST NECESSARY ATTENDANTS
ON IT. (J. H.Newman, D. D.)
Verse 5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins and
faithfulness the girdle of His reins
The right girdle
I.
We
have the Saviour here represented in His RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Saviour was
abstractedly, in and of and from Himself, righteous. But the righteousness here
means the actual accomplishment of His mission. He saith of Himself. ¡§Ought not
Christ to suffer these things?¡¨ But He was not only righteous in His work, He
was righteous on all sides. ¡§Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins¡¨;
go all round Him. That cannot be said of us except by faith. By faith we put on
the girdle of righteousness. But personally we are compassed with infirmity.
Not so the Saviour. He was tempted or tried, but never showed a weak part
anywhere. Not only was He righteous, He was also strong.
II. We have the
Saviour here represented in His FAITHFULNESS. By the ¡§reins,¡¨ as Cruden well
observes, the vital affections of the soul are meant. Did Christ¡¦s vital
affections ever give way? No! How faithful He was in love! (James Wells.)
Girdles
Girdles of various kinds, made of valuable materials, were
anciently worn by persons of high rank, which distinguished them from those of
inferior station, by whom girdles of some sort were likewise worn. The girdles
which the priests put on were made of gold, of blue, of purple, scarlet, and
fine-twined linen. The military girdle was sometimes of considerable excellence
and value, as is plainly intimated in what Joab said to the young man who
informed him he had seen Absalom hanging in a tree (2 Samuel 18:11). (R. Macculloch.)
Righteousness and faithfulness
Righteousness and faithfulness, agreeably blended together,
compose the girdle of the Messiah. These two amiable qualities cannot be
separated, and serve mutually to illustrate each other; faithfulness is
necessary to fulfil the promises of God, and righteousness is no less requisite
to discern the characters of those to whom they ought to be fulfilled, in what
measure, and in what time they should be accomplished. (R. Macculloch.)
Christ's girdle
1. As a girdle surrounds a man¡¦s whole body, and is seen to advantage
whithersoever he turn himself, so, in like manner, these two Divine excellences
should every way appear most conspicuous in the Messiah¡¦s administration of the
affairs of His kingdom.
2. As the girdles which were anciently worn, served to fasten the
loose and flowing garments that were then used and to strengthen the loins of
those who were girt with them, so these glorious perfections complete the
character of the King of Israel and give vigour to the honourable and
successful exercise of regal authority.
3. As girdles served in ancient times for ornaments to the
illustrious persons who put them on, so righteousness and faithfulness were
eminently to adorn the personal conduct and public character of the Prince of
Peace, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11). (R. Macculloch.)
The trilogy of the prophetic figures of the Messiah
The trilogy of the prophetic figures of the Messiah as about to be
born, as born, and as ruling--is now complete. (F. Delitzsch, D. D.)
Verses 6-9
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb
A portrait of humanity
I.
THE
MORAL VARIETIES OF THE RACE. Men are here represented by irrational creatures,
differing immensely in their organisations, their habits, and their
tempers--the ¡§wolf,¡¨ the ¡§lamb,¡¨ etc. The physical differences between men are
great. The mental differences are also great. But the moral varieties are,
perhaps, greater still. There are men everywhere about us as ferocious as the
¡§lion,¡¨ as savage as the ¡§bear,¡¨ as snarling as the ¡§wolf,¡¨ as cunning as the
¡§leopard,¡¨ as venomous as the ¡§serpent,¡¨ as harmless as the ¡§kid,¡¨ the ¡§lamb,¡¨
or the ¡§little child.¡¨
II. THE GOSPEL
REFORMATION OF THE RACE. These creatures are here represented as having passed
through a wonderful change in their instincts and habits, and this change is
ascribed to the advent and reign of Messiah. It is not a change in their physical
constitution. The wolf, the leopard, the bear, the lion, and the serpent retain
their constitutions intact, though they dwell with the kid, the lamb, and the
little child. The change is in their temper--in their ruling instincts. Such is
the change that the Gospel works in man. The change is simply in the
temper--the heart. It does two things.
1. It extracts social antipathies.
2. It implants social sympathies. This is the only reformation that
will meet the case.
III. THE SOCIAL
HARMONY OF THE RACE. These creatures, once antagonistic, are here eating
together, lying down together, playing together. All are wedded in spirit.
Christianity is essentially pacific in its spirit, its teachings, its
tendencies and results. (Homilist.)
The fruits of Christ¡¦s kingdom
1. In every soul which shall come to heaven there must be a change.
2. The change is not of the substantial parts of the body, but of the
corrupt qualities of the mind, or soul.
3. The change is made upon the Church of God in this world.
4. The change cometh from the grace of God, and floweth to us by
Jesus Christ our Lord.
5. The means by which the change is wrought, namely, by the know
ledge of the law, etc.
6. The marks of the change. (R. Sibbes, D. D.)
The touchstone of regeneration
It is an eminent mark of regeneration to have the violence and
fierceness of our cruel nature taken away. The signs of regeneration contained
in our text are--
I. HARMLESSNESS.
This, though it runs along the body of the text and is last mentioned, may be
named first, for it is implied in all. How can a man say he is renewed unless
in some sort he be like unto God in mercifulness? It is a prime quality in the
wicked to do mischief; it is a property of God¡¦s child to be harmless. There
are two signs of this sign.
1. If we would not do evil, though we might do it unseen of any
creature: as when a little child shall lay his hand on the cockatrice¡¦s den,
the serpent might sting, and yet, unseen of any, pull in the head again.
2. Though we have provocation, we will abstain from doing evil. The
little child plays on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child lays his hand
upon the cockatrice¡¦s den. Is not here provocation? ¡§Bless them that curse
you,¡¨ etc.
II. SOCIABLENESS.
With whom is it that this society holdeth? Not of wild beasts with wild beasts;
but there is implied here not only a simple society, as among wild beasts, but
a sociableness, as it were, among those of another generation. Naturally all of
us have been lions, bears, and wolves, and unsociable haters of goodness in
others. This sociableness with those former servants of God, who have been
called thus, is a very sure mark of this change in us (1 John 3:14).
1. No man can love a saint, as a saint, but a saint. A true trial of
sociableness is when men will joy to sort themselves with those with whom
formerly they have been most unsociable, and whose company they have most
loathed.
2. A second sign of this sign is, to love every brother, yea, though
it were to lay down our life for a brother.
III. CONSTANCY. How
is this implied! By dwelling and lying together. You shall have many companions
go with a man for fashion¡¦s sake to the church, and yet leave going ere it be
long. You shall have some men sick, and then like a serpent frozen in winter,
which casts his skin, you shall have them cast their skin a little; that is,
send for s preacher, make confession of their sins, saying, ¡§Oh! if God will
spare me, I will become a new man.¡¨ But when he is well, within a month after,
you will find him not with the lamb, but with the bears and the wolves.
IV. INWARDNESS.
Their little ones--dear unto them, and of whom they are so jealous and
tender--shall lie down together (Acts 4:32).
V. TRACTABLENESS.
A little child shall lead them and rule them. It is a true sign of grace when
we become easy to be ruled, and brought in compass (Job 31:13).
VI. SIMPLICITY.
¡§The lion shall eat straw like the ox.¡¨ Cain was bloody, and fed upon blood;
therefore, as it is (John 4:32) when a man is come thus far,
that he hath meat which one seeth not. Uses--
1. For consolation. Look which religion makes a man most mild, and
tames his fierce nature--there is the Church. If we be fierce and savage, let
us not deceive ourselves; we are not come to the mountain of which it is said,
¡§They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain.¡¨
2. For exhortation. There is yet a little of the lion and the bear
remaining in every one of us--our tree yet bears, on one side of it, crabs. See
what minds we must have if we look for a habitation in God¡¦s holy mountain. (R.
Sibbes, D. D.)
The splendour and amplitude of Christ¡¦s kingdom
I. THE MEANING OF
THIS PROPHECY. What is meant by the wolf, the leopard, and the rest of the
creatures here mentioned? Christ shall come to make the world so happy, that
princes and people, the mighty and the meaner sort; the violent, and they that
have no power, or no will to resist; the soldier, and the peaceable countryman;
the waspish people, and they that are of a sweet disposition, shall all be
brought under the same discipline, and submit to the same laws; not to hurt or
molest one another, but to promote the common good of the whole body to which
they belong.
II. THE TRUTH OF IT
or, that it was exactly fulfilled in our Lord and Saviour.
1. It was the apparent design of our Saviour¡¦s coming to make such a
happy accord among men.
2. The nature of His religion is such as is apt to produce this
effect which He designed. This will be evident to everyone¡¦s satisfaction who
will seriously weigh these three things.
3. This effect was actually produced in those that heartily embraced
His religion (Acts 4:32; 2 Corinthians 8:3-4). It is to be
hoped that the time is coming when Christianity will end, as it began, in
abundance of truth and peace, by a right understanding of the will of God and a
hearty submission thereto. Let every soul of us do his part that the place
where he lives may be in peace--princes and governors, ministers of the Gospel,
etc. (S. Patrick, D. D.)
A picture of what the world is to be
It is not a photograph. The poet never photographs, he pictures.
And this poet is no exception. He does not wish us to believe that wolves and
lambs will one day be friends, and that what Burns calls ¡§Nature¡¦s social
union¡¨ is to be realised by the transfiguration of a lion into a domestic pet
or into a beast of the stall. He is not photographing, but picturing a scene
which never was and never shall be, in order to represent a splendid spiritual
and social reality which must be--the reign amongst men of perfect union and
peace on earth. You can see how true this is when you turn over to another picture
by this same prophet artist intended to illustrate the same theme. There the
wilderness is to be glad, the desert is to blossom as the rose and rejoice, the
lame man is to leap as the hart, the highway usually infested by lions and
beasts of prey is to be safe as a strong tower, for the obvious reason ¡§no lion
shall be there.¡¨ Plainly the prophet is not photographing, but picturing. (R.
J. Kyd.)
¡§Nature¡¦s social union¡¨: a picture of heaven upon earth
I. We have A
PICTURE OF THE INNER SPIRITUAL UNION AND PEACE WHICH GOD IS CREATING IN EVERY
MAN¡¦S BOSOM. In man all animalism sums itself up in subtlest composition; but
there is a Divine element also in his bosom represented by a little child, an
elemental force which is placed there to reign over fierce passions and carnal
lusts, a force which is destined to be master. Paul gives us insight into this
subject. He recognises in man¡¦s composite nature the wolf and the lamb, the
lion and the child. The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against
the flesh. The word ¡§flesh¡¨ is Paul¡¦s term for that nature in us which loves
self and self only, a nature which is characteristic of the whole animal world.
The term ¡§spirit¡¨ is a term for that Divine nature in us which loves and cares
for others and takes little or no thought of self. As things are, these two
natures are at variance more or less in us all. But there should be no war in
our bosom. Peace is the ideal state. Love of self and love of others should not
clash, but cooperate as they do in the maternal breast. Self-love must not hurt
the spirit, the conscience, the finer and higher feelings of charity. This
harmony pictured by Isaiah and ethically set forth by Paul is the heaven which
has begun to be in our bosom, but only begun. The Child-heart must reign. He
who has begun the good work in us will carry it on until the day of Christ.
II. We have A
PICTURE OF MAN¡¦S SOCIAL UNION. His social union is the result of inner
spiritual union. When a man is constantly quarrelling with himself, his
conscience taunting his cupidity and selfishness, and the child in him leading
him to toil and self-sacrifice whilst the animal in him demands ease and
pleasure, this picture of union and brotherhood is not possible of realisation.
The first thing to be done if we would realise it is to get each man¡¦s bosom
put right. The wolves of society, the serpents, the land sharks, the men who
devour widows¡¦ houses, the foxes or Herods who are ever looking after Number
One, the hypocrite with the slimy lie on his lip whilst the crocodile tear is
in his eye, will all be changed into men of honour and kindness, men of purity
and righteousness. Social quarrels will end. The labour and capital problem
will be solved, and capital and labour will dwell together, like Isaiah¡¦s wolf
and lamb, in peace. The poor and the weak will not be driven to the wall. Even
the innocent child will be safe in the dark. The policeman¡¦s footstep will
cease to be heard in the land, and the soldier will beat his sword into a
ploughshare. Blessed outlook!
III. THIS PICTURE IS
TO BE REALISED BY THE CHRIST THAT WAS AND IS TO BE. From the power Christ has
shown in transfiguring men and raising the tone of society to what it is, we
are persuaded that He will succeed in accomplishing His Herculean labour of
turning earth into heaven. Surely He must be Divine who proposes to undertake
such a work! Let us look at the Divine Man who is able to accomplish what seems
to us to be impossible. He has a child-heart in Him. ¡§He is,¡¨ says Isaiah, ¡§a
Rod out of the stem of Jesse. On Him rests the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit
of wisdom and understanding.¡¨ The Good Shepherd¡¦s music which brings about the
peace of God in our bosom is at first a summons to war. It is a call to the
child in us to awake and lead into a glorious captivity the lower animal nature
which ever lusts to be first. It is a call to the higher in us to hold in check
the lower and bring it by confidence and obedience into union and cooperation.
We are summoned to accept the blessed task of being peacemakers in our own
breasts, and peacemaking there must begin by a proclamation of war. Strange
work for a child! Impossible work! do you affirm? God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.¡¨ It is God¡¦s way
by ¡§things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.¡¨ (R. J. Kyd.)
The wild beasts
We, who live in countries from which wild beasts have been
exterminated, cannot understand the insecurity and terror that they cause in
regions where they abound. A modern seer of the times of regeneration would
leave the wild animals out of his vision. They do not impress any more the
human conscience or imagination. But they once did so most terribly. The
hostility between man and the beasts not only formed once upon a time the chief
material obstacle in the progress of the race, but remains still to the
religious thinker the most pathetic portion of that groaning and travailing of
all creation which is so heavy a burden on his heart. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D.
D.)
Not exterminated, but tamed
Isaiah would not have the wild beasts exterminated, but tamed.
There our Western and modern imagination may fail to follow him, especially
when he includes reptiles in the regeneration, and prophesies of adders and
lizards as the playthings of children. But surely there is no genial man, who
has watched the various forms of life that sport in the Southern sunshine, who
will not sympathise with the prophet in his joyous vision. Upon a warm spring
day in Palestine, to sit upon the grass, beside some old dyke or ruin with its
face to the South, is indeed to obtain a rapturous view of the wealth of life
with which the bountiful God has blessed and made merry man¡¦s dwelling place.
How the lizards come and go among the grey stones and flash like jewels in the dust!
And the timid snake rippling quickly past through the grass, and the leisurely
tortoise, with its shiny back, and the chameleon, shivering into new colour as
he passes from twig to stone, and stone to straw,--all the air the while alive
with the music of the cricket and the bee! You feel that the ideal is not to
destroy these pretty things as vermin. What a loss of colour the lizards alone
would imply! But, as Isaiah declares,--whom we may imagine walking with his
children up the steep vineyard paths, to watch the creatures come and go upon
the dry dykes on either hand,--the ideal is to bring them into sympathy with
ourselves, make pets of them and playthings for children, who indeed stretch
out their hands in joy to the pretty toys. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)
The mystery of the brute creation
What are these animals? Who made them? Who can explain them? Who
knows their future? This is a gracious mystery at all events, and may be
accepted as a fact--that when man is right with God, the animals will be right
with man; when man is right with God, the earth will be right with man, and
will feel as if she could not do enough for him in growing him all the bread he
wants, and then giving him more than he needs. ¡§Let the people praise Thee, O
God; let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase;
and God, even our own God, shall bless us.¡¨ (J. Parker, D. D.)
The redemption of nature
It is one of those errors, which distort both the poetry and truth
of the Bible, to suppose that by the bears, lions, and reptiles which the
prophet now sees tamed in the time of the regeneration, he intends the violent
human characters which he so often attacks. When Isaiah here talks of the
beasts, he means the beasts. The passage is not allegorical, but direct, and
forms a parallel to the well-known passage in the eighth of Romans. (Prof.
G. A. Smith, D. D.)
The legend of St. Blaise
The legend of St. Blaise is of Greek origin. He was bishop over
the Christian Church at Sebaste in Cappadocia, and governed his flock for many
years with great vigilance, till the persecution under Diocletian, A.D. 289,
obliged him to fly; and he took refuge in a mountain cave at some distance from
the city. This mountain was the haunt of wild beasts (bears, lions, and
tigers); but these animals were so completely subdued by the gentleness and
piety of the good old man, that, far from doing him any harm, they came every
morning to ask his blessing. If they found him kneeling at his devotions, they
waited duteously till he had finished, and, having received the accustomed
benediction, they retired. Now, in the city of Sebaste, and in the whole
province, so many Christians were put to death, that there began to be a
scarcity of wild beasts for the amphitheatres. And Agricolaus, the governor,
sent his hunters into the mountains to collect as many lions, tigers, and bears
as possible; and it happened that these hunters, arriving one day before the
mouth of the cave in which St. Blaise had taken refuge, found him seated in
front of it, and surrounded by a variety of animals of different species. The
lion and the lamb, the hind and the leopard, seemed to have put off their
nature, and were standing amicably together, as though there had been
everlasting peace between them; and some he blessed with holy words, knowing
that God careth for all things that He has made; and to others that were sick
or wounded he ministered gently; and others he reprehended because of their
rapacity and gluttony. And, when the hunters beheld this, they were like men in
a dream: they stood astonished, thinking they had found some enchanter. And
they seized him, and carried him before the governor; and, as they went, the
good bishop returned thanks to God, and rejoiced greatly, that, at length, he
had been found worthy to die for the cause of Christ. (Mrs. Jameson.)
Man to blame for the wildness of the beasts
We may take on scientific authority a few facts as hints from
nature, that after all man is to blame for the wildness of the beasts, and that
through his sanctification they may be restored to sympathy with himself.
Charles Darwin says: ¡§It deserves notice that at an extremely ancient period
when man first entered any country the animals living there would have felt no
instinctive or inherited fear of him, and would consequently have been tamed
far more easily than at present.¡¨ And he gives some very instructive facts in
proof of this with regard to dogs, antelopes, manatees, and hawks. ¡§Quadrupeds
and birds which have seldom been disturbed by man dread him no more than do our
English birds the cows or horses grazing in the fields.¡¨ Darwin¡¦s details are
peculiarly pathetic in their revelation of the brutes¡¦ utter trustfulness in
man before they get to know him. Persons who have had to do with individual
animals of a species that has never been thoroughly tamed, are aware that the
difficulty of training them lies in convincing them of our sincerity and good
heartedness, and that when this is got over they will learn almost any trick or
habit. The well-known lines of Burns to the field mouse gather up the cause of
all this, in a fashion very similar to the Bible¡¦s. (Prof. O. A. Smith, D.
D.)
Man¡¦s relation to the lower animals
The practical ¡§uses¡¨ of such a passage of Scripture as this are
plain. Some of them are the awful responsibility of man¡¦s position as the
keystone of creation, the material effects of sin, and especially the
religiousness of our relation to the lower animals. (Prof. O. A. Smith, D.
D.)
A little child shall lead
them
The child to the front
The Bible, when it speaks as it does in these verses, always means
something better than it says. Many things come to children much worse than
being destroyed by a lion, or eaten by a wolf, or poisoned by a serpent¡¦s fang,
only, I am sorry to believe, neither children nor grown up people think them
worse things, nor anything like so dreadful. Perhaps that is the most doleful
evil of all. Had I not faith in God¡¦s great wisdom, love, and justice, I should
feel that for tens of millions of children in this world it would be infinitely
better that they were never born; and that, being born, the next preferable
event would be that they should die as soon after birth as possible, even
though it were a hungry wolf that should slay them. They come into places more
terrible than a wild beast¡¦s lair or a cockatrice¡¦s den. They come into places
full of ignorance and iniquity, where they have no opportunity of growing up
good, or even of knowing what good is. Now, this text says that in the good
time coming all this shall be changed. The day is coming in our country when
the child, because of his weakness and his wants, shall be the most cherished
and cared for person either in the home, the Church, or the State.
I. From these
words, then, we get the idea THAT AS THE WORLD GETS ON, AND MEN GROW WISER,
TRUER, AND HOLIER, CHILDREN RISE IN THEIR REGARD. The care for children becomes
exalted; it ceases to be a merely natural affection, and is intensified and
purified into a moral and spiritual passion. The Bible teaches us that love of
children is a note of moral culture, and all history shows that in the measure
the claims of the little ones are lightly regarded the moral tone is low. There
may be strength and courage for war, there may be art and philosophy, there may
be an abundance of physical and intellectual display, but the higher
morals--those that are the very graces of the soul, those which perfect men and
go to the root of the world¡¦s sins and sorrows--are exceedingly scarce.
II. These words
teach us THAT CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT WHICH IS HIGHEST AND
MOST DIVINE--that they can share the best and highest with the best and highest
men. The philosophy of the highest good may be far beyond the reach of their
reason, but the blessing of it may be realised by them and enjoyed. The
sunshine is as warm and delightful to them without any theory of light and heat
as with one.
III. Another word we
have to speak is, THAT THEY WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE CHILDREN ARE ON THE LINES
OF THE WORLD¡¦S PROGRESS. The world follows the children--they are always in
front. (W. Hubbard.)
Ministry of children
God¡¦s ministers are varied. Children teach many lessons.
1. They purify--by their innocence, teachableness, and purity.
2. They elevate--appealing to our highest and best instincts.
3. They stir. They move us to better living, and stimulate our best
qualities.
4. They instruct--e.g., Samuel and Eli.
5. They console--helping to take our minds off trouble.
6. They reconcile. A mother is cheerful for the sake of the children.
A father is strengthened by his home life.
7. They gladden. Children are the poetry, flowers, and sunshine of
life.
8. They soften and make tender,--for their helplessness appeals to
us; the touch of a tiny hand thrills us with pity.
9. They lead Godward.
10. They are a powerful ministry for good.. (Seed for Busy Sowers.)
Led by a child
1. We have no right to sink an interval of many centuries between the
verses of this brief prophecy, and to say that while one part of it was
fulfilled at the Advent, the other will only be fulfilled in the still distant
Millennium. We are rather bound to say: ¡§If the Lord Jesus was the Branch that
shot forth from Jesse¡¦s root, and the Spirit of the Lord did really come upon
Him that He might rule and reprove the people, then, from that moment, the wolf
began to dwell with the lamb, the leopard to lie down with the kid, the lion
with the calf; and the little Child went before them, leading them to the holy
mountain in which they neither hurt nor destroy.¡¨ We need fix no date to these
words. They are not for an age, but for all time, and for eternity too. They
describe the universal reign of Christ. They tell us what the spirit, what the
distinguishing characteristics, of that reign always have been and always will
be.
2. The beast tamer is distinguished by a quick eye, a prompt
punishing hand, a courage and self-possession that never falter; and how should
we look for these features and qualities in a child? But may not a child have
other qualities quite as potent, and even more potent? Is brute force the only
force by which even brutes are ruled? Surely not. Baby lies on the rug with dog
and eat. He is not so strong or lithe or quick as they are, or even as you are.
Yet he takes liberties with them which you cannot take,--and remember, the cat
is of one blood with the leopard, and the dog with the wolf. Nor are even wild
beasts insensible to his claim and charm. Else what mean all those stories of
helpless and abandoned children suckled, fed, guarded by wolves and bears and
lions; or of children chosen by caged wild beasts, the more savage for their
captivity, to be their playmates and companions? Many of these stories are
quite true, and show what power a little child may have, a power beyond that of
man.
3. But when the prophet tells us that in the kingdom of Christ, a
little child leads the wolf and the leopard and the lion, as well as the lamb
and the kid and the calf, he cannot simply mean that an innocent babe may have
more power over the brutes than a grown man. He also meant, no doubt, that in
proportion as Christ reigns on the earth the primal order will be restored;
that men, reconciled to God and to each other, will also be at peace with all
the forces of nature, will rule over them, and bend to their service even those
of them which are the most fierce, lawless, hostile, and untameable, and thus
regain all, and more than all, that Adam lost.
4. Has not the prediction been verified again and again, and that
even on the lower levels of our life! Here, salt, is a bad man,--brutal,
fierce, ungoverned and ungovernable. God sends him a little child. And the
rough man and the abandoned woman, as they lean over it, are touched, softened,
purified. God leads almost all men by their children, leads them to the ¡§holy
mountain,¡¨ i.e., to higher levels of life where they breathe a purer air
and gain a wider outlook. He sends the ¡§little child,¡¨ and forthwith even the
hard and selfish grow tender and unselfish, at least in some of their aims.
They will follow him even to the house and worship of God--for many a man
repairs to the house of God for his children¡¦s sake who would not come for his
own,--and find themselves in ¡§the holy mountain¡¨ or ever they are aware.
5. So that when God sent the Holy Child Jesus to lead men into the
kingdom of heaven, He took no new untried way with us, but a way long tried and
approved. But, for us, the Lord Jesus is not the Holy Child only at Christmas,
or only because He was once a babe in Mary¡¦s arms. When He grew to be a man, He
Himself took a child in His arms, and taught His disciples that to enter His
kingdom they must become as little children, and that whosoever most fully
possessed himself of the childlike spirit would be greatest in that kingdom.
But to enter His kingdom is to begin to grow like Christ; and to become great
in it is to grow as like Him as we can. To grow childlike is, therefore, to
grow Christlike. But how can that be unless Christ Himself is like a little
child?
6. ¡§A little child shall lead them.¡¨ But does he not lead them
already? When the little ones come to them, who is it for whom they think, and
work, and plan? Who is it that determines the amount of their toil, and even
the kind of amusements in which they indulge, and often determines also the
very aims and methods of their lives?
7. ¡§A little child shall lead them.¡¨ These words refer to the future
as well as to the past and the present. There is a promise in them even for us
who are in the kingdom of the Holy Child. And the promise is that as the
kingdom of God comes we shall be more and more animated by the child spirit
which was and is the Spirit of Christ Himself. (S. Cox, D. D.)
What is the child spirit?
But what is this blessing, and why is it so great? Consider how
fearless a child is, so that it can play and take liberties with many a fierce
creature whose talons or teeth keep you at a respectful distance. Consider how
innocent a child is as compared with you, and what you would give to be equally
clear of stinging memories and impure desires. Consider how friendly a little
child is, responding with smiles and caresses to every genuine and tender
advance. Consider how cheerful it is, with how little it is pleased; how
unworldly, making no distinction between beggar and prince, loving its poor
nurse better than the fine lady in all her bravery. Consider how free from care
a child is, because it trusts in a wisdom, an ability, a goodness beyond its
own retaking no thought for what it shall eat or drink or wherewithal it shall
be clothed. Consider, too, how lordly a child is. Hardly anything strikes one
in little children so much as their calm assumption that all the world was made
for them, and that all the men and women in it have nothing else, or nothing
else so important, to do as to wait on their will and minister to their whims.
(S. Cox, D. D.)
Child leading
I. The text
suggests some thoughts about the GENTLENESS AND HUMILITY OF HIM WHO CAME TO US
AS A CHILD. Never was a child born into this world in humbler fashion than the
Child who came to redeem it. Fit prelude to that strange, solemn, sorrowful,
yet infinitely beautiful life! Surely, If humility depends at all on outward
circumstances, this ¡§little Child¡¨ was humble indeed. But the inward spirit was
in perfect keeping with the outward circumstances. The little Child was never
lost in the Man.
II. WAS THIS
PROPHECY NOT FULFILLED IN MANY WAYS BY THE CHILD OF BETHLEHEM? He led the
herald angels from their highest ministrations in the realms of glory down to
the plains of Bethlehem. He led the star that travelled ever westwards until it
¡§came and stood over where the young Child was.¡¨ He led the sages who came with
their typical offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. He led the aged
prophet, who, in the temple of Jerusalem, caught up the young Child from His
mother¡¦s arms, and burst into that glad Dismission Hymn which has become
incorporated with the liturgies of the Christian Church. Think what marvellous
leading is here!
III. DOES NOT THE
PROPHECY STILL RECEIVE DAILY FULFILMENT in the history and experience of the world?
What is it that brings and binds men to Christ? Is it the Divinity of His
person, the glory of His miracles, the thunder of His power, the attraction of
heaven, the terrors of hell? Ask a missionary who has laboured for many years
among the heathen what has been the element in the Gospel which has drawn men
away from their idols to Christ. He will tell you that it was not the Divine
power, but the human tenderness that won their hearts. Stern warriors become
gentle in His presence. This is He for whom the world has been waiting, and
before whom it will bow.
IV. Perhaps YOUR
OWN EXPERIENCE will help you to understand the prophet¡¦s words. Think of your
own personal relation to Christ. What was it that first drew you to Him, and
now keeps you in His track? It was the gentleness and beauty of His
character--the ¡§little Child¡¨ that is forever enshrined in the person of
Christ. Or look around you, and see the marvellous power of child leading in
the familiar experience of life.
V. It may be that
the words will touch for some of us THE SPRING THAT UNLOCKS SECRET AND VERY
SACRED MEMORIES. We said, with the stricken parent of old, ¡§I shall go to him,
but he shall not return to me.¡¨ But are we very sure of this? Are the mysteries
of life and death so clear to us, that we¡¦ dare not think of child ministers
and child leadings continued in spite of death?
VI. ¡§A little child
shall lead them.¡¨ The words may have yet ANOTHER FULFILMENT, IN ¡§THE LAND THAT
IS VERY FAR OFF.¡¨ ¡§Of such is the kingdom of heaven,¡¨ the Saviour said, as He
took the children in His arms. Perhaps when our children sing, ¡§Little children
shall he there,¡¨ they touch a truth which their elders are too slow to believe.
It may be among the child ministries of heaven to give the first greetings to those
who received them in the helplessness of their earthly infancy; and many a
weeper may begin to gather ¡§the far-off interest of tears,¡¨ when ¡§a little
child shall lead them¡¨ through the forum of the elders to the throne of the
King. (J. C. Cameron.)
The power of the children
I. I am going to
show you THE POWER OF THE CHILDREN. Again and again great changes have been
brought about, history has been made, gown up people have worked and have
suffered because of this strange power of the children. If children have power
they can use it.
II. THE GOOD THINGS
CHILDREN CAN DO. (E. Medley, B. A.)
The child not to rule but to lead
I don¡¦t think it is good for children to rule, but I do think it
very good for children to lead. (E. Medley, B. A.)
A little child may disarm anger
A missionary on the great River Congo had pushed up on a little
steamer into a part where no white man had ever been before. The anchor was let
down, and the steamer brought to. Food was needed for the men, and firewood for
the engines. The natives came crowding down to the bank to look at this
wonderful boat; they were armed with arrows, and big, ugly spears. The
missionary tried to talk to them, and made signs of peace. But nothing that he
could do seemed to touch them; it was plain that they were partly angry, partly
suspicious, and partly afraid, and when savages are in that state they are very
dangerous. What was to be done? A happy thought flashed across the missionary.
He had his wife and a dear little baby on board; he got the baby, took it up in
his arms, and showed it to the people. Now the baby was a really sensible baby,
it seemed to understand the situation, and instead of crying, or pretending to
be shy, it laughed and crowed as merrily as could be, and when the poor savages
saw the baby they felt themselves safe; they understood in a moment that no
harm was meant, and so they laid down their arms, and became quite friendly.
Even in Africa we can say--a little child shall lead them. (E. Medley, B. A.)
A mother led to Christ by her child
Some years ago, a good woman came to a minister, wanting to join
the Church, and confess herself a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was
asked how it was that she had come to think of Him, for she had lived a rough,
bad life. ¡§Oh,¡¨ said she, ¡§it was in this way: I didn¡¦t care for good things, I
had to slave all day long, I was too busy and too hard hearted and too
miserable to care for such things at all. But my little girl, she goes to the
Sunday school, and when she comes home she just singe some of the hymns she has
learnt--not to me, for I never asked her, but to herself. But I couldn¡¦t help
hearing, and one of them went to my heart; do what I would, I couldn¡¦t forget
it, until I began to ask myself whether It too, could not sing--
I
heard the voice of Jesus say,
Come
unto Me and rest.
I did hear Him, and though I am very dark still, I do love Him.¡¨ A
little child shall lead them; so it is. (E. Medley, B. A.)
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Some of you may have read a very beautiful children¡¦s story called
Little Lord Fauntleroy. The pith of it is just this: A noble, open hearted boy
is thrown into the company of his grandfather, a proud, hard hearted, selfish,
old nobleman, who knows as well as those about him do, what a mean, cynical old
tyrant he has been. The earl is thoroughly miserable, only he is too proud to
own it. But the lad, who has been brought up in pure and holy ways, insists on
thinking well of the old man, attributing to him all sorts of good deeds. In
the honest simplicity of his little heart he believes his grandfather to be a
very fine man, and says that when he grows up he means to be like him. The
trustful love of the boy touches his grandfather¡¦s stony heart just as opening
spring sunshine touches the winter ice, and it begins to melt; without knowing
it the little fellow leads the old man in good ways, and he is won. As to the
boy, he is still the merry-hearted fellow he was, not in the least priggish, or
goody goody, or conceited, but he has done a work that shall never die. (E.
Medley, B. A.)
A child¡¦s voice settling a great question
Many years since the see of Milan was vacant, and the position was
eagerly sought by two parties who disputed the election with strong and bitter
feelings. The prefect of the town, who was a celebrated young lawyer, was
called in to quell disorder and settle the dispute. In very earnest and
affectionate strains he addressed the excited assembly. But, during one of the
momentary pauses in his speech, a child¡¦s voice was heard exclaiming, ¡§Let
Ambrose be our bishop!¡¨ That tender utterance was accepted like a Divine
instruction; the youthful lawyer was forthwith chosen to the occupancy of the
episcopal chair, and became a useful servant of the Church. Thus a little child
led the assembled electors and secured the ministry of St. Ambrose; St. Ambrose
became the means of the conversion of St. Augustine, and St. Augustine by his
writings still speaks to Christendom. (J. H. Hitchens, D. D.)
The children leading
A man commonly lives, if possible, nearer to the school to which
he sends his children than to his own place of business. It is the children who
commonly fix the hour at which he shall dine and often even what he shall have
for his dinner, their health and convenience being consulted before his own. He
often goes shabby that they may be well clothed, and sometimes hungry that they
may be well fed. His very home is furnished with an eye to them; and the new
carpets or the costly furniture which he would like to have are postponed till
the children are grown up, or the good piano which his wife would like till the
children have got through their practising. Where shall the summer holiday be
spent? is a question in which the children have the casting vote. How many a
man, too, long after he has laid by enough for himself and his wife, and craves
retirement and rest, goes labouring on, either that he may provide for children
who cannot provide for themselves, or that he may leave them a little more
money when he dies! And when the children grow up into young men and women, is
it not they who lead the world as once they led their several households. The
ruling and shaping spirit of the world changes with every generation. (S.
Cox, D. D.)
Age and youth.
Are we, then, to discrown age, experience, authority, and enthrone
youth, inexperience, and insolence? Are we to listen to whatever our children
may say, and let them lead us where they will! By no means. That would be as
injurious to them as to us. But we are to realise the fact that God is
educating the race; guiding every generation, and conducting it to a point
beyond that of the generation which preceded it. This reverence for youth as
the new element, the progressive and advancing element, of the world, is, I
believe, peculiar to Christianity, and even in some measure to the Christianity
of the present day. (S. Cox, D. D.)
Children¡¦s influence
I heard the other day in the north of England of a large school
where the older scholars came together and asked the superintendents that there
should be no prizes and no Christmas trees and no ordinary gifts, but that the
money should be given to the Soldiers¡¦ and Sailors¡¦ Fund. No one had put them
up to it. What was the result? All round that district everybody rose up at
once to a sense of their responsibility, and the gifts received there exceeded
the gifts from other places. (Canon Wilberforce, D. D.)
A beautiful epitaph
In a certain grave yard a white stone that marks the grave of a
little girl bears these words: ¡§A child of whom her playmates said, ¡¥It was
easier to be good when she was with us.¡¦¡¨ Is not that a beautiful epitaph,
little ones?
¡§My darling¡¨
One instance wherein the prophet¡¦s words were fulfilled in spirit,
if not in letter, is reported in an American exchange; ¡§¡¥My darling.¡¦ These
tender words were painted in large letters on the dashboard of a big truck in
the street. The thoroughfare was jammed with vehicles and drivers were filling
the air with profanity. But the driver of this particular truck sat silent and
motionless. No word of his offended the ears of the patient: plodding beast
over which he held the reins. During the din of curses a curious man stepped
forward and inquired: ¡¥You seem to take things very easy in this blockade.¡¦
¡¥Yes, mister; I¡¦m used to ¡¥em,¡¦ was the laconic reply. ¡¥Besides,¡¦ he added, ¡¥it
don¡¦t help a bit to swear.¡¦ ¡¥I notice that you have a name for your truck.¡¦
¡¥Yes,¡¦ and the stoical man¡¦s face brightened and assumed an expression born of
a tender heart ¡¥¡§My darling¡¨ was my dear little daughter. She¡¦s dead now. Just
before she died--but you don¡¦t care to hear any part of this -¡¦ ¡¥Indeed, I do,¡¦
interrupted the listener. ¡¥Well, you see it was this way: Nellie, my darling,
took sick, and we couldn¡¦t save her; but just before she died she put her thin
little arms around my neck and whispered in my ear; ¡§Papa, your Nellie is going
to die; please promise me that you will be kind to good old Dexter, and don¡¦t
swear at him. Will you do that for me?¡¨ Well, sir, I used to be pretty tough
and rough, and I could curse with the best of ¡¥em, but,¡¦ and the man¡¦s voice
trembled, ¡¥I loved my Nellie, and--and I promised her that I would do what she
asked.¡¦ ¡¥Yes, sir; I¡¦ve kept my word. That¡¦s going on three years now, but I
haven¡¦t cussed once since. That¡¦s why I¡¦ve named my truck ¡§My darling¡¨; it always
reminds me of my Nellie and her sweet blue eves.¡¦ Just then the blockade was
raised, and ¡¥My darling¡¦ rumbled on.¡¨ (Christian Age.)
The effect of a child¡¦s prayer
In a Southern hospital a little girl was to undergo a dangerous
operation. She was placed upon the table, and the surgeon was about to give her
ether when he said, ¡§Before we can make you well, we must put you to sleep.¡¨
She spoke up sweetly and said, ¡§Oh, if you are going to put me to sleep, I must
say my prayers first.¡¨ So she got on her knees, and said the child¡¦s prayer,
¡§Now I lay me down to sleep.¡¨ Afterward the surgeon said that he prayed that
night for the first time in thirty years. (Christian Endeavour Times.)
Verse 9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain
The golden age
Poets have sung of a golden age, saints have prayed for one, the
Bible distinctly teaches that one will come.
This passage gives us the characteristics of this ¡§good time coming.¡¨
I. THE WHOLE EARTH
SHALL BE THE SPIRITUAL REALISATION OF WHAT MOUNT ZION WAS BUT THE SYMBOL. What
were the great ideas that Mount Zion of old symbolised They were especially
two--
1. Man¡¦s meeting place with God.
2. Entire consecration to worship. It was for worship and worship
only. These ideas will be fully realised in the last days. The whole earth will
be man¡¦s meeting place with God, the Shechinah will gleam everywhere, light up
every social circle, radiate from every institution, etc. Every spot, too, will
be sacred to worship. Man will worship in everything, handicraft, commerce,
politics, literature.
II. THE WHOLE EARTH
SHALL BE FREED FROM INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE. ¡§They shall not hurt nor destroy.¡¨
1. They shall not hurt. They shall not hurt by any unkind word, or
any ungenerous deed, by any species of mean conduct. Exquisite delicacy of
conduct shall distinguish all. Every man shall deal with his fellow with the
loving tenderness of a brother.
2. They shall not destroy. They shall not destroy the property, the
reputation, or the life. There shall be no wars.
III. THE WHOLE EARTH
SHALL BE FLOODED WITH CHRISTIANITY. ¡§As the waters cover the sea.¡¨ Full as the
waters roll through the channels of the Mediterranean, will Christianity roll
through every district of human life. But whilst this universal diffusion of
Christianity is a characteristic of the golden age, the text suggests that it
is the instrumental cause. We infer--
1. That Christianity is essentially pacific.
2. That every philanthropist should use Christianity as his grand
instrument. There is no other panacea for the world¡¦s woes. (Homilist.)
Messiah¡¦s peaceful reign
I. THE PACIFIC
SPIRIT THAT SHALL BE IN THE WORLD IN MESSIAH¡¦S REIGN.
II. THE CAUSE OF
ITS UNIVERSAL PREVALENCE. The knowledge with which the world will be filled. (J.
Summerfield, M. A.)
For the earth shall be
full of the knowledge of the Lord
The great Gospel and millennial kingdoms of Christ our Lord
1. The declaration of the word before us has never yet been
fulfilled.
2. God is now about speedily to fulfil it.
I. We shall open
the whole chapter which contains our text, in order to explain WHAT THE KINGDOM
OF CHRIST IS of which it speaks, and we shall bring before you the great events
with which the introduction of that kingdom of our Redeemer shall be attended.
1. The chapter commences with a glorious description of the Person
and the office of the blessed Redeemer of men.
2. Proceed we now to open unto you the Gospel kingdom of Christ,
which is contained in the following portion of the chapter. The design of the
figure (Isaiah 11:6-9) is to show that in the
great day when Christ shall execute His office in a more full and wide extent
over the earth there shall be a marvellous concord and union and love among all
the children of men by their being brought to worship the one Redeemer, through
the one Gospel of His grace and through the sameness of His blessed Spirit.
3. With reference to the expression in our text--¡§For the earth shall
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea¡¨--we have
here set before us both the extent of the knowledge of the Lord, which shall
characterise this kingdom of our Lord, and the depth of that knowledge also;
for both are represented by this similitude of the ocean. We are to believe,
therefore, that the knowledge of God which shall then prevail, shall as far
surpass, in extent and in depth, the knowledge of every preceding Church state,
as the waters of the ocean exceed, in width and profundity, the common lakes in
the midst of kingdoms.
4. One great event that shall immediately precede this glorious issue
of things shall be the conversion of God¡¦s ancient people, the Jews; their gathering
from out of all the nations of the earth into the land of their fathers; and,
as I believe, their becoming the preachers of the Gospel of Christ to all those
nations of the earth, which shall now be converted unto Him. This glorious
event is immediately appended, in this chapter, to the description of the
Gospel kingdom of the Redeemer (Isaiah 11:11, etc.).
5. Another mighty reality which shall accompany the introduction of the
coming kingdom of our Lord and Saviour is the destruction of the anti-Christian
church (the papacy).
6. The destruction of antichrist.
II. We shall
present to your view THE MEANS WHICH YOU MAY THE MOST SAFELY ADOPT FOR
INSTRUMENTALLY PROMOTING THE KINGDOM OF OUR ADORABLE REDEEMER amidst the
kingdoms of the world. (H. Cole.)
The millennium
I. THE NATURE OF
THE MILLENNIUM. It is generally believed, by judicious divines--
1. That the millennial blessedness shall consist of an extraordinary
degree of spiritual knowledge.
2. That holiness shall prevail to an unexampled extent.
3. That the millennial period will be distinguished by happiness and
peace altogether unexampled in any previous period of the history of the Church
of Christ.
II. SOME PASSAGES
WHICH SEEM PLAINLY TO INDICATE THAT SUCH A PERIOD SHALL ARRIVE (Psalms 72:1-20; Isaiah 55:1-13; Romans 11:12; Romans 11:15; Revelation 14:6).
III. EXHIBIT THE
TRIUMPHS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST DURING THE DAYS OF MILLENNIAL BLESSEDNESS. (A.
Fletcher, D. D.)
The moral certainty of the earth being filled with the knowledge
of the Lord
This prophecy was partially fulfilled when the Christian
dispensation was instituted, and ¡§the Gospel of the kingdom¡¨ produced the most
wonderful effects on the hearts and lives of multitudes who had been the most
determined enemies of the Cross. But the expression looks forward to a far more
illustrious day, when the prediction will have its complete accomplishment, and
the whole family of man will be blessed with the¡¨ knowledge of the Lord.¡¨
I. THE IMPORT OF
THE PHRASE, ¡§THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD.¡¨
1. It implies an acquaintance with the character of the true God.
2. An acquaintance with the plan of salvation through the Lord Jesus
Christ.
3. An acquaintance with God¡¦s will.
II. THE MORAL
CERTAINTY THAT THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD. Reason
renders it probable, but revelation declares its certainty.
1. I argue this from a consideration of the nature of the Christian
religion. Christianity is a religion of benevolence. It has nothing exclusive
in its character. It is designed for man, considered as such, and is adapted to
every latitude under heaven. It presents us with a worship which is simple, a
faith which is easily understood, ordinances few in number, sacrifices that are
unbloody, doctrines and precepts which lead to God, promises which are joy and
peace, and hopes which centre in the throne of God! It is reasonable to
conclude that God, who is good to all, will not limit blessings of such
magnitude and so universally necessary for human happiness, to anyone
particular nation or age, but that He will, in His own way and at His own time,
extend the benefits of Christianity to the whole family of man.
2. The covenant relation between God and His beloved Son furnishes
another guarantee that the prediction will be fulfilled.
3. We ground our hopes on the character of the Saviour as Mediator.
4. Think also of the prophetic record.
III. OUR DUTY AT THE
PRESENT TIME IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXTENDING OF THIS KNOWLEDGE. The work is
very great. How is it to be accomplished? By the agency of miracles? No. May we
expect the Saviour to visit our earth and organise a system for the conversion
of the heathen? He has done so already. He has made it our duty to use the
means He has appointed. (John Hill, M. A.)
¡§As the waters cover the sea¡¨
The expression is remarkable for its force. In looking over the face
of the ocean, there are no differences to be perceived: one part is not fuller
than another; one part is not covered, and another left dry; but all is one
unbroken stream, filling and covering the whole. So shall it be with the Word
of God among men. It shall not be known to some, and hidden from others. It
shall not be fully declared in one place, and only partially set forth in
another. This is not the whole purpose of the Almighty. But rather, whatever
knowledge it pleases Him to give at all, shall be given equally, and without
distinction. (H. A.Sullivan, M. A.)
A picture of the moral condition of the world without the
knowledge of God
If the waters of the ocean were suddenly drained, and the channels
of the great deep laid bare, rugged, unseemly spectacle would meet the eye. The
elements of sublimity and beauty might then be seen, but strangely disfigured,
and blended in rude chaotic masses: profound valleys and dark ravines, the
pathways of the monsters of the deep; gloomy caverns, never visited by the
light of day; towering mountains, abrupt headlands, and precipitous rocks, the
cause of many disasters to the adventurous seaman, would form an uncouth,
repulsive scene. All these are hidden now by a veil which the Almighty has
thrown over them; He has covered them with a fluid, bright, transparent,
elastic, filling all the depths, smoothing all the asperities, reducing
mountains and valleys to one level, and spreading from the equator to the
poles, ever in motion, ever obedient to His will, whether He bids its mountain
billows utter His praise in awful tones, or its unruffled surface reflect His
glories to the tranquil heavens bending over it. Like the dark, rude bed of
ocean, emptied of its waters, has been the moral aspect of our world in all
ages and countries since the fall. If we look abroad over the nations today,
what disorder, misery, and ruin meet the eye and pain the heart! But the text
speaks of a blessed change to be realised ere long: of a coming day, when the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
(W. J. Armstrong, D. D.)
The far-spreading grace of the Holy Spirit
1. Most exactly have the figures which the Holy Spirit condescended
to apply to Himself been fulfilled in the course of the dispensation; nay, even
to this day. His operation has been calm, equable, gradual, far-spreading,
overtaking, intimate, irresistible. What is so awfully silent, so mighty, so
inevitable, so encompassing as a flood of water? Such was the power of the
Spirit in the beginning, when He vouchsafed to descend as an invisible wind, as
an outpoured flood. Thus He changed the whole face of the world. The ark of God
moved upon the face of the waters.
2. And what the power of the Spirit has been in the world at large,
that it is also in every human heart to which it comes.
3. The heart of every Christian ought to represent in miniature the
Catholic Church, since one Spirit makes both the whole Church and every member
of it to be His temple. As He makes the Church one, which, left to itself,
would separate into many parts, so He makes the soul one, in spite of its
various affections and faculties, and its contradictory aims. (J. H.Newman,
D. D.)
The knowledge of the Lord
¡§As the waters cover the sea.¡¨ How do they cover it?
1. Completely. There are no gaps or interspaces. The sailor is glad
to get out into the open sea. Near the land he is watchful, but when his
pathless track lies far from the shore he is more at ease.
2. They cover it, too, abundantly. There is nothing scanty about the
sea The average depth, geographers tells us, is about thirteen times the
average height of land above sea level.
3. They also cover it helpfully. The waters seem to sever country
from country, but, really, they are the best means of bringing far separate
lands into communication with each other. What a grand picture, then, is here
suggested with regard to the knowledge of God! It will cover the earth
completely. All shall know Him from the least to the greatest. It will be an
abundant knowledge. As it is, the earth is full of the glory of the Lord.
Everywhere, God. The cataract utters forth God. ¡§Every common bush
afire with God,¡¨ but too often we only ¡§sit round it and pick blackberries.¡¨ It
is one thing for God to be everywhere, it is another thing for God to be
recognised everywhere. It will also be a helpful knowledge. It will not lead us
to make less of this world¡¦s duties, but more. As the waters that seem to
separate, yet connect all the more closely, remote lands, so the more truly men
know God, the better will they know each other, and the grander will seem the
duties of the common day. One great blessing resulting from that knowledge is
specially mentioned in the chapter--¡§They shall not hurt nor destroy.¡¨ It is
something one can hardly imagine, that beautiful time when nature shall no more
be ¡§red in tooth and claw.¡¨ It may be but a poetical description of the peace
and harmony of the Messiah¡¦s kingdom. But there is one part, at least, will be
literally true. However it be with regard to the attitude of beasts to men, or
to each other, man¡¦s attitude to the beasts will be one of thoughtfulness,
gentleness, and mercy. It is said that a man¡¦s dog should be the better for his
Christianity, and so it will. ¡§A righteous man regardeth the life of his
beast.¡¨ And, of course, still more will it be true that man¡¦s attitude to his
fellow man will be what it ought to be. One of the saddest thoughts in
connection with this earth of ours, as it is, is the frightful callousness and
unconcern with regard to human life where God, as revealed in Jesus Christ, is
not known. Think of a country like Dahomey, where the most prized ornaments are
human heads stuck on poles along the highways. The Church of Christ may be far
from perfect in our own day, but, at least, it stands for much that is
beautiful and helpful among men, and it labours and prays for the fulfilment of
its hope that righteousness and peace shall at last e universal. One
comprehends that the Church--even the visible building of stone and lime--stands
for some measure of realised blessing among men, by even such a simple story as
that of the shipwrecked mariners, in doubt as to what sort of coast they had
been cast upon,--whether the inhabitants were cannibals, or with some humanity
in them,--and whose fears were quite relieved when one of their number, who had
climbed a neighbouring hill, came rushing back, shouting, ¡§It¡¦s all right. We
are safe. I saw a church spire in the distance.¡¨ The most practical and visible
result of the universal knowledge of the Lord will be that men¡¦s relationship
to each other will be of the happiest and most helpful kind. (J. S. Maver,
M. A.)
Things must be seen through the right medium
¡§Seeing is believing.¡¨ But no man sees. Nearly every man is
befooled by his own eyes. We see nothing as it really is. We are the gulls and
the dupes of appearances. Said a friend to me, whilst we lived in the Alps,
¡§Can you see any living things on the side of that mountain?¡¨ Whereupon I
answered, ¡§There is no living thing there.¡¨ It was a reckless speech. I was
then the victim of incomplete sight. I was deluded, as all men are deluded, by
the naked eye. Said my, friend, ¡§Look through this telescope.¡¨ And I looked,
and, behold! the chamois and the shepherds--the beautiful little creatures feeding
on abundance of grass on the slopes of the hill. I should have looked through
the telescope before I gave my judgment. Things are not all given in revelation
to the naked eye. We must look through the right medium if we would see things
with any approach to reality. Is this world going to be converted to Christ?
¡§Never!¡¨ Why say you, never? ¡§Because there are more drunkards than pure men;
there are more brothels than altars; there are more dishonest gamblers on the
Exchange than there are honest men.¡¨ Now look through this telescope--the
Divine promises, the Divine oaths, the repeated and emphatic assurances. Look!
What seest thou now, O man? ¡§I see multitudes turning unto the Lord, Ethiopia
stretching out her hands unto God to receive the vessel that shall carry the
news of the eternal kingdom to all places on the face of the earth.¡¨ That is
how we view things. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
A sure word of prophecy
On Sabbath, 15 th May 1836, we saw the sun seized, on the very
apex of his glory, as if by a black hand, and so darkened that only a thin
round ring of light remained visible, and the chill of twilight came
prematurely on. That mass of darkness within seemed the world lying in
wickedness, and that thin round ring of light, the present progress of the Gospel
in it. But not more certain were we then, that that thin round ring of light
was yet to become the broad and blazing sun, than are we now, that through a
Divine interposal, but not otherwise, shall the ¡§knowledge of the glory of the
Lord cover the earth as the waters the sea.¡¨ (G. Gilfillan.)
Verse 10
There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of
the people
Messiah, the root of Jesse
If, through the infallible guidance of the Divinely inspired
apostles and evangelists, we can find the Messiah spoken of in many passages of
the Old Testament, in which we should not otherwise have found Him; in many
others He is so evidently intended and set forth, that, even without that
guidance, no intelligent person, possessed of any degree of spiritual
discernment, can fail of discovering Him Psalms 2:7-8; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 61:1; Isaiah 35:4-6; Isaiah 50:6; Psalms 22:16-18; Psalms 69:21; Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:2; Isaiah 35:3; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 6:12-13).
This paragraph is so manifestly meant of Christ, and of His
kingdom, that it is perfectly incapable of any other application.
I. THE PERSON AND
ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL OFFICES OF THE MESSIAH,--¡§A ROOT OF JESSE¡¨; ¡§AN ENSIGN OF
THE PEOPLE.¡¨
1. In the preceding verses, He is set forth in His human nature, as
the ¡§Rod¡¨ which should ¡§come forth out of the stem of Jesse,¡¨ ¡§the Branch which
should grow out of his roots¡¨ (Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 3:8); but here, in His Divine
nature, in which alone He could be the ¡§root of Jesse¡¨; the creating ¡§word¡¨ (Colossians 1:16). The word here rendered
¡§root,¡¨ is properly so translated, and never means branch, or rod. This is the
case likewise in Revelation 5:5. In Revelation 22:16, we find both natures
mentioned and distinguished; and also in Romans 1:3,
4:2. His office. ¡§He shall stand for an ensign of the people.¡¨
Where theymay take oath and swear allegiance to the great King and bind
themselves by covenant to be His loyal subjects. Where they may enlist, and
engage to be His faithful soldiers to their life¡¦s end. But how is He an
ensign, a banner, or standard, visibly displayed? By manifestation of His real
character, and showing Himself to be the very Messiah that should come. By
unfurling and unfolding the truth in His doctrine. By exerting and displaying
His power in miracles. By manifesting His love in all His actions and
sufferings. As lifted up upon the Cross (John 12:32). As exalted to the Father¡¦s
right hand (Acts 2:33). As preached and declared to
every creature, to every nation under heaven, for the obedience of faith. As
coming in the clouds of heaven, gathering His elect, gathering ¡§all nations and
tongues,¡¨ to see His glory.
II. THE APPLICATION
THAT IS TO BE MADE TO HIM BY THE GENTILES. ¡§To Him shall the Gentiles (Hebrews,
¡¥the nations¡¦) seek.¡¨ He Himself came to seek and save the lost, and He is
often found of those that before sought Him not. Those, however, that are first
found of Him do themselves also seek Him.
1. But for what purposes? As an infallible Teacher, for truth and
grace. As a Mediator, for pardon, etc. As an all-sufficient Saviour, expecting
deliverance from the power and pollution of sin, from the flesh, the world, and
the devil. As their rightful Sovereign, to give law to them, to rule, protect,
and exalt them. As the Captain of their salvation, to go before them and
conquer for them, to enable them to conquer, and to crown them as victorious.
2. But how do they seek Him? By desire, earnest, constant,
increasing, restless (Isaiah 55:1; John 7:37; Revelation 22:17). By prayer Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2). By faith and
trust (Isaiah 28:16; Romans 10:11; Romans 15:12).
III. THE EFFECTS
THAT SHALL FOLLOW. ¡§His rest shall be glorious.¡¨ As a Teacher, the ¡§light of
the world,¡¨ and as made of God to His people ¡§wisdom,¡¨ He gives rest to the
understanding from the uncertainties of error, by the clear and satisfactory
knowledge of the truth, and faith therein, or ¡§the full assurance of
understanding.¡¨ As a Priest, and as made of God to us ¡§righteousness,¡¨ He gives
rest to the conscience. As a Saviour from sin, and as made of God unto us
¡§sanctification,¡¨ He gives rest to the will, affections, and passions, humbling
our pride, subduing our rebellious dispositions (Matthew 11:29). As a King, by delivering,
defending, governing, ordering, disposing, and making all things work for good,
and setting up His kingdom in our hearts, He gives us rest from cares, fears,
and anxieties. As the Captain of our salvation, He gives the rest consequent on
victory over our enemies, in deliverance from all tormenting fear of them, even
the fear of death, and enabling us, while on earth, to live in peace, love, and
harmony, with one another. He gives rest to the earth during the millennium (Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 32:15-19; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 14:6-9). (J. Benson, D. D.)
The root of Jesse
I. THE
SURROUNDINGS WITH WHICH THE REDEEMER WOULD BE CONNECTED. He was to be ¡§a root
of Jesse.¡¨ Elsewhere in his prophecy Isaiah speaks of Him as ¡§a root out of a
dry ground.¡¨ The dry ground in which this root yielded the Plant of renown was
the barren soil of a corrupt age, a worn out civilisation, a depraved humanity.
His descent from Jesse associated Him vitally with a notable family of the
Jews. But centuries had passed since the descendants of Jesse had made
themselves conspicuous. The energy of that vigorous family had expended itself
in the luxury and the frivolity of many kings. Joseph of Nazareth, the village
carpenter, and Mary his espoused wife, were the living representatives of an
illustrious ancestry; and they were so poor and so humble that Bethlehem, their
native city, had no welcome for them when they went thither to be enrolled. The
Child Jesus shared their lot. He could not have frequented the schools, for His
townsmen were astonished at His wisdom when He began to teach. He evidently had
the Old Testament Scriptures in His hands, and He had the swat influence of His
mother, and the wise counsels of Joseph, and He had the synagogue. That was His
environment--so far as His environment was helpful. He could draw no
inspiration from the ordinary Jewish life of Nazareth, and still less from the
Greek or Roman life of Galilee. His Jewish lineage is unquestioned, and yet
there is nothing Jewish about Him. He is larger than the nation, larger even
than the race. None of the important laws of heredity can explain Him.
II. THE ATTITUDE
WHICH THE REDEEMER WOULD ASSUME. He was to ¡§stand for an ensign of the people.¡¨
Ideas are symbolised by standards. A national flag represents a national idea.
Isaiah declared that Jesus would ¡§stand for an ensign of the people¡¨--not of
the Jews merely, but of the Gentiles also; and Jesus made a similar declaration
concerning Himself. ¡§And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,¡¨ etc. He
anticipated universal supremacy. This is surely a very remarkable expectation
to be cherished intelligently by an ordinary Jew of that period of history.
Racial lines were then sharply drawn. Yet Jesus--a Jew, and a Jew in a small
provincial town, rose to an appreciation of the essential oneness of humanity,
and presented Himself, with His idea, as the ensign of the people, so that
Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, was able to write to the Gentiles of Ephesus:
¡§Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
and of the household of God.¡¨ This expectation was not cherished by one who was
marching at the head of an invincible army, but by a very humble young man in
the quiet village of Nazareth. He had never been abroad. He had enjoyed but
little contact with the world. Yet He made this claim of universal authority.
The sobriety of His claim will appear, and the wisdom of His purpose will be
evident, if attention is directed to the characteristics of His idea, and if
the trend of human progress is regarded. The idea of Jesus, the idea
illustrated by His character and life, the idea around which Christendom is
crystallising, is clearly expressed in the words, ¡§not to be ministered unto,
but to minister.¡¨ This idea, the service of self-sacrifice, is one which is capable
of transforming life. Now that idea is beginning to assert its power.
III. THE INFLUENCE
WHICH THE REDEEMER WOULD EXERT. ¡§His rest shall be glorious.¡¨ This is the
promise of peace which Jesus Himself repeated. Very simple are the terms, and
yet men draw back from their simplicity. They want the rest, but they do not
want to kneel at the feet of Christ. This work--so glorious--is not an
experiment. It has approved itself. In Christ, all men may find rest. (H. M.
Booth, D. D.)
I. MUSTERS HIS
FORCES FOR THE BATTLE. Under the Old Testament dispensation, Jehovah revealed
Himself as the Lord of hosts--as a man of war; and God manifest in the flesh
was the Captain of salvation, and set up His standard for men to rally around,
that they might overcome sin without and sin within. As soldiers of the Cross,
we are to muster around our great Ensign, for discipline, drill, and for
battle. The royal proclamation has gone forth; war has been declared against
the powers of darkness; the trumpet of the Gospel has sounded, calling upon
¡§all the world¡¨ and ¡§every creature¡¨; to it the Gentiles have come, and the
Church militant is going forth in this holy war.
The holy war
Our Lord as an Ensign--
II. MARCHES WITH
HIS FORCES TO THE BATTLE. He goes in front as Leader and Commander, to guide,
stimulate, and cheer. The strength of His arm and the light of His eye are to
act as inspiration to His troops.
1. He goes before in His example. He fought with Satan, and He
overcame the world. He conquered its frowns and smiles, and always went His
way. ¡§He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.¡¨
2. He goes before us in precept. He has given us commandments how we
shall march and how we shall fight; and He is ever present to give power to His
Word by the illumination and demonstration of His Holy Spirit. The early
Christians were heroic and successful in battle, for they realised the presence
of the great Ensign with them.
III. MINGLES WITH
HIS FORCES IN THE BATTLE. ¡§His rest shall be glorious.¡¨ It shall not be a
doubtful or drawn battle; it shall end in complete victory. The Saviour, when
He finished the great atonement, ascended up on high, and ¡§sat down¡¨ in peace
and power,--He entered into glorious rest. (F. W. Brown.)
Jesus the Ensign
I. THE WORK OF
CHRIST.
1. Jesus may be called an ensign because He is a gathering or
rallying point for men. There always have been persons who have stood forth
prominently from their fellows, in travel, in science, in ethics, in art, in
song. These have founded particular schools of thought or philosophy, and men
have claimed them as leaders, ranged themselves round their standards, and been
proud to be called by their names. Such individuals have been ¡§ensigns of the
people,¡¨ gathering or rallying points for their own followers. Just so is Jesus
preeminently ¡§an ensign for the people.¡¨
2. An ¡§ensign,¡¨ is a banner to fight under. The watchword of the true
believer in Jesus is, ¡§Jehovah nissi!¡¨ There are different regiments enrolled
in the Lord¡¦s sacramental host, and therefore are they spoken of as ¡§an army
with banners¡¨; but every sectional flag droops and dips in the dust as it is
borne before the ¡§Captain of our salvation.¡¨
3. An ¡§ensign¡¨ is a guide to travellers. And such is Christ to the
travellers from earth to heaven.
II. THE REST OF
CHRIST. ¡§His rest shall be glorious.¡¨
1. Because it will be the rest which follows victory.
2. The rest of abiding peace. In 1815, when the British Parliament
were voting honours and emoluments to Wellington, and considering ¡§the measures
necessary towards forming a peace establishment,¡¨ suddenly all their plans were
interrupted and their peace projects dissipated by the intelligence that
Napoleon had escaped from Elba. Nothing like this will occur during the rest of
Christ; His enemies once subdued will be subdued forever.
3. Because it will be the rest which follows successful attempts at
salvation. Like the rest of the life boat crew, when the mariners have been all
brought from the tempest tossed and torn and tottering wreck; like the rest of
the firemen when they have rescued the last inmate who was ready to perish from
the burning building. His rest shall be glorious, for ¡§He shall see of the
travail of His soul and be satisfied.¡¨
4. Because it shall be the rest of social enjoyment, unmarred by pain
or sickness, by separation or death.
5. The rest of joyous activity.
6. A rest of unending duration. (J. W. Cole.)
Christ the Ensign for His people
I. THE PERSON OF
CHRIST.
II. THE EMBLEM BY
WHICH HE IS REPRESENTED.
III. PRACTICAL
APPLICATION.
1. The need we have of the Holy Spirit¡¦s work. Christ may be
faithfully and constantly preached, but it is by the Holy Spirit convincing us
of our need, and giving us a living faith, that we range ourselves under His
banner.
2. We must expect a conflict.
3. Christ will come to take His saints to Himself, to claim that
glory which He has purchased by having died for them. (E. Auriol, M. A.)
His rest shall be glorious
The Christian¡¦s glorious rest
I. CONSIDER
WHEREIN THIS REST CONSISTS.
1. In that great obedience which Christ has rendered unto God, in the
human nature, for man. There is a rest of conscience to those who are in
Christ.
2. Another ground of this rest of the spirit is in the victory that
Christ has obtained over all His enemies. Death, sin, Satan, the world. The
enemies of the believer are vanquished through Christ Jesus.
II. IN WHAT SENSE
IT MAY BE CALLED GLORIOUS.
1. It is glorious to God the Father; whose wisdom and love it
manifests. It is glorious to God the Son; who obtained it for His whole
spiritual Church by His incarnation and toil and agony. It is glorious to God
the Spirit; who foretold it, who described it, who reveals it, and seals them
for it. It is glorious, because all God¡¦s attributes are honoured in it. His
justice is satisfied: His mercy also is infinitely displayed.
2. The rest is glorious and honourable to all those who are brought
into it. For they are washed from their sins wholly, through the blood of the
Lamb, and stand as candidates for heaven in those blessed garments, which grace
has purchased for them and called them to wear. They cease from the impious
intention of asking heaven for their own obedience, from a deep and heart-felt
conviction of God¡¦s infinite holiness and their own unworthiness. They place
the crown of honour on the head, where God would have it placed--even on that
head that wore the crown of thorns.
3. There remains a more glorious rest hereafter. (T. Snow, M. A.)
Verse 11-12
The Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the
remnant of His people
The restoration of the Jews to their own land, and conversion to
the faith of Christ
I.
THE
PAST AND PRESENT STATE AND CHARACTER OF THE JEWS. The past history of the Jews
has been very remarkable, more so than that of any other nation. They have been
remarkable in their origin; in the miraculous events which befell them; in
their separation; in their preservation; and in their punishment.
II. WHAT IS TO
BECOME OF THESE MEN FOR THE FUTURE?
1. Every part of their history is wonderful. This would lead us to
expect that their future history should be remarkable also. We generally find
this to be the rule of Providence. The restoration and Christianisation of the
Jews would be thus remarkable, and of a piece with His other dispensations
towards them. It would not be so wonderful that they should continue to be
punished as they are at present; but that they should be restored and
converted, in spite of so many obstacles in the way of both, how
singular!--that they should be honoured in those respects in which they have
beenmost dishonoured, how remarkable and how worthy of the other wonderful
events of the Jewish history!
2. We have to remember, and it strengthens the foregoing
consideration, that the Jews are capable, by the events supposed, of adding
much to the illustration of God¡¦s glory. In accomplishing these events there
would be a mighty manifestation of power and wisdom, forbearance and compassion,
not to speak of truth. The very length of time that the Jews have lain under
the curse of God, and the severity of their punishment, and the mystery which
overhangs their condition and prospects, would render their deliverance, and
consequently the manifestation of Divine glory, more illustrious when it came.
3. With God the past is a pledge of the future; and how large is the
honour and goodness of which He has made the Jews partakers in former times!
4. The actual circumstances of the Jews, at present, betoken a
propitious change. There are circumstances in their feelings and condition
which intimate that, at least, their temporal state shall be improved. The Jews
themselves expect that one day they shall be restored; and this expectation is
not the vague idea of a few individuals, got up as a refuge from present
pain--it is the prevailing idea of the Jewish nation in every age, and it is
persevered in, in spite of the hardest experience which should damp and destroy
it. So strong is the impression, that many Jews, when dying, make provision
that their bodies, and those of their friends, shall be buried in the land of
their fathers; and some repair thither in the decline of life, that they may
lay their bones within the borders of Canaan, in the full expectation that one
day that land is to be inhabited by, and to form the sepulchre of, their
children.
5. The Jews are visibly separated from all other nations. This was
predicted of them, and it has been strikingly realised. Now, what is the object
and use of this remarkable separation? Possibly to make the punishment fall
more heavily upon the sin of the Jews; but this will not explain the whole. It
will not explain the continued distinction, now that the punishment is becoming
less severe. There seems to be no way of explaining it, but by believing that
some great and wonderful event awaits them in the future; and what can that be
but their restoration and conversion? It cannot be their amalgamation with
other nations, for this would not be very wonderful. It would not be worthy of
so singular and protracted a separation; and besides, were this what was
contemplated, we would expect that there should be some approach to
amalgamation now.
6. In their pursuits and mode of life the Jews are eminently a movable
people. They count no country their home. It is their business to travel from
country to country. They are not tied down to fixed pursuits, such as those of
agriculture, which cannot be readily parted with. Even in Poland, where they
are most numerous and stationary, they are chiefly engaged in trade and
commerce, and cannot be prevailed upon to engage in anything else. As a whole,
they are most remarkable as dealers and exchangers in money--their property is
convertible in the easiest manner. They are, so to speak, upon the wing--they
could change their abode at a moment¡¦s warning.
7. And if, from the Jews themselves, we turn co the land of their
fathers, we find it in a condition above all others most apt and likely to
change masters. It is very partially inhabited--inhabited, where there are a
people, only by the wandering Arab, almost as migratory as the Jew. The
government is fast hastening to dissolution. It is the interest, humanly
speaking, of no great or powerful nation to hinder the establishment of the
Jews in Palestine. It is rather for their advantage to promote it. The Jews are
sufficiently able to purchase the land with money, were this the stipulation.
8. We must now betake ourselves to the Scriptures, and see what they
declare upon the subject. (J. G. Lorimer.)
Restoration of the Jews--obstacles to be overcome
All obstacles, even the most formidable, to the restoration of
God¡¦s people, shall be overcome or taken away by His almighty power. This idea
is naturally expressed by the dividing of the Red Sea and Euphrates, because
Egypt and Assyria are the two great powers from which Israel had suffered and
was yet to be delivered. (J. A. Alexander.)
Verse 13
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart
Judah and Ephraim
Jacob, in his prophetic statement of the fortunes of his sons,
disregards the right of primogeniture, and gives the preeminence to Judah and
Joseph, and in the family of the latter to the younger son Ephraim.
Hence, from the time of the exodus, these two were regarded as the leading
tribes of Israel. Judah was much more numerous than Ephraim, took precedence
during the journey in the wilderness, and received the largest portion in the
promises land. But Joshua was an Ephraimite; and Shiloh, where the tabernacle
long stood, was probably within the limits of the same tribe. The ambitious
jealousy of the Ephraimites towards other tribes appears in their conduct to
Gideon and Jephthah. Their special jealousy of Judah showed itself in their
temporary refusal to submit to David after the death of Saul, in their
adherence to Absalom against his father, and in the readiness with which they
joined in the revolt of Jeroboam, who was himself of the tribe of Ephraim. This
schism was, therefore, not a sudden or fortuitous occurrence, but the natural
result of causes which had long been working. The mutual relation of the two
kingdoms is expressed in the recorded fact that ¡§there was war between Rehoboam
and Jeroboam, and between Asa and Baasha all their days.¡¨ Exceptions to the
general rule, as in the case of Ahab and Jehoshaphat, were rare, and a
departure from the principles and ordinary feelings of the parties. The ten
tribes, which assumed the name of Israel after the division, and perhaps before
it, regarded the smaller and less warlike state with a contempt which is well
expressed by Jehoash in his parable of the cedar and the thistle, unless the
feeling there displayed be rather personal than national. On the other hand,
Judah justly regarded Israel as guilty not only of political revolt, but of
religious apostasy, and the jealousy of Ephraim towards Judah would, of course,
be increased by the fact that Jehovah had ¡§forsaken the tabernacle of Shiloh,¡¨
that He ¡§refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which He loved.¡¨ (J. A.
Alexander.)
Verse 15
The Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea.
The Egyptian sea and the river
The ¡§tongue,¡¨ i.e., the bay (cf. Joshua 15:2)
of the Red Sea (the Gulf of Suez) will be ¡§banned,¡¨ i.e., rendered
harmless to those who would cross it, by being dried up; ¡§the river¡¨ (the
Euphrates), swift and too deep to be forded as it is, will be split into seven
separate channels, which separately may be forded without danger. (Prof.
Driver, D. D.)
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