2.
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While I live will I praise the Lord. This expression
and v. 4 make nonsense of any kind of belief in the immortality of the soul.
Also, how very appropriate this is to Hezekiah, who knew that he had fifteen
years more of life granted to him (Isa. 38:5).
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4.
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There might also be special relevance here to Shebna, whose
pomp and circumstance was exposed not only here (v. 3) but also in Isa.
22:15-19.
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5.
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Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose
hope is in the Lord his God (Psa. 144:15). An allusion to Gen. 28:13-15. The
key word here — “hope” — alludes to the hope of a
multitudinous seed (cp. Psa. 16:9; Ruth 1:12,13; Rom. 4:18; 1 Pet. 1:3). In
spite of massive devastation of the Land by the Assyrians, in spite of the loss
of a multitude of captives and the flight of numerous refugees, the happy
outcome is:
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(a) triumph over the enemy,
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(b) the return of those who were lost,
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(c) the unifying of the tribes, and
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(d) an era of tremendous prosperity.
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In the circumstances, the word “happy” is an
understatement. The nation and its king had every reason to be delirious with
surprise and joy.
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6.
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Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein
is. These words are fitting in this context to the titanic destruction of
the Assyrian army by divine operation of the elements (e.g., Isa. 30:30-33). Or,
there may be symbolic reference to Israel as God’s special people (Jer.
31:35-37; Isa. 1:2; Gen. 37:9,10).
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Which keepeth truth for ever. “Truth” very
often refers to the Promises of God; in this instance, the great Promise made to
David (2 Samuel 7), with its repeated “for ever”. This Promise was
the backbone of Hezekiah’s faith. Hence the repeated references to
“the God of David thy father”.
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7.
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Which executeth judgment for the oppressed; which giveth
food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners. The deliverance of the
multitude of captives taken away by Sennacherib (cp. Isa. 49:8-26). It was
immediately after this time that God opened the windows of heaven to pour forth
a blessing of fruitfulness and prosperity in the Year of Jubilee (Isa.
37:30,31).
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8.
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The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down, i.e., the
prisoners in Assyria/Babylon, laboring under excruciating burdens.
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The Lord loveth the righteous. This sentiment is not as
banal or obvious as it might seem at first: there is particular reference to
those who responded to Hezekiah’s appeal in the time of his reformation
and in succeeding Passovers.
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9.
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The Lord preserveth the strangers. The foreigner
dwelling among God’s people was to be cared for along with the fatherless
and the widow (Exod. 22:21; 23:9: Lev. 19:33; 25:35; Deut. 10:18,19; Jer. 7:6).
At such a time as this, such strangers would especially be those who desired to
cleave to the God of Israel. They too came under the protecting shadow of
God’s care (Isa. 56:3,6).
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But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. These
words would be almost literally true in the violent devastation and destruction
of the Assyrian camp outside Jerusalem.
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10.
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Thy God, O Zion. If the foregoing verses are read in a
general way, this mention of Zion (i.e., the Temple area) seems almost out of
place; but when associated with the great deliverance, the emphasis upon mount
Zion in this and many other psalms (and frequently in Isaiah) is wonderfully
apt.
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2.
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While I live will I praise the Lord. These are the
words of a Jesus who knew that his days were numbered; hence the repeated
warnings to the disciples of suffering and crucifixion at Jerusalem (Mark 8:31;
9:31; 10:33,34; 12:7,8). All these days, even with a horrible death
hanging over his head, were days of praise!
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I will sing praise unto my God while I have any being.
Yet the only instance of music in the life of Jesus was Matt. 26:30/Mark
14:26. Then should we not suppose that he frequently joined with the apostles in
the singing of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” as they moved
about from one place to another?
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3.
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Put not your trust in princes. The attitude of Jesus to
Herod and Pilate illustrates this (Luke 13:32; 23:9; John 19:9-11; cp. also,
generally, John 2:23-25).
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In whom there is no help. Literally, “no
salvation” from any ordinary “son of man”, but only through
the “Son of Man”! The Hebrew suggests “no
Jesus”.
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4.
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His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that
very day his thoughts perish (Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Psa. 104:29; Eccl. 12:7). Note
the connection between “man” of v. 3 (adam) and
“earth” of v. 4 (adamah). What is true of every man
was true also of Jesus; here is a further witness concerning the true human
nature of Christ. Could divine nature experience the complete unconsciousness of
the grave? (For death as an unconscious state, see also Psa. 6:5; 88:10-12;
89:48; 104:33; 115:17; Isa. 38:18; Eccl. 9:5,6,10.)
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6.
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The Almighty Creator made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that therein is, but authority in all these spheres came to be shared by
His Son (Phil. 2:9-11): heaven and earth (Acts 1:9; Matt. 28:18); the sea (Matt.
8:26/Mark 4:39/Luke 8:24; Matt. 14:25,32/Mark 6:48,51/John 6:19); and all that
therein is (Luke 5:4-6; John 21:6).
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Which keepeth truth for ever. The ultimate fulfillment
of the great Promise to David — the Truth — will be when the
Father gives the throne in Jerusalem to His Son (2 Sam. 7:12-16)!
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7.
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Which executeth judgment for the oppressed. Rather
significantly there is no instance of Jesus taking sides against political
oppression; but many a time he intervened on behalf of those oppressed by
disease and ill-understood suffering.
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Which giveth food to the hungry. Jesus used his
miraculous power to feed multitudes (Matt. 14:13-21/Mark 6:32-44/Luke
9:10-17/John 6:1-13; Matt. 15:32-38/Mark 8:1-9); but he would not use that same
power to produce for himself even one morsel of bread when he was hungry (Matt.
4:3,4/Luke 4:2-4).
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The Lord looseth the prisoners.
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"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom
Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on
the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16).
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Jesus even “loosed” Barabbas, but the blessing was
wasted on such a scoundrel! He “released” John the Baptist from his
doubts (Matt. 11:4-6), but loosed him from his dungeon only by beheading.
Remarkable!
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8.
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The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind (Isa. 35:5).
Literally — how many examples in the gospels? Spiritually — what a
paradox the Pharisees presented (John 9:40,41)! And there was also a spiritual
blindness in the twelve that was not to be cured, except by the resurrection,
and even then there were problems: “Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and
behold my hands” (John 20:27). It is only a blind man who sees with
his fingers!
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The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down. Again, the
bent woman (Luke 13:8; Psa. 145:14). But perhaps “raiseth” implies
resurrection; it is so used, many times.
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The Lord loveth the righteous. But there are no
righteous, except those who are justified by faith in the blood of Christ. And
these he especially loves when they take wine in memory of his death.
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9.
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The Lord preserveth the strangers. On three occasions
Jesus healed a Gentile, and each time without his personal presence
(Matt. 8:13; 15:28; Luke 17:12,14,16). And so it is to this day!
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He relieveth the fatherless and the widow. The former
by adopting them into his heavenly family; the latter by himself becoming the
heavenly Bridegroom.
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The way of the wicked he turneth upside down. In token
of this wonderful victory to come, Jesus overturned the tables of the
money-changers, twice (John 2:15; Matt. 21:12,13/Mark 11:15-17/Luke
19:45,46)! Then in A.D. 70 came the real thing. And yet again, in our day, for
another time (Ezek. 21:27), Israel will be called upon by its King to answer for
its spiritual perversity!
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10.
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The Lord shall reign for ever. This, without doubt, is
the Messianic kingdom which, unto all generations, will be centered in a
Zion filled with Hallelujahs.
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