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Isaiah 46:9 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

9 Let the things which are past come to your memory: for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me;

Cross Reference

Psalms 78:1-72 BBE

<Maschil. Of Asaph.> Give ear, O my people, to my law; let your ears be bent down to the words of my mouth. Opening my mouth I will give out a story, even the dark sayings of old times; Which have come to our hearing and our knowledge, as they were given to us by our fathers. We will not keep them secret from our children; we will make clear to the coming generation the praises of the Lord and his strength, and the great works of wonder which he has done. He put up a witness in Jacob, and made a law in Israel; which he gave to our fathers so that they might give knowledge of them to their children; So that the generation to come might have knowledge of them, even the children of the future, who would give word of them to their children; So that they might put their hope in God, and not let God's works go out of their minds, but keep his laws; And not be like their fathers, a stiff-necked and uncontrolled generation; a generation whose heart was hard, whose spirit was not true to God. The children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight. They were not ruled by God's word, and they would not go in the way of his law; They let his works go out of their memory, and the wonders which he had made them see. He did great works before the eyes of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. The sea was cut in two so that they might go through; the waters were massed together on this side and on that. In the daytime he was guiding them in the cloud, and all through the night with a light of fire. The rocks of the waste land were broken by his power, and he gave them drink as out of the deep waters. He made streams come out of the rock; and waters came flowing down like rivers. And they went on sinning against him even more, turning away from the Most High in the waste land; Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire. They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land? See, the rock was cut open by his power, so that the water came rushing out, and overflowing streams; is he able to give us bread? is he able to get meat for his people? So these things came to the Lord's ears, and he was angry; and a fire was lighted against Jacob, and wrath came up against Israel; Because they had no faith in God, and no hope in his salvation. And he gave orders to the clouds on high, and the doors of heaven were open; And he sent down manna like rain for their food, and gave them the grain of heaven. Man took part in the food of strong ones; he sent them meat in full measure. He sent an east wind from heaven, driving on the south wind by his power. He sent down meat on them like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the sea, And he let it come down into their resting-place, round about their tents. So they had food and were full; for he gave them their desire; But they were not turned from their desires; and while the food was still in their mouths, The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel. For all this they went on sinning even more, and had no faith in his great wonders. So their days were wasted like a breath, and their years in trouble. When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care; In the memory that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their saviour. But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him; And their hearts were not right with him, and they did not keep their agreement with him. But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry. So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again. How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places! Again they put God to the test, and gave pain to the Holy One of Israel. They did not keep in mind the work of his hand, or the day when he took them from the power of their haters; How he had done his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan; So that their rivers were turned to blood, and they were not able to get drink from their streams. He sent different sorts of flies among them, poisoning their flesh; and frogs for their destruction. He gave the increase of their fields to worms, the fruits of their industry to the locusts. He sent ice for the destruction of their vines; their trees were damaged by the bitter cold. Ice was rained down on their cattle; thunderstorms sent destruction among the flocks. He sent on them the heat of his wrath, his bitter disgust, letting loose evil angels among them. He let his wrath have its way; he did not keep back their soul from death, but gave their life to disease. He gave to destruction all the first sons of Egypt; the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham; But he took his people out like sheep, guiding them in the waste land like a flock. He took them on safely so that they had no fear; but their haters were covered by the sea. And he was their guide to his holy land, even to the mountain, which his right hand had made his; Driving out nations before them, marking out the line of their heritage, and giving the people of Israel their tents for a resting-place. But they were bitter against the Most High God, testing him, and not keeping his laws; Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow. They made him angry with their high places; moving him to wrath with their images. When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely; So that he went away from the holy place in Shiloh, the tent which he had put among men; And he let his strength be taken prisoner, and gave his glory into the hands of his hater. He gave his people up to the sword, and was angry with his heritage. Their young men were burned in the fire; and their virgins were not praised in the bride-song. Their priests were put to death by the sword, and their widows made no weeping for them. Then was the Lord like one awaking from sleep, and like a strong man crying out because of wine. His haters were turned back by his blows and shamed for ever. And he put the tent of Joseph on one side, and took not the tribe of Ephraim; But he took the tribe of Judah for himself, and the mountain of Zion, in which he had pleasure. And he made his holy place like the high heaven, like the earth which is fixed by him for ever. He took David to be his servant, taking him from the place of the flocks; From looking after the sheep which were giving milk, he took him to give food to Jacob his people, and to Israel his heritage. So he gave them food with an upright heart, guiding them by the wisdom of his hands.

Nehemiah 9:7-37 BBE

You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham; You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours: And you saw the trouble of our fathers in Egypt, and their cry came to your ears by the Red Sea; And you did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land; for you saw how cruel they were to them. So you got yourself a name as it is today. By you the sea was parted before them, so that they went through the sea on dry land; and those who went after them went down into the deep, like a stone into great waters. And you went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light on the way they were to go. And you came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders: And you gave them word of your holy Sabbath, and gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant: And you gave them bread from heaven when they were in need, and made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land which your hand had been lifted up to give them. But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and gave no attention to your orders, And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up. Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry; Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the waste land: the pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go. And you gave your good spirit to be their teacher, and did not keep back your manna from their mouths, and gave them water when they had need of it. Truly, for forty years you were their support in the waste land, and they were in need of nothing; their clothing did not get old or their feet become tired. And you gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution to them in every part of the land: so they took for their heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. And you made their children as great in number as the stars of heaven, and took them into the land, of which you had said to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for themselves. So the children went in and took the land, and you overcame before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their pleasure to do. And they took walled towns and a fat land, and became the owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of fruit-trees: so they had food enough and became fat, and had joy in the good you gave them. But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority, turning their backs on your law, and putting to death your prophets, who gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you, and they did much to make you angry. And so you gave them up into the hands of their haters who were cruel to them: and in the time of their trouble, when they made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; and in your great mercy gave them saviours, who made them free from the hands of their haters. But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation; And gave witness against them so that you might make them come back again to your law: but their hearts were lifted up, and they gave no attention to your orders and went against your decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him), and turning their backs on you, made their necks stiff and did not give ear. Year after year you put up with them, and gave witness against them by your spirit through your prophets: still they did not give ear: and so you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands. Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace and mercy. And now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be feared, who keeps faith and mercy, let not all this trouble seem small to you, which has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day. But still, you have been in the right in everything which has come on us; you have been true to us, but we have done evil: And our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them. For they have not been your servants in their kingdom, and in all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them, and they have not been turned away from their evil-doing. Now, today, we are servants, and as for the land which you gave to our fathers, so that the produce of it and the good might be theirs, see, we are servants in it: And it gives much increase to the kings whom you have put over us because of our sins: and they have power over our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great trouble.

Psalms 105:1-45 BBE

O give praise to the Lord; give honour to his name, talking of his doings among the peoples. Let your voice be sounding in songs and melody; let all your thoughts be of the wonder of his works. Have glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who are searching after the Lord be glad. Let your search be for the Lord and for his strength; let your hearts ever be turned to him. Keep in mind the great works which he has done; his wonders, and the decisions of his mouth; O you seed of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his loved ones. He is the Lord our God: he is judge of all the earth. He has kept his agreement in mind for ever, the word which he gave for a thousand generations; The agreement which he made with Abraham, and his oath to Isaac; And he gave it to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an eternal agreement; Saying, To you will I give the land of Canaan, the measured line of your heritage: When they were still small in number, and strange in the land; When they went about from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people. He would not let anyone do them wrong; he even kept back kings because of them, Saying, Put not your hand on those who have been marked with my holy oil, and do my prophets no wrong. And he took away all food from the land, so that the people were without bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was given as a servant for a price: His feet were fixed in chains; his neck was put in iron bands; Till the time when his word came true; he was tested by the word of the Lord. The king sent men to take off his chains; even the ruler of the people, who let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler over everything he had; To give his chiefs teaching at his pleasure, and so that his law-givers might get wisdom from him. Then Israel came into Egypt, and Jacob was living in the land of Ham. And his people were greatly increased, and became stronger than those who were against them. Their hearts were turned to hate against his people, so that they made secret designs against them. He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the man of his selection. He let his signs be seen among the people, and his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent black night and made it dark; and they did not go against his word. At his word their waters were turned to blood, and he sent death on all their fish. Their land was full of frogs, even in the rooms of the king. He gave the word, and there came the dog-fly, and insects over all the land. He gave them ice for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He gave their vines and their fig-trees to destruction, and the trees of their land were broken down. At his word the locusts came, and young locusts more than might be numbered, And put an end to all the plants of their land, taking all the fruit of the earth for food. He put to death the first child of every family in the land, the first-fruits of their strength. He took his people out with silver and gold: there was not one feeble person among them. Egypt was glad when they went; for the fear of them had come down on them. A cloud was stretched over them for a cover; and he sent fire to give light in the night. At the people's request he sent birds, and gave them the bread of heaven for food. His hand made the rock open, and the waters came streaming out; they went down through the dry places like a river. For he kept in mind his holy word, and Abraham, his servant. And he took his people out with joy, the men of his selection with glad cries: And gave them the lands of the nations; and they took the work of the peoples for a heritage; So that they might keep his orders, and be true to his laws. Give praise to the Lord.

Isaiah 45:5-6 BBE

I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me: So that they may see from the east and from the west that there is no God but me: I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Isaiah 45:21-22 BBE

Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other. Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have salvation, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.

Jeremiah 23:7-8 BBE

And so, truly, the days are coming when they will say no longer, By the living Lord, who took the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt; But, By the living Lord, who took up the seed of Israel, and made them come out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had sent them; and they will be living in the land which is theirs.

Daniel 9:6-15 BBE

We have not given ear to your servants the prophets, who said words in your name to our kings and our rulers and our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness is yours, but shame is on us, even to this day; and on the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, and on all Israel, those who are near and those who are far off, in all the countries where you have sent them because of the sin which they have done against you. O Lord, shame is on us, on our kings and our rulers and our fathers, because of our sin against you. With the Lord our God are mercies and forgiveness, for we have gone against him; And have not given ear to the voice of the Lord our God to go in the way of his laws which he put before us by the mouth of his servants the prophets. And all Israel have been sinners against your law, turning away so as not to give ear to your voice: and the curse has been let loose on us, and the oath recorded in the law of Moses, the servant of God, for we have done evil against him. And he has given effect to his words which he said against us and against those who were our judges, by sending a great evil on us: for under all heaven there has not been done what has been done to Jerusalem. As it was recorded in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us: but we have made no prayer for grace from the Lord our God that we might be turned from our evil doings and come to true wisdom. So the Lord has been watching over this evil and has made it come on us: for the Lord our God is upright in all his acts which he has done, and we have not given ear to his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who took your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made a great name for yourself even to this day; we are sinners, we have done evil.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 46

Commentary on Isaiah 46 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 46

God, by the prophet here, designing shortly to deliver them out of their captivity, prepared them for that deliverance by possessing them with a detestation of idols and with a believing confidence in God, even their own God.

  • I. Let them not be afraid of the idols of Babylon, as if they could in any way obstruct their deliverance, for they should be defaced (v. 1, 2); but let them trust in that God who had often delivered them to do it still, to do it now (v. 3, 4).
  • II. Let them not think to make idols of their own, images of the God of Israel, by them to worship him, as the Babylonians worship their gods (v. 5-7). Let them not be so sottish (v. 8), but have an eye to God in his word, not in an image; let them depend upon that, and upon the promises and predictions of it, and God's power to accomplish them all (v. 9-11). And let them know that the unbelief of man shall not make the word of God of no effect (v. 12, 13).

Isa 46:1-4

We are here told,

  • I. That the false gods will certainly fail their worshippers when they have most need of them, v. 1, 2. Bel and Nebo were two celebrated idols of Babylon. Some make Bel to be a contraction of Baal; others rather think not, but that it was Belus, one of their first kings, who after his death was deified. As Bel was a deified prince, so (some think) Nebo was a deified prophet, for so Nebo signifies; so that Bel and Nebo were their Jupiter and their Mercury or Apollo. Barnabas and Paul passed at Lystra for Jupiter and Mercury. The names of these idols were taken into the names of their princes, Bel into Belshazzar's, Nebo into Nebuchadnezzar's and Nebuzaradan's, etc. These gods they had long worshipped, and in their revels praised them for their successes (as appears, Dan. 5:4); and they insulted over Israel as if Bel and Nebo were too hard for Jehovah and could detain them in captivity in defiance of their God. Now, that this might be no discouragement to the poor captives, God here tells them what shall become of these idols, which they threaten them with. When Cyrus takes Babylon, down go the idols. It was usual then with conquerors to destroy the gods of the places and people they conquered, and to put the gods of their own nation in the room of them, ch. 37:19. Cyrus will do so; and then Bel and Nebo, that were set up on high, and looked great, bold, and erect, shall stoop and bow down at the feet of the soldiers that plunder their temples. And because there is a great deal of gold and silver upon them, which was intended to adorn them, but serves to expose them, they carry them away with the rest of the spoil. The carriers' horses, or mules, are laden with them and their other idols, to be sent among other lumber (for so it seems they accounted them rather than treasure) into Persia. So far are they from being able to support their worshippers that they are themselves a heavy load in the wagons, and a burden to the weary beast. The idols cannot help one another (v. 2): They stoop, they bow down together. They are all alike, tottering things, and their day has come to fall. Their worshippers cannot help them: They could not deliver the burden out of the enemy's hand, but themselves (both the idols and the idolaters) have gone into captivity. Let not therefore God's people be afraid of either. When God's ark was taken prisoner by the Philistines it proved a burden, not to the beasts, but to the conquerors, who were forced to return it; but, when Bel and Nebo have gone into captivity, their worshippers may even give their good word with them: they will never recover themselves.
  • II. That the true God will never fail his worshippers: "You hear what has become of Bel and Nebo, now hearken to me, O house of Jacob! v. 3, 4. Am I such a god as these? No; though you are brought low, and the house of Israel is but a remnant, your God has been, is, and ever will be, your powerful and faithful protector.'
    • 1. Let God's Israel do him the justice to own that he has hitherto been kind to them, careful of them, tender over them, and has all along done well for them. Let them own,
      • (1.) That he bore them at first: I have made. Out of what womb came they, but that of his mercy, and grace, and promise? He formed them into a people and gave them their constitution. Every good man is what God makes him.
      • (2.) That he bore them up all along: You have been borne by me from the belly, and carried from the womb. God began betimes to do them good, as soon as ever they were formed into a nation, nay, when as yet they were very few, and strangers. God took them under a special protection, and suffered no man to do them wrong, Ps. 105:12-14. In the infancy of their state, when they were not only foolish and helpless, as children, but forward and peevish, God carried them in the arms of his power and love, bore them as upon eagles' wings, Ex. 19:4; Deu. 32:11. Moses had not patience to carry them as the nursing father does the sucking child (Num. 11:12), but God bore them, and bore their manners, Acts 13:18. And as God began early to do them good (when Israel was a child, then I loved him), so he had constantly continued to do them good: he had carried them from the womb to this day. And we may all witness for God that he has been thus gracious to us. We have been borne by him from the belly, from the womb, else we should have died from the womb and given up the ghost when we came out of the belly. We have been the constant care of his kind providence, carried in the arms of his power and in the bosom of his love and pity. The new man is so; all that in us which is born of God is borne up by him, else it would soon fail. Our spiritual life is sustained by his grace as necessarily and constantly as our natural life by his providence. The saints have acknowledged that God has carried them from the womb, and have encouraged themselves with the consideration of it in their greatest straits, Ps. 22:9, 10; 71:5, 6, 17.
    • 2. He will then do them the kindness to promise that he will never leave them. He that was their first will be their last; he that was the author will be the finisher of their well-being (v. 4): "You have been borne by me from the belly, nursed when you were children; and even to your old age I am he, when, by reason of your decays and infirmities, you will need help as much as in your infancy.' Israel were now growing old, so was their covenant by which they were incorporated, Heb. 8:13. Gray hairs were here and there upon them, Hos. 7:9. And they had hastened their old age, and the calamities of it, by their irregularities. But God will not cast them off now, will not fail them when their strength fails; he is still their God, will still carry them in the same everlasting arms that were laid under them in Moses's time, Deu. 33:27. He has made them and owns his interest in them, and therefore he will bear them, will bear with their infirmities, and bear them up under their afflictions: "Even I will carry and will deliver them; I will now bear them upon eagles' wings out of Babylon, as in their infancy I bore them out of Egypt.' This promise to aged Israel is applicable to every aged Israelite. God has graciously engaged to support and comfort his faithful servants, even in their old age: "Even to your old age, when you grow unfit for business, when you are compassed with infirmities, and perhaps your relations begin to grow weary of you, yet I am he-he that I am, he that I have been-the very same by whom you have been borne from the belly and carried from the womb. You change, but I am the same. I am he that I have promised to be, he that you have found me, and he that you would have me to be. I will carry you, I will bear, will bear you up and bear you out, and will carry you on in your way and carry you home at last.'

Isa 46:5-13

The deliverance of Israel by the destruction of Babylon (the general subject of all these chapters) is here insisted upon, and again promised, for the conviction both of idolaters who set up as rivals with God, and of oppressors who were enemies to the people of God.

  • I. For the conviction of those who made and worshipped idols, especially those of Israel who did so, who would have images of their God, as the Babylonians had of theirs,
    • 1. He challenges them either to frame an image that should be thought a resemblance of him or to set up any being that should stand in competition with him (v. 5): To whom will you liken me? It is absurd to think of representing an infinite and eternal Spirit by the figure of any creature whatsoever. It is to change his truth into a lie and to turn his glory into shame. None ever saw any similitude of him, nor can see his face and live. To whom then can we liken God? ch. 40:18, 25. It is likewise absurd to think of making any creature equal with the Creator, who is infinitely above the noblest creatures, yea, or to make any comparison between the creature and the Creator, since between infinite and finite there is no proportion.
    • 2. He exposes the folly of those who made idols and then prayed to them, v. 6, 7.
      • (1.) They were at great charge upon their idols and spared no cost to fit them for their purpose: They lavish gold out of the bag; no little will serve, and they do not care how much goes, though they pinch their families and weaken their estates by it. How does the profuseness of idolaters shame the niggardliness of many who call themselves God's servants but are for a religion that will cost them nothing! Some lavish gold out of the bag to make an idol of it in the house, while others hoard up gold in the bag to make an idol of it in the heart; for covetousness is idolatry, as dangerous, though not as scandalous, as the other. They weigh silver in the balance, either to be the matter of their idol (for even those that were most sottish had so much sense as to think that God should be served with the best they had, the best they could possibly afford; those that represented him by a calf made it a golden one) or to pay the workmen's wages. The service of sin often proves very expensive.
      • (2.) They were in great care about their idols and took no little pains about them (v. 7): They bear him upon their own shoulders, and do not hire porters to do it; they carry him, and set him in his place, more like a dead corpse than a living God. They set him on a pedestal, and he stands. They take a great deal of pains to fasten him, and from his place he shall not remove, that they may know where to find him, though at the same time they know he can neither move a hand nor stir a step to do them any kindness.
      • (3.) After all, they paid great respect to their idols, though they were but the works of their own hands and the creatures of their own fancies. When the goldsmith has made it that which they please to call a god they fall down, yea, they worship it. If they magnified themselves too much in pretending to make a god, as if they would atone for that, they vilified themselves as much in prostrating themselves to a god that they knew the original of. And, if they were deceived by the custom of their country in making such gods as these, they did no less deceive themselves when they cried unto them, though they knew they could not answer them, could not understand what they said to them, nor so much as reply Yea, or No, much less could they save them out of their trouble. Now shall any that have some knowledge of, and interest in, the true and living God, thus make fools of themselves?
    • 3. He puts it to themselves, and their own reason, let that judge in the case (v. 8): "Remember this, that has been often told you, what senseless helpless things idols are, and show yourselves men-men and not brutes, men and not babes. Act with reason; act with resolution; act for your own interest. Do a wise thing; do a brave thing; and scorn to disparage your own judgment as you do when you worship idols.' Note, Sinners would become saints if they would but show themselves men, if they would but support the dignity of their nature and use aright its powers and capacities. "Many things you have been reminded of; bring them again to mind, recall them into you memories, and revolve them there. O! you transgressors, consider your ways; remember whence you have fallen, and repent, and so recover yourselves.'
    • 4. He again produces incontestable proofs that he is God, that he and none besides is so (v. 9): I am God, and there is none like me. This is that which we have need to be reminded of again and again; for proof of it he refers,
      • (1.) To the sacred history: "Remember the former things of old, what the God of Israel did for his people in their beginnings, whether he did not that for them which no one else could, and which the false gods did not, nor could do, for their worshippers. Remember those things, and you will own that I am God and there is none else.' This is a good reason why we should give glory to him as a nonsuch, and why we should not give that glory to any other which is due to him alone, Ex. 15:11.
      • (2.) To the sacred prophecy. He is God alone, for it is he only that declares the end from the beginning, v. 10. From the beginning of time he declared the end of time, and end of all things. Enoch prophesied, Behold, the Lord comes. From the beginning of a nation he declares what the end of it will be. He told Israel what should befal them in the latter days, what their end should be, and wished they were so wise as to consider it, Deu. 32:20, 29. From the beginning of an event he declares what the end of it will be. Known unto God are all his works, and, when he pleases, he makes them known. Further than prophecy guides us it is impossible for us to find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end, Eccl. 3:11. He declares from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Many scripture prophecies which were delivered long ago are not yet accomplished; but the accomplishment of some in the mean time is an earnest of the accomplishment of the rest in due time. By this it appears that he is God, and none else; it is he, and none besides, that can say, and make his words good, "My counsel shall stand, and all the powers of hell and earth cannot control or disannul it nor all their policies correct or countermine it.' As God's operations are all according to his counsels, so his counsels shall all be fulfilled in his operations, and none of his measures shall be broken, none of his designs shall miscarry. This yields abundant satisfaction to those who have bound up all their comforts in God's counsels, that his counsel shall undoubtedly stand; and, if we are brought to this, that whatever pleases God pleases us, nothing can contribute more to make us easy than to be assured of this, that God will do all his pleasure, Ps. 135:6. The accomplishment of this particular prophecy, which relates to the elevation of Cyrus and his agency in the deliverance of God's people out of their captivity, is mentioned for the confirmation of this truth, that the Lord is God and there is none else; and this is a thing which shall shortly come to pass, v. 11. God by his counsel calls a ravenous bird from the east, a bird of prey, Cyrus, who (they say) had a nose like the beak of a hawk or eagle, to which some think this alludes, or (as others say) to the eagle which was his standard, as it was afterwards that of the Romans, to which there is supposed to be a reference, Mt. 24:28. Cyrus came from the east at God's call: for God is Lord of hosts and of those that have hosts at command. And, if God give him a call, he will give him success. He is the man that shall execute God's counsel, though he comes from a far country and knows nothing of the matter. Note, Even those that know not, and mind not, God's revealed will, are made use of to fulfil the counsels of his secret will, which shall all be punctually accomplished in their season by what hand he pleases. That which is here added, to ratify this particular prediction, may abundantly show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel: "I have spoken of it by my servants the prophets, and what I have spoken is just the same with what I have purposed.' For, though God has many things in his purposes which are not in his prophecies, he has nothing in his prophecies but what are in his purposes. And he will do it, for he will never change his mind; he will bring it to pass, for it is not in the power of any creature to control him. Observe with what majesty he says it, as one having authority: I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass. Dictum, factum-no sooner said than done. I have purposed it, and he does not say, "I will take care it shall be done,' but, "I will do it.' Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than one tittle of the word of God.
  • II. For the conviction of those that daringly opposed the counsels of God assurance is here given not only that they shall be accomplished, but that they shall be accomplished very shortly, v. 12, 13.
    • 1. This is addressed to the stout-hearted, that is, either,
      • (1.) The proud and obstinate Babylonians, that are far from righteousness, far from doing justice or showing mercy to those they have power over, that say they will never let the oppressed go free, but will still detain them in spite of their petitions or God's predictions, that are far from any thing of clemency or compassion to the miserable. Or,
      • (2.) The unhumbled Jews, that have been long under the hammer, long in the furnace, but are not broken are not melted, that, like the unbelieving murmuring Israelites in the wilderness, think themselves far from God's righteousness (that is, from the performance of his promise, and his appearing to judge for them), and by their distrusts set themselves at a yet further distance from it, and keep good things from themselves, as their fathers, who could not enter into the land of promise because of unbelief. This is applicable to the Jewish nation when they rejected the gospel of Christ; though they followed after the law of righteousness, they attained not to righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, Rom. 9:31, 32. They perished far from righteousness; and it was because they were stout-hearted, Rom. 10:3.
    • 2. Now to them God says that, whatever they think, the one in presumption, the other in despair,
      • (1.) Salvation shall be certainly wrought for God's people. If men will not do them justice, God will, and his righteousness shall effect that for them which men's righteousness would not reach to. He will place salvation in Zion, that is, he will make Jerusalem a place of safety and defence to all those who will plant themselves there; thence shall salvation go forth for Israel his glory. God glories in his Israel; and he will be glorified in the salvation he designs to work out for them; it shall redound greatly to his honour. This salvation shall be in Zion; for thence the gospel shall take rise (ch. 2:3), thither the Redeemer comes (ch. 59:20, Rom. 11:26), and it is Zion's King that has salvation, Zec. 9:9.
      • (2.) It shall be very shortly wrought. This is especially insisted on with those who thought it at a distance: "I bring near my righteousness, nearer than you think of; perhaps it is nearest of all when your straits are greatest and your enemies most injurious; it shall not be far off when there is occasion for it, Ps. 85:9. Behold, the Judge stands before the door. My salvation shall not tarry any longer than till it is ripe and you are ready for it; and therefore, though it tarry, wait for it; wait patiently, for he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.'