Isaiah 48:16

16 "Come close and listen to me. "From the first time I said Cyrus was coming, I did not do it in secret. When he comes, I will be there." The LORD and King has filled me with his Spirit. People of Israel, he has sent me to you.

Isaiah 48:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 48:16

Come ye near unto me, hear ye this
An address to the Jews, to attend the ministry of Christ, and hear the doctrine he had delivered to them: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;
from the beginning of his ministry; which be exercised not in private houses, but in the synagogues of the Jews, and in the temple, whither a large concourse of people resorted, ( John 18:20 ) : from the time that it was, there am I;
from the time that his ministry began there, he was in the same places, in Judea and Galilee, always publicly preaching the Gospel, and doing good: or rather, "before the time that it was, there was I" F14; Christ existed before his incarnation, before he appeared as the great Prophet in Israel; he existed as the Word and Son of God from all eternity, and was with God his Father from everlasting; he was by him, and brought up with him, and lay in his bosom so early: and now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me;
in the fulness of time, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to preach the Gospel, fulfil the law, and to redeem and save the Lord's people. Here is a glorious testimony of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; Christ the Son of God is sent in human nature, and as Mediator Jehovah the Father and the Spirit are the senders of him; and so is a proof of the mission, commission, and authority of Christ, who came not of himself, but was sent of God, ( John 8:42 ) , it may be rendered, "and now the Lord God hath sent me and his Spirit" F15; both were sent of God, and in this order; first, Christ, to be the Redeemer and Saviour; and then the Spirit, to be the Convincer and Comforter; see ( John 14:26 ) ( 15:26 ) ( John 16:7 John 16:8 )


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (htwyh tem) "ex tempore antequam fieret", V. L. "nondum existente tempore horum eventuum", Forerius.
F15 (wxwrw ynxlv) "misit me et spiritum ejus", Lutherus, Castalio; "et spiritum suum", Cocceius, Vitringa.

Isaiah 48:16 In-Context

14 "People of Israel, come together and listen to me. What other god has said ahead of time that certain things would happen? I have chosen Cyrus. He will carry out my plans against Babylon. He will use his powerful arm against the Babylonians.
15 I myself have spoken. I have chosen him to carry out my purpose. I will bring him to Babylon. He will succeed in what I tell him to do.
16 "Come close and listen to me. "From the first time I said Cyrus was coming, I did not do it in secret. When he comes, I will be there." The LORD and King has filled me with his Spirit. People of Israel, he has sent me to you.
17 The LORD is the Holy One of Israel. He sets his people free. He says to them, "I am the LORD your God. I teach you what is best for you. I direct you in the way you should go.
18 I wish you would pay attention to my commands. If you did, peace would flow over you like a river. Holiness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.
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