Baptist pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon is remembered today as the Prince of Preachers. But in addition to his sermons, he regularly reading a Bible passage before his message and gave a verse-by-verse exposition, rich in gospel insight and wisdom for the Christian life.
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Sample: Isaiah 60:1-5
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Isaiah 60
This is a chapter full of good news, a prophecy of the bright days that are yet to come to this dark world. These dull days are not to last for ever. The reign of wickedness will come to an end, and earth shall have the bright sunlight of Jehovah’s presence. The words are addressed to the Church of God—it little matters whether to the Jewish or the Gentile Church; for, now, they are all one in Christ, and there is no distinction in the message to both Jews and Gentiles.
1. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
The Church is like the moon, which shines with borrowed light. When God shines upon the Church, then the Church herself shines by reflecting his light. The glory of Jehovah is her glory, if that be withdrawn, she is dark indeed; but when that shines into her, and through her, then her brightness is great indeed.
2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
We have had abundant proof of the darkness, and of the grossness of that darkness, for these many centuries; now we are to look—and I trust that we can already see it in part—for the arising of the Swan of righteousness, first upon the Church, and then upon the whole world.
3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
There is nothing that breaks the darkness except the light from God’s face; and when that falls upon the Church, then the Church straightway begins to shine in the midst of the darkness, and multitudes come to the light, and even the great ones of the earth, the kings, come to the brightness of her rising.
4. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
There is no sign here of the Church of God being deserted, on the contrary, she shall become, through the grace of God, the center of attraction. Men shall come from distant lands to her, however far removed they were, they shall still come: “thy sons shall come from far.” She shall also be increased by the accession of those near at hand: “and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.”
5. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged;
First, the blessing shall seem too great to be real, and the Church shall tremble with fear; but, afterwards, she shall believe in it, and rejoice in it, and so her heart shall be enlarged.
because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,
The sailors shall come to Christ in great numbers; and when they are converted, they will be the best of missionaries. Each ship shall be a floating Bethel, and every port at which they touch shall be the gladder for the good news they will have to tell: “The abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,”—
the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
The soldiers, as well as the sailors, shall enter the service of the King of kings. Oh, what a happy day it will be when every soldier shall have enlisted beneath the banner of peace! Then they will be able to fight the good fight of faith every day, and to be the means of saving multitudes of precious souls. According to this verse, great importance is attached to the conversion of sailors and soldiers; God grant that some of us may live to see this prophecy fulfilled!
