Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_700.lzh/6_771.TXT

Text File | 1994-12-06 | 7KB | 130 lines

work wickeduces are set up: or built up {}; or seeing, be-
cause, or for they that work {}, &c.; they are increased
with children, by which their houses or families are
built up; they are in a well-settled and established
condition; they abound in riches and honours; they
are set in high places, and are in great esteem among
men, even such who make it their constant business to
commit sin: yea, they that tempt God; or yea, they
tempt God {}; by their wicked words and actions, and
try whether he will cause his judgments to fall upon
them, which he has threatened to such sinners; see Isa.
v. 18, 19: are even delivered; or, and are delivered {w};
from the punishment threatened; they escape it, and
go on with impunity; from which observations these
persons reasoned that there was no God of judgment,
or that judged in the earth; that there was no pro-
vidence concerned about human affairs; and that there
was nothing in religion; and these were the hard and
stout words which they spoke against the Lord.
Ver. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often
one to another, &c.] Abarbinel thinks this is a con-
tinuation of the speech of the wicked; observing, that
whilst they that work wickedness were set up, and
they that tempted God escaped punishment, they that
were ,religious,, and feared God, were destroyed one with
another, particularly by the plague; so he would have
the .word \^wrbdn\^ rendered, which we translate, spake
often one to another; in which sense he observes that
root is used in Hos. xiii. 14. Psal. xlvii. 3. 2 Kings xi. 1.
but rather this is opposed unto what they said, by such,
who, at the time referred to (which seems to be between
the time of Christ's coming, spoken of in the begin-
ning of the chapter, and the destruction of Jerusalem
after mentioned), feared the Lord, and served him;
embraced the Messiah,' and professed his name; for
the fear. of God takes in the whole of religious worship,
both internal and external; and describes such, not
that have a dread of the majesty of God, and of his
judgments and wrath, or distrust his power, pro-
vidence, grace, and goodness; but who have a filial
and holy fear of God, a fiducial and fearless one, a re-
verential affection for him, and are true and sincere
worshipperu of him: these spake often one to another;
of the unbelief, impiety, and profanehess of men, with
great concern and lamentation; and of the great and
good things they were led into the knowledge of; the
everlasting love of the Father in the choice of them,
and covenant with them in Christ; of redemption by
the Son; of the glories of his person, and the fulness
of his grace; of the work of the Spirit of God upon their
souls; and of the various truths of the everlasting
Gospel; and of the gracious experiences they were in-
dulged with; and all this they said for the glory of
God's grace, and for the comforting and strengthening,
and edifying, of each other's souls: it follows, and the
Lord hearkened, and heard it; what they said one to
another: this is spoken after the manner of men, and
does not so much regard the omniscience of God, who
hearkens and hears every thing that is said by wicked
men, as by good men; as his special regard unto,
peculiar notice he takes of, and the approbation he has
of his people, and of their words and actions, and even
of their thoughts, as is afterwards iutimated: .and
a book of remembrance was written before him; in allu-
sion to kings that keep registers, records, annals, and
chronicles, as memorials of matters of moment and
importance: see ]Ezra iv. 15. Esth. ii. 23. and vi. '1:
otherwise there is no forgetfulness in God; he bears
in his own eternal mind a remembrance of the per-
sons, thoughts, words, and actions of his people, and
which he'll disclose and make mention of another day;
even our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God over all, and
who will let the churches and world know that
he is the searcher of hearts, and trier of the reins
of the children of men: for them that feared the
Lord, as before, and that thought upon his name; either
the name of the Father; not any particular name of
his, by which he is known, but him himself; for, as
Kimchi Observes, his name is himself, and he himself
is his name; and especially as he is in Christ, and pro-
claimed in him; and this is expressive of faith in him,
love to him, and reverence of him: or the name of
Christ.; and not any particular name of his, unless it.
be Jesus the Saviour: but rather his person as the Son
of God; his office as Mediator; and his blood, righte-
ousness, and sacrifice: and it is not a bare thinking.
of him that is here intended,' but such a thought of
him as is accompanied with esteem and value for him,
because of the dignity of his person, and the riches of
his grace. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render
it, and that reverence his name; and the Syriac version,
that praise his name; and the Targum is, that think of
the glory of his name.
Vet. 17. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, &c.] That is, such as fear the Lord, and think
of him, hereby they are known to be his; and here-
after, in the time referred to, it will be manifest that
they are his: they are Christ's already by his Father's
gift of them to him; by his own purchase; by the
'conquests of his grace; and by the voluntary surren-
der of themselves: but, in the last day, they will be
claimed and owned by Christ before his Father and his
holy angels; and they will be known to be his, by
themselves and others; and there will be no doubt
about it, or questioning of it: in that day. when .I make
up my jewels; Christ has some, who are his jewels, or
peculiar treasure, as the word {x} here used signifies;
who are loved with an everlasting love; chosen in
him; redeemed -by him; justified by his righteous-
nesS; have the graces of his spirit in them: and will
be glorified: they are a peculiar people, separate from
all others, and preferred unto them; for whom Christ
has the strongest affection, and takes special care dr:
and there is atime when he will make them up; the
number of them is already complete in eternal elec-
tion; and there was a gathering of them together in
Christ at his death; at every conversion there is an
addition to them. as his regenerated and sanctified
ones; and at death they are received into heaven, into
his presence and bosom; and at the last day there will

{s} \^wnbn\^ aedificati sunt, Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Burkius; aedi-
ficantur, Vatablus, Tigurine version, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius.
{t} \^Mg\^ siquidem, V. L.; nam, Piscator, Noldius.
{u} \^wnxb Mg\^ etiam probaverunt, Pagninus, Montanus, Burkius.
{w} \^wjlmyw\^ et eveserunt, Pagninus, Montanus; et effugerunt, Coc-
ceius.
{x} \^hlgo\^ peculium, Munster,m Pagninus, Vatablus, Tigurine version,
Calvin, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius.