Isaiah 21-25
Isaiah • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 209 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Chapter 21-25 Review
Chapter 21-25 Review
Chapter 21
Three more burdens or judgments are recorded in Chapter 21: Babylon, Edom and Arabia. Babylon was covered in chapters 13-14 but here the judgment is very precise although still 200 years in the future. The book of Daniel provided an eye-witness account of Isaiah’s prophecy in fulfillment. Isaiah uses the imagery of a thrashing floor to symbolize his coming judgment - while disturbing it is also reassuring for those who choose to believe and obey
Chapter 22
Isaiah saw the self-sufficient city and the self-sufficient man. The city placed their trust in weapons, defenses and engineering marvels. They should have placed their trust in the Lord. Many others placed their trust in a man, Shebna. He was referred to as a peg. Man hung their hope on him but he failed and was ejected from the palace in disgrace and died in disgrace in a foreign land.
Chapter 23
Tyre is the last burden is Tyre, the great Phoenician city known for its formidable navy and ships that could said the open seas. The city was wealthy from trading. The final woe is judgment against Tyre and a warning to its sister city Sidon
Chapter 24
Beginning in Chapter 24 to 27:13 Isaiah describes the great tribulation. These four chapters are often called “Isaiah’s Apocalypse.” They discuss God’s judgment on the entire world for its sin. Isaiah’s prophecies were first directed to Judah, then to Israel, then to the surrounding nations, and finally the whole world. Judgment comes on everyone no matter what their social or economic status. The high and the low. Rich and the poor, religious and non-religious. God holds all men accountable even those who have not heard the gospel
Chapter 25
The vision of the great tribulation continues. We see the many reasons God deserves praise. We also see that He knows our pain and one day will wipe away every tear
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Overview
Three more burdens or judgments are recorded in Chapter 21: Babylon, Edom and Arabia. Babylon was covered in chapters ( 13-14 ) but here the judgment is very precise although still 200 years in the future. The book of Daniel provided an eye-witness account of Isaiah’s prophecy in fulfillment. Isaiah uses the imagery of a thrashing floor to symbolize his coming judgment - while disturbing it is also reassuring for those who choose to believe and obey
3 More Burdens (Judgement )
— Babylon - already mentioned in ( 13, 14 )
— Edom
— Arabia
The judgment
Here the actual judgment is predicted
— Very specific
— Prediction was 200 years in the future
First & Last
— Babylon was the first place of rebellion against God
— Tower of Babel
— Babel means “confuse” (Gen 11) but it also is symbolic of Babylon
— Babylon will also be the last to rebel against God- Spiritual Babylon (Rev 17) and Commercial Babylon (Rev 18)
The Desert by the Sea (Babylon): the fall of the gods (21:1-10)
( 21:1-10 ) The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. 2 A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease. 3 Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it. 4 My heart wavered, fearfulness frightened me; The night for which I longed He turned into fear for me. 5 Prepare the table, Set a watchman in the tower, Eat and drink. Arise, you princes, Anoint the shield! 6 For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.” 7 And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, And he listened earnestly with great care. 8 Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night. 9 And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.” 10 Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, The God of Israel, I have declared to you.
Q: What does 21:1 refer to ? Why is this Babylon?
Wilderness by the Sea
— Desert by the sea (NIV)
— We don’t understand these symbols but to the people in Isaiah’s day they were clear
Q: Can you think of some symbols that we have that some people wouldn’t understand?
Our Symbols
— Stars & Stripes
— Old Glory
— “Hat trick” in Hockey
— “Put yourself in his shoes”
Jeremiah
— Babylon fell in 539 BC
— Jeremiah had a similar description
— “O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.”
Euphrates
— Babylon was near the Euphrates river, irrigated by many canals
— A very fertile region
— water often represent many nations
— water and wilderness are consistent with a picture of Babylon (cf Isa 21; Jer 51)
— “ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters” ( Rev 17:1 )
— “So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horn” ( Rev 17:3 )
Q: What are whirlwinds like? Isaiah 21:1
A whirlwind
( 21:1 ) As whirlwinds in the South pass through, So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land
Tornadoes
— Swift, violent
— The worse are at night
— You can’t see them coming but you can hear them
— Sounds like a freight train
Q: Where does it come from?
A terrible land
( 21:2 ) Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease
Elam
— He provides the answer here: Elam
— Another word for Persia
— This is the Persian Empire that destroyed Babylon 539 BC
— The Jews were already in captivity at this point
— After this, the Medes would allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem recorded in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Isaiah’s Pain
( 21:3 ) Therefore my loins are filled with pain; Pangs have taken hold of me, like the pangs of a woman in labor. I was distressed when I heard it; I was dismayed when I saw it.
— Loins filled with pain
— Pangs like a woman in labor
— Distressed
— Dismayed
Q: Not the reaction I was expecting. Why does this pain Isaiah?
None Rejoice
— No one can rejoice at the judgment of God
— Isaiah holds this up as a mirror of what awaits the ungodly
Save not judge
— God doesn’t want to judge you - he wants to save you
Eating Drinking
( 21:5 ) Prepare the table, Set a watchman in the tower, Eat and drink. Arise, you princes, Anoint the shield!
— Prepare the table... Eat and drink
Q: What were the Babylonians doing when the attack happened?
Eye witness account
— Daniel was in the king’s court when this actually happened, just like Isaiah prophesied
— “Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.” (cf. Dan 5:1 )
Hand Writing
— A man’s hand wrote on the wall (Dan 5:5)
— Daniel called in to explain (Dan 5:13)
— Daniel provided a prophecy
— “This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” ( Dan 5:26-28 )
Watchman
( 21:6 ) For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.”
— Go set a watchman - a reliable man
— We watch it unfold
Q: What does the watchman do? What is his job?
His perspective
— How interesting!
— We see this from the watchman’s perspective
— When he sees someone or something strange, he sounds the alarm
— He’s reliable
— Doesn’t sound false alarms
Q: What does he see? Isa 21:7?
Medes/Persians
( 21:7 ) And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, And he listened earnestly with great care
— Represent the two nations combined against Babylon
— The Medes and Persians
Lion
( 21:8 ) Then he cried, “A lion, my Lord! I stand continually on the watchtower in the daytime; I have sat at my post every night
— He sounds the alarm. The lion is fierce, implacable attacker.
— Isaiah used it in Isa 15:9. Lions upon him who escapes from Moab, i.e. no safety for those who flee
Q: What does the watchman say in Isaiah 21:9?
Babylon has fallen
( 21:9 ) And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground
— Graven images broken - points to a future time, the religious Babylon in Revelation 17
Q: What is a threshing floor? What does it symbolize? Isa 21:10
Thrashing Floor
( 21:10 ) Oh, my threshing and the grain of my floor! That which I have heard from the Lord of hosts, The God of Israel, I have declared to you
— Smooth floor, separate grain from chaff (corn, wheat)
— People used animals or sticks (cf. Ruth 2:17, Isa 28:27)
— The heads of wheat were first trampled to break open the seeds to expose the grain (threshing)
— The seeds thrown into the air and the chaff blew away and the seed falls to the ground (winnowing)
— Israel would experience the same process
— the worthless, sinful people would be taken away but God would keep the good grain to replenish Israel
— Good and evil was separated
— “But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor.” ( Micah 4:12 )
— “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ( Matt 3:12 )
Q: Who is being thrashed or judged in Isa 21:10?
— Judah
My Floor
— My people, my floor, my grain
— True believers are the corn of God’s floor
— Hypocrites are but the chaff and straw pictured here
— Babylon’s thrashing of God’s people
— Judgment starts with us (1 Peter 4:17, 18)
J. Alec Motyer
“While the content of this vision is… disturbing, the theology is reassuring. The sovereign God … is not only judge of those who refuse and disobey Him but the redeemer of those whom He chooses - the God the Exodus”
The Desert by the Sea (Babylon): the fall of the gods > Silence (Edom): the prolongation of time (21:11-12)
( 21:11-12 ) The burden against Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” 12 The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”
Dumah
— Dumah was the son of Ishmael (Gen 25:14) but this is not what is in view here
—Esau, son of Isaac (Gen 25:25) also known as Edom
— The burden is against Edom which he refers to as “Dumah,” means silence
— Dumah is a place of death like silence
He calls out
— Watchman, what of the night?
Reply
( 21:12 ) The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”
— Interesting reply
— Both the morning and the night are coming
— One judgment is almost over but another is coming
The Desert by the Sea (Babylon): the fall of the gods > Silence (Edom): the prolongation of time > Desert evening (Arabian tribes): needs but no solutions (21:13-17)
( 21:13-17 ) The burden against Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will lodge, O you traveling companies of Dedanites. 14 O inhabitants of the land of Tema, Bring water to him who is thirsty; With their bread they met him who fled. 15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, From the bent bow, and from the distress of war. 16 For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail; 17 and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”
Tema
— The city of Tema was an oasis city ( 21:4 )
— 200 miles east of the Red Sea
— We are told that Tema needs to help those refugees (Dedanites) who flee war
Motyer
“Tema is urged to succour those who flee war. This is all we need to know - a gentile world in trouble and providing help within its own borders. In the parallel oracle ( 15:1-16:14 ), the Gentile Moab in crises sought help in Zion only to withdraw, through pride, from the shelter that was available… within a year all will be over for Kedar ( 16-17 ). When, therefore, we place the oracle within Isaiah’s schema, we learn that history will prove that the world cannot solve its problems. Gentile fugitives may be succoured by Gentiles but their basic problem of security remains unsolved” ( p.177-178 )
Q: What are they to do in Isa 21:14?
Water/Food
— Bring water and food to those in need
Short time
( 21:16 ) For thus the Lord has said to me: “Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail
— It will be done in a year
— The Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar will conquer this region (Jer 49:28)
— Sometimes it took longer to conquer a city
— God will do it quickly
It will happen
( 21:17 ) and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.”
— God of Israel has spoken it
— It will happen
— His Word does not return void
— ”So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” ( 55:11 )
J Vernon McGee
Ishmael and Isaac never got along. I wonder if Abraham could look down now if he would think the sin he committed was a small thing
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Overview
Isaiah saw the self-sufficient city and the self-sufficient man. The city placed their trust in weapons, defenses and engineering marvels. They should have placed their trust in the Lord Many others placed their trust in a man, Shebna. He was referred to as a peg. Man hung their hope on him but he failed and was ejected from the palace in disgrace and died in disgrace in a foreign land.
Questionable joy and coming calamity (22:1-4)
( 22:1-4 ) The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”
Q: Have you ever heard of the expression “The Valley of the Vision?”
Isaiah’s name
— This was Isaiah’s name for Jerusalem
— Also a book called Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers
People rejoicing
— The people are rejoicing
— Not sure what time period Isaiah is referring to - but it is a false security
( 22:2 ) You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city?
— You are full of noise
— A tumultuous city
Escape
( 22:3 ) All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar
— Could be referring to their escape from danger (2 ki 18:14-16)
— Hezekiah sought peace with the Assyrian king Sennacherib Hezekiah gave Sennacherib 11 tons of silver and 1 ton of God
— He stripped the gold off the door posts in the temple and emptied the treasury
False security
— There is no security when people die in siege conditions and deserters are captured without a fight
Q: Instead what should you do? Isa 22:4
He weeps
( 22:4 ) Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”
— He weeps because he sees death, defection and capture
— A helpless city
Motyer
The NIV’s interpretive addition, having fled while the enemy was still far away, is needless
The Lord’s daughter
— Synonym with Jerusalem
— It is only found here in Isaiah
— Like a beloved daughter helpless and at the mercy of the merciless (cf. Jer 3:19 )
19 “But I said: ‘How can I put you among the children And give you a pleasant land, A beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations?’ “And I said: ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,” And not turn away from Me.’
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Isaiah had warned the people, but they did not repent; thus they would experience God’s judgment. Because of his care for them, Isaiah was hurt by their punishment and mourned deeply for them. Sometimes people we care for ignore our attempts to help them, so they suffer the very grief we wanted to spare them. At times like that we grieve because of our concern. God expects us to be involved with others, and this may sometimes require us to suffer with them (Application bible)
Isaiah had warned the people, but they did not repent; thus they would experience God’s judgment. Because of his care for them, Isaiah was hurt by their punishment and mourned deeply for them. Sometimes people we care for ignore our attempts to help them, so they suffer the very grief we wanted to spare them. At times like that we grieve because of our concern. God expects us to be involved with others, and this may sometimes require us to suffer with them (Application bible)
Questionable joy and coming calamity > Explanation: the day of the Lord has ready (22:5-7)
( 22:5-7 ) For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision— Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate
— Enemy at the Gate
— The Noise
— The Confusion; Perplexity
— Screams
— And of crying to the mountain ( 22:5 )
( 22:6 ) Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield
— Weapons of war are amassed
— chariots
— men
— quivers
— shields
At the gate ( 22:7 ) It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate
Questionable joy and coming calamity > Explanation: the day of the Lord has ready > Past choices (22:8-11)
( 22:8-11 ) He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago
What is the spiritual reality that Isaiah sees but the people do not (Isa 22:8) ?
Rely on themselves
( 22:8 ) He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest
— They relied on their own resources
— He removed the protection of Judah
Motyer
The defenses of Judah are stripped away (NIV) — should be translated “When He removed Judah’s protective covering
Spiritual Reality
( 8b-11 ) Isaiah sees a spiritual reality that the people of Jerusalem are blind to - their self-reliance
Motyer
“The NIV is linguistically permissible but contextually inappropriate. The Lord is always the ultimate agent in His people’s experiences, it suited His purposes at this juncture to test, but the onset of Sennacherib whether they would walk by faith or the way of the world.”
Q: Do you remember where Isaiah first spoke to King Ahaz and what he was doing?
At the upper pool
Ahaz was at the aqueduct, the upper pool (7:3) checking the water supply
Hezekiah
Hezekiah was alarmed by the vulnerability and engineered a tunnel and covered the Gihon spring (2 Ki 20:20)
But God knew
But when God chose Israel He knew the water supply was vulnerable. It was no accident or oversight
— The potter made it so on the wheel
— The Lord made it so that living in Jerusalem was a perpetual exercise of Faith
Q: What measures did they take for their defense ? Isa 22:10
Houses
( 22:10 ) You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls
— They counted the houses
Fortified
— They strengthened and fortified the walls
— In fact, they built two walls
Don’t look to God
— Do-it-yourself (DIY) salvation
— You did everything on your own but look to Me
— How foolish to look to walls, weapons and not to God
— Their weapons ( 22:8 )
— costly defenses ( 22:10 )
— engineering marvels (22:11 ) could not save them
Questionable joy and coming calamity > Explanation: the day of the Lord has ready > Past choices > Culpable joy (22:12-14)
( 22:12-14 ) And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts
Q: What did he call them to do and what did they do instead (Isa 22:12-14)?
( 22:12 ) And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth
— He called for weeping
— Sackcloth
— Coarse, rough clothing made from goat or camel hair
— Express humility, mourning (2 Sam 3:31; 2 Kings 6:30, Esth 4:1)
( 22:13 ) But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
Instead celebrating !
— Live it up!
— Take all this world has to offer because tomorrow we all shall die
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The people said, “Let us eat and drink,” because they had given up hope. Attacked on every side (22:7) They should have repented, but they chose to feast instead. When you face difficulties, turn to God. There are two common responses to hopelessness: despair and self-indulgence. But this life is not all there is, so we are not to act as if we had no hope. (Application bible)
The people said, “Let us eat and drink,” because they had given up hope. Attacked on every side (22:7) They should have repented, but they chose to feast instead. When you face difficulties, turn to God. There are two common responses to hopelessness: despair and self-indulgence. But this life is not all there is, so we are not to act as if we had no hope. (Application bible)
Unpardonable Sin
( 22:14 ) Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts
— blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin (Matt 12:24, Mark 3:22)
— The sin of unbelief and confident self-reliance is the unforgivable sin if you die in this sin
— A works based religion
— The Lord’s prediction about the outcome of Isaiah’s ministry which came to fulfillment
A contrast
The whole section is a contrast between
— Salvation by faith, vs.
— Salvation by works
Questionable joy and coming calamity > Explanation: the day of the Lord has ready > Past choices > Culpable joy > A study in trust (22:15-25)
( 22:15-25 ) Thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say: 16 ‘What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock? 17 Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, O mighty man, And will surely seize you. 18 He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball Into a large country; There you shall die, and there your glorious chariots Shall be the shame of your master’s house. 19 So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down. 20 ‘Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; 21 I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah. 22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 ‘They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the posterity, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the pitchers. 25 In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘the peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off; for the Lord has spoken.’ ”
Judgment of Shebna
( 22:16 ) Thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Go, proceed to this steward, To Shebna, who is over the house, and say:
— Chief-of-staff
— Shebna was the right-hand man of the king
— Thought very highly of himself. Very arrogant man
— He was a comptroller during the reign of Hezekiah but because of his pride he was ejected from the palace
Sepulcher
( 22:16 ) ‘What have you here, and whom have you here, That you have hewn a sepulcher here, As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, Who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?
— He had a sepulcher made
— He arranged the construction of a tomb fit for a king
— The “lintel” of his sepulcher is in the British Museum
( 22:18) He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball Into a large country; There you shall die, and there your glorious chariots Shall be the shame of your master’s house
— A giant sepulcher
— ironically he died in a foreign country (as Isaiah predicted)
— Shebna was a double dealer, secret communications with Judah’s enemies
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce calls the mausoleum the final and funniest folly of the rich. He was building a grand memory for himself in a country he was betraying. Shebna was replaced by Eliakim, a faithful steward. The key of the house of David ( 22:22 ) would be laid on his shoulders.
( 2:22 ) The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open
— When Eliakim opened something, no one could shut it
— He had the power to determine who could or could not enter into the King’s presence
— Jesus applies this to himself as to who would enter His future kingdom ( Rev 3:7 )
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
Hendriksen
Matt 16:19 “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”
The one who “has the keys” (cf. Rev 1:18; 3:7 ) of the kingdom of heaven determines who should be admitted and who must be refused admission. Cf. Isa 22:22. That the apostles as a group exercised this right is clear from the entire book of Acts. All did this on an equal basis ( 4:33 ): there was no boss or superintendent. Nevertheless… the preaching of Peter was outstanding. By means of the preaching of the gospel he was opening the door to some ( Acts 2:38, 39; 3:16-20; 4:12; 10:34-43 ), closing them to others ( 3:23 )
The Burden of Jerusalem > The Self Sufficient City > The Self Sufficient Man > The Self Sufficient Family
Type of Christ
( 22:23 ) I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house
— Eliakim is a type of Christ
— Jesus is the steward of all human history, having replaced the treacherous steward, the devil (Wilson, 466)
— Whole families trusted Eliakim and placed their trust in him he is described as the peg that held everything together
Who will you trust?
( 22:25 ) In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘the peg that is fastened in the secure place will be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was on it will be cut off; for the Lord has spoken.’ ”
— Shebna - many put their trust in him
— Like a peg on the wall, people hung on to him, but when the weight was too much, the nail fell out
The Lord is sure
— The Lord is a nail in a sure place
— Are you placing your faith in men or the Lord?
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Overview
Tyre is the last burden, the great Phoenician city known for its formidable navy and ships that could said the open seas. The city was wealthy from trading. The final woe is judgment against Tyre and a warning to its sister city Sidon
Q: Do you remember the Burdens and why they were judged?
BABYLON
— False religion
— Idolatry
— Many people today worship idols
— Idol worship is demon worship
PHILISTIA
— False religion but close at one time like Felix and Festus
— Always close to Israel, in the land but never embraced the God of Israel
— Like people in our country.
— They are in a once Christian nation but have no interest in God
MOAB
— Having a form of religion but denying its power
— Like many churches, say the Lord’s prayer but don’t really believe God is God, sovereign
DAMASCUS
— Capital of Syria
— They sought security in an alliance with the Northern Kingdom, didn’t trust God
— This is where the rubber meets the road
— Talk the talk and walk the walk
ETHIOPIA
— Missions
— The Queen of Sheba came from Ethiopia
— Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:30).
— One day they will bring gifts to Zion
EGYPT
— False security, the world
— Israel sought refuge in Egypt many times
— In the future, blessings
PERSIA
— Luxury, fine linen, papyrus, all that the things that the good life offers
EDOM
— Dumah was a son of Ishmael (Gen 25:14)
— He represents the flesh
ARABIA
— The city of Tema is told to help those fleeing from war
— To show mercy
JERUSALEM
— Politics
— People think that changing political parties can solve their problems
— God judged Jerusalem for their self-reliance on things like walls, weapons and engineering but not trusting in Him
Q: What do we know about Tyre?
A Phoenician City
A seaport on the Mediterranean known for its excellent ships. They could travel long distances even in the open ocean, went as far as Great Britain and brought back tin. They supplied the lumber for King Solomon’s temple. Because so much trade went through Tyre, merchants traded with Tyre became very wealthy. Sidon traded with Tyre and Isaiah warned them ( 23:2 ) that God is going to destroy Tyre, which was their financial lifeline.
Tyre destroyed
— Tyre was destroyed
— Attacked by Nebuchadnezzar
— Ezekiel prophesied that Tyre would be destroyed ( Ezek 26:3-4 )
3 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.
— Destroyed by Alexander the Great (332 BC)
— Isaiah written between 739 - 686 BC
Alexander the Great
When Alexander the Great (332 BC) came to conquer Tyre, they had abandoned the old city and moved to an island. Alexander did want to go up against the Phoenician navy so he built a bridge (causeway) from the land to the island. He literally scraped up the old city and threw it into the sea, so he could march across and destroy Tyre. The city is/was
The Burden of Tyre (23:1)
( 23:1 ) The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, So that there is no house, no harbor; From the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.
The City Destroyed
( 23:1 ) Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste
Sailors wail
— Sailors returning home
— No harbor, all the homes are destroyed
— Their reaction - they wail
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon (23:2-7)
( 23:2-7 ) Be still, you inhabitants of the coastland, You merchants of Sidon, Whom those who cross the sea have filled. 3 And on great waters the grain of Shihor, The harvest of the River, is her revenue; And she is a marketplace for the nations. 4 Be ashamed, O Sidon; For the sea has spoken, The strength of the sea, saying, “I do not labor, nor bring forth children; Neither do I rear young men, Nor bring up virgins.” 5 When the report reaches Egypt, They also will be in agony at the report of Tyre. 6 Cross over to Tarshish; Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland! 7 Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is from ancient days, Whose feet carried her far off to dwell?
Warning to Sidon
— Sidon was made rich by trading with Tyre
— Made money in grain trade, but all that money is now gone
Wealth
— Tyre represents wealth, trade
Consequences
( 23:5 ) When the report reaches Egypt, They also will be in agony at the report of Tyre
— Far reaching consequences
Fleeing
( 23:6-7 ) Cross over to Tarshish; Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland! 7 Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is from ancient days, Whose feet carried her far off to dwell?Cross over to Tarshish; Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland! 7 Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is from ancient days, Whose feet carried her far off to dwell?
— People are fleeing the city
— Now going to Tarshish
— Tyre was once a joyous city (23:6) but now a place of wailing
— Jonah fled to Tarshish, Sin the opposite direction of Nineveh
— We are not sure where Tarshish was -
— it has been suggested that it is in the South of Spain (1500 miles from Nineveh)
— but two other locations have been suggested
— It was probably closer to Tyre since Isaiah speaks of it and people were fleeing to the city
Q: We are familiar with the navy and the term “ports of call”?
Rest & Relaxation
— Women
— alcohol
— shore leave
— fun
— rivalry
— This described Tyre
— Now a city of wailing
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon > Tyre: the Lord’s plan (23:8-9)
( 23:8-9 ) Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders are the honorable of the earth? 9 The Lord of hosts has purposed it, To bring to dishonor the pride of all glory, To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
Legacy
( 23:8 ) Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
— Tyre is described as a crowning city
— It established many port and colonies which were ruled by the king of Tyre
— In modern times Great Britain established colonies
— The merchants became wealthy like princes
Q: Why did God judge Tyre?
$ & Pride
( 23:9 ) The Lord of hosts has purposed it, To bring to dishonor the pride of all glory, To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
— Maybe their pride
— Having too much money and pride is a terrible combination
— Too much money can make us proud, puffed up
— Not clear why be we do know that He is the judge of the earth and always does what is right ( Gen 18:25 )
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Q: What is our duty to do with money?
Use it wisely
— To use it wisely
— Give to the Lord
— Help others
— Look upon our possessions with humility
Q: Where does our money come from?
From God
All our money comes from God ( Eccl 5:19 )
19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
Too Often
— All too often people try to fill their wallets with more money
— They become insecure, always fearful someone will take it all away
— They stop giving to the Lord’s work
— We don’t give to the church, we give through the church (Pastor Jason)
Q: Have you known people like this?
Hard to believe
— Hard to be both a rich person and believer at the same time ( Matt 19:24 )
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
— Covetousness is a stumbling block
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
Tyre loved Money
— The city of Tyre loved wealth, abused God’s people, and incited God’s wrath
— Pride was behind it all
— Pride was behind Babylon, Tyre and Lucifer
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon > Tyre: the Lord’s plan > Sidon: The Lord’s command (23:10-12b)
( 23:10-12 ) Overflow through your land like the River, O daughter of Tarshish; There is no more strength. 11 He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; The Lord has given a commandment against Canaan To destroy its strongholds. 12 And He said, “You will rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, cross over to Cyprus; There also you will have no rest.”
Q: How is the impact on the cities of Tarshish and Canaan described in 23:10-11?
Colonial Freedom
( 23:10-11 ) Overflow through your land like the River, O daughter of Tarshish; There is no more strength. 11 He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; The Lord has given a commandment against Canaan To destroy its strongholds
— Now that Tyre is gone the colonies are free
— Fee to move over the land like a river
Sidon’s loss
( 23:12 ) And He said, “You will rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, cross over to Cyprus; There also you will have no rest.”
— loss of joy
— “You will rejoice no more
— loss of peace
— “O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon”
— loss of land
— “Arise, cross over to Cyprus”
— loss of rest
— “There also you will have no rest.”
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon > Tyre: the Lord’s plan > Sidon: The Lord’s command > Tyre: the Lord’s agent (23:12c-13)
( 23:12-13 ) And He said, “You will rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, cross over to Cyprus; There also you will have no rest.” 13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans, This people which was not; Assyria founded it for wild beasts of the desert. They set up its towers, They raised up its palaces, And brought it to ruin.
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon > Tyre: the Lord’s plan > Sidon: The Lord’s command > Tyre: the Lord’s agent > The lament of the ships of Tarshish (23:14)
( 23:14 ) Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For your strength is laid waste
Captivity
( 23:15) Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
— ( 23:13-15 ) They will go into captivity for 70 years just like Judah
— They were conquered by the Babylonians
— The Chaldeans (Babylonians) should have been a reminder of the hopelessness of Tyre
— Assyria conquered Babylon in 698 BC
The Burden of Tyre > The downfall of Tyre and Sidon > Tyre: the Lord’s plan > Sidon: The Lord’s command > Tyre: the Lord’s agent > The lament of the ships of Tarshish > Isaiah’s Post Script (23:17-18)
( 23:17-18 ) And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her pay will be set apart for the Lord; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for fine clothing.
Isaiah’s P.S.
— ( 23:17-18 ) Isaiah gives a post script
— Tyre will be restored
— A future prophecy
— earnings for the Lord
Not hoarded
— “not stored up or hoarded” (NIV)
A new concern
— New concern “for those who live before the Lord” (NIV)
New birthright
— One day they will worship the Lord (Ps 87:4)
Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Overview
Beginning in Chapter 24 to 27:13 Isaiah describes the great tribulation. These four chapters are often called “Isaiah’s Apocalypse.” They discuss God’s judgment on the entire world for its sin. Isaiah’s prophecies were first directed to Judah, then to Israel, then to the surrounding nations, and finally the whole world. Judgment comes on everyone no matter what their social or economic status. The high and the low. Rich and the poor, religious and non-religious. God holds all men accountable even those who have not heard the gospel.
The Earth Devastated (24:1-3)
( 24:1-3 ) Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. 2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. 3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word.
The Whole Earth
— Isaiah shifts from his judgment of the nations to the whole earth
— ( 24:1 - 27:13 ) These next four chapters describe the events in Revelation 6ff
Q: What will God do to the earth 24:1-3 ?
( 24:1 ) Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants
Makes it empty and waste
— The Lord completes His description of the judgment of all nations
— Now, He continues his judgment to include the whole earth
Empty
( 24:3 ) The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word
— Utterly spoiled, waste, empty, emptied and utterly plundered
— Scientist tells us to worry about C02 levels, Global Warming. Isaiah says:
— the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste ( 24:1 )
Q: Does His judgment care who you are? Will social status save you?
( 24:2 ) And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor.
No
— Religious - People or priest, servant of master
— Domestic - maid or mistress
— Commercial - buyer or seller
— Every aspect of life is under sentence, God’s judgment
— Every group and individual ; Religious system as godless as regular people
Q: What prompted this ? Why is God judging the world?
No Reason Given
— God gives no reason and offers no apologies
— The Bible assumes that the world as a whole knows the basic facts about God and His expectations ( Rom 1:20-21 )
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Accountable
— God holds all men accountable, even those who have never heard the gospel
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse (24:4-6)
( 24:4-6 ) The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. 5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.
Q: What caused the earth to be defiled ? (vv 4-5)
Pride
( 24:4c ) he earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish
— Isiah again calls attention to pride as the reason for judgement (cf. 23:9)
The Reason
( 24:5 ) The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant
1st charge
— transgressed the law
— refused to live by divine revelation
2nd charge
— violated the statutes (NIV)
— altered the moral code, situational ethics
3rd charge
— broken the everlasting covenant
— refused to live in fellowship with God
The earth vomits
( 24:5 ) The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants
— The earth is polluted by the sins of man, filth(cf. Lev 18:25, 27, 28)
Men are burned
( 24:6 ) Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left
— Compare to the 4th bowl judgment (Rev 16:8-9; Lev 18:25)
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
Not only the people suffered from their sins; even the land suffered the effects of evil and lawbreaking. Today we see the results of sin in our own land - pollution, crime, addiction poverty. Sin affects every aspect of society so extensively that even those faithful to God suffer. We cannot blame God for these conditions because human sin has brought them about. The more we who are believers renounce sin, speak against immoral practices, and share God’s word with others, the more we slow our society’s deterioration. We must not give up. Sin is rampant, but we can make a difference (Application bible)
Not only the people suffered from their sins; even the land suffered the effects of evil and lawbreaking. Today we see the results of sin in our own land - pollution, crime, addiction poverty. Sin affects every aspect of society so extensively that even those faithful to God suffer. We cannot blame God for these conditions because human sin has brought them about. The more we who are believers renounce sin, speak against immoral practices, and share God’s word with others, the more we slow our society’s deterioration. We must not give up. Sin is rampant, but we can make a difference (Application bible)
Remnant ( 24:6 ) And few men are left
— A different remnant than the Jewish remnant
— Similar to the days of Noah
— Everything was normal until the end (the flood) - eating, drinking, giving in marriage
— God has a remnant
— Here too are gleanings that remain
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse > The Beer is Flat! (24:7-9)
( 24:7-9 ) The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh. 8 The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases. 9 They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
Joy is robbed
( 24:7 ) The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh
— Judgment robs men of joy (cf. Rev 18:22)
— Not only is the wine bad, but judgment affected the source of the wine (vine)
— Both are ruined
Q: What happened to the ambiance ? vv8-9
Music died
( 24:8 ) The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases
Joy is gone
( 24:9 ) They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it
— They can’t bring themselves to sing - the beer is flat!
— To want nothing but this world is to end up with nothing but want
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse > The Beer is Flat! > The Fall of the City (24:10-12)
( 24:10-12 ) The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in. 11 There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone. 12 In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction
Q: Why is every house shut up? v10
Fear
— A spirit of fear
— Bars on the windows
— Houses normally provide safety from outside but now they are shut up (inaccessible)
— Life is lonely, scary in the city
All the booze is gone
( 24:11 ) There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse > The Beer is Flat! > The Fall of the City > World-wide Gleanings (24:13-16)
( 24:13-16 ) When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. 14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea. 15 Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. 16 From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.”
Q: Explain the illustration used in 24:13 to describe the punishment
Gleaning
— Shaking, olives at the top of tree fall off
— World-wide gleaning
Q: What replaces the drunken music when God starts to collect His remnant? What new song do we hear in 24:14-16?
A new song
( 24:14 ) They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea
( 24:16 ) From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.”
— They sing a new song - glory to the righteous !
— Isaiah could not join in with the singing:
— But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me!
— The destruction was too great
— He was shocked at the destruction of Babylon
— Here he sees the reality of sin and the curse
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse > The Beer is Flat! > The Fall of the City > World-wide Gleanings > Grief over sin and its outcome (24:17-18)
( 24:17-18 ) Fear and the pit and the snare Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit, And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be caught in the snare; For the windows from on high are open, And the foundations of the earth are shaken
Q: What is the significance of the illustration of the fear, pit, snare in 24:17-18?
Fear
( 24:18 ) And it shall be That he who flees from the noise of the fear Shall fall into the pit
— No freedom from fear
— Nowhere to hide
Pit
— Shall fall into the pit
— Death, Inescapable
Snare
( 24:18b ) And he who comes up from the midst of the pit Shall be caught in the snare;
— A trap, purposely set
— You are caught in evil times
— No escape (cf. Eccl 9:12)
Windows
( 24:18c ) For the windows from on high are open,
— Same term God used in Gen 7:11 - the windows of heaven were opened
— God judged by water during Noah’s day, but water will not come from heaven in the tribulation
— But like in Noah’s day, judgment will come from heaven (Rev 6:13, 14; 8:3-13; 16:1-12)
Above/Below
( 24:18d ) And the foundations of the earth are shaken
— External assault from above matched with an assault from below - earthquakes
— The idea is that destruction will be total
Judgment
— Isaiah has a lot to say about God’s final judgment of sinners in that day, the Day of the Lord (cf. 24:17-23; 26:20-21; 30:27-33)
— This corresponds with the 7th trumpet and God’s pouring out wrath on defiant, unrepentant nations (Rev 11:18)
— When God sounds the 7th trumpet it will be the fulfilment of the great judgment which prophets foresaw and saints have prayed for
— (cf. Ps 3:7; 7:6; 35:1-8; 44:26; 68:1-2)
The Earth Devastated > Sin and the Curse > The Beer is Flat! > The Fall of the City > World-wide Gleanings > Grief over sin and its outcome > The Wait is Over (24:19-23)
( 24:19-23 ) The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. 21 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously
Q: Who will be punished according toI Isaiah 24:21-23?
Angelic
( 24:21 ) It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth
— The conflict is with the Host of the High Ones (Eph 6:12)
Humans
— The Kings of the earth will take up arms against the Lord
— cf. Psalm 2, Rev 17:14; Acts 4:26-27
Prison
(24:22 ) hey will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished
— Hell or prison which was made for angles
— Not there yet, we have to wait
— 2 Peter 2:4 God’s attitude toward sin never changes; Jude 6 (cf. Gen 6)
— Connects with Revelation 9 in which they are released
— It will happen: After many days they will be punished
Sun/Moon
( 24:23 ) Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously
— The sun/moon respond
— They have light but nothing compared to the Lord
— They will be ashamed
— even nature responds to the king
The Lord reigns
— Christ in His millennial kingdom
— After the millennial Christ’s glory will replace the sun and the moon (Rev 21:23; Isa 60:19,20 )
— Psalm 2 is also a messianic passage that depicts Christ setting up His earthly kingdom as well ( Isa 2:2-3; Dan 2:44-45; Mic 4:1-3 )
MacArthur
“ The appearance of the Lamb on Mount Zion is a monumental moment in redemptive history. The psalmist wrote of this moment in Psalm 2:6-9” (Macarthur, Rev 12-22, p. 71)
6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
— “Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.” ( Ps 48:2 )”
— Isaiah foresaw it in Isa 24:23 and it will be fulfilled in Rev 14:1
Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Overview
The vision of the great tribulation continues. We see the many reasons God deserves praise. We also see that He knows our pain and one day will wipe away every tear
End of 24
Chapter 24 ends with the Lord returning to Jerusalem and taking His seat on the throne in the millennial kingdom He begins His earthly reign (24:23)
Continuation
Chapter 25 is a continuation of that vision and continues until 27. Here is praise
His Supernatural Acts (25:1-5)
( 25:1-5 ) O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You. 4 For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.
Q: Think of a time in the past when God did something and we can see now with 20/20 vision that God was moving. What are the reasons that He deserves our praise? Isa 25:1-4
Wonderful things
( 25:1 ) O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things;
— He has done wonderful things
— Often we don’t realize in the moment that God is working in our lives
— We need to remember what God has done
— Here, Isaiah calls the people to remembrance
( 25:1b) Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth
— God planned this in ages past
Strength to the Poor
( 25:4 ) For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall
— He gives strength to the poor
— refuge from the storm
— A ship is buffeted by the storm but the Lord is the wall (cf. Ps 18:2)
— shade from the heat
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The poor suffered because ruthless people oppressed them. But God is concerned for the poor and is a refuge for them. When we are disadvantaged or oppressed, we can turn to God for comfort and help (Application bible)
The poor suffered because ruthless people oppressed them. But God is concerned for the poor and is a refuge for them. When we are disadvantaged or oppressed, we can turn to God for comfort and help (Application bible)
— Another indication of God’s worthiness to be glorified is his upholding the oppressed
— God weakens the strong, gives strength to the weak
Ruthless
— The song of the terrible ones, ruthless is humbled (NIV)
— The terrible ones are foreigners, hostile to God and his people
— This song is a fear inspiring song, a war song
His Supernatural Acts > Blessings in Zion (25:6-8)
( 25:6-8 ) And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken
Q: What will God do in this mountain (vv 6-7)?
A great feast
( 25:6 ) The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees
— The party to end all parties, a great feast
— People who have seen Israel defeated and exiled will see Israel honored as the banquet happens on Mt. Zion
— Isaiah foreshadowed this earlier ( 2:2 )
2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
Death shrouds
( 25:7) And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations
— How we long for the day when the Lord will destroy
— the face of wrapping, the surface of the covering (NKJV)
— the shroud that covers all people (NIV)
— It is a sign of mourning and God will destroy it one day. Hallelujah!
Grace is Gone
The movie, Grace is Gone (2007), starring Jason Cusack, tells the story of Grace who is an army sergeant on active duty. Her husband Sam looks after the supply store back home. One day he gets a visit from the army telling him that Grace has been killed in action. Without telling his 8 and 12 year old daughters what’s happened, he takes them on a road trip. Only at the end of the trip can he tell his daughters what’s happened
Q: What will he do with our tears? 25:8?
Tears
( 25:8 ) He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken
— Wipe them away
Death
— Death is swallowed up
— Paul says that this happened ( 1 Cor 15:54 )
— Christ wipes away our tears ( Rev 7:17 )
— At the great banquet he wipes away our tears ( Rev 19-22 )
— Another part of this verse is quoted in ( Rev 21:4 ) which describes the glorious scene of God’s presence with His people
His Supernatural Acts > Blessings in Zion > His Saving Acts (25:9-12)
( 25:9-12 ) And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” 10 For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust
Joy in the Lord
( 25:9 ) And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
— We have waited on Him and He will save us
He will save
— Salvation has come at long last
We rejoice
— We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation
Moab
— But there are still those who are prideful and deserve condemnation represented by Moab
Q: Who will God treat these prideful, wicked people (vv11-12)?
Swimming
( 25:11 ) And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands
— Moab will find strength in himself to swim out
— Swimming is an excellent illustration of go-it-alone policy
— But the Lord doesn’t admire Moab’s cleverness
— The very thing which in human terms would have saved (works, man-centered religion) is the very heart of offence to God
Works
— Works of themselves are not bad
— God will reward our works in heaven (cf. Matt 6:4,6; 10:41,42; Mk 9:41; Luke 6:35; Rom 2:6; Phil 3:14; Rev 22:12)
— Works are a fruit of the spirit and demonstrate true saving faith (Ps 62:12, 1 Cor 9:17, 24; Heb 11:26; 2 John 1:8)
— A lack of good works demonstrates a dead faith (Matt 3:7-9, 5:16; James 2:14)
— A disobedient life is proof of a fake disciple (John 8:24, 31)
Don’t save
— But you can’t be saved by works (Eph 2:8-9) but faith without works is dead (James 2:17)
— The Moabites represent all who think that they can please God by works rather than a faith that produces works
— Works that proceed out of Love pleases God
— Works without faith that try to approach God is at the very heart of offence to God
Bring him down
( 25:12 ) The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust
— Fortress… high walls…dust
— Had high walls, lofty towers, fortifications
— All will be leveled, reduced to dust
Additional Resources:
J Vernon McGee Isaiah 21-22: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-21-22-752231.html
McGee Isaiah 23:1 - 24:15 https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-2312415-752232.html
McGee Isaiah 24:16 - 26:18 https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-24162618-752233.html
Chuck Missler Isaiah 20:21-23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoO0umZbfLM
Chuck Missler Isaiah 24-27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jD_N7uKuLs
Missler Isaiah 28-30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR1NptgD5DM