Notes from Jeremiah 3

The foregoing chapter was wholly taken up with reproofs and threatenings against the people of God, for their apostasies from him; but in this chapter gracious invitations and encouragements are given them to return and repent, notwithstanding the multitude and greatness of their provocations, which are here specified, to magnify the mercy of God, and to show that as sin abounded grace did much more abound. Here,

I. It is further shown how bad they had been and how well they deserved to be quite abandoned, and yet how ready God was to receive them into his favour upon their repentance (v. 1-5)
II. The impenitence of Judah, and their persisting in sin, are aggravated from the judgments of God upon Israel, which they should have taken warning by (v. 6-11).
III. Great encouragements are given to these backsliders to return and repent, and promises made of great mercy which God had in store for them, and which he would prepare them for by bringing them home to himself (v. 12-19).
IV. The charge renewed against them for their apostasy from God, and the invitation repeated to return and repent, to which are here added the words that are put in their mouth, which they should make use of in their return to God (v. 20-25).

(Source: MHC)

Notes from Jeremiah 2

It is probable that this chapter was Jeremiah's first sermon after his ordination; and a most lively pathetic sermon it is as any we have is all the books of the prophets. Let him not say, "I cannot speak, for I am a child;' for, God having touched his mouth and put his words into it, none can speak better. The scope of the chapter is to show God's people their transgressions, even the house of Jacob their sins; it is all by way of reproof and conviction, that they might be brought to repent of their sins and so prevent the ruin that was coming upon them. The charge drawn up against them is very high, the aggravations are black, the arguments used for their conviction very close and pressing, and the expostulations very pungent and affecting. The sin which they are most particularly charged with here is idolatry, forsaking the true God, their own God, for other false gods. Now they are told,

I. That this was ungrateful to God, who had been so kind to them (v. 1-8).
II. That it was without precedent, that a nation should change their god (v. 9-13).
III. That hereby they had disparaged and ruined themselves (v. 14-19).
IV. That they had broken their covenants and degenerated from their good beginnings (v. 20, 21).
V. That their wickedness was too plain to be concealed and too bad to be excused (v. 22, 23, 35).
VI. That they persisted witfully and obstinately in it, and were irreclaimable and indefatigable in their idolatries (v. 24, 25, 33, 36).
VII. That they shamed themselves by their idolatry and should shortly be made ashamed of it when they should find their idols unable to help them (v. 26-29, 37).
VIII. That they had not been convinced and reformed by the rebukes of Providence that had been under (v. 30).
IX. That they had put a great contempt upon God (v 31, 32).
X. That with their idolatries they had mixed the most unnatural murders, shedding the blood of the poor innocents (v. 34).
Those hearts were hard indeed that were untouched and unhumbled when their sins were thus set in order before them. O that by meditating on this chapter we might be brought to repent of our spiritual idolatries, giving that place in our souls to the world and the flesh which should have been reserved for God only!

(Source : MHC)

Notes from Jeremiah 1

In this chapter we have,

I. The general inscription or title of this book, with the time of the continuance of Jeremiah's public ministry (v. 1-3).
II. The call of Jeremiah to the prophetic office, his modest objection against it answered, and an ample commission given him for the execution of it (v. 4-10).
III. The visions of an almond-rod and a seething-pot, signifying the approaching ruin of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (v. 11-16).
IV. Encouragement given to the prophet to go on undauntedly in his work, in an assurance of God's presence with him (v. 17-19).
Thus is he set to work by one that will be sure to bear him out.

(Source : MHC)

Notes from Isaiah 66

The scope of this chapter is much the same as that of the foregoing chapter and many expressions of it are the same; it therefore looks the same way, to the different state of the good and bad among the Jews at their return out of captivity, but that typifying the rejection of the Jews in the days of the Messiah, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the setting up of the gospel-kingdom in the world. The first verse of this chapter is applied by Stephen to the dismantling of the temple by the planting of the Christian church (Acts 7:49, 50), which may serve as a key to the whole chapter. We have here,

I. The contempt God puts upon ceremonial services in comparison with moral duties, and an intimation therein of his purpose shortly to put an end to the temple, and sacrifice and reject those that adhered to them (v. 1-4).

II. The salvation God will in due time work for his people out of the hands of their oppressors (v. 5), speaking terror to the persecutors (v. 6) and comfort to the persecuted, a speedy and complete deliverance (v. 7-9), a joyful settlement (v. 10, 11), the accession of the Gentiles to them, and abundance of satisfaction therein (v. 12-14).

III. The terrible vengeance which God will bring upon the enemies of his church and people (v. 15-18).

IV. The happy establishment of the church upon large and sure foundations, its constant attendance on God and triumph over its enemies (v. 19-24).
And we may well expect that this evangelical prophet, here, in the close of his prophecy, should (as he does) look as far forward as to the latter days, to the last day, to the days of eternity.

Notes from Isaiah 65

We are now drawing towards the conclusion of this evangelical prophecy, the last two chapters of which direct us to look as far forward as the new heavens and the new earth, the new world which the gospel dispensation should bring in, and the separation that should by it be made between the precious and the vile. "For judgment' (says Christ) "have I come into this world.' And why should it seem absurd that the prophet here should speak of that to which all the prophets bore witness? 1 Pt. 1:10, 11. The rejection of the Jews, and the calling in of the Gentiles, are often mentioned in the New Testament as that which was foreseen and foretold by the prophets, Acts 10:43; 13:40; Rom. 16:26. In this chapter we have,

I. The anticipating of the Gentiles with the gospel call (v. 10).
II. The rejection of the Jews for their obstinacy and unbelief (v. 2-7).
III. The saving of a remnant of them by bringing them into the gospel church (v. 8-10).
IV. The judgments of God that should pursue the rejected Jews (v. 11-16).
V. The blessings reserved for the Christian church, which should be its joy and glory (v. 17-25).
But these things are here prophesied of under the type and figure of the difference God would make between some and others of the Jews after their return out of captivity, between those that feared God and those that did not, with reproofs of the sins then found among them and promises of the blessings then in reserve for them.

Notes from Isaiah 64

This chapter goes on with that pathetic pleading prayer which the church offered up to God in the latter part of the foregoing chapter. They had argued from their covenant-relation to God and his interest and concern in them; now here,

I. They pray that God would appear in some remarkable and surprising manner for them against his and their enemies (v. 1, 2).
II. They plead what God had formerly done, and was always ready to do, for his people (v. 3-5).
III. They confess themselves to be sinful and unworthy of God's favour, and that they had deserved the judgments they were now under (v. 6, 7).
IV. They refer themselves to the mercy of God as a Father, and submit themselves to his sovereignty (v. 8).
V. They represent the very deplorable condition they were in, and earnestly pray for the pardon of sin and the turning away of God's anger (v. 9-12).
And this was not only intended for the use of the captive Jews, but may serve for direction to the church in other times of distress, what to ask of God and how to plead with him. Are God's people at any time in affliction, in great affliction? Let them pray, let them thus pray.

Notes from Isaish 63

In this chapter we have,

I. God coming towards his people in ways of mercy and deliverance, and this is to be joined to the close of the foregoing chapter, where it was said to Zion, "Behold, thy salvation comes;' for here it is shown how it comes (v. 1-6).
II. God's people meeting him with their devotions, and addressing themselves to him with suitable affections; and this part of the chapter is carried on to the close of the next. In this we have,
1. A thankful acknowledgment of the great favours God had bestowed upon them (v. 7).
2. The magnifying of these favours, from the consideration of God's relation to them (v. 8), his compassionate concern for them (v. 9), their unworthiness (v. 10), and the occasion which it gave both him and them to call to mind former mercies (v. 11-14).
3. A very humble and earnest prayer to God to appear for them in their present distress, pleading God's mercy (v. 15), their relation to him (v. 16), their desire towards him (v. 17), and the insolence of their enemies (v. 18, 19).
So that, upon the whole, we learn to embrace God's promises with an active faith, and then to improve them, and make use of them, both in prayers and praises.

Notes from Isaiah 42

The business of prophets was both to preach and pray. In this chapter,

I. The prophet determines to apply closely and constantly to this business (v. 1).
II. God appoints him and others of his prophets to continue to do so, for the encouragement of his people during the delays of their deliverance (v. 6, 7).
III. The promises are here repeated and ratified of the great things God would do for his church, for the Jews after their return out of captivity and for the Christian church when it shall be set up in the world.
1. The church shall be made honourable in the eyes of the world (v. 2).
2. It shall appear to be very dear to God, precious and honourable in his sight (v. 3-5).
3. It shall enjoy great plenty (v. 8, 9).
4. It shall be released out of captivity and grow up again into a considerable nation, particularly owned and favoured by heaven (v. 10-12).

Notes from Isaiah 61

In this chapter,

I. We are sure to find the grace of Christ, published by himself to a lost world in the everlasting gospel, under the type and figure of Isaiah's province, which was to foretel the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon (v. 1-3).
II. We think we find the glories of the church of Christ, its spiritual glories, described under the type and figure of the Jews' prosperity after their return out of their captivity
1. It is promised that they decays of the church shall be repaired (v. 4).
2. That those from without shall be made serviceable to the church (v. 5).
3. That the church shall be a royal priesthood, maintained by the riches of the Gentiles (v. 6).
4. That she shall have honour and joy in lieu of all her shame and sorrow (v. 7).
5. That her affairs shall prosper (v. 8).
6. That prosperity shall enjoy these blessings (v. 9).
7. That righteousness and salvation shall be the eternal matter of the church's rejoicing and thanksgiving (v. 10, 11).
If the Jewish church was ever thus blessed, much more shall the Christian church be so, and all that belong to it.


(Source: MHC)

Notes from Isaiah 60

This whole chapter is all to the same purport, all in the same strain; it is a part of God's covenant with his church, which is spoken of in the last verse of the foregoing chapter, and the blessings here promised are the fruits of the word and Spirit there promised. The long continuance of the church, even unto the utmost ages of time, was there promised, and here the large extent of the church, even unto the utmost regions of the earth; and both these tend to the honour of the Redeemer.

It is here promised,

I. That the church shall be enlightened and shone upon (v. 1, 2).
II. That it shall be enlarged and great additions made to it, to join in the service of God (v. 3-8).
III. That the new converts shall be greatly serviceable to the church and to the interests of it (v. 9-13).
IV. That the church shall be in great honour and reputation among men (v. 14-16).
V. That it shall enjoy a profound peace and tranquility (v. 17, 18).
VI. That, the members of it being all righteous, the glory and joy of it shall be everlasting (v. 19-22).  
Now this has some reference to the peaceable and prosperous condition which the Jews were sometimes in after their return out of captivity into their own land; but it certainly looks further, and was to have its full accomplishment in the kingdom of the Messiah, the enlargement of that kingdom by the bringing in of the Gentiles into it, and the spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ Jesus with which it should be enriched, and all these earnests of eternal joy and glory.

(Source: MHC)

Notes from Isaiah 59

In this chapter we have sin appearing exceedingly sinful, and grace appearing exceedingly gracious; and, as what is here said of the sinner’s sin (v. 7, v. 8) is applied to the general corruption of mankind (Rom. 3:15 ), so what is here said of a Redeemer (v. 20) is applied to Christ, Rom. 11:26 .

I. It is here charged upon this people that they had themselves stopped the current of God’s favours to them, and the particular sins are specified which kept good things from them (v. 1-8).

II. It is here charged upon them that they had themselves procured the judgments of God upon them, and they are told both what the judgments were which they had brought upon their own heads (v. 9-11) and what the sins were which provoked God to send those judgments (v. 12-15).
III. It is here promised that, notwithstanding this, God would work deliverance for them, purely for his own name’s sake (v. 16-19), and would reserve mercy in store for them and entail it upon them (v. 20, v. 21).

Notes from Isaiah 58

The prophet, in this chapter, has his commission and charge renewed to reprove the sinners in Zion, particularly the hypocrites, to show them their transgressions (v. 1). It is intended for admonition and warning to all hypocrites, and is not to be confined to those of any one age. Some refer it primarily to those at that time when Isaiah prophesied; see 33:14 ; 29:13. Others to the captives in Babylon, the wicked among them, to whom the prophet had declared there was no peace ch. 57:21 . Against the terror of that word they thought to shelter themselves with their external performances, particularly their fastings, which they kept up in Babylon, and for some time after their return to their own land, Zec. 7:3 , etc. The prophet therefore here shows them that their devotions would not entitle them to peace while their conversations were not at all of a piece with them. Others think it is principally intended against the hypocrisy of the Jews, especially the Pharisees before and in our Saviour’s time: they boasted of their fastings, but Christ (as the prophet here) showed them their transgressions (Mt. 23, ), much the same with those they are here charged with.

Observe,

I. The plausible profession of religion which they made (v. 2).
II. The boasts they made of that profession, and the blame they laid upon God for taking no more notice of it (v. 3).
III. The sins they are charged with, which spoiled the acceptableness of their fasts (v. 4, v. 5).
IV. Instructions given them how to keep fasts aright (v. 6, v. 7).
V. Precious promises made to those who do so keep fasts (v. 8-12).
VI. The like precious promises made to those that sanctify sabbaths aright (v. 13, v. 14).

Notes from Isaiah 57

The prophet, in this chapter, makes his observations,

I. Upon the deaths of good men, comforting those that were taken away in their integrity and reproving those that did not make a due improvement of such providences (v. 1, v. 2).

II. Upon the gross idolatries and spiritual whoredoms which the Jews were guilty of, and the destroying judgments they were thereby bringing upon themselves (v. 3-12).

III. Upon the gracious returns of God to his people to put an end to their captivity and re-establish their prosperity (v. 13-21).

Notes from Isaiah 56

After the exceedingly great and precious promises of gospel grace, typified by temporal deliverances, which we had in the foregoing chapter, we have here,

I. A solemn charge given to us all to make conscience of our duty, as we hope to have the benefit of those promises (v. 1, v. 2).

II. Great encouragement given to strangers that were wiling to come under the bonds of the covenant, assuring them of the blessings of the covenant (v. 3-8).

III. A high charge drawn up against the watchmen of Israel, that were careless and unfaithful in the discharge of their duty (v. 9-12), which seems to be the beginning of a new sermon, by way of reproof and threatening, which is continued in the following chapters. And the word of God was intended for conviction, as well as for comfort and instruction in righteousness.

Notes from Isaiah 55

As we had much of Christ in the 53rd chapter, and much of the church of Christ in the 54th chapter, so in this chapter we have much of the covenant of grace made with us in Christ. The "sure mercies of David,’’ which are promised here (v. 3), are applied by the apostle to the benefits which flow to us from the resurrection of Christ (Acts. 13:34 ), which may serve as a key to this chapter; not but that it was intended for the comfort of the people of God that lived then, especially of the captives in Babylon, and others of the dispersed of Israel; but unto us was this gospel preached as well as unto them, and much more clearly and fully in the New Testament.

Here is,
I. A free and gracious invitation to all to come and take the benefit of gospel grace (v. 1).

II. Pressing arguments to enforce this invitation (v. 2-4).

III. A promise of the success of this invitation among the Gentiles (v. 5).

IV. An exhortation to repentance and reformation, with great encouragement given to hope for pardon thereupon (v. 6-9).

V. The ratification of all this, with the certain efficacy of the word of God (v. 10, v. 11).
And a particular instance of the accomplishment of it in the return of the Jews out of their captivity, which was intended for a sign of the accomplishment of all these other promises.

Notes from Isaiah 54

The death of Christ is the life of the church and of all that truly belong to it; and therefore very fitly, after the prophet had foretold the sufferings of Christ, he foretels the flourishing of the church, which is a part of his glory, and that exaltation of him which was the reward of his humiliation: it was promised him that he should see his seed, and this chapter is an explication of that promise. It may easily be granted that it has a primary reference to the welfare and prosperity of the Jewish church after their return out of Babylon, which (as other things that happened to them) was typical of the glorious liberty of the children of God, which through Christ we are brought into; yet it cannot be denied but that it has a further and principal reference to the gospel church, into which the Gentiles were to be admitted. And the first words being understood by the apostle Paul of the New-Testament Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26 ) may serve as a key to the whole chapter and that which follows.
It is here promised concerning the Christian church,

I. That, though the beginnings of it were small, it should be greatly enlarged by the accession of many to it among the Gentiles, who had been wholly destitute of church privileges (v. 1-5).

II. That though sometimes God might seem to withdraw from her, and suspend the tokens of his favour, he would return in mercy and would not return to contend with them any more (v. 6-10).

III. That, though for a while she was in sorrow and under oppression, she should at length be advanced to greater honour and splendour than ever (v. 11, v. 12).

IV. That knowledge, righteousness, and peace, should flourish and prevail (v. 13, v. 14).

V. That all attempts against the church should be baffled, and she should be secured from the malice of her enemies (v. 14-17).

Notes from Isaiah 53

The two great things which the Spirit of Christ in the Old-Testament prophets testified beforehand were the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, 1 Pt. 1:11 . And that which Christ himself, when he expounded Moses and all the prophets, showed to be the drift and scope of them all was that Christ ought to suffer and then to enter into his glory, Lu. 24:26, Lu. 24:27 . But nowhere in all the Old-Testament are these two so plainly and fully prophesied of as here in this chapter, out of which divers passages are quoted with application to Christ in the New-Testament. This chapter is so replenished with the unsearchable riches of Christ that it may be called rather the gospel of the evangelist Isaiah than the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah.

We may observe here,
I. The reproach of Christ’s sufferings—the meanness of his appearance, the greatness of his grief, and the prejudices which many conceived in consequences against his doctrine (v. 1-3).

II. The rolling away of this reproach, and the stamping of immortal honour upon his sufferings, notwithstanding the disgrace and ignominy of them, by four considerations:—

1. That therein he did his Father’s will (v. 4, v. 6, v. 10).

That thereby he made atonement for the sin of man (v. 4-6, v. 8, v. 11, v. 12), for it was not for any sin of his own that he suffered (v. 9). T

hat he bore his sufferings with an invincible and exemplary patience (v. 7).

That he should prosper in his undertaking, and his sufferings should end in his immortal honour (v. 10-12).

By mixing faith with the prophecy of this chapter we may improve our acquaintance with Jesus Christ and him crucified, with Jesus Christ and him glorified, dying for our sins and rising again for our justification.

Notes from Isaiah 52

The greater part of this chapter is on the same subject with the chapter before, concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon, which yet is applicable to the great salvation Christ has wrought out for us; but the last three verses are on the same subject with the following chapter, concerning the person of the Redeemer, his humiliation and exaltation.

Observe,

I. The encouragement that is given to the Jews in captivity to hope that God would deliver them in his own way and time (v. 1-6).

II. The great joy and rejoicing that shall be both with ministers and people upon that occasion (v. 7-10).

III. The call given to those that remained in captivity to shift for their own enlargement when liberty was proclaimed (v. 11, v. 12).

IV. A short idea given here of the Messiah, which is enlarged upon in the next chapter (v. 13-15).

Notes from Isaiah 51

This chapter is designed for the comfort and encouragement of those that fear God and keep his commandments, even when they walk in darkness and have no light. Whether it was intended primarily for the support of the captives in Babylon is not certain, probably it was; but comforts thus generally expressed ought not to be so confined. Whenever the church of God is in distress her friends and well-wishers may comfort themselves and one another with these words,

I. That God, who raised his church at first out of nothing, will take care that it shall not perish (v. 1-3).

II. That the righteousness and salvation he designs for his church are sure and near, very near and very sure (v. 4-6).

III. That the persecutors of the church are weak and dying creatures (v. 7, v. 8).

IV. That the same power which did wonders for the church formerly is now engaged and employed for her protection and deliverance (v. 9-11).

V. That God himself, the Maker of the world, had undertaken both to deliver his people out of their distress and to comfort them under it, and sent his prophet to assure them of it (v. 12-16).

VI. That, deplorable as the condition of the church now was (v. 17-20), to the same woeful circumstances her persecutors and oppressors should shortly be reduced, and worse (v. 21-23).
The first three paragraphs of this chapter begin with, "Hearken unto me,’’ and they are God’s people that are all along called to hearken; for even when comforts are spoken to them sometimes they "hearken not, through anguish of spirit’’ (Ex. 6:9 ); therefore they are again and again called to hearken (v. 1, v. 4, v. 7). The two other paragraphs of this chapter begin with "Awake, awake;’’ in the former (v. 9) God’s people call upon him to awake and help them; in the latter (v. 17) God calls upon them to awake and help themselves.

Notes from Isaiah 50

In this chapter,

I. Those to whom God sends are justly charged with bringing all the troubles they were in upon themselves, by their own wilfulness and obstinacy, it being made to appear that God was able and ready to help them if they had been fit for deliverance (v. 1-3).

II. He by whom God sends produces his commission (v. 4), alleges his own readiness to submit to all the services and sufferings he was called to in the execution of it (v. 5, v. 6), and assures himself that God, who sent him, would stand by him and bear him out against all opposition (v. 7-9).

III. The message that is sent is life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, comfort to desponding saints and terror to presuming sinners (v. 10, v. 11).
Now all this seems to have a double reference, 1. To the unbelieving Jews in Babylon, who quarrelled with God for his dealings with them, and to the prophet Isaiah, who, though dead long before the captivity, yet, prophesying so plainly and fully of it, saw fit to produce his credentials, to justify what he had said. To the unbelieving Jews in our Saviour’s time, whose own fault it was that they were rejected, Christ having preached much to them, and suffered much from them, and being herein borne up by a divine power. The "contents’’ of this chapter, in our Bibles, give this sense of it, very concisely, thus:—"Christ shows that the dereliction of the Jews is not to be imputed to him, by his ability to save, by his obedience in that work, and by his confidence in divine assistance.’’ The prophet concludes with an exhortation to trust in God and not in ourselves.

Notes from Isaiah 49

Glorious things had been spoken in the previous chapters concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon; but lest any should think, when it was accomplished, that it looked much greater and brighter in the prophecy than in the performance, and that the return of about 40,000 Jews in a poor condition out of Babylon to Jerusalem was not an event sufficiently answering to the height and grandeur of the expressions used in the prophecy, he here comes to show that the prophecy had a further intention, and was to have its full accomplishment in a redemption that should as far outdo these expressions as the other seemed to come short of them, even the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ, of whom not only Cyrus, who was God’s servant in foretelling it, was a type.

In this chapter we have,
I. The designation of Christ, under the type of Isaiah, to his office as Mediator (v. 1-3).

II. The assurance given him of the success of his undertaking among the Gentiles (v. 4-8).

III. The redemption that should be wrought by him, and the progress of that redemption (v. 9-12).

IV. The encouragement given hence to the afflicted church (v. 13-17).

V. The addition of many to it, and the setting up of a church among the Gentiles (v. 18-23).

VI. A ratification of the prophecy of the Jews’ release out of Babylon, which was to be the figure and type of all these blessings, (v. 24-26).
If this chapter be rightly understood, we shall see ourselves to be more concerned in the prophecies relating to the Jews’ deliverance out of Babylon than we thought we were.

Notes from Isaiah 48

God, having in the foregoing chapter reckoned with the Babylonians, and shown them their sins and the desolation that was coming upon them for their sins, to show that he hates sin wherever he finds it and will not connive at it in his own people, comes, in this chapter, to show the house of Jacob their sins, but, withal, the mercy God had in store for them notwithstanding; and he therefore sets their sins in order before them, that by their repentance and reformation they might be prepared for that mercy.

I. He charges them with hypocrisy in that which is good and obstinacy in that which is evil, especially in their idolatry, notwithstanding the many convincing proofs God had given them that he is God alone, (v. 1-8).

II. He assures them that their deliverance would be wrought purely for the sake of God’s own name and not for any merit of theirs (v. 9-11).

III. He encourages them to depend purely upon God’s power and promise for this deliverance (v. 12-15).

IV. He shows them that, as it was by their own sin that they brought themselves into captivity, so it would be only by the grace of God that they would obtain the necessary preparatives for their enlargement (v. 16-19).

V. He proclaims their release, yet with a proviso that the wicked shall have no benefit by it (v. 20-22).

Notes from Isaiah 47

Infinite Wisdom could have ordered things so that Israel might have been released and yet Babylon unhurt; but if they will harden their hearts, and will not let the people go, they must thank themselves that their ruin is made to pave the way to Israel’s release. That ruin is here, in this chapter, largely foretold, not to gratify a spirit of revenge in the people of God, who had been used barbarously by them, but to encourage their faith and hope concerning their own deliverance, and to be a type of the downfall of that great enemy of the New-Testament church which, in the Revelation, goes under the name of "Babylon.’’

In this chapter we have,

I. The greatness of the ruin threatened, that Babylon should be brought down to the dust, and made completely miserable, should fall from the height of prosperity into the depth of adversity (v. 1-5).

II. The sins that provoked God to bring this ruin upon them. 1.
Their cruelty to the people of God (v. 6).
Their pride and carnal security (v. 7-9).
Their confidence in themselves and contempt of God (v. 10).
Their use of magic arts and their dependence upon enchantments and sorceries, which should be so far from standing them in any stead that they should but hasten their ruin (v. 11-15).

Notes from Isaiah 46

God, by the prophet here, designing shortly to deliver them out of their captivity, prepared them for that deliverance by possessing them with a detestation of idols and with a believing confidence in God, even their own God.

I. Let them not be afraid of the idols of Babylon, as if they could in any way obstruct their deliverance, for they should be defaced (v. 1, v. 2); but let them trust in that God who had often delivered them to do it still, to do it now (v. 3, v. 4).

II. Let them not think to make idols of their own, images of the God of Israel, by them to worship him, as the Babylonians worship their gods (v. 5-7).
 Let them not be so sottish (v. 8),
but have an eye to God in his word, not in an image; let them depend upon that, and upon the promises and predictions of it, and God’s power to accomplish them all (v. 9-11).
And let them know that the unbelief of man shall not make the word of God of no effect (v. 12, v. 13).

Notes from Isaiah 45

Cyrus was nominated, in the foregoing chapter, to be God’s shepherd; more is said to him and more of him in this chapter, not only because he was to be instrumental in the release of the Jews out of their captivity, but because he was to be therein a type of the great Redeemer, and that release was to be typical of the great redemption from sin and death; for that was the salvation of which all the prophets witnessed.

We have here,

I. The great things which God would do for Cyrus, that he might be put into a capacity to release God’s people (v. 1-4).

II. The proof God would hereby give of his eternal power and godhead, and his universal, incontestable, sovereignty (v. 5-7).

III. A prayer for the hastening of this deliverance (v. 8).

IV. A check to the unbelieving Jews, who quarrelled with God for the lengthening out of their captivity (v. 9, v. 10).

V. Encouragement given to the believing Jews, who trusted in God and continued instant in prayer, assuring them that God would in due time accomplish this work by the hand of Cyrus (v. 11-15).

VI. A challenge given to the worshippers of idols and their doom read, and satisfaction given to the worshippers of the true God and their comfort secured, with an eye to the Mediator, who is made of God to us both righteousness and sanctification (v. 16-25). And here, as in many other parts of this prophecy, there is much of Christ and of gospel grace.

Notes from Isaiah 44

God, by the prophet, goes on in this chapter, as before,

 I. To encourage his people with the assurance of great blessings he had in store for them at their return out of captivity, and those typical of much greater which the gospel church, his spiritual Israel, should partake of in the days of the Messiah; and hereby he proves himself to be God alone against all pretenders (v. 1-8).

II. To expose the sottishness and amazing folly of idol-makers and idol-worshippers (v. 9-20).

 III. To ratify and confirm the assurances he had given to his people of those great blessings, and to raise their joyful and believing expectations of them (v. 21-28).

Notes from Isaiah 43

The contents of this chapter are much the same with those of the foregoing chapter, looking at the release of the Jews out of their captivity, but looking through that, and beyond that, to the great work of man’s redemption by Jesus Christ, and the grace of the gospel, which through him believers partake of.

Here are,

I. Precious promises made to God’s people in their affliction, of his presence with them, for their support under it, and their deliverance out of it (v. 1-7).

II. A challenge to idols to vie with the omniscience and omnipotence of God (v. 8-13).

III. Encouragement given to the people of God to hope for their deliverance out of Babylon, from the consideration of what God did for their fathers when he brought them out of Egypt (v. 14-21).

IV. A method taken to prepare the people for their deliverance, by putting them in mind of their sins, by which they had provoked God to send them into captivity and continue them there, that they might repent and seek to God for pardoning mercy (v. 22-28).

Notes from Isaiah 42

The prophet seems here to launch out yet further into the prophecy of the Messiah and his kingdom under the type of Cyrus; and, having the great work of man’s salvation by him yet more in view, he almost forgets the occasion that led him into it and drops the return out of Babylon; for indeed the prospect of this would be a greater comfort and support to the believing pious Jews, in their captivity, than the hope of that. And in this and similar prophecies of Christ, that are couched in types, as of David and Solomon, some passages agree to the type and not to the truth, other to the truth and not to the type, and many to the type in one sense and the truth in another.

Here is,

I. A prophecy of the Messiah’s coming with meekness, and yet with power, to do the Redeemer’s work (v. 1-4).

II. His commission opened, which he received from the Father (v. 5-9).

III. The joy and rejoicing with which the glad tidings of this should be received (v. 10-12).

IV. The wonderful success of the gospel, for the overthrow of the devil’s kingdom (v. 13-17).

V. The rejection and ruin of the Jews for their unbelief (v. 18-25).