That saith of Cyrus— Here at length the prophet clearly discovers the grand scope of his discourse. He speaks of Cyrus by name, as foreknown and decreed by the divine counsel, for the performance of the great work designed by providence, at least 170 years before the event. This is one of the most remarkable prophesies in Scripture; of the same kind with that 1 Kings 13:1-2. He is called God's shepherd, as he was to be the instrument of gathering God's people together, and leading them home as a shepherd does his flock. Xenophon tells us, that Cyrus used to compare kings in general, and himself in particular, to a shepherd. See Cyropoed. lib. 8.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, Amid the threatened judgments which closed the former chapter, a multitude of faithful souls remain to God, to whom he addresses himself for their comfort and encouragement.
1. Their character and relation to him are mentioned. They bear the honourable title of his servants, whom he will protect; they are his chosen, whom with peculiar regard he watches over; they are called ישׂרון Jesurun, upright, such being their temper; or seeing ones, to whom the glory of God in the Gospel of his Son hath been manifested; they are God's creation, his spiritual people, whom he will help, and therefore, whatever troubles fall on others, they need not fear. Happy are the people that are in such a case, so near and dear to the blessed God.
2. God promises to do great things for them. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; the soul that, under a sense of sin, as the parched ground, thirsts for pardon, grace, and consolation, shall be replenished abundantly out of God's fulness. I will pour my Spirit, that best of gifts, upon thy seed, the spiritual seed of Christ, and my blessing upon thine offspring; the blessed effect of which will be, that they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses; numerous, flourishing, and increasing in all the gifts of grace, and fruits of holiness. Note; The soul is then truly happy, when watered by the divine Spirit, it daily grows in grace, and in the knowledge and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. They shall make open and public profession of their adherence to the Lord Christ; and not only the Jews, but the Gentiles, called to the knowledge of the Gospel, shall rank themselves among the Israel of God, join in communion and worship with them, and become one fold under one shepherd. Note; (1.) It is the duty and delight of every true believer to surrender up himself into the arms of Jesus; and he is then happy when he can say, I am the Lord's, my beloved is mine, and I am his. (2.) An Israelite indeed is a greater name, and more to be envied, than that of the highest monarchs of the earth.
2nd, Never was controversy so unequal as that recorded in this chapter between the living Jehovah and dead idols.
1. God displays his own greatness and glory, eternal and omniscient; let his Israel hear and believe. He is their King, their Redeemer, and in that peculiar relation to them demands their love and fidelity. He is also the Lord of Hosts, the universal Sovereign, the first and the last, from eternity to eternity; and besides him, there is no God. No other can foresee and declare, as he hath done, the events of futurity, or give an exact account of his works from the days of old, since he appointed the ancient people, the first inhabitants of the earth: even of the nearest occurrences which should happen; the idol gods could not inform them, therefore they neither need fear them, nor ought to serve them, but be witnesses for God and his truth; besides whom, there is no other that can at all pretend to claim their notice, or deserve their worship.
2. He exposes the folly and stupidity of idolaters, as a warning to his people not to follow their abominable ways, and especially to guard them in Babylon, the city of idols, from joining in that worship so hateful to him, and so absurd in itself. The makers of the idols are all vanity, prove themselves empty and foolish; they call their idols delectable things, but they are unprofitable and vain; can neither know nor see the wants of their votaries, who seem equally blind in paying worship to the senseless stock, and witness to their own folly, for how wretched must be thy god, of which man himself is the maker, and well may they be ashamed of the work! The description of it alone is sufficient to expose both the maker and the idol to ridicule. The smith labours at the forge to prepare the iron-work, and the carpenter with his tools fashions and planes the tree into shape and form; and, when made, fastens it in its place. He gets a log of durable wood, or an ash of his own planting; and whilst one part of the loppings are employed to the uses of his kitchen, to dress his victuals, or warm him, the residue is made a god, and, with senseless stupidity he falls down to worship it; never reflecting on the ignoble use to which the remainder of the tree was applied, and that his own folly only made the difference between the log he worshipped, and the coals on his hearth; and all proceeds from the darkness of a deceived heart; the Devil, the god of this world, having blinded the eyes of idolaters, that they cannot see the lie that is in their right hand. Note; (1.) When once the human heart is abandoned to itself, there is nothing so brutish and absurd that it may not be brought to do. (2.) The pains that idolaters take to honour and worship their idols, is a just reproof of those who are negligent in the worship of the living and true God. (3.) They who place their affections on worldly things, are in fact idolaters; and will find, to their everlasting disappointment, a lie in their right hand. (4.) The serious consideration of the evil of our ways, is the first step towards our recovery.
3rdly, God, having exposed the folly of idolatry, addresses himself to his own people.
1. He bids them remember these things; and in the land whither they were about to be carried captive, beware of these abominations to which they would be tempted; and to which also, to their shame, in time past, they had been so prone. Note; It becomes us to remember our own evil ways, that we may loath and abhor ourselves for them.
2. He gives them the most endearing promises, claiming them as his own, and assuring them of his kind and constant remembrances; and, as that was among the most eminent of all mercies, he particularly promises them the pardon of all their great and numerous transgressions, to blot them out as a cloud, and as a thick cloud to disperse them. Note; (1.) Our sins, like the dark cloud, intercept the beams of God's favour, and expose us to the storm of divine wrath. (2.) When God speaks the pardoning word, the clouds pass away, and the Sun of righteousness arises with healing in his wings. (3.) It is matter of transporting joy to the soul when this blessed change is effected, and when in Jesus we, who were in darkness and the shadow of death, behold the light of life.
3. He exhorts them in the view of these great and precious promises to return unto him without delay. They had greatly departed from him, and deserved his wrath and indignation; but he again shews himself as their Redeemer, and therefore invites them to the arms of his mercy. Note; (1.) The promise of pardoning grace is the great argument and inducement for the miserable sinner to return to God. (2.) Whenever he does he will find redemption prepared for him and applied to his soul, both from the guilt and power of sin, and, if faithful, from the inbeing of sin, and from death and hell, and all their consequences.
4. A triumphant song is put in the mouth of the faithful redeemed, not merely of the Jews delivered from Babylon, but of all the Israel of God, who, through Jesus Christ, have obtained victory over the powers of sin and Satan. The joy is great; the heavens are called upon to join in the song, and angels on their golden harps to speak the wonders of redeeming love; whilst earth, with all its inhabitants, from every forest and mountain echoes back the grateful sound of thanksgiving to the God of their mercies. Note; (1.) Praise is the bounden tribute due from every redeemed soul. (2.) There is joy in heaven over every soul recovered by divine grace from the bondage of corruption.
5. The Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, encourages them to trust in his promises, which, as the Almighty Creator and Governor of all, he was fully able to accomplish; particularly he engages to confound the wise men and diviners of Babylon, who saw for it lying visions of peace, and would be mad with vexation when the event corresponded so little with their prophesies, while his own word should receive the fullest accomplishment in the deliverance of his people. The cities of Zion would shortly be desolate indeed, without inhabitants; but their desolations should not continue, God will restore her decayed palaces, and rear again the temple from its ruins: Cyrus by name is appointed as his shepherd, the great instrument which the Lord meant to employ; first, to destroy Babylon, the oppressor of his people, which Cyrus did by turning the course of the river which ran through the place, and thereby entered the city; and then to proclaim deliverance to the captive Jews, and restore their civil and ecclesiastical polity; giving them leave to rebuild their city and temple, and fixing them again in their own land. Note; (1.) When God hath designs to fulfil, he cannot want the means; difficulties before him are nothing; the mountain becomes a plain, the river dry. (2.) The character of a good king is, to be God's shepherd, to protect and provide for his people, and be a nursing father to his church. (3.) Whatever the greatest conquerors propose to themselves, they are raised up purely to fulfil God's pleasure, and perform his purposes.