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TH1140: On-Line
This evening we are going to begin the book of Isaiah, and it also places us in the last major division of the Old Testament. If you remember, the Old Testament is broken down into 4 divisions. The Law, which covered Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Historical books, which covered Joshua through Esther. The Poetic books, which covered Job through Song of Solomon. And the Prophetic books, which cover Isaiah through Malachi.
Now the Prophetic books are broken down into two divisions, the major prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. And the minor prophets; which cover Hosea through Malachi, including Lamentations which was written by Jeremiah. Now why these divisions of major and minor prophets? It is not that one is more important than the other, but just the volume of the book. Isaiah contains 66 chapters, Jeremiah 52 chapters, and-so-on. In saying that, don't take the minor prophets lightly. These small books are packed with prophetic revelations, as we shall see when we get to them.
As we are going to see in our study of Isaiah, he was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Also, at this time Micah was ministering to the Southern Kingdom while Hosea and Amos were ministering to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was only some 20 years away from its captivity by the Assyrians because of their wickedness and idolatry.
Now the Assyrians were the power in the area, and their power was growing under the leadership of Tiglath-Pileser. And they were not only a threat to the Northern Kingdom, but also to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. But I think this is a secondary issue for both kingdoms. You see, the bigger issue was the condition of their hearts. They had turned from the true and living God and because of that, these external forces were a threat. By 721 BC the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians, and they were taken into captivity.
As I said, Isaiah's ministry is to the Southern Kingdom, warning them of the judgment that was to come if they don't wake up and get right with God. As we are going to see, Isaiah's call does not come till chapter 6, but already in chapter 1 we are going to see him warn God's people to repent before God's judgment comes upon them.
Before we dig into this book, there are a couple of things I need to say. Some issues I would like to clear up. Before the 18th Century most believed that Isaiah was written by Isaiah. But in the 18th Century the so-called "Higher Critics" came out with the "Deutero-Isaiah" or that chapters 1-39 were written by someone with a Assyrian background, and chapters 40-66 were written by someone else with a Babylonian background. HOGWASH! First of all, Paul tells us in II Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
Secondly, listen to what John 12:37-41 has to say. We read, "But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: 'Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?' Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him."
John attributes these quotes from Isaiah, one from Isaiah 53:1 and the other from Isaiah 6:9,10. Thus, if they would only take the time to search out the Scriptures instead of trying to refute them, they would clearly see there was only one Isaiah that wrote this book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit!
The other issue is that this text has been altered in its transmittal over the thousands of years since it has been written and re-written. Now the oldest manuscript we have of the Old Testament and the book of Isaiah was from 916 AD, over 1,400 years after it was originally written. But then, in 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and in them was a complete scroll of Isaiah, which you can go and see today in the museum called The Shrine of the Book, in Israel. When you compare this text, which dates to about 100 BC, to the text from 916 AD, there is no major difference in the two. The integrity of the text has held up for over 1000 years, and thus, it can be trusted as being accurate!
And lastly, what is a prophet? A prophet foretold the future events that would take place, but that was only part of their ministry. A prophet also forthtold the truths of God, or spoke the words of God! Both were important and a part of their ministry.
Today we see people that call themselves apostles and prophets, but I truly believe these ministries have come to an end in the first century AD. The reason I say this is based on what Paul said in Ephesians 2:20. He said that the church, "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." You see, apostles and prophets laid the foundation, the doctrine or the Word of God that we have today. And what are left are the evangelists, pastor/teachers and teachers to open up and instruct people from the Word of God. No longer do we have new doctrine, for the Word of God is complete. No longer are there apostles, for to be an apostle you had to see the resurrected Lord. These ministries laid the foundation in which these other ministries are now being built upon!
In saying all that, lets dig into our text this evening, beginning in Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1.
ISAIAH 1
VERSE 1
1. As I have said, Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and his ministry lasted some 60 years, from around 740-680 BC. He ministered during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, but his calling actually came in the year king Uzziah died. What we know of Isaiah is that he was married to a prophetess, (8:3). He had at least two sons, (7:3, 8:3). Now we are not sure how Isaiah died, but tradition and other writings seem to indicate that he was sawn in two at the hands of wicked king Manasseh, Hezekiah's son. One of the early church fathers, Justin Martyr, who lived from 100-165 AD, spoke of this being the case, and even Josephus speaks of this. There may even be a hint of this happening in the Scriptures, for Hebrews 11:37 says, "They were stoned, they were sawn in two..."
2. Now looking at this time period which Isaiah was ministering in, Uzziah was a good king who reigned for 52 years. He built up the land, made it strong, made it wealthy, but towards the end of his life, when his heart was lifted up, pride set in, he went into the temple of God to offer incense. This was something that only the priest was to do, and as they tried to stop him, he became angry with them, and at this point Uzziah was struck upon his forehead with leprosy. Thus, he had to live out the remainder of his life in isolation, co-reigning with his son, Jotham. It could be that during this time of prosperity that their hearts drifted away from God, even though they were very religious, going through all the motion but no emotion, no relationship. Sounds very much like our nation!
Now Jotham, for the most part, was a very good king who reigned for 16 years. But his son, Ahaz, was a wicked king who burned his sons in the fire to the god Molech. He also made a treaty with the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser to help him defeat Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who were coming against him. Because Assyria gave him victory, he adopted their worship practices. And in the end God brought judgment by the hands of the Edomites, the Philistines and even the Assyrian's because Ahaz "...had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the LORD." II Chronicles 28:19.
Then came Hezekiah who reigned for 29 years and was also a good king. It was during his reign that Sennacherib, king of Assyria surrounded the city and threatened to destroy them if they did not surrender to him. And here we see both Hezekiah and Isaiah pray to the Lord to deliver them from this king, and that night the Angel of the Lord defeated 185,000 Assyrians, which caused the rest to return home without a fight.
But at the end of his reign, Hezekiah also fell and did some foolish things that caused problems in the land. And in his death, his son, Manasseh reigned, and he was one of the most wicked kings in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. And so, this is where Isaiah is at, as God is going to speak through him.
VERSES 2-3
1. The call is for all of creation to come into this cosmic courtroom and hear how Judah rebelled against their God, the one who birthed them as a nation. And he uses nature to rebuke them for their actions. An ox is dumb and yet it recognizes its master. A donkey is stubborn and yet it knows who provides food for them. And yet God's own people don't recognize their master, the one who has provided for them. And maybe it was the prosperity they were enjoying, they saw no need for a real relationship with God, just the religious motions, which God saw as empty.
VERSES 4-5
1. This is a sad statement to be made against anyone, and God said this to His people, that they were sinful, full of iniquity, breeding evildoers, corrupt and they have turned their backs on God. Because of their actions, God's wrath is going to be poured out upon them. And God is lamenting the fact that His people are beyond chastening. The nation is sick, their minds are filled with wickedness and their whole heart is far from God. He goes on to say...
VERSE 6
1. Notice how sick they are and they don't even recognize it. Their wounds are not cared for. The poison is not expelled from their wounds. There is no ointment placed upon the sore. When you look at the condition of Israel, it is very similar to what is happening in our own country. Our sin is no longer recognized, and as we let that poison continue to grow, it will eventually destroy the body. Even in the church today we see sin abound, and nothing is done with it. We see the acceptance of homosexual marriages, homosexuals in the ministry, the rejection of God's Word, the acceptance of all kinds of immoral lifestyles, and-so-on. And the problem that arises out of this condition is judgment will eventually come, as the Southern Kingdom of Judah would find out shortly!
VERSES 7-9
1. Isaiah is speaking of the future, as if it has already taken place. And the reality is, they did not repent and judgment did come upon them, and the land was left desolate as they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. But God is gracious and merciful and has a remnant who love Him. And even though judgment was coming, God would one day restore them. Not because of their faithfulness, but His. You see, God's covenant with Abraham was a unilateral one, not based on Abraham's faithfulness nor the faithfulness of his descendants, but upon God's. And as we look today God has brought the Jewish people back into the land even though most of the nation is far from God.
VERSE 10
1. Today sin is not sin, but the result of a disease or someone else's fault. Be real! Isaiah likens the nation to the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. And he tells them what they need to do - get back to the Word of God! Apply the Word of God to their life for it will direct them down the right path. And once again a sad commentary on what was going on in the nation.
VERSES 11-15
1. Notice all the work they were doing. They offered sacrifice to God, celebrated the feast days, prayed before God, they were doing all the things that God required of them, outwardly speaking. And God is saying He has had plenty of this garbage and does not want them to do this empty works any longer. You see, their heart was far from God. And this is a very dangerous place to be, for it makes people feel very comfortable, they have a false assurance, and God says, "I don't even know you!" When God changes your heart, cleanses you from the inside, those inward changes will affect your outward actions, but outward actions will do nothing to change your heart, only God can! God wants a relationship with us, as we saw in the book, Song of Solomon , an intimate relationship with us.
2. And things are so bad that God is basically saying, "Enough is enough! I'm not going to hear your prayers any longer." It is as Micah 3:4 said, "Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds." And in Isaiah 59:1-2 we read, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." Some think they are pleasing to God when they go to church on Sunday, but they are living like the devil the rest of the week. Don't be fooled, God is not mocked. What you sow you will also reap! So what can we do? What is the remedy? Isaiah tells us...
VERSE 16a
1. How in the world can we wash ourselves clean? We can't! We are told in I John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." It is only when we turn to Him, walk in the light, that He cleanses us.
VERSES 16b-17
1. In reading this it sounds like a works theology of salvation, but it is not. As God cleanses you inwardly, these then will be the things that naturally flow from your life. You will hate evil and not follow down its path. You will do good and care for those in need. It is as James says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27. If God has not had an impact on your life, then these things will not be natural to you.
VERSE 18
1. God is so gracious. Even at this time God wants them to come to Him so He can cleanse them and make them as white as snow. No one is that bad that they can't be saved. That may be hard for some to swallow, but the only requirement is...
VERSE 19
1. The key is you have to be WILLING to admit you are a sinner and come to Him, asking Him to be your Savior and Lord, which leads to obedience. You see, its not "Can God?" but "Are you willing?" God will not force Himself upon you. Notice God's call to us in Matthew 11:28-30. We read "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Notice, its an invitation to come! The question is, "Are you willing?"
VERSE 20
1. If you are not willing to come to God, then these are the results or the consequences of your rebellion, you will be devoured!
VERSES 21-23
1. At one time the city of Jerusalem was the center of worship and justice and righteousness flowed from it. In Psalm 48 we read "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge." Psalm 48:1-3. This once glorious city was now a place of spiritual harlotry. Their worship of God was corrupted and now it affected their judicial system. The poor, the defenseless could not get a fair hearing, only the rich could buy their way out, even if they were guilty. This nation has turned their backs on God and our own judicial system has been affected by our actions, and we are reaping what we have sown.
VERSES 24-25
1. God is calling His people "adversaries" and "enemies" and will purge them and judge them for their actions.
VERSES 26-31
1. God will restore them, pointing to the millennial kingdom. God does have a remnant that will be saved. But those who commit spiritual fornication will be consumed. The terebinth trees were the groves where pagan worship was done, which was nothing more or degenerated into nothing more than sexual orgies before these trees that were cut into phallic symbols. But there is coming a day when righteousness will fill the land, and Isaiah is going to speak of this in chapter 2.
ISAIAH 2
VERSES 1-4
1. Folks, we are not living in the millennial kingdom as some like to believe, for we still see wars and unrighteousness fill the land. But when Jesus returns, He will rule, no longer will we spend billions of dollars on military armaments, and we will gather together in Mount Zion to be taught by the Lord. I bet no one will miss that Bible study! Yes, the world seems to be more and more wicked, more so than ever before. But God has warned us that this would be the case before His return. And our hope is not in this world, but in the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But before that happens we are going to see judgment come upon a Christ rejecting world, and we call that period of time the tribulation period. And before that time even begins, the church is out of here, raptured our caught up to be with the Lord!
VERSES 5-6
1. The call is to walk in the light of God instead of following after Eastern ways or religions. The call that God made to Israel is one we need to heed. I am amazed how many Christians, or so-called Christians are involved with Yoga, TM, have spirit guides, see nothing wrong with horoscopes, and-so-on. We need to wake up and stop following these Eastern religions that got a foot hold in this country under the guise of science, and start following after the Lord instead of the darkness they offer!
VERSE 7
1. Like Judah, we are rich, prosperous, militarily strong, in need of nothing and yet morally we are in a state of chaos. Spiritually we are dead. Their trust, like ours, is in self, instead of the Lord.
VERSE 8
1. They, like we, are worshipping the works of their hands, they were into materialism, and so is this nation! And yet Solomon told us these things were worthless, they could not fill that void in our hearts and lives, only God can. Maybe the only thing that will truly wake up this nation before judgment comes, is an economic collapse, where we are no longer living in comfort and we will once again turn to God. He is our only hope!
VERSE 9
1. They are bowing down and worshipping idols instead of the true and living God. And God is longsuffering but one day He will pour out His wrath, and these idols that men are worshipping today will be worthless.
VERSES 10-11
1. God's wrath is poured out on prideful man who has rejected the truth of God. And in his pride he will be brought down.
VERSES 12-19
1. We see judgment upon the trees or men. Judgment upon the mountains or governments. Judgment upon the high tower or fortified wall which speaks of military might. And judgment upon ships, (a sloop is a kind of ship that generally has one mast), which speaks of commerce. Now in hearing of God's wrath, His judgment being poured out, some Christians are terrified that we are going to go through this time of judgment. That is wrong. Peter said in II Peter 2:9, "Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment." And Jesus said in Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Those last 7 years God is completing the 70th week of Daniel, whose focus is Israel, and the pouring out His wrath upon a Christ rejecting world, and thus, we won't be here!
VERSES 20-21
1. People in California are waiting for the big earthquake that is suppose to be coming, but when God shakes the earth, the whole world will be shaking!
2. Also, the words we read here in verse 21, where people are hiding themselves in the rocks from the Lord, is very similar to the sixth seal found in Revelation 6:12-17. We read, "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
VERSE 22
1. Man thinks he is so strong, invincible. And God says to sever ourselves from people like that, or if it is the way we feel, humble yourself, because judgment is coming. Put your faith in God and not the strength of man, for he is frail and weak. Let me leave you this evening with these words from Hebrews 12, verses 25-29. We read, "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." If your faith is not built upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, you will be shaken and consumed in the fire of His wrath!