The Book of Isaiah, Part 12: Woes and Crises, Part B (Isaiah 29)

Intro

Series - The Book of Isaiah, Part 12

Sub-Series - Woes and Crises, Part B (Isaiah 29)

Background

Part A of Woes and Crises

Israel’s proud crown - Samaria - to be destroyed

Israel’s drunk priests and prophets

Jerusalem’s alliance with Egypt

Isaiah’s admonition to listen to God

Historical background

the northern kingdom was nearing its destruction by Assyria

the southern kingdom of Judah was facing the same crisis, but allies with Egypt instead of listening to God

Context of Isaiah 29

Isaiah 29.1-8

Ariel (Jerusalem) is unaware of an impending judgment

Ariel has two meanings

lion of God - Jerusalem is city built on courage

altar hearth - part of the altar where the sacrifice is burned

God was mocking Jerusalem

“continue your feastivities, but soon you yourself will become like the altar hearth, burning because of enemy attack.”

consequently, the nations that will attack Jerusalem will likewise received the wrath of God

Isaiah 29.9-16

Jerusalem’s spiritual insensitivity was caused by a spirit of deep sleep from God

God’s reason - the people’s hearts are no longer towards God

Isaiah 29.17-24

God will eventually restore His people after a “little while”

Main Idea

If we will not be careful and watchful, there may come a time when our services done in the name of God are no longer accepted before Him.

Main points

the danger of “blind service”

the spirit behind blind service

the (only) means of deliverance from blind service

Serving God without proper knowledge is dangerous

The Gentiles worshiped demons unknowingly

1 Corinthians 10:19–20 NASB 2020

19 What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons.

The Samaritans worshiped ignorantly

John 4:22 NASB 2020

22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.

The Jews thought their services were done for God

John 16:1–3 NASB 2020

1 “These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin. 2 They will ban you from the synagogue, yet an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering a service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father nor Me.

“Blind service” is doing God a service outside of His will.

Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted because it was out of God’s will

Paul’s ignorant service - 1 Tim 1.13

1 Timothy 1:13 NASB 2020

13 even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

“Blind service” is oblivious to impending judgment.

Jerusalem was oblivious to the coming judgment - Isaiah 29.1-4

Isaiah 29:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Woe, Ariel, Ariel the city where David once camped! Add year to year, keep your feasts on schedule. 2 I will bring distress to Ariel, And she will be a city of grieving and mourning; And she will be like an Ariel to me. 3 I will camp against you encircling you, And I will set up siegeworks against you, And I will raise up battle towers against you. 4 Then you will be brought low; From the earth you will speak, And from the dust where you are prostrate Your words will come. Your voice will also be like that of a spirit from the ground, And your speech will whisper from the dust.

the Corinthians believers were unaware that God was judging them already - 1 Cor 11.28-32

1 Corinthians 11:28–32 NASB 2020

28 But a person must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For the one who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize the body. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number are asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Spiritual blindness among Christians is not accidental or incidental

This blindness is different from the blindness that is in the world.

The other one is inherent to the sinners - 2 Cor 4:3-4

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NASB 2020

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The blindness referred to in our text happened to a people who have already received the Word of God through the prophets

Spiritual blindness is a Divine act

God poured a spirit of deep sleep upon the nation of Israel - Isaiah 29.9-10

Isaiah 29:9–10 NASB 2020

9 Be delayed and horrified, Blind yourselves and be blind; They become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. 10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes—the prophets; And He has covered your heads—the seers.

deep sleep - Heb. tardemah; a state resembling deep sleep

stupor (Romans 11.8) - a condition of greatly dulled or suspended senses or sensibility

M-W explains: a chiefly mental condition marked by absence of spontaneous movement, greatly diminished responsiveness to stimulation, and usually impaired consciousness

see also - Isaiah 6.9-10

Isaiah 6:9–10 NASB 2020

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not understand; And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’ 10 “Make the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes blind, So that they will not see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

God intentionally hid His word from these people - Isaiah 29.11-12

Isaiah 29:11–12 NASB 2020

11 The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which, when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, “Please read this,” he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” 12 Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, “Please read this.” And he will say, “I cannot read.”

the visions were sealed, preventing the Jews from understanding its message

Spiritual blindness is a Divine judgment

God judged them based on the condition of their hearts - Isaiah 29.13-14

their heart was no longer towards God

Isaiah 29:13–14 NASB 2020

13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people approaches Me with their words And honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of the commandment of men that is taught; 14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their men who have understanding will be concealed.”

“lip service” happens when -

we sing the songs but no longer practice their message

we pray to God but no longer seek His face and His will

we put hours of service but only to make ourselves feel good, not really to glorify God

God judged them based on their rejection of God’s counsel

Isaiah 29:15–16 NASB 2020

15 Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” 16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?

Israel hid their plans from God (as if God will not know and see!)

Israel refused to be subject to God’s rule and authority

See also Hosea 4.6

Hosea 4:6 NASB 2020

6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Spiritual blindness is deceptive!

Laodicea was spiritually blind - Revelation 3.17

Revelation 3:17 NASB 2020

17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,

WARNING

False indications of spirituality

emotional response to songs and to singing

participation in church events and activities

Only God has the solution for spiritual blindness

A divine judgment can only be reversed by another act of God.

Genesis 3 - the curse that God placed upon man, He removed by the sacrifice of Christ.

Israel’s spiritual restoration is time-based

Romans 11:25–27 NASB 2020

25 For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

God will remove the curse - Isaiah 29.17-19

Isaiah 29:17–19 NASB 2020

17 Is it not yet just a little while Before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field, And the fertile field will be considered as a forest? 18 On that day those who are deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of those who are blind will see. 19 The afflicted also will increase their joy in the Lord, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

For Gentile believers, God’s solution to spiritual blindness is ANYTIME!

2 Corinthians 3:16 NASB 2020

16 but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Hebrews 3:12–15 NASB 2020

12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end, 15 while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

Revelation 3:20 NASB 2020

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Restoration begins the moment the believer recognizes and responds to God’s love through discipline

Hebrews 12:5–7 NASB 2020

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are punished by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He punishes every son whom He accepts.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:12–13 NASB 2020

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Conclusion

Do not be blindsided by the things of the world, or by things that appeal to the senses.

remember - satan always caters to the flesh

set your mind on things above, of God

Colossians 3:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Get a good dose of the Word of God everyday.

the only antidote to satan’s lies and deceptions is the Truth!

the only sure way to keep your eyes on the Truth is the encounter Truth everyday

Always test the spirit

1 John 4:1 NASB 2020

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

do not be easily swayed by so-called Christian products.

Test the spirits behind everything new and attractive

Test even your own spirit!

are you easily drawn in your emotion?

Are you easily attracted?

Song

Turn your eyes upon Jesus