INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 55 As the two preceding Chapter s are prophecies of Christ and his church, this treats of his word and ordinances, and of the nature, use, and efficacy of them. It begins with an invitation of thirsty souls to them, Isaiah 55:1, an expostulation with them for taking wrong me... [ Continue Reading ]
HO, EVERYONE THAT THIRSTETH, COME YE TO THE WATERS,.... These are the words not of the prophet, but of the Lord, as what follows throughout the chapter shows; and are directed to the Gentiles, as Aben Ezra thinks: and indeed their conversion is manifestly spoken of in it; and who, Kimchi says, after... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE DO YE SPEND MONEY FOR THAT WHICH IS NOT BREAD?.... Lavish away time, opportunities, and strength, in reading and hearing false doctrine, which is not bread, but chaff; is not wholesome, does not nourish, but is harmful and destructive; eats as does a canker, instead of feeding and refreshi... [ Continue Reading ]
INCLINE YOUR EAR, AND COME UNTO ME,.... The exhortations are repeated, to show the importance of them, how welcome these persons were to the Lord, and to his house, and his earnest and tender care and concern for them: HEAR, AND YOUR SOUL SHALL LIVE; or, "that your soul may live f"; spiritually and... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN HIM FOR A WITNESS TO THE PEOPLE,.... That is, the Messiah, as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech rightly interpret it. This respects an act past in eternity, in God's eternal purposes and decrees, when he appointed Christ to the office of a Mediator; and this was an act of his gr... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THOU SHALT CALL A NATION THAT THOU KNOWEST NOT,.... And even nations, as in the next clause; not all the individuals of them, though the Gospel is sent to all nations; and in the latter day the kingdoms of this world shall be the Lord's, and all nations shall serve him. It denotes a great co... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEK YE THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND,.... The Lord is to be sought unto at all times, whenever the people of God meet together, especially on sabbath days, and while the external ministry of the word lasts, and life itself; so the Targum, "seek the fear of the Lord, while ye are alive.'' Kimchi... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY,.... His evil way, as the Targum paraphrases it, his wicked course of life; and which is his own way, of his own choosing, and in which he delights, and a very dangerous one it is; and yet he is bent upon it, and nothing can turn him from it but efficacious grace; nor... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS,.... In some things there may be a likeness between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of men, as to the nature of them: thoughts are natural and essential to them both; they are within them, are internal acts, and unknown to others, till made known; but then... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE HEAVENS, ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH,.... Than which there cannot be conceived a greater distance: SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS; which may denote the heavenliness of the ways and thoughts of God, the eternity and unsearchableness of them, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR AS THE RAIN COMETH DOWN, AND THE SNOW FROM HEAVEN, AND RETURNETH NOT THITHER,.... Rain and snow come down from the clouds in the heavens, and do not return again until they have done what they are sent to do, or have produced the following effects; otherwise they may be exhaled into vapours, as... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SHALL MY WORD BE THAT GOETH FORTH OUT OF MY MOUTH,.... My good word, as the Targum; this may either be understood of Christ, the eternal Word, who is called the Word of God, and may be said to go forth out of his mouth, being spoken of by all his holy prophets, since the world began, whose coming... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YE SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY, AND BE LED FORTH WITH PEACE,.... Though these words may literally respect the Jews' return from captivity to their own land, attended with joy and peace; as the preceding verse may respect the word of promise concerning it; as it is interpreted by the Targum, "for with... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTEAD OF THE THORN SHALL COME UP THE FIR TREE, AND INSTEAD OF THE BRIER SHALL COME UP THE MYRTLE TREE,.... The meaning of which either is, that instead of wicked men, comparable to briers and thorns for their being fruitless and useless, harmful and pernicious, under a curse, and their end to be b... [ Continue Reading ]