CHAPTER VIII. ISAIAH, xl.-xlii. THE TIDINGS OF RELEASE. Jerusalem's Guilt Forgiven-The Way in the Desert-The Word of Jehovah Eternal-Good Tidings in Judah-Might and Wisdom of Jehovah-Vanity of Idols—Jacob not Forgotten-The Gods of the Nations in Judgment-The Test of their Power-Jehovah hath Called Cyrus-Strengthening the Idols-They are Called to Plead -They are Nothing-Jehovah Made Cyrus-The Idols cannot Answer-Israel Jehovah's Servant-Ideal Israel-Method of His Work-A Covenant People-The Light of the World-The Song of Triumph. COMFORT ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her guilt is discharged; that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. The voice of one that crieth: Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, and the crooked made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken. The voice of one saying, Cry. And they said, What shall I cry! ? All flesh is grass, and all the grace of it like the flower of the field. The grass is withered, the flower faded; for the breath of Jehovah blew upon it. Verily the people is grass. The grass is withered, the flower faded; but the word of our God abideth ever. Get thee up into an high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! Behold, the Lord Jehovah cometh with might, and His arm shall rule; behold, His wage is with him, and His recompense before Him. He feedeth His flock like a shepherd, in His arms He will gather the lambs, and in His bosom carry them, and gently lead those that give suck. Who hath measured the waters in his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the spirit of Jehovah, His counsellor that teacheth Him? With whom took He counsel, that he might instruct Him, and teach Him the path of justice, and teach Him knowledge, and shew Him the way of understanding? Behold, nations are accounted a drop from a bucket, or small dust in the balance; behold, He taketh up isles as an atom. All the nations are as nought before Him; as nothingness and vanity are they accounted. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare to Him? The image a workman melted it, and a goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold; he forgeth it silver chains. He that offereth a cheap offering chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh a skilful workman to set up an image that shall not totter. Do ye not know? Do ye not hear? Have ye not THE GODS OF THE NATIONS IN JUDGMENT. 347 been told from the first? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth (and its inhabitants are as grasshoppers); that stretcheth out the heavens like gauze, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; that bringeth princes to nothing; judges of earth He hath made nought; to whom then will ye liken Me, that I should be compared? saith the Holy One. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah and my cause is gone from my God? Hast thou not known, neither heard? Jehovah is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He fainteth not, nor is weary; there is no searching His knowledge. He giveth power to the faint; and maketh the might of the powerless abound. Youths faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall; but they that wait upon Jehovah shall gather fresh strength; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. Come in silence before Me, ye countries; and let the peoples collect their strength. Let them come near; let them speak; let us all draw near for judgment. Who hath raised up one from the east, him whom victory calleth to follow him? giving nations before him, and making him rule over kings? He maketh as dust their sword, as driven stubble their bow. He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, by a way untrodden by feet. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the first? I Jehovah, the first, and the last, am He. The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They drew near, and came. Each helpeth the other, and one saith to another, Be of good courage. The carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, he that smooth eth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil. They say of the soldering, It is good; and they fasten it with nails, that it totter not. Present your plea, saith Jehovah; bring forth your reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them. forth, and declare unto us what shall happen. Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know what is their issue; or shew us the future. Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and fear. Behold, ye are nothing, and your work nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you. I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun he proclaimeth My name. And he shall trample rulers like mortar, as the potter treadeth his clay. Who hath declared it from the first, that we may know? from aforetime, that we may say, It is right? Yea, none declareth, yea, none sheweth. And I look, and there is no man; and among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask them, can answer a word. Behold, they are altogether vanity, their works nought, their molten images wind and nothingness. And thou, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, seed of Abraham My friend; thou whom I have fetched from the ends of the earth, and from its corners called thee, and said to thee: Thou art My servant, I have chosen thee and not rejected thee;-fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I have strengthened thee; yea, I have holpen thee; yea, I uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye petty folk of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. THE SONG OF TRIUMPH. 349 Behold My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom I delight. I have put My spirit upon him; he shall bring to the nations religion. He shall not cry, nor clamor, nor make his voice heard abroad. A crushed reed he shall not break, nor quench a flickering wick; for truth shall he spread religion. He shall not flicker nor be crushed, till he set religion in the earth; and for his teaching the lands shall wait. Thus saith God Jehovah, that created the heavens and stretched them forth; that spread out the earth and what springeth thereout; that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein I Jehovah called thee in righteousness, to hold thine hand, and keep thee, to make thee a covenant people, a light of the nations; to open blind eyes, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon, out of the prison house them that sit in darkness. I am Jehovah, that is My name; and My glory I give not to another, nor My praise unto images. Behold, the former things are come, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you. Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the ends of earth, Ye that go down to the sea, and its dwellers, Ye lands, and their inhabitants. Let the wilderness and its cities shout, The villages where Kedar dwelleth ; Let the people of Sela sing, Let them shout from mountain tops, And declare His praise in the lands. |