_The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me_ THE SPEAKER; PROBABLY THE SERVANT OF JONAH Who is the speaker here? The Targum prefaces the passage with the words, “The prophet says,” and, except a few, all modern expositors make the author of this book of consolation to be the speaker who, after having... [ Continue Reading ]
_To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord_ THE YEAR OF JUBILEE It may be profitable to trace out the analogies between the year of jubilee which rejoiced the hearts of Israel, and that more comprehensive era of which it was broadly typical, and which was to bring gladness to all peoples unto th... [ Continue Reading ]
_To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion_ MOURNERS IN ZION Mourners in Zion may mean either those that mourn for Zion (Isaiah 66:10) or those that mourn in her. (_Prof. J. Skinner, D.D._) MOURNERS IN ZION I. THE CHARACTER OF THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE A PRESENT INTEREST IN THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they shall build the old wastes_ BUILDING THE OLD WASTES There are many wastes in the world, and there are all sorts of them. But of all sad and melancholy waste places, there is none so melancholy, so terrible, so desperate as a waste soul--a soul in which there is no sense of right and wro... [ Continue Reading ]
_But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord_ ISRAEL’S PRIESTHOOD AMONG THE NATIONS The meaning is simply that in relation to the Gentiles, Israel shall enjoy a position of priesthood analogous to the relation between priests and laymen. It was Israel’s calling to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Everlasting joy shall be unto them_ THE EVERLASTING JOY We pore with intense earnestness over the words which picture the joys of the future. Everlasting joy. What are its springs? I. THE INWARD HARMONY, THE PERFECT ORDER OF THE BEING, THE CONCERT OF EVERY FACULTY AND FORCE IN THE FULFILMENT OF... [ Continue Reading ]
_And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles_ A BLESSED SEED The children of these persons themselves, that are now the blessed of the Lord, or their successors in profession, the Church’s seed, shall be “accounted to the Lord for a generation” (Psalms 22:30). 1. They shall signalize themsel... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will greatly rejoice in the Lord_ THE GARMENTS OF SALVATION I. Here is a GLAD RESOLVE. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God. 1. Where there is a will there is generally a way, and sad though you be, something is gained if you will resolve to rejoice. 2. It is... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as the earth bringeth forth her bud_ GOD’S WORD AS SEED The Word in the mouth of the servant of Jehovah is the seed out of which great things are developed before all the world. The ground and soil of this development is mankind, the garden enclosed in it is the Church, and the great things... [ Continue Reading ]