Month: May 2021

You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,

that you might comfort me. ISA 12:1

Rashi

You will say when you see the nations being sentenced to disgrace and abhorrence.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me and you exiled me, and my exile atoned for me, and now, amends have been made for my iniquity. Your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Jonathan renders: I will confess before you, O Lord, that I sinned before you, and, therefore, you were angry with me, and were it not for your mercy, I would not be worthy to have your anger turn away and comfort me, and behold, your anger has turned away from me.

In the end, we will see that all things come together for God’s greater purposes, which transcend our lifetime and our own problems. Isaiah’s prophecy assured the Israelites that he would leave a remnant and they would ultimately thank the Lord for turning away his anger and giving them comfort. As we undergo challenges in life, we can thank God for his sovereignty and love that molds our character and draws us close, put our trust in him, and be assured of his deliverance and comfort. How have you experienced the comfort of God even as you go through challenges?

1 And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you,

John Gill

And when all these things come upon you—Declared, pronounced, foretold, and prophesied of in the three preceding chapters, especially in (Deu 28:1-68);

The blessing and the curse, which I have set before you—The blessings promised to those that pay a regard to the will of God and obey his voice, and curses threatened see Deu 28:1-20;

And you shall call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you—Recollect the promises and the threatenings, and observe the exact accomplishment of them in their captivities, and especially in this their last and present captivity.

But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” LUK 15:17

2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul,

John Gill

And return to the Lord your God—By repentance, acknowledging their manifold sins and transgressions, particularly their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, now seeking him and salvation by him; see Hos 3:5;

You and your children, . . . in all that I command you today—Which was to love the Lord, and walk in his ways, directed to in the gospel, and which were to be regarded from a principle of love to God and the blessed Redeemer; see Deu 30:6, 16;

And obey his voice—In the gospel, yielding the obedience of faith to that; embracing the gospel, and submitting to the ordinances of it:

With all your heart and with all your soul—That is, both their return to the Lord, and their obedience to his voice or word, should be hearty and sincere; which being the case, the following things would be done for them.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1JN 1:9

3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. DEU 30:1-3

Megillah 29a:4

It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai says: Come and see how beloved the Jewish people are before the Holy One, blessed be he. As every place they were exiled, the divine presence went with them. They were exiled to Egypt, and the divine presence went with them, as it is stated: “Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt?” (1Sa 2:27). They were exiled to Babylonia, and the divine presence went with them, as it is stated: “For your sake I send to Babylonia” (Isa 43:14). So too, when, in the future, they will be redeemed, the divine presence will be with them, as it is stated: “Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes” (Deu 30:3). It does not state: He will bring back, i.e., He will cause the Jewish people to return, but rather it says: “He will restore,” which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, will return together with them from among the various exiles.

Rashi

The Lord your God will restore your fortunes—The Lord your God will (himself) return (with) your fortunes. Although the meaning of the verse is indeed, “The Lord your God will restore your fortunes,” our Rabbis learned from here which alludes to God himself returning, that the glory resides among Israel, as it were, in all the misery of their exile, and when the Jews are redeemed from their exile, God writes in Scripture an expression of redemption for himself to allude to the fact that he has also been redeemed, as it were, so that he himself returns along with Israel’s exiles (Megillah 29a). Furthermore the following may be said from the strange form of the verb which expresses “to restore the fortunes”—that the day of the gathering of the exiles is so important and is attended with such difficulty that it is as though he (God) himself must actually seize hold of each individual’s hands dragging him out of his place in exile. We see the same concept brought up in Scripture, when the verse says, “And you will be gathered up, one by one, O people of Israel” (Isa 27:12). We find, however, the same expression in connection with the gathering of the exiles of other nations also, as e.g. (Jer 48:47): “Yet I shall bring back the exiles of Moab.”

23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

John Gill

And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief—The apostle suggests that the Jews also might be recovered and brought into a gospel church state, provided they did not continue in infidelity; but inasmuch as they seem to lie under invincible ignorance, obstinacy, and unbelief, and were such bitter enemies to the gospel, and abhorrers of gospel ordinances, and a gospel church state; yea, that they must and will abide in unbelief, unless the Spirit of God convinces them of it, and it is given to them to believe in Christ, and they are powerfully drawn by the Father to come to the Son, there is no possibility or likelihood that they

Will be grafted in—Or taken into a gospel church state; to which the apostle answers, and argues for their ingrafting, and the possibility of it from the power of God:

For God has the power to graft them in again—As many of them were in the times of the apostles, and some since, for nothing is impossible with God; he can remove their unbelief, knock off the shackles and fetters in which they are held, and bring, them out of the prison of infidelity, in which they are shut up; he is able to take away the blindness of their minds, and the hardness of their hearts, the veil that is over them, and turn them to the Lord; he can by his mighty power work faith in them, and cause them to look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn in an evangelical manner; he can bring them to Christ, and into his churches, and among his people, and fold them with the rest of his sheep; so that there one fold of Jew and Gentile, under one shepherd, Jesus Christ.

26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ROM 11:23, 26, 31

For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. PSA 30:6

Avodah Zarah 4b:6

The Gemara further discusses this matter: And how long does his indignation last? It lasts a moment. And how long is a moment? Ameimar, and some say Ravina, said: It lasts as long as it takes to say the word moment. The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that God’s anger lasts for only a moment? As it is written: “His anger is but for a moment, and his favor, for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6). And if you wish, say instead that it is derived from here: “Hide yourself for a brief moment, until the anger has passed by” (Isa 26:20), meaning that God’s anger passes in a mere moment.

Rashi

For . . . for a moment—For his anger is but for a short moment.

His favor is for a lifetime, there is long life in appeasing and placating him.

Sanhedrin 105b:7

That is what Balaam said to Balak: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn, whom God has not condemned?” (Num 23:8). Since God did not become angry, Balaam was unable to curse the Jewish people. It is written: “And God is angry every day” (Psa 7:12). And how long is the duration of his anger? It is one moment, as it is stated: “For his anger endures but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime” (Psa 30:6).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. MAT 5:4

2 Lord, you were favorable to your land;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

Rashi

Lord, you were favorable to your land, etc.—If you restored the fortunes of Jacob and forgave their iniquity, and covered their sin and withdrawn your wrath from them and turned from your fierce anger, then you were favorable to your land, and your world will be appeased. But as long as you do not do this, your land and your world will not be appeased.

Taanit 7b:3

Rabbi Oshaya likewise said: The day of rain is great, as rain even facilitates salvation, which is fruitful and multiplies on that day. It is a time of God’s favor, when salvation is brought forth into the world, as it is stated: “Let the earth open, that salvation . . . may bear fruit” (Isa 45:8). Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai said: Rain falls only if the Jewish people’s transgressions have been forgiven, as it is stated: “Lord, you have been favorable to your land; you have restored the fortunes of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your people; you have covered all their sin. Selah” (Psa 85:2-3). This chapter proceeds to discuss rainfall: “And righteousness has looked down from the sky” (Psa 85:12), in the form of rain.

3 You forgave the iniquity of your people;

you covered all their sin.

4 You withdrew all your wrath;

you turned from your hot anger. PSA 85:2-4

17 I have heard Ephraim grieving,

“You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

like an untrained calf;

bring me back that I may be restored,

for you are the Lord my God.

18 For after I had turned away, I relented,

and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;

I was ashamed, and I was confounded,

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

19 Is Ephraim my dear son?

Is he my darling child?

For as often as I speak against him,

I do remember him still.

Therefore my heart yearns for him;

I will surely have mercy on him,

declares the Lord. JER 31:17-19

In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. ISA 10:20

Rashi

Lean on him who struck them—i.e., lean on the kings of Egypt, who were the first to oppress them.

Before God brought his judgment on his people, the Israelites were putting others on a pedestal and finding security in them. But God’s desire is for us to trust and depend on him above all. There are times that God must take away the things we get security from to replace it with trust in himself, the only truly stable foundation. How have different trials in life caused you to trust even more in God alone?

When Ephraim saw his sickness,

and Judah his wound,

then Ephraim went to Assyria,

and sent to the great king.

But he is not able to cure you

or heal your wound. HOS 5:13

Rashi

His wound—Heb. מְזֹרוֹ, an expression of illness.

Then Ephraim went to Assyria—This is Hoshea son of Elah, who was his vassal and then rebelled against him (2Ki 17:4).

And sent—i.e., Judah sent.

To the great king—This refers to Ahaz, who gave a bribe to Tiglath-pileser to assist him against Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah (2Ki 16:8).

But he is not able to cure you from the many bands of Philistines and Arabs that attacked Ahaz, as is related in 2Ch 28:21: “For Ahaz divided the house of the Lord etc. and gave it to the king of Assyria, but it did not help him.”

Or heal your wound—Heb. וְלֹא יִגְהֶה מִכֶּם מָזוֹר. And I say that it is one of the words whose radicals are transposed. This is an expression similar to (2Sa 20:13) “When he was taken out (הוֹגָה) of the highway”; (Isa 59:13) “conceiving and uttering (והוֹגוֹ) from the heart”; (Pro 25:4), “take away (הָגוֹ) the dross from the silver.”

Assyria shall not save us;

we will not ride on horses;

and we will say no more, “Our God,”

to the work of our hands.

In you the orphan finds mercy. HOS 14:4

Rashi

Assyria shall not save us—Say this also before him, “We no longer seek the aid of man, neither from Assyria nor from Egypt.”

We will not ride on horses—This is the aid from Egypt, who would send them horses, as they said to Isa (30:16), “No! We will flee upon horses . . . We will ride upon swift steeds.”

And we will say no more to the work of our hands that they are our God.

In you alone shall our hope be, you who grant mercy to the orphans.

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 2CH 16:7

Rashi

Escaped—You did not prevail against them. Why not? Because you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be he. For had you trusted in the Holy One, blessed be he, when the king of Israel and the king of Aram made a treaty against you, as you trusted in him when the Cushites attacked you, they would not have escaped from your hand, and you would have defeated them all, and you would not have lost your money, which you gave him in order that he abrogate his treaty with Baasha. Now that you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be he, you lost your money, and the king of Aram escaped from your hand.

12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

John Gill

That we . . . might be to the praise of his glory—This is the end of predestination to the inheritance; and the sense is, either that the praise of the glory of God, in his grace and goodness, might be discovered and made known to the saints, as it is displayed in election, redemption, justification, pardon, adoption, regeneration, and eternal salvation; or that they should praise and glorify him on account of these things, by ascribing all to his grace, and nothing to themselves; by giving him thanks for all his benefits; by ordering their conversations aright as become the gospel; and by doing all things with a view to his glory:

Who were the first to hope in Christ—The Jews, the apostle, and others of the Jewish nation as the words may be rendered; who hoped in Christ before the Gentiles did; and indeed the people of Israel hoped for Christ before he came; the promises of the Messiah were made to them, and he was the peculiar hope and expectation of that people; and to them he first came, and to them the gospel was first preached; and some of them first believed in Christ, and trusted in him, and not in their own righteousness, strength, wisdom, and riches, nor in their own hearts, nor in any mere creature, nor in their carnal privileges; all which they renounced confidence in, and dependence on, when they came to the knowledge of Christ; in whose person they trusted for acceptance, and in his righteousness for justification, and in his blood for pardon, and in his fulness for supply, and in his power for protection and perseverance: this supposes knowledge of him, and a sense of the frailty and vanity of all other objects; and was a betaking themselves to him, a leaning and staying on him, a committing all to him, and an expectation of all good things from him.

12 And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,

even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ROM 15:12-13

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, EPH 1:12-13

Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,

and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:

when he makes all the stones of the altars

like chalkstones crushed to pieces,

no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing. ISA 27:9

John Gill

Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for—Or “expiated”; not that afflictions are atonements for sin, or give satisfaction to divine justice for it; but they are the means of bringing the Lord’s people to a sense of their sins, and to repentance and humiliation for them, and confession of them, and of leading them to the blood and sacrifice of Christ, by which they are expiated and atoned, and which the Spirit of of God brings near, and applies to them; whereby their sins, they are convicted of by means of afflictions, and which lay heavy upon their consciences, are purged away, and removed from them:

And this will be the full fruit of the removal of sin—This is the design and use of afflictions, the profit and advantage of them to the saints, that, being humbled for their sins, they depart from them, leave and forsake them; as well as the guilt of them is taken away from their consciences, through the application of pardoning grace, upon their repentance; see Job 36:8-10 this shows another difference between the afflictions of God’s people and of others: namely, in the use and end of them. The sin of idolatry seems to be particularly designed by what follows; unless the sin of the present Jews, in their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, should be rather intended; which, through their long affliction, they will be convinced of in the latter day, and it will be taken away from them, and be purged and expiated through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the Savior and Deliverer, they will embrace (Rom 11:25-26):

When he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces—That is, when Jacob, or the people of the Jews, being convinced of their idolatry by their afflictions, shall pull down all their idolatrous altars; perhaps particularly referring to that which Ahaz made (2Ki 16:10-12) and remove the stones thereof, and break them to pieces, as chalkstones for lime, which is easily done:

The Asherim and the incense altars will not stand up—Erect, to be worshiped; but shall be thrown down, demolished, and broke to pieces; and, by thus abandoning their idols and idolatrous practices, they will show the sense they have of their sins, and the sincerity of their repentance; and it is to be observed, that the Jews, after their return from the Babylonish captivity, never practised idolatry more, not in the literal sense; perhaps some respect may be had here to the time when they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and when they shall renounce all their legal sacrifices, traditions of the elders, and their own righteousness, their idols, and look alone to the sacrifice of Christ, and declare against all the idolatry of the church of Rome, and all antichristian worship.

Rashi

Therefore—Now, too, by this the guilt of Jacob would be atoned for, to merit to be redeemed as then.

And this will be the full fruit that is best for me to remove his sin, if he makes all the stones of the altars of his high places, like chalkstones crushed to pieces. Comp. (Psa 137:9) “And crushes (וְנִפֵּץ) your babies.” Comp. (Jer 13:14) “And I will crush them (וְנִפַּצְתִּים) one against another.” גִּיר is a kind of dye.

No Asherim or incense altars will remain standing—So that they will not retain their idolatry.

The Egyptians are man, and not God,

and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,

and they will all perish together. ISA 31:3

Rashi

Stretches out his hand—For the Holy One, blessed be he, supports everything with his hand, and when he turns it, they will fall, like one who holds something in his hand, and when he inclines his hand, it falls. So is the Midrash Aggadah (Mekhilta, Exo 15:12). Jonathan, however, renders: will raise the blow of his might.

22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”

23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. ACT 12:22-23

O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?

It is I who answer and look after you.

I am like an evergreen cypress;

from me comes your fruit. HOS 14:9

Rashi

Ephraim will say, “What more do I need to follow the idols?” And they will turn away from idolatry. It is I who answer—It is I who answer from his trouble.

And look after you—Look upon his affliction.

I am like an evergreen cypress—I will bend down for him to hold his hand on me as the evergreen cypress which is bent down to the ground, which a man holds by its branches; i.e., I will be accessible to him.

From me comes your fruit—Am I not he? For all your good emanates from me.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. JAS 1:17

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. JOH 14:18

24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did.

Rashi

Therefore—Since I know that Hezekiah and his company will return to him. Aternatively, לָכֵן is an expression of an oath. לָכֵן indeed.

Thus says the Lord . . . be not afraid . . . the Assyrians when they strike with the rod—With the “rod” of his mouth will he insult and deride you through Rabshakeh.

And lift up their staff against you to frighten you, the way they did to the Egyptians. It may alternatively be explained: With the rod does he smite you i.e., who has smitten you until now with the rod and has become accustomed to bearing their staff and their fright against you as the Egyptians did. Rabbi Joseph told me this in the name of Rabbi Menahem.

And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, ISA 4:3

Rashi

And he who is left among them will settle in Zion.

And whoever remains anywhere, shall dwell in Jerusalem.

Will be called holy—All of them will be righteous. Now lest you say that the righteous who died prior to this day have lost their honor, the Scripture states: “anyone who has been recorded for life,” in the hereafter, will be in Jerusalem. In this manner, Jonathan translates it.

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. REV 3:5

12 Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.

Rashi

Do not call conspiracy—You of Hezekiah’s company, even though they (sic) are fewer than Shebna’s company, you shall not say: We decide according to the many (Exo 23:2. See Rashi ad loc.).

To all that this people that is with Shebna, says, for this is a conspiracy of the wicked and is not counted, and so it is as regards the ten tribes, who formed an alliance with the kings of Egypt.

And do not fear what they fear i.e., what this people fears, for they say to you to fear Sennacherib and to make peace with him.

Do not fear . . . nor be in dread—Do not say that he is strong. So did Jonathan translate: Do not say strong.

Sanhedrin 26a:23

Hezekiah was afraid. He said: Perhaps, God forbid, the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be he, will follow the majority; and since the majority have submitted to the Assyrians, even those who have not submitted will also be submitted into their hands. The prophet Isaiah then came and said to him: “Say not: A conspiracy, concerning all of which this people say: A conspiracy” (Isa 8:12). Meaning, it is a conspiracy of wicked people, and a conspiracy of wicked people is not counted. Therefore, although they are many, they are not considered the majority.

And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once. LUK 21:9

John Gill

And when you hear of wars and tumults—Or seditions and tumults; “wars” may design the wars of the Romans, against the Jews; and the “tumults,” or seditions, the internal troubles among themselves:

Do not be terrified—As if the destruction of the nation, city, and temple, would be at once:

For these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once—Or “immediately.” The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions leave out this last word, and read, as in (See Gill on Mat 24:6).

13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ISA 8:12-13

John Gill

But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy—Christ, Immanuel, God with us, the Lord of the armies above and below, of angels and of men, God over all, the true Jehovah, who is sanctified by his people, when they declare him to be so; as the Targum paraphrases it,

“the Lord of hosts, him shall you say is holy”;

for they cannot make him so, nor can he receive any holiness from them, nor does he need any; but they celebrate the perfection of his holiness, and ascribe it to him; yea, they sanctify him, by ascribing their holiness to him; by looking to him as their sanctification, and by deriving and expecting every degree and measure of holiness from him, to complete theirs; by exercising faith upon him, and showing a regard to his commands and ordinances:

Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread—That is, the object of fear and dread; not of a servile fear and dread, but of a holy reverence and godly fear; such a fear as is the grace of the covenant, which flows from the goodness of God, and has that for its object, and is influenced by it; see Hos 3:5 where the same Lord, Messiah, David the king, is meant, as here. See 1Pe 3:15.

25 For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.” ISA 10:24-25

Rashi

For in very few days . . . my fury will come to an end—My fury, which was given as the staff into the hand of Assyria, as he said above, “The staff in their hands is my fury” (v. 5).

And my anger that became a rod, shall return.

Will be directed to their destruction—Heb. (עַל-תַּבְלִיתָם). Comp. Lev 20:12 “they have committed a disgrace (תֶּבֶל),” i.e., because of the insults and blasphemies which the servants of the king of Assyria blasphemed me.

And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 2KI 19:35

Sanhedrin 94b:2

Pharaoh blasphemed God, as it is written that he said to Moses and Aaron: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” (Exo 5:2) The Holy One, blessed be he, himself exacted retribution from him, as it is written: “The Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea” (Exo 14:27), and it is written: “You have trodden through the sea with your horses” (Hab 3:15). Sennacherib blasphemed God by means of an agent, as it is written: “By your messengers you have mocked the Lord” (2Ki 19:23). The Holy One, blessed be he, exacted retribution from him by means of an agent, as it is written: “Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (2Ki 19:35).

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. PSA 37:10

Rashi

In just a little while—When you wait a little longer, you will see that the wicked will be no more.

Though you look carefully at his place—Though you look carefully at the place where he was, he will not be there, because he has died and has perished.

2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. MAT 24:42-44

3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1TH 5:2-3

God assured Israel that his fury would end, and Assyria—the tool he used to bring judgment (Isa 10:15)—would also receive his judgment for their sins. He extended his grace to his people by preserving his relationship with them through trials and tribulations. He is the same with us. In his faithfulness, God preserves his relationship with us even as we go through life’s trials. He assures us of his presence and strength through everything we experience, and he will make us better through it, though we may not understand it at the time. How have you taken comfort in God’s faithfulness during trials? Even when you were faithless, how have you experienced his faithfulness (2Ti 2:13)?

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,

or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,

or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! ISA 10:15

Rashi

Shall the axe boast—The Holy One, blessed be he, says: You should not have boasted about this, since you are merely like my axe, and I am hewing with you; I visit retribution upon my enemies. You are the saw, and I am he who wields it. Now is it customary for the saw to boast over him who wields it? מַשּׂוֹר is dolodojjre in O.F., a small axe.

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it—As if a rod was raising itself and the hand of him who was raising it. Is it not so that a rod does not wield itself but the man?

As if a staff should lift him who is not wood—It is not wood that raises it, but it is the man who raises it.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

Rashi

Confront him—The enemy.

Subdue him—Beat his legs, and he will kneel and fall.

Deliver my soul from every wicked man who is your sword, for you give him the power to rule, to requite those who are bound to you.

14 from men by your hand, O Lord,

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their infants. PSA 17:13-14

19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. LUK 12:19-21

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? ROM 9:20-21

if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself. 2TI 2:13

God is not man, that he should lie,

or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? NUM 23:19

Rashi

God is not man, that he should lie—He has already promised them to bring them to and give them possession of the land of the seven peoples, and you think to kill them in the wilderness? (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 13:1)

הַהוּא—Read this in the form of a question: Has he said—And the Targum renders, “who later change his mind.” They reconsider and change their minds.

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret. 1SA 15:29

Rashi

And also the Glory of Israel will not lie—And if you will say, “I will repent of my sin before him,” it will no longer avail to take the kingship from the one to whom it was given, for the Holy One, blessed is he, who is the Glory of Israel, will not lie by not giving the good to whom he said to give it.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. MAT 24:35

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

John Gill

And I said: “Woe is me”—There’s no woe to a good man, all woes are to the wicked; but a good man may think himself wretched and miserable, partly on account of his own corruptions, the body of sin and death he carries about with him; and partly on account of wicked men, among whom he dwells (Psa 120:5; Rom 7:24):

For I am lost—A good man cannot be undone, or be lost and perish; he is lost in Adam with the rest; in effectual calling he is made sensible of his lost and undone state; and under the power of unbelief may write bitter things against himself; but be can never perish, or be lost and undone for ever. The Targum is,

“for I have sinned”;

and his particular sin is after mentioned: some render it, “for I have been silent”; as if he had not performed the duty of his office, in reproving for sin, or declaring the will of God: others, “for I am reduced to silence,” I am forced to be silent; he could not join with the “seraphim,” being conscious to himself of his vileness, and of his unworthiness to take the holy name of God into his polluted lips, as follows:

For I am a man of unclean lips—He says nothing of the uncleanness of his heart, nor of his actions; not that he was free from such impurity; but only of his lips, because it was the sin of his office that lay upon his mind, and gave him present uneasiness; there is no man but offends in words, and of all men persons in public office should be careful of what they say; godly ministers are conscious of many failings in their ministry. The Targum is,

“for I am a sinful man to reprove”;

and so unfit for it.

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips—Such were the Jews, not only in Isaiah’s time, but in the times of Christ and his apostles, who traduced him, as if he was a wicked person, calumniated his miracles, said he was a Samaritan, and had a devil; they taught for doctrines the commandments of men, and opposed and blasphemed the truths of the gospel; and to live among men of a filthy speech and conversation is a concern to a good man; he is vexed and distressed hereby; he is in danger of learning their words, and of suffering with them in a common calamity.

For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts—The same divine and glorious person described in Isa 6:1 who is no other than the Lord Christ, King of kings, and Lord of lords, King of saints, and Lord of the armies, in heaven and in earth; and a lovely sight it is to see him by faith, in the glory and beauty of his person, and in the fulness of his grace; such a sight is spiritual, saving, assimilating, appropriating, very endearing, and very glorious and delightful: therefore it may seem strange that a sight of Christ should fill the prophet with dread; one would think he should rather have said, happy man that I am, because I have seen this glorious person, whom to see and know is life eternal; but the reason of it is, because in this view of Christ he saw the impurity of himself, and was out of conceit with himself, and therefore cries out in the manner he does; just as in a sunbeam a man beholds those innumerable motes and atoms, which before were invisible to him. It was not because of his sight of Christ he reckoned himself undone; but because of the impurity of himself, and those among whom he dwelt, which he had a view of through his sight of Christ: his sight of Christ is given as a reason of his view of his impurity, and his impurity as the reason of his being undone in his apprehension of things. The prophet, in these his circumstances, represents a sensible sinner, under a sight and sense of his sinfulness and vileness; as the seraph in the following verses represents a gospel minister bringing the good news of pardon, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ.

Rashi

For I am lost—I will die, for I was not worthy of seeing the countenance of the glory. We find a similar statement made by Manoah (Jdg 13:22): “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

I am lost—Heb. נִדְמֵיתִי, comp. (Zep 1:11): “All the traders are broken (נִדְמֶה).”

People of unclean lips that are defiled with sins from Jonathan.

“But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” EXO 33:20

Berakhot 7a:30

The Gemara continues to cite the Sages’ explanation of verses that require clarification on the same topic. With regard to God’s statement to Moses, “ ‘But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live’ ” (Exo 33:20), it was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha that the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses as follows: When I wanted to show you my

wanted to show you My glory at the burning bush, you did not want to see it, as it is stated: “And Moses concealed his face, fearing to gaze at God” (Exo 3:6). But now that you want to see my glory, as you said: “Show me your glory,” I do not want to show it to you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha interprets Moses’ initial refusal to look upon God’s glory negatively, as he rebuffed God’s desire to be close to him.

Megillah 19b:4

And Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba also said that Rabbi Yohanan said: Had there been left open a crack so much as the size of small sewing needle in the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood when God’s glory was revealed to them, as it is written: “And while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock” (Exo 33:22), and: “He came there to a cave . . . and behold, the Lord passed by” (1Ki 19:9-11), they would not have been able to endure due to the intense light that would have entered that crack, as it is stated: “For man shall not see me and live” (Exo 33:20).

Rashi

“But,” he said, “you cannot . . .”—Even when I make all my goodness pass before you I shall not allow you to see my face.”

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, LUK 5:8-9

John Gill

For he and all who were with him were astonished—His brother Andrew, and the servants they had with them to manage the vessel, and cast the nets:

At the catch of fish that they had taken—Being so large and numerous, as the like was never seen, nor known by them before.

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

John Gill

Then one of the seraphim flew to me—When the prophet had confessed his sin; for upon that follows the application of pardon; and when the seraph, or minister of the gospel, had an order from the Lord to publish the doctrine of it: it is God’s act alone to forgive sin; it is the work of his ministers to preach forgiveness of sin, and that to sensible sinners; who when they are made sensible of sin, and distressed with it, the Lord takes notice of them, and sends messengers to them, to comfort them, by acquainting them that their iniquity is forgiven; who go on such an errand cheerfully and swiftly; and though they do not know the particular person, yet the Lord directs their ministration to him, and makes it effectual.

Having in his hand a burning coal—By which is meant the word of God, comparable to fire, and to a burning coal of fire (Jer 23:29), for the light and heat which it gives both to saints and sinners, and for its purity and purifying nature:

That he had taken with tongs from the altar—Of burnt offering, where the fire was always burning; which was a type of Christ, and his sacrifice; and this shows what particular doctrine of the word it was the seraph or gospel minister took, and delivered in this visionary way; it was the doctrine of pardon, founded upon the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ. To this sense of the words the Targum agrees, which paraphrases them thus,

“and there flew to me one of the ministers, and in his mouth a word which he received from his glory, upon the throne of glory, in the highest heavens, above the altar,”

see (Rev 14:6).

And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil LEV 16:12

Rashi

From the altar—Referring to the outer altar (Yoma 45b).

Before the Lord—From that side of the altar which was before the entrance—that is, the west side (cf. Yoma 45b).

Beaten small—Why is it stated that it shall be beaten small? Was not all incense beaten small, for so it is said, “And shall beat some of it small” (Exo 30:36)? But it is intended to teach that it (the incense used on the Day of Atonement) was to be of the very finest powder, for on the eve of the Eve of the Day of Atonement it (the ordinary incense) was put again into the mortar in order that it should be again beaten into a finer powder (Keritot 6b; Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 3 8-9; Yoma 45a).

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. MAT 3:11

7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” ISA 6:5-7

I, I am he

who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,

and I will not remember your sins. ISA 43:25

Rashi

I, I am he who—I am he who erased them from time immemorial lit. from then, and I erase them even now.

For my own sake—Neither in your merit nor in the merit of your forefathers.

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” MAT 9:2

In the presence of God and the heavenly creatures declaring God’s holiness, Isaiah saw without doubt his sinfulness; not just his own, but the utter sinfulness of all his people. He realized that he was in the presence of a holy God and knew that because of his sin, he was undone. He could not live, having seen the holiest of holies. In light of the holiness of God, we too can see how small, dirty, and despicable we are. But God extended mercy to Isaiah by cleansing him and taking away his sin—and he did this for us as well. When did you realize the holiness of God and your sinfulness? How did your mindset and lifestyle change because of this?

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

John Gill

But now I am coming to you—As in (Joh 17:11), which he repeats as a very great happiness to himself, and with much pleasure and joy, but not without concern for those he was parting from:

And these things I speak in the world—Which he had expressed in this prayer concerning the nature of eternal life, and his power to give it to all the Father had given him; concerning the work of redemption finished by him, and the glory due to him on that account; concerning his chosen ones, particularly the apostles, and the mutual interest he and his Father had in them; and what he had done for them, in revealing the gospel to them, keeping them by the powerful influence of his grace, and the great concern he had for their future preservation: and these things he took notice of in his prayer, whilst he was in the world, before he took his leave of them;

That—Says he,

They may have my joy fulfilled in themselves—Either the joy which Christ had in them, which was of an early date, is still continued towards them, and will be more fully expressed, when they shall all be brought safe home to glory, and be for ever with him; or else the joy of which Christ is the author and object, which comes from him, and centres in him: saints rejoice in the person of Christ; in the greatness and dignity of his person, as God over all; hence they know that what he did and suffered answered the purpose, that he must have great interest in heaven, and they must be safe in his hands; and in the fitness of it, to be a mediator, he being God and man in one person; and in the fulness of it, which is all theirs, it is with delight they view it, with joy they receive from it, and believe they shall not want; and in the beauty of it, he being fairer than the children of men. The offices Christ bears as prophet, priest, and king, the relations he stands in as father, husband, brother and friend; his gospel and communion with him, the blessings of grace in him, as peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation, lay a foundation for solid joy in them that believe; as do also his death, resurrection, exaltation and intercession. This joy in him is a grace of the Spirit, and is attended with faith in Christ; it should be constant, but is frequently interrupted; though the ground and foundation of it is always the same; it is therefore at present imperfect, but may be increased; it is unknown to the world, and inexpressible by the saints; and may be said to be “fulfilled” in them, when it abounds in them more and more; when they are full of it, and that is full of glory, and which will be fulfilled in glory.

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John Gill

I have given them your word—The gospel, and a commission and abilities to preach it, and which is a reason of what follows, namely, the world’s hatred of them; because this word is not of men, nor agreeably to carnal reason; it magnifies the grace of God, and destroys boasting in men; it is against the carnal interest, worldly views and lusts of men:

And the world has hated them—The inhabitants of the world, worldly men, such as are what they were when they first came into the world; are under the influence of the god of the world, and led by the spirit of it, and are wholly taken up with the things thereof: the unbelieving Jews are chiefly designed, who bore an implacable hatred to Christ and his apostles; and the same fate do the faithful ministers of Christ and his members share, in all ages and places, more or less: the men of the world gnash their teeth at them, secretly plot against them, and inwardly curse them; rejoice at any evil that befalls them; greedily catch at anything to reproach them; stick not to say all manner of evil of them, and to do all manner of evil to them:

Because they are not of the world—They were of the world by their natural birth, and had their conversation with the men of it, whilst in a state of unregeneracy; but now they were called out of it, and were guided and led by another spirit; and were separate from the world in their lives and conversations, and which brought the hatred of the world upon them; inasmuch as they had been of them, but now had left them, and professed they did not belong to them; and because their religious lives put a distinguishing mark on them, and reproved and condemned them:

Just as I am not of the world—Not that Christ and his people are alike in their original; they are of the earth earthly, he is the Lord from heaven; nor are they so perfect in their walk and conversation in the world, and separation from it as he; yet there is some likeness between him and them, and some conformity in them to him, which makes the world hate them.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

John Gill

I do not ask that you take them of the world—Either in an unusual manner, by a translation, as Enoch and Elijah were; or by death in its common form, before their time, and purely to be rid of afflictions: this he prayed not for; for he had much work for them to do, by preaching the gospel, for the conversion of sinners and comfort of saints; and it was for his interest they should live longer; and it would make most for his glory, and be best for his chosen people and churches:

But that you keep them from the evil—Either of sin, which is an evil and bitter thing, being committed against a good God, and a righteous law, and brings ruin and destruction upon men; from this the apostles were kept, and all the saints are; not from indwelling sin, nor from the commission of sin, but from the dominion of it, and from falling into it and by it, so as to perish eternally: or from the evil of the world; not from afflictions in it; nor from the reproach and persecution of it; but from its wickedness and lusts, and from the evil men of it: or from Satan the evil one, who is eminently, originally, and immutably so; not from being tempted by him, but from sinking under his temptations, and from being devoured by him. Christ’s praying for this, after this manner, shows that evil is very abhorrent, pernicious and powerful; the danger saints are in by it; their incapacity to keep themselves from it; and that the Lord alone is the keeper of his people; but does not suggest that Christ has dropped the charge of them, or is unequal to it; but by so doing he expresses his great love to them, how dear they are to him, and what care he takes of them, and what concern he has for them.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John Gill

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world—These words are repeated from Joh 17:14, where they are given as a reason of the world’s hatred to them; and here, as showing that they are exposed to the evil of it; and in both are used as an argument with his Father, that he would take notice of them, and preserve them.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 2SA 7:28

John Gill

And now, O Lord God, you are God—Who is the Lord of hosts, and the God of Israel, that has promised and is able to perform, and is faithful to his promise:

And your words are true—Are truly, punctually, and faithfully performed, never fail:

And you have promised this good thing to your servant—Concerning building and establishing his house. David repeats this promise as being greatly affected with it, and fully assured of the performance of it.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. LUK 8:11

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

John Gill

As you sent me into the world—Which does not suppose inequality of nature, nor change of place, nor any force upon him, nor disrespect to him, or a state of separation from his Father; but that he was before he was sent; that he was a person, a divine distinct person from his Father; and designs the manifestation of him in human nature; and shows, that as mediator, he had a divine warrant and authority, and was no impostor: what he was sent into the world to do, was in general the will of God; particularly to preach the gospel, and chiefly and more especially to work out the salvation of his people:

So I have sent them into the world—To preach the gospel likewise: he had already sent them forth on this errand, and in a little time they were to receive a new and enlarged commission for this service; which mission of them to such work, implies great honour put upon them, authority in them, and qualifications with them; and hence success attended them: the place into which they were sent is, “the world”; first the Jewish and then the Gentile world, and every part of it; out of which he would not have them taken; and where they were sure to meet with reproach and persecution; and where God’s elect lay, who were to be converted through their ministry; for the work they were sent there for, was to open blind eyes, turn men from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sin, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified: now though there is not an equality between the mission of Christ by his Father, and of the apostles by him, yet there is a likeness; there is an agreement in their original, both are divine and of authority; in the place they were sent, the world; and in their work to declare the mind and will of God: all which carries in it a strong argument with his Father to regard these persons; for inasmuch as they were in a world that hated them, they needed divine power and protection; and being in a wicked world they needed sanctification and preservation; and having such work to do, they therefore needed divine assistance, and fresh supplies of grace.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.