Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
The verse pictures people sitting in spiritual darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron, which is bondage to sin, with longing and hungry souls. That bondage comes because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. The people of Nineveh before their repentance had long sat in that state. God brings the rebellious heart down with labor, so that they fall down with none to help.
When those in darkness cry to the Lord in their trouble, He saves them out of their distresses, brings them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and breaks their bands in sunder. In that deliverance He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. In that deliverance He sends His word to heal them and deliver them from destruction. In that deliverance He breaks the gates of brass and cuts the bars of iron in two.
Jonah's warning to Nineveh was truly from God even though the predicted destruction did not fall, because it accomplished God's purpose when the heathen cried to the Lord, and then the glory of His grace was revealed among them. Such deliverance calls for men to praise the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Thousands now sit in that spiritual darkness and shadow of death because time and effort are spent seeking to grasp the bright ideas of infidels instead of studying the precious things of the word of God.
Giving that same time and effort to Scripture would bring them out of darkness to rejoice in the glory of the Light of life.
The verse pictures people sitting in spiritual darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron, which is bondage to sin, with longing and hungry souls. That bondage comes because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. The people of Nineveh before their repentance had long sat in that state. God brings the rebellious heart down with labor, so that they fall down with none to help.
When those in darkness cry to the Lord in their trouble, He saves them out of their distresses, brings them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and breaks their bands in sunder. In that deliverance He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. In that deliverance He sends His word to heal them and deliver them from destruction. In that deliverance He breaks the gates of brass and cuts the bars of iron in two.
Jonah's warning to Nineveh was truly from God even though the predicted destruction did not fall, because it accomplished God's purpose when the heathen cried to the Lord, and then the glory of His grace was revealed among them. Such deliverance calls for men to praise the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Thousands now sit in that spiritual darkness and shadow of death because time and effort are spent seeking to grasp the bright ideas of infidels instead of studying the precious things of the word of God.
Giving that same time and effort to Scripture would bring them out of darkness to rejoice in the glory of the Light of life.