The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 433

HOMILETICS. Yer. 1.-Spiritual wickedntss in high pla.ou powe1·les1 to resist God. As Isaiah was, sou1ehow or other, brought into conta.ct with the dualistic doctrine of the Zoro- astrians (eh. xlv. 5-7), it was important that he should bear witness to the im~- tency of the powers of evil when they matched themselves against Jehovah. 'Ihe Zoroastrians taught that there were two great principles, one of good, and the other of <'Vil, whom they called respectively Ahura-mazda and Angro-mainyus, who were both of them uncreated and independent one of the other, and between whom there had been from all eternity, and always would be, a bitter contest and rivalry, each seeking to injure, baffle, and in every possible way annoy and thwart the other. Both principles were real persons, possessed of will, intelligence, power, consciousness, and other personal qualities. 'l'he struggle between them was constant and well-balanced, with certainly no marked preponderance of the good over the evil. Whatever good thing Ahura-mazda had created from the beginning of time, Angro-ma.inyus had corrupted and ruined it. Moral and physical evils were alike at his disposal. He could blast the earth with barrenness, or make it produce thorns, thistles, and poisonous plants; his were the earthquake, the storm, the plague of hail, the thunderbolt; he could cause disease and death, sweep off a nation's flocks and herds by murrain, or depopulate a continent by pestilence; ferocious wild beasts, serpents, toads, mice, hornets, mosquitoes, were his creation; he had invented and introduced into the world the sins of witchcraft, murder, unbelief, cannibalism; he excited wars and tumults, continually stirred up the bad against the good, and laboured by every possible expedient to make vice triumph over virtue. Ahura-mazda could exercise no control over him;, the utmost that he could do was to keep a perpetual watch upon his rival, and seek to baffle and defeat him. This he was not always able to; despite his best endeavours, Angro-mainyus was not unfrequently victorious. It was probably to meet this doctrine, and prevent fts having weight \\ith his disciples, that Isaiah taught so explicitly the nothingness of the highest powers of evil in any contest with the Almighty. He had already stated that, at the end of the world, God would visit and punish "the host of the high, ones that were on high," as well as the kings of the earth upon the earth (eh. xxiv. 21).. He now presents evil in a threefold personal form of the highest awfulness and grandeur, and declares its conquest in this threefold form by Jehovah. God is to ••punish., the two leviathans with his sword, and actually to" slay the dragon." This might seem to go beyond the statements of the Revelation of St. John (xx. 10) ; but it is probably to be understood, in the same sense, of a living death. The triumph is at a.ny rate complete, final, unmistakable. Evil can do nothing against good, but .is wholly overcome by it. Vere. 3-5.-The means whereby God purifies and perfects his <Jlu.1,rch; Despite bnman weakness and human perversity, God will build up and establish a faithful Church-he will " purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus iL 14). It is for his honour that this should be so, and he is strong enough to effect it. His "strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. xii. 9). We are shown here some, at any rate, of the chief means whereby he effects his purpose. Most prominent of all is- L His PERPETUAL WATCHFUL GUARDIANSHIP. "I the Lord do keep it." "I will keep it night and day." Incessant watchful care, never slacking, never wearied, the fruit of abounding infinite love,-this is the first thing. The Lord "keeps the city." The Lord is his Church's "Keeper," so that " the sun shall not burn it by day, neither the moon by night; " so that the thief shall not enter in, nor the fox spoil ; .so that the hatred and wiles of Satan shall be of no avail; so that "the gates of hell shall not pre- vail agaiil!lt it "(Matt. xvi. 18). The Lord's care is unceasing-" he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps. cxxi. 4). The Lord's care is effectual~" he keepeth his mercy /or ever " (Ps. lxxxix. 28). IL Hrs OONBTANT REFRESHING GRACE. "I will water it every moment." Not only day by day and hour by hour, but momently, does his grace descend on his Church, stret1gthening it, reviving it, refreshing it. His Holy Spirit teaches men's hearts Olt, xxvn. 1-13.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, 43'1