SAY TO THE RIGHTEOUS

Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.

Isaiah 3:1–12 NASB95

For behold, the Lord God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water; The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder, The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter. And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them, And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder And the inferior against the honorable. When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler, And these ruins will be under your charge,” He will protest on that day, saying, “I will not be your healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people.” For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence. The expression of their faces bears witness against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him. O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.

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Isaiah 3:10–11 NASB95

Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.

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Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3

This warning of judgment first focuses on the effect of a military defeat—where all traditional leadership has been removed. It then focuses on the social ramifications of the loss. The horror of war has a way of adjusting people’s priorities. The message of Isa 3:1–15 is directed toward the leaders of Judah, who are responsible for leading the people away from God. The focus of 3:16–4:1 is on the “daughters of Zion” and their financial and social loss in light of the removal of male leadership and husbands.

The Prophet Isaiah is believed to be the author of this much read book. The book of Isaiah addresses the problem of sin, showing the need for salvation. Isaiah is called by God to speak to the people of Judah and call attention to their wrongdoings—and the resulting judgment. But judgment is not the end of the story; the book also prophesies salvation and restoration. This hopeful picture is what made Isaiah such a compelling book to early Christians, who saw its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

Background

Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of four kings of Judah during the eighth century BC. Little is known about his life, although the book does allude to him being a husband and father ().

Much of Isaiah’s prophetic activity, recorded in , relates to the Syro-Ephraimite War during the reign of King Ahaz (ca. 735 BC) or to the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah during Hezekiah’s reign (701 BC). In 722 BC Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, representing an imminent threat to the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah warned that a similar judgment would come to Judah.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to Isaiah

Background

Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of four kings of Judah during the eighth century BC. Little is known about his life, although the book does allude to him being a husband and father (Isa 8:3).

Much of Isaiah’s prophetic activity, recorded in Isa 1–39, relates to the Syro-Ephraimite War during the reign

The theme of 3:1–5 is the removal of life support. This means, quite literally, basic physical needs (food and water) and basic communal needs (leadership)

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

This warning of judgment first focuses on the effect of a military defeat—where all traditional leadership has been removed. It then focuses on the social ramifications of the loss. The horror of war has a way of adjusting people’s priorities. The message of is directed toward the leaders of Judah, who are responsible for leading the people away from God. The focus of 3:16–4:1 is on the “daughters of Zion” and their financial and social loss in light of the removal of male leadership and husbands.

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Faithlife Study Bible Introduction to Isaiah

The book of Isaiah addresses the problem of sin, showing the need for salvation. Isaiah is called by God to speak to the people of Judah and call attention to their wrongdoings—and the resulting judgment. But judgment is not the end of the story; the book also prophesies salvation and restoration. This hopeful picture is what made Isaiah such a compelling book to early Christians, who saw its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

SAY TO THE RIGHTEOUS

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