Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 33:16
He shall dwell on high: his place of defense [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
16. he shall dwell on high ] (lit. “inhabit heights”), i.e. in absolute security, as is said of Jehovah Himself in Isa 33:5. the munitions of rocks ] inexpugnable rock-fortresses.
bread shall be given ] The image of a siege is still kept up: the righteous inhabits a fortress that shall never be starved into surrender.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He shall dwell on high – See the margin. Heights, or high places, were usually places of safety, being, inaccessible to an enemy. The sense here is, that such a man as is described in Isa 33:15, should be preserved from alarm and danger, as if his habitation were on a lofty cliff or rock. The particular and special meaning is, that he should be safe from the anger, wrath, and consuming fire, which the sinner and the hypocrite dreaded Isa 33:14.
The munitions of rocks – The literal translation of this place would be, The strongholds of the rocks shall be his lofty fortress (compare the note at Isa 2:21).
Bread shall be given him – He shall be sustained, and his life shall be preserved.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 33:16-17
He shall dwell on high
The life of surrender and trust
I.
A LIFE OF EXALTATION. Shall dwell on high. Those who are kept safe, are kept rejoicing, and that constantly; it is not an intermittent experience. He shall dwell. The same thought is given in Psa 91:1, and in Joh 15:11. It is always constant because it does not depend on circumstances, but on God. The surrendered man has learned to live in God, and in His presence is fulness of joy.
II. A LIFE OF SAFETY. His place shall be the munition of rocks. Because of the safety there is perfect peace.
III. A LIFE OF CONTINUAL SATISFACTION. His bread shall be given him. There is no leanness in the surrendered life; it is fed with the very Bread of Life. One of the greatest blessings of this life is the deeper communion, the greater reality of spiritual things, as the soul learns to feed on Christ. His waters shall be sure.
IV. A LIFE OF BEAUTY AND OF REFRESHMENT. Jeremiah speaks of the same life under the figure of a tree planted by the river, whose leaf is sways green. Continual freshness and perennial beauty. The beauty of the Lord our God upon us, and the fruit of the Spirit manifest.
V. A LIFE OF VISION. The unmistakable sign of the fulness of the Holy Ghost is the power to look into the glorified face of Jesus Christ (Joh 17:24).
VI. A LIFE OF UNLIMITED OUTLOOK. Shall behold the land of far distances. As we stand and look down the vistas of eternity we learn a little of what this life means. (G. H. C. Macgregor, M. A.)
Dwelling on high
In the ascent of a mountain, the objects which we leave beneath us become insignificant as we ascend, until the things we at first passed become as mere specks in the distance, and we get into prate, clear air, and see the extent of land around us, of which we had never dreamed. So in the spiritual life, as we dwell on high with the holy God, the things of earth are of less importance to us, even earthly friendships becoming insignificant as we behold the King in His beauty, and all around us is the far-stretching land of His full, unlimited salvation. (J. G.Govan.)
Rest in God
A man in some high hill-fortress looks down upon the open where the enemys ranks are crawling like insects across the grass, and he scarcely hears the noise of the tumult, and no arrow can reach his lofty hold. So up in God we may dwell at rest, whateer betide. Strange that we should prefer to live down amongst the unwalled villages, which every spoiler can harry and burn, when we might climb, and by the might and the magic of trust in the Lord, bring round about ourselves a wall of fire which shall consume the poison out of the evil, even whilst it permits the sorrow to do its beneficent work upon us. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Sale in the rock
Two birds went out to build their nests. One found a tree by the rivers edge, and made her nest among its branches. The river murmured below, and the sunshine played among the leaves. But one night there was a storm, and the tree was torn out, and carried away in the floods–nest and nestlings and all. The other bird found a crag in a mountain, and built its home in a cleft of the rock. The storm swept over it, and the floods rushed through the valley, but the nest with its nestlings was safe in the rock. (Westminster Teacher.)
Hidden in the rock
In the Pitti Palace at Florence hangs a picture which represents a stormy sea, with wild waves and black clouds and fierce lightnings flashing across the sky, Wrecks float on the angry waters, and here and there a human face is seen. Out of the midst of the waves a rock rises, against which the waters dash in vain. It towers high above the crest of the waves. In a cleft of the rock are some tufts of grass and green herbage, with sweet flowers blooming, and amid these a dove is seen, sitting on her nest, quiet and undisturbed by the wild fury of the storm, or the mad dashing of the waves below her. The picture fitly represents the peace of the Christian amid the storms and trials of the world. He is hidden in the cleft of the Rock of Ages, and nestles securely in the bosom of Gods unchanging love. (J. R. Miller, D. D.)
The Christian should be joyful
I have been so long away from England that I do not know where our Queen is residing just now; but if I had the wings of a dove, and could mount into the upper air, I would soon find out. I should look for the Royal Standard. I should see it floating over Windsor or Osborne, and by this token I should espy the royal abode. Fling out the banner to the breeze when the King is within. Is the King at home with you, dear brother? Do not forget to display the standard of holy joy.
Hoist it, and keep it firing. The Prince of Peace is enthroned in our hearts! The Lord is exalted, for He dwelleth on high (Isa 33:5), and we dwell on high with Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
He shall dwell on high; out of the reach of danger.
Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure; God will furnish him with all necessaries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. on highheightsinaccessible to the foe (Isa 26:1).
bread . . . watersimagefrom the expected siege by Sennacherib; however besieged by trialswithout, the godly shall have literal and spiritual food, as God seesgood for them (Isa 41:17; Psa 37:25;Psa 34:10; Psa 132:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He shall dwell on high,…. And so in safety: this is opposed to the fears of hypocrites, the grovelling life of a worldling, and the low life of many professors, and is expressive of the security of good men. It may respect the state of the saints on earth, who dwell by faith on God, as their covenant God, on his everlasting love and unchangeable grace; on Christ, as their Redeemer and Saviour; and in their thoughts and contemplations on heavenly things, where Christ is; and particularly in the spiritual reign of Christ, after the destruction of antichrist, when such shall dwell quietly and safely in God’s holy hill, the church, which shall be established upon the top of the mountains: and it may also respect the state of the saints in heaven, which is a dwelling on high, and where they will be safe from everlasting burnings, and out of the reach of all enemies:
his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks; Christ is “the place of defence” to his people, against avenging justice, the curse and condemnation of the law, the wrath of God, sin and all its dreadful consequences, Satan and all enemies: and he is “the munitions of rocks”; he is “a Rock” himself, for them to build upon, and shelter in; and like “fortresses” made out of “rocks”, which can never be undermined, blown up, or broke through:
bread shall be given him: not only shall he be in safety, but shall enjoy the greatest plenty of blessings, particularly spiritual ones; above all, Christ, the bread of God from heaven, the true bread, the bread of life, which gives and supports life, and secures an eternal one; as also the word and ordinances, which are the provisions of Zion, and which all its inhabitants are favoured with; for these are all the “gifts” of divine goodness. The Targum is,
“in the house of the sanctuary his soul shall be satisfied, his food shall be sufficient:”
his waters [shall be] sure; Christ and his fulness, the Spirit and his grace, the Gospel doctrines, and ordinances of it; the believer may be assured of a supply from Christ’s fulness; the grace of the Spirit is never failing, and is persevering; and Gospel doctrines and ordinances are not deceitful brooks, but yield comfort and refreshment: compare with this, Re 7:15.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. He shall dwell in high places. That the Jews may know that the chastisements which God had inflicted on them were righteous, and may endeavor to be restored to his favor, he says that his blessing is ready to be bestowed on good and upright men, such as he described in the former verse, and that they are not subject to any danger, and have no reason to dread that burning which he mentioned, because they shall be made to dwell in a place of the greatest safety. As to wicked men, slanderers, robbers, and deceitful persons, on the other hand, who cannot restrain their tongue, and hands, and ears, and eyes from base and wicked actions, the Prophet shews that we need not wonder if God treat them with severity, and that, while God is their judge, their own conscience is at the same time their executioner; and consequently, that the only means of hindering them from dreading the presence of God, is to keep themselves voluntarily in the fear of God. By “high places,” he means a very safe place, and free from all danger, which ns attack of the enemy can reach, as he declares plainly enough immediately afterwards by assigning to them a habitation among “fortified rocks.”
Bread shall be given to him. To a safe dwelling he adds an abundance of good things; as if he had said that the holy and upright worshippers of God shall lack nothing, because God will not only protect them so as to keep them safe from all danger, but will also supply them abundantly with all that is necessary for the support of life. By the words “bread” and “water” he means all the daily necessaries of life.
And his waters shall be sure. Though wicked men have abundance for a time, they shall afterwards be hungry; as God threatens in the Law, that they shall have famine and hunger. (Lev 26:19; Deu 28:23.) The same remark may be made with regard to “bread,” for the word “sure” relates to both; as if he had said, that all believers shall have their food made “sure.” “Lions are hungry, and wander about; but they that fear God shall not want any good thing,” (Psa 34:10😉 because God, who is by nature bountiful, is not wearied by bestowing liberally, and does not exhaust his wealth by acts of kindness.
Besides, as the life of men is exposed to various dangers, and as abundance of meat and drink is not all that is necessary for our support, unless the Lord defend us by his power, we ought, therefore, to observe carefully what he formerly mentioned, that believers are placed in a safe abode. The Lord performs the office of a shepherd, and not only supplies them with food, but also defends them from the attacks of robbers, enemies, and wolves; and, in short, keeps them under his protection and guardianship, so as not to allow any evil to befall them. Whenever, therefore, it happens, that enemies annoy us, let us consider that we are justly punished for our sins, and that we are deprived of God’s assistance because we do not deserve it; for we must reckon our sins to be the cause of all the evils which we endure.
Yet let not those who are conscious of their integrity imagine that God has forsaken them, but let them to the latest day of their life rely on those promises in which the Lord assures his people that he will be a very safe refuge to them. No man, indeed, can be so holy or upright as to be capable of enduring the eye of God; for “if the Lord mark our iniquities,” as David says, “who shall endure?” (Psa 130:3.) We therefore need a mediator, through whose intercession our sins may be forgiven; and the Prophet did not intend to set aside the ordinary doctrine of Scripture on this subject, but to strike with terror wicked men, who are continually stung and pursued by an evil conscience, (13) This ought to be carefully observed in opposition to the Popish doctors, by whom passages of this kind, which recommend works, are abused in order to destroy the righteousness of faith; as if the atonement for our sins, which we obtain through the sacrifice of Christ, ought to be set aside.
(13) “ D’un remords de mauvaise conscience.” “By the remorse of a bad conscience.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE SERVANT OF GOD
Isa. 33:16. He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks; bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure.
This is part of the answer to the question proposed in Isa. 33:14. The overthrow of Asshur has been predicted; but the judgment of Asshur is a lesson for Israel as well as for the heathens. For the sinners in Jerusalem, there is no abiding in the presence of the Almighty. They must repent. God is a consuming fire. His furnace was in Jerusalem. Therefore they inquire, Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?
The prophet answers their question in Isa. 33:15. It is the description of a God-fearing man from the Old Testament point of view. Because of the predominating religion of his heart, he avoids the sins of his times. A Christian, in like manner, renounces sin, and, so far as the worlds principles and practices are sinful, sets himself against the world. Instead of being afraid of the Divine anger, as sinners and hypocrites are, he dwells in blessed security, with God for his Friend (Isa. 33:16). Three things distinguish him from the unbelieving world: elevation, provision, and security.
I. ELEVATION. He shall dwell on high. Leaving out of view the temporal advantages that sometimes accrue from true religion as being only incidental, let us look at the elevation it secures with regard to
1. Thought. Christianity directs the mind to the most elevated themes, fosters the habit of thought upon them, and through them refines and elevates the mind itself. When a man is converted he generally becomes interested in topics beyond the requirements of his daily life. Mind is awakened. Mental activity is required. In any number of uneducated men, some Christians and some not, the Christian section will probably be the more intelligent and thoughtful. If an educated man is converted, the influence is equally marked. His previous attainments remain, and his mind receives a new impetus from the world of spiritual thought now discovered. He thinks of God, Christ, redemption, holy influences on men from on high, the invisible, heaven, eternity. The mind cannot fail to be uplifted by contact with such themes as these.
2. Character. Doubtless much excellence exists among men apart from personal religion. The civil, social, and commercial virtues are often exemplified by men who make no pretension to religion. Even in these respects the best man without it would be better with it. But we must rise higher. Men never rise above their ideal. The ideal of a man without religion does not rise above his obligations to man; but the ideal of a man in Christ is to be like Christ. It comprehends all dispositions, sympathies, duties that either look God ward or manward. It is Divine perfection. It is not yet realised; but the entertaining and striving towards it will lift him to a loftier moral altitude than if his ideal were lower; when all allowance has been made for human imperfection, it remains true that the Christian is the highest style of man.
3. Relationship. Believers are closely connected with Christ, their Saviour, their Head, their Elder Brother. They are united to Him, in Him. Terms are employed that give the idea, not, indeed, of personal identity, but of such close relationship that whatever concerns Him concerns them, and whatever glorification. He attains they are to share. Through Him they are the children of God, and heirs of the celestial inheritance. Is it possible for relationship to be loftier?
4. Companionship. The man is known by his chosen associates. The young man that keeps low company makes it plain that his tastes are low. Fine natures can only enjoy congenial society. When a man becomes a Christian, he seeks the society of Christians. And not only are his human companionships superior to those he previously courted, he enjoys a Divine companionship which is the supremest dignity. Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. Is it not dwelling on high to have free access at all times to the King of kings?
5. Influence. God has made us kings of men. The time is coming when the principles we hold shall, by our means, pervade the mass of humanity. Already, in a thousand quiet ways, in families, in schools, in churches, in populations, the influence of individual Christian men is felt to be good and gracious as far as it extends. Christian fathers and mothers will live in the recollection of their children and their childrens children when the memory of the wicked shall rot (H. E. I. 10891095).
6. Destiny. He is to be crowned and enthroned in the abiding glory. He shall dwell on high (H. E. I. 10731076, 1106, 11121119).
II. PROVISION. Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure. His wants shall be supplied in his elevation. All necessary temporal supplies and spiritual provision. Christ the bread of life.
III. SECURITY. His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks. There is an enemy who would gladly attack and overcome him; but he has retired to a place of perfect safety. Inaccessible to the adversary. Will endeavour to dislodge you by various means; such as:
1. Temptation, which assumes many forms. Grows out of everything. Keep before you the lofty ideal; constant effort, watchfulness, government of thought and desires, Divine aid.
2. Trouble. It becomes temptation. It tries faith. Cry to God.
3. Death. It is the last enemy. Christ, our defence, will triumph.
What a privilege to be a Christian! For what would you exchange it? Not the worlds sins, pleasures, possessions.J. Rawlinson.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
DISCOURSE: 909
PROTECTION PROMISED TO THE GODLY
Isa 33:16. He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
WE cannot judge of mens moral state by the dispensations of Gods providence towards them. Among the Jews indeed virtue was inculcated and enforced chiefly by temporal sanctions; and their national prosperity or adversity bore a very manifest reference to their national conduct. In some degree also the same observation will extend to individuals among them. But to us, under the Gospel, God has not bound himself to distinguish his favourites by any temporal advantages. Nevertheless, what the pious Jews enjoyed visibly in relation to their bodies, that the obedient Christian shall enjoy invisibly in his soul.
To enter properly into the subject before us, we must consider,
I.
The character to whom the promise is made
This appears clearly in the two preceding verses; in one of which it is implied, and in the other it is clearly expressed:
1.
He is sincere in his profession of religion
[The greater part of the Jews were sinners in Zion, and hypocrites; and they had good reason to tremble for their approaching calamities. The person spoken of in the text is placed in direct opposition to them: he really belongs to Zion, and to Zions God: he does not make religion a cloak for habitual and indulged lusts; or profess what he does not experience: if he implore mercy as a miserable sinner; and declare his trust in the mere mercy of God through Christ Jesus; and desire that he may henceforth live a sober, righteous, and godly life, to the glory of Gods holy name, he does not mock God with unmeaning words, or hypocritically assume a character which belongs not to him: he feels in his heart what he utters with his lips; and desires to fulfil his duties in Zion, as much as to enjoy her privileges.]
2.
He is consistent in the practice of it
[He has learned in a measure that important lesson, Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good [Note: Rom 12:9.]. The whole tenour of his conversation is agreeable to the strictest rules of righteousness. In all his dealings he is both just and honourable, not taking advantage of the ignorance or necessities of others, but endeavouring to do as he would be done unto. Nor is he less observant of his words than of his actions: he not only walketh righteously, but speaketh uprightly: he rigidly adheres to truth, and avoids every deviation from it, whether in criminating others, or exculpating himself.
As he thus cleaves to what is good, so he abhors that which is evil. Could he gain ever so much by an act of oppression, or were he offered ever so great a bribe to bias his judgment und to violate his conscience, he would despise the gain, and shake from his hands the polluted gift with utter abhorrence. Were he advised to do any thing injurious or vindictive, he would stop his ears with indignation, and not allow the thought for one moment to dwell upon his mind. Did a contaminating object present itself to his view, or any thing whereby his own corruptions might be stirred up, he would shut his eyes, even like holy Job, who made a covenant with his eyes that he would not look upon a maid [Note: Job 31:1.].
We say not that the Christian is never drawn aside through the influence of temptation and corruption; (for then where shall we find a Christian upon earth?) but if at any time he be overtaken with a fault, he returns to God with deepest humiliation and contrition, and renews his course with increased vigilance and circumspection.
That this is indeed the character to whom alone the promise in the text is made, is evident from parallel passages in the Psalms [Note: Psa 15:1-5; Psa 24:3-5.], and from the strongest possible declarations in the New Testament [Note: 1Jn 3:6-10.]. O that all persons, whether professors of religion or others, would duly consider this!. Our conduct must be upright towards God and man: we must embrace the religion of the Gospel with sincerity, and adorn it by a holy conversation: nor can a person of any other character than this have any part or lot in the promises of God.]
Let us now turn our attention to,
II.
The promise itself
To understand this, we must consider the occasion whereon it was delivered. The Assyrian army, that had overrun almost the whole of Judea, were now encompassing Jerusalem. The wicked Jews are given up to terror and consternation; but the righteous are encouraged with a promise of,
1.
Protection
[A fortress situated on an eminence which no weapons can reach, and founded on a rock which no human efforts can shake, may be considered as impregnable. Such a place should Jerusalem be to Gods obedient people.
To us, who are surrounded with spiritual enemies, the promise has a spiritual import. The archers will shoot at us: the world, the flesh, and the devil will combine against us to destroy us: but the true Christian shall dwell on high, out of their reach; and his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks which cannot be undermined. If his enemies wound his body, they shall not be able to kill his soul; for that is hid with Christ in God: and he may say to his enemies, as Hezekiah said to the besieging and blaspheming General, The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee [Note: 2Ki 19:21.].]
2.
Provision
[There are but two ways in which a fortress, which will not capitulate, can be taken; namely, by assault or famine. Against both of these God promised to guard his obedient people: for as their fortress should be impregnable, so it should be supplied with manna from heaven, and with water springing out of the rocks on which they dwelt. To us also the promise may be applied with strictest propriety. Our enemies may deal with us us with Paul and Silas of old, who were cruelly scourged, and thrust into an inner prison, and their feet were made fast in the stocks: but, though there was no access to them for earthly friends, were the visits of their God intercepted? Could their supplies of strength and consolation be cut off? Did not rather their consolations abound as their afflictions abounded? Thus it shall be with us: broad shall be given us for the support of our souls, and the Holy Spirit shall be within us a well of water, springing up for our continual refreshment. Difficulties and dangers we may experiences but they shall issue only in the contusion of our enemies, and in brighter discoveries of Gods power und grace.]
Address
1.
To those who rest in presumptuous hopes
[The wicked Jews laughed at the judgments of God when they were at a distance, but were filled with horror at their approach, and cried out, Who shall dwell with the devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Similar consternation will ere long seize on those who now slight the threatenings of the Gospel. The day of vengeance is hastening on apace, and God will then shew himself to be a consuming fire [Note: Heb 12:29.]. How will his enemies then stand appalled [Note: Psa 73:19.]! How will they cry to the rocks to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb [Note: Rev 6:15-17.]! How terrible will the devouring fire then appear! How awful those everlasting burnings in which they will be doomed to dwell! Let the sinners in Zion, the people who name the name of Christ without departing from iniquity, awake from their delusions; let the hypocrites also deceive themselves no longer. Let a holy fear possess all our souls: let us cry out, as on the day of Pentecost, What shall we do to be saved? and let us improve the present season of Gods mercy and forbearance in fleeing from the wrath to come.]
2.
To those who are agitated with unbelieving fears
[Many spend their time in anxious inquiries, Will God save me? Well would it be if we would leave God to do his part, and mind only our own. Gods part is, to save us: ours is, to serve and glorify him. This is obvious in the passage before us, and in numberless other passages of Holy Writ. We have nothing to fear but sin. Let us be sincere in embracing the Gospel, and consistent in obeying it, and we need not fear the united attempts of men and devils. God is engaged to be the God of his believing and obedient people: and, if he be for us, who can be against us? He will hide us in his pavilion [Note: Psa 27:5.], where we shall be surrounded with hosts of angels for our guard, and supplied with the richest viands for our support: and in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh us [Note: Psa 32:6-7.]. Let us then dismiss our unbelieving fears, and look to him to fulfil his promises, wherein he has caused us to put our trust.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
Ver. 16. He shall dwell on high. ] Extra iactum, out of the gunshot, the reach of evils and enemies. Or in heaven shall he dwell with God in safety who is to the wicked a consuming fire. Isa 33:14
His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks.
Bread shall be given him; his waters shall not fail.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isaiah
THE FORTRESS OF THE FAITHFUL
Isa 33:16
This glowing promise becomes even more striking if we mark its connection with the solemn question in the previous context. ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?’ is the prophet’s question; ‘who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’ That question really means, Who is capable ‘of communion with God’? The prophet sketches the outline of the character in the subsequent verses, and then recurring to his metaphor of a habitation, and yet with a most lovely and significant modification, he says, ‘he’-the man that he has been sketching-’shall dwell,’ not ‘with the everlasting burnings,’ but ‘on high; his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks,’ like some little hill, fort, or city, perched upon a mountain, and having within it ample provision and an unfailing spring of water. ‘His bread shall, be given him, his water shall be sure.’ To dwell with ‘the devouring fire’ is to ‘dwell on high,’ to be safe and satisfied. So then, whilst the words before us have, of course, direct and immediate reference to the Assyrian invasion, and promise, in a literal sense, security and exemption from its evils to the righteous in Israel, they widen and deepen into a picturesque, but not less real, statement of what comes into the religious life, by communion with God. There are three things: elevation, security, satisfaction.
‘He shall dwell on high.’
In the East, and in all unsettled countries, you will find that the sites of the cities are on the hilltops, for a very plain reason, and that is the fact that underlies the prophet’s representation. To hold fellowship with God, to live in union with Him, to have His thoughts for my thoughts, and His love wrapping my heart, and His will enshrined in my will; to carry Him about with me into all the pettinesses of daily life, and, amidst the whirlpool of duties and changing circumstances, to sit in the centre, as it were the eye of the whirlpool where there is a dead calm, that lifts a man on high. Communion with God secures elevation of spirit, raising us clean above the flat that lies beneath. There are many ways by which men seek for lofty thoughts, and a general elevation above the carking cares and multiplied minutenesses of this poor, mortal, transient life; but while books and great thoughts, and the converse of the wise, and art, and music, and all these other elevating influences have a real place and a blessed efficiency in ennobling life, there is not one of them, nor all of them put together, that will give to the human spirit that strange and beautiful elevation above the world and the flesh and the devil, which simple communion with God will give. I have seen many a poor man who knew nothing about the lofty visions that shape and lift humanity, who had no side of him responsive to aesthetics or art or music, who was no thinker, no student, who never had spoken to anybody above the rank of a poor labouring man, and to whom all the wisdom of the nations was a closed chamber, who yet in his life, ay! and on his face, bore marks of a spirit elevated into a serene region where there was no tumult, and where nothing unclean or vicious could live. A few of the select spirits of the race may painfully climb on high by thought and effort. Get God into your hearts, and it will be like filling the round of a silken balloon with light air; you will soar instead of climbing, and ‘dwell on high.’ When you are up there, the things below that look largest will dwindle and ‘show,’ as Shakespeare has it, ‘scarce so gross as beetles,’ looked at from the height, and the noises will sink to a scarcely audible murmur, and you will be able to see the lie of the country, and, as it says in the context, ‘your eyes shall behold the land that is very far off.’ Yes! the hilltop is the place for wide views, and for understanding the course of the serpentine river, and it is the place to discover how small are the mightiest things at the foot, and how little a way towards the sun the noises of human praise or censure can ever travel. ‘He shall dwell on high,’ and he will see a long way off, and understand the relative magnitude of things, and the strife of tongues will have ceased for him.
And more than that is implied in the promise. If we dwell on high, we shall come down with all the more force on what lies below. There is no greater caricature and misconception of Christianity than that which talks as if the spirit that lived in daily communion with God, high above the world, was remote from the world. Why, how do they make electricity nowadays? By the fall of water from a height, and the higher the level from which it descends, the mightier the force which it generates in the descent. So nobody will tell on the world like the man who lives above it. The height from which a weight rushes down measures the force of its dint where it falls, and of the energy with which it comes. ‘He shall dwell on high’; and only the man that stands above the world is able to influence it.
Again, here is another blessing of the Christian life, put in a picturesque form: ‘His defence shall be munitions of rocks.’ That is a promise of security from assailants, which in its essence is true always, though its truth may seem doubtful to the superficial estimate of sense. The experience of the South African war showed how impregnable ‘the munitions of rocks’ were. The Boers lay safe behind them, and our soldiers might fire lyddite at them all day and never touch them. So, the man who lives in communion with God has between him and all evil the Rock of Ages, and he lies at the back of it, quiet and safe, whatever foe may rage on the other side of it.
Now, of course, the prophet meant to tell his countrymen that, in the theocracy of which they were parts, righteousness and nothing else was the national security, and if a man or a nation lived in communion with God, it bore a charmed life. That is a great deal more true, in regard to externals, in the miraculous ‘dispensation,’ as it is called, of the Old Testament than it is now, and we are not to take over these promises in their gross literal form into the Christian era, as if they were unconditional and absolutely to be fulfilled. But at the same time, if you reflect how many of our troubles do come to us mainly because we break our communion with God, I think we shall see that this old word has still an application to our daily lives and outward circumstances. Deduct from any man’s life all the discomfort and trouble and calamity which have come down upon him because he was not in touch with God, and there will not be very much left. Yet there will be some, and the deepest and sorest of all our sorrows are not to be interpreted as occasioned by defects in our dwelling in God. Then has my text no application to them? Yes, because what still remains of earthly cares and sorrows and evils would, in communion with God, change its character. The rind is the same; but all the interior contents have been, as children will do with a fruit, scooped out, and another kind of thing has been put inside, so that though the outward appearance is the same, what is at the heart of it is utterly different. It is no longer some coarse, palate-biting, common vegetable, but a sweet confection, made by God’s own hands, and put into the gourd, which has been hollowed out and emptied of its evil. That is, perhaps, a very violent figure, but take a plain case as illustration. Suppose two men, each of them going to his wife’s funeral. The two hearses pass inside the cemetery gates, one after the other. Outwardly the two afflictions are the same, but the one man says, ‘The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away’; the other man says, ‘They have taken away my gods, and what shall I do more?’ Are the two things the same? ‘He shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks,’ and if we do hide ourselves in the cleft, then no evil shall befall us, nor any plague come nigh our dwelling.
But there is another truth contained in this great promise, viz., that in regard to all the real evils which beset men, and these are all summed up in the one, the temptation to do wrong, their arrows will be blunted, and their force be broken, if we keep our minds in touch with God through humble communion and lowly obedience. Dear brethren, the way by which we can conquer temptations around, and silence inclinations within which riotously seek to yield to the temptations is, I believe, far more by cultivating a consciousness of communion with God, than by specific efforts directed to the overcoming of a given and particular temptation. Keep inside the fortress, and no bullet will come near you. Array yourselves in the most elaborate precautions and step out from its shadow, and every bullet will strike and wound. Let me keep up my fellowship with God, and I may laugh at temptation. Security depends on continual communion with God by faith, love, aspiration, and obedience.
Now, I need not say more than a word about the last element in these promises, the satisfaction of desires. ‘His bread shall be given him, and his water shall be sure.’ In ancient warfare sieges were usually blockades; and strong fortresses were reduced by famine much more frequently than by assault. Mafeking and Ladysmith and Port Arthur were in most danger from that cause. The promise here assures us that we shall have all supplies in our abode, if God is our abode. Wherever he who dwells in God goes, he carries with him his provisions, and he does not need elaborate arrangements of pipes or reservoirs, because there is a fountain in the courtyard that the enemy cannot get at. They may stop the springs throughout the land, they may cut off all water supplies, so that ‘there shall be no fruit in the vine, and the labour of the olive shall fail,’ but they cannot touch the fountain. ‘His water shall be sure,’ and he can say, ‘In the days of famine I shall be satisfied.’
God is and gives all that we need for sustenance, for growth, for refreshment, for satisfaction of our desires. Keep near Him, and you will find in the heart of the devouring fire a shelter, and you will have all that you want for life here. My text will be true about us, in the measure in which we do thus dwell, and if we thus dwell here, and so dwell on high, with the munitions of rocks for our fortress, and ‘the bread of God that came down from heaven’ for our food, and the water of life for our refreshment, then, when there is no longer any need of places for defence, the other saying will be true, ‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them . . . and shall lead them to living fountains of waters, and God, the Lord, shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.’
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
shall dwell: Isa 32:18, Psa 15:1, Psa 90:1, Psa 91:1-10, Psa 91:14, Psa 107:41, Pro 1:33, Pro 18:10, Hab 3:19
high: Heb. heights, or high places
his place: Isa 26:1-5, Psa 18:33
bread: Psa 33:18, Psa 34:10, Psa 37:3, Psa 111:5, Luk 12:29-31
Reciprocal: Gen 1:29 – to you Gen 47:15 – Give us bread Gen 48:15 – fed me Exo 23:25 – he shall 2Sa 22:34 – setteth 1Ki 17:6 – the ravens 1Ki 19:6 – cake Job 5:20 – famine Psa 24:4 – He that Psa 31:2 – an house Psa 33:19 – to keep Psa 37:19 – days Psa 59:1 – defend me Psa 71:3 – my strong habitation Psa 94:22 – the rock Psa 132:15 – I will satisfy Pro 10:3 – will Pro 10:9 – that walketh Pro 15:27 – but Pro 28:16 – he that Isa 14:30 – the poor Isa 58:11 – and satisfy Isa 58:14 – to ride Jer 22:15 – eat Jer 37:21 – and that Joe 3:16 – hope Mat 6:11 – General Luk 11:3 – Give Luk 12:31 – General 1Ti 4:8 – having
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
33:16 He shall dwell on {t} high: his place of defence [shall be] the strong holds of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
(t) Meaning, that God will be a sure defence to all them that live according to his word.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Such a righteous person will dwell with God, who dwells on the high places (Isa 33:5). He will be safe from attacks by enemies since God is his refuge. And God will provide for his needs (cf. Mat 6:33). In other words, he will enjoy God’s fellowship, protection, and provision (cf. Psalms 15; Psa 24:3-6).
"This is the picture of a man who has no need to be alarmed at the judgment of God upon Asshur." [Note: Delitzsch, 2:63.]