Isaiah 8

The Lord spoke thus with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people. Wesley: vehement, more than ordinary inspiration; the way of the generality of Judah, whose danger he foretells.

“Not to walk”—a serious warning to a prophet. Judah’s way—running to Assyria (7:9; 8:12). He can still refuse that road.

Calvin: two temptations, outward (Assyria) and inward (the sacred people relying on man). The Lord seizes the hand, as a father a scholar’s, that Isaiah not throw the office away when faith appears banished. We would be driven every moment were we not held by His government.

He holds the servant to the word. Lord spoke, strong hand, not walk in this people’s way.

Don’t call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy. Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized. Wesley: Isaiah and his children, do not consent to this confederacy with Assyria. Their fear: if they do not call Assyria, the two kings will destroy them.

“Conspiracy”—Ahaz’s league, not a modern plot. They still name it; you still need not fear it. The two stumps of 7:4 are still smoke.

Calvin: conspiracy as the league unbelievers longed to make with Assyria. Do not regard the counsels of the wicked though the whole people vie in them. Blind fear hurries to unlawful aid and does not look to the Lord. The godly are alarmed but compose their minds; the ungodly think of nothing but Assyrian help.

Their fear is not yours. Both sides agree: conspiracy, do not fear what they fear, do not dread. The end of the league is already spoken (8:10).

The LORD of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread. Wesley: give him the glory of his power, goodness, and faithfulness by trusting his promises. Let God, not the kings of Syria and Israel, be the object of your fear.

Isaiah tells his disciples to fear the LORD rather than the conspiracies around them. Arminian readers take it as an earnest command: honoring God as holy means trusting what he has said when the political fear is loudest.

Calvin: God is robbed of His holiness when we do not immediately betake ourselves to Him. No higher affront than to give way to fear as if He were not exalted above all events. Let Him be your fear: not horror that flees, but reverence that stays. Free from solicitude if sincere fear is engraven and does not pass away. The ungodly He harasses with uneasiness as revenge for their indifference.

Fearing Him is ascribing lawful government. Lord of hosts, honor as holy, your fear, your dread.

He will be a sanctuary, but a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over for both houses of Israel, and a trap and snare for the people of Jerusalem. Wesley: sanctuary—a sure refuge to all that truly fear him and rely upon him. A stone—an occasion of sin and ruin, at whom they will take offence and stumble. Jerusalem named as a wonder: the seat of the temple, yet it would reject Immanuel; the prediction keeps faith from shaking when it happens.

Shared christology—this is the Lord, and Immanuel, refuge to those who actually fear and rely. They take offence; that is still theirs. Not a fake warning: Jerusalem can stumble.

Calvin: covering the true worshippers, a citadel in a lofty place. Contrast implied: sanctuary for the godly, destruction for the ungodly who stumble against Him. Both houses: the whole nation, Ephraim and Judah; some exceptions, but he speaks of the body. It belongs to God to receive men into His favor; stumbling is accidental. More clearly in Christ. Paul: it is God of whom the Prophet speaks (Rom 9:33)—the God who created heaven and earth. Builders rejected the chief corner-stone (Ps 118:22).

He receives; they stumble against what was meant to save.

Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and taken. Wesley: many—not all; there shall be a remnant (4:2; 6:13). Stumble at that stone. Accomplished at the coming of the Messiah, whom the Jews rejected to their own destruction.

“Many”—a fall, and a leftover. Not all. Shared remnant, as in 6:13.

Calvin: they will find He excels them in strength and wisdom, to their destruction. Either utterly bruised or snared so they cannot extricate. The threatening also regards the godly, that they not hesitate to withdraw from the multitude. Peter: though many stumble, Christ is still a chosen and precious stone (1 Pet 2:4).

The body falls; the stone remains precious. Many, stumble, fall, broken, snared, taken.

Bind up the covenant. Seal the law among my disciples. Wesley: testimony and law are one—the word of God, especially the doctrine of the Messiah, which the generality will disown when He comes. Bind and seal: it shall certainly be fulfilled, yet kept secret from the unbelieving. Disciples: those taught of God.

A company who are taught and keep the word. The seal is not a fake closed book: they can still be taught.

Calvin: a sealed letter, handled by many, read by few—the elect. Sealed to those who derive no advantage; unsealed to His own by the Spirit. Teachers must persevere though all revolt; the Lord will reserve some disciples. Isaiah is not to shut himself up: cry aloud to all, but be satisfied with the few.

Reserved, unsealed by the Spirit. Both traditions see: bind, testimony, seal, teaching, disciples.

I will wait for the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Wesley: notwithstanding this dreadful prophecy of Israel’s rejection. Wait—cast my care upon Him, expect the Messiah and His mercies on me and all believing Israelites. Hideth—withdraws favour from Israel.

“Wait”—a waiting under a hiding. Hope is still theirs.

Calvin: therefore—after the seal among disciples. Though the whole world revolt, and God hide His face from His people, wait with unshaken hope. The only remedy left. Offenses commonly turn us aside; this consolation is necessary when the Church is oppressed or the multitude is treacherous.

Stand when the face is hid. Both note: wait, Lord, hiding his face, house of Jacob, hope.

Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion. Wesley: literally Isaiah concerning himself, mystically Christ (Heb 2:13). Children—spiritual children, begotten or brought up by his ministry. Wonders—a gazing-stock for our folly in believing God’s promises. Zion—where the temple was, and where Messiah was to set up His kingdom.

“Children”—given, and also begotten by the ministry. Hebrews reads this as Christ and His. They can still believe the promises and look like fools for it.

Calvin: I bring those preserved through my agency. Children: disciples. Whom the Lord hath given: undeserved election. He taught all; the doctrine advantages only those God drew by an inward operation of the Spirit. Readiness to believe does not depend on the will of men; some believe because they had been foreordained (Acts 13:48). Christ: the elect were given to Him by the Father (John 17:6; 6:44). Signs and wonders: the godly regarded as monsters. From the LORD of Armies, who dwells in Zion: God on his side, against hypocrites who boast the temple contrary to the word.

The children are given to Isaiah, drawn to God, and kept by him. Neither side disputes this: I and the children, given me, signs, Lord of hosts, Mount Zion.

When they tell you to consult the mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter—shouldn’t a people consult their own God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Wesley: Israelites fallen into superstition; you—my children, armed against the common temptation. Mutter—low voice, as in their bellies. Living men should inquire of the living God, not dead idols or the spirits of dead men.

A fork in a famine of the word. They can still seek their God.

Calvin: arm the godly with this answer: God alone ought to be consulted. Alludes to Deut 18: they would not lack a prophet. Depend entirely on His word. From the living to the dead: one God sufficient for living and dead; search heaven, earth, and hell, one God is enough.

The word, not the dead. Common confession: mediums, chirp and mutter, inquire of their God, the dead, the living.

If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no dawn. Wesley: let the dispute be determined by God’s word, called law because they are obliged to believe and obey, and testimony because it witnesses God’s will and man’s duty. No light—darkness of their minds; they are blind and cannot see.

A standard they ought to obey. No dawn is still their blindness. Not a works-gospel: the word is the Lord’s. Not a fake warning: If they don’t speak it, they have no dawn.

Calvin: the law contains the testimony of His will. A high commendation: doctrine of salvation and the rule of a good life. Forsake superstitions. Everything added to the word is a corruption of it; if we lend our ears to others we take a liberty He has forbidden. If they shall not speak according to this word: they evince their own blindness. Despise their folly so it not obstruct you (Matt 15:14). Even an angel otherwise is accursed (Gal 1:8).

The sealed word of v. 16, now the public test. Common to both: teaching, testimony, this word, no dawn.

They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry; when hungry, they will worry, and curse their king and their God. They will turn their faces upward. Wesley: their own land; destitute of food; their king—because he does not relieve, or by foolish counsels brought them here; their God—the idol they trusted, now unable; look to heaven for help.

Hunger in Judah after the refused word. They still curse.

Calvin: wandering in the land promised as a perpetual inheritance. Hunger as part for every calamity. Fret: beginning of repentance in some; in the reprobate, rage without humility. Curse king and God: false confidence in idols, then in earthly defense; the king was their standard-bearer against the prophet.

The land itself will not hold them. Agreed on both sides: distressed, hungry, enraged, king, their God, faces upward.

They will look to the earth and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness. Wesley: finding no help from heaven, they look downward, hither and thither for comfort.

Heaven failed them because they would not have the word (v. 20). The disciples of v. 16 still have the sealed teaching.

Calvin: whether conversion or reprobate rage, they see nothing but frightful calamities. Darkness: adversity. Driven to darkness: a heavier push, more danger of stumbling. Judgments so dreadful they are constrained to look up—and still the earth answers with gloom.

The end of walking in this people’s way. Earth, distress, darkness, gloom, thick darkness.