The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-12-21
:HR1srs COMING FoREEoLD.
her "a, 1S0O-Tcxt. Isaiah O,@-7
-McmOry Va. o., 2.

| TIME Probably written during the
reign Of Ahaz In judah, during the Syr"-
Ephra!mtish war. l.. C. 135-73I."-Drivec.
! PLACE.-It was delivered In Jerusalem.
| the prophets home, 10 Judah, the prophets
| people. Jerusalem was al out l00 niles
| from Egypt. 80 from sanaria, lGj from Da
mascus, and 500 from the Euphrates. the
border OF Aasyr.a. George Adams Smith.
! |. An Outlook Upon the People Walk
ing in Darh.css.-N. 2. The prophecy
of which his lesson is part begins
with chap. 7:l. Israel and Judah were
nearing Il great political crisis. The
! final destruction of Israel was only IL
or 10 years in the future, and the forces
which wrought that terrible disaster
were actively ut work, like the breaking
Of n dam high up among the mountains,
whence the waters were rolling down in
swift disaster. V. 2. The people that
walked in darkness:" The people of
Judah at this time were under the two
fold darkness described above. "The
land of the shadow of death" Deadly
shade, properly title of the Hebrew
lIades; night like that of Hades."-
Cheyue.
ii. \ Vision Of Dawning Light.-Vs.
2-5. "Ilave seen great light" There
came to Judah in Ahaz's time the light
of great promises. V. 3. Thou hast
multiplied the nation:" So he saw it as
he looked upon it in later days. "And
not:" Most interpreters think, with
the Il. v, that the not" should be "to
it," the Hebrew letters being very near
y the same, and some transcriber made
Il mistake. In this case the whole SEN
tencc is prophecy of the good times
referred in V. .. "They joy before
thee" the giver of the joy. According
to the JOY in harvest" when men see
the fruits of their labors and promise
of plenty. They had sown in tears, but
reap in joy. "As men rejoice when they
divide the spoil:" triumphant over enc
mics and rich in goods. VA. For thou
hast broken the yoke of his burden:"
First, of the Assyrians, who had
stretched out their wings" great
armies. and oppressed the land. Sec
ond, the yoke of sin, the oppressor
Satan. THE staff of his shoulders"
That part of the yoke which rested on
the back of the neck and shoulders.
"As in the day of Midian:" (Judg.
7:l-23). a total rout, by small body
of selected men, by unusual means,
through Gods help, as when Gideon
with 800 men, armed with lamps, pitch
ers, and trumpets, completely over
threw the immense host of the INDIAN
ties. V. 8. For every battle:" etc.
Read as insR. V. The old version misses
the full sense and mars the exquisite
beauty of this verse.
III. A Vision of the Coming Of the
Son of Cody. 6. For unto us child
is born" Only through this child can
war cease, and Israel's redemption be
made permanent. THE prophet is un-
rolling picture of the future.
Cheyne. "The government shall be
upon His shoulder:" That is, lie should
be the ruler, the king. "And His name:"
a name stands for all that is in the
man. his character, his principles, and
his property. "Wonderful:" because
His nature was wonderful, being hu-
man and divine; His coming at all was a
wonderful manifestation of love; His
deeds were wonderful, miracles, full of
marvellous meaning as well as power;
His words were wonderful; His atom
ing love was wonderful; the kingdom
lie set up was wonderful. Counsellor"
One who has the wisdom to guide him
self and others. Jesus was the embodi-
ment of the wisdom of God. "The
mighty God:" The word for God"
here is not the usual Elohim, which is
| sometimes used metaphorically, as for
| angels, as we use "divine;" but it is El,
(which, whenever it denotes (as ii gen.
orally does, and in Isaiah always) di-
vinity, does so in an absolute sense; it
is never used hyperbolically or meta
phorically. ly."-Chcyne. "The everlast-
ing Father" expressing the divine love
and pity for men, a love that can never
fail, for it is everlasting. "The Prince of
Peace:" The prince who rules in
such way that peace and pros
perty abide in his kingdom. Peace
is used to express all the bless
] ings that come to kingdom where
: there is peace from outward enc
mics, peace between rulers, peace be-
tween the different members of the
kingdom; no disorders, no idleness, no
criminals. A poetical description is
given in lisa. :2-10.
". A Vision of the New Kingdom of
Cody. Z. "Ofthe increase of His gov
i ernment and peace there shall be no
| ends" 1t shall increase in numbers, in
power. upon the throne of David, ,-on
which Jesus sits:" All these, blessings
come from His rule in the hearts of men
and in the community. ITO order it,"
govern, manage, rule it. Establish it,"
make il firm and enduring. with
Judgment" just decisions, and ''jus-
tice:" all manner Of right between all
classes and all individuals. From
henceforth even forever" Only such q
kingdom can endure. "The zeal of the
Lord:" His earnestness, the intensity
of His desire. "The Lord of hosts" who
has all created beings, the unseen mul.
titudes of angels, the forces of nature