Notes from Isaiah 24

It is agreed that here begins a new sermon, which is continued to the end of chap 27. And in it the prophet, according to the directions he had received, does, in many precious promises, "say to the righteous, It shall be well with them;’’ and, in many dreadful threatenings, he says, "Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them’’ (3:10,11); and these are interwoven, that they may illustrate each other. This chapter is mostly threatening; and, as the judgments threatened are very sore and grievous ones, so the people threatened with those judgments are very many. It is not the burden of any particular city or kingdom, as those before, but the burden of the whole earth. The word indeed signifies only the land, because our own land is commonly to us as all the earth. But it is here explained by another word that is not so confined; it is the world (v. 4); so that it must at least take in a whole neighbourhood of nations. 1. Some think (and very probably) that it is a prophecy of the great havoc that Sennacherib and his Assyrian army should now shortly make of many of the nations in that part of the world. Others make it to point at the like devastations which, about 100 years afterwards, Nebuchadnezzar and his armies should make in the same countries, going from one kingdom to another, not only to conquer them, but to ruin them and lay them waste; for that was the method which those eastern nations took in their wars. The promises that are mixed with the threatenings are intended for the support and comfort of the people of God in those very calamitous times. And, since here are no particular nations named either by whom or on whom those desolations should be brought, I see not but it may refer to both these events. Nay, the scripture has many fulfillings, and we ought to give it its full latitude; and therefore I incline to think that the prophet, from those and the like instances which he had a particular eye to, designs here to represent in general the calamitous state of mankind, and the many miseries which human life is liable to, especially those that attend the wars of the nations. Surely the prophets were sent, not only to foretel particular events, but to form the minds of men to virtue and piety, and for that end their prophecies were written and preserved even for our learning, and therefore ought not to be looked upon as of private interpretation. Now since a thorough conviction of the vanity of the world, and its insufficiency to make us happy, will go far towards bringing us to God, and drawing out our affections towards another world, the prophet here shows what vexation of spirit we must expect to meet with in these things, that we may never take up our rest in them, nor promise ourselves satisfaction any where short of the enjoyment of God.

In this chapter we have,
I. A threatening of desolating judgments for sin (v. 1-12),
to which is added an assurance that in the midst of them good people should be comforted (v. 13-15).

II. A further threatening of the like desolations (v. 16-22),
to which is added an assurance that in the midst of all God should be glorified.

Notes from Isaiah 23

This chapter is concerning Tyre, an ancient wealthy city, situated upon the sea, and for many ages one of the most celebrated cities for trade and merchandise in those parts of the world. The lot of the tribe of Asher bordered upon it. See Joshua. 19:29 , where it is called "the strong city Tyre.’’ We seldom find it a dangerous enemy to Israel, but sometimes their faithful ally, as in the reigns of David and Solomon; for trading cities maintain their grandeur, not by the conquest of their neighbours, but by commerce with them.

In this chapter is foretold,
   I. The lamentable desolation of Tyre, which was performed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean            army, about the time that they destroyed Jerusalem; and a hard task they had of it, as appears Eze.        29:18 , where they are said to have "served a hard service against Tyre,’’ and yet to have no
       wages (v. 1-14).
  II. The restoration of Tyre after seventy years, and the return of the Tyrians out of their captivity to
       their trade again (v. 15-18).

Notes from Isaiah 22

We have now come nearer home, for this chapter is "the burden of the valley of vision,’’ Jerusalem; other places had their burden for the sake of their being concerned in some way or other with Jerusalem, and were reckoned with either as spiteful enemies or deceitful friends to the people of God; but now let Jerusalem hear her own doom.
This chapter concerns,

I. The city of Jerusalem itself and the neighbourhood depending upon it.
   Here is,
               1. A prophecy of the grievous distress they should shortly be brought into by Sennacherib’s invasion of the country and laying siege to the city (v. 1-7).
               2.  A reproof given them for their misconduct in that distress, in two things:
                        (1.) Not having an eye to God in the use of the means of their preservation (v. 8-11).
                        (2.) Not humbling themselves under his mighty hand (v. 12-14).

II. The court of Hezekiah, and the officers of that court.
             1. The displacing of Shebna, a bad man, and turning him out of the treasury (v. 15-19, v. 25).
             2. The preferring of Eliakim, who should do his country better service, to his place (v. 20-24).

Notes from Isaiah 21

In this chapter we have a prophecy of sad times coming, and heavy burdens,
 I. Upon Babylon, here called "the desert of the sea,’’ that it should be destroyed by the Medes and Persians with a terrible destruction, which yet God’s people should have advantage by (v. 1-10).
II. Upon Dumah, or Idumea (v. 11, v. 12).
III. Upon Arabia, or Kedar, the desolation of which country was very near (v. 13-17).
These and other nations which the princes and people of Israel had so much to do with the prophets of Israel could not but have something to say to. Foreign affairs must be taken notice of as well as domestic ones, and news from abroad enquired after as well as news at home.

Notes from Isaiah 20

This chapter is a prediction of the carrying away of multitudes both of the Egyptians and the Ethiopians into captivity by the king of Assyria.
Here is,
      I. the sign by which this was foretold, which was the prophet’s going for some time barefoot and almost naked, like a poor captive (v. 1-2).
     II. The explication of that sign, with application to Egypt and Ethiopia (v. 3-5).
    III. The good use which the people of God should make of this, which is never to trust in an arm of flesh, because thus it will deceive them (v. 6).

Notes from Isaiah 19

As Assyria was a breaking rod to Judah, with which it was smitten, so Egypt was a broken reed, with which it was cheated; and therefore God had a quarrel with them both. We have before read the doom of the Assyrians; now here we have the burden of Egypt, a prophecy concerning that nation,
      I. That it should be greatly weakened and brought low, and should be as contemptible among the nations as now it was considerable, rendered so by a complication of judgments which God would bring upon them (v. 1-17).
    II. That at length God’s holy religion should be brought into Egypt, and set up there, in part by the Jews that should flee thither for refuge, but more fully by the preachers of the gospel of Christ, through whose ministry churches should be planted in Egypt in the days of the Messiah (v. 18-25), which would abundantly balance all the calamities here threatened.

Notes from Isaiah 18

Whatever country it is that is meant here by "the land shadowing with wings,’’ here is a woe denounced against it, for God has, upon his people’s account, a quarrel with it.
     I. They threaten God’s people (v. 1, v. 2).
    II. All the neighbours are hereupon called to take notice what will be the issue (v. 3).
   III. Though God seem unconcerned in the distress of his people for a time, he will at length appear against their enemies and will remarkable cut them off (v. 4-6).
   IV. This shall redound very much to the glory of God (v. 7).

Notes from Isaiah 17

This chapter continues and concludes the burden of Moab. In it,
    I. The prophet gives good counsel to the Moabites, to reform what was amiss among them, and particularly to be kind to God’s people, as the likeliest way to prevent the judgments before threatened (v. 1-5).
   II. Fearing they would not take this counsel (they were so proud), he goes on to foretel the lamentable devastation of their country, and the confusion they should be brought to, and this within three years (v. 6-14).

Notes from Isaiah 16

This chapter continues and concludes the burden of Moab. In it,
   I. The prophet gives good counsel to the Moabites, to reform what was amiss among them, and particularly to be kind to God’s people, as the likeliest way to prevent the judgments before threatened (v. 1-5).
  II. Fearing they would not take this counsel (they were so proud), he goes on to foretel the lamentable devastation of their country, and the confusion they should be brought to, and this within three years (v. 6-14).

Notes from Isaiah 15

This chapter, and that which follows it, are the burden of Moab—a prophecy of some great desolation that was coming upon that country, which bordered upon this land of Israel, and had often been injurious and vexatious to it, though the Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham’s kinsman and companion, and though the Israelites, by the appointment of God, had spared them when they might both easily and justly have cut them off with their neighbours. In this chapter we have,
        I. Great lamentation made by the Moabites, and by the prophet himself for them (v. 1-5).
       II. The great calamities which should occasion that lamentation and justify it (v. 6-9).

Notes from Isaiah 14

In this chapter,
    I. More weight is added to the burden of Babylon, enough to sink it like a mill-stone;
        -   It is Israel’s cause that is to be pleaded in this quarrel with Babylon (v. 1-3).
        -   The king of Babylon, for the time being, shall be remarkably brought down and triumphed over (v. 4-20).
        -   The whole race of the Babylonians shall be cut off and extirpated (v. 21-23).

II. A confirmation of the prophecy of the destruction of Babylon, which was a thing at a distance, is here given in the prophecy of the destruction of the Assyrian army that invaded the land, which happened not long after (v. 24-27).

III. The success of Hezekiah against the Philistines is here foretold, and the advantages which his people would gain thereby (v. 28-32).

Notes from Isaiah 13

Hitherto the prophecies of this book related only to Judah and Israel, and Jerusalem especially; but now the prophet begins to look abroad, and to read the doom of divers of the neighbouring states and kingdoms: for he that is King of saints is also King of nations, and rules in the affairs of the children of men as well as in those of his own children. But the nations to whom these prophecies do relate were all such as the people of God were in some way or other conversant and concerned with, such as had been kind or unkind to Israel, and accordingly God would deal with them, either in favour or in wrath; for the Lord’s portion is his people, and to them he has an eye in all the dispensations of his providence concerning those about them, Deu. 32:8, Deu. 32:9 . The threatenings we find here against Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Tyre, etc., were intended for comfort to those in Israel that feared God, but were terrified and oppressed by those potent neighbours, and for alarm to those among them that were wicked. If God would thus severely reckon with those for their sins that knew him not, and made no profession of his name, how severe would he be with those that were called by his name and yet lived in rebellion against him! And perhaps the directing of particular prophecies to the neighbouring nations might invite some of those nations to the reading of the Jews’ Bible, and so they might be brought to their religion. This chapter, and that which follows, contain what God had to say to Babylon and Babylon’s king, who were at present little known to Israel, but would in process of time become a greater enemy to them than any other had been, for which God would at last reckon with them.
In this chapter we have,
      I. A general rendezvous of the forces that were to be employed against Babylon (v. 1-5).
     II. The dreadfully bloody work that those forces should make in Babylon (v. 6-18).
    III. The utter ruin and desolation of Babylon, which this should end in (v. 19-22).

Notes from Isaiah 12

The salvation promised in the foregoing chapter was compared to that of Israel "in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt;’’ so that chapter ends. Now as Moses and the children of Israel then sang a song of praise to the glory of God (Ex. 15:1 ) so shall the people of God do in that day when the root of Jesse shall stand for an ensign of the people and shall be the desire and joy of all nations. In that day,
       I. Every particular believer shall sing a song of praise for his own interest in that salvation (v. 1, v. 3). "Thou shalt say, Lord, I will praise thee.’’ Thanksgiving-work shall be closet-work.
      II. Many in concert shall join in praising God for the common benefit arising from this salvation (v. 4-6): "You shall say, Praise you the Lord.’’ Thanksgiving-work shall be congregation-work; and the praises of God shall be publicly sung in the congregations of the upright.

Notes from Isaiah 11

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 other were types and figures, to which all the prophets bore witness; and so the ancient Jews understood them. For what else was it that raised so great an expectation of the Messiah at the time he came. Upon occasion of the prophecy of the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, here comes in a prophecy concerning Messiah the Prince.
     I. His rise out of the house of David (v. 1).
    II. His qualifications for his great undertaking (v. 2, v. 3).
   III. The justice and equity of his government (v. 3-5).
   IV. The peaceableness of his kingdom (v. 6-9).
    V. The accession of the Gentiles to it (v. 10), and with them the remnant of the Jews, that should be united with them in the Messiah’s kingdom (v. 11-16) and of all this God would now shortly give them a type, and some dark representation, in the excellent government of Hezekiah, the great peace which the nation should enjoy under him, after the ruin of Sennacherib’s design, and the return of many of the ten tribes out of their dispersion to their brethren of the land of Judah, when they enjoyed that great tranquility.

Notes from Isaiah 10

The prophet, in this chapter, is dealing,
I. With the proud oppressors of his people at home, that abused their power, to pervert justice, whom he would reckon with for their tyranny (v. 1-4).
II. With a threatening invader of his people from abroad, Sennacherib king of Assyria, concerning whom observe,
    1. The commission given him to invade Judah (v. 5, v. 6).
    2. His pride and insolence in the execution of that commission (v. 7-11, v. 13, v. 14).
    3.A rebuke given to his haughtiness, and a threatening of his fall and ruin, when he had served the purposes for which God raised him up (v. 12, v. 15-19).
    4. A promise of grace to the people of God, to enable them to bear up under the affliction, and to get good by it (v. 20-23).
    5. Great encouragement given to them not to fear this threatening storm, but to hope that, though for the present all the country was put into a great consternation by it, yet it would end well, in the destruction of this formidable enemy (v. 24-34).

And this is intended to quiet the minds of good people in reference to all the threatening efforts of the wrath of the church’s enemies. If God be for us, who can be against us? None to do us any harm.

Notes from Isaiah 9

The prophet in this chapter (according to the directions given him, ch. 3:10, ch. 3:11 ) saith to the righteous, It shall be well with thee, but Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him.

Here are,
I. Gracious promises to those that adhere to the law and to the testimony; while those that seek to familiar spirits shall be driven into darkness and dimness, they shall see a great light, relief in the midst of their distresses, typical of gospel grace.
   1. In the doctrine of the Messiah (v. 1-3).
   2 .His victories (v. 4, v. 5).
   3. His government and dominion as Immanuel (v. 6, v. 7).

II. Dreadful threatenings against the people of Israel, who had revolted from and were enemies to the house of David,
-   that they should be brought to utter ruin, that their pride should bring them down (v. 8-10),
-   that their neighbours should make a prey of them (v. 11, v. 12),
 -  that, for their impenitence and hypocrisy, all their ornaments and supports should be cut off (v. 13-17),
-   and that by the wrath of God against them, and their wrath one against another, they should be brought to utter ruin (v. 18-21).

And this is typical of the final destruction of all the enemies of the Son of David and his kingdom.

Notes from Isaiah 8

This chapter, and the four next that follow it (to chap. 13) are all one continued discourse or sermon, the scope of which is to show the great destruction that should now shortly be brought upon the kingdom of Israel, and the great disturbance that should be given to the kingdom of Judah by the king of Assyria, and that both were for their sins; but rich provision is made of comfort for those that feared God in those dark times, referring especially to the days of the Messiah.

In this chapter we have,
I. A prophecy of the destruction of the confederate kingdoms of Syria and Israel by the king of Assyria (v. 1-4).
II. Of the desolations that should be made by that proud victorious prince in the land of Israel and Judah (v. 5-8).
III. Great encouragement given to the people of God in the midst of those distractions; they are assured,
    1. That the enemies shall not gain their point against them (v. 9, v. 10).
    2. That if they kept up the fear of God, and kept down the fear of man, they should find God their refuge (v. 11-14),
    3. and while others stumbled, and fell into despair, they should be enabled to wait on God, and should see themselves reserved for better times (v. 15-18).
    4. Lastly, He gives a necessary caution to all, at their peril, not to consult with familiar spirits, for they would thereby throw themselves into despair, but to keep close to the word of God (v. 19-22).
And these counsels and these comforts will still be of use to us in time of trouble.

Notes from Isaiah 7

This chapter is an occasional sermon, in which the prophet sings both of mercy and judgment to those that did not perceive or understand either; he piped unto them, but they danced not, mourned unto them, but they wept not.

Here is,
I. The consternation that Ahaz was in upon an attempt of the confederate forces of Syria and Israel against Jerusalem (v. 1, v. 2).
II. The assurance which God, by the prophet, sent him for his encouragement, that the attempt should be defeated and Jerusalem should be preserved (v. 3-9).
III. The confirmation of this by a sign which God gave to Ahaz, when he refused to ask one, referring to Christ, and our redemption by him (v. 10-16).
IV. A threatening of the great desolation that God would bring upon Ahaz and his kingdom by the Assyrians, notwithstanding their escape from this present storm, because they went on still in their wickedness (v. 17-25).
And this is written both for our comfort and for our admonition.

Notes from Isaiah 5

In this chapter the prophet, in God’s name, shows the people of God their transgressions, even the house of Jacob their sins, and the judgments which were likely to be brought upon them for their sins, I. By a parable, under the similitude of an unfruitful vineyard, representing the great favours God had bestowed upon them, their disappointing his expectations from them, and the ruin they had thereby deserved (v. 1-7).

II. By an enumeration of the sins that did abound among them, with a threatening of punishments that should answer to the sins.
Covetousness, and greediness of worldly wealth, which shall be punished with famine (v. 8-10) 2. Rioting, revelling, and drunkenness (v. 11, v. 12, v. 22, v. 23), which shall be punished with captivity and all the miseries that attend it (v. 13-17).
Presumption in sin, and defying the justice of God (v. 18, v. 19).
Confounding the distinctions between virtue and vice, and so undermining the principles of religion (v. 20).
Self-conceit (v. 21).
Perverting justice, for which, and the other instances of reigning wickedness among them, a great and general desolation in threatened, which should lay all waste (v. 24, v. 25), and which should be effected by a foreign invasion (v. 26-30), referring perhaps to the havoc made not long after by Sennacherib’s army.

Notes from Isaiah 4

In this chapter we have,

I. A threatening of the paucity and scarceness of man (v. 1), which might fitly enough have been added to the close of the foregoing chapter, to which it has a plain reference.
II. A promise of the restoration of Jerusalem’s peace and purity, righteousness and safety, in the days of the Messiah (v. 2-6).

Thus, in wrath, mercy is remembered, and gospel grace is a sovereign relief, in reference to the terrors of the law and the desolations made by sin.

Notes from Isaiah 6

Hitherto, it should seem, Isaiah had prophesied as a candidate, having only a virtual and tacit commission; but here we have him (if I may so speak) solemnly ordained and set apart to the prophetic office by a more express or explicit commission, as his work grew more upon his hands: or perhaps, having seen little success of his ministry, he began to think of giving it up; and therefore God saw fit to renew his commission here in this chapter, in such a manner as might excite and encourage his zeal and industry in the execution of it, though he seemed to labour in vain.

In this chapter we have,

I. A very awful vision which Isaiah saw of the glory of God (v. 1-4), the terror it put him into (v. 5), and the relief given him against that terror by an assurance of the pardon of his sins (v. 6, v. 7).

II. A very awful commission which Isaiah received to go as a prophet, in God’s name (v. 8), by his preaching to harden the impenitent in sin and ripen them for ruin (v. 9-12) yet with a reservation of mercy for a remnant, (v. 13). And it was as to an evangelical prophet that these things were shown him and said to him.

Notes from Isaiah 3

The prophet, in this chapter, goes on to foretel the desolations that were coming upon Judah and Jerusalem for their sins, both that by the Babylonians and that which completed their ruin by the Romans, with some of the grounds of God’s controversy with them.
God threatens,
 I. To deprive them of all the supports both of their life and of their government (v. 1-3).
II. To leave them to fall into confusion and disorder (v. 4, v. 5, v. 12).
III. To deny them the blessing of magistracy (v. 6-8).
IV. To strip the daughters of Zion of their ornaments (v. 17-24).
V. To lay all waste by the sword of war (v. 25, v. 26).

The sins that provoked God to deal thus with them were,
1. Their defiance of God (v. 8).
Their impudence (v. 9).
The abuse of power to oppression and tyranny (v. 12-15).
The pride of the daughters of Zion (v. 16).

In the midst of the chapter the prophet is directed how to address particular persons.
(1.) To assure good people that it should be well with them, notwithstanding those general calamities (v. 10).
(2.) To assure wicked people that, however God might, in judgment, remember mercy, yet it should go ill with them (v. 11).

O that the nations of the earth, at this day, would hearken to rebukes and warnings which this chapter gives!