I form the light, and create darkness
Natural light, or that light which was produced at the first
creation, and of which the sun is the fountain and source; or day
which is light, and night which is darkness, the constant
revolutions of which were formed, appointed, and are continued by
the Lord, ( Genesis
1:3-5 ) ( 8:22 ) ,
moral light, or the light of nature, the rational understanding
in man; spiritual light, or the light of grace, by which things
spiritual and supernatural are known; the light of joy and
comfort from Christ, the sun of righteousness; and the light of
eternal glory and happiness: this is all from God, of his
producing and giving; and so darkness is his creature; that
natural darkness which was upon the face of the earth at the
beginning; what arises from the absence of the sun, or is
occasioned by the eclipses of it, or very black clouds; or any
extraordinary darkness, such as was in Egypt; or deprivation of
sight, blindness in men; and, in a figurative sense, ignorance
and darkness that follow upon sin; judicial blindness, God gives
men up and leaves them to; temporal afflictions and distresses,
and everlasting punishment, which is blackness of darkness:
I make peace, and create evil;
peace between God and men is made by Christ, who is God over all;
spiritual peace of conscience comes from God, through Christ, by
the Spirit; eternal glory and happiness is of God, which saints
enter into at death; peace among the saints themselves here, and
with the men of the world; peace in churches, and in the world,
God is the author of, even of all prosperity of every kind, which
this word includes: "evil" is also from him; not the evil of sin;
this is not to be found among the creatures God made; this is of
men, though suffered by the Lord, and overruled by him for good:
but the evil of punishment for sin, God's sore judgments, famine,
pestilence, evil beasts, and the sword, or war, which latter may
more especially be intended, as it is opposed to peace; this
usually is the effect of sin; may be sometimes lawfully engaged
in; whether on a good or bad foundation is permitted by God;
moreover, all afflictions, adversities, and calamities, come
under this name, and are of God; see ( Job 2:10 ) ( Amos 3:6 ) : I the
Lord do all these things;
and therefore must be the true God, and the one and only one.
Kimchi, from Saadiah Gaon, observes, that this is said against
those that assert two gods, the one good, and the other evil;
whereas the Lord is the Maker of good and evil, and therefore
must be above all; and it is worthy of observation, that the
Persian Magi, before Zoroastres F13, held two first causes, the
one light, or the good god, the author of all good; and the other
darkness, or the evil god, the author of all evil; the one they
called Oromazes, the other Arimanius; and, as Dr. Prideaux
F14 observes,
``these words are directed to Cyrus king of Persia, and must be understood as spoken in reference to the Persian sect of the Magians; who then held light and darkness, or good and evil, to be the supreme Beings, without acknowledging the great God as superior to both;''and which these words show; for Zoroastres, who reformed them in this first principle of their religion, was after Isaiah's time.