TH1141: ISAIAH

Please open your Bibles up to Isaiah chapter 3, as we continue our study through the Word of God. If you remember from our last study, Isaiah was a prophet primarily to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. His ministry officially began in the year king Uzziah died, and he ministered for some 60 years (740 - 680 BC), during the reign of 4 different kings of Judah.
Now under the reign of king Uzziah the nation was very prosperous, militarily strong, and things looked really good outwardly. But Isaiah comes on the scene, speaking for God, and tells them that judgment is coming because they no longer had a relationship with God, all they had were dead, religious activities. And God saw that as empty and he no longer wanted their sacrifices, their prayers, that they offered to Him.
Now the people must have thought Isaiah was crazy, that he spent too much time in the sun. You see, they believed that prosperity equaled blessings and poverty equaled cursing from God. But Isaiah tells them that they have forsaken the Lord, have allowed Eastern religious practices to come into their life, and they have rejected the convictions of God upon their life. Because of that God was going to destroy, remove all they held onto for their strength, and bring judgment upon them for their false religious worship.
That is where we will pick up our study this evening, in Isaiah chapter 3, as Isaiah continues to speak of God's coming judgment if they don't repent, even though they are living very comfortably at this point in time, even though they think nothing is wrong, they are being blessed by God, but Isaiah is telling them to wake up and smell the coffee!

ISAIAH 3

VERSE 1
1. Because of their sin, God was going to take away all those things that they trusted in, became accustomed to. And here, probably a drought, taking away their water supply which will lead to a famine, and their bread will be gone. The store shelves would no longer be full. That comfortable lifestyle they were use to having would become a thing of the past. Even water would be difficult to come by as God pours out His judgment upon them.

VERSES 2-3
1. They not only trusted in their food and water supply, but in the strength of man. Isaiah said "Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?" Isaiah 2:22. Since they refused to sever themselves from trusting in the arm of man, God would now do it for them. We see the soldiers, the civil and religious leaders, the wise people, the military leaders, the skillful artists or workers, and even the diviner and the enchanter God was going to bring down. Now don't get the idea that God is approving of or endorsing those occultic practices because He puts them in the list with the others. He is just stating a fact that His people have degenerated into Eastern religious practices, trusting in them, instead of the Lord. May the church in America wake up to their folly in adopting Eastern practices, religious activities into their faith!2. God is now going to replace all He has taken away from them with the following...

VERSES 4-5
1. God is going to turn the nation upside down. Their leaders will be inexperienced and will oppress the people instead of lead the people. This breakdown in leadership will affect the children, for they will become disrespectful to those in authority over them. Sound familiar? God is speaking also to our nation, if we would only listen.

VERSES 6-7
1. Things are such a mess, the nation is in such turmoil and ruin, that no one wants to be a leader. And notice that if you put your trust in man, material possessions, once that is taken away, there is no hope left for you. That is what we see here. And God is pleading with them to trust in Him, to come back to Him, for He is the only hope for man. As David said in Psalm 56:10-11, "In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Notice, David trusted in the Lord for he knew and had confidence in God's Word. It gave Him the proper perspective in any situation, no matter how dark it may seem.

VERSE 8
1. The reason the nation was in such a mess, judgment was coming upon them, was they had turned their back on God. They ignored all the warnings and this is the result of their failure to respond to what God said to them.

VERSE 9
1. A person living in bondage to sin has it written all over their face. Sin takes its toll on the human body.

2. Also, sin in the city of Sodom was very open, they flaunted their evil ways with no shame or fear. Thus, this judgment that came upon the nation was a result of their sin, they brought it upon themselves. And as the Scriptures say, "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23.

3. Look at this nation and see how sin is flaunted, displayed for all to see. We see the rebellion of kids, the open homosexuality, the promiscuous sex, the lying, the cheating and-so-on. Sin is proudly displayed in this country and I wonder how much longer before we bring judgment upon ourselves? You see, there are consequences to our actions. God has warned us what to do and what not to do. Not because He is some cosmic kill joy, but because He is a loving Father. I don't believe AIDS is a judgment of God, I do believe it is the consequences of not listening to God, an irresponsible act, sin, and thus, don't blame God for what you brought upon yourself. God has warned all of us in His Word! Now I do understand that some get AIDS not by their own doing, but sin does affect even the innocent, it doesn't only affect those directly involved in the sin.VERSES 10-12
1. God's judgment is always fair, make no mistake about that. For those that love God, they will be blessed in the end. For those that curse God by their actions, they will reap what they have sown. And the nation will have leaders that are immature, weak, like women, who will oppress the people because they are only concerned for themselves, for holding onto the position of power they have. And to keep that position they will do whatever it takes, there will be no concern for what is right or wrong.

VERSE 13
1. Some picture God as this tyrant ready to crush anyone who refuses to obey His Words. That is wrong. God has done everything possible to prevent His judgment from coming upon you except force you. In Ezekiel we read "'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord GOD, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?'...'Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord GOD. Therefore turn and live!'" Ezekiel 18:23, 31-32. If you refuse to heed His warnings, one day His longsuffering will come to an end and His judgment will come!

VERSES 14-15
1. The leaders of Judah were oppressing the people, crushing God's children. And God is the defender of the poor, the ones the leaders were destroying. As Proverbs 17:5 says "He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker..." And Proverbs 14:31 says "He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy."

VERSE 16
1. It is interesting that God is looking at the outward dress and behavior of women to show the moral state of a society. The women in Judah were dressing very provocative and their behavior was very seductive. Their outward appearance was a reflection of where their heart was at. Peter said "Do not let your adornment be merely outward; arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel; rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." I Peter 3:3-4. Now some have taken this in the wrong manner. They, in a sense feel that women are to be plain, wear sacks over their bodies, not to wear makeup or jewelry. What Peter is saying is those things should not be the focus of your life. Take care of your outward appearance, not dressing in a seductive manner, but also take care of your heart, that is the most important. Because what takes place on the inside, will overflow to the outside, and that beauty can't be bought.

VERSES 17-23
1. In that day the focus was on the outward beauty. To be sensual, seductive. But when judgment comes, that outward beauty will be gone, and you will have nothing left. The beauty industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country, affecting both men and women, and yet how much time, how much effort is placed on the inner man, to build him up? Not to much!

VERSES 24-26
1. In this judgment, as they are brought into captivity by the hands of the Babylonians, no longer will they smell nice, but they will stink. The sash that went around their waste will now bind their hands. Their beautiful hair will be shaved off. And instead of beauty, they will be branded like a wild animal. And that empty beauty you were displaying to the men of the city, will be worthless, for many of the men will be killed by the sword. This had not taken place yet, but it is a graphic picture of what was coming their way, and did come their way.

ISAIAH 4

VERSE 1
1. The Babylonians killed so many men in the Southern Kingdom of Judah that there was not enough men left for the women to marry. And in that culture it was a reproach not to marry and have children. Thus, seven women will marry one man just to try and remove the reproach of being childless.

2. Now Isaiah is going to move from a time of near fulfillment of what he was saying, and move to a time of distant fulfillment when God will set up His kingdom here on earth, a day of glory, a day we long for.

VERSES 2-3
1. This is after the tribulation period, after the time of Jacob's trouble, and for the one-third of the Jew's who make it through this time, over 10 million will be killed by the antichrist, (Zechariah 13:8-9), they will be accounted righteous, holy before God. Why? Not because of their works, but because they have recognized Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that He is the Messiah! Remember what Jesus said as He lamented over Jerusalem, "See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" Matthew 23:38-39. And this will be fulfilled as those Jews who flee to Petra, protected by God for 3 1/2 years from the antichrist and his forces, come to the saving knowledge of Christ. In Zechariah 13:9 we read that after they recognize the one whom they have pierced, God say "I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" They are clean, they are holy only by the blood of Christ!

VERSE 4
1. The "spirit of burning" is not speaking of the Holy Spirit, but of judgment. The same idea is found in Matthew 3:11-12, where John the baptist says, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 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." Some will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, they will be saved. The others will be like the chaff, burned in the fire, which speaks of judgment!

VERSES 5-6
1. In the Old Testament the presence of God was represented by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, they called it the SHEKINAH GLORY! In the millennial kingdom God will be present and He will protect us and shield His people as He rules and reigns in righteousness.

ISAIAH 5

VERSE 1a
1. This is a song that has its focus on God's vineyard or the nation of Israel, primarily the Southern Kingdom.

VERSES 1b-2
1. God planted them on Mount Zion and provided protection, nourishment, rich and fertile land with the expectation they would produce good fruit. But instead they produced fruit that was wild, it was not good for eating. In Jeremiah 2:21-22 we read, "'Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,' says the Lord GOD." Now why did God want them to produce fruit in the first place, doing everything possible to assure them to be fruitful? Because it brings Him glory. And the same is true in our lives as Christians. God wants us to produce good fruit. As Paul said in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

VERSES 3-4
1. God is saying there was nothing else that He could do for His people except to make His people into robots, which He would not do. God wants us to love Him and serve Him freely, He will not force anyone into His kingdom, you go their by choice. Can you imagine someone kicking and screaming as they are going into heaven, it ain't going to happen!

For us as Christians, to produce good fruit, we must stay in contact with the vine, Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 15:4-8, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

VERSES 5-7
1. Because of the wicked fruit that was born in their lives, God was going to bring judgment upon them. They were going to be taken into captivity, the land would be desolate, dry, weeds and thorns would grow instead of crops. And that is exactly what happened as the Babylonians came in and took them captive and destroyed the land.

2. Now we are going to see six woe's that God pronounces against Judah, and when God says "woe" to a people, you better watch out! Also, six is the number of man or incompleteness. Thus, these people who where not walking with God were imperfect and judgment was going to come upon this imperfection. You see, the only thing that would make them complete was God, who they turned their backs on.

VERSE 8
THE FIRST WOE IS BASED ON GREED
1. This is a small group of people buying up more and more land till nothing is left, and then renting or leasing the land out at high rates. We call that capitalism, but truly it is greed. It is never enough. Look at big corporations who buy out other corporations, firing whoever they want without a concern for the person or people who have worked faithfully all those years. The only concern they have is the bottom line, MONEY! When we place money, possessions above people, we have truly degenerated into nothing more than a greedy society that is never satisfied with what they have. In Micah 2:1-2 we read "Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance." Not a pretty picture!

VERSES 9-10
1. Because of their greed, all those homes they bought will be empty when they are taken into captivity. The land will not produce as it should because of their greed. Ten acres of land should produce some 4,000 gallons of grape juice, but it will only produce some 6 gallons. You will plant 6 bushels of seed and only get 1/10 of a crop out of it. Their greed has left them barren!

VERSES 11-12
THE SECOND WOE IS BASED ON HEDONISM
1. It is a party mentality - live life to the fullest, and drinking was a part of that mentality. You see, their judgment is clouded over. They don't see God or His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 says "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." Also, Job 12:7-11 says "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food?" Nature itself testifies that there is a God, and as much as people would like to deny it, one day they will have to stand before Him.

VERSE 13
1. Why have they gone into captivity? Because they have no knowledge of God, and even though they are starving to death, they refuse to eat the bread of God, His Word. It is a mentality that seeks to satisfy the flesh and not the spirit, and they are never satisfied.

VERSE 14
1. Because they refused to seek the truth, they will party till the very end, and then have an eternity to think about the foolishness of their ways!

VERSES 15-17
1. As much as man loves to exalt himself today, God will bring him down and in the end God will be the one lifted up, not man!

VERSE 18
THE THIRD WOE IS BASED IN LIBERALISM
1. It is an attitude of anything and everything goes. There is no shame in their sin but they display it for all to see. Let me give you an example of how blatant this is. My wife went to watch one of my son's wrestling matches, and there was a few hundred people there in the stands, besides all the wrestlers. And sitting down from her were a teenage couple, the girl was wearing an oversized, baggy shirt. The amazing thing is, in front of all these people, not a care at all, he had his hands up her shirt, fondling her breasts! And we see the same mentality permeating our society, if it feels good, do it!

VERSE 19
1. Their reason for continuing down this path is either God can't do anything about it, or He doesn't care what we do, or even worse, He is accepting what we do. If He didn't, He would do something about it, wouldn't He? That is the thinking today.

VERSE 20
THE FOURTH WOE IS BASED IN RELATIVISM
1. In other words, what is right for you may not be right for me, and that's okay, just don't push your views on me and I won't push mine on you. We see this today in our society. No one can call anything sin, or wrong, or bad. It's all relative! And when this is part of a society, everything gets turned around and we start calling evil good and good evil.

2. Let me give you a couple of examples from Time magazine, dated September 14, 1998. These are letters that people sent in regarding what President Clinton did with Monica Lewinsky:
"America should be happy to have a human being, not a robot, as President."
"Clinton was unfaithful and lied to cover it up, just as thousands of others have done. Then he told people who were snooping around to mind their own business. Good for him."
"I, like President Clinton, will do anything to avoid the prying eyes of self-righteous demons like Starr and his horde, who show such utter contempt for privacy."

You see, the evil is the person exposing the sin, not the one committing the sin. Amazing way to think, and truly a sad one as people call good evil and evil good!

3. Folks, it is not our place to judge what is good and what is evil, God has already told us, and all we need to do is obey! The end does not justify the means. With that kind of mentality, you could defend Hitler's actions as being good, as he killed off the weaker people. And even though we might not agree with it, we can't judge him for what he has done, for in his eyes, he was right. And if you think that kind of logic is far fetched, listen to what one professor said what he is seeing with his students: "They accept the reality of the Holocaust, but they believe themselves unable morally to condemn it, or indeed to make any moral judgments whatsoever. Such students typically comment that they themselves deplore the Holocaust and other great evils, but then they wind up by suspending moral judgment." They refuse to take a stand, to be considered intolerant of others views, as atrocious as they may be. You see, there is always a moral inversion with relativism, and we see that today in our own country!

VERSE 21
THE FIFTH WOE IS BASED IN INTELLECTUALISM
1. When you hear of man's prideful boasting of how smart he is, and how they mock God, they are showing themselves to be nothing more than fools. As Proverbs 30:5-6 says, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."

VERSES 22-23
THE SIXTH WOE IS BASED IN THE PERVERSION OF JUSTICE
1. These are those power lunches where deals are made under the table. People are perverting justice. It is as Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan." They groan because of the injustice that is taking place in the land.

VERSES 24-30
1. These six sins are bringing the nation down. Judgment is right around the corner. And God will raise up the Babylonians as instruments of judgment against His people. In a nation that was to be the light to the lost, they are now in darkness and their captivity is coming upon them very quickly.

2. I want to leave you this evening with these words from W. E. Vine. He said in regards to the judgments that would come upon them, that "All has its warning against [the] departure from the Word of God, and against the adoption of evil practices, the inevitable result of such departure. So it has been in the history of Christendom. All must meet with Divine retribution at the hands of the nations. For this see Rev. 17:16-18. God in His grace has left nothing undone to enable us to be fruitful for His glory, by His Spirit and His Word. Once we turn from this we not only become unfruitful but open our hearts to many forms of evil, and 'judgment must begin at the House of God.'"