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And shall say "Then will I say" - ואמר vaomer, to be pointed as the first person future. They are the words of God, as it is plain from the conclusion of the verse; my people, עמי ammi .
And shall say - Lowth, ‹Then will I say.‘ Noyes, ‹Men will say.‘ The word אמר 'âmar seems to be used here impersonally, and to mean, ‹One shall say;‘ that is it shall be said. The Septuagint and the Syriac render it, ‹They shall say.‘ The idea is, that the obstacles would be removed from the path of those who put their trust in God. The language is derived from the return from the exile, as if persons should go before them and should cry, ‹Cast ye up;‘ or as if the cry of the people all along their journey should be, ‹Remove the obstacles to their return.‘
Cast ye up, cast ye up - That is, remove the obstacles; level the hills; take up any obstruction out of the way (compare the notes at Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 40:3-4). This cry is often heard before the coming of a distinguished prince or conqueror in the East. Joseph Wolff stated, in a lecture in Philadelphia (Sept. 18,1837), that, on entering Jerusalem from the west, in the direction of Gaza, the road, for a considerable distance from Jerusalem, was so full of stones, that it was impracticable to ride, and those who were entering the city were obliged to dismount. When the Pasha (Ibrahim, son of Mehemet Ali) approached Jerusalem, it was customary for a considerable number of laborers to go before him, and remove the stones from the way. This was done amidst a constant cry, ‹Cast up, cast up the way; remove the stones, remove the stones.‘ And on a placard, or standard, it was written, ‹the Pasha is coming;‘ and everywhere the cry was heard, ‹the Pasha is coming, the Pasha is coming; cast up the way, remove the stones.‘
Lift up Jesus, you that teach the people, lift Him up in sermon, in song, in prayer. Let all your powers be directed to pointing souls, confused, bewildered, lost, to “the Lamb of God.” Lift Him up, the risen Saviour, and say to all who hear, Come to Him who “hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us.” [Ephesians 5:2.] Let the science of salvation be the burden of every sermon, the theme of every song. Let it be poured forth in every supplication. Bring nothing into your preaching to supplement Christ, the wisdom and power of God. Hold forth the word of life, presenting Jesus as the hope of the penitent and the stronghold of every believer. Reveal the way of peace to the troubled and the despondent, and show forth the grace and completeness of the Saviour. GW 160.1
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There is only one path that leads from darkness upward to the light until it touches the throne of God,—the path of faith. This path is not dark and uncertain; it is not the way of finite minds, not a path made by human hands, in which toll is exacted from every traveler. Entrance to it cannot be gained by works of penance. GW 160.2
Read in context »If God could tell the abode and designate the trade of Simon the tanner and definitely direct the centurion as to how he would find him living by the seaside, He also knows us by name, knows what is our trade or business, where we live, and what are our experiences. He knows whether we are clearing the King's highway from all rubbish and hindrance, so that He can beckon our souls onward and upward, or whether we are filling the path with rubbish and blocking up our own way, and placing stumbling blocks in the way of sinners to hinder the salvation of precious souls for whom Christ died.—Manuscript 66, 1895. 2MCP 434.2
Read in context »When Principle Is Not Violated, Follow Custom—When the practices of the people do not come in conflict with the law of God, you may conform to them. If the workers fail to do this, they will not only hinder their own work, but they will place stumbling blocks in the way of those for whom they labor and hinder them from accepting the truth.—The Review and Herald, April 6, 1911. 2MCP 560.1
Read in context »We pray to our heavenly Father, “Lead us not into temptation,” and then, too often, we fail to guard our feet against leading us into temptation. We are to keep away from the temptations by which we are easily overcome. Our success is wrought out by ourselves through the grace of Christ. We are to roll out of the way the stone of stumbling that has caused us and others so much sadness. OHC 87.4
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