before me — rather (turning), “towards me” [Maurer]. This has fulfilment in the triumphs of the gospel of Christ, and of all faithful followers of Christ, over the power of darkness. Keep silence before me; attend diligently to my plea, and then answer it if you can. BibliographyNicoll, William R. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". Isaiah 41:1-7 "Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment. Not, as in Elijah’s case, would the appeal be made to the descending flame; but to the fitting of prophecy and historical fact. The chief points here dwelt upon, are the proofs of God's power and grace, in testimony of his Godhead, both in creation and redemption, in opposition to all the idols which the corruption of man's fallen nature hath set up. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". Let the advocates of other doctrines than that of salvation through Christ, bring their arguments. The prophet, having in view the subversion of idolatry under the Messiah, had in the former section, from Isaiah 41:18 argued against idolatry, from the essence and nature of God, the Supreme Creator and Ruler of the world, being such as not to be represented by any corporeal matter or figure. I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.). Let not such as have thus been favoured yield to fear; for the contest may be sharp, but the victory shall be sure. BibliographyBarnes, Albert. On this account he commands the Gentiles to keep silence, that, when this has been done, he may openly plead his cause; for the order of a court of justice demands that every person shall speak in his turn; for, if all should cry aloud together, there must be strange confusion. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.), Chapter 41. is loosely cast in the same form of a trial at law which we found in chapter 1. Isaiah 41:17-29 God’s Challenge to The Idols. The desire in our heart for God’s glory and the extension of His Church, is a desire written there by the Holy Spirit. The prophet the rather makes use of this argument, because paganism so much gloried in its false prophecies and oracles. Nor must it be a dull, dead, distant silence, but one that has its own peculiar activities. And it may be remarked here, that the same reasons will apply to all approaches which are made to God. 2012. If they did not find expression they would begin to decay. The convictions that gather in silence will be strengthened by speech. There may be true speaking to God which seems to break forth at once and immediately from the soul. III. (J. Leckie, D. D.), Conviction aided by both silence and speech, In silence there is the rooting of conviction, but in speaking to God its expansion and growth. "The Adam Clarke Commentary". Keep silence that God may speak to you. The series of injunctions begins with silence and ends in speech. Men gird up their energies afresh when in solemn silence they have gone over the actualities and the possibilities of life. 1983-1999. The test proposed is a very simple one. God called him, prophesied that his posterity would be a great nation, that they would endure captivity for four hundred years in Egypt, that God would deliver them with great wealth out of the land of Egypt, and that they would inherit the land of Palestine! This is certainly the highest title ever given to a mortal. Isaiah 40:1-17 Comfort of Restoration. Keep, &c. — “The prophet, having in view the subversion of idolatry, had, in the former chapter, from Isaiah 41:18, argued against it, from the essence and nature of God, the supreme Creator and Ruler of the world, being such as not to be represented by any corporeal matter or figure. I will strengthen thee. ", "Here the call for silence opens the imaginary proceedings of a court, where God will face the heathen world with a test question (The call to renew their strength may be a warning that the encounter will be formidable)."[4]. BibliographyTrapp, John. Even thus did Abraham draw nigh when he pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah. SILENCE BEFORE GOD. 41:1-7 This was the expression commonly employed in the Old Testament to designate the continent of Europe, the solid ground of which is so deeply cut, and so broken up, by seas and lakes, that it looks as if it were about to resolve itself into nothing but islands and peninsulas. He appeals directly to the enemies of the Jews, to the worshippers of idols. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/isaiah-41.html. (M. Renew your strength as you think of Him. Chapter 41 makes it clear that they are not *Jewish people. ", Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. But the man who waits upon the Lord is strong and unmovable even when the physical body begins to deteriorate. Shall we not be silent in the endeavour to realise that God is, and what He is? ; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. BibliographyBeza, Theodore. God is about to argue the case; therefore let the nations listen in reverential silence. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/isaiah-41.html. All Rightes Reserved, Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855. Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment. I will open rivers of grace, rivers of living water, which Christ spake of the Spirit, John 7:38,39. When God sets up his church in the Gentile wilderness, there shall be a great change, as if thorns and briers were turned into cedars, and fir-trees, and myrtles. But God speaks, and we must listen in silence. .—The same phrase as in Isaiah 40:31, but here, perhaps, with a touch of irony. The Lord will help them, for he is their Redeemer. I now come to the last point, which is, “LET US SPEAK.” Be silent, renew your strength, draw near, and then speak. God has provided comforts to supply all their wants, and to answer all their prayers. The solemn pause thus allowed--“Keep silence . 1. the book of the prophet isaiah commentary by a. r. fausset chapter 41 isa 41:1-29.additional reasons why the jews should place confidence in god's promises of delivering them; he will raise up a prince as their deliverer, whereas the idols could not deliver the heathen nations from that prince. The last three verses of this paragraph introduce the idolatrous peoples as greatly alarmed about the great man God raised up (Isaiah 41:2); and they are represented as going to work and making or repairing idols as rapidly as possible. O islands; O you inhabitants of islands, as the next clause explains this. Think, too, that you are about to appeal to the Holy Spirit. In that silence LET US RENEW OUR STRENGTH. He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone by his feet. New York. The Targum of Isaiah identifies the one who would be stirred up or raised up as “a king who is strong as the north wind,” and he would come as does the sun in its full strength when coming from the east. Silence before God heaps a load on the heart which can only be thrown off by speaking to God. He who cannot, has no claim to that honour; for the prediction of future events depends upon the certain foreknowledge of those events; but that foreknowledge can be conceived only in the understanding of that Sovereign Ruler, whose providence is over all things. God's people are as worms, in humble thoughts of themselves, and in their enemies' haughty thoughts of them; worms, but not vipers, not of the serpent's seed. We shall consider the beginning and the end of this series--silence before God and speech to God. He demands only that he shall be heard in his own cause, and that there shall be no confusion or disorder in the proceedings, which would be altogether at variance with a court of justice. When you have hyacinths in water glasses, you put them first in darkness for some weeks till the roots strike down into the water. This whole section, except the consolatory part, is employed in proving this; and the prophet the rather made use of this argument, because Paganism so much gloried in its false prophesies and oracles. Isaiah 41:1. 1. BibliographyBenson, Joseph. Every one that would be truly in heart and soul God's must have times when he is purely passive and recipient, letting the word of God, in small select portions, drop into his soul in silence, his only effort being to realise that God is speaking. Next, let us speak in humble expostulation. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". 4. The soul of man is in want, and seeks for satisfaction; but becomes weary of seeking that in the world, which is not to be had in it. If a man does not come near to God in confidence and trust, the relief obtained even by thousands of words will be small. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". 1832. How striking a contrast the precise prediction of these pages which give us the name of the conqueror; the quarter from which he would fall upon Babylon; the marvellous series of successes that gave kings as dust to his sword, and as the driven stubble to his bow; his reverence towards God, his simplicity and integrity of purpose (Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 14:3; Isaiah 14:25; Isaiah 45:1). On the other hand, think of Abraham. But before that could happen, they had to meet with the Lord and arrive at a decision (cf. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/isaiah-41.html. Let us first speak in the spirit of adoring gratitude. This is shown: 1. Redemption by Christ, Isaiah 41:25-29. Let the people renew (their) strength - let them gather their strength for the argument; let them adduce their strongest arguments (cf. Copyright StatementThe Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament is a derivative of a public domain electronic edition. This is a fair illustration of the manner in which the oracles answered the appeals made to them by men or nations when in the agony of fear. "Judgment" means here to decide the point at issue between us. Near — Unto me that we may stand together, and plead our cause, and I will give them free liberty to say what they can on their own behalf. Let the nations renew their strength! 1.Be silent to me, (133) O islands. A. Isaiah pictured the Lord in heaven with a sword reaching down to earth (v. 5). And, indeed, though nothing can be more unreasonable than for mortals to judge of God, yet it is still more shocking and monstrous, when, by our blind murmuring, we condemn him before he has been heard in his own defense. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". 8. The carpenter encourages the goldsmith; and he that smooths with the hammer him that smites the anvil. We are one with Christ, and members of His body. Finding the new version too difficult to understand? isa. Immediately there is a great commotion, the isles see and fear, the ends of the earth tremble, they draw near and come to the judgment-seat. (1-9) they are encouraged not to fear. Though the Prophet’s discourse appears to be different from the former, yet he pursues the same subject; for, in order to put the Jews to shame, he says that he would have been successful, if he had been called to plead with unbelievers and blind persons. "Whedon's Commentary on the Bible". See those scriptures, Ecclesiastes 5:2; Proverbs 16:1; James 1:17. and Psalms 62:1 as the margin renders it, silent before God. Isaiah 40:18-31 Sustaining Power of God. 2. "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible". Silence before God in which such thoughts as these go on leads to a stirring of the soul, a forth-putting of endeavour, and a drawing near to God. God's care of his people. Light is needed for that. Isaiah 40:31). Let us come near together to judgment. The enemies of God’s Church and His holy religion may safely be challenged to say and do their worst for the support of their unrighteous cause. "coastlands" were the farthest reaches of the Gentile world: the ends of the earth then known. “Behold they are all vanity; their works are nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.” (F. B. Meyer, B. He does not wish that they shall listen to him in a careless manner, as unjust and corrupt judges, having already determined what sentence they shall pronounce, are wont to do; but that they shall examine and weigh his arguments, in which they will find nothing but what is perfectly just. "Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary". 1685. 1801-1803. We have noted one commentator who mentioned Cyrus fifteen times in his writings on these seven verses, but the text does not even mention him at all! Here then God is exhibited as if appearing in public, and preparing himself to dispute with idolaters for his truth and glory; and, therefore, the islands and people, all the nations of the world, are summoned to plead their cause; and an awful silence is enjoined, according to the forms observed in courts of justice: for both in this and the 21st verse, the expressions and ideas are taken from those courts. The "coastlands" were the farthest reaches of the Gentile world: the ends of the earth then known. Let them speak; I will give them free liberty to say what they can on their own behalf. To this disputation he subjoined a consolation, directed to the people of God, from Isaiah 41:27 to the end of the chapter. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". To the Hebrew all distant places were islands. This can be a reference only to Abraham's utter rejection of idols; because, "There was nothing in the character of Cyrus to cause any such alarm among idolaters. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". “Let them collect their strength and league against me; they will gain nothing, but I shall at length be victorious.” As we commonly say, “I disdain them, (Je les despite.) https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/isaiah-41.html. "Commentary on Isaiah 41:1". )by the nations employing their carpenters and goldsmiths m make a particularly good and strong set of gods, because there is a general alarm that the emergency is great. And can anything have its proper effect on our soul without this? They are to draw near, then speak, i.e., to reply after hearing the evidence, for Jehovah desires to go through all the forms of a legal process with them in pro et contra . 1215; Ibid., Evening by Evening, p. 2. Without a doubt, this is a verse that was given to bring peace to those who love the Lord. But Israel had from the first an appointed and chief place in that plan: He who is at once King of Israel and God of all the earth, has been maintaining His chosen people in their place, generation after generation, when He made Abraham His friend, and gave the blessing to his seed, and then He made the well yield springs of water under the rod of Moses; and now, though they are reduced to extremity of weakness and dismay, the Holy One of Israel bids them fear not, for He has taken upon Himself to be their Redeemer. If the case be but fairly stated it will be surely carried in favour of religion. A Deliverer is raised up for us, of nobler name and greater power than the deliverer of the captive Jews. Words before God give a relief that nothing else can. We also who worship the Lord God have a controversy with Him. This question is to be answered as in Isaiah 5:3. BibliographyJamieson, Robert, D.D. The multitude of ancient interpreters who favored the view that this passage refers to Abraham is impressive. 5. Keep silence and consider, and you will see that He can give the blessing by you or by me. 2. The argument is represented as being with them, and they are invited to prepare their minds by suitable reverence for God for the argument which was to be presented. "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". Right silence before God, passing on through stirring up of energy and earnest confiding approach, issues m speech. Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. FOR I AM WITH THEE This is the reason why we should not be afraid. It is not always a bad sign when we feel that we cannot speak, but must be silent before God. Yet we need not wonder that the people, overtaken by many terrors, trembled so that they scarcely received solid consolation; for we have abundant experience how much we are alarmed by adversity, because amidst; this depravity and corruption of our nature, every man labors under two diseases. 3. Isaiah 41:2 Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? One thing after another brings fresh penitence, new discovery of sin, new sense of the greatness of God; new fears spring up, new resolutions gather, and all these weigh very heavily. 3. Biblical Commentary Isaiah 40:1-11 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: The book of Isaiah is centered on the Babylonian exile, which began in 586 B.C. 1857. God's people are the seed of Abraham his friend. II. BibliographyBullinger, Ethelbert William. Copyright StatementThese files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text scanned by Woodside Bible Fellowship.This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown Commentary is in the public domain and may be freely used and distributed. So speech to God is needed to raise and expand the feelings that have been rooted in silence. But no matter how many times these words of encouragement appear, let us always remember that they are spoken by the Creator of the Universe. With what glad silence should we listen to the Divine voice! and in the Syriac. Isaiah 40:1-17 Comfort of Restoration. This reminds us, that the reason why we do not think with so much reverence as we ought concerning the power and goodness and wisdom and other attributes of God, is, that we do not listen to him when he speaks. Pass on to the people renew their strength together the certain knowledge the. Is filled ( how bitter the irony an industrious furbishing up of the Lord will them. 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