The Book of Isaiah, Part 2: The Vision Seen: A Prophetic Cycle of Judgment and Promise
Survey of the Old Testament Prophetic Books • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Series - The Book of Isaiah
Part 2 - The Vision Seen: A Prophetic Cycle of Judgment and Promise
Text - Isaiah 2.1
1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Background
Background
Outline of Isaiah 2-5
Outline of Isaiah 2-5
Isaiah 2.1-4 - the future exaltation of the mountain of the house of the LORD
Isaiah 2.5-21 - the humbling of the nation of Israel and the day of the LORD
Isaiah 2.22-3.11 - the humbling of the men of Israel
Isaiah 3.12-4.1 - the humbling of the women of Israel
Isaiah 4.2-6 - the coming Branch of the LORD
Isaiah 5.1-7 - the bittersweet song against the LORD’s vineyard
Isaiah 5.8-30 - pronouncement of woes against the wicked
The reign of king Uzziah
The reign of king Uzziah
This part of the book were most likely proclaimed (if not written) towards the end of king Uzziah’s reign.
Rabbinic traditions claims Amoz was brother to king Amaziah. This makes Isaiah and king Uzziah cousins.
2 Chronicles 26 records the successes of king Uzziah
he became king at the age of 16
he was influenced by the prophet Zechariah
v. 5 - “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him successful.”
he fought against the Philistines, tearing down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod
v. 7 - God helped him against the Philistines, Arabians, and Meunites
the Ammonites gave tribute to him
his fame extended tot he border of Egypt
Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem and in the wilderness
he had a sizable army of 307,500
he made machines of war
v. 16 - but when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly… he attempted to offer incense in the temple
he came to be known as the leper king;
Hallmarks of his reign
Israel became prosperous nation
Israel’s army was strengthened in number and in weaponry
people continued to burn incense on the high places (2 Kings 15.4)
Main Idea
Main Idea
What did Isaiah see? (2.1)
Isaiah saw a panorama of God’s judgments and promises to the nation of Israel in 3 stages
the judgment of the nation in his day
The abandonment of the nation Israel
The day of reckoning in the last days
Main Points
Main Points
the future exaltation of the mountain of the house of the LORD
the humbling of the proud in the day of the LORD
the humbling of the men of Israel
the humbling of the women of Israel
the coming of the Branch of the LORD
the parable of the vineyard
proclamation of woes against the wicked
Isaiah saw the future exaltation of the mountain of the house of the LORD
Isaiah saw the future exaltation of the mountain of the house of the LORD
The vision
2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; So that He may teach us about His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go out from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations, And will mediate for many peoples; And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
Isaiah saw Israel’s future
Isaiah saw Israel’s future
A future where Jerusalem becomes a prominent place
A future where Jerusalem becomes a prominent place
A future where nations will go to the house of the God of jacob
A future where nations will go to the house of the God of jacob
A future where nations will cease to make war
A future where nations will cease to make war
Isaiah saw the humbling of the proud
Isaiah saw the humbling of the proud
This part covers verses 5 through 21
The Vision
5 Come, house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the light of the Lord.
6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines. They also strike bargains with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses, And there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made.
9 So the common person has been humbled And the person of importance has been brought low, But do not forgive them.
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
God has abandoned His people
God has abandoned His people
They have adopted pagan practices (v. 6)
superstitions from the east
they have become like Philistine soothsayers
they have exchanged customs with foreigners
They have become materialistic (v. 7)
there is no end to their wealth accumulation
there is no end to their building military strength
They have bowed down to idols (v. 8-9)
the land is filled with idols
the common and the important peoples have be humbled by worshiping the woks of their hands
Important lessons here
Important lessons here
God abandons His people ONLY after they abandon Him for worldly attractions!
God abandons His people ONLY after they abandon Him for worldly attractions!
Israel was first to abandon God
God will not forsake us until we forsake (leave) His Word.
We humble ourselves WHENEVER we bow down to anything that is not God!
We humble ourselves WHENEVER we bow down to anything that is not God!
humble (verb) - to debase, degrade, humiliate,
What God is doing
What God is doing
God will humble the proud in the day of reckoning
God will humble the proud in the day of reckoning
Other translations
a day in a store for the proud…
the day of the LORD of hosts
10 Enter the rocky place and hide in the dust From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
11 The proud look of humanity will be brought low, And the arrogance of people will be humbled; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
12 For the Lord of armies will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is arrogant and haughty, And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be brought low.
13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan,
14 Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15 Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall,
16 Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the delightful ships.
17 And the pride of humanity will be humbled And the arrogance of people will be brought low; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day,
18 And the idols will completely vanish.
19 People will go into caves of the rocks And into holes in the ground Away from the terror of the Lord And the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.
20 On that day people will throw away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship,
21 In order to go into the clefts of the rocks and the crannies of the cliffs Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to terrify the earth.
The day of the LORD is reserved for the proud and arrogant
The day of the LORD is reserved for the proud and arrogant
idolatry is arrogance before God!
materialism is arrogance before God!
trusting ins superstitions is arrogance before God!
The day of the LORD will exalt God alone!
The day of the LORD will exalt God alone!
11 The proud look of humanity will be brought low, And the arrogance of people will be humbled; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
17 And the pride of humanity will be humbled And the arrogance of people will be brought low; And the Lord alone will be exalted on that day,
Important lessons here -
Important lessons here -
Culture is no excuse in practicing superstitions!
Culture is no excuse in practicing superstitions!
most culture and superstitions are embedded into religious beliefs
examples
offering blood in construction sites
knock on wood
visiting the dead
halloween (hallows eve)
practicing these superstitions is arrogance before God
The day of the LORD is the end of cultural differences among the nations.
The day of the LORD is the end of cultural differences among the nations.
During the reign of Christ only government, form of worship, and social norm, will be implemented from Jerusalem!
Isaiah saw the humbling of the men of Israel
Isaiah saw the humbling of the men of Israel
This part covers 2.22 through 3.11
The Vision
22 Take no account of man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?
1 For behold, the Lord God of armies is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread And the entire supply of water;
2 The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere boys their leaders, And mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will assault the elder, And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man lays hold of his brother in his father’s house, saying, “You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler! And these ruins will be under your authority,”
7 He will protest on that day, saying, “I will not be your healer, For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak; You should not appoint me ruler of the people.”
8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence.
9 The expression of their faces testifies against them, And they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the righteous that it will go well for them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him, For what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.
13 The Lord arises to contend, And stands to judge the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 “What do you mean by crushing My people And oppressing the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord God of armies.
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
the removal of key leaders
the rise of “boys” who will serve as leaders
the lack of true leaders
the rise of women leaders
Why God will do this
Why God will do this
Because Israel has rebelled against His leadership
Because these leaders have oppressed the people
Key lessons here
Key lessons here
Leaders who abuse their authority will give account to God!
Leaders who abuse their authority will give account to God!
religious leaders
Nadab and Abihu
Jannes and Jambres
political leaders
Belshazzar - handwriting on the wall
The day of the LORD will be the end of corrupt and abusive leadership on earth!
The day of the LORD will be the end of corrupt and abusive leadership on earth!
Righteous government is coming right after God’s wrath is unleashed on earth!
Just leadership marks the government of Christ on earth!
Isaiah saw the the humbling of the women of Israel
Isaiah saw the the humbling of the women of Israel
This part covers Isaiah 3.16 through 4.1
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
16 Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare.”
18 On that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments,
19 dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,
20 headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets,
21 finger rings, nose rings,
22 festive robes, outer garments, shawls, purses,
23 papyrus garments, undergarments, headbands, and veils.
24 Now it will come about that instead of balsam oil there will be a stench; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a robe of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle.
26 And her gates will lament and mourn, And she will sit deserted on the ground.
1 For seven women will take hold of one man on that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our disgrace!”
Isaiah saw the proud women of Israel
Isaiah saw the proud women of Israel
they were flaunting their beauty
they were flauting their jewels
Isaiah saw God humbling the women of Israel
Isaiah saw God humbling the women of Israel
God afflicts their calps with scab
God takes away their beauty and ornaments
Why God will do this
Why God will do this
Taking pride in man-made beauty is arrogance before God!
Taking pride in man-made beauty is arrogance before God!
God wants us to beautify the inner man - 1 Peter 3.3-4
3 Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel;
4 but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
the beauty of the inner man are the qualities of gentle and quiet spirit
the Day of the LORD will be the end of man-made beauty on earth!
the Day of the LORD will be the end of man-made beauty on earth!
the kingdom of God will be filled only with godly beauty that glorifies God!
Isaiah saw the result of the Day of the LORD
Isaiah saw the result of the Day of the LORD
The Vision
2 On that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the survivors of Israel.
3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,
5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
6 And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
Isaiah saw the coming forth of the branch of the LORD and the fruit of the earth
Isaiah saw the coming forth of the branch of the LORD and the fruit of the earth
the Branch of the LORD is Jesus Christ
His government will be beautiful and glorious
the fruit of the earth is Christ’s peaceful and prosperous government
it will be the pride and beauty of the remnants of israel
What is God doing
What is God doing
God is bringing forth the One who will fulfill all that He desires to see on His people
God is bringing forth the One who will fulfill all that He desires to see on His people
True beauty and glory - holiness
3 And it will come about that the one who is left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.
True pride - His glorious Presence
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,
5 then the Lord will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
like the Pillar of Cloud and Fire in the wilderness
Key Lessons here
Key Lessons here
Christ is our true beauty and glory
Christ is our true beauty and glory
His rule is our pride and beauty
His glory is our shelter in this life
Isaiah saw the future woes awaiting the wicked
Isaiah saw the future woes awaiting the wicked
The Vision
1 Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
2 He dug it all around, cleared it of stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And also carved out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.
3 “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
5 “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
6 “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned nor hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.”
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
Isaiah saw Israel’s destruction like the fruitlesss vineyard
Isaiah saw Israel’s destruction like the fruitlesss vineyard
God will remove Israel’s hedge or wall - its protection
God will not give it rain
What God intends to do
What God intends to do
the parable points to the time when God will leave Israel to itself like a vineyard uncultivated
the parable points to the time when God will leave Israel to itself like a vineyard uncultivated
God will focus on the gentile nations until Israel recognizes her Messiah
the key - Isaiah 5.7
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.
Key Lessons here
Key Lessons here
Then and now, God requires justice and righteousness from His people
Then and now, God requires justice and righteousness from His people
like a vineyard that He cultivates
He wants to see the fruit of His Word in us
He wants to see the fruit of His care and protection
He wants to see the fruit of His salvation and redemption
He wants to see the fruit of His sanctifying work in us
Isaiah saw an impending wrath of God
Isaiah saw an impending wrath of God
The Vision
8 Woe to those who attach house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, And you alone are a landowner in the midst of the land!
9 In my ears the Lord of armies has sworn, “Many houses shall certainly become desolate, Even great and fine ones, without occupants.
10 “For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine, And a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue intoxicating drink, Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!
12 Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord, Nor do they consider the work of His hands.
13 Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their nobles are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth beyond measure; And Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
15 So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low, The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
16 But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
17 Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the ruins of the wealthy.
18 Woe to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;
19 Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!
24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble, And dry grass collapses in the flame, So their root will become like rot, and their blossom blow away like dust; For they have rejected the Law of the Lord of armies, And discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 For this reason the anger of the Lord has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them. And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not spent, But His hand is still stretched out.
26 He will also lift up a flag to the distant nation, And whistle for it from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will come with speed swiftly.
What Isaiah saw
What Isaiah saw
Isaiah saw woes against the wicked people of his time
Isaiah saw woes against the wicked people of his time
against those who attach house to house and join field to field until there was no more room (v. 8)
against those spend all day in pleasure and do not pay attention to the workds of God (v. 11)
against who provoke the wrath of God (v. 18)
against those who call evil good, and good evil (v. 20)
against those who are wise in their own eyes (v. 21)
against those take away the rights of others (v. 22-23)
Isaiah saw God calling a nation to punish Israel
Isaiah saw God calling a nation to punish Israel
God’s anger burned against Israel
God’s anger is not over - he calls for a distant nation!
nation - Babylon
Key lessons here
Key lessons here
When sin is committed before God, the only thing that will appease the wrath of God is when judgment is applied against it
When sin is committed before God, the only thing that will appease the wrath of God is when judgment is applied against it
in the garden of Eden - the sinners were cursed
in the days of Noah - the sinners were condemned to destruction
the wages of sin is death!- Romans 6.23
but on the cross - God provided Someone to take the place of the sinners!
Conclusion
Conclusion
God has various solutions to the problem of sin committed by His people
God has various solutions to the problem of sin committed by His people
temporary and permanent solutions
temporary - God judges the sins committed by the people
permanent - God judged sin on the Cross of Christ
short-term and long-term solutions
short-term - immediate judgments applied to a generation or person
long-term - God awaits for the fulness of time
“the sins of the Amorites is not yet full”
“in the fulness of the time God sent His sons…”
the day of the LORD
the white throne judgment
God begins with the end in mind, then moves backward to the present (Isaiah’s time)
God begins with the end in mind, then moves backward to the present (Isaiah’s time)
The end is where God’s purpose will be accomplished
The end is where God’s purpose will be accomplished
“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you wrongdoers.
“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
The beginning is where God declares His purpose and plan
God’s vision to Isaiah moves from the end to the beginning to show how He accomplishes things to serve His purpose.
God’s vision to Isaiah moves from the end to the beginning to show how He accomplishes things to serve His purpose.
From beginning God allows things to happen, but His providence watches over things and events to insure that His purpose is accomplished in the end!
No one escapes the judgment of God!
No one escapes the judgment of God!
those who died before they are punished will not escape the judgment day
We are invited to “come…” and to “learn…” and to “walk” in His ways!
We are invited to “come…” and to “learn…” and to “walk” in His ways!
We are encouraged to experience Godks glory in flesh today!
Song
You are worthy of it all
Thou art worthy
His mercy is more
