The following commentary covers Chapters 25 and 26.
God's
intervention celebrated in song
Chapters 25 and 26 take
the form of a song, in which the effect of God's
intervention is celebrated. Let us observe its principal
subjects. God is faithful. He accomplishes His purposes.
He has brought the city of human pride to nought through
His power. All the strong organisation of man's pride is
destroyed. God has been the strength of the poor among
His people in the day of their distress, and the power of
the enemy has been brought low. He will execute justice
in Zion for all people. He will take away the veil that
is upon their heart. The resurrection of the faithful
will have taken place. I say "the faithful,"
for it is death swallowed up in victory. Moreover, 1
Corinthians is applies it thus. The rebuke of His people
(Israel) shall be entirely taken away. The remnant (v.
9-12) celebrate their deliverance; they had waited for
God, and the power of Jehovah shall be displayed on their
behalf. Moab, their haughty neighbour, shall be subdued. [1]
The praise of the
remnant
In chapter 26 the remnant
sing in praise of the character of this deliverance. They
have a strong city, but its bulwarks are the salvation of
God. The strength of man has no place here; it is the
foot of the poor that treads down the lofty city. It is
the judgment that the righteous God executes Himself. The
remnant had waited for Him in the way of His judgments.
The long-suffering of grace was in vain; it is only when
the judgments of God are in the earth [2] that the inhabitants of the world
will learn righteousness. Even when the hand of Jehovah
was lifted up to strike, they did not see. But they shall
see, in spite of themselves, and they shall be ashamed.
The fire of Jehovah's jealousy shall devour them; they
shall not rise. But Israel shall be raised, as from the
dead, by the power of Jehovah.
[1] Note, you have
here all the results then of this judgment of God and
what is connected with it. The saints are raised, the
power of evil cast down from the heavens, the rebuke of
Israel taken away, and the veil of the covering taken off
the face of all peoples.
[2] I apprehend "the earth"
is a more contracted sphere than "the world,"
the distinction especially lying in this, that it is the
sphere in which the revealed ways and government of God
have been brought before men. When this has been the case
with the whole world, it becomes the earth. The word
"earth" is used for the land of Israel and for
the earth in the sense explained, and for the whole earth
as a scene ordered of God. Hence, when the scene with
which God has already dealt is judged, then it is that
the wide world at large will learn righteousness; not,
though it ought to have been carried there, while the
present system of grace prevails.
Isaiah 26 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
God's intervention celebrated in song
Chapters 25 and 26 take the form of a song, in which the effect of God's intervention is celebrated. Let us observe its principal subjects. God is faithful. He accomplishes His purposes. He has brought the city of human pride to nought through His power. All the strong organisation of man's pride is destroyed. God has been the strength of the poor among His people in the day of their distress, and the power of the enemy has been brought low. He will execute justice in Zion for all people. He will take away the veil that is upon their heart. The resurrection of the faithful will have taken place. I say "the faithful," for it is death swallowed up in victory. Moreover, 1 Corinthians is applies it thus. The rebuke of His people (Israel) shall be entirely taken away. The remnant (v. 9-12) celebrate their deliverance; they had waited for God, and the power of Jehovah shall be displayed on their behalf. Moab, their haughty neighbour, shall be subdued. [1]
The praise of the remnant
In chapter 26 the remnant sing in praise of the character of this deliverance. They have a strong city, but its bulwarks are the salvation of God. The strength of man has no place here; it is the foot of the poor that treads down the lofty city. It is the judgment that the righteous God executes Himself. The remnant had waited for Him in the way of His judgments. The long-suffering of grace was in vain; it is only when the judgments of God are in the earth [2] that the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Even when the hand of Jehovah was lifted up to strike, they did not see. But they shall see, in spite of themselves, and they shall be ashamed. The fire of Jehovah's jealousy shall devour them; they shall not rise. But Israel shall be raised, as from the dead, by the power of Jehovah.
[1] Note, you have here all the results then of this judgment of God and what is connected with it. The saints are raised, the power of evil cast down from the heavens, the rebuke of Israel taken away, and the veil of the covering taken off the face of all peoples.
[2] I apprehend "the earth" is a more contracted sphere than "the world," the distinction especially lying in this, that it is the sphere in which the revealed ways and government of God have been brought before men. When this has been the case with the whole world, it becomes the earth. The word "earth" is used for the land of Israel and for the earth in the sense explained, and for the whole earth as a scene ordered of God. Hence, when the scene with which God has already dealt is judged, then it is that the wide world at large will learn righteousness; not, though it ought to have been carried there, while the present system of grace prevails.