A dire vision is declared to me: "The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning." Sermons
I. RIGHT IDEAS OF GOD'S PROVIDENCE. We do not speak of providence so freely as our fathers did, because we have less impressive views of the Divine rule and control. As Dr. Bushnell expresses it, "our age is at the point of apogee from all the robuster notions of the Divine Being." We are more interested in the ordinary workings of Law, than in the continuous adjustments and qualifications of Law by the ever-pre-siding Lawgiver. Yet, if our eyes were opened, we might see manifest signs of what our fathers called "providence" in the personal, the family, and the national spheres of today. The proper idea of providence may be thus expressed - it is God using for moral purposes commonplace events, and therefore adjusting, arranging, and fitting together those events. Providence ordering or controlling the nations is "God in history." And the illustrations of Divine overruling which we see in the large spheres of the world-kingdoms, are designed to convince us of the reality of that overruling in the small details of our personal life. II. THE PROVIDENTIAL DISTINGUISHED FROM THE MIRACULOUS. The distinction is in our apprehension; we cannot conceive of the distinction as recognized by God. As by the "providential" we mean God intervening to readjust the usual order of material events, it is plain that sometimes he may use forces with which we are familiar, and then we call his working "providential;" but at other times he may use forces with which we are unfamiliar, and then we call his working "miraculous." There need be no difficulty in recognizing resources in God beyond what he has been pleased to explain to man. God has not exhausted himself in making revelations to man. If we could see clearly we should see that "providential" and "miraculous" are convertible terms. III. THE RELATION OF PROVIDENCE TO MORAL LAW. This may be put into a sentence. It is the executor of its sanctions. The rewards of obedience and the penalties of disobedience are not things deferred until some yet far-distant day. They are continually operating in all spheres, private and public. Ann what we call "providence" is the agency in their distribution. But our "providence" differs from "fate," or the pagan conception of the "furies," because it is the working of an infinitely wise and good Being, who acts upon comprehensive knowledge and sound judgment. IV. THE RELATION OF PROVIDENCE TO NATIONS. Here we take one single point. Nations have a corporate life, so they are, as it were, individuals, with a distinct individual character and action. Just as God uses the individual man for his purposes, so he uses the individual nation. For the characteristics of nations, see Greece, Rome, Germany, France, etc. The natural expression of a nation's character or genius becomes the providential agency for carrying out God's purposes. Illustrate the conquering genius of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar doing God's work in the destruction of the kingdom of Judah. The fact that a nation employed as an executor is still in God's control, is shown in God's judging that nation for evils that become manifest in its doing of that executive work. Efficient illustrations may be found in the movements and enterprises of the European nations during the last century. - R.T.
Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, sad all the glory of Kedar shall fail. I. A TERRIBLE THREATENING. We have here a prophecy of the fall of a nation, which had held a proud position by reason of prowess and skill in war. But glory founded on physical strength, upon wealth, or upon power, may speedily fade away. With all the study of economics we seem to know but little even now, and we have found, many times of late, how trifling a matter may lead to the overthrow of existing engagements and conditions. Much less stable is the glory of a nation built upon the strength of its arms. A nation's glory is safe only when it is founded upon righteousness and obedience to God.II. A TIME FIXED. "Within a year." How different the feeling in looking back over a year and looking forward! The retrospect — bow short a time, how quickly passed, how little done, and yet what changes have taken place! How the number of the mighty have diminished! The prospect — what a long time, what hopes we have, what possibilities are in it! To us as a nation, to us in our families, to us as persons. Are we prepared for them! The fall of the glory of Kedar was announced to come within the year. Forbearance must have its limits. A boundary to life, to sin, to indulgence; but within a given period the time of reckoning must he fixed. III. THE ATTITUDE WE SHOULD ADOPT. Standing on the threshold of a new year, let us consider our position. Certain it is that some will fall "within the year." Men shall be diminished. Let our influence, by example and precept, be exerted to found our national glory, not upon our skill in arms, on our insular position, on our wealth, but upon true obedience to God. The number of those who form the glory of the Church will be diminished this year. Are the younger people preparing themselves to fill the vacant places? There is a warning here, that those who trust in aught but in Jehovah will find their glory naught but folly. There is also encouragement. "The God of Israel hath spoken it." To him that walketh uprightly and serveth God humbly, shall glory be revealed from day to day, until the full glory of God is revealed to us in the life beyond. (Frank Mabin.) (F. Delitzsch.) (F. Delitzsch.) A sensible person said he could never covet the office of chief magistrate of London, because that honour continued only one year. Might not the idea be justly extended to all the honours and enjoyments of this life? None of them are permanent.(Anon.). People Dedanites, Dumah, Elam, Isaiah, Kedar, Seir, TemaPlaces Arabia, Babylon, Dumah, Elam, Kedar, Media, Negeb, Seir, TemaTopics Attack, Besiege, Betrays, Bring, Caused, Cease, Dealer, Dealeth, Dealing, Deals, Deceit, Declared, Destroyer, Destroyeth, Destroying, Destroys, Elam, Fear, Goes, Grievous, Groaning, Harsh, Lay, Loot, Looter, Making, Media, Media's, O, Plunderer, Plundereth, Plunders, Shown, Siege, Sighing, Sorrow, Spoiler, Spoileth, Stern, Stopped, Takes, Thereof, Traitor, Treacherous, Treacherously, Vision, Waste, Waster, WorkerOutline 1. The prophet, bewailing the captivity of his people, 6. sees in a vision the fall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. 11. Edom, scorning the prophet, is moved to repentance. 13. The set time of Arabia's calamity. Dictionary of Bible Themes Isaiah 21:1-17 5567 suffering, emotional Library The Morning BreakethTEXT: "Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night."--Isaiah 21:11-12. It is very interesting to note that, whether we study the Old Testament or the New, nights are always associated with God's mornings. In other words, he does not leave us in despair without sending to us his messengers of hope and cheer. The Prophet Isaiah in this particular part of his prophecy seems to be almost broken-hearted because of the sin of the people. As one of the Scotch … J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Cæsar and under the Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas - a Voice in the Wilderness Letter Xlii to the Illustrious Youth, Geoffrey De Perrone, and his Comrades. Isaiah Links Isaiah 21:2 NIVIsaiah 21:2 NLT Isaiah 21:2 ESV Isaiah 21:2 NASB Isaiah 21:2 KJV Isaiah 21:2 Bible Apps Isaiah 21:2 Parallel Isaiah 21:2 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 21:2 Chinese Bible Isaiah 21:2 French Bible Isaiah 21:2 German Bible Isaiah 21:2 Commentaries Bible Hub |