The Unbelief of the Jews Reproved
Isaiah 40:27-31
Why say you, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?…


I. THE TITLES GOD HERE GIVES THEM WERE ENOUGH TO SHAME THEM OUT OF THEIR DISTRUSTS. "O Jacob; O Israel!" Let them remember —

1. Whence they took those names — from one who had found God faithful to him, and kind in all his straits.

2. Why they bore those names — as God's professing people, a people in covenant with Him.

II. THE WAY OF REPROVING THEM IS BY REASONING WITH THEM. "Why?" Consider whether thou hast any ground to say so. Many of our foolish frets and fears would vanish before a strict inquiry into the cause of them.

III. THAT WHICH THEY ARE REPROVED FOR IS AN ILL-NATURED, ILL-FAVOURED WORD THEY SPOKE OF GOD, as if He had cast them off. There seems to he an emphasis laid upon their saying it. It is bad to have evil thoughts rise in our mind, but it is worse to put an imprimatur to them, and turn them into evil words. David reflects with regret upon what he had said in his haste when he was in distress.

IV. THE ILL WORD THEY SAID WAS A WORD OF DESPAIR CONCERNING THEIR PRESENT CALAMITOUS CONDITION. They were ready to conclude —

1. That God would not heed them. "My way is hid from the Lord."

2. That God could not help them. "My judgment is passed over from my God, i.e., my case is so far past relief that God Himself cannot redress the grievances of it.

( M. Henry.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

WEB: Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, "My way is hidden from Yahweh, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?"




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