TRUST WORTHY God’s Salvation: God desires for us to learn his ways

. . . “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ISA 2:3

The rest of the passage shows what will take place in the house of God: that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. God desires for his people to learn his ways. When we put our faith in him, we will learn his ways, and if we walk in his paths by obeying him and listening for his correction, we will become more and more like him. As a result of knowing God more and more, what are some things in your life that have changed?

The Lord sends forth from Zion

your mighty scepter.

Rule in the midst of your enemies! PSA 110:2

John Gill

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—His royal and powerful scepter, called the scepter of righteousness (Psa 45:7), and is no other than the gospel, the power of God to salvation; and which is mighty through him, for the reducing souls to the obedience of Christ; when it comes with power, and works effectually. This was first preached in Zion, or Jerusalem, and went out from thence into all parts of the world; the first ministers of it had their commission there, and were sent from thence to publish it all over the world; see Isa 2:3; Luk 24:47; Act 1:4; 8:4, by means of which the kingdom of Christ was set up and spread in the world; with this scepter in his hand, he went forth with his ministers, conquering and to conquer (Rev 6:2). The Jews own this scepter to be a scepter in the hand of the Messiah, which they seem to understand literally; and have a fabulous notion of its being the same that Jacob, Judah, Moses, Aaron, David, and so every king of Judah, had, down to the destruction of the temple: the Targum in the king’s Bible is,

“the Word of the Lord shall send”

the essential Word.

Rule in the midst of your enemies—Or, “you shall rule,” as the Targum and Arabic version; in the hearts of those who, in their unregenerate state, are enemies: but the arrows of his word being sharp in them, they are brought to submit to him; the everlasting doors are caused to open; he enters in, takes possession of their hearts, and rules there. Or this may be understood of his church in the world, which is his kingdom, and lies surrounded with enemies on all hands; but, in spite of them, and all their opposition, he will support his kingdom and interest.

Rashi

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter—When you return from the war and your men are weary and in pursuit, the Lord will send you Melchizedek king of Salem, to bring out bread and wine (Gen 14:14).

Scepter—This is an expression of support, as (above 105:16): “all supply of bread.”

Rule in the war.

In the midst of your enemies safely.

4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks sense she says,

Rashi

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here” and learn it and become wise.

Sanhedrin 38a:17

The verse states in that passage: “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she tells him” (Pro 9:4). The Gemara explains: The Holy One, blessed be he, said: Who lured this man to sin? The woman told him to sin. An allusion to the interpretation that one who is lured to sin by a woman is called one “that lacks sense” is as it is written: “He who commits adultery lacks sense” (Pro 6:32).

5 “Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed.

John Gill

Come, eat of my bread—Which stands for all the provisions of Christ’s house; it designs the gospel, which to a believer is more than his necessary food; and the ordinance of the supper, one of the symbols of which is bread; and more especially Christ himself, the bread of God, the living bread that came down from heaven, which is to be eaten by faith; and this only, for everything else is that which is not bread; and this daily, as the Israelites ate their manna; this is the believer’s daily bread; and largely and freely, to which they are welcome by Christ; and with gladness and singleness of heart, joyfully and with sincerity;

And drink of the wine I have mixed—Of the love of Christ; or of the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit, which meet and mingle together: to “drink” of this is to partake of it by faith, and be persuaded of interest in it; this may be drank largely of, for there is enough, a river of it; and without danger, it is not intoxicating as wine, wherein is excess; and it may be had freely, without money and without price (Son 1:2, 4; 5:1; Isa 55:1).

6 Leave your simple ways, and live,

and walk in the way of insight.” PRO 9:4-6

Rashi

Leave your simple ways—The way of simplicity and live.

And walk—Heb. מסכתי, an expression of stepping, as in (Job 23:11): “To his steps (באשרו) my foot was held fast.”

For there shall be a day when watchmen will call

in the hill country of Ephraim:

“Arise, and let us go up to Zion,

to the Lord our God.” JER 31:5

Rashi

Watchmen will call—The lookouts at the tops of the lofty towers to announce with a voice heard a distance away. Another explanation: נֹצְרִים is like “He keeps (נֹצֵר) lovingkindness” (Exo 34:7), an expression of keeping. That is to say: There is a day when they will call those who kept the law and say, “Arise . . .” And so did Jonathan render: There are many days and much goodness that is destined to come to the righteous who kept my law from days of old.

4 In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God.

John Gill

In those days and at that time, declares the Lord—When Babylon shall be taken and destroyed, then what follows shall be accomplished; which, as it respects the conversion of the Jews, shows that this prophecy is not to be restrained to literal Babylon:

The people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together—Upon the taking of Babylon, in a literal sense, by Cyrus, the children of Israel, or the ten tribes, carried away by the Assyrians, did not return; only the children of Judah, or the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites, and a few of the other tribes, that might be mixed among them: but when mystical Babylon is fallen, then the whole body of the Jews will be converted, and return to their own land, Israel and Judah; which is foretold in other prophecies, as here, which speak of their general conversion; see Jer 30:3, 9; Eze 37:16-25; Hos 2:2;

Weeping—Which is another circumstance, which shows that this does not respect the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for that was attended with joy, and not with tears; see Psa 126:1-2; unless it is to be understood of weeping for joy, and of tears of joy, as Kimchi interprets it; but it is better to understand it of that godly sorrow and mourning for sin, which will appear in the Jews at the time of their conversion; particularly for their fathers’ ill treatment of the Messiah, their unbelief and rejection of him, and their continued obstinacy and perverseness, and other sins; see Jer 31:8; Zec 12:10;

As they come, and they shall seem the Lord their God—Even David their king, the true Messiah, who is Lord and God; to him they shall seek for peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life; and acknowledge him to be the Messiah, their Lord, and their God; embrace his gospel, and submit to his ordinances; see Jer 30:9; Hos 3:5. The Targum is,

“when they were carried captive, they went weeping; but when they return from the land of their captivity, they shall seek the worship of the Lord their God.”

5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, “Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.” JER 50:4-5

Rashi

Turned toward it—Toward this place, Jerusalem, they shall direct their faces when Babylon will be destroyed and they will leave it with the sanction of Cyrus, king of Persia.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. MAT 7:24

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” LUK 11:28

John Gill

But he said—Christ said “to the woman,” Persic version reads, as correcting her, though not denying it, nor reproving her for it, but improving upon it:

Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it—Intimating, that though his mother was happy in bearing and suckling such a son, yet it was a far greater happiness to hear the word of God; meaning either himself, the eternal “Logos,” so as to embrace him, believe on him, and have him formed in the heart; or the gospel preached by him, so as to understand it, receive it as the ingrafted word, and bring forth fruit, and act in obedience to it, observe it, and abide by it, and never relinquish it. This is a greater happiness than to be related to Christ in the flesh, though ever so nearly. The Ethiopic version reads, “who hear the word of God and believe and keep it”: for faith comes by hearing, and shows itself in doing. Barely to hear the word, and even give an assent to it, will be of little avail, unless what is heard and believed is put in practice.

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. JOH 7:17

John Gill

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will—Meaning, not one that perfectly fulfils the law, which is the good, and perfect, and acceptable will of God; for there is no man that does this, or can do it; nor is it so said here, “if anyone do God’s will,” but “if anyone’s will is to do” it; that is, is desirous of doing it; who has it wrought in him both to will and do, of the good pleasure of God, by his grace and Spirit; with whom to will is present, though, he has not power to perform, and so is a spiritual man; and who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is one branch of the will of God; and who depends upon the Spirit and grace of God, and acts from a principle of love to God, and in the exercise of faith on Christ:

He will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority—Not a man of mere natural knowledge and learning, or a man of theory and speculation, is a judge of doctrine; but he that leans not to his own understanding, and implores the assistance of the Divine Spirit, and who is for reducing doctrine into practice: he knows by the efficacy of the doctrine upon his heart, and the influence it has on his life and conversation; by its coming not in word only, but in power; and by its working effectually in him, whether it is divine or human, of God or of man.

So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. ACT 10:33