The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 424

God's crowning of his patience; whether of the embarrassed, of the sick, or of the defamed. It is to these that the words of the text are most applicable; for it is they who are to wait for a little while, "until the indignation be overpast," I.e. until the hour of deliverance is fully come, and the work.of redemption has been wrought. But we may also regard this f!,S the attribute : 3. Of ehe co-worker with (Jhrist, waiting the Divine blessing on his zeal.---0. Ver. l.-7Vie bulwark of salvation. Two suggestions are made concerning the 8880Ci- ation of this figure in the mind of Isaiah. Some think he had in view the circumstancai of the Assyrian invasion in the time of Hezekiah, and designed to assure the people that, however boastful might .be the Assyrian words, and however terrible the appear• o.nce of the Assyrian armies, they were safe, because the defence of God was better than the mightiest walls, or the loftiest towers, or the most destructive weapons. In pre- paration for the.assault of the Assyrians, Hezekiah had done all in his power to fortify and defend Jerusalem; but, in the doing of his best, his trust was still in the Lord his God;, and he looked for "walls and bulwarks',' in the salvatiou which God promised him by Isaiah. ,But others regard this song as .prepared beforehand, in anticipatiou of the deliverance from ,Babylon, and possession again of the holy city, though then it would be, for many years, a city without walls or bulwarks, anu, even from human points of view, altogether dependent on the Divine defence. J. A. Alexander says, "The condition and feelings of the people after their return from exile are expressed 1,y putting an ideal song into their mouths. Though the first clause does not necessarily mean that this should actually be sung, but merely that it might be sung, or that it would be appropriate to the times and feelings of the people, it is not at all improbable that:it was actually used for this purpose, which could more readily be done as it is written in the form and manner. of the psalms, with which it exhibits many points of resemblance." It would be quite in harmony with other parts of Scripture prophecy to regard Isaiah as having in mind both present and future circumstances; and it .is usually safe to recognize an immediate historical reference. The two associations of the song will, therefore, give us our two points for consideration: 1. God's salvation may come in what he does for us, or «?Utside us. 2. God's salvation may come in what he does by .~s, or within us. ' L •Gori' IIIAY •DEFEND UB BY WHAT BE DOES FOR us. In the case of Hezekiah, Jerusalem was saved by the sudden and overwhelming destruction of Sennacherib's army. In this we may find a type of all the cases in which men have been saved by ~b,e, Divine mastering of their circumst.an.ces. But all these, which may be c.alled "spectacular salvations," have for their chief design to enable us to apprehend those far higher moral, and spiritua~ salvations that are wrought within w. The outward has little interest jn itself. Our chief iuterest in events lies.iu their illustratiou, for those who are dependent on the senses, of moral and spiritual processes. The Bible is full of records of God's. outward salvations. They begin with the dividing of the Red Seo., wheµ. the people were bidden to "stand still, and see the salvation of God." 'fhey are dotted all over the story of the wanderings. They appear again and again in the time of the ~udges. Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah have such stories of Divine deliverance and protection to repeat; and psalmists of all the ages join the <;horus that foHows Moses' great song, " The Lord is my Strength, and my Song, and he is become my Salvation." We sti,ll may hold fast our conlideuce, that God is.working for us in our circumstances, and: even by the discomfiting of our foes, and making for us plain paths. The God of providence is in our life; and in his rule of the events of our live~ we too can see his salvation. Keen vision of God's working in things, persons, and events, outside us we ought ever .to cultivate; but the cultivatiou is a work of exceeding difficulty in this seus~ous and scientific age, when man, his skill and his triumphs. are so unduly li<>noured. II. Goo MAY DEF.END us BY WHAT HE DOES WITHIN us. He may give us a spirit of wisdom o.Qd good counsel, so that the action we to.ke shall be prudent; and in thi~ way security and even rescue from peril aro oftentimes obtained. In times of anxiety less importance attllches to what our foe~ .do than to what we do;, and so God's grac~ m us,.God's salvation of us, is the thing of supreme concern to us. Our B!llva.tion comes by this, '' He streQgtheneth us with strength, in .011r soul.". It follows upon the  'l'HE BOOK OF' 'l'HE PMPHE1'1' ISATAit, (ott. x:tvt. 1-21,