3. The Coming Storm
Lesson 3
(ISAIAH 24—31)
Before you begin …
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson.
• Read Isaiah 24—31. This lesson references chapters 5 and 6 in Be Comforted. It will be helpful for you to have your Bible and a copy of the commentary available as you work through this lesson.
Getting Started
From the Commentary
After prophesying concerning eleven different nations, Isaiah enlarged his prophecy and described a judgment that would fall on the whole world. The Hebrew word erets, used sixteen times in chapter 24, is translated “land,” “earth,” and “world” in the King James Version. It is not always easy to tell when erets refers to one country or to the whole earth, but the context usually guides us. Isaiah 24—27 describes a global judgment that will end with the destruction of God’s enemies and the restoration of God’s people, Israel, in their land.
Isaiah made three declarations that would comfort God’s chosen people in that awesome day of judgment. These declarations also encourage us today as we see our world plunging headlong into sin and rebellion against God. Will God ever deal with the wicked? What hope is there for the righteous?
—Be Comforted, page 73
1. What is the significance of Isaiah’s shift from talking about specific nations to talking about the entire world? What is the judgment that will fall upon the whole world? What is the result of that judgment? (See esp. Isa. 24.)
More to Consider: Acts 10:34 (KJV) states that “God is no respecter of persons.” How does this truth factor into the proclamations of judgment in this section of Isaiah?
2. Choose one verse or phrase from Isaiah 24—31 that stands out to you. This could be something you’re intrigued by, something that makes you uncomfortable, something that puzzles you, something that resonates with you, or just something you want to examine further. Write that here.
Going Deeper
From the Commentary
Isaiah 25 is a song of praise to the Lord from the believing remnant that He preserved during “the day of the Lord.” In this song, three striking images stand out: the ruined city (25:1–3); the refuge (25:4–5); and the feast (25:6–12).
—Be Comforted, pages 76–77
3. In what ways is Isaiah 25 a song of praise? How do each of the images noted in the previous excerpt illustrate how God plans to preserve His people? What example does Isaiah use to show a contrast to the exultation of Mount Zion (see vv. 10–12)?
From the Commentary
According to Isaiah 26:9–11, God wants the world to learn righteousness. He sends His judgments, but the people still will not repent (Rev. 9:20–21; 16:9). He shows them His grace in a thousand ways, but they continue to do evil. His hand is at work, but they will not see it. The prophet prays that God will reveal Himself through His people as He works on their behalf. The reviving and restoring of Israel should help to convince a lost world that God is not dead and that He keeps His promises.
—Be Comforted, page 79
4. Why does God want the world to learn righteousness? What are some of the ways God showed the people His grace during Isaiah’s time? What are some of the ways He shows us His grace today? What does it look like for people to reveal God through their lives? How is the plea of Isaiah 26:9–11 like that of the church today?
From the Commentary
Just as the dew brings new life to the soil and vegetation, so God will raise the dead out of the earth. The prophet had already announced God’s great victory over death (25:7–8), and now he tells us how He will do it: He will raise their bodies from the dust. Resurrection is not reconstruction; God does not reassemble the body and give it life. Paul compared the miracle of resurrection to the harvesting of grain planted in the soil (1 Cor. 15:35–49). The seed is buried and dies, but out of this death comes forth life and fruitfulness. Isaiah had just written about travail (Isa. 26:17–18), so he compared the resurrection to human birth: “The earth will give birth to her dead” (v. 19 NIV).
—Be Comforted, page 80
5. In what ways would the message of Isaiah 26:19–21 have been an encouragement to God’s people during the time of Isaiah? How are these same words an encouragement to God’s people today? How does the message of resurrection in Isaiah compare to what we have through Jesus’ death and resurrection?
From the Commentary
Isaiah envisioned a glorious day when God would repeat the miracle of the exodus and deliver His people from their bondage to the Gentile nations. The trumpet would summon them to Jerusalem (Matt. 24:31) and announce God’s victory over their foes, and they would “worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” The kingdom will be like an endless feast and a holy day of worship as the people rejoice in the Lord.
—Be Comforted, page 82
6. In what ways are God’s people today like those to whom Isaiah wrote chapter 27? God’s people in Isaiah’s time were often in bondage to other Gentile nations. What sorts of things are God’s people in bondage to today?
From the Commentary
The name Jerusalem means “city of peace,” but throughout its history it has been associated more with conflict than with peace. Even today, Jerusalem is a focal point for concern in the Middle East. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” admonished the psalmist (Ps. 122:6). Why pray for Jerusalem? Why not pray for London or Moscow or Rome? Because when there is true peace in Jerusalem, there will be peace in the whole world (Isa. 52:7; 66:12); so we had better take the psalmist’s words to heart.
—Be Comforted, page 85
7. Isaiah 28—31 is filled with warnings or “woes” that focus primarily on Jerusalem, but there are also promises of restoration and glory. Go through the chapters and underline the warnings, then circle any promises of hope. Why do you think Isaiah’s message is written this way? How do the promises of hope relate to the warnings?
From the Commentary
Pride and drunkenness were not Judah’s only sins; they also mocked God’s prophet and rejected God’s Word (Isa. 28:9–13). Verses 9–10 are the words of the drunken prophets and priests as they ridiculed Isaiah. “He talks to us as though we were little children,” they said. “He keeps saying the same things over and over again and uses the vocabulary of a child. There is certainly no need to take anything he says seriously!”
—Be Comforted, page 87
8. Why did Isaiah’s detractors ridicule him? What methods did they use to try and derail his message? What role did “intellectual pride” play in the way the drunken prophets and priests challenged Isaiah? How is this like or unlike the way people tend to ridicule believers today?
More to Consider: The only hope for Judah in the midst of trying times was what Isaiah referred to as the “rock” (8:14; 17:10; 26:4). What evidence do we have that this was a direct reference to Jesus? (See 1 Peter 2:4–7; Rom. 9:33; Mark 12:10; Ps. 118:22.)
From the Commentary
Why were the people of Jerusalem so ignorant of what was going on? Their hearts were far from God (Isa. 29:13). They went through the outward forms of worship and faithfully kept the annual feasts (v. 1; 1:10ff.), but it was not a true worship of God (Matt. 15:1–9). Going to the temple was the popular thing to do, but most of the people did not take their worship seriously. Therefore, God sent a “spiritual blindness” and stupor on His people so that they could not understand their own law.
—Be Comforted, page 90
9. Why would God “blind” His people to the law? In what ways are today’s believers often ignorant of what’s going on? What are the “outward forms of worship” people practice today that aren’t a true worship of God?
From the Commentary
In Isaiah 31, Isaiah summarizes what he’s already been telling the people. Indeed, he was teaching them “line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (28:10), and yet they were not getting the message.
Their faith was in men, not in God. They trusted in the legs of horses and the wheels of chariots, not in the hand of the Lord.
—Be Comforted, page 94
10. Why did the people have such a hard time comprehending what Isaiah was saying? What obstacles kept them from understanding? What are some of the obstacles to understanding God’s purpose today?
Looking Inward
Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve explored thus far in this study of Isaiah 24—31. Review your notes and answers and think about how each of these things matters in your life today.
Tips for Small Groups: To get the most out of this section, form pairs or trios and have group members take turns answering these questions. Be honest and as open as you can in this discussion, but most of all, be encouraging and supportive of others. Be sensitive to those who are going through particularly difficult times and don’t press for people to speak if they’re uncomfortable doing so.
11. How do Isaiah’s proclamations of woe and warning against the people of God affect the way you perceive the God of the Old Testament? What do you think would be a healthy way to respond to a God who proclaims woe and warning, not just comfort?
12. The people of Isaiah’s time hoped for a repeat of their exodus experience—a grand event to save them from their enemies. What sorts of “exodus” events do you hope for in your life? How has God swept in and saved you from enemies?
13. What clues tell you when you’re far from God? How does your distance from God affect the manner in which you respond to Him? What are some practical ways you can move closer to God so you can hear His message for you?
Going Forward
14. Think of one or two things that you have learned that you’d like to work on in the coming week. Remember that this is all about quality, not quantity. It’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or to be so overwhelmed that you simply don’t try).
Do you need to come to terms with a God who doesn’t always say comfortable things? Do you need to learn how to trust God in the midst of great trials? Be specific. Go back through Isaiah 24—31 and put a star next to the phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Consider memorizing this verse.
Real-Life Application Ideas: The people of God in Isaiah’s time often had a hard time hearing God’s message, even though He repeated it over and over again. Think about the messages you’ve heard from your church in the past year. What are the messages that repeat time and time again? What makes these topics particularly significant for believers? Are you guilty of “glazing over” when a familiar topic comes up in church? Why or why not? After you review the most common themes in the messages you’ve heard, consider how these themes are important to you and apply them as necessary.
Seeking Help
15. Write a prayer below (or simply pray one in silence), inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve previously noted. Be honest about your desires and fears.
Notes for Small Groups:
• Look for ways to put into practice the things you wrote in the Going Forward section. Talk with other group members about your ideas and commit to being accountable to one another.
• During the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal truth to you from what you’ve read and studied.
• Before you start the next lesson, read Isaiah 32—35. For more in-depth lesson preparation, read chapter 7, “Future Shock and Future Glory,” in Be Comforted.