Notes from Isaiah 2

With this chapter begins a new sermon, which is continued in the two following chapters. The subject of this discourse is Judah and Jerusalem (v. 1). In this chapter the prophet speaks, 

I. Of the glory of the Christians, Jerusalem, the gospel-church in the latter days, in the accession of many to it (v. 2, v. 3), and the great peace it should introduce into the world (v. 4), whence he infers the duty of the house of Jacob (v. 5). 

II. Of the shame of the Jews, Jerusalem, as it then was, and as it would be after its rejection of the gospel and being rejected of God. 

1. Their sin was their shame (v. 6-9). God by his judgments would humble them and put them to shame (v. 10-17). They should themselves be ashamed of their confidence in their idols and in an arm of flesh (v. 18-22).

  And now which of these Jerusalems will we be the inhabitants of—that which is full of the knowledge of God, which will be our everlasting honour, or that which is full of horses and chariots, and silver and gold, and such idols, which will in the end be our shame?

Notes from Isaiah 1

The sermon which is contained in this chapter has in it,
I. A high charge exhibited, in God’s name, against the Jewish church and nation,
   1. For their ingratitude, Isa. 1:2, 3.
   2. For their incorrigibleness, Isa. 1:5.
   3. For the universal corruption and degeneracy of the people, Isa. 1:4, 6, 21, 22.
   4. For the perversion of justice by their rulers, Isa. 1:23.

II. A sad complaint of the judgments of God, which they had brought upon themselves by their sins, and by which they were brought almost to utter ruin, Isa. 1:7-9.

III. A just rejection of those shows and shadows of religion which they kept up among them, notwithstanding this general defection and apostasy, Isa. 1:10-15.

IV. An earnest call to repentance and reformation, setting before them life and death, life if they compiled with the call and death if they did not, Isa. 1:16-20.

V. A threatening of ruin to those that would not be reformed, Isa. 1:24; 28-31.

VI. A promise of a happy reformation at last, and a return to their primitive purity and prosperity, Isa. 1:25-27.

And all this is to be applied by us, not only to the communities we are members of, in their public interests, but to the state of our own souls.

Notes from Song of Solomon 8

The love song concludes.
vv. 5-7 — The bridegroom speaks of love and gives the theme of the song.

Notes from Song of Solomon 7

vv. 1-5 — The daughters of Jerusalem praise the beauty of the bride. (See the description of the church as the bride of Christ inRevelation 21.)

vv. 6-13 — An antiphony of love by the bride and bridegroom.

Notes from Song of Solomon 6

v. 1 — The daughters of Jerusalem are so impressed by her glowing description that they are turned from skeptics to believers.

vv. 2, 3 — The bride continues her praise of him.

vv. 4-10 — The bridegroom expresses his love and affection for the bride.

vv. 11, 12 — The bride responds.

v. 13 — The daughters of Jerusalem respond.

Notes from Song of Solomon 5

vv. 1-3 — The bride is reluctant to open the door to the bridegroom after she has retired.

vv. 4, 5 — A lovely custom of that day was for the lover to place sweet smelling myrrh inside the handle of the bride’s door. When she rose up and placed her hand on the handle, she discovered the myrrh and knew he had been there and gone.

v. 6 — While he was out looking for lost sheep, she was sleeping. This is a fitting picture of Christ and the contemporary church.

vv. 7, 8 — The bride goes looking for the bridegroom. She meets the daughters of Jerusalem, inquires of them, and waxes eloquent concerning him.

v. 9 — They are skeptical and cynical. The world asks us, “Who is Christ? Is He any different from other religious leaders?”

vv. 10-16 — She knows him and knows he is different. This is a detailed and glowing description of him, which reveals that she both knows him and loves him.

Notes from Song of Solomon 4

vv. 1-15 — The love song of the bridegroom. This is the expression of deep desire and strong passion.
Compare v. 7 with Ephesians 5:25-27.
It is impossible for the believer to know (vv. 9, 10) how much Christ loves him (Revelation 2:4).
v. 16 — The response of the bride (Isaiah 53:11).