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Grace includes God's good-will towards us and his good work upon us; and peace implies in it all that inward comfort, or outward prosperity, which is really needful for us; and they come from God the Father as the fountain, through Jesus Christ as the channel of conveyance. Both these the apostle wishes for these Christians. But we may observe, First grace, and then peace, for there can be no true peace without grace. Having mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ, he cannot pass without enlarging upon his love; and therefore adds (v. 4), Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver, etc. Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins, as a great sacrifice to make atonement for us; this the justice of God required, and to this he freely submitted for our sakes. One great end hereof was to deliver us from this present evil world; not only to redeem us from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, but also to recover us from the corruption that is in the world through lust, and to rescue us from the vicious practices and customs of it, unto which we are naturally enslaved; and possibly also to set us free from the Mosaic constitution, for so aion houtos is used, 1 Co. 2:6, 8. From this we may note, 1. This present world is an evil world: it has become so by the sin of man, and it is so on account of the sin and sorrow with which it abounds and the many snares and temptations to which we are exposed as long as we continue in it. But, 2. Jesus Christ has died to deliver us from this present evil world, not presently to remove his people out of it, but to rescue them from the power of it, to keep them from the evil of it, and in due time to possess them of another and better world. - Matthew Henry. |
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The streams of Negev typify the joy of restoration of those who
returned from Babylon after enduring tearful hardships. Negev is the
southern part of Judea which extends southward to the Sinai
Peninsula. It was a dry, parched land for most of the year (Isaiah
21:1; 30:6). When the bountiful seasonal rains came there was much
reason to rejoice.
Throughout the Bible, water is a spiritual picture of the gospel
(John 7:38); so we see the far deeper spiritual meaning that points
to salvation and restoration from the captivity of being unaved. So
we see that a dry region or dryness can be a portrait of trials and
tribulations and deliverence can be seen as a portrait of the
seasonal rains which occassion rejoicing.
As Christians we weep as we go into all the world with the gospel
because we know that unless an individual becomes saved their soul
existance is doomed for eternity. However, as we send out the gospel
with tears we can take some comfort in knowing that God assures us
that His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11); some will believe
and for this we can truly rejoice. The compassionate heart of the
LORD will answer favorably to His children (Psalm 128:2,3; 2
Corinthians 6:2; 1 John 1:8-10).
Let us continually morn, weep and repent as we call upon the name of
the LORD. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author of faith.
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." (Matthew
5:4).
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