The Understanding of the Song
(Part 1)

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 26:12-13

¹²Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.  ¹³O Lord our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name.

Isaiah 26:12

The prophet in these verses looks back upon what God had done with them, both in mercy and judgment, and sings unto God of both, and then looks forward upon what he hoped God would do for them. We will notice here several things.

Lord, You will establish peace for us - The word ‘peace’ here seems to stand opposed to the evils of various kinds which they had experienced in the captivity at Babylon; and to refer net only to peace, but also to prosperity, and to the continued divine favor.

For You have also done all our works in us - Or rather, ‘FOR us’. It is owing to thy hand that we are saved. We cannot but help but acknowledge the simple directness of this statement.  God has done all of our works in us, and if this is so, what possibly do we have to boast in or in which to take pride?

Notice that His reviews and reflections are mixed. When he looks back upon the state of the church he finds that God had in many instances been very gracious to them and had done great things for them. This is true in general (v. 12): You have wrought all our works in us, or for us. Whatever good work is done by us, it is owing to a good work wrought by the grace of God in us; it is he that puts good thoughts and affections into our hearts if at any time they are there, and that works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The ancient theologians put it this way - Acti, agimus—Being acted upon, we act. And if any kindness be shown us, or any of our affairs be prosperous and successful, it is God that works it for us. Every creature, every business, that is in any way serviceable to our comfort, is made by him to be so; and sometimes he makes that to work for us which seemed to make against us.

Isaiah portrays for us the truth that, in general, his prospects and hopes are very pleasant. In general, “Thou wilt ordain peace for us that is, all that good which the necessity of our case calls for.” What peace the church has, or hopes for, it is of God’s ordaining; and we may comfort ourselves with this, that, whatsoever trouble may for a time be appointed to the people of God, peace will at length be ordained for them; for the end of those men is peace. And, if God by his Spirit work all our works in us, he will ordain peace for us (for the work of righteousness shall be peace), and that is true and lasting peace, such as the world can neither give nor take away, which God ordains; for, to those that have it, it shall be unchangeable as the ordinances of the day and of the night.

Isaiah 26:13

O Lord our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us - The allusion here is to the kings of Babylon who had subdued and oppressed them, and who in their long captivity had held them in subjection to their laws. In spite of His great blessing and enlargement, that yet he had laid them under his rebukes.  The neighboring nations had sometimes oppressed them and tyrannized over them (v. 13): "O Lord our God! thou who hast the sole right to rule us, whose subjects and servants we are, to thee we complain (for whither else should we go with our complaints?) that other lords besides thee have had dominion over us.’’ Not only in the days of the Judges, but afterwards, God frequently sold them into the hand of their enemies, or rather, by their iniquities, they sold themselves, ch. 52:3-5. When they had been careless in the service of God, God suffered their enemies to have dominion over them, that they might know the difference between his service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. It may be understood as a confession of sin, their serving other gods, and subjecting themselves to the superstitious laws and customs of their neighbours, by which other lords (for they called their idols baals, lords) had dominion over them, besides God. But now they promise that it shall be so no more: "Henceforth by thee only will we make mention of thy name; we will worship thee only, and in that way only which thou hast instituted and appointed.’’ The same may be our penitent reflection: Other lords, besides God, have had dominion over us; every lust has been our lord, and we have been led captive by it; and it is has been long enough, and too long, that we have thus wronged both God and ourselves. The same therefore must be our pious resolution, that henceforth we will make mention of God’s name only and by him only, that we will keep close to God and to our duty and never desert it.

But by You only we make mention of Your Name - This may be better rendered, ‘but only thee, thy name will we henceforward commemorate.’ The words ‘by Thee,’ and ‘Thy Name,’ are put in apposition, and denote the same thing. The word ‘make mention’ means literally to cause to be remembered; to commemorate; to celebrate. The idea is, that during their long captivity they had been subject to the dominion of other lords than God; but now that they were restored to their own land, they would acknowledge only God as their Lord, and would henceforward celebrate only his name.

From what God has done for us, we may encourage ourselves to hope that he will yet further do us good. "Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, and therefore wilt (Ps. 10:17); and, when this peace is ordained for us, then by thee only will we make mention of thy name (v. 13); we will give the glory of it to thee only, and not to any other, and we will depend upon thy grace only to enable us to do so.’’ We cannot praise God’s name but by his strength.