A Gracious Invitation
Isaiah 26:20-21
Come, my people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you: hide yourself as it were for a little moment…


I. THE FORM OF THE INVITATION, including in it the qualified subject. "Come, My people." God's own peculiar people, who have chosen God for their protection, and resigned up themselves sincerely to Him in the covenant, are the persons here invited, the same which He before called "the righteous nation that kept the truth" (ver. 2). He means those that remained faithful to God in Babylon. The form of invitation is full of tender compassion. "Come, My people." Like a tender father who sees a storm coming upon his children in the fields, and takes them by the hand.

II. THE PRIVILEGE INVITED TO. "Enter thou into thy chambers." The Divine attributes engaged in the promises and exercised or actuated in the providences of God — these are the sanctuaries of God's people in days of trouble.

III. A NEEDFUL CAUTION far the securing of this privilege to ourselves in evil times. "Shut thy doors about thee." Care must be taken that no passage be left open for the devil to creep in after us, and drive us out of our refuge; for so it falls out too often with God's people when they are at rest in God's name or promises. Satan creeps in by unbelieving doubts and puzzling objections, and heats them out of their refuge back again into trouble.

IV. Note with what ARGUMENTS OR MOTIVES they are pressed to betake themselves to this refuge.

1. A supposition of a storm coming. The indignation of God will fall like a tempest; this is supposed in the text, and plainly expressed in the words following.

2. Though His indignation fall like a storm, yet it will not continue long; better days and more comfortable dispensations will follow.

( J. Flavel.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

WEB: Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past.




Enter Thou into Thy Chambers
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