Isaiah 64:5
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth
Not in a carnal way, nor in a sinful manner, nor in a
hypocritical one, or in vain boastings, all such rejoicing is
evil: but in the Lord, in the person of Christ; in the greatness,
glory, and fullness of his person; at the promise, and in the
view, of his coming in the flesh, as Abraham did; in the grace of
God displayed in him, and in hope of the glory of God by him;
such a frame of spirit is agreeable to the Lord: and
worketh righteousness;
a truly gracious soul is not idle, but works; not in his own
strength, nor for life, or anything but what is just and right;
no man indeed can work out a perfect righteousness, nor should
men attempt to work out one for justification before God; but
should lay hold by faith on the righteousness of Christ, which is
the evangelical and best way of working righteousness; and such
do works of righteousness in faith, which is doing them in the
best manner, and the course of life of such is righteous; and
these are regarded by the Lord, especially such who rejoice to
work righteousness, or do it, in a cheerful joyful manner, which
perhaps is the sense of the words: now such the Lord "meeteth",
or has been used to meet, in former ages, in all generations,
even in a way of love, grace, and mercy; and prevents them with
the blessings of his goodness; indulges them with communion with
himself through his Son, typified by the mercyseat; and at the
throne of his grace, and in his house and ordinances. The Jewish
commentators understand this phrase in a different manner. R.
Jonah and Jarchi interpret it of God's meeting the righteous, and
removing them out of the world by death, according to ( 1 Kings 2:25
) and Aben Ezra of his receiving their prayers and intercessions
for others, according to ( Isaiah 47:3 ) . Kimchi
joins both senses together,
``the righteous, who were doing thy commandments with joy, are
not now in the world, to stand in the gap for us.''
Those that remember thee in thy ways;
they remember there is a God, and worship him; the perfections of
his nature, and adore them; his works of providence, and admire
them; and his blessings of grace and goodness, and are thankful for
them: they remember him "in [his] ways"; in the ways of his
providence, which are unsearchable, and past finding out; in the
ways of his grace and mercy, so the Targum; or "for" or "because"
F17 of these, and praise his name; and in
the ways of his commandments, which they observe.
Behold,
thou art wroth, and we have sinned; or because we have
sinned
{r}; as for us, we have sinned, and justly incurred the displeasure
of God; and it is no wonder he hides his face from us, and does not
meet us, as he has been used to meet his people formerly. The
people of God sin, and this is taken notice of by him, and
resented; and which is the cause of all their afflictions, in which
the Lord appears to be "wroth" with them; not that he is properly
so, for afflictions to them are not in vindictive wrath; but he
seems to be wroth with them, he carries it towards them as if he
was, when he chastises them, and hides his face from them. In those
is continuance, and we shall be saved: or "in these we have been of
old"
F19; that is, in these sins; we are old
sinners, sinners in Adam, sinners from our birth, and so in these
sins is continuance: saints indeed do not continue in a course of
sin, yet sin continues in them, and they are continually sinning in
thought, word, or deed; yet nevertheless there is salvation from
all their sins in Christ, in whom they shall be saved: or there is
continuance in works of righteousness, and in the cheerful
performance of them; the principle of well doing continues in
believers, which is the grace of God, and spiritual strength, by
which they do well; and through the grace of Christ they persevere
in faith and holiness, and, persevering herein, shall be saved. Or
rather there is continuance in the ways of God, in the ways of his
grace and mercy; in them there is constancy, perpetuity, and
eternity, as the word signifies; his love is an everlasting love;
his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, and endures for ever;
he is unchangeable in his grace and promises, and hence his people
shall not be consumed in their sins by his wrath, but shall be
everlastingly saved; which is entirely owing to his permanent and
immutable grace, and not to their works of righteousness, as
appears by what follows.