CHAP. IV. V. 1-3. ( Note , Is . 2:2-5.) The connexion of this prophecy (which has already been explained,) with the close of the foregoing chapter, shews, that the establishment of the Christian church, in consequence of the abrogation of the Mosaic dispensation, and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, were predicted. But, though it has in a measure been fulfilling ever since those events, yet its grand accomplishment must be future: for "the scripture cannot be broken;" and the nations have not yet so submitted to the Prince of peace, as to "beat their swords into plow-shares;" nor has war ceased to be a science and a profession. ( Marg . Ref . -Notes, Rev. 20:1-6.)
V. 4. This beautiful addition to the prophecy, as it stands in Isaiah, denotes the sweet
And thou, * O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain dand labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now e shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall 5 redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
u Ps. 2:6. Is. 9:6. 24:23. Dan. 7:14,27. Joel 3:17. Luke 1:33. Rev. 11:15.
x Is. 5:2. Matt. 21:33. 12:1.
Mark
y 2 Sam. 5:7. Is. 10:32. Zech.
9:12.
z Num. 24:19. Dan. 2:44. 7:18. Ob. 21. Zech. 9:10. Eph. 1:
21.
a Jer. 4:21. 2:19. 30:6,7,
3:4. 10:3. 13:10,11.
c Is. 13:8. 26:17. Jer. 22:23.501 43.
d Is. 66:7-9. Hos. 13:13. John 16:20-22.
e 2 Kings 20:18. 25:4. 2 Chr. 33:11. 36:20. Hos. 2:14. Rev. 12:14.
f 7:8-13. Ezra 1:1,2. Is. 45: 13. 48:20. 52:9-12. Zech. 2: 7-9.
b Is. 3:1-7. Lam. 4:20. Hos. g Ps. 106:10. Jer. 15:21.
dicted period, the true Israel will "cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart," and delight greatly in worshipping his name and doing his will, with constancy and perseverance.This is, in some measure, the desire, purpose, and conduct of true believers in every age: God is their Portion, and his service will be their happiness for ever and ever. This will 'be remarkably fulfilled at the general con'version of the Jews, when this prophecy shall 'receive its utmost completion.' Lowth . ( Marg . Ref .-Notes, Is . 2:2-5, v. 5. Zech . 10:5-12, υ. 12.)
V. 6, 7. The collecting of the enfeebled and dispersed Jewish captives, from Babylon to Jerusalem, (as sheep that had been lamed, or driven away by robbers,) and their subsequent increase into a considerable remnant, and then into a strong nation, under the government of the Lord, formed but a faint shadow of the rapid increase of the Christian church, amidst all her persecutions and afflictions, in the first age after Christ: and this was only an earnest of the healing, purifying, increasing, and prospering of the church, which we wait for; when the kingdom of the Lord shall be conspicuously set up, the Jews shall be re-admitted into the church, and restored to their own land; and the fulness of the Gentiles converted: and this reign of Christ shall continue, till it is succeed
harmony, which in those happy days shall pre-ed by the everlasting kingdom of heaven.vail among Christians, in communing with 'Though I have broken the power of my peoGod and with each other; their perfect secu- 'ple, removed them into captivity far off, and
rity, and peaceful industry; their thankful and comfortable use of temporal plenty, and the abundance of their spiritual consolations. ( Marg . Ref . Notes , 1 Kings 4:25. Zech. 3:9, 10.
'afflicted them: yet will I restore them to 'their country, I will send them the Messialı, 'and will always be their King. For ever. This will be fulfilled at the future restoration 'of the Jews.' Bp. Newcombe. (Marg. Ref. Notes , 2:12,13. Is . 6:13. 56:8. 60:15-22, v . 22. Jer . 31:8,9. Ez . 34:23-31. 37:20-38. Joel 3:9 -17, v. 17. Ob. 17-21, v. 21. Rev. 11:15-18.) V.8-10. Mount Zion was the Tower of the Lord's flock under the old dispensation,
V. 5. The Gentiles were tenacious of the religion of their ancestors, and took pleasure in worshipping their imaginary deities: whilst Israel had always been disposed to grow weary of the worship of God, and to relapse into idolatry. ( Note , Jer. 2:10-12.) But, in the pre-lithe centre of their union, and the special resi
11 Now also h many nations are 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of
gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon
Zion.
Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and • thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and PI will consecrate their gain unto the Lord,
whole earth.
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his coun-and their substance unto the Lord of the
sel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
dence of their Protector; and the temple was its strong-hold. ( Marg . Ref . x, y.- Note , Gen. 35:21.) Thither Christ the good Shepherd and the Ruler of his people came, and there first he set up his kingdom. This kingdom would be like the first dominion of Israel, in the days of David and Solomon; and would surpass and supersede all other monarchies. The Son of David would come to Jerusalem and establish his kingdom, and thence its influence would extend to other nations.
And, though that city would soon after be destroyed: yet the evangelical church, the spiritual Zion, would succeed to it; in which Christ reigns for the benefit of his people, and his cause must prevail even to the end of the world. ( Marg . Ref . z.- Notes , Num . 24:18,19. Is . 1:25-27. Dan . 2:34,35,44,45. 7:19 -27, υυ . 22,27.
Zech . 9:9,10.)--Indeed the calamities to be endured by Zion, from the Assyrian invasion, and during the Chaldean ravages, and the taking and destruction of the city, (which were typical of the subsequent calamities of the Jewish nation and of the church,) would cause her "to cry aloud," as a woman in her pangs; and as if there were no king to protect, or counsellor to direct her. But why did she yield to disconsolate sorrow? Let her remember, that her pains were those of travail , not the agonies of death, leath , that she might have hope under them, and know how
to exert herself for deliverance. ( Marg . Ref . a-d.-Notes, Is . 66:7-9. Jer . 4:30,31. 30:5-9, υυ. 6,7,12-18. John 16:16-22, v. 21.) 21.) She She would certainly be driven out of the city, and dwell as in an open field, and even be dragged to Babylon as a captive: yet that crisis would make way for her happy restoration and for better times, when the Lord would redeem her from the hand of her enemies. This event shadowed forth the recovery of the Jews from their present dispersions, and the deliverance of the Christian church from antichristian tyranny. ( Marg . Ref. e. g.-Notes, 7:8-10. Is . 6:11-13. Ez . 20:33-38. Hos . 2:14-17. Rev. 11:3-18.)
V. 11-13. Many nations would be collected against Zion, to pollute her by their idolatries, or forward and exult in her calamities. But they would not understand, that the Lord collected them, as sheaves of corn are gathered upon the floor to be threshed: and Zion, weak and dispirited as she then was, should be strengthened, as with "horns of iron and hoofs of brass," to trample them down and beat them in pieces: and, being enriched by their plunder, she would consecrate her gain to the Lord of the whole earth, by whose assistance these victories would be obtained. ( Marg . Ref .- Notes , Ps . 149:7-9. Is . 41:15,16. 54:15-17. 60:4-7. Ez . 38: 39: Joel 3:9-17. Zech . 9:12-16. 14:1-3. Rev. 2:24-28. 14:14 -20. 21:22-27.) - There occurs nothing in the history of the Jewish church, which fully accords to this prediction. Sennacherib's army was not destroyed by the Jews ; nor had they VOL. IV. 101
any hand in the subversion of the Babylonish monarchy. The victories of the Maccabees over Antiochus might be a partial accomplishment of it; and so might that of the Christian church over the power of her persecutors, after the conversion of Constantine: but certainly the grand accomplishment is yet in futurity.
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. While we wait for those last days, in which the kingdom of Christ shall be exalted above all other dominions, and extended over all nations, let us be thankful for our own peculiar privileges, and excite ourselves and each other to frequent the ordinances of our God; that we may learn and walk in his holy ways, receiving the law from his hands; which, being written in our hearts by his Spirit, may evidence our interest in the righteousness of the great Redeemer. Let us also "endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," and to live peaceably with all men: that while the nations of the earth still continue to learn and practise war, and numbers delight in discord and confusion; it may appear by our conduct, that harmony, equity, truth, and love, are genuine effects of faith in Christ, and of his gospel when truly obeyed. Even in this world of contention and violence,
if we have peace with God, and with our consciences and our brethren, we may rest securely under the divine protection, and fear no enemy: we may rejoice in our privileges, and "walk in the name of our God," with grateful praises and unabated alacrity and vigor: and we ougl ought to cleave to him with far more constancy, than the men of this world do to their idolized possessions and pleasures.Even the weak in faith, and those who have been wounded and made to halt, in their conflicts with temptation, or who have been cast out by their brethren, or driven away by persecution, or weighed down by affliction, may yet hope in God.
When they look to him, he will gather, strengthen, n, and heal them, and take care of them, as their King and Protector: even as he will render his enfeebled oppressed church "a strong nation," and superior to all enemies or competitors. In his glory his people shall be glorious, and the feeblest believer shall rejoice in the joy of his inheritance: and all the afflictions of the church, and of the believer, are sure to end happily. We should then cry aloud with the prayer of faith, not with the voice of despondency, under our distresses.
We have an omnipotent King to rule over us, and an all-wise Counsellor to advise us: his promises engage that the crisis of extreme sorrow shall introduce the most joyful deliverance, to all who love and obey him; for he will redeem them from all their enemies. But those who unite against Zion, to pollute her, or to triumph over her, are ignorant of these intentions and counsels of our [801
are on
b Ex. 18:21,25. Deut. 1:15. 1 Sam. 8:12. 17:18.
i Is. 11:1. 53:2. Ez. 17:22-24. Am. 9:11. Luke 2:4-7. 1 Cor. 1:27,28.
k Gen. 49:10. 1 Chr. 5:2. Is. 9:6,7. Jer. 23:5,6. Ez. 34:
1 Ps. 90:2. 102:25-27. Prov. 8:22,23. John 1:1-3. 8:58. Heb. 13:8. 1 John 1:1,2. Rev. 1:11-18. 2:8. 21:6.
* Heb. the days of eternity. m 7:13. Hos. 2:9,14.
n 6:14. 1 Kings 14:16. 2 Chr. 30:7. Hos. 11:8.
o 4:10. Is. 66:7,8. Matt. 1:21. Rev. 12:1,2.
23,24. 37:22-25. Zech. 9:9.p 4:7. Is. 10:20,21. 11:11. Jer.
Matt. 28:18. Luke 1:31-33.
23:2,38. John 19:14-22. Rev. 19:16.
31:1,7-9. Rom. 9:27,28. 11: 4-6.
q Matt. 12:50. 25:40. Rom. 8: 29. Heb. 1:11,12.
r 7:14. Ps. 23:1,2. Is. 40:10,11. 49:9.10. Ez. 34:22-24. John 10:27-30.
† Or, rule. Matt. 2:6. marg. s Ex. 23:21. 1 Chr. 29:11,12. Ps. 45:3-6.72:19. 93:1. 145: 12. Matt. 25:31. John 5:22 -29. 10:38. 14:9-11. Rev. 1:13-18.
t John 20:17. Eph. 1:3. u Matt. 16:18. 1 Pet. 1:5. Jude 1.
Ps. 22:27. 72:8,17. 98:3. Is. 49:5,6. 52:10,13. Zech. 9:10. Luke 1:32. Rev. 11:15.
God, and are not aware that they are compassing their own destruction, and that they the strength and victory of believers are only collecting together to be destroyed.wholly from the Lord, they can do no less than ascribe all the glory to his name, and consecrate all their powers, advantages, and possessions to his service. Let us thus gird on our armor, and arise to "fight the good fight of faith:" and amidst our conflicts, let us rejoice in hope of being made more than conquerors, and anticipate the songs of heaven; and, dedi-- Notes , Luke 1:26-3 1:26-33,46-55.) 5.) Or the clause
cating all our talents to his service, let us seek and pray, that as the Redeemer of sinners, and the Object of all love and worship to his ransomed people, he may become "the Lord of the whole earth."
NOTES.