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In this chapter we have, I. A threatening of the paucity and scarceness of man (Isa 4:1), which might fitly enough have been added to the close of the foregoing chapter, to which it has a plain reference. II. A promise of the restoration of Jerusalem's peace and purity, righteousness and safety, in the days of the Messiah, Isa 4:2-6. Thus, in wrath, mercy is remembered, and gospel grace is a sovereign relief, in reference to the terrors of the law and the desolations made by sin.
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Humiliation of the Daughters of Zion (758 BC)
繁體中文
錫安女兒的卑微（主前758年）
¹ 到那日，七個女人必拉住一個男人，說：我們吃自己的餅，穿自己的衣服；只求你容我們承你的名，好除掉我們的羞辱。
以賽亞書三章25節曾威嚇說勇士必在戰爭中倒在刀下，這是作為對那些喜好輕浮放蕩交往之女子的刑罰。如今我們看見那次男子大屠殺的影響和後果：1. 雖然神以智慧如此安排，使communibus annis——就平均年數而言，世上出生的男女數目幾乎相等，但因戰爭所造成的蹂躪，七個男人中恐怕只剩一人存活。正如婦人生產有特屬婦人的死亡——因為女人首先犯罪；為要與此平衡，男子也有特屬男子的死亡，就是在戰場高處喪命於刀下，這恐怕比產褥之災吞噬更多的人。這裡預言必有如此眾多的男子被剪除，以致七個女人對一個男人。2. 因男子的稀少，雖然為著繁衍後裔、在地上存留人類的種類，婚姻仍要維持，但婚姻的常規必完全改變——平日是男子向女子求親，如今女子卻要主動拉住男子，愚昧地恐怕（如羅得的女兒看見所多瑪的毀滅、也許以為那毀滅比實際更廣時所怕的）不久將無人存留（Ge 19:31）；女子天性不願與人共事一夫，如今卻有七個女子情願同作一個男人的妻子；律法又規定丈夫有責任供給妻子衣食（Ex 21:10）——這對許多人而言本是反對多妻最有力的理由——這些女子卻甘願自己養活自己；她們要吃自己勞碌得來的餅，穿自己親手做的衣服，她們所追求的男子在她們身上毫無花費，她們只求被稱為他的妻子，好除掉獨身生活的羞辱。她們情願在任何條件下作妻子，無論多麼不合理；也許更是因為在這動盪的時局中，有丈夫作保護者對她們是一種恩惠。保羅卻相反，認為在遭難的時期獨身更好，1Co 7:26。但願這裡不是部分地作為對錫安女兒的責備而引入的——就是她們雖在使人謙卑的護理之下（Isa 3:18），卻仍不自卑；當神因她們的驕傲虛榮而與她們相爭之時，她們不但不悔改，反倒一心只想得到丈夫——女性最美的妝飾端莊已被遺忘，在她們看來，罪的羞辱比不上童貞的羞辱，這是美德不可挽救之荒廢的可悲徵兆。
영문 원문
Humiliation of the Daughters of Zion (758 BC)
¹ And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
It was threatened (Isa 3:25) that the mighty men should fall by the sword in war, and it was threatened as a punishment to the women that affected gaiety and a loose sort of conversation. Now here we have the effect and consequence of that great slaughter of men, 1. That though Providence has so wisely ordered that, communibus annis—on an average of years, there is nearly an equal number of males and females born into the world, yet, through the devastations made by war, there should scarcely be one man in seven left alive. As there are deaths attending the bringing forth of children, which are peculiar to the woman, who was first in transgression, so, to balance that, there are deaths peculiar to men, those by the sword in the high places of the field, which perhaps devour more than child-bed does. Here it is foretold that such multitudes of men should be cut off that there should be seven women to one man. 2. That by reason of the scarcity of men, though marriage should be kept up for the raising of recruits and the preserving of the race of mankind upon earth, yet the usual method of it should be quite altered,—that, whereas men ordinarily make their court to the women, the women should now take hold of the men, foolishly fearing (as Lot's daughters did, when they saw the ruin of Sodom and perhaps thought it reached further than it did) that in a little time there would be none left (Ge 19:31),—that whereas women naturally hate to come in sharers with others, seven should now, by consent, become the wives of one man,—and that whereas by the law the husband was obliged to provide food and raiment for his wife (Ex 21:10), which with many would be the most powerful argument against multiplying wives, these women will be bound to support themselves; they will eat bread of their own earning, and wear apparel of their own working, and the man they court shall be at no expense upon them, only they desire to be called his wives, to take away the reproach of a single life. They are willing to be wives upon any terms, though ever so unreasonable; and perhaps the rather because in these troublesome times it would be a kindness to them to have a husband for their protector. Paul, on the contrary, thinks the single state preferable in a time of distress, 1Co 7:26. It were well if this were not introduced here partly as a reflection upon the daughters of Zion, that, notwithstanding the humbling providences they were under (Isa 3:18), they remained unhumbled, and, instead of repenting of their pride and vanity, when God was contending with them for them, all their care was to get husbands—that modesty, which is the greatest beauty of the fair sex, was forgotten, and with them the reproach of vice was nothing to the reproach of virginity, a sad symptom of the irrecoverable desolations of virtue.
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The Future Glory of Zion (758 BC)
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錫安未來的榮耀 (758 BC)
² 到那日，耶和華的苗必華美尊榮，地的出產必成為以色列逃脫的人的華美與尊榮。
³ 那時，那留在錫安、那存留在耶路撒冷的，必稱為聖——就是一切記錄在耶路撒冷活人之中的。
⁴ 因為主要用審判的靈和焚燒的靈，將錫安女兒們的污穢洗去，又將耶路撒冷中殺人流血的罪從中間除淨。
⁵ 耶和華必在錫安山的一切住處，並她的會眾之上，白日創造雲煙，夜間創造火焰之光的照耀；因為在一切榮耀之上必有護衛。
⁶ 必有帳幕，白日供蔭涼避暑，作避難所，又作躲避狂風暴雨的隱密處。
因著前面的威脅，耶路撒冷被置於非常可悲的景況中：一切都顯得淒涼。但此處太陽從雲後露出來。這幾節經文中有許多極大寶貴的應許，保證在患難中可以辨別出的安慰，以及患難之後將要來到的好日子；這些無疑是指著彌賽亞的國度，以及藉著他所要成就的偉大救贖——以猶大和耶路撒冷在亞哈斯之後希西家改革治理下的復興，以及他們從巴比倫被擄歸回為預表和影像；這段話可能對這兩個事件都有所指，但主要是指著基督。此處應許，作為這一切患難的結果：
I. 神必興起一公義的苗，使他結出義的果子（Isa 4:2）：「到那日」——同一天，那時耶路撒冷將被毀、猶太國被除滅分散——彌賽亞的國度將被設立；那時將是教會的復興，當人人都怕它徹底傾覆之時。
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基督自己必被高舉。他是「耶和華的苗」，是那人苗；這是先知性的名字之一——「我的僕人苗」（Zec 3:8, 6:12），「公義的苗」（Jer 23:5, 33:15），「從耶西的本必發一條，從他根生的枝子」（Isa 11:1）——有人認為他被稱為「拿撒勒人」就是暗指此處（Mt 2:23）。此處他被稱為「耶和華的苗」，因為他是藉他的權能栽種、為他的讚美發旺的。古時的迦勒底意譯本將此處讀作「主的基督，或彌賽亞」。他必作那華美、尊榮和喜樂。（1）他必自己被升到擺在他前面的喜樂，以及他在世界未有之前與父同有的榮耀。他原是「人所藐視的」，他的面貌比別人憔悴，如今在上面的世界裏，他華美尊榮，如日頭在其強盛之時，為天使所欽佩敬拜。（2）他在一切信徒眼中必華美尊榮，必在世上得著利益，在人中得名超乎万名。對信的人，他是寶貴的，他是尊榮（1Pe 2:7），是「萬人中最美的」（So 5:10），全然榮耀。讓我們歡喜他是如此，並讓他如此對我們。
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他的福音必被接受。福音的成功是耶和華之苗的果子；福音一切恩典和安慰都從基督而出。但它被稱為「地的出產」，因為它在這世界上發起，並為現今的狀態而設計。基督將自己比作一粒麥子，「落在地裏死了，就結出許多子粒來」（Joh 12:24）。福音的成功以「地出土產」（Ps 67:6）來代表，基督教會的設立是神「將自己種在地上」（Ho 2:23）。我們可將之理解為福音所產生的人和事兩方面：它們必華美尊榮，對那些以色列逃脫的人——就是從其餘在不信中滅亡的人中蒙拯救的猶太餘民——必顯得非常相稱、非常可悅納（Ro 11:5）。注意，若基督對我們是寶貴的，他的福音也必如此，以及它的一切真理和應許——他的教會也必如此，以及一切屬於其中的。這些是地上的好果子，與之相比別的一切不過是雜草。我們是蒙揀選的餘民、與其餘被稱為「以色列」的人有別、被標記為得救，一個好證據就是：我們被帶領看見基督、聖潔、以及聖徒——地上尊貴的人——中有超然的美。作為這福日的預表，耶路撒冷在西拿基立入侵之後、在巴比倫被擄之後，必再發旺如枝條，並蒙受地的出產之福。比較 Isa 37:31,32：「剩下的必再往下扎根，向上結果。」若我們將此處「地的出產」理解為今生的好東西，我們可以觀察到，這些對蒙揀選的餘民有特別的甘甜——他們因在約中有份的權利，就享受其中最舒適的使用。若耶和華的苗在我們眼中華美尊榮，連地的出產也必華美尊榮，因為那時我們可以將之作為應許的果子來領受（Ps 37:16, 1Ti 4:8）。
II. 神必為自己保留聖潔的種（Isa 4:3）。當那些在錫安和耶路撒冷有名有位的大多數人，因自己的不信，如枯枝被剪除時，仍必有剩下的。必有剩下的，必有仍緊貼教會的——當教會的性質改變、成為基督教時；因為神必不「完全棄絕他的百姓」（Ro 11:1）。這裏那裏有一個剩下的。如今：1. 這是「照著恩典的揀選」的餘民（如使徒所說，Ro 11:5），就是那些被記在活人之中的——在神的旨意和預知中被標記為生命和拯救的——「被記錄到生命」（原文如此）——不改變地為其被設計和決定的；因為「我所寫的，已經寫了」。在殺戮死亡之時仍存活的人，是在神護理的冊子上為生命所記的；我們豈不當推想那些從更大的死亡中被救回的人，就是那些被記在「羔羊生命冊上」的嗎？（Re 13:8）。「凡預定得永生的人都信了」，以致「靈魂得救」（Ac 13:48）。注意，一切「被記在活人之中」的，必在活人之中被尋見，每一個都是；因為凡賜給基督的，他一個也不失落。2. 這是在「恩典掌權之下的」餘民；因為每一個被「記在活人之中」、因此被留下的，必被稱為「聖」——必是聖潔的，並照樣被神悅納。只有聖潔的要在「人子從他國裏挑出一切叫人跌倒的」時被留下；而一切蒙揀選得救的，都是蒙揀選要成聖的（2Th 2:13, Eph 1:4）。
III. 神必改革他的教會，並要糾正修補其中一切的不妥（Isa 4:4）。那時餘民必「被稱為聖」，「就是主將他們中間的污穢洗去」之後——藉著剪除惡人從他們中間洗去，藉著清除惡事從他們裏面洗去。他們在某種程度上被作成如此之前，不會被如此稱呼。福音時代是改革的時代（Heb 9:10），以希西家時代的改革和被擄後的改革為預表，這應許就是指著那些的。請觀察：1. 當被改革的地方和人。耶路撒冷雖是聖城，卻需要改革；而既為聖城，它的改革必對全國有好的影響。錫安的女兒們也當被改革——就是那些婦女，特別是他所責備的（Isa 3:16）。當她們披戴裝飾時，她們以為自己非常潔淨；但她們既以之為傲，先知就稱之為她們的「污穢」，因為沒有罪比驕傲更為神所憎惡。或者「錫安的女兒們」可指那些與作為母城的耶路撒冷有關的鄉鎮和村莊，它們也需要改革。2. 改革本身。污穢必被洗去；因為罪惡就是污穢，尤其是流人的血——耶路撒冷以此為臭名昭著（2Ki 21:16）——這罪比別的罪更玷污地土。注意，一個城市的改革就是它的潔淨。當敗壞的風俗和時尚被壓制，公然行惡被遏制，那地方就被弄潔淨、變得芬芳——從前是糞堆；這不僅是為了它在陌生人之中的信譽和名聲，更是為了居民自己的舒適和健康。3. 改革的作者：「是主作的。」改革之工是神的工作；其中若作了任何有效的事，都是他作的。但如何作？藉著他護理的審判，罪人被毀滅消滅；但藉著他恩典的靈，他們才被改革歸正。這是所作的工，不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，而是「倚靠萬軍之耶和華的靈」（Zec 4:6）——既作工在被改革的罪人自己身上，也作工在那些被用作改革器皿的官長、傳道人和別人身上。聖靈在其中行事，（1）作審判的靈——啟明心思，責備良心——作智慧的靈，引導我們謹慎行事（Isa 52:13）——作分辨的、分別的靈，將貴重的和卑賤的分別出來。（2）作焚燒的靈——使情感敏銳剛強，使人在善工上熱心。聖靈如火作工（Mt 3:11）。對基督和靈魂的熱切之愛，對罪的火焰般熱心，必帶領人以決心在「除去雅各的不敬虔」的努力中前進（Isa 32:15,16）。
IV. 神必保護他的教會，以及一切屬於其中的（Isa 4:5,6）；當他們被潔淨、被改革之後，他們不再暴露在外，神必特別看顧他們。那些成聖的人是堅固設防的；因為神必作他們的引導者和護衛者。
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他們的住處必被護衛（Isa 4:5）。（1）這護衛狀是指著：[1] 他們的住處——他們安息的帳幕，他們自己的家，在那裏他們單獨並與家人一同敬拜神。那臨到「義人住處」的福必作它的保護（Pr 3:33）。在「義人的帳棚裏」必有「歡呼拯救的聲音」（Ps 118:15）。注意，神特別留意和看顧他百姓的住處——每一個都看顧，最貧窮的茅屋和最宏偉的宮殿一樣。當罪惡「從帳棚遠離」時，全能者必作它的護衛（Job 22:23,26）。[2] 他們為敬拜而聚集的會眾或會幕。沒有提到聖殿，因為這應許是指著那時——聖殿的一塊石頭也不留在石頭上；但基督徒的一切聚會——即使只有兩三個人奉基督的名聚在一起——也都要被置於天上的特別保護之下；他們不再被分散，不再被擾亂，「凡為攻擊他們造成的器械，必不利用」。注意，我們若能在公開中自由地敬拜神——免受戰爭刀劍或逼迫的驚擾——我們就當以之為大恩典。（2）這護衛狀是以：[1] 以色列人在曠野行軍時營地安全的比喻來寫的。神要賜給基督教會他眷顧他們的真實證據——雖然不如那時可感——正如他從前賜給以色列的。耶和華必再「白日創造雲煙」，遮蔽他們免受日頭的炎熱，並「夜間火焰之光的照耀」，照亮並溫暖夜間寒冷黑暗的空氣（Ex 13:21, Ne 9:19）。這雲柱火柱插在以色列人和埃及人之間（Ex 14:20）。注意，雖然神蹟已經止息，神對新約教會仍與他從前對以色列一樣；昨日、今日、一直到永遠，都是一樣的。[2] 以帳幕幔子上公羊皮和海狗皮的外罩為比喻來寫的，彷彿錫安山的每一個住處和每一個聚會，都如那帳幕一樣為神所寶貴：「在一切榮耀之上必有護衛」，保護它免受風雨。注意，地上的教會有其榮耀。福音的真理和典章、聖經和傳道，是教會的榮耀；而在這一切榮耀之上有護衛，且永遠都有，因為「陰間的權柄不能勝過教會」。若神自己是其中的榮耀，他自己必作周圍的火牆——不可穿透、不可攻破的。靈魂中的恩典是其榮耀，那些有恩典的人「蒙神的能力保守」，如在堅固臺中（1Pe 1:5）。
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他們的帳幕必作他們的護衛（Isa 4:6）。神的帳幕曾作聖徒的亭子（Ps 27:5）；但當它被拆下時，他們也不缺遮蔽：神聖的能力和良善必作一切聖徒的帳幕。神自己要作他們的藏身之處（Ps 32:7）；他們在他裏面如同在家中（Ps 91:9）。他自己要作他們如同「大磐石的影子」（Isa 32:2），「他的名作堅固臺」（Pr 18:10）。他不僅要作白日炎熱中的蔭涼，更要作躲避狂風暴雨的隱密處。注意，在這世界上我們必遇到天氣的變化及其帶來的一切不便；在這低處我們必遇到風雨，在別的時候白日的炎熱也同樣沉重；但神在各樣的天氣中都是他百姓的避難所。
영문 원문
The Future Glory of Zion (758 BC)
² In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.
³ And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
⁴ When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
⁵ And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.
⁶ And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
By the foregoing threatenings Jerusalem is brought into a very deplorable condition: every thing looks melancholy. But here the sun breaks out from behind the cloud. Many exceedingly great and precious promises we have in these verses, giving assurance of comfort which may be discerned through the troubles, and of happy days which shall come after them, and these certainly point at the kingdom of the Messiah, and the great redemption to be wrought out by him, under the figure and type of the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem by the reforming reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz and the return out of their captivity in Babylon; to both these events the passage may have some reference, but chiefly to Christ. It is here promised, as the issue of all these troubles,
I. That God will raise up a righteous branch, which shall produce fruits of righteousness (Isa 4:2): In that day, that same day, at that very time, when Jerusalem shall be destroyed and the Jewish nation extirpated and dispersed, the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up; and then shall be the reviving of the church, when every one shall fear the utter ruin of it.
1. Christ himself shall be exalted. He is the branch of the Lord, the man the branch; it is one of prophetical names, my servant the branch (Zec 3:8,6:12), the branch of righteousness (Jer 23:5,33:15), a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isa 11:1), and this, as some think, is alluded to when he is called a Nazarene, Mt 2:23. Here he is called the branch of the Lord, because planted by his power and flourishing to his praise. The ancient Chaldee paraphrase here reads it, The Christ, or Messiah, of the Lord. He shall be the beauty, and glory, and joy. (1.) He shall himself be advanced to the joy set before him and the glory which he had with the Father before the world was. He that was a reproach of men, whose visage was marred more than any man's, is now, in the upper world, beautiful and glorious, as the sun in his strength, admired and adored by angels. (2.) He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers, shall gain an interest in the world, and a name among men above every name. To those that believe he is precious, he is an honour (1Pe 2:7), the fairest of ten thousand (So 5:10), and altogether glorious. Let us rejoice that he is so, and let him be so to us.
2. His gospel shall be embraced. The success of the gospel is the fruit of the branch of the Lord; all the graces and comforts of the gospel spring from Christ. But it is called the fruit of the earth because it sprang up in this world and was calculated for the present state. And Christ compares himself to a grain of wheat, that falls into the ground and dies, and so brings forth much fruit, Joh 12:24. The success of the gospel is represented by the earth's yielding her increase (Ps 67:6), and the planting of the Christian church is God's sowing it to himself in the earth, Ho 2:23. We may understand it of both the persons and the things that are the products of the gospel: they shall be excellent and comely, shall appear very agreeable and be very acceptable to those that have escaped of Israel, to that remnant of the Jews which was saved from perishing with the rest in unbelief, Ro 11:5. Note, If Christ be precious to us, his gospel will be so and all its truths and promises—his church will be so, and all that belong to it. These are the good fruit of the earth, in comparison with which all other things are but weeds. It will be a good evidence to us that we are of the chosen remnant, distinguished from the rest that are called Israel, and marked for salvation, if we are brought to see a transcendent beauty in Christ, and in holiness, and in the saints, the excellent ones of the earth. As a type of this blessed day, Jerusalem, after Sennacherib's invasion and after the captivity in Babylon, should again flourish as a branch, and be blessed with the fruits of the earth. Compare Isa 37:31,32. The remnant shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. And if by the fruit of the earth here we understand the good things of this life, we may observe that these have peculiar sweetness in them to the chosen remnant, who, having a covenant—right to them, have the most comfortable use of them. If the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious in our eyes, even the fruit of the earth also will be excellent and comely, because then we may take it as the fruit of the promise, Ps 37:16, 1Ti 4:8.
II. That God will reserve to himself a holy seed, Isa 4:3. When the generality of those that have a place and a name in Zion and in Jerusalem shall be cut off as withered branches, by their own unbelief, yet some shall be left. Some shall remain, some shall still cleave to the church, when its property is altered and it has become Christian; for God will not quite cast off his people, Ro 11:1. There is here and there one that is left. Now, 1. This is a remnant according to the election of grace (as the apostle speaks, Ro 11:5), such as are written among the living, marked in the counsel and fore-knowledge of God for life and salvation, written to life (so the word is), designed and determined for it unalterably; for "what I have written I have written." Those that are kept alive in killing dying times were written for life in the book of divine Providence; and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be such as were written in the Lamb's book of life? Re 13:8. As many as were ordained unto eternal life believed to the salvation of the soul, Act 13:48. Note, All that were written among the living shall be found among the living, every one; for of all that were given to Christ he will lose none. 2. It is a remnant under the dominion of grace; for every one that is written among the living, and is accordingly left, shall be called holy, shall be holy, and shall be accepted of God accordingly. Those only that are holy shall be left when the Son of man shall gather out of his kingdom every thing that offends; and all that are chosen to salvation are chosen to sanctification. See 2Th 2:13, Eph 1:4.
III. That God will reform his church and will rectify and amend whatever is amiss in it, Isa 4:4. Then the remnant shall be called holy, when the Lord shall have washed away their filth, washed it from among them by cutting off the wicked persons, washed it from within them by purging out the wicked thing. They shall not be called so till they are in some measure made so. Gospel times are times of reformation (Heb 9:10), typified by the reformation in the days of Hezekiah and that after captivity, to which this promise refers. Observe, 1. The places and persons to be reformed. Jerusalem, though the holy city, needed reformation; and, being the holy city, the reformation of that would have a good influence upon the whole kingdom. The daughters of Zion also must be reformed, the women in a particular manner, whom he had reproved, Isa 3:16. When they were decked in their ornaments they thought themselves wondrously clean; but, being proud of them, the prophet call them their filth, for no sin is more abominable to God than pride. Or by the daughters of Zion may be meant the country towns and villages, which were related to Jerusalem as the mother-city, and which needed reformation. 2. The reformation itself. The filth shall be washed away; for wickedness is filthiness, particularly blood-shed, for which Jerusalem was infamous (2Ki 21:16), and which defiles the land more than any other sin. Note, The reforming of a city is the cleansing of it. When vicious customs and fashions are suppressed, and the open practice of wickedness is restrained, the place is made clean and sweet which before was a dunghill; and this is not only for its credit and reputation among strangers, but for the comfort and health of the inhabitants themselves. 3. The author of the reformation: The Lord shall do it. Reformation-work is God's work; if any thing be done to purpose in it, it is his doing. But how? By the judgment of his providence the sinners were destroyed and consumed; but it is by the Spirit of his grace that they are reformed and converted. This is the work that is done, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts (Zec 4:6), working both upon the sinners themselves that are to be reformed and upon magistrates, ministers, and others that are to be employed as instruments of reformation. The Spirit herein acts, (1.) As a spirit of judgment, enlightening the mind, convincing the conscience,—as a spirit of wisdom, guiding us to deal prudently, (Isa 52:13),—as a discerning, distinguishing, Spirit, separating between the precious and the vile. (2.) As a Spirit of burning, quickening and invigorating the afflictions, and making men zealously affected in a good work. The Spirit works as fire, Mt 3:11. An ardent love to Christ and souls, and a flaming zeal against sin, will carry men on with resolution in their endeavours to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. See Isa 32:15,16.
IV. That God will protect his church, and all that belong to it (Isa 4:5,6); when they are purified and reformed they shall no longer lie exposed, but God will take a particular care of them. Those that are sanctified are well fortified; for God will be to them a guide and a guard.
1. Their tabernacles shall be defended, Isa 4:5.
(1.) This writ of protection refers to, [1.] Their dwelling places, the tabernacles of their rest, their own houses, where they worship God alone, and with their families. That blessing which is upon the habitation of the just shall be a protection to it, Pr 3:33. In the tabernacles of the righteous shall the voice of rejoicing and salvation be, Ps 118:15. Note, God takes particular cognizance and care of the dwelling-places of his people, of every one of them, the poorest cottage as well as the statliest palace. When iniquity is put far from the tabernacle the Almighty shall be its defence, Job 23:23,26. [2.] Their assemblies or tabernacles of meeting for religious worship. No mention is made of the temple, for the promise points at a time when not one stone of that shall be left upon another; but all the congregations of Christians, though but two or three met together in Christ's name, shall be taken under the special protection of heaven; they shall be no more scattered, no more disturbed, nor shall any weapon formed against them prosper. Note, we ought to reckon it a great mercy if we have liberty to worship God in public, free from the alarms of the sword of war or persecution.
(2.) This writ of protection is drawn up, [1.] In a similitude taken from the safety of the camp of Israel when they marched through the wilderness. God will give to the Christian church as real proofs, though not so sensible, of his care of them, as he then gave to Israel. The Lord will again create a cloud and smoke by day, to screen them from the scorching heat of the sun, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, to enlighten and warm the air, which in the night is cold and dark. See Ex 13:21, Ne 9:19. This pillar of cloud and fire interposed between the Israelites and the Egyptians, Ex 14:20. Note, Though miracles have ceased, yet God is the same to the New-Testament church that he was to Israel of old; the very same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. [2.] In a similitude taken from the outside cover of rams' skins and badgers' skins that was upon the curtains of the tabernacle, as if every dwelling place of Mount Zion and every assembly were as dear to God as that tabernacle was: Upon all the glory shall be a defense, to save it from wind and weather. Note, The church on earth has its glory. Gospel truths and ordinances, the scriptures and the ministry, are the church's glory; and upon all this glory there is a defence, and ever shall be, for the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. If God himself be the glory in the midst of it, he will himself be a wall of fire around about it, impenetrable and impregnable. Grace in the soul is the glory of it, and those that have it are kept by the power of God as in a strong-hold, 1Pe 1:5.
2. Their tabernacle shall be a defence to them, Isa 4:6. God's tabernacle was a pavilion to the saints (Ps 27:5); but, when that is taken down, they shall not want a covert: the divine power and goodness shall be a tabernacle to all the saints. God himself will be their hiding-place (Ps 32:7); they shall be at home in him, Ps 91:9. He will himself be to them as the shadow of a great rock (Isa 32:2) and his name a strong tower, Pr 18:10. He will be not only a shadow from the heat in the daytime, but a covert from storm and rain. Note, In this world we must expect change of weather and all the inconveniences that attend it; we shall meet with storm and rain in this lower region, and at other times the heat of the day no less burdensome; but God is a refuge to his people in all weathers.
在本章中我們有：一、 一個關於人數稀少匱乏的威嚇（賽 4:1），這一段附在上一章末了原也頗為恰當，因它與上一章有明顯的關連。二、 一個關於彌賽亞日子裏耶路撒冷的平安與純潔、公義與安穩得以恢復的應許，賽 4:2-6。如此，在震怒之中仍記念憐憫，而福音的恩典，相對於律法的威嚇與罪所造成的荒涼，乃是至高的解救。