Isaiah 58

Sec. 5. SENTENCE ON FORMALISM.

From the time of the close of the captivity at Babylon direct idol-worship almost wholly disappeared. But self-righteous formalism, another grievous evil, more subtle in its nature, set in, and reached its height when our Lord began his ministry. ( Birks.) To all the phases of the Jewish people, from his own times to the times of Christ, the prophet Isaiah applied his instructions and predictions. His outlook in the following chapter seems aptly to light upon the state of things as seen by John Baptist. The theory that Isaiah lived in quiet in his latest years, and wrote his prophecies for private instruction, chiefly to his disciples, and for preservation in the archives of his school at Jerusalem, does not hinder our supposing he wrote on the spur of occasions, as with prophetic eye he saw them transpiring during the public life of the people. Dr. Kay, of the “Speaker’s Commentary,” a writer specially observant of the part which different sections in this book play in the Jewish ritual, regards this and the 59th chapter as suited to the occasion of the great day of atonement. He says: “The promise of reconciliation was made in Isaiah 57:15-19. The present chapter stands like a homily for the day of atonement, (see Isaiah 58:3,) while the confession suited for that day follows in chap. 59.”