The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 153

,nklligence-limited (a) by brain-c11paclty; (b) educational opportunity; (c) conditions or health; (d) surrounding prejudices; (e) measures and degrees of Divine revelation. And it is carefully circumscribed free-wil~ouely limited because man's decision& nre constantly made upon (a) imperfect knowledge, and (b) upon impulsee of biassed feeling. The will of man is alao limited by the condition of its accordance with the supreme will of God. Man can plan, purpose, and propose; but there he must stop until he can gain Divine permission to carry out his plans. If be dares to force his plans into action against God, he will surely find that he does but run "upon the bosses of Jehovah's buckler." Who bath ever resisted God and prospered? II. THE ILLIMITABLE OHABACTEB OF Goo's CONTROL. There jg- tbe- 'firmest and most peremptory tone in this declaration, "It shall not stand." Affirming his authority over all nations, the Lord of hosts says, " Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance" (eh. xix. 25). God controls (1) the minds that plan ; (2) the bodies that execute; (3) the spheres and circumstances in which the plan is to be worked. Watching everything, God has the arresting hand, and can say, ".Thus far shalt thou go, and no further."-R. T. Ver. 9.-The faith-condition. "If ye have no faith, verily ye shall not have con- tinuance" (Cheyne's translation). "lf ye hold not fast, verily ye shall not stand fast." Bee the expression illustrated in Jehoshaphat, when going out to meet the army of the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chron. xx. 20). Habakkuk gives the same sentiment in his familiar expression, "The just shall live by his faith." Faith in him and in his Word is the one universal condition that God demands, and righteously demands, in view (1) of what he is; (2) of what he is in relation to us; and (3) of what he has already done for his people, in the experience of which we have shared. God's law for creatures dependent on him is, "Trust me." God's grace for his creatures is, "Response to trust." He unfolds bis best blessings to those who can both trust and hope in him. The demand for faith, as the condition of receiving Divine blessings, may be traced in the Divine dealings with men through all the ages and dispensations. I. GoD BEQUIBED FAITH IN THE PATRIARCHS. Enoch was translated as a response to a life of faith; Noah was saved from the flood because he believed; Abraham's faith was " counted for righteousness." They all " died in faith." The glory on their lives is the shining of God's acceptance given to men of faith. II. GoD REQUIBED FAITH IN THE ISRAELITES. For forty years he was teaching them the trust-lesson. And if the Divine reproaches and reprova.ls and chastisements could be gathered up into a sentence, they would read thus : 11 You will not trust me wholly." "The Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe, for all the signs which I have showed among them?" (Numb. xiv.11). Those Israelites" could not enter in because of their unbelief" (Heb. iii.19). III. GoD REQUIRED FAITH IN THE TIME OF THE KINGS. This was the one demand made in God's Name by the prophets; and striking illustrative incidents may be found in the mission of Elijah, and in the reigns of Asa, Jehoshaphat, aud Hezekiah. IV. GoD BEQUIBED FAITH WHEN SPEAKING TO MEN THROUGH CHRIST. Illustrate (1) his effort to secure faith in sufferers before he healed them; and (2) his reproaches of his disciples, again and again saying to them," 0 ye of little faith!" "How is it that ye have no faith?" Impress that this is God's necessary condition still, and for us. Whence proceed sterility and unfruitfulness in the knowledge of Christ, and inefficiency to good works, and the life of righteousness? The answer is--We have not II faith, even as a grain of mustard seed."-R. T. Ver. 12.-Triu, and false humility. We are to understand that Ahaz had already made up his mind to resort to Assyria for help; probably he had even already sent his ambassadors to Tiglath-Pileser, and he would not be deterred from his purpose by any promise or threatening of Jehovah's. But he dissembled, and tried to get out of his difficulty by hypocritically pretending that he was deterred from asking a sign by a religious fear of tempting the Lord. His words sound as if he were humble and reverent; his heart was strong in its self-willed purposes. He says, "Neither will I tempt the Lord," as if it could be a tempting of God to do that which God directe,! and invited him to do. Remember that, in such passages as this, the word "tempt"  1!2 THE BOOK OF ll'HE PROPJIET ISA.UHr [ oH. vn. 1---26.