Isaiah 22:13

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. AND BEHOLD (IMPLYING AMAZEMENT AT THE PEOPLE'S INFATUATION) JOY AND GLADNESS, SLAYING OXEN AND KILLING SHEEP. Notwithstanding Yahweh's call to "mourning" (), many shall make the desperate state of affairs a reason for reckless revelry (Isaiah 5:11; ; ; ). In ; ;...

13._And, behold, joy and gladness. _The Prophet does not here find fault with _joy _viewed in itself; for we see that Paul exhorts the godly to true joy, the “joy” which is “in the Lord,” (Philippians 4:4;) but now he censures the joy which is opposite to that sadness which commonly springs from repentance, of which Paul also speaks. (2 Corinthians 7:10.) No man can be under the influence of repentance and of a sincere feeling of the wrath of God, without being led, by the grief which accompanies it, willingly to afflict himself. The joy which is opposite to this grief is therefore sinful, because it proceeds from brutish indifference, and is justly blamed, since the Lord curses it. (Luke 6:25.) _Slaying oxen and killing sheep. _From what has been sa

8-14 The weakness of Judah now appeared more than ever. Now also they discovered their carnal confidence and their carnal security. They looked to the fortifications. They made sure of water for the city. But they were regardless of God in all these preparations. They did not care for his glory in what they did. They did not depend upon him for a blessing on their endeavours. For every creature is to us what God makes it to be; and we must bless him for it, and use it for him. There was great contempt of God's wrath and justice, in contending with them. God's design was to humble them, and bring them to repentance. They walked contrary to this. Actual disbelief of another life after this, is at the bottom of the carnal security and brutish sensuality, which are the sin, the shame, and ruin of so great a part of mankind. God was displeased at this. It is a sin against the remedy, and it...

Verse Isaiah 22:13. _LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TO-MORROW WE SHALL DIE._] This has been the language of all those who have sought their portion in this life, since the foundation of the world. So the poet: - Heu, heu nos miseri! quam totus homuncio nil est! Sic erimus cuncti, postquam nos auferet orcus. Ergo vivamus, dum licet esse, bene. Alas alas! what miserable creatures are we, only the semblances of men! And so shall we be all when we come to die. Therefore let us live joyfully while we may. Domitian had an image of death hung up in his dining-room, to show his guests that as life was uncertain, they should make the best of it by indulging themselves. On this Ma

AND BEHOLD ... - When they ought to give themselves to fasting and prayer, they gave themselves up to revelry and riot. LET US EAT AND DRINK - Saying, Let us eat and drink. That is, it is inevitable that we must soon die. The army of the Assyrian is approaching, and the city cannot stand against him. It is in vain to make a defense, and in vain to call upon God. Since we “must” soon die, we may as well enjoy life while it lasts. This is always the language of the epicure; and it seems to be the language of no small part of the world. Probably if the “real” feelings of the great mass of worldly people were expressed, they could not be better expressed than in this passage of Isaiah: ‘We must soon die at all events. We cannot avoid that, for it is the common lot of all. And since we have been sent into a dying world; since we had no agency in being placed here; since it is impossible to pr...

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 22:1 A PROPHECY AGAINST JERUSALEM. The prophet, present in Jerusalem, either actually, or at any rate in spirit, _sees _the inhabitants crowded together upon the housetops, in a state of boisterous merriment (Isaiah 22:1, Isaiah 22:2). Outside the walls is a foreign army threatening the town (Isaiah 22:5). Preparations have been made for resistance, which are described (Isaiah 22:8); but there has been no turning to God. On the contrary, the dange

AND BEHOLD JOY AND GLADNESS,.... As if it was a time of rejoicing, rather than of weeping and mourning; and as if they were at a festival, and in the greatest prosperity and liberty, and not besieged by a powerful army: SLAYING OXEN, AND KILLING SHEEP: not for sacrifice, to make atonement for sin, as typical of the great sacrifice; but to eat, and that not as at ordinary meals, or merely for the support of life, but as at feasts, where, as there was great plenty, so luxury and intemperance were indulged; just as Belshazzar did, at the same time that Babylon was beset by the army of the Medes and Persians, Daniel 5:1 so the Jews here, having taken the armour out of the treasury, and furnished the soldiers with them, and took care of provisions of bread and water, and having repaired and fortified the walls of the city, thought themselves secure, and gave up themselves to feastin

CHAPTER 22 The Burden of the Valley of Vision (Jerusalem) 1. _Jerusalem's deplorable state (Isaiah 22:1)_ 2. _The invading armies (Isaiah 22:5)_ 3. _The siege and the calamity (Isaiah 22:8)_ 4. _Shebna (Isaiah 22:15)_ 5. _Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20)_ This is another intensely interesting prophecy. Jerusalem has passed through many sieges and at last in part the prophecy has been fulfilled. But there is another siege of Jerusalem impending. It will come after the message of the fall of the final Babylon. See...

JERUSALEM'S INEXCUSABLE FRIVOLITY. The prophecy apparently belongs to the time of Sennacherib's invasion. Its menacing tone contrasts with that of some other prophecies of the time. The people had provoked Isaiah's sternest anger by giving themselves up to festivity. Probably this was after the siege had been raised, either temporarily or when Sennacherib's army had been withdrawn after the disaster recorded in Isaiah 37:36. In the reaction caused by this relief the inhabitants recklessly surrendered themselves to riotous merriment, recognising (Isaiah 22:13) that they might still be doomed to die. The valley of vision cannot be Jerusalem itself, for it was no valley, but must be some valley in the neighbourhood. It seems to mean the valley concerning which the vision was seen. The prophet is amazed a

LET US, &C. Note Figure of speech _Ellipsis_ (App-6). Supply thus: "[saying,] 'Let us eat', "&c. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:32....