Parasha
Va’etchanan
Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
Please pray this
Prayer
Before reading
In the name of
Yahushua
Our Messiyah,
I pray for the
Spirit of Understanding
The Spirit of
Knowledge and
The Spirit of
Wisdom
As I read through
this Parasha
That the Truth of
Torah may
Come forth. Amen
Torah Portion Va’etchanan, which means “and I besought,” is the 45 Portion in
the Torah cycle, it begins with Moses begging the Creator to let him enter into
the Promise.
“O Master יהוה , You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your
strong hand, for who is a Mighty”god” One in the Heavens or on earth who does
according to Your works and according to Your might.” Let me go over, I pray You, to let me see the Good
Land that is beyond the Jordan , those pleasant Mountain and Lebanon
We know from Torah that Moses originally
intended to lead the Yisraelites not only out of Egypt ,
but into the Land
of Yisrael
The
message of this Torah Portion is this: we must seize every opportunity, they
are not limitless, nor are they available everywhere. They can only be found
here in this world. Whether it is our relationship with our: CREATOR, Spouse,
Parent, Children or Friends, our chances to work on it are finite in number and
infinitely precious.
We
all start our spiritual journey when we were arrive at the first heaven, or the
first day of Creation, we are to faithfully carry our cross until we complete
all sixth days of Creation and arrive victoriously back into the seventh
Heaven.
Moses
desire was for him to set foot in the Promise Land
Deu 3:23 I beseeched יהוה , - at that time. In the Hebrew language Prayer is called by ten names: Cry, howl, Growl, song, encounter, stricken, judgement and beseeching, [These synonyms for prayer are derived from: Exodus 2:23-24, Jeremiah 7:16, Psalms 18:6, Deu 9:25, and Psalms 9:24.
Deu 3:23 I beseeched יהוה , - at that time. In the Hebrew language Prayer is called by ten names: Cry, howl, Growl, song, encounter, stricken, judgement and beseeching, [These synonyms for prayer are derived from: Exodus 2:23-24, Jeremiah 7:16, Psalms 18:6, Deu 9:25, and Psalms 9:24.
Deu 3:24 ‘O Masterיהוה , You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your
strong hand, for who is a mighty one in the Heavens or on earth who does
according to Your works and according to Your might?
- What
Moses pleads here for was two things: — The great experience which he had had
of YAH’s goodness to him in what he had done for Yisrael: "Thou hast
begun to show thy servant thy greatness.
Moses
requested that ABBA YAHVEH perfected or complete what HE has begun. YOU hast
given me the privilege to see thy glory in the conquest of these two kings, and
the sight has affected me with wonder and thankfulness. O let me see more of
the outcome of my EL, my King great work! This great work, no doubt, will be
carried on and completed; let me have the satisfaction of seeing its
completion.’’
The
greatest work in this world that anyone can achieve is to complete the sixth
days of Creation or to experience the Seventh Heaven spiritually. It is not
aiming for the wealth of the whole world, and your soul fail to achieve what it
was destined to achieved.
The
more we see of YAH’s glory in HIS works, the more we shall desire to see it
come to a conclusion. The works of
YAHVEH are great, and therefore are sought out more and more by all those that have pleasure in HIM.
The
good impressions that had been made upon Moses heart by what he had seen: For what
Elohim ”gods” is there in Heavens or earth that can do according to thy works?
The more we are affected with what we have seen of YAHVEH, of HIS Wisdom,
Power, and Goodness, the better we are prepared for further discoveries.
Those
that see the works of YAHVEH and admire HIM in them, like Moses had expressed
himself concerning YAHVEH and HIS works long before (Ex. 15:11), and HE still
continues of the same mind, that there are no works worthy to be compared with
YAH’s works, Ps. 86:8.
Deu 3:25 ‘I pray, let me pass over and see the
good land beyond the Yardĕn, this good hill country, and Leḇanon.’ –
When Moses prays, he said, “Ve’er’eh et
ha eretz hatova” or “let me see the good Land.” We knew that ABBA YAHVEH
took Moses to the top of a mountain, where HE showed all the Land to Moses, for
this is what Moses soul required.
What
he begs: I pray thee let me go over. EL YAHVEH had said he should not go
over; yet he prays that he might, not knowing that the threatening was
conditional, for it was not ratified with an oath, as that concerning the
people was, that they should not enter.
Hezekiah
prayed for his own life, and David for the life of his child, after both had
been expressly threatened; and the former prevailed, though the latter did not.
Moses remembered the time when he had by prayer prevailed with YAHVEH to recede
from the declarations which HE had made of HIS wrath against Yisrael, Ex.
32:14. And why might he not hope in like manner to prevail for himself?
Let
me go over and see the good land. Not, "Let me go over and be a prince and a ruler
there;’’ Moses seeks not his own honor, is content to resign the government to
Joshua; but, "Let me go to be a spectator of thy kindness to Yisrael, to
see what I believe concerning the goodness of the land of promise.’’ How
emotionally does Moses speak of Canaan , that good
land, that goodly mountain!
Those who may hope to obtain and enjoy YAH’S
favors that know how to value them. What he means by that goodly mountain
we may learn from Ps. 78:54, where it is said of YAH’S Yisrael that he brought
them to the border of HIS sanctuary, even to this mountain which HIS Right Hand
had purchased, where it is plainly to be understood of the whole land of
Canaan, yet with an eye to the sanctuary, the glory of it.
Deu 3:26 “But יהוה was enraged with me, for
your sake, and would not listen to me, and יהוה said to me, ‘Enough of
that! Speak no more to Me about this matter. – In
the Torah, the CREATOR tells Moses that because he did not perform the miracle
as HE specified, Moses would not be allowed to lead the Children of Yisrael
into the Promise Land
So why does it say Moses begged? Moses
certainly begs the CREATOR. He said “let
me see the Land. Let me enter and see the Land.”
The Hebrew word used in Moses’ prayed is
“ve’etchanan.” Why was this so important to Moses and why were his prayer not
answered? Many times we pray for things, but our vision of what we need does
not match the CREATORS, for we do not have the spiritual clarity to know how
things should be. However, when a prayer comes from the soul, it is always
answered. When we pray for things and do not receive it, it is because our soul
did not join in our prayer.
YAH’s answer to this prayer had in it a mixture of mercy
and judgment that he might sing unto YAHVEH of both. There was judgment in the
denial of his request, and that in something in His anger too: YAHVEH was
wroth with me for your sake.
YAHVEH
not only sees sin in HIS people, but is very displeased with it. Even those
that are delivered from the wrath to come may yet lie under the tokens of YAH’S
wrath in this world, and may he was denied some particular favor which their
hearts are much set upon.
YAHVEH is a gracious, tender, loving Father;
but HE can be angry with HIS children when they do amiss, and denies them many
a thing that they desire and are ready to cry for. But how was HE anger with
Moses for the sake of Yisrael? Either. For that sin which they provoked
him to; see Ps. 106:32, 33.
The
removal of Moses at that time, when it seems that he could not be spared, was a
rebuke to all Yisrael, and a punishment of their sin. It was for their sake,
that it might be a warning to them to take heed of offending YAHVEH by
passionate and unbelieving speeches at any time, after the similitude of his
transgression.
If this were done to such a green tree,
what should be done to the dry? He acknowledges that YAHVEH would not hear
him. YAHVEH had often heard him for Yisrael sake, yet HE would not hear him for
himself.
It
was the prerogative of Messiyah, the great Intercessor, to be heard always; yet
of Him His enemies said, He saved others, Himself He could not save,
which the Jews would not have upbraided Him with had they considered that
Moses, their great prophet, prevailed for others, but for himself he could not
prevail.
Though
Moses, being one of the wrestling seed of Jacob, did not seek in vain, yet he
had not the thing itself which he sought for. YAHVEH may accept our prayers,
and yet not grant us the very thing we pray for.
Deu 3:27 ‘Go up to the top of Pisgah, and
lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and look with your eyes, for you do
not pass over this Yardĕn. - YAHVEH put an honor upon Moses prayer in directing him
not to insist upon this request: Speak no more to ME of this matter. It
intimates that what YAHVEH does not think fit to grant we should not think fit
to ask, and that YAHVEH takes such a pleasure in the prayer of the upright that
it is no pleasure to HIM, no, not in any particular instance, to give a denial
to it.
YAHVEH promised Moses a sight of Canaan from the top of Pisgah. Though he should
not have the chance to walk on it, he should have the prospect of seeing it;
not to tantalize him, but such a sight of it, would bring him some
satisfaction. This would enable Moses to form a very clear and pleasing idea of
that Promised Land. Probably Moses had not only his sight preserved for other
purposes, but greatly enlarged for his purpose. If he had not had such a sight
unique only to him, others could not have from the same place, it would have
been no particular favor to Moses, nor the matter of a promise.
When
the Hebrew text says that Moses was put on the mountain and he saw “the last
ocean,” “hayam ha’acharon,” those
words actually mean “hayon ha’acharon,
or he saw “the last day.” This confirms that Moses’ vision
of the land was not physical; instead, ABBA YAHVEH opened to Moses all the
secrets, all the future of Yisrael.
ABBA YAHVEH showed Moses the building and
destruction of the first, second and third temple all in a moment. Moses gained
not only a vision of the future but of the Gemar HaTikkun.
Why was it so important for Moses to pray so
intently for him to see the promise land?
It is only in this world that we can correct, the only place where a
person can elevate himself spiritually. A person cannot do spiritual work to
perfect the ego or to elevate it in the spiritual realms.
Unfortunately, we think that we always have
time: I will not take this opportunity, I will do it tomorrow. We do not
realize that we do not have limitless time to correct, to elevate, and to grow,
for once our soul leaves this world that opportunity is no more.
Moses beg the Creator because he knew that
this is the only place and now is the only chance he will ever have to see the
objective of our spiritual journey in the natural. Many of us on the other
hand, take our opportunities for granted.
Deu 3:28 ‘But charge Yehoshua,
and strengthen him and make him brave, for he shall pass over before this
people and causes them to inherit the land which you see.’ –
In this verse we see a picture of Yahushua who will lead His people into the
final fight to restore the Kingdom
of Heavens
Deu 3:29 “And we dwelt in the valley
opposite Bĕyth Peʽor. - Those to whom YAHVEH gives
a charge, HE will be sure to give encouragement to. It is a comfort to the
friends of the Messiyanic Assembly (when they are dying and going off) to see
YAH’S work likely to be carried on by other hands, when they are silent in the
dust.
Chapter 4
In this chapter we have:
I.
A most earnest and pathetic exhortation to obedience, both in
general, and in some particular instances, backed with a great variety of very
pressing arguments, repeated again and again, and set before them in the most
moving and affectionate manner imaginable verse 1–40.
II. The appointing of the cities of refuge on that side Jordan
III. The particular description of the place where Moses delivered
the following repetition of the law verse 44, etc.
Deu 4:1 “And now, O Yisra’ĕl, listen to the
Principles and the right-rulings which I am teaching you to do, so that you
live, and shall go in and possess the land which יהוה Elohim of your fathers is
giving you. - This most lively and excellent discourse is so divinely
complete, and the particulars of it are so often repeated, that we must take it
altogether in the exposition of it, and endeavor to digest it into proper state
of mind, for we cannot divide it into paragraphs.
In
general, it is the use and application of the foregoing history and purpose of
Creation; it comes in by way of inference from it: Now therefore harken, O
Yisrael. This use we should make of the review of YAH’S Providences
concerning us, we should by them be quickened and engaged to duty and
obedience.
The histories of the journey of the Children
of Yisrael, year in year out, should be encouraging to us. The scope and drift
of his discourse is to persuade Yisrael and us to keep close to YAHVEH and to
HIS service, and not to forsake HIM for any other god, nor in any instance to
decline from their duty to HIM.
Now
observe what Moses says to them, with a great deal of divine rhetoric, both by
way of exhortation and direction, and also by way of motive and argument to
enforce his exhortations.
See
here how Moses charges and commands them, and shows them what is good, and
what YAHVEH requires of them.
He
demands their diligent attention to the Word of YAHVEH, and to the Statutes,
Precepts, Judgments and Righ Rulings, that were taught them: Hear, O
Yisrael. He means, not only that they must now give him the hearing, but that
whenever the book of the Torah was read to them, or read by them, they should
be attentive to it. "Hearken to the statutes, as containing the great
commands of YAHVEH and the great concerns of your own souls, and therefore
challenging your utmost attention.
Deu 4:2 “Do not add to the Word
which I command you, and do not take away from it1, so as to guard
the Principles of יהוה your Elohim which I am commanding you.
Footnote: - See also
12:32 “Whatever I command you, be
careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it., Prov. 30:6 Do not add to His Words, Lest He
rebuke you, and you be found a liar; Rev.
22:18 For I testify
to everyone who hears the Words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to
these things, YAHVEH will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, יהוה shall
take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book. – By
definition perfection cannot be improved upon, so that for one to add to or
subtract from the Commandment of the Torah is an unacceptable implication that
YAH’s Torah is lacking.
This negative commandment forbids anyone, to
add a eleven principle or leave out the forth as many do today. He charges them to keep
YAH’S principles, to do them, to keep and do them, to perform
the covenant. Hearing must be in order to doing, knowledge in order to
practice.
YAH’s
commandments were the Desire they must keep in, the rule they must keep to;
they must govern themselves by the moral precepts, perform their devotion
according to the divine ritual, and administer justice according to the
judicial law. Moses concludes his discourse with this repeated charge: Thou
shalt keep HIS statutes and HIS Principles which I command thee. What are
laws made for? But to be observed and obeyed!
Deu 4:3 “Your eyes have seen
what יהוה did at Baʽal Peʽor, for יהוה your Elohim has destroyed
from your midst all the men who followed Baʽal Peʽor. – Having reminded the people that their spiritual success depended on their
ability to learn and observe all the 612 commandments. Moses proved his point
by recalling even to the youngest among them an event that had occurred
recently, that they had seen with their own eyes.
Deu 4:4 “But you who are clinging to יהוה your Elohim are alive
today, every one of you. – It is impossible for a human to cling
physically to YAHVEH, but if a believer cling to every Word of Torah, this is
perceive as someone clinging to or desire of YAHVEH. He promises him life in
the World to Come.
Deu 4:5 “See, I have taught you laws and
right-rulings, as יהוה my Elohim commanded me,
to do thus in the land which you go to possess. –
These categories of commandments need reinforcement; the decree, because their
reasons are unknown, so that people lacking in faith may grow lax in their
performance and ordinances, such as the civil laws, because they are necessary
for society to function smoothly.
These laws that we learn here in Torah or on
earth are laws or desires we will use in the World to come. They are the
Constitution of the Heavenly
Kingdom
Deu 4:6 “And you shall guard and
do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the
peoples who hear all these laws, and they shall say, ‘Only a wise and understanding
people is this great nation!’ –
Usually this word safeguard is translated in Hebrew as observe, but in this
verse the word performs already implies observance, of the commandments. Here
the word “before” in this verse means one must commit to memory, in order to
know how to perform the commandments properly.
Deu 4:7 “For what great nation
is there which has Elohim so near to it, as יהוה our Elohim is to us,
whenever we call on Him? - The
Torah states that universal acknowledgment of Yisrael’s wisdom and
understanding will result even from its adherence to the decrees. The
Commandments for which no reasons is revealed, because the wisdom inherent in
the parts of the Torah that are accessible to rational study will convince
intellectually honest people that there must be great Divine Wisdom in the
decrees, as well.
Deu 4:8 “And what great nation is there
that has such laws and righteous right-rulings like all this Torah which I set
before you this day? – The key word is entire Torah, for this Torah’s
infinite wisdom is recognized only when it is seen, studied, and understood in
its entirety.
Deu 4:9 “Only, guard yourself, and guard
your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest
they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make
them known to your children and your grandchildren. – In this verse Moses
again continue to exhort the people to remember not only the commandment, but
also the entire spectacle of the Revelation at Sinai. The thunder and
lightning, the Glory and the greatness that was visible not merely to a select
elite, but to millions of people.
Therefore, if anyone were to cast doubt upon
the source of the Torah, the entire nation could stand and testify to what it
had seen. This was an experience that the Hebrew people were asked to share
with the world, generation after generation.
This was based on the fact that the People of
Yisrael would remember to commandment, precept, statues, and judgment and
perform them perfectly, will they ever be respected by the nations, but if they
forget to keep them, they will be regarded as fools.
The Torah is not a grab bag from which one
may pick and choose. It is like the blueprint of a complete edifice, unless
every part is followed, the building may collapse. By guarding every command,
every desires we are actually guarding our lives, our Ego.
Deu 4:10 “The day when you stood before יהוה your Elohim in Ḥorĕḇ, יהוה said to me, ‘Assemble the
people to Me and I make them hear My Words, so that they learn to fear Me all
the days they live on the earth and teach them to their children.’ –
One of the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Fear of
YAHVEH, Isaiah 11:2.
The very fact of the Revelation was enough to
implant a sense of awe into the Hebrew soul, so that fear of YAHVEH becomes
part of the nature or desires of every believer. Moses implies that the fear of
YAHVEH is an essential outcome of the study of Torah and contemplation of the
Revelation. Meditation that does not lead to commitment and action is entirely
insufficient.
Deu 4:11 “And you came near and stood at
the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the
Heavens – darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. - What they saw at Mount Sinai . They saw a strange composition of fire and
darkness, both dreadful and very awful; and they must be a striking sight to
each other; the darkness mix with fire in the midst of it, look very dreadful.
Fires in the night are the most spectacular and frightful, and the fire made
the darkness that surrounded it look the more awful; for it must needs be a
strong darkness which such a fire did not disperse.
In allusion to this appearance upon Mount
Sinai , YAHVEH is said to show HIMSELF for HIS people, and against
HIS and their enemies, in fire and darkness together, Ps. 18:8, 9.
Moses tells them again in verse 36 what they saw, for he would
have them never forget it: HH showed
them HIS great fire. One flash of lightning, that fire from Heavens,
strikes an awe upon us; and some have observed that most creatures naturally
turn their faces towards the lightning, as ready to receive the impressions of
it.
But how dreadful it must be, a constant fire from Heavens! It gave
an earnest of the Day of Judgment, in which YAHVEH Yahushua shall be revealed in flaming fire. As he reminds
them of what they saw, so he tells them what they saw not; no manner of
similitude, from which they might form either an idea of YAHVEH in their
fancies or an image of Yah in their high places.
By what we see of YAHVEH is sufficient ground is given to us to
believe in HIM a Being of Infinite Power and Perfection, but no occasion given
us to suspect HIM to have a body such as we have.
Deu 4:12 “And יהוה spoke to you out of the
midst of the fire. You heard a voice of words, but saw no form, you only heard
a voice. - What
they heard at Mount Sinai : "YAHVEH spoke unto you with an
intelligible voice, in your own language, and you heard it.’’ This He enlarges
upon towards the close of his discourse, verses 32, 33, 36.
First,
they heard the voice of YAHVEH, speaking out of Heavens. EL YAHVEH
manifests HIMSELF to all the world in the works of creation, without speech or
language, and yet their voice is heard (Ps. 19:1-3); but to Yisrael HE made
HIMSELF known by speech and language, condescending to the weakness of the
Messiyanic infant state.
Here was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, to prepare the way of YAHVEH.
Secondly, they heard it out of
the midst of the fire, which showed that it YAHVEH HIMSELF that spoke to
them, for who else could dwell with devouring fire? YAHVEH spoke to Job out of
the whirlwind, which was terrible; but to Yisrael out of the fire, which was
more terrible. We have reason to be thankful that HE does not speak to us, but
by men like ourselves, whose terror
shall not make us afraid, Job 33:6, 7
Deu 4:13 “And He made known to you His
covenant which He commanded you to do, the Ten Words, and He wrote them on two
tablets of stone. – In this verse Moses
repeat to the people the Covenant thatיהוה had establish
using the Ten Commandments which He wrote on the two stone tablets. The
Covenant at Sinai included the Ten Category of Commandment and all the laws
taught in Exodus chapter 20 – 23. The covenant is the dealיהוה made with HIS people. If you past these tests
this is were I will take you, as a man takes a wife.
Deu 4:14 “And יהוה commanded me at that time
to teach you laws and right-rulings, for you to do them in the land which you
pass over to possess. –
Moses was commanded to teach these commandments to the people, those who have a
heart for Him. These are not only laws, but there are also right rulings which
led to righteousness if followed perfectly.
Deu 4:15 “Therefore, diligently guard
yourselves, for you saw no form when יהוה spoke to you at Ḥorĕḇ
out of the midst of the fire, - In this verse we see Moses again warning the people of the danger of not
guarding ourselves that they might be misled into thinking that since they
heard a voice, there must have been a physical being that produced the sound.
This would be heretical, for YAHVEH has no body.
Deu 4:16 lest you should do corruptly and shall
make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure – the likeness of
male or female, - This verse speak to the people that in
their zealousness to see they might be encourage to make an Image of what He
might look like, and sin against Him.
Deu 4:17 the likeness of any beast
that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the
Heavens. - Even though every animal carry an
illustration of a principle in the Heavenly, there is nothing that can be made
that will demonstrate the full complexity of EL YAHVEH.
Deu 4:18 the likeness of any
creature that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the
water under the earth; - There is nothing Created that can describe
the full potential of the Creator. Things might show, maybe one aspect of
YAHVEH, BUT NOT TWO.
Deu 4:19 and lest you lift up your eyes to the
Heavens, and shall see the sun, and the moon, and the stars – all the host of
the Heavens. – and you be drawn away into bowing down to them and serving them,
which יהוה your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples
under all the Heavens. – We are told in Revelation 12 that Satan took
a third of the Stars or Angels who follow him.
We are told in this verse not to ascribe
praise to any of the Heavenly bodies. Moses warned of this danger. Do not look
to meditate upon the power of the celestial bodies and impute worship to them.
Abraham came to realize that there is a
Creator by means of such meditation. At first he though that the sun must be a
god, then he thought the moon, which replaced the sun, must be a god, and
finally, he realized that there must be ONE El who Created and controls both.
But lesser human beings could easily err
thinking that the celestial hosts have independent powers. YAHVEH has
apportioned the Heavenly bodies to the nations to enjoy their light, heat, and
to determine time and seasons.
Although the sun was provide to give light,
Yisrael’s path was to be illuminated by an additional source, Isaiah 60:19 “The
sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you; But YAHVEH will be to you an everlasting light, And your EL
your glory.
So that Yisrael might guide it self by a higher light, which is the Shekinah.
Deu 4:20 “But יהוה has taken you and brought
you out of the iron furnace, out of Mitsrayim, to be His people, an
inheritance, as it is today. – By
taking you out of Egypt
Because Yisrael is EL YAHVEH own heritage, it
dares not attach significance to the Heavenly body, like the Levites was not
given an inheritance.
We were freed from the Iron crucible, which
is used to purified gold and purge it of foreign elements.
One of the reasons why YAHVEH subjected
Yisrael to the harsh and cruel bondage in Egypt
Deu 4:21 “And יהוה was enraged with me
because of your words, and swore that I would not pass over the Yardĕn, and
that I would not enter the good land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you
as an inheritance. – Moses in this verse digressed to explain why
he was chastising them just as they were about to cross over into the Promise Land
Since YAHVEH had forbidden him to go with
them, he would not be able to guide them when problems arose in the future,
therefore he had to prepare them for life without him.
Deu 4:22 “For I am to die in this land, I
am not passing over the Yardĕn, but you are passing over, and shall possess
that good land. – Sin will cause us to die in the Land or at the level of spiritual
development we have achieved. Sin can be helpful in much way, it can help us to
realize the desires we need to work on in our lives, the areas in which we are
spiritually weak.
However, if we continue to hold on to our
sinful nature, we will die right there. But if we confess and acknowledge that
we are in error and strive to correct it, then we can continue on our journey
to perfection.
Deu 4:23 “Guard yourselves, lest
you forget the covenant of יהוה your Elohim which He made
with you, and shall make for yourselves a carved image in the form of whatever יהוה your Elohim has forbidden
you. – In
this verse Moses warned the people, that they must guard the commandments, it
is the same as guarding them selves, lest they might forget. That why every
year we read through the Torah Cycle once, a constant reminder lest we forget.
The Priest was commanded to place fresh bread on the Altar of Showbread every
Shabbat evening.
It is so easy for us to develop things to remind us of
the things we need to be obedient too. When I was a boy and my mother would
send me on a mission, she would tie a string on my finger, to help me remember
what I should accomplish. Today people carry a cross around their neck, as a
sign. They construct large building for their churches. Yet they are
spiritually destitute.
Deu 4:24 “For יהוה your Elohim is a
consuming fire, a jealous Ěl. – This
verse remind us that YAHVEH is a consuming Fire, He will consume anything that
is not holy that come into His presence. Therefore when we enter HIS Sanctuary
to give HIM praise we must do it in a holy manner.
Moses
warned us to take heed of offending HIM, for, First, HE has a jealous
eye to discern an affront; HE must have your entire affection and adoration,
and will by no means endure a rival.
Yah’s jealousy over us is a good reason for our godly
jealousy over ourselves. Secondly, He has a heavy hand to punish any
affront, especially in his worship, for therein he is in a special manner
jealous. He is a consuming fire; his wrath against sinners is so.
It is dreadful and destroying, it is a fiery
indignation which will devour the adversaries, Heb. 10:27. Fire
consumes that only which is fuel for it, so the wrath of YAHVEH fastens upon those
only who, by their own sin, have fitted themselves for destruction, 1. Cor.
3:13; Isa. 27:4.
Even
in the Renewed Covenant we find the same argument urged us as a reason why we
should serve YAHVEH with reverence (Heb. 12:28, 29), because though HE
is our EL, and a rejoicing light to those that serve HIM faithfully, yet HE is
a consuming fire to those that trifle with HIM.
Deu 4:25 “When you bring forth
children and grandchildren, and shall grow old in the land, and shall do
corruptly and make a carved image in the form of whatever, and shall do what is
evil in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim to provoke
Him, - When we know
what to do and do otherwise we angered our Father. There are strong tower,
thorns in the flesh so to speak that will take time to overcome. This is were
we are given Grace to help us complete the process. But when it is an area that
we have already overcome, yet we still choose to walk in that area, we angered
of Father. To him who knows to do good and do not do it, to him it is a sin.
The process of time was design to make us better as each
day passes. Like a tree that grows with the passing of each new day, so is the
building of our Menorah.
Yet, too often in the believer life, instead of spiritual
growth, we bring man made commandment to help us to keep YAHVEH Commandments.
Man made commandments like Good Friday, Sunday worship, all with good
intention. Yes, they are idol worship.
When Good Friday was institute, it was to replace the
Hebrew Passover. Yet, today good Friday as become a stable part of the
Christian Mosaic.
Deu 4:26 “I shall call the Heavens
and earth to witness against you on that day, that you soon completely perish
from the land which you pass over the Yardĕn to possess
– you do not prolong your days in it but are completely destroyed. – The Spirit and the Word will be brought to testify
against us. These two things will determine if we are worthy to remain in the
Holy of Holies.
If we are not found worthy, we will be expelled like
Satan from the Land. Life in the Holy of Holies is conducive on total obedience
to the Torah and an infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Deu 4:27 “And יהוה shall scatter you among
the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the gentiles where יהוה drives you. - In this verse we see an example of the
dispersion of the unfaithful. They were not scattered among the Amonites who
they had already dispelled from the Land. They will be scattered among the
gentile, the unsaved people, they will be removed from the Promise Land
Deu 4:28 “And there you shall
serve mighty ones, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see
nor hear nor eat nor smell. – The people will serve nation who worship
idols, and by association, you will have time to consider our idolatrous actions.
The Hebrew people must gain acceptance among the nations whose beliefs are
antithetical to Judaism an easily become tainted by alien values, as the church
did at the counsel of Nicea, with Constantine
Deu 4:29 “But from there you shall seekיהוה your Elohim, and shall find, when you search
for Him with all your heart1 and with all your being. Jer. 29:12
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray
to Me, and I will listen to you. 13And you will seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart. 14I will be found by
you, says YAHVEH, and I will bring
you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from
all the places where I have driven you, says YAHVEH, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you
to be carried away captive. – After his stark prediction of the
previous four verses, Moses comforted the people, telling them that ultimately
Yisrael would repent and find its way back to YAHVEH.
Deu 4:30 “In your distress, when all these
words shall come upon you in the latter days, then you shall return יהוה your Elohim and shall
obey His voice. – From the corporate perspective, when the Hebrew people
realize the words that have been spoken over them, they will return and observe
the Words of Torah.
From the individual perspective, when a individual
realizes who he is, and why he was created, then obedience to Torah will be
their only option.
Deu 4:31 “For יהוה your Elohim is a
compassionate Ěl, He does not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the
covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. – Our Father is a merciful Elohim,. HIS words in this verse
comes as an encouragement to repentance, but it might also serve as an
inducement to obedience, and a consideration to prevent their apostasy.
Shall
we forsake such a merciful EL, who will never forsake us, as it says here in
this verse, if we are faithful unto him? Where else can we go to better
ourselves? Shall we forget the covenant of our Yah, who will not forget the
covenant of our fathers? Let us be faithful to our duty by the bonds of
love, and prevailed with by the mercies of YAHVEH to cleave to him.
Deu 4:32 “For ask now of the days
that are past, which were before you, since the day that Elohim created man on
the earth, and ask from one end of the Heavens to the other end of the Heavens,
whether there has been a Word as great as this, or has been heard like it. – It was a wonder of mercy
that the fire did not devour them, or that they did not die for fear, when
Moses himself trembled. Fourthly, never any people heard the like. He bids them
enquire of former days and distant places, and they would find this favor of
YAHVEH to Yisrael without precedent or parallel. This singular honor done them
called for singular obedience from them. It might justly be expected that they
should do more for YAHVEH than other people, since Yah had done so much more
for them.
Deu 4:33 “Has a people heard the voice of
Elohim speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? – Those
who are familiar with the various forms of revelation know that a human beings
could not live after experiencing a degree of revelation that was far above his
or her spiritual capability.
Even Jacob thought himself fortunate to have
survived an encounter with an angel. Yet the entire nation of Yisrael heard the
Voice of Elohim and remained alive.
Deu 4:34 “Or has Elohim tried to go and
take for Himself a nation from the midst of a nation by trials, and by signs,
and by wonders, and by battle, and by a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
and by great fearsome deeds, according to all יהוה your Elohim did for you
in Mitsrayim before your eyes? – No Elohim has ever able to take one set of
people from among the nations, as YAHVEH had removed Yisrael from Egypt
YAHWH did so with challenges, as HE defied
Pharaoh to test him, Exodus 8:5. with signs, by means of which Moses proved
that Elohim had sent him.
With wonders, the plagues and with wars. The miracle at the sea, which the
Egyptian saw as Elohim waging war against them.
The exodus and the events surrounding it made Messiyanic Judaism unique among religions. Other faiths began with a single
individual who claimed to have a special message. He or she gradually gathered
a following and his disciples converted others, creating a new religion.
This is the pattern followed by almost every
great religion of the world. The only exception is Judaism. YAHVEH brought the
entire people out of Egypt land
of Egypt
Deu 4:35 “You have been shown it, to know that יהוה Himself is El; there is
no one beside Him. – We have been shown in order to know. When EL YAHVEH gave the Torah, He
opened the Heavens above that it could be clear to everyone that there is only
one Elohim.
He allowed you and I the privilege of experiencing
all these wondrous phenomena so that we would be able to meditate upon them,
and draw the unshakeable conclusion that Torah is the Constitution of the Kingdom of The Heavens
Deu 4:36 “From the Heavens He let
you hear His voice, to instruct you, and on earth He showed you His great fire,
and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. – From His Throne Room יהוה and the Elohim
send the Constitution to instruct us, and on the Earth He send His Shekinah,
His very essence and that we may hear HIS Voice, His Words, through the Spirit
of Understanding.
It is not possible for anyone to say that
they do not hear the Word. For if we diligently seek Him or It we will find Him
and It.
Deu 4:37 “And because He loved
your fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and brought you out of
Mitsrayim with His Presence, with His great power, יהוה did all this
because He loved for Abraham, the one who had faith in what he heard. יהוה took Yisrael
out of Egypt as a Father walk his son behind Him
Deu 4:38 to drive out from before
you nations greater and stronger than you, to bring you in, to give you their
land as an inheritance, as it is today. - The
physical conquest of Canaan is an imminent as
the immediacy of this day. Alternatively Moses referred to the defeat of Sihon
and Og, which had been completed by that day. We still have spiritual Sihon and
Og to be driven out.
They
were designed for a happy settlement in Canaan .
Nations must be driven out from before them, to make room for them, to show how
much dearer they were to YAHVEH than any other people were. Egyptians and
Canaanites must both be sacrificed to Yisrael’s honor and interest. Those that
stand in Yisrael’s light, in Yisrael’s way, shall find it is at their peril.
Deu 4:39 “And you shall know today, and
shall recall to your heart that יהוה Himself is EL in the
Heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is none else. – We must know in our heart, means
that we must meditate intensely upon it.
The teaching in the Hebrew Mussar dwell on
the human reality that there are many things that people knows intellectually,
but do not take to heart.
In the sense that this knowledge should
control their behavior. This is perhaps one of the most critical habits in our
lives, where people persist in doing things that they enjoy even though they
know them to be harmful even to their health.
The same hold true for many people of faith
who are remiss in their performance of some commandments, because they lack
sufficient wisdom. Understanding does not always means wisdom, for wisdom is
the application of knowledge
Therefore in this verse Moses exhorted the
people that even though they knew that there is only one EL, they must find
ways to take it to heart, uncompromisingly.
Surely we know that the heavens are above us and that the earth is below our feet; why couldn't the Torah, whose every word and letter is measured, simply say "in the heavens and the earth"?
But here is a lesson in how we are to approach the heavenly and earthly aspects of our own lives. In all that pertains to the heavens, to our spiritual achievements, we must look upwards, to those greater than ourselves, and strive to emulate them. But as regards our earth, our material possessions and attainments, we must look below us, to those who have less than we do, and be grateful for what we have.
Surely we know that the heavens are above us and that the earth is below our feet; why couldn't the Torah, whose every word and letter is measured, simply say "in the heavens and the earth"?
But here is a lesson in how we are to approach the heavenly and earthly aspects of our own lives. In all that pertains to the heavens, to our spiritual achievements, we must look upwards, to those greater than ourselves, and strive to emulate them. But as regards our earth, our material possessions and attainments, we must look below us, to those who have less than we do, and be grateful for what we have.
Deu 4:40 “And you shall guard His laws and
His commands which I command you today, so that it is well with you and with your
children after you, and so that you prolong your days on the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you
for all time.” –
Flowing from the admonition of total faith in the previous verse, it should be
clear that the Hebrews people will be obedient to all the Commandment and
believe completely that by doing so they will assure themselves blessing and
longevity.
Deu 4:41 Then Mosheh separated three
cities beyond the Yardĕn, toward the rising of the sun, - this
verse Moses began to set an example for the people. Having spoken to them
forcefully and movingly about the privilege and obligation to observe the
Commandments, he now preformed a commandment that was incumbent upon him as
leader of the nation. Moses decided to set aside three cities in the very near
future. Moses knew that these three cities would not assume the status of
cities of refuge, until the other three cities on the other side of the Jordan
Deu 4:42 for him who killed someone to flee
there, he who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in
time past, and might flee to one of these cities and live: - See Numbers
35:22 – 28; Deuteronomy 19:1 – 10..
Deu 4:43 Betser
in the wilderness in the level land for the Re’uḇĕnites, and Ramoth in Gilʽaḏ
for the Gaḏites, and Golan in Bashan for the
Menashshites. –
Deu 4:44 And this is the Torah which Mosheh
set before the children of Yisra’ĕl. – The law that was set before the people is the
law that they should learn. This is the law that we must all internalize, as
the ten commandments was place inside of the Ark.
Deu 4:45 These are the witnesses,
and the laws, and the right-rulings which Mosheh spoke to the children of
Yisra’ĕl after they came out of Mitsrayim, - What
Moses could do for that people while he was yet with them he did, to give
example to the rulers who were settled that they might observe them.
The introduction to another sermon that Moses
preached to Yisrael, which we have in the following chapters. Probably it was
preached the next Sabbath day after, when the congregation attended to receive
instruction.
He had in general exhorted them to obedience
in the former chapter; here he comes to repeat the law which they were to
observe, for he demands a universal but not an implicit obedience.
How
can we do our duty if we do not know it? Therefore he sets the law before them
as the rule they were to work by, the way they were to walk in, sets it before
them as the glass in which they were to see their natural face, that, looking
into this perfect law of liberty, they might continue therein.
These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the
judgments,
the moral, ceremonial, and judicial laws, which had been enacted before, when
Yisrael had just came out of Egypt
The place where Moses gave them these laws,
the charge is described here in particularly. It was over-against Beth-Peor, an
idol-temple of the Moabites, which perhaps Moses sometimes looked towards, with
a particular caution to the people, against the infectious nature of that and
other such like dangerous places. It was a temple, a place of worship that was
to be their greatest danger.
Deu 4:46 beyond the Yardĕn, in the valley
opposite Bĕyth Peʽor, in the land
of Siḥon
Deu 4:47 And they took possession of his
land and the land of Oḡ sovereign of Bashan, two sovereigns of the Amorites,
who were beyond the Yardĕn, toward the rising of the sun, - It was upon their new
conquests, in the very land which they had got out of the hands of Sihon and
Og, and were now actually in possession of. Their present triumphs herein were
a powerful argument for obedience.
Deu 4:48 from Aroʽĕr, which is on the bank
of the wadi Arnon, even to Mount
Siyon
Deu 4:49 and all the desert plain beyond
the Yardĕn as far as the Sea of the Araḇah, below the slopes of Pisgah. - There are spiritual desert place in our lives, in this verse it is describe as land and plain and rivers.
Chapter 5
In this chapter we have
the second edition of the Ten Commandments.
I.
The
general intent of them; they were in the nature of a covenant between YAHVEH
and Yisrael verse 1-5.
II.
The
particular precepts are repeated verse 6–21, with the double delivery of them,
both by word and writing verse 22.
III.
The
settling of the correspondence thenceforward between YAHVEH and Yisrael, by the
mediation and ministry of Moses.
IV.
It
was Yisrael’s humble petition that it might be so verse 23–27.
V.
It was YAH’S gracious grant that it should be
so verse 8–31.
VI.
And
hence he infers the obligation they were under to obedience verse 32, 33.
Deu 5:1 And Mosheh called all Yisra’ĕl, and said
to them, “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl, the laws and right-rulings which I speak in your
hearing today. And you shall learn them, and guard to do them. - Moses summons
the assembly. He called all Yisrael; not only the elders, but, it is
likely, as many of the people as could come within hearing.
The greatest of them were not above YAH’S command, nor the meanest
of them below his cognizance; but they were all bound to do. He demands
attention: "Hear, O Yisrael; hear and heed, hear and remember,
hear, that you may learn, and keep, and do; else your hearing is of no
purpose.’’
When we hear the word of YAHVEH, we must set ourselves to learn
it, that we may have it available to us upon all occasions, and what we have
learned we must put in practice, for that is the end of hearing and learning;
not to fill our heads with notions, or our mouths with talk, but to rectify and
direct our affections and conversations.
Deu 5:2 “יהוה our Elohim made a
covenant with us in Ḥorĕḇ. - He refers them to the covenant made with them in Horeb, as that
which they must govern themselves by. See the wonderful condescension of Divine
grace in turning the command into a covenant, that we might be the more
strongly bound to obedience by our own consent and the more encouraged in it by
the divine promise, both which we are supposed in the covenant.
Deu 5:3 יהוה did not make this
covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who
are alive. - The promises and
threatening annexed to some of the precepts, as to the second, third, and
fifth, make them amount to a covenant. The parties to this covenant. YAHVEH
made it, not with our fathers, not with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; to
them YAHVEH gave the covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:8), but not that
of the Ten Commandments.
Deu 5:4 יהוה spoke with you face to
face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. - The
light of divine revelation shone gradually, and the children were made to know
more of YAH’S mind than their fathers had done. "The covenant was made
with us, or our immediate parents that represented us, before Mount
Sinai , and transacted for us.’’
The publication of this covenant. YAHVEH
HIMSELF did, as it were, read the articles to them: He talked with you face
to face; word to word, so the Chaldee. Not in dark visions, as of old he
spoke to the fathers (Job 4:12, 13), but openly and clearly, and so that all
the thousands of Yisrael might hear and understand. He spoke to them, and then
received the answer they returned to him: thus was it transacted face to
face.
Deu 5:5 “I stood between יהוה and you at that time, to
declare to you the Word of יהוה – for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the
mountain – saying: - The mediator of the covenant: Moses stood
between YAHVEH and them, at the foot of the mount, and carried the messages
between them both for the settling of the preliminaries (Ex. 19) and for the
changing of the ratification, Ex. 24. Here Moses was a type of Messiyah, who stands
between YAHVEH and man, to show us the Word of YAHVEH, a blessed days, that
the Mighty Hand laid his hand upon us both, so that we may both hear from
YAHVEH and speak to HIM without trembling.
Deu 5:6 ‘I am יהוה your Elohim who brought
you out of the land
of Mitsrayim Egypt
Deu 5:7 ‘You have no other mighty ones
against My face. – There might be other
gods in The Heavens, but you must not worship any of them. The word mighty one
means gods, a god is a spiritual been. The devil is a god, he is a spirit, he
is a mighty one. When we used the word god, we must be very careful which god
we are talking about. Every god in the Heavens has a name. The Name of the King
of the Mighty Ones is יהוה YAHVEH, there is no other
Mighty One in the Heavens with that name. We may respect other god for the
position they hold, but we must not worship them.
As human we are gods in training, Palms 82: 5
They do not know, nor do they understand; They
walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.6 I
said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High; John 10:34 Messiyah answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’?
35“If He called them gods, to whom
the word of יהוה came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36“do you say of Him whom the
Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I
said, ‘I am the Son of יהוה ’?
Deu 5:8 ‘You do not make for yourself a
carved image, any likeness of which is in the Heavens above, or which is in the
earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth, - Here is the repetition of the ten commandments, in which observe,
though they had been spoken before, and written, yet they are again rehearsed; for
precept must be upon precept, and line upon line, and all little enough to keep
the word of YAHVEH in our minds and to preserve and renew the impressions of
it. We have needed to have the same things often inculcated upon us. See Phil.
3:1. 2.
Deu 5:9 you do not bow down to them nor serve
them. For I, your Elohim, am a jealous Ěl, visiting
the crookedness of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth
generations of those who hate Me, - One of the characteristic that our Father is trying to instill
in our lives is faithfulness. One of the characters that cause one third of the
angel to follow Satan was unfaithfulness.
What we practice here on earth, will be embedded into our
character at death, it will be a permanent part of who we will be in the World
to Come.
Unfaithfulness is a flaw in our character DNA, it can
only be remove while we are still in the flesh. This is done by a rational
decision and it is written on our heart by the fire of circumstances. Some
through the fire and some through the water. Zec 13: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as
silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name,
And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say,
‘YAHVEH is my EL.’ ” Our faithfulness is
written in our heart by our ability to be faithful, even under extreme
circumstance.
Deu 5:10 but showing kindness to thousands, to
those who love Me and guard My commands. – Showing kindness to thousands symbolize that as much as is humanly
possible. This verse goes on to say to those who love EL YAHVEH and who keep
His Commandments. Not to the unsaved world. Yes you may love them enough to
tell them about the Messiyah, but that is as far as it goes.
Deu 5:11 ‘You do not bring1
the Name of יהוה your Elohim to naught,
for יהוה does not leave him unpunished who brings His
Name to naught. Footnote: 1Or lift up, or take. – As believer we must be careful of our actions, that we do nothing that
would desecrate the Holy Name of יהוה . As His children we can call on His name any time we want. If
we say we are His children our actions must indicate who we are.
Deu 5:12 ‘Guard the Sabbath day, to set it
apart, as יהוה your Elohim commanded you. – In
other verse we are admonish to remember, this verse we are ask to guard the
Sabbath. Did He know something we did not know? Did He know that we would in
the year 324 turn our backs against the Sabbath. Exodus 31:12 And YAHVEH spoke to Moses,
saying, 13“Speak also to the children of Yisrael, saying: ‘Surely My
Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout
your generations, that you may know that I am the El who sanctifies you. 14‘You shall keep the
Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall
surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be
cut off from among his people. 15‘Work shall be done for six days,
but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the EL YAHVEH. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he
shall surely be put to death. 16‘Therefore the children of Yisrael
shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as
a perpetual covenant. 17‘It is a sign between Me and the children
of Yisrael forever; for in six days YAHVEH made the Heavens and the earth,
and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.
Deu 5:13 ‘Six days you labor, and
shall do all your work, -
The first six thousand years is for the recreation off the Heavenly Kingdom
Deu 5:14 but the seventh day is a Shabbat1
of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor
your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant,
nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is
within your gates, so that your male servant and your female servant rest as
you do. – Let the Scripture speak for itself.
Deu 5:15 ‘And you
shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Mitsrayim, and that יהוה your Elohim brought you out from there by a
strong hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore יהוה your Elohim commanded you to observe the
Sabbath day. – Moses
use slavery in Egypt Egypt
the people had no hope, our Father took us out of Egypt
Yahushua is our rest, we rest in Him when we become one
of His Bride. The story of the five wise virgins is a case in point. In Torah a
wife does not work to support herself. It is the husband who provides for her,
this is what it means to come into his rest.
Deu 5:16 ‘Respect your father and your mother,
as יהוה your Elohim has commanded you, so that your
days are prolonged, and so that it is well with you on the soil which יהוה your Elohim is giving
you. – The commandment to honor our parents was first given at Marah, Exodus
15:25.
Deu 5:17 ‘You do not murder. – Going to war is not murder, killing someone
in defense of one life is not murder. Premeditated killing of a human is
murder.
We can also murder someone by giving them
wrong information that will cause them to make wrong spiritual decision.
Deu 5:18 ‘and You do not commit adultery. – Adultery is not having sex with a single woman;
it is having sexual relation with a woman who has a husband. Like having
another mighty one beside EL YAHVEH. Adultery is having a desire for what is not
lawfully suppose to be yours. A woman who is not a virgin is another mans wife,
we must not have a desire for her. However, we may have a desire for a virgin
who is not engaged. Once she is engaged she is consider the wife of another
man, even if she is still a virgin.
Deu 5:19 ‘and You do not steal. – do not steal from a brother in the faith.
Remember the Children of Yisrael who plunder Egypt Canaan , they drove out the inhabitant and
took their land, that is not stealing. They were told not to touch the Moabites
land for they were brothers, that would be stealing, for it would be their inheritance.
Deu 5:20 ‘and You do not bear false witness
against your neighbor. – Notice
it says you neighbour. Who is your neighbour? Let look at what Yahushua said. Mat 12:50 Anyone who does
the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!" In the wilderness
the neighbour of the Children of Yisrael was themselves, the other tribe living
in the next tent. In Yisrael it was still those who live in the farm next door.
Deu 5:21 ‘and You do not covet your neighbors wife, nor do you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, nor his
male servant, nor his female servant, his ox, nor his donkey, or whatever
belongs to your neighbor.’ – The above five commandment that
deal with human relation, Moses connected them with the conjunction prefix and,
to indicate that all area of sin against
your brother are equally wrong, whether against another’s life, property or
honor is forbidden.
Among believers we should never have a desire
for what another believer have, that was the problem that Lucifer had, we
wanted what the Messiyah was destined to have.
Moses wanted to impress upon the people that
no one has the right to assign priorities in human relationship among
believers. The climax of his dialog is the prohibition against not only the
criminal deed, but even the criminal thought.
Jealousy longing for someone else possession
or what we are not entitle to, such as another person wife, farm, servant or
animal are prohibited. The sure way to protect against crime is the abolition
from the mind of the criminal thought or any incitement to it.
Deu 5:22 “These Words יהוה spoke to all your
assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the
thick darkness, with a loud voice, and He added no more. And He wrote them on
two tablets of stone and gave them to me. - That these commandments
were given with a great deal of awful solemnity.
They were spoken with a great voice out of the fire, and thick darkness. That was a
dispensation of terror, designed to make the gospel of grace the more welcome,
and to be a specimen of the terrors of the judgment-day, Ps. 50:3, 4.
He
added no more. What other laws he gave them were sent by Moses, but no
more were spoken in the same manner that the ten commandments were. He added no more, therefore we must
not add: the law of YAHVEH is perfect.
He wrote them in two tables of stone, that they might be
preserved from corruption, and might be transmitted pure and entire to
posterity, for whose use they were intended, as well as for the present
generation.
These
being the heads of the covenant, the chest in which the written tables were
deposited was called the ark of the
covenant. See Rev. 11:19.
Deu 5:23 “And it came to be, when you heard
the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with
fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders,
- Here,
Moses reminds them of the agreement of both the parties that we see in this
discussion of Moses.
Deu 5:24 and said, ‘See, יהוה our Elohim has shown us
His esteem and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the
fire. Today we have seen that Elohim speaks with man – and he lives! – The
people spoke for them selves. - Here is the consternation that the people
were put into by that extreme circumstance with which the law was given.
They owned that they could not bear it any more: "This
great fire will consume us; this dreadful voice will be fatal to us; we
shall certainly die if we hear it any more.
Deu 5:25 ‘And now why should we
die? For this great fire is consuming us. If we hear the voice of יהוה our Elohim any more, then
we shall die. - They wondered
that they were not already struck dead with it, and took it for an
extraordinary instance of the divine power and goodness, not only that they
were thus spoken to, but that they were enabled to bear it.
Deu 5:26 ‘For who is there of all flesh who
has heard the voice of the living Elohim speaking from the midst of the fire,
as we have, and does live? - For who ever heard the voice of the living Elohim, as we have,
and lived? YAH’S appearances have always been terrible to man, ever since
the fall: but Messiyah, having taken away sin, invites us to come boldly to the
throne of grace.
Deu 5:27 ‘You go near and hear all that יהוה our Elohim says, and
speak to us all that יהוה our Elohim says to you,
and we shall hear and do it.’
- Their
earnest request that YAHVEH would henceforth speak to them by Moses, with a
promise that they would hear what he said as from YAHVEH himself, and do it. It
seems by this: That they expected to receive further commands from YAHVEH and
were willing to hear more from Moses.
That
they thought Moses able to bear those discoveries of the divine glory which
they by reason of guilt were sensible of their inability to stand up under.
They
believed him to be a favorite of Heavens, and also one that would be faithful
to them; yet at other times they murmured at him, and but a little before this
were ready to stone him, Ex. 17:4.
See
how men’s convictions correct their passions. That now they were in a good
mind, under the strong convictions of the word they heard. Many have their
consciences startled by the law that have them not purified; fair promises are
extorted from them, but no good principles fixed and rooted in them.
Deu 5:28 “And יהוה heard the voice of your
words when you spoke to me, and יהוה said to me, ‘I have heard
the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have
done well in all that they have spoken. - YAH’S approbation of their
request. He commends what they said. They spoke it to Moses, but YAHVEH took
notice of it; for there is not a word in our tongue but he knows it.
He
acknowledges, They have well said.
Their owning the necessity of a mediator to deal between them and YAHVEH was
well said. Their desire to receive further directions from YAHVEH by Moses, and
their promise to observe what directions should be given them, were well said.
And what is well said shall have its praise with YAHVEH, and should have with
us. What is good, as far as it goes, let it be commended.
Deu 5:29 ‘Oh, that they had such a heart in
them, to fear Me and to guard all My commands always, so that it might be well
with them and with their children forever! - He wishes they were but
sincere in it: O that there were such a heart in them! Such a heart as they should have, a heart to
fear YAHVEH, and keep HIS Commandments for ever. The Elohim of Heavens is truly
and earnestly desirous of the welfare and salvation of poor sinners.
He
has given abundant proof that he is so: he gives us time and space to repent,
by his mercies invites us to repentance, and waits to be gracious; he has sent
his Son to redeem us, published a general offer of pardon and life, promised
His Spirit to those that pray for him, and has said and sworn that he has no
pleasure in the ruin of sinners.
Such
a heart as they now had, or one would think they had. Note, It would be well
with many if there were always such a heart in them as there seems to be
sometimes, when they are under conviction of sin, or the rebukes of Providence
Deu 5:30 ‘Go, say to them, “Return to your
tents.”
Deu 5:31 ‘But you, stand here by Me, and
let Me speak to you all the commands, and the laws, and the right-rulings which
you are to teach them. And they shall do them in the land which I am giving
them to possess.’- He appoints Moses to be
his messenger to them, to receive the law from his mouth and to communicate it
to them. Here the matter was settled by consent of both parties that YAHVEH
should hence-forward speak to us by men like ourselves, by Moses and the
prophets, by the apostles and the evangelists, and, the mighty hand of YAHVEH
ministry, if we believe not these, neither should we be persuaded though YAHVEH
should speak to us as he did to Yisrael at Mount Sinai, or send expresses from
Heavens or hell.
Deu 5:32 “And you shall guard to do as יהוה your Elohim has commanded
you – do not turn aside, to the right or to the left. - Hence he infers a charge to them to observe and do all
that YAHVEH had commanded them. Seeing YAHVEH had shown himself so tender of
them, and so willing to consider their frame and gratify them in what they
desired.
He
is always ready to make the best of them, seeing they themselves had desired to
have Moses for their teacher; who was
now teaching them, and seeing they had promised so solemnly. Under the
influence of so many good causes and considerations, that they would hear and
do, he charges them to walk in all the
ways that YAHVEH had commanded them.
Deu 5:33 “Walk in all the way which יהוה your Elohim has commanded
you, so that you live and it be well with you. And you shall prolong your days
in the land which you possess. - Moses assured them that it would be
good for their spiritual maturity to do
so. The only way to be happy is to be holy. Say to the righteous, It shall be well with them.
Chapter 6
Moses,
in this chapter, goes on with his charge to Yisrael, to be sure to keep up
their religion in Canaan . It is much the same
with ch. 4.
I.
His
preface is a persuasive to obedience verse 1-3.
II.
He
lays down the great principles of obedience. The first truth to be believed,
That YAHVEH is one verse 4.
III.
The
first duty to be done, To love him with all our heart verse 5.
IV.
He
prescribes the means for keeping up religion verse 6 -9.
V.
He
cautions them against those things which would be the ruin of religion—abuse of
plenty verse 10-12,
VI.
inclination
to idolatry verse 14-15,
VII.
and
gives them some general precepts verse 13, 16–18.
I. He directs them what
instructions to give their children verse 20, etc.
Deu 6:1 “And this is the command, the laws and right-rulings
which יהוה your Elohim has commanded, to teach you to do
in the land which you are passing over to possess, - Observe
here, 1. That Moses taught the people all that, and that only, which YAHVEH
commanded him to teach them. The same as Yahushua’s ministers was to teach his
disciples all that he has commanded, and neither more nor less, Mt.
28:20. That the end of their being taught was that they might do as they were
taught.
Deu 6:2 so that you fear יהוה your Elohim, to guard all
His laws and His commands which I command you, you and your son and your
grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days be prolonged. – To
stand in awe of יהוה is to guard His Commandments. The Spirit of
the Fear of יהוה is one of the last two Spirits to be developed
in our lives as we build our Menorah. This is a family project, that all of our
generation must follow.
What
we are taught here concerning the duty
which YAHVEH requires of man. It is all summed up in this as its principle, Thou
shalt love YAHVEH thy EL with all thy heart. He had undertaken, to teach
them to fear YAHVEH; and, in pursuance of his undertaking, he must teaches them
to love HIM, for the warmer our affection to him the greater will be our
veneration for him.
Deu 6:3 “And you shall hear, O Yisra’ĕl,
and shall guard to do, that it might be well with you, and that you increase
greatly as יהוה Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you, in a
land flowing with milk and honey. - Good
instructions from parents and ministers will but aggravate our condemnation if
we do not live up to them.
That
Moses carefully endeavoured to fix them for YAHVEH and godliness, now that they
were entering upon the land
of Canaan
That the fear of YAHVEH in the heart will be
the most powerful principle of obedience. That thou mightest fear YAHVEH thy EL, to keep all HIS statutes.
The entail of the true religion in a family,
or country, is the best entail: it is highly desirable not for us only, but our
children, and our children’s children, may fear YAHVEH.
The
pure religion of Biblical Judism and righteousness that it teaches advance and
secure the prosperity of any people. Fear YAHVEH, and it shall be well with
thee. Those that are well taught, if they do what they are taught, shall be
well fed too, as Yisrael in the land
flowing with milk and honey.
Deu 6:4 “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one! - Here is a brief summary of
one of the chief belief of the Hebrew religion, it containing the first
principles of faith and obedience.
These two verses the Hebrew people reckon one
of the choicest portions of scripture: they write it in their phylacteries, and
think themselves not only obliged to say it at least twice every day, but very
happy in being so obliged, having this saying among them.
Blessed
are we, who every morning and evening say, Hear, O Yisrael, YAHVEH our EL is
one. But more blessed are we if we duly consider and improve.
What we are here taught to believe concerning
YAHVEH: that YAHVEH is one. That the EL whom we serve is YAHVEH, a Being
infinitely and eternally perfect, self-existent, and self-sufficient. That he
is the one only living and true EL; HE only is the King of all other gods, and
he is but one.
Meaning
that His Kingdom must be one. The Hebrew word for one is echad. It is not a
singular word, it represent the singularity of many. One hand but five fingurs,
individual but off the same mind.
That
is why when Yahushua says if you see me you see the Father. Meaning the same
think my Father do, I do the same.
The
firm belief of this self-evident truth would effectually arm belivers against
all idolatry, which was introduced by that fundamental truth, that there are
gods.
It
is past dispute that there is one EL, and there is no other but he, Mk.
12:32. Let us therefore have no other, nor desire to have any other. Happy are
they that have this one YAHVEH for their EL; for they have but one master to
please, but one benefactor to seek to. It is better to have one fountain that a
thousand cisterns, one all-sufficient EL than a thousand insufficient ones.
Deu 6:5 “And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your
heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. - The child that honors his parents no
doubt loves them. Yet such is the
condescension of the divine grace that this is made the first and great
commandment of YAH’s law, that we love him, and that we perform all other parts
of our duty to him from a principle of love. My son, give me thy heart.
We must highly esteem him, be well pleased that there is such a Being, well
pleased in all his attributes, and relations to us: our desire must be towards
him, our delight in him, our dependence upon him, and to him we must be
entirely devoted.
Keeping
the commandment are good, if we do not keep it out of just obedience, but out
of a love for the one who died on the cross. The original commandment say thou
shall, the new commandment say if you love me you will or will no!
We are also commanded to love YAHVEH with
all our heart, and soul, and might; that is, we must love him.
With a sincere love; not in word and tongue
only, saying we love him when our hearts are not with him, but inwardly, and in
truth, solacing ourselves in him.
With a strong love; the heart must be carried
out towards him with great love ard our love must be in fervency of affection.
Some have hence though that we should avoid saying (as we commonly express
ourselves) that we will do this or that with all our heart, for we must not do
any thing with all our heart but love ABBA YAHVEH.
That
this phrase, being here used concerning that sacred fire, should not be
unhallowed. He that is our all must have our all, and none but he.
With a superlative love; we must love YAHVEH
above any creature whatsoever, and love nothing besides him, but what we love
for him and in subordination to him.
With an intelligent love; for so it is
explained, Mk. 12:33. To love him with all the heart, and with all the
understanding, we must know him, and therefore love him as those that see good
cause to love him.
With
an entire love; he is one, and therefore our hearts must be united in this
love, and the whole stream of our affections must run towards him. O that this
love of ABBA YAHVEH may be shed abroad in our hearts!
Deu 6:6 “And these Words which I am
commanding you today shall be in your heart, - Means are here prescribed for the
maintaining and keeping up of the pure religion in our hearts and houses, that
it might not wither and go to decay. And they are these: Meditation: These
words which I command thee shall be in thy heart.
Deu 6:7 and you shall impress them upon
your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you
walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up, - Though the words alone without the
spirit will do us no good, yet we are in danger of losing the spirit if we
neglect the words, by which ordinarily divine light and power are conveyed to
the heart.
Yah’s
words must be laid up on our heart, by the Spirit of Understanding and
Knowledge. Tthat our thoughts may be daily conversant with them and employed
about them, and thereby the whole soul may be brought to abide and act under
the influence and impression of the Holy Spirit.
This immediately follows upon the law of
loving YAHVEH with all your heart; for those that do so will lay up his word in
their hearts both as an evidence and effect of that love and as a means to
preserve and increase it. He that loves YAHVEH loves his Torah. The religious
education of children: "Thou shalt teach them diligently to thy
children; and by communicating thy knowledge thou wilt increase it.’’
Those
that love the EL YAHVEH themselves should do what they can to engage the
affections of their children to him, and so to preserve the entail of the pure
religion in their families from being cut off. Thou shalt whet them
diligently upon thy children, so some read it; frequently repeat these
things to them, try all ways of instilling them into their minds, and making
them pierce into their hearts.
Deu 6:8 and shall bind them as a
sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. - It
is probable that at that time there were few written copies of the whole law,
only at the feasts of tabernacles the people had it read to them; and therefore
YAHVEH appointed them, at least for the present, to write some select sentences
of the law, that were most weighty and comprehensive, upon their walls, or in
scrolls of parchment to be worn about their wrists; and some think that hence
the phylacteries so much used among the Jews took rise. Messiyah blames the
Pharisees, not for wearing them, but for affecting to have them broader than
other people’s, Mt. 23:5.
But
when Scripture came to be common among them there was less occasion for this
expedient. It was prudently and piously provided by the first reformers of the
English church that then, when Scriptures were scarce, some select portions of
scripture should be written on the walls and pillars of the churches, which the
people might make familiar to them, in conformity to this direction, which
seems to have been binding in the letter of it to the Jews as it is to us in
the intent of it, which is that we should endeavour by all means possible to
make the Word of YAHVEH familiar to us, that we may have it ready to us upon
all occasions, for our restraint from sin and our direction and excitement to
our duty.
Deu 6:9 “And you shall write
them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – In a time when a copy of the Torah was not readily
available. It would be expected to have selected verses of the scripture
written on and displayed on our primely residence. I my case I have the name of
יהוה written on my door.
Deu 6:10 “And it shall be, when יהוה your Elohim brings you
into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and
to Yaʽaqoḇ, to give you great and good cities which you did not build, - Here is a Kingdom Principle. When we reach maturity we will get to rule and
reign with the other Mighty Ones. Rev 2:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. The position of
leadership will not be given to those who are not qualified.
Deu 6:11 and houses filled with all
kinds of goods, which you did not fill, and wells dug which you did not dig,
vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be
satisfied
– Great
and good cities that we did not build. These two verses list a host of prizes awaiting the Mature Believers when
they will occupy the Land.
Deu 6:12 be on guard, lest you
forget יהוה who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim,
from the house of bondage.– Since we have been given such a tremendous reward, we
must be on guard less we forgets our ultimate destination. He brought us out of
the Kingdom of Satan ,
to be a prince in the Kingdom
of Heavens
Deu 6:13 “Fear יהוה your Elohim and serve
Him, and swear by His Name. - Some special
precepts and prohibitions are layed out in this verse, which are of great
consequence. They must upon all occasions give honor to YAHVEH. Fear him and
serve him (for, if He is our Master, we must both reverence him and do his
work); and swear by his name, that is, they must not upon any occasion
appeal to any other, as the discerner of truth and avenger of wrong.
Swear by him only, and not by an idol, or any other creature.
Swear by his name in all treaties and covenants with the neighbouring nations,
and do not compliment them so far as to swear by their gods.
Swearing by his mane is sometimes put for an open profession of
his name.
Deu 6:14 “Do not go after other
mighty ones, the mighty ones of the peoples who are all around you, - We must not upon any occasion give that honor to other gods: You
shall not go after other gods, that is, "You shall not serve nor
worship them; Nore swear by them.
Deu 6:15 for יהוה your Elohim is a jealous
Ěl in your midst, lest the displeasure of יהוה your Elohim burn against
you, then He shall destroy you from the face of the earth. - for therein they went
astray, they went a whoring from the true EL, who in this, more than in any
thing, is jealous EL : We never find, in the law or the prophets, anger,
or fury, or jealousy, or indignation, attributed to יהוה but upon occasion of
idolatry.
Deu 6:16 “Do not try יהוה your Elohim as you tried
Him in Massah. - They must take heed of dishonoring YAHVEH by tempting
him. You shall not tempt the EL YAHVEH, that is, "You shall not
in any exigence distrust the power, presence, and providence of YAHVEH, nor
quarrel with him,’’ which, if they indulged an evil heart of unbelief, they would
take occasion to do in Canaan as well as in
the wilderness. No change of condition will cure a disposition of murmur and
fret.
Our
Saviour uses this caution as an answer to one of Satan’s temptations, with
application to himself, Mt. 4:7, Thou shalt not tempt the EL YAHVEH,
either by despairing of his power and goodness while we keep in the way of our
duty, or by presuming upon it when we turn aside out of that way.
Deu 6:17 “Diligently guard the
commands of יהוה your Elohim, and His witnesses, and
His laws which He has commanded you. – The commandment
are the Constitution of the Heavenly
Kingdom
Deu 6:18 “And you shall do what
is right and good in the eyes of יהוה , that it might be well with you, and you shall go in and
possess the good land of which יהוה swore to your fathers. – A
believer who has total faith in יהוה will not hesitate to deal
generously with opponents, for he knows that יהוה will see to it that he
gets what he is entitle to, in one way or another.
Deu 6:19 to drive out all your
enemies from before you, as יהוה has spoken. – It is not by our own institutive that our enemy is
driven out, it is by יהוה Will alone. First, it is ordained in the
Heavens, then we must implement it here on earth.
Deu 6:20 “When your son asks you in time to
come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the witnesses, and the laws, and the
right-rulings which יהוה our Elohim has commanded
you?’ - Let the next verse answer this one.
Deu 6:21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were
slaves of Pharaoh in Mitsrayim, and יהוה brought us out of Mitsrayim with a strong
hand. - we
were slave to the world system, we are now freed by the blood of the Lamb. The
blood that flows from both hands of Yahushua as He was nail to the Stake. These
two nail perce arms represent the Spirit and the Truth.
Deu 6:22 and יהוה sent signs and wonders,
great and grievous, upon Mitsrayim, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household,
before our eyes. – We are brought our of our spiritual Egypt
Deu 6:23 ‘And He brought us out
from there, to bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our
fathers. – when anyone start a journey it is to reach a
distination. We were brought out of our spiritual Babylon
so that we may live in our spiritual Canaan .
The Land which יהוה swore to Abraham. Canaan
represent, the Holy of Holies, the Throne room in the Heavens.
Deu 6:24 ‘And יהוה commanded us to do all
these laws, to fear יהוה our Elohim, for our good
always, to keep us alive, as it is today. – The purpose of the commandments is to distilled in us a
spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the spirit of Counsel and a love for
authority, the Spirit of knowledge and a Fear for EL YAHVEH.
Obedience to these laws, statues, precepts, and
judgements will establish us in the Kingdom
of Heavens
Deu 6:25 ‘And it is righteousness for us
when we guard to do all this command before יהוה our Elohim, as He has
commanded us.’ – There are degrees of righteousness, this is determine by how many of the
Laws and statues and judgements we abide by.
This verse infers it is absolute righteousness for us when we strive to
proform in love the commandments written in Torah.
Ribbinic Judiasm keep the laws from an
liglistic point of view, those who believe in Yahushua “Jesus” keep it out of
Love for Him. We are told that we must exceed the righteousness of the
Pharisees.
Can the Law get us to Heavens? Yes! If we
keep it perfectly. The law require perfection. Yahushua accomplish that
perfection. That is why H is the First Born from Creation.
Chapter 7
Moses in this chapter
exhorts Yisrael,
I.
In
general, to keep YAH’S commandments verse
11, 12.
II.
In
particular, and in order to that, to keep themselves pure from all communion
with idolaters.
1. They must utterly destroy
the seven devoted nations, and not spare them, or make leagues with them verse
1, 2, 16, 24.
2. They must by no means
marry with the remainders of them verse 3, 4.
3. They must deface and
consume their altars and images, and not so much as take the silver and gold of
them to their own use verse 25, 26. To enforce this charge, he shows that they
were bound to do so,
4. In duty. Considering
1. Their election to
YAHVEH verse 6.
Deu 7:1 “When יהוה your Elohim brings you
into the land which you go to possess, He shall also clear away many nations
before you: the Ḥittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the
Kenaʽanites and the Perizzites and the Ḥiwwites and the Yeḇusites, seven nations
greater and mightier than you. - Here is, a very strict
caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters. Those
that are taken into communion with YAHVEH must have no communication with the
unfruitful works of darkness. These things they are charged about for the
preventing of this snare now before them.
There is a further battle to be fought by the mature
believer when they get to the Third Heavens. Satan and his angels are still
there. They will be cast out and the Kingdom restore to its former Glory. The
Children of Yisrael could have enter the Land six weeks after leaving Egypt
He will cast away: Heb. וְנָשַׁל. This is an expression meaning casting away, and causing to fly. Similarly is (Deut. 19:5),“and the iron [axe blade] will cause to fly [from the tree].”
He will cast away: Heb. וְנָשַׁל. This is an expression meaning casting away, and causing to fly. Similarly is (Deut. 19:5),“and the iron [axe blade] will cause to fly [from the tree].”
Deu 7:2 “And when יהוה your Elohim gives them
over to you, you shall smite them and put them under the ban, completely. Make
no covenant with them, and show them no favor. - He engages them to do their part. Thou shalt
smite them, and utterly destroy them.
If יהוה cast them out, Yisrael must not take them in,
no, not as tenants, nor tributaries, nor servants.
Do
not make any covenant of any kind with them, no mercy must be shown them. This
severity was appointed. By way of punishment for the wickedness they and their
fathers had been guilty of. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full, and the
longer it had been in the filling the sorer was the vengeance when it came at
last.
In order to prevent the mischiefs they would
do to YAH’S Yisrael if they were left alive. The people of these abominations
must not be mingled with the holy seed, lest they corrupt them. Better that all
these lives should be lost from the earth than that religion and the true
worship of YAHVEH should be lost in Yisrael.
Therefore,
we must deal with our lusts that was against our souls; YAHVEH has delivered them into our hands by that
promise, Sin shall not have dominion
over you, unless it be your own faults; let not us them make covenants
with them, nor show them any mercy, but mortify and crucify them, and utterly
destroy them.
nor be gracious to them: Heb. וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם This means, you must not show them any grace (חֵן) . It is forbidden for a person to say,“How handsome is this heathen!” Another explanation: Do not grant them a settlement (חֲניָּה) in the land. (Avodah Zarah 20a)
nor be gracious to them: Heb. וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם This means, you must not show them any grace (חֵן) . It is forbidden for a person to say,“How handsome is this heathen!” Another explanation: Do not grant them a settlement (חֲניָּה) in the land. (Avodah Zarah 20a)
Deu 7:3 “And do not intermarry with them –
you do not give your daughter to his son, and you do not take his daughter for
your son, - We must no marriages with
those of them that escaped the sword. The families of the Canaanites were
ancient, and it is probable that some of them were called honorable,
which might be a temptation to the Yisraelites, especially those of them that
were of least note in their tribes.
To court an alliance with them, to ennoble their blood; because
their acquaintance with the country might be serviceable to them in the
improvement of it. The fear of YAHVEH, must overrule all these considerations.
To intermarry with them was therefore unlawful, because it
was dangerous; this very thing had proved of fatal consequence to the old world
(Gen. 6:2). Thousands in the world that now is have been undone by irreligious
ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed marriages that the
good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be converted.
The event proved the reasonableness of this warning: They will
turn away thy son from following me. Solomon paid dearly for his folly
herein. We find a national repentance for this sin of marrying strange wives,
and care taken to reform (Ezra 9, 10, and Neh. 13), and a New-Testament caution
not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Co.
6:14.
Those that in choosing as
a fellows yoke bearer, keep within the bounds of a justifiable profession of
the pure religion. One of the Chaldee paraphrases adds here, as a reason of
this command, For he that marries with idolaters does in effect marry with
their idols.
Deu 7:4 for he turns your sons away from following Me,
to serve other mighty ones. Then the displeasure of יהוה shall burn against you and promptly destroy
you. -
As Eve turn Adam against the word, so does a wife of a idol worship.
Just ask Solomon the wisest man.
The
families of the Canaanites were ancient, and it is probable that some of them
were called honorable, which might be a temptation to the Yiraelites,
especially those of them that were of least note in their tribes, to court an
alliance with them, to ennoble their blood; and the rather because their
acquaintance with the country might be serviceable to them in the improvement
of it: but religion, and the fear of YAHVEH, must overrule all these
considerations.
To
intermarry with them was therefore unlawful, because it would be
spiritually dangerous; this very thing had proved of fatal consequence to the
old world (Gen. 6:2), and thousands in the world that now is have been undone
by irreligious ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed
marriages that the good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be
converted.
The
event proved the reasonableness of this warning: They will turn away thy son
from following me. Solomon paid dearly for his folly herein. We find a
national repentance for this sin of marrying strange wives, and care taken to
reform (Ezra 9, 10; and Neh. 13), and a New-Testament caution not to be unequally
yoked with unbelievers, 2 Co. 6:14.
For he will turn away your son from following Me: i.e., the heathen’s son, if he marries your daughter, will turn away your [grand]son whom your daughter will bear to him, from following Me. This teaches us that your daughter’s son, born of a heathen man, is called “your son,” but your son’s son, born of a heathen woman, is not called “your son,” but “her son.” For Scripture [first says, “Do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his daughter for your son.” Then it follows with “For he will turn away your son….” However], referring to “do not take his daughter,” it does not say“For she will turn away your son…” [because he is considered her son, not yours (Kid. 68b).
For he will turn away your son from following Me: i.e., the heathen’s son, if he marries your daughter, will turn away your [grand]son whom your daughter will bear to him, from following Me. This teaches us that your daughter’s son, born of a heathen man, is called “your son,” but your son’s son, born of a heathen woman, is not called “your son,” but “her son.” For Scripture [first says, “Do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his daughter for your son.” Then it follows with “For he will turn away your son….” However], referring to “do not take his daughter,” it does not say“For she will turn away your son…” [because he is considered her son, not yours (Kid. 68b).
Deu 7:5 “But this is what you do to them:
Break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and cut down their Ashĕrim,
and burn their carved images with fire. – We must destroy all the relics of their
idolatry. Their altars and pillars, their groves and graven images, all must be
destroyed, both in a holy indignation against idolatry and to prevent
infection.
This command was given before, Ex. 23:24; 34:13. A great deal of
good work was done in this kind was done by the people, in their pious zeal (2
Chr. 31:1), and by good Josiah (2 Chr. 34:3, 7), and with this may compared it
to the burning of the conjuring books, Acts 19:19.
Deu 7:6 “For you are a
set-apart people to יהוה your Elohim. יהוה your Elohim has chosen
you to be a people for Himself, a treasured possession above all the peoples on
the face of the earth. – Here are very good reasons to enforce this caution. The choice
which YAHVEH had made of this people for HIS own.
There was such a covenant and communion established between YAHVEH
and Yisrael as was not between him and any other people in the world.
Shall they by their idolatries dishonor him who had thus honored
them? Shall they slight him who had thus testified his kindness for them? Shall
they put themselves upon the level with other people, when YAHVEH had thus
dignified and advanced them above all people?
Had YAHVEH taken them to be a special people to him, and no other
but them, and will not they take YAHVEH to be a special EL to them, and no
other but HIM?
Deu 7:7 יהוה did not set His love on
you nor choose you - because you were
more numerous than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples, -
The freeness of that grace which made this choice possible. There
was nothing in us to recommend or entitle us to this favor.
In multitude of the people is the
king’s honor, Prov. 14:28. But their number was inconsiderable; they were only
seventy souls when they went down into Egypt
The author of the Yerushalayim Targum passes too great a
compliment upon his nation in his reading this, You were humble in spirit, and meek above all people; quite
contrary: they were rather stiff-necked and ill-nature above all people.
Not because you were [more] numerous: [This is to be understood] according to its simple meaning. But its midrashic explanation [understanding וְלֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם as “not because you are great”] is: Because you do not boast about yourselves.
Not because you were [more] numerous: [This is to be understood] according to its simple meaning. But its midrashic explanation [understanding וְלֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם as “not because you are great”] is: Because you do not boast about yourselves.
For you are the least [of all the peoples]: You humble yourselves as, e.g., Abraham, who said, “For I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), and Moses and Aaron, who said, “but of what [significance] are we?” (Exod. 16:7) Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who said, “I will liken myself to the Most High,” (Isa. 14:14), and Sennacherib, who said, (Isa. 36:20), “Who are they among all the gods of the lands [who saved their land from my hand]?” and Hiram, who said,“I am a god, I have sat in a seat of God” (Ezek. 28:2). (Chul. 89a)
Deu 7:8 but because of יהוה loving you, and because
of Him guarding the oath which He swore to your fathers, יהוה has brought you out with
a strong hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of
Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim. -
YAHVEH gave the reason of it, purely from himself. He loved us, because
he would love you.
Even so, Father, because it
seemed good in thy eyes. All that Yah loves he loves freely, Hos. 14:4. Those
that perish perish by their own merits, but all that are saved are saved by
prerogative.
He has done his work
because he would keep his word. "He has brought you out of Egypt
’’ Nothing in them, or done by them, did or could make YAHVEH a
debtor to them; but he had made himself a debtor to his own promise, which he
would perform not with standing their unworthiness.
But because of the Lord’s love: Heb. כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת ה׳ Here, [however,] כִּי is an expression of “but.” [Therefore, the verses read] Not because you were more numerous… did the Lord delight in you, but because of the Lord’s love for you.
and because He keeps the oath: Heb. וּמִשָּׁמְרוֹ means, “and because of His keeping the oath” [not “and from His keeping the oath”].
But because of the Lord’s love: Heb. כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת ה׳ Here, [however,] כִּי is an expression of “but.” [Therefore, the verses read] Not because you were more numerous… did the Lord delight in you, but because of the Lord’s love for you.
and because He keeps the oath: Heb. וּמִשָּׁמְרוֹ means, “and because of His keeping the oath” [not “and from His keeping the oath”].
Deu 7:9 “And you shall know that
יהוה your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy Ěl
guarding covenant and kindness for a thousand generations with those who love
Him, and those who guard His commands, - The
tenour of the covenant into which they were taken; it was in short this, That
as they were to YAHVEH, so Yah would be to them.
They
should certainly find him, Kind to his friends. "EL YAHVEH is not like the
gods of the nations, the creatures of fancy, subjects fit enough for loose
poetry, but no proper objects of serious devotion; no, he is YAHVEH, El indeed.
YAHVEH
alone, the faithful El, able and ready not only to fulfil his own promises, but
to answer all the just expectations of his worshippers, and he will certainly
keep covenant and mercy,’’ that is, "show mercy according to covenant.
To
those that love him and keep his commandments’’ (and in vain do we
pretend to love him if we do not make conscience of his commandments);
"and this’’ (as is here added for the explication of the promise in the
second commandment) "not only to thousands of persons, but to thousands of
generations, so inexhaustible is the fountain, so constant are the streams!’
Deu 7:10 but repaying those who hate
Him to their face, to destroy them. He does not delay to do so with him who
hates Him, He repays him to his face. – Just to his enemies: He repays
those that hate him. Wilful sinners are haters of YAHVEH; for the carnal
mind is enmity against him.
Idolaters are so in a special manner, for they are in league with
his rivals. Those that hate YAHVEH cannot hurt him, but certainly ruin
themselves. He will repay them to their face, in defiance of them and all their
impotent malice.
His arrows are said to be made ready against the face of them,
Ps. 21:12. Or, He will bring those judgments upon them which shall appear to themselves
to be the just punishment of their idolatry. Compare Job 21:19.
He rewardeth him, and he
shall know it. Though vengeance seem to be slow, yet it is not slack. The
wicked and sinner shall be recompensed in the earth, Prov. 11:31. I
cannot pass the gloss of the Yerushalayim Targum upon this place, because it
speaks the faith of the Jewish church concerning a future state: He
recompenses to those that hate him the reward of their good works in this
world, that he may destroy them in the world to come.
Deu 7:11 “And you shall guard the
command, and the laws, and the right-rulings which I command you today, to do
them. – In the life of the reader of this commandment
is the time to keep the commandment, but the full extent of their reward can
come only in the world to come.
Haftarah
Isaiah 3:23 –
7:11
Isa 3:23 the mirrors, and the fine linen,
and the turbans, and the large veils. - The enumeration of these
things intimates what care was taken about them, how much the people hearts
were upon them, what an exact account they kept of them, how nice and critical
they were about them, how insatiable their desire was of them, and how much of
their comfort was bound up in them. A maid could forget none of these
ornaments, though they were ever so many (Jer. 2:32), but they would report
them as readily, and talk of them with as much pleasure, as if they had been
things of the greatest moment. The prophet did not speak of these things as in
themselves sinful (they might lawfully be had and used), but as things which
they were proud of and should therefore be deprived of.
Isa 3:24
And it shall be: Instead of a sweet
fragrance, a smell of decay; and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of
well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a festal robe, a girding of sackcloth;
and branding instead of loveliness. - They were very nice and curious about
their clothes; but YAHVEH would make those bodies of theirs, which were at such
expense to beautify and make easy, a reproach and burden to them: Instead of
sweet smell (those tablets, or boxes, of perfume, houses of the soul
or breath, as they are called, verse 20, margin) there shall
be stink, garments grown filthy with being long worn, or from some
loathsome disease or plasters for the cure of it.
Instead
of a rich
embroidered girdle used to make the clothes sit tight, there shall be a
rent, a rending of the clothes for grief, or old rotten clothes rent into
rags. Instead of well-set hair, curiously plaited and powdered, there
shall be baldness, the hair being plucked off or shaven, as was usual in
times of great affliction (ch. 15:2; Jer. 16:6), or in great servitude, Eze.
29:18.
Instead
of a stomacher,
or a scarf or sash, there shall be a girding of sackcloth, in token of
deep humiliation; and burning instead of beauty. Those that had a good
complexion, and were proud of it, when they are carried into captivity shall be
tanned and sun-burnt; and it is observed that the best faces are soonest
injured by the weather.
From
all this let us learn, not to be nice and curious about our apparel, not to
affect that which is gay and costly, nor to be proud of it. Not to be secure in
the enjoyment of any of the delights of sense, because we know not how soon we
may be stripped of them, nor what straits we may be reduced to.
Isa 3:25 Your
men shall fall by the sword, and your strength in battle. -
They
designed by these ornaments to charm the gentlemen, and win their affections
(Prov. 7:16, 17), but there shall be none to be charmed by them: Thy men
shall fall by the sword, and the mighty in the war, The fire shall
consume them, and then the maidens shall not be given in
marriage; as it is, Ps. 78:63. When the sword comes with commission the
mighty commonly fall first by it, because they are most forward to venture.
Isa 3:26 And her
gates shall lament and mourn, and she, deserted, shall sit on the ground. - When Zion’s guards are cut off, no
marvel that Zion’s gates lament and mourn verse 26, the enemies having
made themselves masters of them; and the city itself, being desolate, being
emptied or swept, shall sit upon the ground like a disconsolate widow.
If sin be harboured within the walls, lamentation and mourning are near the
gates.
Chapter 4
In
this chapter we have, a threatening of
the paucity and scarceness of man verse 1, which might fitly enough have been
added to the close of the foregoing chapter, to which it has a plain reference.
A
promise of the restoration of Yerushalayim’s peace and purity, righteousness
and safety, in the days of the Messiyah verse 2-6. Therefore in wrath, mercy is
remembered, and gospel grace is a sovereign relief, in reference to the terrors
of the law and the desolations made by sin.
Isa 4:1
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We
shall eat our own food and wear our own clothes; only let us be called by your
name, to take away our reproach.” – In
those day because of the few numbers of spiritual mature men, seven woman will
ask a man to be there husband. They will make themselves as concubine to him. A
cuncubine is a woman who provides her own food and their own clothes, all they
want from the man is his name, to say they are the wives of David BenYisrael.
Exodus 21:
10 If he take him another wife; her
food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. Notice here that the man
is the one who provide his wife with food and raiment as it is in Isa 4:1 where
the woman is the one who provides for herself. For those who claim that more
then one wife is wrong, take a look at these scripture again.
I
am not an advocate of plural marriages, for the law in this country say one
wife, so please obey the law. However, interms of what Torah says it is a
different thing.
Isa 4:2 In that day the Branch of יהוה shall be splendid and esteemed. And the fruit
of the earth shall be excellent and comely for the escaped ones1 of
Yisra’ĕl. Footnote: 1Joel 2:32, Obad. Verse 17. – That YAHVEH will raise up a righteous branch, which
shall produce fruits of righteousness: In that day, that same day, at
that very time, when Yerushalayim shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation
extirpated and dispersed, the kingdom of the Messiyah shall be set up; and then
shall be the reviving of the Assembly, when every one shall fear the utter ruin
of it.
Messiyah
Himself shall be exalted. He is the branch of YAHVEH, the man the
branch; it is one of prophetical names, my servant the branch (Zec. 3:8;
6:12), the branch of righteousness (Jer. 23:5; 33:15), a rod out of
the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (ch. 11:1), and this, as some
think, is alluded to when He is called a Nazarene, Mt. 2:23.
Here
he is called the branch of YAHVEH, because planted by His power and
flourishing to his praise. The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it, The
Messiyah, of YAHVEH. He shall be the beauty, and glory, and joy.
He
shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had
with the Father before the world was. He that was a reproach of men, whose
visage was marred more than any man’s, is now, in the upper world, beautiful
and glorious, as the sun in his strength, admired and adored by angels.
He
shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers, shall gain an
interest in the world, and a name among men above every name. To those that
believe he is precious, he is an honor (1 Pt. 2:7), the fairest of ten
thousand (Cant. 5:10), and altogether glorious. Let us rejoice that he is
so, and let him be so to us.
His
gospel shall be embraced. The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch
of YAHVEH; all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Messiyah. But
it is called the fruit of the earth because it sprang up in this world
and was calculated for the present state. And Messiyah compares himself to a grain
of wheat, that falls into the ground and dies, and so brings forth much
fruit, Jn. 12:24.
The
success of the gospel is represented by the earth’s yielding her increase
(Ps. 67:6), and the planting of the Messiyanic Assembly YAH’s sowing it to
HIMSELF in the earth, Hos. 2:23. We may understand it of both the persons
and the things that are the products of the gospel: they shall be excellent and
comely, shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to those that have
escaped of Yisrael, to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing with
the rest in unbelief, Rom. 11:5.
If
Messiyah is precious to us, His gospel will be so and all its truths and
promises, His Assembly will be so, and all that belong to it. These are the
good fruit of the earth, in comparison with which all other things are but
weeds. It will be a good evidence to us that we are of the chosen remnant,
distinguished from the rest that are called Yisrael, and marked for
salvation, if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Messiyah, and in
holiness, and in the saints, the excellent ones of the earth.
As
a type of this blessed day, Yerushalayim, after Sennacherib’s invasion and
after the captivity in Babylon
The
remnant shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. And if by the fruit of
the earth here we understand the good things of this life, we may observe that
these have peculiar sweetness in them to the chosen remnant, who, having a
covenant, right to them, have the most comfortable use of them. If the branch
of the YAHVEH be beautiful and glorious in our eyes, even the fruit of the
earth also will be excellent and comely, because then we may take it as the
fruit of the promise, Ps. 37:16; 1 Tim. 4:8.
Isa 4:3 And it shall be that he who is left in Tsiyon and he who
remains in Yerushalayim is called set-apart, everyone who is written among the
living in Yerushalayim. – That YAHVEH will reserve to HIMSELF a holy seed. When
the generality of those that have a place and a name in Zion
Some
shall remain, some shall still cleave to the church, when its property is
altered and it has become Messiyanic; for YAHVEH will not quite cast off HIS
people, Rom. 11:1. There is here and there one that is left.
This
is a remnant according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks,
Rom. 11:5), such as are written among the living, marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge
of YAHVEH for life and salvation, written to life (so the word is),
designed and determined for it unalterably; for "what I have written I
have written.’’
Those
that are kept alive in killing times were written for life in the book of
divine Providence
As
many as were ordained unto eternal life believed to the salvation of
the soul, Acts 13:48. Note, All that were written among the living
shall be found among the living, every one; for of all that were given to
Messiyah he will lose none. It is a remnant under the dominion of grace;
for every one that is written among the living, and is accordingly left,
shall be called holy, shall be holy, and shall be accepted of YAHVEH
accordingly. Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man
shall gather out of His kingdom everything that offends; and all that are
chosen to salvation are chosen to sanctification. See 2 Th. 2:13; Eph. 1:4.
Isa 4:4 When יהוה has washed away the filth of the daughters of
Tsiyon, and rinsed away the blood of Yerushalayim from her midst, by the spirit
of judgment and by the spirit of burning, -That YAHVEH will reform HIS Assembly and will rectify
and amend whatever is amiss in it.
Then
the remnant shall be called holy, when YAHVEH shall have washed away their
filth, washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons, washed
it from within them by purging out the wicked thing. They shall not be called
so till they are in some measure made so. Gospel times are times of reformation
(Heb. 9:10), typified by the reformation in the days of Hezekiah and that after
captivity, to which this promise refers.
The
places and persons to be reformed. Yerusalem, though the holy city, needed
reformation; and, being the holy city, the reformation of that would have a
good influence upon the whole kingdom. The daughters of Zion
When
they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves wondrously clean;
but, being proud of them, the prophet call them their filth, for no sin
is more abominable to YAHVEH than pride. Or by the daughters of Zion
The
reformation itself. The filth shall be washed away; for wickedness is
filthiness, particularly blood-shed, for which Yerusalem was infamous (2 Ki.
21:16), and which defiles the land more than any other sin. The reforming of a
city is the cleansing of it.
When
vicious customs and fashions are suppressed, and the open practice of
wickedness is restrained, the place is made clean and sweet which before was a
dunghill; and this is not only for its credit and reputation among strangers,
but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves.
The
author of the reformation: YAHVEH shall do it. Reformation-work is YAH’s
work; if any thing be done to purpose in it, it is his doing. But how? By the
judgment of HIS providence the sinners were destroyed and consumed; but it is
by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and converted. This is the
work that is done, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of YAHVEH
TSEBAOTE (Zec. 4:6), working both upon the sinners themselves that are to
be reformed and upon magistrates, ministers, and others that are to be employed
as instruments of reformation.
The
Spirit herein acts, as a spirit of judgment, enlightening the mind, convincing
the conscience, as a spirit of wisdom, guiding us to deal prudently, (Isa.
52:13), as a discerning, distinguishing, Spirit, separating between the
precious and the vile.
As
a Spirit of burning, quickening and invigorating the afflictions, and making
men zealously affected in a good work. The Spirit works as fire, Mt. 3:11. An
ardent love to Messiyah and souls, and a flaming zeal against sin, will carry
men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from
Jacob. See Isa. 32:15, 16.
Isa 4:5 then יהוה shall create above every dwelling place of
Mount Tsiyon, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the
shining of a flaming fire by night, for over all the esteem shall be a covering,
- That YAHVEH will protect HIS Assembly, and all that
belong to it; when they are purified and reformed they shall no longer lie
exposed, but YAHVEH will take a particular care of them. Those that are
sanctified are well fortified; for YAHVEH will be to them a guide and a guard.
Their
tabernacles shall be defended. This writ of protection refers their dwelling
places, the tabernacles of their rest, their own houses, where they worship
YAHVEH alone, and with their families. That blessing which is upon the habitation
of the just shall be a protection to it, Prov. 3:33. In the tabernacles
of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be, Ps.
118:15.
YAHVEH
takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of HIS people, of
every one of them, the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace. When
iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its
defense, Job 23:23, 26.
Their
assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship. No mention is made
of the temple, for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that
shall be left upon another; but all the congregations of Messiyanic, though but
two or three met together in Messiyah’s name, shall be taken under the special
protection of heaven; they shall be no more scattered, no more disturbed, nor
shall any weapon formed against them prosper. Note, we ought to reckon
it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship YAHVEH in public, free from the
alarms of the sword of war or persecution.
This writ of protection is drawn up, in a
similitude taken from the safety of the camp of Yisrael when they marched
through the wilderness. YAHVEH will give to the Messiyanic Assembly real
proofs, though not so sensible, of His care of them, as He then gave to
Yisrael.
YAHVEH
will again create a cloud and smoke by day, to screen them from the
scorching heat of the sun, and the shining of a flaming fire by night,
to enlighten and warm the air, which in the night is cold and dark. See Ex.
13:21; Neh. 9:19. This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the
Israelites and the Egyptians, Ex. 14:20.
Though miracles have ceased, yet YAHVEH is the same to the renewed
Covanantassembly as He was to Yisrael of old; the very same yesterday, to-day,
and for ever.
In
a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams’ skins and badgers’ skins
that was upon the curtains of the tabernacle, as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion
The
Assembly on earth has its glory. Gospel truths and ordinances, the scriptures
and the ministry, are the Assembly’s glory; and upon all this glory there is a
defence, and ever shall be, for the gates of hell shall not prevail against
Messiyanic Assembly himself be the glory in the midst of it, he will
himself be a wall of fire around about it, impenetrable and impregnable. Grace
in the soul is the glory of it, and those that have it are kept by the power
of YAHVEH as in a strong-hold, 1 Pt. 1:5.
Isa 4:6 and a booth for shade in the daytime from the heat, for
a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. - Their tabernacle shall be a defence to them, YAH’s
tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Ps. 27:5); but, when that is taken
down, they shall not want a covert: the divine power and goodness shall be a
tabernacle to all the saints. YAHVEH Himself will be their hiding-place (Ps.
32:7); they shall be at home in him, Ps. 91:9. He will himself be to them as
the shadow of a great rock (ch. 32:2) and his name a strong tower,
Prov. 18:10. He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime, but a
covert from storm and rain.
In
this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that
attend it; we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region, and at other
times the heat of the day no less burdensome; but YAHVEH is a refuge to HIS
people in all weathers.
Chapter 5
In
this chapter the prophet, in YAH’s name, shows the people of YAHVEH their transgressions, even the house
of Jacob their sins, and the judgments which were likely to be brought upon
them for their sins.
By a parable, under the similitude of an
unfruitful vineyard, representing the great favours YAHVEH had bestowed upon
them, their disappointing his expectations from them, and the ruin they had
thereby deserved verse 1-7.
By an enumeration of the sins that did abound
among them, with a threatening of punishments that should answer to the sins.
Covetousness,
and greediness of worldly wealth, which shall be punished with famine verse
8-10. Rioting, revelling, and drunkenness verse 11, 12, 22, 23, which shall be
punished with captivity and all the miseries that attend it verse 13–17. Presumption in sin, and defying the justice
of YAHVEH verse 18, 19. Confounding the distinctions between virtue and vice,
and so undermining the principles of religion verse 20. Self-conceit verse 21.
Perverting
justice, for which, and the other instances of reigning wickedness among them,
a great and general desolation in threatened, which should lay all waste verse
24, 25, and which should be effected by a foreign invasion verse 26–30,
referring perhaps to the havoc made not long after by Sennacherib’s army.
Isa 5:1 Please let me sing to the One I love, a song for
my loved One regarding His vineyard: my loved One has a vineyard on a fertile
hill. - See what variety of methods the great
EL YAHVEH employs to awaken sinners to repentance by convincing them of sin,
and showing them their misery and danger by reason of it.
To
this purport HE speaks sometimes in plain terms and sometimes in parables,
sometimes in prose and sometimes in verse, as here. "We have tried to reason
with you (ch. 1:18); now let us put your case into a poem, inscribed to the
honor of my well beloved.’’ YAHVEH the Father dictates it to the honor of
Messiyah His well beloved Son, whom HE has constituted Master of the vineyard.
The
prophet sings it to the honor of Messiyah too, for He is His well beloved. The
Old-Testament prophets were friends of the bridegroom. Yahushua is YAH’s
beloved Son and our beloved Saviour.
Whatever
is said or sung of the church must be intended to his praise, even that which
(like this) tends to our shame. This parable was put into a song that it might
be the more moving and affecting, might be the more easily learned and exactly
remembered, and the better transmitted to posterity; and it is an exposition of
he song of Moses (Deu. 32), showing that what he then foretold was now
fulfilled.
Jerome
says, Messiyah the well-beloved did in effect sing this mournful song when he
beheld Yerushalayim and wept over it (Lu. 19:41), and had reference to
it in the parable of the vineyard (Mt. 21:33, etc.), only here the fault was in
the vines, there in the husbandmen.
Here
we have, the great things which YAHVEH had done for the Messiyanic Assembly and
nation. When all the rest of the world lay in common, not cultivated by divine
revelation, that was his vineyard, they were his peculiar people. He
acknowledged them as his own, set them apart for himself.
The
soil they were planted in was extraordinary; it was a very fruitful hill,
the horn of the son of oil; so it is in the margin. There was plenty, a
cornucopia; and there was dainty: they did there eat the fat and drink the
sweet, and so were furnished with abundance of good things to honor YAHVEH with
in sacrifices and free-will offerings. The advantages of our situation will be
brought into the account another day.
What
YAHVEH did for this vineyard. He fenced it, took it under HIS special
protection, kept it night and day under his own eye, lest any should hurt it,
ch. 27:2, 3. If they had not themselves thrown down their fence, no inroad
could have been made upon them, Ps. 125:2; 131:4.
HE
gathered the stones out of it, that, as nothing from without might damage it,
so nothing within might obstruct its fruitfulness. He proffered his grace to
take away the stony heart.
He
planted it with the choicest vine, set up a pure religion among them, gave them
a most excellent law, instituted ordinances very proper for the keeping up of
their acquaintance with YAHVEH, Jer. 2:21.
He
built a tower in the midst of it, either for defence against violence or for
the dressers of the vineyard to lodge in; or rather it was for the owner of the
vineyard to sit in, to take a view of the vines (Cant. 7:12) a summer-house.
The
temple was this tower, about which the priests lodged, and where YAHVEH
promised to meet his people, and gave them the tokens of his presence among
them and pleasure in them.
He
made a wine-press therein, set up his altar, to which the sacrifices, as the
fruits of the vineyard, should be brought.
Isa 5:2 And He
dug it up and cleared it of stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and
built a watchtower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it. And He waited
for the yielding of grapes, but it yielded rotten ones. – The
disappointment of his just expectations from them: He expected that it
should bring forth grapes, and a great deal of reason HE had for that
expectation. EL YAHVEH expects vineyard-fruit from those that enjoy
vineyard-privileges, not leaves only, as Mk. 11:12. A bare profession, though
ever so green, will not serve: there must be more than buds and blossoms.
Good
purposes and good beginnings are good things, but not enough; there must be
fruit, a good heart and a good life, vineyard fruit, thoughts and affections,
words and actions, agreeable to the Spirit, which is the fatness of the
vineyard (Gal. 5:22, 23), answerable to the ordinances, which are the
dressings of the vineyard, acceptable to YAHVEH, the Master of the vineyard,
and fruit according to the season. Such fruit as this YAHVEH expects from us,
grapes, the fruit of the vine, with which they honor YAHVEH and man (Jdg.
9:13); and his expectations are neither high nor hard, but righteous and very
reasonable.
Yet
see how HIS expectations are frustrated: It brought forth wild grapes;
not only no fruit at all, but bad fruit, worse than none, grapes of Sodom
Wild
grapes are the fruits of the corrupt nature, fruit according to the crabstock,
not according to the engrafted branch, from the root of bitterness, Heb. 12:15.
Where grace does not work corruption will.
Wild
grapes are hypocritical performances of religion, that look like grapes, but
are sour or bitter, and are so far from being pleasing to YAHVEH that they are
provoking, as theirs mentioned in ch. 1:11. Counterfeit graces are wild grapes.
Isa 5:3 “And
now, O inhabitant of Yerushalayim and man of Yehuḏah, please judge between Me
and My vineyard. - An
appeal to themselves whether upon the whole matter YAHVEH must not be justified
and they condemned. And now the case is plainly stated: O inhabitants of
Yerushalayim, and men of Judah
This
implies that YAHVEH was blamed about them. There was a controversy between them
and him; but the equity was so plain on his side that he could venture to put
the decision of the controversy to their own consciences. "Let any
inhabitant of Yerushalayim, any man of Judah, that has but the use of his
reason and a common sense of equity and justice, speak his mind impartially in
this matter.’’ Here is a challenge to any man to show.
Isa 5:4 “What
more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when
I waited for the yielding of grapes, did it yield rotten ones? - Any instance wherein YAHVEH had been
wanting to them: What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have
not done in it? He speaks of the external means of fruitfulness, and such
as might be expected from the dresser of a vineyard, from whom it is not
required that he should change the nature of the vine. What ought to have
been done more? so it may be read.
Isa 5:5 “And
now, please let Me inform you what I am doing to My vineyard: To take away its
hedge and it shall be burned; to break down its wall and it shall be trampled
down; - They
had everything requisite for instruction and direction in their duty, for
quickening them to it and putting them in mind of it. No inducements were
wanting to persuade them to it, but all arguments were used that were proper to
work either upon hope or fear; and they had all the opportunities they could
desire for the performance of their duty, the new moons, and the sabbaths, and
solemn feasts; They had the scriptures, the lively oracles, a standing ministry
in the priests and Levites, besides what was extraordinary in the prophets. No
nation had statutes and judgments so righteous.
Nor
could any tolerable excuse be offered for their walking thus contrary to
YAHVEH. Wherefore, what reason can be given why it should bring forth wild
grapes, when I looked for grapes?’’ The wickedness of those that profess
religion, and enjoy the means of grace, is the most unreasonable unaccountable
thing in the world, and the whole blame of it must lie upon the sinners
themselves. "If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it, and shalt
not have a word to say for thyself in the judgment of the great day.’’ YAHVEH
will prove HIS own ways equal and the sinner’s ways unequal.
Isa 5:6 and I
lay it waste; it is not pruned or dug and thornbushes and weeds shall come up;
and I command the clouds not to rain on it.” – Their
doom read, and a righteous sentence passed upon them for their bad conduct
towards EL YAHVEH: "And now go, since nothing can be offered in
excuse of the crime or arrest of the judgement, I will tell you what I am
now determined to do to my vineyard.
I
will be vexed and troubled with it no more; since it will be good for nothing,
it shall be good for nothing; in short, it shall cease to be a vineyard,
and be turned into a wilderness: the Assembly of the Jews shall be unchurched;
their charter shall be taken away, and they shall become not my people.’’
"They
shall no longer be distinguished as a peculiar people, but be laid in common: I
will take away the hedge thereof, and then it will soon be eaten up and
become as bare as other ground.’’ They mingled with the nations and therefore
were justly scattered among them.
"They
shall no longer be protected as YAH’s people, but left exposed. YAHVEH will not
only suffer the wall to go to decay, but he will break it down, will remove all
their defences from them, and then they will become an easy prey to their
enemies, who have long waited for an opportunity to do them a mischief, and
will now tread them down and trample upon them.’’
"They
shall no longer have the face of a vineyard, and the form and shape of a church
and commonwealth, but shall be levelled and laid waste.’’ This was fulfilled
when Yerushalayim for their sakes was ploughed as a field, Mic. 3:12.
"No
more pains shall be taken with them by magistrates or ministers, the dressers
and keepers of their vineyard; it shall not be pruned nor digged, but every
thing shall run wild, and nothing shall come up but briers and thorns, the
products of sin and the curse,’’ Gen. 3:18. When errors and corruptions, vice
and immorality, go without check or control, no testimony borne against them,
no rebuke given them or restraint put upon them, the vineyard is unpruned, is
not dressed, or ridded; and then it will soon be like the vineyard of the man
void of understanding, all grown over with thorns.
"That
which completes its woe is that the dews of heaven shall be withheld; he that
has the key of the clouds will command them that they rain no rain upon it, and
that alone is sufficient to run it into a desert.’’ YAHVEH in a way of
righteous judgment, denies his grace to those that have long received it in
vain. The sum of all is that those who would not bring forth good fruit should
bring forth none. The curse of barrenness is the punishment of the sin of
barrenness, as Mk. 11:14. This had its partial accomplishment in the
destruction of Yerusalem by the Chaldeans, its full accomplishment in the final
rejection of the Jews, and has its frequent accomplishment in the departure of
YAH’s Spirit from those persons who have long resisted him and striven against
him, and the removal of his gospel from those places that have been long a
reproach to it, while it has been an honor to them. It is no loss to YAHVEH to
lay his vineyard waste; for he can, when he please, turn a wilderness into a
fruitful field; and when he does thus dismantle a vineyard, it is but as he did
by the garden of Eden, which, when man had by sin forfeited his place in it,
was soon levelled with common soil.
Isa 5:7 For the
vineyard of יהוה of hosts is the house of
Yisra’ĕl, and the man of Yehuḏah is His pleasant plant. He looked for
right-ruling, but see, oppression; for righteousness, but see, weeping. - The explanation of this parable, or a key to it, where
we are told. What is meant by the vineyard (it is the house of Yisrael,
the body of the people, incorporated in one church and commonwealth), and what by
the vines, the pleasant plants, the plants of YAH’s pleasure, which he had been
pleased in and delighted in doing good to; they are the men of Judah;
these he had dealt graciously with, and from them he expected suitable returns.
What
is meant by the grapes that were expected and the wild grapes that were
produces: He looked for judgment and righteousness, that the people
should be honest in all their dealings and the magistrates should strictly
administer justice. This might reasonably be expected among a people that had
such excellent laws and rules of justice given them (Deu. 4:8); but the fact
was quite otherwise; instead of judgment there was the cruelty of the
oppressors, and instead of righteousness the cry of the oppressed.
Everything
was carried by clamour and noise, and not by equity and according to the merits
of the cause. It is sad with a people when wickedness has usurped the place of
judgment, Eccl. 3:16. It is very sad with a soul when instead of the grapes of
humility, meekness, patience, love, and contempt of the world, which YAHVEH
looks for, there are the wild grapes of pride, passion, discontent, malice, and
contempt ofYAHVEH instead of the grapes of praying and praising, the wild
grapes of cursing and swearing, which are a great offence to YAHVEH.
Some
of the ancients apply this to the Jews in Messiyah time, among whom YAHVEH
looked for righteousness (that is, that they should receive and embrace
Messiyah, but behold a cry, that cry, Crucify him, crucify him.
Isa 5:8 Woe to those
who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no room, and
you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
– The world
and the flesh are the two great enemies that we are in danger of being
overpowered by; yet we are in no danger if we do not yield ourselves to them.
Eagerness of the world, and indulgence of the flesh, are the two sins against
which the prophet, in YAH’s name, denounce as woes.
These
were sins which then abounded among the men of Judah, some of the wild grapes
they brought forth, and for which YAHVEH threatens to bring ruin upon them.
They are sins which we have all need to stand upon our guard against and dread
the consequences of.
Here
is a woe to those who set their hearts upon the wealth of the world, and place their
happiness in that, and increase it to themselves by indirect and unlawful
means, who join house to house and lay field to field, till there be no
place, no room for anybody to live by them.
If
they could succeed, they would be placed alone in the midst of the earth, would
monopolize possessions and preferments, and engross all profits and employments
to themselves. Not that it is a sin for those who have a house and a field, of
they have wherewithal, to purchase another; but
Their
fault is, that they are inordinate in their desires to enrich themselves, and
make it their whole care and business to raise an estate, as if they had
nothing to mind, nothing to seek, nothing to do, in this world, but that.
They
never know when they have enough, but the more they have the more they would
have; and, like the daughters of the horseleech, they cry, Give,
give. They cannot enjoy what they have, nor do good with it, but are
constantly contriving and studying to make it more.
They
must have variety of houses, a winter-house, and a summer-house, and if another
man’s house or field lie convenient to theirs, as Naboth’s vineyard to Ahab’s,
they must have that too, or they cannot be easy.
That
they are herein careless of others, nay, and injurious to them. They would live
so as to let nobody live but themselves. So that their insatiable covetings may
be gratified, they care not what becomes of all about them, what encroachments
they make upon their neighbors’ rights, what hardships they put upon those
that they have power over or advantage against, nor what base and wicked arts
they use to heap up treasure to themselves.
They
would swell so big as to fill all space, and yet are still unsatisfied (Eccl.
5:10), as Alexander, who, when he fancied he had conquered the world, wept
because he had not another world to conquer. Deficiente terrâ, non impletur
avaritia-If the whole earth were monopolized, avarice would thirst for more.
What! will you be placed alone in the midst of the earth? (so some read
it); will you be so foolish as to desire it, when we have so much need of the
service of others and so much comfort in their society?
Will
you be so foolish as to expect that the earth shall be forsaken for us
(Job 18:4), when it is by multitudes that the earth is to be replenished? An
propter vos solos tanta
Isa 5:9 In my hearing יהוה of hosts said, “Truly, many houses shall be a waste – big and fine ones,
without inhabitant. – That which is threatened
as the punishment of this sin is that neither the houses nor the fields they
were thus greedy of should turn to any account. YAHVEH whispered it to the
prophet in his ear, as he speaks in a like case (ch. 22:14): It was revealed
in my ears by the YAHVEH TSEBAOTE (as YAHVEH told Samuel a thing in his
ear, 1 Sa. 9:15); he thought he heard it still sounding in his ears; but he
proclaimed it, as he ought, upon the house-tops, Mt. 10:27.
That
the houses they were so fond of should be untenanted, should stand long empty,
and should yield them no rent, and go out of repair: Many houses shall be
desolate, the people that should dwell in them, being cut off by sword,
famine, or pestilence, or carried into captivity; or trade being dead, and
poverty coming upon the country like an armed man, those that had been
housekeepers were forced to become lodgers, or shift for themselves elsewhere.
Even
great and fair houses, that would invite tenants, and (there being a scarcity
of tenants) might be taken at low rates, shall stand empty without inhabitants.
YAHVEH created not the earth in vain; HE formed it to be inhabited, ch.
45:18. But men’s projects are often frustrated, and what they frame answers not
the intention.
We
have a saying, That fools build houses for wise men to live in; but sometimes,
as the event proves, they are built for no man to live in. YAHVEH has many ways
to empty the most populous cities.
Isa 5:10 “For ten acres of vineyard
yield one bath, and a ḥomer of seed yields one ĕphah.” - That the fields they were so fond of should be
unfruitful: Ten acres of vineyard shall yield only such a quantity of
grapes as will make but one bath of wine (which was about eight
gallons), and the seed of a homer, a bushel’s sowing of ground, shall
yield but an ephah, which was the tenth part of a homer; so that through the
barrenness of the ground, or the unreasonableness of the weather, they should
not have more than a tenth part of their seed again. Those that set their
hearts upon the world will justly be disappointed in their expectations from
it.
Isa 5:11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning pursuing
strong drink, who stay up late at night – wine inflames them! - Here is a woe to those that dwells
upon the pleasures and delights of sense. Sensuality ruins men as certainly as
worldliness and oppression. As Messiyah pronounces a woe against those that are
rich, so also against those that laugh now and are full (Lu. 6:24, 25), and
fare sumptuously, Lu. 16:19.
Who
the sinners are against whom this woe is denounced. They are such as are given
to drink; they make their drinking their business, have their hearts upon it,
and overcharge themselves with it.
They
rise early to follow strong drink, as husbandmen and tradesmen do to follow
their employments; as if they were afraid of losing time from that which is the
greatest misspending of time.
Whereas
commonly those that are drunken are drunken in the night, when they have
despatched the business of the day, these neglect business, abandon it, and
give up themselves to the service of the flesh; for they sit at their cups all
day, and continue till night, till wine inflame them, inflame their
lusts (chambering and wantonness follow upon rioting and drunkenness), inflame
their passions; for who but such have contentions and wounds without cause?
Prov. 23:29–35.
They
make a perfect trade of drinking; nor do they seek the shelter of the night for
this work of darkness, as men ashamed of it, but count it a pleasure to riot
in the day-time. See 2 Pt. 2:13.
Isa 5:12 And the lyre and the harp, the tambourine and flute, and
wine are in their feasts; but they do not regard the deeds of יהוה , nor see the
work of His hands. – They are such as are given to mirth. They have their
feasts, and they are so merrily disposed that they cannot dine or sup without
music, musical instruments of all sorts, like David (Amos 6:5), like Solomon
(Eccl. 2:8); the harp and the viol, the tarbet and pipe, must accompany
the wine, that every sense may be gratified to a nicety; they take the
timbrel and harp, Job 21:12.
The
use of music is lawful in itself; but when it is excessive, when we set our
hearts upon it, misspend time in it, so that it crowds our spiritual and divine
pleasures and draws away the heart from YAHVEH, then it turns into sin for us.
They
are such as never give their mind to any thing that is serious: They regard
not the work of YAHVEH; they observe not his power, wisdom, and goodness,
in those creatures which they abuse and subject to vanity, nor the bounty of
his providence in giving them those good things which they make the food and
fuel of their lusts.
YAH’s
judgments have already seized them, and they are under the tokens of his
displeasure, but they regard not; they consider not the Mighty Hand of YAHVEH
in all these things; his hand is lifted up, but they will not see, because they
will not disturb themselves in their pleasures nor think what YAHVEH is doing
with them.
Isa 5:13 Therefore my people have gone into exile, because they
have no knowledge. And their esteemed men are starved, and their crowd dried up
with thirst. - What the judgments are
which are denounced against them, and in part executed. It is foretold here,
that they should be dislodged; the land should spue out these drunkards: My
people (so they call themselves, and were proud of it) have therefore gone
into captivity, are as sure to go as if they were gone already, because
they have no knowledge; how should they have knowledge when by their
excessive drinking they make sots and fools of themselves?
They
set up for wits; but because they regard not YAH’s controversy with them, nor
take any care to make their peace with him, they may truly be said to have no
knowledge; and the reason is because they will have none; they are
inconsiderate and wilful, and are therefore destroyed for lack of knowledge.
That
they should be impoverished, and come to want that which they had wasted and
abused to excess: Even their glory are men of famine, subject to it and
slain by it; and their multitude are dried up with thirst.
Both
the great men and the common people are ready to perish for want of bread and
water. This is the effect of the failure of the corn, for the king himself
is served of the field, Eccl. 5:9. And when the vintage fails the drunkards
are called upon to weep, because the new wine is cut off from their mouth
(Joel 1:5), and not so much because now they want it as because when they had
it they abused it. It is just with YAHVEH to make men want that for necessity
which they have abused to excess.
Isa 5:14 Therefore the grave has made itself wide and opened its
mouth beyond measure. Their splendour and their crowd and their uproar, and he
who is exulting within her, shall go down into it. - What multitudes should be cut off by famine and sword: Therefore
hell has enlarged herself. Tophet, the common burying-place, proves too
little; so many are there to be buried that they shall be forced to enlarge it.
The
grave has opened her mouth without measure, never saying, It is enough,
Prov. 30:15, 16. It may be understood of the place of the damned; luxury and
sensuality fill these regions of darkness and horror; there those are tormented
who made a god of their belly, Lu. 16:25; Phil. 3:19.
Isa 5:15 And man is bowed down, and mortal man humbled, and the
eyes of the proud are humbled. - That
they should be humbled and abased, and all their honors laid in the dust. This
will be done effectually by death and the grave: Their glory shall descend,
not only to the earth, but into it; it shall not descend after them (Ps.
49:17), to stand them in any stead on the other side death, but it shall die
and be buried with them, poor glory,
which will thus wither!
Did
they glory in their numbers? Their multitude shall go down to the pit, Eze.
31:18; 32:32. Did they glory in the figure they made? Their pomp shall be at an
end; their shouts with which they triumphed, and were attended.
Did
they glory in their mirth? Death will turn it into mourning; he that rejoices
and revels, and never knows what it is to be serious, shall go thither where
there are weeping and wailing.
Therefore
the mean man and the mighty man meet together in the grave and under mortifying
judgments. Let a man be ever so high, death will bring him low, ever so mean,
death will bring him lower, in the prospect of which the eyes of the lofty
should now be humbled. It becomes those to look low that must shortly be laid
low.
Isa 5:16 But יהוה of hosts is exalted in judgment, and the
set-apart Ěl is set-apart in righteousness. – What the fruit of these judgments shall be. YAHVEH shall
be glorified. He that is YAHVEH TSEBAOTE, and the holy EL, shall be exalted and
sanctified in the judgment and righteousness of these dispensations. His
justice must be owned in bringing those low what exalted themselves; and herein
he is glorified.
As
a EL is irresistible power. He will herein be exalted as the YAHVEH TSEBAOTE,
that is able to break the strongest, humble the proudest, and tame the most
unruly. Power is not exalted but in judgment. It is the honor of YAHVEH that,
though he has a mighty arm, yet judgment and justice are always the
habitation of his throne, Ps. 89:13, 14.
As
a EL of unspotted purity. He that is holy, infinitely holy, shall be sanctified
(that is, shall be owned and declared to be holy) in the righteous punishment
of proud men. When proud men are humbled the great EL is honored, and ought to
be honored by us.
Isa 5:17 And the lambs shall feed in their pasture, and strangers
shall eat in the waste places of the fat ones. - Good
people shall be relieved and succoured: Then shall the lambs feed after
their manner; the meek ones of the earth, who followed the Lamb, who were
persecuted, and put into fear by those proud oppressors, shall feed quietly,
feed in the green pastures, and there shall be none to make them afraid. See
Eze. 34:14.
When
the enemies of Yisrael are cut off, then the Assembly shall have its rest. They
shall feed at their pleasure; so some read it. Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in abundant peace. They
shall feed according to their order or capacity (so others read it), as
they are able to hear the word, that bread of life.
The
country shall be laid waste, and become a prey to the neighbours: The waste
places of the fats ones, the possessions of those rich men that lived at
their ease, shall be eaten by strangers that were nothing akin to them.
In
the captivity the poor of the land were left for vine-dressers and
husbandmen (2 Ki. 25:12); these were the lambs that fed in the pastures of
the fats ones, which were laid in common for strangers to eat.
When
the false Yisrael of the Jews, those fat ones, was laid waste, their privileges
were transferred to the Gentiles, who had been long strangers, and the lambs of
Messiyah’s flock were welcome to them.
Isa 5:18 Woe to those who draw crookedness with cords of
falsehood, and sin as with wagon ropes, - Sins described in this verse which will bring judgments
upon a people: and this perhaps is not only a charge drawn up against the men
of Judah who lived at that time, and the particular articles of that charge,
though it may relate primarily to them, but is rather intended for warning to
all people, in all ages, to take heed of these sins, as destructive both to
particular persons and to communities, and exposing men to YAH’s wrath and his
righteous judgments.
Those
are here said to be in a woeful condition, who are eagerly set upon sin, and
violent in their sinful pursuits, who draw iniquity with cords of vanity,
who take as much pains to sin as the cattle do that draw a team, who put
themselves to the stretch for the gratifying of their inordinate appetites,
and, to humour a base lust, offer violence to nature itself.
They
think themselves as sure of compassing their wicked project as if they were
pulling it towards them with strong cart-ropes; but they will find themselves
disappointed, for they will prove cords of vanity, which will break when they
come to any stress. For the righteous EL will cut in sunder the cords of the
wicked, Ps. 129:4; Job 4:8; Prov. 22:8.
They
are by long custom and confirmed habits so hardened in sin that they cannot get
clear of it. Those that sin through infirmity are drawn away by sin; those that
sin presumptuously draw iniquity to them, in spite of the oppositions of Providence
Isa 5:19 who are saying, “Let Him hurry! Let Him hasten His work,
so that we see it! And let the counsel of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl draw
near and come, so that we know.” - Who set the justice of YAHVEH at
defiance, and challenge the Almighty to do his worst: They say, Let him make
speed, and hasten his work; this is the same language with that of the
scoffers of the last days, who say, Where is the promise of his coming?
and therefore it is that, like them, they draw iniquity with cords of
vanity, are violent and daring in sin, and walk after their own lusts, 2
Pt. 3:3, 4.
They
ridicule the prophets, and banter them. It is in scorn that they call YAHVEH the
Holy One of Yisrael, because the prophets used with great veneration to
call him so.
They
will not believe the revelation of YAH’s wrath from heaven against their
ungodliness and unrighteousness; unless they see it executed, they will not
know it, as if the curse were brutum fulmen, mere flash, and all the
threatenings of the word bugbears to frighten fools and children.
If
YAHVEH should appear against them, as he has threatened, yet they think
themselves able to make their part good with him, and provoke him to jealousy,
as if they were stronger than he, 1 Co. 10:22. "We have heard his word,
but it is all talk; let him hasten his work, we shall shift for ourselves well
enough.’’ Those that wilfully persist in sin consider not the power of YAH’s
anger.
Isa 5:20 Woe to those who call evil
good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who
put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! - Who confound and overthrow the distinctions between
moral good and evil, who call evil good and moral evil , who not only
live in the omission of that which is good, but condemn it, argue against it,
and, because they will not practise it themselves, run it down in others, and
fasten invidious epithets upon it, not only do that which is evil, but justify
it, and applaud it, and recommend it to others as safe and good.
Virtue
and piety are good, for they are light and sweet, they are pleasant and right;
but sin and wickedness are evil; they are darkness, all the fruit of ignorance
and mistake, and will be bitterness in the latter end.
These
false prophet do a great deal of wrong to YAHVEH, and religion, and conscience,
to their own souls, and to the souls of others, who misrepresent the Word, and
put false colours upon them, who call drunkenness good fellowship, and
covetousness good husbandry, and, when they persecute the people of YAHVEH,
think they do him good service, and, on the other hand, who call seriousness
ill-nature, and sober singularity ill-breeding, who say all manner of evil
falsely concerning the ways of godliness, and do what they can to form in men’s
minds prejudices against them, and this in defiance of evidence as plain and
convincing as that of sense, by which we distinguish, beyond contradiction,
between light and darkness, and between that which to the taste is sweet and
that which is bitter.
Isa 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes1,
and clever in their own sight! Footnote: 1Prov. 3:7. - Who though they are guilty of such gross mistakes as
these have a great opinion of their own judgments, and value themselves
mightily upon their understanding: They are wise in their own eyes; they
think themselves able to disprove and baffle the reproofs and convictions of
YAH’s word, and to evade and elude both the searches and the reaches of HIS
judgments; they think they can outwit Infinite Wisdom and countermine
Providence itself. Or it may be taken more generally: YAHVEH resists the proud,
those particularly who are conceited of their own wisdom and lean to their own
understanding; such must become fools, that they may be truly wise, or else, at
their end they shall appear to be fools before all the world.
Isa 5:22 Woe to the mighty to drink wine, and brave men to mix
strong drink, - Who glory in it as a great accomplishment that they are
able to bear a great deal of strong liquor without being overcome by it, who
are mighty to drink wine, and use their strength and vigour, not in the
service of their country, but in the service of their lusts. Let drunkards know
from this scripture that, they ungratefully abuse their bodily strength, which
YAHVEH has given them for good purposes, and by degrees cannot but weaken it.
It
will not excuse them from the guilt of drunkenness that they can drink hard and
yet keep their feet. Those who boast of their drinking down others glory in
their shame.
How
light soever men make of their drunkenness, it is a sin which will certainly
lay them open to the wrath and curse of YAHVEH.
Isa 5:23 who declare right the wrong
for a bribe, and the righteousness of the righteous they turn aside from him! – Who,
as judges, pervert justice, and go counter to all rules of equity. This follows
upon the former; they drink and forget the law (Prov. 31:5), and err
through wine (ch. 28:7), and take bribes, that they may have wherewithal to
maintain their luxury. They justify the wicked for reward, and find some
pretence or other to clear him from his guilt and shelter him from punishment;
and they condemn the innocent, and take away their righteousness from them,
that is, overrule their pleas, deprive them of the means of clearing up their
innocency, and give judgment against them.
In
causes between man and man, might and money would at any time prevail against
right and justice; and he who was ever so plainly in the wrong would with a
small bribe carry the cause and recover the costs.
In
criminal causes, though the prisoner ever so plainly appeared to be guilty, yet
for a reward they would acquit him; if he were innocent, yet if he did not fee
them well, nay, if they were feed by the malicious prosecutor, or if they
themselves had spleen against him, they would condemn him.
Isa 5:24 Therefore, as a tongue of
fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, their root is as
rottenness, and their blossom goes up like dust – because they have rejected the Torah of יהוה of hosts, and
despised the Word1 of the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl. Footnote: 1“Word”
and “teaching” are used as synonyms. – The judgments described,in this verse which these sins
would bring upon them. Let not those expect to live easily who lives wickedly;
for the righteous YAHVEH will take vengeance.
In
this verse we observe, how complete this ruin will be, and how necessarily and
unavoidably it will follow upon their sins.
He
had compared this people to a vine, well fixed, and which, it was hoped, would
be flourishing and fruitful; but the grace of YAHVEH towards it was received in
vain, and then the root became rottenness, being dried up from beneath, and the
blossom would of course blow off as dust, as a light and worthless thing, Job
18:16.
Sin
weakens our spiritual strength, and the spiritual root, of a people, so that
they are easily rooted up; it defaces their spiritual beauty, the blossoms, of
a people, and takes away the hopes of fruit of the spirit.
The
sin of unfruitfulness is punished with the plague of unfruitfulness. Sinners make
themselves as stubble and chaff, combustible matter, fire wood for the fire of
YAH’s wrath, which then of course devours and consumes them, as the fire
devours the stubble, and nobody can hinder it, or cares to hinder it. Chaff
is consumed, unhelped and unpitied.
How
just the ruin will be: Because they have cast away the law of YAHVEH
TSEBAOTE, and would not have him to reign over them; and, as the law of
Moses was rejected and thrown off, so the word of the Holy One of Yisrael
by his servants the prophets, putting them in mind of his law and calling them
to obedience, was despised and disregarded. YAHVEH does not reject men for
every transgression of his law and word; but, when his word is despised and his
law cast away, what can they expect but that YAHVEH should utterly abandon
them?
Isa 5:25 Therefore the displeasure
of יהוה has burned against His people, and He
stretches out His hand against them and smites them, and the mountains tremble.
And their carcass is as filth in the middle of the streets. With all this His
displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out! – Whence this ruin should come : it is the destruction
from the Almighty.
The
justice of YAHVEH appoints it; for that is the anger of YAHVEH which is kindled
against HIS people, HIS necessary vindication of the honor of his holiness
and authority.
The
power of YAHVEH effects it: He has stretched forth his hand against them.
That hand which had many a time been stretched out for them against their
enemies is now stretched out against them at full length and in its full
vigour; and who knows the power of his anger? Whether they are sensible
of it or no, it is YAHVEH that has smitten them, has blasted their vine and
made it wither.
The
consequences and continuance of this ruin. When YAHVEH comes forth in wrath
against a people the hills will tremble, fear seizes even their great men, who
are strong and high, the earth shakes under men and is ready to sink; and as
this feels dreadful (what does more so than an earthquake?) so what sight can
be more frightful than the carcases of men torn with dogs, or thrown as dung
(so the margin reads it) in the midst of the streets?
This
intimates that great multitudes should be slain, not only soldiers in the field
of battle, but the inhabitants of their cities put to the sword in cold blood,
and that the survivors should neither have hands nor hearts to bury them.
This
is very dreadful, and yet such is the merit of sin that, for all this, YAH’s
anger is not turned away; that fire will burn as long as there remains any
of the stubble and chaff to be fuel for it; and his hand, which he
stretched forth against his people to smite them, because they do not by prayer
take hold of it, nor by reformation submit themselves to it, is stretched
out still.
The
instruments that should be employed in bringing this ruin upon them: it should
be done by the incursions of a foreign enemy, that should lay all waste. No
particular enemy is named, and therefore we are to take it as a prediction of
all the several judgments of this kind which YAHVEH brought upon the Jews,
Sennacherib’s invasion soon after, and the destruction of Yerushalayim by the
Chaldeans first and at last by the Romans; and I think it is to be looked upon
also as a threatening of the like desolation of those countries which harbour
and countenance those sins mentioned in the foregoing verses; it is an
exposition of those woes. When YAHVEHdesigns the ruin of a provoking people.
Isa 5:26 And He shall lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
and shall whistle to them from the end of the earth. And see, they come with
speed, swiftly! - He can send a great way
off for instruments to be employed in effecting it; HE can raise a forces from
afar, and summon them from the end of the earth to attend his service.
Those
who know him not are made use of to fulfil his counsel, when, by reason of
their distance, they can scarcely be supposed to have any ends of their own to
serve. If YAHVEH set up HIS standard, HE can incline men’s hearts to enlist
themselves under it, though perhaps they know not why or wherefore.
When
YAHVEH TSEBAOTE is pleased to make a general muster of the forces HE has at HIS
command, he has a great army in an instant, Joel 2:2, 11. HE needs not sound a
trumpet, nor beat a drum, to give them notice or to animate them; no, HE does
but hiss to them, or rather whistle to them, and that is enough; they hear
that, and that puts courage into them. YAHVEH has all the creatures at HIS
beck.
HE
can make them come into the service with incredible expedition: Behold, they
shall come with speed swiftly. Those who will do YAH’s work must not
loiter, must not linger, nor shall they when his time has come. Those who defy
YAH’s judgments will be ashamed of their insolence when it is too late; they
said scornfully, Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, and they
shall find, to their terror and confusion, that he will; in one hour has the
judgment come.
Isa 5:27 Not one of them is weary or
stumbling, not one slumbers or sleeps. Not a belt shall be loosened on their
loins, nor the thong of their sandals be broken. – He can carry them on in
the service with amazing forwardness and fury. This is described here in very
elegant and lofty expressions.
Though
their marches be very long, yet none among them shall be weary; so
desirous they be to engage that they shall forget their weariness, and make no
complaints of it.
Though
the way be rough, and perhaps embarrassed by the usual policies of war, yet
none among them shall stumble, but all the difficulties in their way
shall easily be got over.
Though
they be forced to keep constant watch, yet none shall slumber nor sleep,
so intent shall they be upon their work, in prospect of having the plunder of
the city for their pains. They shall not desire any rest of relaxation; they
shall not put off their clothes, nor loose the girdle of their loins, but shall
always have their belts on and swords by their sides.
Isa 5:28 Their arrows are sharp, and
all their bows bent; their horses’ hooves shall seem like flint, and their
wheels like a whirlwind. - They shall not meet with
the least hindrance to retard their march or oblige them to halt; not a latchet
of their shoes shall be broken which they must stay to mend, as Jos. 9:13.
Their
arms and ammunition shall all be fixed, and in good posture; their arrows
sharp, to wound deep, and all their bows bent, none unstrung, for
they expect to be soon in action.
Their
horses and chariots of war shall all be fit for service; their horses so
strong, so hardy, that their hoofs shall be like flint, far from being
beaten, or made tender, by their long march; and the wheels of their chariots
not broken, or battered, or out of repair, but swift like a whirlwind,
turning round so strongly upon their axle-trees.
Isa 5:29 Their roar is like that of
a lion, they roar like young lions. And they growl and seize prey, and slip
away, with no one to rescue. - All
the soldiers shall be bold and daring: Their roaring, or shouting,
before a battle, shall be like a lion, who with his roaring animates
himself, and terrifies all about him. Those who would not hear the voice of
YAHVEH speaking to them by his prophets, but stopped their ears against their
charms, shall be made to hear the voice of their enemies roaring against them
and shall not be able to turn a deaf ear to it. They shall roar like the
roaring of the sea in a storm; it roars and threatens to swallow up, as the
lion roars and threatens to tear in pieces.
Isa 5:30 And in that day they shall
growl over it as with the growling of the sea. And one shall look at the earth,
and see, darkness and distress! And light shall be darkened by the clouds. - There shall not be the
least prospect of relief or succour. The enemy shall come in like a flood, and
there shall be none to lift up a standard against him.
He
shall seize the prey, and none shall deliver it, none shall be able to deliver
it, nay, none shall so much as dare to attempt the deliverance of it, but shall
give it up for lost. Let the distressed look which way they will, every thing
appears dismal; for, if יהוה d frowns upon us, how can any creature smile?
First, Look round to the earth,
to the land, to that land that used to be the land of light and the joy of the
whole earth, and behold darkness and sorrow, all frightful, all
mournful, nothing hopeful.
Secondly, Look up to heaven, and
there the light is darkened, where one would expect to have found it. If the
light is darkened in the heavens, how great is that darkness!
If
YAHVEH hide HIS face, no marvel the heavens hide theirs and appear gloomy, Job
34:29. It is our wisdom, by keeping a good conscience, to keep all clear
between us and the Heavens, that we may have light from above even when clouds
and darkness are round about us.
Chapter 6
Up
till now, it should seem, Isaiah had prophesied as a candidate, having only a
virtual and tacit commission; but here we have him (if I may so speak) solemnly
ordained and set apart to the prophetic office by a more express or explicit
commission, as his work grew more upon his hands: or perhaps, having seen
little success of his ministry, he began to think of giving it up; and
therefore YAHVEH saw fit to renew his commission here in this chapter, in such
a manner as might excite and encourage his zeal and industry in the execution
of it, though he seemed to labour in vain. In this chapter we have.
A
very awful vision which Isaiah saw of the glory of YAHVEH verse 1-4, the terror
it put him into verse 5, and the relief given him against that terror by an
assurance of the pardon of his sins verse 6, 7.
A
very awful commission which Isaiah received to go as a prophet, in YAH’s Name
verse 8, by his preaching to harden the impenitent in sin and ripen them for
ruin verse 9–12, yet with a reservation of mercy for a remnant, verse 13. And
it was as to an evangelical prophet that these things were shown him and said
to him.
Isa 6:1
In the year that Sovereign Uzziyahu died, I saw יהוה sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and
the train of His robe filled the Hĕḵal. – The
vision which Isaiah saw when he was, as is said of Samuel, established to be
a prophet of YAHVEH (1 Sa. 3:20), was intended, to confirm his faith, that
he might himself be abundantly satisfied of the truth of those things which
should afterwards be made known to him.
This
YAHVEH opened the communications of himself to him; but such visions needed not
to be afterwards repeated upon every revelation. Therefore YAHVEH appeared at
first as a EL of Glory to Abraham (Acts 7:2), and to Moses, Ex. 3:2. Ezekiel’s
prophecies and St. John’s
To
work upon his affections, that he might be possessed with such a reverence
of YAHVEH as would both quicken him and
fix him to his service. Those who are to teach others the knowledge of YAHVEH
ought to be well acquainted with HIM themselves.
The
vision is dated, for the greater certainty of it. It was in the year that
king Uzziah died, who had reigned, for the most part, as prosperously and
well as any of the kings of Judah, and reigned very long, above fifty years.
About the time that he died, Isaiah saw this vision of YAHVEH upon a throne;
for when the breath of princes goes forth, and they return to their earth, this
is our comfort, that YAHVEH shall reign for ever, Ps. 146:3, 4, 10.
Yisrael’s
king dies, but Yisrael’s EL still lives. From the mortality of great and good
men we should take occasion to look up with an eye of faith to the King
eternal, immortal. King Uzziah died under a cloud, for he was shut up as a
leper till the day of his death. As the lives of princes have their periods, so
their glory is often eclipsed; but, as YAHVEH is everliving, so his glory is
everlasting. King Uzziah dies in an hospital, but the King of kings still sits
upon his throne.
What
the prophet here saw is revealed to us, that we, mixing faith with that
revelation, may in it, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord; let us turn
aside therefore, and see this great sight with humble reverence.
See
YAHVEH upon HIS throne, and that Throne is high and lifted up, not only
above other thrones, as it transcends them, but over other thrones, as it rules
and commands them. Isaiah saw not Jehovah, the essence of YAHVEH(no man
has seen that, or can see it), but YAHVEH, HIS dominion. He saw the Yahushua
HaMashiach; so this vision is explained Jn. 12:41, that Isaiah now saw
Messiyah’s glory and spoke of Him, which is an incontestable proof of the
divinity of our Saviour.
He
is who He is, after His resurrection, He sat down on the right hand of YAHVEH EL
ELYON, did but sit down where He was before, Jn. 17:5. See the rest of the
Eternal Mind: Isaiah saw Yahushua sitting, Ps. 29:10. See the
sovereignty of the Eternal Monarch: He sits upon a throne, a throne of
glory, before which we must worship, a throne of government, under which we
must be subject, and a throne of grace, to which we may come boldly. This
throne is high, and lifted up above all competition and contradiction.
See
His temple, His Assembly on earth, filled with the manifestations of His glory.
His throne being erected at the door of the temple (as princes sat in judgment
at the gates), His train, the skirts of His robes, filled the temple,
the whole world (for it is all YAH’s temple, and, as the heavens is His Throne,
so the earth is his footstool), or rather the Assembly, which is filled
enriched, and beautified with the tokens of YAH’s special presence.
Isa 6:2 Above it stood Seraphim.
Each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his
feet, and with two he flew. – See
the bright and blessed attendants on his throne, in and by whom His glory is
celebrated and His government served: Above the throne, as it were
hovering about it, or nigh to the throne, bowing before it, with an eye to it, the
seraphim stood, the holy angels, who are called seraphim-burners;
for he makes his ministers a flaming fire, Ps. 104:4.
They
burn in love to YAHVEH, and zeal for HIS glory and against sin, and HE makes
use of them as instruments of his wrath when he is a consuming fire to his
enemies. Whether they were only two or four, or (as I rather think) an innumerable
company of angels, that Isaiah saw, is uncertain; see Dan. 7:10.
It
is the glory of the angels that they are Seraphim, have heat proportionable to
their light, have abundance, not only of divine knowledge, but of holy love.
Special notice is taken of their wings (and of no other part of their
appearance), because of the use they made of them, which is designed for
instruction to us.
They
had each of them six wings, not stretched upwards (as those whom Ezekiel
saw, ch. 1:11), but four were made use of for a covering, as the wings of a
fowl, sitting, are; with the two upper wings, next to the head, they covered
their faces, and with the two lowest wings they covered their feet, or lower
parts. This bespeaks their great humility and reverence in their attendance
upon YAHVEH, for HE is greatly feared in the assembly of those saints,
Ps. 89:7.
They
not only cover their feet, those members of the body which are less honorable (1
Co. 12:23), but even their faces. Though
angel’s faces, doubtless, are much fairer than those of the children of men
(Acts 6:15), yet in the presence of YAHVEH, they cover them, because they
cannot bear the dazzling lustre of the divine glory, and because, being
conscious of an infinite distance from the divine perfection, they are ashamed
to show their faces before the holy EL, who charges even HIS angels with
folly if they should offer to vie with him, Job 4:18.
If
angels be thus reverent in their attendance on YAHVEH, with what godly fear
should we approach his throne! Else we do not the will of YAHVEH as the angels
do it. Yet Moses, when he went into the mount with YAHVEH, took the veil from
off his face. See 2 Co. 3:18.
Two
were made use of for flight; when they are sent on YAH’s errands they fly
swiftly (Dan. 9:21), more swiftly with their own wings than if they flew on the
wings of the wind. This teaches us to do the work of YAHVEH with cheerfulness
and expedition. Do angels come upon the wing from heaven to earth, to minister
for our good, and shall not we soar upon the wing from earth to heaven, to
share with them in their glory? Lu. 20:36.
Isa 6:3 And one cried to another and said, “Set-apart,
set-apart, set-apart is יהוה of hosts; all the earth is filled with His
esteem!” – Hear the anthem, or song
of praise, which the angels sing to the honor of him that sits on the throne.
How
this song was sung. With zeal and fervency, they cried aloud; and with
unanimity, they cried to another, or one with another; they sang
alternately, but in concert, and without the least jarring voice to interrupt
the harmony.
What
the song was; it is the same with that which is sung by the four living
creatures, Rev. 4:8. Praising YAHVEH always was, and will be to eternity, the
work of heaven, and the constant employment of blessed spirits above, Ps. 84:4.
The Assembly above is the same in its praises; there is no change of times or
notes there. Two things the seraphim here give YAHVEH the praise of:
His
infinite perfections in himself. Here is one of his most glorious titles
praised: he is YAHVEH TSEBAOTE, of their hosts, of all hosts; and one of
HIS most glorious attributes, his holiness, without which his being YAHVEH
TSEBAOTE “The Lord of Host”
(or,
as it is in the parallel place, Rev. 4:8, the YAHVEH EL ELYON “Lord God
Almighty” could not be so much as it is the matter of our joy and praise;
for power, without purity to guide it, would be a terror to mankind. None of
all the divine attributes is so celebrated in scripture as this is. YAH’s power
was spoken twice (Ps. 62:11), but his holiness thrice, Holy, holy, holy.
This
bespeaks, the zeal and fervency of the angels in praising YAHVEH EL ELYON; they
even want words to express themselves, and therefore repeat the same again. The
particular pleasure they take in contemplating the holiness of YAHVEH; this is
a subject they love to dwell upon, to harp upon, and are loth to leave.
The
superlative excellency of YAH’s holiness, above that of the purest creatures. He
is Kadosh “holy”, thrice holy, infinitely holy, originally, perfectly, and
eternally so. Some make the angels here to applaud the equity of that sentence
which YAHVEH was now about to pronounce upon the Jewish nation. Herein he was,
and is, and will be, holy; his ways are equal.
The
manifestation of these to the children of men: The earth is full of HIS
glory, the glory of his power and purity; for he is holy in all his works,
Ps. 145:17. The Jews thought the glory of YAHVEH should be confined to their land;
but it is here intimated that in the gospel times (which are pointed to in this
chapter) the glory of YAHVEH should fill all the earth, the glory of his
holiness, which is indeed the glory of all his other attributes; this then filled
the temple , but, in the latter days, the earth shall be full of it.
Isa 6:4 And the posts of the door
were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with
smoke. – Observe the marks and tokens of terror with which the
temple was filled, upon this vision of the divine glory.
The
house was shaken; not only the door, but even the posts of the door,
which were firmly fixed, moved at the voice of HIM that cried, at the
voice of YAHVEH, who called to judgment (Ps. 50:4), at the voice of the angel,
who praised him.
There
are voices in heaven sufficient to drown all the noises of the many waters in
this lower world, Ps. 93:3, 4. This violent concussion of the temple was an
indication of YAH’s wrath and displeasure against the people for their sins; it
was an earnest of the destruction of it and the city by the Babylonians first,
and afterwards by the Romans; and it was designed to strike an awe upon us.
Shall walls and posts tremble before YAHVEH, and shall we not tremble?
The
house was darkened; it was filled with smoke, which was as a cloud
spread upon the face of HIS Throne (Job 26:9); we cannot take a full
view of it, nor order our speech concerning it, by reason of darkness. In the
temple above there will be no smoke, but everything will be seen clearly. There
YAHVEH dwells in light; here HE makes darkness HIS pavilion, 2 Chron,
6:1.
This
is not the darkness of sin, but the Darkness that proteck us from seeing HIM.
This darkness hide HIM that those who desire Him must try and find HIM.
Isa 6:5 And I said, “Woe to me, for
I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips – for my eyes have seen the Sovereign, יהוה of hosts.” - Our curiosity would lead us to enquire further
concerning the Seraphim, their songs and their services; but here we leave
them, and must attend to what passed between YAHVEH and HIS prophet. Secret
things belong not to us, the secret things of the world of angels, but
things revealed to and by the prophets, which concern the administration of
YAH’s kingdom among men.
Now
here we have, the consternation that the prophet was put into by the vision
which he saw of the glory of YAHVEH: Then said I, Woe is me! I should
have said, "Blessed art thou, who hast been thus highly favoured, highly
honored, and dignified, for a time, with the privilege of those glorious beings
that always behold the face of our Father.
Blessed
were those eyes which saw tYAHVEH sitting on HIS Throne, and those ears which
heard the angels’ praises.’’ And, one would think, he should have said,
"Happy am I, for ever happy; nothing now shall trouble me, nothing make me
blush or tremble;’’ but, on the contrary, he cries out, "Woe is me! for
I am undone. Alas for me! I am a gone man; I shall surely die
(Judges 13:22; 6:22); I am silenced; I am struck dumb, struck dead.’’ Thus
Daniel, when he heard the words of the angel, became dumb, and there was
no strength, no breath, left in him, Dan. 10:15, 17.
What
the prophet reflected upon in himself which terrified him: "I am undone
if YAHVEH deal with me in strict justice, for I have made myself obnoxious to
his displeasure, because I am a man of unclean lips.’’
Some think he refers particularly to some rash
word he had spoken, or to his sinful silence in not reproving sin with the
boldness and freedom that were necessary, a sin which YAH’s ministers have too
much cause to charge themselves with, and to blush at the remembrance of.
But
it may be taken more generally; I am a sinner; particularly, I have
offended in word; and who is there that hath not? Jam.
They
have been polluted with sin. We have spoken the language of an unclean heart,
that evil communication which corrupts good manners, and whereby many have been
defiled. We are unworthy and unmeet to take YAH’s name into our lips. With what
a pure lip did the angels praise YAHVEH!
"But,’’
says the prophet, "I cannot praise him so, for I am a man of unclean
lips.’’ The best men in the world have reason to be ashamed of themselves,
and the best of their services, when they come into comparison with the holy
angels.
The
angels had celebrated the purity and holiness of YAHVEH; and therefore the
prophet, when he reflects upon sin, calls it uncleanness; for the
sinfulness of sin is its contrariety to the holy nature of YAHVEH, and upon
that account especially it should appear both hateful and frightful to us. The
impurity of our lips ought to be the grief of our souls, for by our words we
shall be justified or condemned.
That
we dwell among those who are so too. We have reason to lament not only that we
ourselves are polluted, but that the nature and race of mankind are so; the
disease is hereditary and epidemic, which is so far from lessening our guilt
that it should rather increase our grief, especially considering that we have
not done what we might have done for the cleansing of the pollution of other
people’s lips; nay, we have rather learned their way and spoken their language,
as Joseph in Egypt learned the courtier’s oath, Gen. 42:16. "I dwell in
the midst of a people who by their impudent sinnings are pulling down
desolating judgments upon the land, which I, who am a sinner too, may justly
expect to be involved in.’’
What
gave occasion for these sad reflections at this time: My eyes have seen the
King, YAHVEH TSEBAOTE. He saw YAH’s sovereignty to be incontestable, HE is
the King; and HIS power irresistible, HE is YAHVEH TSEBAOTE “the Lord of
hosts.” These are comfortable truths to YAH’s people, and yet they ought to
strike an awe upon us. A believing sight of YAH’s glorious majesty should
affect us all with reverence and godly fear.
We
have reason to be abased in the sense of that infinite distance that there is
between us and YAHVEH, and our own sinfulness and vileness before him, and to
be afraid of his displeasure. We are undone if there be not a Mediator between
us and this holy God, 1 Sa. 6:20. Isaiah was thus humbled, to prepare him for
the honor he was now to be called to as a prophet. Those are fittest to be
employed for YAHVEH who are low in their own eyes and are made deeply sensible
of their own weakness and unworthiness.
Isa 6:6 And one of the seraphim
flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs
from the altar. - The silencing of the
prophet’s fears by the good words, and comfortable words, with which the angel
answered him. One of the Seraphim immediately flew to him, to purify him, and
so to pacify him. YAHVEH has strong consolations ready for holy mourners.
Those
that humble themselves in penitential shame and fear shall soon be encouraged
and exalted; those that are struck down with the visions of YAH’s Glory shall
soon be raised up again with the visits of his grace; he that tears will heal.
Further, Angels are ministering spirits for the good of the saints, for their
spiritual good.
Here
was one of the Seraphim dismissed, for a time, from attending on the throne of
YAH’s Glory, to be a messenger of his grace to a good man; and so well pleased
was he with the office that he came flying to him. To our Messiyah Yahushua
Himself, in His agony, there appeared an angel from heaven, strengthening
him, Lu. 22:43.
Here
is, a comfortable sign given to the prophet of the purging away of his sin. The
seraph brought a live coal from the altar, and touched his lips with it,
not to hurt them, but to heal them, not to cauterize, but to cleanse them; for
there were purifications by fire, as well as by water, and the filth of
Yerushalayim was purged by the spirit of burning, ch. 4:4.
The
blessed Spirit works as fire, Mt. 3:11. The seraph, being himself kindled with
a divine fire, put life into the prophet, to make him also zealously affected;
for the way to purge the lips from the uncleanness of sin is to fire the soul
with the love of YAHVEH.
This
live coal was taken from off the altar, either the altar of incense or that of
burnt-offerings, for they had both of them fire burning on them continually.
Nothing is powerful to cleanse and comfort the soul but what is taken from
Messiyah’s satisfaction and the intercession he ever lives to make in the
virtue of that satisfaction.
It
must be a coal from HIS Altar that must put life into us and be our peace; it
will not be done with strange fire.
An
explication of this sign: "Lo, this has touched thy lips, to assure
thee of this, that thy iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged. The
guilt of thy sin is removed by pardoning mercy, the guilt of thy tongue-sins.
The
corrupt disposition to sin is removed by renewing grace; and therefore nothing
can hinder thee from being accepted with YAHVEH as a worshipper, in concert
with the holy angels, or from being employed for YAHVEH a messenger to the
children of men.’’ Those only who are thus purged from an evil conscience are
prepared to serve the living EL, Heb. 9:14. The taking away of sin is
necessary to our speaking with confidence and comfort either to YAHVEH in
prayer or from YAHVEH in preaching; nor are any so fit to display to others the
riches and power of gospel-grace as those who have themselves tasted the sweetness
and felt the influence of that grace; and those shall have their sin taken away
who complain of it as a burden and see themselves in danger of being undone by
it.
Isa 6:7 And he touched my mouth
with it, and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your crookedness is taken
away, and your sin is covered.” - The renewing of the prophet’s mission. Here is a
communication between YAHVEH and Isaiah about this matter. Those that would
assist others in their correspondence with YAHVEH must not themselves be
strangers to it; for how can we expect that YAHVEH should speak by us if we
never heard HIM speaking to us, or that we should be accepted as the mouth of
others to YAHVEH if we never spoke to him heartily for ourselves?
The
counsel of YAHVEH concerning Isaiah’s mission. YAHVEH is here brought in, after
the manner of men, deliberating and advising with himself: Whom shall I
send? And who will go for us? YAHVEH needs not either to be counselled by
others or to consult with himself; he knows what he will do, but thus he would
show us that there is a counsel in his whole will, and teach us to consider our
ways, and particularly that the sending forth of ministers is a work not to be
done but upon mature deliberation.
Isa 6:8 And I heard the voice of יהוה , saying, “Whom
do I send, and who would go for Us?” And I said, “Here am I! Send me.” - Who it is that is consulting. It is
YAHVEH EL ELYON HIS Glory, whom he saw upon the throne high and lifted up. It
puts an honor upon the ministry that, when YAHVEH would send a prophet to speak
in his name, he appeared in all the glories of the upper world. Ministers are
the ambassadors of the King of kings; how mean soever they are, HE who sends
them is great; it is YAHVEH in three persons (Who will go for us? as Gen. 1:26,
Let us make man), YAHVEH, Yahushua and the Ruach HaKodesh. They all
concur, as in the creating, so in the redeeming and governing of man. Ministers
are ordained in the same name into which all Messiyanic are baptized.
What
the consultation is: Whom shall I send? And who will go? Some think this
refers to the particular message of wrath against Yisrael. "Who will be
willing to go on such a melancholy errand, on which they will go in the
bitterness of their souls?’’ Eze. 3:14. But I rather take it more largely for
all those messages which the prophet was entrusted to deliver, in YAH’s Name,
to that people, in which that hardening work was by no means the primary
intention, but a secondary effect of them, 2 Co. 2:16.
Whom
shall I send?
intimating that the business was such as required a choice and
well-accomplished messenger, Jer. 49:19. YAHVEH now appeared, attended with
holy angels, and yet asks, Whom shall I send? For he would send them a prophet
from among their brethren, Heb. 2:17.
It
is the unspeakable favor of YAHVEH to us that he is pleased to send us HIS
mind by men like ourselves, whose terror shall not make us afraid, and who are
themselves concerned in the messages they bring. Those who are workers together
with YAHVEH are sinners and sufferers together with us.
It
is a rare thing to find one who is fit to go for YAHVEH, and carry HIS messages
to the children of men: Whom shall I send? Who is sufficient? Such a
degree of courage for YAHVEH and concern for the souls of men as is necessary
to make a man faithful, and withal such an insight into the mysteries of the
kingdom of heavens as is necessary to make a man skilful, are seldom to be met
with.
Such
an interpreter of the mind of YAHVEH is one of a thousand, Job 33:23.
None
are allowed to go for YAHVEH but those who are sent by him; he will own none
but those whom he appoints, Rom. 10:15. It is Messiyah’s work to put men into
the ministry, 1 Tim. 1:12.
The
consent of Isaiah to it: Then said I, Here am I; send me. He was to go
on a melancholy errand; the office seemed to go a begging, and every body
declined it, and yet Isaiah offered himself to the service. It is an honor to
be singular in appearing for YAHVEH, Judges 5:7. We must not say, "I would
go if I thought I should have success;’’ but, "I will go, and leave the
success to YAHVEH.
Here
am I; send me.’’ Isaiah had been himself in a melancholy frame verse 5, full of
doubts and fears; but now that he had the assurance of the pardon of his sin
the clouds were blown over, and he was fit for service and forward to it. What
he says denotes, His readiness: "Here am I, a volunteer, not pressed into
the service.’’ Behold me; so the word is. YAHVEH says to us, Behold
me (ch. 65:1), and, Here I am (ch. 58:9), even before we call; let
us say so to him when he does call.
His
resolution; "Here I am, ready to encounter the greatest
difficulties. I have set my face as a flint.’’ Compare this with ch.
50:4-7.
His
referring himself to YAHVEH: "Send me whither thou wilt; make what use
thou pleasest of me. Send me, that is, Master give me a commission and full instruction; send me,
and then, no doubt, thou wilt stand by me.’’ It is a great comfort to those
whom YAHVEH sends that they go for YAHVEH, and may therefore speak in HIS Name,
as having authority, and be assured that he will bear them out.
Isa 6:9 And He said, “Go, and you
shall say to this people, ‘Hearing, you hear, but do not understand; and
seeing, you see, but do not know.’ – YAHVEH takes Isaiah at his word, and here
sends him on a strange errand, to foretel the ruin of his people and even to
ripen them for that ruin, to preach that which, by their abuse of it, would be
to them a savour of death unto death. And this was to be a type and figure of
the state of the Jewish church in the days of the Messiyah, when they should
obstinately reject the gospel, and should thereupon be rejected of YAHVEH.
These
verses are quoted in part, or referred to, six times, in the Renew Covenant
which intimates that in gospel time these spiritual judgments would be most
frequently inflicted; and though they make the least noise, and come not with
observation, yet they are of all judgments the most dreadful. Isaiah is here
given to understand these four things:
That
the generality of the people to whom he was sent would turn a deaf ear to his
preaching, and wilfully shut their eyes against all the discoveries of the mind
and Will of YAHVEH which HE had to make to them: "Go, and tell this
people, this foolish wretched people, tell them their own, tell them how
stupid and sottish they are.’’
Isaiah
must prophecy them, and they will hear him indeed, but that is all; they
will not heed him; they will no understand him; they will not take any
pains, nor use that application of mind which is necessary to the understanding
of him; they are prejudiced against that which is the true intent and meaning
of what he says, and therefore they will not understand him, or pretend they do
not.
They
see indeed (for the vision is made plain on tables, so that he who runs
may read it); but they perceive not their own concern in it; it is to
them as a tale that is told. There are many who hear the sound of YAH’s Word,
but do not feel the power of it.
Isa 6:10 “Make the
heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and shall turn and be healed.” – That,
forasmuch as they would not be made better by his ministry, they should be made
worse by it; those that were wilfully blind should be judicially blinded:
"They will not understand or perceive thee, and therefore thou shalt be
instrumental to make their heart fat, senseless, and sensual, and so to make
their ears yet more heavy, and to shut their eyes the closer;
so that, at length, their recovery and repentance will become utterly
impossible; they shall no more see with their eyes the danger they are
in, the ruin they are upon the brink of, nor the way of escape from it; they
shall no more hear with their ears the warnings and instructions that
are given them, nor understand with their heart the things that belong
to their peace, so as to be converted from the error of their ways, and thus be
healed.’’
The
conversion of sinners is the healing of them. A right understanding is necessary
to conversion. YAHVEH sometimes, in a way of righteous judgment, gives men up
to blindness of mind and strong delusions, because they would not receive
the truth in the love of it, 2 Th. 2:10–12. He that is filthy let him be
filthy still.
Even
the Word of YAHVEH oftentimes proves a means of hardening sinners. The
evangelical prophet himself makes the heart of this people fat, not only as he
foretels it, passing this sentence upon them in YAH’s name, and seals them
under it, but as his preaching had a tendency to it, rocking some asleep in
security (to whom it was a lovely song), and making others more outrageous, to
whom it was such a reproach that they were not able to bear it.
Some
looked upon the Word as a privilege, and their convictions were smothered by it
(Jer. 7:4); others looked upon it as a provocation, and their corruptions were
exasperated by it.
Isa 6:11 Then I said, “יהוה , until when?”
And He answered, “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, and
the houses are without a man, and the land is laid waste, a ruin, - That the consequence of this would be their utter
ruin. The prophet had nothing to object against the justice of this
sentence, nor does he refuse to go upon such an errand, but asks, "YAHVEH,
how long?’’ (an abrupt question): "Shall it always be thus?
Must
I and other prophets always labour in vain among them, and will things never be
better?’’ Or, (as should seem by the answer) "YAHVEH, what will it come to
at last? What will be in the end hereof?’’ In answer to this he is told that it
should issue in the final destruction of the Jewish church and nation.
"When the Word of YAHVEH.
Epecially
the word of the Gospel, had been thus abused by them, they shall be unchurched,
and consequently undone. Their cities shall be uninhabited, and their country
houses too; the land shall be untilled, desolate with desolation (as it
is in the margin), the people who should replenish the houses and cultivate the
ground being all cut off by sword, famine, or pestilence, and those who escape
with their lives being removed far away into captivity, so that there shall be
a great and general forsaking in the midst of the land; that populous country
shall become desert, and that glory of all lands shall be abandoned.’’
Isa 6:12 and יהוה has removed men far away, and the forsaken
places be many in the midst of the land. - Spiritual judgments often
bring temporal judgments along with them upon persons and places. This was in
part fulfilled in the destruction of Yerushalayim by the Chaldeans, when the
land, being left desolate, enjoyed her sabbaths seventy years; but, the
foregoing predictions being so expressly applied in the renew Covenant the Jews
in our Messiyah’s time, doubtless this points at the final destruction of that
people by the Romans, in which it had a complete accomplishment, and the
effects of it that people and that land remain under to this day.
Isa 6:13 “But still,
there is a tenth part in it, and it shall again be for a burning, like a
terebinth tree and like an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. The
set-apart seed is its stump!”- That
yet a remnant should be reserved to be the monuments of mercy. There was a
remnant reserved in the last destruction of the Jewish nation (Rom. 11:5, At
this present time there is a remnant); for so it was written here: But
in it shall be a tenth, a certain number, but a very small number in
comparison with the multitude that shall perish in their unbelief.
It
is that which, under the law, was YAH’s proportion; they shall be consecrated
to YAHVEH as the tithes were, and shall be for his service and honor.
Concerning this tithe, this saved remnant, we are here told.
That
they shall return (ch. 6:13; 10:21), shall return from sin to YAHVEH and duty,
shall return out of captivity to their own land. YAHVEH will turn them, and
they shall be turned.
That
they shall be eaten, that is, shall be accepted of YAHVEH as the tithe was,
which was meat in YAH’s house, Mal. 3:10. The saving of this remnant shall be
meat to the faith and hope of those that wish well to YAH’s kingdom.
That
they shall be like a timber-tree in winter, which has life, though it has no
leaves: As a teil-tree and as an oak, whose substance is in them even when
they cast their leaves, so this remnant, though they may be stripped of
their outward prosperity and share with others in common calamities, shall yet
recover themselves, as a tree in the spring, and flourish again; though they
fall, they shall not be utterly cast down. There is hope of a tree, though
it be cut down, that it will sprout again, Job 14:7.
That
this distinguished remnant shall be the stay and support of the public
interests. The holy seed in the soul is the substance of the man; a
principle of grace reigning in the heart will keep life there; he that is born
of YAHVEH has HIS seed remaining in HIM, 1 Jn. 3:9.
So
the holy seed in the land is the substance of the land, keeps it from being
quite dissolved, and bears up the pillars of it, Ps. 75:3. See ch. 1:9.
Some read the foregoing clause with this, thus: As the support at
Shallecheth is in the elms and the oaks, so the holy seed is the substance
thereof; as the trees that grow on either side of the causeway (the raised
way, or terrace-walk, that leads from the king’s palace to the temple, 1 Ki.
10:5, at the gate of Shallecheth, 1 Chron, 26:16) support the causeway by
keeping up the earth, which would otherwise be crumbling away, so the small
residue of religious, serious, praying people, are the support of the state,
and help to keep things together and save them from going to decay.
Some
make the holy seed to be Yahushua HaMashiach. The Jewish nation was therefore
saved from utter ruin because out of it, as concerning the flesh, Messiyah was
to come, Rom. 9:5. Destroy it not, for that blessing is in it (ch.
65:8); and when that blessing had come, it was soon destroyed.
Now
the consideration of this is designed for the support of the prophet in his
work. Though far the greater part should perish in their unbelief, yet to some
his word should be a savour of life unto life. Ministers do not wholly lose
their labour if they be but an instrumental to save another soul or to bring
one to maturity.
Chapter 7
This
chapter is an occasional sermon, in which the prophet sings both of mercy and
judgment to those that did not perceive or understand either; he piped unto
them, but they danced not, mourned unto them, but they wept not. Here is the
consternation that Ahaz was in upon an attempt of the confederate forces of
Syria and Yisrael against Yerushalayim verse 1-2.
The
assurance which YAHVEH, by the prophet, sent him for his encouragement, that
the attempt should be defeated and Yerushalayim should be preserved verse 3-9.
The
confirmation of this by a sign which YAHVEH gave to Ahaz, when he refused to
ask one, referring to Messiyah, and our redemption by himverse 10–16.
A
threatening of the great desolation that YAHVEH would bring upon Ahaz and his
kingdom by the Assyrians, notwithstanding their escape from this present storm,
because they went on still in their wickedness verse 17–25). And this is
written both for our comfort and for our admonition.
Isa 7:1
And it came to be in the days of Aḥaz son of Yotham, son
of Uzziyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah, that Retsin sovereign of Aram and Peqaḥ son
of Remalyahu, sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, went up to Yerushalayim to fight against
it, but could not prevail against it. – The
prophet Isaiah had his commission renewed in the year that king Uzziah died,
ch. 6:1. Jotham his son reigned, and reigned well, sixteen years. All that
time, no doubt, Isaiah prophesied as he was commanded, and yet we have not in
this book any of his prophecies dated in the reign of Jotham; but this, which
is put first, was in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham.
Many
excellent useful sermons he preached which were not published and left upon
record; for, if all that was memorable had been written, the world could not
have contained the books, Jn. 21:25. Perhaps in the reign of Ahaz, a wicked
king, he had not opportunity to preach so much at court as in Jotham’s time,
and therefore then he wrote the more, for a testimony against them.
Here
is, a very formidable design laid against Yerushalayim by Rezin king of Syria
and Pekah king of Israel, two neighbouring potentates, who had of late made
descents upon Judah severally. At the end of the reign of Jotham, YAHVEH
began to send against Judah Rezin and Pekah, 2 Ki. 15:37.
But
now, in the second or third year of the reign of Ahaz, encouraged by their
former successes, they entered into an alliance against Judah. Because Ahaz,
though he found the sword over his head, began his reign with idolatry, YAHVEH
delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria and of the king of Yisrael
(2 Chr. 28:5), and a great slaughter they made in his kingdom.
Flushed with this victory, they went up
towards Yerushalayim, the royal city, to war against it, to besiege it, and
make themselves masters of it; but it proved in the issue that they could not
gain their point. The sin of a land brings foreign invasions upon it and
betrays the most advantageous posts and passes to the enemy; and YAHVEH
sometimes makes one wicked nation a scourge to another; but judgment,
ordinarily, begins at the house of YAHVEH.
Isa 7:2
And it was reported to the house of
Dawiḏ, saying, “Aram has set up camp in Ephrayim.” And his heart and the heart
of his people were moved as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind. - The great distress that Ahaz and his
court were in when they received advice of this design: It was told the
house of David that Syria and Ephraim had signed a league against Judah.
This
degenerate royal family is called the house of David, to put us in mind
of that article of YAH’s covenant with David (Ps. 89:30–33), If his children
forsake my law, I will chasten their transgression with the rod; but my
loving-kindness will I not utterly take away, which is remarkably fulfilled
in this chapter.
News
being brought that the two armies of Syria and Yisrael were joined, and had
taken the field, the court, the city, and the country, were thrown into
consternation; The heart of Ahaz was moved with fear, and then no wonder
that the heart of his people was so, as the trees of the wood are moved with
the wind.
They
were tossed and shaken, and put into a great disorder and confusion, were
wavering and uncertain in their counsels, hurried hither and thither, and could
not fix in any steady resolution.
They
yielded to the storm, and gave up all for gone, concluding it in vain to make
any resistance. Now that which caused this fright was the sense of guilt and
the weakness of their faith.
They
had made YAHVEH their enemy, and knew not how to make him their friend, and
therefore their fears tyrannised over them; while those whose consciences are
kept void of offence, and whose hearts are fixed, trusting in YAHVEH, need
not be afraid of evil tidings; though the earth be removed, yet will not they
fear; but the wicked flee at the shaking of a leaf, Lev. 26:36.
Isa 7:3 And יהוה said to Yeshayahu, “Go out now to meet Aḥaz,
you and She’ar-Yashuḇ your son, at the end of the channel of the upper pool,
on the highway of the Launderer’s Field, - The orders and directions given to Isaiah to go and
encourage Ahaz in his distress; not for his own sake (he deserved to hear
nothing from YAHVEH but words of terror, which might add affliction to his
grief), but because he was a son of David and king of Judah. YAHVEH had
kindness for him for his father’s sake, who must not be forgotten, and for his
people’s sake, who must not be abandoned, but would be encouraged if Ahaz were.
YAHVEH
appointed the prophet to meet Ahaz, though HE did not send to the prophet to
speak with him, nor desire him to enquire of the Lord for him: Go to meet
Ahaz. YAHVEH is often found of those who seek HIM, that is why HE dwells in
darkness. much more will he be found of those who seek HIM diligently. He
speaks comfort to many who not only are not worthy of it, but do not so much as
enquire after it.
He
ordered him to take his little son with him, because he carried a sermon in his
name, A remnant shall return. The prophets sometimes recorded what they
preached in the significant names of their children (as Hos. 1:4, 6, 9);
therefore Isaiah’s children are said to be for signs, ch. 8:18.
This
son was so called for the encouragement of those of YAH’s people who were
carried captive, assuring them that they should return, at least a remnant of
them, which was more than they could pretend to merit; yet at this time YAHVEH
was better than HIS Word; for he took care not only that a remnant should
return, but the whole number of those whom the confederate forces of Syria and
Yisrael had taken prisoners, 2 Chr. 28:15.
He
directed him where he should find Ahaz. He was to meet with him not in the
temple, or the synagogue, or royal chapel, but at the end of the conduit of
the upper pool, where he was, probably with many of his servants about him,
contriving how to order the water-works, so as to secure them to the city, or
deprive the enemy of the benefits of them (ch. 22:9–11; 2 Chr. 32:3, 4), or
giving some necessary directions for the fortifying of the city as well as they
could; and perhaps finding every thing in a bad posture or defence, the conduit
out of repair, as well as other things gone to decay, his fears increased, and
he was now in greater perplexity than ever; therefore, Go, meet him there.
YAHVEH
sometimes sends comforts to HIS people very seasonably, and, what time they are
most afraid, encourages them to trust in him.
HE
put words in his mouth, else the prophet would not have known how to bring a
message of good to such a bad man, a sinner in Zion, that ought to be afraid;
but YAHVEH intended it for the support of faithful Yisraelites.
Isa 7:4 and say to him, ‘Take heed, and be calm; do not fear or
be faint-hearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce
displeasure of Retsin and Aram, and the son of Remalyahu. - The prophet must rebuke
their fears, and advise them by no means to yield to them, but keep their
temper, and preserve the possession of their own souls: Take heed, and be
quiet. Note, In order to comfort there is need of caution; that we may be
quiet, it is necessary that we take heed and watch against those things that
threaten to disquiet us.
"Fear
not with this amazement, this fear, that weakens, and has torment; neither let
thy heart be tender, so as to melt and fail within thee; but pluck up thy
spirits, have a good heart on it, and be courageous; let not fear betray the
succours which reason and religion offer for thy support.’’ Those who expect
YAHVEH should help them must help themselves, Ps. 27:14.
He
must teach them to despise their enemies, not in pride, or security, or
incogitancy (nothing more dangerous than so to despise an enemy), but in faith
and dependence upon YAHVEH.
Ahaz’s
fear called them two powerful politic princes, for either of whom he was an
unequal match, but, if united, he durst not look them in the face, nor make
head against them. "No,’’ says the prophet, "they are two tails of
smoking firebrands; they are angry, they are fierce, they are furious, as
firebrands, as fireballs; and they make one another worse by being in a
confederacy, as sticks of fire put together burn the more violently. But they
are only smoking firebrands: and where there is smoke there is some fire, but
it may be not so much as was feared.
Their
threatenings will vanish into smoke. Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise
(Jer. 46:17), and Rezin king of Syria but a smoke; and such are all the enemies
of YAH’s Assembly, smoking flax, that will soon be quenched.
They
are but tails of smoking firebrands, in a manner burnt out already;
their force is spent; they have consumed themselves with the heat of their own
anger; you may put your foot on them, and tread them out.’’ The two kingdoms of
Syria and Yisrael were now near expiring.
The
more we have an eye to YAHVEH as a consuming fire the less reason we shall have
to fear men, though they are ever so furious, nay, we shall be able to despise
them as smoking firebrands.
Isa 7:5 ‘Because Aram, Ephrayim, and the son of Remalyahu have
plotted evil against you, saying, - He must assure them that
the present design of these high allies (so they thought themselves) against
Yerushalayim should certainly be defeated and come to nothing.
That
very thing which Ahaz thought most formidable is made the ground of their
defeat, and that was the depth of their designs and the height of their hopes: "Therefore
they shall be baffled and sent back with shame, because they have taken evil
counsel against thee, which is an offence to YAHVEH.
These
firebrands are a smoke in his nose (ch. 65:5), and therefore must be
extinguished.’’ First, They are very spiteful and malicious, and,
therefore they shall not prosper. Judah had done them no wrong; they had no
pretence to quarrel with Ahaz; but, without any reason, they said, Let us go
up against Judah, and vex it. Note, Those that are vexatious cannot expect
to be prosperous, those that love to do mischief cannot expect to do well.
Isa 7:6 “Let us go up against Yehuḏah and tear it apart, and
break it open for ourselves, and set a sovereign over them, the son of Taḇe’ĕl.” - They are very secure, and confident
of success. They will trouble Judah by going up against it; yet that is not
all: they make a breach in the wall of Yerushalayim wide enough for them to
march their army in; or they count upon dissecting or dividing the kingdom into
two parts, one for the king of Yisrael, the other for the king of Syria, who
had agreed in one viceroy a king to be set in the midst of it, even
the son of Tabeal, some obscure person, it is uncertain whether a Syrian or
an Israelite. So sure were they of gaining their point that they divided the
prey before they had caught it. Those that are most scornful are commonly least
successful, for surely YAHVEH scorns the scorners.
Isa 7:7 ‘Thus said the Master יהוה , “It is not
going to stand, nor shall it take place. - YAHVEH HIMSELF gives them HIS Word that the attempt
should not take effect: "Thus saith EL YAHVEH, the sovereign Elohim
all, who brings the counsel of the heathen to naught (Ps. 33:10), It
shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass; their measures shall all be
broken, and they shall not be able to bring to pass their enterprise.’’ Whatever stands against YAHVEH or thinks to
stand without him, cannot stand long. Man purposes, but YAHVEH disposes; and who
is he that saith and it cometh to pass if YAHVEH commands it not or
countermands it? Lam. 3:37. See Prov. 19:21.
Isa 7:8 “For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of
Damascus is Retsin. And within sixty-five years Ephrayim is to be broken as a
people. - He must give them a
prospect of the destruction of these enemies, at last, that were now such a
terror to them.
They
should neither of them enlarge their dominions, nor push their conquests any
further; The head city of Syria is Damascus, and the head man of Damascus is
Rezin; this he glories in, and this let him be content with.
The
head city of Ephraim
has long been Samaria, and the head man in Samaria is now Pekah the
son of Remaliah. These shall be made to know their own, their bounds are
fixed, and they shall not pass them, to make themselves masters of the cities
of Judah, much less to make Yerushalayim their prey.
As
YAHVEH has appointed men the bounds of their habitation (Acts 17:26), so he has
appointed princes the bounds of their dominion, within which they ought to
confine themselves, and not encroach upon their neighbours’ rights.
Ephraim,
which perhaps was the more malicious and forward enemy of the two, should
shortly be quite rooted out, and should be so far from seizing other people’s
lands that they should not be able to hold their own. Interpreters are much at
a loss how to compute the sixty-five years within which Ephraim shall cease
to be a people; for the captivity of the ten tribes was but eleven years
after this: and some make it a mistake of the transcriber, and think it should
be read within six and five years, just eleven.
But
it is hard to allow that. Others make it to be sixty-five years from the time
that the prophet Amos first foretold the ruin of the kingdom of the ten tribes;
and some late interpreters make it to look as far forward as the last
desolation of that country by Esarhaddon, which was about sixty-five years
after this; then Ephraim was so broken that it was no more a people. Now it was
the greatest folly in the world for those to be ruining their neighbours who
were themselves marked for ruin, and so near to it. See what a prophet told
them at this time, when they were triumphing over Judah, 2 Chr. 28:10. Are
there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?
Isa 7:9 “And the head of Ephrayim
is Shomeron, and the head of Shomeron is the son of Remalyahu. If you do not
believe, you are not steadfast.” - He must urge them to mix
faith with those assurances which he had given them: "If you will not
believe what is said to you, surely you shall not be established;
your shaken and disordered state shall not be established, your unquiet
unsettled spirit shall not; though the things told you are very encouraging,
yet they will not be so to you, unless you believe them, and be willing to take
YAH’s Word.’’ The grace of faith is absolutely necessary to the quieting and
composing of the mind in the midst of all the tosses of this present time, 2
Chr. 20:20.
Isa 7:10 And יהוה spoke again to Aḥaz, saying, - Here, YAHVEH by the prophet, makes a gracious offer
to Ahaz, to confirm the foregoing predictions, and his faith in them, by such
sign or miracle as he should choose: Ask thee a sign of YAHVEH thy EL;
See here the divine faithfulness and veracity. YAHVEH tells us nothing but what
HE is able and ready to prove.
Isa 7:11 “Ask a sign for yourself from יהוה your Elohim; make deep the request or make it
high.” See HIS wonderful condescension to the children
of men, in that HE is so willing to
show to the heirs of promise the immutability of HIS counsel, Heb. 6:17. - He considers our frame, and that,
living in a world of sense, we are apt to require sensible proofs, which
therefore he has favoured us with in sacramental signs and seals.
Ahaz
was a bad man, yet YAHVEH is called the Lord his EL, because he was a child of
Abraham and David, and of the covenants made with them. See how gracious YAHVEH
is even to the evil and unthankful; Ahaz is bidden to choose his sign, as Gideon
about the fleece (Jdg. 6:37); let him ask for a sign in the air, or earth, or
water, for YAH’s power is the same in all.
Brit Chadasha
Moshe-Markus
Mark 12:28 –34
Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning
together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is
the first commandment of all? - The scribes and Pharisees were religious enemies to the
Sadducees; one would have expected that, when they heard Messiyah arguing
with the Sadducees, they would suppored
Yahushua, as they did Paul when he appeared against the Sadducees (Acts 23:9);
but it had not so: Messiyah did not agree with the Pharisees with the
ceremonials of religion, he agreeing with them in the essentials, gained him no
respect with them.
In
this verse we have an account of one of the scribe, who had so much
civility in him as to take notice of Messiyah’s answer to the Sadducees, and to
own that he had answered well, and much to the purpose; and we have
reason to hope that he did not join with the other scribes in persecuting
Messiyah; for here we have his application to Messiyah for instruction, and it
was such as became him; not tempting Messiyah, but desiring to improve his
acquaintance with him.
He
enquired, Which is the first commandment of all? He doth not mean the first in order,
but the first in weight and dignity; "Which is that command
which we ought to have in a special manner an eye to, and our obedience to
which will lay a foundation for our obedience to all the rest?’’ Not that any
commandment of ABBA YAHVEH is little, but some are greater than others, moral
precepts than rituals, and of some we may say, They are the greatest of all.
Mark 12:29And Yahushua answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Yisrael; YAHVEH our EL is one Lord: - That the great commandment of all,
which is indeed inclusive of all, is, that of loving EL with all our hearts.
Where there is a commanding principle in the soul, there is a disposition to
every other duty. Love is the leading affection of the soul; the love of ABBA
YAHVEH is the leading grace in the renewed soul. Where this is not, nothing else that is good
is done, or done aright, or accepted, or done long. Loving YAHVEH with all our
heart, will effectually take us off from, and arm us against, all those things
that are rivals with him for the throne in our souls, and will engage us to
every thing by which he may be honored, and with which he will be pleased; and
no commandment will be grievous where this principle commands, and has the
ascendant.
Now
here in, Mark, our Savior prefixes to this command the great doctrinal truth
upon which it is built ; Hear, O Yisrael, YAHVEH our EL is Echad “one”;
if we firmly believe this, it will follow, that we shall love him with all
our heart. He is YAHVEH who has all amiable perfections in himself; he is our
EL, to whom we stand related and obliged;
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love YAHVEH thy EL with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment.- and therefore we ought to love
him, to set our affections on him, let out own desire toward him, and take
a delight in him; and he is one EL, therefore he must be loved with our whole
heart; he has the sole right to us, and therefore ought to have the
sole possession of us. If he be one, our hearts must be one with him,
and since there is no EL besides, no rival must be admitted with him upon the
throne.
Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely
this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment
greater than these. - That the second great
catagories of commandment is, to love our neighbour as ourselves , as
truly and sincerely as we love ourselves, and in the same instances, and we
must show it by doing as we would be done by. As we must therefore love
ABBA YAHVEH than ourselves, because HE is YAHVEH, a being infinitely better
than we are, and must love him with all our heart, because he is one
EL, and there is no other like him; so we must love our neighbour as
ourselves, because he is of the same nature with ourselves; our hearts are
fashioned alike, and my neighbour and myself are of one body, of one society,
that of the world of mankind; and if a fellow brothe, and of the same sacred society,
the obligation is the stronger. Hath not one EL created us? Mal. 2:10.
Has not one Messiyah redeemed us? Well might Messiyah say, There is no other
commandment greater than these; for in these all the law is fulfilled, and
if we make conscience of obedience to these, all other instances of obedience
will follow of course.
Mark 12:32
And the
scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one
God; and there is none other but he: - The scribe consented to what Messiyah
Yahushua said, and descanted upon it. He commends Yahushua’s decision of this
question; Well, Master, thou hast said the truth. Yahushua’s assertions
needed not the scribe’s attestations; but this scribe, being a man in
authority, thought it would put some reputation upon what Yahushua said, to
have it commended by him; and it shall be brought in evidence against those who
persecuted Yahushua, as a deceiver, that one of themselves, even a scribe of
their own, confessed that he said the truth, and said it well.
And thus must we subscribe to Yahushua’s sayings, must set to our seal that
they are true.
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding,
and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more
than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. - He comments upon it.
Yahushua had quoted that great doctrine, that YAHVEH our EL and HE is One in
the Kingdom; and this he not only assented to, but added, "There is
none other but HIM, and therefore we
must have no other EL besides.’’ This excludes all rivals with him, and secures
the throne in the heart entire for him. Messiyah Yahushua had laid down that
great law, of loving ABBA YAHVEH with all our hearts; and this also he
explains, that it is loving him with the understanding, as those that
know what abundant reason we have to love HIM. Our love to YAHVEH, as it must
be an entire, so it must be an intelligent, love; we must love
ABBA YAHVEH with all the understanding, out of the whole understanding;
our rational powers and faculties must all be set on work to lead out the
affections of our souls toward ABBA YAHVEH. Messiyah Yahushua has said,
"To love ABBA YAHVEH and our neighbour is the greatest commandment of
all;’’ "Yea,’’ saith the scribe, "it is better, it is more than
all whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, more acceptable to ABBA YAHVEH,
and will turn to a better account to ourselves.’’ There were those who held,
that the law of sacrifices was the greatest commandment of all;
but this scribe readily agreed with our Saviour in this, that the law of love
to ABBA YAHVEH and our neighbour is greater than that of sacrifice, even
than that of whole-burnt-offerings, which were intended purely for the
honor of YAHVEH.
Mark 12:34 And when Messiyah Yahushua saw that He answered
discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from
YAHVEH kingdom.. And no man after
that durst ask him any question.
– Messiyah Yahushua approved of what He
said, and encouraged him to proceed in his enquiries of him. This had nothing
to do with been save, this was about the spirit of Understanding that was
developed in the person. This confirm what I once say to a group in a church
that I can tell the maturity of an individual by the way they pray. Some got
very offended. It is usually those who are underdevelop spiritual that would
get offended by a comment such as this, however, a person who had the spirit of
decernment would take it as a opportunity to progress spiritually.
He
owned that he understood well, as far as he went; so far, so good. Messiyah
Yahushua saw that he answered discreetly, and was the more pleased with
it, because he had of late met with so many even of the scribes, men of
letters, that answered indiscreetly, as those that had no
understanding, nor desired to have any. He answered as one that had a
mind; as a rational intelligent man with the spirit pf knowledge, as one
that had his wits about him; as one whose reason was not blinded, whose
judgment was not biassed, and whose forethought was not fettered, by the
prejudices which other scribes were so much under the power of. He answered as
one that allowed himself liberty and leisure to consider, as one that had
considered.
He
owned that he stood fair for a further advance; "Thou art not far from
the YAHVEH kingdom. Meaning that
his spiritual maturity was almost complete.
For
the doctrine of Messiyah Yahushua insists most upon these things, and is
designed, and has a tendency direct, to bring believers to this.’’ There is
hope of those who make a good use of the light they have, and go as far as that
will carry them, that by the grace of ABBA YAHVEH they will be led further, by
the clearer discoveries ABBA YAHVEH has to make to them. What became of this
scribe we are not told, but would willingly hope that he took the hint Messiyah
Yahushua gave him, and that, having been told by him, so much to his
satisfaction, what was the great commandment of the law, he proceeded to
enquire of him, or his apostles, what was the great commandment of the gospel too.
Yet, if he did not, but took, up here, and went no further, we are not to think
it strange; for there are many who are not far from the ABBA YAHVEH kingdom.
Now, one would think, this should have invited many to consult him: but it had
a contrary effect; No man, after that, durst ask Messiyah Yahushua any
question; every thing he said, was spoken with such authority and majesty,
that every one stood in awe of him; those that desired to learn, were ashamed
to ask, and those that designed to cavil, were afraid to ask.
Mattiyahu
Matthew 4:1-11
John Baptist said
concerning Messiyah Yahushua, He must increase, but I must decrease; and so it
proved. For, after John had baptized Messiyah Yahushua, and borne his testimony
to him, we hear little more of his ministry; he had done what he came to do,
and thenceforward there is as much talk of Messiyah as ever there had been of
John.
As the rising Sun
advances, the morning star disappears. Concerning Messiyah Yahushua we have in
this chapter, the temptation Messiyah
Yahushua underwent, the triple assault the tempter made upon Him, and the
repulse he gave to each assault verse 1 – 11.
Matthew 4:1 Then was Yahushua led up of
the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. – He was directed to the combat
by the Holy Spirit; Messiyah Yahushua did not wilfully thrust himself upon it,
but he was led up of the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil. The Spirit
that descended upon Him like a Menorah made Him meek, and yet made him
bold.
Our
care must be, not to enter into temptation; but if ABBA YAHVEH, by HIS
providence, order us into circumstances of temptation for our trial, we must
not think it strange, but double our guard. Be strong in YAHVEH, resist stedfast in the faith, and all shall
be well. If we presume upon our own strength, and tempt the devil to tempt us,
we provoke ABBA YAHVEH to leave us to ourselves; but, whithersoever ABBA YAHVEH
leads us, we may hope he will go along with us, and bring us off more than conquerors.
Messiyah
Yahushua was led to be tempted of the Devil, and of him only. Others are
tempted, when they are drawn aside of
their own lust and enticed (Jam. 1:14); the Devil takes hold of that
handle, and ploughs with that heifer; but our Lord Jesus had no corrupt nature,
and therefore he was led securely, without any fear or trembling, as a champion
into the field, to be tempted
purely by the Devil.
Now Messiyah’s temptation
is, an instance of His own condescension and humiliation. Temptations are fiery darts, thorns in the flesh, buffetings,
siftings, wrestlings, combats, all which denote hardship and suffering; therefore Messiyah Yahushua submitted
to them, because he would humble himself, in all things to be made like unto His brethren; thus he gave his back to the smiters.
An occasion of Satan’s
confusion. There is no conquest without a combat. Messiyah Yahushua was
tempted, that He might overcome the tempter. Satan tempted the first Adam, and
triumphed over him; but He shall not always triumph, the second Adam shall
overcome him and lead captivity
captive.
Matter of comfort to all
the saints. In the temptation of Messiyah Yahushua it appears, that our enemy
is subtle, spiteful, and very daring in his temptations; but it appears withal,
that he is not invincible. Though he is a
strong man armed, yet the Captain of our salvation is stronger than he. It is some comfort
to us to think that Messiyah Yahushua suffered, being tempted; for thus it appears that temptations, if not yielded
to, are not sins, they are afflictions only, and such as may be pleased. And we
have a High Priest who knows, by experience, what it is to be tempted, and who therefore is the
more tenderly touch with the feelings
of our infirmities in an hour of temptation, Heb. 2:18; 4:15. But it is
much more a comfort to think that Messiyah Yahushua conquered, being tempted, and conquered for us; not
only that the enemy we grapple with is a conquered, baffled, disarmed enemy,
but that we are interested in Christ’s victory over him, and through him are more than conquerors.
The place where it was; in the wilderness;
probably in the great wilderness of Sinai, where Moses and Elijah fasted
forty days, for no part of the wilderness of Judea was so abandoned
to wild beasts as this is said to have been, Mk. 1:13. When Messiyah Yahushua
was baptized, he did not go to Jerusalem, there to publish the glories that had
been put upon him, but retired into a wilderness. After communion with ABBA
YAHVEH, it is good to be private awhile, lest we lose what we have received, in
the crowd and hurry of worldly business.
Messiyah Yahushua withdrew
into the wilderness, to gain advantage to himself. Retirement gives an
opportunity for meditation an communion with ABBA YAHVEH; even they who are
called to the most active life must yet have their contemplative hours, and
must first find time to be alone with ABBA YAHVEH. Those are not fit to speak
of the things of YAHVEH in public to others, who have not first conversed with
those things in secret by themselves.
When Messiyah Yahushua
would appear as a Teacher come from YAHVEH ROEH, it shall not be said of
Him, "He is newly come from travelling, he has been abroad, and has seen
the world;’’ but, "He is newly come out of the desert, he has been alone
conversing with ABBA YAHVEH and his own heart.’’
To give advantage to the
tempter, that he might have a readier access to him than he could have had in
company. Though solitude is a friend to a good heart, yet Satan knows how to
improve it against us. Woe to him that is alone. Those who, under pretence
of sanctity and devotion, retire into dens and deserts, find that they are not
out of reach of their spiritual enemies, and that there they want the benefit
of the communion with saints.
Messiyah Yahushua retired,
to make His victory the more illustrious, he gave the enemy sun and wind on his
side, and yet baffled him. He might give the Devil advantage, for the prince
of this world had nothing in him; but he has in us, and therefore we must
pray not to be led into temptation, and must keep out of harm’s way.
That he might have an
opportunity to do his best himself, that he might be exalted in his own
strength; for so it was written, I have trod the wine-press alone, and
of the people there was none with me. Messiyah Yahushua entered the lists without
a second. By going into the wilderness alone, Messiyah Yahushua took away any
argument that Lucifer may have to say that Yahushua was been protected by ABBA
YAHVEH as He did with Job. This was a MAJOR defeate for Lucifer.
Matthew
4:2 And when he had fasted
forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. – He
was dieted for the combat, as wrestlers, who are temperate in all things (1 Co. 9:25); but Messiyah Yahushua went
beyond any other, He place His flesh in the most vulnerable position, so that
Lucifer did not have an argument why he lost.
So Messiyah fasted forty days
and forty nights, in compliance with the type and example of Moses the
great lawgiver, and of Elias, the great reformer, of the Torah. Messiyah
Yahushua needed not to fast for mortification (he had no corrupt desires to be
subdued); yet he fasted. That
He might humble Himself, and might seem as one abandoned, whom no man seeketh after.
That he might give Satan
both occasion and advantage against Him; and so make his victory over him the
more illustrious. That He might sanctify and recommend fasting to us, when ABBA
WAHWEH in His providence calls to it, or when we are reduced to straits, and
are destitute of daily food, or when it is requisite for the keeping under of
the body, or the quickening of prayer, those excellent preparatives for
temptation.
If good people are brought
low, if they want friends and succours, this may comfort them, that their
Master himself was in like manner exercised. A man may want bread, and yet be a
favourite of heaven, and under the conduct of the Spirit.
Matthew 4:3
And
when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of YAHVEH, command
that these stones be made bread. – So you call yourself a
mature son, prove it by command these ordinary stone to become bread! Let me
see this Power you have been given, demonstrate to me! Let me see the real
purpose of Creation? Is not Creation to Create perfect sons? Let me see if ABBA
YAHVEH can do what HE says He can do after I have corrupted Adam and Eve? Let
me see this perfection at work?
See
how the temptation was managed; The tempter came to him. The Devil is the
tempter, and therefore he is Satan, an adversary; for those are our
worst enemies, that entice us to sin, and are Satan’s agents, are doing his
work, and carrying on his designs. He is called emphatically the tempter,
because he was so to our first parents, and still is so, and all other tempters
are set on work by him. The tempter came to Messiyah in a visible
appearance, not terrible and affrighting, as afterward in his agony in the
garden; no, if ever the Devil transformed himself into an angel of light,
he did so now, and pretended to be a good genius, a guardian angel. Lucifer
taught that there was some ego left in Messiyah Yahushua, so he appeal that
that most powerfull of human emotion, called the eg, not realizing that the ego
of Messiyah as in all mature believer have been renovated by the Holy Spirit.
Man’s greatest problem is to display our talents to others. Show me what you
have achieved.
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of יהוה . – The first Fruit of the
Spirit that Mesiyah Yahushua demonstrate was humility. - He was ready to reply
to it; He answered and said, It is written in the Torah. This is
observable, that Messiyah answered and baffled all the temptations of Satan
with, It is written in the Torah or ABBA YAHVEH Words say.
Messiyah
had become the Eternal Word, it was written on His heart, therefore He is
Himself the eternal Word, and could have produced the mind of ABBA YAHVEH at
any moment. Messiyah put honor upon the Torahe, and, to set us an example, He
appealed to what was written in the law; and he says this to Satan, taking it
for granted that he knew well enough what was written.
It
is possible that those who are the Devil’s children may yet know very well what
is written in YAH’s book; The devils believe and tremble. This method we
must take when at any time we are tempted to sin; resist and repel the
temptation with, It is written. The Word of ABBA YAHVEH is the Sword
of the Spirit, the only offensive weapon in all the Believers armoury (Eph.
6:17); and we may say of it as David of Goliath’s sword, None is like that
in our spiritual conflicts.
This answer, as all the
rest, is taken out of the book of Deuteronomy. This is here quoted from
Deu. 8:3, where the reason given why ABBA YAHVEH fed the Yisraelites with manna
is, because he would teach them that man shall not live by bread alone.
This Messiyah applies to His own case. Yisrael was YAH’s son, whom he called
out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1), so was Messiyah (ch. 2:15); Yisrael was then in a
wilderness, Messiyah was also in a wilderness.
Matthew
4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and
setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, - The Tabernacle was the
bastile of Jewish religious life, now show your self to the people who were
looking for the Messiyah to return. Exposing Messiyah to public opinion. How
many good men jump at the chance to be seen by the church after they have gone
to Bible School. Stand on this pulpit and show even the Hight Priest who you
truly are.
Matthew
4:6 And saith unto him, If thou
be the Son of יהוה , cast thyself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee: and in their
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a
stone. – Lucifer did read the Torah where it say in Psalms 91:11
that ABBA YAHVEH will give HIS Angels to protect all Mature Believers.
Matthew 4:7 Yahushua said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt יהוה thy EL. – The best defense for a believer is
the Word. Not the Word as we see it, but the Word as it is written. Remember
when Eve in her discourse with the Serpent, she quoted the Word out of context
and she fall victim to Satan. As believer we must know the word explicitly,
before we can quote it accurately.
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up
into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them; - In this verse we see once
again Messiyah Yahushua ego been tested. Come on Yahushua, now that you are a
Perfect son you deserve a Kingdom. I have one for you. Look at what I can give
you. The whole world.
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All
these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. – Yes my friends there is always a string attach to fame
in this world. It is the worshiping of Satan. You will be on all the Sport
high-light and the new headline. Popularity have its price, it is to worship
the evilone.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Messiyah Yahushua unto him, Get
thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship יהוה thy EL, and him only shalt thou serve. – With
abhorrence and detestation; Get thee hence, Satan. The two
former temptations had something of colour, which would admit a consideration,
but this was so gross as not to bear a parley; it appears abominable at the
first sight, and therefore is immediately rejected.
If
the best friend we have in the world suggests such a thing as this to us, Go,
serve other gods, he must not be heard with patience, Deu. 13:6, 8. Some
temptations have their wickedness written in their forehead, they are open
before-hand; they are not to be disputed with, but rejected; "Get thee
hence, Satan. Away with it, I cannot bear the thought of it!’’
While
Satan tempted Messiyah Yahushuat to do Himself a mischief, by casting himself
down, though he yielded not, yet he heard it; but now that the temptation flies
in the face of ABBA YAHVEH, he cannot bear it; Get thee hence, Satan. It
is a just indignation, which rises at the proposal of any thing that reflects
on the honor of ABBA YAHVEH, and strikes at his crown.
Whatever
is an abominable thing, which we are sure the Lord hates, we must thus
abominate it; far be it from us that we should have any thing to do with it. It
is good to be peremptory in resisting temptation, and to stop our
ears to Satan’s charms. With an argument fetched from scripture.
In
order to the strengthening of our resolutions against sin, it is good to see
what a great deal of reason there is for those resolutions. The argument is
very suitable, and exactly to the purpose, taken from Deu. 6:13, and 10:20. Thou
shalt worship YAHVEH thy EL, and HIM only shalt thou serve. Messiyah does
not dispute whether he were an angel of light, as he pretended, or not; but
though he were, yet he must not be worshipped, because that is an honor due to
ABBA YAHVEH only.
It
is good to make our answers to temptation as full and as brief as may be, so as
not to leave room for objections. Our Saviour has recourse to the fundamental
law in this case, which is indispensable, and universally obligatory. Religious
worship is due to ABBA YAHVEH only, and must not be given to any creature; it
is a flower of the crown which cannot be alienated, a branch of YAH’s glory
which he will not give to another, and which he would not give to his own Son,
by obliging all men to honor the Son, even as they honor the Father, if
he had not been ABBA YAHVEH, equal to him, and one with him.
Messiyah
Yahushua quotes this law concerning religious worship, and quotes it with
application to himself; First, To show that in his estate of humiliation
he was himself made under this law: though, as ABBA YAHVEH, HE was
worshipped, yet, as Man, he did worship ABBA YAHVEH, both publicly and
privately. He obliges us to no more than what he was first pleased to oblige himself
to. Thus it became him to fulfil all righteousness. Secondly, To show
that the law of religious worship is of eternal obligation: though he abrogated
and altered many institutions of worship, yet this fundamental law of nature,
that YAHVEH only is to be worshipped, he came to ratify, and confirm, and
enforce upon us.
Matthew 4:11
Then
the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. - The devil was baffled, and
quitted the Temptation; Then the devil
leaveth him, forced to do so by the power that went along with that Word
of Torah, Get thee hence, Satan.
He made a shameful and inglorious retreat, and came off with disgrace; and the
more daring his attempts had been, the more mortifying was the foil that was
given him.
The attempt, however, in which he failed, was
daring. Then,
when he had done his worst, had tempted him with all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and found
that he was not influenced by that bait, that he could not prevail with that
temptation with which he had overthrown so many thousands of the children of
men, then he leaves him; then he gives him over as more than a man. Since this
did not move him, he despairs of moving him, and begins to conclude, that he is
the Son of YAHVEH, and that it
is in vain to tempt him any further.
If
we resist the devil, he will flee from us; he will yield, if we keep our
ground; as when Naomi saw that Ruth was steadfastly resolved, she left off
speaking to her. When the devil left our Saviour, he owned himself fairly
beaten; his head was broken by the attempt he made to bruise Messiyah Yahushua’s heel. He left him because he had nothing in him, nothing to take hold
of; he saw it was to no purpose, and so gave over.
The
devil, though he is an enemy to all saints, is a conquered enemy. The Captain
of our salvation has defeated and disarmed him; we have nothing to do but to pursue the victory.
The
holy angels came and attended upon our victorious Redeemer; Behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
They came in a visible appearance, as the devil had done in the temptation.
While the devil was making his assaults upon our Saviour, the angels stood at a
distance, and their immediate attendance and administration were suspended,
that it might appear that he vanquished Satan in his own strength, and that his
victory might be the more illustrious; and that afterward, when Michael makes use of his angels in fighting with the dragon and his angels, it might
appear, that it is not because he needs
them, or could not do his work without them, but because he is pleased
to honor them so far as to employ them. One angel might have served to bring
him food, but here are many attending him, to testify their respect to him, and
their readiness to receive his commands. Behold this! It is worth taking notice
of.
That as there is a world of wicked, malicious
spirits that fight against Messiyah Yahushua and His body, and all particular
believers, so there is a world of holy, blessed spirits engaged and employed
for them. In reference to our war with
devils, we may take abundance of comfort from our communion with angels.
That
Messiyah’s victories are the angels’ triumphs. The angels came to congratulate
Messiyah on His success, to rejoice with him, and to give him the glory due to his
name, for he had fulfilled the Word. He had brought Heaven to Earth in the
flesh. He had achieved the purpose of the law, which is to create a perfect
son.
For
that was sung with a loud voice in heaven, when the great dragon was cast out
(Rev. 12:9, 10), Now is come salvation
and strength. That the angels ministered to the Messiyah Yahushua, not
only food, but whatever else he wanted after this great fatigue. See how the
instances of Messiyah’s condescension and humiliation were balanced with tokens
of his glory. As when he was crucified
in weakness, yet he lived by
the power of YAHVEH; so when in weakness he was tempted, was hungry and
weary, yet by his divine power he commanded the ministration of angels.
Thus
the Son of man did eat angels’ food, and, like Elias, is fed by an angel in the
wilderness, 1 Ki. 19:4, 7. Though ABBA YAHVEH may allow HIS children to be
brought into wants and straits, yet he will take effectual care for their
supply, and will rather send angels to feed them, than see them perish. Trust in ABBA YAHWE, and verily thou shalt
be fed, Ps. 37:3.
Messiyah
was succoured after the temptation, for His encouragement to go on in his
undertaking, that he might see the powers of heaven siding with him, when he
saw the powers of hell set against him. For our encouragement to trust in him;
for as he knew, by experience, what it was to suffer, being tempted, and how hard that was, so he knew what it
was to be succoured, being tempted, and how comfortable that was; and therefore
we may expect, not only that he will sympathize with his tempted people, but
that he will come in with seasonable relief to them; as our great Melchizedec,
who met Abraham when he returned from the battle, and as the angels here
ministered to him.
Lastly, Messiyah, having been thus signalized and made great in
the invisible world by the voice of the Father, the descent of the Spirit, his
victory over devils, and his dominion over angels, was doubtless qualified to
appear in the visible world as the Mediator between YAHVEH and man; for consider how great this man was!
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