The book of
Proverbs
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Proverbs is one of the books classified as the poetry of Scripture. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon all belong in the same package because they are written as Hebrew poetry.
Solomon is the writer of three of these books of poetry: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Proverbs is the book on wisdom. Ecclesiastes is the book on folly. Song of Solomon is the book on love. Love is the happy medium between wisdom and folly. Solomon was an expert on all three subjects! The Word of God says about him: “And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five” (1 Kings 4:32). We have only one of his songs out of 1,005 that he wrote. And, actually, we have very few of his proverbs. “And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:33–34).
In the Book of Proverbs we read the wisdom of Solomon. A proverb is a saying that conveys a specific truth in a pointed and pithy way. Proverbs are short sentences drawn from long experience. A proverb is a truth that is couched in a form that is easy to remember, a philosophy based on experience, and a rule for conduct. A proverb has been called a sententious sentence, a maxim, an old saying, an old saw, a bromide, an epigram.
The key verse is found in the first chapter: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7).
The Orient and the ancient East are the homes of proverbs. Probably Solomon gathered many of them from other sources. He was the editor of them all and the author of some. This means that we have an inspired record of proverbs that are either Solomon’s or from other sources, but God has put His stamp upon them, as we shall see.
Dr. Thirtle and other scholars noted that there is a change of pronoun in the book from the second person to the third person. The conclusion of these scholars was that the proverbs which used the second person were taught to Solomon by his teachers, and the proverbs using the third person were composed by Solomon himself.
There is a difference between the Book of Proverbs and proverbs in other writings. The Greeks were great at making proverbs, especially the gnostic poets. I majored in Greek in college, and I took a course that was patterned after the Oxford plan, in that I would read a great deal of Greek and then report to my professor every Monday morning. I read the entire New Testament in Greek while I was in college and then, when I got to seminary, we went over it again. The writings of the gnostic poets were among the writings that I had to read in Greek. They are very clever in the Greek language because so many of them are a play upon Greek words.
There are some characteristics and features of the Book of Proverbs that I think we should note:
1. Proverbs bears no unscientific statement or inaccurate observation. For example, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). This is a remarkable statement, because it was about 2,700 years later that Harvey found that the blood circulates and that the heart is the pump. In contrast, in an apocryphal book called the Epistle of Barnabas, mention is made of the mythical phoenix, a bird that consumes itself by fire and rises in resurrection. Such a fable does not appear in the Book of Proverbs nor anywhere else in the Bible. It is strange that this is an ancient book containing hundreds of proverbs and not one of them is unscientific today. That in itself ought to alert any thinking person to the fact that the Book of Proverbs is God-inspired.
2. Proverbs is a book on a high moral plane. You simply will not find in its pages the immoral sayings which occur in other writings. Justin Martyr said that Socrates was a Christian before Christ—which, of course, would be an impossibility. And his admirers say that he portrays a high conception of morals. However, Socrates also gave instructions to harlots on how to conduct themselves! The best that can be said of him is that he was amoral.
3. The Proverbs do not contradict themselves, while man’s proverbs are often in opposition to each other. For example: “Look before you leap” contrasted with “He who hesitates is lost.” “A man gets no more than he pays for” contrasted with “The best things in life are free.” “Leave well enough alone” has over against it, “Progress never stands still.” “A rolling stone gathers no moss” versus “A setting hen does not get fat.” The proverbs of man contradict each other, because men’s ideas differ. But there is no contradiction in the Book of Proverbs because it is inspired by God.
While the Book of Proverbs seems to be a collection of sayings without any particular regard for orderly arrangement, some of us believe that it tells a story, which we will notice as we go along. It is a picture of a young man starting out in life. He gets his first lesson in Proverbs 1:7, which is the key to the book.
The advice that is given in the Book of Proverbs transcends all dispensations. Whether one lives in Old Testament or New Testament times, old Jerusalem or new Jerusalem, its truths are still true. It is a good book for anyone.
Someone may raise this objection: “There is nothing in it about the gospel.” Just wait a minute, it is there. The One in this book whose wisdom it is, is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book is not a hodgepodge of unrelated statements, nor is it a discourse of cabbages and kings. It is a book that makes sense, and it does have an arrangement and an organization. Solomon has something to say about his own teaching: “And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs” (Eccl. 12:9).
Here is something that will make the Book of Proverbs a thrilling experience for you: There is in Proverbs a thumbnail sketch of every character in the Bible. I am going to suggest a few of them; you will enjoy finding others. Also I think you will find there is a proverb that will fit all your friends and acquaintances—but perhaps you had better not mention to them the proverb that fits some of them! There is a proverb that will fit every one of us, and we can have a good time going through this book.
Dr. A. C. Gaebelein has written this helpful analysis of the literary structure of Proverbs.
The literary form of these Proverbs is mostly in the form of couplets. The two clauses of the couplet are generally related to each other by what has been termed parallelism, according to Hebrew poetry. (Hebrew poetry does not have rhyme or meter as our poetry does. Hebrew poetry consists of a parallelism of ideas.) Three kinds of parallelism have been pointed out:
1. Synonymous Parallelism. Here the second clause restates what is given in the first clause. (It expresses the same thought in a different way.)
“Judgments are prepared for scorners, And stripes for the back of fools”
[Prov. 19:29].
2. Antithetic (Contrast) Parallelism. Here a truth, which is stated in the first clause, is made stronger in the second clause by contrast with an opposite truth.
“The light of the righteous rejoiceth, But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out”
[Prov. 13:9].
(You can see that the second statement is stating the same truth but from the opposite point of view by way of contrast.)
3. Synthetic Parallelism. The second clause develops the thought of the first.
“The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion; He that provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own life”
[Prov. 20:2].
OUTLINE
I. Wisdom and Folly Contrasted, Chapters 1–9
II. Proverbs of Solomon, Chapters 10–24 (Written and set in order by himself)
III. Proverbs of Solomon, Chapters 25–29 (Set in order by men of Hezekiah)
IV. Oracle of Agur, Unknown Sage, Chapter 30
V. Proverbs of a Mother to Lemuel, Chapter 31
CHAPTER 1
You may not consider the Book of Proverbs a very thrilling story, but it is. I hope we can get in step with the spirit of God in this book, because it has a real message for each one of us. It is particularly slanted to young men—and applies to young women also. It has a special message for youth. This is a day, as every day has been, when young people are looking for answers to the questions of life.
I want you to notice as we get into this book that it is not just a haphazard sort of thing. It has a definite message. I know a great many people who feel that we can just reach in and lift out a proverb here and there. I think it is all right to do that, but the point is that when we take it out and look at it, we should also put it back where it belongs and look at it in its context. The diamond belongs in its setting, and in this case the setting is the Book of Proverbs.
Some people are inclined to read the Book of Proverbs very much like the man who said, “I enjoy reading the dictionary, but the stories certainly are short.” Maybe you feel that way about Proverbs, but I hope you will see it differently as we study the book.
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel [Prov. 1:1].
This certainly identifies the writer as King Solomon. Evidently Solomon gathered together many proverbs from other sources. He was the editor of all and the author of some. Also we are told that he wrote more proverbs than appear in this book.
The first section of the book is a contrast between wisdom and folly. This includes chapters 1–9.
THE BOY IN THE HOME STARTING OUT IN LIFE
As the boy starts out in life, these are the instructions that God gives him.
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion [Prov. 1:2–4].
There are ten words used in this section which seem to be synonymous—and, of course, they are related—but they are not the same. I would like to take each of these words and put it under the microscope. We will find that they are not synonyms. Nor are they piled up to make an impressive beginning. Every word of God is pure, we are told, so let us look at some of these.
“To know wisdom.” What is meant by wisdom? The word wisdom in the Scriptures means “the ability to use knowledge aright.” It occurs in this book alone thirty-seven times. It is an important word in the Bible. It means the right use of knowledge. There are a great many brilliant people who have knowledge; yet they lack wisdom. They don’t seem to use their knowledge aright.
Let me add something more here. Wisdom in the Old Testament means Jesus Christ for the believer today. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). Notice that wisdom is number one. Christ is the wisdom for the believer today. And to know wisdom is to know Jesus Christ. Paul gave as his ambition: “That I may know him …” (Phil. 3:10). Oh, that the same ambition to know Christ might grip your soul and my soul today! We need that.
Wisdom, therefore, is Christ. Wisdom is the ability to use our knowledge aright. To know Christ is not to play the fool; it is to be a wise man. I saw a bumper sticker the other day which read: “Wise men still seek Him.” Friend, you may not be brilliant, but when you receive Christ and come to know Christ, then you have wisdom.
“Instruction.” The word instruction appears twenty-six times in Proverbs. Sometimes the same Hebrew word is translated by the word chasten. Now that is interesting. Let me give an example of this. Proverbs 13:24 says, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Here, “to chasten” actually means “to give instruction.” Therefore, the word instruction means you teach by discipline. That is a forgotten truth today. Our contemporary society is certainly out of kilter and out of step with the Word of God. For example, we are told that lawbreakers are put in prison to discipline them and to reform them. That never was the purpose for dealing with criminals according to the Word of God. The purpose there was to judge them, punish them. No other reason was ever given. On the other hand, when you are dealing with a son, you discipline him, because that is a part of his instruction. You are to chasten him. You are to teach him by disciplining him. Your purpose is not to punish him. We often hear it said, “That child should be punished!” No, that is not the purpose of turning little Willie across your knee and paddling him. I hope you do paddle him. But why do you do it? To punish him? No, to teach him by discipline. Our purposes are all confused today—we discipline criminals and punish our children. We need to get back to God’s purposes. Our schools today are practicing the “new methods” of teaching. What about the old method of teaching by discipline? That is absolutely out. I believe the board of education being applied to the seat of learning is desperately needed—both in the home and in the school.
A man asked a father, “Do you strike your children?” The father answered, “Only in self-defense.” That’s about what it has come to in our day—the children are bringing up the parents! They are disciplining the parents and telling them what they ought to do. I heard recently of a young man who gave his mother and father a lecture on how they should be and what they should do. Yet that young man was under a court order: he had been arrested and was out on bail! I believe the parents needed a lecture, but he wasn’t the one to give it. They should have had a lesson on how to discipline their son, and it should have been given to them years earlier.
Instruction is to teach by discipline. God, our heavenly Father, is excellent at teaching in that way. I think I have learned most when He has taken me to the woodshed. Those lessons were very impressive.
“To perceive the words of understanding.” Understanding means intelligence. We have another word: discernment. We need to recognize that God expects us to use our intelligence. He expects us to use a great deal of sanctified common sense.
In verse 3 is the word justice. Justice is righteousness, and it means “right behavior.” I remember a sociology professor in college who used to teach us that right was relative. He used to ask with a smirk, “Well, what is ‘right?’” I didn’t know the answer then, but now I know that right is what God says is right. It is God who separates the light from the darkness. I can’t make the sun come up, and I can’t make the sun go down. Only God is running His universe. He makes light; He makes darkness. God is the One who declares what is right, and God declares what is wrong. So you may ask, “Is it right to do this or that?” If God says it is right, it is right. Or you may ask, “Is this wrong?” It is wrong if God says it is wrong. Right and wrong are not relative terms except in the minds of the contemporary average man. The prevailing feeling is that what the average man does becomes the norm; it becomes the standard. That is one of the reasons there is so much dishonesty and gross immorality today. Right and wrong have become relative terms. God says they are not. Just like light and darkness, they are absolutes.
“Judgment.” Judgment means that you and I are to make judgments. It is the same as making a decision. The believer comes to crossroads in his life. He must make decisions about which way to go.
Before I came to California, I had a call to a pastorate in the East, and I had a call here to the West Coast. I honestly didn’t know which way to go. I had to bring it to the Lord, and I had to test out a few things. After I had made a test, I found I was to come to California, and I thank God for it. We have to make decisions, and we should make them as the children of God.
“Equity.” This refers to principle rather than conduct. The child of God is not put under rules, but we are given great principles which should guide us. For example, Romans 14:22 puts down the great principle: “… Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” The believer should have enthusiasm for what he does. There is too much Christian conduct which is like walking on eggshells. People say, “I don’t know whether I should do this or not.” My friend, the principle is that if you cannot enter into it enthusiastically, you ought not do it at all. What we do, we ought to do with anticipation, excitement, and joy. We should be fully persuaded in our own minds that that is the right course of action. We ought not have a compunction of conscience after we have done it. Happy is the man whose conscience does not condemn him in the things which he allows. If you look back on it and say, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t done that,” then it was wrong for you to do. In questionable matters about which the Scriptures are silent, this is a great principle that will guide you in your conduct. If you can look back on what you did yesterday and say, “Hallelujah, it was a great day for me,” then you know that what you did was right for you to do.
Another principle is that we ought to bear each other’s infirmities, rather than simply pleasing ourselves. We should ask ourselves, Is this thing I am doing an offense to my neighbor or to my brother in Christ? These are great principles of conduct that should guide the believer.
“Give subtilty to the simple.” Being prudent is the meaning of giving subtilty to the simple; it is to act prudently. It means to be wise in what we do. A child of God ought not to act foolishly.
I remember counseling a young couple who went to the mission field. They just shut their eyes to reality, as it were, and went to the mission field. I personally urged them not to go, because I could see they were not fitted for it. They came back as casualties. They had actually made shipwrecks of their lives by going to the mission field. They had not been prudent. They had not shown wisdom in their particular circumstances.
Remember that the Lord Jesus said, “… be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
“To the young man knowledge.” Knowledge is information that is useful. I remember a motto on a bulletin board in the science lab of the college which I attended. I have forgotten all the formulas I ever learned in chemistry, but I have never forgotten the motto. It was this: “Next to knowing is knowing where to find out.” That is one reason it is good to have the Bible handy and to learn to read it—if you don’t know, you surely can know where to find out.
“Discretion.” This means thoughtfulness. This is for the young man and young people in general who are thoughtless. I am very frank to say that I was a very thoughtless young man, and I confess that I am still that way. It is always a pleasure to find a thoughtful Christian. I have several wonderful Christian friends here in Southern California. Presently I am getting ready to take a trip to the East, and at this time of year it is a little cool back there. One of these friends came by and brought me a lovely sweater. That was thoughtful. There are many wonderful Christians who are thoughtful, and it is a characteristic all of us ought to have.
The Book of Proverbs will help us see that these wonderful qualities should be incorporated into our lives.
THE CHALLENGE
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels [Prov. 1:5].
This has been the characteristic of all great men. They never reached the place where they felt that they had learned everything.
I listened to a young man on television the other night who had skyrocketed to fame on rock music. The thing that characterized him was his arrogance. He knew it all. I don’t think anyone could tell that young man anything. Proverbs says that a wise man will hear and will increase learning.
“A man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” That is actually the challenge of this whole book. Solomon says that if you are smart, you will listen to what is being said in this book. The Spirit of God has a lot of choice things to say in the Book of Proverbs. They are great truths, expressed in short sentences.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings [Prov. 1:6].
Another proverb carries this same thought: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but, the honour of kings is to search out a matter” (Prov. 25:2). I love that. God has given the gospel message clearly to be declared from the housetops. But there is a great deal of truth in the Word of God that is like diamonds. God has not scattered diamonds around on the ground. Jewels and that which is valuable have been hidden away for man to look for and to find. The gold and the diamonds and other precious things must be mined; oil must be drilled. That is the way that God does it. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.
The Word of God deserves all the study that you can possibly bring to it. The Lord Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life …” He didn’t say you are not to search the Scripture. He said search the Scriptures. You just think that you have found eternal life, because you haven’t really searched them. You have been reading the Bible, but you haven’t found the real message that is there. The real treasure there is Christ. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). My friend, if you haven’t found Christ in the Bible, you simply have not been mining for diamonds—you haven’t been digging deep enough. “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” In other words, God has put these great truths here in His Book. The tragedy of the hour is the ignorance of the Word of God in both pulpit and pew. There needs to be a serious, concentrated study of the Word of God. Somehow there is an idea today that one can read over a passage once and then you have it all. I trust you will see that you cannot get the nuggets out of the Word of God without study.
When I am in Florida I always enjoy going to the home and laboratory of Thomas A. Edison at Fort Myers. There is a museum there now. The thing that has always amazed me is his search for synthetic rubber. Firestone and Henry Ford had their homes right next to Thomas A. Edison, and you can understand why they were interested in the project and were working with him. There were several hundred test tubes in his lab. Edison was taking everything that was imaginable and testing it to see if he could get synthetic rubber from it. Do you know he found some of it in dandelions, of all things. That would be the last place I would look for synthetic rubber! But that was the test he was making.
As I stood in that laboratory and looked at those hundreds of test tubes and thought of the hours that he and his helpers had spent there, testing this and that and the other thing in order to try to find it, I thought, My, how little attention is given to the Word of God where one could do some real testing and some real study. The challenge of the Book of Proverbs to us today is: Dig in! It is the challenge to do serious study. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
KEY TO THE BOOK
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction [Prov. 1:7]
There is an interesting contrast here: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” They do not learn from it.
I heard a little bit of nonsense to illustrate this. A man driving down the highway had a flat tire, so he pulled over to the side of the road. It happened he was parked by an insane asylum, and one of the men from the asylum was on the other side of the fence. He was watching the man as he changed the tire. He didn’t say anything but just stood there and watched. As the man took off the wheel of the car, he placed all the nuts that he had taken off into the hubcap. Then he accidentally tilted the hubcap so all the nuts fell out and went down into a sewer, and he couldn’t retrieve them. He stood there scratching his head wondering what in the world he was to do. The man behind the fence who had been watching him said, “Why don’t you take a nut off each of the other wheels and put them on this wheel? You could drive safely down to the filling station, and there you can buy nuts so that you can fix your wheel.” The man looked at him in amazement. “Why didn’t I think of that?” he asked. “You are in the institution and I am out, and yet you are the one who thought of it.” The onlooker answered. “I may be crazy, but I’m not stupid!” Well, this Book of Proverbs is attempting to get you and me out of a position of being stupid in life today. I think we shall find it to be a great help to us. This book has quite a bit to say about stupidity, as we shall see.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck [Prov. 1:8–9].
That is the important home relationship. There are many who are reading this who have come from homes in which they had a godly father and a godly mother. They were instructed by them, and they have never gotten away from the things taught them in the home. On the other hand, may God have mercy on the parents who are not instructing their little ones in the things of God!
TEMPTATION OUTSIDE THE HOME
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not [Prov. 1:10].
Now the movement is outside the home. When the little fellow goes away, who is the first fellow he meets? Generally that contact will be with a sinner, because most of the human race falls into that category—they have not come to Christ. All of us are sinners, but the boy will meet the unredeemed sinner who is really living in sin. So what should his attitude be? “Consent thou not.”
You remember that I said you would find a proverb which would fit characters in the Bible. Probably you can also find a proverb to fit every one of your friends—although you may not want to tell them what it is! This is a proverb that fits someone in the Scriptures. Wouldn’t you say it describes Joseph when he was taken as a slave down into the land of Egypt and was enticed by Potiphar’s wife? He did not consent to her. This proverb is an example of his experience.
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil [Prov. 1:11–13].
The sinner has a plan and a program to get something for nothing. He lives off someone else and makes someone else suffer in order that he might prosper.
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse [Prov. 1:14].
This is the philosophy of the hour: Let’s all live out of the same purse. Generally those who hold this philosophy are doing nothing themselves. They want the working people to share what they have worked for, but they don’t have any contribution to make to it at all. That is a false philosophy, but it is one that is common among young people today. It is the thinking and the mood of the present hour. Use all kinds of methods, even crooked methods, to get something for nothing.
After my father was killed in a cotton gin accident when I was fourteen years old, my mother took my sister and me back to Nashville, which was her home. I had to go to work: I couldn’t continue in school because we had no finances at all. I got a job at a wholesale hardware company. They sold practically everything, including candy. I worked in the mailing department with several other boys. I want to tell you, they were mean fellows. They had figured out a way to get into a box of candy and take out just one piece and never be detected. Since it was a wholesale place, there were about fifty boxes, and by taking one piece from each box they could fill up several boxes for themselves. I must confess that I cooperated that first day, and then my conscience bothered me that night. I thought, This is not right. I was stealing.
The next day I made things right, but I couldn’t return the candy because I had already eaten some of it. After that, the management would let me buy a box of six candy bars wholesale. I would sell them a nickle a bar to the men and women who worked there in the office. That last candy bar was my profit because the whole box had cost me twenty-five cents wholesale. That was the way I got my candy. I had to work for it, and I felt that was the best way to do it.
It is so easy for a young man to fall in with a group that is doing shady things. And it is easy to join in with a group who “goof off” at work, as they say today. They do not return a full day’s work for a full day’s wages. It is so easy to cooperate in that type of thing. That is why the young man is given this advice when he leaves home.
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path [Prov. 1:15].
This is the kind of separation on which the Bible is very clear. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord …” (2 Cor. 6:17) was referring to idolatry, but it certainly can be applied here. Solomon said, “Get rid of that crooked crowd that you’re with.”
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives [Prov. 1:16–18].
When you get into that type of thing, it will eventually lead you to your own destruction. You will be caught in your own net.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof [Prov. 1:19].
This is the condemnation of the beginning of covetousness. We live in a materialistic age today. I have an article here that is written by a Ph.D., a college professor. He takes the position that colleges must get away from the teaching of crass materialism. Therefore, they must return to religion, as he expresses it. You see, there are a few who are beginning to wake up. Covetousness is the great sin of the hour. That is what the proverb is condemning here.
INVITATION TO THE SCHOOL OF WISDOM
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets [Prov. 1:20].
Wisdom is urging the young man to come to school and really learn something. Come to her college.
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? [Prov. 1:21–22].
Simplicity is stupidity. She asks, “How long will you be stupid?” A young man (who is in his twenties now) told me he had been on drugs for three years. He kept repeating, “Oh, how stupid I was, Dr. McGee.” Well, here is the question: How long are you going to be stupid? When are you coming to the school of wisdom?
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you [Prov. 1:23].
Now I will drop down to the end of the chapter:
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them [Prov. 1:32].
It is spiritual suicide to turn from Christ.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil [Prov. 1:33].
What an expression this is! I wonder if this could speak of our nation? We are an affluent society; we measure every man by his bank account, the home he lives in, the car he drives. Are we enjoying the prosperity of fools? Are we living in a fool’s paradise?
CHAPTER 2
Let me remind you that the Book of Proverbs is not a haphazard book. It tells a story, a connected story. It is the challenge given to a young man that he be a wise young man. He is exhorted to hear, to increase his learning. He is to start learning from his father and his mother in the home; he gets his basic lesson before he enters school. Even after he gets his Ph.D., that basic lesson will still be good for him. It is this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
The way to find out about the Lord is through His Word. There are a great many people who say that a person must be very intelligent and have a high I.Q. in order to understand the Word of God. Nothing is further from the truth. God does not say that is essential. However, in this chapter where the young man starts out, it will be made clear that if he is to know the will and Word of God, he will have to study. He can’t just dilly-dally around and pick the daisies along the highway of life; he must apply his heart unto wisdom. Therefore, he must study the Word of God.
SOURCE OF TRUE WISDOM
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee [Prov. 2:1].
“My son”—obviously, this is advice being given to a young man. He started out as a little boy in the home. Now he has grown up enough to go out and face life, and he is given this advice by some wise person. Perhaps this is his first lesson in school—unfortunately he would not learn this in our modern schools.
“Receive my words (sayings).” The sayings of God are to be received. His commandments are to be hidden or stored up. Store them up with your valuables. I know a man who goes to his safety deposit box regularly each week. He goes to count what he has stored there. He loves to go where his wealth is. He has stored up some stocks and bonds, and he just loves to go and look them over. I know a lady who owns precious jewelry. She loves to take it out often and admire it. She enjoys just looking at it. She keeps it stored up. That is the way the Word of God should be stored up, hidden, laid up. “Hide my commandments with thee.”
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding [Prov. 2:2].
“Incline thine ear”—keep your ear open. Something is to enter the head through the ear gate, but its final destination is the heart. When the Word of God gets into the heart, it brings understanding.
He still is not through with this injunction, this urging, this challenge.
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding [Prov. 2:3].
The apostle Peter said it this way: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). Have you ever watched a little baby when his mamma is fixing the bottle? He wiggles everything he has—his hands, his mouth, and his feet—in anticipation. I tell you, he desires the milk in his bottle. The child of God should be that way about the milk of the Word of God. This is one of the things I have noted about the spiritual movement in our day. Where it is present, you see a renewed interest in the Word of God. I notice many young people today carrying notebooks and Bibles, and they take notes on everything. I speak around the country in many places, and I can tell if there is a real moving of the Spirit of God. It is evidenced by this desire for the Word of God. “If thou criest after knowledge”—and remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
“Liftest up thy voice.” If students want to have a protest movement in college, I would like to see this kind of protest movement carried on: “We want understanding!” This, you see, is advice for the young man: “Lift up thy voice for understanding.”
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures [Prov. 2:4].
Out here in the desert of California there are quite a few silver mines. Stories are told about the early days when men came all the way across the country for the silver. Silver was found in the area of Death Valley, and many a man died there while trying to get to the silver. That is why it was named Death Valley. Even after the men got to the silver, they had to make all kinds of sacrifices to market it. That is the way we should go after knowledge, knowledge of the Word of God. Seek her as silver, just as if you were out mining, looking for something very valuable.
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God [Prov. 2:5].
This is talking about something that is more than devotional reading. I really don’t believe in devotional reading, because I know individuals and families who have been doing that kind of reading for years, and they are as ignorant of the Bible as the goat grazing on the hillside. You cannot learn the Word of God by getting in a pious frame of mind and then reading a few verses of Scripture. The way to get it is to lay it up, to incline your ear, to apply your heart, to cry after it, to lift up your voice, to seek it as silver, to search for it as if it were a hidden treasure. When you go at it like that, you will learn something. You will understand what is “the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”
I used to teach Bible when we had a Bible Institute here in Southern California, and I had several hundred students. It was always amusing to me to hear the very pious students on the morning before an exam say, “Dr. McGee, we’re not prepared for the exam today. We had a prayer meeting last night.” I would ask them, “What did you pray about?” They would tell how they prayed for China or Africa or some far-off place. I would answer, “You know, the most important thing in the world for you last night was not to pray.” They would look at me in amazement—“We’re not to pray?” I said, “Right. There is a time to study.” Then I would show them Proverbs 2 and tell them, “Last night was the time for you to do the digging, the searching it out. There is nothing here about a prayer meeting.” They were in school to learn the Word of God. I never excused them from an exam on the pretext that they had a prayer meeting instead of a study time.
There were others who had been brought up on devotional reading. They would read a few verses and then put the Bible under their pillows. I used to tell them, “You can’t learn the kings of Israel and Judah by sticking your Bible under your pillow and expecting that during the night that knowledge will come up through the duck feathers into your brain! You cannot learn the Word of God that way!”
I remember in seminary we were assigned a certain theology book. It was a boring book—certainly not like a mystery story. We had a difficult test coming up, and one of my classmates complained to the professor, “Doctor, this is the driest book I’ve ever read!” The professor’s answer was, “Then dampen it with a little sweat from your brow.”
There is no hocus-pocus way of learning the Word of God. There is no easy, pious way of learning it. There is no substitute for just digging it out. And it doesn’t require a high l.Q. Notice the next verse:
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding [Prov. 2:6].
If you want wisdom, ask Him for it. “… Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Then how are we to know them? “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:9–10). They are revealed to us by the Spirit of God. He is here today to be our Teacher. When I was a young Christian, one of the most wonderful things I learned was this truth that the Spirit of God would open up the things of God to me. This is the reason that some folk who don’t have a Ph.D. or a Th.D. degree have a knowledge of the Word of God which others do not have.
When I was a young preacher in Nashville, Tennessee, a 6:00 a.m. radio program was made available to the ministers in town. None of the other ministers wanted it, but I was young and single, so I didn’t mind getting up at that hour. I tried to teach the Word of God, but nobody seemed to be interested in it except one person. She was a lady who would pass my church every morning. Sometimes I would be out there changing the bulletin board as she would come by on her way to work. She would say, “Dr. McGee, I heard you this morning,” and she would stand and discuss with me those things that had been on the program. She had real spiritual discernment. She told me that she only finished grade school, but I am here to tell you that that wonderful Christian lady knew more theology than the average Christian of any church in that city with whom I had come in contact. She knew how to discuss the Word of God. She had a Bible, and the Lord gave her wisdom. I have never seen a Bible more worn than the one she carried. She used it. She read it. And she understood it because she was willing to let the Spirit of God be her Teacher. “The Lord giveth wisdom.”
Dr. Harry A. Ironside made a statement years ago: “It is to be feared that even among those who hold and value much precious truth, diligent Bible study is on the wane.” I am afraid this is still true, although at the time I am writing, there is a renewed interest in Bible study. “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” How can we hear Him speaking? As I so often say, the Bible is the Word of God. He speaks to us by means of this Book.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints [Prov. 2:7–8].
Many Christians are out in the fog today; they wonder where to turn. It is obvious that the problem is that they are so far from the Word of God. This Book gives us what He is saying. The Word of God is like a foghorn. It “preserveth the way of his saints.” That is what He will do, and He will not do it haphazardly. You must come to the Word of God.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path [Prov. 2:9].
It is sad to see so many men in public office today, guiding the destiny of nations, who are not being guided by the Lord. The Lord wants to guide them. Oh, if only they would go to Him for wisdom! For the man who has a deep-down desire to live in the power of the truth revealed in the Word of God, God will be a “buckler.” He will be a defense for His own, keeping them safely as they tread the paths of judgment, preserving their way.
Sometimes folk write to me and say, “I see that you hold the truth.” I like that, but that is not the really important thing. What is important is that the truth holds me. There is a big difference between those two. We are told that in the last days there will be vain talkers and deceivers. I don’t want to be in that category. I don’t want to speak with great, swelling words. I don’t want to boast of a great knowledge of prophecy or dispensational teaching or ecclesiastical truth or philosophy or psychology. We have too much of that around already. What we need are people who “understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.”
THE YOUNG MAN’S ENEMIES
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things [Prov. 2:10–12].
“When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul” you won’t be deceived so easily. You won’t be taken in if you stay close to the Word of God.
Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths [Prov. 2:13–15].
My prayer from the very beginning of my ministry has been: “Lord, don’t let me be taken in by evil men!” They are all around us, friend. We are going to learn here in the Book of Proverbs that the child of God has two enemies: the “evil man” and the “strange woman.”
As the young man starts out in life he is warned of the evil man. Associating with him is always a danger for a young man. After my father died, when I was sixteen years old, I went to Detroit, Michigan, to work for Cadillac. I got into the wrong crowd in those bootleg days. We would go over into Windsor, Canada, every Saturday night, and I was introduced to a new world. It was with evil men. After a few weeks of that (and I was under conviction day and night), I got homesick and went back home. There a minister explained to me how I could have peace with God and be justified by faith. But I shall never forget the evil man. The young man should beware of him.
Then there is someone else the young man is warned about. She is the “strange woman.” A better translation is the stranger woman.
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it [Prov. 2:16–22].
Who is the strange woman? In Israel, God had made a law that no Israelite woman was to play the prostitute. I am confident that if any woman did that, she was automatically put outside the bounds of Israel, and she was classed with sinners—and later with publicans. The stranger was the Gentile who came in. She recognized that there would be a place for her to ply her trade. So the “strange woman” would be a foreigner, the stranger, who came into Israel to practice prostitution. The young man is warned about her. He is told what might happen to him. “None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.” They will lose their health.
An elder in a church back East told me that he almost wrecked his life with just one escapade. He said, “I went out on the town one night with the boys, and that one night I picked up a venereal disease. Back in those days it took years to get rid of the result of that. It almost wrecked my life.” God warns against that.
In our contemporary culture when sex without marriage is accepted behavior, we are finding that venereal disease is reaching epidemic proportions. When I was a young fellow, I belonged to an organization whose leader was a very fine doctor. He called in a group of us fellows because he saw that we were doing a great deal of running around. He said he just wanted to have a friendly talk with us. Well, he scared the daylights out of me. People today say that we don’t want to frighten our young people. Well, I thank God for what the doctor told us and for the fact that he did scare us. That is exactly what the writer here in Proverbs is doing. He warns the young man about the evil man and the strange woman.
CHAPTER 3
The steps of the young man are now steps of responsibility. He has left the home and has moved out into life, out where he is coming in contact with reality. The advice that is given to him is that his steps need to be ordered according to the Word of God. Oh, how important that is! That is the reason a jeweler I know in Dallas, Texas, gave out the Book of Proverbs to thousands of young men. It contains good advice, wonderful advice.
“Wisdom” here is depicted to us as a woman. However, wisdom is for us personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom …” (1 Cor. 1:30). The young man actually needs Christ.
THE BOY IS TO LISTEN TO GOD’S LAW
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments [Prov. 3:1].
This also is directed to “My son.” We are on Jewish ground here—we need to understand that. Nevertheless, it has a great importance and significance for us today.
“Let thine heart keep my commandments.” Isn’t that an interesting statement? This is more than simply submitting to duty. I hear so often that it is “our duty” as Christians to do this and to do that. My friend, maybe you won’t like for me to say this, but it is not a duty. It is the loving devotion to the will of God. Remember what the psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Ps. 119:11, italics mine). Also we are told regarding a young priest named Ezra: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezra 7.10, italics mine). There needs to be that preparation of the heart. Then, remember how the Lord Jesus talked to His own there in the Upper Room. He spoke so intimately, so personally, so wonderfully of things that had never been revealed before. He told those men, “… If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). My friend, do you love Him? If you do, then He wants to talk to you. Let’s not put it on the basis of duty. A man said to me the other day, “I feel that since you are on the radio, it is your duty to say this.” Brother, just forget the duty part of it. I love the Lord Jesus, and I really am trying to do what I think He wants me to do. He says for me to give out His Word. He’s sowing seed today—that’s the picture of Him—and I’m sowing seed under His direction. I do it because I love Him. “If a man love me, he will keep my words.”
Peter certainly came to understand this. He denied the Lord, and how terrible that was. After the Resurrection, the Lord prepared a breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. When Simon Peter came into His presence, did the Lord ask him, “What do you mean by denying Me?” Is that what He said? Oh, no! He asked, “… Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? …” (John 21:17). If you love Him, my friend, it makes life so much brighter and richer and more wonderful.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart [Prov. 3:3].
“Mercy” is loving-kindness. The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. What is loving-kindness? It is grace; it is more than kindness. The teacher asked a little girl the difference between kindness and loving-kindness. The little girl answered, “Well, if you go in and ask your mama for a piece of bread with some butter on it, and she gives it to you, that’s kindness. But if she puts a little jam on it without your asking her, that is loving-kindness.” My friend, God puts a little jam on it for us—loving-kindness and truth, let not these forsake thee: “bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.”
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man [Prov. 3:4].
How wonderful this is!
Now the next two verses are very familiar.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths [Prov. 3:5–6].
In a service where folk are invited to give their favorite verses, these verses are invariably quoted. I’m sure I have heard them given in a thousand meetings. I sometimes wonder if those who say them realize that they come out of such a rich vein of truth. We need to remember that these verses are directed to the man who diligently studies the Word of God, to the young man who listens to God’s law. It is as Paul wrote to Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Having studied the Word of God and knowing something about the loving-kindness, the grace and truth of God—holding on to these things—“trust in Jehovah with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Let’s pause and look at that for a moment. This is a very solemn admonition; yet it offers such wonderful assurance of guidance into a way of peace. What a contrast this is to Proverbs 28:26: “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool ….” A man was telling me the other day that he was witnessing to some young folks who are in the drug culture. He told a young man, “God loves you, young man.” The fellow answered, “I don’t need God to love me. I love myself. I don’t need to trust in God. I trust in myself.” I wish the man had given him this verse: “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.”
On the other hand, it is a wonderful thing to trust in Jehovah with all your heart, to be totally committed to Him. Total commitment to Him is sorely needed in our day.
I find myself coming back to this again and again: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.” I may be in an airport and learn that the time of my flight has been changed or delayed by stormy weather. I just wasn’t built with wings, and I have never cared too much for flying. (By the way, I don’t expect to have wings in eternity either.) I generally go over to a corner of the airport and say, “Lord, I want to trust You with all my heart. Now just help me to sit down here and rest in You.” That’s when I need Him. “Trust in Jehovah with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding.” I go to the window and look at the sky, and I make a prognostication. But He says to me, “Don’t lean on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Me, and I shall direct thy paths.” He has led me through life.
I must confess to you that I didn’t trust Him like that until I had cancer. I took every day just as it came. Shakespeare, in Act IV of Julius Caesar, said: “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” That was the way I took life. I don’t take it that way anymore. Every time I come to a new day, I like to go and look up at the sky and say, “Lord, thank You for bringing me to a new day.” It may be a gloomy day or a bright day, whatever the day, I thank Him. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It took me a long time to learn what that meant in life.
Remember that the Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, said, “… if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matt. 6:22). That is an amazing thing. If you have committed yourself to God and you are going down a certain path, doing a certain thing, it is amazing how everything else drops into place. Then your whole body is full of light. Your whole life is full of light at that time.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones [Prov. 3:7–8].
It could be translated this way: “It shall be healing to thy sinew and moistening to thy bones.” I think that it will actually improve your health to trust in the Lord. It is wonderful to rest in Him rather than in yourself.
“Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” The apostle Paul advised young Timothy, “… Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19). It will get you away from sin, away from those things which corrode not only your spiritual life but your physical life as well.
MATERIAL BLESSINGS HAVE A SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine [Prov. 3:9–10].
This represents total commitment. Remember that when God told Israel about the land He was giving to them, He said, “The land is Mine; I am giving it to you.” Israel was to bring a tithe (I think they actually brought three tithes to the Lord). At the very beginning of the harvest they brought the firstfruits. That was to acknowledge that God was the owner of it all. It was an evidence of total commitment.
Don’t tell me you are totally committed to the Lord until your pocketbook is committed too. The Lord gave you everything. Some folk may say, “I have worked hard. I earned this.” But who gave you the health to work? Who gave you the work to do? Who made it possible for you to make money? My friend, God did all that for you. Acknowledge Him. That is the evidence of total commitment.
Someone may complain that this sounds very mercenary. No, this is real spirituality. May I say that genuine spirituality is not the length of the prayer that you pray; it is the amount on the check that you write. That is the way one can determine spirituality.
I have learned during my years as a pastor that the person who did the most talking was the one who did the least giving. This is always true. The people who want to run the church don’t do much for the treasury. You may be sure of that. However, God promises His blessing to those who honor Him with their substance.
THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth [Prov. 3:11–12].
God is going to chasten you as you go along through life if you are His child. Remember that God does not whip the devil’s children, but He certainly does spank His own. That is a good evidence that you belong to Him.
In the Book of Job it says, “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole” (Job 5:17–18). Now remember that chastening is not punishing. We have confused punishment with chastisement. The criminal is to be punished; the child is to be corrected. I believe the judges in our land have this thing all mixed up. I have seen a judge take his own little son and slap him across the face when he should have corrected him. Then he turned and let off the criminal whom he should have punished. Criminals are to be punished. Our children are to be chastened—that is, corrected and disciplined. That is what God does for His own children.
HAPPINESS IN FINDING WISDOM
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding [Prov. 3:13].
Happy is the man who findeth Christ—He is wisdom for us in our day.
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold [Prov. 3:14].
Now wisdom is portrayed as having a school. The characterization is feminine because she is in contrast to the stranger woman.
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour [Prov. 3:15–16].
In the Old Testament God did promise long life for those who served Him.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her [Prov. 3:17–18].
It requires study and effort and time to grasp the Word of God. The Spirit of God does not open the Word of God to lazy minds, but to those who are alert and want to learn and know the will of God and the Word of God. One of the great problems today is that many people are not willing to make the sacrifice to study God’s Word. A great deal of laziness is covered with pious jargon and pious platitudes. Many folk have developed a neat little vocabulary that sounds good and covers up a woeful ignorance of the Word of God. In these days there is no excuse for being ignorant of the Word of God. It requires work, it is true, but the ways of wisdom are the ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew [Prov. 3:19–20].
You and I live in a universe that is tremendously orderly. There are a number of folk who work in the space program who are believers. Many of them listen to our program and support it, and we rejoice in that. It is strange to me that everyone who studies the laws of nature and probes into the secrets of the universe is not brought to the realization that we live in a universe that couldn’t have just happened. If it did just happen, how and when did it happen? Where is the chicken that hatched out the egg? This universe is so orderly that man can take a rocket, put men in it, send it out through space to the moon, land on the moon and come back. Man thinks he is so smart. But what he has done is to discover the laws of God that keep the entire universe running like a computer. My friend, if this universe just happened by chance, it would not operate so precisely. The reason the space program folk can work that little computer and send the rocket to the right place at the right time is because God has established very precise laws. God by wisdom made them. I do not mean to be irreverent when I say that our God is no dummy. We need to recognize the intelligence of God. I believe He would appreciate it if we showed more intelligence, more knowledge of Him and His ways. This we can do in His school, the Word of God. That is the only place.
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion [Prov. 3:21].
“Let not them depart from thine eyes”—the word them refers to God’s knowledge.
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck [Prov. 3:22].
You see, life and grace come through this wisdom of studying the Word of God.
Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet [Prov. 3:23–24].
Man today has certain fears about life. These fears come to all of us. What is the solution? The Word of God is the answer to all of that. Since we spend most of our time either walking or lying down, the assurance is given that we will walk safely and our sleep shall be sweet. How wonderful it is to discover that the truth of God will hold us—it is not that you and I hold the truth, but the truth will hold us.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken [Prov. 3:25–26].
These verses have meant a great deal to me because I have a fear of flying. When I sit there in a plane, I wait for the plane to fall! I think the next minute will be it. So these verses have been a great encouragement and help to me.I take them with me when I travel by plane, and I use that mode of transportation a great deal.
“Be not afraid of sudden fear”—don’t be afraid of the next minute. God is taking care of me at the present moment, and He will take care of me in the next moment.
“For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from falling.” I say to the Lord, “This morning when I was in bed, before I got up, I didn’t really need You as much as I do right now. Here I am, 38,000 feet in the air, and I’m just a little frightened. Now this is the test: give me the confidence, the assurance, that You are going to keep my foot from falling.”
Now this is a marvelous proverb that we are coming to—in fact, there are several of them.
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it [Prov. 3:27].
My dad didn’t like the organized churches and was opposed to them because of a very bitter experience when he was young. But I always felt he had a desire to be obedient to God. Let me give you an example. When I was a boy, we were riding down a west Texas road in a buggy. A gate had come open and a man’s cows had run out. My dad stopped, drove the cows back in, shut the old wire gate, and put the wire over the top to close it. He got back in the buggy and didn’t say anything to anyone. He never mentioned it to the man who owned the cows.
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee [Prov. 3:28].
How many people today say to me, “I’m going to support your program. You can count on me—but I do have to wait until my ship comes in.” Those people have a bank account and could write a check immediately. I use this as an illustration because I hear it so often. But people use this same excuse in all relations of life. They say to others, “I can’t help you right now, but you come back tomorrow”—and they have the money in their pocket! We are told in Romans 13:8: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another …” (italics mine). This kind of love reveals whether a man is a child of God or not.
Do you know that when you and I owe money to another person, that money we have is not ours? It belongs to the other man. To use it for our own purposes is actually dishonest. That is what he is saying here.
Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee [Prov. 3:29].
In relationship to your neighbor, don’t do things that would be to your advantage and his disadvantage. And don’t try to keep up with the Joneses by undermining the Joneses.
How wonderful it is to have a neighbor say to you, “I’m going to be gone for a few days, will you sort of keep an eye on my place?” That gives you an opportunity to reveal your relationship to God in a very practical way.
Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm [Prov. 3:30].
Under the Mosaic Law it was a sin to strive with another without adequate grounds. Under grace we are told, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). We leave the pathway of faith and trust in God when we take matters into our own hands. If we have been treated unjustly, we should turn the matter over to God and let God deal with the situation and with the individual involved.
I have learned over a period of many years as a minister that if someone does harm you, you should go to God about it; let Him know that you have been hurt. Then turn the one who has hurt you over to God. Tell the Lord, “This is Your business, You said that You would take care of it” I have watched over a period of years, and I can say that God does deal with such people. These proverbs are wonderful and they are true. They are helpful not only for the young man but for the old man and for women and girls—they apply to the whole human race.
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways [Prov. 3:31].
“The oppressor” is the violent man.
For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous [Prov. 3:32].
There are certain people who are actually an abomination to the Lord. In fact, later on in this book we will find some of the things God hates; He mentions them here in Proverbs. We’ll be getting to that.
The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just [Prov. 3:33].
“The wicked” are the lawless. This proverb reminds me of King Ahab. The Lord certainly judged the house of Ahab! This proverb fits him like a glove.
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly [Prov. 3:34].
God seems to hate the scorner, the arrogant, and the conceited person.
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools [Prov. 3:35].
This fits quite a few people—maybe some that you know.
Through the centuries there are many folk that envy the rich. And many have discovered, as did the psalmist, that God judges the rich.
CHAPTER 4
Although the child is now a young man who has entered the big bad and mad world, he is still counseled to remember the instruction of his father.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding [Prov. 4:1].
“Ye children” includes the young and the old, male and female.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother [Prov. 4:2–3].
Solomon wrote this, and he is talking about his own father. Notice that he says, “I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.” There are those who feel that the father’s heart was wrapped up in his boy Solomon. I don’t see it like that. In my opinion the historical books reveal that Solomon was not the first choice of his father. This boy, reared in the women’s palace, was more or less of a sissy. I think he was a sort of playboy, and David did not have much in common with him. Solomon says, “I am my father’s son, but it was my mother who really loved me and taught me.” However—
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live [Prov. 4:4].
David probably gave him a great deal of advice. When Solomon was made king, David said to him, “Play the man!” I think he said that because he felt that Solomon was not manly. He said, “Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.” David had learned by experience that you had better obey the Lord. Probably David was not as kind in teaching his son as he could have been. I have never felt that David was a success as a father. Unfortunately, that has been true of a great many famous men.
The life of David was something that Solomon could emulate. Perhaps you are saying, Yes, but look what David did. Well, David’s great sins were committed before Solomon was born, and David had turned from that type of life altogether.
Now Solomon is giving advice to a young man, and he is really laying it on the line.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee [Prov. 4:5–6].
Wisdom is depicted as a lady who keeps a school and sends out her catalog. Remember that there is another woman, the stranger woman, who is also bidding for the interest of the young man. Wisdom is urging him to come to her school so that he might be wise.
Notice that he says that wisdom will “preserve” and “keep” the young man.
The great difference in contemporary educators is pinpointed in this verse. Do they love wisdom? In other words, do they love the Word of God? It was Pascal who said that human knowledge must be understood to be loved. But divine knowledge must be loved to be understood. So if you are going to understand the Word of God, you must bring to it love and a mind that is willing to be taught. Then the Spirit of God can open up the great truths to you. How important it is to see this. He says, “love her, and she shall keep thee.”
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding [Prov. 4:7].
Notice the way he speaks of wisdom. It is not just knowledge; it is not simply having a computer mind. It is wisdom and intelligence to use knowledge properly and to have a love for it. That is something that the souls of men need today.
The reason education is not satisfying is because of the way it is dished out. The most impressive thing here is that we are to get wisdom. How important it is.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee [Prov. 4:8–9].
The interesting thing here is that wisdom is to be loved like a woman is loved. When we get to the New Testament, this is changed—Christ has been made unto us wisdom, and we are to love Him.
The real difficulty in our day is not that there are problems in the Bible. The real difficulty is that in man there is not that love and longing for God and for the things of God. When love is present in the heart, this Book will begin to open up, because the Spirit of God will become the Teacher.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many [Prov. 4:10].
This sounds to me like it is Bathsheba talking to Solomon.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life [Prov. 4:11–13].
This is a wonderful call to the young man to seek wisdom. “Take fast hold of instruction”—it is something that should have top priority. It is like saying, “Learn all you can learn.”
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away [Prov. 4:14–15].
We have noted before that the warning in this book is against the evil man and the stranger woman. That woman is a prostitute, of course. I think we shall see that this also has a spiritual application.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence [Prov. 4:16–17].
This portrays for us how the evil man and the stranger woman live. They can’t even sleep unless they have done some evil thing. You read of crimes and say, “I don’t see how a man could do a thing like that; I don’t see how a woman could live that kind of a life. How can they stand to live with themselves?” My friend, these folk couldn’t live with themselves if they didn’t do these wicked things. We do not know how desperate and how deep into sin the human heart can go. There is nothing which the human mind and heart cannot conceive in wickedness. We need to realize that out in this world we are rubbing shoulders with many people who are not always nice. Of course there will be some wonderful people, but we need to be careful of the kind of people we meet.
When I was a pastor in downtown Los Angeles and rode to work on the freeways, I would pray. (When you ride these freeways in Southern California, you do well to pray for your safety, but actually, I prayed about something else.) My prayer would be something like this: “Lord, I’m going to meet new people today. Some of those people I will be able to help. Some of them would like to hurt me. Help me to be able to tell the difference. Help me to put my arm around the man who needs my help, but help me to avoid the man who would put a knife in my back.” I think it is important that we recognize the kind of world in which we live.
I have learned that there are certain men who will become true friends, bosom friends, and I thank God for them. It is men like that who made my radio ministry possible. Then there have been men who have tried to destroy it—yet they profess to be Christians. It is difficult to understand their thinking. The human heart is not to be trusted. We need to be very careful; we need to have discernment as we meet mankind in our daily walk.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day [Prov. 4:18].
You will meet wonderful saints like this. Then notice the contrast:
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble [Prov. 4:19].
There are two ways that are set in contrast. One way is the way in which the righteous go. It is described as a “shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” There is another way, the way the lawless go. It is a way of darkness. It reminds us of the broad way that our Lord described, which I believe has been misunderstood.
I can remember when I was a boy that we would be taught about the broad way and the narrow way. Now if they had asked me which way I wanted to go, I would have said immediately, “I think you could have a lot more fun on the broad way.” Unfortunately, I think that is the impression most often given. However, that is not accurate at all. The picture is altogether different.
The broad way is a wide one today. That is where the mob is. The crowd is having a “vanity fair” down that way all the time. The carnival is going on. (By the way, that word carnival comes from the world carnal, which has to do with the flesh.) Down there is the place where they indulge the flesh, and they call it the way of liberty. We hear today that we are living in a new age in which we can do as we please. That is certainly a broad way—that is, at the entrance. But notice that this broad way gets narrower and narrower and narrower. The way of the lawless is the dark way. “The way of the wicked is as darkness.” There are the bright lights at the entrance, but down a little farther there are no lights. The people don’t even know what they are stumbling over. That is the broad way that the Lord Jesus described. It is just like going in at the big end of a funnel and then finding that it gets narrower and narrower until finally it ends in destruction.
In contrast, the narrow way is very narrow at the entrance. The Lord Jesus said, “… I am the way …” (John 14:6, italics mine). It is so narrow that it is limited to one Person: Christ. No one can come to the Father but through Him. You just can’t find a way any narrower than that. Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). The entrance is narrow, but after the entrance the way gets wider and wider, leading to an abundant life here and on into the light of heaven itself. My friend, we need to enter into the narrow end of the funnel, and that end is labeled, The Lord Jesus Christ.
That is exactly the picture we get from our verses here in Proverbs. There are two ways. There is the path of the just, and there is the way of the wicked. We will hear more of this in this book. The broad way is described in chapter 16: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 16:25).
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh [Prov. 4:20–22].
The psalmist said this about the Word: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Ps. 119:11, italics mine). God’s words are the words of life. It has been said of the writings of a great man of the past that if his words were cut, they would bleed. This can truly be said of the words of God. They are living words—if you cut them, they will bleed. “For they are life unto those that find them.” They will bring life and light to you. They bring instruction and direction and joy. All this comes through the Word of God.
Now here is one of the great verses in the Book of Proverbs:
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life [Prov. 4:23].
Another translation of this verse is: “Keep thy heart above all keeping”—with all diligence. This is the most important thing to watch over. “For out of it are the issues of life.” The life of the flesh is in the blood, and it is the heart that pumps that blood. William Harvey back in the seventeenth century discovered the circulation of the blood which revolutionized medical science. Yet here in Proverbs which was written about 2,700 years earlier, there is a recognition of the importance of the heart for the maintenance of life. And the heart symbolizes the center of one’s innermost being. The Lord Jesus said that it isn’t what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). Some of the meanest things in the world come out of the human heart. The heart is the seat of the total personality. If you want to know how important the heart is, get your concordance and look up all the references to the heart that are in the Bible. We are to keep our hearts with all diligence. What we hear is important. What we study is important. What we see is important. We should recognize that out of that heart will come all of the great issues of our lives.
Let’s not miss the fact that the Book of Proverbs, written long before Harvey made the discovery of the circulation of blood, makes a statement about the heart that centuries later science demonstrated to be true. In the Book of Proverbs (and this can be said of the entire Bible) you will find no unscientific or inaccurate observation.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee [Prov. 4:24].
The issues of life will proceed from the heart, but it is the mouth and the lips that will do the speaking. Someone has put it like this: “What is in the well of the heart will come up through the bucket of the mouth.” How true it is that sooner or later the mouth will reveal what is in your heart.
Our mouths give us away. Mrs. McGee and I were having lunch in a little town in the Northwest and were talking to each other. We noticed that the waitress seemed very much interested and pretty soon she interrupted us. “Aren’t you Dr. McGee?” I answered, “Yes, how did you know me?” She said, “I’ve never seen you before, but I listen to you on the radio.” Later my wife told me, “You had better be very careful what you say. You are recognized by people when you have no idea that you are being recognized.” How true that is, but the care has to begin with the heart. What is in the well of the heart will come up through the bucket of the mouth. Our mouths will give away what is being harbored in our hearts.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil [Prov. 4:25–27].
Oh, how careful a young man needs to be! A man told me the other day that he ruined his whole life by being arrested when he was a young man. He has a record against him, and that record has confronted him again and again down through the years. In this day when the use of drugs and liquor is so prevalent, especially among young folk, how careful he should be. How tragic it is to see multitudes of youngsters who are destroying themselves because they do not “ponder the path” of their feet.
CHAPTER 5
Read this chapter carefully and you will find that the young man is counseled to live a pure life for the sake of his home. This is the kind of sex education that God gives. I like this education from God better than some of the things that I am hearing today, even in Christian services. God is saying that a pure life should be led for the sake of the home later on. A lot of the problems in the homes today don’t begin there. They began way back in the premarital sex life of the individual.
GOD’S SEX EDUCATION
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge [Prov. 5:1–2].
“My son.” This is addressed to the young man again. This is wisdom bidding the young man to come to her school to learn of her. In the previous chapter the warning was against the evil man. In this chapter the warning is against the “strange woman,” literally, the stranger woman, because the woman was a stranger, one who came from outside Israel. She was generally a Gentile, and she was a prostitute. No Israelite woman was to become a prostitute. According to the law a prostitute was to be stoned. However, as Israel got farther from God, they also sank into more and more immorality. Thus it happened that some of the Israelites did become prostitutes as is indicated in Proverbs 2:17, “Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.” In that case the woman is still considered a stranger, a foreigner, because she is a stranger as far as her relationship to God is concerned.
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them [Prov. 5:3–6].
There was an infamous gangster in the penitentiary in Atlanta. One of the officers there told me that this man had contracted syphilis, which had not been cured and went on to cause paresis and eventually insanity. That man was a blubbering idiot before he died. The officer told me this: “This man was responsible for the ruin of many a girl. But it is interesting that he didn’t get by with that sort of thing. Some girl along the route got even with him.” God’s Word here is warning against that kind of thing.
Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed [Prov. 5:7–11].
What a warning is given here to this young man. This gives a true picture of the end result of venereal disease. At last there is mourning when the flesh and the body are consumed. Here in California venereal disease has reached epidemic proportions.
And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly [Prov. 5:12–14].
Remember that God is not mocked. What you sow is what you shall reap. God describes here what will be the end result of such a life. I believe that our society is already reaping what it has been sowing. The gross immorality in our land stems from the lack of instruction in the Word of God.
Now God tells about the relationship that should exist between husband and wife. Here we see marriage brought to a very high plane.
THE HOLINESS OF MARRIAGE
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee [Prov. 5:15–17].
In other words, your offspring should be from your wife, not from a stranger.
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love [Prov. 5:18–19].
These verses describe love in marriage, and the Word of God makes it very clear that physical love and sexual love in marriage are to be sanctified and brought to a very high level. There was a time when speaking of these things was taboo. They were not mentioned as though they were immoral or some sort of a dirty thing even among married folk. Do you notice how God describes physical love in marriage? God lifts it to the very highest plane. Remember that marriage was designed by God Himself and was given to the human family for the welfare and good of mankind. A part of the immorality of our day is the attempt to get rid of marriage.
For the child of God the Christian home is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. You just cannot have a relationship higher or holier than that. That is why it is alarming to see that even Christian couples in the church are breaking up. This hasn’t happened in only one or two cases but it is happening many, many times. This ought to cause the church to get down on its knees before God and find out what is wrong. It is an indication that the Word of God is not getting through to people. It is not influencing and swaying the lives of those members of the church.
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). God calls marriage a wonderful relationship. It is high and holy and not to be treated as something that is unclean. But notice the other side of the picture: “but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
When I was the pastor of a certain church, a man of the congregation came to me and announced he was leaving his wife and son and was going to run off with another woman. They were all church members—whether or not they were Christians only God knows. I was a young preacher at that time, and I really laid it on the line to him. He rose in indignation and said, “Are you trying to rob me of my salvation?” I answered, “Brother, if you have salvation, I am not trying to rob you of it. But I do want to say this to you, and I want you to remember it: If you are not God’s child, you are acting according to the way the devil’s children act. If you happen to be a child of God, one of these days God will take you to His woodshed and He will whip you within an inch of your life. I am not sure but that He may even take your life.” The fellow just sneered, and he went ahead and married the other woman. The years have gone by, and those two are the loneliest, saddest, most frustrated, most unlovely people I know. I am confident they would both say, “If only I could go back and do it over.”
Peter admonishes husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge “… and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7). This is a real test. When a husband and wife are so living before each other that they have joy and confidence and can kneel together and pray together and love together, that home represents the relationship of Christ and the church. I want to tell you, my friend, that God can and will bless such a home. Oh, how important this is!
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings [Prov. 5:20–21].
This is an interesting verse. “The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.” We need to recognize that God is seeing us all the time. God is always watching us.
A man was put in a foursome for golf with three of us who were preachers. He was glad to get away from us when he found out who we were. He had ripped out an oath, and after he learned that we were preachers, he began to apologize. I said to him, “Brother, don’t pay any attention to us. We are just three men like you are. But you are speaking that way before God all the time. I don’t care whether you are on the golf course or in a bar or where you are, you are saying these things before God.” The ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah and God ponders—He wonders why we act and say what we do. I think that God must get really puzzled by some of the things we do and say.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray [Prov. 5:22–23].
God says that there is a day coming, a day of accountability, a day of retribution. A payday is on the way. Man thinks he is getting by with sin. God says that no one is getting by with a thing. Man’s own iniquities shall take him, and he will be held with the cords of his sins.
CHAPTER 6
This chapter covers many different subjects. It starts with some advice that is good for the business world today, for Christians or non-Christians. These are simply some good business principles. You see, God has given a lot of good advice for all mankind, the saved as well as the unsaved.
GOOD BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth [Prov. 6:1–2].
He mentions two things which are good advice any time. Beware of signing a friend’s note. And never become a partner with a stranger. The unsaved man can follow this advice in his business, and it will be helpful to him.
The second verse would indicate that the fellow has been boasting. Apparently one of the reasons a man will co-sign a note with another man is that he wants to be the big shot. He wants to appear outstanding in the financial realm. We are to beware of that.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend [Prov. 6:3].
Don’t be afraid to go to him and get things straightened out. Be sure that you hold on to your friends, and be sure that you beware of your enemies. That is exactly what he is saying here and will repeat it in other places.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler [Prov. 6:4–5].
Don’t sleep on it; get the thing straightened out. You are just like a bird caught in a trap if you have signed a note. That is the warning.
Now he will present the positive side. Not only should one be prudent in what he does in his business and prudent in what he says in the business world, but he is also to learn something from the ants.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest [Prov. 6:6–8].
The little ant is quite a teacher. Aunt Ant can reveal great truths to us. One truth is that she is as diligent in business as anyone possibly can be. This is something that the child of God can learn from the little ant. The ant is busy doing what is the most important thing in her life—she is getting food for the winter, caring for the future, and she is busy about it.
I think one of the great sins among Christians today is laziness, and many of the lazy ones can be found in full-time Christian service. All of us need to ask ourselves what we do with our spare time. Do we read the Word of God? Do we study the Word of God? I think that laziness is one of the curses of the ministry today. A young man came to me and said, “I feel like I’m through as a preacher. I’ve been a pastor here at this place for three years, and I have run out of sermons. I feel like a dried-up well.” Of course, then he became very pious, “I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer and meditation.” “Well,” I asked him, “How much time do you spend in the Word of God? How much time do you spend studying it?” I couldn’t get a very definite answer from him, but he inferred that he spent less than an hour a week in the study of the Bible! He was a great promoter, always out doing something while the important business remained undone. I told him, “Unless you change your ways, you ought to get out of the ministry. It is a disgrace to go to the pulpit on a Sunday morning unprepared. You should have something to say from the Word of God.” The ant has a lesson for that boy. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man [Prov. 6:9–11].
THE WICKED MAN
We come now to a description of a wicked man, a son of Belial.
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers [Prov. 6:12–13].
Have you ever noticed this in a person? Everything he does and every gesture he makes is suggestive. Everything he says has a filthy connotation. There are Christians who are borderline cases in this respect.
I knew a preacher like that, and I got away from him years ago. I have known some laymen who are the same way. Everything they said had a double meaning. I know of a so-called Christian group of folk who, at their meetings, tell jokes with a double meaning. There is always that little suggestive thing in them. This is something that God is speaking against.
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy [Prov. 6:14–15].
“Frowardness” is perverseness. Notice that he “soweth” or casts forth discord. Here is a person who is supposed to be a child of God, and yet every movement of his body is suggestive.
In my office I have a picture of a man who has meant a great deal to me. He was not a great preacher, but he was a great man of God. I have spent many hours with that man in the past. He always reminds me of the pureness of speech. Never have I heard him say anything that was suggestive or that had one bit of smut in it. His life was just as clear and clean as the noonday sun. That is the type of men we need today. We don’t need more of the bright young fellows with the latest thing in haberdashery and the latest haircut. You see them eyeing the girls even though they are married. Their wives cannot be quite sure about them. But we say, “My, they have good personalities!”
May I say something to you, and I am going to say it very clearly. We are loaded with folk in Christian service today, and we are getting nowhere. Do you know why not? Because God is not mocked. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7–8). God is not fooled. Our God demands a holy life. Do you know why? Because He is holy. He is that kind of God. And that is the kind of person God is going to be interested in and bless. Oh, we need to recognize that we are dealing with a holy God! I have a wonderful preacher friend who is in what is known as the holiness movement, because the emphasis is on holiness of life. I said to him one day, “The criticism I have of you folk is that you have lost your holiness, and you are the ones who should be bearing down on that for the benefit of us who have gotten very far from God.” My, what an emphasis is needed on holy living among God’s people today!
SEVEN THINGS GOD HATES
It is unbelievable to some folk that God could hate. They consider Him as only a God of love. The reason they have this kind of reaction is the result of following a deductive reasoning based on the syllogistic method of reasoning. The major premise is that God is love. That is true. The minor premise is that love is the opposite of hate, and that is also true. Then the conclusion they draw is that God cannot hate anything, but that is not true. God is love, but He hates evil.
We can see this same thing in our human relationships. You love your little child, but you hate the fever that is racking his little body. You love your child, but you hate the mad dog with the frothing mouth that comes into your yard and attempts to bite your little child. If you love your child, you will hate the mad dog. As long as there is a world of contrasts, a world in which sin has entered, we will love the right and hate the wrong. Or, on the other hand, if you love sin, then you will hate righteousness.
The Word of God tells us to love the good and hate the evil. When we get to the Book of Ecclesiastes, we will find that it says that there is “A time to love, and a time to hate ….” (Eccl. 3:8).
Now we find that there are seven things God hates. This is His list:
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren [Prov. 6:16–19].
God definitely says that He hates these things, and we ought to put them on our “hate list” also. This isn’t the first time God has stated that He hates something. If you will turn back to Deuteronomy, you will read, “Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the Lord thy God hateth” (Deut. 16:22). God hates any kind of idol or anything that would take His place in our hearts. God’s hate is mentioned again in Psalm 45:7, the great millennial psalm: “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness ….” One follows the other as the night follows the day. God said to the early church in the Book of Revelation: “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Rev. 2:6). You see, my friend, God loves, but also God hates. It is like the flavor of sweet and sour developed by Chinese and European chefs to a fine art. God is love but, by the same token, God is hate. And Scripture adequately states the case.
The number seven in the Bible indicates not perfection but completeness. God has a complete hatred of these things, and they are all the works of the flesh. They are things that reveal the total depravity and the utter degradation of the human species. God has gone on record that He hates them. God denies the thesis of liberal theology that He is some sentimental and senile old man who weeps but never works, that He simply shuts His eyes to the sins of mankind and is tolerant of evil, that He forgives because He hasn’t the intestinal fortitude to punish sin. God says, “I love,” but He also says, “I hate.”
The idea that we are to be charitable to the guilty is abroad in our land because we don’t have the courage to go through with a strong program of punishment. That is the thing that is corrupting and wrecking our society today. God is willing to punish the guilty. God is not afraid of public opinion. God doesn’t run from any appearance of offending men. God is no coward. God says that by no means will He clear the guilty. His laws are inviolate and inexorable.
Now let’s look at this ugly and hateful brood. These belong on the hate side of God’s ledger:
1. “A proud look.” The literal is eyes of loftiness. It is the attitude that overvalues self and undervalues others. This is pride. It is that thought of the heart, that little look and that turn of the face, that flash of the eye which says you are better than someone else. God says, “I hate it.” It is number one on His list—He puts it ahead of murder and ahead of drunkenness. God hates the proud look.
It is strange that in churches today one can get by with a proud look and no one would say a thing about it. Do you know that the first overt act of sin in heaven, the original sin, was pride? It was when Satan, Lucifer, son of the morning, said in his 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 heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:13–14). And he is the one who came to man in the Garden of Eden and said, “… ye shall be as gods …” (Gen. 3:5).
It is quite interesting that behind all psychological disturbances and psychosomatic disease there is the trunk of a tree from which the abnormality springs. Do you know what that is? It is a lack of being a complete personality. It is wanting to be somebody important, wanting certain status symbol—one of which is independence of God. It is wanting to be one’s own god. It is making the little self to be God. That is the reason a salvation by works appeals to men. Little man likes to say, “I’m going to earn my own salvation. I’ll do it myself, and I don’t need You, God. I certainly don’t need to have Your Son die for me. When I come into Your presence, I want You to move over because I am just as good as You are, and I’m going to sit down right beside You.” My friend, a work-salvation is the result of folk who are psychologically sick. God resists the proud, and He has respect unto the lowly. He says that he will bring down the high looks. God said to Job, “Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place” (Job 40:12).
In the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3, italics mine). This is what the psalmist says: “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me” (Ps. 131:1). We need to take the lowly place and say, “Oh God, I am weak. I can’t make it. I need You.”
The other day I saw a young man walk into a group of young men. He was a big, swaggering, baby boy—that is what he was. He wanted to be accepted by his peers; so he walked in, looked around, and began to curse like a sailor. I thought, Poor little fellow! What a poor little baby he is, trying to make himself acceptable with the other fellows. Why doesn’t he simply go before God and tell Him the truth? Psychologically man adopts all this phony stuff. How much better off he would be to say to God as the psalmist said, “Lord, my heart is not haughty. I don’t want to make claims that are not genuine. I don’t have any righteousness.” When you go to God for His salvation, that is when you become a real, full-fledged personality. Listen to what God said through Isaiah: “… but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa. 66:2). If you are willing to come to God on that basis, God will receive you. He hates a proud look.
2. God hates a “lying tongue.” Have you ever noticed that there is far more said throughout the Bible about the abuse of the tongue than is said about the abuse of alcohol? The abuse of the tongue is something that is common to all races and all languages. People talk about a tongues movement. There is a big tongues movement today. Do you know what that is? It is the lying tongue. How tragic it is!
The psalmist (probably David) said, “I said in my haste, All men are liars” (Ps. 116:11). Dr. W. I. Carroll used to tell us in class, “David said in his haste that all men are liars. I’ve had a long time to think it over, and I still agree with David.” I’ll admit that I agree with David, too. Again the psalmist said, “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Ps. 120:2). In David’s prayer of confession, he said, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom” (Ps. 51:6, italics mine). God is the God of truth. “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Ps. 31:5, italics mine). How wonderful that is. How different from the lying tongue!
3. The third thing God hates is “hands that shed innocent blood.” A murderer is particularly odious and objectionable both to God and to man. God says the murderer should be punished because he took that which God said is sacred—the human life. The popular idea today is completely opposite. After a man has been killed the murderer is brought to trial, then suddenly the murderer’s life is considered to be precious. God says that human life is precious and that when a murderer kills a man, he is to forfeit his own life. That is the teaching of the Word of God.
4. The fourth thing God hates is “an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations”—thoughts of iniquity. I think all mankind has evil thoughts. The Lord Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). It is an ugly brood that comes out of the human heart. By the way, have you ever confessed to God what you have in your mind and in your heart? We all need to do that. We need to be cleansed.
God is dealing with the anatomy of evil and iniquity. It includes the eyes, the tongues, the hands, the heart, and the feet, as we shall see next.
5. “Feet that be swift in running to mischief.” The heart blazes the trail that the feet will follow. Isaiah put it like this: “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths” (Isa. 59:7). These are the things on God’s hate list.
6. “A false witness that speaketh lies.” It is not an uncommon thing today for people to perjure themselves. It seems to be one of the common sins of our time. It is a thing which God hates.
7. “He that soweth discord among brethren.” There is a beatitude, given by our Lord, that looks at it from the positive side: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). There are multitudes of folk sowing discord, and they are not all politically motivated. They are in your neighborhood, and chances are they are in your church. You may even have one in your home, and there is a possibility that he even may be sitting where you sit. My friend, causing trouble between family members or brothers in Christ or fellow workers is something that God hates.
This list of seven sins is like a mirror. We look into it, and we squirm because we see ourselves. May I ask you to take a good look at yourself in this mirror of the Word of God. After you and I see ourselves as we really are, let us go to God and make a confession of these things. Let us be honest with Him and ask Him for His cleansing.
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee [Prov. 6:20–22].
The young man has grown and has gone away to school, but he is reminded not to forget the things that were taught him by his father and his mother. The things He has learned in the home are very important. He is to keep them constantly before him.
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life [Prov. 6:23].
WARNING AGAINST SEX SINS
Now he comes back to the great sin in our contemporary society—the sex sins.
The warning again concerns the strange woman, the prostitute. It is that which can wreck the life of a young man more than anything else. The sex sins, the sins of adultery are the great sins of our day. No one can calculate the lives that have been absolutely wrecked and ruined because of them. Oh, how many marriages are broken up today because of them! Hollywood, novels, popular songs all play on the same old theme, the triangle. There is the married couple and the third party, man or woman, who is breaking up the marriage. Proverbs has much to say about them.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids [Prov. 6:24–25].
Notice that the young man is not to lust after her beauty in his heart. We have just learned, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Also notice how the young man is warned against her flattery, her beauty, her fluttering eyelids. Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:27–28). The whole sinful thought begins down in the human heart.
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life [Prov. 6:26].
How many men have been ruined like that? I think we would all be shocked if we knew how many office “wives” there are. We have no idea of the number of people who are blackmailed today because of illicit sex. We hear of only a few. Just recently it was disclosed that a doctor in San Francisco had another wife and family in Southern California. Everyone who knew him thought that he was leading a moral, upright life. All the while he was keeping up two homes. This same kind of thing has happened in the lives of ministers! How does it all get started? The Lord says it begins in the heart—He made us and He knows us. “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart.” It begins there.
Now he asks a few pointed questions:
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? [Prov. 6:27].
The answer to that is obvious.
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? [Prov. 6:28].
We know of fanatics who try this, but it always burns their little tootsies to walk on hot coals.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent [Prov. 6:29].
If a man commits adultery, he is not innocent. He has no plea whatsoever. Now notice the illustration—
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry [Prov. 6:30].
If a man steals because he is hungry, our sympathy goes out to him. A man was arrested for stealing in my community recently, and it was found that he had some little children at home who were hungry. In a case like that you don’t judge him, you want to help him. “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.”
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house [Prov. 6:31].
He can mortgage his house to repay it.
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul [Prov. 6:32].
Again I draw an illustration from my own locality. A man walked into another man’s room the other day, drew a gun, and shot the man dead. Why? Well, when the story came out, the man was exonerated. His home had been absolutely destroyed by the lust of the man he killed. “Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away [Prov. 6:33].
Committing adultery is something that will scar his soul for life. As a pastor (and I’m sure many other pastors know cases like this) I know a wife whose husband had an affair years ago; he repented of it, came back to her, and asked to be forgiven. She forgave him. But I happen to know the home, and I can see that it is not a happy home. Adultery is something you don’t rub out. If you commit it, you lack understanding. You’ll wreck your home; you will wreck your life.
For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts [Prov. 6:34–35].
Oh, my friend, what tragedies result from adultery!
CHAPTER 7
This chapter continues the subject of chapter 6. The whole thought is to beware of a woman with easy morals.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman [Prov. 7:1–4].
Now having said that, he is going to get right down to cases.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words [Prov. 7:5].
He takes an illustration out of life.
For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
In the twilight in the evening, in the black and dark night [Prov. 7:6–9].
This young man is taking a walk on the wrong street
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows [Prov. 7:10–14].
Notice that she is religious! She leads him to believe that she is right with God—“I have peace offerings with me … I payed my vows.”
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee [Prov. 7:15].
In other words, I’ve been looking for you all my life, and at last I have found you!
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed [Prov. 7:16–20].
She assures him that the man of the house is out of town and won’t be back until a certain day.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life [Prov. 7:21–23].
What a picture this is!
Now he gives the warning—
Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death [Prov. 7:24–27].
This warning is to be taken literally, and there is also a spiritual application for you and me today. The Scriptures have a great deal to say about spiritual adultery. God called it that when His people left Him and went after idols. They were snared by idolatry, and they were brought into subjection. They departed from the living and true God. They were to be joined to Him, but they had separated from Him. They were actually playing the harlot; they were being unfaithful and untrue to Him. That is spiritual adultery.
Today we have many cults and “isms” and all types of false religions around us. Here in Southern California we are larded with this type of thing on every hand. For example, one says, “You don’t need any longer to follow Christ as you are following Him. You don’t need to trust Him alone as your Savior. What you need to do is join our group and do certain things.”
You would be amazed at the letters that come to me. Some time ago I was teaching Galatians, and at that time I made the statement again and again, “Faith plus nothing equals salvation.” I emphasized that you must be absolutely, utterly cast upon Jesus Christ as your Savior. Oh my, did I get the letters! A great many people wrote some very ugly things. Among other things they wrote, “You said that the Mosaic Law is something that we should get rid of.” I did not say anything of the kind. What I said was that the Law cannot save you. The Law was never given to save. The Law is good, but there is something wrong with us, and only Christ can save us. When we turn from our own efforts, from our own works and turn to Him, we can be saved.
Then there were others who wrote to tell me how wrong I was. “You should have said it is necessary to be baptized in a certain way.” Others said, “You should have told them to join a certain group.” Others said I should have taught that we must all keep the Mosaic Law—even if a person trusts in Christ he still must keep the Law.
May I answer this by saying that the believer is joined to Christ. Christ has said we are to keep His commandments if we love Him, and His commandments are not grievous. We are to love one another. We are to be filled with the Spirit of God. We are to witness to the world. Those are His commandments today. We are joined to a living Christ; we live on a higher plane. The fruit of the Spirit should be evident in our hearts and lives.
Today there is that flattering “ism” and that flattering cult, made up like a woman of the street. She is flattering and she is calling men and women. This old gal is busy today. She knocks at your door and hands out tracts. She meets you everywhere. She is a prostitute—she wants to take you away from Christ. She wants to bring you into her system. Oh, my friend, that spiritual prostitute is out on your street today; she even comes into your home by way of radio and television, trying to lure you. We are told that to follow her is like an ox going to slaughter. It is like a fool going to the correction of the stocks. Oh, that we might not settle for anything less than the person of Jesus Christ!
In my judgment this is the finest picture we have of cults, “isms,” and all false religions. Like the prostitute, they are all dressed up—attractive, alluring, offering something to man that will actually destroy him and send him down to hell, and take him away from Jesus Christ, the lover of our souls.
CHAPTER 8
The young man has been examining the literature of the different colleges; and the school of wisdom and the school of fools are bidding for his application. In this chapter it is wisdom that sends out an invitation to him with a note of urgency. Pressure is put upon the young man now. The school bell is going to ring before long, and they want this young man enrolled.
WISDOM CALLS TO THE YOUNG MAN
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? [Prov. 8:1].
As we have seen, the young man has been lured and enticed to leave the school of wisdom. Believe me, the cults and “isms” are out on the streets and ringing doorbells.
God’s people should be out doing the same thing. I am very thankful for the very fine organizations that especially work with the young people today. They are out ringing doorbells. They are out doing personal witnessing. That’s good. Wisdom and understanding should be putting forth their voice.
She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man [Prov. 8:2–4].
This is what we are trying to do by radio. We are sending out a call to come to the school of wisdom. We want you to come to wisdom in the person of Christ. It is Christ who has been made unto us wisdom.
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart [Prov. 8:5].
Are you willing to take that position—to admit that you are not adequate, to say you are a sinner and that you really don’t have intellectual problems? Sometimes I think it is a joke to listen to folk with “intellectual” problems. A young fellow came to me and said, “I have intellectual problems about the Bible.” Do you know what he really had? He had a sin problem, and he didn’t want to give up his sin. I have discovered that if a person has a sin problem and will turn to Christ with that problem, it is amazing how often the intellectual problems will be solved.
Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things [Prov. 8:6].
What a picture we have here!
For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them [Prov. 8:7–8].
Many people talk about errors and problems in the Bible. There are several books written about problem Scriptures. I recognize that to an intelligent person there are problems in the Bible. I had a lot of problems with the Bible at the beginning of my study, and I still have a few. But the problem is not in the Word of God. The problem is in the mind and heart of man. God says there is nothing twisted or perverse in the words of wisdom.
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge [Prov. 8:9].
You see, if it is really wisdom, it is going to be simple, and it will appeal to the simple. I’m thankful that God did not make the gospel appeal only to folk who have a high I.Q. If He had, many folk would be left out completely. This is a message to the simple. And it really is a simple message.
It is very interesting that some things which men call deep and profound are not really that at all. When I went through school, I had the viewpoint of a lot of other young fellows that I knew it all. We had a brilliant man come to lecture at our seminary. I’ll be very frank with you, he was speaking right over the top of my head. I went to the man who was considered the most brilliant professor in the school and said, “I’m not getting very much out of those lectures. I must confess that they are over my head. I always had the viewpoint that I could understand anything that any man had to say, but I am not getting what he is saying.” I shall never forget his answer. He said, “Mr. McGee, you know that when water is clear, you can see right to the bottom of the pool even if it is sixty feet deep, but when the water is muddy, you can’t even see to the bottom of a hoofprint in the middle of the road. Some men are not deep; they are muddy.” Well, that answered it for me. My friend, if you have an intellectual problem with something you read in the Bible—let me be very frank with you—the problem is not with the Bible; the problem is with you.
Let me refer you to a passage in the New Testament, which I think is profound, although it is very simple: “And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ” (2 Cor. 3:13–14). You may be thinking, If they cannot understand because there is a veil over their minds, they are not responsible. And a great many folk today are claiming that there is a veil over their minds and they are not able to understand the Bible. But notice the next verses: “But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away” (2 Cor. 3:15–16). What does it mean by “it” when it says “when it shall turn to the Lord”? Well, it refers back to the last principal subject, which is the “heart.” It is saying that when the heart shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. You see, the problem is not head trouble; it is heart trouble.
Let’s get right down to where the rubber meets the road, right down to where we live. Don’t say that there are intellectual problems which keep you from the Lord. The problem is sin in your life—there are things in your life that you do not want to change. You are not willing to bow your heart and your head and come to Jesus Christ. That is the problem. Notice that when the heart shall turn to the Lord an amazing thing happens—the veil shall be taken away. The problems are resolved.
A great man of the Middle Ages said, “I had many problems until I came to Christ.” We may call them intellectual problems, but they are really heart problems. The Word of God is clear. The gospel message is so simple it cannot be misunderstood. But there can be deliberate, willful resistance to the gospel. That is a problem of the heart.
That is why we can actually use the Word of God as a sort of Geiger counter. A Geiger counter will tell a man where there is uranium. And the reaction to the Word of God will tell a man where there is a believing heart. There are some individuals who love the Word of God, and the arrow of the counter jumps up and down. There are others who have a pious expression and fundamental vocabulary but who register as dead. They actually resist the Word of God.
Many times people have asked me to deal with folk who resist the Word of God. I tell them that my job is simply to give out the Word. The Lord Himself will deal with them. During my years in the ministry I have seen how the Lord does deal with such people. I have seen Him move into families and deal with this one and that one. I recall a very arrogant young man who was questioning the Word of God. Then he left his wife and ran off with another woman. There was sin in his life; that was his problem. I emphasize this because God’s Word is clear. There is nothing twisted or perverse in the words of God.
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it [Prov. 8:10–11].
When you and I come to the place, as Job did, where we get our priorities straight, when we put a proper evaluation on the things of this world and realize that wisdom is better than rubies, then we will put God first in our lives. It is as the Lord Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WISDOM
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions [Prov. 8:12].
The Word of God is going to make it clear that wisdom is a person, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate [Prov. 8:13].
We might translate it as “the mouth of perversions do I hate.” This is something that is quite real today; it is right down where we live. Wisdom is manifest. It is the character of God, and that character has been revealed in Christ. Evil, pride, arrogance, and an evil way are hateful to Him. If we belong to Him, we will hate these things also.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth [Prov. 8:14–16].
In the Psalms and in the prophecy of Daniel it is repeated that “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” How tremendous it is to realize that God overrules down here in the affairs of this world. Regardless of how godless a nation is, God is overruling, and His will is being accomplished. He rules in the kingdoms of men.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me [Prov. 8:17].
Solomon learned this early in his life. He discovered that when he sought God, God gave him wisdom. He had sought God early—as soon as he became king. He knew it was God who had given him a unique wisdom. And God is prepared to give us wisdom if we are willing to meet the conditions: a diligent study and love of the Word of God early in our Christian life.
Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver [Prov. 8:18–19].
These are not stocks or bonds or real estate, but wonderful spiritual gifts He bestows.
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures [Prov. 8:20–21].
WISDOM PERSONIFIED IN CHRIST
From this point on, I think you will discover that the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking.
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old [Prov. 8:22].
This is the Lord Jesus; this is wisdom personified.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was [Prov. 8:23].
“I was set up” is I was anointed from everlasting. This is the One who is the subject of John’s prologue: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1–2). He was begotten, not in the sense of having a beginning of life, but as being one nature and substance with the Father. Way back yonder in eternity He was God, and He was in the beginning with God. He was in the beginning that has no beginning, because “in the beginning was the Word.” He was already past tense at the time of the beginning.
He is the One and the only One who can make this clear to us. The Lord Jesus said, “… no man knoweth the Son, but the Father …” (Matt. 11:27). We could not know the Lord Jesus, had not the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit to open our hearts. A saved person can rest in and adore the person of Christ. We are living in the midst of great unbelief in our day, but let the skeptic be skeptical. My friend, our relationship is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the Word. “… the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). What a tremendous statement!
Wisdom is Jesus Christ.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth [Prov. 8:24–27].
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).
“When he set a compass upon the face of the depth.” It is interesting that the scientists used to speak of a square universe, but God has always said it is a circle. You and I live in a world that is round, and we are going around our planetary system. And we belong to a galactic system which is a circle. All of these circles are circling around!
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth [Prov. 8:28–29].
Have you ever stood by the seashore and wondered why the water doesn’t run over? Why does it stay where it is? It says, “he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment.” God has made a law that keeps the sea right where it is.
Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men [Prov. 8:30–31].
Without the Lord Jesus was not anything made that was made. All things were made by Him. He is the firstborn of all creation. He is superior to all. Why? Because by Him the Father brought all things into being, for He is the uncreated God, and He was “rejoicing always before Him.” These wonderful delights and joys come to us through the amazing grace of God. How wonderful all of this is!
Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not [Prov. 8:32–33].
Wisdom is Christ, and there must be a love for Him.
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord [Prov. 8:34–35].
“Whoso findeth me findeth life.” If you have Christ you have life.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death [Prov. 8:36].
My friend, if you hate Christ, you love death. What a picture this is! Wisdom is Christ.
CHAPTER 9
We have come now to the place where wisdom has opened school. The young man is matriculated into the school of wisdom, and we are thankful for that. Everything is prepared, and we are able to look into this school. The school bell is about to ring.
THE COLLEGE OF WISDOM
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled [Prov. 9:1–5].
Wisdom has builded a house. This is the College of Wisdom. Note there are seven pillars. Those seven pillars represent to me completeness. The school offers a complete education all the way through to the graduate course and the Ph.D. degree.
Let’s not minimize the importance of a good education. There are some who like to point out the Lord Jesus chose for His disciples twelve men who were not educated men. I have had many letters, one in particular from a man who took me to task for using the title of Doctor. He pointed out that none of the twelve had a doctoral degree. May I say that an earned doctoral degree represents years of hard work, and I believe that the person who has earned the degree is entitled to use the title. I will freely admit that one does wonder at some things in our educational system. I know a young man who is working on his master’s degree in history. He is told to forget about dates and individuals, in order to get the flavor of a particular age—the life-style and the attitude of that period! Now I admit that that is a pretty slippery type of education. I believe that facts are important. And I know we still have some very fine schools, which are working on that principle.
As far as the education of the apostles is concerned, anyone who spent three years with the Lord Jesus Christ was not uneducated. They learned a great deal from the greatest Teacher the world has ever seen. And, of course, the apostle Paul was well educated in the schools of his day. No one could say that he was an ignorant man. Let’s remember that wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He can give you a complete education.
“She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.” Now it is time to come to school and start feasting on the courses that have been prepared.
“She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city.” What a picture is given here. May I remind you that we have the same invitation in this age. A wedding feast has been prepared, and the invitations go out to all the invited guests saying that all things are ready. Many of the guests decline the invitation. Then the servants go out into the highways and byways with the invitation to the wedding feast (Matt. 22:1–14). It is interesting that wisdom must go out into the highways and byways to invite people to come in. And we are to go out on the highways and byways. Our message today is: God is reconciled to you; now you be reconciled to God. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). In our day the Word is probably going out more than it ever has in the history of the world. The invitation is going out to the ends of the earth to come to the school of wisdom, that is, to come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding [Prov. 9:6].
There are those who will not hear. They are the scorners. There is no use wasting your time with them. In practically every church you will find a little group that will resist the Word of God. Are we to keep on giving the Word of God to them? No. The Lord Jesus said not to cast our pearls before swine. Now notice the next three verses. Some Bible expositors think they do not belong here, that they have been inserted. But, my friend, this is exactly where they do belong.
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning [Prov. 9:7–9].
If you give the Word of God to some people, they will actually hate you for it. This is a pattern that has been true down through the ages. There are people who are so shallow, empty, and ignorant that they will not receive the Word of God at all.
In our day we hear about the man who is liberal in his theology and how broad-minded he is. Did you know that it is the “broad-minded” liberal who has put religion out of our schools? They call the fundamental people bigots. I’d like to know who is the real bigot! Frankly, I don’t mind evolution being taught in our schools if they will permit me to teach the Bible alongside it. But the broad-minded liberals will not allow that. Regardless of the degrees they hold, they are ignorant. They have narrow minds when they are not willing for the Word of God to be taught. The general rule is that the less a man knows, the more he thinks he knows. I have never met a liberal yet who didn’t think he was a very smart cookie. He thought that he knew and understood it all; yet he doesn’t understand. The more a man really knows, the more he will recognize his ignorance and his limitations. One of the truly great preachers whom I have known—and I think he had one of the best minds of any man I have ever met—often said, “The more I study the Bible the more I recognize how ignorant I am of it.” My friend, you cannot study the Bible without realizing how ignorant you are of it.
However, the scorner has no interest in learning the Word of God. You waste your time by giving it to him.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding [Prov. 9:10].
Perhaps you are saying, We’ve had this verse before. Yes, when the little fellow was in the home, the first lesson he was given was the fear of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7). Now he has entered the college of life and the college of wisdom; he is in his freshman year of the university of understanding, and this is his first lesson: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” That is where we all start. If you haven’t started there, you haven’t started, my friend. A man is a fool (which is what this book will say) to live without God in this world.
In our contemporary society we are so concerned with safety—safety on the highway, safety in the home, security for old age. We carry insurance for all these things, and we make sure our premiums are paid up. That is the wise thing to do. But, my brother, what about eternity? Are you making any plans; do you have insurance for that? Oh, how foolish it is to live this life without God! “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it [Prov. 9:11–12].
If you want to be smart, then make preparation for your soul for eternity. If you are going to be a scorner and ridicule all of these things, well, you are coming up for judgment. This may sound crude, but somebody ought to say it: you are on your way to hell. “If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.” If you are determined to go on in your own way, you will be the loser.
The town atheist in a place where I preached said to me, “You know, preacher, I don’t buy this stuff about eternal life and trusting Jesus and all that sort of thing. It may be all right for some folk, but I don’t care for that.” I answered, “Let’s suppose you are right and there is no eternal life, then you and I will come out at exactly the same place. But suppose I am right and you are wrong. Then, my friend, you are in a pretty bad spot.” Another atheist said, “I would be content if it weren’t for the awful fact that the Bible may be true.” Yes, it may be! And if it is, it will be an awful fact for anyone who turns his back on God.
THE SCHOOL OF THE FOOLISH WOMAN
A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing [Prov. 9:13].
You see, foolishness runs a school also. There are a lot of those around today.
For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city [Prov. 9:14].
She doesn’t have to go out on the highways and byways to invite folk in; they come to her. Thousands are going to schools like this!
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell [Prov. 9:16–18].
Oh, how many so-called wise men have turned in there and found a tragic end! It was Lord Byron who wrote toward the end of a life of debauchery:
My days are in the yellow leaf;
The flowers and fruits of love are gone;
The worm, the canker, and the grief
Are mine alone!
Byron had everything this world can offer—good looks, genius, fame, wealth, and yet he said, “the worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone!” That is what the school of the foolish woman did for him.
A famous movie star here in California had been married to several of the beauties of the world during his life. The other day, as an old man, he committed suicide, leaving this note: “I am bored with life.” How tragic.
May I say to you, foolishness still runs a college, and there is a long waiting list of those who clamor to enter. “But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.”
CHAPTER 10
PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, WRITTEN AND SET IN ORDERED BY HIMSELF
This begins the second major division of the Book of Proverbs. Here we see that the young student is given some guidelines for his life. These are lessons that you and I also are to learn in the school of Christ.
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother [Prov. 10:1].
“A wise son maketh a glad father.” Have you ever noticed that when a father has a son who has gone to school and made good grades or been outstanding as an athlete or in some other accomplishment, the old man goes around and brags about his son and tells everyone about him? “My boy has his Ph.D. and is teaching in college.” “My boy is on the football team.” But suppose the boy failed or didn’t make the team. Then the father becomes very quiet and doesn’t say anything about him at all. He just keeps his mouth shut.
“But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” It is the mother who grieves at a time like that. The father just keeps quiet about it and ignores it. What a picture of life this is! A boy can be a wise son or a foolish son—either one.
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death [Prov. 10:2].
“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing”—men who have accumulated a great fortune have had to leave it here. They couldn’t take it with them, and they never really enjoyed it while they were alive.
“Righteousness delivereth from death.” Christ has been made unto us not only wisdom but righteousness. And “… whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked [Prov. 10:3].
You will remember that I have mentioned that I think there is a proverb for everyone, and a proverb that fits certain characters in the Bible. When we remember that “The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish,” we think of Joseph. He was sold into Egypt and must have felt that he had come to the end and that God seemed far away. Yet he had faith in God. We know that God did not forsake him. God so arranged it that eventually he was brought out of prison and was made the prime minister of the land of Egypt.
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich [Prov. 10:4].
What a difference there is in people. Some wonderful Christians are so generous, and others are so stingy! It is interesting that the tight individual has that kind of life—he seems uptight all the time. By contrast, the generous man has a full life.
Don’t you think this verse would fit Abraham? He was a generous man. He told his nephew Lot, “Take any part of the land you want, and I’ll take what is left.” It is a very generous man who will divide real estate like that! Abraham had the right to do the choosing. He certainly knew that the choice land was the well-watered plain of Jordan. Lot must have thought Abraham was very foolish not to move down there, but since Abraham had given Lot the opportunity to choose, he chose the rich land down there in the plain. With a very slack hand, very selfishly, he chose the best for himself; but, in the end, he lost everything.
“But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” There are two words that won’t go together in the Bible: faith and laziness will not mingle. A lazy Christian is not a Christian with real faith in God. The one who is diligent is the one who will work, the one who will labor. This reminds me also of the apostle Paul. When the Lord called him, He certainly did not get a lazy individual.
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame [Prov. 10:5].
Here is another proverb of contrast. The boy who is called “wise” is the one who works in the summer. The lazy boy is the one who sleeps during the time of harvest. He is not the one who is going to get the job done.
My young Christian friend, you need to recognize that God wants to train you and school you. When I was young, I was the pastor in a little church. I wasn’t satisfied; I wanted to do more for God than I was doing there. I have a wonderful wife who encouraged me to finish working on my doctor’s degree and devote time to studying the Bible. I was redeeming the time; I took advantage of that period. How I thank God for it! After I became very busy pastoring a large church and carrying a radio and conference ministry, someone asked me, “You are so busy all the time, when are you able to do your preparation?” Well, back in a little town in Texas I had five years, and I spent that time studying. And the day came when God enabled me to use that preparation. I would say to any young person today who wants to be used of God: begin to prepare yourself Remember that “he that gathereth in summer is a wise son.”
These statements in the Book of Proverbs are tremendous, eternal truths. They are truths not to send you soaring into the heavenly places, but to equip you for the sidewalks of your own town. If they are not working for you, there is nothing wrong with them, but there is something wrong with you.
Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked [Prov. 10:6].
What a picture we have here of two men in the Old Testament. “Blessings are upon the head of the just” reminds me of Samuel. “But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked (lawless)” reminds me of Saul.
The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot [Prov. 10:7].
I think of this in connection with certain individuals who a few years ago were famous, but today they are fading out. I am of the opinion that men of this generation will be forgotten in the next fifty years. Yet the memory of men such as Dwight L. Moody, who accomplished something for God, lives on.
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall [Prov. 10:8].
“Prating” is literally word-mouthing—he is the one who is always talking. He is wise in his own conceit. By contrast, the wise in heart will receive commandments. Remember there was a king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar who listened to the counsel of Daniel and prospered. There was another king by the name of Belshazzar. He was a fool. A royal banquet one night marked the end of him and his kingdom (Dan. 5).
He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known [Prov. 10:9].
This is expressed in our proverb today: Honesty is the best policy.
He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall [Prov. 10:10].
Here is something that is quite interesting. The eye and the mouth shall be in agreement. When you see a man say something and wink, it means he doesn’t mean what he said. His mouth and his mind are not in agreement. When they are not in agreement, it will cause a great deal of sorrow.
Whom does this verse fit? How about Judas? The kiss of Judas certainly was a kiss of betrayal. The kiss is meant to denote affection, but it certainly didn’t mean that for him.
In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding [Prov. 10:13].
The whole world came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but “a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding” characterizes his son Rehoboam. He would not listen to the advice of the wise old men; he listened to the young men who had grown up with him (1 Kings 12). As a result, he brought division and civil war to his nation.
Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction [Prov. 10:14].
All the time the wise man is gathering up knowledge, the foolish man has one foot on the banana peel and the other one in the grave.
The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin [Prov. 10:16].
This proverb makes me think of Cain and Abel. “The labour of the righteous tendeth to life.” Abel raised sheep, and he brought a little lamb for his sacrifice. “The fruit of the wicked (the produce of the lawless) is sin.” That was Cain—in rebellion he brought the fruit of the ground. The apostle Paul expressed it this way in Romans 8:6: “For to be carnally minded is death …”—and this is directed to the Christian. “Death” for him means separation from God in the way of fellowship. God is not going to fellowship with a carnally—minded person. When the proverb says “the labour of the righteous tendeth to life,” it is fellowship with God. Abel was a saved man. “The fruit of the wicked (lawless) to sin” characterized Cain.
He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth [Prov. 10:17].
This would apply to Absalom, David’s son. He wouldn’t accept reproof. He made a big mistake in attempting to seize the kingdom from his father.
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool [Prov. 10:18].
What a terrible thing it is to have someone pretend to be your friend and later you discover that he is really your enemy. That person is actually a fool. You catch on to him after a while. Anyone who slanders is also a fool.
God had given a specific commandment regarding this. “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people …” (Lev. 19:16). It goes on, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him” (Lev. 19:17). Don’t flatter a man when you actually hate him, but neither are you to slander the man.
This describes a man in Scripture. Remember that Joab pretended to be a friend to Abner. He lured him out of the city, and then he killed him.
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom [Prov. 10:21].
I think again of Samuel, the great judge of Israel, in contrast to Saul, the king who played the fool.
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it [Prov. 10:22].
There are those who live in pleasure and think they are living it up. But as they get closer to the end, they find life unbearable. I watched a banquet, a political affair, that was televised. All who attended the banquet were rich, and they were there for the purpose of supporting the party with a contribution. The thing I noticed was that there wasn’t a happy face in the crowd. The camera panned the entire audience. I thought, My, here they are at a banquet and jokes are being told, but I don’t see a single happy face.
“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” The contemporary Christian by his indifference to moral and doctrinal wrong, and by his laxness in his way of living, is missing a great deal that God has for him.
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom [Prov. 10:23].
This is good advice to the young man!
As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him [Prov. 10:26].
Did you ever send a lazy boy on an errand, and then you stand first on one foot and then on the other waiting for him? That’s just like “vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes.”
The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened [Prov. 10:27].
This certainly was true in Old Testament days. God promised long days to those who obeyed Him. Perhaps you are thinking, Doesn’t He promise that today? No, He promises us eternal life. That will be a better quality of life as well as quantity.
The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth [Prov. 10:30].
Let’s look at history with that in view. All of the great world leaders, the kings and the captains, have disappeared. The pharaohs, the caesars, Alexander the Great, Napoleon—they are all gone. “The wicked shall not inhabit the earth.” Neither will communism prevail and, interestingly enough, neither will democracy, because God has a form of government that is to be a monarchy. There will be no dictatorship equal to the dictatorship of Jesus Christ when He takes over the rulership of this earth. And “the righteous shall never be removed.”
CHAPTER 11
As we have seen, the young man is in college now, and wisdom—which is Christ—is the Teacher. Wisdom had to go out on the highways and byways to get her pupils, but she has a class now, and she is teaching by proverbs.
The literary form of these proverbs is mostly couplets. The two clauses of the couplet are generally related to each other by what has been termed parallelism, according to Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry is attained by repeating or contrasting a thought. There are three types of parallelism: synonymous parallelism that restates the thought of the first clause; antithetic parallelism which gives contrasting truths; and synthetic parallelism in which the second clause develops the thought of the first.
This chapter will actually give the young man some good advice about business.
A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight [Prov. 11:1].
God does enter into business; you can take Him into partnership with you. However, you can’t form a partnership with Him if you are crooked. If you are honest, He would like to be your partner.
The Christian businessman is to be honest and a man of integrity. I am thankful that there are so many of these wonderful Christian businessmen. I have played golf with such a man. He lives in Chicago but had come down to Florida to attend our Bible conferences. Although we became well-acquainted, I didn’t come to know much about him in his business dealings. I was so pleased when another man who knows him well told me that this man is known far and near for his honesty and integrity. And he is a successful businessman. It is wonderful to find there are still men like this.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom [Prov. 11:2].
The other besetting sin is pride. Immediately here in his freshman course the young man is warned about pride. This proverb contrasts pride and humility. Always with pride comes“shame.” There is a great deal in Scripture, and especially in this Book of Proverbs, about pride.
The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them [Prov. 11:3].
This simply means that if a person wants to walk in the truth, if that is the desire of his heart, the Spirit of God can be counted upon for guidance and direction. The contrast is: the “perverseness of transgressors [the treacherous] shall destroy them”
The other evening I talked with a young man who has the same problem that I had when I was going to school, which was finances. He asked me, “How do you tell the will of God; how do you know the way you should go?” My answer was this: “I had the same problem that you have. Always for me it narrowed down to only one way, and it would become very simple. The way that opened up was the way that I could go. If the door were closed, it was closed. If I didn’t have the money to go to school, I simply would not go. But it seemed the Lord would always open up just one door to let me go in. That happened to me again and again, and I always interpreted it as an open door from the Lord. I believe that if you mean business with God, He will open up the door. That has been my experience.”
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death [Prov. 11:4].
Doesn’t this remind you of the Lord’s account of the rich man and the beggar named Lazarus? Both of them died. The riches of the rich man didn’t avail him anything in the day of wrath. But righteousness delivered the beggar; it took him right to Abraham’s bosom.
Those who trust riches certainly have their priorities upside down. There is nothing wrong in wealth, but we need to recognize that it has limitations. Money will buy almost anything in this world, but it can buy nothing in the next world.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness [Prov. 11:5–6].
Perhaps it will mean more to us if we translate “wicked” by the word lawless.
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead [Prov. 11:7–8].
“When a lawless man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.” Doesn’t this remind you of Haman in the Book of Esther? And Mordecai was the righteous man “delivered out of trouble.”
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered [Prov. 11:9].
Hypocrite comes from two Greek words meaning “to answer back.” The hypocrite is one who answers back, and the word was used for actors in Greek plays. When one actor would give the cue to the other actor, he knew it was time for him to say his little piece. It was play-acting. To say a man is a hypocrite in religious matters means that he is a phony. He is the man who will say “Hallelujah, praise the Lord” insincerely. He is just playing a part; he is not praising the Lord in his heart.
“An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour.” He will pretend to be your friend, but he will knife you when your back is turned in attempt to cover up the sin in his own life. Whom do you think of in the Bible in this connection? Wouldn’t it be Potiphar’s wife and the way she maligned Joseph? She brought false charges against Joseph to cover up her own sin. She was the guilty party, but she covered it over by accusing Joseph. Who would believe the story of a slave against the story of the wife of an official of Pharaoh? There was no need for Joseph to even open his mouth, because he didn’t have a chance to defend himself.
Unfortunately, sometimes in the church we find an hypocrite who will say terrible things in order to protect himself. I have always been afraid of the man who is nice to his preacher to his face but who criticizes him behind his back. I have always felt that I needed to watch out for that kind of man. He is covering up something in his own life. Time has demonstrated to me that this was often a correct estimation of the situation. This proverb is referring to this kind of hypocrisy.
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked [Prov. 11:10–11].
I place David and Saul beside these proverbs. When David was king of Israel, Jerusalem became a great city. When King Saul died, there was not much mourning for him.
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace [Prov. 11:12].
I believe David is an example of this proverb, too. Did you ever stop to think of the tremendous effect the life of David had upon Solomon? Even though David had committed sin with Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, David’s life was a wonderful life except for that blot on it. You remember when David had to flee from the city when Absalom rebelled against him, that Shimei, of the family of Saul, cursed him. Old Joab, David’s captain, wanted to go over and run a spear through him. David said, “No, he is speaking out of his heart. This is God’s judgment upon me.” “A man of understanding holdeth his peace.”
There will be times when you will find folk are actually cursing you, maligning your character. Just keep quiet. The Lord will take care of it, as He took care of this situation with David.
These are wonderful principles in this book. They are good for young people to study. There seems to be a real spiritual movement among the young people of today. I would like to see them study the Book of Proverbs. It would bring them to Christ, because He is the One who runs the school of wisdom and He is made unto us wisdom. Proverbs would give young people a lot of common sense. It seems to me we are short on common sense today. We seem to have a lot of high I.Q.’s and a lot of low common sense quotients.
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter [Prov. 11:13].
A talebearer is one who tells something in order to hurt someone else. Sometimes the thing he is saying is true, but he still ought not to say it to others. If he knows that a brother has sinned, he ought to go to him personally and deal with him privately about it. He should not run around and tell everyone else about it.
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety [Prov. 11:14].
Perhaps a more understandable translation is this: “Where no management is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Regardless of how smart you are, you need good advice. You will remember that God gave Daniel to be an adviser to Nebuchadnezzar. He helped his king a great deal. Daniel was also an adviser to Cyrus, and he was a great help to him.
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure [Prov. 11:15].
One who goes surety for a stranger shall smart for it, and he will get smart from the experience. He will learn that he made a big mistake.
However, there was One who was surety for a stranger. Do you know who that was? Well, listen to the apostle Paul, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). He assumed your debt of sin, and mine. He had to pay the awful penalty. His experience is described prophetically in Psalm 69:4: “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.” And again, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7). The penalty was exacted, and He became answerable for it. The “… wages of sin is death …” (Rom. 6:23) and Christ paid it for me. What a wonderful thing that is! Dr. H. A. Ironside in Notes on the Book of Proverbs, p. 121, wrote:
He bore on the tree the sentence for me;
And now both the Surety and sinner are free.
He took my place.
A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches [Prov. 11:16].
This reminds me of Ruth in the Book of Ruth. She was a widow, she was poor, and she was a woman. Yet she retained her honor. Boaz could say to her, “… for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman” (Ruth 3:11). The whole town of Bethlehem knew her. Not only did she maintain her honor in relationship with the opposite sex, but in every way she retained honor. The second part would apply to Boaz. “And strong men retain riches.”
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered [Prov. 11:21].
Here is quite a contrast between sin and righteousness. Deceitfulness and lawlessness are going to be judged—there is no escape. And the righteousness which a believer has is the righteousness of Christ. Because we have that, we will not come into judgment but will pass “… from death unto life” (John 5:24).
Now here is a choice proverb—
As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion [Prov. 11:22].
Have you ever seen a pig walking around with a gold ring in its snout? Well, there are a lot of them out here in Hollywood, California. They are beautiful women with no discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath [Prov. 11:23].
The only way to have peace and joy is to be rightly related to Christ.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself [Prov. 11:25].
This is a paradox. Dr. Ironside put it like this:
Bunyan’s quaint rhyme, propounded as a riddle by Old Honest, and explained by Gaius, is in itself a suited commentary on these verses:
A man there was, though some did count him mad,
The more he cast away, the more he had.
He that bestows his goods upon the poor
Shall have as much again, and ten times more.
The Lord has said that if one sows sparingly, he shall also reap sparingly. That is a general principle. It certainly also applies to giving to the work of the Lord.
He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it [Prov. 11:26].
This verse reminds me of Joseph down in Egypt. He didn’t withhold the corn. He gathered it faithfully for seven years and then he was able to feed the world, including his own father and brothers and their families.
It also reminds me of Nabal—“he that withholdeth corn” certainly applies to him. He was a fool, and that is what his name means. He was married to a beautiful woman, Abigail. Why she married him, I don’t know, except that he was a rich man. David, during the years he was hiding from Saul, had taken care of Nabal’s sheep and had helped him on many occasions. So when David and his men were hungry, he called on Nabal for food. Nabal turned him down flat—in fact, he insulted the messengers whom David had sent. (Red-headed David would not take that lying down! He went after the man, but on his way Abigail came to meet him with an offering of peace.) This proverb fits Nabal like a glove.
Also I believe we could give this proverb a spiritual application. The corn is the Word of God. Many preachers are withholding the corn. They preach on political issues and social questions instead of teaching the Word of God. God have mercy on preachers who are withholding the corn from their people!
We all are to give out the corn today—this is not just for the preachers. Are you sitting on the sidelines, withholding corn from those around you? You could be a great impetus in getting a teaching of the Word of God into your area. Oh, my friend, “He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him.” But what a thrill it is to have someone come and thank you for bringing them the Word of life! “Blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it”—or giveth it without money and without price.
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him [Prov. 11:27].
This is another evidence that “… whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch [Prov. 11:28].
When our Lord gave parables, which I believe he drew from real life, He told about a farmer who had such a bumper crop that he decided to tear down his barns to build bigger barns. He would give all his attention to that. There is nothing wrong in building bigger barns, but the Lord said that he was a fool, because he was so interested in building big barns down here that he didn’t think of building anything for eternity. That is the danger of riches. No one can buy his way into heaven.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise [Prov. 11:30].
Many years ago a survey was conducted on the sons of preachers, because P. K.’s (preachers kids) come in for a lot of criticism. It was found that several United States presidents were sons of preachers, including Woodrow Wilson. Also some of our outstanding scientists were sons of preachers. Generally the children of saved folk turn out very well.
Today there seems to be a flurry of little courses on how to achieve harmony in the home. I wish we could get past that smattering of knowledge and the little surface coating that is being applied today. A little course in psychology about being sweet and nice in the home is not the answer. We need a return to the Word of God and to living a godly life in the home. A lot of our family problems would evaporate if we had righteousness in the home. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.”
“He that winneth souls is wise.” Today a great deal of attention is being given to personal witnessing. That is good. I believe it is one of the finest things that is taking place in our day and generation. The Word of God has been saying all the time, “he that winneth souls is wise.”
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much: more the wicked and the sinner [Prov. 11:31].
Judgment is coming. There can be no doubt about that.
CHAPTER 12
In the school of wisdom, the boy is still in his freshman year, but the instruction is very important.
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish [Prov. 12:1].
The man who loves instruction is a man who has a true estimate of what is top priority and what is really of superior value. That means that he will listen to instruction. However, I must say that after getting folk to listen to the Word of God, one of the great problems is getting them to obey what it says. Obedience is absolutely essential.
A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn [Prov. 12:2].
Psalm 1:5 tells us that “… the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Regardless of fame or riches or standing high in the estimation of men, the ungodly man will come to a sorry, sad ending. God is certainly going to judge such men. “A man of wicked devices will he condemn.”
A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved [Prov. 12:3].
Our Lord gave a parable that deals with this. In the Sermon on the Mount, He told about a man who built his house on a rock, and another who built his house on the sand (Matt. 7:24–27). The rock, of course, symbolizes Christ, the solid foundation of the Word of God.
Now here in his freshman course, the young man is given advice about choosing a wife.
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones [Prov. 12:4].
Think of the wonderful wives who are mentioned in the Old Testament. Eve must have been a wonderful person in spite of the fact that she listened to the serpent. Sarah was a model wife according to 1 Peter 3:6. The mother of Moses, Jochebed, was undoubtedly a remarkable woman.
Then there are others who were not so good and could be described as “rottenness in his bones.” Job’s wife was not much of a help to him. It is interesting that Satan took away from Job everything that he leaned upon except his wife, which must mean that Satan knew she wasn’t very much help to Job. Then there was bloody Athalia whose mother was the wicked Jezebel. So there are many illustrations in the Scriptures of this proverb.
Ogden Nash gave advice on how to make marriage a success in a little poem that he wrote:
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
That is good advice, by the way.
The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand [Prov. 12:5–7].
Again let me change the word wicked to lawless, which is probably more accurate. You can see that God believes in law and order. He has a great deal to say about lawlessness.
A man shall be commanded according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised [Prov. 12:8].
“Shall be despised” is literally “shall be exposed to contempt.” I think of Gideon and his son. Gideon is to be commanded according to his wisdom. Abimelech, his son, was exposed to contempt.
He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread [Prov. 12:9].
This proverb is rather confusing, but it seems that a contrast is being made. Another translation reads: “Better is the poor that provideth for himself” The thought appears to be that the one who is looked down upon as being lowly, but whose needs are met, is far happier and more to be envied than he who delights in appearing prosperous while feeling the pinch of poverty.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel [Prov. 12:10].
As I have mentioned, my father was killed in an accident in a cotton gin when I was fourteen years old. I was at the age when a boy thinks his dad is a hero, and, frankly, I have never gotten over it. I remember one time we were driving on a dirt road by horse and buggy from Ardmore to Springer, Oklahoma. Ahead of us was a man in his buggy who was drunk and was beating his horse. We couldn’t get around him, and my dad got out of our buggy and talked to the man about beating his animal. Of course the man, being drunk, was offended and took a swing at my dad, but he missed him. So my dad hit him and knocked him down. He took the whip away from him and told him to get back in his buggy and let his horse alone. Then we followed him as he went on ahead of us. This incident impressed me, and I am delighted to find in Scripture a proverb like this: “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.”
A man who owns several dogs told me that he always judges a man by the reaction of his dogs to that man. Dogs seem to know character. They know whether they would be mistreated by an individual. It is interesting that the animal world seems to be able to judge human character better than some of us do.
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding [Prov. 12:11].
This proverb is saying to stay on the job, keep busy, and don’t do so much running around.
All the way through this chapter we have contrasts like this:
The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit [Prov. 12:12].
There is repetition in this section for emphasis. After all, repetition is the best kind of teaching, if you can get by with it. If you keep saying a thing, your pupil will never forget it.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise [Prov. 12:15].
You know to whom this refers, I am sure. It is Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. He refused the wise counsel of the older men in his kingdom, which resulted in his own downfall and civil war in his nation.
He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.
There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health [Prov. 12:17–18].
My friend, if your pastor is preaching the truth, there are times when he is going to put the sword right in your heart. And if you are not willing to accept it—well, the hypocrite always covers up with hatred and bitterness. This is the reason I am always a little afraid of a man who is highly critical of his pastor—that is, if he is nice to his face but is sticking a knife in his back.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief [Prov. 12:19–21].
All of these verses have to do with the tongue, the lying tongue and the lips of truth. They are put in contrast. The Word of God has more to say about the tongue, more judgment on the abuse of the tongue, than it is has to say about the use and abuse of alcohol. Yet it is interesting that a lying tongue and a gossip can get by in Christian circles today, whereas a drunkard would be rejected.
Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight [Prov. 12:22].
One of the things that should characterize a child of God is his truthfulness.
A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness [Prov. 12:23].
A prudent man will not say things that are going to hurt someone. But you have probably been in a crowd where there is some foolish person, a big-mouthed person, who says something that casts a reflection on another person—of course, someone who is not present in the crowd. The prudent man would not say it, but the heart of the fool will say things like that.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute [Prov. 12:24].
I believe that in our contemporary society this has been somewhat turned around. It is not always the diligent who are elected to office, and I’m not sure it is the slothful who are paying the taxes. At least I don’t want to come in under the category of being lazy, and I certainly pay taxes. I have asked God for light as I have studied these proverbs, and I have come to realize that some of them should be considered in the light of eternity. I believe that the measuring stick for this proverb is eternity rather than a local situation. Aren’t we told that someday we are going to rule with Christ? But Scripture does not teach that all believers will rule equally; there will be gradations. I personally would be very embarrassed if I found myself on the same plane as the apostles, sitting next to the apostle Paul. I don’t belong there. However, I do think that the diligent are to rule with Christ.
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad [Prov. 12:25].
Job said to his friends, “How forcible are right words! …” (Job 6:25). Right words can bring comfort and cheer and encouragement to those who are grieving or who have a problem or have bitterness of spirit. We certainly are not to beat down a person who is having problems. We are to give him a good word.
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them [Prov. 12:26].
It would be clearer to translate it this way: “The righteous searcheth out his neighbor.” The righteous man wants to help his neighbor, while the lawless man will try to hurt his neighbor. The righteous man will come to talk to a neighbor and face him if he finds he is wrong. That is the most helpful thing he can do.
Nathan was the best friend David had; yet it was Nathan who had the courage to point his finger at David and say, “… Thou art the man …” (2 Sam. 12:7). When there are things in our lives that need to be straightened, it is wonderful to have a good friend who will reprove us in love.
One of the best friends I ever had was a man who helped me through school. When I first started in the ministry, the Lord was gracious to me and let me be pastor of a church that had been my home church, where the people loved me and were very sympathetic with me. I was pretty much of an amateur to be pastor of such a large and prominent church in that day. They were good to me.
I went to a conference at Winona Lake and heard a man speak who I thought was great. I came back and tried to imitate him. I even tried to imitate his accent! My church members discovered that. They just sat there and smiled, very few said anything about it, and I received no harsh criticism. However, this man who had helped me through school invited me to lunch. He said just one thing that I shall never forget, and it was a good proverb. “Vernon, we would rather have a genuine Vernon McGee than an imitation anybody else.” That was all he said. Friend, that is all he needed to say. From then on, I went back to being Vernon McGee—that may not have been good, but it was better than trying to imitate somebody else. How forcible are right words! The righteous will search out his neighbor and help him—that is exactly what this man did for me. But the wicked (the lawless) seduceth them. He goes over and pats him on the back and then crucifies him when his back is turned. These proverbs gear right down into your neighborhood, right down into your church, right down into your place of work, don’t they?
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious [Prov. 12:27].
I find this proverb quite humorous. This fellow went out and shot a deer, but he was too lazy to skin the deer and cut up the meat and cook and eat it. You must be pretty lazy to be that kind of hunter. It’s like the fisherman who will fish but won’t clean the fish to eat them.
“But the substance of a diligent man is precious.” In other words, he takes care of what he has.
Remember when Ruth went out to glean in the field and Boaz was so generous with her that she had a surprising amount; then she beat out the grain that she had gleaned. She could have come home and thrown the gleanings down in front of Naomi and said, “Look what I have done. I worked hard all day for this. Now you can beat it out.” She didn’t do that. This reveals the kind of spirit that was in her.
Men, it won’t hurt you to help with some of the work at home. You can even do the dishes now and then. I have learned that, since I am retired and at home more, I have become a member of the “Honey-do Club.” It is, “Honey, do this,” and “Honey, do that.” When I was a boy I used to tell my mother, “When I grow up I’m never going to wash dishes again.” Well, I must be in my second childhood, because I’m washing dishes again.
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death [Prov. 12:28].
A wonderful vista opens to the child of God! Physical death is ahead of us if the Lord tarries, but eternal life is out yonder.
CHAPTER 13
We continue in this section where we are learning some of the great principles of life.
A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke [Prov. 13:1].
Although Solomon was not David’s favorite son, Solomon did at least listen to him. He is an example of a wise son who heard his father’s instruction. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, is an example of the scorner who did not listen. He is an example to us of the dark side or the negative side, as we have found in many of these proverbs. But there are other examples that we could find in Scripture.
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction [Prov. 13:2–3].
There is a type of talking today which is gossip; it is foolish talking. It borders on being risqué—telling things that have a double meaning. The double entendre joke even gets into Christian circles today. And when they do, they seem to dwell on this matter of sex.
I have noticed that many of these folk take courses on sex, and then later on I hear that their home was broken up. The husband has run away with another woman and all that sort of thing. I believe much of this trouble is a result of such borderline living and borderline speaking. That is the thing we are warned about here, and the young man is told to beware of it.
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat [Prov. 13:4].
You will remember that the apostle Paul put it right on the line to the Thessalonians. There were some pious souls there who said, “We’re looking for the Lord to come,” and they quit work. Paul wrote, “… if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Let’s not be doling out food to those who will not work. We are to work. And if you really believe that the Lord is coming, it will make you a better worker.
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner [Prov. 13:5–6].
This refers to truth in the inward parts. This is the background of practical righteousness. God hates that which is false; He cannot tolerate it. The child of God should recognize and deal with any sin in his life. This old nature of ours is inclined to lie. It just comes naturally to us to lie. God says He hates that, and He will have to deal with that type of thing.
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches [Prov. 13:7].
Here is another example of the old nature that we all have. If we are poor we want to put up a front, to keep up with the Joneses. We pretend to have more than we actually have. Some people drive a Cadillac automobile simply to impress other folk, even though they really can’t afford it. Some live in a neighborhood they really cannot afford.
On the other hand, there are people who are really very wealthy but are always talking about how poor they are. A member in one of my former churches was a very wealthy man, but he probably gave less than anyone else. He was always talking about how high prices were and how much things cost him. And he would say he’d be broke if things didn’t get better.
Both sides are an abomination to God because each is hypocritical. It is putting up a front that we don’t need to put up. We don’t need to try to keep up with the Joneses; neither ought we to act as if we don’t even know the Joneses. We are to treat them as neighbors, and then we ought to be just what we are.
The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out [Prov. 13:9].
In the study of the history of the kings of Israel, I called attention to this principle at work. One line after another became kings in the northern kingdom. Then, suddenly, they were cut off, often in a violent manner by murder. This is what God says: “The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.” It happens again and again in this world. The end of Hitler was not pretty. And the end of Stalin evidently was not either.
Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom [Prov. 13:10].
When you find contention in a group, in a neighborhood, in a church or church group, the basis of it will be found to be pride. It is always that. As someone has said, it takes two to make a quarrel—always.
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase [Prov. 13:11].
This is another proverb that should be considered in the light of eternity; that is the yardstick that you must put down alongside this. Many wealthy men apparently knew that they had very foolish offspring; so they established trust funds and put legal chains around their estates so their offspring could not get to it. Such an arrangement is made so that their offspring can live off the income, but they cannot touch the estate itself. As a result there are many rich sons in the world today, men who never made a dime in their lives, they wouldn’t know how to work for a living at all; yet they are heirs to tremendous fortunes. But they have been protected so that they cannot touch the principal of their estates. If they could, they would foolishly spend it all.
Now this proverb needs to be looked at in the light of eternity. What are true riches? What is wealth really? Is it those stocks and bonds? Well, the individual is going to lose them someday. Death took them away from the original owner. Nobody came in and stole them; he stole away! He went off and left them. And that’s going to happen to those who own those stocks and bonds today.
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life [Prov. 13:12].
You can just keep hoping for something that doesn’t come to pass—that will make the heart sick. This is the reason we ought to be in step with the will of God in our lives, because we hope for a great many things that will not be realized in our lives at all. How much better it is to accept the reality of the situation in which God has placed us!
Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.
The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard [Prov. 13:13–15].
All through Proverbs there is this contrast between righteousness and wickedness. God hates pride; He hates lawlessness; He hates hypocrisy. He has no use for this type of thing that arises out of our human nature. That is the reason that God will not accept anything that we do in the old nature. It is only what He can perform through our new nature that is acceptable to Him. One thing is sure: He is not going to take Vernon McGee’s old nature to heaven. I’ll be glad to get rid of it. In heaven you and I will be forever parted from that old nature which produces all the sins that are inherent in each of us.
God makes what He wants very clear in Isaiah 66:2: “… to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” That is the way we must all come to God if we wish to be accepted of Him. We cannot come in pride. And we dare not despise His Word nor His commandments.
A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health [Prov. 13:17].
We have had men in our government who have had access to government secrets, to that which is “top drawer” as far as the policy of this country is concerned, and some of these men have been homosexuals. When the enemy discovers this, it makes it possible for them to use these men. The same is true about men who have a weakness for alcohol. “A wicked messenger falleth into mischief” We need men of high integrity in our government. It is important whether a man drinks or not. I think it is tragic that so many men high up in government positions use alcohol. I think that is a part of our problem as a nation today. We need to recognize that these basic proverbs which seem so simple are so important to our lives as individuals and as a nation.
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes [Prov. 13:24].
This is real child psychology. The child of God today is told the same thing. “Children, obey your parents,” but the father is told, “… provoke not your children to wrath …” (Eph. 6:1, 4). That is, don’t whip them or discipline them when you are angry or talking in a loud voice. Wait until a time when you can calmly sit down with your child and talk with him and explain why he is being disciplined. That is very important. This is the reason my father’s discipline was so good. He often did not deal with me until maybe a day had gone by. And I thought several times I had gotten by with it, but I hadn’t. He very calmly dealt with me, and I knew he was not doing what he did because he was angry. Discipline is very important.
CHAPTER 14
The Book of Proverbs is an important section of the Word of God. Here we find the wisdom of God distilled into small sentences. We see that they fit individuals who are mentioned in the Bible. Also they fit folk whom we know, and they fit you and me.
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands [Prov. 14:1].
“Every wise woman buildeth her house.” This is not talking about the physical building of a home. I think Sarah is an example of a wife who built her house. She was the wife of a patriarch, and she built up the house of Israel. I think we can say that Jochebed, the mother of Moses, built her house. Although she was a slave in a foreign land, to save her son she hid him, watched over him, and finally became his nurse in the service of Pharaoh’s daughter. She is the one who taught him about the Lord and the promise of the Lord to Israel. She was a wonderful mother, and she built her house.
“But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Several women in the Scriptures did that. Because of their wickedness, the house they built was destroyed. Let me point out one passage in particular. “Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly” (2 Chron. 22:2–3). The counsel of his mother really brought the house of Ahab low. This is indeed a true proverb. You can take these into the laboratory of life and see them work out even today. I know of several examples of women whose personal sins have destroyed their homes.
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him [Prov. 14:2]
This tells us that our walk will reveal our relationship with God. We are told by the apostle John, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). Our walk should be in obedience to the Father just as the walk of the Lord Jesus was.
You will remember that Samuel laid this matter before King Saul: “… Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22). Obedience to the Lord is the important thing. Without that, your religion is phony and false.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them [Prov. 14:3]
This reminds me of David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17:41–49). “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride.” This is a picture of Goliath. He did a lot of boasting as the champion of the Philistines. When David volunteered to fight him, Goliath reacted this way: “And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field” (1 Sam. 17:43–44).
“But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.” Now notice David’s answer: “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Sam. 17:45).
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox [Prov. 14:4].
This is a very interesting proverb. In several portions of Scripture the ox is used as an example to us. Also the ox was a beast of sacrifice, symbolic of Christ in sacrifice.
Now the ox was a strong animal. In fact, he was the tractor and the sedan of the families in that day. They used the ox to ride to market, and they used the ox to plow their fields. I suppose he was rather a dirty animal in the sense that his crib needed to be cleaned out, and that was an unpleasant task because he was a big animal. Of course, the way to get rid of cleaning the crib was to get rid of the ox. That would give them a clean crib, but they would be deprived of the “strength of the ox.”
This has a tremendous spiritual lesson for us. Sometimes we try to solve problems in the church and try to clean up divisions in the church by throwing out the ox. Often there is a group or clique in the church, busy as termites and with about the same result, who want to get rid of those people who insist on having Bible teaching in the church. They are going to clean the crib, they think, so they throw out the ox. I believe this has happened to church after church in our country. After a while it becomes evident that it was the oxen who pulled the plow. They were the ones who contributed financially; they were the ones who sent out the missionaries; they were the ones who paid the bills. So before one tries to do any cleaning, it is very important to find out who are the oxen in the Lord’s work.
I play golf with a wonderful Christian man. He gives to our Bible-teaching program because he believes in teaching the Bible. We have wonderful fellowship together, but we disagree on a lot of things. When we are playing golf, I like to concentrate on the game. He is always talking to me about my work, saying, “Why don’t you do this, and why don’t you do that?” Sometimes that is a little irritating. I could get rid of him—that would be getting the crib clean—but I would be throwing out the ox! I would lose a friend who is very right in much of the advice he gives me. And he pulls the plow with me in trying to get out the Word of God. How absolutely foolish it would be to clean the crib by throwing out the ox.
A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies [Prov. 14:5].
The Lord Jesus has been called the faithful and true witness. That is the kind of witness we ought to be, too.
We hear a great deal today about being a witness for Christ. There are courses given on how to be a witness for Christ. It is wonderful to take a course that will enable you to go out and ring doorbells and tell people about the Savior. But remember, there are two kinds of witnesses: the faithful and the false. If you tell someone that Jesus saves and keeps and satisfies, are you telling the truth? You answer, “Of course, it is the truth.” Yes, the facts are true, but have you proven it to be true in your own life? Or are you being a false witness?
Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour [Prov. 14:9].
Jezebel is a prime example in the Word of God of one who made “a mock at sin.” We are told to turn away from people who do that and have nothing to do with them.
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy [Prov. 14:10].
Every heart has some secret joy or sorrow that no one can share. No one. We may try to share it, but they do not understand. I remember some folk asked me to tell them about my operation for cancer. I told them how in the hospital I had turned to God and how at that time He had made Himself real to me. They didn’t like that. I could see they turned me off. Later I said to myself, Probably that is a secret that I can’t share with anyone else.
Have you ever had some wonderful, joyful experience, and you attempted to tell it to your loved ones? When I was a young man, some time after my dad had died, I wrote a poem. At that time I was living with an aunt, and there were several relatives there. I came in and said, “Look, I’ve written a poem, and I want to read it to you.” I read it, and it brought great joy to me, but it didn’t bring any joy to them. They turned me off when I started reading it. In fact, that experience caused me to stop writing poetry. If I were a budding poet, I was lost to the world forever, because they sure put a stop to my poetry right there! There are some things we can share with others, and there are some things we cannot share.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [Prov. 14:12].
This is a verse which should be applied to the cults and “isms.” They sound so reasonable and so nice and so attractive. Recently a friend said to me, “Why is it that this certain cult keeps growing as it does?” I said, “Because it appeals to the old nature of man. It appeals to the flesh. It tells you that if you are a nice sweet fellow and follow certain rules, you are going to make it.” My friend, “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man,” but notice the end of this proverb: “but the end thereof are the ways of death.” The end is eternal separation from God. How important it is to be in the right way! The Lord Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge [Prov. 14:15–18].
The viewpoint of the world is that the Christian is a person who has a low I.Q., is very naïve, and will believe everything that is said to him. The real child of God—and the only kind of child of God is a real one—is not simple in that sense. He doesn’t believe anything and everything.
Have you ever noticed that the disciples were constantly questioning the Lord? The man we call “doubting Thomas” was constantly raising questions. Simon Peter asked many questions: “Lord, where are You going? Why can’t I follow You?” Philip, the quiet one, asked Him, “Show us the Father. That’s all we need.” Judas (not Iscariot) asked, “How is it You will show us these things and not show them to the world?” These fellows were always raising questions.
If you are a child of God, you will not be gullible. You’re not going to swallow everything you hear. Faith is not a leap in the dark. Faith is not betting your life on something. Nor is it the little girl’s definition, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” My friend, faith rests upon a solid foundation. God says if it is not on a solid foundation, don’t believe it. “The simple believeth every word.” The prudent man, the wise man, tests what he hears.
The fear of the Lord causes a wise man to test what he hears. He will not be taken in. He won’t believe what the preacher says just because the preacher says it. He will cheek what the Word of God says. I want to say to you right now that you should not believe anything I say just because I say it. I am not the oracle of Delphi; I do not speak ex cathedra; I am not a know-it-all. You test what I say by the Word of God. There is a lot of sweet-sounding speech going out from churches and from the media. Oh, my friend, don’t believe everything you hear. Test it by the Word of God.
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends [Prov. 14:20].
That seems to be becoming more and more true. I doubt if a poor rail-splitter like Lincoln could run for the presidency in our day. A candidate has to be rich.
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he [Prov. 14:21].
How do you feel toward those who can do nothing for you in return? Do you do something for them?
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury [Prov. 14:23].
Some people just talk; they don’t do. People can almost be classified as either talking people or doing people.
The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly [Prov. 14:24].
The riches here are not necessarily material riches. There are a great many happy people who are rich, not in the things of this life, but in those things that are spiritual. That is the most important of all.
A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies [Prov. 14:25].
The Lord Jesus said it this way: “… if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matt. 15:14).
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death [Prov. 14:27].
To teach the fear of the Lord was the object of the Holy Spirit all the way through the Book of Proverbs.
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones [Prov. 14:30].
How true this is! Envy will not only rob you of your joy and fellowship with the Lord, but it will affect you physically.
Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people [Prov. 14:34].
I wish this verse were inscribed over the United Nations instead of the verse about beating their swords into plowshares, which will not happen until Christ reigns on this earth. When Christ returns, then they will learn that righteousness does exalt a nation. Today the nations do not believe that righteousness exalts them, but history bears testimony to it. The pathway of history is strewn with the wrecks, the debris, and the ruins of nations that didn’t follow this principle. “Sin is a reproach to any people.”
CHAPTER 15
This chapter contrasts goodness and evil and emphasizes first the role of the tongue, then of the heart.
THE TONGUE
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger [Prov. 15:1].
I’m sure that the people who come to your mind at this proverb are Abigail and Nabal. We have seen several proverbs that are applicable to them. Abigail was the beautiful, lovely wife and woman. Nabal, her husband, was the fool but a very rich man. Someone has written a book called “Beauty and the Beast,” and it is the story of Nabal and Abigail—Abigail is the beauty and Nabal is the beast. You will recall that when Abigail heard that her husband had sent an insulting answer to David, who had in kindness and consideration taken care of his flocks, she hurriedly ordered the servants to gather a great deal of food for David. Then she went to meet David and fell down on her face before him. She recognized him as the future king, and she spoke to him of the fact that his life was bound up in the bundle of life with God—a beautiful expression. She gave a soft answer, and it did turn away wrath. On the other hand, grievous words stir up anger—which certainly was true of the words of Nabal.
You will notice many illustrations of this as you go through the Word of God. We find that the Lord Jesus Himself used the strongest language in the entire Scriptures in His denunciation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. There can be a proper time to “put it on the line,” and Jesus certainly could do that. But notice how gracious He was to those who needed the grace of God. He told the poor woman in sin, “… Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). What a gracious thing to say to her. So we find illustrations of this again and again in the Word of God. There is a time for the very gracious, soft answer. There is also a time when the answer needs to be strong.
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness [Prov. 15:2].
We are back again to the tongue. I’ll repeat what I have said before—there is more said in the Bible about the abuse of the tongue than about the abuse of alcohol. That does not mean we commend alcohol; I think the greatest curse of this country right now is not dope or drugs but alcohol. Somehow people tend to point an accusing finger at the drug addict, but they excuse the alcoholic as being sick and needing help. He certainly does. The Word of God condemns drunkenness but even more severely condemns the abuse of the tongue. That little tongue will tell people who you really are. It will give you away. I have a little booklet entitled Hell on Fire. It is a scriptural title, dealing with the tongue, that dangerous little instrument.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good [Prov. 15:3].
You may look to the right hand and to the left hand and think that nobody is watching you. Even Big Brother may not be watching you, but God is watching. God sees you.
Remember that when Moses saw an Egyptian beating one of his brethren in slavery, he looked this way and he looked that way, and then he slew the Egyptian. He forgot to look up! He didn’t think anyone knew. God knew. Your life and my life are an open book before God. What is secret sin down here is open scandal in heaven. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit [Prov. 15:4]
Here is the tongue again. It can get us into a lot of trouble. It can get us out of trouble, too. It can be a blessing or a curse.
A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent [Prov. 15:5]
There is so much said in the Book of Proverbs about listening to advice and instruction. It has been said that you can’t tell a fool anything. That is true. You can tell him, but you can’t get through to him for the very simple reason that he is not listening to instruction.
In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble [Prov. 15:6]
This contrast is not dealing with material riches. The treasure that is in the house of the righteous consists of things like joy, peace, love, sympathy, comfort—wonderful treasures. They are the great treasures of life. The contrast is with the revenues of the wicked which are trouble.
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so [Prov. 15:7]
This changes the word from tongue to lips, but the meaning is still the same. The wise disperse knowledge.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight [Prov. 15:8]
This is a fundamental principle. The wicked cannot do good or think right. It is impossible for them to do so. Let’s skip down for a moment and see another verse that states the same truth. “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words” (v. 26). The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord and so are the sacrifices that he brings.
The reason they are an abomination is that he is wrong, wrong on the inside and wrong on the outside. He is all wrong, and whatever he does is wrong. The problem is that he has not learned to come in humility, recognizing his lost condition, coming to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Someone has said, “A person who trusts so much as a single hair’s breadth of his works for salvation is a lost soul.” That is true. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.” A person may be religious. He may go to church and go through certain formalities, but that has no value as far as God is concerned. I do not understand why people think that if they do certain religious things, that will make them right with God. The heart must be changed. God does interior decorating before He can do any exterior decorating. He is not interested in your exterior decorating until He has done a job of interior decorating in your life.
The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness [Prov. 15:9]
We have seen what God thinks of the sacrifice of the wicked and of the thoughts of the wicked; now we see that the way of the wicked is also an abomination to the Lord. But He loves the person who follows after righteousness. Remember that it is Christ who has been made unto us righteousness (see 1 Cor. 1:30).
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die [Prov. 15:10]
A man hates to be told that he is wrong. There are some people who will not accept any kind of advice or admonition.
THE HEART
Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men? [Prov. 15:11]
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). God is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. “Hell” or Sheol, the unseen world which none of us has seen, and which the man of the world does not believe exists, is open before God.
Only God can make that unseen world real to a child of God, which will give him a true perspective of this life. The man who lives with the idea that this life is all there is has a different set of values and a different list of priorities from that which the child of God has. When we talk to people who are not the children of God, it is important to get their perspective of life, to see how they are thinking. But only God can reveal what is on the other side in the unseen world. You and I can’t do that. Only the Spirit of God can take the things of Christ and make them real to us and to them.
Jesus Christ walked on this earth in the flesh over 1,900 years ago. He stepped through the doorway of death, but He was made alive on the third day. For forty days He revealed Himself to His disciples. Then He went back to glory, and He sent His Holy Spirit to us. Only the Holy Spirit of God can make Him real to us. The Lord Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would “… take of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:15). It is very important for us to be aware of this.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken [Prov. 15:13]
It is known that laughter and good cheer and joy actually add to a man’s health and to the length of his life. They bring to life a wonderful dimension that cannot be there if we live in sorrow and pessimism.
The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness [Prov. 15:14]
Here he is emphasizing the heart rather than the head of man. He is not talking so much about the accumulating of certain facts but about spiritual discernment or, as someone has put it, “sanctified common sense.” There is a dearth, a famine, of that in the land.
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith [Prov. 15:16–17]
A good illustration of this is found in the life of Daniel. He was taken as a slave into Babylon when he was just a young man. He showed remarkable ability, so he was put with the wise men to be trained for government service. He was to be given a certain diet which he refused to eat because it was forbidden to the Jews by the laws of God. He asked instead for a diet of cereal. He did this because of his fear of the Lord. He wanted to serve God. My, how God honored that man! He made him prime minister to Nebuchadnezzar, the first great world ruler. When the Persians took over, God again made Daniel the prime minister to the second great world ruler, Cyrus the Great. God honored His servant.
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife [Prov. 15:18]
This takes us back to verse 1. A man who is crude and rough in his dealings will stir up strife.
However, it is also true that preaching the Word of God will stir up strife. Remember that the Lord Jesus was the most controversial person who has ever been on this earth. Wherever the truth is preached, strife will be the result, because there are folk who don’t want to hear it. Remember that we said the Word of God works like a Geiger counter. If you run it over a congregation, you can learn who is a genuine Christian and who is not.
A young preacher having trouble in his congregation came to me about it. I told him about my experience when I was a boy. When I would go to the barn at night to feed the horse or the cow, I would light a lantern and carry it with me. When I would open the barn door and step in, two things would happen: The rats would scurry and run for cover, and the birds which were roosting on the rafters would begin to sing. Light had those two very different effects. And when the Word of God is preached you will see the rats run for cover and the birds begin to sing.
We do need to keep in mind that we are not to exaggerate the offense of the cross—just preach it.
A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother [Prov. 15:20]
The father brags about his boy when he is making good. If the boy is failing, you won’t hear a word out of his dad.
A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! [Prov. 15:23]
It is not only what you say but when you say it. Sometimes the right word at just the right time will do the job. Many of us could testify that the right word said to us at the right time in our lives changed the whole course of our lives. That has certainly happened to me.
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words [Prov. 15:26]
We have already seen that the sacrifices of the wicked, the ways of the wicked, and the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. The wicked must be turned from his wicked ways. He must be turned to God.
The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous [Prov. 15:29]
Peter writes the same thing. He says that God hears the prayer—that’s interesting—of the righteous; but His ears are closed to the prayer of the wicked (1 Pet. 3:12).
The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat [Prov. 15:30]
I tell you, one good way to lose weight is to hear a bad report, to get some bad news.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility [Prov. 15:33]
The important lesson for man to learn is to come with humility to learn of God. We all need that lesson.
CHAPTER 16
This is a very rich and important section—short sentences drawn from long experience, tested in the crucible of time and of suffering. They are made rich and real to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The proverbs are for all time, although they were written specifically to the young man who was an Israelite under the Mosaic Law. However, they widen out and speak to all of our hearts in a very definite way: to rich and poor, male and female, black and white. This is a book that can reach down and touch us all.
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord [Prov. 16:1]
Dr. H. A. Ironside translates this: “The purposes of the heart are of man: but from Jehovah is the answer of the tongue.” Our human proverb that would go along with this is, “Man proposes, but God disposes.” As the Word of God says “… it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). You may plan, and I may plan or arrange things, but when the time comes to speak or act, God is the One who is going to have the last word. We may make a great boast, but only God can give the final answer.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits [Prov. 16:2]
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes.” We have seen this before in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
If you have ever dealt with lost people and have spoken to them about their salvation, or if you have been a preacher or a teacher, you know the answer that you get most of the time: “I don’t need to be saved. I’m all right. What is wrong with me? I’m willing to stand before God. I’m an honest man.” It is that sort of thing on and on. A man is clean in his own eyes. I have had that thrown back at me even as a challenge.
There are even a great many Christians who think that their walk is perfect before God. The whole issue is wrapped up in this one verse of Scripture: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We need to hold up the mirror of the Word of God to our lives, and it will reveal that things are not quite right, that we don’t measure up to God’s standard. You may measure up to the standard of the chamber of commerce, and it may make you Man of the Year; your club may reward you and give you a plaque; your church may pat you on the back; and your neighbors may say that you are a great guy. But, my friend, when you see yourself in the light of the Word of God, then you see that you have a need and that there are spots on your life. You will see that you have come short of the glory of God. Your way may be clean in your own eyes, but it is not clean in God’s eyes. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6). Now John is speaking to Christians. There are a great many folk sitting in a church pew as comfortable as you please. In fact, they tend to point their finger at other folk and say, “They’re not so good, but I am. I’m really all right.” I think some of the saints today have, in effect, asked God to move over. They want to sit next to Him and look down to judge their fellow Christians.
The way of a man may seem clean in his own eyes, but Jehovah weighs the spirit. God searches you. Have you ever seen a pair of scales that can weigh spirits? Well, I’ll tell you one—the Word of God. It is a mirror. It is a set of scales to measure you, and it says that you come short, that you don’t measure up.
Some folk have misunderstood what I said in our study of the Epistle to the Galatians. They write to me and say, “You said that the Mosaic Law is no good today, that the Law is inoperative.” I didn’t say that. What I said was that the Law cannot save you. The Law is good; Paul said it’s good. It is a mirror. It reveals to you that you have come short of the glory of God. My friend, if you look at the Law of God and still say that you are measuring up to it, then you haven’t really seen the Law yet. You don’t really know what the Law is saying. The Law demands perfection, and you and I cannot produce it. Therefore we need a Savior. That is what the Law will do: it is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. It will take you by the hand and bring you to the cross and say, “Little fellow, what you need is a Savior!” The Law is good, but it will not save you. If the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes—even with the Word of God before him—may I say, there is none blind like those who will not see. Jehovah weighs the spirits.
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established [Prov. 16:3]
The word commit is literally “roll.” You just roll your affairs over upon the Lord, and He will take charge. That’s actually the way I got saved. When I was a lad, I ran away to Detroit, got into sin, came home, and was troubled by my conscience. Then a preacher told me that God wasn’t angry at me—that Jesus bore my sins and that being justified by faith I could have peace with God. At that time I just rolled my sins onto Christ. There are times, even to this day, when I can’t sleep at night, that I like to just roll over in bed and say, “Lord Jesus, I am resting in You.” Roll over. Rest in Him. Commit thy works unto Jehovah.
Are you worried about tomorrow, next week, next year, or the unforeseeable future? How is it all going to work out? Why don’t you just turn it over to Him? Roll it over onto Him. What a picture this is!
The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil [Prov. 16:4]
My friend, here is some strong medicine. This proverb is a pill that will send you on a trip, I mean a real mind-blowing trip. Jehovah hath made all things for Himself. Have you ever wondered why the ocean is salty, or why it has a tide? You may answer that it is according to certain laws of nature. But who made the laws? Why is the ocean salty? Because God wanted it that way! The Lord Jesus is the Creator, and He wanted it that way. Someone may say it is because there is salt in the land that has been filtered out by the water in the ocean. By the way, who put the salt in the land to begin with?
I don’t care what you do with evolution or how far back you try to carry it, eventually you come to the place where somebody had to make something to get the whole thing started. You know who started it? God did. And not only that, He made all these things for Himself.
What is the chief end of man? I learned that in the catechism a long time ago, and the answer is good. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. I don’t care who you are or where you are, God created you for His glory. Somebody says, “What about the drunkard in the street? What about that crooked man? That lost man—what about him? You mean he’s for the glory of God?” My friend, this is a strong pill—are you ready to swallow it? All of that is for the glory of God. “Oh,” you may say, “I don’t like that.” I don’t remember that God ever asked anyone whether or not he liked it. He has never asked me that.
Very frankly, there are certain things that I don’t understand, and I think I could make some very fine suggestions to the Lord. But the Lord says, “Vernon McGee, I didn’t make this universe for you. This universe exists for Me, and you exist for Me; and you are going to be for My glory whether you are good or bad, saved or lost.” God is accomplishing His purpose today. Don’t you think it is about time you got in step with God? He is the One running the thing.
So many people want to make sure that they are going with the crowd, going with the thing that is popular, going with the thing that will work out. Friend, I don’t know how things are going to work out in this world, but I do know this: Ultimately it’s all going to be for the glory of God. “Even the lawless for the day of evil.” God is going to make the wrath of man to praise Him (Ps. 76:10). How is He going to do that? I don’t know. Let’s wait—He will show us someday. Are you willing to trust Him and commit your way to Him and get in step with Him?
The very wonderful thing is that God is moving this universe according to His plan and purpose. The Greeks had a proverb: “The dice of the gods are loaded.” That is exactly what God is saying in this proverb. Whether you like it or don’t like it, God is saying to you, “Don’t gamble with Me. Don’t act as if I don’t exist. You can play house as if I don’t exist, as if this is your universe and you are going to work it out your way. But I want you to know that if you start gambling with Me, you will lose. You see, this is My universe, and I make the dice to come up My way, not your way. My dice are loaded—I already know how they are coming up, and you don’t.” The thing for us to do is to get in step with God.
A man, the Scriptures say, is a fool to live without God. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God …” (Ps. 14:1). “… he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
This is a pill, is it not? And it is one that is hard for men to swallow.
When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him [Prov. 16:7].
I have wrestled with this proverb a great deal, and I have searched what other men have had to say on this. Do you mean to tell me that if your ways please Jehovah, you will not have an enemy? Well, if that were true, then God wouldn’t have an enemy, and He does have an enemy.
My interpretation is that if your ways please Jehovah, then your enemy may hate you; and, by the way, he will hate you. But the interesting thing is that, when the chips are down, these folk will admit that God is using you. That’s the important thing. One of the nicest things that has been said about me in Southern California was said by a man who very frankly says he hates me. He said, “I hate him, but he teaches the Word of God.” I say, “Thank you, Mr. Enemy, you are carrying out this proverb. You have to make that kind of acknowledgement if you’re honest.” I love this proverb, by the way.
A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work [Prov. 16:11].
This is a word for the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker.
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall [Prov. 16:18].
I have that underlined in my Bible.
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud [Prov. 16:19].
Here again is a thrust made against that which God hates—pride. Pride is number one on God’s “hate parade” (Prov. 6:16–19). This is the thing that brought down the archangel whom we know as Satan today. He was Lucifer—son of the morning—probably the highest creature God created until sin was found in him. What was that sin? It was pride: he attempted to lift himself above God, because he was such a great creature whom God had created and given the power of free choice.
Free choice is a very dangerous weapon which God has put in the hands of some of His creatures. Now some creatures follow an instinct. For example, the ducks leave Canada in the wintertime and fly down to South America. In the summer they fly back up to Canada. Back and forth they go. They are moved by instinct, but man has a free will. Man can stay in Canada in the wintertime (I don’t know why he would), and he can go south in the summertime. But where there is free choice, there is also the possibility of pride and rebellion against God.
There are so many in Scripture who illustrate this matter of pride. This is the thing that was the undoing of that man Haman in the Book of Esther. And Absalom—imagine him rebelling against his father, David! Goliath, the giant, boasted in his pride. And Ahab was filled with pride.
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones [Prov. 16:24].
“Pleasant words.” We all like to hear something good, don’t we? We read the newspaper and always get the bad news. It’s too bad more people don’t read the Bible. It is filled with good news. That is what the gospel is—good news.
Also, we should learn to say it with pleasant words now—instead of trying to say it with flowers when it is too late.
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [Prov. 16:25].
You will recognize that we had this proverb before (Prov. 14:12). Then why is it repeated? It is because the Lord doesn’t want us to miss this one. Repetition reveals its importance.
An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire [Prov. 16:27].
We probably all know someone who fits this proverb. I had a friend who professed to be a Christian, but almost every time I would see him he would start in, “Dr. McGee, have you heard …?” Then he would go on with the latest and the juiciest gossip that was going around. Was he a godly man? I don’t know. I cannot sit in judgment on him. We need to guard our own tongue and lips so that we do not do the same.
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends [Prov. 16:28].
We said before that some people will believe anything if it is whispered to them. There are those people who go around and whisper things—separating friends.
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness [Prov. 16:31].
This is a good motto for the senior citizen.
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord [Prov. 16:33].
I have this verse written over the Book of Esther. In his pride Haman cast lots to determine the day of destruction of the Jewish people. But God intervened and delivered His people; and the Jewish Feast of Purim (meaning “lots”) is a celebration of that providential day.
Let me say again that “the dice of the gods are loaded.” Don’t gamble with God. Don’t take a chance with Him. Remember that it is God’s universe, and it is all for His glory. It’s for His purpose. Do you want to cooperate? Do you want to get in step with God or continue in rebellion? It is not your will, but God’s will that shall prevail. Oh, that you and I would get in step with Him and be at peace with Him, being justified by faith!
CHAPTER 17
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife [Prov. 17:1].
This verse is very similar in thought to Proverbs 15:17: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” The last part of the verse pictures a scene of religious activity, but activity does not always denote the working of God. A church can have a lot of meetings, a lot of organization, and a tremendous amount of activity, but all of this may cause a great deal of confusion and frustration.
I think of Elijah in the court of Ahab and Jezebel. There certainly was plenty of activity going on in Ahab’s palace, including a lot of religious practices, but nothing really pertaining to God. Elijah stepped in and proclaimed that it wasn’t going to rain until God said so, and He wasn’t in the mood to say so. Then Elijah walked out. Where did he go? He went far off to the Brook Cherith where he stayed a long time alone with God. God was training him out in the quietness of the desert. “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith.”
God took Moses out of the palace of Pharaoh (another scene of great activity and religious organization) and put him in the desert of Midian and taught him there. Both Moses and Elijah had “a dry morsel, and quietness therewith.”
It is nice to get off at times and be by yourself. My wife and I are busy at many conferences, and we have had to cut down on the number of them in order to get some quietness and rest. When we get home from a series of conferences, we go nowhere but just outside on our patio. I tell my wife, “Come on out here, and let’s sit down together and get acquainted with each other. I’ve been married to you a long time, and it’s time I was getting acquainted with you.” It’s a good thing for us to do. God wants us to have times like that. They are very important for our spiritual refreshment.
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren [Prov. 17:2].
A servant who is faithful is better than a son who is not faithful. It is better to have a servant in whom you can have confidence than a son you cannot trust.
I think here of Abraham and his faithful servant Eliezer, and of David and his son Absalom. Abraham told the Lord that Eliezer was his only heir and that he wanted a son (Gen. 15:2). He felt it was much better to have a son, and God answered his request. But if the son is not dependable, if he is going to be like David’s son Absalom, who openly rebelled against him, then certainly it is much better to have a good, faithful servant. And David had a number of faithful men who stayed right with him.
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts [Prov. 17:3].
To get pure silver, the mined ore must be put into the fining pot and heated until it melts so that the dross can be removed and the pure metal remain. The same thing applies to gold; it is put in the furnace, and the dross is drawn off. And the Lord puts His servants into the fire so that He can develop something in them. He tries our hearts in order to strengthen us. He wants to produce better sons and daughters for His use.
We are more precious to God than gold or silver. Therefore, we should not be discouraged when we are tested. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6–7). God uses this method.
God had a purpose in allowing Job to go through the furnace of affliction. God had a purpose in giving Paul a thorn in the flesh. God had a purpose in permitting the period of martyrdom that came to the church. Persecution actually molded the church, and it has never been as rich spiritually as it was during that period.
I think one of the problems among Christians today is our affluence. This was one of the problems in Israel. Moses described it in Deuteronomy 32:15: “But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” I’m afraid we may have a lot of fat saints today. They have everything, and yet they become complainers, faultfinders, critics. They really are no help to the cause of Christ. So God must put the saints that He is going to use into the furnace in order that He might develop them for His use.
I received a letter from a lady who prayed that she might know the Lord Jesus better, that she might grow in grace and the knowledge of Him. What did the Lord do? He gave her cancer. Someone may say, “That’s no way for God to do.” But that is the way He sometimes does it, friend. You are listening to a preacher who knows all about it. I know why God gave me cancer. One mean letter sent to my wife and me said that God gave us cancer because we won’t obey God and we’re ignorant, and because of the kind of folk we are. Well, some of that may be true. But He didn’t do it in a mean spirit, the way the letter was written. He did not do it because He hates us or because He is mean. God did it in a loving way, and you don’t know how precious He has become to us because of it.
Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers [Prov. 17:6].
Here is a verse I am sure many of you can appreciate. “Children’s children” are grandchildren. It is a verse for grandfathers. “The glory of children are their fathers!” Children look to their fathers. I have always been grateful for a daughter who has loved and respected her father. We have always been able to communicate, even though she has the same kind of temper that I have—a short fuse. Every now and then we have a blowup, but then I go to her or sometimes she comes to me. We don’t ever let the sun go down on our disagreement. But “children’s children are the crown of old men!” The proverb is right. Now I am an old man with grandsons, and I could bore you to tears talking about them. Perhaps you have heard of one old man saying to another old man, “Have I ever told you about my grandson and shown you pictures of him?” The other man replied, “No, you haven’t, and I want to thank you for it!” If I had known how wonderful grandchildren can be, I would have had them before I had my children! They are a pride and joy to have around, and they draw families together. The child looks to the father, but the grandfather looks back to the grandchild; that is where his affection centers.
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool [Prov. 17:10].
Somebody says, “You know, poor Mr. So-and-So, he’s a wonderful child of God, and look at the trouble he has had!” God reproves his saints, sometimes by sending trouble into their lives. God is coaching them, because they are wise men. The wise man will listen to reproof.
The fool won’t listen to reproof. Even if God laid an hundred stripes on his back, it wouldn’t do him any good. When you see someone prospering who is ungodly, the reason may be that he is such a fool that no matter what God would do to him, he would not change. The Lord Jesus told about the man who took down his old barns to build new barns for his crops. He was prosperous and was expanding his business. There is nothing wrong with building a new barn. The thing wrong was that the man was a fool. I didn’t say that—Jesus said it. He was a fool because he did nothing about eternity. The chastening of the Lord would not have changed him. During the Great Tribulation the world will go through such intense suffering and judgment that people will gnaw their own tongues. But do you think they will turn to God? No. A hundred stripes will not do any good when they are applied to a fool.
This leads me to repeat that I believe we have a wrong philosophy about prisons today. A prison is not for the purpose of developing men and putting them back into society. There may be some place for that, but a prison is primarily a place of punishment, not an institution for discipline. Discipline is for a child—your own child. Punishment is for the one who has committed a crime.
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? [Prov. 17:16].
I have known a lot of boys from wealthy families who had no heart for college at all. They shouldn’t have been in college. It wasn’t that they were not able to pass the courses, but they didn’t want to go to college in the first place. Their hearts were not in it.
I do not agree with the philosophy that every person should have a college education. I think that every person should have access to a college education, but I do not think that young folks should be forced to go to college. A lot of young people don’t have a capacity for it, nor do they have the heart for it. This has nothing to do with being rich or poor. It involves the desire to learn. I believe that every poor boy who really wants to learn should have the opportunity. The door ought to be opened for him. On the other hand, there are a lot of rich boys who should not be in college at all. I was a poor boy, and I thank God for a wonderful Christian elder who took an interest in me. If it hadn’t been for that man, I could never have gone to college. I thank God for opening the door to college for this poor boy.
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity [Prov. 17:17].
This verse reminds us of Jonathan who was such a wonderful friend to David. “A friend loveth at all times.” Jonathan loved David when he was playing his music in the palace as well as when he was hiding for his life, trying to escape King Saul. Although Jonathan was the son of Saul and heir to the throne, he loved David.
It is a wonderful thing to have a friend like that. If someone doesn’t love you at all times, that person is not your friend. It is one of the disappointments of life to have someone profess to love you and be your friend, then when the chips are down, you find that he really does not love you after all. He was a Judas Iscariot or an Absalom, who betrayed you.
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy [Prov. 17:21].
This has been repeated several times in Proverbs. The father of a son who is making good is a father full of joy. He will talk constantly about his boy. If he has a son who is not doing well, he becomes very silent, and no one hears about the boy.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones [Prov. 17:22].
There are a lot of folk today who are actually sick with a heart sickness. It is not heart trouble. It is a heart sickness, a lack of joy. They live down in Mudville. They are the mighty Casey who struck out at bat. This description applies to many Christians.
God wants us to have a merry heart. He wants us to have a big time! Our fellowship at church should be a place of fun. We should laugh and rejoice and praise God when we go to church. We are simply too stiff and stilted in our churches.
A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment [Prov. 17:23].
There are many different ways of bribing, and there is so much bribing going on in our world today.
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding [Prov. 17:28].
This proverb has humor in it. It says that it pays to keep your mouth shut.
An Arkansas farmer had a son who was simple. Folks would say he was “not all there.” They drove into town with a load of apples, and the father left the son to sit and hold the reins of the horses while he went off on an errand. “Now, son,” said the father, “don’t you say anything to anybody because if you do, they will find out you are a fool.” The boy promised he wouldn’t open his mouth. A man came up to the wagon and asked, “How much are your apples, son?” The boy never said a word. The man asked two or three times, but the boy just sat there and looked at him. Finally the man said, “What in the world is wrong? You act like a fool.” Then he walked away. When the father returned, he asked the boy, “How did things go?” The boy answered, “I kept my mouth shut, but they found out I was a fool anyway.”
CHAPTER 18
Our young man who has entered the school of wisdom is progressing. I hope the rest of us are coming along with him and are learning the spiritual truths that are in these proverbs.
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom [Prov. 18:1].
Let me give a translation which I think will be helpful: “A man having separated himself for his own pleasure rageth against all sound wisdom.” The important thing here is the subject of separation, and this is the wrong kind of separation.
The great division in the human family is between saved people and lost people. That is the division that God sees. He does not make divisions like we do into categories of black, white, yellow, or red. God is really “color-blind.” Now the Bible does teach a separation of the saved people from the lost people: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17). God makes it very clear that His people are to separate themselves from that which is unclean. He is referring particularly to the idolatry, the immorality, and the filthy conversation of the unsaved. There should be a separation from that. By the way, this is real segregation: segregate yourself from the evil. That is important to do. There are many saved folk who emphasize separation. They form cliques and groups and practice the wrong kind of separation. They make up their own little commandments, which are not actually in the Bible. They follow them and feel that they should separate themselves from other believers, and they feel that this makes them very special people in the sight of the Lord. They think they are superior. Generally they are not. They manifest many evidences of the flesh working in their lives. That is a wrong kind of separation.
There is another group of strong separationists, and they are among the unsaved. We find that this is what is referred to in this proverb. This is the person who has separated himself for his own pleasure. He refuses to listen to anything that is wise. Jude speaks of them as being apostates and says this: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 19). They withdraw themselves from any group or individual who might reprimand them and begin their own little group and become very obnoxious. Generally they are apostates: they separate themselves from the truth. They certainly cause a great deal of sorrow in this world.
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself [Prov. 18:2].
A professor sent me a collection of modern proverbs. Some of them fit the proverbs we are studying from the Bible. This is one that possibly fits here: “If I stop to think before I speak, I won’t have to worry afterward about what I said before.” That certainly is true.
When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach [Prov. 18:3].
Another modern proverb is: “Some persons cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” I think that is a good one and would apply to the crowd mentioned in this verse. These are some people who also bring great sorrow into the world.
The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook [Prov. 18:4].
Every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus stood in the temple when the water was poured out at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles and said, “… If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly [inmost being] shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37–38). Then John interprets this for us. “(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:39). The child of God should learn to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is so important in presenting the Word of God and talking about the things of God.
It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment [Prov. 18:5].
Do not compromise with an evil person or a lawless person in order to overthrow a righteous person. This applies to individuals. I believe it also applies to nations. I wonder if perhaps our nation has been guilty of compromising with wicked nations. We have interfered in too many places, and we have gotten ourselves into serious difficulties. These proverbs are practical, and they can be geared right into life.
A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly [Prov. 18:6–8].
“The words of a talebearer” or the words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels that go down into the depth of the soul. We are back again to the subject of the fool. Remember that the Lord Jesus has told us that we are not to call anyone a fool (see Matt. 5:22). However, God calls some people fools because He knows them.
We find again that the fool is a source of trouble. He is the one who is always stirring up contention, issuing complaints, finding fault.
We can give another fitting modern proverb: “Be considerate. Most people know how to express a complaint, but few utter a gracious compliment. The bee is seldom complimented for making honey; it is just criticized for stinging.” How true!
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe [Prov. 18:10].
The name of Jehovah is also the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called Jesus because He saves His people from their sins. And He is called Christ because He is the Anointed One. He is the Lord of our life and our salvation. The Lord is a strong tower. You can run into it and be completely safe. This is a verse that many have used in speaking to children, and I have used it myself and found it very effective. It speaks of security and reminds us that no one can pluck us out of His hands. What a beautiful picture this is!
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit [Prov. 18:11].
There are basic differences between Israel and the church which we need to recognize. Material wealth was one of the promises of God to His people Israel, but He did not promise that to us. God promised them a full basket, and He made good His word. He also said He would take away their wealth as a judgment. The church is not a continuation of Israel, even though that is sometimes preached today. The church is not the next grade above Judaism. You can make a comparison, of course, and there are many likenesses. The contrasts, however, are greater. The church has not been promised material blessings. God has blessed us as believers “… with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3, italics mine). The child of God needs to be fortified. He needs to get into the strong tower. He needs to be in this strong city and have the high wall around him. What is it? Well, it is a knowledge of the Word of God. We need to recognize that we are living in very difficult times and we are being tested. Oh, how important is a knowledge of the Word of God! My friend, don’t try to substitute these little courses that teach you how to witness and how to get along with your wife. They may have a certain value, but they are only surface stuff. There is no substitute for digging into the Word of God. My friend, learn to read the Word of God. If you don’t understand it, read it again. If you don’t understand it the second time, go over it once more. Then if you don’t understand it the third time through, something is wrong, and you need to go to the Lord and tell Him you’re not getting it. Ask Him to help you. The Spirit of God is our teacher. I know I am telling you this accurately because He hasn’t yet let me down in this matter of understanding His Word.
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him [Prov. 18:13].
How often people try to pass judgment on someone else when they don’t really know the person or the problem or the situation under which that person lives. How important it is to have all the facts before we express an opinion!
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? [Prov. 18:14].
You can break your leg and recover from that; but, if your spirit is broken, you are completely broken. Only God can encourage you at a time like that. Remember at the time of Nehemiah’s governorship over the people of Israel, and even after they had rebuilt the walls, they still had not heard the Word of God. When the Word of God was read to them, they saw how far they were from God and they began to weep. Nehemiah told them not to weep because it was a time of rejoicing. He said, “… the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). How important it is for us to know that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Sitting in the pastor’s study of a church in Salem, Oregon, I noticed this little motto (it’s a contemporary proverb) on the wall: “Joy is the flag that is flown in the heart when the Master is in residence.” I like that. When the Lord Jesus Christ becomes first choice in your life, when He has top priority, then you will not have that broken spirit that we hear so much about today. Give God the first choice. Give of your time, your effort, your thoughts, your companionship, and your money, and see what happens. Have you tried that?
A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men [Prov. 18:16].
I hope you will nail this one down. Some critics have compared this verse with Proverbs 25:14 and have pointed it out as an apparent contradiction in the Bible; however, when we get to that chapter, we will find out that it is a contrast and not a contradiction at all.
This verse speaks of gifts, and as I have mentioned before, I believe every believer in Christ has a gift. Gifts of the Spirit is a message we have in print that develops this subject.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof [Prov. 18:21].
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue”—think of that! Your tongue can be used to give out the gospel, and this will give life. It can also be used to say things that would drive people away from God, which makes it an instrument of death. The little tongue is the most potent weapon in this world. The Bible has much to say about the tongue, and we find a lot about it in the Book of Proverbs.
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord [Prov. 18:22].
I have actually laughed at the thought that these two verses are side by side in the Word of God. The Spirit of God put them together. The tongue is used when the fellow proposes to the girl. He asks her to marry him, and that is the proper way for it to be done; and death and life are in the power of the tongue. You may wish you had bitten off your tongue before you asked the fatal question. It’s like the story of the old bachelor who had never met a woman whom he wanted to marry because he thought they all talked too much. He found what we used to call an old maid, one who seemed very quiet. He fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. The minute she accepted the proposal, she started talking. She talked about where they would go and how they would fix their house and on and on. Suddenly after an hour or so she realized that she was doing all the talking and that he was quiet. “Why don’t you say something?” she asked. He answered, “I’ve said too much already!”
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.” I want to say that I have always thanked the Lord for my wife. It is wonderful to have a good wife—and to have someone who is able to put up with me!
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother [Prov. 18:24].
If you want to have friends, then show yourself friendly. By the way, are you a friend to your friends?
“There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Do you know who He is? He is closer to you than a brother can be. Jesus is the One, and He says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). When I hear folk singing “Jesus is a Friend of Mine,” I want to go up to them and ask, “Are you obeying His commands?” Jesus says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” If you are not obeying Him, I take it that you’re not one of His friends.
Jesus is a friend who will stick closer than a brother. He is our Savior. He loved us enough to die for us. He is the one who says, “… lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world …” (Matt. 28:20) and “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Also He has given us this promise: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). There isn’t anything you can do to improve such an arrangement. We have a wonderful Friend who sticks closer than any brother.
CHAPTER 19
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool [Prov. 19:1].
The Lord has forbidden us to call anyone a fool, but the Spirit of God has really been using that word. Apparently there are quite a few fools in the human family.
Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord [Prov. 19:2–3].
There is an antithetic parallelism all through these proverbs. Here is a contrast between those who are the children of God and those who are not. The one is in the path of truth; the other, who is in the path of self-will and ignorance, God calls a fool.
We have a modern proverb: “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” This is a false proverb. Sometimes people—even officers of the church—pride themselves on being ignorant of the Bible. In board meetings I have heard church officers speak out saying, “Well, that is theological; that is biblical, and I don’t know much about that” I had to bite my lip from saying, Why in the world don’t you know it? You are a mature man, an officer in the church, and you should not be that devoid of spiritual understanding!
Someone sent me this proverb: “No man is uneducated who knows the Bible, and no one is truly educated who is ignorant of its teachings.” Although the world does not accept this, I believe it is true. I do not think a man can be truly educated if he is ignorant of the Bible. Certainly one cannot be a mature Christian and be ignorant of the Bible. A knowledge of the Word of God should be a characteristic of the child of God.
Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour [Prov. 19:4].
Wealthy people seem to have a lot of friends. Their houses are full of guests so long as the refrigerator is filled and the bar is well stocked and there is music and entertainment.
It is interesting to note that the Word of God admonishes the child of God to seek out the poor man. You will remember that James, in a practical way, speaks of a man who comes into your assembly “… with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool” (James 2:2–3).
Unfortunately, it is true that the poor man has his problems in many of our churches. A couple was telling me about their personal experience. They are poor and not able to buy the latest in style, and what they wear looks pretty worn. They went to a church that has a reputation of being a very conservative, evangelical church. My, they were snubbed. What happened to them is terrible!
Human nature has not changed down through the centuries. The old nature is still being revealed. My mother used to ask me before she went out, “Is my petticoat showing?” Now my wife asks me the same thing. There are a lot of folk who are stepping out, going to church, and moving in the society of their particular group whose old nature is showing. And it shows in matters like separating the poor from their society. God lays it on the line, doesn’t He? “The poor is separated from his neighbour.” When they find out you are a poor boy, they don’t want you around.
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape [Prov. 19:5].
Drop down to verse 9 and see that it is almost the same statement. “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish”. A false witness is not going to “escape.” He will be found out. He will be called to account for what he has said. Not only that, he is going to “perish.” God tells us that in Revelation 21:8.
We think of Ahab and Jezebel in connection with the episode of Naboth’s vineyard. The record is in 1 Kings 21 and 22. Because Naboth would not give up his vineyard to the king, arrangements were made to have false witnesses bring an untrue charge against him and then stone him to death. Ahab thought he got by with this crime, but Elijah met him and told him that where Naboth’s innocent blood had been shed, the dogs would lick his blood. What happened was this: Ahab went into battle against Syria, with Jehoshaphat in alliance with him. He put Jehoshaphat out in front wearing his royal robes, but Ahab disguised himself as a common soldier to escape notice. But a trigger happy soldier on the enemy side “drew a bow at a venture”—he didn’t even know who he was aiming at, but that old arrow had Ahab’s name on it. When it went out from the bow with a zing it said, “Ahab, where are you? I’m looking for you.” And it found him. He bled like a stuck pig, and he died. The blood ran out of the wound in the chariot, “And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake” (1 Kings 22:38). You say that is crude and frightful. I agree. But, my friend, lying, false witnessing, and gossip in God’s sight are really frightful, and God hates them. “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.”
Many will entreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts [Prov. 19:6].
“Many will entreat the favour of the prince”—we don’t have a prince, but we write letters to our congressmen and our governor, and sometimes even to our president when we want legislation passed.
“Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.” That is certainly true. A man will have plenty of friends as long as he is giving out gifts.
All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him [Prov. 19:7].
The brethren of the poor may not hate him as we think of hateful behavior. Often they just don’t have anything to do with him. They ignore him. A prosperous man may see his ne’er-do-well brother drive up in an old jalopy, so he says to his wife, “Let’s get into the bedroom and lock the door and make him think that we’re not home.” That is what it means to hate your brother. The poor don’t do very well in this world, by the way.
We hear so much from the people who campaign for office about how they are going to help us poor folk. The only thing they ever help me with is more taxes. Every time we have an election my taxes go up. Every politician promises to give us some relief. No one has yet, and I don’t think anyone will. My feeling is that the problems have mounted so that no man can solve them. No man, I don’t care who he is, is able to solve the problems of the world today.
Do you know what we need? We need politicians to call us back to God. We need someone to say, “Look, I don’t have the answer to the world’s problems. Let’s turn to God for the answer. Let’s serve Him, let’s pray to Him.” Since we have tried everything else to solve our problems, wouldn’t it be well for us to try God for a change? It would be far better for us to listen to God than to listen to so much television. We have heard everybody else and all their opinions on the talk shows. They have strutted across the stage of human events, and it hasn’t been very impressive. We need to turn to God and listen to Him.
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping [Prov. 19:13].
Our last proverb about this matter said that when a man finds a wife, he has found a good thing. That is, he finds the other half of him, and she is to be a helpmeet for him. She is not to be a servant. Where do people get the idea that the wife is to obey the husband? The wife is to submit herself to her husband provided he is the right kind of man. If he is not, I don’t think God has asked her to submit herself. The only instructions I find about submission apply to the Christian home. A wife is to submit to a Christian husband who loves her just like Christ loves the church. When a woman has that kind of husband, she can submit herself to him.
This proverb almost makes one laugh even though it tells of a tragic situation. Think of the poor husband who has a foolish son and also has a wife who is contentious. You can imagine what kind of a home he lives in. That is why it is so wonderful to find the right kind of a wife.
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord [Prov. 19:14].
If you have a good wife, you got her from the Lord. You ought to thank the Lord for her, by the way. Have you ever done that? Thank the Lord for your good wife, because He is the One who gave her to you.
Young men, this should tell you something. Do you want a good wife? The one who gives away good wives is not the father of the daughter. Many a father is glad to get rid of his daughter. But our Heavenly Father has a lot of good wives to give away. Keep in touch with Him, and He will lead you to the right one. He wants to give you the right kind of wife. This is a very practical proverb. Don’t you agree?
Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying [Prov. 19:18].
Start with your discipline when the children are young. Don’t wait until it is too late. A man who was saved later in life told me, “My wife and I were saved recently, and we are thanking God for it, but we have lost our children. We used to live like the devil, and we can see that in our children today.” They had waited until too late to give their children the proper training.
Start when the children are young. Don’t mind if little Willie cries when you paddle him. On the other hand, every father needs to be very careful in the way he deals with his child. No one has the right to be brutal in his dealings with his children. Dr. Ironside has translated the proverb this way: “Chasten thy son while there is hope, but set not thy soul upon slaying him.” Don’t be afraid to discipline, but a brutal punishment is not to be permitted. Brutality can only tear down the child and destroy his spirit. As a matter of fact, even the law of the land can, and should, step in whenever there is brutality to children.
God has given very definite commands for Christians. He tells children to obey their parents (Eph. 6:1). But then he says to the fathers, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath …” (Eph. 6:4). Don’t wade into them when you are angry. They know you are angry and that you are just venting your anger and frustration. At that time you will probably punish too hard—in fact, you can be brutal. The command is to bring them up in the “… nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), that is, the discipline and the instruction of the Lord.
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand [Prov. 19:21].
Man can come up with many explanations, many solutions, but God is the only One who can give you the right kind of advice. Many can make a computer, but only God can put sense into it.
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar [Prov. 19:22].
This is a strange proverb, isn’t it? “The desire [or charm] of a man is his kindness.” How many folk do you know like that? They are kind, generous, lovely people. Then we are brought back to the poor man, the poor relative, who comes for dinner and stays for a couple of years to live with you. Well, it is better to have him than to have a liar.
The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil [Prov. 19:23].
The fear of the Lord does not mean that you are cringing, constantly in dread, living a life of terror. This proverb makes it clear that the real fear of God means that you can rest satisfied. It means that you recognize Him, you have looked to Him, you have accepted Him, and you want to follow Him. Now you can rest satisfied.
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again [Prov. 19:24].
An alternate translation is: “A slothful man burieth his hand in the dish.” Here is another proverb that is humorous. This man is so lazy that he can put his hand down into the dish to eat, but he is too lazy to bring it back up to his mouth. When you get to that place, you’re lazy! Unfortunately, we often see this in the spiritual realm. The Word of God is our food. I know Christians who will hold the Bible in their hands but are too lazy to read it.
Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools [Prov. 19:29].
Judgment is coming—that is quite obvious. God is not soft on the guilty. The pleasures of sin are for a season, but the wages of sin last for all eternity.
CHAPTER 20
We are still in this long section which sets before us the wisdom of Solomon. It is specifically directed to young men but actually applies to every Christian. In fact, the unbelievers can learn a great deal from these proverbs. The reading and study of the Word of God will have a definite effect upon the life of anyone. It will either bring you to God or it will drive you from Him. Your reaction to the Word of God cannot be neutral.
This is the first time there is a warning concerning alcohol or booze—I like the word booze because it has all the connotation of the evil that liquor has done down through the ages. I suppose that alcohol has wrecked more nations, more businesses, more homes, more individual lives than any other single factor.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise [Prov. 20:1].
There has always been a controversy about the “wine” in the New Testament being an intoxicant. It is my firm conviction that the Lord Jesus did not make an intoxicating drink at the wedding in Cana of Galilee (see John 2). Anyone who attempts to make of Him a boot-legger is ridiculous and is doing absolutely an injustice. Folk like to present the argument that in the warm climate of Israel all one had to do was to put grape juice in a wine skin and in time it would ferment. Yes, but in the miracle at Cana, the Lord Jesus started out with water, and in the matter of a few seconds He had “wine.” My friend, it didn’t have a chance to ferment. And we must remember that the wedding in Cana was a religious service, and everything that had to do with leaven (which is fermentation) was forbidden. This is the reason that at the time of the Passover and the institution of the Lord’s Supper the wine could not have been fermented. Fermentation is the working of leaven, and leaven was strictly forbidden in bread and in everything else. The bread and drink could not have been leavened. Intoxicants are condemned in the Word of God, and here is a verse for it: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Today many folk are being trapped by this type of thing. America is becoming a nation of drunkards. I am not impressed when the news media lets us know the tremendous amount of taxes that comes from the liquor industry. What they forget to tell is the cost of the hospitals, the mental institutions and the accidents—the people who have been maimed for life—as a result of drinking drivers. That kind of cost is not reported. I understand that any derogatory news is suppressed because one of the biggest advertisers is the booze industry. We hear about how bad drug abuse is today; but remember, alcohol is a drug!
A law enforcement officer told me that at the beginning of the drug craze the liquor interests helped to fight the drug traffic, because they were afraid it would hurt their business. They would much rather have a kid become a drunkard addicted to alcohol than to have him become a drug addict. That is really generous and big-hearted of the liquor industry, don’t you agree? However, young people began making comparisons. I have had young folk in youth groups tell me they don’t feel they should be reprimanded for smoking marijuana by a crowd that sits around drinking cocktails. And I agree with the young folk. Let the adults stop drinking liquor before they talk to our young people about the evils of marijuana. The hypocrisy of those outside the church is lots worse than the hypocrisy inside the church!
Drunkenness was the undoing of Noah, and it has been a problem from that day to the present hour. Alcohol is valuable for medicinal purposes, but the minute it is used as a beverage it becomes dangerous. The number of alcoholics is increasing every year. It is one of the greatest tax burdens we have to bear. But you don’t learn of that through the news media. In fact, it is dangerous to lift your head against this hydra-headed monster. I predict that it will not be missiles but liquor that will destroy our nation.
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling [Prov. 20:3].
One of the marks of a Christian should be that he does not prolong tension and strife. Someone has said that the only persons we should try to “get even with” are the people who have helped us. In other words, repay good with good. But don’t try to get even with your enemies. Do not respond with evil for evil. Instead, be yielded to God, for God has said, “… Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). It is on that basis that God tells us not to avenge ourselves. It is actually a departure from the pathway of faith to attempt to take matters into our own hands. God can do it lots better than we can.
The child of God should remember what Paul said to the Philippian believers: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5). Matthew Arnold translated moderation as “sweet reasonableness.” “Let your sweet reasonableness be known unto all men.” That is the meaning of the proverb—“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife.” How important it is!
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing [Prov. 20:4].
Israel has a moderate climate, and winter is the season for preparing the soil for the spring planting. The sluggard, the lazy oaf, would say it was too cold, so he would stay by the fire. He would say he’ll wait until it gets warmer. The problem would be that when it got warmer it was already too late to plow. That would be the time to be doing the planting. There is a note of humor in this verse.
It reminds me of the man whose house had a leaky roof. The reason he didn’t fix it was because he didn’t want to work on it when it was raining, and when it wasn’t raining it didn’t need fixing.
We come now to a set of proverbs that at first seem totally unrelated. However, there does appear to be a relationship based on words that speak of goodness or moral principles.
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? [Prov. 20:6].
The theme here is “goodness.”
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him [Prov. 20:7].
The word here is “integrity.”
A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes [Prov. 20:8].
“Scattering away all evil” is cleaning up his kingdom.
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? [Prov. 20:9].
The words here are “clean” and “pure.”
Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord [Prov. 20:10].
Falseness is contrasted to goodness.
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right [Prov. 20:11].
The emphasis here is upon goodness even in children.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them [Prov. 20:12].
The thought here is to use your head. God has given you ears, and He has given you eyes. Look and listen—that is not only good advice before you cross a railroad track, it is good when you are facing life every day.
All the way through this group of proverbs we see two great principles. First of all, “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” Well, can you, my friend? I am sure that neither you nor I can say that. No man by his own efforts can claim to be pure. Even the little baby in the crib cannot claim that. Those little ones reveal temper while they are still infants. At first my little grandson seemed to me to be free from sin. He was so wonderful! Then I found that he had a temper—he would get red in the face and even hold his breath! I had to realize that he was subject to the total depravity of man like the rest of us. Of course I told my wife, “I believe he’s beginning to show some of the characteristics of his grandmother!” No man in his natural state can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin.” My friend, if you would be heaven bound, you must first be heaven born. “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The Lord Jesus said that to a religious man, a good man. No man can call himself good or pure or right or clean until he has come to Christ for salvation and been clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Then he is accepted in the Beloved. But there is still that old nature that will stay with us until we enter into glory.
But notice from the proverbs that goodness does count, integrity does matter to God. Purity is worth something. A child of God should be walking in a way which commends the gospel of the grace of God.
Here is a good question which I have heard asked for many years: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Suppose you were brought before a court on the accusation, “This fellow is a Christian.” Would there be enough evidence there to convict you? Or Would you be able to get off free? Would they look at your life and find you are not living like Christian should? Would they find you do not walk in integrity? Would they find no goodness, no desire for purity?
The second thought in these proverbs is this: God has given you eyes to see and ears to hear. Use them. Stop, look, listen. Don’t go blindly through life, seeing but not seeing. Use your eyes. Open your ears. God has given you a certain amount of common sense, a certain amount of “gumption.” Listen to the news God has for you. You cannot make yourself pure. Only God can make you pure. God can give you a standing before Him that removes all the guilt of your sin and enables you to walk in integrity in this world.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread [Prov. 20:13].
He is saying, “Go to work.” You will remember this is the same thing that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. He said that if a man doesn’t want to work, neither should he eat (see 2 Thess. 3:10). Those people were so excited about the possibility of the Lord’s return that they were just waiting for the Lord. It is wonderful to be looking for Him and waiting for Him. But that doesn’t mean that just sitting down and gazing into space is the way to wait for Him. A true anticipation of the coming of the Lord will cause a person to put his nose to the grindstone and work harder than ever before.
It is nought, it is nought, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth [Prov. 20:14].
This is a humorous one, and I hope you can see the humor in it. A fellow goes in to buy an automobile, for example. He says to the man who is selling it, “I don’t think this car is worth buying. The tires are almost worn out. The motor doesn’t sound too good. There’s a rattle back there. But I’ll give you so much for it.” The owner says, “All right, I’ll sell it for that.” The buyer says, “Well, I don’t think it’s really worth that, but I’ll take the car.” He gets in the car and drives it home and calls out his wife and the neighbors, “Look what a bargain I got!” That is human nature, isn’t it?
There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel [Prov. 20:15].
Our sense of values is all wrong today. Man is measured by material things, rather than by the knowledge he has.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman [Prov. 20:16].
When you deal with certain people, you had better have them put up a little collateral. If you don’t, you are sure to be taken in.
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel [Prov. 20:17].
A person may think he is getting by with deceit, and it may seem sweet to him. No one gets by with a thing—God will see to that.
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips [Prov. 20:19].
The man who flatters you to your face and then goes off and gossips about you is the man you had better keep your eye on—even if he is a deacon in the church.
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness [Prov. 20:20].
If you have a father and a mother of whom you can boast, then boast of them. If you cannot say something good about them—and a lot of folk can’t—then don’t say anything. That is what this proverb is saying.
This is where Ham made his mistake. Noah, his father, got drunk, and Ham exposed his father. He should have kept silence. There are certain things that you just don’t run around telling everyone.
Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way? [Prov. 20:24].
How can a man understand his own way? We have never passed this way before—only the Spirit of God can lead us. God told Moses that he needed Him to lead him. And you and I need His leading also.
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry [Prov. 20:25].
Don’t make a vow until you are sure of what you can do. Don’t publicly dedicate your life to God until you have thought it through. God doesn’t want that kind of a sentimental decision. I’m afraid there is too much of that today.
The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly [Prov. 20:27].
“The spirit of man is the candle [or lamp] of the Lord [Jehovah].” Notice it is called the candle or lamp of Jehovah, not the light of Jehovah. The spirit of man is only the lamp, the vessel that holds the light. Man is just a lamp, and until we are filled by the Holy Spirit, we don’t become a light. Remember the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They were just lamps. Without the oil, they could not have light.
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head [Prov. 20:29].
This proverb is saying, “Act your age.” The young man is the one to be the athlete. The old man had better not try to act young. He will just make a fool of himself. He had better act his age. He should reveal a little wisdom, because that is what gray hair should indicate.
CHAPTER 21
This is one of the great chapters in the Book of Proverbs.
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will [Prov. 21:1].
A man may be a pharaoh in Egypt, a king of Babylon, a caesar of Rome, an Alexander the Great, a Napoleon, a Joe Stalin, an Adolph Hitler, or any great ruler of the future. Regardless of how powerful a man may become politically, it can be stated as an axiom that no man can act in independence of God. Many of these rulers thought they could, and men today may still think they can. But the truth is that no man is free from God. No man can act independently. We have a Declaration of Independence in this country. Right now it is being used to declare our independence from God. We believe in liberty; so we’ve declared we are free from God! However, we are not free from God. We cannot act independently. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,” and God is going to turn him just as He turns the course of a little babbling brook that runs down a mountainside. “As the, rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” No king nor ruler nor any individual can act independently of God.
I wish we had more men in public office who express a dependence upon God and show it in their lives. I wish they would quit telling us that they have the solution for all the problems of the world. They haven’t. It is a misrepresentation for any man to say that. No man is independent of Almighty God, and we need to recognize our dependence upon Him. Oh, may this country be called back to a dependence upon God before it is too late. We need a new declaration, but this time it should be a declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The only way such a change can come about is by the people of this nation returning to the Word of God. That is why it is so important for us to proclaim God’s Word.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts [Prov. 21:2].
Here again is this matter of man’s selfrighteousness. Man rationalizes, but God scrutinizes. God looks at the heart. We attempt to paint up the surface so that we have the outside looking nice. We boast, “I’m a member of a church. I teach a class and serve on a committee. I’m always busy working for the church.” That may all be true, but God “pondereth the hearts.” The prophet Jeremiah pointed out that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). Have you gone to the Lord Jesus and spoken to Him about your desperate condition? He is the Great Physician, and He is the heart specialist. He gives you a new heart. He was the first One who went into this business of heart transplants. He will give you a heart that can be obedient to Him.
To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice [Prov. 21:3].
Here we have the tremendous truth stated for us again that there is no value in simply going through a religious ritual. Remember that the Old Testament sacrifices were given because they pointed to Jesus Christ. No one was more faithful about going through those rituals than the Pharisees, the religious rulers of Jesus’ day. But He denounced them in withering language. He blanched them. He scorched them. He told them they looked like beautiful monuments on the outside but inside were full of dead men’s bones. Why? Because sacrifices and offerings were not pleasing to the Lord when righteousness was lacking. He said He wanted mercy, not sacrifice.
Religious ritual can suggest that you are trusting in Christ when the fact is that you are not trusting in Him. A true acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will so transform a person that he will bring forth good works. I tell you, this gets down to the marrow and to the bone of our souls. God looks at the heart. I repeat the question I asked earlier in our study: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin [Prov. 21:4].
“An high look.” Maybe you walked into church on Sunday morning and saw Mrs. Jones or Mr. Smith, and you just turned your head so you wouldn’t have to speak to them. I was in a group recently where there was a man who had said some unlovely things about me. He acted as if he didn’t see me at all—the high look. Maybe nobody noticed the high look. Maybe the person who was given the high look was unaware of it, but God saw it. God calls it a sin. In His sight it is as much a sin as to go out and get drunk. One is just as bad as the other, although we don’t measure it that way. We think the one is terrible and the other doesn’t matter.
“The plowing [or tillage] of the lawless is sin.” This is an interesting proverb. You might see a man out plowing his field and think, My, he is an industrious man. He certainly should be rewarded for being so industrious. God says that when an evil man with an evil heart is doing anything—even plowing—it will not be acceptable in His sight. That means a sinner cannot give anything to God. He cannot perform a good work. Not only is the high look and a proud heart sinful, but what otherwise would be meritorious is sin in a man who is in rebellion against God. I do not think that God will bless a gift from an unsaved person. Years ago, a brewery in Dallas, Texas, gave gifts of $50,000 each to a Christian school, a denominational college, and a hospital. The school and the college returned the money. I think they did the right thing. God wouldn’t use money like that.
Notice what Paul wrote to the nation of Israel: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:1–3). When a person goes about to establish his own righteousness, God says it is sin. The righteousness of man is filthy rags in the sight of God.
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment [Prov. 21:5–7].
God can use riches that are accumulated in an honest way. There is no sin in being rich. The important thing is how the money was accumulated. If the getting of riches is by lying and robbery, God will see to it that the riches will not be enjoyed. Do you get the impression that there are certain rich men today who are not really having a good time? Their riches are not what they really need.
The story is told of an Arab who was lost out in the desert. He was about to die of thirst and starvation. The poor fellow saw a package that had dropped off a caravan. He thought it might contain food or a can of beverage. He hungrily tore open the package and eagerly looked to see what it contained. He dropped it in great disappointment, and said, “It’s only pearls!” Of course they were worth a fortune, but that was not his need.
My friend, God says that you can get rich, but it won’t do you a bit of good unless you make money in the right way and use it for His glory.
The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right [Prov. 21:8].
Let me give you another translation: “The way of a guilty man is very crooked: but as for the pure, his work is right.” Your life will demonstrate what kind of a person you really, are. If you are right with God, that will be revealed in your life.
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house [Prov. 21:9].
This is the man who did not know what true happiness was until he got married—and then it was too late!
Down in Nashville the retired pastor of a church and I would repeatedly go down to the jail to get out a man who was a member of the church. He would be arrested over and over again for drunkenness. One time the retired preacher said something to me that I shall never forget: “If I were married to the woman that he is married to, I would drink also.” Of course it is just as bad for a woman to be married to the wrong husband. My wife and I mentioned just the other night that we felt very sorry for a certain woman because she is married to a man like that.
We have examples of this in the Scriptures. Job didn’t do so well with a wife. David was married to a daughter of Saul.I don’t think there was any fellowship or any real love in that marriage. She ridiculed David when he so joyously brought the ark to Jerusalem. She told him he made a fool of himself, dancing before the ark. She called his behavior disgraceful. Believe me, if you show some enthusiasm for God, there will be a great many people who will be embarrassed. It is tragic if it is your mate who is embarrassed.
When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge [Prov. 21:11].
We need to note these things so that we learn lessons from the experience of others around us.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard [Prov. 21:13]
This is what God has said. Either it is true or it is not true. I believe it is true, and I think we can find illustrations of this in public life in our day.
A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath [Prov. 21:14].
Remember that when Jacob was returning home after his years in Haran, he knew he had to face Esau for the first time after he had tricked him out of his birthright and his blessing. So he sent gifts ahead in order to pacify Esau. He didn’t need to do that, because God had already taken care of Esau’s attitude. But men have found that a gift in secret will pacify anger.
We can easily fall into this type of thinking: “I am going to be generous because then I’ll be rewarded.” Or, “I am going to forgive someone because if I do that, it will make me feel better.” Jane Mershon wrote a little rhyme which illustrates this type of thinking:
If I forgive an injury,
Because resenting would poison me,
I may feel noble; I may feel splendid,
But it isn’t exactly what Christ intended.
No, it isn’t what Christ intended. We are to forgive because God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. That is the reason we are to be kind and tenderhearted and forgiving. Our motive for forgiving is not to make us feel better.
It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead [Prov. 21:15–16].
It is my understanding that God is saying here that you cannot rehabilitate criminals. They need to be regenerated. These fellows need the Word of God. We need to go into crimeridden areas and preach the Word of God. We are going about things from the wrong direction according to God.
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich [Prov. 21:17].
In our contemporary society the entertainer has been glorified, and as a result the great moral principles of life have been turned upside down. At one time, even in the court of a king, a jester, an entertainer, was called a fool. I don’t think that has been changed in God’s sight. However, by our popular standards, the entertainers are the sacred cows. We hear them on talk shows glorifying themselves and each other. God still says, “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.” I can think of several entertainers who have committed suicide. One man made this statement, “I am bored with life.” Another said, “Life is not worth living.” A comedian was dying, and his friends gathered around waiting for him to say something funny. He looked at them in stark fear and dread and said, “This is not funny.” We have things turned upside down. Television is like the wilderness of Moab. There is really nothing to see. It becomes very boring.
The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright [Prov. 21:18].
Justice demands the punishment of the guilty in order that the guiltless may be delivered; but, by the grace of God, Jesus Christ, the Righteous, became a ransom for the wicked. He is the “upright,” and you and I are the “transgressors.”
A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof [Prov. 21:22].
He is saying that wisdom is superior to brute force. A man may be able to build a seemingly impregnable fortress, but there will come along a man who is smart enough to figure out how to invade it. The ancient city of Babylon is a classic example. Belshazzar sat inside the walls of Babylon thinking he was perfectly safe. In fact, there was an inner wall around his palace. He was certain the walls of Babylon could never be penetrated, and, of course, guards were stationed all along the walls. But the general in the camp of the enemy used his wisdom and figured a way to get into Babylon. A branch of the Euphrates River went through the city, more or less like a canal. He diverted the water back into the mainstream of the river, then he was able to march his army on the riverbed under the wall where the river had flowed. The Medo-Persian army spread into the city, and the city was taken before the Babylonians knew what was happening.
Napoleon made the statement that God is always on the side of the bigger battalions. He was wrong. He should have won at Waterloo. He was a very brilliant general, but he was not quite smart enough. He had the ability to move artillery speedily, but he got bogged down in the mud. It was old General Mud that really stopped Napoleon as he went toward Warsaw. The cavalry stumbled over the artillery that was stuck in the mud. This proverb is saying that men may depend upon riches or upon brute force, but neither will be a good enough protection.
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles [Prov. 21:23].
Again he mentions using the tongue aright. He has already said that if you want friends, you must show yourself friendly. So of course you are to do some talking, but you are to watch what you say. We do need friends, and the Book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about friends and enemies. Emerson put it like this:
He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare,
And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.
How true!
Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath [Prov. 21:24].
Have you noticed that there are two subjects which seem to appear over and over again? One is the use and abuse of the tongue. The other is pride. The uncontrolled tongue, the lying tongue, the gossiping tongue, and the proud look—God says He hates them all.
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour [Prov. 21:25].
“Slothful” is the lazy man. There is quite a bit said about him.
He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not [Prov. 21:26].
The lazy man spends his time in covetousness, and he tries to use devious devices to get money without working. There are a lot of folk who are doing that. By contrast, the righteous man is not thinking so much of getting as of giving, and God will bless him. That is the thought here.
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? [Prov. 21:27].
The “wicked” man is the lawless man. A lawless man is one who has not bowed himself to God and come God’s way. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man” (Prov. 16:25)—that is the lawless way. He goes his way and ignores God’s way. In fact, he repudiates God. This doesn’t mean such a man may not be religious. He may join the church, attend regularly, sing the hymns, and put on quite a front. He may even give, but he does it with a low motive. “The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination”
A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way [Prov. 21:28–29].
There were false witnesses in the trial of the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t you hate to have been one of those false witnesses? We read in Matthew’s record, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days” (Matt. 26:59–61). The other false witnesses bore testimony, but it wasn’t pertinent at all. These last two really lied. Jesus’ response is given in the next chapter: “And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.” In other words, “You are right.” “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly” (see Matt. 27:11–14). John’s record tells us that Pilate took the Lord Jesus inside the hall of judgment and privately asked for His cooperation so he could let Him off. But he was too much of a politician to release Jesus against the wishes of the Jews. Finally, he gave in to the pressure of the mob, but all the while he knew that the witnesses against Jesus were false.
This is the trial that stands on the pages of history as being the most ignominious of all. Wouldn’t you hate to have been one of those false witnesses? “A false witness shall perish.”
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord [Prov. 21:30].
This is a remarkable verse of Scripture. It is so remarkable that I want to put beside it a New Testament verse that may have escaped your attention: “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Cor. 13:8).
Because I attended a liberal college and a liberal seminary, I used to become very alarmed by the inroads liberal theology was making. When I began my ministry, I thought it was my duty to sort of ring the fire bell every Sunday morning to defend the Word of God. Then this verse came to my attention. “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.” I began to realize that God is able to defend Himself, and He is able to defend His Word. “We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” Since I wanted to do something, I was to do it positively—accentuate the positive and leave the negative alone. I didn’t need to defend the Bible; all He asked me to do was to proclaim it.
I had a letter from a man which I filed in the round file, known as the wastebasket. I didn’t even read the whole letter, because he was trying to show me that the Bible is not the Word of God and used an asinine argument. I just thought, Ho-hum, let’s go on to something else because this man has a hangup of some sin in his life. I have learned that if a man will turn to Christ, if he wants to get rid of his sin, if he does really desire to have a Savior, it will be amazing how the problems about the Bible that disturb him will be smoothed out.
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord [Prov. 21:31].
David learned this. He wrote, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident” (Ps. 27:3). Asa had also learned this truth. “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee” (2 Chron. 14:11). How wonderful it is to trust God.
That does not mean that we are not to be prepared. Jesus said that a strong man armed keeps his palace, and his goods are in peace. “But safety is of Jehovah.” Keep your powder dry, but be sure your faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ and that you are resting in Him.
CHAPTER 22
Solomon, who had all that money could buy, puts material wealth in true perspective.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold [Prov. 22:1].
“Good” in most Bibles is italicized, which means that it was supplied by the translators. “A name is rather to be chosen”—the proverb is not speaking of the name you were called by your parents when you were born, but the name you earn by the kind of person you are.
We know that David had a group of men, known as his mighty men. And they were great men. They had made a name for themselves. For example, we are told about Benaiah. “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow” (2 Sam. 23:20). A lot of people won’t even go to church when it snows, but this man slew a lion in the time of snow! We are told, “These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men” (2 Sam. 23:22). He was up there in a class with the top three of the highest echelon of David’s mighty men. He had a name. “A name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”
The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all [Prov. 22:2].
This means that before God all men are on the same plane. If you want to talk about a universal brotherhood of man, be very careful what you say. The Bible doesn’t teach that. The Bible does teach that we are all members of the human family and that we all have a depraved nature, a nature that is alienated from God. We even need to protect ourselves from each other, because we cannot be trusted. The Bible does say that He “… hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth …” (Acts 17:26), and we all stand equal before Him on that basis. But we become the sons of God—not just because we are human beings—but by faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said to the religious rulers of His day, “Ye are of your father the devil …” (John 8:44). So actually there are two families in the world: children of God and children of the devil. Obviously, the universal fatherhood of God does not exist.
Now notice that the proverb says: “The Lord is the maker of them all.” We are all His by creation. God is the Creator of all but not the Father of all.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished [Prov. 22:3].
Do you want to be a smart man? Then make arrangements for the future. There are many men today who will help you make arrangements for the future. There are all kinds of insurance companies and agencies. There are people willing to make arrangements for your old age, for the care of your children, and all that sort of thing. But I’m thinking of the next step. What about that? What about your eternal future? The Scripture calls a man a fool who has not made preparation for eternity.
When I was a young man in Nashville, Tennessee, I was very far from the Lord for awhile. I remember a fine young couple, who belonged to rich families. At a dance one night they announced their engagement, and then later they were married. Of course they made the society page of the newspaper. They had bought a very lovely southern home with those white columns out in front. They had searched everywhere for antiques, and they furnished that home beautifully. On their wedding trip they went to the Great Smokies in East Tennessee and North Carolina. Going up into the mountains, they went around a curve and were hit and knocked off the high-way down a precipice. The car caught fire, and they were both killed. The parents of the couple simply locked the door to their lovely home and left it unoccupied.
For years after I was saved, I would go by that house and reflect on all the preparation they had put into that house; yet they had not lived in it for one hour. And they went into eternity totally unprepared. Oh, how important it is for us to be making preparation for eternity!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it [Prov. 22:6].
We are to train up a child concerning the way, he should go. What he is saying is that God has a way He wants him to go, and parents are to find out that way. They are not to bring up a child in the way they think he should go, but in the way God wants him to go.
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets [Prov. 22:13].
Here we have the lazy man again. This verse has its humor in it, too. Believe me, the lazy man is full of excuses. It’s too cold outside so he cannot go out to plow. Here is his new excuse: “There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.” I think he was lyin’ about the lion!
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him [Prov. 22:15].
These instructions for child rearing are repeated for emphasis. Children need discipline. Proper discipline will not provoke the child to anger. Neither will it be simply the venting of our own anger. Proper discipline will help the child overcome his foolishness.
Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set [Prov. 22:28].
When God brought the children of Israel from Egypt, He gave them a land. Sometimes we forget that He also gave to each tribe a particular section of that land. And He gave to each family in each tribe a particular parcel of that land. Each family was to put up boundary markers for their own parcel of land. These boundary markers were generally piles of stones.
Down in front of my house in the sidewalk there is a little brass circle at one end of my lot and another little brass circle at the other end of my lot, marking where my lot begins and where it ends. This whole area used to be an avocado grove, and I have a notion that the markers were put in when it was converted into a subdivision. It was done to make sure that I stay within my own lot.
God gave Israel definite rules regarding their markers: “Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it” (Deut. 19:14). These markers went from generation to generation and were very important. When a man got old and feeble and his eyesight began to fail him, his neighbor might want to slip over and move the marker a couple of feet to increase his own parcel of land. God said that kind of thing was forbidden. It would be totally dishonest, of course.
Now I am going to make a spiritual application of this. You may think I am a square when I say this, but I believe that today we have seen the landmarks of the Christian faith removed. They have been removed by what was first called modernism, and now is called liberalism. These folk with a liberal viewpoint say, “This old landmark, this doctrine that was taught in the days of the apostle Paul, is no longer relevant. We have learned so much that we don’t need the doctrine of the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. We can do away with that. And we can do away with the doctrine of the deity of Christ.” These distinguishing doctrines of the Christian faith have been pretty well washed out by a great many of the old line denominations on the basis that we must come up to date. Now I want to say this: Instead of moving forward and removing landmarks, we need to start moving backward to get back to many of the ancient landmarks.
Those ancient landmarks made this nation great. The landmarks of moral values, the spiritual truths, the biblical basis—all have been removed. We look around us today and hear everyone telling what he thinks the solution is, and it is always a sociological or psychological solution. I haven’t heard any of our leaders suggesting a biblical solution. I say that we need to get back to the good old landmarks which our nation had at the beginning.
This chapter concludes with a word of commendation for the man who is diligent.
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men [Prov. 22:29].
God says that He intends to reward the diligent man. You remember that the Lord Jesus said that in eternity His commendation would be: “… Well done, thou good and faithful servant …” (Matt. 25:21). His commendation will not be based on the amount of work you have done, or on the number of people to whom you have witnessed, or how hard you have worked, but on how faithful you have been to the task He has given you. He may have given you the task of being a mother to a little one in the home. Moses’ mother was faithful in that way, and her name is recorded in the Word of God. The reward will be for faithfulness.
The apostle Paul put it like this in Romans 12:10–11 (and I’ll give you a little more meaningful translation of my own): “As to brotherly love, have family affection one to another; for your code of honor, deferring to one another. Never flag in zeal, be aglow (fervent) with the Spirit, serving the Lord.” It all adds up to being faithful to God—and that is what we should be.
CHAPTER 23
Our young man has been attending the school of wisdom for quite some time now. I think we will have a graduation ceremony soon.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat [Prov. 23:1–3].
I can state this in very commonplace language: Don’t make a pig of yourself when you are invited out to eat—especially if you are invited to a place that serves you gourmet food, the type of food that you are not accustomed to eating. In fact, it would be better, he says, to cut your throat than make a pig of yourself! In other words, be temperate in all things. Use moderation and self-control, even when you eat.
In our day the theory is that some folk eat, not because of real hunger, but because of a psychological factor. Some people eat when they are under tension, when they are uptight. We should be relaxed and enjoy our meals but eat in moderation.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven [Prov. 23:4–5].
You have probably noticed that the United States dollar has an eagle on it. Believe me, that eagle will fly away if you’re not careful with it. I find that the eagles on my dollars take off all the time. We cannot depend on riches.
The whole thought here is this: There is nothing wrong in being rich. There is nothing wrong in working to be rich. However, don’t make that the goal in life. Wealth should not be the very object of our hearts. Some men have a lust, a thirst, a covetousness to make the almighty dollar, and the dollar becomes their god. A child of God is not to do that.
A wealthy man told me, “I do not make money for the sake of money. I make money for what it can do. At first I made money for what it could do for me. Now I make money for what it can do for God.” There is nothing wrong in a man becoming wealthy. The wrong comes when there is the overweening desire of the heart for money. That is covetousness; actually it is modern idolatry.
In the United States we do not find people bowing down to worship idols. However, we do find people busily engaging their whole lives in the worship of the almighty dollar. When I pastored a church in the downtown financial district of Los Angeles, I found that men, even including some Christian men, were far more zealous in coming down early on a Monday morning to watch the stock market open than they were on Sunday morning to attend church service. I met such a man rushing to the stock market display at the brokerage on a Monday morning. He met me, greeted me cordially, and told me what he was going to do. I mentioned to him that we had been missing him at church. He said, “Well, you know, I haven’t been feeling very well.” That is interesting. He didn’t feel well enough to come to church, but he was well enough to, worship his god very early on a Monday morning. That’s covetousness, and that is what the proverb is talking about. That is a false god, and that false god is an eagle that will fly away at any moment.
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words [Prov. 23:6–8].
Here is good advice for the young man, especially for the young preacher. On several occasions I have been warned by ministers with whom I have had Bible conferences. They have said something like this: “Now you will be invited to dinner by so-and-so, but you be very careful what you say if you go there because they are name-droppers, as you will find out. They will ask you certain questions, and they will use your answers against you later on.” Well, when I am relaxed at a meal and talking with friends, I can easily say something that can be misconstrued.
Not too long ago I had such an experience. A couple used certain things that I had said about a personal friend of mine. I was just kidding, because I love that man. He is my brother in the Lord, and we play golf together. He said to me, “What in the world are you saying about me?” I told him, and he laughed. He said, “Those people took what you said and gave it a twist.” But he said that he had been over to see them and had said something about me that would be coming back to me. And it did! He kids me too, and they had twisted what he had said about me. These were the kind of folk that Solomon had in mind when he wrote, “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye.” When you are invited out to dinner, make sure that you know the people with whom you are to dine. They may not be as cordial as you think they are.
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless [Prov. 23:10].
Now we have this remark about the old landmark again. If you have lost your faith—well, you’d better not pass that on to your children, because they will really pay for it. You probably had a good background and Christian parents, but your children will have no background to protect them.
Dr. J. Gresham Machen once said, “America is coasting downhill on a godly ancestry.” I agree with him, and it was my generation that had the godly ancestry; but we did not pass it on to our children. It was my generation that produced the younger generation that we are blaming for everything.
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die [Prov. 23:13].
Now we have been over this before. Remember that Paul adds to this that the parent is not to correct the child in a fit of anger. The correction is to be for discipline, not punishment. If the discipline doesn’t help to develop the character of that child, it is no good.
We should not tell our children that we are punishing them. It would be better to tell them that we are disciplining them. Paul tells the fathers not to provoke the children to wrath, but “… bring them up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). We need to remember that it is the discipline and the instruction of the Lord. That is important.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags [Prov. 23:19–21].
Be very careful of the company you keep, young man. Birds of a feather flock together. Evil companions produce evil manners. This is a special warning to the young people.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old [Prov. 23:22].
The young man is almost ready to graduate from the school of wisdom. His parents may be getting old. His dad may be a square, he may even be a bit senile, but the old folks still have a lot more sense than the young man has.
You would hear an example of this if you could only talk to Absalom. He would tell you that his dad had more sense than he had. He thought he could win a rebellion against his father, King David, but old David was a warhorse. When that boy moved out to the battlefield, he made a mistake. He should never have left Jerusalem, because David knew his way around on the battlefield, and it was fatal for that boy.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding [Prov. 23:23].
You and I do not need to buy truth with money. It is available to us without money and without price. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1). Christ is all of this for the child of God. He is truth and wisdom and understanding. The brilliant young Pharisee, Saul, who became the apostle Paul, tells us about it: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways [Prov. 23:26].
Someone may say, “Dr. McGee, I thought you said that God doesn’t want our old dirty, filthy hearts.” That’s right. He can’t use them. But when He says, “My son, give me thine heart,” He is not talking to the unsaved man; He is talking to His son. He is talking to the one to whom He has given a new heart, a new nature, who has been born again. Now He says to that one, “I want you to come to Me and I want you to yield yourself to Me. If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
If you have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, you can sing:
Take my poor heart, and let it be
Forever closed to all but Thee.
Take my love, my Lord; I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit [Prov. 23:27].
If anyone thought I was wrong in saying the stranger was a harlot, then here is a parallelism that shows the two are synonymous. That should answer that question.
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men [Prov. 23:28].
The lives of two men illustrate this. There is the story of Judah in the Book of Genesis. That is a sorry chapter which tells his story when he went in to a harlot. Then there is the story of Samson. If he were here today, he would say, “I found out that a harlot is treacherous—she can betray you without a qualm.”
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine [Prov. 23:29–30].
Here again is a warning against this matter of drunkenness. We have heard many warnings about wine and women—but there is no song. Because—
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again [Prov. 23:32–35].
What a picture of drunkenness this is!
CHAPTER 24
This is the last chapter of the proverbs of Solomon which he wrote and arranged. After this we come to proverbs of Solomon that were arranged by the men of Hezekiah. Evidently Solomon wrote a great many proverbs. We have only a very small percentage of the total number. These are tremendous truths that have been placed in a very small compass. They can grip and direct our lives.
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief [Prov. 24:1–2].
This has been presented to us before. We find a repetition of the things which are important. For example, a great deal has been said about the use of the tongue and about pride and about being a fool. They are things that are constantly emphasized, because they are translated into life. We find these folk, not only on the sidewalks of New York, but in your town and my town. That is the reason I said you will find a proverb to fit every person you know. We have already found a great number which fit different characters in the Bible.
Psalm 73, a psalm of Asaph, deals with the same subject as our verse here in Proverbs. Asaph writes, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked …. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men …. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth” (Ps. 73:3–9). Asaph was disturbed about that. I am of the opinion that you have been disturbed by it also. I certainly have had these feelings. I remember as a poor boy that I couldn’t understand why I had to be poor and drop out of school to work when I was only fourteen years of age. I looked about me and saw other boys who were well able to go to school but were dropping out because they hated it. I had a real question about it, because I had such a desire for an education.
Now Solomon deals with this matter: “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.” Why? A day of reckoning is coming. Asaph said he didn’t understand why the wicked prospered—“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end” (Ps. 73:17, italics mine). God will deal with them.
As we look out upon the world, we see a great deal of injustice, and there is very little that you and I can do about it. We have been in a generation that has protested about everything. They have attempted to equalize a great many things in this world. I don’t think all of the protesting has solved any problem, because the problem is in the heart of man. It is the heart of man that must be changed. God is the One who is going to level this thing off someday. We can trust Him to do that.
You and I need to recognize our place in life. It is going to make us happier people if we realize that God has put each of us in our own particular place to fulfill a purpose here on earth. I look at wicked men who are prosperous, and I don’t understand it. I have told God a dozen times that I don’t understand it. Don’t you be afraid to tell it to God just as Asaph did. The important thing is for you to go on with God, trusting Him to work it all out.
We need to learn to look at things from God’s point of view. The Bible is full of instances of wicked men who came to a bad end. It starts with Cain in the Book of Genesis. Even a man like Lot, although he was a saved man, chose to live in the city of Sodom and prospered there, but there came a day when he wished he had not moved to Sodom. It was a sad mistake for him to do that. So if you will go through the Word of God, you will find people who prospered for a time and then see how judgment has come time and time again. This is very important for us to understand.
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches [Prov. 24:3–4].
This is a wonderful picture of what we are to do. A man builds a house, and then he fills that house with furniture, with lovely pictures and tapestries, with beautiful personal items and valuable things. It is a pleasure to see a home like that, a beautiful home that is tastefully furnished.
You and I ought to be building us a house down here, a house of wisdom, a house of knowledge. We should begin to store our minds and our hearts with all kinds of wonderful furniture, vases, pictures, and lovely things. This was the thing that Paul admonished Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). And you and I should be filling our hearts and lives with the Word of God. Oh, my friend, let’s be working toward a beautiful mansion; let’s not be satisfied with a hovel.
When I was down in South America visiting with a missionary, he took me to some of the homes in his area. Many of them were what we would call a “lean-to” made out of old boards. Many of them were decaying, dilapidated places. Inside there was no place to sit, not even a chair. There would be a blanket or a sheepskin in a corner where the family would sleep; there was no bed. The cooking was done on the outside. I thought how tragic it was. Frankly, it made me sick just thinking of the poverty of those people down in South America. But, my friend, up here in North America I know many Christians who should have spent their lives building a lovely home—a spiritual home—and filling it with all kinds of wonderful treasures out of the Word of God. Instead, all they have is a little hovel. And when I look inside—oh, the ignorance! There is nothing there; it is absolutely bare.
In talking to a group of preachers just the other day, they agreed with me on this: the greatest tragedy in our churches today is the ignorance of the church members. Oh, the poor little empty houses they have! “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety [Prov. 24:5–6].
There are many resources for us to use today. Not only do we have people to whom we can turn for counsel, but we also have the Word of God. I don’t believe in this method of opening the Bible to look at some verse at the time of making a decision. That is not good. The Word of God is not a roulette wheel for us to turn and hope it stops at the right place. We need to know what the whole Bible says. We need to read Moses and Joshua and Samuel and David and Micah and Zechariah and Matthew and Paul and John. They are all our counselors. We can appeal to all of them at any time of decision.
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small [Prov. 24:10].
He is saying something here that is rather important: It takes a man to do a man’s job. We use the old bromide, “Never send a boy to do a man’s work.” God uses these times of real stress and strain and testing to develop our spiritual character. That is the way He enables us to grow. It is in the hour of trial that you and I manifest the spiritual strength that we have.
It is a great comfort for us to know that many of God’s men turned and ran when their test came. Elijah had been so brave on the top of Mount Carmel, but when he heard that Jezebel was after him with the intention of killing him, he took off and ran for the wilderness until he got down to Beer-sheba. He left his servant there and continued on in the desert, climbed under a juniper tree, and said, “… Lord, let me die” (cf. 1 Kings 19:4).
When David was hunted by King Saul, he didn’t have a moment of peace. David said that he was hunted like a partridge in the mountains and that one of these days they would catch him and put him to death. He became very discouraged. But both David and Elijah learned in that hour that the Lord would and did strengthen them.
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? [Prov. 24:11–12].
Now there is somebody you could help, and you know you could. There is somebody to whom you could witness for Christ, and you may be the only one to whom he would listen.
Recently I talked with a man who feels that he has been responsible for the suicide of a loved one. He says that he knew he should have done something. I’m of the opinion that he should have, but he didn’t do it. A man can be under great conviction because he neglected to do something at a time when he should have done it.
The Lord God is the One who ponders the heart. In such an instance when we know we have failed to do something that we should have done, there is nothing left but to turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, forgive me. I failed. I come to You now asking You to strengthen me and help me.” The Lord will hear that kind of prayer. He will deliver a man from being overwhelmed by the grief and guilt of his failure.
We do well to mark the importance of this proverb and reach out to people who are in need of our help.
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief [Prov. 24:16].
“A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Seven is the number of completeness. It means man just keeps on falling. But the just man will get up again. Do you know a man like that? Simon Peter was one. But then notice that “the wicked shall fall into mischief.” That is Judas. This proverb perfectly illustrates those two disciples of our Lord. Peter was a man who was constantly falling. We may say that he failed when he tried to walk on the water. I don’t really think that he failed, because he did walk on the water. He walked on the water to come to Jesus, but when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at those rolling waves, he began to go under; he began to sink. But remember that the Lord rescued him and he walked back to the boat with Jesus. But Peter certainly fell the night the Lord Jesus was arrested. He denied his Lord three times. Again and again and again Peter failed the Lord. But he always got up and went on with the Lord.
A man came to me when I was a pastor in Pasadena. He said, “I have failed so many times and I am ashamed to go back to the Lord and tell Him again that I have failed and want to start over.” I told him, “You may be ashamed, but the Lord is not. He is ready to start you out again.” Then he asked, “How many times do you suppose you can fail and still come back?” I told him, “I don’t know, but I am working up in the hundreds myself, and I still go to Him.” It is so important for us to understand that we can go back to our Heavenly Father and tell Him that we stumbled and got dirty again. He will put us right back into His service. How wonderful it is to have a Heavenly Father like that!
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth [Prov. 24:17].
When you hear that something bad has happened to someone you haven’t really liked very much, don’t you say, “I’m glad that happened to him?” Now, don’t tell me you have never said that, because human nature is like that. If you haven’t said it, you’ve thought it. God says, “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.” That is not the way to solve the problem. Why?
Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him [Prov. 24:18].
If you rejoice when your enemy falls, the Lord may turn around and start prospering that man. Then you really will be miserable. So there is a very practical reason for not rejoicing when your enemy falls.
Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked [Prov. 24:19].
You may think, We have just read that. Yes, it is the same thought as verse 1 of this chapter. Then why is it repeated? Again, it is to show us how important this is. The Lord wants us to learn this.
Have you noticed that some of the parables and certain of the miracles of our Lord are repeated? For example, the feeding of the five thousand is recorded in all four Gospels. Each of the Gospel writers adds details which are peculiar to his Gospel. The miracle was of such importance that it is recorded for us four times. And the teaching of this proverb needs to be repeated because of its importance.
From verse 23 to the end of the chapter there is sort of an appendix which is introduced by, “These things also belong to the wise.”
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment [Prov. 24:23].
Here is something else the young man should learn before he graduates: “It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment”—that is, it is not good to show partiality in judgment. This is an important matter in daily living and something which is needed today. Men in public office need to know this. Employers need to know this. Anyone in any position of authority needs to know this. There should not be a system of favorites, but justice should be equal to all.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him [Prov. 24:24].
There is a great deal of that today. Wicked men are commended. Often the wicked man is called a righteous man. That is one of the worst things that could take place.
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work [Prov. 24:29].
This repeats what we have been hearing over and over again. It is the same message which Paul wrote to the Romans: “… Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:19).
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man [Prov. 24:33–34].
This young man is going to graduate from college. He may know a lot and he may have other good qualities, but if he is lazy, he will find that to be the greatest handicap he could have in life.
CHAPTER 25
This is a new division of the Book of Proverbs. These are still proverbs of Solomon, but they were put together by the men of Hezekiah. The Septuagint calls them “the friends of Hezekiah.”
These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter [Prov. 25:1–2].
This is the way the proverb states what the Lord Jesus said: “Search the scriptures …” (John 5:39). Paul wrote the same thing: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
We are to “search out a matter.” Even then we need to recognize that there are a great many things that God has not revealed to us at all. I doubt if we would be able to understand them if He did. They are inscrutable; they are beyond the comprehension of man. As He made it very clear: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).
However, what God has revealed to us, we should study; we should consider it. It is important that we recognize our need to search the Word of God and to study it.
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable [Prov. 25:3].
Sometimes we don’t understand what our rulers are doing. They probably have justification for it, because they know things that we do not know. Neither can we understand God’s ways, but we are never to sit in judgment upon what God does, because whatever God does is right—it is the proper thing to do.
Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness [Prov. 25:4–5].
I think one of the worst things that can happen to any individual is to have an evil adviser, someone who leads you into difficulty and trouble and sin. I thank God for a man in my life who led me away from that, because there was a man who had led me in the wrong direction. Think how important this is to the man in high position. A man who makes a decision in business that would affect a great many employees or a man in government whose decision would affect a great segment of the population needs to have the right kind of advisers around.
Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen [Prov. 25:6–7].
“Put not forth” could be translated “display not.” You will remember that the Lord Jesus gave a parable to illustrate this great truth, and He did it because the religious rulers of His day were paying no attention to this proverb at all. When a great and important man invited many of his friends for dinner, he had reserved places at the table for certain ones he wanted to honor. But when the dinner bell was rung, there was a mad rush to get the best places at the table. They almost turned the thing over, I imagine, as they rushed in to get the most prominent places. The Lord Jesus was present there that day and apparently waited until everyone else had gone in. Then He said something to correct them: “When you’re invited to a dinner, don’t try to get the best place. You should purposely take the lowest place. Then when the one who has invited you comes in and sees you taking the lowest place—if you are his honored guest—he may say to you, ‘Come on up here.’ Now, if someone else has taken that place, the host would have to tap him on the shoulder and say, ‘You go down and take the lowest place’” (cf. Luke 14:7–10).
There are people whom we call “pushy” today—they are pushing themselves. We have people who are pushy in Christian circles. They are ambitious. They want to get ahead in Christian things. That is a tragedy. Maybe you can’t blame a man in the business world for trying to get ahead, but in Christian work it ought not to be.
Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame [Prov. 25:8].
Now, again, the Lord Jesus gave a parable about this. He said in essence, “When a king is ready to go forth to war, he ought to sit down and see whether he’s going to be able to get the victory. And if he sees that he can’t carry on the warfare, then he ought to send an ambassador to make a peace treaty with the enemy” (cf. Luke 14:31–32).
We have an example of this in the Old Testament in King Josiah. He was a good king, and he led the last great revival that Judah had. There was a great turning back to God under his leadership, but he made one grave mistake. Somehow just one flaw sometimes spoils the life of an otherwise great man. Josiah was a great man and an outstanding man of God, but he made this bad mistake. Pharaoh Nechoh, king of Egypt, came to make war, not against Josiah at all, but against an altogether different enemy. But when Josiah came out against him, Pharaoh Nechoh told Josiah, “Now look, I didn’t come up to fight you. I don’t want to fight you.” But Josiah (he was a young man) had gone out to fight. I guess he thought it was the Lord’s will. (A great many of us blame the Lord for the mistakes in our decisions.) Josiah got into real trouble and lost the battle. In fact, he was killed in the battle there at Megiddo where the war of Armageddon will be fought. Josiah made a big mistake by meddling when he should not have done that at all. That is the thing the Lord wants us to see in this proverb (cf. 2 Kings 23:28–30).
Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away [Prov. 25:9–10].
You could cause a great deal of trouble by criticizing your neighbor to the man down the street. If your neighbor has faults, go and talk to him personally.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver [Prov. 25:11].
Isn’t that a lovely one? That is just a beautiful simile. “Apples of gold”—we do have a Golden Delicious apple today, but apparently the fruit referred to here is the orange. Oranges, as well as other citrus fruits, were common and native to Israel. Today they grow some of the finest oranges in the world. An orange is a beautiful fruit. Someone will think I am promoting oranges because I live in California, but oranges were plentiful in Palestine at the time of Solomon.
As we go through the Word of God, we find that certain individuals said in a wonderful way just the right word at the right time. Sometimes it’s a good word. Sometimes it’s a word of rebuke. But the words were necessary, and they were “fitly spoken.” The words fit into the picture. They were the proper thing to say.
This is something that most of us ought to pray about: what we should say and at what time. We need to recognize that many times we say the wrong thing at the right time, or sometimes we have the knack of saying the right thing but at the wrong time. And there are times when we probably ought not to open our mouths at all.
I’m sure we all know some dear Christian who has a reputation of being able to say just the right thing at the right time—“a word fitly spoken.” There was a dear saint of God who lived in the country in middle Tennessee years ago. She had a reputation for always saying something very nice to the preacher at the end of every morning service. Very frankly, people would linger to hear what she had to say, because there were times they couldn’t think of anything good to say about the sermon that they had heard. And one time they had a visiting preacher who was just a little worse than any they had ever had before. I tell you, people were interested that morning. What in the world could she say nice to that preacher about the sermon he had preached? So when she went out, she said to him, “Pastor, I want you to know that I did enjoy your sermon, because this morning you had one of the most wonderful texts in Scripture.” Now that is “a word fitly spoken.” It was like oranges in a picture frame of silver. The golden orange and the silver frame blend very well, as you know.
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear [Prov. 25:12].
You have seen a woman’s beautiful earring. In our day some men are wearing earrings, although I never saw one that I thought was attractive; but you have seen a woman beautifully wear an earring. That describes the effect of a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.There are times when a person should be reproved and rebuked. We are living in a day when if we rebuke someone, especially if it is done publicly, people will say, “My, you certainly have lost that individual. You’ll never be able to win him.” Friend, if he’s the right kind of individual, you’ll win him. And if he’s the wrong kind, you wouldn’t be able to win him anyway. There are times that a reproof should be made.
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters [Prov. 25:13].
In that land it gets really hot at the time of harvest. And in that day they would go up to Mount Hermon and pack some of the snow and bring it down. I tell you, the snow was good. How wonderful it tasted! That is what a faithful messenger is. No wonder the Lord is going to say to some,“… Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).
We all like to have around us faithful people. A man wants a faithful wife. He appreciates faithful children. An employer wants faithful employees. A pastor wants a faithful staff and a faithful congregation. And the people want a faithful pastor. Faithfulness is a wonderful quality. It is like a good, cold drink on a very hot day to have someone with us who is faithful.
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain [Prov. 25:14].
Some men boast of gifts they don’t have. When I was a pastor, I would get letters from men who would tell me how wonderful they were. I remember one man wrote me, and he said he was an evangelist, a Bible teacher, a singer, and a pianist. He could do everything, and he wanted to hold a meeting at our church. I read the letter to the officers of the church, and they began to laugh. They said to me, “Why don’t you invite him?” I said, “I’d never invite that man for two reasons. The first reason is, if he’s the kind of man he says he is, after our people had heard him, they’d never want to hear me again! The second reason is I have a notion that he is a man who is boasting of a gift he does not have.” What a picture this is!
And this is the picture of the apostates in the last days. Jude describes them in the most vivid language. He speaks of them as being clouds without water, fruit trees without fruit, “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame …” (Jude 12–13).
Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it [Prov. 25:16].
In the Old Testament, honey illustrates natural sweetness. There was no honey permitted in the bread or meal offering, because that offering speaks of Jesus Christ in His humanity. There was no natural sweetness in Him.
Have you ever met someone who was so sweet, who said so many sweet things it almost made you sick? Notice what it says here. Don’t take in too much honey because it will make you sick at your tummy.
Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee [Prov. 25:17].
Oh, this is a good one! Don’t spend too much time at the neighbor’s, or else you may overhear a conversation in the kitchen where the lady of the house says, “I wish that old gossip would go home and stay home.” It’s better not to wear out your welcome at a place. That is what he is saying here.
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint [Prov. 25:19].
For example, Judas was a bad toothache, and he was foot trouble—he was both of them. You have probably met someone like that in your life.
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee [Prov. 25:21–22].
We find that the Lord Jesus repeats this principle, and Paul does, too. It is very important.
The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue [Prov. 25:23].
We are living in a day of sweetness and light when we are not supposed to rebuke anyone for anything. Every now and then I get a letter from some lovely saint who rebukes me for being hard on certain groups and certain movements. May I say that I believe that is what I should do. “The north wind driveth away rain.” An angry countenance will take care of a backbiting tongue; it will take care of those who are teaching falsely today. I think they should be dealt with, and I intend to continue to speak out when it is important to speak out.
It would be wonderful if we could have sweetness and light all the time, but we are living in a world in which there are serpents along the pathway of life. There are pitfalls in our path: there is false doctrine and false teaching of the Word of God. And I want to speak out, but I hope I do it in a spirit of love. I have no intention of hurting any individual, but I do try to give out the truth of God. I find ample justification for that in the Word of God and here is one verse for it.
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house [Prov. 25:24].
We have had this pointed out to us several times already. Solomon, who had so many wives, must have had a lot of trouble with some of them. Maybe that is why he mentioned this so often. I have wondered if he had some backseat drivers when he would go for a ride in his chariot.
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country [Prov. 25:25].
Have you heard from home lately? Or have you written home to mother? That is important. But there is something far greater in this verse than first meets the eye.
There has come good news from a far country. The Lord Jesus said, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father”(John 16:28). In that brief period of time, as John Wesley said, God was contracted to a span, and He wrought out your salvation and mine. That is the good news that has come to us from a far country. By the way, have you received Him? Have you accepted Him? He is the Water of Life. He is “cold waters to a thirsty soul.”
A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring [Prov. 25:26].
When I was a little boy and went along on a hunting expedition, we never carried water with us in a container. We would come to a creek or a spring. Sometimes it would be limpid water (in that day pollution was not a big problem), but every now and then we found a spring that was green with scum. What a disappointment that would be.
This is the comparison he makes with a righteous man, a man who has stood for truth, who finally bows before the wicked. How many times that happens in business. How many times that happens in politics. A man of integrity, in order to get into office, will bow before the wicked. And it even happens in the church. A man who has stood for pure doctrine, for things that are right, will begin to compromise and cut corners. That is the heartbreak of the day. It is just like coming to a spring when you are thirsty and finding it covered with scum and pollutants. What a verse this is!
It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory [Prov. 25:27].
A little honey is good, but a lot of honey makes you sick. For a man to be ambitious for self glory, especially in the ministry of God, makes you sick. We see this around us in the church—there is an inordinate ambition among some Christians today. It makes you sick at your tummy to see that type of thing.
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls [Prov. 25:28].
This refers to a man or woman who cannot control his emotions, who is not self—controlled. And you know that self—control is a fruit of the Spirit. Now there is a time for a person to let go. There is a time to stand for something and to speak out with great emotion. But, my friend, we are to recognize our need to control our own spirits.
CHAPTER 26
This first section deals with the fool. The Bible, especially Proverbs, has a great deal to say about the fool. This does not refer to the person who is mentally deficient. God is not talking to the person who is simple-minded or who has some mental aberration. The fool that God is talking to is a man who may be brilliant. In fact he may have his Ph.D. degree.
David wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God …” (Ps. 14:1). A fool is a man who, though he may be brilliant, is an atheist. The Hebrew word for fool means “insane.” The man who says there is no God is an insane man.
Intermarriage within a family can sometimes produce very brilliant offspring but can also produce mental deficiency. In the early days of a church I pastored in Tennessee one of the pastors had married into the governor’s family where there had been much intermarrying. As a result, there was insanity in the family. The pastor had two daughters, and they were brilliant. They were old ladies,when I was a young pastor there, living way out in the country, up in the hills of middle Tennessee. I was holding meetings in that area, and they wanted me to come by to see them. I have never met two women who were more brilliant than those ladies. They knew all about me, about the church I was serving, about the Bible, literature, music, current events. It was amazing. But there was something odd there. The pastor who went with me had warned me not to be surprised at what I would see. When we went in, we had to shoo the chickens off the chairs so we could sit down. Then we had to be rather careful where we sat. While I was sitting there talking to them, a cow stuck her head in from the kitchen door. There was a horse in the bedroom, and there were goats all around—I didn’t see them, but I sure could tell they were there. The sisters had a mental aberration, you see.
Now that is not the kind of thing the Lord means when He calls a person a fool. He means someone who has rejected Him. God calls that insanity.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool [Prov. 26:1].
One of the marks of a fool is that he doesn’t mind sacrificing his honor. Candidly, he has none.
As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come [Prov. 26:2].
Predictions that certain things will come to pass do not always happen. By the way, we have a lot of so-called prophets in our midst today. They keep telling us what is going to happen in the next few years. Some of it may come to pass, that’s true, but they are not getting their information from God—because sometimes they are wrong, and God’s prophet is never wrong (see Deut. 18:20–22).
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back [Prov. 26:3].
That is a good one. The horse and the ass can be trained. They will respond. The only thing a fool will respond to is real discipline.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit [Prov. 26:4–5].
When I was a boy, our town atheist enjoyed pointing out contradictions in the Bible. This was one that he used. My friend, there is no contradiction here at all. These two proverbs simply set before us two possible lines of conduct in response to a fool.
I get many letters from many kinds of people. I answer some of the letters, and some of the letters I do not answer. I must make a decision about them. I conclude that some of the letters I get come from fools. If I were to answer such a letter according to its folly, I would make myself a fool. If you lay yourself wide open to a fool, you are a fool yourself.
I had this experience recently. I received a letter from a brilliant man who had some impressions about me that were entirely wrong.I thought I should try to correct him and tell him the truth, so I responded according to verse 5. I answered his letter. Then I received a letter back from him, and I have never seen such a foolish letter. It made me feel like a fool for having written to him in the first place. I do not intend to answer his second letter. I am using verse 4 for my decision. So you see, there are two lines of conduct set before us,and we need to determine whether we should respond or should not respond.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage [Prov. 26:6].
You make a mistake if you send a message by the wrong individual!
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools [Prov. 26:7].
I would like to extend this to the interpretation of parables. There are interpretations of parables in the Bible that are taught by some professors which tempt me to say, “So is a parable in the mouth of fools.”
As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool [Prov. 26:8].
Giving honor to a fool is simply giving him ammunition.
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools [Prov. 26:9].
A thorny branch in the hand of a drunken man will probably wound him as well as others. The same is true of a fool who has the position of a teacher. He will hurt himself and those who listen.
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors [Prov. 26:10].
We can be very sure of the ultimate outcome. God will take care of things and handle all these matters.
Here is something rather frightful.
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly [Prov. 26:11].
I know of nothing as harsh as that. It is repulsive and sickening even to think of this. This is the viewpoint that Peter presents to us concerning the hypocrite: “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet. 2:22).
Remember that when the prodigal son was in the pigpen, he knew that he was in the wrong place, and he returned to his home. Suppose when he returned home, he brought along with him one of the pigs from the pigpen. The little pig would not enjoy the father’s house. Eventually he would go to the pigpen. Eventually, all the hypocrites in the church will be revealed, and there are many who only pretend to be sons of God—there is no question about that.
A man told me that the reason he did not join the church was that the church was filled with hypocrites. I said, “No one knows that better than I do. But that is no reason why you shouldn’t be in the church. You can’t hide behind a hypocrite. You should be in there revealing what is genuine.”
I have talked about hypocrisy in the church before, and I receive letters from folk who don’t like me to mention it. But the Bible teaches that there is a security for the believer, and also there is insecurity for the make-believer. It is to the hypocrite that the proverb refers.
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him [Prov. 26:12].
There is something worse than a fool and that is an egomaniac, one who has a high opinion of himself.
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth [Prov. 26:20].
Bitterness is repeatedly stirred up in certain groups because there are certain ones in there who keep putting a little wood on the fire. If no one were fueling it, the fire would go out; the strife would cease.
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife [Prov. 26:21].
There are certain folks who cause strife as soon as they start attending a church or join a church. You will find them in the Lord’s work today. They seem to stir things up all the time. They are never really interested in the Word of God, although they may pretend to be.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly [Prov. 26:22].
A better translation is, “The words of a talebearer are as dainty morsels, and go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” People like to hear those choice little bits of gossip. They like to hear them, but they are hard to digest and will finally make them sick. A real child of God does not wish to hear things that are ugly.
Now here we have one of the longest and strongest sections against hypocrisy, and it refers to hypocrisy among God’s people.
Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin [Prov. 26:23–28].
There are folk who make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but who are not really God’s children. We call them hypocrites because they are pretending to be what they are not. They are phonies. But they should not disturb those inside or outside the church for the very fact that a counterfeit necessitates a genuine and valuable original. No one counterfeits pennies or even one-dollar bills, as far as I know. They do counterfeit twenty-dollar bills. They only counterfeit that which is valuable. So we should not be surprised to see counterfeit Christians. This cluster of proverbs describes the phony and warns against him. He is the man who is two-faced. He will flatter you, yet in his heart he will hate you.
It was Tacitus who made the statement, “It is common for men to hate those whom they have injured.” Dr. Ironside puts it like this: “Conscious of having wronged another, and being determined not to confess it, the dissembler will store his heart with hatred against the object of his wrongdoing. To hide his wretched feelings, such a one will flatter with his lips while all the time he is plotting the ruin of his victim.”
An example of flattery and hypocrisy in the Bible is Haman. Remember how he flattered. This man plotted to destroy an entire people, including the queen upon the throne. He was an evil man. He flattered the king, and yet it was obvious that he was planning to overthrow the king.
Hypocrisy is found in Christian circles, and we need to recognize it. There is no use covering over this. There is probably no place in the world where there is so much cover-up as in the church. We try to act as if there were no wrong there. We think that if we ignore it, it will go away. We feel defeated if anyone mentions the fact that there is hypocrisy. We feel that we in ourselves are defeated if we acknowledge that even in our hearts there is this root of bitterness sometimes. Christians need to face up to these sins, and the proverbs are good at making us face up to them.
CHAPTER 27
This chapter deals with the subject of friendship.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth [Prov. 27:1].
There is a philosophy of procrastination that is very familiar to all of us. It puts off until tomorrow what could be done today. South of the border, our Mexican friends have a word for it: “mañnana”—tomorrow. That is the easy route. There is a Spanish proverb that says, “The road of by-and-by leads to the house of never.” Usually when one says, Mañnana, it really means, “Never.” It is not that there is no intention of doing the thing in question. It is just put off. We have another proverb that puts it very bluntly, “The way to hell is paved with good intentions.” The English have a proverb that says, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” The Word of God puts it like this: “… To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 4:7, italics mine). And again, “(… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Cor. 6:2, italics mine). Isaiah writes, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord …” (Isa. 1:18, italics mine). The tendency of man is to want to wait for another time. Remember that the governor Felix trembled when he heard the gospel from the apostle Paul. Paul, though a prisoner, talked to him about his soul’s salvation, and Felix responded, “… Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). As far as we know from the Word of God, that “convenient season” never came for Felix. Also, Pharaoh in Egypt was always going to let the children of Israel go tomorrow, not today. Finally his repeated postponements cost him his oldest son and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
Today is always the day of salvation. You do not know what tomorrow will bring.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips [Prov. 27:2].
Goliath should have listened to this proverb. He paraded in front of the army of Israel every day, flexed his muscles, told them how great he was and what a miserable bunch of cowards they were. Eventually he got into trouble with a boy named David.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both [Prov. 27:3].
If you have a fool angry with you, you are in trouble, because a fool has no discretion. He will say and do anything.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? [Prov. 27:4].
Envy is jealousy. “… jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame” (Song 8:6).
You will remember what jealousy did in the family of Jacob. The brothers sold Joseph into slavery because of their intense jealousy.
Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [Prov. 27:5–6].
This is a contrast of which we have many examples in the Bible. Paul rebuked Simon Peter when he withdrew from eating with the Gentiles. Peter needed that rebuke, and he accepted it from Paul. There was no ill feeling between them.
It is a wonderful thing to have a friend who will call attention to your faults in a helpful way. That’s the reason a preacher needs a good wife. She can keep him humble and tell him what is wrong with him. I have come out from a service puffed up like a balloon. When we get into the car, my wife pushes a pin into the balloon. I recognize that she is the one who is right rather than the one who was flattering me.
Now the contrasting thought is, of course, exemplified in Judas who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet [Prov. 27:7].
This is the reason we have gourmet cooking in our day. We are a pampered people who have so much to eat that the food must be prepared in unusual ways or the foods must be exotic and unusual to whet our appetites. Some people need hummingbird wings or peacock tongues served to them before they can really enjoy their food. That is why cooking reached such a high degree of perfection in the European countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. The ruling class had such plenty that they got tired of eating plain food. A tenderloin steak or filet mignon or strawberries and ice cream were just not good enough for them. So the chefs of that day had to concoct unusual and tasty foods for them.
Contrast this with the hungry man. Food, all food, any food tastes good to him.
One can also apply this to the Word of God. We are to eat it, chew it, ruminate on it. Actually, this is what it means to meditate on the Word of God. May God give us an appetite, a real hunger for His Word!
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place [Prov. 27:8].
There are many folk in churches and in other Christian works who are like round pegs in square holes or square pegs in round holes. They just don’t fit in. The reason is that God has given to every believer a gift: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Cor. 12:7, italics mine). And God has a particular place for every believer to exercise the gift he has been given: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Cor. 12:18). We should get into that place and exercise our gift. In the New Testament we have examples of folk who apparently didn’t exercise their gifts. For instance, Paul spoke of a young man by the name of Demas: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica …” (2 Tim. 4:10). He went back into the world. As far as we know, he never did fit into the place that God had for him.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off [Prov. 27:9–10].
I have always felt that this is a California proverb. When I first came to California, I was shocked at the few people who attended funerals. I had come from Texas, where people came from far and near to attend a funeral. The largest crowds I ever addressed were at Texas funerals. When I came to California, I conducted a funeral for a dear saint of God who lived alone. She had brought her husband out here from the East because he was sick, and she spent much of her time caring for him until he died. She didn’t have many friends, although she had become active in the church to a certain extent. I thought the place would be crowded for her funeral, but there were about fifteen people there. Her family and friends were back in the East. “Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.” We all need friends, and it is better to make friends among our neighbors than depend on family and old friends who are great distances from us.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished [Prov. 27:12].
This is one of the great benefits of the study of prophecy: We know what is coming. Frankly, I would be very discouraged and pessimistic if I had to look to men to solve our problems today. I don’t think man has the solution. We are moving to a crisis and a catastrophe—I don’t think there is any question about that. Any man is very foolish to think that he can solve the problems of the world. The Word of God makes it clear that there is trouble ahead, and the judgment of God is coming upon this old world.
There is another thought in connection with this proverb. I will state it in rather terse language: Buy insurance. The Lord intends for you to make plans for the future. “A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself.” He prepares for the difficult day that is coming. Some people have the idea that a man ought not prepare for retirement, ought not to carry insurance. The foolish reason given is that we ought to trust the Lord. Let me say that when the Lord has given us means for providing for the future, we should avail ourselves of them.
He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him [Prov. 27:14].
There is a great deal of irony in this statement. There are those who make such loud protestations of love and affection that you know there is some motive behind it all. Watch out for the man who is praising you more than you ought to be praised.
A scriptural illustration of this is the way in which Absalom won the hearts of the men of Israel (see 2 Sam. 15:1–6). He got up early and came to the city gate to talk to the men who came to the king with a controversy. Absalom flattered them and pretended to love them and show an interest in their cases. But his true interest was in gaining their support when he seized the throne. (Politicians have been following this same procedure from that day to this!)
I always tell this to young preachers when I am speaking in seminaries: “Young men, regardless of what church you go to, there will always be a dear saint in that church who will tell you what a wonderful preacher you are. Generally it is a sweet old lady; sometimes it is a man. The Lord puts them there to encourage young preachers. They will tell you that you are the greatest preacher they have ever heard. They will have you think you are another apostle Paul, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham all wrapped into one individual. It’s wonderful that such a person is there to encourage you, but don’t you believe what you hear. It’s not true.” A modern proverb goes something like this: Flattery is like perfume. The idea is to smell it, not swallow it.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend [Prov. 27:17].
It is a wonderful thing to have a friend with whom you can sharpen your mind. You can discuss certain things with him with real profit. I used to have such a friend, and we could sit down and talk about spiritual matters. I always came away refreshed and strengthened, and I always had learned something. It is wonderful to have a friend like that.
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man [Prov. 27:19].
It is wonderful to have a friend to whom you can open your heart, knowing that he will not betray you. A friend is one who knows you and still loves you.
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied [Prov. 27:20].
We never see enough. We want to keep on seeing. That’s the reason some of us love to travel around the world.
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise [Prov. 27:21].
Be careful of praise. Make sure it has the right effect upon you. Dr. Ironside (Notes on the Book of Proverbs, pp. 390–391) has this comment: “There is no hotter crucible to test a man than when he is put through a fire of praise and adulation. To go on through evil report, cleaving to the Lord, and counting on Him to clear one’s name is comparatively easy, though many faint in such circumstances; but to humbly pursue the even tenor of his way, undisturbed and unlifted up by applause and flattery, marks a man as being truly with God”
For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? [Prov. 27:24].
“Riches are not for ever”—in our materialistic age we need to recognize the truth of this. You won’t be taking your riches with you. There is no pocket in a shroud.
“And doth the crown endure to every generation?” Dynasties rise and fall in this world of changes. God is the only One on whom we can depend. He is the only unchangeable Friend.
This has been a great chapter on friendship.
CHAPTER 28
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion [Prov. 28:1].
Sin, regardless of the viewpoint of men toward it, puts a person into a state of continual fear and self-condemnation. I was speaking to a group of young people about sin, just sin in general. A young fellow and girl in the group were living together. I had never even mentioned that as a sin, but it was interesting to hear how that young man began to defend himself—it would have been amusing if it had not been so serious. When sin was being discussed, his conscience began to prick him, and then he began defending himself. “The wicked flee when no man pursueth” No one had pointed a finger at him. I would not have known of his sin if he had kept quiet. The discussion was about sin, not his particular sin.
There is a psychological term that is used: a guilt complex. We all have a guilt complex. A Christian psychologist, who was on the faculty of the University of Southern California, said to me, “We all have a guilt complex. It is as much a part of us as our light arm. No one can get rid of a guilt complex just by wishful thinking.” Many people try to do that. He went on with an even more interesting statement: “We psychologists can shift the guilt complex from one place to another, but we cannot eliminate it”.
“The righteous are bold as a lion” If a man is not guilty, he can stand up and speak out. If his own mind is free from guilt, he is not afraid of the thoughts and minds of other men.
He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination [Prov. 28:9].
“The law” means the Word of God. It includes everything that had been written up to the time of Solomon: the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, and many of the Psalms.
The thing that God is saying here is very important. If you want God to hear you, you must hear Him first. He has made it very clear that He does not listen to the prayer of the godless man. It is just sentimental twaddle to talk about the prayers of the godless man being answered in time of trouble. Tear-jerking stories tell of a sick little daughter whose father in a very sentimental way calls upon God to raise her up. I would suggest that he call a godly friend to pray to the Lord for his little girl, because God will not hear the prayer of the ungodly man. He says He won’t. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Pet. 3:12). Here in Proverbs it says that his prayer is actually an abomination to God.
Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession [Prov. 28:10].
This is a law of God that is operative in this world. You can find this again and again as you go through the Word of God. For example, David by his sin brought scandal into his own family and his own home.
The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out [Prov. 28:11].
Riches will minister to pride and conceit. They seem to go along together. You hear of rich people giving testimonies at banquets, especially prominent banquets. You hear that the great men of this world give their testimony at the president’s prayer breakfast. Did you ever hear of them reaching down and asking some poor little vegetable variety Christian to give his testimony? But notice what God says, “The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out” The poor man, poor in this world’s goods but rich in faith, can listen to the testimony of the rich and know that it is hollow, that it lacks reality. Even if it is real, it will often lack the ring of discernment and of understanding of spiritual things. I have been present at banquets where they, have called upon a prominent businessman or a so-called Hollywood convert to give a testimony. I have noted the people who have real spiritual discernment bowing their heads in embarrassment at the things which were being said. This is a very practical proverb, and one that is often passed over.
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy [Prov. 28:13].
This is a great proverb. It seems a common practice today for Christians to try to cover their sins. You will find in the average church that there is a Band-Aid of silence wrapped over the cancer of sin. People don’t like to talk about it; in fact, they don’t admit its existence. They like to think they are very good. But we are told here, “But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” And we have the New Testament version of this in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This does not refer to a public confession of sin; confession is between you and the Lord, and sin should be dealt with. Trying to appear sinless before your little group of friends is a big mistake. If you confess and forsake your sin, you shall have mercy. How wonderful!
Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief [Prov. 28:14].
This is what it means to walk in the fear of the Lord. Remember that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Prov. 9:10). It means that our hearts are open toward God all the time. It is the opposite of “he that hardeneth his heart” The man who fears God is one who is listening to God. He is one who is trying to walk in a way that is pleasing to God. He is walking in humility before the Lord. He walks in recognition of his weakness and of his utter dependence upon God. This is the meaning of “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
I must pause here to say that I have received letters that read: “You have pointed out the faults of the church members, and you have given the criticism of the Christians who are in the churches today. Don’t you have a word of encouragement for them?”
May I say that I attempt to teach the Word of God. We are living in days of apostasy—pastors in our churches across the land and missionaries on the foreign field are quick to acknowledge the present-day apostasy of the church. I recognize that we need encouragement, and the Bible has much to say that is encouraging to the true believer. I call attention to the local church when the Word of God makes it very clear that reference is being made to folk who are making only a profession of being Christian. I feel that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. A great many folk in and out of the church are tremendously discouraged by what they see in the lives of some Christians, and it is causing them to turn away from religion. A rebellious young man told me, “I’ve turned off religion.” Well, knowing something of the boy’s background, I almost felt like saying, I don’t blame you. I couldn’t say that to the young man, so I tried to point out to him that there are many wonderful saints in the church. Often they are in the background, and he hadn’t noticed them. They are folk with whom he could have wonderful fellowship.
I felt that I should pause in our study to insert this explanation in case you may be thinking that I am too critical of the contemporary church.
Actually, the one who wrote these proverbs didn’t spare any of us. Many of the proverbs fit us just like a garment!
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him [Prov. 28:17].
A man who is consciously guilty of having committed a horrible crime must bear a fearful load on his conscience. Often it will finally drive him to suicide. There are many cases like that today. The prime example from the Bible is Judas Iscariot who was driven to suicide because of the awful, dastardly crime which he had committed.
An FBI man told me that sometimes a crime will go unsolved for years. They will have no inkling at all of evidence nor any way to trace the guilty one. Then a man or woman pops up who has to talk, who feels impelled to make a confession. Sometimes the person is already in prison for another crime. He will confess the unsolved crime that the police are still working on. Why does he do that? Because the crime is on the mind and heart of the guilty one. There is no escape from it. God has made us that way as a means of bringing us back to Himself.
Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer [Prov. 28:24].
A young person may think, I’m going to inherit what my dad owns, so I’ll just take a little of it now. God says that that is a crime. The Lord Jesus rebuked the religious rulers of His day because they taught that as soon as a person had said to his father or mother, “It is Corban” or “I have dedicated to God that which would relieve your need” (see Matt. 15:5–6; Mark 7:11), he thereby consecrated all to God and was freed from using it for his parents. This, Jesus declared to be contradictory to the command of God. You see, it is so easy because of a relationship to deny support or to take something that does not belong to us. That is what our Lord condemned.
Incidentally, if you are a parent, you should not ignore acts of theft in the home.
CHAPTER 29
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy [Prov. 29:1].
God has so many ways of reproving a man; yet the man can keep going on in sin. In my own experience I have known so many folk who were warned before judgment fell upon them; they ignored the warning, and judgment fell upon them in this life.
In Dallas, Texas, one night I was walking down the street with a friend. A big crowd was gathered around out in front of a theatre. There was a wrecked automobile there and, believe me, it was really in a sad condition. When I got back to the seminary, one of the students told us the story of that car. It had been driven by a high school student and his girl friend. They had stopped to invite another girl to call her date and go out with them. She said, “No, I can’t go with you tonight,” but she asked them to come with her to a Bible class. They finally agreed to take her to her Bible class, but they would not go in with her. On the way over, this girl presented Christ to them. She told them that she had accepted Christ through the Bible class and that they needed Him, too. They just laughed, and let the girl out of the car. Five minutes later as they were speeding down the street, they were both killed instantly when they collided with another car.
There are many examples of this in the Bible. We think of Korah, and Dathan and Abiram, Belshazzar, Jezebel, and others. “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn [Prov. 29:2].
We’ve seen before that when the wicked are in power, they never solve the problem, but one righteous man is able to bring blessing to a nation. That is what we need in this nation of ours above everything else. We don’t need men who say they have solutions for every problem. No one has the solutions for the problems of this world, and if anyone says he does, he must say it with his tongue in his cheek. What we need today are righteous men who will stand for the right at any price. I believe just one such man is better than a whole party, regardless of what party it might be.
When the wicked rule, everyone suffers. Incidentally, for whom did you vote?
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it [Prov. 29:4].
David was a good king. He was a righteous ruler over men, a ruler in the fear of God. Yet David made the confession that his house was not sound. Only Christ is the King who by judgment will establish the land. The coming of Christ to this earth is the only hope the world has. Thank the Lord that the church will leave before He comes to judge the earth. That is the promise that He has given.
Politicians today are influenced by the giving of gifts. That has always figured in the politics of both parties. The Lord Jesus will reign in righteousness.
A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet [Prov. 29:5].
Applause for a man who is doing a good job is certainly in order. Merit should be recognized. I think there is a time to stand up and cheer for an individual. But when flattery is used, it is like the overdose of honey that we have read about in this book. It seems there are some people who are just given to flattery. They do not really tell the thing that is upon their hearts.
When I was a pastor, there was a man who was always making requests and asking favors. I knew the minute my secretary said that he was on the phone that he wanted something. He always began the same way: “Oh Dr. McGee, I was listening to you on the radio this past week, and I want to tell you I never heard a message like that. I hope you are putting that message into print.” The more flattering the things he said, the bigger the favor he was going to ask. Flattery is a dangerous thing because sometimes people believe it. It is tragic when we believe flattery.
The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul [Prov. 29:10].
We might translate it like this: “Men of blood hate the perfect, but the just seek [or care] for his soul.” The bloodthirsty man has murder and hate in his heart. The Lord Jesus said that if you hate your brother, you are guilty of murder.
Cain was a murderer, and the murder began in his heart. It shows how far and how quickly man fell. Remember that God created Adam and Eve perfect. When they fell, the only thing they could bring into the world was a sinner. They brought forth sons and daughters in their own likeness. Cain was one of them. He was a boy born with murder in his heart—he hated his brother.
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards [Prov. 29:11].
You talk with a fool, and he will tell you everything. A wise man will hold back. He will be very careful what he says.
If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked [Prov. 29:12].
Parents need to discipline a child faithfully and set an example before him, because a child will imitate his parents. And the people will imitate their rulers and men in high position. The conduct of a ruler will be reflected in those who are under him. That is the picture we have here.
Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul [Prov. 29:17].
Again we have before us the importance of discipline.
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he [Prov. 29:18].
“Vision” is actually spiritual understanding. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer to give him understanding of the Word of God.
We read in 1 Samuel 3:1: “… And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.” The Word of the Lord was precious, or rare. There was no understanding of the Word of God, and, therefore, it was precious in those days. God had to raise up Samuel, a seer, to meet that need.
You may remember that Joshua was disturbed because some of the men prophesied in the camp. But Moses said, “… would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Num. 11:29).
Spiritual discernment is one of the gifts that God has given to the church—that is, an understanding of the Word of God.
This chapter concludes the collection of proverbs that were copied out by the men of Hezekiah. It concludes all the proverbs which are attributed to King Solomon. However, I believe that the final chapter of Proverbs was also written by Solomon and that he is King Lemuel.
CHAPTER 30
In this one chapter are proverbs by an unknown sage, named Agur. The first verse tells us all we know about his parentage.
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal [Prov. 30:1].
None of these named are people whom we know. Agur is an unknown seer and unknown writer. The proper names here are like all Hebrew names in that they do mean something. “Agur” means gatherer and “Jakeh” means pious. Some versions translate the names as common nouns: “The words of a gatherer, the son of the pious.”
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? [Prov. 30:4].
It is interesting to note that these are some of the questions God asked Job. Who is able to answer such questions? The Lord Jesus said, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven” (John 3:13). This is why I constantly say that the Lord Jesus is the only authority on this matter of creation and the origin of the universe. Very candidly, I don’t think any of us has the correct explanation of the origin of the universe. Scientists do not—the very fact that they come up with the evolutionary theory means that they do not have the answer to origin. The reason that we spent so much money to go to the moon was to get rocks so that we might find out about the origin of the universe!
The first verse of Genesis tells us that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. That is how it all began. But then the next verse: “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2) is considered by some to describe the act of creation. My friend, I don’t think that God has told us how He did the creating. I believe this second verse suggests the gap theory—that God created the heaven and the earth and then there followed a space of time. Something happened to that original creation. The earth became without form and void. I recognize that this theory has been largely abandoned, but I still hold it in spite of what these sharp young men are writing today. My contention is that God has not told how He created. We just don’t know—neither scientist nor theologian knows. I like the question God asked Job: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? …” (Job 38:4). That is a question which God can ask every individual. No one has the answer.
Also I like the question Agur asks. “Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?” Just think—God holds the winds just like we might hold some article in our hand. What a picture that is! Man knows very little about these things. In that same passage where the Lord Jesus said He was the One who came down from heaven, He also said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth …” (John 3:8). This is a tremendous thought.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him [Prov. 30:5].
Nothing will clean you up like the Word of God. Every Word of God is pure. It is better than any soap; it is a miracle cleanser.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar [Prov. 30:6].
This should make us cautious in our handling of the Word of God. God doesn’t mind calling a man a liar if he is one.
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain [Prov. 30:7–9].
“Remove far from me vanity and lies” means I don’t want to live among those who are vain and are flattering and are lying. It is like living in a rattlesnake den to live with folk like that. And then he says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” Let me take the middle of the road. I don’t want to be an extremist either way.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness [Prov. 30:12].
There are some church members who are like that. They are pure in their own eyes. They feel that they don’t need a Savior. They are just religious.
Also there are people who are high up in business and politics who feel that they are pure—they are not guilty of wrongdoing. Even the down-and-outer may be pure in his own eyes. But none of them is washed. The only way that any of us can be clean is to be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.
There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough [Prov. 30:15].
Now he goes on to list four things that are never satisfied:
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough [Prov. 30:16].
First is “the grave.” You and I live in a funeral procession. All of us do. It began outside the Garden of Eden with the death of Abel, and it has been coming down through the centuries. This old world on which we live is a great big cemetery. The grave is never satisfied.
“The barren womb” There are so many women who cannot have children for one reason or another. (I think they would make such wonderful mothers of adopted children.) They are never satisfied. Such a woman wants that precious little one to put his chubby arms around her neck and call her mother. And the same holds true for fathers.
“The earth that is not filled with water.” We don’t ever get enough rain out here in California. We need more rain.
“The fire that saith not, It is enough.” We have too much fire and not enough rain. I sometimes wonder when we are going to burn off all the mountains of California. I thought we would have run out of burnable mountains long ago, but they still burn every summer.
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it [Prov. 30:17].
Terrible judgments are pronounced against those who turn against father and mother. God have mercy on the young people today who have turned against their parents who are believers in Christ.
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid [Prov. 30:18–19].
Agur, the writer, didn’t understand these things, and I don’t either. Have you thought of this when you watch an eagle fly? Have you been intrigued by a serpent on a rock? Then there is the way of a ship at sea. I went across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary many years ago, and it was a wonder to me how that great ship of iron could float. And then the way of a man with a maid. Today we hear so much about sex; yet in spite of that, have you noticed how awkward the young boy is when he meets a girl? They are both a little embarrassed when they meet.
I well remember my first date when I was about fourteen, before I was saved. I didn’t want to miss anything so I started to date early. I was walking with this girl, taking her to a movie. In those days men wore garters to hold up their socks. Well, mine came loose, and it was dragging. Oh my! You talk about embarrassment! I never was so embarrassed in all my life. I didn’t have sense enough to just stop and step aside to fix it. I just went down the street dragging that garter. After a while a crowd followed us, and that made it even worse. The girl got red in the face, and I got red in the face. I don’t think we said anything to each other for a couple of hours after that happened. The way of a man with a maid. Agur says that he doesn’t understand these things, and I don’t understand them either.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness [Prov. 30:20].
We are living in a day when this has come to pass. There are those who are living in sin, and they will argue that they are not living in sin. I understand one little girl born out of wedlock was given a name that means purity. Well, in the first place the child was not pure because all children are born with a sinful nature. In the second place, the name of the child would not change the fact that her mother was an adulteress. God says that adultery is sin, and God has not changed His mind. He hasn’t learned anything new from this generation. God knew the sins that our generation would commit, and He has already written about them in the Book of Proverbs.
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat [Prov. 30:21–22].
“For a servant when he reigneth”—that was Jeroboam who was a servant and became the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Then “a fool when he is filled with meat” is typified by the rich fool our Lord told about who built bigger barns. With financial success like that, he was eating gourmet food, of course. He was a fool and he was “filled with meat.”
The third thing is—
For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress [Prov. 30:23].
“For an odious woman when she is married” doesn’t require a comment—I think we all get the picture.
“And an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.” Sometimes a very poor person, who has been walked on, suddenly becomes rich. There is no one who is more overbearing than such a person.
Now we are going to visit a zoo to look at some of the animals there. Did you know that animals have a message for us? God created them for His many purposes. One of those purposes is to give a message to us.
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise [Prov. 30:24].
God says we can learn from the animal world. The first group is made up of small creatures, little bitty animals. In fact, the first is an insect, the ant.
The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer [Prov. 30:25].
Now we are going to find two groups of animals listed here. The first group is an illustration of the way to God for the sinner. The second group is an illustration of the walk of the saints before God.
Those little creatures, the ants, are wise, and we can learn from them. We have already seen in Proverbs 6:6–8: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise; Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Ants do gather grain. I have seen them do it in Texas and in Palestine. A little ant will carry a grain of wheat or oats that is bigger than the ant. They store up food during those brief and bright days of harvest. The ant is an example to us of wisdom in preparing for the future with material things.
Some people think that Christians should not have insurance but that they ought to trust the Lord for their future. Friend, I think we should have everything that is available to us. If the Lord has given us means of caring for our future, we should have insurance and a savings account and a home, if it is possible. We should make a will to provide for the future of our loved ones. That is what the ant teaches us. He takes out insurance for his future by storing his food in the time of harvest.
There is a deeper message here. There are so many people who make no arrangement beyond death. They may go to the undertaker and arrange for their funeral. I saw the advertisement of an undertaker which read: “Lay away plan: pay now and go later.” That is not the kind of arrangement beyond death that I mean. I am speaking of eternity. We are here for a few fleeting moments of time, and then there will be the endless ages of eternity. Isn’t it foolish to care for the physical body and neglect the soul? Isn’t it foolish to make no preparation for eternity?
The wicked emperor of Rome, Hadrian, said something like this when he was dying: “No more crown for this head, no more beauty for these eyes, no more music for these ears, and no more food for this stomach of mine. But my soul, oh, my soul, what is to become of you?” It is a certainty that we shall die. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). It is possible to live for this life only, to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. A person can spend his time building bigger barns, but God tells us to be prepared to meet our God.
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks [Prov. 30:26].
Now the conies are the next animal we visit. The “conies” are not to be confused with the conies of England, which are actually rabbits. These “conies” are the hyrax syriacus. They have long hair, a short tail, and round ears. They are “feeble” and defenseless. They are not able to burrow in the ground, which makes them vulnerable little creatures; so they hide in the rocks to find a place of safety. They are included in the Leviticus list of unclean animals.
The coney has a message for man. Like the coney, man is poor, helpless, and unclean. We are sinners, and we need to recognize our pitiful plight. This is why David prays, “… Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:2). We sing this in the hymn “The Rock That is Higher Than I” by E. Johnson:
Oh, then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I.
That Rock is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands [Prov. 30:27].
The locust is a creature of destruction. Joel had a great deal to say about the locust plagues. We find locusts again in the Book of Revelation. They devour all the leaves and the vegetation. On one of my visits to Palestine, they were not having a real plague of them, but there were quite a few locusts, especially around the Sea of Galilee. They were doing a good job of destroying everything in their way. They are creatures of destruction.
“The locusts have no king.” They have no visible head or leader, yet they go forth like soldiers in their respective regiments. They move so methodically that they seem to be acting under definite instructions and strict discipline.
To us as believers they furnish an example of subjection to one another and subjection to our unseen Head in heaven. To the world the body of believers must look like disorganized, fragmented, unrelated groups of people, with no leader and no bond of union. But, my friend, we do have a Leader. Christ is the unseen Head of the church. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:3). Not only is Christ the Head of all who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, but the Holy Spirit is indwelling every believer, welding us together in one great family, “… every one members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). This is what the locust is teaching us.
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces [Prov. 30:28].
The Hebrew word for “spider” is shemameth and refers to a little house lizard. Delitzsch says, “The lizard thou canst catch with the hand and yet it is in kings’ palaces.” Somehow or other it can work its way into houses, and it has an affinity for find tapestry and palatial mansions. It has fanlike feet which exude a sticky substance so that the lizard can actually hold onto a marble wall or a tessellated ceiling.
This teaches us about faith, the kind of faith that takes hold of the promises of God. It is the faith that enters into the very heavenly places. It lays hold of the fact that the Spirit of God Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the sons of God. It is the faith that says, “… I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
Now we come to the second group.
There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any [Prov. 30:29–30].
The lion goes straight ahead and doesn’t detour. He is not afraid of the pussycats in the neighborhood—they don’t frighten him. A lion is known for its unflinching boldness, and this should characterize the Christian as we earnestly contend for the faith. I think of the apostle Paul who in the face of suffering and persecution said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
I think that the curse of the church today lies in pussyfooting preachers and mealymouthed deacons.
It is said of Cromwell that he was a man without fear. When asked why, he said, “I have learned that when you fear God you have no man to fear.”
General “Stonewall” Jackson, a Christian man, got his appellation because one day in battle the men of General Cox were ready to retreat. General Cox looked over at him and then said to his men, “Look at General Jackson; he’s standing like a stone wall.” He was a man of course, like a lion. That is the way the walk of the believer should be.
The next animal is a greyhound.
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up [Prov. 30:31].
The greyhound we are speaking of here is not the Greyhound Bus! The Christian is to be like a greyhound in that he is to gird up his loins and run with patience the race that is set before him. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …” (Heb. 12:1–2).
The other animal mentioned in this verse is the goat. The mountain goat is a climber who lives way up in the top of the mountains. He finds both pleasure and safety in his high retreat.
The lesson is plain to see. The believer who walks on the high places, as did Habakkuk, will be able to rejoice in the day of trouble. “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places …” (Hab. 3:17–19).
CHAPTER 31
The final chapter of Proverbs is designated as the words of King Lemuel. A popular title would be, “Advice on how to choose a wife”
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him [Prov. 31:1].
I believe this chapter was written by Solomon. There is no king named Lemuel. The name that God gave to Solomon is Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:25); the name Lemuel means “devoted to the Lord.” My guess is that this was the pet name that Bathsheba had for Solomon.
I have a notion that every man reading this can remember a pet name that his mother had for him. You would almost be ashamed to say what it was, wouldn’t you? Probably Solomon’s mother had a pet name for him, and I think it was Lemuel. Around the palace you probably could have heard her calling, “Lemuel.”
This was a mother’s advice to her son. It makes a great Mother’s Day sermon, by the way.
What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? [Prov. 31:2].
Bathsheba is asking, “What can I say to you?” She needed to say something, because she saw in this boy Solomon some of the characteristics of his father David. She well remembered the sin of David. I don’t think it was her sin; I think it was David’s sin. In the first chapter of Matthew it says, “… and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias” (Matt. 1:6). Bathsheba’s name is not even mentioned. I believe God is making it clear that it was David’s sin. She sees the temptation that Solomon faces; so she gives him words of advice. “What, my son? What can I say to you, son of my womb? You’re my precious boy, the son of my vows”—she had dedicated him to God.
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings [Prov. 31:3].
She knew David.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted [Prov. 31:4–5].
We are told that every day in Washington there are many cocktail parties for our government officials. Republicans and Democrats both have this in common—the party membership doesn’t make any difference. It is tragic to have drinking men in high positions of government!
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more [Prov. 31:6–7].
She tells Solomon to use wine for medicine.
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy [Prov. 31:8–9].
Oh, Solomon, be honest and just and fair!
Now she goes on to tell him how to choose a wife. This is good advice. It is God’s advice.
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies [Prov. 31:10].
“Virtuous” here means a woman of character, a woman of strength, a woman of real ability. She is not to be a shrinking violet. She is not to be like Whistler’s mother, always sitting in a rocking chair. (A whimsical story is told that Whistler painted another picture of his mother, because he came in one day and found her sitting on the floor and said to her, “Mother, you’re off your rocker”) I don’t think you will find many mothers sitting in rocking chairs. They are busy. This is the picture of a busy mother:
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil [Prov. 31:11].
She will be faithful. “He shall have no need of spoil.” She will not be a spendthrift with her husband’s money. She will be a helpmate or a helpmeet for him. God never intended woman to be a servant of man. She is to be his partner, and a real partner. When God made Eve to be a helpmeet, He made the other half of Adam. Adam was only half a man until God made Eve and gave her to him.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life [Prov. 31:12].
She is a real helpmeet.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands [Prov. 31:13].
She doesn’t mind working.
She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar [Prov. 31:14].
She looks for bargains to spend the money wisely.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens [Prov. 31:15].
She knows how to keep a house. She runs a night shift and is a wonderful mother.
I do not recall any time when I was growing up as a boy that I got up in the morning and found my mother in bed. I just thought about that the other day. Later on when she became old, it was different, of course. But when I was a boy, by the time I got out of bed, she was up, and breakfast was usually ready and on the table.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms [Prov. 31:16–17].
She is a woman of ability. She runs her household well.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night [Prov. 31:18].
She proves the adage, “Man’s work is from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.”
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy [Prov. 31:19–20].
She is a generous person.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet [Prov. 31:21].
I was remembering that my mother kept my pants patched when I was a boy.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness [Prov. 31:26].
She is both wise and kind in her advice and admonitions.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised [Prov. 31:30].
Young man, first you should look for a wife who is a Christian. Then I hope that you get a good-looking one in the bargain—it’s nice to have both together. “A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” This is of prime importance.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates [Prov. 31:31].
I guess this is the reason we have Mother’s Day, a day to honor our mothers. However, there are many mothers who are not worthy of the tribute given to mothers on Mother’s Day.
This Book of Proverbs has been a book for young men. Also it is a wonderful book for young ladies. In fact, we all can learn from the wisdom in this remarkable book.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Arnot, William. Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth. London, England: T. Nelson and Sons, 1864.
Bridges, Charles. An Exposition of Proverbs. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1959.
Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. Oak Park, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1917.
Gray, James M. Synthetic Bible Studies. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1906.
Ironside, H. A. Notes on the Book of Proverbs. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1907. (Very good.)
Jensen, Irving L. Proverbs. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1982.
Kelly, William. The Proverbs. Oak Park, Illinois:Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.
Kidner, D. The Proverbs. Chicago, Illinois: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, 1964.
Mackintosh, C. H. Miscellaneous Writings. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, n.d.
Moorehead, W. G. Outline Studies in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1894.
Sauer, Erich. The Dawn of World Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951. (An excellent Old Testament survey.)
Scroggie, W. Graham. The Unfolding Drama of Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. (An excellent survey and outline of the Old Testament.)
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. 1. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981. (A fine summary of each chapter.)
The Book of
Ecclesiastes
INTRODUCTION
Solomon is the writer. This fact is very well established among conservative expositors, and there is no other reasonable explanation for the book.
Solomon also wrote the Books of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon. We will find Ecclesiastes to be quite different from the Book of Proverbs. In Proverbs we saw the wisdom of Solomon; here we shall see the foolishness of Solomon. Ecclesiastes is the dramatic autobiography of his life when he was away from God.
Ecclesiastes indicates a preacher or philosopher. I rather like the term philosopher because it is less likely to be misunderstood.
To correctly understand any book of the Bible, it is important to know the purpose for which it was written. We need to back off and get a perspective of the book. We need to put down the telescope on the Word of God before we pick up the microscope. The necessity for this is more evident here than in many of the other books of the Bible.
This is human philosophy apart from God, which must always reach the conclusions that this book reaches. We need to understand this about Ecclesiastes, because there are many statements which contradict certain other statements of Scripture.
Actually, it almost frightens us to know that this book has been the favorite of atheists, and they have quoted from it profusely. Voltaire is an example. Today we find the cynic and the critic are apt to quote from this book. And it is quite interesting to note the number of cults that use passages from this book out of context and give them an entirely wrong meaning.
Man has tried to be happy without God; it is being tried every day by millions of people. This book shows the absurdity of the attempt. Solomon was the wisest of men, and he had a wisdom that was God-given. He tried every field of endeavor and pleasure that was known to man, and his conclusion was that all is vanity. The word vanity means “empty, purposeless.” Satisfaction in life can never be attained in this manner.
God showed Job, a righteous man, that he was a sinner in God’s sight. In Ecclesiastes God showed Solomon, the wisest man, that he was a fool in God’s sight. This is a book from which a great many professors, Ph.D.s and Th. D. s, and preachers could learn a great lesson. In spite of all their wisdom, in spite of all attempts at being intellectual, unregenerate men in the sight of God are fools. That, my friend, is something that is hard to swallow for those who put an emphasis upon their I. Q. and the amount of knowledge and information that they have accumulated.
In Ecclesiastes we learn that without Christ we cannot be satisfied—even if we possess the whole world and all the things that men consider necessary to make their hearts content. The world cannot satisfy the heart, because the heart is too large for the object. In the Song of Solomon we will learn that if we turn from the world and set our affections on Christ, we cannot fathom the infinite preciousness of His love; the Object is too large for the heart.
The key word is “vanity,” which occurs thirty-seven times. The key phrase is “under the sun,” which occurs twenty-nine times. Another phrase which recurs is “I said in mine heart.” In other words, this book contains the cogitations of man’s heart. These are conclusions which men have reached through their own intelligence, their own experiments. Although Solomon’s conclusions are not inspired, the Scripture that tells us about them is inspired. This is the reason for the explanatory: “I said in mine heart,” “under the sun,” and “vanity.”
OUTLINE
I. Problem Stated: “All is Vanity,” Chapter 1:1–3
II. Experiment Made, Chapters 1:4–12:12 (Seeking Satisfaction in the following:)
A. Science, Chapter 1:4–11
B. Wisdom and Philosophy, Chapter 1:12–18
C. Pleasure, Chapter 2:1–11
D. Materialism (Living for the “Now”), Chapter \2:12–26
E. Fatalism, Chapter 3:1–15
F. Egotism, Chapters 3:16–4:16
G. Religion, Chapter 5:1–8
H. Wealth, Chapters 5:9–6:12
I. Morality, Chapters 7:1–12:12
III. Result of Experiment, Chapter 12:13–14
CHAPTER 1
The Book of Ecclesiastes is a dramatic autobiography of King Solomon’s life when he was away from God. As the Book of Proverbs reveals Solomon’s wisdom, the Book of Ecclesiastes reveals his foolishness.
This is not a book without rhyme or reason—not just a bunch of verses stuck together. It begins with the problem stated: All is vanity in this world. Then we will find that experiments are made. Solomon will seek satisfaction through many different avenues, in many different fields. He will try science, the laws of nature, wisdom and philosophy, pleasure and materialism, as well as living for the “now.” He will explore fatalism, egotism, religion, wealth, and morality. Then in the final verses of the book he will give us the result of his experiments.
Keep in mind that the conclusions in each experiment are human, not God’s truth. This is man under the sun.
Do not misunderstand what is meant by “inspiration” when we say that the Bible is inspired by God. Inspiration guarantees the accuracy of the words of Scripture, not always the thought that is expressed. The context should be considered, and attention paid to the person who made the statement and under what circumstances the statement was made. For example, in the betrayal of Christ by Judas, the record of the event is inspired, but the act of Judas was not God-inspired; it was satanic. Also the statements that Solomon makes, while he is searching for satisfaction apart from God, are not always in accord with God’s thoughts. Inspiration guarantees that what Solomon said has been accurately recorded in Scripture.
PROBLEM STATED
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem [Eccl. 1:1]
That description doesn’t fit anyone except Solomon, as far as I can tell. David did have other sons, but Solomon was the only one who was king in Jerusalem. He is the philosopher here. We know that he had been given wisdom.
I think that the wisdom God gave Solomon was a little different from what we think it was. We imagine that he was given spiritual insight, but Scripture does not tell us that he even asked for that. He had prayed: “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (1 Kings 3:9, italics mine). Apparently God gave him what he asked for: wisdom to rule. He was wise in political economy and probably did a marvelous job of ruling the nation. He brought in an era of peace. Other nations of the world went there to study and to behold the wisdom of Solomon. He gave a testimony for God through the temple with the altar where sacrifice was made for sinners. These were some of the things that the Queen of Sheba learned when she came from the ends of the earth. But in the area of spiritual discernment, Solomon was probably nil.
Now we find Solomon, away from God, launching out with his experiments “under the sun.” The man under the sun is a great deal different from the child of God who has been blessed “… with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity [Eccl. 1:2].
“Vanity” here speaks of emptiness. It is to waste life without any purpose or any goal. It means to live like an animal or a bird lives. There are a great many people who live like that.
I was in a hotel in the Hawaiian Islands where the jet set come. They fly all over the world spending a few days or weeks in Hawaii, then at Acapulco in Mexico, and then the Riviera in France, then to Spain, North Africa, South Africa, and so on. They are world travelers. I watched these folk and listened to their conversation at the dinner table, out in the hotel lobby, and in the elevators. The thing that impressed me about them was how purposeless their lives really are. They talked about people they had seen in other places. They talked about plays they had seen. They would ask, “Where are you going from here?” Someone would say, “Wasn’t that place where we were last year a bore!” There was no aim, no goal, no purpose in life. This is also the conclusion of Solomon. Vanity of vanities. Emptiness of emptiness. It is just like a big bag of nothing.
Solomon in the Book of Proverbs gives us gems of wisdom. In Ecclesiastes he gives us globules, not of wisdom, but of folly. Then in the Song of Solomon love is the subject. Wisdom, foolishness, and love—Solomon was an expert in all three fields. He knew how to play the fool; he was wise in government; and his love life was quite a story. Solomon was the wisest of men, but no man ever played the fool more thoroughly than he did. He is the riddle of revelation. He is the paradox of Scripture. The wisest man was the greatest fool. The Book of Ecclesiastes will reveal this.
“Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” is life without God. It is man walking and talking “under the sun,” trying to get something out of life.
There is another class of people whom I meet in motels and hotels as I travel. These are the conventioneers. This is the day of conventions. I have listened to them and watched them. They are different from the jet set, but they, too, are looking for something. They have the big cocktail party or beer bust. Then they have a huge banquet with a big show. They try it all, but there is that note of bitterness. There are dregs left in the glass of life.
Now we will find man experimenting. He is going to squeeze the juice of life out of the dry rocks of this mundane existence down here.
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? [Eccl. 1:3]
Let’s keep in mind this is “under the sun”; it is man’s viewpoint. God is not giving His viewpoint here.
EXPERIMENT MADE
His experiments comprise the body of the book, extending from verse 4 through chapter 12, verse 12.
Now the first thing he tries is in the realm of science. He makes a study of the laws of nature. It is interesting that Solomon tried this. Men today still go into the scientific fields of study and spend years, in fact a lifetime, studying these laws of nature. This book is remarkable in giving us these laws of nature.
SCIENCE
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever [Eccl. 1:4].
The earth “abideth for ever” and has a stability that man does not have because man is temporary. Contemporary man is a little different from the man of the past and probably he will be a great deal different from the man of the future, but man is temporary. The continuity of mankind is maintained through births. Most of us were not here a hundred years ago, and we will not be here a hundred years from today. In fact, many of us won’t be around much longer. However, mankind will continue through succeeding generations. Solomon has noted that: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh.” Man is a transitory creature. Looking at life in terms of this life only, man is the most colossal failure in God’s universe. He has been around only a few years. There are redwood trees in Northern California that were here when Christ was on earth, but they are newcomers compared to rocks around us which geologists tell us have been here millions, maybe billions, of years. Although no one knows how long the earth has been here, it was here before man got here, and it will be here after most of us leave. My friend, this adds a certain dimension to life that is rather discouraging and disappointing. Man is not what he thinks he is.
Now we see some very remarkable statements. Here is a revelation that Solomon made a study of the laws of nature and knew a, great deal about them. It is quite interesting that these are basic in our day as far as science is concerned.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again [Eccl. 1:5–7]
It is very interesting that these accurate observations come from the days of Solomon. Dr. Arthur T. Pierson comments on this fact:
There is a danger in pressing the words in the Bible into a positive announcement of scientific fact, so marvellous are some of these correspondencies. But it is certainly a curious fact that Solomon should use language entirely consistent with discoveries such as evaporation and storm currents (vv. 6–7). Some have boldly said that Redfield’s theory of storms is here explicitly stated. Without taking such ground, we ask, who taught Solomon to use terms that readily accommodate facts that the movement of the winds which seem to be so lawless and uncertain, are ruled by laws as positive as those which rule the growth of the plant; and that by evaporation, the waters that fall on the earth are continually rising again, so that the sea never overflows. Ecclesiastes 12:6 is a poetic description of death. How the “silver cord” describes the spinal marrow, the “golden bowl” the basin which holds the brain, the “pitcher” the lungs, and the “wheel” the heart. Without claiming that Solomon was inspired to foretell the circulation of the blood, twenty-six centuries before Harvey announced it, is it not remarkable that the language he uses exactly suits the facts—a wheel pumping up through one pipe to discharge through another?
There are three very interesting statements in verses 5–7.
1. “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down.” There is a monotony in nature, but also that which you can depend upon. You can count on the sun coming up and you can depend on it going down—we still use that terminology although we know that the coming up and going down of the sun really is caused by the rotation of the earth. We are standing on a pretty solid piece of earth, and it looks to us as if the sun comes up and the sun goes down. The terminology has accommodated man in all ages. The amazing thing is the precise, regular way that the sun appears and disappears; it is obeying certain laws.
2. “The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north.” Today we know that the wind follows certain patterns. Even with our modern gadgets we are not able to predict it well enough to forecast the weather as we would like to. Here in Southern California where we have a monotony of good weather, the weatherman misses the exact prediction about half the time. I have watched this very carefully over the years. The Lord Jesus said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth”—that is, where it wants to blow. It is blowing according to laws. “And thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth …” (John 3:8)—we can’t tell where it is coming from and where it is going. As I am making this study of Ecclesiastes, we have had quite a bit of disturbance across the country. Here in Southern California we never get rain in June or July or August—but we’ve been having showers! I couldn’t believe it when I got in my car the other night and had to use the windshield wipers. The weatherman tells us that there is a low pressure here and a high pressure there. There is movement; winds are blowing. “The wind bloweth where it listeth.” Or, as Solomon put it, “The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north.” At one place the wind is moving south, and in another place it is moving north. In Arizona they even had flooding in desert communities, all because of the wind. It is obeying certain laws as it is blowing. How did Solomon know that? He didn’t have the gadgets which we have nor the background on which to base his conclusions.
3. “All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full.” Solomon is tacitly speaking of the law of evaporation, of the elevation of moisture into the air. Then the wind comes along, blows that moisture over the land, and it pours out on the earth. The whole process follows certain definite, specific laws. There is nothing haphazard happening, although we may think so. Including verse 4, we have four remarkable statements concerning the laws of nature that make sense and fit right into what men know today. Compare this with other writings that come from one thousand years before Christ. You will find a great deal of false conclusions and superstitions in contrast to the accuracy you find in the Word of God.
Here is another remarkable observation—
All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing [Eccl. 1:8].
This may not have seemed true before, but since the advent of television it is obvious. Many people watch television for hours day after day. Why? Because the eye is never satisfied with seeing; the ear is never filled with hearing. Most of us love to go to new places and see new scenes. This is one of the enjoyments of life. It is one of the things we can enjoy in this big, wonderful country. I get kidded because I come from Texas, but I must say in all honesty that I have never been in a state that I didn’t like. They are all wonderful. We live in a wonderful country and in a wonderful universe.
Man cannot exhaust the exploration of the universe. The more he learns, the more he sees that he should learn. The more he learns, the more he sees how much more there is to learn. This is frustrating. The physical universe is too big for little man. Yet man alone of all God’s creatures—as far as we know—is able to comprehend the universe. When a dog bays at the moon, I don’t think he knows the distance to the moon, and I don’t think he cares. I don’t think he recognizes that he live in a vast universe. I believe that the world of a dog is a very small world. It is no bigger than a bone most of the time. But the eyes and ears of man are never satisfied; he wants to explore.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us [Eccl. 1:9–10].
People think we have come up with something new when we have manufactured a new gadget. I remember what a novelty the telephone was. In West Texas we were on a party line, and when the telephone would ring, you could hear a dozen receivers being taken off the hook. That was the best way to make a public announcement in those days! You say, “Well, television is new, how can it be said that there is nothing new under the sun?” Let me illustrate this.
My grandfather courted my grandmother on an old horsehair sofa in a very staid living room in Mississippi. He proposed to her there. She accepted, and they were married. My dad courted my mother on a train—he met her in a day coach. They traveled by horse and buggy to Tyler, Texas, where they were married. I proposed to my wife down in Texas, as we were sitting in a car. My little grandson may propose to his wife in an airplane or maybe even in a space capsule. You may ask, “Isn’t that new?” No, not really. The feeling that my granddad had when his proposal was accepted is the same feeling that I had, and I don’t think my little grandson will feel any differently. There is really nothing new under the sun. The environment may change, and there may be new gadgets around, but there really is nothing new under the sun. Man stays the same. Only the stage setting may vary a bit from age to age.
It is said that the atom bomb is new, but the atom has been around for a long time. Actually, the atom is older than man, although man did not know it existed during all that time. All man has accomplished is to make the little atom a very difficult neighbor. The nosy human should have let sleeping dogs lie, but we probe around. Perhaps you are asking, “Well, isn’t the computer new?” Not really. God created us with computer brains and electric nervous systems. A mechanical computer brings to man no deep and abiding satisfaction. Man has learned that none of these gadgets contributes anything really new to him.
There is one exception. There is one thing that is new—the New Birth. This is something that comes when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. This, my friend, is about the only thing new that will come your way.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after [Eccl. 1:11].
Solomon had tried to find satisfaction in the study of science, but he had to come to this conclusion. Man tries to be important. He tries everything in the world to keep himself before the public, but it isn’t long until he passes off the stage. “There is no remembrance of former things.”
Do you remember who were the popular entertainers of fifty years ago? Do you remember the popular athletes of fifty years ago? Could you name the president of the United States of fifty years ago? Our memories aren’t very long. The Scripture says that we spend our time down here as a tale that is told and we can’t go back over it again.
You see, this man Solomon is making tremendous experiments, and he is making them in the laboratory of life. He is trying everything that is available to man. In his day and position he was able to go into any field that he chose. Not many men even today would be able to do what Solomon did. He first gave himself to the study of the laws of nature, as we have seen, but he found nothing he could learn in nature, in science, which was new in the sense that it would bring new life to him.
Solomon’s next experimentation will be in the area of wisdom and philosophy.
WISDOM AND PHILOSOPHY
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith [Eccl. 1:12–13.
Solomon spent a lot of time studying the philosophy of the world. He lived nearly a thousand years before Christ, and since we live two thousand years on this side, three thousand years have elapsed. Man has come up with a great deal of gadgetry in that time, but actually man doesn’t know any more about philosophy and wisdom than he knew three thousand years ago. There has been no improvement in philosophy and wisdom, neither do they satisfy the heart.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 1:14].
All systems of philosophy lead up a blind alley. You can make the same experiment yourself. You can spend your time in studying this subject, and you will find it is actually a waste of time.
We are living in a day when educators are declaring that all the past methods of education were just a waste of time. I wonder how good our present method is. I think that it is also a waste of time. Man can never learn the really important thing—he cannot know God by wisdom and philosophy. His knowledge of God comes only through revelation. Philosophy generally leads a person to a pessimistic viewpoint of life.
You cannot take natural man—man who is a lost sinner alienated from God—and give him an education, expecting that education to solve the problems of his life. It will not do that. Philosophy and psychology cannot change human nature, nor can they correct the old nature of man.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered [Eccl. 1:15].
“That which is crooked cannot be made straight”—as the twig is bent, the tree inclines. The tree grows crooked because the twig was bent. You and I start out in life with an old nature. We can educate it and do many things to improve it, but, as the Lord Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” It will always be flesh, my friend. That is the reason we must have a new nature—“… that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
For a time we thought that education would solve the problems of life. Now higher education, in fact all education, is coming under the scrutiny of a great many thoughtful people. A committee to study higher education has come up with a novel explanation of our present conditions. They say the rebellion and the general immorality in our schools is taking place because the young people today are more inquiring and more interested in politics and what is happening in their world. I agree that people are more aware of the many terrible things that are happening. The media gather news from the four corners of the earth and broadcast it the same evening. This makes us more aware of what takes place in the world than ever before. There was a time when it took six weeks to complete all the information after an election; so it took that long to find out who had been elected president. Today they can tell you who is going to be elected before they have the election! So I agree with the fact that young people are more aware today. But I heartily disagree with the implication that the things happening on our campuses are actually an improvement because the young people are so well informed. There is a deterioration on our campuses. We have come to the day when evil is called good, and good evil. Only an educated man could come up with the conclusion that the deterioration on campuses is not deterioration but actually improvement! If you believe fairy stories, you may want to believe that, but we need to face reality. Education cannot solve the problems of life. Neither can psychology provide the answer. In our day there are clever men and women who have come up with little psychological clichés to explain and solve the problems of life. They coat them with a little Bible, like a bitter pill that is covered with a sugar coating, to make them appear as the biblical solutions. My friend, the Word of God in its entirety contains for the Christian the answers to the problems of life. There are no easy solutions. Studying the Word of God requires a great deal of time and effort and mental “perspiration.” Oh, how that is needed among Christians!
Solomon discovered that wisdom and philosophy did not provide the answers to the problems of life.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge [Eccl. 1:16].
I believe that Solomon was led to a certain amount of arrogance, a certain amount of conceit, since he was wiser than the others. Paul writes that “Knowledge puffeth up …” (1 Cor. 8:1). It can inflate an individual like a balloon if he feels that he is a little smarter or better educated than those around him. Remember that education is based on experience, and experience cannot be trusted. Experience must be tested by the Word of God. Unfortunately, many folk today are testing the Word of God by their experience. My friend, if your experience is contrary to the Bible, then it is your experience, not the Word of God, which is wrong.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit [Eccl. 1:17].
“To know madness and folly”—it is interesting that wisdom and playing the fool are not very far apart. Many smart men in the history of the world have played the fool. Solomon is the notable example of that. King James of England, the one for whom our King James Version of the Bible is named, certainly was not capable of translating. He was called James the fool, because that’s what he was, although he thought he was a very smart individual.
Our nation has produced a generation that thinks it is very intelligent and very smart. Yet we cannot even solve the problems that are about us, much less the problems of the world. Solomon gave his heart to know wisdom and also to know madness and folly. He did both.
“I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.” In other words, it was not worth the effort.
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow [Eccl. 1:18].
Joy and satisfaction do not increase in ratio to the increase of knowledge. Someone has said that when ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise. There is a certain amount of truth in that. In much wisdom there is much grief. The more we know, the more we increase our problems. Life has become more tedious, has produced more tensions, and all of our scientific gadgets about us are making life almost unbearable. A Christian friend said to me the other day, “I think I will lose my mind if I don’t get away from these computers that are controlling life today. The machines that we think are so wonderful and practically worship are drowning us in pollution and driving us to madness.” How accurate Solomon was in saying “in much wisdom is much grief,” and Solomon did not live in the machine age. He did not see the Industrial Revolution, but he knew what he was talking about.
CHAPTER 2
In this chapter we will find Solomon following another course to find satisfaction in life. This is a popular route for modern man who seeks satisfaction in pleasure.
PLEASURE
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity [Eccl. 2:1].
Solomon probably tried everything known in the way of pleasure. We are a sex-mad people. And what do we have to show for it? Well, we certainly have low morals, and we have venereal disease in epidemic proportions. Today the church has entered the field also. I suppose most pastors have a sermon on sex; some of them have a whole series. There are many who feel that the church should have a course to teach our young people about sex. I think that is a tragic mistake. This generation is getting sex right up to their ears—all they need and more. Now Solomon was an expert in the area of sex. He had one thousand wives and concubines, and they were all available to him. A man who had a thousand women around him is some sort of an expert. Solomon tried that way to seek satisfaction. Also he went in for drinking and for entertainment. I suppose he could have put on a performance that would make Las Vegas look like it was penny ante or just a sideshow in a small circus. Solomon went all out for pleasure. “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure.” But notice his conclusion: “Behold, this also is vanity”—empty.
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? [Eccl. 2:2].
He probably had a comedian or court jester to entertain him and tell him the latest jokes— probably many of them questionable. He said, “I found this to be a great waste of time.”
I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life [Eccl. 2:3].
“Under the heaven”—remember that Solomon is a man probing and making experiments apart from God.
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards [Eccl. 2:4].
These were hobbies with Solomon. Even today the ruins of the stables of Solomon can be seen right in Jerusalem and in several other places. At Megiddo a tourist guide will show you ruins of the troughs where the horses ate. Solomon had stables all over that land, although the Mosaic Law had expressly forbidden a king to multiply horses.
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees [Eccl. 2:5–6].
He had irrigation.
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me [Eccl. 2:7].
He had a ranch out at the edge of town where he raised cattle. You may be wondering how he could afford all this. Well, Solomon had cornered the gold in his day. He had plenty of spending money, and he built in all the comforts of life.
It is now known that snow was brought down from Mount Hermon so that he could have cold drinks in the summertime. I think Solomon tried everything that a man could try for pleasure. I doubt that modern man could have anything that Solomon did not have.
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts [Eccl. 2:8].
He brought in the best nightclub acts from Las Vegas. He had all kinds of music—from symphony to rock, but it didn’t satisfy his heart.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour [Eccl. 2:9–10].
Mrs. McGee and I are out in conferences a great deal of the time. In the evenings after a service we need to get away from everyone for a while, and one of the things we like to do is just go walking through a shopping area. I have said to her, “Would you like sometime to be able to buy everything that you see and want?” She answered that she wondered how it would feel to be able to do that. Well, Solomon did just that. Anything his little heart desired, he bought. As he looked out upon this world, there was nothing that it withheld from him.
You would think that all men in that position would be happy. Well, I don’t know why, but they are not. I am told that we have more suicides here in Southern California than the average for the country. One would think it would be the bums on skid row, the down-and-outers, who would be the ones to commit suicide. Life certainly wouldn’t seem to be worth much to them. Actually, those are not the ones with the high suicide rate. It is the rich, the famous, the Hollywood movie and television stars, the folk who seem to have made it. They are the ones who commit suicide. Why? They have come to the same conclusion that Solomon did. He had tried everything in the way of pleasure and concluded:
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun [Eccl. 2:11].
What a statement from a man who had everything! A great many people will not take Solomon’s word for it; they have to make the same experiments—although not to the extent that Solomon did. Eventually they arrive at the same conclusion. They say, “Life is empty.” Solomon said, “All was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”
Throughout the remainder of this chapter Solomon moves into another area. I wish I had a better word for it, but I simply call it materialism.
MATERIALISM
This is living for the now, and this should be understood by people today because we say we are the “now generation.” It is a materialistic concept. It is a living for the here and now, living for self, selfishness. Each of these words describes a facet of this type of living.
And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done [Eccl. 2:12].
In other words, no one could live it up more than Solomon did. He said they would have to repeat what he had done and would find it very monotonous.
Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness [Eccl. 2:13].
It is better to be a wise man than to be a fool. It is better to be an educated man than to be an ignorant man.
The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all [Eccl. 2:14].
“The wise man’s eyes are in his head”—I’ve heard my parents and my school teachers say to me, “Use your mind. Use your head. Use your eyes.” That is what Solomon is saying. A wise man uses his head and his eyes, but “the fool walketh in darkness.”
“I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.” Regardless of how smart you are, you don’t really get too far away from the fool, because you both are going to be carried out feet forward and laid to rest somewhere. You both will end up in the same way.
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity [Eccl. 2:15].
You would think that a smart fellow would find another way out. “Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.” It is interesting that modern man with all his tremendous inventions and scientific advances has not been able to extend human life very long. Oh, I know that the average life span has been extended by ten years or more. But put that ten years down by a thousand years, or put it down beside eternity, and what do you have? You don’t even have a second on the clock of eternity, my friend. Man really hasn’t done very much for himself here on this earth.
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise men? as the fool [Eccl. 2:16].
They die just the same way.
You may be innately intelligent. You may have a high I.Q. You may have been educated, even have several doctoral degrees, but none of this will help you when it is your time to die. Neither will any of that stop you from dying. When it is your time to go out the door, you will go, and there is nothing in this world that can keep you from it.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 2:17].
Let me repeat: “Vanity” means that which is empty, meaningless, purposeless. With “all the work that is wrought under the sun” what has been done?
Thomas A. Edison is an example. He worked in a laboratory and developed many things such as the electric light bulb and the Victrola. All of our recording instruments really go back to the work of Edison. He was a genius, but he died just like everyone else. What good did it do him after all?
His laboratory is preserved in Fort Myers, Florida. If you are ever down there, it is worth the time to visit the Edison home and laboratory. He worked in that laboratory day and night. He had insomnia of the worst kind, so he had a little bed in his lab where he would lie down for little naps. He worked day and night, trying out many, many things that never worked out at all. I don’t get the impression that life was a thrill for him. I think that Thomas A. Edison found life very boring.
Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me [Eccl. 2:18].
I have to go off and leave all of this someday. Have you ever stopped to think about that? What good is it going to do you? Oh, how many folk have worked all their lives to accumulate a little of this world’s goods, then they leave it to some godless relative. Some folk intend to leave it to a Christian organization so that their money can propagate the gospel after they are gone, but have you ever stopped to think how many Christian organizations have become apostate and have departed from teaching the Word of God?
For example, Mr. John Harvard, who founded Harvard University, was a fundamental believer, and he left his money to propagate the fundamental Christian faith. Today you wouldn’t find fundamental faith within ten yards of Harvard. They have departed from the faith. The money which Mr. Harvard left has come to be used for the very opposite of what he intended.
People today leave money to so-called Christian organizations, but they have no assurance that the organizations will remain true to the faith.
We know that Solomon faced this same kind of problem, and 1 Kings 12 tells us what happened. He left the kingdom to his son, and it was his son’s foolish arrogance that divided the kingdom. What a tragedy that was.
And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity [Eccl. 2:19].
Solomon saw that it was a waste of time to work for something and then to turn it all over to a fool.
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun [Eccl. 2:20].
Notice again that this is “under the sun.” It is the view of the man apart from God. This is not the man in Christ seated in the heavenly places of Ephesians 2:6. This view under the sun always leads to pessimism.
For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity [Eccl. 2:23].
Solomon found out that it didn’t do any good to worry about it, because there was nothing he could do about it.
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 2:24–26].
If you are living just for self—whether you are God’s man or an unregenerate sinner—it will come to naught. It will lead to bitterness in your heart, and you will be holding nothing but dead leaves in your hands at the end.
CHAPTER 3
In this chapter we see that Solomon adopts a certain philosophy of life known as fatalism. This was common among pagans; Buddhism is a fatalistic system; Platonism is fatalism. In our day certain cults give the impression of having a glorious faith in God, but actually the “faith” is fatalism.
The philosophy of fatalism is very popular in modern America. It is my custom to conclude my Bible conferences on Thursday evenings and fly back home on Fridays. On Friday afternoons I board a plane in some distant city and find myself with almost 100 percent male passengers. Who are they? Well, they are married men for the most part who are salesmen or representatives of certain companies. Their families live here in Southern California, and every Friday they get on a plane to come home. Most of them are tired. Their faces show the effect of a week’s work. Many of them who are carrying attaché cases will open them up and begin to work out a final report to hand in at the office if they get back in time. Or they will probably put it in the mail when they get home so it will be there for the president of the company to see on Monday. They take their drinks, and after they have their cocktails, they begin to laugh. I can sense that it is the liquor that is laughing. Every now and then, if I sit by one of them and there is an exchange of viewpoints, I find out that they have a fatalistic viewpoint of life.
On one occasion I came home on a plane that passed through some very rough weather. The man next to me looked unconcerned. I said to him, “You didn’t seem to be frightened when we went through that bad weather.” His response was, “No, there’s no use being frightened. What is going to be will be. You can’t change it. If it’s time for your number to come up, it will come up—there’s nothing you can do about it.” There he sat, gritting his teeth with a philosophy of life that is very popular. It is called many things, but basically it is fatalism. A great many folk are facing life with that viewpoint.
FATALISM
Now we find Solomon seeking satisfaction in fatalism.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace [Eccl. 3:1–8].
This is Solomon’s viewpoint as he expresses it. In our day we hear the expression, “Take life as it comes.”
There is “a time to get, and a time to lose.” You played the stock market, and you lost your money. Well, that’s the way it was to be.
You were a traveling man away from home, and a certain woman was easy to get, and you invited her up to your room. Your philosophy was that there is “a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.” Taking life as it comes is a philosophy of fatalism.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? [Eccl. 3:9].
What’s the use? Why fight it? If you can’t fight them, join them. That is the kind of cliché that is bandied about among men today. This is the way men operate, especially godless men in the business world. Money is made on this kind of basis.
I think that you will find that men who live like this are not filled with joy. They are difficult to live with. I imagine their wives have real problems. They have a cocktail in the evening, and then they become sociable for several hours. After that it is better to stay out of their way.
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it [Eccl. 3:10].
Solomon has looked around—“I see people in trouble everywhere; so if I’ve escaped a little of it, I just consider myself lucky—that’s all.”
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end [Eccl. 3:11].
God has allowed men to “set the world in their heart” so they will see that the world does not satisfy—their hearts are still empty. Many men start out with the philosophy that they are going to get all they can out of life. They say, “Life is like an orange, and I’m going to squeeze it for all it’s worth.” Solomon did that, but it didn’t satisfy him at all.
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life [Eccl. 3:12].
There is another group in this crowd: the dogooders. A man on a plane said to me, “Well, I think a man ought to do good as much as he can. That’s what I try to do.” Let me tell you that he wasn’t doing much good, but that was his philosophy of life.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God [Eccl. 3:13].
This fellow said, “I see nothing wrong in drinking.” And from his point of view, there wasn’t anything wrong. This is the fatalism of modern man.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him [Eccl. 3:14].
They talk about God’s will as primary, but with this viewpoint a man will say, “If it’s not God’s will for me to be saved, I won’t be saved.” You see, fatalism leaves no place for the mercy and grace of God. Fatalism says that God does not hear and answer prayer. My friend, it is God’s grace and mercy and love that make life exciting and bring joy into life and give peace to the human heart.
We come to another philosophy at this point, which we call egotism or egoism. It is excessive love of self; an individual’s self-interest is the summum bonum of life.
EGOTISM
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there [Eccl. 3:16].
He is saying that all men are wicked. You can’t trust anybody. This is a cynical, although I must confess a rather accurate, viewpoint of the human race.
I was speaking at a conference at which the director said, “Now we want to treat all of you folk who are here as Christian ladies and gentlemen.” That was the last thing he should have done, because they didn’t act like ladies and gentlemen, I assure you.
A friend of mine says that when some men do business, they trust the other individual until he proves himself untrustworthy. He says that he has learned to treat people as crooks until they prove that they are not. Now that is a cynical attitude. Unfortunately, it is reasonably accurate, and I must say that my friend is a successful businessman. He faces the reality as God has said it: “… All have sinned …” (Rom. 3:23).
Solomon goes on in this vein of thought—
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts [Eccl. 3:17–18].
That’s not very encouraging!
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again [Eccl. 3:19–20].
You recognize, I am sure, that there are several cults which build on this statement. However, we must remember that this is the viewpoint of man under the sun, living for self-interest.
Living for self, enjoying life for self, is the reason men get involved in some projects which are good. For example, many men get interested in athletics and give themselves to it. Others give themselves to art, others to literature, others to music, and many different things. These things are not wrong, but they are selfish; they gratify man’s selfish desires.
This viewpoint does not accept the optimist’s conclusion. You see, evolution says that man was a beast but that he now has become a man. Egoism or egotism or self-interest says that man is a beast, which causes the individual to despise others. This philosophy produced the caste system in India and the class system in other parts of the world. It leads to vanity and the feeling of being better than the other man. It has a pessimistic viewpoint of death: man dies as an animal dies. I heard a man say, “Man dies just like a dog dies. When you’re dead, you’re dead—and that’s all there is to it.” Since he expects to die like an animal dies, he is going to live for himself in this life and get all he can out of it. This type of teaching is in the contemporary schoolroom. Evolution is a form of it, although it says man was a beast, and this says man is a beast. It is only a difference of time periods. Both agree that you are going to die like an animal, that you have no soul nor spirit; so you might as well live like an animal.
It is interesting to observe animal behavior with this in mind. I watched a family of little kittens the other day. Believe me, they had no regard for each other. They played together all right, but when food was given to them, they didn’t mind pushing one little fellow out. The owner of the cats had to personally feed that little kitten—his brothers and sisters would have been perfectly willing to let him starve to death. Don’t they have any compassion? No. Their egoism is their philosophy of life. You see little birds in a nest acting the same way. Each little fellow is taking care of himself. That is the viewpoint of the animal world. The reason man is beginning to react like an animal is because he is being taught in our schools that he is an animal.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? [Eccl. 3:21].
Solomon recognizes that man is different from the beast, for the spirit of man goes upward while the spirit of the beast goes downward—because he is only an animal.
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? [Eccl. 3:22].
In other words, this life is all we are going to get. Again, this is a modern teaching—call it whatever you wish—that the only thing worthwhile is to identify oneself with his environment and live like an animal lives. By the way, this is the ancient version of the “hippie” philosophy which came out of our schools a few years ago.
CHAPTER 4
This chapter continues the record of Solomon’s search for satisfaction through the philosophy of egotism.
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter [Eccl. 4:1].
Does this sound to you like any political philosophy in modern America? The egoist rebels against the establishment. He is opposed to it. However, whatever system exists, whoever is ruling, the poor are oppressed. Frankly, the poor always get the bad deal—there is no question about that. They are the ones who are oppressed. So the protest movements begin at this particular juncture.
Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive [Eccl. 4:2].
You have heard the expression: “I wish I were dead.” Then, “I’d rather be red than dead” is just reversing it, but both are rebellion against the establishment. Death appears to hold no terror for him whatsoever.
Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun [Eccl. 4:3].
Here is the other side of the coin: It would be better for future generations if they were never born. “I wish I had never been born” is the way we hear it.
Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 4:4].
It is interesting that the egoist rebels against the establishment, against the oppressor, against that which is wrong, but what about the man who is doing right? What about the man who is trying to do something about it? Well, he says that is no good either. It is a waste of time. This is really a pessimistic view of life!
The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh [Eccl. 4:5].
Does this mean a foolish man is a cannibal? No, it means that he is not willing to do anything to protect himself. He will not work for himself. We have developed quite a society like that today; people want everything given to them.
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 4:6].
Candidly, this is a very good point. Of course this man wants to do “his own thing,” but I would say it is better to have it that way than to have the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun [Eccl. 4:7].
Anyway you go, it is wrong. There is no way out. This is the worst kind of pessimism. No wonder that campuses which major in an egoistic philosophy have the highest incidence of suicide. It is the old sore that has broken out in corruption. Behind all of it is the same pessimism of a philosophy of egoism which teaches that all comes to naught.
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail [Eccl. 4:8].
What a picture this is! Even if you work for somebody else and help them, you are just wasting your time.
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour [Eccl. 4:9].
Now he is going to give some reasons for teaming up with someone else, but it will be a selfish reason—you may be sure of that. He says that two are better than one “because they have a good reward for their labour.” You’ll be able to acquire more by teaming up with someone than by trying to do it alone.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up [Eccl. 4:10].
Solomon made the discovery that attempting to live just for yourself doesn’t mean you can go it alone. You need someone to help you and stand with you. “Woe to him that is alone when he falleth.” That is the reason they tell us to team up if we go on a hike rather than going alone. In case of an accident it is well to have someone else around. This is a problem of the many retired folk who live alone. They may fall and break a hip and be unable to get to the telephone. Sometimes it is a day or two before a neighbor looks in on them. So it is better that two be together. If one falls, the other can render help.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? [Eccl. 4:11].
And then one member of a team can give warmth to the other member of the team. I remember as a little boy, I always liked to sleep with my dad in the wintertime because he would warm me up. It was cold. Ours was not a warm house, and we slept in rooms that were unheated. It made quite a difference to sleep with my dad.
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken [Eccl. 4:12].
If two is company, then three is a crowd, and sometimes it is well to have a crowd, especially if someone is coming against you.
We have problems with crime on our streets today. Often it is the person who is alone who is the victim of crime. I am told that in Washington, D.C., a woman is not permitted to go alone to a public restroom. There must always be another to go along with her. It is tragic that we live in such a day. In spite of what the liberals say, we are in need of law and order in our day. The Bible teaches clearly that unregenerate man has a sinful nature. It should be obvious that “civilized” man has not lost his sinful nature and needs restraint rather than liberty. The liberty being exercised in our day is the liberty to hold people up on the street, liberty to mug them, liberty to make obscene calls, liberty to blare out music that only one or two people want to hear, liberty to express oneself in any way. My friend, liberty is not license. You have liberty to swing your fist, but where my nose begins is where your liberty ends. We need to change many of our concepts today.
The self-centered man will not find satisfaction in this life. To be alone in your work may satisfy for a while, but finally you get tired of it. I don’t like to travel alone. I go to many conferences in my work, and I take my wife with me everywhere I go. Most of us find that we don’t like to go alone.
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished [Eccl. 4:13].
Solomon was both—a wise child and a very foolish king.
For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor [Eccl. 4:14].
We should be interested in what happens in federal and state governments because it is going to affect our living. A great many people become poor because the politicians become rich and influential. Certainly folk have a right to protest against that. The corruption that has arisen in our country is wrecking business, making many people poor, and retired folk suffer from it.
I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit [Eccl. 4:15–16].
“The second child that shall stand up in his stead.” It is interesting to notice that Solomon was a second child. He was the second child of Bathsheba. He was not the child whom David would have chosen to be the next king. Solomon apparently had noted that since Isaac was not the first child and Jacob was not the first child, God has a way of choosing seconds. If you feel that you are second-class today, remember that you are first-class with God.
The second thing to notice is that later on things seem different from what they were at the time. “They also that come after shall not rejoice in him.” Someone, such as a president, may be very popular during his day. Then, as time begins to recede from him, when the glamor boys and publicity men are no longer heard, and the news media are no longer building him up, we can see that his time in office was not a blessing to the nation but actually a time of deterioration. “There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him.”
CHAPTER 5
Now Solomon tries something else, and this is something that may interest you a great deal. He tries to find satisfaction in religion, and he does not find it. I am going to say several things which may be startling to you, but don’t reject them until you think about them just a little.
Did you know that religion has damned more people in this world than anything else has? Take a look at what the pagan religions have done for people in the past and in the present. Look at the condition of India. These people do not have a lower mentality than other peoples of the world. It is their religion that keeps them down. Consider China. As I write, China is in the grip of a terrible dictatorship, but it has made China a nation to be reckoned with. Their pagan religions did not do even that much for them. The Moslem world is fractured and is in sad condition. South America is as rich in natural resources as North America; yet most of the people remain in a miserable condition, and its religion tries to keep it that way. Look at what liberal Protestantism and liberal Romanism have done to this country. When this country began to give up its belief in God and its respect for the Bible, when liberalism came into the pulpits of our nation, then deterioration began in our land.
My friend, if you have a religion, I suggest you get rid of it and exchange it for Christ. I personally do not think one can call Christianity a religion. There is no ritual whatsoever given with Christianity. Have you ever stopped to think of that? This is the reason we can have all kinds of churches with different forms of worship—for instance you can sing the doxology if you want to, but you don’t have to. Christianity was never given a form to follow. Why? Because Christianity is a Person. To be a Christian means that you trust Christ. Religion has never been very helpful to man.
SEEKING SATISFACTION IN RELIGION
Listen to what Solomon is saying now—this is terrific!
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil [Eccl. 5:1].
Going to some churches is not only a waste of time; it is wrong. It is wrong to give your approval to a liberal pulpit. It is wrong when you do not give your support to a fundamental pastor who is giving out the Word of God. Solomon tried being religious. He went up to the temple, but he warns, “Have as little to do with it as possible; keep your mouth shut. Go and sit, but for goodness’ sake don’t commit yourself to anything.”
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few [Eccl. 5:2].
He is warning, “Do not make any decision under the stress of emotion.” Cry at the movies, but don’t do it in church. Don’t sign a pledge. If you are going to rent an apartment or a house, it’s all right to sign for that, but don’t commit yourself to God in writing. In other words, make it a religion; go through the form but avoid reality.
My friend, Solomon is not the only one who tried that. There are a lot of unhappy people in our churches today. They never get involved; they just go through a nice sweet little ritual. There is nothing as deadening as that!
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words [Eccl. 5:3].
There are a lot of things being said in church that should not be said.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed [Eccl. 5:4].
Don’t go forward at an invitation unless you are really doing business with God. I recall conducting a service after which I was severely criticized because I would not let young people come forward. It was obvious to me that it would have been merely a display. I felt it was better to let them make a decision for Christ right where they were sitting. Oh, how many folk have come forward in a meeting when it has meant nothing to them at all! “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.” Don’t break your vow—not to God. You can’t promise God things, fail to make good on them, and then expect to maintain a vital relationship with Him.
There is a lot of pious talking and pious promising that is absolutely meaningless because it is never carried out.
Do you know that God actually gave a law concerning vows? Read Leviticus 27. I deal with this chapter in the second volume of my book, Learning Through Leviticus. My friend, when you make a vow to God, you had better mean what you say, because God is going to hold you to it. There is many a person who is no longer a missionary, many a preacher who is out of the pulpit, many a Christian who has been put on the shelf because they promised God that which they didn’t mean at all. It is not a religious ceremony when you are dealing with God. You are dealing with a Person who hears you and expects you to keep your promise.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? [Eccl. 5:5–6].
After making a vow to God, we are not to say, “It was an error—I should never have said it; I didn’t really mean it.” We are dealing with a living God. It seems there are many people who don’t know that. As a result, they stand way out on the fringe of the things of God. God is a reality, and we need to be very careful in our dealings with Him.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God [Eccl. 5:7].
In “dreams and many words there are also divers vanities”—that is, all kinds of emptiness. They are no substitute for a personal relationship with God. So many people say, “I have had a dream,” or, “I have had an experience.” And they are putting their trust in that. There are many people today who use an experience to test the Word of God. It must be the other way around: All experience must be tested by the Word of God. We are instructed to try the spirits to see whether they are of God or not (see 1 John 4:1). Too many people go out on a tangent of experience and live by that. That is merely religion. That is an appeal to the emotion, an appeal to the aesthetic sense.
My friend, does your faith in Christ rest upon experience, or does it rest upon the naked Word of God? Do you have religion, or do you have Christ?
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they [Eccl. 5:8].
In our country we have heard much about corruption in the poverty program. There are so many today who are attempting to get rich at the expense of the poor. God will judge that. “For he that is higher than the highest regardeth.” God sees what is going on. I think that any Christian who is in a program in which he sees corruption should get out of the program. If you see corruption in a program, believe me, God sees the corruption in the program, and God will deal with it in judgment.
The history of this world bears that out. God watches what governments do to the poor. Governments that have exploited the poor have fallen. An example is the French Revolution. It wasn’t a nice, pretty thing by any means. It was an awful thing. I think it was the judgment of God upon the corruption of a nation in which a few were living at the expense of the many poor.
God has much to say about the relief of the poor. When the Lord Jesus comes to reign during the kingdom age which we call the Millennium, then they will find that there is One reigning who really means business when He says that He is going to do something for the poor. There will be justice and righteousness for them. I don’t think that He will put them on any kind of dole system. But each person will make his contribution and will receive justice at His hands.
This brings us to a new section in Solomon’s experiments to find satisfaction in life. As we have seen, he tried science, the study of natural laws. He tried wisdom and philosophy, pleasure, and materialism. He tried living for the “now.” He tried fatalism. He tried egoism, living for self. Then, of all things, he tried religion.
Now we will see Solomon engage in another experiment. Solomon was in a position to pursue and enjoy wealth better than anyone else. He was probably the richest man who has ever been on this earth. He gave himself over to the accumulation of gold, and he could buy anything that he wanted. The riches of Solomon was the factor that finally brought the downfall of the nation. The greed of the surrounding nations was aroused. They wanted to move in to get some of that wealth. God had put up a wall of protection around Israel, but that wall crumbled, and God allowed the nations to come into Israel and help themselves.
SEEKING SATISFACTION IN PURSUIT AND ENJOYMENT OF WEALTH
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity [Eccl. 5:10].
The president of a great corporation comes to the end of the year and sees a tremendous profit, but that actually does not satisfy him. A man may have a big bank account, which offers him some measure of security, but it will not really satisfy him. Wealth will not bring satisfaction in life.
Wealth is not wrong in itself. The Scripture never condemns wealth. It condemns the love of money. Not the money itself, but the love of money is a root of all evil (see 1 Tim. 6:10). To accumulate wealth for wealth’s sake is wrong. The miser thinks dollars are flat so they can be stacked; the spendthrift thinks they are round so they can be rolled. Both are entirely wrong.
Man’s attitude toward money is the issue. There is nothing wrong with our profit system itself. The wrong is in the people who are in it. It is the love of money which is wrong. The love of money makes people try to get rich for riches’ sake.
We see men who are held together, bound together in an arrangement just to make money for money’s sake. I was interested in hearing a comedian tell about a play he had a part in producing. He was thanking all those who had participated and was telling how they had all cooperated. It was a very lovely speech with no trace of humor in it. When he got to the end, he said, “And we have all been held together in this endeavor by one thing”—he paused a moment—“greed!” Yes, greed was the ingredient that held them together to make the production. That is the ingredient that holds big business together. It holds the Mafia together. It holds a great many organizations together.
I must confess that I believe it is wrong for one man or one organization to accumulate so much money when others are in poverty and need. This may sound radical, but I do believe that eventually something must be done about that. Look at India for an example. The maharaja has become immensely wealthy while the masses are poverty-stricken. God condemns that kind of thing. He condemns it because of the love of money and the use which is made of it. In our own country greed is the thing that is wrong with godless capitalism and godless labor. Greed—the love of money. It would be so wonderful if man would make money for the glory of God. It would be wonderful if man labored for money for the glory of God. It would be so wonderful if money were put to its proper use. The only cure for greed, of course, is to have Christ in the heart!
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? [Eccl. 5:11].
Growth just for the sake of growth is no good at all. This is true of a business or even of a Christian organization or church. I have learned it by personal experience.
For years I was the pastor of a large church. Just to grow for the sake of growing so one can have a big church is nothing in the world but a big headache. There is no fun in it. There is no joy in it. The Lord taught me that to grow for the glory of God is to be my one purpose in life. I keep this goal before me: Vernon McGee, you do this one thing, get out the Word of God.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep [Eccl. 5:12].
The laboring man may not have too much to eat. That keeps him from being a glutton, and he probably sleeps a lot better by not over-eating. The rich man has an abundance. In fact, he has gourmet food all the time, and he gets pretty tired of it. He loses his appetite for it. Besides that, he has to worry about his riches, which keeps him awake at night. When we were in Hawaii with one of our tours, we were permitted to stay in a lovely hotel because of the size of our tour. I noticed how unhappy the people in the hotel seemed to be. They were people who had come to Hawaii to have a good time, but they were always worrying about their things. One woman spent thirty minutes getting her jewels in a safe-deposit box. When I got to the desk, the girl said, “She’s been here before and she’ll be back a dozen times to cheek on them or take out a piece to wear and bring it back again.” You know, I was glad my wife didn’t have that kind of problem. That rich woman had a real problem—probably one hundred thousand dollars worth of jewels to worry about. Riches multiply anxieties. Maybe that is one reason the Lord didn’t let me become rich!
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt [Eccl. 5:13].
Riches actually hurt rather than help a great many people. Sometimes the poor man is happier than the rich man. However, the apostle Paul said that he knew both how to abound and how to be abased (see Phil. 4:12). Frankly, I’d like to try both.
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand [Eccl. 5:14].
He is saying that a man can accumulate a fortune and leave it to a son, and the boy will run through it—he will spend it all. Today men have become pretty wise about that. A man doesn’t leave the money to his son directly, but in a trusteeship so that someone else doles out the money to the boy in small amounts to preserve the family fortune.
There are a lot of prominent men today who never made a dime in their lives. The reason they are rich is because they inherited it. They lack discernment in the use of the money; yet they are in positions of influence. This is one of our problems today.
I think that eventually there will be a division in our nation which will not be between races, but will narrow down to the rich and the poor. That has always been the line of demarcation. I believe many rich people sense this, which explains why so many of the wealthy are politically liberal in their thinking. They already have their money, and no one can touch it; so they are willing to bring in liberal programs which will be supported by the taxes that you and I pay. The wealthy do not pay for those programs. That is a real problem. Solomon understood and spoke into that kind of situation. Solomon learned that wealth does not satisfy, nor is it the solution to the problems of life.
CHAPTER 6
This chapter concludes Solomon’s pursuit and enjoyment of wealth in his search for satisfaction.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease [Eccl. 6:1–2].
A friend told me that when he was in a hotel in Florida, he saw John D. Rockefeller, Sr., sitting and eating his meal. He had just a few little crumbs, some health food, that had been set before him. Over at a side table my friend saw one of the men who worked as a waiter in the hotel sitting with a big juicy steak in front of him. The man who could afford the steak couldn’t eat one; the man who could not afford the steak had one to eat because he worked for the hotel. It is better to have a good appetite than a big bank account!
If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he [Eccl. 6:3].
The rich man can eat only three meals a day, he can sleep on only one bed at a time, and he cannot live longer than the poor man—no matter how many doctors he may have—and he takes nothing with him when he leaves. There is no pocket in a shroud. Job was a rich man, and he said that he had come here with nothing and he was going out the same way. It is rather empty to give one’s life to the pursuit of that which does not bring happiness here and has no value hereafter. Some people spend their lives in this kind of an emptiness.
CHAPTER 7
This is the last experiment that Solomon tries. He has made experiments in everything under the sun to see if any of it would bring satisfaction and enjoyment to him. He tried science, the study of the natural laws of the universe, which made some contribution but did not satisfy him. Then he went into the study of philosophy and psychology. They didn’t satisfy. He went the limit on pleasure and materialism. He tried fatalism, which is such a popular philosophy of life today. He tried egoism, living for self. Then he tried religion—no religion can satisfy, because only Christ can satisfy the heart. Wealth was another thing which Solomon tried. He was the wealthiest man in the world, but he found that wealth did not bring satisfaction in and of itself.
Now we will see him try the last experiment: morality. Today we would call him a “do-gooder.” I would say that this is the place to which the majority of the people in America are moving. (I think the majority would still be classified as do-gooders.) They are going down the middle of the road on the freeway of life. This group can be described as the Babbitts, doing business in the Big City, under a neon sign, living out in suburbia, in a sedate, secluded, exclusive neighborhood, and taking it easy. Their children go to the best schools. They move with the best crowds. They go to the best church, the richest church in the neighborhood, the one with the tallest steeple, the loudest chimes, and the most educated preacher, who knows everything that man can possibly know, except the Bible (of course, if he did know and preach the Bible, he would lose his job). This is the kind of do-good society Solomon now tries.
SEEKING SATISFACTION IN MORALITY THE GOOD LIFE
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth [Eccl. 7:1].
That is true, by the way. There is nothing wrong with that statement. A good name is better than precious ointment. It is gratifying to a man to have people say he is a wonderful neighbor and that they have never had an argument with him, that he won’t discuss religion or politics, or won’t get involved in any kind of bad situation. He just smiles and goes right down the middle of the road, never veering to the right or to the left. He is a respectable person, recognized in the community. He joins different organizations of the town and does business with all kinds of people. Some day at his funeral the preacher will say all kinds of good things about him to try to push him into heaven. Solomon says a good reputation and a long eulogy at your funeral are what we should strive for down here. But will that satisfy the heart?
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart [Eccl. 7:2].
All of this life of morality and do-goodism is done in a dignified manner. People go to a club meeting and listen to a man come and talk about pollution. They don’t do anything about it, but they sit and talk about it in a very dignified way. The next week someone talks to them on civic problems. They sit and listen to that, and again nothing will be done. Then they all go to the funeral of one of the men in their fraternal lodge and hear nice things said about him. Nobody is particularly moved; no one will miss him too much. This is just how life is in our hometown.
That kind of life cannot satisfy the needs of man. To me, that life would be blah. I am glad I have never lived like that, and I don’t live like that today. It is not really living. I think this is the worst situation of them all. Frankly, I cannot blame a lot of young people who are rebelling against that kind of society.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better [Eccl. 7:3].
People today do anything to avoid sorrow. We have it arranged now so that you can laugh all the way to the cemetery. Reality is so covered over with flowers and soft music and a preacher saying a lot of easy things, nice things, that everyone goes home and says, “My, that was a nice funeral”—and forgets the grim reality of death as soon as possible.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth [Eccl. 7:4].
They don’t get more than fifty yards from the cemetery until someone tells a joke and they all have a good laugh. This is living in the presence of death. Somehow it doesn’t occur to these folk, as they see their friends slipping out of this life, that they, too, are moving along to death. Doesn’t it occur to them that it might be well for them to cheek to see where they are going? Are they saved? Are they lost? Are they rightly related to God? They don’t consider that important. They give to the Community Chest and are active in Red Cross. They are involved citizens in the community. They wouldn’t dare confess Christ and take a public stand for Him.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity [Eccl. 7:5–6].
Solomon’s point is this: Why not try both groups? Listen to the rebuke of a wise person, then go down and listen to a rock band and enjoy that also. One may be better than the other, but it is easier to go with both groups. This is the picture through the remainder of this chapter.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools [Eccl. 7:9].
Don’t get angry at anything. Be a nice fellow, stay friends with everyone because that will help business. Go the easy way, walk softly. Don’t be an extremist, be willing to compromise. Go with one crowd to be popular with them, and the next night go with a different crowd to be popular with them. You see, the do-gooder in this chapter is the man who lives like hell on Saturday night and then goes to church and passes for a Christian on Sunday. A man who had been stone drunk on Saturday night saw me on Sunday morning and said, “I want you to know that I am a Christian. What do you think I am, a pagan?” And that’s what he was, a pagan.
Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun [Eccl. 7:11].
In the Book of Proverbs we see that “wisdom” is another name for Christ. Christ has been made unto us wisdom. Oh, how this do-gooder needs to have Christ!
For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it [Eccl. 7:12].
“Money is a defence”—this man wants plenty of money, but he doesn’t want Christ.
“Wisdom giveth life to them that have it.” And you can’t buy life with money. Medical science may be able to extend your life for a few years, but it doesn’t give eternal life here and out yonder in eternity. Only wisdom, which is Christ, can do that.
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee [Eccl. 7:21].
Don’t be disturbed by reports that somebody who knows you well says you are a crook. If you take the middle of the road, in the long run the community will applaud you.
My friend, seeking satisfaction in life by just trying to be a do-gooder is living like a vegetable, not a man! Yet this is the lifestyle of the majority in modern America. They will go to the burlesque show on Saturday night and to church on Sunday morning! What hypocrisy! We have seen our youth rebelling against this type of living. There are two thousand of them over on the island of Hawaii. I had the privilege of ministering to some of them, and quite a few turned to Christ. They have tried everything else. But why didn’t they find Christ in their homes in which their parents were church members? They saw that there was something radically missing in their homes and in their churches. They have seen the hypocrisy, the emptiness of the life of the moralist, the do-gooder.
I believe it is easier to reach a godless atheist than a hypocritical churchgoer. The godless atheist may respond when he hears the gospel for the first time, but the hypocritical churchgoer has heard the gospel again and again and has become hardened to it. That is the real tragedy.
CHAPTER 8
This chapter continues with the man who is lukewarm. He blows neither hot nor cold. The moralists and the do-gooders say that they are living by the Golden Rule, but they don’t seem to have any idea of what the Golden Rule is and what it requires. Solomon observes that there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the wicked and the righteous.
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed [Eccl. 8:1].
Only Christ who is real wisdom can change a man’s life. He can come into a life and bring excitement, joy, and peace. He can give us all the things that are needed today to deliver us from living a mediocre existence.
I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him [Eccl. 8:2–3].
He is saying, “Be careful what you do. Don’t get into trouble.”
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? [Eccl. 8:4].
Now the king can take a stand for what he believes because he has the liberty to do so. My friend, why don’t you live like a king and take a stand for Christ?
I talked to a young vagrant who had adopted what was then called the hippie life-style. I asked him, “Why in the world do you take up this life-style? Why are you dressed like you are?” He said, “Man, I want liberty; I want freedom. I want to live as I please.” I said, “Let me ask you this one question: If you changed your garb and went back to your crowd, would they accept you?” He thought a moment and then said, “I guess they wouldn’t.” So I asked, “Then you don’t have much liberty, do you?”
Young people feel that they must have the approval of the crowd, of the pack, so they really don’t know what liberty is. A great many of them take drugs for no other reason than to be accepted by the crowd. I asked the young man, “Do you think that I don’t have freedom because I dress as I dress?” He answered, “Yes, I would say that.” Then I told him that I have a freedom which he didn’t have. I told him that I don’t dress like this all the time. I can dress any way that I please—and I do. I don’t conform to a pattern. I have liberty. I said, “You and I are living in a world where there is rebellion against God—that is the direction mankind is moving. But I can bow my knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. I can call Him my Lord and my Savior. That is real freedom. I am not going in the direction of the crowd. I have made my choice. Young man, if you want real freedom, come to Christ. Jesus said, ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed’” (John 8:36). That is freedom.
It is hard for people to understand that the do-gooder is just as much in rebellion against God as the criminal in the jail and that he is bound as securely by the rules of his group and the patterns they set. He is bound to a life-style that goes down the middle of the road.
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it [Eccl. 8:8].
If he continues taking that cocktail to conform to the group he associates with, one of these days he is going to be an alcoholic. (Oh, there are millions of them in our country, and they are all do-gooders!) And finally death will come to him—“neither hath he power in the day of death.”
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil [Eccl. 8:11].
What a picture of that which is happening in our contemporary society! When judgment is not executed, men do more and more evil work, because evil is in the hearts of men. Even men who call themselves Christian continue in sin, saying, “Look, I’ve been in sin for five years, and God has done nothing about it!” Well, that already reveals His judgment upon you. He has done nothing about it because He is way down the road waiting for you. In fact, He can wait until eternity—you can’t. “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). God grants you today so that you can turn to Him.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity [Eccl. 8:14].
Solomon observes that when you look at the surface of things, there does not seem to be too much difference between the wicked and the righteous. It seems that it really doesn’t make any difference whether one is wicked or righteous because both come to the same end.
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun [Eccl. 8:15].
“Eat, … drink, and … be merry”—he concludes that the best thing to do is to enjoy life and to enjoy the labor “which God giveth him under the sun.” That is the most empty philosophy of life that anyone can have.
CHAPTER 9
We have labeled the moralist as the do-gooder. This is where we see him in action. We have seen that this is the man who says, “I believe that if you pay your honest debts and live a good life, God will accept you.” He is like the average American who travels down the middle of the road on the freeway of life. He is Babbitt on Main Street in Big City, doing business under a neon sign, but living in the sedate, secluded, and exclusive neighborhood in the suburbs. He is the one who feels that he is going to heaven on his own propulsion. “I am working out my own salvation, and I’m really a pretty good fellow after all.” He has a hard philosophy of life and very little real joy. Oh, he has his “happy hour” each evening when he has his cocktail, but he comes to some very doleful and pessimistic conclusions.
We have seen that many of the teachings of the Book of Ecclesiastes are quite radical. They present the philosophy of man under the sun. They do not present the Christian viewpoint, nor do they represent God’s viewpoint. They tell us the inevitable conclusions that are reached by the man under the sun. I find it a doleful book, and I find this chapter especially so. This book of the Bible is like a black sheep in a flock of sheep. One can take many passages out of this book which seem to contradict the other portions of Scripture. They express ideas that are contrary to some of the great teachings of Scripture, which explains why this book has been a favorite among atheists. Volney and Voltaire quoted from it frequently. It fosters a pessimistic philosophy of life like Schopenhauer had. Some of the modern cults predicate the main thesis of their systems on this book.
How did this book get into the canon of Scripture? Well, it is obvious that one must go back to the purpose of the author. What is his thesis? What is he demonstrating? Is he trying to set forth Christian principles? We must always remember that Solomon is speaking of life apart from God. He has tried to make an experiment to see how to be happy without God. These are the conclusions that he has come to “under the sun.” This is the way the man of the world looks at life. So then it is no surprise that unbelievers would quote from this book.
Let me give you an illustration to help you to understand this book. Halfway between high tide and low tide is what they call the mean tide, which is sea level. There is a realm of life below sea level; there is a realm of life above sea level. Actually, they are like two different worlds. In the world below sea level there are certain chemical elements in a world that is aqueous. Above the sea level there are different combinations of chemical elements in a world that is gaseous. Below sea level are the fish with fins. Above are the birds with wings. There are two ways of life. The mockingbird does not tell the tuna fish that he is all wrong because he doesn’t have feathers. The monkey and the barracuda could actually have a big debate on which direction is sea level. The monkey would say that sea level is down; the barracuda would argue that sea level is up.
Now Ecclesiastes is “under the sun.” The Christian life is in the heavenly places where God is. Man under the sun will have a different view of life from the view of God who is above the sun. We are looking at two different worlds, two different ways of life. Life under the sun is a mundane existence apart from God. It views a future and an eternity without God. The Christian life is a contrast to this in every way, because man has been saved by the grace of God and is a display of His grace.
So there are two different spheres, and the laws and principles of one will not apply to the other. They are as far apart as that which is below sea level and that which is above sea level. Because this is true, it is a waste of time to tell the non-Christian, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). That man is not even in Christ; he is not risen with Christ. Therefore he cannot seek those things which are above. He first needs to be born again, to become a new creature. You see, it is no use talking to a non-Christian as if he were a man in Christ, because he isn’t. It would be like trying to teach a mud turtle to fly. The mud turtle likes the mud; he is not even interested in flying.
As we have seen, Ecclesiastes is the record of experiments that Solomon made with life. He tried everything “under the sun” to see if he could find satisfaction for his soul. Everything must be interpreted in that light.
Solomon tried the pursuit of knowledge and came to the conclusion, “… of making many books there is no end” (Eccl. 12:12). He tried pleasure and the outcome was, “I hated life.” He tried riches and came to the conclusion “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver” (Eccl. 5:10). Then he tried religion and concluded that it will make one become a lunatic or a racketeer, a crank or a crook, a nut or a bum. Then he tried fame and a good name; he tried morality. All he could say was that it was all vanity and vexation of spirit.
Thackeray wrote a wonderful novel called Vanity Fair. It is the story of a girl named Beeky, and it is set in the time of the wars of Napoleon. It tells of the littleness and of the sin in the lives of the characters as they lived their lives apart from God (Thackeray was a Christian). He concluded the book by saying, “The play is over. We put the puppets back in the box. All is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
By the way, you could do the same thing with the entertainment and pleasure capitals of our country. They are places of fame and riches and also places that have a monopoly on sleeping pills and narcotics. Life is empty without God and without Christ.
Augustine gave us that often-quoted expression, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and the heart of man is restless until it finds its rest in Thee” (Confessions, Bk. 1, See. 1). The human heart is so constructed that you could put the whole world in it and still it would not be filled.
Quotations from Ecclesiastes have been used to support socialism. There is only one answer for statism or regimentation. Christ is the answer, the only answer. All other routes lead to emptiness and frustration. With Him there is life abundant.
For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them [Eccl. 9:1].
He is not worried about the future. Eternity is a realm he doesn’t even think about because he knows nothing about it.
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath [Eccl. 9:2].
It looks to him as if it doesn’t make any difference which direction you go. They all come out the same way anyhow. Remember, this is not God’s answer. This is the way it looks to man under the sun as he observes the lives of people around him.
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead [Eccl. 9:3].
Why should anyone work at all? Life is just a big lottery, and you are the victim of your circumstances. The fellow who was lucky enough to get his share of it, ought to share it with you. The philosophies of our day are not saying anything new. Karl Marx didn’t say anything new—Solomon was way ahead of him.
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion [Eccl. 9:4].
If you follow along this basic premise, it is eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die. Then, whether you are a fool or a wise man doesn’t make much difference. It’s still better to be alive than dead, even if you are a fool while you are alive—“for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten [Eccl. 9:5].
This is where the idea of a “soul sleep” arises (see also v. 10). All of this is the observation of the man under the sun. This is the way it looks if death is the end and there is nothing after death. That is why he says it would be better to be a living dog than a dead lion.
God has told us what happens after death. The body is put into the grave, and it is the body that sleeps in the grave. Scripture makes it very clear that the soul of the child of God goes to be with the Lord: “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6–8). The soul, the real person, goes to be with the Lord—absent from the body, present with the Lord. The bodies you and I are living in are only our earthly tabernacles or tents, and we’ll move out of them someday. So you see, soul sleep is not even a Christian viewpoint.
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun [Eccl. 9:6].
I told you that this is a doleful chapter. It looks as if life is futile, purposeless and without meaning. If death is the end of everything, then man is just like an animal. The evolutionist says that man once was an animal, and this man under the sun says man is like an animal now. The end result of both is the same. Man dies like an animal.
How different it is for us who know that we have come from the creative hand of God and that we are going back to God.
Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works [Eccl. 9:7].
The do-gooder who thinks that death is the end of it all finds his joy in the “happy hour.” “Drink thy wine with a merry heart.” This is about the most monotonous life in the world.
Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment [Eccl. 9:8].
He dresses up and keeps up a good front.
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun [Eccl. 9:9].
Enjoy your marriage, he advises. There are many non-Christian couples who are enjoying their lives together—I have met several of them. Oh, they have their problems and their dark days, but their attitude is, “Let’s make the best of it.”
Now here is another verse on which the theory of soul sleep is based.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest [Eccl. 9:10].
It is certainly true that the body in the grave can no longer hold a hammer in its hand. The brain is no longer able to study or perform any mental chores. Solomon is speaking only of the body. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” He is talking about the hand, not the soul. It is the hand that will be put into the grave. If you are a child of God, you will go into the presence of the Lord. If you are not a child of God, you will go to the place of the dead until you are raised to be judged at the Great White Throne. This life does not end it all. This book does not teach soul sleep.
Now he will deal with social injustice and the minority groups.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all [Eccl. 9:11].
The observation of the man under the sun leads him to believe that life is a matter of time and chance. It is nothing but a big lottery. If you happen to be born black, you will have your problems. If you are born white, you will have your problems. If you are born yellow, you will have your problems. It’s all chance, and there is nothing you can do about it. That is the thought here.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them [Eccl. 9:12].
If time and chance are the regulators of life, then you are just as helpless as the fish caught in a net. This is an awful viewpoint, the worst kind of fatalism. This is the philosophy of the men I mentioned who fly home at the end of the week, coming back to Southern California from Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, and Seattle. They sit in the airplane and grit their teeth in the midst of the turbulence of a storm and say, “If the plane is going to go down, it will go down. If my number comes up, there is nothing I can do about it.” A man is just like a fish caught in a net. For the do-gooder, there is no other explanation. He is forced to come to this fatalistic philosophy.
Now Solomon gives a little parable:
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it [Eccl. 9:14].
Come a little closer, Mr. Marxist, and listen to this parable. Do you want to lift up the burden of the downtrodden? Do you want to defend a minority group and the cause of the underdog? Is that the thing you’re interested in? Well, may I say to you, there will arise a dictator. “A great king” will come against a people that let down their defenses and spend all their time with social problems which unsaved men cannot solve. (They’ve had probably six thousand years or longer, and they have not yet solved the problems of life. How much longer do you think God ought to give man to work these out?) “A great king” will take over such a city when socialistic methods are adopted.
Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man [Eccl. 9:15].
Who was that man who came and brought deliverance? His name was Wisdom, and Wisdom is another name for Christ. He came to this earth in poverty. Jesus could actually say, “… The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). He was a poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools [Eccl. 9:16–17].
Eventually the voice of the Lord Jesus will prevail. When He comes, His voice will be like the shout of the archangel and like the sound of a trumpet. There is a babble of voices in this world today, but there is coming a time when His voice will prevail in this world.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good [Eccl. 9:18].
Here is his conclusion of all he has said in this chapter. “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”And Christ is better than atomic energy.
“Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” Years ago I crossed the ocean in the H. M. S. Queen Mary, and I shall never forget the morning when we came into Southampton. I got up early to watch it. It was a tremendous feat to bring that great ship into port. The pilot had brought her across the trackless ocean. How had he done it? He had done it by the principles that were set down by a little-known Greek philosopher years ago working in geometry. That’s the way it was done. “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”
“But one sinner destroyeth much good.” There is a tremendous influence exerted by the life of one individual. And the influence is more potent when it is in the wrong direction. History will bear this out.
Adam sinned and his sin has affected the entire race of mankind. Achan sinned, and because of him an entire nation went down in defeat. They had to deal with the sin of Achan before they could achieve a victory. Rehoboam’s sin split the kingdom of Israel. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira brought the first defect into the early church, and from that day on the church has not been as potent as it was in the beginning.
You and I have an influence, either for good or for bad. No matter who you are, you occupy a place of influence. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Rom. 14:7). Every person is a preacher. No one can keep himself from being a preacher.
I made that same statement to a man, an alcoholic, who lived with his mother in a house down the street from the church. His mother was brokenhearted over her boy, and she asked me to talk to him about Christ. One day I got him into my study. He had been drinking, but he was not what you would call drunk. I told him he was breaking his mother’s heart, and I told him how low down and good for nothing his life was. He was not moved; he just sat there and took it. Then I asked him, “Do you know that you are a preacher?” At that he stood up and drew back his fist—he was going to hit me. “You can’t call me a preacher!” He would allow me to call him any kind of name but not a preacher! My friend, all of us are preachers. You are preaching to those around you by the life that you live.
I personally believe that the do-gooder, the man who boasts of his moral life apart from God, is the greatest detriment. He actually stands in the way; he blocks the way to God, because his message is, “Live like I do. I live without God. I just do good.” There is nothing quite as deadening as that.
You are a preacher, whoever you are. It may be in a very small circle, but you are affecting someone. You are a preacher in your own home. This reminds me of a father who kept a jug of whiskey hidden in the corn crib. It was his habit to go out there every morning and get himself a drink. On a snowy morning he went out to the barn as was his habit, but this time he heard someone behind him. He turned around and found that it was his little son following him, stepping in the footsteps in the snow where his father had walked. The father asked, “What are you doing, son?” The boy answered, “I’m following in your footsteps.” He sent the boy back into the house, and then he went out to the corn crib and smashed that jug of whiskey. He realized that he didn’t want his boy to be following in his footsteps. Someone in your home is following in your footsteps. Where are you leading him?
You may be influencing a wide circle of human society. You may have influence in the business world. You have influence in your neighborhood and in your community. You have influence in your Sunday school. Somebody is looking at you and watching to see whether or not you mean business with God. Does your going to church mean anything more to you than going to a drive-in to pick up a hamburger? Does your life suggest that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun? You have influence.
You remember that Peter preached a mighty sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Andrew just sat on the sidelines and could say, “That is my brother. I brought him to Christ.” That was Andrew’s influence. You, today, are pointing men to heaven or to hell. Now, if you want to go to hell, that’s your business, but you have no right to lead a little boy there. You have no right to lead your family and those who surround you there. Even if you want to go, it’s awful to lead others. Influence—“One sinner destroyeth much good.” Think about it.
CHAPTER 10
We see here that the injustice of life suggests the adoption of a moderate course.
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour [Eccl. 10:1].
Life is full of illustrations of this truth. One night on the town can mean a lifetime in the darkness of disease or even death. An officer in a church I served years ago told me, “I was brought up in a Christian home, and I really never did run around, but when I went away from home and got a job, I went out with the fellows one night. That is the only night in my life that I went out, and that is the night I got a venereal disease. I had to postpone marriage for several years, and I had to break off an engagement with a sweet, lovely girl.” Just one dead fly will ruin the ointment of the apothecary. How tragic!
A mother spends twenty-one years teaching a son to be wise, and some girl will come along and make a fool out of him in five minutes. What a picture! A little folly, a little foolishness—that is all it takes. It can be the thing that can ruin a life and spoil the lives of others.
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left [Eccl. 10:2].
The right hand is the hand of strength. A wise man’s heart is at his right hand. Whatever he does, he does it with all his heart. He doesn’t do it reluctantly. The fool’s heart is at his left hand. He just does things in a half-hearted way.
My friend, whatever you do, do it with heart. If you are going to serve God, do it with joy and excitement. Don’t make the Christian life a drudge. Make it something worthwhile. Whatever you do, do it with excitement.
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool [Eccl. 10:3].
A fool does not have to carry a placard on himself that says, “I am a fool.” The fact of the matter is that all he has to do is open his mouth. Sometimes he doesn’t even have to open his mouth to prove that he is a fool.
Sometimes at community meetings people will get up to express a viewpoint. A man will make a thoughtful suggestion, and I will think, My, I didn’t know my neighbor was so intelligent. Then a fellow gets up to speak, and the minute he opens his mouth, I look at my friend sitting next to me and arch my eyebrows. The Bible calls him a fool, and he tells everyone what he is.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences [Eccl. 10:4].
The man under the sun is going to take the position of yielding in order to pacify. In other words, “If you can’t fight city hall, join them.”
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place [Eccl. 10:5–6].
This is one of the things that has happened in our day and age: a dignity has been given to sin. There was a time when sin was down on the sidestreet. It was considered dirty and filthy, and it savored of that which was low and foul. But today sin has moved up on the boulevard. Sin is committed with great dignity, and it has been given a prominent place. It is given a prominent place on TV shows.
I noticed the other day that they interviewed a stripper on a TV show, that is, a girl who takes off her clothes in a nightclub. When I was a young fellow in my teens, living a life away from God, we would sneak off on Saturday night to go to such shows. It was dirty; it was filthy. Today they call it an art form! Today sin is handled in such a dignified way. “Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.”
Have you heard interviews with the ordinary citizen or with the ordinary Christian? These are the people who are making the finest contribution to their community and to their society. Are they the ones who are interviewed? No, they occupy a low place. You never hear of them. The attention is focused on the ones who are the sinners and oddballs.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth [Eccl. 10:7].
To work hard, save your money, and study late do not always mean that you will become a success. The fool next door may inherit a million dollars. Sometimes it is the fool who rides the horse, while the prince walks as the servant.
I know many wonderful Christians—across this land I have had the privilege of meeting some of the most wonderful people who are humble folk. Many of them live in humble homes; some of them are financially well-to-do. But they are ignored. They are “princes walking as servants upon the earth” today. What a picture!
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him [Eccl. 10:8].
If you think that you can get by with sin, especially if you are a child of God, you are very foolish. God may not act immediately, but all you need to do is wait; God will eventually judge you for it. I have watched that over the years. Christians do things that are wrong and seem to get by with it, but somewhere down the line God begins to move in on them, and He takes them to His woodshed.
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby [Eccl. 10:9].
Removing stones in that day was removing the markers of property lines. This is saying again that one cannot get by with sin. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. If you try to cheat someone out of his property, or anything else, God will see to it that you will get hurt. This is the reason the Lord tells us that we are not to avenge ourselves. The Lord says, “… Vengeance is mine; I will repay …” (Rom. 12:19). The Lord is the One who will settle the accounts.
If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct [Eccl. 10:10].
If the hoe gets dull, you will sharpen it, if you have any sense at all. A dull hoe makes digging that much harder. Unfortunately, many people are not willing to do the thing that will sharpen the hoe.
A young man told me the other day that God had called him to preach, and he wanted to take a short course to prepare himself. I said, “Young man, don’t do that. Sharpen your hoe. Sharpen your sword. Don’t go out untrained. Take the time for sharpening.” It is foolish to take out a dull hoe and expect to cut down many weeds. Sharpen the hoe and then move in on the weed patch. This Book of Ecclesiastes has some great lessons for us to learn. It is an unusual book.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better [Eccl. 10:11].
We need to understand the practices of the East if we are going to understand this verse. It is very similar to Psalm 58:4–5: “Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.” The same idea is found in Jeremiah. “For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord” (Jer. 8:17).
The adder is a very deadly reptile. We have all seen pictures of the Indian fakirs (and I believe it would be just as correct to spell it fakers) who play a doleful sort of tune on a horn to charm the cobra. The cobra does a sort of dance; I suppose one could call it the cobra hula dance. The cobra will not strike as long as the tune is being played on that horn. Now I don’t know about you, but if I had one of those horns, and a cobra came along, I’d be a long-winded person—I’d play as long as I possibly could. But there will come a time when the cobra or the adder will not listen, and finally he will strike. When he does strike, it means death.
The “serpent” in the passages we have quoted probably is not referring to literal snakes. I think it is referring to that person, “babbler,” who will deceive you, who will betray you, a Judas Iscariot. After all, that’s what Antichrist will be to the nation of Israel in the Great Tribulation Period.
Even among people in the church you will find those who will say things that are not true. “Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a blabber is no better.” He may pose as your friend, but he is going to bite you like a serpent no matter how nice you are to him.
This was the kind of sorrow that David felt when his friend Ahithophel turned against him. Ahithophel had been his counselor and his personal friend, but he left David and went with Absalom when Absalom rebelled. That broke David’s heart. I think David was a broken man after the rebellion of Absalom. Up to that time, I doubt that there had ever been a ruler like King David in his prime. After that time of rebellion David became an old man. He pours out his heart in Psalm 55, and this is the picture we get.
Solomon is saying that in view of the possibility of this happening, one should be very careful. I would say that that is the philosophy of life of the average person today. He is the do-gooder who walks in the middle of the road. He has been told to be careful with So-and-So, who can repeat what he says and twist it. So when Mr. Do-gooder faces these people, he adopts a very sweet attitude toward them, but he is very careful what he says.
Sometimes it seems that we actually should confront the kind of person who takes facts and twists them and point out to them exactly what they are doing. However, I know from experience that if you point them out, you will be attacked in a most vicious manner.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself [Eccl. 10:12].
“The lips of the fool will swallow up himself” and those who are around him as well. That is why one should be careful in making friends and choosing the right kind of friends. When I taught school, I always advised the freshman class, “You are going to make friends here that will be friends with you for life. You may even meet your mate here (and of course some of them did), so be careful about the friends you make.”
When my daughter went away to college, I gave her that same advice. I told her she would have the greatest opportunity of all her life to make some wonderful friendships. But I advised her to be careful in choosing her friends. There are some people who will try to destroy you.
There are people who are like the adder or the serpent. If you are nice to them and can keep them charmed, things will go well. But be very careful how you act in their presence. This is good advice, my friend, but it is a middle-of-the-road course, as you can see.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? [Eccl. 10:13–14].
How true this is. Have you ever noticed that if you have a group and you throw out a topic for an open discussion, there will generally be some loquacious person in that group. (I believe that now they call such sessions “rap” sessions. When I was young, we called them “bull” sessions.) Usually some person who likes to talk will take over the discussion, and often he will say foolish, absurd things. The group begins to wish that one person would keep his mouth shut.
This is one reason why I am not very fond of open discussions. When I have a question and answer period, I always encourage people to write out their questions. If you don’t do that, you will almost invariably find one babbler in the group, one talker who comes under this category of being a troublemaker. Someone has described such a person as one whose brain starts his mouth working, and then the brain goes off and leaves it.
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city [Eccl. 10:15].
Today we would say the fool doesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! [Eccl. 10:16].
They give themselves over to pleasure instead of ruling the people properly and being a blessing to the land.
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! [Eccl. 10:17].
The big problem in our country is not drugs but liquor. The number of alcoholics in this country is now in the millions. Probably we cannot get an accurate figure on the number of alcoholics because of the liquor interests, but it is a real cause for alarm. There are too many cocktail parties in Washington where the political decisions are being made. “Blessed art thou, O land, when … thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!”
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through [Eccl. 10:18].
This is an indictment of laziness, of the refusal to work. I’m afraid that is becoming a way of life in our country today. A common greeting is, “Take it easy” and “Have a good day.” In other words, do as little as possible and have as much fun as you can.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things [Eccl. 10:19].
Many of the rich have moved to the middle of the road. They want to be liberal and yet they want to be conservative.
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter [Eccl. 10:20].
“Curse not the king.” Regardless of our president’s political party or his views, I do not feel that he should be caricatured or made an object of ridicule. In the New Testament Peter says, “… Honour the king” (1 Pet. 2:17).
CHAPTER 11
This chapter gives the best course to follow for the do-gooder, for the moral man, the man who wants to live the good life and wants to go down the middle, neither hot nor cold, neither right nor left.
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days [Eccl. 11:1].
Don’t be afraid of doing good, although the reward may be late in arriving.
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth [Eccl. 11:2].
When you are doing good, be sure to help more than one person. Help quite a few people, because you may get into trouble yourself at some later time, and there will be many people who will be willing to help you.
The Lord Jesus told a parable along this line, and it is recorded in Luke 16. There was an “unjust” steward who was really a crook. He made friends for himself by reducing their debts to his master, so that when he lost his job he could go to them for help.
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be [Eccl. 11:3].
If rain is predicted, you had better carry an umbrella. After a big redwood tree falls, it is hard to move it. What is he saying here? It is best to have a clear understanding of a situation at the very beginning before you launch a venture because, after it begins, it is very difficult to make any change.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap [Eccl. 11:4].
That is, act wisely in what you do. If a man wants to sow seed, he had better wait until there is no wind. If a man wants to reap a harvest, he will not begin if rain is threatening.
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all [Eccl. 11:5].
The formation of the fetus and the physical birth of a baby are still great mysteries today. Spiritual rebirth is an even greater mystery. You do not know how the Spirit will move. The Lord Jesus said that. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). There is a great deal that we do not know.
I believe his point is simply this: Don’t let what you don’t know disturb what you do know. Let me give an example. Any person knows enough to sit in a chair. There is an empty chair in my study right now. I don’t mind getting up and going over there to sit down. Now there are a lot of things I don’t know about that chair. I don’t know anything about its construction—who made it or how it was made—but I do know that I can sit in that chair and it will hold me up. That is really all I need to know about the chair. So don’t let what you don’t know disturb what you do know.
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity [Eccl. 11:7–8].
Some day you will get old, my friend. Life for the senior citizen is not always as pleasant as the advertising folders say it is going to be.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity [Eccl. 11:9–10].
Remember, young man, now is the time to make your decisions in every category of life. It is very important that you make the right choices now. How many men have lived wasted lives and are living them today, because they made the wrong choices in their youth.
Your youthful days are empty if they are not lived right. Life is a gift that is given to us by God, given one day at a time, in fact, one second at a time. It is a precious gift, and it is to be used for the glory of God. What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
CHAPTER 12
We have seen the experiments that Solomon made in life. He is probably the only man who ever lived who was able to experiment in all of these different areas, attempting to find a solution and satisfaction apart from God. Throughout Ecclesiastes the key expression has been “under the sun.” He tried nature and natural science as his first experiment.
A great many people today feel that they will solve their problems by getting back to nature. There is a great exodus out of the cities and into the suburbs and beyond the suburbs to a little cabin by a lake or by a river or up in the mountains. “Let’s get away from it all. Let’s get back to nature.” Well, this didn’t solve Solomon’s problems, and it will not solve our problems. So Solomon tried wisdom and philosophy; he tried pleasure and materialism; he experimented with fatalism; he tried living life for self. He turned to religion and found ritual but no reality. Then he tried to find the answer in wealth. Finally Solomon tried the good life, the life of the moralist, which he found to be an insipid sort of existence. I think that is why the young people today rebel against it.
Solomon now comes to his final conclusion in this chapter.
POETIC PICTURE OF OLD AGE
This chapter is going to have something for the young person and for the senior citizen. Both ends of the spectrum of life meet here.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them [Eccl. 12:1]
In view of the fact that nothing under the sun can satisfy the human heart, Solomon says, “Get back to God.” While you are young, make your decision for God. It is going to be obvious why this should be done.
Solomon will paint a picture of old age, and it is not a pretty picture. Nevertheless, it is your picture and my picture in old age. When I first preached on this chapter of Ecclesiastes, I was a very young preacher, and I wondered if it would really be like this. Now I am here to testify that the description of old age in Ecclesiastes is accurate.
One often hears the liberal and the skeptic say, “I believe in a religion of the here and now. I’m not interested in a religion of the hereafter.” Well, here is a religion for the “here,” which means to get rightly related to God and live for Him. Why? Well, let’s look at this picture he paints of old age—a tremendous picture.
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain [Eccl. 12:2]
Does he mean that the sun, the moon, the stars, the lights are all going out? No, he means that you don’t see them as you used to.
Mrs. McGee and I took a walk when we were in the Hawaiian Islands, under a full moon, and it was beautiful. I said to her, “My, isn’t that a beautiful moon? But you know, it doesn’t seem as romantic as it once did. How do you feel?” She replied, “No, I don’t think it is as romantic as it once was. I used to think Hawaii was the most romantic place in the world.” Well, my friend, when you get old, the luster dims.
Time flies, and one sad experience follows another—“he clouds return after the rain.” When you get old, you can go out and have a great day but, believe me, you must take three or four days to rest up afterward. I have learned that.
I used to have a heavy schedule of conferences and just kept on going and enjoying every minute of it. Now Mrs. McGee and I find that we need to change our whole lifestyle. Conferences are becoming wearing on us. “The clouds return after the rain.”
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened [Eccl. 12:3]
This is the description of the body, the physical body, in old age. “The keepers of the house shall tremble.” Those are the legs. The old person begins to totter.
My staff and my close friends try to kid me by saying, “Oh, you’re looking so strong and so well.” Yet I notice when I get in and out of a car, they are at my elbow to help me. Do you know why? Because my legs don’t move quite as fast as they once did.
When I get up in the morning and come down the steps, I groan. My wife gets after me and asks, “Why do you groan?” I tell her it is scriptural to groan. Paul tells us, “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened …” (2 Cor. 5:4). So I tell her that I want to be scriptural. But honestly I groan because my knees hurt when I come down the steps. “The keepers of the house shall tremble.”
I find that I stumble more than I used to, and I must be more careful when I climb a ladder. An old person gets himself a walking stick, and I’ve been thinking about that, too.
“And the strong men shall bow themselves.” Those are the shoulders. They are no longer erect. My wife told me the other day, “You’d look lots better if you would stand erect like you used to stand. When you were young, you had broad shoulders, and now you are all stooped over.” Well, friend, the “strong men” are bowing themselves. They don’t stay back like they once did. The shoulders begin to round off, and I can assure you it is more comfortable that way.
“The grinders cease because they are few.” The grinders are the teeth. You are going to lose your teeth as you get older. You will need to have some bridges put in or full dentures. I haven’t had to resort to false teeth yet—I’m thankful I still have my own—but they have all been capped now for years.
“Those that look out of the windows be darkened” refers to failing eyesight. The other night in a restaurant a man came up to me, we shook hands, and I talked with that man for two minutes before I even recognized who he was. I just couldn’t place him. I met another friend at a meeting. We talked a while and after he left, I asked my wife who he was. She told me his name. It was a man whom I had known for years. I said, “To tell you the truth, I didn’t know him. He surely has changed.” She said, “Yes, I think he has, but you have, too.” So you see that the windows get darkened. Even with my trifocals, I don’t see as well as I did. Things don’t look quite as bright as they once did.
And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low [Eccl. 12:4]
“The doors shall be shut in the streets” means that the hearing is failing. My wife tells friends, “You’ll have to speak a little louder. He’s getting hard of hearing.” I’m not really, by the way. She says that I often don’t hear what she says. Maybe sometimes it is that I don’t want to hear. Several years ago I had a neighbor who wore a hearing device. His wife would get after him when he got out to trim trees or prune his fruit trees. He would be up on the ladder working, and she would come out and rebuke him for it. All he did was take out his hearing aid. She would talk to him for fifteen minutes, and he wouldn’t hear a word she said. Finally she would say, “I don’t think you are wearing your hearing aid,” and he wasn’t. He would just keep on doing what he wanted to do.
Well, noise, even out on the street, is not as loud as it once was. “The doors shall be shut in the streets.” And “when the sound of grinding is low.” The grinding is literally the grinding women. They don’t seem to make as much noise as they used to.
“He shall rise up at the voice of the bird.” I can remember when I was a boy that even a loud alarm clock wouldn’t wake me up in the morning. When my wife and I were young, we didn’t mind the noise of children. We didn’t mind the noise of music coming from the neighbors. We could sleep in motels and hotels, and none of the noises bothered us. Now even the little chirp of a bird disturbs us! Now when we travel and we come to a motel or hotel I always ask, “Can you give us a quiet room?” We are getting old, and we rise up at the voice of the bird. Any little noise disturbs our sleep.
“And all the daughters of music shall be brought low.” You don’t find too many older people singing in the choir anymore. The voice gets thin, and it gets harder to carry a tune. I remember dear brother Homer Rodeheaver. What a marvelous music director and song leader he was! I remember him as a young man when he traveled with Billy Sunday. How he thrilled me when I heard him as a boy. He played the trombone, sang, and led the singing. What a voice he had! Then I invited him to come to the church I pastored in downtown Los Angeles. He was in his seventies by then. I would help him up, and he would go tottering up to the platform. He was still a marvelous song leader; I don’t think anyone could ever excel him. But every now and then he would sing a stanza, and my feeling was that he would have done better to read the stanza. It was no longer the glorious voice that we had heard years before.
Even the people who once had beautiful singing voices lose the quality of their voices as they get older. Those of us who never could sing very well should realize that we had better praise the Lord in our hearts. That is the reason I never open my mouth in a song service. I don’t dare. I couldn’t sing when I was young, and now it is positively frightful. “The daughters of music shall be brought low.”
Now he continues on as he speaks of old age. And now, to me, it gets to the place where it’s tragic, because we’re looking at the psychological effects.
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets [Eccl. 12:5]
“They shall be afraid of that which is high.” I never did enjoy flying, but I was getting over my fear and began to enjoy it. Then old age slipped up on me, and I find today I have the same old fear of flying that I had at the very beginning. Little things disturb me, little things that didn’t disturb me at all when I was younger.
“And fears shall be in the way.” We just don’t enjoy things as much as we once did. We have always enjoyed traveling and have conducted many tours to the Bible lands and to the Hawaiian Islands. I have noticed that as we and our friends get older, we find traveling much more difficult. We worry and wonder about things we never even thought of before.
When we were young, my wife and I would start out in an old jalopy to go across the country. We never made any reservations. It didn’t worry us if we stopped at motels and found that they were all filled. It didn’t bother us if we had to sleep on the side of the road. But today there is always a nagging fear. When we get ready to make a trip, I have all the reservations made well in advance, and I a go over the road map again and again and again. “Fears shall be in the way.”
“The almond tree shall flourish.” blossoming almond tree is white. And the senior citizen is going to turn white on top, or else there won’t be anything left on the top—it is one or the other.
“The grasshopper shall be a burden.” How can a little grasshopper be a burden? Well, when old age comes little things that never used to bother now become a burden. We love our grandchildren dearly and enjoy having them with us, but after a while, we are glad to see them go home again. Strength fails, endurance fails, patience fails. Many little things become a burden.
“Desire shall fail.” Romance is gone. You can try to act as if you are just as young as you were, but you don’t fool anyone. I remember listening to an evangelist who had married a young girl. He hopped on the platform, jumped in the air, and said, “I’m just as young as I ever was.” He wasn’t fooling anybody but himself, and he died shortly after that.
“Because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.” That “long home” is eternity. Death is getting near.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern [Eccl. 12:6]
Here is a list of the organs of the body. At the end, they no longer function. The “silver cord” is the spinal cord. The “golden bowl” is the head, the bowl for the brain. The functioning of the brain decreases in its efficiency as one gets older, and at death it ceases to function at all. The pitcher is the lungs. “The pitcher is broken at the fountain.” The wheel is the heart—“the wheel broken at the cistern.” It is no longer pumping blood through the body. All of this is a picture of the deterioration of old age leading to death. Life cannot be sustained without the functioning of these organs.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it [Eccl. 12:7]
There is no soul sleep. I wish the people who try to use verses from this Book of Ecclesiastes to support their idea of soul sleep would just read on until they get to this verse. The body sleeps, but the spirit, or the soul, returns unto God who gave it.
Let me repeat that the New Testament assures us that to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:8). The soul immediately returns to God. This body is just a tabernacle, or a tent, that we live in. It is just the outer covering. The soul goes to be with God.
When President Adams became an old man, someone asked him how he was getting along. His reply was something like this: “Oh, I’m doing fine, but this house I live in is growing very feeble, and I think I’ll be moving out of it before long.” That was true. He did move out of his old house shortly after that.
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity [Eccl. 12:8]
Young man, life is empty if you are just living for the here and now. One day you will find that all you have in your hand is a fistful of ashes, and you will have eternity ahead of you.
When as a child, I laughed and wept, Time crept;
When as a youth, I dreamed and talked, Time walked;
When I became a full grown man, Time ran;
When older still I daily grew, Time flew;
Soon I shall find in traveling on, Time gone.
—Author unknown
The psalmist writes: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12), and Wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thinking of old age, someone has written this bit of whimsey:
Thou knowest, Lord, I’m growing older.
My fire of youth begins to smolder;
I somehow tend to reminisce
And speak of good old days I miss.
I am more moody, bossy, and
Think folk should jump at my command.
Help me, Lord, to conceal my aches
And realize my own mistakes.
Keep me sweet, silent, sane, serene,
Instead of crusty, sour, and mean.
—Author unknown
May the Lord, give us the grace to grow old gracefully!
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd [Eccl. 12:9–11]
We should not by any means despise the wisdom of the past, nor should we refuse to be taught.
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh [Eccl. 12:12]
Education will not solve the problems of life.
THE RESULT OF THE EXPERIMENT
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man [Eccl. 12:13]
“Fear God.” This is the message of the Book of Proverbs as well as the message here. In view of the experiment made “under the sun,” the wise thing is to fear God, which means to reverence, worship, and obey Him.
“And keep his commandments” would mean to meet God’s conditions for salvation—in any age—grounded on faith in God. For Cain it meant bringing a lamb. For Abraham it meant believing the promises of God. For the people of Israel it meant approaching God through sacrifice in the tabernacle and in the temple. For us it is to “… Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved …” (Acts 16:31).
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil [Eccl. 12:14]
“For God shall bring every work into judgment.” God will judge every man, for every man is a sinner who is guilty before God. Christ bore our judgment; He died a judgment death. Our sins are either on Christ by faith in Him, or else we must come before the Great White Throne for judgment.
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” Why? Well, for a very definite reason: because in the matter of salvation your chances of being saved are greater; and in the subject of service you’ll have something to offer to God. Statistics show that more come to Christ when they are young.
This does not mean that old people cannot accept Christ and be saved. On one of our radio programs we gave an invitation for those who wanted to accept Christ to put up their hands. A lady walked into the room, where her ninety-year-old father was listening to the program, and she saw that he sat there in the rocking chair listening to us with his hand in the air. When she questioned him, she found that he had accepted Christ Jesus as his Savior. How wonderful! It is never too late.
The second reason why Solomon makes a special appeal to young people is that they have a lifetime to offer to God in service to Him. The men who have had real service, who have had something to give to God, have been young men: Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, Jeremiah, Saul of Tarsus, Timothy—and oh, the host of young missionaries in the past few centuries, such as Robert Moffat, who was “wee Bobby Moffat” when he came to Christ as a child and became a great missionary to South Africa.
My friend, there is no answer to the problems of life “under the sun.” Jesus Christ is the only solution for the problems of life. The Lord Jesus has given His promise to people of any and all ages: “… him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers.
DeHaan, Richard W. The Art of Staying Off Dead-End Streets. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Radio Bible Class, 1974. (A study in Ecclesiastes.)
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 1917. Reprint. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1971.
Goldberg, Louis. Ecclesiastes. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983.
Gray, James M. Commentary on the Whole Bible. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H.Revell Co., 1906.
Jennings, F. C. Meditations on Ecclesiastes. Sunbury, Pennsylvania: Believer’s Bookshelf, 1920.
Jensen, Irving L. Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1974. (A self-study guide.)
Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. Ecclesiastes: Total Life. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1979.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. I. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981.
The Song of
Solomon
INTRODUCTION
The first verse of this little book identifies Solomon as its writer: “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.” Solomon also wrote the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
This book is actually not a story at all; it is a song. We read in 1 Kings 4:32: “And he [Solomon] spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five”. Solomon wrote three thousand proverbs, but it is quite interesting that if you count the proverbs in the Book of Proverbs, and even include the Book of Ecclesiastes, you come up with quite a few less than three thousand. So we have very few of all that Solomon wrote. However, we can say two things about those that we do have: first, we have the best that he wrote—surely we would have that; second, we have those that the Spirit of God wanted us to have.
This verse also tells us that “his songs were a thousand and five” Think of that—more than a thousand songs! That makes him quite a song writer. He would have fit in on Tin Pan Alley any day. It is interesting to note that the Word of God is very specific when it says that he wrote one thousand and five songs. It doesn’t simply give us a round number. Probably those which have been preserved for us are those five. Most of Solomon’s songs, of course, we do not have. In fact, we generally say that we have only one song. But the Song of Solomon is also called the Book of Canticles. A canticle is a little song, and that means that in this book we have several canticles, several little songs. There is a difference of opinion as to how many songs there are. The old position is that there are five, and I agree with that. I notice that The New Scofield Reference Bible states that there are thirteen. That is an excellent Bible, but I will continue to accept the old division of the book into five songs.
“Beloved” is the name for Him; “love” is the name for her.
“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies” (Song 6:3).
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned” (Song 8:7).
The Song of Solomon is a parabolic poem. The interpretation, not the inspiration, causes the difficulty. There are some who actually feel it should not be in the Bible; however, it is in the canon of Scripture. The Song of Solomon is the great neglected book of the Bible. The reader who is going through the Word of God for the first time is puzzled when he comes to it. The carnal Christian will misunderstand and misinterpret it. Actually this little book has been greatly abused by people, who have not understood it. When Peter was puzzled by some of Paul’s epistles, he wrote, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16). I think this is also true of the Song of Solomon.
Origen and Jerome tell us that the Jews would not permit their young men to read this book until they were thirty years old. The reason was that they felt there was the danger of reading into it the salacious and the suggestive, the vulgar and the voluptuous, the sensuous and the sexual. On the contrary, this is a wonderful picture of physical, human, wedded love. It gives the answer to two erroneous groups of people: those who hold to asceticism and think it is wrong to get married, and those who hold to hedonism and think that the satisfying of their lusts is of primary importance. This book makes it very clear that both are wrong. It upholds wedded love as a very wonderful thing, a glorious experience.
Sometimes young preachers are counseled not to use the Song of Solomon until they become old men. A retired minister advised me not to preach on it until I was sixty years old. Do you know what I did? I turned right around and preached on it immediately—that’s what a young preacher would do. Now that I am past sixty years, I think I am qualified, at least as far as the chronology is concerned, to be able to speak on it. This book means more to me today than it did forty years ago. The elaborate, vivid, striking, and bold language in this book is a wonderful, glorious picture of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I know of no book that will draw you closer to Him or be more personal than the Song of Solomon.
If you were to compare the Song of Solomon with other Oriental poetry of its period—such as some of the Persian poetry—you would find the Song of Solomon to be mild and restrained. Reading the Persian poetry, on the other hand, would be like reading some of the modern, dirty stuff that is being written today.
By contrast, the Jews called the Song of Solomon the Holy of Holies of Scripture. Therefore, not everyone was permitted inside its sacred enclosure. Here is where you are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. That is one reason I hesitate to discuss this book. It will be abused by unbelievers and carnal Christians. But if you are one who is walking with the Lord, if the Lord Jesus means a great deal to you and you love Him, then this little book will mean a great deal to you also.
The Song of Solomon is poetic and practical. Here God is speaking to His people in poetic songs which unfold a story. We need to take our spiritual shoes from off our feet as we approach this book. We are on holy ground. The Song of Solomon is like a fragile flower that requires delicate handling.
There have been four different and important meanings found in this book:
1. The Song of Solomon sets forth the glory of wedded love. Here is declared the sacredness of the marital relationship and that marriage is a God-given institution. This little book shows us what real love is. The Jews taught that it reveals the heart of a satisfied husband and that of a devoted wife.
Today we see a great movement toward “sexual freedom”, which many people seem to think is good. One young man who had lived and believed in “free love” told me that he had come to realize that such a life is the life of an animal. He said, “For several years I lived like an animal. If you want to know the truth, I don’t think sex meant any more to my group of friends than it means to an animal.” The younger generation today is geared to sex; their life-style is one of sexual expression. But I am of the opinion that they actually know very little about it. All they know about sex is what an animal knows. A dog out on the street knows as much as they do. Something is missing—there is a terrible void in their lives.
This generation may have a great deal of experience with sex but knows little about love. They know the Hollywood version of love; yet they think they know it all. The story is told of the father who wanted to talk to his young boy about sex. He beat around the bush and finally blurted out, “Son, I’d like to talk to you about some of the facts of life.” The boy said, “Sure, Dad, what would you like to know?” The boy knew the raw facts about sex, so he thought he knew more than his dad knew. There was a veteran movie queen who had had five husbands. She knew about sex, but she didn’t know anything about real love; so she committed suicide. Reading our modern novels and plays is like taking a trip through the sewers of Paris! There is a stark contrast between the ideas of our generation and the glory of wedded love as it is portrayed in the Song of Solomon.
2. This little book sets forth the love of Jehovah for Israel. That is not a new thought which is found in this book alone. The prophets spoke of Israel as the wife of Jehovah. Hosea dwells on that theme. Idolatry in Israelis likened to a breach in wedded love and is the greatest sin in all the world, according to Hosea.
The scribes and the rabbis of Israel have always given these two interpretations to this book, and they have been accepted by the church. However, there are two other interpretations set forth by the church.
3. The Song of Solomon is a picture of Christ and the church. The church is the bride of Christ. This is a familiar figure in the New Testament (see Eph. 5; Rev. 21). However, in this book God uses a picture of human affection to convey to our dull minds, our dead hearts, our distorted affections, and our diseased wills, His so great love. He uses the very best of human love to arouse us to realize the wonderful love that He has for us. This book can lead you into a marvelous, wonderful relationship with the Lord Jesus which you probably have never known before. My friend, what we need today is a knowledge of the Word of God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I am afraid that very few of us are experiencing this today.
4. This book depicts the communion of Christ and the individual believer. It portrays the love of Christ for the individual and the soul’s communion with Christ. Many great saints of God down through the years have experienced this. Paul could say, “… the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Samuel Rutherford could spend a whole night in prayer. His wife would miss him during the night and would get up and go looking for him. Even on cold nights she would find him on his knees praying, and she would take his big overcoat and throw it around him. Men like Dwight L. Moody and Robert McCheyne came into a real, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not some kind of second experience, as some people try to describe it. It is more than an experience. It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ—seeing how wonderful He is, how glorious He is. We need to come to the place where it can truly be said of us that we love Him because He first loved us. To open up this little book will be like the breaking of Mary’s alabaster box of ointment, and I trust that the fragrance of it will fill our lives and spread out to others.
People are being deluded today. They feel that living the Christian life is like following the instructions for putting together a toy. The instructions for a little truck or house will say to take piece “A” and put it down by piece “D” and then take piece “C” and fit it between them. I want to tell you, some of those instructions are really complicated! I know, be- cause I buy them for my little grandsons. It almost takes a college degree to be able to put some of those gadgets together. Some people think that the Christian life is like that. They have the impression that if you get together a little mixture of psychology, a smattering of common sense, a good dash of salesmanship, and a few verses from the Bible as a sugarcoating over the whole thing, that makes a successful formula for living the Christian life.
My friend, may I say that what we need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We need a hot passion for Him. The Lord is not pleased with this cool, lukewarm condition which exists today in the churches among so called dedicated Christians. Too many who are called dedicated Christians are actually as cold as a cucumber. Some are even unfriendly and arrogant in their attitudes. What we all need is a real, living, burning passion for the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This little book is going to be personal. It is not for the ear of the unsaved man. It is for the blood-tipped ear of the man who has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Since the Song of Solomon is a series of scenes in a drama which is not told in chronological sequence, I will make no attempt to outline the book. What we find in this little book is the use of antiphony; that is, one character speaks and another responds. We have many characters: the young bride (she is a Shulamite), the daughters of Jerusalem, the bridegroom, and the Shulamite’s family. In the family there is the father (who is dead), the mother, two daughters, and two or more sons.
One interpretation of the story given in the Song of Solomon came out of the German rationalistic schools of the nineteenth century. (It was from these schools that liberalism first crept into the church. Actually, liberalism was and is simply unbelief.) These people tried to interpret the story so that the Shulamite girl was kidnapped by Solomon; at first she did not want to go with him, and then finally she did.
To a child of God who sees in this book the wonderful relationship between Christ and the church, such an interpretation is repugnant. Men like Rutherford, McCheyne, and Moody—this was their favorite book—could not accept this kidnapping interpretation. Neither could the late Dr. Harry Ironside. So he got down on his knees and asked God for an interpretation. Much of what I am going to pass on to you is based on Dr. Ironside’s interpretation.
The setting of the drama is the palace in Jerusalem, and some of the scenes are flashbacks to a previous time. There is a reminder here of the Greek drama in which a chorus talks back and forth to the protagonists of the play. The daughters of Jerusalem carry along the tempo of the story. These dialogues are evidently to be sung. Several lovely scenes are introduced at Jerusalem which find a counterpart in the church.
The Shulamite girl says, “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept” (Song 1:6). The elder daughter of this poor Shulamite family is a sort of a Cinderella, and she has been forced to keep the vineyard. She is darkened with sunburn from working out in the vineyard. Apparently this family lived in the hill country of Ephraim, and they were tenant farmers. We would call them croppers or hillbillies. We get this picture from a verse in the last chapter: “Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver” (Song 8:11).
I think that is the setting where the first scene takes place. The girl is sunburned and she feels disgraced. In that day a sunburn meant you were a hardworking girl. The women in the court wanted to keep their skin as fair as they possibly could. It was exactly the opposite of our situation here in California. Here the young girls go down to the beach and lie out in the sun all day in order to get a suntan. Today, it’s not a disgrace to have a suntan; in fact, it is a disgrace if you don’t have one!
Not only was this girl sunburned from working out in the vineyard, but she says that she was unable to keep her own vineyard. That means she hadn’t been to the beauty parlor. Apparently she was a naturally beautiful girl, but she hadn’t been able to enhance her beauty or groom herself.
She was an outdoor girl, a hardworking girl. Apparently her brothers also made her watch the sheep. “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents” (Song 1:8). So she worked in the vineyards and also had to herd the sheep.
The place where she worked was along a caravan route there in the hill country. Perhaps some of you have traveled in that land, and you know how rugged it is. A tour bus goes up through there today, and the tourists take a trip into that part of the country. I have been through that rugged territory twice, and I have pictures of some Arab girls working in the fields. I think that is exactly the way it was with the Shulamite girl.
When she would look up from her work, she would see the caravans that passed by going between Jerusalem and Damascus. We see her reaction: “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?” (Song 3:6). She would see the caravans of merchants and also the caravans that carried beautiful ladies of the court. They were the ones who didn’t have a sunburn. They had a canopy over them as they traveled on camels or on elephants. The girl would see the beautiful jewels and the satins. She never had anything like that, and she would dream about it, you know.
She also would smell the frankincense and the myrrh as the caravans passed by. We shall see how this is a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus both in His birth and in His death. They brought Him myrrh as a gift when He was born; when He was dead, they brought myrrh to put on His body. There are wonderful spiritual pictures here, truths that will draw us to the person of Christ.
One day while the girl was tending her sheep, a handsome shepherd appeared. He fell in love with her. I must run ahead enough to tell you it is a picture of Christ and the church. This is what he said to her, “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Song 2:2). Again, he says, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead” (Song 4:1). This is beautiful poetic language. It is a picture of the love of Christ for the church. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.
Finally she gave her heart to the shepherd: “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song 2:3).
Remember that the word love is used when it is speaking of the bride, and beloved is the word that refers to the bridegroom.
The Lord Jesus has given us an invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will [rest you]” (Matt. 11:28). Do you know what it is to rest in Jesus Christ? Is He a reality to you? Do you rest in Him? How wonderful this relationship can become to you! I am not talking about religion or about an organization. I am talking about a personal relationship, a love relationship with Jesus Christ.
After she gave her heart to him, they were madly in love. There is nothing quite like marital love such as they experienced. “My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the liles” (Song 2:16). How wonderful! They had that wonderful, personal relationship.
Apparently he took her to dinner one time as he traveled through the country. (All she knew of him was that he was a shepherd, but evidently a very prominent one.) “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song 2:4).
He was a most peculiar shepherd. He didn’t have any sheep that she could see. She asked him about his sheep: “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon …?” (Song 1:7). Where are his sheep? He is an unusual shepherd.
Then one day he announced that he was going away but that he would return. This is an obvious parallel to the words of the Lord Jesus: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1–3).
The days passed and she waited. Finally, her family and friends began to ridicule her. They said, “You are just a simple, country girl taken in by him.” This is exactly what Peter said would happen in our time: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Pet. 3:3–4).
Yet she trusted him. She loved him. She dreamed of him: “By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not” (Song 3:1). Now let me ask you a very personal question. Do you really miss Christ? Do you long for Him?
One night she lay restlessly upon her couch when she noticed a fragrance in the room. In that day it was a custom that a lover would put some myrrh or frankincense in the opening to the door handle. She smelled the perfume and went to the door. “I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock” (Song 5:5). She knew that he had been there. She knew that he really hadn’t forgotten.
Are there evidences of the fragrance and the perfume of Christ in your life today? Oh, my friend, don’t ever be satisfied with religious gimmicks. Why not get right down to where the rubber meets the road? What does Christ mean to you right now? Is the fragrance of Christ in your life today?
Now she knew that her lover was near. The Lord Jesus said, “… Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). Paul could say while he was in prison that the Lord stood by him. The Lord Jesus has promised, “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
One day she is in the vineyard, working with the vines. “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes” (Song 2:15). She is lifting up the vines so that the little foxes cannot get to the grapes. In that land, they raise the grapes right down on the ground. They do not string them up as we do in this country. So she is lifting up the vines and putting a rock under them so that the little foxes will not get to the grapes.
While she is doing this, down the road there comes a pillar of smoke. “Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders ofthe merchant?” (Song 3:6). The cry is passed along, “Behold, King Solomon is coming!” But she is busy, and she doesn’t know King Solomon. Then someone comes to her excitedly and says to her, “Oh, King Solomon is asking for you!” And she says, “Asking for me? I don’t know King Solomon. I’ve never met him, why would he ask for me?”
“The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song 2:8–10). And so she is brought into the presence of King Solomon. Do you know who King Solomon is? Why, he is her shepherd, and he has come for her.
This is the promise of the Lord Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Paul writes, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16–17). The Lord Jesus has promised that He is coming again for us. “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song 2:11–13). One of these days He is going to call us out of this world.
By the way, how much are you involved in the world? Would it break your heart if He were to come right now and take us all out of the world? I have a feeling there are some people who are so satisfied down here, who are doing so well in this affluent society, that if He should come for them, they would go crying all the way to heaven because they have so much here in this life. He says to her, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock.” That is where the Lord puts us—in the cleft of the rock until the storm passes. “In the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely” (Song 2:13–14). What a glorious thing!
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song 2:4). Salvation is a love affair—we love Him because He first loved us. That is the story that this little book is telling.
CHAPTER 1
It is important for you to read the beautiful story of this book before you come to the text. I have given this in some detail in the introduction.
There are five canticles or brief songs in the book. They depict the experience and the story of a country girl, a Shulamite, up in the hill country. A shepherd came one day, and she fell in love with him, and he fell in love with her. He left her but promised to return. He didn’t return as soon as she had expected. One day it was announced that King Solomon had arrived and wanted to see her. She couldn’t believe it. When she was brought into his presence, she recognized that he was her shepherd-lover.
Some interpreters feel that this is a connected story told in sequence. I personally do not hold that view. I think the scene shifts, and there are flashbacks to earlier times. However, the primary concern for us in our study is the application of this book to you and me as believers. It is a picture of the beautiful love relationship between the believer and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The song of songs, which is Solomon’s [Song 1:1].
I suppose one could liken this book to a piece of folk music, or more likely to an opera. These canticles are put together to give us a glorious, wonderful story. This is one of the methods God used in speaking to His people. It rebukes asceticism, but it also condemns lust and unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. This is no soap opera. It is not a cheap play in which the hero is a neurotic, the heroine is erotic, and the plot is tommyrotic. Rather, it is a beautiful song of marital love.
HIS KISS
In this first song, we find the bride and the bridegroom together in a wonderful relationship.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine [Song 1:2].
The kiss in that day was the pledge of peace, a token of peace. Solomon’s very name means peace. He was a prince of peace and he ruled in Jerusalem, the city of peace. The Shulamite girl is the daughter of peace.
The kiss indicates the existence of a very personal, close relationship, such as the Lord Jesus has with His own. He is able to communicate His message personally to you and me through the Word of God. That is why there needs to be a return to a study of the Word of God—more than just learning the mechanics of the Bible, or even memorizing the Word, but a personal relationship with Him so that He can speak through His Word to our hearts. “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” He has spoken peace to us, you see. He alone can speak peace to the human heart.
In the Old Testament we have seen types of Christ. A. Moody Stuart has written: “Moses and the prophets have come, Aaron and the priests have come, and last of all, David and the kings have come; but let Him now come himself, the true prophet, priest, and king, of all his people.” And Bernard, one who had drawn very close to Christ, commented: “I hear not Moses for he is slow of speech, the lips of Isaiah are unclean, Jeremiah cannot speak because he is a child, and all the prophets are dumb; Himself, himself of whom they speak, let him speak” (The Song of Songs: An Exposition of the Song of Solomon, p. 95).
The one who has ears to hear and has heard Him speak peace—peace through the blood of His cross by forgiveness of sin—can take the next step. If you have been reconciled to God by redemption in Christ, He entreats the kiss of the solemn, nuptial contract. It is the kiss which seals the marriage vow between Christ and the believer.
We find this same custom in our marriage ceremonies today. When I perform a marriage ceremony and both couples have said “I will” and “I do,” I say, “Lift the bride’s veil and give the marriage kiss.” The kiss is a solemn thing; it seals the marriage covenant.
In redemption, the Lord Jesus not only gives us deliverance, but He also gives us freedom. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). What kind of freedom is that? It is the freedom now to come to Him and to say, “I present my body as a living sacrifice to You” (see Rom. 12:1). It is the freedom of dedication, which brings us into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Are you such a child of God? Are you a trembling soul who is afraid to lay hold of His grace? He wants you to appropriate it for yourself. In Ephesians we are told that He is rich in mercy and He is rich in grace, and He wants to share with us the riches of His glory.
I don’t know how you feel about this, but I know that I need His mercy, and I need His grace. His invitation is, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). This is a real rest. It is not rest for just one day on the Sabbath. This is a rest for the seven days of the week. It is resting in His finished redemption. Then He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29–30). Being yoked up with Him is a wonderful, glorious relationship. And He is the One who carries the load for you.
Erskine expressed it poetically:
His mouth the joy of heaven reveals;
His kisses from above,
Are pardons, promises, and seals
Of everlasting love.
HIS LOVE
“For thy love is better than wine.” In that day wine typified the highest of the luxuries this earth offered. It was the champagne dinner, which included everything from soup to nuts. It speaks of that which brings the highest joy to the heart. Paul wrote, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). Oh, to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we might experience that excitement, that exhilaration, that ecstasy of belonging to Christ and of having fellowship with Him!
Friend, I am talking about something that neither you nor I know very much about, do we? We play at church. We talk about being dedicated Christians simply because we are as busy as termites, and often have the same effect. We need to come to that attitude of which Peter wrote: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).
Habakkuk stated it like this: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17–18). Have you arrived at that place? No wonder it says, “Thy love is better than wine.”
I do not mean to be irreverent, but do you get a kick out of life? Well, this is the way to get it. Wine is excess and may lead you to alcoholism. Wine will give a temporary lift, I grant you, but it will let you down. My friend, allow the Spirit of God to come into your life. He will shed abroad in your heart the love of God. That is one reason we need the Holy Spirit.
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee [Song 1:3].
The “ointment” is the perfume. When He began His life on earth, myrrh was brought to Him as a gift. When He died, myrrh was brought to be put on His body. There was a fragrance in His entire life on earth from His birth to His death. Oh, the fragrance of His love for us when He died upon the cross!
HIS DRAWING POWER
Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee [Song 1:4].
This is a wonderful passage of Scripture. It is the expression of one who is in love with Him, who desires a close fellowship with Him. But then comes the awareness that we can’t reach that state; we cannot attain to it because it is too high for us. That is the position from which we say, “Draw me.”
Bonar expressed his love in these lines:
I love the name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ the Lord,
Like fragrance on the breezes,
His name abroad is poured.
What does the name of Jesus mean to you? If you know that you have never experienced that wonderful relationship, then listen to the bride, and give her response, “Draw me.” If you are a child of God, then say, “Draw me.” Let Him lift you up and bring you to this place which you cannot reach yourself. Recognize that in yourself you cannot rise to that level. Francis Quarles has expressed this thought beautifully:
But like a block beneath whose burden lies
That undiscovered worm that never dies,
I have no will to rouse, I have no power to rise.
For can the water-buried axe implore
A hand to raise it, or itself restore,
And from her sandy deeps approach the dry-foot shore?
So hard’s the task for sinful flesh and blood,
To lend the smallest help to what is good;
My God, I cannot move the least degree.
Ah! if but only those who active be,
None should thy glory see, thy glory none should see.
Lord, as I am, I have no power at all
To hear thy voice, or echo to thy call.
Give me the power to will, the will to do;
O raise me up, and I will strive to go:
Draw me, O draw me with thy trebletwist;
That have no power, but merely to resist;
O lend me strength to do, and then command thy list.
God tells us that His power is available to us. He says that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He will answer the heart cry, “Draw me,” Lord. There is an excitement and an ecstasy of being brought into the presence of Christ by the Spirit of God. He can make Christ real to us.
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him …” (John 6:44). The Lord Jesus said to His own, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you …” (John 15:16)—“I am the One who went after you.” We did not seek after God; God sought after us. He is still seeking us today. We can only rouse ourselves to say, Lord, “draw me.” We need the Spirit of God to give to us the Water of Life. If we will drink of that Water of Life, we will have rivers of living water gushing up within us and flowing out from us.
“We will run after thee.” The idea here is not that we ask to be drawn because we are lazy and indifferent, but we are helpless. We have the desire—the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We want to run after Him, but He will have to give us the legs to do it. He must give us that enablement, that divine enablement. He must draw us. “Wherefore … let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …” (Heb. 12:1–2). “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).
HIS CHAMBERS
So when we cry, “Draw me, we will run after thee,” He responds—“the king hath brought me into his chambers.” The chamber is the secret of His presence, His pavilion, like the Holy of Holies within the sanctuary. It is the secret place away from the noise and the crowd. It is the place in the cleft of the rock which He has made for us, where He can cover us with His hand and commune with us. It is like Christ’s invitation: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). Oh, what a privilege to fellowship with Him!
Yet we withdraw and cry out with Isaiah,“… Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). But “the king hath brought me into his chambers”… He is the One who has provided a redemption. He is the One who took the coals from the altar and touched our lips. He is the One who made the supreme sacrifice.
“ We will be glad and rejoice in thee.” We need more joy in our churches, and we need more joy in our lives. Jesus said, “… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, italics mine). And John wrote, “… These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4, italics mine). The Lord means for us to live life to the hilt.
Oh, let’s quit playing church, and let’s quit saying, “I belong to a certain group, and I have had an experience.” The point is, is Christ close to you today? “The king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.”
At this moment there are probably millions of people across the country who are crawling up onto a bar stool. Well, if I were in their situation, I’d crawl up there too. They need something to face life. Many a man feels he needs that drink in order to face his business. Many a person needs that drink in order to face a lonely evening. Life is too much for them. It is too complicated. May I say to you, if you are a child of God, you can always know that God loves you. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. He wants to make His love real to us. He wants to manifest His love to us. That is a lot better than crawling up onto a bar stool. “… Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).
If we would read on in Ephesians 5, we would find the next verse going on to say, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). I have always been glad that Paul didn’t write, “Singing to yourselves,” because I can’t sing. But I can speak it. I can say it. It wouldn’t hurt for you to say it either. In fact, it would be good to hear a “Praise the Lord” from all of us believers. Oh, we need to praise the Lord in this day. “We will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine.”
“The upright love thee.” Who are the upright? They are those who belong to Him. They are those who have said to Him, “Draw me.” He has placed them on their feet, and they are to run the race of life, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.
The Christian life is a love affair. We love Him because He first loved us. He loved us enough to give Himself for us. Now He says to us, “I want your love.” That seals it. If you don’t love Him, then don’t go on pretending. Be honest and chuck the whole thing. It is all meaningless if you do not love Him.
Now listen to the believer’s loving response, as we find it in Psalm 63: “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (Ps. 63:1). My friend, are you thirsty for God? The Lord Jesus said,“… If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).
“To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Ps. 63:2)—this is the bride’s secret place of communion.
“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips” (Ps. 63:3–5). Oh, friend, let’s get our lips busy praising Him!
“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (Ps. 63:7). You remember that the Lord Jesus said that He wanted to gather the people of Jerusalem under His wings like a hen gathers her chicks (see Matt. 23:37). This gives to us a picture of His love and the great desire to protect the helpless ones from harm.
“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped” (Ps. 63:8–11). What a glorious picture of a believer’s devotion to Christ!
THE SUNBURNED SLAVE GIRL
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept [Song 1:5–6].
“The tents of Kedar” were made of the skin of the black sheep and the black goats. In that land even today one can see many of these nomad people who have black tents.
When the bride says here that she is black, she is not referring to her race. She was a Jewish girl from the area of Shunem. She explains the blackness herself. Her family were tenant farmers on one of the vineyards owned by Solomon, and they made her work out in the vineyard. She is sunburned—“I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me.” She is black, but she is beautiful. Black is beautiful, we hear today. It certainly can be. Black is beautiful when the heart is right with the Lord. The pigment of the skin is of no importance whatever. The condition of the heart is the important matter.
It is interesting that most of the rays of the sun do not bother our skin. It is the ultraviolet segment of the sun’s rays that burns our skin. Those rays can come through clouds, so that we can get sunburned on cloudy days, even when we are unaware of it. Since I have had cancer, my doctor warns me about sunlight. He tells me to keep my head covered, even on the cloudy days. He warns me against going out into the sunlight. The ultraviolet rays can burn, and they can cause cancer.
A great many people think they can come into the light of the holy presence of God without a covering. I tell you, no one can come into the holy presence of God without the covering of the righteousness of Christ. That is our protection—which is another meaning of being covered with His wings. You and I need to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ to come into the presence of God.
Let’s get back to our girl who is blackened with sunburn. She has been working outside because her mother’s children were angry with her, and they made her keep the vineyards. Then she says, “But mine own vineyard have I not kept.” This is the bride’s portrait of herself. She has some natural beauty, but she has nothing to commend her because she hasn’t been able to take care of herself. She has had no time to go to the beauty parlor. She hasn’t been able to have her hair styled. She hasn’t been able to get a facial. She hasn’t been able to get whatever it would take to enhance her beauty. That has been neglected because she has been made to work so hard.
Mankind is not beautiful in the presence of God. Sometimes we tend to think that the reason God is interested in us is because we are such nice, sweet little children. Actually we are ugly; we are sunburned. We are not attractive to Him as we are, but He says that He is going to make us His beautiful bride. That is the wonderful picture given to us in Ephesians 5. The example given to husbands is the love of Christ for the church. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25–27). You see, Christ is taking us to the beauty parlor. He will fashion us into His bride, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish!
THE PASTURE
Now the story moves on. The Shulamite speaks to the shepherd whom she has just met.
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? [Song 1:7].
He seemed to be an unusual shepherd in that he didn’t have any sheep that she could see. So she raised a question concerning his sheep. The shepherd seemed to be evasive. Now let’s look beneath the surface and see something very precious.
The Lord Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine… And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:14, 16). We all tend to raise questions, as the Shulamite girl asked the shepherd, about “the other sheep,” the heathen. Are they lost? We want to know about the doctrine of election. We want to know about this one or that one—is he saved, or isn’t he saved? We tend to pass judgment on those who are around us. Instead of questioning another’s position in Christ, we need to make sure that we are His sheep. That is our direct concern.
The shepherd answers her.
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents [Song 1:8].
And this would be the answer of the Lord Jesus to us.
“Feed thy kids”—the little lambs need to be fed, and all of us, my friend, come under that classification. Peter put it this way, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2).
“Feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.” Believers need to feed themselves beside the shepherds’ tents, because that is the place where the grass would be unusually green. Of course it is the Word of God on which we are to feed. We cannot feed others and tell them about the joy of the Word of God unless it is a joy to us. Herbert puts it this way:
My soul’s a shepherd too, a flock it feeds
Of thoughts and words and deeds;
The pasture is thy word, the streams thy grace,
Enriching all the place.
We need to feed upon the Word of God, then we need to get the Word out to others, you see. The Bride of Christ, who is to be presented to Him in the future, is to get the Word of God out today. As the body of believers, we are failing to do this.
“If thou know not, O thou fairest among women”—there are many things for which we do not have the answer. When I was a young preacher, I tried to get the answer to everything. I was given some good advice: “Don’t let what you don’t know disturb what you do know!” Do you know that Christ died for your sins? Do you know that you are trusting in Him? Are you resting upon Him? You can say, “… I know that my redeemer liveth …” (Job 19:25). You can say, “… I know whom I have believed …” (2 Tim. 1:12)—Paul could say that, but I don’t find Paul saying that he knew all about the doctrine of election. So let’s not permit what we don’t know to disturb what we do know. That is what the shepherd is saying to this girl. Don’t worry about what you don’t know. Just be sure to feed your sheep. That is your responsibility.
There is a bedridden lady in Ohio who hears our radio broadcasts. She contacts about one thousand people each month, and she asks them to listen to the Bible being taught by radio. She is a real missionary! Now I am sure that she is puzzled by many things and has questions to ask about things she doesn’t know, but so far I have never received a letter from her with a question in it. She isn’t spending her time asking questions. She is spending her time getting out the Word of God. That is exactly what the shepherd tells the girl. He says, “You don’t need to know about all these other sheep. You just feed your sheep.” Be sure you get the Word of God to them.
THE BRIDE’S ADORNING
The shepherd uses a comparison as he goes on to say:
I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots [Song 1:9].
As I have mentioned before, when the word love is used, it is the bridegroom speaking to the bride. When the person is addressed as beloved, it is the bride who is speaking to the bridegroom.
“I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.” When Moses and the children of Israel came to the Red Sea in their flight from Egypt, they found that any retreat was blocked by Pharaoh’s chariots which were rapidly approaching. It was a fearsome army with horses and chariots and banners flying above the chariots. It was an overwhelming sight. The bridegroom is saying that he is overwhelmed by the beauty of this country, hill-billy girl. She has none of the graces of the court. She has never been to a beauty parlor. She really has never taken care of herself. But she has a striking natural beauty.
He goes on to describe the things that he notices.
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver [Song 1:10–11].
“Thy cheeks are comely.” Her neck is beautiful. How lovely this is and how intimate. He says that he intends to cover her with jewelry. He sees her cheeks comely with jewels, her neck with chains of gold. He speaks of the parts of the body that appeal in a love affair. I am sure there are many of you ladies who noticed the eyelashes of your husband—of all things! You noticed his physique. You husbands noticed the cheeks and the eyes of your wife, and even the little ears, like shells—and all that sort of thing. He is speaking of this girl who will be his bride.
Now in the spiritual sense, the bride is the church, and the bridegroom is the Lord Jesus Christ. Does He find any beauty in the church? Friend, He found all of us lost sinners. The Shulamite girl had a natural beauty even though it had been neglected, but we don’t even have that. There is nothing about us that could be appealing to Christ. We bring nothing to Him; He provides everything for us.
The same picture can be applied to Israel. When He came down to deliver the children of Israel, He didn’t say, “I’m going to free you because you’re such a superior people, superior to the Egyptians.” They weren’t. Actually, they were small and inferior. Neither did He say, “You have been so faithful to Me.” They had been unfaithful—completely faithless, living in idolatry. They had deserted God. They had turned their backs upon God and were engaged in gross immorality. Then what was it that appealed to God? Why did He waste His time with them? The answer is given by God to Moses: “… I have heard their groaning” (Acts 7:34). That appealed to God. The answer lies totally in His love and grace. It was the lost condition that caused Him to provide a salvation for Israel. And He said that He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God is faithful to His Word. When He says He will do a thing, He intends to make that promise good.
And it was our wretched, lost condition that caused Him to provide a salvation for us, for the church. God tells us that we will be saved if we will do nothing more than put our trust in Christ!
“We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver”—this is a picture of what our heavenly Bridegroom will do for believers. The passage in Ephesians 5 makes this so very clear. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church. He did it so that He might sanctify and cleanse the church with the washing of water by the Word. That is a real miracle soap, by the way. He did this so that He might present the church to Himself, a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle but holy—set apart for Him—and without blemish. What has happened to the church? He has redeemed us. He has paid the price for us. He has subtracted our sins and has added His righteousness. We are covered with the righteousness of Christ, we stand complete in Him, accepted in the Beloved.
FEASTING AT THE ROUND TABLE
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof [Song 1:12].
Some have translated this, “While the king is on his circuit.” They interpret it to mean while he is out going through the kingdom. Others have translated this, “While the king is at his banquet,” which I think is probably the best translation that could be given. Very literally it is, “While the king sitteth at his round table”—that is the circuit. It is actually a round table where he either sits or reclines with his guests around the banquet table.
The translation is important because this verse carries with it a deeper spiritual meaning. The bridegroom brings in all of His invited guests to the banquet table. We can go down through history and mark those who have accepted the invitation to the banquet of the Bridegroom. When He was born, the shepherds came down from the hilltops to see Him in the stable. Then wise men came out of the East to present Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. John Milton expressed it like this:
See how from far upon the Eastern road,
The star-led wizards haste with odours sweet;
O run, prevent them with thy humble ode,
And lay it lowly at his blessed feet;
Have thou the honor first thy Lord to greet.
David had the round table in mind when he wrote, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (Ps. 23:5).
A towheaded boy in southern Oklahoma heard the invitation and, thank God, accepted it. I have been sitting at His table for a long, long time. Are you sitting at that round table? You have an invitation to come. Jesus says to you, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). Say, why don’t you come and sit at the round table? Sir Lancelot may have had the privilege of sitting at King Arthur’s round table, but that was nothing compared to Christ’s round table!
“While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.” The spikenard is the fragrance of Christ’s life—how wonderful it is! This same fragrance should be in our lives by association with Him. Sitting at His table will do this for us. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a very important service if it is a time of real communion with Him. If it is merely a form and ritual to you, forget it—it is of no value.
I received a letter from a lady in Miami who wrote, “I had never heard anyone say that we should tell the Lord Jesus we love Him. I had never said it, but I have loved Him. Ever since I heard you say that we should tell Him, at morning, noon, and night (I have been making up for lost time), I tell Him that I love Him.” Then she added, “The Word of God has taken on a new color—a new meaning.” How wonderful! We need the fragrance of Christ in our lives.
THE BUNDLE OF MYRRH IN THE BOSOM
Now the bride makes a statement which is quite intimate—but don’t be afraid of it and run from it.
A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts [Song 1:13].
The original permits us to translate this several different ways: “It shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.” What is “it”? Well, it is the bundle of myrrh.
For the believer, the bundle of myrrh represents Christ. You recall that one of the gifts the wise men brought to Him was myrrh. When Christ died, Joseph and Nicodemus brought myrrh to put on His body. The myrrh speaks of His entire life from birth to death. My friend, Christ should lie heavy upon your breast and upon your heart at night. When you wake up during the night, what do you think about? Do you begin to worry about the next day? I must confess that I do a lot of that. But it is wonderful to be able to turn that off and to turn to Him at night when I’m anxious or worried. We need to follow the admonition in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren [when you get to the end of your rope], whatsoever things are true [that is Christ], whatsoever things are honest [that is also Christ], whatsoever things are just [that is the Lord Jesus], whatsoever things are pure [He is pure], whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (italics mine). In other words, meditate upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
A bundle of mellifluous myrrhe,
Is my Beloved best
To me, which I will bind between
My breasts, while I do rest
In silent slumbers.
—Troth-plight Spouse
A friend of mine said it this way: “When I go to bed at night, the last thing I do is pull up the covers, look up and say, ‘Lord Jesus, I love you.’” Isaac Watts wrote it like this:
As myrrh new bleeding from the tree,
Such is a dying Christ to me;
And while He makes my soul his guest,
My bosom, Lord, shall be thy rest.
Oh, friend, let’s think upon the Lord Jesus Christ. How wonderful He is!
Erskine wrote it this way:
From this enfolded bundle flies
His savor all abroad:
Such complicated sweetness lies
In my Incarnate God.
My Christian friend, you miss so much when you are satisfied with some little course on how to live the Christian life or on going through some little ritual. Oh, to have Him as the very object of your life, the One who brings in the excitement, the ecstasy, the fellowship, and the joy. His grace and His love and His mercy are all yours—just open the door. Jesus is knocking right now.
THE CLUSTER OF CAMPHIRE
The bride continues to speak of her delight in her bridegroom.
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi [Song 1:14].
The “camphire” mentioned here is the cypress. In some versions it is translated “henna flowers,” and the flowers of the cypress are that color. Scholars have done a great deal of study of different plants mentioned in this book. The cypress is a tree that grows in profusion in Palestine and in Turkey. As I traveled in that area, I was most impressed by the great rows of cypress trees. Here is a statement about the cypress from Kitto, which I would like to pass on to you. The camphire “is now generally agreed to be the Henna of the Arabians. The deep color of the bark, the light green of the foliage, and the softened mixture of white-yellow in the blossoms, present a combination as agreeable to the eye as the odour is to the scent. The flowers grow in dense clusters, the grateful fragrance of which is as much appreciated now as in the time of Solomon. The women take great pleasure in these clusters, hold them in their hand, carry them in their bosom, and keep them in their apartments to perfume the air.”
Now notice the comparison of camphor or cypress to the bridegroom—what a lovely thing it is: “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi.”
En-gedi, another place that I have visited, is down by the Dead Sea. It is one of those wonderful oases in the desert, because there are springs there. You may recall that the area around En-gedi is a wilderness where David hid from Saul. It is a good hiding place—I don’t see how anyone could be found in those barren hills. But at En-gedi many kinds of lovely spices are grown. It is a very interesting spot in the midst of that desolate desert, and the bridegroom is like a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of En-gedi. He is like a row of those stately trees with that lovely fragrance.
Christ as our Beloved is represented here as being full of attractive beauty and an aromatic fragrance. I emphasize the deity of Christ very often, but I wonder sometimes if I give a lopsided view of Him. Have you ever stopped to think how lovely He was in His person? He came and took upon Himself our humanity, and He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. There was no sin in Him. How wonderful He was! There was nothing lopsided about His personality. You may recall that in the Old Testament the meal offering typified the even quality of Christ’s personality. It was well-beaten flour—never coarse or lumpy.
Frankly, most of us are lumpy—I don’t mean physically, but psychologically. All of us are a little “off” in one way or another. We all have our peculiarities. One man talking to another made the statement, “You know we all have our peculiarities.” The man replied, “I don’t believe that. I don’t think I have any peculiarities.” The first man said, “All right. Let me ask you a question. Do you stir your coffee with your right hand or your left hand?” He answered, “I stir it with my right hand.” “There,” he said triumphantly, “that’s your peculiarity. Most people use a spoon!” So, you see, we may not stir our coffee with our hand, but we all have peculiarities. We are lumpy; He was not.
He is the perfect human in His incarnation. He is lovely. He is the bundle of camphor. He is the One of whom John could say with enthusiasm and deep expression, “… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). If you will hear Him, your soul shall live. Or, as the psalmist says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good …” (Ps. 34:8). The Lord Jesus was a sacrifice—He“… hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour” (Eph. 5:2). He typified the burnt offering that ascended up to heaven. It all speaks of the fact that God is completely satisfied with what Jesus did for you and for me. He is satisfied with Jesus. He said, “… This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). He has never said that about Vernon McGee, and probably He has never said it about you. But He has declared that He is satisfied with Jesus.
Friend, are you satisfied with Jesus? I don’t think many people are. If they were, they wouldn’t be running here and there over the face of the earth, trying to find satisfaction in something else. People run to hear this thing and that thing, always searching for something that is new. We can even become so engrossed in the mechanics and the details of Bible study that we lose sight of the person of Jesus Christ. How wonderful He is! “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi.”
There is another interesting symbol in the “bundle” of camphire. There is a great emphasis in the Scriptures on the oneness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only begotten Son of the Father. He is the one good Shepherd. He is the one true Vine. He is the one Light of the world. He is the one Servant of the Father. He is the one Sacrifice for sin. He is the one Way, the one Truth, the one Life. Yet in His perfect unity there is a fullness that is absolutely inexhaustible. He is also a cluster of fragrant flowers. There is a oneness in Him; but, oh, in Him there is everything. Innumerable graces crowd harmoniously together in the Lamb of God. In Him we can find the faith of Abraham, the persuasiveness of Jacob, the meekness of Moses, the zeal of Elijah, the holiness of Job, the love of John. They are all full and perfect in Him. In Him are found truth, righteousness, wisdom, love, pity, friendship, majesty, might, sovereignty, lowliness, patience, faith, zeal, courage, holiness, and all the graces. If I have left out any of His qualities, they ought to be included in this list because He is everything. He is all in all. And He is ours. That is the wonder of it all.
BEHOLD, THOU ART FAIR
Now after the bride has expressed her adoration of the bridegroom, he says this to her:
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes [Song 1:15].
And her instant response is in the following verse:“Behold, thou art fair, my beloved.”
She is the one who said, “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me.” But he says to her, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.”
My friend, we as the bride of Christ have sinned. We can confess with Daniel, “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments” (Dan. 9:5). This is the confession of every person if he is a child of God. But our Lord Jesus intercedes for us: “… thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word” (John 17:6). That is our High Priest pleading for you and me. Because we are in Christ, the Father sees no iniquity in us, as God would not see the iniquity of Jacob or perverseness in Israel and would not permit Balaam to curse them. God went down and dealt with His own people; He wouldn’t let them get by with sin. But God would not let a heathen prophet curse Israel. He saw Israel in Christ. That is the way He sees us today. “Behold, thou art fair.”
The secret of this beauty is in this: “Thou hast doves’ eyes.” Doves are common emblems of chastity and constancy. Her eyes are fixed upon the bridegroom, and all her beauty is the reflected beauty of the bridegroom. Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matt. 6:22)—and also full of beauty. “But if thine eye be evil [or double], thy whole body shall be full of darkness …” (Matt. 6:23). A believer who has an eye for anything equally with Christ has no beauty in His sight. Jesus laid it on the line: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37). It is important for you to answer this question: Do you have your eye fixed upon the Lord Jesus today?
I hear a great deal about “dedication” as I attend many conferences around the country. Folk are always talking about how dedicated they are and how they want to manifest Christ, but these very people are actually lazy. Their service is slipshod. You see, dedication is not something to talk about; dedication to Christ is something you reveal. It will be manifested in your life. If your eye is upon Him, then His beauty will be reflected in you.
The bridegroom has told the bride how wonderful she is. Now she turns right around and says the very same thing to him.
Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir [Song 1:16–17].
The Bridegroom is beautiful to those of us who believe. He is altogether lovely. Augustine wrote: “He is fair in heaven, fair in the earth; fair in the virgin’s womb [He was that holy thing], fair in the arms of His parents, fair in the miracles, fair in His stripes … fair in laying down His life, fair in receiving it again; fair on the cross, fair in the sepulchre.” This was the way Augustine, that great saint of God of the past, described the Lord Jesus.
“Yea, pleasant”—the word is the Hebrew naim, and it is used to describe the wonderful melodies of the sanctuary: “… sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant” (Ps. 135:3). Christ is pleasant; He is lovely. Why would anyone want to run away from the Lord Jesus! He is so wonderful. The word is also used to describe a chosen earthly friend. David said of his loyal friend, Jonathan, “I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me …” (2 Sam. 1:26).
What can we say of the One who is greater than Jonathan? Can you say that Jesus is pleasant to you? It is sweet to be with Him. He is the One who can bring rest to us. Are you satisfied with Him? God the Father is satisfied with Him. “Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant.”
“Also our bed is green.” The “bed” is the English translation for lack of a better word. It is actually the reclining couch where they sat around the banquet. Especially at the time of a marriage feast the banquet couch would be strewn with flowers and green leaves. I think this would be the meaning of the green “bed” if the setting is in Jerusalem.
However, it may be that this is referring back to the time when they first met and is speaking of the green grass where the sheep were. Maybe they just sat on the grass while the sheep were grazing, and that is where they first got acquainted with each other. It would signify the place of communication.
This reminds us of David’s psalm: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures …” (Ps. 23:2). When the sheep lies down in green pastures, he is satisfied. He has eaten enough and is full. It is the answer to Christ’s invitation to come to Him and rest. He invites all those who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him. The green pastures are there for us. Christian friend, if you are tired and weary, you can rest in Him.
It has been expressed this way by A. Moody Stuart: “‘Heavy laden’ and hopeless thou art, seeking peace afar off and passing Him who is near, like Hagar in the desert, with the last drop drained from the now shriveled water-skin, thou art ready to lie down and die. But open thine ears and thou wilt hear one say, ‘Come unto Me and I will give you rest’; open thine eyes and thou wilt see the well and the green sward around it; and with a full heart thou wilt answer him, ‘Behold Thou art pleasant, also our couch is green.’” What a beautiful picture this is!
Do you remember where He reclined? When He first came to this earth, they put Him in a manger. The last place they laid Him was in the tomb of Joseph. He went to that place so that you and I might sit with Him in green pastures.
CHAPTER 2
THE ROSE OF SHARON
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys [Song 2:1].
In my printed notes on this verse I have said that here the bride speaks of herself, that she is not boasting, but comparing herself to the lowly and humble flowers of that land. Some of the newer translations indicate that she is the one who is speaking here. Well, I want to say that I no longer believe that this is her voice, but that it is the voice of the bridegroom. If she is the one who is speaking, this is actually a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His reflected beauty. “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys” is a statement that none of the sons of men could be making. I believe these are the words of the Lord Jesus, not the words of the bride. Many of the older translators have tried to make it clear that it is the king speaking. In the old English Bibles this is said to be the voice of Christ, the bridegroom. In the French and Italian and Portuguese Bibles this is designated as the voice of Christ. Many of the church fathers applied these words to the Lord Jesus.
These words describe the Lord Jesus. He says, “… for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). If you put a statement like that on my lips, or your lips, or the lips of the angel Gabriel, it wouldn’t be humility at all; it would actually be pride. It is true humility from the lips of the Lord Jesus because He stooped in order that He might become meek and lowly. He came down from heaven’s glory, and anything beneath heaven is humility on His part.
So here He says, “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” These are two very interesting flowers. I suppose that among all the flowers the rose has always been—especially in the East—the one that tops the list. And the rose of Sharon is an unusually beautiful flower. The valley of Sharon is that coast valley that goes all the way from Joppa up to Haifa. I have traveled the length and breadth of it several times. It is beautiful at any season of the year. It is a valley where you can see a great many flowers. I took pictures of them, especially the poppy fields. You have probably heard that the finest citrus fruit in the world is grown in Israel. Sharon is the valley where most of it is grown. The rose grows in profusion in that valley. It is the very beautiful flower that speaks of Him.
I do not think roses originally had thorns. I don’t think they were intended to be thorny. But as we know them today, they still have thorns. Even the very beautiful rose reminds us that the earth is under a curse and brings forth thorns and thistles (see Gen. 3:18).
An ancient author wrote: “If the king were set over flowers, it would be the rose that should reign over them, being the ornament of the earth, the splendor of plants, the eye of flowers, the beauty of the field.”
Now here is something quite interesting. When Jesus said, “… I am the bread of life …” (John 6:35), He was saying that He is something that is necessary. Bread is the staff of life. We need it to keep us going. It is a necessity of life. He is that food to the perishing sinner. Thousands have reached up a dying hand, a feeble hand, in faith, and have taken the bread. And they have eaten, and they have lived. Jesus also said, “I am the true vine …” (John 15:1). As the true vine, He gives the glorious, wonderful joy of the Lord. The Scripture says, “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts” (Prov. 31:6). Christ gives joy—not the alcoholic beverage, but the real joy of the Lord. However, when He says that He is “the rose of Sharon,” He is presenting Himself not as a necessity but as an object of pure admiration and delight to the children of men. What a wonderful human being He was! We need to behold Him and let Him occupy our thoughts. He is the One of truth and honesty and purity and beauty upon whom we are to think.
As He walked along with His disciples through the fields, He said, “… Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin” (Matt. 6:28). I think He would say to you and me today, “Consider the Rose of Sharon!” In other words, consider Him. We find this same invitation in Hebrews: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Heb. 3:1). Consider Jesus Christ.
THE LILY OF THE VALLEYS
“I am … the lily of the valleys.” This may be a reference to the valley of Esdraelon. This valley has beautiful flowers in it, too. Actually, there is a profusion of flowers in all the valleys—along the coast south of Joppa, in the Jordan valley, around the Sea of Galilee. What is the lily of the valleys? There have been questions as to which flower is meant. Apparently it was the iris. The iris grows wild over there, and one can still see a great many of them. I am of the opinion that it does refer to that humble plant, the iris. He is the beautiful, stately rose and the humble iris. “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”
As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters [Song 2:2].
Bonar expressed it in this way: “Close by these lilies there grew several of the thorny shrubs of the desert; but above them rose the lily, spreading out its fresh green leaf as a contrast to the dingy verdure of these prickly shrubs—‘like the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.’” In other words, among “daughters” (meaning here, the daughters of Jerusalem) the bride stands out as a lily among thorns.
Christ is the lily of the valleys—He is pure, He is lovely, He is beautiful, therefore His bride is a lily also, because she bears the image of His loveliness and reflects it to men. This is what the church is to do today. We are to reveal to a world that is filled with thorns, briars, and thistles, the beauty of Christ.
THE APPLE TREE IN THE WOOD
Now the bride speaks of her beloved using the “trees of the wood” in her comparison—
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste [Song 2:3].
“The apple tree among the trees of the wood” is a picture of Christ.
Now you may wonder what kind of tree she is talking about. Actually, apples are not grown in that land. I suppose they could be grown, but they would not be very good. The climate is much as it is here in Southern California. We can grow apples, but they are not very good apples, because apples require a colder climate. The “apple” referred to here is actually a citron fruit, probably an orange tree. I have three orange trees in my yard here in Pasadena, and they make very good shade trees. They are a tree of beauty, and when they blossom, I sit on my patio and enjoy the fragrance of the orange blossoms in spring. No wonder they are used for weddings! And the luscious fruit which the tree bears is both beautiful and healthful.
There are citrus groves in the valley of Sharon, which are said to produce the finest citrus fruit in the world. It has always grown there. The citrus was transplanted to California years ago; it didn’t grow here naturally. But it is native to Palestine. There the green of the citrus groves is beautiful to see.
Notice that she says, “I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” The orange tree affords thick shade like the “… shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isa. 32:2) and refreshing fruit. Christ is like this wonderful fruit tree in contrast to the fruitless trees of the woods.
THE BANQUETING HOUSE
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [Song 2:4].
In this is the story of the Shulamite girl whose heart was won by a shepherd who later came as King Solomon to claim her and who takes her back to the palace in Jerusalem. Now he takes her to the banqueting house.
In this there is a beautiful picture of the church which will be the bride of Christ. It also reveals the personal relationship which is possible between the Lord Jesus Christ and each individual believer.
“He brought me to the banqueting house.” This probably looks forward to that day of the final banquet which is called the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” You and I as believers will be there by the grace of God. That is when full satisfaction will be made. But already He has brought me to the table of salvation, and He has brought me to the table of fellowship with Him. He prepares the table before me, the table of the Word of God, and He tells me to eat and be full. He brings me to a table of good things. How good and gracious He is!
We can go back to the birth of the Lord Jesus and see that already He has brought joy unspeakable to a group of people. There were old Simeon and Anna back in the temple who were waiting for Him. They had great hope that He would come during their lifetime. One day Joseph and Mary brought the little boy Jesus into the temple. My, that day the temple became a banqueting house for those two old people who had looked for the salvation of the Lord.
Even before that, God had brought Joseph and Mary to the banqueting house. When the angel announced to Mary that she should be the mother of the Savior, she realized that she who was in the line of David would be the one who would bear this child. Notice what she says in her Magnificat: “He hath filled the hungry with good things …” (Luke 1:53), using exactly the same picture as we have in the Song of Solomon: “He brought me to the banqueting house.” What a picture we have here!
You recall in chapter 1, verse 4, the girl’s prayer was, “Draw me, we will run after thee.” We cannot know the ecstasy of this experience unless the Spirit of God gives us discernment and opens our eyes to behold Christ in His beauty and glory. Oh, my friend, let’s not be satisfied with eating scraps or, like the prodigal son, getting down to eat with the pigs when God has prepared such a banquet for us!
THE BANNER OF LOVE
“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” That banner is still floating over us today. The banner in that day had many meanings. Armies would carry banners with them when they went to war. I think all the various meanings of banners are included when she says, “His banner over me was love.”
The banner of an army, as, for example, the banners of the Roman legions, was an emblem of conquest. The Son of God still goes forth to war. There is a battle today for the souls of men. I remember how I resisted Him. I shall never forget the excuses I made for not going to a young people’s conference. I thought they were a bunch of sissies who were going there, and I didn’t want to go with that crowd. I wasn’t interested. But, you know, He opened up the way, and the first thing I knew I was there. Before I knew it, I had made a decision in my heart for Him. His banner over me was a banner of conquest.
The banner is also an emblem of protection. When the Lord Jesus came into this world, the Father testified, “… This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17), and the enemies of Jesus could not touch Him until His hour had come. He was protected. When the time had come, they took Him and crucified Him. We will never understand how terrible that was. He cried out in that hour, “… My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). His enemies thought that since God had forsaken Him they could do as they pleased with Him. They mocked saying, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matt. 27:43). But God was still pleased with His Son; He delighted in Him, and He raised Him from the dead. He delivered Him from death. And now that banner of salvation and protection is over all those who are His. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep [that is, be on guard duty over] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). He will protect you.
The banner is also an emblem of enlistment. You can enlist as a soldier. By the way, His army is entirely a volunteer army. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). What if you don’t love Him? Then forget it! This is a banner for enlistment on a voluntary basis. “His banner over me was love.”
LOVESICK
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love [Song 2:5].
The Holy Spirit of God has brought the saved soul into a personal relationship with Christ that is satisfying. I repeat: God is satisfied with Jesus and what He did for you. Are you satisfied? Do you find joy and satisfaction and delight in the person of Christ? Spend time in this Song of Solomon. Great men of God down through the ages have spent time in this book, men like Moody and McCheyne. Personally, I have spent too little time in this book, but it has become very meaningful to me.
When I went to Nashville, Tennessee, to pastor a church, I succeeded a great man of God. I always loved to go out to visit him. I never talked to that man without learning something new from the Word of God. One day he told me, “Vernon, the other night I was lying in bed, and I thought how wonderful Christ is. It just seemed to me that there was glory all around my bed. Don’t misunderstand—I was not seeing things. It was just so wonderful to contemplate the person of Christ. Finally my body was so worked up that I couldn’t go to sleep, and I had to cry out to God, ‘Oh Lord, turn off the glory. This old body of mine can’t stand any more of it.’” Imagine the experience of Paul when he was caught up to the third heaven! You see, most of us haven’t even gotten our foot in the door yet. We know so little about what it is to have this kind of fellowship with Him. Of course it will have its final fulfillment when we come to “the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
Erskine, who has written many wonderful things, expressed it like this:
The love, the love that I bespeak,
Works wonders in the soul;
For when I’m whole it makes me sick,
When sick, it makes me whole.
I’m overcome, I faint, I fail,
Till love shall love relieve;
More love divine the wound can heal,
Which love divine did give.
More of the joy that makes me faint,
Would give me present ease;
If more should kill me, I’m content
To die of that disease.
This wonderful love of God is a paradox. We long for it, and yet the glory of it all is more than we can bear.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me [Song 2:6].
“His left hand is under my head”—He is able to save us to the uttermost. “His right hand doth embrace me”—He is able to keep us from temptation and protect you and me down here.
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please [Song 2:7].
What is it that will wake Him up? What is it that would disturb Him in His fellowship with you? It is the sin and waywardness in your life. Not only are we to be satisfied with Him, but, oh, that He might be satisfied with us!
We have come now to the second song. Apparently, Solomon has been away on a trip. The bride has been looking forward in great anticipation to his coming home. What a wonderful thing it is to see the excitement of the bride as she looks forward to the coming of the bridegroom. We will find its final fulfillment, I believe, in the anticipation of the church for the return of Christ to take the church out of the world.
THE VOICE OF THE BELOVED
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills [Song 2:8].
“The voice of my beloved!” The Lord Jesus had this to say concerning His voice: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh …” Have you ever considered that at the Rapture of the church it is the voice of the Son of God that is to be heard? The church is made up of those people who have heard about Him. We have heard of His death and burial and resurrection. We have trusted Him. We listen to Him today, so when He comes we are going to know His voice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice.” The sheep know who He is.
When the Lord Jesus comes to take His church out of this world, “… the Lord himself [He will come personally] shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God …” (1 Thess. 4:16). The “shout,” the “voice,” and the “trump” are all His voice. “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh.” What a picture of the Rapture!
Contrast this to the coming of the Lord Jesus to rule and to reign on this earth. Then it will not be the sound of a voice but a tremendous sight of glory. The appeal is not to the ear as it is in the Rapture; the appeal is to the eye when He comes to the earth. “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). But at the Rapture it will be the “voice of my beloved!”
“Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.” This is poetic language, of course. This is a song, and God is trying to speak to us through it.
There is a great deal said about the feet of Jesus. In fact, I developed a series of messages several years ago about the members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. I spoke of the eyes of Jesus that were stained with tears. I spoke of the lips of Jesus, and I spoke of His hands. I spoke of the feet of Jesus.
“He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places” (Ps. 18:33). Aijeleth Shahar, which means the “hind of the morning,” is the title to Psalm 22. It reveals the Lord Jesus Christ in the day of His sorrow, in His suffering and death upon the cross. It is a picture of the hind of the morning. All night long the dogs had been following the hind. They had torn at his flesh. They had attempted to destroy him. “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps. 22:16). But when the sun comes up, what do we find? He is the hind of the morning, standing on the mountain peak. He has been delivered out of death. He is coming back, my friend. He is skipping upon the hills; He is leaping upon the mountains. I can’t think of a more wonderful, more poetic picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in His return to earth.
I like the way Erskine expresses it:
When manifold obstructions met,
My willing Saviour made
A stepping-stone of every let,
That in his way was laid.
He took stumbling blocks and made them into stepping stones. He made a way for us, and He is the way for us. We have the picture of Him coming again, this One who is the hind, or the roe, or the young hart who is leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hills.
Now He is drawing closer—
The voice of my Beloved sounds,
Over the rocks and rising grounds;
O’er hills of guilt, and seas of grief,
He leaps, he flies to my relief.
BEHIND OUR WALL
My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice [Song 2:9].
Today He stands behind the wall. He has gone to be at God’s right hand, and we are way down here. It is like the time He went to the mountain to pray after He had fed the five thousand, and His disciples were down on the Sea of Galilee in a storm. That is the way it is today. I am down here in a storm; He is up yonder at God’s right hand.
He is on the other side of the wall, and everything under the sun is trying to keep us from Him: the world, the flesh, and the devil. But He still says to us the same thing that He said to Zacchaeus: “… Make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house” (Luke 19:5). He still tells us that he wants to come in and sup with us, as He went into the home of that old publican and had fellowship with him. He will come to you if you will invite Him in. This is the One of whom John the Baptist said, “… there standeth one among you, whom ye know not” (John 1:26). And today the world does not know Him. He is behind a wall—a wall of indifference, a wall of rebellion against God, a wall of sin. What a picture!
THE SONG OF HIS RETURN
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away [Song 2:10–13].
“Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. He did it because He is going to come to take the church out of this world. He is going to present it to Himself as a church that is purified—all of us believers need that purifying. He sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of water by the Word. That is the reason we have Bible study. He wants to present to Himself a glorious church, without a spot or wrinkle. He wants it to be holy and without blemish. That is why He calls, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
“For, lo, the winter is past”—it is cold down here in this world.
“The rain is over and gone”—the storms of life will then have abated. Are you having a hard time today, Christian friend? Christ said you would: “… In the world ye shall have tribulation …” (John 16:33). Don’t be upset if you are having trouble. It is one of the marks that you belong to Him, that you are a child of God. But when He comes, all the trouble will be over. He will wipe away all tears from your eyes. Every broken heart will be healed. Every sorrow will have vanished away when we are in His presence. “The winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”
“The flowers appear on the earth.” When the Lord Jesus comes for His own and takes them out of this world to the beautiful home which He has prepared, I believe it will be to a beautiful garden of flowers. I like to think that in the New Jerusalem there will be a profusion of flowers.
“The time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [turtledove] is heard in our land.” “The time of the singing of birds” is another very lovely expression. There is going to be a great deal of singing when we come into His presence.
Have you ever noticed that there is a great deal of singing that opens the story of the Gospels? Dr. Luke is the writer who starts farther back in the account of the birth of Christ than any of the other gospel writers, and he recorded the songs. There is the song of Zacharias, the song of Elisabeth, the song of Mary, the song of Anna, and the song of Simeon. There were a lot of songs connected with His birth. The church began singing, and the joy of these people is what called attention to them in the Roman world. Some day when we come into His presence we will sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wondrous things! I can’t sing it now because God didn’t create me with a voice that could sing, but when I have a new body, I’m going to sing that new song. Until then I can lift my heart in the praise that is due Him. The very singing of the birds of the air and the bursting buds of the flowers of the earth should remind us of the debt of joyful gratitude we owe for His great salvation. Kingwellmersh expressed it poetically:
O sing unto this glittering glorious king,
O praise his name let every living thing;
Let heart and voice, like belles of silver, ring
The comfort that this day did bring.
It is interesting to note that in our older Bibles “the time of singing” is rendered “the time of pruning.” The season of the singing of birds is also the season of the pruning of the vines. The branch that is pruned for fruit and the song that is pruned for beauty are expressed in the same way by the Hebrew writers, which makes it difficult to determine whether “singing” or “pruning” is intended. Pruning the vines is exactly what the Lord Jesus said he was going to do. He said, “I am the true [genuine] vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [or prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:1–2). My friend, you and I are living in the time of pruning, but the time of singing is ahead of us. What a picture this is!
“The voice of the turtle [turtledove] is heard in our land.” The turtledove is the wild dove which is common today. I saw them in Israel. They looked very similar to the doves in California, only I think they were somewhat smaller. The dove has always been the emblem of peace. The reason for that is that the dove went out and brought back an olive leaf to Noah after the waters of the Flood had receded. That spoke of peace, because the judgment was over.
Also the turtledove speaks to us of our salvation which is complete because the judgment is past. It is past because Christ bore the judgment for us. He has endured it in our behalf. I am saved, not because of who I am, but because of what Christ did. My friend, your sins are either on you or they are on Christ. If your sins are on you, you are yet to come up for judgment. If you have trusted Christ, your sins are on Him. He bore them for you, and the judgment is past. By faith you appropriate the salvation. The turtledove speaks of the peace that He has made for us.
This is the reason that not just a few of the saints will go to meet Christ at the Rapture. There are some folk who believe that only the super-duper saints will go. However, the hope of every believer is to be taken with Christ when He comes for His church. We will go to be with Him, not because we have been super-duper saints, but because He has made peace by the blood of His cross. The turtledove is symbolic of this.
The “turtle” is the turtledove of the morning. Where I live, the turtledove is the first bird to get up in the morning. It heralds a new day that is coming. I love the way Isaac Watts has expressed it—evidently he spent a great deal of time studying the Song of Solomon:
The legal wintery state is gone,
The mists are fled, the spring comes on;
The sacred turtle-dove we hear
Proclaim the new, the joyful year.
And when we hear Christ Jesus say,
Rise up my Love, and come away,
Our hearts would fain outfly the wind,
And leave all earthly joys behind.
“The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell”—these are signs of springtime. “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” First Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that “… the dead in Christ shall rise first.” The Lord Jesus said, “… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2–3). “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
THE DOVE IN THE CLEFTS OF THE ROCK
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely [Song 2:14].
The psalmist made this plea: “O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked …” (Ps. 74:19). Will the Lord deliver us? We are told He will hide us in the clefts of the rock, and that Rock symbolizes Christ. He is the Rock upon whom the church is built. He bore our judgment, and we can rest in Him. That should bring us not only satisfaction but also security. If you are on the Rock today, you are safe. Even if you do not recognize the assurance of this, you are still safe. A little Scottish lady was speaking with great assurance about her salvation. Someone said, “You act as if you were safe and secure on the rock.” She answered, “I am. Sometimes I do tremble on the Rock, but the Rock never trembles under me.”
The dove is also an emblem for the Holy Spirit. He descended like a dove on the Lord Jesus. And everyone who is in Christ has that dove-like Spirit dwelling in him. “… if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9). And true believers are like doves in their simplicity and their gentleness. Our Lord admonished us to be “… wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16). Now, I suspect that a dove is a rather stupid bird. The other day as I was driving along, I accidentally hit a dove. The crazy dove stood there on the highway without making a move until the car was about to hit him. I regretted doing that, but I said, “You stupid little bird for staying there like you did!” You see, you and I need not only to be as harmless as doves, but we had better be as wise as serpents in our world today—or we’ll get run over also.
The dove is a timid bird. The Lord says, “They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord” (Hos. 11:11). The dove needs a hiding place in the clefts of the rock. Christ is a beautiful picture of the Rock who was wounded for us. As someone has said, “I got into the heart of Christ through a spear wound.” Augustus M. Toplady’s wonderful hymn is based on this thought.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power ….
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
THE LITTLE FOXES
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes [Song 2:15].
They could put up a fence or a wall that would keep out the big foxes, but they had trouble with the little foxes. Those little fellows could sneak through. They were the ones that would sneak in and destroy the grapes and tear up the young vines. This has a message for us. “Foxes” are both subtle sins and fox-like men who corrupt others. Both were resolutely dragged into the light of day by John the Baptist. Regarding the subtle sins, he said, “… He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise …. Exact no more than that which is appointed you.…Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:11, 13–14). Then John the Baptist pointed his finger at Herod whom our Lord called “that old fox” (see Luke 13:32) and told him that he had no right to be married to another man’s wife. I tell you, a preacher doesn’t make himself popular when he says that kind of thing! Old Herod had John the Baptist killed by chopping off his head.
However, it is the young foxes that get into the contemporary church and cause trouble. The little sins spoil the fellowship among believers and spoil a Christian’s life. For example there are the little sins of omission. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Here is one of those little foxes. This is the sin of omission. How often we see something that we should do for God, but we don’t do it. How often have we sinned in this way? We are told that the Lord Jesus went about doing good.
I read
In a book
Where a man called
Christ
Went about doing good.
It is very disconcerting
To me
That I am so easily
Satisfied
With just
Going about.
—Author unknown
How often we have intended to write a letter, but we didn’t write it. How often we have intended to do something for missions, but we neglected to do it. How many times we should have been praying for someone, but we neglected to pray. We think of the words of the prophet Samuel: “… God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you …” (1 Sam. 12:23). These are little sins of omission. They are the little foxes that spoil the vineyard.
Here is another of those little foxes. “… Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). How often do we take a step on our own, but we try to call it a step of faith. We know it is not really faith; we know we just want to have our way. That is a sin. It is a little fox. It gets in and spoils the work of God. We have a tendency to lean on that very lame and broken reed and try to hold ourselves up with it and maintain a pious attitude. We say, “I am doing this because God is leading me,” when we know it is not true. We say it so lightly. Romans tells us that whatever we do that is not of faith is sin.
Showing partiality is another little fox that is seen among God’s people. James lowers the boom on that: “But if ye have respect [show partiality] to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors” (James 2:9). I have had this happen to me just as James described it. I went to a certain church just to visit, not wanting to be recognized. I wanted to hear the preacher. When I went in, the usher was absolutely insulting to me. He said, “You wait right here.” Then he came back and said, “Well, I don’t have a seat for you. You’ll have to stand here in the back.” He looked at me for a moment, then said, “Oh, you’re Dr. McGee! I’ll get a chair and let you sit right here!” How tragic it is to see in some churches a well-known or a wealthy man acknowledged in the service and some poor man, who probably is more godly, absolutely ignored. That is a little fox that really wrecks God’s work in our day.
Then there is the little fox of not giving freely to God. It is not the amount of the giving that is the only thing that is wrong about it. It is the attitude of giving, the hypocrisy of it all. We sing songs such as, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small”—then we put a quarter into the collection plate! We actually sing lies. We pretend we have given ourselves and all that we have to the Lord. Oh, my friend, it is the little foxes that are destroying a lot of the grapes today.
THE NIGHT BEFORE DAYBREAK
The next wonderful statement follows closely after the song of the bridegroom’s return, which is symbolic of the Rapture, that is, Christ’s coming again for the church.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the liles [Song 2:16].
This Song of Solomon expresses the highest spiritual state of the relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and the believer. There is no other book of the Bible which portrays this relationship any better than this little book, and there is no higher plane than this right here: “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” This is one of the deepest, most profound of all theological truths which our Lord Jesus put into seven simple words: “… ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). The bride says, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
The Lord Jesus said in effect, “Down here I took your place when I died on the cross. I am in you. Now you are to show forth My life down here in this world.” (Of course we can only do that in the power of the Holy Spirit.) But we are in Him up there—seated in the heavenly places, accepted in the Beloved, joined to Him, risen with Christ. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). How wonderful! Oh, my friend, if you are a child of God, why don’t you tell Him that you love Him?
You and I live in a day when we may not have very much of this world’s goods; yet we are rich. We don’t glory in men; we glory in Christ. “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21–23). We belong to Christ. He is ours. He belongs to us. He is our Savior. He is our Shepherd. We ought to draw very close to Him and appropriate these wonderful spiritual blessings that are ours. It is a high level of spiritual life when you and I can say, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
“He feedeth among the lilies.” This again refers to the flower-strewn couch upon which He reclines at the banqueting table. It speaks of satisfaction, of fellowship, of joy, of everything that is wonderful. This world is seeking these things. This world is looking for a good time. This world wants to “live it up.” Well, let’s have a good time and live it up by sitting at Christ’s table and rejoicing in Him. This is a high spiritual level. I’m afraid that many of us do not “… attain unto it” (Ps. 139:6). Therefore we have to cry out as the bride did, “Draw me, we will run after thee.” We can’t run, we cannot run the race that is set before us until we not only see Jesus but appropriate His power in our lives. “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether [Song 2:17].
We come back to that picture of Christ as the hind of the morning. Remember that we saw Him on that bright morning (v. 8) standing on the mountain peak in triumph. All during the night the hunters had been after His life, and the fierce dogs had been leaping at Him. How terrible it was! He went down through the doorway of death, but He came up through the doorway of resurrection. Now, in light of that, although you and I are presently living in a dark world, we can look forward to the daybreak. My friend, let the redemption that you have in Christ, and all that He has done for you, be meaningful to you. Rest upon that. Let that be your comfort; let that be the pillow for your head during the dark hours of this life—“until the day break, and the shadows flee away.”
CHAPTER 3
As we begin chapter 3 we are still in the second song, but I would say that we have come to the second stanza of it. However, this does begin a new section, which is set in an altogether different scene.
At the beginning of this book we were up in the hill country of Ephraim where we saw a girl and her family who were tenant farmers. Now Solomon has won her heart and has brought her back with him to Jerusalem.
THE MIDNIGHT SEARCH
By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not [Song 3:1–2].
Now the scene has shifted to the palace in Jerusalem to which the king has taken her. She has been left alone—the king, perhaps, being away on business. What is recorded here is a dream that reflects the anguish of their separation in which she finally goes out to look for him in the streets of the city.
“By night on my bed I sought him.” This has a marvelous spiritual application to our relationship with Christ. When we have a big day ahead of us, we think we must have a good night’s sleep. If sleep is preferred to Christ, we may get in our eight hours, but we have lost Him who is far better than rest. A. Moody Stuart has put it like this: “But if Christ is first and best and most necessary, if he is more to us than food or sleep, he is often, though not always, quickly found, without actual loss either of the time or of the sleep which we were willing to sacrifice for his sake. Our sleep is then sweet unto us and refreshing, for the Lord himself is dwelling in us, and resting with us.”
“I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets.” The getting out of bed and going about the city in her search indicates a determination to seek the Lord.
“I sought him, but I found him not.” This is her honest confession. A great many folk never find Christ because they never seek Him. Oh, how many Christians sit in a church pew every Sunday and never face honestly the fact: “I found Him not.” However, He has promised that He will be found of those who seek Him with their whole heart. Or, as James put it, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you …” (James 4:8).
The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? [Song 3:3].
The watchmen seem to have been helpful in directing her to the Beloved. At least, it was only a short distance from them that she found Him.
It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me [Song 3:4].
Oh, my friend, what a tremendous reward for her search—“I found him whom my soul loveth!” Again I quote A. Moody Stuart (p. 231): “I found him—I, a man, found the Lord of Glory; I, a slave to sin, found the great Deliverer; I, the child of darkness, found the Light of life; I, the uttermost of the lost, found my Saviour, and my God; I, widowed and desolate, found my Friend, my Beloved, my Husband! Go and do likewise, sons and daughters of Zion, and He will be found of you, ‘for then shall ye find, when ye search with all your heart.’”
“I held him, and would not let him go.” Maintaining unbroken fellowship with Christ requires effort on our part. It is easy to let other interests crowd into our lives so that we lose the sense of His presence. Stuart has well said, “Unheld, the King will go away; He is willing to be held, yet not willing to remain without being held.” (This, of course, has no reference to a believer losing his salvation, but of losing his fellowship with Christ.)
“I … brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.” When she found Him, she went right back to the place where she had been born, where she had met Him. Many of us need to get back to that first love. Do you remember when you came to Christ? Do you remember how much He meant to you then?
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hids of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please [Song 3:5].
Now that wonderful fellowship with Him is restored.
THE ENTRANCE OF SOLOMON WITH HIS BRIDE
This last part of the chapter is a little gem in itself. It depicts the return of the king for his bride. This little Shulamite girl had waited a long time for the return of the shepherd to whom she had given her heart. One day she is out in the vineyard working. Down the road there comes a pillar of smoke, and the cry is passed along from one group of peasants to another, “Behold, King Solomon is coming!”—but she has work to do. Then someone comes to her excitedly, saying, “Oh, King Solomon is asking for you!” Mystified, she says, “Asking for me? I don’t know King Solomon!” But when she is brought into his presence, she recognizes that he is her shepherd-lover who has come for her.
He places her at his side in the royal chariot and the procession sweeps on, leaving the amazed country folk speechless at the sudden change in the position of her who had been just one of them.
How beautifully this pictures the glorious reality of the return of Christ, our Beloved, when He comes for His own. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16–17).
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? [Song 3:6].
This is a description of Solomon as he rides into Jerusalem with his bride. The glory that was Solomon’s is beyond description. We will get a glimpse of it in the next few verses.
We as believers are to go through this world as witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. As witnesses we are made new in Christ. Each of us is like the bride who is brought before the Bridegroom and the fragrance of Christ should be upon us as we witness to the world—“perfumed with myrrh and frankincense.” How wonderful the Lord Jesus is! The myrrh speaks of His death and the frankincense of His life. Both were sweet; both were glorious.
Behold his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel [Song 3:7].
His “bed” is the traveling couch in which the King is carried by bearers.
“Threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.” They are living in days of danger. These are the guards, and they are there for his protection. They are the Secret Service men who have charge of his person to watch over him.
May I say that I think that we need to guard the person of the Lord Jesus. In other words we need to declare our belief in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was God manifest in the flesh. We must reject the teaching of liberalism. We must reject anything that makes Him just a human Jesus. He was God manifest in the flesh.
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night [Song 3:8].
Notice that the guards all have swords. The Scriptures tell us that our sword is the Word of God. They are “expert in war.” And we need to know how to use the Word of God. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and that is the weapon of a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem [Song 3:9–10].
He has a chariot made out of the cedars of Lebanon. “The bottom thereof of gold”—imagine, the floor made of gold!
“The midst thereof being paved with love, for [or from] the daughters of Jerusalem.” Solomon’s chariot is adorned by the needlework of the women of Jerusalem. What beauty there is. But, also, what tremendous emotion and love is displayed there.
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousal, and in the day of the gladness of his heart [Song 3:11].
It says, “his mother crowned him.” If you go back to the story in 1 Kings 1, you will find that David didn’t really want to crown him. Another son of David, Adonijah, was carrying on a bit of strategy and was trying to get to the throne himself. David was an old man, and he didn’t do anything at all about the situation. His favorite son, Absalom, had been, killed, and David just didn’t seem to have much heart for Solomon. So Nathan the prophet went to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, and said, “We’d better get busy or Adonijah may become the new king.” So Bathsheba and Nathan went to King David, and King David said, “Well, bring him in. We’ll make him the king.” That is the way Solomon was made the king of Israel. I like the way it is stated here: “his mother crowned him.” It was his mother who was interested in him. I really think that David was not much interested in making Solomon the new king, even though he was David’s son.
“Behold king Solomon.” This is a picture of Christ. Behold Him. Behold Him in His birth. Behold Him in His life. Behold Him in His death. Behold Him in His resurrection. Behold Him in His glory today. And behold Him as the One who is coming again for His bride.
CHAPTER 4
This entire chapter except the last verse is the song of the bridegroom. It expresses Solomon’s love for this girl whom he had met up in the hill country and had brought to town, as it were. I suppose that she wore shoes for the first time. Now she is wearing lovely dresses, and she sits at the table of Solomon. What a privilege she had, and she was rejoicing in it.
As we read this chapter, we should see that the Spirit of God is trying to show us Christ’s love for us. It is expressed through this very wonderful and personal relationship. It shows to us the love of Christ for the church and His love for the individual believer. This is the love song of the Bridegroom, or the love song of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is obvious that He speaks of the church when He says, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee” (v. 7). This is Christ speaking of the church, of each believer; He is speaking to you and me. Does that mean then that we are going to have to become perfect? Oh, no. In Ephesians Paul says, “… as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:25–26). He’s already cleansed us by the blood; through His sacrifice we have the forgiveness of sin, so that there is no charge brought against us. But He is also going to sanctify us and cleanse us by the Word of God. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). He will be the One who will make the church without spot or wrinkle—we will be seen in Christ. Now He can look at the church and say, “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee” because He removed the spot from the church and from each believer.
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead [Song 4:1].
We find here a very minute description of this girl. It describes the parts of her body, if you please. Now there are two extreme viewpoints of marriage. One is that the emphasis is put upon sex. The other is that there is no emphasis put on sex, that marriage is such a high, holy state that sex doesn’t enter into it at all. But when the emphasis is placed completely on sex, then the relationship becomes more like that between two animals. True marriage lies between these two extreme viewpoints. When the bridegroom holds the bride in his arms, their love, their physical love, is consummated.
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks [Song 4:2–3].
This is how the bridegroom sees the bride. I’m sure every young fellow has looked into the eyes of some girl and told her what beautiful eyes she has. I met my wife when she was a young school teacher. She had black hair, black as a raven’s wing, and dark brown eyes. Today there is some gray in that hair. I tell you, when I met her, I thought her hair was beautiful, and I told her so. I told her she had beautiful eyes. Now I never told her she had beautiful big toes, because I really don’t think her big toes are beautiful. But I do think she is beautiful.
This reveals to us that the Lord Jesus not only loves us but the Lord Jesus knows us. We need to quit kidding ourselves, because we are not kidding Him at all. This means that we can go to Him and tell Him everything. There is no use in trying to cover up, no use in trying to use subterfuge, no use in trying to beat around the bush. We can tell Him everything that we have on our hearts. We can tell Him all about our weaknesses, about our sin, about all the things that are in our hearts and lives. That is the way to deal with them.
Do you have an inferiority complex? Then tell the Lord Jesus about it. He is the only One who has an answer for that. An eminent Christian psychologist here in Southern California years ago told me, “You can’t get rid of an inferiority complex. All that the psychologist can do is to shift an inferiority complex from one place in the personality to another. The only place where anyone finds a solution to it is at the cross of Christ.” I believe that is where people should go with their complexes. Augustine said that our hearts are restless until we come to the Lord. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). Maybe you don’t even need to get rid of your inferiority complex. It may help you to find your strength in Him. It may keep you from being a proud, arrogant Christian. It may help you to give all the glory to Him.
Do you have a bad habit which you would like to change? Then go to Him and confess it. He is rich in mercy. I think that for years I must have gone to Him two or three hundred times to tell Him about something. He was rich in mercy to me, which means He has a whole lot of it. Although I failed again and again, I kept going back in repentance. It was wonderful to go to Him. Do you know what happened? When the time came, He gave me the victory in His way. Our Lord moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform. He doesn’t follow my rules or your rules. He doesn’t do it through some gimmick which men have worked out. He helps in His own time and His own way.
May I say to you, He knows us intimately. He knows every tiny detail of our lives. We should never be afraid to go to Him and tell Him everything.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense [Song 4:6].
This is the place where we need to go for the solution to our problems. “The mountain of myrrh” is symbolic of the cross of Christ, because myrrh speaks of His death. That is where you will find comfort and salvation and help and hope.
“The hill of frankincense” refers to His life, but not simply His earthly life. Paul writes, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more” (2 Cor. 5:16)—now we know Him as the glorified Christ.
The solution to your problem is in knowing Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). That, my friend, is the reason that I keep saying the answer is in the Word of God. It is ignorance of His Word that causes people to search elsewhere for answers. It makes a person vulnerable to false teachers who trade on and take advantage of those who are ignorant of the Word of God. But it is through the Word of God that we get acquainted with Jesus Christ and learn to sit at that round table in the banqueting hall which we have seen here in the Song of Solomon. There we can feast with Him, and find satisfaction and joy in Him.
You and I do not realize how much He really loves us. Listen to Him:
Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! [Song 4:9–10].
The bridegroom speaking of the bride typifies the Lord Jesus speaking of believers, those who are His own. This is how much He loves us today. Oh, it would break your heart and my heart if we knew how much He loves us. Only the Spirit of God can make this love real to us. Some folks write out a little motto and stick it on their car bumper and then drive around with it. It says, “Jesus loves you.” I wonder, how do you know He loves you? Have, you experienced that love yourself? Are you conscious of His love right now? Oh, my friend, He loves you! Fall in love with Him.
Now the bride speaks:
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits [Song 4:16].
Remember how the Lord Jesus taught His disciples in the Upper Room in that wonderful discourse that is found in John 13–17. In the midst of it, in John 14, we find that the Lord Jesus is interrupted again and again by the disciples asking Him questions. The last one to interrupt Him was Judas. Have you ever noticed the question which he asked the Lord? “Judas saith unto him, not Iseariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?” (John 14:22). He is saying in effect, “Lord, it is wonderful to be here. You are revealing these wonderful truths about Yourself to us, but what about the world outside?”
Now the bride is getting the message. “O north wind”—that north wind is cold, and it may cause the bride to get very cold. But, “Awake, O north wind.” Why? That this spice, this wonderful fragrance might be blown out to others and they might enjoy it. Dr. Ironside adds: “It indicates her yearning desire to be all that he would have her to be.” The north wind, he continues, is “that cold, bitter, biting, wintry blast. Naturally she would shrink from that as we all would, and yet the cold of winter is as necessary as the warmth of summer if there is going to be perfection in fruitbearing. It takes the cold to bring out the flavor of apples. And it is so with our lives. We need the north winds of adversity and trial as well as the zephyrs of the south so agreeable to our natures. The very things we shrink from are the experiences that will work in us to produce the peaceable fruits of righteousness. If everything were easy and soft and beautiful in our lives, they would be insipid; there would be so little in them for God that could delight His heart; and so there must be the north wind as well as the south.”
It is this kind of life that the Lord Jesus uses to reach the world. He has not forgotten the world.
The bride says to her beloved, “Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.” This is an invitation he will accept. And in that Upper Room the Lord Jesus said to His questioning disciples, “… If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).
CHAPTER 5
In this chapter there seems to be a certain amount of conflict in the mind of the bride about whether they should spend time in fellowship and communion or in going out to discharge their responsibilities. Both are essential. We need to be doing both. We need to sit at the feet of Jesus, but we also need to follow those feet as they go out on the hillsides looking for the lost sheep. We need to follow those feet out into the world, which is a field in which to plant the seed of the Word of God.
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved [Song 5:1].
He is inviting her to join with him in fellowship. Our Lord says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20). That is the fellowship we need. And in connection with fellowship, John writes, “… These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4). Not only does He want us to have fellowship, but He wants us to have a good time. Are you having a good time as a Christian?
Wonderful letters come to me in response to our radio broadcasts. There are people in hospitals and in rest homes who tell about their sufferings and the diseases with which they are afflicted. But they also write about the wonderful fellowship they have with the Lord Jesus. The tears came to my eyes when I read a letter from one dear lady, who wrote, “At night when the nurse tucks me in I cannot sleep but lie awake for another hour or two. During that time I pray for you until I go to sleep. Then I wake up about 4:30 in the morning and I pray for you again.” Then she continues in her letter to tell how wonderful it is to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus. That is beautiful!
THE WAKING SLEEP
Now we come to the fourth canticle, or the fourth song. These are like folk songs. Now it is the bride who speaks.
I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night [Song 5:2].
She says her heart is awake. She is on the alert, watching for him.
“The voice of my beloved”—he has been busy out in the night while the bride crawled into bed.
The church needs to hear this message today. All believers need to hear this message. Let’s get out of bed and get busy. If the Lord has given us health, let us start moving out for Him.
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? [Song 5:3].
Now she starts to rationalize. She is already in bed. She has washed her feet to go to bed, and she doesn’t want to get out of bed and get her feet dirty.
My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him [Song 5:4].
Her “bowels,” that is, her emotions, were moved for him.
I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock [Song 5:5].
The background for this was a lovely custom that they had in that day. When a man was in love with a girl and wanted to express his love, he would go to her home and instead of leaving a calling card, he would leave a fragrance. The door was so constructed as to leave an opening so that one could reach through to the inside and remove the bar unless it was locked as well as barred—which was the case on this occasion. When there was no response from the sleeping bride, the bridegroom placed myrrh on the inside handle of the door to let her know that he had been there. When she finally came to open the door, the wonderful fragrance was transferred to her fingers. He had left the sweetness of his presence.
The bride is a picture of the church today. The church doesn’t go very far from home. Very few get out from under the shadow of the church steeple. Most folks don’t even get off the church steps. As a result, they have lost fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Actually, that is one of those little foxes which destroy the grapes. We lose our fellowship when we step out of the will of God. That is what it means to quench the Spirit (see 1 Thess. 5:19). It is quenching the Spirit to refuse to go where He wants us to go or to do what He wants us to do.
I think that if we today would get up off our beds, begin to move out and start doing something for God, we would find the sweetness of His presence on the handle of our own bed chamber. We would experience the sweetness of His fellowship.
This is the briefest of the songs, but what a little gem it is!
THE SORROWING SEARCH FOR THE BELOVED
Now we come to the fifth song. In this love story King Solomon has brought this humble Shulamite girl from the hill country of Ephraim to the palace in Jerusalem. In these songs the bride reveals how impressed she is by everything there—the palace, the throne, and the banquet table of the king. Her song includes her worship and adoration of the king.
But when he came to rouse her to come with him as he was out doing his work as a shepherd, looking for the sheep that were lost, she didn’t want to get out of bed. When she finally did go to the door, he was gone. She opened the door and called to him, then she went out to look for him.
I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer [Song 5:6].
You see, the fellowship had been broken.
I personally believe that there are a great many Christians who have done one of two, things: they have grieved the Spirit by sin in their lives, or they have quenched the Spirit by not being obedient to Him. That breaks fellowship with Him and causes us to lose our joy. It does not mean that we lose our salvation, but we will surely lose the joy of our salvation. It does not mean that we have lost the Holy Spirit. He still indwells the believer. We can grieve Him, but we cannot grieve Him away. However, we certainly can lose fellowship with Him, and many Christians are in that position.
Sometime ago a man said to me, “You speak of the reality of Christ in your life. I don’t have it.” That was a dead giveaway that he was quenching the Spirit of God. He was out of the will of God. I know the man quite well, and I believe the problem was that he was doing what he wanted to do instead of doing what he knew was the will of God. A person can try to mask the truth and say that he is doing the will of God. If he does not have the joy of the Lord, it is a giveaway that he is actually doing his own will.
The bride here has lost her fellowship. I tell you, if you are not doing something for the Lord, you haven’t lost your salvation, but you surely are missing sweet fellowship with Him.
The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me [Song 5:7].
Do you realize how impotent and powerless we are if we attempt to go out on our own? We may go out with a great deal of enthusiasm, but enthusiasm will never replace fellowship with Him. Today there is a lot of enthusiasm for knocking on doors and witnessing to people. There are certain people who ought to be doing that; there are others who had better not. I have a friend in another state who, when I am there, asks me to play golf with him. I enjoy playing with him, but I have discovered that he is a man who lacks tact even though he has a zeal to witness for the Lord. I have seen him make waitresses angry. I have seen him make strangers that we meet angry. He says to me, “You know, there is surely a lot of opposition to the gospel today, isn’t there?” Well, I couldn’t help but say to him, “I don’t think there is as much opposition as you think there is. It might have something to do with the way we present the gospel.”
Then I called his attention to the way the Lord Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well. One of the most hostile persons that the Lord Jesus ever approached was that Samaritan woman who came down to the well. She was defiant. Have you ever noticed how He approached her? He didn’t approach her as if He had something to cram down her throat. He asked her for a drink of water. He took the lowly place by asking her for something. Then He very courteously said, “Oh, I could have given you living water if you had asked for it.” Finally she did ask for it, but He didn’t offer it until she asked for it.
Before we attempt to cram the gospel down the throats of people, we need to give them a little appetite for it. They should see something in our lives that will make them want to know about the Lord Jesus.
However, it is true that there is an opposition to the Word of God, and we find it coming sometimes from unexpected quarters.
“The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me.” This girl is having a difficult time. She is being hurt by those who should have been protecting her.
This same situation occurs in Christian circles. Many a preacher in our society finds himself deserted by a board that has turned against him because his preaching bothers their consciences. Many times opposition to the gospel comes from those who should be protecting it.
Now this girl, the bride, meets the daughters of Jerusalem. Here we find antiphonal singing. The bride sings one part, and the daughters of Jerusalem sing an answering part. This sounds very much like an opera.
The bride says:
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love [Song 5:8].
“If you find him, tell him how much I miss him. Tell him how much I love him, and let him know that I am looking for him.” Her heart is sick and her whole being is yearning after him. The garden has lost its fragrance; the myrrh and frankincense don’t mean much to her now; and the beauty of the flowers has withered.
Now in this antiphony the daughters of Jerusalem answer:
What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? [Song 5:9].
Their answer sounds rather skeptical. In effect they are saying, “This one that you say means so much to you, why is he more to you than you might expect another to be to us?” “What is thy beloved more than another beloved?” Who is this Jesus anyway? What makes you think Jesus is different from anyone else? There have been other great religious leaders. Why do you think that Jesus is different from them? Why do you think that He is who He claims to be? Jesus was only a man. That is the kind of skepticism we hear.
May I say to you, there has been a lot of discussion about Jesus. There has been more controversy about Him than any person who has ever lived. He is the most controversial figure in history. Let me ask you a question. If someone today tried to show that Julius Caesar was a real rascal, would you get all excited about it and rise to his defense? If someone tried to show that Julius Caesar was a saint, would you be all excited about that and try to argue about it? It wouldn’t excite me. I’d let anyone think whatever he wanted to think about Julius Caesar. I wouldn’t argue with him. But the minute you mention Jesus Christ, the whole human family chooses sides. It is interesting that God forces us to make a decision about His Son. He wouldn’t let Pilate off without making a decision. Pilate tried to evade any involvement. He called for a basin of water and washed his hands, saying, “… I am innocent of the blood of this just person …” (Matt. 27:24). How wrong he was! The oldest creed of the church, which has been recited for over nineteen hundred years by multitudes of people, includes these words: “Crucified under Pontius Pilate.” Pontius Pilate, you didn’t wash your hands; you made a decision. God forced you to make a decision. Pilate thought that he was the judge and that Jesus was the prisoner. He didn’t realize that Christ was the judge and he was the prisoner. And still in our contemporary society every man must make a decision.
“What is thy beloved more than another beloved?” In anthologies of religion, great religious leaders are listed who are called founders of religions: Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Ghandi, Buddha, and all the rest. According to Tertullian, the early church father, the Christians in the early church would rather have died than have Jesus put down on a place with the heathen deities of the Roman Empire. They refused to even take a pinch of incense and place it before the image of Caesar. They just wouldn’t do it, because their Beloved was different; He was God.
THE BEAUTY OF THE BELOVED
Now the bride is going to answer. She is going to respond to their skepticism. You would think that they had her cooled off and that she would tone down what she says about the bridegroom. But it didn’t work that way. Actually, she now waxes eloquent concerning him.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem [Song 5:10–16].
There is something here that is very obvious, and that is that she describes him in minute detail. Do you know what that means? It means that she knew him. She knew him intimately.
My friend, if you are going to defend the Lord Jesus Christ today, if you are going to witness for Him, you must know Him. Not only do you need to know who He is, but you need to know Him enough to be able to wax eloquent on His behalf. When I say be eloquent, I don’t necessarily mean eloquent in language. I mean full of enthusiasm, excitement, love, and zeal for His person. You and I need not only to know Him, but we must love Him. That is the challenge that we find here. The bride knew Him. She knew Him and she loved Him. She says that He is the chiefest among ten thousand.
Many people have written about the person of Christ because He is altogether lovely even in His humanity. Dr. C.I. Scofield, the man who wrote the first notes for The Scofield Reference Bible, wrote about the Lord Jesus in a tract he entitled, “The Loveliness of Jesus.” Let me share part of it with you:
All other greatness has been marred by littleness, all other wisdom has been flawed by folly, all other goodness has been tainted by imperfection; Jesus Christ remains the only Being of whom, without gross flattery, it could be asserted, “He is altogether lovely.”
My theme, then, is: The Loveliness of Christ.
First of all, as it seems to me, this loveliness of Christ consists in His perfect humanity. Am I understood? I do not now mean that He was a perfect human, but that He was perfectly human.
In everything but our sins, and our evil natures, He is one with us. He grew in stature and in grace. He labored, and wept, and prayed, and loved. He was tempted in all points as we are—sin apart. With Thomas, we confess Him Lord and God; we adore and revere Him, but beloved, there is no other who establishes with us such intimacy, who comes so close to these human hearts of ours; no one in the universe of whom we are so little afraid. He enters as simply and naturally into our twentieth century lives as if He had been reared in the same street. He is not one of the ancients. How wholesomely and genuinely human He is! Martha scolds Him; John, who has seen Him raise the dead, still the tempest and talk with Moses and Elijah on the mount, does not hesitate to make a pillow of His breast at supper. Peter will not let Him wash his feet, but afterwards wants his head and hands included in the ablution. They ask Him foolish questions, and rebuke Him, and venerate and adore Him all in a breath; and He calls them by their first names, and tells them to fear not, and assures them of His love. And in all this He seems to me altogether lovely.
He is altogether lovely. Now the important question is this: Is He altogether lovely to you? Are you able to speak of Him with the enthusiasm the bride had for her bridegroom? We must know Christ intimately if we are to witness of Him. And we must love Him. When one comes to Christ it is not a business transaction. He is wonderful, and I do not think that we laud Him, glorify Him, lift Him up, worship Him, and bow before Him with thanksgiving enough. He is wonderful any way that you look at Him.
Let me quote again from Dr. Scofield’s essay:
The saintliness of Jesus is so warm and human that it attracts and inspires. We find in it nothing austere and inaccessible, like a statue in a niche. The beauty of His holiness reminds one rather of a rose, or a bank of violets.
Jesus receives sinners and eats with them—all kinds of sinners. Nicodemus, the moral, religious sinner, and Mary of Magdala, “out of whom went seven devils”—the shocking kind of sinner. He comes into sinful lives as a bright, clear stream enters a stagnant pool. The stream is not afraid of contamination but its sweet energy cleanses the pool.
I remark again, and as connected with this that His sympathy is altogether lovely.
He is always being “touched with compassion.” The multitude without a shepherd, the sorrowing widow of Nain, the little dead child of the ruler, the demoniac of Gadara, the hungry five thousand—what ever suffers touches Jesus. His very wrath against the scribes and Pharisees is but the excess of His sympathy for those who suffer under their hard self-righteousness.
Did you ever find Jesus looking for “deserving poor”? He “healed all their sick.” And what grace in His sympathy! Why did He touch that poor leper? He could have healed him with a word as He did the nobleman’s son. Why, for years the wretch had been an outcast, cut off from kin, dehumanized. He lost the sense of being a man. It was defilement to approach him. Well, the touch of Jesus made him human again.
A Christian woman, laboring among the moral lepers of London, found a poor street girl desperately ill in a bare, cold room. With her own hands she ministered to her, changing her bed linen, procuring medicines, nourishing food, a fire, and making the poor place as bright and cheery as possible, and then she said, “May I pray with you?”
“No,” said the girl, “you don’t care for me; you are doing this to get to heaven.”
Many days passed with the Christian woman unwearily kind, the sinful girl hard and bitter. At last the Christian said:
“My dear, you are nearly well now, and I shall not come again, but as it is my last visit, I want you to let me kiss you,” and the pure lips that had known only prayers and holy words met the lips defiled by oaths and by unholy caresses—and then, my friends, the hard heart broke. That was Christ’s way.
As I read this essay from Dr. Scofield, my thoughts turn back to the very beginning of the Song of Solomon in chapter 1, verse 2: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” He wants to bestow His love, His affection, His care, His grace, His mercy upon us today, and we are as hard as that poor sinning girl.
Again, I quote from Dr. Scofield:
Can you fancy Him calling a convention of the Pharisees to discuss methods of reaching the “masses”? That leads me to remark that His humility was altogether lovely, and He, the only one who ever had the choice of how and where He should be born, entered this life as one of the “masses.”
What meekness, what lowliness! “I am among you as one that serveth.” He “began to wash His disciples’ feet.” “When He was reviled He reviled not again.” “As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.” Can you think of Jesus posing and demanding His rights?
But it is in His way with sinners that the supreme loveliness of Christ is most sweetly shown. How gentle He is, yet how faithful; how considerate, how respectful. Nicodemus, candid and sincere, but proud of his position as a master in Israel, and timid lest he should imperil it, “comes to Jesus by night.” Before he departs “the Master,” Nicodemus has learned his utter ignorance of the first step toward the kingdom, and goes away to think over the personal application of “they loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” But he has not heard one harsh word, one utterance that can wound his self-respect.
When He speaks to that silent despairing woman, after her accusers have gone out, one by one, He uses for “woman” the same word as He used when addressing His mother from the cross.
Follow Him to Jacob’s well at high noon and hear His conversation with the woman of Samaria. How patiently He unfolds the deepest truths, how gently, yet faithfully He presses the great ulcer of sin which is eating away her soul. But He could not be more respectful to Mary of Bethany.
Even in the agonies of death He could hear the cry of despairing faith. When conquerors return from far wars in strange lands they bring their chiefest captive as a trophy. It was enough for Christ to take back to heaven the soul of a thief.
Yea, He is altogether lovely. And now I have left myself no room to speak of His dignity, of His virile manliness, of His perfect courage. There is in Jesus a perfect equipoise of various perfections. All the elements of perfect character are in lovely balance. His gentleness is never weak. His courage is never brutal. My friends, you may study these things for yourself. Follow Him through all the scenes of outrage and insult on the night and morning of His arrest and trial. Behold Him before the high priest, before Pilate, before Herod. See Him brow-beaten, bullied, scourged, smitten upon the face, spit upon, mocked. How His inherent greatness comes out. Not once does He lose His self-poise, His high dignity.
Let me ask some unsaved sinner here to follow Him still further. Go with the jeering crowd without the gates; see Him stretched upon the great rough cross and hear the dreadful sound of the sledge as the spikes are forced through His hands and feet. See, as the yelling mob falls back, the cross, bearing this gentlest, sweetest, bravest, loveliest man, upreared until it falls into the socket in the rock. “And sitting down, they watched Him there.” You watch, too. Hear Him ask the Father to forgive His murderers, hear all the cries from the cross. Is He not altogether lovely? What does it all mean?
“He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.”
“By Him all that believe are justified from all things.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.”
I close with a word of personal testimony. This is my beloved, and this is my friend. Will you not accept Him as your Saviour, and beloved and friend?
That is the end of the quotation, and I want to add my own “Amen” to it. That means I agree with every word of it. My Beloved is the chiefest among ten thousand. He is the One who is altogether lovely.
Was it merely the son of Joseph and Mary who crossed the world’s horizon more than nineteen hundred years ago? Was it merely human blood that was spilled on Calvary’s hill for the redemption of sinners? What thinking man can keep from exclaiming, “My Lord and my God”?
“This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem” (v. 16). She knew Him. She loved Him. She makes Him known.
CHAPTER 6
FROM SKEPTICS TO BELIEVERS
Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee [Song 6:1].
The daughters of Jerusalem are not so skeptical and cynical now. They are willing to go with the bride to help her find him. They want to see this one whom the bride has told them about. They conclude that he must be wonderful, and they want to see him for themselves.
The Bible tells us that whoever seeks will find. The Lord Jesus has said that if anyone would come to Him, He would in nowise cast him out.
My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies [Song 6:2–3].
She has located the bridegroom. What assurance, what satisfaction, what joy she has!
God is satisfied with Jesus. He has said, “… This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Luke 9:35). He is satisfied with the work which Christ accomplished for us on the cross. He says that if we will come to His Son, we will not perish but have everlasting life. What an invitation has gone out!
THE KING’S DELIGHT IN THE BRIDE
Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her [Song 6:4–9].
“Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah”—the beautiful expressions throughout this section are the bridegroom’s response to the long, intense, sorrowful, and patient search for his presence. A. Moody Stuart gives us this helpful background: “Tirzah was the royal city of one of the ancient kings of Canaan, and afterwards for a time of the kings of Israel. The word signifies pleasant, and the situation of the city, as well as the town itself, was probably remarkable for beauty …. ‘Beautiful as Tirzah’—how gracious the address to the slothful, sorrowing, smitten Bride! but ‘whom he loveth he loveth unto the end,’ though we change, He is ‘the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.’”
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? [Song 6:10].
This shows us how the Lord views the Rapture of the church. It is natural that we look at the Rapture from the viewpoint of our expectations: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16). But the Lord looks at it from His side. He will be calling His own. When the church comes into His presence, the angelic hosts will see one of the greatest sights that will be beheld in all of eternity. This will be the most thrilling event for us and for Him, too. Then they will say about the church, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” This same union of Christ and the church is pictured for us in the lives of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was walking in the field when he looked up and saw the caravan of camels coming. Rebekah was on one of the camels in that caravan. She got off the camel and came to meet her bridegroom. What a glorious picture of the time when you and I will go into the presence of the Lord Jesus.
THE RESPONSE OF THE BRIDE
I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib [Song 6:11–12].
I just can’t resist intruding here with a little anecdote. A friend of mine who is a preacher went to speak to a group of unbelievers. They were a group that included college professors. Many of their theories were way out in left field. They really understood very little about the real issues of life. I asked my friend, “What do you think you accomplished by going to that group?” He answered, “I don’t know that I accomplished very much, but I was certainly scriptural. I went down into the garden of nuts.” There’s no question about that!
Seriously, the bride had something very different in mind. It is interesting that this is the third garden we see in the Song of Solomon. A. Moody Stuart calls our attention to this: “The first garden is in spring, full of flowers and tender grapes with nothing mature; the second garden is in autumn, full of spices and ripe fruits with nothing imperfect; and this third garden is in the end of winter, but with the immediate prospect of a new spring …. It is still winter, but the winter is on the very point of bursting in a new spring, and the Bride descends into the garden of nuts to watch the first sproutings of the valley, the earliest blossoming of the vine, and the budding of the pomegranate.”
Stuart compares this to the experience of the disciples of our Lord after His ascension as they wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. In a sense they go into the garden to watch for a fresh outbreak of a new spring. The entire Old Testament is a new treasure to them since Jesus had “… expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). While gathering and breaking open those old treasures of the past, the Spirit came in an unexpected manner and with unexpected power, which could not be described more exactly than in the words of the Song, “or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.”
My friend, the Word of God is a garden, a whole garden of unopened nuts. There are innumerable kernels in the Word of God waiting to be opened and enjoyed by the bride of Christ.
Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies [Song 6:13].
The statement is made that the bride of Christ will be for the demonstration of God’s grace throughout the ages: “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). All of the created universe is going to see us. None of us is worthy to be there, but we are going to be there because we are in Christ. It is because He loved us and gave Himself for us. We will be there for His glory and for our good. I can’t think of anything better than that!
CHAPTER 7–8
PORTRAIT OF THE BRIDE
In the first nine verses of chapter 7 the bridegroom tells of his delight in his bride, using one beautiful figure after another. Harry A. Ironside makes this comment: “It is a wonderful thing to know that the Lord has far more delight in His people than we ourselves have ever had in Him. Some day we shall enjoy Him to the fullest; some day He will be everything to us; but as long as we are here, we never appreciate Him as much as He appreciates us. But as she listens to his expression of love, her heart is assured; she has the sense of restoration and fellowship.”
SATISFACTION OF THE BRIDE
She says all she needs to say about her beloved in one verse:
I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me [Song 7:10].
Twice before we have heard the bride say, “My beloved is mine, and I am his,” but A. Moody Stuart draws our attention to the fact that this is an expression of far greater fullness. Although it implies the outgoing of desire from the heart of Christ, it expressly declares what is much more precious: that the believer knows the strength of Christ’s desire toward him. Stuart puts it this way: ‘I know’, saith the Lord, ‘the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of good and not of evil’; the Lord who thinks them knows them, but he toward whom they are thought is often ignorant, or doubtful, or unbelieving regarding them; and most blessed are the souls that can respond, ‘We have known and believed the love that God hath to us.’” We are objects of His desire—what wondrous grace!
THE VERY BROTHER
O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised [Song 8:1].
“My brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother” refers, of course, to a brother born of the same mother, implying the nearest possible relationship. It is this kind of a brother the Lord Jesus has become to us—“For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16), becoming flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.
“I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.” A great many true believers are afraid or ashamed to openly confess that they love Christ. Oh, my friend, don’t say you love Him if you don’t, but if your life reveals that you do love Him, folk will not despise you for speaking of it.
I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate [Song 8:2].
“I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.” Stuart has well said, “It is our part to give Christ the best entertainment in our power, to spare nothing on him, to gather all for him and present all to him, that is choicest and best. But the full reference of these words is to the final ‘marriage of the Lamb when his wife shall have made herself ready,’ and when Christ ‘shall drink the fruit of the vine new with her in his Father’s kingdom.’”
THE RELYING WEAKNESS OF LOVE
Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee [Song 8:5].
“Leaning upon her beloved.” The final stage of the true believer’s life is characterized by weakness, by dependence, and by love. In youth we “… mount [ed] up with wings as eagles …” (Isa. 40:31) when His banner over us was love. In manhood we ran without being wearied—even when (as Stuart says) we sought Him sorrowing through the streets of Jerusalem—but in our declining years we are more apt to lean heavily upon Him in childlike trust. And when we finally recognize our utter dependence upon Christ and the truth of His statement that without Him we can do nothing, then He can use our service.
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame [Song 8:6].
“For love is strong as death.” Death, with all its terrors, was the price of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to lost men, but it did not deter Him—He loved us and gave Himself for us, enduring the cross and despising the shame. Also death has been ten thousand times before the bride of the slain Lamb, and she “… loved not [her life] … unto the death” (Rev. 12:11); for, “… neither death, nor life … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39).
“Jealousy is cruel as the grave”—the all-devouring grave knows no pity. Stuart reminds us that it was jealousy cruel as the grave that moved Elijah, who was very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, to slay the prophets of Baal at the brook Kishon and let not one escape. And “it was jealousy that stirred Paul to utter the righteous and holy, yet tremendous curse—‘if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.’ This jealousy, with its grave-like cruelty, our protesting and suffering forefathers knew better than we; and it produced a remarkable but noble mingling of ardent love to Jesus with tenderness of conscience and manly boldness, which made little account either of their lives or those of others, when placed in competition with the honour of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“The coals thereof are coals of fire.” This reminds us of the love that burned in the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ when He said, “… The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (John 2:17). Stuart adds: “Ascending to the right hand of the Father, he kindled within the hearts of his disciples the same divine fire that burned within himself; sending down the Holy Ghost to rest upon them as flames or tongues of fire: and the fire of love burned more mightily within them, than the visible flames that encircled their heads.”
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned [Song 8:7].
“Many waters cannot quench love.” Oh, how many times we have failed Him; yet our repeated failures have not quenched His love, nor has it been drowned by the floods of our sins.
“If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” The word contemned means to be loathed, despised. God is not asking for our money or our service; He is asking for our love. If we don’t love Him, He despises the so-called Christian work we try to do and the money we put in the offering plate.
THE LITTLE SISTER
We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? [Song 8:8].
The “little sister” is, many Bible teachers feel, symbolic of the church of the Gentiles. “What shall we do for our sister” was the thorny question in the early church. Acts 15 records the Council at Jerusalem which was convened to resolve the conflict between the Gentile converts and the Hebrew converts who had no intention of giving up the Mosaic system.
“In the day when she shall be spoken for.” Well, who would speak for her? Nobody would want her. Gentiles were outcasts. But the day came when this sister was spoken for by the great Bridegroom of the church who called her to Himself. My friend, He did not choose us because we were attractive, but because He saw our lost condition and loved us.
Now that the “little sister” is accepted by Christ, what kind of reception will she get from the elder sister?
If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar [Song 8:9].
“If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver.” Since the Gentiles were being accepted by God, they were being “… builded together [with the Hebrew Christians] for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). The Jewish church faced the question: what should be built on it? Circumcision, ceremonies, different rites and ordinances—yokes which neither the Hebrew fathers nor children were able to bear? James expressed the feeling of the elder sister: “… my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God” (Acts 15:19). The council agreed not to force Gentile believers into the Mosaic system, but to accept them as they were and do everything possible to build them up in the faith.
I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour [Song 8:10].
This is the rejoicing of the “little sister.” When the gentile church received the good news of the council’s decision, “… they rejoiced for the consolation” (Acts 15:31). Recognized now as a wall in God’s temple, they greatly rejoiced in the privilege. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19–22).
“My breasts like towers”—the little sister, symbolic of the gentile church, soon nourished many sons and daughters with the sincere milk of the Word. The Gentile church grew with amazing rapidity so that the little sister now has become both more beautiful and more honored than the elder.
There is a missionary message in this parable of the little sister. You and I need to recognize that the little sister includes all nations in our day. In many parts of the world there are folk who have never responded to the call of the Bridegroom simply because they have not heard His voice. And “… how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14).
THE TRANSFER OF THE VINEYARD
Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver [Song 8:11].
“Solomon had a vineyard.” Solomon is symbolic of Christ. The bride, which is the united church of Jews and Gentiles, tells the story of the vineyard. First it was under the charge of its original keepers, the nation of Israel, and next it was committed to her own care. It is the same parable that Jesus told in Matthew 21:33–46 about a certain householder who planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, then rented it out to vinegrowers while he went on a long journey. At harvest time he sent his servants to receive the produce, and they were beaten or killed. Finally he sent his own son. “But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?” (Matt. 21:38–40). The answer is that he will come and destroy the husbandmen and will give the vineyard to others.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred [Song 8:12].
“Those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred”—they are to be paid for their work. “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14).
“Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand,” promising, unlike her predecessor, that full revenue shall be the Lord’s; yet she tends it with her whole heart as if it were her own—“my vineyard, which is mine, is before me.”
Historically the early church kept the vineyard just that way. But, unfortunately, the church in our day presents a different picture. Oh that you and I, as members of the bride of Christ, will be faithful in the portion of the vineyard God has allotted to our care!
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices [Song 8:14].
The bride is saying to the Lord of the vineyard, “Return!” Over in the Book of Revelation the last thing she says is, “… Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
My friend, I don’t believe you can honestly say that unless you know Him, unless you love Him, and unless you make Him known. Can you look up and say, “Come, Lord Jesus, I want you to come”? Paul said that God will give a crown to those who love His appearing. And to love His appearing means to love Him—even as a bride eagerly anticipates and prepares for the coming of the bridegroom, her beloved.
Let us conclude this marvelous Song of Solomon with the lines of Herbert:
Come, Lord, my head doth burn, my heart is sick,
While thou dost ever, ever stay:
Thy long deferrings wound me to the quick,
My spirit gaspeth night and day.
O show thyself to me,
Or take me up to thee!
Yet if thou stayest still, why must I stay?
My God, what is this world to me?
This world of woe? hence all ye clouds, away!
Away! I must get up and see.
O show thyself to me,
Or take me up to thee!
We talk of harvests; there are no such things,
But when we leave our corn and hay.
There is no fruitful year, but that which brings
The last and loved, though dreadful, day.
O show thyself to me,
Or take me up to thee!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers.
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. 1917. Reprint. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1971.
Glickman, S. Craig. A Song for Lovers. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1976. (A fine treatment of Song of Solomon.)
Gray, James M. Commentary on the Whole Bible. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1906.
Hadley, E. C. The Song of Solomon. Sunbury, Pennsylvania: Believer’s Bookshelf, n.d.
Ironside, H. A. Addresses on the Song of Solomon. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1933. (An excellent treatment.)
Jensen, Irving L. Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1974. (A self-study guide.)
Kelly, William. Lectures on the Song of Solomon. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.
Miller, Andrew. The Song of Solomon. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. Vol. I. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981.
The Book of
Isaiah
INTRODUCTION
Beginning with Isaiah and continuing through the Old Testament, there is a section of Scripture which is called the prophetic portion of the Bible. That does not mean that prophecy begins with Isaiah, because there are prophecies as far back as the Pentateuch, which was written by Moses. Although the predictive element bulks large in this section, the prophets were more than foretellers. They were men raised up by God in a decadent day when neither priest nor king was a worthy channel through which the expressions of God might flow.
These books of prophecy also contain history, poetry, and law, but their primary message is prophecy. Each writer, from Isaiah to Malachi, is a prophet of God. Today we make an artificial division of the prophets by designating them as the major prophets and the minor prophets. All of the prophets are in the major league as far as I am concerned—I don’t think you can put any of them back in the minors. This artificial division was determined by the length of the book, not by content. Some of the minor prophets are like atom bombs—they may be small, but their content is potent indeed.
These prophets not only spoke of events in the distant future, but they also spoke of local events in the immediate future. They had to speak in this manner in order to qualify for the prophetic office under God according to the Mosaic code. Codes for the priest, the king, and the prophet are given in the Book of Deuteronomy. Note the code for the prophet: “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:20–22). If the local event did not transpire exactly as the prophet predicted, he was labeled a false prophet and was so treated. You may be sure that the message of the false prophet is not in the library of inspired Scripture. The prophetic books are filled with events that are local and fulfilled.
If you had lived in Isaiah’s day, how would you have known that he was a true prophet? You would have judged him on his local prophecies. He not only spoke of events far in the future, like the first and second comings of Christ, but he also spoke of local things that would happen in the near future. If his local predictions had not come to pass exactly the way they were given, he would have been recognized as a false prophet and stoned.
The prophetic books are filled with local prophecies already fulfilled. All of the prophets gave local prophecies to prove that they were genuine. Remember that a sharp distinction needs to be drawn between fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecy. When any prophecy was first given, it was of course unfulfilled. Since the time the prophecies were given, a great many of them have been fulfilled. One of the greatest evidences that these men were speaking the words of God is that hundreds of their prophecies have been fulfilled—fulfilled literally.
Man cannot guess the future. Even the weatherman has difficulty in prognosticating the weather for twenty-four hours in advance, although he has the advantage of all sorts of scientific and mechanical devices to assist him. The fact of the matter is that no weatherman that you and I listen to so intently would survive as a prophet in Israel!
The law of compound probability forbids man from consistently foretelling the future. Each uncertain element which he adds decreases his chance of accuracy 50 percent. The example of hundreds of prophecies which have had literal fulfillment has a genuine appeal to the honest mind and sincere seeker after the truth. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the infallible proofs of plenary verbal inspiration of Scripture.
Let me illustrate: Suppose I make a prophecy that it is going to rain tomorrow. I would have a fifty-fifty chance of being right. It is either going to rain or it is not going to rain—that is for sure. Now I will add another element to my prophecy by predicting that it will begin raining at eleven o’clock in the morning. That reduces my chance of being right another 50 percent, but I still have a 25 percent chance of being correct. But I don’t stop there. I not only say that it will start raining at eleven o’clock, but I also say that it will stop raining at three o’clock. I have reduced my chances again and have only a 12 1/2 percent chance of being right. If I keep adding uncertain elements until I have three hundred prophecies, you know they would never be literally fulfilled. No man can guess like that. Only the Holy Spirit of God could give such information. A man would not have a ghost of a chance of being right that many times, and yet God’s Word has over three hundred prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ, which have been literally fulfilled.
Why did God give so many prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ to earth? There is a logical and obvious answer. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth was an important event. God did not want the children of Israel to miss Him. God marked Him out so clearly that Israel had no excuse for not recognizing Him when He was here on this earth.
Let me use a homey illustration: Suppose I am invited to your hometown. You ask me, “When you arrive at the airport, how will I know you?” I would write back and say, “I am arriving at the airport at a certain time on a certain flight. I will be wearing a pair of green-checked trousers and a blue-striped coat. I will have on a big yellow polka dot necktie and a pink shirt with a large purple flower on it. I will be wearing one brown shoe and one black shoe and white socks. On my head you will see a derby hat, and I will be holding a parrot in a cage in one hand, and with the other hand I will be leading a jaguar on a chain.” When you arrive at the airport, do you think you would be able to pick me out of the crowd?
When Jesus came to earth more than nineteen hundred years ago, those who had the Old Testament and knew what it said should have been waiting at the inn in Bethlehem or waiting for the news of His birth, because they had all the information they needed. When the wise men appeared, looking for the Lord Jesus, the Israelites at least should have been interested enough to hitch a ride on the back of the camels to take a look themselves. Oh, how tremendously important His coming was, and how clearly God had predicted it!
The prophets were extremely nationalistic. They rebuked sin in high places as well as low places. They warned the nation. They pleaded with a proud people to humble themselves and return to God. Fire and tears were mingled in their message, which was not one of doom and gloom alone, for they saw the Day of the Lord and the glory to follow. All of them looked through the darkness to the dawn of a new day. In the night of sin they saw the light of a coming Savior and Sovereign; they saw the millennial kingdom coming in all its fullness. Their message must be interpreted before an appreciation of the kingdom in the New Testament can be attained; the correct perspective of the kingdom must be gained through the eyes of the Old Testament prophets.
The prophets were not supermen. They were men of passions as we are, but having spoken for God, their message is still the infallible and inspired Word of God. This is substantiated by writers of the New Testament. Peter tells us: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet. 1:10–11).
“Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:15–21).
It was William Cowper who said, “Sweet is the harp of prophecy; too sweet not to be wronged by a mere mortal touch.”
Most of the prophets moved in an orbit of obscurity and anonymity. They did not project their personalities into the prophecy they proclaimed. Jeremiah and Hosea are the exceptions to this, which we will see when we study their books. Isaiah gives us very little history concerning himself. There are a few scant references to his life and ministry. In Isaiah 1:1 he gives the times in which his life was cast: during the reigns of Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, all kings of Judah. In Isaiah 6 he records his personal call and commission.
The days in which Isaiah prophesied were not the darkest days in Judah internally. Uzziah and Hezekiah were enlightened rulers who sought to serve God, but the days were extremely dark because of the menace of the formidable kingdom of Assyria in the north. The northern kingdom of Israel had already been carried away into captivity.
Isaiah 36–39 records the historical section of the ministry of Isaiah during the crisis when the Assyrian host encompassed Jerusalem. Beyond these few personal sections, Isaiah stands in the shadow as he points to Another who is coming, the One who is the Light of the world.
There are those who believe that Isaiah belonged to the royal family of David. This is supposition and certainly cannot be proven. Likewise it has been stated that he is referred to in Hebrews 11:37 as the one “sawn asunder.”
Whether or not this is true, the liberal critic has sawn him asunder as the writer of the book. They have fabricated the ghastly theory that there are several Isaiahs. According to this theory the book was produced by ghost writers whom they have labeled “Deutero-Isaiah” and “Trito-Isaiah.” The book will not yield to being torn apart in this manner, for the New Testament quotes from all sections of the book and gives credit to one Isaiah. The critics have cut up Isaiah like a railroad restaurant pie, but history presents only one Isaiah, not two or three.
A friend of mine, who has made quite a study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, tells me that Isaiah is the scroll the scholars work with the most. There is a great section of Isaiah intact, and only one Isaiah is presented. It is quite interesting that the Lord let a little shepherd boy reach down into a clay pot, in Qumran by the Dead Sea, and pick out a scroll that confounds the critics. The Lord will take care of the critics.
Let me illustrate how ridiculous the double or triple Isaiah hypothesis really is. Suppose a thousand years from today some archaeologists are digging in different parts of the world. One group digs in Kansas, another in Washington, D.C., and another group digs in Europe. They come up with the conclusion that there must have been three Dwight Eisenhowers. There was a General Eisenhower, the military leader of the victorious Allied forces of World War II in the European theater. There was another Eisenhower who was elected president of the United States in 1952 and 1956. There was still another Eisenhower, an invalid and victim of a heart attack and of a serious operation for ileitis. This illustration may seem ridiculous to some people, but that is exactly how I feel when I hear the critics talk about three Isaiahs. Of course there was only one man by the name of Dwight Eisenhower who fulfilled all the requirements without any absurdity. The same is true of Isaiah.
The prophecy of Isaiah is strikingly similar to the organization of the entire Bible. This similarity can be seen in the following comparison:
Bible
Isaish
66 Books
66 Chapters
39 Books—Old Testament
39 Chapters—Law, Government of God
27 Books—New Testament
39 Chapters—Grace, Salvation of God
There are sixty-six direct quotations from Isaiah in the New Testament. (Some have found eighty-five quotations and allusions to Isaiah in the New Testament.) Twenty of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament have direct quotations. Isaiah is woven into the New Testament as a brightly colored thread is woven into a beautiful pattern. Isaiah is discernible and conspicuous in the New Testament. Isaiah is chiseled into the rock of the New Testament with the power tool of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah is often used to enforce and enlarge upon the New Testament passages that speak of Christ.
The historic interlude (chs. 36–39) leaves the high plateau of prophecy and drops down to the record of history. Even the form of language is different. It is couched in the form of prose rather than poetry.
The third and last major division (chs. 40–66) returns to the poetic form but is in contrast to the first major section. In the first we had judgment and the righteous government of God; in the last we have the grace of God, the suffering, and the glory to follow. Here all is grace and glory. The opening “Comfort ye” sets the mood and te
It is this section that has caused the liberal critics to postulate the Deutero-Isaiah hypothesis. A change of subject matter does not necessitate a change of authorship. It is interesting that for nineteen hundred years there was not a word about a second Isaiah. John refers to this section as authored by Isaiah (see John 1:23). Our Lord likewise referred to this section as written by Isaiah (see Luke 4:17–21). Philip used a chapter from this section to win an Ethiopian to Christ (see Acts 8). There are numerous other references which confirm the authorship of Isaiah.
Isaiah prophesied many local events. When Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army, Isaiah made a very daring prophecy: “Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it” (Isa. 37:33). Also see Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the sickness of Hezekiah in Isaiah 38.
There are other prophecies which were not fulfilled in his lifetime, but today they stand fulfilled. See, for instance, his prophecies concerning the city of Babylon: “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged” (Isa. 13:19–22).
Further fulfillments relative to Babylon are recorded in Isaiah 47. Excavations at Babylon have revealed the accuracy of these prophecies. More than fifty miles of the walls of Babylon have been excavated. The culture of this great civilization is still impressive but lies in dust and debris today according to the written word of Isaiah. This is one of many examples that could be given. Others will come before us in this study as we proceed through the book.
The New Testament presents the Lord Jesus Christ as its theme, and by the same token Isaiah presents the Lord Jesus Christ as his theme. Isaiah has been called the fifth evangelist, and the Book of Isaiah has been called the fifth Gospel. Christ’s virgin birth, His character, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His second coming are all presented in Isaiah clearly and definitively.
OUTLINE
I. Judgment (Poetry), Chapters 1–35 Revelation of the sovereign on the throne
A. Solemn Call to the Universe to Come into the Court Room to Hear God’s Charge against the Nation Israel, Chapter 1
B. Preview of the Future of Judah and Jerusalem, Chapter 2
C. Present View of Judah and Jerusalem, Chapter 3
D. Another Preview of the Future, Chapter 4
E. Parable of the Vineyard and Woes Predicated for Israel, Chapter 5
F. Isaiah’s Personal Call and Commission as Prophet, Chapter 6
G. Prediction of Local and Far Events, Chapters 7–10 (Hope of future in coming child)
H. Millennial Kingdom, Chapters 11–12
I. Burdens of Surrounding Nations (Largely Fulfilled), Chapters 13–23
1. Burden of Babylon, Chapters 13–14
2. Burden of Moab, Chapters 15–16
3. Burden of Damascus, Chapter 17
4. Burden of the Land beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia, Chapter 18
5. Burden of Egypt, Chapters 19–20
6. Burden of Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Chapter 21
7. Burden of the Valley of Vision, Chapter 22
8. Burden of Tyre, Chapter 23
J. Kingdom, Process, and Program by Which the Throne is Established on Earth, Chapters 24–34
K. Kingdom, Mundane Blessings of the Milliennium, Chapter 35
II. Historic Interlude (Prose), Chapters 36–39 (This section is probably a prophetic picture of how God will deliver His people in the Great Tribulation, see 2 Kings 18–19; 2 Chron. 29–30.)
A. King Hezekiah and the Invasion of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, Chapter 36
B. King Hezekiah’s Prayer and the Destruction of the Assyrian Hosts, Chapter 37
C. King Hezekiah’s Sickness, Prayer, and Healing, Chapter 38
D. King Hezekiah Plays the Fool, Chapter 39
III. Salvation (Poetry), Chapters 40–66 Revelation of the Savior in the Place of Suffering (There is a threefold division marked by the concluding thought in each division, “There is no peace to the wicked.”)
A. Comfort of Jehovah Which Comes through the Servant, Chapters 40–48 (Polemic against idolatry—Help and hope come only through the Servant)
B. Salvation of Jehovah Which Comes through the Suffering Servant, Chapters 49–57
1. Redeemer of the Whole World, Who Is God’s Servant, Chapters 49–52:12
2. Redemption Wrought by the Suffering Servant, Who Is God’s Sheep (Lamb), Chapters 52:13–53:1
3. Results of the Redemption Wrought by the Redeemer, Who Is God’s Only Savior, Chapters 54–57
C. Glory of Jehovah Which Comes through the Suffering Servant, Chapters 58–66
1. Sin Hinders the Manifestation of the Glory of God, Chapters 58–59
2. Redeemer Is Coming to Zion, Chapters 60–66 (Nothing can hinder God’s progress—He will judge sin)
CHAPTER 1
Theme: God’s charge against the nation Israel
Chapter 1 is God’s solemn call to the universe to come into the courtroom to hear God’s charge against the nation Israel.
Isaiah lived in a time of tension. In many respects it was a time of crisis in the history of the world. World-shaking events were transpiring. Catastrophic and cataclysmic judgments were taking place. There was upheaval in the social order.
A new nation had arisen in the north; it was moving toward world domination. Assyria, the most brutal nation ever to put an army on the battlefield, was marching to world conquest. Already the northern kingdom of Israel had been taken into Assyrian captivity. The southern kingdom of Judah was in a precarious position, and an Assyrian army, 185,000 strong, was just outside the walls of Jerusalem.
In this dire, desperate, and difficult day Hezekiah entered the temple and turned to God in prayer. God sent His prophet with an encouraging word. He asserted that Assyria would never take Judah, the army of Assyria would never set foot in the streets of Jerusalem, and they would never cross the threshold of any gate of the city of the great King. But God was preparing another nation, Babylon, the head of gold down by the banks of the River Euphrates; this nation would eventually take Judah into captivity unless she turned to God.
God was giving Judah another chance. In order to establish the justice of His cause, God called her into court; He held her before His bar of justice. He gave her opportunity to answer the charge, to hear His verdict, and to throw herself on the mercy of His court. God invites us into the court to see if He is just. It is well for this day and generation to go into the courtroom and see God on the throne of judgment in this sensational scene.
In the thinking of the world, God has been removed from the throne of judgment. He has been divested of His authority, robbed of His regal prerogative, shorn of His locks as the moral ruler of His universe; He has been towed to the edge of the world and pushed over as excess baggage. This is a blasphemous picture of God! He is still the moral ruler of His universe. He is still upon the throne of justice; He has not abdicated. He punishes sin.
Isaiah records the principles upon which God judges the nations. God raises up nations, and He puts them down. The kingdoms of this world today are Satan’s, but God overrules them. God has permitted great nations to rise, and He has permitted Satan to use them; but when it is time in God’s program for certain nations to move off the stage, He moves them off—Satan notwithstanding. Even God’s own people, the Jews, are a testimony of the fact that He rules in the affairs of the nations of this world.
There is an expression that keeps recurring in my thinking from the Song of Moses which the children of Israel sang as they crossed the Red Sea. The expression is, “Jehovah is a man of war.” Yes, He is! And He will not compromise with sin. He will not accept the white flag of surrender. He is moving forward in undeviating, unhesitating, and uncompromising fury against it. There would be hope today for man if he could say with Isaiah, “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne” (Isa. 6:1).
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah [Isa. 1:1].
First of all, note that this is a vision “concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” I am sure that we will not make the mistake of locating either one anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. There is, however, a marvelous application for America today—one that we need to hear and heed.
“In the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.” Uzziah, the tenth king of Judah, became a leper because he intruded into the holy place, which even a king was not permitted to do. However, Uzziah is classed as a good king. Jotham, his son who followed him, was also a good king. But Ahaz, the grandson of Uzziah, was a bad king. Finally, Hezekiah, the last king mentioned, was a good king. He was the king who asked that his life be prolonged, and God granted his desire. Asking this was probably a mistake on Hezekiah’s part, because many bad things took place during his last years that actually were the undoing of the kingdom.
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me [Isa. 1:2].
God begins this prophecy in a majestic manner. This is God’s general judgment against Judah. He is calling the world, if you please, to come into the courtroom and listen to the proceedings as He tries His people. God does not do anything in a corner or in the dark. This language is strangely similar to the way Deuteronomy 32 begins: “:Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.” When God put the nation Israel in the land, having taken them out of the land of Egypt, He put down the conditions on which He was “homesteading” them in the Promised Land. He called the created intelligences of heaven and earth to witness these conditions.
Now, after five hundred years, God says, “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.” He is ready to take them out of the land and send them into Babylonian captivity. He calls the created intelligences of heaven and earth to witness that He is just and right in His dealings. His charge against them is rebellion. The condition upon which they were allowed to dwell in the land was obedience. They were disobedient; and, according to the Mosaic Law, when a man had a rebellious son, that son was to be stoned to death. God’s charge against them is a serious one. As His children, they had rebelled against the Mosaic Law in this connection. In the Book of Deuteronomy note the law concerning an incorrigible son: “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear” (Deut. 21:18–21).
This was what the Law did with a prodigal son. The crowd that heard Christ tell of the prodigal son was dumbfounded when He said that the father told the servant to kill the fatted calf instead of killing the son! When the prodigal son got home, he asked his father for forgiveness, and even before he finished his confession, his father had thrown his arms around the boy, kissed him, and forgiven him. Instead of stripes, the son was given a wonderful feast. God is not only just, but also merciful; but the rebellion of a son is a serious thing. Scripture has a great deal to say about it.
In order to emphasize His charge and break the tension of the courtroom, God indulges in a bit of humor. I trust that you recognize humor in the Bible—it will make you enjoy it a great deal more. I think that when we get into eternity, and get past the time of sin on earth and are finished with the program God is working out at this present time, we are going to have a good time. I think we are going to have many laughs and enjoy many hilarious situations. It does not hurt Christians to have the right kind of humor. God has put a lot of humor in the Bible. A lady, who was a member of a church I pastored, was upset every time I found humor in the Bible. She would make a trip down the aisle and tell me that I was being irreverent. She has been home with the Lord for a long time, and I do hope she has had a couple of good laughs, because she certainly never had them down here. The fact of the matter is, she acted like she had been weaned on a dill pickle. Unfortunately, she never found humor in this life, and she didn’t seem to enjoy the Christian life as God has intended us to enjoy it.
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider [Isa. 1:3].
This verse is a splendid piece of satire. The two animals that are used for illustrations do not have a reputation for being very intelligent. Neither the ox nor the long-eared donkey has a very high l.Q. The expression “dumb as an ox” is still often used. The donkey does not wear a Phi Beta Kappa key. I should qualify that statement: I admit that I have met a few who do! However, even these animals have intelligence enough to know who feeds them.
When I was a pastor in Texas, there was a grassy vacant lot across the street from the church to which a very poor man with many patches on his overalls would bring his little donkey. While the donkey was grazing, many of the little boys and girls in the neighborhood would ride him, and even the preacher rode him once in a while. When I would get on his back, he wouldn’t pay any attention to me—or to anyone else. Late in the afternoon the donkey’s owner would come for him. When he came tottering along, the donkey would prick up his long ears. He knew his owner. He knew who was going to feed him that night.
On the contrary, a number of folk today do not have intelligence enough to know that God provides for all their needs. They don’t know that God feeds them. They do not even recognize that He exists. What a commentary on this sophisticated generation that no longer needs God. The story is told of a little boy, reared in a Christian home, who was having his first visit away from home. Although he was only going next door for the evening meal, he was eagerly anticipating the experience, and at five o’clock he was dressed and ready to go. When it came time for all of them to sit down at the table, the little fellow, who was accustomed to hearing the giving of thanks at the table, bowed his head and shut his eyes. But the home to which he had been invited was not a Christian home, and they immediately began to pass the food. Because he didn’t want to miss anything, he opened his eyes and looked around. The little fellow was just a bit embarrassed, but not having any inhibitions, he raised the question: “Don’t you folks thank God for your food?” Then the host was a bit embarrassed but confessed that they did not. The young lad was thoughtful for a moment and then blurted out, “You’re exactly like my dog: you just start in.” There are many people like that today. Multitudes of people live just like animals.
God said, “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib, but my people do not know.” We hear today that man has descended from animals. Who says he has? Man acts like animals act; in fact, it could be said that some animals are smarter than some men. Instead of man descending from animals, maybe animals descended from men; maybe they have evolved into something better than man. Man has dropped pretty low. I think what the Lord said, when He opened court, reveals that.
He continues His charge in verse 4:
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward [Isa. 1:4].
We see God as the Judge of all the earth and of His own people Israel. It seems a strange thing to think of God as a judge, because in the thinking of the world today God has been removed from the throne of judgment. He has been divested of His authority. He has been robbed of His regal prerogatives and shorn of His locks as moral ruler of the universe. He has been driven to the edge of the world and pushed over as excess baggage. Don’t think I am being irreverent when I say that modern teaching has given us a warped conception of God. He is characterized as a toothless old man with long whiskers, sitting on the edge of a fleecy cloud with a rainbow around His shoulders. He is simple, senile, and sentimental. He is overwhelmed with mushy love that slops over on every side, dripping honey and tears. He does not have enough courage or backbone to swat a fly or crush a grape. His proper place is in the corner by the fireplace, where He can either crochet or knit. This is the world’s conception of God, but that is not how the Bible describes Him. God is going to judge this universe just as He judged His own people. That ought to be a warning not only to nations but also to individuals.
Israel is described as “a people laden with iniquity.” This phrase throws a world of light upon the personal invitation that the Lord Jesus gave in the New Testament. He said,“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”(Matt. 11:28). Now we know what He meant—“laden with iniquity.” The people of Israel were laden with sin. Today His invitation goes out to those who are laden with sin to bring that burden and load to Him and find rest, the rest of redemption.
In this verse God spells out Israel’s condition. They are backslidden, they have turned away from God, and they are a people laden with iniquity. Now He is going to spell out in detail the charge that He has made against them.
This brings to mind the philosophy of human government upon which God operates. This system is presented to us in the Book of Judges, and you see this cycle of the history of human government working itself out in the nation. In the Book of Judges we saw Israel serving God, being blessed of God, and prospering. They began, in their prosperity, to turn away from God, and they finally turned to idolatry. They were in rebellion against God; in fact, they forgot Him. Then God delivered them into the hands of the enemy. In a short time they began to cry out to God for deliverance. When they turned to God, He delivered them from their enemies and put them back in the place of blessing. This picture follows all the way through Scripture, and history corroborates the fact that there are three steps in the downfall of any nation. There is religious apostasy, then moral awfulness, and finally political anarchy. Many people don’t pay any attention to the cycle until the stage of political anarchy is reached, and then they cry out that the government should be changed and a new system adopted. Well, the problem is not in the government. The problem in Jerusalem was not in the palace, but the problem was within the temple. The trouble begins when there is spiritual apostasy.
Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers [Isa. 1:5–7].
What God says in these verses is absolutely true. There is moral awfulness and political anarchy, but God is holding back. This still is not the charge that He is bringing against them.
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah [Isa. 1:8–9].
In other words, if there had not been a faithful remnant, God would have destroyed Israel as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. But there has always been a remnant of God’s people. There is a remnant today: there are Christians scattered throughout the world.
Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give car unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah [Isa. 1:10].
Now God is spelling it out. The whole problem is spiritual apostasy.
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats [Isa. 1:11].
God specifies His charges against His people. He has put His hand upon a definite thing, and He is going to prove that particular point in which they are wrong. He puts His finger on the best thing in Judah, not the worst. He shows them what is exceedingly wrong. Israel has a God-given religion and a God-appointed ritual in a God-constructed temple, but they are wrong in that which represented the best. They are bringing sacrifices and going through the ritual according to the letter of the Law, but their hearts are in rebellion against God. Their religion is not affecting their conduct. Frankly, that is a problem among believers today. A great many of us have reached the place where we have a form of godliness, but we deny the power thereof.
When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting [Isa. 1:12–13].
Even doing that which God has commanded becomes wrong when the heart is not in it and when it does not affect the believer’s conduct.
If the Lord Jesus were to come into your church next Sunday, would He commend you? Would He compliment you for your faithfulness to Him? Would He tell you how much He appreciates your attendance at the services and your giving to Him? I think not! The One who has “feet as burnished brass,” whose “eyes are as a flame of fire,” and from whose mouth there goes “a sharp two-edged sword,” would not commend us (cf. Prov. 5:4; Dan. 10:6; Rev. 1:14–16). I think He would tell most of us that all of our outward form, all of our lovely testimonies and loud professions, are making Him sick. Would He not tell us that we need to repent and come in humility to Him? Surely this is a warning to the churches of America. Fundamentally, our difficulty today is spiritual; and, until the professing church repents and has genuine revival, there is no hope for America.
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not bear: your hands are full of blood.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow [Isa. 1:15–17].
God says, “You are nothing in the world but a bunch of phonies. You come into My presence as if you are really genuine. You go through the sacrifices, but they have become absolutely meaningless to you.” God has spelled out His charge against them. They are guilty of spiritual apostasy. It has led to moral awfulness and to political anarchy in the nation. God has called Israel into court and has proved His charge against them. Israel is like a prisoner standing at the bar waiting for the sentence of judgment. God can now move in to judge them.
But even at this late date God is willing to settle the case out of court. He says to Israel, “Don’t go into court with Me, because you are going to lose.” The Judge has something else to say, and we stand amazed and aghast at what He says next:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool [Isa. 1:18].
God is saying to Judah, “Do not force Me to render sentence. Settle your case out of court.” In Matthew 5:25 the Lord Jesus said, “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him …”—don’t wait until he takes you to court. God says that He has a secret formula, a divine alchemy, a potent prescription, a powerful potion, a heavenly elixir that will take out sin. It is not a secret formula like the newest bomb, but it is more potent. You will find it in Isaiah 53 as the One who was more marred, who suffered more, who died differently, who was wounded for our transgressions. Because He paid the penalty, the Judge is able now to extend mercy to us. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, keeps on cleansing from all sin.
This is God’s charge against His people, and this is the basis on which they may turn to Him. If they will turn to Him, He will preserve the nation—He will give them almost one hundred years—then if they don’t turn to Him and change their ways, He will send them into captivity.
We see an application of this to our own country. In my beloved country I see political anarchy. It is obvious to most of us that men cannot solve the problems of this nation, and certainly not of the world.
The historical Gibbon gives five reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire in his book, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. As the first step towards decline, he lists the undermining of the dignity and the sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society. The second step includes higher and higher taxes, and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace. The third was the mad craze for pleasure and sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, and more immoral. The fourth step was the building of great armaments when the real enemy was within: the decay of individual responsibility. The fifth was the decay of religion, fading into mere form, losing touch with life, and losing power to guide the people.
You see, a nation’s decline begins with spiritual apostasy, which is followed by moral awfulness, and results in political anarchy.
Is there spiritual apostasy in this land of ours? Every informed Christian is aware that modernism has taken over most of the great denominations of America today; and, in this dire day, modernism, by its own confession, has failed. Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the mouthpieces of liberalism, is quoted as saying that liberal Protestantism has been inclined to sacrifice every characteristic Christian insight if only it could thereby prove itself intellectually respectable, but that liberalism finds itself unable to cope with the tragic experiences of our day.
I find in my file an interesting article clipped from the Wall Street Journal several years ago: “What America needs more than railway extension, western irrigation, a low tariff, a bigger cotton crop, and a larger wheat crop is a revival of religion. The kind that father and mother used to have. A religion that counted it good business to take time for family worship each morning right in the middle of wheat harvest. A religion that prompted them to quit work a half hour earlier on Wednesday so that the whole family could get ready to go to prayer meeting.” America’s problem is the same today; it is a spiritual problem.
Dr. Albert Hyma, when he was professor of history at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said, “The United States of America in the past fifty years has been dominated to a large extent by persons who do not understand the spiritual heritage bequeathed by their own ancestors.” Dr. J. Gresham Machen said, “America is coasting downhill on a godly ancestry, and God pity America when we hit the bottom of the hill.” Friend, we have hit the bottom of the hill, but God is saying to us, “Come, let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” There is a way out for America, but, if we go the same direction as other nations, our time is limited.
Aaron Burr was a grandson of the great Jonathan Edwards, who, upon an occasion, conducted meetings at Princeton, where Aaron Burr was a student. There was a great spiritual movement in the school. One night Jonathan Edwards preached on the subject, “The Mastery of Jesus.” Aaron Burr was deeply stirred, and he went to the room of one of his professors to talk to him about making a decision for Jesus. The professor urged him not to make a decision under any sort of an emotional appeal, but to wait until after the meetings were over. Aaron Burr postponed making a decision and went on to murder a great American and to betray his country. When he was an old man, a young man came to him and said, “Mr. Burr, I want you to meet a Friend of mine.” Aaron Burr said, “Who is he?” The young man replied, “He is Jesus Christ, the Savior of my soul.” A cold sweat broke out on the forehead of Aaron Burr, and he replied, “Sixty years ago I told God if He would let me alone, I would let Him alone, and He has kept His word!”
There is a way out for America, and there is a way out for you and for me. Someone has stated it this way:
Philosophy says: Think your way out.
Indulgence says: Drink your way out.
Politics says: Spend your way out.
Science says: Invent your way out.
Industry says: Work your way out.
Communism says: Strike your way out.
Fascism says: Bluff your way out.
Militarism says: Fight your way out.
The Bible says: Pray your way out, but
Jesus Christ says: “I am the way (out) ….”
After the Lord brings His charges against Judah and offers them salvation and a way out of their trouble, He continues gently with a warning.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it [Isa. 1:19–20].
The government of God and the grace of God are two aspects emphasized in the Book of Isaiah. During the remainder of chapter 1 God is attempting to move Judah back to Himself. He is giving the people a warning.
Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord Of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city [Isa. 1:24–26].
Judah’s destiny depends upon the people’s response to God’s offer of forgiving grace. If they are willing to turn from their sin and obey God, He will bestow His favor upon them materially and spiritually and protect them from their enemies.
Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen [Isa. 1:27–29].
This has to do with idolatry because the idols were placed under the oak trees, and a garden was planted around them.
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them [Isa. 1:30–31].
God has been misrepresented in the sense that He has been pictured as losing His temper and breaking forth in judgment. That is never a true picture of God. The fact is that our sin is like a wick, and when we play with the spark of sin, the fire will follow. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
CHAPTER 2
Theme: Prophecy concerning the last days: the kingdom and the Great Tribulation
Isaiah chapters 2 through 5 constitute one complete prophecy. These chapters look beyond the present time to the last days concerning Israel (the total nation of twelve tribes). As we move through these chapters, God makes it clear that He is speaking of all the tribes of Israel which will be brought back together. God always thinks of Israel as one nation.
The last days of Israel need to be distinguished from the last days of the church. God is not talking about the church in these chapters. There is no way of making what He says applicable to the church. We can be sure of this fact, because in the New Testament Paul says that the church was a mystery which was not revealed in the Old Testament at all. In writing to the Romans, Paul makes this very clear: “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25). Now if Isaiah had known about the church, it would not have been a new revelation in Paul’s day. From Paul’s day to the present time the church has been God’s agency through which He is giving His message to the world.
However, the church will be removed from the world at the time of the Rapture. Isaiah’s message looks beyond the time of the church to the day when God will begin to move in a new way. We call it the Great Tribulation Period, at the close of which He will set up His kingdom.
PREVIEW OF THE FUTURE FOR JUDAH AND JERUSALEM
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem [Isa. 2:1].
When Isaiah speaks of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem, he means exactly these people and places. Judah means Judah, Israel means Israel, and Jerusalem means Jerusalem. If Isaiah uses figures of speech, he will make it perfectly clear that they are figures of speech. The prophet will let you know when he is making a different application. Beware of the fallacy of spiritualizing prophecy in conformity to some outmoded theological cliché which fits into some church’s program.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it [Isa. 2:2].
“It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains.” Again let me say that this is not speaking of the last days of the church. The last days of the church pertain to the time of spiritual apostasy. Paul makes this clear in his pastoral epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith …” (1 Tim. 4:1). You can see that the “latter times” of the church and the “last days” of Israel are not identical, nor are they contemporary, although there is some overlapping. Certainly they do not refer to the same period of time. It is important to note this. The “last days” in this verse refer to the Great Tribulation Period. The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear, when His disciples asked Him, “When shall these things be?” (Luke 21:7 refers to the destruction of Jerusalem) that by the “last days” He meant the Great Tribulation Period. The Great Tribulation ends with the coming of Christ to earth and the setting up of His kingdom. The first section of Isaiah, chapters 2–5, deals with the Great Tribulation Period and the kingdom that shall be set up on this earth.
“The mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains.” This pertains to the nation of Israel after the church has been removed. The word mountain in Scripture means “a kingdom, an authority, or a rule.” Daniel makes this clear in his prophecy. “The Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains”—that is above all the kingdoms of this earth. The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. One of the reasons that today Israel is such a hot spot and such a sensitive piece of real estate is because it is the very spot that God has chosen to be the political and religious center of the world during the kingdom age. Speaking of those days Daniel says, “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:35). God’s kingdom will be exalted above the kingdoms of this world.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain [the kingdom] of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [Isa. 2:3].
Both government and religion will center in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ will sit upon the throne of David. One of the primary concerns of those who inhabit the earth will be to discover and do the will of God. They will seek to learn His ways and walk in His paths.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore [Isa. 2:4].
“He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people.” The period of the reign of Christ on the earth during the Millennium is another trial period for mankind. And there will be a great many judged during that period; and, of course, multitudes will be saved during that time also.
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks”—the rule of the Lord upon earth at this time will be righteous, and He will compel the nations to practice justice and fairness with each other. For the first time all countries will dwell together in peace. Only during the kingdom age will the people be able to beat their swords into plowshares. Joel 3:10 tells us that during the Tribulation just the opposite will be true: the people will beat their plowshares into swords. In fact, we are living in times like that right now. The idea of disarming nations and disarming individuals is, in my judgment, contrary to the Word of God. In the New Testament the Lord Jesus said, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace …” (Luke 11:21). If you are going to have peace and safety, you must have law and order. The prophecy of beating swords into plowshares will be fulfilled during the Millennium, when the Lord Jesus is reigning. Then you will be able to take the locks off of your doors, and you will be able to walk the streets at night in safety. You will not be drafted, because there will be no more war. There will be no more need for weapons for defense. The kingdom that the Lord is going to establish upon earth will be one of peace. He is the Prince of Peace.
It is futile, nonsensical, and asinine for any man or nation to promise to bring peace upon the earth today. The United Nations, which was founded to help bring peace on earth, is one of the greatest places to carry on battles. It has proven how impotent it is. It cannot bring peace on earth. It has only increased dictatorship on the earth. We do not have peace in the world. If you are a child of God with your thinking cap on and begin to think God’s thoughts after Him, you will find that you are living in a big, bad, evil world. If you expect to see a brotherhood of all men, you are doomed to disappointment, because man is not capable of bringing peace to this earth. There will be no peace as long as there is sin in the hearts of men and an overweening ambition to rule over other people.
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord [Isa. 2:5].
In view of the future that is coming, certainly we should walk in the light of the Lord. This is the only way of peace. When you leave God out, you will never have peace.
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not [Isa. 2:6–9].
Judah adopted new ideas from the heathen and incorporated them into their own religion. They embraced all kinds of ways from Assyria and Babylon. Before long they had joined the rest of the nations in worshiping the creature more than the Creator.
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low [Isa. 2:10–12].
God intends to break down the proud man—the man who thinks he can rule himself and the man who thinks he can rule the world without God.
And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan [Isa. 2:13].
The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan represent, I believe, the pride of man.
And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up [Isa. 2:14].
This has reference to government and society.
And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall [Isa. 2:15].
This is a reference to the military, which will be judged.
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures [Isa. 2:16].
Commerce and art are going to be judged.
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lordalone shall be exalted in that day [Isa. 2:17].
God is going to put down all of the pride and pomp of men.
And the idols he shall utterly abolish [Isa. 2:18].
God is going to get rid of all false religion.
And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth [Isa. 2:19].
The Book of Revelation repeats what man will do in that day of judgment: “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:15–16).
All you see on television today has to do with the political economy, government, commerce, art, the pomp and pride of man—and the religion of man. The day is coming when all of man’s pride is going to be brought low, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be exalted on earth. Today He is not being given His proper place in government, in society, in business, in art, or in the pomp and ceremony of the world—or even in the religion of the world, He is left out today. When He comes again, men are going to run for the caves of the earth. I don’t know whether men were ever cavemen or not, but a day is coming in the future when men are going back to the caves.
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth [Isa. 2:20–21].
“When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth” is the time of the Great Tribulation.
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? [Isa. 2:22].
Don’t put your confidence in man. You and I exhale, but we don’t know whether we are going to inhale the next breath. That is the frailty of man—if he misses one breath he is out of the picture. Multitudes today going about their daily business will have fatal heart attacks and disappear from the earth’s scene. Don’t put your confidence in man. Put your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ today.
CHAPTER 3
Theme: The cause of Israel’s undoing: weak government; loose and low morals
This is a continuation of the prophecy begun in chapter 2 (chs. 2–5 constitute a complete prophecy). In this section on judgment, chapter 3 reveals God’s judgment leveled particularly against the nation of Israel. Although it has application to other nations, the interpretation is definitely to Israel. Further along in this judgment section we will see God’s judgment of surrounding nations, which are among the most remarkable prophecies in the Word of God, and many of them have been literally fulfilled. However, we find that God’s judgment against Israel is more severe and intense than against any other nation. Why? Well, Israel was the nation God had chosen in a peculiar way, and it enjoyed a particularly close relationship to God. Privilege creates responsibility.
Because privilege always creates responsibility, I believe God will judge the United States more severely than He will judge any of our contemporary nations—like China, for example. The United States has been privileged to know the Word of God as no other nation has—except Israel.
Israel as a nation had more light than any of its neighbors, and light rejected brings severe punishment, as will be illustrated in this book.
The subject of God’s judgment may be offensive to you, but please don’t hide your head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. Let’s face reality whether we like it or not. God does judge sin. Not only will He judge sin in the future, He has judged it in the past. And He makes no apology for it.
The prophecy before us is a picture of Isaiah’s day, and it has been fulfilled. However, its fulfillment does not exhaust its meaning, because the conditions described will prevail again at the end times and will bring down the wrath of God in judgment—not only upon Israel but upon the nations of the world.
The first fifteen verses deal with the subject of weak government and women’s dress. These seem to be totally unrelated subjects, but we shall see that they are not as far removed as they appear to be. Weak government is caused by a lack of leadership, as evidenced by women rulers—and we will see what he means by this.
WEAK GOVERNMENT
For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water [Isa. 3:1].
This verse confines us to Jerusalem and Judah.
Although man does not live by bread alone, he surely needs it. This famine is a judgment of God. There are thirteen famines mentioned in the Word of God, and every one of them is a judgment from Him upon the nation of Israel.
The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator [Isa. 3:2–3].
God is going to remove not only bread and water but all the men of leadership. Qualified men for high positions are lacking, and this is a judgment from God.
This can be brought up to date. Have you been impressed by the fact that there are no great men on the contemporary scene? There are quite a few men who are passing themselves off as great, but they would have been pygmies in the days of Washington, Lincoln, Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, or the men who wrote the Declaration of Independence. I am not taking sides with any political party when I say this, but today there are many ambitious men, young and old alike, who have practically no qualifications as statesmen. One hundred years ago they would have been called cheap politicians, but today they are called statesmen!
We have men of war, but we have no great generals. Our army would not be in the situation it is in today if it had strong leadership. There is lack of leadership in our judicial system. We have an alarming crime wave because we have pygmies sitting in the seats of judgment. Where is the prophet, the prudent, and the ancient? We have no statesmen at all today. What we have is a group of clever politicians who know how to compromise. I am not talking about a certain political party. I am simply saying that it is always the mark of a decadent age and the judgment of God when a nation is not producing great men.
Moving into the field of the arts—what greatness do you see on the television screen? I get rather bored with the television talk programs. Generally the master of ceremonies comes out and says, “I am going to introduce you to a great artist, a genius.” And some little peanut comes out on stage, strums a guitar—doesn’t play any music at all—just yells at the top of his voice. And he is hailed as a genius! Another man comes along who is introduced as a great literary light, and all that he has written is a dirty book. My friend, we lack greatness in this day, but we are not willing to admit it because we have become a proud nation.
Where is greatness in the field of education? We used to believe that the educators had the solution to the problems of the world. Today it is obvious that educators cannot control even their own campuses.
It is said that we used to have wooden ships and iron men, but now we have iron ships and wooden men. I would go further than that and call them paper doll men. Our leadership is just a string of paper dolls!
And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them [Isa. 3:4].
As far as ability is concerned, men in high positions today should be wearing diapers. Juvenile adults are our rulers, and they are totally incompetent. That is exactly what brought Israel down to ruin in that day. Their leaders had the mental level of children, and God sent them into captivity. He judged them.
And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable [Isa. 3:5].
My friend, it sounds as if Isaiah were talking about our day, but the same was true in his day. The child, the little college student, is saying, “Listen to me. I have something to say.” I have been listening to them for years, and I haven’t heard them say anything yet. One class is set against another class. “The people shall be oppressed, every one by another.” We have groups of minorities who want to inflict their ways on others. Christians are a minority also, but certainly we are not being heard.
For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory [Isa. 3:8].
“Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen”—that’s what the prophet says. We don’t have many of God’s men in our day standing up, pointing at our nation, and saying, “Our cities are ruined,” although it is as true as it was in Isaiah’s time.
“Because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.” This is the key to the chapter, and it is the key to the ruin of Israel and of any other nation. God judges nations by their relationship to Him.
The problem with the United States of America is that God has been run out of Washington, D.C. God has been ruled out in every area of our lives. A few little men think they can rule the world. How we need to be humbled, and I think we have been humbled. Russia has humbled us. China has humbled us. And little Vietnam humbled us. We are being humbled all over the world; yet we don’t wake up. We continue merrily on our way, coasting downhill on our godly ancestry.
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves [Isa. 3:9].
Sin is out in the open. What used to be done in the backyard has been moved to the front yard. What was done under cover, is now done in the open. The boast is that we are more honest now. No, we’re not more honest; we are the same hypocrites that our fathers were. They were hypocrites because they hid their sin, and we are hypocrites because we are sinning out in the open and trying to say that the sin is good! This is exactly what Israel was saying.
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings [Isa. 3:10].
God promises to deliver His own people.
Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him [Isa. 3:11].
This is another way of saying, “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths [Isa. 3:12].
“Children are their oppressors.” The greatest problem in our day is juvenile delinquency. The greatest increase in crime is among young people, and the age drops every year.
“Women rule over them.” Oh, “women’s lib” will not like Isaiah, and they won’t like me any better. “O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” Whether women rulers are meant here or effeminate men is not clear. I think it is a little of both. The women’s liberation movement is another sign of a decadent age. When women act like men, they are not coming up to a high level but are descending to the male level. The woman has been given a greater amount of tenderness, but when she becomes as blasé and brutal as a man, she actually becomes worse than he is. And that is the downfall of the nation. That was true in Israel’s case, and it will be true in our own nation. Go to Italy and see the ruins of Pompeii, and then consider what removed the Romans from the earthly scene. The nation that once ruled the world collapsed—not because they were attacked by someone on the outside, but they fell from within.
Listen to Him now as He pleads with His people:
The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.
The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses [Isa. 3:13–14].
“The ancients” and “the princes” are the leaders of the nation. God lays the blame on the adult leadership. The juvenile problem did not originate with young people.
In Isaiah’s time there were a few who were trying to get rich and rule over everyone else. “The spoil of the poor is in your houses.” Godless capitalism and godless labor are big problems in our nation, and one is as bad as the other. The whole difficulty is that we are away from God. God is standing up ready to plead or ready to judge, and He will let the nation determine which it will be. We can have it either way. He will do one or the other.
WOMEN’S DRESS
Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet [Isa. 3:16].
What a picture of womanhood! The problem, of course, is in the heart. In 1 Peter 3:1–4 we read, “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation [or, conduct] coupled with fear. [This doesn’t mean that she is to take abuse from him, but she is to live a godly life before him.] Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; [if you are trying to hold your husband with sex, you’ll lose him]. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
When I counsel with young couples I always tell them that there are three cords that hold marriage together, and a threefold cord is not easily broken. There is the physical cord, and that is important. Also there is the psychological cord—the same interests. Third, there is the spiritual cord—the same love for God and His work. If a wife is trying to hold her husband with only her physical attraction, the time will come when he is no longer interested. This is what Peter is saying. A wife’s attraction should be more than the way she dresses and styles her hair. Her beauty should be in the way she lives her life with a gentle and quiet spirit.
Isaiah pictures the women of his day as haughty and sexy, “mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet.”
Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts [Isa. 3:17].
He is talking about a disease. Do you know that there is an epidemic of venereal disease in our nation right now? So many of our young girls look appealing, but they are like serpents along the way, as many a man is finding out to his sorrow.
In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon.
The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
The rings, and nose jewels,
The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty [Isa. 3:18–24].
Women’s dress is the barometer of any civilization. When women’s dress is modest it tells something about the nation as a whole.
In these last few verses twenty articles of women’s wear are mentioned by name. There certainly is nothing wrong with a woman dressing in style—if the style is not immodest. I feel that all of us should look the best we can with what we have, even though some of us don’t have too much to work with. God is not condemning the women of Israel for dressing in the style of their day. He is talking about the inner life. They were haughty and brazen. Real adornment is beneath the skin, not from the skin outward. Women’s dress is the key to a nation’s morals.
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground [Isa. 3:25–26].
There was a Roman medal which showed a woman weeping; the insignia beneath her read, Judea capta. It represented the captives of Israel. Because Israel did not heed the warnings God gave them, they went into captivity.
As I write this, the terrible loss of our young men in Vietnam is still fresh in our minds. But now we are a nation at peace, and we feel very comfortable. But, my friend, the bombs are yet to fall on our nation, which I believe will be God’s judgment upon us.
CHAPTER 4
Theme: Conditions that did prevail during the Babylonian captivity and will prevail at the establishment of the kingdom
This chapter is a continuation of one complete prophecy which began in chapter 2 and will conclude in chapter 5. In these chapters we actually have a synopsis of the entire Book of Isaiah, because he touches all the bases here that he will touch upon in the rest of the book.
Chapter 4 is the briefest chapter in the book; it is only six verses long. We have set before us a description of the conditions which prevailed at the time of the Babylonian captivity and also of the conditions which will exist during the Great Tribulation Period right before the setting up of the messianic kingdom.
The structure of the chapter is very simple. The first verse is the only one that depicts conditions during the time of the Great Tribulation, or the last days. The remainder of the chapter sets before the reader the preparation that will be necessary for entering the kingdom. This section, of course, is entirely anticipatory.
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach [Isa. 4:1].
These conditions will prevail because of the frightening casualties of war. That has been true of all wars, and these conditions will exist in the time of the Great Tribulation. In other words, because the manpower population will be so decimated by war, there will be a surplus of women, so much so that seven women will be willing to share one man in that day! And all of them will be willing to hold down a job. I suppose a man will do nothing in the world but keep books for the women and make sure that they turn in their proper share. It is an awful condition that will prevail. After World War II we experienced, to an extent, a manpower shortage in this country and also following our involvement in the Vietnam War. At that time, when I heard that there was something like a surplus of 80,000 women, I kidded my wife that she had better take good care of me as there just weren’t enough men to go around!
In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel [Isa. 4:2].
“In that day” refers to the Day of the Lord. This phrase will occur again and again in Isaiah (and in all the prophets), and it will be mentioned in the New Testament. Joel particularly will have something to say about it. It begins as every Hebrew day always begins—at sundown. It begins with darkness and moves to the dawn. It begins with the Great Tribulation and goes on into the millennial kingdom.
There is also a reference in this verse to the Lord Jesus Christ for He is “the branch.” There are eighteen Hebrew words translated by the one English word branch. All of them refer to the Lord Jesus. In this verse the word branch means “sprout.” Later, we are going to be told that He is a branch out of a dry ground. He is something green that has sprung up in the desert.
And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem [Isa. 4:3].
There will be those of God’s people, both of Israel and the Gentiles, during the Great Tribulation, who will survive that period. (Those who are martyred will, of course, be resurrected at the end of that time.) In Matthew the Lord Jesus expressed it in a way that may seem strange, but He is looking at the end of the Tribulation when He says, “… he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). Well, they were sealed at the beginning to make sure they got through it. The Shepherd is able to keep His own sheep, and therefore they are going to endure unto the end. We have the same thought in Revelation 7 which speaks of that great company, both Jew and Gentile, who were sealed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation and came through that period.
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning [Isa. 4:4].
Zechariah 13:1 tells us, “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”
God’s people must be prepared to enter the kingdom. This brings up a very pertinent question. Each year as we stand on the threshold of a new year, we say we are going to do better. We have been saying the same thing for years. My question is, “Are you fit today for heaven?” Suppose God took you to heaven as you are right now. Would you be fit for heaven? I cannot answer this question for you, but God is going to have to do a great deal of repair work on Vernon McGee to make him ready for heaven. That is what life is all about: it is a school to prepare us for eternity. Many people make a sad mistake to think that this life is all there is. Preparation is made on earth for eternity. Suppose God took you to heaven as you are. Would you be a square peg in a round hole? I am afraid I would be. Beloved, it does not yet appear what we shall be. He is going to have to make some changes.
And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence [Isa. 4:5].
The glory of God will be upon every house in the kingdom, not just upon the temple. What a glorious thing that will be!
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain [Isa. 4:6].
Security will come to the nation Israel in that day—at last. Today Israel does not have peace. Therefore this prophecy is not being fulfilled. The Jews are not back in the land with every man dwelling under his vine and fig tree in peace.
Note that peace always follows grace, mercy, and cleansing. The problem has never been with a political party. The real problem has never been with a foreign country. The problem is in the human heart. We war because it is in our hearts. Man is a warlike creature because he is a sinner and he refuses to deal with that question. There will be one war right after the other until the heart of man is changed.
CHAPTER 5
Theme: The song of the vineyard; the six woes that follow
This chapter brings us to the end of the section which was begun in chapter 2. The first seven verses are the song of the vineyard which tells of the sins of the nation Israel and the coming captivity. The balance of the chapter gives the six woes or the six specific sins which bring down the judgment of God upon the nation. The penalty for each sin is listed.
THE SONG OF THE VINEYARD
Those who can read the song of the vineyard in Hebrew tell me that it is without doubt one of the most beautiful songs that has ever been written. There is nothing quite like it; there is nothing to rival it. It is a musical symphony, and it is absolutely impossible to reproduce in English. It is truly a song and comparable to any of the psalms.
The vineyard is the house of Israel (v. 7). Thus, the vineyard becomes one of the two figures in Scripture that are taken from the botanical world to represent the whole nation of Israel. The fig tree is the other figure that is used.
Before His death our Lord gave a parable of the vineyard which obviously referred to the whole house of Israel (see Matt. 21:33–46). In Isaiah the prophet announces the imminent captivity of the northern kingdom into Assyria and of the southern kingdom into BabyIon. In Matthew the Lord Jesus Christ showed that God had given Israel a second chance in their return from the seventy-year Babylonian captivity, but the nation’s rejection of the Son of God would usher in a more extensive and serious dispersion.
Now listen to the song of the vineyard:
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill [Isa. 5:1].
“My beloved” is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.
“A very fruitful hill”—there is nothing wrong with the soil. The problem is with the vineyard itself, that is, with the vine. Verse 7 makes it quite clear that the vineyard is the house of Israel; it is Judah. It is not the church or something else. This is clear; we do not have to guess at these things.
God is again inviting us into court to consider His charges against Israel. And, my friend, the minute you listen to Him and to His charge against Israel, you will find yourself condemned.
And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes [Isa. 5:2].
God took the nation Israel out of Egypt and placed them in the Promised Land. He expected them to produce the fruits of righteousness and required them to glorify His name. They failed ignominiously.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard [Isa. 5:3].
God asks these people to judge, to equate the difference between God and Israel. Very candidly, friend, when you look at your own life, are you ready to complain against God? I know how I whined and howled when I got cancer. I thought the Lord was being unfair. Then I had the opportunity of lying alone on that hospital bed and looking at my life. My friend, God wasn’t wrong—I was wrong and I needed to face up to it. We need to get rid of the idea that somehow we are something special. God is not going to do anything to us that is unjust. He is not going to do anything that is wrong. You and I are wrong; God isn’t wrong.
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? [Isa. 5:4].
God states that He made every provision on His part for them to produce the fruits of righteousness. Their failure under these circumstances becomes serious indeed.
And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it [Isa. 5:5–6].
This is a clear prediction of the forthcoming captivities of both the kingdoms. For over five hundred years God had kept the great nations of the world off the land bridge of three continents—Palestine. He put a wall around the children of Israel. God would not let anybody touch them, though many times He could have judged them. But God says, “You are my vineyard. I have hedged you in, but now I am breaking down the wall.” First Syria, then Assyria, then Babylon—they all poured into Israel’s land and laid it waste. And in spite of everything that has been done in that land today, it is still a pretty desolate looking place. God has judged it.
“I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.” For over a thousand years, the former (fall) and the latter (spring) rains did not fall. That is why that land is so desolate today. The former rains, I understand, have begun, but not the latter.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry [Isa. 5:7].
You don’t have to guess whom the prophet is talking about. The vineyard refers to the whole house of Israel, and this verse makes that crystal clear. And in that vineyard God “looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.”
THE SIX WOES
Once again God is going to spell it all out. Six woes are mentioned here, and each one tells of a certain sin for which God is judging Israel. If you want to apply these to your life or to the life of our nation, you can do it. But the interpretation is for Israel; it has already been fulfilled for them. We can certainly make application to our own hearts and lives, however.
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! [Isa. 5:8].
This is the first sin of Israel. What is it? This sin is the lust of the eye; more specifically, it is covetousness. Colossians 3:5 tells us: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Covetousness is idolatry. It is a big business expanding at the expense of the little man. That is what happened in Israel—the little man was squeezed out. It was done so that great fortunes might be accumulated. The only excuse for such expansion is the insatiable greed for more property and possessions. God will judge the people for that.
It is a sad story that we have here. The picture is one of a great complex of farms. In Isaiah’s day the people were agricultural people. They built big corporations, big complexes. This was not done for the good of the little man, the small operator. It was done to accumulate wealth. Anything to which you give yourself completely becomes your religion. Many people today are worshiping at the altar of covetousness.
Covetousness is a mean-looking god. It has the face of a silver dollar or a dollar bill. It is one thing that brought down Israel and for which God judged them. Instead of following God’s instructions, they were beginning to take all of the richness from the soil. We are doing the same thing today. We are living in a world which is actually depleted of its energy. We are frantically searching for oil, for any kind of energy that can be used. Why? Because men are covetous, and that covetousness is depleting the earth of its riches. That is a judgment of God.
In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah [Isa. 5:9–10].
God is simply saying that even though they expand their lands, the yield will not be great because there will be a famine which will decimate the crop. Extended holdings will not produce a bumper crop at all.
The earth you and I are living on is running short of energy. We are running out of oil. We are running out of arable lands. This subject of ecology is an important matter. Pollution is destroying much of the earth. One of these days we are going to be on a desolate planet. We are quickly running out of energy. If you are planning on taking a trip, you had better go now, because there is going to be a shortage of fuel. It may not happen in our lifetime, but there are those who believe that it will be in our lifetime. This is the judgment that God made on the nation Israel in that day.
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands [Isa. 5:11–12].
This is the second woe, the second sin. Drunkenness and pleasure on a national scale are the sins mentioned here, and they lead to the deadening of all spiritual perception.
I notice that the news media do not release today, as they did a number of years ago, the number of alcoholics that we have in this country. The last report I got, which was several years ago, was that there were ten million alcoholics in the United States. They do put in the paper what is done with the tax money the liquor industry pays. It goes to take care of the alcoholics and to maintain police forces who take care of the accidents caused by drunk drivers! Of course, no one can pay for the lives of the innocent victims taken in such useless accidents. No one knows how many decisions are made in our government by people who have just come from a cocktail party. These are the things that lower the morals of a nation. They destroy a nation and eat at its vitals like a cancer. Such a nation is on the verge of falling prey to an enemy without.
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst [Isa. 5:13].
The majority of the people in this country think it is rather sophisticated to drink, that it is the thing to do. I was very much interested in an article in which the man being interviewed was the director of a therapeutic community for drug addicts in New York. One of the questions he was asked was, “Is there anything parents can do to prevent children from turning to drugs?” This man, whose answers indicated that he probably was not a Christian, said that of paramount importance is an attitude in the home of not using drugs, pills, or alcohol as a means of solving life’s problems. He went on to say that he didn’t mean that taking an occasional social drink was taboo (of course, he would not go so far as to say that!), but that the old rule, “Monkey see, monkey do,” is just as valid on this issue as it is on any other. He said that youngsters who grow up in an atmosphere of drug abuse will be among the first to try marijuana or pills when confronted with their own problems.
Father, mother, if you continue to drink cocktails—and I see it in many restaurants as I travel across the country—don’t be surprised if your Willie or Mary gets on dope. They will probably move in that direction. After all, why do you drink? The problem of young people on drugs started in the home where parents drink in order to face life. That is what destroys the home and the nation. Drunkenness is one of the things that brought down Israel. What about our nation?
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it [Isa. 5:14].
The word translated “hell” in this verse is actually “the grave.” It is not a reference to the lake of fire as we think of hell today. It is the Hebrew word sheol. It means that “the grave demands.” You find this same word in Proverbs 30:16 which says, “The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.” Death, or the grave, (both satisfactory translations of sheol) is never satisfied. This is the question to ask when you stand at the grave of someone: Where is he? Job asked this question, “But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?” (Job 14:10). That is the question everybody is going to have to ask.
Hell at first did not have the idea of a locality, but in time it was thought that since God was in heaven or above, hell or the grave must be below or down. In the New Testament the word hades is the same as the Old Testament sheol. The Lord Jesus used this word when He said, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell [hades] …” (Matt. 11:23). The Lord was not talking about a literal descent into the heart of the earth. He simply meant that Capernaum was going to be brought down, and all you have to do is look at the ruins of that place today to know that what He said was true. We always attach strong moral connotations to the terms of direction, up and down: up towards God and down towards hell. Here Isaiah is saying that the nation of Israel will be brought down. They are going to be taken into captivity, they are going to be brought down to the grave, and the glory of the nation will be turned into dust because of her drunkenness and pleasure.
Rudyard Kipling was a prophet as well as a poet when he wrote in his “Recessional”:
“Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre.”
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope [Isa. 5:18].
This can be translated: “Woe to those whose wickedness is helped by words of lying, who in their pride and unbelief the wrath of God define.” You can make a poem out of it, you see. This is the third woe, or the third sin. This is the picture of a nation giving itself in abandon to sin without shame or conscience.
That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! [Isa. 5:19].
In other words, they challenge God to do anything about their sin. It is interesting to note that no penalty is mentioned. The very silence here is frightening: the penalty is too awful to mention. The history of the deportation of the nation to Babylon tells something of the frightful judgment of God upon a people who sin with impunity against Him and defy Him. God will judge them.
Do you remember Psalm 137? In that psalm Israel prayed against Babylon. They prayed that there would be an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They said, “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones” (Ps. 137:9). That is horrible beyond words, but that is the judgment that came to Israel. My friend, God is a God of love, but when you reach the place where you defy Him and turn your back on Him, there is no hope for you. Judgment comes. There are just too many instances in history to deny this fact, unless you want to shut your eyes to them.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! [Isa. 5:20].
This is the fourth sin against which the fourth woe is leveled. It is an attempt to destroy God’s standards of right and wrong by substituting man’s values which contradict His moral standards. This is the confusion that comes upon a nation when they abandon God after He has blessed them in the past for their acknowledgment of Him. England is a present-day example of this, and America is fast deteriorating in the same direction.
We have this confusion in our standards of marriage today. I listened to a very beautiful little girl tell her story on a television interview program. She was living with a man to whom she was not married, and the reason she gave was that she was being honest—she did not believe in being a hypocrite. I have news for her: she is not only a hypocrite and dishonest, she knows that what she is doing is wrong and that she should be married. God says she is living in adultery. God calls him an adulterer and her an adulteress. I don’t care, my friend, what you might think about it—that’s what God says.
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! [Isa. 5:21].
This is the fifth woe, the sin of pride. God hates this above all else. Proverbs 6:16–17 tell us, “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” Pride was the sin of Satan according to 1 Timothy 3:6, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” Pride is number one on God’s hate parade.
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! [Isa. 5:22–23].
This is the sixth and last woe. Here a people have become so sodden with drunkenness that they have lost their sense of justice. Injustice and crookedness prevail, and the righteous man is falsely accused. No nation can long survive which drops so low in morals that it loses its sense of values.
Ours is a day when people are saying that wrong is right and right is wrong. In my younger days I was in a little theater group, and I remember memorizing a line from The Great Divide: “Wrong is wrong from the moment it happens ’til the crack of doom, and all the angels in heaven working overtime cannot make it different or less by a hair.” My friend, wrong is still wrong.
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel [Isa. 5:24].
“As the fire devoureth the stubble.” Though the process of deterioration and rottenness is slow and unobserved, the penalty comes like a fire in the stubble. It is fast and furious and cannot be deterred. It is the anger of the Lord bursting forth in judgment. It moves the frightful judgment of God in the last days.
In Matthew 12:20 the Lord Jesus Christ said, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.” He was quoting from Isaiah 42:3. There are certain sins that bring their own judgment; drunkenness is one, and drug abuse is another. I could give many instances of men I have seen engaged in these sins, and the sin worked in their own lives, in the lives of their families, and in their bodies until it destroyed them. God didn’t have to do a thing. The smoking flax will break into flame, and that bruised reed will die. The very sin that we commit is the sin that will destroy us.
When I was a young man in Nashville, Tennessee, I went to a dentist who was also a good friend. One day he told me something which had happened in that town several years before. He told me that one of the most reputable doctors in the city had headed up a dope ring. It was difficult for the law to reach him because of his position. One day the doctor tightened up on the dope in order to get a higher price. For a brief period of time he cut off the supply of dope. This, of course, pushed the price up higher. During that time both his son and daughter were exposed as addicts. He knew nothing about their problem until he cut off the dope supply. That man had the shock of his life, and it apparently led to his death, which occurred shortly afterward. God doesn’t have to put His hand in and judge every time. In many instances He just lets sin take its course.
The sin of drinking is all around us today. God doesn’t do anything about it. He doesn’t have to. Drunkenness will bring its own judgment. Judgment will come to the individual, and it will come to the nation. Those of us who have been in the ministry for a long time have seen drinking increase through the years, and I have seen some heavy drinkers be converted and turn to the Lord. But some of them would leave a bottle in the icebox, just in case. That is what leads many back into the awful sin of drinking. That is what Paul is talking about in Romans 8:12 when he says, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” In other words, make no arrangements with the flesh to do what it wants to do. Don’t leave a bottle in the refrigerator. Take the bottle out and break it. Many of us kid ourselves about our sins, but some of these sins touch all of us, I am sure.
Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still [Isa. 5:25].
“Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people.” This is a strange verse for many who want to talk about just the love of God. The love of God is real, and you cannot keep Him from loving you; but God hates sin, my friend. If you are going to love sin, still He will love you, but you can expect His judgment. The anger of the Lord is kindled against His people—not against the neighbors.
“But his hand is stretched out still.” If Israel had gone to the Lord and trusted Him, He would have delivered them. The judgment of God is in the Book of Isaiah but so is His grace. The government of God and the grace of God—they are not in conflict. If you are going to continue in sin, if you refuse the grace of God, then you will know what the government of God is.
In the rest of this chapter we see an accumulation of the judgment of God.
And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof [Isa. 5:30].
Take a good look at the land of Israel today. Many people who have traveled to Israel come back and say, “It certainly is wonderful. We are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy. The land is being reclaimed.” They go on and on about how prophecy is being fulfilled. I don’t see it that way at all. I see a people still in darkness. I see a people far from God. I see a people who are not living in peace and who need God. They are living in fear and are in great danger in that land today. My heart goes out to them. This is the judgment of God.
Consider the following poem:
OUR PRAYERLESS SIN
We have not wept for thy grief,
Israel, scattered, driven,
Shut up to darkened unbelief
While we have heaven.
We have not prayed for thy peace,
Jerusalem forsaken;
Thy root’s increase, by God’s great grace,
We age-long have partaken.
How trod thy street our Saviour’s feet;
How fell His tears for thee;
How, loving Him, can we forget,
Nor long thy joys to see.
Zion, thy God remembers thee
Though we so hard have been;
Zion, thy God remembers thee,
With blood-bought right to cleanse, may He
Remove our prayerless sin.
—Selected and revised
God is punishing His own people.
CHAPTER 6
Theme: The call and commission of Isaiah to the prophetic office
Chronologically, as well as logically, the Book of Isaiah begins with this chapter, which constitutes the crisis in the life of Isaiah and brings him into the prophetic office. Prior to this, we have no record of his life or relationship to God. His ministry began at the death of King Uzziah.
THE VISION OF THE LORD SEEN BY ISAIAH
In verses 1–4 are the time, place, person, glory, and holiness of the Lord in the vision seen by Isaiah. Now notice the time, the place, and the Person:
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple [Isa. 6:1].
Isaiah opens this chapter on a very doleful note taking us to the funeral of Uzziah. Uzziah has been a good king. Now he is dead. It is the belief of many that he was the last great king of the southern kingdom of Judah and that after his death the glory of the Lord was no longer to be seen. I am not sure but what that is true. Uzziah brought the Philistines, the Arabians, and the Ammonites into subjection. He had ruled for fifty-two years, and the nation had been blessed materially during that period according to God’s promise. As F. Delitzsch says, “The national glory of Israel died out too with King Uzziah and has never been recovered to this day.” I heartily concur with that statement.
In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah is thinking, Good King Uzziah is dead, and things are going to the bowwows now. Israel will be taken captive. Prosperity will cease. A depression will come, and famine will follow. In that frame of mind Isaiah does what every person ought to do—he goes into the temple. He goes to the proper place, the place where he could meet with God. Psalm 29:9 says, “… in his temple doth everyone speak of his glory.” In God’s temple Isaiah makes the discovery that the true King of the nation is not dead.
“I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple”—God is on the throne.
Isaiah has already told us not to put confidence in man, whose breath is in his nostrils. When man exhales, he doesn’t know for sure that he ever will be able to inhale again. A man can have a heart attack and die, just like that. Don’t put your confidence in man. Old King Uzziah is dead. Yes, it is true, and the throne looks pretty bleak right now but behind the earthly throne is the heavenly throne. Isaiah sees the Lord sitting upon a throne.
That is a vision that some of God’s people need in this day. I see no reason for being pessimistic. This is the greatest day in the history of the world. I would rather live right now than in any other period of time. Somebody says, “Oh, look at the terrible condition of the world. Look at our nation and the deteriorating condition in our cities.” Well, the Lord said it was going to be that way. He said that tares were going to be sown in among the wheat. And He was going to let them both grow together. My business today is sowing the seed of the Word of God. I know that it is going to bring forth a harvest. And it is heading up today—there is no question about that. We don’t need to be disturbed. God will take care of the harvest. Our business is to sow the seed, that is, to get the Word of God out to needy hearts.
This is a great day in which to live. Do you know that the Word of God is going out to more people than it ever has before? Even my radio broadcast is reaching more people in a half hour than I was able to reach in all my years of preaching behind a pulpit. And the message is going around the world! I realize the world conditions are alarming. The tares are really growing, but we have a good stand of wheat also. The wheat is growing right along. It is thrilling to be sowing the Word of God in this day!
When Isaiah goes into the temple, he finds that the Lord is still on the throne. And some of us need to be reminded that God is still on the throne in our day. He still hears and answers prayers. He is still doing wonderful things. Isaiah also makes another discovery when he goes into the temple. He finds out that God is high and lifted up and that His train fills the temple. That is the second thing we need to discover about God. God is high and lifted up, and He will not compromise with sin.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly [Isa. 6:2].
Seraphim are around the throne of God. This is one of the few mentions of these created intelligences in Scripture. Practically nothing is known concerning them. Seraph means “to burn.” It is the word used in connection with the sin offerings and judgment. Apparently the seraphim are in contrast to the cherubim. The seraphim search out sin, and the cherubim protect the holiness of God. Never is the word seraph connected with the sweet incense or sweet savor offerings, those offerings which speak of the person of Christ. The seraph is active, and the cherub is passive. We will find both of them in the Books of Ezekiel and Revelation as the “living creatures.” The seraphim in Isaiah’s vision are protecting the holiness of God. He is “high and lifted up.”
God will not compromise with evil. I thank Him for that. He will not compromise with evil in your life, nor in my life, because evil and sin have brought all of the sorrows in this world. Sin is that which puts gray in the hair, creates the tottering step and the stooped shoulder. It is the thing that breaks up homes and lives, and fills the grave. I am glad that God does not compromise with it. God says that He hates sin and He intends to destroy it and remove it from this universe. Today our God is moving forth uncompromisingly, unhesitatingly, and undeviatingly against sin. He does not intend to accept the white flag of surrender from it. He intends to drive sin from His universe. That is what God says. He is high and lifted up. My friend, you and I are going to have to bow before Him. When Isaiah saw God on the throne, it brought him down upon his face. Oh, how desperately the church needs another vision of God, not just of His love, but of His holiness and righteousness! Because God is holy, He moves in judgment against sin—and He has never asked me to apologize for Him. So I won’t. God is angry against sin, and He will punish those who engage in it. He says He will.
He also says that He is your Friend and will save you. But you have to come His way. You have to put your faith and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory [Isa. 6:3].
This pictures the holiness and glory of our God. He is high and lifted up; and, if we would see Him today in that position, we would be delivered from low living. It would also deliver some folk from this easy familiarity that they seem to have with Jesus. They talk about Him as if He were a buddy and as if they could speak to Him in any way they please. My friend, you cannot rush into the presence of God. He doesn’t permit it. You come to the Father through Christ. This is the only way He can be approached. You can never come into the presence of the Father because of who you are. You come into His presence because you are in Christ. The Lord Jesus made that very clear when He said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If you are His child, you can come with boldness to the throne of grace, but you cannot come to Him on any other basis.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke [Isa. 6:4].
“The voice of him that cried” is the voice of the seraphim as they proclaim God’s holiness.
What effect is this going to have on Isaiah?
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts [Isa. 6:5].
Isaiah was God’s man before he had this experience, but it still had a tremendous effect on him. The reaction of Isaiah to such a vision is revolutionary. He sees himself as he really is in the presence of God—undone. It reveals to him his condition. When he had seen God, he could see himself. The problem with many of us today is that we don’t walk in the light of the Word of God. If we did, we would see ourselves. That is what John is talking about in the first chapter of his first epistle: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth [keeps on cleansing] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If we walk in the light of His Word, we are going to see exactly what Isaiah saw—that we are undone and men of unclean lips. You have never really seen the Lord, my friend, if you feel that you are worthy, or merit something, or have some claim upon God.
Job had an experience similar to Isaiah’s, and his reaction was “I abhor myself.” Job was a self-righteous man. He could maintain his integrity in the presence of his friends who were attempting to tear him to bits. They told him that he was a rotten sinner, but he looked them straight in the eye and said, “As far as I know, I am a righteous man.” From his viewpoint he was right, and he won the match against them. But he was not perfect. When Job came into the presence of God, he no longer wanted to talk about maintaining his righteousness. When Job really saw who he was, he said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5–6). If you walk in the light of the Word of God, you will see yourself, and you will know that even as a child of God you need the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse you from all sin.
You will find that other men had the same reaction when they came into the presence of God. John, on the Isle of Patmos, wrote, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead …” (Rev. 1:17). When Daniel saw the Lord, he said, “Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength” (Dan. 10:8). That was also the experience of Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle. After Paul met the Lord, he no longer saw himself as a self-righteous Pharisee, but as a lost sinner in need of salvation. He then could say, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7). He saw his need of Jesus Christ.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar [Isa. 6:6].
This “live coal” has come from the burnt altar where sin had been dealt with. In the next chapter we will see the prediction of the birth of Christ, but it is not the incarnation of Christ that saves us, it is His death upon the cross. For this reason, Isaiah needs the live coal from off the burnt altar, which is symbolic of Christ’s death. This living coal represents the cleansing blood of Christ that keeps on cleansing us from all sin.
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged [Isa. 6:7].
Isaiah is a man of unclean lips, and the condition for cleansing is confession: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). I believe it would be more accurate to say that this glowing coal is symbolic of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the One high and lifted up on the throne, and He was the One lifted up on the cross. It is absolutely essential that He be lifted up, because He came down to this earth and became one of us that He might become “… the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
And so the lips of this man Isaiah are cleansed. I take it that this act of putting the coal on his lips was just an external manifestation of what happened in the inner man. It is what proceeds out of the heart of a man that goes through the lips; and, when the lips are cleansed, it means that the heart is cleansed also.
There was a man in the New Testament who also was “undone.” His name was Paul, and he cried out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). When Paul said this, he was not a lost sinner but a saint of God, learning the lesson from God that he needed to walk in the Spirit because he could not live for God by himself. Living for God can only be accomplished by divine grace. Man’s responsibility is to confess his sinfulness and his inability to please God. Therefore, we need to have the redemption of Christ applied to our lives again, and again, and again.
After Isaiah’s lips are cleansed, something happens:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me [Isa. 6:8].
It is interesting that up to this time Isaiah had never heard the call of God.
I think many Christians have never felt like they were called to do anything for God because they have never been cleansed. They have not seen this great need as Christians. God is not going to use a dirty vessel, I can assure you of that. It is true that God does bless His Word even when it is given out by those who are playing around with sin, but in time God judges them severely. I don’t dare mention any names, but I have known certain ministers who for awhile enjoyed the blessing of God. Then they got into sin, and it wasn’t long until the judgment of God fell upon them.
Isaiah heard God’s call: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” I don’t need to call attention to the fact that you have both the singular and the plural in this verse, and I believe it sets forth the Trinity. Isaiah’s response was, “Here am I; send me.” Isaiah heard God’s call for the first time and responded to it, as a cleansed individual will do. There are too many people today who are asked to do something in the church who first of all ought to get cleansed and straightened out with the Lord. They need to have their lips touched with a living coal. They need to confess the sins in their lives, because their service will be sterile and frustrating until that takes place.
Now notice the commission to Isaiah:
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not [Isa. 6:9].
The message Isaiah is told to give is very, very strange. “This people” means, of course, the nation of Israel.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed [Isa. 6:10].
At first glance it looks as if the prophet is being sent to those who are blind, deaf, and hardened people, but I think I can safely say that God never hardens hearts that would otherwise be soft. God simply brings the hardness to the surface; He does not make the heart hard. He does not make blind the eyes of those who want to see, but apart from His intervention they would never see. Nothing but the foolish blasphemy of men would say that God hardens or blinds.
Isaiah’s job was to take a message of light to the people. Light merely reveals the blindness of the people. In darkness they do not know if they are blind or not. Matthew 13:14–15 records the words of our Lord: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
Let me illustrate this. When I was a boy in Oklahoma, I used to have to milk a stubborn old cow. When it grew dark early in the evenings, I would have to take a lantern out to the barn with me. When I reached the corncrib two things would happen. The rats ran for cover—I could hear them taking off—and the little birds that were roosting up in the rafters would begin to twitter around and sing. The presence of light caused one to flee and the other to sing. Now, did the light make a rat a rat? No. He was a rat before the light got there. The light only revealed that he was a rat. When the Lord Jesus came into the world, He was the Light of the world. In His presence two things happened: He caused the birds to sing and the rats to run.
Let me illustrate this same thought with another story. Years ago there was a big explosion in a mine in West Virginia, and many men were blocked off in the mine because of the cave-ins. After several days a rescue party dug through to the trapped men. And one of the first things they managed to get through to them was a light. After the light came on, a fine young miner said, “Why doesn’t someone turn on a light?” The other miners looked at him startled, suddenly realizing that he had been blinded by the explosion. But it took a light to reveal that he was blind.
God blinds nobody. He hardens no heart. When the light shines in, it reveals what an individual is, and that is what Isaiah means. That is exactly why the Lord Jesus Christ quoted this passage.
Paul wrote, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:14–16). I have often said, as I have given an invitation to receive Christ, “If you have rejected Christ—if you come into this church as a lost person and are leaving a lost person—I am no longer your friend, because you cannot now go into the presence of God and say that you never heard the gospel.”
You see, the light of the gospel revealed that they were blind, and they rejected Jesus Christ. He didn’t make them blind, but He only revealed their blindness.
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ”—we always triumph. There are those who like to boast of the number who are being saved, but I would much rather boast of the fact that thousands and even several millions of people are hearing the Word of God. My business is sowing the seed, the Word of God. It is the business of the Spirit of God to touch the hearts of those who hear.
CHAPTER 7
Theme: Prediction of the virgin birth of Immanuel and of Assyria’s invasion of Judah
Verses 1 and 2 of this chapter speak of the civil war between Judah and Israel with Syria allied to Israel, resulting in a state of fear in Judah. Verses 3–9 tell us about the conduit of the upper pool where Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub meet Ahaz, king of Judah, with an encouraging word from the Lord. Verses 10–16 speak of the confirmation by the sign of the virgin birth to the house of David when Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign. Verses 17–25 tell of the coming invasion of the land of Judah by Assyria, which is predicted as a judgment.
And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it [Isa. 7:1].
In 2 Kings 16:2 we read, “Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord his God, like David his father.” The prophecy of chapter 7 follows the call and commission of Isaiah in chapter 6, which took place at the death of Uzziah. Jotham, his son, succeeded him to the throne; and he reigned sixteen years. In 2 Kings 15:32–34 we are told, “In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign. Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.” Jotham was a good king, as was his father Uzziah. Ahaz, Jotham’s son, succeeds him, and he does that which was evil.
Ahaz will reign for sixteen years, and he will be a very bad king indeed. There will be a time of civil war during his reign. It will be a time of great distress in Israel. If you want to know just how bad things were, the record is in 2 Kings 16:3–4: “But he [Ahaz] walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.” Ahaz is a bad egg, I can assure you of that, and he is frightened because Israel in the north teamed up with Syria, and they are coming against him. Although they do not prevail at first, Ahaz has every reason to believe that they finally will prevail.
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind [Isa. 7:2].
Ahaz cannot expect the blessing of God upon him or the nation. As a result, the alliance of Rezin, king of Syria, with Pekah, king of Israel, terrifies him and his people. Previously both Syria and Israel had attempted to take Judah. Alone they could not prevail, but together Ahaz is confident that they will be able to take Jerusalem. In spite of the fact that Ahaz is a godless king, God is not yet ready to let the people of Judah go into captivity. As we already know from history, Judah is not going to go into captivity in the north, but many years later they will be taken captive to Babylon.
Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field [Isa. 7:3].
Because God is not ready to deliver the kingdom of Judah into captivity, He wants to encourage the king so he will not make an unwise and frantic alliance with Egypt. So God tells Isaiah to meet with Ahaz.
There are several things we need to look at in this verse. First of all, Isaiah is to meet Ahaz “at the end of the conduit of the upper pool.” The place where he is to meet the king is suggestive. It is from this conduit that the life-giving waters pour for thirsty Jerusalem. It is here that the people can quench their thirst. You can’t get much satisfaction from a pipe filled with water—you must have a spigot on it somewhere. You must go to the place where the water comes out of the pipe.
Now this is symbolic of the fact that you are not going to get any blessing out of that house of David, but way down at the end of his line One is coming as the “water of life.” That One was the Lord Jesus Christ. He came in the line of David to bring the water of life.
Isaiah is to meet the king at the upper “pool.” The word for “pool” is berekah from the root word meaning “blessing.” I can assure you that in that land a pool of water is a blessing. This same word is used in Psalm 84:6, “… the rain also filleth the pools [berakah],” everywhere else is rendered “blessing.” This is a very interesting thing.
Notice also that it is “the upper pool.” Upper is the word used over thirty times for the Most High. You may recall that it was said of the one who came out to minister to Abraham that he was the priest of the Most High God (see Gen. 14:18). Now the blessing of the Most High God was given “at the end of the conduit” when Jesus came into the world.
“In the highway of the fuller’s field.” The highway is a path which is elevated above the surrounding land to keep the traveler’s feet clean. The spiritual application of the word highway is made clear in Proverbs 16:17: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil ….” This highway is the way of holiness. Isaiah will use this same figure in Isaiah 35:8: “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness.” This very interesting symbolism refers to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. The psalmist wrote in Psalms 84:5: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.” That is, blessed is the one who has the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Notice also that the meeting was to take place in the “fuller’s field.” The fuller’s field was the place where folk went to wash their clothes. It was the laundry of that day. Applying this to our own lives, if we want to get our lives cleansed, we must come to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “… ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
So you see, it is no accident that Isaiah is sent to this very interesting place for his meeting with Ahaz. It has a wonderful spiritual meaning for us.
Isaiah is told to take his son Shear-jashub with him. That is quite a name for a boy, but it is nothing compared to the second son whom we shall meet in chapter 8. Shear-jashub means “a remnant shall return.” The interesting thing is that God has always had a remnant that was true to Him.
And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. [Isa. 7:4–9].
The tenor of the message is to let Ahaz know that he need not fear the alliance of his two enemies in the north. God has determined that their venture will be a failure. The problem is, how will Ahaz know it? To begin with, he is a skeptic, a doubter, and an unbeliever. How will he be convinced that what Isaiah is saying is true?
God has never asked anyone to believe anything that does not rest upon a foundation. Faith does not mean to move blindly into some area and say, “Oh, I am trusting God.” That is very foolish. God never asks us to do that. For example, in our salvation we do not bring a little lamb to offer as a sacrifice; our faith rests upon the historical facts of the death, the burial and the resurrection of the Son of God. God never asks us to take a leap in the dark. He asks us to believe and trust something which rests upon a firm foundation, and it is the only foundation, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). If any person is an honest unbeliever and sincerely wants to know God, he will come to a saving faith. Folk with whom I have dealt who say that they cannot believe are not being honest. For example, a young fellow in San Francisco told me, “Oh, I want to believe; I am searching for the truth.” There he was, living with a girl in an adulterous relationship and saying that he was searching for the truth! The fact of the matter is that no man’s eyes are blindfolded unless he himself chooses to be blindfolded. If a person really wants to know God and will give up his sin and turn to Christ, God will make Himself real to him. In our day the problem is that a great many folk do not really mean business with God.
That is the problem with King Ahaz—he doesn’t mean business with God. Listen to him—
Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above [Isa. 7:10–11].
God knows that Ahaz does not have faith, and He is willing to give the king faith; but Ahaz is nothing but a pious fraud—and there are a lot of those around today. Listen to his false piety:
But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord [Isa. 7:12].
Isn’t that sweet of him? He sounds so nice, but he is one of the biggest hypocrites you will find in Scripture. This sort of thing is sickening, and I believe God feels that way about it.
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? [Isa. 7:13].
I hope you won’t mind my telling a little story. One day, in a Sunday school class for junior boys and girls, the teacher was telling the story about the Good Samaritan. As she related the parable, she was painting a vivid picture. She told how the man fell among thieves, how he was beaten up, and blood was gushing out from the wounds in his body. She told about the priest, and the Pharisee, and finally she came to the Good Samaritan. She wanted to clinch her presentation by making an application to the lives of the children. She first asked a little girl, “What would you have done?” She said, “Oh, I would have stayed and nursed him for a few days.” The next little boy didn’t want to be outdone, so he said, “And I would have brought him a box of candy.” The teacher went around the class with her question, and finally came to a little girl who had a very distressed look on her face. The teacher said to her, “What would you have done?” She said, “I think I would have thrown up!” Believe me, the teacher had painted a gory picture, and that little girl was being honest.
I think God feels that way about our piosity. My friend, don’t think you are being pious when you say, “Oh, I won’t test God.” God says, “Test Me. Try Me, and see if I am not good.” I actually feel fatigued when I talk to some folk who say that they are just going to step out on “faith.” Oh, my friend, wait until God puts a rock underneath you. Wait until God gives you definite leading before you make a fool of yourself and bring criticism upon the cause of Christ.
God says to this unbelieving king, “I’m not asking you to believe My message just because Isaiah said it. I want to put a foundation under it. I want to give you a supernatural sign so you will know that the message is from Me.” But Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign. So God is going to give a sign—not to Ahaz—but to the whole house of David.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [Isa. 7:14].
God puts a foundation under His prophecy; and, if you want to know whether or not the virgin birth is true, you can find out if you read the four Gospels. For example, in Matthew we read, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:18–23).
Isaiah 7:14 has become one of the most controversial verses in Scripture because of the prophecy concerning the virgin birth. Unbelievers have quite naturally discounted it and have sought desperately, but in vain, for a loophole to reject the virgin birth. The battle has been waged about the meaning of the Hebrew word almah, which is translated “virgin.”
The fact that the angel quotes this prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 to Joseph as an explanation for Mary’s being with child before her marriage to him is satisfactory evidence that the prophecy referred to an unmarried woman who had a son without physical contact with any man. The word used by Matthew (see Matt. 1:23) is the Greek word parthenos, which definitely means “virgin.” The same Greek word was used for the Parthenon, the Greek temple to the goddess Athena, which the Greeks characterized as being a virgin.
When the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was first published, the Hebrew word almah was translated “young woman,” with “virgin” in the footnotes—of course, it should have been reversed. Their argument was that almah meant only a young woman. While it is true that there are places in the Scriptures where it is translated “young woman,” it is evident that it means “virgin.”
For example, when Abraham’s servant went to Haran in search of a bride for Isaac and he prayed that God would direct him to the right girl, this is how Rebekah was described: “And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her …” (Gen. 24:16). The word damsel is the Hebrew word naarah, meaning “young woman,” but that she was a virgin was made clear also. Then when the servant was rehearsing this experience of praying for God’s guidance, he said, “Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water …” (Gen. 24:43), the Hebrew word almah is translated “virgin.” I don’t think that anyone could misunderstand what is being said here. When the word almah was used, it referred to a virgin young woman, that is, one who had had no sexual relationship with a man.
When the liberal theologian says that the Bible does not teach the virgin birth of Jesus, I feel like asking him if his papa had talked to him when he was a boy about the birds and the bees. He can deny that he believes in the virgin birth of Jesus, but he cannot deny that Isaiah and Matthew are talking about the virgin birth of Jesus.
Notice again Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah said that His name would be Immanuel, but you cannot find any place in the Gospels where He is called by that name. Immanuel means “God with us.” They called Him “Jesus” because He would save His people from their sins. But, friend, He cannot save the people from their sins unless He is Immanuel, “God with us.” Everytime you call Him Jesus, you are saying, “God with us.” He is God. He is God with us and God for us. He is our Savior, born of a virgin. Have you put your trust in Him?
When Isaiah gave this prophecy in 7:14, someone probably came to him and said, “When will this take place?” I have a notion that Isaiah looked down through the centuries and said, “It will be a long time.” Then how would the people of his generation know the prediction was true? The virgin birth of Christ would come to pass, just as Isaiah said it would, because God had spoken through Isaiah on many other things that were fulfilled during the days in which he spoke them. One of them was his prophecy about Hezekiah and the Assyrians, which we shall see in the historic section of Isaiah. The Assyrians once gathered outside the walls of Jerusalem, and they were 150,000 strong. Things looked bad for Jerusalem. It looked as if the city would fall. So Hezekiah went into the temple, got down on his knees, and fell on his face before God. He cried out for deliverance, and God sent Isaiah to him with a message. Isaiah told Hezekiah that he didn’t have to worry. The Assyrians would not come into the city, nor would they take it. In fact, Isaiah told the king that not even one arrow would be shot into Jerusalem. There were 150,000 soldiers outside the walls of Jerusalem and each soldier had a quiver full of arrows on his back and a bow in his hand. You would think that out of that many soldiers there would be one that was trigger-happy, one who would shoot an arrow over the wall just to see if anyone would yell. If just one soldier had shot one arrow over the wall into the city, Isaiah would have rightly been declared a false prophet. But no arrows were shot; the city was spared. What Isaiah had told Hezekiah came true. And the New Testament bears witness to the fact that the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ came to pass exactly as Isaiah had predicted.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good [Isa. 7:15].
Jesus was reared as a poor peasant in Palestine. This food was the simple diet of the poor.
For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings [Isa. 7:16].
This verse would be fulfilled by the time the Messiah came. This seemed unlikely in Ahaz’ day.
CHAPTER 8
Theme: The birth of the prophet’s second son as a sign; prediction of Assyria’s invasion of Immanuel’s land
Chapters 7–12 constitute a series of prophecies given during the reign of Ahaz. Some have attempted to identify the virgin’s Son of chapter 7 with the prophet’s son in chapter 8. The names preclude that possibility, and the additional information in chapter 9 makes it an impossibility for the two to be identical. The prophet’s son is a sign (see v. 18).
This chapter is rather significant as it contains the prediction of the invasion of Immanuel’s land by the king of Assyria. God had kept the flood tide of foreign invasions walled off from His people for over five hundred years. Now He opens the floodgates and permits an enemy to cover the land like a flood. The people are looking to a confederacy rather than looking to God for help.
This chapter concludes with a warning against spiritualism as the last resort of people who have rejected God’s counsel and turned in desperation to the satanic world. The end will be trouble, darkness, and anguish.
THE BIRTH OF THE PROPHET’S SECOND SON AS A SIGN
Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz [Isa. 8:1].
If you thought Shear-jashub was a strange name for a boy, try this one on for size! Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a remarkable name for a boy in any language. How would you like to carry this cognomen through life? That’s what Isaiah’s son had to do. I don’t know what his nickname was. They may have shortened his name to Maher, or Hash, or even Baz. There is a reason, however, why God wants Isaiah to give his sons these unusual names. The reason is found in verse 18 which says, “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” Both sons are signs, and their names carry a message.
Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “hasten booty, speed prey.” This simply means that God is against those who are against His people. Paul puts it like this: “… If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).
This boy’s name is also a message for Ahaz, the man on the throne. He is a godless man, and God is trying to reach him. He tells Isaiah to get a great tablet and write on it with a “man’s pen”—or, the stylus of a frail, mortal man. He is then to hang it up in a prominent place like a billboard so that everyone can read it. God wants this boy’s name written down so that the most humble person in the kingdom will see it, read it, and understand it. God is trying to reach Ahaz, first through Isaiah’s first son, Shear-jashub (“a remnant shall return”), and then through Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“hasten booty, speed prey”). This second son’s name is to assure Ahaz that God will take care of the enemies of His people.
And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah [Isa. 8:2].
Uriah means “Jehovah is my light.” Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers.” Jeberechiah means “Jehovah will bless.” This is an interesting combination, is it not? Thus, the one witness says by his name, “Jehovah is my light,” and the other says, “Jehovah’s purpose is to bless.” The offspring of these is the grace of God—that is, He will never forget His people.
In all of Isaiah’s actions there is a message for the people. He is acting out and writing out his message so that the people will understand it. The Book of Isaiah is a picture parable. Our Lord used this method also. The reason is that people will look at a picture. It is somewhat like television. It is amazing how many of us will sit in front of the television screen and watch things from that idiot box which under different circumstances we wouldn’t waste our time on. Because God knows the inclination of mankind, He tries to get a message across to these people by using a picture.
And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz [Isa. 8:3].
“The prophetess” in this verse is Isaiah’s wife, Mrs. Isaiah. She conceives and bears a son, and the child’s name is given to him before he is born.
For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria [Isa. 8:4].
Before this child is able to say “Mommy” and “Daddy,” the Assyrians will invade Syria and Samaria. The enemy in the north that is planning to come against Judah is going to be taken away into captivity. It will not be due to the brilliant military ability of Ahaz to work out a strategy that will bring victory. The victory will be due to the sovereign grace of God—God is making this perfectly clear.
The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks [Isa. 8:5–7].
This is another remarkable passage of Scripture. The people “refuseth the waters of Shiloah,” which means “sent.” They refuse the peace God offered them, a peace here typified by this gentle, rippling brook. In contrast, we see in verse 7 “the waters of the river, strong and many.” This is evidently the Euphrates River where Assyria was located. These waters came down like a flood. In other words, the flood waters of the Euphrates represent the judgment of God and are contrasted with the gentle waters of Shiloah. God is giving a message to His people through these two rivers. As Shakespeare put it in his play As You Like It, there are “tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.”
Shiloah is a softly flowing little spring. It doesn’t amount to much today, but it did in Isaiah’s day. It flows between Mount Zion and Mount Moriah. There is a message in that little stream, a message that you will hear if you have a blood-tipped ear. It is a message sweeter than the rippling music of the stream itself. It is the story of grace, of Mount Zion, which stands in contrast to Mount Sinai, which is symbolic of the Mosaic Law. Moriah is where Abraham offered his son, where David bought the threshingfloor of Araunah, and where Solomon put up the temple. And down at the end of that great shaft of rocks is Golgotha, where Christ was crucified. This speaks of grace. Moriah is where God provided Himself a Lamb. He spared Abraham’s son, but He did not spare His own Son.
So here God is speaking grace to this man, Ahaz. He is saying to him, “I’ll spare you, if only you will turn to Me.”
And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel [Isa. 8:8].
God will permit Assyrians to overflow the land of Judah, but He will never permit them to take Jerusalem.
PRONOUNCEMENT AGAINST A CONFEDERACY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOD
Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces [Isa. 8:9].
This is a warning against nations who form an alliance against God’s land. Beginning with Isaiah 13, we are going to have a series of messages to the nations that were contiguous to Israel, or at least had dealings with them in that day, and we will find that the judgment of God will come upon them. That section which goes all the way from Isaiah 13 to Isaiah 35 is a most remarkable section in God’s Word. Most of it is fulfilled prophecy. God says that the nations will never deter His purpose here on earth. It is interesting that the nations of the world no longer seek wisdom or counsel from God. God does have a purpose, and His purpose will prevail. If a nation goes in the other direction, judgment will come upon it.
Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid [Isa. 8:10–12].
Judah is not to be alarmed by the confederacy of Syria and Samaria. Fear had caused those in the north to unite, and God urges His people, “neither fear ye their fear.” In other words, they are not to turn to an ally among the nations, which probably would have been Egypt. Later on they will ally themselves with Egypt, which brings great tragedy to the land.
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem [Isa. 8:13–14].
They are to fear God above and look to Him. He will be either their salvation or a stone of stumbling. Cromwell was once asked why he was such a brave man. He had the reputation of being one of the bravest men who ever lived. He said, “I have learned that when you fear God, you have no man to fear.” Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” The Lord Jesus said that either you will fall on this stone—and He is that stone—fall on Him for salvation, rest upon Him who is the only foundation, and you will be saved; or He, the stone, will fall on you, judge you, and it will grind you to powder (see Matt. 21:44). You have two options: you can either accept Him or reject Him.
“Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself” is a strange injunction. Peter used this: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15). This is what God’s people need to do. Today there is this light thinking about God, a lack of reverence for Him and for His Word. There are those who sometimes ridicule things that are sacred, making light of things that should not be made light of. You and I need to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, because there are multitudes of people today who are not convinced that “… the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab. 2:20). If they believed, my friend, that He is in your church on Sunday morning, they would not be at the beach, at some picnic area, or out mowing the back lawn. They would be with you in church. You and I haven’t convinced them, have we?
PRONOUNCEMENT AGAINST SPIRITUALISM AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE WORD OF GOD
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? [Isa. 8:19].
We are seeing a resurgence of spiritualism today. More than fifteen years ago I wrote, “God forbids His people to dabble in this satanic system. When a people turn from God, they generally go after the occult and abnormal” (see Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:9–12).
There is a great turning today to the occult, to the spirit world, and to demonology. There are churches of Satan in Southern California and in the San Francisco Bay area. The members worship the Devil; many are worshiping Satan today. Even Christians are dabbling in the occult. Many of them talk about casting out demons. My friend, I am not in that business. I preach the gospel of the grace of God and the Word of God. That will take care of all the demons. I say that we need to let the occult alone because it is dangerous, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. Some people don’t believe there is any reality in it, but it is real, just as Satan is real. God warns us against it. Let us heed that warning.
And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness [Isa. 8:21–22].
These final verses reveal the final issue of pursuing a life of disobedience which will lead you into spiritualism. The result is dimness, darkness, and despair. Disobedience will take you there every time.
CHAPTER 9
Theme: Prophecy of the Child coming to David’s throne and the dark days attending His first coming and preceding His second coming
This chapter is one with which Christians are generally familiar because of the prophecy concerning the coming Child, who is Christ. Handel’s use of this chapter in The Messiah has added to the familiarity of the church with this particular passage. I am always thrilled when I listen to a presentation of Handel’s work, especially when they sing, “And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
The material presented in Isaiah 7–12 contains prophecies that Isaiah made during the reign of Ahaz. Ahaz was the one bad king that reigned during the period in which Isaiah prophesied. Isaiah began to prophesy at the death of Uzziah, who reigned for fifty-two years and was a good king. The next king was Jotham, Uzziah’s son, who was also a good king. The next king was Ahaz, the grandson of Uzziah and the son of Jotham, who was a bad king and a phony besides. It was during the reign of Ahaz that Isaiah made these prophecies concerning the Messiah. It was a dark period in the history of the nation.
THE HOPE OF ISRAEL
In verses 1–7 we find that the hope of Israel is in the Divine Child in both His first and second comings.
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations [Isa. 9:1].
The translation of this verse is not established. Actually, contrary meanings are suggested. This poses no problem to the reverent mind but reveals a divine purpose in permitting both to be possible.
“And afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.” Others have translated it: “But in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” It is difficult to see how both translations, “more grievously afflict” and “made it glorious,” can be sustained, but I believe it is enigmatic for a reason. The first translation would refer to the near fulfillment when God did afflict the northeastern portion of the land comparatively lightly in the invasions of the Syrians and later brought heavier suffering upon them in the carrying away of the people into captivity by the Assyrians (see 2 Kings 15:29).
But the other translation, “hath he made it glorious,” refers to the far fulfillment in the first coming of Christ. He did “make glorious” that area. Galilee was the despised area because it was a place where Gentiles had congregated. The Lord Jesus passed by Jerusalem, the snobbish religious center of the day. Jesus was neither born nor reared in Jerusalem. Nazareth was His hometown; and, when Nazareth rejected Him, He went down to Capernaum, which is on the Sea of Galilee in the despised periphery of the kingdom. Zebulun and Naphtali were located in the north, with Naphtali along the west bank of the Sea of Galilee and Zebulun adjoining Naphtali on the west. Nazareth was in Zebulun, and Capernaum (Jesus’ headquarters) was in Naphtali. As far as I can tell, the Lord Jesus never changed His headquarters from Capernaum. In fact, that explains why He pronounced such a severe judgment upon Capernaum—it had access to light as no other place had.
Matthew 4:12–16 tells us, “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” You will note that Matthew omitted the questionable clause. Otherwise, we would have the Holy Spirit’s own interpretation of the passage. I believe that the double meaning is intended by the Holy Spirit. Both are surely true.
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined [Isa. 9:2].
Regardless of the way verse 1 is translated or interpreted, it is obvious that the people in despised Galilee were in the darkness of paganism and religious tradition. That is one place where the Old Testament and paganism from the outside mingled and mixed. When the Lord Jesus began His ministry in that area, the people did see a great light. They saw the Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). This was fulfilled at the first coming of Christ. I think it is safe to say that the first two verses refer to our Lord’s first coming.
But to what period do the following verses refer? It is the belief of certain outstanding Bible expositors, among whom are Dr. F. C. Jennings and Dr. H. A. Ironside, that there is a hiatus, an interval, between verses 2 and 3, so that while the first two verses refer to Christ’s first coming, verse 3 refers to His second coming, as we shall see.
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil [Isa. 9:3].
The nation had been greatly multiplied and the people were more religious, but the joy was gone. They had a lot of religion, but they never had Christ. It was a period of great manifestation but no real joy.
The hiatus between verses 2 and 3 has already been two thousand years long. Why didn’t Isaiah give any prophecy about this period? Because during this interval God is calling out the church which was unknown to Isaiah. In Romans 16:25–26 Paul says, “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” Paul makes it very clear that the prophets passed over that which they did not see, as Isaiah does in the chapter before us. In Isaiah 63 we will come to a place where with just a comma Isaiah passes over a period of time that is already two thousand years long. The people in Isaiah’s day had no revelation concerning the church, but today the church has been revealed and the interval is filled in. This makes it clear that the rest of this chapter refers to the nation Israel, and the nation that was “multiplied” was the nation over which Ahaz was king. Notice that Paul says it was “made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” So, you see, the revelation of the church was for a different congregation. Isaiah was speaking only to one nation, his own nation of Israel.
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian [Isa. 9:4].
When will the burden be broken? It will be broken when Christ comes again. Why is it that Israel today cannot enjoy peace? Why are they plagued along every border? They are having all this trouble because they rejected the only One who can bring peace, their own Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. The power of the oppressor will not be broken until the Lord comes the second time.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire [Isa. 9:5].
What a sad thing it was when those fine young Jewish athletes were killed during the Olympic Games in Munich a few years ago. They were murdered by terrorists; and, when their bodies were sent back to Israel, their loved ones and the whole nation mourned. What is in back of all this? Israel has a Messiah whom they have rejected. He is the Prince of Peace, and He is the only One who can bring peace to this troubled and persecuted people.
While these verses complete the thought of verse 3, they also look beyond the immediate time to the Great Tribulation Period which is coming in the future.
Now we see the prediction of their Messiah’s coming:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this [Isa. 9:6–7].
How will this come about? “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Is this a reference to the first coming of Christ? Most Christians seem to think it is, because they quote it at Christmas time. However, I feel sure that it refers to the second coming of Christ when He will be “born” to the nation of Israel. This is a complete prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming, as Isaiah 53 is of His first coming. These verses continue the thought which we picked up in verse 3, and they look forward to the second coming of Christ.
The question arises of how “a child is born” at His second coming. First of all, let me clearly state that He was not born “untous, ” the nation Israel, at His first coming. They didn’t receive Him. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). Although He was born at Bethlehem the first time, He was not received by the nation—only a few shepherds welcomed Him. The wise men who came to worship Him were Gentiles from a foreign land. If you read verse 6 carefully, you will see that it was not fulfilled at His first coming, neither were verses 3, 5, and 7.
To say that Christ will be born to the nation Israel might be better stated. Actually, Israel will be born as a nation “at once,” which is made perfectly clear in the final chapter of Isaiah: “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed [that is the Great Tribulation], she brought forth her children” (Isa. 66:7–8).
Israel is to be “delivered of a man child” in the future, not by His birth, but by Israel’s birth. This will be the new birth of the nation Israel when Christ comes again. Israel will be born at the second coming of Christ.
I see no objection to calling attention to the fact that the child is born—that is, His humanity. The son is given, which will be true at His second coming. In other words, it will be the same Jesus who was here nearly two thousand years ago.
“The government shall be upon his shoulder.” The shoulder speaks of strength. The government of this world will be placed on His strong shoulders at His second coming; it was not at His first coming.
Notice the names that are given to our Lord:
“Wonderful”—this is not an adjective; this is His name. In Judges 13:18 we see the preincarnate Christ appearing as the Captain of the hosts of the Lord: “And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?” “Secret” in this verse is the same word as is translated “Wonderful.” In Matthew 11:27 the Lord Jesus said, “… no man knoweth the Son, but the Father …” The people did not know it, but He was Wonderful, and people still don’t know it today. There are Christians who have trusted Him as Savior but really don’t know how wonderful He is.
He is going to put down rebellion when He comes to earth the second time, and He is going to reign on earth. His name is “Wonderful!”
“Counsellor”—He never sought the counsel of man, and He never asked for the advice of man. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom. 11:34). God has no counsellor. The Lord Jesus Christ never called His disciples together and said, “Now, fellows, what do you think I ought to do?” You don’t read anything like that in Scripture. The Lord called them together and said, “This is what I am going to do, because this is My Father’s will.” And Christ has been made unto us wisdom (see 1 Cor. 1:30). Most of us are not very smart. We must go to Him for help.
“The mighty God”—The Hebrew word for this name is El Gibbor. He is the one to whom “all power is given.” He is the omnipotent God. That little baby lying helpless on Mary’s bosom held the universe together. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” He is the Mighty God!
“The everlasting Father”—Avi-ad, Father of eternity. This simply means that He is the Creator of all things, even time, the ages, and the far-off purpose of all things. As John said, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). In Colossians 1:16 Paul said, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” Then in Hebrews 1–2 we read, “God … Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds [ages].” The translation of the Greek word aionshould be “ages” instead of “worlds,” and that is the thought in this title of His—Father of eternity.
“The Prince of Peace”—Sar-Shalohim. There can be no peace on this earth until He is reigning. His government is not static; there is increase and growth. No two days are going to be alike when Jesus is reigning. He is going to occupy the throne of David. This is a literal throne which He will occupy at His second coming. Justice will be dominant in His rule. God’s zeal, not man’s zany plans, will accomplish this.
THE HELP OF ISRAEL
The remainder of the chapter, verses 8–21, covers the local situation in Isaiah’s day and will be partially fulfilled in the immediate future, but it also looks forward to the time of the Great Tribulation for a full and final fulfillment. God will continue to punish this nation and all nations that have turned their backs on Him, until He comes again. Modern men don’t like to hear this—they would rather listen to something comforting. Check your history books and see what happened to Israel and other nations who left God out. They have had a sad, sordid story, and I am afraid that you and I live in a nation that is getting ripe for judgment. If we escape, we will be the only nation in the history of the world that has escaped.
CHAPTER 10
Theme: Judgment of Assyria after she executes God’s judgment on Israel; the Great Tribulation and Battle of Armageddon
Once again I would like to remind you that this is a series of prophecies which began with chapter 7 and goes through chapter 12. They are prophecies which were given during the reign of Ahaz, a wicked king. On a black background Isaiah gives his predictions, speaking into a local situation, but also he looks down through the ages of time to that day when God is going to set up His kingdom here on earth.
This is another remarkable chapter in God’s Word. Great principles and gigantic programs in God’s dealings with men and nations are set forth. The chapter opens with a brief discussion on the courts of that day. The injustices of the courts of the nation are reflected in the culture of the people and the chastisement of God.
God will use the Assyrians as we shall see, to judge His people. And Assyria is a symbol of the future “king of the north” who shall come up against Immanuel’s land in the last days. This prophecy reaches beyond the immediate future of Isaiah’s day and extends down to the last days of the nation Israel. Isaiah identifies the period by the designation, “in that day.” The chapter concludes with the awesome picture of the approach of the enemy from the north to the Battle of Armageddon.
UNJUST JUDGES WILL BE JUDGED OF GOD
Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed [Isa. 10:1].
“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees”—that is, hand down unrighteous decisions. They should represent justice, but they do not give justice. These first few verses may appear at first to be a discourse of Plato or one of the moralists. The one notable exception is that behind human justice is the justice of God. The judge and throne down here on earth are to reveal His justice and are answerable to Him.
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! [Isa. 10:2].
This verse is very much up-to-date. I think we are seeing the working out of this in our contemporary culture, because the courts are to hand down justice and mirror the justice of God, and they don’t. Lawlessness abounds. People sink into degradation. The idea of freedom has been distorted. Every criminal who is arrested ought to be given a fair trial but in order that my family and your family can walk the streets in peace, criminals will have to be punished. Many who are guilty of crimes are set free by a softhearted, softheaded judge. That judge is not giving justice to me and my family or to you and your family.
We hear a lot about justice today, and that is what I want. I want the criminal punished so that I can walk the streets in safety, and so that I can live in my home in safety. In our land it is no longer safe for women to walk on the streets at night. It is not even safe for men in many places. What is the problem? The problem is in our courts—that is where God puts His finger down. The courts are not administering justice.
Now God mentions the poor and the widows and the fatherless; they are the ones who need justice. One of the leading political analysts in this country recently stated on a telecast that every program that has been devised to help the poor has hurt the poor. What is wrong? The only One who will give justice to the poor is God. Judges are supposed to represent God on earth. Today many godless men are judges. They are in no position to judge at all until they recognize that they are representing God.
One of the wonderful things about the founders of our country was the way they believed. Although Thomas Jefferson, for example, was a free thinker, he had great respect for the Bible. He was not what we would call a Christian, but he held God’s Word in high esteem and respected the statements made in it. We have gotten so far away from God and His Word that our courts and government don’t even recognize Him. It is a farce to have a man put his hand on the Bible and take an oath in a court of law today, because most judges do not believe it is the Word of God. The lawyers, the jury, and the men who are taking the oath probably do not believe it is God’s Word. When you don’t believe it, you might as well take an oath on a Sears and Roebuck catalog. Some of them may have more respect for that than they do for the Bible.
God is dealing with principles; and, until a judge represents God, he cannot represent the people. We have gotten so far from this concept that I am sure I sound like a square! And that’s what I am.
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? [Isa. 10:3].
God is saying to the judges, “You are to represent Me, and the day is coming when I am going to judge you.” I feel that every judge ought to recognize the fact that he is one day going to stand before God and give an account of how he has handled his responsibility here on earth. Judges in our day seem to have bleeding hearts; they want to show mercy to the poor criminal. Well, they should be meting out justice to both rich and poor. In the day of reckoning, the unjust judges will stand before the Just Judge.
Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still [Isa. 10:4].
This distortion of justice works itself out in all strata of society. It affects all men and brings about deterioration and degradation. Today we are at a new low as far as morals are concerned.
JUDGEMENT OF ASSYRIA AFTER SHE EXECUTES GOD’S JUDGMENT ON ISRAEL
Now we come to the key to the entire passage. Here God makes one of the strangest statements in the Bible, and it is too much for a great many folk. My friend, if you don’t like it, take your objections to God, because He is the one who said it.
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation [Isa. 10:5].
This is the key verse of the entire passage, and it sheds light on the whole purpose of God, for this verse says He will use Assyria as a rod to chasten His people Israel. This is an amazing thing. Just as you take up a switch to paddle a little fellow who has done wrong, so God is using Assyria as a switch. He is using Assyria to discipline His people. The destruction which Assyria will wreak is what the hand of the Lord God will wreak. This is difficult for modern man to swallow.
I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets [Isa. 10:6].
God goes so far as to say that He is responsible for sending Sennacherib, the Assyrian, against Israel and for sending the norther kingdom of Israel into captivity.
Assyria is a symbol of another kingdom in the north whom God will use in the last days. Many Bible expositors believe this verse has reference to the “beast” which will come out of the sea, mentioned in Revelation 13, who would be the ruler in the Roman Empire. I prefer to be specific and think it is a reference to Russia. Have you noticed that ever since World War II the Russians have won every diplomatic battle? They have won, and they have our country on the ropes today. I wonder if God may not be using them. You might say, “You don’t mean that God would use godless Russia?” Well, He used godless Assyria to spank His people in Isaiah’s day. God may be using Russia to humiliate us today, and she may have already done that. When we fought in Vietnam, we were not fighting the North Vietnamese; we were fighting Russia. It was a very nice, polite war, and it was embarrassing. It was tragic and horrible. Was God permitting our humiliation in an attempt to bring us to our senses? It didn’t seem to work—we have not turned to God.
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so, but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? [Isa. 10:7–8].
If you had asked the Assyrian if he was being used as a rod to chasten Israel, he would have laughed at you. If you had asked Russia’s dictators if they knew they were rods in the Lord’s hands, they would have given you a great ha-ha! They would think such talk was ridiculous. Neither did the Assyrian have any notion that he was prompted of God, nor would he admit it. The Assyrians were having great victories on every hand, and their pride blinded them to their true status. Because they were resting on their own strength and supremacy and were victorious everywhere they turned, they were like Little Jack Horner who sat in a corner, put his thumb in the pie, pulled out a plum, and said, “What a smart boy am I.” There are some rulers of nations who are like Little Jack Horner today, but God overrules, though He may be using them to accomplish His purpose.
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks [Isa. 10:12].
When God gets through using Assyria to punish His people, God will deal with the Assyrians and judge them. They do not escape, either; history is a testimony to the fact. God judged them. Isaiah shows that God controls and judges all the nations of the earth.
Now He asks a very pointed question:
Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself gainst them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood [Isa. 10:15].
Imagine an axe out in the woods. You are walking through the woods and hear something patting itself on the back and saying, “Look at this big tree I cut down.” You walk over to the axe and find nothing but the axe. You say to the axe, “What do you mean, you cut down the tree?” The axe replies, “The tree is down, and I did it.” You say that is silly. Somebody had to be using the axe, and that is exactly how it was with Assyria and other nations of the world. God uses nations. That is the reason it is so important today for men in our nation to recognize God, men who look to God for leading and guidance. But we have a divided nation today. In fact, we are lots more divided than we will admit. We have this minority group, that minority group, and the other minority group. However, the real minority is God. Although He is in the minority, John Knox said, “One with God is a majority,” and if you are with God, you are with the majority. We need to be sure that we are on God’s side today, because He is running the universe. As a nation we are a Johnny-come-lately. A two hundred-year-old nation is a baby compared to many of the other nations in history, and we have just about had it. The Assyrians are only instruments in the hand of God.
THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE REMNANT
Now we have a vision of the Jewish remnant during the Great Tribulation:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth [Isa. 10:20].
In this verse Isaiah begins to look beyond the immediate circumstances which concern the Assyrian to “that day.” As we have seen, “that day” is the day of the Lord, which begins with the Great Tribulation Period.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt [Isa. 10:24].
This is a word of comfort to Judah that she shall be spared from captivity by the Assyrians.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing [Isa. 10:27].
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
Again Isaiah moves beyond, “in that day.”
He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem [Isa. 10:28–32].
This is a remarkable section of prophecy. It gives certain geographical locations, all of them north of Jerusalem, and it shows the route taken by Assyria and of the future invader from the north, who I think will be Russia. The invader comes from the land of Magog (see Ezek. 38–39).
Now notice the places mentioned: “Aiath” is about fifteen miles north of Jerusalem. “Migron” is south of Aiath and is the pass where Jonathan got a victory over the Philistines (see 1 Sam. 14). I understand that General Allenby secured a victory over Turkey in the same place. “Geba” and “Ramah” are about six miles north of Jerusalem. “Anathoth” was about three miles north of Jerusalem. This is the home of the prophet Jeremiah. “Laish” is in the extreme north of Palestine, in the tribe of Dan. “Madmenah” (dunghill) is a garbage dump north of Jerusalem. “Gebim” is probably north of Jerusalem. The exact site is not known. “Nob” is the last place mentioned, and it is north of the city and in sight of Jerusalem.
This passage clearly charts the march of the enemy from the north, which brings a state of paralysis and defeat to Jerusalem.
Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled [Isa. 10:33].
God intervenes and delivers His people. I believe this is a reference to the second coming of Christ to establish His kingdom.
And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one [Isa. 10:34].
I believe the “mighty one” is Christ when He comes to the earth.
CHAPTER 11
Theme: The Person and power of the King; the purpose and program of the kingdom
Chapter 11 is a continuation of the prophecy begun in chapter 7 which will conclude with chapter 12. There is progress and development through this section of prophecies which were all given during the reign of Ahaz. In the preceding chapters we have seen a time of judgment, a time that the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation Period. Chapter 11 is one of the great messianic prophecies of Scripture. It speaks of the coming of Christ to establish His kingdom and the type of program He will have. In chapter 12 we will have the culmination of this section where we will see the worship of the Lord in the kingdom.
THE PERSON AND POWER OF THE KING
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots [Isa. 11:1].
It is interesting that it says “a rod of the stem of Jesse.” David is not mentioned; the one who is mentioned is David’s father. Of course that means He is in the line of David, but why does Isaiah go back to Jesse? Well, the royal line did begin with David. Jesse was a farmer, a sheepherder who lived in a little out-of-the-way place called Bethlehem. But by the time of Jesus, the line of David had sunk back to the level of a peasant. It no longer belonged to a prince raised in a palace, but it belonged to One raised in a carpenter shop. Isaiah, therefore, very carefully says that the rod comes “out of the stem of Jesse.”
Branch means “a live sprout.” This is the second time we have had a reference to the “Branch.” The first time it was mentioned was in Isaiah 4:2. There are eighteen words in the Hebrew language translated by our English word branch. This is one of the titles given to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53 He is “a root out of a dry ground.” Delitzsch, the great Hebrew scholar, wrote, “In the historical fulfillment even the ring of the words of the prophecy is noted: the nehtzer (Branch) at first so humble, was a poor Nazarene” (see Matt. 2:23). Christ had a humble beginning, born yonder in Bethlehem, a city of David, but a city of Jesse also.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord [Isa. 11:2].
This is the sevenfold spirit which rested upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The plentitude of power is the sevenfold spirit: (1) of the Lord; (2) of wisdom; (3) of understanding; (4) of counsel; (5) of might; (6) of knowledge; and (7) of the fear of the Lord. The number seven in Scripture does not necessarily mean perfection. The primary thought is fullness, completeness. John 3:34 tells us, “… for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” In Ephesians 5:18 we are admonished, “… be filled with the Spirit.” Some of us just have a few drops at the bottom, others are one-fourth filled, and some are half-filled. Very few Christians you meet are really filled with the Spirit. A little girl once prayed, “Lord, fill me with the Spirit. I can’t hold very much, but I can run over a whole lot”. Very few Christians are just brimming full, running over on all sides. The Lord Jesus was the exception to that.
1. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” The Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity went forth in the power of the Spirit. When He comes again, He is going to rule in the power of the Spirit.
2. “The spirit of wisdom.” He has been made unto us wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30). He is the only One who can lead and guide you and me through this life. We are no match for the world today. The Lord Jesus Christ could say, “… for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). Satan cannot find anything in Christ, but he can always find something in us. We need the Spirit of wisdom, and the Lord Jesus Christ is that Spirit of wisdom.
3. “And understanding,” which means spiritual discernment. It is distressing to find that so few Christians have any discernment at all. I am amazed the way some people will follow a certain man purely on a human basis. They like his looks, or the sound of his voice, and they never really comprehend what he is saying, or if what he is saying is true to the Word of God. Christians need the Spirit of understanding. That is one thing for which I have always prayed, and I seem to need it more today than ever before. We need to be aware of who is for the Lord and who isn’t.
Not long ago, while driving a car in another city, I was listening to the radio. A man who was preaching blessed my heart, but he went on to say that if he did not get support he would no longer be able to broadcast. I said to myself, “You would think the people in this city would have enough spiritual discernment to support him.” He is so much better than many who are being supported. I spoke to a pastor in that city about the man whom I had heard on the radio. He told me that he was a wonderful man, very humble, and a great Bible teacher, but he simply was not getting the support he needed. The Christians in that city need the spirit of understanding. My friend, have you ever prayed for the spirit of understanding? Ask God to give you the understanding that you lack.
4. “The spirit of counsel.” All of us need counsel. Did you ever notice that the Lord Jesus Christ never asked anyone for advice? He never asked for counsel; He gave it.
5. “Might”—that is, power. Oh, how we need power. Paul says, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection …” (Phil. 3:10, italics mine). We need that today.
6–7. “The spirit of knowledge” and “of the fear of the Lord.” I think these come through a study of the Word of God.
THE PURPOSE OF THE KINGDOM
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked [Isa. 11:3–4].
“The wicked” should be “the wicked one.” Satan will have his heyday on earth during the Great Tribulation. There will be no deliverance for the world at that time, humanly speaking. Even Israel will cry out, but help will not come from the north, the south, the east, or the west. Help will come from above. At that time the Messiah will come and establish His kingdom. The reason for the Lord Jesus coming to earth is quite evident: this earth needs a ruler. The world has not voted for Him, and it would not vote for Him, but God has voted for Him. And since this is God’s universe, God will establish Him on earth and He is going to judge—not after the sight of His eyes. There won’t be a lengthy court case, where, in the end, the criminal is turned loose. The whole thing is rather terrifying: there will be two judgments, one for believers and one for unbelievers. At the beginning of the Tribulation believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Then 1,007 years later there will be the Great White Throne judgment for the lost.
One day I am going to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything that is phony in my life will be brought out in the open, and so I have been trying to get rid of that which is phony. I want things to be crystal-clear, because someday the Lord is going to turn a light on my life and everything will be exposed. What a light that is going to be. It is rather terrifying.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins [Isa. 11:5].
The thing that will gird the Lord’s reign will be righteousness and faithfulness. The purpose of the reign of Christ on this earth is to bring in a reign of righteousness and justice as well as to restore the dominion lost by Adam.
THE PARTICULARS OF THE KINGDOM
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox [Isa. 11:6–7].
During the time when the Lord reigns on earth the calf and the young lion will lie down together. The only way they can lie down together today is if the calf is inside the lion!
“The lion shall eat straw like the ox.” That seems ridiculous to us. Anybody knows that a lion does not eat straw. But a Bible teacher, who has a very sharp mind, once said, “I will tell you what I’ll do. If you can make a lion, I will make him eat straw.” The One who made the lion will be able to make him eat straw when the time comes.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea [Isa. 11:9].
This kingdom shall extend over the entire earth.
THE PROGRAM OF THE KINGDOM
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious [Isa. 11:10].
The key to this verse is the phrase “in that day.” “That day” begins with the Tribulation Period and extends on into the kingdom. The Gentiles shall have a part in the millennial kingdom.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea [Isa. 11:11].
God shall restore the nation Israel to the land. They were established the first time in the land when Moses led them out of Egypt, and Joshua brought them into the land.
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth [Isa. 11:12].
What is the “ensign”? That ensign is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. It will not be some banner that will be lifted up, but He will be the rallying center for the meek of the earth in that day. That will be the day when the meek will inherit the earth. That is God’s plan. That is His program, and He will bring it to pass.
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt [Isa. 11:16].
A great super highway will extend from Assyria to Egypt over the great land bridge of Palestine. Apparently the nations of the world shall come over this to Jerusalem to worship (see Zech. 14:16–18).
CHAPTER 12
Theme: The worship of the Lord in the Millennium; the kingdom age
We have been following a series of prophecies beginning with chapter 7 and concluding with chapter 12. The series began with the judgment of God upon His people. In Isaiah 11 we saw that the kingdom would be established on earth and that the Lord Jesus would reign personally.
Here in chapter 12 we reach a high note. The Tribulation is past, and the storms of life are all over. Now Israel has entered the kingdom, and we find them worshiping and singing praises to God. And we find Israel at the temple, not at the wailing wall. Israel is at the wailing wall today, which is one of the proofs that Israel’s return to the land at the present time does not fulfill prophecy.
This brief chapter reads like a psalm—for that is what it is. It is a jewel of beauty. Here is set before us the praise of a people under the direct and personal reign of Christ. It is pure praise from redeemed hearts to God because of His salvation and creation. The curse has been removed from the earth, which is an occasion for praise to God for His display of goodness in creation. You and I have not seen anything like this in nature because of the curse that rests upon it. Today nature has a sharp fang and a bloody claw. During the kingdom age that will change entirely.
PRAISE OF JEHOVAH FOR HIS SALVATION
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me [Isa. 12:1].
Once again we have the expression “in that day,” which marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation Period and goes through the coming of the kingdom that Christ is going to establish upon the earth.
This verse expresses the thought that the night of sin is over and the day of salvation is come. Israel has gone through the terrible night of the Tribulation, and now the light has come. The Tribulation is over, and they enter the peace and joy of the kingdom. This is an occasion for praise! The thing that will characterize the kingdom age is pure joy.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation [Isa. 12:2].
Note that they will not say that God provided salvation but that He is salvation. Salvation is a Person, not a program, or a system, or a ritual, or a liturgy. Salvation is a Person, and that Person is the Lord Jehovah, the Lord Jesus Christ. They are praising Him for His salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation [Isa. 12:3].
The “wells” speak of abundance. His salvation gives satisfaction and joy to the heart. During the kingdom period there will be a time of great joy, which is what the Lord wants for His own. He wants us to be happy now. Our salvation should cause us to rejoice and sing praises to the Lord. I do not think we are ever witnesses to Him until we have that joy.
PRAISE OF JEHOVAH FOR HIS CREATION
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted [Isa. 12:4].
“In that day,” of course, refers to the Millennium, the light part of the day. The “day of the Lord” opened with the night of sin. Our day begins with sunrise, but the day in the Old Testament began with sundown. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). The time of the Millennium is the morning of joy and the time of thanksgiving to God for salvation—but not only that it is to thank Him for the fact that He is the Creator. His mighty and expansive “doings” are to be declared among the people, and His name exalted. The “doings” of God include not only His work in creation, but everything He does.
“In that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord”—hallelujah is the word.
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth [Isa. 12:5].
God has done great things. When the six days of renovation and creation came to an end, God looked upon His work and said that it was good. When God says it is good, it is good! I think it would be well for us to thank Him for a perfect salvation and thank Him for creation, even though sin has marred it. In my backyard I notice that the gophers have been burrowing under the fence, and ants get into the house, but in spite of these annoyances there is the singing of the birds and the beauty of the flowers and trees. Even though the earth has been cursed with sin, it is still beautiful. Just think how beautiful it will be when the curse is removed. We will have an occasion to sing praises to God in that day as well as today.
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee [Isa. 12:6].
This is one great throbbing and pulsating outburst of a redeemed soul who is giving to God all that a poor creature can—his hallelujah! We talk of our dedication to God, but we don’t even know what dedication means. In that glorious day Israel will know its meaning, and we will too.
CHAPTER 13
Theme: Destruction in the Day of the Lord and in the immediate future
Chapter 13 brings us to an altogether different section. The tone changes immediately. Chapters 13–23 contain “burdens” imposed on nine surrounding nations. A burden is something that you bear, and these burdens are judgments of God upon these nine nations. You could substitute the word judgment for “burden” and it would be just as accurate. This is a remarkable passage of Scripture, because most of the prophetic judgments have already been fulfilled. They are now facts of history. Each of these nations had some contact with Israel, and most of them were contiguous to her borders or not very far away. Israel suffered at the hands of some of them—and is suffering today—and will suffer again in the future.
You will find some names in this chapter that are strangely familiar. Egypt is one of them. While some of these judgments will take place in the future, the chief characteristic of this section is that much has been fulfilled and stands today as an evidence of fulfilled prophecy. All of this adds singular interest and importance to these eleven chapters. In this section the Assyrian is no longer the oppressor; another set of nations headed by Babylon takes his place.
It was not pleasant to the prophet to deliver this type of message. This was not the way to win friends and influence people. But God’s prophets were not in a popularity contest.
Babylon is the subject of the first burden. It is suggestive of many things to the reverent student of Scripture. First of all, the literal city of Babylon is the primary consideration. This is indeed remarkable, as Babylon in Isaiah’s day was an insignificant place. It was not until a century later that Babylon became a world power. God pronounced judgment upon Babylon before it became a nation!
This section does not end with the “burdens” on nine surrounding nations but extends through six woes in chapters 28–33 and concludes with the calm and blessing after the storm in chapters 34 and 35. These last two chapters again give us a millennial picture.
In chapter 13 we will see the punishment of Babylon in the Day of the Lord. I believe this looks forward to the Great Tribulation Period for its final fulfillment.
PUNISHMENT OF BABYLON IN THE DAY OF THE LORD
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see [Isa. 13:1].
The literal city of Babylon in history is in view in this chapter and also in chapter 14. It became one of the great cities of the ancient world. In fact, it became the first great world power and is so recognized in Daniel’s prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar was the “head of gold” of Babylon. He was the king of the first great world power.
The city of Babylon will be rebuilt in the future. Babylon is the symbol of united rebellion against God, which began at the Tower of Babel and will end in Revelation 17 and 18 where we will see religious Babylon and political Babylon ruling the world. During the Great Tribulation Period Babylon will go down by a great judgment from God. This possibly is the first mention of it in Scripture.
I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness [Isa. 13:3].
In this verse the word sanctified means “set apart for a specific use by some agency.” God says, “I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger.” God has “sanctified” or raised up Babylon for a specific purpose. He did the same thing with Assyria. In Isaiah 10:5 God said through the prophet Isaiah, “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” God used Assyria to punish His people, and then He judged Assyria. This is what He is going to do with Babylon. Anything can be sanctified if it is set apart for God. Assyria and Babylon were set aside to punish Israel. They were instruments in His hands for a specific purpose.
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle [Isa. 13:4].
This verse explains what we mean by“sanctified ones.” Babylon will come against the southern kingdom of Judah (as Assyria did against the ten northern tribes of Israel) and take it into captivity.
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land [Isa. 13:5].
The Babylonians will be the “weapons of his indignation.”
Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty [Isa. 13:6].
This prophecy looks beyond anything that now is in history and projects into the Great Tribulation.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt.
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it [Isa. 13:7–9].
During the Great Tribulation God will again use the power (called Babylon here) to judge these people, just as He did in the past. The Tribulation is spoken of as a time of travail, with men in travail. The Day of the Lord opens with this time of travail.
Now this identifies it as the Great Tribulation:
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine [Isa. 13:10].
This is prophesied again by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:29: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Revelation 8:12 tells us, “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”
And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible [Isa. 13:11].
“I will punish the world for their evil”—We are living in a world today that is moving toward judgment.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir [Isa. 13:12].
When Christ died for you and me on the cross, that added value to us.
Verses 13–16 go on to tell us that the Tribulation will be a time of worldwide destruction when no “flesh would survive” except for the fact that God will preserve a remnant for Himself.
DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON IN THE DAY OF MAN
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it [Isa. 13:17].
Who are the Medes? Media and Persia became a dual nation and a mighty empire that conquered Babylon. Isaiah is speaking of that which was going to take place in the immediate future. He identifies those who will destroy Babylon:“ the Medes.”
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah [Isa. 13:19].
This prophecy has been fulfilled. Babylon was the greatest kingdom that has ever existed upon this earth. The Macedonian empire was great; the Egyptian Empire was great, as was the Roman Empire. At one time Great Britain could have been named a great nation, but I don’t think anything can compare to the glory of Babylon. God’s Word calls it “the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency,” and that excellency God overthrew as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. All you have to do is to look at the ruins of ancient Babylon to recognize that that has happened.
It was a great city that was never rebuilt. Other great cities have been rebuilt. This is especially true of Jerusalem. Rome was destroyed and rebuilt. Cities in Germany were bombed out—absolutely obliterated—and were rebuilt. Frankfurt, Germany, was leveled, and it arose out of the ashes a great city. But Babylon did not arise. God said that it would never again be inhabited. It is true that Babylon will be rebuilt in the future, but not on the ancient site of Babylon. It will be built in a different place.
Babylon represents confusion, and the future Babylon will be a great commercial center, a great religious center, a great political center, a power center, and the educational center of the world again.
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there [Isa. 13:20].
How can Babylon be destroyed and yet appear in the last days as a literal city again? Already the site of the ancient Babylon is seven to nine miles from the Euphrates River. The river ran in a canal right through the ancient city of Babylon. The ancient site will never be rebuilt, but Babylon will be rebuilt on another site. The ruins of ancient Babylon stand as a monument to the accuracy of fulfilled prophecy.
Several archaeologists of the past who have excavated Babylon say that they were never able to get the Arabians to stay in the camp beside the ruins. The Arabians would always go outside the area and stay. They were superstitious. It is interesting that God said they would not pitch their tents in Babylon.
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged [Isa. 13:21–22].
“Wild beasts of the desert shall lie there.” Lions have been found making their homes amid the ruins.
“Satyrs shall dance there.” Satyrs are demons. Satyrs shall dance in Babylon. If you want to go to the dance of the demons, Babylon is the place to go. I hear of folk here in Southern California who worship Satan. One young fellow who claims to belong to a church that worships Satan came to me after a meeting and attacked me in a very vitriolic manner. He insisted that demons are real, and he worshiped them. I agreed that demons are real, but I cautioned him about worshiping them. Then I asked him if He had ever danced with the demons. He looked at me with amazement and said, “No!” So I told him where their dance hall is. I told him that demons dance in the ruins of Babylon. I said to him facetiously, “Why don’t you go over there? Brother, if you are going to go halfway, go all the way.” Babylon was the headquarters for idolatry in the ancient world. Apparently demons have this spot as a rallying place.
The future Babylon will become a great center on earth. The Man of Sin, the willful king, called the Antichrist, will reign in that place. It will be destroyed just as the ancient Babylon was destroyed. Babylon is a memorial to the fact of the accuracy of fulfilled prophecy and a testimony to the fact that God will also judge the future Babylon.
CHAPTER 14
Theme: The millennial kingdom established after the final destruction of Babylon; the origin of evil and its judgment; and the burden of Palestine
This chapter is a continuation of the burden of Babylon begun in chapter 13. The burden of Babylon is actually a judgment on Babylon. Babylon was the first of several nations upon which the judgment of God was to fall. All of the nations to be judged had something to do with Israel—either by physical proximity or political involvement. Great issues are at stake in chapter 14. The origin of evil and its judgment and final removal from this earth is the theme of this section.
Local situations and nations are the expression of these worldwide themes and eternal issues. This chapter looks at nations and the problems of life through the telescope rather than placing them under the microscope for inspection.
This chapter opens on a joyful note because of the final judgment of Babylon. The millennial kingdom is established with all fears and dangers removed. No enemy of God is abroad. The judgment here and elsewhere in this Book of Isaiah is explained. We will see here God’s plan and purpose for the earth.
This chapter is a mixture of light and darkness. The chapter changes from the ecstasy of the kingdom to the punishment of hell. Satan and the problem of evil are brought before us. There is an extended section on the final destruction of Babylon. This chapter of great subjects and strong contrasts closes with the insertion of the burden of Palestine, which was probably brought about by the sudden demise of King Ahaz (see 2 Kings 16:19–20).
THE FUTURE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL AND THE PEACE OF THE KINGDOM
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 [Isa. 14:1].
This verse reaches down to the end times. God has said again and again that the nation Israel will be restored to her land. Now I do not think you see the fulfillment of the prophecies there today. When God restores them to the land, Israel will not have any problems with other nations. They won’t need to turn to Russia, or the United States, or to the United Nations for help. The Lord Jesus will reign there.
There are many people who say they believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, but they will turn right around and say that this passage is not literal. When you deny its reality and the fact that it is literal, you deny the inspiration of Scripture. “For the Lord Will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel”—He has said that too many times for anyone to say, “I didn’t quite get it.” Or, “It means something else.”
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 [Isa. 14:2].
My friend, this has not yet been fulfilled. “The people” in this verse are Gentiles. The Gentiles are going to return them to Palestine. But the Gentiles up to this point have actually hindered them. Even Great Britain, when they had a mandate in the land, would not let the Jews return after World War II. But the Jews went in anyway, because they had to go somewhere. How the multitudes went to that land is a real saga of suffering. As I write, Russia is hindering the Jews from returning to Palestine. Other nations are not concerned for them either. Now the Jews throughout the world are interested in helping their brethren return to the land, but Gentiles are not helping them. I take it, therefore, that we are not seeing the fulfillment of Scripture.
And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve [Isa. 14:3].
The Jews have sorrow in that land today, and they are in fear. I walked through the streets of Jerusalem and through the streets of some other cities in Palestine some time ago, and there were soldiers everywhere. Why? The nation is fearful. Even if things were settled, they would still be in fear. There is no rest from sorrow for them.
That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! [Isa. 14:4].
I think “Babylon,” in this passage, represents the great enemy in the last days who will be headquartered in Babylon. It represents all the enemies of Israel. Babylon was an inveterate hater of this nation.
The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth [Isa. 14:5–6].
These verses speak of the final judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation Period. Judgment has to take place. This earth must be judged. There is too much injustice here. Someone is going to have to handle the judgment, and I thank the Lord that it won’t be me. I am thankful that we don’t have to look to men in these matters. The Lord Jesus will do the judging.
The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us [Isa. 14:7–8].
What is described in this passage has not yet taken place. After the war of Armageddon and the coming of Christ, rest and peace come to the earth. Instead of sorrow there is singing. Weeping is only for the night. The morn of joy has come.
THE FINAL RULER OF THE WORLD CAST INTO SHEOL
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations [Isa. 14:9].
“Hell,” in this verse, is Sheol. It can mean the grave or the place of torment. Evidently the latter meaning is in view here.
All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee [Isa. 14:10–11].
All the pomp and glory of man is removed.
THE ORIGIN OF SATAN AND EVIL
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! [Isa. 14:12].
“Lucifer” is none other than Satan. Lucifer, according to Ezekiel 28, is the highest creature that God ever created. But he was a Judas Iscariot—he turned on God. He set his will over God’s will. In Luke 10:18 the Lord Jesus says, “… I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” In 1 John 3:8 we are told, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Then in Revelation 12:7–9 we are told, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” This is a picture of this creature Lucifer at the very beginning.
What was the sin of this creature created higher than any other? Well, what is sin in its final analysis? I’m not speaking philosophically, but theologically—what is sin?
For thou hast said in thine 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 heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High [Isa. 14:13–14].
These are the five “I wills” of Lucifer. He was setting his will over against the will of God. This is sin in embryo. This is the evolution of evil. There is no evolution of man, but there is an evolution of sin. It began by a creature setting his will against the will of God. As a free moral agent, the creature must be allowed to do this. It is nonsense to talk about a creature who has a free moral will, who can do anything he wants to, but is restricted in his movements in a certain area. Lucifer had a free will.
This is man’s original sin: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). Murder is sin, not just because God says it is, but because it is contrary to the will and character of God. Anything that is contrary to the character and will of God is sin, regardless of what it is. I think that some people can even displease God by going to church.
Imagine little bitty puffed-up creature man, who says to God, “I won’t do what You want me to do. I am going to do it my way.” That is exactly what man is saying today. Well, friend, you are not going to do things your way, because God’s will is going to prevail in the final analysis. Therefore, the prayer of all God’s people should be, “… Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Anything contrary to His will is sin, regardless of what it is.
The sin of Satan was overweening pride. He did not go out and get drunk, and he didn’t steal anything. He went against God’s will. He was created as an angel of light; he was the “son of the morning,” a perfect being. He was given a free moral will—he could choose what he wanted. But he was lifted up—so lifted up by pride that he set his will against the will of God. It wasn’t the purpose of Satan to be different from God; he wanted to be like God. In other words, he wanted to be God. He put his will above the will of God, and any creature who does that puts himself in the place of God.
There are many men like Lucifer today. They put their wills above the will of God and take His place. That is what sin is all about in the human family. There are only two ways: God’s way and man’s way. That is what the Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). My friend, you live in God’s universe today. You breathe His air and enjoy His sunshine. He never sends you a bill for either one or for the life He furnishes. You are His creature. You owe Him a great deal. You are to obey Him.
In his natural state, man is unable to obey God; that is why we have to come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ as lost sinners. Then we are given a new nature. That is what it means to be born again.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? [Isa. 14:15–17].
God is yet going to judge Satan, and that judgment will be severe. Satan is finally going to be cast into the lake of fire which was prepared for him.
God is working out a great plan and purpose that is far beyond the thinking of anyone here on this earth. It is not for you and me to question it. Rather, we need to trust Him, because He is prepared to extend to us mercy, grace, and love.
THE FUTURE REBELLION OF BABYLON
All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house [Isa. 14:18].
Babylon was controlled by Satan. You remember that Satan offered to the Lord Jesus the kingdoms of this world (see Luke 4:5–7). Babylon belonged to him. Back of Babylon and all the kingdoms of this world is Satan. In the future, Babylon will evidently become the rallying point for all the nations which are against God.
For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.
I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts [Isa. 14:22–23].
If you have ever seen pictures of the ruins of Babylon, you realize how literally these verses have been fulfilled. In the future, Babylon will be rebuilt (though at a different site). It will once again be a place of world rulership, and it will be a Tower of Babel lifted against God. And again God will come down to judge, and that will be the final judgment. The reason that these great truths have been given to us is so that we will know what is coming in the future.
The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as 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 [Isa. 14:24–25].
“The Assyrian” represents the king that is coming from the north.
Verses 19–27 give a detailed account of the coming judgment of Babylon and all that it represents. It has been only partially fulfilled in the past, but it has been fulfilled quite literally.
THE FIERCE REPUDIATION OF PALESTINE
In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden [Isa. 14:28].
There is inserted at this point the burden of Palestine which was precipitated by the death of Ahaz. Ahaz had reigned for sixteen years and had been an evil king. The people felt he would be followed by an evil king, but they were delighted to be rid of him. There was a bare possibility that a good king might follow him—and they did get one, by the way.
Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent [Isa. 14:29].
Two more good kings ruled after Ahaz, but the worst kings are yet to come. The people are to understand that just the rule of man will not bring about an improvement in the world. In this country we seem to feel that if we change presidents or parties there is going to be an improvement. We have done that, and there has been no improvement. God tells Palestine not to rejoice just because Ahaz is dead. Things are not going to get any better at all.
Before the kingdom blessings prevail, there will be a severe judgment of God upon that land. It will be more severe than that of the surrounding nations, because this nation had light, and light creates responsibility. Isaiah is looking into the future when there will be the Great Tribulation Period and the Antichrist’s rule.
There are those who do not feel that the burden mentioned here is much of a burden, but it is called a burden, and it is about Palestina. The name Palestina is quite interesting. It refers to those who gave that name to the land, the Philistines. They had come up the coast out of Egypt, and they slipped into the land. They were there when Israel arrived. Apparently the Philistines had not been in the land during the days of Abraham, because the Canaanites were then in the land. But when the children of Israel returned four hundred years later, the Philistines had come into the land. In the Books of Zephaniah and Zechariah are specific prophecies against Ashdod and Ashkelon, two Philistine cities. They were to be destroyed, and it was literally fulfilled. Verses 30–32 describe the judgment in detail, and it is fierce!
CHAPTERS 15–16
Theme: The Burden of Moab
This brief chapter records the third burden, the burden of Moab. Chapters 15 and 16 deal with Moab. This seems strange in light of the fact that there were only two chapters that dealt with Babylon, and Babylon was the first great world power. Compared to Babylon, Moab may seem to us like it was very small potatoes. But in Isaiah’s day—in fact, as early as the time of David—this land was very important, and it was a great kingdom.
Moab was the nation which came from Lot through the incestuous relationship with his elder daughter. Moab, the illegitimate son of this sordid affair, was the father of the Moabites. These people became the inveterate and persistent enemies of the nation of Israel. Balak, their king, hired Balaam, the prophet, to curse Israel, for he feared them when they passed through the land of Moab.
The lovely story told in the Book of Ruth concerns a maid of Moab. This maiden of Moab was a very wonderful person. I am in love with Ruth and have been for a long time—not only the Book of Ruth, but also with my wife whose name is Ruth. David was part Moabite, for his father Jesse was a descendant of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth. David had relatives in Moab, and he took his father and mother there when Saul was pursuing him.
Today the nation of Moab has disappeared, but who are the modern Moabites? I feel that Moab is representative of those who make a profession of being children of God but actually have no vital relationship with Him (see Heb. 12:8). Like Felix and Festus, the Moabites were “almost persuaded.” They were not very far from the kingdom, but they never quite made it. They were neighbors of God’s people but never became followers of God.
The modern “Moabite” is easily discovered. He is in our churches today. He parades as a Christian. He is the one Paul describes in 2 Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. from such turn away.” Jude 16 also describes him: “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” The modern Moabites are ungodly. They pretend to be godly, but they are not. They flatter you with great swelling words when they think they can get something from you, but drop you the minute they find that they cannot get anything from you.
Moab was a dangerous friend to have. It was never a trusted ally of Israel.
THE SUDDEN DESTRUCTION OF MOAB
The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence [Isa. 15:1].
“In the night”—the burden of Moab came suddenly. This expression is repeated twice to emphasize the suddenness of the storm which struck the nation. The storm came at night, and their night of weeping never ended. Assyria destroyed this nation in a way that is unbelievable and almost unspeakable. They seemed to wipe Moab off the face of the earth.
“Kir” is Kerak on a mountain peak about ten miles from the southeast corner of the Dead Sea.
He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off [Isa. 15:2].
There are several places mentioned in this verse with which I do not think we are acquainted. “Bajith” means house and apparently refers to the temple of Chemosh which was in that land. “Dibon” was a town on the east side of Jordan where the Moabite stone was found. “Nebo” is the mountain from which Moses saw the Promised Land. “Medeba” was a city that belonged to Reuben (see Josh. 13:16).
All of these cities and places belonged to Moab during Isaiah’s day. They were going to be destroyed because, although the Moabites professed to know God, they spent their time in heathen temples dedicated to pagan gods, saying that they were worshiping the living and true God.
In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly [Isa. 15:3].
When I was in Amman, Jordan, I had a very funny feeling. It is a weird sort of place. It is a very poor land now, but in Isaiah’s day it was a rich country. I felt as if the judgment of God was still on that place.
THE SYMPATHY OF THE PROPHET FOR ZOAR
The judgment upon Moab was so serious that even Isaiah was moved:
My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction [Isa. 15:5].
Although Moab was the enemy of Israel, Isaiah’s heart goes out to them in sympathy because of the terror that has come upon them. This reveals the heart of God. In spite of people’s sin today, God still loves them and will extend His mercy to them if they will but turn to Him.
The rest of the chapter gives a detailed description of the further ravaging of the land of Moab. It has been literally fulfilled.
THE FINAL OVERTURE OF MERCY OFFERED TO MOAB
Chapter 16 opens with a last call to Moab to avail herself of the mercy of God which He has provided for her.
Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion [Isa. 16:1].
A lamb was to be sent from Moab to Israel for an offering on the altar there. The lamb was the animal of sacrifice which best depicts Christ, “… the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). If they sent a lamb, Moab would signify that they recognized the God of Israel. They did not send a lamb. The Moabites wanted to be religious without acknowledging the fact that they were subject to a higher will and were sinners in the sight of God. This was their great sin.
For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon [Isa. 16:2].
I crossed that little river of Arnon. It is not much of a river, and it certainly could not separate the Moabites from the Assyrians. They were taken there.
And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness [Isa. 16:5].
In Acts 15:16 James mentions that the “tabernacle of David” is “fallen down,” but that after God has called out the Gentiles to form the church, He will turn again and rebuild the tabernacle of David. This is what Isaiah is talking about here.
THE FIERCE PRIDE OF MOAB
We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so [Isa. 16:6].
The reason that God had to reject and judge Moab was that their pride had led them to reject God’s proffered offer of mercy. God would have delivered them, but instead they trusted in their own righteousness.
THE FULFILLMENT OF JUDGMENT WITHIN THREE YEARS
This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.
But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble [Isa. 16:13–14].
When God deals with the nations that have to do with Israel, He uses a calendar. He never uses a calendar with the church. Within three years the Moabites were to be destroyed, and within three years God used Assyria to destroy this nation. It was the judgment of God upon them because of their pride.
Lucifer, the son of the morning, was also lifted up with pride. He wanted to lift his throne above the throne of God. He wanted to establish his own self-contained kingdom and be independent of God. Basically, this is the position of all liberal theology. Pride is the thing that causes people to reject God’s Word and His revelation. Most people want a do-it-yourself religion. They want to do something to be saved, because it ministers to their pride. Many accuse church members of being hypocritical, selfish, and some actually anti-God. All this rests basically on the pride of the human heart: “we have turned every one to his own way” (Isa. 53:6).
Judgment came upon Moab. This out-of-the-way nation, entirely forgotten today, has had a message for us.
CHAPTERS 17–18
Theme: The burden of Damascus and Ephraim; the burden of the land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
THE BURDEN OF DAMASCUS AND EPHRAIM
Damascus was the leading city of Syria, and it still is that today. Many have called it the oldest living city in the world. There are, of course, several places that make the same claim. In Greece, the city of Mycenae claims to be the oldest, but there is not much there today except a very good Greek restaurant! By the Jordan there is a sign giving the kilometers to “Jericho, The World’s Oldest City.” I guess about every country in the world claims to have the oldest city. I have been waiting for my native state of Texas to make the same claim—I am sure they will dig it up some day. However, Damascus does have a good claim to it. It was Vitringa who wrote, “Damascus has been destroyed oftener than any other town … it rises again from ashes.” But “Damascus” in this chapter refers to the entire nation of Syria.
Ephraim is the name of a tribe of Israel, it is the name of a city, it is the name of a mountain, and it is the name of a man. Ephraim is often used in Scripture to refer to the ten northern tribes of Israel. The prophets used it in that way: “For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer …. Ephraim is joined to idols …” (Hos. 4:16–17).
Therefore, we have here in chapter 17 the burden of Damascus and Ephraim, or in other words, the burden of the nations of Syria and Israel. Because of the confederacy between Syria and Israel (often for the purpose of coming against Judah), Israel is linked with the judgments pronounced on Syria. Partners in crime means partners in judgment.
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap [Isa. 17:1].
“It shall be a ruinous heap”—there will be those quick to point out that this has not been fulfilled, inasmuch as the present-day city of Damascus claims to be the same as the original city. As I have said before, there is a far-off fulfillment of all these prophecies and a local or contemporary fulfillment also. There are two possible explanations for the problem presented by this prophecy:
1. Historians are not always accurate in their identification of such things as the locations of ancient cities. One man wrote a profound history not long ago and then made the statement that the biggest liars in the world have been historians. In the area of present-day Damascus there happen to be many ruins of a city, and any one of these ruins could be the original Damascus. Damascus is like a great many of the ancient cities in that when it was destroyed in one place, they did not always rebuild on the same site, but shifted it somewhat to another location. (Other cities, such as the sacred city of Jerusalem, were rebuilt on exactly the same site because of the significance of the location to the people.) We will just leave this problem to the archaeologist who hasn’t come up with the answer yet as to which of the ruins is old Damascus.
2. Damascus has withstood the ravages of war throughout history and has never ceased being a city, although it has shifted locations. It probably is the oldest city in the world. It thus far has survived every catastrophe that has come upon the earth, particularly in a land that has seen army after army march through it. But it will not survive during the Great Tribulation Period. It will be destroyed; and, as Isaiah says here, it will cease being a city. It will become a ruinous heap.
Both of these explanations show the accuracy of the prophecy that Isaiah gives here.
The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid [Isa. 17:2].
“The cities of Aroer” is a suburban area near Damascus. This entire area would be destroyed. This probably has happened in the past, and it will happen again.
The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts [Isa. 17:3].
The northern kingdom of Israel must bear her share of the burden or judgment of Damascus because of the alliance they have. Both were besieged by Tiglath-pileser, as recorded in 2 Kings 15:29, and were finally deported by the Assyrian, Shalmaneser, as recorded in 2 Kings 17:6. This certainly was a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy; and, as far as many are concerned, it is the total fulfillment. But I feel that all of this is looking even to a future day. Certainly this has been fulfilled partially at least, but oftentimes in the Word of God we find that God is letting us know by giving an earlier partial fulfillment, that a prophecy will be completely fulfilled.
In the remainder of this chapter we find that the judgment is going to be carried out. I will not go into much detail here.
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips [Isa. 17:10].
Isaiah is talking to the northern kingdom of Israel, and what he says has been literally fulfilled. It has its spiritual application also, as all of this does. The land of Israel in our day has been planted with pleasant plants and slips. I had the privilege personally of setting out five trees in Israel. The forests of the cedars of Lebanon have almost been removed, but there are many trees in that land. The Mount of Olives was covered with trees, but while the Turks controlled Palestine, practically all the land was denuded of its greenery. After World War I England began a movement to plant trees in that land, and the present government of Israel has continued this policy, so that literally millions of trees have been set out.
THE BURDEN OF THE LAND BEYOND THE RIVERS OF ETHIOPIA
Chapter 18 deals with the fifth burden, that of the land “beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.” The exact nation that Isaiah had in mind has not been clearly established, so there have been many interpretations. Some have thought that he is talking about Egypt, but the description does not fit that country. Also, Egypt is the subject of the next chapter, where we see that God is not through with that kingdom. Prophecy literally has been fulfilled concerning her. Those who say that chapter 18 is referring to England and the United States weary me with that interpretation. I feel like yawning, as that is certainly not sound interpretation of the Word of God!
I believe that Ethiopia best suits the text and tenor of Scripture. But which Ethiopia is intended? There are two mentioned in Scripture. The word for Ethiopia is Cush. There is one in Asia (see Gen. 2:13), and there is one in Africa. I believe we are talking about the Ethiopia that is in Africa. It is the land “beyond the rivers,” and the rivers of Ethiopia are the Nile River.
Now God calls the world’s attention to Ethiopia:
Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia [Isa. 18:1].
“Woe” is an unfortunate translation. Actually, it is the same word that is translated as “ah” in Isaiah 1:4, where it is a sigh, or as “ho” in Isaiah 55, where it is a form of address that demands attention. Here God is saying, “Ho, to the land—Hear Me, listen to this!”
“Shadowing with wings” might better be translated “rustling with wings.” This is quite interesting. A missionary to the land for quite some years told me that Ethiopia is noted for its birds. It is called “the land of wings.” This helps to confirm that the land in question here is Ethiopia.
That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! [Isa. 18:2].
Some have held this sea power to be England or the United States, but “vessels of bulrushes” would not characterize the boats of any modern nation! Dr. F. C. Jennings, in his profound work on Isaiah, makes a good case for the steamboat, but since modern ships use oil, this seems to have no place in our day.
“A nation scattered and peeled” is Israel. This is patently evident, and most of the sound students of the Word of God concur in this.
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye [Isa. 18:3].
Many students of the Word consider the “ensign” mentioned here to be the ark of the tabernacle, which was later transferred to the temple. It disappeared at the time of the Babylonian captivity, and there is a tradition which says it was carried to Ethiopia. I have been told that there is a church in that land that claims to have the ark. I don’t know if that is true or not, but an ensign will come out of that land.
In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion [Isa. 18:7].
This is evidently a reference to the time when the kingdom of Christ will be established on this earth and the Ethiopians will come again to Jerusalem to worship. There is no judgment spoken against them. In Psalm 87:4, evidently in reply to what he is doing in Jerusalem, the Ethiopian answers that he was born there. God has wonderful things to say about Ethiopia!
CHAPTERS 19–20
Theme: The burden of Egypt—through gloom to glory
Chapters 13–23 present eleven judgments against nations that surrounded the nation Israel. The burden of Egypt is the sixth burden. Egypt is certainly one nation we would expect to find on this list. This is one of the greatest passages that illustrate the accuracy of the Word of God. Certainly fulfilled prophecy is proof that the Bible is the Word of God. No nation figures more prominently on the pages of Scripture than Egypt in its relationship to Israel. Egypt has a longer history than any nation mentioned in Scripture, including Israel. In fact, it was down in the land of Egypt that the nation Israel was born. Seventy souls from the family of Jacob journeyed there, and four hundred years later they left Egypt with at least a million and a half people. Egypt was an old nation at that time. It has had a continuous history right down to the present day. It is in existence today and plays a prominent part in world events. And it has a glorious future predicted in this chapter. This chapter contains all the elements which enter into the history of the nation—its past, present, and future.
Egypt came into prominence early in Scripture when Abraham ran away to Egypt and got into difficulties. Later Joseph was sold into Egypt, and during a famine Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt with their families. There Israel became a great nation as slaves in the brickyards. Later on, after the children of Israel returned to the Promised Land, two of their kings, Ahaz and Hezekiah, made an alliance with Egypt and found her an unreliable ally.
During the intertestamental period, between Malachi and Matthew, Israel suffered grievously at the hand of Egypt. When the Lord Jesus Christ was born, He was taken down into Egypt. The gospel made many converts in Egypt during the first three centuries of the Christian era. Out of that section of North Africa came three great saints of the church—Athanasius, Origen, and Augustine—and others also. In our day, Egypt has been a thorn in the side of the new nation of Israel.
FULFILLED PROPHECY CONCERNING EGYPT
The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it [Isa. 19:1].
The idolatry of Egypt is the chief target of God’s condemnation. We will pick up this theme again when we get to the Book of Ezekiel where God says that every idol would disappear from Egypt. Perhaps no people were ever given over to idolatry more than the Egyptians, with the possible exception of Babylonia, which was the fountainhead of idolatry. What Paul said in Romans 1:21–23 fits Egypt like a glove: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.”
History bears testimony to the fact that Egypt was originally monotheistic, that is, they worshiped one God; but they gradually lapsed into the basest sort of idolatry where every creature under heaven was worshiped, including the bull, the frog, the scarab (a bug), the fish, and all sorts of birds. When Moses was ready to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt, God had to carry on warfare, which I call the battle of the gods, in which God through Moses brought down plagues upon Egypt. Jehovah struck at all forms of idolatry in Egypt—from the sun in the heavens and the River Nile to frogs and lice in the land. Each plague was directed against one of the gods or idols of Egypt.
Now God comes down again in a cloud like a chariot to destroy the idols of Egypt. It is interesting to know that idolatry has long since disappeared from the land, though the people dwell in the ignorance and superstition of the Moslem religion. I have visited Egypt twice, and there is no darkness like the darkness in the land of Egypt. Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled.
And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom [Isa. 19:2].
At about the time of Isaiah several pharaohs arose who could no longer control this great kingdom, and the army no longer obeyed them. The people no longer respected the government. This caused the setting up of weak city-states that were self-governing for a period of time. For this reason there were great cities such as Thebes and Karnak in Upper Egypt, and in Lower Egypt there was another cluster of great cities. There was a break-up of cities also at Memphis, known in Scripture as Noph.
And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits and to the wizards [Isa. 19:3].
The proud nation of Egypt had advanced its civilization much further than other nations. There is not a nation under the sun today that does not owe a great deal to the civilization of Egypt. There came a time when Egypt turned to idols and finally in desperation resorted to spiritism. You find that at the time of Moses, for instance, the magicians who were called in could actually duplicate some of the miracles that Moses did. The time came when they could no longer duplicate what Moses did, but what they did at first reveals the fact that they were not fakers; they actually had satanic powers.
“The spirit of Egypt shall fail.” The time came when the nation was brought down to a low level.
And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts [Isa. 19:4].
This “cruel lord” cannot be positively identified from history, as Egypt was attacked and subdued by a series of invaders who eventually reduced the nation to poverty.
And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up [Isa. 19:5].
The “sea” in this verse refers to the River Nile which was the main artery of the nation and a large body of water. “The rivers” are the canals that were built especially at the mouth of the river. That delta area had to be kept open in that day because so much soil was being brought down by the River Nile.
And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither [Isa. 19:6].
It is quite interesting that even today those “brooks,” those outlets to the sea there at the delta, are filled up. It had been a wonderful place like the Garden of Eden, but it is not that now by any means. Those who have traveled to the land of Egypt are amazed to see that there is no great growth of vegetation along the banks of the Nile. There is no forest or heavy foliage such as is common along other great rivers.
Now notice what God says specifically:
The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more [Isa. 19:7].
The “paper reeds” are the papyri which were used in that day as paper is used today. It was one of the main industries of Egypt, and it added a great deal to the wealth of Egypt. After clay tablets, papyrus became the writing material of man. The Phoenicians introduced papyrus all over the civilized world of their day, and the main source of this writing material was raised along the Nile River. You won’t find it there today. It no longer grows along the banks where it was indigenous. If you go there today, you will find papyri in front of the museum beside the pool that is there, and you see it growing at some of the wealthy homes, especially in the British colony at Cairo. It is a luxury plant; it is no longer the common plant which grew plentifully along the River Nile. God said it would cease. You can try to find a natural explanation for its dying out, but I believe that God had something to do with it.
The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish [Isa. 19:8].
Fishing was another great industry in Egypt, as the Nile River abounded in fish. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they missed the fish they had eaten in Egypt. Of course, there were no fish in the desert. God gave them flesh to eat when He sent them quail; but, very frankly, they didn’t care too much for quail on toast. They much preferred the fish in Egypt. The fish have disappeared, and to this day fishing is not one of the industries along the Nile. This prophecy was literally fulfilled. When I was in Egypt, I particularly watched for people fishing in the Nile. I don’t think I saw over two or three people fishing! In Florida you see hundreds of people fishing along the canals, but you don’t see fishing like that in Egypt. God said that the fishermen would mourn and lament—because they wouldn’t catch anything.
Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded [Isa. 19:9].
Egypt raised flax, and they wove it into remarkable linen. It even excelled the linen made in Ireland in our day. I have been told that while the Irish linen mills get about 180,000 feet of strands per pound, the Egyptian mills got 300,000—almost twice the amount. It was very much like silk. It is said that a fisherman could take a net made of that fine twined byssus linen and pull it through the ring on his hand! It was this Egyptian linen that was used in Israel’s wilderness tabernacle. The people had brought that wonderful linen with them.
Now God said that that industry would disappear, and it certainly has disappeared. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled.
And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish [Isa. 19:10].
The entire fishing industry was to disappear. This has been fulfilled literally. Dr. F. C. Jennings writes, “Egypt’s wealth, as already said, practically consists in her river, because of its volume here called a sea.” All of that has disappeared.
Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? [Isa. 19:11].
The royal line of the pharaohs intermarried so much—actually brother married sister—that it produced offspring who were morons. God said:
The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof [Isa. 19:13].
“Noph” is Memphis as we know it.
“They have also seduced Egypt.” We all know the sordid story of Cleopatra (a Greek) who became queen of Egypt.
The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit [Isa. 19:14].
This is a vivid picture of the reduction of Egypt to a base kingdom.
Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do [Isa. 19:15].
According to this verse there would be the failure of industry and commerce. They would die, and poverty and wretchedness would overtake the nation. Isaiah has predicted that there will be failure of false religion, failure of material resources, and failure of spiritual power. When these disappeared, the prophecy that Egypt would become a base kingdom was fulfilled. All you have to do is to go to Cairo today to have this confirmed.
UNFULFILLED PROPHECY
In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shaketh over it [Isa. 19:16].
The phrase, “In that day,” places this section in the future. “In that day” Egypt will be afraid like women; that will be their condition when they go into the Great Tribulation Period.
And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath determined against it [Isa. 19:17].
You may be thinking that this verse is being fulfilled in our day when we see buildings in Egypt, like the museum in Cairo, sandbagged and protected against a bomb attack.
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction [Isa. 19:18].
This entire section looks toward the Day of the Lord for a complete fulfillment.
In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.
And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them [Isa. 19:19–20].
“An altar to the Lord” has been interpreted by some of the cults as the pyramid. The pyramid is neither an altar nor a pillar, but a monstrous mausoleum for the burying of kings and queens. What will be “a sign”? What will be an ensign? The cross will yet be the place to which Egypt will look instead of to a crescent.
And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it.
And the Lord shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them [Isa. 19:21–22].
Egypt has a glorious future. The nation will enter and enjoy the kingdom with Israel. It may not look like this could be possible in the present hour. Only God can do this.
In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians [Isa. 19:23].
This freeway will not be for soldiers and armies but for those going to Jerusalem to serve Christ the King.
In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land [Isa. 19:24].
Note the exalted position of Egypt in the Kingdom.
Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance [Isa. 19:25].
A blessing is yet to come to Egypt, a despised and debased nation.
The one great thought in chapter 20 is that in three years Israel would be invaded. Chapter 19 closed on the high note of future blessing for Egypt in the millennial kingdom, and this chapter predicts coming events in the near future, which will prove the reliability of Isaiah as a prophet of God.
In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it [Isa. 20:1].
Tartan was a general in the Assyrian army, mentioned in 2 Kings 18:17. Ashdod was a city in the northern kingdom of ten tribes. Sargon succeeded Shalmaneser (see 2 Kings 17:3).
This is the only place the name of Sargon is mentioned in the Bible. As recent as one hundred years ago historians maintained that Sargon never lived, because they could find no reference to him in secular history. However, archaeologists discovered that the Assyrian form of his name is Sharrukin. Abundant historical materials concerning his reign have come down to us.
At the same time spake the Lord by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot [Isa. 20:2].
Isaiah was to become a walking parable to Israel as a warning not to become confederate with Egypt. Probably Isaiah was not asked to go in the nude. Clothing was and is so essential to the customs of the East and nudity is so revolting that it is obvious that this was not intended. Isaiah was to lay aside his outward tunic of mourning. This would attract immediate and startling attention to the prophet. It would enable Isaiah to make his point publicly. It is well to note the words of F. Delitzsch at this point, “What Isaiah was therefore directed to do was simply opposed to common custom and not to moral decency.”
And the Lord said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia [Isa. 20:3].
Isaiah was to walk through Israel to let them know what would happen to Egypt. As he walked, we are told, he would be for a sign and wonder for the people.
So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt [Isa. 20:4].
Since Egypt could not protect herself (nor could Ethiopia), she would not be a reliable ally for Israel. Both Egypt and Ethiopia were invaded by Sargon of Assyria, and this shame which Isaiah had predicted came upon Egypt.
CHAPTER 21
Theme: Three burdens: Babylon “desert of the sea,” Edom “Dumah,” and Arabia
Isaiah is enumerating eleven “burdens,” or judgments. In this chapter we are going to consider burdens seven, eight, and nine, which are against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia. These burdens are set forth by expressive symbols, and in the day they were given I am sure they were as clear to the people as the noonday sun. In fact, they were as clear to the people in Isaiah’s day as the expressions “stars and stripes” and “Old Glory” are to every American. The insignia in this chapter are not quite so clear to us today, and as a result there has been some disagreement among Bible expositors about their meaning. They can be identified as Babylon, Edom, and Arabia, and each one will be considered separately as we go through this chapter. All were enemies or potential enemies of Israel. Each brought a particular misery upon God’s people. Each has been judged in time.
This chapter is a neglected part of the Word of God. To prove this, let me ask you a question. When was the last time you heard a sermon or Bible study on this chapter of the Bible? I have a notion that you have never heard a study on Isaiah 21. This is another section of Scripture which confirms my position of a premillennial, pretribulation, dispensational interpretation of the Word of God. It is the only interpretation which would satisfy a passage like this, which is the reason all other systems stay clear of this chapter and other portions of God’s Word with like teaching.
The remarkable thing in this chapter is that symbols are used. Now I believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture, but when symbolism is used, it always pictures reality. That is an important thing to remember. Many expositors call a teaching of Scripture symbolism in an attempt to make it disappear. Like a magician says, “hocus-pocus,” and it’s gone—so don’t worry about it. My friend, let’s not try to evaporate this section of Scripture, but let’s study it to see what God is saying.
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the dessert, from a terrible land [Isa. 21:1].
“The desert of the sea” is a strange expression. It is like saying “the dryness of the water,” or “how dry the water is.” This may not be too peculiar to us since we have “dry ice” and “cold heat.” Dr. F. C. Jennings translates this verse, “As sweep the whirlwinds through the south, so comes it from the desert, from the land that strikes with terror.” This is a good interpretation of the verse, but it does not identify the nation. But if you keep reading, the nation is identified in verse 9: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” So we know “the desert of the sea” is Babylon. Before Babylon became a world power, her doom was again predicted. We have already seen that. The first burden in chapters 13–14 was against Babylon. Babylon became so awe-inspiring and frightful, and represented so much in Scripture, that we have this further word concerning its doom. It was the first place of united rebellion against God at the tower of Babel, and it represents the last stronghold of rebellion against God. We find this in Revelation 17 and 18. Religious Babylon is presented in Revelation 17, and commercial Babylon is set forth in Revelation 18.
The expression, “desert of the sea,” is a paradoxical phrase. Babylon was geographically located on a great desert plain beside the Euphrates River. It was irrigated by canals from the river. Jeremiah gives this description of Babylon, “O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness” (Jer. 51:13). The desert and the sea form a weird amalgamation here. This same fusion of desert and sea is made by John in Revelation. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Rev. 17:3). This is the desert where John beheld the mystery Babylon: “… Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters” (Rev. 17:1). It was in the desert that John saw the “many waters.” These two verses are symbolic, but they carry through the same pattern. We will find it again in Jeremiah.
Babylon, with its glitter and glamour and as the fountainhead of idolatry and false religion, was a mirage upon the desert. Isn’t this tremendous!—“desert of the sea”—what a picture! Babylon was not a wonderful place. It was a mirage in the desert. It wasn’t a spring or an oasis at all, but a place filled with idols and false religion. There was no life-giving water there for the souls of men. This is something that every pastor, every radio preacher, every church, and every church member ought to turn over in his mind. Is my church or am I a life-giving fountain, or am I just a mirage upon the desert of life?
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease [Isa. 21:2].
God commands the two-fold nation of Media-Persia to destroy and spoil the city. “Go up, O Elam [Persia]: besiege, O Media.” That is exactly what happened. This is a prophecy that was given before the invasion took place.
Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure bath he turned into fear unto me [Isa. 21:3–4].
Once again Isaiah is moved with great feeling and emotion when he learns of the coming devastation. This is the heart of God revealed, desiring to show mercy and loath to judge even so frightful a foe. God’s love is as evident here as in the tears of Jeremiah. No one can rejoice in the judgment of God. God says that His judgment is His “strange” work. He does not want to judge you; He wants to save you, but the choice is yours. He doesn’t want to judge nations either, and that choice is up to them.
Prepare the table, watch in the watch-tower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield [Isa. 21:5].
This verse reads as if it were an eyewitness account of the destruction of Babylon as recorded by Daniel (see Dan. 5). Remember, this was recorded about two hundred years before it transpired. In the midst of the banquet of Belshazzar, the Median general, Gobryas, detoured the river that flowed through the city and marched his army on the dry river bed underneath the walls of the city. He took the city by surprise and shock. This is something that God said would take place.
And he cried, A lion: My Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground [Isa. 21:8–9].
The watchman on the walls of the city tells the people inside what he sees. He says, “As I look out on the desert, here comes a chariot of men, with a couple of horses.” They are messengers, and their message is “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” The watchman brings word to the king of Babylon that it has fallen (see Jer. 51:31–33). All of Babylon’s graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground. This is a sigh of sorrow as well as relief. Babylon was the source of all idolatry.
O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you [Isa. 21:10].
Harvest is the time of judgment. In John 4:35 our Lord said, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” Our Lord said this at the end of the age of law, when judgment was coming against Israel who had had the Law for almost fifteen hundred years. Harvest is the time of judgment.
There is a book I would like to recommend to you at this point, because we are going to study some more about Babylon in the Books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Hislop’s book, The Two Babylons, would be a valuable addition to your library.
BURDEN OF EDOM
The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? [Isa. 21:11].
Who is “Dumah”? Dumah is a symbolic word. Isaiah played upon words to bring out a deeper meaning. We have already seen that. He used words to carry a message to the people. “Dumah” is Edom with the E removed. You take the E off Edom, and you have Dumah which means “silence.” Our word dumb is closer to the intent and purpose of Isaiah. Edom is still a land of deathlike silence.
Seir means “rough or hairy.” Esau was the first Seir man (see Gen. 25:25). He was hairy, and he dwelt in Mount Seir (see Gen. 36:8). Seir also means “storms.” It was a land swept with storms. “Silence and Storm.” What a play on words, and what a message!
Edom is obviously the country involved. Out of the land of silence and storm comes this inquiry, which is twice repeated: “Watchman, what of the night?” In other words, “How much of the night is gone?” How long will it be before God’s glory will be revealed when the“…Sun of righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings…” (Mal. 4:2)?
The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come [Isa. 21:12].
You see, both morning and night are coming. What will be glory for some will be doom for others. What will be light for God’s people will be night for Edomites, the men of the flesh who have rejected God.
BURDEN OF ARABIA
The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim [Isa. 21:13].
“Arabia” seems clear enough, but again this is a word with a double meaning. It can be made to mean evening by changing the vowel points. The Hebrew language is a language of consonants with no vowels. Instead it had vowel points, which are little marks above the consonants. Scholars have added vowels to the Hebrew words to make them more readable. In this verse the meaning is quite obvious: it was evening in the history of Arabia. It was later than they thought. Arabia was the land of the Ishmaelites, the Bedouin tribes of the desert—the modern Arabs. It is interesting that God speaks of them. Abraham’s sons, Ishmael and Isaac, never did get along. Their descendants don’t get along today either. The Arabs and the Jews are still at each other’s throats. If Abraham could see what is going on now, I wonder if he would think the sin he committed was a small sin. My friend, sin never ceases working itself out in the human story.
The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail [Isa. 21:14–16].
There was a coming judgment upon this land and its people. This chapter of poetic beauty and heart sorrow should not end on this note. It may be “evening” here, but God’s day is reckoned “the evening and the morning”—“… the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5).
The morning is coming; the night of weeping will soon be over, and the new day will dawn. Man’s evening of failure, sin, and darkness will end, and God’s morning will be ushered in by the coming of the Sun of Righteousness.
CHAPTER 22
Theme: The burden of the valley of vision (Jerusalem); the history of Shebna and Eliakim
This burden evidently refers to Jerusalem, as we shall point out under the comments on the verses. The burdens began way off at a distance in Babylon, and they have continued to come nearer to Jerusalem. Now the storm breaks in all of its fury upon the Holy City.
BURDEN OF JERUSALEM
The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? [Isa. 22:1].
The “valley of vision” refers to Jerusalem, as verses 4, 8, 9, and 10 imply. The expression, “valley of vision,” is another of Isaiah’s paradoxical statements. Mountain of vision would be understood, because the mountain is the place of the far view. Moses stood on Mount Nebo to view the land of promise. Our Lord looked over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. But in Scripture a valley symbolizes a place of sorrow, humbleness, and death. Because the vision here is one of sorrow and coming battle, the valley is the proper place for this vision.
Curiosity and fear send people to the housetop to inquire about the approaching danger. See the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in Isaiah 36 and 37. In the last siege our Lord warns these people to leave the housetops and flee (see Matt. 24:16–17).
Therefore said I, Look away from me: I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people [Isa. 22:4].
“My people” are, of course, the people of Israel.
Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall [Isa. 22:9–10].
Hezekiah actually took these precautions in defending Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 32). One of the things he did was to put a wall around the fountain so that the city would not run out of water. You can still see it in the land today.
This section refers to the future. As Dr. F.C. Jennings puts it, “The history eventuated in the deliverance of Jerusalem, the prophecy in its capture; therefore the history does not fulfill it.”
Just what siege and enemy is in the mind of the prophet? Persia is mentioned by name, but Jerusalem was in ruins while Persia was in power. Apparently all the enemies who have come up against Jerusalem are before us here, from the Assyrians who only laid a siege but did not enter the city, to the last enemy from the north who will threaten the city but will not enter. The interval between these two has seen this city captured more than any other. This is the burden of Jerusalem.
BRIEF FROM THE CASE OF SHEBNA AND ELIAKIM
The unusual insertion at this point of an historical document out of the archives of Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah is worth noting.
Many have seen a picture of the Antichrist in Shebna, while Eliakim sets before us none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who will supplant the Antichrist in this world.
Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say [Isa. 22:15].
Shebna was secretary of the treasury, a cheap politician under Hezekiah. Apparently he was misappropriating funds (see 2 Kings 18:18; 19:2; Isa. 36:3; 37:2).
What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? [Isa. 22:16].
Shebna was building a tomb to perpetuate his name. It was ironical, as he was to die and be buried in a foreign land (vv. 17–18).
And I will drive thee front thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down [Isa. 22:19].
Shebna, I think, is just an adumbration of Antichrist.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:
And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah [Isa. 22:20–21].
Eliakim was the statesman who succeeded Shebna. Eliakim was an unselfish man. He and Shebna are in contrast here. Isaiah has brought together these men who are more than paradoxes—they are opposites. Shebna pictures the Antichrist, and Eliakim pictures Christ. The language is typical.
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open [Isa. 22:22].
This verse reminds us of the words of Christ in the New Testament: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (Rev. 3:7). How wonderful it is, my friend, to place our lives in the hands of Him who is able to close or open any door!
And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.
And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons [Isa. 22:23–24].
Our salvation likewise hangs on Him.
In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it [Isa. 22:25].
“In that day” refers to the Great Tribulation Period, as we have seen, and this verse refers to Shebna as he pictures the Antichrist. A great many people will put their trust in the Antichrist who is to come. They will look to him for help. They will think he is Christ, but he will be just a nail that will fall.
My friend, have you ever had that experience? You drive a good nail into the wall, hang a heavy coat on it, and it comes down. The Lord Jesus Christ is the nail in a sure place. Shebna was a nail that came down, and so will all others who are like him. Are you hanging everything you’ve got on the nail that is in a sure place? Many people are not. They are hanging everything they have on something that is not sure. For instance, they make investments. A man told me, “I trusted a lawyer, and he made a mistake.” He wasn’t a nail in a sure place. Some folk have even trusted a preacher and have found that he was not a nail in a sure place. Only Christ is a nail in a sure place. I hope you are hanging your life and everything you have on Him.
CHAPTER 23
Theme: The Burden of Tyre
In this chapter we come to the eleventh and last burden against the nations. A burden, as we have seen, is a judgment, and these judgments were leveled against the nations around Israel. Each one of these great nations represents or sets before us some principle, philosophy, or system which God must judge. Let me give a recapitulation of these eleven nations and what they represent.
1. Babylon represents false religions and idolatry. Idolatry in our land is covetousness, which is the overwhelming desire to have more and to give ourselves to the accumulation of the material things of the world.
2. Palestine represents true religion which has become apostate. Today you find that the same thing has happened in many churches. They go through rituals, they even repeat the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. From all outward appearances they seem to be resting upon the Bible, but in reality they deny everything that is in it. They are apostate, which means they are standing away from what they once believed.
3. Moab represents formal religion; that is, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
Many of us today could be identified with one of these three. Some of us are giving our lives to the accumulation of material things, and our eyes are filled with the things we want. We are covetous.
Some of us have been brought up in Bible-believing churches but have turned away from heir teachings. Others of us go to church and follow forms, ceremonies, and rituals, which are beautiful but dead as a dodo bird.
4. Damascus represents compromise. That is the position that most churches (even fundamental churches) are in today. Thank God for those churches that are standing true!
5. Ethiopia represents missions. How we need to be involved in getting out the Word of God!
6. Egypt represents the world. Israel was told to stay out of Egypt—that is where Abraham got into trouble. And we are admonished, “Love not the world.” Many of us are having trouble with the world.
7. Persia (Babylon) represents luxury. My, how most of us love luxury in our affluent society.
8. Edom represents the flesh. Many people serve the flesh today.
9. Arabia represents war. There are two groups of people in our contemporary society: the hawks and the doves. Both are of the world, and the only difference I see in them is that the peace group tells us they are for peace, but they are willing to fight for it!
10. Valley of vision, which is Jerusalem, represents not religion but politics. Some think that in politics will be found the solutions to the problems of the world.
11. Tyre represents commercialism (big business). I would say that the great sin of America today is commercialism, believing that the almighty dollar can solve all our problems. When a problem comes up, Congress votes for a little more money, and people for whom it is intended never get it, of course. Every poverty program has hurt rather than helped the poor. Why? Because godless men, just don’t have the right solutions. The poor haven’t learned that yet, because they are also far from God. It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who has any love for the poor and really knows how to help them.
Now let us look at the burden of Tyre. Tyre and Sidon were the two great cities of the Phoenicians. Sidon was the mother city, and she was soon surpassed by her proud and rich daughter, Tyre.
The ships of the Phoenicians entered all ports of the Mediterranean Sea and even penetrated the uncharted ocean beyond the Pillars of Hercules. The vessels of Phoenicia brought tin from Great Britian—in fact, the meaning of Brittania is “the land of tin.” The Phoenicians were aggressive and progressive people. Carthage, in North Africa, was settled by them. Carthage, the great enemy of Rome, was a Phoenician city, and Cyprus owed its prosperity to trading with Tyre. There were also other centers that the Phoenicians founded—Tarshish for instance. You remember that when Jonah tried to flee from the Lord, he bought a ticket for Tarshish. Tarshish was on the southern coast of Spain. Who founded it? The Phoenicians did. It is also of interest that the Phoenicians invented the alphabet.
Hiram, king of Tyre, was one of the great friends of King David. When we get to Ezekiel 26, we are going to see a remarkable prophecy concerning Tyre, which had an exact fulfillment. God said that Tyre would be destroyed by Babylon and would be taken into captivity for seventy years just as Judah went into captivity for seventy years. The people of Tyre returned to their land, as did Israel, after the captivity and rebuilt their city on an island in the Mediterranean Sea about half a mile from the old city. God said that the ruins of the old city would be scraped (see Ezek. 26:4), and, later, Alexander the Great scraped the ancient site of Tyre to make a causeway to the island city. He was wise enough not to attempt a battle by sea, because the Phoenicians were experts with ships; so he built a causeway from the old city on the mainland to the new city on the island. I’ve walked down that causeway and it is filled with broken pieces of pottery. I could have filled tubs with pieces of pottery, but, of course, no one is allowed to do that. I put one little piece in my pocket, because it looked as if there was plenty to spare. Where did all the pottery and pillars and rubble come from? It came from the ruins of ancient Tyre. Alexander the Great literally scraped the surface of the old city to build his causeway, and you cannot tell where the site of the old Tyre used to be—it’s all out there in the causeway. When Alexander took the city, the prophecy of Ezekiel was fulfilled exactly as God said it would be: “And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God” (Ezek. 26:14). My friend, today there is a little Turkish town near there, but the site of ancient Tyre is still in ruins.
If an atheist wants to disprove the Word of God, I suggest that he do more than stand on a street corner and blab about the fact that he doesn’t believe in God. I challenge him to go over to the ancient site of Tyre and rebuild the city. However, I warn him that others have tried to do it and have failed.
In fact, there is a ready-made city, the rock-hewn city of Petra, that is all ready to be moved into. The only problem is that God said it would not be inhabited. Anyone can try to start a colony there, but he won’t succeed. A German unbeliever took a group of people to Petra and tried to start a colony, but it didn’t last long. You won’t succeed either, friend. God said that Tyre won’t be rebuilt and that Petra won’t be inhabited.
DIVINE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TYRE’S DESTRUCTION
The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them [Isa. 23:1].
The picture here is that of ships coming home to Tyre from Tarshish where there is a colony of the Phoenicians. Word is brought to them that Tyre has been destroyed. As they sail near, they see the smoke of the city. Then they see that the city has been leveled and the harbor blocked. It will no longer be a great commercial center.
Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished [Isa. 23:2].
“Zidon,” or Sidon, was about thirty miles up the coast from Tyre. Tyre and Sidon go together like pork and beans go together. They were the two leading cities of the Phoenicians. The prominent sea merchants of Sidon had made Tyre the great city it was. It is interesting that the prophecy concerning the destruction of Tyre was literally fulfilled. But destruction was not predicted for Sidon, and Sidon continues as a city today. Currently Sidon is the place to which oil is brought to be loaded on shipboard and taken to other parts of the world.
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations [Isa. 23:3].
Sihor means “black” and refers to the Upper Nile, the silt of which flooded Egypt and made it fertile. The wealth of Egypt had flowed through the port of Tyre, and now that is ended, and there is going to be a depression—a real one!
Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins [Isa. 23:4].
There is a suggestion here that Tyre is the daughter of Sidon. Historically this is accurate.
As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre [Isa. 23:5].
The destruction of Tyre ruined the commerce of Egypt in that day.
Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle [Isa. 23:6].
The fall of Tyre caused universal mourning, even to a colony that was way over on the southern coast of Spain. Some of the inhabitants of Tyre escaped in ships to Tarshish, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city.
this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn [Isa. 23:7].
Any great commercial center is a city which is also a fun center because there will be many things in that city that are pleasing to the flesh. Now the Tyrians are urged to flee as far as possible because this city which was formerly a “joyous city” has come to an end.
Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? [Isa. 23:8].
“The crowning city” means the giver of crowns. You see, Tyre established crown colonies. Great Britain has done the same thing in more recent times. A crown colony is under the legislation and administration of the crown rather than having its own constitution and representative government.
The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth [Isa. 23:9].
It was the Lord of hosts who had determined the destruction of Tyre. He offers no apologies for making the arrangement.
HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY FOR TYRE’S DESTRUCTION
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength [Isa. 23:10].
The “river” is the Nile. As the Nile has overflowed her banks, the colony of Tarshish is now free to do as she pleases since Tyre has fallen and is no longer able to control her.
“There is no more strength” means that there is no girdle that holds her up or binds her.
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof [Isa. 23:11].
Have you noticed this threefold description of Tyre? In verse 7 Tyre is called a “joyous city.” In verse 8 Tyre is called a “crowning city.” In verse 11 Tyre is called a “merchant city.” All three of these are apt descriptions of Tyre.
And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest [Isa. 23:12].
What is suggested in verse 4 is plainly declared here. Tyre is the daughter of Sidon. Sidon was the older city, and rich merchants from there had founded Tyre and given her prestige. The joy of prosperity was to disappear. Both Tyre and Sidon would suffer.
“Pass over to Chittim”—probably some thought that by fleeing to Cyprus they might make a fresh beginning. In this, too, they, were to be disappointed. God was responsible for what happened to them, although He used human instruments.
Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin [Isa. 23:13].
When Assyria was a great nation, Chaldea (Babylon) was just a hick town. Now Babylon is the ruler of the world.
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste [Isa. 23:14].
RECOVERY OF TYRE—PARTIAL AND COMPLETE
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot [Isa. 23:15].
Tyre was to go into captivity for seventy years.
And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord Will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth [Isa. 23:17].
At the end of seventy years Tyre was to return and begin once again her world commerce. Once more she would become a great commercial center, and she would commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. The prophet compares Tyre to a harlot plying her unholy trade. That is the way God speaks of these great commercial centers.
Now we move down the ages to the last days, the time of the Great Tribulation. Here we find that Tyre will again be a great nation and will enter the Millennium.
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing [Isa. 23:18].
“Her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord.” Now it is all dedicated to the Lord. “And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour” (Ps. 45:12).
CHAPTER 24
Theme: Coming—the Great Tribulation
This brings us to a new section, although the theme is still judgment. Chapter 23 concluded the judgment against the nations. We have seen God’s judgment snowballing from nation to nation, and now it comes down to the final judgment that is coming upon the earth, which our Lord Jesus Christ labeled the Great Tribulation Period. Both F. Delitzsch and F. C. Jennings consider this section thoroughly eschatological; that is, it refers to the final judgment from God which will come upon the whole world. In contrast to the judgments upon the nations in chapters 13–23 which have largely been fulfilled, this final judgment is entirely future.
WORLDWIDE JUDGMENT FROM GOD
Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof [Isa. 24:1].
“Earth” in this verse is the Hebrew word erets and could mean either the land of Israel or the whole world. The whole world conforms better to the context in this chapter. Actually, the judgment could be said to be twofold, referring not only to the land of Israel, but to the entire world.
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left [Isa. 24:6].
God promised Noah that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. Note here that the judgment is fire—“burned.” Second Peter 3:6–7 says, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS
In verses 13–15 we see that the saints are preserved through the Great Tribulation Period.
When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea [Isa. 24:13–15].
The remnant will be small, and they will lift up their voices to glorify God. Now in the time of testing, during the Tribulation, they will be able to glorify the Lord, “even the name of the Lord God of Israel.” So there is to be a remnant at that time, which will be of Israel, and also out to the very “isles of the sea,” which will include the whole earth, of course.
UNIVERSAL AND UNPARALLELED SUFFERING
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously [Isa. 24:16].
“My leanness, my leanness”—when the prophet sees the awful character of the destruction of the Great Tribulation, he cries out, as Dr. Jennings translates it, “My misery, my misery.” It is going to be a terrible time.
Our Lord described this period of time in just as striking language when He said, “For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:21–22).
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth [Isa. 24:17].
This verse states that there are three dangers that will be upon the inhabitants of the earth in that day.
1. “Fear”—there is no freedom from fear here. From the time of the Atlantic Truce, drawn up by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, politicans have talked about bringing freedom from fear to the world. How about it? Is the world free from fear today? Mobs are marching. Dissatisfaction and fear are everywhere. And fear will be multiplied during the Tribulation.
2. “Pit”—is danger of death. Hanging over the world today is the threat of the atom bomb, and it spells frightful death to the population of the world. God says He won’t let the population be destroyed. The Lord Jesus said, “Except those days be shortened, no flesh would be able to survive,” but He is going to shorten those days.
3. “Snare”—is deception. What the Lord Jesus Christ said as He began the Olivet discourse fits right into the Great Tribulation Period. In Matthew 24:4 the Lord said, “… Take heed that no man deceive you.” It will be a time when people will believe that they are entering into the Millennium. We get the impression today that some of the great world leaders think they are going to bring in the Millennium. Well, they are going to bring in nothing but the Great Tribulation Period, and the Antichrist will take over. The world will think they are entering the Millennium, when in fact they are entering the Tribulation. One of the things that will characterize the Antichrist is deception. He will be a deceiver. After all, that is what his papa, the Devil is.
How many people there are who are being deceived today! They are deceived about life. How many people are even thinking about eternity? Not many. Most people think only of the here and now. Science is now rejecting the creation account—they don’t want it. This is a great day of deception. You can be deceived by science; you can be deceived by politicians; you can be deceived by the news media; you can be deceived by the military; and you can be deceived by all of the malcontents who are protesting today. The only help available is the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to Him. He has been made unto us wisdom, and He is the only hope. During the Tribulation people will be deceived; the Antichrist will be able to look at the world and privately say, “Suckers!” And that’s what they will be. The Devil has said that about the human race for a long time, and that is what we are unless we turn to Christ.
And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake [Isa. 24:18].
Those who don’t go down into the pit of death will be snared. The Book of Revelation says that one fourth of the population is going to be taken out at one time in a great judgment, and at another time one third of the population will die.
TRIBULATION SAINTS ARE RAISED FROM THE DEAD
This is a marvelous passage of Scripture that speaks of resurrection.
And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited [Isa. 24:22].
They shall go down into death; then they will be raised from the dead. I believe the meaning of this is that the Tribulation saints will have part in the first resurrection. They will be raised from the dead (see Rev. 20:4).
The Great Tribulation will end with the coming of the King (see Rev. 19:11–16).
Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously [Isa. 24:23].
“The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed”—even nature is going to respond to the King when He comes to rule. Christ Jesus is the only One who can end this period known as the Great Tribulation.
CHAPTERS 25–27
Theme: Coming—the kingdom
After the Lord Jesus comes and ends the Tribulation, He establishes the kingdom. Chapters 25 and 26 bring us into the kingdom age. The King is coming, and there will be the kingdom of heaven upon this earth. This has been predicted throughout the Old Testament. And when John the Baptist began his ministry, his message was, “… Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2). Then the Lord Jesus took up the theme, “… the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).
But He was rejected as King. You can’t have a kingdom without a king. When He was rejected as King, He could then say to individuals, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). This is still His invitation today. It is a message to be sent out to individuals in our day asking them to exercise their free wills. Whether you know it or not, you are making a decision today. You are either accepting Him or rejecting Him. There is no neutral ground. Our Lord said, “He that is not with me is against me …” (Matt. 12:30).
This wonderful twenty-fifth chapter is a song, a song of three stanzas. This chapter, like chapter 12, is a paean of praise, a song of undiluted joy.
PRAISE TO GO FOR DELIVERANCE FROM ALL ENEMIES
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth [Isa. 25:1].
This is praise to God for deliverance. This is a song of sheer delight, wonder, and worship. This comes from a heart full to overflowing, for the worshiper has come into a new knowledge of who God is and what He has done.
This is not the average song service that you have in church on Wednesday night. Some of the saints sit there and wonder why they came in the first place. Those who are singing this song are those who are eager to worship God because of His faithfulness and because He is true. These are the attributes of Deity, and they are foreign to humanity. The psalmist says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Ps. 118:8). Faithfulness is the fruit of the Spirit, not the work of the flesh. Truth is the very opposite of man. In Psalm 116:11 David said, “I said in my haste, All men are liars” (italics mine). I remember Dr. W. I. Carroll commenting, “I have had a lot of time to think it over, and I still agree with David.”
For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built [Isa. 25:2].
All of the past is gone now. They are delivered from the enemies of the past. They no longer need a wall around a city to protect them.
Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee [Isa. 25:3].
Does this mean worldwide conversion? I believe it does, for this is the Millennium. Man will turn to God in that day. The greatest turning to God is in the future when the night of sin and Great Tribulation will be past. Weeping shall endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. That is what we have here. There will be boundless joy during the kingdom age.
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low [Isa. 25:5].
They recall the awful blasphemy of the last days personified in one of whom it is written: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4). The Antichrist will be put down as are all the enemies of God.
PRAISE TO GOD FOR PROVISION OF PRESENT NEEDS
And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined [Isa. 25:6].
“Fat things” have to do with physical provision certainly. The redeemed earth will produce bountifully. (Eating fat things in that day will not be a problem—you won’t have to worry about putting on weight!) However, the “fat things” are likewise the wonderful spiritual feast in that day. I think there will be Bible classes held during the Millennium. I don’t know, but maybe the Lord will let me teach one of them.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it [Isa. 25:8].
This verse is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:54, which says, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
PRAISE TO GOD IN ANTICIPATION OF FUTURE JOYS
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation [Isa. 25:9].
As we come to the final stanza, attention is drawn to the person of God. It is with Him that men have to do. The world will be deceived by Antichrist, but the real Christ, the real Messiah, the real Ruler of this earth will come. His salvation is going to be vital to man in that day. Man “will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Now this is a strange verse:
For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill [Isa. 25:10].
Why is Moab introduced here? I will be very frank with you; it is difficult to say. When Moab is up, God is down. When God is up, Moab is down. In the kingdom Moab is down, and God will be on top. As you may remember, Moab represents a form of godliness but denies the power thereof.
And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust [Isa. 25:12].
All the pride of man will be brought down. This is the period when the meek shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). The meek are not doing too well in our day!
Chapter 26 continues the kingdom theme.
THE KINGDOM
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks [Isa. 26:1].
This is their prospect. In that day this song will be sung in Judah. They don’t have this song today, friend. It is obvious that the present return to Israel is not a fulfillment of prophecy.
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness [Isa. 26:9].
“With my soul have I desired thee in the night.” I wonder if you and I recognize the great need for communion with Christ. In the little book of the Song of Solomon, the bride said, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth …” (Song 1:2). That was the kiss of pardon and of peace and of passion. Then the bride, recognizing that she can’t rise to the heights she desires, says, “Draw me, we will run after thee …” (Song 1:4). Isaiah is expressing the same thought here. “With my soul have I desired thee in the night.” My friend, do we have that passion for God? I hear a lot of pseudo-love today, and a smattering of spirituality. I see people pretending to be pious and hear them quoting platitudes. I get tired of hearing, “Oh, I love the Lord, and I want to serve Him.” My friend, when you lie on your bed at night, do you have a desire for God? Do you really want Him? Do you have a real passion for Him? Are you able to say, “Draw me, and I will run after thee.”
In the time of the Millennium they will be saying, “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea; with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.”
I confess that many times I find myself running from Him. I find myself running ahead of Him, out of His will, and then the tensions come. I am frustrated, and I say, “O, I’ve left Him. I’ve gotten away from Him. I am not close to Him.” I don’t see many people crying out for God today. I don’t mean to be critical, but I don’t see much of it today, and when I do detect it, what a blessing it is to my own heart.
Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them [Isa. 26:16].
In the past the remnant turned in prayer to God. Now they go back in retrospect to those difficult days:
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord [Isa. 26:17].
In the Great Tribulation the nation Israel was like a woman in childbirth, so great was their suffering. The prophet is now looking back over that period (which is yet future). He saw it from the other side of the river of time.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen [Isa. 26:18].
“We have as it were brought forth wind”—that is, the suffering produced no fruitful results. This period did not change the heart of the wicked. They continued to blaspheme the God of heaven.
Today the suffering that comes to you, like a birth pang, will either bring forth something worthwhile, or it can just be wind. I am afraid many of us have suffered for nothing, simply because we do not see that all things work together for the glory of God. Remember that Isaiah is talking about the coming Millennium, and we could be living in a state similar to the Millennium if we would only seek Him early.
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead [Isa. 26:19].
Chapter 27 concludes the threefold song of the coming of the kingdom which we have in chapters 25–27.
SONG OF THE VINEYARD
In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea [Isa. 27:1].
“In that day”—projects us immediately into the future. As we have said, this is a technical expression that refers to the Day of the Lord. It is a day that begins, as the Hebrew day did, with the evening, the time of the Great Tribulation, and it goes on into the millennial kingdom. I personally feel that it goes on into eternity, as that will be a sunrise that will never end.
“The Lord with his sore and great and strong sword.” The Lord’s sword is the Word of God. In describing the coming of the Lord Jesus, Revelation 1:16 says, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” With that sword He will smite the nations. An amillennialist will say, “You say you take the Bible literally. Is this a literal sword?” Well, I’ve discovered that the tongue is really a sharp thing. And Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword …” I take it that the Word of God is meant here. It is by His Word—that’s all He needs. By His Word He created all things, and by His Word shall He judge.
Whom is He going to judge? “Leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent.” In that day, at the beginning of the kingdom, the Lord Jesus will bring judgment upon the serpent, leviathan, who is Satan. In Revelation 20:1–3 we are told that Satan will be shut up in the bottomless pit for one thousand years. In Revelation 12:9 we read, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Job 41:15 says of him, “His scales are his pride …” The scales are for his protection, and Satan thinks he is invulnerable, that he cannot be touched. This is his pride. He doesn’t realize, even today, as I understand it, that he can be judged. He probably thinks he is beyond the judgment of Almighty God.
There are a great many people today who think that there is no judgment coming. They laugh at the idea. That is the thinking of Satan, my friend.
F. Delitzsch has suggested that “the piercing serpent,” or literally “swift-fleeing serpent,” represents the Tigris River and thereby the nation of Assyria. The “crooked serpent” represents the winding Euphrates and thereby the nation of Babylon. “The dragon that is in the sea” represents the Nile River and thereby the nation of Egypt. This would not militate against “levithan,” meaning Satan, but would enforce that interpretation, since Satan was the power behind these kingdoms.
In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine [Isa. 27:2].
Actually, I believe that chapter 27 begins with verse 2 and that verse 1 belongs with the previous chapter. However, that is a technical point with which I will not get involved. There is a change of subject at this point.
“In that day sing ye unto her.” This is the Millennium, and we all can sing now—even I will be able to sing.
“A vineyard of red wine” speaks of abundance, fruitfulness, bounty, and joy. What a contrast this is to Isaiah 5! In Isaiah 5 we had the song of the vineyard, but it was a dirge. That vineyard was Israel, and God was going to bring judgment because she hadn’t brought forth fruit. Here we are in the Millennium, and there is an abundance of fruit. Why?
I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day [Isa. 27:3].
The Lord is the husbandman here, and never again will He ever let the vineyard out to others. He is the husbandman who keeps an eye continually upon it. He watches it night and day so that no enemy may enter. This ought to say something to those who believe that God is through with Israel. Scripture makes it clear that He is not through with Israel.
Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me [Isa. 27:5].
The enemy can make peace with God even in the kingdom, for God never ceases to be merciful. Thank God for that! He is rich in mercy, which means that He has plenty of it. I need a lot of it myself. He is rich in grace. We will find out that ten million years from today His grace will still be available to us. I think we will need it even in heaven.
“That he may make peace with me.” This is the only place in Scripture where it is even suggested that man can make peace with God. Of course here it has to do with obedience to the King and not the acceptance of Christ as Savior. Man cannot make peace with God about the sin question. God has already done that. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (italics mine). When you are ready to agree with God and trust Him for what He has done through Christ on the cross, then you will have peace. You won’t have it until then. This verse is not talking about our day but about the time of the Millennium.
SMITING OF ISRAEL AND HER ENEMIES
Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? [Isa. 27:7].
This verse poses a question that has been partially answered already in the Book of Isaiah: Why does God judge Israel more than other nations? Light creates responsibility. In view of the fact that Israel had more light, her sin was blacker and her punishment was greater. She received more stripes than the nations who smote her. In Amos 3:2 we read, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Her punishment was severe, but God did not destroy Israel as He did some other nations. Psalm 118:18 tells us, “The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.” God will not allow Israel to be destroyed.
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up [Isa. 27:9].
It was not the suffering for sin that atoned for Israel’s sin. The sin of Jacob was purged by a blood offering, and the sin of the nation will be expiated by the blood of Christ. Just as you were saved as a sinner, that is the way it will take place in that day. Those who say that God is through with Israel simply have not read passages of Scripture like this:
Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.
When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour [Isa. 27:10–11].
However, the cities that Israel built are to be destroyed like any city that man builds apart from God. The great ruins in the world are the result of the judgment of Almighty God. Why? Because they rejected light. They not only rejected light, they rejected the person of the Son of God.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem [Isa. 27:12–13].
This section reveals that God definitely intends to restore the nation Israel to the Promised Land, and I have no argument with those who deny it. I just want to say this: It is not a question of whether Israel is going to be restored to the land. It is a question of whether or not you believe the Word of God. If you believe God’s Word, what are you going to do with a passage like this? You cannot spiritualize it, because the prophet talks about Assyria, Egypt, Israel, and Jerusalem. These are literal places. Israel is going to be literally restored. If you have a high view of the inspiration of Scripture, then believe what God says.
This prophecy has never been fulfilled in the past. Its fulfillment is yet future. My friend, when God moves the Jews into the land, God will move them. When they come, they will worship Him. Just as He called you and me, He will call them. We are not seeing the fulfillment of this today.
CHAPTER 28
Theme: The immediate invasion of Ephraim by Assyria is a picture of the future and a warning to Jerusalem
This chapter brings us to an entirely new section. The prophecies which were totally future are included in chapters 24–27 inclusively. From chapters 28–35 we have prophecies which have a local and past fulfillment, and also there are those that reach into the future and cover the same period as in the previous section. This new section is identified by six woes, and it culminates in the great war of Armageddon in chapter 34, followed by the millennial benefits brought to the earth in chapter 35.
Now the chapter before us is a fine illustration of the combination of the near and far view, the past and future events, the local and immediate, and the general and far distant prophecies. We will see that which has been fulfilled and that which is yet to be fulfilled.
The northern kingdom of Israel, designated here by the term Ephraim, was soon to go into Assyrian captivity. This was a preview of the coming future day, but it was to be a warning to the southern kingdom of Judah. The first part was fulfilled when Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, invaded Ephraim in 721 b.c., overthrew the northern kingdom, and took the people into captivity.
THE IMMEDIATE CAPTIVITY OF EPHRAIM
The first woe is against the northern kingdom.
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! [Isa. 28:1].
Ephraim and Israel are synonymous terms for the ten northern tribes, also called Samaria. The picture here of drunkards is both literal and spiritual. They were in a stupor as far as spiritual understanding was concerned. To be spiritually drunk is to be filled with pride.
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand [Isa. 28:2].
The Assyrian is designated here as a strong one, a destroying storm, and a flood of mighty waters.
The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet [Isa. 28:3].
Maybe you don’t like this, but God does not apologize for it; He simply tells us that this is what He did. The prophet picks up the future of the drunkard here. A high level of civilization had been developed in the northern kingdom with its comforts and outward beauty expressed in homes and gardens and trees. All you have to do to confirm this is go to the hill of Samaria and see the palace built by Omri and Ahab. This is the place where Ahab and Jezebel lived. It seems that the Lord always gives the wicked and the rich the best places to live, and I think it is poetic justice. It is not going to be so good for the wicked and rich in the next world; so they have it pretty good here. The hill of Samaria is one of the most beautiful spots in the land. When I stood there I could see the Mediterranean Sea, the Jordan valley, Mount Hermon in the north covered with snow, and the walls of Jerusalem in the south. My friend, you could not ask for a more beautiful place to live. If a real estate man develops that hill and sells lots, I hope can buy one and build a little house there. It’s a great place, but God judged these people in the northern kingdom, and He brought down their high civilization.
THE FAR DISTANT JUDGMENT
Now the prophet begins to move into the future. The expression “in that day” refers to the Day of the Lord, which begins with the Great Tribulation and extends on through the Millennium.
In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people [Isa. 28:5].
This looks into the future to the millennial kingdom which is coming. The thing that caused the downfall of Ephraim, the northern kingdom, was their pride—they wore a crown of pride. But in that future day when God brings them back to the land, it will be crown of glory.
And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment [Isa. 28:6–7].
A businessman recently told me some of the things that go on in big business. I don’t suppose there is a day that goes by that he doesn’t make deals with men who make big investments for large profits. He told me about one of these men who was beginning to indulge in sin. He was not faithful to his wife and he was drinking heavily. He has recently made certain judgments about investments that have caused this businessman to withhold loaning money to him. He told me that when a man begins to drink and indulge in sin he loses his sharpness in business. He said, “Because I am a Christian I may be biased, but I have found over the long haul, over a period of years, that this is factual. I have learned it through bitter experiences.”
Now God is making this same observation regarding the northern kingdom: “they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.”
But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken [Isa. 28:13].
Sections like this have caused some expositors of the past to call Isaiah “the prophet of the commonplace.” Teaching is a slow, patient, and continuous work. This is the way that even spiritual truth is imparted. God does not impart it in a flash to a lazy and lethargic soul. As the people lapse into apostasy in any age, it becomes increasingly difficult to impart spiritual truth.
There are many Christians today who are not satisfied with their Christian lives. To be brutally frank, they are ignorant of the Word of God. Then they hear about a wonderful two-week course that will give them the answers to all their problems. They will learn how to handle their marital problems, how to get along with their mother-in-law, how to guide their children aright, and how to become model employees. My friend, let me say this to you very candidly. Neither a little course nor some great emotional experience will solve your problems. There is no shortcut to success in the Christian life. There is only one way to grow as a Christian, and it is so commonplace and ordinary that I hesitate to say it. The Word of the Lord was given unto Israel precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little. It was the daily grind of getting into God’s Word. What happened? Israel did not follow through. They fell backward; that is, they were in a backslidden state. There are many Christians in the same condition today. It is not that they are weaker than anybody else; it is simply that they do not spend enough time in the Word of God. I realize that this method is not very exciting, but line upon line and precept upon precept is the only way you are going to grow in the Christian life.
THE WARNING TO JUDAH
Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem [Isa. 28:14].
The judgment coming to Israel in the north should be a warning to Judah in the south. Ephraim speaks to Jerusalem, Jerusalem speaks to us today, and the Word of God speaks to all of us. It looks as if God wrote this Book, not yesterday, but tomorrow. In fact, it is way ahead of tomorrow’s newspaper.
Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves [Isa. 28:15].
What is this covenant with death and Sheol? Daniel tells us about a future covenant which Israel will make with the Antichrist, the prince who is coming, the Man of Sin, the godless man, the willful king, the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the land, the one who is controlled by Satan (see Dan. 9:27).
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste [Isa. 28:16].
What is the answer today to the falsehood in the lives of people and the deception that is abroad which will continue to snowball right on down into the Great Tribulation Period? Well, God has already put that answer down. It is a foundation; it is a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. One who believes in it doesn’t need to be in a hurry. He can rest in Him. First Peter 2:6–8 speaks of Him: “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Simon Peter makes it very clear that this stone is Christ.
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place [Isa. 28:17].
Judgment for these people is going to come gradually. I think it comes that way today. Sometimes it comes suddenly. But gradual judgment is worse than sudden judgment, for usually the process is so slow that you don’t detect it.
For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it [Isa. 28:20].
Have you ever gone to a hotel or a motel and found that the covers on the bed were not quite long enough? They don’t come up to your neck, and if you pull them up, then your feet stick out. Have you ever slept in a short bed, where your feet hang over the edge, or you have to prop your head up, or you have to sleep at an angle? That’s not so good, is it? God says to these people, “I am giving you a short bed. The cover won’t be quite long enough.” From then on the judgment of God will come. It didn’t come to Judah for about one hundred years, but it finally came.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF GOD UPON HIS PEOPLE
The remainder of this chapter is almost the parable of the wheat and the tares. He talks about the different kinds of grain, the hard grains and the soft grains, and the different methods of threshing it.
When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place? [Isa. 28:25].
The grains are “fitches” (sometimes translated fennel or dill), “cummin, wheat, barley, and rie.”
For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen [Isa. 28:27–28].
A farmer has to be careful about the way he harvests soft grains. Each grain is different.
Now he says that this is the way God judges. Judgement is spoken of as the harvest. The individual or nation actually determines the character of the judgment which is to fall upon them. In other words, if you are hard and resist God, you are a hard grain. You are a hard nut to crack, and the judgment is going to be severe for you. A man came to me and told me that he had lost his wife and two children before he came to himself. He said, “God had to knock me down three times because I was such a hardened sinner.” God will, thresh you; and, if you are hard, the judgment will be hard.
The Lord Jesus put it like this in Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” In Matthew 13:41 the Lord goes on to say, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.” How tremendous this is! We ourselves determine our own judgment. If we only will listen to Him, He will put us over where the wheat is and spare us the severity of His judgment.
CHAPTER 29
Theme: Jerusalem—prophecies of immediate future and reaching on into the kingdom
The prophecies in this chapter are confined to Jerusalem but extend from the invasion of Sennacherib through the time when Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the last invader (see Zech. 14:1–7) shall have destroyed Jerusalem and, finally, to the establishment of the kingdom when the Messiah shall come and His feet shall touch the Mount of Olives.
It will prove profitable to compare this chapter with our Lord’s discourse on Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37–24:2 and with Luke 13:34–35; 21:20–24.
JERUSALEM—HISTORY AND PROPHECY
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices [Isa. 29:1].
It is necessary to establish the fact that Jerusalem is the city designated under the title of Ariel. Ariel means “lionlike.” The word occurs in 2 Samuel 23:20 which says, “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab ….” A lionlike man is an “Ariel” man. The word also carries the meaning of “the lion of God.” In Ezekiel 43:16 the same word is translated “altar” and, under certain circumstances, could mean “the altar of God.” Both designations are a fitting title for the city of Jerusalem. It is further identified here as “the city where David dwelt.” The lion is the insignia of that family. Our Lord is called the “… Lion of the tribe of Juda” (Rev. 5:5). Likewise Jerusalem was the place where the temple of God was, and the altar, of course, was there.
This is a remarkable prophecy concerning Jerusalem. The prophecy began to be fulfilled in Isaiah’s day and has continued right down to today. If you walk down the streets of Jerusalem, you will see this prophecy being fulfilled, and it will continue to be fulfilled.
Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel [Isa. 29:2].
This is judgment upon Jerusalem.
And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly [Isa. 29:3–5].
This prophecy was given before Nebuchadnezzar came up to the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it, which marked the beginning of the “… times of the Gentiles …” (Luke 21:24). Our Lord said that Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles until the Time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The Gentiles have marched through her streets and still do today.
Jerusalem has been besieged and captured more often than any other city. I have in my files a list of twenty-seven sieges that have been leveled against this city throughout history. Almost every time it was taken, it was destroyed. That is why it is not quite accurate for people to say, “Go to Jerusalem and walk where Jesus walked.” You are not going to walk where He walked, because Jerusalem is much higher today than it was in His day. For example, the pool of Bethesda was about fifty feet down from the level of the ground today. The Lord Jesus walked down there. It is quite evident that Solomon’s temple was probably more than one hundred feet beneath where the Mosque of Omar stands today. The city has been destroyed many times, and each time it was leveled off and rebuilt on the wreckage. That is what Nehemiah did—out of the debris and wreckage he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Rocks did not have to be hauled in for repair work because there are more rocks over there than they could ever use. I heard a few years ago that stones were being shipped from Indiana to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. That report was proven false, but how foolish it would have been. There is no place on the topside of this earth that is as rocky as Jerusalem and the surrounding area. It is a rugged terrain. That is one reason Jerusalem was so difficult for the enemy to take.
Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion [Isa. 29:6–8].
The final siege of Jerusalem will be the worst of all (see Zech. 14), but God will intervene at the last moment and deliver His people from extermination. All the dreams of the enemies of God to bring in their own kingdom will be frustrated, and God will put them down. He will build His own kingdom and establish it Himself, just as He said He would do.
JERUSALEM—MEANING AND MESSAGE
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered [Isa. 29:9–10].
Ihave said that Isaiah is the prophet of the commonplace, and what he says fits into our contemporary culture. Did God actually make them sleepy? How did He do it? He kept giving Israel light; and, as He gave them light, they kept rejecting it. They would not accept the truth that He gave them. They could not see it, which revealed that they were blind. That is the way God puts people to sleep and the way He reveals that they are blind. Even the prophets and princes did not anticipate this deliverance from God. They were as blinded to the future as the enemies of God. They were as men who were dead drunk.
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned [Isa. 29:11–12].
The attitude of the people, including God’s people, before their final deliverance by God was that prophecy was too obscure to be understood, that it was a sealed subject about which they could know nothing. This is the present-day attitude of many church leaders and preachers. I have heard seminary professors and ministers say, “Well, you know, the Book of Revelation is a sealed book. Nobody can understand it.” Those who insist that Revelation is a sealed book and that we are not supposed to understand it are saying exactly what the people in Isaiah’s day were saying about prophecy. Or, people today will say that they are too busy, that they don’t have time to study the Word of God. All kinds of excuses are offered by Christians for their own ignorance of the Scriptures.
The word revelation is from the Greek word apokalupsis, which means “unveiled” God took the seal from the Book of Revelation so that it can be understood. In one sense Revelation is the simplest book in the Bible, but you must have an understanding of the sixty-five books that precede it. It is the last book of the Bible, and certainly it is not the place you should begin reading. No book is so organized, and I found it to be the easiest book in the Bible to outline. It is nonsense to say that it is symbolic, a sealed book that we are not supposed to understand. That is what they were saying in Isaiah’s day. God will judge you for that kind of thinking because when He gives light and you will not open your eyes, you become blind to the light. Listen to what God says of Revelation in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 22:10 says, “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” It is not a sealed book.
Wherefore the Lord said, For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men [Isa. 29:13].
If you had lived in Isaiah’s day, you would have wondered what Isaiah really meant because the people were going to the temple. It was crowded—anytime a sacrifice was offered you would find people there. There was a place for the men, a court for the women, and a court for the Gentiles. Why was God finding fault with these people? They were all coming to church, but they went through all of the ritual with their mouths. It was as if they could say the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, but it did not mean anything to them. They did not believe what they were saying; they did not accept God’s Word. God said that their hearts were far from Him. That is the reason He judged them, and that is the reason He is going to judge us today.
The curse of the world today is religion. God would like you to get rid of religion and come to Christ. Religion is the greatest barrier for many people today. I made that statement to a man not long ago. Immediately he countered by saying, “I want you to know, Dr. McGee, that I am a religious man. I am religious by nature.” He had a fallen nature, but he had a religious nature. I think I shocked him when I told him that he ought to get rid of his religion and that I was not a religious man. He said, “I cannot believe that there is a preacher who is not religious. If you are not religious, what are you then?” I told him that I am a sinner who came to Christ and that I have a personal relationship with Him today. It is not a religion but a relationship. Do you have Christ, or don’t you? That is the important thing.
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? [Isa. 29:15].
Things are so serious for His people that He puts in another “Woe” here. This chapter contains two woes because (1) the people act as if God does not see or know, and (2) they act as if they are getting by with it.
JERUSALEM—HONOR AND GLORY
Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest? [Isa. 29:17].
Now we see into the future. The time will come when there will be honor and glory in Jerusalem and in the land. God is not through with that city. Today it looks like a layer cake with one city built on top of the other. God has judged them, and He will judge them again. But Jerusalem will be rebuilt once again, and then it will be the city of God.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness [Isa. 29:18].
The deaf are going to hear, and the blind are going to see.
The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel [Isa. 29:19].
You have heard the old bromide, “No one is so blind as those who will not see.” Today, as in Isaiah’s day, there is a willful blindness. In that day, in the Millennium, they are going to see.
Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine [Isa. 29:22–24].
What are they going to do with the name of God? They are going to make it holy—they are going to set it apart as something wonderful. Today, God’s people, by their lives, should sanctify the name of God. It is a holy name—but do we treat it that way?
CHAPTERS 30–31
Theme: Judah admonished not to turn to Egypt for help against Assyria; exhorted to turn to the Lord
These two chapters present largely a local situation, although a larger prophecy of a future time grows out of it. The local prophecy has been literally fulfilled. The southern kingdom of Judah heard and heeded the prophet’s warning and did not join with Egypt in order to be delivered from the Assyrian. The northern kingdom of Israel made the mistake of ignoring the prophet’s warning, and they went into Assyrian captivity (see 2 Kings 17:4). This is one time when the southern kingdom profited by the experience of the northern kingdom.
ADMONITION NOT TO SEEK ALLIANCE WITH EGYPT
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin [Isa. 30:1].
This is the fourth woe. It is a woe because it is a warning. God says in effect, “Don’t go to Egypt for help, because it won’t be a good thing for you to do. Help down there is a mirage on the desert.”
For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still [Isa. 30:7].
EXHORTATION TO TURN TO JEHOVAH FOR DELIVERANCE
God says, “Turn to Me, and I will deliver you” (see v. 15). This is a marvelous verse, one of the gems of Scripture:
And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him [Isa. 30:18].
Don’t be in a hurry. Don’t say, “We are at the end of the age, and the Lord is going to come this year or next—or at least before the year two thousand.” God says, “Let Me work this out. I have not given you any dates.” Learn to wait upon the Lord. This matter of looking for the Lord Jesus to come to take His own out of the world is a matter of waiting. And we are told that they who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. You cannot rush God. He is in no hurry. Maybe things are not working out the way you think they should; maybe you and I would like to rearrange them, but let God work things out. He has eternity ahead of Him; and, when you and I get in step with Him, life will be much easier for us down here.
DECLARATION THAT GOD WILL DEAL WITH THE FINAL ASSYRIAN
For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it [Isa. 30:31–33].
The Assyrian here is the final enemy of God in the Great Tribulation. “Tophet” was a place in the valley of the son of Hinnom where the most abominable idolatries were practiced. Little children were offered as sacrifices! It speaks in this passage of the worst spot in the lake of fire.
“The king” mentioned represents the beast and the false prophet: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev. 20:10).
In chapter 31 the prophet warns God’s people again not to look to Egypt for help but to trust the Lord to defend Jerusalem. So pressing is the danger, and so evident is the likelihood of the Israelites turning to Egypt, that Isaiah continues to warn Judah of the futility of such a measure. In the future Israel will turn to the wrong ally. They will accept the Antichrist, and God is warning them about it here. God will judge those who turn to outside help instead of to Him.
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! [Isa. 31:1].
This is the fifth woe. It is pronounced on those who go down to Egypt for help.
This has a message for you and me. Woe to you and woe to me when we turn away from God and turn to some materialistic or human help. Don’t misunderstand me—He doesn’t intend that you launch out into space and hang there. God expects you to be reasonable. But in the final analysis God wants top priority as far as giving help is concerned. My friend, where do you go for help? To your banker? To your preacher? Every now and then I receive a letter from someone who asks me what he should do in a given situation. Well, I don’t know what to do with many problems that arise in my own life! Although it is nice to ask others for advice, in the final analysis we must go to God for help. The psalmist wrote: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7).
Materialistic philosophy says that it is smart to trust in the stock market or your investments, that it is smart to look to “Egypt.” Most of us have some “Egypt” upon which we depend for help. The real source of Israel’s difficulty was that they did not look to God, nor did they seek Him. Since they did not trust Him, they turned frantically to some outside, physical display of power.
As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it [Isa. 31:5].
The Lord will defend and preserve Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah, as we shall see. God assures them that it is a sure thing that the Assyrians will not take the city of Jerusalem.
Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited [Isa. 31:8].
“Not of a mighty man”—God says it is not because you are going to be strong enough to drive them away. You won’t. God will deal with the Assyrians. Jerusalem’s confidence should be in the Lord.
This is a great chapter to read for our own help and strength.
CHAPTER 32
Theme: The coming King, the coming Tribulation, and the coming Spirit
This chapter is a bright note between the fifth and sixth woes; it is a ray of light to God’s people in a dark place in that day.
It has been some time since the person of the King has been before us, but we find Him introduced again at this point, for there can be no Millennium or blessing to this earth without Him.
THE KING WHO IS TO REIGN
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment [Isa. 32:1].
This verse projects into the kingdom age. The King is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The character of His reign is righteousness. The world has never had a kingdom like this so far.
And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land [Isa. 32:2].
The Lord is not only King, He is also a Savior-King. He bore the winds and tempest of the judgment of sin for us. He is a Rock for our protection. He was set before us in Isaiah 26:4 as the Rock of ages. This is another aspect of His ministry under the figure of the rock. He is a place of hiding for believers in our day also.
And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken [Isa. 32:3].
In other words, there will be spiritual understanding given to all of God’s people. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face …” (1 Cor. 13:12). True spiritual values will then be ascertained and made obvious. And that which should have top priority will have top priority. In our day moral values are gone. One of the great problems in this country is that we have lost the sense of moral values. For many years now our schools have been teaching the evolutionary theory which makes man an animal. Moral values are not taught. If you advocate law and order and a high state of morality, you are considered a square, a back number, and somehow not as smart as are the sophisticated and clever crooks. Therefore, the feeling is, “Let’s not listen to that old stuff.” Well, the “old stuff” is going to be the future stuff also, because the earth will have a King reigning in righteousness. Then the moral values will come back into place.
The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful [Isa. 32:5].
I love this—it is about as up to date as we can get. We have today what is known as the limousine liberals. The rich, for the most part, are liberal. Why? They already have their wealth which is not being taxed, but the middle man is being taxed unmercifully to pay for new projects that the rich are promoting. You can be sure of one thing: the rich man could afford to be liberal. Lazarus sat on the floor and caught the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. That rich man was liberal—he was very liberal with his crumbs—but that was all.
In our day a “vile person” is called “liberal.” In that day a vile person will no longer be called liberal, because he will be seen for what he really is. He is a villain, and his heart will work iniquity. The human heart is desperately wicked. Everything in that future day will be seen in its true colors. There will be no false values. Every man will be seen for what he is. There will be no “putting on a front” or assuming what they are not. The mask of hypocrisy will be removed. This, of course, applies to everyone—not only to Christians. The biggest hypocrites are actually not in the church. They are all those who pretend to be something they are not.
All of this will take place when the King comes who will reign in righteousness.
THE PRECEDING TIME OF TROUBLE
Before Christ, the King, comes to reign, there will be a time of trouble, which will be the Great Tribulation.
Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech [Isa. 32:9].
Why does he say this? Because naturally women are more sensitive than men, and they sense danger before a man does. My friend, every man before he goes into a business partnership or any kind of partnership should let his wife meet the person who is to be his partner. She is apt to give him a true evaluation of his nature and character. In my home I try to maintain my place as the head of the house, but I have discovered over a period of years that I am no judge of human character. Time after time my wife has said to me, “Well, you misjudged that person.” Either I put confidence in someone when I should not have, or I failed to recognize that certain people are really wonderful folk. So I have learned that the best thing to do is to listen to her, especially in the evaluation of character. Now God says that in the days prior to the Tribulation Period women will become so insensible that they will not recognize the danger that is coming. It is quite interesting that there will be women living in pleasure in that day to such extent that they will have no sense of coming judgment.
THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT
Now we come to the third division: the promise of the Spirit to be poured out in the last days.
Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest [Isa. 32:15].
Here is a case where you need to pay attention to the development of prophecy in the Word of God. When will the Spirit be poured out? The Spirit will be poured out during the Millennium when Christ reigns. That is going to be the greatest time of spiritual blessing and turning to Christ, for at that time He will be reigning in person. That doesn’t mean that every knee is going to bow to Him at that time. Every knee will bow to Him eventually, but the kingdom will be a time of testing. Joel mentions it: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28–29). This looks forward to the coming kingdom. This prophecy was not fulfilled at Pentecost nor any time since then.
In Acts 2:15–21 Peter quotes from Joel 2:28–29 and explains the passage. Peter did not say that Pentecost was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel, but that Pentecost was similar to what Joel described. The people who were filled with the Holy Spirit in Peter’s day were ridiculed as being drunk early in the morning. Now that could happen in Los Angeles today, but people did not get drunk in the morning in Peter’s day. Peter was saying that what was happening at Pentecost was similar to what would take place during the millennial kingdom.
What Joel and Peter described will take place during the kingdom age when the Lord pours out His Spirit upon all flesh. On the Day of Pentecost it was poured out on only a few people, but it was similar to that which will occur during the Millennium.
Joel’s prediction was of tremendous phenomena: “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:30–31). My friend, these tremendous signs have never yet taken place.
Notice also that Joel predicted, “…and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams…” (Joel 2:28). Today our young people are not fulfilling this prophecy, and our old men are in a retirement place playing golf. These things did not happen on the Day of Pentecost, neither are they happening today. This prophecy looks forward to the coming kingdom. There is always a danger of pulling out a few verses of Scripture and trying to build on them a system of prophecy. We are just to let the Word of God speak to us—line upon line and precept upon precept—as He wants to do it. This is the way God gives it to us.
CHAPTER 33
Theme: The final woe is pronounced on all who spoil God’s people and land
This chapter, in particular, pronounces a judgment upon those who seek to destroy God’s people and lay waste His land. It refers to the Assyrians in the immediate purview but extends to the final enemy of the last days. The chapter is geocentric. The land is the thing of primary importance.
PRAYER OF THE REMNANT FOR DELIVERANCE
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dearest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee [Isa. 33:1].
This is Isaiah’s way of expressing the great spiritual principles, which God put down from the time man sinned. It is stated well in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
The “spoiler” here is Sennacherib who came against Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah (Isa. 36–37). I believe this is the unanimous conclusion of all sound scholars. However, it does not limit this chapter to the Assyrians. God says in effect, “You spoil My people, and I’ll spoil you.” God promises to take vengeance on behalf of His people. For this reason we as believers should always let God handle all of our revenge. God says that we are not to avenge ourselves, but He will repay. Turn it over to God. He can do a better job than we can do.
Now this is also a picture of that final day of consummation after God has brought together again the restored Roman Empire, and Anti-christ will destroy the land of Israel again. God will take care of him at the second coming of Christ.
Now in view of that, we hear this prayer:
O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble [Isa. 33:2].
This is the prayer of the godly remnant then and in the future.
PLAINTIVE CRY OF AMBASSADORS WHO FAILED
Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man [Isa. 33:7–8].
You would think that we would have learned a lesson today, but we have not. A great peace conference was held at the Hague; and, while it was going on, Germany began World War I and broke all of the treaties. At the end of that war the League of Nations was formed; and, when President Woodrow Wilson went to be our representative, the idea was to make the world safe for democracy. What they forgot, however, was to make democracy safe for the world. Peace didn’t come. It led to World War II. Now the United Nations is making the world ready for World War III. We talk about peace, but we are not doing it God’s way.
PETITION FOR ALL TO CONSIDER GOD’S DEALINGS
Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might [Isa. 33:13].
Two groups of people are addressed here: “Ye that are far off” are the Gentiles, and “ye that are near” are the people of Israel. The call is to recognize God.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? [Isa. 33:14].
“Sinners in Zion” are those of Israel who are not Israel. There are godless Israelites just as there are godless Gentiles.
“The devouring fire” does not refer to the lake of fire mentioned in the Book of Revelation, but rather to the fact that “our God is a consuming fire.” He is a holy God, and He intends to judge in that day.
Today there is a tremendous godless movement abroad. It is growing by leaps and bounds. That is the reason we are giving out the Word of God. We don’t know how much longer we can do it, but we are going to continue as long as the Lord allows. God is going to bring judgment, and God’s people need to be concerned about getting His Word out. Judgment is not a pretty subject. It is not one that will make friends, but these are the words of Isaiah, and Isaiah’s message is God’s message, and He would like the human family to hear it.
He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil [Isa. 33:15].
The one who has been declared righteous by his faith in Christ is called to walk in righteousness. In that awful day we find that where sin abounds, grace will much more abound.
PRAISE TO GOD FOR FINAL DELIVERANCE
Now we come to the fourth division, where there is praise to God for final deliverance.
Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby [Isa. 33:20–21].
Babylon could boast of the Euphrates River, Assyria could boast of the Tigris and upper Zab, and Egypt could boast of the Nile, but Jerusalem was a landlocked city with neither river nor harbor. However, Zechariah gave an amazing prophecy which leads us to believe that God will provide a harbor for Israel during the Millennium (see Zech. 14:4–8). It is my understanding that the earthquake he describes will open up a deep valley to the Mediterranean Sea, and Jerusalem will be a seaport town during the Millennium.
The literal fulfillment of the prophecy also has a spiritual application. “The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams.” The Lord Himself is the source of Israel’s defense and blessing.
And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity [Isa. 33:24].
This is a glorious prospect which is held out for Jerusalem. The eye of faith looks beyond the immediate hard circumstances to the glorious prospect of the future. This is the day when the King will be in Jerusalem. The Prince of peace will then bring peace to the earth.
CHAPTER 34
Theme: The final world clash—the Battle of Armageddon
This chapter brings to an end the section which in my outline I call the “Kingdom, Process, and Program by which the Throne is Established on Earth.” Judgment has been the theme all the way through this section. We have looked at six woes and followed a progression in this matter of prophecy. We saw a local situation into which Isaiah spoke and then watched him move into that broader area, as he looked down through the centuries to the time of judgment that was coming in the future, which the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation. Beyond that we saw the coming of the King.
However, in our day we are not looking for the King, we are looking for our Savior. We are “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). After He takes the church out of the world, those who remain will go through the frightful Tribulation Period, which will end with the war or the campaign of Armageddon.
This chapter is in contradiction to the philosophy of the world. You see, man expects to so improve the world by his own efforts that he will build a Utopia. He plans to bring in a millennium, although he may call it something else. Man thinks he is capable of lifting himself by his own bootstraps. The basic philosophy of evolution (and evolution is a philosophy rather than a science) is that there is improvement as we go along. It is onward and upward forever! Or, as the slogan has it, “Every day in every way I am getting better and better.” Man has woven this philosophy into the fabric of life; he thinks we are moving into something which is great and good.
The Word of God also looks forward to a wonderful future for this earth, but it is not the consummation of man’s efforts. Everything that man has built apart from God is coming under a frightful judgment. All of man’s work is contrary to God and must come into a final conflict. That conflict is set before us here as the Battle of Armageddon. The sin of man will finally be headed up in the Man of Sin, who will attempt to bring in a kingdom for himself, and that kingdom is the Great Tribulation period. It can only be ended with the coming of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom.
This chapter looks entirely to the future. The Assyrians have disappeared, F. Delitzsch has made this statement, which I think is quite accurate: “We feel that we are carried away from the stage of history, and are transported into the midst of the last things,” and these chapters are the “last steps whereby our prophet rises to the height at which he soars in chapters 40 to the end. After the fall of Assyria, and when darkness began to gather on the horizon again, Isaiah broke away from his own time—the end of all things’ became more and more his home… It was the revelation of the mystery of the incarnation of God, for which all this was to prepare the way.”
Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it [Isa. 34:1].
In Isaiah 1:2 God called heaven and earth to witness His judgment upon His people Israel. In this chapter God calls only the nations of the earth to witness His final judgment upon the nations.
For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter [Isa. 34:2].
Observe carefully the words chosen to depict this judgment: indignation, fury, utterly destroyed, and delivered to the slaughter. They are the strongest possible expressions that could be used. The judgment is universal, and it is severe. It is not only the “…time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), but it is the time of the earth’s travail. Our Lord spoke of this as a time of suffering that will be unparalleled in the history of the world. The seals, trumpets, and vials in the Book of Revelation all intensify and confirm this. Whether you believe it or not, the earth is moving toward the judgment of God. Instead of a wonderful day coming for sinful man, a time of judgment is coming. As we look around us at our contemporary civilization, everything we see is going to come under the judgment of our Almighty God.
Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood [Isa. 34:3].
This description is to me the most terrible and repulsive in the Bible. I can’t think of anything worse than this. It confirms what the Lord Jesus said when He was here and what the Book of Revelation teaches about a coming judgment upon this earth.
I realize that a great many people doubt this, which reminds me of an incident when a tropical hurricane broke on the Gulf coast several years ago. I traveled along that area several years later, drove for miles and saw entire sections of cities that the storm had taken out. Even after several years, nothing is there. I also saw places where jungle in the area was absolutely removed. I was told about an apartment house in the area where a group of people were living fast and loose. When they heard the warnings about the storm, they decided that they would not leave. They didn’t believe the storm was going to be severe; so they had a big beer bust. Instead of evacuating, they all got drunk. They ridiculed the storm forecast, and they were all killed. You can do the same thing concerning the judgment that is coming on this earth. God says that judgment is coming, and it is coming.
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree [Isa. 34:4].
When you see a little leaf fall from a tree, you can attempt to glue it back on the branch, but it won’t stay and it won’t live. Just as surely, judgment is coming, and you can’t keep it from coming. There is only one thing you can do: make sure that you have a shelter. Listen to God and remember that the Lord Jesus is the shelter in the time of storm which is coming upon the earth.
IDUMEA, REPRESENTING ALL GOD’S ENEMIES
For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment [Isa. 34:5].
God bathes that sword in heaven—that is important to see. When you and I take the sword down here, it is for vengeance or some ulterior motive. When God takes the sword, it is for justice and righteousness upon the earth. His sword is bathed in heaven, and it is going to fall in judgment.
Idumea is Edom, and Edom is Esau, and Esau represents the flesh. Esau represents all in Adam who are rebellious against God and His people. God said, “…Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom. 9:13). God will judge Edom because they are against God, against His people, against His Word, against everything that is right and good.
INTENTION OF THE LORD
For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion [Isa. 34:8].
This is the day of the Lord’s vengeance. We will see this again in Isaiah 63:1–6. You can’t do anything to stop it, just like there is nothing you can do to stop Niagara Falls from flowing. God says that things have to be made right upon this earth. To make them right He has to put down the evil and rebellious man upon this earth. Many people will not bow to God; but, since this is God’s universe, where will they go? He has only one place for them, which is called hell. You may have your own concept of it, but it undoubtedly is lots worse than a place of literal fire. God’s Word is inviolable and the Lord Jesus said, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). My friend, it is wise to read the weather report and when a storm is forecast to make arrangements to escape it.
CHAPTER 35
Theme: The blessings of the Millennium, a picture of the kingdom
As we come to this chapter, we can thank God that the war of Armageddon is not the end of all things. Chapter 35 is a poetic gem. There is a high sense of poetic justice in this chapter which concludes the section on judgment. The fires of judgment have now burned out, and the sword of justice is sheathed. The evening of earth-trouble is ended, and the morning of millennial delights has come. This section closes on the high plane of peace, having been through suffering to peace, through the night to the dawn, through judgment to salvation, through tears to joy in the morning.
The calm of this chapter is in contrast to the storms of judgments of the previous chapter and even those that preceded it. We can say with the writer of the Song of Solomon, the winter is past, and the flowers appear on the earth.
MATERIAL EARTH WILL BE RESTORED
First we see that the material earth will be restored and the curse of sin lifted. This is the body of the earth.
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose [Isa. 35:1].
We are informed today that the deserts of the world are being enlarged each year; they are not being reduced in size. Drought and soil erosion are hastening this process. Today pollution is filling the earth. All of this will be reversed for the Millennium. The smog will be lifted, and the curse of sin will be removed. The familiar and beautiful statement, “the desert shall … blossom as the rose” is an apt and happy picture of the earth’s future. If you are familiar with the great desert area of the southwestern section of our country, you will be impressed with this statement. This outline was written while we were crossing the southeast section of Colorado where the drought has been so severe and where the vast grasslands have been eroded by sandstorms. During the Millennium all of this will be reversed.
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God [Isa. 35:2].
Paul tells us that creation is groaning and travailing in pain (see Rom. 8:22), while in the Millennium all creation will rejoice.
MEN WILL BE RENEWED
The bodies of men will be renewed, as will the psychological part of man.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees [Isa. 35:3].
Creation is waiting for us to get our new bodies.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you [Isa. 35:4].
In the midst of the storm of judgment, God’s people can rejoice because they will know that God will come and save them. The church has the added hope and joy of never experiencing the Great Tribulation Period.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert [Isa. 35:5–6].
Sickness and disease and all affliction are the result of man’s sin. These will be lifted in the kingdom.
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
No lion shall be there, nor ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there [Isa. 35:7–9].
What a beautiful picture we have here of the earth during the kingdom age.
MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY WILL RETURN TO ZION
Here we see the spirit of earth; that is, man will be renewed spiritually.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away [Isa. 35:10].
Can you think of anything nicer than this? This not only includes Israel, but it will include the redeemed who enter the Millennium upon the earth. In Zechariah 14:16–17 we read, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.”
We can say with that old Puritan, Richard Baxter, “Hasten, O Saviour, the time of Thy return. Delay not, lest the living give up their hope. Delay not, lest earth shall grow like hell, and Thy Church shall be crumbled to dust. O hasten, that great resurrection day when the graves that received but rottenness, and retain but dust, shall return Thee glorious stars and suns. Thy desolate Bride saith, Come. The whole creation saith, Come, even so come, Lord Jesus. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Thus ends the first major division of the Book of Isaiah with all the blessing of the Millennium.
HISTORIC INTERLUDE
We have come to the second major division of the Book of Isaiah. This section is unlike that which precedes it and that which follows it. This section leaves the high plateau of prophecy and drops down to the record of history. Even the form of language changes from poetry to prose. The first section dealt with the government of God and the method by which God judges. In the last section we will see the grace of God—salvation instead of judgment. Between these two sections is this historic interlude of four brief chapters. Why are they wedged in between the two major sections of this book? This is a reasonable question which requires investigation and rewards the honest inquirer. There are several significant factors which are worthy of mention.
1. Sacred and secular history are not the same. F. C. Jennings, in his fine work, Studies in Isaiah, says, “Divine history is never merely history, never simply a true account of past events.” This means that there are great spiritual truths couched in sacred history that are seen only by the eye of faith. The Holy Spirit must teach us the divine purpose in recording spiritual history. I want to note several suggested reasons for this:
a. These incidents might seem trite to the average historian who records great world movements, but events that concerned God’s people were important according to the standards of heaven.
b. These chapters note the transfer of power from Assyria to Babylon. Babylon was the first great world empire and was the real menace to God’s people. Babylon was to begin the period designated by our Lord as “…the times of the Gentiles…” (Luke 21:24).
c. This section is a record of a son of David who was beset by enemies and who went down to the verge of death, but was delivered and continued to reign. In this he foreshadows the great Son of David who was also beset by enemies, was delivered to death, but was raised from the dead, and who is coming again to reign. Hezekiah was only a man who walked in the ways of David, another weak man. Hezekiah lived to play the fool. Our Lord was greater than David, and as the crucified and risen Son of God, He is made unto us “…wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). There are other great spiritual truths which are noted in the chapter outlines.
2. The second significant factor in this historic section is that these particular events are recorded three times in Scripture—2 Kings 18–19, 2 Chronicles 29–30, and here in Isaiah. The fact that the Holy Spirit saw fit to record them three times is in itself a matter of great importance. The records are not identical but are similar. Some scholars think that Isaiah is the author of all three, or at least also of the one in the Book of Kings. Surely the Spirit of God has some special truth for us here which should cause us not to hurry over these events as if they were of no great moment.
3. Three significant and stupendous miracles are recorded in this brief section:
a. The death angel slays 185,000 Assyrians (Isa. 37:36–38).
b. The sun retreats ten degrees on the sundial of Ahaz (Isa. 38:7–8).
c. God heals Hezekiah and extends his life fifteen years (Isa. 38:1–5).
4. This section opens with Assyria and closes with Babylon. There are two important letters which Hezekiah received:
a. The first was from Assyria, which Hezekiah took directly to God in prayer. God answered his prayer and delivered His people (Isa. 37:14–20).
b. The second letter was from the king of Babylon, which flattered Hezekiah and which he did not take to the Lord in prayer. As a result, it led to the undoing of Judah (Isa. 39:1–8).
Chapter 36 tells about King Hezekiah and the invasion of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Chapter 37 tells about King Hezekiah’s prayer and the destruction of the Assyrian hosts. Chapter 38 records King Hezekiah’s sickness, prayer, and healing. Chapter 39 finds King Hezekiah playing the fool.
CHAPTER 36–37
Theme: Hezekiah and Assyria
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had come down like a flood from the north, taking everything in his wake. He had captured every nation and city that stood in his path, or they had capitulated to him. Flushed with victory, he appears with the Assyrian hosts before the walls of Jerusalem. He is surprised and puzzled that Hezekiah would attempt to resist him. He seeks for some explanation, as Hezekiah must have some secret weapon. Rab-shakeh, his representative, ridicules all known possibilities of aid. Arrogantly he demands unconditional surrender. The chapter closes with the terms and threats reported to Hezekiah.
ASSYRIA THREATENS TO INVADE JERUSALEM
Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them [Isa. 36:1].
You will recall that Isaiah began his prophetic ministry when King Uzziah died, and he continued it through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and now Hezekiah. Hezekiah was one of the five great kings of Judah. During the reigns of these five kings (Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah) revival came to the land of Judah. Hezekiah was actually a great king. Second Chronicles 29:1–2 tells us, “Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.”
Although Hezekiah was a good king, he exhibited weakness when he attempted to stave off the invasion of Jerusalem by bribing Sennacherib (see 2 Kings 18:13–16). He stripped the gold and silver from the temple to meet the exorbitant demands of the king of Assyria. It was to no avail, however, as the army of Assyria was outside the gates of Jerusalem. Payment did not help at all. This policy was not something new then, and it is still with us. Our nation, since World War II, has followed a very weak policy. We have used the almighty dollar to try to buy friends throughout the world, and we don’t have many friends today. You cannot get friends by buying them. Our problem is that we haven’t learned who our real Friend is. He is the One to whom Hezekiah finally had to turn, the Lord God.
And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field [Isa. 36:2].
Sennacherib did not condescend to come personally, but instead he sent an army under Rab-shakeh. They are parked now outside the gates of Jerusalem, and General Rab-shakeh is attempting to put fear into the hearts of Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem so that they will surrender.
Hezekiah sent out a delegation to meet with him.
Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah’s son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph’s son, the recorder [Isa. 36:3].
Hezekiah sent forth this embassage of three to receive the terms offered by Sennacherib.
ASSYRIA DEMANDS SURRENDER OF JERUSALEM
And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? [Isa. 36:4].
Rab-shakeh arrogantly expresses surprise that Hezekiah would even dare resist, and he wants to know about the secret weapon in which Hezekiah trusts. He suggests first of all that it might be Egypt.
Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him [Isa. 36:6].
The Assyrian host was then on the way to Egypt to capture that kingdom and was incensed that Jerusalem blocked the way. The facts were that Hezekiah had hoped for help from Egypt as had Ahaz his father before him. But Hezekiah wouldn’t get any help from Egypt—Rab-shakeh was right about that.
Then he suggests another possibility:
But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? [Isa. 36:7].
Next Rab-shakeh asks, “Is it true that you are depending upon your God?” Here is where his lack of spiritual discernment gave him a wrong cue. He says, “Don’t you know that Hezekiah had all the high places destroyed?” He thought the worship at the heathen altars out yonder on those hilltops was the same as the worship of the living God in Jerusalem. He thought Hezekiah had destroyed the worship of the people so that they had no gods to turn to.
Many people today have no spiritual discernment. Every now and then someone will write to me or say, “All churches are the same. They are all striving to get to the same place.” These people are like old Rab-shakeh. They don’t seem to know the difference. When they say that it does not make any difference what you believe as long as you are sincere, they contradict the words of our Lord. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Now the third possibility suggested by Rab-shakeh reveals the haughty attitude of the Assyrian:
Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? [Isa. 36:8–9].
There was the bare possibility that Hezekiah was depending on his own resources and manpower to defend Jerusalem; so Rab-shakeh offers to make things just about equal by giving Hezekiah two thousand horses! He, of course, is ridiculing them.
The fourth possibility suggested by Rab-shakeh is the most subtle of all:
And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it [Isa. 36:10].
He suggests that Jehovah of Israel has sent the Assyrian against Jerusalem and that He is therefore on the side of the Assyrian.
It is interesting to note that in World War I the Germans thought God was with them, and we thought God was on our side. I doubt seriously that God was on either side. In this particular case the true God used the Assyrian to destroy His people, but He is not going to let the enemy take Jerusalem.
Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall [Isa. 36:11].
Now Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah ask Rab-shakeh to speak in the Syrian language. All this time he has been speaking so loudly in the Hebrew language that the soldiers on the walls of Jerusalem could hear. He was great at giving out propaganda; enemies always do that. He was yelling out his ideas at the top of his voice so that the soldiers on the wall would get the word to the people in Jerusalem; he wanted to get it past these emissaries. Of course, their protest only caused Rab-shakeh to talk a little louder.
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? [Isa. 36:18–20].
Arrogantly Rab-shakeh boasts that none of the gods of other people have delivered them. Why should the Israelites expect Jehovah to deliver Jerusalem? He placed Jehovah on a par with heathen idols.
REPRESENTATIVES REPORT ASSYRIA’S BITTER TERMS
Finally the emissaries bring the word to Hezekiah, the king:
Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh [Isa. 36:22].
The messengers return to report these doleful words to Hezekiah.
“Clothes” speak of the dignity and glory of man. The saying is that clothes make the man. Well, “clothes rent” indicates humiliation and shame. This is a dejected and discouraged delegation that brings to Hezekiah the message from the king of Assyria.
REACTION OF HEZEKIAH TO THE REPORT
Now notice what Hezekiah does when this report reaches him.
And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord [Isa. 37:1].
His reaction to the report of his messengers reveals a man of faith. In his extremity he turns to God and goes to the house of the Lord.
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. [Isa. 37:2].
Hezekiah now sends his messengers to Isaiah the prophet. This is another act of faith. He wants a word from God.
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth [Isa. 37:3].
The message to Isaiah is ominous, black, and pessimistic. It is a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy.
It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left [Isa. 37:4].
He speaks of the Lord as “thy God,” not as “our God.” Why didn’t he say “our God” to begin with? However, he will correct this in his prayer in verse 20.
ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE LORD THROUGH ISAIAH
So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me [Isa. 37:5–6].
God gives assurance to Hezekiah that the blasphemy of the Assyrian has not escaped His attention. Likewise, God cannot, nor will not, ignore it.
Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land [Isa. 37:7].
He would not be killed near Jerusalem but in his own land. This had literal fulfillment, as we shall see. God declares the destruction of Assyria.
THREATENING LETTER TO HEZEKIAH
When Rab-shakeh got back to his army, he learned that the king of Assyria had left Lachish and was going to war against Libnah. A rumor came that the main force of the Assyrian army was being attacked by the Egyptian army. Rab-shakeh withdrew from Jerusalem temporarily to assist the main force of the Assyrian army, but to “save face” he dispatched a letter from Sennacherib to Hezekiah saying, “I’ll be back!”
The message of the letter was another attempt to shake Hezekiah’s faith in God’s deliverance.
Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria [Isa. 37:10].
He repeats the same words of Rab-shakeh.
Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? [Isa. 37:11–12].
Here he goes beyond the former word and boasts that no gods of any nation had delivered their people out of the hand of the Assyrian.
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? [Isa. 37:13].
He quotes historical facts that were difficult to answer.
HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER
Now notice the action of Hezekiah—I love this!
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord [Isa. 37:14].
When Hezekiah received the letter, he went to God directly and spread the letter before Him. Then follows one of the truly great prayers of Scripture.
And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying,
O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth [Isa. 37:15–16].
No instructed Israelites believed that God was a local deity who dwelt in the temple—just a little box in Jerusalem! King Solomon had prayed: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded” (1 Kings 8:27). Every Israelite recognized that He was the God of heaven, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Hezekiah pleads with Him to hear and deliver His people from the threatening Assyrian:
Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God [Isa. 37:17].
Hezekiah shows God the letter and calls attention to the fact that it is directly against God.
Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them [Isa. 37:18–19].
Hezekiah acknowledges the truth of the letter. There was no need to deny or ignore it. When we deal with God, it is wise to tell Him the truth, especially about ourselves, and not try to conceal anything.
Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only [Isa. 37:20].
GOD’S ANSWER THROUGH ISAIAH
God says that He has heard the blasphemy of the Assyrian. Notice how He will deal with him:
Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest [Isa. 37:29].
Now God gives this word of comfort and assurance to His people:
And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof [Isa. 37:30].
The primary thought is that the children of Judah would continue on in the land a little longer.
Note the boldness of this prophecy:
Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it [Isa. 37:33].
If one of the 185,000 Assyrians had accidentally shot an arrow over the walls of Jerusalem, God’s Word would have been inaccurate! How wonderful are the promises of God!
By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord [Isa. 37:34].
This is specific and was also literally fulfilled.
GOD DESTROYS THE ASSYRIAN ARMY
Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses [Isa. 37:36].
In the morning the men who were stationed on the walls of Jerusalem saw an amazing sight! The enemies they so feared were now lifeless corpses.
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh [Isa. 37:37].
Now let’s see what happened to the king of Assyria.
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead [Isa. 37:38].
Secular history confirms the fact that Sennacherib was murdered by his sons. It was about this time that the great kingdom of Assyria began to disintegrate and eventually was taken over by Babylon. God has already let Isaiah know that He was preparing a kingdom down on the banks of the Euphrates River, which would be the one to take the southern kingdom into captivity. God knew that though He delivered His people by this tremendous miracle in the days of Hezekiah, soon the day would return when He again would say, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isa. 1:4).
CHAPTER 38
Theme: Prayer of Hezekiah when told he is to die; promise of healing—miracle of the sundial; Hezekiah’s Poem of praise
This chapter deals with King Hezekiah’s illness, prayer, and healing. It is well to keep in mind that while Hezekiah was beset by the danger of the Assyrian host, he was plagued by a “boil.” His deliverance from death must have been prior to the destruction of the Assyrian host. It was while the siege was going on, and the answer to prayer must have encouraged his heart relative to Isaiah’s prediction of the coming deliverance of Jerusalem. Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years. He reigned fifteen years after this event; so his sickness was in the fourteenth year of his reign, and we are told that Sennacherib came up against Jerusalem in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign (see Isa. 36:1). All of this happened in the same year—the sickness of Hezekiah and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians.
PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH WHEN TOLD HE IS TO DIE
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live [Isa. 38:1].
It is interesting the way this chapter opens. We have seen that “in that day” is a technical expression that speaks of the Tribulation and millennial days. This verse does not open by saying, “In that day,” but by saying, “In those days.” What “days” is Isaiah talking about? He is talking about those days in which he and Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah was sick unto death. He was having trouble with a “boil” that was just about to kill him. On top of that he was having trouble with the Assyrians. There are those who believe that Hezekiah’s “boil” was either cancer or leprosy, or something similar. Whatever it was, it was a terminal disease, and his time to die had come.
The sentence of death was delivered to Hezekiah by Isaiah. It is true that this sentence of death rests upon each one of us, although we do not know the day nor the hour. But we do know this: “… it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). This is a divine date. If each one of us knew the exact time, our life-style would change.
Some years ago I received a letter from a fine young minister who had been told by his doctor that he had cancer and that his days were limited. He sent out a letter to some of his friends, and I was privileged to be included in that list. Here is a brief quotation from his letter so that you might know the thinking of a man under the shadow of death: “One thing I have discovered in the last few days. When a Christian is suddenly confronted with a sentence of death, he surely begins to give a proper evaluation of material things. My fishing gear and books and orchard are not nearly so valuable as they were a week ago.” I conducted this young preacher’s funeral. And many years later I had the experience of having cancer myself. My doctor told me he thought I had only about three months to live. I can bear witness to the accuracy of the young preacher’s statement. It was amazing how certain things suddenly became very unimportant. One of those things was my home. I thought I would not be living in it but a few more weeks, and it certainly became unimportant to me; but where I was going became very important. Well, God had other plans for me, for which I am indeed grateful. I thank and praise Him for each new day He gives to me.
When Hezekiah was confronted with death, what did he do?
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord [Isa. 38:21].
We have seen Hezekiah in prayer before when he spread Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord.
And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore [Isa. 38:3].
This is a time when a man can weep. I wept when I was told I was going to die. I am sure the young preacher wept when he heard the news from his doctor. You are bound to weep at a time like that. But Hezekiah also prayed on the basis of his life. This man had a good reputation before God, and under the Mosaic Law this was the accurate thing to do. Second Kings 18:5 says concerning Hezekiah: “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.” Hezekiah was an outstanding man. He was not boasting when he made that claim.
PROMISE OF HEALING—MIRACLE OF THE SUNDIAL
Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years [Isa. 38:4–5].
God did hear and answer his prayer and extended his life by fifteen years. He did it, not for Hezekiah’s sake, but for David’s sake.
That is not the basis upon which our prayers are heard today. Our prayers are heard for the sake of David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 16:23–24 the Lord says, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (italics mine). You and I can go to our Heavenly Father with our requests in the name of Christ. To pray in the name of Christ means that you are in Christ, and you are praying for His will to be done. It means that it is to please Him. Sometimes He will heal and sometimes He won’t. He is the One to decide.
And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city [Isa. 38:6].
God ties in His deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian with the deliverance of Hezekiah from death. God’s answer to one request will encourage the believer’s heart that He will answer the other requests. To be honest with you, I have been greatly strengthened in my own faith since God heard and answered the prayers of a host of radio listeners concerning my health.
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down [Isa. 38:7–8].
God gave him a sign, which was an assurance that He would answer his prayer.
F. C. Jennings (Studies in Isaiah, p. 438) translates the verse like this: “Behold, I will cause the shadow of the steps to return, which is gone down on the steps of Ahaz with the sun, backward ten steps. And the sun returned ten steps by the steps which it had gone down.” You see, the translation of “degrees” can also be “steps.” Dr. Jennings comments: “We can now transport ourselves in spirit to Hezekiah’s palace, and into his chamber. There lies the king, still prone on his couch, but with his face no longer turned to the wall, but joy and hope brightening his eye as he looks out of the window to the gardens, in the midst of which, and in full view, stands an obelisk, or column, with a series of steps leading up to it, and at least ten of these are lying in the column’s shadow; for the sun has gone so far down as to throw the shadow over that number of steps. But look again, the once darkened steps are now in clearest sunlight—’tis the sign for which the king had asked!”
HEZEKIAH’S POEM OF PRAISE
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness [Isa. 38:9].
The verses following are a fine thesis on death by one who was very near to it. Many believe that Hezekiah composed Psalm 116 at this time.
Now the question arises: Was Hezekiah right in asking God to extend his life?
The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord [Isa. 38:20].
At this time there was a great welling up of praise in the heart of Hezekiah. His song of praise to God was evidently set to music and sung.
However, after this experience Hezekiah became rather proud and arrogant. In the Book of Chronicles, which is God’s viewpoint of history, we are told: “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 32:25). Here is evidence to the fact that maybe he should not have asked for an extension of life because it led to pride in his life—he was raised up!
When I became ill, I remembered the story of Hezekiah. I went to the Lord and said, “If you will let me live, I will promise to do your will, and I will continue to get out your Word.” That is the reason I have over-extended myself in conferences and meetings. I didn’t want to let the Lord down. But He has made it pretty clear to me that I should not kill myself by overdoing, since He has extended my life. Now I am trying to be reasonable in what I do.
After experiencing a miracle like Hezekiah did, there is a danger of withdrawing from the Lord. You would think that it would draw one closer to Him, but instead there is a grave danger of getting away from Him.
Was he right in asking God to extend his life? Should he not have died when the time came? There is another consideration which leads me to believe that he should have died when he was so ill. Manasseh, his son, was twelve years old when he began to reign, which means that he was born after Hezekiah’s sickness. Manasseh was the worst king who reigned in either kingdom. I consider Manasseh worse than Ahab and Jezebel put together. I think that it was during his reign that the Shekinah glory departed. If it didn’t depart during his reign, I can’t think of any reason it would depart afterward. Manasseh was very much like Antichrist, the Man of Sin who is yet to come.
In the next chapter we will see that Hezekiah played the fool after his experience in healing.
Now how did God perform the healing of Hezekiah? Did he have Isaiah pray over him? Or did Isaiah lay his hand on him so hard that he fell backward? No. Notice what Isaiah did—
For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover [Isa. 38:21].
In other words, he did the two things that James recommends: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). This anointing is not religious nor ceremonial. The oil is for healing; it is medicinal. And the elders are to pray for the one who is sick. What God said through Isaiah and through James is the same. When you get sick, pray and call for the doctor. God expects us to be sensible.
CHAPTER 39
Theme: Hezekiah and Babylon
The transfer of the enemy of Judah from Assyria to Babylon is one of the outstanding features of this section. At this time Babylon was a struggling city on the banks of the Euphrates, unable to overcome Assyria. However, Babylon was to become the great head of gold in the times of the Gentiles, and that makes this chapter significant.
This chapter reveals the great blunder of Hezekiah’s life and also his human frailty and weakness. It is after the hour of great spiritual triumph that our worst defeats come.
HEZEKIAH RECEIVES THE BABYLONIAN EMBASSAGE
At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered [Isa. 39:1].
Merodach-baladan is a meaningless king to us, but his name is full of meaning. F. C. Jennings calls our attention to the fact that Merodach means “a rebel” and baladan means “not the Lord.” Behind this king, of course, is Nimrod, the founder of Babylon, and Satan, who is the archrebel against God and is the “god of this world.”
These ambassadors brought a letter which flattered Hezekiah. They said, “The king of Babylon has been concerned about you. He heard that you were sick and have recovered; so he sends a gift to rejoice with you.”
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not [Isa. 39:2].
At this time Hezekiah had not lost very many of the riches that David and Solomon had gathered. He made the mistake of showing his silver and gold, for he was immensely wealthy. We are told in 2 Chronicles 32:27–28, “And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels; Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.”
It is interesting how Hezekiah received the embassage from Babylon. They gave him a gift and a get-well card from the king. Instead of taking the letter and opening it before the Lord like he did the letter from the Assyrians, he just put it aside. They had flattered him, and so he gave the visitors the VIP treatment. He took them on a tour of the grounds of Jerusalem. Solomon had cornered the world’s gold market, and also he had cornered the market on quite a few other things. All of it was stored away in Jerusalem. Hezekiah foolishly showed this great wealth to his visitors, who went back to their king and told him that when he was strong enough, they knew where he could get all of the gold, silver, and jewels that he would need to carry on warfare.
Hezekiah made a big mistake, and Isaiah heard about what he had done.
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon [Isa. 39:3].
Hezekiah thought it was wonderful, but Isaiah recognized the danger.
Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them [Isa. 39:4].
It was a very foolish thing that Hezekiah had done.
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts:
Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon [Isa. 39:5–7].
Hezekiah played the fool. He should never have shown his treasures to strangers. Isaiah’s prophecy was literally fulfilled (see 2 Kings 24–25; Dan. 1).
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days [Isa. 39:8].
Hezekiah’s reply to Isaiah is very strange. He said in effect, “I am glad this prophecy won’t take place in my day.” He was grateful that these things would not come to pass in his days, but what about his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren? It did take place in their day.
Hezekiah’s life was extended for fifteen years. Was it good? It was not good. He lived to play the fool. Three terrible things took place during those years.
This chapter concludes the historic section.
CHAPTER 40
Theme: Comfort, a message from God; creation, a revelation of God; consideration, a call from God
Chapter 40 brings us to the final major division of the Book of Isaiah. There is a sharp contrast between the first and last sections of this book. The first section was a revelation of the Sovereign upon the throne, while this final section is a revelation of the Savior in the place of suffering. In chapter 6 we saw the crown; in chapter 53 we shall see the cross. The theme in the first section was the government of God; in this section it is the grace of God.
The opening words, “Comfort ye,” set the mood and tempo for this final section. The message from God is comfort rather than judgment which we saw in the first section.
The change of subject matter has led the liberal critic to postulate the Deutero-Isaiah hypothesis. Because the subjects are entirely different, they suppose that they were written by different writers—two Isaiahs. Well, a change of message certainly does not necessitate a change of authorship. The message has changed but not the messenger. Many authors write on subjects that are entirely different. For example, I have a booklet on Psalm 2, which is God’s judgment, and one on Psalm 22, which is God’s salvation—two entirely different subjects, but written by the same individual.
In this section of Isaiah the thunders and lightnings of Sinai are subdued, smothered by the wonderful message of grace which comes from God.
COMFORT, A MESSAGE FROM GOD
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God [Isa. 40:1].
All of the “woes” and the “burdens” of the first section have been lifted because there is now a burden-bearer, One who later on will fulfill everything that Isaiah said about Him. He will be the One to give the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28). The Lord Jesus Christ lifts burdens.
“Comfort ye, comfort ye” is a sign of yearning from the pulsating heart of God. Our God is the God of “all comfort.” That is the way Paul speaks of Him in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” The Holy Spirit is called “the Comforter.” The Lord Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). He is today our Comforter.
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins [Isa. 40:2].
It has been suggested that when there was an indebtedness or mortgage on a house in Israel, the fact was written on a paper, a legal document, and put on the doorpost so that all their neighbors and friends would know that they had a mortgage on their place. Another copy was kept by the one who held the mortgage. When the debt was paid, the second copy, the carbon copy, was nailed over the other doorpost so that all might see that the debt was paid. This is the meaning of “she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” The sins of Jerusalem were paid for by the One who suffered outside her gates. This is the difference between the dealings of God with His people in the Old Testament and with us in our day. It actually separates Christianity from all pagan religions and from the Mosaic Law. The difference is all wrapped up in that little word propitiation. In the heathen religions the people bring an offering to their gods to appease them, and that is what propitiation means. Many people think that that is what it means in the Bible, that they have to “do” something—because God is angry—to win Him over. The people in heathen religions are always doing that because their gods are always angry and difficult to get along with. Their feelings are easily hurt, and they are not very friendly. The fact is that sin, man’s sin, has alienated him from God, but it is God who did something. And today God is propitious. You don’t have to do anything to win Him over. Propitiation is toward God, and reconciliation is toward us. God has done everything that needs to be done. Today we are asked to be reconciled to God, not to do something to win Him over. God is already won over; that is what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. We need only accept what Christ has done. This is the word of comfort for a lost world today.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God [Isa. 40:3].
All four writers of the gospel records—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—quote this verse as applying to John the Baptist. Since it appears four times in the New Testament, I’m not going to argue about it. I say that it refers to John the Baptist.
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field [Isa. 40:4–6].
Luke quotes this as applying to John the Baptist.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever [Isa. 40:7–8].
Man is compared to the grass of the field. The question is, How can there be comfort in being reminded that we are like grass? Hence in California grass is beautiful after the spring rain; but not many weeks later, after the sun has beat upon it for a few days, it begins to wither and die. Man is just like that.
You say, “Well there is no comfort in that!” Yes, there is. Man is faint, frail, and feeble, but the Word of God is strong, sure, and secure. God’s Word is our hiding place, a foundation upon which we can rest; it is our sword and buckler, high tower, protection, security, and salvation. In 1 Peter 1:23–25 we read, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” It is only the gospel that gives eternal life to man who naturally is just a transitory creature on this earth.
Now note the wonderful message—
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! [Isa. 40:9].
“Good tidings” is the gospel, and the “good tidings” of John the Baptist was “Behold your God!” Until you have seen Jesus Christ as God manifest in the flesh, you haven’t really seen Him. You must come to Him as He is—not just as a Man, but as God, Immanuel, God with us. If He is just a human, He cannot be my Savior; but He is Immanuel, and He is my Savior. How wonderful this is!
Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him [Isa. 40:10].
Now Isaiah, as he generally does, draws together the first and second comings of Christ. This verse looks forward to His second coming. Actually, the gospel includes both the first and second comings of Christ. We are apt to get sidetracked and put all the emphasis on Jesus’ first coming or on His second coming. Well, let’s put our emphasis on both Comings, which is the totality of the gospel.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young [Isa. 40:11].
The Lord Jesus took the title of Shepherd when He came the first time. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He also said, “… I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15).
CREATION, A REVELATION OF GOD
The next verse introduces the section that speaks of the greatness of God as Creator.
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of 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? [Isa. 40:12].
Who has done that? To begin with, when you get out into space, you don’t weigh anything; so who is doing the weighing today, and where is it going to be weighed? This verse makes me feel like singing “How Great Thou Art”!
Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? [Isa. 40:13–14].
God knows no equal nor is there anyone to whom He can go for advice. Someone has asked the rather facetious question, “What is it that you have seen that God has never seen?” The answer is very simple. God has never seen His equal. I see mine every day.
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? [Isa. 40:18].
You and I know very little. All we know is what He has revealed in the Word of God, and I don’t think He has told us everything. To begin with, we can’t even comprehend what He has told us.
Isaiah is contrasting God to idols. “To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” Look around you at the pictures of Him. Personally, I don’t care for any picture of Jesus because they are not pictures of Jesus. I don’t become very popular when I say this. Stores that sell such pictures and people who are rather sentimental think I am terrible. But, my friend, we don’t need pictures of Him. I agree with the old Scottish philosopher who said years ago, “Men never thought of painting a picture of Jesus until they had lost His presence in their hearts.”
Now here is the first rather ironical attack that Isaiah will make against idolatry—
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains [Isa. 40:19].
The rich make a very ornate idol. They have a rich god.
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved [Isa. 40:20].
The poor can have only a crude idol; he whittles out a god from a piece of wood. How preposterous idolatry is!
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? [Isa. 40:21].
It is utterly ridiculous to compare God to some dumb idol.
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in [Isa. 40:22].
The Old Testament does not teach that the earth is flat; but scientists in the days of Columbus taught this theory. Those so-called scientists did not pay attention to the Word of God in that day, and they missed something. And I think scientists are missing something today. It is clearly stated in this verse that the earth is a sphere, a circle positioned in an even greater universe, and that God’s throne is far beyond the penetration of the most powerful telescopes as they search out the limitless vault of space.
CONSIDERATION, A CALL FROM GOD
In the light of all of this, God calls us to consider.
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? [Isa. 40:27].
God knows about the difficulties and problems of His people. If you belong to Him, He is able to quiet the storms of life, but sometimes there are lessons for His own to learn in the storm. When you find yourself in the midst of a storm, instead of sitting and weeping and criticizing God, why don’t you look around and find out what lesson He wants you to learn? God will not let you go through trials unless He has something for you to learn.
The lesson may be this:
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding [Isa. 40:28].
We have a great God. He never gets tired. He is not like man.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint [Isa. 40:30–31].
There are three degrees of power here, and several expositors have likened them to the three stages of Christian growth that you have in 1 John 2:12–14. These three stages of growth are: (1) the young Christian shall mount up as an eagle; (2) the adult Christian shall run; and (3) the mature Christian shall walk.
This reminds me of the black preacher down in my southland who preached a very wonderful sermon, in which he said, “Brethren, this church, it needs to walk.” And one of the deacons said, “Amen.” He continued, “Brethren, this church needs to run.” And the deacon said, “Hallelujah.” Then he said, “Brethren, this church needs to fly.” And this deacon said, “Amen and hallelujah.” Then the minister said, “Well, it’s going to cost money to make this church fly.” To this the deacon replied, “Let her walk, brother, let her walk.”
My friend, regardless of who you are, if you are going to move with God through this earth, it will cost you something. But God will furnish you strength whatever your condition. If you need strength to walk, He will give it to you. If you need strength to fly, He has that for you also. This is a wonderful chapter revealing the comfort of God as our Creator, as our Savior, and as our Sustainer.
CHAPTER 41
Theme: God overrules individuals; God overtures Israel to trust Him; God overturns idols
This chapter continues the thought of chapter 40 in setting forth the greatness of God. The emphasis here is not upon God as Creator so much as upon His dealings with man. The greatness of God is revealed in both creation and human history.
There are also some things in this chapter that are rather enigmatic. It seems that there is a bare profile of prophecy in the background, but the theme is that God will protect and lead His children through the world which is fraught with pitfalls and dangers. Therefore, comfort is here for the child of God.
GOD OVERRULES INDIVIDUALS
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 [Isa. 41:1].
The whole world of individuals is moving toward judgment.
The showdown is coming between light and darkness, between God and mammon, between faith and unbelief. God is now calling upon individuals to turn to Him and accept the salvation He has to offer. God is propitious. He is not demanding anything of you. He is simply asking you to accept the grace and salvation that He has to offer.
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? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow [Isa. 41:2].
“Righteous man from the east” is a strong expression. There are those who feel that this is a veiled suggestion of Cyrus. Cyrus will be mentioned by name shortly, but this is not the place. I believe that the word actually refers to a quality—righteousness—rather than to a person. It could be a reference to the rule of righteousness which Christ will establish at His return to earth. We find this thought developed in this section.
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage [Isa. 41:6].
Since God is coming to right the wrongs and relieve injustices, individuals who are right with God can be of good courage. There is hope for the little man who trusts God. He doesn’t have to worry about the future.
GOD OVERTURES ISRAEL TO TRUST HIM
Here again we have a reference to idolatry.
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering:and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved [Isa. 41:7].
In an emergency some folk hammered themselves out a god, that is, a temporary idol. But now God says:
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend [Isa. 41:8].
God now turns to Israel to comfort them in their distress. God says, “Instead of hammering out an idol, why not turn to Me?” After all, He knows they are sinners. He still calls them Jacob, and Jacob was the crooked one. It is God who made him Israel, a prince with God. And God wants to do that for the sons of Jacob.
Abraham is called the “friend” of God, and God wants to bring these people into a right relationship with Himself.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness [Isa. 41:10].
This verse has been a real pillar of strength and a source of comfort to God’s children of every age.
As he moves on, he says that if they oppose God it will be the very height of folly, because they are moving toward the day when all these adjustments will have to be made.
Now note this remarkable verse:
For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee [Isa. 41:13].
Here is God’s gracious overture to trust Him—what comfort! God wants to take us into His confidence. He wants to enable us to walk with Him, have fellowship with Him, and know Him. My, what mankind is missing today! Some people can even get so involved in church work that they miss all this.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel [Isa. 41:14].
You may think you are something, but you are a “worm”—a nobody. It is only God who can make any of us important. Only God can make man a somebody. Little man frets and struts across the stage of life, as Shakespeare put it. He huffs and puffs like the old wolf around the little pigs’ houses. Where is man going, and exactly what is he getting out of what he is doing? Some people see the futility of it all and take their own lives. Where else can they turn? The only place man can turn is to God. Oh, what man is missing! God’s fellowship, His salvation, His goodness, His grace—all of these are yours if you but turn to Him.
Then He talks to them about the material blessings of the Millennium—they will be there. And God would like to talk to you and me about the spiritual blessings which are available to us now and those we will have in eternity.
GOD OVERTURNS IDOLS
Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob [Isa. 41:21].
This is a challenge to idolatry. Now who is an idolater? Have you ever considered the possibility that you may be? Anything you put between your soul and God is your idol—regardless of what it is. It is anything to which you are giving your time and your energy; it could actually be your religion. Anything that you allow to take the place of a personal relationship with God is your idol.
What can idols do? Can they explain the origin of the universe? Are you satisfied today with the explanations that evolution has given? Of course there have been several explanations, but God says, “Bring them all out.”
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come [Isa. 41:22].
Man doesn’t know his beginning or the origin of the universe. He simply doesn’t know—I don’t care what theory he is following. I predict that the evolutionist will be embarrassed in the next fifty years or so, because evolution will be just one of the many theories which will be left along the highway of time with the other wreckage. There have been many explanations of the origin of the universe which were called scientific at one time but are exploded today. Evolution will be exploded in time. Then man will turn to another theory. Man doesn’t know his origin, and he doesn’t know the future. Man is a very ignorant creature. Have you ever stopped to think how little you know?
There are many Ph.D.’s who don’t know very much either. I heard of a man working on his Ph.D. degree who was studying the eye of the mosquito. Now there is an unusual subject! One day as he was doing his research, it suddenly occurred to him that he did not want to spend the rest of his life looking a mosquito in the eye. And I can understand that—I wouldn’t mind taking one or two looks, but after that I think it would become monotonous! This man came to the conclusion that he should do something else. He found the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, was granted his degree, and he decided to dedicate his life to something worthwhile. Today he is a minister of the gospel.
It is quite interesting that man can be very well-educated, even have his doctor’s degree, and still know very little. He knows nothing about his origin or where he is going, and no idol can give him that information. So it is well to turn to the One who does have the answers. This doesn’t mean He will give you all the answers, but it is nice to know Him who knows the answers. I have never learned much about science, but I did learn a motto that was posted in the science building of the college I attended, which read: “Next to knowing is knowing where to find out.” Now there are many things I don’t know, but I know the One who knows everything. If there is something I need to know, God will tell me.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you [Isa. 41:24].
Man cannot explain his past, and he does not know his future apart from God. That makes all of man’s effort apart from God a very vain thing, an empty thing. During my first pastorate a man came to me and said, “If you can’t give me a good reason for living, I am going to solve all of my problems by taking my life.” What do you do with a man like that? He had an old rusty .45; it was a big old gun. I said to him, “Now look, if you can show me you can solve your problems by taking your life, I will get you a better gun than the one you have so you can do it right. Candidly, if you are not going to turn to Christ—if you are not going to bring Him into your life—you might as well use your gun. I see no reason why you shouldn’t.” Well, he was really taken aback. He expected me to give him arguments on reasons for living. That fellow put down his gun and left. Although he didn’t turn to Christ at that time, he did later on. And he found that Christ had the answer to his problems.
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion [Isa. 41:29].
“Confusion” is the end result of idolatry or any philosophy which is anti-God or atheistic. It does not have the answers to the problems of life. These man-made systems cannot satisfy the human heart. The answer is found in the One who brings good tidings of great joy.
CHAPTER 42
Theme: The Servant of Jehovah—Jesus; the scourge of idolatry—images; the servant of Jehovah—the nation
In each chapter Isaiah is gradually working up to his condemnation of idolatry.
We find in this chapter that the nation Israel is called the servant of Jehovah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Servant of Jehovah and is so called in the Gospel of Mark. He made it very clear: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). And in Matthew 12:17–21 there is an application of this prophecy to the Lord Jesus.
THE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH, JESUS
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles [Isa. 42:1].
“Behold” is a word that is a bugle call to consider the Lord Jesus Christ.
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth [Isa. 42:3].
This verse characterizes the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus when He was here. “A bruised reed shall he not break.” The Lord didn’t move in with a club against sin. He simply let sin bring its own judgment. “The smoking flax shall he not quench”—the man who keeps on in sin will find that it will break out in flames finally. The wages of sin is death; it always is that. You can’t change it.
This is a marvelous section as it presents the Lord Jesus as God’s Servant.
I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house [Isa. 42:6–7].
Christ performed these miracles as credentials of His Kingship when He was here the first time. He came as the Light of the world. As old Simeon prophesied, “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32).
THE SCOURGE OF IDOLATRY—IMAGES
Now Isaiah begins God’s polemic against idolatry.
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images [Isa. 42:8].
God will not share His glory with another.
Now he talks about the scourge of idolatry, and the judgment of God which it will bring.
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools [Isa. 42:15].
The physical earth will be affected by His judgment.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them [Isa. 42:16].
This is the way God leads His own. You and I are blind to the future, but He is not, and He will lead all who put their trust in Him.
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods [Isa. 42:17].
The idolaters, you see, are warned that judgment is coming.
THE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH, THE NATION
Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? [Isa. 42:19].
He identifies the blind servant here as His own people Israel.
This is God’s condemnation of His own people—
But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore [Isa. 42:22].
The nation Israel is the subject in this verse. They are “a people robbed and spoiled.” Why? Because they turned away from God, and they have turned to idols.
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law [Isa. 42:24].
The people and nation are identified as Israel. God scattered them—but He will also regather them.
Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart [Isa. 42:25].
The chastening of the Lord did not cause the nation to repent and return to Him. Did this thwart the purposes of God? The answer, of course is no, as we will see in the following chapter.
CHAPTER 43–44
Theme: Retrospect—creation, redemption, preservation of Israel; Prospect—future judgment, deliverance, redemption of Israel; promise of the Spirit; polemic against idolatry; prophecy concerning Cyrus
This section of Scripture, and particularly this chapter, reveals that God is not through with the nation Israel. It is tantamount to unbelief to deny that God has a future purpose for the nation of Israel. In the New Testament Paul asks the question, “… Hath God cast away His people?” And the answer is, “God forbid …” (Rom. 11:1). That is a very dogmatic answer. God is not through with these folk, as He makes clear in the chapter before us.
RETROSPECT—CREATION, REDEMPTION, PRESERVATION OF ISRAEL
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine [Isa. 43:1].
This statement is as clear-cut as could be made. God addresses the nation Israel in this entire section, and I do not think you could misunderstand Him unless you deliberately wanted to misunderstand.
He speaks of their origin: “the Lord that created thee.” God took a sad specimen like old Jacob, whose name means “crooked”—he was a supplanter—and made a nation out of him.
God took the dust of the ground, breathed into it the spirit of life, and it became a living human being. And that human being rebelled, but now God makes sons of God out of those who will trust Christ. That is my beginning, and it was a very bad beginning. I don’t accept the evolutionary theory that I evolved from a monkey; I came from something worse than a monkey! I came from a rebellious sinner who on the physical side had been taken from the ground. That first man passed on to me a fallen nature which will never be reformed or repaired. But God has given me a new nature.
Beginning with Jacob, God created a nation. Then He redeemed them by blood and power from Egypt, and they became Israel, a prince with God. They belong to God because of creation and because of redemption.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee [Isa. 43:2].
This is a promise which specifically applies to Israel and the manner in which God delivered them in the past, for example, when they crossed the Red Sea and the Jordan River.
It also has a marvelous spiritual application for all of God’s children in all times. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” Sometimes in my experience I get into what I could call “deep water” when I can’t touch bottom. But I have the assurance that God is going through the experience with me. I think I’m going to drown, but He has promised, “they shall not overflow thee,” and He intervenes and delivers me.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee [Isa. 43:3].
He does not lower His high standard in salvation. How could God give Egypt and Ethiopia a ransom for Israel? The answer is simple. God says in effect, “I used these nations to discipline you. I gave them, that is, I permitted them to treat you as they did, and now I will judge them.”
In Proverbs 21:18 we read, “The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.” Have you ever wondered why God permitted the enemy to cross your path and cause you all the trouble he did? He did it in order to bring you into line and in order to develop you spiritually. God gave him for your deliverance. Proverbs 11:8 says, “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.” God has let several people really mistreat me, and I talked to Him about it. I thought God was treating me wrong, but I noticed that the Lord paddled these individuals, and I must confess that I was rather satisfied about it. The Lord used these people to straighten things out in my life, and then He straightened them out.
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life [Isa. 43:4].
We cannot imagine how much God loves Israel. We cannot imagine how precious we are to God.
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth [Isa. 43:5–6].
God states in clear-cut language that He will regather the nation Israel. In Jeremiah 31:10 He reaffirms this: “Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” God says, “Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations.” What He means is this: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye liberals. Hear the word of the Lord, ye amillennialists, and ye postmillennialists, and ye premillennialists—some of you haven’t been quite sure whether or not I am through with Israel.” We are to listen to Him. Regardless of what the world situation might be, God says He intends to regather Israel. We have His word for it.
Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me [Isa. 43:10].
God has no competitor or equal. He alone is God. He alone holds this unique position.
I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour [Isa. 43:11].
It is interesting that of all the religions of the world only Christianity guarantees salvation. Others put down quite a program, but they certainly do not guarantee salvation. God says, “Beside me there is no saviour.”
God now opens up the subject of idolatry.
I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God [Isa. 43:12].
God is saying, “As long as you will not go into idolatry or turn to that which will lead you away from Me, I will bless you.”
PROSPECT—FUTURE JUDGMENT, DELIVERANCE, REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL
Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? [Isa. 43:13].
The word let in this verse means to hinder. No creature can slip out of the hand of God or escape out of His reach.
Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships [Isa. 43:14].
The ultimate destruction of Babylon is foretold.
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King [Isa. 43:15].
Surely it is inescapable that the nation Israel is the subject. God takes responsibility for bringing them into existence. Let every anti-Semite take note of this. He is their King. This is another affirmation of the deity of Christ, for He is their King. When the Lord Jesus came to earth and made His claim to Kingship, Israel knew that He was claiming to be Immanuel, “… God with us” (Matt. 1:23). The instructed Israelite understood that.
We have seen that God claims Israel because He created them. Now He speaks of the fact that even the beasts of the field honor Him.
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen [Isa. 43:20].
I have a notion that even the animal world is a little more conscious of God than His creature man, who has fallen into sin.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins [Isa. 43:25].
God is saying that He intends to forgive them on the same basis that He has forgiven us.
Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me [Isa. 43:27].
This evidently is a reference to Abraham. Surely Scripture records his failures and sins. We have only to mention the matter of his lying to Pharaoh about Sarah, his wife.
Thy teachers means “interpreters.” Those who interpreted God to the people had faults and sins. Remember Samson, Samuel, and David.
Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches [Isa. 43:28].
This is the present condition of Israel. They have no peace today because they have departed from the living and true God.
This is not, however, their final state.
Chapter 44 continues the theme of chapter 43. However, the last chapter closes with the dark mention of coming judgment. This chapter moves into the light of the coming kingdom and the promise of the Holy Spirit.
There is in this chapter a brilliant and bitterly devastating satire against idolatry. This is the recurring theme of this particular section. The human heart has a way of turning from God to some idol. Today, we do not go after graven images, but anything to which a person gives himself instead of the true God is an idol. It can be a career, the making of money, seeking for fame, pleasure, sex, alcohol, self-adoration, or business. These are our idols, O America! The high point of the prophet’s polemic against idolatry will come in chapter 46. There we shall have occasion to consider this subject further and to examine the real distinction between God and an idol.
PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT
God calls to Israel as His chosen one and assures her of His help. Then there is this remarkable prophecy of the Holy Spirit:
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring [Isa. 44:3].
This, I believe, is a reference to the pouring out of the Spirit, which corresponds to Joel 2:28–32. If you read Joel’s prophecy very carefully, you will find that it was not fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. When Peter quoted from it, he did two things: First, he said, “this is that”—he did not say it was a fulfillment (see Acts 2:16). The crowd there in Jerusalem was ridiculing the disciples because they were speaking in different languages of the “… wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11). The people were accusing them of being “… full of new wine” (Acts 2:13), instead of the Holy Spirit. So Peter says in substance, “This should not amaze you, because this is similar to what will take place in the last days.” Now how do we know it wasn’t fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost? There are several reasons: (1) Joel said, “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood …” (Joel 2:30–31). This did not take place on the Day of Pentecost. (2) The record in Acts tells us that the Spirit was not poured out on all people, but Joel said: “… I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh …” (Joel 2:28). In Acts there were first 120 disciples, then 3,000 believers—not ever “all,” and after nineteen hundred years it still is not all. There were probably a half million to a million people in Jerusalem at that time, but by no stretch of the imagination can anyone say that Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled at that time. But the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy is coming in the future. This is the reason I continually say that the greatest days for God are in the future.
POLEMIC AGAINST IDOLATRY
In verses 9–20 we have a brilliant polemic against idolatry. The way the prophet deals with the subject is devastating. Those who make images are witnesses to the senseless character of their gods. An image does not even have the five senses of a human being. An idol can’t hear, see, talk, smell, or feel. Paul called them “nothings,” and that is what they are. They cannot help anyone.
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? [Isa. 44:10].
The prophet asks the question, “Why do you spend all of your time making a god? You ought to be ashamed. You have everything mixed up. You don’t make a god; God made you!”
Now he goes on to describe idol making—
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint [Isa. 44:12].
The artificer of metals works hard in forging a god from some metal, but this labor weakens him and reveals that he is but a man. After all of his labor, talent, time, and money that he puts into making a god, what does he get? Nothing! He gets a beautiful little “nothing.”
The origin of a man-made god begins in a forest; yet it is God who made the tree to begin with! Only God can make a tree.
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto [Isa. 44:15].
The chips and scraps from the production of a god are used to kindle a fire for the man to warm himself and to bake bread. This is the only practical and helpful contribution that comes from the making of a god. In fact, the scraps are helpful, but that idol is no good to you at all. It cannot warm you; it cannot cook your food; it cannot help you; it cannot save you. An idol cannot do anything for you. God is calling Israel’s attention to how absurd idolatry really is.
My friend, many of us give ourselves to those things that take us away from God. They don’t help us, they don’t lift us up, they don’t bring us joy, and it is a fact that they can never save us.
PROPHECY CONCERNING CYRUS
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid [Isa. 44:28].
Keep in mind that this verse really belongs in the next chapter. This is a remarkable prophecy concerning Cyrus. He is named here about two centuries before his birth. He is designated as “my shepherd.” This is the only instance where a pagan potentate is given such a title. We shall develop this in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 45
Theme: Calling of Cyrus before he was born; creation of the universe; continuance of Israel
This chapter continues the theme of the preceding chapter. This chapter begins with Cyrus as the last chapter closed with him. It is rather unfortunate that the final verse of chapter 44 is not the first verse of this chapter, but I am sure you understand that chapter and verse divisions were made of men. It is said that a monk of the Middle Ages, marked off the chapters while riding a donkey through the Alps. Each time the donkey came to a halt, he came forward with his pen, and that marked the end of a chapter. Of course, this is a fable, but it looks as if certain places were certainly divided that way. In fact, there are times when I get the impression that perhaps the donkey did some dividing on his own!
Let me repeat the final verse of chapter 44, since it properly belongs here:
That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid [Isa. 44:28].
Cyrus was named and identified almost two hundred years before he was born. This unusual prophecy has caused the liberal critic to construct out of the web of his imagination the figment of “the great unknown” writer of this section of the Book of Isaiah. The fact that Isaiah could name a man two centuries before he appears is too strong a tonic for the weak faith of an unbeliever.
The question is, “Why was Cyrus marked out like this two centuries before he was born?” I believe there are three reasons. Primarily it was for identification. When Cyrus did appear on the scene, there would be no misunderstanding about whom Isaiah had spoken. Also, Cyrus would be the man responsible for a decree that would return the nation Israel to her land.
Another reason why Isaiah called Cyrus by name through the revelation of God was so that his accuracy could be demonstrated. If in two hundred years Isaiah would be accurate about Cyrus, he also would be accurate in his prophecy concerning the One born of a virgin, Immanuel, God with us, who was to come seven hundred years later. The instructed Israelite should have been prepared for Christ’s coming.
Notice that God calls Cyrus “my shepherd,” and says that he “shall perform all my pleasure” and shall rebuild Jerusalem.
Remember that God used Assyria to take the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. Then He used Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and take the southern kingdom into captivity. The men God used to do this were wicked, and God judged them for what they had done. But Cyrus is different. God calls him “my shepherd” who shall “perform all my pleasure.”
When we get to heaven I believe there will be two things that will be a surprise to all of us; (1) the folk who will be there whom we didn’t expect to make it—and I think Cyrus is going to be one of them, and (2) the folk whom we expected to be there who won’t be there. And, my friend, the reason any of us will be there is because Christ is our Savior.
It is interesting to note that God says that Cyrus “shall perform all my pleasure”—not only God’s will, but also His pleasure. After all, both Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar performed God’s will in taking Israel and Judah into captivity, but Cyrus will perform God’s pleasure, and that is a little different.
CALLING OF CYRUS BEFORE HE WAS BORN
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut [Isa. 45:1].
This is a remarkable prophecy. Cyrus did not appear in the pages of history until two hundred years after Isaiah spoke of him. Cyrus came out of the East, from Persia. The ruins of his tomb have been found in Pasargadae, Iran, and you cannot read the inscription without recognizing that he was a humble man who trusted God. Most of the great rulers of the past were braggarts and most of them were liars. Everything they said you have to take with a grain of salt. The records they left magnified their greatness (sort of like the ones left by modern politicans) and cannot be trusted. But Cyrus was different. He made no great claims; he did not boast, and yet, he conquered the world!
Also note that God calls Cyrus “his anointed,” a title that applies only to the Lord Jesus. Why did God give such a title to Cyrus? Because he carried out the will of God and delivered the Israelites from captivity and permitted them to return to the land of promise. Also he encouraged the Israelites who did not return to send rich gifts of gold, silver, and precious things with those who did go back. In that respect Cyrus was a gentile messiah of Israel and a vague foreshadowing of the One who was to come.
“The two leaved gates” is evidently, a reference to the numerous gates of Babylon which shut Israel out from returning to Palestine. Cyrus opened those gates and said that the Israelites could walk out. They were free to return to their homeland.
Now God says this of Cyrus:
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel [Isa. 45:3].
The rich treasures of Babylon, which the kings of Babylon had taken as spoils of war from all nations, especially from Jerusalem, fell to Cyrus.
For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me [Isa. 45:4–5].
God chose Cyrus before he knew the Lord. It is reasonable to conclude that Cyrus came to know the living and true God. “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2).
CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
Here is a remarkable statement relative to the creation of the universe before all time.
God says:
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil. I the Lord do all these things [Isa. 45:7].
Zoroastrianism began in Persia. It teaches that Mazda is the god of light. God says He creates light, and that it is no god. The Persians were getting very close to the truth. Many have wondered why they worshiped one god in the midst of idolatry. Well, you must remember that they came in contact with the nation Israel, and Israel was a witness to the world. In Zoroastrianism darkness was Ahriman, the god of evil. God takes responsibility for creating the darkness also.
“And create evil”—the word evil does not mean wickedness in this instance, but rather “sorrow, difficulties, or tragedies”—those things which are the fruit of evil, the fruit of sin. This is the Old Testament way of saying, “The wages of sin is death …” (Rom. 6:23). If you indulge in sin, there will be a payday for it!
By the way, let me introduce something else at this point, since we are living in a day when it is said that good and evil are relative terms, that whatever you think is good, is good. The argument is put forth: The Bible says “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not steal” (Exod 20:13, 15), But what is the Bible? Who should obey it? Or why should we listen to the God of the Bible?
The Lord has another very cogent argument. God says that if you indulge in sin, you will find that sin has its payday. It pays a full wage, by the way. This is what God is saying through Isaiah. God has so created the universe that when you break over the bounds that He has set, you don’t need a judge, a hangman’s noose, or an electric chair; God will take care of it.
He says, therefore, that He is the One who creates light and darkness. He is answering Zoroastrianism which worshiped the god of light. God says, “I want you to know that light is no god; I created it.”
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? [Isa. 45:9].
Why fight against God? You are going to lose anyway. The Greeks had a proverb that went something like this: The dice of the gods are loaded. That is exactly what God says in His Word. He says, “Don’t gamble with Me. Don’t strive with Me. Don’t think that you can fight Me. Settle your case out of court.” “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). My friend, don’t gamble with God, because when He rolls the dice He knows exactly how they are coming up—you don’t. This is tremendous!
Now the Lord makes some other claims.
I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded [Isa. 45:12].
It is interesting that God says He “stretched out the heavens.” This is no accident. It was Sir James Jeans, a Christian astronomer in Great Britain, who advanced a theory that today most astronomers follow. I notice here in Pasadena that some of the men connected with Cal Tech, who work in the field of astronomy, take the position that you and I live in a universe which Sir James Jeans called an expanding universe. It gets bigger every minute. The planets and worlds and galactic systems are all moving out away from each other. God says, “I stretched out the heavens.” That is the way He did it, although He hasn’t told us exactly how He did it—or how He could take nothing and make something out of it. Regardless of what theory you adopt, you have to move back to the place where there is nothing and then there is something. If you can tell me how nothing becomes something, then I will listen to you. Until you can answer that you can talk about tadpoles and monkeys all you want and I’ll just sit and smile at you. I’m a skeptic; I don’t believe you. Only God has a reasonable answer. God says, “I created it.” By His fiat word He brought the universe into existence. Do you have a more intelligent answer than what God has given to us in His Word?
CONTINUANCE OF ISRAEL
This brings us to the third division: the continuance of Israel for all time and eternity. God won’t let us forget this subject.
But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end [Isa. 45:17].
Those who believe that God is through with Israel should take a long look at this passage. Israel’s salvation is everlasting. God says, “Yes, you are going to be judged, Israel. You are going to Babylon, but you are going to return to the land. Rebellion is still in your heart, but ultimately I am going to save you.”
Again He gives them an invitation—it was wide open then and it is wide open today.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else [Isa. 45:22].
This is the verse that an ignorant man used which was responsible for the conversion of Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon was on his way to church one Sunday morning when a snowstorm hit London. Because he couldn’t make it to his church, he stopped at a little church along the way. The storm was so severe that the preacher did not make it to this little church, so a man got up and said a few words. Spurgeon never knew the man’s name; he only knew that he was an uneducated man. He chose Isaiah 45:22 as his text, and what he lacked in lightning, he made up for in thunder. He said, “This verse says, ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved.’ ” He began to talk about the verse. “God says you should look to Him and be saved.” By that time he ran out of ammunition. He had said all he could say about the verse, so he went into the thunder department and began to roar and pound the pulpit, “Look to God, all the ends of the earth, and be saved.” He looked way back in the congregation and saw the young fellow Spurgeon sitting there with a very miserable look on his face. The man said to Spurgeon, “You look to Jesus, and you will be saved.” Spurgeon was a very brilliant man, but he did what this ignorant man suggested—he looked to Jesus and was saved.
CHAPTER 46
Theme: Pronouncement of judgment against idols
This chapter contains one of the finest satires against idolatry that is found in the Word of God. It opens with the announcement of defeat against the idols of Babylon in particular. This seems strange since Babylon had not yet come to the front as a world power and was not the enemy of Israel. Nevertheless, Babylon was the source of all idolatry, and it is fitting that after announcing the defeat of the idols of Babylon the prophet proceeds to denounce all idolatry with an injunction to Israel not to forsake the true God.
PRONOUNCEMENT OF JUDGMENT AGAINST IDOLS
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast [Isa. 46:1].
Bel and Nebo are gods of Babylon. Bel is the shortened form of Baal and is found in the first part of Beelzebub—which is one of Satan’s names. Nebo means “speaker or prophet.” When Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra, the people thought Barnabas was Bel or Jupiter and Paul was Nebo or Mercury because he did the talking.
Behind the idols of that day was satanic worship, which is becoming rather popular in our contemporary society. The Word of God repeatedly warns us that our warfare is spiritual warfare.
God contrasts the helplessness of the idol, which is a burden to carry, to His own love and strength.
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb [Isa. 46:3].
God, says, “I have been carrying you, Israel, as a woman carries a child in her womb.”
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you [Isa. 46:4].
This is the real distinction between that which is true and that which is false. God had not only been carrying the nation Israel, but He had carried each individual from the cradle to the grave. Let me ask you the question, “Is your religion carrying you, or are you carrying your religion?” God carries our sins. “He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). He also carries our cares, our burdens: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). And God carries us today: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them” (Deut. 33:27).
Now notice how He speaks of idolatry:
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? [Isa. 46:5].
The reason that it is so difficult to explain God is because He is infinite and we are finite and live in a finite universe. There is nothing with which to compare Him. He cannot be reduced to our terminology without losing all meaning. He cannot be translated into human language. This explains one of the reasons why God became a man. The only way we can know God is through Jesus. He revealed God.
This is a brilliant satire on idolatry—
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship [Isa. 46:6].
This is a metallic image that excels the wooden image in beauty and value. The wealth of man is expended in making an idol. If a man doesn’t have much money, he has a cheap god. If he is rich, he has a rich god. It actually amounts to men worshiping their own workmanship, which is self-worship. It is a form of humanism.
Now here is the real test:
They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble [Isa. 46:7].
They lug their god around on their shoulders and put him in the corner when they get home! Listen to what God says to them—
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me [Isa. 46:9].
There is a lot of modern idolatry about. Face up to it. Do you receive anything when you go to church? For many folk church-going is a real burden to them. It is like a useless god they have to carry around.
Oh, my friend, God wants to communicate to you. He has something for you. He doesn’t want you to carry Him; He wants to carry you.
CHAPTER 47
Theme: The decline and fall of Babylon
This is the third time in this book (chs. 13–14; 21) that we have considered the prediction of the doom of Babylon. There was also a suggestion of the fall of Babylon in chapter 46, which opened with God’s judgment upon the idols. The time given to this subject is remarkable in view of the fact that Babylon at this time was a very small and insignificant kingdom. It was almost a century before it would become a world power. It had been in existence since the days of the Tower of Babel and had influenced the world religiously. Babylon was the fountainhead and the mother of all idolatry. Again I recommend for your study Alexander Hislop’s book, The Two Babylons. All through the Old Testament books of prophecy a great deal is said about drunkenness and idolatry. These are the two things that will bring the downfall of any nation.
There is a spiritual meaning for us of the present who have nothing to do with Babylon of the past or of the future. The Babylon of the past lies under the rubble and ruins of judgment. Its glory is diminished by the accumulated dust of the centuries. We can see this Babylonian tendency today in the political realm as represented in the United Nations. Babel is the place where all the political power of the world comes together, which will finally be under the willful king, the Antichrist. We see the commercial combine coming to pass in the breaking down of economic barriers among the nations of Europe. We see the religious combine in both Romanism and the World Council of Churches. We will see all of this prefigured in ancient Babylon.
DECLINE OF BABYLON
Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate [Isa. 47:1].
“Come down” is the command of God to Babylon, the same as a dog is called to obedience. It is like saying, “Down Rover, down Fido.” That is the way God is going to talk to the great world power Babylon when the time comes for it to be brought low. God will say, “Down Fido, down Babylon.” That is the way the Lord Jesus dealt with the storm on the little sea of Galilee. When the Lord spoke to the waves and the wind, He literally said, “Be muzzled,” like you would muzzle a dog. The same thought is here in Isaiah.
Babylon is called a virgin because she had not yet been captured by an enemy. Babylon was just now coming to power, although it had a very ancient history, going back to Nimrod (see Gen. 10) and to Babel where the Tower of Babel (see Gen. 11) was located. All the ziggurats in that valley were patterned after the Tower of Babel.
He predicts the tremendous humiliation of Babylon—
Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers [Isa. 47:2].
This depicts the indescribable humiliation to which Babylon was finally subjected. She had mistreated the people of Israel, and the day came when she was brought low.
Nudity is becoming rather popular today. Men play with the subject like a child playing with a new toy, but it degrades humanity. It was no accident that God clothed mankind. A person who wants to go without clothes has a hangup—a real hangup. For Babylon nudity was part of her humiliation.
Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man [Isa. 47:3].
DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL TO BABYLON
Here we see that God delivered Israel into the hands of Babylon—
I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke [Isa. 47:6].
God is making it clear to them that the reason Babylon was able to take His people was because He permitted it and not because Babylon was so superior. They had a great sense of power, and they gave themselves credit for overthrowing Israel. They were wrong. God delivered His people into the hands of Babylon because they had sinned against Him. He was judging His own people. This is the message of the little prophecy of Habakkuk.
And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it [Isa. 47:7].
God’s judgment of His people deceived Babylon. They thought it was by their might and power that they had taken God’s people.
Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children [Isa. 47:8].
Babylon was arrogant, lifted up, and careless, not believing that a frightful fall was coming. Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, looked over the beautiful and glorious city of Babylon, and said, “This is great Babylon that I have built,” giving no credit to God. God sent him out to the field like an ox to eat grass, having a form of amnesia—probably the psychiatrist would call it hysteria today. For a long time he did not know who he was, and he lived like an animal. It was God’s judgment upon him.
DETAILS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON
For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me [Isa. 47:10].
There is always a grave danger of a nation or a man being lifted up by pride and feeling that he is able to make it on his own. We are living in a country today where men can become rich, not by doing some great service or by making a contribution to mankind, but by being in an industry that brings men down—degrades them instead of building them up. Think of the millions of dollars that are being made through entertainment and the multitudes who are getting rich through the sale of liquor. We are in many questionable businesses as a nation, and our methods of business are not always honorable. We attempt to cover up these things, but God sees, and He will judge as He judged Babylon.
DILEMMA OF BABYLON
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail [Isa. 47:12].
God satirically urges Babylon to turn to the witchcraft in which she has trusted and which has gotten her into trouble. In substance God asks, “You thought it was so great, why don’t you trust it to get you out of trouble?”
Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee [Isa. 47:13].
Confusion characterizes Babylon at this time. The city lives up to its name—Babylon means “confusion,” and confusion besets them. That great city depended upon its economic strength and its total gross product. But something happened to that nation, and it was dying within. We are living in a country today that depends upon its economic strength, but something is also wrong with us, and we won’t face up to it. Our problem is moral. As a nation we have departed from the living and true God. The ancient city of Babylon, which at first glance seems so unrelated to us, has a message for us. The stones of the debris of Babylon are crying out a warning to us.
CHAPTER 48
Theme: Last call to the house of Jacob; longing call of God to the remnant
All three of these last sections conclude with the phrase, “no peace … to the wicked” (Isa. 57:21). The Messiah brings peace, but those who reject Him will never know peace. Turning to idols is turning from the Messiah. As we have seen, this section has majored in a denunciation of idolatry. Idolatry is a road that leads to Babylon. God, in this book, is traveling the lonely road to Calvary.
LAST CALL TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness [Isa. 48:1].
There are those who say that Judah and Israel are different. God contradicts that thinking in this verse. Don’t try to change the name God has given them. The whole house of Israel is addressed here, and they belong to the chosen line through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The apostate nation back then and in our day should listen to this final injunction to turn back to God. They speak of the God of Israel as if they knew Him. Actually, they neither know Him nor serve Him. They have a religion without any strength whatsoever. They will not find the solution to their problems by turning to the United States, or to Russia, or to the Arab nations. Help will come when they turn to God. That is their solution and our solution.
For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name [Isa. 48:2].
They boast of being citizens of Jerusalem and of being children of God, but they only have a name; they are actually strangers to God.
Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass [Isa. 48:4].
From the very beginning, when God took Israel out of Egypt, He knew they were stiffnecked people. My friend, God did not choose them because they were superior, nor did He choose us because we are superior. God chose them and us because of His grace and because He saw our great need.
LONGING CALL OF GOD TO THE REMNANT
He is pleading with His people to listen to Him.
Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last [Isa. 48:12].
It would seem that God is no longer addressing the nation as a whole but confines His word to the remnant labeled, “my called.”
I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous [Isa. 48:15].
This is the heartcry of God.
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his spirit, hath sent me [Isa. 48:16].
It is Isaiah who becomes God’s messenger. He is pleading with them, and as He pleads you can hear the Lord Jesus Christ. Delitzsch appropriately says, “Since the prophet has not spoken in his own person before; whereas, on the other hand, these words are followed in the next chapter by an address concerning Himself from that servant of Jehovah who announces Himself as the restorer of Israel and light of the Gentiles, and who cannot be therefore either Israel, as a nation,” or Isaiah, it can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
God has never been able to bless the nation Israel to the fullness of His promise, and you and I have never been blessed as much as God would like to bless us. Whose fault is it? Is it God’s fault? No! It is Israel’s fault and the fault of you and me.
Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me [Isa. 48:19].
Then he concludes this section, as the three sections of this last major division of Isaiah conclude:
There is no peace, saith the Lord, Unto the wicked [Isa. 48:22].
This is the solemn benediction of this section where God’s Servant is set over against all the idols of the heathen. He alone gives peace. If a person is away from God, living in sin, he cannot find peace in the world today. We have several thousand years of recorded history which tell us that anyone away from God hasn’t had peace.
CHAPTER 49
Theme: Discourse of Christ to the world; discussion of Jehovah with Israel; digression—judgment of Israel’s oppressors
In this third and final division of the Book of Isaiah there is a threefold division which is marked off with the words, “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.” We have seen in the first division the comfort of Jehovah which comes through the servant. Now chapter 49 begins the second division, which I call salvation of Jehovah which comes through the suffering Servant.
We are now beginning to move toward a definite revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ as the suffering Servant of God. We have been moving toward that revelation from the very beginning, but at first we saw Him more as a silhouette in the background as the Servant who brings comfort to God’s people. The closer we get to chapter 53, where we have that wonderful revelation of the cross of Christ, the more clear He will become to us.
Israel was the servant of Jehovah, but as such Israel had failed. Now God speaks of another Servant, and that Servant is the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophetic Scriptures spoke primarily of Israel as God’s servant; yet the final meaning is found in the Person of Christ. A classic illustration is in Hosea 11:1, where it is recorded: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” This was fulfilled in Christ (see Matt. 2:15). The nation failed, but the One who came out of the nation will succeed.
DISCOURSE OF CHRIST TO THE WORLD
As we open this chapter, we are listening in on a discourse by Christ as truly as the twelve apostles listened to Him in Galilee. In this chapter we see Christ moving out to become the Savior of the world. In this movement Israel is not forsaken, for her assured restoration to the land is reaffirmed.
There is nothing to correspond to this remarkable discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ in the religions of this world. Here is One who is looking at a world, and He is looking at it as the Servant of God, who has come as the Savior of the world. Every religion is confined to an ethnic group or to several ethnic groups. Generally they do not move beyond the borders of a tribe, a people, or a nation so that most deities are local deities. However, the Deity in the Word of God is the living God, the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of mankind. This fact makes the discourse before us remarkable indeed.
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name [Isa. 49:1].
Christ is calling upon the nations of the world to hear. He was given the name of Jesus before He was born, and this name is to be proclaimed throughout the world because it is the name of the Savior, and the world needs a Savior.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me [Isa. 49:2].
The sharp sword that went out of His mouth is the Word of God, and the explanation of His enemies when He walked on this earth was, “… Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). And the revelation of this One concludes with these words: “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations …” (Rev. 19:15). It is the judgment of the nations by the Word of God.
Notice the identification:
And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified [Isa. 49:3].
This will be true of the nation Israel, and it is true of Christ.
Now this is a remarkable statement:
Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord; and my work with my God [Isa. 49:4].
Though the Lord was rejected, and it may look as if He labored in vain, His confidence is in God. Even the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was a victory; in fact, it is the greatest victory the world has seen up to the present time. The emphasis in this section, therefore, is on the suffering Servant.
At His first coming He did not gather Israel, as they rejected Him. At His first coming He did something far more wonderful—He wrought salvation for the world. Therefore, God’s purposes were not thwarted by man’s little machinations.
And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength [Isa. 49:5].
I submit this to you as being one of the most remarkable passages in the Word of God.
Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee [Isa. 49:7].
Paul said it like this: “Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” (Rom. 11:12). The rejection of Christ by Israel meant that the gospel went to the ends of the earth. Just think how great it will be some day in the future when God regathers Israel!
DISCUSSION OF JEHOVAH WITH ISRAEL
From this section, the discussion of Jehovah with Israel regarding their restoration, I shall lift out only a few verses:
Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages [Isa. 49:8].
God heard the prayer of Christ, and He whom the nation crucified will be the One before whom kings will bow, and every knee must bow and acknowledge His Lordship.
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted [Isa. 49:13].
God’s purposes in the earth center in the nation Israel. When they are back in the land, then both the heavens and the earth can rejoice. Today, however, everything is more or less out of place as far as the world is concerned. Israel should be in their land, in the place of blessing, serving God. They are not. The church should be in heaven with Christ, but the church is still in the world. The Devil should be in hell, but he is walking around the earth seeking whom he may devour. The Lord Jesus Christ should be sitting upon the throne of the earth, ruling the earth, but He is at the right hand of God. There are many things that have to be shifted around and put in the right socket. Then the lines of Robert Browning as written in “Pippa Passes” will be true: “God’s in His heaven: All’s right with the world,” which at the moment just do not fit the world in which you and I live.
Even the people of Israel think they are forsaken of God—
But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me [Isa. 49:14–16].
What beautiful assurance God gives them that they are not forsaken of Him! Israel may forsake Him—as they are doing yet today—but God will never forsake them.
My friend, if you still have doubts that God will restore Israel, I submit this section to you for your careful study.
DIGRESSION—JUDGMENT OF ISRAEL’S OPPRESSORS
Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders [Isa. 49:22].
God assures Israel that the Gentiles will assist Him in the final restoration of the nation to the land. Heretofore, the Gentiles have scattered them, which makes this a rather remarkable prophecy even for today. Great Britain did open the land for the Jews; yet Great Britain was the country that issued the mandate which forbade them to enter the land—so they came by ship without permission, and they have been hindered in one way or another since that time. It has taken persecution to push them out of other countries, and at the time I am writing this they are being blocked from leaving Russia, which probably has the third largest Jewish population in the world. Russia doesn’t want to get rid of them; yet it subjects them to a great deal of anti-Semitic oppression. However, in that day, that is, in the end times, God will bring them back into their land, and He will use Gentiles to move them back!
CHAPTER 50
Theme: The reason for the rejection of Israel: Israel’s rejection of Christ
Israel’s rejection of Christ is the real hurdle that they must get over before there can be blessing for them. He came as their Messiah; He actually was one of them. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). He came to His own people, and His own people did not receive Him.
GOD THE FATHER STATES THE REASON
Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away [Isa. 50:1].
Under the Mosaic Law (see Deut. 24:1) a man could put away his wife on the slightest pretext. A cruel and hardhearted man would take advantage of this to get rid of his wife. God asks Israel if they know on what grounds He set them aside. Certainly God is not cruel or brutal. Israel is spoken of as the wife of Jehovah—this is the theme of Hosea. It was not a whim of God that caused Israel to be set aside, but God makes it very clear that their sin brought about their rejection.
Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst [Isa. 50:2].
“When I came”—when did Jehovah come directly to His people, not through His prophets but Himself, to Israel and expect such a welcome? It was not when He descended on Mount Sinai to give them the Mosaic Law. He looked for no welcome then but insisted that they keep their distance. But He came again as a man, a humble man, and there was no reception of Him at all. Israel did not welcome Him at His birth; they didn’t receive Him when He began His ministry. They rejected and killed their Messiah. Simon Peter on the Day of Pentecost put it like this: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:22–24). God makes it very clear that because they rejected their Messiah, they have been set aside.
GOD THE SON SPEAKS OF HIS HUMILIATION
The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine car to hear as the learned [Isa. 50:4].
The title by which Christ, the perfect Servant, addresses God is revealing. It is “Jehovah Adonai.” The Lord Jesus Christ made Himself known to His people as “Jehovah Adonai.” He came meek and lowly to do the Father’s will.
“He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” means the Lord Jesus was studying the Word of God. The question is asked, What did the Lord Jesus do the first thirty years of His life? Generally the answer is that He worked as a carpenter. But that is only half the truth. The other half is that He studied the Word of God. How tremendous! If He needed to study the Word of God, what about you? What about me? I think we need to get with it!
It is nonsense to say, “Oh, I believe the Bible from cover to cover; I will defend it with my life,” when you don’t study it! If God has spoken between the pages of Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21, then somewhere between God has a word for you and for me. If God is speaking to us, we ought to listen.
The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back [lsa. 50:5].
This speaks of the Lord’s true submission in His crucifixion. In Exodus 21:1–6 we are told that when a servant wanted to become a permanent servant, his master would bore or pierce a hole in his ear. “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever” (Exod. 21:6). He could wear an earring after that, and I am convinced that he did. It indicated that he was a slave for life to his master.
Now the reason he would become a slave forever is twofold. First, he loved his master; and second, he had married a slave girl and he refused to go without her.
Do you see how this was applied to the Lord Jesus? The psalmist, referring to this custom, wrote, “… mine ears hast thou opened …” (Ps. 40:6). Now notice how this is quoted in Hebrews 10:5: “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” In the psalm it says, “mine ears hast thou opened,” and in Hebrews it says, “a body hast thou prepared me.” When the Lord Jesus came down to this earth and went to the cross, His ear wasn’t “opened” or “digged”; He was given a body, and that body was nailed to a cross. He has taken a glorified body bearing nail prints back to heaven. He did more than have his ear bored through with an awl; He gave His body to be crucified because He loved us and would not return to heaven without us!
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting [Isa. 50:6].
This was literally fulfilled when Jesus was arrested. Matthew, Mark, and John all record the fact that He was spit upon, scourged, buffeted, and smitten. This is something we don’t like to think about and would like to pass over, but it was literally fulfilled.
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT SUGGESTS MEN TRUST THE SON
Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God [Isa. 50:10].
This is the wooing word. The Holy Spirit speaks a soothing and imploring word to trust and rest in God’s Servant.
He turns from this and gives a warning word:
Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow [Isa. 50:11].
First it is the wooing word as He implores them; then He gives a warning word to those who walk in the light of their own fire, rejecting the One who is the light of the world.
Some time ago a man said to me, “McGee, I heard you on the radio, and I disagree with you about salvation. Let me tell you what I think about it.” Well, he was ready to build a fire, and he wanted both of us to sit there and warm ourselves by his fire. I knew it was a phony fire, which would give off no heat or light. So I frankly said to him, “I don’t mean to be ugly or rude, but I don’t want to hear what you think, because what you think and what I think are quite meaningless. It is what God says that we need to know.” And we need to walk in the light of the Lord Jesus. He is the Light of the World. If we reject Him who is the Light of the World, then we generally walk in the light of our own little fire down here. The Holy Spirit gives this warning: You will lie down by that little fire of yours in sorrow, which means you will be eternally lost.
CHAPTER 51
Theme:Israel’s origin from past history; Israel’s outlook for the future; outline of Israel’s present conditions
It is impossible to read this chapter without realizing that God has a future purpose for the nation Israel—just as He has a future purpose for the church and for you and me.
Let me remind you that the final verse of chapter 50 concluded with a warning, which might lead you to an amillennialist interpretation. And God doesn’t want us to hold the view that Israel as a nation has been set aside permanently and that when He speaks of Israel, He means the church. My friend, when God says Israel, He means Israel. If He had meant the church instead of Israel, somewhere along the line He would have said, “I hope you understand that when I say Israel I mean the church.” No, He makes it very clear that He means Israel. Just as Israel has had a past rooted in a very small beginning, just so today they are small and set aside. But this does not mean God has forsaken them.
To illustrate this I use the figure of a train. God is running through the world a twofold program: One of them is expressed in the words, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:6)—that train will be coming through later, but now it is on the side-track. On the main track He is “… bringing many sons unto glory” (Heb. 2:10), which refers to believers (or the church). When this train has come into the Union Station on time, God will put back on the main track the program of Israel and the gentile nations which are then upon the earth. And He is going to bring that train through on time also.
God’s time piece is not B-U-L-O-V-A or G-R-U-E-N, but I-S-R-A-E-L. In this chapter God turns on the alarm to awaken those who are asleep that they might know that the eternal morning is coming soon. In Romans 13:11–12 we read, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
ISRAEL’S ORIGIN FROM PAST HISTORY
Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged [Isa. 51:1].
Hearken unto me,” is God turning on the alarm. This is a call to every sincere heart in Israel that longs to be righteous and desires to know God. He says, “Wake up! Hear Me! I have a plan.”
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him [Isa. 51:2].
God is saying, “I called Abraham when he was over in Chaldea in idolatry, and look what I’ve done through him! Now I want to move in your heart and life.”
ISRAEL’S OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE
Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people [Isa. 51:4].
“O my nation” is Israel. This is a word of glorious anticipation for them.
My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust [Isa. 51:5].
“My righteousness is near”—righteousness is Christ. He is made unto us “righteousness.”
“The isles” are all the continents which are inhabited by the human family. God says, “I have a salvation which I will send out to them.”
“On mine arm shall they trust—the arm of God, as we shall see in Isaiah 53, is His salvation. The question is asked, “to whom is the [bared] arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isa. 53:1). God wants that bared arm of redemption in Christ to be revealed to the lost world. Therefore He is sending out this message that this bared arm will deliver Israel in the future.
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing, unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away [Isa. 51:11]
“Zion” is a geographical location (in Jerusalem) on earth. We need to understand that God means what He says here.
The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name [Isa. 51:14–15].
Just as God brought their father Abraham from the ends of the earth, God intends to bring Israel back to the land. This is what the prophet Jeremiah is saying: “But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land” (Jer. 23:8). The day will come when Israel will no longer remember the deliverance out of Egypt, so great will be their deliverance in the future. My friend, this is tremendous! You can’t just set it aside and ignore it. God is saying, “Wake up! This is what I’m going to do.”
OUTLINE OF ISRAEL’S PRESENT CONDITIONS
The present conditions of Israel ought to tell us something. God is still telling us to wake up.
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out [Isa. 51:17].
All you have to do is look at Jerusalem today. It is a city in turmoil. I have no desire right now to stay there permanently, although it was a favorite spot of David, and it is also God’s favorite spot on earth. But God has yet to make it beautiful. He has yet to bring His people there. God is saying, “Wake up, O Jerusalem. I am going to make you a great city.”
Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again [Isa. 51:22].
God has been pressing the cup of fury to their lips because of their rejection of Christ, but the day is coming when He will remove the cup. The day will come when God will take away judgment and bless them. How can you say that God is through with the nation Israel? Even poetic justice demands that after all these years of judgment upon the land and upon the people, God should bless them. God will get the victory, and that is what He is telling us here.
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over [Isa. 51:23].
The enemies of Israel will not escape the judgment of God. Every nation that has majored in anti-Semitism has fallen: Egypt, Persia, Rome, Spain, Belgium, and Germany. This chapter should alert the believers today that God will yet choose Israel, and that the events in the Near East indicate that we are fast approaching the end times, although no specific prophecy is being fulfilled in this hour.
CHAPTER 52
Theme: Invitation to the Redeemed Remnant of Israel; institution of the kingdom to Israel; introduction of the suffering Servant
As we have been moving through Isaiah, we have seen in the shadows or in the background the Servant of Jehovah. Now as we approach chapter 53 we will see very clearly that the Servant of Jehovah is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the preceding chapter, the “alarm clock” chapter, the alarm was going off—“Awake, awake!” Now again in the chapter before us we have the alarm sounding.
INVITATION TO THE REDEEMED REMNANT OF ISRAEL
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean [Isa. 52:1].
When God says, “O Zion,” He doesn’t mean Los Angeles, or Pocatello, Idaho, or Muleshoe, Texas. He means Zion, which is a geographical place in the land of Israel. It is actually the high point in the city of Jerusalem. It was David’s favorite spot. Blessing is going to come upon Jerusalem, and it will no longer be an unattractive place. I was not impressed when I saw Jerusalem for the first time. I came up from Jericho and made that turn around the Mount of Olives by Bethany; then I was within sight of the temple area, the wall, and the east gate—that was a thrill. It was late in the afternoon and a shadow was over the city. I could hardly wait until the next morning to enter the city and visit around. Well, the next day was a great disappointment to me. That city is not beautiful in my opinion. Yet the Word of God says it is beautiful for situation; so that’s God’s viewpoint. I will agree with Him that the situation of it is beautiful, but not the city. However, He makes it clear here that it will be beautiful some day—because of our Lord’s work of redemption. You see, Christ will redeem this physical universe, which now is groaning and travailing together in pain. All the world will become a beautiful spot because of redemption in Christ. He will redeem our bodies; we will get new bodies, and when this takes place, all creation will be redeemed. Redemption is not only of the person but of the property. This is the type of redemption that God permitted in the Mosaic Law, which serves as an illustration of it.
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion [Isa. 52:2].
Today the Arab is there. All the sacred spots are covered with churches—Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and the Church of All Nations—they are all over the place! Jerusalem needs to be released from religion. It needs to be turned loose from the sin and the low degree of civilization that is there right now. Release is coming some day, and it will come during the Millennium. For twenty-five hundred years that city has been captive and trodden down of the Gentiles, but the day is coming when the shackles of slavery will be removed.
For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money [Isa. 52:3].
Since God received nothing from those who took His holy city captive, He will give nothing in return. He will take it from them and restore it again.
For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause [Isa. 52:4].
Jacob went down to Egypt by invitation, but his children were made slaves. The Assyrians, and others likewise, have oppressed them. That will end when the Millennium begins.
Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed [Isa. 52:5].
God received no gain from the years of His people’s rejection. Therefore He says:
Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I [Isa. 52:6].
This is a lovely thought! When the Lord was here over nineteen hundred years ago, they did not know Him. If they had only known the day of His visitation! Well, they will know Him when He comes again, and He will say, “Behold, it is I.” This expression is rendered freely by Lowth: “Here I am.” The world has rejected Christ; it doesn’t know Him. One day He will say to the Christ-rejecting world, “Here I am,”; and it will be too late then for multitudes who have rejected Him to turn to Him.
INSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem [Isa. 52:9].
One of the things you will note about the present-day Jerusalem is the lack of a joyful song. It is even true of the churches there. I listened for it but never heard a joyful song. Around the Mosque of Omar (which stands on the temple site) everything is in a minor key. If you go to the wailing wall, wailing is what you will hear and the Jews are knocking their heads against it. But in the Millennium everybody is going to have fun—they will “Break forth into joy” and they will sing together. It will be a joyous time!
Even today I don’t think God likes to see us saints walking around with long faces, complaining and criticizing. He wants us to have joy. The apostle John wrote, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4, italics mine)—not just a little fun, but fun all the time!
The Millennium is the time when God answers the prayer which our Lord taught His disciples: “Thy kingdom come …” (Matt. 6:10). The tears and the sorrow will be gone; no longer will there be weeping on the earth. Instead there will be joy, and they will know that the millennial kingdom has come.
INTRODUCTION OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT
My friend, somebody will have to travail if you are going to rejoice at a birth, a new birth and a new world. Therefore we have here the suffering of the Servant.
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high [Isa. 52:13].
Several of the administrations in Washington over the past few years have used the word prudent to excess. They speak of being prudent in their conduct. There is some question about whether they were prudent or not. If you think the Democrats have been prudent, ask the Republicans. If you think the Republicans have been prudent, ask the Democrats. You will find out that nobody has been prudent. Man today has not dealt prudently; but, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, He will deal prudently. That is the picture we have here.
“He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” Paul writing to the Philippian believers says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9–11).
Now we see the suffering Servant—
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men [Isa. 52:14].
This is a picture of the crucifixion of Christ, and this statement prepares the way for chapter 53. I want to be careful, because it is not always a sign of orthodoxy to dwell upon the sufferings of Christ upon the cross; sometimes it is only being crude.
During that time of darkness when men could no longer do anything, the Son of God was working on the cross. It was during those three hours in blackness that the cross became an altar and the Son of Man, the Lamb of God, paid for the sins of the world. After the three hours of darkness, the crowd must have been startled when the light broke upon the cross. He did not even look human—just a bloody piece of quivering human flesh. It was unspeakable. We will see in the next chapter that there was “no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2). That is the reason God put the mantle of darkness down on the cross. There was nothing there to satisfy the morbid curiosity of man.
“His visage was so marred more than any man.” When I was a pastor in Nashville, Tennessee, there was a wonderful elder on the church board who was a captain in the fire department. He always talked about the importance of having a first aid kit, and he taught classes in first aid. He asked me a dozen times if I had a first aid kit in my car, and because of his urging I finally got one. Early one morning there was a fire alarm and the firemen responded to the call. On the way to the fire, the hook and ladder truck on which he was riding was hit by a milk truck and flipped over. The men riding on it were dragged along on the asphalt. I received a call about five o’clock in the morning and was told that he was in the hospital. He was still alive when I arrived, and his father was sitting beside his bed. When I looked at him I saw that his face was so marred that I didn’t even recognize him. All I could see was a mouth and I could tell that he was breathing—that was all. He didn’t last very long. In an hour’s time he was gone.
Many times since then I have thought of the fact that the Lord Jesus was marred more than any man, which means He had to be marred more than the captain of the fire company. He was just a piece of quivering human flesh. That is what my Lord went through on the cross!
I don’t feel that we should move into the realm of being crude in describing Him, because the next verse says:
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider [Isa. 52:15].
“So shall he sprinkle many nations” could be translated, “So shall He make with astonishment many nations.” This carries the thought that His death will startle people when they properly understand it. The death of Christ should never become commonplace to anyone. His death was different. We have not explained it properly unless it startles people.
This prepares us for the profound mystery of the next marvelous chapter.
CHAPTER 53
Theme: The suffering of the Savior; the satisfaction of the Savior
Those who are acquainted with God’s Word realize that Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 give us a more vivid account of the crucifixion of Christ than is found elsewhere in the Bible. This may be a shock to many who are accustomed to think that the four Gospels alone describe the sad episode of the horrible death of the Son of God. If you will examine the Gospel accounts carefully, you will make the discovery that only a few unrelated events connected with the Crucifixion are given and that the actual Crucifixion is passed over with reverent restraint. The Holy Spirit has drawn the veil of silence over that cross, and none of the lurid details are set forth for the curious mob to gaze at and leer upon. It is said of the brutal crowd who murdered Him that they sat down and watched Him. You and I are not permitted to join that crowd. Even they did not see all, for God placed over His Son’s agony the mantle of darkness. Some sensational speakers gather to themselves a bit of notoriety by painting, with picturesque speech, the minutest details of what they think took place at the crucifixion of Christ. Art has given us the account of His death in ghastly reality. You and I probably will never know, even in eternity, the extent of His suffering.
But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
Nor how dark was the night that the
Lord passed thro’
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
—Elizabeth C. Clephane, “The Ninety and Nine”
Very likely God did not want us to become familiar with that which we need not know. He did not wish us to treat as commonplace that which is so sacred. We should remind ourselves constantly of the danger of becoming familiar with holy things. “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isa. 52:11).
Isaiah, seven hundred years before Christ was born, lets us see something of His suffering that we will not find anywhere else. Before going any further, we should pause a moment to answer the question that someone, even now, is doubtless asking: “How do you know that Isaiah is referring to the death of Christ? Isaiah wrote seven hundred years before Christ was born.” Well, that is just the question that the Ethiopian eunuch raised when Philip hitchhiked a ride from him in the desert. The Ethiopian was going from Jerusalem back to his own country, and he was reading the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. We are even told the very place in the chapter where he was reading (see Acts 8:32).
When I was a little boy in Sunday school, I was given a picture of the Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot, holding in one hand the reins and in the other hand the book he was reading. Well, with a little thought we would realize that it couldn’t have happened that way.
This man was an official of the government of Ethiopia. He was going across the desert in style. I am sure that he was under some sort of a shade as he sat there reading. He had a chauffeur who was doing the driving for him.
As the Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53:7–8 his question to Philip was, “… I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?” (Acts 8:34). How can we be sure that Isaiah was referring to the Lord Jesus Christ in the fifty-third chapter? Listen to Philip. He will answer the Ethiopian’s question and our question as well. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35).
Also Christ Himself in John 12:38 quoted from Isaiah 53 and made application to Himself. And the apostle Paul in Romans 10:16 quotes from this same chapter in connection with the gospel of Christ. My friend, Scripture leaves no doubt that Isaiah 53 refers to Christ. Even more than that, it is a photograph of the cross of Christ as He was dying there.
The first nine verses will tell us of the suffering of the Savior. The remainder of the chapter tells the satisfaction of the Savior. You will find that these two themes belong together—suffering and satisfaction. Suffering always precedes satisfaction. Too many folk are trying to take a shortcut to happiness by attempting to avoid all the trying experiences of life. I want to tell you that there is no short route to satisfaction. This is the reason I condemn short-term courses that claim they have the answers to all of life’s problems and will equip you with the whole armor of God. Well, that’s not the way God does it. There is no short route. Even God did not go the short route. He could have avoided the cross and accepted the crown. That was Satan’s suggestion. But suffering always comes before satisfaction. Phraseology bears various expressions: through trial to triumph; sunshine comes after the clouds; light follows darkness; and flowers come after the rain clouds. That seems to be God’s way of doing things. Since it is His method, then it is the very best way. Perhaps you are sitting in the shadows of life today. Trials confront you, and problems overwhelm you, and the fiery furnace is your present lot, and you have tasted the bitter without the sweet. If that is your case right now, then let me encourage your heart and fortify your faith by saying that you are on the same pathway that God followed, and that it leads at last to light if you walk with Him. “… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).
Now with this in mind, let’s look at the suffering Savior.
THE SUFFERING OF THE SAVIOR
This chapter opens with the enigmatic inquiry:
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? [Isa. 53:1].
The prophet seems to be registering a complaint because his message is not believed. This which was revealed to him is not received by men, and this is always the sad office of the prophet. When God called this man Isaiah, back in chapter 6, He told him, “You are going to get a message that the people won’t hear. When you tell them My words, they won’t believe you.” That certainly was Isaiah’s experience.
God’s messengers have not been welcomed with open arms by the world. The prophets have been stoned, and the message unheeded. That is still true today. After World War I, when everyone was talking about peace and safety, it was very, very unpopular even to suggest that there might be another war. Public opinion then demanded that we sink all the battleships and disarm ourselves, because our leaders told us that the world was safe for democracy. There were a few prophets of God in that period, standing in the pulpits of the land. They were not pacifists, but they did not care for war either. They declared in unmistakable terms that God’s Word said there would be wars and rumors of war so long as there was sin, unrighteousness, and evil in the world. They stated that war was not a skin disease, but a heart disease, and they were proven correct when we entered World War II. When others declared that Christ was a pacifist, they called attention to the fact that He had said that a strong man armed keepeth his palace. I can recall that the church I attended as a boy had just such a minister. He was a faithful servant of Christ, and he sought to please God rather than men. But his message was largely rejected, and he was not popular with the crowd—they preferred the liberal preacher in the town. But time has now proven that he was right, and current events demonstrate that he was a friend of this nation, not an enemy. He was a prophet of God and could say with Isaiah, “Who has believed our report?” There are a few prophetic voices lifted up right now in America. They are trying to call this nation back to God before it is too late, but the crowd is rushing headlong after another delusion.
Personally I am overwhelmed by the marvelous response to our Bible teaching program on radio. But every now and then we are reminded that we are in a Christ-rejecting world. Our program has been put off the air by several radio stations because they did not like our message. One radio manager called in to say that he did not like the kind of “religion” I was preaching. He wanted to know if it weren’t possible to give something a little bit more cheerful, because mankind was on the up-and-up and getting better and better. They weren’t sinners, and things were not as bad as I seemed to think they were. This man’s call, and others like it, simply serve to remind us that we are in a Christ-rejecting world, and we must accept it as such and keep on going. We rejoice today that we have as large an outlet as we do. I believe that there are many prophetic voices in our nation today trying to call us back to God before it is too late. In spite of that, the majority of the people are following any Pied Piper of liberalism who has a tune they can jig by and who makes them feel like everything is going to be all right.
Paul said the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. From ideas publicly expressed we are given to know that there are many to whom the preaching of the cross is foolishness. I admit there is a lot of foolish preaching, and I offer no apology for it. But God said they would identify the preaching of the cross with foolishness. This message is a challenge to those folk, for there is a reason for their thinking as they do. God says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). Would that they would give God a chance to talk with them!
It must be remembered that God does not use man’s methods and ways to accomplish things. God chooses the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the foolish things to confound the wise. If we were to call in a specialist in a time of illness, we certainly would not expect him to use the same home remedies normally used by us. His procedure might appear foolish to us, but we would follow it faithfully. Then should we not accord to God the same dealing of fairness as we do to the specialist?
But we still have to say with Isaiah, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”
There is a very definite reason why men do not believe in God’s gospel. Men like to think of God as sitting somewhere in heaven upon some lofty throne. The ancients spoke of the gods whose dwelling was not with mankind. The Greeks placed their deities upon Mount Olympus, and the Romans had Jupiter hurling thunderbolts from the battlements of the clouds. It is foreign to the field of religion that God has come down to this earth among men and that He suffered upon the shameful cross. That is too much to comprehend. The modern mind calls that defeatism—they do not care for it. A suffering deity is contrary to man’s thinking.
However, there is a peculiar fascination about this fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. There we see One suffering as no one else ever suffered. There we behold One in pain as a woman in travail. We are strangely drawn to Him and His cross. He said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Suffering has a singular attraction. Pain draws us all together. When you and I see some poor creature groaning in misery and covered with blood, our hearts instinctively go out in sympathy to the unfortunate victim. Somehow we want to help. That is the reason the Red Cross makes such an appeal to our hearts. Our sympathy is keen toward those who are war’s victims, or the victims of twentieth century civilized barbarism. Pain places all of us on the same plane. It is a common bond uniting all the frail children of suffering humanity. Therefore look with me upon the strange sufferings of the Son of God. Let Him draw our cold hearts into the warmth of His sacrifice and the radiance of His love.
Isaiah enlarges upon his first question by asking further, “To whom is the [bared] arm of the Lord revealed?” “Bared arm” means that God has rolled up His sleeve, symbolic of a tremendous undertaking. When God created the heavens and the earth, it is suggested that it is merely His fingerwork. For instance, Psalm 19:1—“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” That word handiwork is literally “fingerwork.” Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage used to say that God created the physical universe without half trying. When God created the heavens and the earth, it was without effort. He merely spoke them into existence. When He rested on the seventh day, He wasn’t tired; He had just finished everything; it was completed. But when God redeemed man, it required His “bared arm,” for salvation was His greatest undertaking. One of the objections offered to God’s salvation is that it is free. If by that is meant that for man it is free, then this is correct. Man can pay nothing, nor does he have anything to offer for salvation. The reason that it is free for man is because it cost God everything. He had to bare His arm. He gave His Son to die upon the cross. Redemption is an infinite task that only God could perform. Salvation is free, but it certainly is not cheap.
Now we have brought before us the person of Christ. We are told something of His origin on the human side.
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him [Isa. 53:2].
Christ was a root out of a dry ground. This means that at the time of the birth of Christ the family of David had been cut off from the kingship. They were no longer princes; they were peasants. The nation Israel was under the iron heel of Rome. They were not free. The Roman Empire produced no great civilization. They merely were good imitators of great civilizations. There was mediocre achievement and pseudoculture. The moral foundation was gone. A virile manhood and a virtuous womanhood were supplanted by a debauched and pleasure-loving citizenry. The religion of Israel had gone to seed. They merely performed an empty ritual, and their hearts remained cold and indifferent. Into such a situation Christ came. He came from a noble family that was cut off, from a nation that had become a vassal to Rome, in a day and age that was decadent. The loveliest flower of humanity came from the driest spot and period of the world’s history. It was humanly impossible for His day and generation to produce Him, but He came nevertheless, for He came forth from God.
Let me use a ridiculous illustration. Christ coming where He did and when He did would be like our walking out in the desert in Arizona, without a green sprig anywhere, and suddenly coming upon a great big head of iceberg lettuce growing right out of that dry, dusty soil. We would be amazed. We would say, “How in the world can this head of lettuce grow out here?” It would be a miracle. The coming of Christ was just like that. His day could never have produced Him. Evolution has always tried to get rid of the Lord Jesus, because it cannot produce a Jesus. If it can, why doesn’t it? The interesting thing is that He is different. Therefore He is the root out of a dry ground.
Now the prophet focuses our attention immediately upon His suffering and death upon the cross.
“He hath no form nor comeliness [majesty]; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” Some have drawn the inference from this statement that Christ was unattractive and misshapen in some way. Some even dare to suggest that He was repulsive in His personal appearance. That cannot be true because He was the perfect man. The Gospel records do not lend support to any such viewpoint. It was on the cross that this declaration of Him became true in a very real way. His suffering was so intense that He became drawn and misshapen. The cross was not a pretty thing; it was absolutely repulsive to view. Men have fashioned crosses that look very attractive, but they do not represent His cross. His cross was not good to look upon; His suffering was unspeakable; His death was horrible. He endured what no other man endured. He did not even look human after the ordeal of the cross, as we saw in the previous chapter. He was a mass of unsightly flesh.
Naturally, we are eager to learn why His death was different and horrible. What is the meaning of the depths of His suffering?
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isa. 53:4].
He was “smitten of God, and afflicted.” The prophet was so afraid that you and I would miss this that he mentioned it three times: “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” “He hath put him to grief.” Consternation fills our souls when we recognize that it was God the Father who treated the perfect Man in such terrible fashion.
Candidly, we do not understand it, and we are led to inquire why God should treat Him in this manner. What had He done to merit such treatment? Look for a moment at that cross. Christ was on the cross six hours, hanging between heaven and earth from nine o’clock in the morning until three o’clock in the afternoon. In the first three hours man did his worst. He heaped ridicule and insult upon Him, spit upon Him, nailed Him without mercy to the cruel cross, and then sat down to watch Him die. At twelve o’clock noon, after He had hung there for three hours in agony, God drew a veil over the sun, and darkness covered that scene, shutting out from human eye the transaction between the Father and the Son. Christ became the sacrifice for the sin of the world. God made His soul an offering for sin. Christ Jesus was treated as sin, for we are told that He was made sin for us who knew no sin. If you want to know if God hates sin, look at the cross. If you want to know if God will punish sin, look at the Darling of His heart enduring the tortures of its penalty. By what vain conceit can you and I hope to escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That cross became an altar where we behold the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. He was dying for somebody else—He was dying for you and me.
Listen to the prophet:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all [Isa. 53:5–6].
The phrase “with His stripes we are healed” may cause questions in your mind. Of what are we healed? Are we healed of physical diseases? Is that the primary meaning of it? I am going to let Simon Peter interpret this by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. First Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Healed of what? Peter makes it quite clear that we are healed of our trespasses and sins. Now notice that marvelous sixth verse. It begins with “all” and ends with “all.” “All we like sheep have gone astray”—not some of us, but all of us. What is really the problem with mankind? What is your basic and my basic problem? It is stated in this clause: “We have turned every one to his own way.” That is our problem. Man has gone his way, neglecting God’s way. And the Scripture further says: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). Another proverb admonishes: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:6). Although our Lord Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6), we have turned every one to his own way.
“And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity, of us all.” Isaiah is making it clear that when Christ died on the cross He was merely taking your place and mine. He had done nothing amiss. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He was the Substitute whom the love of God provided for the salvation of you and me.
Surely our hearts go out in sympathy to Him as He expired there upon the tree. Certainly we are not unmoved at such pain and suffering. We would be cold-blooded, indeed, if our own hearts were not responsive. It is said that when Clovis, the leader of the Franks, was told about the crucifixion of Christ, he was so moved that he leaped to his feet, drew his sword, and exclaimed, “If I had only been there with my Franks!” Yet, my friend, Christ does not want your sympathy. He did not die to win that. He didn’t die to enlist us in His defense. Remember that when He was on the way to the cross and the women of Jerusalem were weeping for Him, He said, “… weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.… For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (Luke 23:28, 31). He did not want their sympathy and He does not want ours.
Someone may be thinking that He died a martyr’s death. He did not die a martyr’s death, for He did not espouse a lost cause! He did not die as martyrs who in their death sang praises of joy and confessed that Christ was standing by them. Compare His death to that of Stephen’s. Stephen in triumph said, “… behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Our Lord didn’t die like that. He was forsaken of God. He said, “… My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). His death was different. He died alone—alone with the sins of the world upon Him.
Someone else may feel like saying what a wonderful influence the death of Christ should exercise upon our lives. As we contemplate His life and death, most assuredly we ought to be persuaded to turn from sin. However, that has not been the experience of men. By the way, how did it work in your life? That view will not satisfy as an explanation of this verse: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” None of these will suffice to explain His death, for He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He took our place.
THE SATISFACTION OF THE SAVIOR
Tthis point let me quote verse 3 which speaks of Christ’s grief.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not [Isa. 53:3].
Christ is identified as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” and the inference is that Christ was a very unhappy Man while He was here upon this earth. To fortify this position a few isolated incidents are quoted which speak of His weeping. Now I want to correct this impression if I can. In verse 4 it says that “he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Notice that it was our sorrows and our griefs that He bore. He had no grief or sorrow of His own. He was supremely happy in His mission here upon earth. In the Epistle to the Hebrews it is said of Him “… for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross” (Heb 12:2, italics mine). These pictures that show Him looking long-faced and very solemn misrepresent Him. Even on the cross He joyfully took our place. He made that cross an altar upon which He offered a satisfactory payment for the penalty of your sins and mine. Willingly He died there, for in verse 7 we read “as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
Perhaps you are saying to yourself, “Preacher, that does not make sense to me. I do not believe that, nor do I care for that sort of religion. I do not want God to make a sacrifice for me. I did not ask Him to do it.” Well, it is true that you did not ask Him to do it, but let me ask you a very plain and fair question. I am sure that you will agree that man has gotten this world into a very sad predicament today. The wisdom of man has failed to settle the issues of this life. Had you ever thought that man may be wrong about the next life when he dismisses God’s remedy with a snap of the fingers? Vain philosophy and false science have not solved the problems of daily living. Since they are wrong in so many other areas, they may also be wrong about the Bible.
Suppose for a moment that God did give His Son to die for you and that He did make a tremendous sacrifice. Grant that the cross is God’s remedy for the sin of the world and that it is the very best that even God can do. Suppose also that you go on rejecting this gracious offer of salvation. Do you think that you can reasonably expect God to do anything for you in eternity? If God exhausted His love, His wisdom, and His power in giving Christ to die and patiently has waited for you to turn to Him, what else can He do to save you? What else do you suppose God can do for you, or for anyone, who rejects His Son? He would come again at this moment and die again if that would be the means to save you! It is no light thing to turn down God’s love gift to you.
This does not end the gospel story. We do not worship a dead Christ; we worship a living One. He not only died, He rose again from the grave in victory. He ascended back into heaven. At this moment He is sitting at God’s right hand, and the prophet says:
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities [Isa. 53:11].
We have a living and rejoicing Savior, for His suffering led to satisfaction. He took our hell that we might have His heaven. He is happy, for down through the ages multitudes, yes, millions, have come to Him and found sweet release from guilt, pardon for wrongdoing, and healing from the leprosy of sin. Christ said there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, and that number can be multiplied by millions. Think of the joy and satisfaction of Christ today! We have a happy Christ, a joyful Christ, and it is going to be fun to be in His presence.
You can bring added joy to His heart by accepting the gift of eternal life that He longs to give to you. He is not asking anything of you—He wants to give you something. It is for “… him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5). All you have to do is accept Him right where you are. He invites you to the foot of the cross where you will find forgiveness for your sins. May this be your prayer and mine:
Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand—
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.
Upon the cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me:
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess—
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.
—Elizabeth C. Clephane, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”
What a marvelous prayer this is for a sinner to pray! It makes it very clear that all men will not be saved, that all men must accept the Substitute or they will be lost. It also makes clear that the total depravity of man is taught in the Bible, that we are in no condition to save ourselves. All without exception are involved in guilt, and all without exception are involved in sin, and all without exception are guilty of straying, and all without exception have turned away from God, and all without exception have chosen their own way.
CHAPTER 54
Theme: The regathered and restored wife of Jehovah; the rejoicing and righteous restored wife of Jehovah
This is the logical chapter to follow Isaiah 53, because it is the song that accompanies salvation and the future glories of Israel. You see, the Redeemer is coming to Zion, and some day they will behold Him.
THE REGATHERED AND RESTORED WIFE OF JEHOVAH
He is speaking directly to Israel saying they should sing.
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord [Isa. 54:1].
I can’t sing. If you can, that’s wonderful. But some day I am going to be able to sing. Redemption brings a song into the world. The world produces the blues; the redeemed sing of blessings. The world has its rock; the redeemed sing of redemption. The world plays jazz; the redeemed have the reality of joy. Only the redeemed have a song of joy. The redeemed will sing the song of redemption whether on earth or in heaven. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9–10). What a picture we have here! You see, it is the church mentioned in Revelation, but in Isaiah 54 it is the nation Israel. The church is called a chaste virgin while Israel is characterized as the restored wife.
“Sing, O barren.” In the past Israel has been as a barren wife. Sarah’s life was this in miniature. She was barren, childless, an old women eighty years old with no children. God caused the barren to bring forth a son, and just think of the millions that have come from her!
So the first word after the crucifixion in chapter 53 is “Sing.” It is a call to Israel to sing. But the Jews are not singing over in their land today. In the past Israel has been as a barren wife, but in the future her travailing will be over. Her travailing so far has produced only wind—like the mountain that travailed and brought forth a mouse! But her future is glorious because she will have many children in the future.
Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes [Isa. 54:2].
The nation Israel has never occupied the entire land given to them by the Lord. The land God marked out for them in Joshua 1:4 is about 300,000 square miles. Even in Israel’s heyday, when they reached their zenith under David and Solomon, they only occupied 30,000 square miles—that is quite a difference. Now God says they are going to lengthen their cords and strengthen their stakes. And they are going to be safe in the land. They won’t need to be afraid of the Arab in that day. During the Millennium, Israel will occupy the total borders of the land. Also, the city of Jerusalem will push out into the suburban areas, and there will be no traffic jams.
For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited [Isa. 54:3].
The Gentiles have occupied most of the Land of Promise—they have it today. But they will have to withdraw to their own borders. The problem in the world today is not only that individuals are trying to step over into somebody else’s territory, but nations are trying to expand their borders. This causes problems. People just keep wanting more and more and more, which is what produces wars.
For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called [Isa. 54:5].
God will own them then as His redeemed in that day.
For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God [Isa. 54:6].
Israel is today like a wife that has been divorced for adultery. That is the figure of speech that is used.
For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee [Isa. 54:7].
In that day not only Israel, but all of us are going to look back at what we thought was terrible down here in this life, and it will seem as Paul described it “a light affliction, which is but for a moment.” And it will work for us an “exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” We need to get our eyes focused on things which are not seen rather than things that are seen (see 2 Cor. 4:17–18).
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee [Isa. 54:10].
If you feel that God is going to break His covenant which He made with Abraham, Isaiah would have you know that you are wrong. God will not break His covenant; He will never break it.
THE REJOICING AND RIGHTEOUS RESTORED WIFE OF JEHOVAH
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires [Isa. 54:11].
Now God begins to comfort Israel that she might rejoice.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children [Isa. 54:13].
This is the day when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth. This brings peace.
In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee [Isa. 54:14].
Following righteousness is freedom from fear.
Now notice this marvelous verse of Scripture.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord [Isa. 54:17].
Even in the past and in the present, God has been opposed to anti-Semitism. No enemy of God’s chosen nation has ever prospered. The witnesses to this truth are Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, and Hitler. There are a lot of anti—Semites in this country who ought to read this verse. This verse is a promise of God.
CHAPTER 55
Theme: Invitation to the world; the ways of God; institution of the Word of God
The work of the suffering Servant in chapter 53 makes possible the offer of salvation in this chapter. In chapter 54 the invitation was confined to Israel. In this chapter the invitation is extended to the entire world. The gospel went first to Israel and then to the Gentiles. I think this is what Paul meant when he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). This does not mean that the Jew has top priority today, but he shouldn’t have bottom priority either; he is on the same par as everyone else. The Jew did receive the gospel first. Peter on the Day of Pentecost preached to an all-Jewish congregation—there wasn’t a Gentile in the lot. Now this invitation goes out to the world. This is remarkable because there have been very few religious leaders who have had a global view. The work of the suffering Servant in chapter 53 makes possible now the offer of salvation to a lost world.
God’s invitation has yet to find its complete fulfillment in Israel. Today it is worldwide, with only one condition, as we shall see. This is not a mechanical offer locked in the airtight compartment of God’s election, but it rests upon the free-flowing will of each hearer. He is urged—in fact, he is commanded—to seek the Lord.
INVITATION TO THE WORLD
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price [Isa. 55:1].
The chapter opens with the heart cry of God to every one to pause and consider His salvation.
“Ho” is like a startled cry for help in the night. He wants every weak soul to behold His mighty bared arm of salvation.
The invitation is ecumenical. I don’t believe in the ecumenical movement that men talk about today, but I do believe in God’s ecumenical movement, which is that the invitation of the gospel is to go out to the world. However, it is limited to one class: “Ho, every one that thirsteth.” This invitation is to every man, woman, and child on the topside of the earth. It means every man of every station in life, in all strata of society, from every race, tribe, tongue, condition, and color. All are included. The invitiation is “Ho, every one.”
But notice that it is limited to only certain ones—“every one that thirsteth.” It is for those whose thirst has not been slaked by the man-made cisterns and bars of this earth. The invitation is to drink deep and long of the eternal springs. Dr. F. C. Jennings has written: “Let us listen then, as if we had never heard the melody of this tender and gracious invitation before. Who are the guests here invited? All who thirst! All that is needed to be welcome then, is—not to need (for that is true of all)—but to want what is offered. Am I utterly dissatisfied with myself? I thirst! Am I dissatisfied with all the world can offer me, and of which I have tasted? I thirst! Is my spirit altogether dissatisfied with all the formalism of religion? Then do I thirst! Blessed thirst! It is the only prerequisite to enjoyment!” (Studies in Isaiah, p. 645).
This is the invitation: “Ho, everyone that thirsteth.” If you say, “I am not interested. I am not thirsty. I am satisfied with the things of this life,” then it is not for you, my friend. It is not for you until you are thirsty. Here in California you will be riding along in the desert and all of a sudden you will see on a billboard the picture of a bottle pushed down into some cracked ice. My, it looks good! There is only one word printed on the sign—“THIRSTY?” The company that put up the sign hopes you are thirsty. They want you to stop at the next service station and buy a coke or whatever they are selling. If you have your thermos bottles filled with iced tea, or orange juice, you say, “I am not thirsty,” and drive on. But if you are thirsty, you will pull off at the next service station and get your drink.
At the crossroads of life God has put up a sign: “THIRSTY?” Ho, every one that is thirsty. Are you tired of this world? Have you found that it does not satisfy? Do you long for something better? God says, “I have something for you.” Then He mentions a variety of things and says that you can buy these things without money. A bottled drink used to cost a nickel, now you have to pay forty cents and by the time you read this, the price may have gone even higher. But God’s offer is without money. Why? Because back in Isaiah 53 the Lord Jesus paid the price for it on the cross. This is God’s invitation to you, “Come ye, buy, and eat.” Not only drink, but He offers the bread of life, too.
Notice that there are three types of drink offered:
1. “Waters”—the plural form is used. In the Hebrew the plural expresses a superlative degree. This water is too wonderful to be expressed by the singular form. “Waters” also speaks of abundance, of quantity as well as quality. This is water for the soul. This is the kind of water that the Lord Jesus offered—and He used the same symbolism—when He stood in the temple area that day and cried, “… If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). Now we know where the fountain is—that fountain is Christ, who is the Water of Life and our Savior.
2. “Wine” is the second type of drink offered, which symbolizes joy. In Proverbs 31:6 we read, “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” And 1 Thessalonians 1:6 says, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” (italics mine). Joy is what you have when Christ is not only your Savior but when He becomes the Master of your life. When you come to know Him, you have joy. In 1 John 1:4 John says, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (italics mine). I saw this motto in a preacher’s study in Salem, Oregon: “Joy is the flag that is flown in the heart when the Master is in residence.” That is a marvelous drink that will put genuine joy in your heart!
3. “Milk” is the third type of drink offered. Milk is essential for growth and development, especially for babies. The dairy industry has been trying to tell people: “Everybody needs milk.” Well, the milk of the Word of God is essential for spiritual growth. Now, since I am a teacher of the Word of God, that makes me a milkman. I give out the milk of the Word. Peter said it like this, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). Have you ever seen a little baby while his mama gets his bottle ready? That hungry little fellow, lying in his crib, is wiggling his feet, his hands; in fact, he is wiggling all over. With his mouth he is making all kinds of commotion and a great deal of noise! Why? Because he desires milk. And a child of God ought to want the milk of the Word of God with equal longing! My friend, if you are a believer, there is something wrong with you if you don’t like to study the Word of God. The greatest problem in our churches today is that we are entertaining, we are giving nice little courses in this and that and the other thing, we are giving banquets and dinners, and we are putting folk on committees. We are doing everything but giving them the Word of God. Many church members are stillborn—they have no spiritual life. My friend, if you are a believer, you ought to want the sincere milk of the Word of God.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [Isa. 55:2].
Many folk, even Christians today, are spending money for so-called Christian enterprises that don’t feed anybody. I hear some groups today calling money bread—I rather like that expression. The Word of God is “bread” also. A lot of Christians put their money into that which is not bread, although they think it is. It would be well to investigate where you give your money. It may be that you are buying a load of sawdust, which won’t satisfy your heart and life.
The question is asked, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?” The pleasures of this world are expensive. You have to pay for them. Not only are they expensive, but they never satisfy. They are counterfeit. They are sawdust and cannot satisfy the soul. Then where is happiness? You won’t find it in money. Jay Gould, an American millionaire, had plenty of that. When he was dying, he said: “I suppose I am the most miserable devil on earth.“ You won’t find happiness in pleasure either. Lord Byron had fame, genius, money, and lived a life of pleasure; yet he wrote in his poem ”On My Thirty-sixth Year”: “The worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone.”
Why don’t you come to the table where you can get some water, wine, milk, and bread that satisfies? That’s where we all need to be today.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David [Isa. 55:3].
God was merciful to David, and He will be merciful to you and me today. I heard a man speaking in Pershing Square in Los Angeles one day, deriding and ridiculing the Bible. One Sunday evening I saw him in church when I was a pastor in downtown Los Angeles. After the service he came to talk to me, feigning a humble approach, and said, “Pastor, I have a question to ask you. Why did God choose a man like David?” Then he leered at me, and I knew exactly what the old rascal was thinking. I said, “I’ll tell you why God chose a man like David. It was so that you and I would have the courage to come to Him. If God would take David, He might take you, and He might take me!” The sure mercies of David—how wonderful they are!
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people [Isa. 55:4].
Jesus is called the true witness for us in our day.
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee [Isa. 55:5].
“Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not”—at that time Isaiah didn’t know about the United States of America, but we are included in his prophecy.
THE WAYS OF GOD
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near [Isa. 55:6].
The way of God and the way of man are put in contrast and conflict. The objection is often made that this is not a legitimate gospel call for today since man is not asked to seek God, but rather God is seeking man. This certainly is accurate, but nonetheless this call is for today, as the human aspect is in view here. Human responsibility is not defeated by the sovereign purposes and election of God. Therefore the Lord Jesus could say, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). You can sit on the sidelines and argue that you are not one of the elect; but the minute you come, you are elect. And the coming is up to you.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon [Isa. 55:7].
The problem people have today is not mental. You may say, “I have great intellectual hurdles to surmount before I can come to Christ.” No, you don’t. You have only one—that is sin in your life that you don’t want to give up. That is the one thing that keeps men from God. “Let the wicked forsake his way,” and when you do, then you will be ready to turn to Him. That is when you really get thirsty.
Now God says—
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord [Isa. 55:8].
God’s way is different from man’s way. The gospel is God’s way. It is not man-made. No man could ever have devised it. “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11–12). The gospel came down from heaven. It is God’s gospel.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts [Isa. 55:9].
The gospel could come only by revelation, since man’s reason never follows the redemption route.
INSTITUTION OF THE WORD OF GOD
When the gospel is given out, the emphasis is placed on the accuracy and the reliability and the importance of the Word of God.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it [Isa. 55:10–11].
In this closing section there is a prominence given to the Word of God. The only place where the gospel is found is in the Word of God. Salvation is a revelation of God, and the Word of God is likened to the rain that comes down from heaven. You see, the gospel is not asking you to do something. Neither is the gospel something that man has thought up. Man does not work his way up to God by some Tower of Babel effort, but he receives God’s revelation which comes down from heaven like rain. The rain causes the earth to become fruitful. The seeds germinate and fructify and bring forth abundantly. The Word of God is also the seed; and, when the rain and seed get together in the human heart, there will be fruit.
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands [Isa. 55:12].
The rain causes the earth to respond with a green blanket of praise to God. During the Millennium the earth will respond with a note of praise to the Creator and Redeemer. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Rom. 8:22).
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off [Isa. 55:13].
This verse looks forward to the Millennium when the earth will be redeemed from the curse of sin. The curse of sin is expressed by the thorn and brier. When Christ died, He not only redeemed sinners, He also redeemed a sin-cursed earth.
CHAPTER 56
Theme: Grand particulars of the future kingdom; predicament of the present kingdom
The chapter before us follows a pattern that goes back to that marvelous fifty-third chapter, which tells of the salvation of the Lord provided for lost mankind by the sacrifice of His Son upon the cross.
Now Isaiah the prophet returns to the nation of Israel and is speaking to his own people. What we have in this chapter is not a retreat to Mount Sinai (as some seem to think) but rather a victory march through the arch of triumph into the Millennium. It is a forward movement which is the logical outworking of what has preceded. It pertains particularly to Israel and radiates out into a widening circle of global benefits. This all rests on the New Covenant which God has made with Israel. It will be the blessing for the earth in the future. At that time the Mosaic Law, which the Lord Jesus lifted to the nth degree in His Sermon on the Mount, will be enforced on the earth because Christ will be reigning. It will be His will and it will be His law.
The emphasis in this chapter is on ethics, not on events. The emphasis is on practice, not prophecy. All of this should influence our living today. The study of prophecy is not to entertain the curious or to intrigue the intellect but to encourage holy living. Remember that the apostle John wrote: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). The study of prophecy gives us a purifying hope.
Isaiah now is looking forward into the kingdom age, the Millennium. The Lord Jesus is reigning. As we said, our Lord lifted the Mosaic Law to the nth degree in His Sermon on the Mount, which makes it absolutely impossible for anybody to be saved by keeping the Law. For instance, He said, “… whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [a word of contempt], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt. 5:22). On that kind of basis, very few of us would escape. How, then, are we going to be saved? Well, we have a Savior who saves us. But when He is reigning on earth, there will be no hijacking of planes, no kidnapping, no murdering, no mugging. We will be able to walk in safety down Glory Boulevard and Hallelujah Avenue in Jerusalem; the earth will be a safe place in that day. Every man will dwell in peace under his own vine and fig tree, which means he is going to be a capitalist. Everyone will own property and will not be taxed for it. That’s going to be great, isn’t it!
GRAND PARTICULARS OF THE FUTURE KINGDOM
Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed [Isa. 56:1].
“My salvation is near to come”—apparently the prophets expected the establishment of the kingdom immediately. Although they made allowance for the possibility of an interval, they speak of it in the immediate future. “Salvation” is the national salvation of Israel. This is what was in the mind of the apostle Paul in Romans 11:26 when he said, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Anticipation of the coming salvation was to be an incentive to do justice—just as our hope of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is an incentive today to lead a holy life.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil [Isa. 56:2].
This, you see, is for a people who are back under the Sabbath. The Sabbath will be restored to this earth during the Millennium. During this present day of grace we are definitely told: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days” (Col. 2:16). Therefore, you and I are not under the Sabbath—which ought to be evident to everyone. But God intends to restore it to the earth when Christ reigns, for the law will go forth from Jerusalem.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree [Isa. 56:3].
The Gentile in that day is not to feel that he is an outsider because of God’s peculiar arrangement with Israel. On the contrary, he is invited to step up and share the blessings. A eunuch could not serve as a priest under the Mosaic economy. In other words, a physical handicap will shut no one out in that future day.
For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off [Isa. 56:4–5].
The handicapped, the strangers, and all outcasts are invited to accept God’s gracious overture of a position that is better than a son or daughter and a security that is everlasting. This the Law did not give. He is talking about the Millennium, of course.
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant [Isa. 56:6].
The stranger will be given a new heart that he might love the Lord in that day.
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people [Isa. 56:7].
This is the verse from which the Lord quoted when He cleansed the temple the second time. It was God’s original intention that the temple was to be for all peoples irrespective of their race, tongue, class, or condition. It had long ceased to function as such in Christ’s day.
Also the present-day church is as far removed from its primary objective as the temple. The church has become like a suburban country club. It has moved from the downtown area and into the suburban area where it is serving good meals and has good volleyball and basketball teams. But there are few personal workers bringing the lost to the Lord.
The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him [Isa. 56:8].
The kingdom is to be worldwide in its extent and will include members of every family of the human race. God says in that day they are going to go out after folk. I believe that the greatest time of turning to Christ will take place during the Millennium.
PREDICAMENT OF THE PRESENT KINGDOM
Now that we have seen the marvelous view of the future kingdom, Isaiah returns to the predicament of the kingdom in his day. And we see the same things as we look around us today.
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest [Isa. 56:9].
Our vision is now shifted from the lofty contemplation of the glorious future kingdom to the sorry condition of the then existing kingdom. God was permitting the nations of the world to come in like wild and ferocious beasts, and they were robbing and pillaging His people. Assyria had already broken in, and Babylon was soon to break in; later others would come to plunder and destroy. If you have ever seen pictures of the walls of Jerusalem and the wailing wall, you can see that they are built of stones from different periods of civilizations. It is quite evident that the city has been destroyed repeatedly. History tells us that Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twenty-seven times, and today it is built upon debris. To go down to the place where Christ walked this earth you would have to dig thirty to fifty feet below the present surface. God permitted nations to come against Israel. Why? Because Israel failed Him so.
Note this remarkable verse—
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber [Isa. 56:10].
This is a picture of the prophets and priests who spoke for God in that day. God permitted the enemy to take Jerusalem because of the weak and inadequate leadership of the people. They were blind. They were ignorant. They were dumb dogs. In the New Testament Paul warned the people to beware of dogs (see Phil. 3:2). What did he mean? Well, he’s not talking about being wary of a stranger’s dog that barks at you. He is referring to false teachers and preachers who are not declaring the full counsel of God. In Isaiah’s day every shepherd had a dog to help him watch the sheep. The dog would lie down at night and keep one eye open. The minute a dangerous animal or a human being came to harm or to steal a sheep, the dog would bark. Watchmen—the prophets and the priests who should have been warning God’s people and giving out the Word of God—were ignorant of it. They were like dumb dogs who did not bark when there was danger. It was easier for them to keep quiet.
Liberalism, in my judgment, came into being because of the cowardly position that many ministers took. When you preach the Word of God, you step on toes. I know this—I have been doing it for years. I try to be as nice as I can about preaching the Word, but it is strong and this verse is very strong. The man who stands in the pulpit and won’t give out God’s Word is a dumb dog! I didn’t say that, but Isaiah did say it, and Isaiah wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. A dumb dog is a man who won’t give out the Word of God. He lies down and sleeps. He cannot bark. He loves to slumber. It is much more comfortable for the pastor to try to please his people.
Over the years I have received many letters from pulpit committees asking me to recommend a pastor. Then they list the qualifications they want him to have. The top priority qualification is personality. They want a friendly pastor who knows how to communicate to all age groups—a man that the senior citizens will love and the young people will love. Some of the letters don’t even ask for a man with the ability to teach the Word of God! As a result, there are a lot of dumb dogs in pulpits. I am sorry to say this, but it is true, and Isaiah said it before I did.
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter [Isa. 56:11].
“They are greedy dogs.” They are concerned with their own personal interests rather than the welfare of their people.
One day I had lunch with a preacher friend of mine who is retired. He said to me, “McGee, you are making your message on the radio a little strong, aren’t you? Suppose people turn against you and won’t support your program?” I replied, “Then I’ll go off the air and just tell the Lord about it. If He intends for me to stay on the air, He intends for me to give out His Word. Very frankly, I think that this is His problem, not mine. I’ll just give out His Word.”
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant [Isa. 56:12].
These people drowned their sad plight and condition in drink, and they faced the future as drunkards and blind optimists. There are many people today who are facing life like that. They drown their troubles in drink. In our nation today, my friend, we have an alcohol problem among adults and young people—and even children! I am seeing more drunkards today than I have ever seen before in my long life. When I was on a plane the other day, I was seated near a dear old grandmother. She was the sweetest looking little thing, and I just wished she were my grandmother. I was thinking, Well, she is one person on this plane who won’t be ordering a cocktail. And, do you know, she ordered a Bloody Mary! Oh, boy, she tossed them down! Obviously she was accustomed to that sort of thing. The morality of our nation is gone, my friend. And a great many Christians don’t want to hear about it; they would rather listen to soft, sweet music.
Well, you don’t get into trouble when you play soft music, but you do when you give out the Word of God. But Isaiah told it like it was, and that’s what I intend to do also.
CHAPTER 57
Theme: Contrast between the righteous and wicked; comfort for the righteous; condemnation of the wicked
Now I grant you that today the wicked have it easy—they are the ones in comfort. They are the ones with the money, and they seem to be on top. But when we get to the end of the age, it will be comfort for the righteous and condemnation for the wicked.
This chapter marks the end of the second section of the final division of Isaiah, which I have labeled, “The salvation of Jehovah which comes through the suffering Servant.” Those who come in humility and accept it are made righteous. Those who reject it, proceed on their wicked way to judgment. This chapter brings us to the crossroads where the way that leads to life goes one way and the broad way to destruction goes another way. The destination and division are right here.
CONTRAST BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND WICKED
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come [Isa. 57:1].
“The righteous perisheth.” Many of God’s wonderful saints are being taken away today through the doorway of death. God is removing them from a lot of trouble that is going to come in the future. When I started my ministry, I worried about myself. Then I had a child and I worried about her. Now I have two grandsons, and I worry about them. I no longer worry about myself or my daughter, but I do worry about those two little fellows because their lot in the future is going to be rough.
He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness [Isa. 57:2].
“He shall enter into peace”—he shall have peace in his heart. “They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” If death comes to him while he is in bed, he will be removed from the Great Tribulation and will be taken into the presence of Christ. They will have peace regardless of what may come to them.
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore [Isa. 57:3].
Now God addresses the wicked. Even their ancestry is bad—note the label given their mothers!
Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood [Isa. 57:4].
They have been the persecutors of the righteous. Up to this point God has not intervened. Look around you today. Attacks are being made upon the righteous. They are not having an easy time. The attacks are coming hard and fierce, and the wicked seem to get by with it.
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? [Isa. 57:5].
The wicked in the last days are the idolaters who have turned their backs on God. They are guilty of gross immorality and murder. Adultery and murder are two of the terrible sins of our day also—coupled with covetousness, which is idolatry. This is the condition of the wicked at the present time.
Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? [Isa. 57:6].
They will even worship the smooth stones in the brook that once slew a giant. They worship everything except the living and true God.
Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice [Isa. 57:7].
Now idolatry, associated with the groves on the mountain tops, gives place to scenes of the vilest immorality. It is a picture of the last days.
Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it [Isa. 57:8].
In the past, sin was committed in secret, but at the present time sin has become brazen and flaunts itself. Somebody asked me, “Don’t you think there was as much immorality in the past as there is now?” I agreed that there may have been as much, but it was kept secret. Men were ashamed of their sin, but today they are not. The other day I listened to a pretty little girl on television talk about the man she lives with who is not her husband. She was commended by others on the program for not being a hypocrite. She may not be a hypocrite, but she is a sinner in God’s sight. What would not even have been whispered about a few years ago is done in the open today. Sin has become a way of life. There are no longer high standards. The wheat and the tares are growing together exactly as the Lord said they would.
We see the contrast between the righteous and the wicked all through this section.
COMFORT FOR THE RIGHTEOUS
In the second division Isaiah speaks of comfort for the righteous.
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones [Isa. 57:15].
God in the last days comforts His own because of who He is—“the high and lofty One.” He is the God of eternity. How feeble man is with his threescore years and ten down here. Man doesn’t last very long on earth. The eternal God promises to take those who do not trust in themselves, but trust in Him, and He covers them as a mother hen covers her brood. What peace and security there is for those who belong to God! This verse looks beyond our day to the time of the Great Tribulation; we are coming here to the end of the age.
For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made [Isa. 57:16].
He is the eternal God, but He will not always be angry with sin, because sin is to be removed.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart [Isa. 57:17].
God explains why He punishes the wicked. The wicked are covetous, and they go on in rebellion against God. I am sure that any intelligent person knows that a holy God will one day stop rebellion. God will have to punish those with rebellious and proud hearts.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners [Isa. 57:18].
For those who will forsake the wickedness of their ways, He will heal and save them. He is a gracious God toward the righteous.
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him [Isa. 57:19].
God alone can speak peace to the heart of the sinner.
CONDEMNATION OF THE WICKED
Each one of these last three divisions can be marked off at the place where God says, as He did in Isaiah 48:22, “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.” I think this is something that is quite evident. Man’s history is one of warfare and constant conflict. It is not only true among nations, but also between individuals—although they call it competition. You will find it in the business world, the social world, and in the religious world. You will find conflict in practically every town, every hamlet, and in many homes in our country. God says that there is no peace for the wicked. You cannot make peace in the human heart apart from God. So far no one has been able to do it.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt [Isa. 57:20].
This is probably one of the most picturesque descriptions of the wicked in Scripture. Like the troubled and restless sea, the wicked person can find no rest or peace in his wicked ways. He continues on like a hunted criminal looking for deliverance and safety. Several years ago an eighty-year-old man walked into the police station in Jackson, Mississippi, and said, “For fifty years I have been carrying on my conscience a murder. Another man has already paid the penalty for it, but I’m the one who is guilty. I have to make the confession of it.” They found that, according to law, when another man had already paid the penalty, they couldn’t execute the actual criminal or even hold him because another man had served the sentence. Probably the worst punishment this man had was fifty years of misery with a guilty conscience. He had had no peace of heart and mind at all.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked [Isa. 57:21].
If the world can have peace today without God, then it is a contradiction of the Word of God. You cannot contradict God’s Word. The wicked cannot have peace in the world, and they don’t have it today. God says that the wicked will have no peace. That is an axiom of God, and it is like the law of gravity—it works.
CHAPTER 58
Theme: Exposure of Israel’s wicked ways; explanation from God for rejecting religious acts; God’s concern for their welfare
This chapter brings us to the final division of the prophecy of Isaiah—“The Glory of Jehovah which comes through the suffering Servant.” We move on in this section to the glory of the kingdom. Inward wicked ways and outward religious forms delay the grace and glory of God and hurt the cause of Christ as much as anything. Men who are religious and are church members and yet curse like pagans, men who are dishonest in business, immoral in their social lives, yet talk about being good enough to meet God’s standards, actually block the grace and glory of God.
The explanation is given here as to why the glory was withheld. The people were supercilious and cynical about their relationship to God. They were observing forms and dared to question the actions of God toward them. They sat in judgment upon God and His methods. A lot of people still do this today. In spite of their outward observance of religion they indulge in their own wicked ways.
This same spirit was manifested after the Babylonian captivity, which reveals that the captivity did not cure them. In Malachi 3:13–14 we read, “Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?” They were criticizing God for not blessing them—yet look how religious they were! They went to the temple and they made sacrifices. It was brazen effrontery and audacity to question God! This is the spirit of the natural man with his outward show of religion. His heart is far from God, and his way is wicked. The veneer of godliness is nauseating to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said to the Laodicean church, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16). This is the attitude of the Lord Jesus to a lot of churchianity in our day.
EXPOSURE OF ISRAEL’S WICKED WAYS
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins [Isa. 58:1].
The prophet is commanded to cry aloud a message that is always unpopular, which is to point out the transgressions and sins of a people who think they are very religious. This will bring down the bitter displeasure and caustic invective upon one’s head. Only a very brave man will do it. I would say that the basic weakness of liberalism in the pulpit is its aim to please the natural man without telling him the real truth about his fatal disease. The medical profession today would be guilty of gross negligence if they followed the same procedure with the physical part of man that religion plays with the spiritual part of man. When the doctor told me I had cancer, I tried my best to get him to say that it was something else. He said, “I am going to tell you exactly what is wrong with you. I will tell it exactly like it is. If I don’t, you won’t have any confidence in me.” God is telling it exactly like it is. And He wants His servants to tell mankind that they are suffering from the fatal disease of sin, which is going to eventuate in eternal death, eternal separation from almighty God.
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God [Isa. 58:2].
I think there is an element of God’s biting satire in this statement. These people were attending the temple worship regularly. They were going through the ordinances punctiliously. They were meticulous in following the forms of worship. They actually enjoyed going to church; yet their lives bore no resemblance to those of Christians. What was true in that day is also true today.
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours [Isa. 58:3].
These people are petulantly complaining. They ask the reason for fasting and self-infliction if God doesn’t take note of it and pat them on the back for the ritual. Yet their hearts are far from God. They evidently had made fasting an important part of their religion. God never gave them fast days; He gave them feast days. It is true that they were to afflict their souls in connection with the great Day of Atonement, and in times of sin they were to fast. Fasting was the outward expression of the soul, but they had made it a form which ministered to their ego and pride. They boasted of the fact that they fasted. Fasting was to be a private matter between the soul and God—not a public show. Our Lord condemned them for abusing the fast. When He was here He said, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward [which was to be seen of men]” (Matt. 6:16). They needn’t expect anything from God, for they didn’t do it because of the relationship with Him. The Lord Jesus said to those who are His own: “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:17–18). Real religion is a personal relationship with Christ, and it is as secret and private as anything can possibly be. Do you go around and tell others about your intimate relationship with your wife or your husband? Of course you don’t. My friend, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is a precious secret between the two of you. You witness for Him, but you don’t reveal your intimate moments with Him. My friend, are you boasting about your religion, or about going through a certain ceremony or ritual? Shame on you! They are nothing in the sight of God—unless they reveal what is within your heart. Oh, how we need reality rather than ritual!
I am of the opinion that many folk in that day questioned Isaiah’s message. They probably said, “Isaiah, what in the world are you talking about? You criticize these people who are very religious, who go regularly to the temple and make their sacrifices!” But, you see, God knows the heart. Their religion was only superficial. They had no real relationship with God.
EXPLANATION FROM GOD FOR REJECTING RELIGIOUS ACTS
In this next section God explains His reason for rejecting their show of religion.
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high [Isa. 58:4].
God explains why He cannot accept their fasting. They thought it gave them special acceptance with Him.
Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? [Isa. 58:5].
God had not commanded their fasting, and their acts of worship were entirely outward and did not reveal the condition of the heart.
This is largely the condition of the contemporary church. I don’t say it is the condition of your church—there are many wonderful churches. But, by and large, the organized church has only a form of godliness.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Isa. 58:6].
This is tremendous—it gets right down to the nitty-gritty, right down where the rubber meets the road. God says in effect, “If you really want to fast, let Me tell you what to do: Instead of fasting and going around with a pious look, stop your sinning. Stop your gossiping. Stop the things that reveal the wickedness and the evil in your hearts. Demonstrate your faith in Me by your conduct. Start being honest in your dealings. Be truthful in what you say. Instead of seeing you in sackcloth and covered with ashes, I’d like to see you clean on the inside.”
My friend, I am of the opinion that the Lord could stop many church services today and say, “Listen, let’s cut this out. Why are you going through this form? You are not getting close to me. You are not pleasing Me. When you leave this service, you gossip, you have bitterness in your heart, you are not moral in your conduct, and you are living loose lives. You think you are pleasing Me by your religious form. I want you to know that you are not pleasing Me. That is the reason I am rejecting you.”
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [Isa. 58:7].
They were turning their backs on the poor and needy. They even refused to show kindness and love to their own flesh and blood. Their religion was as cold as the north side of a tombstone in January! They didn’t have a heart for God. When you have a heart for God, my friend, you will also have a heart for other folk. You will want to be helpful to them and be a blessing to them. You cannot be hateful and fundamental in your theology at the same time. All of the criticism and unloveliness today is harmful to the cause of Christ. Isaiah has a tremendous message for us!
God told His people that He didn’t want their so-called worship—they were just going through a form. They were just “playing church.” He told them that they might think they were having fun, but it was going to become a burden to them because they would become weary trying to keep up a front before the world. God said to them, “Come clean. Demonstrate in your lives that you have reality.”
Do you see why Isaiah is not popular? You will never find liberalism dealing with this part of the Bible. They like to turn to the Sermon on the Mount and pick out a few verses, such as: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7). That is great, but the important thing is to confess your sin to God and allow Christ to live His life through you. Religion is a great cover-up today. Oh, how we need a personal relationship with Christ!
GOD’S CONCERN FOR THEIR WELFARE
God wants His people to turn to Him in a real way.
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward [Isa. 58:8].
God could not manifest His blessing and glory to a people who practised their religion so badly. This is one of the reasons the world today is not convinced that God is in His holy temple. The world is passing by the church. Why? They don’t believe God is there. And I suspect they might be right. God says here, “I can’t manifest myself because of your lives.” How many of us are blocking the way! The story is told that when Alexander the Great returned from one of his campaigns, he rushed to find his old teacher, Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher. It so happened that Aristotle was taking a bath when his visitor arrived. Alexander told him about his campaign and then said, “Now what can I do for you?” The old philosopher was not at all impressed with this young upstart and continued his bathing. Alexander repeated the question, “Now what can I do for you?” Finally old Aristotle replied, “Well, you can get out of my light!” Perhaps we are saying to God, “What can I do for You?” I think God would answer, “You can get out of My light!” Let’s allow His light to shine through us. That’s the important thing.
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity [Isa. 58:9].
God wanted to hear their prayers and He wanted to bless. He wanted to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon them, but their hearts weren’t open to receive it. We say, “Our prayers are not answered.” Why? Is it because God does not want to answer them? No! The problem is that our hearts are not open to receive the blessing God really wants to give us. God says, “The minute you cry to Me, here I am.”
When I was a boy, I had typhoid fever and double pneumonia at the same time. I lived in a little country town, and one night the country doctor thought I was going to die. My mother sat by my bed all night. I was delirious most of the time, but I can still remember coming out of it and calling her name, “Mama?” She would say, “Here I am.” What a comfort that was for a little boy. And today what a comfort to know that when we go to God in prayer, He is there. He says, “Here I am.” In effect, God says, “It’s up to you from now on. If you come in the name of My Son, make a request that is in My will, and your heart is right, I’m going to move right along with you.” When we have prayers which are not being answered, the problem is with us.
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day [Isa. 58:10].
God asked them to practice one specific thing that He might bless them. He only picked out one thing. He could have picked out a dozen things, but He chose only one. God promised to bless them if they would show reality in their religion.
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not [Isa. 58:11].
God wanted to bless them, you see.
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words [Isa. 58:13].
God gave the sabbath to the nation Israel. God said, “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever …” (Exod. 31:17).For something interesting, read the entire passage of Exodus 31:12–18. Now God turns to this specific thing that He commanded them as a people.
For us today it is a little different. We are told: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it”(Heb. 4:1). The word for “rest” is sabbath—we should not come short of entering into His rest. “For he that is entered into his rest [that is, the sabbathl, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Heb. 4:10).Now have you entered into His sabbath, which is the rest of redemption? Have you come to the place where you completely, fully trust Christ—that He has done everything necessary for your salvation and you are resting in His finished work? Or do you feel compelled to do something in order to earn or not lose your salvation? My friend, He wants us to fully trust Christ. To enter into His rest will mean not only great blessing for us, but it will open up an avenue of service for us. The thing that brought the apostle Paul to a life of missionary activity was to enter into the rest of redemption.
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it [Isa. 58:14].
The horizon here is extended, and the vista of the future opens before us. They may delay the approaching glory, but they cannot destroy God’s plan for the coming manifestation of His glory.
CHAPTER 59
Theme: Condemnation of Israel; confession of Israel;coming of the Redeemer to Israel
This remarkable chapter continues God’s charges against Israel, and He spells them out. Their sins had brought about their sad state. Religion had become a cover-up for their sins. God refused to hear because of their iniquities, not because He was hard of hearing. Many people today think God has a hearing problem. God hears us all right. The problem lies with us.
Their sins are referred to thirty-two times. Many words are used to describe their sins: iniquities, sins, defiled with blood, lies, perverseness, vanity, mischief, adder’s eggs, spider’s web, viper, works, violence, evil, wasting, destruction, crooked paths, darkness, transgressions, departing, oppression, revolt, conceiving, and uttering falsehood. There are twenty-three separate charges brought against them. What a picture this is! For Israel there will be a time of national confession of sin. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem. We are told about it in Zechariah 12:11–14: “In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. ”
CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL
Behold, the Lord, s hand is not short. ened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear [Isa. 59:1].
The reason that Israel was not saved in lsaiah’s day was not due to any weakness in the “mighty bared arm of Jehovah” which we saw in Isaiah 53. The Lord’s hand was not shortened. Neither was it due to any faulty connection in His communication with man. Likewise in our day it is not the mental hurdles that man has to surmount nor any of his many problems, but his sin separates him from God.
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear [Isa. 59:2].
Let me quote the comment of Alexander Maclaren in The Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah:“It is not because God is great and I am small, it is not because He lives for ever, and my life is but a hand-breadth, it is not because of the difference between His omniscience and my ignorance, His strength and my weakness, that I am parted from Him: ’Your sins have separated between you and your God.’And no man, build he Babels ever so high, can reach thither. There is one means by which the separation is at an end, and by which all objective hindrances to union, and all subjective hindrances, are alike swept away. Christ has come, and in Him the heavens have bended down to touch, and touching to bless this low earth, and man and God are at one once more.”
Now throughout this first section God spells out their sins. It is rather a discouraging picture of the human family—and of you and me.Then we have a confession of Israel, which is coming in the future when the Redeemer comes to Zion.
CONFESSION OF ISRAEL
Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness [Isa. 59:9].
The change of pronoun here indicates that there is another speaker. Instead of “your” and “their,” it is “we” and “our” and “us” now. This is Israel’s confession. They confess they are in darkness. They confess that their religious rituals have all been a pretense.
Many folk need to do this in our day. I played golf with a dentist and a broker some time ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both of these men told me how they came to know the Lord. Both of them had been members in rich liberal churches. They were both wealthy men. One of the men told me that one day he simply got tired of being a hypocrite, so he went to the Lord and confessed that he was a hypocrite and wanted reality. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Oh, how this is needed today! It could actually bring revival to our churches.
Now notice Israel’s confession:
We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men [Isa. 59:10].
You see, they are in darkness. What a picture of the man who does not have a personal relationship with God!
But when Israel will make this confession—and they will make it in the future—to these specific charges, they also will repudiate their sins. My friend, our confessions to God should be specific and then the sins repudiated. Each sin should be confessed privately to God.
I have no heart to go through this list of Israel’s sins—I have problems enough with my own.
COMING OF THE REDEEMER TO ISRAEL
Notice that the pronoun changes again. The Redeemer will come to Zion.
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord [Isa. 59:20].
Many people ask, “Will the whole nation be saved?” No, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6). Those saved will only be a remnant. And there appears to be only a remnant in the church who are actually saved.
But the Redeemer is coming some day to Zion, and at that time there will be a great confession of sin. Zechariah 12:10 tells us about it: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever [Isa. 59:21].
God has made a covenant that the Redeemer is coming to Zion. There will never be a time when this promise will be entirely forsaken, for this is God’s purpose. It will be fulfilled in His good time.
CHAPTER 60
Theme: The Redeemer and Gentiles come to Jerusalem; the return of Israel to Jerusalem; Jerusalem’s realization of all God’s promises
The last part of Isaiah, I have a notion, is virgin territory to a great many folks because no school of prophecy dwells on this particular section of Scripture. In this chapter we see the Sun of Righteousness rising upon Israel; it is that which Malachi said would come to pass in the last days. When He comes, it will be like the sun rising into midnight darkness. In that day the nation Israel will reflect the glory light here upon the entire earth. The church, in the meantime, has gone to be with Christ. To attempt to make the nation Israel and the church synonymous is an interpretation that bogs down when you get into an area like this. It is an unsatisfactory interpretation which does not meet the dimensions of these prophecies. I emphasize this because it has caused so much confusion. Certain schools of Bible interpretation place little importance on prophecy because they neglect sections like this great chapter in the Word of God.
This third and final division of the Book of Isaiah presents the Redeemer on the cross (ch. 53). Following that there has been a definite progress and development which speaks not of the government of God (as the first part of Isaiah did), but rather of the grace of God.In the first section the emphasis was upon law; here it is upon grace. We find here—as we found also in the first section—that there is love in law. Also in this section we find that there is law in love.
The chapter before us brings us to the full manifestation of the Millennium. Chapter 59 closed by saying that the Redeemer will come to Zion. Now as we move along in chapter 60, He has come. In the Hebrew language there is what is known as the prophetic tense—when the prophet goes beyond the event and looks back at it as if it were history. Isaiah speaks of many future things as having already taken place. For example he begins by saying, “Arise; shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” And you can understand that for God to say a thing is going to happen, He is already on the other side of it—for Him it is just the same as having taken place. In other words, prophecy is the mold into which history is poured.
THE REDEMEER AND GENTILES COME TO JERUSALEM
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee [Isa. 60:1].
The Light now has come of which Malachi has spoken: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings …” (Mal. 4:2).
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee [Isa. 60:2].
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the world—that was one of His claims when He was here. When He comes to the earth the second time, He is that Light.
“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth.” The coming of the Light is necessitated by the night of spiritual darkness that has covered the earth—and covers the earth today. In spite of the preaching of the Gospel for nineteen hundred years, there is a wider circle of darkness today than ever before. Light must precede the future blessings. The Sun of Righteousness must rise to bring the millennial day. The preaching of the gospel was never God’s intention to bring in the Millennium, because it takes the Light to bring in the Millennium. And who is the Light? The Lord Jesus. We need the presence of the Redeemer in Zion, and He is going to bring the Gentiles from afar.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising [Isa. 60:3].
I believe that the greatest revival—that is, the greatest turning to God is yet in the future. In Romans 11:15 Paul says, “For if the casting away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” It will be the resurrection of the nation Israel and the resurrection of the world. You and I live on a little clod of earth in space that is just a glorified cemetery!
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see:all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side [Isa. 60:4].
Rebellious and scattered, they are going to come back to the Land of Promise—but in obedience to God. The women who are weaker than men are carried, like women in the East often carry their children, on their hips.
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee [Isa. 60:5].
Here you see the tremendous movement of all peoples toward Jerusalem—by land, by sea, and by air—which will be an occasion of astonishment.
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord [Isa. 60:6].
Again wise men, not only from the East but from all over the world, will come with gifts of gold and incense for the Redeemer. Notice that they are not bringing myrrh. Why? Because myrrh spoke of Christ’s death at His first coming. At His second coming they bring no myrrh. This is a remarkable verse!
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory [Is. 60:7].
Flocks are brought to Jerusalem for sacrifice. The sacrifices will be reinstituted in the millennial temple. This may be difficult for some to accept, but the Old Testament is very definite at this point. Read, for example, Ezekiel 40–44. These sacrifices, I believe, will point back to the death of Christ as in the Old Testament they pointed forward to His death. They will have the same meaning.
THE RETURN OF ISRAEL TO JERUSALEM
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? [Isa. 60:8].
If there is any prophecy in Scripture that suggests the airplane, this is it, but I think the direct reference is to ships of the sea. It does not refer to what is happening today, although I understand that Jews who have come from farther East than Israel thought this prophecy was being fulfilled as they were brought by American airplanes to the land of Israel; but it does not quite meet the dimensions of the prophecy.
Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee [Isa. 60:9].
“Tarshish,” as used here, evidently refers to all seagoing nations whose ships will be used to return Israel to the Land of Promise. The nations who once destroyed Israel will assist in her recovery. At that time Russia will send the Jews back to their land. Instead of demanding payment, they will send the Jews off with gifts as the Egyptians did. After all, Israel only collected their back pay from the Egyptians, and they had a great deal coming, because they had been in slavery for four hundred years.
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought [Isa. 60:11].
The nations of the world that are saved are going to come to Jerusalem in the Millennium.
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted [Isa. 60:12].
The Lord Jesus made it clear that His judgment upon the nations would be based on their treatment of the Jews (see Matt. 25:31–46).
In the Millennium every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (see Phil. 2:10–11). In the Millennium all mankind will be forced to bow to Jesus. The force, of course, will be the force of public opinion in that day. In their hearts there will be those who won’t want to bow, but they will go through the motions. Then when Satan is released at the end of the Millennium, those with rebellious hearts will naturally gravitate toward him, which will be the last rebellion. Then the eternal aspect of the kingdom will be introduced. I believe at that time certain radical changes will take place. It won’t be a patched-up earth, but a new earth and new heavens will come into existence. God is going to make all things new, and He is going to let me start over again. I am looking forward to that! I haven’t done so well since I began my life in Texas many years ago. I would like to start over. God is going to make all things new. He is not going to retool the old nature; He is going to give me a new nature, and He is going to give a new nature to everyone who has trusted in Him. What a glorious, wonderful day that will be!
JERUSALEM’S REALIZATION OF ALL GOD’S PROMISES
Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations [Isa. 60:15].
As Isaiah said in chapter 2, Jerusalem will become the center of the earth. A great deal of blessing will come in that day.
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob [Isa. 60:16].
The riches of Jerusalem, which were taken away by the nations, will be restored with interest.
For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness [Isa. 60:17].
It is interesting that we see so many objects of brass in that land today. The markets of Egypt and Lebanon sell many brass objects, but in that future day they will be replaced by silver and gold objects for sale. In other words, precious metals will become commonplace again. Now notice some other wonderful things which will take place:
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended [Isa. 60:19–20].
Jesus, the Light of the world, will be there. He is also the Light of the New Jerusalem. The universe no longer will need street lights on the corners. After all, the suns and stars are street lights out in space. God did not light up the universe very well because sin had, come in, but in that day He is really going to light things up!
A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time [Isa. 60:22].
Human strength will be increased in that day without resorting to vitamins! The Lord Jesus called attention to the fact that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. In my own experience I find that my flesh just doesn’t keep up with me! I would like to go much faster, but my body holds me back. However, in that future day all of this will be corrected—corrected here on earth as it will be corrected for the heavenly people.
CHAPTER 61
Theme: Distinction between the first and second coming of Christ; delights of the Millennium
This chapter is of peculiar interest in view of the fact that the Lord Jesus opened His public ministry in Nazareth by quoting from it. This chapter continues the full blessings of the Millennium with Israel as the center of all earthly benefits. The last section projects us into the total benefits of the Millennium.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND COMINGS OF CHRIST
Here in the first three verses we have one of the most remarkable passages of Scripture, and it helps us to correctly interpret the Bible.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn [Isa. 61:1–2].
Now here we are given a system of biblical interpretation. If I were to read this without knowing the New Testament, I would not be sure about whom he is talking. Who is it who says, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me”? If He is the Lord Jesus, does it refer to His first or second coming? Well, in the New Testament we have God’s interpretation. When the Lord Jesus went into the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, He read this section: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:16–9). Now, my friend, if you will look again at Isaiah 61:1–2, you will see that He is not even through the sentence. Why didn’t He keep reading? The rest of the sentence is “and the day of vengeance of our God”—why didn’t He preach that? Notice this: He closed the book. That was a deliberate action. “And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:20–21). Isaiah’s prophecy up to that point was fulfilled by Christ’s first coming. Isaiah had not made the distinction between the first and second comings of Christ, but the Lord Jesus made the distinction. In Isaiah’s prophecy a little “and” separates the first and second comings of Christ. You might say that this little and is more than nineteen hundred years long! The prophets wrote of the first and second comings of Christ; they saw these two great events, but they did not know the length of time that lay between them. The apostle Peter confirms this: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet. 1:10–11). Peter says that the prophets spoke of the sufferings of Christ and the glory of Christ—we see this in both the first and second sections of Isaiah.
Let me illustrate the problem the prophets had as they looked into the future. Behind my home in Pasadena, California—several miles from the foothills—looms Mount Wilson upon which Mount Wilson Observatory and the antennas of several radio stations are situated. Behind Mount Wilson I can see another mountain, Mount Waterman. It looks as if the two mountains are right there together, but I’ve been up in those mountains and I know there are at least twenty-five miles between them. It is impossible to see that distance between them unless you are there.
Now the prophet was way down in the valley looking into the future. He saw the first and second comings of Christ. Perhaps Isaiah was a little confused. In one breath how could he say that the Lord was going to bind up the brokenhearted, and open the prisons, and at the same time announce the day of the vengeance of our God? How can both be true? If the prophet had stood where we stand today, he would have understood. We are in the valley between the first and second comings of Christ. We can look back to the first coming when He came to fulfill Luke 4:20–21 and to die on the cross as our Redeemer, as we saw in Isaiah 53. Somewhere beyond that mountain peak is the next one, the second coming of Christ. Before He comes again, however, the church will be removed from the earthly scene. In John 14:3 Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
“To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God.” When He comes to earth the second time to establish His kingdom, it will be with vengeance. We will see that in chapter 63 where He is treading the winepress of the wrath of God. It is not a pretty scene—God didn’t say it would be pretty. But Christ is going to put down the rebellion that is here on this earth. You see, this little earth is still under His control. Emerson was wrong when he said that things are in the saddle and ride mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ is in the saddle, and He is in control. He is the King, and He is coming some day to put down all rebellion; that will be “the day of vengeance of our God.”
“To comfort all that mourn.” Immediately after announcing the day of vengeance, He says He is going to comfort all that mourn—those who mourn over their sin, who long in their hearts for a better day, and who want to be obedient unto Him.
Not only will He comfort all who mourn but all that mourn in Zion—
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified [Isa. 61:3].
I believe that Isaiah knew his geography, and when he said “Zion,” he meant Zion—not Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Florida, or South America. Zion, the highest spot in Jerusalem, was well known to Isaiah.
Now, speaking specifically of the Jews, he says, “to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” You can see that beyond the “day of vengeance,” which will be amplified in chapter 63, is the peace and the prosperity of the Millennium.
Isaiah makes a play upon words with “beauty” and “ashes”—it is like saying in English that God will exchange joy for judgment or a song for a sigh. After the sighing and the judgment there will be joy and singing.
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations [Isa. 61:4].
The land of Israel is yet to receive a face-lifting, which will restore its Edenic beauty. What is happening in our day in Israel is wonderful. It has caused Dr. W. F. Albright, a great Hebrew scholar, to take the position that he now believes in prophecy—since a nation that has been out of their land for twenty-five hundred years is back in their land. It apparently has made a believer out of him. But let us be very careful not to call it the fulfillment of this prophecy. The “face-lifting” that this verse is talking about will take place at the beginning of the Millennium, and we are not at that place in time right now.
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers [Isa. 61:5].
This is a real picture of prosperity.
But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves [Isa. 61:6].
“Men shall call you the Ministers of our God.” Israel is going to be a priesthood of believers during the Millennium. It was God’s original intention that the entire nation would be priests. In Exodus 19:6 God said of Israel, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Because of their sin this was never attained, but it will be attained in the Millennium.
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them [Isa. 61:7].
In other words, everlasting joy shall be Israel’s portion. It will be fullness of joy! What a great day that will be.
For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them [Isa. 61:8].
Their lives then will adorn their religious ritual. We have looked at several passages which spoke of the fact that Israel went through all of the rituals, but God condemned her for it because her heart was not in it. Things will be changed in that future day.
And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed [Isa. 61:9].
Anti-Semitism will end, and pro-Semitism will begin because they are genuine witnesses for God. In our day neither Israel nor the church is fulfilling what God intended—although I believe we are following God’s program, and it is working out as He said it would. He warned us that the day would come when we would have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.
DELIGHTS OF THE MILLENNIUM
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels [Isa. 61:10].
“Iwill greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God”—my, they’re going to have fun then! I wish that in our day more Christians had fun going to church. I wish they enjoyed it more. I wish the study of the Bible was a thrilling and exciting experience for all of us. It ought to be, and God intended that it should be.
“For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” The Messiah continues to speak here, and as He does, all who are His can join in the psalm of praise. They will greatly rejoice in the Lord. The problem in our day is that a great many Christians can’t rejoice in the Lord because they are out of fellowship. They have sin in their lives, they are way out of the will of God, and they are going on in their self-will.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations [Isa. 61:11].
Not only will there be material benefits and physical improvements, but the true blessings will be spiritual in that day.
CHAPTER 62
Theme: The ambition of the Messiah for Israel; the anticipation for the Millennium; announcement for that future day
The yearning of the Messiah for these anticipated joys is before us in this chapter, and there ought to be a yearning in the hearts of believers for these joys. There is a danger today of believers looking for the coming of Christ to take us out of the world so we can get away from our problems; we use it as an escape mechanism. People get into real difficulty, and then they want the Lord to come and get them out of it. When I was attending seminary, one of my fellow students was a Canadian. He was a great fellow, but he did not have much of a sense of humor, and other students, myself included, enjoyed kidding him. On certain nights after dinner he would go outside, look up into the sky, and say, “Oh, if only the Lord would come!” He would say this on the nights just before he had Hebrew class the following day. Hebrew was a difficult class, and when he said he wished the Lord would come, what he was really saying was that he wished the Lord would come because he didn’t want to study Hebrew. However, at graduation time, he received his degree one day and the next day he was married to a beautiful girl who had come down from Canada. The night before graduation this fellow went outside, looked up into the sky, and said, “I hope the Lord doesn’t come for a few more days.” Yes, that is the way it is with many of us. When things are bad, we want the Lord to come right away because we are on a hot seat and we want to get off it.
THE AMBITION OF MESSIAH FOR ISRAEL
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth [Isa. 62:1].
The reason Jerusalem can’t have peace today is because her Messiah is not there. He is seated at God’s right hand longing to rule that city in righteousness. You can call it the holy city if you want to, but it is anything but holy as it is now. However, it will be holy some day and the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will perform it. Man won’t make the kingdom, and the United Nations won’t do it—that is obvious now. I don’t think that anyone can bring peace into the world but this One. Only the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish it. The heart of the prophet Isaiah, as well as the heart of every godly soul on earth, enters into this longing. All of creation and all believers are groaning in their present state as they contemplate the future. Christian pilgrim, are you weary of the earthly journey, and do you desire the fellowship of the Father’s house? That is a question each believer should consider.
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name [Isa. 62:2].
A new heart, a new situation, a new earth, a new righteousness demand a new name. I don’t know what the new Vernon McGee will be like, but I’ll be glad that the old Vernon McGee is gone. We will be new, and we are to be in the New Jerusalem. What a wonderful picture is given here of the future.
Redemption involves not only the church, but the nation Israel and this earth. Now we are all groaning and travailing, waiting for that grand day of deliverance.
Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God [Isa. 62:3].
Israel is also going to have a new position.
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee,and thy land shall be married [Isa. 62:4].
I have heard people sing that song about “Beulah land, sweet Beulah land,” and I knew they did not have the foggiest notion what “Beulah land” meant or where it was. Let’s see what this verse is talking about.
Israel has been “Forsaken”—this is the picture and name of Israel since the crucifixion of Christ. When you look at that land today, the word that comes to your mind is forsaken—desolate. That is the description of the land right now, but in the coming kingdom Israel shall be called Hephzibah, which means “delightful.” It is going to be a delightful spot. I have made the statement before that I don’t like Jerusalem as it is today, but it will be delightful in that future day.
“And thy land Beulah”—Beulah means “married.” In other words, the King is present to protect it, and His presence means joy.
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee [Isa. 62:5].
God will delight over Israel as a bridegroom delights over a bride.
THE ANTICIPATION FOR THE MILLENNIUM
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence [Isa. 62:6].
This longing is contagious. The thirsty soul longs to drink. Every right-thinking person can pray for the peace of Jerusalem and long for that day when there will be peace.
And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth [Isa. 62:7].
God says that He “… ill overturn, overturn, overturn … until he comes whose right it is …” to rule (Ezek. 21:27).
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THAT FUTURE DAY
Now let’s drop down to the announcement of the Lord for that future day—
Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him [Isa. 62:11].
This announcement is pertinent for the present hour, as this verse indicates. The salvation of Israel is part of God’s overall plan of salvation. We ought to present the gospel to every Israelite. The Messiah is their Savior today. And the second coming of Christ means the second coming of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth for these people.
And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken [Isa. 62:12].
Israel cannot be called a holy people today. They are not redeemed today. Jerusalem is a forsaken city right now, but the day will come when things will be different. The experience of God’s salvation will work a transformation in the nation Israel and also in the physical earth. The people will be called an holy people, and the land will be greatly desired. The contrary is true today. What a glorious future we have!
CHAPTER 63
Theme: The winepress of judgment; in wrath the Savior remembers mercy
The content of the first six verses of this chapter is certainly in contrast to the preceding section. It really seems out of keeping with the tenor of this entire section of Isaiah, but judgment precedes the kingdom, and this has always been the divine order.
When Isaiah 53:1 described Christ at His first coming “there was no beauty that we should desire Him,” but here there is majesty and beauty, which identifies it with His second coming. Also, the day of vengeance has been identified already with Christ’s second coming rather than His first coming, as the Lord Himself clearly stated. Compare Isaiah 61:2 with Luke 4:18–20.
I find no delight in the first part of this chapter, because we see the wrath of Christ likened to a winepress in His coming judgment. Then the second part of the chapter reveals the loving-kindness which Christ manifests toward His own.
THE WINEPRESS OF JUDGMENT
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save [Isa. 63:1].
The form used here is an antiphony. Those who ask the question concerning the One coming from Edom are overwhelmed by His majesty and beauty. He comes from Edom and the east, and we are told elsewhere that His feet will touch the Mount of Olives on the east. “Edom” and “Bozrah” are geographical places, and are to be considered as such, but this does not exhaust the mind of the Spirit. Edom is symbolic of the flesh and the entire Adamic race, and here we see the judgment of man.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? [Isa. 63:2].
In that day men would get into the winepress barefooted to tread out the grapes. The red juice would spurt out of the ripe grapes and stain their garments. That is the picture you have in this verse, and that is why this question is asked. The spectators see that there is blood on His beautiful garments just as if He had trodden the winepress.
Now listen to His answer—
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment [Isa. 63:3].
Notice that it is their blood, not His.
The early church fathers associated these first six verses with the first coming of Christ. They mistook the winepress as the suffering of Christ on the cross. Such an interpretation is untenable, as the blood upon His garments is not His blood but that of others. It is the day of vengeance. It is identified already with the second coming of Christ rather than with His first coming. The Lord Jesus made that clear in Luke 4:18–20 when He read Isaiah 61:2. The Lord Jesus shed His own blood at His first coming, but that is not the picture which is presented here. He was trodden on at His first coming, but here He does the treading. This is a frightful picture of judgment.
Now we are told the reason for His judgment—
For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come [Isa. 63:4].
He has come to save forever His redeemed ones from their vicious oppressors. This is His judgment upon the earth, and it is defined as the day of vengeance.
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me [Isa. 63:5].
The Lord Jesus Christ wrought salvation alone when He was on the cross, and judgment is His solo work also.
And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth [Isa. 63:6].
This is the end of man’s little day upon the earth. The King is coming to the earth in judgment. There are those who will say, “This is frightful. I don’t like it.” Then, like the proverbial ostrich, they will put their heads in the sand and read John 14 or some other comforting passage of Scripture. However, we have to face up to this verse. The next time the Lord comes it will be in judgment. Can you think of any other way He can come and set up His kingdom? Suppose the Lord Jesus came the second time the way He came the first time, as the Man of Galilee, the Carpenter of Nazareth who walked the countryside telling people that He had come from heaven. Suppose He knocked on the door of the Kremlin. Do you think those people are ready for Him? I don’t think they are. I think they would put Him before a firing squad before the sun came up. No nation and no church today is prepared to turn their affairs over to Jesus. If they are prepared, why don’t they do it? He was rejected when He came nearly two thousand years ago, and He has been rejected ever since. I can’t think of any other way for Him to come the second time but in judgment.
Now others may say, “This verse is in the Old Testament. You have a God of wrath in the Old Testament, but when you get to the New Testament, He is a God of love.” One of the reasons that the Book of Revelation has never been popular with the liberal is because it is filled with judgment. The Book of Revelation is in the New Testament, and the language is the strongest in the Bible (except what came from the lips of the Lord Jesus who spoke more of hell than anyone else). The Book of Revelation speaks of Christ’s coming to put down the unrighteousness and rebellion and godlessness that is on the earth. Consider this one segment of the Book of Revelation: “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus” (Rev. 16:1–5). You see, immediately the critic will say, “God is not fair; He is not righteous to do this.” God lets us know that when He judges like this, He is indeed being righteous. “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments” (Rev. 16:6–7). God is right in what He does—whether we think so or not. After all, to compare you and me with this tremendous universe would make it obvious that we don’t amount to very much. Your opinion and my opinion, even when they are put together, aren’t worth very much. It is what God says that is important. When God says He is righteous, but we don’t think He is, that means that we are wrong. God is righteous in what He does. “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (Rev. 16:8–9). You would think that all of this would cause them to turn to God, but they didn’t react that way. Instead it just brought out what they really were—just as the plagues of Egypt did in Pharaoh’s day. “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain” (Rev. 16:10). I have quoted this extensive passage from the New Testament to show the agreement between the Old and New Testaments. Don’t let anyone tell you that we have a God of wrath in the Old Testament and a God of love in the New Testament! The God of love is the One making these statements in both the Old and New Testaments, because there is love in law—in fact, there is law in love.
Judgment is frightful, but He is coming in judgment when He returns to this earth, and He has not asked me to apologize for Him.
IN WRATH THE SAVIOR REMEMBERS MERCY
In this section we see that in wrath the Lord Jesus remembers mercy to those who are His.
I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses [Isa. 63:7].
The entire content and intent changes abruptly at this point. It is like coming out of darkness into the sunlight of noonday. It is like turning from black to white. Our God is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders, and this is only one aspect of His many attributes. He is good, and He exhibits loving-kindness. He is also a God of mercy. If these attributes were not in evidence, we would all be consumed today—you may be sure of that! He has to come in judgment to take over this earth. It seems to me that He has given men an extra long time to turn to Him.
For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour [Isa. 63:8].
His “people” here are believing Israelites and also a great company of Gentiles who will turn to Christ during the Great Tribulation. (Of course here the church has already gone to be with Him and has been in His presence for some time.)
“Children that will not lie.” It sounds as if He had high hopes of them, but they disappointed Him. Certainly He expects you and me to live lives well-pleasing to Him, and He specifically admonished us, “Lie not one to another.”
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old [Isa. 63:9].
How tender are these words. I believe that the angel of the Lord is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ. We are told that in His love and pity He redeemed and carried them. He entered into the sufferings of His people.
Now there has been some question about whether “in all their affliction he was afflicted” should be positive or negative. We have good manuscript evidence for the translation given to us here. But we also have good manuscript evidence for the negative: “in all their affliction he was not afflicted.” Which is true? Well, both are true, but I personally like the negative much better. Let me give you my reason. When the Lord went through the wilderness with the children of Israel, He wasn’t afflicted when they were afflicted. For example, when they were bitten by the fiery serpents, He wasn’t bitten. In all their affliction He was not afflicted. He was like a mother or a father who just stood by and waited for them. He didn’t go on without them. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were there. God was waiting for them. For forty years through that wilderness experience He was patient with them, patient like a mother.
When I was a pastor in Pasadena, my study was right by a street that led to a market. I used to watch a mother who had two children. One child she carried, and the other little fellow often walked along by himself. Sometimes the little fellow would stop, and his mother always waited for him. Sometimes when he would fall down, or stray a little, doing something he shouldn’t do, she would wait patiently for him. I often thought to myself, That is the way God has been doing with me all of these years. I fall down, or I get in trouble, and God waits for me. That is the way He does with His people.
But they rebelled, and vexed his holy spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them [Isa. 63:10].
I think the Holy Spirit gets rather tired of you and me! But He is patient with us. Thank God for that!
Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy spirit within him? [Isa. 63:11].
I think this is a direct reference to Israel, but at the same time it is a picture of the entire human family. Some expositors do not feel that the reference here is to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, because the Old Testament does not contain a clear-cut distinction of the Holy Spirit. However, I believe that the Holy Spirit mentioned here is the Holy Spirit that today dwells in believers. Although in the Old Testament we do not have a clear-cut distinction of the work of the Holy Spirit, I believe this is definitely a mention of it.
The Holy Spirit is the One—
That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble? [Isa. 63:12–13].
Once again God refers to the history of their deliverance out of Egypt. Then He continues their history of how He has led them.
Here the prophet and the people plead with God to look upon their great need and desire.
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?
Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting [Isa. 63:15–16].
God was the Father of the nation Israel, but there is no thought in the Old Testament that He was the Father of the individual Israelite. It is a corporate term rather than a personal one in the Old Testament. In the New Testament it becomes personal, not corporate. As Abraham was the father of the nation and not of each individual Israelite, so God, too, was, the Father of the nation.
O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance [Isa. 63:17].
This is a pleading prayer, asking God to intervene for them.
We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name [Isa. 63:19].
They needed to surrender completely to God. This should be the attitude of the Christian today—complete yielding to God. Most of us are afraid to yield to God because we are afraid He will be hard on us. God wants to be gentle with us if we will give Him a chance. But remember that He also is the God of judgment. He is the One who is coming to earth some day to tread the winepress of the fierceness of His wrath.
God is not trying to frighten you; He is just telling you the truth.
CHAPTER 64
Theme: God’s control of the universe recognized; man’s condition in the universe confessed
This chapter continues the pleading of the hungry hearts for the presence of God in life’s affairs. No child of God today can be immune to such ardent petitions. The Christian can cry with the same passionate desire, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (See Rev. 22:20).
This, too, is a neglected section of the Word of God. We have attempted to emphasize this section so that you can see why we hold the premillennial viewpoint and why we believe Christ is coming before the Great Tribulation Period. The church will be taken out of the world before the Tribulation. The Lord will come at the end of the Tribulation to establish His kingdom. This is not just a theory. This is what we find in the Book of Isaiah. We have looked at Isaiah almost verse by verse, and the prophet has presented a very definite program. The Word of God simply does not give isolated verses to prove some particular theory of interpretation, but whatever your or my theory is, it has to fit in place. Some of the theories I hear today remind me of the lady who went into the shoestore to get a pair of shoes. The salesman asked, “What size do you wear?” The lady replied that she could wear a size four, but a size five felt so much better that she always bought a size six or sometimes a seven. There are some theories, as far as the Word of God is concerned, that require a size change because they simply don’t fit.
GOD’S CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSE RECOGNIZED
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence [Isa. 64:1].
The prophet is a representative of the believing remnant of Israel in that future day. Again he is using the past tense, which is called a prophetic tense. That is, God sees it as having already taken place, and He gives the prophecy to Isaiah from the other side, looking back at the event.
The prophet is pleading with God just as the remnant of Israel will do in that day of the Great Tribulation. This Scripture is not written to us—the church is not in view here. It is addressed to the remnant of Israel, but as believers we can identify with them. Our prayer today should be for the return of the Lord. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” But it is clear in this section that Isaiah is predicting Israel’s prayer during the Great Tribulation Period.
As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! [Isa. 64:2].
Just as fire makes water boil, so the presence of God would make the nations tremble. Today the nations are not conscious of the existence of God. There are people who wonder how we can sit down with godless nations like Russia or China. The reason is that we are just about as godless as they are. In our day the nations of the world are not turning to God, nor do they recognize Him. However, as the end of the age approaches, I believe there will be a very real consciousness that God is getting ready to break through. There was that consciousness throughout the world at the time of the birth of Christ, and several Roman historians have called attention to that fact.
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence [Isa. 64:3].
The very mountains melt—that is, become molten—at His presence. The enemies then will cry for the mountains to hide them from “… the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16).
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him [Isa. 64:4].
Paul expresses this same thought in 1 Corinthians 2:9 when he says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Paul goes on to say, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). First Corinthians 2:9 is obviously a quote from Isaiah, but verse 10 tells us that in our day the Holy Spirit will reveal these things unto us. In that day of the Great Tribulation they will have to wait until Christ comes. And even for us it can be said, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).
All through this section we can identify with these people, for we have a hope also. We are looking for Him to take us out of the world, and they will be looking for Him to come and establish a kingdom here on the earth.
My friend, it seems to me that the only folk who miss this distinction are the theologians. Failure to recognize that Christ is going to take the church up to meet Him in the air and that He is coming down to the earth to establish His kingdom gives us some upside down theology.
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved [Isa. 64:5].
Here begins the acknowledgment of sins and, at the same time, an expression of confidence in the redemption of the Savior.
MAN’S CONDITION IN THE UNIVERSE CONFESSED
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away [Isa. 64:6].
This verse is familiar because it is used very frequently to establish the fact that man has no righteousness per se; that is, man has no righteousness in himself whatsoever. This is not only true of Israel but it is also true of the entire human family. Both Jew and Gentile alike have sinned and come short of the glory of God. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” It does not matter what we might consider to be good works. It may sound pretty good to give a million dollars to feed the poor and hungry or to care for little orphans and widows, but in God’s sight anything that the flesh produces is as filthy rags. You cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing. A lost sinner is unable to do anything that is acceptable to God—he must first come to God His way. This is very difficult for man to accept—especially the unsaved man who is depending upon his good works to save him.
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand [Isa. 64:8].
God is our Father by creation, but man lost that image. You and I can become sons of God in only one way, and that is through Christ. The New Testament revelation of the sons of God is not by creation at all, but on an entirely different basis. In John 1:12–13 we read, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
“We all are the work of thy hand” is a recognition that God is our Creator. He is the Potter, the One who creates. Now, a man that makes a vessel or a pretty vase is, in a sense, the father of it. In this same way we speak of George Washington as being the father of our country.
Paul makes this distinction in his speech in Athens: “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (Acts 17:28–29). Man is the offspring of God in that he was created by Him, but not all men are the born again sons of God. Paul is saying that, since God has created us, we ought not to make an image and say that it is a likeness of God. In doing so we would be attempting to create God, and God has forbidden that.
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation [Isa. 64:10].
The description given in this verse was not true in Isaiah’s day, but it came to pass shortly afterwards when Babylon came against Jerusalem. Second Kings 25:9–10 tell us, “And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.” Isaiah’s prophecy was literally fulfilled.
Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste [Isa. 64:11].
Isaiah writes as if this has already taken place, but it didn’t happen until about one hundred years after Isaiah. The temple was destroyed at the same time Jerusalem was destroyed.
Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore? [Isa. 64:12].
The prophet closes this chapter with a question: Will God refuse to act? The remainder of Isaiah’s prophecy is God’s answer to this question. God rejected Israel only after they rejected Him, but it did not thwart His plan and purpose for them and for the earth. God has carried through with His program which is yet to be finalized.
CHAPTER 65
Theme: Redeemer’s reason for rejecting the nation; reservation of a remnant; revelation of the new heavens and the new earth
In chapter 64 we noted the fervent prayer of the prophet and the people pleading with the King to break through all barriers and come to earth. Chapters 65 and 66 contain God’s answer to that plea. God makes it very clear that their sins and unfaithfulness are responsible for His judgment upon them, but that their sins have not frustrated His promises and purposes concerning the coming kingdom. God has preserved a remnant through which He will fulfill all of His prophecies. Again He gives a vision of the kingdom and a prospectus of the eternal position of Israel in the new heavens and new earth. This will take us to the end of the Book of Isaiah which goes down in a blaze of glory.
REDEEMER’S REASON FOR REJECTING THE NATION
I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name [Isa. 65:1].
He is speaking here of the Gentiles to whom the gospel has now come. When Paul came to Philippi he had had the vision of the man in Macedonia. However, when he got over there, he found, not a man looking for him wanting to hear the gospel, but a woman by the name of Lydia who was holding a prayer meeting down by the river. Although she may not have recognized her need, Paul brought the gospel to her.
Paul quotes this verse in Romans 10:20: “But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” That is the way it happened to us, my friend. Our ancestors were heathen barbarians. They were not down on the shore with their hands held out, saying, “Oh please, send us missionaries!” They didn’t want them; they even killed some of those who did come. Today the heathen are not begging for the gospel—nobody’s begging for the gospel. God has responded to people who didn’t even call upon Him. I never asked to be saved—He just saved me. I was like the black boy down South who said, “I ran from Him as fast as my sinful legs would carry me and as far as my rebellious heart would take me, and He took out after me and ran me down.” That is the way it happened for all of us who have been saved.
I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts [Isa. 65:2].
Now He is talking to the Jew, to the nation Israel. God first gave the gospel to him; it was given “to the Jew first.” Again, in Romans 10:21, Paul says, “But to Israel he saith, All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” God rejected them only after they rejected Him. In Acts 13:46 we read: “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” That is the way it all came about. In other words, if Jerusalem refuses the gospel, Ephesus will receive it. If Los Angeles rejects the gospel, then maybe Bombay, India, or some out-of-the-way place is going to hear. The flood tide of God’s grace will spill over somewhere in this world. Thank God for that.
A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick [Isa. 65:3].
This is the reason that blessings were withheld from Israel: they were continually going into idolatry and rebelling against God.
Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day [Isa. 65:4–5].
This is just a partial list of the reasons for Israel’s rejection. They were breaking the commandments God gave to them.
Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom.
Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom [Isa. 65:6–7].
Israel walked in pride. They practiced the externalities of a God-given religion, but their hearts were far from God. They practiced iniquity as easily as they practiced the rituals of religion. In so doing, they blasphemed God.
RESERVATION OF A REMNANT
Aremnant is reserved through which all of God’s promises are to be fulfilled. God always has had a remnant.
Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it; so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all [Isa. 65:8].
In spite of their sins, God would not totally exterminate them because of the believing remnant. The remnant is compared to a cluster of wonderful grapes that has been passed over in the vineyard.
And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there [Isa. 65:9].
“A seed out of Jacob” could refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in one sense I think it does, but more particularly it refers to the remnant out of Israel that is to be saved. For the sake of the remnant God will make good His promises.
And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me [Isa. 65:10].
You see, there was to be a place, a place of safety for the little flock, for the remnant.
But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not [Isa. 65:11–12].
But for the remainder of the nation that went headlong without heeding the Word of God there remains nothing but punishment. I do not understand how intelligent people who believe in the existence of God can fail to realize that there must finally come a judgment and a straightening out of things. If they continue on in sin they will be judged, as surely as God judged the bulk of the nation Israel.
Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit [Isa. 65:14].
Just as God made a distinction between the nation as a whole and the remnant, He makes the same distinction in the contemporary church. The church is a vast organization with a tremendously bloated membership. The question is asked as to whether the church will go through the Great Tribulation Period. Well, there is a church that will go through the Great Tribulation. It is called an old harlot in Revelation 17. It is just an organization and does not belong to Christ. It is not His bride at all. The true believers in the body of Christ will be taken out before the Great Tribulation Period. We need to recognize that there is a distinction to be made between that which is merely outward and that which is genuine.
REVELATION OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind [Isa. 65:17].
Here the creation of the new heavens and the new earth seems to precede chronologically the setting up of the kingdom. But I think when we examine it closely we find that the remnant has already entered the kingdom. The others have been judged and do not enter the kingdom. The Lord Jesus made this clear in Matthew 25:34 when He said, “… Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The others were to be cast into outer darkness and would not enter the kingdom.
Now at the end of the millennial kingdom—that is, at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, after that final rebellion—the creation of the new heavens and new earth takes place. You see, after the Rapture and during the Millennium tremendous changes in the earth will be made. The desert is going to blossom as the rose. But when you get to the new heavens and the new earth, there will not be any sea and there actually will not be any desert. It will be a new earth. We will have traded in the old model and gotten a new one.
I deal with this subject further in a little book I have called Three Worlds in One. The message comes from 2 Peter 3 where we find that there are three worlds. There is the world that was—that which was destroyed by the waters of the Noahic flood. Then there is the present world, which is going to be destroyed by fire. And finally there will come into existence the new heavens and the new earth.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy [Isa. 65:18].
Here Isaiah is definitely speaking of the millennial blessings as well as the eternal blessings. The millennial kingdom is a phase of the eternal kingdom, but it is also a time of judgment. I do not think you can bring in a new heaven and a new earth until God’s program of judgment is completed. When judgment is over, then we are ready for all things to be made new. I believe that after the Millennium there is something even more wonderful in store for the child of God. Man’s potential will be greatly increased. Jerusalem will be a city of joy. It is not that today. It has a Wailing Wall and very few smiling people. But the day will come when God will make it a city of joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying [Isa. 65:19].
What a change there is going to be for Jerusalem!
There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed [Isa. 65:20].
The longevity of life that predated the patriarchs will be one of the features of the kingdom. People will live a long time. There won’t be any need for senior citizen homes because there won’t be any senior citizens. All of us will be young!
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them [Isa. 65:21].
Prosperity is another feature of the kingdom. It will be a time of real blessing.
They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat:for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands [Isa. 65:22].
There will be permanence and stability.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord [Isa. 65:25].
This is not what happens today, my friend. If the wolf and the lamb lie down together, it is the wolf feeding on the lamb. A wolf likes lamb chops. But in that day they will be together, and the lion will eat straw. I like to tell the story of the young upstart who publicly questioned Dr. George Gill in a meeting, saying, “Who ever heard of a lion eating straw? Anyone knows that a lion never eats straw!” Dr. Gill, in his characteristically easygoing manner, said, “Young man, if you can make a lion, then I will make him eat straw. The One who created the lion will equip him to eat straw when He wants him to do it.” In other words, in that day the sharp fang and the bloody claw will no longer rule animal life. The law of the jungle will be changed to conform to the rule of the King. There will be nothing to hurt or harm or make afraid in the whole world. It will be a new world then, will it not?
CHAPTER 66
Theme: The Creator, Ruler, Redeemer, Judge, Regenerator, and Rewarder; the Lord decides the destiny of both the saved and the lost
Today our prayer is, “Thy kingdom come …” (Matt. 6:10). In Isaiah 66 the kingdom has come.
THE CREATOR, RULER, REDEEMER, JUDGE, REGENERATOR, AND REWARDER
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? [Isa. 66:1].
“The earth is my footstool”—this little earth on which you and I live is not very important. It is only a footstool for God!
“Where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?” Any temple down here on this earth could not contain Him. Solomon recognized that. In his prayer of dedication for the first temple, he said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27). Therefore, the eternal character of the kingdom seems to me to be the very presence of God. You won’t need a temple there. I think that the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21) will be a place to which the people on earth will come to worship and visit.
Listen to the God of creation, the God who is high and holy and lifted up:
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word [Isa. 66:2].
The God who created this vast universe, who is above it and beyond it, condescends to dwell with the humble and contrite of heart. Oh, what condescension on the part of God! In that day the meek shall inherit the earth; in fact, they will inherit all things.
He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations [Isa. 66:3].
Apparently the sacrificial system will be dispensed with after the Millennium. To offer an ox without spiritual comprehension is the same as murder. Everything in eternity must point to Christ—or that which was once commanded becomes sin.
Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed [Isa. 66:5].
God will make the distinction between the true and the false—that which is real and that which is not. Christ said to let the wheat and tares grow together, that He would separate them. Now that time has come. The Pharisee who was meticulous in his religious practice is to be cast out. The publican who stood afar off and repented will be received.
A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies [Isa. 66:6].
God will finally deal with the enemies of Israel—they are His enemies also.
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child [Isa. 66:7].
The Great Tribulation will be a time of travail. Israel will go through the Great Tribulation after Christ is born in Bethlehem—“before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child” who is Christ Jesus. This is a remarkable verse.
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God [Isa. 66:9].
God will make sure that all He has promised is accomplished. The 144,000 Jews who are sealed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation will come through it—not just 143,999, but everyone of them will be there. How wonderful!
Now he can say:
Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her [Isa. 66:10].
What a time of blessing it will be.
THE LORD DECIDES THE DESTINY OF BOTH THE SAVED AND THE LOST
For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory [Isa. 66:18].
All nations must appear before Him. The Lord Jesus mentioned this in Matthew 25:31–32. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” At that time a great company of Gentiles are going to be saved as well as many from Israel. The nations are going to come and worship in Jerusalem.
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain [Isa. 66:22].
God’s purposes and promises for Israel are as eternal as the new heavens and the new earth.
And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord [Isa. 66:23].
The redeemed of all ages will worship God throughout eternity. That will be the most engaging and important business of eternity.
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh [Isa. 66:24].
In other words, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:21). That is going to be their condition throughout eternity—no peace, no rest, no contentment, no God. The Book of Isaiah closes with this third warning that there is no peace for the wicked. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Criswell, W. A. Isaiah. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1977.
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1917.
Ironside, H. A. Expository Notes on Isaiah. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1952.
Jennings, F. C. Studies in Isaiah. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, n.d.
Jensen, Irving L. Isaiah and Jeremiah. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press. (A self-study guide.)
Kelly, William. An Exposition of Isaiah. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, 1896.
Martin, Alfred. Isaiah: The Salvation of Jehovah. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1956. (A fine, inexpensive survey.)
Martin, Alfred and John A. Isaiah. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1983.
McGee, J. Vernon. Initiation Into Isaiah. 2 vols. Pasadena, California: Thru the Bible Books, 1957.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1982. (Highly recommended.)
Vine, W. E. Isaiah. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1946.
The Book of
Jeremiah
INTRODUCTION
Jeremiah, the prophet of the broken heart, is the writer of this book. It is one of the most remarkable books in the Bible. Every book in the Bible is remarkable, but this book is remarkable in a very unusual way. Most of the prophets hide themselves and maintain a character of anonymity. They do not project themselves on the pages of their prophecy. But Jeremiah is a prophet whose prophecy is largely autobiographical. He gives to us much of his own personal history. Let me run through this list of facts about him so that you will know this man whom we will meet in this book.
1. He was born a priest in Anathoth, just north of Jerusalem (Jer. 1:1).
2. He was chosen to be a prophet before he was born (Jer. 1:5).
3. He was called to the prophetic office while he was very young (Jer. 1:6).
4. He was commissioned of God to be a prophet (Jer. 1:9–10).
5. He began his ministry during the reign of King Josiah and was a mourner at his funeral (2 Chron. 35:25).
6. He was forbidden to marry because of the terrible times in which he lived (Jer. 16:17–4).
7. He never made a convert. He was rejected by his people (Jer. 11:18–21; 12:6; 18:18), hated, beaten, put in stocks (Jer. 20:1–3), imprisoned, and charged with being a traitor (Jer. 37:11–16).
8. His message broke his own heart (Jer. 9:1).
9. He wanted to resign, but God wouldn’t let him (Jer. 20:9).
10. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. He was permitted to remain in the land by the captain of the Babylonian forces. When the remnant wanted to flee to Egypt, Jeremiah prophesied against it (Jer. 42:15–43:3); he was forced to go with the remnant to Egypt (Jer. 43:6–7);and he died there. Tradition says that he was stoned by the remnant.
Jeremiah was a remarkable man. I call him God’s crybaby, but not in a derogatory sense. He was a man in tears most of the time. God chose this man who had a mother’s heart, a trembling voice, and tear-filled eyes to deliver a harsh message of judgment. The message that he gave broke his own heart. Jeremiah was a great man of God. Candidly, I don’t think that you and I would have chosen this kind of man to give a harsh message. Instead we would have selected some hard-boiled person to give a hard-boiled message, would we not? God didn’t choose that kind of man; He chose a man with a tender, compassionate heart.
Lord Macaulay said this concerning Jeremiah: “It is difficult to conceive any situation more painful than that of a great man, condemned to watch the lingering agony of an exhausted country, to tend it during the alternate fits of stupefaction and raving which precede its dissolution, and to see the symptoms of vitality disappear one by one, till nothing is left but coldness, darkness, and corruption” (Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, W. G. Moorehead, p. 9). This was the position and the call of Jeremiah. He stood by and saw his people go into captivity.
Dr. Moorehead has given us this very graphic picture of him: “It was Jeremiah’s lot to prophesy at a time when all things in Judah were rushing down to the final and mournful catastrophe; when political excitement was at its height; when the worst passions swayed the various parties, and the most fatal counsels prevailed. It was his to stand in the way over which his nation was rushing headlong to destruction; to make an heroic effort to arrest it, and to turn it back; and to fail, and be compelled to step to one side and see his own people, whom he loved with the tenderness of a woman, plunge over the precipice into the wide, weltering ruin” (pages 9, 10).
You and I are living at a time which is probably like the time of Jeremiah. Ours is a great nation today, and we have accomplished many things. We have gone to the moon, and we have produced atom bombs. Although we are a strong nation, within is the same corruption which will actually carry us down to dismemberment and disaster. It is coming, my friend. Revolution may be just around the corner. I know that what I am saying is not popular today. We don’t hear anything like this through the media. Instead, we have panels of experts who discuss how we are going to improve society and how we can work out our problems. Today God is left out of the picture totally—absolutely left out. If the Bible is mentioned, it is mentioned with a curled lip by some unbeliever. The ones who are believers and have a message from God are pushed aside. I know that. That is why I say to you that I think we are in very much the same position that Jeremiah was in. For that reason I know this book is going to have a message for us today.
Another author has written, “He was not a man mighty as Elijah, eloquent as Isaiah, or seraphic as Ezekiel, but one who was timid and shrinking, conscious of his helplessness, yearning for a sympathy and love he was never to know—such was the chosen organ through which the Word of the Lord came to that corrupt and degenerate age.”
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets” (Matt. 16:13–14). There was a difference of opinion, and none of them seemed to really know who He was. Folk had some good reasons for thinking He was Elijah and also good reasons for thinking He was John the Baptist. Now there were those who thought He was Jeremiah, and they had a very good reason for believing it, because Jeremiah was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The difference between him and the Lord Jesus was that the Lord Jesus was bearing our sorrows and our grief, while Jeremiah was carrying his own burden, and it was breaking his heart. He went to the Lord one time and said, “I can’t keep on. This thing is tearing me to pieces. I’m about to have a nervous breakdown. You had better get somebody else.” The Lord said “All right, but I’ll just hold your resignation here on My desk because I think you’ll be back.” Jeremiah did come back, and he said, “The Word of God was like fire in my bones; I had to give it out.” He did that even though it broke his heart. God wanted that kind of man, because he was the right kind of man to give a harsh message. God wanted the children of Israel to know that, although He was sending them into captivity and He was judging them, it was breaking His heart. As Isaiah says, judgment is God’s strange work (see Isa. 28:21).
Jeremiah began his ministry about a century after Isaiah. He began his work during the reign of King Josiah, and he continued right on through the Babylonian captivity. He is the one who predicted the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon. He also saw beyond the darkness of the captivity to the light. No other prophet spoke so glowingly of the future. We will have occasion to see that as we study his marvelous prophecy.
The message of Jeremiah was the most unwelcome message ever delivered to a people, and it was rejected. He was called a traitor to his country because he said that they were to yield to Babylon. Isaiah, almost a century before him, had said to resist. Why this change? In Jeremiah’s day there was only one thing left to do: surrender. In the economy of God, the nation was through. The times of the Gentiles had already begun with Babylon as the head of gold (see Dan. 2).
Characterizing Jeremiah’s message is the word backsliding, which occurs thirteen times. It is a word that is used only four other times in the Old Testament, once in Proverbs and three times in Hosea—Hosea’s message is also that of the backsliding nation.
The name that predominates is Babylon, which occurs 164 times in the book, more than in the rest of Scripture combined. Babylon became the enemy.
OUTLINE
I. Call of Prophet during Reign of Josiah, Chapter 1
II. Prophecies to Judah and Jerusalem Prior to Zedekiah’s Reign, Chapters 2–20
A. Twofold Condemnation of Judah, Chapters 2–3:5
1. They Rejected Jehovah
2. They Reared Their Own Gods
B. Charge of Backsliding during the Reign of Josiah, Chapters 3:6–6
C. Warning Delivered in Gate of the Lord’s House, Chapters 7–10
D. Israel Disobeyed God’s Covenant Made in Wilderness, Chapters 11–12
E. Parable in Action—the Linen Girdle, Chapter 13
F. Backsliding Nation Judged by Drought and Famine, Chapters 14–15
G. Jeremiah Forbidden to Marry, Chapters 16–17:18
H. Message to King in Gate, Chapters 17:19–27
I. Sign at Potter’s House, Chapters 18–19
J. Jeremiah’s Persecution, Chapter 20
III. Prophecies during Reign of Zedekiah, Chapters 21–29
A. Answer to Zedekiah Regarding Nebuchadnezzar, Chapters 21–22
B. Bright Light in a Very Dark Day, Chapter 23
C. Parable of Two Baskets of Figs, Chapter 24
D. God Spells out Seventy-Year Captivity, Chapter 25
E. Message in Temple Court during Reign of Jehoiakim, Chapter 26
F. Parables of Yokes, Chapters 27–28
G. Message of Hope to First Delegation of Captives, Chapter 29
IV. Prophecies Regarding Future of Twelve Tribes and Judah’s Near Captivity, Chapters 30–39
A. Coming Great Tribulation, Chapter 30
B. The “I Will” Chapter, Chapter 31
C. Jeremiah Imprisoned, Buys Real Estate, Chapter 32
D. Coming Kingdom as Promised to David, Chapter 33
E. Zedekiah’s Captivity Foretold, Chapter 34
F. Rechabites Obey God, Chapter 35
G. Jehoiakim Destroys Word of God, Chapter 36
H. Jeremiah Imprisoned, Chapters 37–38
I. Judah Goes into Captivity; Jeremiah Released from Prison, Chapter 39
V. Prophecies to Remnant Left in Land after Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapters 40–42
VI. Prophecies during Jeremiah’s Last Days in Egypt, Chapters 43–51
A. To Remnant in Egypt, Chapters 43–44
B. To Baruch, Chapter 45
C. To Egypt, Chapter 46
D. To Philistia, Chapter 47
E. To Moab, Chapter 48
F. To Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, Chapter 49
G. To Babylon, Chapters 50–51
VII. Fulfillment of Prophesied Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 52
CHAPTER 1
Theme: Call of prophet during reign of Josiah
It will help our understanding of the prophlets to weave them into 1 Samuel through 2 Chronicles, the historical books which cover the same period of time. The prophets prophesied during the time period covered by those historical books—with the exception of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who prophesied after the Exile (and fit into the time period of the historical Books of Ezra and Nehemiah).
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin [Jer. 1:1].
Here is a reference to “Hilkiah” who is the father of Jeremiah. He was the high priest who found the Book of the Law during the time of Josiah. It was the finding of the Law of the Lord as given to Moses that sparked the revival during the reign of Josiah. Revivals are not caused by men; they are caused by the Word of God. Never a man, but the Book. The Word of God is responsible for every revival that has taken place in the church. It is true that God has used men, but it is the Word of God that brings revival. The record of this revival and its effect is found in the historical books in 2 Kings 22 and in 2 Chronicles 34.
“Anathoth” was the hometown of Jeremiah. It is a few miles directly north of Jerusalem.
To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign [Jer. 1:2].
Josiah was eight years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for thirty-one years. Jeremiah began his ministry when Josiah was twenty-two years old. Apparently Jeremiah was about twenty years old himself, so both of them were young men and were probably friends. Jeremiah prophesied during eighteen years of Josiah’s reign, and he was a mourner at his funeral (see 2 Chron. 35:25).
Josiah had done a very foolish thing—even men of God sometimes do foolish things. He went over to fight against the pharaoh of Egypt at Carchemish although the pharaoh had not come up against Judah at all. For some reason Josiah went out to fight against him in the valley of Esdraelon or Armageddon at Megiddo, and there Josiah was slain. Jeremiah mourned over his death because Josiah had been a good king. The last revival that came to these people came under the reign of Josiah, and it was a great revival. After the death of Josiah, Jeremiah could see that the nation would lapse into a night out of which it would not emerge until after the Babylonian captivity.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month [Jer. 1:3].
This and the preceding verse give to us the exact time of the ministry of Jeremiah—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah and continuing through the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity.
We know that when Judah went into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar allowed Jeremiah to stay in the land: “Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee” (Jer. 39:11–12). Of course Jeremiah didn’t want to go to Babylon with the others—they had rejected his message and were being led away captives as he had predicted. Since Nebuchadnezzar gave him his choice, he chose to stay in the land with the few who remained. However, those fugitives took off and went down to Egypt, doing it against the advice of Jeremiah and taking him with them. In Egypt Jeremiah continued faithfully giving them God’s Word.
Second Chronicles 36 fills in the history which is omitted. Jehoahaz, a son of Josiah, is not mentioned in Jeremiah’s record. He reigned for three months—he didn’t even get the throne warm before they eliminated him. Then the king of Egypt placed his brother Eliakim on the throne and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He reigned for eleven years. Jeremiah warned him not to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. However, Jehoiakim did not listen to the advice from Jeremiah and was taken captive to Babylon. After the removal of Eliakim, the king of Babylon put Jehoiachin on the throne in Jerusalem. He reigned three months and ten days. He is not mentioned here either because he, too, barely got the throne warm and then was eliminated. Nebuchadnezzar took him captive to Babylon. After that it was Zedekiah, the brother of the father of Jehoiachin, who was placed on the throne at Jerusalem. He reigned eleven years. When Zedekiah rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed Jerusalem, slew the sons of Zedekiah, put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and took him captive to Babylon.
All of this sounds very brutal, and it was brutal. But we must remember that Nebuchadnezzar had been very patient with the city of Jerusalem. Also the people there refused to listen to God’s warning through Jeremiah.
Jeremiah continued his ministry to the remnant that was left at Jerusalem. After they forced him to go to Egypt with them, he still continued his ministry in Egypt until the time of his death. We can say that two things characterized the life of Jeremiah: weeping and loneliness. They are the marks of his ministry.
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Jer. 1:4].
The “word of the Lord” came to Jeremiah. I can’t emphasize that too much. If you are not prepared to go along with that, you might just as well put the book down. It will have no message for you. This is the Word of God. I don’t propose to tell you how God got it through to Jeremiah, but He did get it to him, and it is recorded for us as the Word of God.
Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations [Jer. 1:5].
I am glad that Jeremiah’s mother did not practice abortion—he would never have been born. Many people today are asking, “When is a child a child?” May I say to you, a child is a child at the very moment he is conceived. Read Psalm 139. David says, “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (Ps. 139:15). That is, he was formed in the womb of his mother; and, at that moment, life began. I am told by a gynecologist that there is tremendous development in the fetus at the very beginning. Abortion is murder, unless it is done to save a life. That is the way the Word of God looks at it. God said to Jeremiah, “Before you were born, I knew you and I called you.”
Now why did God say these things to Jeremiah? My friend, God is going to ask Jeremiah to give a message to the people of Judah that will be rejected. Jeremiah is going to be imprisoned because of his stand for God. His message will break his own heart because he loved his people, and he hated to tell them what was going to come to them.
But God wanted a man like this, a tender man, to bring His message. To the court of old Ahab and Jezebel, God had sent a hard-boiled prophet by the name of Elijah. But before the kingdom of Judah goes into captivity, God wants His people to know that He loves them and that He wants to save them and deliver them. For this reason He chose this man Jeremiah.
Therefore God is saying these things to Jeremiah to encourage him. He said, “I want you to know, Jeremiah, that the important thing is that I am the One who has called you, I have ordained you, and I have sanctified you.”
Sanctification simply means “to set aside for the use of God.” Those old vessels that were used in the tabernacle and temple—old beaten-up pots and pans which were used in God’s service—were called holy vessels, sanctified vessels. When they looked as if they should be traded in for a new set, why were they called holy? Because they were for the use of God. Anything that is set aside for the use of God is sanctified.
God says, “Before you were born, Jeremiah, I set you aside for My use. So don’t worry about the effect of your message. You just give the message.”
Frankly, God expects the same of me. I feel very comfortable as I prepare these messages. I’m not pulling any punches; I’m giving the Word of God just as it is. That is my responsibility. I say this kindly, I am not responsible to you; I am responsible to God, and I turn my report in to Him. It is just too bad if what I say does not please you. I’m sorry; I wish it did. When I was still in the active pastorate, people would often say, “My, how people love you!” But you know, in every church there was a little group of dissidents—cantankerous troublemakers who were not always honest. However, if you are giving out the Word of God, you are responsible to God and set aside for that ministry.
God goes on to say, “I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” This gave authority to Jeremiah. It offered him encouragement that would help him through many a dark day.
Now here is Jeremiah’s response:
Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child [Jer. 1:6].
Jeremiah was probably about twenty years old at the time, but this verse would not lead you to think so. Actually, he was not a child as we think of a child. “Child” here is the same word that is translated “young man” in Zechariah 2:4: “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man ….” Jeremiah was actually a young man. What he is saying in effect is, “I’m a young, inexperienced fellow. I am not capable of doing such a job. I am not prepared for this.”
Have you ever noticed that the man whom God uses is the man who doesn’t think he can do it? If you think you can do it today, then I say to you that I don’t think God can use you.
A young preacher came in to see me who was absolutely green with jealousy of another man in the same town. He said to me, “I’m a better preacher than he is. I’m a better pastor than he is. I’m a better speaker than he is. I want to know why God is using that man and He is not using me! My ministry is falling flat.” So I told him, “You think you can do it. I happen to know the other man, and he really doesn’t believe that he can do it. God always uses that kind of a man. God chooses the weak things of this world.”
Jeremiah felt inadequate, unfit, unequipped. Listen to God’s answer to him:
But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak [Jer. 1:7].
“Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” While there are more liberal pulpits in our country, it is the fundamental churches which are really growing in the size of their congregations. It is in the Bible-believing churches where things are really moving today. The problem in the liberal churches is that the man in the pulpit doesn’t believe what he is saying. He is giving out theories and ideas. He holds panel discussions where he tells what he thinks. God says, “You give what I command you to give, and give it with that authority.” May I say to you, when you are giving out God’s Word, it’s very comfortable, it’s very wonderful. I love Jeremiah, and I would love to have comforted him. He surely has comforted me.
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord [Jer. 1:8].
“Be not afraid of their faces.” One of the comfortable things about my ministry of teaching the Bible on the radio is that my listeners cannot get to me when I say something that displeases them. I heard from a man in Oakland, California, who is now a wonderful Christian. He wrote that he had belonged to a certain cult which believed in certain rituals and gyrations that he had to go through in order to be saved. He would hear our broadcast when he was driving to his work as a contractor. He said, “You made me so mad. You kept telling me I was a sinner. If I could have gotten to you, I would have punched you in the nose.” He is a big fellow; so I think he could have done it. That is one reason it is comfortable to be on radio, because when I stay true to the Word of God, I will say things that people don’t like to hear. The interesting thing is that this man kept listening morning after morning, and one day he turned to the Lord Jesus and said, “I am a sinner, save me.” He accepted Christ as his personal Savior. That is the joy of giving out the Word of God. That is why God says to go ahead and give out His Word with courage and with conviction—it will never return void; it will accomplish God’s purpose.
Our pulpits today desperately need men to speak with authority what God has written down in His Word. That is all He asks us to do. It is a simple task in one way, and in another it is a most difficult task.
God says to Jeremiah, “Be not afraid … for I am with thee to deliver thee.” He is saying, “Look, I am on your side!” John Knox said, “One with God is a majority.” That is always true. As Christians we may feel that we are in the minority, but we really are in the majority.
Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth [Jer. 1:9].
“I have put my words in thy mouth.” This is very important. God has inspired the words of Scripture—not just the thoughts and ideas of Scripture. For example, the Devil was not inspired by God to tell a lie, but the record in Scripture that the Devil told a lie are inspired words.
This idea is too often misunderstood in our day, which is the reason I cannot commend certain so-called translations of the Bible. They may be good interpretations, but they are very poor translations—because the very words of Scripture are inspired.
Let me illustrate the importance of accurate translation. There was a girl who aspired to be a singer, and the time for her recital had come. After her recital performance she went back to the dressing room where she was met by friends. She eagerly asked, “What did my teacher say?” A very diplomatic friend replied, “He said that you sang heavenly.” She said, “Did he really say that? Did he say that in so many words?” “Well, that was not exactly the word he used, but that’s what he meant,” the friend responded. “But I want to know exactly the words he used. Did he say that I sang heavenly?” she persisted. “Well,” the friend answered, “he meant that, but what he really said was that it was an unearthly noise.”
You see, it is very important to realize that the words of Scripture are inspired by God. God said to Jeremiah, “I’m going to put My words in your mouth.”
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant [Jer. 1:10].
Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. All these kings had various bureaus and government projects. They were all going to improve Jerusalem. They were going to deal with the ecology and get rid of the slums. They each had a poverty program. But none of them paid much attention to Jeremiah—they ignored him. Now almost three thousand years have passed by. Could you mention any of those government projects today? Can you tell me anything worthwhile that was done by Zedekiah? Can you mention anything that Jehoiachin or Jehoiakim did? Not a good thing is mentioned. Yet in their day everybody thought they were doing the right thing, the popular thing. Jeremiah was ignored. But whom do we read today? We read Jeremiah.
The Book of Jeremiah is the Word of God, my friend. It has survived and is going to survive through our day. America is a nation that no longer hears God. They don’t listen to Him in Washington, D.C. They are not hearing Him in the classrooms of our universities today. And they are not hearing God in the military. The scientists do not listen to Him. But God is speaking and His Word will survive.
God is telling Jeremiah that He is going to put him in charge of giving His Word to the nation of Judah. And poor little Jeremiah wants to retire before he even gets the job!
God now gives Jeremiah two tremendous pictures concerning his call to the prophetic office.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree [Jer. 1:11].
The almond tree was known as the “waker” or the “watcher.” It was actually the first tree to come out of the long night of winter and bloom in the spring. Like the almond tree, Jeremiah was to be an alarm clock—an awaker. He was going to try to wake people up, but they didn’t want to be awakened. No one who is asleep likes to be wakened. An alarm clock is one of the most unpopular things in the world. In my college dormitory every alarm clock was battered up; I threw mine against the wall many a morning. Jeremiah is going to be a “waker” to the nation of Judah.
Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it [Jer. 1:12].
God said, “That’s right. I will give you a word that will wake them up. It will shake them out of sleep.”
And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north [Jer. 1:13].
What was the “seething pot”? In Jeremiah’s time Egypt and Assyria were no longer a danger to the southern kingdom of Judah, but around the Fertile Crescent in the north was a boiling pot: the rising power of Babylon, which was to eventually destroy Judah. It was to be Jeremiah’s job to constantly warn his people what was going to happen to their nation.
Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah [Jer. 1:14, 15].
A century earlier God had delivered Jerusalem, and now all the false prophets were running around saying that He was going to do it again.
All of God’s prophets of the past—Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah and Nahum, all those who had been contemporaries of Isaiah—had now passed off the scene. I think Zephaniah and Habakkuk were still living. Ezekiel and Obadiah were also contemporary with Jeremiah, but they are not going to prophesy until the captives are actually in Babylon. Daniel, too, will be prophesying later on. But at this time, Jeremiah stands alone, and he is to utter these judgments that are to come upon the nation.
What will be the reaction to his message?—
And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee [Jer. 1:19].
The Lord says, “Go ahead, Jeremiah, they’re going to resist you, they won’t listen to the message, but you give the message.” Jeremiah feels incapable and unworthy of the office of prophet, and he has offered that as an excuse. But God says, “I’m going to put My words in your mouth, and you will be giving My words.”
I do not believe that any man ought to stand in the pulpit and give a message until he is sure that he is giving the Word of God. If he has any doubts or if he feels that he should give his own ideas and preach a liberal, social gospel—he ought to stay out of the pulpit. Regardless of how much homiletics, or hermeneutics, or theology, or sophisticated training he has had, unless he is confident that he is giving the Word of God, he ought to stay out of the pulpit. That is very important. Jeremiah could be confident that he was giving out the very words of God.
CHAPTER 2
Theme: Twofold Condemnation of Judah
In the first chapter we saw the impressive call and commission of Jeremiah. God called him when he was a young man, probably about twenty years of age. We know also that the king Josiah was twenty-one or twenty-two years old when God called Jeremiah. So here we have two young men in the land of Israel, the young king and the young prophet.
Jeremiah made it very clear that he felt incapable and unworthy of such a calling. He felt that he could not measure up to the office of a prophet, and he offered that as an excuse. God answered him that He would put His words into Jeremiah’s mouth. He would be giving God’s words, not his own.
Chapters 2 through 6 were given during the first five years of Jeremiah’s ministry. And since he began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, these messages were given in those five years before the finding of the Book of the Law in the temple. The messages in chapters 7 through 9 have to do with the cleansing of the temple and the discovery of the Book of the Law, which took place in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. Then in chapters 10 through 12 are the messages which came in the period of reform and revival after the finding of the Book of the Law. We will discover that the revival was a surface sort of thing because there was not proper emphasis placed upon the Word of God.
Friend, we need to remember that there will never be a real revival until there is a real emphasis placed upon the Word of God.
In order to orient ourselves for this period of history, we need to study the historical books along with the prophetic books. Therefore we will turn back to the thirty-fourth chapter of 2 Chronicles to fit the messages of Jeremiah into this particular place in history: “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left” (2 Chron. 34:1–2). Here is an outstanding king who reigned during the twilight of the kingdom of Judah.
“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images (2 Chron. 34:3). Jeremiah’s first five years of prophesying were during this period.
“And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God” (2 Chron. 34:4–8). It was during this time of cleaning out and repairing the house of the Lord that Hilkiah the priest found a Book of the Law as it had been given to Moses. In those days probably there were only two copies—one was for the king and one was for the high priest. You see, before Josiah had come to the throne, Judah had sunk to a new low under the wicked and godless reins of his grandfather, Manasseh, and his father, Amon. They had no regard for God or His Word, and the one or two copies in existence were finally lost in the rubbish which collected in the neglected temple.
Jeremiah’s first message (2:1–3:5) is to this people who had forsaken the living God. It would be difficult to find any portion of Scripture that would surpass it in genuine pathos and tenderness. It is the eloquent and earnest pleading of a God who has been forgotten and insulted. His grace and compassion toward the guilty nation are blended with solemn warnings of dreadful days to come if hearts are not turned back to Him. This is one of the great discourses in the Word of God. The young king Josiah was truly seeking the Lord, but he didn’t have the Word of God! He did know, however, that idolatry must be put down. Now he has a young man, a young prophet, who will encourage him in his resolve.
THEY REJECTED JEHOVAH
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord [Jer. 2:1–3].
God is doing something quite wonderful. He is asking Israel to remember the springtime of their relationship to Him when He called them out of the land of Egypt—how they followed the pillar of fire at night and the pillar of cloud by day. Out in that frightful and terrible wilderness they sought the Lord. God now reminds them of that. After God had blessed them and given them a good land, they turned from Him. As Hosea had said of the northern kingdom, “Ephraim waxed fat and wicked.” In their comfortable and sophisticated society, they turned away from the living God to serve idols.
One cannot help but note that there is an analogy between Judah and our own nation. God is left out today. Our nation was founded by men and women who believed that the Book was the Word of God, and everything they did was based on that Book. As one of our outstanding historians has observed, our nation is controlled by men who do not know its spiritual heritage. We have turned away from God. We are going after the idol of the almighty dollar. The best news out of New York is a vigorous stock market. The best news out of Washington is that which will put more money in our pockets. Money is the god of the present hour. The Ephesians chanted, “…Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:28). The cry of America is, “Great is the almighty American dollar,” and God is left out.
“I remember thee.” God says, “I remember you.” They had forgotten Him, but God had not forgotten them. Oh, how gracious God is!
Listen to His longing: “Israel was holiness unto the Lord. Don’t you remember back there how you were? You belonged to Me. You followed Me and you were led by Me.”
Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel [Jer. 2:4].
Although the ten tribes had been conquered by the Assyrians, they were still around. They hadn’t wandered over to Great Britain or America. He addresses the house of Jacob and all the families of Israel. (And they are the same people today, by the way.) God’s message was to them in that day although they were in the Assyrian captivity.
Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? [Jer. 2:5].
Without doubt this is one of the great passages of Scripture. Notice the wonderful way in which God approaches them: “What did I do wrong that you have turned from Me?”
In our day, my friend, what is wrong with God that we are not more interested in Him? Why are we not serving Him? Is there unrighteousness with God? Is God doing something wrong today? He asks, “What iniquity have your fathers found in me?”
Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? [Jer. 2:6].
People just didn’t go through that country, and there are not many who go through that country today. I have been at the edge of it, and that is as far as I have wanted to go. Yet God kept His people in that frightful wilderness for forty years, and He took care of them.
And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination [Jer. 2:7].
Today we hear a great deal about ecology and the fact that we need to clean up the land. That is good—it needs cleaning up. But let’s recognize that there is a lot of moral filth around and a lot of degradation and deterioration in character. This is the thing that the Lord God is talking about here. They had polluted God’s land. God intended that they be a witness to Him; instead, they are as bad as the people before them.
The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit [Jer. 2:8].
God puts the responsibility on the spiritual leaders. And I believe that the problems in my country began in the church. No nation falls until it falls first spiritually. There is first of all a spiritual apostasy, then a moral awfulness, and finally a political anarchy. That is the way every nation makes its exit as a great nation.
“The priests said not, Where is the Lord?” There are too many folk today who are supposed to be Bible teachers and preachers and witnesses for Him, even among the laymen, who do not know the Word of God. I am sorry to say that, but it happens to be true. As a result of not knowing the Word of God, they don’t really know God. It is necessary to know the Word of God in order to know Him.
Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children’s children will I plead [Jer. 2:9].
God says, “I have not given you up. I am still going to plead with you.” How wonderful that is.
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water [Jer. 2:13].
Israel had committed two evils. First of all, they rejected Jehovah, the fountain of living waters. Second, they hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that couldn’t hold water.
Oh, how many people today have hewn out a little cistern for themselves, and they drink from their own cistern! Of course they are not finding satisfaction. For example, every man who has made a million dollars thirsts for more—he wants to make the second million. The same is true of fame. There is never enough to satisfy.
God goes on to deal with these people, mentioning their backsliding for the first time.
Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts [Jer. 2:19].
In chapter 3 we will find that backsliding is mentioned in one chapter as many times as it is mentioned in the rest of the Bible; so it must be rather important to God.
THEY REARED THEIR OWN GODS
The remainder of chapter 2 is a polemic against idolatry, which continues in chapter 3. Rather than quote this section, I want to recommend that you read it in your Bible, read it all the way through. As you become familiar with the prophecy of Jeremiah, you will be surprised how wonderful it will become to you.
It is interesting to see that when man rejects God, he always will make an idol. When people make their own god, they make it as they want it. They make a god whose demands they can meet. In other words, it is actually a projection of the old nature of man.
CHAPTER 3
Theme: Josiah begins reforms in the nation
In Jeremiah’s first message, begun in chapter 2, God has condemned Judah on two scores: they have rejected Jehovah, and they have reared their own gods. The first five verses of chapter 3 will continue on this theme. The messages found in chapters 2 through 6 were given during the first five years of Jeremiah’s ministry before the Book of the Law was found. During this time, however, Josiah, a young man like Jeremiah, was seeking the Lord and instituting certain reforms in the nation. Primarily, he was trying to clean up the idolatry in Judah. The nation had forsaken the living God and had gone over into idolatry. You can see that the combined efforts of this young king and the young prophet Jeremiah had a tremendous effect upon the nation.
Judah had gone over to idolatry because it was the easy way and the popular way, but it was a pathway that led to the lowering of their standards and brought them down to a low moral level.
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord [Jer. 3:1]
Judah had sunk to a very low level—there was gross immorality in the land. She had played the harlot; yet God asks her to return to Him.
Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness [Jer. 3:2]
Idolatry is not simply making a little idol to worship. Anything that a man gives himself to wholeheartedly is idolatry. The Bible teaches that covetousness is idolatry, because when a man covets something, he gives his time, his energy to that—he is dedicated to it. Especially in these last days we see a great many people who are dedicated to sin, and the energy they put into sin is tremendous. But, you see, the minute a man turns away from the living God, he will turn to something else. It will be something he has made, and it becomes his god, his idol.
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan has made this very fine statement about the nature of idolatry and the worship of the true God:
… When a man makes a god according to the pattern of his own being, he makes a god like himself, an enlargement of his own imperfection. Moreover, the god which a man makes for himself will demand from him that which is according to his own nature. It is clearly evident in Mohammedanism. Great and wonderful and outstanding in his personality as Mohammed was, yet the blighting sensuality of the man curses the whole of Islam today. Men will be faithful to those gods who make no demands upon them which are out of harmony with the desires of their own hearts.
When God calls men, it is the call of the God of holiness, the God of purity, the God of love; and He demands that they rise to His height. He cannot accommodate Himself to the depravity of their nature. He will not consent to the things of desire within them that are of impurity and evil. He calls men up, and even higher, until they reach the height of perfect conformity to His holiness. God’s call to humanity is always first pure, and then peaceable; first holy, and then happy; first righteous, and then rejoicing (Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, p. 36).
God said that Jeremiah’s generation in Judah had gone wholeheartedly into idolatry, and as a result there was gross immorality in the land. When He says, “Lift up thine eyes unto the high places,” you must understand how grossly immoral those high places were. A high place was a grove of trees where an idolatrous altar had been built. All kinds of sex orgies and drunken revelries were carried on there. Judah had sunk to a very low level.
The comparison to our own nation today is obvious, is it not? America has forsaken the living and true God, which is evident in the moral condition of this country. What lawlessness, dishonesty, and corrupt speech we find everywhere! We have even taught our children the use of very foul language.
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed [Jer. 3:3]
God tells them that He has already begun to judge them by withholding rain. Even today that land is dry. Their greatest need is water—even more than oil. They didn’t find oil in the Negeb, but they found water, and that is much more precious to them. I believe that when the Jews return to Israel under the blessing of God, they are going to have all the water they need. God has said that He will supply it.
I think that we can see God’s judgment upon our own nation in the many national calamities which we have suffered over the past several years. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to wake us up and bring us back to Him.
CHARGE OF BACKSLIDING DURING THE REIGN OF JOSIAH
We come now to the second message of Jeremiah. It begins in verse 6 of chapter 3 and extends all the way through chapter 6. In this message God charges the people with backsliding. The word backsliding is used seven times in this chapter, and that is more than half the number of times in the entire book. In Jeremiah we find this word more often than in the rest of the Bible put together. He and Hosea are the ones who use it.
Backsliding does not simply mean “to slide backwards” as we usually think of it. God gives us a vivid picture of what He means by backsliding when He tells us, “For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer…” (Hos. 4:16). Do you have any idea what it is like to try to load calves into a truck or wagon? When I was a boy, we lived next door to a southern Oklahoma rancher. He had two sons who were my friends. (They were mean boys, and I ran with them—but, of course, I was a good boy!) Sometimes we would go out to the ranch and help load the heifers. Do you know what they do when you try to get them up the ramp? They set their front feet and make themselves as stiff as they can. They brace themselves so that you cannot move them at all. When we would try to move them, they would start slipping backwards. That is God’s picture of what it means to backslide.
Backsliding is a refusal to go God’s way, a refusal to listen to Him. And when we do as the heifers do, when we set our wills against God’s will, we wind up going backwards every time. If we rebel against the Lord and His will, we only get farther and farther away from Him.
The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah, the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot [Jer. 3:6]
God tells Judah to take a lesson from Israel which had already gone into captivity. He tells them to take notice of the fact that Israel had done exactly what they are doing. “Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer.” But God had tried to get Israel to return to Him, and they would not return. As a result they were taken off into captivity. What happened to Israel should serve as a lesson and should be a warning to Judah.
In verse 1 of this chapter God said, “Yet return again to me, saith the Lord.” He says, “Though you have played the harlot, you belong to Me. If you come back to Me, I’ll receive you.” That is the reason any prodigal son or any prodigal daughter or any prodigal family or any prodigal church or any prodigal nation can always come back to God. God will receive you. The prodigal son didn’t get any kicks when he came home. He had gotten those in the far country! He received kisses instead. He had nearly starved in the far country, but his father prepared a banquet for him when he came home.
But Israel had not returned to God. They went into idolatry, and God sent them into captivity. Now He says to Judah, “Let this be a lesson to you.”
And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it [Jer. 3:7]
God says, “I gave Israel an opportunity to turn to me. I would have taken her back, but she wouldn’t come. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.” The sin of Judah is compounded. I think her captivity was much worse than that of the ten northern tribes, and the reason is self-evident: Judah had Israel’s captivity as an example and refused to profit by it.
The tragedy in this country is that we have a Bible, but very few are reading it. I get a little weary of hearing people say, “We live in a land where we have an open Bible, and we can read the Bible.” Well, thank God for that, but who is reading it? How many people are really reading it? Judah did not turn to God even though they had an example. You and I have the Word of God today, and therefore I believe God will judge this country more harshly than He will judge nations such as the Soviet Union. They don’t have Bibles over there, but you and I do. I believe God will judge us according to the opportunities He gives us.
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks [Jer. 3:9]
They made idols of sticks and stones.
And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord [Jer. 3:10]
The revival under King Josiah was a revival—there is no question about it. Many people turned to God. But it was so popular that for many it was nothing but a surface return to God. By and large, as far as the nation is concerned, it was a superficial experience with God.
I believe that there is a renewed interest in the Word of God today, and I think more people are being saved than at any time during the years of my ministry. But let’s be very careful—it is not a revival. A great deal of it is quite surface. Don’t be deceived by the large crowds in places or by the number who are reported to have accepted Christ. Just divide that number by two, and you’ll probably get the number of those who have been genuinely converted. We see a great surface movement as well as that which is genuine.
And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah [Jer. 3:11]
God is making it clear that the sin of Judah is worse than the sin of Israel. The northern tribes didn’t have the same opportunity as the southern tribes. They did not have the temple nor did they have a copy of the Word of God. Therefore the judgment on Judah was greater. I believe the judgment on us will be greater also.
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever [Jer. 3:12]
God tells Israel that He will bring them back into the land if they will turn to Him. How gracious God is! How wonderful He is!
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord [Jer. 3:13]
Today the big problem is a lack of confession of sin. I find that repentance is lacking in much of the so-called spiritual movement of today. An example is a book I read recently which disturbed me. The author constantly used the first person pronoun, and the Lord received none of the glory. He told what God had done for him, how He had made him a millionaire, a big success. But I didn’t find anywhere a statement that God had saved him from sin. We need to confess our iniquity.
My friend, do you say that you are a Christian? What do you mean by that? Perhaps you say that you have trusted Christ. Trusted Him for what? You may say that you trust Him as your Savior. Fine! I’m glad to hear that. Did He save you from sin? Remember that He died on the cross to save you from sin, not to give you a new personality or to make you a millionaire. He died to save us all from our sins. He was delivered for our offenses—we were all very offensive to God. The word of God through Jeremiah is “acknowledge thine iniquity,” and it is directed to us as well as to Judah.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion [Jer. 3:14]
Oh how gracious God was!
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding [Jer. 3:15]
My friend, if you have a Bible-teaching pastor, you ought to run over and put your arm around him. You ought to protect him, because he is valuable. Such men are few and far between.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more [Jer. 3:16]
“In those days” is a reference to the millennial kingdom. All the way through the Book of Jeremiah we will find these rays of light. Have you ever been out on a cloudy day when all of a sudden the sun breaks through and you see a rainbow? This is how it will be throughout Jeremiah—we will have these glorious prophecies of the future.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers [Jer. 3:17–18]
This is a glorious prophecy. It is like a little gem.
But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me [Jer. 3:19]
“Thou shalt call me, My father.” No individual Israelite ever called God his Father. He was a Father to the nation of Israel, and He said “…Israel is my son…” (Exod. 4:22). But, he never called David His son; He said, “…David my servant” (Ps. 89:3). He never called Moses His son; He called him, “Moses my servant…” (Josh. 1:2). It is only in this day of grace that we are called the sons of God. How privileged we are today! “But as many as received him, to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Those who do no more and no less than simply trust in His name become the sons of God. Is He your Savior from sin? If He is, you are not only a saved sinner, you are a son of God. How wonderful that is!
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God [Jer. 3:22]
The Lord says that He will heal. I can tell you that you have a little sore in a very prominent place if you do a lot of backsliding my friend. God says, “I will heal you if you will come to Me.”
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel [Jer. 3:23]
In Psalm 121 David says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1–2). Help does not come from those high places on the hills. Salvation comes from the Lord.
We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God [Jer. 3:25]
Judah did not confess their sins. Jeremiah confessed their sins for them and for himself, also.
You know, it wouldn’t hurt for us to have a little confession of sin today. We hear so much about special gifts and about God’s blessing in special ways. That is wonderful. We should thank God because He has blessed us. But have you ever heard a confession that we come short of the glory of God? Have you gone to Him yourself and told Him how far you fall short of His glory? We need to be humble before Him.
Judah was not humble before God, and God had to send them into captivity. I often wonder whether the Lord is getting ready to chastise us. We need to be humble before Him.
CHAPTERS 4–6
Theme: Jeremiah deals with backsliding of the people
We are in that period of time when Josiah the king was carrying on a reformation, but it was before the Word of God had been found in the temple. Therefore it was reformation and not revival. That which was taking place was very shallow. Josiah was sincere, and he was certainly moved toward God. He listened to Jeremiah. But the people were not turning back to God in any genuine sort of way, even though Jeremiah had struck home in some of the prophecies he had given.
We are in the second message which Jeremiah gave (it began in ch. 3 and continues through ch. 6). He deals with the backsliding of the people. “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord” (Jer. 3:10). They were turning to God in a merely outward manner. They were going to the temple and were going through the rituals, but their heart was not in it at all. It was something Josiah was trying to produce. This reveals that there can be reformation without revival. Reformation without revival is never a genuine change.
I am not quite sure that what we are seeing around us as I write this book is true revival. This renewed interest in the Word of God could become revival, but it may be merely an experience jag that a great many people are on at the present. It remains to be seen whether they are genuinely converted or not.
Although in Jeremiah’s time there was reformation rather than a real turning to God, it was enough to prompt Jeremiah to give a tremendous prophecy in Jeremiah 3:16–18. He says that “in those days” all the nations will gather to the house of God in Jerusalem. Even that fact should have alerted Judah not to make their temple worship ritualistic, but they did not respond. Yet the Lord continues to plead with them. ld;Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.rd; (Jer. 3:22).
At the beginning of chapter 4 we find an expression of the Lord’s response to any movement on the part of the people toward Him.
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove [Jer. 4:1].
He is vitally interested in them, and He wants to bring them back into a right relationship to Himself He tells them that He will not remove them from the land if they will but turn to Him.
And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns [Jer. 4:2–3].
In other words, reformation is no good. You can sow the seed on the ground, but the ground must first be prepared for it. There is no use sowing seed on thorny ground. Our Lord expressed it another way, “… neither cast ye your pearls before swine …” (Matt. 7:6). I believe there are certain times and certain places where there is no point in giving out the Word of God. There are times when men attempt evangelism because it is spectacular and sensational. God says, “Break up your fallow ground.” As Dr. H. A. Ironside has put it, “The plowshare of conviction must overturn the hardened soil of the heart.”
In the remainder of this section, there will first be an impeachment of the people. God will pronounce a judgment upon them and will call to them to return to Jehovah. Finally,there will be a clear foretelling of judgment. Believe me, Jeremiah will not mince words about that.
My feeling is that there ought to be more of the message of the prophets rather than the message of comfort in our own day. The fallow ground needs to be broken up. We are a nation in danger. We say we are one of the greatest nations in the world, but we could fall overnight. Babylon the great fell in one night; Alexander the Great died in a night, and his entire empire crumbled; the Roman Empire fell from within, and we can go down just like that. Our greatness does not depend upon our atom bombs or the almighty dollar. We are decaying from within. There is deterioration, moral deterioration. Somebody needs to be saying something about it, but very little is being said. It seems to me that we are sowing seed on ground that is thorny. The Lord warns us against doing that.
God continues to offer to Judah an opportunity to come back to Him.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings [Jer. 4:4].
They were going through the outward form of circumcision. Circumcision was a badge that showed they belonged to the nation Israel, but God hadn’t given it just as a form or a ceremony. Circumcision has been shown to have a very definite therapeutic value, but the important thing was its spiritual value. Their hearts needed to be turned to God.
Now Jeremiah lets them know that there will come a power out of the north—that will be Babylon—which will eventually destroy them.
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us [Jer. 4:6–8].
Judah had seen the ten tribes of the north go into captivity. Now Jeremiah is asking them to take warning from that. God is raising up a power, a new power in the north, and that power will come down and will finally destroy them.
The natural man cannot produce any righteousness at all. That is why Jeremiah calls the people to a circumcision of their hearts. But we see here that the people refused to turn to God; and, when a nation or a church or an individual rejects God, God rejects them. Remember that the Lord Jesus came and offered Himself as the King to Israel. When they rejected Him, He in turn rejected them. He said to them, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38). Read that whole chapter of Matthew 23—if that doesn’t make you blanch with fear, nothing will. Don’t talk about the gentle Jesus! They rejected Him as their King, and then He rejected them.
Friend, you are free to reject God—that is your free will. But remember, if you reject God, God will reject you. He is gracious; He is good; He is patient and longsuffering; He gives you ample opportunity to turn to Him. But it is sobering to see what happens to any privileged people who refuse God, be it Israel or be it the church. God finally refuses them, and then all other men count them as reprobate, refuse, and worthless.
We have too many people today who give a pretense of being a follower of the living and true God. Many of them are members in the churches today. We often hear the expression that we are a Christian nation in America. I say we are not a Christian nation. There is no emphasis on the Word of God, and we are not following the living and true God.
The Reader’s Digest published an article quite some time ago entitled, “The Book Almost Nobody Reads.” Of course, they were referring to the Bible. I agree with that title. But notice what was said: “In short, one way to describe the Bible, written by many different hands over a period of 3,000 years and more, would be to say it is a disorderly collection of 60-odd books which are often tedious, barbaric, obscure and teeming with contradictions and inconsistencies. It is a swarming compost of a book, an Irish stew of poetry and propaganda, law and legalism, myth and murk, history and hysteria.” Now that is a lie, my friend! The man who wrote the article knows nothing about the content of the Word of God.
I say to you that we are in the same kind of position today as were those people in the days of Jeremiah. The nation at that time had rejected God, but the people were still making a pretense of following Him. Such a people will find themselves rejected by God and by the world. America is following that same path. We are not loved by the world today. After World War II we were the pious people who were going to bring democracy to the world. What have we done? We have brought lawlessness into our own land. Do you think we should bring lawlessness into the trails of the jungle as we have into the streets of our cities? Is that the kind of civilization we are going to bring to people?
We find ourselves despised by other nations. God said it would be that way. No people can pretend to be God-fearing, be hypocritical about it, and still expect the world to look up to them. God has ordered it that way. I know it is not popular to say this—Jeremiah wasn’t very popular in his day, either. I am not expecting to win any popularity contest. The chamber of commerce will never elect me to be the man of the year. They would rather give me the boot, I am sure. But I must tell you honestly the message of this Book: A people who turn away from God will find that God turns away from them.
Now let me lift out some high points as we go through this message.
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge [Jer. 4:22].
It is interesting to note that our government uses the help of those they call the intellectuals. Perhaps it was Franklin Roosevelt who started this with his “brain trust”—this idea of going to Harvard or some other prestigious university and getting the advice of some of the boys with high IQs. Oh, we are wise in doing evil! We think we have been real clever cookies in our dealings around the world. We think we are big business. We are big in everything but righteousness, my friend. We are not very big on knowing God. God says that those who pretend to know Him and don’t really know Him are foolish.
The man who wrote the article that I just quoted was no more competent to write about the Word of God than I am to write about the Congressional Record or the Smithsonian Institution! I know nothing about those things. These famous intellectuals who are not real believers are not capable of writing about the Word of God. They do not know God, and you must know Him in order to know His Book. It is interesting that you can read a human book and understand it without knowing the author of the book. A human book by a human author can be understood by another human being. But if you want to know the Bible, you need to know the Author and have Him as your Teacher. Only the spirit of God can make the Word of God real to you.
JEREMIAH SPELLS OUT SPECIFIC SINS
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it [Jer. 5:1].
You remember the story of old Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, who went through the streets of Athens with a lantern. They asked him what he was looking for, and his answer was, “I am looking for an honest man.” He never did find one. I think you would have the same trouble in Los Angeles and maybe also in your town.
“If ye can find a man…I will pardon it.” Why didn’t Abraham keep on pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah? He stopped praying after he had asked God to spare the city for ten righteous men. God would have saved the city for one righteous man. He had to get that one man, Lot, out of the city before He could destroy it.
Look at how God speaks of His people—
They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour’s wife [Jer. 5:8].
What is the big sin in our nation today? It is sexual sin, only we don’t call it that. We call it “the new morality.” But God still calls adultery sin. In fact He uses sarcasm of the first water: He says, “Every man is neighing like a horse for his neighbor’s wife.” What a picture of our contemporary culture!
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich [Jer. 5:27].
In our generation we have seen a great many kids walk away from their homes because of the conditions which exist in them. I have talked to many of these young people, and I believe this verse gives a valid evaluation of what has happened.
JUDAH REFUSES TO LISTEN
Now Jeremiah concludes his message in chapter 6.
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely [Jer. 6:13].
The entire nation was obsessed with covetousness. And covetousness is the great sin in America. There is the coveting of gold and silver, riches, fame, and the neighbor’s wife. Those are the things men covet.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace [Jer. 6:14].
There was a reformation on the surface. There was a little healing, but it was like pouring talcum powder on a cancer and then saying it is healed. People were saying “Peace,” when there was no peace. And we hear a great deal about peace today, but I think that in reality we are getting ready for the final conflict.
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it [Jer. 6:19].
In rejecting the Word of God, they have rejected God. And when men reject God there is always something that follows—
Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them [Jer. 6:30].
Reprobate is actually the same word as reject. Therefore, it could read, “Rejected silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.”
God says to the people of Judah, “You have rejected My law, and I will reject you and when I reject you, the men of the world are going to reject you also.” Interesting, isn’t it? It worked out that way in Jeremiah’s day, and it is working that way in our day. We have spent billions of dollars to buy friends throughout the world; yet we are not loved by this big, bad world because we have rejected God and God will reject us. This is a very solemn message, and we ought not to treat it lightly.
CHAPTERS 7–10
Theme: Warning delivered in the gate of the Lord’s house
We have seen in chapters 2–6 the prophecies which Jeremiah delivered during the first five years of his ministry. As a young man around twenty years of age, he delivered those severe predictions, condemning his people and pronouncing judgment upon them.
Now the prophecies in chapters 7–10 were given after the Law of the Lord had been discovered in the temple during the time of cleansing ordered by the young king Josiah. Josiah was greatly concerned about his people, which revealed that he had a personal relationship with God as a young man. He and Jeremiah, being approximately the same age and both zealous for God, were probably good friends. Hilkiah the priest, who was evidently the father of Jeremiah, is the one who found the law of the Lord. The temple was cleaned out and repaired and back in use, which was, of course, a very wonderful thing. Now Jeremiah stands in the gate of the Lord’s house and gives a prophecy to his people. This is the way chapter 7 opens—
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord [Jer. 7:1–2].
“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house.” There are some who think this is very similar to the prophecy that is found in chapter 26 of Jeremiah. The prophecy is similar, but you will notice that it was delivered in the court of the house of the Lord—he was no longer standing by the gate but had gone into the court—and it was given during the reign of another king. However, the message is very much the same; Jeremiah had not changed his viewpoint.
Now that the temple has been repaired and the Book of the Law has been found, the people are returning to the temple in droves. Coming back to the temple is the popular thing to do, and they are talking about returning to God. Young Jeremiah hears the conversation of the people, and he gives the following message—
PLEA TO AMEND THEIR WAYS
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place [Jer. 7:3]
It is evident that, although they are going to the temple and are returning back to temple worship, there is no real change in their lives. They are still living as they did when they were worshiping idols. It is only an outward revival at this time. The time would come when it was more real, but at this point it is only a surface movement.
Now we see the attitude of the people, which was the thing that concerns Jeremiah.
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these [Jer. 7:4].
You can imagine how the people felt about all of this. They were exclaiming, “My, look at the temple! Isn’t it beautiful? Didn’t they do a good job of repairing it? Isn’t it nice to get back to the temple; it’s just like old times!” You see, there was enthusiasm about the temple, but there was no genuine turning to God. This is the thing that Jeremiah noticed. So he said, “Don’t trust these lying words that you’re saying. You act as if it is the greatest thing in the world just to return to the temple.”
If you will turn back to 2 Chronicles and read chapters 34 and 35, it will be very helpful for you to understand what is going on at this time in history. What happened was truly wonderful. Hilkiah gave the Book of the Law to Shaphan, who read it before the king. The king gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and they had the Law read to all the people. Then they made a covenant with God to walk before Him. They celebrated a passover in Jerusalem: “And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept” (2 Chron. 35:18–19). They reinstituted the services in the temple with all the sacrifices and feasts. That was good and wonderful. Then what was the problem? The problem was that they were not changing their ways. They lived just as they had lived before. He refers back, not to the Ten Commandments, but to that which the Lord gave them after the Ten Commandments, instructions in Exodus 21–23, which dealt with everyday life in Israel and their relationships to one another.
Will ye steal, murder and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? [Jer. 7:9–10].
Although the people were talking about how wonderful the temple was, they were still worshiping Baal. Their philosophy was that, since the temple was repaired and they were at least tipping their hat to God on the Sabbath day, He would protect them. Now it is true that when people genuinely turn to God, He will protect them, but they were resting on a fact that did not apply to them. They had taken up quite an offering for the rebuilding of the temple, and people who had given generously felt this was all that was necessary for God’s blessing.
I know of no book that fits into the present hour with a message for us better than this Book of Jeremiah. After World War II there was a little wave of revival. There were several evangelists out at that time, and the crowds came. During that time I began my Bible studies which were said to have the largest attendance of any midweek service in America. During that time we would hear pastors say that church attendance had doubled and tripled. They were putting chairs in the aisles and building new buildings. Churches were moving out to the suburbs. One pastor I know built a very wonderful church out in suburbia, and he was packing them in—two thousand people in a service. He said, “The trouble was that when I got a new church, I didn’t get new people. The same people should have been made new, but they were not.” It was the same old people in a new church. They mistook growth in numbers for spiritual growth and development. This is the point that Jeremiah is making.
Now Jeremiah says something further. In fact, our Lord quoted him in His day—
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord [Jer. 7:11].
This is the same charge that the Lord Jesus used when He cleansed the temple centuries later. In the days of Jeremiah he called it a den of robbers because the people were spending the week robbing their brethren and then would piously come to the temple. There was no change in their business habits or in their relationship with one another.
People today still think there is something valuable in great religious splurges and conventions. This type of thing doesn’t appeal to me, because I am not an organization man, nor am I a joiner. I have never enjoyed organizations and conventions. Some people love them. The problem is that some people mistake enthusiasm for a moving of the Spirit of God. Now I will probably be as unpopular as Jeremiah when I say that kind of thing is not revival. Nothing is true revival unless it transforms lives.
The Wesleyan movement in England changed lives. It just about put the liquor industry out of business in England. It changed conditions in factories and resulted in the enactment of child labor laws. It was a spiritual movement that reached into the lives of the people. I want to see a spiritual movement today that will reach into the ghetto. When the government reaches into the ghetto with so-called social reform as we have it today, there is crookedness and misappropriation of funds, and nothing is made right. What we need is true revival, which is the only thing that will really change the ghetto.
That was the message of Jeremiah in his day. You can see how popular that young man would have been as he stood there in the gates of the temple and delivered God’s message. I can picture him there—a lonely fellow, heart-broken at the message he is giving to his people. But he is giving it faithfully, and it does bring partial revival.
JUDGMENT FOR IDOLATRY
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee [Jer. 7:16].
God says, “Jeremiah, you don’t need to pray for these people until they turn to Me.” This is an awesome verse. God says that it is no longer useful to pray for the people. The nation has gone too far away from God. Unless they will turn to God, there is no hope for them.
I believe there are times when we do not need to pray for folk to be blessed. I visited a member of my church in the hospital and prayed for him, then a man in the other bed asked me to pray for him. I asked him whether he was a Christian, and he said he believed in God. I told him that didn’t make him a Christian, and then I explained the gospel to him and asked him to put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said he could not accept that, but he wanted me to pray for him. I told him, “Brother, I will pray for you, but not the way you want me to pray for you. You want me to pray that you will get well and that God will bless you. I am going to pray that you will be saved—that is the only prayer I can pray for you.” I believe we do too much praying for people to be blessed of God when we ought to be praying that those people will be saved.
This is what God is saying to Jeremiah. “Don’t stand there in the temple and pray that these people will not go into captivity. Pray that they will turn back to Me. You are giving them My message, and that is the important thing to do.” This gets right down to the nitty-gritty, doesn’t it? God is not as interested in your ritual on Sunday as He is in your behavior on Monday. The place to judge whether a Christian is genuine or not is not to watch him in church on Sunday but to see him at work on Monday.
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you [Jer. 7:23].
God clearly states for them again that what He wants is their obedience. Coming to the temple is wonderful, but it is no substitute for obedience.
It has been said that some people go to church to eye the clothes and others go to close their eyes. That may be true in a great number of cases. Their purpose is not really to worship God. Their lives have not been changed. They still gossip, still crucify other Christians behind their backs, still live their lives out in the world—just as Jeremiah’s people were still going to the altar of Baal—living without a testimony for the Lord. There is a certain testimony given by going to church, but it is the testimony you give out in the world that counts. This is very real and very personal, isn’t it?
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee [Jer. 7:26–27]
Jeremiah did not have people come forward and declare themselves for God. His message went unheeded; yet it was his responsibility to deliver the message. God told him to do the job, to give out His Word, even if there was no response to it. It is not important for us to be able to count noses and see a response to our message. The important thing is the report we must give to God, to be faithful in giving out His Word and backing it up with our lives.
Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath [Jer. 7:29].
God calls them “the generation of his wrath.” Judgment will come to Jerusalem.
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart [Jer. 7:31].
“Tophet” was the high place of the valley of Hinnom, where the children were sacrificed upon the heated brass arms of Moloch.
NO ONE REPENTED OF HIS WICKEDNESS
Chapter 8 continues Jeremiah’s message as he stands in the gate of the Lord’s house.
The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them? [Jer. 8:9].
Their crowning sin is that they are rejecting the Word of the Lord.
This is the crowning sin of America also. The prevailing feeling is that if our economy is all right, we are all right. However, many folk are beginning to realize that the economy can be all right and we can be all wrong.
After World War II we hastened to get the atom bomb into our arsenal of weapons. Of course we need to protect ourselves, but we forgot that any nation, any church, or any individual disintegrates from the inside. It is not what happens on the outside, but what happens on the inside that is the crucial issue.
Jeremiah enters deeply into the feelings of his people, sharing with them this wail—
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? [Jer. 8:20–22].
Although God had made adequate provision for their restoration, they refuse the remedy.
JEREMIAH SHARES GOD’S HEARTBREAK
Chapter 9 begins with an expression of Jeremiah’s personal heartbreak as he sees his people spurn the tender solicitude of God.
Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! [Jer. 9:1].
This is the effect it had on Jeremiah. How did he give his message? Was he a hard-boiled kind of man who liked to criticize others and rule them out? No, he stood there and gave his message with tears streaming down his face. The message that he gave broke his heart. Centuries later, people of Israel saw Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem when He had a harsh message to deliver to that city and were reminded of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, and some of them even thought Jesus was Jeremiah who had returned to them.
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men [Jer. 9:2].
He longed to get away into a wilderness place where he would not have to see the sin of his people which was bringing his nation to ruin.
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord [Jer. 9:23–24].
These are two wonderful verses of Scripture. They can stand alone and are often quoted alone. However, we need to remember that they were spoken to a people who had rejected the Word of God.
As a nation, what are the things we glory in? Obviously, we trust in human wisdom, in riches, and in power. We need to be reminded that our strength is not in the brain trust in Washington. Our strength is not in Wall Street, the stock market, and the economy. Our strength does not lie in the cleverness of politicians. Our strength is not found in the fact that we have nuclear weapons. Any strength that we have must lie in our spiritual values, our moral values, our character, and our purpose. And these things are not even taught in our schools and colleges today. We have brought forth a generation that is rude, a generation that has no sense of moral purpose. In fact, we have lost our way—as Jeremiah said to his people—on the dark mountains. In our day America is just coasting along; and, when you start coasting, you are going downhill.
I know it is not popular to say these things. I am afraid I am not making friends and influencing people—but neither did Jeremiah. I am going to stand with him, because I believe there is still hope for revival in our land.
“Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.” What we need desperately is a group of leaders who know something other than the present godless philosophy. We need people who know God, who know His Word and are obeying it. The great need in this country today is a return to God. We need to set aside our hypocrisy and our sophistication and our illusion that we are such a smart people. We brag about our achievements when our great need is to walk in a way that will glorify God.
Chapter 10 concludes Jeremiah’s message in the gate of the Lord’s house, and it begins a section (chs. 10–12) of reform and revival after finding the Book of the Law.
The finding of the Book of the Law had a tremendous effect on King Josiah. He realized how far the people had fallen from God’s intention for them. It moved that man, and he was tremendously changed. He brought his people into a covenant with God that they would serve Him.
THE FOOLISHNESS OF IDOLATRY
In this chapter we see that the people were substituting something for God. People have always had substitutes for God. Anyone who is not worshiping the true and living God has some substitute for Him. It may be that the person himself becomes his god—there are a great number of people who actually worship themselves. Others worship money and are willing to be dishonest to become rich. Others worship fame and will sell their honor in order to obtain some unworthy goal. There are many substitutes for God, and Jeremiah talks about this:
Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them [Jer. 10:1–2].
People today are still doing what they did in the time of Jeremiah, trying to regulate their lives by the zodiac. They want to know what sign they were born under and all that nonsense. It is given out through our news media as though it were genuine!
God warns, “Learn not the way of the heathen.” My friend, the astrology that is being promoted today is something which has been picked up from the pagan world.
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not [Jer. 10:3–4].
There are some folk who interpret Jeremiah’s denunciation of idolatry to be a condemnation of the modern Christmas tree. That is utterly preposterous and ridiculous. Jeremiah is not talking about Christmas trees—nobody in his day had a Christmas tree! He is talking to his people about worshiping idols.
“The customs of the people are vain”—they are empty. Obviously Jeremiah is talking about idolatry. He is ridiculing with bitter irony the idolatry of his day. He reminds them that they go out to the woods, cut down a tree, shape it into an image, deck it with silver and gold, fasten it with nails—and that’s their god! It is like worshiping a scarecrow! Now, my friend, if at Christmas time you fall on your knees before your Christmas tree and worship it, Jeremiah’s warning could have reference to you. But I don’t know of even an unsaved pagan in the country who worships a Christmas tree. They use it as a decoration, then throw it out with the trash when Christmas is over. Rather than worshiping a Christmas tree, the danger I see is the worship of self at Christmastime—getting everything possible for self.
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might [Jer. 10:6].
The Lord cannot be compared to anything. How ridiculous it is to turn from the true and living God to worship the things around you and get your leading from the zodiac!
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens [Jer. 10:11].
The gods of the heathen did not create the universe. Our God, the living God, created it.
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion [Jer. 10:12].
The stars are up there in their places because God put them there. He placed them where He wanted them. He didn’t ask you or me how we wanted them arranged. This is His universe, and He is the only One who is worthy of our worship. We may smile at the people of previous centuries who cut down a tree to make a god. We call ourselves intelligent and civilized; yet our people spend millions of dollars to try to discern their future by the zodiac, going to fortune tellers and palm readers and all that sort of thing. If people today are so intelligent, why don’t they worship the living and true God and get into reality?
O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps [Jer. 10:23].
No man can walk aright apart from the revelation of God in His Word. The minute a man turns from the Word of God, he is on a detour. That is our natural course. In fact, we begin that way. I used to take my little grandson for a walk around the block when he was learning to walk. He was a wonderful little fellow, but he wore me out because he wanted to walk up the sidewalk of every house we passed; and when we came to a driveway, he would want to run out in the street, and when we would get to a corner he would want to go the wrong way. I have never seen a little fellow who wanted to go in as many wrong ways as he did. One day when we finally got home, I said to him, “Kim, you’re just like your grandfather. When he gets away from the Word of God, he always goes down a detour.” My friend, “it is not in man … to direct his steps.” We are dependent upon the omniscient God for direction in every area of our lives.
CHAPTERS 11–13
Theme: Israel disobeyed God’s covenant made in the wilderness
In chapters 11 and 12 Jeremiah delivers this tremendous message after the Law has been read to the people. I must remind you that following the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, God went on to pronounce certain judgments if the Law were disobeyed. These are the things that Jeremiah emphasizes, the aspects of the Law which condition the way we live our lives—the way you treat your neighbor, the way you conduct your business, and the kind of social life you are living. Are you one of these church members who is actually worshiping sex? I know men who have left their wives to marry some little girl who didn’t have anything upstairs but had a whole lot downstairs, and they think they can still serve the Lord! Jeremiah makes it clear that if you have done that, you’ve gone down a detour and are far away from God.
Many people talk about being fundamental and correct in their doctrine (I hope you understand that I insist upon that), but what is equally important is the kind of life that you are living. How honest are you? How clean are you in your living? That is what Jeremiah is insisting upon here. Most of us, if we were honest, would get down before God and confess our need to walk with Him, to be close to Him. But the people didn’t do it in Jeremiah’s day, and there won’t be many who do it in our day either.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem [Jer. 11:1–2].
“This covenant”—When the Law was found and read to the people, King Josiah called in the leaders and they made an oath that they were going to follow the Word of God.
And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Cursed he the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant [Jer. 11:3].
Before they found the Book of the Law, the people did not know the Law. Now they know it and their responsibility is great: God says, “Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant.”
I have said many times that I would rather be a heathen in some dark corner of the earth bowing down before an idol, than to be a member of a church where the pastor faithfully preaches the Word of God and to have done nothing in response to it. May I say, I have more respect for that heathen man, and God may yet bring the gospel to him. But that church member who has heard the gospel and rejected it—God will certainly judge him.
Now this chapter closes with the fact that Jeremiah is actually rejected by his hometown, Anathoth.
But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand [Jer. 11:19–21].
God tells Jeremiah, “There is no use speaking to Anathoth anymore. They have rejected Me, and they want to kill you. Don’t bother to prophesy to them any longer.”
There are churches today who no longer stand for the things of God or teach the Word of God as they once did. And some people think it is terrible that their memberships are dwindling and that the churches are being deserted. What is terrible is that the Word of God is not being taught in their pulpits. Jeremiah stopped giving the Word of God in Anathoth. He went somewhere else, because the people were going to kill him; they had rejected the Word of God.
What a picture we have here! It cost this man Jeremiah something to stand for God. It broke his own heart and alienated his hometown from him. In John 4:44 we read, “… Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.” Our Lord had to leave his hometown of Nazareth and move his headquarters to Capernaum. That is what young Jeremiah had to do also.
Jeremiah is delivering a message to these people unlike any we hear today. Today we say, “Come to Jesus, and He will give you a new personality, and He may even make you rich. You’re going to get along real well.” That’s not what we learn from Jeremiah and his life. Jeremiah says that it will cost you something to turn to God—but it will be worth everything you have to pay.
In spite of the fact that Judah made a covenant to serve God, the revival in the land proved to be a largely surface movement. There is no question that the words of Jeremiah had their effect and that there were some who in genuineness turned to the Lord. Jeremiah had preached, “Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them” (v. 6).
However, things in the nation were deteriorating. After the revival, interest in spiritual things began to wear off, and the people returned to their old ways. Even King Josiah made a grave blunder. He went out to battle against the king of Egypt, Pharaoh-nechoh, and they fought at Megiddo. Josiah was fatally wounded, and Jeremiah mourned for him: “And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations” (2 Chron. 35:25).
Jeremiah wept because he knew that the people not only would return to idolatry but they would sink even farther into immorality. And, of course, they did. Jeremiah had to give the people a message that they didn’t want to hear. They rejected his message and were plotting to kill him, so that he had to leave his hometown of Anathoth. Had Josiah still been alive, he would have protected Jeremiah, but Josiah was gone now.
Jehoahaz came to the throne but reigned for only three months. Pharaoh-nechoh then raised Jehoiakim to the throne of Judah. Jehoiakim had to pay a tax to Egypt, so he taxed the land heavily. It wasn’t very long until Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian king and Jehoiakim became a vassal of Babylon. This lasted for three years, and then Jehoiakim rebelled against the king of BabyIon, ignoring Jeremiah’s warning not to do so. Jeremiah had also warned earlier against the alliance with Egypt as a source of false confidence, but the kings of Judah paid no attention to him and continually became more corrupt.
JEREMIAH’S QUESTION
As we come to chapter 12 we have entered a very evil period in the life of the nation, and the only light remaining is this man Jeremiah. Josiah has been slain, Jeremiah has been forced to leave his hometown, and evil men have come to the throne. Conditions seem only to get worse. At this point Jeremiah—and I believe every honest Christian—has doubts come into his heart. Dark thoughts come into his mind, and he wonders why God permits certain things. Every pastor who has ever stood for the things of God at times wonders why God does not move. He looks around and sees that it is his very best people who are suffering; the most spiritual folk seem to be having more trouble than anyone else. We all wonder why God permits this. Even David questioned God when he saw “… the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree” (Ps. 37:35). Listen now to Jeremiah as he talks to the Lord:
Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins [Jer. 12:1–2].
“Oh, they talk about You, Lord, but they’re far from You, and they prosper. Why do You permit that?” That was Jeremiah’s question. That’s my question too. I’d like to ask God that today: “Lord, why do You permit it?” I don’t have the answer, and I don’t think Jeremiah or David ever had the answer either. God allows the wicked to prosper, and we see them spreading themselves like a green bay tree. Why doesn’t God prosper those who are really interested in supporting fine Christian missionaries? I’ve asked Him that, and I don’t have the answer.
But thou, O Lord knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter [Jer. 12:3].
Jeremiah says, “Why don’t You judge them? They are the ones who should be judged.”
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end [Jer. 12:4].
“How long shall the land mourn”—in other words, “Lord, why don’t You move?” God’s answer to Jeremiah and to you and me today is one that we must accept—it’s the best we have. God says, “I know what I’m doing. You trust Me, rest in Me.” Remember Jeremiah began this passage, “Righteous art thou, O Lord.” My friend, what God is doing today—however peculiar it may seem to us—is right, and we will be able to see and understand that someday. That is where faith must enter in. We walk by faith and not by sight.
Jeremiah alone stands for God. Jehoiakim, a corrupt ruler, is on the throne. Things are getting worse, and he wonders what is going to happen. God has already assured Jeremiah that He will take care of the situation. In chapter 11 verse 16 “The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.” Paul refers to this in Romans 11 saying that the good olive tree has been cut off and set aside. That is exactly what God did to these people. And today, out of that same root, He’s bringing forth a wild olive tree. That is you and me: the church has been grafted into that root which is Christ. He is the “…root out of a dry ground…” (Isa. 53:2), and He brings life. God says to Jeremiah, “I’ll take care of this. I’ll be the One who will deal with this.” God has a plan which extends far beyond the circumstances that Jeremiah could see.
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? [Jer. 12:5].
You’ll forgive me, I’m not trying to be irreverent, but this is actually what God is saying to Jeremiah: “If you are troubled now by what things are going to happen, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Things are to get lots worse, Jeremiah. And if you’re troubled now, what are you going to do when it really gets bad?”
Friend, things may look bad to us today, but they are going to get worse. I hope the knowledge of that will help draw you closer to God. He does not explain all the details to us as we might wish He would, but He does tell us that we can trust Him to always do the right thing.
Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour [Jer. 12:9].
Don’t tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Although this verse refers to Judah, I’d like to make an application to Jeremiah. You see, every crow thinks his offspring is blacker than any other crow, but when an egg hatches and the bird is speckled, different from the rest, a problem develops. The surrounding nations considered Judah a speckled bird, and Judah considered Jeremiah a speckled bird. The people said to him, “We thought you were for us, but you’re not. You’re speckled.” Well, my friend, I’m a speckled bird, too, and if you’re standing for God, you are a speckled bird.
And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land [Jer. 12:15].
Why is it that the rich are prospering? God says, “Jeremiah, I’ll take care of that. And I’ll tell you what is going to happen: They are going into captivity. But I have remembered the land, and I’m going to bring them back into the land.”
PARABLE IN ACTION—THE LINEN GIRDLE
Chapter 13 is another great chapter. I think it is interesting because, even when conditions are so terribly serious, you just can’t help but smile. God is giving a parable to Judah, and it is the parable of the girdle!
Thus saith the Lord unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water [Jer. 13:1].
I just can’t help but smile at this. I don’t think that Jeremiah was putting on weight. In fact, I would think he had been losing weight. God told him to get a girdle and wear it. But it wasn’t because he was getting fat—a girdle wasn’t worn for that purpose in that day. You see, today a girdle is used to try to achieve an hourglass figure when it is more like a barrel! In that day a girdle was something worn to bind up the flowing garments to ready oneself for service.
The girdle is a sign of service. The Lord Jesus spoke of His servants having their “…loins…girded about…” (Luke 12:35). That is, they are to be ready for service. You remember that He girded Himself with a linen cloth and began to wash the disciples’ feet. This had a twofold meaning: He, the great Servant, was preparing them for service by washing their feet so they could have fellowship with Him. For if you don’t have fellowship with Him, you can’t serve. Service is fellowship with Christ. It is not teaching a Sunday school class, singing a solo, or preaching a sermon. Service is fellowship with Christ. It is being cleansed and used for what He wants to do. God doesn’t use dirty cups or dirty vessels.
Now Jeremiah is told to do something very interesting with this girdle:
And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,
Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me [Jer. 13:3–5].
There has always been a lot of debate as to whether Jeremiah actually went down to the Euphrates and hid the girdle. I think he did. There was traffic in the day going to and fro between nations, and I think Jeremiah actually made this trip. He did this very strange thing, and when he came back, people probably said, “Where have you been, Jeremiah?” He would reply, “I’ve been down to Babylon.” “What have you been doing down there? Did you go as a representative of the king, or did you go down there on a business trip?” Jeremiah would have to answer, “No, I went down there to hide a girdle!” Now, my friend, I think the crowd laughed at that.
And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing [Jer. 13:6–7].
Jeremiah was to wear the girdle and not wash it but let it get dirtier and dirtier. I think it finally got so dirty that he couldn’t bear to wear it anymore. Then God told him to bury it in Babylon as an object lesson. When he returned and dug it up, he found “it was profitable for nothing.” What does this strange action mean?
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Thus saith the Lord, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem [Jer. 13:8–9].
God is saying that because the people of Judah are continually sinking into iniquity they will reach the place where there is no hope for them. He is going to send them into Babylonian captivity. The object lesson was impressive. God uses some very funny things to teach His people.
Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness [Jer. 13:16].
God says to His people, “It’s getting night-time now. It’s going to be dark, and you won’t know where to go because you are lost in the mountains.” Yet He still asks them to turn to Him.
The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive [Jer. 13:19].
God tells them exactly what is going to happen. He makes it very clear what He will do.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil [Jer. 13:23].
It is impossible for an unsaved person to do good. All of the do-gooders are not really pleasing God. Until a man does his work in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory and honor, he is simply doing the work for himself for selfish reasons. No genuine goodness can come out of an evil heart.
CHAPTERS 14–15
Theme: Backsliding nation judged by drought and famine
Up to this point Jeremiah has been prophesyin during the reign of Josiah. Now we find him delivering a prophecy during the reign of Jehoiakim. King Josiah during the last part of his reign did a very foolish thing. He fought against Nechoh, a pharaoh of Egypt, and there at Megiddo Josiah was killed. Jeremiah mourned for him; he had been his friend. After the death of Josiah, the nation began to drop back into idolatry; in fact, its plunge downward was swift and terrible, as we shall see in this section.
DROUGHT
God’s first warning to the nation was drought.
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up [Jer. 14:1–2].
The drought was apparently a very severe one. There had been a drought during the reign of Ahab, and at that time Elijah was the messenger from God. Now there is a drought, and Jeremiah is the messenger to the southern kingdom of Judah.
Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads [Jer. 14:4].
The ground is barren and cracked for want of rainfall.
Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass [Jer. 14:5].
Even the cattle would leave their offspring because there was no water to drink and no grazing land. It would mean death to the calf and to the mother also. All of this revealed the fact that God was judging them. This is one of the thirteen famines mentioned in Scripture, and all of them were judgments of God upon the land. Just as the land was barren and unfruitful, so were the lives of the people because they had rejected the water of life. God was showing them that what was happening to the physical earth was also happening in a spiritual sense to their hearts.
Jeremiah goes to God to confess the sins of the people.
O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee [Jer. 14:7].
Notice that Jeremiah takes his place with his people as being one of the sinners. There is no boasting here. He does not show any signs of a critical attitude toward the people. He says, “We have backslidden, and we have sinned.” It is so easy for God’s people to be critical of others. They pray almost like the Pharisee whom our Lord Jesus told us about in Luke 18:11–12. “I thank You, Lord, that I am so good. I am a separated Christian and I do this and I don’t do that. I am a nice, sweet Sunday school Christian. Now Mr. So-and-So over there is a dirty old man, and Mrs. So-and-So never does anything for You, and Miss So-and-So is a real gossip.” That is not identifying oneself with the people of God! You will notice that Jeremiah didn’t pray that kind of a prayer. He identified himself with God’s sinning people and said, “We have backslidden, and we have sinned.” My friend, if you can take your place before God, confessing your own sins as well as the sins of your people, then you can speak to them about the judgment of God. But until you can do that, you shouldn’t try to speak on God’s behalf.
As we move on through this chapter, we see that the darkness has gathered, and the people are stumbling on the dark mountains.
Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place [Jer. 14:13].
The false prophets were predicting peace and prosperity—everything was going to be wonderful.
Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart [Jer. 14:14].
You see, Jeremiah is very much alone now that King Josiah is dead. And he is wondering—Am I giving the correct message, or are the other prophets right? He is not quite sure; so he goes to God about it. God reassures him, “I want you to know that the false prophets are lying. I didn’t send them. You are the one giving My message.” You can see that this will put Jeremiah right back on the firing line.
Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease:for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow [Jer. 14:17].
The message was breaking the heart of Jeremiah. He was weeping as he gave the message to his people. God wanted the people to know that His heart was breaking. Jeremiah was not only giving the message from God, but he was expressing the feelings of God as well.
We all need to realize that we are witnesses for God. If you are a child of God, you are a witness for God, and you are saying something by your life. We need to be very careful when we speak the Word of God that our lives conform to it. We are not to be giving out the Word in a coldhearted manner. There must be feeling in it. If there is not, then there is something radically wrong with us.
INEVITABLE JUDGMENT
In chapter 15 we see that Jeremiah is a brokenhearted man who wants to go to God to pray for his people. That was very right and fine. However, God has something interesting to say to him:
Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth [Jer. 15:1].
The people have gone too far, and judgment must come upon them. They have gone over the borderline where there is absolutely no possibility for reprieve. They will not escape captivity. The Lord tells Jeremiah that he shouldn’t think that God is not hearing his prayers. There was nothing wrong in Jeremiah’s prayers. God says that even if Moses stood before Him, He would not listen. You will remember in Exodus 32 that Moses was a marvelous intercessor for the people. When God threatened to destroy the people, Moses had stood before Him as their intercessor. God answered his prayer and spared the people. But now, even if Moses were acting as the intercessor for the people, it wouldn’t do any good. Samuel was another who had prayed for the people. Judgment had been averted again and again because of Samuel. But God says that even if Samuel were to pray now, there could be no averting of the judgment. The people had stepped across the borderline, and judgment was inevitable.
Now we can understand why Jeremiah is giving a message of nothing but judgment.
For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?
Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward: therefore willI stretch out my hand against thee, anddestroy thee; I am weary with repenting [Jer. 15:5–6].
“Thou art gone backward”—that’s backsliding.
“I am weary with repenting.” They have come to Him over and over with their weeping and their promises to do better, but they continually go right back into the same old sin. God is tired of it all, and He says the time has now come when He intends to judge them.
JEREMIAH’S PERSONAL DISTRESS
You can see that this message would not increase the popularity of poor Jeremiah. King Josiah was his friend, but not King Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim was an evil man. Jeremiah was the fly in the ointment for Jehoiakim. He considered Jeremiah nothing but a troublemaker.
In spite of the fact that Jeremiah is a weeping prophet who must deliver this very difficult message, he really had a sense of humor. He went to the Lord and cried out:
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me [Jer. 15:10].
Jeremiah says, “Nobody likes me, I don’t lend money on interest and I don’t borrow money on interest, yet everyone curses me.” We still have an adage today that says if we want to lose a friend, lend him money.
I have seen what the lending of money can do to Christian friends. I remember a man who lent money to his friend who had some project in mind and thought he could double the money in a hurry. Actually, he lost all the money and couldn’t pay back his friend. That broke up a good friendship and wrecked their relationship. So if you want to start losing your friends, lend them money! Jeremiah says, “You’d think I had been lending money around here—nobody wants to have anything to do with me.”
During this difficult time, Jeremiah turns to the Word of God—remember that the law of the Lord had been found in the Temple and was available to him.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts [Jer. 15:16].
He found his consolation in it. He ate it and he digested it and it became a part of him. Oh, how we need to get into the Word of God today. We don’t need just a little surface learning of a few rules, or just a little guideline of a few steps to take. We need to digest it so that it becomes part of our being. It will bring joy and rejoicing to the heart just as it did for Jeremiah. Only the Word of God can do this.
I received a letter from a man who heard our broadcast when I was in Galatians. He heard one word: Father. That arrested his attention. May I say to you that God is still using His Word today. Oh, how important the Word of God is!
Jeremiah is in real difficulty. Remember that his hometown rejected him and got rid of him. His own family rejected him. His life is actually in danger.
And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible [Jer. 15:20–21].
God says, “You just stay on the firing line, and I will take care of you.”
CHAPTERS 16–17
Theme: God forbids Jeremiah to marry
The days are becoming increasingly difficult. The nation of Judah is coming to the end of its rope. As nearly as I can judge, it is within ten years of the destruction of Jerusalem at this particular time.
The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying,
Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;
They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth [Jer. 16:1–4].
God reveals to Jeremiah the horror that is to come. He tells Jeremiah not to get married, and I think the reason is quite obvious. If you will turn to Psalm 137, which was written after the Babylonian captivity, you will see the fate children suffered. In the last two verses it says that Babylon will be destroyed and they will do to her just as she had done to Judah: “O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones” (Ps. 137:8–9). When Nebuchadnezzar took the city of Jerusalem, the conquerors seized little children and dashed their heads against the stones! God asked Jeremiah not to get married because He wanted to spare Jeremiah this anguish.
Under certain circumstances it is best not to bring children into this world. I sometimes wonder about the times in which we live. My heart goes out to the little ones today. I look at my own grandchildren and, actually, tears come into my eyes. They may live out their lives through some terrible times, so I pray for them and ask the Lord to protect them. A great deal could be said about this. There is a time when it would be better not to have children.
Here is a bright note—
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
But, the Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers [Jer. 16:14–15].
In this dark moment in Judah’s history, God let Jeremiah see a brilliant future. It is as if he looks down the dark tunnel of the future and sees the light at the other end. It is interesting that this theme recurs throughout the writings of the prophets. It never got so dark but what the prophets didn’t see the light that was coming, and the darker the night was, the brighter the light appeared to be. God says the day is coming when He will bring them back from captivity, back home to their own land.
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord [Jer. 16:21].
It is my personal opinion that God is going to have to teach my country that He is the Lord. I get the impression that America doesn’t know God is out there. When He does make Himself known, I am afraid it will be very impressive.
MESSAGE OF THE UNMARRIED PROPHET
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond:it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills [Jer. 17:1–2].
There was evil in everything they did. It even permeated their religion.
Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord [Jer. 17:5].
It might be well for us to put that up as a motto today. Sometimes we think we can depend on certain men or on certain political parties to work out the problems of the world. You and I are cursed people if we put our trust in men and what men can do. This is the day to trust God.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is [Jer. 17:7].
We shall be blessed if we trust Him.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit [Jer. 17:8].
This is the same thought that we find in the first psalm: Blessed is the man whose “…delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Ps. 1:2–3).
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? [Jer. 17:9].
This is true of your heart and my heart. Unfortunately, we all have heart trouble.
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings [Jer. 17:10].
Only God can make a heart transplant. Man is now doing that sort of thing in the physical sense, but God has been doing it in the spiritual sense for a long time. When we come to Him, He gives us new life—we are born anew and given a new nature. Sometimes we who are ministers use the expression, “Give your heart to the Lord.” Well, what would God want with that old, dirty, filthy heart of yours or mine? He doesn’t want it. The heart is deceitful. He wants to give you a new heart. He is a heart specialist; He is the Great Physician.
Now we will conclude this chapter with a great verse:
A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary [Jer. 17:12].
This is the hope of man. All men have hearts which are deceitful, dirty, filthy, and wicked. But there is a sanctuary. “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” A sanctuary is not only a place of worship; it is a place of safety, a place of peace. God gave to His people certain cities which were to be cities of refuge, sanctuaries where they would be protected.
My friend, these are difficult days. It is dangerous to walk the streets of our cities. Even in our homes we are not safe from a bomb that may come from the other side of the world. Where can we go to be safe? There is a sanctuary, and it is the high throne of our God. That is the place where you and I can go. And He asks us to come. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” (Heb. 10:19–22).
CHAPTERS 18–19
Theme: Sign at potter’s house
Now we go with Jeremiah down to the potter’s house. For folk who are sophisticated and hardened in sin it is difficult to get them to listen to the Word of God; so God has a sign for the nation of Judah, and He has an object lesson for you and me.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel [Jer. 18:1–6].
One Sunday evening a potter, who also was one of our radio listeners, came to put on a demonstration for the congregation at an evening service. He brought in a potter’s wheel which was operated by a foot pedal, and on that wheel he put clay. While I was giving the message, he molded the clay into a vessel. It was a very simple experiment, but I never repeated it—the congregation that evening was so intent on watching the potter that I don’t think anyone heard my message!
Many years before this, when I was a seminary student, traveling from my home in Tennessee to the seminary at Dallas, Texas, I had to cross the state of Arkansas, and always passed by a large pottery plant near Arkadelphia. One day we took time out (several other fellows were traveling with me) to stop and see the pottery being made.
There were two very impressive and striking sights there that I have not forgotten. Behind this plant was as ugly a patch of mud as I’ve ever seen. It was shapeless and gooey. It looked hopeless to me. Out in front of the plant they had a display room, and in that room were some of the most exquisite vessels I have ever seen.
Then we went inside the plant, and there we saw many potters at work. There they stood, bent over many wheels which were power-driven. They didn’t even have to use foot pedals; so they could give their full attention to working with that helpless, hopeless, ugly, mushy, messy clay. They were intent on transforming it and translating it into objects of art. The difference between that mass of mud out back and those lovely vessels in the display room were these men, the potters, working over their wheels.
Now it was to such a place that God sent this man Jeremiah. He sent him down to see a sermon. Actually it is a very simple sermon. It is easy to make identification in this very wonderful living parable that Jeremiah gives us. We have no difficulty in identifying the potter, and we have no difficulty in identifying the clay. In fact, God does it for us. God is the Potter, and Israel is the clay in particular here. Also it is very easy to make application to mankind in general and to each individual personally. Each individual is the clay. If I may be personal, you are clay on the Potter’s wheel. Regardless of what else may be said about you, you are clay today on the Potter’s wheel—as is every man who has ever lived on this earth.
The figure of the potter and clay is carried over in the New Testament. We find Paul in his epistle to the Romans using the same simile: “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Rom. 9:21). Then Paul used the other side of this very wonderful figure of speech when he wrote to Timothy: “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). So we see that this figure is carried all the way through the Word of God.
Now notice what the potter did. He was fashioning a vessel, and it became marred in his hands. It wouldn’t yield. The clay has to be just the right texture. Maybe it was too hard or too soft. So he pitched it aside. Then later he picked it up and made it into another kind of vessel.
There are two things we want to see in this section: the power of the potter and the personality of the clay.
POWER OF THE POTTER
Like a giant Potter, God took clay and formed man, the physical part of man. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). God was the Potter.
Now let’s go down to the potter’s house and stand with Jeremiah as we watch the potter at work. The potter has a wheel, an old-fashioned one. He works the pedal with his foot to make the wheel turn. As he pedals, his hands are deftly, artistically working with the clay, and attempting to form out of it a work of art.
Note, now, the first principle: God is sovereign.
The potter is absolute. That is, he has power over the clay and that power is unlimited. No clay can stop the potter, nor can it question his right. No clay can resist his will, nor “say him nay,” nor alter his plans. The clay cannot speak back to him. You remember in the delightful little story we heard in the nursery about the gingerbread boy that talked back. But the clay can’t talk back.
I recall a very whimsical story of a little boy who was playing in the mud down by a brook. He was attempting to make a man. He worked on him and had gotten pretty well along when his mother called him. They were going downtown and he must come along. He wanted to stay, but she insisted that he come. By this time he had finished his mud man except for one arm. But he had to leave. While he was in town with his mother and father, he saw a one-armed man. He eyed him for awhile. Finally he went up to him and said, “Why did you leave before I finished you?”
The clay on the potter’s wheel can’t get up when it wants to. The clay on the potter’s wheel can’t talk back. The clay on the potter’s wheel is not able to do anything. It can only yield to the potter’s hand.
Nowhere, I repeat, nowhere will you find such a graphic picture of the sovereignty of God than in this. Man, the clay upon the potter’s wheel, and God, the Potter. You won’t find anything quite like this.
And our contemporary generation resists it because this is the day of the rights of man. We are hearing a great deal today about freedom, and every group is insisting upon its freedom—freedom to protest, freedom to do what it chooses. We seem to have forgotten about the rights of God. Today men will permit a racketeering gangster to plead the fifth amendment because we must protect his rights. God has incontestable authority. His will is inexorable, it is inflexible, and it will prevail. He has irresistible ability to form and fashion this universe to suit Himself. He can form this little earth on which we live to suit Himself. And, my friend, you, an individual, and I, an individual, can be nothing but clay in His hands. He has power to carry through His will and He answers to no one. He has no board of directors. He has no voters to whom He must respond. He has absolute authority. He is God. You and I live in a universe that is running to please God. And the rebellion of little man down here on this speck of dust that we live on is a “tempest in a teapot!” Our little earth, as we see in the pictures taken from the moon, is just a speck in the infinity of space. And, my friend, God rides triumphantly in His own chariot.
You will find that the Word of God has some very definite things to say concerning Him: “Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who are thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hath thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Rom. 9:19–21).
It was Bengel who wrote this: “The Jews thought that in no case could they be abandoned by God, and in no case could the Gentiles be received by God.” And Dr. Lange, the great German expositor, said: “When man goes the length of making to himself a god whom he affects to bind by his own rights, God then puts on His majesty, and appears in all His reality as a free God, before whom man is a mere nothing, like the clay in the hand of the potter. Such was Paul’s attitude when acting as God’s advocate, in his suit with Jewish Pharisaism.”
God is absolute!
PERSONALITY OF THE CLAY
Now for a moment let’s look at the personality of the clay. I realize someone will be saying, “Believe me, you have a mixed metaphor here! You mean to tell me that clay has personality?” Clay is formless, it’s shapeless, it’s lifeless, it’s inept, it’s inert, it’s incapable, it’s a muddy mess. The psalmist wrote, “…he remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). Dr. George Gill used to say in class, “God remembers that we are dust, but man sometimes forgets it, and he gets stuck on himself. And when dust gets stuck on itself, it’s mud.” We do sometimes forget this, but God remembers we are dust. I look at the clay on that wheel down at the potter’s house. That clay has no wish; it has no rights; it has no inherent ability. It is helpless, and it is hopeless.
The Scriptures confirm this. Listen to Paul in Ephesians 2:1. Although he is writing to the Ephesians, it can apply to you and me as well: “you…who were dead in trespasses and sins” (italics mine). That’s man. Then he amplifies this later on in the same chapter: “…having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). That clay on the potter’s wheel is no different. Then Paul said to the Romans, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).
You and I need to recognize that our God is a sovereign God and that we are the clay. We were dead in trespasses and sin, without strength. God is the Potter with the power. “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom. 9:16). God is the One who is in charge. None of us has any claim on God. “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Rom. 9:15).
When Moses pleaded with God, God said to him, “Moses, I’m going to hear you, but I’m not going to hear you because you are Moses; I am going to hear you because I extend mercy.” That is the reason God heard him. God is not obligated to save any man. God is free to act as He wishes. He is righteous, and He is holy. This is a lost world, and it could remain like that, and no one would have the right to raise a question.
Now look at the other side of the coin. Let’s talk now about the power of the clay and the personality of the potter. This is the other side. “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” There is not only a principle here which is that God is sovereign, but also there is a purpose here.
POWER OF THE CLAY
Look now at the power of the clay. That clay on the potter’s wheel is like Browning’s “dance of plastic circumstance.” This wheel is the wheel of circumstance. That’s what it is!
I do not believe that life’s big decisions are made in a church sanctuary. I believe they are made out in the work-a-day world—in the office, in the school, in the workshop, at the crossroads of life—there is where the Potter is working with the clay. There is the place He is working with you, my friend.
You and I live in a world that seems to have no purpose or meaning at all. Multitudes of people see no purpose in life whatever and find confusion on every hand. Someone has expressed it in a little jingle:
In a day of illusions
And utter confusions,
Upon our delusions
We base our conclusions
—Author unknown
How true that is of life today!
Look away, for a moment, from the potter’s wheel. Behind him we see shelf upon shelf of works of art. Those objects of beauty were one time on the potter’s wheel as clay—clay that yielded to the potter’s hand. Once they all were a shapeless mass of mud. What happened? That lifeless clay was under the hand of the potter, and as the wheel of circumstance turned, he molded and made them into the vessels that now stand on display.
I outlined the Book of Jeremiah for our Thru the Bible Radio program while my wife and I were down at Fort Myers in Florida. We had an apartment there for a few days. Every morning we would eat breakfast in the apartment, and I would work for a few hours on Jeremiah; then we would go over to one of the islands to hunt for shells. I discovered something. There are literally thousands of varieties of shells. I didn’t dream there were so many. Anything God does He does in profusion. My wife bought a book on shells, and we identified many of them.
In my hand I am holding a little shell that I picked up on Sanibel Island. It is a beautiful little shell. I had been working on the eighteenth chapter of Jeremiah that morning, and when I found this, it occurred to me that the Lord was trying to say something to us. God started with just some little animal, a tiny mollusk, and around it He formed this shell. I thought, Well, since the great Architect has spent all that time with a little shell in the bottom of the ocean, what about man today?
Look again at those works of art which the potter has lining the shelves behind him. Don’t speak disparagingly of the clay! I’m sorry for what I said about it. It has marvelous capacity and resilience. This, my friend, and I am saying it reverently, this is what the Potter wants—clay. He doesn’t want steel. He doesn’t want oil. He doesn’t want rock. He wants clay. He wants something that He can put in His hand to mold and fashion. This is the stuff He is after—clay. God wants to work with human beings.
Someone may say, “Yes, but here is where the analogy breaks down. The distance between God and man is greater than between the potter and the clay.” I disagree with that. Actually God is nearer man than the potter is to the clay.
This is what I mean: the clay on the wheel down at the potter’s house to which Jeremiah takes us has no will. I do! That clay cannot cooperate with the potter. I can! I quoted the Genesis account of the creation of man for a purpose—God created man in His own likeness. He took man physically out of the dust of the ground; He made man. Then He breathed into his breathing-places the spirit of life, and man became a living soul. Man today has a free will, and he can exercise it. That clay has no will. But you and I do have a will; we can cooperate with the Potter.
Now I want to ask the Potter a question. What’s Your purpose in putting me on the potter’s wheel? Why do You bear down on me? Why do You keep working with me? Why, Potter, do You do this? I’m not being irreverent, but I am like the little gingerbread boy, I talk back. Why, O Potter, do you do this? What are You after?
Well, I go back to the potter’s house. Follow me now very carefully. I do not discover the purpose, but I learn something more important than the purpose for my life. I learn that the potter has a purpose, which is more important to know. I watch the potter there. He is serious. He means business. He’s not playing with the clay. This is his work. He is giving his time, his talents, his ability to working with the clay.
Notice again in verses 3–4: “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” My friend, this is not a cat-and-mouse operation. This is not the potter’s avocation. It is his vocation. This is not his hobby. This is not something with which he is amusing himself. He knows what he is doing. This tells me that God is not playing with me today. He is not experimenting with us. He has purpose. And, friend, that comforts me. This is the second great principle we see here: the Potter has a purpose.
As a sightseer, I stand with Jeremiah, and I say, “What’s he going to make?” Jeremiah says, “I don’t know. Let’s watch him.” The sightseer cannot tell as he watches, but the potter knows. He has a plan. He knows what he is doing. The clay does not know his purpose.
But, friend, someday we will know. When He puts us on the plastic wheel of circumstance, He means to accomplish something. He has a purpose. The psalmist says, “… I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15). Someday I’ll be like Him! “… it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). That’s going to be a fair morning. That’s going to be a new day. And God will be vindicated—He was not being cruel when He caused us to suffer. Some day, some glorious someday, we’ll see that the Potter had a purpose in your life and in mine. Notice how Paul writes to the Ephesians. He began the second chapter with the doleful words which I have already quoted: “And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). And if that is all, then I’m through too. But, my friend, there is more: “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). In the ages to come we’ll be a demonstration, and we’ll be yonder on display. We will reveal what the Potter can do with lifeless clay. He gets the glory. It will be wonderful to be a vessel in the Master’s hand.
PERSONALITY OF THE POTTER
In conclusion let us consider the personality of the potter. This is the most important and wonderful thing of all. To do this we must take one final look in the potter’s house.
I say to Jeremiah, “The potter is a kindly looking man.” Jeremiah answers, “He is. He doesn’t want to hurt the clay. He wants the clay to yield because he wants to make something out of it.” I gaze into the face of the potter. Oh, how intent he is. How interested he is in the clay.
Oh, what a Potter God is! If I could only see my Potter! But Scripture says I cannot see God. Philip asked the question, which I certainly would have asked, when he said to Jesus, “… Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8). The Lord Jesus said to him, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John 14:9).
My friend, let us look at the Potter very carefully now. See the Potter’s feet as He is working them on the pedals, turning, turning that wheel of circumstance. See the hands of the Potter as He deftly, artistically, oh, so intently and delicately, kindly and lovingly works with the clay. I look at Him. Those feet have spike wounds in them. And there are nail prints in those hands.
That’s not all.
I turn over to Matthew’s gospel and read: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me” (Matt. 27:3–10).
Two verses startle me: “And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.” They probably did not know what they were doing when they called it the field of blood, but I hope you don’t miss it. This Potter is more wonderful than any other potter. He shed His blood that He might go into that field and take those broken pieces and put them again on His potter’s wheel to make them again another vessel.
Just this past week I talked with a woman who has a broken home and a broken life. Is God through with her? Is He through with us when we make a failure of our lives? Oh, no. He’s not through with us—that is, if the clay will yield to Him. All that is necessary is the clay yielding to the Potter. He paid the price for the field, it’s a field of blood. You may look back on your life and say, “Oh, what failure! I don’t think God could use me.” My friend, He is working with those broken pieces today, and He’ll work with you if you’ll let Him. He has already paid the price for your redemption. You can’t make anything out of yourself for Him, and I can’t either, but He can take us and put us on the wheel of circumstance and shape us into a vessel of honor.
We are the clay; He is the Potter.
THE SIGN OF THE BROKEN VESSEL
In the first verse of chapter 19 God sends Jeremiah to get a potter’s earthen bottle and tells him to take elders of the people and of the priests with him as witnesses.
And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee [Jer. 19:2].
“The valley of the son of Hinnom” was at this time the place where the horrible worship of Moloch was conducted. God spells it out for them—
Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled his place with the blood of innocents;
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind [Jer. 19:4–5].
Because of these things, God says that the valley of the son of Hinnom would soon be known as the valley of slaughter, because as they had killed their children as offerings to Baal and Moloch, God would allow their enemies to kill them there (see vv. 6–9).
After pronouncing this frightful judgment upon the people of Jerusalem, God directed Jeremiah to break the clay bottle in the sight of the witnesses—
And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury [Jer. 19:11].
Returning from Tophet, or the valley of Hinnom, Jeremiah went to the court of the Lord’s house and gave this final word:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words [Jer. 19:15].
He had warned, pleaded, and entreated, but their hearts were unrelenting. The clay had resisted the hand of the Potter too long. Very soon the enemy would come and shatter the nation in pieces.
CHAPTERS 20–22
Theme: Jeremiah’s persecution and prophecies during Zedekiah’s reign
When Jeremiah went down to Tophet and broke the bottle as the Lord had told him to do, the message he gave to the people of Judah was that they were going into captivity. Josiah, the great and good king, is dead, and he has been followed by Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, is now on the throne. He is the worst and the weakest of all the kings who ever ruled Judah. It is during his reign that the Babylonian captivity prophesied by Jeremiah will take place.
We will now see a change take place in the life and ministry of Jeremiah. When he gives out the Word of God, he’s adamant, he’s strong, and he’s hard-nosed, but personally, as a man, he has a very tender heart. When his beloved friend Josiah died, Chronicles records that Jeremiah wept for him. The three evil kings who followed Josiah reject the ministry of Jeremiah in a very definite way. He is given a cold shoulder, and his message is absolutely ignored, but he has not been persecuted personally. As we come to chapter 20, we will find Jeremiah being personally and physically persecuted for the first time.
Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord [Jer. 20:1–2].
Notice with whom the persecution originates: it began in organized religion. Today the Word of God is being hurt and hindered the most by the organized, liberal church which has rejected the Word of God. They will align themselves with some very shady characters boasting of their brotherhood, their love for everyone, and their broad-mindedness. But when it comes to accepting a fundamentalist, someone who stands for the Word of God, I have found that their broad-mindedness and love disappears. There is more opposition to the furtherance of the gospel originating in the organized church than there is in the liquor industry or in any political group that I know of today. This physical persecution of Jeremiah began in the organized religion of his day.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib [Jer. 20:3].
“Magor-missabib”—that’s quite a name, and it means “ terror on every side.” Jeremiah is telling Pashur that there is terror in store for him and for everyone connected with him.
For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword [Jer. 20:4].
This is now the prophecy that Jeremiah will emphasize again and again: the southern kingdom is going into captivity, and nothing can stop it. God has said that it would not help if even Moses or Samuel were alive. It is too late. The people have gone too far in their rejection of God as has been revealed by the actions of the present king and the two who have been on the throne ahead of him.
We need to consider what has happened to Jeremiah. He has been ignored and rejected, but up to this point he has not been persecuted physically. But now he is, and because of all this—remember that his message is breaking his own heart—he decides he will turn in his resignation to God. Your heart cannot help but go out to this man. He is not indifferent to what is happening. He feels all this very deeply, and it is sapping his strength. I think he may even have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay [Jer. 20:9].
What Jeremiah is saying is this: “The message is breaking my heart, and all it has earned for me is the persecution of the religious rulers and the rejection of the people; therefore I’m resigning.” But when he attempted to resign he found that the Word of God was in his bones like a fire. He says, “I had to speak out. I couldn’t forbear.”
Such urgency to speak should be the mark of any man who is giving out the Word of God. How do you really feel about it? Is your ministry just a job you have, or is your heart really in it? If you love the Word of God and you really want to give it out, then you would feel pretty bad if you didn’t have that privilege and opportunity. Unless it really means something to you, I don’t believe you should be attempting to give out the Word of God.
You can understand the conflict that is going on in the heart of Jeremiah, and he indulges in something that seems to have been a habit with God’s men in the Old Testament. He does something that Jonah did, that Job did, and Elijah did. He begins to sing an old song that won’t do him any good. It’s the blues, the religious blues: “Why was I born?” A lot of folk sing that song. Listen to Jeremiah:
Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be the blessed.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad [Jer. 20:14–15].
Oh boy, does Jeremiah hate himself and wish he had never been born!
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame? [Jer. 20:18].
Behold, it’s the old story: Why was I born? Elijah crawled up under a juniper tree and said, “Let me die!” (see 1 Kings 19:4). Job wanted to die and cursed the day he was born. Old Jonah got pretty downhearted about everything, and he also wanted to die. Well, to wish that you had not been born is about as foolish as anything you could wish. My friend, you have already been born, and there is nothing you can do about it. You can sing the blues that you want to die, but you will never die by wishing it—no one ever has. Jeremiah is way down, is he not? You wish that you could put your arm around him, pat him on the back, and encourage him somehow. He is so discouraged; yet he wants to give out the Word of God.
Chapters 21 through 29 contain the prophecies delivered during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. This will bring us right down to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity. There is not a harsher message than the one Jeremiah gives here in chapters 21 and 22.
ANSWER TO ZEDEKIAH REGARDING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying.
Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us [Jer. 21:1–2].
It is interesting that when Zedekiah got into real trouble he went to the man he knew was giving the Word of God. He went right past Pashur and his crowd—he didn’t seek help from organized religion. I find that a great many people today belong to a liberal church, but they listen to a Bible broadcast on the radio. For some strange reason they feel they can reconcile those two things. My friend, when you are in trouble nothing is going to satisfy you but the Word of God.
Zedekiah comes to Jeremiah but he doesn’t get any comfort from him at all. Jeremiah tells him that Nebuchadnezzar is coming and he will destroy the city unless there is a turning to God. Jeremiah really lays it on the line to him.
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death [Jer. 21:8].
That is exactly what God says to you today about His salvation provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. God says that He gave His Son to die for you, to pay the penalty of your sin. He arose so that you might have righteousness. If you are to be saved, you must be in Him. You get into Him by the baptism of the Holy Spirit when you put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. When you do that, you become a child of God. God says, “This is My way that I offer to you. You can take it or leave it. I set before you life and death.” That is the way God has put it. God also pleads with tears in His eyes.
Now the choice before the people of Judah was to stay in the city and die or to surrender to the king of Babylon and live.
He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire [Jer. 21:9–10].
King Zedekiah didn’t follow through. He was a weakling and the worst of the kings. He does not turn to God at all. He evidently thought something like this: Well, look, God didn’t let Nebuchadnezzar destroy this city when Jehoiachin was on the throne and he was about as bad as I am. Why should it happen now?
JUDGMENT OF JEHOIAKIM
Chapter 22, therefore, contains what I feel is the harshest judgment that is pronounced in the Word of God. It is harsher than the judgment pronounced by God upon Cain or by the Lord Jesus upon Judas. It is frightful, and at the same time one of the most remarkable prophecies in the Word of God.
Before we consider the judgment against Coniah, or Jehoiachin, there is first the judgment against his father, Jehoiakim. He was an evil ruler also, but during his reign there was prosperity. The rich were getting richer, and the poor were being ground underfoot. It is very interesting that the Word of God has so much to say about the poor. God pays so much attention to them, both in the Old and New Testaments, that we cannot ignore it.
This begins God’s message concerning Jehoiakim:
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work [Jer. 22:13].
Men were getting rich through wrong methods. The poor were being underpaid.
That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? [Jer. 22:14–15].
“Thy father”—Jeremiah is referring back to Josiah, the good king, and this is what he says about him:
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord.
But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it [Jer. 22:16–17].
Josiah had “judged the cause of the poor and needy” but in Jehoiakim’s day the rich were getting richer by wrong methods, and the poor were getting poorer.
God has a great deal to say on this subject. Jeremiah called attention to the fact that the rich men were heaping up wealth by the labor of others and treading down the poor. In their pride and in their arrogance they built themselves palaces and lived as though God had forgotten their iniquitous means for the acquisition of their wealth. In the New Testament we read: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you …” (James 5:1–3). There are two things for which God condemns the rich: the way they get their money, and the way they spend their money or the way they use it.
Have you noticed that everything is slanted for the rich man? I find that I am paying more taxes than some men who are worth a million dollars. You would think I am a millionaire judging from the taxes I must pay! The tax laws are geared to protect the rich. The politicians gear everything in favor of the rich, those who have given to their political campaigns. That is what the rich people support. Most of them don’t give to the work of the Lord; they don’t give in order to get out the Word of God. God notices that. He notices when the rich get rich at the expense of the poor, and He notices when they spend their wealth on themselves, building palaces to live in.
Very frankly, it is sinful to live in a mansion when there are so many people in such poverty. I do not believe a Christian should do that. There are a lot of poor Christians who need help from the wealthier Christians. And I am not sure that Christian organizations should have plush and luxurious accommodations either.
May I say also that there is too much of a tendency for religion to cater to the rich. I often hear preachers boast that they have a millionaire or two in their congregation. I’d like to know what they are doing to get the Word of God out.
I played golf with a man who is reported to be worth twenty million dollars. I was told he might be interested in supporting our radio broadcast. After he asked me about it, I told him all about the broadcast and the needs of the program. He was interested, and he assured me he listens to the broadcast. Do you know how much support he has given the program? Not one dime. I give this isolated case as an example, but I would hate to be a Christian who left a million dollars when I died and have to face the Lord to account for what I had done with my money. I do not think this means we are not to enjoy what the Lord gives us—the comforts that He has made possible—but if He has given you wealth, He is going to hold you responsible for using it for His glory.
“He judged the cause of the poor and needy … was not this to know me? saith the Lord.” God says, “Josiah knew Me, and he knew that he could not be My follower and not have a concern for the poor and needy.” God says that He has a concern for these people.
Do you know who are the two groups of people that are the hardest to reach with the gospel? They are the very rich and the very poor. God wants to equalize that because He wants them to hear the gospel and be saved. He wants the rich way up at the top to help those way down at the bottom. And He is concerned that both be reached with the Word of God.
The fundamental social problem in America today is not a racial or a class struggle. It is a question of the rich and the poor. Communism would never have risen in the world if it were not for the struggle between the filthy rich and the very poor. And it is this inequality that God says He judges.
JUDGMENT OF CONIAH
Now we come to the very frightful and harsh judgment against the man Coniah.
As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans [Jer. 22:24–25].
“Coniah” is Jehoiachin who was also called Jeconiah. Why does God call him Coniah? It is because the “Je” in Jeconiah stands for Jehovah. God is saying, “Don’t identify Me with that man!” He goes on to say, “Why, if he were the ring on My finger, I would throw him away!”
Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah [Jer. 22:28–30]
God cries to the whole earth to be His witness: No descendant of Coniah will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah. This is one reason that Joseph could not have been the father of Jesus. Joseph was in the line of Jeconiah, and God says no child of that line will sit on the throne of David.
Does that mean the throne of David would be vacant from then on? Listen to another prophecy: “For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel” (Jer. 33:17). There will be Someone on the throne of David, but He will not be a descendant in the line of Jeconiah. In Jeremiah 36:30 we read: “Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.” I remind you that Jehoiakim was the father of Jeconiah. God cut off that line.
Now the remarkable thing is that there are two recorded genealogies of Jesus Christ, and there is a reason for that. The one recorded in Matthew chapter 1 leads to Joseph. It comes from David, through Solomon and Jeconiah, to Joseph. Joseph’s line gave to Jesus the legal title to the throne. But Joseph was not the father of Jesus. Jesus is not a descendant of that line. The second genealogy is in Luke 3:23–38. This is the genealogy of Mary, and it does not come through Solomon but comes through another son of David, Nathan. There is no curse and no judgment on that line. The Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born, and He came through Mary’s line. That is where He got the blood title to the throne of David. I find this to be one of the most remarkable things that has occurred in this world?
That is why God calls the earth to listen: “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” He wants the earth to see that this is the way He has worked it out. God’s purposes will not be thwarted. He is able to bring judgment upon whomever He wills; yet He was able to fulfill His promise that the coming Messiah would be a descendant of King David.
CHAPTERS 23–24
Theme: Bright light in a dark day and parable of two baskets of figs
Every cloud has a silver lining, so the song says, and the dark clouds of the previous chapter also have a silver lining. It never got so dark that the prophets could not see light at the end of the tunnel. After chapter 22, which has the harshest judgment in the Bible against Coniah, the sun breaks through. However, we’ll have two more verses before we see the sun—
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord [Jer. 23:1].
The “pastors” here are not preachers. He will speak about the religious rulers later on. Here the pastors refer to the kings, the politicians, the people who are ruling, the ones who are responsible for the laws of the land. God says, “Woe be unto them.”
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord [Jer. 23:2].
God said He was going to judge them, and He did.
Now the sun breaks through:
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord [Jer. 23:3–4].
God says, “The day is coming when I intend to take over, and when I do, the poor will be taken care of.” This refers specifically to the return of the Jews to their land after the present dispensation has closed and the church has been raptured. At that time the King whom they once rejected will tenderly set over them faithful shepherds. It will be an altogether different type of government from what we have in the world now.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth [Jer. 23:5].
There is a King coming in David’s line. The king Coniah and all of his line, although they are in David’s line, shall be rejected and cut off. However, no one can destroy God’s purpose, although they may think they can. God knows what He will do. We know from the New Testament that through another line, the line of Nathan, another son of David, came a peasant by the name of Mary, a girl up in Nazareth, who bore Jesus, the Messiah, the King. When Jesus presented Himself to the world, He said, “… Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Since you can’t have a kingdom without the king, in effect He was saying to the people, “Your King is here!” The people rejected the King, but He had the last word. He said that someday the King would come back and set up that kingdom.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS [Jer. 23:6].
Have you ever heard of this as a plank in apolitical platform? I have never heard a candidate claim that he is righteous and that he will follow God’s plan and program for government.I’ve heard politicians make almost every other claim under the sun but that one! They wouldn’t dare make it. But righteousness will characterize the kingdom when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
But, the Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land [Jer. 23:7–8].
This is one of the most remarkable prophecies in the Word of God. The oldest religious holiday celebrated today is the Jewish Passover. Regardless of whether the Jew is reformed or orthodox, he remembers the Passover, because it is the celebration of the miraculous deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt. Now God is saying, “The day is coming when I will bring them back into their land that they will forget the deliverance out of Egypt and they will remember this new deliverance which I intend to accomplish.” It will be that tremendous! Obviously God is not through with the nation Israel, my friend.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you [Jer. 23:16–17].
The false prophets persisted in prophesying peace. God repudiates them. Today there are dreamers who are talking about how they are going to bring in world peace, and all of them are talking along that same line. God says, “You won’t do it—you can’t do it.” God said through Isaiah, “There is no peace … unto the wicked” (Isa. 48:22). The problem is not that the people don’t want peace; the trouble is that the heart of man is desperately wicked. We don’t realize how bad we really are. Wicked men in power today cannot bring peace on this earth. If they could, it would be a contradiction of the Word of God.
God turns now to the religious rulers.
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied [Jer. 23:21]
He has already said you can’t trust the political rulers. They cannot bring in peace. They ignore the poor. Now God says that He did not send the bunch of prophets that were filling the land in that day. God denies that their message comes from Him. God rejected both the political rulers and the religious rulers.
Today I believe that God would say the same thing to the world. Who is seeking God in our day? The religious rulers of the world are out for religion. They are religious up to their eyebrows and are so pious, but how many of them are seeking out the living and true God?
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour [Jer. 23:30]
The contemporary liberal theologians are casting reflections upon the Word of God, saying it is not truly the Word of God, thereby stealing it out of the hearts of the people. I would cringe if I were one of the godless college professors or godless preachers who is wrecking the faith of believers. God says that He is going to do something about it someday. God is in no hurry—don’t be deceived because God’s judgment against an evil work is not executed speedily. That day of judgment is coming. It is in the hearts of the sons of man to do evil. They think they are getting by with it. God says, “I have eternity ahead of Me, and I am still running this show. The time will come when I will judge the religious rulers.”
Chapter 24 is a sort of appendix, relating a vision given after Jeconiah had been carried away into captivity. Therefore it was during the early part of Zedekiah’s reign. In a vision Jeremiah was shown two baskets of figs (the fig tree is a well-known symbol of Judah). One basket contained good figs and the other very bad figs. They symbolized two classes of people in Judah.
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up [Jer. 24:5–6].
Notice that God had sent them away into captivity “for their good.” He promises to watch over them and eventually restore them (a remnant) to their land. That their restoration to the land does not refer to the return under Ezra and Nehemiah is clear from the final words “and not pluck them up.” Obviously they have been plucked up again. The reference is to their restoration during the Millennium when “they shall return unto me with their whole heart” (v. 7).
The bad figs represented Zedekiah and those who remained in Jerusalem and finally went down to Egypt in defiance of God’s Word.
And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them [Jer. 24:9].
Secular history gives us the accurate fulfillment of this prophecy which Jeremiah faithfully delivered to his people.
CHAPTER 25
Theme: God spells out seventy-year captivity
This chapter deals with a prophecy which was given about seventeen or eighteen years before that of the previous chapter. (Keep in mind that the Book of Jeremiah is not arranged in a chronological order.) The son of Josiah, Jehoiakim, was on the throne. He was very different from his godly father, as 2 Kings 24:4 records: “…he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon.”
Jeremiah makes this pointed charge:
And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear [Jer. 25:4].
Because they will not hear God’s Word, the land will be invaded by Babylon.
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations [Jer. 25:9].
“Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant”—God calls Nebuchadrezzar His servant! (The variant spelling Nebuchadrezzar is probably more nearly correct than the common Nebuchadnezzar.) He was God’s instrument of judgment.
A great many people wonder why the land of Israel is not a land flowing with milk and honey today. There is a desperate need for water in that land. God said He would make it a perpetual desolation, and He intends to let the world know that He not only judged the people but He also judged the land. There is a judgment of God upon that land specifically just as the curse of sin is on the entire earth—the earth does not produce what it is capable of producing because of the curse of sin upon it.
Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle [Jer. 25:10].
God will take away from them all the fun they have been having. Neither will there be any more marrying and giving in marriage. “The sound of the millstones” will cease, which means that business and commerce will end. “The light of the candle”—they won’t enjoy evenings at home anymore.
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years [Jer. 25:11].
When God is dealing with the nation of Israel, He deals with the calendar. He spells out time in relation to their history. When God deals with the church, He does not give any times. Therefore you and I are not able to say when the Lord Jesus is coming. We have no right to say even that He is coming soon—we have not been told the time of His coming.
The seventy-year period of time is very significant. When the people of Israel were about to enter the land, the Lord told them that every seventh year was to be a Sabbath in which the ground was to lie fallow (see Lev. 25). Not only did God promise blessing if His Word was obeyed, but He warned of judgment if it was not. If they walked contrary to Him, He would walk contrary to them. Notice that God foresaw their disobedience: “Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it” (Lev. 26:34–35). For approximately 490 years the sabbatic year was not kept—seventy Sabbaths had been neglected. God says through Jeremiah that for seventy years they will live in a strange country while their land has its rest. Then after the lost sabbatic years have been made up, Israel will be permitted to return to the land. Listen to Jeremiah:
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations [Jer. 25:12].
At the time of Jeremiah this was a prophecy. It is now history. God has done that. There is no argument here.
THE WINE CUP OF FURY
At the time this prophecy was given, Nebuchadnezzar had already deported to Babylon Jehoiachin with all his nobles, soldiers, and artificers. Those who remained under Zedekiah were all paying tribute (taxes) to Babylon. All the kings after Josiah were evil. Jeremiah had pronounced final judgment—Nebuchadnezzar would come and destroy Jerusalem and take all but a small remnant into captivity. He has told them that the captivity will definitely last for seventy years. But that does not conclude his prophecy.
He gives them now a picture using the figure of the wine cup of the wrath of God. This is a figure of speech that several of the prophets used. They spoke of the sin of man as he continues in rebellion against God.
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me [Jer. 25:15–17].
Now he lists the nations.
To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day [Jer. 25:18].
First, of course, Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, the kings and the princes are mentioned. Although this especially relates to the sin of Israel, it is not confined to God’s own people. All the nations of the world are guilty. Like a wine cup gets full, there is a filling up of the wrath of God.
After Israel, he mentions Egypt:
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people [Jer. 25:19].
Then He mentions Uz and the land of the Philistines and Ashkelon and Azzah and Ekron and Ashdod and Edom and Moab and Ammon and Tyre and Zidon and “the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea” (v. 22). They all are to take the wine cup of the wrath of God. Man’s sin and continuous rebellion against God is like a wine cup which is filling up with God’s anger. When it is full, the judgment of God will break upon the earth.
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you [Jer. 25:27].
He makes them drink that cup, which is, of course, the judgment of God. All of the nations in the area of Israel and beyond it were to be judged of God because they had gotten so far away from Him. This reveals the fact that all the nations of the world are responsible to God.
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth [Jer. 25:30].
The judgment would not be confined to Israel. Babylon, you see, will be God’s instrument of judgment, and we know from history that Babylon did become the first great world power which dominated all the nations of the civilized world at that time.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth [Jer. 25:32].
This is descriptive of the tremendous movement of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as he moved out over the civilized world of his day and brought even Egypt and Tyre and Sidon—these great powers—under his sovereignty. The verses that conclude this chapter give a graphic description of the day of the Lord’s anger with the nations and their “shepherds,” or kings.
CHAPTERS 26–28
Theme: Message in temple court during reign of Jehoiakim and parable of yokes
You may recall that in chapter 7 Jeremiah was told to stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and speak to the people. Here he is told to stand in the court.
Thus saith the Lord; stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word [Jer. 26:2].
This is a message that he had already given in the time of Jehoiakim. Now it is repeated at the time of Zedekiah. Chapters 26–30 record the message which delivered the final words of God to these people before the captivity.
I am of the opinion that the people were still coming to the temple as usual. There was this outward show of worship, and there was prosperity in the land at that time; nobody seemed to be complaining. It looked as if God were being petulant to make such prophecies, but in actuality the people were far from God, and there was awful sin in the land. Jeremiah was to continue to cry out against this.
If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings [Jer. 26:3].
“That I may repent me of the evil.” When God repents, it does not mean that He has changed His mind. He means that the people have changed. If the people will change, God will not judge; He will bless. It looks as if God had changed His mind, but the fact is that God will always punish sin and will always pardon the sinner who will come to Him. That never changes. When a sinner, who has been under the judgment of God, turns to God and is blessed and saved, it looks as if God has changed His mind. However, in fact, it is the sinner who has changed his mind. God tells them that if they will change, then He will not destroy them; He will not judge them.
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth [Jer. 26:4–6].
“Then will I make this house like Shiloh”—meaning that it would be destroyed.
“And will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth”—Jerusalem has been a burden to this world, and it is at the present moment. At the time I am writing this commentary, Jerusalem does not even belong to the nation Israel; it is like a pawn on the chessboard of the earth controlled by Russia and America. God said that He would make it a burden to all nations, and He certainly has done that.
JEREMIAH THREATENED WITH DEATH
Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die [Jer. 26:8].
Things are getting bad. They have resisted the message of God through Jeremiah, and now they want to kill Jeremiah. Now this gets rather complicated because there are three groups in this section: the princes, the priests and the prophets, and the people.
Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears [Jer. 26:11].
The priests and the prophets were of one mind; they had determined his death. They never changed their minds about that at all. However, the princes decided they had better hear Jeremiah, and the people who had been of the same mind as the priests and prophets came over on the side of the princes.
Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you [Jer. 26:12–3].
He makes it clear why God is threatening to judge them.
Let’s keep in mind that it was considered blasphemy when Jeremiah prophesied that the city and the temple would be destroyed. This branded him as a heretic. The false prophets were saying that God would never let the temple fall. It was His temple, and Jerusalem was His city. God would not let that happen. Jeremiah said, “You are entirely wrong. You are disassociating religion from morality.”
This is a problem with a number of people who are very fundamental in their belief. They make the Word of God almost a fetish. I don’t believe there is anyone more fundamental in his doctrine than I am. People say that I lean backwards, I am so fundamental. But I do want to say that it is entirely wrong to divorce morality from your faith, be it ever so fundamental. One can make religion and the Word of God a sort of good-luck charm.
It reminds me of the story of a soldier who carried a New Testament in his pocket. The bullet hit the book in his shirt pocket, and that saved his life. Well, the book didn’t stop the bullet because it was a New Testament—t could have been any kind of a book. How foolish to make the Word of God a sort of fetish.
Oh, my friend, we can’t divorce our manner of life from the teachings of the Word of God and still expect His blessing. This is what the false prophets were doing. And in our day many folk are saying, “Because I am fundamental in my doctrine, no harm can come to me.” Well, it can come to you. When you and I get away from God, He will judge us.
I point out again how interesting it is that the priests and the false prophets did not change their minds about putting Jeremiah to death. The princes did, and that is the thing that saved the life of Jeremiah. The princes were willing to hear him. It has been my experience that when a spiritual authority becomes corrupt and debased it is far more evil than when the politicians become corrupt and debased. When the civil authority is corrupt, that is bad; but when the religious authority becomes corrupt, that is a lot worse. Let me remind you that it was the priests who put the Lord Jesus to death on the cross. It was the religious rulers who insisted that He must die; they were the ones who persuaded the people to shout, “Crucify Him!” And the religious leaders in Jeremiah’s time were determined to kill him.
This reveals another fallacy: We hear the expression, Vox populi, vox Dei, that is, “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” There are a lot of people in America who believe that. They consider public opinion as the authority. However, the mass of people is a fickle crowd that will follow one TV personality after another. It will elect a man to office if he has charisma even though he may be the biggest fool in the world and utterly corrupt in his life. The voice of the people is the very worst basis for authority. I thank God that He is not going to let the world vote the Lord Jesus into office! If God were to put it up to a public vote, Jesus Christ would never enter into His kingdom. I rejoice that God will send the Lord Jesus to this earth to put down rebellion.
During those last troubled days of the kingdom of Judah, God is saying that the people are wrong, the princes are wrong, the priests are wrong, and the prophets are wrong. Jeremiah isn’t even sure of himself; he is only sure that he is giving out the Word of God.
The Word of God is the only and final authority. People today are turning to the signs of the zodiac and the horoscope—we have mentioned the utter foolishness of that. But we find some Christians, often ministers and leaders, who feel that they are a final authority. I appreciate this Book of Jeremiah. It helps me, because I confess that the more I study the Word of God the more aware I am of my own ignorance of it. It disturbs me that so many men think they know it all and are the final authority.
It is said that Socrates made the statement that he was the wisest man in Athens. When asked on what grounds he made such a claim he replied that he was the wisest man because he realized that his wisdom was worthless!
The only claim I can make today is that I know I am ignorant of the Word of God. A Persian proverb puts it this way:
He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool. Shun him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a child. Teach him.
He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep. Wake him.
He who knows and knows that he knows is wise. Follow him.
—Author unknown
I will accept the first three statements, but not the last one, because I don’t think we do know. This is also Jeremiah’s position—all he knows is the Word of God. Although the false prophets insist that nothing is going to happen, Jeremiah believes God, and he knows something is going to happen.
In chapter 27 the message is to go out again to all the nations that they are to yield to the king of Babylon. This time his message is illustrated—
Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,
And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah [Jer. 27:2–3].
God reminds these nations that He is the Creator and He gives power to whomever He chooses—
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him [Jer. 27:6].
Although God clearly told these nations to yield to the king of Babylon, they did not obey. Had they done as He said, they would have saved literally thousands of human lives—
And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand [Jer. 27:8].
HANANIAH, THE FALSE PROPHET
Chapter 28 prophecy of the yokes. One of the false prophets, Hananiah, refutes the prophecy of Jeremiah and claims to give the true Word of the Lord:
Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord’s, house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:
And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon [Jer. 28:2–4].
Well, Jeremiah made it clear that Hananiah was not a prophet of God and that he was giving the people a lie. Hananiah actually took the wooden yoke from off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it, saying, “Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years (v. 11).”
As a judgment upon him, God said to tell him that he would die within the year. Notice what happened:
Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord.
So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month [Jer. 28:15–17].
He died, just as God said he would.
You would think this would alert the people and they would say, “Look, Jeremiah is the one who is calling the shots. Jeremiah is the one who is giving us God’s Word.” However, they were not convinced, but went on in their rebellion against the Word of God.
Judah listened to the wrong voices, and we have done the same thing in our own recent history. Since the time of World War II we have not had any true leaders in this country. Someone once asked Gladstone, the great English jurist, what was the mark of a great statesman. He gave this answer: “A great statesman is a man who knows the direction God is going for the next fifty years.” My friend, we certainly have not had leaders like that. As a result, we have missed a great opportunity as a nation for leadership in the world, and the great middle class of our nation has been corrupted. We are headed down, just as England went down, and just as Judah went down. We have refused to listen to the Word of God.
CHAPTER 29
Theme: Message of hope to first delegation of captives
JEREMIAH’S LETTER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon [Jer. 29:1].
Chapter 29 records Jeremiah’s letter to the people who had been taken into captivity when Jehoiachin was king (see 2 Kings 24:10–6). The complete captivity of Judah came eleven years later (2 Kings 25:1–).
This is God’s instruction to them:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished [Jer. 29:4–6].
That is, settle down in Babylon. Don’t think you will be released any moment. Go ahead and plan for your future—et married and establish homes, because you are going to be there a long time.
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace [Jer. 29:7].
“Seek the peace of the city” in which you are living, and pray for it. They were not to rebel or instigate revolt. They were to settle down and be law-abiding citizens.
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place [Jer. 29:10].
God tells them the exact number of years they will be in captivity, then assures them that He has not forsaken them but will restore them to their homeland.
LIES OF THE FALSE PROPHETS
There were false prophets in Babylon who refused to accept Jeremiah’s letter as a message from God. They wrote letters to Jerusalem claiming that God had appointed a new priest and that Jeremiah was to be silenced.
Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord [Jer. 29:30–2].
Of course, God pronounces a judgment against these false prophets.
God speaks very impressively in history. He has told Judah that what is happening to them is happening because of their sin. He will always judge sin. God has not changed. Many people would like to think that the God of the New Testament is different from the God of the Old Testament. He is the same Person; He hasn’t changed one bit. He hasn’t grown old. He hasn’t even learned anything new. He is the same God.
Not only has God spoken in history, but He has spoken in His Word. Listen to Simon Peter: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20). “Knowing this first”—this is primary stuff, something we should learn in the first grade. There are two ways this verse has been understood which are incorrect. One is that when you study prophecy, you need to consider the whole of prophecy; you cannot take one prophecy by itself and study it to the exclusion of others. That is a true statement, but it is not what this passage is teaching. Then there are those who say you have no right to interpret prophecy on your own. Well, that not only takes away the freedom of the first amendment from me, but it also removes the free will that God gave to me. This is not what Peter is saying. He is not speaking at all about the end result of God’s revelation; what he is talking about is the origin of it. No writing of Scripture was of private interpretation at its origin. The prophets who wrote and spoke in olden times are not giving you the result of their observations. They are speaking what God told them to speak.
When you and I approach the Word of God, we must come to the place where we are ready to lie in the dust. I do not mean to simply acknowledge that we are nothing, that we are sinners; but we must be willing to lay into the dust our opinions, our self-will, and our own viewpoints—to put it all down and listen to what God has to say. This was the problem with the priests and prophets and princes in Jeremiah’s day. It is our problem today. Every man has his own little viewpoint, is doing his own little thing, carrying his own little placard of protest—and he’s doing it out of limited knowledge.
God has all knowledge—He has all the facts, knows all the background. It is unbelievable that some people presume to sit in judgment of Him. Little man stands up and says, “Lord, if You’re up there—and I’m not sure You are; I’m pretty hard to convince because I have a giant intellect, and my intellect says You may not even be up there—but if You’re up there, I just want to say that You are wrong.” Oh, my friend, what arrogance! If a little, old ant were to crawl into my house and onto my chair and look at me and say, “Look, I don’t like the way you built this house; I don’t like the way you plant flowers and trees around here; and I don’t like what you eat,” do you know what I would do to that ant? I would flick him off my chair and step on him. That would be the end of that little ant! But God is so gracious to man. He doesn’t step on us. He has given us a second chance.
CHAPTER 30
Theme: The coming Great Tribulation
Chapters 30–39 form the fourth major section of the Book of Jeremiah, and they contain prophecies concerning the future of the twelve tribes of Israel and the near captivity of Judah. The prophecies in this section are not in chronological order.
The message in these chapters comes from Jeremiah to Judah in the darkest days she has ever had. It never got so dark that he didn’t have a wonderful message of encouragement, however.
This is the situation: the army of Nebuchadnezzar is outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, and they mean business. This time Nebuchadnezzar will destroy the city and burn the temple. Jeremiah has been arrested and shut up in the courtyard. Literally, he is in jail. It has been seven years since he had his conflict with the false prophets. Events have moved along rather quietly, but every day reveals the accuracy of Jeremiah’s message. The false prophet sHananiah had said that the power of Babylon would be broken within two years. Seven years have gone by, and Nebuchadnezzar is outside the city wall. His power is not going to be broken; instead he is about to break Jerusalem. The vessels of the Lord’s house are not going to be restored to the temple. Jeconiah will not be returned to the city. Things have gone from bad to worse. They are out of the frying pan into the fire. The life of the nation of Judah has gone down. With Jerusalem already under the shadow of Babylon, God’s prophet is held captive by the rebellious spirit of a sinning nation which refuses to hear the Word of the Lord.
Can any hour be darker? Can any circumstances be more calculated to fill the heart with despair? Yet it is at this time that the prophetic note of Jeremiah’s message goes all the way from the basement to the top floor of the Empire State Building. He is no longer singing low bass; now he’s going to sing high tenor, if you please. He is going to reach the heights. He has come all the way through darkness into the light. The night cometh, but also the morning is coming.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book [Jer. 30:1–2].
He is writing his prophecy now. After all, he’s in jail; he won’t be in the pulpit on Sunday morning.
For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace [Jer. 30:3–5].
Believe me, the people had gotten the message from Jeremiah that there would be no peace. The false prophets had said, “Peace, peace,” and there was none.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it [Jer. 30:6–7].
Jeremiah sees the great Day of the Lord coming of which the other prophets, including Isaiah, also spoke. They said it is to be a day of darkness and not of light, that the people will go through the night of the Great Tribulation Period before they will see the brightness of day. In effect God is saying, “You haven’t seen anything yet. The Great Tribulation Period will be far worse than what you are going through now.”
THE COMING KINGDOM
For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them [Jer. 30:8–9].
Out of that awful time of trouble, the people of Israel will return to the land. David will be raised from the dead and will rule over them as they enter the kingdom age.
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling-places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof [Jer. 30:18].
This is the sure promise of the Lord. When will these things take place?—
The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it [Jer. 30:24].
“In the latter days”—this is a prophecy which is to be fulfilled in the future. It refers to the kingdom age which is, of course, still future in our day.
CHAPTER 31
Theme: The “I Will” chapter
Chapters 30 through 33 constitute one very bright and encouraging song. Up to this point Jeremiah’s emphasis has been upon judgment, but his message now is in sharp contrast to that. E. W. Hengstenburg calls these chapters “the triumphal hymn of Israel’s salvation.” They were written at the darkest moment in the history of Judah.
As the last king of Judah, Zedekiah corresponds to Hoshea who was the final ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel. But, of course, the northern kingdom of Israel has long since departed and gone into captivity. At this moment Nebuchadnezzar’s army is outside the wall of Jerusalem, ready to destroy the city and burn the temple. The promises of the false prophets have been proven false. Seven years earlier Hananiah had said that Babylon would be broken within two years. But Nebuchadnezzar is not broken; he is alive—too much alive for the people of Judah.
Jeremiah’s message is a message of encouragement. In chapter 30 he spoke of the Day of the Lord opening with the Great Tribulation Period. In verse 7 of that chapter he called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” But beyond the Great Tribulation is coming the restoration of the land and the return of the people to it.
I have labeled chapter 31 “the ‘I will’ chapter,” because “I will” occurs fifteen times, and the One who says it is none other than God. When God says “I will” fifteen times, He is telling us what He is going to do.
At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people [Jer. 31:1].
This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled; that time has not come. The present return of Israel to the land cannot be interpreted as being the fulfillment of this prophecy—because they have not returned to God. I am told there is real persecution of Christians in that land today. They talk about religious freedom, but it does not really exist. The people have returned to the land, but they have not returned to the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee [Jer. 31:2–3].
We have here the reason God is going to restore the people to the land. I believe with all my heart that God intends to restore the nation Israel to that land in His own time and in His own plan and in His own purpose. The basis for that is given right here: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” This verse ranks high among the many favorite statements in the Word of God.
There are those who will ask, “How can God love these people?” That is a good question, but let’s widen it out just a little and ask, “How can God love us today?” He has said, “…God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). Not only does God love Israel, He loves the world—He loves you and me. It is easy to point a finger at the Jews and be critical of them, but God says, “I have loved thee [Israel] with an everlasting love.” There is nothing you can do with that—God has said it. Instead of pointing the finger at others, we need to turn it around and point at ourselves. In God’s sight we are as great sinners as anyone who is still unbelieving. It took the death of Christ to provide a redemption for you and me. Don’t limit it to a few and say, “How can God love them?” My friend, how can God love me? How can God love you? We should be amazed that He loved any of us.
Frederick W. Faber has expressed this very well in a song:
How Thou canst think so well of us
Yet be the God Thou art,
Is darkness to my intellect
But sunshine to my heart.
“I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” “Everlasting”—I must confess that I know very little about the meaning of that word. I once asked a little boy, “How long is everlasting and how long is never?” He simply answered, “I reckon it’s a pretty long time.”
“Love”—what is love, by the way? The only explanation I have for why God loves us is that it is not because of anything He sees in us but it is because of who He is. He finds the explanation in Himself. John wrote “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us…” (1 John 4:10). Now that is love. Cramer commented on what John said: “The love of God toward us comes from love, and has no other cause above or beside itself, but is in God, and remains in God, so that Christ Who is in God is its Centre” (in Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, G. Campbell Morgan, p. 167). God loves you and me, my friend, and I really cannot tell you why.
Again, let me quote Faber:
Yet Thou dost think so well of us,
Because of what Thou art;
Thy love illumines our intellect,
Yet fills with fear our heart.
I am overwhelmed by the love of God. If He were to change His mind tomorrow, I would be eternally lost and so would you. But He says His love is everlasting, and that’s a pretty long time.
I have a great many amillennial friends who believe that God is through with the nation Israel. May I say to you, if He’s through with Israel, then He’s through with you and He’s through with me. But He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” It doesn’t make any difference what you and I think—God is not through with Israel.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither [Jer. 31:8].
It is going to be such a big undertaking to bring the people back to the land you might think that He would leave the blind and the lame behind and just bring the best physical specimens. God says, “Nothing of the kind. I am going to bring them all back.”
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn [Jer. 31:9].
“I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” God never said that He was Father to any individual Israelite. He said, “Moses, My servant” (see Josh. 1:2), and “David, My servant” (see Ps. 89:3). But when He speaks of the whole nation as a corporate body, God says, “I am a father to Israel” (see Exod. 4:22).
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock [Jer. 31:10].
I am grateful that the Lord has given to me a radio ministry that reaches around the world each day. I am delighted that I can say what God also says, that I want the isles of the earth to hear the message. I want all mankind to hear that He scattered Israel. It was a judgment upon them, but He loves them with an everlasting love, and He is going to bring them back to the land.
He loved Israel and He judged them. This is a bittersweet message. All through Jeremiah you have a note of joy, but you also have a note of sorrow. It is like the Chinese dishes that are called “sweet and sour.” God judged Israel, but He also said, “He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” And a shepherd really watches over his flock.
God is not through saying what He will do:
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord [Jer. 31:13–14].
I don’t know about you, but this makes me feel like saying, “Hallelujah!” and throwing my hat in the air. This is what God says He is going to do for Israel; let’s allow Him to say it, for it’s what He wants to do.
Yet Israel’s immediate condition was tragic. They had rebelled against God, and they were backslidden.
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man [Jer. 31:22].
There are those who believe that this verse refers to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and I see no reason to rule that out.
Beginning at verse 31 we have the new covenant that God intends to make with Israel—all twelve tribes. And if you think that ten of the tribes are lost, God does not. He is going to make this covenant with all twelve tribes.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people [Jer. 31:31–33].
This new covenant is going to be different from the one given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The grand distinction is that it will be engraved upon the hearts of the people and not upon cold tables of stone.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more [Jer. 31:34].
Their sins will be forgiven.
Notice how God confirms this covenant to Israel:
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever [Jer. 31:35–36].
This covenant will never be changed or abrogated. Just as we cannot change the course of the moon or pull it out of the sky, so His covenant with Israel cannot be changed. On a trip to the moon we brought back two hundred pounds of rock. If we kept doing that for a few million years, maybe we would eventually move the whole thing to earth—but I don’t think we’re going to do that! God says this is an everlasting covenant that He will make with them.
CHAPTERS 32–33
Theme: Imprisoned Jeremiah buys real estate; coming kingdom as promised to David
In chapter 32 Jeremiah is in prison, and Jerusalem is under siege by Nebuchadnezzar; yet Jeremiah buys a piece of real estate in Anathoth!
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.
For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house [Jer. 32:1–2].
Notice how Jeremiah pinpoints the time: it was “the tenth year of Zedekiah,” the year Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed it. It was a dark day indeed.
Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it [Jer. 32:7].
The Lord told Jeremiah that he would have the opportunity to buy a piece of land from his relative, Hanameel.
And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver [Jer. 32:9].
At the darkest hour in Judah’s history, Jeremiah buys real estate—this was the time to be selling real estate! I imagine that the real estate men in Jerusalem and the surrounding country were dumping all the real estate they possibly could. Why did Jeremiah buy this piece of land at this time? It was to show the people he believed God when He said that they were going to return to the land. This is very remarkable.
But Jeremiah had a question which was too hard for him to answer, and in the following verses he brings this question to the Lord in prayer.
Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying,
Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee [Jer. 32:16–17].
Jeremiah’s question is too hard for him to answer, but it is not too hard for God.
In verses 18 through 23, Jeremiah recounts the way the Lord has protected and provided for Israel down through her history, but now the situation is very grave.
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.
And thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [Jer. 32:24–25].
Jeremiah is no hypocrite. He trusts the God who made heaven and earth, the God who had so wonderfully cared for Israel. But now the Chaldeans are right outside the city and are going to take it; yet God told Jeremiah to buy a field. He obeyed, but it didn’t make good sense to him. So he brings his question to the Lord.
My friend, there is nothing wrong with asking why. If you have a doubt or a question, talk to the Lord about it. That is what He wants us to do. Just don’t put up this pious hypocritical front that we sometimes see. While he says he trusts the Lord, he is crying and complaining and asking why. Let’s be honest like Jeremiah. He obeyed the Lord, but he admitted his doubts, taking them to the Lord in prayer.
God answers Jeremiah’s prayer in verses 26 through 44.
Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? [Jer. 32:26–27].
The Lord begins by putting down the axiom that nothing is too hard for Him.
And now therefore thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;
Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
And they shall be my people, and I, will be their God:
And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me [Jer. 32:36–40].
God is delivering the city over to the Chaldeans, and in His own time He will deliver the city from the Chaldeans.
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
For thus saith the Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them [Jer. 32:41–42].
Now Jehovah is delivering Judah unto judgment. In a future day, He will deliver them in mercy—this is His promise.
When we go to God and let Him know how we feel, He will encourage our hearts as He did for Jeremiah. Oh, my friend, He wants you to come to Him.
The day is very dark for Judah, but God allows Jeremiah to look down through the tunnel to where light can be seen at the other end. In chapter 33 God confirms and reaffirms the covenant that He made with David. There is a day coming when He will restore the people to the land of Israel and to fellowship with Himself.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying [Jer. 33:1].
Jeremiah is still in jail, you see.
Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not [Jer. 33:2–3].
This last verse I have heard quoted frequently at testimony meetings. It is a very wonderful verse, but I think it is more meaningful if it is remembered in the context of this chapter. Despite the fact that he is in prison, this man was told by God to buy a piece of real estate. Jeremiah acted by faith and bought the real estate, but he has a great many questions in his mind. Why was God permitting Judah to go into captivity? Frankly, I think it is an example of great faith when a believer has these moments of doubt. Someone will ask, how that can be. My friend, if you are walking with God and are in fellowship with Him, He is so wonderful and He does such wonderful things that there will be times when you do not understand what He is doing. Our question is bound to be, “Why are You doing this?” Don’t you have questions like that?
I have had questions like that. I remember one evening going to the hospital to see my wife and our firstborn baby. The nurse said to me, “The doctor wants to speak to you,” and she looked very serious. The doctor said to me, “The little baby died.” He hadn’t told my wife, so he and I went in and told her and we wept together. I walked out (I never shall forget) to an open-air porch there at the hospital. It was summertime, and I looked up at the heavens and the stars. I had a question. Do you know what that question was? Why? Why? I still look up and ask that same question. Over the years I have learned to put my hand in His and just keep walking in the dark. Many times I talk this over with Him, and I tell Him about my doubts, but I also tell Him that I trust Him. I’m glad that Jeremiah was that kind of a man. And there are other men in Scripture who also had questions they asked God. In the Book of Habakkuk, we find that Habakkuk had a lot of questions. In fact, his book is just a great big “WHY?”. Jonah also had some questions to ask the Lord. My friend, such questions are not a revelation of a lack of faith, but it is hypocrisy to pretend that we have accepted God’s ways and are walking in complete submission to Him when actually we are having questions deep inside. I believe that God wants us to be completely honest with Him above everything else. And this is His promise to us: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Now God is going to reaffirm the covenant He made with David in 2 Samuel 7. He made a covenant with David that there would be one to sit on his throne forever. This covenant became the theme song of every prophet, so much so that they all sound like a stuck record. They all refer back to this covenant and rest upon it. Listen to Jeremiah:
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land [Jer. 33:14–15].
“In those days” refers to the day which is coming, the Day of the Lord.
“The Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David.” There hasn’t been a righteous branch so far except One, the One who was born in Bethlehem.
“He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.” We haven’t had any ruler like that yet.
In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness [Jer. 33:16].
“The Lord our righteousness” in the Hebrew is Jehovah-tsidkenu. If you and I have any righteousness it is in Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness.
For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel [Jer. 33:17].
Where do you think this man is today? There is not an Israelite on topside of the earth who can make the claim to David’s throne. The One who has that claim is sitting at God’s right hand as the psalmist explained: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Ps. 110:1). God is busy calling out a people to His name, getting things ready to put His Son on the throne of this universe.
And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me [Jer. 33:19–22].
At the time this prophecy was given, Zedekiah was on the throne of Judah. He was as corrupt as any man ever was. Nebuchadnezzar will put out his eyes and carry him intocaptivity. You would think that this would put an end to the line of David. It would end the line of any other nation, I can assure you. There is no one around to claim the throne of the king of Babylon. There is no one to take Alexander the Great’s place. There is no Pharaoh in Egypt today. But there is One in David’s line who can claim his throne. God says that He intends to put Him on the throne of this universe someday. This is a great prophecy and one which is very difficult to ignore or to spiritualize. I think God means exactly what He says.
CHAPTERS 34–36
Theme: Zedekiah’s captivity foretold; Rechabites obey God and Jehoiakim destroys Word of God
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
But thou shalt die in peace:, and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the Lord [Jer. 34:1–5].
Jeremiah is to prophesy that the city of Jerusalem is to be burned with fire by the king of Babylon and that Zedekiah himself will be taken captive.
This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother [Jer. 34:8–9].
Zedekiah made an agreement with the people that all the Hebrew servants should be set free.
And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids [Jer. 34:15–16].
The Lord said that the covenant was “right in my sight” (see Exod. 21:2).
But Zedekiah did not make good on his covenant, and the Lord said of him, “ye turned and polluted my name.” In other words, Zedekiah profaned the name of God. By truly granting liberty to the people, Zedekiah, as king of Judah, could have demonstrated to the world that he was different, that he served the living and true God. But it was just a pretense; he didn’t make good on his promise. He not only brought himself into disrepute, but he profaned the name of God.
It is the life of the child of God that the world will always look at. God’s name and the furtherance of His Word is hurt more by those who profess to know Him than by all the godless professors in our colleges today. The lives of those who name the name of Christ can hurt His cause more than those who are unbelieving. God says, “You have polluted My name; you have profaned My name.”
The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which are gone up from you [Jer. 34:19–21].
“Which passed between the parts of the calf.” This is the way men made a covenant or a contract in that day. They took a sacrifice and cut it in half, putting half of the animal on one side and half on the other. The men then went between and joined hands. This is also the way God made His covenant with Abraham. It is like going to the notary public in our day. Zedekiah, the princes, the priests, and the people had all violated God’s covenant in not granting liberty to the servants, and therefore God pronounces this judgment upon them.
In chapter 35 we find the Rechabites who are part of the believing remnant, and they are in sharp contrast to the nation as a whole. God has given us this account to remind us that there has always been a remnant—He will never leave the world without a witness to Himself. Even in the darkest time in history the world will ever know—the Great Tribulation Period which is yet future, when the 144,000 will have been forced underground—there will still be two witnesses who are going to stand for God. That is just the way God is going to have it. Even at the time when Satan is being allowed to run the whole show, God says, “I will keep two witnesses around, and they will be inviolate—you won’t be able to touch them—until their mission has been accomplished.”
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink [Jer. 35:1–2].
The Lord tells Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites to the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.
And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever [Jer. 35:5–6].
On the basis of a command that had been given to their family many years before, the Rechabites refuse the wine that Jeremiah gives to them.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the Lord.
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.
I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me [Jer. 35:13–15].
God draws this sharp contrast between the Rechabites who faithfully obey the commands of their earthly father and the children of Judah who have failed to hearken to the commands of their loving heavenly Father. In the remainder of the chapter He goes on to pronounce judgment on the people of Judah and blessing upon the Rechabites.
Chapter 36 reveals the attitude which Jehoiakim had toward the Word of God and the messages God sent to him through His prophet, Jeremiah.
And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day [Jer. 36:1–2].
God told Jeremiah to record all His words in a book; so Jeremiah dictated all of God’s words to Baruch who wrote them down for him. Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch to take the roll into the house of the Lord and read it in the hearing of all the people. When the princes heard what had taken place, they sent for Baruch and had him read the roll in their presence.
Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.
And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king.
So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.
Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.
And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth [Jer. 36:19–23].
That shows you what Jehoiakim thought of the Word of God: he took it and just flung it into the fire! He didn’t care for it. He didn’t accept it. He didn’t believe it.
I am not impressed that the Bible is still the best seller of all books. Who is actually reading the Bible today? Ignoring the Bible is really no different from throwing it into the fire as Jehoiakim did. Here is a sad little jingle that someone sent to me that illustrates the condition in our country today:
“Maw, I found an old, dusty thing high
upon the shelf. Just look!”
“Why, that’s a Bible, Tommy dear, be
careful. That’s God’s Book.”
“God’s Book?” the young one said, “Then,
Maw, before we lose it
We’d better send it back to God, ’cause
you know we never use it.”
Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words [Jer. 36:24].
There was no fear or remorse because of what they had done.
If you think God is going to stop here because Jehoiakim has destroyed His Word, you are wrong.
Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned [Jer. 36:28].
God tells Jeremiah to write it all over again and to send a message to Jehoiakim:
Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost [Jer. 36:30].
This is exactly what happened to Jehoiakim. He has no one to sit upon the throne of David today. The Lord Jesus who does have claim to that throne did not come in his line. Mary was born in the line of Nathan, another son of David, and it is through her that the Lord Jesus has blood title to the throne of David. No one in the line of Jehoiakim will ever sit on that throne.
CHAPTERS 37–39
Theme: Word of God destroyed; Jeremiah imprisoned but then released; Judah begins captivity
We move now into a new section of the book which places the emphasis on the historical events. Jeremiah could be saying, “I told you so,” but he is too much involved. He is crushed and broken by the message which he has had to give to the people and now by its fulfillment as the city that he loves is destroyed and the nation he loves goes into captivity. Jeremiah has been faithful in revealing God and acting as His witness. If you want to know how God feels about all that is taking place, look into the face of Jeremiah with the tears streaming down his cheeks.
Over thirty years of ministry have gone by for Jeremiah. We saw him start as a young man of about twenty years of age, a young priest who was called to be a prophet of God. Now he is in prison, and the army of the king of Babylon is outside the walls of Jerusalem. They have been there for a long siege of eighteen months duration. Jeremiah gives some of this history in chapter 52, and more is recorded in 2 Kings and in 2 Chronicles.
This is now the third and final time that Nebuchadnezzar has come down against Jerusalem. The other two times he had taken a certain number of the people captive and had placed Zedekiah on the throne as his vassal. Zedekiah wanted to get out from under the king of Babylon, so he made an overture to Pharaoh of Egypt. Pharaoh decided to come up to try to relieve Zedekiah. Of course, what he planned to do was to put Judah under the rule of Egypt. When Pharaoh came up to Jerusalem, the commanders of Nebuchadnezzar turned aside, and instead of besieging the city they withdrew. At this point it looked as if the prophecies of Jeremiah might be wrong. So God gave to Jeremiah this very strong word:
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.
Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire [Jer. 37:7–10].
The destruction of Jerusalem was determined by God. Even though it looked as if Babylon’s armies had been frightened away, they would be back.
There are five recorded imprisonments of the prophet. The imprisonment described in this chapter was due to the fact that Jeremiah had said to the king that he was not to make an alliance with Pharaoh but was to surrender to Babylon.
And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people [Jer. 37:11–12].
While the city is being relieved, Jeremiah comes out of Jerusalem to go up to his hometown of Anathoth. Now notice what happens—
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans [Jer. 37:13].
He made the accusation against Jeremiah that he was going over to the enemy.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison [Jer. 37:14–15].
Poor Jeremiah was not only put in prison, but he was put in the dungeon—for how long, we are not told. The next verse says only that it was for “many days.” This was a time of great suffering for Jeremiah, but God had not forgotten. He moved the king to call for him.
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon [Jer. 37:17].
Then Jeremiah takes this occasion to plead for his life:
Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there [Jer. 37:20].
The king didn’t release him, but at least he saved his life.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison [Jer. 37:21].
Jeremiah will remain in prison now until the armies of Babylon take the city of Jerusalem.
JEREMIAH NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH
When we come to chapter 38, Jeremiah is still confined to the court of the prison, and he faithfully relays God’s Word to his people even though his personal safety is endangered.
The princes of Judah consider him a traitor to his country and a demoralizing influence among the people; so they get permission from the king to silence Jeremiah by putting him in the dungeon.
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire [Jer. 38:6].
Again God sent someone to his rescue (vv. 7–13). This is a thrilling rescue—I hope you will read the text carefully. After this, Zedekiah the king secretly asked Jeremiah to tell him what the Lord was saying to him now. And he promised to save Jeremiah from those who were seeking his life.
Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house [Jer. 38:17].
Again he said, “Surrender! You can’t resist this man.”
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live [Jer. 38:18–20].
Jeremiah is pleading with Zedekiah to surrender to save his own life and the life of his people. His refusal to follow the course of action which Jeremiah presents will doom his nation.
Zedekiah is a coward at heart. He tries to make peace with everybody and to please everybody. He is a typical politician. As a result, he pleases nobody.
But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me:
And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back [Jer. 38:21–22].
A study of this period of Judah’s history reveals that womanhood was pretty much corrupt. When womanhood becomes corrupt in any nation, there is very little hope for it on the moral plane. This is the picture here.
The foolish king will not heed the warning of God through Jeremiah. Instead he will continue to listen to the optimistic forecast of the false prophets.
In chapter 39 the awful carnage that Jeremiah had been predicting takes place.
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up [Jer. 39:1–2].
In the following verses we see the fall of Jerusalem. King Zedekiah and the army attempt to escape from the city by night, but the army of Babylon overtakes them and delivers them to Nebuchadnezzar their king.
Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon [Jer. 39:6–7].
The last chapter of the Book of Jeremiah gives a view of this horrible time in retrospect. It mentions the things that evidently were impressed upon the mind of Jeremiah. There he mentions again the fact that the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then blinded Zedekiah.
JEREMIAH RELEASED BY THE ENEMY
It is interesting to note that Nebuchadnezzar instructed his men to release Jeremiah from prison and to treat him well.
Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee [Jer. 39:12].
God was still taking care of His faithful prophet.
Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people [Jer. 39:14].
This begins that period which our Lord called “the times of the Gentiles.” He said, “… and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). I insist that Gentiles are still trodding down Jerusalem. The Gentiles are still actually in control, and Israel doesn’t really control the holy places in that land—except the Wailing Wall where they can go and weep. The words of the Lord Jesus are still true.
It is difficult for our contemporary generation to accept the fact of the judgment of God—that the judgment of God can come upon a nation, upon a family, upon an individual. Jeremiah had proclaimed the Word of Jehovah for forty years. He had denounced the sins of the people and had called these people to repentance. God had been very patient with them, and His very patience had deceived them. It enabled the false prophets to say, “See, the words of Jeremiah have not come to pass.” But now his words have come to pass, and it is too late. God is patient with people and will let them go on and on until there comes a time when there is no remedy. Judah is an outstanding example of this. God pleaded with them through Jeremiah right up to the last moment. They spurned God, and the day finally came when Nebuchadnezzar leveled the city.
Humanity—all of mankind—does not like to hear that God is going to judge. It is hard for people to believe that God ever gets angry. Some folks try to say that it is the God of the Old Testament who is a God of wrath, that the New Testament gives a different picture of God. May I say to you there is more said about divine wrath and anger in the New Testament than there is in the Old. Read Matthew 23 and listen to the frightful things said by the gentle Jesus: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.… Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matt. 23:29, 33). Then read the Book of Revelation where the bowls of the wrath of God are poured out. There is nothing to equal that in the Old Testament. Don’t try to say that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament is a God of love. I tell you that He is always in every age both the God of love and the God of wrath. God punishes sin. You will always find divine judgment and divine mercy side by side. The throne of God is a throne of grace, a place to find mercy and help, but that very same throne will judge this earth some day. Man today finds this very difficult to understand.
God’s laws are inexorable, and judgment is the penalty for disobedience of those laws. It seems so difficult for men to understand this in the moral and spiritual sphere when it is perfectly obvious in the natural sphere. If you don’t believe that is true, I suggest you go to Yosemite Valley where there is a sheer surface of a rock several thousand feet high called El Capitan. If you step off El Capitan, you know what will happen. In nature there are certain laws that are inexorable. If you obey them, you may live; if you disobey them, you will die.
We think it is such a wonderful feat for men to walk on the moon, and it is. But do you realize that it was possible only because those men were obeying all the natural laws of God? They didn’t dare break them. When they started for the moon, they didn’t aim for the moon; they aimed for the position the moon would be in when they would arrive there. They knew exactly where it would be at the time of their arrival because the movements of this universe are governed by laws. If those fellows had ignored those laws of space and movement, they would have been lost out there in space and would be dead.
Human history should teach us the same lesson. All we need to do is walk down through the corridor of time and look at the debris and the ashes and the wreckage of the great civilizations of this world. They testify that God is a God of vengeance, a God of punishment, a God of judgment. When nations turned from high ideals and lofty moral planes to base ideals, they went down and passed off the stage of human history. It is about time for the intellectuals in this country to begin to read history correctly and to see that God moves in human history.
Now I admit that I feel like a square for saying this, but I don’t feel bad about it because Jeremiah was also a square in his day. From our perspective in the twentieth century we can see that the king, old Zedekiah, was pigheaded! And the intellectuals, the sophisticates, the ones who had ruled God out, were stupid! So I don’t mind being called an intellectual obscurantist, because I find that I am in very good company. I am going to be like Jeremiah was—just a man who believes God.
CHAPTERS 40–42
Theme: Jeremiah prophesies to remnant left in land
In these three chapters we find Jeremiah speaking to those who were left in the land of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem. They were the very poor, the blind, the crippled, the lame, and another group which would be called the criminal element, a hard group of people. Jeremiah chose to stay with the people in the land. He had a message for them.
JEREMIAH RELEASED
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go [Jer. 40:1–4].
Nebuchadnezzar permitted Jeremiah to do what he wished to do. He could have gone with the captives to Babylon, but, interestingly enough, Jeremiah did not want to do that. I think he would have been given special privileges if he had gone, but Jeremiah couldn’t bear to see his brethren suffer as they did there by the canals of Babylon where they sat down and hung up their harps and wept when they remembered Zion. Jeremiah did not want to go with them. They had rejected his message, and they had rejected him. In Babylon God would raise up another prophet, Ezekiel, who would speak to them. Jeremiah chose to remain in Judah with the poor remnant which were left there.
Who really loved that land? Jeremiah. Who was the real patriot? Jeremiah. Who really had the best interests of the people at heart? It was Jeremiah. This is quite obvious now.
You will remember that Jeremiah had urged them to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. I believe that if they had obeyed God and gone willingly, they would not have gone into captivity. They probably would have received the kind of treatment that Jeremiah received from Nebuchadnezzar, and they probably would have been permitted to stay in the land.
Now in verse 8 we are introduced to Ishmael who plots to murder Gedaliah whom Nebuchadnezzar had made governor over the cities of Judah.
GEDALIAH MURDERED
In chapter 41 we have the bloody record of the slaying of Gedaliah with the Chaldeans and Jews who were with him. Then Ishmael captures the people of the city (Mizpah), intending to take them to the land of the Ammonites. They are overtaken by Johanan. Then Johanan, fearing the reprisal of the king of Babylon because his governor Gedaliah had been killed, plans to escape with the whole remnant of the people to Egypt.
JEREMIAH CONSULTED
In chapter 42 we see that before leaving for Egypt Johanan and all the captains come to Jeremiah. It is interesting that the people turned to Jeremiah under these strange circumstances. They needed to know what to do. Should they stay in the land or leave the land? Where should they go?
Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)
That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do [Jer. 42:1–3].
This sounds very nice, doesn’t it? You would think that these people would actually walk with God now. They promised to obey the voice of the Lord.
Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you [Jer. 42:4].
They came to Jeremiah, and they knew that they could depend upon Jeremiah to speak the truth.
Any person who is attempting to speak for God, no matter whether his medium be the pulpit, radio, or even a soapbox, should lay aside all attempts at being clever and subtle. He should give forth the Word of God with no attempt at being sophisticated and saying smooth words to please the people. When the pulpit majors in positive thinking and ignores the negatives, it becomes weak and is only a sounding board just to say back to the people what they want to hear. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3–4). Unfortunately, I think that is much of what the modern pulpit is today. That is the reason it has become extremely weak and has no message for this hour in which we live. When the pulpit can give out God’s Word as Jeremiah did, with nothing being held back, letting it say what God means for it to say, then the Word of God will become effective again in our day.
Now Jeremiah is going to tell the remnant exactly what God says they are to do—
And said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;
If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you [Jer. 42:9–10].
God assures them that He will not continue to judge them if they will obey Him. After all, God wants to bless; judgment is His strange work.
Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land [Jer. 42:11–12].
Jeremiah delivers the Word as the Lord gave it to him. It was a good word, an encouraging word. You would think by now they would know that Jeremiah spoke God’s Word, because it had been proven true. You would think they would believe God, but God knows they won’t. He adds this warning—
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
The Lord hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it [Jer. 42:18–20].
Experience has taught them nothing. They still will not obey God. They will not hear the message from Jeremiah. God has told them not to go down into Egypt. So where will they go? They go to Egypt.
CHAPTERS 43–44
Theme: Prophecies to Remnant in Egypt
We have come now to the sixth and last section of prophecy of the book. This contains prophecies during Jeremiah’s last days in Egypt and extends from chapters 43 to 51. Chapters 43 and 44 contain his words to the remnant in Egypt.
JEREMIAH’S MESSAGE REJECTED
And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:
But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon [Jer. 43:1–3].
These people go through the same routine again. They say that God hadn’t really told Jeremiah to say that. The problem is that he is not saying what they want him to say. They had hoped he would tell them to go to Egypt. Instead, God tells them not to go into Egypt.
But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes [Jer. 43:5–7].
Johanan and the captains forced the remnant into Egypt, including the prophet Jeremiah. So they return to Tahpanhes, a place near where they had begun as a nation in the land of Goshen in Egypt. They forced Jeremiah to go with them against his will, but he still is speaking to them.
JEREMIAH’S WARNING TO THE REMNANT IN EGYPT
Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah [Jer. 43:8–9].
They are back down in the brickyards of Egypt. We can see that disobedience to God does not help them to advance—they are right back where they started.
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword [Jer. 43:10–11].
They ran off to the land of Egypt to escape from Nebuchadnezzar, but God is going to permit Nebuchadnezzar to take the land of Egypt. They are worse off than if they had obeyed God and stayed in the land. They will be right back under Nebuchadnezzar; but now they are out of the land, and Nebuchadnezzar will put them into slavery.
THE REMNANT IN EGYPT REJECTS GOD
Chapter 44 records the absolute refusal of the remnant in Egypt to obey God.
Again God patiently explains that He is the One responsible for the invasion and desolation of Judah.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers [Jer. 44:2–3].
Again God gives the reason for His punishment.
Therefore now thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? [Jer. 44:7–8].
What a revelation of God’s love! He still pleads with them to return to Him.
Their insolent reply is an example of the utter depravity of the human heart.
As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil [Jer. 44:16–17].
There is nothing left for them now but judgment.
CHAPTER 45
Theme: Prophecy to Baruch
Baruch was a friend who acted as sort of an assistant to Jeremiah. He was the one who wrote the words of Jeremiah on the scroll which was sent to King Jehoiakim, and the king cut the scroll with a knife and pitched it into the fire (ch. 36). When Jeremiah was in prison and bought the property in Anathoth, Baruch carried out the transaction for him. He had the papers signed and carried through with all the necessary work for the purchase of the land (ch. 32). Finally, Baruch was taken down into Egypt with Jeremiah according to chapter 43:6.
The prophecy to Baruch which we have here in chapter 45 was actually given during the reign of Jehoiakim. That is the reason we said at the beginning of the book that although there is a certain semblance of chronological order in the Book of Jeremiah, it is not arranged chronologically. Although the prophecy was given back during the reign of Jehoiakim, it is recorded here, and I think there is a reason for that. I believe it is recorded here as an encouragement to Baruch. The Lord had already revealed to him what would happen to him if he identified himself with Jeremiah the prophet. This should be an encouragement to him when he was forced to go to Egypt with the remnant of Judah.
Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;
Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest [Jer. 45:2–3].
Things were pretty bad during the reign of Jehoiakim, but that was nothing compared with what was going to follow. The really bad time would occur after the era of Jehoiakim.
Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land [Jer. 45:4].
Even though things were going to get very much worse, God wanted Baruch to know that He was the One who was responsible for it. God assumed responsibility for what would happen to the land of Judah; therefore, Baruch could go along with the program.
And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest [Jer. 45:5].
This prophecy was given to Baruch when he was still a young man. God told him that he couldn’t expect to arrive at some high goal for himself at this tragic time in the history of the nation. He would live through very troubled times, but he would come through it with his life because God would preserve him. Now Jeremiah and Baruch, his friend and associate, are old men in Egypt. They have seen how God did preserve them through the troubled times in which they lived.
CHAPTERS 46–48
Theme: Prophecy to Egypt, Philistia, and Moab
Jeremiah is in Egypt, having been taken there against his will by the remnant who disobeyed God and went to Egypt. Now Jeremiah gives prophecies to the different nations round about.
God tells them what will happen to Egypt. The remnant which left from Judah went down to Egypt because they thought they would have peace and plenty there. God says, “I have news for you: the war is going to move down to Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar will take Egypt, too”—which he did.
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed [Jer. 46:17].
In other words, they can’t depend on Pharaoh any longer. Egypt will go down in defeat.
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant [Jer. 46:19].
The survivors of Judah made a big mistake to put their trust in Pharaoh and in Egypt. They should have put their trust in God. They should have believed and obeyed the Lord. Yet, in spite of all that, Jeremiah includes a wonderful prophecy of comfort to them.
But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished [Jer. 46:27–28].
My friend, after you read these two verses, if you believe the Word of God to be true, you must believe that God is not through with the nation Israel. God tells them He must punish them but that He will not make a full end of them. Here is one of the many answers to the question “…Hath God cast away his people…” (Rom. 11:1). If we believe the Word of God, we must let this Word stand and accept it at face value.
Chapter 47 gives the prophecy of Jeremiah against the Philistine country.
This little remnant from Judah began to look from one nation to another. Where should they go? On which nation might they depend? Some of these nations were their enemies. Should they go to them for refuge? The answer is no because the land of the Philistines will be conquered also.
In chapter 48 we see a prophecy against Moab. Moab ceased from being a nation.
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the Lord [Jer. 48:42].
The present-day Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the east bank of the Jordan River occupies the same land that the country of Moab and the people of Moab once occupied. Yet God is not through with the people of Moab. I don’t know where they are today; I doubt whether anyone could locate them. But God is able to locate them—
Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab [Jer. 48:47].
God will bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days. Evidently Moab will enter the Millennium. However, at the time of Jeremiah, there was no use for the people to flee to Moab. They wouldn’t be safe there either.
CHAPTER 49
Theme: Prophecies to nations surrounding Israel
We have seen that the people who had been left in Judah made the mistake of going down into Egypt. They went there in disobedience to God, and they went out of the frying pan into the fire. The war was over in the land of Israel. No enemy would want to come in to take that land now. The cities had been absolutely run over, burned, left with nothing but debris. Only the ashes of a former civilization were left there. The remnant should have stayed. They could have built up their land, but instead they ran off to Egypt. God knew that Egypt would be the area of the next big campaign of Nebuchadnezzar. When he took Egypt, he would take these people for the second time. They would be captured again and would suffer again. They thought they were running away from war. They thought they were going to a land where they would have plenty to eat. They thought only of safety and full stomachs.
My friend, when our attitudes and actions and goals are not based on a desire to live for God, when God’s truth is no longer our guide, we have sunk to a low level which won’t bring peace or plenty. This has been the experience down through the annals of history. History has great lessons to teach us if we will but listen.
This chapter continues God’s prophecies through Jeremiah concerning the judgment which was coming to the nations surrounding Israel.
PROPHECY TO AMMON
The remnant of Judah need not look to Ammon for shelter, because it will be destroyed. There is no nation of Ammon in our day, but notice what God says—
And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord [Jer. 49:6].
Ammon is to be restored.
These are remarkable prophecies, remarkable verses of Scripture.
PROPHECY TO EDOM
There is more space given to the prophecy directed to Edom—probably because Edom was related to Israel. Esau and Jacob were brothers, and the two nations Edom and Israel have come from these two men. Edom and Israel have not been friendly down through the years. Edom had become a great nation, for God had said that He would make a great nation out of Esau.
Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?
Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him [Jer. 49:7–8].
Edom was in the territory that is south and more to the east of the Dead Sea, an area between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of’Aqaba. Edom was in for a judgment from God. They had become a great nation and had furnished advisors to other nations. The rock-hewn city of Petra was such a secure place that it acted as a depository for the great nations. Both Babylon and Egypt carried a bank account there. This was a place where they could store their treasures and feel safe about them. The city was hewn out of solid rock on both sides, and there was only one little entrance into this rock-hewn city. It was a tremendous place in its day, but God took away all the greatness which it once enjoyed. Their greatness depended largely on the nations round about them that looked to them because they felt Petra was so secure.
For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes [Jer. 49:13].
Bozrah is Petra and Edom. That rock-hewn city is still there today, completely deserted. It is a ready-made city, and if you are looking for an apartment, I can tell you where you can get one that is rent free. Those rock-hewn apartments are lovely, and you could move into one tomorrow if you wished to do so. It’s all there today, and you can have it. No one will come around to collect the rent. No one will try to sell you any of the property.I caution you, however, that you won’t stay there very long. People who tried to live there just didn’t stay. Some years ago the Germans tried to colonize Petra. The colony that was sent into Petra didn’t make a go of it, and before long the people scattered.
Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord [Jer. 49:16].
The great sin of the Edomites was pride, and for this they were judged. They were in a place that was remarkably protected. The entrance to Petra was through a deep and narrow defile, called the Sik, which was about a mile in length. It was just sort of a cleft in the rock in the valley known as the Wadi Musa. The nation had a history of about one thousand years. Then the Nabataean Arabs took it. The Greeks made two fruitless expeditions against it but found it to be an impregnable city. It was inaccessible for modern men until the airplane. We have had the experience of going into the city of Petra with some of our tours and have found it a remarkable place.
The city was influenced by Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. One can see it in the architecture and the remnants of their civilization. God judged Edom and brought her down.
Now God says this concerning it, and Ezekiel has a more complete prophecy—
Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it [Jer. 49:17–18].
This is a prophecy which has been literally fulfilled. The city is still there. It cannot be destroyed since it is hewn right into the rocks. God said it would not be inhabited, and it isn’t. Every now and then an Arab pitches his tent there for the night, but he’s on his way the next day. The Arabs have very superstitious feelings about the city. Although the Germans didn’t have superstitious feelings, they couldn’t colonize it either. The Word of God says that “neither shall a son of man dwell in it.” It is a ready-made city; yet it will not become an abiding place for men.
This is even more remarkable when you place this prophecy beside the prophecy against Tyre. God had said that Tyre would be scraped so that there would be absolutely nothing left of it, but that it would be inhabited after that. Tyre is an inhabited city today. In contrast, Petra is a city that has never been destroyed yet is without an inhabitant.
Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them [Jer. 49:20].
The city has become desolate, and the nation of Edom has disappeared.
PROPHECY TO DAMASCUS
Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail [Jer. 49:23–24].
Damascus is said to be the oldest inhabited city. There are many other cities that make the same claim, but Damascus probably has some right to it. Here is a prophecy against Damascus stating that the city would be destroyed. It has been destroyed, and it has shifted its position several times. However, the name Damascus continues on with the city, and today it is the capital of Syria.
PROPHECY TO KEDAR, HAZOR, ELAM
Then there is a prophecy against two very prosperous places, Kedar and Hazor. We know very little about them. They were told that Nebuchadnezzar would smite them, and he did. Then there is also a prophecy against Elam.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might [Jer. 49:35].
Elam is to be destroyed but will be restored in “the latter days” (v. 39).
All of these nations are to suffer the same fate as Israel, so that there is no place for the remnant of Judah to flee for safety. They could turn to no one for help. They looked every place but up. Their only help was in the Lord, but they did not turn to Him. He had given them direction, but they would not receive it.
They, of course, decided to go to Egypt—to their ultimate destruction.
CHAPTERS 50–51
Theme: Prophecy to Babylon
Here is the prophecy against the nation which at that time was the top nation of the world. It was the first great world power but would also be destroyed. Judgment would come to Babylon.
The word that the Lord spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces [Jer. 50:1–2].
When this was written, it looked as if Israel would disappear from the face of the earth and that Babylon would continue as a world power. Yet God says that Babylon would be destroyed.
In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God [Jer. 50:4].
Israel will survive. This prophecy looks forward to the last days when Israel will turn to God.
God says he will judge Babylon; she shall be conquered by the Medo-Persians—
For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain [Jer. 50:9].
It was by a clever maneuver that Gobryas was able to invade Babylon.
Because of the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues [Jer. 50:13].
That this verse has been literally fulfilled is obvious to every tourist who visits the ruins of ancient Babylon.
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria [Jer. 50:17–18].
The destruction of Babylon will come suddenly and take her unaware.
I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord [Jer. 50:24].
You can read the account of this in Daniel 5.
Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left [Jer. 50:26].
You can look at Babylon today; it is a heap of ruins. It was utterly destroyed.
The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple [Jer. 50:28].
The report of the destruction of Babylon is to be announced in Zion.
A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.
Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein [Jer. 50:38–40].
The destruction of Babylon is compared to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy:their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon [Jer. 50:42].
This is exactly what happened when Gobryas, the Median, entered the city.
Chapter 51 continues the prediction of God’s judgment on Babylon.
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed [Jer. 51:6–8].
Babylon was to be destroyed suddenly—that, of course, was literally fulfilled.
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyeth all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the Lord [Jer. 51:25–26].
And it certainly is desolate today.
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.
And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant [Jer. 51:36–37].
Note that this utter desolation is to follow, not some future overthrow, but the sack of the city resulting from the turning aside of the waters of the river. The Euphrates River, which flowed directly through Babylon, was diverted from its course, which left an entryway at each end for the warriors of the enemy to enter under the walls in the dry riverbed. By this maneuver they were able to appear suddenly in the streets and take the city by surprise.
CHAPTER 52
Theme: Fulfillment of the prophesied destruction of Jerusalem
We have already briefly looked at this chapter because it is a review in retrospect of the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah. What Jeremiah had first given as prophecy he now writes as history. He recounts again the capture of King Zedekiah and tells how his sons were slain and his eyes put out by the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah also tells us what happened to Jehoiachin after he had been captured and taken to Babylon:
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,
And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,
And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.
And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life [Jer. 52:31–34].
Jehoiachin died in Babylon. Jeremiah had prophesied that no king from this line would again sit on the throne of David; this ends the line of David through his son Solomon. The Son of David who will sit on that throne through all eternity was born through another line, the line of Nathan. Mary was born in that line, and it is in that line that Jesus Christ has claim to the throne of David. This is why the Book of Jeremiah ends with these important details about the royal line.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for further Study)
Feinberg, Charles L. Jeremiah. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982. (Excellent, comprehensive treatment.)
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Annotated Bible. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1917.
Gray, James M. Synthetic Bible Studies. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1906.
Ironside, H. A. Notes on Jeremiah. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1946.
Jensen, Irving L. Jeremiah: Prophet of Judgment. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Jensen, Irving L. Isaiah and Jeremiah. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press. (A self-study guide.)
Meyer, F. B. Jeremiah: Priest and Prophet. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade, 1894. (A rich devotional study.)
Sauer, Erich. The Dawn of World Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951. (An excellent Old Testament survey.)
Scroggie, W. Graham. The Unfolding Drama of Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. (An excellent survey and outline of the Old Testament.)
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1982. (Highly recommended.)
HELPFUL BOOKS ON BIBLE PROPHECY
Hoyt, Hermann A. The End Times. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1969.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Basis of the Premillennial Faith. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1953.
Ryrie, Charles C. What You Should Know About the Rapture. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981.
Sauer, Erich. From Eternity to Eternity. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1954.
Unger, Merrill F. Beyond the Crystal Ball. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1973.
Walvoord, John F. Armageddon, Oil; and the Middle East Crisis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.
Walvoord, John F. The Millennial Kingdom. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959.
Walvoord, John F. The Rapture Question. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1957.
Wood, Leon J. The Bible and Future Events. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973.
The Book of
Lamentations
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Lamentations normally and naturally follows the prophecy of Jeremiah. In this little book the soul of the prophet is laid bare before us. These are the lamentations of Jeremiah.
Dr. Alexander Whyte, one of the great expositors of the Word of God of days gone by, has said: “There is nothing like the Lamentations of Jeremiah in the whole world. There has been plenty of sorrow in every age, and in every land, but such another preacher and author, with such a heart for sorrow, has never again been born. Dante comes next to Jeremiah, and we know that Jeremiah was the great exile’s favorite prophet.”
Jeremiah began his ministry during the reign of Josiah. Both he and Josiah were young men, and they were evidently friends. It was Josiah who led the last revival in Judah. It was a revival in which a great many hearts were touched, but on the whole it proved to be largely a surface movement. Josiah met his untimely death in the battle at Megiddo against Pharaoh-nechoh, a battle that Josiah never should have been in. Jeremiah, however, continued his prophetic ministry during the reigns of the four wretched kings who followed Josiah: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. His was a harsh message as he attempted to call his people and his nation back to God, but he was never able to deter the downward course of Judah. He witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem; and as he saw it burn, he sat down in the warm ashes, hot tears coursing down his cheeks.
The Book of Lamentations is composed of five chapters, and each chapter is an elegy, almost a funeral dirge. These elegies are sad beyond description. In them we see Jeremiah as he stood over Jerusalem weeping. This book is filled with tears and sorrow. It is a paean of pain, a poem of pity, a proverb of pathos. It is a hymn of heartbreak, a psalm of sadness, a symphony of sorrow, and a story of sifting. Lamentations is the wailing wall of the Bible.
Lamentations moves us into the very heart of Jeremiah. He gave a message from God that actually broke his heart. How tragic and wretched he was. If you were to pour his tears into a test tube to analyze them from a scientific viewpoint and determine how much sodium chloride, or salt, they contained, you still would not know the sorrow and the heartbreak of this man. He has been called the prophet of the broken heart. His was a life filled with pathos and pity. His sobbing was a solo. Ella Wheeler Wilcox has written a piece of doggerel that goes like this:
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone:
For this sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But it has trouble enough of its own.
Tears are generally conceded to be a sign of weakness, crying is effeminate, and bawling is for babies. Years ago when I was pastor of a church here in Pasadena where I still live, the playground for our summer Bible school was right outside my study window. One little boy brought his even younger sister, and it was interesting to watch how he hovered over her and watched after her. Neither one of them was very big. But one day she fell on the asphalt and scratched up her knee. She began to cry, as a little child would. He tried to give her a sales talk in order to quiet her down. Oh, she shouldn’t cry, he said, only women cry. Well, I don’t know what he thought she was, but nevertheless it worked, and she stopped crying.
This man Jeremiah had a woman’s heart. He was sensitive. He was sincere. He was sympathetic. He was as tender as a mother. Yet he gave the strongest and harshest message in the Bible: he announced the destruction of Jerusalem, and he pronounced judgment, counseling the people to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. His message did nothing but get him into all kinds of trouble.
Now what kind of a man would you have chosen to deliver such a rough, brutal, tough message as that? Would you have wanted Attila the Hun or a Hitler or a Mussolini? Of one thing I am sure: none of us would send Casper Milquetoast to give the message! But God did choose such a man, a man with a tender heart.
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan tells the story about Dr. Dale of Birmingham who used to say that Dwight L. Moody was the only man who seemed to him to have the right to preach about hell. When someone asked Dr. Dale why he said that, he replied, “Because he always preaches it with tears in his voice.” That is the type of man God wants today. We have too many who are not moved by the message they give.
David Garrick, one of the great Shakespearean actors of the past, told about the day he was walking down the street in London and found a man standing on the corner just yearning over the people. Garrick said, “I stood on the outside of the crowd, but I found myself imperceptibly working myself in, until I stood right under that man, and there came down from his breast hot tears.” He went on to say that there was a woman there, pointing her shaking, withered finger at the man who spoke, and she said, “Sir, I have followed you since you preached this morning at seven o’clock and I have heard you preach five times in the streets of this city, and five times I have been wet with your tears. Why do you weep?” That preacher was George Whitefield, a cross-eyed man who was burlesqued on the English stage and denounced from almost every pulpit in the country. David Garrick went on to say, “I listened to George Whitefield, and as I listened to him I saw his passion and his earnestness. I knew that he meant that without Christ men would die. As I listened to him, he came to the place where he could say nothing more. He reached up those mighty arms, his voice seemed almost like a thunderstorm as he said one final word: ‘Oh!’” Why, he could break an audience with that word! When George Whitefield said “Oh!” men bowed before the Holy Spirit like corn bows under the wind. Garrick went on, “I would give my hand full of golden sovereigns if I could say ‘Oh!’ like George Whitefield. I would be the greatest actor that the world has ever known.” The only difference was that George Whitefield was sincere—he was not acting. Jeremiah was that kind of a preacher also.
I am afraid that we have developed a generation in our day that has no feeling, no compassion for this lost world. There is little concern for getting out the Word of God. There is little attention given to moral fiber or a high sense of duty.
Several years ago in a Reader’s Digest article, young people were counseled that their highest chances of success in life would be found “by engaging in work you most enjoy doing, and which gives fullest expression to your abilities and personality.” If Jeremiah had read that article and heeded its advice, he probably would have gone into some other kind of business. But Jeremiah could say that it was the Word of God that he rejoiced in: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). How wonderful this man was!
The young people today who have been trained—even many in Christian work—are simply looking for a job where they can punch a clock, go home to watch TV, and forget all about it. They hold their feelings and emotions in reserve and are unwilling to become really involved in getting out the Word of God.
I don’t always understand Jeremiah, but I admire him and look up to him. Mrs. Elizabeth, Cook wrote this about him:
A woman’s heart—tender and quick and warm;
But man’s in iron will and courage strong.
His harp was set to weird, pathetic song,
Yet when time called for deeds, no wrathful storm
From throne or altar could his soul disarm—
His disheartening battle fierce and long.
This is Jeremiah, the man who had a sorrow.
Jeremiah reminds us of Another who sat weeping over Jerusalem. The only difference is that Jerusalem was in ruins and the temple already burned as Jeremiah gazed upon the debris. Jesus wept over the same city about six centuries later because of what was going to happen to her. To Jeremiah the destruction of Jerusalem was a matter of history. To Jesus the destruction of Jerusalem was a matter of prophecy.
The key verse in the Book of Lamentations explains the reason Jerusalem lay in ruin: “The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity” (Lam. 1:18).
CHAPTER 1
Theme: Elegy 1
The first elegy in Lamentations opens on a doleful note. Jeremiah is singing in a minor key.
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! [Lam. 1:1].
The great city of Jerusalem has fallen. What is the explanation? Jeremiah makes two tremendous statements that will help us understand.
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward [Lam. 1:8].
“Jerusalem hath grievously sinned”—this is the first explanation for the fall of the city. Her nakedness was revealed—what a picture!
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger [Lam. 1:12].
People don’t like to hear about the fierce anger of God today. That aspect is often left out of the gospel message, and I have observed this particularly in the religious programs that are shown on TV, even by so-called gospel churches. In one Christmas program I saw, they did say that Christ was born of a virgin and that He was God manifest in the flesh—I rejoiced in that. But the program was a travesty of the gospel because it said that Christ came to give you a new personality, to bring peace and love—and oh, how insipid it was! It was a message for comfort and for compromise. The excuse that is often given for such an approach with the gospel is that it is trying to reach the man of the world. Jeremiah, too, was trying to reach a lost world, and he wasn’t very successful; but at least he gave God’s message as God had given it to him. God judged Judah because of her sin, and He still will judge sin today.
The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity [Lam. 1:18].
Jeremiah mourned the destruction of Jerusalem alone. He stood among the ashes weeping. Why had the city been destroyed? The city had sinned. The second explanation is “The Lord is righteous.” God did it, and God was right in what He did.
This is difficult to understand, and I must say I feel totally inadequate to deal with this. I merely stand at the fringe of the sorrow of this man and find I cannot enter in. I can merely look over the wall into his garden; I am not able to walk up and down in it. He has revealed two things to us, the bitter and the sweet: Jerusalem has sinned, yet God loves Jerusalem. “Jerusalem hath grievously sinned,” and “the Lord is righteous.” God loved them, He said, “with an everlasting love.” He brought this upon them because He is righteous.
A statement from G. Campbell Morgan may help us to understand this. Of the revelation of God’s anger, he said: “This is a supreme necessity in the interest of the universe. Prisons are in the interest of the free. Hell is the safeguard of heaven. A State that cannot punish crime is doomed; and a God Who tolerates evil is not good. Deny me my Biblical revelation of the anger of God, and I am insecure in the universe. But reveal to me this Throne established, occupied by One Whose heart is full of tenderness, Whose bowels yearn with love; then I am assured that He will not tolerate that which blights and blasts and damns; but will destroy it, and all its instruments, in the interest of that which is high and noble and pure” (Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, p. 248).
You and I are living in a universe where there is a God, a living God, a God whose heart goes out in love and yearning over you. But I want to say this to you: if you turn your back on Him, He will judge you even though He still loves you. He is the righteous God of this universe. I am not sure I understand all that, but I know it is what He says in His Word. Someday He will make it clear to us that hell is actually there because He is a God of love and a God of righteousness and a God of holiness. The whole universe, including Satan himself, will admit that God is righteous and just in all He does. My friend, God is so great and wonderful and good we dare not trifle wih Him.
Jesus could say to the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Why did He call them hypocrites? Because “…ye devour widows’ houses…” (Matt. 23:14)—that was one of the reasons. My friend, if your Christianity does not affect your heart, your life in your home and in your business, and your social life, then you are a hypocrite. I didn’t say it; He said it, my beloved. And He is the One who wept over these men. My eyes are dry, but His eyes are filled with tears for you and for me today. Oh, my friend, don’t turn your back on the God who loves you like this! It will be tragic indeed if you do.
God does what He does because He is a righteous God. He cannot shut His eyes to evil. When His own children disobey Him, God must discipline them, even though it breaks His heart. Jeremiah reveals to us the heart of God: when Jeremiah weeps, God is weeping; when he sorrows, God is sorrowing. When we don’t understand what is happening, the important thing is to trust in knowing that God is righteous in what He does. Although it broke His heart, He was right in letting Jerusalem be destroyed and in letting the people go into captivity.
G. Smith wrote a poem about Jerusalem that gives us some insight into this man Jeremiah:
I am the man sore smitten with the wrath
Of Him who fashion’d me; my heart is faint,
And crieth out, “Spare, spare, O God! Thy saint”;
But yet with darkness doth He hedge my path.
My eyes with streams of fiery tears run down
To see the daughter of my people slain,
And in Jerusalem the godless reign;
Trouble on trouble are upon me thrown.
Mine adversaries clap their sinful hands
The while they hiss and wag their heads, and say,
“Where is the temple but of yesterday—
The noblest city of a hundred lands?”
We do confess our guilt; then, Lord, arise,
Avenge, avenge us of our enemies!
Jeremiah cries out—he wants to know why, and God assures him that He is righteous, right, in what He is doing to Jerusalem.
Another anguished question that Jeremiah has is this: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” (v. 12). In other words, How much are the people involved? Do they really care?
Man does not want to accept the fact that God is angry with sin. Instead, the fact that God is love is played for all its worth. I agree that God is love, and the church certainly needs to learn to take the love of God into the marketplace of life. We have often failed to do that, but I feel that it has led to an overemphasis on the love of God in this generation. God is righteous, and God is holy, and God is just in what He does.
The question remains: How do you feel about your sin and God’s anger toward it? Is it nothing to you? Jeremiah sat weeping over the city. There were not many others weeping with him. Oh, we are told in Psalm 137 that the captives who had been taken to Babylon sat down and wept when they remembered Zion. They cried out for vengeance, and I feel they had a perfect right to do that, but was there any genuine repentance? Or was it the repentance of a thief who is merely sorry he has been caught but does not repent of his thievery? The people who were carried into captivity wept. But Jeremiah, who did not go into captivity, wept also over the debris, the wreckage, the ashes, and ruins of the city. He was a free man, but he was moved, he was involved, and he was concerned.
Again, may I refer to the religious programs we have on television in our day. They are often finished, polished, and professional in their presentation. I think it is a credit to the church to do something in a professional way—that is good and right—but I am concerned that there was one word I did not hear: the word sin. Their message did not emphasize at all that God is righteous and He must punish our sin.
The Virgin Birth, the deity of Christ, His death and resurrection are all important, but the question is: Why did He die? That is the question raised in Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?…” Our Lord said that while He was hanging on the cross. We find the answer to that question in the same psalm: “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps. 22:3, italics mine). He is holy. He is righteous. Christ died on that cross because you and I are sinners, hell-doomed sinners.
Look at the cross today—“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” (v. 12). He didn’t have to die. He suffered as no man has had to suffer. God forsook Him, but God will never forsake you as long as you live. He forsook Christ so that He would not have to forsake you. May I ask you, is it nothing to you?
McCheyne was a wonderful man of God in the past who had a real experience with the Lord. He wrote a poem about Jehovah-Tsidkenu, which means “the Lord our Righteousness” (see Jer. 23:6; 33:16), and Dr. H. A. Ironside quoted it in Notes on the Prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 315, 316).
I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage,
Isaiah’s wild measure, or John’s simple page:
But e’en when they pictured the blood—sprinkled tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.
Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul;
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu: ’twas nothing to me.
When free grace awoke me by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me—I trembled to die.
No refuge, no safety in self could I see;
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Saviour must be.
My terrors all vanished before that sweet name;
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came,
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free;
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.
My friend, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” Have you come to Jesus just to get a new personality? To bring a little peace into your soul, or to create a little love on your altar? Is that the reason He died on the cross? Will you hear me, my friend? He died on the cross to save you from hell.
The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal Christ as Savior, and He has come to convict the world of sin. What kind of sin? Murder? Thievery? Yes, but something is worse than that: they sinned “…because they believe not on me” (John 16:9, italics mine). God has a remedy for the thief. The thief on the cross was saved. I think Paul was guilty of murder, that he was responsible for the death of Stephen, but he got saved. Moses also was a murderer. God has a remedy for the murderer, the thief, and the liar, but God does not have a remedy for the man who rejects Jesus Christ. That is the greatest sin you can commit.
Rejection of Christ is a state rather than an act. You can never commit the act of rejecting Christ, but you can gradually come to the place where Christ and what He has done for you is absolutely meaningless. Jerusalem, reached the place where God told Jeremiah, “Don’t be disturbed that they are not listening to you. If Moses or Elijah or Samuel were here to pray for them, I would not answer their prayers either. It is too late; they have crossed over.” There are many living in our sophisticated day who have crossed over to that place.
Now we cannot judge when a man has reached the point of having totally rejected Christ. I have seen the conversion of many folk whom I’m sure I would have considered to be hopeless cases. One man I know of who lived in the San Francisco Bay area was on drugs and was guilty of several crimes, but he was marvelously and wonderfully converted. So neither you nor I are the ones to say that someone has stepped over that line, but it does happen.
Jerusalem had rejected God. An individual can reject God. What does Jesus Christ mean to you? What does His death mean to you? “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?” (v. 12).
CHAPTER 2
Theme: Elegy 2
The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation [Lam. 2:5].
God took full responsibility for what Nebuchadnezzar did. God allowed him to destroy the city of Jerusalem. God used him as a rod, just as He had used the Assyrians against Israel for their punishment.
Have you ever stopped to think in your own personal life why God permits certain people to cross your path? Do you wish that you had never met certain people? Are there people whom you would call your enemies? Someone may have caused you sorrow, but it is all for His purpose. God has permitted all that for a definite purpose. Learn to recognize the hand of God in your life.
The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast [Lam. 2:7].
The very temple which God had blessed—He had given the instructions for building it, His very presence had been there at one time—now He says, “The day came that I abhorred that temple.”
Churchgoing folk need to investigate their own lives. If you go to church, is that something that God takes delight in? Or is it actually something that hurts His cause? Is your frame of mind right when you go, or are you critical? Can the spirit of God use you? I think that it can even be sinful to go to church. Do you know where the most dangerous place was the night Jesus was arrested? Was it down with that bunch of rascals who were plotting His death? No, my friend, the most dangerous place that night was in the Upper Room where Jesus was! Do you know why? Satan was there. He put it into the heart of Judas Iseariot to betray Him, and he also got into the heart of Simon Peter to deny Him. Just because you are going to church doesn’t mean you are pleasing God.
The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground [Lam. 2:10].
All the people went through the outward gyrations of grief, but notice how Jeremiah was affected:
Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city [Lam. 2:11].
“Mine eyes do fail with tears”—he cried so much he couldn’t even see. “My bowels are troubled”—this thing tore him to pieces, it wrecked his health. He was involved; it broke his heart.
How many of us are willing to be really involved in God’s work? Are we willing to endanger our health? Are we willing to give ourselves over to God?
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? [Lam. 2:15].
The enemy without is elated at the misery of Jerusalem.
I am sometimes severe in my comments about the condition of the church in our day. I am retired from the active pastorate—although I am not retired from the work of God—and I need to ask myself how involved I am with my brethren who are in the ministry. When I see the problems in the church today, is it nothing to me? Do I just sit on the sidelines as a critic, or does it bring sorrow to my heart? I can say that I have been moved, and I want to be an encouragement to the many wonderful Bible-teaching pastors in our country. It is too easy to be harsh in our criticism when it means nothing to us at all.
CHAPTER 3
Theme: Elegy 3
Each one of the chapters in this little Book of Lamentations forms an acrostic. That is, there are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and each of the twenty-two verses in each chapter begins with the succeeding letter. However, in this chapter there are sixty-six verses, which means that there are three verses that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old: he hath broken my bones [Lam. 3:1–4].
This man Jeremiah has seen and gone through great trouble. His health is wrecked because of his concern for Jerusalem. Jeremiah was not unmoved by the destruction he had seen come to the nation. He did not run around saying, “I told you so!” Actually, he was heartbroken. His response also shows us how God feels. God is not removed; He goes with those who are His own. The Lord Jesus said, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). Whatever you are going through, you can be sure He is there.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him [Lam. 3:21–24].
If I were to give a title to these last three chapters of Lamentations, it would be, “When Tomorrows Become Yesterdays.” Jeremiah is now looking back upon the past. He had predicted the judgment that came upon Jerusalem, and Jeremiah sits in the rubble and ruin of Jerusalem weeping as he writes this lamentation.
These verses are the only bright spot in all of the five lamentations. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” In spite of the severe judgment of God—and many thought it was too severe—Jeremiah can see the hand of God’s mercy. They would have been utterly consumed had it not been for the mercy of God. If they had received their just deserts, they would have been utterly destroyed—they would have disappeared from the earth.
Was Judah’s deliverance from such a fate due to something in them? No, it was all due to the faithfulness of God. He had promised Abraham that He would make a nation come from him—and this was the nation. He had promised Moses that He would put them into the land. He had promised Joshua that He would establish them there. He promised David that there would come One in his line to reign on the throne forever. The prophets all said that God would not utterly destroy this people but that He would judge them for their sin. God is faithful. He has judged them, but He will not utterly destroy them. A faithful remnant has always remained, and ultimately they will become a great nation again.
Will God judge America? A great many people think not, but I think He will.
CHAPTER 4
Theme: Elegy 4
This fourth lamentation is a meditation. Sitting amidst the debris and ashes of Jerusalem, Jeremiah describes the horror of the destruction of his city and the carrying into captivity of the people by Nebuchadnezzar. It is so terrifying that I might be tempted to shun giving such a doomsday message. But we need to face up to the fact that God is a righteous God as well as a God of love. God judges sin, and He is righteous in doing so. Judah did not receive full judgment because of the mercies of God. Habbakuk said, “…in wrath remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2). God never forgets to be merciful. There is always a way out for God’s people if they will come God’s way.
How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! [Lam. 4:1–2].
Jeremiah is comparing gold to the young men of Zion. The fine young men of Judah who were like gold vessels are now like earthen vessels of clay. They have been broken. That is the terrifying thing about warfare: it eliminates the finest young men of a nation.
We are a proud people in this country. Even Christians are told that they need to think well of themselves. I heard of a Christian psychologist who teaches that you should get up every morning, look in the mirror, and say, “I love you!” Well, a lot of the saints don’t need to be told that—they already love themselves! The apostle Paul says that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. If we don’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought, we will find that we are merely clay vessels. In 2 Timothy Paul likens the believer to a clay vessel. However, the issue is not of what material the vessels are made, but how they are being used. Are we vessels for the Master’s use or for our own use?
At the wedding in Cana of Galilee the Lord Jesus had the servants bring out those old beaten water pots, which had apparently been stuck back in a corner until after the wedding. He used those old pots to supply the crowd with drink. He could use those pots, but He had to fill them with water. The water is the Word of God. When we, as old water pots, get filled with the Word of God, God can use us.
The young men of Judah had not been serving God, and they were now just broken pieces of pottery. What a tragic picture this is!
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them [Lam. 4:4].
The siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar was a horrible thing. The people suffered inside the city. Instead of surrendering, they held out and saw their little babies die. Shakespeare has Lady Macbeth say: “I have given suck and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you” (Macbeth, Act 1, scene 7). That is a bitter awful thing! But don’t point your finger back to the terrible things these people did, for today, my friend, abortion is the murder of little children.
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills [Lam. 4:5].
They had lived in luxury, they had had big supermarkets, but now the shelves of the supermarkets are bare. They no longer can enjoy the conveniences they once had—in fact, they don’t have any at all.
Have you ever stopped to think what could happen to the place where you live? Suppose those supermarket shelves which now groan with food were all empty next week when you do your shopping. Suppose you flipped the switch in your home and the lights did not come on. Suppose there was no heat, no air conditioning, no gas for the automobile. A howl of despair would go up in this nation. We would be a helpless people. That’s what happened to Jerusalem. God judged them.
For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her [Lam. 4:6].
God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, but God judged Jerusalem more severely. Why was that? Because the sin of Jerusalem was worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by homosexuality. That is an awful sin, but there is something worse than that. It is worse for a man to sit in the church pew and hear the gospel and do nothing about it. That might be true of someone reading this book. Jesus Christ died for you. God is merciful to you today, and you have turned your back on Him. When God judges, your judgment will be more severe than for the heathen in Africa or in the islands of the sea. Don’t worry about the heathen out there; worry about yourself. How have you responded to God’s offer of grace in Jesus Christ?
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire [Lam. 4:7].
Boy, they looked good, didn’t they? Religion today looks good. We have new churches today—new sanctuaries and nice Christian education buildings where we have a place to play volleyball and basketball. We’ve got a baseball team. We have a nice room for banquets. It all looks good on the outside. Now Jeremiah is saying that a Nazarite was one who took a voluntary oath, and many did it. They were complimented; they looked good, you know. But it was all on the outside; their hearts were not changed. While it is wonderful to have beautiful churches—I’m not opposed to them; I’m excited about them—it is tragic when the people on the inside are not new creatures in Christ Jesus. They are still doing the same old sins. That is the picture Jeremiah gives us of the people of Judah.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field [Lam. 4:9].
Even though Jeremiah has witnessed the awful destruction of Jerusalem and those who had died, he says he would rather be dead than alive, for the condition of those who remained was so terrible.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people [Lam. 4:10].
The same thing took place when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The people got so hungry that mothers had to give their own babies to be eaten! We look back and think how horrible this was but today many mothers are having abortions, actually murdering their babies. If we don’t want a baby, we must take responsibility for our actions before a baby becomes a reality. God has made us capable of having babies and when one has been conceived, it is His intention for that child to come into the world. The moment the child is conceived, he is apersonand to abort a pregnancy is murder of a human being.
For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her [Lam. 4:13].
Because the false prophets and the priests did not tell the people the truth, they are guilty of murder—that is God’s estimate of it. A preacher who won’t preach the Word of God and tell the people how they might be saved is put in this classification. I didn’t say that—God said it. God says if you don’t give out the Word of God, you are guilty.
The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders [Lam. 4:16].
The people paid no attention to the priests who were giving out the Word of God. Jeremiah was a prophet of God, and they paid no attention to him at all. God judged the people for that.
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us [Lam. 4:17].
This is something the modern nation of Israel needs to learn. God did not put them back in the land in 1948; the United Nations made them a nation, and since that time they have never known one minute of peace. There have been war and threats of war continually. They have not turned to God, and God did not put them back into the land.
Don’t misunderstand me, I think the return of the Jews to Israel was a tremendous thing. Dr. W. F. Albright has made this statement: “It is without parallel in the annals of human history that a nation carried into captivity for seventy years should return to resume its national life, and that after nearly six hundred years, this same nation should again be scattered worldwide for nearly two thousand years and retain its identity.” To see how God has dealt with this nation has caused many to turn to Him.
The Lord says that the problem was that Judah was looking to Egypt for help, and Egypt was not a help; they were an enemy. The United States should recognize that it is not the war machines we need to give to Israel. We need to give them the Word of God, the Word which they gave to us so many years ago.
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen [Lam. 4:20].
What a picture of that people as they are today! They are scattered among the heathen.
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins [Lam. 4:22].
After the judgment, God has promised that He will permanently place them in the land.
CHAPTER 5
Theme: Elegy 5
This fifth and final lamentation is a prayer of Jeremiah.
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach [Lam. 5:1].
Judah had lost the honor and respect which she had had among the nations.
They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood [Lam. 5:11–13].
Their women were ravished, and their princes hanged; they had lost everything. The young men who survived were put into slavery to work for Nebuchadnezzar.
The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning [Lam. 5:15].
The joy of their hearts had ceased.
Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old [Lam. 5:19–21].
This is the prayer of Jeremiah for his people. We could learn a lesson from this: before it is too late, we had better turn to the Lord.
Daniel Webster made this statement many years ago, and it sounds like a prophecy: “If religious books are not circulated among the masses and the people do not turn to God, I do not know what is to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be. If God and His Word are not received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the Gospel is not felt through the length and the breadth of the land, anarchy, misrule, degradation, misery, corruption, and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.” What a picture! Today we live in a day when you cannot read the Bible in the schools, but pornography is permitted because we must be free to do what we want to do! Well, can’t some of us have the Bible in our schools, especially when it is desired by the majority?
When our great nation was founded during the period from 1775 to 1787, the following statement by Benjamin Franklin was still widely accepted: “The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of the truth that God governs in the affairs of men.” Unless a marked change takes place in the United States of America, it’s doomed just as sure as was ancient Babylon.
Dr. Machen said, “America is coasting downhill on a godly ancestry.” Now we have reached the bottom of the hill. What a message Lamentations would have for us today, but it will not be selected as the Book of the Month or the Book of the Year. It is unfortunate that we will not listen.
(For Bibliography to Lamentations, see Bibliography at the end of Jeremiah.)
The Book of
Ezekiel
INTRODUCTION
Ezekiel was a priest (Ezek. 1:3), but he never served in that office because he was taken captive to Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:10–16), who was the king of Judah who followed Jehoiakim. It was during the eleven-year reign of Jehoiakim that the first deportation took place when Daniel was taken captive. Jehoiachin then came to the throne and reigned only three months. In 597 b.c. the second deportation took place, and Ezekiel was taken captive.
Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel. Jeremiah was an old man at this time. He had begun his ministry as a young man during the reign of young King Josiah. He had remained with the remnant in the land and then was taken by them down into Egypt. Therefore his ministry at this time was confined to the remnant in Egypt. Daniel had been taken into the court of the king of Babylon and had become his prime minister. Ezekiel, then, was with the captives who had been brought down to the rivers of Babylon. The captives had been placed by the great canal that came off the River Euphrates, which was several miles from Babylon itself. Ezekiel’s ministry was among those people.
Psalm 137 is the psalm of the remnant in Babylon: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof” (Ps. 137:1–2). But at the same time Ezekiel writes: “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezek. 1:1). What a contrast! While these people had already put their harps on a willow tree and sat down to weep, this man Ezekiel was seeing visions of God!
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel were all prophets, but each had a particular and peculiar ministry to a certain group of people, and apparently they never came into contact with each other. From the record in the Book of Daniel you would not gather that Daniel ever visited his people in Babylon where Ezekiel was; yet he had a great concern for them and he actually defended them. But did Daniel and Jeremiah know each other? Well, we know from his book that Daniel was acquainted with the prophecies of Jeremiah. I have a notion that as a young man in his teens he listened to Jeremiah in Jerusalem. Ezekiel also was a young man when he was taken captive, and he too had probably heard Jeremiah, but had no personal acquaintance with Daniel.
The message of Ezekiel is the most spiritual of all the prophets because he dealt particularly with the Person of God. Someone has said, “Ezekiel is the prophet of the Spirit, as Isaiah is the prophet of the Son, and Jeremiah the prophet of the Father.”
During the first years of the captivity the false prophets were still saying that the people were going to return to Jerusalem and that the city would not be destroyed. The city was not destroyed even at the time of the second deportation. It was not until about 586 b.c., when Nebuchadnezzar came against the city the third time, that he burned and destroyed Jerusalem. Therefore for a period of about ten years, these false prophets were saying that the people would return and the city would not be destroyed. Jeremiah had sent a message to Babylon saying the city would be destroyed, and Ezekiel confirmed his message. He warned the people that they must turn to God before they could return to Jerusalem. When the time came, a very small remnant did turn to God, and they returned to Jerusalem very discouraged.
Ezekiel began his ministry five years after he was taken captive at about the age of thirty. In many ways, he spoke in the darkest days of the nation. He stood at the bottom of a valley in the darkest corner. He had to meet the false hope given by the false prophets and the indifference and despondency begotten in the days of sin and disaster. The people would not listen to his message. Therefore, he resorted to a new method. Instead of speaking in parables, as the Lord Jesus did, he acted out the parables. He actually did some very interesting stunts. We read in Ezekiel 24:24, “Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God.” The people would not listen to his words, so he would act them out, and he attracted a great deal of attention that way.
We have folk who use this very same method today. We have placard carriers, flagpole sitters, and walkathons. People do these things to attract attention and gain publicity. This, too, was Ezekiel’s method. One time he walked into a house, locked himself in, and then started digging himself out. When he came out, he came out in the middle of the street! Here in Pasadena, California, it is nothing new to be digging in the middle of the street, for the city workers keep digging up the streets all the time. But in Ezekiel’s time, when a man came up out of the middle of the street one day, people naturally gathered around and said, “What’s the big idea?” Ezekiel had a message for them, and he gave it to them (see Ezek. 12:8–16).
Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord. There were three prophets of Israel who spoke when they were out of the land. They are Ezekiel, Daniel, and John (who wrote from the island of Patmos). All three of these men wrote what is called an apocalypse. They all used highly symbolic language; yet they saw the brightest light and held the highest hope of all the prophets. Ezekiel saw the Shekinah glory of the Lord leave Solomon’s temple, but he also saw the return of the glory of the Lord which was projected into the future and will come to pass during the kingdom age, or the Millennium.
The meaning of Ezekiel is seen in this coming of the glory during the kingdom age. Ezekiel looked beyond the sufferings of Christ to the glory that should follow. As Peter said of the prophets, they saw the sufferings and they saw the glory that would follow (1 Pet. 1:11). I think Ezekiel saw it better than any of the other prophets.
OUTLINE
I. Glory of the Lord; Commission of the Prophets, Chapters 1–7
A. Display of the Glory, Chapter 1
B. Prophet’s Call and Endowment with Power for the Office, Chapter 2
C. Prophet’s Preparation; Office as Watchman, Chapter 3
D. Judgment of Jerusalem, Chapter 4
E. Sign of Prophet Shaving Hair, Chapter 5
F. Sword to Fall Upon Jerusalem; Remnant to be Saved, Chapter 6
G. Prophecy of Final Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 7
II. Glory of the Lord; Complete Captivity of Jerusalem and Israel; Departure of the Glory, Chapters 8–24
A. Vision of the Glory; Temple Defilement by Idolatry Explains its Destruction, Chapter 8
B. Shekinah Glory Prepares to Leave Temple, Chapter 9
C. Shekinah Glory Fills Holy Place; Leaves the Temple, Chapter 10
D. Prophecy Against Rulers of Jerusalem, Chapter 11
E. Ezekiel Enacts Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 12
F. Prophecy Against Pseudo Prophets and Prophetesses, Chapter 13
G. Prophecy Against Idolatry of Elders; Certain Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 14
H. Vision of the Vine, Chapter 15
I. Jerusalem Likened to Abandoned Baby Adopted by God, Chapter 16
J. Riddle of Two Eagles, Chapter 17
K. Wages of Sin is Death, Chapter 18
L. Elegy of Jehovah over Princes of Israel, Chapter 19
M. Review of Sins of Nation; Future Judgment and Restoration, Chapter 20
N. King of Babylon to Remove Last King of Davidic Line Until Messiah Comes, Chapter 21
O. Review of Abominations of Jerusalem, Chapter 22
P. Parable of Two Sisters (Samaria and Jerusalem), Chapter 23
Q. Parable of Boiling Pot, Chapter 24
III. Glory of the Lord; Judgment of Nations, Chapters 25–32
A. Against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia, Chapter 25
B. Against Tyre, Chapters 26–28
C. Against Egypt, Chapters 29–32
IV. Glory of the Lord and the Coming Kingdom, Chapters 33–48
A. Recommission of the Prophet, Chapters 33–34
B. Restoration of Israel, Chapters 35–36
C. Resurrection of Israel, Chapter 37
D. Repudiation of Gog and Magog, Chapters 38–39
E. Rebuilt Temple, Chapters 40–42
F. Return of the Glory of the Lord, Chapters 43–48
CHAPTER 1
Theme: Display of the Lord’s glory
Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lord may very well be a key to all of the visions in the entire Word of God; it certainly is the key to the rest of the Book of Ezekiel. Many people think of the Book of the Revelation as resting upon the prophecy of Daniel and the Olivet Discourse of our Lord. That is true, but I believe it rests primarily upon the apocalypse of Ezekiel; you will find a striking similarity between the vision in Ezekiel 1 and chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation.
This vision is a very difficult one to deal with. John Calvin said, “If anyone asks whether the vision is lucid, I confess its obscurity, and that I can scarcely understand it.” I am certainly a Calvinist in the sense that I must concur with his statement—neither do I understand Ezekiel’s vision clearly.
However, there is one thing that I am confident this vision is not: it is not a vision of the present mechanical age. Ezekiel’s vision of the wheels within wheels is not a prophecy of the airplane! When the old propeller planes were first developed, several prophetic teachers were saying that this vision was a prophecy of the airplane. Today we have jet planes and they have no wheels within wheels, and we must set aside that interpretation. Such interpretations are juvenile. Silly and senile chatter like that is what has brought prophecy into disrepute.
What we do have in this first chapter of Ezekiel, I believe, is a vision of the glory of the Lord. In the Book of Isaiah we have the principles of the throne of God; in Jeremiah we have the practice of that throne; but in Ezekiel we have the Person who is on the throne. I want to hasten to add that we do not have God Himself exposed in this vision—you do not have a window display of Him. When I began my ministry I considered this to be a vision of God, but it is not that. It is instead a vision of the glory of God, a vision of the presence of God.
We see here a vision of the chariot of God as He rides triumphantly and irresistibly through time. There is one feature of this vision which shocked me when I discovered it: the chariot is vacant. I had taken for granted that God was there. There are four living creatures, the cherubim, connected with the chariot; yet they are distinct from it. Above all, there is a throne, and on the throne there is a Man. This is the highest vision of God that we are given, and it is most difficult to understand. We will note just a few of its impressive aspects:
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God [Ezek. 1:1].
“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year” would seem to indicate that Ezekiel was thirty years of age. However, it is the belief of many scholars that this is geared to a little different calendar. I will not go into any detail on this as, frankly, it gets a little intricate, and I do not feel that it is essential.
“I saw visions of God.” While the captives in Babylon had sat down and wept by the rivers of Babylon (see Ps. 137:1), Ezekiel was seeing visions of God. What a contrast—seeing visions and weeping!
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity [Ezek. 1:2].
We have not quite come to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem which took place during the reign of Zedekiah.
The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him [Ezek. 1:3].
“The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest.” Ezekiel belonged to the tribe of Levi, apparently the priestly branch, and probably to the sons of Kohath. We are told that he was “the son of Buzi.”
“Chebar” was the main canal that came off the Euphrates River, which watered that area. Evidently, the Jewish captives were put there to till the land. This area was removed by quite a few miles from Babylon, and that may be the reason that Daniel and Ezekiel did not have the opportunity to meet together for a meal. Daniel may have visited the area, but I doubt that Ezekiel would have been permitted to visit Daniel.
And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire [Ezek. 1:4].
“Behold, a whirlwind came out of the north.” I know that many people have made a great deal of this idea that there is a great vacant space up yonder in the north and that this is the direction that leads to the presence of God. Our modern radio electronic telescopes with their big dishes have shown that there are stars out there—it is not vacant. However, “the north” is used in Scripture to point to the throne of God. In Isaiah 14:13 we read (speaking of the fall of Satan): “For thou hast said in thine 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 believe the idea is that, instead of pointing to the north pole, we are to look up—God’s throne is out yonder, not relative to any direction at all. After all, its location is not something you and I can understand. We are told, “… look up … for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). That is the direction in which our attention should be focused today.
Also in Psalm 75:5–7 we read: “Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” The only direction that is not mentioned is north, and I would say the thought is that it is up—God’s throne is out yonder, even beyond space.
This whirlwind out of the north, then, indicates a tremendous movement from the throne of God—it is a judgment from God.
“And a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.” This is the first thing we observe—a light flashing forth, revealing and also concealing. Obscuring and yet bringing out where it can be seen, it is a light brighter than the sun. Perhaps it could be compared to the inside of an atomic blast. It was incandescent, like lightning.
The Word of God says that “… our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29), and that “… God is light …” (1 John 1:5). Paul said that at the time of his conversion he saw “… a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun …” (Acts 26:13). All of this speaks of the unapproachable presence of God (see also vv. 13–14).
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man [Ezek. 1:5].
This verse and also verse 26 (“the appearance of a man”) speak of the incarnation of Christ, the fact that God became a man. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [pitched His tent] among us …” (John 1:14). Isaiah 52:7 tells us, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” God came to earth a Man, walked the dusty trails of Palestine, and finally spikes were driven into His feet.
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle [Ezek. 1:10].
These four faces (compare this with Rev. 4:6–8) remind us of the four Gospels in which Christ is revealed in four aspects: His kingship (Matthew) symbolized here by the lion; His servanthood (Mark) symbolized by the ox; His perfect humanity (Luke) symbolized by the face of a man; and His deity (John) symbolized by the flying eagle.
These four living creatures resemble the description we have of the cherubim who were in the Garden of Eden to guard the way of the Tree of Life. They were not shutting man out from God; they were keeping the way open. What did Adam and Eve see when they looked back as they left the garden? They saw a slain animal whose skins they were wearing. And they saw the cherubim overshadowing, keeping open the way to God. It is the blood that makes an atonement for the sin of man. When Moses made the mercy seat, there were cherubim above which looked down upon the blood of the sacrifices—the same thing Adam and Eve had seen. Through the blood is the only way man can approach God. The Lord Jesus said, “… no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went [Ezek. 1:12].
God is moving forward undeviatingly, unhesitatingly toward the accomplishment of His purpose in this world today. Nothing will deter Him—nothing can sidetrack Him at all.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning [Ezek. 1:13–14].
The Scripture tells us “… God is light …” (1 John 1:5). This is a tremendous vision of the glory of God, a vision out of the person of God. The Lord Jesus said, “… I am the light of the world …” (John 8:12). What does this reveal to us? It reveals the righteousness and holiness of God. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We would be scorched by the holiness of God if we had not been redeemed by the blood of Christ and covered with His righteousness.
God is not exposed in this vision—He is portrayed. It is still true that no man has seen God at any time. Moses said, “… Shew me thy glory,” and God hid him in the cleft of the rock so that Moses saw only the glory of God, not the person of God. The Lord told him, “… Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Exod. 33:18–23).Man has been forbidden to make a likeness of God (see Exod. 20:4). We do not know what He looks like. We do not even know how the Lord Jesus who became a man looked. But there is in the human heart a longing to see God; I think every idol witnesses to that desire. Although idols are perverted and profane representations, they reveal that men want to see God. Yet God has not chosen to reveal His Person to man.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel [Ezek. 1:15–16].
Again may I emphasize that this is not a prophecy of the present mechanical age or even of the invention of the wheel. I am sure that in the beginning man felled a tree, cut off part of the trunk, and found that he had a wheelbarrow. When he put two wheels on it, he had a cart. Then when he put four wheels on it, he had a Ford automobile! If that is what you want to see in this vision, may I say to you, that is silly and senile, that is garbage and rubbish. We need to read further to gain an understanding of these wheels within wheels.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four [Ezek. 1:18].
God is a God of intelligent purpose. You and I are not living in a universe that is moving into the future aimlessly and without purpose. God has a purpose for every atom which he has created, and he has a purpose for you, my friend, in His plan and program. The very fact that you and I are alive today reveals that we are to accomplish a purpose for God. God is intelligently carrying out His purpose in the world.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels [Ezek. 1:19–20].
Now we can see more clearly that these wheels speak of the ceaseless activity and energy of God. Our God is omnipotent. The Lord Jesus said, “… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). God is moving forward, and He will accomplish His purposes.
In Revelation 4 we again read of these four living creatures of Ezekiel’s vision. They are set to guard the throne of God, and in guarding the throne they do two things: (1) they protect the throne in the sense that they do not allow man in his sin to come into the presence of God; and (2) they indicate the way that man is to come. “I must needs go home by the way of the cross, there’s no other way but this” (“The Way of the Cross Leads Home” by Jessie Brown Pounds). The cherubim show the way.
However, I think that Ezekiel saw something infinitely greater. He saw the cherubim over the world, extending mercy to this little piece of dirt that is flying through space. Someone has said that man “is nothing in the world but a rash on the epidermis of a second-rate planet.” But God made the whole world a mercy seat when Christ died down here, and God is hovering over this world today, ready to receive any sinner who will come through Christ to Him.
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about [Ezek. 1:26–27].
I see here an amber throne in the azure blue—a sapphire-studded throne flashing like a diamond and colored like a rainbow. The light blinds and obscures. The throne is filled with energy, like a missile on launching. It is moving like a chariot. It is not leaving the earth; it is coming to the earth. I see the cherubim over the world. I see a cross, a Lamb, and the blood. I see a mercy seat: there is mercy with the Lord. In the hymn “Only Trust Him” by J.H. Stockton we sing:
Come, ev’ry soul by sin oppressed,
There’s mercy with the Lord.
In Romans 9:15 Paul wrote, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” We are also told, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20). God is saying to us—not only to the house of Israel, but to the whole world—“You can come to Me”
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake [Ezek. 1:28].
“This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Ezekiel saw more than Moses saw, more than David, Isaiah, or Daniel saw. He saw a vision of the glory of God—not His Person, but His glory. The presence of God was there. When the Lord Jesus came to this earth and took upon Himself our humanity, His glory was not seen. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord.
“And when I saw it, I fell upon my face.” This vision had a tremendous effect upon Ezekiel, and it should have this effect upon us: “Oh, God, I am undone. I’m lost and I need You. I turn to You and accept You.”
We find throughout the Old Testament that when men came into the presence of God, they went down on their faces. This was true of Isaiah who said: “… Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). In the presence of the Lord, this man found himself horizontal with the ground. That was the position Daniel took also. It was the position John took on the isle of Patmos: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead …” (Rev. 1:17).
What a picture of our holy God we have here! I must say that I stand merely on the fringe, thankful that I’m hidden in the cleft of the rock. Someday I am going to look upon the face of my Savior. I do not know what He looks like, but I am looking forward to that day.
CHAPTERS 2–3
Theme: Ezekiel’s call, preparation, and office as a watchman
EZEKIEL’S CALL
And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee [Ezek. 2:1].
Apparently after the vision Ezekiel had seen, he was not standing up, but was down on his face. He will now receive a call and commission and an endowment with power for the office to which God has called him.
“Son of man”—God addresses him as “son of man.” This title is found exactly one hundred times in the Book of Ezekiel. Daniel, also, is called the son of man. Only these two men in the Old Testament were called by this title. This is also the title that the Lord Jesus appropriated to Himself; eighty-six times in the New Testament He used this title for Himself. It speaks of Him in His rejection, His humiliation, and His exaltation; He is the Son of Man.
Ezekiel did pass through a great deal of suffering. If someone were to ask me whose position I would rather not have—Daniel’s, Jeremiah’s or Ezekiel’s—I would say I would rather not have Ezekiel’s. Certainly Daniel was in danger in the court of Babylon—just ask the lions down there in the den where Daniel spent a night with them! If God had not intervened, Daniel would have been lion food. But I would prefer his job to Ezekiel’s because he at least had luxurious quarters there in the palace of the king of Babylon. Also, Jeremiah at this time was pretty much retired, although he had been in grave danger during his active ministry until the deportation of the people into captivity. However, this man Ezekiel was sent to do a hard job, a very difficult job. He had the job of speaking to an apostate people. He was sent to people who thought they were God’s people, but actually they were in rebellion against God.
The Spirit of God now comes upon Ezekiel and prepares him for this office:
And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me [Ezek. 2:2].
The Spirit of God gave Ezekiel the power to do the job He had given him to do. I believe that when God calls you to do a job He will give you the power to do that job. In fact, God’s work can only be done with the power of God. If God has called you to do a certain thing, He’ll give you the power to do it. The best position you can come to is to recognize that you are not able in your own strength to do the job the Lord has given to you. Moses finally came to the realization—after forty years in the wilderness—that he could not deliver the people. God said to him, “I can do it through you.” God called him to deliver the people, and he was able to do it—not because there was anything in Moses, but because there was a great deal in God.
This is so practical for us today: it works in the ministry, in the pew, and on the mission field. A young couple once came to me saying they had been called to the mission field. I questioned them carefully because I frankly did not feel they were called, although I could not be sure and certainly did not want to stand in their way. They went to the mission field but came back a casualty. As I talked to them, I found they were bitter and felt that God had let them down. They had been willing to go, willing to be martyrs; yet God had not used them. I asked them, “Did it ever occur to you that if you had been called to the mission field, He would have given you the power to do the job?” They had never looked at it from that viewpoint. My friend, we need to recognize that, if we are called of God, He is going to give us the power to do the job. The important thing then is to make sure that we are truly called of God to do a certain thing.
Ezekiel was called to do a harder job than any man I can think of. God is going to tell him about his job. I think that if God had told me something like this when I entered the ministry I would have said, “Now wait a minute, Lord, I’m handing in my resignation right now. I think I’ll continue in my job as a bank clerk and see if I can work myself up in the banking world.” I’m glad He didn’t tell me what He told Ezekiel, because I must confess I am a coward and I come from a long line of cowards. I admire this man Ezekiel. Notice what God tells him about his job:
And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God [Ezek. 2:3–4].
This is a tremendous statement that God makes: “I am going to send you to these people—they are ‘a rebellious nation.’” The word rebellious occurs again and again in the Book of Ezekiel. They are a people in rebellion against God.
The word that is translated “nation” is not the word that God generally used for His chosen people. The word in the Hebrew is goi, and it is the word that Israel used to speak of the Gentiles, the pagans, the heathen. What has happened is that Israel has sunk to the level of the heathen people who lived round about them. God says that they are “a rebellious nation”—they’ve rebelled against Him—and they are “impudent children.”
My friend, the hardest people to reach with the gospel today are church members—those who are in church and who have rejected the gospel and rejected the Word of God. Although they are in church, they are actually against God. They think that being a Christian means to be nice little boys and girls. They play at church—it’s a nice game for them. They seek to be sweet and to keep their noses clean. They want to live a life on the surface which is very sedate and comfortable. They don’t want anyone coming in and telling them they are lost sinners who need to be saved and to become obedient to God. They are hard people to reach, and my heart goes out to my brethren who are in the ministry today—they are sitting on a hot seat. And I would counsel any young man who is considering the ministry to be sure about his call. If he is not sure of his call, maybe he should sell insurance or something else rather than go into the ministry. To be in the ministry today is not easy if you are going to stand for the Word of God.
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them [Ezek. 2:5].
God says to Ezekiel, “I am calling you to go to these people, and whether they hear you or whether they don’t, they are going to know that there was a prophet of God among them—I’ll make sure of that.” After Ezekiel was gone, the people would say that he was certainly a prophet of God, although they disagreed with him.
I’ll be frank with you, all I want after I’m gone is for people to say that I preached the Word of God the best I knew how. That is what is important.
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house [Ezek. 2:6].
Apparently Ezekiel was going to be in danger, but God says, “Be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words.” The Lord really lays it on the line to Ezekiel just what his job was going to be like.
PREPARATION OF THE PROPHET
In chapter 3 we have the preparation of the prophet for a hard job, a difficult assignment. Jeremiah was a different type of individual from Ezekiel. Jeremiah was the prophet of the broken heart, tears often streaming from his eyes. At that crucial moment in history God needed Jeremiah to let His people know that it was breaking His heart to send them into captivity. Now the people have gone into captivity, and they are bitter and rebellious. However, at this time the temple had not yet been burned or the city of Jerusalem destroyed. It would not be until seven years after this delegation of captives arrived in Babylon that that destruction would occur. Therefore, the false prophets were still telling the people that they were God’s people and they would go back home. They said to this man Ezekiel, “Who do you think you are to tell us these things? We are God’s people, and we are going back to our land. We will not be in captivity a long time.” But God had told Ezekiel, “You tell them they are not going back. They are going to be in captivity for seventy years just as Jeremiah said. They are going to be in Babylon seventy years, and they are going to work hard there along the canals, working in the fields and building buildings. It is going to be a hard lot for them.”
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel [Ezek. 3:1].
“Son of man”—again, this is the title the Lord gives Ezekiel in this hard job, in the suffering he would experience.
“Eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.” This is quite a diet—he is to eat the Word of God. The Word of God should become part of us, my friend. No man ought to preach the Word whose heart is not in it and who doesn’t believe every word he says. Otherwise, he should get out of the ministry. The pulpit is no place for flowery speech and high-flown excess verbiage. The pulpit is the place to declare the Word of God.
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness [Ezek. 3:2–3].
For a good diet study the Word of God. May I ask you, do you love the person of Christ? Maybe I ought to first ask, do you love the Word of God? You will never love Him unless you love the Word of God.
A seminary professor asked me one time, “What theory of inspiration do you hold?” I said to him, “The theory I hold is no theory at all—love the Book.” You have to love the Word of God before it will ever become meaningful to you. The Word of God reveals a Person to you and then you fall in love with Him. Ezekiel said, “It was in my mouth as honey for sweetness”—he loved the Word of God.
And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel [Ezek. 3:4–5].
Ezekiel was not sent to speak to foreigners but to his own people. He would not go as a missionary who has to learn a foreign tongue and a hard language—God sent him “to the house of Israel.”
Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted [Ezek. 3:6–7].
“Ezekiel, I am sending you to a congregation that is impudent and in rebellion against Me. They won’t hear Me, and they are not going to hear you, either.”
Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house [Ezek. 3:8–9].
The Lord tells Ezekiel, “You are to go ahead and give them My Word, and I am going to make your head hard.” Now God didn’t make Jeremiah’s head hard. Jeremiah had a soft heart, and he couldn’t stand up against all the trouble he faced. At one time he even went to the Lord and resigned. Ezekiel is not about to resign. God says, “The children of Israel are hardheaded, and I am going to make your head harder than theirs.”
A man came to me one time and said, “You know, our preacher really talked hard to the board the other night, and I don’t think a preacher ought to talk that way to the board.” “Well,” I said, “what kind of a board is it?” He replied, “They’ve caused the pastor a lot of trouble.” I told him, “That’s the kind of problem Ezekiel had, but God made his head harder than Israel’s. I just hope your preacher’s head is harder than anyone’s on the board.”
HIS OFFICE AS WATCHMAN
Now God tells Ezekiel what he is to do and how he is to warn Israel.
Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul [Ezek. 3:15–19].
God gives to Ezekiel the job of being a watchman to warn His people. They may not want it, but he is to warn them. God says to him, “If you do not warn them that they are going to die in their sins I am going to hold you responsible. However, if you warn them and they continue in their disobedience and die in their sins, you will not be responsible.”
My friend, I would hate to be in the place of a minister who does not give out the Word of God. I’d hate to be in his position and stand before the Lord Jesus someday in judgment. A man who has the Word of God should have the intestinal fortitude to declare the Word of God. This was Ezekiel’s responsibility, and God chose the right man for the job—he was as hard as a hickory nut.
The watchman held a very important position in the ancient world, in that day of walled cities. The cities were walled for protection, and the gates were closed at nightfall. A watchman then ascended the wall to begin the vigil of the long, dark night. With a trained eye he peered into the impenetrable darkness which surrounded the city. With a trained ear alert to every noise, he listened for the approach of danger, for the approach of an enemy.
The Word of God has quite a bit to say about the watchman. In Isaiah 62:6 we read: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night ….” And then in Psalm 127:1 it says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”
In the Hebrew culture, the watchmen functioned in three watches of the night; that is, they had three shifts: from dark until about midnight; from midnight until cockcrow, which was probably about two or three o’clock; and from then until dawn. The watchman in the morning watch was the one who announced the dawn. The Romans had the night divided into four watches.
We might think that the practice of having watchmen belongs to a backward age and a day that is past, that at the dawn of civilization it was satisfactory but it’s not needed today. However, we are finding out again that we need watchmen. The police who patrol all during the night in our cities are watchmen. I personally feel they should have more support from the citizens and from the legal profession. We should stand behind them. I know that some of them individually are not what they should be, but we should respect their office and respect the fact that they do protect us during the night. But if we continue on the lawless path on which we are now, I am afraid that the day will come when they will not be able to help us at all.
The Book of Isaiah teaches us that the watchman had not only a responsibility, but also a visibility. He was to be able to distinguish the enemy out there in the darkness. Today, the minister is to be the watchman for his community. He should be able to give a warning of danger—he is responsible to give, that type of message.
Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand [Ezek. 3:20].
This verse has been used to argue that a believer can fall from grace, a teaching which is not found in the Word of God. Galatians 5:4 is the only place where you will find the expression “… fallen from grace.” There it is not speaking of salvation but of those who have been saved by grace but have fallen down to a legal level and are attempting to live by the law instead of living by grace. The great teaching of Galatians is that we are saved by grace and are to live by grace.
Here in Ezekiel we have a man who is living under the time of law. His life was determined by righteous acts. Under normal circumstances the righteous acts he might perform might look very good. But under time of stress and strain he might turn from God, and he would be judged for it. We are not to construe that he was once saved. He will be tested at the end of his life as to whether he is a child of God or not.
Today you and I are living under grace, and righteousness is determined in a little different way. We are constituted righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith. In Romans 4:5 we are told “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [reckoned] for righteousness.” The true believer today may fall into sin, but he will not deliberately practice and live in sin: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit [practice] sin …” (1 John 3:9). If a believer falls into sin, a gracious provision is made—we have an Advocate with the Father, and we can come to Him in confession of our sins.
The emphasis in Ezekiel is not so much upon this man living under law but upon the responsibility of the watchman. The watchman is to warn the man who has turned from good works to living in a way that conforms to the standard of the enemy.
And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee [Ezek. 3:22].
Having been told he is to be a watchman, God now tells Ezekiel to leave these people. For seven days he has sat among them overwhelmed by how far they have apostatized and turned from God. God calls him to leave them.
Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face [Ezek. 3:23].
The subject of the glory of God will appear again and again in the Book of Ezekiel. What is glory, by the way? Some will say that glory is something you cannot see, that it is intangible. I feel that is entirely wrong. Glory is something that produces a sensation on all five of our senses. Glory has size. How big is it? Is it long or square or round? May I say, glory has the size of the infinity of space. The Word of God tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). The glory of God is seen in this tremendous universe that you and I live in. Glory also has a beauty to it: “… whose glorious beauty is a fading flower …” (Isa. 28:1). Glory is beautiful. My, heaven is going to be a beautiful place. How lovely it’s going to be! Glory has to do with adornment. We read in Scripture that He was “… glorious in his apparel …” (Isa. 63:1). He is really dressed up and lovely in the garb that he wears. There is a majesty about glory. Psalm 8:1 declares, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” This is the majesty of God; it is bright and light, precious and pure. Finally, glory also sets forth honor and dignity. Daniel said, “O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour” (Dan. 5:18). The very name of God suggests His dignity, His glory. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord.
Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.
But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them [Ezek. 3:24–25].
The usual interpretation of this verse is that the enemy binds Ezekiel so that they can take him out of the house. However, Ezekiel wanted to stay in that house and he would not go although they had bound him.
Instead of speaking a great deal, Ezekiel is going to act out the parables which God gives to him. This is one of them: he goes into his house and locks himself in. Why? To show that God has rejected this rebellious people.
And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.
But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house [Ezek. 3:26–27].
Ezekiel’s job is to say, “Thus saith the Lord God.” Back in chapter 2, verse 7 we read, “And thou shalt speak my words unto them.” This man is to give God’s Word to these people, and that is the only time he’s to speak to them. He is to be dumb at other times. He had only the Word of God to give them.
CHAPTERS 4–5
Theme: Judgment of Jerusalem; sign of the prophet shaving his hair
In chapters 4 and 5 Ezekiel is going to use certain signs and act out certain parables before the people. At this time Jerusalem was not yet destroyed, and the false prophets were telling the people of Israel that they were going to have peace. They were saying that the Jews already in Babylonian captivity would return to their land shortly, but Ezekiel is going to confirm the word of Jeremiah, who had told them they would not be going back and that Jerusalem would be destroyed.
G. K. Chesterton writing in the early twentieth century said, “This is the age of pacifism, but it is not the age of peace.” Throughout history man has engaged in fifteen thousand wars and he has signed some eight thousand peace treaties; yet during five or six thousand years of history he has never enjoyed more than two to three hundred years of true peace. Man is a warlike creature, whether he likes to think so or not. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” May I say to you, there is only one Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ.
JUDGMENT OF JERUSALEM
Ezekiel is going to show these people that there is not going to be any peace and that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed.
Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem [Ezek. 4:1].
“A tile” in that day meant a brick. This was their writing material; the Babylonians used clay bricks on which they kept their records. Many, many of these bricks have been found, and they have writing upon them. They are almost square, about fourteen by twelve inches in size.
What Ezekiel was to do was to draw the city of Jerusalem on the brick (I do not know just how he did it), and then he was to break the brick to show that the city was going to be destroyed.
Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel [Ezek. 4:3].
Now Ezekiel was to take an iron pan and put it between himself and this picture of Jerusalem which he had made to show that God had put a wall between Himself and the city of Jerusalem. The destruction of the city was inevitable; it could not be stopped. What a tremendous way in which to bring God’s message to these people!
The sign of the tile portrayed the siege of Jerusalem. The second sign of the pan showed the hardships of divine judgment, that the people were to go through terrible suffering. A third sign describes additional punishments to come upon Jerusalem. It is the sign of the defiled bread:
Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.
And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.
And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them [Ezek. 4:9–13].
These instructions would be overwhelming to most of us, but they were especially difficult for Ezekiel to follow because he was a priest and had never eaten anything unclean:
Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth [Ezek. 4:14].
However, this was to be a sign from the Lord of the famine the people would experience at the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Despite the continued promises of the false prophets, the city and the people were going to be lost. These various signs described the horrors that were to come.
SIGN OF THE PROPHET SHAVING HIS HAIR
Chapter 5 opens with Ezekiel acting out yet another sign to the people:
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts [Ezek. 5:1–3].
This must have looked something like one of our modern commercials for an electric razor—only they didn’t have electric razors in those days! Just what was the meaning of this? Ezekiel was to shave his head and his beard, which was unusual for a priest to do. I imagine the people gathered all around to watch as Ezekiel shaved himself out there in the open.
After he shaved, Ezekiel carefully divided the hair into three parts. One third of the hair he took and burned inside the city. This represented the people who were going to be besieged and burned with fire inside the city at the time of its destruction—this is exactly what happened to them. The second third of the hair he took and smote—he really worked it over. This depicted what was to happen to those people who lived through the siege—they fell by the sword. The last third of the people were scattered out; this group included those who went down to Egypt taking Jeremiah with them. The small remnant of God’s people who eventually returned to the city is pictured by the few hairs that were bound up in Ezekiel’s skirts.
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them [Ezek. 5:12].
This is the message that Ezekiel brought, and he made its meaning very clear.
So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it [Ezek. 5:17].
Ezekiel’s warning to the people went unheeded. The destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering endured by the people should be a warning to us of the reality of divine judgment. But we are so far removed from it, and very few people are really acquainted with the Word of God today. (The greatest sin among Christians is ignorance of the Word of God.) God gave this warning to the people of Jerusalem, but it has a message for us also, as does all Scripture. My friend, when the judgment of God begins, it is going to be too late to make your decision. Today, if you will hear His voice, He says, “(… behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Cor. 6:2, italics mine). The real “Now Generation” are those who have not postponed their decision but have already accepted God’s salvation.
CHAPTER 6
Theme: Sword to fall upon Jerusalem; remnant to be saved
The book of Ezekiel is a very orderly book, and up to this point we have had prophecies which largely concerned Jerusalem. However, the prophet will now turn his attention to the whole land of Israel: judgment is going to come upon the whole land.
Ezekiel is with the second delegation of people who were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. They were slaves of the government of Babylon working in the agricultural area by the river Chebar, the great canal running off the Euphrates River. Most of the people, however, were still back in the land, and Jerusalem had not yet been devastated. The false prophets continued to assure the people that everything was going to be all right and that the captives would be able to return shortly. Meanwhile, Jeremiah was saying that the captivity would last seventy years, but they paid no attention to him. They listened to the false prophets because their message sounded better and was very optimistic.
I have found the same attitude among people throughout the years of my ministry. After I preached a series of messages on the judgments of God found in the books of the prophets, one very prominent man in my church at that time withdrew from the church. He said, “I go to church to be comforted, and I am not being comforted.” He did not want to hear the Word of God. I discovered later that in his business dealings he did not need to be comforted; the judgement messages were good for him—they were digging in right where he was! Another lady stopped coming to my church, saying, “There were times when Dr. McGee made me feel very bad. Now I go to church, and the preacher makes me feel very good.” Frankly her church was a cult, and its message concerned how to make friends and influence people. It emphasized the power of positive thinking: just feel good about it, and it will be good. May I say to you, that is not the message of the Word of God.
In chapters 6 and 7 we have two messages of judgment. Ezekiel now is going to speak on that which concerns all of the land, and his message is that the idolaters are to die and the land is to be desolated.
SWORD TO FALL UPON JERUSALEM
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 6:1].
This verse opens the first of the two messages; the second message in chapter 7 begins the same way: “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying” (Ezek. 7:1). The people would not accept what Ezekiel said, but Ezekiel told them, “I’m not telling you what I think, and I’m not telling you what I hope or what I’d like to see come to pass. I’m telling you what God says.”
It is also interesting to note that both of these messages conclude with “and they shall know that I am the Lord.” God sent this judgment upon them so that they would know He was the Lord; one of the purposes of judgment is that men might know that God is a holy God.
This world needs to know that God is a holy God. We have had a great deal of emphasis upon the fact that God is love. While it is true that God is love, it is only half the story. We need to look on the other side of the coin: God is holy, and God will punish sin. If you turn in disobedience from Him, if you deny Him and do not accept His salvation, there is only one alternative left—judgment. Men today try to excuse themselves; they do not want to recognize that they are sinners. They attempt to write God off and bow Him out of His universe by saying He does not even exist.
A brilliant young Hebrew, who was a chaplain at the University of Pittsburgh a number of years ago, attempted to show that God did not exist. His argument was based on the premise that the God of the Hebrew Bible is depicted as the faithful protector of His chosen people, but at least six million Jews had died at the hands of the Nazis. He wrote, “To believe in the God of the covenant today you must affirm that their Creator [that is, of the nation Israel] used Adolph Hitler as the rod of His wrath to send His people to the death camps, and I find myself utterly incapable of believing this. Even the existentialist’s leap of faith cannot resurrect this dead God after Auschwitz.” This young rabbi speaks of the death of God as a cultural event. Wistfully and sadly he comes to the conclusion that there is no God because the God of the covenant is a God who would protect Israel and would never let anything happen to them. May I point out that he never takes into consideration, as Ezekiel did, that there might be something wrong with the people upon whom the judgment came. They had turned their backs upon God and had denied Him. They had been given a special privilege, and that privilege created a responsibility which they did not measure up to.
Ezekiel is telling the people that it is God who is sending this judgment that He might confirm to them that He is a holy God. His judgment is an awful thing. Paul wrote, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men …” (2 Cor. 5:11). Because Ezekiel was made aware of God’s holiness at the beginning of his ministry, he devoted his life to the ministry of “persuading men.”
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them [Ezek. 6:2].
The judgment is to come upon the entire land.
And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places [Ezek. 6:3].
“Mountain” in Scripture, if used figuratively, speaks of government, but you need to determine if it is being used literally or figuratively. I believe Ezekiel is speaking of that land, the good old terra firma—right down where there’s plenty of dirt.
“I will destroy your high places.” In that land under every kind of tree there was a heathen altar around which the grossest immorality took place. This is what the heathen, the Gentiles did, but now this nation, God’s chosen people, had given themselves over to the same idolatry. God says to them, “Judgment is coming upon you.”
And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars [Ezek. 6:4–5].
It is too bad that the Jews in Germany did not read the Book of Ezekiel rather than turning to a man like Hitler, which the entire nation did at the beginning. Israel should have turned to the living and true God and been acquainted with His method of dealing with men. You cannot trifle with God, my friend. Judgment does come.
America struggles to bring peace to the world; but, instead of solving our problems, they continue to mount up. Why? Because God judges. Do you think God is a senile old man with long whiskers, sitting on a cloud and weeping crocodile tears? My friend, God is a holy God. In chapter 1 Ezekiel saw a vision of a holy God: those wheels within wheels depicting the energy of God as He moves forward to accomplish His purposes, and the fire and whirlwind showing that God does move in judgment upon this earth in which we live. To understand God in this way may be a bitter pill, but when we take the bitter pills the doctor gives us, they do help us. We need to swallow this bitter pill: we are dealing with a holy God, and He is not wrong; we are the ones who are wrong. Are you willing to admit that?
God is saying, “I am going to judge Israel, and it is not going to be easy.” I am afraid Israel was not at all willing to admit their wrong.
REMNANT TO BE SAVED
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries [Ezek. 6:8].
There were some among these people who remained faithful to God. The nation as a whole went away from God, but there was a believing remnant. This is true of the church today. Liberalism has taken over the bulk of the organized church, but there are many of God’s people left. God takes note of the faithful ones.
And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a-whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations [Ezek. 6:9].
“And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives.” What is this remnant going to do? They are going to be a witness for God.
“Because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me” would be better translated “when I shall have broken their whorish heart which has departed from me.” They are people who belong to Him, but they have played the harlot, they have committed spiritual adultery. The organized church which will remain after Christ takes His true church out of the world is also called a harlot in Revelation 17. That is the most frightful chapter in the Word of God—it presents a terrible picture.
“They shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.” This was one of the results of judgment, but we do not see this result in our world today. This means simply that there will be more judgment, and that judgment is coming during the Great Tribulation Period. The people at that time will gnaw their tongues because of the judgment of God. You would think there would be a great wave of repentance, but there will not be among that crowd.
In Ezekiel’s day there were those who loathed themselves—they repented because they were still close to God. That will be true of God’s people always. If you do not hate yourself whenever you serve the Devil, then you must not be one of God’s people.
And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them [Ezek. 6:10].
“And they shall know that I am the Lord”—this is said three times in this chapter, and it is another result of judgment. Again, we do not see this result happening in our own day. Instead of recognizing the hand of God, people are saying that He is not even there. They argue that if He did exist, He would always help them. Oh, my friend, where do we get that idea? God is judging sin. People rebel against this; they do not want a God who judges. You can make a God after your own likeness if you want to, but the holy God is still out there. You might wish He would go away, but He is not going to go away. He will continue to judge.
Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols [Ezek. 6:13].
I happen to know that the persecution under Hitler drove many wonderful Jews to God. There is a great company of believers today in Europe as a result of that. We forget about them, and very little is said about them. I received a letter once from a wonderful girl whose parents died in those gas chambers, and she testified to the fact that the horrible experience had been the means of her salvation. We need to recognize the hand of God—He is a holy God. If He did not spare His own Son, but let Him die when He became sin for us, why in the world do sinners think they will escape His judgment?
“Their altars, upon every high hill”—God spells out the reason He judged them in the land. My friend, the judgment of God is still upon that land. Many folk like to speak of it as “the land of milk and honey.” Don’t kid your-self—it is not the land of milk and honey today. The people are not turning to Him, and His judgment is still on that land.
So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 6:14].
I do not know about “the wilderness toward Diblath,” but I do know what it is like between Jerusalem and Jericho right now, and I am not interested in buying real estate there. If it were not for their need of protection, I think Israel would be willing to turn it back to the Arabs and let them have it!
“They shall know that I am the Lord”—again, this is one of His tremendous purposes in judgment.
CHAPTER 7
Theme: Prophecy of the final destruction of Jerusalem
Chapter 7 contains the second of two messages of judgment against the entire land of Israel. Through chapter 5 Ezekiel’s messages had concerned Jerusalem, but now the whole land is in view. Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed and, although most of the inhabitants had been removed from the land, many people still remained there. However, the events which had already taken place did not cause them to turn to God.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 7:1].
Ezekiel is passing on to the people of Israel what God has to say. The first message, given in chapter 6, opened with the same words.
Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land [Ezek. 7:2].
Judgment was to come upon that land, and of course it would include the people of the land. The land of Israel and the nation Israel are always considered together in the Word of God.
A new element is added to Ezekiel’s prophecy in this message—this is now the prophecy of the final destruction of the land and of Jerusalem. The final deportation will take place, and the city will be destroyed.
Now is the end come upon thee, and I send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations [Ezek. 7:3].
This message is in the form of marvelous Hebrew poetry, and throughout this chapter I would like to quote to you a translation by the late Dr. A. C. Gaebelein (The Prophet Ezekiel, p. 48). He has translated this quite literally in poetic form. This then is his translation of verses 1–3.
And the Word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, And thou Son of Man, thus saith Jehovah unto the land of Israel:
An end cometh! The end
Upon the four corners of the land.
Now cometh the end upon thee
And I will send mine anger upon thee,
And I will judge thee according to thy ways,
And I will bring upon thee all thine abominations.
God says to Israel, “I am going to judge you according to your ways.” The judgment or the punishment will fit the crime.
We need to ask ourselves: How serious is it to be a professed witness for God and yet really be a phony? How serious is it to be a church member and not be saved? That brings the issue right down to where the rubber meets the road for us in this day. I have said many times that I would rather be a Hottentot in the darkest corner of Africa, bowing down to an idol, than to be a church member sitting in the pew, professing to be a Christian, yet not knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior! I will not argue with you about what God will do with the Hottentot—the Lord has His plan for him. I will talk about church members who are not truly saved. That is the issue in our day which corresponds to what Ezekiel is talking about. Ezekiel says that such a man’s responsibility is great, because he has heard the Word of God, and he has turned his back upon it. The more he hears, the greater his responsibility grows, I can assure you of that.
And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord God; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.
An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come.
The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains.
Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.
And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways, and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth [Ezek. 7:4–9].
Again, let me give you Dr. Gaebelein’s translation (The Prophet Ezekiel, p. 48) of these verses:
And mine eyes shall not spare thee,
Neither will I have pity:
Because I will bring thy ways upon thee
And thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee:
And ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah!
An evil—an only evil!—behold it cometh.
An end is come—the end is come!
It awaketh against thee. Behold it cometh!
O inhabitant of the land, thy doom is come unto thee
The set time is come, the day is near,
The day of tumult.
And not the joyous shouting upon the mountains;
Now will I soon pour out my fury upon thee
And accomplish mine anger against thee.
I will judge thee according to thy ways,
And I will bring upon thee all thine abominations.
Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity.
According to thy ways will I render unto thee,
And thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee,
And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, who smiteth.
This is a tremendous passage of Scripture which, I dare say, few deal with today—it is totally unknown to multitudes of church members. Someone will argue, “Well, it belongs way back in the Old Testament, and that makes it different.” My friend, Ezekiel’s language is tame compared to the Book of Revelation and to the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25. Ezekiel’s words here are those of a sissy compared to many passages in the New Testament. The God of the New Testament is the same Person as the God of the Old Testament, and He will punish sin in any age.
I mentioned in the previous chapter a young Jewish rabbi who wants to dismiss God altogether because he cannot reconcile what happened to the six million Jews in Hitler’s Germany. All I want to say is that ought to be a warning to the church of God today. Will God judge? Yes, He will! It is no wonder that Paul said, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men …” (2 Cor. 5:11).
Many are playing church today, making it a cheap sort of thing. They speak of their “allegiance,” their “dedication,” but do not have a full commitment to Jesus Christ. That is the tragedy of this moment. Our problem is not that we do not have enough church members—the problem is we have too many who are not genuine Christians. There was a great preacher in New York City many years ago who made this statement: “One cold church member hurts the cause of Christ more than twenty blatant, blaspheming atheists.” Ezekiel’s message was not popular in his day, nor is it today.
Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.
The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof [Ezek. 7:10–14].
Here is Dr. Gaebelein’s rendering of this passage (The Prophet Ezekiel, pp. 49–50):
Behold the Day! Behold it cometh!
Thy doom advanceth:
The rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness;
None of them shall remain; yea none of their multitude
Nor their wealth; neither shall there be eminency among them.
The time is come, the day draweth near;
Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn,
For wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
For the seller shall not return to that which is sold,
Even though he were yet amongst the living.
In the vision touching the whole multitude thereof
It shall not be revoked;
And none shall through his iniquity assure his life.
They have blown the trumpet and made all ready,
But none goeth to the battle;
For my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
The thing that characterized these people was that they were a bunch of protesters—they were pacifists and wouldn’t go to war. They refused to stand for that which was right, my friend. The judgment came, and when the enemy came in, he didn’t have any silly notions about pacifism. I mentioned before G. K. Chesterson’s comment, “This is the age of pacifism, but it is not the age of peace.” It is true that men today are weary of war, but as long as there is iniquity in the human heart God has said, “There is no peace … to the wicked” (Isa. 57:21). Isaiah repeated that truth three times in his prophecy.
They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling-block of their iniquity [Ezek. 7:19].
Dr. Gaebelein’s translation is (The Prophet Ezekiel, p. 51):
They shall cast their silver in the streets,
And their gold shall be as an unclean thing;
Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them
In the day of Jehovah’s wrath;
They cannot satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowls,
Because it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.
Too often in America we have felt that the almighty dollar could solve every problem of life. We have spent billions of dollars throughout the world in pursuit of peace. We haven’t done a very good job, but we sure have spent a lot of money. It is very comfortable to have a few dollars on hand, but they will not solve life’s problems. This is what God is saying here to the people of Israel who felt that their accumulated wealth would protect them—it did not.
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.
My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it [Ezek. 7:20–22].
Dr. Gaebelein continues on page 51:
And the beauty of their ornaments, they turned it to pride,
And the images of their abominations, their detestable things made they of it.
And I shall give it to the hands of strangers for a prey,
And to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it.
For I will turn my face from them,
And they shall defile my secret place,
And robbers shall enter into it and profane it.
This is an awesome description of the judgment of God, but if you want to read something even more awesome and which still lies ahead for the world, read Revelation 18 and 19, which describe the destruction of commercial Babylon. It speaks of a day in which men trust in big business and the stock market and depend on the success of Fifth Avenue. It is a day in which the boys in grey flannel suits make business successful, and the government assures that everything in life will go all right. But it wasn’t all right, and it didn’t save them. When they needed deliverance, it could not deliver them.
Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled [Ezek. 7:23–24].
These verses are translated on page 51 by Dr. Gaebelein for us:
Form a chain,
For the land is full of bloody crimes,
And the city full of violence.
Therefore will I bring the worst of the nations,
And they shall possess their houses;
And I will make the pride of the mighty to cease,
And their sanctuaries shall be defiled.
“The land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence”—what an accurate picture of our own day!
“Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses.” There are many today who want to believe that God will never permit Russia to destroy America. Where do we get that idea? God permitted Babylon, a pagan nation, to destroy His own people. Can America come down? People will say, “Oh, no. We are sending missionaries. We are such nice, lovely people.” My friend, it is not safe to walk the streets of America. There’s violence; there’s crime. Until a nation will become a law-abiding people, God cannot bless them.
You see, people do not like to read Ezekiel’s message; they would rather read John 14. Don’t misunderstand me—I love John 14, too. But we must remember that Ezekiel 7 is in the Bible also. I do not know where we got the idea that one chapter was a little bit more important than another to read. We need to at least give Ezekiel 7 equal time and let him present his case.
CHAPTER 8
Theme: Vision of the glory; temple destroyed because of defilement
We now come to the second major section of the prophecy of Ezekiel. In this division of the book the complete captivity of Jerusalem and Israel will become a reality, and the glory of the Lord will depart from the temple in Jerusalem.
VISION OF THE GLORY
In chapter 8 Ezekiel has another vision of the glory of the Lord. The vision transports Ezekiel to Jerusalem, and God’s glory appears in the temple at Jerusalem. The question always arises: Was Ezekiel actually transported to Jerusalem? I will give you my viewpoint, but this is an issue on which no one can be dogmatic and on which few agree. One answer to the question is that Ezekiel simply saw a vision and he saw it there by the river Chebar. A second explanation is given that Ezekiel literally went to Jerusalem and walked around and saw all that he records here. I do not accept either of these interpretations.
I believe that Ezekiel’s experience was very similar to the experiences that the apostles Paul and John had. Paul said that he had been caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:1–3). It is my feeling that that occurred at the time he was stoned in Lystra in the Galatian country and was left for dead. I believe he actually was dead and that God raised him from the dead, and that at that time he was caught up to the third heaven. John also, as recorded in Revelation 4, was caught up into heaven. In this I feel John is a picture of the rapture of the church, in which all true believers will be caught up to be with the Lord. Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation frequently mention “the church,” but after John’s experience in chapter 4, the church (the “called-out body”) is no longer mentioned. She is now the “bride” of Christ, the church which is no longer on the earth but is with her Lord. Therefore, I see John’s being caught up into heaven as a picture of the Rapture.
Ezekiel was actually caught up as Paul and John were, but I do not think that the people at Jerusalem and of the surrounding area were aware that he was there. We are not dealing with the natural, and I cannot offer you a natural explanation. God caught him up, and what happened was supernatural.
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me [Ezek. 8:1].
Ezekiel was sitting among the elders. I imagine it was a pretty doleful crowd there.
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber [Ezek. 8:2].
This is very similar to a part of Ezekiel’s vision recorded in chapter 1. That tremendous vision of the glory of God is the basis of every vision in the Book of Ezekiel, and I personally think it is the basis of the Book of Revelation.
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain [Ezek. 8:3–4].
“And he put forth the form of an hand.” God is a Spirit; He doesn’t have a hand like I have. But when the Scripture tells me that the fingerwork of God is in the heavens then I am able to understand, because I could not understand how God could make the world without a hand. Scripture uses our own finite terms to aid our understanding of the infinite.
“And he took me by a lock of mine head.” You will remember that Ezekiel had shaved himself—his face and his head—but that had been about a year before this, and his hair has had time to grow out. God took him by the hair of his head.
“And the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem.” Ezekiel was actually caught up and removed by the Spirit of God to Jerusalem. Whether or not his body went along with him is a point I will not argue about, but I rather think it did. Ezekiel’s withdrawal to Jerusalem is not something new in Scripture. Elijah also was caught up (2 Kings 2), and in the New Testament we read of Philip: “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). Philip was removed bodily, and that is exactly what happened to Elijah and possibly to this man Ezekiel.
“To Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.” I believe this “image of jealousy” may be a reference to the idol which Manasseh put in the temple (see 2 Kings 21; 2 Chron. 33) which was an abomination and a blasphemy. Perhaps that old idol had been pushed into a corner and forgotten for awhile, but now in Ezekiel’s day it has been pulled out, and the people who should have turned to God in repentance are again worshiping that idol.
In chapters 8–10 of Ezekiel we are going to see the gradual withdrawal of the glory of the Lord from the temple and from Israel. I feel that the glory actually departed back during the reign of Manasseh and that Ezekiel is given a vision of that here. I know that most expositors of Scripture feel that the glory left at the time of the Captivity, but I do not feel that is accurate. If the glory did not leave during the exceedingly evil reign of Manasseh, I cannot see any other period in Israel’s history which would cause the glory, the presence of God, to leave.
In this chapter we do not have the complete vision of the departure of the glory. Here we see the glory, and then, because the people did not turn back to God, the glory lifted up from the temple and went out over the city to the east and waited there. It will not be until chapter 10 that we will see the final departure of the glory.
I do not think there is any evidence after the reign of Manasseh that the glory of the Lord was in the temple. This vision was given to Ezekiel to show that God is merciful. He was loath to leave and was ready to save the people of Israel if they would turn to Him. God is merciful, and God is love. But He is also a righteous and just God who cannot permit evil in His universe. He cannot permit that which is contrary to Himself.
Today, God cannot save us by our righteousness or our perfection—we have none to present to Him. He cannot accept anything less than righteousness. He therefore had to provide a redemption for man, and we must come His way through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not, we have an old nature that is in rebellion against God, and God is not going to permit that in His universe, anymore than a policeman should harbor a criminal in his home.
TEMPLE DESTROYED BECAUSE OF DEFILEMENT
Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry [Ezek. 8:5].
The temple is defiled. The people are no longer worshipping the living and true God but are breaking the first two commandments.
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here [Ezek. 8:7–9].
If Ezekiel is over there just in his spirit, how in the world could he crawl through a hole? How does a spirit dig a hole? If he were a spirit, he wouldn’t need to dig a hole. I believe he was there bodily, and he dug a hole and was apparently brought down into a basement or a cave. What does he find down there?
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about [Ezek. 8:10].
These people are worshiping the creature rather than the Creator—this is as low as they could go. Man will turn to this type of thing when he has absolutely repudiated the living and true God. This is what they were doing in Egypt at the time of the Exodus; they were worshiping every kind of beast. That is the reason the plagues upon Egypt were aimed at the different gods of Egypt. In Romans 1 we read: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God … Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever …” (Rom. 1:21, 25). This means that Israel has sunk down to the level of the nations round about her, and she is no longer a witness for the living and true God. For this reason, He will destroy the temple.
And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth [Ezek. 8:11–12].
You see, they have dismissed God. They said He was not watching them. And those today who say that God is dead are really trying to say that God is not looking at us, that we are not responsible to Him, we owe Him nothing and may do as we please. That is what Israel was doing. They were apparently worshiping this idol, and they were doing it in secret. Talk about a secret lodge—they sure had one in the temple there.
My friend, in this day the believer’s body is God’s temple on earth. Is He pleased by what He sees going on in our minds and hearts?
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these [Ezek. 8:13–15].
“There sat women weeping for Tammuz.” This was an awful thing that was going on. Tammuz was the Babylonian Dumuzi, the god of spring vegetation. He died in the fall and winter and went down to the netherworld to be revived again each returning summer. The worship of this god was practiced in Phoenicia and spread to Greece, where Adonis was Tammuz’ counterpart. These weeping women were celebrating the death of this god; his worship was actually the worship of nature and connected with it were some vile and immoral ceremonies.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east [Ezek. 8:16].
The greatest of all the abominations was the worship of the sun. This was happening right in the temple between the porch and the altar. They can sink no lower than this.
Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose [Ezek. 8:17].
“And, lo, they put the branch to their nose.” There are many ways of interpreting this; Jewish commentators of the past have said that it speaks of shocking, low, and degrading religious rites. Perhaps it could be compared with a man “thumbing his nose” today. This is what they were doing to God!
God now expresses His anger—
Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them [Ezek. 8:18].
Israel has stepped over the line—they can go no lower than this. God will now judge them.
My friend, God loves you and will save you if you will come to Him by faith and trust Christ as your Savior. God also judges, and He is a holy and righteous God, and He makes no apology for it. We can say with Paul, “… Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid” (Rom. 9:14). God is right in everything He does; if He judges, He is right to do so. It will be quite a revelation to this generation when it is shown that it is wrong and God is right. God will judge sin.
CHAPTERS 9–10
Theme: Shekinah glory prepares to leave temple; Shekinah glory fills the holy place; Shekinah glory departs
SHEKINAH GLORY PREPARES TO LEAVE THE TEMPLE
In chapter 9 the Shekinah glory prepares to leave the temple at Jerusalem. I believe that from the days of Manasseh there was the coming and going of the Shekinah glory. God is merciful; He doesn’t, in a petulant mood, give up on people. God is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish.
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side [Ezek. 9:2–3].
“Six men came from the way of the higher gate.” These six men are angels—I see no other explanation for them. Angels are used by God in the judgment of this world. They are associated with the nation Israel and have nothing to do with the church. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came—not angels—and when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to take the church out of the world, there will be no angels with Him. However, when He comes to the earth to establish His kingdom, He will send forth His angels. We read in Matthew 13:41, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.” Then in Matthew 16:27: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Finally, Paul wrote: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7–8). After the third chapter in Revelation, there is no mention of the church which had been previously mentioned frequently. Why? The church is gone from the earth, and angels have taken over the judgment upon the earth.
“And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub.” That is, it had gone up from the Holy Place. The “cherub” were above the mercy seat. This is where the glory had been, but now it lifts up. The glory was a token of the presence of God, and it is now departing.
And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof [Ezek. 9:4].
God has said, “Mark out the men who want these abominations and are seeking after them. I am going to judge them.” But this man with the inkhorn marks out those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations.” These are the remnant which God will save in that city.
Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not [Ezek. 9:9].
It was as if the people were saying, “God is blind, and He can’t make it to the earth.” That is the same as those who say today that God is dead. It may be easy to say that God is not out there and He doesn’t know what is going on in the earth, but when you really think about it, it is absurd. My friend, just because you haven’t seen God and have seen no evidence of Him is no proof that He does not exist. I have never been to Tokyo, Japan, but I believe there is a great city by the name of Tokyo in Japan. I have never been there, and I can act as if it’s not there, but the fact remains that it does exist. Just because a man has had no intimate relationship with God does not mean that God does not exist. The people of Israel were trying to say that God had forsaken the earth. Why? Because they had forsaken God.
And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head [Ezek. 9:10].
The destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the burning of the temple were frightful things. Why did God do it? He has said, “I will recompense their way upon their head.” God is running things, my friend; and, if you are out of step with Him, it might be well to get in step with Him. If I saw a lion coming down the street toward me, I wouldn’t meet him head on. I would turn and be going the same direction as he was going and as far ahead of him as I could go! You can defy God if you want to, but may I say to you, the chariot of the Lord is riding triumphantly, and God have mercy on you if you get in His way.
And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me [Ezek. 9:11].
There were those who were picked out for judgment, and there was the remnant which was to be saved. Our God is merciful when men will turn to Him; that fact makes His judgment actually more frightful.
SHEKINAH GLORY FILLS THE HOLY PLACE
In chapter 10 we continue Ezekiel’s vision of the departing glory of the Lord. God has supernaturally transported Ezekiel to Jerusalem to let him see these things and then return to report to the major portion of the people of Israel who were already in captivity in Babylon. They were being told there by the false prophets that everything was fine in Jerusalem and they would return there shortly. Ezekiel will be able to go back and tell them why God is going to destroy the city and permit judgment to come upon them. We saw in chapter 8 that there was sufficient proof of the sin in the life of the people in Jerusalem—God made that evident to Ezekiel.
We need to see the fact that God judges; it is one of the evidences we have of the living God. We do not get by with our sin, and the very fact that we don’t get by with it is proof that God exists. The “wheels within wheels” which Ezekiel saw speak of the energy of God as He moves in the affairs of men.
The glory of the Lord was above the cherubim—between the cherubim in the Holy of Holies in the temple. The nation of Israel had what no other nation had and, indeed, that which the church does not have today: the visible presence of God. In the ninth chapter of Romans, Paul lists about eight different points of identification which were unique to the nation of Israel, and one of them was “the glory.” These people had the Shekinah glory, the visible presence of God, that which Ezekiel saw in his vision in the first chapter.
The glory began its departure in the previous chapter, and will now continue to depart. It moved out from the temple and hovered over it. Now we read:
Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight [Ezek. 10:1–2].
The man clothed with linen is to scatter these coals from off the altar. The blood of the sacrifice was taken from the altar and put on the mercy seat. These coals speak of judgment. The people had refused the grace and mercy and redemption of God; now they must bear the judgment.
It is just as simple as this: God sent His Son because He loves you. Because He is holy, He had to pay the penalty for your sin and mine; He had to die on the cross. Christ is the propitiation, He is the mercy seat for our sins—not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. There is a mercy seat which you can come to, but, if you reject it, the judgment of God must come upon you. Christ bore your judgment, and that is the only way God forgives you. It is not because you are a sweet little boy or a nice little Pollyanna glad-girl. You are a sinner and in rebellion against Him. The best that Christians can say today is that we are saved sinners; we are not superior people at all.
Judgment is now going to come to Jerusalem, the city that is the center of the earth. It is the very navel of the earth—that is what God calls it. It will be the center of the millennial kingdom, and it will be the eternal center of the earth. It is today the most sensitive piece of real estate on topside of the earth. Someone has put it like this: “Palestine became the nerve-center of the earth in the days of Abraham. Later on, the country became the truth-center because of Moses and the prophets. Ultimately, it became the salvation-center by the manifestation of Christ. His rejection led to its becoming the storm-center, as it has continued to be throughout many centuries. The Scriptures predict that it is to be the peace-center under the messianic kingdom, and it will be the glory-center in a new universe yet to be experienced.” We are seeing through the vision of Ezekiel the departure of the glory from that city, but God has an eternal purpose in this city.
Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory [Ezek. 10:4].
The Shekinah glory had been confined to the Holy Place, the place which denoted the approach of these people to God. However, now the glory leaves the Holy Place there between the cherubim and hovers over the temple to see if the people will return to God.
And the sound of the cherubim’s wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.
And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.
And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings [Ezek. 10:5–8].
Again, this “hand” denotes the activity of God in performing certain things. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork [actually, fingerwork]” (Ps. 19:1). The universe is the fingerwork of God, but God’s work in His redemption of man was greater than that in creation. Isaiah said, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isa. 53:1, italics mine). He used His bared arm. The only way that I can understand the work of God is to use terms with which I am acquainted. I use my fingers to do certain things, my hands to do other tasks, and my arms to do even heavier tasks. The greatest thing God has done is to perform the wonderful redemptive love act at the cross of Christ—that was His bared arm; but when God created the universe He just used His fingers, or, as John Wesley put it: “God created the universe and didn’t even half try.” Ezekiel says here that the hand of God is moving in judgment.
And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone [Ezek. 10:9].
Have you ever watched a wheel when it is going around? There’s that flashing light, you know, like that of a precious stone. These wheels are in ceaseless activity and speak of the fact that God is busy. The Lord Jesus said, “… My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17). The Lord Jesus has been very busy on our behalf ever since He ascended back to heaven.
And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.
When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went [Ezek. 10:10–11].
God has never had to come back to pick up something He has forgotten. He doesn’t need to deviate from one side to the other; He never detours. He goes straight forward today toward the accomplishment of His purpose in the world.
And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle [Ezek. 10:12–14].
This, of course, is highly figurative, and I do not want to press this point, but I believe we have the messages of the four Gospels set before us. In the face of the eagle is pictured the deity of Christ—that’s John’s Gospel. In the face of the lion is pictured the kingship of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah—that’s Matthew’s Gospel. In the face of the man is pictured the humanity of Christ—that’s Luke’s Gospel. Finally, the face of the cherub (sometimes it is the ox) pictures the servanthood of Christ—that’s Mark’s Gospel. He shed His blood that you and I might have eternal life—He made a mercy seat. In the temple the cherubim looked down upon the blood of the, sacrifice.
And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar [Ezek. 10:15].
Ezekiel refers to his first vision recorded in chapter 1.
THE GLORY LEAVES THE TEMPLE
Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims [Ezek. 10:18].
The glory of the Lord lifts up from the temple.
And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above [Ezek. 10:19].
The cherubim mounted up, and the glory moved out and stood at the east gate.
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar and I knew that they were the cherubims.
Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward [Ezek. 10:20–22].
I believe this vision pictures the fact that God would become incarnate, or, as John put it, “And the Word was made flesh …” (John 1:14).
CHAPTERS 11–13
Theme: Prophecy against Jerusalem’s rulers; Ezekiel’s enacting Jerusalem’s destruction; prophecy against pseudoprophets, prophetesses
In chapter 11 there is a prophecy against the rulers who were still in Jerusalem. Although most of the people had been carried into captivity, Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. Zedekiah was still on the throne. Not only were the rulers in rebellion against God, they were in rebellion against the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.
Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiab, princes of the people [Ezek. 11:1].
Specific individuals are named who were princes of the people.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh [Ezek. 11:2–3].
In other words, these rulers were saying, “This city is our cup of tea—it’s ours now. Most everybody has left, and we are going to continue. We’re going to have peace and plenty and prosperity.” Theirs was materialism of the worst sort.
Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
And the spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them [Ezek. 11:4–5].
God knows even what we are thinking. He knows our thoughts afar off.
Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain [Ezek. 11:6].
Apparently the rulers have slain those who stood for God.
Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 11:10].
God’s purpose in judgment is that the people might know Him.
This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel [Ezek. 11:11].
God says that He is going to judge them.
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come [Ezek. 11:14–16].
God says, “There will be a remnant who will see Me. When they do, I’m going to be a little temple, a little sanctuary, and they will be able to approach Me.” This was God’s arrangement during the time the temple was destroyed. Daniel and many others were among those who sought the Lord during this period.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God [Ezek. 11:17–20].
God would return the people to the land. Who was it that came back? Those who were seeking God. There were less than 60,000 in the remnant which returned at the end of the seventy-year captivity.
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 11:21].
The judgment of God is coming. It is a great tragedy today that the ministry ignores the fact that judgment is coming upon this earth. God’s judgment is one of the sure proofs of His existence.
Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city [Ezek. 11:22–23].
The glory of the Lord moves from Jerusalem out to the Mount of Olives east of the city.
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me [Ezek. 11:24].
Ezekiel is brought back to Babylon where he began.
Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me [Ezek. 11:25].
He returns to tell the people that the false prophets have lied to them. He has seen the vision—Jerusalem will be destroyed, and full captivity is near at hand. He will be able to tell them why God will judge them. The people are not going to listen to Ezekiel, but he is to continue to be a sign unto them.
EZEKIEL’S ENACTING JERUSALEM’S DESTRUCTION
Chapter 12 opens a section in which Ezekiel continues to proclaim that judgment is, imminent, but the people will not believe. The important thing here is the proclamation of the Word of God; Ezekiel is to make sure that he gives the Word of God—
The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying [Ezek. 12:1].
Five times in this chapter (vv. 1, 8, 17, 21, and 26), Ezekiel says, “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying.” Do you get the impression that Ezekiel is trying to tell these people that he is giving them the Word of the Lord? He is giving them nothing short of that.
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house [Ezek. 12:2].
Of course, God had warned Ezekiel before about these people, but He is reminding him because Ezekiel may get discouraged. God said way back at the beginning of Israel’s history, “Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day” (Deut. 29:4). These people had their eyes closed and their ears stopped. Ezekiel was not the only prophet who confirmed this truth about these people—Isaiah (Isa. 6:9–10) and Jeremiah (Jer. 5:21) did also. In addition, the Book of Acts closes with this statement: “Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Acts 28:26–27). These people had closed eyes and ears.
Today, when people say they cannot believe, it is not a mental problem, it is a matter of the will of the heart—they do not want to believe. Some say they have certain “mental reservations,” mental hurdles which they cannot get over. My friend, your mind is not big enough to take even one little hurdle. The problem is never in the mind but in the will. There is sin in the life and a man does not want to turn to God; he does not want to believe Him.
Israel is just a miniature of the world; that is, the condition of Israel described here is the condition of the world today. In her spirit of unbelief she was a little microcosm of the entire world. That is why we need to look carefully at what the Book of Ezekiel has to say.
I remember talking to a college professor who told me that he appreciated my ministry and what I had to say about the Bible, but that he had certain mental reservations. I had to bite my tongue—I do not believe he was so far ahead of me intellectually that he could see so much more than I! You know what his real problem was? He was having an affair with a former student from one of his classes. She was his “intellectual problem”—he did not want to forsake the sin in his life. Blindness in part had happened in Israel, and this is true of our world today.
Because of Israel’s unbelief, Ezekiel is not only going to give the people a parable, he is actually going to act it out. Ezekiel was a very brilliant man, but I think he also had a real sense of humor. I would love to have seen his face when he went through some of these mechanics! I think he might have been somewhat of a ham actor and been greatly amused as he did these things.
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.
Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel [Ezek. 12:3–6].
I tell you, this is a good one! Here’s what Ezekiel does: He goes into his house (the houses then were right on the street, by the way); he packs his baggage like he’s going on a trip, digs through the wall, and comes up out in the street. You can imagine the effect that would have—a man coming out through the wall bringing his suitcases with him! People would haveto stop and look.
Here in Pasadena, California, where I live, digging up the street is not anything new. Actually, the city here plays a game with all of us. They dig up one street, and so you decide to get smart and use another street. So the next day they find out what new street you’re using, and then they go dig up that street too! It gets to be quite a puzzle, like a maze, finding your way around dug—up streets. But I have a notion that when this man Ezekiel came up in the middle of the street with his suitcase, it was something new, and people stopped to ask, “Where are you going? What’s the big idea?” Ezekiel had an answer for them:
And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes [Ezek. 12:8–12].
Zedekiah was on the throne in Jerusalem, and the false prophets were saying to the captives, “Look, Nebuchadnezzar has made two sieges of Jerusalem, and he’s carried away captives, but he did not destroy the city, he did not burn the temple, and he did not execute the king. You are going to be able to return soon. There’s nothing to worry about.” But Ezekiel says, “I have news for you: What I have just done is a picture of what is happening back in Jerusalem. The king over there, the prince (that’s Zedekiah), thinks he’s very clever. He thinks he will be able to slip out of the city during the siege, but he won’t. When he leaves the city, he won’t even see the ground.”
Do you know why Zedekiah didn’t see the ground? Read the historical record in 2 Kings 25:1–7; Nebuchadnezzar put out his eyes. Zedekiah was a deceptive, wicked fellow, and he had broken his treaty with Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan king, was more honorable than the man on Israel’s throne. There is nothing that hurts the church more today than a dishonest Christian, particularly when it is a layman who is active in the Lord’s work but in the business world has a poor reputation. Zedekiah was like that, and Ezekiel’s message was a bitter pill for those captives to swallow when the false prophets had said, “It’s so wonderful back in Jerusalem.”
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein [Ezek. 12:17–19].
This is quite a stunt Ezekiel is going to pull. He is to bring his table out into the street and sit there, trembling as he eats. Then the people will come and say, “What’s the matter with you? Have you got a chill, or is it something you ate?” Ezekiel will give them God’s message: “I want you to know what’s happening over yonder in Jerusalem. There’s a famine over there. There’s fear over there. God is destroying the city.” What an awesome message he has to bring.
Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision [Ezek. 12:22–23].
Ezekiel is saying, “God has been patient, but it’s all up now. The captivity is coming, and God is not going to wait any longer.”
Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 12:28].
Everybody wants to believe that the future out yonder is beautiful. My friend, the only beautiful thing that lies ahead is the fact that someday the Lord Jesus will take His church out of the world—that is the only hope we have. This world is not going to get better, and we are not going to have peace. In all of recorded history there have only been two to three hundred years of what could actually be called peace—man is not building the new world he thinks he is.
PROPHECY AGAINST PSEUDO PROPHETS AND PROPHETESSES
In chapter 13 we have the prophecy against the false prophets, the pseudoprophets and prophetesses. Notice that the women were also getting involved in this. Have you ever noticed how many cults and isms have been founded by women or how women play a very prominent part in them? It may not be popular to say that, but it was true in Ezekiel’s day and it is true in ours.
Ezekiel continues to give the Word of the Lord:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord:
Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! [Ezek. 13:1–3].
What was the problem? These prophets prophesied “out of their own hearts.” God have mercy on the man who stands in the pulpit and gives his own viewpoints and does not give the Word of God. Now it is possible to make a mistake in interpretation, and I have sometimes made mistakes. However, let me make it clear that I am attempting to interpret the Word of God. These men were merely giving what they thought: how to make friends, influence people, think positively, be self-reliant, and think of yourself as a wonderful individual, not as a sinner. This was their message: “Everything is all right in Jerusalem.”
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? [Ezek. 13:17–18].
Ezekiel is to resist the false prophetesses—“Set thy face against the daughters of thy people … and prophesy thou against them.”
In Genesis 10:8–9, Nimrod is called a mighty hunter before the Lord. Actually, he was a hunter of the souls of men. That is also what these false cults do—they hunt out the souls of men.
The women were involved in this also. In 2 Peter 2:1 Peter said, “But there were false prophets also among the people [that is, Israel], even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Today we have many women who are involved in spiritualism with its mediums and fortune-tellers and necromancers and witches. There are quite a few in Southern California—I always thought we had them, but now they openly claim they are witches.
“Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes.” What these women were doing was giving out amulets, a little something to put on your arm, to keep you from getting sick or to protect you from harm. “And make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls!” They give you a handkerchief which they have prayed over, and it will help you get well (as if there were merit in that rather than in the Lord)! My friend, what you see about you today is not new. It is as old as the human race. When Ezekiel clearly denounced it in his day, it was “the word of the Lord” not his own word.
CHAPTER 14–16
Theme: Prophecy against the elders’ idolatry; vision of the vine; Jerusalem likened to an abandoned baby adopted by God
Chapter 14 is divided into two major sections: the prophecy against the idolatry of the elders and the certainty of the destruction of Jerusalem. Both sections open with, “The word of the Lord came unto me” (vv. 2, 12). The Lord continues in this chapter to outline why He judged the city of Jerusalem as He did. The principles that are put down here are operative today also. God still judges nations.
PROPHECY AGAINST THE ELDER’S IDOLATRY
In these verses Ezekiel will call the elders of Israel to repent. I have noticed throughout both the Old and New Testaments repentance is God’s message to His own people, those who profess to belong to Him. “Repent and turn to God”—that will be Ezekiel’s message here.
Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me [Ezek. 14:1].
The elders come to Ezekiel, and oh, how pious these fellows are! They pretend they want to listen to the prophet. It is like coming to church with a big Bible under your arm, pretending you want to serve the Lord.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? [Ezek. 14:2–3].
In effect the elders say, “Oh, brother Ezekiel, we don’t worship idols!” It was true they had not made idols, but the Lord said, “These men have set up their idols in their heart.”
Samson was also a man who pretended to be God’s man, and the Spirit of God did come upon him at times. The Holy Spirit—never his hair—was the secret of his power. But there came a day when he went out and “… he wist it not …” (Lev. 5:17)—he knew not that the Spirit of God had departed from him. He had kept toying and playing with sin and at the same time wanting to be God’s man. How many people today in the church keep toying and playing with sin and think they are getting by with it? My friend, they are not getting by with it. Judgment is inevitable. They may go through the form and ritual of religion, keeping up a false front, but they actually have idols in their hearts.
Ezekiel is told by the Lord that these men are phonies. They pretend they want to hear his message, but they do not hear it at all. When he turns around, they will put a knife in his back.
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols [Ezek. 14:4].
God says He will judge these men. The Lord Jesus called the religious rulers of His day hypocrites. He used that frightful, awful word more than anyone. Ezekiel is speaking to the spiritual leaders of the people. How tragic this is! God is going to judge them. God will always judge phony religion. I believe that whenever a church or an individual departs from the truth, God will judge.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations [Ezek. 14:6].
God has laid it on the line that these men are phonies, not genuine, having idols in their hearts, sin in their hearts. Again, someone might say about Samson, “My, isn’t that terrible about Samson!” I’d hate to live like that man did and have that judgment come upon me.” However, I am afraid that there are folk who sit in the church pew and yet would like to live in sin, to taste the fruits of sin. The very thing they condemn outwardly is the thing in their heart they would like to do. This old nature we have is bad, but God says, “Repent. Come to Me.” He is gracious to Israel. He is giving them an opportunity to become genuine, but they will not.
CERTAIN DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
The false prophets were still running around saying, “God will spare Jerusalem. It is His city—He loves it. He says His eye is there.” They could quote an abundance of Scripture about it. It is possible to quote an isolated Scripture or two to support false doctrine today. However, you cannot take a verse here and there; you must look at the whole picture presented in Scripture. When you do, you will not be able to support false theories. These prophets were wrong, and God is saying very explicitly that Jerusalem is to be judged.
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it [Ezek. 14:12–13].
God says to Ezekiel, “The city is a rebellious city which has continuously rebelled against Me. I have given them opportunity to return to Me, and they will not.”
God is very definite, and He means what He says. Judgment is unavoidable. Listen to just how serious He is:
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 14:14].
If Noah were in the city of Jerusalem, the Lord says, they would not listen to him. Just imagine what a warning Noah would have been to those people! But the people in Noah’s day did not listen to him, and the people of Jerusalem would not have listened to him had he been there.
I get rather amused over the excitement about the search for Noah’s ark. I think they may find it, but let me ask you: How many believers do you think its discovery will make? If Noah himself were here today, who would believe him? They would call him a square and an old fogey! (One thing nice about being a square is that you don’t go around in circles as do a lot of other people. Some of those going around in circles really think they are big wheels, too!)
They wouldn’t have listened to Noah, and they wouldn’t have listened to Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar listened to Daniel, however. What a tribute that is to Daniel! Yonder in the palace of the world’s first great ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, is Daniel. The Babylonians knew Daniel, and they knew he was God’s man. The Lord says that the Israelites would not have listened to Noah or Daniel or Job!
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it [Ezek. 14:17].
God says that He intends to bring a sword upon the land. He is going to allow Nebuchadnezzar into the land, and he will destroy it.
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness [Ezek. 14:20].
Noah would not have been able to save his own family in that city—“they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Daniel saved a couple of empires, but if he had been in that city he could not have helped them at all. That is the reason that God got Daniel out of Jerusalem. God’s people wouldn’t hear him, but an old pagan king in Babylon listened to Daniel and made him prime minister.
How many churches are there today where the people will really listen to the Word of God? I do not think there are many. That is one reason that this hour God is permitting His Word to go to the world via radio and why He is allowing the Word to reach groups of people that many Christians had given up on. My friend, if the folk in churches are not going to listen to the Word of God, He is going to go out yonder where people will receive it. Daniel would not have done any good in Jerusalem, but he was made top man in Babylon and there a pagan king listened to him. My friend, God is going to let people hear the gospel who are willing to listen to Him.
VISION OF THE VINE
Chapter 15 is the parable of the vine that would not bear fruit. The vine is one of the figures of the nation Israel. In Isaiah 5 the vine set before us is the nation Israel. We do not need to speculate about that because Isaiah said, “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel …” (Isa. 5:7).
Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? [Ezek. 15:2–4].
God makes a very interesting application here. Just what is the purpose of a vine? The Lord Jesus also used the vine as a picture of believers today in John 15. He said, by the way, that Israel was no longer a vine, but “I am the true [genuine] vine …” (John 15:1). The Lord Jesus was not talking about salvation in that chapter. Again, I ask you: What is the purpose of a vine? It is to do one thing—bear fruit—nothing else. What God is saying here in Ezekiel is that you do not go to the furniture store and ask for a Louis XIV bedroom set made of grapevine wood! The salesman would look at you in amazement and say, “We do not have anything made of grapevine wood. It’s not good for anything like that. It’s just good for bearing fruit.” Furthermore, God says, if a vine will not bear fruit, the only thing it is good for is burning. In John, the Lord Jesus said that if a believer does not bear fruit, you do not lose your salvation, but you are removed from the place of fruit bearing. God sets men aside in many, many ways if they do not bear fruit. The Lord Jesus said, “Herein, is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit …” (John 15:8).
The people of Israel were not bearing fruit, and God said, “There is nothing left for me to do but to burn Jerusalem.” That is the reason He did it—the people were supposed to represent God, and they had failed to do it.
If you have been given great privilege as a Christian today, then you have a great responsibility. Have you ever thought of that poor fellow in Africa or China or Russia who has not had the privilege of hearing the Word of God? We who have heard His Word have a great responsibility. God wants us to be bearing fruit today.
JERUSALEM LIKENED TO AN ABANDONED BABY ADOPTED BY GOD
Chapter 16 contains yet another parable—the parable of an abandoned little orphan, a dirty and filthy little child, for whom it would seem there is nothing that can be done.
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 16:1].
Ezekiel is not going to let us forget that he is giving us the Word of the Lord. We may not accept it, but it is still His Word.
Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations [Ezek. 16:2].
Who is the little orphan? Who is the little dirty, filthy child who has been thrown out? Who is this illegitimate child? It is the city of Jerusalem.
And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite [Ezek. 16:3].
This does not speak of the origin of the nation Israel; it is not speaking of Abraham and Sarah. The origin of the city of Jerusalem is in view here. The history of Jerusalem is that it was an Amorite city. We read in Genesis 15:16, “But in the fourth generation they [that is, the children of Israel] shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Jerusalem was a Hittite city also. The Hittites were a great nation, and they controlled that land at one time. This is the background of Jerusalem, and it is nothing to brag about at all.
And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born [Ezek. 16:4–5].
She was an illegitimate orphan child who was just thrown out—abandoned and not cared for.
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine [Ezek. 16:6–8].
God says to Jerusalem, “I adopted you and made you My child.”
Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck [Ezek. 16:9–11].
He says, “This is what I did for Jerusalem.”
I think the application to our lives is quite obvious: you and I have a pretty bad background. Adam and Eve became sinners, and you and I were born in iniquity. David said, “… in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5), and David is no different from you and me. What do you have to boast about? Even if your ancestors did come over on the Mayflower, they were just a bunch of sinners saved by the grace of God. That is our origin, our background—we were dead in trespasses and sin.
What did God do for Jerusalem? God said to her, “Live” (v. 6). To us He has said, “… Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). He has made a covenant that if you will trust Christ, He will save you. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Lord took that little illegitimate child, dirty and filthy in its own blood, and He said, “Then washed I thee with water.” Likewise, we can know the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. “I throughly washed away the blood from thee”—the Lord Jesus bore my guilt on the cross; there is no blood guilt on a child of God today. “And I anointed thee with oil”—He anoints the child of God today with the oil of the Holy Spirit. “I girded thee about with fine linen”—we can be covered with the righteousness of Christ in order that we might stand in the presence of God.
What happened to this city? God says that when she became grown, a beautiful young lady, she played the harlot. She went over into idolatry and turned her back on Him. God have mercy on the Christian who will sell himself to the world for a bowl of pottage. Yes, Esau did sell out cheap, but many Christians also sell out cheap to the world today. The Devil could buy a lot of us, my friend. We so easily find ourselves going off again and again away from God and away from fellowship with Him. Oh, to be true to God in this hour in which we live!
When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate [Ezek. 16:53–55].
Verses 53 and 55 (as well as ch. 37) have been used by several cults to teach the doctrine of restitutionalism; that is, that everybody ultimately will be saved. Again, this is a case of resting doctrine on a few isolated verses of Scripture which will result in weird and unscriptural doctrine. In these verses and in Ezekiel 37:12, where God says, “I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves,” God is not talking about the resurrection of the wicked to eternal life. In both instances He is talking about the restoration of a city or a nation, and it has no reference to the people who lived there years ago. Here in Ezekiel 16 He is saying that the city of Sodom is to be rebuilt. Now, personally, I don’t see anything there to attract anybody, but there is tremendous development today along the coast of the Dead Sea in that area. And in chapter 37 the Lord is speaking of the restoration of a nation, the nation of Israel.
Actually, in the Old Testament we do not have the divine revelation concerning the future state that we have in the New Testament. God had no plan to bring back from the dead the saints of the Old Testament and to take them out yonder to a place prepared for them. He has told us that that is His plan for us, but nowhere did He tell the Old Testament saints that. He told them there was to be a heaven down here on this earth, and that is the resurrection Abraham looked for. There is to be a restoration of the nation. You cannot read what is New Testament development of this doctrine into this Old Testament passage. However, every Old Testament passage will conform also to New Testament teaching. The New Testament makes it very clear that there will be a twofold resurrection: the resurrection of the saved, and the resurrection of the lost who are lost when they are raised from the dead. Therefore, these verses deal only with the restoration of a nation. We must read them in their context and not draw any more from them than is there.
This chapter concludes in a most glorious way: God is going to make good His covenants with the nation Israel. The sin of these people, their rebellion, their constant departure from Him, their backsliding, will not annul, abrogate, or destroy God’s covenant with them.
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord:
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 16:60–63].
God says that not only will He make good on the past covenants but He is also going to make a new covenant with them. Unfortunately, these passages of Scripture are not studied very much at all. When they are, they make it very clear that God still has a future purpose with the nation Israel.
CHAPTER 17
Theme: Riddle of the two eagles
RIDDLE OF THE TWO EAGLES
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel [Ezek. 17:1–2].
“Put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel”—because they would not listen to him, Ezekiel had to come to these people in a strange and unusual way.
And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree [Ezek. 17:3–5].
This great eagle is none other than Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, the present king of Babylon. The eagle is a figure that is used as a symbol for Babylon elsewhere in Scripture. Jeremiah used it in Jeremiah 48:40 as he wrote of Nebuchadnezzar: “For thus saith the Lord; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab” Then in Jeremiah 49:22 he wrote, “Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs!” Daniel saw the Babylonian Empire rising up out of the sea, and it was in the form of a lion with eagle’s wings (Dan. 7:4). Therefore, what we have here is a picture of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who is going to come and crop the top of the tree.
Who is the tree? It is the nation Israel and, specifically, the royal house of David. Nebuchadnezzar is going to clip it off and bring it to naught. That is exactly what he did with Zedekiah.
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation [Ezek. 17:7].
The other eagle is Egypt which was still a great power at this time. Zedekiah had been put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, and they made a covenant together. However, Zedekiah broke that covenant and turned to Egypt. That is pictured here by the branches which lean toward Egypt. The vine is planted in the soil of Egypt, seeking to draw strength from her, but there will not be any strength because Egypt will go down. Nebuchadnezzar took Egypt and destroyed it and made it subject to himself.
Now this is the message which grows out of Ezekiel’s parable:
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon.
And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered? [Ezek. 17:12–15].
The interesting thing is that Nebuchadnezzar kept his side of the covenant. God’s people broke the covenant, but the pagan nation kept their side of it. What a picture! In some churches you will find people still carrying their Bibles, but their hearts are far from God and you cannot believe what they say. On the other hand, there are businessmen who, although they are unsaved, are men of integrity.
Nebuchadnezzar is going to come and destroy Zedekiah:
Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape [Ezek. 17:18].
God says, “I intend that Zedekiah be judged for this.” My friend, I sure would hate to be some Christians who are someday going to be taken to the woodshed for the lives they have lived down here. God will certainly judge.
And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it [Ezek. 17:24].
Sometimes God allows a godless nation to harass and actually destroy a people who claim to be God’s people but have departed from Him. There has been a great breakdown in morals in America, and apostasy is in earnest. We have not had much peace in this world, either internally or externally. There is trouble everywhere. God says that we will not get by with our sin—there will be a judgment.
CHAPTERS 18–19
Theme: Jerusalem an example of “the wages of sin is death”; elegy of Jehovah over the princes of Israel
In chapter 18 God will show that in His judgment He deals specifically and individually with each person.
The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying [Ezek. 18:1].
Again, it is clear that Ezekiel is not giving his own opinion. This is God’s Word.
What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? [Ezek. 18:2].
The children of Israel had a proverb they used, and it is mentioned twice by Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 31:29 we read, “In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” And then in Lamentations 5:7 we find, “Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.” I believe the people had built this proverb upon a passage back in Exodus: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exod. 20:5). The problem is that the proverb they drew from this verse is incorrect. That is the danger in lifting out one verse of Scripture without considering its context. This is a false proverb: The fathers ate the grapes, and the children paid the penalty. That is true to a certain extent, but God judges the individual, father or son, according to his conduct. This is not a judgment for eternal life, but a judgment in this life according as a man obeys or disobeys Him.
As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel [Ezek. 18:3].
The word live or some form of it occurs thirteen times in this chapter, and the word die occurs fourteen times. We have life and death presented here, but it is not eternal life or eternal death that God is talking about. God is speaking of the way in which He judges individuals in this life. We need to look at this entire chapter from that viewpoint.
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die [Ezek. 18:4].
God says here that all souls belong to Him. If the sins of the fathers come upon the children, it is because the children have followed the wickedness of their fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin. We read in Deuteronomy 24:16, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die”—God will judge each individual.
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 18:5–9].
“Hath not eaten upon the mountains”—he has not engaged in idolatry. This man is a just man who has walked in God’s statutes and kept His ordinances. “He shall surely live, saith the Lord God.” He is talking about this life, not eternal life. God will bless him in this life—this is the blessing of the Old Testament.
If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things [Ezek. 18:10].
However, the just man may have an ungodly son.
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him [Ezek. 18:13].
God will judge that son—not the father.
Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like [Ezek. 18:14].
On the other hand, a son may decide not to follow in the footsteps of his wicked father. There were several instances of this in the history of Israel. Old Ahaz was a wicked king, but his son Hezekiah led in a revival. Josiah was a wonderful man, and he had a very wicked father.
That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity [Ezek. 18:17–18]
God is saying that each man is judged in this life for the way he lives his life. Remember that He is not speaking of eternal life but about judgment here and now. He wants Israel to know this is the basis on which he intends to judge them.
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him [Ezek. 18:20].
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” We have this twice in this chapter—here and in verse 4.
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? [Ezek. 18:31].
The teaching of this chapter answers the new psychology we have today. Psychology argues that the reason a person is a brat or an oddball is because his mother didn’t treat him right but neglected him and didn’t love him. My friend, you stand alone. You are a sinner because you are a sinner yourself. There’s an old bromide that is rather crude, but it certainly expresses it well: Every tub must sit on its own bottom. Every individual will stand before God, and he won’t be able to blame his papa and mama at that time. Ezekiel makes it very clear that the Israelite will be judged in this life on the basis of the life he lived, whether he was a believer or not.
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye [Ezek. 18:32].
Again, this refers to physical death. God does not take any delight today in seeing anyone die. That is something that is foreign to Him; He didn’t intend death for mankind. Remember that the Lord Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, even though He was going to bring him back into this life. By man came death, not through the working of God, but because of man’s sin.
ELEGY OF JEHOVAH OVER THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL
In chapter 19 we have two lamentations: the lamentations over the princes of Israel (vv. 1–9), and the lamentation over the land of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel (vv. 10–14).
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men [Ezek. 19:1–3].
This is not the lamentation of Ezekiel, as some Bible commentators have attempted to say. This is the lamentation of the Lord, actually the lamentation of the same One who later wept over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37–39). He is the One who is here weeping over the princes of Judah. The princes were a group of people in that land who had very few who were concerned about them. But God was concerned. Who shed tears over them? God did.
By the way, who is concerned about you today? I suspect there are very few. Are the people where you work really concerned about you? Are the people in your church really concerned about you? Is your family concerned? A successful businessman once told me, “I honestly wonder who really cares about me today. Everybody, including my family, is only interested in what they can get out of me.” How sad that is! But God is concerned about you, and He is concerned about me. That’s quite comforting in this tremendous universe in which I live. I could get lost in it, I am so small. But He has His eye out and has a concern for each one of us.
The princes of Judah were people for whom not too many in that day wanted to shed tears. They were Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin, two kings who were about as sorry as they come. God alone is concerned over them.
When He begins to speak of the “lion,” He is speaking of the lion of Judah. “Judah is a lion’s whelp …”—that is the way Judah was marked out by Jacob in Genesis 49:9 as he gave his prophecies concerning each of his twelve sons. In Numbers 23:24 we read, “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion ….” The Lord Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Juda in Revelation 5:5: “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”
Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them [Ezek. 19:10–12].
This now is the lamentation over the land of Judah. These people came into that land, and God blessed them. They were like a vine planted in the land. Now He has plucked up the vine, and they are carried away into captivity. This is a sad song depicting the sordid history of the nation.
CHAPTER 20
Theme: Review of Israel’s long history of sins; future judgment and restoration
Chapters 20–24 contain the final predictions concerning the judgment of Jerusalem. There are two things to which I would like to call your attention in this section. First, notice how long and drawn out is God’s message to these people. Right down to the very day that Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city, God was willing to spare them. God would have removed Nebuchadnezzar from the city as He had done previously to the Assyrians and would not have permitted him to destroy it. However, the people did not turn to God, and the judgment came. Right down to the last moment there was mercy extended to them. Second, the very day that the siege of Jerusalem began, the wife of Ezekiel died, and God told him not to mourn or weep for her at all. I consider this man Ezekiel a sharp contrast to the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah had a woman’s heart, and he wept; the message he gave broke his own heart. Because He wept, the Lord Jesus was compared to Jeremiah. I’ll be honest with you though; Ezekiel is almost like an actor playing a part. He goes through his part, but he is not moved by it. He seems to be pretty hardboiled all the way through. Ezekiel was simply a mouthpiece for God.
REVIEW OF ISRAEL’S LONG HISTORY OF SINS; FUTURE JUDGMENT AND RESTORATION
In chapter 20 we have a retrospect of the nation’s sins. Again, it is Ezekiel giving not his word, but God’s Word. He was very much like a Western Union boy who brings you a message. It may be a message of joy, it may be a message of sorrow, but the Western Union boy just delivers the message—you are the one who is moved by it.
And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me [Ezek. 20:1].
More and more they are beginning to turn to this man Ezekiel—they come now to get a word. This occurred in approximately 590 b.c. The destruction of Jerusalem took place shortly after, somewhere around 588-586 b.c. I do not think we can be dogmatic about these dates.
Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying [Ezek. 20:2].
He is not giving his word; he is giving God’s Word.
Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers [Ezek. 20:3–4].
These people are coming to complain and to criticize God. They say He is unfair to judge them and unfair to destroy Jerusalem. It is beginning to penetrate their thinking that it is really going to happen.
Ezekiel is going to go over this ground again with them, because God does not mind stating His charge or reviewing His reasons for the judgment He is to bring.
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God [Ezek. 20:5].
God goes back to the very beginning when He called these people out of the land of Egypt, delivered them out of their slavery there, and brought them into the wilderness.
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them [Ezek. 20:13].
The generation that went into the wilderness rebelled against God, and He let them die in the wilderness.
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth [Ezek. 20:21–22].
The next generation was rebellious also.
Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 20:25–26].
This is a strange passage of Scripture, and there is a difference of opinion among commentators as to what it means. I feel that the thought here is the same thought Paul had in 2 Corinthians 2:15–16—“For we are unto God as a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life ….” When God gave these people His Word and they rejected it, He gave them over to their own way. The very law that was good became bad, because it condemned them and judged them. The same thing is true of the gospel today. If you listen to the gospel and reject it, it would actually be better if you had never heard it. If you reject it, the gospel becomes a savor of death unto you. You can never go before God and say that you had not heard it.
Considering this tremendous condemnation, you would think God was through with these people. But tucked in here and there throughout the Book of Ezekiel we find marvelous, wonderful passages of promise. At the darkest time in their history, the light of prophecy shone the brightest.
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:
And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out [Ezek. 20:33–34].
God tells them that He intends to bring them back into the land. God’s purpose with Israel will yet be fulfilled. He will someday be declared right by those who had said He was not right.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein [Ezek. 20:45–47].
“Prophesy against the forest of the south field”—some commentators feel this refers to Judah, and others think it means the Negeb. At least, it is south. If you were to see the Negeb, you would wonder what happened to the forest. Well, my friend, God judged it; He said He would remove it. That land was once the land of milk and honey, but you cannot come to that conclusion when you look at it today. Not only is it not the land of milk and honey, they do not even have enough water there.
This is a remarkable prophecy. God is not through with these people or with that land.
CHAPTER 21
Theme: Babylon removes last Davidic king until Messiah comes
It is important to study the Book of Ezekiel because it is so often neglected and its message is very pertinent for this hour in which we are living today. Although the words of Ezekiel were spoken many years ago, it was the Word of God as he has almost monotonously repeated: “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying.” Since it is the Word of God, it has an application for us in this day and in this nation. The liberal argues that, like the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel cannot be understood and does not have a message for us. Ezekiel’s visions are tremendous, and I do not propose to have the final word on their interpretation. I just stand in awe and wonder. But in this section of the book we are down to the nitty-gritty where the rubber meets the road, and I am sincere when I say that Ezekiel is not difficult to understand and he is very practical for us.
Chapter 21 is one of the most important chapters in the Book of Ezekiel as it makes it very clear that the king of Babylon is going to remove the last king of the Davidic line until Messiah comes.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 21:1].
Ezekiel will repeat this three times in this chapter. There is only one alternative for you: either you agree that the Lord said this, or you take the position that Ezekiel is lying. I believe that the Lord said this to him and that Ezekiel is not giving his viewpoint. I do not think that Ezekiel’s feelings entered into his message very much. Jeremiah was overwhelmed by his feelings; they entered into every word he spoke. I do not think that is true of Ezekiel. In the beginning of his ministry when God gave Ezekiel his commission, He told him that he was going to speak to a rebellious and hardheaded people. God also said at that time He would make Ezekiel’s head harder than theirs. I think maybe a little of that hardness got down to his heart, and so he could really lay it on the line to these people. You actually love the man for this, for, if his feelings had entered into it, this man would have been crushed by the message that he had to give.
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked [Ezek. 21:2–3].
Judgment is impending and apparently now is inevitable. Up to this point, the mercy of God has been extended, but now judgment is coming and there is no alternative.
“Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee.” This is the first time He has said this about His city of Jerusalem.
“And will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.” This sounds strange, does it not? Who are the righteous? The ones who say they are righteous? In our day they are the ones who are church members but are not saved at all, the ones who go through the ritual, who are religious. A great many people have the band-aid of religion over the sore of sin. They need to pull that old band-aid off and get that sore lanced, before it destroys them. It’s a cancerous sore, and you simply do not cure cancer by putting a band-aid over it. Neither do you cure sin by becoming religious. God said, “I’m cutting it off now; I’m moving in with the sword, and I intend to destroy the city.”
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north [Ezek. 21:4].
He is going to draw out the sword from its sheath—all the way from the south to the north.
That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more [Ezek. 21:5].
“It shall not return any more”—the time for judgment has come.
Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 21:6–7].
God asks Ezekiel to do something here, and I am not prepared to say whether Ezekiel’s feelings are in it or not. He didn’t do it naturally—God told him to do it—so I would say that he is acting the part. However, in doing so, he is revealing the heart of God.
The people have complained about Ezekiel’s giving parables to them. In Ezekiel 20:49 we read, “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?” In effect, they were saying, “We don’t get his message.” They didn’t want to get it; they didn’t like to be told that things were wrong. We sometimes think that the parables of the Lord Jesus are obtuse and difficult to understand. They are not, if you want to understand them. The religious rulers in His day understood what He was saying—that is the reason they hated Him. They understood He was speaking judgment against them.
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 21:8].
Just in case you didn’t get the message, Ezekiel repeats it again.
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree [Ezek. 21:9–10].
God is going to judge the city. This is a frightful and fearful word which comes from the lips of God, the One who had yearned over Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus, too, wept over Jerusalem because He loved the city: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:37–38). If you want to know how terrible that judgment was, read what happened when Titus the Roman came in a.d. 70 and leveled that city—just as Nebuchadnezzar is about to do in Ezekiel’s time.
God makes it clear what He is going to do, and the message is not a brand new one by any means. In the Book of Isaiah we find: “For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many (Isa. 66:16). And again we read, “Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth” (Isa. 24:17). Ezekiel is to sigh because of the judgment that is coming. The Lord Jesus said of the day that is still coming, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26). Ezekiel is to sigh and weep because God has now drawn the sword of judgment. Judgment lies ahead in our day, my friend. That is not a popular message, just as it was not in Ezekiel’s day.
The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying [Ezek. 21:18].
Believe me, he will not let us forget this!
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city [Ezek. 21:19].
In other words, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to decide which way he was going to come to Jerusalem. Now, do you think he’s going to turn to the Lord? No, he is pagan. He is going to use divination and necromancy:
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver [Ezek. 21:21].
These are methods which were used in that day and are actually used today also.
“He made his arrows bright” would be better translated as, “he shook his arrows to and fro.” This was sort of like rolling dice or looking at tea leaves. He dropped his arrows down to see which direction they pointed to determine which direction he should take to Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar was entirely a pagan and heathen king. God, however, will overrule his actions—that is important to remember.
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end [Ezek. 21:25].
“Thou, profane wicked prince of Israel”—he is speaking of Zedekiah. “Whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end”—the time for judgment has come; this is the end time.
Scripture has a great deal to say about the end of this age. The correct translation of Ezekiel’s phrase would be, “in the time of the iniquity of the end.” Daniel also used this expression, “… the time of the end …” (Dan. 11:35). The disciples asked the Lord Jesus, “… Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3), and the Lord answered that question for them. Paul also spoke of it a great deal in 2 Thessalonians. This man, Zedekiah, then is a picture of that future wicked prince, the false messiah, the Antichrist, who is coming at the time of the end.
Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high [Ezek. 21:26].
Zedekiah is to be brought low, and there will not be another king to sit upon the throne of David “until Shiloh come,” until the Messiah comes.
I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him [Ezek. 21:27].
This is a remarkable prophecy. “Until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him,” that is, the Lord Jesus. From Zedekiah down to the Lord Jesus there has been no one in the line of David who ever sat on that throne. Ezekiel is saying that no one would ever be able to do so. The Lord Jesus is the only One who will. Right now He is sitting at God’s right hand, waiting until His enemies are made His footstool when He comes to this earth to rule.
This remarkable prophecy began back in Genesis 49:10, when Jacob was giving the prophecies concerning his twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. He said there: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” “The sceptre” means the king. The Hebrew word for “until He come” is very similar to the word, Shiloh. It speaks of the Lord Jesus—this is the way He was introduced in Scripture. This is the reason that John the Baptist said, “… Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). Why? Because it was “at hand” in the Person of the One who had come, the One of whom all the prophets had spoken.
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end [Ezek. 21:29].
Ezekiel is speaking of the judgment of the Ammonites, but we also have again the expression, “when their iniquity shall have an end,” suggesting the end of this age. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul writes: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” The Lord Jesus Christ will put down this enemy in the last days.
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the Lord have spoken it [Ezek. 21:31–32].
Ezekiel’s generation was going to go into captivity—that would be the end as far as they were concerned. It would be their children who would return back to the land of Israel.
CHAPTERS 22–24
Theme: Review of Jerusalem’s abominations; the parable of two sisters; the parable of the boiling pot
We continue in this section which contains the last prophecies concerning the judgment that was coming upon the nation Israel (chs. 20–24). In the beginning, Ezekiel’s messages were directed to the first two delegations which had gone into captivity. They were holding on to the belief that God would never destroy the temple; it was His sanctuary, and His glory had been there.
They believed that God would not allow Nebuchadnezzar to touch it. The false prophets encouraged the captives in their unbelief, making them think it was not necessary for them to come back to God, or to give up their idolatry and other evil ways.
There is something very subtle that happens often in our day which I think we need to be very careful about. A great many men are eulogized today even before they die, but particularly at their funerals; though they were godless blasphemers, some preacher tries to push them right into heaven with his words of praise. Unless we have God’s mind on the matter, we need to be very careful what we say about folk. Otherwise, an unbeliever may measure his goodness by the life of someone who is praised (he knows how great a sinner that man was!), and may be led to believe that he does not need the Savior. It is tragic today that gospel messages are frequently given to a crowd of saints, but not given at a time and place the worldly and unsaved man is present. Too often, the preacher trims his message to please the crowd—that is what the false prophets of Ezekiel’s day did.
Ezekiel has really been laying it on the line in these final prophecies. In chapter 20 he gave a prophecy concerning the Negeb, the southern part of Israel around Beersheba. In that prophecy God said, “I’ll kindle a fire in thee.” I have been through that area, and it is as baldheaded as a doorknob; there is no vegetation of any size whatsoever. I never saw a tree any larger than my arm in the entire place. There used to be a forest there, but God judged it, and He did a pretty good job of it. Then in chapter 21, there was the remarkable prophecy that there would be no one to sit on David’s throne until the Lord Jesus came. That is what the angel was talking about when he said to Mary, “I am going to give to Him the throne of His father David.” You see, even at Christmastime it’s nice to have Ezekiel around to add to our understanding. The background the prophets give us is so needful today.
REVIEW OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF JERUSALEM
Chapter 22 lists the abominations of the city of Jerusalem.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations [Ezek. 22:1–2].
“The bloody city”—this is what Ezekiel calls Jerusalem. Isaiah said the same thing in Isaiah 1:21, “How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” The Lord Jesus wept over the city and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee …” (Luke 13:34). After all, didn’t they slay Him also? They turned Him over to the Romans who did the killing job. It was Stephen who said to the Jews, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52). At the death of Christ, the crowd cried out to Pilate, “… His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt. 27:25).
The leaders of Israel were involved in apostasy and gross sins:
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof [Ezek. 22:25].
1. Her false prophets were saying, “Everything is fine. We’re getting along nicely.”
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them [Ezek. 22:26].
2. Her priests blatantly violated the law of God.
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain [Ezek. 22:27].
3. Her princes were “like wolves ravening the prey.” Paul has warned the church about wolves in sheep’s clothing (see Acts 20:29), and we do have them in the church today.
Why was Jerusalem called a bloody city? Because of the prophets, the priests, and the princes.
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 22:30–31].
There was not a man to be found in the land who could stand in the gap. I thank God He did find a Man to stand between my sin and a holy God. That Man is the Lord Jesus Christ, and God sees those who belong to Him in Christ. I am thankful for the Man who stands in the gap today!
PARABLE OF TWO SISTERS
Once again, in chapter 23, Ezekiel goes way out on a limb, he goes way out into left field, and he tells the people another strange parable. It is the parable of two sisters: one was named Aholah, and the other was Aholibah. I think that when he began to give this parable, the people actually smiled and said, “Where in the world is this fellow going with a story like that?”
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying [Ezek. 23:1].
Ezekiel didn’t make this story up—God gave him this message.
Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity [Ezek. 23:2–3].
The two sisters were no longer virgins but had become harlots. What in the world is Ezekiel talking about?
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah [Ezek. 23:4].
“Samaria is Aholah”—that is, the northern kingdom of Israel is Aholah. “And Jerusalem Aholibah”—Jerusalem and Judah in the south is Aholibah.
The meaning of Aholibah (Jerusalem and Judah) is, “My tent is in her.” Who is saying this? God is saying, “My tent is in her.” In other words, in the southern kingdom, in Jerusalem, was the wonderful temple of Solomon. It was patterned after the tabernacle in the wilderness, and it was the place where the people approached God. That was wonderful.
Aholah means “her own tent.” The northern kingdom rebelled and separated from the southern part of Israel. Old King Jeroboam put up two golden calves, one in Beth-el and one in Samaria, and tried to keep his people from going south to worship in Jerusalem.
It was very easy for the prophets and the people of the southern kingdom to say that God will judge those golden calves in the north—and He surely did. However, He is going to judge the southern kingdom also, because they were going through the ritual of a dead religion; they thought they were right with God, but they actually were living in sin.
One of the things that is cutting the nerve of the spiritual life even of fundamental Christians and fundamental churches today is the lives of some church members. Of course you are saved by grace—that is the only way you and I can ever be saved. If God is not going to save by grace, then I couldn’t possibly be saved, but that does not mean that I am not to live for Him. That doesn’t mean that He will not judge you and me. That does not mean that our lives cannot kill the spiritual life in a church.
Ezekiel attracted a little attention with his story about these two girls, Aholah and Aholibah. This incident reminds me of the whimsical story which comes out of my southland about a poor tenant farmer who had a little donkey. He hitched the donkey up to a wagon in which one line was leather and the other was a cotton rope. One day he was going to give a friend a ride into town. The friend got into the wagon, but the farmer went and got a two-by-four out of the wagon, took it up to the front and hit his donkey on the head! The friend was thunderstruck; he couldn’t believe what he saw. “Why in the world did you do that?” he asked. “Well,” the farmer said, “I always have to get his attention before I start.” Ezekiel was dealing with a lot of hard-headed people, and he tells this parable to get their attention. Sometimes preachers are criticized for using sensational subjects for their messages, but I have great sympathy for them. How else are you going to get people to listen today? Ezekiel used some unusual methods.
She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men [Ezek. 23:12].
This refers to an historical event which took place when Old King Ahaz was on the throne in the southern kingdom. He went up to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, and he saw there an altar he thought was the prettiest altar he’d ever seen. So he sent Urijah the priest to get the pattern of it in order to make one just like it (2 Kings 16:10–18). He wanted to “improve the worship,” you know—he went in for that type of thing. Well, God took note of that, and He judged the northern kingdom for it.
Now the Babylonian invasion of the southern kingdom is about to take place—there’s no alternative to it. God is judging both the northern and the southern kingdoms because they have turned away from the living and true God; one went brazenly into idolatry, and the other pretended to worship the Lord.
My friend, it might be well for all of God’s people to heed Paul’s warning: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith …” (2 Cor. 13:5). Someone may ask, “Don’t you believe in the security of the believer?” Yes, I do, but I also believe in the insecurity of make-believers. We need to examine ourselves. When you go to church do you really worship God? Do you draw close to the person of Christ? Do you really love Him? He doesn’t want your service unless you do. In John 21 He asked Peter, “Lovest thou me?” When Peter could say that he did, then the Lord said, “Feed my sheep.” Only then could the Lord use him.
PARABLE OF THE BOILING POT
In chapter 24 we have the parable of the boiling pot and the death of Ezekiel’s wife. God will use both of these to speak to the people.
Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day [Ezek. 24:1–2].
This is the first time that Ezekiel has dated his message. At this very moment Nebuchadnezzar was breaking through the wall of Jerusalem. There was no television in that day to let Ezekiel know what was happening. There was no satellite to convey this message from Jerusalem to Babylon. The only way he could get this message was by God revealing it to him. The liberal theologians have always had a problem with this verse; one of them has said: “This verse forces on us in the clearest fashion the dilemma either Ezekiel was a deliberate deceiver, or he was possessed of some kind of second sight.” He certainly was possessed of second sight—God’s sight, by the way. The liberal doesn’t recognize it as that, of course.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it [Ezek. 24:6].
Again, Jerusalem is called “the bloody city.” There is a pot, and there is scum in the pot. The pot is the city of Jerusalem; the citizens are in that pot. Their sin is the scum that’s in the pot.
Sometimes we hear somebody say concerning another group of people, “They are the scum of the earth.” Do you want to know what God says? He says your sin and my sin is the scum of the earth. Listen carefully: We are all in the same pot. The pot of Jerusalem is the pot of the world for you and me today. I get a little weary of all this talk about different “ethnic groups.” We’re all in the same pot, and we are the scum of the earth—that is, our sin is the scum of the earth. I don’t know how you could say it more strongly than that.
Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down [Ezek. 24:15–16].
Apparently, the prophet had married a lovely, young Israelite girl, and they loved each other. But down there in captivity, she became sick and died. I imagine it was a heartbreak to Ezekiel, but again he must act a part:
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men [Ezek. 24:17].
God told him, “Don’t act like you’re mourning at all.” And the people didn’t understand it. The people came to Ezekiel and said, “What in the world does this mean? Your wife has died, and you are not mourning at all! What kind of man are you?”
All of this Ezekiel is doing to get a message through to the people. Verse 24 is the key to this entire Book of Ezekiel:
Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord God [Ezek. 24:24].
At that very moment, Jerusalem was being destroyed, and later on word came to the captives about its destruction: “And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten” (Ezek. 33:21). Into the camp came these stragglers; they must have looked terrible. They said, “We’ve escaped from the city. The false prophets were wrong. The city is burned. The temple has been leveled, and the city is debris and ashes.”
Ezekiel was right in not mourning. The reason they were not to mourn is found in verse 27:
In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 24:27].
“They shall know that I am the Lord.” Jerusalem was God’s city, and the temple was His house. They were God’s witness to the world. And when the people of Israel failed, God said, “I will destroy even My own witness on the earth. I want you to know the city is destroyed. The rest of your people are being brought into captivity. But there’s no use weeping, there’s no use howling to Me now. I have done this—I am responsible for it.”
To each of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus said, “You had better be careful of your witness to the world, or I will come and remove your lampstand.” The lampstand of all seven of those churches has been removed, my friend. Not one of those churches remains today. This ought to be a message to us: If you are a Christian and are not going to stand for God today, He will remove your lampstand—there will be no light.
This is a strong message; it is not the lovey-dovey, sloppy stuff we hear so often. This is Ezekiel, and he is speaking for God. He has said again and again, “The word of the Lord, came unto me, saying.” If you want to argue with his message, take it to the Lord, but remember He’s right and we are the ones who are wrong.
CHAPTER 25
Theme: Prophecies against the nations: the Ammonites, Moab, Edom, the Philistines
This brings us to a new section (chs. 25–32) which deals with the prophecies concerning the nations around Israel. All of these nations, as far as we are concerned today, have long since disappeared from the face of the earth, and the prophecies about them have been literally fulfilled.
Up to this point, Ezekiel has been giving out prophecies concerning Jerusalem and the land of Israel because the final deportation of the children of Israel has not yet arrived. To the very last, the people held on to the faint hope, at the urging and encouragement of the false prophets, that God would not destroy Jerusalem, and the land of Israel would remain. After all, wasn’t it God’s method of communication to the world? When the destruction of Jerusalem occurred, the people were startled; they were dumbfounded. I imagine the word came when the headline in the Babylonian Bugle read: JERUSALEM DESTROYED! And the opening line read something like this: “On this day Nebuchadnezzar with his armies entered the city of Jerusalem, having breached the wall.”
Ezekiel was proved accurate in his prophecies, and from here on he will not be giving any prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, because he is not writing history; he is writing prophecy. So now he turns to the surrounding nations. What will be their fate?
There is a tremendous message for us in this chapter. There lies God’s city in ruins. I see standing over that city a man by the name of Jeremiah. Tears are coursing down his cheeks; he is a man with a broken heart. He is the one who mirrors the One who will be coming to earth in five hundred or so years. He, too, will sit over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives and will weep over the city knowing that destruction is coming again because its people will have turned their backs on the living and true God.
I see another prophet. He is not weeping, and I will tell you why. At this same time his lovely wife died, and the Scriptures make it clear that he loved her. This prophet is Ezekiel, and he is told not to mourn. On the surface he is hard-boiled.
God said that He would be that way. Jeremiah and Ezekiel reveal the two sides of God in this matter. This is something we need to see today. God is tenderheated. Like Jeremiah the Lord Jesus Christ is merciful and kind. He was not willing that any should perish, so He died in the cross for us. But listen to Him speaking to the cities that rejected Him: “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell” (Luke 10:13–15). That is strong language coming from the gentle Jesus! He also said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them” (Luke 11:44). The Lord denounced them in such a way that it makes your hair curl! There are two sides to God, and He is the same today. We get a warped view of Him when all we hear is, “God is love, God is love.” It is true that God is love, but don’t lose sight of the fact that God is also holy. He is righteous and He will judge. You are not rushing into heaven on the little love boat today. You will go to heaven only if you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who shed His blood and gave His life on the cross. Then you will have eternal life and will be covered with the righteousness of Christ, standing complete and acceptable in Him. If you reject His salvation, there will be nothing left but judgment.
We have a warped view of God today. In this connection I always think of a judge who lived in west Texas many years ago. He had a reputation for making quick decisions. Other judges just didn’t move as fast as he did. A friend asked him one day, “What is the secret of your making quick decisions?” “Well,” he replied, “I’ll tell you what I do. I just listen to the defense, and then I hand in a decision.” The friend was startled. He asked the judge, “Don’t you ever listen to the prosecution?” The judge said, “I used to, but that always confused me.” And there are a lot of confused folks running around talking about the love of God, but we must never forget that He is also a God of judgment. Maybe that is the reason Ezekiel is a closed book, a sealed book to so many people. Liberal ministers encourage this by saying, “Nobody can understand the Book of Ezekiel.” Well, you cannot understand it until you study it, that is for sure. We have had a remarkable principle laid down for us so far, and I hope we don’t miss its message for us.
Now we come to the judging of the nations around Israel. I am not going to spend much time with them because they have long since passed off the stage, but they are important because they are to return. Only God can bring them back, and he says He will do that.
PROPHECY AGAINST THE AMMONITES
The Ammonites had a very bad beginning. They were a nomadic race descended from an incestuous relationship between Lot and his younger daughter (see Gen. 19:33–38). Their country lay along the Dead Sea. God said they would be made subject to Nebuchadnezzar, and they were.
Now God Gives the Reason for His Judgment against Them:
And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity [Ezek. 25:3]
The Ammonites applauded the enemy that destroyed Israel. They were allies. But the same enemy destroyed Ammon. In Jeremiah 49:6 we read concerning them, “And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon,saith the LORD.” God judged them so that they might know that He is the Lord.
Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 25:7]
PROPHECY AGAINST MOAB
The Moabites were more civilized than the Ammonites, but they too were descended from an incestuous relationship—between Lot and his older daughter (Gen. 19:33–38). Moab was situated on the east of Israel but along the northern part of the Dead Sea. This is the land that Ruth the Moabitess came from. She was an ancestor of King David, which makes her also an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ—her name appears in His genealogy (Matt. 1:5).
Notice the reason God will judge Moab:
Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;
Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim [Ezek. 25:8–9].
PROPHECY AGAINST EDOM
Edom is the nation that came from Esau, whose beginning is found in Genesis 25. The little Book of Obadiah details the judgment against Edom and the rock-hewn city of Petra. God gives His reason for judging Edom:
Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword [Ezek. 25:12–13].
Edom’s treatment of His chosen people is the cause of God’s judgment.
PROPHECY AGAINST THE PHILISTINES
Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them [Ezek. 25:15–17].
The Philistines have disappeared; they are no longer in that land. This judgment against them has been so literally fulfilled that the unbelieving critic wants to place Ezekiel’s prophecy at a much later date so it can be considered history!
My friend, we will do well to take note of the fact that God judged the nations who had sinned against Him and His people.
CHAPTER 26
Theme: Judgment against Tyre
JUDGMENT AGAINST TYRE
Chapters 26–28 give us prophecies against Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon belong together like pork and beans, or ham and eggs. You never think of one without the other. These chapters are a marvelous example of the exactness of the literal fulfillment of prophecy.
Tyre was the capital of the great Phoenician nation which was famous for its seagoing traders. They plied the Mediterranean and even went beyond that. We know today that they went around the Pillars of Hercules and the Rock of Gibraltar, and into Great Britain, where they obtained tin. They established a colony in North Africa. Tarshish in Spain was founded by these people. They were great colonizers and went a lot farther than we used to think they did in their explorations.
Tyre was a great and proud city. Hiram, king of Tyre, had been a good friend of David and supplied him with building materials. Solomon and Hiram did not get along as well as David and Hiram had. Apparently Hiram was a great king. But also the center of Baal worship was there in Tyre and Sidon. Jezebel, the daughter of a king and former priest, married Ahab, king of Israel, and introduced Baal worship into the northern kingdom.
Now let’s look at the tremendous prophecy God gives concerning Tyre and Sidon.
And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste [Ezek. 26:1–2].
Tyre was destroyed at the same time Jerusalem was destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar took Tyre.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up [Ezek. 26:3].
When God says, “Behold, I am against thee,” you can be sure He is against that place. Just as the waves break on the shore, God says, nations will come against Tyre, that great commercial center that had been invincible.
And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock [Ezek. 26:4].
Nebuchadnezzar came against the city and destroyed it, but he didn’t scrape it.
It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God; and it shall become a spoil to the nations [Ezek. 26:5].
God said it would be a fishing village—not the proud commercial capital—and that is what it is today.
And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 26:6].
“Her daughters” are, I believe, the colonies that she established. She had established one on the island of Cyprus, by the way. Cyprus means “copper”, and she obtained copper from there. The Phoenicians were the traders who brought these metals into the ancient civilized world.
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.
He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.
And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.
By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach [Ezek. 26:7–10].
Nebuchadnezzar breached the walls of ancient Tyre, just as he had at Jerusalem, and this prophecy was literally fulfilled.
With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground [Ezek. 26:11].
It is very interesting to note that verses 7–11 clearly predict that Nebuchadnezzar will take the city, and the pronoun he is all through that section. But now, beginning with the next verse the pronoun changes to they. God had said that the nations were coming and here is that prediction:
And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.
And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.
And I will make thee like the top of a rock:thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 26:12–14].
Now this prophecy waited centuries for fulfillment. For three hundred years the ruins of Tyre lay there, and they were very impressive. Although Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city, this second prophecy had not been fulfilled. Who was going to take up the stones and even scrape the dust into the ocean?
Well, out of the west there comes Alexander the Great, symbolized as the he goat in Daniel’s prophecy. You see, after the return of the Tyrians from Babylonian captivity, they decided to rebuild their city on an island and forget all about the mainland. Since they were a seafaring power, they could better protect themselves on an island. Well, when Alexander got there, he saw the ruins of the city, but the inhabited new city was out yonder on the island out of his reach. He had plenty of time and he had plenty of soldiers, so he decided to build a causeway to the city. Where did he get the material to construct it clear out there in the ocean? He took the building material of old Tyre, the stones, the pillars, and even the dust of the city, and built a causeway over which his army marched right into the new city of Tyre. He destroyed the city, and from that day to this it has never been rebuilt.
My friend, this is a remarkable prophecy! As I mentioned, the critics try to explain away the prophecy regarding Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the city by saying that Ezekiel wrote it after it had happened, but it is impossible for them to claim that Ezekiel wrote after Alexander the Great! Only God can prophesy with such accuracy.
I have walked out on the isthmus that Alexander made from the mainland to the island and have seen the ruins. The ruins are being excavated and there were all kinds of broken pieces of pottery and artifacts around. Ezekiel’s prophecy was literally fulfilled. You cannot look at the ruins of Tyre and say that the Word of God is guesswork.
Sidon stands today as it always has, but Tyre is gone. Nobody has tried to rebuild it. Lebanon hasn’t tried. God’s Word says that Tyre will never be rebuilt. If you can rebuild Tyre, you can contradict God’s Word, but I advise you to invest your money somewhere else.
CHAPTER 27
Theme: Lamentation for Tyre
LAMENTATION FOR TYRE
The preceding chapter gave us the prophecy concerning the destruction of Tyre, and we saw that the prophecy was literally fulfilled. The ruins of Tyre stand today as a witness to the accuracy of the Word of God. This was an impressive city in Ezekiel’s day. Even though he may never have been there, he gives a lamentation for Tyre in this chapter. He laments the fact that this great city will fall. It was a great city—I don’t want to minimize its beauty and magnificence. This is a sad and beautiful chapter in which Ezekiel likens Tyre, the capital of the Phoenician Empire, to a great ship that is wrecked. I cannot think of a better picture for a seagoing people.
What was it that brought Tyre down?
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus;
And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty [Ezek. 27:1–3].
What brought Tyre down? The same thing that brought down the rock-hewn city of Petra also brought down the great city of Tyre: “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee …” (Obad. 3). Pride in the glory, pomp, and prosperity is the thing that has brought down many great nations of the world and reduced them to ruins. This chapter speaks of how extensive the kingdom of Phoenicia was. It begins with Chittim (Cyprus), meaning copper, which was one of their colonies, and extends all the way to Tarshish, which means smelting plant or refinery. Tarshish was sort of a jumping-off place for the Phoenicians. Jonah bought a ticket to that city, but he never saw it—instead he saw the interior of a big fish!
The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas [Ezek. 27:25].
Tyre was a great commercial center. Merchants came from all over the world to buy and sell. You could find just about anything you wanted in Tyre. In verse 17 it says that Israel traded in her markets. “Minnith” was perhaps olives or figs made into some kind of preserves. You could buy anything and everything in the markets of Tyre.
If you want a picture of Tyre as the great commercial center, you will see it depicted in a prophecy of Babylon in the future when it will become the commercial, religious and political center of the world. It will be the capital of the Antichrist. “The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after …” (Rev. 18:12–14).
This also is a picture of London, Paris, Rome, New York City, and Los Angeles. You can buy anything you want in these cities. If you have the money, you can buy it. Today is the age of materialism, just as it was in the days of Tyre.
Tyre was like a great ship. Everything the people needed was on board, and the music was playing. There was laughter, and the wine and champagne flowed. It was all there. Then it all disappeared. God judged it. Now here is the lamentation and the weeping over that great city. That is exactly what is going to happen in the last days. In those last days the stock market will fail, and everything you have in your safe deposit boxes won’t be worth a dime, and everything you thought was valuable will suddenly become dust and ashes in your hands. What a tragic day it was when Tyre fell; what a tragic day it will be when the same thing happens in the future!
Be careful. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. I think people ought to enjoy the affluent society we have today. I see nothing wrong in it, provided it does not become an obsession or an idol. Unfortunately, it has become that to many folk. Even in many of our good churches there is really very little Bible teaching. We play games. We pat each other on the back, and we have “fellowship”—we love to talk about that. And we quote a Bible verse now and then to make sure we are religious and pious, and we go through the little ceremonies of the church. They did that in Tyre; they did it in Jerusalem, and God destroyed them. He destroyed them because they had an opportunity, a privilege, and a responsibility that they shrugged off.
And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? [Ezek. 27:32].
Tyre was like a great ship that had gone down at sea.
In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall [Ezek. 27:34].
All will be swallowed up by the sea.
The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more [Ezek. 27:36].
As I walked through the ruins of Tyre I heard no music nor laughter. I could not see the buildings or the gold and silver. All I saw were broken pieces of pottery and the wreck and ruin of what had once been a great city. And the God of heaven says, “I judged you.” There must be a message in this picture of Tyre for our day and generation.
CHAPTER 28
Theme: Judgment against the prince of Tyre; judgment against the king
JUDGMENT AGAINST THE PRINCE OF TYRE
In this chapter we find the judgment of the prince and king of Tyre and Sidon. The prophecy looks beyond the local ruler to the one who is behind the kingdoms of the world—Satan.
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God [Ezek. 28:1–2].
Again the word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel, and this time there are two messages: one for the prince of Tyre and one for the king of Tyre. In back of the great kingdom, the great commercial center, the great political center, and the great stronghold of Tyre, we are going to find the one who apparently also controls all the kingdoms of this world. He is Satan. He offered the kingdoms of the world to the Lord Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness: “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (Luke 4:5–7). The Lord rejected Satan’s offer, but not because He didn’t recognize his ownership—Christ knew that Satan did have the kingdoms. Ultimately Christ will rule over the kingdoms of the world—but not as the vice-regent of Satan! Today, however, the Devil is still the prince of the power of the air. He is the one who is in back of the kingdoms of our world, whether we like it or not.
Here is, I believe, a type of Antichrist. Actually, it takes two persons to fulfill all that Scripture says about the Antichrist (and John says there are many). One will deny the Person of Christ—be His enemy; the other will imitate Him. There will be a religious ruler and a political ruler. Now here in Ezekiel we have, I believe, the combination set before us.
This is the vicegerent of Satan: “Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God”—this is exactly what the Antichrist is going to say. The apostle Paul says this of him: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4). And this prince of Tyre says, “I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas.”
But God says, “Yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.”
Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee [Ezek. 28:3].
Here is another reference to Daniel. Ezekiel and Daniel, you remember, were contemporaries. This young man Ezekiel had great respect for Daniel, who was prime minister in Babylon, and who really stood for the Lord. I personally think that Ezekiel had the hardest job. He lived with and preached to the captives. As I said earlier, I would have much preferred to live in the palace and spend one night in the lions’ den than to work with the captives, but Ezekiel had no choice in the matter.
Ezekiel refers to Daniel’s wisdom. Ezekiel says that this prince of Tyre was a smart boy. If you don’t think there were wise men in that day, you are wrong. I think the wise men in that day would make the so-called intellectual crowd that centers in Harvard today look like beginners in kindergarten. These great men in Ezekiel’s day were really wise men.
Now I believe that this prince of Tyre represents the religious ruler aspect of the Antichrist. And I think he comes out of Israel. You see, the Antichrist, the political ruler, comes out of the sea of the nations of the world. I think he will be a Gentile. His advisor, the religious ruler, will come out of the land. The religious ruler will be like a prime minister to the political ruler, like Daniel was in Babylon, or like Joseph in Egypt, or Disraeli in England. Perhaps I should not make that kind of comparison, but I think it serves to illustrate the two positions.
JUDGMENT AGAINST THE KING
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 28:11].
Ezekiel is not going to let anyone forget that he is not giving his own opinion, but he is telling forth God’s message.
We have had a lamentation of the city of Tyre. We have talked about the prince of Tyre, and now we come to a lamentation of the king of Tyre. Immediately we pass beyond the local king of Tyre—there were many of them. It wasn’t safe to be a king in those days. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. The glory did not last long. It was like the bromide sic transit gloria mundi, which is Latin for “thus passeth the glory of the world.”
In back of the kingdom of Tyre is Satan. Ezekiel 28 is one of the few passages in the Word of God that gives us the origin of the Devil and of evil. I don’t want to press this too much, but read carefully these words—
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty [Ezek. 28:12].
Satan was the wisest creature God ever created. Keep in mind that Satan is a created being. He was created perfect in beauty. If you think of Satan as a creature with horns, a forked tail, and cloven feet, you are wrong. You have been reading the literature of the Middle Ages which has its origin in Greek mythology that goes back into Asia Minor. There was a great temple of Apollo in Pergamum; also there was one in Corinth, and in Ephesus, just to name a few. This is a description of the god Pan, or Bacchus, the god of pleasure. He has horns, he runs through the grape vineyard, he is the god of the grape, the god of wine. From his waist down he is represented as a goat. The creature with horns, a forked tail, and cloven feet is right out of Greek mythology.
The Word of God does not present Satan in that manner. The Bible presents him as perfect in beauty. If you could see him, you would find that he is the most beautiful creature you have ever seen. I have heard many people say how good looking the men of certain cults are. When I was a boy, I heard such a man. He was in one of the cults. He had silver gray hair and was a fine looking man—in fact, he was very handsome. Some women would almost swoon at his presence. People treated him as if he were a god, a claim that he almost made. Do you know what he was? He was a minister of Satan; I don’t mind saying it. When I was a boy, with no instruction in the things of God, he almost led me astray. Oh, how terrible the ministers of Satan are!
Paul has something to say about the ministers of Satan. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness …” (2 Cor. 11:13–15).
Ezekiel says of this one: “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” What was it that brought him down? We will see that when we come to verse 15.
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created [Ezek. 28:13].
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God”—no king of Tyre has been in the Garden of Eden!
“Every precious stone was thy covering”—can you imagine what a beautiful creature he was!
“The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee.” Not only could he sing, he was a band; he was music itself. Do you know the origin of music on this earth? Go back to Genesis 4:21, and you will see that it originated with the progeny of Cain. And when I hear some of the music of my contemporaries, I am confident that it came out of the pit—it couldn’t come from any place else! Satan was a musician.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [Ezek. 28:14].
Satan was the “anointed cherub that covereth”—that is, he protected the throne of God. This is not the Eden which was on earth, but apparently is a picture of heaven itself. Satan had access to heaven, of course.
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee [Ezek. 28:15].
Satan protected God’s throne. He had the highest position a created being could have. What was it that brought him down? Ezekiel doesn’t tell us, but Isaiah 14:12–15 has already told us: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine 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 heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” The thing that brought him down was pride! Satan wanted to lift up his throne. He wanted to divorce himself from God and be God. He was in rebellion against God.
Now, let me say this: If you are one of the saints today who thinks you have arrived, that you are perfect, and you have set yourself up as a standard, remember that Satan was the angel of light; he was perfect—but he fell. Since he fell, what about you? What about me? We are only frail human beings.
God cannot tolerate rebellion, so what is He going to do?
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire [Ezek. 28:16].
Satan will be judged for his sin. He is only a creature. I don’t know about you, but this is comforting to me. I frankly would not be able to overcome him. I am no match for him. I am thankful, therefore, that God is going to deal with him.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee [Ezek. 28:17].
“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty”—pride.
“Thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” You see, Solomon, the wisest man, played the fool. And here we see that the greatest creature whom God ever created, perfect (filled with all that could be learned), played the fool. Oh, my friend, God’s children can do the same today!
“I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” God is going to make a spectacle of Satan someday.
All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou he any more [Ezek. 28:19].
At some time in the future God is going to get rid of Satan in His universe, and we pray for that day to come.
In verses 20–24 judgment is pronounced on Sidon, but not complete destruction. He says that there will be blood in the streets, and that is exactly what happened. It is a matter of history. It is interesting to note that Tyre,the prominent city and capital city, was destroyed, scraped like a rock, never to be rebuilt; yet Sidon, about fifteen miles from Tyre, was also judged, but not destroyed. That city exists today; it is the place where oil is brought in from the Near East. It comes by pipeline and is loaded onto ships. Sidon is a thriving port, whereas down the coast is Tyre lying in ruins, with only a little fishing village there. God says that Tyre will never be rebuilt. God knew what He was talking about.In this chapter He has made the prophecies clear-cut: Tyre would be destroyed and never be rebuilt; Sidon would be judged but not destroyed. Today after approximately twenty-five hundred years, Tyre is gone and Sidon lives on.
Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.
And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God [Ezek. 28:25–26].
God says, “I intend to regather Israel.” Satan cannot disturb His plan and program with the children of Israel. Neither can any theologian today dismiss God’s plan to restore Israel to the land in peace. One reason that so many theologians are believed when they say that God is through with the nation Israel is because God’s people are not acquainted with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the minor prophets. The theme song of these prophets is that God is not through with Israel as a nation. For this reason they should be studied. They throw new light on the Word of God so that it is no longer a jigsaw puzzle, but everything falls into place.
CHAPTERS 29–30
Theme: Prophecy against Egypt, lamentation for Egypt
PROPHECY AGAINST EGYPT
Many conservative commentators take the position that the prophecies concerning Egypt are of more interest than the one concerning Tyre. I must confess that I do not concur in that—the prophecies concerning Tyre are remarkable. Also the ones concerning Egypt are interesting, and we will find a remarkable prophecy in this chapter. Egypt was a great nation, and it had not been destroyed. It had maintained its integrity down through the centuries. It was one of the most ancient nations. It did not need to put up a wall of defense. After all, the desert was a pretty good defense. There was only one entrance, and that was through the Nile River valley. All Egypt had to do for protection was put up a good defense there. You will find that the cities of Egypt were not walled—walls were not necessary.
Now God says that the Egyptians will go into captivity for forty years.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt [Ezek. 29:1–2].
God takes a very definite position against the land of Egypt. It was this nation that had reduced His people to slavery in the brick-yards and had introduced them to idolatry. Egypt had been a thorn in the flesh of Israel for years; yet Israel was constantly running to Egypt for help. For some reason the children of Israel seemed to lean upon Egypt. Now God says He is against Egypt and it will be destroyed.
Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself [Ezek. 29:3].
The crocodile, apparently, is the “great dragon” or sea monster here. Pharaoh is likened unto the crocodile that says, “This is my river.” It is interesting to note that Egypt worshiped all manner of birds, beasts, and bugs. You will notice that the plagues against Egypt (Exod. 7–11) were leveled against the gods which Egypt worshiped. I think that in spite of how terrible the plagues were, they also reveal that God has a sense of humor.Imagine worshiping Heka, the frog-headed goddess, and then waking up one morning and finding frogs all over your bedroom. What are you going to do? Start killing off your goddess? I think the Lord must have smiled at that.
The Pharaoh mentioned here is Pharaoh Hophra, also called Apries in the Greek. He was the grandson of Pharaoh Nechoh, who defeated King Josiah of Judah at Megiddo; in fact, Josiah was slain in that battle. Kings Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah all turned to Pharaoh Hophra when Jerusalem was besieged. The Egyptian army came up, went through Phoenicia, and forced the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah announced the doom of Pharaoh Hophra: “The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord” (Jer. 46:25–26).
You may find it interesting to note that the critic has made an issue of the fact that the prophecy of the destruction of Egypt was not fulfilled at this time. It was fulfilled seventeen years later. However, if you read the prophecy carefully, you will see that, although the prophecy was given through Ezekiel at this time, nothing is said about immediate fulfillment. Egypt was destroyed seventeen years later as God said it would be.
Now notice what God says will happen to Egypt:
Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered [Ezek. 29:13].
Seventeen years later, to be exact, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, came and took the Egyptians into captivity. They were in captivity for forty years, not seventy years like Israel.
And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom [Ezek. 29:14].
Now notice carefully this next verse—
It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations [Ezek. 29:15].
Egypt had been the great power of the ancient world. They came out of the dawn of history as a great nation. Their monuments and tombs reveal the fact that they had a civilization that was second to none. It is believed today by many historians that the Greeks got a great deal of their information from the Egyptians. Egypt was a great nation, but God said, “I am going to let Nebuchadnezzar take you. Not only that, you are going to be in captivity for forty years, and at the end of that time you are going to return to your land, but you are going to be a base kingdom—in fact, the basest of the kingdoms.” My friend, on our tours we visit many lands in the Near East, and we can see how accurate God’s prediction was. No one can go to Cairo without his heart being sick when he sees the poverty and the low levels to which the people have sunk.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 29:19–20].
Babylon, you see, was to conquer all these nations—including Tyre, Egypt, and, of course, Israel. Babylon was the first great empire.
LAMENTATION FOR EGYPT
This brings us to chapter 30, which is considered a lamentation. Ezekiel speaks of the desolation of Egypt, and it is indeed a desolate nation.
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying [Ezek. 30:1].
Here we go again. This phrase has been repeated I don’t know how many times. Ezekiel doesn’t want there to be a doubt in any mind whose word this is.
Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! [Ezek. 30:2].
This is a time of wailing and mourning, a lamentation.
For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen [Ezek. 30:3].
A cloudy day was unusual. They don’t have many clouds in the land of Egypt because they have less than an inch of rain in that section.They depend upon the river Nile for the water they need. By the way, they worshiped the crocodile of the Nile, as well as everything else in the animal world.
“The time of the heathen” is better translated the time of the nations, and we are certainly living in that day when the nations are really stirring throughout the world.
And the sword shall come upon Egypt,and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down [Ezek. 30:4].
At times there was an alliance between Egypt and Ethiopia, although a great deal of the time there was enmity and warfare between the two nations. It is believed by many conservative scholars that Moses, when he was Pharaoh’s daughter’s son, would have been the next Pharaoh, and that he actually led an expedition against Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword [Ezek. 30:5].
At this time there was an alliance among these nations, but they would all become subject to Nebuchadnezzar, who was actually a world ruler. In fact, he is the head of gold in Daniel’s prophecy (ch. 2) of the four great world kingdoms.
Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 30:6].
Not only Israel, but all of these other nations had looked to Egypt for help, and they will all be judged together.
And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it [Ezek. 30:12].
These rivers, as we have seen before, are actually the different branches down in the delta of the Nile, and there were many of them. There were also canals in that very rich fertile area. Near there was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites settled when they first came to Egypt.
“I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked.” Egypt fell later on to Alexander the Great, and when he died his generals took over the nations he had conquered. Cleopatra, who was not an Egyptian but a Greek, ruled over Egypt.
“I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers.” “Strangers” are foreigners. Egypt came under the control of foreign nations, and the canals were allowed to fill up. Although I have never gotten into that delta section, a friend of mine whom I met in Cairo had just come from there, and he told me that it is really a swamp in that section. God had said that He would make the land waste, and that is what it is today.
Now here is another remarkable prophecy—
Thus saith the Lord God; l will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt [Ezek. 30:13].
“I will cause their images to cease out of Noph.” Noph is Memphis, and in Ezekiel’s time it was the great city of Egypt. It was a very wealthy city, and it had idols in profusion—up and down both sides of the streets were idol after idol. They were the city’s decoration! No other place has ever had idols like Memphis had them. Here God says that He would make the idols to cease out of Memphis.
I have walked over what is supposed to be the ruins of Memphis, and all that is left of the idols is one great big statue of Raamses. It lies on its back, and a building has been erected around it to house the statue. That is the only thing left in Memphis. God did exactly what He said He was going to do. He made the idols to cease.
“There shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt.” There is no royal line in Egypt any more. Neither can any of the rulers be called great men. They all have had to look to other nations for aid and support.
And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No [Ezek. 30:15].
“I will pour out my fury upon Sin”—which is Pelusium, now completely buried in the sand.
“I will cut off the multitude of No”—this is Thebes, which was a great city in the upper Nile. The ruins are there, but its greatness is all gone.
In the next verses God continues to speak of these great cities of Egypt which have now disappeared altogether.
Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand [Ezek. 30:21–22].
God states once again that Egypt will fall. The pictures of Egyptian rulers always show them holding the scepter in their hands. The scepter was a token of their power. God says, “I have broken the arm of Pharaoh.” It is hard to hold a scepter with a broken arm! And God goes on to say, “It shall not be bound up to be healed.” Babylon was going to conquer Egypt, and Pharaoh would be powerless to stop it. All of this was literally fulfilled.
CHAPTERS 31–32
Theme: Judgment against Pharaoh; Pharaoh’s greatness and glory; Pharaoh’s fall; lamentation over the fall
JUDGMENT AGAINST PHARAOH
These two chapters conclude the section regarding the judgment of Egypt (chs. 29–32). It is interesting that Ezekiel devotes four chapters to Egypt and also Isaiah and Jeremiah and the minor prophets deal with Egypt. Egypt looms large in the history of the nation Israel. It is rather ironic that Egypt is such a thorn in the flesh to Israel at the present time. Egypt, in fact, is a dog in the manger. Israel didn’t want the Baby in the manger; so it got the dog in the manger!
In chapter 31 we see the fall of Pharaoh. It is described in a parabolic form and represents both Pharaoh and his subjects. Verses 1–9 give the greatness and glory of Pharaoh in Egypt; verses 10–14 give the fall of Egypt in the parable of the tree; and verses 15–18 give the lamentation over the fall of the tree and the crisis which came to the nations of the world because of it. It had the same effect in that day as it would at the present time if the United States were destroyed overnight. That would certainly change the situation in the world, I am sure.
I trust you have seen how important the Book of Ezekiel is. It is a book that reveals the glory of the Lord and the fact that our God is a holy God who will judge sin. Now God is merciful, and He is kind. He loves mankind; He wants to save the human family, and He is not willing that any should perish, but He also judges sin. He intends to judge, and He will not spare you if you reject His gracious offer. That is what happened to Israel, and that is what happened to Egypt. Egypt was judged on the basis of the light she had, and she had been given a great deal of light.
THE GREATNESS AND GLORY OF PHARAOH
Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness? [Ezek. 31:2].
God recognized the greatness of Egypt—probably over a couple of millenniums this vast kingdom had dominated the world. It was the breadbasket for the world because it did not have to depend on the rainfall. The Nile River overflowed each year to water their crops. It was a nation of tremendous power.
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs [Ezek. 31:3].
God says, “I liken Assyria, that great nation in the north, to a great cedar tree.” Now there is more than one tree in a forest, because one tree won’t make a forest. Assyria stood way above the other trees and dominated. But God brought Assyria down. This message should have gotten through to Pharaoh and his people. Pharaoh, too, is a great tree. He has dominated everything. The people of Egypt are great, but now they are going to be brought low. As we saw in chapter 29, Egypt is going to become a base kingdom. Well, for a period of over two thousand years now it has been a base kingdom. It will never be a world empire again.
THE FALL OF PHARAOH
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height [Ezek. 31:10].
The phrase, “Therefore thus saith the Lord God,” indicates the divisions in this chapter. In this division we see that Pharaoh is lifted up in pride. Pride is in the human heart, and his greatness blinded him to the danger that he was in.
I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness [Ezek. 31:11].
At this point in history who is the mighty one of the nations? It is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I don’t think Ezekiel is speaking about Satan because Satan has had Egypt for years, so this wasn’t something new. If you want to confirm the fact that this “mighty one” was Nebuchadnezzar, read the Book of Daniel. Daniel said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “You are the head of gold”—the greatness of this man has not been exceeded.
“I have therefore delivered him,” he is talking about Pharaoh of Egypt. God is going to deal with him; He is going to drive him out because of his wickedness.
And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him [Ezek. 31:12].
Egypt would be taken, and it would be a shock to the world.
LAMENTATION OVER THE FALL OF PHARAOH
This is a very remarkable section of the Word of God. If you are a student of the Word, I recommend that you spend a great deal of time here.
Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him [Ezek. 31:15].
The word “grave” in this verse is sheol. This verse speaks of Pharaoh who is going to go down in defeat and be killed. Sheol, although at times does mean the grave, means here the unseen world, the unknown region, or the abode of the dead—not just the grave where the physical body is placed after death. It is the place where the spirit goes. You remember that Solomon spoke about the fact that the body returns to the earth, and the spirit goes to God: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7). The human body is nothing in the world but dust. Speaking of man the psalmist says, “For he [God] knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). Sometimes we forget we are only dust, and when dust gets stuck on itself, it becomes mud! We need to remember that as far as our bodies are concerned, they are dust. When we put our bodies in the ground, they will go back to dust. The Lord Jesus spoke of the fact that when a believer dies his body sleeps. And Paul speaks of the physical body as sleeping in 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
Where do the spirits of the lost go? They, too, go to sheol, the unseen world. We know from a parable—which is also a true-life story which Jesus told (Luke 16:19–31) about two men who died—that sheol is divided into two compartments. One is called the place of torment, and that is where the rich man went. The other is called Abraham’s Bosom, which is the place where the beggar went when he died. The place of torment is not to be confused with hell or the lake of fire of the New Testament. Apparently sheol was a temporary “abode of the dead,” as the Lord Jesus emptied the section called paradise or Abraham’s Bosom when he ascended (Eph. 4:8–10). The section called the place of torment will not be emptied until all who are there will stand before the great white throne for their final judgment (Rev. 20:11–15).
With this background in mind, notice that Ezekiel gives a picture of Pharaoh going down into sheol. Remember that God is not speaking of Pharaoh’s body here. The grave receives the bodies, but the immaterial part of man, that which has endless being, goes to sheol.
“I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him.” When he died, the entire world mourned. Up there in Lebanon, which was in the great nation of Phoenicia, there was great mourning. The nations of the world mourned when Egypt went down. All were dependent upon it—their economy rested upon it, and its allies were protected by it. What a picture this is!
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth [Ezek. 31:16].
“When I cast him down to hell [sheol] with them that descend into the pit [the grave].” Now the tree, representing Pharaoh, is cut down. And where does Pharaoh go? To sheol. Now notice what he discovers:
To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether [lower] parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 31:18].
When Pharaoh got to sheol, he found other rulers that had been slain were there too.
He discovered something else: there is democracy in death. We talk a great deal today about integration. There is nothing that will integrate the rich and the poor, the black and the white, the male and the female, those at the top of the social ladder and those at the bottom of it, like death! Death will bring them all to the same level, not only the placing of their bodies in the grave, but also their spirits.
Probably one of the startling things to some people will be the realization that they haven’t died as an animal dies. An atheist said to me, “When a man dies it is just like a dog that dies. He simply ceases to exist. There is no life after death.” Well, he is going to be surprised when he moves into sheol and finds out who all is there. It will be quite a company of people who did not believe that there was an afterlife or a judgment to come. They will all be on the same par. This is total integration! The spirits of all those who have rejected the Lord Jesus will be there—not because they are sinners but because they have rejected Christ as their Savior. It is the sin of rejecting Christ that will take them to sheol and finally to the Great White Throne of judgment and the lake of fire. The Lord Jesus made this clear when He said, “Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:9). How terrible it is not to trust Christ as your Savior.
This passage of Scripture opens up a new area altogether. Someone has called this the “Dante’s Inferno of the Bible.” And it is like that. The lost do go to a definite place. The Lord Jesus called it a place of torment and a place where the lost wait for judgment. Some people say, “Oh, I am going to appear before God all right, but I will get things straightened out there because I have been a pretty good fellow.” But when they stand in the presence of the One who was crucified for them, they are going to find out that their puny works did not amount to much. They will discover that they have a fallen nature with no capacity for God, and no interest in Him at all. Where else could God put them? Do you think He could take anyone to heaven with Him who is in rebellion against Him? My friend, this is a very important passage of Scripture.
In chapter 32 the lamentation continues—
Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers [Ezek. 32:2].
“Thou art as a whale in the seas” is better translated “thou art like a monster, the crocodile.” The Egyptians worshiped both the lion and the crocodile.
“Thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.” You see, back there they had an ecology problem. Old Pharaoh was muddying the water.
Thus saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net [Ezek. 32:3].
“Thus saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out my net over thee”—“just as you put nets in the Nile River to get fish, that’s the way I am going to catch you, you monster of the Nile River, you crocodile!” It is as if God is saying, “I am going to pull you out and move you to a place where you won’t live in a palace. You will find yourself on the same plane with your subjects.” Death surely does level out humanity, does it not?
For thus saith the Lord God; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee [Ezek. 32:11].
The king of Babylon will take Egypt.
Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.
Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised [Ezek. 32:18–19].
Now Pharaoh will find that the other rulers are down there in sheol—
Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword [Ezek. 32:22].
“Asshur” is Assyria. And he finds somebody else is there—
There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit [Ezek. 32:24].
“There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave.” You see, the body was put in the grave, but they have gone to another place, to sheol, the unseen world. Our Lord Jesus called it the place of torment for those who are lost. The saved are in the section which He called Abraham’s Bosom; then later to the repentant thief on the cross He called it paradise: “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
Here are others Pharaoh finds in sheol—
There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living [Ezek. 32:26].
And Edom is there also—
There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit [Ezek. 32:29].
Now listen to this—
For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 32:32].
Ezekiel only gives us a glimpse of that unseen world called sheol. Remember, we see only a fleeting view of this place. Don’t try to build a skyscraper, or a merchandise center, or a mall, or a shopping area, on a place that only has a foundation big enough for a tool shed! In other words, you can’t build a theology on this, because all we have had is a little peek into the unseen world. And it is all God intended for us to see.
CHAPTER 33
Theme: Recommission of Ezekiel
Chapter 33 brings us to the last major division of this book. From chapters 33–48 we will see the glory of the Lord and the coming millennial kingdom. Chapter 32 concluded the predictions concerning the nations that were round about Israel. Some of these nations were contiguous to the land of Israel. They were very closely related to them, of course—actually related by blood. These prophecies were given before the destruction of Jerusalem. Now we come to the second part of this prophetic book, which contains Ezekiel’s prophecies after the fall of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel again is speaking of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel will be his subject, but his message is different. Up to chapter 25 everything pointed to the destruction of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem was destroyed exactly as he had predicted. Now he will look forward to the future of the coming millennial kingdom when the glory of the Lord will be seen again on this earth. That makes this a very interesting section.
Not only is Ezekiel’s commission renewed, he will also be commanded for the fact that he has done a good job up to this point. From now on he is going to be speaking to those in captivity, telling them that they are to live in the expectancy of the future. Before, these captives had no hope because of their sins. But in the future, Ezekiel sees hope for the children of Israel.
Today believers also have a hope. It is not anchored in anything that men do here on earth, or in any of the gyrations of psychoanalysis. Our hope today is not a philosophy. It rests upon the Word of God and what He has said will take place in the future. This is the lodestar of the child of God in our day. It is not the same as Israel moving into the Millennium. We are moving actually into the New Jerusalem. This is what is immediately ahead of us as believers.
RECOMMISSION OF THE PROPHET
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying [Ezek. 33:1].
This phrase is a stuck record as far as Ezekiel is concerned. He wants us to remember constantly that he is not giving us his theories or ideas, but he is giving out the Word of the Lord.
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people [Ezek. 33:2–3].
God reverts to the commission that he gave to Ezekiel at the beginning of his ministry. He likens him to the watchman of a city. In that day most of the cities of importance were protected by walls. Those in authority appointed a watchman to watch for invaders from the top of the wall all during the hours of darkness. I imagine that during the night he would call off the watches with a shout of “All’s well” when there was no moving of an approaching enemy out there in the darkness. The interesting thing is that the false prophets were saying “All’s well” when the enemy was coming. They were too blind to see him. Ezekiel had been a faithful watchman and had given the people warning that the enemy, which was Babylon, was coming.
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand [Ezek. 33:6].
Now the people are going to be judged for their sin, but the watchman will be held responsible if he doesn’t warn them. Ezekiel had warned them; the false prophets had not. Ezekiel had done a good job.
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me [Ezek. 33:7].
Ezekiel has fulfilled that commission.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand [Ezek. 33:8].
The responsibility of the watchman is to warn the wicked that they are going to be judged. Ezekiel was faithful in giving the warning, although the people would not listen to him. To sound the warning was the only way the watchman could clear himself.
Today the man who is teaching the Word of God is not required to get results. Many people say, “Let’s get an evangelist who can get results.” To get people to come forward in a meeting is not of primary importance. The preacher giving the people the Word of God is the important thing. I don’t look at the folks who have come forward; I look at the people who walk out after the benediction. Have they been warned? That should be our concern. We have been looking at the wrong crowd. We say, “Oh, So-and-so gave such a sweet gospel invitation, and a lot of sweet people came forward. No decisions were actually made, but we had a movement going on.” Oh, my friend, let’s make sure that the fellow who hears has been properly warned. If he is not warned, the speaker is held responsible. He will have to answer to God for neglecting his duty.
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? [Ezek. 33:11].
It is quite obvious from this verse that God does not want to judge. Isaiah said that judgment was His strange work. God wants to save them, and He is urging them to turn to Him and accept life.
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal [Ezek. 33:17].
The children of Israel had another complaint. They said that God was not fair in His judgment. He judged everybody alike; yet there were some “good people” among the captives.
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby [Ezek. 33:18].
This verse is not speaking about somebody losing salvation. God is saying that when one of His children gets into sin, He will judge him. That is exactly what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:31: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” And God says through John that there is a sin unto death (1 John 5:16). He is speaking about a child of God. What kind of death is he talking about? He is talking about physical death. Some Christians are judged for their sins by physical death. I am amazed that more folks don’t catch on to God’s discipline after a time. There are others who are in the Lord’s work, but what they are doing is not prospering, and they are getting deeper and deeper into debt. You would think that the message would come through loud and clear that perhaps God is moving in judgment, that what they are doing is not pleasing to Him.
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby [Ezek. 33:19].
God is righteous in what He does. If a wicked man will turn to God, God will save him.
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways [Ezek. 33:20].
Godly men, too, were carried away into captivity. Those who had trusted God were carried off just like the most wicked people, and these godly people are complaining. It looks like God is being unfair.
You and I experience this same principle in many ways. For example, we have to pay excessive insurance premiums today because there are a lot of alcoholics. I don’t drink, but I have to pay for the ones who do. I have to pay high taxes because we have a lot of folks in Washington today who spend money foolishly. We are identified with our nation.
And the good people in Israel were suffering because they were identified with the nation. But there is more to it than that. Notice what God says—
“O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.” In other words, I am going to judge every one of you. And, my friend, whoever you are, you will have to stand before God for judgment some day. If you are a child of God, He will judge you for the sins you have committed, but you will not lose your salvation. However, if you are a lost person, you have no claim on God whatsoever, He has made that clear in the New Testament. In 1 Peter 3:12 we read, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” God doesn’t say that He won’t hear the prayer of the wicked; He just says that He hears the prayers of the righteous, which implies that He feels no obligation to hear the prayer of the unsaved person. Of course, if he would cry out for salvation, God would hear and answer, but the point is that the unsaved person has no claim on God whatsoever. When you hear an unsaved person ask, “Why does God let this happen to me?” you know that he has no claim whatever on God’s mercy. God is righteous when He is judging a lost world, and sometimes we forget that this happens to be His world.
THE CITY IS SMITTEN!
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten [Ezek. 33:21].
Ezekiel had already said that Jerusalem was destroyed because God had told him, but as yet he had been given no information about it. When the news of the destruction of the city was brought to these people, it absolutely dumbfounded them. They were overwhelmed by the news. They never believed that anything like this could possibly take place. On the very day that this news was brought, Ezekiel’s wife died, and God said to him in effect, “Don’t grieve for your wife. I want these people to know that I have repudiated their city. They think that I have to have Jerusalem. They think that I won’t destroy it. They don’t believe I will judge sin, but I will. Therefore, don’t weep for your wife. Let the people know that at this time the city is being destroyed because of its sin. The city is smitten.”
Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb [Ezek. 33:22].
You see, at the end of chapter 24 God announced to Ezekiel the destruction of Jerusalem, the bloody city. From that point on (chs. 25–33) He had given him no prophecy for Jerusalem; instead He had given him messages for the surrounding nations. Now when we come here to chapter 33, we find that God no longer makes Ezekiel dumb about Jerusalem. He says to him, “I have some messages for you about Jerusalem now.”
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance [Ezek. 33:23–24].
The people of Israel are remembering how God took care of Abraham; yet there was only one of him, and there are a whole lot of them. They expect Him to take care of them in the same way. They are ignoring the fact that there was a great deal of difference between Abraham and themselves. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. These people do not believe God.
Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? [Ezek. 33:25].
God says to them, “I won’t let you have the land. I put the heathen and the pagan out of this land because of their sin, and you are doing the same things they did.”
For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through [Ezek. 33:28].
I cannot get as elated about the land of Israel as some of my very good minister friends do. When they get into that land, they go into ecstasy. The way some of them act you would think they were on drugs! They exclaim, “Isn’t it wonderful to see this land!” I want to tell you that the land is just about as desolate as any place you could possibly find today. That land is desolate because the judgment of God is upon it. There is a water shortage—put a little water on that land and it blossoms like a rose—but they can’t get enough water. That is the great problem. God’s judgment is not only upon a people; it is also upon a land.
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord [Ezek. 33:30].
The people are shaken, and they want to listen to Ezekiel now, but they won’t follow through.
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness [Ezek. 33:31].
On the surface they appeared to be turning to the Lord. They wanted to hear what the Lord had to say but had no intention of obeying Him. They were like folk who go to church in our day to hear an interesting and well-delivered sermon, but what they hear does not change their lives. The epistle of James gets down where the rubber meets the road when he says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This is what God says to Ezekiel about these folk in captivity, “They hear thy words, but they do them not.”
And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them [Ezek. 33:32–33].
Now that Jerusalem has fallen, as Ezekiel had prophesied, the people know he is a true prophet of God. Although they know he is giving them God’s Word, they still will not obey it. My friend, unbelief is willful; it is not because mankind has a great mentality that cannot accept what God says. The real problem is that people do not want to give up their sin. That was the problem with the people to whom Ezekiel ministered. They were willing to come and listen to what Ezekiel had to say, but it had no effect upon them whatsoever. You would think that the people would now turn to God, but that was not the case. God said to Ezekiel, “Don’t let the crowds deceive you. It is true that they are coming and listening, but they are not heeding what you say. They are not doers of the Word at all. They like it when they hear you talk about love, and the future, and prophecy, but it has not affected their lives one whit. They are still living the same way—far from Me.”
Ezekiel was the only man who said that Jerusalem would be destroyed. All of the false prophets said that it would not be destroyed. The word of confirmation has come. Jerusalem is destroyed. Ezekiel is declared a true prophet.
CHAPTER 34
Theme: Israel’s false shepherds; God’s true shepherd
ISRAEL’S FALSE SHEPHERDS
The false prophets of Israel have now been shown to be liars because the destruction of Jerusalem as prophesied by Ezekiel has become a reality. God has a word to say about these false prophets:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? [Ezek. 34:1–2].
Ezekiel did not say these things about the false prophets—God said them.
Very candidly, I have always been opposed to promotion—that is, furthering the growth or development of a Christian work. This does not mean that there aren’t many very wonderful and fine works which deserve our financial support. My point is that they should not be just a promotion agency; they should be feeding the people—they should be giving out the Word of God. I feel that an organization has no right to fleece people for an offering when it has not given the people something first. We should be able to support ministries where we ourselves have received a blessing. The business of the ministry is not to beg for money all the time, but to give out the Word of God and to be feeding the sheep.
This was God’s criticism of the false prophets—they had not given the people the Word of God. I feel this should still be the standard by which we judge a ministry today.
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them [Ezek. 34:4].
All of us are needy people, and the only thing which can minister to our deep needs is the Word of God. If a minister is not giving the Word of God, he is not ministering to the people. The Word must be given out. These little sermonettes delivered to Christianettes by preacherettes are not quite doing the job today.
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered [Ezek. 34:5].
“Meat” could also be translated “food.” In other words, when people are not being fed in a church, they will scatter. They’ll go find some place where they can be fed. There is no point in criticizing them, because sheep want to be fed. That is also the nature of the child of God: he wants to hear the Word of God.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them [Ezek. 34:7–10].
God holds these false shepherds responsible. He says, “I am against them, and I am as much opposed to them as I am to any sinner or any sin. I’m going to hold them responsible.”
GOD’S TRUE SHEPHERD
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out [Ezek. 34:11].
Here you have God’s Shepherd—Jesus, who said “I am the Good Shepherd.” Ezekiel said that Christ would come, and, my friend, He is coming again because He has not yet fulfilled all the prophecies concerning His shepherding of this earth.
Now we begin to look into the future. These are God’s words of comfort to the children of Israel in their captivity—they should listen to Him. He’s the Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd of the sheep. He says, “I will search out my sheep.” David said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1).
The thing that impresses us in the rest of this chapter is the repetition of a wonderful statement by God, “I will,” which occurs eighteen times in verses 11 through 29. I get a little weary listening to men speak of what they have done. This is a new note here—God says, “I will.” This is grace when God says this. The Good Shepherd one day said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [rest you]” (Matt. 11:28, italics mine). The Shepherd also said, “I [will] give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish …” (John 10:28). That is what my wonderful Shepherd said.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day [Ezek. 34:12].
The Good Shepherd came more than nineteen hundred years ago, and He still says, “My sheep hear my voice …” (John 10:27). Do you know why they hear His voice? There are two reasons: He is calling them, and His sheep know Him. They hear His voice, and they know Him. What a wonderful Shepherd we have!
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country [Ezek. 34:13].
The Shepherd is talking about the nation of Israel, what He is going to do for them in the future. They are in captivity now because of their sin and because they listened to the false prophets. But He says, “I am not through with them. I have not thrown them overboard. You amillennialists ought to read the Book of Ezekiel; then you would find out that I am not through with My sheep—I intend to bring them back to their land.”
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God [Ezek. 34:14–15].
He will feed them in a good pasture, and when they lie down they will be safe. Obviously this is for a future time. The land of Israel does not lie in safety at all today.
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment [Ezek. 34:16].
When He has one lost sheep, this Shepherd goes out to find it. He will do that for the nation Israel, and He will do that for the church today. When our Lord told the parable of the lost sheep, that shepherd had one hundred sheep, and one sheep got lost. What did the shepherd do? Did he just forget about that sheep? Did he say, “Well, if one little one wants to run off, that’s all right; after all, ninety-nine sheep is a pretty good number to come through with”? No, this shepherd said, “I started out with one hundred and I am going to come through with one hundred.” My friend, Vernon McGee is going to be in heaven—not because he’s a smart sheep; all sheep are stupid—I am going to be there because I’ve got a wonderful Shepherd, and He says, “I will, I will,” again and again.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle [Ezek. 34:20].
God is going to do the separating. In Matthew 13, the Lord Jesus gave the parable of the tares among the wheat. He told of a man who sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy came in and sowed tares among the good seed. The man’s servant said, “Let’s go pull up the tares,” but the man said, “You let them alone; let the wheat and the tares grow together. I’ll do the separating.” I am glad that the separating is the Lord’s job. That is His business. When someone comes to me and says, “Do you think So-and-so is a believer?” I have to say that I don’t know. That’s not my business; that’s the Lord’s business. He knows the ones who are His.
Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it [Ezek. 34:21–24].
It is my firm conviction that the earth will be the eternal home of Israel and that David will rule here on this earth throughout eternity. He will be vice-regent of the Lord Jesus. I believe the church will be in the New Jerusalem with the Lord—the Lord Jesus said that He was coming again to take the church, “… that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). And throughout eternity when He comes to earth, we will come also, but just for a visit. Therefore, don’t buy too much real estate down here—you won’t be needing it—but be sure you are sending up plenty of material to build a good home in heaven!
“I the Lord have spoken it.” My friend, He says He is not through with the nation Israel.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods [Ezek. 34:25].
It is quite interesting that the land and the people of Israel go together in Scripture. When they are in the land and being blessed, that means that the people are in a right relationship to God.
And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid [Ezek. 34:28].
The day will come when Israel will “no more be a prey to the heathen [the nations].” They are still that today, but God says, “I will,” and when He says that, He is going to do it, my friend.
CHAPTERS 35–36
Theme: Edom judged; prediction of Israel’s sins judged and forgiven
Chapters 35 and 36 deal with the future restoration of Israel. There are two things which must happen before the people can be restored to the land in peace: Edom must be judged, and Israel’s past sins must be judged and forgiven. The judgment predicted here was fulfilled upon Edom, but it also is prophetic of the judgment which is in store for the enemies of Israel which is still future in our day.
EDOM JUDGED
Chapter 35 deals with the judgment and removal of Mount Seir (or Edom) which must take place before Israel can be restored to the land.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,
And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 35:1–4].
These verses refer to Edom, and in Edom there was the rock-hewn city known as Petra. The city is still there, but there is no more desolate area anywhere than that place.
Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end [Ezek. 35:5].
God gives the reason for the judgment of Edom. Edom is the people descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother. Esau was Jacob’s bitterest enemy, and the people of Edom probably hurt the people of Israel more than any other enemy they had. Edom represents the enemy of God in this world today, that enemy who is going to rise against God in the last days under the Antichrist.
I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 35:9].
Ezekiel has previously mentioned Edom’s judgment in Ezekiel 25:12–14. Why does he mention it here again? I believe that it is to show that God has a program for the nation Israel. They are to be restored to the land, a place of blessing. They will be put back in the land in peace. However, the enemy is still about, and so God will judge the enemy. The people will be back in the land worshiping God, and living in peace and blessing. What a glorious future is ahead for them!
ISRAEL’S PAST SINS JUDGED AND FORGIVEN
In chapter 36 we find that Israel’s past sins must be judged and forgiven before she can be restored to the land.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey [Ezek. 36:5].
God is determined that the wicked will not inherit the earth. He has made it clear: “… the meek … shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). The meek are not inheriting it today. The wicked are the ones who have it, and they are the ones who are prospering.
This chapter contains the prophecy concerning the fact that the land of Israel is to be restored. All you have to do is drive through that land, and you will know this prophecy is not yet fulfilled. A great many people like to think they see prophecy being fulfilled on every hand, but when God brings them back to the land, the land is to be blessed. It is not blessed today, my friend.
Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come [Ezek. 36:6–8].
“For they are at hand to come” could be translated “For they are soon to come.” “Soon” to God is different from what it is to us; after all, a day is as a thousand years with Him.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it [Ezek. 36:16–18].
Again may I emphasize that the land and the people belong together. The Mosaic Law was not only given to a people, it was given for a land.
And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them [Ezek. 36:19].
God says, “I scattered them among the heathen [the nations],” but listen to Him:
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes [Ezek. 36:21–23].
You see, God has yet to defend His name in this earth. There are a great many people who ridicule the church today and the people who are in it. They blaspheme God because of it. God is going to justify Himself in this earth, and he is going to sanctify His name down here. Many take His name in vain today, but God says, “That’s going to stop, and you are going to honor Me.” This is His world, you see.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh [Ezek. 36:26].
God says what He is going to do. A change is going to take place. “A new heart also will I give you”—they are going to be born again.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them [Ezek. 36:27].
This is what Joel meant in his prophecy—there is a day coming when God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, not just some. The Spirit was poured out upon very few on the Day of Pentecost. All Peter said on that day was, “Don’t ridicule us and say we are drunk. This is like what Joel said is going to happen in the last days.” The Spirit has come upon a few, and today God is calling out a people for His name. The minute you turn to Christ, you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit; you are indwelt and baptized by the Holy Spirit; you are put in the body of believers. “In that day,” God says, “I’ll put My Spirit within you.”
And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you [Ezek. 36:28–29].
They will dwell in the land, and there will be prosperity in the land. God has promised to them physical blessings, just as He has promised to us spiritual blessings.
This chapter concludes with a great prophecy:
And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.
Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 36:35–38].
“And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden.” You can say that if you want to, but it wouldn’t be true today.
“And they shall know that I am the Lord.” They don’t know that in Israel, they don’t know it in the United States, and they don’t know it in the world today. But the day is coming, my friend, when Israel will know that He is the Lord.
CHAPTER 37
Theme: Vision of the valley of dead bones, picturing the Resurrection of Israel
THE VISION OF THE VALLEY OF DEAD BONES
In this chapter we have the vision of the valley of dead bones which served as the basis for a Negro spiritual written some years ago, entitled, “Dem Bones.” The interpretation of this chapter concerns the future restoration of Israel. That restoration has to do both with the national entity of Israel as well as the spiritual revival or restoration which the Lord announced in the preceding chapter.
We have here a remarkable vision, and I would like to make it very clear that this vision does not have to do with the resurrection of the dead saints of the church. That is the giant leap in interpretation made by the many who spiritualize the prophetic section of the Old Testament. My friend, when we take prophecy literally, it will make sense. We are talking here about the nation Israel, and we are not talking about a spiritual or physical resurrection of individuals. In my notes I have labeled this chapter, “The Resurrection of Israel,” and I think that is a good title, but it is sometimes misunderstood. Some think that I am referring to the raising of the dead from Abraham on. It has no reference to that, but it definitely refers to the nation of Israel.
God gives to Ezekiel a real living parable and to do so He takes him to the valley of dead bones:
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones [Ezek. 37:1].
Before Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, Ezekiel was transported to Jerusalem (see ch. 8), and I do not believe God had any difficulty doing that. If man today can make a jet plane which can carry him halfway around the world in half a day, I see no reason why God cannot do something which is commensurate with who He is. So I don’t think that God had any difficulty getting Ezekiel up and taking him to Jerusalem.
Here again, I believe God literally moves Ezekiel. When Ezekiel says that He “carried me out in the spirit of the Lord,” he is saying that the Spirit of the Lord carried him out to the valley which was full of bones.
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry [Ezek. 37:2].
Back in 1849, Lewis Manly and his partner by the name of John Rogers crossed Death Valley in California to bring back supplies to the stranded Bennett-Arcane party. The Bennett-Arcane group had mistakenly wandered into Death Valley and would have perished if these two men had not crossed the valley to rescue them. They were actually the first white men to cross this valley and gaze upon its grand scene of death and desolation. Few men have seen such sights, but what Ezekiel saw some twenty-five hundred years earlier must have been even more bleak. He saw a vision of another “death valley,” more desolate, more fearsome, and more awesome than Death Valley, California.
The valley which Ezekiel saw was filled with dead bones, and the thing which characterized them is that they were very dry and they were scattered.
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest [Ezek. 37:3].
These bones scattered all over the place are human bones, and the question that is put to Ezekiel is, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel answers, “O Lord God, thou knowest.” In other words, he said, “I don’t see how they could. It’s beyond me—You alone know whether these dead bones can live or not!”
Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord [Ezek. 37:4].
This is something rather ironical and even humorous. I have always insisted that God has a sense of humor, and here is an illustration of that. If you can’t see where it’s funny, that’s all right—just pass it by. But imagine Ezekiel now as God says to him, “Prophesy on these bones. Start out by saying, ’O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’” I have a notion Ezekiel said, “Now, Lord, you really don’t mean for me to start talking to these dry bones here! The man with the white coat and the net will be out looking for me if I do that!” Really, that isn’t a very good sermon introduction is it? No preacher would begin by saying to his Sunday morning congregation, “Oh, you dry bones!” A friend of mine (who also has a good sense of humor) said to me, “You know, I have a congregation with which I’d like to begin as Ezekiel did—the bones I speak to are as dry as Ezekiel’s—but I don’t dare do that.”
Ezekiel is looking out on this valley filled with dry bones, and he’s to speak to them. Every congregation that a preacher speaks to includes those who are saved and those who are unsaved. Those who are saved may have ears to hear, but do not hear. And the ones who are not saved are dead in trespasses and sins—they haven’t been redeemed yet. The preacher is just as helpless as Ezekiel, for any preacher who understands the real state and condition of those who are lost recognizes his own helplessness in speaking to them. Ezekiel is to say to these bones, “I want you to hear what God has to say.”
Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones, Behold I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.
And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord [Ezek. 37:5–6].
God says, “I want you to speak to them and tell them I’ll be the One who will give them life.” That is our condition today—if God doesn’t move, no one has spiritual life. I receive letters from people who say, “You saved me.” My friend, I save no one. I just speak to dry bones, giving them the Word of God—that’s all I do. The Spirit of God is the One who has to bring life. That is the only way life can come. This is the application of these verses; we are going to see that they also have a tremendous interpretation.
So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone [Ezek. 37:7].
“So I prophesied as I was commanded”—this man Ezekiel obeys God.
“There was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.” This is the point where that Negro spiritual, “Dem Bones,” is really accurate—when the bones start coming together. I’m of the opinion Ezekiel had a rather funny feeling when in his vision he saw all these bones come together!
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them [Ezek. 37:8].
We have here a method which I want you to notice. The first state of the bones is that they are scattered, dry, and dead. Then gradually they come together, and the sinews and flesh come upon them. This is a process—it is not instantaneous at all. At this point in the vision all you have is a bunch of bodies, actually corpses; it is just an undertaking establishment down in that valley. They are no longer bones, but bodies with flesh upon them. They are human beings even, but they do not have any life in them.
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army [Ezek. 37:9–10].
Ezekiel spoke, and life came into those bodies. What happened here resembles the creation of man at the very beginning. God took man of the dust of the earth; Ezekiel started with bones, but God didn’t. God started with just the dirt of the earth, and then He breathed life into man.
Now what has happened to these bones has occurred in three stages: (1) they were scattered bones, just as dead as they could be; (2) then they came together, and flesh and skin came upon them—they were bodies, but dead bodies; and finally (3) they were made alive. We will find in these three stages a real key to understanding Bible prophecy concerning the nation Israel.
Now this verse explains the meaning of the vision:
Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts [Ezek. 37:11].
“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” We are not talking here about the church; we are talking about the houseof Israel.
“Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.” You see, the people in captivity had gone from one extreme to another. As long as Jerusalem had stood and the false prophets continued to say they would return, they maintained a false hope. Now that Jerusalem has been destroyed, they go to the other extreme—they, have what psychologists call manic depressive psychosis. They are in a bad state: they were high up one day, but now they have hit the very depths. They say, “We have no hope.” This vision is being given to them to let them know they do have a hope, and it is for the whole house of Israel.
Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel [Ezek. 37:12].
After reading this verse, someone is apt to say, “Wait a minute. You said this vision was not concerning physical resurrection.” I still insist upon that. Let’s drop down to verse 21:
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land [Ezek. 37:21].
This is what God meant in verse 12 when He said, “I will cause you to come up out of your graves.” Israel is buried in the nations of the world, and they are to be brought back and become a nation again.
I want to say something very carefully now concerning the three stages of the bones Ezekiel saw. I have said they are the key to understanding the future of the nation Israel, and I now want to add that if there is any place we have fulfilled prophecy it is in these three stages. I don’t go much for finding prophecy being fulfilled on every hand, but I do see it here. Follow me carefully: The nation Israel was buried and scattered in the nations of the world, and was dead to God, dead to the things of God—that’s the first stage of the bones that we saw. Now since 1948 they have come back as a nation, but it is really a corpse over there today. They have a flag, they have a constitution, they have a prime minister, and they have a parliament. They have a police force and an army. They have a nation, and they even have Jerusalem. They have everything except spiritual life. If you walk from the old Arab section of Jerusalem where Islam dominates and come over into the Israeli section, there is no spiritual life. I want to say this kindly, but, as far as I am concerned, there is as much spiritual deadness on the one side as the other. There is a great deal more of that which is materialistic, which is intellectual, and which denotes civilization on the Israeli side, but there is no spiritual life whatsoever. This is symbolized by the second stage of the bones—bodies, but without life. That is where Israel stands today.
In verses 15–28 Ezekiel mentions two sticks. I will not go into any detail here other than to say that they typify the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms which will again become one nation. This means, my friend, that there must not be any “ten lost tribes of Israel”—at least, if there are, God knows where they are, and I am confident that it is not Great Britain which will be joined to them in that land!
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all [Ezek. 37:22].
God will make them one nation.
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them [Ezek. 37:24].
That one Shepherd is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. When He came, He was born in the line of David. Read Matthew 1; Luke 1–2—both very carefully record that He came in the line of David. The One that came in that line is the Shepherd, and He will rule over them. I personally believe that God will raise up David to reign over Israel, either in the Millennium or in the eternal kingdom which will be ushered in immediately following the Millennium. Some commentators say he will reign in the Millennium; others say it will be the eternal kingdom. I believe he will reign during both, that he will serve as the vice-regent of the Lord Jesus Christ down here on this earth.
And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore [Ezek. 37:28].
This is going to come to pass—it has not yet come to pass.
“When my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” There will be a millennial temple and an eternal temple down here on the earth. In Revelation where it speaks of there not being a temple, it is referring to the New Jerusalem, which is where the church will be and which is not to be upon this earth. The eternal home of the children of Israel will be upon this earth, and God’s temple will be in their midst. Although there is no doubt that Israel is the subject of Ezekiel, and especially of chapters 37–39, we can certainly make an application of it for our personal lives. The world that you and I live in today is a death valley, full of dead bones, dead people, if you please. Oh, people talk about being alive and say they are where the action is, but they are really dead in trespasses and sins. They have no spiritual life. That is the reason they have to have a drink or two, or take some sort of drugs, or do something to liven up the old corpse.
God has made it very clear that “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12). If you have the Son of God, you have life. If you do not have the Son, you are dead. There are two kinds of people: live people and dead people. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). That means that the person without the Son is dead.
God is saying to you today that you are dead if you are not a Christian. Ye dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. You can come to life. Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. This is the application we can draw from this portion of Scripture, but the subject of the prophecy is the nation Israel.
CHAPTERS 38–39
Theme: Russia’s (Gog’s) invasion of Israel
If there is any section in the prophecy of Ezekiel that is familiar, it is chapters 38 and 39. These two chapters tell of the repudiation of Gog and Magog. I am going to attempt to handle these chapters just a little differently than I generally do because I am anxious to lift out certain great truths for our consideration. Unfortunately, these chapters have been interpreted by men who apparently have no knowledge of the prophecy of Ezekiel and what goes with it. As a result they have come up with some very odd interpretations. They remind me of the advertisement that was put in the Mines Magazine in El Paso, Texas, by some fellows who were mining experts and engineers. They put an ad in that magazine in a deadpan way, as though it was serious. “Wanted: Man to work on nuclear fissionable isotopes, molecular reactive counters and three-phased cyclotronic uranium photosynthesizers. No experience necessary.” Well, it is equally as humorous to try to interpret Ezekiel without knowing what the entire book is about.
We saw in chapter 37 that God has a definite purpose for Israel in the future, and these two chapters deal with that subject. They tell about the final enemy that will come against Israel in the last days.
In chapters 38 and 39 I believe that the enemy mentioned is Russia. When I entered the ministry, I did not believe that it referred to Russia. I refused to accept that interpretation because I had attended my denominational seminary which taught amillennialism. They did not believe that Russia was being referred to in this portion of Scripture. Even after I had worked for my doctoral degree, even at the time of my graduation, I still had not accepted it. Finally I came to the conclusion that I had better study the subject on my own, and I am convinced that the enemy of chapters 38 and 39 is Russia. Three points of contact make me know this in my own heart and mind: You have here what is known as the linguistic phenomenon, the geographic phenomenon, and the philosophical or ideological phenomenon.
LINGUISTIC PHENOMENON
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him [Ezek. 38:1–2].
God is a word for ruler, meaning roof, which actually means “the man on top.” I can’t think of a better name for a dictator than Gog. If he is not on top, he is not a dictator, and if he is on top, he is a dictator.
Magog means “head” it is the Hebrew word Rosh, which means head. Dean Stanley, in his exhaustive History of the Eastern Church, published half a century ago, has a note founded on Gesenius, the great Hebrew scholar, to the effect that the word Rosh should be Russia. Then Dean Stanley adds that this is the only reference to a modern nation in the entire Old Testament. This is indeed remarkable.
Bishop Lowther made the statement that, Rosh taken as a proper name in Ezekiel signified the inhabitants of Scythia from whom the modern Russians derive their name. You see, Russia was first called Muscovy, derived from Meshech. Ivan the Fourth, a czar of Russia, who was called Ivan the Terrible, came to the Muscovite throne in 1533. He assumed the title of Czar, which was the first time the title was used. I am sure you detect that the names Meshech and Tubal certainly sound like Moscow, and Tobolsk, which is way over in Siberia. The linguistic phenomenon certainly leads us to believe that Ezekiel is talking about Russia in this passage.
GEOGRAPHIC PHENOMENON
Now the second proof that identifies Russia is the geographic position. Here we have mentioned the nations which will be with Russia in the last days: “Gomer, and all his bands: the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (v. 6). “Gomer” is Germany, and “the house of Togarmah” is Turkey. “Of the north quarters” gives us the geographic location. Again in verse 15 we read: “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts,” and in chapter 39 verse 2 the same location is given: “and will cause thee to come up from the north parts.” Whenever I give an illustrated message on this passage in Scripture, I always show a map of Israel and Russia. The literal meaning here is the “uttermost parts of the north.” If you look at a map, you will find that Russia is directly north and northeast. In fact, it covers Israel just like that picture you have seen of the fellow under a great big sombrero. That hat covers him just like Russia covers the nation Israel. When you start going north of Israel, you end up in Russia, and when you get through Russia you will be among the icebergs. You and the polar bears are going to be the only ones there.
Directions in the Bible are in relation to the land of Israel. North in the Bible does not mean north of California or north of where you live. In the Bible north is north of the land of Israel. South is south of the land of Israel. West is west of the land of Israel, and east is east of the land of Israel. In other words, Israel is the geographical center of the earth as far as the Word of God is concerned.
PHILOSOPHICAL PHENOMENON
Finally we come to the philosophical or ideological phenomenon, which helps us identify Gog and Magog with Russia.
And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal [Ezek. 38:3].
This is strange language. Here in the Book of Ezekiel God has said several times that He is against certain nations. He said it about Babylon; He said it about Egypt; and He said it about the nations which were against His people and against His person. Now here is a nation that is to arise in the last days, a nation which is against God. The reason we know it is against God is because God says, “I’m against you.” This makes it different from any other nation, because God has said this about nations already in existence that have exhibited enmity and rejection of Him, but this nation hadn’t even come into existence when Ezekiel gave this prophecy. Yet God says he is against it.
My friend, you and I have seen something that no generation in the past has seen. We have seen a nation arise whose basic philosophy is atheism. The political economy of Russia rests upon the premise that there is no God. It is atheistic. No other nation has assumed the dominant position of atheism.
Someone may be thinking, “What about the heathen, pagan nations of the past? Weren’t they atheistic?” No, they were not. They were polytheistic. They believed in many gods. In the beginning men went off the track, but they did not become atheists. The reason they did not become atheists is, I think, easy to understand. They were too close to the mooring mast of revelation. After all, in Noah’s day you did not have atheists. That was not the problem with that crowd at all. The problem with them was that they had gone off into sin, and they worshiped many gods. Man at that point was polytheistic. All the great nations of the past were polytheistic, and the judgments God has pronounced in this book are against polytheistic nations. He said of Memphis that all of the idols would disappear, and they have disappeared. There were probably no people so given over to idolatry—with the possible exception of the Babylonians. Polytheism characterized the ancient world. But Russia is a nation whose basic philosophy is atheistic, a nation that is against God.
Do you realize that God did not give a commandment against atheism at the beginning? He did, however, give the first two commandments against polytheism: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3); and “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” Exod. (20:4). So, you see, there are commandments against polytheism, but none against atheism.
When you reach the time of David, atheism is beginning to appear. In Psalm 14:1 we read, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” How ridiculous atheism is! It is almost an untenable position for little man, and here is a nation that says there is no God! Concerning Russia, men in high places have warned, “You cannot negotiate with them.” Mr. Churchill said of Russia, “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Rube Goldberg, who drew one of those crazy cartoons years ago, called Joe Stalin, “The Great Upside-down Philosopher.” Underneath the cartoon was written: “Top is bottom, black is white, far is near, and day is night. Big is little, high is low, cold is hot, and yes is no.” Unreasonable? Insane? But that has been the basic philosophy of Russia, and it is a nation that has risen in our day.
Mr. Stalin once said, “We have deposed the czars of the earth, and we shall now dethrone the Lord of heaven.” When Russia put a rocket past the moon, called the Sputnik, and when it was nearing the sun, the following was heard on the radio in Russia: “Our rocket has bypassed the moon. It is nearing the sun. We have not discovered God. We have turned out lights in heaven that no man will be able to put on again. We are breaking the yoke of the gospel, the opiate of the masses. Let us go forth and Christ shall be relegated to mythology.” I have often wondered what they had in mind when they said that. Did they think that God was playing peekaboo on the other side of the moon? Because they got a glimpse of the other side of the moon and did not see God, did that prove He did not exist? That is the reasoning of the upside-down philosopher. God, however, has beaten them to the draw. Before Russia even came into existence, God said, “I am against thee.”
You can see how Gog and Magog may be identified with Russia by this threefold reason: (1) the linguistic phenomenon; (2) the geographic phenomenon; and (3) the philosophical or ideological phenomenon. These are the three points of identification, and when we get to chapter 39 of Ezekiel, God repeats once again that He is against Russia.
This chapter will tell us that this nation in the north with other nations with him will come down against Israel.
WHY RUSSIA WILL INVADE ISRAEL
Now the question is: Why will they come against the land of Israel?
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords [Ezek. 38:4].
God says, “I will … put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” This has been interpreted to mean that God was going to put hooks in their jaws to get them out of Israel after they had invaded it. But that is not what He says. He makes it clear that He is going to judge them in the land of Israel, and that they will not come out alive. In chapter 39, verse 11, He says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel.” As we read this section, it becomes obvious that God is not going to lead out the invading nations, but there will be a slaughter the like of which probably has not been seen in the history of the world.
Then what does God mean by saying that He will put hooks in their jaws? Well, it seems obvious to me that He is saying, “I am going to put hooks in your jaws and bring you down into the land of Israel.” When this time comes, Israel will be back in their own land. For centuries that land was not occupied by them. After the destruction by Titus the Roman in a.d. 70, the Jewish people were sold into slavery throughout the world, and they were scattered throughout the world.
The land was no longer a land of milk and honey. We have seen in the Book of Ezekiel that even the Negev was at one time covered with forest. God said that He was going to burn that out, and He did. That is the place where Elijah went when Jezebel threatened to kill him. He kept going until he was so tired he stopped and crawled under a juniper tree. If Elijah were here today, he would have trouble finding a juniper tree to crawl under; he would have to find something else. The forests are gone.
Mark Twain said concerning the land of Israel, “Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes, desolate and unlovely. It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land. And why should it be otherwise? Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? Palestine is no more of this work-day world. It is sacred to poetry and tradition. It is dreamland.”
Dr. Theodor Herzl, the playwright from Austria who began the tremendous Zionist movement back to the land of Palestine, made this statement: “There is a land without a people. There is a people without a land. Give the land without a people to the people without a land.”
Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel, speaking before the Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry, said, “The Jewish nation is a ghost nation. Only the God of Israel has kept the Jewish people alive.”
David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister and minister of defense in Israel, made this statement: “Ezekiel 37 has been fulfilled, and the nation Israel is hearing the footsteps of the Messiah.”
Today Israel has turned from this thinking. I have a picture, taken on Israel’s twenty-first anniversary, of a motto in the auditorium at Tel Aviv, written in Hebrew and English. It said, “Science will bring peace to this land.” The Old Testament says that Messiah will bring peace to that land, so apparently they are chasing a new messiah today.
Russia will invade the land of Israel. Lord Beverly made the statement that Russia would not move into western Europe but would move into Asia and the Near East. General Douglas MacArthur concurred with him in that viewpoint. At the time Lord Beverly made that statement almost everyone thought that Russia would move into western Europe after World War II, but they did not move into that area at all. In fact, up to this day they have not moved into that area.
God says, “I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” Today I believe that we can already see three of the hooks that God could use to bring them down into that land:
1. Russia needs a warm-water entrance into the waterways of the world. Israel offers that, and Russia is moving in this direction. A few years ago I sat in the dining room on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul and watched Russian ships coming out of the Black Sea, moving through the Bosporus, and heading for the Mediterranean Sea. This took place after the Six-Day War, and Russian naval strength had increased tremendously. What are the Russians looking for? They are looking for a warm-water port. Admiral Sergei Gorshkov made this statement, “The flag of the Soviet navy now proudly flies over the oceans of the world. Sooner or later the United States will have to understand that it no longer has mastery of the seas.” Russia is looking for a warm-water port. Where are they going? All I know is that they are headed for the Mediterranean Sea. What nation along the east side of the Mediterranean would be suitable as a port? Israel certainly would be. Russia is interested in moving southward today. God has put a hook in their jaw.
2. God has a second hook—oil. The oil deposits of the Near East are essential for the survival of modern nations. Russia needs oil. Today we are being constantly reminded that the world is running short of energy. Oil is one of the resources in short supply. As a result, the world is turning to the places where they can get oil. There is oil in the Near East. Whether or not the oil is actually in the land of Israel is not the important thing. The important consideration is that, in spite of the strained relations between the Arabs and the Jews, a great deal of that oil is going through the land of Israel. When ships were not able to go through the Suez Canal, they put the oil off at a port which had been taken by Israel, and then the oil was taken across the land of Israel to the Mediterranean ports. As far back as 1955 I delivered a message stating that Russia was hungering for the Arabian oil. An editor of a paper in downtown Los Angeles heard my message and disagreed with it. Sometime later he made a trip over to the Near East area. When he returned, he wrote an article (and I have a copy of it) in which he said, “Russia hungers for Arabian oil.” He changed his viewpoint after he had been to the Near East and had seen things with his own eyes. It is a pretty good hook God has in Russia’s jaws, because any modern nation must have oil.
3. The third hook concerns the Dead Sea. The mineral deposits in the Dead Sea are so great that they cannot be evaluated on today’s market. Chemicals saturated in the water represent untold wealth. It is estimated that the Dead Sea contains two billion tons of potassium chloride, which is potash—needed to sweeten and enrich the soil that is readily being depleted around the world, including our own area. The Dead Sea also contains twenty-two billion tons of magnesium chloride, twelve billion tons of sodium chloride, and six billion tons of calcium chloride. The Dead Sea, in addition to all of this, contains cerium, cobalt, manganese, and even gold. Believe me, friend, there is much effort being made today to extract this wealth from the Dead Sea.
If you had been around a few million years ago and had seen the Lord forming this earth, particularly the Dead Sea, you would probably have asked Him, “Why are you damming up that sea? You are going to have a pretty salty place.” He would have replied, “I am baiting a hook.” Then you would have said, “Baiting a hook for what?” Then the Lord would have said, “In a few million years there will be a nation in the north that I am going to bring into the land of Israel. I am just baiting one of the hooks a little ahead of time.” And that is what God has been doing—baiting a hook.
WHEN RUSSIA WILL INVADE ISRAEL
The question is: When will Russia come down? This is where many expositors disagree. There are those who believe that Russia will invade the land of Palestine at the end of this age, before the church is raptured. Others believe that Russia will come against Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, and others believe it will be at the end of the Tribulation. There are some who believe this will take place at the beginning of the Millennium. I am not going to discuss these different viewpoints in detail. My particular viewpoint is this: Russia will come in the “latter days” (v. 16); these “latter days” (as we have seen in the other prophets) is a technical term that specifically refers to the Tribulation Period. These will be the days when the Antichrist comes to power, and he is going to come to power on a peace platform. As a result there will be a false peace for the first part of the Tribulation Period; then in the midst of the seven years, Russia will come down from the north into the land of Israel. Russia will trigger the Great Tribulation by breaking the false peace made by the Antichrist and invading Israel.
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them [Ezek. 38:8].
When Israel is back in the land, they will be under the domination of the Antichrist, who will make them believe that peace has come to the earth, that all of the problems of the earth are settled and they are entering the Millennium. But this is not true, and they will find in the midst of the Tribulation Period that out of the north will come their enemy, Russia.
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee. O Gog, before their eyes [Ezek. 38:16].
Since Israel is dwelling in peace, and Antichrist has deceived everyone, God is Israel’s only source of help. He Himself will deal with Russia. War will break out. The Great Tribulation will begin (which is the final three and one-half years of the Tribulation Period) in all of its frenzied fury. The whole earth will be a holocaust. Judgments, one right after the other, will come upon the earth. War will reign. Christ said concerning this brief period, “… except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved ….” (Matt. 24:22).
I recommend that you read in your Bible the remainder of this chapter. This is God’s judgment upon the invading armies of Russia.
RESULTS OF THE INVASION
Chapter 39 continues the prophecy against Gog and furnishes added details about the destruction of this formidable enemy.
And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel [Ezek. 39:2].
“Leave but the sixth part of thee” is literally “I will six thee,” or better still, “I will afflict thee with six plagues.” These plagues are listed in chapter 38 verse 22 as pestilence, blood, overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. This is the way God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. According to the record, “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Gen. 19:24). And this is exactly the way God intends to destroy this army which will come out of the north against, His people to destroy them. You must remember that Russia has always been anti-Semitic. At the present writing the largest population of Jews—outside the land of Israel and the United States—is over there in Russia. We are hearing a great deal of criticism of Russia for not permitting the Jews to leave. Well, in these last days God will deal with Russia for its treatment of His people.
There is a message for us here. When God was ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham thought He was being unjust. He asked God, “Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Will you spare the city if there are fifty righteous—forty-five—forty—thirty—twenty—ten?” God said no, He would not destroy the city if ten righteous were ound there. But there were not ten, and God sent His angels to get Lot out of the city, saying that they could not destroy the city until Lot was out of it. My friend, this is one reason I believe that God will not let the Tribulation come until He takes His church—that is, all born-again believers—out of the world. Let me illustrate this with the following diagram:
To put it very bluntly, all hell will break loose on the earth during the Tribulation Period. It will be a frightful, terrible time. I don’t understand the folk who insist that God’s redeemed ones, which we designate as the church, will go through the Tribulation. The Bible makes it clear that those who will be witnessing on the earth during this time will be the 144,000 Jews.
God, having dealt in judgment with the enemy that invaded Israel from the north, allows Antichrist to be the world ruler for the remainder of the Tribulation Period. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the earth to establish His kingdom; we have that pictured in chapter 19 of Revelation. In chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation the kingdom, the Millennium, begins.
With these tremendous events in mind, it would be well to pause a moment and consider the material we have studied. After a careful examination of three of the four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, certain great principles emerge, which the fourth prophet, Daniel, will confirm. These principles have an ageless application for nations of the world and for believers (when I say “believers,” I am speaking about those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and believe that the Bible is the Word of God). In Ezekiel we have seen God dealing with Israel. My friend, when God says “Israel” He means Israel; He does not mean the church. How some can believe that God means the church when He says Israel is a flip on the flying trapeze of theology that is beyond me. Let’s allow God to mean what He says and realize that He has been dealing in these prophecies with the literal people of Israel. That is the correct interpretation. However, there is an application we can make since God’s dealing with Israel is a microcosm of His dealings with the world in which we live. The principles God has used in dealing with His own people Israel are eternal, for they are linked to the character and attributes of God. I have stated some of them in the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and now I am prepared to draw certain conclusions from Ezekiel.
No prophet emphasizes the glory and the holiness of God more than Ezekiel. He saw the glory of God—that was the great vision he had at the beginning of his book. He never forgot it. And we should not forget it either. His emphasis, therefore, is upon God’s judgment. God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, and He warned his people again and again that, if they did not turn to Him, He would judge Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem was destroyed, and Ezekiel offered the people encouragement as they looked into the future. “But,” he said, “another enemy is coming.” When the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He wept over the city of Jerusalem because He knew that Titus the Roman would be around in a few years to destroy the city, just as Nebuchadnezzar had done in the past.
Things were wrong in Jerusalem; and, if that city was to enjoy the blessings of God, those things had to be made right. The liars should cease lying; the thieves should cease stealing; the lawless should become law-abiding; and righteousness should prevail in the city. Only when God was acknowledged and respected in the land could blessing rest upon Jerusalem. Righteousness must prevail before any nation or individual can experience the love, mercy, and goodness of God. Jerusalem was wrong—the people were thinking wrong; they were acting wrong. They were in sin, and God was right in judging them. God never blesses that which is wrong.
This is made evident when we contrast Ezekiel with Jeremiah. I want you to notice this again because I consider it rather important. Jeremiah reveals the heart of God. God does not want to judge. As He said in Isaiah, judgment is strange work. He would rather save—that is His business. He is not willing that any should perish. He is very much involved with the human race. The great statement in John’s Gospel is that He became flesh and came down here among us. This reveals His love and concern for us. It broke His heart that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Jesus wept over it just as Jeremiah had wept over it centuries before.
In Ezekiel we have something altogether different. At the very time Jerusalem was being destroyed Ezekiel’s wife died, and God forbad him to mourn or sorrow for her. He was to act like nothing happened. God wept over Jerusalem, but He did not mourn. He did not repent for what He had done, because He was right in doing it. God, with tears in His eyes, punished Jerusalem and destroyed the city, but He was doing that which was in keeping with His character. He did what was right because what God does is right. Paul asks, “… Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid” (Rom. 9:14). Of course there is no unrighteousness with God. Whatever God does is right. His glory is manifested in judgment. His grace is manifested in redemption. If God had not provided redemption for us, there would be no salvation for man whatsoever.
In chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel we saw that the kingdom in the north which is going to invade Israel (which I believe is Russia) will be destroyed in the future. The question is: Why will God destroy Russia? Let’s read this verse again: “And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes” (Ezek. 38:16). What is God going to do? He is going to destroy them. I can hear someone exclaim, “Do you mean God will actually do such a thing?” Certainly He will. The liberal theologian has a problem with the Creator destroying what He chooses, such as the Lord Jesus cursing a fig tree and also destroying a few pigs. I was in a conference one time when a man who was a liberal in his theology almost wept because Jesus destroyed those pigs (Matt. 8:30–32)! Yet every morning he ate bacon for breakfast! He was like the Walrus and the Carpenter who wept, but were busy eating oysters as fast as they could. I am not impressed with these people who get upset with God because He judges. I have a notion that God gets a little upset with them.
Now let me cite two other verses:
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel [Ezek. 39:6–7].
Is God going to destroy Russia? He says that He will send fire on Magog and among those that dwell securely in the coastlands. The question is: Where is God today? Why doesn’t He move in defense of His people in our day? I shall never forget watching a newscast on television several years ago when a group of Christians appeared at the American Embassy in Moscow and appealed, actually weeping, for permission to leave Russia because of being persecuted. Our country did nothing. And the Russian soldiers came and took these people away. I waited for a long time to hear what had happened to them, but there was never a further word in the media. The Soviet authorities were never dealt with. And Russia has been guilty of more anti-Semitism than any other nation over a period of years. Oh, the injustice in the world! I see very little fear of God throughout the world. The feeling is that He is a jolly old Man who shuts His eyes to the injustice in the world. Why doesn’t God move against injustice? Well, He will move when it is time. He will vindicate His glory, but He will not do it in a vindictive, revengeful, and petulant manner. He will judge, and when He does, there will be a respect and reverence for God in this world, and little man will bow before Him.
Romans 2:3 tells us, “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Man is not going to escape judgment. He thinks he will get away with his sin, but he will not. In Hebrews 2:3 we read, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” My friend, do you realize that this is a question which even God cannot answer? How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? Well, we can’t escape. There is no answer to that question.
Now let me use an old-fashioned expression that gags the liberal preachers (and also some evangelicals who are attempting to make the world a better place for people to go to hell in). Here it is: Hell, my friend, is an awful reality. You can interpret it any way you want to, but it is a place where a holy God puts those who are in rebellion against Him, those who sin with impunity, those who blaspheme God and His holy name at will, those who live like animals in the name of freedom but who are indulging in gross immorality. My friend, God’s holy name is going to be vindicated.
How will God’s holy name be vindicated? In love? He is demonstrating His love today in giving His Son. Those of us who name His name need to learn a lesson. We need to learn that we cannot trifle with Him. We cannot get familiar with Him. We cannot live as we please and then get buddy-buddy with Him. Our God is holy. Neither can we presume upon Him. We cannot sin and get by with it. If that were possible, then God would be no better than we are. Man is only a creature. The will of God will prevail, and our proper position is to bow before Him. Our only liberty today is in the will of God. He remembers that we are dust, but I can say with Paul, “… I obtained mercy …” (1 Tim. 1:13). My friend, if you deny Him, He will trample you under His feet. He has loved you enough to give His Son, but if you reject His mercy and grace He will reject you. This is His universe, this is His earth, and He is running it according to His perfect plan. My friend, we need to get in step with Him.
CHAPTERS 40–48
Theme: Description of the millennial temple, worship in the millennial temple; return of the glory of the Lord
In this concluding section of the Book of Ezekiel we find a description of the millennial temple, the worship of the millennial temple, and a vision concerning the land.
THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE
Chapters 40–42 contain a description of the millennial temple. Now since this is the millennial temple, I expect to see it and maybe go into it, but I don’t intend to worship there. The temple will be here on this earth, but I am going to be in the place which is described in Revelation 21—the New Jerusalem. That will be the address of the believer for eternity. If you want to give someone your address as a believer for eternity, I don’t know what street you will be on (I hope I’m on Glory Blvd.), but I do know the city—it will be the New Jerusalem. One thing that John tells us about this city is, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev. 21:22). Therefore the church is going to be in a place where there won’t be a temple; we won’t need one, but the earth will have one for the duration of the Millennium at least. I rather like the fact that we won’t have a temple because, very candidly, I have never gone in much for ritual. I’m going to be delighted to be up there with the Lord God and the Lamb as the temple of the New Jerusalem. We will be with them, and I cannot even conceive how wonderful that is going to be.
We have seen a certain progress and development in the Book of Ezekiel: after the enemy is put down, Israel enters the Millennium, and there will be a temple here on this earth. We are talking about the earth, and that means we are talking about Israel and the gentile nations which will be saved. The church of Christ is up yonder with Him in the New Jerusalem at this time.
In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither [Ezek. 40:1].
Jerusalem has been destroyed and the temple is burned, but Ezekiel is to be shown now the temple that will be in that city during the millennial kingdom.
In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate [Ezek. 40:2–3].
Every time in Scripture that we find a man with a measuring rod—it generally is an angel, band it is an angel here—it means that God is getting ready to move again in dealing with His earthly people. We find this again in the minor prophets and in the Book of Revelation.
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel [Ezek. 40:4].
It is my personal feeling that Ezekiel was brought literally to Jerusalem and shown there a vision of the millennial temple of the future.
And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed [Ezek. 40:5].
Beginning with verse 5 and continuing through these chapters we are given a great deal of detailed information concerning the temple which I will not go into. Its environs are given to us, and it will obviously be a thing of great beauty.
And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering [Ezek. 40:39].
In verses 39–42 we find that the Mosaic system will be restored with the reinstating of the levitical liturgy and the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering.
Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices [Ezek. 40:41].
There will be sacrifices offered in the millennial temple. I will discuss this further in chapter 45.
And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north [Ezek. 40:44].
There will also be music and singers in the temple.
So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house [Ezek. 40:47].
Our attention is again called to the fact that there will be an altar for sacrifices. In the Holy Land Hotel in Jerusalem there is a miniature replica of the city as it was in the days of Herod and the Lord Jesus. Actually it is quite a large model, and as far as I could tell when examining it closely, there is no altar for sacrifice in the temple model—it has been left out. The orthodox Jews are a little embarrassed by an altar, and the liberal Jews want to get rid of it altogether. However, in the millennial temple there will be an altar.
WORSHIP IN THE MILLENNIAL TEMPLE
Chapters 43–46 describe the worship of the millennial temple. As we consider the millennial temple, we need to remember that in the last days of the temple of Solomon, the shekinah glory, the presence of God, was absent. However, here in chapter 43 the glory returns to the temple, and, as we see the worship in the millennial temple, the One Israel worships is now in the temple. He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory [Ezek. 43:1–2].
The glory of God comes from the east and fills the temple. This is the return of Christ to the earth, and He brings the shekinah glory with Him. When he came to Bethlehem more than nineteen hundred years ago, the glory was not with Him.
And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east [Ezek. 43:4].
Apparently the Lord will come from the east. We will look at this again in chapter 44.
And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering [Ezek. 43:19].
In this section we are dealing with the worship in the temple. The sacrifices offered will be memorial in character. They will look back to the work of Christ on the cross, as the offerings of the Old Testament anticipated His sacrifice. In chapter 45 we will go into more detail about this.
In chapter 44 Ezekiel is told that a prince will enter the city through the eastern gate:
Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
Then said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.
It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same [Ezek. 44:1–3].
The eastern gate of present-day Jerusalem is shut—it is completely walled up. Some of my premillennial brethren feel that this is a fulfillment of these verses in Ezekiel and that the gate will not be opened again until the Messiah comes. I have two objections to this viewpoint that I would like to mention.
My first point is that the prince mentioned here who is coming is not the Lord Jesus Christ. Ezekiel tells us that this prince offers a sacrifice and worships God (chs. 45–46); therefore he cannot be the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is God, and He never has and never will offer a sacrifice. It is not necessary for Him to do so, for He is still able to say, “Which of you convinceth [convicteth] me of sin? …” (John 8:46). This prince is not the Lord Jesus Christ. I personally feel that the prince is David. There are many fine men who do not agree that it is David, but they do agree that it is not the Lord Jesus. Many of them feel that the prince is simply another man in the line of David.
My second objection is that the gate in question is obviously not the gate of the city—it is the gate of the temple. It is true that the temple is not there yet, and the temple must be built before any of this can take place. The walled-up gate to the city has nothing to do with it. He probably will come through that eastern gate of the city, but it could be the present gate, or the wall could be torn down and an entirely new wall and gate be built before then. We must remember that the wall that is there now is neither the wall that Christ knew nor that Ezekiel knew—both of those walls have long since been destroyed.
Chapter 45 tells us that the Feast of the Passover will be kept:
Thus saith the Lord God; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering [Ezek. 45:18–22].
The Passover definitely refers to Christ: we are told in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “… For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
At this point we must answer a major question: Since all the sacrifices of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ, why are they restored again during the Millennium? This is a major argument that amillennialists have against the premillennial position. I personally find no conflict here. I feel that the sacrifices offered during the Millennium are going to look back to the coming of Christ and His death upon the cross in the same way that in our day the Lord’s Supper looks back to them. Someone will ask why the literal offering of sacrifices will be necessary. My friend, the human family has a great deal of difficulty learning a lesson. For the same reason, I believe that the literal blood of Christ is going to be in heaven. It will be there to reveal to us the horrible pit out of which we were digged. Our salvation from sin and hell unto heaven was a pretty big job, one that only God could undertake. The blood of Christ will be in heaven to remind the church of this, and the sacrifices will also be restored here on earth to reveal to the people of Israel how they were redeemed.
A VISION CONCERNING THE LAND
In chapters 47–48 Ezekiel is given a picture of the land during the millennial kingdom.
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side [Ezek. 47:1–2].
“Behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward”—that is, they came from the altar. That is where all blessings originate—at the altar. Everything that comes to us by way of blessings comes through the death of Christ for you and me upon the cross.
The water here is a type of the Holy Spirit, and many spiritual lessons may be drawn from this passage:
And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles [Ezek. 47:3].
“The waters were to the ankles.” This speaks of the walk of the believer in the Spirit.
Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins [Ezek. 47:4].
“The waters were to the knees”—this speaks of prayer.
“The waters were to the loins.” We are to gird up our loins for service. The walk and service of a believer rest upon the redemption we have in Christ.
Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over [Ezek. 47:5].
“Waters to swim in” indicates the fullness of the Spirit. This looks forward to the day when God will pour out His Spirit upon these people; He is not doing that today.
Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other [Ezek. 47:7].
“Many trees”—this is the fruit that will be in our lives.
I have given you an application of this passage which we can make to our own lives. However, its interpretation for the people of Israel is that there will be an eternal spring of water coming out of that altar in that day which will bring blessing to that land. And, my friend, they need water in that land today.
Chapter 48 gives us the division of the land among the twelve tribes. Of particular interest to us is the tribe of Dan:
Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.
And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher [Ezek. 48:1–2].
The tribe of Dan is present in the Millennium although it is absent from those sealed in the Great Tribulation Period (see Rev. 7:4–8). Danites do not serve in the Great Tribulation, but the grace of God brings them into the Millenium. We, too, are saved by grace but rewarded for service.
The Book of Ezekiel has closed with a picture of the city, the millennial temple, and the land during the Millennium—all the curse is removed. What a picture we have here!
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there [Ezek. 48:35].
The prophet Ezekiel closes on a high note: “The Lord is there.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Alexander, Ralph. Ezekiel. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1976. (Fine, inexpensive survey.)
Feinberg, Charles L. The Prophecy of Ezekiel. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1969. (Excellent.)
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Prophet Ezekiel. 1918. Reprint. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1972. (Excellent.)
Grant, F. W. The Numerical Bible, Ezekiel. 6 vols. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, n.d.
Gray, James M. Synthetic Bible Studies. Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, Co., 1906.
Ironside, H. A. Expository Notes on Ezekiel. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1959.
Jensen, Irving L. Ezekiel and Daniel. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press. (Self study guide.)
Kelly, William. Notes on Ezekiel. 1876. Reprint. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers.
Sauer, Erich. The Dawn of World Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951. (An excellent Old Testament survey.)
Scroggie, W. Graham. The Unfolding Drama of Redemption. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. (An excellent survey and outline of the Old Testament.)
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Handbook. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1966.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 2. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1982. (Highly recommended.)
The Book of
Daniel
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Daniel is one of the most thrilling books in the Bible, and it is, of course, a book on prophecy. Because prophecy bulks large in the Bible, I would like to say a word about it before we look at the Book of Daniel specifically. One fourth of the books in the Bible are of prophetic nature; the subject and statement of the books are eschatological, that is, they deal with prophecy. One fifth of the content of Scripture was predictive at the time of its writing; a large segment of that has been fulfilled. Therefore, the prophecy in Scripture can be divided into fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecy. We will find a great deal of fulfilled prophecy in Daniel.
There are certain great subjects of prophecy. They are like planes flying into an airport from all sections of the world, and you can go to the Book of Revelation and see all these great subjects brought to a final fruition. The main subject of prophecy is the Lord Jesus Christ. Other topics include Israel, the gentile nations, evil, Satan, the Man of Sin, the Great Tribulation Period, and how this age will end. The church is also a subject of prophecy; however, the church is never mentioned in the Old Testament, and therefore there will be no reference to it in the Book of Daniel. Then, of course, there are the subjects of the kingdom, the Millennium, and eternity future. These are the great subjects of prophecy.
I do not believe that one can have a full-orbed view of the Bible or be a well-rounded student of Scripture without a knowledge of eschatology, or prophecy. The neglect of the study of prophecy has produced certain harmful results which I think are quite evident today. Many of the cults have gone off the track in prophetic areas. This is largely because the teaching of prophecy has been neglected by the great denominations. For example, Dr. Charles Hodge, a great theologian at Princeton in the past, made this statement: “The subject [prophecy] cannot be adequately discussed without taking a survey of all the prophetic teachings of Scripture both of the Old Testament and of the New. This task cannot be satisfactorily accomplished by anyone who has not made a study of the prophecies a specialty. The author [that is, Dr. Hodge], knowing that he has not such qualifications for the work, purposes to confine himself in a great measure to an historical survey of the different schemes of interpreting the Scriptures prophetically.” That certainly was a startling and sad admission on the part of Dr. Hodge. As a result, we find men in a great many of our denominations today who are ill-equipped to speak on prophecy. They dismiss it with a wave of the hand as being unimportant. And those who do go into the study of prophecy often come up with that which is sensational and fanatical. The Book of Daniel, particularly, is the subject of many such sensational writers on prophecy.
The Book of Daniel is a very important one, and it has therefore been the object of special attack by Satan in the same way that the Book, of Isaiah has been. Isaiah has been called the prince of the prophets, and I would like to say that Daniel, then, is the king of the prophets. Both of these prophecies are very important in Scripture and have been especially attacked by unbelievers.
The Book of Daniel has been a battlefield between conservative and liberal scholars for years, and much of the controversy has had to do with the dating of the writing of the book. Porphyry, a heretic in the third century a.d., declared that the Book of Daniel was a forgery written during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Maccabees. That would place its writing around 170 b.c., almost four hundred years after Daniel lived. The German critics seized upon this hypothesis and, along with Dr. S. R. Driver, developed this type of criticism of the book. These critics, as well as present-day unbelievers, assume the premise that the supernatural does not exist. Since foreknowledge is supernatural, there can, therefore, be no foretelling, no prophesying.
However, the very interesting thing is that the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, was translated before the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and it contains the Book of Daniel! The liberal scholars have ignored similar very clear testimony from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Those scrolls confirm the fact that there was only one author of the Book of Isaiah. The liberal has wanted to argue that there was a duet or even a trio of “Isaiahs” who wrote that book. The Dead Sea Scrolls are very much alive, and they refute the liberal critic on that point.
It is interesting how these questions which are raised concerning the Bible are always answered in time. The heretic, the critic, and the cultist always move in an area of the Bible where we do not have full knowledge at the time. Everyone can speculate,and you can speculate any way you want to—generally the speculation goes the wrong way. However, in time, the Word of God is proven accurate.
Flavius Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, Vol. 1, p. 388) also records an incident during the time of Alexander the Great which supports the early authorship of Daniel. When Alexander’s invasion reached the Near East, Jaddua, the high priest, went out to meet him and showed him a copy of the Book of Daniel in which Alexander was clearly mentioned. Alexander was so impressed by this that, instead of destroying Jerusalem, he entered the city peaceably and worshiped at the temple.
These arguments clearly contradict the liberal critics; yet there are those who blindly ignore them. It is not in the purview of these brief comments to enter into useless argument and fight again about that which has already been settled. I simply want to say that I accept the findings of conservative scholarship that the man Daniel was not a deceiver and that his book was not a forgery.I feel the statement of Pusey is apropos here: “The rest which has been said is mostly mere insolent assumptions against Scripture, grounded on unbelief.” Sir Isaac Newton declared,“To reject Daniel is to reject the Christian religion.”
Furthermore, our Lord Jesus called the Pharisees“hypocrites,” but He called Daniel “the prophet” (see Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14). Very frankly, I go along with the Lord Jesus who, by the way, never reversed His statement. The endorsement of the Lord Jesus Christ is valid and sufficient for every believer, whether or not he has examined the arguments of the critics, and it satisfies the sincere saint without his having to study the answers of conservative scholarship.
We know more about Daniel the man than we do of any other prophet. He gives us a personal account of his life from the time he was carried captive to Babylon in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim (about 606 b.c.) until the first year of King Cyrus (about 536 b.c.). Daniel’s life and ministry bridge the entire seventy years of captivity. At the beginning of the book he is a boy in his teens. At the end he is an old man of fourscore and more years.
Here is God’s estimate of the man Daniel: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved” (Dan. 10:11). I would not want to be one of those critics who have called the Book of Daniel a forgery. Someday I am going to face Daniel in heaven and find that he has a pretty good reputation—“a man greatly beloved.”
There are three words which characterize Daniel’s life: purpose,prayer, and prophecy.
1. Daniel was a man of purpose (Dan. 1:8; 6:10). When the king made a decree that everyone had to eat the same thing, Daniel and his friends decided they would abide by the law of Moses—and they did. Daniel was a man of purpose, and we can see this all the way through his book. Here was a man who stood on his own two feet and had the intestinal fortitude to speak God’s Word.
God have pity today on men who claim to be His messengers to the world but haven’t got the courage to declare the Word of God. I also thank God that there are many who are declaring the whole Word of God, including prophecy, in our day. You see, the proper study of prophecy will not lead us to sensationalism and fanaticism, but it will lead us to a life of holiness and fear of God. John said in 1 John 3:3, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The study of prophecy will purify our lives, my friend.
2. Daniel was a man of prayer (Dan. 2:17–23; 6:10; 9:3–19; 10). There are several incidents recorded in this book about Daniel’s prayer life. By the way, prayer got Daniel into the lion’s den. How about that for answered prayer? Well, God also miraculously saved him from the lions. Daniel was a man of prayer.
3. Daniel was a man of prophecy. The Book of Daniel divides itself equally: the first half is history, and the last half is prophecy. Daniel gives us the skeleton of prophecy on which all prophecy is placed. The image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2) and the beasts (Dan. 7) are the backbone of prophecy; the Seventy Weeks (Dan. 9) are the ribs which fit into their proper place.
The key verse to the Book of Daniel is Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan gave this theme for the Book of Daniel: “Persistent Government of God in the Government of the World.” This is the book of the universal sovereignty of God. Prophecy is here interwoven with history to show that God is overruling the idolatry, blasphemy, self-will, and intolerance of the Gentiles.
More specially, Daniel 12:4 brings together “… the times of the Gentiles …” (Luke 21:24) and “the time of the end” (see also Dan. 8:17; 11:35, 40) for the nation Israel in the Great Tribulation Period. This coming crisis eventuates in Christ’s setting up the millennial kingdom. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”(Dan. 12:4).
The Book of Daniel deals with political issues apart from ecclesiastical matters, giving the final outcome of events and issues which are at work in the world today. He answers the question—Who will rule the world?—not, How will the world be converted?
The Book of Daniel is the key to understanding other Scriptures. Our Lord, in the Olivet Discourse, quoted only from the Book of Daniel. The Book of Revelation is largely an enigma without the Book of Daniel. Paul’s revelation concerning the “… man of sin …” (2 Thess. 2:3) needs Daniel’s account for amplification and clarification.
OUTLINE
I. The Historic Night with Prophetic Light, Chapters 1–6
A. Decline of Judah; Fall of Jerusalem; Daniel Taken Captive to Babylon; His Decision to be True to God, Chapter 1
B. Dream of Nebuchadnezzar about a Multimetallic Image;Interpretation by Daniel Concerning the Four Kingdoms of “The Times of the Gentiles,” Chapter 2
C. Decree of Nebuchadnezzar to Enforce Universal Idolatry;Three Hebrews Cast into the Furnace for Refusal to Bow to Image of Gold, Chapter 3
D. Dream of Nebuchadnezzar about a Great Tree Hewn Down to a Stump; Fulfilled in Subsequent Period of Madness of the King,Chapter 4
E. Downfall of Babylon Foretold by Daniel as He Read the Handwriting on the Wall at the Feast of Belshazzar, Chapter 5
F. Decree of Darius, the Median, to Enforce Worship of Himself; Daniel Cast into Den of Lions for Praying to the God of Heaven, Chapter 6
II. The Prophetic Light in the Historic Night, Chapters 7–12
A. Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts Concerning Four Kingdoms of “The Times of the Gentiles,” Chapter 7
B. Daniel’s Vision of Ram and He Goat and Another Little Horn, Chapter 8
C. Daniel’s Vision of Seventy Weeks Concerning the Nation of Israel, Chapter 9
D. Daniel’s Vision Relating to Israel in Immediate Future and Latter Days; Historical Little Horn and Little Horn of the Latter Days, Chapters 10–12
1. Preparation for Vision by Prayer of Daniel; Appearance of a Heavenly Messenger, Chapter 10
2. Prophecy Concerning Persia and Grecia, Historical“Little Horn,”; Eschatological “Little Horn,” Chapter 11
3. Preview of Israel in Latter Days; Great Tribulation;Resurrections; Rewards; Final Word about the End Times, Chapter 12
CHAPTER 1
Theme: Decline of Judah and Fall of Jerusalem; Daniel decides to be true to God; Delight of Nebuchadnezzar in the development of Daniel and his three friends
DECLINE OF JUDAH AND FALL OF JERUSALEM
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem,and besieged it [Dan. 1:1].
Jehoiakim was placed on the throne of Judah by Pharaoh Nechoh to succeed his brother, Jehoahaz. Both of these evil men were sons of Josiah, the godly king who led in the last revival in Judah (see 2 Kings 23:31–37). Jehoiakim’s name was actually Eliakim. During his reign Nebuchadnezzar first came against Jerusalem. The year was about 606 b.c.; he took the city in about 604 b.c. The city was not destroyed, but the first group of captives was taken to Babylon. Among these were Daniel, his three friends, and literally thousands of others.
When Jehoiakim died, his son Jehoiachin came to the throne. Here belled against Nebuchadnezzar who, in 598 b.c., again besieged Jerusalem. Once more Jerusalem was not destroyed, but the king, his mother, and all the vessels of the house of the Lord were taken away to Babylon, along with an even larger group of captives.Evidently among this latter group was Ezekiel (see 2 Kings 24:6–16).
Zedekiah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, was subsequently made king and also rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. This time Nebuchadnezzar came against the city, destroyed the temple, and burned Jerusalem.The sons of Zedekiah were slain in his presence, and then his own eyes were put out. He, along with the final deportation, went into captivity about 588 or 587 b.c. All this, by the way, was in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy in Jeremiah 25:8–13. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel had told the people that the false prophets were wrong and that Jerusalem would be destroyed. These two men just happened to have been right.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god [Dan. 1:2].
Only some of the vessels were taken to Babylon at this time; the remainder were removed when Jehoiachin surrendered (see 2 Kings 24:13). Nebuchadnezzar took these vessels and carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. We want to keep this in mind, because later on King Belshazzar (probably a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar) will bring them out for his banquet.
And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes [Dan. 1:3].
Nebuchadnezzar always took for himself the cream of the crop of the captives from any nation. I think they were given tests to determine their IQ’s, and those selected were trained to be wise men to advise the king of Babylon. We will find that Daniel was included in this group and that the king did consult them.
“And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs.” Verse 9 of this chapter also says: “Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel and his three friends were made eunuchs in fulfillment of Isaiah 39:7, “And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Most conservative scholars agree that Daniel was taken captive when he was about seventeen years old. He was made a eunuch, and so you can understand why Daniel never married or had any children.Some people wonder what kind of an oddball Daniel was. Actually, he was no oddball—this was something the king did, and it did not destroy the mental development of these young men. It served the purpose of making them more docile toward the king, and it also enabled them to give all their time to the studies which were given to them. I am sure that it is true today as it was when I was in college: I spent half of my time taking a “course” that was known as dating. I had a lot of good times—I did a great deal of studying, but I could have done lots more! But, you see, the king wanted these boys to spend their time studying, and his way of doing that was to make them eunuchs. Daniel was in this group.
Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans [Dan. 1:4].
I want to submit to you that the Bible was not written by a bunch of ninnies—it wasn’t written by men who were ignorant. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt. The Egyptians were quite advanced; they knew the distance to the sun, and they knew that the earth was round. It was a few Greeks who came along later and flattened out the earth. They were the “scientists” in that day, you see. Science taught that the earth was flat. The Bible never did teach that; in fact, it said it was a circle (see Isa. 40:22). Daniel, too, as a young man was outstanding. He must have rated high on the list of these young men who were given tests in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, was up in that bracket intellectually also. All these were brilliant young men who were exposed to the learning of their day. I get weary of these so-called eggheads who act as if the Bible was written by a group of ignoramuses. If you feel that way about it, you are mistaken. Daniel was nobody’s fool. He was a brilliant young man, and he was taught as few men have been taught. Don’t despise the learning of that day. There were many men who were well advanced in knowledge, in science, and in many other areas. Daniel is going to be exposed to all that.
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king [Dan. 1:5].
“Meat” could be translated “food.” This, of course, was the diet of pagans, and it would include unclean animals. Remember that Daniel was a Jew and was under the Mosaic Law. They had been told not to eat certain meats, certain fowl, and certain fish.
DANIEL DECIDES TO BE TRUE TO GOD
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego [Dan. 1:6–7].
The prince of the eunuchs actually changes their Hebrew names and gives them pagan names. He gave Daniel the name of Belteshazzar which means “worshiper of Baal,” a heathen god. He named Hananiah Shadrach, and Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abed-nego. Notice that the names with which we are acquainted are the heathen names. I think maybe these four boys registered the highest IQ’s of the whole group. You see, Babylon wanted the best brains as well as good physical specimens.
These four young men from Judah are singled out and identified to us, and the reason is that they are going to take a stand for God. If all these boys were the same age as Daniel, I would say they were around seventeen years of age. Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein, who was a very able expositor of the Old Testament and especially of the prophetic books, felt that Daniel was about fourteen years old. Sir Robert Anderson gave him the age of around twenty. Therefore, seventeen would be a good conservative estimate of the age of these four.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself [Dan. 1:8].
This boy takes a real stand for God, and he does it in a heathen court. Under normal circumstances, this would have been fatal. Obviously, Daniel was not trying to win a popularity contest. He wasn’t attempting to please Nebuchadnezzar. His decision did not reflect the modern softness of compromise which we find all around us today; nor was it dictated by the false philosophies of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Daniel knew nothing of the opportunist’s policy of “When in Babylon, do as the Babylonians do.” Daniel was not conformed to this world, but he was transformed by the renewing of his mind, and the will of God was the all-absorbing purpose of his life.
Daniel and his friends represented in their day that Jewish remnant which God has had in all ages. This is the remnant of which Paul spoke in Romans 11:5—“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
Now these boys don’t want to eat the king’s food; they are going to rebel against a Babylonian diet. Actually, an attempt will be made to brainwash these young men, to make them Babylonians inwardly and outwardly. They were supposed to eat like Babylonians, dress like Babylonians, and think like Babylonians.
However, Daniel and his friends were under the Mosaic system, and God made what they were to eat very clear to His people in the Old Testament. We read in Leviticus 11:44–47: “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” Certain meats were specifically forbidden, and they are listed in the Book of Leviticus; also, meats offered to heathen idols were repulsive to godly Israelites.
Perhaps Daniel and these other Hebrew children were Nazarites to whom even wine was forbidden: “He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried” (Num. 6:3).
These young men were following the injunction of Isaiah: “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isa. 52:11).
However, believers today have not been given a diet chart or menu. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:25–27: “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles [that is, out yonder in the meat market], that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.” Then again, in 1 Corinthians 8:8, he says, “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.”
These Hebrew young men were taking a stand under the Mosaic Law, and they were taking a stand for God.
Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs [Dan. 1:9].
Now, you see, Daniel is already a favorite, and that is no accident. God was working on Daniel’s behalf, even as He worked in the life of Joseph down in the land of Egypt.
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king [Dan. 1:10].
The prince of the eunuchs did not want to force the diet upon them, but he was really on a hot seat. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He liked Daniel, but what was he to do?
Then said Daniel to Melzar whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink [Dan. 1:11–12].
“Pulse”—some translators have felt that this means vegetables, but I don’t think that is exactly it. Actually, it was a grain they wanted to eat. To tell the truth, what Daniel was saying was, “Let us have our pulse, and in a few days we’ll show you that we are all right, that we are in just as good physical condition as the others are.”
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants [Dan. 1:13].
In other words: “Test us out, and put us on this diet for a few days to see if we are not in as good condition as the other fellows are.” Well, God had brought favor from this man Melzar to Daniel, and so Melzar is going to make the test.
The Bible tells us that Daniel’s decision to refuse the Babylonian diet was something he “purposed in his heart.” I want to comment for a moment on this issue of making Christian living and separation from the world a matter of a few little rules that have to do with eating and with conduct. There is always a tendency in this area to be dogmatic and forbid certain questionable things, things which are actually debatable.
I received a letter once from a lady who joined a small group shortly after she had become a Christian, and they told her there were certain things she couldn’t do and certain things she could do. In the letter which she wrote to me she said, “I have followed all these rules, and yet I am still miserable.”
In the history of the church we can see times when people set up a system of doing things and not doing things—systems that actually were good at first. For example, the monasteries which began in the Roman Empire were actually a protest against the licentiousness of their day. But before long it was worse on the inside of the monastery than on the outside.
Remember that Christ said to the Pharisees, “… Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness” (Luke 11:39). In other words, “You make the outside of the cup clean, but inside it’s dirty. It is just like whitewashing a tomb.” Today it is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). In order to live a life of holiness, we must first receive new life from God—we must be born from above.
“Daniel purposed in his heart” (v. 8)—it all began in the heart of Daniel. He was not a papier-mâché; he had a heart, and his convictions came from his heart. That should be our experience also. We are captives in this world in which we live; gravitation holds all of us by the seat of our pants, and we cannot jump off this earth. The Lord Jesus said that we are in the world, but not of the world. And He said, “… Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). However, we cannot serve God by following a set of rules; we must have a purpose in our hearts. Jesus said that it was out of the heart that the issues of life proceed; the things which we put into our bodies are not the most important. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would obey God’s law given to God’s people Israel—this was to be his testimony.
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days [Dan. 1:14].
The prince of the eunuchs was rather reluctant to go along with Daniel’s suggestion because he had been brought up in Babylonian culture and believed that this diet was the thing which produced geniuses. However, he liked Daniel and gave them ten days to test it out.
DELIGHT OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS
And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat [Dan. 1:15].
Daniel’s diet worked in their behalf. This ought to tell us something. God wanted His people Israel to be different from the surrounding nations, but He did not give them a special diet just to make them different—there was also a health factor involved. I firmly believe that if we followed the diet outlined in Leviticus, we would be healthier than our neighbor who eats just anything. But we can eat anything we want; we are not under the law. I have found, though, that it is a matter of health. I have had a number of physical problems and have discovered, among other things, that pork just isn’t the best thing for us. Israel’s God-given diet was very meaningful healthwise, and it had more than just a ceremonial basis for it.
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams [Dan. 1:16–17].
Just as God blessed Solomon, God is blessing these Hebrew children who were in a foreign court. Daniel will eventually become prime minister to two great world empires.
“Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” Daniel was still in the time of revelation, the time in which God used dreams and visions. Now don’t you say that God has spoken to you in a dream, because I must contradict you. I do not think that God is speaking to us that way—He speaks to us today in His Word.
For a great many people it is easier to dream about the Word than it is to study it. I used to have students in a Bible institute who would very piously pray the night before an exam. They didn’t study much, but they were very pious about it all. One student told me that he stuck his Bible under his pillow the night before an examination! I asked him, “Do you really think the names of the kings of Israel and Judah will come up through the duck feathers and get into your brain?” The Holy Spirit is not a help and a crutch for a lazy person. You are going to have to study the Word of God. God speaks to us through His written Word today.
However, God is speaking audibly to Daniel, for he is now writing one of the books of the Bible. In spite of what the critics say, Daniel wrote it—it was not written three or four hundred years later.
Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar [Dan. 1:18].
Nebuchadnezzar is going to look at the training which was given to them to see if it has been the proper training. I honestly believe the Communists have been very stupid in their methods of brainwashing. They attempt to break a man down. You can break down any human being; he will finally give in, of course. A man can only take so much. But this man Nebuchadnezzar really knew how to do it. He gave them a lot of food, he tested them, and finally he placed them in a fine position. He did all this in a friendly way. This was his philosophy, his way of making friends and influencing people.
And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king [Dan. 1:19].
Nebuchadnezzar talked with those four boys and found they were geniuses, and so he gave them good positions in his kingdom.
And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm [Dan. 1:20].
Daniel is moved to the head of the class.
And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus [Dan. 1:21].
With verse 1 and this verse we can learn Daniel’s life span. Coming to Babylon at about the age of seventeen, he died when he was about ninety years of age. He bridged the entire seventy years of captivity. He did not return to Israel but apparently died before the people left Babylon. We actually have no record about that.
CHAPTER 2
Theme: The dream of Nebuchadnezzar about a multimetallic image, and the interpretation of Daniel concerning the four kingdoms of “the times of the Gentiles”
We are in one of the great sections of the Word of God as far as prophecy is concerned. The multimetallic image (ch. 2), the four beasts (ch. 7), and the seventy weeks of Daniel (ch. 9) form the backbone and ribs of biblical prophecy. You could never have a skeleton of prophecy without these passages of Scripture in the Old Testament.
Everything the Lord Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse was based on the Book of Daniel. The disciples asked Him, “… Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” He replied, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet …” (Matt. 24:3, 15). This chapter, then, is a very important chapter in the Word of God.
Men everywhere are asking, “What is this world coming to? How are things going to be worked out today? There are crises everywhere.” My friend, the times of the Gentiles are going to run out. The Gentiles have not done a very good job of running the world. We can see the beginning of that way back in the Book of Daniel, and we may come close to seeing the end of it. However, the church of Jesus Christ will leave this earth, bringing to a close the fullness of the Gentiles; and, not long after the church leaves, Christ will come back to the earth to rule.
This prophetic chapter is basic to the understanding of all prophecy. That is why I keep insisting that to know just a few little verses of Scripture and to be able to interpret them can be a dangerous thing. This is the way the cults begin: they use only certain verses of Scripture. The men who start these cults understand history and human nature; they know man’s need for a doctrine which satisfies the natural mind. Liberalism and the social gospel appeal to the natural mind.
A young preacher in the East told me of a minister in a neighboring town who was building a great empire of his church. Yet that man drinks and curses and goes out with the boys, probably doing everything else the boys do. The young preacher asked me, “How is that man drawing people to his church? They come to hear him and to join his church—not mine. But I am attempting to preach the Word of God!” I told that young man that we need to realize that if we are going to represent God in the ministry, we are going to be in the minority. The other minister was appealing to the natural mind. He may have baptized many—he may have got them under the water and got a lot of water on them—but he had not led people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Saint Augustine, who became a great man of God, was asked why he had succumbed earlier to the Manichean heresy of his day. He replied that it was “so complete and reasonable.” The philosophical approach used by so many preachers today is probably the most dangerous approach to the Word of God that is imaginable. They never think to go to the Word of God as the foundation and the authority. Rather, they want to give you the interpretation of some man of the past, such as Plato. When I was preparing to enter the ministry, that is the direction I wanted to take because it appeals to people and it shows how smart you are. Thank God that I got under the assistance and influence of two men who put me on the track of simply teaching the Bible, letting the chips fall where they may. It is so important to study the entire Word of God, and therefore this section is important to us.
THE DREAM OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND HIS DEMANDS UPON THE WISE MEN OF BABYLON
And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him [Dan. 2:1].
Iam confident that Nebuchadnezzar, who had now been lifted and exalted to a very high position, wondered about this great empire that had come into existence under his leadership. Actually, Babylon was the first great world empire. Nebuchadnezzar had done something that the Egyptians had not been able to do because Egypt was self-contained. The biggest mistake any pharaoh ever made was to leave the Nile River. If he just stayed there, he was well protected—he had a wall of desert around him which nobody could breach. All he needed to do was guard the Nile River which was the only entrance into Egypt. The Egyptians began to reach out, but they never did become what you would call a world empire, although they did influence the world as few nations have.
However, this man Nebuchadnezzar began as a petty chieftain and united several tribes. Then he took over the Assyrian empire, then the Syrian, and he was on the march. And he overcame the Egyptians. The Greeks would have been unable to offer resistance, but he made no effort to move in their direction. He didn’t need to, as he was actually ruling the then-known world. Nebuchadnezzar had to think this thing over, and when he did, he found he had a world empire on his hands. It was sort of like the old bromide about getting a lion by the tail—you can’t hold on and you can’t turn him loose. That is the position Nebuchadnezzar was in, and God spoke to him at that time.
This man was troubled in his sleep, wondering about the future of this great empire he had founded: Where was it all going to end? Do you know that after about 2500 years of human history since Nebuchadnezzar we are still wondering about that. We have the answer here in this chapter, by the way.
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king [Dan. 2:2].
Nebuchadnezzar called in all his wise men. These were the men who had been trained even as Daniel and his friends had been trained. They were the old boys who were called in for this conference. In other words, the king summoned his cabinet.
These wise men were men of great intellect and learning. It is true that they held many superstitions and concepts of a heathen religion, but, my friend, I don’t know how much farther we’ve come today. I know some Ph.D.’s who reject the Bible—I think they are heathen and a little superstitious, by the way. Isn’t it interesting that the Bible has been ruled out of our schools; yet they are teaching astrology and all kinds of superstitions which have been rejected by civilized people in the past. Don’t look down on the wise men of Babylon—they are just as smart as some of our Ph.D.’s and Th.D.’s today.
These men comprised the brain trust of Babylon, and they were brought before the king to hear his unique command:
And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream [Dan. 2:3].
The king explains that he has had an unusual dream which he believes to have some far-reaching significance. You see, God made it clear to him that He had something to say, but this man in his darkness knew only that it was something important.
Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation [Dan. 2:4].
“Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever.” To me that seems to be about the silliest thing they could ever say, but that was the way they flattered the king—“O king, live for ever.” I am sure that many a king who sat there on the throne had a heart condition and might well have said, “Well, boys, you are wrong. I’m not going to live forever. I’m going to have a heart attack one of these days, and I won’t be around.” However, they seem to have avoided that issue.
It is important to note that at this juncture in the Book of Daniel there is a change from the Hebrew to the Aramaic or Syriac language, as it is called here in verse 4. From verse 4 of this chapter through verse 28 of chapter 7, the book is written in Aramaic or Syriac. Aramaic was the court language, the diplomatic language of that day. It was the language of the Gentiles, the language of the world. It would correspond to what French was a few years ago; today I think English is the language that has supplanted French in that position.
The significance of this change is quite remarkable: God is now speaking to the world, not just to His nation. Israel has gone into Babylonian captivity. God has taken the scepter out of the line of David, and He has put it in gentile hands. It will stay there until the day He takes the scepter back. When He does, nail-pierced hands will take the scepter, because it is God’s intention for Jesus to reign.
The subject here is a worldwide kingdom. The idea that the Word of God is confined to some local deity and that the Bible has quite a limited view is entirely wrong. If we examine it carefully, we find that God has in mind a worldwide kingdom. In Psalm 89:27 He says of the covenant He made with David: “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” Then in verses 34–37 of the same psalm He says: “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.” In other words, God is saying, “If you can go out and see that the sun has disappeared from the heaven and the moon is not out at night, then you will know that I have changed My mind; but as long as you see the sun and moon, you will know that I am going to put My king over this earth.”
We are talking now about that which is global and not some local situation. This concerns the first great world ruler, and the language used is the language of the world of that day.
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill [Dan. 2:5].
This would be a rather extreme judgment, but you can see what the king wants. Frankly, a faulty translation of this verse gives the impression that the king had forgotten his dream. He hadn’t forgotten his dream. He knows the dream, senses its importance, and refuses to divulge it to the wise men. Why? He wants to get a correct interpretation of it. In the margin, the American Standard Version of 1901 translates “The thing is gone from me” as, “The word is gone forth from me.” In other words, Nebuchadnezzar is saying to these men, “I will not change my mind about this judgment I am pronouncing. Don’t beg me to tell you the dream—I’m not going to do it. You are going to come up with the dream if I am to listen to your interpretation of it.” The Berkeley Version has a helpful translation at this point also: “The king answered the Chaldeans, ‘This word I speak, I mean! If you do not tell me the dream and what it means, you shall be torn limb from limb and your houses will be destroyed.’” That translation really tones it down, but nevertheless the penalty is still excessive and extreme. Nebuchadnezzar is putting fear in these men. They have to come up with the interpretation of the dream, but they first of all have to give what the dream is.
But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof [Dan. 2:6].
Conversely, Nebuchadnezzar could be generous and charitable. This man was greatly governed by his emotions, as we are going to see. He tells them, “I am going to amply reward you if you give me the correct interpretation.”
They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it [Dan. 2:7].
The wise men realized their dangerous predicament, and they again cautiously suggest to the king that he supply the dream and they will supply the interpretation.
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me [Dan. 2:8].
The king says, “You see that I mean business and so you are stalling. You want a little more time.” The Berkeley Version clarifies this verse: “The king replied, ‘I see plainly that you are trying to gain time; because you see how capital punishment awaits you.’” That is taking a little liberty with the translation, but that actually is the meaning of it.
But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof [Dan. 2:9].
The king really reveals here his lack of confidence in the wise men of Babylon. I think they probably had failed him on previous assignments, just as the prophets of Baal failed old Ahab (but since Ahab died in battle, he didn’t have a chance to retaliate). Nebuchadnezzar feels these men have been feeding him a great deal of malarkey, and he is now putting them to a real test. His reasoning at this point is very logical: If they can tell him his dream, then it is reasonable to conclude that their interpretation is genuine. If they cannot tell him his dream, any interpretation would be under suspicion.
DECREE TO DESTROY THE WISE MEN FOR THEIR FAILURE
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean [Dan. 2:10].
This is the first true statement the wise men have made—no man on earth could give the dream, only God could. In desperation they are pleading for their lives, trying to show the unreasonableness of the king’s demand. If you leave out the supernatural, of course his demands are unreasonable. However, they have made claim to be superior, and he is asking them to demonstrate that.
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh [Dan. 2:11].
What they are saying is that they have no communication with heaven. They even confessed that their gods were not giving them very much information. They conclude their argument by saying that no human being could meet the king’s demands. This paves the way for Daniel to come onto the scene.
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon [Dan. 2:12].
The king exhibits here a violent temper for which he was noted. It is another symptom of the psychosis he is suffering and which we will see later on. The king orders the wise men to be destroyed summarily.
And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain [Dan. 2:13].
The king’s decree includes Daniel and his brethren. Although they are just being trained, they are being taught by the same crowd in which the king has now lost confidence. The rash order to destroy the wise men of Babylon is going to take in a great many men who were really innocent and who could not be held responsible. The dictatorship of Nebuchadnezzar could be carried to the nth degree—he could do what he wanted to.
DANIEL’S DESIRE TO TELL THE DREAM
Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel [Dan. 2:14–15].
Daniel is really puzzled at the hasty and unjust decree of the king, but he uses tact as he approaches Arioch. Arioch is the captain of the king’s guard—he is in charge of the Secret Service of that day—and, naturally, is often in the presence of the king. It would be interesting to know all that Arioch communicated to Daniel. I wonder if he suggested to Daniel that the king was off his rocker or that the king didn’t have all his marbles. It is not recorded here if he did, but I think he touched his head and said, “You know how the king is!”
Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation [Dan. 2:16].
Daniel got an audience with the king—he is already in favor—and he requested the king to give him time to tell him the dream. This seems presumptuous; in fact, it seems to be the act of a very brash young man. However, succeeding events will reveal that it was the confidence of a man with faith in God.
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon [Dan. 2:17–18].
“That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven.” This is an expression which you will find only in the books of the captivity, including Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel. You see, after the departure of the glory of God from Jerusalem, from the Holy of Holies in the temple, He is now addressed as “the God of heaven.” These Hebrew young men knew that God did not dwell in some little temple in Jerusalem. He is “the God of heaven.”
“That they would desire mercies” reveals the basis of their prayers. God does not answer prayer because of the worth or the effort or the character or the works of the one who is, praying. All prayer must rest upon His mercy. To pray today in Jesus’ name simply means that we come to God, not on our merit, but on His merit, looking to Him for mercy.
DANIEL DESCRIBES THE DREAM AS A MULTIMETALLIC IMAGE
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven [Dan. 2:19].
Iwould think that the way God revealed this to Daniel was to give him the same dream He gave to Nebuchadnezzar. This would seem to be the reasonable explanation.
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
And he changeth the times and the seasons:he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter [Dan. 2:20–23].
This is one of the several recorded prayers of Daniel. Daniel was a man of purpose, a man of prayer, and a man of prophecy. God alone has revealed this secret to Daniel, and this is his tremendous prayer of thanksgiving. Now Daniel is ready to go in and ask again for an audience with the king.
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch,whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him, Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation [Dan. 2:24].
Daniel wants to stop the bloody slaughter that would have taken place, and apparently Arioch has no heart for the matter either—he doesn’t want to slay all the wise men.
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation [Dan. 2:25].
Arioch rushes Daniel into the presence of the king with the good news that the dream will be divulged.
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? [Dan. 2:26].
Quite obviously and, I think, logically, the king was rather skeptical. All of these wise men had not been able to come up with the dream and its interpretation, but here comes this young fellow Daniel who says he will be able to. The king asks him, “Do you mean to tell me that all the other wise men had no answer, but you think you can answer me? Maybe this is just another attempt of the wise men to stall for time!” His question sounds rather cynical, but Daniel has a marvelous answer for him:
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these [Dan. 2:27–28].
Daniel immediately makes a distinction between the wisdom of Babylon and the wisdom of God. The apostle Paul wrote, “… hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” and also, “… the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:20, 25).
Daniel now has the unique privilege of introducing to the darkened mind of this pagan king the living and true God. He says, “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.” This is very important because it is going to be the emphasis in the Book of Daniel; this dream refers to the end of the times of the Gentiles.
The end of “the times of the Gentiles” runs concurrently with “the latter days” of the nation Israel: both come to their fulfillment during the Great Tribulation Period. The day in which you and I live is “man’s day.” Paul said in I Corinthians 4:3, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment [day]: yea, I judge not mine own self” We are living in the day of man.
It is also well to note that the term, “the times of the Gentiles,” is not synonymous with the term, “the fulness of the Gentiles.” Romans 11:25 says, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” The fulness of the Gentiles ends with the Rapture of the church. The terms, “the latter days” and “the times of the Gentiles,” are not synonymous with “the last days” of the church which come to a fulfillment at the Rapture and precede the Great Tribulation. “The times of the Gentiles” will continue right on into the Great Tribulation, and at that time God will again turn His attention back to the nation Israel.
As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass [Dan. 2:29].
Nebuchadnezzar was bothered as he lay in bed at night, wondering what the future held. Although he started out as a petty king, he now finds himself a world ruler.
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart [Dan. 2:30].
The dream had to do with the future of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and the outcome of his great world empire. Nebuchadnezzar was troubled about the future of this empire of which he suddenly found himself the possessor and dictator. The dream was God’s answer to his problem.
Daniel makes it clear that he himself deserves no credit, that God in heaven has revealed the dream, that God was prompted to reveal the dream to spare the lives of the wise men as well as to satisfy the curiosity of this man Nebuchadnezzar.
God is going to speak to Nebuchadnezzar in a language that he will understand, the language of the outward splendor and glory of his kingdom. In the dream God showed him the outward splendor of his kingdom. This dream was also the dream of a Gentile, and in it God spoke to him by using an image. The image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was not an image to be worshiped; but, because Nebuchadnezzar did fall down before images in the city of Babylon, God used an image in his dream. In this land of idolatry, such a vision was the only language Nebuchadnezzar could truly understand. Babylon was known as the fountainhead of pagan religion, the womb of heathen idols.
We will see in this section the history of the rule of this world by the Gentiles. Because of the failure of the house of David, God is now taking the scepter of this universe out from the hands of the line of David, and He is putting it in the hands of the Gentiles. It will be there until Jesus Christ comes again to this earth. Then Christ will take the seepter and rule on this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. From the day of Nebuchadnezzar right on down through our day until the Lord comes to reign is “the times of the Gentiles.”
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible [Dan. 2:31].
That is, the image excited terror—it was aweinspiring. It was very glamorous, terrific, and stupendous. As Daniel began to describe the dream, I wish that I could have been there to see the expression on Nebuchadnezzar’s face change from cynicism to unconcealed amazement. When Daniel began to say, “You saw a great image, the brightness of which was terrific and stupendous,” I think the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar lighted up. He shifted to the edge of his throne and said, “Boy, that’s it! You are starting out right!”
This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay [Dan. 2:32–33].
When Daniel said this, I think the king again said, “Boy, you are exactly right!” Now Nebuchadnezzar is prepared to listen to the interpretation. Tregelles has said of this dream: “Here all is presented as set before the king according to his ability of apprehension—the external and visible things being shown as man might regard them.” As we have said, God is speaking to him in a language that he can understand.
This tremendous image that is before him just stands there. There is no movement at all. It is simply awe-inspiring, glamorous, terrific, and stupendous. The head was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet were iron and clay mixed together. The image therefore consisted of a very strange assortment of metals. It was not an alloy of metals, but a multimetallic image of four metals plus a silicon (that is, sand or clay).
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth [Dan. 2:34–35].
We will get the interpretation of this later on. We will let Daniel give the interpretation—we do not need to guess about it at all. The thing to note here is that, as Nebuchadnezzar beheld the image in awe and wonder, the stone, coming from beyond the environs of the image and without human origin or motivation, smote the image on the feet of iron and clay with such force that all the metals were pulverized. Then a wind blew the dust of the image away, so that it entirely disappeared. Then the stone began to grow as a living stone, and it filled the whole world, taking the place of this image.
DEFINITION OF FOUR WORLD EMPIRES AND THEIR DESTINIES
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold [Dan. 2:36–38].
Nebuchadnezzar was the first great world ruler. I think that this was God’s ideal for Adam—he was given dominion, but he lost it. The world has known four great world rulers; there have been four great nations who have attempted to rule the world. They all just butchered the job—none of them made a real success of it—but the first one, Nebuchadnezzar, did the best job.
Daniel immediately began to interpret the dream. The different metals represent world empires. Nebuchadnezzar is identified as the head of gold. He exercised rulership over the then-known world. No one questioned his authority. His was an absolute monarchy, and there have been very few since then, by the way. More is said about this Babylonian empire in other sections of the Bible, including Daniel 5:18–19 and Jeremiah 27:5–11. Through Jeremiah God said: “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come …” (Jer. 27:5–7). God made Nebuchadnezzar the one at the top; He made him the first great world ruler, and there has been none like him since then.
And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth [Dan. 2:39].
The kingdom which will come after Nebuchadnezzar will be inferior to his. The third one will be inferior to the second, and the fourth will be inferior to the third. That means the fourth one is the worst form of all. That is where we are today.
There are two kingdoms mentioned in this verse. The arms of silver represent Media and Persia. In Daniel 5:28 we are told the future of the Babylonian kingdom: “Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” We don’t need to speculate as to who the second kingdom is—it is made clear. Remember that Daniel lived in both the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of Media-Persia. We read in Daniel 6:8, “Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”
The third kingdom would be a kingdom of brass and would “bear rule over all the earth.” This is the Graeco-Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great.
This brings us to the fourth kingdom. It is important to note that there are only four—there is no fifth kingdom. The period of the fourth kingdom is where we are today.
And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay [Dan. 2:40–43].
This is a remarkable passage of Scripture. More attention is directed to this fourth kingdom than to the other three kingdoms put together. Four verses are used here by Daniel to describe it and interpret it. Only one verse, verse 39, is used to describe the second and third kingdoms, the Medo-Persian and the Graeco-Macedonian empires.
The fourth kingdom is the kingdom of the latter days. Remember that Daniel had told Nebuchadnezzar that that was the reason for the image. God is speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, an idol worshiper, through this image, and He is telling Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. He is a world ruler, and he is concerned about where it is all going to end. My friend, we are living in the period of the latter days, and that is still the question today: What is this world coming to?
We need to stand back and look at this image again for a moment. It is awe-inspiring and of tremendous size. I think it towered over the entire plain of Babylon as Nebuchadnezzar saw it in his vision. It is a multimetallic image. It has a head of gold, and that speaks of Babylon. The breast and arms are of silver—Media-Persia. The brass is Graeco-Macedonia. The legs are of iron, and that is Rome. In the feet, clay is inserted into the iron, which is the last form of the Roman Empire.
The image represents four empires, and there are several observations to be made about them. There is a definite deterioration from one kingdom to another, and this is made clear in several very specific ways. This deterioration is contrary to modern philosophy and opinion. Our viewpoint today is that we are all getting better and better every day: evolution is at work, and it is onward and upward forever. We feel that we have the best form of government and that we are superior people—neither of which is true. The human race has always liked to pat itself on the back as Little Jack Horner did:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating of Christmas pie:
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
However, what we have here is the deterioration from one kingdom to the other—each is inferior to its predecessor. This is revealed through the image in several ways:
1. The quality of the metals: gold is finer than silver, and silver is finer than brass. Brass is finer than iron, and iron is better than clay. There is definite deterioration.
2. The specific gravity of the metals: each metal shows deterioration; Tregelles (as quoted by Culver) is the scholar who called attention to this factor.
3. The position of each metal: the head has more honor than do the feet.
4. The specific statement of Scripture: “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee” (v. 39). Scripture is clear that each kingdom is to be inferior to the one before it.
5. The division of sovereignty: the definite division of sovereignty denotes weakness. Nebuchadnezzar is the head of gold, but there are two arms of the Medo-Persian empire, The Babylonian Empire was strong because there was not that division. The Graeco-Macedonian Empire begins with one, but soon is divided into four. Rome has two legs of iron but it eventuates into ten toes which are composed of both iron and clay.
In the United States today we like to believe we have the very best form of government, and people eagerly say they “believe in democracy.” Actually, our form of government is not a democracy, but a representative form of government. No one asks me to come to Washington, D.C., to make any decisions. There are many who do go to Washington to tell them how to do it, and I think somebody needs to tell them. The problem is that it is the wrong people who are doing the telling. I am of the opinion that a democracy is really not the best form of government.
God’s form of government is going to be just exactly like that head of gold, only the ruler will be that Rock that is “cut out without hands”—none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is going to reign over this earth, and He is not going to ask anybody for advice about it. He will not have a Congress, and He will not have a Cabinet, and He will not be calling upon you to vote for Him. In fact, if you don’t make a decision for Him in this life, my friend, you just won’t be there at all. Don’t rebel against that fact, because this happens to be His world—He created it. You and I are just little pygmies running around down here. God has as much right to remove you and me from this little world as I have to remove those ants that get into my house and yard. I set out poison for those fellows—I want to get rid of them. Why? Because they don’t fit into my program. There are a lot of us who don’t fit into God’s program. This is His world, and He is going to make it to suit Himself.
God’s form of government is going to be one of the most strict forms of government that the world has ever seen. I do not think a rooster is going to crow in that day without His permission to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to be a dictator, and if you are not willing to bow to Him, I don’t think you would even want to be in His kingdom when He establishes it here upon the earth. Maybe it is good that He has another place for folk like that, because it will not be pleasant for them to be here—they wouldn’t enjoy it at all. God’s form of government is the absolute rule of a king, the sovereignty of one ruler. It is going to be autocratic, dictatorial, and His will is going to prevail. That is the reason it is well for you and me to practice bowing to Him and acknowledging Him. He is going to take over one of these days.
Before we move on, we need to notice one more thing: No great world power follows Rome. The Roman Empire is the last, and it will be in existence in the latter days. Actually, it exists today. All of these other empires were destroyed by an enemy from the outside, but no enemy destroyed Rome. Attila the Hun came in and sacked the city, but he was so awestruck by what he saw that he realized he could not handle it. He took his barbarians and left town. The Roman Empire fell apart from within—no enemy destroyed it. Rome is living in the great nations of Europe today: Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, and Spain are all part of the old Roman Empire. The laws of Rome live on, and her language also. No one speaks Latin today, but it is basic to understanding French, Spanish, and other languages. Her warlike spirit lives on also: Europe has been at war ever since the empire broke up into these kingdoms.
What is happening in Europe today? There is a new psychological viewpoint developing. The young people there do not want to be called Italians or Germans; they like to be called Europeans. Such thinking is creating a basis for the man who is coming someday to put the Roman Empire back together again. He is known in Scripture as the Man of Sin, or the Antichrist. They have a Common Market in Europe today, and they may be well along in restoring the Roman Empire. But not until God takes down the roadblock will that man appear and all this come to fruition. Because he is Satan’s man, God will not let him appear until He has called out His people to His name. When He has done that, He will remove His church from the earth. God is carrying out His program whether it looks like that or not.
Therefore, there is one coming who will put the Roman Empire together again. I never speak of the resurrection of the Roman Empire; that implies that it died. Let me again quote a nursery rhyme:
Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall;
All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men
Could not put Humpty-Dumpty together again.
You see, the Roman Empire fell apart like Humpty-Dumpty. There have been a lot of men who tried to put it together again, but they have not succeeded. That was one of the missions of the Roman Catholic church at the beginning. Also, Charlemagne attempted to put it back together. Napoleon tried to do so, and also several emperors of Germany. Hitler and Mussolini attempted it, but so far the man has not yet appeared who will accomplish it. God is not quite ready for him to appear.
DESTRUCTION OF GENTILE WORLD POWERS—ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN UPON EARTH
What will be the final end of this last kingdom, the kingdom of iron mixed with clay? The clay, I believe, represents the masses, the different nations of the ten toes. The iron speaks of the fact that Rome lives on in this final form of the old empire. How is it all going to end? We are given the answer in this concluding section of chapter 2.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure [Dan. 2:44–45].
The Antichrist, or the Man of Sin (he has about thirty-five aliases in Scripture), is the one who will bring back the Roman Empire. He will be a world dictator—he will rule the world just as Nebuchadnezzar did at the beginning (see Rev. 13). That is an ideal form of government, but if the wrong man is at the top, it is horrible. This was true of Nebuchadnezzar, as we will see, and it will certainly be true of the Antichrist.
When the Lord Jesus comes, He is going to rule as an autocratic ruler, and He is going to put down all rebellion against Him: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2:9). I don’t think He wants me to apologize for Him today. If you don’t like it, I suggest you get on the next trip to the moon or Mars and get off this earth. He is going to take over this earth, and I think He may take over the place you choose, also. This is His universe—it belongs to Him.
“The stone [which] was cut out of the mountain without hands” represents none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not a man; this is God’s Anointed. The Lord Jesus Himself made it clear that He is that Stone. In His day there were probably more people who understood what He was saying than there are today. In Matthew 21:44 He said, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” He is the Stone, the living Stone, the foundation—“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). If you fall on that Stone—that is, rest in Him by faith, come just as you are without one plea but that His blood was shed for you—you are broken, you come as a sinner, with nothing to offer. But He is a wonderful Stone to rest upon.
The Stone is one of many figures of speech in Scripture which speak of Christ in His office as both Savior and Judge. He is the Rock of salvation (see Deut. 32:15), and He is the Rock of judgment (see Deut. 32:4).
These verses in Daniel speak of the time when He is coming to the earth as Judge to put down earth’s rebellion against God. The reference here is to the second coming of Christ to the earth, which is depicted for us in detail in Revelation 19:11–21. His coming is going to be climactic, catastrophic, and cataclysmic. It is mentioned again and again in Scripture (see Zech. 14:1–3; Joel 3:2, 9–16 Isa. 34:1–8; Ps. 2).
Man’s boast of ruling this earth and establishing a utopia will end in the dismal destruction of this so-called civilization. It is hard for us to get this fact in our thinking: We live in a world that is judged. This world is not on trial. I hear people say, “I’ll take my chances.” My unsaved friend, you do not have a chance. You are lost. You are without God. You have no capacity for God. All you have in your heart is perhaps a little desire to be religious. You’d like to win a few more ribbons for going to Sunday school—you don’t intend to miss a Sunday. But, my friend, you need to trust Christ as Savior, and that is not easy to do, is it? It is not easy to bow to Him and to acknowledge Him. However, either you are going to come to that Stone, or that Stone is coming to you. I’d rather come to the Stone.
God is going to end man’s little day down here. God’s kingdom will prevail, and for one thousand years the earth will be tested under the personal reign of Christ. Apart from a brief moment in which Satan and sin will be permitted to make their last assault on the righteous reign of God, the kingdom will continue on into eternity (see Rev. 20).
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret [Dan. 2:46–47].
The effect of Daniel’s interpretation upon Nebuchadnezzar is so profound that he actually worships Daniel and commands others to do likewise. He doesn’t know any better; he only knows the worship of physical objects, and he intends thus to worship the living and true God. This was his introduction to the God of heaven. In this book we can watch the growth of faith in the heart of this idolatrous king. It will break through the darkness of paganism, and he is going to come into the marvelous light of the knowledge of God.
Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king [Dan. 2:48–49].
Sitting in the gate of the king is a practice that is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. In Genesis, Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; that meant that he was a judge. And in the Book of Esther, Mordecai was also given that office—he sat in the gate as a judge.
Daniel now is rewarded and elevated by Nebuchadnezzar, but he does not forget his three Hebrew friends. They likewise receive high positions in the government of Babylon. This young boy Daniel is moved into a position of sitting in the gate. He was a judge, a Supreme Court Justice, but he also acted in the capacity of prime minister. Throughout this book we will find that he is the one with whom Nebuchadnezzar confers. He judges the people, and he is also prime minister of the kingdom of Babylon.
CHAPTER 3
Theme: The decree of Nebuchadnezzar to enforce universal idolatry; the three Hebrew children cast into the furnace when they refuse to bow to the image of gold
In the first chapter of Daniel heathen customs were judged; in the second chapter heathen philosophy was judged; and in the third chapter heathen pride is judged.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMAGE OF GOLD
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was three-score cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up [Dan. 3:1–2].
“An image of gold”—this reveals the lavish display of wealth and workmanship which went into the construction of this impressive image.
Some scholars think that Nebuchadnezzar constructed this image in memory of his father, Nabopolassar. Others are equally convinced that he made it to Bel, the pagan god of Babylon. It is more likely that he made it of himself. Daniel had declared that Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold in the image of his dream. Instead of humbling himself before God, the dream caused Nebuchadnezzar to be filled with excessive pride, and he made an entire image of gold to represent the kingdom he had built.
The image was sixty cubits high and six cubits in breadth—that was a pretty good-sized image. A cubit is approximately eighteen inches, which would make the image ninety feet high. Babylon was situated on a plain, surrounded by flat country. Although it was a city of skyscrapers for its day, the sheer height of the image made it visible for a great distance. The plain of Dura was like an airport—flat and expansive—allowing a great multitude to assemble for the worship of the image, actually the worship of the king.
All the leaders and government officials were present for the dedication of the image. Only the big brass were invited, and they were to sell this project to the people. This was the first step in the brainwashing program. These bureaucrats comprised a great company.
What did Nebuchadnezzar really have in mind in making this image? We can observe here three things: (1) The making of this image shows the rebellion of Nebuchadnezzar against the God of heaven who had given him world dominion. Instead of gratitude, this is a definite act of rebellion. (2) This also shows his vaunted pride in making an image which evidently was self-deification. The Roman emperors also attempted this later on. (3) Obviously, Nebuchadnezzar was seeking a unifying principle to weld together the tribes and tongues and peoples of his kingdom into one great totalitarian government. In other words, he was attempting to institute a world religion. This was nothing in the world but a repetition of the tower of Babel—a forming of one religion for the world.
There are many who are working toward a world religion today, including the denominations which make up the World Council of Churches. They are moving toward a world religion, and, my friend, they are going to leave Jesus out altogether. All of these attempts are not toward the worship of the living and true God; they actually oppose Him. It is a movement which is going to lead to the Great Tribulation Period, to the Man of Sin, and the False Prophet. This, of course, is after the true church is removed from the earth (the true church is all those who make up the body of believers). Every believer in Christ—whoever he is, whatever his color of skin, whatever his denomination, if he is trusting Christ—will all go out together.
DEDICATION OF THE IMAGE OF GOLD
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up [Dan. 3:3].
The day of dedication had arrived. All were present, except Daniel. We believe he had a good and legitimate reason for his absence. He probably was away on state business. He was in a unique position of being the chief advisor to the king of Babylon who was now the ruler of the world.
The sight of the image of gold on the plain of Dura was very impressive—as impressive as an Atlas missile set up on the launching pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It must have made a tremendous appeal to the eye.
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace [Dan. 3:4–6].
They knew nothing of the freedom of worship, at this dedication service. When the orchestra began to play, they were to fall down and worship this image. There was no room here for spontaneous, personal religion—this is all prearranged.
Notice the different instruments in this orchestra: the cornet—that’s a wind instrument; the flute—a wind instrument; the harp—a stringed instrument; the sackbut—a trombone, or perhaps a high-stringed instrument; the psaltery—a stringed instrument like the harp; and the dulcimer—a drum with strings above which was played with a stick. Then, it says, “and all kinds of music,” which means there were instruments and types of music that are not listed.
I would like to give this orchestra a name: the Babylonian Beboppers; or maybe it should be the Babylonian Beatles, or the Royal Rock Quartet Plus Two (or however many instrument there were), or the Chaldean Philharmonic Orchestra.
The point is this: this was more than a dedication—people were forced to worship. However, true worship is an expression of the heart; it cannot be forced. So it is more accurate to say that at least these people went through the outward form of worship.
The music was used to appeal to the flesh. Music that is spiritual is a wonderful aid to worship, but in some of our churches today it is very difficult to tell the difference between spiritual music and worldly music.
Paul had a great deal to say about the importance of music for the believer in worship. He says in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” And then in Colossians 3:16 we read: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
However, at the very beginning, music got off to a bad start. It was mentioned in the godless line of Cain, back in Genesis 4:21—“And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.”
Whenever music or ritual appeals to the flesh, it degrades man rather than elevates him, and it is not an aid to true worship. It cancels worship out; it deadens everything. However, music can also lift a worship service; it can help the spiritual ministry and be a great blessing.
I recall one particular incident when I was speaking in special meetings held in a fine church in the East. Before my first message, a young lady was called on to sing, and she was quite a showman. Rather than selecting a song which contributed to the worship, she sang a number that simply gave opportunity to show off her voice. When I realized it had deadened the meeting spiritually, I had the congregation sing another hymn before I went on with my message. When I spoke to the pastor about it afterwards, he told me that she was the daughter of one of his leading officers and she always sang at the opening of any special series of meetings!
May I say, music can be helpful to a service or it cannot. Worldly music has a tremendous influence upon people, and it has gotten into many of our churches today. I thank God that many ministers are taking a stand against it.
Nebuchadnezzar had established a terrible penalty for those who refused to worship this image. The music helped prepare for this worldly worship, and you can be sure that everyone in that crowd went down on their faces before the image—with the exception of three young men.
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up [Dan. 3:7].
This movement of dedication was an outward act of worship, and practically unanimous. There may have been many who were not convinced in their hearts, but they gave no visible evidence that they were contrary. I am sure they were inwardly attempting to justify their position by some form of rationalization.
We rationalize our own compromises today, also. One man told me that the reason he continued in the liberal church of which he was a member was that his father had been a leader in the church, an outstanding layman, and when he died, the church had dedicated a stained glass window to him. That was the reason he felt he couldn’t leave the church! My friend, it would have been better for him to buy a replacement for that window and take the one dedicated to his father with him, than to have continued in that church upon such an unfortunate excuse.
THE THREE HEBREW CHILDREN FAIL TO WORSHIP THE IMAGE
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews [Dan. 3:8].
The king had apparently appointed observers to note any irregularities in the service. “Certain Chaldeans” may indicate that they had been watching these three Jews particularly, perhaps because they were jealous or had some personal animosity toward them. The only Jews who were involved, of course, were the three Hebrew children who were among the officers of Nebuchadnezzar. The other Jews in captivity who had no position of leadership were not present at this meeting.
They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up [Dan. 3:9–12].
This must have been a very famous orchestra in that day—this is the third time we have been given a list of its instruments.
The Chaldeans’ accusation before the king was very formal and according to protocol. They made a direct charge against the three Hebrew children by name. There is no misunderstanding as to whom they referred. Although their insinuation—“These men, O king, have not regarded thee”—was absolutely false. The Hebrews’ refusal to worship the image was not an act of disloyalty toward the king personally. It was their recognition of a higher power—they were obedient to their God, which will be revealed by their own answer to this charge.
THE THREE HEBREW CHILDREN DECLARE THE POWER OF GOD
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king [Dan. 3:13].
“Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury”—this man had a real psychological problem, and such actions characterize his form of insanity. He suffered from hysteria, and a sort of manic-depressive psychosis: one moment he was hot with anger and the next he was laughing his head off.
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? [Dan. 3:14].
Nebuchadnezzar asked them if the charge were true. Had they refused to worship his gods and the image which he had set up?
Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? [Dan. 3:15].
The king gives them another opportunity to change their minds and fall down before the image. Their submission now would be a worse reproach than it would have been at the outset. Nebuchadnezzar again recites the penalty for refusal and shows the fallacy of it. The king has heard of their God before, and he assures them that He is unable to deliver them.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter [Dan. 3:16].
They address Nebuchadnezzar, but they do not say, “O king, live forever.”
“We are not careful to answer thee in this matter” means that they have carefully weighed the consequences of refusing to obey the king. They have counted the cost and are not being “careful” in giving an answer; in other words, they are not being concerned for their own well-being in the answer they give to the king.
The wise men in Babylon would have advised the Hebrews to fall down and worship, but God had said: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exod. 20:3–6). These Hebrew children were being true to God, and it took a great deal of courage for them to take this position.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up [Dan. 3:17–18].
They make it very clear: “If it is God’s will, He will deliver us out of your hand.” Regardless of the outcome, these three had purposed to serve God and not the idol of Nebuchadnezzar.
THE THREE HEBREWS ARE PRESERVED IN THE FIERY FURNACE
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace [Dan. 3:19–20].
“Full of fury”—Nebuchadnezzar had an uncontrollable temper. In an extreme outrage of emotionalism, Nebuchadnezzar vented his anger against these men whom he had previously favored. The fire in the furnace was to be built up seven times larger and hotter than usual! This was not necessary, but it reveals what was in this man’s heart.
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace [Dan. 3:21].
“Their hosen” means their stockings. In other words, they were in full dress for this trip to the fiery furnace.
Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace [Dan. 3:22–23].
The haste and high temperature caused those who threw in the captives to perish in the flames.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God [Dan. 3:24–25].
This furnace apparently was an open furnace, and Nebuchadnezzar, who expected these men to expire at once, was amazed to see them alive and walking about in the fire.
Another amazing fact was to see a fourth Man whom Nebuchadnezzar described as being in the form “like the Son of God.” That should be translated “like a son of gods.” Nebuchadnezzar had no knowledge of the living and true God at this time, although Daniel had spoken of Him. Having no spiritual perception, Nebuchadnezzar could only testify to His unusual appearance—He looked like one of the sons of the gods. However, I do believe that the fourth Man was the Son of God, the preincarnate Christ.
The preservation of these faithful few in the fiery furnace was miraculous. There is no other explanation—you either accept that or reject it. Either the Book of Daniel is misrepresenting things, or it is telling the truth. We have a group today, often identified as neo-orthodox, who rob the language of Scripture of its true meaning. They castrate the meaning of the language, saying it doesn’t mean what it says, but that it means something “spiritual.” That type of rationalism is not only hypocritical, it is deceptive.
Several years ago a retired pastor told me of his visit to an outstanding church in Southern California where the son of a friend of his was the pastor. He told me that in his sermon the young man used language that he was accustomed to hearing in the pulpit, and he went up afterwards and congratulated him, “Why, you used in your message the same language John Wesley used!” The young man responded to this retired preacher, “I used the same language John Wesley used, but I do not mean what John Wesley meant by it.” That was positively deceptive—taking language and trying to explain away its real meaning.
My point is that there are many miracles in Scripture that such men have attempted to explain away. For instance, Jesus didn’t walk on the water—He walked on the shore, and the disciples thought He was walking on the water. The widow’s son was not really dead—they only thought he was—and Jesus just woke him up. That type of double-talk is deceptive and hypocritical. You either believe this miracle or you don’t. No three men can be thrown into a fiery furnace without being absolutely destroyed, unless a miracle takes place. I believe a miracle took place, and that the fourth Man present was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
The events recorded here in this chapter are an historical incident, but we should also note that it is an adumbration, a prophetic picture, of the Great Tribulation Period. The fiery furnace represents the suffering that will occur during the Great Tribulation. This man Nebuchadnezzar represents the beast out of the sea, the Antichrist, the last great world ruler. This image of gold represents the abomination of desolation of which the Lord Jesus spoke. These three Hebrew children represent the remnant which will be miraculously preserved during the Great Tribulation Period. And then, quite interestingly, Daniel is not mentioned in this chapter at all. He wasn’t around. Apparently he acted not only as a Supreme Court Justice, but also as prime minister of the kingdom. He was out on kingdom business, out on the king’s highway somewhere. He is, therefore, a picture of the redeemed ones who are to be removed before the Great Tribulation. What a very wonderful picture is presented here!
In the fourth Man present in the furnace, we see that the Lord Jesus was there with them. He will be with them also in the day of the Great Tribulation, with those who are His as they go through the trials of that period. My friend, He is with you and me today as we go through our trials. He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He also said, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20). He promises never to leave or forsake His own.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them [Dan. 3:26–27].
Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that these three are “servants of the most high God.” I think he is getting a little closer to a knowledge of God. These men came forth with not a hair singed, nor the smell of smoke on their garments! This is a clear-cut miracle.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DECREE CONCERNING THE GOD OF THE HEBREW CHILDREN
Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon [Dan. 3:28–30].
There is nothing personal in this expression of Nebuchadnezzar; yet he recognizes the omnipotence of the living God and His power in delivering these three men. He grants that their God is superior to his. This is Nebuchadnezzar’s conviction; in the next chapter, we will read his personal testimony of conversion. I believe he came to the knowledge of the living and true God. It took this man a long time to move out of the paganism and heathenism in which he was saturated.
Now these three Hebrew children are back in Nebuchadnezzar’s favor. Twice they had the sentence of death upon them, twice they have been miraculously delivered, and twice they have been promoted.
In the same way the Lord Jesus is able to keep His own in the world today. That ought to be a comforting thought to many of us. He said in John 10:27–28: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” And again in John 17:11—“And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” He continued, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil [one]” (John 17:15). In Hebrews 7:25 we read: “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” And finally, Paul wrote, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
My friend, you and I are living in a world today in which we are going to have trouble. Some of God’s children do get into a fiery furnace, but He is able to keep them even there, and He is able to bring them out of it. We simply do not trust the Lord like we should—we do not have the faith of these three Hebrew children.
CHAPTER 4
Theme: Testimony of Nebuchadnezzar; tree dream of Nebuchadnezzar; tree dream interpreted by Daniel; the mental malady of Nebuchadnezzar; dream fulfilled and Nebuchadnezzar’s reason restored
This chapter is going to give us a great deal more information about this man Nebuchadnezzar than we have had before. Actually, there was a skeleton in the family closet—something I am sure they didn’t boast of: Nebuchadnezzar suffered from a form of insanity. This chapter is a leaf of history taken from the archives of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar’s form of insanity is pretty well identified and known today, and it is something which a number of world rulers have suffered from.
We are living in a day when a great deal of attention is given to mental illness and various forms of abnormal behavior. I wonder sometimes just who is normal in this mad world in which we live! A psychologist will tell you that the bulk of mankind is normal, a few are abnormal, and a few are above normal or geniuses. Who is to say who is sane and who is not sane? The standard, of course, is the way most of us act—the behavior of the majority is called normal. When just a few react, that is abnormal, which, of course, is an arbitrary distinction. Who in the world is going to say that what the majority is doing today is normal? That could be quite a subject of debate, and I think it would be very difficult to sustain a thesis that the majority of us are normal. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet was sent from Denmark over to England (they thought he was a little touched in the head) because, they said, in England everyone was abnormal!
There is the story of the man who had trouble sleeping at night because he had the feeling that there was someone under his bed. He was losing sleep because he had to get up many times during the night to look under the bed and satisfy himself that no one was there. He finally went to the psychiatrist with his problem. The psychiatrist told him, “Well, you really do have a problem, and it is going to be difficult to bring you back to normal, but I think we can do it. It will take ten sessions, and it will cost you twenty-five dollars for each session.” The man left, saying he would think it over and let him know. However, he never returned. Several weeks later the psychiatrist met the man on the street and asked him why he had never come back. The man replied that he had been cured with the help of a carpenter friend of his. He had told his friend his problem, and the carpenter said he could fix it for him. He came over to the man’s house with his saw and simply sawed off the legs of the bed. “Now that fellow can’t get under my bed!” the man told the psychiatrist. I guess a lot of us suffer some kind of abnormality, but this man Nebuchadnezzar had a real problem.
TESTIMONY OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation [Dan. 4:1–3].
This is Nebuchadnezzar’s marvelous testimony, and it shows development in the faith of this man. Back in Daniel 3:29 he issued a decree and expressed a conviction. Here he gives a personal testimony. There it was a decree; here it is a decision. There it was a conviction, and here it is conversion. Chronologically, this testimony should come at the end of the chapter because it grew out of his experience recorded here.
Nebuchadnezzar sends a message of peace to “all peoples, nations, and languages” of his kingdom. He is not speaking of peace among nations—he already has such peace, attained by his military might and enforced by his superior power. Rather, he speaks here of the peace of heart which comes to a sinner when he knows he has been accepted of God and is at peace with God. This man’s own tranquility was restored to him, as we shall see in this chapter.
He speaks also of what “the high God hath wrought toward me” His testimony is very personal. God is no longer the God of only the three Hebrew children. He also testifies to God’s signs, His wonders, and His dominion. He recognizes and acknowledges that God’s rule, God’s kingdom, is above his.
The peace of which Nebuchadnezzar speaks can only come to the human heart when it knows God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1)—that is the peace which He made by the blood of the cross. It is the peace which can come to a sinner’s heart that all is right now because of the penalty which Christ paid—God is for him now and God is on his side. Back of all the trouble and travail that is in the world today, back of all the troubled hearts, is the question of sin. Things are not right. One young fellow expressed it this way to me: “I’m not at peace with myself. I’m not at peace with my parents. I’m not at peace with my teachers. I’m not at peace with anybody.” Fundamentally, man must make peace with God. When there is peace in the human heart, then there can be peace made with those round about us; but, until then, man does not know peace.
I am sure that much of what is called abnormality and insanity today could be cured by bringing the gospel and the knowledge of God to the people who are so afflicted. I thought it was absurd that hospitals were set up to receive the Vietnam War POW’s as they arrived in the Philippine Islands. They were to be examined and given psychological tests there. However, the men came bounding off the planes, ready to make phone calls to a wife, a mother, or some other loved one. Many of them testified that God had been with them. They had learned to pray, and Christ had been with them. They didn’t need a lot of psychological treatment.
Everything in the world is being taught in our schools and colleges except the Word of God. It is the Word of God which can bring peace to the human heart. This is the problem Nebuchadnezzar had, but he made his peace with God, and God made peace with him. Today, God has already made peace with you—He is waiting for you to make peace with Him. When you have settled that, you won’t need to spend much time on the psychiatrist’s couch. Instead, you will be a radiant Christian.
TREE DREAM OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
We find the first symptom of Nebuchadnezzar’s form of insanity in verse 4—
I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace [Dan. 4:4].
The personal pronouns—my, I, and mine—are already used three times in just this one verse. You will find them about three times in every verse from verse 4 through verse 10. Nebuchadnezzar had a bad case of what I call “perpendicular I-itis.” Job had that problem also.
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me [Dan. 4:5].
It is all about me and mine.
Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof [Dan. 4:6–9].
Again the wise men were called in and were unable to give an interpretation of the dream. It was God who gave both of his dreams, and only God can give the interpretation. Finally, Daniel was called in. Nebuchadnezzar had learned that Daniel was a Spirit-filled man and that interpretations were given him by God.
Nebuchadnezzar is introducing the vision that he has had, and he gives us a surplus of the personal pronoun I.
I think that the family had kept this man’s insanity quiet. They didn’t talk much about it, but those closest to him did recognize it. I believe the psychiatrists today would label it hysteria. Hysteria is a highly emotional mental disease. It is psychotic, rather than a structural form of insanity (in other words, Nebuchadnezzar was not insane because he had been dropped on his head as a baby). It manifests itself in somnambulism (sleepwalking) and amnesia (loss of memory), and it is thought to be hereditary. Historians tell us that a number of other world rulers have suffered from some form of mental instability: Antiochus Epiphanes, Charles VI of France, Christian VII of Denmark, George Ill of England, Otho of Bavaria, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon. It has also been in the Spanish royal line, the Russian line (among the czars), and also in the English line. Henry VI of England was a real madhatter, and suffered from something similar to hysteria. Hitler also had that problem. And here, the head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar, was a lunatic. He had bats in his belfry. He was not ruling with a full deck in his hands. He was just a little off, if you please. All of this was revealed in his extreme emotionalism—he would move in any direction and to an extreme.
The whole key to this chapter is found in verse 17, and it is important to note it at this point: “This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” God says that He puts on the thrones of this world the basest of men. In other words, God gives us the kind of rulers we deserve and the kind we want. There have been many rulers who had bats in their belfries and who were off their rockers. God says He sets over the kingdoms the basest of men: twenty-five hundred years of history since Nebuchadnezzar have demonstrated the truth of this statement.
Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him [Dan. 4:10–16].
These verses contain the substance of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which centers around a tree that grew tall to heaven, wide enough to fill the earth. The tree was evidently an evergreen, for its leaves were fair. It was a fruit tree, and its fruit was eaten by all. Beasts stood in its shadow, and birds rested in its branches.
In Scripture, a tree can represent a number of things. A tree can represent a man: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Ps. 1:3; see also Jer. 17:8; Isa. 56:3). Also a tree can represent a nation (see Ezek. 31:3–14; Matt. 24:32–33). The mustard tree in Matthew 13:31 and 32 represents Christendom today. The olive tree represents both Israel and the Gentiles (see Rom. 11:16–24). The tree here represents Nebuchadnezzar primarily and also his kingdom of Babylon—the king and kingdom are inseparable.
The “watcher” and “holy one” are of an order of God’s created intelligences. The watchers are the holy ones who administer the affairs of this world. The Book of Daniel makes it very clear that God has created intelligences who administer His universe and this world in which you and I live. God has His administrators under which are many created intelligences. Over against that, Satan also has his minions who have charge over certain areas of certain nations. We will see more of this in the Book of Daniel.
These watchers see all, hear all, and tell all. Many believers today think they can live in secret, that they are not under the eye of God. We talk about wanting to enjoy our privacy, but if you want to know the truth, you and I haven’t any privacy. Psalm 139:7–12 tells us that we cannot get away from God, no matter where we go. Secret sin on earth is open scandal up yonder in heaven. His created intelligences know all about you, and if you are a Christian, you had better go to God with that “secret” sin in your life and get it straightened out.
Now the tree was hewn down, and a band ofiron and brass was put around its stump to indicate that it would grow and flourish again in seven years. And the heart of the ruler (that is, of the “tree”) was to be changed into that of a beast—the vegetable was to become an animal.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men [Dan. 4:17].
There are three things that we are to learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
1. “The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.” If you think that God has abdicated today and has withdrawn from this universe, you are wrong. The universe has not gotten loose from Him. Emerson was wrong when he said, “Things are in the saddle, and they ride mankind.” There happens to be Somebody else in the saddle, and He is in control on this earth. “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:4–6). God says He is going on with His purpose in the world. He is permitting Satan to carry out a nefarious plot for a very definite reason: God is demonstrating something to His created intelligences today. There are a lot of silly things being said about Satan which are entirely unscriptural.
Nations rise and fall to teach men that God rules and overrules the kingdoms of this world. If you think our nation happens to be His special little pet, you are entirely wrong. I believe we have already been put on the auction block: we are already judged. The downward course which this nation is traveling is going to take us right to the judgment of God. He rules in the kingdom of men.
2. He “giveth it to whomsoever he will.” You probably thought that the Democrats and the Republicans put men in power. They thinkthey do, but God disposes of these kingdoms according to His will. That thought may cause someone’s chest to puff up, and he will say, “Well, I am occupying this office by the will of God.” A lot of kings in the past had the foolish notion that they were ruling in God’s place. Don’t believe a word of it—God puts them in power. Notice that Paul says in Romans 13:1, “… the powers that be are ordained of God.” Why in the world does God permit certain powers to rule on this earth?
3. He “setteth up over it the basest of men.” This third statement should be humbling to both the Democrats and the Republicans—and to all of mankind. If you think we pick the best men, we don’t—all you need to do is to read human history to see this. My study of English history shows that our ancestors in the British Isles were some pretty bloody ancestors. They were terrible, and they had some rulers who were unspeakable! May I say to you, God “setteth up over it the basest of men,” and we get the kind of ruler that we deserve. People complain about our government, our Congress, and all that sort of thing. My friend, we put them in their offices; we voted for them. God lets the basest of men come to power. That ought to be humbling to all of us—from Washington, D.C., on down. You will never hear of someone who is trying to curry the favor of our leaders speaking on this verse at a Presidential breakfast or upon any occasion in Washington! This verse is quite upsetting, is it not?
History will substantiate the truth of this statement. The head of gold, Nebuchadnezzar, was insane; yet he was a brilliant ruler who formed the first world kingdom. He had times when he was as mad as a mad-hatter and didn’t even know who he was. As we have mentioned before, many of the great world rulers have suffered problems similar to his. And the reason our forefathers did not establish the United States of America as a kingdom is because they believed that no man could be trusted to rule. God has been demonstrating this now over quite a length of time: He “setteth up over it the basest of men.”
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee [Dan. 4:18].
Now Daniel will interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
TREE DREAM INTERPRETED BY DANIEL
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies [Dan. 4:19].
The dream is a great shock and a blow to Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar has become his friend, and Daniel is his prime minister. The first dream Nebuchadnezzar had dignified him, but this dream debases him. It is so bad that Daniel is reluctant to reveal it to the king.
Daniel resists whatever temptation there may have been to withhold from Nebuchadnezzar the full story. He is going to give the entire interpretation to the king. The question is often raised as to whether a doctor should tell his patient that he is suffering from a fatal disease. I personally feel that if a man is getting ready to take the biggest step of his life, he ought to know it—that is, if there is someone else who knows it. I have always appreciated the fact that my doctor, who is a Christian and a cancer specialist, said to me when he had discovered that I had cancer: “Dr. McGee, I’m going to tell you exactly what the situation is, because if I didn’t, you would never trust me.” I appreciated that. Many people simply want their doctor to butter them up and assure them they are well.
Daniel is going to lay it on the line to Nebuchadnezzar, and he uses a great deal of tact in approaching the problem. First, he tells Nebuchadnezzar that the good in the dream is for the enemies of the king.
The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth [Dan. 4:20–22].
The tree represents Nebuchadnezzar. He has grown strong and become great. He is a world ruler and has filled the then-civilized world. The picture here is of Nebuchadnezzar personally and of his dominion.
And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king [Dan. 4:23–24].
The tree (Nebuchadnezzar) is to be cut off but not totally rejected. For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar is to live with and like the beasts of the field. He won’t even recognize who he is.
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth inthe kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule [Dan. 4:25–26].
Daniel makes it clear why this dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar and why he is going to have this experience. Nebuchadnezzar is lifted up with pride which was evidenced when he made that tremendous image and forced all mankind to fall down and worship him. This man is certainly filled with pride, and now God is going to humble him. He is to be driven out of his palace, out to the pasture where he will take his abode with the oxen and forget what manner of man he was. However, God is also going to bring Nebuchadnezzar out of his insanity.
Evidently Nebuchadnezzar suffered from hysteria; some of the symptoms which are evident in his life are characteristic of this form of abnormality. One of the symptoms is excessive emotionalism, actually a sort of manic-depressive psychosis. One moment the patient is joyful and friendly, and the next he is morose and antagonistic. Someone has expressed it as “Easy gloom, easy glow”—it is an up and down state. Many people suffer from it to some extent. We all know people who are moody at times and then very joyful at others. But this was a very real problem for Nebuchadnezzar. It was a functional problem and not a structural one; it was not the result of some injury to his brain.
Nebuchadnezzar’s hysteria also manifested itself in amnesia. Those afflicted with this malady don’t know who they are for a period of time. There are those in mental institutions, for example, who think they are Napoleon or some such person. Nebuchadnezzar thought he was an animal.
Another thing that identifies hysteria is extreme egotism and pride. This became an obsession with Nebuchadnezzar (see Dan. 4:30). We saw how in verses 4 through 10, he talked about I, I, I—he had a bad case of perpendicular I-itis.
Pride is one of the things God hates, and it is something that characterizes man. Old Caesar Augustus said of a city which he captured, “I found it brick, I left it straw.” He had utterly destroyed it. Another caesar made the statement “I found Rome wood, and I left it marble.” You see, pride is the besetting sin of the human family. But what does man have to be proud of? Jeremiah 9:23–24 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, an righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
God’s salvation rules out pride—that is one thing you cannot have when you come to Christ for salvation. Paul said, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). We have nothing in which we can glory. Again, the apostle wrote, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). And finally, in 2 Corinthians 10:17, we read: “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Pride is number one on God’s “hate parade”—He hates pride (see Prov. 6:16–19). Our Lord Jesus gave us the ultimate example of humility: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).
Finally, it is characteristic of hysteria that it runs in cycles. In Nebuchadnezzar’s case, it was a cycle of seven years.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity [Dan. 4:27].
This man Nebuchadnezzar is disturbed within his own heart—he has no peace. He has brought peace to the world—there is no one to challenge his authority at this time—but he is living in sin. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that he needs to repent of and turn from his sins. He needs to turn to God and to a life of righteousness. Daniel advises him to repent in order to reverse the coming judgment. There is still hope for deliverance—Nebuchadnezzar could know the peace and tranquillity of God. I think this is God’s final warning to Nebuchadnezzar.
A great deal of the mental and emotional abnormalities that we see today are actually the result of spiritual problems. Now I do not say that they all are, as I know that there is sometimes a structural basis for such a problem. However, much of the disturbed condition we see in the lives of men is rooted in the spiritual condition of men. There is peace for them, if they would only come to Christ.
THE MENTAL MALADY OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? [Dan. 4:28–30].
Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the warning of Daniel. One year of grace went by before judgment fell. How patient God is! But His graciousness and longsuffering are not understood by the wicked (see Eccl. 8:11).
The king was on the verge of a break. He looked about his great kingdom, the kingdom which God had already told him that He had given to him. Despite that, Nebuchadnezzar now says, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built?”
There have been a multitude of men and women throughout history who have tried to build little empires, and they have looked upon them with pride. I sometimes have opportunity to advise young preachers, and I tell them, “Look fellows, don’t try to build a little empire of your church. I started out with that viewpoint, and I’ll be honest with you, I have never been more disturbed or unhappy as I was then.” This passage of Scripture in Daniel really spoke to me one day, and I realized I was trying to be an empire builder—and that wasn’t what God intended for me to be. My ministry is building the lives of people, not trying to build a great empire. So I tell young preachers, “Start building in the lives of people, and I think the Lord will let you have what He wants you to have.”
While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws [Dan. 4:31–33].
Nebuchadnezzar moves out of the palace, out yonder to live with nature. God deals with this man personally. As he departs from the plane of normality and rationality, his kingdom slips from him. The insane of that day were driven out rather than being placed in an institution for treatment. Under ordinary circumstances Nebuchadnezzar would never have been able to return to the throne; yet God promised that he would do so after he had learned his lesson.
History corroborates this event in the life of Nebuchadnezzar. Dr. Philip R. Newell has this note from Albert Barnes, “Josephus attributes to the Babylonian historian, Berosus, a definite reference concerning a strange malady suffered by Nebuchadnezzar before his death” (Daniel, the Man Greatly Beloved, and His Prophecies, p. 54).
DREAM FULFILLED AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S REASON RESTORED
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation [Dan. 4:34].
His understanding comes back to him, and he adds these brief words to the testimony which he gave at the opening of this chapter.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? [Dan. 4:35].
Nebuchadnezzar has learned now that God is running things, that He is in control of this universe. Nebuchadnezzar accepted this thing that had come to him as the will of God for him, yielding his proud mind to the will of God. That is what a great many believers need to do today.
At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase [Dan. 4:36–37].
Nebuchadnezzar’s reason returned to him. His position as king of Babylon was restored to him, and his officials once again surrounded him. The kingdom was not jeopardized during his long period of absence, and added majesty came to him because he had now come to the knowledge of the living and true God.
CHAPTER 5
Theme: Feast of Belshazzar; fingers of God write upon the wall; failure of the wise men to read the handwriting; Daniel spurns the king’s gifts; Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall; fall of Babylon—fulfillment that very night
The events recorded in chapter 5 took place a great deal later than those in the previous chapters. Again, this is just a page lifted from the historical records of Babylon, and much has taken place since the events of chapter 4.
FEAST OF BELSHAZZAR
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand [Dan. 5:1].
Now who was Belshazzar and how did he get to the throne? In the previous chapter the king was Nebuchadnezzar. Belshazzar has been a controversial figure in history, so we do need to take a moment to look at him. Even Dean Farrar said, “There was no such king as Belshazzar.” John Walvoord in his book Daniel, the Key to Prophetic Revelation, p. 114, states: “Until the discovery of the Nabonidus Cylinder, no mention of Belshazzar, whom Daniel declares to be king of Babylon, had been found in extrabiblical literature. Critics of the authenticity and historicity of Daniel accordingly were free to question whether any such person as Belshazzar existed. Since the publication of Raymond Dougherty’s scholarly research on Nabonidus and Belshazzar, based on the Nabonidus Cylinder and other sources, there is no ground for questioning the general historicity of Belshazzar ….” The name of Bel-shar-usur (Belshazzar) has been found on cylinders in which he is called the son of Nabonidus. It is now generally accepted that Belshazzar acted as a regent under his father, Nabonidus.
A resumé of the events which succeeded Nebuchadnezzar’s reign would be helpful at this point. At the death of Nebuchadnezzar his only son, Evil-merodach, succeeded him, at about 561 b.c. (see 2 Kings 25:27). Evilmerodach was murdered by Nergal-sharezer who had married one of Nebuchadnezzar’s daughters and now replaced him on the throne in about 559 b.c Nergal-sharezer was succeeded by his young son who reigned only a few months before he was murdered by Nabonidus (the husband of another of Nebuchadnezzar’s daughters). Nabonidus, the last ruler of the Babylonian empire, spent much of his time away from the kingdom on foreign expeditions, and Belshazzar his son remained at Babylon as his co-regent. All this reveals the accuracy of what Jeremiah the prophet had said: “And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him” (Jer. 27:6–7). In other words, the Babylonian kingdom would last through the reign of a son and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and then the reign of the Babylonian kingdom as the head of gold would end.
We have further evidence of Belshazzar from a prayer of Nabonidus to the moon god for his son which was discovered on a clay cylinder: “My son, the offspring of my heart, might honor his godhead and not give himself to sin.” Herodotus, the Greek historian, also mentions this and confirms it.
During the time of the events recorded in chapter 5, Nabonidus was on the field of battle while Belshazzar his son remained in Babylon. We will notice that when Belshazzar offers Daniel a position in the kingdom, it is to be the third ruler in the kingdom. Why not second to Belshazzar? Well, Belshazzar himself was number two—his father was really the king.
During the feast of Belshazzar introduced here in verse 1, Gobryas, the Median general, was besieging the city of Babylon from without. Xenophon, the Greek historian, describes how they took the city by detouring a canal of the Euphrates River back into its main channel and then letting the army flow under the walls of the city.
Therefore the events of this chapter, which for many years had been discounted by the critics, have today been confirmed by secular history. I would rather say that secular history has been confirmed by the Word of God. We know that historians are sometimes liars, and we cannot always depend upon their writings. However, here the historical research does agree with the account of Scripture.
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.” Note the arrogance of this young upstart Belshazzar who puts on this lavish affair while the armies of Gobryas were in full view of the city. Perhaps Belshazzar thought the city was impregnable. Nebuchadnezzar had built it to withstand any siege. The city wall was actually fifteen miles square and was constructed of brick. It was three hundred feet high and wide enough for four chariots to travel abreast around the city walls. In other words, they could have put a freeway around the top of the city. He had supplies of grain and water to last for years—in fact, there was a canal channeled off the Euphrates River which went right through the city.
Belshazzar’s feast may have been in defiance of the enemy on the outside, or perhaps he wanted to build up the morale of those within. We are told here that it began with a big cocktail party.
Liquor today is a temporary prop for weak men and women, and alcohol is still the number one drug problem in the United States. I thought it rather ironical when a group of well-meaning citizens in Los Angeles—leaders from the schools, the churches, and politics—met together to discuss the drug problem among young people. You know how they opened their meeting? With a cocktail party! How hypocritical can you be? My friend, there are far more alcoholics in this country than drug addicts. Do you know that more than half of those killed in traffic accidents each year have alcohol in their blood at the time of the accident? Many billions of dollars are spent annually by Americans for alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is doing great damage—in automobile accidents and in homes being absolutely wrecked. The liquor problem is an alarming problem, and it is a problem common to all of mankind. Many nations have gone down because of liquor—and not because of marijuana. Don’t misunderstand me—I am not supporting the use of marijuana. I just cannot get enthusiastic about these reformers who want to solve the drug problem but will not give up their alcohol. I don’t care for that hypocrisy.
Old Belshazzar started off with a big cocktail party to get his guests high so they would enjoy the banquet that he was also going to put on for them.
Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them [Dan. 5:2–3].
This man is not only defying the enemy outside, but now under the influence of alcohol he does an audacious thing which his grandfather would never have done. When Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, he was an old, pagan, heathen king, and he took the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem. But when he came to the knowledge of the living and true God, he had them stored away. To Belshazzar as a boy growing up in the palace, I guess they were a no-no—he had to leave those vessels alone. Now he drags them out and is going to serve his guests with them.
The vessels were no longer holy vessels. Holy means “that which is set aside for the use of God.” However, Belshazzar is defying God by this act. And men today are defying God by their actions. We are prompted to speak out and to wonder why God doesn’t deal with such people. My friend, God has plenty of time. He will take care of the situation, just as He is going to take care of Belshazzar.
Belshazzar knew that his grandfather had come to the knowledge of God and had praised and honored Him (see v. 22); yet he deliberately defied and profaned God. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Everyone at the banquet was now beastly drunk. It was a scene of real debauchery and licentiousness. Ever since I was a boy, I have heard preachers preach on this banquet of Belshazzar—it must have been a real banquet according to some of them! One of the preachers talked about the dancing girls and the drinking and the laughter and all that sort of thing. If the truth were told, the sermon was like a vicarious trip to a nightclub, and we all enjoyed it. However, Scripture gives us no such details.
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone [Dan. 5:4].
They toasted the gods, and it would have taken more than one night to toast all they had in Babylon. They cloaked their sin as an act of worship and veiled their blasphemy in the name of religion.
FINGERS OF GOD WRITE UPON THE WALL
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote [Dan. 5:5].
God now directly intervenes. He does not speak by dream or vision because this is a man whom He doesn’t intend to reach. God would not endure this impious insult to heaven, so He writes on the wall of the banqueting hall. Is it done in anger? Very frankly, I think it is, and I believe the One who wrote this is the same One who wrote in the sand when they brought a sinful woman before Him (John 8:1–11). At that time it was a message of forgiveness; here, for Belshazzar, it is a message of doom. He has ignored the God of heaven, as Daniel will soon make clear to him.
Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another [Dan. 5:6].
Belshazzar couldn’t stand up. A few moments ago he had been too drunk to stand up. Although he’s suddenly sober he still cannot stand up. What he has seen on the wall has scared him nearly to death; he is overwhelmed with fear.
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom [Dan. 5:7].
Notice that the reward was to be “the third ruler in the kingdom.” How accurate Daniel is! The man who wrote this book had to have been there and understood the circumstances: Nabonidus was the real king, and Belshazzar was only second in the kingdom.
FAILURE OF THE WISE MEN TO READ THE HANDWRITING
Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof [Dan. 5:8].
When Belshazzar finally got his senses back he had the wise men trotted in, and he asked them to give the interpretation of the writing on the wall. Although he offered them a handsome reward, they could only stand there looking at him. They didn’t know the answer, and they didn’t know what to do. This is the third time the wise men of Babylon have failed. On the third strike, you’re out, you know—think maybe this incident put them out of business.
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied [Dan. 5:9].
You can imagine the change which took place in that banquet room. A few moments before they all had been laughing and drunk. Now they are sober and perplexed and troubled.
Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed [Dan. 5:10].
The “queen” here is the queen mother, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar. She heard what had happened at the banquet, and she came in to speak to the king.
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers [Dan. 5:11].
“Nebuchadnezzar thy father”—relationships were indicated with one word; therefore “father” could refer to a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, or a great-great-grandfather.
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation [Dan. 5:12].
The queen mother has come to help her grandson out of his predicament. She tells him there is a man in his kingdom by the name of Daniel, a Spirit-filled man, who can decipher the writing.
DANIEL SPURNS THE KING’S GIFTS
Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee [Dan. 5:13–14].
Daniel is now brought in. He evidently had been set aside and pushed out of office after the death of Nebuchadnezzar.
And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom [Dan. 5:15–16].
Belshazzar butters him up and tells him that if he can give the interpretation which the wise men have failed to give, then he will be made the third ruler in the kingdom. Thus Daniel is offered the same reward which had been offered to the wise men.
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation [Dan. 5:17].
Daniel spurned these gifts. He was absolutely contemptuous of Belshazzar. I am sure that if the king had not been so filled with fear, he would not have ignored Daniel’s insult. After all, why did Daniel need this reward? He would not have had it but for a few hours.
Before Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall, he gives to this young king who is reigning under his father the best sermon he probably ever could receive. Daniel is not the young man who went into the presence of old King Nebuchadnezzar; he is now an old man going into the presence of a young king. There had been no generation gap with Nebuchadnezzar, and there is not one now. Listen to what Daniel tells Belshazzar:
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down [Dan. 5:18–19].
Nebuchadnezzar had been an absolute ruler on this earth. I believe there has not been another ruler like him and there will not be another until Antichrist rules. Daniel recites for Belshazzar how God had dealt with his grandfather: God had put him on the throne and had given him a world kingdom. Then he tells Belshazzar of the experience Nebuchadnezzar had had:
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written [Dan. 5:20–24].
Daniel preaches a very pointed and powerful sermon to Belshazzar. God had given the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar, and he had been an absolute sovereign whom no man could question or hinder and whose wishes and whims were the law of the realm. However, when Nebuchadnezzar became filled with pride, God humbled him to a tragic episode. When Daniel reminds Belshazzar of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliating experience, you wonder if Daniel is rubbing it in. Perhaps he is. He is reminding this young proud king that if he is lifted up by pride, it is either because of his drinking or because he is insane.
Belshazzar was a proud and vain man. Although he knew of his grandfather’s insanity and of his descent to the level of a beast, he had not profited by this experience. Instead, he had committed sacrilege in using the vessels taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. He had defied the living and true God; and, by the profane use of that which had been holy, he had mocked God and insulted Him. Knowing the truth, he yet rejected it.
God destroys only those who have known the truth and have refused it. During the Great Tribulation Period those who will be deluded are those who have rejected the light. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Daniel is telling Belshazzar the principle by which God operates and which Paul has also since confirmed. The Lord Jesus also made this very clear when He said: “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:43).
The people in Germany who accepted Hitler were the same people that had rejected the Word of God in Christ. When you turn your back on the truth, you are wide open for any cult or ism which comes along. Why is it that cults and isms are growing today? Why is it that we hear so much about demonism and the worship of Satan? These things are being manifested in our nation because it is a nation that has had the Word of God and has rejected it.
We desperately need the teaching of the Word of God. We have enough preaching—we have enough people telling us what they think. What does God say? What difference does it make what you or I think? What God thinks—that is what is important.
Daniel concludes his sermon by stating that the handwriting was from God whom Belshazzar had spurned and ridiculed and blasphemed. Some people wonder if he had committed an unpardonable sin. I’ll let you answer that. I just know that he had an opportunity here to receive the truth, and he turned it down.
DANIEL INTERPRETS THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN [Dan. 5:25].
Ican’t resist telling you the story of a man who was a foreigner in this country and was finally persuaded by his daughter to go to church, although he had great difficulty understanding English. However, he agreed to go with his daughter, Minnie, on the Sunday the preacher had unfortunately chosen for his text the account of this writing on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. As soon as the preacher mentioned this, the man grabbed Minnie his daughter by the hand and took her out of the church. “Father, what in the world is the matter?” she asked. With a very heavy accent, he replied, “Did you hear what that preacher said? He said, “Minnie, Minnie, come tickle the parson’!” Well, that is not the interpretation of this writing upon Belshazzar’s wall. Daniel gives the interpretation:
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it [Dan. 5:26].
MENE is translated “number,” and it is repeated—Number, Number. It meant that God had numbered the kingdom of Babylon. We have a common colloquialism today, “His number is up” That is an accurate expression of the idea here. Also, in Psalm 90:12, we read, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Only God knows when “our number is up”—when our earthly journey is over.
There was a young man who had never flown on a plane before, and his friends were encouraging him to take a trip to California. Well, he didn’t want to go because he was afraid the plane might go down. His friends assured him, “It doesn’t matter where you are—if your number’s up, it’s up—whether you’re on a plane or not.” But the boy said, “I’m not worried about my number being up. I just worry whether it’s time for the pilot’s number to be up. If it is, I’d rather not be on that plane!”
“MENE, MENE” means that God had numbered the Babylonian kingdom. He keeps track of every moment of every day. He determines beforehand the length of our days, and we cannot change that.
Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting [Dan. 5:27].
Tekel simply means “weight.” Babylon had been put on the divine scales and had been found wanting. The people of Babylon didn’t weigh enough—they were lightweight. God had raised up Babylon, and now He is going to put it down. Why? Because Babylon had not measured up to God’s standards.
We read in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation about the seven churches of Asia Minor. There we see the Lord Jesus in the midst of the lampstands which represent the churches. He trims the wicks, pours in the oil, and snuffs out those which fail to light. He also judges the church today. Now we may weigh out at sixteen ounces to the pound on the Toledo scales we have down here, but Christ weighs us on the divine scale, and he had to say to every one of the churches, “Repent. You haven’t measured up.” He says the same thing to you and me today. Our righteousness is not only insufficient, it is filthy rags. Only His righteousness is going to stand the test and weigh out at sixteen ounces to the pound. Romans 3:21–23 says, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” You see, God weighs the actions of mankind.
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians [Dan. 5:28].
PERES is the singular form of UPHARSIN (as it was given in verse 25), and it means “divisions.” The kingdom of Babylon is now to be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. In other words, the head of gold is to be removed; it is now time for the arms of silver to come into place. God is in supreme command of the kingdoms of the earth. Ezekiel wrote, “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him” (Ezek. 21:27). God will continue to turn over kingdoms until Christ comes. I think He is doing a pretty good job. I remember a few years ago when Mussolini and Hitler and Stalin were real terrors to the world—all that crowd is gone now. God is still in charge, and Christ is that “stone … cut out without hands” (Dan. 2:34) who is going to establish His kingdom down here someday.
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom [Dan. 5:29].
Again, note that it is “the third ruler in the kingdom.” How accurate the Book of Daniel is. Nabonidus was really the king, and Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, was second in command.
FALL OF BABYLON—FULFILLMENT THAT VERY NIGHT
In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old [Dan. 5:30–31].
Athe very time this banquet was being held, the Medes were marching underneath the walls of Babylon where the waters of the canal had flowed. As I mentioned earlier, underneath the wall of that city had been a canal which had brought water through the city, and now the waters had been cut off and channeled back into the main stream of the Euphrates River. This man Gobryas was marching his army into the inner city where the palace was located. History records that he and his men were on the inside of the inner city before the guards had even detected that anything was wrong. It is Xenophon, the Greek historian, who recorded for secular history the way in which the Persians took the city.
Belshazzar was slain—he had been weighed and found wanting. God does that, and He uses His scale and His standards. He says to you and me, “… all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). You and I are not 100 percent wool, a yard wide and warranted not to wrinkle or unravel. We just do not measure up to God’s standard. We are not on trial today; we are lost, and God is offering us salvation. Belshazzar had rejected God, and he was slain.
Darius the Median became the ruler of the kingdom of silver. He came with a sudden attack and destroyed Babylon. Isaiah had prophesied the fall of Babylon in Isaiah 21. In a future day another Babylon will fall by the hands of God (see Rev. 18)—thus will end man’s vaunted civilization.
CHAPTER 6
Theme: Position of Daniel under Darius the Mede; plot to destroy Daniel; prayer of Daniel; Daniel in the den of lions; Daniel’s deliverance; prosperity of Daniel and the decree of Darius
Chapter 6 of the Book of Daniel is perhaps one of the most familiar in the Bible and certainly is the most well-known of this book. It is the account of Daniel in the den of lions. Have you ever stopped to think that Daniel spent only one night in the den of lions, but he spent a lifetime—from a boy of seventeen until he was about ninety—in the palace of pagan kings? It was more dangerous to live in that palace than it was to spend a night in the den of lions. The lions could not touch him, but yonder in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus, Belshazzar, Darius the Median, and Cyrus who were pagan men, Daniel was in constant danger. However, he had the privilege of leading some of these men to a knowledge of the living and true God.
Daniel spent only one night in the den of lions, but we are going to look at it because it has a message for us today. This chapter concludes the strictly historical section of the Book of Daniel, and each historical event has been recorded for us for a purpose. This particular episode in Daniel’s life is another illustration of the keeping power of God, and it is another adumbration of the way in which God will protect the remnant during the Great Tribulation Period. This chapter is a counterpart of chapter 3 where God preserved Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. As there was a question as to the whereabouts of Daniel in chapter 3, there is also a question as to the whereabouts of the three Hebrew children here in chapter 6. Surely they would have followed Daniel in his obedience to God. Perhaps, since there has been a lapse of time, they are no longer living.
Chapters 3 and 6, therefore, give two aspects of the preservation of the remnant—both of Israel and of the Gentiles—during the Great Tribulation Period. In chapter 3 the emphasis is upon the pressures which are brought to bear by human hatred and persecution. In this chapter the emphasis is rather upon satanic hatred and persecution. The message for us today is, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). You and I live in a lions’ cage. That cage is the world, and there is a big roaring lion prowling up and down the cage. Peter calls him our adversary, the Devil.
POSITION OF DANIEL UNDER DARIUS THE MEDE
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;
And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage [Dan. 6:1–2].
With the opening of this chapter, we have again moved ahead historically. The kingdom of Babylon, the head of gold, has now disappeared; it has been removed from the number one spot of world power. Instead of Babylon, we have the Medo-Persian empire, which was represented by the arms of silver in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. “Darius” is the Darius Cyaxares II of secular history, and he ruled for only two years. Cyrus, who followed him, was the son of Darius’ sister Mundane and of Cambyses the Persian. This was what brought the empire together into the Medo-Persian Empire which now ruled the world.
Although we have moved into another empire, we still find Daniel in the position of prime minister under Darius the Mede. When we were considering the multimetallic image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay (ch. 2), we suggested that it pictured deterioration in a number of ways. There was deterioration in position, in the type of metal, etc. Here we can see that the inferiority of this kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar’s is quite evident. Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was autocratic and absolute—he did not share authority with anyone. Darius had “an hundred and twenty princes” who shared the responsibility and leadership with him. Over this group Darius placed “three presidents” who served as liaison officers between the princes and the king. There was therefore a distribution of responsibility and rulership. We are told that these three presidents (Daniel was one of them) held their position so that “the king should have no damage.” This suggests that the presidents were to prevent the princes from stealing from or undermining the king in any way. Daniel was number one of the three presidents, and I take it that he was a man of about eighty years of age at this time.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm [Dan. 6:3].
Daniel not only had seniority in this group, he had superiority. That he possessed “an excellent spirit” means Daniel was a Spirit-filled man. The king had such confidence in him that he placed Daniel next to himself in position and power.
PLOT TO DESTROY DANIEL
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him [Dan. 6:4].
One thing is for sure: When you find yourself the number one man in any position—whether it be in church, in politics, in school, or even in the home—you are the one who will be watched by those who have a jealous spirit. If there is a flaw in your life, if you have an Achilles’ heel, they are going to discover that weak spot and may use it against you.
Now Daniel had a remarkable life behind him. These men could not find anything in this man’s character or in his past life which they could seize upon and make something of. There has been many a politician who wished he had lived and acted a little differently— actually, that could be said of mankind generally.
Today a child of God ought to live so that the charges which inevitably will be leveled against him will be a lie. You cannot keep people from talking about you, but you can so live as to make them liars when they do talk about you. The apostle Paul enjoins all believers: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). This was Paul’s personal testimony— “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). In other words, Paul could lie down at night and go to sleep, and he did not have a bad conscience troubling him. That ought to be true of every believer. Someone has said that a conscience is something that only a good man can enjoy.
Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God [Dan. 6:5].
Daniel was different—God had made His people different. When he was first brought to the court of Nebuchadnezzar as a boy slave, he had asked for a different diet. From then on, the life of Daniel was different, and these men were aware of that. They said, “If we are going to find anything wrong with him, we are going to have to find it in his religion.” When they said “wrong,” they meant something which they could accuse him of before the king. The only vulnerable spot in Daniel, as these politicians saw it, was his religion. This was certainly a case of Daniel’s good being “evil-spoken of” They knew that Daniel was faithful to God and was dependent upon Him. His prayer life was something that was well-known. Therefore, they are going to have to draw a conflict between the king and Daniel’s religion.
Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions [Dan. 6:6–7].
The plot of these princes and presidents and petty politicians was very subtle. King Darius was a good man. That is obvious from secular history, and I think it is certainly the implication of the Book of Daniel. But Darius had a vulnerable spot (many of us have it), and that was his vanity—he yielded to flattery.
One of the tragedies of our day is that there are many Christians, especially of financial means, who give only to organizations where the leader of the organization flatters them and butters them up. It is my conviction that we do not need to stoop to flattering people to get them to contribute financially to a ministry; God will speak to people’s hearts, if He wants them to support a ministry.
A long time ago I discovered that I am not as bad as my enemies say and I am not nearly as good as my friends say that I am. There is always a danger of being carried away by flattery. I used to tell my students in seminary, “Fellows, it does not matter how poor a preacher you are or what church you are in, the Lord will always have some dear lady who will tell you how wonderful you are. She will come up to you after you have preached the lousiest sermon in the world, and she will tell you, ‘My, I think you are another Dwight L. Moody on the scene!’ It is nice to have such dear ladies who want to encourage you like that, but just don’t believe them. There is a danger if you do.”
These men flattered Darius, and he yielded to it. He thought, My, this is great! So he drafted a bill, and it was made a statute. He thus elevated himself to the position of deity, and prayer was to be offered only to him.
Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree [Dan. 6:8–9].
Darius yielded to his weakness, and now this decree which has gone out, signed by the king, cannot be changed. Even the king of the Medes and Persians himself cannot change it after it has been passed. All this puts Daniel in a bad spot.
PRAYER OF DANIEL
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime [Dan. 6:10].
Notice the reaction of Daniel to this new law. He did not do anything audacious or foolhardy when he opened those windows—he had been doing that for years. He simply did not back down. He did not act in a cowardly and compromising manner by closing the windows but went about his usual prayer life.
I would like to note that he kneeled to pray. The proper posture of prayer is often a question. I really doubt that the posture of prayer is the important thing. Victor Hugo said that the soul is on its knees many times regardless of the position of the body. The posture of the spirit of the man is what is important. However, if you want to select a posture for prayer, it is kneeling, and that is set before us here.
Notice also that Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem. That was the direction of Daniel’s life, and he didn’t intend to change because of Darius’ decree. When away from the temple in Jerusalem, God’s people of that day were to pray facing in that direction. Today, no earthly place is preferred above another; the Lord Jesus said, “… ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father …. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21, 24).
Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God [Dan. 6:11].
These men were waiting for Daniel, and that was really a compliment. This man had a reputation, and they had a feeling that he would not back down from his convictions.
Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him [Dan. 6:12–14].
These men called attention to the fact that Daniel was disobeying: he was at an open window praying toward Jerusalem. Believe me, this was something which distressed the king. Darius could not change his own law; Nebuchadnezzar would have been able to. This is evidence of the deterioration from one kingdom to the next.
Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed [Dan. 6:15].
Daniel is to be put in the den of lions, and there is nothing the king can do about it.
DANIEL IN THE DEN OF LIONS
Then the king commanded and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee [Dan. 6:16].
I am of the opinion that the king did not believe what he said. It was like one of the halfhearted things some of us saints say today. We tell someone else, “Oh, the Lord will take care of you,” but if we were in that predicament, we wouldn’t quite trust Him like that. King Darius, though, had come a long way. He recognized that the God of Daniel was omnipotent and sovereign and could deliver him. He also saw that Daniel was faithful to God. Daniel’s testimony in the dissolute court of two world powers was nothing short of miraculous. His unaffected and unassuming life was a powerful witness to the saving grace of God in that day.
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel [Dan. 6:17].
They put a stone against the mouth of the den of lions, and Daniel spent the night down there. These lions were fierce and wild beasts—they were not toothless old lions.
There is the story about the man who got a job at a zoo, and he was asked to go into the lions’ cage to feed the lions. When he refused, the keeper said, “Look, those lions are toothless!” The man replied, “Yes, I noticed that, but they could gum me to death.”
Daniel’s lions had teeth, and they were fierce, but the safest place that night just happened to be the den of lions. I think Daniel got a pretty good night’s sleep down there. The interesting thing is that the king was more disturbed than Daniel and was probably in more danger.
DANIEL’S DELIVERANCE
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him [Dan. 6:18].
The king didn’t sleep, but Daniel did! Darius passed a sleepless night due to his concern for Daniel.
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? [Dan. 6:19–20].
I don’t know if the king expected Daniel to answer, but Daniel answered:
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My god hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt [Dan. 6:21–22].
“O king, live for ever” was Daniel’s polite and respectful greeting. It was as if Daniel said, “Did you have a good night?” And of course, the king hadn’t had a good night, but Daniel had.
Daniel evidently had been given the same assurance as had his three friends in the fiery furnace that God could and would deliver him. “His angel” was evidently the same One Nebuchadnezzar had seen in the fiery furnace—the pre-incarnate Christ Himself.
Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God [Dan. 6:23].
The king loved Daniel and was sincerely delighted at his preservation. Daniel was saved by faith: “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions” (Heb. 11:33, italics mine).
And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den [Dan. 6:24].
The dastardly plot of those who were enemies of Daniel was uncovered. Together with their families, they were cast into the den of lions. The viciousness of the lions is now demonstrated in all its hideousness.
PROSPERITY OF DANIEL AND THE DECREE OF DARIUS
Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you [Dan. 6:25].
Darius sent out a worldwide decree which was his personal testimony. He had found the same peace that had come to Nebuchadnezzar (see Dan. 4:1). This testimony of peace comes from the same man who could not sleep the night before.
I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions [Dan. 6:26–27].
Darius commands men to fear the God of Daniel and testifies that He is the living God (in contrast to idols) and that He is sovereign. Darius was brought to God through the miracle of the den of lions.
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian [Dan. 6:28].
Daniel’s position was secure, and he maintained it to the end of his life which came during the reign of Cyrus. It was Cyrus who made the decree permitting the Jews to return to Palestine (see 2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:11).
This concludes the strictly historical section of the Book of Daniel. From this point on the book will be mainly concerned with the visions and prophecies which were given to Daniel over the long period of his life spent in a foreign land.
CHAPTER 7
Theme: Daniel’s vision of the four beasts; the visions of the Son of Man coming in clouds of heaven; the definition of the four beasts; the explanation of the fourth beast
Chapter 7 opens a new and different section of the Book of Daniel. The first six chapters contained the historic night with prophetic light; the last six chapters are prophetic light in the historic night. Whereas in the first section of the book the emphasis was upon the historical, the emphasis will now be on the prophetic, yet still with an historical background.
God gives to Daniel several visions of four beasts which are quite remarkable. Daniel had these visions at different periods. The vision of chapter 7 was in the first year of King Belshazzar. In chapter 8 the vision was seen in the third year of the reign of Belshazzar. In chapter 9 it was in the first year of Darius; in chapter 10 it was the third year of Cyrus; and in chapters 11 and 12 the vision was seen in the first year of Darius. Daniel did not record these visions in the historical section but gathered these prophetic visions together in this second section of his book.
DANIEL’S VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was a very brilliant man who found himself suddenly elevated to the position of the first great world ruler. He had territory on three continents. He had taken Egypt in North Africa, and he also had territory in Europe. He had a tremendous empire, greater than any the world had ever known. But Nebuchadnezzar wondered about the future: What would happen to him and to his empire? He dreamed a dream about a multimetallic image, and through Daniel God gave the interpretation of the dream (see Dan. 2).
There were four different kinds of metals in Nebuchadnezzar’s image—not five, but four metals. Now Daniel’s vision of the beasts is of four beasts—the lion, the bear, the panther (or leopard), and a composite beast which has been called a nondescript beast. The last was a wild-looking animal which has never been seen on land or sea or in the air—it simply does not exist as a real beast. Well, after he had had visions and dreams like that, I don’t think Daniel slept much that night. He probably got a better night’s sleep in the den of lions than he did the night he had this dream!
I imagine that, after God gave him Nebuchadnezzar’s image dream and its interpretation, Daniel was quite puzzled. As a good student and follower of the Old Testament, Daniel knew of the covenant which God had made with David—that One was coming in his line who would be a world ruler. Now with the four world kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream before him, he wondered how God’s plan and program of raising up a world ruler from David would fit into all this. The rest of the Book of Daniel is going to answer that question. It will give us world history prewritten, history that has been followed right down to the minutest detail for twenty-five hundred years since the time it was written.
God speaks to Daniel through his vision of the four beasts to satisfy his heart and to give him the explanation he needed. In Daniel’s vision of the multimetallic image the outward splendor and glory of the kingdoms was demonstrated—that was what God knew would attract Nebuchadnezzar’s attention. But in the vision He gives to Daniel, God lets him in on the inward character and the true nature of these kingdoms. What are these kingdoms? These are like wild beasts, carnivorous in nature, and destructive killers every one of them.
The four beasts of Daniel’s vision of course correspond to the four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision. In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the historian Edward Gibbon, who was not a Christian, said, “The four empires are clearly delineated; and the invincible armies of the Romans are described with as much clearness in the prophecies of Daniel, as in the histories of Justin and Diodorus.” The following chart summarizes the correspondence between the two visions and the four kingdoms they represent:
MULTI-METALLIC IMAGE
FOUR BEASTS
NATIONS DESIGNATED
(Chapter 2)
(Chapter 7)
Head of Gold
Lion
Babylon
Arms of Silver
Bear
Media-Persia
Sides of Brass
Panther (leopard)
Graeco-Macedonia
Legs of Iron; Feet of Iron and Clay
Composite beast
Rome
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters [Dan. 7:1].
The time of this vision is pinpointed historically for us in the first year of Belshazzar; that is, toward the end of the time that the head of gold, or Babylon, was ruling in the world. Belshazzar was reigning in Babylon the night Gobryas came with his army under the city wall where the canal had once flowed and took the city.
“Visions” suggests that the first three beasts are given in the first vision, the second vision concerned the fourth beast only, and the third vision is a scene in heaven. Therefore, there are actually three visions which are recorded here.
“He wrote the dream.” Daniel was in obscurity in Babylon at this time, and I think he had more opportunity to give attention to the Word of God and to writing. Perhaps it was in this period that he recorded the first part of the Book of Daniel.
Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea [Dan. 7:2].
The four winds broke violently “upon the great sea,” that is, upon the Mediterranean Sea, for that is the word given to it. The “winds” speak of agitation, propaganda, public opinion, and disturbance. The “sea” suggests the masses, the mob, and the peoples of the Gentiles (see Matt. 13:47; Rev. 13:1; Isa. 57:20). In Revelation we read: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters …. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:1, 15). The sea, therefore, is this conglomerate population of Gentiles throughout the world.
Customarily the wind blows from only one direction at a time, but here it is a tornado of great violence with the wind coming from all directions. It refers not only to the disturbed conditions out of which these four nations arose, but particularly to the last stage of the fourth kingdom (vv. 11, 12, 17) in which certain ideologies shall strive to capture the thinking of the disturbed masses of all nations and tribes. We are in that last stage of the fourth kingdom today. We are very close, apparently, to the time when the Roman Empire will be brought back together again. It still exists—it lives in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and all the nations in Europe which were in the Roman Empire. All it needs is someone who will put it back together. We apparently are near that time—how near I do not think we even ought to spec
All these nations are to be brought back together with their different ideologies, forms of government, and viewpoints. At this point we should call attention to the deadly parallel between the circumstances herein described and our own modern world situation. This is the reason I say we are evidently drawing toward the end of the age. Entire continents are awakening today, and all are demanding a place in the sun. People who have had a primitive civilization for centuries have suddenly been catapulted into the jet age. Radios and missiles have changed the thinking of the masses. New ideologies have captured their minds, and our disturbed world is desperately trying to avoid World War III.
I wonder if you have noticed as you listen to radio and look at television today that we are being brainwashed? All kinds of propaganda are being given to us. The disturbed masses are being fed propaganda. I do not mind confessing that I am interested in giving out propaganda also—the propaganda of the Word of God. I wish that I could brainwash everyone who reads this book and make him a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the “little horn” of this chapter who will succeed in capturing the minds of the masses. He is described as having “a mouth speaking great things” (v. 8). He is going to sell himself to the world when he appears. He will be Satan’s man. The Lord Jesus said, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:43).
Humanism today is glorifying mankind everywhere. They are glorifying public officials, and they are glorifying stage and screen actors (who also glorify one another). These are the people who are in control of the various media today. They have made the theater respectable, whereas it was clearly the theater which corrupted the morals of the Greeks and which is corrupting our morals today.
I hear young people talking about their “freedom,” but they use the same line of talk and wear the same clothes that can be found everywhere across the country. They really have no freedom at all. People are being brainwashed today. We would all be better off if we would get brainwashed with the Word of God.
This is a frightful picture and a disturbed scene that Daniel is presenting to us. Don’t misunderstand me—I am not saying that what we see today is a fulfillment of prophecy. I am simply saying that the winds are beginning to blow; it may be a pretty long storm.
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another [Dan. 7:3].
The four beasts are different kinds of beasts: the lion, the bear, the panther, and the beast with ten horns. I have never seen a beast with ten horns except in this book. These beasts represent kingdoms formed out of many peoples, tongues, tribes, and nations.
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it [Dan. 7:4].
The lion with eagle’s wings represents Babylon in particular. King Nebuchadnezzar is intended also, as verse 17 declares that the four beasts represent four kings.
This lion had eagle’s wings, and that makes it an unusual lion. These eagle’s wings denote the ability that Babylon had of moving an army speedily, which has been the secret of any great world power down through history. It was a Tennessean named Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest who, when he was asked how to win battles, said, The one that gets there “the first with the most” is the one that is going to win. Nebuchadnezzar had the ability to move an army speedily, and that was the thing which brought him to world power. Such was the secret of Alexander the Great, the Roman caesars, and of course Napoleon. The coming in of the airplane was significant in World War I, and then World War II was won largely by air power. The one who can move the quickest with the greatest power will be the world ruler. This was true of Babylon in the past, and it will probably be the determining factor in the future.
“The wings thereof were plucked” evidently refers to the humbling of Nebuchadnezzar in his mental lapse and loss of identity.
“And made stand upon the feet as a man”—denotes Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration. He became like a beast and acted like one, but his mind was restored, and he was brought back to sanity.
“A man’s heart was given to it.” I believe this refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s conversion. I think he came to know the living and true God.
The lion corresponds to the head of gold, Babylon. Today she is a heap of ruins; but, as predicted by Jeremiah, those very ruins bear eloquent testimony to the outward glory that was hers. Among those ruins one can see a proud lion standing on a pedestal; it was the thing which represented that great empire. Excavation of the city of Babylon reveals the glory that was once there. The hanging gardens of Babylon were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar had married a girl from the hill country, but since Babylon was built down on a plain—just like west Texas—he built the hanging gardens for her so that she wouldn’t be homesick. It was a thing of great beauty. There was also a great ziggurat evidently patterned after the Tower of Babel. It was made of brick, and around it like a corkscrew ran a runway that went to the top. There at the top were altars on which were offered human sacrifices. The Babylonians had a postal system second to none. They had interior bathtubs with brass plumbing. They were a literate people with a tremendous library there in the city. Around the city was a three hundred foot high wall, wide enough that four chariots could ride abreast upon it, and which well protected the entire city.
While the head of gold on the multimetallic image represents the outward glory of this advanced civilization, the cruel nature of the lion describes the brutal paganism of this kingdom which is clearly illustrated in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Daniel.
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh [Dan. 7:5].
The bear, representing the kingdom of Media-Persia, corresponds to the arms of silver of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. As the bear raised itself up on one side, the image was ambidextrous. First he struck with the strong left hand of Medes, conquering Babylon; then he followed through with the right uppercut of the Persians who took over Egypt and the rest of the world which had been ruled by Babylon.
“Three ribs in the mouth” are the three kingdoms that constituted this empire: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt.
There are no wings on this bear, but it was told, “Arise, devour much flesh.” The army of the Media-Persians moved like a great, lumbering, and rumbling bear—they even took their families along with them. It was Xerxes who led about 300,000 men and three hundred ships against Greece at Thermopylae and was defeated. His fleet was destroyed by a storm because God did not intend the East to control the West at that particular time.
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it [Dan. 7:6].
“Leopard” would perhaps be better translated “panther.” A panther, which leaps with suddenness upon its helpless prey, represents the Graeco-Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great.
“Four wings” further accentuates the ability of Alexander to move his army with rapidity and to strike suddenly. In comparison it would have made Nebuchadnezzar’s army look like it was on a slow train through Arkansas. Strong nations which have gained world dominion have developed the ability to move and strike with great speed. Today, in the cold war, we are witnessing a missiles race as a further refinement of the process of adding more “wings” to a nation.
The “four heads” depict the division of Alexander’s empire at the time of his death in his early thirties. Babylon went down on a drunken orgy and so did Alexander—they both went the same way. Our nation is going down the same path today. We are living in a day when the social drink is accepted. Our people don’t want their young people on drugs, but they don’t mind if they go out drinking. Following the death of Alexander, four of his generals divided the world empire which he had carved out, because each of them knew they could not control the whole. Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus took Asia Minor; Seleucus took Syria, out of which came the “little horn” of Daniel 8, Antiochus Epiphanes, who wrought such havoc with the temple in Jerusalem; and finally, Ptolemy took Egypt, and of course, Cleopatra came along later in that line.
Scripture does not give us an historical record of the Graeco-Macedonian kingdom. It falls chronologically between the Old and New Testaments—the period known as the intertestament period. It was, however, the time when the remnant in Palestine endured the greatest suffering at the hands of Egypt and Syria.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns [Dan. 7:7].
This nondescript beast with ten horns represents the Roman Empire, just as the legs of iron of Nebuchadnezzar’s image did. We will find this interpreted in detail in verses 19–28. We want to get the explanation that the Spirit of God has given to us, and that will deliver us from any speculation.
More attention is given to the fourth beast than to all of the other three put together. This section is very important to us because we are living in the time of the fourth beast—the time when the ten toes and horns are beginning to manifest themselves.
The fourth beast is altogether different from the others, and he is given in a separate vision. All the other beasts have counterparts in the jungles and zoos today. We all have seen a lion, or a bear, or a panther, but we have never seen a beast like this on land or sea or in the air. This is really an unusual beast. After you have had a night of dreaming about beasts like this, I don’t think an aspirin tablet or a sleeping pill would do you any good at all! I think you would be awake the rest of the night.
The beast is described as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly.” This beast which represents the Roman Empire is characterized by strength. It incited dread and terror, and it bore no resemblance to any beast that preceded it.
“It had great iron teeth,” and this identifies it with the legs of iron of the image vision—which is the Roman Empire. The iron heel of Rome was on the neck of this world for one millennium. A great deal has been said about the Roman Empire, and even to this day it amazes historians. Gibbon has said of it: “The empire of the Romans filled the world, and when the empire fell into the hands of a single person, the world became a safe and dreary prison for his enemies. To resist was fatal and it was impossible to fly.”
Another writer, Dr. Robert D. Culver, who has a very fine book on Daniel entitled Daniel: Decoder of Dreams, has made this statement: “Two millennia ago, Rome gave the world the ecumenical unity which the League of Nations and the United Nations organizations have sought to give in our time. The modern attempts are not original at all (as many of our contemporaries suppose), but are revivals of the ancient Roman ideal which never since the time of Augustus Caesar has been wholly lost.”
The Roman Empire simply fell apart; it lives on in many nations of Europe, in those nations which border the Mediterranean and in North Africa—all those which were a part of the Roman Empire. No one overcame Rome, but it fell apart into these different nations.
This unusual beast had ten horns which obviously correspond to the feet of the image with ten toes. The emphasis here is not upon the origin of this empire, but rather upon the end time—the period of the ten horns.
The vision of this fourth beast is made further important to us because it is yet unfulfilled. Apparently we are living in some period toward the end time. The visions of the three beasts have been fulfilled, which means that three-fourths of this prophecy has already been literally fulfilled; there remains for the future only the time of the “horns.” The fourth kingdom of Rome has already appeared. Although it fell apart, it will come back together in ten kingdoms. It will be put together by the one whom the Word of God has labeled the Antichrist.
I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things [Dan. 7:8].
Our attention is now directed to the ten horns. Notice that they do not represent a fifth kingdom: they grow out of the head of the fourth beast and are the last development of the fourth beast. In the toes of the first vision, the vision of the image, they are iron and clay. Iron is still there—Rome is still there, but the clay, the weakness, is there also. I think the iron represents the autocratic rule of one man, and the clay represents the crowd, a democracy.
Very candidly, we see that type of weakness in democracy today. We are proud of the freedom we have—I thank God we have it—but it is almost a joke to talk about how important John Q. Public is. You and I are not very important, to tell the truth. Oh, every now and then when it’s time for elections, the politicians tell us how important and wonderful and educated we are. However, we have very little to do with the control of our government or with the choice of our president. The lobbyists and the politicians are making the choices. I thank God for the liberty we have, but we have been brainwashed to think as they think.
God’s ideal government is not a democracy—it is a real dictatorship. When Jesus Christ rules on this earth, He is not going to ask anyone what he wants done. He is going to make the choices, and this earth is going to be run the way He wants to run it. That is the reason it would be best if you and I would become conformed to His image; otherwise we will be very uncomfortable under His dictatorship. Actually, He will put out of His kingdom anything that offends, anyone who is in rebellion against Him. We are to bow to Him and to His absolute rule.
Rome fell apart because of internal corruption and rottenness and drunkenness. All four of these empires went down with drunkenness. In our own country we say drugs are a problem, but liquor is legal. Who are we kidding? My friend, there are millions of alcoholics trying to hold down jobs today. That is only part of the problem, because that does not include the number of housewives and even children who are alcoholics but are not represented in the statistics. No one knows about them until they commit suicide or need to be put into a mental institution. That is the picture of America in the dark hour in which we live.
Rome is going to be put together again, and it is interesting that men are looking for someone who will be able to do it. The German historian Hoffman has said this: “When Germans and Slavs advanced partly into Roman ground, anyhow into the historical position of the Roman Empire, their princes intermarried with Roman families. Charlemagne was descended from a Roman house; almost at the same time the German Emperor Otho II and the Russian Grand-Prince Vladimir intermarried with daughters of the East-Roman Emperor. This was characteristic for the relation of the immigrating nations to Rome; they did not found a new kingdom, but continued the Roman. And so it continues to the end of all earthly power, until its final ramification into ten kingdoms. To attempt now to mark out these would be as misplaced as to fix the Coming of Christ (with which they stand connected) tomorrow or the next day.”
“Another little horn” becomes the key to the entire situation. He uproots three of the ten horns and establishes himself over all. I do not know who the ten kingdoms are, but they come from the disintegration of the Roman Empire.
“In this horn were eyes,” denoting human intelligence and genius.
“A mouth speaking great things” denotes the blasphemy of this man.
THE VISIONS OF THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS OF HEAVEN
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire [Dan. 7:9].
The scene shifts to heaven, and the throne of God is revealed. This is the same scene described in chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation. It is the preparation for the judgment of the Great Tribulation and the second coming of Christ to the earth.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed]” corresponds to Revelation 4:4. While in Revelation John gives the number of the elders and other details, Daniel is not concerned with such since his subject does not include the church and its future.
“The Ancient of days” is the eternal God.
“Whose garment was white as snow” refers to His attributes of holiness and righteousness.
“The hair of his head like the pure wool” speaks of His infinite wisdom.
“His throne was like the fiery flame” speaks of judgment (see Rev. 4:5).
“His wheels as burning fire” speaks of the resistless energy and restless power of God (cf. Ezek. 1:13–21).
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened [Dan. 7:10].
This is not the Great White Throne judgment which occurs after the Millennium, but is the setting for the judgment of the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom here upon earth (see Rev. 5:11–14).
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame [Dan. 7:11].
While God is setting the judgment scene in heaven to determine who will enter the kingdom, on earth “the little horn” is blaspheming and boasting the loudest (see Rev. 13:5–6). However, his judgment is fixed and his kingdom is doomed.
The emphasis with this kingdom, represented by the last beast, is not on its beginning but on its end. The appearance of “the little horn” is shortly before Christ comes to judge living nations and individuals. This period equates the Great Tribulation Period.
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time [Dan. 7:12].
Although the first three beasts were destroyed, the ideology and philosophy of the kingdoms they represent apparently live on and will be manifested in the Great Tribulation Period.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him [Dan. 7:13].
The Son of God in heaven is here invested with the authority to take the kingdoms of this world from the Gentiles and establish His kingdom. Jesus referred to this passage when He was put on oath at His trial before the Sanhedrin: “… Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61–62). The angel prophesied at the time of His birth: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32).
Therefore what we have here is a very clear-cut statement that the Lord Jesus is that “stone cut out without hands” which smites the image—He will establish His kingdom here upon earth. In the second Psalm we read: “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Ps. 2:7). He was begotten from the dead—this refers to His resurrection, not to His birth in Bethlehem. The apostle Paul gives us this interpretation in Acts 13:33. The psalmist goes on to say: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Ps. 2:8). Jesus Christ is going to take over the kingdom. How will He do it?—“Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2:9). When He comes to the earth, the Millennium will not be there waiting for Him. He will put out all rebellion, and those who are obedient will enter into the kingdom.
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed [Dan. 7:14].
This prepares the way for the coming of Christ and the smashing of the image by the “stone cut out without hands” (see Rev. 19:11–16).
“An everlasting dominion” seems to contradict the idea of a millennial kingdom of one thousand years. However, at the end of the thousand years, which is a test period with Christ ruling, there will be a brief moment of rebellion against Him when Satan is released for a brief season, and then the kingdom will go right on into eternity.
Revelation 20:6 says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” The thousand-year kingdom is but a phase of the everlasting kingdom. The steps are outlined clearly in Revelation 20: Christ reigns a thousand years on the earth under heavenly conditions. After this period, Satan is released. The unregenerate human heart, still in rebellion against God, rallies to Satan’s leadership, and he assembles them to make war against Christ. Satan and the rebellious betrayers are cast into the lake of fire. The lost dead are raised for judgment before the Great White Throne. After this, the eternal aspect of the kingdom comes into purview (see v. 27).
The Word of God makes it very clear that the location of this kingdom is on the earth. In Micah 4:2 we read: “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
THE DEFINITION OF THE FOUR BEASTS
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things [Dan. 7:15–16].
As the dream of the image troubled Nebuchadnezzar, this vision disturbs Daniel. He approaches one of the heavenly creatures for an explanation.
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth [Dan. 7:17].
These four beasts are not only kingdoms but kings. Nebuchadnezzar, together with his kingdom of Babylon, was represented by the head of gold and the two-winged lion. Alexander the Great, synonymous with the Graeco-Macedonian empire, is depicted by both the sides of brass and a panther. These wild beasts of prey, with their carnivorous and voracious natures, are representative of the character of both the king and the kingdom.
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever [Dan. 7:18].
The identity of “the saints” is the important factor of this statement. There are five verses in this chapter which mention them (see also vv. 21–22, 25, 27). Reference to them occurs again in Daniel 8:24. Immediately one school of prophetic interpretation assumes they are New Testament saints. A great many people think even narrower than that; they feel that their denomination or their little group are the only saints there are. My friend, God has a pretty big family. In the Old Testament He had Old Testament saints. The nation Israel were called saints; the Gentiles who came in as proselytes were called saints of God. That’s a different company from New Testament saints today who are in the church. Don’t get the idea that your little group is the only group that will be saved or even the idea that believers in this dispensation of grace are the only ones to be saved. God saved people before the Day of Pentecost, and He is going to be saving people after the Rapture. God is in the saving business; maybe the church is failing to reach people with the gospel as it should be, but God is not failing at all.
Daniel 8:24 says, “His power shall be mighty, but not by force of arms; in astonishing ways he shall bring ruin. He shall succeed in what he undertakes. He shall destroy mighty opponents; also the holy people.” The “holy people” are the saints. Exodus 19:6 identifies Israel as the holy nation or saints: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation …”
The Greek word for “saints” is hagios, and it occurs two hundred times in the New Testament. Ninety-two times hagios is translated “holy” in combination with “spirit,” for the Holy Spirit. It is also used to speak of believers in the church who are called “saints” or “holy ones.” In the New Testament, “saints” are the sinners who have been declared righteous because of their faith in Christ (see Rom. 1:7). Hagios is used likewise for Old Testament believers (see Matt. 27:52–53) and for tribulation saints (see Rev. 13:7). In the Book of Daniel, therefore, “the saints” refer to people of Israel—not to all Israel but to the believing remnant only. That the church saints are not in view here is evident since Daniel does not refer to the church in any sense.
THE EXPLANATION OF THE FOURTH BEAST
The emphasis is placed on the fourth beast. Here is where Daniel put the emphasis and where God put the emphasis. We ought to also, as our period in history fits somewhere in the time of the fourth beast.
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows [Dan. 7:19–20].
Everything here speaks of power and fierceness. The ferocity of the beast, with its iron teeth and brass nails, is noted again. Rome was hated by her captive nations. Hannibal vowed vengeance against her cruel power and lived to execute it; yet he was finally subdued by Rome. Rome rejected the Son of God, the Savior, through her puppet Pilate, who asked the cynical and contemptuous question of Jesus, “What is truth?” Rome crucified Jesus and persecuted the church.
The ten horns grow out of the beast, denoting a later development, not a separate kingdom. Note that the horns do not grow out of a dead beast. Rome lives in the fragmentation of the empire in the many existing nations of Europe and North Africa, including perhaps some of Asia. However, I do not think we can specifically identify the nations. At the time of the end, three of the horns will fall before “the little horn” who is dominant in personality, ability, propaganda, and public appeal. “The little horn” is Antichrist, the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3–4), and the first Beast (Rev. 13:3–6).
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them [Dan. 7:21].
It should be noted that Rome will again be a world power under Antichrist. We are told in Revelation 13:7—“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This will be a brief period in the last part of the Great Tribulation (see Rev. 11:3; 12:6; 13:5). The church will be removed before the Tribulation begins.
The Romans have been a warlike people. Our ancestors in Europe have been warlike people for fifteen hundred years, and we still are. You cannot go into any city or small town in this country today without seeing a monument to our war dead. G.K. Chesterton said, “One of the paradoxes of this age is that it is the age of pacifism, but not the age of peace.” Oh, people carry placards about peace, but we are not a peaceful people. The Bible says, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:3). War is in our hearts. In recorded history man has engaged in fifteen thousand wars and has signed some eight thousand peace treaties; yet in all that time, he has enjoyed only two to three hundred years of true peace. Man is a warlike creature.
The Roman Empire is to be put together again, and the Antichrist will be the one to do it. He will march to world power and will become the world ruler. We are told he will blaspheme the God of heaven: “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:6).
What is the picture in Europe today? Early in the 1950s a University of Oklahoma professor traveled through Europe, and although it was less than a decade since the close of World War II with all of its death and destruction, he reported that there was ample evidence the people were looking for a strong man, a leader like Hitler or Napoleon, who would restore their nations to the grandeur and glory and prosperity they once knew.
Even a man like Bishop Fulton J. Sheen made this statement: “The Antichrist will come disguised as the great humanitarian. He will talk peace, prosperity, and plenty, not as a means to lead us to God but as ends in themselves. He will explain guilt away psychologically and make men shrink in shame if their fellowmen say they are not broadminded and liberal. He will spread the lie that men will never be better until they make society better.”
My friend, the world is moving toward the time when Europe will come together. I don’t know how far away it is. The Common Market is evidence that Europe is moving in that direction; yet it does not mean that we have come to the end.
Another thing has happened in Europe that provides the psychological basis for its coming together. Some young people of Italy, France, and Germany, for instance, do not want to be called Italians, French, and Germans. They like to be called Europeans. What a preparation for the coming of Antichrist! Europe today is like ripe fruit hanging on a tree—all the Antichrist needs to do is come and pick it. However, he is not going to come until the Lord removes the church from the world as we read in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom [Dan. 7:22].
“The Ancient of days” is Christ; He is the only One Who is going to be able to put down Antichrist.
“The saints.” Again, we are not talking about New Testament saints—this is the Old Testament. Let the Bible say what it wants to say and don’t try to make it fit your little jigsaw puzzle of doctrine.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces [Dan. 7:23].
The fourth beast is identified here as a kingdom and in verse 17 as a king. It is impossible to separate the king from his kingdom; both belong together like two sides of a door.
And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings [Dan. 7:24].
There are ten horns that come out of this fourth beast, and they denote the final form of the fourth kingdom. Each of these kings represents a kingdom. An eleventh king, “the little horn,” will arise. He is going to be diverse from the others and will move to world power by subduing three of the kings. He will actually become the dictator of the entire world. This is the picture that is given to us in Revelation 13:7—“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” He is the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, and he is going to rule the world during the Great Tribulation Period, which is a period of seven years.
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time [Dan. 7:25].
The little horn is a blasphemer. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:5–6).
One of the characteristics of Antichrist is that he is against God and against Christ. That is one of the meanings of “antichrist”; the other meaning is to imitate Christ. I believe that the two beasts of Revelation 13 represent these two aspects of Antichrist: (1) that he is against Christ and a blasphemer; and (2) that he is a false prophet and attempts to imitate Christ; although he acts like a lamb, he really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
We are also told that he “shall wear out the saints of the most High.” That doesn’t mean like some of us preachers wear out the saints on Sunday mornings! It means literally to afflict and persecute the saints (see Rev. 12:13–17).
“And think to change times and laws”—the little horn will change customs and laws.
The period of the little horn’s reign is of short duration: “they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
It is during the last three and one-half years of the Great Tribulation that he will reign over the earth (see Rev. 11:2–3; 12:6; 13:5).
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end [Dan. 7:26].
“The judgment shall sit” reminds us of the scene in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5 where thrones are depicted. It is determined by the One on the central throne and by the Lamb who is the executor of the judgment, and it is the agreement of all God’s created and redeemed intelligences of heaven that the beast must be put down. His dominion must be ended and he himself judged. “The judgment shall sit”—this cannot be changed. This judgment continues through the Great Tribulation and is consummated by the return of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom (see Rev. 19:11–21). Thus will end “the times of the Gentiles” which began with Nebuchadnezzar and will continue until the return of Christ.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him [Dan. 7:27].
This is a reference to the eternal kingdom which appears first in its millennial aspect (see Rev. 20) and then opens up into eternity. Those who find fault with the premillennial position say that the Millennium is not an accurate interpretation but that the kingdom is an eternal kingdom. However, the Millennium is simply a thousand-year period of testing such as we are in today, and it leads and eventuates into the eternal kingdom.
This is the statement of Irenaeus, one of the early church fathers: “But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance in which kingdom the Lord declared that ’Many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob …” It is wearisome to hear men try to dissipate and dissolve the Millennium and God’s dispensational program for this world by saying that the early church fathers were not premillennial.
Note also this statement by the historian, Philip Schaff. “The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgment. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers.” May I say to you, you are in good company today if you believe we are going to have a Millennium here on earth.
Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart [Dan. 7:28].
Daniel did not divulge to his contemporaries the visions and their contents since they belonged to the end time. They were disturbing to Daniel, however, and made such an impression upon him as to alter his entire outlook. This was something brand new to him.
The study of prophecy in this day is not for the selfish gratification of idle curiosity or vain knowledge. Rather, the careful, prayerful study of prophetic Scripture has a transforming effect upon the life of a believer.
CHAPTER 8
Theme: The vision of the ram and he goat; the meaning of the vision
The vision recorded by Daniel in this chapter was prophetic when it was given, but it has since been fulfilled. Because it has been so clearly and literally fulfilled, this chapter is the basis for the liberal critic giving a late date for the writing of the Book of Daniel. His argument rests on the fact that prophecy concerning the future is supernatural and he does not believe in the supernatural; therefore, this prophecy could not have been written at the time of Daniel but must have been written afterward as history. That is a very weak argument, and I won’t say anymore than that the Book of Daniel was written by the prophet Daniel. You know, there is a debate among some scholars as to whether Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. Mark Twain’s amusing reply to that question was that if Shakespeare didn’t write Shakespeare, it must have been written by another man of the same name! Well, if Daniel did not write the Book of Daniel at about 600 b.c., then it must have been written by another man of the same name at the same date.
Daniel’s prophetic vision of the ram with two unmatched horns and the he goat with one horn places a microscope down on the conflict between the second and third world empires and the struggle between the East and the West, between the Orient and Occident, between Asia and Europe. This was the struggle between the Medo-Persian and the Graeco-Macedonian empires. The vision includes another “little horn” who has already been fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes, the great persecutor of the Jews called “the Nero of Jewish history.”
We should also note that the preceding section (see Dan. 2:4–7:28) was written in Aramaic, the original language of Syria and the world language of these four great empires. With the beginning of chapter 8, the book returns to the use of the Hebrew language.
THE VISION OF THE RAM AND HE GOAT
In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first [Dan. 8:1].
This is the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon. The vision given in chapter 7 was in the first year of his reign; therefore, both of these visions took place toward the end of the Babylonian empire.
And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai [Dan. 8:2].
In the vision Daniel finds himself at Shushan, which is Susa, the capital of Media-Persia, the second world empire.
“In the palace” is more accurately, “near the fortress.”
“Ulai” is the Kerkhah River which flowed by Susa.
The reason for the setting of the vision being at Susa rather than at Babylon is that this vision concerns the second and third world empires. The events foretold in this vision were all fulfilled within two hundred years. Such fulfillment is so remarkable that the liberal critic insists upon a late dating of the Book of Daniel. That is, he maintains that Daniel was written after these events had transpired and so is merely an historical record. This is an attempt to get rid of the miraculous, which is embarrassing to his system of interpretation.
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last [Dan. 8:3].
“A ram which had two horns” will be identified later as Media-Persia (see v. 20)
“The higher came up last.” In other words, the horn representing Media came up first when Gobryas the Median general destroyed Babylon. Then later the Persian monarchs gained the ascendency over the Medes and took the great empire to its highest peak. This ram, then, with its two horns and one horn more prominent than the other, is the MedoPersian empire with the Persians being in the ascendancy.
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great [Dan. 8:4].
“I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward.” Why doesn’t it say he was pushing eastward? Persia was in the east and made no further advance into the Far East. If they had gone farther in that direction, they would have stepped into the Orient, into India and China. However, they were projecting their empire in all other directions. This is the empire which was represented by the bear in chapter 7; they were motivated by the spirit of conquest.
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes [Dan. 8:5].
As Daniel was marveling at the power and ability of the ram, yonder from the west came a goat with great movement and a dominant horn. The goat represents Greece (see v. 21), and the horn typifies Alexander the Great.
Under Xerxes, Persia intended to move west, but from the west came this goat which was moving so fast it “touched not the ground”—that corresponds to the four wings of the panther and denotes the speed with which Alexander moved his army.
And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand [Dan. 8:6–7].
“He was moved with choler” means that he was moved with anger and great hatred. He ran into him in order to destroy him.
Xerxes was the last great ruler of Persia, and he made a foray against Europe, against Greece. He moved with an army of 300,000 men and their families. The Greeks were smart—they didn’t go out to meet him. Instead, they waited until he got to Thermopylae, which was a narrow pass into which he could not fit a big army. Since one Greek soldier was equal to at least ten of the MediaPersians who were not a trained and disciplined army as the Greeks were, the Greeks gained the victory at Thermopylae. They decimated that tremendous Persian army as it attempted to advance through the pass a few soldiers at a time. And then at Salamis, Xerxes’ fleet of three hundred vessels was destroyed by a storm. When word was brought to him that his fleet had been destroyed, he went down to the sea, took off his belt, and beat the waves with it—they had destroyed his fleet! I would say that that was not the action of an outstanding and intelligent man, by any means.
This marked the last effort of the East to move toward the West; no great advance was ever made again. It is true that the great hordes of Mohammed, the Moors, came up through Spain, but Charles Martel stopped them at the battle of Tours. It is also true that the Turks attempted to come through the East, through the Balkans, but they failed.
Now there rises in the West this tremendous general, a young man, Alexander the Great. He was only thirty-two years old when he died. He was a military genius, one of the greatest. He could move a striking force by land quicker than any man ever had.
Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven [Dan. 8:8].
“When he was strong, the great horn was broken.” What was it that broke this horn? There was no human power that could break it. We are told that when he came to power, the whole world was under the heel of Alexander the Great. Tradition says that he sat down and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer—he had conquered the thenknown world. However, in the midst of his vast projects, he was seized by a fever after a nightlong drinking bout, and he died in BabyIon in the year 323 b. c. at the age of thirtytwo. “When he was strong, the great horn was broken.”
All three of these empires—the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, and the Graeco-Macedonian—went down in a drunken orgy. Let me say that I do not think our nation will be destroyed by marijuana or heroin, but alcohol will destroy it. Don’t misunderstand me—I am not for legalizing marijuana, and I believe the drug traffic is a grave danger, but we have lost sight of the fact that alcohol destroys nations.
According to the latest 1981 statistics I have seen, about 26,000 Americans are killed and another million suffer crippling and other serious injuries every year in drunk-driving incidents. We have had protest movements over the deaths caused by war, but do we see anyone carrying a whiskey bottle, saying, “This is the real danger to America today”? The drinking-driver problem creates an estimated economic cost of more than five billion dollars annually. There are no statistics on the unemployed who are alcoholics. Billions of dollars are spent each year for liquor. The facts are alarming.
The great empire of Alexander the Great went down because he was an alcoholic. He conquered the world, but he could not conquer Alexander the Great. There is a grave danger in Washington, D.C., today, which is that many decisions of our government are made during cocktail parties. Why do we think we are something special? Why are there people who think that the United States happens to be God’s little pet nation? We think we are so superior intellectually, the ultimate product of the evolutionary process, and there is no chance that we will go down as a nation. My friend, it is time someone blew the whistle and announced that we are on the way out. If I read prophecy correctly, we are on the way out.
“And for it came up four notable ones.” When Alexander died, his empire was divided among four men (which correspond to the four heads of the panther in ch. 7). These were the four generals who divided the empire: Cassander, who was married to Alexander’s sister and took the European section (Macedonia and Greece); Lysimachus who took the great part of Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey; Seleueus who took Asia, all the eastern part of the empire, except Egypt; and Ptolemy who took Egypt and North Africa.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land [Dan. 8:9].
“The pleasant land” is Israel.
The “little horn” of this chapter is not the same as described in the previous chapter. There the little horn arises out of the fourth kingdom; here the little horn comes out of the third kingdom. This little horn is historical, while the little horn of chapter 7 is to be revealed in the future. The little horn being presently considered came out of Syria from the Seleucid dynasty. He was Antiochus IV, or Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the Great. He is sometimes called Epimanes, “the madman”—he was another demented ruler.
Antiochus came to the throne in 175 b.c. and he made an attack on Jerusalem. It was against him that the Maccabees were raised up in Judah. Anti-Semitic to the core, he tried to exterminate the Jews. He placed an image of Jupiter in the Holy Place in the temple in Jerusalem. This was the first “abomination of desolation.” He also poured swine broth over all the holy vessels.
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them [Dan. 8:10].
This statement is admittedly difficult to interpret. I think that the natural interpretation is that Antiochus challenged God and was permitted to capture Jerusalem and the temple. This warfare included the spiritual realm where angels and demons were involved. Some of the feats attributed to Antiochus are astounding; if they are true, demonic power was exhibited.
Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down [Dan. 8:11].
Antiochus was a devotee of Jupiter of whom he may have thought himself an incarnation. He chose for himself the title Theos Epiphanes, meaning “God manifest.”
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered [Dan. 8:12].
It was by the permissive will of God that this little horn practised and prospered during this period.
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? [Dan. 8:13].
Saint is an “holy one” and refers to one of God’s created intelligences other than man—what we would call a supernatural creature. (I often wonder what angels call us, by the way.)
This profaning of the temple is called here a “transgression of desolation.”
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed [Dan. 8:14].
There has always been a great deal of disagreement as to the interpretation of these twenty-three hundred days. Seventh-Day Adventism grew out of the “great second advent awakening” in which this verse was given the day-year interpretation and the date for Christ’s second coming was set for the year 1843. William Miller and his followers, among whom was Ellen G. White, understood “the sanctuary” to be the earth which would be cleansed at His coming. Miller was a sincere but badly mistaken Baptist preacher. The day-year interpretation was a fragile and insecure foundation for any theory of prophecy, and history has demonstrated it to be false.
However, if the twenty-three hundred days are taken as being literal twenty-four-hour days, the period would be between six and seven years, which approximates the time of Antiochus who began to perpetrate his atrocities in about 170 b. c. Finally the Jewish priest, Judas Maccabeus (“the hammer”), drove out the Syrian army, at which time the temple was cleansed and rededicated after its pollution. This cleansing is celebrated in the Feast of Lights. In John 10:22 we read: “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication [rededication or Lights], and it was winter.” This was one of the holy days celebrated at the time of Christ and which is still remembered by the Jews. It is a feast not mentioned in the Old Testament at all, because it was established in the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments.
THE MEANING OF THE VISION
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision [Dan. 8:15–16].
Daniel was puzzled by the vision, and he desired to learn the meaning of it. There appeared to him the angel Gabriel. This is the first time Gabriel is introduced to us in the Bible.
So he came near where I stood: and when he came,I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision [Dan. 8:17].
Gabriel, in the explanation that follows, will make it clear that Antiochus Epiphanes is but a picture in miniature of the coming Antichrist.
“For at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Notice that it is for “the time of the end,” not the end of time. Nowhere in the Bible are we told about the end of time. “The time of the end” locates the complete fulfillment of this prophecy in the period which our Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation. The man referred to is the Antichrist, also called the Man of Sin and the little horn of chapter 7. This prophecy goes beyond the immediate future and is projected into the distant future—even in our day it is still future. Antiochus is merely an adumbration of the other “little horn” who will come at the end of the “times of the Gentiles,” which is made abundantly clear by the use of these eschatological terms.
Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright [Dan. 8:18].
Notice the physical effect of this vision upon Daniel.
And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be [Dan. 8:19].
Again Gabriel moves from the local fulfillment in Antiochus to the end of the Times of the Gentiles.
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia [Dan. 8:20].
They are clearly identified for us; we do not have to speculate. The ram definitely represents the kings of Media and Persia.
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king [Dan. 8:21].
So the “rough goat” is likewise labeled the king of Greece, and the “great horn” is the first king, Alexander the Great.
Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power [Dan. 8:22].
In other words, none of these kings would have the power that Alexander the Great had.
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up [Dan. 8:23].
The “little horn” is Antiochus Epiphanes of the line of the Seleucidae that took Syria. The only adequate explanation of this verse and of the facts of history is that this man was demon possessed. In this respect he is also a picture of the coming Antichrist. The Lord Jesus made reference to him when He said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24).
And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people [Dan. 8:24].
“The holy people” refers to Israel. The slaughter of these people by Antiochus Epiphanes seems almost unbelievable. He was as bad as Hitler. However, he is merely an adumbration of the Antichrist who is coming, of whom it is said: “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Rev. 13:7).
And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand [Dan. 8:25].
Antiochus was but a faint type of this king who is coming. And he will do four things which Antiochus did in pygmy style:
1. “He shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.” We are told in Revelation 13:17 that no man will be able to buy or sell save the one who has the mark of the beast. He will control the economy with a vengeance.
2. “He shall magnify himself in his heart.” Revelation 13:5 says that he is given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. He will be given power to continue forty-two months. Humility is not a characteristic of the Antichrist! He is like Satan who was filled with pride.
3. “By peace shall destroy many.” He comes in as a lamb, but he goes out as a lion. In Revelation 6 he is the rider on the white horse. Notice that right after him comes the red horse of war—he has brought in a false peace.
4. “He shall stand up against the Prince of princes.” You see, he will oppose and fight against Christ. One of the marks of Antichrist and of that first beast in Revelation 13 is that he is against Christ.
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days [Dan. 8:26].
Daniel was told that the vision would be for the distant future—“for it shall be for many days” to come.
And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it [Dan. 8:27].
The physical and psychological effect of this vision upon Daniel was devastating. At this point God was beginning to mesh the “times of the Gentiles” into the history of the nation Israel. That was the thing that puzzled Daniel at the first, and it still puzzles a great many people. How can God mesh His program with Israel into His program for the Gentiles in the world? And today to further complicate it, there is His program with the church. The answer is quite simple, of course. In our day God is calling out a people to His name—we label this called-out group “the church.” When that is concluded, and the church is removed from the earth at the Rapture, then He will again turn to His purpose with Israel and the gentile nations.
CHAPTER 9
Theme: The prayer of Daniel; prophecy of the Seventy Weeks
This is another one of those remarkable chapters in Scripture. Dr. Philip Newell evaluates it, “The greatest chapter in the book and one of the greatest chapters of the entire Bible.” The double theme is prayer and prophecy. If one were to choose the ten greatest chapters of the Bible on the subject of prayer, this chapter would be included on any list. If the ten most important chapters on prophecy were chosen, this chapter would again be included on any list. The first 21 verses give us the prayer of Daniel, and the final 6 verses give us the very important prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.
THE PRAYER OF DANIEL
This prayer of Daniel is actually a culmination of a life of prayer. Daniel asked for a prayer meeting to learn the dream of Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of the book, and he has been a man of prayer all the way through. The prayer in this chapter gives the pattern of his prayer life and acquaints us with the conditions of prayer. Here are some of the basic elements in the prescription of prayer:
Purposeful Planning. Prayer was no haphazard matter with Daniel. He wrote, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes” (v. 3). Prayer was not just a repetition of idle words or the putting together of pretty phrases with flowery grammar. The Lord Jesus said, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matt. 6:7). Such is not real prayer.
Painful Performance. Daniel prayed with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. This was not done for outward show but to reveal the sincerity of his heart. One doesn’t see many prayer meetings like that today.
Perfect Plainness. Daniel was candid and straightforward in his confession. He got right down to business with God.
There is the story of a preacher in a Scottish prayer meeting who got up and started one of his long-winded prayers. Finally a dear old lady pulled his coattail and said, “Parson, call Him ‘Father’ and ask Him for something.” We need more plainness in prayer.
Powerful Petition. Daniel received an answer while he was speaking and praying. The angel Gabriel appeared to him to give him some explanation. This man got answers to his prayers. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14).
Personal and Private. Daniel did not call a public prayer meeting; he prayed privately. This prayer of his is of three minutes’ duration. Our Lord often prayed privately. His prayer which is recorded in John 17 is also three minutes long. There are many of us who want to call a public prayer meeting when we ought to spend more time in private prayer.
Plenary (full) Penetration. Prayer is the only force that has penetrated outer space to the throne of God. Sir Isaac Newton said that he could take up a telescope and look at the nearest star, but he could put down the telescope, get down on his knees and penetrate the outer heavens to the very throne of God.
Prayer for Daniel was a real exercise of soul in spiritual travail. Such prayer is arduous work. It requires effort and endurance and suffering.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans [Dan. 9:1].
“First year of Darius … of the seed of the Medes.” The two significant questions are: Who was Darius and what was the date? Darius the Mede may be identified as Cyaxares II of secular history (Dan. 5:31). “Darius” is more an official title, such as king, czar, or emperor, than an actual name. There has been some disagreement as to the exact date. Newell thinks it is 538 b.c.; Culber places it at 536 b.c. I think either date would fit into the background. This man conquered Babylon in 538 b.c.
In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem [Dan. 9:2].
This is in the first year of the reign of Darius. Daniel has now seen a new great world empire come into position, and he is wondering about the future and especially the future of his own people. So Daniel turns to a study of the Word of God. He reads the book of the prophet Jeremiah who said that Israel would be in captivity for seventy years. The date is about 537 b.c. in this chapter. Daniel is between eighty-five and ninety years of age. He had been captured back in 606 b.c. when he was about seventeen. That means that the seventy-year period is coming to a close. It is about the time that these people will be given the opportunity to return to their own land.
Daniel was concerned about his people. I think he was shaken by that little horn in chapter 8, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king of the Seleucid dynasty. He would abuse Daniel’s people, and he would desecrate the temple. All of this caused Daniel great concern.
We should notice that the determining factor which brought Daniel to this prayer was his study of the Word of God. The Word reveals the will of God. A study of God’s Word, followed by prayer, is the formula for determining God’s will. These are the promises which Daniel read: “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place” (Jer. 29:10).
Keep in mind that Daniel had been studying Jeremiah’s prophecy about these seventy years. When Gabriel used the expression, “seventy weeks” (v. 24), he was extending the time of the seventy years. The Seventy Weeks will cover the entire time of the nation Israel in this time of testing before the kingdom is established on earth.
Just reading Daniel’s prayer reveals how different prayer was in his day from what it is now. Notice first the conditions—
And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments [Dan. 9:3–4].
“To seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting.” We are told that the Lord Jesus fasted, but fasting was never given to the people of God as a service. It was something that one could do over and above what was required. It is mentioned that in the early church there were many who fasted. Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth: “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:27).
Daniel demonstrated a purposeful persistence in prayer. Even Jacob in his prayer cried, “… I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Gen. 32:26).
This prayer of Daniel is very personal. It concerns him and his people, which is evident by the repeated use of the first person pronouns, I, we, and our. They appear forty-one times in this prayer. You may remember that we pointed out how Nebuchadnezzar used the personal pronoun in chapter 4. What is the difference? For Nebuchadnezzar it was a mark of pride, a mark of being lifted up. The contrast of Daniel’s use of the personal pronoun is striking. It denotes humility, confession, and “confusion of faces” in contrast to Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and self-adulation.
Daniel is down on his face before God. He recognizes the attributes of God. First we see that he rests upon his personal relationship to God. He calls Him, “My God,” appealing to God in a very personal way. Before he makes his confession, he dwells on the greatness of God. “Dreadful God” actually means worthy of reverence. One cannot trifle with God.
Daniel acknowledges that God keeps the covenant and mercy to them that love Him. He not only makes promises, but He keeps them. He is immutable and, therefore, He is faithful. He is also a God of mercy. It was by His mercy that the nation Israel had been preserved. It is by His mercy that you and I have been brought to this present moment. It is by His mercy that He saves us. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” (Lam. 3:22). God is gracious, but God also expects us to mean business, and God expects to be obeyed.
Now notice Daniel’s confession of sin—
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land [Dan. 9:5–6].
“We have sinned.” Daniel identifies himself with his people back there in the land of Israel when they rebelled against God, which resulted in their captivity. He is specific in his confession. He labels each sin: iniquity, wickedness, rebellion, disobedience, and refusal to hear God’s prophets. He writes them all down. He doesn’t leave any out.
My friend, I believe that our confession of sin requires exactly that. It isn’t enough to go to God and say, “I have sinned.” It means to tell God exactly what we have done. When my wife sends me to the grocery store, she doesn’t say, “Get some groceries.” She always gives me a list of items. I am to get this, get that, and get the other thing—and four or five more things. I have to go through that list. And I feel that confession of sins should be that specific. Spell it out to Him. Maybe we don’t like to do that because it is an ugly thing. But spell it out to Him; He already knows how ugly it is. We need to come to Him in frank, open confession.
O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee [Dan. 9:7].
“All Israel, that are near, and that are far off.” The people of Israel were scattered, but there were no lost tribes—it is a misnomer to call them that. Some of the tribes were near Daniel there in Babylon and others were far off, but he knew where they were. He didn’t say they were lost. But they were scattered “through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.”
O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice [Dan. 9:8–14].
Up to this point have you noticed how Daniel contrasted God’s goodness with Israel’s sin? He contrasted His righteousness with their “confusion of face” which was their shame. They were scattered because of their trespass against God. They deserved the punishment they had received. God was righteous in sending them into captivity. God was right; they were wrong.
Oh, my friend, if you go to God and make excuses for your sin, if you say to Him, “Lord, you know that I am weak and I was in this and that circumstance,” you are blaming your sin upon God. You are saying that God made a mistake—He should have taken those things into consideration. He has been too hard on you! My friend, you and I are getting exactly what we deserve. And we need to go to God in confession of our sin. In our day I hear folk implying that God may be wrong in what He is doing. God is not wrong; we are the ones who are wrong.
Daniel’s attitude is the proper attitude that each of us should take as we approach our God in prayer. God will not utterly forsake us, but He certainly is not going to move on our behalf until you and I get to the place where we can claim the mercy of God and stop making excuses for ourselves.
And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies [Dan. 9:15–18].
This is Daniel’s petition and plea. He recalls how God led Israel out of Egypt. God did it because of His righteousness, not because of theirs. He found the explanation for their deliverance in Himself, not in the people. “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them” (Exod. 2:24–25). The only thing that made an appeal to God from the people was their groaning. In other words, God saw their misery, and He remembered His mercy.
Now Daniel asks God to repeat Himself by delivering them again because of His righteousness. God is righteous when He extends His mercy to us, because Jesus Christ has fully paid all the penalty for our sin. “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
Now notice Daniel’s impassioned plea—
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name [Dan. 9:19].
This is the climactic plea of Daniel. He asks God to hear and answer because of who He is and what He has promised. No good thing rests upon Israel. Daniel doesn’t plead because he is Daniel. Rather, he associates himself with his people and says, “We have sinned,” including himself, you see. God’s name is at stake, and Daniel is deeply concerned about the name of God and the glory of God. This is the basis for his plea.
Now we shall see that while Daniel was praying, an answer was on its way.
And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God [Dan. 9:20].
“Whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin.” Notice Daniel says, “my sin.” Daniel confessed that he was a sinner. It is interesting that there is no place in the Bible which mentions any sin that Daniel committed. In fact, when his enemies were trying to find some wrongdoing in his life, they could find nothing—and we may be sure that they left no stone unturned.
Now I have often made the statement that no one has ever been saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. And I have suggested that if anybody knew one in the Old Testament who was saved by keeping the Ten Commandments to let me know about it. Well, one night after a service in which I had said that no one in the Old Testament was ever saved by keeping the Ten Commandments, a UCLA student came up to me and said, “I found a man in the Old Testament who didn’t sin. It’s Daniel.” I told him very frankly that he was right. One cannot find a recorded sin which Daniel committed. Then I showed him this verse where Daniel says, “I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin.” If Daniel had never sinned but said that he was confessing his sin, then he would be lying to say he was confessing his sin if, in fact, he had never sinned! So Daniel is a sinner, any way you take it. I think the UCLA student was convinced that the Bible is correct when it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, italics mine).
Now if you are wondering what sin Daniel committed, let me say that it is none of your business, and it is none of my business. God did not record it in His Word.
So Daniel was a sinner, and I can still say that no one was ever saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. Daniel was casting himself and his people upon the mercy of God.
“Presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God”—which would be Jerusalem and the kingdom of God that will be there (see Isa. 2:1–2).
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation [Dan. 9:21].
“The man Gabriel”—Gabriel was an angel and apparently appeared in human form. The time of his appearance was at the hour of the evening sacrifice at Jerusalem, which would be approximately three o’clock in the afternoon.
PROPHECY OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS
Now here is the prophecy delivered by Gabriel which makes this chapter of such great importance in the study of eschatology.
And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision [Dan. 9:22–23].
Notice that Daniel gets an immediate answer to his prayer. I heard Dr. Gaebelein say that it took him three minutes to read Daniel’s prayer in Hebrew. By the time Daniel finished his prayer, the angel Gabriel was there. So Dr. Gaebelein reasoned and explained with a twinkle in his eye, “It took Gabriel three minutes to get from heaven to earth.” Of course, if Daniel had his eyes closed while he was praying, it may be that Gabriel was standing on one foot and then on the other for two minutes, waiting for Daniel to get finished. The Lord God has promised, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24).
Note that Daniel was “greatly beloved” in heaven. That is wonderful. The believer in Jesus Christ is seen by God as being in Christ. According to Ephesians 1:6 we are accepted in the Beloved—so the believer is loved in heaven because he is in Christ.
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy [Dan. 9:24].
“Seventy weeks” does not mean weeks of seven days any more than it means weeks of seven years or seven other periods of time. The Hebrew word for “seven” is shabua, meaning “a unit of measure.” It would be comparable to our word dozen. When it stands alone, it could be a dozen of anything—a dozen eggs, a dozen bananas. So here, Seventy Weeks means seventy sevens. It could be seventy sevens of anything. It could be units of days or months or years. In the context of this verse it is plain that Daniel has been reading in Jeremiah about years, seventy years. Jeremiah had been preaching and writing that the captivity would be for seventy years. The seventy years of captivity were the specific penalty for violating seventy sabbatic years. That would be seventy sevens, a total of 490 years. In those 490 years, Israel had violated exactly seventy sabbatic years; so they would go into captivity for seventy years. “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years” (2 Chron. 36:21).
1 week=7 years 70 weeks=490 years 70 weeks divided into 3 periods: 7 weeks—62 weeks—1 week
Now Daniel was puzzled as to how the end of the seventy years of captivity would fit into the long period of Gentile world dominion which the visions in chapters 7 and 8 had so clearly indicated. He obviously thought that at the end of the seventy years his people would be returned to the land, the promised Messiah would come, and the kingdom which had been promised to David would be established. How could both be true? It appeared to him, I am sure, to be an irreconcilable situation created by these seemingly contradictory prophecies.
The Seventy Weeks, or the seventy sevens, answer two questions. Israel’s kingdom will not come immediately. The seventy sevens must run their course. These seventy sevens fit into the Times of the Gentiles and run concurrently with them. They are broken up to fit into gentile times. The word for determined literally means “cutting off.” These seventy sevens are to be cut off, as the following verses will indicate. The seventy sevens for Israel and the Times of the Gentiles will both come to an end at the same time, that is, at the second coming of Christ. This is important to know in the correct understanding of the prophecy.
The Seventy Weeks concern “thy people,” meaning the people of Daniel. That would be Israel. And they concern “thy holy city,” which can be none other than Jerusalem. Six things are to be accomplished in those Seventy Weeks or 490 years. We will see as we progress in our study that sixty-nine of those “weeks” have already passed, and one “week” is yet to be fulfilled.
Here are the six things to be accomplished:
1. “To finish the transgression. ” This refers to the transgression of Israel. The cross provided the redemption for sin—for the sin of the nation, but not all accepted it. Today the word has gone out to the ends of the earth that there is a redemption for mankind. But in that last “week” we are told that God says, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications …” (Zech. 12:10). And in Zechariah 13:1: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” That has not been opened yet. All you have to do is to look at the land of Israel and you will know this has not been fulfilled.
2. “To make an end of sins.” The national sins of Israel will come to an end at the second coming of Christ. They are just like any other people or any other nation. They are sinners as individuals and as a nation. They have made many mistakes as a nation (so have we), but God will make an end to that.
3. “To make reconciliation for iniquity.” During this period of Seventy Weeks, God has provided a redemption through the death and resurrection of Christ. This, of course, is for Jew and Gentile alike.
4. “And to bring in everlasting righteousness” refers to the return of Christ at the end of the 490 years to establish the kingdom.
5. “To seal up the vision and prophecy” means that all will be fulfilled, which will vindicate this prophecy as well as all other prophecies in Scripture.
6. “To anoint the most Holy” has reference to the anointment of the holy of holies in the millennial temple about which Ezekiel spoke (Ezek. 41–46).
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [Dan. 9:25–27].
The starting point for this period of 490 years is essential to the correct understanding of the prophecy. Since this period is projected into the Times of the Gentiles, it must fit into secular history and originate from some date connected with the Times of the Gentiles. Of course there have been many suggestions for a starting point: the decree of Cyrus (see Ezra 1:1–4); the decree of Darius (see Ezra 6:1–12); the decree of Artaxerxes (at the seventh year of his reign—Ezra 7:11–26); but I feel that the decree of Artaxerxes in the twentieth year of his reign (Neh. 2:1–8) meets the requirements of verse 25. The commandment to rebuild the city of Jerusalem was issued in the month Nisan 445 b.c. That, then, will be our starting point.
The 70 Weeks of Daniel 9
The first seven weeks of forty-nine years bring us to 397 b.c. and to Malachi and the end of the Old Testament. These were “troublous times,” as witnessed to by both Nehemiah and Malachi.
Sixty-two weeks, or 434 years, bring us to the Messiah. Sir Robert Anderson in his book, The Coming Prince, has worked out the time schedule. From the first of the month Nisan to the tenth of Nisan (April 6) a.d. 32, are 173,880 days. Dividing them according to the Jewish year of 360 days, he arrives at 483 years (69 sevens). On this day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, offering Himself for the first time, publicly and officially, as the Messiah.
After the 69 weeks, or 483 years, there is a time break. Between the sixty-ninth and Seventieth Week two events of utmost importance are to take place:
1. Messiah will be cut off. This was the crucifixion of Christ, the great mystery and truth of the gospel: “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matt. 16:21). “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).
2. Destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in a.d. 70, when Titus the Roman was the instrument.
The final “week” (the seventieth), a period of seven years, is projected into the future and does not follow chronologically the other sixty-nine. The time gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks is the age of grace—unknown to the prophets (Eph. 3:1–12; 1 Pet. 1:10–12). The Seventieth Week is eschatological; it is the final period and is yet unfulfilled.
“The prince” is a Roman; he is the “little horn” of Daniel 7; he is “the beast” of Revelation 13. After the church is removed from the earth, he will make a covenant with Israel. Israel will accept him as her Messiah, but in the midst of the “week” he will break his covenant by placing an image in the temple (Rev. 13). This is the abomination of desolation. What Israel thought to be the Millennium will turn out to be the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:15–26). Only the coming of Christ can end this frightful period (Matt. 24:27–31).
My friend, you and I are living in the age of grace, and the Seventieth Week of Daniel, the Great Tribulation, as the Lord Jesus called it, is yet to take place.
CHAPTER 10
Theme: Time, place, and preparation of Daniel for the vision; the vision of Christ glorified; transforming effect on Daniel; message of an unidentified heavenly messenger; Daniel assured and strengthened
These last three chapters should be treated as one vision. It relates to the nation Israel in the immediate future and also in the latter days. For example, there is the historical “little horn” and also the “little horn” of the latter days.
Some expositors consider this last vision to be the greatest of all the visions of Daniel. Although it may not have such stature, it is indeed the most unique section. There are features here which are different from all other chapters. In this last vision even the method of revelation was changed.
Another outstanding feature is that it fills in much detail of the preceding visions. While all was prophetic when it was given, at the present time much has been fulfilled and belongs to history. There is also a great deal that is yet prophetic—to be fulfilled in the last days. The line of demarcation between what has been fulfilled and what is yet to be fulfilled is not always clear. We have already seen the principle of double reference, which refers to predictions that have a near and local fulfillment and also have a distant fulfillment. Of course, the fulfillment in the immediate future gives us the key for the far future fulfillment. For example, the historical fulfillment in Antiochus Epiphanes gives us a picture of the future fulfillment which will be in Antichrist.
The key to understanding these last three chapters is found in the explanation the angel gives to Daniel: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (v. 14). In other words, it will be a long time before this will be fulfilled, and it concerns Daniel’s people, the people of Israel. (Let me caution you against trying to put the church in this section, because Daniel is making it very clear that he is talking about his people.)
We are moving into a very eerie section. Maybe you would call it weird or strange. The veil of the spiritual world is partially and momentarily pulled aside, and we get a look into the unseen world. There is nothing here to satisfy the morbid curiosity of an idle spectator. However, there is enough to produce a beneficial and sobering effect upon the humble believer similar to the effect that it produced upon Daniel.
This intrusion into the spiritual realm introduces the believer to the order of angels—both good and bad angels, fallen and unfallen. We will see something about the kingdom of Satan, which is about us today. There has been a great deal said and written about that recently. Many people take a little fact and then add a whole lot of fiction to it. We are going to stick to the facts that the Bible gives us here.
Apparently angels exercise a free will since some of them by their own volition followed Satan in his rebellion against God. Some of these belong to the order of demons to which frequent reference is made in the gospels. The angels are in different orders, ranks, positions and have various powers and abilities. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:6). This makes a separation in God’s creation, not only of that which is in heaven and that which is in earth, but that which is visible and that which is invisible. There is a great realm today that is invisible. We are discovering that there are a great many things in this world of energy that we know very little about.
We are told that He created thrones, which would be the archangels like Michael and Gabriel and other special envoys. There are dominions, which would be the cherubim and seraphim. There are principalities, which would be the generals, “the brass” of the angel hosts. And powers would be the privates such as serve as guardian angels (Heb. 1:4).
Some angels in the rank of principalities, that is, the generals, fell away to join with Satan. Notice what is said about “principalities”: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12, italics mine).
Satan also has his angels organized according to rank. Just as one army is set over against another army, there are generals on both sides. Satan’s “principalities,” or generals, seem to have the oversight of nations. His “powers” are the privates of his army who are demons who seek to possess human beings. The “rulers of the darkness of this world” are demons who have charge of Satan’s worldly business, and I think he has a lot of monkey-business going on down here. Then there is “spiritual wickedness” in the heavenlies, which are the demons who have charge of religion. You may not realize it, but Satan’s department of religion is the largest department of all. He is in the business of religion. Many folk think Satan is against religion. No indeed, he is promoting religion—not Christ, but religion.
These two groups move in the arena of this universe in which we live. They are engaged in ceaseless warfare to capture the souls of men. We will see more of this as we go through this section.
TIME, PLACE, AND PREPARATION OF DANIEL FOR THE VISION
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision [Dan. 10:1].
The “third year of Cyrus” was 534 b.c., which was about four years after the vision of the Seventy Weeks. Daniel was an old man by this time and probably retired from public office.
“A thing [word] was revealed unto Daniel” suggests a new mode of communication.
“The thing [word] was true, but the time appointed was long” indicates that the final fulfillment was in the distant future, not the immediate future.
“He understood the thing [word], and had understanding of the vision” means that this vision was made crystal clear to Daniel.
In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled [Dan. 10:2–3].
Daniel didn’t take a bath for three weeks!
The cause of Daniel’s mourning is not told us, but we can speculate. Remember that it was the third year of Cyrus’ reign, and in his first year he had made the decree which permitted Israel to return to her land (see Ezra 1:1–4). Two full years had passed and only a paltry few had returned to the land of Israel under Zerubbabel. This is before the group under Ezra and the group under Nehemiah had returned. This was a rigorous time for Daniel. It brought grief to the heart of this aged prophet of God, now past ninety, to see that his people did not want to return to their homeland. Probably retired now from active participation in office, evidently having served through the first year of Cyrus, he gave himself entirely to the service of God. He fasted for three weeks because he did not get an immediate answer to his prayer.
And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel [Dan. 10:4].
Now he gives us the exact place and date when he received his vision and revelation. He was by the great river Hiddekel, which is the Tigris River. The time was the twenty-fourth of Nisan, April 24. Daniel is dealing with exact dates. This makes it difficult for the critics to wrestle with, because the one who wrote this was dealing with specific dates and he was not giving a late date for the Book of Daniel!
THE VISION OF CHRIST GLORIFIED
I think that Daniel saw the transfiguration of Christ before either Moses or Elijah saw it. You see, there have always been three representatives: Moses represented the law, Elijah represented the prophets, but Daniel represented a very particular group of those who had been in exile, and now he is given this vision of the glorified Christ ahead of time for his encouragement.
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude [Dan. 10:5–6].
This is a new method of revelation. No longer does Daniel see an image or visions of beasts or weeks. He sees a certain man. Who is that certain man? Some very excellent expositors hesitate to identify him, and they dodge the dilemma by saying he was a heavenly visitor. Well, that is really generalizing, and you can’t be very wrong if you call him a heavenly visitor. But that is not an exegesis of the passage. I believe this Person is Christ.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He gave many parables, and some of them concerned the activity of “a certain man.” That “certain man” was either God the Father or God the Son. In the verse before us the “certain man” is identified even further by His person and His dress. What a striking similarity there is to the vision of Christ after His ascension into glory as it was seen by John in the Revelation! “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Rev. 1:12–16). Now that is a vision of Christ, and I believe Daniel saw Christ—not in His preincarnation, but he saw Him as the postincarnate Christ, in His office as priestly Intercessor and Judge and the great Shepherd of the sheep. After all, both Israel and the church are called His sheep. It is interesting to recall that Moses and Elijah were present at the transfiguration of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel records, but Daniel was not present. Why? Well, I think it may be because he had already witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, and this is the record of it.
TRANSFORMING EFFECT ON DANIEL
And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves [Dan. 10:7].
I do not think that any ordinary angel or even an archangel would have this effect upon these men.
Although others were with Daniel, he alone saw the vision. It is evident from many recorded incidents that only the Holy Spirit can identify Christ for men, and that is what He is doing for Daniel. The Lord Jesus said, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14). The apostle Paul had a similar experience on the road to Damascus. “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus” (Acts 9:7–8). Paul was blinded—he had seen the glorified Christ.
Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength [Dan. 10:8.].
Daniel was left alone. That is the marvelous, wonderful experience of that man of God, and many have shared eagerly and joyfully a like experience. Abraham left Ur, and finally his kindred, and he was alone with God. Moses was sent to the backside of the desert of Midian, and at the burning bush he was alone with God. Elijah was disciplined by the Brook Cherith, and God was with him. Jeremiah walked a lonely path, but God was with him. John the Baptist was in the desert alone, but God was there. Paul had two years of solitary confinement on that same desert—that was God’s opportunity to train him. The apostle John was exiled on the lonely isle of Patmos, but God was with him.
There are so many people who want to get together to have a great prayer meeting or other great gatherings. Friend, have you ever tried being alone? That is where God will meet with you. Take the Word of God and go off alone with Him. It will do you a lot of good.
I love speaking on my radio program. I have been asked, “Dr. McGee, are you speaking to an audience when you make those tapes?” The answer is, “No. I am all alone.” I am in the studio with all the doors shut. I am alone, alone with God. It is wonderful. I think this is when God speaks to me. It is at this time that God has been able to use this weak bit of clay to get out the Word of God. He makes that Word go out, and He gives it its effectiveness.
In contrast, the ungodly and the unbeliever are gregarious. They want to go to the nightclubs to have a drink with somebody. They run in packs, and they like to have people around them. They don’t like to be alone. You remember that Jacob tried to avoid being alone, but God pushed him into a corner so that one night God wrestled with him and finally crippled him in order to get him.
Now in this Scripture before us Daniel is alone with God, and he has this vision of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, “there remained no strength in me”—it had a tremendous effect upon him.
Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground [Dan. 10:9].
Daniel apparently lapsed into unconsciousness. I don’t know how long he was there. The Lord Jesus left him, and when Daniel regained consciousness, he found that an angel had come and ministered to him.
MESSAGE OF AN UNIDENTIFIED HEAVENLY MESSENGER
Daniel apparently is just sprawled down, prone on the earth. Then a hand touches him.
And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands [Dan. 10:10].
This heavenly messenger was sent by the postincarnate Christ to answer Daniel’s petition. Who could he have been? Well, I suggest that he was Gabriel, since Gabriel was sent to Daniel on other occasions; yet he could have been any other angel.
And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling [Dan. 10:11].
You see, at first Daniel was horizontal with the ground. Then he was brought up on all fours, and now he is told to stand up.
“A man greatly beloved”—again Daniel is reminded of the fact that he is greatly beloved of God. That is a nice reputation to have in heaven, by the way!
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia [Dan. 10:12–13].
Here a veil is lifted momentarily, and it reveals a heavenly warfare going on. It reveals that there is a great deal more about this universe in which we live than meets the eye. There is a great deal more to it than we know. Very little is revealed to us, and we should not try to know more than is revealed about the unseen world.
This reveals that in the world which is unseen by us there is a conflict going on, a conflict of the ages between good and evil, light and darkness, God and Satan. It reveals that there are satanic forces and heavenly forces.
“From the first day … thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” The angel is saying that Daniel’s prayer was heard immediately and he was sent as a messenger with an answer. But on the way his pathway was blocked; he couldn’t get through to Daniel. This is an amazing statement! This throws some light on what Paul said to the Ephesian believers: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:11–12).
Again, here are the gradations of rank in the forces of Satan. Their power may explain the reason your prayer and my prayer have not yet been answered. Actually, prayer is fighting a spiritual battle always. Paul made it clear that prayer was a spiritual battle for him. “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Rom. 15:30). “Strive together” is the Greek word sunagonizom—from this root we get our English word agonize. You and I are to agonize in prayer.
Prayer has been made a light sort of thing today. Most of the prayers I hear are either very flowery or very theological, and I think we could do without both kinds. Real prayer is agonizing. It is getting through the barriers to release spiritual power. It is not done by trying to entertain the Lord with flowery language or by trying to be very profound and theological. My friend, we are fighting a spiritual battle!
Again, the angel said to Daniel, “When you began to pray, God sent me to answer your prayer, but I couldn’t get through to you because on the way the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days.” Who is he? No earthly or human prince could do such a thing. This evidently was an envoy of Satan, one of the demons. We know that God has his angels organized, and apparently Satan also has his demons organized like an army. There are the generals and the colonels, the lieutenants and second lieutenants, sergeants and corporals, and so on. Apparently this angel was outranked by the satanic angel who was the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and so he couldn’t get through and had to send back for reinforcements. In fact, Michael, the archangel, had to come to open up the way for him.
Why would the way be blocked? Daniel is going to be given information about the kingdom of Persia and about the kingdom of Greece—we will see that when we get to the next chapter. Satan didn’t want that kind of information to get out. It was secret information that he didn’t want released to the human family. But God wanted the information to be gotten through to Daniel.
“Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Apparently there was a conflict going on involving the kings of Persia (remember that Daniel was in Persia), and there needed to be some heavenly forces to help. This was about the time that Daniel had the experience of being put into the den of lions. You see, the Lord was active on Daniel’s behalf without his knowing anything about it.
Oh, my friend, we need to recognize as believers that we are in a spiritual warfare. It is amazing how many times the Devil shortcircuits our prayer life.
One of the reasons that public prayer and prayer meetings are so dead is because those who go there say some pretty little prayers without realizing that there is a battle going on. There is a war that must be fought and won. Paul mentions this again in 2 Corinthians 10:3–5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Friend, the Christian life is a bigger undertaking than any of us ever dreamed it to be. You and I need to recognize how much we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how much we need the presence of Christ. We need to be more conscious of the fact that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare.
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days [Dan. 10:14].
This is the key which opens the door to the understanding of the remainder of the Book of Daniel. There are three features which characterize this closing vision.
1. The vision concerns “thy people.” I think we can dogmatically and categorically identify the prophecy as having Israel as its subject. If anyone tries to interpret this in any other way, then semantics and syntax are meaningless. “Thy people” means Israel.
2. It will be accomplished “in the latter days.” This places the final fulfillment in the period of the Seventieth Week, which is the time of the Great Tribulation Period. The “latter days” places it at the end of that period.
3. “Yet the vision is for many days.” This emphasizes the fact that a long period of time is involved—not only in fulfillment—but before the vision will be finalized.
We will come now to the two parts of the vision: the historical (it was prophetic when it was given, but now has been fulfilled) and the prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
DANIEL ASSURED AND STRENGTHENED
And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength [Dan. 10:15–16].
This was having a tremendous effect upon Daniel physically, as you can see.
For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me [Dan. 10:17–18].
When I hear people today tell me that they have had a vision of an angel but it doesn’t seem to have affected them very much, I know they didn’t really see an angel. The experience of seeing an angel certainly had a tremendous effect upon Daniel.
And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come [Dan. 10:19–20].
Another angel that represents Greece will come—another satanic principality. The angel who was speaking to Daniel had to get back to the battle that was going on.
But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince [Dan. 10:21].
“That which is noted in the scripture of truth”—the angel turns Daniel to the Word of God. Noted means “recorded or registered.” In other words, Daniel will not hear or see anything that is contradictory to the Word of God.
My friend, the Word of God is the only weapon available to the child of God for effective use in our spiritual warfare. It is called the sword of the Spirit, and some of us don’t know how to use our swords.
CHAPTER 11
Theme: Vision continued; Antiochus Epiphanes identified; vicious and vocal volition of the Man of Sin; victory of the willful king is temporary
Chapters 10–12 all deal with the same vision, and therefore chapter 11 is a continuation of the previous chapter. It is a very important chapter because it fills in some of the details of the Seventy Weeks of chapter 9, which specifically concern Daniel’s people, Israel. It also fills in some of the details of the last three of the four nations symbolized in the multimetallic image of chapter 2 and in the beasts of chapter 7. The very importance of this chapter caused Satan to hinder the angel in coming to give Daniel the answer to his prayer, because this prophecy does concern two of the nations which were all-important in relation to Daniel’s people. The two nations were Persia and Greece.
A further notable contribution of this chapter is that it bridges prophetically part of the gap between the Old and New Testaments. We speak of the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments as being a period of silence, which is not exactly accurate. The intertestamental period was the time of Israel’s greatest travail. They suffered at the hands of both Syria and Egypt. As these two nations warred against each other, Palestine was caught in the middle as the armies of these two nations seesawed back and forth, up and down, across the land of Israel.
During the intertestamental period came the rise of Antiochus Epiphanes (who is a type of the Antichrist of the future). He was a member of the Seleucid family, and we will identify him when we come to him in this chapter. He was a persecutor of the Jews, far exceeding any Pharaoh or Haman or Hitler or modern Russia. He has been called the Nero of Jewish history. He has also been called the Great Profaner.
There is a remarkable division in the chapter which separates history and prophecy—the historical from the eschatological section. Remember, it was all future when it was originally written, but part of it has been fulfilled.
This prophecy is rather complicated and goes into prophecy a little deeper than the average person likes to go into it. Most people seem to like the exciting, sensational part of prophecy, but they do not want to dig down into the Word of God to see what it really says. However, if you are one who enjoys a deep and detailed study of prophecy, you will be thrilled by this section of the remarkable Word of God.
VISION CONTINUED
This prophecy bridges the gap from Media-Persia over to Greece, from Asia to Europe. It tells of the transition of world powers from one continent to another, from the East to the West. Remember that the prophecy concerns the people of Daniel. It was especially important to Israel because they would be caught in a vise between these different powers. It would be a period of great suffering for these people.
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him [Dan. 11:1].
The speaker here is the angel, and this is a continuation from chapter 10. The angel may have been Gabriel; we are not told his name. Remember that it occurred during the reign of Darius when Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. Darius tried in vain to deliver Daniel, but he was trapped by his own decree. Yet he said to Daniel, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee” (Dan. 6:16).
“I stood to confirm and strengthen him.” The angel confirmed and strengthened Darius in his faith. He also comforted and assisted Daniel. And Daniel said, you recall, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths” (Dan. 6:22).
So historically this is where the vision fits in, and it bridges the gap between the Old and New Testaments, the intertestamental period.
And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia [Dan. 11:2].
From here through verse 34 is one of the most remarkable examples of prewritten history. This section has caused the destructive critic to demand a late date for the composition of the Book of Daniel. Here are clear-cut statements of prophecy which have been literally fulfilled.
The prophecy of this chapter is so detailed and so accurate that the liberal critic will not accept the fact that it was written before it happened. He insists that Daniel’s prophecy was written after it had become history. Personally, I do not like the liberals to be called liberal. To me they are the most narrow-minded people I know anything about. Yet they like to speak of their broad-mindedness and that they don’t have a narrow conception of Scripture. Let me give you an example. One of them right here in Southern California said to me, “McGee, I listen to you on the radio sometimes.” (He said that in a condescending manner as though I should have been honored.) Then he said, “I notice that you accept prophecy as being reliable,” and he cited this Book of Daniel. So I asked him, “What authority do you have for rejecting the early dating of Daniel and accepting a late date of Daniel?” His reply was this, “Well, it’s very simple. We know that miracles are impossible, that they do not happen. Therefore if this were written beforehand, it would be a miracle; so it must have been written afterward.” Now, my friend, I ask you, is that being narrow-minded, prejudiced, and biased? Obviously, this chapter before us is one of the most remarkable passages of prewritten history in the Word of God, and conservative scholarship can sustain the early date of Daniel. This means that you have a miracle on your hands.
When the angel gave this information to Daniel, he knew that Daniel would not live to see it fulfilled. Obviously, it was recorded for the comfort and encouragement of the people of God who would live through the difficult days it describes. Also it was written for all generations as a testimony of the fact that God knows the end from the beginning.
The angel told him that there would be four notable kings of Persia to follow Cyrus. We think we can identify them today: (1) Cambyses, 529 b.c.; (2) Pseudo-Smerdis, 522 b.c.; (3) Darius Hystaspis, 521 b.c.; and (4) Xerxes who invaded Greece in 480 b.c. He was defeated and never again did Media-Persia make a bid for world dominion. Incidentally, I believe that Xerxes is the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther. He was very rich, as the prophecy here said he would be.
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will [Dan. 11:3].
“A mighty king” is Alexander the Great who came to power in 335 b.c. over the Graeco-Macedonian Empire. He put down Persia and assumed world dominion.
And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those [Dan. 11:4].
Alexander the Great was a world ruler and probably the greatest military strategist the world has ever seen, but he died an alcoholic in 323 b.c. His own posterity did not inherit his vast kingdom. Four of his generals divided the empire into four geographical areas, each ruled by one general. The division was roughly this: Cassander took Macedonia; Lysimachus took Asia Minor (modern Turkey); Seleucus Nicator took Syria and the remainder of the Middle East; and Ptolemy took Egypt. All four families warred among themselves. Eventually they all lost their kingdoms when the Romans marched east.
And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion [Dan. 11:5].
“The king of the south.” South of what? Directions in the Bible are reckoned from Palestine as the center of the earth. The king of the south is not from south of Los Angeles or Chicago or New York. It is the king from the south of Israel, so this would be the king from Egypt. This king of the south would be one of the Ptolemies.
And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times [Dan. 11:6].
“The king of the north” refers to the line of the Seleucidae. This verse brings us to about 250 b.c. Although historians differ on some of the minor details, they have recorded some of the manipulations that went on in the courts of that day, which fulfill this prophecy very accurately. To form an alliance between these two warring families, Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus Theos of Syria. Antiochus was already married to Laodice, whom he divorced. After two years Ptolemy Philadelphus died; so Antiochus Theos put away Berenice with her son and took back his first wife, Laodice. She, in turn, poisoned Antiochus Theos and ordered the death of Berenice and her son. Then Laodice put her own son, Seleucus Callinicus, on the throne. That was some juggling act, and it is interesting how this is covered in the prophecy given to Daniel.
But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail [Dan. 11:7].
This was Ptolemy Euergetes, brother of Berenice, who came with an army and captured Syria, and he seized the fort which was the port of Antioch in that day.
And shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.
So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land [Dan. 11:8–9].
It is recorded that Ptolemy Euergetes took into Egypt as booty four thousand talents of gold, forty thousand talents of silver, and twenty-five hundred idols. Do you see how this Scripture was literally fulfilled?
But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.
And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches [Dan. 11:10–13].
There was continual warfare between Egypt and Syria. Without going into detail, let me say that during this period Israel seemed repeatedly to make the wrong choice and found herself being made captive first by one, then by the other.
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall [Dan. 11:14].
Many in the nation of Israel were slain at this time. They incurred untold sufferings from both the king of the north and the king of the south.
So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.
But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed [Dan. 11:15–16].
“He shall stand in the glorious land.” Now we know why this has been recorded and given to Daniel—it concerns the “glorious land,” which is Israel, the land that God had vouchsafed to Abraham and to those coming after him.
These two verses predict what history now records as the victory of Antiochus the Great over Egypt. It was a decisive victory, and it caused Israel to suffer immeasurably. I am going to pass over some of the secular history of this period. If you care to go into detail, I suggest that you consult one of the larger Bible encyclopedias, such as Hastings’ or the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, and read in detail the secular history covered in this section. You will find that Daniel’s prophecy was fulfilled in a remarkable way. There is a period of 125 years that was fulfilled in detail.
He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him [Dan. 11:17].
This brings us to about 198 or 195 b.c. when Antiochus the Great made a treaty with Egypt and gave his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy Epiphanes in marriage.
After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.
Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle [Dan. 11:18–20].
“He shall turn his face unto the isles” refers to Greece and all the Greek islands. This is where Antiochus the Great was beginning to move at this time—not only against Ptolemy in the south, but against Lysimachus in the west.
“A prince for his own behalf” would refer to another line, that is, Rome which was beginning to arise in the west and move toward the east. Rome, you see, exacted taxes from the Syrians. The Romans were probably the best tax assessors and tax gatherers in the world until modern America perfected the system. Our system of collecting taxes would put even Rome to shame! As Rome began to rise, she was building a tremendous empire by taxing the people she was capturing. As the Syrians began to fall before Rome, there were many historical details that could be filled in. For further reading I would suggest to you The Prophet Daniel by A. C. Gaebelein and The Coming Prince by Sir Robert Anderson, a former chief of Scotland Yard.
ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES IDENTIFIED
Introduced to us now is the vile person, Antiochus Epiphanes, who was king in Syria and is easily identified in history.
This is the “little horn” that has already been fulfilled, as we studied back in chapter 8.
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries [Dan. 11:21].
This prophecy is concerned with one king in the line of the Seleucidae, Antiochus Epiphanes. Most fundamental interpreters of Scripture consider this section to be a direct reference to this man. The prophecy fits the history of Antiochus Epiphanes like a glove. (He is at the same time a type of the Antichrist, thus illustrative and figurative of the Man of Sin who is yet to come. The careers of both are strikingly similar.)
Antiochus Epiphanes came to the throne in 175 b.c. He is called vile because of his blasphemies. He came to the throne with a program of peace. (The Antichrist will come to power in the same way. He will introduce the Great Tribulation with three and one half years of peace, and the people of the world will think they are entering the Millennium when they are really entering the Great Tribulation Period.) Antiochus was a deceiver and a flatterer. My friend, beware of that type of person. You can find them even in the ministry. They have hurt the church more than anything. We do not need men who will deceive and butter up folk for their own advantage; we need honest, forthright men who will stand in the pulpit and tell it like it is. Unfortunately, they are getting few and far between, but, thank God, there are still many of them about.
And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time [Dan. 11:22–24].
“The prince of the covenant” was probably the high priest, Onias III, who was deposed and murdered at this time by the deceitful devices of Antiochus when he came to power.
And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him.
Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.
Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land [Dan. 11:25–28].
These verses describe the campaign of Antiochus and his victory over the king of Egypt which brought him much riches and prestige.
“They shall speak lies at one table” refers to the fact that he was an unreliable liar. It also reveals that the conference tables of that day were very much like the conference tables of our own day where nations meet and make treaties which become meaningless scraps of paper.
At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant [Dan. 11:29–30].
Antiochus made a second campaign against Egypt but was not successful due to the navy of Rome, “the ships of Chittim.” He broke his covenant with Israel, but notice that some of the Jews betrayed their own people—“he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.”
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate [Dan. 11:31].
Antiochus came against Jerusalem in 170 b.c., at which time over one hundred thousand Jews were slain! He took away the daily sacrifice from the temple, offered the blood and broth of a swine upon the altar, and set up an image of Jupiter to be worshiped in the holy place of the temple of God. This was an “abomination that maketh desolate,” but it was not the abomination to which our Lord Jesus refers which was future when He was on earth and is still future in our day. It is the abomination which Antichrist will set up. Antiochus set up an image of Jupiter in the holy place, and the Antichrist will probably set up an image of himself in the holy place.
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits [Dan. 11:32].
There were a few in the nation Israel who played the role of a Judas, but there were many who knew God and were strong and did exploits. It was during this time that God raised up the family of the Maccabees. In 166 b.c. Mattathias the priest raised a revolt against the awful blasphemy. The family was called the Maccabees, that is, the hammer. Although they are not recorded in Scripture, I am convinced that they were God’s men for that particular hour.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries [Dan. 11:33–34].
This period lies between the Testaments and is a saga of suffering. There were many in this time who served God as faithfully and courageously as had Gideon or David or Elijah or Jeremiah or Daniel. If you are not familiar with this period of history, you should look into the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees as well as the writings of Josephus.
And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed [Dan. 11:35].
“The time of the end” leaps forward in prophecy from Antiochus Epiphanes to the Antichrist. We move now from the history of that day into that which is yet in the future. All of this prophecy was in the future when Daniel gave it—some is now history and some is yet future.
VICIOUS AND VOCAL VOLITION OF THE MAN OF SIN
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done [Dan. 11:36].
At this point history ends and prophecy begins. The text passes from a vile person to a vicious character, moving over a bridge of unmeasured time. Antiochus Epiphanes was certainly a contemptible person, but he could not measure up to the king described in verses 36–39. Antiochus was an adumbration of Antichrist, and I believe that this passage of Scripture thus indicates that Antichrist will rise out of the geographical bounds of the ancient Grecian empire.
There will be a political Antichrist, the one who is mentioned here, a Gentile raised out of the Roman Empire. There will also be a religious Antichrist who will pretend to be Christ and who will arise out of the land of Israel—he will be like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Antichrist is given many names in Scripture. J. Dwight Pentecost, in his book Things to Come (p. 334), gives a list of names compiled by Arthur W. Pink (The Antichrist, pp. 59–75) which are applicable to Antichrist: “The Bloody and Deceitful Man (Ps. 5:6), the Wicked One (Ps. 10:2–4), the Man of the Earth (Ps. 10:18), the Mighty Man (Ps. 52:1), the Enemy (Ps. 55:3), the Adversary (Ps. 74:8–10), the Head of Many Countries (Ps. 111:6 [sic]), the Violent Man (Psalm 140:1), the Assyrian (Isa. 10:5–12), the King of Babylon (Isa. 14:2), the Sun [sic] of the Morning (Isa. 14:12), the Spoiler (Isa. 16:4–5; Jer. 6:26), the Nail (Isa. 22:25), the Branch of the Terrible Ones (Isa. 25:5), the Profane Wicked Prince of Israel (Ezek. 21:25–27), the Little Horn (Dan. 7:8), the Prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26), the Vile Person (Dan. 11:21), the Wilful King (Dan. 11:36), the Idol Shepherd (Zech. 11:16–17), the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3), the Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3), the Lawless one (2 Thess. 2:8), the Antichrist (1 John 2:22), the Angels [sic] of the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 9:11), the Beast (Rev. 11:7; 13:1). To these could be added: the One Coming in His Own Name (John 5:43), the King of Fierce Countenance (Dan. 8:23), the Abomination of Desolation (Matt. 24:15), the Desolator (Dan. 9:27).”
“The king shall do according to his will.” Antichrist is self-willed. How contrary this is to the Lord Jesus Christ who said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).
“He shall exalt himself.” The little horn (the name given to Antichrist in ch. 7) tries to be a big horn. Again, how unlike the Lord Jesus this is! Paul wrote of Him: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5–8).
“And magnify himself above every god.” In 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Paul wrote of the Antichrist: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” And in Revelation 13:8 we are also told: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
It is blasphemous rebellion against God which marks the willful king as the final and logical expression of humanism. He is the typical representative of that which is against God and that which is our old nature: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7–8). The carnal mind of men will turn to the Antichrist. When men choose their own rulers and leaders, what kind of man do they choose? Generally it is one who is like they are, and that is the reason we are getting such sorry leaders in the world today. The leadership of the world is frightful—they are the kind of folk we picked out. God has said right here in the Book of Daniel that He would set over the kingdoms of this world the basest of rulers.
“And shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.” The willful king will be successful at first and for a brief time. God will permit this to come to pass during the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all [Dan. 11:37].
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers.” It has been assumed from this statement that Antichrist would have to be an Israelite. However, this statement could refer to a Protestant, a Roman Catholic, or a heathen. Wherever he comes from, he will not regard the God of his fathers. We have examples of this in history. Smith, the head of the now defunct organization, the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, was the son of a Methodist minister, and Stalin at one time studied in a theological seminary.
As I have stated previously, I believe that it takes two men to fulfill this office, and they are both presented in chapter 13 of Revelation. This first one is a political ruler who comes out of the Roman Empire and probably the Greek section of the Roman Empire. He is the one who doesn’t have to be an Israelite at all. The second beast that arises is a religious leader, and he imitates Christ—I assume he will be an Israelite.
“Nor the desire of women.” This refers evidently to the desire of Hebrew women to be the mother of the Messiah. Not only will the Lord Jesus Christ be absolutely rejected, He will become the enemy. Antichrist leads a rebellion against God and Christ. As Psalm 2 puts it: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Ps. 2:2–3).
“Nor regard any god.” That means very plainly that he will oppose all religions and worship, except worship of himself. He is not only a believer in the ecumenical movement, he promotes it; in fact, he is it. One religion for one world will be his motto, and he is that religion.
“He shall magnify himself above all” is the final fruition of the self-will of this willful king. His total ambition is self-adulation.
This is the frightful prospect of the final days of the Great Tribulation Period: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:15–17). You will not be able to go to a restaurant to eat or buy a ticket on a plane or train without the mark of the Beast. I tell you, that is going to be dictatorship with a vengeance!
But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things [Dan. 11:38].
“The God of forces” should be more accurately translated “the God of fortresses.” It is true that we are living in a day, as someone has written, in which man is increasingly making gods out of forces, but that is not what Daniel is saying here. I am quoting Dr. Newell: “We know from pagan mythology that both Cybele and Diana are variously represented as crowned with multi-tiered crowns, plainly setting forth the idea of fortification with turrets, battlements, and so forth” (Daniel, The Man Greatly Beloved, and His Prophecies, p. 178). I am sure you have seen pictures of these heathen idols with their multi-tiered crowns with all kinds of fortresses on them which represent the kingdoms of this world. Antichrist will honor the god of fortresses who has the kingdoms of the world. Who is that? Well, it was Satan who offered to Christ the kingdoms of this world, and our Lord rejected his offer. Apparently, Satan had a right to make that offer. Antichrist will accept the offer and become the world’s dictator. We are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 13:4 that Antichrist will accept worship and will have the world worshiping Satan in that day. All the kingdoms of the world will be under his rulership, the first truly worldwide dictatorship.
Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain [Dan. 11:39].
This is going to be Satan’s hour. He will make the most of it, as he knows his time is short. “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Rev. 12:12). Antichrist will be the pliant tool to completely do the will of Satan in that day. He will rule over many people and dispose of property as he pleases. He is the willful king and the final world dictator.
VICTORY OF THE WILLFUL KING IS TEMPORARY
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over [Dan. 11:40].
It is “the time of the end,” not the end of time. It is the end which Daniel has had in mind all through this section, the last days of the nation Israel which the Lord Jesus labeled the Great Tribulation.
“The king of the south” is evidently a ruler of Egypt, but it is impossible for us to identify him. Actually, Egypt has not had a native ruler for years. God has done a pretty good job of putting over that nation the basest of rulers. However, this one who is going to arise at the time of the end will probably unite all of Africa as no leader of Egypt has ever been able to do, and he will come against Antichrist.
“The king of the north” is more easily identified. He takes the place of the Seleucidae dynasty, and I believe he is the one who comes out of the north mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The king of the north is Russia. Russia will open the campaign of Armageddon which will not be just a battle, but an entire war. At the very beginning, the king of the north will be eliminated as God moves in judgment upon that nation.
He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon [Dan. 11:41].
The entrance of Russia into Palestine precipitates the great crisis and conflict of the Great Tribulation Period.
When Antichrist enters Palestine, that is, “the glorious land,” he will find that he is going to have trouble with Edom, Moab, and Ammon. That is the territory where the sons of Ishmael, the Arabs, are today. He is going to have trouble with them, for a while at least.
He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape [Dan. 11:42].
Egypt and the king of the south will yield to the Antichrist.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps [Dan. 11:43].
He will have control of the wealth of this world. He will control the entire money markets of the world at that time. Libya and Ethiopia will surrender to him—he will have control of Africa.
But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many [Dan. 11:44].
“Tidings out of the east”—that means the Orient with its teeming millions. A great army will come from there to the Battle of Armageddon, and this world ruler will be troubled. At that time, there will be no hope for the world, and certainly there will be no hope for God’s people, except in God Himself.
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him [Dan. 11:45].
“The seas” refer to the Mediterranean Sea, and “the glorious holy mountain” is Jerusalem. In other words, at that time Antichrist will establish his headquarters for world conquest between the Mediterranean Sea and Jerusalem. However, instead of ruling from there, he will be destroyed by the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:17–20). Evil will have taken over, and only in the personal coming of Christ to establish His kingdom will any on this earth be delivered and saved.
CHAPTER 12
Theme: The Great Tribulation; the resurrections of Old Testament saints and sinners; sealing of prophecy till the time of the end; the abomination of desolation
Chapter 12 now concludes the vision which began back in chapter 10. This is all one vision, and everything about it must fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. The problem is that some people dip into this prophecy here and there, making applications as they see fit. We need to remember that this is all one vision, and we were told concerning it: “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (Dan. 10:14). There are three important things that we note from this verse:
1. “Thy people” means that it concerns the nation Israel after the church is removed from the earth.
2. It is “in the latter days.” The latter days of the Old Testament are identified with the last days of the New Testament which the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation Period and which correspond to the Seventieth Week of Daniel.
3. “Yet the vision is for many days,” that is, there will be a long time before all of this is worked out and before you come to the latter days. It has been a long time since Daniel had these visions; in fact, at least twenty-five hundred years have gone by. Whether we are moving into the orbit of these days, I do not know. The church will have to be removed first—that is the next happening in the program of God. We have no date for that—we have no sign for it. Anyone who tries to set a date for the Rapture is dealing with something that is not found in the Word of God.
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book [Dan. 12:1].
By what authority do we call this period the Great Tribulation Period? By the authority of the Lord Jesus, because He used the same language in speaking of the Great Tribulation that Daniel uses here. He said that this would be a brief period, a time of trouble, and that there would never be a time like it before or afterward. This is the time the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation Period. He knew what He was talking about, and we will accept what He said (see Matt. 24:15–26).
“At that time” identifies the time frame as the time of the end (Dan. 11:35, 40; 12:4) and the latter days (Dan. 10:14). This is now the end of the vision given to Daniel, and it ends with the Great Tribulation Period. Dr. Robert Culver wrote in Daniel and the Latter Days, p. 166: “Another expression, ‘at the time of the end’ (11:40), seems to indicate eschatological times. I do not feel that this evidence, taken by itself, can be pressed too far, for obviously the end of whatever series of events is in the mind of the author is designated by the expression, ‘time of the end.’ This is not necessarily a series reaching on to the consummation of the ages. However, it is quite clear from 10:14, which fixes the scope of the prophecy to include ‘the latter days,’ that the ‘time of the end’ in this prophecy is with reference to the period consummated by the establishment of the Messianic kingdom.”
“Michael” is identified for us here. He is the only angel given the title of archangel (see Jude 9). His name means “who is like unto God?” He is the one who is going to cast Satan out of heaven (see Rev. 12:7–9). He is the one who protects the nation Israel and stands in her behalf, as Daniel makes clear here. His strategy is outlined by John in Revelation 12:14–16.
“For the children of thy people.” This is positively the nation Israel. Otherwise the language has no meaning whatsoever.
“And there shall be a time of trouble.” This is the Great Tribulation Period as our Lord so labeled it in Matthew 24:21.
The believing remnant of Israel will be preserved (see Matt. 24:22; Rom. 11:26; Rev. 7:4). “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Rev. 7:4).
THE RESURRECTIONS OF OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND SINNERS
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt [Dan. 12:2].
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life.” The remnant of Israel living in the Great Tribulation Period will be preserved, and that great company of Gentiles who are to be saved during that time also will be preserved. Those of the Old Testament who died belonging to the remnant and the Gentiles saved during the Old Testament will be raised to everlasting life at the end of the Great Tribulation.
The Old Testament saints are not raised at the Rapture of the church. Scripture clearly states that at the Rapture those “… which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1 Thess. 4:14, italics mine). Only, “… the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16, italics mine). We are in Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which began on the Day of Pentecost and will end at the Rapture. This particular body of believers is called the church. We are told in 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Christ told His disciples who were members of the nation Israel that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit and put into the body of believers, the church—“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5).
When the church is raptured out of the world, the Old Testament saints will not yet be raised. Why? Because the time to enter the kingdom is at the end of the Great Tribulation Period when Christ comes to establish His kingdom on the earth. Then the Old Testament saints will be raised. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will all be raised to enter the kingdom on this earth at that time. However, if they were raised at the time of the Rapture of the church, they would just have to stand around with their harps for seven years! I think that would get a little monotonous. However, Scripture makes it clear that they will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation.
“Some to shame and everlasting contempt” refers to the lost of the Old Testament who are raised for the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (see Rev. 20:11–15).
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever [Dan. 12:3].
God’s servants in the dark days of the Great Tribulation will shine as lights. Believers are to do the same thing today, by the way. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). The remnant in that day will be God’s witness in the world, and they are going to “turn many to righteousness.” That righteousness is Christ, the only righteousness which is acceptable to God. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (see Isa. 64:6) in His sight—not in our sight; we think we are pretty good. We pat each other on the back and tell each other how wonderful we are, while all we produce is a bunch of dirty laundry, my friend. God is not accepting our works; He is accepting the righteousness of Christ, and that is provided only by faith.
SEALING OF PROPHECY TILL THE TIME OF THE END
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased [Dan. 12:4].
These prophecies were to be sealed until “the time of the end.” This does not mean the end of time but refers to that definite period of time which in the Book of Daniel is the Seventieth Week. In view of the fact that we are in the interval immediately preceding this period, it is difficult to know just how much we understand. Since so many good men differ today on the interpretation of prophecy, it would seem to indicate that there is much that we do not understand. All of this will be opened up when we reach this particular period. This is the reason we need to keep our eyes upon one thing—“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
“Many shall run to and fro.” I personally believe that this refers to running up and down the Bible in the study of prophecy—many shall search it through and through. There is a serious study of prophecy being made by many scholars today which has not been done in the past. Different great doctrines of the church have been studied and developed during different periods of the history of the church. At the very beginning, the doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures was pretty well established—also the doctrine of the deity of Christ and of redemption. Other doctrines were developed down through history. Today I think we are seeing more study of prophecy than ever before.
“Knowledge shall be increased.” I believe this means knowledge of prophecy. It is true that knowledge has increased in every field today, but this refers primarily to the study of prophecy.
Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river.
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished [Dan. 12:5–7].
These verses return us to the vision which Daniel had seen at the beginning of chapter 10.
“The man clothed in linen” has been previously identified as the postincarnate Christ. Two others join Him here—one stands on one bank of the Tigris River and the other on the opposite bank. One asks how long these events will take, and the postincarnate Christ swears that it will be three and one half years, which is the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
“To scatter the power of the holy people” is a strange phrase. It may mean that the rebellion of Israel will have finally been broken by the end of the Great Tribulation Period and that there will have been a great turning to God at that time.
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? [Dan. 12:8].
Though Daniel was a witness to this scene, he did not understand what he saw and heard. Daniel was puzzled and wanted to know how all of these things he had just witnessed would work out.
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end [Dan. 12:9].
Daniel is reminded again that these things would take place in the time of the end and are temporarily sealed (see v. 4).
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand [Dan. 12:10].
These great principles of God prevail from Daniel’s day to the time of the end, irrespective of dispensations:
1. “Many shall be purified” refers to those who have come to Christ, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy …” (Titus 3:5).
2. “None of the wicked shall understand” refers to the natural man. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
3. “But the wise shall understand.” “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days [Dan. 12:11].
The importance of this verse cannot be over-emphasized as the Lord Jesus referred to it in Matthew 24:15—“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (Whoso readeth, let him understand).” This is the signal to the remnant that the Great Tribulation has begun.
For 1,290 days the idol of the Beast remains in the temple. Actually, this is thirty days beyond the three and one half years. The last half of the Great Tribulation is 1,260 days, and for some unexplained reason the image of Antichrist will be permitted to remain 30 days after Antichrist himself has been cast into the lake of fire.
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days [Dan. 12:12].
Another series of days is given to us here with no other explanation than “blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh” to them. No one has the interpretation of this—it is sealed until the time of the end. I think sometimes we try to know more than is actually given to us.
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days [Dan. 12:13].
Daniel is told (as the Lord Jesus told Simon Peter) that he would die. He would not live to see the return of Christ, but he would be raised from the dead to enter the Millennium.
“In thy lot” means that Daniel will be raised with the Old Testament saints at the beginning of the Millennium.
“At the end of the days” brings us to the abundant entrance into Christ’s kingdom. My friend, that is the future that is before us right now, a future that says Jesus is coming to this earth to establish His kingdom. This is the hope we should keep before us in these days.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(Recommended for Further Study)
Campbell, Donald K. Daniel: Decoder of Dreams. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1977.
Criswell, W. A. Expository Sermons on the Book of Daniel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1968.
DeHaan, M. R. Daniel the Prophet. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1947.
Gaebelein, Arno C. The Prophet Daniel. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1911.
Ironside, H. A. Lectures on Daniel the Prophet. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1911. (Especially good for young Christians.)
Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Daniel. Addison, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, 1881.
Larkin, Clarence. The Book of Daniel. Philadelphia: The Larkin Estate, 1929. (Very helpful charts.)
Luck, G. Coleman. Daniel. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1958. (Fine, inexpensive survey.)
McClain, Alva J. Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks. Winona Lake, Indiana: Brethren Missionary Herald Co., 1940.
Strauss, Lehman. The Prophecies of Daniel. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1969. (Very practical.)
Walvoord, John F. Daniel, The Key to Prophetic Revelation. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1971. (Excellent, comprehensive interpretation.)
Wood, Leon J. Daniel: A Study Guide Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975. (Excellent for individual and group study.)
HELPFUL BOOKS ON BIBLE PROPHECY
Hoyt, Hermann A. The End Times. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1969.
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Basis of the Premillennial Faith. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1953.
Ryrie, Charles C. What You Should Know About the Rapture. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1981.
Sauer, Erich. From Eternity to Eternity. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1954.
Tatford, Frederick A. The Minor Prophets. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Klock & Klock, n.d.
Walvoord, John F. Armageddon, Oil, and the Middle East Crisis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.
Walvoord, John F. The Millennial Kingdom. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959.
Walvoord, John F. The Rapture Question. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1957.
Wood, Leon J. The Bible and Future Events. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973.