Ver. 4.__;God oor Shadow; "For thou bast been •.•• a Shadow froin: the heatl" The prophet sees, in God's mercifulness to his people, a reason why the nations,aro~nd, the masses of the people, should /ear him. • We can· un\ierstand w_hy the _word 1" fear" is employed. God's deliverings and defendings of his peo!Jle involve judgments on the great kingdoms that were oppressing Israel; andjudgments are·striking and impressive to masses of people, who must act upon fear rather than upon love, or even 11pon a sense of duty, for they are like children who are only learning 'the superior power of moral motives, and mean while must be subject to force, and pU:t into' right ways. The figures in this verse are very forcible. The" storm" is in the original a" storm which overthrows a wall," or a storm so violent that it sweeps down walls before it (Matthew Arnold). In Eastern countries the value of a shade from the blazing sunshine is well understood; and Thomson tells of a terrible" heated day when _he· escaped from the burning highway into a dark vaclted room at the lower Beth~boron, and realized 'i\;hat Isaiah pictured. Anotb'er traveller sayi!, "About midday, when the heat was· very oppressive, a small cloud, scarcely '1Jbservable by the eye, passed over the disc 6f t~e burning sun. Immediately the intense heat abated, a gentle breez~ spran~ up, and we felt refreshed." As a figure for God this I!lay be variously applied and illustrate9. We suggest three lines of illus.tration. I. GoD IN HISTORY HAS Ol"TEN PROVED A SHADOW. Pointe may be obtained. from such reviews of history as are given in Ps. cv.; cvL; cvii. 'rhe key-note is, "·Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out· of their distresses." ' II. GoD .NEEDS TO BE A SHADOW IN OUR TIMES OF PllOSPERITY. For then all that is good and great in us is in grave clanger o/ being burned up i,i the blazing heat. Few of us can sta1.Jd ion:; ir:. tLe sun of prosperity. Woe unto us whep. all men s;peilk well of us! and woe unto us when all things go well with us! It is most gracious In God that he flings his shadow across, and gives us •times ·or quietness and peace; liumliling times they must be, when self is put down from his ~a~tful place. ;Ill. GoD 1s &raE -ro 1lE A BnA:Dow !:N ouR TfMEB olr·ADVEltslTY, Bo Dtwid found, allll wheu new trouble came he could say, " I flee'·unto·thee· to hide me." Our earthly CJlt ll.V, 1-12;] THE. Booir: :OJ'' THE PROPHET ISAIAil. 411
anxieties oome in pmrt ftom circunnstancea, in part from tmemie~, l\nd in part from our own evil selves; It may be shown that, for each kind of trouble, the only true shelter is In God. Close, with' this idea-where the shadow is, Go<l, who throws it, must be near; then, if we keep well within the shadow, we mllSt be clo110 to God, and so quiet and safe.-B. T; Ver. 6.-Jehovah's feaat after reconci1iatwn. The picture in this text is based upon the ,familiar custom in Jude.ism of associating a sacrificial feast with a thank offering or peace offering. Such feasts were highly festive and joyous occasions. As an instance of the custom, reference may be mad& to the scene of the anointing of King Saul. Samuel made a feast, after sacrifice, to which some thirty persons were bidden (1 Sam. ix. 19, 22); "According to the :Mosaic Law, the fat pieces or the victim were to be devoted to Jehovah immediately by burning, and the next best piece, the breast, mediately by giving it to his servants the priests;" the rest was a foundation for a feast. in'. which·, the offerers- shared. The " wines on the lees" are those kept long, that have: become.old and mellowed. "Full of marrow" indicates superior quality. The first reference may be to the joy of the returned captive~ when God permitted a revival of .Jerusalem; but the full reference must. 'be to the spiritual provisions of Messianic .times. For "{easts" M the figure for spiritual blessings, gospel provisions, comp. Pii, xxii. 26-29 ; ch. lv. 1-5; Matt. viii. 11; xxv. 1; Luke xiii. 28, 29; xiv. 15-24. Keeping to .the idea of feast.after sacrifice sealing the reconciliation, and working that idea-out in relation to Christian times, we note- . I. Goo GIVES COMMUNION-WHEN BE ,orvEs RECONCILIATION. The feast was designed to assure ,the worshippers that all separations and .enmities were done away, and God was now in ·gracious and comfortable relations with them. In the East restored friendship is sealed by eating toge~her. It will at once be seen how this constancy of .Divine communion with renewed souls is sealed in the symbolic meal of our sacramental Supper. '11hat feast keeps up the assurauce of God's comfortable relations 0
with,us; We are the restored and accepted ones to whom God gives his friendship. - Ll,: GoD IS CONCERNED ..fli0UT BIS FUTURE RELATIONS WITB HIS REDEEMED O!fES. It is important to correct a sentiment which very seriously imperils right Christian living, but seldom gets:sbape- in actual words. It is assumed that God is supremely anxious for our S11lvation, our·" conversion" as we call it, but indifferent to what we are. and do, if only •we are saved. -This modem modification of Antinomian error is met by the fact that God makes a feast for the redeemed, providing for them after redemption. God is tbefood for the soul's life, and that life be quickens. III;. Goo WANTS JOY TO CHARACTERIZE THOSE CONTINUOUS RELATIONS. 'l'herefore is the festiYe figure chosen. "'l'he joy of the Lord is our strength." The redeemed of the Lord.ought to• march'-' w_ith Hinging unto Zion." Depressions may come, but they may not· abide.· Our Christian life should be a glad feasting on the abundance God provides.:.....R. 'l'.