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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: |
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| 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. |
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| 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. |
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| 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. |
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| 5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. |
They – The man-made systems of our day. R718:6
Cockatrice' eggs – Adders' eggs--Satan's lies. R718:6
Crushed – Analyzed. R718:6
Viper – infidelity and Spiritualism, the progeny of Satan. R718:6
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| 6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. |
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| 7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. |
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| 8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. |
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| 9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. |
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| 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. |
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| 11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. |
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| 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; |
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| 13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. |
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| 14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. |
Truth is fallen – Truth has been covered and error has been advanced, accepted and acted upon. R767:1
In the street – Of Babylon, Christendom. R767:1
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| 15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. |
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| 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. |
There was no man – "None righteous, no not one." (Rom. 3:10) E96
No intercessor – "None of them can redeem his brother." (Psa. 49:7) E96
His arm – Christ Jesus. E47; R765:2*, R1075:3*
Brought salvation – When there was no eye to pity and no arm to deliver us God sent his Son for our redemption. R4792:6, R4963:6
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| 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. |
Of vengeance – Our time, and the years of trouble before us. R4265:6
Righteous indignation against wrong. SM420:4
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| 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. |
Repay recompence – Some fearful calamity awaits her, the full measure of just retribution; she is to receive a "double for all her sins." (Isa. 40:2) D39
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| 19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. |
Like a flood – Permitting the Adversary to bring in error like a flood. R2875:6
Spirit of the LORD – Throughout the Gospel age, at the hands of spiritual Israel. D558
Lift up a standard – The ransom. R642:5
The Vow. R4251:2, R4236:3, R4265:6, R4228:2
This text is variously rendered in different translations, but the one furnished in our Common Version seems to fit all the conditions better than any of the others. R4266:1
The specializing of several features of our consecration will enable many to "resist the devil that he may flee from thee." (Jas. 4:7) R4236:3
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| 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. |
The Redeemer – Gaal, one who sets free by avenging or repaying. E438
The Deliverer. D558
Shall come to Zion – The Church, the Body of Christ. D558
In Jacob – Among fleshly Israel. D557, D558
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| 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. |
Is my covenant – The language of this verse shows that the Law covenant is still in force upon natural Israel. R1730:1
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