Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his
Maker,
&c.] He whose name alone is Jehovah, who is glorious in
holiness, the Sanctifier of his people, and the Maker of them,
both as creatures, and new creatures: ask me of things to
come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of
my hands command ye me;
these words are not spoken to idolaters, or the idolatrous Jews,
or those of them that were inclined to idolatry; directing them
to ask of the Lord, and not of their idols, things to come, which
they were not able to show, and to seek to him for, and insist
upon the performance of his promises to them, his children, and
creatures; but to the spiritual Israel of God, as the preface
shows, directing them to inquire after things future, concerning
his children and people, especially among the Gentiles, whom the
carnal Jews despised; and to expect, and believe, and even as it
were demand the performance of them, being promised and
prophesied of: there are some who are the "sons" of God, not by
creation only, or by natural birth, or by desert, or merely by
profession, but by adopting grace; which is a very great and
excellent privilege, preferable to civil or national adoption, or
to the highest rank of sonship among men; a blessing which
continues forever, and entitles to eternal life: and these become
the work of the Lord's hands in regeneration; they are made new
creatures; they are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus;
whatever is wrought in them is of his operation, faith, hope,
love, and every grace, which make up that good work which shall
be performed until the day of Christ: first, men are the sons of
God by adoption, and then they are his workmanship in
regeneration; and the latter because of the former, and of which
the latter is an evidence: now there were and are "things to
come", concerning these persons; there were some things to come,
and which were to come to pass, and did, in the first times of
the Gospel, as the incarnation of Christ, and redemption by him;
his sufferings and death, and the glory that should follow; the
effusion of Spirit, and the conversion of the Gentiles; all which
were for the sake of these "sons" of God, and respected them: and
there are other things yet to come concerning them, and will be
accomplished in the latter day; some things sad and sorrowful, as
the giving the outward court to the Gentiles, the Protestant
churches to the Papists, and the slaying of the witnesses; and
others desirable and joyful, as the numerous conversions of the
Jews and Gentiles; their extensive knowledge of spiritual things,
and their abundant peace and prosperity; the increase of
brotherly love, their purity, spirituality, holiness, and
righteousness; their power, authority, and dominion, both in the
spiritual and personal reign of Christ, and their ultimate glory.
And now the Lord allows his people, and encourages them to "ask"
of him these things; to inquire of him by prayer, and by
searching the Scriptures, what these things are that are to come;
what of them have been accomplished, and what of them remain to
be accomplished, "and how long it will be to the end of these
wonders", ( Daniel 12:6 ) , and so
Jarchi interprets the word, rendered "things to come in the
text", signs and wonders: and they may and should pray for the
accomplishment of them; yea, insist upon and demand them. The
Lord not only allows his people to put him in remembrance of his
promises and prophecies, but to plead for, and, as it were,
require the performance of them; and so the words are an
encouragement to the importunate prayer of faith. Faith in prayer
has great power with God, a kind of command over him; it holds
him to his word; it will not let him go without the blessing; nor
let him alone till he has made good his promise; nor give him any
rest, day nor night, till he has fulfilled the things to come
concerning his sons. Some F18 read the words by way of
interrogation, "do ye ask or question me concerning things to
come?" what I intend to do hereafter? am I obliged to give you an
account of my secret purposes and designs? or make you acquainted
with future events? "do ye, or should ye, command me concerning,
my sons and the works of my hands?" will you prescribe to me what
I shall do in my family? am I a father, and must I be directed
what to do with my sons? am I the Maker of all men, and must I be
told what to do with the work of my hands? what arrogance and
insolence is this! but the former reading and sense are best.