I have seen his ways, and will
heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and
to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to
him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I
will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it
cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace,
saith my God, to the wicked.
This is part of Isaiah's prophecy. He is telling the Jews that they
should come back safe at last to their own land. He tells them why
God had driven them out, and why God was going to bring them back.
He had driven them out for their sins. But he was not going to
bring them back for their righteousness. He was going to bring them
back out of his own free grace, his own pure love and mercy, which
was wider, deeper, and higher, than all their sins, or than the sins
of the whole world. He had sworn to Abraham to be the friend of
those foolish rebellious Jews, and he would keep his promise for
ever. Their wickedness could not conquer his goodness, or their
denying him make him deny himself.
But one thing he did require of them. Not that they should turn and
do right all at once. That must come afterwards. But that they
should open their eyes, and see that they had done wrong.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154