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.