The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 573

Ver. 3.-0heer for the faint-hearted. This term may well be applied either to the small remnant left in Judma., or to the small company that represented the exiled nation on the return to Jerusalem. The cheer comes through the assurance of God's direct and gracious relations with them. Faint-hearted ones can only be steadied by leaning on the Strong One for strength. The prayer of all such should be this, "O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake thou /OT' me." Introduction may include the reasons for faint-heartedness which these people had wbo are here addressed; and the correspond- ing reasons for faint-heartedness which now may press upon us. We have times, like those which Job knew, when everybody and everything seems to be against us; we have to suffer much through the wrong-doing of others; and the frailty of our bodies often makes ns write bitter things against ourselves. Our hope is in God. He sends cheering assurances. I. WE HAVE THIS GOOD CHEEB-GoD LIVES. Even if we are as nearly shipwrecked as the Apostle Paul, and for days and nights together neither sun nor stars appear, the fact cannot be altered, the sun is there behiud those clouds; they cannot blot him out. In our troublous and weary times men may brnise us sorely with their taunts, "Where is now thy God?" But taunts cannot push him from his place, and blot him from our sky. He is there, behind the cloud, if his time is not yet. We shall praise him, II. WE HA VE THIS GOOD CIIEEB-GoD 18 FOB us. He is on our side. " Who shall harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good ? " " If God be for us, who can be against us?" We have a champion, a "Great Heart" pilgrim's guide. "Greater is he who is with us than all that can be against us." And if we are still placed under disabilities and burdens, we keep this confidence-seeing God is for us, he must know that it is better for us to let the burdellB stay than to remove them. He could remove them ; it is enough for us that he does not. III. WE HAVE THIB GOOD OHEEB-GoD IB WITH tJB. His:is not a grace and help which we may have on appeal merely; it is a grace and strength which are our con- stant possession. "The Lord of hosts is with llB." We are safely defended; we are wisely inspired; we possess all things-" all are ours "-for we have God. IV. WE HAVE THIS GOOD CHEER-Goo 18 IN us. This is the deeper Christian view, and opens np the Pauline teaching, "I live, yet not I, Christ liveth in me;" and, we ma.y even say, the teaching of our Lord himself. Cheer for the faint-hearted follows our response to this appeal, "Abide in me, and I in you."-R. T. Vera. 5, 6.-Pre-visions of the Great Physician. These may be poetical fi,,,aures, designed to present, in an impressive way, a time of great national joy; but we cannot fail to recognize in them foresha.dowings of the miracles of healing and of grace that were wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ. The first and general meaning of the passage IDay be that, "so conspicuous and overpowering would be ihe interference of God on behalf of his people, those of the most obtuse intellect '°uld not fail to perceivo it. 60 j9yo1.1B would be the eve!lt, t}mt persolll! the most "®likely would participate ill lllo CH, :u.xv. 1-10.) THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 577