Lesson 3 The Coming Storm (ISAIAH 24–31)

Getting Started

From the Commentary

After prophesying concerning eleven different nations, Isaiah enlarged his prophecy and described a judgment that would fall on the whole world. The Hebrew word erets, used sixteen times in chapter 24, is translated “land,” “earth,” and “world” in the King James Version. It is not always easy to tell when erets refers to one country or to the whole earth, but the context usually guides us. Isaiah 24–27 describes a global judgment that will end with the destruction of God’s enemies and the restoration of God’s people, Israel, in their land.Isaiah made three declarations that would comfort God’s chosen people in that awesome day of judgment. These declarations also encourage us today as we see our world plunging headlong into sin and rebellion against God. Will God ever deal with the wicked? What hope is there for the righteous?

1. What is the significance of Isaiah’s shift from talking about specific nations to talking about the entire world? What is the judgment that will fall upon the whole world? What is the result of that judgment?

Going Deeper

From the Commentary

Isaiah 25 is a song of praise to the Lord from the believing remnant that He preserved during “the day of the Lord.” In this song, three striking images stand out: the ruined city (25:1–3); the refuge (25:4–5); and the feast (25:6–12).

2. In what ways is Isaiah 25 a song of praise? How do each of the images noted in the previous excerpt illustrate how God plans to preserve His people? What example does Isaiah use to show a contrast to the exultation of Mount Zion (see vv. 10–12)?

From the Commentary

According to Isaiah 26:9–11, God wants the world to learn righteousness. He sends His judgments, but the people still will not repent (Rev. 9:20–21; 16:9). He shows them His grace in a thousand ways, but they continue to do evil. His hand is at work, but they will not see it. The prophet prays that God will reveal Himself through His people as He works on their behalf. The reviving and restoring of Israel should help to convince a lost world that God is not dead and that He keeps His promises.

3. Why does God want the world to learn righteousness? What are some of the ways God showed the people His grace during Isaiah’s time? What are some of the ways He shows us His grace today? What does it look like for people to reveal God through their lives? How is the plea of Isaiah 26:9–11 like that of the church today?

From the Commentary

Just as the dew brings new life to the soil and vegetation, so God will raise the dead out of the earth. The prophet had already announced God’s great victory over death (25:7–8), and now he tells us how He will do it: He will raise their bodies from the dust. Resurrection is not reconstruction; God does not reassemble the body and give it life. Paul compared the miracle of resurrection to the harvesting of grain planted in the soil (1 Cor. 15:35–49). The seed is buried and dies, but out of this death comes forth life and fruitfulness. Isaiah had just written about travail (Isa. 26:17–18), so he compared the resurrection to human birth: “The earth will give birth to her dead” (v. 19 NIV).

4. In what ways would the message of Isaiah 26:19–21 have been an encouragement to God’s people during the time of Isaiah? How are these same words an encouragement to God’s people today? How does the message of resurrection in Isaiah compare to what we have through Jesus’ death and resurrection?

From the Commentary

Isaiah envisioned a glorious day when God would repeat the miracle of the exodus and deliver His people from their bondage to the Gentile nations. The trumpet would summon them to Jerusalem (Matt. 24:31) and announce God’s victory over their foes, and they would “worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” The kingdom will be like an endless feast and a holy day of worship as the people rejoice in the Lord.

5. In what ways are God’s people today like those to whom Isaiah wrote chapter 27? God’s people in Isaiah’s time were often in bondage to other Gentile nations. What sorts of things are God’s people in bondage to today?