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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. |
Sing, O barren – Spiritual Zion, our mother or covenant. C297, R1341:6
The promise to Abraham has been barren for a long time. R1389:1
The Apostle applies this to the Gospel Church, or Abrahamic covenant, (Gal 4:27); showing that the ultimate fruitage shall be great. R3596:3
That didst not bear – Beginning with the Lord Jesus, a result followed the coming into covenant relationship which had never occurred before--a begetting to a new nature. R4450:2*
For more – The promise includes not only the development and blessing of the seed, but also the blessing of all the families of the earth through that seed. R1389:3
Are the children – The Christ, typified by Isaac and Rebecca. C297, R1341:6, R1389:2; Q164:2
Of the desolate – The Gospel covenant, typified by Sarah. R1389:1
Than the children – The Jews, according to the flesh. Q164:2
Of the married wife – Hagar, type of the Law covenant; her offspring, a servant class. R1389:2
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| 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; |
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| 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. |
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| 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. |
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| 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. |
Thine husband – Caretaker. R1389:1
Illustrating the union between Jehovah and Israel. R1388:6
Thy Redeemer – Jehovah himself. R4085:3
All that our dear Redeemer has done for us has been the carrying out of the great plan of Jehovah, purposed in himself before the foundation of the world. R4085:3
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| 6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. |
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| 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. |
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| 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. |
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| 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. |
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| 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. |
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| 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. |
Lay thy stones – The Church is pictured as the glorious New Jerusalem, built of precious stones. R3596:5
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| 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
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| 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. |
All thy children – The spiritual sons of God. R3051:1
Taught of the LORD – Taught of Jehovah. "Learned of the Father." (John 6:45) E50
Our Lord Jesus is the Great Teacher of men by the appointment of the Heavenly Father, the great Master Teacher above all. E50
God, however, does not teach all in the same time and way. R385:1*
In the school of Christ, learning not all lessons at once, but gradually, "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." (Isa. 28:10) R3051:1
Because unprejudiced and anxious for truth. E32
We should avoid following human teachers as leaders. Their teachings should be received only so far as they harmonize with the word of truth. R386:4*
Is it not reasonable that God, who is love and a kind and loving Father, should provide for the education of every individual who ever came into the world. R33:3*
Shall be the peace – Of those who understand the Lord's dealings. R3051:1
Without this peace one cannot have the joy of the Lord; and if they have not this it is because they have not been sufficiently taught of the Lord. R3051:3
Of the Millennial day, in which the Prince of Peace reigns. R2520:6
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| 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. |
In righteousness – Righteousness, justice, must be the foundation of every character acceptable to God. R3051:4
Shalt thou – The godly. R3051:3
Be established – Those who are not established in righteousness now will not be accounted worthy to be sharers in the first resurrection. R3051:3
Far from oppression – Having no sympathy with it. R3051:5
Anxious to set men free, not anxious to enslave them. R3051:5
Shalt not fear – "Perfect love casteth out fear." (1 John 4:18) The Lord's people should be the most fearless people in the world as respects earthly calamities. R3051:5
"Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." (Isa. 29:13) R3051:5
Not come near thee – Applies to the present life, and not to the life of glory. R3051:3
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| 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. |
Gather together – A general gathering together of opponents to the truth and its servants. R3051:6
Shall fall – Come to naught. It is impossible to injure the very elect. R3051.
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| 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. |
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| 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. |
Against thee – Against the New Creature. R3050:3
The called, faithful and chosen ones--the Church. R1239:2*
The prince of this world has power to deceive and to lead astray many--if it were possible he would deceive even the very elect. The elect are the only class who cannot be deceived. R1239:2*
May be, to some extent, applicable to regathered and re-favored Israel after the flesh in the near future, when God will fulfil to them all his good promises. R3050:3
Shall prosper – Even though it may affect health, social position or financial prosperity. R3050:6
The rage of the enemies of truth is impotent except as it resorts to misrepresentation and sophistry, which the Lord assures us cannot "deceive the very elect." (Matt. 24:24) R2738:1
Rise against thee – In envy, malice, hatred, strife, slander. R3050:6
This merely injures the old creature--the flesh, already consecrated unto death. R3051:1
Is of me – "If God be for us, who can be against us. (Rom. 8:31) R3052:4
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