Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 40
Overview:
The preaching of the
Gospel, and glad tidings of the coming of
Christ.
(1-11) The almighty power of
God.
(12-17) The folly of
Idolatry.
(18-26) Against unbelief.
(27-31)
1-11 All human
Life is a warfare; the
Christian Life is the
most
So; but the struggle will not last always. Troubles are
removed in
Love, when
Sin is pardoned. In the great
Atonement of
the
Death of
Christ, the
Mercy of
God is exercised to the
Glory
of his
Justice. In
Christ, and his sufferings, true penitents
receive of the
Lord's
Hand double for all their sins; for the
satisfaction
Christ made
By his
Death was of infinite value. The
Prophet had some reference to the return of the Jews from
Babylon. But this is a small event, compared with that pointed
out
By the
Holy Ghost in the New
Testament, when
John the
Baptist proclaimed the approach of
Christ. When eastern princes
marched through
Desert countries, ways were prepared for them,
and hindrances removed. And may the
Lord prepare our hearts
By
the teaching of his
Word and the convictions of his
Spirit, that
high and proud thoughts may be brought down, good desires
planted, crooked and rugged tempers made straight and softened,
and every hinderance removed, that we may be ready for his will
On Earth, and prepared for his heavenly kingdom. What are all
that belongs to fallen
Man, or all that he does, but as the
Grass and the flower thereof! And what will all the titles and
possessions of a dying sinner avail, when they leave him under
condemnation! The
Word of the
Lord can do that for us, which all
Flesh cannot. The glad tidings of the
Coming of Christ were to
be sent forth to the ends of the
Earth.
Satan is the strong
Man
armed; but our
Lord Jesus is stronger; and he shall proceed, and
do all that he purposes.
Christ is the good
Shepherd; he shows
tender care for young converts, weak believers, and those of a
sorrowful
Spirit.
By his
Word he requires
No more service, and
By his
Providence he inflicts
No more trouble, than he will
strengthen them for. May we know our
Shepherd's voice, and
follow him, proving ourselves his
Sheep.
12-17 All created beings shrink to nothing in comparison with
the Creator. When the
Lord,
By his
Spirit, made the world, none
directed his
Spirit, or gave advice what to do, or how to do it.
The nations, in comparison of him, are as a drop which remains
in the
Bucket, compared with the vast ocean; or as the small
Dust in the
Balance, which does not turn it, compared with all
the
Earth. This magnifies
God's
Love to the world, that, though
it is of such small account and value with him, yet, for the
Redemption of it, he gave his only-begotten Son, Joh 3:16. The
services of the
Church can make
No addition to him. Our souls
must have perished for ever, if the only Son of the
Father had
not given himself for us.
18-26 Whatever we esteem or
Love, fear or
Hope in, more than
God, that
Creature we make equal with
God, though we do not make
images or
Worship them. He that is
So Poor, that he has scarcely
a
Sacrifice to offer, yet will not be without a
God of his own.
They spared
No cost upon their idols; we grudge what is spent in
the service of our
God. To prove the greatness of
God, the
Prophet appeals to all ages and nations. Those who are ignorant
of this, are willingly ignorant.
God has the command of all
creatures, and of all created things. The
Prophet directs us to
use our reason as
Well as our senses; to consider who created
the hosts of
Heaven, and to pay our homage to Him. Not one fails
to fulfil his will. And let us not forget, that He spake all the
promises, and engaged to perform them.
27-31 The people of
God are reproved for their unbelief and
distrust of
God. Let them remember they took the names
Jacob and
Israel, from one who found
God Faithful to him in all his
straits. And they bore these names as a people in
Covenant with
Him. Many foolish frets, and foolish fears, would vanish before
inquiry into the causes. It is bad to have evil thoughts rise in
our minds, but worse to turn them into evil words. What they had
known, and had heard, was sufficient to silence all these fears
and distrusts. Where
God had begun the work of
Grace, he will
perfect it. He will help those who, in humble dependence
On him,
help themselves. As the
Day,
So shall the strength be. In the
strength of Divine
Grace their souls shall ascend above the
world. They shall run the way of
God's
Commandments cheerfully.
Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence. If we
go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall;
but having our hearts and our hopes in
Heaven, we shall be
carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay
Hold of
the prize of our high
Calling in
Christ Jesus.