xxxv. 10. _And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, &c._
+I.+ "They shall obtain joy and gladness," &c.--+this is undoubtedly
the distinctive and ineradicable hope of human nature.+ Is that hope
a glorious, and perhaps in its effects a beneficent, delusion never
to be realised? Or is it the earnest of a reality far greater than
its highest imagination can conceive? The question receives
contradictory answers from the two conflicting voices within the
soul, as from time to time one or other gains a temporary
predominance. But the Christian revelation allows no doubt on this
matter for a moment, and yet it does not bid us shut our eyes to the
darker phases of actual life. The picture drawn in this chapter deals
with every sphere of human life. It begins with the outward: it tells
how the "desert shall rejoice," &c.; it turns, then, to the lower
nature of man himself--"the eyes of the blind shall be opened," &c.;
lastly, it speaks to the spirit of man: the light of God shows a
"highway through the desert of life" on which "the redeemed can walk"
safely; and at the end there is a heavenly Zion of perfection, to
which the "ransomed of the Lord shall come with songs," &c.
+II. When did the prophet look to see his vision fulfilled?+ He may
well have thought first of the all but present deliverance from the
gigantic power of Assyria by the redeeming arm of the Lord. Some such
shadow of fulfilment there may have been, in the last gleam of
unclouded prosperity which ever fell upon Judah, before its sun set
in the great captivity: such shadows of fulfilment may have been felt
in the history of man again and again. Isaiah unquestionably looked
on to the kingdom of the Messiah as the one ideal of a perfect
manifestation of God and a perfect exaltation of man. Such fulfilment
Christ claimed for Himself; but it is in the actual manifestation of
the kingdom of Christ on earth that the prophetic picture is realised
in its fulness.
+III. If the kingdom of Christ is what it proclaims itself to be, it
must necessarily be, as on the Mount He proclaimed it, a kingdom of
blessing.+ What are the two great sources of the sorrow which broods
over life? 1. Over our bodily life, and the world of nature which
subserves it, there is _the blight of pain and suffering._
2. _Spiritual evil_--the blindness, weakness, sin of man himself. How
does the Gospel profess to face and scatter both? By the revelation
of the Cross it hallows doubly the law of suffering and death, by
overruling it to good for ourselves, and by making it a condition and
a means of helping the redemption of others. The Gospel deals still
more decisively with the burden of sin: in this lies the essence of
its redemption. "God is in Christ, reconciling the world to
Himself. . . . We pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to
God." This is its first message; but it is not all; "Sin," it goes on
to say, "shall not have dominion over you." "Ye are sanctified in
Christ Jesus."
+IV. But is that promise actually realised?+ We answer boldly, Yes.
It must be remembered that by the very nature of the case the kingdom
of Christ is seen by us, as yet, only to the first stages of its
conflict against the powers of evil. What it can offer, as yet, is a
true but only imperfect earnest of the future. In all the three
phases of this prophecy, Christ asserted its power to bless the whole
world. He held the reins of the forces of nature; lifted the burden
of disease and resisted death; brought in the new life of His grace.
He had joy, like no other joy, amid His continuous conflict with
evil; and to those who were His, He gave peace in proportion as they
entered into His spirit. The last conflict was but for a moment, the
chill of dreariness before the dawn. "Then," amidst some fear, and
awe, and perplexity, "were the disciples _glad_ when they saw the
Lord." It is, thank God! a matter of daily Christian experience,
that, just in proportion as we are really Christ's, the promise is
realised again and again to us. There is joy in nature, and a deeper
joy and peace in communion with God. Sometimes we feel that these
things are the only reality in a fleeting and unsubstantial world
around us. But this reality is yet imperfect; sorrow and sighing are
rather kept at bay than driven away; but we have a sure and certain
hope of a perfect future. Without the realisation of His peace in the
present, without the sure and certain hope of the future, one hardly
sees how man can care to live; one dares not think how he can
die.--_Canon Barry, D.D.: Christian Age,_ vol. xx. pp. 81-83.
MODERN RABSHAKEHS, AND THEIR ATTEMPTS TO
TERRIFY GOD'S PEOPLE INTO A HUMBLE SURRENDER.
xxxvi. 4. _What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?_
Sennacherib is surprised at the attitude of resistance taken by
Hezekiah, and sends an embassy to dissuade him from his mad project.
When they appear outside the walls, some officers of Hezekiah's court
come out to confer with them, and Rabshakeh opens upon them with the
taunting question, _"What confidence," &c._ The proud king of Assyria
had another end beyond that of conquest. His aim was to show that
Jehovah was on a level with the gods of the nations. This was,
therefore, a religious war. Every country he subdued was another god
overcome, and if only Jerusalem were taken, his triumph would be
complete. _The situation here described is an image of the Christian
faith assailed by modern unbelief._ The forces of infidelity have
become bold and insolent. The Bible is subjected to the hostile
criticism of men who would rejoice to see it overthrown. Unbelief is
marshalling her forces against the citadel of revealed truth. She has
on her side some prominent leaders of modern thought, and employs
both press and lecture-room for accomplishing her destructive
designs. If she can only get the Christian faith out of the way, the
world will be her own. Our modern Rabshakehs are hurling against us
the taunting question, _"What confidence," &c._
+I. What is this confidence of ours which is so assailed?+
The question implies that we _have_ a confidence. Our opponents admit
it, though to them it is inexplicable. They are forced to bear
testimony to a strange but courageous faith by which we are supported
in life and death. Jerusalem had nothing to rest on but God's
presence and promise. Their king had encouraged them with the noble
words of 2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8. Here is the secret of the confidence
which so surprised the Assyrian king; and on the same ground do we
take our stand against the opposing hosts of unbelief. God's presence
and faithfulness are the bulwarks behind which we may safely entrench
ourselves. We have believed God's Word and have taken shelter in
Christ (Phil. iii. 3). On His exalted throne He is directing the
Church's energies, restraining her enemies, and giving success to her
enterprises.
+II. What assaults are made upon our confidence?+
They correspond to those by which Rabshakeh tried to subvert
Hezekiah's confidence. He puts the question in a contemptuous tone,
and then proceeds to answer it, and to show that the confidence
cherished had no solid basis. 1. He points to _the slenderness of
Hezekiah's resources_ (ver. 5, 6, 8, 9). "The Egyptians can no more
be relied on than the frail reeds that grow on the banks of their
Nile. No help can come from abroad; and see how weak you are in
yourselves. If you can find riders, I will supply 2000 horses." How
could such a puny kingdom withstand the power of Assyria with its
magnificent military equipment? So unbelief tries to undermine faith,
not knowing that God's strength is perfected in human weakness.
Cardinal Cajetan tried to browbeat Luther,--"Do you think that your
electors will take up arms for you? I tell you, no; and where then
will you be?" The brave answer was, "Then, as now, in the hands of
God." 2. Rabshakeh tries to _close the door of Divine help_ (ver. 7).
"How can you expect support from a God whose worship you have
suppressed?" But this was a needful reform, for these rural places of
worship had degenerated into scenes of idolatry. So the enemies of
the faith in our day try to make capital out of the changes and
reforms that have taken place. They point to our ecclesiastical
divisions and theological controversies as an argument against us.
"How can that be true about which there is so much diversity of
opinion? How can Divine help be expected to defend the Christian
faith, when there are so many sects and parties, disestablishment
agitations, and ecclesiastical rivalries?" We answer that there is a
unity among all who love the Lord Jesus, and however much we may
deplore the need of change and reform, we are not to be deterred from
effecting them by any fear of God's displeasure. It can never offend
God to maintain His truth and worship in all their purity (H. E. I.
1372-1374). 3. Another reason for surrender is urged in ver. 10,
where the Assyrian _claims to be commissioned by God_ to destroy the
land. This was only a piece of bluster intended to alarm Jerusalem.
It has its counterpart in our day in those men of science, who come
to us in the name of God with the truths they have discovered, and
throw them in our face as inconsistent with faith in the Scriptures.
But there can be no real disagreement between science and revelation.
We are not going to open our gates to arrogant scientists who claim
that their department embraces everything; to materialists who tell
us that our heaven is six feet below the ground. Let science keep to
its legitimate sphere. It was a good remark made by Professor Ball to
a lady who put to him some questions about comets, to each of which
he replied, "I do not know." "Then," she said, "may I ask what is the
use of your science?" "To let me know, madam," he replied, "that I
cannot know some things" (H. E. I. 538, 539). 4. Rabshakeh presses a
surrender in view of _the hardships the people would have to endure._
He threatens them with famine and thirst, and (vers. 16, 17) promises
them ease and plenty if they will but suppress the sentiment of
patriotism, abandon their confidence, and give up their city into his
hands. This is an old and well-used device to make the believer cower
in the face of trials and privations. But the men of faith are proof
against such selfish considerations. They will fight the Lord's
battles at whatever cost; for however hard their outward lot may be,
they have inward joys which more than counterbalance the loss of all
things. 5. The last argument which Rabshakeh employed is this (vers.
18-20): _Other gods were unable to defend their worshippers against
the victorious march, and why should the Lord be able to defend
Jerusalem?_ This was his last thrust, and was intended to bring home
to the people the utter baselessness of their confidence. This
reasoning is not unlike the patronising tone in which infidels speak
of the Christian religion, as one of the many superstitions, all well
enough for their day, but now effete, or destined to perish before
the advance of intelligence; as one of those venerable systems, all
of which are not losing their hold on the intellect and heart.
+III. Why should we still hold to our Christian confidence in spite
of these attempts to overthrow it?+
The agnosticism and infidelity which in our time are so loud and
pretentious are only systems of negation; they have no substitute for
that which they endeavour to destroy. If we allow them to rob us of
our faith, we are spiritually bankrupt, for these destructive
agencies have nothing to satisfy the heart and conscience. Never let
us lower our flag for all their threats and boastful arrogance.
Perhaps the best way to deal with them is that which was followed by
Hezekiah's officers (ver. 21; Matt. vii. 6).
+IV. What will be the end of all the assaults made upon the Christian
faith?+
We know what came of the boastful insolence of Rabshakeh. Not only
did he fail to unhinge the confidence of Hezekiah, but he brought
upon himself confusion and defeat. God answered his blasphemies; God
employs the hostile efforts of unbelief to confirm us in our
confidence. What our enemies intend for the subversion of the truth
only places it on a more solid basis. Christianity can never suffer
from the most rigid investigation, for this only reveals its
immovable strength. We throw back on our opponents their own
question, "What confidence have you, what light in the dark lonesome
hour of death?" Or, the strange "credulity of unbelief," which
accepts the most glaring fallacies, whose reason is clouded by a
proud and insolent defiance of God! We have nothing to fear, then,
from the boastful Rabshakehs of our day. The assaults to which our
faith is now subjected are nothing new. Old weapons are refurbished,
old stratagems resorted to; but it has survived attacks as clever as
those now made upon it (H. E. I. 1165).
CONCLUSION.--Let me put to you the question in a different tone with
all affection and anxiety for your spiritual welfare. It is good to
have our position assailed that we may see its strength (H. E. I.
1136-1139). Is yours a confidence that can resist the thrusts and
subtle reasonings and plausible solicitations of the world? The best
answer you can give to the insolence of unbelief is to hold your
peace, and go quietly forward in resolute faith and persistent
well-doing, giving not the answer of the lip, but of the life--a life
nourished, strengthened, and beautified by faith in Christ.--_William
Guthrie, M.A._