Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 29
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 29
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 29
"Ho Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! add ye year to year; let the feasts come round: then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation; and she shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will encamp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with posted troops, and I will raise siege works against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. But the multitude of thy foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be in an instant suddenly. She shall be visited of Jehovah of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her stronghold, and that distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night. And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion." — Isaiah 29:1-8 (ASV)
Ariel may signify the altar of burnt offerings. Let Jerusalem know that outward religious services will not make people free from judgments. Hypocrites never can please God, nor make their peace with him.
God had often and for a long time, by a host of angels, encamped around Jerusalem for protection and deliverance; but now he fought against it. Proud looks and proud language will be brought down by humbling providences. The destruction of Jerusalem's enemies is foretold.
The army of Sennacherib vanished like a dream; and thus the multitudes, who through successive ages fight against God's altar and worship, will fall. Speedily will sinners awake from their soothing dreams in the pains of hell.
"Tarry ye and wonder; take your pleasure and be blind: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered. And all vision is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh [unto me], and with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught [them]; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?" — Isaiah 29:9-16 (ASV)
The complacency of sinners in sinful ways, is a cause for lamentation and wonder. The learned, through prejudice, said that the Divine prophecies were obscure; and the poor pleaded their lack of learning. The Bible is a sealed book to everyone, learned or unlearned, until they begin to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, so that they may learn from it the truth and the will of God.
To worship God, is to approach Him. And if the heart is full of His love and fear, out of its abundance the mouth will speak; but there are many whose religion is only lip service. When they pretend to be speaking to God, they are thinking of a thousand foolish things. They worship the God of Israel according to their own ways.
Many people are only formal in worship. Their religion is only to comply with custom and to serve their own interests. But the wanderings of mind and defects in devotion, which are the believer's burden, are very different from the withdrawing of the heart from God, so severely blamed. And those who make religion no more than a pretense to serve their own purposes deceive themselves.
And just as those who quarrel with God, so too those who think to conceal themselves from Him, in effect charge Him with folly. But all their perverse conduct will be entirely brought to an end.
"Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in Jehovah, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scoffer ceaseth, and all they that watch for iniquity are cut off; that make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nought. Therefore thus saith Jehovah, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name; yea, they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall stand in awe of the God of Israel. They also that err in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmur shall receive instruction." — Isaiah 29:17-24 (ASV)
The wonderful change here foretold may refer to the affairs of Judah, though it looks further. When a great harvest of souls was gathered to Christ from among the Gentiles, then the wilderness was turned into a fruitful field; and the Jewish church, that had long been a fruitful field, became as a deserted forest. Those who, when in trouble, can truly rejoice in God, will soon have cause greatly to rejoice in him. The grace of meekness contributes to the increase of our holy joy.
The enemies who were powerful will become insignificant and weak. To complete the repose of God's people, the scorners at home will be cut off by judgments. All are prone to speak rashly and to mistake what they hear, but it is very unfair to make a man an offender for a word. They did all they could to bring those into trouble who told them of their faults.
But He who redeemed Abraham out of his snares and troubles will redeem those who are, by faith, his true seed, out of theirs. It will be the greatest comfort to godly parents to see their children renewed creatures, the work of God's grace. May those who now err in spirit and murmur against the truth come to understanding and learn true doctrine. The Spirit of truth will set right their mistakes and lead them into all truth.
This should encourage us to pray for those who have erred and are deceived. All who murmured at the truths of God, as hard sayings, will learn and perceive what God designed in them all. See the change religion produces in human hearts, and the peace and pleasure of a humble and devout spirit.
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