"Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth; all you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man; He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: He shall cry, yea, He shall shout aloud; He shall do mightily against His enemies. I have long time held my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands and will dry up the pools. And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, You are our gods." (Isaiah 42:10-17,RV)
The Song of Deliverance
This new song is the song of deliverance. The 13th chapter of Revelation sets before us the exaltation of the Papacy against God, and the influence that it has and will have in all the earth, inducing even the people not nominally under the Papal yoke to do homage to it, and to make an image to it, enacting that all who will not worship either the Papacy or its counterpart shall be killed. But in the midst of that seeming victory of the forces of evil, the prophet saw victory for the people of God. He says: "I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred, forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sang as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders; and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth." (Revelation 14:1-3)
The Song of Moses
That is to say, none could learn that song except those who had been through the experience. Passing on to the 15th chapter, we read: "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, You King of saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify your name? for You only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before You; for your judgments are made manifest." (Revelation 15:1-4)
From these texts we see that the new song which the redeemed sing is the song of Moses the servant of God. In the 15th chapter of Exodus we find that song recorded. It begins, "I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider has He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation." (Exodus 15:1-2)
Then we read, "Who is like unto You, O Lord, among the gods? who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. You in your mercy have led forth the people which You have redeemed: You have guided them in your strength unto your holy habitation." (Exodus 15:11-13)
So we see that the new song is a song of exultation at the power of the Lord over all who exalt themselves against Him, professing to be gods. And inasmuch as God triumphs over all false gods, whether it be in the shape of graven or molten images, or in the shape of men who profess to be authorized to speak and act in God's stead, it necessarily follows that all who identify their cause with His must at the same time triumph also. Therefore the new song is a song of thanks to God, "who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)
The Time of Trouble
Read again the texts cited from the book of Revelation, and note that in each case the new song is mentioned in immediate connection with the time of trouble. When the people of God seem about to be overwhelmed, then the prophet sees them singing a new song on Mount Zion. In this he stands as the representative of all God's people. It is to teach us that the new song, the song of victory, is to be sung in the time of greatest danger.
In the portion of Isaiah which we are studying, we see that this is so. The call to "sing unto the Lord a new song" is immediately followed by a description of the going forth of the Lord as a warrior. It is in connection with the time when mountains and hills are to be laid waste, and rivers and pools are to be dried up. "I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools." (Isaiah 42:15)
At that time all the earth is called upon to sing a new song. The inhabitants of the desert and the mountain are called upon to give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands. "Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth, you that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands." (Isaiah 42:10-12)
The Reason for Singing
Compare this scripture with the 96th Psalm: "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols [that is, nothing]: but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O you kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name. Bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigns: the world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved; He shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the Lord: for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth." (Psalm 96:1-13)
This is exactly parallel with the portion of Isaiah which we are studying. It is the triumph of the Lord over all false gods, that is, over "every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
It is the same thing that is described in Isaiah 2, when "The day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: ... And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols He shall utterly abolish." (Isaiah 2:12,17-18)
It is the day when the Lord in "the glory of His majesty, ... arises to shake terribly the earth." (Isaiah 2:19)
In this time the new song is to be sung by the people of God. God's people are to sing best when the cloud hangs darkest.
This is made still more emphatic in the 3rd chapter of Habakkuk. A terrible time is described by the prophet, so terrible that he trembled at the mere vision of it, and prayed that he might be spared from living through the reality. Yet he says: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be inthe vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (Compare with Joel 1:10-20) Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places." (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
No trouble can come on the earth that is so great that God's people cannot sing. It is very common for people to sing when they see no trouble; but it is indeed a new song that is sung when trouble is thickest.
The New Song and the Old Story
The last text quoted reminds us of the 40th Psalm. The prophet says that God has made him sure-footed, so that he can walk safely on high places. So we read: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He has put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto our God." (Psalm 40:1-3)
We see therefore that the new song that is to be sung by the saints on Mount Zion is but the song that is sung by them in the wilderness of trial. It is the song of redemption from sin. In the victory over sin, we have the victory over everything.
When in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long.
--A. Katherine Hankey, Hymn: I Love to Tell the Story, 1866.
The Silent Watcher
The fact that God is silent, and does not at once strike down injustice and those who practice oppression, is no sign that He takes no notice. It is very hasty judgment that declares that God does not care. How can He help caring, when every wrong that is committed is done to Him? He has identified himself with mankind, so that whosoever does good or evil to one of the least of them, does it to the Lord. "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." (Matthew 25:40,45)
Do not forget that there is no searching of God's understanding, and nothing too small for His notice. He upholds the heavens and the earth. "But they are great things," you say.
True, but they are composed of an infinite number of very small particles; and if God did not have a care over every tiny particle, He could not preserve the whole. God's care for the whole earth is only His care for every atom composing the earth. If He did not look after the fragments, there would be waste. If He did not care for the atoms, because they are small and insignificant, then they would fly off into space, and soon He would have no great things to attend to. So let every soul be assured that the Lord has the same care for him that He has for the whole world.
The Promise Sure
Men are saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter 3:4)
They are saying that the world is governed by chance, or that God is indifferent to the ills of mankind. Thus they are putting themselves against Him in His great case. They are among His accusers. They forget that: "The long-suffering of our God is salvation." (2 Peter 3:15)
Mark that word "longsuffering." God suffers when men suffer. (Isaiah 63:9) He keeps still, not through indifference, but because of infinite patience and forbearance and self-control. This is to teach men patience. It is for the purpose of giving the worst scoffers time for repentance. But He will finally rise up and scatter His enemies. (See Psalm 68) "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." (James 5:7)
Walking in the Light
What a wonderful promise is in the 16th verse! "I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16,RV)
Therefore we may with full confidence pray, "Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies; make your way straight before my face." (Psalm 5:8)
That is the day when "the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18) "The darkness and the light are both alike to the Lord," (Psalm 139:12) so that the night shall be light about His people. Remember that all this time God has His people by their right hand. What matter then if they do not know the way? With God leading, a blind man is far better off than a man with eyes who is walking alone, even though it be in the light.
Eyes are of no use to those who do not trust the Lord, for the fact that they do not trust Him shows that they do not know Him, and that proves that they cannot see; for He is everywhere plainly revealed. "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, You are our gods." (Isaiah 42:17)
They are like the idols in which they trust, and shall be turned back, and put to confusion, together with the gods in which they trust. The case of the Lord vs. the false gods is as good as settled now, so that whoever puts himself on the Lord's side is taking no risk.--Present Truth, November 2, 1899--Isaiah 42:10-13.