29  The temple and city of Jerusalem destroyed, Isa 29:1-6.
Her enemies insatiable, Isa 29:7-8.
Their senselessness, Isa 29:9-12.
And deep hypocrisy, Isa 29:13-17.
These scorner and oppressor being cut off, the rest shall be converted, Isa 29:18-24.

29:13 Draw near - Namely, in acts of worship. With lips - With outward devotions. But - They do not pay me that love, and fear, and obedience, which I require. And - They worship me not in such a manner, as I have prescribed, but according to mens inventions, preferring the devices and traditions of their false prophets, before my institutions.

29:14 Hid - Shall disappear and vanish.

29:15 Seek deep - A metaphor from men, who use to dig deep into the earth, that they may hide any thing there. To hide - Vainly imagining, that they can deceive, not only men, but God, by their external professions. Who - Neither God nor man can discover us.

29:16 Surely - All your subtle devices, by which you turn yourselves into all shapes. As clay - It is no more to me, than the clay is to the potter, who can alter and dispose it as he sees fit.

29:17 As a forest - The forest of Lebanon, which was a barren mountain, shall by God's providence, become a fruitful and populous place; and these places which are now fruitful and populous, shall then become as barren and desolate, as that forest. This is a prophecy of the rejection of the Jews, and of the calling of the Gentiles.

29:18 Shall see - Being, by God's grace, brought out of gross, ignorance and wickedness, unto a clear and saving knowledge of the truth.

29:19 Meek - The humble and meek believers. Poor - Mean and despicable people, such as the Gentiles were in the opinion of the Jews, and such as the greatest part of the first Christians were.

29:20 That watch - That early and diligently apply themselves to the practice of wickedness.

29:21 That make a man - That condemn a man, as if he was a great criminal. For him - For God's faithful prophets and ministers.The gate - There the people used to assemble, both upon civil and sacred accounts, and there prophets used to deliver their prophecies.Turn - From his right. The just - The faithful ministers of God.Nought - Not for any great advantage, but for a trifle.

29:22 Redeemed - From manifold dangers, and especially from idolatry.Jacob - The Israelites or posterity of Jacob, who had great cause to be ashamed, for their continued infidelity, shall at last be brought back to the God of their fathers, and to their Messiah.Pale - Through fear of their enemies.

29:23 He seeth - When the believing seed of Jacob shall see those children, whom they have begotten to God, by the gospel, even the Gentiles. The work - The children, not of the flesh, but of the promise, whom I, by my almighty grace, have regenerated. In the midst - Incorporated with the Jews, into one and the same body.Shall sanctify - They shall glorify God, with them and for them.

12 From henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the sacred history. In this chapter we have,

1. God's call of Abram to the land of Canaan Gen 12:1-3.
   
2. Abram's obedience to this call, Gen 12:4-5.
   
3. His welcome to the land of Canaan, Gen 12:6-9.
   
4. His occasional remove into Egypt, with an account of what happened to him there. Abram's flight and fault, Gen 12:10-13.
   Sarai's danger and deliverance, Gen 12:14-20.
   

12:1 We have here the call by which Abram was removed out of the land of his nativity into the land of promise, which was designed both to try his faith and obedience, and also to set him apart for God. The circumstances of this call we may be somewhat helped to the knowledge of, from Stephen's speech, Act 7:2, where we are told,

1. That the God of glory appeared to him to give him this call, appearedin such displays of his glory as left Abram no room to doubt. God spake to him after in divers manners: but this first time, when the correspondence was to be settled, he appeared to him as the God of glory, and spake to him.
2. That this call was given him in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt inCharran, and in obedience to this call, he came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran or Haran about five years, and from thence, when his father was dead, by a fresh command, he removed him into the land of Canaan. Some think Haran was in Chaldea, and so was still a part of Abram's country; or he having staid there five years, began to call it his country, and to take root there, till God let him know this was not the place he was intended for.Get thee out of thy country - Now,
   1. By this precept he was tried whether he loved God better than heloved his native soil, and dearest friends, and whether he could willingly leave all to go along with God. His country was become idolatrous, his kindred and his father's house were a constant temptation to him, and he could not continue with them without danger of being infected by them; therefore get thee out, (Heb.) vade tibi, get thee gone with all speed, escape for thy life, look not behind thee.
   2. By this precept he was tried whether he could trust God fartherthan he saw him, for he must leave his own country to go to a land that God would shew him; he doth not say, 'tis a land that I will give thee nor doth he tell him what land it was, or what kind of land; but he must follow God with an implicit faith, and take God's word for it in the general, though he had no particular securities given him, that he should be no loser by leaving his country to follow God.

12:2 Here is added an encouraging promise, nay a complication of promises,

1. I will make of thee a great nation - When God took him from his ownpeople, he promised to make him the head of another people.This promise was.
   1. A great relief to Abram's burden, for he had now no child.
   2. A great trial to Abram's faith, for his wife had been long barren, sothat if he believe, it must be against hope, and his faith must build purely upon that power which can out of stones raise up children unto Abraham.
2. I will bless thee - Either particularly with the blessing offruitfulness, as he had blessed Adam and Noah; or in general, I will bless thee with all manner of blessings, both of the upper and nether springs: leave thy father's house, and I will give thee a father's blessing, better than that of thy progenitors.
3. I will make thy name great - By deserting his country he lost his namethere: care not for that, (saith God) but trust me, and I will make thee a greater name than ever thou couldst have had there.
4. Thou shalt be a blessing - That is, thy life shall be a blessing tothe places where thou shalt sojourn.
5. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee - This made it a kind of league offensive and defensive between God andAbram. Abram heartily espoused God's cause, and here God promiseth to interest himself in his.
6. In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed - This was thepromise that crowned all the rest, for it points at the Messiah, in whom all the promises are yea and amen.

12:4 So Abram departed - He was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.His obedience was speedy and without delay, submissive and without dispute.

12:5 They took with them the souls that they had gotten - That is, the proselytes they had made, and persuaded to worship the true God, and to go with them to Canaan; the souls which (as one of the Rabbins expresseth it) they had gathered under the wings of the divine Majesty.

12:6 The Canaanite was then in the land - He found the country possessed by Canaanites, who were likely to be but bad neighbours; and for ought appears he could not have ground to pitch his tent on but by their permission.

12:7 And the Lord appeared to Abram - Probably in a vision, and spoke to him comfortable words; Unto thy seed will I give this land - No place or condition can shut us out from God's gracious visits. Abram is a sojourner, unsettled, among Canaanites, and yet here also he meets with him that lives, and sees him. Enemies may part us and our tents, us and our altars, but not us and our God.

14 

14:15 The simple - A foolish man. Looketh - He orders his dealings in the world with due circumspection, not considering so much what other men say as what he ought to do.

14:16 Feareth - Trembles at God's judgments when they are either inflicted or threatened. Rageth - Frets against God; or is enraged against his messengers. Confident - Secure and insensible of his danger.

14:17 Foolishly - His passion hurries him into foolish speeches and actions. Wicked devices - One who suppresses his passion, but meditates revenge. Hated - Both by God and men.

14:18 Inherit - They possess it as their inheritance, holding it fast, and glorying in it. Knowledge - The saving knowledge of God and of their own duty.

14:19 The evil - Good men shall have the pre - eminency over the wicked.

14:20 Hated - Despised and abandoned.

14:21 Despiseth - That does not pity and relieve the poor.

14:23 The talk - Idle talking will bring a man to poverty.

14:24 Riches - They are a singular advantage and ornament to them.But - As for rich fools, their folly is not cured, but made worse and more manifest by their riches.

14:25 Souls - Such as are innocent, from false accusations.