These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
- Not seeking God…
- FIFTH of the SIX woes – again addressed the Southern Kingdom…
- They put their TRUST in many HORSES and strong CHARIOTS rather than the LORD…
- A foolish choice – because Egyptians were just MEN – they were NOT God…
- But the solution was simple – REPENT [imperative] and come back to the LORD…
- And Assyria would FALL – NOT by the sword of man – but by the SWORD of God!
- King of Righteousness…
- Isaiah turned to the KING [מֶלֶךְ] who would RULE well over the people…
- Because King Hezekiah learned to put his TRUST in the LORD…
- He would be LIKE [כְּ] a hiding place – a cover in the STORM [protection]
- And the eyes of those who were NOT looking to the Lord – would SEE Him!
- Gift of the Spirit…
- Then the LORD turned to the WOMEN of Judah and gave them THREE commands…
- STAND up – OBEY the Lord – and Listen to His voice…
- Put on SLACK cloth [imperative] while there was still time [and God would clothe them]
- Because Judah would be a WILDERNESS – until the SPIRIT [רוּחַ] was poured out from heaven…
- Only then would the WILDERNESS become a FRUITFUL field…
- And there would be RIGHTEOUSNESS [צְדָקָה] – that would lead to PEACE [שָׁלוֹם]
- 1st – Woe to Assyria… vs. 1-9
- 1st – The warning… vs. 1
- The outline…
- Isaiah 1-12 – the Judgement and Hope for Judah
- Isaiah 13-23 – the TEN burdens of the Nations
- Isaiah 24-27 – the Apocalypse [judgement of the whole world]
- Isaiah 28-35 – the SIX woes – and the coming King
- Isaiah 36-39 – the proof – the fall of Assyria
- Cruelty…
- Woe to you who [destroy] – though you have not been [destroyed].
- And you who [deceive] – though they have not [lied to] you!
- WOE [הוֹי] – a Hebrew interjection that often precedes a pronouncement of JUDGMENT…
- SIXTH and final woe [הוֹי] – as the Lord turns to the DESTROYER [שָׁדַד]
- Referring to the kingdom of Assyria – who brough devastation everywhere they went…
- They made PROMISES – only to then BREAK them [deceitful]
- Yet they had NEVER been DESTROYED – and people had NOT lied to them!
- Reciprocity…
- When you cease plundering – you will be plundered.
- When you make an end of dealing treacherously – they will deal treacherously with you!
- When their DESTRUCTION [שָׁדַד] and TREACHERY concluded [hiphil]
- The implication is that it had a time limit – it would NOT go on forever…
- Then it would be their turn to be DESTROYED as others DECEIVED them!
- Haman was the wicked leader during the days of Esther…
- He hated Mordecai because he would NOT bow down to him – Esther 3:5
- He built a GALLOWS that he intended to use to HANG Mordecai…
- But in the end – he was the one who died on his GALLOWS!
- Esther 7:10 – “They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.”
- There is an old saying – what goes around also comes around…
- Meaning the way we treat others – is how we are going to be treated…
- Therefore how we want others to treat us – is how we should treat them!
- Matthew 7:12 – “Therefore – whatever you want men to do to you – do also to them.”
- 2nd – Prayer of Judah… vs. 2-4
- Grace… vs. 2
- O LORD be gracious to us. We have waited for You.
- Be [our] arm every morning. Our salvation also in the time of trouble!
- Seeing the CRUALTY of Assyria – the people of Judah came to the Lord in PRAYER…
- What they pleaded [imperative] for was GRACE [חָנַן]
- Because they did NOT deserve to be helped by God – they had made a LOT of mistakes…
- The Lord has WARNED them NOT to put their trust in the world [Egypt] – Isaiah 31:1
- But the failure of EVERYTING else – left them WAITING [piel] on the Lord…
- He was the ONLY one who ALWAYS [every morning] had the strength [arm]
- And could SAVE [יְשׁוּעָה] them in their time of TROUBLE!
- The LORD warns us NOT to put our trust in this world [money – people]
- Yet sadly that is a LESSON that we are very SLOW to learn…
- Only when EVERYTHING we put our hope in FAILS – do we tend to look UP…
- But the good news is God is GRACIOUS – and He WAITS for us…
- And when we finally realize Jesus [יְשׁוּעָה] is the ONLY answer – He is ready to help!
- Victory… vs. 3-4
- At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee.
- When You lift Yourself up – the nations shall be scattered.
- And Your plunder shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar.
- As the running to and fro of locusts He shall run upon them!
- Judah knew that when the Lord SPOKE [קוֹל] – their enemies would RUN away…
- When the Lord STOOD up – the nations [גּוֹיִם] would scatter…
- Because the armies of Assyria would be PLUNDERED [nothing left]
- Like [כְּ] a swarm of LOCUSTS that STRIP the land of all its produce!
- God uses the imagery of LOCUSTS multiple times throughout the Bible to JUDGE…
- From the EIGHTH plague in Egypt – Exodus 10 – to the prophecy of Joel – Joel 1:4
- 2020 saw a swarm of LOCUST in Kenya BILLIONS strong – hundreds of kilometers long…
- They were so many – they striped the land of ALL plant life!
- Do NOT miss the contrast – when God STANDS and SPEAKS…
- Those who WAIT upon Him [Judah] – are SAVED by GRACE…
- But those who are opposed to him [Assyria] – are WIPED out so that NOTHING is left!
- 3rd – Praise of Judah… vs. 5-6
- Exalted… vs. 5
- The LORD is exalted for He dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness!
- When the LORD saved Judah and plundered Assyria – He would be LIFED [niphal] up…
- Not that He needed those events – He is always [dwells] LIFTED up [high]
- But as He filled [piel] Zion [Jerusalem] with JUSTICE [by judging Assyria]
- And RIGHTOUENESS [by giving grace to Judah]
- That allowed the people of Israel to finally SEE the Lord clearly [lifted up]!
- God uses our TRIAL to get our attention – they LIFT Him up…
- Because when everything in life is going smoothly – we tent to NOT see Jesus…
- It is only when things fall apart – that we LOOK up – and see the LORD!
- Fear of God… vs. 6
- Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times – and the strength of salvation.
- The fear of the LORD is His treasure!
- [Sequential] – when the Lord filled Zion with JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS…
- Judah would see His FAITHFULNESS [אמונה] – STREGNTH in hard times [war with Assyria]
- And the FEAR of the LORD would become their greatest TREAURE!
- The KEY to being FAITHFUL – is to NOT trust in our POWER…
- When we understand we CANNOT – realize we need HELP…
- ONLY when we depend on the POWER of God – do we find the greatest TREASURE…
- When we TRUST in Jesus [יְשׁוּעָה] – FEAR the Lord – we fear NOTHING else!
- II Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient… for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
- 4th – The devastation of Judah… vs. 7-9
- Valiant… vs. 7
- Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside. The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly!
- But it was a lesson that did NOT come easy…
- BEHOLD [הֵן] the VALIANT [אֶרְאֵל] – only here in the OT
- Possibly from the root [אֲרִיאֵל] – the Lion of God [name for Judah] – Isaiah 29:1
- The mighty men [lions] of Judah would CRY – the MESSENGERS [מַלְאָךְ] would weep…
- The ambassadors who were sent to try and make PEACE…
- Because Assyia would come – and the result would be DEVESTATION!
- Commerce… vs. 8-9
- The highways lie waste. The traveling man ceases.
- He has broken the covenant. He has despised the cities. He regards no man.
- The earth mourns and languishes. Lebanon is shamed and shriveled.
- Sharon is like a wilderness – and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits!
- The roads would be EMPTY [niphal] – no one would be willing to TRAVEL…
- Because Assyria broke their TREATY [בְּרִית]
- They did NOT care about their promise before [cities] WITNESSES [Dead Sea scrolls]
- The land would become VERY [pual] weak…
- Lebanon [trees] would DECAY – Sharon [fertile agriculture] would be a wilderness…
- Bashan and Carmel would be EMPTY of fruit [no one to cultivate the land]!
- God NEVER promised that life would be EASY – John 16:33
- Learning to come to the LORD – depend on God – is a HARD lesson…
- It often comes through DEVESTAION – people breaking their PROMISES…
- Because it is ONE way to get our attention!
- 2nd – The king Rises… vs. 10-16
- 1st – The Lord… vs. 10-13
- Exalted… vs. 10
- Now I will rise – says the LORD. Now I will be exalted. Now I will lift Myself up!
- Here is where the passage turns – things looked bad – Assyria would invade…
- But just when it seemed all was LOST – the Lord would [imperfect] STAND up…
- Then He would [imperfect] be [passive] EXALTED [polal] – and LIFTED up [niphal]
- Because when God STANDS – amazing things are going [passive] to HAPPEN!
- Consuming fire… vs. 11-12
- You shall conceive chaff. You shall bring forth stubble. Your breath – as fire – shall devour you.
- And the people shall be like the burnings of lime.
- Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire!
- The mighty nation of Assyria – that thought they were INVINCIBLE…
- Would only produce CHAFF and STUBBLE [very flammable]
- And the SPIRIT [רוּחַ] of the LORD – His FIRE – would consume them…
- Like LIME [whitewash] that is burns – or THORNS that are cast in the fire!
- When the Pharisees [whitewash] came to see John the Baptist…
- He warned them that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and Fire!
- Matthew 3:12 – “He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- People can look SUCCESSFUL – they outside [whitewash] can seem to be GOOD…
- But when the LORD stands – His FIRE tests our works…
- And anything that was NOT done with the right motive are BURNT up – John 15:6
- Only those things are from the LORD will remain!
- I Corinthians 3:13 – “Each ones work will become clear for the Day will declare it – because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each ones work of what sort it is.”
- Listen… vs. 13
- Hear you who are afar off – what I have done. And you who are near acknowledge My might!
- What God did to Assyria was meant to be an EXAMPLE…
- Those who were FAR from God – needed to LISTEN [imperative]
- Those who were NEAR to God – needed to SEE [יָדַע] his power [imperative]!
- Colossians 1:24 – “[I] fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.”
- There was NOTHING lacking in the sacrifice of Jesus – the cross…
- When the work was done Jesus said it is FINISHED – nothing needed to be added…
- But we were NOT there to see the cross – we did NOT see Jesus die!
- It is easy to worship Jesus when everything is going well…
- But when bad things happen [Assyria attacks] – and God moves…
- And rather than complaining about life – we SEE the power of God…
- Then people stand up and take notice – through our suffering they see Jesus in us!
- 2nd – Purified… vs. 14-16
- Hypocrites… vs. 14
- The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites.
- Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
- Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
- When the people of ZION [Jerusalem] saw what God did to Assyria – it had TWO results…
- FIRST – those who were SINNERS or HYPOCRITES – were terrified…
- As they asked WHO could live with consuming FIRE of God!
- Hebrews 12:29 – “For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Upright… vs. 15-16
- He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly. He who despises the gain of oppressions.
- Who gestures with his hands refusing bribes. Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed.
- And shuts his eyes from seeing evil. He will dwell on high.
- His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks.
- Bread will be given him. His water will be sure!
- SECOND – to the one who WALKED [lifestyle] righteously [צְדָקָה] – SPOKE uprightly…
- We are NOT left to guess the definition of that person…
- They REJECTED getting rich by taking advantage of others…
- They REFUSED to take bribes – they SHUT their ears and eyes to EVIL [רַע]
- That person will dwell high in the SAFETY [מְצָד] of the ROCKS…
- He will be given BREAD and WATER [his daily needs]!
- Luke 12:31 – “Seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you.”
- We know the PROMISE – put the Lord first and He provides all we NEED…
- But it is NOT just about saying that we put God first…
- It needs to be seen in our ACTIONS – how we live our LIFE [reject – refuse – shut]
- Only then can we be CONFIDENT that we are SAFELY [מְצָד] on the ROCK!
- 1st – The Lord… vs. 10-13
- 3rd – Judah is saved… vs. 17-24
- 1st – Change of perspective… vs. 17-20
- Looking to the King… vs. 17
- Your eyes will see the King in His beauty. They will see the land that is very far off!
- When God gave Judah [Jerusalem] victory over Assyria…
- Then the people would see the KING [מֶלֶךְ] in his beauty [Hezekiah?]
- Because the siege would be broken – the people would come out and see the whole LAND!
- Not Assyria… vs. 18-19
- Your heart will meditate on terror: Where is the scribe?
- Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?
- You will not see a fierce people. A people of obscure speech – beyond perception.
- Of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand!
- The hearts of the people would PONDER on what happened to the TERROR [Assyria]
- Where were their HISTORIANS [scribes] – their PLANNERS [count towers]
- The POWERFUL nation – with a STRANGE language they did NOT [אִין] understand…
- They no longer saw them – because they were GONE!
- Looking to the Lord… vs. 20
- Look upon Zion – the city of our appointed feasts.
- Your eyes will see Jerusalem – a quiet home. A tabernacle that will not be taken down.
- Not one of its stakes will ever be removed – nor will any of its cords be broken!
- The people were to instead LOOK [imperative] to ZION [Jerusalem]
- The city where they had their FESTIVALS – Leviticus 23
- To the TABERNACLE that would ALWAYS be there – could NOT be removed!
- We spend countless hours – trying to work out what we should do [but have no answers]
- The irony about worrying about our problems – is it does NOT help…
- Because we are LOOKING at the PROBLEM – rather than the SOLUTION…
- When we choose to LOOK to the KING – we will find all of our PROBLEMS disappear…
- As we FOCUS on the IMMOVBLE God who gives us PEACE [quiet]
- 2nd – Work of the Lord… vs. 21-24
- Our protection… vs. 21
- But there the majestic LORD will be for us. A place of broad rivers and streams.
- In which no galley with oars will sail – nor majestic ships pass by!
- Because [כִּי] – IF [אִם] our great LORD is for us [rhetorical]
- Then He will act like a BROAD river that NO ship can cross to harm us!
- Our government… vs. 22
- For the LORD is our Judge. The LORD is our Lawgiver. The LORD is our King. He will save us!
- Because [כִּי] – since our great LORD is with us…
- He will be our JUDGE – our LAWGIVER – and our KING!
- There are THREE branches of government – Judicial – Legislative – and Executive…
- Together they are responsible for keeping [hiphil] their people SAFE [יָשַׁע]
- The picture is powerful – the Lord is the ONLY government we need…
- And once we finally learn to come to Him – we will be SAFE!
- Our victory… vs. 23
- Your tackle is loosed. They could not strengthen their mast. They could not spread the sail.
- Then the prey of great plunder is divided. The lame take the prey!
- For a second time Isaiah turns to NAVAL imagery…
- This seems strange because Assyria was a land locked nation [no navy]
- But the Lord had previously described their invasion like a FLOOD – Isaiah 8:7-8
- And here Jerusalem is described as a SHIP devastated by that flood…
- Loose ROPES [tackle] – a broken MAST – a SAIL that cannot be spread…
- YET – out of nowhere this broken city [ship] PLUNDERS the Assyrian Army…
- So that even the LAME of the city gets to take part in the SPOIL!
- Our forgiveness… vs. 24
- And the inhabitant will not say – I am sick.
- The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity!
- And they were more than CONQERORS because of the LORD…
- They would NO longer say they were WEAK [חָלָה]
- Because the SINS of the people were FORGIVEN [participle]!
- Assyria was NOT the greatest problem of Judah had – it was their SIN…
- Assyria was just the tool God used to get their attention – and TURN to the LORD…
- So He could be their PROTECTION – GOVERNEMENT – VICTORY – and FORGIVENESS!
- No matter where we are today – what challenge we are facing…
- We need to remember they are just tools that God is using in our lives…
- To let us see the greatest problem – is our SIN – and the only solution is Jesus!
- 1st – Change of perspective… vs. 17-20