Isaiah 32—35 1176
G e n e s i s E x o d u s L e v i t i c u s N u m b e r s D e u t e r o n o m y J o s h u a J u d g e s R u t h
J e r e m i a h L a m e n t a t i o n s E z e k i e l D a n i e l H o s e a J o e l A m o s O b a d i a h
1 S a m u e l 2 S a m u e l 1 K i n g s 2 K i n g s 1 C h r o n i c l e s 2 C h r o n i c l e s E z r a N e h e m i a h
J o n a h M i c a h N a h u m H a b a k k u k Z e p h a n i a h H a g g a i Z e c h a r i a h M a l a c h i
E s t h e r J o b P s a l m s P r o v e r b s E c c l e s i a s t e s S o n g o f
OUTLINE Key theme: The salvation (deliverance) of the Lord Key verse: Isaiah 1:18
CONTENTS
The Lord Is Salvation 1154 Introduction to Isaiah
Isaiah 1—6 1157 Wanted: A Prophet
I. CONDEMNATION (1—39)
A. Sermons against Judah and Israel—1—12 B. Burdens of Judgment against the
Isaiah 7—12 1160 God Is with Us!
Gentiles—13—23 C. Songs about Future Glory—24—27 D. Woes of Coming Judgment from Assyria—
Isaiah 13—23 1164 The Burdened Prophet
28—35 E. Historical Interlude—36—39
Isaiah 24—27 1169 A Refuge from the Storm
1. Hezekiah delivered from Assyria— 36—37 2. Hezekiah deceived by Babylon—37—38
Isaiah 28—31 1172 Storm Clouds over Jerusalem
Isaiah 32—35 1176 Future Shock and Future Glory
II. CONSOLATION (40—66)
A. God's greatness—40—48 (the Father vs.
Isaiah 36—39 1179 King Hezekiah idols) B. God's grace—49—57 (the Son, God's
Servant) C. God's glory—58—66 (the Spirit and the
Isaiah 36—39 1179 God Save the King!
kingdom)
Isaiah 40—66 1183 "The Book of Consolation"
Isaiah 40—48 1184 How Great Thou Art!
Isaiah 49:1—52:12 1188 This is God's Servant
Isaiah 52:13—53:12 1191 Climbing Mount Everest
Isaiah 54—59 1194 Promises and Punishments
Isaiah 60—66 1198 The Kingdom and the Glory
Isaiah read his prophecy, you will discover that he was a man in touch with God. He saw God's Son and God's glory (chap. 6; John 12:41), he heard God's message, and he sought to bring the nation back to God before it was too late.
CHAPTER ONE The Lord Is Salvation INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH S
Isaiah was a man who loved his nation. The phrase "my people" is used at least twenty-six times in his book. He was a patriot with a true love for his country, pleading with Judah to return to God and warning kings when their foreign policy was contrary to God's will. The American political leader Adlai Stevenson called patriotism "not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a life." He was not thinking of Isaiah when he said that, but Stevenson's words perfectly describe the prophet and his work.
ir Winston Churchill was once asked to give the qualifications a person needed in order to succeed in politics, and he replied: "It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen."
Because God's prophets were correct all of the time, they didn't have to explain away their mistakes. "If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true," wrote Moses, "that is a message the Lord has not spoken" (Deut. 18:22 niv). "To the law and to the testimony," wrote Isaiah, "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (8:20). Isaiah was a man who had God's light, and he was not afraid to let it shine.
He was also a man who hated sin and sham religion. His favorite name for God is "the Holy One of Israel," and he uses it twenty-five times in his book. (It is used only five times in the rest of the Old Testament.) He looked at the crowded courts of the temple and cried out, "They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward" (1:4). He examined the political policies of the leaders and said, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help … but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord" (31:1). Jehovah was holy, but the nation was sinful, and Isaiah called the people to repent.
Before we examine the text of Isaiah's prophecy, let's get acquainted with the background of the book so that we can better understand the man and his times.
The Man The name "Isaiah" means "salvation of the Lord," and salvation (deliverance) is the key theme of his book. He wrote concerning five different acts of deliverance that God would perform: (1) the deliverance of Judah from Assyrian invasion (chaps. 36—37); (2) the deliverance of the nation from Babylonian captivity (chap. 40); (3) the future deliverance of the Jews from worldwide dispersion among the Gentiles (chaps. 11—12); (4) the deliverance of lost sinners from judgment (chap. 53); and (5) the final deliverance of creation from the bondage of sin when the kingdom is established (chaps. 60; 66:17ff.).
Isaiah was certainly a courageous man. Unafraid to denounce kings and priests, and unwavering when public opinion went against him, he boldly declared the Word of God. For three years Isaiah wore only a loincloth to dramatize the victory of Assyria over Egypt (chap. 20). In so doing, he hoped to get the attention of people who were blind to their country's danger.
He was a man skilled in communicating God's truth. Not content with merely declaring facts, Isaiah clothed those facts in striking language that would catch the attention of a people blind and deaf to spiritual truth (6:9–10). He compared the nation to a diseased body (1:5–6), a harlot (v. 21), a useless vineyard (chap. 5), a bulging wall about to fall down (30:13), and a woman in travail (66:8). Assyria, the enemy, would come like a swollen stream (8:7–8), a swarm of bees (7:18), a lion (5:29), and an axe (10:15). Like our Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah knew how to stir the imagination of his listeners so that he might arouse their interest and teach them God's truth (Matt. 13:10–17).
There were other Jewish men named Isaiah, so the prophet identified himself seven times as "the son of Amoz," not to be confused with "Amos" (see 1:1; 2:1; 13:1; 20:2; 37:2, 21; 38:1). Isaiah was married, and his wife was called "the prophetess" (8:3), either because she was married to a prophet or because she shared the prophetic gift. He fathered two sons whose names have prophetic significance: Shearjashub ("a remnant shall return," 7:3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz ("quick to plunder, swift to the spoil," 8:1–4, 18). The two names speak of the nation's judgment and restoration, two important themes in Isaiah's prophecy.
The Monarchs Isaiah prophesied during the days of "Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah" (1:1). The nation had divided after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12), but the priesthood and the Davidic throne belonged to Judah. The ten northern tribes formed the kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), with Samaria as its capital city, and Benjamin and Judah united to form the kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital city. Though Isaiah
Isaiah was called to his ministry "in the year that King Uzziah died" (6:1), which was 739 BC. Isaiah ministered through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who died in 686. Tradition says that Manasseh, King Hezekiah's successor, killed Isaiah by having him sawn in half (Heb. 11:37), but there is no record of this in Scripture.
What kind of man was Isaiah the prophet? As you
Isaiah
The Message Isaiah opened his book with a series of sermons denouncing sin: the personal sins of the people (chaps. 1—6) and the national sins of the leaders (chaps. 7— 12). In these messages, he warned of judgment and pled for repentance. The prophets Amos and Hosea were preaching similar messages to the people of the northern kingdom, warning them that time was running out.
predicted the fall of Israel to Assyria (chap. 28), which occurred in 722 BC, his major focus was on Judah and Jerusalem (1:1).
Uzziah is also called Azariah. At the age of sixteen, he became coregent with his father, Amaziah, and was on the throne for fifty-two years (792–740). When his father was assassinated in 767, Uzziah became the sole ruler and brought the nation to its greatest days since David and Solomon (2 Kings 14:17–22; 15:1–7; 2 Chron. 26:1–15). "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction" (v. 16). He tried to intrude into the priest's ministry in the temple, and God judged him by smiting him with leprosy. It was in the year that King Uzziah died that Isaiah was called to minister (Isa. 6:1).
But the Gentile nations around Judah and Israel were not innocent! In chapters 13—23, Isaiah denounced those nations for their sins and warned of God's judgment. Israel and Judah had sinned against the law of God and were even more guilty than their neighbors, but the Gentile nations would not escape God's wrath. In the way they had behaved, these nations had sinned against conscience (Rom. 2:1–16) and against human decency. The prophet Amos was preaching the same message in the northern kingdom, but he denounced the Gentiles first and then warned the Jews (Amos 1—2).
Jotham was coregent after his father became a leper, and his record as king was a good one (2 Kings 15:32–38; 2 Chron. 27). He reigned for twenty years, and it was during his time that the Assyrian Empire began to emerge as a new and threatening power. During the last twelve years of Jotham's reign, his son Ahaz served as coregent, but Ahaz was not one of Judah's good kings.
As you study the book of Isaiah, you will discover that the prophet interspersed messages of hope with words of judgment. God remembers His mercy even when declaring His wrath (Hab. 3:2), and He assures His people that they have a "hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11 niv). Isaiah 24—27 is devoted to "songs of hope" that describe the glory of the future kingdom. Isaiah saw a day when the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah would return to the land, be reunited and redeemed, and enter into the blessings of the promised kingdom.
Ahaz forged political alliances that eventually brought Judah into bondage to Assyria (2 Kings 16; 2 Chron. 28). Judah was repeatedly threatened by Egypt from the south and by Syria and Israel from the north, and Ahaz depended on an alliance with Assyria to protect himself. Isaiah warned Ahaz that his alliances with godless Gentiles would not work, and he encouraged the king to put his trust in the Lord (Isa. 7).
Hezekiah reigned forty-two years and was one of Judah's greatest kings (2 Kings 18—20; 2 Chron. 29— 32). He not only strengthened the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah, but led the people back to the Lord. He built the famous water system that still exists in Jerusalem.
Chapters 28—35 focus on the impending Assyrian invasion of Israel and Judah. Israel would be destroyed and the ten tribes assimilated into the Assyrian Empire. (This is the origin of the Samaritans, who were part Jewish and part Gentile.) Judah would be invaded and devastated, but Jerusalem would be delivered by the Lord.
The ministry of Isaiah spans a period of over fifty years, from 739 BC (the death of Uzziah) to 686 BC (the death of Hezekiah), and it probably extended into the early years of King Manasseh's reign. It was a difficult time of international upheaval, when first one power and then another threatened Judah. But the greatest dangers were not outside the nation: they were within. In spite of the godly leadership of King Hezekiah, Judah had no more godly kings. One by one, Hezekiah's successors led the nation into political and spiritual decay, ending in captivity in Babylon.
At this point in his book, Isaiah moved from prophecy to history and focused on two key events that occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah: God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians (chaps. 36—37), and Hezekiah's foolish cooperation with the Babylonians (chaps. 38—39). This section forms a transition from an emphasis on Assyria to an emphasis on Babylon, for the last twenty-seven chapters look ahead to the return of the Jewish remnant from Babylonian captivity.
The Jewish rabbis call Isaiah 40—66 "The Book of Consolation," and their description is accurate. Addressed originally to the discouraged Jewish exiles returning to an impoverished land and a ruined temple, these chapters have brought comfort and hope to God's people in every age and in every kind of difficult situation. The Hebrew word translated "comfort" also means "to repent." God brings comfort, not to rebellious people but to repentant people.
The British expositor G. Campbell Morgan said, "The whole story of the prophet Isaiah, as it is revealed to us in this one book, is that of a man who spoke to an inattentive age or to an age which, if attentive, mocked him and refused to obey his message, until, as the prophetic period drew to a close, he inquired in anguish, 'Who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" (Westminister Pulpit, vol. 10, 10)
The arrangement of chapters 40—66 is not accidental.
Isaiah
It is this emphasis on redemption that gives Isaiah a message for the whole world. While it is true he ministered to the little nation of Judah and wrote about nations and empires that for the most part are no longer on the world scene, his focus was on God's plan of salvation for the whole world. Isaiah saw the greatness of God and the vastness of His plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike. Isaiah was a patriot but not a bigot; he saw beyond his own nation to the gracious work God would do among the Gentile nations of the world.
"The Book of Consolation" is divided into three sections; each focuses on a different Person of the Godhead and a different attribute of God. Chapters 40—48 exalt the greatness of God the Father; chapters 49—57, the grace of God the Son, God's Suffering Servant; and chapters 58—66, the glory of the future kingdom when the Spirit is poured out on God's people. Note the references to the Spirit in 59:19 and 21; 61:1; and 63:10–11, 14. Servant is one of the key words in this second section of the book of Isaiah. The word is used seventeen times and has three different referents: the nation of Israel (41:8–9; 43:10); Cyrus, king of Persia, whom God raised up to help Israel restore their nation and rebuild their temple (44:28; 45:1; see Ezra 1:1); and Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Isa. 42:1, 19; 52:13; 53:11), the Suffering Servant who died for the sins of the world. While Assyria and Egypt vie for the center stage in chapters 1—39, it is Babylon and Persia that get the attention in chapters 40—66.
I have a feeling that the book of Isaiah was a favorite book of the apostle Paul. He quoted from it or alluded to it at least eighty times in his epistles and in at least three of his recorded messages (Acts 13:34, 47; 17:24–29; 28:26–28). This interest in Isaiah may stem from the fact that Jesus quoted Isaiah 42:7, 16 when He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 26:16–18). When Jesus encouraged Paul during his ministry to Corinth (Acts. 18:9–10), He referred to Isaiah 41:10 and 43:5. Paul's call to evangelize the Gentiles was confirmed by Isaiah 49:6. Like the prophet Isaiah, Paul saw the vastness of God's plan for both Jews and Gentiles; and like Isaiah, Paul magnified Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Five times in his letters Paul referred to Isaiah 53.
In summary, Isaiah had an immediate word of warning to both Israel and Judah that Assyria was on the march and would be used by God to punish them for their sins. Occasionally, Isaiah used this invasion to picture "the day of the Lord," that future time when the whole world will taste of the wrath of God. The prophets often used immediate circumstances to illustrate future events.
As you study Isaiah and discover God's prophetic plan for the nations of the world, don't miss his emphasis on the personal message of God's forgiveness. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (1:18). "I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, like a cloud, your sins" (44:22 nkjv). "I, even I, am He, who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (43:25 nkjv).
Isaiah had a word of promise to Judah that God would deliver Jerusalem from the enemy for the sake of David's throne. There was also a word of hope for the future Jewish exiles in Babylon, that God would rescue them and help them restore their nation and their temple. But Isaiah's greatest message is his word of salvation, announcing the coming of the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, who would die for sinners and one day return to earth to establish His glorious kingdom.
How can "the Holy One of Israel," a just and righteous God, forgive our sins and remember them no more?
The Messiah Isaiah was much more than a prophet. He was an evangelist who presented Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel. Isaiah's "Servant Song" about Jesus (Isa. 52:13—53:12) is quoted or alluded to nearly forty times in the New Testament.
"But [Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (53:5 nkjv).
It was on the basis of this truth that Peter declared, "To [Jesus] all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43 nkjv).
The prophet wrote about the birth of Christ (7:14; 9:6; Matt. 1:18–25); the ministry of John the Baptist (Isa. 40:1–6; Matt. 3:1ff.); Christ's anointing by the Spirit (Isa. 61:1–2; Luke 4:17–19); the nation's rejection of their Messiah (Isa. 6:9–11; John 12:38ff.); Christ, the "stone of stumbling" (Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Rom. 9:32–33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6); Christ's ministry to the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47); the Savior's suffering and death (Isa. 52:13–53:12; Acts 3:13; 8:32–33; 1 Peter 2:21–25); His resurrection (Isa. 55:3; Acts 13:34); and His return to reign as King (Isa. 9:6–7; 11:1ff.; 59:20–21; 63:1–3; Rom. 11:26–27; Rev. 19:13–15). There are many other references in Isaiah to the Messiah, and we will identify them as we study this book.
"Who hath believed our report?" Isaiah asks us (Isa. 53:1). "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established," he warns us (7:9 nkjv).
If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and received Him into your life, then do so now. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (45:22 nkjv).
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 nkjv).
Isaiah 1 the Assyrian army and only Jerusalem was spared (chaps. 36—37). The people would not let God manage the land according to His law, so God turned Judah over to foreigners and permitted His people to suffer (Deut. 28:15ff.).
CHAPTER TWO Isaiah 1—6 WANTED: A PROPHET T
What a humiliating shock the people must have had when they heard Isaiah compare the Holy City of Jerusalem to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Isa. 3:9; Gen. 18—19)! And what did the leaders think when Isaiah said only "a very small remnant" would survive? After all, God promised Abraham that the nation would multiply like the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens (13:16; 15:5). The doctrine of "the remnant" is important in the message of the prophets (Isa. 6:13; 10:20–22; 11:11–13, 16; Jer. 6:9; 23:3; 31:7; Mic. 2:12; Zech. 8:12). Paul also referred to it (Rom. 9:27; 11:5). In spite of the apostasy of the nation, a remnant of true believers would be spared so that God's work could be accomplished through the Jewish nation.
he first thing you must know about prophets is that their ministry focuses on the present as well as on the future. They "tell forth" the Word of God as well as "foretell" the works of God. True prophets are like good doctors: They diagnose the case, prescribe a remedy, and warn the patient what will happen if the prescription is ignored. (See Jer. 6:14; 8:11.) When prophets declare a vision of the future, they do it to encourage people to obey God today. Peter stated this principle when he wrote, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" (2 Peter 3:11 nkjv).
Unlike Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah did not begin his book with an account of his call to ministry. This he gave in chapter 6. Instead, he started with a probing examination of Judah's present situation and gave a passionate plea for God's people to return to the Lord. As you read his analysis, note how closely it parallels our situation in the Western world.
The disgusting thing about this rebellious people is that they were also a religious people (Isa. 1:10–15). They attended the temple services and brought a multitude of sacrifices to the Lord, but their hearts were far from God and their worship was hypocritical. Sacrifices alone can never please God, for along with the outward observance, God wants inward obedience (1 Sam. 15:22), a broken heart (Ps. 51:17), and a godly walk (Mic. 6:6–8). Judah's worship of Jehovah was iniquity, not piety, and God was sick of it! Instead of lifting up "holy hands" in prayer (1 Tim. 2:8), their hands were stained with blood because of their many sins (Isa. 59:3; Ezek. 7:23).
I. CONDEMNATION (1—39) A.Sermons against Judah and Israel—1—12
What Isaiah Saw (1:1–31) This chapter describes a courtroom scene. God convenes the court and states the charges (vv. 2–4). He presents His case and pronounces the nation guilty (vv. 5–15), but He gives the accused opportunity to repent and be forgiven (vv. 16–31). How did God describe His sinful people?
But before passing judgment on worshippers in a bygone era, perhaps we should confess the sins of the "worshipping church" today. According to researcher George Barna, 93 percent of the households in the United States contain a Bible and more than 60 percent of the people surveyed claim to be religious, but we would never know this from the way people act. One Protestant church exists for every 550 adults in America, but does all this "religion" make much of a difference in our sinful society? Organized religion hasn't affected the nation's crime rate, the divorce rate, or the kind of "entertainment" seen in movies and on TV.
They were rebellious children (vv. 2–4) who did not have as much devotion to God as animals do to their masters! The word rebel carries with it the idea of breaking a contract. At Sinai, Israel had entered into a solemn covenant with Jehovah (Ex. 19—20), but they had broken the contract by their unbelief and idolatry. They did not appreciate what God had done for them and were taking their blessings for granted. They had forsaken the Lord, gone backward, and grown corrupt; therefore, they were guilty and deserved judgment.
From the human point of view, the nation was prospering; but from God's point of view, the nation was like a wretched victim who had been beaten from head to foot and left to die (Isa. 1:5–6). The wounds had become infected, the whole body diseased, and nobody was doing anything to help. The false prophets and hypocritical priests of that day would have challenged Isaiah's autopsy of "the body politic," but the prophet knew that his diagnosis was true. In spite of the optimism of Judah's leaders, the nation was morally and spiritually sick, and judgment was inevitable.
The average church allocates about 5 percent of its budget for reaching others with the gospel, but 30 percent for buildings and maintenance. At a time when the poor and the aged are pleading for help, churches in America are spending approximately 3 billion dollars a year on new construction. Where churches have life and growth, such construction may be needed, but too often the building becomes "a millstone instead of a milestone," to quote Vance Havner. At least 62 percent of the people Barna surveyed said that the church was not relevant to today's world and is losing its influence on society. It may be that, like the worshippers in the ancient Jewish temple, we are only going through
In verses 7–9, God pictures Judah as a ravaged battlefield, a desert that had once been a garden. In using this image, Isaiah may have been looking ahead to the invasion of Sennacherib, when Judah was devastated by
Isaiah 1—4
14:1ff.), and by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). It will be a time of terrible suffering; the environment will be devastated, and millions of people will die. (Note the repetition of the phrase "in that day": Isa. 2:17, 20; 3:7, 18; 4:1–2.)
the motions. (See The Frog in the Kettle by George Barna, Regal.)
Isaiah didn't stop with the diagnosis but also gave the prescription, because he wanted Judah to be a righteous people (Isa. 1:16–31). The word translated "reason" in verse 18 means "to decide a case in court," but instead of pronouncing judgment, the Judge offered pardon! If they would cleanse themselves by repenting and turning from sin (vv. 16–17; see 2 Cor. 7:1), then God would wipe the record clean in response to their faith (Isa. 1:18). God had every reason to punish His people for their sins, but in His grace and mercy He offered them His pardon.
To the prophets, "the day of the Lord" was foreshadowed by events in their own day. In the book of Isaiah, Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom and invasion of Judah, and the Babylonian captivity of Judah both picture the coming "day of the Lord."
(1) Why will God judge His people? Because of their idolatry, covetousness, pride, and exploiting of the poor (2:6–22). Instead of holding to the truth of God's Word, they were adopting "superstitions from the East" (v. 6 niv), not unlike many "religious seekers" today. The growth of Eastern religions in the modern Western world is a phenomenon that is both frightening and challenging. Even nonreligious people are practicing Eastern forms of meditation and relaxation, following techniques that are being taught in university classes and business seminars.
What were some of the sins that the nation needed to confess and put away? Isaiah named murder (v. 21), robbery, bribery, and exploiting the helpless (v. 23), and the worship of heathen idols (v. 29). Because of their idolatry, the once-faithful wife was now a harlot, and because of their unjust practices, the pure silver had become dross. The tragedy is that many of the worshippers in the temple participated in these evil practices and thereby encouraged the decay of the nation. The rulers maintained a religious façade to cover up their crimes, and the people let them do it.
The prosperity of the nation made leaders proud and covetous. Instead of trusting the Lord, they trusted their wealth and war equipment, not realizing that neither would deliver them in the coming day of judgment. The leaders were exploiting the poor, crushing them like grain in a mill (3:13–15). God will not allow His people to be proud and self-confident, but will humble them and cut them down like trees in the forest. "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day" (2:11, 17) when men flee from His wrath and discover the worthlessness of their idols and the consequences of their sins (vv. 19–22).
What would God do if the people did not repent? He would send a fiery judgment that would purge the dross and burn up those whose rebellion had made them His enemies (vv. 24–31). Isaiah closed this first message with a promise of hope that one day Jerusalem would be a "city of righteousness."
What Isaiah Promised (2:1—4:6) Three important phrases sum up Isaiah's second message and its proclamation of God's future work.
(2) How will God judge His people? By taking away from them everything they were trusting, including food and water, leaders and soldiers, and judges and prophets (3:1–15). The entire support system of the nation would disintegrate, and there would be no remedy. Nobody would want to hold office except women and children. (In Judah's male-dominated society, this would be a humiliating calamity.) The national leaders in Isaiah's day were charting a course that was out of the will of God and would ultimately bring disaster, but the righteous remnant would be protected by God (vv. 10–12).
The temple of the Lord (2:1–5). The prophet looked ahead to the time when God's righteous kingdom would be established and the temple would become the center for the worldwide worship of the Lord. In Isaiah's day, the Jews were adopting the false gods of the Gentiles, but the day would come when the Gentiles would abandon their idols and worship the true God of Israel. The nations would also lay down their weapons and stop warring. These promises must not be "spiritualized" and applied to the church, for they describe a literal kingdom of righteousness and peace. The Jewish temple will be rebuilt, and the Word of God will go forth from Jerusalem to govern the nations of the world.
After denouncing the men in leadership, the prophet zeroed in on the proud women who profited from their husbands' crimes (3:16—4:1). The prophet Amos had a similar message for the women in the northern kingdom (Amos 4:1–3). Everything would be different for these women when the judgment of God came to the land! In that day, nobody would notice their expensive clothes, their jewelry and perfumes, and their elaborate coiffures. They would be prisoners of war, led by a rope, like cattle going to the slaughter. So many men would be killed there wouldn't be enough husbands to go around (4:1)!
In the light of the future glory of God's temple, Isaiah appealed to the people to "walk in the light of the Lord" (v. 5). Christians today have a similar motivation as we await the return of Christ for His church (1 John 2:28–3:3).
The day of the Lord (2:6—3:26). This is that period of time when God will send judgment to the nations and purify Israel in preparation for the coming of His King to reign in Jerusalem. The day of the Lord is described by John (Rev. 6—19), by the prophets (Isa. 13:6ff.; Ezek. 30; Joel 1:15; 2:1ff.; Zeph. 1:7ff.; Zech.
God is longsuffering as He watches people viciously exploit one another and selfishly ravage His creation.
Isaiah 4—6
But there is coming a day when unbelieving sinners will be punished and God's people will share in the glories of His kingdom. Are you ready?
Lord and His warnings. "They even mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them" (v. 19 tlb). The name "Holy One of Israel" is used twentyfive times in Isaiah, but these sinners had no respect for that name. We have skeptical scoffers today who speak lightly of the Lord and think they will get away with it.
The Branch of the Lord (4:2–6). The prophet looked beyond the "day of the Lord" to that time when the kingdom will be established on earth. "Branch of the Lord" is a messianic title for Jesus Christ, who came as a "shoot" from the seeming dead stump of David's dynasty (11:1; 53:2; see Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). God will cleanse His people (Isa. 4:4; see Zech. 12:10—13:1), restore the fruitfulness of the land, and dwell with them as He did when He led them through the wilderness (Isa. 4:5–6; Ex. 13:21–22). Not just the temple, but every dwelling will be blessed by the presence of the Lord! Unlike in Isaiah's day, "in that day" the people will be holy (set apart), and the land will be beautiful and glorious.
Deception (v. 20). Moral standards were destroyed by new definitions of sin (see Amos 5:7), people using God's vocabulary but not His dictionary. Like today's "double-speak," this kind of language made it easy to deceive people and avoid a guilty conscience. In today's world, increased taxes are "revenue enhancements," and poor people are "fiscal underachievers." Medical malpractice is not the cause of a patient's death; it's a "diagnostic misadventure of high magnitude." (See DoubleSpeak by William Lutz.) The Jerusalem Bible translation of Psalm 12:2 says it perfectly: "All they do is lie to one another, flattering lips, talk from a double heart."
What Isaiah Sang (5:1–30) The preacher became a troubadour and sang a folk song to the Lord ("my beloved"). Perhaps the people who had ignored his sermons would listen to his song. He sang about his own people (v. 7) and pointed out how good God had been to them. God gave them a holy law and a wonderful land, but they broke the law and defiled the land with their sins and failed to produce fruit for God's glory. God had done for them all that He could do. Now all that remained for Him to do was bring judgment on the fruitless vineyard and make it a waste. (Note that Jesus referred to this passage in Matt. 21:33–44.) What were the "wild grapes" that the nation produced instead of the "good grapes" that God sought for? In the six "woes" that follow, Isaiah named the sins that brought judgment on the land.
Pride (v. 21). Instead of listening to God, the leaders consulted with one another and made decisions based on their own wisdom. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom. 1:22; see 1 Cor. 1:18–25). "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil" (Prov. 3:7 nkjv).
Injustice (vv. 22–25). The judges who were supposed to enforce the law used their authority to free the guilty and punish the innocent. They were more interested in cocktail parties than fair trials, and making money (bribes) than promoting justice. Isaiah warned these corrupt politicians that the fire of God's wrath was coming and would burn them up. They were like cut flowers and had no roots, beautiful for a time, but destined to die and turn to dust.
The phrase in verse 25 about God's anger is repeated in 9:12, 17, and 21, and in 10:4. His hand was raised in judgment and would not come down until He had completed His work. He would summon the Assyrian army from afar and use it to chasten His people (5:26–30). The northern kingdom of Israel would be destroyed, and Judah, the southern kingdom, would be devastated but eventually delivered, only to go in captivity to Babylon a century later. God was serious about the nation's sins. If they would not repent and accept His offer of pardon (1:18), then all He could do was send judgment.
Covetousness (vv. 8–10). In disobedience to the law (Lev. 25:23–28; 1 Kings 21:1–3), the rich defrauded the poor and seized the land. These wealthy exploiters built large mansions and developed extensive farms, but God warned them that their houses would be empty and their harvests meager. Imagine ten acres of grapevines yielding only six gallons of wine and six bushels of seed producing half a bushel of grain!
Drunkenness (vv. 11–17). In the Old Testament, God did not require total abstinence, but He did warn against drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 23:29–31; Hab. 2:15). This warning is repeated in the New Testament for believers today (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Eph. 5:18). Isaiah described people so addicted to alcohol that they begin their revelries as soon as they wake up in the morning, and they continue their drinking till late at night. They enjoy banquets and music and get involved in drunken brawls (Isa. 5:14 niv). But when judgment comes, these people will hunger and thirst and become "food" for the grave (v. 14). The "eaters" will themselves be eaten, and the proud drinkers will be brought low.
What Isaiah Experienced (6:1–13) Anyone reading Isaiah's first two messages might be inclined to ask, "What right does this man have to pronounce judgment on the leaders of our land and the many worshippers in the temple?" The answer is in this chapter: Isaiah's account of his call to ministry. Before he announced any "woes" on others, he first confessed his own sin and said, "Woe is me!" He saw the Holy One of Israel, and he could not keep silent. Note four stages in Isaiah's experience with God.
Sight: He saw the Lord (vv. 1–4). We assume that Isaiah was in the temple when this marvelous event
Carelessness (vv. 18–19). Isaiah described people who are bound by sin and yet speak frequently of the
Isaiah 6—7
Never underestimate what God can do with one willing worker. There is an even greater need for laborers today, and we have tremendous opportunities for sharing the gospel with a lost world. Are you one of God's willing volunteers?
occurred, but we cannot be sure. The temple referred to in verse 1 is the heavenly temple, rather than Solomon's temple. King Uzziah died in 740 BC and was one of Judah's greatest leaders, even though in his latter years he was disciplined for disobeying God (2 Chron. 26:16–21). A great king may have left his throne on earth, but the greatest King was still seated on the throne of heaven. According to John 12:41, this was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blindness: The nation could not see (vv. 9–13). The Lord did not give His servant much encouragement! Isaiah's ministry would actually make some people's eyes more blind, their ears more deaf, and their hearts more callused. Verses 9–10 are so important that they are quoted six times in the New Testament (Matt. 13:13–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:25–28; Rom. 11:8). God does not deliberately make sinners blind, deaf, and hard-hearted; but the more that people resist God's truth, the less able they are to receive God's truth. But the servant is to proclaim the Word no matter how people respond, for the test of ministry is not outward success but faithfulness to the Lord.
Only here are the seraphim mentioned in Scripture. The Hebrew word means "to burn" and relates these creatures to the holiness of God. This is why they repeat, "Holy, holy, holy" before the throne of God. Some students think that the seraphim are the "living creatures" described in Revelation 4:6–9.
When I was the radio speaker on "Songs in the Night" from the Moody Church in Chicago, I often received clippings from listeners, items they though might be useful on the weekly broadcast. Most of them I have forgotten, but a few of them still stick in my mind. One of the best was, "When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook!"
God told Isaiah that his ministry would end in seeming failure, with the land ruined and the people taken off to exile (Isa. 6:11–12). But a remnant would survive! It would be like the stump of a fallen tree from which the shoots ("the holy seed") would come, and they would continue the true faith in the land. Isaiah needed a long-range perspective on his ministry or else he would feel like he was accomplishing nothing.
For young Isaiah, the outlook was bleak. His beloved king had died, his nation was in peril, and he could do very little about it. The outlook may have been bleak, but the uplook was glorious! God was still on the throne and reigning as the Sovereign of the universe! From heaven's point of view, "the whole earth" was "full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3; see Num. 14:21–22; Ps. 72:18–19). When your world tumbles in, it is good to look at things from heaven's point of view.
"Go and tell" is still God's command to His people (v. 9; see Matt 28:7; Mark 5:19). He is waiting for us to reply, "Here am I; send me."
Insight: He saw himself (vv. 5–7). The sight of a holy God and the sound of the holy hymn of worship brought great conviction to Isaiah's heart, and he confessed that he was a sinner. Unclean lips are caused by an unclean heart (Matt. 12:34–35). Isaiah cried out to be cleansed inwardly (Ps. 51:10), and God met his need. If this scene had been on earth, the coals would have come from the brazen altar where sacrificial blood had been shed, or perhaps from the censer of the high priest on the day of Atonement (Lev. 16:12). Isaiah's cleansing came by blood and fire, and it was verified by the word of the Lord (Isa. 6:7).
CHAPTER THREE Isaiah 7—12 GOD IS WITH US! B ehold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 8:18). This statement by the prophet Isaiah is a key to understanding the meaning of the events and prophecies in this section. In his previous messages, Isaiah focused on the spiritual needs of his people, but in this section he deals with the political situation and the failure of the leaders to trust the Lord. Four symbolic names are involved in Isaiah's messages, each of them with a very special meaning: Emmanuel, Maher-shalalhash-baz, Shear-jashub, and Isaiah.
Before we can minister to others, we must permit God to minister to us. Before we pronounce "woe" upon others, we must sincerely say, "Woe is me!" Isaiah's conviction led to confession, and confession led to cleansing (1 John 1:9). Like Isaiah, many of the great heroes of faith saw themselves as sinners and humbled themselves before God: Abraham (Gen. 18:27), Jacob (32:10), Job (Job 40:1–5), David (2 Sam. 7:18), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15), and Peter (Luke 5:8–11).
Emmanuel: A Message of Hope (7:1–25) A promise to King Ahaz (vv. 1–9). These were perilous days for the nation of Judah. Assyria was growing stronger and threatening the smaller nations whose security depended on a very delicate political balance. Syria and Ephraim (the northern kingdom) tried to pressure Judah into an alliance against Assyria, but Ahaz refused to join them. Why? Because he had secretly made a treaty with Assyria (2 Kings 16:5–9)!
Vision: He saw the need (v. 8). The nation needed the Lord, and the Lord wanted a servant to minister to the people. Isaiah volunteered to be that servant. He did not discuss his call with the Lord, as did Moses (Ex. 3:11—4:15) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4ff.), but accepted the appointment and made himself available to his Master.
Isaiah 7—8
Shear-jasub was born—and that Isaiah's second son was named both "Emmanuel" and "Maher-shalal-hashbaz" (8:1–4; note vv. 8, 10).
The king was playing "power politics" instead of trusting in the power of God. Syria and Ephraim planned to overthrow Ahaz and put "the son of Tabeel" on the throne, and Ahaz was a frightened man.
Orthodox Jewish boys become "sons of the law" at the age of twelve. This special son was a reminder that Syria and Ephraim would be out of the picture within the next twelve years. Isaiah delivered his prophecy in 734 BC. In 732 BC Assyria defeated Syria, and in 722 BC Assyria invaded the northern kingdom. The prophecy was fulfilled.
The Lord commanded Isaiah to take his son Shearjashub ("a remnant shall return") and meet Ahaz as the king was inspecting the city's water system. Ahaz's heart had been wavering, and the hearts of his people had been shaking for fear (Isa. 7:2), but Isaiah came with a message of assurance: "Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted" (v. 4). How would Ahaz find this inner peace? By believing God's promise that Judah's enemies would be defeated. "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established" (v. 9 nkjv). Faith in God's promises is the only way to find peace in the midst of trouble. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (26:3 nkjv).
A warning to Judah (vv. 17–25). Instead of trusting the Lord, Ahaz continued to trust Assyria for help, and Isaiah warned him that Assyria would become Judah's enemy. The Assyrians would invade Judah and so ravage the land that agriculture would cease and the people would have only dairy products to eat (vv. 15, 21–23). The rich farmland would become wasteland, and the people would be forced to hunt wild beasts in order to get food. It would be a time of great humiliation (v. 20; 2 Sam 10:4–5) and suffering that could have been avoided had the leaders trusted in the Lord.
In God's eyes, the two threatening kings were nothing but "two smoldering stubs of firewood" (7:4 niv) who would be off the scene very soon, and they both died two years later. Furthermore, within sixtyfive years, Ephraim (Israel, the northern kingdom) would be gone forever. Isaiah spoke this prophecy in the year 734 BC. Assyria defeated Syria in 732 BC and invaded Israel in 722 BC. They deported many of the Jews and assimilated the rest by introducing Gentiles into the land. By 669 BC (sixty-five years later), the nation no longer existed.
Maher-shalal-hash-baz: A Warning of Judgment (8:1–22) Isaiah married the virgin, and the legal documents were duly witnessed and sealed. He even announced that their first child would be a son and his name would be Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means "quick to plunder, swift to the spoil." Since Isaiah's sons were signs to the nation (8:18), this name was significant. It spoke of future judgment when Assyria would conquer Syria and invade both Israel and Judah, and when Babylon would take Judah into exile. A child would start speaking meaningful sentences about the age of two. In 732 BC, about two years after Isaiah's son was born, both Pekah and Rezin were dead (7:1), and Assyria had conquered Syria and begun to invade Israel (2 Kings 15:29). The army was "quick to plunder and swift to take the spoil."
A sign to the house of David (vv. 10–16). If Ahaz had believed God's promise, he would have broken his alliance and called the nation to prayer and praise, but the king continued in his unbelief. Realizing the weakness of the king's faith, Isaiah offered to give a sign to encourage him, but Ahaz put on a "pious front" and refused his offer. Knowing that he was secretly allied with Assyria, how could Ahaz honestly ask the Lord for a special sign? So, instead of speaking only to the king, Isaiah addressed the whole "house of David" and gave the prophecy concerning "Emmanuel."
In the remainder of this chapter, Isaiah used three vivid contrasts to show the rulers of Judah the mistake they were making by trusting Assyria instead of trusting the Lord.
Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is "God with us" (Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:31–35). The virgin birth of Christ is a key doctrine; for if Jesus Christ is not God come in sinless human flesh, then we have no Savior. Jesus had to be born of a virgin, apart from human generation, because He existed before His mother. He was not just born in this world; He came down from heaven into the world (John 3:13; 6:33, 38, 41–42, 50–51, 58). Jesus was sent by the Father and therefore came into the world having a human mother but not a human father (4:34; 5:23–24, 30; 9:4). However, this "sign" had an immediate significance to Ahaz and the people of Judah. A woman who was then a virgin would get married, conceive, and bear a son whose name would be "Emmanuel." The son would be a reminder that God was with His people and would care for them. It is likely that this virgin was Isaiah's second wife—his first wife having died after
They chose a flood instead of a peaceful river (vv. 8:5–10). The pro-Assyrian faction in Judah rejoiced when Assyria defeated Syria and when both Pekah and Rezin died. These victories seemed to prove that an alliance with Assyria was the safest course to follow. Instead of trusting the Lord ("the waters of Shiloah, that go softly" in v. 6), they trusted the great river of Assyria. What they did not realize was that this river would become a flood when Assyria would come and destroy Israel and devastate Judah. God offered His people peace, but in unbelief they opted for war. They were walking by sight and not by faith.
But Isaiah saw no permanent victory for the invading army. After all, they were entering Emmanuel's land, and God was with His people and would deliver them for His name's sake. Assyria might
Isaiah 8—9 plan its strategy, but God would thwart its every move. Sennacherib's army camped around Jerusalem, certain of victory, but God wiped them out with a single blow (chap. 37).
return of the Jewish remnant to their land is a major theme in these chapters (10:20–22; 11:11–12, 16). When Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), the nation was never restored but became what we know as Samaria. After the Babylonian captivity (606–586 BC), the people of Judah were given another chance to establish themselves in the land, and through them the Lord brought the Messiah into the world. Had a remnant not returned, God's plans for redeeming a lost world might have been frustrated. How much depended on that small remnant!
They chose a snare instead of a sanctuary (vv. 8:11–15). God warned Isaiah not to follow the majority and support the popular pro-Assyrian party. Even though his stand was looked upon as treason, Isaiah opposed all foreign alliances and urged the people to put their faith in the Lord (7:9; 28:16; 30:15). The Jewish political leaders were asking, "Is it popular? Is it safe?" But the prophet was asking, "Is it right? Is it the will of God?"
God's mercy to His people is seen in four ministries the Lord performed for them.
When you fear the Lord, you don't need to fear people or circumstances. Peter referred to this passage when he wrote, "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord" (1 Peter 3:14–15 niv). Isaiah compared the Lord to a sanctuary, a rock that is a refuge for believers but a snare to those who rebel. The image of Messiah as a rock is found again in Isaiah 28:16 (and see 1 Peter 2:4–7; Rom. 9:33). "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1).
The Lord promised them a Redeemer (9:1–7). Isaiah continued the theme of light and darkness (8:20–22) by announcing, "There will be no more gloom" (9:1 niv). The Redeemer will come and bring to the world the dawning of a new day (v. 2; Luke 1:78–79; John 8:12). We know that this prophecy refers to Christ because of the way it is quoted in Matthew 4:13–15. The geographical areas named in Isaiah 9:1 were especially devastated when the Assyrian army moved in, but these areas would be especially honored by the ministry of the Messiah. Jesus was identified with "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Matt. 4:15 niv), and His loving ministry to the people brought light and joy.
They chose darkness instead of light (vv. 16–22). The nation had rejected Isaiah's message, but that didn't mean that his ministry was a failure. The true disciples of the Lord received God's Word and treasured it in their hearts. By faith, the prophet was willing to wait patiently for God's Word to be fulfilled.
But the prophet looked beyond the first coming of Christ to His second coming and the establishing of His righteous kingdom (Isa. 9:3–7). Instead of protecting a small remnant, God would enlarge the nation. Instead of experiencing sorrow, the people would rejoice like reapers after a great harvest, soldiers after a great victory, or prisoners of war after being released from their yoke of bondage. Of course, some of this occurred when God defeated Assyria and delivered Jerusalem (Isa. 37). But the ultimate fulfillment is still future; all military material will be destroyed (9:5) because the nations will not learn war any more (2:4).
But even if his words fell on deaf ears, Isaiah and his family were themselves a "living prophecy" that the nation could not ignore. Isaiah's name means "Jehovah is salvation," and this would remind the people to trust the Lord to deliver them. His older son's name means "A remnant shall return," and this was a word of promise when it looked as though the nation was destroyed. A believing remnant did return to Jerusalem from Babylon, and they were encouraged by what Isaiah wrote in chapters 40—66. The name of the younger son, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, means "quick to plunder, swift to the spoil," and pointed to the fall of Syria and Ephraim. Verse 18 is quoted in Hebrews 2:13–14 and applied to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 9:6 declared both the humanity ("A Child is born") and the deity ("A Son is given") of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet then leaps ahead to the kingdom age, when Messiah will reign in righteousness and justice from David's throne. God had promised David that his dynasty and throne would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:16), and this is fulfilled literally in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32–33; Zech. 9:9), who will one day reign from Jerusalem (Isa. 11:1–5; Jer. 23:5–8; 30:8–10). This kingdom is called "the millennium," which means "one thousand years." The phrase is used six times in Revelation 20.
In their time of crisis, instead of turning to God for wisdom, the people consulted demons (Isa. 8:19; Deut. 18:10–12), and this only increased their moral and spiritual darkness. The increase of the occult in our own day is evidence that people are deliberately rejecting God's Word and turning to Satan's lies. "If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn" (Isa. 8:20 niv). Judah's leaders anxiously looked for the dawning of a new day, but they saw only a deepening darkness. God's Word is our only dependable light in this world's darkness (Ps. 119:105; 2 Peter 1:19–21).
If His name is "Wonderful," then there will be nothing dull about His reign! As Counselor, He has the wisdom to rule justly; and as the Mighty God, He has the power to execute His wise plans. "Everlasting Father" does not suggest that the Son is also the Father, for each Person in the Godhead is distinct. "Father of eternity" is a better translation. Among the Jews, the
Shear-jashub: A Promise of Mercy (9:1—11:16) This name means "A remnant shall return," and the
Isaiah 9—11 the Assyrians were out to destroy (v. 7). They boasted of their conquests (vv. 8–14; see 37:10–13) but did not give glory to God.
word father means "originator" or "source." For example, Satan is the "father [originator] of lies" (John 8:44 niv). If you want anything eternal, you must get it from Jesus Christ; He is the "Father of eternity."
Because of their arrogant attitude, God would judge Assyria, for the worker certainly has mastery over His tools! Like a wasting disease and a blazing forest fire, God's wrath would come to this proud nation and its army. He would cut them down like trees in the forest (10:33–34). In the days of Hezekiah, God wiped out 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers (37:36–37), and the great Assyrian Empire ultimately fell to Babylon in 609 BC. In spite of Assyria's conquest of the northern kingdom and its intention to destroy Judah, God would save a remnant so that "the twelve tribes" would not be annihilated (Acts 26:7; James 1:1; Rev. 21:12). "The remnant shall return" (Isa. 10:21) is the translation of the name of Isaiah's older son, Shear-jashub.
The Lord judged Israel for their sins (9:8— 10:4). This long section describes what will happen to the northern kingdom when the Assyrians invade. While Isaiah's ministry was primarily to the people of Judah, he used Israel as an object lesson to warn the southern kingdom that God does not take sin lightly. Judah had sinned greatly, but God in His mercy spared them for David's sake (37:35; 1 Kings 11:13; 15:4; 2 Chron. 21:7). However, God's longsuffering would one day end.
The key statement is "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still" (Isa. 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4, and see 5:25). This is the outstretched hand of God's judgment, not His mercy (65:2; Rom. 10:21). God judged them for their pride in thinking that their present difficulties were temporary and the nation could rebuild itself better than before (Isa. 9:8–12). He also judged them for their hardness of heart in their refusal to repent and return to the Lord (vv. 13–17). God's loving purpose in chastening is that we yield to Him, but if we harden our hearts, then chastening becomes judgment (Heb. 12:1–11). Israel was being led astray by false prophets and foolish leaders; the nation would not listen to God's Word.
In verses 28–32, Isaiah traces the advance of the Assyrian army as it invaded Judah and marched toward Jersusalem. But God's word to the people was "O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian" (v. 24)! Isaiah gave the same message to King Hezekiah when the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem in 701 BC (37:1–7). God used Assyria to discipline His people, but He would not permit this godless nation to go beyond His purposes. God may use unbelievers to accomplish His will in the lives of His people, but He is always in control. We need never fear the disciplining hand of God, for He always disciplines in love (Heb. 12:1–11).
Ephraim's own wickedness was destroying the nation the way a fire destroys a forest or a field (Isa. 9:18–19). But the sinners would become fuel for the fire God could kindle! In their greed, the people of the northern kingdom were devouring one another (v. 20) and battling one another (v. 21), but they would soon be devoured and defeated by Assyria.
The Lord will restore His people (11:1–16). In contrast to the proud trees that God cuts down (10:33–34) is a tender shoot from a seemingly dead stump. Isaiah looked beyond his people's trials to the glorious kingdom that will be established when Messiah comes to reign (11:1–9). David's dynasty was ready to end, but out of his family the Messiah would come (Rom. 1:3; Rev. 5:5). A godly remnant of Jews kept the nation alive so that the Messiah could be born.
In 10:1–4, Isaiah denounced Ephraim for its injustice, especially toward the poor, the widows, and the orphans. Unjust laws and oppressive decrees robbed these people both of their meager possessions and their God-given rights (Deut. 15:7–8; 24:17–18). The prophet's three questions in Isaiah 10:3 ought to be pondered by every person who wants to be ready when the Lord comes.
His kingdom will involve righteous rule (Isa. 11:1–5) because the Son of God and the Spirit of God will administer its affairs justly. When the MessiahKing speaks the word, it is with power (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 19:15). His kingdom will also mean a restored creation because nature will once again enjoy the harmony it enjoyed before sin entered in (Isa. 11:6–9; Rom. 8:18–25). "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9; see Heb. 2:14).
If God cannot bring us to repentance through His Word, then He must lift His hand and chasten us. If we do not submit to His chastening, then He must stretch out His hand and judge us. God is longsuffering, but we dare not tempt Him by our careless or callous attitude. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).
The nucleus of the kingdom will be a regathered and reunited Jewish nation (Isa. 11:10–16). The "Root" will become a "banner" for the rallying of the people as the Lord reaches out and gathers His people from the nations where they have been exiled (43:5–6). It will be like a "second exodus" as God opens the way for His people to return to their land. In a limited sense, this promise was fulfilled after the Assyrian conquest and when the Jews left Babylonian captivity, but
The Lord will judge the enemy (10:5–34). "Woe to the Assyrian!" is the way this section begins (see niv). Though God used Assyria to chasten Judah, He would not permit His "tool" to exalt itself in pride. Assyria was His rod, club, axe, and saw (10:5, 15, 24), but the Assyrians treated the Jews like mud in the streets (v. 6) and plundered the land like a farmer gathering eggs (v. 14). God's purpose was to discipline, but