BIBLES NET. COM
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
Z E C H A R I A H.
CHAP. VIII.
The work of ministers is rightly to divide the word of truth and to
give every one his portion. So the prophet is here instructed to do, in
the further answer he gives to the case of conscience proposed about
continuing the public fasts. His answer, in the foregoing chapter, is
by way of reproof to those that were disobedient and would not obey the
truth. But here he is ordered to change his voice, and to speak by way
of encouragement to the willing and obedient. Here are two words from
the Lord of hosts, and they are both good words and comfortable words.
In the former of these messages
(ver. 1)
God promises that Jerusalem shall be restored, reformed, replenished
(ver. 2-8),
that the country shall be rich, and the affairs of the nation shall be
successful, their reputation retrieved, and their state in all respects
the reverse of what it had been for many years past
(ver. 9-15);
he then exhorts them to reform what was amiss among them, that they
might be ready for these favours designed them
(ver. 16, 17).
In the latter of these messages
(ver. 18)
he promises that their fasts should be superseded by the return of
mercy
(ver. 19),
and that thereupon they should be replenished, enriched, and
strengthened, by the accession of foreigners to them,
| Encouraging Prospects. | B. C. 517. |
|
|
|
1 Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with
great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell
in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city
of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy
mountain.
4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old
women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his
staff in his hand for very age.
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls
playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes
of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be
marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people
from the east country, and from the west country;
8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of
Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God,
in truth and in righteousness.
The prophet, in his foregoing discourses, had left his hearers under a
high charge of guilt and a deep sense of wrath; he had left them in a
melancholy view of the desolations of their pleasant land, which was
the effect of their fathers’ disobedience; but because he designed to
bring them to repentance, not to drive them to despair, he here sets
before them the great things God had in store for them, encouraging
them hereby to hope that their case of conscience would shortly
determine itself and that God’s providence would as loudly call them to
joy and gladness as ever it called them to fasting and
mourning. It is here promised,
I. That God will appear for Jerusalem, and will espouse and plead her
cause.
1. He will be revenged on Zion’s enemies
(v. 2):
I was jealous for Zion, or of Zion; that is, “I have of
late been heartily concerned for her honour and interests, with
great jealousy. The great wrath that was against her
now turns against her adversaries. I am now jealous for her with
great fury, and can no more bear to have her abused in her
afflictions than I could bear to be abused by her provocations.” This
he had said before
that they might promise themselves as much from the power of his anger,
when it was turned for them, as they had felt from it when it was
against them. The sins of Zion were her worst enemies, and had done her
the most mischief; and therefore God, in his jealousy for her honour
and comfort, will take away her sins, and then, whatever other
enemies injured her, it was at their peril.
2. He will be resident in Zion’s palaces
(v. 3):
“I have returned to Zion, after I had seemed so long to stand at
a distance, and I will again dwell in the midst of Jerusalem as
formerly.” This secures to them the tokens of his presence in his
ordinances and the instances of his favour in his providences.
II. That there shall be a wonderful reformation in Jerusalem, and
religion, in the power of it, shall prevail and flourish there.
“Jerusalem, that has dealt treacherously both with God and man,
shall become so famous for fidelity and honesty that it shall be
called and known by the name of a city of truth, and the
inhabitants of it shall be called children that will not lie.
The faithful city has become a harlot
(Isa. i. 21),
but shall now become a faithful city again, faithful to the
God of Israel and to the worship of him only.” This was
fulfilled; for the Jews after the captivity, though there was much
amiss among them, were never guilty of idolatry. Jerusalem shall be
called the mountain of the Lord of hosts, owning him and owned
by him, and therefore the holy mountain, cleared from idols and
consecrated to God, and not, as it had been, the mount of
corruption,
2 Kings xxiii. 13.
Note, The city of God ought to be a city of truth and the
mountain of the Lord of hosts a holy mountain. Those that
profess religion, and relation to God, must study to adorn their
profession by all instances of godliness and honesty.
III. That there shall be in Jerusalem a great increase of people, and
all the marks and tokens of a profound tranquillity, When it has become
a city of truth and a mountain of holiness, it is then
peaceable and prosperous, and every thing in it looks bright and
pleasant.
1. You may look with pleasure upon the generation that is going off the
stage, and see them fairly quitting it in the ordinary course of
nature, and not driven off from it by war, famine, or pestilence
(v. 4):
In the streets of Jerusalem, that had been filled with the
bodies of the slain, or deserted and left desolate, shall now dwell
old men and old women, who have not been cut off by
untimely deaths (either through their own intemperance or God’s
vengeance), but have the even thread of their days spun out to a full
length; they shall feel no distemper but the decay of nature, and go to
their grave in a full age, as a shock of corn in his season.
They shall have every one his staff in his hand, for very age,
to support him, as Jacob, who worshipped, leaning upon the top of
his staff,
Heb. xi. 21.
Old age needs a support, and should not be ashamed to use it, but
should furnish itself with divine graces, which will be the strength of
the heart and a better support than a staff in the hand. Note, The
hoary head, as it is a crown of glory to those that wear it, so it is
to the places where they live. It is a graceful thing to a city to see
abundance of old people in it; it is a sign, not only of the
healthfulness of the air, but of the prevalence of virtue and the
suppression and banishment of those many vices which cut off the number
of men’s months in the midst; it is a sign, not only that the climate
is temperate, but that the people are so.
2. You may look with as much pleasure upon the generation that is
rising up in their room
(v. 5):
The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in
the streets. This intimates,
(1.) That they shall be blessed with a multitude of children; their
families shall increase and multiply, and replenish the city, which was
an early product of the divine blessing,
Happy the man, happy the nation, whose quiver is full of these arrows!
They shall have of both sexes, boys and girls, in whom their
families shall afterwards be joined, and another generation raised up.
(2.) That their children shall be healthful, and strong, and active;
their boys and girls shall not lie sick in bed, or sit pining in the
corner, but (which is a pleasant sight to parents) shall be hearty and
cheerful, and play in the streets. It is their pleasant playing age;
let us not grudge it to them; much good may it do them and no harm.
Evil days will come time enough, and years of which they
will say that they have no pleasure in them, in
consideration of which they are concerned not to spend all their time
in play, but to remember their Creator.
(3.) That they shall have great plenty, meat enough for all their
mouths. In time of famine we find the children swooning as the
wounded, in the streets of the city,
Lam. ii. 11, 12.
If they are playing in the streets, it is a good sign that they want
for nothing.
(4.) That they shall not be terrified with the alarms of war, but enjoy
a perfect security. There shall be no breaking in of invaders,
no going out of deserters, no complaining in the streets
for, when there is playing in the streets, it is a sign that there is
little care or fear there. Time was when the enemy hunted their steps
so closely that they could not go in their streets
(Lam. iv. 18),
but now they shall play in the streets and fear no evil.
(5.) That they shall have love and peace among themselves. The boys and
girls shall not be fighting in the streets, as sometimes in cities that
are divided into factions and parties the children soon imbibe and
express the mutual resentments of the parents; but they shall be
innocently and lovingly playing in the streets, not devouring,
but diverting, one another.
(6.) That the sports and diversions used shall be all harmless and
inoffensive; the boys and girls shall have no other play than what they
are willing that persons should see in the streets, no play that
seeks corners, no playing the fool, or playing the wanton, for it is
the mountain of the Lord, the holy mountain, but honest and
modest recreations, which they have no reason to be ashamed of.
(7.) That childish youthful sports shall be confined to the age of
childhood and youth. It is pleasing to see the boys and girls
playing in the streets, but it is ill-favoured to see men and women
playing there, who should fill up their time with work and business. It
is well enough for children to be sitting in the
market-place, crossing questions
but it is no way fit that men, who are able to work in the
vineyard, should stand all the day idle there,
IV. That the scattered Israelites shall be brought together again from
all parts whither they were dispersed
(v. 7):
“I will save my people from the east country, and from the west;
I will save them from being lost, or losing themselves, in Babylon, or
in Egypt, or in any other country whither they were driven.” They shall
neither be detained by the nations among whom they sojourn nor shall
they incorporate with them; but I will save them, will separate
them, and will bring them to their own land again; by the prosperity of
their land I will invite them back, and at the same time incline them
to return; and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, shall
choose to dwell there, because it is the holy city, though, upon many
other accounts, it was more eligible to dwell in the country; and
therefore we find
that the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves
to dwell at Jerusalem.
V. That God would renew his covenant with them, would be faithful to
them and make them so to him: They shall be my people and I will be
their God. That is the foundation and crown of all these promises,
and is inclusive of all happiness. They shall obey God’s laws, and God
will secure and advance all their interests. This contract shall be
made, shall be new-made, in truth and in righteousness.
Some think that the former denotes God’s part of the covenant (he will
be their God in truth, he will make good all his promises of
favour to them) and the latter man’s part of the covenant–they shall be
his people in righteousness, they shall be a righteous people
and shall abound in the fruits of righteousness, and shall not,
as they have done, deal treacherously and unjustly with their God. See
God will never leave nor forsake them in a way of mercy, as he has
promised them; and they shall never leave nor forsake him in a way of
duty, as they have promised him. These promises were fulfilled in the
flourishing state of the Jewish church, for some ages, between the
captivity and Christ’s time; they were to have a further and a fuller
accomplishment in the gospel-church, that heavenly Jerusalem,
which is from above, is free, and is the mother of us all; but
the fullest accomplishment of all will be in the future state.
All these precious promises are here ratified, and the doubts of God’s
people silenced, with that question
(v. 6):
“If it be marvellous in the eyes of this people, should it be
marvellous in my eyes? If it seem unlikely to you that ever
Jerusalem should be thus repaired, should be thus replenished, is it
therefore impossible with God?” The remnant of this people (and
God’s people in this world are but a remnant), being few and feeble,
thought all this was too good news to be true, especially in these
days, these difficult days, these cloudy and dark days. Considering
how bad the times are, it is highly improbable, it is morally
impossible, they should ever come to be so good as the prophet speaks.
How can these things be? How can dry bones live? But should it
therefore appear so in the eyes of God? Note, We do both God and
ourselves a deal of wrong if we think that, when we are
nonplussed, he is so, and that he cannot get over the
difficulties which to us seem insuperable. With men this is
impossible; but with God all things are possible; so far are God’s
thoughts and ways above ours.
| Encouraging Prospects. | B. C. 517. |
|
|
|
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye
that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets,
which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the
LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any
hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went
out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every
one against his neighbour.
11 But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as
in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her
fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens
shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people
to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among
the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I
save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your
hands be strong.
14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish
you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of
hosts, and I repented not:
15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto
Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man
the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and
peace in your gates:
17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his
neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things
that I hate, saith the LORD.
God, by the prophet, here gives further assurances of the mercy he had
in store for Judah and Jerusalem. Here is line upon line for their
comfort, as before there was for their conviction. These verses contain
strong encouragements with reference to the difficulties they now
laboured under. And we may observe,
I. Who they were to whom these encouragements did belong–to those who,
in obedience to the call of God by his prophets, applied in good
earnest to the building of the temple
(v. 9):
“Let your hands be strong, that are busy at work for God, you
that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets,
and are not disobedient to them as your fathers were, in the
former days, to the words of those prophets that were sent to them. You
may take the comfort of the promises, and shall have the benefit of
them, who have obeyed the precepts given you in the day that the
foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, when you were told
that, having begun with it, you must go on, that the temple might be
built; God told you that you must go on with it, and you have
laboured hard at it for some time, in obedience to the heavenly vision.
Now you are those whose hands must be strengthened and whose hearts
must be comforted, with these precious promises; to you is the word of
this consolation sent.” Note, Those, and those only, that are employed
for God, may expect to be encouraged by him; those who lay their hands
to the plough of duty shall have them strengthened with the promises of
mercy; and those who avoid their fathers’ faults, not only cut off the
entail of the curse, but have it turned into a blessing.
II. What the discouragements were which they had hitherto laboured
under,
These are mentioned as a foil to the blessings God was now about to
bestow upon them, to make them appear the more strange, to the glory of
God, and the more sweet, to their comfort. The truth was the times had
long been very bad, and the calamities and difficulties of them were
many and great.
1. Trade was dead; there was nothing to be done and therefore nothing
to be got. Before these days of reformation began there was
no hire for man, nor any hire for beasts. The fruits of the earth
(though it had long lain fallow, and therefore, one would think, should
have been the more fertile) were thin and poor, so that the husbandman
had no occasion to hire harvest people to reap his corn, nor teams to
carry it home, for he could be scarcely said to have any. Merchants had
no goods to import or export, so that they needed not to hire either
men or beasts; hence the poor people, who lived by their labour, had no
way of getting bread for themselves and their families.
2. Travelling was dangerous, so that all commerce both by sea and land
was cut off; nay, none durst stir abroad so much as to visit their
friends, for their was no peace to him that went out, or came in,
because of the affliction. The Samaritans, and Ammonites, and their
other evil neighbours, made inroads upon them in small parties, and
seized all they could lay their hands on; the roads were infested with
highwaymen, and both city and country with housebreakers; so that
neither men’s persons nor their goods were safe at home or abroad.
3. There was no such thing as friendship or good neighbourship among
them: I set all men every one against his neighbour. In this
there was a great deal of sin, for these wars and fightings came from
men’s lust, and this God was not the author of; but there was in it a
great deal of misery also, and so God was in it a just avenger of their
disobedience to him; because they were of an evil spirit towards
him, a spirit of contradiction to his laws, God sent among them an evil
spirit, to make them vexatious one to another. Those that throw off the
love of God forfeit the comfort of brotherly love.
III. What encouragement they shall now have to proceed in the good work
they are about, and to hope that it shall yet be well with them: “Thus
and thus you have been harassed and afflicted, but now God will change
his way towards you,
Now that you return to your duty God will comfort you according to the
time that he has afflicted you; the ebbing tide shall flow again.”
1. God will not proceed in his controversy with them; I will not be
to them as in the former days. Note, It is with us well or ill
according as God is to us; for every creature is that to us which he
makes it to be. And, if we walk not contrary to God as in the former
days, he will not walk contrary to us as in the former days; for it is
only with the froward that he will wrestle.
2. They shall have great plenty and abundance of all goods things
(v. 12):
The seed sown shall be prosperous, and yield a great
increase; the vine shall give her fruit, which makes glad the
heart, and the ground its products, which strengthen the heart;
they shall have all they can desire, not only for necessity, but for
ornament and delight. The heavens shall give their dew, without
which the earth would not yield her increase, which is a constant
intimation to us of the beneficence of the God of heaven to men on
earth and of their dependence on him. It is said of a sweeping
rain that it leaves no food
but here the gentle dew waters the earth, that it may give
seed to the sower and bread to the eater. And thus God will
cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
They are but a remnant, a residue, very few, one would
think scarcely worth looking after; but, now that they are at work for
God, he will take care that they shall want nothing which is fit for
them. This confirms what the prophet’s colleague had said, a little
before
From this day will I bless you. Note, God’s people, that serve
him faithfully, have great possessions. “All is yours, for you
are Christ’s.”
3. They shall recover their credit among their neighbours
(v. 13):
You were a curse among the heathen. Every one censured and
condemned them, spoke ill of them, and wished ill to them, upon the
account of the great disgrace that they were under; some think that
they were made a form of execration, so that if a man would load his
enemy with the heaviest curse he would say, God make thee like a
Jew! “But now, I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.
Your restoration shall be as much taken notice of to your honour as
ever your desolation and dispersion were to your reproach; you shall be
applauded and admired as much as ever you were vilified and run down,
shall be courted and caressed as much as ever you were slighted and
abandoned.” Most men smile or frown upon their neighbours according as
Providence smiles or frowns upon them; but those whom God plainly
blesses as his own, shows favour to and puts honour upon, we ought also
to respect and be kind to. The blessed of the Lord are the blessing of
the land, and should be so accounted by us. This is here promised to
the house both of Israel and Judah; for many of the ten tribes returned
out of captivity with the two tribes, and shared with them in those
blessings; and, it is probable, besides what came at first, many, very
many, flocked to them afterwards, when they saw their affairs take this
turn.
4. God himself will determine to do them good,
All their comforts take rise from the thoughts of the love that God had
towards them,
Compare these promises with the former threatenings.
(1.) When they provoked him to anger with their sins, he
said that he would punish them, and so he did; it was his
declared purpose to bring destroying judgments upon them, and, because
they repented not of their rebellions against him, he repented not of
his threatenings against them, but let the sentence of the law take its
course. Note, God’s punishing sinners is never a sudden and hasty
resolve, but is always the product of thought, and there is a counsel
in that part of the will of God. If the sinner turn not, God will not
turn.
(2.) Now that they pleased him with their services; he said that he
would do them good; and will he not be as true to his promises
as he was to his threatenings? No doubt he will: “So again have I
thought to do well to Jerusalem in those days, when you begin to
hearken to the voice of God speaking to you by his prophets; and these
thoughts also shall be performed.”
IV. The use they are to make of these encouragements.
1. Let them take the comfort which these promises give to them: Fear
you not
(v. 15);
let your hands be strong
(v. 9);
and both together
(v. 13),
Fear not, but let your hands be strong.
(1.) The difficulties they met with in their work must not drive them
from it, nor make them go on heavily in it, for the issue would be good
and the reward great. Let this therefore animate them to proceed with
vigour and cheerfulness.
(2.) The dangers they were exposed to from their enemies must not
terrify them; those that have God for them, engaged to do them good,
need not fear what man can do against them.
2. Let them do the duty which those promises call for from them,
The very same duties which the former prophets pressed upon their
fathers from the consideration of the wrath threatened
this prophet presses upon them from the consideration of the mercy
promised: “Leave it to God, to perform for you what he has promised, in
his own way and time, but upon condition that you make conscience of
your duty. These are the things then that you shall do; this is
your part of the covenant; these are the articles which you are to
perform, fulfil, and keep, that you may not put a bar in your own door
and stop the current of God’s favours.”
(1.) “You must never tell a lie, but always speak as you think, and as
the matter is, to the best of your knowledge: Speak you every man
the truth to his neighbour, both in bargains and in common
converse; dread every word that looks like a lie.” This precept the
apostle quotes
(Eph. iv. 25),
and backs it with this reason, We are members one of another.
(2.) Those that are entrusted with the administration of public justice
must see to it, not only that none be wronged by it, but that those who
are wronged be righted by it: Execute the judgment of truth and
peace in your gates. Let the judges that sit in the gates in all
their judicial proceedings have regard both to truth and to peace; let
them take care to do justice, to accommodate differences, and to
prevent vexatious suits. It must be a judgment of truth in order to
peace, and making those friends that were at variance, and a judgment
of peace as far as is consistent with truth, and no further.
(3.) No man must bear malice against his neighbour upon any account;
this is the same with what we had
We must not only keep our hands from doing evil, but we must watch over
our hearts, that they imagine not any evil against our
neighbour,
Injury and mischief must be crushed in the thought, in the embryo.
(4.) Great reverence must be had for an oath, and conscience made of
it: “Never take a false oath, nay, love no false oath; that is,
hate it, dread it, keep at a distance from it. Love not to impose
oaths upon others, lest they swear falsely; love not that any should
take a false oath for your benefit, and forswear themselves to do you a
kindness.” A very good reason is annexed against all these corrupt and
wicked practices: “For all these are things that I hate, and
therefore you must hate them if you expect to have God your friend.”
These things here forbidden are all of them found among the seven
things which the Lord hates,
Prov. vi. 16-19.
Note, We must forbear sin, not only because God is angry at it, and
therefore it is dangerous to us, but because he hates it, and therefore
it ill becomes us and is a very ungrateful thing.
| Encouraging Prospects. | B. C. 517. |
|
|
|
18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth
month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh,
and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and
gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and
peace.
20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass,
that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another,
saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek
the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the
LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come
to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of
the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a
Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God
is with you.
These verses contain two precious promises, for the further
encouragement of those pious Jews that were hearty in building the
temple.
I. That a happy period should be put to their fasts, and there should
be no more occasion for them, but they should be converted into
thanksgiving days,
This is a direct answer to the enquiry concerning their fasts,
Those of them that fasted in hypocrisy had their doom in the foregoing
chapter, but those that in sincerity humbled themselves before God, and
sought his face, have here a comfortable assurance given them of a
large share in the happy times approaching. The four yearly
fasts which they had religiously observed should be to the house
of Judah joy and gladness, and solemn feasts, and those cheerful
ones. Note, Joyous times will come to the church after troublous times;
if weeping endure for more than a night, and joy come not next morning,
yet the morning will come that will introduce it at length. And, when
God comes towards us in ways of mercy, we must meet him with joy and
thankfulness; when God turns judgments into mercies we must turn fasts
into festivals, and thus walk after the Lord. And those who
sow in tears with Zion shall reap in joy with her; those
who submit to the restraints of her solemn fasts while they continue
shall share in the triumphs of her cheerful feasts when they come,
The inference from this promise is, “Therefore love the truth and
peace; be faithful and honest in all your dealings, and let it be a
pleasure to you to be so, though thereby you cut yourselves short of
those gains which you see others get dishonestly; and, as much as in
you lies, live peaceably with all men, and be in your element when you
are in charity. Let the truths of God rule in your heads, and let the
peace of God rule in your hearts.”
II. That a great accession should be made to the church by the
conversion of many foreigners,
This was fulfilled but in part when, in the latter times of the Jewish
church, there were abundance of proselytes from all the countries
about, and some that lay very remote, who came yearly to worship at
Jerusalem, which added very much both to the grandeur and wealth of
that city, and contributed greatly to the making of it so considerable
as it came to be before our Saviour’s time, though now it was but just
peeping out of its ruins. But it would be accomplished much more fully
in the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ, and the
incorporating of them with the believing Jews in one great body, under
Christ the head, a mystery which is made manifest by the
scriptures of the prophets
(Rom. xvi. 26),
and by this among the rest, which makes it strange that when it was
accomplished it was so great a surprise and stumbling-block to the
Jews. Observe,
1. Who they are that shall be added to the church–people, and the
inhabitants of many cities
(v. 20);
not only a few ignorant country people that may be easily imposed upon,
or some idle people that have nothing else to do, but intelligent
inquisitive citizens, men of business and acquaintance with the world,
shall embrace the gospel of Christ; yea, many people and strong
nations
(v. 22),
some of all languages,
v. 23.
By this it appears that they are brought into the church, not by human
persuasion, for they are of different languages, not by external force,
for they are strong nations, able to have kept their ground if they had
been so attacked, but purely by the effectual working of divine truth
and grace. Note, God has his remnant in all parts; and in the general
assembly of the church of the first-born some will be found out of
all nations and kindreds,
Rev. vii. 9.
2. How their accession to the church is described: They shall come
to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts
(v. 21);
and, to show that this is the main matter in which their conversion
consists, it is repeated
(v. 22):
They shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray
before the Lord. No mention is made of their offering sacrifices,
not only because these were not expected from the proselytes of the
gate, but because, when the Gentiles should be brought in, sacrifice
and offering should be quite abolished. See who are to be accounted
converts to God and members of the church: and all that are converts to
God are members of the church.
(1.) They are such as seek the Lord of hosts, such as enquire
for God their Maker, covet and court his favour, and are truly
desirous to know his mind and will and sincerely devoted to his honour
and glory. This is the generation of those that seek him.
(2.) They are such as pray before the Lord,–such as make
conscience, and make a business, of the duty of prayer,–such as dare
not, would not, for all the world, live without it,–such as by prayer
pay their homage to God, own their dependence upon him, maintain their
communion with him, and fetch in mercy and grace from him.
(3.) They are such as herein have an eye to the divine revelation and
institution, which is signified by their doing this in
Jerusalem, the place which God had chosen, where his word was,
where his temple was, which was a type of Christ and his mediation,
which all faithful worshippers will have a believing regard to.
3. How unanimous they shall be in their accession to the church, and
how zealous in exciting one another to it
(v. 21):
The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, as formerly
when they went up from all parts of the country to worship at the
yearly feasts; and they shall say, Let us go speedily to pray before
the Lord; I will go also. This intimates,
(1.) That those who are brought into an acquaintance with Christ
themselves should do all they can to bring others acquainted with him;
thus Andrew invited Peter to Christ and Philip invited Nathanael. True
grace hates monopolies.
(2.) That those who are duly sensible of their need of Christ, and of
the favour of God through him, will stir up themselves and others
without delay to hasten to him: “Let us go speedily to pray; it
is for our lives, and the lives of our souls, that we are to petition,
and therefore it concerns us to lose no time; in a matter of such
moment delays are dangerous.”
(3.) That our communion with God is very much assisted and furthered by
the communion of saints. It is pleasant to go to the house of God in
company
(Ps. lv. 14),
with the multitude
(Ps. xlii. 4),
and it is of good use to those that do so to excite one another to go
speedily and lose no time; we should be glad when it is said to us,
Let us go,
Ps. cxxii. 1.
As iron sharpens iron, so may good men sharpen the countenances and
spirits one of another in that which is good.
(4.) That those who stir up others to that which is good must take heed
that they do not turn off, or tire, or draw back themselves; he that
says, Let us go, says, I will go also. What good we put
others upon doing we must see to it that we do ourselves, else we shall
be judged out of our own mouths. Not, “Do you go, and I will stay at
home;” but, “Do you go, and I will go with you.” “A singular pattern
(says Mr. Pemble) of zealous charity, that neither leaves others behind
nor turns others before it.”
4. Upon what inducement they shall join themselves to the church, not
for the church’s sake, but for his sake who dwells in it
(v. 23):
Ten men of different nations and languages shall take hold of
the skirt of him that is a Jew, begging of him not to outgo them,
but to take them along with him. This intimates the great honour they
have for a Jew, as one of the chosen people of God, and therefore well
worthy their acquaintance; they cannot all come to take him by the
hand, or embrace him in their arms, but are ambitious to take hold of
the skirt of his robe, to touch the hem of his garment, saying, We
will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. The
gospel was preached to the Jews first (for of that nation the apostles
were) and by them it was carried to the Gentiles. St. Paul was a Jew
whose skirt many took hold of when they welcomed him as an angel of
God, and begged him to take them along with him to Christ; thus the
Greeks took hold of Philip’s skirt, saying, Sir, we would see
Jesus,
John xii. 21.
Note, It is the privilege of the saints that they have God with them,
have him among them–the knowledge, and fear, and worship of him; they
have his favour and gracious presence, and this should invite us into
communion with them. It is good being with those who have God with
them, and those who join themselves to the Lord must join
themselves to his disciples; if we take God for our God, we must
take his people for our people, cast in our lot among them, and be
willing to take our lot with them.
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
|
Back to Bibles Net . Com – Online Christian Library Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary – Free Download |
Copyright 2008. Bibles Net. Com. All Rights Reserved.