The Advocate on High
J. Irons. Isaiah 51:22 Thus said your Lord the LORD, and your God that pleads the cause of his people, Behold… How majestic are these appellations; and if we mark the variation of the appearance of the word "Lord," it opens to our view at once a fund of information and comfort which would be lost if that were overlooked. The first time the word is used, thy "Lord," the translators have given it to us in small letters, simply signifying a sovereign ruler and governor. The second time they have given it in capital letters, which method they adopted to distinguish the word "Jehovah" from the word "Adonai," or Lord. When the word "Jehovah" presents itself to our view, we are at once filled with a consciousness of the presence of a self-existent Being, giving being to all, deriving being from none, with all worlds at His command, and all creatures under His sway. And then to have the sovereign governor, the self-existent Deity, presented to our view in His covenant character as "thy God," is peculiarly sweet. There is a sevenfold preciousness in this introduction which Jehovah gives of Himself to the notice of His people, and that, too, under circumstances particularly affecting; because what the Lord was about to say to them was just called for by the exigencies in which they were placed. I. THE APPELLATIONS that are employed. "Thy Lord;" "THE LORD;" "thy God." II. OUR CLAIM TO AN INTEREST IN THEM, as warranted by Scripture. I will refer to the infinite perfections of the Deity to be claimed by the poor worm of the earth. What, I allowed to claim Omniscience, Omnipotence to watch over me, Omnipresence to be my company, Immutability to be my security, eternity the open prospect for me! What, I view all the perfections and attributes of the Deity, such as His justice, His holiness, His truth, His mercy, His faithfulness, everlastingly pledged for my salvation? This is something solid. What is requisite to prove the claim? You will find substantial proof nowhere but in spiritual life imparted to the soul. III. THE TRANSACTION REFERRED TO. "That pleadeth the cause of His people." 1. Let us first glance at the Divine, the sacred office assumed, as stated the text, "If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." That glorious Advocate is wise, faithful, condescending, affectionate. 2. The extraordinary nature of the cause of God's people. (1) There are three points in the pleading of the cause that must be kept in view. God pleads thy cause. Precious Advocate! (2) Moreover, He hath to plead for His people among the heathen; and this is implied in the text. When the people of Israel old transgressed by idolatries and superstitions, by departures from God, and mingling with the heathen, Jehovah sent them into captivity, allowed their enemies to break in upon them, and to desolate their city and temple. And the heathen mocked them. "Where now is your God? Where is the God you serve? Do you think the King of glory can regard such beings as you?" But Jehovah pleads His own cause, and vindicates His own honour among the heathen. (3) But there is a worse feature relative to the cause, and that is rebellion in the heart of His own people. 3. The legal process. The only great mark of the legal process is for God's holiness to be vindicated. Then the process must be by exacting or by surety; and it must be by His life of obedience and His death of ignominy. If the legal process be pleading with the guilty, ruined sinner, there are two or three things I shall name. (1) He is apprehended. (2) He is accused. (3) He is acquitted. Acquitted, but He is condemned first. (J. Irons.). Parallel Verses KJV: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: WEB: Thus says your Lord Yahweh, and your God who pleads the cause of his people, "Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath; you shall no more drink it again: