Questions and Answers Concerning Zion
(No. 2612)
A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, MARCH 5, 1899.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING,
NOVEMBER 8, 1883.
"What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORRD has
founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it." Isaiah
14:32.
ZION evidently attracted great attention in its own day and, I suppose,
the term, "Zion," stood for the whole city. It was a city of many
singularities and it was especially remarkable for its worship when
Jerusalem was as it should be. It had a Temple, but there was no image
in it. Worship was continually carried on there, but the God who was
worshipped was invisible. This made Zion and its Temple different from
all other cities and all other temples under Heaven, for, wherever else
you went, you saw graven images set up and men prostrating themselves
before the work of their own hands. It was not so in Zion. There, the
one living and true God resided, and the Temple at Jerusalem was the
center of His worship for all the faithful–and every type or symbol in
His solemn service was meant to teach the people concerning Him. Zion
was remarkable, not so much for the strength of its defenses, the
beauty of its palaces and the glory of its Temple, as for being "the
city of the great King." "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be
moved." Hence, although Zion was but a little hill and other hills were
great compared with it, yet the fame of it went forth even to the ends
of the earth.
Zion is always a type of the Church of the living God–and everywhere
the Church of God is singular and, for that reason, noticeable. It is a
power altogether unlike all other powers, a Kingdom quite different
from the kingdoms of the earth. It uses not the force of arms–it has
no defense except the indwelling Deity–it knows nothing of the pomp of
earthly splendor, it exists for God's Glory and for no other purpose.
Its reason for being a Church at all is that Jesus Christ may be
honored and glorified in its midst and, therefore, the true Church of
Christ is sure to be noticed, however obscure it may be in any
particular place. You cannot plant a Christian Church in a village
without its being discovered. It may be said of Christ's Church as it
was said of Himself, "He could not be hidden" neither can His Church!
And in any kingdom or country, though the true Christians may form a
very small remnant, yet they are sure to be noticed. They are as a fire
that gives light as well as heat and, therefore, their presence must be
known and felt.
I push this Truth of God a little further and say that if you are one
of the citizens of this Zion, one of the members of the Church of God,
you, also, will be known. You cannot go through the world unobserved!
You are like Bunyan's pilgrim when he passed through Vanity Fair. He
was but a humble individual, yet everybody looked at him because he
hurried through the fair, neither attracted by its business nor
detained by its wealth. Christian and his companion simply sped on and
when the men of the place asked them, "What will you buy?" they gave no
answer but this, "We buy the Truth," and hastened on as fast as they
could! And you must do the same if you are bound for the Celestial
City. It may be that they will not take you, as the people of Vanity
Fair took Faithful, and send you to Heaven in a chariot of fire, but
they will be sure to notice you. In a free country like this, you may
be almost anything that you like except a Christian. There is no
liberty for you and you will find that the dogs of Hell will bark at
you because you are a stranger and a foreigner in this world! If you
were a child at home, they would not trouble you, but you are of a
different race from the men of the world who have their portion in this
life–and, as you pass along, they will let you know that you do not
belong to them.
They do not wish to understand you and you will find that they will
always be ready to misrepresent you. And when they have finished their
misrepresentation, they will endeavor to laugh you to scorn. Of old,
Zion was so remarkable that the nations sent messengers to enquire
about it. And today the people of God are a remarkable people, a
pilgrim race, strangers and sojourners in the world, passing on to "a
city which has foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God." If you are
a true Believer in Christ, you will be sure to be noticed, questioned,
quizzed, criticized, caricatured, misrepresented–never mind all
that–it is the lot of all the holy Seed, and the citizens of Zion must
expect such treatment until the Lord Himself shall come.
Our text may be made to apply to all God's people and I shall use the
Jews and Zion as the basis upon which I shall build up my discourse.
From their history we shall try to gather the true meaning of the
passage. In it we have the mention of messengers and we shall enquire,
first, What do these messengers of the nation ask? Secondly, why should
they be answered? And, thirdly, how shall they be answered? ' 'That the
Lord has founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it."
I. First, WHAT DO THESE MESSENGERS ASK?
Messengers came from Babylon to Zion and, no doubt, one of the first
questions they asked was, " What is the treasure of Zion?What is the
wealth of this city? It stands not by the sea, like Tyre, so that it
may flourish by its merchandize. It is not situated among the cedars of
Lebanon, so that it may sell its precious wood or its carved work. This
city stands in a strange place and yet we see that it is a wealthy
place–what is the source and the extent of its wealth?" Unhappily,
Hezekiah forgot how to answer that question aright, and he took the
Babylonian messengers through his palace and showed them his
material'treasures. He led them from one secret cabinet to another and
let them see all his riches. And they looked on with wondering,
covetous eyes and went home to tell what loot there would be there,
what a grand place Jerusalem would be to sack and how all Babylon might
be the richer because of the treasures that were hidden there. How
unwise was Hezekiah! He ought to have given a far better answer. I have
been in churches on the Continent where I have been asked by the guide
whether I would like to see the treasury, and I have seen it. In one
church, I saw what was estimated at about a million pounds sterling in
the form of plates of different kinds for the adornment of the altar. I
saw a treasure which was regarded as far more precious than gold and
silver–a saint with all his bones laid bare, a skeleton saint
decorated with emeralds, rubies and all kinds of precious stones–but
it was a ghastly sight for all that! If I had purchased him, I would
have speedily buried him. Should not such a treasure be buried in the
earth? It is the best place for saints and sinners, too, when they are
dead.
I do not doubt that living saints are a precious treasure in the Church
of God, yet it would not do, if the messengers of the nations asked us
what our chief treasure is, to exhibit the members of the
Church–saints alive or saints dead–or to talk about the wealth of the
Church, or the intellect of the Church, or even the earnestness and
prayerfulness of the Church, precious as these things are. There is a
better answer to that question and our text tells us that the great
treasure of the Church is the fact that Jehovah has founded her. His
Grace is the inexhaustible storehouse from which she derives all her
spiritual wealth!
The messengers of the nations probably asked next, " What is Zion's
confidence''" When city after city had been overthrown by Rabshakeh and
Sennacherib, if messengers came into Jerusalem, no doubt they were
amazed to find the people holding out against the great king who smote
and overcame wherever he went. And they said and Rabshakeh said, "What
is your confidence? Has not the king of Assyria smitten all the gods of
the people whom he has fought? Upon whose arm do you rely?" If the
people had taken the messengers and bid them look from the rocky sides
of Zion, down the steep precipice into the ravines, and if they had
said, "Who can climb up here?" Or if they had pointed to the tower of
David, or to the walls of the city well jointed together, or to its
massive gates and said, "These are our defenses," it would have been a
poor and sorry reply, for no walls stood out long against the kings of
Babylon! They brought their battering-rams and engines to the siege and
very soon they cast up breast-works and all kinds of entrenchments and,
before long, made a breach in the city walls and rushed in and slew the
inhabitants.
But what a good answer it would have been to say, "Jehovah is our
confidence. He is our defense, our castle and high tower, our battleaxe
and weapons of war. And He has said that Sennacherib shall not come
into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with a
shield, nor cast a bank against it. The adversary may come near enough
to mark the walls and bulwarks of Zion and count her towers, but he
shall not be able to capture her, for 'God shall help her, and that
right early.' He is our defense! Not the valiant men that stand upon
the watchtowers and shoot swift arrows against the foe. Not the trained
armies that throng her gates and charge upon the adversary with sword
and shield, but the Lord God is a wall of fire round about us and the
glory in our midst." What a grand answer that would have been to the
question of the messengers!
Let us also, Beloved, give the same answer to all who ask what is our
confidence. Let us tell them that our confidence is in God alone. If,
dear Friends, we are truly citizens of Zion, this is one of the marks
of our citizenship, that our entire confidence is in that unseen arm
upon which alone we lean. We look only to God for our salvation, and we
cast away all confidence in ourselves, or in our fellow men, reckoning
all earthly supports as being like broken cisterns that can hold no
water, and trusting alone to the deep eternal fountain of Grace that
wells up in the heart of God Himself.
No doubt the messengers of the nations also asked, " What is the
history of this Zion?What is the story of the nation of which Jerusalem
is the capital? Where did your fathers come from? Did they obtain
possession of this land with their own bow and their own swords? Have
they made advances, step by step, to the greatness whereof they now
boast?" The right answer to that question was, "God has founded Zion."
That was the secret of her glorious history and the messengers ought to
have received no other reply but that to their enquiry! Sometimes,
nowadays, men come to us and they say, "Where did your Church come
from? What is the origin of it? From where did it arise?" Well, you may
tell the story, if you give all the glory to God and if you reflect all
honor upon the power of Divine Truth, but never fail to go back to the
very beginning and answer, "God has founded Zion," for if there is a
church which cannot trace its foundation to the eternal Truth of God's
Word, to the eternal power of God's Spirit, to the eternal founding by
God's own Sovereign Grace, it is not the Church of God at all!
I hope you would give a similar answer to the question about your own
history. If you are a believer in Christ, how came you to be a
Christian? How was it that you ever began to love the Lord? How is it
that you have a good hope of Heaven? How is it that you believe that
you have eternal life? This is the answer for you to give–
"Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God. He,
to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood." Each saved
soul must say, "It is of God's Grace that I am what I am. As God has
founded Zion, so has He founded me."
Another question which these messengers would be sure to ask would be
this–" What is the expectation of Zion? You say that Jehovah built it
and that He has, up to now, guarded and preserved it, but to what end
is such a little city as this made so conspicuous? Why is it so honored
by the Divine Presence?" Oh, then I hope the people opened their mouths
wide and told the messengers that God had founded Zion and that the
poor of His people would trust in it and that they added, "So we have
the expectation of being provided for, preserved, delivered, magnified
through God's mercy." And as for you and me, Beloved, when they say to
us, "What do you expect?" let us open our mouth wide and tell what God
has done and what we expect He will yet do for us–that He will guide
us by His counsel and, afterwards, receive us to Glory–that He will
correct and chasten us as a man chastens his own son–that He will
perfect our education and then will take us Home to dwell with Him
where sorrow and sighing can never come! Then let us tell them of the
coming of our Lord and of the Glory that is wrapped up in His advent.
And let our hearts burn and our eyes sparkle as, with joyful lips, we
talk of the things which God has prepared for them that Love Him and
which He has revealed to us by His Spirit!
II. Now, secondly, WHY SHOULD THESE MESSENGERS BE ANSWERED?
The question in our text is, "What will they answer the messengers of
the nation?" But there is no hint of any question as to whether they
are to be answered or not. It is taken for granted that a reply is to
be given to their enquiries. I hope, dear Brothers and Sisters, that we
shall always be ready to give an answer with meekness and fear to every
man who asks of us a reason for the hope that is in us. Questions will
be sure to be put to Christians, for they are men wondered at and,
hence, there is a necessity for us to be well taught of God and to have
our minds stored with heavenly knowledge, that we may not be dumb when
we ought to speak, but may always be ready with such an answer as shall
be acceptable to God and may be beneficial to those who ask the
question.
Some who come to Zion ask questions out of curiosity I should not
wonder if the ambassadors who came to Jerusalem looked all about the
city with wondering eyes and kept on enquiring, "What is this? What is
that? What is the meaning of this memorial and what is the intention of
this symbol?" They did not ask these questions because they cared
particularly about what they saw–possibly they asked even more
questions when they were in Epsom, or when they sauntered through the
streets of Nineveh, but, having come to Jerusalem, they had a curiosity
about what was to be seen there, so they began to enquire. In like
manner, Beloved, there will come to you, to your Zion, to your house,
persons who will make enquiries about your religion–not that they love
it, or believe in it–but, still, they would like to know about it. Men
are curious about religious matters. They jot down in their notebook
information that they gather concerning them. They may not be,
themselves, devout, but they would like to know what is the nature and
extent of your devotion. They may not be, themselves, Believers, but
they would be glad to learn what kind of faith yours is. Would you
discourage this curiosity? I think you would be very unwise if you did
so. No, rather try to make some use of it. It is, in itself, nothing
particularly worthy of notice, but there is at least a measure of
hopefulness about it. When men's minds once begin to work, we are led
to hope and pray that the Spirit of God may work with them and work in
them, according to the good pleasure of His Grace. It is a very hopeful
thing when you, my Brothers in the ministry, get an attentive audience
to listen to you. Mind that you always give them something worth
listening to! It were an ill day for you and me, in trying to do good,
if we could never persuade anyone to listen at all. Let us hold the
wedding guest and detain him with our tale, though it may seem to him
to be as sad as that of the Ancient Mariner of whom Coleridge speaks,
let us try to hold him fast till we have told him–
"The old, old story
Of Jesus and His love!"
We shall not complain if people ask, simply out of curiosity, about our
religion, for that very curiosity will give us an opportunity to set
things belonging to the Kingdom of God before minds which are somewhat
receptive. If you ever lose your present access to those ears and they
grow fast closed to your message, you will say, "I wish that even that
curiosity would come back, again," for curiosity about the things of
God may lead to something better, by-and-by, if you know how to use it
wisely. So, we will answer the messengers of the nation even though
they ask merely from curiosity.
No doubt there are others who ask out of contempt The ambassadors of a
great power like Babylon, when they passed inside the walls of Zion,
most likely said, "So this is your precious capital, is it? This little
pettifogging village that we could put in one corner of Babylon and
never know that it was there–is the city of the great King, is it?"
And they laughed within themselves for very scorn and said, "This
little miserable dog hole is your wonderful city, is it? Why, in
Babylon, we have hanging gardens, wondrous palaces and mighty works of
art and yet you say, 'Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole
earth is Mount Zion?'" And they gave a loud guffaw at the very thought
of what seemed to them so absurd! Well, Brothers and Sisters, shall we
refuse to answer when our questioners ask in contempt concerning our
Zion? Sometimes we shall do well not to reply, for we are forbidden to
cast pearls before swine, but, on other occasions we may answer them
because we do not wish men to think that we are ashamed or afraid to
declare our convictions, or that we have nothing to say concerning the
faith that we hold. Oh, proclaim it, though all Philistia shall be
listening! Proclaim it among the nations that the Lord reigns! Proclaim
it amid a senate of philosophers or a parliament of kings!
This Truth of God might well be written across the sky and the sun,
itself, as it makes its daily circuit, should be the Mercury to bear
this message everywhere! The heavens should proclaim the Glory of God
and the firmament show His handiwork! And it is our desire and
intention to let the Gospel be published wide as the light of day!
Publish it even to the contemptuous, for, sometimes, even he who
despises is not the last to be converted. And an enemy who has enough
light to hate the Truth of God may have enough to be brought to love
it! Think not that a man like Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of the
saints, is the most hopeless of mankind. God thought not so and He
brought him in penitence to His feet and made him to be not a whit
behind the very chief of His servants! Therefore, if men ask you about
religion, even out of contempt, and you can see the sneer upon their
faces as they ask the question, give them an answer! Tell them of
Jesus' dying love and of all that wonderful plan of salvation arranged
by the Sovereign Grace of God. You may even find your answer in our
text–"The Lord has founded Zion and the poor of His people shall trust
in it."
But sometimes, no doubt, the messengers of the nations will ask out of
admiration. There were some of them that came, like the Queen of Sheba,
and asked about everything because they admired it all. And there are,
perhaps among us, some whose hearts God has touched. They have the
first signs and tokens of an affection for the Truth of God and for the
Lord–and when they come where you are who love His dear name, they
will ask you many questions most admiringly. Oh, never be slow to
answer such enquirers! No, but set out before their eager eyes all the
wonders of Zion and all the glories of your Lord! Tell them what the
Lord has done for you and for all His people. Tell them how you were
washed in the blood of the Lamb, how your heart has been changed,
cheered and comforted. Tell them everything, for now that the Lord has
given them some hungering and some thirsting after these things, now is
your time to bring out the "butter in a lordly dish!" Now is your
opportunity to set before them the Bread that came down from Heaven,
even Christ Jesus who is the Bread of Life. Now let them all know about
the "wines on the lees, well-refined," and the "fat things full of
marrow," for you have before you those who will gladly feed on all the
dainties and delights provided in the great banquet of the Gospel.
And it may be that while you are telling the story, there will be some
enquirers who will ask because they want to enjoy these good things for
themselves. The spouse in the Canticles said, "I charge you, O
daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my Beloved, that you tell Him, that
I am lovesick." And they then asked her, "What is your Beloved more
than another beloved, O you fairest among women? What is your Beloved
more than another beloved, that you so charge us?" So the spouse sat
down and told them of all His matchless beauties and finished up by
saying, "This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of
Jerusalem." Then they enquired, "Where is your Beloved gone, O you
fairest among women?–Where is your Beloved turned aside?–That we may
seek Him with you." In like manner, dear Friends, when you see others
who are willing to hear what you can say to them about Christ, do not
hesitate to tell them, for perhaps they, too, will love your Savior!
Perhaps they have a wish to participate in the merits of His blood and
the blessings of His salvation–and that is exactly what you wish
concerning them and concerning all mankind, for you often say–
"His worth, if all the nations knew Surely the whole world would love
Him, too." Therefore, tell all who are in the world about it, praying
God's Spirit to open their hearts that they may receive the message and
may trust in Jesus and be saved.
O my dear Hearers who love the Lord, be none of you reticent about
these precious things, but answer the messengers of the nation whenever
you meet with them! It may do them good, contemptuous though they may
be! It may do them good though they are, for the time, but
curiosity-mongers. Therefore tell them. Tell them the story fully, for,
at any rate, it will do you good. It is a very useful thing for a man
to proclaim what spiritual Truth he knows, for he thereby teaches
himself. It will increase your own sense of safety if you declare to
others what the real defense of Zion is. It will increase your own
sense of joy if you proclaim what is the true joy of Zion. For your own
good, do this, and do it also for the Glory of God. You are to be God's
mouth to man–let not God ever seem to be silent because you are idle!
O you people of God, "You are God's heritage"–the word the Apostle
uses means, "You are God's clergy, so I charge you, be not dumb dogs
that cannot bark, but let others know what the Lord has done for your
souls! "You that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence," but speak
and speak, and speak yet again, and give to the messengers of the
nations an answer to their enquiries concerning Zion and the Church of
the living God!
III. Now I come to the closing and most important point. How SHALL
THESE ENQUIRERS BE ANSWERED?
According to our text, they are to be answered by this
declaration–"The LORD has founded Zion." Whenever any religious
enquiry is put to you, let it be definitely made known in your answer
that every good thing that you have, or that the Church of God has,
comes from God. Leave your hearer in no doubt about this matter–do not
let him suppose that it came by your own exertion or merit–but say
most plainly, "The Lord has founded Zion." If one soul is saved, God
has done it. If 500 souls are saved and banded together in Christian
fellowship, "this is the finger of God." And if there are tens of
thousands of saved saints in the world, this is what the Lord has done
by His own Almighty power! It is not ofman, neither is it byman, but it
is of the Lord alone! Make that Truth of God very conspicuous in your
answers to all enquirers.
And that being done, make this Truth equally plain, that the Lord is
the Founder of His Church–His true Church–that all her doctrines are
revealed in His Word and are her doctrines because He has given them to
her–that her ordinances are taught by Christ, Himself, in His own Word
and, therefore–and for that reason only–are they ordinances of His
Church! Lay this down with the utmost emphasis, that the Lord has
founded Zion as to her doctrines and her ordinances and also as to all
the polished stones that He has built into all her walls. Christ is the
one Foundation of His Church and God has laid Him in Zion as the chief
Cornerstone–elect, precious–but every stone that is laid upon Him is
laid there according to the Divine purpose and predestination, yes, and
by the effectual working of the power of the Holy Spirit who brings men
up from the quarry of sin and builds them upon the Foundation of Christ
Crucified!
To make our answer to these messengers complete, they will want to know
all about our Church and our Zion, so let us acknowledge our own
poverty. You notice, in the text, that the answer is, "The Lord has
founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it." Say to the
enquirers, "Ah, you must not look for anything great in us! We are poor
by nature and poor by practice, too. And in ourselves we are less than
nothing and vanity." There may be some very good people in the world
who think that they are perfect. We are not among them–we could not,
dare not, will not stand up and say, "We thank God that we are not as
other men are." We have rather, each one of us, to smite upon our
breasts and say, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." It is most
important, in our testimony, that we should confess our spiritual
poverty, for our Lord Jesus is never magnified unless He is set forth
as the Savior of sinners. And Grace is never glorified unless sin is
denounced and bemoaned. O Beloved, let your own poverty be a black foil
that shall make the precious gem of Divine Grace shine the more
gloriously in the eyes of men!
Then say also that, as God has founded Zion, we mean to cleave to her
That is to say, if this Bible is God's Book, we believe in it from
cover to cover. If any doctrine, however mysterious, is taught by the
Spirit of God, we accept it. If we do not understand it, we believe it.
If there are any ordinance commanded by God, we will obey it to the
best of our ability as it is delivered to us. I cannot agree with those
who say that they have "new truth" to teach. The two words seem to me
to contradict each other–that which is new is not true. It is the old
that is true, for truth is as old as God. Albeit that its locks are
bushy and black as a raven for strength and force, yet I might say of
every Truth of God that its head and its hair are white like wool, as
white as snow, for its antiquity. "Ah, but," they say, "we are wise in
this generation; we have learned much from this source and that." Have
you? Then keep your precious knowledge to yourselves–we do not covet
it. We are content to believe concerning this Word, that the Lord has
founded it and, we poor simpletons mean to trust in it, and to cleave
to it, come what may.
Do you notice how sweetly is put in the text the resolve to trust in
what God has founded? "The poor of His people shall trust in it." The
inhabitants of Jerusalem sheltered behind the walls of Zion and they
felt perfectly safe. There was Sennacherib coming up with hordes of
Assyrians, apparently numerous enough to eat them all up, but when they
knew that God had founded Zion and meant to preserve her, they might
smile at the king of Babylon, and they did so. "The virgin, the
daughter of Zion, has despised you, and laughed you to scorn; the
daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you." If Zion is founded
by God, vain is all the might and malice of man or devil against it–it
shall stand against all who oppose it. I can fancy Luther talking like
this, only with stronger sentences than I can put together, and bidding
the people join in singing that favorite Psalm of his, the 46th -"God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore
will we not fear though the earth is removed and though the mountains
are carried into the midst of the sea."
Let us, also, have this brave confidence, my Brothers and Sisters!
Trust in Jehovah and be at ease concerning His Truth and cause. Let
nothing daunt or disturb you. God has routed greater men than the
wiseacres of the 19th Century! And when they are all swept into the
nothingness from which they came, His Truth shall still live and
triumph, glory be to the name of Him who sent it to us and, thereby,
founded the one only Eternal City, the Church of the living God, the
pillar and ground of His Truth! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: ISAIAH14'
Verse 1. For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose
Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be
joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. This
promise had a measure of fulfillment when Israel was brought back from
Babylon. And it is still true that when God's people come to their
worst, there is always something better before them. On the other hand,
it is equally sure that when sinners come to their best, there is
always something terrible awaiting them. The Apostle Paul wrote to the
Romans, "God has not cast away His people which He foreknew." And his
declaration agrees with this prophecy, "The Lord will have mercy on
Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land" I
believe that there will be a far grander fulfillment of this prophecy
in that day when God shall bring back His chosen people to their own
country–and then shall be the fullness of blessing to the Gentiles,
also. "The strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave
to the house of Jacob."
2. And the people shall take them and bring them to their place: and
the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for
servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose
captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. The
chosen people now have the worst of it in many parts of the world, but
they shall have the best of it, by-and-by. They shall not always be
trampled on–their time of uplifting shall come at the last. And there
is nothing after the last–that which is last, lasts forever.
3, 4. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give you
rest frown your sorrow, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage
wherein you were made to serve, that you shall take up this proverb
against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! The
golden city ceased!O child of God, you shall, by-and-by, have a
glorious season of rest! Today is your time of labor. You are now under
hard bondage, but you shall yet come forth into the fullness of your
liberty in Christ Jesus. In that day Jehovah, Himself, shall give you
rest from all your grief and fears. You shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. This was a great prophecy for
Isaiah to utter, for, in his day there was no power on earth equal to
that of Babylon. That great city abounded in palaces and extraordinary
wealth–and its power was such that no kingdom could stand against it.
For a while it broke in pieces all those who fought against it, yet God
broke Babylon in His own time. And here is a song of rejoicing in
anticipation of its overthrow, "How has the oppressor ceased! The
golden city ceased!"
5. The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the
rulers. No power can ever be permanently strong that is founded upon
wickedness. Sooner or later it will have to come to an end. A falsehood
may array itself in the garments of wisdom and strength and go forth to
fight hopefully for victory, but, in the end, it must die. The stone of
the Truth of God will reveal the giant's brow and lay him headlong in
death.
6, 7. He who emote the people in wrath with a continual stroke. He that
ruled the nations in anger is persecuted, and none hinders. The whole
earth is at rest, and is quiet they break forth into singing. The
Babylon that none could resist becomes, herself, destroyed and there is
no one to come to her assistance. Go at this day and see where the owl
dwells, and mark the habitation of the dragons, and say to yourself,
"This is Babylon, the great city that was the queen over all nations.
But she did evil in the sight of the Lord, and spoke extremely proudly
and, behold, Jehovah has crumbled her in the dust and, now that Babylon
is gone, 'the whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth
into singing.'"
8. Yes, the fir trees rejoice at you, and the cedars of Lebanon,
saying, Since you are laid down, no feller is come up against us. For
the cruel kings of Babylon cut down the nations as the woodman with his
axe fells the trees of the forest. But when the power of Babylon was
broken, peace and quietness reigned everywhere. O Brothers and Sisters,
what a blissful day it will be when the modern Babylon is taken away,
for to this hour she is the troubler among the nations! Wherever the
blight of Popery comes, there is evil, there is oppression, there is
bondage–and only when Romanism shall be utterly swept away and cast
like a millstone into the flood, will it be said, "The whole earth is
at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing." Here is s very
wonderful picture of the king of Babylon going down to the grave!
9, 10. Hades from beneath is moved foryou to meetyou at your coming: it
stirs up the dead foryou, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has
raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they
shall speak and say unto you, Are you also become weak as we? Are you
become like unto us?I t is a fine pictorial representation of the
spirits of departed kings lifting themselves up from their beds of dust
and saying, "Are you, king of Babylon, that slew us, also come here?
The mighty conqueror–are you yourself conquered–and brought to the
grave?"
11-15, Your pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of your
viols: the worm is spread under you, and the worms cover you. How are
you fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut
down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in
your heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in
the sides of the north: I will ascend above the height of the clouds; I
will be like the Most High. Yet you shall be brought down to Hades, to
the sides of the Pit. God hates pride with a perfect hatred! He drives
His sword through the very heart of it and cuts it in pieces. None can
be great and mighty, and boast of what they are able to do without
provoking the King of Kings to put forth against them some of His great
power! Oh, let none of as talk about climbing to Heaven by our good
works, or getting there by our merits, lest it should happen to us,
also, that we should "be brought down to Hades, to the sides of the
Pit."
16-18. They that see you shall narrowly look upon you, and consider
you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did
shake kkngdoms; that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the
cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the
kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his
own house. That is, they lie in state, each one in the mausoleum of his
family. They went down to death and they were buried with all the honor
and glory that were supposed to be due to their high position.
19. But you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch, and
as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword,
that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.
So total, so terrible, so disgraceful was the destruction of Babylon,
that no honor or glory remained to it.
20-22. You shall not be joined with them in burial because you have
destroyed your land and slain your people: the seed of evildoers shall
never be removed. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity
of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill
the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them,
says the LORD of Hosts. And he has done it. It seemed the most unlikely
thing to happen, but the Lord spoke, and it was done–all the glory of
Babylon was swept away. "I will rise up against them, says the Lord of
Hosts."
22-27. And cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and
nephew, says the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the bittern
and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the boom of destruction,
says the LORD of Hosts. The LORD ofHosts has sworn, saying, Surely as
Ihave thought, so shall it come to pass; andas I have purposed, so
shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My
mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off
them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the
purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this in the hand
that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD ofHosts has
purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and
who shall turn it back? And God did this to the Assyrians in the day
when Sennacherib invaded the land and the Angel of Destruction slew the
whole host in one night! What a striking simile the Lord uses here!
"This is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the
Lord of Hosts has purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is
stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" Conceive in your mind the
picture drawn here–Jehovah Himself puts out the hand of His
almightiness and challenges the nations to stand up in opposition to
it!
28. In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. About this time,
the Philistines had plucked up courage and had invaded Judah.
29. Rejoice not, whole Palestina, because the rod that smote you is
broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice,
and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. Ahaz was defeated, but
Hezekiah was raised up to be the leader of the LORD's people.
30. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie
down in safety: and I will kill your root with famine, and he shall
slay your remnant. If God's enemies have a bright day or two, it shall
soon be stormy weather with them. They may for the moment exult over
God's people, but He knows that their day of reckoning is coming.
31. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; you, Palestina, are dissolved: for there
shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his
appointed times. That is the way the Babylonians would come running
down from the north. No one would be able to hide himself from them,
not a single person would find a shelter, or escape from their terrible
adversaries.
32. What will they answer the messengers ofthe nation? That the LORD
has foundedZion, and thepoor ofHispeo-ple shall trust in it. Though the
passage seems dark at first, yet it is full of consolation to the
people of God and is of similar import to that other gracious
promise–"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every
tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn."