Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc24/v25750

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 10KB | 169 lines

25750
 #10-16 Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the
 colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they
 will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The
 prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they
 had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than
 distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of
 God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a sign. How great
 soever your distress and danger, of you the Messiah is to be
 born, and you cannot be destroyed while that blessing is in you.
 It shall be brought to pass in a glorious manner; and the
 strongest consolations in time of trouble are derived from
 Christ, our relation to him, our interest in him, our
 expectations of him and from him. He would grow up like other
 children, by the use of the diet of those countries; but he
 would, unlike other children, uniformly refuse the evil and
 choose the good. And although his birth would be by the power of
 the Holy Ghost, yet he should not be fed with angels' food. Then
 follows a sign of the speedy destruction of the princes, now a
 terror to Judah. "Before this child," so it may be read; "this
 child which I have now in my arms," (Shear-jashub, the prophet's
 own son, ver. #3|,) shall be three or four years older, these
 enemies' forces shall be forsaken of both their kings. The
 prophecy is so solemn, the sign is so marked, as given by God
 himself after Ahaz rejected the offer, that it must have raised
 hopes far beyond what the present occasion suggested. And, if
 the prospect of the coming of the Divine Saviour was a
 never-failing support to the hopes of ancient believers, what
 cause have we to be thankful that the Word was made flesh! May
 we trust in and love Him, and copy his example.

25757
 #17-25 Let those who will not believe the promises of God,
 expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can
 resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away;
 and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay.
 All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But
 what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a
 people? Agriculture would cease. Sorrows of every kind will come
 upon all who neglect the great salvation. If we remain
 unfruitful under the means of grace, the Lord will say, Let no
 fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever.
25766
 * Exhortations and warnings. (1-8) Comfort for those who fear
 God. (9-16) Afflictions to idolaters. (17-22)

 #1-8 The prophet is to write on a large roll, or on a metal
 tablet, words which meant, "Make speed to spoil, hasten to the
 prey:" pointing out that the Assyrian army should come with
 speed, and make great spoil. Very soon the riches of Damascus
 and of Samaria, cities then secure and formidable, shall be
 taken away by the king of Assyria. The prophet pleads with the
 promised Messiah, who should appear in that land in the fulness
 of time, and, therefore, as God, would preserve it in the mean
 time. As a gentle brook is an apt emblem of a mild government,
 so an overflowing torrent represents a conqueror and tyrant. The
 invader's success was also described by a bird of prey,
 stretching its wings over the whole land. Those who reject
 Christ, will find that what they call liberty is the basest
 slavery. But no enemy shall pluck the believer out of Emmanuel's
 hand, or deprive him of his heavenly inheritance.

25774
 #9-16 The prophet challenges the enemies of the Jews. Their
 efforts would be vain, and themselves broken to pieces. It
 concerns us, in time of trouble, to watch against all such fears
 as put us upon crooked courses for our own security. The
 believing fear of God preserves against the disquieting fear of
 man. If we thought rightly of the greatness and glory of God, we
 should see all the power of our enemies restrained. The Lord,
 who will be a Sanctuary to those who trust in him, will be a
 Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those who make the
 creature their fear and their hope. If the things of God be an
 offence to us, they will undo us. The apostle quotes this as to
 all who persisted in unbelief of the gospel of Christ, #1Pe
 2:8|. The crucified Emmanuel, who was and is a Stumbling-stone
 and Rock of offence to unbelieving Jews, is no less so to
 thousands who are called Christians. The preaching of the cross
 is foolishness in their esteem; his doctrines and precepts
 offend them.

25782
 #17-22 The prophet foresaw that the Lord would hide his face;
 but he would look for his return in favour to them again. Though
 not miraculous signs, the children's names were memorials from
 God, suited to excite attention. The unbelieving Jews were prone
 to seek counsel in difficulties, from diviners of different
 descriptions, whose foolish and sinful ceremonies are alluded
 to. Would we know how we may seek to our God, and come to the
 knowledge of his mind? To the law and to the testimony; for
 there you will see what is good, and what the Lord requires. We
 must speak of the things of God in the words which the Holy
 Ghost teaches, and be ruled by them. To those that seek to
 familiar spirits, and regard not God's law and testimony, there
 shall be horror and misery. Those that go away from God, go out
 of the way of all good; for fretfulness is a sin that is its own
 punishment. They shall despair, and see no way of relief, when
 they curse God. And their fears will represent every thing as
 frightful. Those that shut their eyes against the light of God's
 word, will justly be left to darkness. All the miseries that
 ever were felt or witnessed on earth, are as nothing, compared
 with what will overwhelm those who leave the words of Christ, to
 follow delusions.
25788
 * The Son that should be born, and his kingdom. (1-7) The
 judgments to come upon Israel, and on the enemies of the kingdom
 of Christ. (8-21)

 #1-7 The Syrians and Assyrians first ravaged the countries here
 mentioned, and that region was first favoured by the preaching
 of Christ. Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and in
 the utmost danger. But when the gospel comes to any place, to
 any soul, light comes. Let us earnestly pray that it may shine
 into our hearts, and make us wise unto salvation. The gospel
 brings joy with it. Those who would have joy, must expect to go
 through hard work, as the husbandman, before he has the joy of
 harvest; and hard conflict, as the soldier, before he divides
 the spoil. The Jews were delivered from the yoke of many
 oppressors; this was a shadow of the believer's deliverance from
 the yoke of Satan. The cleansing the souls of believers from the
 power and pollution of sin, would be by the influence of the
 Holy Spirit, as purifying fire. These great things for the
 church, shall be done by the Messiah, Emmanuel. The Child is
 born; it was certain; and the church, before Christ came in the
 flesh, benefitted by his undertaking. It is a prophecy of him
 and of his kingdom, which those that waited for the Consolation
 of Israel read with pleasure. This Child was born for the
 benefit of us men, of us sinners, of all believers, from the
 beginning to the end of the world. Justly is he called
 Wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of
 angels and glorified saints. He is the Counsellor, for he knew
 the counsels of God from eternity; and he gives counsel to men,
 in which he consults our welfare. He is the Wonderful
 Counsellor; none teaches like him. He is God, the mighty One.
 Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that
 of the mighty God could bring it to pass. He is God, one with
 the Father. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us to God; he
 is the Giver of peace in the heart and conscience; and when his
 kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more. The
 government shall be upon him; he shall bear the burden of it.
 Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government. There is no
 end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its
 subjects shall last for ever. The exact agreement of this
 prophecy with the doctrine of the New Testament, shows that
 Jewish prophets and Christian teachers had the same view of the
 person and salvation of the Messiah. To what earthly king or
 kingdom can these words apply? Give then, O Lord, to thy people
 to know thee by every endearing name, and in every glorious
 character. Give increase of grace in every heart of thy redeemed
 upon earth.

25795
 #8-21 Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are
 unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God
 designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this
 point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be
 expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason
 to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill.
 Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall
 be in trouble, and see no way out; and when men's ways displease
 the Lord, he makes even their friends to be at war with them.
 God would take away those they thought to have help from. Their
 rulers were the head. Their false prophets were the tail and the
 rush, the most despicable. In these civil contests, men preyed
 on near relations who were as their own flesh. The people turn
 not to Him who smites them, therefore he continues to smite: for
 when God judges, he will overcome; and the proudest, stoutest
 sinner shall either bend or break.