The Future, pt. 1 (ISAIAH 32–33)

Getting Started

From the Commentary

At the beginning of its history, the nation of Israel was a theocracy, with God as King; it was not a monarchy led by human rulers. In the days of Samuel, the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul (1 Sam. 8; see Deut. 17:14–20). God did not establish a dynasty through Saul because Saul did not come from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10). It was David who established both the dynasty for Israel’s throne and the ancestry for Israel’s Messiah (2 Sam. 7). Every devout Jew knew that the future Messiah-King would be the Son of David (Matt. 22:41–46). In Isaiah 32:1, Isaiah wrote about “a king,” but in 33:17, he called him “the king.” By the time you get to verse 22, He is “our king.”

Going Deeper

From the Commentary

Behind the selfish rulers of Judah, and influencing them for evil, were the “aristocratic women” of Jerusalem, who were complacent and self-confident in a time of grave national crisis (Isa. 32:9–14; see 3:16–26; Amos 4:1–3; 6:1–6). Isaiah warned them that “in little more than a year” (niv), the land and the cities would be desolate. This took place in 701 BC when Sennacherib’s Assyrian army invaded Judah and devastated the land. The Jews confined in Jerusalem were greatly concerned about future harvests, and Isaiah had a word for them (Isa. 37:30–31). But before the siege ended and God delivered Jerusalem, these worldly women in Jerusalem had to sacrifice not only their luxuries, but also their necessities.

1. Why do you think Isaiah singles out the women of Jerusalem in 32:9–20? What does this say about their influence in the culture? How does this compare with your understanding of women’s roles in early Bible history? What warnings for today can we discover in these verses?

From the Commentary

Isaiah 33:2 is the prayer of a godly remnant when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Assyrian army. Isaiah had promised that God would be gracious to them if they would only trust Him (30:18–19), so a few devout people turned His promise into prayer. God spared Jerusalem for David’s sake (37:35) and because a believing remnant trusted God and prayed.

2. What does the prayer in Isaiah 33:2 tell us about those who trust God in times of trial? How is this prayer similar to other prayers in Scripture? To prayers your church has offered? What does it mean for God to be “our salvation in time of distress”?

From the Commentary

The Lord was exalted in the defeat of Assyria (Isa. 33:5), for no human wisdom or power could have done what He did. We must remember that nations and individuals can have stability in uncertain times only when they trust God and seek His wisdom and glory.

3. What does “stability in uncertain times” look like for those who trust God? Consider the situation in Judah (Isa. 33:7–9). Why would the people have reason to trust God in this circumstance? How does Isaiah’s proclamation of God’s judgment against the Assyrians (vv. 11–12) give the people of Judah hope? What message would the deliverance of Judah give to the Gentile nations?

From the Commentary

In Isaiah 33:17–24, the prophet lifts his vision to the end times and sees Jerusalem ruled by King Messiah. God’s victory over Assyria was but a “dress rehearsal” for His victory over the whole Gentile world system that will one day assemble to destroy the Holy City (Zech. 14:1–9). When our Lord was ministering on earth, the unbelieving Jews said, “There is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2). But when they see Him and believe, then they will perceive His great beauty (Zech. 12:3–13:1; Ps. 45). In contrast to the ordeal of the Assyrian siege, the Jews in the messianic kingdom will experience no terror, see no arrogant military officers, and hear no foreign speech (Isa. 33:18–19). Jerusalem will be like a tent that will not be moved (see 54:1–3), pitched by a broad river that will never carry the vessels of invading armies. Jerusalem is one of the few great cities of antiquity that was not built near a river, but that will change during the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 47).

4. What sort of picture of the end times does Isaiah paint in 33:17–24? How does this compare and contrast to the images the people of Judah would have been seeing in real time? How can this picture inspire believers today?

From Today’s World

Sermons about preparing for the end times have been around since the first preacher stood among a throng of believers. Many of those sermons point to current events—particularly wars and rumors of wars—as evidence that things are heading quickly toward the promised return of Christ. Natural disasters also spur a resurgence of preaching on the end of life as we know it and the ushering in of God’s future kingdom. However, in times of relative peace, such messages seem to go missing from the pulpit.

5. Why does it take the threat of annihilation to spur churches into thinking about the end times? In what ways does Isaiah’s message to the people of Judah reinforce this approach? What value is there in keeping God’s coming kingdom in mind even in times of relative peace?