The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 172

ohandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabllll8.Il1; late, Thua Baith the Lord that created the i.e. " the laborious Egyptians, and the heavens-he is God-that formed the earth traffic-loving Ethiopians and Sabmans." and made it ; he established it ; he created Their buildings and their husbandry alike it n-0t a chaos, but formed it to be fol,abited: ju8tify what is said of the Egyptians, while I am the Lord, and there is none elae. As the very anc.ient trnffic bPtween Egypt and God had not formed the earth to be a Ethiopia is sufllcient ground for the assign- material chaos, but had iutroduccd iuto it ment of a c-0mmercial character to the order and arrangement, so he willed his Ethiopians and the Sabmans. Men of spiritual creation to be recovered out of the stature. (On the tall stature of the Ethio- C-Oufusion into which it hnd fo.lleu, and to pians, see Herod., iii. 20; and C-Omp. eh. be rstablished in 1·ighteousuess. xviii. 2, with the C-Omment.) Shall oome Ver. 19.-I have not spoken in seoret, in over unto thee. Knobel und1>rstimds that a dark plaoe of the earth; literally, in a they would girn their aid t-0 the rebuilding place of the land of darkness. Jthovah's of the temple; but this they certainly did oracles have not been given, like those of not do, and Isaiah's words certainly do not the necromancers, or those of the heathen imply it. He is 11.gain speaking of the great gods, in dark places of the earth-caves like e-0nversion of the nations, which he C-On• that of 'l'rophonius (Puusnu., ix. 29, § 2), or nected with the restoration of the Jews to the inmost recesses (adyta) of temples; but their own land (eh. xi. 12; xviii. 7; xix. openly on Sinai, or by the mouth of prophets 18-25, etc.), and which may be C-Onsidered who proclaimed his words to all Israel t-0 have begun then, but only tc, ha-re had (comp. Deut. xxx. 11-14, "Tliis com- its full 8.CC-Oruplishment iu the l\lessianic mandment which I command thee this day, period. In chains they shell oome over. is not hidden from thee, neither is it far Ready t-0 serve the Church as slaves and off. . . . But the word is very nigh uut-0 servants - not literally wearing chains. thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that They shall fall down unto thee, eto. The thou mayest do it"). So our Lord says of Church, as informed with the Spirit of his own teaching, "I spake openly t-0 the God, shall seem to them a holy thing, and world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and therefore an object of worship (C-Omp. Rev. in the temple, whither the Jews always iii. 9). There is such a union between resort ; and in secret have I aaid nothing " Christ and his Church, that worship, in a (John xviii. 20). Beek ye me in vain; qualified sense, may be paid the Church rather, aeek ye me aa a chaoa (comp. Jar. ii. without unfitness. 31, where God says to his people, "Have Ver. 15.-Verily thou art a God that I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land hidest thyself. Some e-0mmentat-Ors regard of darkness?"). God has no more revealed this as an exclamation made by Isaiah him- himself to his people as chaotic, confused, self, who marvels at ths unsearchabla disordered, than he bas presented the world mystery of God's ways. But otherd, with t-0 them in this condition. I the Lord better reason, take it for a continuation of speak righteousness, I deolare things that the &'J)eech of the converted heathen, who are right. There is on allusion t-0 the marvel that God has so long hid himself crooked and ambiguous utterances of the from them and from the world at large, heathen oracles, which rarely gave direct not manifesting his power, as he has now answers or plainly expressed any definite done in tlie perron of Cyrus. In this meaning. God in his utterances never recent manifestation lie has shown himself diverges from the straight line of righteous- especially the God of Israel, and their ness and truth (comp. Prov. viii. 6). Saviour. Ver. 20.-Assemble yourselves and oome Ver. 16.-They shall be a.shamed . . , . , . ye . , , esoaped of the nations. The Bhall go to oonfusion; ratlier, are aBhamed prophet reverts t-0 the main idea of the . . . are gom to confusion-the " perfect of section, which is the C-Onversion of the prophetic certainty." While the heathen Gentiles, and calls on all " the esce.ped of that join theIUJ!elves tc, Israel partake of the nation "-i.e. all who have survived the their glory and salvation, such as abide by judgments of the time-to "assemble and their idols are covered with shame and come," t-0 consider the claims of Jehovah e-0nfusion. t-0 be the only true God, to '' look to him Ver. 17.-Israel shall be eaved .. , with (ver. 22) and be saved." The great Judg- an everl.eating salvation; literally, a aalva- ments through which the heathen will be twn of ages; ie. one which will continue brought to God ha.ve been frequently men- age after age. As Mr. Clieyne remarks, tioned (eh. xxiv. 1-23; xxvi. 20, 21 : for this t-0 be so, the redem ption required xxvii. 1-7; xxx. 27-33; xxxiv. 1-10: to be spiritual as well as temporal Other- xl. 24: xii. 11, 12, 25; xiii. 13-15, eto.), wi.Be it would ere long !Jave been forfeited. They must not be regarded as limited to Ver. l8.-Thu11aiththeLord,ete. Trans- the time of Cyrus, but rother as oontiuuiug OR, nv. 1-25.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAI.A.H. 177