Isaiah E-Book

John Calvin

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Crossway Classic Commentaries
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2000

Seitenzahl: 846

Beschreibung

Original works by godly writers, tailored for the understanding of today's readers For hundreds of years Christendom has been blessed with Bible commentaries written by great men of God who were highly respected for their godly walk and their insight into spiritual truth. The Crossway Classic Commentary Series, carefully adapted for maximum understanding and usefulness, presents the very best work on individual Bible books for today's believers. Rich imagery and glimpses of God's character abound in the book of Isaiah. Even as the prophet cried out against Judah's empty idolatry and warned of the judgment they would receive, he stressed God's holiness, patience, and mercy. Redemption is Isaiah's central theme, evidenced in his declarations about Judah's temporal need for salvation—and every soul's eternal one. Consequently Isaiah, more than any other prophet, foretold the coming of the Messiah and all that would follow. John Calvin delights to point out the numerous passages that were fulfilled during Christ's earthly ministry, and with anticipation expounds upon those that are yet to be realized. Accordingly he explains Isaiah's emphasis on God's attributes and the prophet's message that salvation is God's chief work. The lessons in Isaiah are powerful and, with Calvin's insightful commentary, are sure to inspire every believer.

Leseprobe

Isaiah

Copyright © 2000 by Watermark

Published by Crossway Books

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Scripture taken from The Holy Bible: New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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First printing, 2000

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.

Isaiah / John Calvin.

p. cm. — (The Crossway classic commentaries)

ISBN 13: 978-1-58134-156-0 (alk. paper)

ISBN 10: 1-58134-156-3

1. Bible. N.T. Luke—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

III. Series: Ryle J. C. (John Charles). 1816-1900. Expository thoughts on the Gospels.

BS1515.3.C35 2000

97-17281

226.4'07—dc21

PG      18    17    16    15    14     13    12    11     10     09    08 16  15    14    13    12     11     10     9     8      7      6      5     4

First British edition 2000

Production and Printing in the United States of America for

CROSSWAY BOOKS

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All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 1-85684-195-2

Contents

Series PrefaceviiIntroductionixPreface by John CalvinxiChapter 115Chapter 231Chapter 3 39Chapter 4 45Chapter 5 49Chapter 6 59Chapter 7 67Chapter 8 79Chapter 9 89Chapter 10 99Chapter 11 105Chapter 12111Chapter 13 113Chapter 14 119Chapter 15 125Chapter 16 129Chapter 17 133Chapter 18 137Chapter 19 141Chapter 20 149Chapter 21151Chapter 22155Chapter 23161Chapter 24165Chapter 25169Chapter 26173Chapter 27177Chapter 28181Chapter 29187Chapter 30 191Chapter 31 195Chapter 32197Chapter 33 201Chapter 34 207Chapter 35 211Chapter 36 215Chapter 37221Chapter 38 231Chapter 39 237Chapter 40 241Chapter 41 249Chapter 42 257Chapter 43 265Chapter 44 273Chapter 45 279Chapter 46 285Chapter 47 289Chapter 48 293Chapter 49 299Chapter 50 307Chapter 51 315Chapter 52 321Chapter 53 325Chapter 54 329Chapter 55 333Chapter 56 337Chapter 57 341Chapter 58 347Chapter 59 353Chapter 60 359Chapter 61 365Chapter 62 369Chapter 63 373Chapter 64379Chapter 65 383Chapter 66 391

Series Preface

The purpose of the Crossway Classic Commentaries is to make some of the most valuable commentaries on the books of the Bible, by some of the greatest Bible teachers and theologians in the last five hundred years, available to a new generation. These books will help today’s readers learn truth, wisdom, and devotion from such authors as J. C. Ryle, Martin Luther, John Calvin, J. B. Lightfoot, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Hodge, and Matthew Henry.

We do not apologize for the age of some of the items chosen. In the realm of practical exposition promoting godliness, the old is often better than the new. Spiritual vision and authority, based on an accurate handling of the biblical text, are the qualities that have been primarily sought in deciding what to include.

So far as is possible, everything is tailored to the needs and enrichment of thoughtful readers—lay Christians, students, and those in the ministry. The originals, some of which were written at a high technical level, have been abridged as needed, simplified stylistically, and unburdened of foreign words. However, the intention of this series is never to change any thoughts of the original authors, but to faithfully convey them in an understandable fashion.

The publishers are grateful to Dr. Alister McGrath of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, Dr. J. I. Packer of Regent College, Vancouver, and Watermark of Norfolk, England, for the work of selecting and editing that now brings this project to fruition.

THE PUBLISHERS

Introduction

Theologian, churchman, preacher, teacher, and educator extraordinaire, John Calvin was able to dictate his own terms when the Geneva authorities, who got rid of him in 1538, came cap in hand three years later begging him to return to the city because they could not get on without him. Among his conditions was that the Bible be lectured on and biblical languages be taught in the boys’ school; and it was not long before he was giving regular Bible lectures there himself, in Latin, three times a week, with clergy and others in attendance alongside the budding teens. Out of these lectures, taken down and corrected for the press, came Calvin’s commentaries on two prophets, of which this one on Isaiah was the first. It was printed in 1551, with a dedication to King Edward VI urging him to get on with the English Reformation, and again in 1559, carefully revised, dedicated this time to Queen Elizabeth, with however a similar message.

This is a great commentary on a great book. By common consent Isaiah, “the evangelical prophet,” is foremost among prophetic writers for his range, grandeur, vividness, variety, and theological vitamin content. More weightily than any other, he fulfills the role distinctive to the prophetic ministry of the Old Testament as Calvin defines it. Prophets, said Calvin, were sent by God to reinforce the Mosaic law in people’s minds and to amplify it as history wore on. They did this in three ways. First, they taught and underlined the “doctrine” of the law (doctrina, Latin for “teaching”; religion and godliness are English words that best catch the overtones of Calvin’s usage). Second, the prophets reinforced the law’s specific commands and threats, with applications to the present and visions of future judgment on sin and future mercy for saints. Third, they dwelt on the reality of the covenant of grace made known at Sinai and delineated Christ, who in due course would be manifested as the foundation, mediator, and guarantor of the covenant forever. “Whoever understands this will easily learn what we ought to seek in the prophets, and what is the purpose of their writings.” Assuming that a single author is responsible for this long and complex book, and that the prophet’s message was consistent and unified across the sixty-odd years of his public ministry, Calvin elucidates all these themes in Isaiah with elegance and skill.

Latter-day preachers, Calvin affirms, should take the prophets as models for much of their ministry. “Although we do not receive day by day a revelation of what we are to utter as a prediction, yet it is of high importance to us to compare the behavior of men of our own age with the behavior of that ancient people; and from their histories and examples we ought to make known the judgments of God; such as, what he formerly punished he will also punish with equal severity in our own day, for he is always like himself. Such wisdom let godly preachers acquire, should they wish to handle the doctrine of the prophets with a good result.” To help preachers discern the unchanging truths about God and man that they are to teach and apply is one of Calvin’s constant purposes as a commentator, and one that is very evident here.

“Calvin still towers above all interpreters, in large commending views of revelation in its whole connection, with extraordinary insight into the logical relations of a passage. . . . These qualities, together with his fixed belief of fundamental doctrines, his eminent soundness of judgment, and his freedom from all tendency to paradox, pedantic affectation, or fanciful conceit, place him . . . on a level with the very best interpreters of our day.” So wrote Joseph Addison Alexander in 1846, and his words remain true in 2000. So enjoy!

J. I. PACKER

Preface By John Calvin

A great number of statements are often made about the office of the prophets, but I think the shortest way of treating this subject is to trace the prophets back to the law, from which they derived their teaching, like rivers from their source. They took it as their rule, and those who speak only about the law may rightly be acknowledged as its interpreters.

The law is made up of three parts: first, the teaching about life; second, warnings and promises; third, the covenant of grace, which, being founded on Christ, contains within itself all the special promises.

As for the ceremonies, they were religious exercises that strengthened the attachment of the people to the worship of God and to godliness and consequently were added to the first tablet of the Ten Commandments. The prophets, therefore, explain more fully what is briefly stated in the Ten Commandments and lay down what the Lord most requires of us. Next, the warnings and promises, which Moses had proclaimed in general terms, are applied by them to their own time and are minutely described. Lastly, they express more clearly what Moses says more obscurely about Christ and his grace; they bring forward more abundant evidences of the free covenant.

To make this matter still clearer, we must go a little further back, to the law itself, which the Lord prescribed as a perpetual rule for the church, to be always in people’s hands and to be observed by each succeeding generation. God forbids his people to consult magicians or soothsayers in case they are tempted to wander away from the teaching given by Moses. The Lord tells them to be satisfied with Moses’ teaching alone. But at the same time he adds that he will ensure that Israel will never lack a prophet. He does this to meet any objection the people might raise, saying that their condition was worse than that of the pagans. To keep them from polluting themselves with the abominable practices of the Gentiles, God promises that he will raise up prophets through whom he will make his will known (see Deuteronomy 18:15). These prophets will faithfully convey the message that he has entrusted to them; so they will have no reason to complain in the future that they lack anything.

When the Lord promised to give them prophets, he commanded the people to rely on their interpretations and their teaching. He did not mean for them to add anything to the law, but to interpret it faithfully and to sanction its authority. So when Malachi exhorts the people to adhere to the purity of faith and to be steadfast in God’s teaching, he says, “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4). He simply reminds them of God’s law and orders them to be content with it. Does Malachi therefore mean that prophecies should be despised? Not at all. The prophecies were appendages of the law and are all summed up in the law; so that exhortation was sufficient. Those who understand the summary of the teaching and its main points and carefully observe them will certainly not neglect the prophecies. It would be absurd to boast of attending to the Word if we ignored its divine interpretations.

So when the prophets inculcate moral duties, they are not saying anything new but are only explaining those parts of the law that had been misunderstood. For example, the people thought they had carried out their duty when they had offered sacrifices and performed the outward services of religion, for the world measures God by its own standard and gives him worldly and false worship. The prophets strongly criticize this and show that ceremonies are of no avail when the heart is not sincere; God is worshiped by believing in him and by actually calling on his name. This had been clearly stated in the law, but it was necessary to remind the people of it frequently and to expose the hypocrisy of their ceremonies. As for the second tablet of the Ten Commandments, the prophets drew on it for their exhortations in order to show people that they should refrain from all injustice, violence, and deceit. Therefore, they do nothing but keep the people obeying the law.

The prophets gave distinctive warnings and promises; what Moses had stated in general terms, they described in great detail. They also had their own special visions, through which the Lord revealed future events in order to apply the promises and warnings for the benefit of the people.

As for the free covenant that God established with the patriarchs in ancient times, the prophets always reminded the people of it and told them about the coming of Christ, who was both the foundation of the covenant and the bond between God and the people. Whoever understands this will easily learn what we ought to seek in the prophets and what is the purpose of their writings. This is all that seems necessary to say on that subject.

So we may learn that we should imitate the prophets, who taught the doctrine of the law. Although we do not receive a daily revelation of what we are to predict, it is nevertheless most important that we should compare the behavior of people in our own age with the behavior of that ancient people. From their stories and examples we should make God’s judgments known.

So much for the prophets in general. As far as the prophet Isaiah is concerned, the inscription clearly shows who he was and when he proclaimed his prophecies. It mentions the name of his father, Amoz, who is believed to have been the brother of Azariah, king of Judah. This shows that Isaiah came from a royal family, and on this point all the ancients are agreed. But neither his birth nor his close relationship to the king (the Jews assert that he was the father-in-law of Manasseh) could prevent him from being killed. He was treated no better than the lowest person in society.

The time when he prophesied is pointed out by means of the names of the kings who lived during his prophecies. It is clear that he prophesied for more than sixty-four years, for Jotham reigned for sixteen years (see 2 Kings 15:33), Ahaz as many (see 2 Kings 16:2), and Hezekiah for twenty-nine years (see 2 Kings 18:2). This adds up to sixty-one years. Add to this the number of years that he prophesied during Uzziah’s reign and later during Manasseh’s reign, through whom he was put to death, and there are at least sixty-four years of uninterrupted prophecies from Isaiah.

All God’s servants should note this carefully, so they can see how patient they should be in their own situation, no matter how hard and difficult it may be. They should not think it is any disgrace to endure severe trials. They ought often to remember that Isaiah saw few successes despite his numerous labors. They should also remember that Jeremiah prophesied to the people for fifty years, which only resulted in their becoming more and more rebellious. However, no difficulties could turn Isaiah and Jeremiah away from their course. We, too, should carry out our duties and patiently endure every kind of persecution.

The following question may be in your mind: Did Isaiah himself or some other person write the inscription to his prophecy? None of the commentators I have read answers this question. I will tell you what I think, although I have not completely made up my mind on this matter. The prophets, after they had addressed the people in public, drew up a brief summary of their prophecy and put it on the gates of the temple so everyone could see it and become fully conversant with it. After a few days it was taken down by the ministers of the temple and placed in the Treasury, so that it might stand as a permanent record. The books of the prophets were probably compiled in this way. This may be inferred from Habakkuk 2:2 and Isaiah 8:1. People who have studied the prophets carefully and judiciously will agree with me that they are not always arranged in chronological order. It is a remarkable instance of God’s providence that these prophecies have come down to us through the agency of the priests, whose duty it was to transmit the prophecies to posterity, even though they were often the bitterest enemies of the prophets.

Isaiah Chapter 1

1. The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.The Hebrew word translated vision often signifies a prophecy. This word, as it stands in this verse, unquestionably means there is nothing in this book that was not made known to Isaiah himself. From this word we learn that the prophets did not speak of their own accord or draw on their own imaginations but were enlightened by God, who opened their eyes to see what they themselves would not have otherwise been able to understand. So the opening of Isaiah points to the teaching of the book, which does not contain human thoughts but rather the oracles of God; it convinces us that the book contains nothing but what was revealed by God’s Spirit.

Concerning Judah. This tells us that the principal subject of the prophecy was Judah. Isaiah was sent to the Jews and to Jerusalem. Everything else in his prophecy may be said to be incidental to his main subject. However, it was not inconsistent with Isaiah’s office to make known to other nations the calamities that would overtake them. In the same way Amos did not exceed the boundaries of his calling when he did not spare the Jews, although he had not been sent to them (Amos 2:4-5). See also the examples of this in the lives of Peter and Paul (Acts 10:17; 13:5; 14:1; 17:2, 10; 18:4, 19). We should view Isaiah in the same way. While he takes pains to instruct the Jews and directs his efforts particularly to them, he does not go beyond his set limits when he also takes a passing interest in other nations.

Judah and Jerusalem. Here Judah stands for the whole nation, and Jerusalem for the chief city in the kingdom.

2. Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! Here Isaiah is alluding to Moses and his famous song (Deuteronomy 32:1). This is unquestionably a very severe protestation. Both Moses and Isaiah turn to the elements, which are dumb and have no feeling, because people have no ears or are bereft of their senses. What could be more shocking than that the Israelites should revolt against God who had bestowed so many benefits on them?

For the LORD has spoken. This means: Listen to the charge that the Lord is about to level against the Israelites. The Lord is compelled to summon dead creatures as witnesses. At his bidding the elements observe the law they have been given, and heaven and earth perform their duty. The earth yields her fruits, and the heavens revolve at set periods. They do this with great accuracy even though they have no reason or understanding. But men and women, endued with reason and understanding and having God’s voice frequently sounding in their ears and hearts, remain unmoved, as though they are bereft of their senses. They will not bend their necks and submit to God. Dumb and lifeless creatures witness against obstinate and rebellious people.

“I reared children and brought them up.” Literally, this means: “I have made them great.” But since Isaiah is speaking about children, the best translation is “I have nourished them” or “I have brought them up.” The Lord had given the Israelites every sort of kindness. He had, as it were, exhausted himself. He elsewhere reproaches them, saying, “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?” (5:4).

To apply this to our own times, we should realize that our condition is equal, or even superior, to the position the Jews had previously enjoyed. Their adoption into God’s family bound them to keep the purity of his worship. We have a double obligation: Not only have we been redeemed by the blood of Christ, but he who once redeemed us is pleased to favor us with his Gospel, and in this way prefers us to all those whom he still allows to remain blinded by ignorance. If we do not acknowledge these things, we will deserve a more severe punishment than they do.

“But they have rebelled against me.” God declares that the Israelites have turned their backs on him, like a son who leaves his father’s house and shows there is no possibility of his return. It is indeed a terrible thing for a child to disobey his father, but even worse for the Israelites to reject such a kind Father. Isaiah uses the word children not in order to show them respect, but to highlight the dreadful nature of their rebellion.

3. “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger.” This comparison emphasizes more strongly the nature of their rebellion. Isaiah now pronounces that the Israelites are worse than dumb animals that have no reason or understanding but who are at least capable of being taught. Isaiah sends them to the ox and to the donkey, so they can learn from them what their duty is. We should not be surprised at this, for animals often observe the order of nature better and show greater kindness than men themselves.

“But Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” The name Israel, which Isaiah contrasts with those animals, is emphatic. We know how much the descendants appreciated being known by this name, which God had bestowed on the holy patriarch because he had defeated the angel when he wrestled with him (see Genesis 32:28). So it was all the more dishonorable for the rebellious children to make a false boast about this honor now.

4. Ah, sinful nation. Isaiah had already rebuked Israel severely, but in order to expose their crime even more, he adds an exclamation, expressing even more strongly his abhorrence of such base ingratitude and wickedness.

A people loaded with guilt. The force of this metaphor should be noted. Not only does he mean that they had sunk into their iniquity as into a deep mire, but he also accuses them of being deliberately rebellious. It is like saying they were the slaves of sin or sold themselves to act wickedly.

When Isaiah adds, a brood of evildoers, he means that the Israelites are a wicked seed.

Children given to corruption! I think that the word translated corruption would be better translated “degeneracy.” The prophet means they are so depraved that they are totally unlike their parents. The epithets which are now bestowed by Isaiah on his nation are dishonorable and are very different from the opinion that the Israelites held about themselves. This is the way in which we should wake up hypocrites. The more they flatter themselves and the further they are from being ruled by the fear of God, so much the more should we wield against them thunderbolts from our mouths. It is necessary to remove the false conviction of their holiness, righteousness, and wisdom that they often use as a disguise and as a basis for idle boasting.

They have forsaken the LORD. Isaiah states his reason for reproving the Israelites so sharply and severely. They had no reason to complain, as they often did, of being treated with excessive harshness and rigor. First he rebukes them for the source of all evils, their rebellion against God. Isaiah’s purpose is not to convince the Jews that they are guilty of a single crime but to show that they are complete apostates.

The following words, they have spurned the Holy One of Israel, are added to highlight the enormity of their sin. They were showing contempt for the One who had chosen them alone from all the nations to be adopted into his family. God calls himself the Holy One of Israel. In admitting them into an alliance with him he had at the same time bestowed his holiness upon them. Wherever this name appears, it is ascribed to God on account of the effect it produces.

And turned their backs on him. This means that when the Lord gave them a way of living, they merely indulged their sinful passions. Their licentiousness was so unbridled that they completely rebelled against God.

5. Why should you be beaten anymore? The why here means “to what purpose?” or “For what end?” Isaiah is saying that the Jews have reached such a pitch of wickedness, it is not possible to believe that any punishments will do them any good. When desperate people become hardened, they prefer to be torn to shreds rather than submit to correction.

Why do you persist in rebellion? This confirms the previous statement. It is like saying, “You will still not stop your treachery. You even continue to add to your crimes. I see that you rush to commit more sins as if you had committed yourself to that purpose.” God’s aim here is to expose their incorrigible disposition, so that they are left without any excuse.

Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. Isaiah is making a comparison with the human body. If the body is too severely injured, there is no hope of recovery. He points to the two principal parts of the body on which it depends for its health—the head and the heart. The vital organs are so injured and corrupted that it is impossible to heal them.

6. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness. Isaiah continues the same comparison. The prophet is talking about the afflictions through which the nation has almost wasted away. He says that this constant weakness is evidence of their stubborn impenitence. They have only wounds and welts and open sores, from which diseased matter continually flows, as if some concealed fountain were supplying endless venom. By this metaphor he shows that their wound is incurable, since the supply of venom cannot be stopped. All this is greatly heightened by saying that no remedies have been applied. He uses three metaphors that he links together: They have only wounds and welts . . . not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. Each metaphor has the same meaning: The nation, without any hope of relief, without comfort, without remedy, is reduced to a state of distress, in which the utmost severity of God is openly displayed.

7. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire. Literally, their country is “a desolation.” Isaiah goes on to speak in more detail and more clearly about what he had already said in illustrations about their punishments. Their country has been reduced to a frightful state of devastation. I interpret all those statements to relate to past events. The prophet is not threatening God’s vengeance but is describing dreadful calamities that have already taken place. He rebukes them for their indolence and stupidity in remaining unmoved by their afflictions.

Your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. This is added to make the picture even more graphic. The calamity is made worse when it is brought about by men who are unknown—men who, coming from a distant country, are more cruel than the neighboring tribes. Such men destroy cities, burn houses and buildings, and spread destruction wherever they go.

From this we learn that when God starts to punish us, if we do not repent, he does not immediately desist but increases the punishments and constantly follows them up with more afflictions. So we should abstain from such obstinacy if we do not want to call down on our heads such destruction.

8. The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard. He alludes to a custom that still exists in France, where the vine-keepers have a shelter for themselves when the grapes begin to ripen.

Like a hut in a field of melons. This next comparison, closely linked to the previous one, is taken from the custom of protecting a field of melons with men who keep watch during the night in a hut. Isaiah goes on to explain what he means by these two comparisons.

Like a city under siege. The prophet means that the evils he is speaking about will reach right to the very city, until it is broken and ruined and resembles a shelter.

9. Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. Here Isaiah concludes what he said before about God’s punishments. The desolation that will take place, or rather that is present and that they now see, may be compared with the destruction of Sodom, were it not that the Lord snatched some survivors, a very small remnant, from the fire. The prophet is telling them that they should not be deceived by flattery. They would be in the same condition as Sodom and Gomorrah if God had not had compassion on them and preserved some survivors. This is in line with Jeremiah’s words, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed” (Lamentations 3:22).

There are two things to observe from this. First, the prophet describes utter destruction here. And yet, because God had to deal with his church and his beloved people, that judgment is mitigated by special grace, so that out of the general ruin of the whole nation God rescues his people, whom he rightly compares with a very small remnant. Since God punished the sins of the Jews in such a dreadful way, we must consider that we may share the same fate if we imitate their rebellion. God had set that nation apart for himself and had distinguished them from other people. So why should God spare us if we are hardened in our ungodliness and treachery?

The second thing to observe, as we see from Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations, is that it is only because of the tender mercies of God that we are not utterly destroyed. If we consider the vast amount of wickedness among all sorts of people, we are amazed that even a single individual is left and that all have not been removed from the land of the living. “But I withheld my hand” (Ezekiel 20:22), says the Lord, so that some of the church was preserved in the world. This is the reason given by Paul, who is the best interpreter of this passage. He quotes it to show the haughtiness of the Jews, that they may not boast of their mere name, as if it had been enough that they were descended from the fathers of Israel. Paul reminds them that God could act toward them as he had toward their fathers, but that through his tender mercies “the remnant will be saved” (Romans 9:27). And why? So that the church may not utterly perish. For it is through the favor that the Lord shows toward the church that he still reserves some “descendants” (Romans 9:29). This statement should give us great comfort even during those heavy calamities that we tend to think are everywhere in the church.

If the church does not spread far and wide, people are prone to despise her. We also learn that we should not judge a church by the size of its congregation. We should be satisfied with knowing that although the number of the godly is small, God still acknowledges them as his chosen people. We should also recall Jesus’ consoling words, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

10. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! He confirms what he has already said: The Lord’s vengeance is not cruel, for they deserved an even more severe punishment. While there was a difference between them and the inhabitants of Sodom concerning the punishment, their guilt was the same. So the same punishment would have been inflicted if the Lord had not spared them. If they received milder treatment, it was not because they sinned less heinously than the inhabitants of Sodom but because of the mercy of God.

When Isaiah gives to the rulers the name of Sodom and calls the people by the name of Gomorrah, he does not mean there is any difference between them, but that they are the same. The different names lend additional elegance, as if he said there is no greater difference between rulers and people than there is between Sodom and Gomorrah.

The prophet starts by stripping the Jews of their disguises, and he is right to do this. For while all hypocrites use strange coverings to conceal themselves from view, that nation was particularly addicted to this vice. They took great offense at the way in which Isaiah addressed them, but it was necessary to expose their wickedness and their haughty demeanor. All hypocrites should be dealt with like this.

By the word the prophet means the law. By quoting these words of Moses, he reminds them that he is not introducing anything new and is not adding anything to the law.

11. “The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” says the LORD. Isaiah now introduces God as the speaker, for a lawgiver not only issues commands but also gives a sound interpretation of the laws, so that they may not be abused. The previous reproof was unquestionably unpalatable to the people. They gloried in the name of Abraham and boasted that they were his children. This is why the prophet arms himself with God’s authority against them. It is as if he said, “You must realize that you do not have to deal with me but with God.”

“I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” He explains God’s intention in demanding sacrifices: It is not because God places a high value on them, but so they may be aids to piety. The Jews were greatly mistaken when they thought their holiness consisted only in those services. They thought they had performed their duty admirably well when they offered sacrifices of slain beasts. And when the prophets demanded something more than this, the people complained that they were being treated harshly. Now the Lord says that he rejects and abhors these sacrifices. This may appear to be excessively severe, for he had appointed them, but all difficulties about this passage are easily removed by Jeremiah who says, “For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:22-23). He shows that the observance of ceremonies depends wholly on the word of God, and that it is as pointless to separate them from the word as it would be for the soul to be separated from the body. Jeremiah also says, “Do not trust in deceptive words and say, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!’” (Jeremiah 7:4).

From these passages it is evident that the ceremonies are condemned because they have become separated from the word of God and from their souls. From this we see just how blind people are who cannot be convinced that all the trouble they take over worshiping God is pointless unless it flows from the heart.

12. “When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?” What an admirable way to conclusively refute false worship! God declares that it is pointless for them to offer him anything that he does not require, for he does not want to be worshiped in any other way than he has commanded. How does it come about that people are so delighted with their ways of worship unless it is because they do not realize that all their services neither benefit themselves nor are acceptable to God? Otherwise they would at once remember that obedience is all that is required of them (see 1 Samuel 15:22).

13. “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies.” To drive the point home, Isaiah declares that such worship is not only unprofitable, but God detests and abhors it! Nothing is dearer to God than his own glory; so there is nothing that he detests so much as being worshiped in a corrupt way. Some people have misunderstood this passage, thinking he is talking about repealing the law. That is not God’s aim, for he tells the people through Isaiah that they should worship God in the right way and explains to them why these ceremonies were instituted. Since the beginning of the world the worship of God was spiritual. Isaiah now goes on to describe why these ceremonies were instituted and how they should be observed.

14. “Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.” The prophet, speaking for God, adds nothing new to his previous teaching. Concerning all ceremonies in which there is no spiritual truth but only the glare of a false pretense, he declares that they are not merely useless but wicked. God delights in truth, but especially in the worship due to his majesty. All superstitions are corruptions of the worship of God. It follows from this that they are wicked and unlawful.

I shall not comment in detail on the phrases used here, but they should not be passed over lightly, for the Lord sees how great is people’s wantonness in contriving different ways of worship. So the prophet uses a variety of expressions to rebuke their evil ways.

15. “When you spread out your hands in prayer.” The ancient custom of spreading out hands in prayer did not arise out of superstition. It comes from nature herself, which prompts people to declare, even through an outward sign, that they are going to God in prayer. As they are not able to fly to him, they raise themselves up by means of this sign. No instruction concerning this sign was given to the fathers, but they used it as men who had been inspired by God. So Isaiah is not condemning them for spreading out their hands in prayer but for their hypocrisy. They looked like people who were calling on God, but their hearts were set against him, as the prophet declares more fully in Isaiah 29:13: “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.’” (See also Psalm 145:18.) Where hypocrisy exists, there can be no true calling on God.

“I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” Isaiah expands on his previous statement by threatening that God will be deaf to their cries, no matter how many prayers they say. It is as if he said, “Though you are constant in prayer, that will not benefit you at all.” Hypocrites think that the more they pray, the more holy they are.

“Your hands are full of blood.” Isaiah starts to explain in more detail why God disapproves, and even disdainfully rejects, both their prayers and their sacrifices. It is because they are cruel and bloody, stained with every kind of sin, although they come before God with a hypocritical display.

16. “Wash and make yourselves clean.” Isaiah exhorts the Jews to repent. From this we see that nothing can please God unless it comes from a pure conscience. God does not judge our deeds as we do, according to their outward appearance. It often happens that some particular action, although performed by a very wicked person, gains human applause. But in the sight of God, who sees the heart, a depraved conscience pollutes every virtue. Haggai taught that everything an unclean person touches is polluted. Isaiah has already declared that it is no good offering sacrifices to God or praying or calling on his name if we do not worship him in our hearts. Hence Isaiah demands that the Jews make themselves clean, in order that what they do may no longer be pointless. We should always deal in this way with people who are strangers to God.

God through Isaiah tells them to wash. He does not mean that people repent through the exercise of their free will, but he shows that the only remedy for them is to be pure in God’s sight. We know that the sacred writers attribute to people what is done in them by God’s Spirit (see Ezekiel 36:25).

“Take your evil deeds out of my sight!” The prophet now describes the fruits of repentance. He not only explains without a metaphor what it is to wash and to be clean, but he orders them to show through everything they do that they are being renewed by God. He tells them to show fruits of repentance in two ways. They are to stop doing wrong, and they are to learn to do right (verse 17). First, we must stop committing every act of injustice. We must not be like those idle people who think they have done enough just because they have not harmed anyone, and yet are never kind to anyone. Isaiah wants them not only to cease from evil but to do positive good.

17. “Learn to do right! Seek justice.” Isaiah had told them to stop doing wrong; now he tells them to learn to do right! They must excel at doing good. Isaiah says they must learn to do this.

“Encourage the oppressed.” Isaiah, as he often does, gives particular examples of the general principle he has just mentioned. Although he has already given a special exhortation to be kind and to seek justice, he wants to drive his point home even more and so gives some specific examples of what he means. People who want to be thought of as being good and righteous are rarely moved by a general instruction; but when we come to particular examples, they are forced, as it were, to apply it to their daily living.

“Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” The prophet selects two groups of people who often suffer as a result of human wickedness. The fatherless and the widow are rarely supported by people because people derive no benefit from helping such despised and lowly people. Wealthy and influential men have many friends to help them, for they hope to be rewarded. But the Lord declares that he will take care of the fatherless and the widow and that he will avenge those who harm them. See Exodus 22:22-24.

18. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. The Lord declares that the Jews will be speechless when they come before him. This is the way hypocrites should be dealt with, for they boldly enter into discussions with God, and there is no end to their arguments. So Isaiah tells them that if they choose to debate with God, God will be more than a match for them. In other words, Isaiah does not accuse innocent people and has no wish to enter into an argument. The prophet introduces the Lord, as if he said, “For my part, if it is necessary, I will debate with you. For the result will only show up your own obstinacy that prevents any reconciliation between us. The only way to end the controversy between us is if you bring a clean heart with you.”

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” God declares that he is prepared to cleanse us and to make us as white as snow.

19. “If you are willing and obedient.” Isaiah continues to plead God’s cause against the people. He states in a few words that not only must the people take the blame for all the calamities they endured but that they have it in their own power to recover their prosperity and happiness. God is always ready to forgive them, provided that they do not harden their hearts.

“You will eat the best from the land.” By this Isaiah means the fruits of the earth that supply the necessities of life. For in one sense the earth may be said to be unkind when it does not produce its fruits and keeps them, as it were, to itself. But I have no doubt that he is alluding to the promises of the law, in which God declares that those who fear him will be blessed by an abundant harvest (see Deuteronomy 28:11). Yet when he offers us the necessities for this earthly life, it is not because he wants our thoughts to be confined to our present happiness (which is the only thing hypocrites value and which entirely occupies their minds); it is in order that we may rise to the heavenly life. He wants to prepare us for the enjoyment of eternal happiness through tasting so much goodness on earth.

20. “But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” The wicked always think that the severity of the punishment is greater than their guilt, even when the Lord punishes them very gently. But the prophet warns them that there will be no end to their calamities until they are destroyed. Lest they imagine that they have nothing more to fear than the light punishment they had suffered so far, he declares that far heavier judgments from God await them.

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Since people are blinded by their lusts and are hardly moved by any warnings, the prophet awakes them from their deep sleep by reminding them that this declaration is not uttered by a mortal but comes from the mouth of the LORD, who does not change his mind as human beings do. Isaiah mentions the mouth of the LORD in order to shock them out of their sinful ways.

21. See how the faithful city has become a harlot! In order to add weight to this rebuke, and to expose the dreadfulness of the people’s sin in having departed from God and from all uprightness, the prophet cries aloud as if he had seen some monstrous thing. He speaks of the city that had previously been a guardian of justice but is now a hideout for thieves. He speaks about her as one who had been a pure, chaste virgin but has now become a harlot!

By the word faithful Isaiah alludes, in my opinion, to the faithfulness in marriage that a wife should show toward her husband. I think faithful in this context means chaste, for immediately afterwards he uses another term to contrast with it, calling the city a harlot. Her immoral behavior does not bring a blush to her face. The Scriptures often call the church the wife of God (see Hosea 2:19-20). Jerusalem kept her honorable position so long as she kept her spiritual chastity and continued to worship God in purity. As soon as she stopped doing this she became a harlot!

She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her. Isaiah shows what fruits were produced through their previous allegiance to God. We may take justice as another name for uprightness.

But now murderers! Isaiah shows how Jerusalem had become a harlot. The city that had previously been renowned for its love of justice and righteousness was now full of murderers. This does not mean they were assassins or robbers but that by fraudulent methods, under the guise of justice, they had acquired other people’s property. In short, he means that they did not act fairly and justly toward their fellowmen, even though they might be held in high esteem, as some wicked people are.

The state that Jerusalem was reduced to should make us reflect on how often Satan exercises what might be called unrestricted tyranny over God’s church. For if ever there was a church, there was one at that time in Jerusalem. And yet Isaiah affirms that it was a den of robbers or a slaughterhouse where they cut people’s throats. If Satan could cause such confusion in that church, let us not be surprised if the same thing takes place among us. We must work hard not to allow ourselves to be corrupted by such wicked examples.

22. Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. By making two comparisons Isaiah shows that the outward appearance of their affairs was not publicly overturned, even though their inner condition had changed and had been corrupted, so that they were very different from how they had previously been. For he says that dross now shines instead of silver and that their wine, though it retained its color, has lost its flavor. “Although you still make an empty show,” says the prophet, “nothing pure will be found in you. The wine that used to be choice wine is now corrupted; though its color may deceive the eye, its taste shows that it has been diluted with water.”

All this means that the Jews should put aside their hypocrisy and start to confess their sins. The comparisons made here are highly appropriate. Dross looks similar to silver; similarly, the color of wine diluted with water resembles that of pure wine. And yet both are far from having the purity that they claim. In the same way hypocrites, through their hypocrisy, may be said to assume the false color of silver, though they are no more valuable than dross.

23. Your rulers are rebels. There is a play on words here. Isaiah is not referring to rulers as though the ordinary people were holy and needed no reproof; rather, he points out the source of the evil. No disease is more harmful than one that spreads from the head to the whole body, and so no evil is more destructive among people than when a ruler is depraved.

Companions of thieves. Isaiah means they are so far from restraining theft that, on the contrary, they profit from it themselves. By receiving part of the booty, they give others permission to commit theft. And, indeed, when a judge is open to a bribe, some crimes will go unpunished.

They all love bribes and chase after gifts. Isaiah now points out why rulers have made themselves companions of thieves. It is out of avarice. When judges are devoted to the love of money, justice is utterly destroyed. This results, as one person has said, in judges’ making laws and unmaking laws. See Exodus 23:8. No man is so upright, no man so sagacious, that his mind resists the blinding influence of gifts. Such judges are rightly called companions of thieves.

They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them. As the Lord especially commands us to care for the fatherless and widows, because they have no one to look after them, we are hardly surprised if he is displeased when they are abandoned by the rulers, who should have been their guardians and defenders. Since the fatherless and widows have neither foresight, nor industry, nor strength if no one comes forward to assist them, they are exposed to every kind of injustice. When no attention is paid to them, it follows that justice does not rule; rather, covetousness is the order of the day.

24. Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares . . . Isaiah first of all uses the word Lord, the word used to denote the relationship between a servant and his master. Then Isaiah uses the word for the LORD Almighty —that is, Jehovah, which denotes the eternal essence and majesty of God. Isaiah now wants to warn them of God’s judgment and at the same time to remind them that the children of Abraham are God’s special people. So he adds that God is the Mighty One of Israel.

“Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.” By these words Isaiah intimates that God will not be pacified untilhe has satiated himself by inflicting punishment. This punishment will fall on his enemies. He is not speaking here about the Chaldeans or Assyrians, as some have thought, but of Jews, to whom, like a herald, the prophet proclaims war in the name of the Lord. This warning sounded harshly in their ears, for they thought that because they were linked with God, he was an enemy of their enemies. On the contrary, Isaiah declares that he is their enemy, because he had been so often provoked by their sins. This is how we must shake off the slothfulness of the hypocrites, who are constantly waging war against God and yet do not hesitate to allege that they enjoy his protection. We need not wonder, therefore, if the prophet sternly pronounces them God’s enemies. They had broken God’s covenant and so declared war on him.

And yet, to show that he does this unwillingly, as it were, God utters his warning with a kind of groan. Nothing is more in line with his nature than to do good; so whenever he is angry with us and treats us harshly, it is certain that our wickedness has compelled him to be like this, because we do not allow his goodness to take its free course. He is especially disposed to treat his own people with gentleness, and when he sees there is no longer any room for his forbearance, he takes measures, as it were in sorrow, to inflict punishment.

“And avenge myself on my enemies.” In this second clause there is a repetition, a figure of speech often used by the Jews, who often expressed the same thought twice in one sentence. From this we also learn that God cannot rest until he has taken vengeance on a wicked and treacherous people.

25. “I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge . . .” This brings a little relief from the previous warning. Although he still speaks of his severity, he also says that amidst those calamities the church will be preserved. The main aim here is to comfort the believers, so they will not think the church is utterly ruined. The Spirit of God, through the prophets, continually warns God’s children, who tremble at his word, not to be overwhelmed and lose heart because of all the dire warnings.

Besides, the announcement “I will turn my hand against you” denotes God’s presence, as if he said, “I will display my hand.” He does this in two ways, either by warning the wicked or by delivering believers from their distresses. Since it is clear from the context that God wants to mitigate the severity of punishment, the phrase “I will turn my hand” must be viewed here as referring to the restoration of the church. Although he states in general terms that everyone is his enemy, he now modifies or limits that statement by addressing Jerusalem or Zion.

“I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove your impurities.”The purification of the church is God’s own work. So he always lifts up his hand to punish transgressors, that he may bring back wanderers. He points out here a special favor that he bestows on his elect; so it follows that repentance is a true and particular work of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise the sinner, instead of benefiting at all, would become more and more hardened by the punishments.

The dross being thoroughly purged must not be understood to mean that God ever purifies his church completely from every stain in this world. Rather, it is like saying that his church’s holiness will shine like pure silver. These words, therefore, indicate real purity, for the Jews had previously been content to wallow in their filth. This is a highly appropriate comparison, through which the prophet declares that though the church was then polluted by many defilements, some remnant would still remain, which, after the removal of the pollution, would regain its brightness. In this way he also links both clauses, for when he had previously spoken about their sins, he said, your silver has become dross (verse 22).

26. “I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning.” He now speaks in plain language. Having said that the source of the evil was in the rulers, he shows that a divine hand will purify them when the Lord restores the church to perfect health. And, indeed, when those who rule are good and holy people, public order is maintained. But when wicked people have power, everything goes to ruin. By judges and counselors he clearly means magistrates. When he says they will be as in days of old and as at the beginning, he reminds them of God’s extraordinary goodness, of which they had been deprived. God had graciously raised up the throne of David. Although the authority of the family of David had degenerated into a most terrible tyranny, they still boasted of being his true heirs. So the people are rightly reminded about the happiness from which they had fallen through their own fault, so that they might not be upset by the decline in numbers. For this was the means through which they would again possess that order that God had established.

“Afterward you will be called The City of Righteousness, The Faithful City.” He describes the fruit of the reformation about which he has spoken, extending to the whole body. Before Jerusalem had rebelled against God, she had been a Faithful City . . . called the City of Righteousness. Now the prophet says that after she has been chastised, the same virtues will be illustriously displayed in her. Here, too, the essence of repentance is stated, for Righteousness means uprightness, when everyone obtains what belongs to them, and people live with each other without harming each other. The word Faithful has a wider meaning, for when a city is called Faithful, it means not only that justice and honesty between people are observed, but that the purity of God’s worship is maintained. Therefore, it includes chastity and purity of mind. Isaiah is describing the fruit of true conversion. It is like saying, “When Jerusalem will be brought back to true godliness, people will be persuaded that she is renewed.”

27. Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.