Isaiah 54

You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires. Wesley: O thou—Who hast been, in a most afflicted and comfortless condition. With sapphires—I will make thee exceeding beautiful and glorious, by a plentiful effusion of excellent gifts, and graces.

Comfortless Zion, then gifts and graces that make her beautiful. Compare 54:1: the barren now built. Compare 51:21: the afflicted who were drunk not with wine.

Thou wretched. Calvin: he continues the same subject, and promises not only that the Church shall be restored to her ancient splendor, but that God will cause her to be adorned with attire of greater magnificence, as if it had been wholly composed of precious stones. All this was expressed by Haggai in a single word, when he said, The glory of the latter temple shall be greater than the glory of the former (Haggai 2:9). This earnest address is exceedingly well fitted for soothing the grief of believers; it represents the Church, which was ready to be drowned, as being now rescued by him from shipwreck. Whenever therefore we shall see her violently shaken by tempests, and weighed down by a load of distresses, and deprived of all consolation, let us remember that these are the very circumstances which induce God to give assistance.

Drowned Church rescued; latter glory greater. The afflicted city, left without comfort, will be rebuilt. Recall 54:8: the same momentary wrath. The architect already speaks the stones.

I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. Wesley: Agates—The proper signification of the Hebrew names of precious stones is unknown to the Jews themselves. It may suffice us to know that this was some very clear and transparent, and precious stone. Thy borders—The utmost parts or walls.

Clear stones, utmost borders made precious; Wesley will not pretend a jeweler's lexicon.

And I will lay thy windows with pearls. Calvin: by these metaphors he shows that the condition of the Church will be far better than at any former period. The Church is compared to a building, which is customary in every part of Scripture. For this reason he now draws a picture of a costly and magnificent structure. But it ought to be remarked that the Prophet represents God as the architect of this building; for this work ought to be entirely ascribed to him alone. Whether these jewels mean doctrine, as Paul uses gold, silver, precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:10), will appear from the following verse.

“Walls”—God the only architect; the next verse will say the stones are people taught by the LORD. Calvin brings in 1 Corinthians 3 here.

All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children’s peace will be great. You will be the peace of your children. Wesley: Taught—Not only outwardly by his word, but inwardly by his spirit. The peace—1. Inward peace arising from the clear discoveries of God's love and reconciliation to us, and wrought by the spirit of adoption, which is more abundantly given to believers under the gospel, than under the law. Outward peace, safety, and happiness.

“Taught”—word and Spirit; inward peace of adoption more under the gospel; outward safety too. Common to both: all your children taught by the LORD; great peace. Jesus quotes this in John 6:45.

The promise is for all of Zion’s children. Calvin: I consider that Isaiah spoke not of doctrine, but of men, of which the spiritual building of the Church is reared. It is by doctrine, indeed, that the Church is built; but the building of it is effected by assembling men together, and reducing them to a state of obedience to God. Taught by Jehovah: all that belongs to the ornament of the Church proceeds from no other source than from the grace of God; if we are carbuncles and sapphires in consequence of our being taught by the Lord, it follows that this does not proceed from nature. There are two ways in which the Lord teaches us: by external preaching, and by the secret revelation of the Holy Spirit. Christ quotes this passage (John 6:45). If this passage were to be understood as relating to external preaching only, the conclusion which Christ draws from it would not be well founded. The Gospel is preached indiscriminately to the elect and the reprobate; but the elect alone come to Christ, because they have been taught by God. Fanatics who abuse this passage for overturning the preaching of the word cannot be the children of the Church. And great peace: by the word peace he denotes happiness; the true happiness of men is when God enlightens our understandings, so that we embrace the salvation which has been revealed to us in Christ.

Stones are people; preaching plus Spirit; elect come; fanatics who scrap the pulpit are not her children. Wesley reads it the same way: taught by the LORD, word and Spirit, great peace. See John 6:45. Calvin's peace is happiness in Christ.

You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you. Wesley: Established—Thine affairs shall be managed with righteousness, which is the glory of any society. Oppression—Either by thine own governors, or by foreign powers.

Righteous management; far from home tyrants and foreign powers. Common to both: established in righteousness; far from oppression; shall not fear; terror shall not come near.

Calvin: he means that God will be the maker and architect of his Church. Some think that righteousness means good works, and that exposition has some plausibility arising from the Prophet having spoken about doctrine. But the Prophet's meaning was different, namely, that the Church shall be restored under God's guidance, who wishes to be its guardian and defender. He contrasts righteousness with the violence and oppression by which the Church has been thrown down; or, at least, he expresses stability, as if he had said that it shall not be a frail building. Thus, although men are leagued in every way for the destruction of the Church, they will gain nothing; for the Lord guards her by his righteousness.

God's righteousness as architect and guard, not first our good works as the mortar. Both confess: established; far from oppression; no terror.

If anyone gathers against you, it is not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you. Wesley: Behold—It is true some will combine and make an attempt against thee. But—Without any such commission from me, as Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar had.

Some will combine, but not with the old commission of exile's tyrants; they fall. If they gather against you, it is not from me; they shall fall. Compare v. 14: far from oppression. The point is whose commission the gathering is.

Behold, he who assembleth shall assemble. Calvin: although many rise up for the purpose of overwhelming the Church, yet all their efforts and attacks shall fail. He appears to promise God's assistance not only against external foes, but against foes that are domestic and internal. Many assemble in the bosom of the Church, as if they wished to join themselves to her, but afterwards carry on internal war. Without me signifies in vain or unsuccessfully; they rush forward with blind fury, but it is the Lord's hand alone that gives prosperity. He alludes to what was formerly said, that the Babylonians should come under God's guidance to destroy Judea. At that time the people were ruined, because they had God for their enemy; but now, because without God, that is, without his guidance, the enemies shall attack her, they shall be ashamed and turn back. He who shall assemble in thee shall fall against thee: all that he shall attempt against thee shall fall back on his own head.

Babylon came with him; these gather without him and fall, even from inside. Either reading: not from me; they fall. Calvin brings in 41:25 to draw the contrast.

Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy. Wesley: The smith—Both the smith that makes warlike instruments, and the soldier that uses them, are my creatures, and totally at my command, and therefore they cannot hurt you without my leave. The waster—To destroy only whom and when I please.

Maker and soldier both his; no hurt without leave; the waster destroys only whom and when he please. Both sides agree: I created the smith; weapon for his work; and I created the destroyer to destroy. Compare v. 15: strife not from me. The creatures are already at his command.

Behold, I have created the workmen. Calvin: the Lord shows how easily he delivers his Church from the base attacks of wicked men; for they can do nothing but so far as the Lord permits them, though he makes use of them as instruments for chastising his people. This may be viewed as referring both to the Babylonians and to other foes. He formerly said that wicked men attack the Church without the Lord, and now he says that they fight under God as their leader. The contrast: the Lord had raised up the Babylonians to destroy the Church, the metaphor of the deluge; but he solemnly declares that henceforth he is resolved to restrain his anger, so as never to permit the Church to be destroyed by her enemies, though he chastise her by his own hand. I have created the waster: this does not refer merely to the nature with which men are born, but to the very act of wasting. We must not, on that account, lay blame on God, as if he were the author of the unjust cruelty which dwells in men alone; God does not give assent to their wicked inclinations, but regulates their efforts by his secret providence, and employs them as the instruments of his anger.

Permitted instruments, not authors of their cruelty; Babylon the one deluge, not a standing commission. Wesley says as much: created; cannot hurt without him. Recall 54:9: the Noah oath.

No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is from me, says the LORD. Wesley: Condemn—And I will deliver thee not only from the fury of war, but also from the strife of tongues. This—This blessed condition, is the portion allotted them by me. Righteousness—The reward of their righteousness. Of me—I give it, and I will continue it to them.

War and tongues both answered; the portion allotted; the reward given and continued by him, not seized. No weapon shall succeed; every tongue refuted; heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD; vindication from me. Compare 50:8: he who vindicates is near. The invitation of 55:1–13 is the next unit, kept whole; do not split Come, everyone who thirsts, onto this heritage.

Calvin: wicked men, even though they exert themselves to the utmost, will gain nothing; their attacks are guided and restrained by the secret purpose of God. Heaven permits them, indeed, to a great extent, in order to try the patience of believers; but, when God thinks proper, he strips them of their strength and armor. And every tongue: after having spoken of the weapons, he expressly mentions the tongue, because no other weapon is so deadly and destructive. Not only do they revile and slander and defame the servants of God, but, as far as lies in their power, they extinguish the truth of God. The Papists, when they call us heretics, plead against us as it were in judgment, and wish to be regarded as the defenders of catholic truth, though they maintain falsehood and idolatry. This is the inheritance: the Lord has granted this to believers, as it were, by a right of inheritance, so that they shall never be deprived of it. And their righteousness from me: whenever we are attacked and injured by men, let us learn to betake ourselves forthwith to the Lord; when we seek other assistance, the consequence is that we are deprived of his guardianship.

Weapons and tongues fail; inheritance sure; righteousness from him, so run to him, not to other help. Both traditions see: no weapon prospers; tongues answered; heritage of servants. Compare 54:10: the same unmoved covenant. Come, everyone who thirsts, waits in 55, kept whole.