Isaiah – Intro
Tim Mackie – The Meaning of Hope – passages from Isaiah
740-680 BC…………………………….May 14, 1948 Israel returns as a Nation.
Prophet to both North and Southern kingdoms of Judah for 20 years. Civil war broke out. Then just Southern or Judah the rest of the time. Assyria took control of Northern tribes, before Babylon finally taking Judah to exile.
David 1000 BC. -962 BC.
2 Kings 15-21 and 2 Chronicles 26-33, Historical background.
Israel was in Promised Land for 700 years.
400 years God raised up Judges. Military/Political leaders
120 years 3 Kings, Saul, David, Solomon
917 BC, 200 yrs before Isaiah there were 18 kings in the North – all bad.
11 Kings of Judah – Good and bad.
God raised up Prophets as Crisis Managers and His spokesmen.
Elijah, Elisha
Joel, Jonah, Amos before Isaiah
Hosea and Micah = Isaiah
Everyone else afterwards.
Dominant Kingdoms were Egypt/Assyria/Babylon and Israel was in the middle of their battles.
Isaiah’s name means “Yahweh is Salvation” or “Salvation is of the Lord” (Yeshua, Joshua, Jesus)
From Jerusalem, a wife and two sons.
Son of Amoz, not prophet Amos.
Son #1 name means, “a remnant shall return.” Shear-jashub (7:3)
Son #2 name means, “swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.” The longest name in the English Bible. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (8:1)
Traditions says he was martyred by hiding in a tree and the tree was cut down and then Isaiah was sawn in half. Hebrews 2 alludes to prophets that were sawn in half.
Largest of Prophetic books in terms of chapters. But 3rd in terms of words. Jeremiah #1. Ezekiel Psalms
Many feel that Isaiah was written 2 or possibly 3 authors.
1-39 written by Isaiah.
40-66 written by someone else closely tied to Isaiah. Deutero-Isaiah.
Books of Bible 66, 39 OT books, 27 NT books, a microcosm of the Bible. 1st 39 condemnation, 2nd 27 redemption.
Latter part of Isaiah for sure written in the latter part of Isaiah’s life. Had writing style vocabulary changed over the years? Isaiah’s name is not found in the latter part.
The following factors support the traditional view that Isaiah the son of Amoz authored this book.
- The heading of the book and at least thirteen other places within the book claim Isaiah as the speaker/writer.
- Jewish and Christian tradition is uniform in attributing this book to Isaiah.
- The Septuagint, translated about 250 b.c., shows no distinction between the two halves of the book.
- Ben Sirach, writing at about 280 b.c., knew of one Isaiah.
- The two complete Isaiah manuscripts among the Dead Sea Scrolls indicate no break at the end of chapter 39. These manuscripts date to about a century and a half before Christ.
- Josephus attributes the Cyrus prophecy of 44:28 and 45:1—the most controversial prophecy in the book—to Isaiah the son of Amoz.
- Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth read from Isaiah 61 and attributed it to Isaiah (Luke 4:16ff.).
- In the New Testament several passages from “Deutero-Isaiah” are quoted and attributed simply to Isaiah.
- The literary style of the second half of Isaiah is so similar to the first that even critics admit that “Deutero-Isaiah” must have been a disciple of Isaiah who tried to imitate his master.
- A certain circle of ideas appears throughout the book binding it together as the work of one author. The concepts of a highway, Zion, the Holy One of Israel, and pangs of a woman in labor are but a few of the many which might be listed.
- Many of the passages found in “Deutero-Isaiah” are totally unsuitable to the period of the exile of Judah where they are placed by the critics, but totally appropriate to the days of Isaiah son of Amoz.
The Message of the Book
The theme of Isaiah is the same as the meaning of this prophet’s name: “Yahweh is salvation.” The immediate purpose of the book was to teach the truth that salvation is by grace. The long range purpose was to demonstrate the role of Judah in the plan of God as the vehicle through which Messiah would come into the world.
The Importance of the Book
For the Christian the Book of Isaiah is extremely important. Forty-seven chapters of this book were directly quoted or alluded to by Christ or the Apostles. With more than four hundred allusions, Isaiah stands second only to Psalms as the most cited book in the New Testament.
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The first chapter of Isaiah serves as a prologue to the entire book. It stresses four concepts which permeate the message of Isaiah: (1) accusation of sin; (2) invitation to repentance; (3) lamentation over disaster; and (4) purgation (purging of or, purification) through judgment.
The Wickedness of Judah (2-15)
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken: The Accusation of Sin
“Children[a] have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
We talked about this one day. We have children that we raised up to be faithful believers of God and yet, they haven’t turned out that way…yet! Think about it, we are the same, most of us. We have had our rebellious moments, or still do and yet we have a perfect heavenly father. For us, our children didn’t have perfect parents, but we do and we still rebell from time to time.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
Even the dumb Ox and donkey knows who feeds it. They are smart enough to be kind to the one who feeds them, but not Israel.
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
5 Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
7 Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
9 If the Lord of hosts (war, armies)
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Totally destroyed
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching[b] of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
I thought they were destroyed? He’s using sarcasm, they are just like Sodom…
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, referring to prayers
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood. Guilty of abusing people as we will see in following
Sins of Ingratitude. God promised to bless them, and He did, but they did not thank him. Dumb animals have a greater amount of loyalty and respect then the Israelites did to God. Vs.2 God brought them up, taught them how to live, and all He gets from them is rebellion.
Sins of Corruption 1:4 Iniquity is sin that you know better. Taking advantage of the disadvantaged.
Sins of Judah for not repenting even though everything has gone bad, (incorrigibleness) 1:5-9
Sin of Hypocrisy 1:10-15,16. The rulers and people of Israel were so wicked that their counterparts could only be found in those notoriously wicked cities. In spite of their elaborate temple ceremonies they had no standing with God. Every aspect of their hypocritical worship—their sacrifices, offerings, assemblies, and even their prayers—were absolutely detestable to the Lord (1:10–16).
The cycle continues:
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; (2)invitation to repentance. Israel has substituted words for actions. They are hypocritical.
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause. They must stop doing wrong. They must replace that previous wrong with positive action. They must seek justice for the most helpless segments of society—the fatherless and the widow (1:16–17).
18 “Come now, let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool. What a great offer, how could you refuse, but many do.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” As an incentive to repentance the loving Father held out to his beloved children the prospect of forgiveness and reinstatement. God wanted ancient Israel—and indeed modern man as well—to consider two scenarios. In the first, scarlet sin, i.e., the sin of murder itself, becomes as white as snow. Willing obedience could make possible such forgiveness. The forgiven sinner would be able to enjoy life and the blessing of God. He would “eat the best from the land.” The second scenario, however, pictures the fate of one who refused God’s mercy and rebelled against him. That individual would be devoured by the sword (1:18–20).
The Unfaithful City
21 How the faithful city (3) lament over disaster Jerusalem is now spiritual adultery
has become a whore, not faithful anymore
she who was full of justice!
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now murderers.
22 Your silver has become dross, trash residue from refining, worthless
your best wine mixed with water. We don’t usually think of God as a wine connoisseur
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not bring justice to the fatherless, they could not get an ear in court w/o bribe.
and the widow’s cause does not come to them. Isaiah utilized the technique of lamentation to underscore the terrible condition of the nation and its need for repentance. He likened once-faithful Jerusalem to a fallen woman, to silver which had become worthless, and to wine diluted by water. That place which was once the very embodiment of righteousness now harbored murderers. The rulers, who should have been forceful advocates for the less fortunate, accepted bribes from the rich and powerful.
This is much like our world today, isn’t it?
24 Therefore the Lord declares,
the Lord of hosts,
the Mighty One of Israel:
“Ah, I will get relief from my enemies
and avenge myself on my foes.
25 I will turn my hand against you only judgment could purge a corrupt city
and will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy. Pollutant. Refine you, not give up on you. Exile will cause you to turn back to me.
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.”
27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For they[e] shall be ashamed of the oaks
that you desired;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 And the strong shall become tinder,
and his work a spark,
and both of them shall burn together,
with none to quench them. Only judgment could purge the corrupt city. God would vent his wrath against the rebellious rulers. Like worthless dross they would be swept away. The corrupt leadership would be replaced with dedicated judges like those who served in the early days of Israel’s history. Under the leadership of these righteous rulers Jerusalem would come to have a more positive reputation as the city of righteousness and a faithful city (1:24–26).
The penitent people of Zion (Jerusalem) would be redeemed from God’s judgment. The rebellious sinners, however, would be crushed by his wrath. They would come to regard their pagan places of worship—the sacred oaks and gardens—with disgust. Their gods would give no sustenance in the day of trial. They would wither under the pressure like vegetation without adequate moisture. Even the mighty man would be consumed in the unquenchable fires of God’s judgment (1:29–31).
Footnotes
- Isaiah 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4
- Isaiah 1:10 Or law
- Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute
- Isaiah 1:21 Or become unchaste
- Isaiah 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you
Yeshua is the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is “Joshua.” Iesous is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is “Jesus.” Thus, the names “Joshua” and “Jesus” are essentially the same; both are English pronunciations of the Hebrew and Greek names for our Lord. (For examples of how the two names are interchangeable, see Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in the KJV. In both cases, the word Jesus refers to the Old Testament character Joshua.)
The Mountain of the Lord A. Promise: A Glorious City (2:2–5)
2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days “Messianic Age”. Kingdom age. 70AD…church age…millennial kingdom
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it. Mountains often symbolize kingdoms in prophecy. The temple mount here indicates that God’s kingdom is spiritual. That kingdom would one day be exalted over all kingdoms of this world (2:2).
3 Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. One day no more zoom…God himself with teach. Will I argue with Him?
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord. Gentiles would stream to that holy mount. They would hunger to know the ways of Israel’s God. They would desire to live their lives by his precepts. Zion would be the center of religious instruction for the whole world. The Gentiles would make the Word of God the standard for settling disputes among themselves. The hostility between nations would cease. Instruments of war would be transformed into instruments of commerce. Isaiah used this exciting picture of Zion’s future attractiveness to encourage his contemporaries to “walk in the light of the Lord” (2:3–5).
Isaiah’s prediction regarding Zion’s future has received two very different interpretations. Some see this as a description of the millennial reign of Christ—a thousand years of peace with Christ ruling from the throne of David in Jerusalem. Others see in these predictions a picture of the New Testament Zion, the church of Christ (Heb. 12:22). In any case, where Christ’s government prevails, peace follows.
Remember…Daniel saw a Rock that came out of heaven and would grow to rule the earth.
The Day of the Lord B. Indictment: An Abandoned People (2:6–9)
6 You, Lord, have abandoned your people,
the descendants of Jacob.
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination like the Philistines
and embrace pagan customs.
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to their treasures.
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots. Military might
8 Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made. How do you build something and then worship it?
9 So people will be brought low
and everyone humbled—
do not forgive them.[a]
Since the house of Jacob was not walking in the light of the Lord, he had abandoned them to their fate. This drastic action became necessary because God’s people had embraced the superstitions of the heathen. The people trusted in their abundant silver and gold and in their horses, i.e., military might. The land was full of idols and the people unashamedly bowed before these man-made objects. The abandonment of Israel would ultimately result in the humbling of the proud sinners in judgment.
- Warning: God’s Day (2:10–22)
10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty!
11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled), last days, began when Jesus arrived) (day of the Lord. God’s judgment)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
and all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the towering mountains
and all the high hills,
15 for every lofty tower
and every fortified wall,
16 for every trading ship[b]
and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low
and human pride humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18 and the idols will totally disappear.
19 People will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.
20 In that day people will throw away
to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
which they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 Stop regarding man stop trusting in man.
in whose nostrils is breath,
for of what account is he?
READ: Isaiah predicted the coming of a day when all the sinful pretensions of man would be humbled. The Lord alone would be exalted in that day. Every symbol and object of man’s pride would be laid low. The idols would totally disappear (2:10–18). Whether Isaiah was describing the forthcoming judgment upon Judah, or the final judgment is a matter of debate. The prophets apparently regarded every temporal judgment as a day of the Lord which betokened that final day when God’s judgment will be poured out on the entire world.
In that day the Lord would arise to shake the earth. From his dreadful majesty men would flee to the caverns in the rocks. So as not to be impeded in their flight, they would cast away their worthless idols. From God’s awesome judgment, however, no escape would be possible. The caves of the mountains and holes in the ground would afford no protection. Since those idols could not avert God’s judgment, trusting in them was senseless. Likewise, putting trust in mortal man makes no sense (2:19–22).
Footnotes
- Isaiah 2:9 Or not raise them up
- Isaiah 2:16 Hebrew every ship of Tarshish
Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. 2:6 review casting spells didn’t stop being Jewish but practiced other pagan religions at the same time. Like Catholic church in Haiti with Voodoo.
- Warning: Judgment on Judah (3:1–12)
3 For behold, the Lord God of hosts
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,[a]
all support of bread,
and all support of water;
2 the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty
and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
and the expert in charms.
4 And I will make boys their princes,
and infants[b] shall rule over them.
5 And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow
and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the despised to the honorable.
6 For a man will take hold of his brother
in the house of his father, saying:
“You have a cloak;
you shall be our leader,
and this heap of ruins
shall be under your rule”;
7 in that day he will speak out, saying:
“I will not be a healer;[c]
in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
you shall not make me
leader of the people.” God’s judgment would remove every supply and support—every crutch—of Judah. This included material necessities like food and water. Included also were military, political, and religious leaders upon whom the people depended. Naive, inexperienced and immature men—mere children in disposition and ability—would assume the leadership roles. Without strong central government, anarchy would prevail. So desperate would that hour be that men would seize anyone who had the trappings of leadership and draft him for office. No would-be leader, however, would have any solutions for the woes of the nation (3:1–7).
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled,
and Judah has fallen,
because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord,
defying his glorious presence.[d]
9 For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it. No shame. Remind of story
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves. In Isaiah’s view Jerusalem was staggering to its destruction. In word and deed these people had fought against God; they had offended his glorious eye. Their sin was blatant, open and defiant. Guilt was written all over their faces. Like the citizens of ancient Sodom, they paraded their sins before God and man. They, therefore, had brought themselves under a prophetic “woe.” Disaster was awaiting them. They would reap what they had sowed (3:8–9).
Sounds like USA
10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him,
for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
12 My people—infants are their oppressors,
and women rule over them.
O my people, your guides mislead you
and they have swallowed up[e] the course of your paths. God’s judgment would make a distinction between the wicked and the righteous. Those who lived by the standards of God’s word would be blessed by God. They would “enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” The wicked, however, were under God’s “woe,” i.e., his threat of destructive judgment. They too would reap what they had sowed. God’s people had been led from the path of obedience by their rulers who were as inexperienced in government as women, and as oppressively selfish as spoiled youths. God accused these leaders of causing “my people” to err, of leading them down paths of destruction (3:10–12).
13 The Lord has taken his place to contend;
he stands to judge peoples.
14 The Lord will enter into judgment
with the elders and princes of his people:
“It is you who have devoured[f] the vineyard,
the spoil of the poor is in your houses. There were provisions for allowing the poor to survive.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people,
by grinding the face of the poor?”
declares the Lord God of hosts. The Lord stood up to press a lawsuit against the elders and princes of the land. Instead of protecting God’s vineyard (the nation) they had consumed it. They had furnished their homes with spoils taken illegally from the poor of the land. In a question addressed to the defendants, the Lord pointedly asked, How could you beat down and crush my people so? (3:13–15).
Scripture does not say wealth is bad. But the love of money is A root of ALL Kinds of evil. Covetousness and discontentment. Greed.
- Warning: Judgment on the Women (3:16–4:1)
16 The Lord said:
Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks,
glancing wantonly with their eyes,
mincing along as they go,
tinkling with their feet,
17 therefore the Lord will strike with a scab
the heads of the daughters of Zion,
and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; 19 the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves; 20 the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets; 21 the signet rings and nose rings; 22 the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags; 23 the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
24 Instead of perfume there will be rottenness;
and instead of a belt, a rope;
and instead of well-set hair, baldness;
and instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth;
and branding instead of beauty. As they go into exile in Babylon, tied by ropes and branded.
25 Your men shall fall by the sword
and your mighty men in battle.
26 And her gates shall lament and mourn;
empty, she shall sit on the ground. The women of Judah fell under divine condemnation no less than the men. With cutting sarcasm Isaiah described the haughty walk and look of the leading ladies of the land. In God’s judgment they would be stripped of all their finery and forced to don sackcloth. Their beautiful hairdos would give way to baldness and scabs. A stench would replace the sweet odor of their expensive perfumes. Zion, as a destitute widow, would lament the slaughter of all men of war. The women, desperate to avoid the reproach of childlessness, shamelessly would compete for marriage proposals from the few surviving men. They would be willing to eat their own bread, i.e., pay their own way, if only they might have a husband. 4;1
Footnotes
- Isaiah 3:1 Hebrew staff
- Isaiah 3:4 Or caprice
- Isaiah 3:7 Hebrew binder of wounds
- Isaiah 3:8 Hebrew the eyes of his glory
- Isaiah 3:12 Or they have confused
Isaiah 3:14 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 Content
4 And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”
The Branch of the Lord Glorified — Promise: A Better Day (4:2–6)
2 In that day the branch (Jeremiah referring to the Messiah) of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. The judgment of which Isaiah had been speaking would not be the final curtain of the divine drama. Three great blessings await those who “in that day,” that future time, escape the wrath of God. First, a glorious leader would appear. That he would be divine is hinted at in the title “Branch of the Lord.” That he would be also human is suggested by the phrase “the fruit of the earth,” i.e., of lowly birth. Those who had been saved from God’s wrath—the remnant—would readily embrace him (4:2). The leader in view here is no doubt the Messiah.
3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, Second, those who survived the devastating judgment on Jerusalem would be those who had been “written for life,” i.e., chosen by God. They would be called “holy” because by faith they had embraced that divinely appointed leader, the Branch of the Lord (4:3f.).
4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.[a] 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. Third, those who dwell in purified Zion would experience the protection of the Lord. In language borrowed from the Exodus narrative, God promised a cloud by day and a shining fire by night. He would provide his people, as it were, a shelter from storm and heat, i.e., protection through the trials of life (4:5f.).
6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
4 And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.”
The Branch of the Lord Glorified — Promise: A Better Day (4:2–6)
2 In that day the branch (Jeremiah referring to the Messiah) of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. The judgment of which Isaiah had been speaking would not be the final curtain of the divine drama. Three great blessings await those who “in that day,” that future time, escape the wrath of God. First, a glorious leader would appear. That he would be divine is hinted at in the title “Branch of the Lord.” That he would be also human is suggested by the phrase “the fruit of the earth,” i.e., of lowly birth. Those who had been saved from God’s wrath—the remnant—would readily embrace him (4:2). The leader in view here is no doubt the Messiah.
3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, Second, those who survived the devastating judgment on Jerusalem would be those who had been “written for life,” i.e., chosen by God. They would be called “holy” because by faith they had embraced that divinely appointed leader, the Branch of the Lord (4:3f.).
4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.[a] 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. Third, those who dwell in purified Zion would experience the protection of the Lord. In language borrowed from the Exodus narrative, God promised a cloud by day and a shining fire by night. He would provide his people, as it were, a shelter from storm and heat, i.e., protection through the trials of life (4:5f.).
6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed
5 Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes. He expected much more.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes? Isaiah referred to God in the most affectionate way: “my loved one” (NIV) or “my well-beloved” (NASB). The gist of his song is that the Lord had a vineyard upon which he devoted constant care. The fertile hillside was properly prepared and planted with the choicest vines. In anticipation of an abundant harvest a wine press was constructed near the vineyard. The vineyard, however, produced nothing but bad fruit. God appealed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to judge the situation for themselves. What more could have been done for the vineyard? Why did that well-tended vineyard yield only bad grapes? (5:1–4).
5 And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard. This is what I’ve done, what more can I do? I’ve done all I can, now here what I’m going to do.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;[a]
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down. Next the vineyard owner announced his intentions regarding his fruitless possession. The hedge and wall which protected the vineyard would be removed. The plot would be trampled by man and beast. Rain would be withheld. No more effort would be expended cultivating the vines. Thorn bushes would soon choke out the vines (5:5f.).
6 I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;[b]
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry! Matthew 21:33 John 15, I am the vine you are branches. WE are connected to the Lord and our purpose is to bear fruit.
Isaiah made clear the meaning of his parable. The vineyard of Yahweh of hosts represented the house of Israel, and the inhabitants of Judah in particular. The fruit which the Lord anticipated was justice and righteousness. All he saw, however, was violent bloodshed; all he heard was the cry of people in great distress (5:7).
Woe to the Wicked. Oi Vay
8 Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
9 The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing:
“Surely many houses shall be desolate,
large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres[d] of vineyard shall yield but one bath,
and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”[e] The parable of the vineyard is followed by six woes which the prophet probably intended to be examples of the wild grapes produced by God’s vineyard. The first woe pointed to the insatiable greed of the powerful land barons. They could never acquire enough land. God threatened to vacate their mansions and reduce their crops to only a tenth of the seed sown (5:8–10).
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning,
that they may run after strong drink,
who tarry late into the evening
as wine inflames them!
12 They have lyre and harp,
tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord,
or see the work of his hands. Stimulated by TV, Music Social media and no time for God.
13 Therefore my people go into exile
for lack of knowledge;[f]
their honored men go hungry,[g]
and their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite
and opened its mouth beyond measure,
and the nobility of Jerusalem[h] and her multitude will go down,
her revelers and he who exults in her.
15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,
and the eyes of the haughty[i] are brought low.
16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted[j] in justice,
and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,
and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. The second woe focused on dissipation and drunkenness. All concern for God’s word and work had been quenched by their revelry. Exile to foreign lands awaited these men who lack all spiritual understanding. Sheol (the abode of the dead), like a voracious monster, would swallow the elite and the noisy throngs as well. All the inhabitants of Judah would be humbled in that dreadful day. The Lord, however, would be exalted in his holy act of judgment. Flocks would graze in once populated areas. Strangers would overrun the land (5:11–17).
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,
who draw sin as with cart ropes, In the third woe Isaiah condemned Judah’s daring defiance of the Lord. They showed willful contempt for all the prophetic denunciations. They brazenly challenged God to do his work of judgment. Only when they saw it would they believe it. These men willingly had hitched themselves to a load of sin and by that load they would be crushed ultimately (5:18f.).
19 who say: “Let him be quick,
let him speed his work
that we may see it;
let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,
and let it come, that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter! Three brief hammer-like blows completed the series of six woes. The first was a condemnation of Judah’s moral perversity. These people had launched a semantical attack on all righteous deeds and had bestowed upon the most despicable acts terms of approbation (5:20).
Sins have become normalized.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight! Next Isaiah denounced Judah’s arrogant self-conceit. They were wise in their own eyes (5:21).
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink, Finally, the prophet mockingly berated Judah’s corrupted courage. They were heroes at consuming wine but they had no moral courage to champion the cause of the innocent (5:22).
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right!
24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,
and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,
so their root will be as rottenness,
and their blossom go up like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,
and the mountains quaked;
and their corpses were as refuse
in the midst of the streets.
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still. Bitter fruit requires a bitter harvest. Isaiah depicted the consequences of spurning the word of the Holy One of Israel in four word pictures. In the first he pictured Judah as a withered vineyard. Against that tinder-dry vineyard the burning wrath of Yahweh would be unleashed (5:24). In the picture of the upraised hand Isaiah depicted God striking down his people with his mighty hand. Mountains shook from the blows. Corpses piled up like refuse in the streets. Stubborn refusal to repent caused God’s hand to remain poised for further blows (5:25).
26 He will raise a signal for nations far away,
and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
27 None is weary, none stumbles,
none slumbers or sleeps,
not a waistband is loose,
not a sandal strap broken;
28 their arrows are sharp,
all their bows bent,
their horses’ hoofs seem like flint,
and their wheels like the whirlwind.
29 Their roaring is like a lion,
like young lions they roar;
they growl and seize their prey;
they carry it off, and none can rescue. The third word picture was that of the roaring lion. God would summon agents of destruction by means of a signal flag and a whistle. The unidentified enemy soldiers would be alert, well-equipped, swift. This invading army would be as irresistible as a roaring lion (5:26–29).
30 They will growl over it on that day,
like the growling of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
behold, darkness and distress;
and the light is darkened by its clouds. In the fourth picture Judah was compared to a storm-tossed ship. No matter in which direction the leaders looked, no hopeful prospect could be seen (5:30).
Footnotes
- Isaiah 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5
- Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike
- Isaiah 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike
- Isaiah 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day
- Isaiah 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
- Isaiah 5:13 Or without their knowledge
- Isaiah 5:13 Or die of hunger
- Isaiah 5:14 Hebrew her nobility
- Isaiah 5:15 Hebrew high
- Isaiah 5:16 Hebrew high
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Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord A Vision of God (6:1–3)
6 In the year that King Uzziah Uzziah began his reign when he was only 16 years old, and he reigned 52 years. Overall, he was a good king, and 2 Kings 15:3 says, he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 2 Chronicles 26:5 says, He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper. Uzziah also led Israel in military victories over the Philistines and other neighboring nations, and he was a strong king. Uzziah was an energetic builder, planner, and general. 2 Chronicles 26:8 says of Uzziah, His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong. But Uzziah’s life ended tragically. 2 Chronicles 26:16 says, but when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. In response, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, and he was an isolated leper until his death.
died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; (a superior position. Not on our level.) and the train (hem, bottom edge of a robe.)(the brides dress, tail). of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah saw the Lord (’adonay, the sovereign one) as an exalted king on the throne of his heavenly temple. His train (robes) filled the whole place (6:1). 2 Above him stood the seraphim. (burning ones) Only place it appears. Maybe the same as Cherabim. Ezekiel 1, 10 Rev 4 Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: 4 wings represent humility, 2 wings service. Even Seraphim’s cannot look at God?
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; 3x in intensity
the whole earth is full of his glory!”[b]
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. According to the Apostle John, Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory (John 12:39–41).
Seraphim (flame-like angelic beings) stood about the heavenly throne waiting to do the bidding of the King. Each had six pairs of wings. One pair shielded the face from God’s glory; one pair covered the lower body parts in modesty; and one pair was used to hover. In their antiphonal singing the seraphim praised God for his holiness and his omnipotence. They extolled him for manifesting his glory throughout all the earth. The heavenly temple shook with the mighty strains of the hymn of these angels. Smoky clouds of incense filled the entire temple and shielded the eyes of the prophet from looking directly upon the glory of deity (6:2–4).
- A Vision of Self (6:5–7)
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; sinfulness of himself and his people. for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Isaiah let his audience know that before he pronounced his woes on others, he had first pronounced a woe upon himself. Having become aware of the holiness of God, he knew that his own sinfulness meant doom (“I am ruined”). He had just heard holy lips praise God; he now became aware of the uncleanness of his own lips. He was unfit to preach, or even to praise God in his wretched condition (6:5). Not even as holy as the Seraphim. The more clearly he saw the Lord, the more he feels bad about himself. Consistent with stories today that see God?
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. This must be heaven’s version of the altar of incense that was set before the holy of holies in the tabernacle of God (Exodus 30:1-10). We know that the earthly tabernacle God instructed Moses to build was made after the pattern of a heavenly reality (Exodus 25:9).
7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” One of the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips with a hot coal from the altar of incense. In this visional and symbolic gesture the young man received assurance that his sins had been purged (6:6–7). Martin has observed that God does not want and will not use unclean instruments in his service.
Either there was no pain, because of a special blessing by God, or the pain did not matter because of the majesty of the surroundings and the goodness of the cleansing.
A Vision of Service (6:8–13)
Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”(who is us?) Why is God asking the question? He uses people! Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Who will go for us?” The plural pronoun seems to point to the pluralistic unity of the Godhead. One God speaks, but three distinct persons in the Godhead are involved. Reverence compels Isaiah to say as little as possible. Two words in the Hebrew give his positive answer (6:8). 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: the answer will always be go when we offer ourselves to the Lord.
“‘Keep on hearing,[c] but do not understand;
keep on seeing,[d] but do not perceive.’ Martin observes that the woe of confession (v. 5) is followed by the lo of cleaning (v. 7), and that in turn by the go of commission (v. 9).
Men who refuse God’s Word become ever more hardened to its influence. Isaiah was warned at the outset that his preaching would “make the heart of this people fat,” i.e., their understanding would become dull and sluggish. His auditors would become spiritually blind and deaf (6:9f.).
10 Make the heart of this people dull,[e]
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste, The pessimistic forecast provoked a despairing question from the fledgling prophet. How long must he continue to preach a message which would cause his people to entrench themselves ever deeper in sin? God’s answer: he must continue to preach until his predictions of devastation and deportation had been completely fulfilled. Then only would he be relieved of the responsibility to preach (6:11f.).
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it, a remnant, only 10%
it will be burned[f] again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump remains
when it is felled.”
The holy seed[g] is its stump. One slight glimmer of hope penetrated the dark outlook for Judah. A tithe of the population would survive the judgment. Even that remnant, however, would experience severe persecution. Those who listened to the prophet and embraced God’s holiness would be like a stump in the land. From that stump a new Israel would emerge (6:13).
Footnotes
- Isaiah 6:1 Or hem
- Isaiah 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth
- Isaiah 6:9 Or Hear indeed
- Isaiah 6:9 Or see indeed
- Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew fat
- Isaiah 6:13 Or purged
- Isaiah 6:13 Or offspring
Jennifer question, Messiah referred to the stump…church replace Israel
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