2. To whom does He speak? He speaks to His prophets, preachers, pastors, teachers--all who are bond-servants of the Lord.
3. What is His commandment? "Comfort ye my people." There is a time to rebuke, reprove, and correct, and there is a time for examination; but the comniand here is to comfort!
4. Who are His people? We cannot comfort where God has not converted. We cannot cry "peace" when there is no peace. We cannot give false assurance to rebels. Who are His people? They are a CHOSEN people, a CALLED people, a REDEEMED people, and a BELIEVING people.
5. Why do they need comfort? They are saved SINNERS who are conscious of their infirmities; they are a TRIED people who have troubles in the flesh; they are a PERSECUTED people who are hated by the world.
2. "Her iniquity is pardoned." All of our sins (past, present, and future) are blotted out, cleansed, atoned for, and are remembered no more. The redeemed have no sins. "With His spotless garments on, they are as holy as God's Son."
3. "Double for all her sins." This denotes the sufficiency of His blood and the complete satisfaction made by Christ for all our sins. Not that more was required than was due; but His offering, being infinite, fully answers more than double what can be demanded. "Where sin did overflow, grace did MUCH MORE overflow."
2. "Every valley shall be exalted." When Messiah comes all who are depressed and bowed down with the guilt of sin, laboring and heavy ladened, low and humble in their own eyes, shall be raised up and comforted.
3. "Every mountain, and hill shall be made low." The proud and haughty shall be brought down. Those who are elated with themselves and their own righteousness shall be humbled.
4. "The crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain." Could this be that those types, patterns, and pictures of the Old Testament should become clear in Christ, and prophecies, not so well understood, would be now plain and easy? (Luke 24:27, 44-45).
5. "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed." Christ, Himself, who is the brightness of the Father's glory (Heb. 1:1-3), reveals His redemptive glory (Exo. 33:18-19), which is His chief glory.
6. "All flesh shall see it;" not the Jews only, but Gentiles also, and not with bodily eyes, but with the eyes of their understanding, even the salvation of the Lord and His glory displayed in it. The everlasting gospel is called the gospel of His glory (I Tim. 1:11; I Cor. 1:26-31).
2. (Vs. 8) "THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER." This may be applied to the RECORDED WORD of our God, which is sure and certain, forever settled in heaven and always fulfilled, or rather CHRIST THE WORD, who stands forever in His office, in the efficacy of His blood, in the fulness of His grace, and in the glory of His exaltation (Col. 1:16-18).
3. (Vs. 9) "BEHOLD YOUR GOD." Get up on a high mountain, lift up your voice, be not afraid, and say unto the people, BEHOLD YOUR GOD!" John Gill said it best, "Behold your God! That Divine person is come that was promised, prophesied, and expected; even Emmanuel, God with us, God in our nature, God manifest in the flesh, God your Saviour; and who, being God, truly God, is able to save to the uttermost. Look to Him with an eye of faith and be saved. Behold your God! Behold the Son of God, the Lamb of God, Who has borne our sins and taken them away. Behold Him now, as your King and your God, on the throne, made and declared Christ and Lord, crowned with glory and honor, on the same throne with His heavenly Father, having all power in heaven and earth, and let the echo of your faith be, 'My Lord and my God."'
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