Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 40 · Verse 3 – Verse 5
Verſ. 3. A voice crieth in the wilderneſſe; Prepare the way of the Lord, make ſtraight in the deſert a path for our God.
HEe goes on with the argument begunne, and ſhewes more plainly, that hee will ſend meſſengers to the people (in appearance forlorne) which ſhall comfort & cheere them. And thus hee preuents an obiection which ſome might make; Thou telleſt vsus indeed of comfort, but where are the Prophets that ſhould bring the ſame vntounto vsus? For we ſhall be in a deſert. Whence then, I pray thee, ſhall this conſolation come? Thus he telles them then that the deſert ſhall be no meanes to debarro them of this conſolation. The deſert heere is taken figuratiuely, for that deſolation which ſhould come vponupon them: though I denie not but the Prophet alſo alludes to the way betweene Babylon and Iudeah; for the tedious paſſage thorow the deſert, might ſeeme to take away all hope of returning home againe. Notwithſtanding he promiſeth, that albeit all the paſſages were ſtopped, and that there were no way ſet open for them, yet that the Lord would eaſilie make the rougheſt waies ſmooth and plaine for himſelfe, and for his ſeruants. Some ioine the particle, In the deſert, with the member following, and expound it thus, Prepare the Lord a way in the deſert. But it ſeemes rather that the Prophet brings in a voice, which ſhould gather theſe baniſhed ones together, which were driuen out of the habitable lande. As if hee ſhould ſay; Indeed you ſee nothing but an hideous deſert before you, but yet you ſhall heare this comfortable voice, by the mouthes of my Prophets. Now theſe things muſt bee referred to that miſerable bondage wherewith they ſhould bee oppreſſed in Babylon.
But to whom is this voice directed? Is it to the faithfull? No ſuch matter. To whom then?To whom this voice is directed. Cyrus. The Medes, and Perſians. To Cyrus, to the Medes and Perſians which held this people captiue, who becauſe they were no voluntarie ſeruants of God, they were conſtreined to deliuer them whether they would or no. This is the cauſe why they are commanded to prepare and make readie the way, that the people might paſſe home into Iudea, as if he ſhould ſay, Make paſſage for them in thoſe wayes where none was before. And this ſets forth the efficacie and force of this propheſie, for when God giues power to his ſeruants to commaund cruell tyrants giuen to robberie (and were then conquerors ouer the Babylonians) to prepare the way for his people: he thereby ſhewes, that nothing ſhall be able to foreſlow the accompliſhment of his promiſe, becauſe he will ſerue his turne of the Medes and Perſians, as of his hired ſeruants.
What an excellent conſolationA ſingular conſolation. is this, to heare that God vſeth the ſeruice of Infidels, yea and when his Church hath need, to make all creatures put to their hands for the helping forward of our ſaluation?
Where he ſaith, the way ſhall be prepared, not to the Iewes, but to the Lord himſelfe: in this alſo we hauehave a ſinguler teſtimonie of the louelove he beares vsus, in attributing that to himſelfe which in deed belonged to his people. What need had he of any way to be made for him, or to hauehave a path prepared? None at all. But thus it pleaſeth him to make knowne that we are ſo neerely ioined vntounto him, that he counts it as done to his owne Maieſtie which is done to vsus. This maner of ſpeech is found often in other places, as when it is ſaid, that God went forth for the ſaluation of his people, euen for the ſaluation with his annointed, Abac. 3.13. Alſo that he went through Egypt, and led them in the wildernes like a flock, Exo. 11.4. Pſal. 78.52.
Now this place is alledged by Matth. 3.3. Mark. 1.3. Luk. 3.4. Iohn 1.23. and applied to Iohn Baptiſt, Iohn Baptiſt, the firſt and moſt renoumed herauld of our redemption.as if theſe things were foretold of him, and very rightlie: for he was the firſt and moſt excellent meſſenger and herault of our ſaluation and redemption, of which, the deliuerance from Babell was only a type and figure. And in very truth when the poore and afflicted Church recouered health in Iohn Baptiſt his time, the deformitie which it had, did rather reſemble a d…ſart, then the captiuitie of Babylon. But Gods will was that in the deſart where the Baptiſt preached, the figure and image of this horrible ſcattering might be perceiued, which had almoſt conſumed and waſted all the beawtie of the Church. So then that which the Prophet ſaith here vnderunder a ſimilitude, was then fulfilled indeed: for Iohn Baptiſt held forth the banner of gladnes, when things were very deſperate and confuſed.
I grant this voice ſounded before by the mouth of Daniell, Zacharie, and others; but the redemption being then neerer, Iohn Baptiſt ſpake with more efficacie: for he pointed out Chriſt with his finger.Iohn 1.29.
But becauſe the beſotted Iewes were nothing touched (for the moſt part) with the true feeling of their ſcattering, therefore Iohn the Baptiſt ſought out a ſolitarie and deſart place, that by the beholding of him he might awaken the drouzieſt of them to the hope of the promiſed deliuerance.Iohn 1.21. In that he ſaid he was no Prophet, it was in regard of the end of his calling, and of the ſumme of his doctrine: for he was not ſent to exerciſe any particular function for any ſet time, but to prepare mens hearts to receiue his Lord and Maſter. He alſo referres that properlie to all men which is ſaid here, touching the remouing of the impediments out of the way: namely, becauſe the peruerſitie of our nature, the ouerthwart turnings of our vnderſtandings, and the rebellion of our hearts, doe ſhut out the Lords paſſage, and cauſeth vsus that we can not ſo denie our ſelues as to yeeld him the obedience which we owe him.
Verſ. 4. EueryEvery valley ſhall be exalted, and eueryevery mountaine and hill ſhal be made low: and the crooked ſhall be ſtreight, and the rough places plaine.
HE both confirmes and expounds the former ſentence:The former ſentence confirmed and expounded. for he ſhewes, that the Lord will ſuffer no impediment ſtand in his way to hinder him from redeeming and reſtoring of his Church, whē it ſeemes good vntounto him. Theſe words may well be tranſlated in the imperatiue, ſo as the Lord ſhould make the whole verſe a charge giuen to the Prophets to prepare and make plaine the way, but the difference is not very materiall: let it ſuffice vsus to hauehave his meaning, which is, that Gods hand ſhall preuail…, though many difficulties and lo… … come in the way to hinder this deliuerance. Thus we may ſee that many hindrances preſent themſelues as often as God once begins to worke for the ſaluation and ſuccour of the afflicted:God no ſooner begins to worke for the ſaluation of the afflicted, but, many impediments comes in the way. wherein notwithſtanding his glorie ſhines ſo much the more; neither is it any way hurtfull for vsus. For his admirable power is manifeſted before our eies, ſeeing all the forces, enterpriſes, and imaginatione of mans braine can neuer ſo hinder, but that his decree muſt of neceſſitie come to paſſe: for he will bring his ſeruants as eaſily ouer mountaines, and through rough waies, as if they paſſed through euen and ſmooth waies. It is certaine that by mountaines and hils, the Prophet vnderunder a figure meanes all ſorts of obſtacles: for Satan neuer ceaſeth plotting how to hinder our ſaluatiō. For whē the matter cōcerne our ſpiritual deliuerance, no doubt but theſe words comprehend in them all inward and outward impediments,Impedimēts hindring vsus in our ſpirituall courſe. as carnall luſts, and crooked affections, ambition, vaine confidence, impatiencie, &c. all which do wonderfullie withſtand our paſſage,A ſinguler conſolation. but the Lord wil remoue them all: for whē he ſtretcheth forth his hand, nothing ſhall be able to turne or hold vsus back.
Verſ. 5. And the glorie of the Lord ſhall be reuealed, and all fleſh ſhall ſee it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
HIs meaning is, that this worke of redemption ſhall be ſo glorious, that the Lord will make it knowne to all, that himſelfe is the author of it, and will cauſe his power and maieſtie to ſhine therein. It is true that they may bee perceiued in all places, and in all things; but he promiſeth eſpecially to reueale his glory in the protection and deliuerance of his Church; and not without cauſe: for the redemption thereof euen from the beginning vntil Chriſts cōming, was as an incredible renuing or ſecond creation of the world. This promiſe therefore came in due ſeaſon, when Gods power which he was wont to manifeſt, was now almoſt ſo extinct, that there ſcarſly ſhined any ſparkles thereof: as it is ſaid, Pſal. 74. We ſee not our ſignes. &c. I ſay, it was to good purpoſe that the Prophet promiſed thē a ſigne ſo vnwonted and memorable, by which they might euidently perceiue, that God had infinite meanes in his hands to helpe his Church, although hee ſeemed to defer it for a time.
Hee amplifies this miracle afterwards by another circumſtance; that is, it ſhall not onelie be glorious among the Iewes, but alſo in ſtrange Countries far remote from them: for by theſe words, all fleſh ſhall ſee, hee meanes that all nations vnderunder the Sun ſhould know, that the returne of the Iewes out of captiuitie, was a worke wrought from heauen, and that God ſpake not to them by his Prophet in vaine.
Wherein hee taxeth the incredulitie of men, who reſt not vponupon Gods promiſes, but hold all that the Prophets ſpeake in his name for fables, till they ſee the performance thereof with their eies. By this place we are alſo taught, what is the true means to correct our vnbeleefe;The right way to correct our vnbeleefe. euen to exerciſe our ſelues daily in the meditation of Gods promiſes, that ſo our faith may be confirmed by all the teſtimonies of his louelove which hee ſets before vsus. For thus we muſt ioine practiſe to the pro…iſes. The bare view of Gods works doe pro… … little, and therefore he ſends his word to open our vnderſtandings: and in the ſecond place, he ſeales vp the truth thereof by the effect it ſelfe.