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TH1150: On-Line
Teaching Notes
ISAIAH
Please turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 29, as we continue our study through the Word of God. As we are going through the book of Isaiah, understand that there are two main divisions. The first 39 chapters basically deal with God's judgment being poured out upon His people and the gentile nations of this world for their transgression of the Law, their turning from Him. Then, the last 27 chapters, beginning with chapter 40, we see a dramatic change in style and focus, causing some to believe that two Isaiah's wrote this book. That is ridiculous, for in John chapter 12 Jesus quotes from both sections of Isaiah and attributes the writing to Isaiah. And I will trust in the wisdom of God over the wisdom of man anytime!
Now the last 27 chapters deal with the coming of the Savior to deliver His people, His crucifixion and death, His coming to redeem the earth and goes into the kingdom age. Interestingly enough their are 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament, with a total of 66 books, which also equal the number of chapters in the book of Isaiah. And I will give you one other thing to think about before we dig into the Scriptures. The Old Testament speaks about the Law for the most part, with grace woven in, just as the first 39 chapters of Isaiah. The New Testament speaks of God's grace being extended to us through His sacrificial death, which the last 27 chapters of Isaiah deal with. Now with all that in mind, lets dig into Isaiah chapter 29.
ISAIAH 29
VERSE 1
1. The name Ariel refers to Jerusalem, and this judgment was against them. Ariel means "Lion of God" or "Altar hearth". In knowing that we can say of this city that they once were like a lion of God, but now, because of God's judgment, it will be like a altar hearth where the people are the sacrificial victims.
2. Tragically they refused to hear God's warning and they believed that life was just going to continue on. They were totally unaware of the judgment that was coming. That same mentality we see today and it will continue on, for Jesus said regarding the tribulation, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." Matthew 24:37-39. Today, like back then, many are warning of God's coming judgment, but people want their ears tickled by the smooth talk of the false prophets, and they don't realize how close the judgment of God is!
VERSES 2-4
1. Judgment was coming upon them for their idolatry. Jeremiah said of this time, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns; broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13. Because they have turned from the living God and have sought after the empty things of this world, they will be crushed!
VERSES 5-7
1. God is saying that He will destroy those nations that come against His people, that exceed the bounds of His judgment. And we see a near fulfillment of this in the destruction of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. But we also can see a future fulfillment, after God destroys the Russian army and her Muslim allies that come against Israel at the beginning to the tribulation period till He destroys those who gather together to destroy God's people and come to fight against Him during the battle of Armageddon at the end of the tribulation period.
VERSE 8
1. God is saying that you are dreaming if you think you are going to take away God's people from God's city, Jerusalem. You see, the land doesn't belong to the Jews or the Palestinians, but to God who has given it to the Jews.
VERSE 9
1. Understand they are not staggering because they are drunk but they are staggering because of the sinful condition they are in. Their sin has clouded their judgment, they are blind to what God is showing them. If your mind is confused, if you can't think straight, then your walk is going to be altered, it will be aimless, it will be like a man who is staggering because he is drunk.
VERSE 10
1. God did not cause this condition but He made firm that which they desired - spiritual darkness! The prophets couldn't see the truths of God. The seers couldn't receive visions from God. And yet they were leading the people with false prophecy's and false visions, and thus, they all were heading towards judgment. It is as Paul said in II Thessalonians 2:11-12, "And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
VERSES 11-12
1. Notice that both literate and the illiterate can't understand the things of God because they refuse to hear what God has to say. They could justify their sin, water down God's Word so much, to such a point that it became meaningless. And we truly see that today, where we have people justifying all kinds of sin, negating what God has said or trying to re-interpret what God has said.
Listen to what Peter Gomes, a gay minister to Harvard University and known as "A conservative Republican, he is also, in his own words, 'A Christian who happens...to be gay.'" "After tracing the Scriptures' history and addressing basic questions (what can be believed about the Bible?) this eloquent preacher tells us what the Good Book really says about racial equality, women's rights, and homosexuality; too often he observes, 'The battle for the Bible...is really the battle for the prevailing culture." In other words, the Bible changes to adapt to our changing culture. Once homosexuality was looked upon as sin, but today it is an alternate lifestyle and must be accepted.
That is totally wrong and contradicts what the Scriptures have to say. Listen to what Peter has to say in I Peter 1:22-25. We read "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever. 'Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you." Also, in II Peter 1:20-21 we read "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Scripture is not for our own private interpretation, God says what He means and means what He says. He doesn't need our help in telling people what He really meant! And if people refuse the truth of God's Word, God will cause them to believe the lie!
VERSE 13
1. This is so important for us to understand. These people were still going to temple, they were offering their sacrifices, they had all the motion but their hearts were far from God. And I do believe religious activity makes us feel good about ourselves, but God is looking for a relationship. Instead of fearing God according to His Word, they feared the Lord out of the traditions of man.
VERSE 14
1. Because of that God will let them continue down this path of destruction. God wanted them to repent of their evil ways, to turn to Him. But they refused and thus, suffered the consequences of their actions.
VERSE 15
1. In 722 BC the Northern Kingdom of Israel went into captivity. And you would think the Southern Kingdom of Judah would have learned their lessons, but they didn't. And now some 21 years later, in 701 BC, the Assyrians had started to march to the south, taking some of the northern cities of the Southern Kingdom captive. In fact, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, wrote that he had captured some 46 towns of Judah, outside the walls of Jerusalem, and had even captured some of their leaders who tried to escape. Now instead of going to God with their requests, in their time of need, they made an alliance with Egypt to help them. And these leaders actually believed their deals were made in secret, that God couldn't see what they were doing. Hebrews 4:13 says "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Instead of going to the Lord for help, they went to the world, and God saw their deals that they made, and the foolishness of their actions.
VERSE 16
1. Do you see how messed up they were? They had come to the point where they were telling God what to do instead of allowing the master potter to mold and shape them. We are no different today. We have teachers telling us to turn our prayer and faith into some kind of force and demand God to give you what you want.
Do you think I'm kidding? Think again! Frederick Price said: "Now this is a shocker! But God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on behalf of man...Yes! You are in control! So, if man has control, who no longer has it? God...When God gave Adam dominion, that meant God no longer had dominion. So, God cannot do anything in this earth unless we let Him. And the way we let Him or give Him permission is through prayer."
I am sorry, but that is a perverted way to think. God does not have to submit to us, it is the other way around. Our joy comes as He uses us to accomplish His will on this earth, not our will! God is not some kind of magic genie or some kind of cosmic puppet that we just have to pull certain strings and He has to give us what we want. If that is the concept of God you have, then you don't know Him, you have not submitted to Him, but are believing He is submitting to you. And yet the Scriptures say in Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases."
VERSES 17-18
1. This is looking ahead to the kingdom age when God will restore this earth and the deaf will hear, the blind will see, not only spiritually speaking, but physically also.
VERSES 19-21
1. The near fulfillment is seen in the destruction of the king of Assyria, but ultimately the antichrist and all those who have come against the Holy One will face the same judgment! You see, the humble will enter into the kingdom age and rejoice as the Lord sets up His kingdom.
VERSES 22-24
1. This nation who wanted their ears tickled, who followed these false teachers, these false prophets, will one day turn back to the Lord and will desire to be taught His Word, His truth instead of the lies they were taught. And ultimately we will see this in the kingdom age, as the nation of Israel turns to their Messiah!
ISAIAH 30
VERSE 1
1. Instead of trusting in the Lord they turned to man, specifically the Egyptians, to help them defeat the Assyrians, who were coming against them, and God rebukes them for their lack of faith, lack of trust, the lack of resting in Him.
VERSES 2-4
1. The leaders or representatives of Judah traveled down to Zoan and Hanes to work out this deal with Egypt. And God rebukes them again in Isaiah 31:1. We read "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!" In fact Egypt was never able to help, for the Assyrians attacked them before they could help Judah. The deal fell apart.
2. It is easy to come against Judah for their lack of faith, for their refusal to look to the Lord for help and going to Egypt instead. But understand this, Egypt is a type of the world, and how often do we run to the world for help with our problems? And we do come up with good explanations for our actions, we think our problems are more complex today then they were back then. Hogwash! Sin is still sin and rebellion is still rebellion. And the God who created the heavens and the earth can surely help us with our problems. We need to go to the Lord and trust in Him, for the world will not have the answers we need, but the Lord who created us will! It is as Psalm 111:7-8 says, "The works of His hands are verity [truth] and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness."
VERSE 5
1. They saw their plan with Egypt quickly fall apart and they were ashamed of their actions.
VERSES 6-7
1. This is a picture of Judah sending its wealth to Egypt for payment in their military assistance against Assyria. The only problem is, the money went down but the help never came, Egypt was put down before they could assist Judah, and thus, the name RAHAB-HEM-SHEBETH or "Rahab sits still", Egypt couldn't help, is given them.
VERSE 8
1. Isaiah did do this for we have these words before our eyes.
VERSES 9-11
1. Isaiah spoke of God's coming judgment for their idolatry, but the people didn't want to hear those words. Instead they wanted the prophets to speak a positive message to them, a message that was a lie, it wasn't from God, but it did make them feel better about themselves. They were not interested in a relationship with God but of just being a religious people that felt good about themselves while they lived in sin. Sounds like what many churches are teaching today and what many people want to hear!
VERSES 12-14
1. Because they rejected the truth of God's Word, what they will trust in will be a lie that will be like a wall that is bulging, ready to burst forth and break. And just as suddenly as the wall will break and come crashing down, so will they. The judgment will be devastating. Ultimately this took place in 586 BC as the Babylonians came in and destroyed the city, the walls, the temple and took the remaining people captive to Babylon, except for the weak, the sick and the old.
VERSE 15
1. God is telling them to repent, to turn back to Him and as they do they will find rest, peace through the storms of life, the things they were going through. He wanted them to place their confidence in Him, but sadly, they refused, and verse 16 tells us why they refused to trust in God.
VERSE 16
1. Notice the arrogance of their speech. Instead of resting in the Lord, they were ready to jump on the Egyptian war horses and defeat the enemy. But God says that they are sadly mistaken. Instead of pursuing the enemy, the enemy will come after them and they will flee!
VERSE 17
1. God is saying that He is going to strip them bare in this judgment. Instead of their enemies fleeing from them, they will cause Judah to flee and be scattered. The reason is given to us in Deuteronomy chapter 28, where we see the promise of blessings for obedience unto God, and also the promise of cursing for their disobedience unto God. They refused to hear the prophets, wanted a positive message, which were nothing more than lies from these false prophets, and judgment came.
VERSE 18
1. What a picture of God's love for His people. He is going to wait, He is going to look at His people, desiring to be gracious to them. But first they needed to reach a place of brokeness, no longer independent or self-dependent, but God-dependent! God had to wait till they came to the end of themselves and when they did and turned towards Him, He extended His arm of grace and mercy to them. In your relationship with the Lord, think of it this way; either God is waiting upon you or you are waiting upon Him. You decided which is the better place to be!
VERSE 19
1. When they realize the folly of their ways and cry out to God in repentance, God will hear and heal them. You see, out of the adversity God brought blessings!
VERSES 20-21
1. God's people will learn their lesson, and then even in times of adversity they will listen to the true prophets of God, even though what they have to say may be difficult. No longer will they seek teachers who will tickle their ears with smooth talk, but they will reject these false prophets. And when they returned from captivity, God's people never again worshipped in the groves, never worshipped the gods of Baal or Molech. You see, God allows adversity in our lives so we may look to Him, be guided by Him. If we refuse there will always be someone or something else to guide you, but in the wrong direction many times! You will know the true prophets by their fruit, by the words they speak, if they match up with God's Word or not. If they don't then they are false prophets, plain and simple!
VERSE 22
1. This is what God was wanting them to do, to get rid of these idols and return to Him. They did do this when they returned from Babylon but this will ultimately be fulfilled in the kingdom age.
VERSES 23-26
1. This is obviously looking towards the future, the kingdom age, when the days will no longer be dark and gloomy but bright and glorious!
VERSE 27
1. The Assyrians were a very cruel and brutal people and here God is upset with them and is going to judge them for their actions.
VERSES 28-29
1. This could be speaking of the time the Assyrians encamped around Jerusalem and as Hezekiah prayed to the Lord for deliverance, that night the angel of the Lord came and destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. And when the Jews woke up they saw their enemy dead and a song broke out in the land. It was a time to rejoice in the Lord at what He has done!
VERSES 30-33
1. Now the near fulfillment is obvious, God is going to bring His judgment upon the Assyrians. But there is also a future fulfillment seen. You see, that word "indignation" seen in verse 27 and 30 is a term used for the great tribulation, a time of Jacob's trouble. And the Assyrian king could be symbolic of all those who reject Christ and their ultimate fate before God.
You see, the valley of Tophet was an Old Testament name for the valley of Hinnom. It was the place where the children of Israel sacrificed their children to the god Molech, passing them through the fire, burning them to death. This valley later became the place where the garbage of the city was burned, with a continual smoldering seen in this valley, that was located just to the south of Jerusalem.
In the New Testament Jesus used the valley of Hinnom as an object lesson, likening it to the place of everlasting punishment or Gehenna. It was a place that Jesus described as a place "where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'" Mark 9:44. Not a pretty picture of the final resting place, and I use that term loosely, of the wicked. You get the idea of eternal punishment, that you are aware of things, and you are!
Understand that Gehenna is identical to the "lake of fire", found in Revelation 20:14. It is the outer darkness or the eternal state of the wicked who are eternally separated from God. It is also in reference to the "second death" found in Revelation 20:6, which is seen in the Great White Throne Judgment and thus the sentencing of the wicked to the lake of fire.
Don't confuse Hades or Sheol with the lake of fire or Gehenna. Hades or Sheol are the holding tank for the wicked until the Great White Throne Judgment when their sentences will be handed out and they will be cast into outer darkness.
Now that is for the wicked, but what about the righteous in Christ? Revelation 20:6 says "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." The second death is not for us, only for the wicked. Because we are a child of God we will enter eternity with Him!