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TH1151: On-Line
Teaching Notes
ISAIAH
Please open your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 31, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And in this portion of Scripture God continues to rebuke the Southern Kingdom of Judah for trusting in Egypt to help them fight against the Assyrians instead of placing their trust in the Lord. We read in Isaiah 30:1-3, "'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the LORD, 'Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation.'"
With that for a background, lets begin reading in Isaiah chapter 31, beginning in verse 1, as this same thought is being spoken.
ISAIAH 31
VERSES 1-3
1. In Deuteronomy 17:16 God instructs His people that when they enter the land they are not to go down to Egypt for help, which symbolizes the world. They were not to trust in the strength of Egypt's military might, their chariots. And yet that is exactly what the Southern Kingdom of Judah is doing. God wanted them to look up to see the salvation He would bring. You see, the strength of any nation is not found in its military might, but its faith in the Lord! But they decided to trust in man instead of God, defeating the enemy with horses rather than by the Spirit of God. And God is telling them that not only will Egypt fail, but so will Judah in this alliance that they made with each other. You see, God will allow us to come to the end of ourselves so that we no longer will look to self for help, or the world for help, but will turn to Him. It is not that God can't or won't use people to help us, but He wants us to go to Him first so that He can direct us. If we don't, we will fail!
VERSE 4
1. The illustration is that of a lion standing over its prey, it won't be moved by anyone, and neither will the Lord be moved, He will continue to watch over Jerusalem.
VERSE 5
1. Even when things look bad. Even when things seem hopeless. The Lord will stand up and fight for His holy city, He will deliver it and preserve it.
VERSE 6
1. God's desire through all of this is that they would return to Him. This chastening is to open their eyes so that they would repent of their sin, it was not to destroy them.
VERSE 7
1. When God delivered them from the Assyrians it caused them to draw close to God for a time. But, soon they fell back into idolatry until they were taken captive by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Interestingly enough, Dr. Shilo found in his digs in this area that the rock layers from this period of time were burned, for that is what the Babylonians did to the city of Jerusalem. And in the homes of the people, he found thousands of idols that the people of God had. But the captivity changed their hearts. When they returned home they never again worshipped in the groves, nor did they worship the god Baal or Molech. But ultimately this will be fulfilled in the kingdom age.
VERSES 8-9
1. Isaiah is saying that the Assyrians are going to fall by the hand of God and not by the sword of man. And that is exactly what happened. As the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem, threatening to take the city, Hezekiah brought this burden before the Lord. And that night the angel of the Lord came and destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, causing Sennacherib and those remaining to flee back to Nineveh, causing them to fear the Lord. And as Sennacherib went into worship his god, his own sons killed him.
And obviously this caused the Assyrians to fear the God of Israel, instead of mocking the true and living God as they were before the judgment fell. Listen to how bold they were before this judgment, "'Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'" II Kings 18:33-35. They quickly found out that the true and living God stands alone!
2. Now if the Assyrian king is symbolic of the antichrist, and his army of those who are in rebellion towards God, they will be defeated and their defeat will usher in the kingdom age, spoken of in chapter 32.
ISAIAH 32
VERSE 1
1. Here we have a picture of the kingdom age where we see Jesus as king and we are with Him ruling in justice. It is as 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."
VERSE 2
1. Today we look for protection, times of refreshing but in the kingdom age we won't have to look. That will be the natural flow of things as righteousness fills the land.
VERSES 3-4
1. Because of the aging process and because of sin, we groan in these bodies because they are deteriorating or they are handicapped. But in the kingdom age we won't see that. The blind shall see. The deaf shall hear. The lame shall walk and-so-on.
VERSES 5-8
1. We see today that people are very good at deceiving others. I bought a car once and the dealer who sold it to me promised me it was in good condition, checked by their auto mechanics, and it was very safe, which was important to me for Julie would be driving the car. After buying it we took it in for some minor repairs and to check a noise the car was making. The mechanic we took it to said that the car was unsafe to drive at any speed and because of the liability in fixing the problem, they wouldn't even touch it. So I went back to the dealer and they didn't want anything to do with me or the problem they sold me. In the kingdom age everything will be open and if someone acts deceptively, the Lord will deal with that person immediately. And we, as His representatives, will watch over various areas of the kingdom, and we also will deal with unrighteous behavior. You see, there will be no violence, there will not be the unrighteousness we see today. And if anyone gets out of line, they will be dealt with.
VERSE 9-11
1. Self confidence and complacency is a terrible thing. Things seemed to be going well. The alliance made with Egypt gave them false hope. And now, even the women were affected by this attitude. But Isaiah is calling for them to wake-up, mourn and pray for judgment is coming in just over a years time. And in just over a year the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem and cut off their food supply. But that is not what they wanted to hear. They wanted to have their ears tickled with lies the false prophets were telling them. The only problem was they were living in a fantasy world, and judgment was coming no matter what they believed.
2. We must also be aware of the days we are living in. We must realize that what the prophets spoke back then is happening in the days we are living in. And as Paul said in II Timothy 3:1, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come." We can't bury our heads in the sand or believe that things are getting better when the reality is, we are seeing times of stress increasing, perilous times will increase. We must not be looking to have our ears tickled by the false prophets, but be sensitive to what the Word of God has to say and live accordingly. We too should mourn and pray over the condition of this nation instead of believing "It's getting better all the time!"
VERSES 12-13
1. Things may look good now, but judgment is coming. Thus, they will beat upon their breasts when they see the devastation that is going to take place upon them and upon the land, as they are taken into captivity. It will be a shock to them, not because they weren't told, but because they refused to listen to what God was saying to them through the prophets. It is as God said in Isaiah 30:9-11, "That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, 'Do not see,' And to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.'"
VERSES 14-15
1. Here we move from the Assyrian push into Judah in 701 BC, in which they were never able to capture the city. Then we go into the Babylonian captivity that began in 606 BC and continued with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. And then we move into the kingdom age where God will pour out His Spirit upon the nation of Israel, and the entire world. You see, the church is just a prelude to what God is going to do as this land is filled with righteousness. Not only will the people be healed, but so will the land, as the deserts blossom forth.
VERSES 16-17
1. Today, Paul tells us in Romans 12:18 that we are "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." But in the kingdom age righteousness will fill the land and the work of righteousness is peace. When our relationship with God is right, then our relationship with man will be in balance. When our relationship with God is off, then James tells us what our relationship with man will be like. He said "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war..." James 4:1-2. So the work of righteousness is peace, with the effects of righteousness being a calm spirit, a quiet spirit. We don't see that today, even though as Christians we can have it. But in the kingdom age that will be the norm instead of the exception!
VERSE 18
1. What a glorious day that will be. No more "America's Most Wanted". No more locking your doors, fearing walking at night and-so-on. Peace will fill the land. But that day will not happen until Messiah comes!
VERSES 19-20
1. Before that time comes, God is going to pour out His wrath upon His enemies, and is going to humble His people so that they will turn to Him. We saw this when God destroyed the Assyrian army, it caused Judah to return to the Lord, and this will ultimately be seen as God destroys the antichrist and the nation of Israel will turn to Jesus as their Messiah. It is as Paul said in Romans 11:25-27, "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.'" It is then that the kingdom is set up and the land healed.
ISAIAH 33
VERSE 1
1. God is pronouncing judgment upon the Assyrians who were a very brutal people.
VERSES 2-4
1. Initially Hezekiah looked to the Assyrians for help by paying tribute money to them, but that was not enough. They then looked to Egypt for help, but that did not work. And now Hezekiah and the nation are waiting upon the Lord to deliver them from this situation. And God did bringdown 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, leaving the spoils for Judah to go and pick up. No longer would they look to the arm of man for help, but they will look to the Lord!
VERSES 5-6
1. As God destroyed the Assyrians, the nation did return to the Lord for a time, righteousness did fill the land. But quickly things changed, they once again turned from the Lord and God brought judgment upon them by the hands of the Babylonians.
2. What does God treasure? He wants us to respect Him and that is not just with empty words but that is manifested in the things we do, that is we do those things that are right. Remember in Matthew chapter 7, Jesus said for those that give Him empty lip service, He didn't even know them. And He likened them to someone who builds his house on the sand and when the storms come they are swept away. In other words, you not only need to hear the Words of God but you need to do them, or your faith is empty. You see, by obeying what God says it shows you respect Him, and the Lord treasures that kind of relationship.
VERSES 7-8
1. Judah had made a deal with Assyria not to attack, but the money wasn't enough, they were coming down anyway. And the ambassadors who had made this deal were weeping, they saw no hope. The people were terrified, no one could stop the Assyrians from coming.
VERSE 9
1. Back then the world was terrified of this Assyrian king and his army. And we can also see this as a type of the antichrist and his army, that when this man of peace shows his true colors, the world will be terrified!
VERSE 10
1. God is never late, but in His perfect time He will step in and accomplish His will in a given situation. Many times God is waiting till we come to the end of ourselves so that we will look to Him and then, in His time, He will act.
VERSES 11-13
1. When God defeated the Assyrians, it opened their eyes to God and we see the result of this in verse 14...
VERSE 14
1. When God showed Himself strong, the sinners, the hypocrites were terrified because they realized they couldn't stand before a holy and righteous God in their condition. Remember when Ananias and Sapphria were struck dead because they lied to the Holy Spirit. It is out of that we read in Acts 5:11-14, "So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." Some came to know the Lord, butthose that refused to change, repent of their sins, stayed away. They were terrified of God's power, but refused to surrender to His love.
2. Now Isaiah is going to answer the question "Who may dwell with God?"
VERSES 15-16
1. It is not their actions that make them righteous but their relationship with the Lord, and out of that relationship we see these actions. Their faith was real, it was alive! It is as James said, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:17-18.
VERSES 17-19
1. Looking ahead to the kingdom age, which is in the future, and how in that day we no longer have those days of terror where the foreign enemy is threatening us, or for that matter, any enemy.
VERSES 20-21
1. No longer will we see wars in the kingdom age, but peace. Why will it be a time of peace? Verse 22 tells us...
VERSE 22
1. The Lord will not only be Judge, but He will be the Lawgiver, and He will be the King!
VERSES 23-24
1. Isaiah likens Jerusalem to a ship that almost sank, but God stepped in and delivered them. He healed them both spiritually and physically!
ISAIAH 34
VERSES 1-3
1. In that final battle the nations of the world will come together to fight against the Lord, and God will laugh at their foolishness. He mocks them for their arrogance. And He will destroy them for their rebellious hearts. During this time there will be so many dead that there will be no time to bury them and their bodies will rot in the fields and be food for the birds!
VERSE 4
1. Not only cataclysmic events on the earth, but in the heavens, and those judgments will affect the inhabitants of the earth.
VERSE 5
1. Edom was the perpetual enemy of Israel, and when the Lord returns, this is the first place that will be judged, as He moves towards Jerusalem. We see this in Isaiah 63:1, "Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?; 'I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.'"
VERSES 6-7
1. Here we see God speaking of destroying the Edomites, who may be a type of all those that are an enemy of God and will be judged.
VERSE 8
1. God's patience and longsuffering will come to an end and He will pour out His wrath upon all those who reject Him.
VERSES 9-10
1. This area is covered with pitch and the Lord could ignite this area as He brings judgment upon the area of Edom.
VERSES 11-15
1. The land of Edom will be so desolate that only wild creatures, those who live solitary lives, will inhabit it.
VERSES 16-17
1. Isaiah is challenging them to read the Scriptures and see if these things don't come to pass. And as they read, they could see clearly that God's Word did and does come to pass. God says what He means and means what He says!
2. As we move into chapter 35, we are once again moving into the kingdom age.
ISAIAH 35
VERSES 1-2
1. The world we live in today is only a shadow of what it was like when God created it. In the kingdom age God is going to restore the earth and its creatures to the way it was in the beginning. The deserts will blossom with life. No more harsh winters, but the earth will be tropical from the north pole to the south pole.
VERSES 3-4
1. Before God steps in, things are going to be very bad, very dark, very hopeless. And God is saying for those going through the tribulation period, "Hang in there, the light is coming! Don't lose hope!" And they will need to hear those encouraging words, for those days will be very dark.
VERSES 5-7
1. Not only will God heal the physical infirmities, there will be no more physical handicaps in the kingdom age, and He will also heal the land.
VERSE 8
1. In the kingdom age we will make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the Highway of Holiness. No sinners will be there, only the righteous. And even someone who gets lost easily, will be able to find their way, probably because of all the praise songs being sung as we travel to the holy city to see our King!
VERSE 9
1. There will be no carnivorous animals in the kingdom age, not even man. We all will be vegetarians!
VERSE 10
1. Can you imagine the worship being sung out as we travel on this Highway of Holiness that leads to the Lord. What joy we will have as we begin our accent up the mountains of Jerusalem to see our King!
2. Now as we move into chapters 36-39 next week, understand that we are moving into an historical account of the destruction of the Assyrian army. Why does God do it this way? To show us that He fulfilled His promises in the past, and what He has promised regarding the kingdom age will come to pass! You see, we must walk by faith, believing and trusting in His promises!