The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 190

Ver. 2.-Light in dark11e-ss. Cheyne's translation brings out the mee.ning and reference of this passage. "Surely there is (now) no (more) gloom to her whose lei was affliction. At the former time she brought shame on the land of Zebulun, and on the land of Napbtali, but in the latter be bath brought honour on the way by the sea, the other side of Jordan, the district of the nations." The historical facts to which allusion is made are: 1. The despoiling of Upper and Lower Galilee by 'l'iglath-Pileser (2 Kings xv. 29; comp. Zech. x. 10). This part of the country was attacked first, and it suffered most and longest. 2. The Messiah, the Saviour, the great Light shining on the darkness, came in the part of Galilee belonging to Zebulun. It is here noted, aa a characteristic of the DiviDe dealings, that those who suffer most are graciously con- sidered first, and 1hat Divine restorings come most tenderly where there have been Divine woundings and smitings. l. THE DARK.NESS OF BONDAGE MAKES BEAUTIFUL TBB LIGHT OF LIBERTY, This district bad been the first to fall under the yoke of Assyria. As the border country, its sufferings under bondage had been extreme. This may be taken to represent the bondage of men under sin. " Whosoever committeth sin is the bond-slave of sin." Christ came to bring liberty for such captives. And the more bitterly the yoke of sin is felt, the more glorious seems that breaking of bonds and letting prisoners go free, which was the work of the spiritual Redeemer. II. THE DAB.K1'"ESS OF SUFFE!lING saows Ul' THE LIGHT OF LIFE. The distress of the country resulted in prevailing diseases of singularly painful types, such as the demoniacal possessions. In view of these how gracious was his work who came healing all the diseases of the people, and casting out the evil spirits ! Life for _the stricken! Life for the maimed, blind, deaf, dumb, dead I Life even for those "dead in trespasses and sins." "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." : III. THE DARK!."ESB OF LONELINESS GLORIFIES THE LIGHT OF LOVE. Galilee was a despised, neglected region. "Can any good thing come out of Galilee? n Christ, the Lord of love, :finds out the neglected one and comes first to it; honours it, brings to it the joy unspeakable of being cared for and loved. The sinner, in the sense of bis sio, feels lonely-nobody cares for him. It is light, hope, the dawn of bliss, when it comes right home to a sinner's heart, "Jesus cares/or me." The light has risen on your dark Galilee; but the grave question is-Have you seen the light? Have you welcomed the light? Are yon walking in the light ?-R. T. Ver. 8.-The joy of men in a Redeemer. " They joy before thee," in view of the Redeemer thou bast sent. There can be no joy like tbat men feel in the acceptance of God's" unspeakable gift.:o Illustrate by the song and chorus of the angels at Bethlehem: "Unto you is born a Saviour;" "Glory to God in the highest." And by the triumph- song of the redeemed ones in the glory: "Unto him that loved us, aod wasbed,iis from our sins in bis own blood," etc. '!'here had been times of great rejoicing in the history of Israel, such as in the days of Solomon (2 Kings iv. 20; xxii. 13); and of riotous feasting, as in days of Uzziah (eh. v. 11-14). But such joy was me!ely passing excitement; it was as the "crackling of thorns under a pot" compared with the deep, lasting joy of the time when Jesus, the Redeemer from sin and all its conMequences, bowed-the heavens, came down, and dwelt among men. We ask (1) why men should chiefly rejoice in a Redeemer; and (2) what kind of joy theirs should be who •h&ve proved bow he can redeem. ·•h· L Vi'HY MEN SHOULD CHIEFLY REJOICE nr A REDEEMER. 1. Because the one thing man needs above all·others is redemption; not science, not revelation, not civilizati!>n, not morality, not social elevation. Man is in one condition whose interests are, to him, supreme-he is a sinner, and so his supreme need is a Saviour. With the nee? and the supply the Word of God fully deals. It is the Divine message to man, the sinner. Its voice may be translated thus: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me ill '"· Dt. 1-21.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAfl. 181