Does Isaiah 26:10 Teach Common Grace?
This article critically examines whether Isaiah 26:10 supports the doctrine of common grace as articulated in the 1924 controversy, arguing that the text actually contradicts Kuyper's view that common grace restrains sin. The author contends that Isaiah emphasizes the wicked person's continued unrighteousness and injustice despite receiving favor, which directly opposes the common grace theory's claim that grace restrains sinful inclinations and deeds in the unregenerate.
I. “Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord” (Isa. 26:10). First of all, we wish to direct attention to the fact that if this text must serve as proof for the doctrine of common grace, it proves far too much. If this is common grace, then it must be viewed in the sense in which we use it. We do not wish to emphasize the fact that the prophet does not state that the...