Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 8
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 8
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 8
"And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it with the pen of a man, For Maher-shalal-hash-baz; and I will take unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said Jehovah unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and, My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria. And Jehovah spake unto me yet again, saying, Forasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah`s son; now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, [even] the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks; and it shall sweep onward into Judah; it shall overflow and pass through; it shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel." — Isaiah 8:1-8 (ASV)
The prophet is to write on a large roll, or on a metal tablet, words which meant Make speed to spoil, hasten to the prey: pointing out that the Assyrian army would come with speed and make great spoil. Very soon the riches of Damascus and of Samaria, cities then secure and formidable, shall be taken away by the king of Assyria.
The prophet pleads with the promised Messiah, who would appear in that land in the fullness of time and, therefore, as God, would preserve it in the meantime. As a gentle brook is an apt emblem of a mild government, so an overflowing torrent represents a conqueror and tyrant. The invader's success was also described by a bird of prey, stretching its wings over the whole land.
Those who reject Christ will find that what they call liberty is the lowest slavery. But no enemy shall pluck the believer out of Emmanuel's hand or deprive him of his heavenly inheritance.
"Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread [thereof]. Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." — Isaiah 8:9-16 (ASV)
The prophet challenges the enemies of the Jews. Their efforts would be vain, and they themselves would be broken to pieces. It concerns us, in times of trouble, to watch against all such fears that lead us to take devious ways for our own security. The believing fear of God preserves against the disquieting fear of man.
If we thought rightly of the greatness and glory of God, we would see all the power of our enemies restrained. The Lord, who will be a Sanctuary to those who trust in him, will be a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those who make any created thing their fear and their hope. If the things of God are an offense to us, they will be our ruin.
The apostle quotes this regarding all who persisted in unbelief of the gospel of Christ (1 Peter 2:8). The crucified Emmanuel, who was and is a Stumbling-stone and a Rock of offence to unbelieving Jews, is no less so to thousands who are called Christians. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them; his doctrines and precepts offend them.
"And I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living [should they seek] unto the dead? To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them. And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward: and they shall look unto the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness [they shall be] driven away." — Isaiah 8:17-22 (ASV)
The prophet foresaw that the Lord would hide His face; but he looked for His return to favor them again. Though not miraculous signs, the children's names were memorials from God, designed to attract attention. The unbelieving Jews were prone, in times of difficulty, to seek counsel from various kinds of diviners, whose foolish and sinful ceremonies are alluded to.
If we would know how we may seek our God and understand His mind: To the law and to the testimony; for there you will see what is good and what the Lord requires. We must speak of the things of God in the words which the Holy Spirit teaches and be ruled by them. For those who seek familiar spirits and disregard God's law and testimony, there will be horror and misery.
Those who go away from God also go out of the way of all good, for fretfulness is a sin that is its own punishment. They will despair and see no way of relief when they curse God. And their fears will make everything seem frightful. Those who shut their eyes to the light of God's word will justly be left to darkness.
All the miseries ever felt or witnessed on earth are nothing compared with what will overwhelm those who leave the words of Christ to follow delusions.
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