Exposition of Isaiah 9, Part 1
WHereas this deuine prophet amōg other things sayth: VntoUnto vsus a childe is born, it is vndoubtedly to be vnderstood of Christ, yea all that he here sayth, is concerning the kingdome of the child Christ, namely howe he shal gouerne his kingdome, and what shall ensue of his gouernmēt, to witte,Christ is to the Ievves a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence. that at him the people of Israell shall be offended and stumble, for as muche as he is published to bée such a Lorde, as reiecteth the righteousnesse of the lawe, and receyueth the Gentiles being without ye law, through fayth. Whiche doeth so grieue, blinde, & harden the Iewes, that euen at this day they will not become Christians, wherof almost al the eight Chapter of Esay intreateth, according as Simeon also speaketh in the seconde Chapter of Luke: Behold this Child is appointed for the fal and rising againe of many in Israel, and for a signe which shal be spoken against. And Esay in his eyght Chapter sayth, that the Lorde shall be a stone to stumble at, and a rocke to fall vppon to both the houses of Israel. Of whiche saying of Esay, Saint Peter and Saint Paule make mention in their writings, and affirme that it is verified in the Iewes. So that the summe of this text is this: The Iewes shal be offended and hardened bycause of the wordes full of grace concerning the kingdome of Christe,The sum of this Prophesie of Esay. when as it is so highly praised, but their works & the laws are so litle accounted of before God, which they cā not abide. For it must néedes followe yt where the grace of God is extolled & set forth, ther those holye ones which trust in their works shold be offēded & gretly moued.
And this sense & meaning the words next going before do require, where the Prophete speaketh of the darkenesse wherewith the Iewes should be ouerwhelmed, how yt it shold not be natural or bodily darknes, but spiritual, whych shall come hereof, for that other men & people sée a light. Nowe the Prophete saith thus: The darknesse shall not bee such as was in hir vexation, when at the first hee lightly afflicted the lande of Zabulon, and the lande of Nepthali, and afterwarde did more grieuously afflicte hir by the waye of the sea beyond Iordane in Galile of the heathen: But it shal be such, yt the people which walk in darkenesse shall sée a great light, which shall shine bright vponupon them that dwell in the lande of the shadowe of death, wherby when thou multipliest the people, thou doest not increase their ioye &c. Whiche is thus much in effecte: other darkenesse, and an other plague shall come vponupon this people, than was that, when Theglath Phalasar king of Assiria did first possesse the lande of Zabulon & ye land of Nepthali, which was as yet a light & no intollerable plague, beyng cōpared wt that which Salmanasar caused afterward, whē he possessed al ye coūtry vponupon the Sea coast, and carried awaye the whole kingdome of Israel, whiche was a farre more grieuous and greater plague and darknesse than the other. But beside these two plagues, the soarest plague and the greatest darkenesse shall come in the time of Christ,The spiritual darkenesse of the Ievves. when as this people shall bee offended and stumble, and shall harden themselues, for that a great light & shining brightnesse shall rise among the people, wherby manye of the Gentiles shall be conuerted, and the lawe of Moses and all Iudaisme shal be no more of anye estimation, but onelyonly grace and mercye in Christe shall be preached, and sette forth.
Now it is néedeful here to know the Historie which is written in the second booke of Kings, ye fiftéenth Chapter, how Theglath Phalasar king of the Assirians came in the dayes of Pecah king of Israel, and toke and carried away Captiue Gilead and Galile, being almoste the thirde part of the land of Israel, to both sides of Iordane. It is méete also to knowe that which is written in the seuentéenth Chapter of the same booke of Kings, how Salmanasar an other kyng of the Assirians, besieged Samaria thrée yeares, and caried awaye all Israel.Among the Hebrevves light signifieth prosperitie, darknesse aduersitie. These were two darknesses, that is, two plagues or scourges. For after the maner of the Hebrewes, lyght signifieth prosperitie, darknesse aduersitie: for that in aduersitie no grace, no goodnesse shineth vponupon them, but méere trouble and the greatnesse of Gods wrathe ouershadoweth them. Concerning the firste darkenesse, wherein Galile and Gilead were caried away, Esay calleth it a light affliction, for it was only vponupon part of the land, neyther did it continue very long. But the darkenesse whiche followed was worse and more intollerable, whē as the king of the Assirians, after he had made warre thrée yeres in the land, at the laste caried it all awaye Captiue. Which two plagues & darkenesses were types or figures of the plague that shoulde come afterwarde, when as the Iewes were spoyled and caried awaye both in body and spirite:The Ievvs spoyled both in body and spirite. in spirite, when they were caried of Satan from God and his word: vntounto vanitie and lyes. In body, when they were dispearsed of the Romaines ouer the whole world: whereof Esay in manye places maketh mētiō. But we wil now intreate of the prophesie of Esaye, and learne to know our Lord Iesus Christ, and as it were to dandle him, being an infant, in his swadling clothes.