Isaiah 27:3-5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

I the Lord do keep it— We have in these verses a fine testimony of the divine grace and clemency towards the church, of God's constant care and continued affection to it. This elegant period contains a declaration of God's gracious purpose toward his church, Isaiah 27:3 and the reason of it: the declaration of his gracious purpose, considered under the emblem of a vineyard of pure and red wine, comprehends three benefits; the care of it, the watering of it, and the protection of it, which God himself promises to discharge. The other part of this period, which explains the reason of the divine purpose, begins with the words, wrath or fury is not in me: the meaning is, that God is not ill-disposed to his spiritual church, but, on the contrary, most tenderly inclined to it: If, therefore, at any time he may seem to have been severe against it, this is not the effect of anger and fury, but of love and true affection towards it; and the reasons of his providence are to be sought for from those more sublime causes which are principally approved by God, and in that way which tends chiefly to the manifestation of his glory. But, lest any one should take this for an absolute declaration, and so turn it into an argument of error, it is added, "But if at any time I exercise my wrath and fury tending to the destruction of men, that fury burneth not but against the thorns and briars, useless and hurtful wood; that is, the enemies and adversaries of myself and my people; the impenitent, unfruitful, barren, profane and hypocritical, who claim to themselves the name of the vineyard, that is to say, of the church, though they pertain not to it, and are the true objects of my punitive justice, that it may burn and consume them, and which cannot be delivered from my wrath, unless they seek by true repentance a protection in my favour, and are reconciled to me. God is here introduced as an enraged enemy, about to consume the thorns and the briars, that is, the impious transgressors of his law, unless they make peace with him." The clause will be more clearly understood if read thus: Anger is not in me [towards my church]; yet, who would oppose thorns and briars against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Isaiah 27:5. Unless he should take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; I say, that he may make peace with me. Take hold of my strength, alludes to the laying hold of the horns of the altar. See 1 Kings 1:50 and Vitringa.