THE FAITH OF ISAIAH
STATESMAN AND EVANGELIST
THE
FAITH OF ISAIAH
STATESMAN AND EVANGELIST
BY
R. GORDON, D.Litt., D.D.
PROFESSOR OF HEBREW, MCGILL UNIVERSITY, AND OF OLD TESTAMENT
LITERATURE AND EXKGKSIS, PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE, MONTREAL J
AUTHOR OF "THE EARLY TRADITIONS OF GENESIS," "THE POETS OF
THE OLD TESTAMENT," " THE PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT," ETC.
I S -5 3 5
LONDON
JAMES CLARKE & CO., 13 & 14, FLEET ST., E.C. 4
Ho
THE SACRED MEMORY
OF
A. B. DAVIDSON
PREFACE
The Book of Isaiah is the crowning glory of prophecy.
As literature it stands supreme, being distinguished
alike for majesty of thought, brilliance of imagina
tion, and elevation of style and diction. Its religious
quality is as conspicuous. In no other prophetic
book have we so many rays of heavenly light ; in
no other are we pointed so clearly forward to the
perfect day. And the light that streams from the
Book still shines undimmed over the ages. In its
light we find light abundant to guide us through
the many tangled problems of our own day.
The present volume seeks to interpret the Book
afresh to the modern mind. Its various elements
are set in their historical framework, the prophecies
proper rendered in versions which seek to reproduce
as nearly as possible the sense and rhythm of the
original, and their distinctive messages applied to
the conditions that confront ourselves. As the
volume is intended for the general reader, critical
discussions have been eliminated. Where depart
ures have been made from the accepted text, the
reason will be obvious to the expert.
A number of the translations have already appeared
in my Prophets of the Old Testament, from which
7
Preface
also part of the running text is taken. I am deeply
indebted to Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton for
permission to make this use of copyright material.
I have further to express my obligations to the
Editor of the Biblical World for similar permission
to reproduce the substance of three articles con
tributed to that Journal on " The Prophets and
the Social Question " and " The Prophets as
Internationalists."
Montreal,
August, 1919.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE VISION OF THE LORD . . II
II. THE GOSPEL OF HOLINESS . . 21
III. NATIONAL IRRELIGION ... 30
IV. THE DAY OF JEHOVAH ... 48
V. THE CHALLENGE OF FAITH . . 58
VI. THE SCOURGE OF GOD ... 74
VII. THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH ... 88
VIII. THE PRINCE OF PEACE . . . 109
IX. THE DECLINE AND FALL . . 1 2O
X. HERALDS OF THE DAWN . . . 12J
XI. VOICES OF COMFORT . . . 142
XII. THE DRAMA OF REDEMPTION . . 155
XIII. THE SUFFERING SERVANT. . . 183
XIV. THE RETURN FROM EXILE . . 198
XV. THE NEW JERUSALEM . . . 2O/
XVI. LIFE FROM THE DEAD . . 229
XVII. THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS . . 246
CHAPTER I
THE VISION OF THE LORD
THE early years of Isaiah were passed in a blaze of
national prosperity. On the north the strong hand
of Jeroboam II. had wrested from Syria the frontier
towns of Gilead and even part of the territory of
Damascus. Further south he had laid his yoke on
Moab, the restless enemy of Israel. Meanwhile
his contemporary, Uzziah the Great of Judah, had
carried his arms in victory over the Philistines,
Arabs and Edomites, recovering from the latter the
seaport of Elath, on the Gulf of Akaba, which
Solomon had made the channel of commerce with
the East. Thus the bounds of Israel were extended
beyond their ideal range " from the gateway of
Hamath to the Dead Sea." With military success
came wealth and luxury. Traders flooded the land.
Great ships of Tarshish brought merchandise from
every part. Gold and silver abounded. Under
Uzziah s personal auspices Jerusalem decked herself
with lordly towers and battlements, houses and
palaces of hewn stone and ivory, furnished with all
the comforts and refinements of advancing civilisa
tion. Outside the capital, the king devoted himself
n
The Faith of Isaiah
specially to husbandry, planting out fields and vine
yards, stocking the pastures with cattle, digging
wells, and raising towers for the protection of the
labourers, so that the land once more rustled with
corn, and flowed with milk and wine. In the eyes
of his subjects, therefore, Uzziah must have appeared
a second Solomon, predestined to restore the
shattered fortunes of Judah. But when they looked
to see the crown placed on his glory, " the Lord
smote the king " with leprosy, and his reign closed
in darkness and depression (B.C. 740).
The blow fell with peculiar poignancy on the
sensitive soul of Isaiah. In contrast to his prophetic
forerunners, Amos and Hosea, he was a true-born
son of Jerusalem, to whom every stone of the city
was dear, and whose youthful hopes and ideals were
wrapped up in its welfare. He was apparently a
man of high birth and breeding, an aristocrat in
every instinct of his nature, a friend of king and
courtiers, for whom Uzziah was " the anointed
of the Lord." That a king who had so long basked
in the sunshine of God s favour should now be the
victim of His wrath was the reversal of all he had
been taught to believe in. As he brooded over the
mystery, it must have seemed to him as if Jehovah
had altogether forsaken His people, and left them
without either helm or anchor. But, like another
troubled spirit, he " went into the sanctuary of
God," and there the scales fell from his eyes, and he
12
The Vision of the Lord
saw the Lord in His majesty, the great Ruler of
men and nations, in whose service is perfect freedom,
peace and joy.
The vision came " in the year that king Uzziah
died." Commentators have usually placed it just
after Uzziah s death. In a striking lecture Professor
A. B. Davidson has pictured the patriotic young
Jew, deeply moved by the end of the long-drawn
tragedy, joining the mournful throng that filled the
palace to pay the last tribute of respect before the
bier of the dead sovereign, and then passing to the
Temple to render homage to the King invisible,
whose sceptre should never fall from stricken hands. 1
More likely it was before the tragedy ended in
death, but when the weight of impending evil hung
heavy on earnest hearts. 2 At all events, the scene
was the threshold of the Temple, where Isaiah had
gone to worship. In front of him stood the door
leading to the inner shrine, with the Ark as the
visible witness to the Divine, and near it the altar
of sacrifice and the brazen serpent, the emblem of
heavenly help and healing. The choirs pealed
forth their choruses, and the smoke of the sacrifice
ascended to heaven, when, lo ! as Isaiah prayed,
the outward symbolism vanished, and the eternal
1 The Called of God, pp. 187*?.
2 Had the vision taken place after Uzziah s death, it would probably have
been dated " in the first year of Jotham." Moreover, Is. i. I suggests the beginning
of the prophet s ministry in the lifetime of Uzziah.
13
The Faith of Isaiah
realities themselves were unveiled before his spiritual
imagination. Through the open door he now saw
Jehovah in Person seated upon a throne " high and
lifted up " beyond all contact with human im
perfection and sin the skirts of His flowing robe
filling the Temple carrying the touch of His
influence into every niche and corner of the building
while round the throne were shining companies
of seraphim probably transfigurations of the
brazen serpent 1 floating before God s presence
and singing in responsive chorus :
" Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts ;
His glory filleth the whole earth " (vi. 3).
In the song of the seraphim Isaiah has borne
home to him in music the burden of his future
ministry. For him Jehovah was to be throughout
" the Holy One of Israel." Holiness has now come
to imply transcendent purity of character ; but to
the Hebrew mind it meant primarily remoteness,
separation. God was holy by virtue of His being
separate from men, infinitely exalted above their
creatural conditions and limitations. Holiness is
tlto virtually the equivalent of majesty. The Holy
One of Israel is King of kings and Lord of lords. 2
1 The seraphim were serpent-like figures (originally personifications of the
lightning), though Isaiah appears to have conceived them in more human fashion,
with faces, mouths, hands and feet.
2 Holiness " describes God s transcendent majesty, His absolute Godhead."
Davidson, The Called of God, p. 192.
14
The Vision of the Lord
As such He might appear inaccessible to the prayers
of His people. But the other side of holiness .is
glory, The glory of God is the nimbus of light
that accompanies His presence, and through which
He reveals His eternal grace and goodness, even
while concealing His face (Exod. xxxiii. 18). In
Solomon s Temple it appeared as a luminous cloud
that permeated the house (i Kings viii. n). The
idea is hence extended to cdver the revelation oL
God s character in general the radiance of His
holiness, purity, justice and love. 1 And this
radiance " filleth the whole earth," flooding both
city and country, market-place and home, " the
round ocean and the living air, the blue sky " and
the heart and mind of man, transforming human
life into the image of the Divine, and making " every
common bush afire with God."
Such a God is worthy to be worshipped " in the
beauty of holiness." And this worship is finely
suggested by the wings of th^ sprapVn m. " With
twain he covered bis face f " in token of reverence:
" and with twain he covered his feet " (the lower
parts of his body), to screen them frnrri
of God s searching purity ; " and with twain he
did fly " on Divine commissions through all the
world. The three pairs thus symbolise the three
fold worship that God loves and expects of His
" Glory is the expression of holiness, as beauty is the expression of health."
G, A. Smith, The Book yf Isaiah, 1. p. 68.
15
The Faith of Isaiah
children : the worship of riwerp.nr.p. purity^ and
service. If He be the Holy One, exalted over all,
we must needs worship Him in reverence and awe.
If He be " too pure of eyes to behold iniquity," we
must needs have our impurities removed, for .only
" the pure in heart shall see God." And if He be
the God who freely removes our impurities, we must
needs serve Him with joyful hearts, " in spirit and
in truth : for the Father seeketh such to worship
Him."
As the seraphic strains were wafted to Isaiah s
ears, his whole being rose in response. He longed
with all his heart to join those choral bands : his
chief desire was to worship God, as they did, with
mingled reverence, purity, and service. For already
he was conscious of great gifts of mind and speech
which he would fain consecrate to this worship.
But in the immediate presence of the Holy One he
felt how unclean were his imaginations and how
deeply tarnished with self the purest offering of his
lips. And were he himself clean in heart and speech,
he dwelt " in the midst of a people of unclean lips,"
a people who lifted up their voices, no doubt, in
praise and prayer, but whose impure lives made their
worship a perpetual blasphemy. Thus he shrunk
back bewildered and ashamed. In his nervous
dread the very foundations seemed to shake beneath
him, and a great cloud rose to obstruct his gaze
the darkness of human impurity showing thick
16
The Vision of the Lord
and black before the dazzling radiance of God s
holiness. And for the moment he thought him
self undone. " 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, even Jehovah of Hosts "
(ver. 5).
Conviction of sin may pierce the heart of the
prodigal, when he comes to himself and realises how
sorely he has wounded the Father by his shameful
deeds. But it comes also and with yet more over
whelming force to noble souls who have kept
themselves free from " the great transgression," but
in some hour of personal communion with God have
caught the vision of His surpassing holiness, and in
the light of it have read the full story of their own
unworthiness, Isaiah belongs to the goodly fellow
ship of " twice-born " men like Peter and Saul of
Tarsus, Augustine and Luther, Cromwell and
Milton and Bunyan, who were driven in their agony
of guilt to cry, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful
man, O Lord," but whose very despair was the
measure of their future greatness in the Kingdom. 1
1 " Temptations in the Wilderness, Choices of Hercules, and the like, in
uccinct or loose form, are appointed for every man that will assert a soul in
him and be a man. Let Oliver take comfort in his dark sorrows and melancholies.
The quantity of sorrow he has, does it not mean withal the quantity of sympathy
he has, the quantity of faculty and victory he shall yet have ? Our sorrow is the
inverted image of our nobleness. The depth of our despair measures what
capability and height of claim we have to hope." Carlyle, Oliver Cromwell s
Letters and Speeches (Centenary Edition), I. pp. 50 f.
17
The Faith of Isaiah
None of these men really wished to banish God from
their lives. With all their shrinking and even
their prayer that He should leave them alone
they yearned after His friendship. And the God
who sees not as man sees granted them their
desire. Thus Isaiah describes his experience :
" Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, with a
glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with
tongs from the altar ; and he laid it on my
mouth, and said, Lo ! this hath touched thy lips,
and thy guilt passeth away, and thy sin is purged "
(ver. 7).
The prophet here uses a symbol drawn from
common life. In cooking, baking, boiling milk,
and the like, stones were made red hot at the central
hearth, and then applied to the various objects in
question. The image thus naturally suggests the
conveyance of spiritual fire from the altar to Isaiah.
Fire burns, and so purifies : when the young man s
lips were touched, his sin was not merely forgiven
Vmrned nut of him and he stood before God
pure, as He is pure. Fire likewise fuses the primordial
elements into one glowing mass : thus the fire from
the altar welded the manifold aspects of his person
ality, and inspired them with one consuming aim
and purpose. Fire expands, transforms, and
consecrates : thus his outlook on life was enlarged,
his ambition set heavenward, his whole being
brought into vital relation with the Eternal
18
The Vision of the Lord
The result was inevitable. " I heard the voice
of Jehovah saying, Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us ? Then said I, Here am I ; send
me " (ver. 8). 1
When the sincere spirit is once endowed with the
WlUgS nf rpyprpnrp and purity, it soon tflfces on. tfce
wings of service. For the.re ran he no true worship
without service. God has His plan to fulfil, and He
rails on each man to assume his rightful share in
thfi-.tasfr- It may be to play the prophet s part,
to preach the Gospel at home and abroad, and in
this direct way help towards filling the world with
the knowledge of the Lord. It may be, like
Cromwell, to champion the cause of human liberty,
or, like Milton and Banyan, to consecrate the
imagination to heavenly poetry or allegory. It
may be the simplest service in the office, the work
shop, or the home. For the old proverb is pro
foundly true laborare est orare, " v\rork is prayer "
if it be done in the right spirit r with a single eve
to God s glory, The devout mason of Ecclefechan
tried to honour his Master by the uprightness and
stability of the walls he built ; and his illustrious
son read the witness, and in after years thanked God
1 The call proper ends with ver. 8, the rest of the chapter being occupied
with the results of Isaiah s ministry. As the account of the call was not written
till the close of the Syro-Ephraimitic war (c-. 733 B.C.), it is probable that it
has been coloured to some extent by reflection on subsequent experience.
Skinner, however, insists that " we have no right to imagine " any such
influence (Isaiah^ rev. edit., I. p. 45).
19
The Faith of Isaiah
for its message to himself. 1 We too can serve Him
by every word we speak, and every deed we do,
however trivial they may appear in themselves. A
stone well cut and laid, the blow of a hammer sped
straight from the shoulder, a business deal carried
through with clean hands and an honest heart, a
brave word or generous act, worthy ambitions,
supported by earnest endeavours to do the right,
straight thing, consistent adherence to just and
noble aims these are all among the things " true,
honourable, just, pure, lovely, and of good report "
which the servant of Jesus Christ is exhorted to
follow after, so that the Kingdom of God may be
advanced among men. Or even if the talent with
which we hoped to serve Him be " lodged with us
useless " through no fault of ours there is still
the service of patient waiting.
" Who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state
Is kingly : thousands at His bidding speed,
And post o er land and ocean without rest ;
They also serve who only stand and wait."
1 " Nothing that he undertook to do but he did it faithfully and like a true
man. I shall look on the houses he built with a certain proud interest. They
stand firm and sound to the heart all over his little district. No one that comes
after him will ever say, Here was the finger of a hollow eye-servant." "
Carlyle, Reminiscences, p. 4.
20
CHAPTER II
THE GOSPEL OF HOLINESS
IN a real sense the prophet s call strikes the key-note
of his subsequent activity. The premonition of
judgment which came to Amos in the solitude of
the desert supplied the main theme of his preaching
at Samaria and Bethel, while Hosea s sympathy with
the loving heart of Jehovah, which he learned
through the violated sanctities of his home, made
him the messenger of redemption. Isaiah was as
clearly called to be the prophet of holiness. His
task was to bring the vision of God s holiness to bear
as effectively on the life of the people as rm Vn g nwn
conscience and will.
The rpot idea of holiness we have found to be
separation. God was holy by virtue of His being
separate from men. In like manner, persons,
places, and acts were counted hoV "wV>pr> gpt a pa r t
or consecrated to Pod s servirp. The, priests who
administered at the altar were holy ; the Temple
and its ritual were holy ; the new moon and Sabbath
were " holy days " ; and festal. ,.asejohlies and
sacrifices were holy works. In itself, therefore,
holiness had no ethical import. It might even be
the handmaid of gross immorality, the prostitutes
21
The Faith of Isaiah
who frequented the sanctuaries being known as
" holy men and women." The filling of the
rpnrp.pj- with ethical significance is one result of
prophetic teaching^ and arose directly from the
prophets thought of God. To them holiness was
likeness to God in the fullest implication of the
term. Hosea had already identified the Divine
holiness with love. Jehovah was " the Holy One
in the midst " of Israel, because of His mercy and
compassion (Hos. xi. 9). The holy man would thus
be the loving man, the kindly, considerate, brotherly
man. Isaiah rounded out the idea. He had learned
to know Jehovah as a God of absolute purity, in
wTingg prfAfsnr* im ii^l^anp^ QT corruption can
abide, as well as the Lord of grace and goodness, who
freely forgives men their iniquities, and rejoices in
their f^owship and service. Thus for him holiness
in man combined the two elements of justice, and
lovgj purity and mercy, uprightness and humanity.
The mirror is held up to us in the opening chapter :
" What care I for the multitude of your sacrifices,
Jehovah doth say.
I am sated with offerings of rams,
And the fat of fed beasts ;
In the blood of bullocks and he-goats
I take no delight.
When ye come to behold my face,
Who seeketh this at your hand ?
22
The Gospel of Holiness
So trample my courts no more,
For vain are oblations !
An abhorrence to me is the smoke of your sacrifices,
Your holy days are a sin ;
New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies,
I cannot away with.
Your feast days and festivals
My soul doth hate ;
They are a burden upon me
I am weary of bearing them.
When ye spread out your hands,
I will hide mine eyes from you ;
Even when ye multiply your prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of bloodshed ;
Wash yourselves clean !
Put away the evil of your doings
From before mine eyes !
Cease to do evil, learn to do well,
Pursue after justice !
Set right the oppressor, judge the fatherless,
Plead the cause of the widow !" (i. 11-17).
In these stern words the whole current theory of
holiness is challenged. For reverent worship Isaiah
had all due respect. He had himself found God in
the Temple, and he would bar the door against
23
The Faith of Isaiah
none who thus sought Him in sincerity. But the
worship which was a mere form of words or ritual
acts was a gross travesty of holiness, while that which
was assumed as a cloak to cover injustice or oppres
sion was sacrilege in God s sight. The only offering
He cared for was that of a righteous life. If men
would worship Him, therefore, in the beauty of
holiness, let them turn from their evil ways, and give
themselves to truth and honest dealing one with
another, the active pursuit of social justice, the helj>-
iqg of the poor and needy, the over throw of wickednes s
in all its protean shapes, and the uplifting of
humanity as the governing ideal in every sptier e of life.
In laying the emphasis on these things, Isaiah is
in line with the whole trend of prophetic teaching.
Amos had poured the vials of Divine scorn upon the
worshippers of his day, who sought to please God by
the din of their songs and the harsh strumming of
their lyres. " But let justice roll down as waters,
and right as an ever-flowing stream ! " (Amos v. 24.).
Hosea had appealed in Jehovah s name for " love
instead of sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather
than offerings " (Hos. vi. 6). Isaiah s rural con
temporary, Micah, summed up what is well-pleasing
to God in the threefold formula : " to do justice,
and to delight in love, and to walk humbly with thy
God " (Mic. vi. 8). Jeremiah and Ezekiel are equally
insistent in their demand for social justice and
benevolence as the outward expression of true
24
The Gospel of Holiness
religion (Jer. xxii. 3 ; Ezek. xviii. yff.). With its
dying breath, in the person of Malachi, prophecy
raises its plea for the poor and lonely, the widow,
the orphan and the stranger, above all, the loyal
daughters of the covenant deserted by their treacher
ous husbands, protesting that the worship which
tolerates such offences is to " kindle God s altar in
vain " (Mai. i. loff.). And when faith was led
captive beneath the iron yoke of the Pharisees,
Jesus recalled men to the old ways of truth and life.
" Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven "
(Matt. vii. 21). "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites ! for ye tithe mint and dill and cummin,
and omit the weightier matters of the law, justice
and mercy and faithfulness. These ought ye to have
done, without leaving the other undone" (xxiii. 23).
The holiness which Jesus and the prophets
preached is thus poles apart from the anaemic type
of piety which is so common among us. It is
intensely ethical, virile, heroic. It is the " moral
equivalent of war " that the new age is calling for.
The true saint is a soldier like Cromwell, who
believes in God, " not on Sundays only, but on all
days, in all places, and in all cases," 1 and is ready
in His name to do battle against every form of
selfishness, oppression and sin a Crusader of the
1 Oliver Cromwell s Letters and Speeches, I. p. 51.
25
The Faith of Isaiah
type dreamed of by Blake, who fights, not to deliver
the Holy Place from the hands of the infidel, but to
build up Jerusalem " in England s green and pleasant
land," 1 to make the earth itself a Holy Place, where
God shall be all and in all.
But who is sufficient for these things ? " For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wicked
ness in high places." To win victory in this good
fight, we must be baptised with the Spirit of purity
that comes from God alone. And if our hands are
stained by cruel and sinful deeds, and our hearts
by low, degrading passions ? We may wash our
selves with lye, but " here s the smell of the blood
still ; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten
this little hand." Nor will the manifold charms of
Nature and human fellowship avail to purge the heart
from its defilement. But that which is impossible
with men is more than possible with God. Where
sin abounded, grace doth much more abound.
" Come now, let us be right with each other,
Jehovah doth say :
Though your sins be like scarlet,
They may be white as snow ;
Though they be red like crimson,
They may become as wool" (i. 18).
1 Fragment from Milton.
26
The Gospel of Holiness
Here Isaiah reaches his hand across the centuries
to Jesus Christ. He too summoned men to the
high imperative of holiness. But His Gospel of
holiness implied forgiveness as well as the single-
minded pursuit of righteousness. He went about
among men with the gracious tidings of the Father
in heaven, who yearns after the prodigal, follows
him in sympathy through all his weary wanderings,
feels the anguish of his degradation far more keenly
than himself, wrestles for his recovery, and will not
cease to wrestle until He has welcomed him back
to the peace and joy of the homeland. As the Son
of the Father, He spent His own life in seeking and
saving the lost ; and at the end He died, " the
righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring
us to God."
This Gospel has been assailed, however, as the
direct negation of moral principle. If the sinner be
thus easily forgiven, it is claimed, he escapes the
just punishment of his sins. But forgiveness does
not abrogate the law that " whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap." David s repentance
did not restore the life of the child who was the
fruit of his sin ; nor did the faith of the penitent
thief spare him the last agonies of crucifixion. In
like manner, forgiveness will not redeem men s
wasted opportunities, or in any miraculous way heal
the diseases contracted through vice ; still less does
it recover the bloom of purity and health for the
27
The Faith of Isaiah
hapless victims of wrong-doing. For it is not
the simple remission of the penalties of sin. It
strikes to the very root of the matter it deals
the mortal blow at sin itself. Forgiveness is
nothing less than the restoration of the sinner to
the friendship and love of the Father, and thereby
also his return to the pathway of holiness, his whole
nature inspired with the " expulsive " but equally
uplifting " power of a new affection." Thus step
by step he rises above himself and his old besetting
sins, growing in strength and righteousness of
character, ever nearer to the perfect stature of
Christ. " Do we then annul the law through
faith ? God forbid ! We rather establish the law."
If forgiveness be the purest expression of the
grace of God, it is no less truly the crown of holiness
in man. Jesus not merely saw in the spirit of
forgiving love the mirror of heavenly perfection,
but He made readiness to forgive others a necessary
condition of God s forgiveness. " Ye have heard
that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour,
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, and pray for them that persecute
you, that ye may be sons of your Father which is
in heaven ; for He maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust. ... Ye therefore shall be
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect "
(Matt. v. 4off.). "If ye forgive men their trespasses,
28
The Gospel of Holiness
your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses " (vi. 141!.).
With us, too, forgiveness is no easy condoning
of evil. Like the love from which it springs, it is
a glowing passion, which opens its heart to the
sinner, yet burns with indignation against his sins.
It may even go hand in hand with punishment.
For the end of forgiveness is not to shield the sinner
from " the slings and arrows " of the law, but to
win him from the service of evil, and so help him to
overcome the enemies of his soul. And he may
have to pay in full before he will turn from his evil
habits to live the new life of integrity and honour.
As with the individual, so with the nation. We may
forgive while exacting the due measure of justice.
Apart from justice, indeed, our forgiveness would
be hollow, false, immoral. Based upon justice,
it is holy, and even Divine. For the sinful nation
is redeemed, while right is established as the ruling
principle on earth. Thus forgiveness, like wisdom,
is " justified of her children." 1
1 " The law said : Thou shall not kill ; the Gospel says : Thou shalt
not hate. It is possible to kill without hating."
" The Gospel says : Love your enemies. That means : Try to make
them your friends. It may be necessary to kick one s enemy in order to make
friendship possible. A nation may be in the same predicament, and be forced
to fight in order to make friendship possible." Hankey, A Student in Arms,
p. 187.
2 9
CHAPTER III
NATIONAL IRRELIGION
THE devout life has been too often represented as
a solitary Pilgrim s Progress from the City of
Destruction to the pearly gates and blessed mansions
of Heaven. The prophet s outlook was wider in
its range. He longed to see the whole nation a
people of Jehovah, its cities flowing with salvation
and its streets jubilant with praise. And for him
the criterion of national no less than personal
religion was to " set right the oppressor, judge the
fatherless, plead the cause of the widow."
Tried by this test, the people of Judah, with all
their pretensions to piety, were as unclean in
Jehovah s sight as Isaiah had found himself in
presence of the Divine holiness. So far from
pursuing justice and mercy, the rich capitalists of
Jerusalem used the very troubles of the poor as the
occasion for their own aggrandisement. The
victories of Uzziah had filled their treasuries with
gold and silver, but they had left the peasant class
plunged the more deeply in debt. Thus the land
that had passed from father to son, the " portion "
which the poor man valued as highly as his life, was
30
National Irreligion
thrown into the market, and the larger proprietors
added house to house, and field to field, till there
was no room for others in the neighbourhood. As
mischievous was the way in which men spent their
wealth. While the ousted peasantry lay crushed
under the heel of their oppressors, robbed alike of
their livelihood and their self-respect, often without
a cloak in which to wrap themselves for the night,
the rich sat long at their feasts, inflamed with wine
and strong drink, their ladies meantime tripping
along, arrayed in all the bravery of their fine dresses
and jewellery, heedless of the doing of Jehovah and
the cries of His people. The inequalities of wealth
led even to the wresting of the poor man s rights.
The rich had their friends in court, and could
purchase judgment for a bribe ; the poor had none
to plead their cause, and thus lost by default. So
gross, indeed, was the perversion of justice that it
seemed as though the rulers of Judah possessed no
longer the sense of right and wrong. They called evil
good, and good evil ; darkness light, and light dark
ness. They harnessed themselves to evil as with cart-
ropes, and actually defied God to show His hand in
Providence. " Let Him speed on, hasten His work,
that we may see it ; let the counsel of the Holy One
of Israel draw nigh, that we may know it ! "
Though the natural associate of the upper classes,
Isaiah was as full of sympathy for the poor, and of
righteous wrath against the follies and wickedness
The Faith of Isaiah
of the rich, as the more democratic Amos had been.
He saw how impossible it was for a nation tainted
with vices like these to endure. Thus in language
kindled at the altar of holiness he inveighs against
the evil-doers as traitors to the commonwealth of
Judah, dragging their people with them on the steep
descent to ruin. Only if they turned from their
unholy ways, and for the future exalted justice and
brotherhood as the twin standards of life, was there
any hope for themselves or the nation as a whole.
For a Day of Jehovah was soon to come, which would
test their works as by fire, burning up all that was
false and impure, leaving only the " holy seed " as
the fine gold from the crucible.
As the object of special rebuke the prophet singles
out the pride of " the daughters of Zion," who aped
the fashions of the heathen around them, violating
the natural modesty of women, and instilling wrong
ideals into the minds of their children. For this
their glory shall be turned into shame, and them
selves be left unprotected and dishonoured on the
day of trial.
" Because they are grown haughty,
The daughters of Zion,
And walk with outstretched neck,
And ogling with their eyes,
Mincing ever as they walk,
And jingling with their feet ;
32
National Irreligion
Therefore the Lord will smite their crown with
a scab,
And will lay bare their shame ;
Instead of perfume there shall be rottenness,
And instead of a girdle, a rope ;
And instead of well-dressed hair, baldness,
And instead of festal robes, sackcloth.
And seven women shall lay hold
On a single man on that day,
Saying, We will eat our own bread,
And wear our own raiment ;
Only by thy name let us be called,
Remove our reproach " (iii. i6f., iv. i).
The most deliberate impeachment of the moral
disorder of the times, however, is contained in the
sixfold Woes of chap, v., where Isaiah probes the
motives and workings of evil with merciless edge.
I. The core of the malady he finds in the sin
of monopoly.
" Woe ! they that join house to house,
And lay field to field,
Till there be no more room
In the midst of the land !
Therefore Jehovah of Hosts
Hath sworn in mine ears :
4 Of a surety many a house
Shall become a desolation
33 3
The Faith of Isaiah
Even houses great and goodly,
Without inhabitant.
For ten acres of vineyard
Shall yield but one bath,
And an homer of seed
Shall yield but an ephah. "
(v. 8-10).
Isaiah has here exposed for all time the radical
vice of monopoly. The tendency which has so
deeply infected the commercial life of our own
age as well as theirs to gather the sinews of in
dustry, in land and capital, within a few irrespon
sible hands is the very incarnation of selfishness,
exalting itself at the expense of human personality.
While the rich pile up their substance, the people
as a whole are exploited for gain degraded from
their high dignity as the sons and daughters of God
into mere instruments for acquiring wealth that
others may enjoy. Though the prophet thus lays
the stress on the moral aspect of the case, he has
an equally sure sense of the economic results of
monopoly. In his eyes it leads to depopulation
and the curtailment rather than increase of the
staff of life. The poor are driven from their
inheritance, and the natural fruit of their labour
is diminished.
1 The acre was as much as a pair of oxen could plough in a day, and therefore
considerably larger than our acre. The bath contained between eight and nine
gallons of wine. The ephah was a dry measure of similar capacity to the bath,
and the homer was ten times the size of the ephah.
34
National Irreligion
On the former head there will be general agree
ment. The rural depopulation which creates
so ominous a problem in older countries is the
direct results of landed monopoly, with its con
tinuous encroachments on the rights and liberties
of the people. But this problem is part of a much
larger one the housing problem which affects
all nations alike, and on the happy solution of
which their welfare mainly depends. The basis
of society must ever be the family. So long as
a nation gives birth to healthy families, growing
up amid bright, pure surroundings, in the love
of God and honour, it will go on prospering and
to prosper. But let family life on any great scale
degenerate into the miserable counterfeits of
home which we find in our city slums, and the
nation will sooner or later die of festering corrup
tion at the heart. The root of the trouble here
also lies in landed monopoly. Thus salvation
can be found only in breaking the monopoly, and
recovering the land for the legitimate needs of
the people. Happily, statesmen of all shades
of opinion have begun to recognise the justice
of this demand, and have already taken important
steps to carry it into effect. But the goal will not
be reached until " every man shall sit under his
vine and under his fig-tree with none to make him
afraid." And this end is sure ; " for the mouth
of Jehovah of Hosts hath spoken it." (Mic. iv. 4).
35
The Faith of Isaiah
The other side of the question may call forth
a challenge. It is urged in defence of monopolies
that concentration results in increased, because
more efficient, production. From an abstract
point of view this may be quite correct. But
in the ultimate analysis the prophet s verdict is
justified. For the frankly expressed aim of the
monopolist is to control the market that is, in
effect, to restrain the outflow of the commodities
of life for his own personal advantage, and with
absolute indifference to the hardships he may
thus inflict on the poor. Monopoly thus con
stitutes one of the gravest menaces to social well-
being, and its successful control is among the most
pressing problems of statesmanship. The scientific
economist may be content to trace the genesis
and evolution of the system without pronouncing
any moral judgment on the tendency in itself.
But the Christian reformer must look deeper, and
view the subject as it bears on personal life and
character, allowing no individual interests to out
weigh the paramount claims of humanity. 1
1 On the danger of monopoly in modern times, see President Wilson, The
Neto Freedom (Everyman s Library), pp. izgff. After a careful analysis of the
economic effects of monopoly, he concludes, " Therefore the big trusts, the big
combinations, are the most wasteful, the most uneconomical, and, after they
pass a certain size, the most inefficient, way of conducting the industries of this
country" (p. 141)- For "monopoly always checks development, weighs down
natural prosperity, pulls against natural advance " (p. 207). But its most bane
ful reiults he finds, like Isaiah, in the degradation of humanity. " Take the
thing as a whole, and it looks strangely like economic mastery over the very live*
and fortunes of those who do the daily work of the nation" (p. 166). "Pro-
36
National Irreligion
2. Closely linked with the sin of monopoly
is that of luxury.
" Woe ! the heroes for drinking wine,
And the valiant in mingling strong drink
They that rise up early of mornings
To follow after strong drink,
That tarry late in the evening,
Till wine doth inflame them
Whose feasts are lute and harp,
Timbrel and flute and wine,
But the doing of Jehovah they heed not,
And the work of His hands they regard not !
Therefore my people are exiled,
Exiled for lack of knowledge ;
Their nobles are famished with hunger,
And their rabble parched with, thirst "
(vv. 22, 11-13).
In this outburst of holy irony Isaiah has revealed
luxury also in its true colours. It may be argued
perty is an instrument of humanity; humanity isn t an instrument of property.
And yet when you see some men riding their great industries as if they were
driving a car of juggernaut, not looking to see what multitudes prostrate them
selves before the car and lose their lives in the crushing effect of their industry,
you wonder how long men are going to be permitted to think more of their
machinery than they think of their men" (p. 214). "So we must put heart
into the people by taking the heartlessness out of politics, business, and industry.
We have got to make politics a thing in which an honest man can take his part
with satisfaction, because he knows that the boss and the interests have been
dethroned. Business we have got to untrammel. Industry we have got to
humanise. We have got to cheer and inspirit our people with the sure rewards
of social justice and due reward, with the vision of the open gates of opportunity
for all " (p. zz/).
37
The Faith of Isaiah
that a man may do what he pleases with his own,
and that, if he loves luxury, he is free to indulge
himself to his heart s content. But to the prophet
indulgence is as hideous a crime against God and
man as the cynical cruelty of the monopolist.
All honest wealth is from God ; therefore the
lord of wealth is responsible to God for the steward
ship entrusted to him. Man is likewise a social
being, to whom wealth comes, if it does come,
through the various channels of social life that
converge on him ; thus society also has its interest
in the destination of wealth. To spend one s
means on pleasure, as if that were the end of life,
is unsocial and inhuman. If the spirit of self-indulg
ence affects large classes of society, it will spell
deterioration and ruin. History is full of pregnant
examples : the captivity of Israel and Judah,
the extinction of the light of Greece, the downfall
of Imperial Rome, and the sweeping aside of an
effeminate Christendom by the sturdy hordes of
Islam. Were it not that one believed in the
sanity of the great body of the people, one must
have viewed with grave concern the vulgar displays
of luxury that in pre-war days characterised the
leaders of social life, in both Europe and America,
and the mad quest for pleasure that infected the
minds of the masses as well. For the love of luxury
is not confined to the wealthy. Little is needed
now to satisfy the taste for pleasure, and the poor
38
National Irreligion
are only too prone to follow the lead of their
masters. One has, naturally, no desire to restrain
the innocent enjoyments of the people. Recrea
tion is good, and refined surroundings are good.
Nevertheless, the nation that is to grow great
and prosperous must have its heart set on the
nobler issues of life. Levity saps alike the moral
and physical strength of a people ; responsibility
to God and duty is the mainspring of life. 1
3. There were two special forms of luxury that had
acquired an ominous hold over Israel and are still much
with us vices that tend more than any others to
corrupt the national fibre intemperance and impurity.
The first of these evils Isaiah has set in the fore
front of his charge against luxury For to him
it was the direct cause of intellectual as well as
moral and economic " exile." It robbed the people
of their wits, inflamed their baser passions, unfitted
them for the serious business of life, and thus left
them impoverished in all other good things. The
lapse of centuries has not blunted the edge of the
prophet s attack. Intemperance is still the most
deadly enemy of social progress. It not only wrecks
hearts and homes, wastes the resources of the nation,
impairs its efficiency, and weakens its moral tone, but
1 " The philosophers of old times and the fathers of the Church alike con
demned luxury in the strongest terms, and they were right in so doing. It i
pernicious to the individual and fatal to society. Primitive Christianity reproved
it in the name of chanty and of humanity : political economy condemns it in the
name of iitility, and right in the name of equity." E. de Laveleye, Luxury, p 2.
39
The Faith of Isaiah
it is also the prolific source of poverty, disease, and
crime. In all advanced communities, therefore,
the legislature has been compelled to take strong
measures for the control and even prohibition of
the liquor-traffic. Such measures are wholly for
good. Judging by their results in the United States
and Canada, the Temperance reformer may well thank
God and press forward with courage. But restraint
is not enough. Intemperance is the perversion of
healthy human instincts. In part it is the reaction
either from the ennui of idleness or from the weari
ness induced by unwholesome conditions of labour ;
in part it is an attempt to escape from the general
sordidness of life in the slums ; in large part also it is
an expression of the craving for human fellowship.
Temperance reform must thus go hand in hand with
constructive social reform. The idler must be
impressed with a due sense of the dignity of labour ;
at the same time the lot of the labourer must be
humanised. The conditions under which he works
must be steadily ameliorated, his wages raised to a
point adequate at least to the support of a decent
family life, and his surroundings made brighter and
cleaner. Worthier provision must likewise be made
for his social needs. Along such lines effective
" substitutes for the saloon " have been found in
model homes built and managed on enlightened
business principles, open spaces, parks and play
grounds, gymnasia, baths, halls, libraries, club and
40
National Irreligion
reading-rooms, maintained for the common good,
and free to the poorest of the people, and a broad
policy of public education, aimed at both interesting
and elevating the mind. But after all the true
bulwarks against intemperance are moral and
religious. Only by " self-knowledge, self-reverence,
self-control " does man reach to sovereign freedom ;
only through fellowship with noble souls does he
win the fuller life he craves. And in both respects
the Gospel of Christ is the true " power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth." Through
faith in Him the weakest has strength to overcome
temptation, while the conscience of the most selfish
is quickened to the claims of duty and brotherhood.
" All things are lawful ; but all things are not
expedient. All things are lawful ; but all things
are not edifying. Let no man seek his own, but
each his neighbour s good. . . . Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory of God. Put no stumbling-block
in the way either of Jews or of Greeks or of the
church of God ; even as I also please all men in all
things, not seeking my own interest but the interest
of the many, that they may be saved " (i Cor.
x. 2 3 fL).
The other sin the prophet seems to pass over in
silence. It is possible, however, that it formed
the original burden of the following stanza, with
its terrible picture of the doom awaiting Zion :
The Faith of Isaiah
" Therefore Sheol hath enlarged her desire,
And opened her mouth without measure ;
And down go her splendour and rabble,
Her pomp, and all that rejoice therein :
And lambs shall graze (on her site) as their pasture
And fatlings shall feed mong the ruins."
(vv. 14, 17.)
Certainly no sin could provide a more fitting
prelude for such a scene of desolation. There is
none so utterly degrading to human nature, none
that more thoroughly poisons the joy of family
affection, pollutes society, and ruins the nation.
As the prophet says, Hell opens her mouth to
swallow the guilty people. When we reflect on
the fate that has overtaken once powerful nations
because of indulgence in this sin, the revelations
of social vice in our own great cities may well spur
us to action. The laws may be on the side of
purity, but they are violated on a quite appalling
scale. Every one, then, who has at heart the
welfare of his people must lend the whole force of
his influence to upholding their sanctity, that the
powers of evil may be foiled and the victims of
their guilty designs redeemed. To this end we
must have the Spirit of the Master poured out
largely among us. Before the pure flame of His
holiness sin flees away abashed, but through the
radiance of His love the sinner is drawn to virtue
42
National Irreligion
and honour. Thus that which is equally the
perversion of a natural instinct is restored to its
sacred function, and love becomes the lord of life. 1
4. Indulgence in sin leads to open defiance of God.
" Woe ! they that draw guilt with bullock thongs
And sin as with cart-ropes,
That say, Let Him speed on,
Hasten His work, that we may see it ;
Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel
Draw nigh and come, that we may know it !
(vv. i8f.)
The first approaches of sin are full of allurement.
It is so pleasant to walk in By-path Meadow, and
to drive the chariot of Pleasure through the streets
of Vanity Fair ! And, if danger should threaten,
it is so simple to retrace one s steps to the straight
and narrow way ! But sin that is dallied with soon
becomes the master, and the poor soul is yoked to
the chariot, and himself driven hither and thither
by the whip of his passions. And anon he accepts
his fate, makes evil his good, and dashes madly in
the face of Providence. " Let God act if there
be a God ! Let Him show some signs that He
rules then may we believe in Him ! " Such
scepticism is, of course, very different from that
1 For a fearless exposure of vice in our modern cities, inspired on every page
with the love and pity of the Saviour, see Jane Addams, A New Conscience and an
Ancient Evil.
43
The Faith of Isaiah
which affected Job when tortured by the problem
of Divine government. It is moral, not speculative.
It is the wilful challenge of a spirit that has definitely
turned from faith and goodness, riot the broken
cry of one whose face is towards the light, but whose
vision is obscured by the cloud that so often veils
the presence of God. It is what Jesus described as
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost the deliberate
quenching of all the higher impulses of the soul
the sin for which there is no forgiveness because
there is not even a possibility of repentance. " This
is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil " (John iii. 19).
5. The inevitable result is moral blindness and
perversion.
" Woe ! they 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 " (ver. 20).
If the instincts of our being are abused, they no
longer respond to their natural stimulus. The
senses are dulled, and the passions warped ; the
taste is vitiated, and the feeling for beauty and truth
distorted. In like manner, through headstrong
44
National Irreligion
persistence in sin, the conscience is " seared as with
a hot iron," deadened to the perception of goodness,
unable to distinguish right from wrong, so perverted
even as to confuse the standards, and call right
wrong and wrong right. " To the pure all things
are pure ; but to them that are defiled and un
believing nothing is pure ; both their mind and
their conscience are defiled. They profess that
they know God, but by their works they deny Him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every
good work reprobate " (Titus i. I5f.)-
There may be few whose personal conscience has
fallen so far below the ideal. But often a pure
personal conscience is found unequally yoked with
a blunted or distorted social conscience. Many a
man of high Christian principle and blameless
character upheld slavery as part of the Divinely
ordered constitution of things, or offered determined
resistance to social legislation as an unjust inter
ference with vested rights. In our own day we meet
with the same divorce between private and social
ethics. Men who are the soul of honour in their
personal relations will condone sharp dealings in
the market on the plea that " business is business,"
tolerate the commerce in drunkenness and vice as a
necessary concession to human weakness, and even
defend child labour, the sweat-shop, underpayment,
and other forms of social injustice, as legitimate
means of accumulating wealth. But the conscience
45
The Faith of Isaiah
cannot be allowed to rest content with this double
standard of right. The laws of God are one and
undivided, seamless as the garment of Christ. And
the conscience that is " void of offence toward
God " must be equally void of offence " toward
man." He that loves God with all his heart and
soul and mind must love his neighbour as himself.
He that walks before God in uprightness and truth
must treat his fellows as he would be treated himself.
" Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for
this is the law and the prophets " (Matt. vii. 12).
6. The outcome of such perversity is flagrant
injustice in the law-courts.
" Woe ! they that are wise in their own eyes,
And in their own sight knowing ;
That acquit the wicked in return for a bribe,
And the rights of the innocent wrest from him "
(vv. 21, 23).
The charge of partiality in the courts is among
the most frequently levelled by the prophets. For
judicial venality and corruption are vices to which
the Eastern mind is peculiarly addicted. Our
situation is vastly better. Judges may still be
swayed by personal prejudices and passions, but at
all events they are steel-proof against bribery. Yet
the delays and uncertainties of law in the democratic
46
National Irreligion
West set up a decided inequality between rich and
poor. " Justice wields a sword on the poor, but a
lath on the rich and influential." 1 And in our
political life the sacred fountain whence justice
springs the balance is often heavily weighted on
the side of the rich. In matters affecting the common
good the moneyed interests have far more than their
rightful influence. Social rank also exerts its power.
Even graft which is but a thinly veiled synonym
for bribery is by no means unknown. With such
means of persuasion brought to bear on the judgment
of our rulers and lawgivers, we cannot hope to see
the life of the people raised to the higher planes
for which we work and pray. National prosperity
rests on the bedrock of justice, and without that it
must crumble into dust.
" Therefore, as tongue of fire devoureth the stubble,
And hay sinketh down in the flame,
Their root shall become as rottenness,
And their blossom shall rise as dust :
For they have scorned the teaching of the Lord of
Hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel "
(ver. 24). a
1 E. A. Ross, Sin and Society, p. 130.
2 " Justice, Justice 5 woe betide us everywhere when, for this reason or for
that, we fail to do justice ! No beneficence, benevolence, or other virtuous
contribution will make good the want. . . . There is but one thing needed
for the world ; but that one is indispensable. Justice, Justice, in the name of
heaven ; give us justice, and we live ; give us only counterfeits of it, or succedanea
for it, and we die." Carlyle, Latter-Day Pamphlet^ II. p. 68.
47
CHAPTER IV
THE DAY OF JEHOVAH
IN his criticism of the moral and social evils of the
time Isaiah has revealed his power of analysis. The
characteristic prophecies of the reign of Jotham,
however, are those in which he pictures the coming
of judgment on Israel. And here the young prophet
shows himself already a master of verse, whom Milton
alone approaches in splendour, combined with
classical restraint and conciseness. The sweep of
his imagination is sublime, and the diction is as
lordly as the thought. The phrasing is carefully
finished, and the texture studded throughout with
brilliant figures of speech, while the lines move on
with a stately rhythm, strong and full, yet always
under command.
As Jerusalem was the centre of Israel s offence,
the prophet dwells first on her infidelity and her
smelting in the furnace :
" Ah ! fallen to a harlot
Is the faithful city
Zion, that was full of justice,
Where righteousness dwelt !
48
The Day of Jehovah
Thy silver is become dross,
Thy pure wine mixed ;
Thy princes are rebels, 1
And confederates of thieves ;
Each of them loveth bribes,
And pursueth rewards ;
They judge not the fatherless,
Nor plead for the widow.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah,
The Holy One of Israel :
6 Ah ! how I will ease me of mine adversaries,
And avenge me of mine enemies !
I will turn my hand upon thee,
And will kindle fire against thee ;
I will smelt out thy dross in the furnace,
And remove all thine alloy.
Then will I restore thy judges as at first,
And thy counsellors as at the beginning ;
And afterward shalt thou be called the Township
of Justice,
The Faithful City " (i. 21-26).
But the whole land was full of vanity, and in the
most splendid of his early oracles Isaiah describes
the breaking of the Day of Jehovah upon the pomp
and pride of Israel the silver and gold, the horses
1 Cheyne reproduces the play on words by his rendering, " Thy rulers are
become unruly ; " Wade by, " Thy princes are unprincipled."
49 4
The Faith of Isaiah
and chariots, the towers and battlements, the ships
of Tarshish, the cedars and oaks and mountains
even all that exalted itself against His glorious
majesty. 1
"Go ye into the caves of the rock,
And hide yourselves in the holes of the dust,
From before the terror of Jehovah,
And before His glorious majesty !
For Jehovah hath forsaken His people,
He hath cast off the household of Jacob ;
For their land is filled with traffickers,
And hands they strike with the children of aliens ;
Their land also is filled with silver and gold,
And there is no end to their treasures ;
Their land also is filled with horses,
And there is no end to their chariots ;
Their land also is filled with idols,
And there is no end to their images ;
They worship the work of their hands,
Even that which their fingers have made.
So the pride of man shall sink low,
And the loftiness of man shall be abased ;
And Jehovah alone shall be exalted,
While the idols shall one and all vanish.
1 The conception of the Day of Jehovah is a survival from popular eschatology.
According to the traditional belief, the Day was to be one in which Jehovah
would come down in battle-array to fight for His people, and lead them to universal
and abiding victory. Amos was the first of the prophets to turn this expectation
against the people themselves (Amos v. i8ff.). In this he is followed, not only by
Isaiah, but also by Zephaniah and Joel (Zeph. i. 146. ; Joel i.
50
The Day of Jehovah
Go ye into the caves of the rock,
And hide yourselves in the holes of the dust,
From before the terror of Jehovah,
And before His glorious majesty !
For Jehovah of Hosts hath a Day,
The Lord hath a time for judgment,
On all that is proud and lofty,
And on all that is high and uplifted
On all the cedars of Lebanon,
And on all the oaks of Bashan ;
On all the lofty mountains,
And on all uplifted hills ;
On every lordly tower,
And on every fenced wall ;
On all the ships of Tarshish,
And on all the stately galleons.
So the pride of man shall sink low,
And the loftiness of man shall be abased ;
And Jehovah alone shall be exalted,
While the idols shall one and all vanish "
(ii. 6- 1 8).
In launching these bolts of judgment, Isaiah
seems almost to have " shut up his bowels of com
passion " against his brethren. But his heart is full
of love for them, and his words at times melt with a
tenderness akin to Hosea s. Thus his picture of the
approaching anarchy in Judah is full of genuine
pathos :
The Faith of Isaiah
" For behold ! the Lord,
Jehovah of Hosts,
Doth remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both staff and stay
The hero and man of war,
The judge and prophet and elder,
The man of renown and the counsellor,
The skilled in magic and expert in charms.
And youths will He give for their princes.
And capricious babes shall rule them ;
And the people shall wax tyrannous man over man,
Each man over his neighbour ;
And rude shall they prove, the youth to the elder,
And the churl to the noble.
When a man shall lay hold of his fellow,
In whose father s house is a mantle, 1
(Saying) Come, our chief shalt thou be,
And this heap of ruins shall be under thy hand,
On that day shall he lift up his voice :
* I will not be an healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor mantle,
Ye shall not make me chief of the people.
For Jerusalem hath stumbled,
And Judah is fallen ;
For their tongue and their deeds are against the Lord,
To provoke the eyes of His glory ;
1 The mantle was the sign of aristocratic dignity (cf. Joseph s coat), and there
fore was held to entitle its wearer to high office in the kingdom.
52
The Day of Jehovah
Their respect of persons hath witnessed against them,
And their sin have they published and hid not.
My people babes are their tyrants,
And women rule them ; T
My people thy leaders mislead thee,
And confuse the way of thy paths.
Woe unto them !
For ill have they done themselves.
Lo ! Jehovah standeth to plead,
Upriseth to judge His people ;
Jehovah doth enter on judgment
With His people s elders and princes :
* It is ye that have eaten the vineyard,
The plunder of the poor is in your houses !
What mean ye that ye crush my people,
And grind the face of the poor ? (iii. 1-15).
The most exquisite expression is given to Isaiah s
feeling for Judah, however, in his " love-song " of
the Vineyard.
" Now let me sing for my loved One
A love-song touching His vineyard !
My loved One had a vineyard
On a fertile peak ;
And He digged it, and cleared it of stones,
And did plant it with vines.
1 The prophet here probably alludes to the young prince Ahaz and the
Court ladies who surrounded him. The perfect tenses are doubtless prophetic
futures.
53
The Faith of Isaiah
He built a tower in the midst of it,
And hewed out a winevat ;
And He looked for a yield of grapes,
But it yielded wildings.
And now, ye inhabitants of Jerusalem,
And men of Judah
Judge for yourselves, I pray,
Between me and my vineyard !
What more could be done for my vineyard
Than that which I did ?
When I looked, then, for yield of grapes,
Why yielded it wildings ?
So now let me show you, I pray,
What I will do with my vineyard :
I will pluck down its hedge, and it shall be devoured,
I will break through its walls, and it shall be down
trodden ;
I will make it a waste, unpruned and unhoed,
That shall spring up with briars and thorns ;
And the clouds will I command,
That they rain no rain thereon.
For the vineyard of Jehovah of Hosts is the house
of Israel,
And the men of Judah the planting in which He
delighted ;
54
The Day of Jehovah
And He looked for (the word of) justice, but
behold ! the sword (of injustice),
For right, but behold ! the cry of the wronged " r
(v. 1-7).
Though the prophet s heart is with Judah, his
sovereign eye ranges over the Northland too. He
knows the violence, oppression and crime that
prevail there, and he feels that doom is near. Thus
in the most powerfully dramatic of all his oracles
he unrolls the swift march of judgment through
cycle after cycle of disaster invasion, defeat and
slaughter, the loss of territory, and the horrors of
civil war till the tragedy reaches its close amid the
thunders of the Assyrian conquest :
" A word hath the Lord sent unto Jacob,
And it lighteth on Israel ;
And the people all shall know it,
Even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria
Those that have spoken in pride
And the stoutness of their heart, saying,
c The bricks have fallen, but with hewn stone will
we build ;
The sycamores are cut down, but with cedars
will we replace them . a
1 Wade renders the play by, " He looked for rule, and behold misrule ; for
redress, but behold distress."
2 This couplet is perhaps derived from a popular song of the time. In any
case it finely expresses the invincible confidence of the people, even in the hour
of defeat and disaster.
55
The Faith of Isaiah
Therefore Jehovah doth raise the foeman against
them,
And spurreth on their enemies, 1
Aram (Syria) on the East, and the Philistines behind,
Devouring Israel with open mouth.
For all this His anger is not turned back,
But His hand is stretched out still.
The people return not to Him that smote them,
And seek not Jehovah of Hosts ;
So He cutteth from Israel both head and tail,
Palm-branch and reed in a single day.
He spareth not their choice young men,
Nor pitieth their orphans and widows ;
Because each one is godless and ill-doing,
And every mouth speaketh folly.
For all this His anger is not turned back,
But His hand is stretched out still.
Their wickedness burns like a fire,
Which consumeth briars and thorns,
Then kindleth the forest groves,
And they roll up in pillars of smoke.
Through the wrath of Jehovah the land is ablaze,
And the people are food for the flames.
They carve on the right hand, but are hungry still ;
They devour on the left, but are not satisfied.
1 The perfect tenses are here also, most probably, prophetic futures.
56
The Day of Jehovah
No man spareth his brother,
But each devoureth his neighbour s flesh,
Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
While together they rise against Judah.
For all this His anger is not turned back,
But His hand is stretched out still.
So He raiseth a signal for a nation afar,
He doth whistle him hither from the end of the
earth ;
And lo ! speedily, swiftly he cometh,
In his ranks none weary or stumbling ;
No girdle unloosed on his loins,
No thong for his sandals snapped.
His arrows are sharpened,
His bows are all bent ;
His horses hoofs are as flint,
Like the whirlwind his wheels are accounted.
His roar is as that of a lion,
Like young lions he roareth and growleth ;
He seizeth the prey, and sweepeth it off,
And there is none to deliver " (ix. 8-21 ; v. 26-29).
57
CHAPTER V
THE CHALLENGE OF FAITH
ISAIAH has thus far confined himself to general
application of religious principles ; but the time
now comes for him to play a more direct part in
public affairs, and therewith to unfold the positive
side of holiness.
The last ten years had seen decisive changes in
the history of the nations round Judah. Jeroboam
of Israel died in peace about 743 B.C., but hardly
had his son Zechariah assumed the reins than the
forces of disorder broke loose, and the country was
plunged into a very maelstrom of trouble. Within
six months the king himself had fallen beneath the
assassin s sword, and the line of Jehu came to an
inglorious end. The usurper Shallum held sway
for one brief month, when he too perished in a
counter-insurrection led by Menahem, a rude
soldier, who carved his way to the throne by ferocious
cruelties. He reigned for some six years (743-737)-,
and was succeeded by his son Pekahiah. In little
over a year, however, the commander-in-chief,
Pekah, son of Remaliah, headed another conspiracy,
slew the king in his palace, and usurped the power
58
The Challenge of Faith
(73S)- Pekah was a man of restless ambition, a
born intriguer, who lived in an atmosphere of
plotting and deceit. In these respects he found
his match in Rezin, 1 king of Damascus. To defend
itself against the aggression of two such masters of
craft, Judah needed all its resources of wisdom and
strength, especially as its once irresistible neighbour,
Egypt, had sunk to a position of virtual impotence.
The dynasty of Shishak perished ingloriously about
745 B.C., and under the following dynasty (the
Twenty- Third) things went from bad to worse,
" until there was at last an independent lord or
petty king in every city of the Delta and up the
river as far as Hermopolis." 3 Meantime, Assyria
had begun to loom once more ominously on the
Eastern horizon. For half a century it had been
locked in deadly struggle with the freedom-loving
peoples of Armenia ; but with the accession of the
usurping Pul, better known by his official title of
Tiglath-Pileser IV., in 745, its energies were liberated
for a renewed career of conquest. Pul was a soldier of
genius, with clear-cut aims and a policy of Thorough.
His first efforts were naturally directed to the
pacification of Armenia and the East, but as early
as 742 he was ready for his advance towards the
Mediterranean. In three hot campaigns he besieged
and stormed the citadel of Arpad, a key-position
1 More accurately, Razon (Assyrian Ra-sun-nu}.
a J. H. Breasted, A History of Egypt, p. 536.
59
The Faith of Isaiah
some fifty miles inland from Antioch, and in 738
defeated a strong coalition of North-Phoenician
states under Azariah of Ja udi, in the Amanus region,
extending his conquests southward to Kullani (the
Biblical Calno) and Hamath, in the valley of the
Orontes. Thus the door lay open for a further
advance through Damascus to Palestine and Egypt.
Rezin had been among the first after the downfall
of Arpad to acknowledge Tiglath-Pileser s suzer
ainty, and in 738 Menahem of Israel purchased a pre
carious independence at the cost of a heavy tribute
of silver (2 Kings xv. I9f.) Taking advantage,
however, of renewed disturbances in Armenia,
Rezin conspired with Pekah to raise the standard
of revolt against Assyria. If a strong resistance
were to be offered, it was necessary that Judah
should be brought into line. Jotham refused to
entertain the proposal ; and the allied kings bent
their immediate energies to his humiliation. Ere
the blow could be struck, Jotham died, leaving the
government in the hands of his vain, frivolous and
irresolute son, Ahaz, then barely twenty-one years
old (735 B.C.). The weakness of the new reign
became evident from the first. Edomite bands
swooped down on Elath, the seaport which Uzziah
had taken and fortified, thus destroying the maritime
power of Judah at a single blow. The enemy was
quick to press his advantage. Syrian troops were
thrown into Israel, and arms joined for a frontal
60
The Challenge of Faith
attack on Jerusalem. The capital won by storm,
Ahaz was to be replaced by a creature of Rezin s
the nameless " son of Tabeal " J and Judah made
tributary to the allies. Ahaz was no man to face
an emergency like this. When he heard the dismal
news of the Syrian advance, " his heart was moved,
and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest
are moved before the wind." He made a brave
appearance, indeed, of inspecting the defences of
Jerusalem, as though he meant to hold out to the
last ; but in his own mind he had already planned to
shirk the path of duty, and had in fact sent a secret
embassage to Tiglath-Pileser, praying him to come
and save him, cravenly signing himself, " Thy
servant and thy son " (2 Kings xvi. 7.).
To Ahaz this step no doubt seemed a master
stroke of wisdom. He had allied himself with the
mightiest Empire of the age, and thus sealed the
fate of his enemies. But the price was the freedom
of his country and the purity of its faith. Thus
Isaiah stood out in fearless opposition. Taking his
young son Shear-jashub with him, at Jehovah s
suggestion, he met the king at " the end of the
conduit from the upper reservoir," the most critical
point in the defences of Jerusalem, and apparently
the very spot whence Sennacherib s generalissimo
was to hurl his insults against the people of Jehovah,
1 Or, rather, Tab el, "good is God," exactly equivalent to the 1 ab-rimmon,
" good is Rimmon," of I King* xv. 18.
61
The Faith of Isaiah
some thirty years later. Looking him straight in
the eye, he bade him away with his foolish fears.
" Take heed, and keep quiet ; fear not, neither let
thy heart be faint, for these two stumps of smoking
firebrands ! " They seem now full of fire and fury,
as they hiss out their rage against Jerusalem. But
thus saith Jehovah, " Their counsel shall not stand,
neither shall it come to pass ; " for behind them is
nothing but upstart vanity.
6 The head of Syria is Damascus,
And the head of Damascus is Rezin ; z
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah ! "
On the other hand,
" The head of Judah is Jerusalem,
And the head of Jerusalem is Jehovah of Hosts. 2
If Ahaz and his people will only put their trust in
Him, they shall never be brought to confusion. But
" If ye will not believe,
Ye shall not be established " (vii. 8fL). 3
In this heroic sentence we have faith for the first
1 The intervening clause is an evident gloss, applying the prophet s warning
to the colonisation of Samaria by Esar-haddon (c. 670 B.C.).
2 This couplet does not appear in the text, and may never have been spoken ;
but it expresses what was undoubtedly in Isaiah s mind.
3 The play of words in the original is finely brought out in G. A. Smith s
paraphrase, " If ye have not faith, ye cannot have staith." With this may be
compared Luther s rendering, " Glaubet ihr nicht, so bleibet ihr nicht ; "
Wade s, " If ye will not confide, ye shall not abide ; " and McFadyen s, " No
faith, no fixity."
62
The Challenge of Faith
time set forth as the staying principle of life. God
is the King Eternal and Almighty ; therefore the
people that holds by Him becomes partner in His
might, and is more than a match for every hostile
power, while those who place reliance on their own
selfish and wayward policies must come to naught.
Isaiah meant not to condemn such reasonable plans
of defence as Ahaz was apparently busied with
for faith is in perfect harmony with a sound mind.
What he despised as so utterly unworthy of a child
of faith was the foolish panic to which Ahaz had given
way, and the equally foolish, and far more fatal,
surrender of himself and his country to the Assyrians.
To the enlightened understanding of the prophet
faith was the living fountain of manly courage and
strength, unbelief was alike the deepest folly and the
most contemptible weakness.
A distinguished German scholar has asserted that
" a politician of our days would regard Isaiah s
advice as altogether impractical and even absurd." 1
Certainly, the politician reared on the Bismarckian
doctrine that Might is Right with its corollaries
that " the renunciation of its own power is for the
State in the most real sense the sin against the Holy
Ghost," and that therefore " the highest moral
duty of the State is to safeguard its power " by
whatsoever means 2 must regard such advice as
1 Guthe, Jesaia, p. 24.
2 Treitschke, Selections from Lectures on Politics, pp. 14, 31.
63
The Faith of Isaiah
absurd and even immoral. On his theory, indeed,
a weak nation like Israel has no right to assert its
independence, hardly even to live. " It is manifest
that, if the State is power, it is only the State that
is really powerful that corresponds to our idea.
Hence the undoubted ludicrousness that lies in the
nature of a small State." 1 But God has, not once
nor twice, " chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are strong " to
prove to them, by tokens that cannot be gainsaid,
that Right is the only Might. When the stout
burghers of Holland threw down the gauntlet
against Philip, they had no strength but faith in
God and country ; but through faith they triumphed,
and carried the banner of Freedom to far-distant
shores. By the same faith the Invincible Armada
was scattered to the four winds of heaven, and
Honour and Chivalry were established as the rules
of the sea. The Parliamentary " serving-men and
tapsters " were driven like chaff before the fierce
charges of " the gentlemen of England " ; but
when Cromwell gathered round him the Ironsides
" such men as had the fear of God before them,
as made conscience of what they did " he could
truthfully maintain, " from that day forward they
were never beaten, and wherever they were
engaged against the enemy, they beat continually." 2
1 Ibid. p. 17.
1 Oliver Cromwell s Letters and Speeches, IV. p. 21.
6 4
The Challenge of Faith
Garibaldi s redshirts were a mere speck in the ocean,
but their bayonets had " ideas at their points," 1
and through the explosive force of these ideas they
dissolved the Austrian power, and made Italy a
nation. The teaching of the centuries has been
burned into the conscience of our modern world with
letters of fire. When Germany launched her
disciplined hosts on an astonished Europe, there
seemed no force able to stay them. Again and
again the issues trembled in the balance. But the
moral strength which comes from faith in God
and a righteous cause has proved mightier than the
mightiest, and now he that runs may read that God
reigns in righteousness, and that those alone who
" seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteous
ness " shall live. 3
It is no other in our struggles with moral and
social evil. When Mazzini embarked on his great
campaign for Humanity, his only support was a
dauntless faith in God and the Future, 3 but through
1 " Bayonets are truly powerful only when they assert or maintain a right."
" We will only use bayonets on the condition that they have ideas at their points."
Life and Writings of Mazzini, I. pp. 118, 180.
a It is hopeful to see the dawning of this truth in the German mind. Dr.
Miihlon writes as follows : " If we want to restore to mankind its most essential
basis which is mutual confidence we must, above all things, combat the idea
that there may be a different morality for different individuals or for different
human institutions. . . . You cannot appeal to the sense of justice of the
people when you ask it to defend the unrighteous conduct of the State " (Diary,
pp. i8 4 f.).
3 His Faith and the Future ends with the prophetic words : " Lift up thy
countenance to the sun of God, thou child of humanity, and read that legend in
the heavens : it moves. Faith and action. The future is ours " (Life and
Writings, III. p. 144).
65
The Faith of Isaiah
that faith he opened the door of hope for the dis
tressed in every land. Lincoln was upheld by the
same unwavering trust. When asked whether he
felt assured that the Lord was on his side, he bravely
answered : " I am not at all concerned about that ;
for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the
right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that
I and this nation should be on the Lord s side." 1
The social crusader is cheered onward in his work of
redemption by the vision of the city " which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
And in the Holy War against personal temptation
and sin, the soldier of Jesus Christ is sustained by the
conviction that He who " was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin," is at every crisis of
the battle " able to succour them that are tempted."
Our faith also is consonant with wisdom and
reason. As Isaiah was vitally interested in seeing
the walls and waterworks of Jerusalem in order, so
the good soldier of our day will " trust God and
keep his powder dry," and the faithful nation trust
God and look well to its ships, munitions and food
stores. The Christian statesman and reformer will
1 Compare his noble Farewell Address at Springfield on his acceptance of
the Presidential Nomination : " I now leave, not knowing when or whether I
may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington.
Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him I cannot
succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him, who can go with
me and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope
that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers
you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell." Speeches and Letters
(Everyman Library), p. 156.
66
The Challenge of Faith
keep his eyes open to the heavenly vision, yet like
Nehemiah will toil patiently, sword and trowel in
hand, warding off the attacks of the enemy with
soldierly courage and resolution, while laying stone
to stone, " without haste and without rest," using
all the resources of law and public opinion for the
realisation of his dreams. 1 And he who is diligently
working out his own salvation will accept the various
vicissitudes of life its triumphs and adversities,
its joys and sorrows, its hopes and fears and doubts
as means to this end. All things are ours ; and the
God of our salvation makes all to " work together
for good to them that love Him."
The prophet s faith was not exhausted in his
bold statement of principle. He was prepared to
submit it to whatsoever test Ahaz might impose.
" Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God ; make it deep
1 G. A. Smith has cited the example of General Gordon in his handling of
the slave traffic, contrasting his coolness, sanity of judgment, and " sensible
advice," with the " haste and rash proposals of philanthropists a} home,"
attributing these high qualities to his conviction " that the slave trade, like
everything else in the world, is in the hands of God, and so may be calmly studied
and wisely checkmated " (The Book of Isaiah, I. p. 109, n. 2). Among other
remarkable instances of faith combined with sound practical reason we may note
Mazzini in his direction of the Roman Republic, acting with his associates " like
men who have the enemy at their gates, and at the same time like men who are
working for eternity," and by sheer good sense transforming his Utopia, as even
Carlyle admitted, " into a patent and potent reality " (Life and Writings, I.
p. 197 ; Bolton King, The Life of Mazzini, pp. 87^, I32ff.), and the good Lord
Shaftesbury, labouring at his schemes for social betterment, faced with opposition
that might well have daunted the boldest, defeated year after year, yet steadily
building up his case, making it his invariable rule " to see everything with my
own eyes, to take nothing on trust or hearsay," pleading in season and out of
season, and at last seeing one proposal after another embodied in Acts of Parlia
ment, and both political parties in Great Britain fully converted to his view
(Hodder, The Life and Work of the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury^ passim.}.
67
The Faith of Isaiah
as Sheol or high as heaven," and He will answer.
And when the fickle king trifled with his great
assurance fearful of offending the Lord God of
Israel, yet anxious that nothing should interfere
with his perverse plans Jehovah Himself gave him
a sign. " Behold, a young woman is with child
and about to bear a son, and she shall call his name
Immanuel. For before the child shall have learned
to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land
before whose two kings thou tremblest shall be made
desolate " (vii. 14, 16).
Endless controversy has centred round the sign
of Immanuel. In early Christian tradition it was
taken as a direct prophecy of the Virgin Birth of
Jesus. The word almah, however, does not
mean " virgin," but simply a young woman of
marriageable age. Moreover, the sign was clearly
intended, not for a generation 700 years removed
from Isaiah, but for the prophet s own contem
poraries. On a frank recognition of this fact the
Messianic character of the sign has recently been
defended by the theory that the prophet was allud
ing to an ancient prophecy of a coming Deliverer,
the immediate fulfilment of which he boldly
announces to Ahaz. 1 The theory is attractive, and
1 " We must suppose that there was current in the time of Isaiah a well-known
prophecy of the birth of a wonderful child who was destined to bear the name
Immanuel, and in his childhood to eat milk and honey (the food of Paradise),
and before he shall have learned to distinguish between good and evil, i.e., before
he is five years old, to become the deliverer of his people, or the bringer of good
fortune. The wonder which Isaiah proposes to Ahaz consists in this, that he
68
The Challenge of Faith
has already won considerable vogue among scholars.
It rests, however, on too many unproved assump
tions to be relied on with any confidence. The
proposals to identify the mother with the wife of
Isaiah, one of Ahaz queens, or the Jewish community
as a whole, and the child with an elsewhere unknown
son of Isaiah, the future king Hezekiah, or some
other prince of the royal line, seem equally precari
ous. It may be questioned, indeed, whether the
prophet had any particular child in view. As we
read the text, at all events, the emphasis lies, not
on the personality of either mother or child, but
on the name Immanuel, as the expression of Jehovah s
purpose for His people. It is safer, then, to confine
the significance of the sign to this. A child to be
born of some Jewish mother within the next few
months will receive the name Immanuel, God is
with us, as a living symbol of the deliverance which
Jehovah will thus early have effected, while by the
time the child is able to distinguish the pleasant from
the harmful that is, in two to three years the land
of Syria and Northern Israel will have been laid
waste, and Judah set wholly free from their menace. 1
announces the fulfilment of this prophecy .r.s a present reality. The woman
whom thou knowest of, O king, is already with child, and after an interval the
Deliverer Immanuel shall be born, as the old oracle promises ! On such a view
the tremendous faith and splendid courage of Isaiah stand out clearly before us.
He boldly enunciates as actual fact and present reality what for the rest of his
people lies in an unknown future." Gressmann, Der Ursprung der israelitisck-
juediscben Escbatologie, pp. 2?6f.
1 Cf. A. S. Peake s illuminating article on " Immanuel " in the Dictionary of
Christ and the Gospels, I. pp. 78 if.
69
The Faith of Isaiah
The sign of Immanuel was for the king. But,
to impress his hope on the imagination of the people
as well, Isaiah took a large tablet, or advertisement
board, on which he wrote in common, legible
characters, L maher-shalal Hash-baz, " The sign
of Swift-spoil, Speedy-prey," and set it up on some
conspicuous position in the city, explaining the force
of the words to two responsible witnesses, Uriah
the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah
(viii. if.). To a child born in his own house about
a year afterwards he likewise gave the name of
Maher-shalal Hash-baz, as a pledge that " before
the child shall have learned to call Abi, Immi (Dada,
Mama) " in other words, within a year or so
" the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria
shall be carried away before the king of Assyria "
(viii. 3f.).
To the coming doom of Syria and Ephraim the
prophet devotes one of the most brilliant of his
oracles, which must be assigned to the same critical
period as the signs.
" Lo ! Damascus is removed from being a city,
And shall become a ruin abandoned for ever ;
Her cities shall flocks possess
They shall lie down, and none shall affray them.
The fortress shall pass from Ephraim,
And the kingdom from Damascus ;
70
The Challenge of Faith
The remnant also of Syria shall perish,
They shall be like the glory of the children of Israel.
The Rede of Jehovah of Hosts !
On that day shall the glory of Jacob be minished,
And the fat of his flesh shall be lean :
It shall be as when reaper gathereth the crops,
And his arm reaps off the ears,
Or when gardener beateth an olive-tree,
And a gleaning is left thereon
Two or three berries on the uppermost bough,
Four or five on the branches.
The Rede of Jehovah of Hosts !
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy
salvation,
And hast not been mindful of the Rock of thy
strength
Though thou plantest thy plantings of Adonis,
And settest in vineyards of an alien god,
And as soon as thou plantest thou makest them grow,
And by morning dost bring thy seedlings to
blossom
Yet the harvest shall fail on the day of thy sickness,
And of pain that cannot be cured.
The Rede of Jehovah of Hosts ! "
(xvii. i-n).
King and people still refused to listen, preferring
to trust in their arm of flesh, the ruthless might of
The Faith of Isaiah
Assyria. The more earnestly the prophet pleaded
with them, the more obtuse became their under
standing, the duller their ears, and the more
" besmeared " their eyes. They heard, but could
not understand ; they saw, but perceived not (vi. 9f.).
With this dullness of spiritual vision went a strange
recrudescence of superstition. On every hand the
people scented plots and conspiracies (viii. 12) ;
and having lost all real faith in God, they betook
themselves to wizards and other mediums, that
" inquired of the dead on behalf of the living "
(viii. 19). So strong was the current that the
prophet himself found it hard to resist, and was at
times almost borne off his feet. But the fear of
Jehovah sustained him (viii. nff.), and through all
the perplexities of the hour he held fast by the word
of revelation " the teaching and the testimony "
that Jehovah had entrusted to him (viii. I9f.)
continuing to bear silent witness to the hope he
cherished by the names of himself and his children
Isaiah, Jehovah is salvation, Shear- jashub, A remnant
shall return, or shall be converted (possibly shall
remain), and Maher-shalal Hash-baz, Swift- spoil
Speedy-prey all of them " signs and portents " of
the salvation Jehovah was soon to work out for
Judah (viii. 18).
Isaiah s real influence, however, by no means
waned during this period of anxiety. There had
gathered round him a small circle of earnest souls
72
The Challenge of Faith
his " learners " or disciples whom he could
instruct more perfectly in the knowledge of Jehovah.
And among them he " bound " his testimony, and
" sealed " his teaching, while he himself waited
patiently for Jehovah to reveal His purpose in season
(viii. i6f.). 1 In making this distinction between
the general mass of the people and an elect company
of disciples Isaiah took another decisive step forward
one prophetic of the essential freedom of the sons
of God. " Till then no one had dreamed of a
fellowship of faith dissociated from all national
forms, maintained without the exercise of ritual
services, bound together by faith in the Divine word
alone. It was the birth of a new era in the Old
Testament religion, for it was the birth of the
conception of the Church, the first step in the
emancipation of spiritual religion from the forms
of political life a step not less significant that all
its consequences were not seen till centuries had
passed away. The community of true religion and
the political community of Israel had never before
been separated even in thought ; now they stood
side by side, conscious of their mutual antagonism,
and never again fully to fall back into their old
identity." 3
1 The absolute infinitives are doubtless to be read as emphatic futures : " I
will bind up the testimony and seal the teaching with my disciples " (probably
in the spiritual sense, i.e., " in the heart of my disciples "), etc.
* W. Robertson Smith, The Prophets of Israel, pp. 274^
73
CHAPTER VI
THE SCOURGE OF GOD
ISAIAH S meeting with Ahaz must have taken place
towards the close of 735 B.C. Within a year the
hosts of Tiglath-Pileser had swept over the land of
Gilead, Asher, Zebulon and Naphtali, ravaging and
depopulating, bringing " distress and darkness, the
gloom of anguish " and despair. Samaria itself was
spared for a season, but the shadow of ignominious
death never again rose from its brows. The pun
ishment of Damascus was more summary. The
Assyrian monuments allude to a pitched battle,
in which Rezin was severely defeated, and from
which he " fled alone for safety, and crept secretly
like a mouse into the gates of his city." This was
followed by the two years siege of Damascus, ending
with the sack of the city, the execution of Rezin,
and the deportation of the people to Kir (732).
Thus, about the time when the child Immanuel had
learned the rudiments of discretion, and Maher-
shalal Hash-baz was beginning to prattle Abi> Immi,
" the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria
were carried away before the king of Assyria."
74
The Scourge of God
Had Ahaz listened to Isaiah s advice, and kept
himself free from entangling alliances, the Assyrian
flood would doubtless have receded as swiftly as it
came. But because he had despised the gracious
influences that centred round the gentle waters of
Shiloah the influences of simple faith and piety
Jehovah would bring upon him and his people
" days that have not come since the day that Ephraim
departed from Judah " (vii. 17). In a series of
vivid images the prophet conjures up the terror
and desolation that must soon overtake Judah at
the hands of the king of Assyria.
" On that day Jehovah will whistle for the fly and
the bee, 1
And they shall come and settle down, all of them,
In the rugged valleys and the clefts of the rock,
And on all the thorn-bushes and all the pastures "
(vii. i8f.).
" On that day will Jehovah shave bare,
With a razor hired from beyond the river,*
The head and the hair of the secret parts
And also the beard will He sweep away " (vii. 20).
" And on that day shall a man keep alive
But one young cow and a couple of sheep ;
1 The reference is to the devastating armies of the Assyrians, not also the
Egyptians, as the gloss in ver. 18 would indicate.
2 The " razor " is rightly identified in the gloss with Tiglath-Pileser.
75
The Faith of Isaiah
And in place of abundance of milk they shall eat
thick curds,
Even all that are left in the midst of the land "
(vii.
" And on that day each place where grew a thousand
vines,
At a thousand silver shekels, shall run to thorns
and briars ;
With arrows and bow shall one go thither,
For all the land shall be thorns and briars.
And all the hills that were hoed with the hoe
Thither thou mayest not go for fear of thorns
and briars ;
But these shall be for the sending of oxen,
And the treading of sheep " (vii. 23-25).
" Seeing this people have rejected
The waters of Shiloah that gently flow,
Behold ! then Jehovah doth bring up against them
The waters of the river mighty and full.
And it shall rise over all its channels,
And shall pass over all its banks ;
And on to Judah shall it sweep and o erflow,
Even to the neck shall it reach " (viii. 6-8).
An omen of the doom foreboded by the prophet
soon appeared. Just after the fall of Damascus,
76
The Scourge of God
Ahaz went there to pay his homage to Tiglath-
Pileser. Seeing the altar on which the Great King
offered sacrifice to his gods, he drew a plan of it
apparently with his own hands and sent a copy
to Uriah the priest, with instructions to have an
exact replica made and placed in the Temple
against his return ; and on this he burnt sacrifices,
and poured out libations of blood and wine, as he had
seen his overlord do in Damascus (2 Kings xvi. ioff.).
This may seem a trivial thing in itself, but it marks
the opening of the sluice-gates to the tide of Assyrian
influence in religion and morals that was to reach so
dangerous a height under Manasseh ; and once
the springs of faith were thus drenched with heathen
impurities, it would not be long ere the nation itself
was engulfed. For moral law is as inexorable in its
working as physical. " He that sows the wind
must reap the whirlwind " (Hos. viii. 7).
We have seen a colossal illustration of this principle
in our own day. A nation once honoured as the
mother of civil and religious freedom, the inspiring
genius of science and art, philosophy and faith,
allows itself to be seduced by the lust of military
glory, and little by little the demon of destruction
throws its deadly tentacles about the heart, till at
first a moral rot spreads through the body politic,
and in due time the nation is left the helpless prey
of its enemies. But the same thing is going on
continually in our midst. Let a man become
77
The Faith of Isaiah
entangled with evil influences, and like Lot he will be
drawn ever more closely within their grip ; thus
insensibly his own spiritual defences will be sapped,
and in the day of crisis ruin will fall both on him
self and on those he loves.
The tragedy of Northern Israel came to a speedy
close. The invasion of Tiglath-Pileser was followed
by the conspiracy of Hoshea, son of Elah, who slew
Pekah, and reigned in his stead. For some years he
quietly curried favour with the Assyrian king by
the payment of regular tribute. In heart, however,
he had all along been restive under the yoke, and
only looked for a favourable chance of throwing it
off. The opportunity came with Tiglath-Pileser s
death in 727. His successor, Shalmaneser V., had
his hands full of troubles in the East, and " So, king
of Egypt " J was already fomenting rebellion among
the petty states of Syria. Hoshea lent himself
an easy handle to these designs. Negotiations were
opened, and at the fitting moment the tribute was
withheld, and Israel thus definitely committed to
rebellion. The result was inevitable. As early as
724 Samaria was invested by Assyrian armies, under
the direct command of Shalmaneser. The siege
was prolonged over three terrible years, the Samarit
ans defending themselves with consummate skill
1 On the cuneiform inscriptions So s name appears as Sewe or Sibi, " who
was either an otherwise unknown Delta dynast or ruler of Musri," the North
Arabian kingdom which is so often confused with Mizraim=Egypt (Breasted,
A History of Egypt, p. 549).
78
The Scourge of God
and bravery. Shalmaneser died while the siege was
still in progress ; but in the first year of his successor
Sargon II. (722-21) the city was taken by storm,
its entire population carried off to Assyria, and a
new race of mongrel " Samaritans " planted in their
stead a thorn in the side of the pure stock of
Abraham for centuries to come.
Isaiah followed this awful march of events with eyes
lit up by no hope and but little sympathy. The cup
of Israel s pride was filled to overflowing, and the only
possible issue was death. Thus in an elegy whose very
splendour of colouring is that of the " fading flower "
of Samaria s beauty he contemplates the end.
" Woe ! the proud crown of the drunkards of
Ephraim,
And the fading flower of his glorious beauty,
That rests on the head of the valley of oil I 1
Behold ! the Lord hath a mighty and strong one,
Like tempest of hail or storm of destruction,
That smiteth men down to the earth with violence. 3
Underfoot shall be trod the proud crown of the
drunkards of Ephraim,
And the fading flower of his glorious beauty,
That rests on the head of the valley of oil.
1 On the wonderful beauty of Samaria, on its conical hill perched above the
rich " valley of oil," cf. Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, pp. 2406. ; G. A. Smith,
Historical Geography of the Holy Land, pp. 346ff.
2 The reference, of course, is to the Assyrians.
79
The Faith of Isaiah
It shall be like the first ripe fig before summer,
That when one doth but see he plucketh,
And while yet in his hand doth eat " (xxviii. 1-4).
But for his own people of Judah the prophet has
little more hope. They too are eaten up with
sensuality and vain-glory. They stagger and reel
under drink, they trample justice to the ground,
yet they fondly imagine that their " covenant with
death " their foolish trust in their own degrading
superstitions will save them from destruction.
Isaiah s reiterated warnings they deride as the
stuttering talk of a mere teacher of babes an idle
jargon of meaningless words. With such besotted
minds, the prophet feels, no other teaching is possible
than continued drilling in the elements of knowledge
the A B C of faith and morals but the drilling
must now come from a ruder teacher than he,
even " the gibbering lips and foreign tongue " of
the Assyrian conqueror, under whose ruthless blows
they will stagger and stumble, " be broken and
snared and taken." 1
" These also stagger with wine, and reel under drink,
Prophet and priest are confused with wine ;
1 The prophecy against Samaria ends with ver. 4. The immediate sequel
(vv. 5f.) is a " Messianic pendant " (Skinner, I. p. 221), while vv. 7-22 are directed
against Judah. The prophecy is usually dated about the beginning of the Egyptian
alliance (714-13) ; but the general description, both of the sin and its punishment,
argues for the earlier period (cf. G. A. Smith, Book of Isaiah, I. p.
80
The Scourge of God
They stagger amid their visions, they stumble in
judgment,
All their tables are full of vomit, and filth is in
every place.
* And whom would he teach his knowledge ? To
whom explain his message ?
Is it babes just weaned from the milk, and drawn
from the breast ?
That (he harpeth on) law by law, law by law, saw
by saw, saw by saw,
A little here, and a little there ! JI
Therefore by gibbering lips, and a foreign tongue,
Will He speak to this people, even He that said
to them :
* This is the rest ye shall give to the weary,
This the refreshing but they would not hear !
So the word of Jehovah shall be unto them law by
law, law by law, saw by saw, saw by saw,
A little here, and a little there,
That on they may go, and stumble backward,
And be broken and snared and taken."
It is but a counsel of despair for them to imagine
that their " covenant with death " will save them
from Sheol. Jehovah has laid in Zion the corner-
1 In this stanza we have the people s indignant protest against Isaiah s
" childish " teaching. I have followed Whitehouse in his rendering of the puns.
81
The Faith of Isaiah
stone of His Kingdom, the plummet of which is
Righteousness ; and faith in Him is the only ground
of security.
" Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful
men,
Ye rulers of this people which be in Jerusalem !
Because ye say, We have struck a covenant with
death,
And with Sheol have made a compact ;
So the scourging scourge, when it cometh, shall
reach us not,
For lies have we made our refuge, and under false
hood have hidden. 1
Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah :
Behold ! I lay in Zion a stone that is tried,
A precious foundation-stone : He that believeth
shall not be moved ;
And justice will I make the line, and righteousness
the plummet.
But hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies,
And the waters shall overflow the hiding-place ;
And your covenant with death shall be cancelled,
And your compact with Sheol shall stand not.
1 The people did not, of course, regard their deliberate policy as " lies "
and " falsehood." Isaiah is paraphrasing their words from the point of view of
his own ethical insight.
82
The Scourge of God
When the scourging scourge doth come, ye shall be
beaten down thereby :
As oft as it cometh, it shall catch you up ;
Yea, morning by morning shall it pass, both day and
night,
And pure terror shall it be to explain the message.
For too short is the bed to stretch oneself in,
And too narrow the coverlet to wrap oneself in ;
For Jehovah shall rise as on Mount Perazim,
He shall stir up His wrath as in the valley of
Gibeon ; z
To do His deed so strange His deed !
And to work His work so alien His work ! 3
So then be not scornful, lest your bands be made
strong,
For a decree of destruction, a fixed one, have I
heard from Jehovah of Hosts "
(xxviii. 7-22). 3
1 The allusions here are to David s victories over the Philistines in the
neighbourhood of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam. v. 2of., 25). It is possible that " more
vivid traditions " about these victories " may have existed in Isaiah s time "
(Skinner, I. p. 227).
2 The strangeness of Jehovah s work consisted in His fighting, no more on the
side of His people, but against them.
3 It is this prophecy, especially vv. 5-15, which Cromwell commends to the
General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland (1650), when they attempt to impose
their covenant with Charles II. and their procrustean Confession on the Kingdom
as a whole. " I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may
be mistaken. Precept may be upon precept, line may be upon line, and yet the
Word of the Lord may be to some a word of Judgment, that they may fall back
ward, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken I There may be a spiritual
fulness, which the world may call drunkenness, as in the second chapter of the
83
The Faith of Isaiah
But destruction is not the end. Jehovah pulls
down only to raise a better building ; He ploughs
only to sow and reap. And, like a wise husbandman,
He varies His methods according to the nature of
the harvest in view.
" Give ear, and hear my voice ;
Hearken, and hear my speech !
Doth the ploughman for ever plough,
Doth he always open and harrow his ground ?
But rather, when he hath levelled the face thereof,
Doth he not scatter the vetch and sow the cummin,
And plant wheat and barley, with spelt as its border ?
For his God doth instruct and teach him aright.
Then the vetch is not threshed with a sled,
Nor the wagon-wheel turned on the cummin ;
But the vetch with a rod is beaten,
And the cummin with a staff.
Even the corn is not crushed, for he thresheth it not
continually,
Acts. There may be, as well, a carnal confidence upon misunderstood and mis
applied precepts, which may be called spiritual drunkenness. There may be a
Covenant made with Death and Hell ! I will not say yours was so. But judge
if such things have a politic aim : To avoid the overflowing scourge ; or, To
accomplish worldly interests ? And if therein you have confederated with wicked
and carnal men, and have respect for them, or otherwise have drawn them in to
associate with us, Whether this be a covenant of God and spiritual ? Bethink
yourselves 5 we hope we do. I pray you read the Twenty-eighth of Isaiah, from
the fifth to the fifteenth verse. And do not scorn to know that it is the Spirit
that quickens and giveth life. The Lord give you and us understanding to do
that which is well-pleasing in His sight. Committing you to the grace of God,
I rest, Your humble servant, Oliver Cromwell." Letters and Speeches, II. p. 187.
8 4
The Scourge of God
But rolleth his wagon-wheel over it, to scatter,
but not to crush. 1
This also cometh from Jehovah of Hosts,
Who is wondrous in counsel and great in wisdom "
(vv. 23-29).
Since Isaiah uttered this oracle, the scourge has
time and again descended upon the world. Fire
has swept through its cities, and pestilence made
havoc of its homes. Earthquake has laid waste its
fairest provinces, and war deluged its fields with
blood. To many minds these visitations are the
very negation of Providence. Yet the scourge has
its place in the Divine discipline of mankind. Fire
and earthquake test our works, " of what sort they
are." Clearing away the wood and hay and stubble,
they teach us to build on more enduring lines.
Pestilence also proves the quality of our civic life.
Where the masses are herded together in fetid slums,
it stalks like " the terror by night," taking toll both
of rich and poor. But where wholesome conditions
prevail, it becomes weak as a bloodless ghost. The
scourge of pestilence thus impresses upon us the
great lessons of public health, the vital importance
1 In this stanza the prophet alludes to various methods of threshing. The
" sled " was a heavy wooden floor, studded on its under-side with iron spikes or
stones (cf. the Latin tribulum), and the " wagon " a cart-like frame, thickly set
with sharp-edged wheels or rollers, both being dragged over the grain by cattle.
The " rod " or " staff " was an instrument like our flail, worked by hand. The
rougher methods were used only with the coarser grains, and even so not to crush
but to winnow.
85
The Faith of Isaiah
of flooding our crowded cities with fresh air, pure
water, and effective sanitation, and the supreme
necessity of providing homes in which the humblest
of the people can maintain a virtuous, rich, and
satisfying existence. War is no less truly " a dreadful
medicine for the human race," 1 a medicine which
purges civilisation of its noxious humours, and hence
enables the life-blood of society to flow along
healthier channels. Through the great wars of
independence the nations have won their civil
freedom, and through the battles for Christ s Crown
and Covenant their spiritual freedom. Through
the agonies of civil war America shook herself free
from the virus of slavery and emerged into social
freedom. The long-drawn struggle with Napoleon
saw the birth of modern democracy. And in the
last terrible war democracy received its baptism
of fire. The war has indeed proved a great moral
test, piercing to the bed-rock of our civilisation,
sweeping away all our " refuges of lies " the shams
and hypocrisies that had so deeply infected Church
and politics, society and personal life and laying
bare the fundamental realities the principles of
freedom, justice, truth and brotherhood, that are the
bases of Christian democracy and the only hope for
the future of the race. A civilisation rebuilt on the
old lines of selfish greed, suspicion, and distrust
will inevitably perish. But if we raise our new
1 Treitschke, Selections, p. 25.
86
The Scourge of God
Temple of Humanity on the abiding ground of
faith and honour, with freedom, justice, truth and
brotherhood as the four-square foundation of the
building, the floods may come and the winds beat
upon that house, and it shall not fall, " for it was
founded upon a rock."
87
CHAPTER VII
THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH
THE warnings of Isaiah seemed for the moment to
be groundless. Within a few months of the downfall
of Samaria the conqueror was himself defeated by
Humbanigash, king of Elam, at the battle of Dur-ilu
in North Babylonia. Meanwhile, Merodach-Baladan,
the ambitious king of Chaldea, had made himself
master of Babylon, which he established as the
capital of a new Babylonian Empire. Joining
hands with Humbanigash, he overran the southern
provinces of Assyria, inflicting heavy losses on the
inhabitants. Immediately the smouldering embers
of disaffection in the West burst into flame. Hamath,
Arpad, Damascus, Samaria and Philistia rose in
revolt, supported by the irrepressible Sibi of Egypt.
The omens were favourable for success, and envoys
from Philistia urged Ahaz to throw in his lot with
the allies. But Isaiah once more stood out in
opposition. Addressing himself first to the exultant
Philistines, he bade them cease from their untimely
mirth, for they were only courting a worse fate
than before.
88
The Triumph of Faith
" Rejoice not, Philistia, all of thee,
Because the rod that smote thee is broken ;
For out of the serpent s root there cometh an asp,
And his fruit shall be a flying seraph " (xiv. 29).
Then, turning to his own people, he counselled
them to trust Jehovah, and rest at peace in the city
where He had laid the sure foundation-stone.
" What answer shall be given
To the messengers of the Gentile ?
That Jehovah hath founded Zion,
And in her shall the afflicted of His people find
refuge " (ver. 32).
The prophet s sage counsel was signally vindicated.
In 720 B.C. Sargon marched westward, met
Ilubi id, king of Hamath, on the historic battlefield
of Karkar, crushed him at a blow, flayed him alive
as a deterrent to his associates, struck along the
Phoenician coast, defeated and captured Hanun,
king of Gath, the head of the Philistine league, and
finally shattered the united armies under Sibi at
Raphia, near the Egyptian border. Damascus and
Samaria promptly submitted, and the dream of
independence faded into mist.
1 The rod is doubtless Shalmaneser, and the asp or seraph (winged serpent)
hia succe8sor Sargon.
8 9
The Faith of Isaiah
In the meantime, however, fresh elements of
trouble were brewing. The Ethiopian king,
Piankhi, who succeeded his father in 741, had from
the first pursued a steady policy of absorbing Egypt.
By 721 he was already in possession of Upper Egypt
as far north as Heracleopolis. The following year
saw the conquest of Memphis, and the rapid exten
sion of his rule over the Delta. The rising power
of Bocchoris, prince of Sais, and afterwards Pharaoh
of the Twenty-Fourth Dynasty (718-12), interposed
a temporary check on his ambitions. But in the
latter year his brother and successor, Shabaka, over
threw Bocchoris, assumed the lordship of Egypt,
and became the founder of the powerful Twenty-
Fifth or Ethiopian Dynasty. All this naturally
reacted on the struggling nations of Syria and
Babylonia. They had failed for want of a strong
centre of resistance, and in the new monarchy of
Egypt they seemed to find just what they needed.
In Judah, moreover, a sudden change of temper had
taken place. Ahaz died soon after the invasion of
Sargon (c. 720 B.C.), 1 and was succeeded by his son
Hezekiah, a man of far more heroic spirit. Chafing
under the Assyrian suzerainty, he devoted all his
energies to the cause of liberation. As early as
714-13 he joined Philistia, Moab and Edom in certain
1 On the chronological difficulty cf. Skinner, I. pp. 8 iff., and Whitehouse,
I. pp. 2off. The former defends the date 720, while the latter assumes a co-
regency of Ahaz and Hezekiah from 727 to 715.
90
The Triumph of Faith
intrigues with Bocchoris of Egypt, 1 and narrowly
escaped destruction when Ashdod was reduced by
the Assyrian Tartan, or Chief of Staff, in 71 1. About
the same time he established friendly relations with
Merodach-Baladan of Babylonia (xxxix. iff.). In
these revolutionary movements Isaiah saw the
stirring of the fires of judgment he had so con
sistently predicted, yet he struggled with all his
might to avert the catastrophe. For three years
preceding the fall of Ashdod he walked through the
streets of Jerusalem " naked and barefoot " clad
only in the slave s shirt as a sign that Egypt and
her confederates would be led captive slaves before
the king of Assyria (xx. iff.). With equal vehemence
he denounced the covenant with Merodach-Baladan,
to his enlightened understanding as fatal a step as
Ahaz s surrender to Tiglath-Pileser (xxxix. 3ff.).
His policy was still quietness and confidence calm
reliance on Jehovah and freedom from political
entanglements. For a time his powerful influence
kept the king within the limits of discretion, but
with the murder of Sargon and the accession of his
son Sennacherib in 705 B.C. all bounds were broken,
and the prophet could no longer control the flood.
In Babylonia, Egypt and Ethiopia (now firmly
1 " The people of Philistia, Judah, Edom and Moab, dwelling beside the sea,
bringing tribute and gifts of homage to Asshur my lord, were speaking treason.
The people and their evil chiefs, to fight against me, carried their gifts unto
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, a prince who could not save them, and besought his
alliance." Extract from Sargon s inscription relating to the campaign of 711.
91
The Faith of Isaiah
united under Shabaka), Sidon, Tyre and Philistia,
the standard of rebellion was simultaneously raised,
and Hezekiah definitely committed himself on their
side. Having once made the irrevocable decision,
he acted with characteristic spirit and energy.
Jerusalem he threw into an attitude of defence,
repairing the breaches in the wall, turning houses
into fortresses, furbishing up the weapons in the
House of the Forest, and collecting water in reser
voirs both old and new (xxii. 8ff.). With his
neighbours in Syria he formed an active alliance,
of which he appears to have been the acknowledged
leader, being personally entrusted with the custody
of Padi, the Assyrian vassal-king of Ekron, who had
been dethroned by his subjects. From Arabia he
received a body of mercenaries for the defence of
Jerusalem, and from Egypt the most flattering
promises of help. Thus confidently he awaited the
issue.
All this while Isaiah continued to raise his voice
in protest. Hezekiah had been looking to walls and
weapons, but had forgotten Him who alone could
work deliverance (xxii. n). He had been trusting
in Egypt that monstrous braggart, Rahab Sit-
still, " which cannot profit, and bringeth no help,
but only shame and reproach " defying the counsel
of the Holy One, who had said, " In turning (from
your warlike policy) and resting (at peace) shall ye
be saved ; in quietness and confidence shall be your
92
The Triumph of Faith
strength" (xxx. 5, 7, 15). A course so vain and
godless could lead only to ruin. Thus in a
highly impressive image the prophet pictures
Jerusalem as Ariel, an altar-hearth, about to be
drenched in the blood of her own children, and
visited with thunder and earthquake and fire from
heaven.
" Woe ! Ariel, Ariel,
The city where David encamped !
Add year to year,
Let the cycle of feasts pass round !
Then will I distress Ariel,
And there shall be mourning and moaning ;
Unto me shalt thou be as an Ariel (altar-hearth),
And like David will I encamp against thee.
I will circle thee round with entrenchments,
And will raise up siege-works against thee ;
And low shalt thou speak from the ground,
From the dust shall thy speech come in
whispers ;
And then, in an instant, suddenly,
From Jehovah of Hosts shalt thou be visited
With thunder and earthquake and mighty noise,
With whirlwind and tempest and flame of devour
ing fire " (xxix. I-6). 1
1 A fringe of light has been added to the prophecy in vv. 5 and jl
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The Faith of Isaiah
But not only shall Jerusalem be brought to the
dust ; the whole Egyptian alliance will be broken
in pieces.
" Woe ! they that go down to Egypt for help,
And lean upon horses ;
They that trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen, for they are so strong ; J
But look not to Israel s Holy One,
And seek not Jehovah
Though He too is wise, and bringeth calamity,
And calleth not back His words !
Behold ! He shall rise gainst the house of the wicked,
And the helpers of ill-doers ;
For the Egyptians are men, not God,
And their horses are flesh, not spirit ;
Jehovah shall stretch out His hand,
And the helper shall stumble ;
The helped one also shall fall
They shall all come down together " (xxxi. 1-3).
Among the chief promoters of the alliance was an
adventurer of the name of Shebna, who had risen
to be " steward " or vizier of the Palace, and was
now actually building himself a lordly sepulchre
1 Horses and chariots are peculiarly associated with Egypt (cf. i Kings, x. 28 ;
Hos. xiv. 3 ; Mic. i. 13).
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The Triumph of Faith
near those of the nobles. Against him the aristo
cratic Isaiah inveighs in a piece of lofty irony.
" What hast thou here, and whom hast thou here,
That here thou hast hewn thee a tomb
Hewing thy tomb on high,
And carving thy home in the rock ?
Lo ! Jehovah will hurl thee, hurl thee, O mighty one,
He will catch thee, catch thee, and roll thee, roll
thee, as a ball to a far-spread land ;
There shalt thou die, and there shall thy splendid
chariots go,
Thou shame of thy master s house " (xxii. 15-1 8).
While the kings and rulers were thus weaving
their plots, the people were drifting along in a state
of spiritual stupor, unable or unwilling to read the
signs of the times. Therefore they also must face
the ordeal of judgment.
" Benumb yourselves, and be numb,
Blind yourselves, and be blind ;
Be drunken, though not with wine,
Stagger, though not with drink !
For Jehovah hath poured out upon you
The spirit of deep slumber ;
He hath tightly closed your eyes,
And hath heavily veiled your heads " (xxix. gf.).
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The Faith of Isaiah
" Forasmuch as this people draweth nigh me with
their mouth,
And doth honour me with their lips,
While their heart is far from me,
And their fear of me is a commandment of men
that is learned by rote ;
Behold, therefore ! I will once more do a wondrous
work,
A wonderful and wondrous work ;
And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the prudence of their prudent shall hide itself
in darkness " (xxix.
As they still refuse to listen, the prophet at Jehovah s
command goes home, and writes his message in a
book.
" Go in now, write it down,
Inscribe it in a book,
That it may be for the time to come,
A witness for ever ;
For a rebellious people is this,
Sons that are liars,
Children that will not hear
The teaching of the Lord
That say to the seers, See not !
And to the masters of vision, Have not visions of
truth !
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The Triumph of Faith
Speak unto us smooth things,
Give us visions of illusions !
Get you out of the way,
Turn aside from the path !
Cease prating before us
Of the Holy One of Israel !
Therefore thus saith the Holy One :
Because this word ye despise,
And trust in cunning and crookedness,
And stay yourselves thereon ;
Therefore this guilt
Shall be unto you as a rift,
That sinketh, and bulgeth,
In a lofty wall,
Till suddenly, in an instant,
Its crash doth come ;
And its crash is like the crash of a potter s vessel,
Shattered in pieces beyond repair,
That there cannot be found
Mong the fragments a shred,
To fetch fire from the hearth,
Or draw water from the cistern " (xxx. 8-14).
For four years the energies of Sennacherib were
concentrated on the enemy in the rear and flank.
At length Babylon was captured, Merodach-Baladan
driven into exile, and his allies in Elam and Arabia
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The Faith of Isaiah
reduced to impotence. Then in 701 B.C. the storm
burst on the West. With lightning strokes the
invader smote Sidon, Zarephath and Acco, Ashkelon
and Ekron, ravaged the land of the Philistines, in
flicted a crushing blow on a large force of Egyptians
at Eltekeh, near Ekron, overwhelmed the cities
and fortresses of Judah, and finally shot his bolt
against Jerusalem. 1
In his own swift and vivid style the prophet
has depicted the onset of the Assyrians.
" He is up from Pene Rimmon,
He hath come to Ayyath ;
He hath passed through Migron,
At Michmash he storeth his baggage.
He hath crossed the pass,
His night-lodge is Geba ;
Panic-stricken is Ramah,
Gibeah of Saul hath fled.
Shriek aloud, Bath-Gallim ;
Listen, Laishah ! Answer her, Anathoth !
A fugitive is Medeba,
The dwellers in Gebim haste them away.
1 The invasion of Sennacherib is described in sober historical prose in the
extract from the Jewish Annals in 2 Kings xviii. 13-16, and in more rhetorical style
in the two parallel narratives, 2 Kings xviii. ly-xix. 8 and xix. 9-35 (=Isa. xxxvi. i-
xxxvii. 8 and xxxvii. 9-38). Sennacherib himself has a long account of the
invasion on the Taylor Cylinder, Col. II., 11. 346% an account which agrees in all
essential respects with the extract from the Annals in 2 Kings.
The Triumph of Faith
This very day shall he halt at Nob,
He shall shake his fist
At the mount of the daughter of Zion,
The hill of Jerusalem." (x. 28-32).
In dramatic contrast to the danger impending,
Jerusalem was filled with mad rioting and revelry,
the gay throngs crowding the house-tops, and
spending their nights in " eating flesh and drink
ing wine," though to many of the revellers this
was but the banqueting of the doomed. The
whole scene comes before us in the oracle of the
Valley of Vision.
" What aileth thee now that thou rt gone
Each one to the house-tops,
All full of shoutings, a city tumultuous,
A township exultant ?
Thy slain are not slain by the sword,
Nor dead in battle :
All thy chieftains have taken to flight,
They have sped far away. 2
1 The poem traces an ideal march southward by the nearest route. Sen
nacherib actually followed the easier, but more circuitous, way along the Philistine
coast to Lachish, from which he despatched a force under his Rab-shakeh to
Jerusalem.
2 Here too the perfect tenses are best treated as prophetic. The horrors of
the coming siege famine, flight and massacre are clearly present to the prophet s
imagination.
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The Faith of Isaiah
Therefore I say, Look from me,
Bitter tears let me shed !
Strive not to comfort me
For the ruin of my people !
For a day of tumult and trampling and terror
Hath Jehovah of Hosts,
In the Valley of Vision a breaking of walls,
And a cry to the mountains. 1
Yea ! the Lord Jehovah of Hosts
Hath called on that day
For weeping and mourning,
For baldness and sackcloth.
But behold ! joy and gladness,
The slaying of cattle and killing of sheep,
Eating of flesh and drinking of wine,
Eating and drinking, for to-morrow we die.
And truly Jehovah of Hosts
Hath sworn in mine ears :
Of a surety this guilt shall be purged not
Until ye die!" (xxii. 1-12).
As the ring of blackened walls drew nearer to
Jerusalem, the mood of the people underwent
a change, and thoughtless revelry gave place to
1 Vv. 6-1 1 appear to belong to a different context, the natural sequel to the
prediction of the " day " being found in vv. izff.
IOO
The Triumph of Faith
serious reflection, and in many quarters to de
spondency and despair. Isaiah seized the oppor
tunity to make perhaps his most moving appeal
to their better selves.
" Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth !
For Jehovah doth speak :
Sons have I reared and brought up,
And they they have rebelled against me.
The ox knoweth his owner,
And the ass his master s crib ;
But Israel doth not know,
My people doth not consider.
Ah ! sinful nation,
People laden with iniquity ;
Ye brood of evil-doers,
Children, that have dealt corruptly ;
Who have forsaken Jehovah,
And despised the Holy One of Israel !
Why will ye yet be smitten,
That ye still rebel ?
The whole land is sick,
And the whole heart faint ;
From the sole of the foot to the head
No soundness is in it
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The Faith of Isaiah
Nought but wounds and weals,
And bleeding sores,
Which have not been pressed nor bound,
Nor softened with oil.
Your land is a desolation,
Your cities are burned with fire ;
Your tilled land before you
Aliens devour it.
And the daughter of Zion is left
Like a booth in a vineyard ;
As a night-lodge in a field of cucumbers,
As a tower for the watch.
Had not Jehovah of Hosts
Left us a remnant,
As Sodom had we become,
Like unto Gomorrah " (i. 2-9).
Whether it were the result of the prophet s
appeal or the pressure of invasion, the mind of
Jerusalem had now become sufficiently subdued.
Hezekiah himself was compelled to drink the
1 The best commentary on these pathetic stanzas is found in Sennacherib s
record of the invasion: " As for Hezekiah of Judah, who had not submitted to
my yoke, 46 strong walled cities, and the smaller towns around them without
number, I besieged and captured by assault. . . . 200,150 men, young and
old, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, oxen and sheep without number
I brought out from them and counted as spoil. Himself I shut up like a caged
bird in Jerusalem, his royal city. Ramparts I drew around him, and those who
came out of the gates of his city I caused to return." Taylor Cylinder, Col. Ill,
11. i iff.
102
The Triumph of Faith
dregs of humiliation, to surrender Padi, and to
send an abject message to Sennacherib, confessing
his offence, and begging him to withdraw at the
price of whatsoever tribute he might choose to
impose, to strip both palace and Temple of all
their treasures as indemnity to the victor, and
even to hand over his daughters and other " women
of the palace" (2 Kings xviii. 14 ff.). 1 Isaiah appears
to have watched the degrading transaction in
silence, for Jerusalem was but paying the just
penalty of her deeds. But when Sennacherib broke
faith with Hezekiah, and sent his Rab-shakeh, or
Commander-in-chief, to demand the surrender of
Jerusalem and the deportation of its citizens to
Assyria, he rose in heroic resistance. Jehovah meant
to purge Jerusalem, not to destroy it. There lay
the bedrock of the new and greater Kingdom of
God ; and till the building was completed, Jerusalem
was imperishable. Sennacherib s designs against
the city were a presumptuous defiance of Jehovah,
and he too must share the fate of the presumptuous. 2
1 " As for Hezekiah, the fear of the splendour of my rule overwhelmed him.
. . . 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, precious stones, lapis-lazuli
stones, ivory couches, ivory seats of elephant-hide, ivory, ushu and ukarinnu
wood, all kinds of valuable treasure, together with his daughters, the women of
his palace, male and female musicians, he despatched after me to Nineveh, my
capital city. He sent his ambassador to give tribute and make submission."
Ibid., 11. 298.
2 Isaiah s sudden change of front has been a stumbling-block to many recent
critics. But it seems in perfect harmony with the general tenor of his prophecies.
His conception of holiness itself involved the permanence of good ; and in the various
crises of his ministry he stood consistently for this principle. The overflowing
flood might reach to the neck, but it would not submerge the head (viii. 8). Let
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The Faith of Isaiah
" Woe ! Asshur, the rod of mine anger,
And the staff of my fury !
Against a godless nation I send him,
And against the people of my wrath I charge him,
To take the spoil and to seize the prey,
And to trample them down as mire of the street.
But not so doth he deem it,
Nor so doth his heart devise ;
For destruction is in his heart,
And to cut off nations not a few.
He saith : Are not my captains all of them kings ?
Is not Calno as Carchemish ?
Is not Hamath as Arpad ?
Is not Samaria as Damascus P 1
1 By the strength of my hand have I wrought,
And by my wisdom, for I am the knowing one ;
I have removed the bounds of the peoples,
I have plundered their treasures.
all the falsehood be swept from Zion, faith and truth would yet survive, and
become the pillars of a nobler state (xxviii. 16). Deep as the plough-share cut
into the heart of the nation, Jehovah s purpose was not to go on forever " opening
and harrowing " the ground, but to prepare the soil for a harvest of righteous
ness (vv. 23ff.). On the other hand, Micah appears to have cherished no hope
of the salvation of Jerusalem (Mic. iii. 8fL), though his words of doom contributed
to the change of heart in Hezekiah and his people which caused Jehovah to " repent
Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them" (Jer. xxvi. i8f.).
1 The reference is to past conquests of Assyria, each one marking a step nearer
Jerusalem. Vv. 10-12 are a prosaic application of the boast.
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The Triumph of Faith
6 My hand hath found like a nest
The wealth of the peoples ;
And, as one that doth gather eggs that are left,
All the earth have I gathered ;
And there was none that moved a wing,
Or opened mouth, or chirped.
Is the axe to vaunt itself over the hewer therewith,
Or the saw to lord it over the man that plieth it
Like a rod that should swing the wielder thereof,
Or a staff that should wield what is not wood ?
Therefore shall Jehovah of Hosts send leanness into
his fat,
And under his glory shall kindling be kindled like
kindling of fire ;
And it shall devour his thorns and briars,
And the glory of his forest and orchard on the self
same day,
And the remnant of his forest trees shall be few,
That even a child might number them " (x. 5-19).
In another brilliant passage the prophet depicts
the falling of the trees before Jehovah s mighty
axe.
" Lo ! the Lord Jehovah of Hosts
Shall lop off his boughs with terrible crash ;
And down shall be hewn the lofty of stature,
And the tall ones shall bend and fall ;
105
The Faith of Isaiah
With His iron shall He strike down the groves of the
forest,
And Lebanon shall fall in its majesty " (vv. 33f.)-
In this sublime oracle we have the unfolding of a
principle that has received unique illustration in
our own day. Jehovah may use the scourge as an
instrument in the working out of His plans, but when
the instrument overreaches itself, and sets out with
destruction in its heart to bring all nations under
its sway, He will tear it asunder, and cast it aside in
dishonour.
With his mind thus stayed on the Divine purpose
in history, Isaiah can listen to the surging of the
nations in perfect peace.
" Ah ! the booming of many peoples,
That boom like the booming of seas !
And the roaring of mighty nations,
That roar like the roaring of waters !
But Jehovah doth rebuke it,
And it fleeth far off, and is chased
Like chaff of the mountains before the wind,
And as whirling dust before tempest.
At eventide, lo ! terror,
Ere morning, it is gone !
This is the portion of them that despoil us,
And the lot of them that plunder us "
(xvii. 12-14).
1 06
The Triumph of Faith
In this serene confidence he dismisses the
Ethiopian envoys who have come to Jerusalem with
a last offer of help. Jehovah needs no help of theirs.
He is now patiently biding His time ; and when the
hour has struck, He will put forth His hand, and
cut down the oppressor, both root and branch.
" Ah ! land of the whirring of wings,
Beyond the rivers of Cush,
That sendeth its envoys by sea,
On papyrus vessels on the face of the waters !
Go, ye swift messengers,
To a nation tall and sleek, 1
To a people dreaded near and far,
A nation strong and triumphant !
All ye inhabitants of the world,
And dwellers on earth,
When a signal is raised, behold !
When a trumpet is blown, give ear !
For thus saith Jehovah to me :
I will look on quietly in my dwelling-place,
Like dazzling heat at noon,
Like a cloud of mist in harvest.
For before the harvest, when the blossom is past,
And the flower becometh a ripening grape,
1 Cf. Herodotus description of the Ethiopians as " the tallest and most
beautiful of men " (iii. 20).
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The Faith of Isaiah
The shoots shall be lopped off with pruning-hooks,
And the branches hewn away.
They shall be left each one to the vultures of the
mountains,
And the wild beasts of the land ;
And the vultures shall summer upon them,
And all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon
them " (xviii. 1-5).
The prophet s faith was again justified. The
advance of a strong Ethiopian army did, in fact,
compel a hurried raising of the siege of Jerusalem ;
but the final issue was in the hands of God. For,
as Sennacherib marched south to meet his new
opponent, the flower of his army perished ingloriously
of pestilence on the marsh-land of Pelusium, and the
proud conqueror had to lead home his scattered
fragments in swift retreat, himself doomed in due
course to fall a victim to the treachery of his sons.
" Insolent Pride, if idly nursed
On timeless surfeit, plenty accursed,
Spurning the lowlier tract of earth,
Mounts to her pinnacle, then falls,
Dashed headlong down sheer mountain walls,
To dark Necessity s deep ground,
Where never foothold can be found." 1
1 Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (Campbell s tramlation), 11. 874*?.
108
CHAPTER VIII
THE PRINCE OF PEACE
THE passing of the Assyrian peril saw a great uplift
of national spirit in Judah. Free at last from the
nightmare of invasion, Hezekiah and his people gave
themselves to works of public utility, the most
notable being the Shiloah tunnel and reservoir,
which came to light in 1880. To this interval of
peace, in all probability, belongs the religious reform
that likewise signalised Hezekiah s reign. The brazen
serpent, which had degenerated into a fetish, was
hewn down as a mere " piece of brass," unworthy
of the worship of Jehovah ; and a number of the
high places appear also to have been stripped of their
degrading associations, their altars destroyed, and
their sites profaned (2 Kings xviii. 4).
In this real impulse after holiness of worship and
life we can hardly fail to trace the dominant influence
of Isaiah. After years of misunderstanding and
failure his lofty patriotism had triumphed, and king
and people both gave willing heed to his advice.
The foundation-stone of the new Zion appeared now
to have been well and truly laid, and the prophet
could dream his dreams of a Kingdom of the Holy
109
The Faith of Isaiah
One, in which king and princes should rule in
righteousness, and their people dwell in peace and
abiding security.
The first of Isaiah s Messianic prophecies is a
lyrical poem of great beauty, lustrous with the glory
of the dawn.
" The people that walked in darkness
Have seen a great light ;
They that dwelt in the land of deep darkness
On them hath the light flashed out.
Thou hast multiplied exultation,
And joy hast Thou increased ;
They joy before Thee like the joy at harvest,
As men exult when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke that was their burden,
And the bars upon their shoulder,
The rod of their oppressor,
Thou hast shattered as on the day of Midian.
And every boot of trampling warrior,
And tunic stained with blood,
Shall even be for burning,
As fuel for the fire.
For a child is born to us,
A son is given to us ;
And the rule shall rest upon his shoulder,
And his name shall be called :
no
The Prince of Peace
Wonderful Counsellor,
God-like Hero,
Father for ever,
Prince of Peace.
Great shall be his rule,
And of peace no end,
Upon the throne of David,
And over his dominion
To establish and uphold it
With justice and with righteousness,
From henceforth even for ever :
And the zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this*"
(ix. 1-7).
The day of the old Davidic monarchy had been a
stormy and troubled one. Its sun had risen in blood
over the gloomy heights of Gilboa, and its morning
of radiant hope had given place to a noontime of
cloud and tempest, broken only by fitful gleams of
light. Across its lengthening shadows had been
thrown the lurid glow of the Assyrian invasion.
But now at evening there had come peace, and men
looked eagerly towards the dawn. In many minds
hope continued, no doubt, to struggle with anxiety
and fear. But from the prophet s forward view all
gloom had vanished. The new day would be one
of cloudless blue, a day of peace and joy, melting
in
The Faith of Isaiah
into the perfect bliss of heaven. For the King
would be no warlike monarch, like those who had
oppressed them, but one filled with the spirit of
Jehovah great in strength, greater in wisdom, and
greatest of all in his thoughtful care and love for his
people a Counsellor more wonderful than Solomon,
a Friend and Father more devoted than David,
a Prince of Peace, who sought first the good of his
subjects, and imbuing them with his spirit moved
them also to live in peace with one another. Thus
the lyric of dawn leads to the idyll of the Golden Age,
in which Nature herself is transformed, and the
beasts of the forest and field are seen quietly pasturing
together, their ancient enmities gone, and the spirit
of the little child controlling them. 1
" A shoot shall spring from the stock of Jesse,
And a scion shall sprout from his roots ;
And on him shall rest the spirit of Jehovah,
The spirit of wisdom and discernment,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah.
Not by the sight of his eyes shall he judge,
And not by the hearing of his ears decide ;
But with justice shall he judge the needy,
And with fairness decide the cause of the poor ;
1 On the redemption of Nature, see a beautiful passage in G, A. Smith, Tb<?
Book of Isaiah, I. pp. i88ff.
112
The Prince of Peace
And he shall smite the tyrant with the rod of his
mouth,
And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the
wicked.
And righteousness shall be the circlet of his loins,
And faithfulness the girdle about his reins ;
And the wolf shall lodge with the lamb,
And the leopard shall lair with the kid ;
And the calf and the young lion shall graze together,
And a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall be comrades,
Together their young ones shall lair ;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox ;
And the suckling shall play on the hole of the asp,
On the viper s den shall the weaned one trip
about" (xi. 1-8).
In neither of these pictures is the Messiah a God
in any metaphysical sense. Still less is the Kingdom
the purely spiritual one that Jesus came to found.
The King is a scion of David s line, who sits on the
throne of his fathers, and rules their dominion with
all the outward insignia of power. Yet the idea is
1 This prophecy is probably later than Isaiah, the metaphor in the opening
verse suggesting the actual downfall of the Davidic monarchy, and the general
atmosphere reminding us of the closing sections of the book (cf. Ixv. 25). It is,
however, so closely linked with the earlier prophecy that it seems well to introduce
it at this point.
The Faith of Isaiah
so transcendent that it cannot be confined within
the limits of mere human sovereignty. Thus the
Christian world has rightly read the prophecies as
brilliant foreshadowings of the Kingdom of the Son
of man, that Kingdom based not on earthly pomp
and glory, but on faith and hope and love, with the
child in the midst as the living symbol of the qualities
that make for greatness in the Kingdom, and the
" earnest expectation " that the whole created
Universe " shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children
of God." With as true an instinct has it found in
the sweet and gracious vision of Messianic rule in
ch. xxxii. a promise of the Kingdom which is
" righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit."
" Behold ! a king shall reign in righteousness,
And princes shall rule with justice ;
And each of them shall be as a refuge from the wind,
And a covert from the storm
As streams of water in parched ground,
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
And the eyes of them that see shall no more be closed,
And the ears of them that hear shall hearken ;
And the heart of the hasty shall know how to judge,
And the tongue of the stammering shall be swift
to speak.
114
The Prince of Peace
And no more shall the fool be called noble,
Or the knave be accounted princely. 1
Till on us the Spirit be poured from on high ;
Then shall the steppe become fruitful field,
And the fruitful field be esteemed an orchard ;
And justice shall dwell in the steppe,
And righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace,
And the fruit of justice eternal security ;
My people shall dwell in abodes of peace,
In sure habitations and quiet resting-places.
Happy are ye that sow by all waters,
And send forth the foot of the ox and the ass ! "
(xxxii. i -20).
Here, too, the vision is limited by the prophet s
environment and sympathies. The coming King
dom is aristocratic. King and princes rule " by the
grace of God," and their subjects render them willing
homage. But Isaiah s aristocracy is like that of
which Plato dreamed in his Republic, and which
Carlyle and Ruskin taught our fathers to reverence
an aristocracy of character under which the best
and wisest govern in the highest interests of the
1 The context is here interrupted by a somewhat prosaic definition of this
new order of nobility the nobility of noble aims and deeds as well as an
isolated prophecy on the easy-going women of Jerusalem. The true sequel to
TV. 1-5 is found in ver. 15, the first clause of which is lost.
The Faith of Isaiah
people. Its motive is Noblesse oblige, and its funda
mental principle is righteousness. With Isaiah
" righteousness " is a word of large and liberal
meaning. It includes all that a man ought all
it is " right " for him to be and to do. What the
good ruler must seek first and foremost is public
justice. Thus the corner-stone of the Kingdom is
justice. " A king shall reign in righteousness, and
princes shall rule with justice." But in the prophet s
eyes justice is no mere balancing of the scales to
weigh out the exact " pound of flesh," no soulless
keeping of the ring clear for oppressor and oppressed
to fight out their battles unaided : it is the throwing
of the sword on the side of common equity, the
deliberate attempt to apply on the broadest civic
stage the Gospel of holiness, " to set right the
oppressor, judge the fatherless, plead the cause of
the widow." Thus justice reaches out on the one
hand to freedom, and on the other to truth and
brotherhood. The aim of the just ruler is to liberate
and educate his people that the best that is in them
may find expression. He seeks to open their half-
closed eyes and their dull, heavy ears to see and hear
plainly, to train their stunted or ill-balanced minds
to judge rightly, and to loosen their stammering
tongues that they may speak freely the truths that
burn within them and press for utterance. Above
all, he fosters their moral and spiritual growth,
teaching them to esteem things at their true value,
116
The Prince of Peace
and to live in the spirit of honour, loyalty and
brotherhood with one another. He himself is the
perfect mirror of such " righteousness." Like a
great rock in the desert, he offers his people both
shelter from the heat and security against the choking
drift. 1 Like a perennial stream he waters the oasis
of their lives, and makes them bear fruit abundantly.
And in times of trouble and difficulty, when the rain
descends no longer in blessing but in pitiless fury,
he exposes himself as a " refuge from the wind and
a covert from the storm," that under his shadow
they may find peace, and carry through their daily
task in comfort. Thus the land becomes once more
a Paradise of smiling corn-fields, fruitful gardens,
and happy homes, where men and women work
together in harmony, winning their purest welfare
in the welfare of the whole.
While the outward form may be transient, then,
Isaiah s ideal is true for all time. A righteous
democracy must equally rest on the four-fold basis
of freedom, justice, truth and brotherhood. At
the centre of all lies justice. Apart from justice
no nation can endure, however brilliant its gifts and
far-reaching its influence. And justice is to be
identified neither with the defence of vested interests
nor with indiscriminate largesse? but with fair play
1 Cf. G. A. Smith, The Book of haiab, II. p. 252.
* The former conception of justice is presented, for example, in Lord Hugh
Cecil s Conservatism, pp. 164!?., the latter in the literature of revolutionary
Socialism.
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The Faith of Isaiah
in the fullest sense of the term. This includes not
merely honesty in business, the payment of the
standard wage for the standard hours of work, and
all else expressly " nominated in the bond," but
likewise the humanising of labour as a whole, the
treatment of workmen as hearts and souls as well as
" hands," and the throwing wide of the gates of
educational and economic opportunity, that the
poorest may be free to develop to their utmost the
manhood and womanhood which God has given
them, and in the richest output of which consists
the true Wealth of Nations. 1 The demands of
modern Labour are inspired at heart by a craving
for such freedom. And, unless the craving be
satisfied, the world cannot be made " safe for
democracy." But without the parallel principles
of truth and brotherhood, liberty descends into
licence, and " government by the people and for the
people " lapses into anarchy. If democracy is to
be made safe for the world, it must be charged with
the spirit of the family the spirit of mutual confi
dence and loyalty which recognises diversities of
gifts, indeed, and renders honour where honour is
due, but counts every service as worthy in the Father s
sight, treats each member of the brotherhood by
the " royal law " of love, ana helps the weak and
maimed ones according to their needs. It is now
1 " There is no wealth but Life. Life, including all its powers of love, of
joy, and of admiration. That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest
number of noble and happy human beings." Ruskin, Unto This Last, p. 156.
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The Prince of Peace
clear to the dullest intelligence that " we are members
one of another," and that the health of each depends
on the health of all. It is as clear that the law of
health is the Golden Rule of Christ. Our welfare
as a nation is thus bound up with the application of
this rule to every sphere of human life, our political,
business, and general social relationships, no less
than our closer intimacies as friends and neighbours.
Hopeful beginnings have already been made, but
the principle must be applied on a far wider scale
if we are to see the days which prophetic spirits
descried afar off, and towards which humanity
struggles through so much pain and conflict, when
" Love and truth are met together,
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other ;
Truth springeth out of the earth,
And righteousness looketh down from heaven ;
Jehovah doth give what is good,
And our land shall yield her increase."
(Ps. Ixxxv. 11-13.)
119
CHAPTER IX
THE DECLINE AND FALL
THE immediate future was different from Isaiah s
dreams. About 691 B.C. Hezekiah died, and was
succeeded by his son Manasseh, a man poles apart
from him in character. Not merely did he restore
the high places which his father had defiled, but he
built altars for Baal and Ashtart, and made his son
pass through the fire to Moloch ; he likewise imported
new gods from the East, building altars for the
Assyrian " hosts of heaven " in the very courts of
the Temple, thus bringing the sin of Ahaz home to
roost upon his people. Such as dared to oppose
these innovations he pursued with a ruthless hand,
shedding innocent blood very much, " till he had
filled Jerusalem from one end to the other "
(2 Kings xxi. 16). Naturally his fiercest vengeance
was wreaked on the prophetic school. According
to tradition, Isaiah himself fell a victim to the
persecution, and with his passing the great cause
to which he gave his life suffered a temporary eclipse.
No commanding voice from Jehovah speaks to us
out of the fiery furnace of Manasseh s reign. But
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The Decline and Fall
the light still shone in faithful hearts, and was soon
to break forth with a purer glow than ever. Mean
while, disciples of Isaiah were quietly infusing the
ancient Book of the Covenant with the principles
of justice and humanity they had imbibed from the
master, and in this Renewed Law of Deuteronomy
prepared beforehand a rule for the Kingdom whose
advent he had hailed with such joy, and whose
cheering beams continued to gladden and inspire
him through all the darkness of the time of
reaction.
The brief rule of Amon and the early years of
Josiah s minority when the king was still under
the tutelage of the men who had led his father
astray were marked by no decisive change. The
people of Judah and Jerusalem had settled down on
their lees, saying in their hearts, " Jehovah doth
neither good nor ill " (Zeph. i. 12). Suddenly their
sense of security was disturbed by a terrible new
danger from the north. About 630 B.C. hordes of
wild Scythians had crossed the passes of the Caucasus ;
within two or three years they had overwhelmed
Asia Minor, and in 626 swept along the Philistine
sea-board, lapping the outposts of Judah, and
threatening to devastate the land. The approach
of the flood not only roused the slumbering con
science of the people, but liberated the voice of
prophecy from its long silence. In 627 Zephaniah
launched his thunderbolts of judgment, and in the
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The Faith of Isaiah
following spring Jeremiah took upon his sensitive
spirit " the burden of Jehovah." For five years he
preached with passionate zeal, blended with exquisite
tenderness and sympathy. At last the fallow ground
seemed to be broken up, and there was promise of
a harvest beyond his most ardent hopes. In the
eighteenth year of Josiah (621) royal orders were
issued to repair the Temple. During the progress
of the work a copy of Deuteronomy was found by
Hilkiah the priest, and promptly conveyed to Josiah
through Shaphan, the Secretary of State. The
reading of the book led to a thoroughgoing Reforma
tion in worship and morals. Under the direct
impulse of the king the high places were destroyed,
and the horses of the sun and altars for the hosts
of heaven removed from the Temple ; the furnace
of Topheth was defiled, " so that no man might
make his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire unto Moloch ; " and the king entered into a
covenant with his people " to walk after Jehovah,
and to keep His commandments and His testimonies
and His statutes with all their heart and with all
their soul to perform the words of this Covenant
that were written in this book " (2 Kings xxiii. iff.).
To Jeremiah the first months of revival must
have been a time of overflowing gladness. With
eager enthusiasm he flung himself into the move
ment ; he even appears to have gone on a missionary
campaign among the cities of Judah, urging upon
122
The Decline and Fall
them the acceptance of the Covenant (Jer. xi. iff.). 1
But his enthusiasm was soon chilled. Instead of
the welcome he expected as the messenger of salva
tion, the preaching of the Covenant brought him
but hatred and persecution, especially at the hands
of his fellow-villagers in Anathoth, who thought to
" cut down the tree with its sap " (vv. i8if.). Far
earlier than others, too, he saw the hollowness of
the Reformation. Under cover of religious zeal
old evils persisted, while the revival itself was like
the seed sown on rocky ground, that shoots up
rapidly and for a season waves joyously in the sun
shine, but at the first breath of tribulation or danger
withers and dies. The crisis came through the
death of Josiah in his reckless encounter with
Pharaoh Necho at the battle of Megiddo (608 B.C.).
The fate of the king who had played the foremost
part in the Reformation seemed like the Divine
condemnation of the whole reforming policy. Thus
enthusiasm for the Covenant gave way to another
strong tide of reaction, which continued to flow
through the disastrous reigns of the last four kings
of Judah, till the day of Jerusalem s downfall.
Against this tide Jeremiah stood practically alone,
preaching the word of God with all the sincerity
of his younger days, and even more than his former
emotion. It was vain for Judah to hope for salvation
1 On Jeremiah s relation to the Deuteronomic movement, cf. the author s
Prophets of the Old Testament, p. 177, n. I.
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The Faith of Isaiah
if they trampled righteousness to the ground. Only
if they amended their ways and their doings, and
from this time forward " thoroughly executed
judgment between a man and his neighbour, and
refrained from oppressing the stranger, the fatherless
and the widow, and from shedding innocent blood
in this place, and from walking after other gods to
their own hurt, would He cause them to dwell
securely in this land which He gave to their fathers "
(Jer. vii. 5 ff.).
For the moment, however, the omens were
propitious. A year after the disaster of Megiddo
the proud city of Nineveh fell before Cyaxares the
Mede, and the Assyrian oppressor was crushed for
ever. In 605 Nebuchadrezzar, the brilliant young
prince of Babylonia, shattered the growing might
of Pharaoh Necho at the world-historic battle of
Carchemish. When the conqueror should naturally
have carried his arms southward through Palestine,
his father Nabopolassar died, and he was compelled
to return by swift marches to Babylon. All round
the horizon, then, fortune smiled upon Judah. But
to the clear vision of Jeremiah this was only the lull
before the storm. And soon his direst forebodings
were realised. Having secured his succession to the
kingdom, Nebuchadrezzar returned to establish
his supremacy over the West. Yielding to superior
force, Jehoiakim of Judah acknowledged his lordship,
and for two or three years continued quietly to pay
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The Decline and Fall
him tribute. About 599, however, a wave of
patriotic excitement drove him to rebellion, and for
this Jerusalem had to pay the penalty. A series of
marauding expeditions from Babylonia, aided by
Judah s bitter enemies the Edomites, vexed and
ravaged the land ; finally in 597 Nebuchadrezzar
himself marched in force against Jerusalem. By
this time Jehoiakim was dead, and the sceptre was
in the hands of his young, misguided son Jehoiachin.
The city fell almost without a blow, and the king
himself, with the flower of his people, was carried
captive to Babylon, his uncle Mattaniah or
Zedekiah replacing him on the throne.
In the fate of Jehoiachin and his kingdom Jeremiah
saw the main fulfilment of his prophecies, and for
the future devoted himself to saving the remnant
of Judah. So long as Pharaoh Necho reigned in
Egypt, he was able to hold his people loyally to the
truce with Nebuchadrezzar. Necho s successor,
Psammetichos II., was too immersed in national
affairs to embark on revolution. With his death in
589, however, the flame burst out afresh. The new
Pharaoh, Hophra, headed a coalition against the
Babylonian tyrant. In spite of Jeremiah s protest,
Zedekiah was all too readily induced to join. Once
more Nebuchadrezzar descended in hot wrath
against Jerusalem, round which he began to draw
his lines in January, 587. After a desperate siege,
the strain of which was relaxed for one brief
125
The Faith of Isaiah
interval, when Hophra created a diversion in the
South, the city was captured, the Temple reduced
to ashes, and the mass of the people swept off to
join their brethren in Babylonia, only a few poor
survivors being left to bear up the banner of faith
on the blackened and crumbling walls of Jerusalem
586).
126
CHAPTER X
HERALDS OF THE DAWN
THE lot of the exiles in Babylonia was a dismal one.
Torn from the land they loved, cut off from the
Temple and its worship, subjected to harsh and
degrading bond-service, and exposed to bitter
insults and ignominy from their oppressors, they
either sank into a stupor of grief and despair, feeling
that God had altogether forsaken them, and they
had nothing more to live for (Ezek. xxxiii. 10), or
passed their days in fruitless lamentations over
Jerusalem (Lam. ii., iv.), or broke into wild invectives
against their enemies.
" Remember against Edom s children
The day of Jerusalem
Those that said, Rase it, rase it,
To the very foundation !
And thou daughter of Babel, that laid her waste,
Happy be he who deals thee
The dole thou hast dealt to us !
Happy he who seizeth and dasheth
Thine infants against the rock !"
(Ps. cxxxvii. jff.).
In time, however, the wound was assuaged, and
the exiles began to accommodate themselves to their
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The Faith of Isaiah
new surroundings. Acting on Jeremiah s advice,
they " built houses and dwelt in them, planted
gardens and ate the fruit of them, took them wives
and begat sons and daughters," praying unto their
God for the welfare of the city and land to which
He had carried them captives, and finding in its
welfare a measure of happiness for themselves (Jer.
xxix. 4!?.). Gradually the bulk of the people passed
from slavery to freedom, a number of them even
immersing themselves in the industry and commerce
of Babylonia, and thus acquiring wealth and rank in
the land. 1 Among the more prosperous many seem
to have yielded to the seductive influences of their
environment, and to have abandoned the faith and
hope of their fathers. But the loyal sons of Judah
rallied round Ezekiel and kindred spirits in their
efforts to lay anew the foundations of Zion. In
their meeting-places on the Sabbath the fore
runners of the Synagogue they heard the Word
of the Lord with gladness. Their hours of release
from toil they gave to the study of the ancient
Scriptures, the revision of history and prophecy in
the light of the Exile, and the compilation of the
Law of Holiness with its vital principle, " Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself " (Lev. xix. 18).
Thus a new note steals into their music. It was for
1 The business records of the banking firm of Murashu and Sons, operating
near the Chebar, the centre of the Jewish settlement, contain many Jewish names.
These records are dated 464-405 B.C., but they clearly suggest a long process of
commercial activity.
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Heralds of the Dawn
their manifold transgressions that Jehovah had
afflicted them, but they had now turned unto Him
in sincere repentance, and He could not long remain
silent to their prayers (Lam. i. 2oif.). Already
prophetic natures like Habakkuk take their stand on
the watch-tower of vision, and eagerly look to see
what He will speak with them, what answer He will
make to their complaint. And anon the answer
comes, an answer to be written on tablets, with
clear, bold letters, that one may read it running.
" And Jehovah made answer to me,
And said, Write out the vision ;
And make it clear on tablets,
That he that readeth may run !
Though the vision may wait for the time appointed,
It straineth toward the end, and will fail not ;
If it linger, yet do thou wait for it,
Since it will surely come, and not delay.
Behold ! the soul of the wicked shall faint in him,
But the righteous shall live by his faithfulness."
(Hab. ii. 2fL).
To outward appearance nothing was more incred
ible than the waning of the power of Babylonia.
The long reign of Nebuchadrezzar had raised it to
a pitch of unexampled splendour and might. When
his son Amel-Marduk succeeded to the throne in
562 B.C., it had all the promise of permanence. His
magnanimity in liberating and exalting Jehoiachin
129
The Faith of Isaiah
(2 Kings xxv. 275.) naturally won him the friend
ship of the Jews, and thus further strengthened the
basis of his power. But his wanton and lawless
attitude towards his own subjects provoked a
rebellion, and in 560 he was defeated and slain by
his brother-in-law, Neriglissar. The latter reigned
peacefully for four years, and was succeeded by his
son, Labasi-Marduk (556). In nine short months
Labasi-Marduk had fallen victim to another con
spiracy, and Nabonidus, one of the ringleaders in
the revolt, was elected to the vacant office. Till
his accession the Empire had retained at least the
semblance of health ; but during the seventeen lax
years of his reign (556-539) its resources were rapidly
drained. The king himself was a man of peace,
devoted to the study of ancient documents, the
exploring of ruins, and the restoration of temples.
For his fruitful labours in this direction future
generations must hold him in grateful respect.
Unhappily, success was purchased at the expense of
his people. The cost itself pressed heavily upon
their shoulders. But the gravest danger lay in
Nabonidus sheer aversion from the responsibilities
of government. When duty called, he was usually
absent from his post. Thus a spirit of active dis
content spread through the realm. His able and
energetic son, Belshazzar, did what he could to
support the tottering throne, but his best efforts
were frustrated by the king s increasing lethargy.
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Heralds of the Dawn
Meantime an omen of unmistakable significance
had flashed across the heavens. About 558 B.C.
Cyrus, son of Cambyses, succeeded to the princedom
of Anzan, a petty Persian state on the northern
border of Elam. By his personal magnetism and
prowess in arms he rapidly subdued the neighbouring
tribes, until in 550 he overwhelmed Astyages, son
of Cyaxares, the Median conqueror of Nineveh,
thereby winning the lordship of the united Medo-
Persian Empire. The next few years were spent
in consolidating his power westward as far as the
borders of Lydia, the kingdom of Croesus, the
proverbial rich man of antiquity. Alarmed by his
growing might, Croesus entered into an alliance
with Babylonia, Egypt and Sparta. With character
istic vigour Cyrus struck at the head of the alliance,
fought a drawn battle at Pteria, some fifty miles
east of the Halys, and, without waiting to recuperate
his strength, followed his enemy s retreat to Sardis,
the capital of Lydia, " with such speed that he was
himself the first to announce his coming to Croesus." 1
In fourteen days the citadel was stormed, and the
whole coast-land of Asia Minor fell under his
grasp (546). In the course of the same year Cyrus
invaded Babylon, and, although no immediate result
appeared, it was plainly the hand-writing on the
wall. As Habakkuk had foreseen, the Empire built
up with blood was soon to perish in blood, its
1 Herodotus, i. 79.
The Faith of Isaiah
cruelties to recoil upon its own head, and its ill-got
gains to be the spoil of the nations it had spoiled
(Hab. ii. 5fL).
The approaching doom was hailed by Jewish
prophets with an outburst of triumphal song, much
of it charged with a spirit of relentless hatred against
the oppressor, though its nobler melodies are
steeped in the purest of human emotions.
A fine illustration of the fierce moral passion of
prophecy is found in the great Ode on the Destruc
tion of Babylon (Isa. xiii. 2-22), which manifestly
belongs to the age of quivering expectancy ushered
in by the victories of Cyrus. Here in six rapidly
moving scenes we are carried through the whole awe
some tragedy, till the curtain falls amid a spectacle
of ruin as complete as that which enveloped Sodom
and Gomorrah. In the first stanza Jehovah is heard
summoning His warriors, the " proudly exultant
ones," to execute His wrath against His enemies
(vv. 2-4). The next pictures their approach in
irresistible might, throwing terror upon the doomed
people, who stare at one another in amazement,
" their faces faces of flame " (vv. 5-8). The third
stanza expands this scene of terror into an apocalypse
of judgment which not merely overwhelms the earth,
but darkens the very lights of heaven (vv. 9-12).
The fourth describes the flight of the stricken
Babylonian armies, " like a hunted gazelle, or a
flock that hath no one to fold it," all that are caught
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Heralds of the Dawn
in the flight being " thrust through " with the
sword, " their babes dashed in pieces before their
eyes, while their houses are spoiled and their wives
are ravished " (vv. 13-17). In the fifth stanza the
Medes are definitely named as the " weapons of
God s indignation." Equally removed from personal
greed and the instincts of common humanity, they
" reck not of silver, and delight not in gold," while
" no compassion have they on the fruit of the womb,
nor with pity doth their eye look on children."
Under their ruthless blows " Babylon, the beauty
of kingdoms, the glorious pride of the Chaldeans,
shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah " (vv. 17-19). And there shall be no
dawn for her. No one shall inhabit her " to all
generations." No Arab even shall pitch his tent
or nomad shepherd fold his flocks there, but owls
and other doleful creatures shall hoot amid the
ruins, ostriches shall lodge and satyrs dance in the
midst of her, " and howling beasts shall sing in the
mansions thereof, and jackals in the pleasant
palaces " (vv. 20-22). I
A yet more splendid oracle is the Satire over the
King of Babylon (Isa. xiv. 4-21), one of the gems
of prophetic literature. The brilliance of descrip
tion is worthy of Isaiah himself at his best, the
1 The immediate sequel, xiv. 1-43, is an editorial link between the two poems.
Though closely connected in subject-matter, the two are probably independent
in origin, the latter standing somewhat nearer the final catastrophe.
133
The Faith of Isaiah
weirdly imaginative picture of trie underworld has
a real Dantesque quality, while the striking contrasts
of light and shade stamp the author as a dramatic
poet of the first order.
The satire opens with a sigh of relief and joy at
the passing of the tyrant who had made all creation
tremble under his lash.
" How still is the tyrant become,
How silent the terror !
Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked,
The sceptre of rulers,
That smote the peoples in fury,
With smiting that ceased not,
And trampled the nations in anger,
With trampling that stayed not.
All the earth is at rest, is quiet,
They break into singing ;
Even the fir-trees rejoice at thy fate,
The cedars of Lebanon :
Since thou wert laid low, there cometh
No feller against us. m (vv. 4-8).
This idyll of peaceful beauty is followed by that
stupendous scene in Sheol, where the ghosts of the
dead monarchs on their shadowy thrones rise up to
welcome the new accession to their ranks.
1 The song of the cedars is prompted by the common Babylonian practice of
cutting down trees in invaded territories (cf. Hab. ii. 17)-
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Heralds of the Dawn
" Sheol beneath thee is stirred
To meet thy coming,
Rousing for thee the shades,
All the he-goats 1 of earth,
Causing to rise from their thrones
All the kings of the nations.
All of them answer,
And say unto thee :
Thou too art enfeebled as we,
Art made like unto us !
Brought down to Sheol is thy pomp,
The sound of thy viols ;
Beneath thee maggots are spread,
And worms are thy coverlet " (vv. 9-11).
In the next stanza the poet depicts the proud
monarch s humiliating downfall under the figure of
Lucifer, the star of dawn. a
" How art thou fallen from heaven,
Lucifer, son of the morning !
Struck to the ground art thou,
That didst bring down all nations.
Thou thou saidst in thine heart :
To heaven will I mount ;
1 The he-goats are, of course, the rulers of the nations (cf. Jer. /. 8 :
Zech. x. 3).
2 Helel, Lucifer, or " Shining One," is almost certainly Venus, the morning
star, described in Assyrian by the epithet mushtilil, " shining ; " and the figure
may be borrowed from some astral myth, " in which a radiant star-demon was
represented as presumptuously aiming at supreme deity, and as paying the penalty
of his ambition by being cast down to the underworld " (Skinner, I. p. 122).
135
The Faith of Isaiah
Above the stars of God
Will I set up my throne,
To sit on the Mount of Assembly,
In the depths of the North ;
I will mount o er the top of the clouds,
I will match the Most High.
But down to Sheol art thou brought,
To the depths of the pit " (vv. 12-15).
While the spirit thus descends to Sheol, the
unburied body lies dishonoured on the battlefield.
" They that see thee stare at thee,
Regard thee closely :
Is this he that shook the earth,
Upheaved the kingdoms ;
That made the world like a desert,
Tore down its cities ?
At peace in their graves do rest
All the kings of the nations ;
They have all lain down in glory,
Each one in his house.
But tombless art thou cast forth
Like a hateful abortion ;
Covered with slain thou liest,
Gashed with the sword " (vv. 16-19).
And all this because of the havoc he has wrought
of his own people as well as the rest of the world, a
havoc that will turn on himself and his family to the
bitter end.
136
Heralds of the Dawn
" With them shalt thou not be joined
In burial honoured,
For thou hast ruined thy land,
Hast slain thy people ;
And no more shall be named for ever
The seed of ill-doers.
Prepare then his sons a butchery
For the guilt of their fathers,
Lest they rise and possess the earth,
And fill the face of the world " (vv. 20-22).
A different tone pervades the three haunting
elegies in chap. xxi. The author is a visionary like
Habakkuk, who looks out from his watch-tower in
Palestine, and sees the tragedy unrolling itself, from
the first muster of the Elamites and Medes, till their
victims are scattered in flight across the desert.
But there is no hatred in his heart against the
enemy. Rather does he watch their sufferings
with keen personal sympathy. His head reels and
his loins are filled with anguish as he follows the
train of horrors. Nor does he find in the fall of
Babylon much hope as yet for his afflicted country
men. The only comfort is that the vision is from
God, who surely cannot forsake them for ever.
In the first of the triad the Oracle of the Desert,
with its rapid changes of scene and quick staccato
rhythm the prophet brings the last hours of
Babylon vividly home to the imagination.
137
The Faith of Isaiah
" Like the onset of storms
That sweep through the Negeb, 1
It comes from the desert,
From the terrible land.
For a grievous vision
Hath been shown unto me :
The traitor betrays,
And the spoiler spoils. 2
( Go up, Elam ;
Lay siege, Media !
Bring thou to silence
The sound of her groaning ! 3
For this my loins
Are filled with anguish ;
Yea, pangs have seized me
Like a woman in travail.
I am tortured at what I hear,
Confounded with what I see ;
My heart is dizzy,
Horror affrights me ;
The twilight I longed for
Is turned into trembling.
1 The Negeb is the rolling pasture-ground in the south of Judah.
2 If the text be sound, the traitors are the Elamites and Medes (the followers
of Cyrus), and the word is used in reference to the deceits and cruelties that
accompany their warfare. Skinner, however, changes the actives to passives,
reading, " The betrayer is betrayed, the spoiler spoiled," the subject in this case
being the Babylonians, who reap what they have sown.
3 It is better to read the third verb also as an imperative. The speaker is
Jehovah, who wishes a quick end made of the agony.
138
Heralds of the Dawn
The table they range,
The carpet they spread. 1
They eat,
They drink.
Arise, ye princes ;
Anoint the shield ! 2
For thus the Lord
Hath spoken to me :
Go, station the watchman ; 3
Let him tell what he seeth !
If he seeth a riding troop,
Horsemen in pairs,
A troop of asses,
A troop of camels,
Close heed let him give,
Yea, much close heed !
Then cried the watchman,
With a loud voice he spake :
On my watch-tower, O Lord,
I stand ever by day ;
At my guard-post, too,
I am stationed all nights ;
1 In his vision the prophet sees a princely banquet spread in Babylon. The
carpet is, of course, that on which the guests reclined for the meal.
3 The feast is interrupted, like the famous ball at. Brussels, by the sudden
call to arms. The princes are the natural captains in battle, and their shields
are rubbed over with oil to make the blows glide more easily off their surface
(cf. 2 Sam. i. 21).
3 The " watchman " is the prophet s alter ego in his state of ecstasy.
139
The Faith of Isaiah
And lo ! here comes a riding troop,
Horsemen in pairs,
A troop of asses,
A troop of camels.
And he answered 1 and said,
Fallen, fallen is Babylon,
And all her idols
Are shattered to earth.
O thou, my threshed one,
My child of the threshing-floor, 2
What I have heard
From Jehovah of Hosts,
The God of Israel,
I have made known to you " (vv. i-io).
In a second vision the Oracle on Dumah, or
Edom the prophet hears voices inquiring how far
gone is the night of oppression, and what will the
future bring them. He answers that the dawn is at
hand, but another night of sorrow may fall on them.
If they would know for certain, let them ask again.
" One calleth to me from Seir :
( Watchman, what hour of the night ?
Watchman, what hour of the night ?
1 The prophet asks the meaning of the vision, and in his role of " watchman "
immediately answers his own question. The troop is the sign from heaven that
Babylon has at last fallen.
2 The metaphors forcibly suggest the crushed and helpless condition of Israel
under the Babylonian tryanny. Cf. Amos i. 3 ; Mic. iv. 13 ; etc.
140
Heralds of the Dawn
The watchman saith :
The morning cometh, but also the night ;
Would ye rightly inquire, come back again! " 1
(vv. I if.).
In the last oracle on Arabia the prophet
beseeches the hospitable tribesmen of Dedan and
Tema to bring water and bread for the fugitives
that stream through the desert and hide by night
in the brush-wood, from fear of the pursuing sword
and bow.
In the thickets must ye lodge at eventide. 2
Ye caravans of Dedanites, bring water to meet the
thirsty ;
Ye dwellers in Tema s land, greet the fugitives
with bread.
For from the face of the sword are they fled, the face
of the sharpened sword,
From the face of the bended bow, and the grievous
press of war " (vv. 13-15).
1 He knows that the Babylonian tyranny is almost at an end, but is not yet
sure whether the Persian rule will ameliorate the lot of the nations, or only plunge
them into worse troubles.
2 Unfortunately the opening of the poem is lost, and it is therefore uncertain
who the fugitives are. If we divide the verses according to the accepted text,
the subject must be " the caravans of Dedanites," caught up apparently in the
general flight before the Persians. The parallelism, however, seems to demand
the above division of the verses, in which case the fugitives are most naturally to
be found in the defeated and scattered Babylonians.
141
CHAPTER XI
VOICES OF COMFORT
THE heralds of dawn have brought little real hope
to their people. Doom is decreed for Babylon ;
but the future of Israel is still shrouded in darkness.
As the day is about to break, however, new strains
of music are heard, full of the joy of redemption.
The great Prophecy of Comfort, Isa. xl.-lv., is
now universally assigned to the closing years of the
Exile. We breathe no longer the spacious atmos
phere of Isaiah s day. The kingdom has fallen, and
the people lie prostrate and suffering, almost beyond
endurance, though the days of their bondage are
nearly ended. The local scenery, too, is far removed
from the pleasant hills and valleys of Palestine.
When these are introduced, it is with the wistful
glance of the exile, fondly recalling his native land.
The ground trod by the prophet s feet is the
monotonous sand of Babylonia, blistered by the
fierce blaze of the unclouded sun, and watered by
sluggish streams and channels. The allusions that
are thickly scattered through these chapters are
likewise Babylonian : the temples and manufactories
of idols, the processions of images, the gods and altars,
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Voices of Comfort
diviners and astrologers, the crowd of merchants
thronging the bazaars, the shipping, the treasures
of gold and silver and precious stones, the trees and
plants, even the animals. The great names that
crossed the stage in Isaiah s lifetime have as
completely vanished. The central figure is neither
Hezekiah nor Sennacherib, but Cyrus, the coming
deliverer, already represented in the flowing tide of
his conquests. The literary flavour of the prophecy
is as distinctive. There are, no doubt, certain
turns of expression common to both sections of the
book ; but the subtle thing we call style is different.
Isaiah we have found to be a master of clear-cut,
polished diction, singularly lofty in tone, and lit
throughout with brilliant gems of imagery. In the
second part we may still move on the high planes of
spiritual thought ; but there is nothing of the
artistic polish that lends such lustre to Isaiah s
words. The style tends rather to diffuseness. The
context is rich in repetitions. The even flow of
the prophecy is interrupted, also, by reflections,
meditations, soliloquies, and exchanges of personal
confidence with God, more in the style of Jeremiah
than the artistically finished utterances of Isaiah.
The chapters remind us of Jeremiah likewise in the
warm human feeling that suffuses the whole. Isaiah s
words are full of the majesty of Jehovah. Deutero-
Isaiah dwells rather on the infinite compassion of the
God who is so High and Holy that mortal man can
143
The Faith of Isaiah
comprehend but the outermost fringes of His glory,
but whose heart is ever towards His people and
whose consistent purpose is their salvation. With
this conception of the love and mercy of Jehovah,
the peculiar tone of his prophecy is tenderness. If
Isaiah be the Milton of the prophetic order, Deutero-
Isaiah is the Virgil or Tennyson. His whole soul
is bound up with his people, and he pours out with
welling happiness the good news of deliverance that
has come first to himself. The imagery is equally
charged with emotion. Isaiah revelled in the
freedom and splendour of Nature, the raging of the
forest fires and the swinging blows of the woodman
as he fells the trees, the overflowing of mighty waters,
the " thunder and earthquake, whirlwind and
tempest," the majesty of Lebanon, the beauty of
vineyard and olive garden, the reaping of ears and
the gleaning of berries ; this prophet delights in
those aspects of Nature that bring her closest to
the throbbing heart of humanity, the lost sheep and
the antelope entangled in the net, the soaring eagle
and the helpless grasshopper, the lamb dumb before
its shearers, and the like. But his similes are often
drawn directly from the tenderest relations of human
life. Thus Jehovah s love for Israel is stronger
even than that of a mother for her sucking child,
while the sorrow of stricken Jerusalem is like that of
a widow bereft both of husband and children. The
new-found gladness of Zion is equally compared.
144
Voices of Comfort
to the exultant joy of a wife and mother who has
recovered the dear ones she thought lost for ever.
The prophecy belongs at the earliest to 555 B.C.,
about which time Cyrus began to loom large on the
horizon of history. As xli. 25 brings him from the
N.E., we must further limit the date to the conquest
of Media in 550. But the dazzling picture of his
triumphs in xli. 2f., xlv. zff. almost certainly pre
supposes his campaigns against Croesus and
Babylonia in 546. The lower limit is fixed by the
capture of Babylon in 539. From the somewhat
more advanced outlook in xlix.-lv., it is true, a
number of recent critics would assign these chapters
to the interval between the conquest and the actual
liberation of the Jews in 538. But the heightening
of the prophet s hope is probably due to his increas
ingly vivid anticipation of deliverance. Though
salvation is near, the arm of the Lord has not yet
put forth its strength (li. 9), the cup of His fury
has not yet passed from Jerusalem (li. lyff.), and
His suffering Servant is not yet " exalted very high "
(Hi. 13). We should thus date the composition as
a whole about the year 540, when Cyrus was setting
his plans in motion for the final assault on Babylon.
The literary structure of Deutero-Isaiah is as
distinctive as its tone. Unlike earlier prophecies,
it is no mere collection of spoken oracles, but a
consecutive work of art. Though originally, perhaps,
appearing as " a series of anonymous broadsides or
145
10
The Faith of Isaiah
fly-sheets, issued in rapid succession to be circulated
among the exiles or read in their synagogues," 1 it
has been woven by its author into a species of lyrical
drama, with a definite theme and denoument.
While a consistent logical progress is not to be
looked for, it readily yields itself to the following
arrangement :
Prelude (ch. xl.).
Act I. Israel s Destiny among the Nations
(xli. i-xliv. 23).
Act II. Cyrus as Jehovah s Anointed (xliv.
24-xlviii. 22).
Act III. The Servant s Sufferings and Glory
(xlix. i-liii. 22).
Postlude (chs. liv., lv.).
The prophet is inspired by no formal call to speak
in the name of the Lord. Instead, he hears a
succession of heavenly voices ringing in his ears.
The first strikes a love-note of wonderful beauty. 2
" Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
Your God doth say ;
1 Skinner, II. p. xxxviii.
2 " It would be difficult to find in any language lips that first more softly
woo the heart, and then take to themselves so brave a trumpet of challenge and
assurance. The opening is upon a few short pulses of music, which steal from
heaven as gently as the first ripples of light in a cloudless dawn." G. A. Smith,
The Book of Isaiah, II. p. 75.
146
Voices of Comfort
Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, 1
And call unto her
That her warfare 2 is ended,
Her guilt absolved,
That she hath received of Jehovah s hand
The double for all her sins " (xl. if.).
In stronger tones the next voice calls for the
clearing of the way across the desert, that Jehovah
may lead His exiled people home.
" Hark ! one calleth :
4 In the wilderness clear ye the way of Jehovah,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God !
Let every valley be upraised,
And every mountain and hill brought low,
And the uneven ground become a plain,
And the rugged heights a valley !
Then shall the glory of the Lord be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together ;
For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken
(w. 3-5)-
Like a trumpet the third voice rings out, summon
ing the heralds of the King to announce His coming
to Jerusalem, in power and in love. 3
1 G. A. Smith renders the phrase, " Speak home to the heart," comparing
the German, " An das Herz," and the sweet Scottish, " It cam up roond my
heart."
2 Warfare, or term of military service, an obvious metaphor for the hard
bondage of the Exile.
3 The call of the heralds comes more naturally at this point, the intervening
vv. 6-8 forming the transition between the songs of deliverance and the appeal
to Jehovah s incomparable power (vv. izff.).
147
The Faith of Isaiah
" On a lofty mountain get you up,
Ye heralds of good tidings to Zion !
Lift up your voice with strength,
Ye heralds of good tidings to Jerusalem I 1
Lift it up, fear not
Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God !
Behold ! the Lord God cometh with strength,
His arm having won Him the kingdom ;
Behold ! His reward is with Him,
And His recompense before Him.
Like a shepherd He tendeth His flock,
With His arm doth He gather them ;
The lambs in His bosom He beareth,
And leadeth them that give suck " (vv. 9-11).
But is it really possible that the stricken cities of
Judah will rise from their ashes, and the desolate
land be clothed once more with crops and flowers ?
In answer to this challenge a fourth voice sounds
the watchword of faith in the immutable word of
God.
" Hark ! one saith, < Call !
And I said, < What shall I call ?
(And he said :) All flesh is grass,
And all the beauty thereof like the flower of the
field.
1 The collective feminine, " heraldess," is used idiomatically of the whole
herald band. I have consequently rendered it by the plural, " heralds."
148
Voices of Comfort
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth,
When the breath of Jehovah doth blow thereon ;
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth,
But the word of our God shall stand for ever
(vv. 6-8).
Moved by these angelic strains, the prophet
himself takes up the lyre, and pours forth a rapturous
hymn of praise to Jehovah, the God of transcendent
power and wisdom, the Creator and Ruler of the
ends of the earth.
" Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of
His hand,
And ruled off the heavens with a span P 1
Who held the earth in a tierce, 2
And weighed the mountains in scales and the hills
in a balance ?
Who directed the spirit of Jehovah,
And as man of His counsel instructed Him ?
With whom took He counsel, to bring Him insight,
And who taught Him the pathway of right 3 and
the way of intelligence ?
Behold ! the nations are like a drop from the bucket,
As fine dust in the scales are they counted ;
Behold ! He lifteth the isles 4 as a grain,
1 The span is the distance covered by the outstretched fingers.
* The tierce is a very small measure, probably the third of an ephah. To
the infinite God the earth appears petty enough to be contained in that.
3 That is, the right way of controlling Nature and directing the march of
history.
4 In II. Isaiah the " isles " embrace both the islands and the coastlands of the
Mediterranean.
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The Faith of Isaiah
While Lebanon sufficeth not or burning, nor the
beasts thereof for burnt-offering.
All the nations are as nothing before Him,
Things of void and vacancy are they reckoned with
Him " (vv. 12-17).
How vain and foolish, therefore, are the idolatries
of the heathen !
" To whom, then, will ye liken God,
Or what semblance will ye set against Him ?
An image ! the craftsman doth cast it,
And the goldsmith o erlays it with gold ;
Each of them helpeth his fellow,
And saith to his comrade, Bravo !
The craftsman cheereth the goldsmith,
He that wieldeth the hammer him that worketh
with mallet,
Saying of the joining, Tis good,
While he fastens it firmly with nails. 1
He that would make him a likeness of wood
Chooseth a tree that will not rot ;
Then he seeketh a cunning workman
To set up an image that will not give way " 2
(vv. 18-20).
1 These two verses are recovered from xli. 6f., where they have been wrongly
inserted. The meaning of ver. jb is very uncertain. Probably, however, the
" wielder of the hammer " is identical with the craftsman, and the " worker with
mallet " a description of the goldsmith, with his finer art.
2 The tone of irony recalls John Knox s contemptuous treatment of the
" paynted brod " the image of the Virgin that was thrust upon him and his
companions in exile. He " tooke the idole, and advisitlie looking about, he caist
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Voices of Comfort
Anew the language rises and swells in adoration.
" Do ye not know ;
Do ye not hear ?
Hath it not been shown you from the first of time ;
Have ye not understood from the founding of the
earth ?
He it is that sitteth above the circle 1 of the earth,
The inhabitants whereof are as grasshoppers,
That stretcheth the heavens as a curtain,
And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in,
That bringeth princes to nothing,
And maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
Scarce ever be they planted, scarce ever be they
sown,
Scarce ever hath their stock been rooted in the
earth,
Than He bloweth upon them, and they wither away,
And the whirlwind beareth them off like stubble.
To whom then will ye liken me, to whom compare me,
That I may match with him ? the Holy One
doth say.
Lift up your eyes on high,
And see ! who hath created these ?
He that leadeth out their host by number,
And calleth them all by name ;
it in the rivare, and said, Lett our Lady now saif hir self ; sche is lycht aneuch ;
lett her learne to swyme. " The History of the Reformation in Scotland (Laing s
Edition), I. p. 227.
1 Circle, probably that bounded by the horizon, rather than the vault of
heaven, over-arching the earth.
The Faith of Isaiah
Through the greatness of His might, and the strength
of His power,
Not one is missing " (vv. 21-26).
With such a God sustaining them, why should
Israel be discouraged ?
" Why sayest thou, O Jacob,
And speakest, O Israel :
My way is hid from Jehovah,
And my cause doth pass (unheeded) from my
God?
Hast thou not known ;
Hast thou not heard ?
An eternal God is Jehovah,
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
He fainteth not, neither is weary ;
His insight is unsearchable.
He giveth power to the fainting,
And to him that hath no might He increaseth
strength.
Though the young men faint and grow weary,
And the flower of them utterly fail,
They that wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength,
They shall put forth pinions as eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint " (vv. 27-31).
The words are addressed to Israel, but the Gospel
they enshrine is true for all the ages. Men are still
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Voices of Comfort
held in bondage more degrading than exile the
bondage of sense and sin, the bondage of fear, the
bondage of self, the bondage even of duty. To many
of us life is a tread-mill from which we seem unable
to escape, and which brings us no real exhilaration
or profit. But they that wait upon God in faith
and prayer can soar from the prison-house to the
high clear atmosphere of heaven, to bathe their
souls in the radiance of the Eternal, to renew their
strength at the fountain of grace, and to look out on
life from the upward planes, to " see it steadily and
see it whole." Thus, when they return to the
common paths of duty, they take up their calling
with a new strength and courage, a zeal that laughs
at obstacles, a zest and interest that make even
drudgery a delight, and a hope that bears them up
unflagging to the end. For just as fully after the
eager enthusiasm of youth is spent, and Christian
falls " from running to going," does the glow of
hope inspire him. The road may be dull and
dreary, the task hard and exhausting, yet he will
walk cheerfully onward, the light of faith in his
eye and the sunshine of love in his heart, stooping
to the humblest duties and bracing himself to the
steepest Hills of Difficulty, turning aside at times
to help lame pilgrims over stiles and pitfalls, or to
give thirsty ones the cup of cold water, but with
his face ever to Zion, till faith is lost in vision and
love made perfect in glory.
The Faith of Isaiah
" Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart :
Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea
Pure as the naked heavens, majestic, free,
So didst thou travel on life s common way,
In cheerful godliness ; and yet thy heart
The lowliest duties on herself did lay."
" So they from strength unwearied go
Still forward unto strength,
Until in Zion they appear
Before the Lord at length."
CHAPTER XII
THE DRAMA OF REDEMPTION
THE glorious Prelude has been sung. Jehovah now
comes forward to reveal His purpose among the
nations. And first, in open assize, He challenges
them to read the signs of the times.
" Listen to me in silence, ye isles,
And let the peoples await my pleading ;
Let them draw near, then let them speak,
Let us approach together for judgment !
Who hath raised one up from the East,
Whom victory 1 meeteth at every step ?
He giveth up nations before him,
And bringeth down kings to the earth.
His sword doth make them as dust,
Like driven stubble his bow ;
He pursueth them, and passeth on safely,
By a path he doth tread not with his feet. a
1 The term is sedek, " righteousness," a word which in II. Isaiah means all
it is right or fitting that Jehovah should do, and hence connotes not merely
justice, truth, consistency of character, but success or victory (as here), and even
salvation. Cf. G. A. Smith, II. pp. 2146*. : Skinner, II. pp. 5 if.
3 The referc-nce here is doubtless to the speed with which Cyrus covered the
ground in his victorious march (cf. p. 131).
155
The Faith of Isaiah
Who hath wrought and done this ?
He that called the generations (of man) from the
beginning
I, Jehovah, the first,
The same also with the last " (xli. 1-4).
The swift triumphs of Cyrus had flung the
kingdoms of the East into an agony of amazement
and fear ; J but for Israel they were like the streaks
of sunrise ushering in the day of salvation.
" But thou, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
The seed of Abraham my friend,
Whom I fetched from the ends of the earth,
And called from the corners thereof
To whom I said, Thou art my servant,
I have chosen thee, and spurned thee not
Fear not, for I am with thee,
Be not dismayed, for I am thy God !
I will strengthen, yea, help thee,
I will uphold thee with my right hand of victory "
(vv. 8-10).
All they shall be brought to confusion that sought
Israel s ruin, but she shall be exalted, and shall glory
abundantly in Jehovah.
" Fear not, worm Jacob,
Thou maggot, Israel !
1 See Herodotus, i. I4iff.
156
The Drama of Redemption
I am thy helper, saith Jehovah,
And thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Behold ! I make thee a threshing-wain,
A new one, furnished with teeth ;
Mountains shalt thou thresh, and beat small,
And hills shalt thou make as chaff ;
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall sweep
them away,
The whirlwind shall scatter them ;
But thou shalt exult in Jehovah,
In the Holy One of Israel shalt thou glory "
(vv. 14-16).
Already Jehovah is opening wells in the wilderness,
and planting the desert with pleasant trees, that the
return of the exiles may be a pilgrimage of joy.
" When the poor seek water, but there is none,
And their tongue doth fail for thirst,
I, Jehovah, will answer them,
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the barren heights
And wells in the midst of the valleys ;
I will make the wilderness pools,
And the parched land fountains of water.
I will set in the desert the cedar,
The acacia, the myrtle, and oleaster ;
I will set in the prairie the cypress,
The plane and the box-tree together ;
157
The Faith of Isaiah
That men may see and know,
May lay it to heart, and understand together,
That the hand of Jehovah hath done this,
And the Holy One of Israel created it " (vv. 17-20).
No god of the nations had ever foretold the
future, and as little are they able to interpret what
He is now doing.
" I have roused one from the North, and he cometh,
From the rising of the sun have I called him by
his name ; z
He shall trample on rulers like mortar,
As the potter trampleth the clay.
But who announced it from the first, that we might
know,
From aforetime, that we might say, Right ?
None there was (among you) that announced, none
that proclaimed,
Yea, none that heard words from you.
I first announced it to Zion,
To Jerusalem sent heralds of joy ;
But of these there was no man, of these no counsellor,
That, when I asked, could answer a word :
Behold ! they are all of them nought, their works a
vanity,
Their molten images wind and chaos " (vv. 25-29).
But the great God who made the heavens and
earth is the God of Israel, that alone doeth wonders
1 To " call by name " is to admit to close intimacy of mind and purpose.
158
The Drama of Redemption
for His people. He both called them and preserved
them among the nations. He led them in days
gone by, opening their way through darkness, and
unveiling to them the things to come. And now
that these have been brought to pass, He has new
things to reveal to them, new and greater things
soon to be made manifest.
" Thus saith Jehovah the Lord,
That created the heavens, and outstretched them,
That established the earth and its issue,
Giving breath to its people and spirit to them
that walk therein :
I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness,
And have held thee by thy hand ;
I have kept thee, and given thee
For a covenant to the people, 1 for a light to the
nations
Opening blind eyes, bringing forth the bound from
the dungeon,
Them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
I am Jehovah,
That is my name ;
And my glory will I not give to another,
Nor my praise to graven images.
The former things, behold ! they have come to pass,
And new things I now declare :
1 That is, Israel is the embodiment of God s covenant of grace with the world,
the channel through which He is to convey that grace to all the nations. This
idea is elaborated in the four Servant Songs (cf. pp. 1835.).
159
The Faith of Isaiah
Before they spring forth,
I will tell them to you " (xlii. 5-9).
An intermezzo of song from the prophet leads to
Jehovah s announcement of the good news of
redemption.
" I have long time holden my peace,
I have been still, and refrained myself ;
Now will I cry like a woman in travail,
I will gasp and pant together.
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
And will wither up all their herbage ;
I will make the rivers a desert,
And will dry away the pools.
And the blind will I lead on the way,
I will guide them by paths that they know not ;
The darkness before them will I turn into light,
And the rugged spots into a plain.
These are the things I will do,
And will not turn back,
While ashamed shall they be that trust in graven
images,
That say to molten things, Ye are our gods !
(vv. 14-17).
All this time Israel lay " snared in holes and hidden
in dungeons," blind and deaf to its Divine mission
on earth, too dull of heart to understand the lessons
of the past, and equally hopeless as to the future
160
The Drama of Redemption
(vv. 1 8-25). But Jehovah has a message of wonderful
cheer to impart to them.
" And now, thus saith Jehovah,
Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Maker, O Israel :
Fear not, for I have redeemed thee,
I have called thee by thy name thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be
with theej
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow
thee ;
When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not
be scorched,
Neither shall the flame enkindle thee.
For I am Jehovah, thy God,
The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.
Behold ! I give Egypt as thy ransom,
Cush (Ethiopia) and Seba in exchange for thee. 1
Since thou hast been precious in mine eyes,
An honoured one, whom I have loved,
Behold ! I give lands in exchange for thee,
And peoples for thy life.
From the East will I bring thy seed,
And from the West will I gather them ;
I will say to the North, Give up !
And to the South, Withhold not !
1 Jehovah promises Cyrus conquests in Africa, as a return for the liberation
of Israel. Though originally contemplated by Cyrus (Herod, i. 153), these
conquests were actually accomplished by his son Cambyses.
1.61
11
The Faith of Isaiah
Bring ye my sons from afar,
And my daughters from the end of the earth
Even all that are called by my name,
Whom I have fashioned and made for my glory ! "
(xliii. 1-7).
In a further assize of the nations Jehovah calls
Israel to bear faithful witness regarding the truth of
His former prophecies (vv. 8-13), and then explicitly
announces the impending fall of Babylon.
" Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel :
For your sake have I sent to Babylon,
And will break down all their bolts ;
The Chaldeans will I cast to the ground,
And turn their joyful shouts to lamentations,
Even I, Jehovah, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel,
That maketh a way in the sea,
A path through mighty waters,
That bringeth forth (to destruction) chariot and
horse,
Army and warrior together
And they lie down, and cannot arise,
Are extinguished and quenched like a wick. 1
1 The allusion here is to the wonders which followed the Exodus from Egypt.
Even these will fade into nothingness in comparison with what Jehovah is now
about to do.
162
The Drama of Redemption
Remember ye not the former things,
Nor regard the works of old ;
For, behold ! I am doing a new thing :
Even now it springs forth ; do ye not perceive it ?
A way will I make through the desert,
And rivers in the steppe-land ;
The beasts of the field shall honour me,
The jackals and the ostriches " (vv. 14-20).
Israel has, indeed, deserved no favour from
Jehovah. They have all along burdened Him with
their sins, and wearied Him with their iniquities.
Their first father Jacob sinned ; their prophets
betrayed their trust, and their rulers profaned the
sanctuary, so that He was compelled to put the whole
people under the ban and expose them to the
reviling of their enemies (vv. 22-28). But now He
is to pour out His spirit upon them, and bless them
abundantly.
" And now, hear, O Jacob, my servant,
Israel, whom I have chosen !
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Maker,
He that formed thee from the womb, and helpeth
thee :
Fear not, Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen !
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
And streams on the dry ground ;
I will pour my spirit upon thy seed,
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The Faith of Isaiah
And my blessing upon thine offspring ;
And they shall spring up like grass among water,
As "willows by running streams.
And one shall say, I am Jehovah s,
And another shall call himself by the name of
Jacob ;
And another shall write on his hand, To Jehovah,
And shall surname himself by the name of Israel "*
(xliv. 1-5).
He is the first, and He the last. Beside Him there
is no God : no Rock or Saviour. He has blotted
out the transgressions of His people like a thick
cloud or mist, that no longer obscures the beauty
of His countenance (ver. 22). Therefore let heaven
and earth take up the strain and sound aloud His
praises.
" Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath done it,
Shout for joy, ye depths of the earth ;
Break forth into singing, ye mountains^
The forest, and every tree therein !
For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob,
And will glorify Himself in Israel" (ver. 23)
With this outburst of song the first Act of the
drama ends. The nations and their gods are
discomfited, and retire into silence. The prophet
1 The prophet here sees foreigners attaching themselves as proselytes to the
restored community, adhering to the worship of Jehovah, and taking Israelite
surnames as titles of honour. In the " writing " on the hand there is an allusion
to the ancient practice of tattooing.
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The Drama of Redemption
now tunes his lyre for the next part of his theme,
the Divine calling of Cyrus and the near deliverance
of Israel.
" Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer,
Even He that formed thee from the womb :
I am Jehovah, the Maker of all,
That stretched forth the heavens,
That established the earth alone,
For who was there with me ?
That doth frustrate the signs of diviners,
And maketh the soothsayers mad ;
That turneth wise men backward,
And maketh their knowledge foolish ;
But confirmeth the word of His servants,
And fulfilleth the counsel of His messengers 1
That saith of Jerusalem, i Let her be inhabited !
And of the Temple, Be thy foundations laid !
And of the cities of Judah, Let them be built !
And their ruins will I raise up ;
That saith to the deep, Be dry !
And all thy rivers will I drain away ; 2
That saith of Cyrus, My Shepherd, 3
Who completeth all my purpose. " (vv. 24-28).
The heathen prince Cyrus is not merely honoured
as Jehovah s Shepherd, who shall gather together
1 The " servant8," or " messengers," are the true prophets of Jehovah.
3 The " deep " and the rivers are probably metaphors for the obstacles in
the way.
3 For ro i, " my Shepherd," many scholars read re i, " my Friend."
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The Faith of Isaiah
the scattered flock of Israel ; he is the Anointed One
the Messiah who shall inaugurate His world
wide kingdom.
" Thus saith the Lord God
Unto Cyrus, His Anointed,
Whose right hand I have grasped,
Bringing down nations before him,
Opening doors at his presence,
And gates that they be not shut :
Behold ! I will march before thee,
And will level the rugged heights ;
The doors of brass 1 will I break in pieces,
And the bars of iron will I hew asunder ;
I will give thee also treasures of darkness,
Even the hoards of secret places,
That thou mayest know that I am Jehovah,
The God of Israel, that calleth thee by thy name.
For my servant Jacob s sake,
And Israel, my chosen one,
I have called thee by thy name,
I have surnamed thee, though thou knewest me
not.
I am Jehovah, and none else
Beside me there is no God.
The loins of kings will I unloose,
But thee will I gird, though thou knewest me not,
1 Babylon had 100 gates, " all of brass," according to Herodotus, i. 179.
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The Drama of Redemption
That men may know, from the rising of the sun,
And from the setting thereof, that there is none
beside me.
I am Jehovah, and none else,
That doth fashion light, and create the darkness,
That maketh weal and createth woe
I, Jehovah, am He that doeth all these things "
(xlv. 1-7).
Why should Israel object because God is to work
through an instrument like this ? Has not the potter
complete power over the clay, and the father over
his children ? Is not the Maker of all things, then,
free to choose the ways and means by which He
shall accomplish His ends ? (vv. 9-11).
" It was I that made the earth
And created man therein ;
My hands did outstretch the heavens,
And commanded all their host.
And tis I that have roused him in righteousness,
And am levelling all his ways ;
He shall build my city,
And shall set mine exiles free" (vv. I2f.).
In a bold flight of imagination the prophet
represents the vanquished peoples of Egypt, Ethiopia
and Seba coming in fetters to Cyrus, falling before
him, and making supplication to Jehovah, the God
that had hitherto been " hiding Himself " from their
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The Faith of Isaiah
vain gropings, but now revealed His glory as the one
Creator and Saviour of the world (vv. 14:6:.). And
He readily accepts their prayers, and welcomes them
all to His service.
" Thus saith Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens
He (alone) is God !
That fashioned the earth and made it
He (alone) established it !
Not as a void He created it,
But fashioned it for a dwelling-place :
I am Jehovah,
And there is none beside me.
I spake not in secret,
In the land of darkness ; I
I said not to Jacob s seed,
* Seek me in the void !
I, Jehovah, speak what is right,
Declare things that are true.
Assemble yourselves, therefore, and come
Draw nigh together, ye remnants 2 of the nations !
Witless are they that bear (in procession)
The wood of their graven images,
And offer their prayers to a god
That cannot save.
Declare ye, bring forward (your case),
Let men take counsel together !
1 "Jehovah s invitation has not been like a dark, trackless desert, but a light
in which men might walk towards an assured goal " (Skinner).
2 The remnants, or " escaped ones," are the survivors of the judgment that
Jehovah brings on them through the instrumentality of Cyrus.
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The Drama of Redemption
Who did show this from of old,
Announced it aforetime ?
Was it not I, Jehovah
No other God than I ?
A righteous God, and a Saviour 1
No one beside me !
Turn then to me, and be saved,
All ends of the earth ! 2
For I am God, and none else
By myself have I sworn :
Truth is gone out of my mouth,
A word that shall not return
That to me shall bend every knee,
And every tongue shall swear.
In Jehovah alone, shall they say,
* I have victory and strength.
And to Him shall come abashed
All that were wroth with Him ;
While in Him shall triumph and glory
All the seed of Israel." (vv. 18-25).
The prelude to the act of deliverance is the down
fall of Babylon. And already the prophet can see
in his visions the gods Bel and Nebo hurled from
their lordly towers, lying bent and crumpled upon
the ground, powerless to save their own images,
1 Here " righteousness " is directly equated with " salvation " (cf. p. 155, n. i).
* " This invitation is the divinest word in all the Old Testament." Glaze-
brook, Studies in the Book of Isaiah, p. 197.
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The Faith of Isaiah
which are " heaped as a load upon weary cattle,"
and carried into ignominious captivity (xlvi. if.).
Then he raises his dirge over " the virgin daughter
of Babylon," the mistress of kingdoms, who sat
securely and said in her heart, " I am, and no one
beside me," but soon shall be plucked from her
throne, and made to strip off her train, unbare her
thigh, and wade through streams, and in an alien
land take the mill-stones and grind the meal, like
the unhappy slaves that were the victims of her
present cruelty (ch. xlvii.). With a renewed allusion
to Jehovah s choice of Cyrus as the instrument of
His redeeming love (xlviii. 12-16), the prophecy
breaks into a merry peal of triumph.
" Go out from Babylon,
Flee from the Chaldees !
With loud song proclaim ye,
Make this to be heard !
Carry it forth
To the ends of the earth !
Say, Jehovah hath ransomed
Jacob His servant !
They thirsted not
When He led them through deserts.
Water from the rock
He made flow for them ;
He cleft the rock,
And the waters gushed forth " (vv. 2of.).
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The Drama of Redemption
The third Act opens with a touching picture of
Israel s faithfulness amid manifold discouragements,
and quickly passes to a radiant prophecy of her
coming glory.
" Thus saith Jehovah,
The Redeemer and Holy One of Israel,
To the despised of men, the abhorred of people,
The slave of tyrants :
Kings shall see and rise to their feet,
Princes, and they shall do homage
For Jehovah s sake, who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
Thus saith Jehovah,
The Redeemer and Holy One of Israel :
In a time of grace have I answered thee,
On a day of salvation have helped thee
Restoring the land,
Allotting the desolate heritages,
Saying to the bondmen, i Go forth !
And to them that are in darkness, Come to light !
On all pathways shall they feed,
And on all bare heights shall be their pasturage :
They shall not hunger nor thirst,
No sirocco nor sun shall smite them ;
For their merciful Friend shall lead them,
And by fountains of water shall guide them.
And I will make all the mountains a roadway,
And streets shall be upraised (for them).
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The Faith of Isaiah
Behold ! these shall come from afar,
Even these from the rising of the sun,
And these from the North and the West,
And these from the land of the Smites. 1
Sing then, O heavens, and exult, O earth ;
Break forth into singing, ye mountains !
For Jehovah hath comforted His people,
And hath compassion upon His poor ones "
(xlix. 7-13).
The brilliance of the promise leaves Zion amazed
and bewildered. She has been so long forsaken
bereaved of her children, and it seemed also forgotten
by her God that she cannot understand how the
joys of motherhood will be restored to her, and the
bonds of love reknit between her and Jehovah. But
in a passage suffused with feeling Jehovah bids her
have courage. He has neither cast her off nor
forgotten her. He has the image of Jerusalem graven
on the very palms of His hands, so that the city is
never absent from His thoughts. And soon the
broken walls will be rebuilt, and the waste places
reclaimed ; and the exiled sons of Zion will stream
back to her in such numbers that she shall be
confounded, and shall ask in sheer astonishment
whence came they and who bare them for her.
" But Zion saith, Jehovah hath forsaken me,
The Lord hath forgotten me !
1 The land of the Sinites is most probably Syene (Assouan), where a Jewish
colony had for some time been settled (cf. the Assouan papyri). This identifica
tion yields us the desired fourth quarter of the heavens.
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The Drama of Redemption
Can a woman forget her sucking child,
And have no more compassion on the son of her
womb ?
Should even these forget,
Yet will I not forget thee.
Behold ! on my palms have I graven thee,
Thy walls are ever before me.
And now thy builders make haste,
While thy destroyers go forth from thee.
And thy waste and desolate places shall be restored,
And the land that was ravaged shall be filled with
inhabitants.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold !
All of them gather and come to thee.
As I live, saith Jehovah,
The Redeemer and Holy One of Israel :
With all of them shalt thou clothe thee as with an
ornament,
And gird thyself like a bride.
And now shalt thou be too narrow for thine
inhabitants,
Though they that swallowed thee up be far
removed ;
Yea, the children of thy bereavement 1
Shall yet say in thine ears :
1 The children of Zion s bereavement are those born in the land of exile. In
ver. 21 these are regarded as born for her by a stranger, in allusion to the Oriental
custom of securing offspring through a slave-girl (cf. Cen. xvi. 2 ; xxx. 3 ; etc.).
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The Faith of Isaiah
The place is too narrow for me,
Make room, that I may dwell !
Then shalt thou say in thine heart,
Who bare me these ?
I am bereft and barren,
And these who reared them ?
Behold ! I am left alone,
And these how are they ? " (vv. 14-21).
Zion s doubts are groundless. She and her
children have, indeed, wandered far from Jehovah.
She allowed herself even to be sold for her iniquities ;
but He sent her no " bill of divorce " she is still
His bride. His heart has been hers during all the
years of estrangement, and now He is welcoming
both her and her children back to His embrace.
All He asks for is her trust and love. If she respond,
she will never be put to shame ; her very enemies
will pay homage to her, and all flesh will acknowledge
that He is her Saviour and Redeemer, her Lord and
Defender to the end.
" Behold ! I will lift up my hand to the nations,
And to the peoples raise my banner ;
And they thall bring thy sons in the bosom (of their
robes),
And thy daughters shall be borne on the shoulder.
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The Drama of Redemption
And kings shall be thy foster-fathers,
And their queens thy nursing-mothers ;
With their faces to the earth shall they pay thee
homage,
And shall lick the dust of thy feet ;
Then shalt thou know that I am Jehovah,
In whom none that trust shall be put to shame.
Can the prey be snatched from the strong man,
Or the tyrant s captives escape ?
Even should the strong man s captives be taken,
And the prey of the tyrant be rescued,
Yet thy cause will I take up,
And thy children will I save.
But thine oppressors will I cause to eat their own
flesh,
And they shall be drunken with their own blood
as with must ;
And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy
Saviour,
And thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob.
Where is the bill of your mother s divorce,
With which I sent her away ?
Or who is the creditor of mine
To whom I sold you ?
Behold ! for your sins were ye sold,
And for your transgressions was your mother sent
away.
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The Faith of Isaiah
Why then, when I came, was there no man (to greet
me),
None, when I called, to answer ?
Is my hand too short to redeem,
Is there no power with me to deliver ? "
(xlix. 22-1.2).
Israel answers the challenge under the guise of
the Servant of Jehovah. She has lent her ear
diligently to His word, and for His sake has endured
much despite and persecution. But through all
her sufferings she has found Him an ever-present
help, and has never been put to confusion. In
acknowledgement of this faith, Jehovah assures
all those who pursue righteousness that the hour of
their deliverance is near, and that the present
distresses will yield to everlasting glory.
" Hearken to me, ye that follow righteousness,
That seek Jehovah ;
Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn,
And the quarry whence ye were digged ;
Look unto Abraham your father,
And Sarah that bare you !
For, when he was but one, I called him,
I blessed him, and increased him.
Even so will I call you from afar,
I will bless you, and increase you ;
For Jehovah hath comforted Zion,
He hath comforted all her ruins.
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The Drama of Redemption
He shall make her waste land like Eden,
Her desert like the garden of Jehovah ;
Joy and gladness shall be found therein,
Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Attend unto me, O my people,
O nation of mine, give ear unto me !
For teaching shall go forth from me,
And my judgment for a light of the peoples.
Soon will I bring near my righteousness,
And mine arms shall judge the peoples ;
The isles shall wait for me,
And in mine arm shall they put their trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
And look on the earth beneath ;
For the heavens shall vanish like smoke,
And the earth shall wear out as a garment ;
The world shall be consumed like stubble,
And the inhabitants thereof shall die like gnats ;
But my salvation shall be for ever,
And my righteousness shall not fail.
Hearken to me, ye that know righteousness,
The people in whose hearts is my teaching ;
Fear not the reproach of men,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings !
For the moth shall devour them like a garment,
And the worm shall consume them like wool ;
177
12
The Faith of Isaiah
But my righteousness shall be for ever,
And my salvation age after age"
(li. 1-8).
Zion may still lie prostrate under her griefs, drunk
with the cup of Divine wrath which she has drained
to the dregs, her sons unable to help her, for they
are faint as " antelopes in a net." But Jehovah has
already taken the cup from her hands, and will pass
it to those who tormented her, who made her back
" like a street for wayfarers " (vv. 17-23). And
now He calls her to awake, and put on her festal
garments, to meet the triumphal procession, and
rejoice in her God s return to her.
" Awake ! awake ! clothe thee
With thy strength, O Zion !
Clothe thee with thy garments of beauty,
O Jerusalem, the Holy City !
For no more shall there come unto thee
Uncircumcised or unclean.
Shake thyself from the dust, arise,
Thou captive Jerusalem !
Loose the bands of thy neck,
Thou captive daughter of Zion I 1
Lo ! hastening over the mountains
The feet of the heralds,
1 The intervening vv. 3-6 are a prosaic intrusion, probably displacing one of
the original couplets.
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The Drama of Redemption
Proclaiming peace, 1 bringing good tidings,
Proclaiming deliverance
Saying to Zion, Thy Redeemer is come,
Thy King doth reign !
All thy watchmen lift up the voice,
Together they sing ;
For eye to eye 2 they behold
The return of Jehovah to Zion.
Break forth into singing together,
Ye waste places of Jerusalem !
For Jehovah hath comforted His people,
He hath redeemed Jerusalem" (lii. 1-9).
With the return to Zion Israel is exalted in glory,
and all the nations see and acknowledge the salva
tion of Jehovah (vv. iofL). Now her children are
more in number than before her separation from
Jehovah, so many indeed that she must enlarge her
tent and stretch forth her curtains without limit
(liv. iff.). Jehovah s anger, too, has passed away
for ever. In an outbreak of wrath He hid His face
from her ; but henceforward He will love her with
a love everlasting.
" Though the mountains remove, and the hills be
shaken,
My love shall remove not from thee ;
1 In II. Isaiah " peace " means general well-being or prosperity.
2 That is, virtually, face, to face. " Jehovah will be so near that the watchmen
and He will be able to look into one another s faces " (McFadyen).
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The Faith of Isaiah
And my covenant of peace shall not be shaken,
Saith Jehovah thy Comforter " (ver. 10).
The basis of the New Jerusalem will be set with
malachite, and its foundations laid in sapphires ; its
pinnacles will sparkle with jasper, and its gates with
carbuncles, while all its borders will be marked off
with jewels. Its children will be all of them taught
of Jehovah, and great will be its prosperity, within
and without (vv. 11-13). A gracious invitation is
extended to the scattered sons of Zion to share
in the glory of the ransomed city ; and the
prophecy closes in an idyll of peace and joy.
" Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come to the waters,
And ye that have no bread, eat !
Yea, come ! buy corn without money,
And wine and milk without price !
Why spend ye money for what is not bread,
And your earnings for what will not satisfy ?
Hearken instead to me, and eat what is good,
Let your soul be ravished with fatness !
For an everlasting covenant will I make with you,
Even the faithful kindness I promised to David.
As once I appointed him a witness to nations,
A prince and commander of peoples,
Lo ! thou too shalt call unto people thou knowest
not,
And people that know thee not shall run unto thee ;
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The Drama of Redemption
For the sake of Jehovah thy God,
Even the Holy One of Israel, because He hath
glorified thee.
Seek ye Jehovah, while He may be found,
Call Him, while yet He is near !
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.
For, as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways,
And my thoughts than your thoughts.
For, as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven,
And returneth not thither, without having watered
the earth,
And made it bring forth and bud,
Giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
So shall my word be that hath gone from my mouth :
It shall not return to me void,
Without having done the thing which I please,
And accomplished that whereto I did send it.
For with joy shall ye go forth,
And in peace shall ye be led ;
The mountains and hills shall break before you into
singing,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
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The Faith of Isaiah
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress,
And instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle ;
And twill be for a name (memorial) to Jehovah,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off "
(lv. 1-13).
182
CHAPTER XIII
THE SUFFERING SERVANT
THE prophecy of Comfort has led us out of the
shadow of death to the light of world-wide redemp
tion. But what place have the experiences of the
Exile in the development of the great drama ?
This is the theme of the four Servant Songs, which
are woven like a design in gold through the texture
of the work.
The Songs are distinguished in various ways
from the rest of the prophecy. The metre is more
regular, and the strophical arrangement more
complete. The spiritual temperament also differs.
The main part of the prophecy is buoyant and
enthusiastic in tone ; the Songs are restrained
and even subdued. With this goes a certain
shifting of emphasis alike in the conception of
salvation in general and in the method by which
it is to be accomplished. In Deutero-Isaiah as a
whole salvation is primarily the deliverance won
for Israel by the victories of Cyrus ; in the Songs
it is the redemption from sin mediated to the
nations through the sufferings and death of the
Servant. At the same time, the language, style
183
The Faith of Isaiah
and general view-point are closely akin. The
Songs are thus most naturally regarded as genuine
utterances of the prophet of the Exile, composed
somewhat earlier than the rest 1 probably before
the star of Cyrus had risen above the horizon and
embodied in their present context as still giving
classical expression to the author s deepest thoughts
regarding the Divine calling and destiny of his
people. 2
If this conclusion be justified, we must interpret
the Servant throughout as neither an individual nor
the incarnation of an ideal whether the personified
Genius of Israel or the spiritual " Israel within
Israel " but as the actual Israel " regarded in the
light of its purpose in the mind of God." 3 And
this interpretation seems most in harmony with
the tenor of the Songs in themselves. 4
The first Song sets in clear relief the Servant s
mission on earth. If other peoples were chosen
to enrich the world with the ripe fruits of law and
order, beauty, wisdom and knowledge, Israel was
entrusted with the task of " bringing forth judgment
1 Thus xlii. 19-21 and xlix. 7 appear clearly to presuppose Hi. 138.
3 For a judicious summing up of different theories see Skinner s Isaiah, II.
pp. 2<J7ff. Skinner inclines to the idea that the Songs are the work of a separate
author from Deutero-Isaiah, though kindred with him in spirit.
3 Peake, The Problem of Suffering in the Old Testament, p. 103.
4 On the different interpretations of the Servant, cf. Skinner, II. pp. 26^. ;
Wade, pp. 345ff. Skinner identifies the Servant of the Songs with the ideal
Israel, and follows Sellin s suggestion that the ideal was transferred to the actual
Israel when the Songs were incorporated in the prophecy. Wade applies the
term throughout to the historical Israel.
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The Suffering Servant
to the nations " that is, instructing them in the
principles and practice of true religion. To this
end the people had been endowed in supreme
measure with the Spirit of Jehovah, and through
the revelation given to prophet and poet had been
led in the way of light. In the past they had too
often proved disobedient to the heavenly vision,
but in the new age about to dawn they should take
up their trust with fresh purpose and resolution,
and carry it through to success. And that according
to God s own method ! While the Gentile nations
pursued their ends by loud and aggressive means
the splendour of their armaments, the magnifi
cence of their temples and palaces, the brilliance of
their gifts of reason and imagination the Servant
of Jehovah was neither to " cry nor lift up, nor
make his voice heard in the street " he was simply
to live his life in that narrow and obscure corner
of the earth in which the Master had placed him,
letting his light shine amid all darkness, malice and
oppression, never discouraged when his labour
seemed fruitless, and never losing patience with
the broken reeds and flickering wicks of faith, but
working and waiting in unfailing hope, till he had
brought judgment to victory, and the distant lands
came reverently forward to receive his teaching.
" Behold my servant whom I uphold,
My chosen, in whom my soul delighteth !
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The Faith of Isaiah
I have put my spirit upon him,
He shall bring forth judgment 1 to the nations.
He shall not cry, 2 nor lift up,
Nor make his voice heard in the street ;
A reed that is broken he shall not snap,
And a wick that flickers he shall not quench.
In truth shall he bring forth judgment,
He shall not flicker nor break
Until in the earth he set judgment,
And the islands wait for his teaching "
(xlii. 1-4).
In humble faith the Servant accepts his task.
Addressing himself directly to the nations, he
shows how Jehovah had predestined him from the
womb even before his birth in the goodly land
of Canaan and had been polishing him through
the varied vicissitudes of history to be a keen-edged
sword or pointed arrow in His hand. Judged by
surface results, no doubt, he had failed in his mission.
His words had been treated with contempt, and
himself left rotting on the godless plains of Babylonia.
Nevertheless, his cause was Jehovah s, and must
prevail. Already He had given commandment
that the scattered tribes should be gathered together,
1 Misbpat, " judgment," like the Arabic din, is virtually equivalent to religion
in its practical aspect.
3 Cry, literally " shriek." The Servant is to be no screamer or hysterical
shouter on the street.
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The Suffering Servant
and Israel restored to the position of honour He
had designed for them. And this was the least
part of His purpose. For Him merely " to upraise
the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of
Israel " was altogether " too light a thing." There
fore He was soon to execute all His will to make
Israel " the light of the nations," so that His
salvation might reach " to the end of the earth."
" Listen, O isles, unto me,
Hearken, ye peoples afar !
Jehovah did call me from the womb,
From the bowels of my mother He mentioned
my name.
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
In the shadow of His hand He hid me ;
He made me as a polished arrow,
In His quiver He concealed me.
He said to me, * Thou art my Servant,
Israel, in whom I will make myself glorious.
Thus honoured I was in the eyes of Jehovah,
And my God became my strength.
As for me I said, f In vain have I laboured,
Idly, for nought, have I spent my strength ;
Nevertheless, my right is with Jehovah,
And my reward with my God.
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The Faith of Isaiah
And now thus saith Jehovah,
Who formed me from the womb to be His
Servant
(And hath purposed) to bring back Jacob to Himself,
And that Israel should be gathered unto Him r 1
Too light a thing it is (for me)to upraise the tribes
of Israel,
And the preserved of Israel to restore ;
So I will make thee a light of the nations,
That my salvation may reach to the end of the
earth " (xlix. 1-6).
It is a sinister commentary on human nature
that the word martyr, " witness-bearer," should
have acquired the universal sense of innocent
sufferer. Yet this transference of meaning corre
sponds to the plainest facts of life. He who
stands forth as the prophet of righteous
ness can hardly hope to escape calumny and
persecution even to the death. This is the aspect
of the Servant s ministry brought out in the third
Song. He has been a faithful witness, listening
" morning by morning " for the word of Jehovah,
1 The rendering of A.V. and R.V., which is followed by the majority of
commentators, draws a distinction between the Servant and Israel as a whole,
the former being limited to the loyal Israel the invisible Church of that age
through whose faithful witness and sufferings the sinful people was first to be
restored, and Jehovah s salvation thence extended to the end of the earth. It is,
however, more in harmony with the general view-point of the prophecy, and the
express identification of the Servant with Israel in ver. 3, to regard Jehovah as
the subject, and to see in the restoration of the Servant = Israel the beginning of
His purpose of universal salvation (cf. Peake, Problem of Suffering, pp. 46f.).
188
The Suffering Servant
and then sending it abroad either as a sharp arrow
piercing the heart and conscience of the wicked,
or as a message of comfort and encouragement for
the weary ; but the only apparent result is to bring
upon his own head insult, shame and sorrow. Like
his prototype Jeremiah, he has been sorely peiplexed
by the problem, and at times even tempted to
relinquish his trust. But faith sustains him ; and
he finds in his very sufferings the bridge to a closer
intimacy with God, and thus to the strengthening
of his own heart and will.
" The Lord Jehovah hath given me
The disciple s tongue,
That I may learn how to succour
The weary with words.
Each morning He wakeneth mine ear
To hear like disciples ;*
And I have not been rebellious,
I have turned not backward.
My back I gave to the smiters,
And my cheeks to the pluckers of hair ;
My face I concealed not
From shame and spitting.
1 " He means that his ear has not only been pulled or twitched, as for sluggish
and indolent persons, but has been formed and trained. . . . This makes
still more evident the truth of what we have formerly said, that none are good
teachers but those who have been good scholars." Calvin, Commentary on
Israel, E.T., IV. p. 54.
189
The Faith of Isaiah
The Lord Jehovah doth help me,
Thus am I not confounded ;
I have set my face like a flint,
And I know I shall not be shamed.
Near is my Justifier who will contend with me ?
Let us stand up together !
Who is mine adversary (in judgment) ?
Let him draw near to me.
Behold ! the Lord Jehovah doth help me ;
Who then will condemn me ?
Behold ! they shall all wear out like a garment,
The moth shall devour them " (1. 4-9).
About the time the prophet penned these brave
words, Gotama the Buddha was wrestling with the
same perennial problem. For him there was no
solution save in Nirvana the extirpation of all
human desires. The more virile imagination of
the Greek tragedians was within a few years to
grasp the truth that " by suffering men learn."
But already the Jewish prophet has pressed beyond
them to the Christian view of suffering as the
perfecter of faith. " Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or anguish,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword ? . . . Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through Him that loved
us " (Rom. viii. 35ff.). To reach a full solution,
190
The Suffering Servant
however, the problem must be set on its broad
social background. The principle of vicarious
suffering is writ large over the whole face of Nature
and life. The seed dies that the ear may unfold
itself, and the coral insect that the barrier reef may
be built up. The mother suffers for the life of her
child, the father for the misdeeds of his erring son,
and the patriot for the honour of his country.
To the struggles and sorrows of the noblest of our
race we owe our most cherished national inheri
tances our peace, our liberty, our faith and our
hope. This principle is nowhere seen so clearly
at work as in the history of moral and religious
progress. All through the ages advance in the
knowledge and service of God has been purchased
by the blood and tears of the martyrs. So it was
conspicuously in the case of Israel. The suffering
of the centuries, culminating in the death agony of
the Exile, was the price of the world s salvation.
This is the Gospel enshrined in the fourth and most
sacred of the Songs, where the Servant is seen bearing
the accumulated guilt of humanity.
" Behold ! my servant shall triumph,
He shall be uplifted, and exalted very high ;
As many were appalled at him,
So shall they now be amazed.
Yea, many nations shall pay reverence to him,
Kings shall close their mouths
191
The Faith of Isaiah
For what had ne er been told them do they see,
And what they ne er had heard they now contem
plate.
But who could believe what we have heard,
And the arm of Jehovah 1 to whom hath it been
revealed ?
He grew like a sapling before us,
As a root from parched ground.
No form was his that we should look on him,
No (beauty of) face that we should desire him ;
Marred was his face from a man s,
And his form from the sons of men.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sufferings, acquainted with sickness ;
And as one from whom men hide their faces,
He was despised, and we regarded him not.
But twas our sickness he bore,
And our sufferings he carried
While we accounted him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted !
Yea, he was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities ;
The chastisement of our peace was upon him,
And by his stripes healing was brought us.
1 That is, the manifestation of Jehovah s power in the destiny of His Servant.
The speakers are most naturally identified with the heathen nations introduced
in lii. 15.
192
The Suffering Servant
All of us like sheep went astray,
We turned every one his own way ;
And Jehovah made to light upon him
The guilt of us all.
c When oppressed, he bore it humbly,
And opened not his mouth ;
Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter,
Or a ewe that before her shearers is dumb.
4 Barred out from justice he was taken away,
And his fate who took thought thereon ?
How he was torn from the land of the living
For our transgressions was stricken to death !
( They made his grave with the wicked,
His tomb with felons,
Although he had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in his mouth.
But as Jehovah was pleased to crush him,
And afflicted him with sickness,
His soul shall He rescue from trouble,
And make him see fulness of light.
c Once his soul hath made a guilt offering,
His life shall he renew,
He shall see a seed, shall lengthen his days,
And the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in
his hand. 1
1 The text of vv. lof. is sadly corrupt and uncertain. I have taken the first
couplet of ver. n as the sequel to loa, treating the rest of ver. 10 as the fresh
stanza, forming a natural transition to Jehovah s words in vv. uf. A few textual
emendations have also been made.
193
The Faith of Isaiah
Yea, many shall my righteous servant justify,
And shall bear their iniquities ;
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great,
And spoil shall he share with the mighty :
For that he poured out his soul unto death,
And was numbered with trangressors ;
Yea, he bore the sin of many,
For trangressors he interposed "
(Hi. 13 liii. 12).
Though the figure of the Servant is here so
strongly individualised that Western minds can
hardly conceive him except as one distinctive
personality, a true regard for exegesis compels
us still to think of him as the community of Israel
viewed from the heights of its Divine ideal. The
prophet is portraying, not a future Redeemer,
but one already accomplishing his mission before
the eyes of the world. And the portrait is rather
composite than individual, the features being
drawn from many a suffering servant of Jehovah,
though the influence of Jeremiah is specially marked.
Read in this light, the prophecy yields us a pro
found philosophy of history, which helps us to
understand, as far as finite minds can, the tragedy
of our own age. " None of us " nation as little
as individual " liveth to himself, and no one
dieth to himself." We are all so closely bound
194
The Suffering Servant
together by the ties of common humanity that
the innocent suffer for the sins of the guilty, and
on the other hand the guilty are saved by the
sufferings of the innocent. The unspeakable
agony of Belgium, Poland, Serbia, Russia, and
Armenia, the endurance unto death of our bravest
and best, and the patient anguish of loving hearts
in all the war-spent nations of the earth, are thus
no vain sacrifice, but the pledge of our redemp
tion from every form of tyranny, oppression and
barbarism, for through them the Lord and Father
of mankind is bringing to birth in our midst the
" new heavens and earth, wherein dwelleth right
eousness " (2 Peter iii. 13).
" Careless seems the great Avenger ; history s
pages but record
One death-grapple in the darkness twixt old
systems and the Word :
Truth for ever on the scaffold, Wrong for ever on
the throne
Yet that scaffold sways the Future, and, behind
the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch
above His own." x
But, though the immediate application of the
prophecy was to Israel as a whole, it is none the
1 Lowell, The Present Crisis.
The Faith of Isaiah
less true that it reaches its fulfilment only in Jesus
Christ. Israel failed to respond to its high ideal.
Faithful souls, no doubt, kept alive through the
centuries the pure knowledge of God ; but not
even they attempted to diffuse among the nations
the light in which they rejoiced. The people
in general fenced themselves round with the iron
fetters of the Law, and clung to privilege instead
of duty. He fulfilled the prophecy, not by any
mechanical correspondence with the details of
the picture for there are features that cannot
properly be referred to Him but by identifying
Himself perfectly with the spiritual character
and mission of the Servant. 1 Accepting the
salvation of the world as the task appointed Him
by the Father, He went about among His fellows,
shedding light into darkened hearts, and speaking
words of comfort to the weary, binding up the
broken reeds, filling the empty lamps with the
oil of grace, and fanning the flickering wicks into
a clear, steady glow, patiently enduring insult and
ignominy, learning obedience " by the things
which He suffered," and at the end giving His
1 " The whole prophecy of the Servant is fulfilled in Christ, not in the super
ficial sense that certain phrases may be applied to Him, but in the far deeper
sense that the whole spirit and scope of the prophet s conceptions are verified in
Him." A. B. Davidson, Old Testament Prnphecy, p. 461.
" In Christ the genius of Israel found its fullest and most intense expression :
the character imperfectly realised either by the nation as a whole, or by the best
of its individual members, was exhibited in its completeness by Him. The work
and office of Christ, as Teacher, as Prophet, as Example, as Sacrifice, exhibits the
consummation of what was achieved imperfectly and partially by Israel."
Driver, Isaiah : His Life and Times, p. 180.
196
The Suffering Servant
life a willing sacrifice for sin. Thus it pleased
the Father, not merely to make the Captain of our
salvation " perfect through sufferings," but by
His sacrifice to bring with Him " many sons unto
glory " (Heb. ii. 10).
" How came the everlasting Son,
The Lord of life, to die ?
Why didst Thou meet the tempter s power,
Why, Jesus, in Thy dying hour,
Endure such agony ?
To save us by Thy precious blood,
To make us one in Thee,
That ours might be Thy perfect life,
Thy thorny crown, Thy cross, Thy strife,
And ours the victory.
O make us worthy, gracious Lord,
Of all Thy love to be ;
To Thy blest will our wills incline,
That unto death we may be Thine,
And ever live in Thee."
197
CHAPTER XIV
THE RETURN FROM EXILE
THE prophet s glowing hopes were not long
in reaching their fulfilment. By the spring of
539 B.C., Cyrus had established his supremacy
in the North and West. The way was now open
for the attack on Babylon. In spite of the danger
confronting him, Nabonidus was indifferent as
ever to the cares of government. His people
were distracted and rebellious, many of them
actually favourable to the invader. Cyrus himself
claims that he entered Babylonia at Marduk s
command, and that the god marched at his side
" as friend and helper." The campaign was short
and decisive. About the tenth day of the month
Tammuz (July), Cyrus gave battle to the royal
troops under Belshazzar at Opis, on the Tigris, and
after a brief struggle defeated and scattered them,
taking Belshazzar prisoner. On the fourteenth,
the outpost city of Sippar, forty-five miles south
west of Opis, fell without a blow. Two days
later (on the sixteenth of Tammuz) Babylon
opened its gates to Gobryas, the Persian com-
mander-in-chief. On the third day of Marchesvan
198
The Return from Exile
(October) Cyrus made his triumphal entry into
the city. Thus ignominiously did " the glory of
kingdoms " sink into Sheol.
Cyrus was a man of very different mould from
earlier conquerors. Humane and generous by
nature, he sought to rule by good-will instead of
force. 1 The defeated king Nabonidus readily admits
that " peace was secured for the city ; Cyrus pro
claimed peace to all Babylonia." 2 In his respect
for the political and religious traditions of his new
subjects, he showed a breadth and tolerance of mind
almost unparalleled in the ancient world. His policy
towards the exiled peoples in Babylonia was equally
liberal. Instead of further attempts to break their
spirit by unwilling residence near the centre of
Empire, he determined from the outset to send
them back to their original homes, where they might
develop their own national life and character under
his personal encouragement and support. 3 Among
others, the Jews reaped the fruits of Cyrus liberality.
The decision to set them free must have been arrived
at within a few months of the capture of Babylon,
and active measures were soon taken to carry it into
effect. Sheshbazzar, a Persian satrap, was appointed
as Imperial commissioner to direct the movement.
1 On Cyrus generosity even towards his enemies, cf. Herodotus, I. S6ff. ;
Xenophon, Cyropaedia, III. iff., IV. 41., VII. 2, VIII. iff.
3 Nabonidus, Annals, III. igf.
3 On Cyrus policy, cf. his Cylinder Inscription, 11. 3if. : "The gods who
dwelt in Agadi, etc., I brought to their places ; I caused them to inhabit a
permanent abode. All their inhabitants I assembled, I re-erected their dwellings."
199
The Faith of Isaiah
With him were associated two representative Jews
the heads respectively of State and Church
Zerubbabel, grandson of the exiled king Jehoiachin,
and Joshua, son of Josadak, and grandson of Seraiah,
the last chief priest of the Temple in Jerusalem.
By royal decree permission was granted to as many
as wished to return, with their families and servants,
their personal belongings, and all that remained
of the Temple treasures. The more prosperous
among the exiles preferred the flesh-pots of Baby
lonia to the hardships and uncertainties of the new
life in Palestine ; but a goodly number gathered
around Sheshbazzar, strong in faith and hope and
love towards their country and people. The summer
of 538 saw the pilgrim bands already on the march,
retraversing the road over which they and their
fathers had been dragged, under so very different
auspices, some sixty years before. Songs of praise
and joy lightened the burdens of the journey, and
early in the following year they found themselves
once more within the precincts of the Holy City.
An altar was forthwith erected on the Temple site,
and the daily worship of Jehovah resumed. Already,
no doubt, the exiles dreamed their dreams of a
New Jerusalem rising in splendour, the beauty and
pride of all the earth. But the sight of the grass-
grown walls and blackened ruins damped their
enthusiasm. Nor was there anything in their
personal surroundings to rekindle the flame. The
200
The Return from Exile
ground was impoverished, and the harvests were
lean ; the " people of the land " those that had
been left behind in the Captivity were jealous of
their privileges ; while the heathen around them
the Philistines, Ammonites, Edomites, and Arabs,
with the half-breed Samaritans in the North were
aggressively hostile. It seemed as if Jehovah Himself
had abandoned them, caring nothing for the honour
of His House and people. Thus the hearts of the
builders grew faint, and the work of restoration
ceased, the harassed people contenting themselves
with simple homes for themselves and their children. 1
A fine reflection of the spiritual temper of the
community is found in the impassioned prayer,
Isa. Ixiii. y-lxiv. 12, which fits most easily into these
years of depression and anxiety,
The prayer opens with a thankful recognition of
Jehovah s goodness to His people in the days of old,
when He watched over them with fatherly love
and compassion, bearing them safely through all
dangers, and redeeming them from manifold dis
tresses, though His goodness was requited by
incessant acts of rebellion, which compelled Him to
turn against them.
" The lovingkindnesses of Jehovah will I celebrate,
His praiseworthy deeds,
1 The account of the Return in Ezra i.-iv. betrays in certain respects the
influence of later events ; but there is no reason to doubt the substantial accuracy
of the narrative. Cf. G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Pf opbets, II. pp.
201
The Faith of Isaiah
According to all that Jehovah hath wrought for us
Who is rich in goodness
Wrought for us according to His compassion,
And the fulness of His love.
He said, Surely they are My people,
Sons that will not deal falsely ;
Thus He became their Saviour
In all their distress.
No messenger or angel,
But His own Presence saved them ;
In His love and in His pity
He redeemed them ;
He took them up, and carried them,
All the days of old.
But they rebelled, and grieved
His holy spirit ;
So He turned to be their enemy,
He fought against them" (Ixiii. 7-10).
Even under the stress of sore affliction Israel found
comfort in the thought of Jehovah s marvellous
dealings with Moses and his people.
" Then Israel remembered the days of old,
Saying of Jehovah :
c Where is He that brought up from the deep
The shepherd and his flock P 1
1 The shepherd and his flock are rightly identified " with Moses and his
people" in the gloss which has displaced the second phrase of verse n.
202
The Return from Exile
Where is He that placed within them
His holy spirit ?
He that led at Moses right hand
His glorious arm ?
He that cleft the waters before them,
To make Him an everlasting name ?
He that led them through the depths,
And they stumbled not,
Like cattle that go down to the valley,
Or a horse in the pasture-land ?
The spirit of Jehovah guided them,
As a shepherd his flock ;
Even so didst Thou lead Thy people,
To make Thyself a glorious name
(vv. 11-14).
But the days of His favour seem gone for ever.
Israel lies at the mercy of her enemies, as though
He had never borne rule over her. The adversary,
too, has trodden down the Holy Place, scorning His
power to defend Himself. How long, then, is He
to endure this dishonour ? How long to keep
His bowels of compassion shut up against His
children ?
" Look down from heaven, and behold
From Thy holy habitation !
Where is Thy zeal and might,
The tumult of Thy bowels ?
203
The Faith of Isaiah
Hold not back Thy compassion,
For Thou art our Father.
Yea, should Abraham know us not,
Nor Israel acknowledge us,
Thou, Jehovah, art our Father,
Our Redeemer of old.
Why then dost Thou cause us to wander from Thy
ways,
Why harden our heart that we fear Thee not ?
Return, O Lord, for Thy servants sake,
For the tribes of Thine inheritance !
Why have the wicked profaned Thy holy place,
Our adversaries trodden down Thy sanctuary ?
We are become as those over whom Thou barest
not rule of old,
As those that have not been called by Thy name "
(vv. 15-19).
With heightening emotion the poet calls on
Jehovah to rend the heavens, and come down to
deliver His people. They have, indeed, sinned
grievously against Him ; but He is their Father,
and cannot surely hold His peace for ever.
" O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens, and come
down,
That the mountains might quake at Thy presence
As when fire doth kindle the brushwood,
And causeth the waters to boil
204
The Return from Exile
To make Thy name known to Thy foes,
That the nations may tremble before Thee,
While Thou workest terrors (to the enemy) we
hoped not for,
That no man hath heard of old !
Ear hath not heard,
Eye hath not seen,
The works and wonders Thou doest
For them that wait on Thee.
Would Thou didst meet (with Thy favour) such as
do right,
Who remember Thy ways !
But, behold ! Thou wast wroth, and we sinned
Thou wast wroth at our doings, and we fell into
guilt.
We all are become as a man unclean,
All our righteous deeds as a garment defiled ;
We all have faded away like a leaf,
And our guilt hath swept us off like the wind.
There is none (among us) that doth call on Thy
name,
That rouseth himself to lay hold on Thee 1 :
For Thou hast hidden Thy face from us,
And hast handed us over to the power of our sins.
But now, Jehovah, Thou art our Father,
And all of us are Thy children ;
1 "An easily intelligible hyperbole" (Skinner).
205
The Faith of Isaiah
Thou art our Potter, and we the clay,
Even all of us are the work of Thy hand.
Be not wroth, then, O Lord, overmuch,
And remember not guilt for ever !
Behold, look, we beseech Thee ;
For we are all Thy people !
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness,
Jerusalem is a desolation ;
Our holy and beautiful house,
Where our fathers praised Thee,
Is become a brand of fire,
And all our pleasant places are laid waste.
And for these things, O Lord, wilt Thou restrain
Thyself;
Wilt Thou hold Thy peace, and afflict us very
much ? " (Ixiv. 1-12).
206
CHAPTER XV
THE NEW JERUSALEM
THE prayer that Jehovah would rend the heavens,
and come down, was answered by another of those
kaleidoscopic changes in Eastern history in which
prophetic spirits saw clearly the hand of the living
God.
Cyrus died in 529 B.C., and was succeeded by his
wild and reckless son, Cambyses " the mad." His
victories in Egypt were unable to undo the evil
effects of his cruelty and caprice, and the brilliant
achievements of Cyrus seemed destined to swift
ruin, when in 522 Cambyses committed suicide,
throwing the prize of empire open to the strongest
hand. After a few months usurpation by the
ignoble Gaumata, who pretended to be Smerdis or
Barada, the second son of Cyrus, the reins were
seized by Darius, son of Hystaspes, the ablest and
noblest born of living Persians (521). His accession
was hotly disputed, and insurrections broke out in
most of the provinces. The Jews, however, were
conspicuous for their loyalty to the new monarch,
207
The Faith of Isaiah
and this naturally predisposed him in their favour.
Thus a new enthusiasm for Jerusalem swept over
them, and under the inspiration of the prophets
Haggai and Zechariah, and the practical leadership
of Zerubbabel and Joshua, they gave themselves
to the work of restoration, with such success that in
516 the building of the Temple was completed, and
the ancient rites were resumed with a great feast of
dedication (Ezra vi.). But the new age foretold by
the prophets delayed its coming. The hopes they
had centred in Zerubbabel were frustrated, and the
Jews remained a subject people, hard pressed by
their adversaries, and with little promise for the
future. Jerusalem looked the mere shadow of its
former self, while the Temple was an object of
contempt to the neighbours. Under these various
disappointments the zeal of the people rapidly
cooled. They became remiss in their service, with
holding the tithes, and bringing to Jehovah s altar
the poorest and sickliest of their flocks (Mai. i. 6ff.).
Many of them even abandoned the pure faith of
their fathers, and adopted the worldly ways of the
nations around them, setting their hearts on gain
instead of goodness and mercy, defrauding the
hireling of his wages, doing injustice to the widow,
the fatherless and the stranger, and even cruelly
divorcing " the wives of their youth " for the
daughters of the Gentiles among whom they dwelt
(ii. iff.). Nor did any ill befall them for their
208
The New Jerusalem
apostasy. Indeed, it seemed as if those most loyal
to their faith had to bear the burden of the people s
guilt, while " every one that did evil was accepted
as good in the eyes of Jehovah, and He delighted in
them " (ii. 17 ; cf. iii. 14).
The crisis called for a prophet, and about the
year 460 B.C. just before Ezra s first visit to
Jerusalem the word of the Lord came through
Malachi. In simple, forceful prose, resembling the
dialectical style of the Rabbi or teacher, he pressed
home the three fundamental principles of Israel s
religion the love of Jehovah for His people, His
transcendent holiness or majesty, and His inflexible
righteousness and summoned them to bring their
lives into harmony with His will, by offering Him the
service of a pure and reverent worship, combined
with respect for the common moralities of life,
honesty in the law-courts and the market-place, faith
fulness to the marriage bond, and kindly regard for
the poor and lonely, the widow, the fatherless and
the stranger, inasmuch as all had one Father in God
assuring such as feared His name that the clouds
would soon break and the sun of righteousness arise
" with healing in its wings," and on that day they
should " skip as calves of the stall," while the wicked
would be burned up, root and branch, and be
trodden as ashes beneath the soles of their feet.
Essentially the same ideals are upheld in the
radiant chapters, Isa. Ivi.-lxvi., which are now
209
The Faith of Isaiah
recognised as belonging to the same age of dis
illusionment, scepticism and apostasy. 1
In feeling and imagination the chapters may still
remind us of the prophecy of Comfort. The style,
however, is imitative rather than original, while in
other respects the work is secondary and derivative.
The historical background, too, points unmistakably
to the time of Malachi. The darkness of the Exile
has been dispelled, and the people of Jehovah can
once more worship Him in the Temple. But they
are plunged in deep disquietude and depression
because of the evil that prevails. Their spiritual
watchmen, the priests and prophets, are blind and
senseless, unable to give heed to truth and righteous
ness : they are all " dumb dogs, which cannot
bark," but lie down and dream, " loving to slumber,"
save when they fetch themselves wine and are filled
with strong drink, so greedy of appetite that they
can never have enough (Ivi. ioff.). Thus the beasts
of the field and jungle the jealous nations sur
rounding Judah are continually breaking through
the fences and devouring them. Even under the
shadow of the Holy Place grave disorders reign.
" The righteous man perisheth,
Yet no one layeth it to heart ;
1 On the question of Trito-Isaiah, cf. recent commentaries like Skinner, II.
pp.xli.ff. ; Wade, pp. Ixvii.fT. ; or Cheyne s monumental Introduction to the Book
of Isaiah, pp. 31 off. The chapters hang somewhat loosely together, and were
probably composed at intervals though by the same author within a few
years of the Reform under Ezra and Nehemiah.
210
The New Jerusalem
And godly men are swept away,
Yet none regardeth it.
By reason of the evil (of the times) the righteous
is swept away,
He entereth into peace ;
They rest upon their beds, 1
Who have walked straight-forward," (Ivii. if.)
while their godless oppressors make sport of them,
opening wide their mouths, and shooting out the
tongue, in contempt alike of their piety and of their
unmerited fate (vv. 3f.). The land, too, is full of
the grossest superstition and idolatry. Men build
their altars and offer sacrifice to Moloch, Gad and
Meni the gods of Fortune and Destiny " under
every green tree," and in valleys " under the cleft
of the rocks " (vv. 5ff.). 2 They likewise indulge in
all manner of abominable rites in secret gardens
and among the graves ; they " eat swine s flesh,"
and prepare their magical hell-broth in consec
rated vessels, charging themselves with the
" holiness " of the gods they worship (Ixv. 3ff.)- 3
1 The " peace " here is the peace of death, and the " beds " are graves.
2 The paganism alluded to is usually identified with the half-heathen worship
of the Samaritans, but it was prevalent also in the popular religion of Israel, both
before and after the Exile. A flood of light has recently been shed on the subject
from the Assouan papyri, with their open acknowledgement of Baal, Nebo,
Melcarth, and various other gods alongside of Jehovah. Cf. J. M. P. Smith,
"Jewish Religious Life in the Fifth Century B.C.," in the American Journal of
Semitic Languages, July 1917, pp. 322ff.
3 The prophet here alludes to the mystical forms of worship that were wide
spread over the Eastern world in the centuries immediately preceding the
Christian era, and affected the faith of Israel as early as the times of Ezekiel (cf.
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The Faith of Isaiah
Even where the purer faith is maintained, religion
is too often divorced from morality. Men draw
near to Jehovah, and keep His fasts and ordinances
but for their own comfort and glory. Of their
debtors they relentlessly exact the pledge, while for
the poor, the hungry and the oppressed they have
no room in their thoughts (Iviii. 3f.). Their hands
are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity ;
their lips have spoken lies, and their tongue muttered
wickedness. They conceive mischief, and bring
forth iniquity. And yet they ask why salvation is
still so far away ; why they should look for light,
and behold darkness, for brightness, and they must
walk in obscurity (lix. 3^.).
The prophet is as insistent as Malachi that true
devotion of heart and life is the only way of salva
tion. At the very outset he strikes this note clear
and strong. Jehovah s salvation is near to come, and
His righteousness about to be revealed ; but they
alone shall taste the happiness of redemption who
" observe judgment and practise righteousness," 1
even such as " keep the Sabbath from profaning it,
Ezek. viii. j&.}. The intention of the rites was to reach a closer communion
with the gods than the ordinary worship afforded (cf. W. R. Smith, Religion of
the Semites, pp. zSgff., 3575.). The opening words of ver. 5 should be rendered,
" Stand off, come not near me, lest I sanctify thee," i.e. infect thee with the
" holiness " or taboo that comes from participation in the rites.
1 In this context " judgment " applies specifically to the Divine statutes of
religion (Sabbath-keeping and the like), " righteousness " to just conduct towards
one s neighbour. In the other part of the verse it is the co-relative of salvation
(see p. 155, n. i).
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The New Jerusalem
and keep their hands from doing any evil " (Ivi. if.).
Given but fidelity to Jehovah and His righteousness,
there is no limit to salvation. The eunuch who
keeps the Sabbath and chooses the things that
please God, and the stranger from whatsoever
nation who joins himself to Jehovah and loves His
name and service, shall be granted an inheritance in
His house " better than that of sons and daughters,"
and a name among His redeemed ones " that shall
not be cut off " (vv. 3f.). For in the brighter days
at hand the Temple of Jehovah shall be no sanctuary
for Jews alone, but " shall be called an house of prayer
for all the peoples " (ver. 7). As for the down
trodden servants of Jehovah, who have held fast to
His name through all darkness and oppression, let
them lift up their eyes in hope, for already the light
is breaking in the East.
" Cast up, cast up, level the way,
Remove the stumbling-block from the path of
my people ;
For thus saith the High and Exalted One,
That dwelleth (enthroned) for ever, whose name
is Holy :
I dwell on high as the Holy One,
And with him that is broken and bowed in spirit, 1
1 " It is the paradox of religion that Jehovah s holiness, which places Him
at an infinite distance from human pride and greatness, brings Him near to the
humble in spirit " (Skinner). Cf. Ps. cxiii. 5f., cxxxviii. 6.
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The Faith of Isaiah
To revive the spirit of the bowed,
And to revive the heart of the broken ;
For not for ever will I strive (with My people),
And not continually be wroth
Else the spirit would faint before Me,.
Even the souls which I have made. 1
For his sin was I wroth for a moment,
And I smote him, while I hid myself in wrath.
He walked rebelliously in the way of his heart,
And I saw his ways, saith Jehovah.
But now will I heal him, and cause him to rest,
And requite him with consolations.
For his mourners create I the fruit of the lips
Peace, peace, to far and near. 2
But the wicked are like the uptossed sea,
For it cannot rest ;
And its waters toss up mire and filth
No peace, saith my God, for the wicked "
(Ivii. 14-21).
In Jehovah s sight fasting and Sabbath-keeping
are no substitute for contrition of heart. It is vain
for men to seek Him daily and ask for righteous
ordinances " as a nation that doeth righteousness,
1 " Hardly less remarkable is the motive here assigned for the Divine clemency
Jehovah s compassion for the frailty of His creatures " (Skinner). Cf. Amos
vii. zff. ; Ps. ciii. I3f.
2 The pronouns in this context refer to Israel, the " near " being those already
brought back to their mother-land, the " far " those still in exile. The " fruit
of the lips " is obviously praise and gratitude for their deliverance.
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The New Jerusalem
and forsaketh not the law of its God " if they use
His ordinances to further their own profit, assuming
the cloak of religion to " oppress all their labourers,"
and fasting " for strife and contention, and to smite
the poor with the fist " (Iviii. iff.). Such fasting
cannot " make their voice to be heard on high "
(ver. 4). In a tone of irony that recalls Amos, the
prophet turns upon them :
" Is such the fast I choose
A day for a man to mortify himself,
To bow down his head like a bulrush,
To grovel in sackcloth and ashes ?
Wilt thou call this a fast,
A day of pleasure to Jehovah ? " (Iviii. 5)
The true fast, on the contrary, is a day of mercy
and brotherly kindness.
" Is not this the fast I choose,
Saith Jehovah the Lord
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
And undo the cords of violence ;
To let the oppressed go free,
And every yoke to snap ;
To deal thy bread to the hungry,
And the homeless to bring to thy home ;
When thou seest the naked, to cover him,
And to hide not thyself from thy flesh 1 ? "
(vv. 6f.)
1 The " flesh " is, of course, one s fellow-Israelites (cf. Neh. v. 5).
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The Faith of Isaiah
If such be the fasts they keep, healing will soon
return to them, and Jehovah will lead them into
fulness of light and joy.
" Then shall thy light break forth as the dawn,
And thy healing 1 shall spring forth speedily ;
And thy right shall go before thee,
And the glory of Jehovah shall be thy rearguard.
Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer,
Thou shalt cry, and He will say, Here am I.
If thou wilt remove from thy midst the yoke,
The shooting of finger, and mischievous speech,
And wilt share thy bread with the hungry,
And sate the afflicted soul,
Then shall thy light stream forth in the darkness,
And thy murk shall be as noonday,
And Jehovah shall guide thee continually,
And shall sate thy soul in drought ;
And thy strength will He renew,
And thou shalt be as a watered garden,
And thy life like a bubbling spring,
Whose waters fail not.
And thy sons shall rebuild the ancient wastes,
The foundations of many generations shalt thou
upraise ;
And thou shalt be called the Repairer of the breach,
The Restorer of ruins as a dwelling-place "
(vv. 8-12).
1 The " healing " is literally the new flesh formed when the wound is healing.
2l6
The New Jerusalem
It is not because Jehovah s ears are too dull to
hear, or His hand too short to reach them, that the
hour of salvation drags : their own sins are the
barrier that restrains Him, the veil that obscures
His face (lix. iff.). If only they will confess their
sins, He will come down like a man of war, arrayed
in righteousness as a coat of mail and salvation as
the helmet upon His head, with vengeance as His
garment and the fury of battle as His cloak, to
recompense His enemies according to their deserts,
and to bring deliverance to His people (vv. I5ff.)-
Then shall the whole world see His glory sweeping
from East to West like a pent-up flood (ver. 19),
or breaking like the sun at dawn, heralding the day
of eternal light.
" Arise, shine ! for thy light is come,
And the glory of Jehovah hath risen upon thee.
For lo ! darkness doth cover the earth,
And gross darkness the peoples ;
But over thee Jehovah doth rise,
And His glory appeareth upon thee ;
And nations shall come to thy light,
And kings to the gleam of thy rising.
Lift up thine eyes around about, and behold !
All of them gather and come to thee
From afar come thy sons,
And thy daughters are borne on the side. 1
1 " Borne on the side " (or hip), the common Eastern way of carrying young
children.
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The Faith of Isaiah
Thou shalt see, and be radiant,
And thy heart shall throb and swell (with joy),
For to thee shall be turned the wealth of the deep,
The riches of nations shall come unto thee.
A stream of camels shall cover thee,
The young camels of Midian and Ephah ;
All those of Sheba shall come,
They shall bring frankincense and gold ;
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to thee,
The rams of Nebaioth shall eagerly seek thee ;
They shall mount thine altar as a well-pleasing
sacrifice,
And my house of prayer shall be glorified.
Who are these, now, that fly as a cloud,
Or like doves to their windows ?
Tis the ships a-gathering for me,
And foremost the galleons of Tarshish
To bring thy sons from afar,
Their silver and gold with them,
For the name of Jehovah thy God, the Holy One
of Israel,
Because He hath glorified thee.
And aliens shall build thy walls,
And their kings shall serve thee ;
For, though in my wrath I smote thee,
In my favour have I had compassion on thee.
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The New Jerusalem
And thy gates shall be open continually,
Day and night shall they not be closed,
That the riches of nations may be brought unto thee,
Their kings as leaders.
The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee,
The cypress, the pine, and the box together,
To adorn the place of my sanctuary,
And make my footstool 1 glorious.
And the sons of thine oppressors shall come bending
to thee,
Even all that despised thee shall bow at the soles
of thy feet ;
And thou shalt be called the City of Jehovah,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Whereas thou hast been forsaken,
And hated, that none passed through thee,
I will make thee a glory for ever,
The joy of many generations.
Thou shalt drain the milk of the nations,
Even the breast of kings shalt thou suck ;
And thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour,
The Mighty One of Israel thy Redeemer.
For brass will I bring gold,
And for iron will I bring silver ;
And Peace will I make thy government,
And Righteousness thy rule.
1 The Temple is conceived as Jehovah s " footstool," because here He touches
the earth most closely.
219
The Faith of Isaiah
Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,
Rapine nor ruin within thy borders ;
But thy walls shalt thou call Salvation,
And thy gates Renown.
No more shall the sun be thy light by day,
Nor the moon for brightness illumine thee ;
But Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light,
And thy God thy glory.
Thy sun shall no more go down,
Nor shall thy moon withdraw itself ;
For Jehovah shall be thine everlasting light,
And the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
And thy people shall be all of them righteous,
And shall inherit the land for ever,
As a scion of Jehovah s planting,
The work of His hands, that He may be glorified.
Then the small one shall become a clan,
Even the least a mighty nation ;
I, Jehovah, have spoken the word,
In its time will I hasten it " (Ix. 1-22).
Under the inspiration of this glorious hope the
prophet himself is caught up, and speaks as the
Messenger of Jehovah, to whom is entrusted the
Gospel of great joy. 1
1 In contrast with the " Servant " of II. Isaiah, the Messenger does not
mediate, but only proclaims, the coming salvation. This prophecy also Jesus
fulfilled by His fidelity to its real spirit and purpose. It is noticeable, in this
respect, that in His reading of the passage He stopped short at the reference to
the " day of vengeance " in ver. z (Luke iv. 19).
22O
The New Jerusalem
" The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me,
For Jehovah hath anointed me :
He hath sent me to bring good tidings to the lowly,
To bind the broken in heart,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And release to them that are bound
To proclaim the year of Jehovah s favour,
And the day of vengeance of our God
To comfort all that mourn,
To give them laurel 1 for ashes,
The oil of joy for the garment of mourning,
Praise for a fainting spirit ;
That they may be called oak-trees of righteousness,
The planting of Jehovah, that He may be
glorified.
And they shall rebuild the ancient wastes,.
Shall upraise the ruins of former days ;
They shall renew the wasted cities,
The ruins of many generations.
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
Aliens shall be your ploughmen and your vine
dressers ;
But ye shall be called the priests of Jehovah,
The ministers of our God shall ye be named.
Ye shall eat the riches of nations,
And with their glory shall ye adorn yourselves.
1 Literally, " an ornamented head-tire." Box renders the play by " a coronal
instead of a coronach."
221
The Faith of Isaiah
Because their shame was double, 1
And abuse was the lot they inherited,
So now in their land shall they inherit double
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
For I, Jehovah, love justice,
I hate robbery with unrighteousness ;
Therefore in truth will I give them their recompense,
And an everlasting covenant will I make with
them.
And their seed shall be known among the nations,
Their offspring in the midst of the peoples ;
All that see them shall acknowledge them,
That they are the seed which Jehovah hath
blessed. 2
For, as the earth putteth forth her shoots,
And a garden maketh its seed to sprout,
So Jehovah the Lord shall cause righteousness to
shoot,
And praise before all nations.
For Zion s sake will I not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem will I not rest,
Till her righteousness goeth forth as light,
And her salvation as a burning torch.
1 That is, the shame they endured at the hands of the nations was double
what they deserved for their sins. Cf. xl. 2.
* Ver. 10 is clearly out of place in this context, and should probably be
inserted at the close of ch. Ixiii.
222
The New Jerusalem
Then the nations shall see thy righteousness, 1
And all kings thy glory ;
Thou shalt likewise be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord shall determine ;
And a crown of beauty shalt thou be in the hand
of the Lord,
A royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
No more shalt thou be called Azubah (Forsaken),
Nor thy land Shomemah (Desolate) ;
But thou shalt be called Hephzibah (My delight is
in her),
And thy land Beulah (Married).
For Jehovah delighteth in thee,
And thy land shall be married.
Even as a young man marrieth a maiden,
Thy Builder shall marry thee ;
And as bridegroom rejoiceth over bride,
Thy God shall rejoice over thee" (Ixi. i-lxii. 5).
Jehovah can never forget Zion. Over her walls
He has set guardian angels, who play the part also
of heavenly " remembrancers," giving Him no rest
until He shall have established the city in glory,
and made it the praise of all the earth (Ixii. 6f.).
He has Himself sworn by His strong right arm that
His people shall no more be the spoil of their enemies,
but shall eat their bread and drink their wine in
1 Righteousness is here used in the sense of " vindication."
223
The Faith of Isaiah
peace (vv. 8f.). Already He has proclaimed the
coming salvation " to the end of the earth "
(vv. 10-12), and even now He is seen sweeping from
Edom 1 His garments crimson with the blood of
the enemies He has trampled in the wine-press of
His fury to bring deliverance to the captives and
br^eak their oppressors in pieces (Ixiii. i-6). 2 On
this day of redemption the faithless and the idolaters
shall be cut off from the midst of the people (Ixv. 1-7),
but the true Israel shall be saved with an everlasting
salvation.
" Thus saith Jehovah :
As the must is found in the cluster,
And one saith, * Destroy it not !
For a blessing is in it ; 3
So will I do for my servants sake,
That I may not destroy the whole.
I will bring out of Jacob a seed,
From Judah an heir to my mountains ;
And my chosen shall inherit the land,
My servants shall dwell therein.
1 Edom was conspicuously associated with Divine appearances, both in early
and late times (cf. Judg. v. 4 ; Ts. xxxiv. $f. ; Obad. iflf.). There is, no doubt
also a play of words between Edom and " red, " Bozrah and " vintage ." Some
scholars, indeed, alter the text of ver. I to read :
" Who is this that cometh all reddened,
His garments crimsoned more than a vintager s ? "
a On Ixiii. y-lxiv. iz see pp. zoiflF.
3 These are probably the first lines of an old vintage-song, the tune of which
is alluded to in Ps. Ivii., Iviii., Hx., Ixxv.
224
The New Jerusalem
And Sharon shall be a pasture for flocks,
And the valley of Achor a lair for cattle."
(Ixv. 8- TO).
Then shall the former troubles be forgotten, and
every one in the land shall acknowledge Jehovah as
the God of truth.
" For behold ! I create new heavens
And a new earth ;
And the former things shall not be remembered,
Nor come into mind ;
But men shall rejoice and exult for ever
In what I create.
For behold ! I create Jerusalem an exultation,
And her people a joy ;
And I will exult in Jerusalem,
And rejoice in my people ;
And no more shall be heard in her the sound of
weeping,
Nor the sound of crying.
No more shall there go from thence
An infant of days,
Or an old man that doth not complete
His tale of days ;
But the youngest of all shall die
An hundred years old. 1
1 In the glad days to come there will be no premature death ; even an hundred
years will be counted but a short span of life. The final clause suggests that even
that age is premature, and a sign of God s displeasure ; but the prosaic quality
of the remark, and the discord it introduces into the music of the prophecy, stamp
it as a later intrusion.
225
IS
The Faith of Isaiah
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them,
And shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of
them ;
They shall not build, and another inhabit,
Nor plant, and another eat ;
For as the days of a tree shall be the days of my
people,
And the work of their hands shall my chosen
enjoy to the end.
They shall not labour in vain,
Nor bring forth children for destruction ;
For they are a seed of Jehovah s blessed ones,
And their offspring shall be with them. 1
Then, before ever they call, I will answer ;
While they yet speak, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall pasture together,
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox ;
They shall not hurt nor destroy
On all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah"
(vv. 17-25).
The present sufferings are but the travail-pangs
of Zion, and He who has brought to the birth will
give her a mother s joy in full measure (Ixvi. 7-9).
Her children also will find in her bosom rich and
abiding delight.
" Rejoice with Jerusalem, and exult in her,
All ye that love her !
1 That is, many generations will live on together, untouched by death.
226
The New Jerusalem
Joy joyfully with her,
All ye that mourned for her !
That ye may suck, and be satisfied,
From the breast of her consolations ;
That ye may drink, and delight yourselves,
From her rich mother-bosom.
For behold ! I extend to her peace like a river,
And the splendour of nations like a sweeping
torrent ;
Her sucklings also shall be borne on the side,
And fondled on the knees.
And as one whom his mother doth comfort,
So shall ye be comforted in Jerusalem ;
And when ye see it, your heart shall rejoice,
And your bones shall flourish like spring grass "
(Ixvi. 10-14).
While the hand of Jehovah thus rests in mercy
upon Jerusalem, His wrath goes out in judgment
against His enemies, the heathen and the schis-
matical, whose worship is no better than murder
and impurity (vv. iff.). 1 Like the whirlwind His
chariots descend on them ; as tongues of fire His
arrows smite them, while His sword hews them in
pieces (vv. 15^.)- When judgment is accomplished,
all the nations shall be gathered to see the revelation
of Jehovah s glory in Zion, and they shall bring with
them the scattered exiles of Israel, as a freewill
1 By the schismatics he probably means the Samaritans, who built a rival
temple on Mount Gerizim.
227
The Faith of Isaiah
offering to God on His holy mountain. Thus the
seed and fame of Jerusalem shall continue for ever,
a blessing to all the nations.
" For behold ! the time is come
To gather all nations and tongues ;
They shall come, and shall see my glory,
And a sign will I set among them.
And of these will I send the escaped (of the judg
ment)
To the distant isles,
That have heard not my name,
Nor seen my glory. 1
And they shall declare my glory among the nations,
And they shall bring all your brothers from all
the peoples,
For an oblation to Jehovah on my holy mountain,
Even Jerusalem, saith the Lord
As the children of Israel bring oblation
In a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.
And of these too will I take
To be Levite priests, saith Jehovah.
For as the new heavens,
And the new earth that I do make,
Continue before me, saith Jehovah,
So shall your seed and your name continue"
(vv. 18-21).
1 That is, the nations nearer to Jerusalem, who first see the glory of Jehovah,
will send missionaries to the more distant peoples, to share with them the blessings
they rejoice in.
228
CHAPTER XVI
LIFE FROM THE DEAD
THE vision of the New Jerusalem is already tinged
with the colouring of Apocalypse, in which the
redemption of Israel is set on a fiery background of
wrath and judgment. This influence is still more
marked in various prophecies against the nations
which in all likelihood belong to the same general
period of Persian domination. Over Moab the
avenging hosts of the Lord sweep like a tornado,
smiting down the men at arms and laying waste the
fields and vineyards, so that " all joy is withdrawn "
from the land, and the prophet s own bowels " sound
like a harp " for its fate (chs. xv., xvi.). On a swift
cloud Jehovah Himself descends upon Egypt, con
founding the spirit of its princes, setting city at
variance with city and kingdom with kingdom,
delivering the people into the hand of " a cruel
lord," drying up also the waters of the Nile, and
making all work to cease (xix. 1-17). The proud
commercial city of Tyre, " whose merchants were
princes and its traders the honoured of the earth,"
is likewise touched by the rod of Jehovah s wrath,
229
The Faith of Isaiah
flung from her fortress on the sea, and left like a
" harlot forgotten " (ch. xxiii.). On Edom also
descends the sword of Almighty Justice, drunk with
heavenly fury, to drench the whole land in blood,
and make it a place of burning pitch, " that shall
not be quenched for ever," a waste inhabited only
by the " pelican and bittern," the owl and raven,
" the wild beasts of the desert," the jackal and
ostrich, the wolf and satyr and night-hag (ch. xxxiv.).
Israel itself is not exempt from the ordeal. The
bloodstains of Jerusalem must be purged from the
midst thereof " by the blast of judgment and the
blast of burning," until none are left but such as
are called holy, " even every one that is written for
life " those whose names are inscribed on the book
of life " in Jerusalem " (iv. 3f.). The " sinners
in Zion " must pass through the flames, every evil
life and deed being consumed by " the devouring
fire," and he alone able to dwell securely amid the
" everlasting burnings " of God s holiness " that
walketh in righteousness and speaketh truth, that
despiseth gain won by acts of oppression, that shaketh
his hands from the holding of bribes, that stoppeth
his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shutteth
his eyes from looking on evil " (xxxiii. I3ff.)* But
when the storm of judgment is past, Zion rises
from her agony " a quiet habitation, a tent that
shall not be removed, whose stakes shall never be
plucked up, and none of whose cords shall be broken "
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Life from the Dead
(ver. 20). No more need shall she , have to envy
Egypt her Nile-streams and her lordly galleys ; for
the River of God shall be in her, and He shall be
her Judge and Law-giver, her King and Saviour
(vv. 2 if.). Over the whole sacred site of Mount
Zion He will brood " as a cloud of smoke by day
and a brightly shining flame of fire by night," and
His glory shall be " a canopy and pavilion, a shade
from the heat, a refuge and shelter from storm and
rain " (iv. 5f.). On that day the tumultuous hordes
of the enemy shall vanish like a dream or " vision of
the night " (xxix. yf.). For as a mother-bird
hovereth over her nest, so will He hover over
Jerusalem ; as a lion defendeth his prey against
" the whole band of shepherds," so will He defend
Jerusalem against all that assail her (xxxi. 4f.).
Then shall the " remnant of Israel " stay them
selves no more on those that smote them, but on
Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and on Him
alone (x. 2of.). And He shall give them rest from
all their sorrow and trouble, even all the " hard
service " they were made to serve (xiv. 3). On that
day He shall be as " a crown of glory and a diadem
of beauty to the remnant of His people " the
source also of all their wisdom and strength " a
spirit of justice to him that sitteth in judgment
and a tower of strength unto them that turn back
the battle towards the gate " (xxviii. 5f.). Quickened
by this same spirit, the deaf shall hear the " words
231
The Faith of Isaiah
of the book," 1 and the eyes of the blind shall be
opened to see through obscurity and darkness.
" The meek also shall find fresh joy in Jehovah, and
the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One
of Israel." Even the dullest, the most wilful and
perverse, shall learn obedience to Him. " They
that err in spirit shall get understanding, and they
that murmur shall learn instruction " (xxix. i8ff.).
And the sound of weeping shall no more be heard
in Jerusalem.
" Thou people in Zion, that dwellest in Jerusalem,
Of a surety shalt thou weep no more ;
Right graciously will He deal with thee at the sound
of thy crying :
So soon as He hears will He answer thee.
If the Lord (in time past) hath given you
Bread of distress and water of affliction,
No more will thy Teacher withdraw Himself,
But thine eyes shall continually behold thy
Teacher. 2
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee,
The voice of thy Counsellor, saying,
This is the way ; walk in it !
When ye turn to right or left.
1 The "book" is doubtless that referred to in vv. iiff., which is "sealed"
both to learned and unlearned.
2 The Teacher is Jehovah Himself; and the "word" of counsel in the next
stanza is likewise that of Jehovah.
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Life from the Dead
And thou shalt defile thy graven images o erlaid with
silver,
And thy molten images plated with gold ;
Thou shalt straw them abroad as a thing unclean,
Thou shalt say to them, Get ye hence !
Then will He give thee rain for thy seed,
That thou mayest sow the ground,
And bread-corn as the produce of the ground,
Full of fatness and marrow.
In that day shall thy cattle also feed in broad pastures,
And the oxen and young asses that till the ground
Of salted fodder shall they eat,
Winnowed with shovel and fan.
And on every lofty mountain and every high hill,
There shall be rivers flowing with water,
On the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall. 1
And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the
sun,
And the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,
On the day that Jehovah doth bind up the wound
of His people,
And healeth the hurt they were stricken with "
(xxx. 19-26).
1 The " slaughter " is that of Israel s enemies, which is part of the scenic
background of Apocalypse.
233
The Faith of Isaiah
But the joy of redemption is not for Jerusalem
alone. The pall that lies over the Northland also
shall be removed, " and there shall be no more
gloom to her that is in distress." As in former
times " He brought into contempt the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali," so in these
days " He shall make it glorious, all along the way
of the Sea, beyond Jordan, even the circuit of the
nations " (ix. i). 1 The old jealousies of Ephraim
and Judah shall now be forgotten, and together
they shall swoop down upon their enemies on every
side (xi. I3f.), and bring them as trembling captives
to be their servants (xiv. if.). Then shall Jehovah
raise a signal to the nations for the return of the exiles
from all the lands to which they were scattered (xi.
1 1 if.) ; and they shall stream back to Palestine,
drawing water with j oy " out of the wells of salvation "
(xii. 3), and singing glad songs of thanksgiving, to
refresh and strengthen themselves on the journey. 2
" I will praise Thee, O Lord,
For Thou wast angry with me ;
But Thine anger is turned away,
And Thou comfortest me.
1 The " way of the sea " is probably that leading from Damascus towards
the Mediterranean. The district here defined thus comprises the land of Galilee,
with Gilead beyond Jordan. " The prophecy," says Skinner, " acquired a new
and surprising significance when the good news of the Kingdom began to be
proclaimed by our Lord first in Galilee " (Isaiah, I. p. 80).
2 Chapter xii. consists of two separate songs, one from the mouth of the
personified community, and the other from the lips of individual members, with
ver. 3 as a connecting link.
234
Life from the Dead
Behold ! God is my salvation,
I will trust, and not be afraid ;
For Jehovah is my strength and song,
And He is become my salvation"
(xii. if.).
" Give thanks to the Lord,
Call on His name ;
Make known His deeds mong the peoples,
Proclaim that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For proudly hath He wrought;
Let this be known
Through all the earth !
Cry aloud, and shout,
Ye dwellers in Zion ;
For great in thy midst
Is the Holy One of Israel " (vv. 4-6).
With the return of the exiles the Messianic age
will have dawned. The eyes of men shall be
cheered by the sight of " the King in his beauty,"
ruling over " a land of far distances " a realm of
illimitable horizons (xxxiii. 1 7).* Under his gracious
influence sickness, sorrow and sin shall be removed,
the lion and every ravenous beast shall disappear,
the land shall be carpeted with flowers, and the
1 The allusion here is to the ever-widening extension of the Messianic kingdom
(cf. ix. 7 ; . Micah. v. 4 ; Ps. Ixxii. 8).
235
The Faith of Isaiah
highways to Zion shall be centres of peace and
security, over which pilgrim-bands of Jehovah s
redeemed ones shall pass with the crown of " ever
lasting joy " upon their heads.
" The wilderness and the parched land shall rejoice
The desert shall exult and blossom ;
Like the crocus shall it blossom abundantly,
It shall exult with exultation and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given it,
The splendour of Carmel and Sharon ;
And these 1 shall see the glory of Jehovah,
The splendour of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
And the tottering knees make firm ;
Say unto them that are fearful of heart,
Be strong, fear not !
Behold, your God !
With vengeance He cometh ;
His recompense cometh,
He cometh to save you.
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened,
And the ears of the deaf be unstopped ;
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart,
And the tongue of the dumb shall sing.
1 By " these " the poet means the disheartened Jews for whose strengthening
he appeals in vv. 3f. ,
236
Life from the Dead
For waters shall break out in the wilderness,
And rivers in the desert ;
And the glowing sand shall become a pool,
And the thirsty ground springs of water.
In the haunt of jackals and wild cats
Your flocks shall lay them down ;
And the lodging-place of ostriches
Shall be filled with reeds and rushes.
And there shall be an highway
The Holy Way shall it be called
No unclean one shall pass thereon, 1
No fools shall wander along it.
No lion shall be there,
No ravenous beast shall go up thither ;
But the redeemed shall walk in it.
And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return by it.
They shall come with singing to Zion,
Everlasting joy upon their heads ;
Gladness and joy shall o er take them,
While sorrow and sighing shall flee away :
(xxxv. i-io).
Still loftier heights are reached in the soaring
apocalyptic visions of chapters xxiv.-xxvii., which
probably date from the time of national upheaval
1 An explanatory gloss adds, " But it shall be for His (Jehovah s) people as
they walk on the way " (i.e., go on pilgrimage).
237
The Faith of Isaiah
inaugurated by the campaigns of Alexander the
Great against Persia in 334-30 B.C.
The curtain rises on the usual background of
judgment passed upon all the earth for the crimes
of its inhabitants. Jehovah doth empty it out
like a basin ; then He turneth it upside down, and
scattereth its inhabitants to the winds. Ruin falls
equally on people and priest, master and servant,
mistress and maid, buyer and seller, taker and
giver of interest ; for all are under the same curse,
and all share the same guilt. Their cities are
shattered, their homes left desolate, the fruits of
the ground blasted, and themselves diminished in
numbers, " as when olive trees are beaten, or at
gleaning, when vintage is over" (xxiv. 1-13)-
Already, indeed, the prophet can hear in the distance
loud songs of praise to Jehovah, proclaiming the
day of salvation ; but meantime all around him is
darkness and distress.
" Terror and pit and snare
Be upon you, dwellers on earth !
And he that fleeth from terror shall fall on the pit,
And he that escapes from the pit shall be caught
in the snare.
For the windows on high are opened,
And the roots of the earth do shake ;
The earth is utterly broken,
Is split to the heart, and uptossed.
238
Life from the Dead
The earth doth reel as a drunkard,
And is swayed to and fro like a hammock ;
The transgression of earth lies heavy thereon,
And it falleth, to rise no more "
(vv. 17-20).
In this sublime oracle judgment strikes not
merely the kings and princes of the earth. Jehovah
will visit also " the host of the height on high "
the rebellious powers of heaven 1 gathering them
together, " as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon,"
to await the day of vengeance when the sun and
moon shall be abased before the radiance of His
glory, and He shall stand forth as King on Mount
Zion, revealing His grace to the elders of His people.
But the sweep of God s mercy is as universal as His
judgment. On the day when His light breaks
over Jerusalem, He shall remove the veil from the
face of all nations, and they shall sit down with Him
at His coronation feast, and shall enjoy the bliss of
His presence for ever.
" Then Jehovah of Hosts will make for all peoples
A feast of fat things, of wine on the lees,
Fat things full of marrow, wine on lees well
refined.
1 These rebellious powers are most probably the patron angels of the hostile
nations (cf. Dan. x. 13, aof.).
239
The Faith of Isaiah
Then will He rend on this mountain 1
The veil that veileth all peoples,
And the web that is woven upon all nations.
He hath swallowed up death for ever,
And will wipe the tears from all faces, 2
And the reproach of His people remove from the
earth :
For Jehovah hath spoken " (xxv. 6-8).
Here the hope of salvation is not merely univer-
salised, but thrown forward also into the Eternal.
With sin and sorrow, Death vanishes before the
light of God s redemption, and the King of terrors
yields his sceptre to Him. This significant new
departure was destined to play a large part in future
visions of the Kingdom, and to contribute a powerful
element to the faith of Judaism. Even in the noblest
of the Psalms the good man s outlook was bounded
by this present earthly sphere. Only a few greatly
daring spirits, driven to despair by the insoluble
problems of life, had sought refuge in the Here
after, or fiercely protested against the indignity of
death for those who walked in constant fellowship
with God. No doubt their heroism of faith had
its influence on the thoughtful. But it was the
taking up of their hope into the enchanted region
of Apocalypse that captivated the heart and imagina-
1 The mountain is, of course, Jerusalem, which was all along regarded as the
capital of the coming Kingdom of God.
1 " Perhaps no words that ever were uttered have sunk deeper into the aching
heart of humanity than this exquisite image of the Divine tenderness " (Skinner).
240
Life from the Dead
tion of the people, and gave to the doctrine of
immortality the sure place it held in Jewish belief
by the time of our Lord.
With this bold leap into the Eternal the prophecy
reaches its climax. There remain, however, a few
verses of melting tenderness in which the seer
appeals to his people to hide themselves in their
chambers till the storm of God s wrath is spent and
the trumpet is blown for the exiles to return " the
lost ones in Assyria and the outcasts in the land of
Egypt " when all of them shall at last worship
Jehovah their God together " on the Holy Mountain
in Jerusalem " (xxvi. 2of., xxvii. I, I2f.). The
direct movement of the Apocalypse, moreover, is
broken by a series of later outbursts of melody,
which endear the chapters even to those blind to
their true character and purpose (xxv. 1-5, xxvi. 1-19,
xxvii. 2-6, 7-11). Of these lyrical inter
mezzos the Song of Salvation in ch. xxvi. is a real
classic of devotion.
The poet first contrasts the blessedness of Jeru
salem, fortified and kept by Jehovah Himself, with
the fate of the " lofty city," the capital of the enemy,
soon to be trampled down by the feet of the " poor
and needy " Jewish people.
" A strong city is ours ;
For protection He setteth
Both walls and bulwark.
241
The Faith of Isaiah
Open the gates,
That the righteous may enter,
Who keepeth troth !
The stedfast mind
Thou keepest in peace,
For he trusteth in Thee.
Trust Jehovah for ever !
For Jehovah the Lord
Is a Rock everlasting.
For He hath abased
The dwellers on high,
The lofty city.
He bringeth it low,
Even to the ground,
He maketh it touch the dust.
The feet of the poor,
The steps of the needy,
Shall trample it down" (xxvi. 1-6).
In more subdued and balanced tones the poet
now reflects on the general fortunes of good and
evil in the world.
" The path of the upright is even,
The track of the just man Thou smoothest ;
242
Life from the Dead
In the path of Thy judgments, O Lord, have we
sought Thee,
Thy name and memorial are our soul s desire.
With my soul have I desired Thee in the night,
Yea, with my spirit do I seek Thee earnestly ;
For, when Thy judgments reach down to the earth,
The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Let favour be shown to the wicked,
Yet will not he learn righteousness ;
In the land of uprightness 1 will he deal wrongfully,
And will not see the majesty of the Lord.
O Lord, Thy hand is exalted,
But Thine enemies see it not ;
Now let them see Thy zeal for Thy people,
Yea, let fire consume them !
But for us, Lord, ordain Thou peace,
For even all our works hast Thou wrought for us !
Lords beside Thee have ruled us, O Lord,
But Thee alone do we mention by name.
The dead come not to life,
The shades rise not ;
So hast Thou visited and destroyed them,
And made every memorial of them to perish.
1 The " land of uprightness " is Palestine, with all its holy influences and
associations. Even there the wicked work their crooked deeds.
243
16a
The Faith of Isaiah
But the nation 1 hast Thou increased.
The nation hast Thou increased ;
O Lord, Thou hast made Thyself glorious,
Thou hast enlarged all the bounds of the land "
(w. 7-1 S)-
The facts of life seem often to give the lie to faith.
The righteous suffer and the wicked enjoy long and
prosperous years. God Himself remains silent to
His people s prayers. Yet faith rests on the eternal
promise. Thus at the end the poet rises clear
above his doubts to a more assured hope in resur
rection and immortal life than any of his fellows
had attained.
" In distress, Lord, we sought Thee,
We cried through oppression,
When Thy chastening was on us.
As a woman with child,
Who is near to give birth,
And cries out in her pain ;
So were we, Lord, before Thee
We travailed and writhed,
And gave birth to wind !
For the land we wrought no deliverance,
No dwellers on earth were born (through us) ;
1 The nation here referred to is Israel, whose future was to be completely
different from that of the other nations.
244
Life from the Dead
But Thy dead shall come to life,
Their bodies shall rise.
They that dwell in the dust
Shall awake and sing out ;
For Thy dew is the dew of lights, 1
And the earth shall bring shades to the birth
(vv. 16-19).
1 The dew is a supernatural power the outflow of heavenly light which
touches and quickens the dead, as the earthly dew quickens the flower.
245
CHAPTER XVII
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
THE alluring visions of apocalyptic seers did much
to strengthen the heart of Israel during the troubled
centuries of foreign domination. There was, how
ever, a grave danger in Apocalypse, and the Jews
did not wholly escape it. By dwelling on the
glorious future that awaited themselves, they tended
to forget their missionary obligations, and even
allowed their minds to brood with malicious delight
on the sufferings to which their enemies were
doomed. The Apocalypses of the Old Testament
are not free from this spirit, and as we pass beyond
the pale of Scripture it becomes greatly accentuated.
But other voices were raised to bring the people to
worthier thoughts of their own destiny and their
relation to the rest of the world. Thus Malachi
exalts the heathen nations as more loyal to God s
honour than His own peculiar people (Mai. i. n),
while the Christ-like little book of Jonah yearns to
extend the salvation which Israel enjoyed even to
the most ruthless of its enemies. Borne up by this
high impulse of sympathy and love, prophetic spirits
rose to the dazzling conception of a world bound
together by common faith in Jehovah, dwelling in
246
The League of Nations
harmony, and finding its true joy in the furtherance
of the universal interests of humanity.
The most radiant utterance is given to this hope
in the great vision of the latter days, which has been
a lode-star to apostles of peace in all the ages.
" And it shall come to pass in the end of the days
That the Mount of Jehovah shall be firmly
established
Even the House of our God on the top of the
mountains,
And uplifted high above all the hills ;
And the nations shall stream to it,
Yea, many peoples shall go and say :
c Come, and let us go up to the Mount of Jehovah,
Even to the House of Jacob s God,
That He may instruct us out of His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths ;
For out of Zion instruction 1 goes forth,
Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Then shall He judge between the nations,
And render decisions for many a people ;
And their swords shall they beat into ploughshares,
And their spears into pruning-hooks ;
Nation shall not lift sword against nation,
And war shall they learn no more "
(Isa. ii. 2-4 ; cf. Micah iv. 2-4.).
1 Torab, " teaching," practically equivalent to Revelation.
247
The Faith of Isaiah
The insight of this prophecy is as deep as its
outlook is broad. War may have its place in the
Divine drama of history ; but the end towards
which all moves is peace. God is a God of peace,
who desires that His children should live and
work together in peace. And the way of peace is
no base surrender of justice, but the carrying of its
claims to the highest court of appeal the mind and
purpose of God which is identical with the
arbitrament of sound reason, trust and goodwill.
" Peace on earth to men of goodwill." Won by
this motive, peace transforms the very instruments
of war. The fine qualities that make the Happy
Warrior his courage, serenity, self-sacrificing
enthusiasm and resourcefulness are now directed
to the nobler cause of human progress and well-
being. His weapons likewise are not left to rust, but
turned to productive ends. Thus light issues out
of darkness, life out of death.
There is, however, a certain limitation in the
prophet s view. He cannot conceive of a kingdom
of peace without a visible centre in Jerusalem, to
which the nations must stream for instruction in the
ways of Jehovah. But this limitation is already
transcended in the remarkable passage, Isa. xix.
18-25, wh ere the Jewish colonies in Egypt carry the
light of Revelation to the people among whom they
sojourn, and Israel, Egypt and Assyria 1 are linked
1 Assyria is here doubtless the Seleucid empire of Syria, which did such injury
to Israel.
248
The League of Nations
by a common bond of faith and brotherhood,
worshipping the same God, sharing the same
blessing Egypt as the people of Jehovah, Assyria
as the work of His hands, and Israel as His inheritance
and freely communicating that blessing to the
world as a whole. 1 The same ideal of a League of
Nations inspired by common devotion to " the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness " shines
through that glorious Psalm where Jerusalem is
depicted as the " mother-city " or metropolis of a
God-fearing world, in which Israel s bitterest
enemies and those most widely removed from her
influence the persecutors Egypt and Babylon, the
" uncircumcised " Philistines, the aggressive dominion
of Tyre, whose ambitions seemed all for worldly
wealth and splendour, and distant Ethiopia, the
type of heathen darkness are embraced in the
knowledge and fear of Jehovah, all of them counted
among the children, and all enjoying the full rights
of citizenship a true fore-shadowing of the time
when there shall be " neither Greek nor Jew, circum
cision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond
nor free, but Christ is all and in all."
" On holy mountains is Jehovah s foundation,
And the Almighty Himself will upbuild it ;
1 This prophecy presupposes a time when there was already a considerable
Jewish settlement in Egypt. For " the city of destruction " in ver. 18 we should
read either " the city of the sun," i.e. Heliopolis, or " the city of the lion," i.e.
Leontopolis, where a Jewish Temple to Jehovah was built by Onias IV., the
legitimate heir of the high-priesthood of Jerusalem, about 160 B.C.
249
The Faith of Isaiah
For Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of thee,
Zion, the city of God :
Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon I mention among
those that know me,
Philistia likewise, arid Tyre, with Cush ;
But Zion she shall be called Mother,
For each and all were born in her.
Yea, Jehovah shall count, while enrolling her
peoples,
4 This one was born there, and that one was
born there.
So they sing, as they dance,
All my springs are in thee : (Ps. Ixxxvii.).
A heroic attempt was made by the Church of
the Middle Ages to build up a Holy Catholic Empire
in which men should live together in peace under
the impulse of a common faith. Unhappily, it was
carried through at the expense of nationality. The
inevitable result was the revolt of the peoples, and
the breaking up of Christendom into many separate
units, often clashing, struggling, and warring with
one another. Thinkers like St, Pierre, 1 Kant 2 and
1 Proiet de paix perpetuelle (Utrecht, 1713-17).
9 In his Principle of Progress (1793) Kant had already insisted that there
is no possible remedy against the evils of militarism except " a system of inter
national right based upon public laws upheld by force, to which every State must
submit, analogous to the civic or political rights of individuals within any given
250
The League of Nations
Mazzini 1 dreamed their dreams of " perpetual peace ; "
poets like Burns and Tennyson sang of a time when
" Man to man the world o er
Shall brothers be for a that,"
State." In his Treatise on Eternal Peace (1795) he canvasses the question more
thoroughly. After a few preliminary sections on the menace of standing armies
and the inviolable right of even the smallest State to live its own life without
interference from others, he lays down the three main conditions of peace :
(i) " The civil constitution in every State shall be republican " (i.e., representa
tive) ; (2) " The law of nations shall be founded on a federation of free States ; "
(3) "The rights of men as world -citizens shall be limited by the rules of
hospitality in general." With a renewed insistence on right as the only valid
principle in politics as well as personal conduct, he further urges the union of
" neighbouring and distant States alike, so as to reach a settlement of their disputes
by legal processes such as would prevail in a universal State," and ends by an
earnest plea for publicity in all matters of international concern, for " no actions
bearing on the rights of other men, whose maxims do not admit of publicity, can
be just." In his Metaphysic of Morah (1797) he elaborates the idea of a " permanent
Congress of Nations " as the only means of safeguarding peace. " It is only by a
Congress of this kind that the idea of a public law of nations can be established,
and that the settlement of their differences by the mode of a civil process rather
than by the barbarous means of war can be realised."
1 His early Manifesto of Young Italy (1831) calls for an " association of all the
peoples, and of all free men, in one mission of progress embracing the whole of
humanity," as the logical and moral implicate of the redemption of Italy. His
Fraternity of Toung Europe (1834) is the first serious attempt to rebuild national
life on this basis. In his articles in La Jeune Suisse (1835-36) he gives fuller
expression to the idea. " Humanity is the association of nationalities, the
alliance of the peoples, in order to work out their missions in peace and love; the
organisation of free and equal peoples that shall advance without hindrance or
impediment each supporting and profiting by the other s aid towards the
progressive development of one line of the thought of God, the line inscribed
by Him upon the cradle, the past life, th~ national idiom, and the physiognomy
of each. . . . The ruling principle of international law will no longer be
to secure the weakness of others, but the amelioration of all through the work
of all : the progress of each for the benefit of the others " (Life and Writings,
III. pp. I3f.). The same note is sounded in his Duties of Man (1844) and The
Holy Alliance oj the Peoples (1849), with its appeal for a Supreme Council of the
Nations, to safeguard and promote the general well-being. In his still later
Europe : its Condition and Prospects (1852) he has foresight enough to invite
America to join with Europe in this high enterprise, and thus to help in " the
laying of the first stone of that religious temple of humanity which we all foresee,"
and which is " a labour well worthy the co-operation of the two words " (op. ft*.,
VI. p. 265).
The Faith of Isaiah
or looked forward in straining vision
" Till the war-drum throbb d no longer, and the
battle-flags were furl d
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the
world ; "
but the practical man went on his way, scoffing at
the visionaries, and relying on his armaments and
balance of power to preserve at least the appearance
of peace. Now the idealist has triumphed, and on
the ruins of our militaristic civilisation there has been
built up the solid framework of a League of Nations
bound together by solemn covenants to maintain
a real peace on earth. The constitution of this
League is truly the Magna Charta of humanity.
But its successful working depends entirely on the
spirit we infuse into it. In one of the most illumi
nating passages of his book on The New Freedom,
President Wilson tells us how he had long been
wrestling with the problem of the American
Constitution, unable clearly to trace its inner motive
and structural design, when one day he entertained
a distinguished Scottish thinker, who pointed out
quite casually how " in every generation all sorts of
speculations and thinking tend to fall under the
formula of the dominant thought of the age," the
outlook of the eighteenth century, for example,
being governed by the Newtonian hypothesis of
gravitation, and that of the nineteenth by the
252
The League of Nations
Darwinian theory of evolution, or vital progress.
That remark, he says, gave him the key to his problem
The American Constitution was drawn up on
Newtonian lines. It provided all manner of " checks
and balances " to keep the machine in order, but it
lacked vitality and spring. What is now needed, he
urges, is to Darwinise the Constitution, to give it
life, mcvement, flexibility and energy. 1 Too many
of our modern Utopias are likewise built on New
tonian principles. As systems they may be perfect
enough, but they neglect the human element, and
therefore have no driving force. One can easily
conceive of a League of Nations lapsing into the
vicious old rivalry of powers, without either inspira
tion or hope for the betterment of humanity. What
we need with all our schemes is, in President
Wilson s words, to Darwinise them, or, as Christ
is the crown of evolution, to Christianise them, to
charge them full of the spirit that emanates from
Him. We must, in fact, direct our international
policy, no less than our ordinary conduct as peace-
loving citizens, by the fourfold rule of freedom,
justice, truth, and brotherhood. As Kant and
Mazzini perceived a century ago, peace can be
safeguarded only through an association of free
nations, working out their legitimate destinies
without let or hindrance from others. And in their
relations to one another the nations must respect
1 Op. cit. p. 38f.
253
The Faith of Isaiah
the same maxims of justice, honour and truth as
individuals. 1 Macchiavellism must be banished as
completely from the code-book of statesmanship as
it is from the heart and conscience of Christian
gentlemen. Duplicity must give place to fair
dealing with one another, intrigue to openness of
purpose, suspicion to mutual trust and loyalty, self-
seeking to the higher principle of brotherhood.
God has " made of one blood every nation of men,"
and has ordained that each should fulfil its purpose
in the fellowship of all. We must thus strive as far
as possible to understand the mentality of other
nations, to sympathise with their point of view, to
honour their virtues and help them in their weak
ness, to treat them in general as we would be treated
ourselves. So shall God s Kingdom come, and His
will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.
1 " What we seek is the reign of law based upon the consent of the governed
and sustained by the organised opinion of mankind." This involves as the third
of its four principles " the consent of all nations to be governed in their conduct
towards each other by the same principles of honour and of respect for the common
law of civilised society that govern the individual citizens of all modern States
in their relations with one another, to the end that all promises and covenants
may be sacredly observed, no private plots or conspiracies hatched, no selfish
injuries wrought with impunity, and a mutual trust established upon the hand
some foundation of a mutual respect for right." President Wilson s Address at
Mount Vernon, July 4th, 1918.
254
LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
General Introductions to the Old Testament, by Driver, Cornill,
McFadyen, G. B. Gray, and Moore.
Cheyne, Introduction to the Book of Isaiah. 1895.
Kennett, The Composition of the Book of Isaiah. 1910.
TRANSLATIONS
Cheyne, Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Sacred Books of the Old
Testament).
Box, The Book of Isaiah. 1908.
C. F. Kent, Student s Old Testament, Vol. III.
McFadyen, Isaiah in Modern Speech. 1918.
COMMENTARIES
Skinner, Cambridge Bible, revised edition.
Whitehouse, Century Bible.
G. B. Gray, International Critical Commentary.
G. A. Smith, Expositor s Bible.
G. W. Wade, Westminster Commentary.
Cheyne, The Prophecies of Isaiah.
McFayden, The Bible for Home and Schools.
H. G. Mitchell, Isaiah : A Study of ch. i.-xii.
STUDIES
Matthew Arnold, Isaiah of Jerusalem. 1883.
Driver, Isaiah : His Life and Times. 1 888.
M. G. Gla/.ebrook, Studies in the Book of Isaiah. 1910.
W. Robertson Smith, The Prophets of Israel, pp. 191^.
A. F. Kirkpatrick, The Doctrine of the Prophets, pp. 143*?., 353ff.
255
Literature
W. G. Jordan, Prophetic Ideas and Ideals, pp. 555., 21 iff.
A. R. Gordon, The Prophets of the Old Testament, pp. 8iff., 2525.
A. C. Welch, The Religion of Israel under the Kingdom, pp. 1441!.
E. Kttnig, The Exiles Book of Consolation (E. T.}. 1899.
W. H. Bennett, The Post-Exilic Prophets, pp. iff.
Cheyne, Jewish Religious Life after the Exile, pp. iff.
A. S. Peake, The Problem of Suffering in the Old Testament, pp. 346*.,
iy2ff.
J. Adams, The Suffering of the Best. 1918.
G. C. Workman, The Servant of Jehovah. 1907.
Kennett, The Servant of the Lord. 1911.
256
GENERAL INDEX
Addans, Jane, 45.
Ahaz, 6off., 76f., 88ff.
Apocalypse, zzgff.
Aristocracy of character, 115!.
Babylon, decline and fall of, 13 iff.
Belshazzar, 130, 198.
Blake, 26.
Breasted, J. H., 59, 78.
Brotherhood, 86f., n6ff., 253!.
Burns, 251.
Carlyle, 17, 20, 25, 47, 64, 67, 83f., 115
Cecil, Lord H., 117.
Cheyne, 49, 210.
Christ the fulfilment of prophecy, logff.,
i 95 ff.
Comfort, the prophecy of, 1421!.
Conscience, perversion of, 44ff.
Cromwell, 17, 25, 64, 83.
Cyrus, 1311!., 1655., igSff., 207.
Damascus, fall of, 74.
Darius, 2076*.
Davidson, A. B., 13, 14, 196.
Day of Jehovah, 32*!., 488.
Decline and fall of Judah, I2off.
Deutero-Isaiah, date of, 145 ; literary
structure of, 145^ ; scenery and
style of, I42ff.
Deuteronomy, I2if.
Drama of Redemption, 1551!.
Driver, S. R., 196.
Exile, the Jews in, 1275.
Faith, the staying principle of life, 635.,
92f. ; the triumph of, 74f., ic>3ff.
Forgiveness, the ethics of, 26ff.
Freedom, 86f., n6ff., 253.
Glazebrook, 169.
Golden Rule, 119.
Gordon, General, 67.
Gressmann, 68f.
Guthe, 63.
Habakkuk, 128.
Hankey, Donald, 29.
Heralds of the Dawn, 1275.
Herodotus, 107, 131, 156, 161, 166, 199.
Hezekiah, goff.
Hodder, E., 67.
Holiness, conception of, I4f., 2iff.
Immanuel, the sign of, 675.
Immortality, the hope of, 24off.
Impurity, 4 iff.
Injustice, 46f.
Intemperance, 39fT.
Isaiah, aristocratic sympathies of, 12,
31, Ii5ff. ; call of, i2ff. ; faith of,
58ff., 1035. j Gospel of, 2iff. ;
meaning of name, 72 ; outlook on
future, icgff. ; school of, 73 ; social
teaching of, 3 iff. ; style of, 48 ; times
of, i if., 3off
Jeremiah, I22ff.
Jerusalem, fall of, I25f. ; the New,
207ff., 2395.
onah, 246.
osiah, I2iff.
oshua, son of Josadak, 200.
ustice, 29, 47, 86f., ii6ff., 253f.
Kant, 2505.
King, Bolton, 67.
Knox, John, i5of.
Laveleye, E. de, 39.
League of Nations, 2466.
257
General Index
Lincoln, 6$L
Lowell, 195.
Luther, 62.
Luxury, 32!., 37ff.
Maher-shalal Hash-bar, 88, 91, 97.
Malachi, 2o8f.
Manasseh, iz6f.
Mazzini, 6$f., 25off.
McFadyen, J. E., 62, 179.
Merodach Baladan, 88, 91, 97.
Messenger of Jehovah, 22off.
Messianic prophecies, logff., 235*?.
Might and Right, 43f.
Milton, 17, 48, 65.
Monopoly, 33ff.
Moral blindness and perversion, 44
Mahlon, 65.
Nabonidus, 130?!., ig8f.
Nebuchadrezzar,
Peace, logff., 179, 247*?.
Peake, A. S., 69, 184, 188.
Pekah, 5grT.
Plato, 115.
Prince of Peace, ic-gff.
Purity, the wings of, i5f.
Return from Exile,
Reverence, the wings of,
Rezin, 59ff.
Righteousness, conception of,
155, 212, 223.
Ross, E. A., 47.
Raskin, 158.
Samaria, fall of, 78f.
SargonJL, 79, 89*1.
Scepticism, 44fF.
n6ff.,
Scourge of God, 74!?.
Scythian invasion, 12 iff.
Sennacherib, 9 iff.
Servant of Jehovah, 1835.
Service, the wings of, 155.
Shaftesbury, Lord, 67.
Shalmaneser V., 78, 89.
Shear-Jashub, 61, 72.
Shebna, 94^
Skinner, J., 19, 80, 83, 90, 135, 138, etc.
Smith, G. A., 15, 62, 67, 79^, 112, 117,
etc.
Smith, J. M. P., 211.
Smith, W. R., 73, 212.
So, king of Egypt, 78, 88f.
Sophocles, 108.
St. Pierre, 250.
Stanley, Dean, 79.
Suffering, the problem of, i88ff.
Tennyson, 144, 21; if.
Tiglath-Pileser IV., 5 9 f.
Treitschke, 63f., 86.
Trito-Isaiah, 209!?.
Truth, 86f., u6ff., 2536".
Uzziah, i if.
Wade, 49, 55, 67, 184, 210.
War, 86f., 248!!.
Whitehouse, 81, 90.
Wilson, Woodrow, 36f., 2523.
Wordsworth, 154.
Worship, conception of I5f., 23f.
Xenophon, 199.
Zephaniah, 121.
Zerubbabel, 200, 208.
258
INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
PAGE
PAGE
Gen. xvi. 2, xxx. 3
173
Isa.
vi. 9-13 . .
J 9> 72
Exod. xxxiii. 18
15
55
vii. 1-16
6off.
Lev. xix. 1 8
128
55
vii. 17-25
. . 75 f.
Judges v. 4
224
55
viii. 1-4
70
2 Sam. v. 2off. . .
8 3
})
viii. 6-8
76, 103
i Kings viii. n
15
55
viii. 11-22
. . 7 2f.
x. 28
94
55
ix. i
234
xv. 18 . .
61
55
ix. 2-7
nof.
2 Kings xv. igf.
60
55
ix. 8-21
. . 55*.
xvi. 7 . .
61
55
x. 5-19 ..
io4f.
,, xvi. i off. . .
77
55
X. 2of. . .
231
xviii. 4
109
55
x. 28-32
99 f -
xviii. i4ff. . .
103
5)
x. 33f. . .
io5f.
xxi. 16
120
5)
xi. 1-8
.. II2f.
xxiii. iff. . .
122
55
xi. 10-16
234
,, XXV. 2/ff. . .
130
55
xii. . .
. . 234!.
Ps. Ixxii. 8
235
3>
xiii.
. i32f-
Ixxxv. 11-13
119
55
xiv. if.
234
,, Ixxxvii.
. . 24 9 f.
55
xiv. 3
231
ciii. I3f.
214
55
xiv. 4-21
.. i33ff-
cxiii. 5f.
213
5)
xiv. 28-32
89
cxxxvii. 7ff. . .
127
)5
xv., xvi.
229
,, cxxxviii. 6 . .
213
)5
xvii. i-n
. . 7 of -
Isa. i. i
13
55
xvii. 12-14
106
i. 2-9 . .
lOlf.
5)
xviii.
io7f.
i. 11-17 . .
22f.
55
xix. 1-17
229
i. 18 . .
26
)5
xix. 18-25
. . 248f.
i. 21-26
. . 4 8f-
)5
XX.
91
ii. 2-4 . .
. . 22 7 f.
)5
xxi.
.. I38ff-
ii. 6-18 . .
. . S of .
55
xxii. 1-14
92, 99f.
iii. 1-15 ..
. . 5 2f.
55
xxii. 15-18
95
iii. i6-iv. i
. . 3 2f.
5)
xxiii.
22gf.
iv. 3-6 . .
23of.
55
xxiv.-xxvii.
. . 23 7 ff.
v. 1-7 . .
53*.
55
xxviii. 1-4
. . 79 f .
v. 8-10
. . 33 f.
55
xxviii. 7-22
89*?., 104
V. 11-13, 22 ..
37
55
xxviii. 23-29
84f., 104
v. 14-21 . .
23f., 42ff.
55
xxix. i-8
93, 231
v. 26-29 . .
57
55
xxix. gf., i3f.
95f.
vi. 1-8 ..
I2ff.
55
xxix. 18-24
232
259
Index of Scripture References
PAGE
PAGE
Isa.
xxx. 1-15
9 2f., 9 6f.
Jer.
xxvi. i8f.
104
M
xxx. 19-26
. . 2 3 2f.
33
xxix. 4ff. . .
128
xxxi. 1-3
94
Lam.
i. 2off. . .
129
xxxi. 4!.
231
33
ii. 4 . .
127
33
xxxii.
Ezek.
viii. 7ff.
.. 2Ilf.
33
xxxiii. 13-24
32of., 235
33
xviii. 7ff.
25
55
xxxiv.
224., 230
33
xxxiii. 10
127
55
XXXV.
. . 2 3 6f.
Dan.
x. I3ff.
239
33
xxxvi.-xxxviii.
98
Hosea
vi. 6
24
n
xxxix.
91
33
viii. 7 . .
77
33
xl. ..
. . H6ff.
33
xi. 9 . .
22
33
xli. . .
i55ff.
33
xiv. 5
94
33
xlii. 1-4
184!?.
Joel
i. i5ff. . .
50
37
xlii. 5-25
.. i$ 9 ff.
Amos
i. 3 ..
140
33
xliii.
.. i6iff.
33
v. i8ff. . .
50
33
xliv.
1633.
33
v. 24 . .
24
33
xlv. . .
. . i66ff.
33
vii. 2ff. . .
214
xlvi.-xlviii.
. . i6 9 f.
Obad.
iff. ..
94
33
xlix. 1-6
. . i86ff.
Micah
i. 13 ..
94
33
xlix. 7-26
i7iff.
33
iii. 8ff. . .
104
33
1. if. ..
. . i 75 f.
33
iv. 2-4
353 247
33
1. 4-9 . .
. . i88ff.
33
iv. 13
140
11
Ii. ..
. . 17 6f.
33
v. 4 ..
235
33
lii. 1-12
lygf.
33
vi. 8
24
33
lii. i3-liii. 12
.. igiff.
Hab.
ii. 2ff. . .
..129, 132
33
liv. . .
i7gf.
Zeph.
I. 12
121
33
Iv. ..
. . iSoff.
33
i. I4ff.
50
33
Ivi. . .
. .210,213
Mai.
i. 6ff. . .
25, 208, 246
33
Ivii. 1-13
2Iof.
33 "
iff., iii. 14 . .
. . 2o8f.
33
Ivii. 14-21
.. 2I 3 f.
Matt.
v. 4off. . .
28
33
Iviii.
212, 2I5f.
33
vi. I4ff. . .
29
33
lix. . .
212, 217
33
vii. 12
46
33
Ix. ..
2I7ff.
33
vii. 21
25
33
Ixi. i-lxii. 5
. . 22lff.
33
xxiii. 23
25
33
Ixii. 6-lxiii. 6
. . 22 3 f.
Luke
iv. 19
220
33
Ixiii. 7-lxiv. ia
. . 20lff.
John
iii. 19
44
33
Ixv. ..
211, 224ff.
Rom.
viii. 35ff. . .
190
33
Ixvi. . .
. . 226ff.
i Cor.
X. 23ff. . .
41
Jer.
vii. 5ff.
124
Titus
i. i S f. . .
45
xi. iff. . .
123
Heb.
ii. 10
197
33
xxii. 13
25
2 Pet.
iii. 13
195
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2d. net
The Sunday Afternoon Song Book. Containing 137 Hymns. For
use at " Pleasant Sunday Afternoons," and Other Gatherings.
Compiled by H. A. KENNEDY, of the Mori s Sunday Union,
Stepney Meeting House. Twentieth Thousand, 2d ; music,
Is.
" Contains 137 hymns, the catholic character of which, in the best sense
ol the term, may be gathered from the names of the authors, which include
Tennyson, Ebenexer Elliott, Whittier, G. Herbert, C. Wesley, Thomas
Hughes, J. H. Newman, Longfellow, Bonar, and others. While the purely
dogmatic element is largely absent, the Christian life, in its forms of
aspiration, struggle against sin and love for the true and the good, in well
illustrated." Literary World,
32
JAMES CLARKE AND CO. S
INDEX OF TITLES
PAGE
Abbey Mill, The
Advent Sermons .
America in the East
Animal Jollities
Animal Joy Book .
Apostles. The Messages o the
Appeal of Jesus, The .
Around the Guns
Aspects of the Spiritual
Astronomy Simplified .
Atonement and Progress
Atonement in Modern Thought,
The
Augustlnian Revolution in
Theology . . , .
Aunt Agatha Ann
Authority and the Light Within
22
10
6
24
24
11
IS
26
12
19
23
15
20
28
23
16
Beads of Tasmer, The
Beatitudes and the Contrasts,
The 20
Beauts of the Bible, The . . 7
Birthday of Hope, The . .30
Border Shepherdess, A . .16
Brudenelles of Brude, The . 22
Burden of the Lord, The . . 7
Burning Questions . . 26
Call of the Bast, The . .18
Canonbury Holt ... 22
Challenge, The . . .17
Chats with Women on Every
day Subjects . . 25
Children s Paul, The . .17
Chosen Twelve, The . . .18
Christ and the World at War . 18
Christ and War . . ,22, 26
Christ in Christian Thought . 13
Christ in Everyday Life , 21
Christ of the Children, The .17
Christ or Chaos ? . . .14
Christ that is To Be, The . 16
Christ, The Private Relation
ships of ... 8
Christ s Pathway to the Cross . 23
Christ s View of the Kingdom of
God 16
Christ s Vision of the Kingdom of
Heaven 4
Christian Certitude . . .14
Christian Idea of God . . 5
Christian of To-day, The . .15
Christian Union in Social Service . 19
Christian World Album of Sacred
Songs, The - . . .22
Christian World Album of Sacred
and Standard Compositions
for the Pianoforte. . , 22
PAGE
Christian World Pulpit, The . 5
Christianity in Common Speech 30
Chronicle of the Archbishops of
Canterbury, A .4
Chrystabel . .22
Church and the Next Genera
tion, The . . 23
Common Life, The . 12
Concerning Conscience . 10
Conquering Prayer , 16
Constructive Christianity . 20
Constructive Natural Theology . 13
Crucible of Experience, The . 23
Dante for the People ... 9
Darwin, Charles, and other Eng
lish Thinkers .... 8
Days of Old .... 11
Decoration of the Cross, The . 16
Divine Satisfaction, The . 29
Dr. Isabel Mitchell of Manchuria . 13
Dutch in the Medway, The . 16
Effectual Words . ,
Emilia s Inheritance
England s Danger
Esther Wynne
Eternal Religion, The
Eucken and Bergson .
Evangelical Heterodoxy
Everychild
Evolution of Latin Christianity . 4
Evolution of Old Testament
Religion, The . . .11
Exposition, The Art of . .11
Ezekiel, The Book of . . 3
Facets of Faith . . . .25
Faith and Form . , .25
Faith and Progress ... 4
Faith and Verification . . 6
Faith of Isaiah, The ... 7
Faith of a Wayfarer, The . 26
Faith s Certainties . . .12
Faith To-day . ... 28
Father Fabian . . .22
Fifty Years Reminiscences of a
Free Church Musician . 20
First Christians, The . . 15
First Things of Jesus . . ,11
Flowers from the Master s Garden 29
For Childhood and Youth . . 25
Fortune s Favourite . . 22
Fortunes of Cyril Denham, The 22
"Freedom of Faith" Series,
The .... 23
Friend Olivia 6
CATALOGUE OF BOOKS
Gamble with Life, A
Garrisoned Soul, The
Getting Together .
Gloria Patri .
Glorious Company, of th
Apostles, The
Good New Times, The
Gospel of Grace, The
Grave? of the Fallen .
Great Embassy, The .
Great Hereafter, The .
Great Unfolding, The .
Grey and Gold .
Grey House at Endlestone, The
Growing Revelation, The
^
Hampstead, Its historic houses;
its literary and artistic associa-
Health and Home Nursing
Health in the Home Life
Heaven and the Sea .
Heavenly Visions
Heirs of Errington, The
His Next of Kin
History of France, 1180-1314
History of the United States, A
Holy Christian Empire . .
Homes and Careers In Canada .
Home, C. Silvester .
House of Bondage, The
House of the Secret, The
How to Cook
How to Read the Bible
" Humanism of the Bible" Series
Husbands and Wives t
Ideals for Girls .
Illustrations from Art for Pulpit
and Platform .
Immanence of Christ in Modern
Life, The
Imperishable Word, The .
Impregnable Faith, An .
Individuality of S. Paul The .
Inspiration in Common Life
Interludes in a Time of Change
In the Father s House
Invisible Companion, The
Isaiah in Modern Speech .
" J.B." J. Brierley, his Life and
Work . . ,_
Jeremiah in Modern Speech .
Jesus and His Teaching
Jesus and Life ....
Jesus or Christ 1 . i t
Joan Carisbrooke
Joshua, The Book of .
Jowett, J. H-, M.A., D.D.
Joy Bringer. The , .
Judges of Jesus, The
Judges, The Book of ,
PAGE
. 13
, 29
8
. 15
17
21
11
25
27
24
13
22
22
4
27
14
14
22
22
21
4
31
19
30
22
6
26
2!)
7
22
10
21
20
20
7
23
16
25
6
PAGH
Kaiser or Christ ... 28
King George and Queen Mary . 20
Lady Clarissa . _.
Last of the MacAllisters, The
Leaves for Quiet Hours .
Letters of Christ, The
Letters to a Ministerial Son .
Liberty and Religion
Life and Teaching of Jesus,
Notes on the
Life and the Ideal
Life Here and the Life
Hereafter,
The
Life in His Name"
Life of the Soul i
Life s Beginnings
Life s Little Lessons
Lifted Veil, A
Looking Inwards .
Lynch, Rev. T. T. : A Memoir
Lyrics of the Soul , . .+
Hell,
Making of a Minister, The
Making of Heaven and
The
Man on The Road, The . .
Margaret Torrington
Margery s Shop . . .
Marprelate Tracts, The . .
Meaning and Value of Mysticism
Messages of Hope .
Millicent Kendrick
Model Prayer, The .
Modern Manor Prophets
Modern Theories of Sin
More Tasty Dishes
Morning, Noon and Night .
Mr. Montmorency s Money .
My Daily Meditation for the Circ
ling Year .
22
16
13
20
21
24
12
4
11
12
17
25
20
19
6
21
18
26
25
22
13
3
4
16
22
17
20
11
27
80
22
11
10
New Evangel, The 2 J
New Spiritual Impulse . . ia
New Testament in Modern Speech,
The . . 8 13
Nights of Sorrow and of Song . 8
Nobly Born . . 22
Old Testament Stories In Modern
Light
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Westwood .
On Accepting Ourselves . .
On the Rendering into English of
the Greek Aorist and Perfect
Order of Memorial Service for
those Fallen in the War
Our City of God
Our Life Beyond . t
Our Protestant Faith .
25
26
22
4
29
30
12
24
19
S4
JAMES CLARKE AND CO. S
PAGE
Ourselves and the Universe, 12, 31
Outline Text Lessons for Junior
Classes . . . .27
Overdale 22
Passion for Souls, The . . 23
Paton, J. B., M.A., D.D. . 9
Person of Christ in Modern
Thought, The ... 5
Personality of Jesus, The . . 16
Pessimism and Love in Ecclesiastes
and Song of Songs . . 7
Peter in the Firelight . . .20
Philippians
Phyllis trata and Other Poems . 19
Pilot, The .... 9
Plowers, The . . . .13
Poems. By Mme. Guyon . 18
Poets, The Messages of the .11
Polychrome Bible, The . 3, 6
Popular History of the Free
Churches, The ... 22
Portrait Preaching . . .10
Prayer 23
Preaching to the Times . . Ifi
Price of Priestcraft, The . . 28
Problem of Pain, The ... 7
Problems of To-morrow . . 9
Problems of Immanence . 20
Problems of Living . , .12
Progress of the Soul . . .18
Psalms, The, In Modern Speech
and Rhythmical Form . . 9
Pulpit Manual, A . . . .16
Purpose of the Cross, The . 23
Quaint Rhyme* for the Battlefield 28
Quickening of Caliban, The . 16
Reasonable View of Life, A . 23
Reasonableness of Jesus, The . 26
Reconstruction, A Help to Doubters 9
Reform in Sunday School Teach
ing 24
Religion and Experience . 12
Religion and Miracle . . 14
Religion in Song .... 7
Religion and To-day . .. .12
Religion: The Quest of the
Ideal . . . .20
Religion that will Wear, A . 29
Resultant Greek Testament,
The 21
Robert Wreford s Daughter . 22
Rosebud Annual, The . . 8
Sculptors of Life ; . .17
Secret of Living, The . . 12
Seed of the Kingdom, The . . 29
Selections from Brierley . .10
Self-Realisation , 19
PAGli
Seriousness of Life, The . . 18
Sormon Illustration, The Art of 11
Sermons on God, Christ and Man 10
Sharing His Sufferings . . 24
Shepherd, Ambrose, D.D. . . 18
Ship s Engine*, The . . 30
Short Talks to Boys and Girls . 24
Sidelights on Religion . . 12
Simon Peter s Ordination Day . 18
Simple Cookery ... 22
Simple Things of the Christian
Life, The ... 23
Singlehurst Manor . , ,22
Sir Galahad . . . .26
Sissie 22
Smith, John, the Se-Baptist,
Thomas Helwys, and the
First Baptist Church in
England .... 8
Song of the Well, The . . .14
Spiritual Pilgrimage of Jesus . 9
Spoken Words of Prayer and Praise 11
Squire of Sandal Side, The . . 16
St. Beetha s . . . .22
St. Paul and His Cities . . 14
St. Paul s Fight for Galatia . 13
Stories of Old . . .17
Story of Clarice. The ... 5
Story of Joseph the Dreamer, The 23
Story of Penelope, The . . 22
Story of the English Baptists, The 15
Story of the Twelve . . .19
Studies in Christian Mysticism . 19
Studies in Life from Jewish Pro
verbs 7
Studies of the Soul . 12, 31
Sunday Afternoon Song Book 29, 31
Sunny Memories of Australasia 2G
Sw e; Peas and Antirrhinum* . 28
Tale of a Telephone, A .28
Talks to Little Folks ... 24
Tasty Dishes . . 27
Text-book of Dogmatics, A. . .5
The Life Here and the Life Here
after 4
Theology and Truth . . 8
They that Wait .... 30
Things Most Surely Belieyed . 13
Things that Matter Most . .10
Thornycroft Hall . . .22
Thoughts for Life s Journey . IS
Through a Padre s Spectacles . 18
Through Eyes of Youth . . .19
Through many Windows . . . .25
Through Science to Faith .
Transfigured Church, The . 11
Translation of Faith, The . . 19
True Christ, The . .21
Under the Shadow of God . .13
Unfettered Word, The . .10
Ungilded Gold . . . 9, 17
CATALOGUE OF BOOKS
35
PAGE
Universal Over- Presence, The 20
Unspeakable Oift, The . . i
Until the Day Dawn ... 14
Unveiled Glory, The ; or, Side
lights on the Higher Evolution 19
Uplifting of Life, The . .19
Value of the Apocrypha, The . 23
Value of the Old Testament . 28
Violet Vaughan . . . 22
Vision Triumphant, The . . 18
Voice from China . . .15
Voices of To-day: Studies of
Representative Modern Preachers 14
Waiting Life, The ; By the River
of Waters . . . .19
War and Immortality . . 18
Warleigh s Trust , . .22
PAGE
Way and the Work, The . .24
Wayfarer at the Cross Koads, The 25
Way of Remembrance, The . . 27
Wayside Angel* . . .20
Week with the Fleet, A. .28
Well by Bethlehem s Gate, The 25
Westminster Sermon* . .14
What is the Bible ? . 14
Who WM Jesus . . . . iy
Who Wrote the Bible ? . . 2rt
Winning of Immortality, The 14
Wisdom Books, The ... 5
Wisdom of God and the Word
of God, Th ... 14
Woman s Patience, A . .22
Women and their Saviour . . 27
Women and Their Work . . 24
Words by the Wayside . . 24
Working Woman s Life, A .11
Young Man s Ideal, A . .17
Young Man s Religion, A . 21
INDEX OF AUTHORS
Abbott, Lyman
Adeney, W. F. 15, 28, 29
Allin, T.
Antram, C. E. P.
Barr, Amelia E.
Barrows, C. H.
Begbie, H. .
Bennett, Rev. W. H.
Belts. C. H. 19, 20, 25
Birch, B. A. . 13,
Black, J.
Blake, J. M. 23,
Blomfleld, Elsie .
Blue, A. W. .
Bosworth, E. I.
Bradford, Ainory H.
Brierley, J. 12,
Brown, C. 14,
Bulcock, H. .
Burford, W. K,
Burgess, W. H. .
Burns, David 9,
Burns, Rev. J.
10, 14, 16, 25, 26
Burns, J. Colder 18
Cadman. S. P.
Calrncross, T. S.
Campbell, R. J,
Carlile, J. C.
15, 19, 24
AGB
PAGB
PAQH
15
Cave, Dr. . .15
Jurness, H. H. .8
, 29
Caws, Rev. L. W. 19
Gibberd, Vernon . 25
20
29
Chaplin, Gauntlett 9
Clifford, John . 28
Gibbon, J. Morgan 15
Gladden, Washington
Collins, B. G. . 23
15, 28
16
16
oa
Compton-Rickett,
SirJ. . . 30
Godet, Professor . 15
Gordon, Alex. R. . 7
28
. 4
25
25
Cuff, W. . .26
Cuthbertaon, W. . 23
Gordon, George A 14
Griffls, W. E.
Griffith-Jones, E.
26
26
24
Davidson, Gladys 27
Dodd, A. F. . 21
Dods, Marcus . 15
5, 6 28
Grubb, E. 13, 23 24
Guyon, Madame 18
25
Dyson, W. H. . 19
21
8
Hampden-Cook, E. 8
31
23
19
29
Elias.F. . , 14
Elmslie, W. A. L. . 7
Evans, H. .23
Harnack, Professor 15
Harris, Rendel 22, 26
Harvey-Jellie, W. 14
Haupt, P. . 3
8
Haweis, H. R. . 23
13
Henderson, Alex. C. 19
Farningham, Mari
Henson, Dean H.
26
anne, 11, 21, 24, 27
Hensley . 14, 1
18
Farrar, Dean . 15
Herman, E. 4, 17
Finlayson, T. Camp
Heron, James. . 4
28
bell . . 30
Hill, F. A. . . 4
18
Fiske, J. , . 4
Hocking, S. K. . 18
15
24
Forsyth, P. T. 15, 31
Foston, H. . 19, 20
Fremantle, Dean . 15
Hodgson, J. M. . 20
Home. C. Silvester
15, 22
30
JAMES CLARKE AND CO. S CATALOGUE
PAGE
PAGE
PAGH
Horton, R. F. .9
Moore, G. F. .8
Stevens, G. B. .11
11, 15, 26, 30
Morgan, G. Camp
Stevenson, J. G.
Hughes, H. M. . 4
bell . . 23
20, 17, 23
Humphrey, F. . 24
Morison, F. . 25
Stewart, D. M. . 20
Hunter, John . 15
Morrow, H. W. 8, 13, 18
Stirling, James . 4
Hutton, J. A, 4 27
Morten, Honnor . 20
Storrow, A. H. . 19
Munger, T. T. 15
Strachan, R. H. . 7
Jeffs, H. 9, 10
Street, J. . .29
11, 19, 20, 21
Neilson, H. B. . 24
Studd, C. D, , . 28
John, Griffith . 15
Swan, F. R. , 21
Jones, J. D. 10, 11, 13
O Neill, F. W. S. 13, 18
Swetenham, L. 10, 18
17, 23,2*, 30
Orchard, W, E,
Jones, J. P. .14
10,11
Tarbolton, A. C. 23
Jordan, W. G. . 7
Thomson, W. R. 5, 7
Jowett, J. H.
Palmer, Frederic . 14
Tillyard, Aelfrida 18
10,11,23, 24, 30
Patten, J. A. 16, 18
Tipple, S. A. .11
Jude, W. H. . 22
Peake, A. S. . 24
Toy, Rev. C. H, . 8
Pierce, W. . . 3
Tymms, T. V. . 8
Kennedy, H. A. 28, 31
Piggott, W. C. . 20
Tynan, Katharine
Kenyon, Edith C. 25
Pounder, R. W. . 14
Knight, W. A. 20, 25
Pringle, A. 25, 26
Varley, H. . .25
Veitch, R, , .15
LaTouche.B. D. 5, 14
Rees. F. A. . 9
Leggatt, F. Y. . 26
Lewis, E. W. . 25
Reid, H. M. B. . 5
Reid, Rev. J. in, 11, 19
Waddell, John . 4
Wain, Louis . 24
London, Bishop of 28
Ridgway, Emily 28
Walford, L. B, . 22
Roberts, E. Cecil
Walker, W. L. . 21
McEvoy, Cuthbert 27
19,28
Warschauer, J.
McFadyen, J. E. 5
Roberts, R. . 23
14, 15, 20, 26
7, 9, 11
Robertson, J. A. . 9
Warwick, H. . 20
McFadyen, J. F. . 7
Roose, Rev. J. S. 19
Waters, N. McG. 21
Macfarlane, Charles 16
Ross, David . .18
Watkins, C. H. 13, 28
M Intvre, D. M. . 11
McKilliam, A. E. . 4
Russell, F. A. . 23
Rutherford, J. 8... 18
Watkinson, W. L. 23
Watson, E. S. . 14
Maconachie, D. H. 19
Watson, W. 17, 23
Manners, Mary E. 28
Man of the World, A 20
Sabatier, A. .15
Schlmdt, N. . .11
Weymouth, R. F. 8, 15
21
Manson, W. * 10
Schreuck, E. von 15
White, W. . .5
Marchant, J. , 9
Scott, D. R. .7
Whiton, J. M, .8
Mark, Thistelton . 25
Scottish Presbyte
15, 29
Marshal], J. S. . 26
rian, A .29
Williams, T. R. . 25
Marshall, N. H. 8, 23
Mather, Lessels . 27
Matheton, George
Sheppherd, E. . 18
Shepherd, J. A. . 24
Shillito, Edward . 19
Wilson, P. W. . 21
Wilson, S. L. .18
Wilson, W. E. 22, 26
13, 18, 24
Sinclair, H. . .14
Wimms, J. W. . 24
Mathews, Basil . 18
Smyth, Newman 6, 13
Winter, A. E. . 29
Maxwell, A. . .4
Snell, Bernard J.
Wood, T. . .28
Metcalfe, R. D. . 29
15, 23
Worboise, Emma
Michael, C. D. . 17
Someren, J. Van . 13
J. . . .22
Minshall, E. . 20
Souper, W. . 20
Molfatt, James . 9
Stalker, James . 7
Yates, T. . .17
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