Isaiah 6-10

Chapter 6-10 Review

Chapter 6

King Uzziah has died after 52 years on the throne. Isaiah has had a terrifying vision of the destruction of Judah and he runs to the temple. There, he has a vision of heaven. The earthly king is dead but the real king of the universe is on the throne. This commences Isaiah’s mission and he receives his calling to speak to the nation

Chapter 7

The Northern Kingdom has joined forces with Syria to fight against the Assyrians. They want Judah, the Southern Kingdom, the join them. They lean on Judah to force a regime change. Isaiah speaks to Ahaz and tells him the Northern kingdom will be lost. Syria and the Northern Kingdom are like smoking firebrands (7:4) Ahaz’s job is to stand firm and trust in God. Ahaz responds with a lack of faith but God spares Jerusalem

Chapter 8

King Ahaz raises to power. Instead of choosing the Lord, he puts his faith in the Assyrian army. He is relegated to a puppet king. Ahaz brings wickedness to Judah. He introduces idol worship, mediums and sacrificing of children to the pagan god Molac. Isaiah writes on a scroll the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Speed-the-spoil, hasten the booty) and then names his newborn son the same. Judah is characterized by despair but God promises a future savior

Chapter 9

When the Messiah comes he will bring glory to Naphtali and Zebulan. The promise was that a child would be born and He would be a wonderful counselor, mighty God (Isa 9:6). His genealogy from Matthew and Luke addressed the Jeconiah problem

Chapter 10

Assyria will be destroyed in judgment by God. The thorny question of how can a morally just and righteous God use a morally bankrupt and wicked nation like Assyria to judge Judah. Can you blame the tool?

Chapter 6

Overview

King Uzziah has died after 52 years on the throne. Isaiah has had a terrifying vision of the destruction of Judah and he runs to the temple. There, he has a vision of heaven. The earthly king is dead but the real king of the universe is on the throne. This commences Isaiah’s mission and he receives his calling to speak to the nation

Question

This chapter answers the question - What kind of people is God looking for to speak to a nation in crisis?

The earthly King is dead (6:1)

( 6:1 ) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Q: Why is this important?

Wife

— It might be important if your name is Uzziah or Ms. Uzziah!

Uzzaiah

— Reigned for 52 years, the only king that many in the Nation knew, died 742BC

— Some would be born and die and Uzziah was still king

— His long life brought stability to the nation

— Queen Elizabeth has reigned 69 years as of Feb 6, 2019

Young

— Only 16 years old when he was made king

Popular

— Very popular

— He brought great prosperity to the nation

— Well equipped army

— Developed agriculture

— 2 Chron 26 tells us:

— He did what was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Chron 26:4)

— Made war against the Philistines (2 Chron 26:6)

— He was successful and God helped him against the Philistines and the Arabians (2 Chron 26:7)

— He had the best trained and equipped army (2 Chron 26:15)

Cancer

— The people thought that they had a great leader and that God was pleased with Israel

— Divine approval

— On the surface it looked great

Today’s Terms

In today’s terms:

— Record unemployment

— Stock Market hitting new highs

— 401Ks are up 10% YOY

— Low interest rates

— No wars and boarder flare-ups

Superficial

All of this was superficial

— The country was rotten to the core

— Isaiah pronounced judgment in chapters 2-5

Dating

— Interesting that Isaiah would date his prophecy with the death of King Uzzaiah

— This was a pivotal point

— Israel is on a downward trend after Uzzaiah dies

— In the same year a small town along the Tigris rivers is founded which would become Rome

— Rome ascends and Israel descends

Q: How did Uzzaiah die? Do you remember how he disobeyed the Lord?

Pride

— Uzziah tried to usurp the priestly duties

— Entered the temple to burn incense

— Azariah, the high priest, confronted him with 80 other priests (2 Chron 26:18)

— Great earthquake shook and Uzzaiah immediately was struck with Leprosy before he offered the incense

— Sent a lightning bolt through the nation. He sinned one too many times

— He went where he was not allowed to go

— His son Jotham was named co-king but died before Uzzaiah died

Two Kings

There are only two kings that matter from chapters 1-37:

— Ahaz, king of the South

— and Hezekiah, son of Ahaz.

Q: The King has died. What does Isaiah he do?

( 6:1 ) I saw the Lord sitting on a throne

Runs

— He runs to the temple

— Isaiah doesn’t see Uzziah but he sees the “Lord”

— He sees Adonai (Lord) sitting on the throne

Lord ( אֲדֹנָ֛י Adonay ) means Sovereign one, the King

— The King of Israel is dead but the real king is still sitting on the throne

— God is still on the throne

— Isaiah is in awe but is also comforted

Paraphrase

“In the year that we lost our human king Uzziah, I saw the real king, the Lord of hosts sitting on his throne”

Falling Apart

— It seems to Isaiah that the whole world is falling apart

— But he is comforted in seeing the King of Kings sitting on the throne

Q: Who is this king that Isaiah sees?

Christ

— Isaiah sees the pre-incarnate Christ

— John provides us insight

— “These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.” (cf. John 12:41)

The earthly King is dead > Isaiah’s Heavenly vision (6:2-4)

( 6:2-4 ) Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Seraphim

— Sounds like the four-living creatures in Rev 4:6 or the Cherubim of Ezek 10:1

— Special type of angel

— Like celestial helicopters that do the bidding of God

— He dispatches them

— Their feet are covered because they are on holy ground

— Moses told to take off his shoes (Ex 3:5)

— Just as an earthly king has attendants, the King of Kings has holy angles who attend to Him

Covered Face

— The Seraphim cover their face

— Moses told that no man can see my glory and live (Ex 33)

Q: What do the seraphim say to each other in v3?

( 6:3 ) “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

Holy

— (6:3) Holy, Holy, Holy

— The only attribute of God that is elevated to the third degree

— You don’t hear them saying:

— God is mercy, mercy, mercy

— justice, justice, justice

— love, love, love (RC Sproul)

Beatles

All you need is love

All you need is love, love

love is all you need

Definitive

— Holy is the most definitive attribute about God, that is why it is repeated 3 times.

Hebrew ( קָדוֹשׁ qadosh )- distinct, separate

Greek ( άγιος hagais )- distinct, separate (same meaning in Greek)

Other

— God is other than us (cf. Ex 15:11, 1 Sam 2:2, Hab 1:13, Job 34:10, Ps 86:9, Ps 77:13-14, Ps 29:2)

— He is incomparable

— unfathomable

— infinite

— holy

— perfect

Swears

— He swears by His Holiness (cf. Ps 89.35, Amos 4:2)

— “The Lord God has sworn by His holiness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fishhooks, And your posterity with fishhooks.” ( Amos 4:2 )

— “He makes a pledge or promise and uses His holiness as collateral. This is the attribute that is most dear to him “ (Charnock, p 450)

Thomas Watson

“Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of God’s crown. It is the name by which he is known. It is the essential character of God”

At his birth

— At His birth the angel announced that he would be a holy child (Luke 1:35)

Demons

— The demons confessed, I know you, the holy one of God (Mark 1:24)

Your View

— Your view of God will determine how you think and how you live

LORD

— This is a different “Lord” than what appeared in ( 6:1 )

— Not a title like ( 6:1 ) but God’s Name

LORD ( YHWH יהוה ) LORD

— Our English spelling is yahweh but the Jews treat this with such reverence that they drop the “a” and “e” and only leave the consonants YHWH

— His name is short-hand for all that God is, a summation of his essential nature (cf Isa 26:4)

— Jesus draws attention to this when He taught us how to pray ( Matt 6:9 )

Matthew 6:9 NKJV

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Q: What happens when God speaks in v 4?

( 6:4 ) And the posts of the door were shaken

Shake

— Everything started to shake

— The pillars and the beams

— The temple started shaking

Mt Sinai

— Mt Sinai shook when the Lord came down to deliver the law

— The whole earth shakes at his presence

— Our God is an all consuming fire ( Heb 12:29 )

Furious

— A heavenly volcano

— God is furious

— smoke and fire and trembling

— God is warming up the judgment machine

— We see the “war torches” in Rev 4:5

Christ on the Throne

— Isaiah saw Christ

— Terrifying trauma

— Horrific vision

— This is not just God the Father, this is His Son

OT View of God

— We think of the God of the OT as angry, vengeful

— Thunder and lightening when Moses receives the ten commandments

Don’t think

— Don’t think that the God of the OT is a God of Wrath and that Jesus came to save us from Him

— Jesus is that God (cf. 2 Thess 1:7-9 )

2 Thessalonians 1:7–9 NKJV

7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

The earthly King is dead > Isaiah’s Heavenly vision > Isaiah pronounces his own and the people’s sentence (6:5)

( 6:5 ) So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

— When God revealed Himself to the prophet Habakkuk, the prophet described the experience as saying

“16 When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops.” ( Hab 3:16 )

— Job said,

“Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” ( Job 42:6 )

— When Peter caught a brief glimpse of Jesus’s holiness he said,

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” ( Luke 5:8 )

Q: Was this a pleasant experience for Isaiah? v 5

( 6:5 ) So I said: “Woe is me

Woe

— Cursed

— An appropriate response

— In Hebrew literally, “I am falling apart”

Righteous

— Isaiah was probably the most righteous man in Israel

— When he had a vision of God he announced a curse on himself

— One vision of God and it destroyed him

John

— John had a very similar experience when he saw the Lord

— “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.” ( Rev 1:17 )

The earthly King is dead > Isaiah’s Heavenly vision > Isaiah pronounces his own and the people’s sentence > Divine provision (6:6-7)

( 6:6-7 ) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Q: Where did the purification come from ? v6

Altar

— The altar, the very location of atonement

— Where God was satisfied by the blood sacrifice (Lev 17:11)

— Points to Christ’s sacrifice (Heb 10:11-12)

Live Coal

— A substitutionary sacrifice and brought to Isaiah

Lips

— It touched his lips

— God ministers to sinners at the point of our confessed need

Touched

— has touched / has taken away As soon as one thing happened, the other immediately happened

Painful

— Touching the lips with a live coal was very painful

— Repentance is always painful

— Admitting shameful thoughts, letting go

— Real remorse and sorrow

Q: What kind of person is God looking for?

Holy Awe Some one who is in:

— Holy awe of God

— A people who have a vision of Him and His holiness

— A people who are repentant, sorrowful and purged of sin

— Isiah summarizes who this people is in ( 66:2b )

— “For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.”

Peter tells us to be holy ( 1 Pet 1:14-15 )

The earthly King is dead > Isaiah’s Heavenly vision > Isaiah pronounces his own and the people’s sentence > Divine provision > Isaiah volunteers (6:8)

( 6:8 ) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

God Speaks

— For the first time the Lord speaks in the chapter, v 8

US

— And notice that He used the word “Us” in the verse

Q: And what is Isaiah’s response?

Send me

“He probably looked around and thought to himself, what do you mean? There is no one else here. Having just witnessed the terrifying vision of the Lord, he probably didn’t say this with bravado. He probably answered with a broken voice - I’m here. You could send me” (McArthur)

The earthly King is dead > Isaiah’s Heavenly vision > Isaiah pronounces his own and the people’s sentence > Divine provision > Isaiah volunteers > The future revealed in principle (6:9-13)

( 6:9-13 ) And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The Lord has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

Q: What is the Lord saying to Isaiah in these instructions?

The Message

— Go tell them, It’s Too Late!

— You wouldn’t listen, you wouldn’t believe and now you can’t!

— Tell them that you can keep looking, but:

— Their hearts are hard

— Their ears are dull

— Their eyes are dim

— They cannot hear

— They cannot understand

— They will not be healed

— But, they will be judged

— God will judicially blind unbelievers

— Judgment is already in motion

( 6:11 ) Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

— Isaiah asks, how long do I do that?

( 6:11 ) And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate

— Keep doing it until there is not a soul left to speak to

— It is too late for this people and this nation

— Until the Lord has removed them far away (that is the captivity)

— The message was: you would’t believe and now you can’t believe

Chopped down

Israel will be chopped down like a tree

— ( 6:11 ) Cities are laid waste

— ( 6:12 ) men are removed… all is forsaken

( 6:13 ) But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

— There will be a tenth portion

— It is too late for the nation but there will be a tenth portion (the stump) or the holy seed

— In the 8th century Israel could no longer believe, but there was a remnant

— All that is left is a stump that will be consumed by fire

— a “holy seed” from which your redeemer will come (but we’re getting ahead of ourselves)

The Doctrine of the Remnant

— Some will respond but most will not

— Some will hear but most will not

— But in order to hear, they first need a preacher

— “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” ( Ro 10:14 )

A seed

— There is a seed, a tenth

— This could be a reference to the remnant - the seed of the people who will finally enjoy the promise

— The stump is new life

— (6:13) out of this cut down burned stump will come a holy seed

— Who or What is that holy seed?

Jesus and the NT

“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” ( Matt 13:10-11 )

— It am talking to them in parables because it is too late!

— They haven’t been granted the ability to understand

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” ( Matt 13:12 )

— From now on what they think they know of spiritual truth is going to be subtracted

“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’” ( Matt 13:13-15 )

— Jesus quotes directly from Isiah 6

— They can’t come now and they will not return to me and I cannot and I will not heal them

— Jesus pronounces the same curse on 1st century Isreal that Isiah pronounced on 8th century Isreal

— The remnant was the disciples ( Matt 13:16 )

— Both Mark and Luke make mention of this but not as extensively

— Jesus quotes ( 6:9 ) but adds Lest they should turn ( Mark 4:12 )

— so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” ( Mark 4:12 )

— The implication unbelievers do not want to turn from their sins

— Jesus has just told the parable of the three (3) soils

— Some will reject it

— Some will accept it and fall away

— Some will believe and lead others to believe

— Even the disciples didn’t understand the parable (Mark 4:13)

John’s Gospel

“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”( John 12: 37-43 )

— They could not believe

— Even if they wanted to believe they could not believe ( v42 ); even those who were drawn to believing couldn’t come because they loved the approval of God

— Willing unbelief became judicial unbelief; God fixed them in their rejection

Chapter 7

Overview

The Northern Kingdom has joined forces with Syria to fight against the Assyrians. They want Judah, the Southern Kingdom, the join them. They lean on Judah to force a regime change. Isaiah speaks to Ahaz and tells him the Northern kingdom will be lost. Syria and the Northern Kingdom are like smoking firebrands (7:4) . Ahaz’s job is to stand firm and trust in God. Ahaz responds with a lack of faith but God spares Jerusalem

Background

This sounds almost like a newspaper article

— The first sentence ( 7:1 ) is a summary of the Northern Kingdom also known as Israel, Jacob or Ephraim

— The verse summarizes the Northern Kingdom’s plans vis a vie Judah

( 7:1 ) Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it.

Isreal + Damascus (Syria)

— The Northern Kingdom has joined forces with Syria to fight against the Assyrians

— They want Judah, the Southern Kingdom, the join them

— They lean on Judah to force a regime change

Isaiah’s Message

— Isaiah speaks to Ahaz and tells him the Northern kingdom will be lost

— Ahaz’s job is to stand firm and trust in God

— Ahaz responds with a lack of faith but God spares Jerusalem

The house of David threatened (7:1-2)

( 7:1-2 ) Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind

Alliance

— Isaiah doesn’t draw attention to the horrifying implication

— one part of the nation has joined forces with a foreign power to destroy the other part of God’s people!

Q: Who are all these people in v1?

Ahaz

— Ahaz was the 13th king of Judah, the Southern Kingdom

— Father was Jotham

— Grandfather was Uzziah

— Ahaz was a disaster as a king which is recorded both in Isaiah and elsewhere (cf. 2 Kings 16:1-20, 2 Chr 27:9-28:27)

Spiritually

— Brought pagan, idolatrous practices into the worship of the Lord

— Idols to Baal (2 Chr 28:2)

— He sacrificed his own son to Molech

— He worshiped in high places, Canaanite practice. Other kings tolerated it but he practiced it

— He worshiped the stars and the planets

— He consulted wizards and people who talk to the dead (necromancers)

— When he saw the King of Assyria he was so enamored by the alter (furnace) that he had a replica made (2 Kings 16:10)

Spineless

After Ahaz witnesses the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, he does the worst possible thing militarily, diplomatically, and spiritually

— He called on the Assyrians for help (the enemy of the Northern Kingdom and Syria)

Vassal King

— He was made a vassal king by Assyria

— He robs the treasury, temple of gold, silver and furniture

— He confiscates money from the wealthy and the treasury and gives it to the king of Assyria (2 Kings 16:7)

— The only power that he has is what is allowed by the king of Assyria

( 7:1 ) that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it,

Rezin

— Rezin, the king of Syria (Ally of the Northern Kingdom)

— Rezin was constantly going to war and trying to overthrow Assyria and their king (Tiglath-pileser III)

— In fact, Rezin joined forces with a number of kings including the king of Tyre, Hiram II and now Pekah

— Pekah is the son of the king of the Northern Kingdom (Remaliah)

— Almost as if the Northern Kingdom has joined forces with that “crazy” (Rezin) guy who says next time is the charm

— So Rezin (Syria) are allied with Isreal (the Northern Kingdom) and their king Remaliah to go to war against Assyria

Doesn't’ End well

— Eventually the king of Assyria (Tiglath-pileser ) proved too strong for Rezin and Assyria sacks Damascus (Syria)

— Rezin was the last king of Damascus during the reign of Ahaz (the king of the Southern Kingdom)

— According to 2 Kings 16:7-9, the raid on Damascus was instigated by Ahaz and resulted in Rezin’s execution.

Pekah

— Pekah, the son of Remaliah the current king of the Northern Kingdom

— He led a coupe and assassinated king Pekahiah (2 Ki 15:27)

— Afterwards he became king and was an evil king

— Together with Syria he will attack Judah and kill 120,000 in a single day (cf. 2 Kings 15:37, 16:5-6; 2 Chron 28:5-8)

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers (7:3-6)

( 7:3-6 ) Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”—

Q: What is Ahaz doing when Isaiah meets the King?

Water

— Checking the water supply

— The city was built on a hill, but water was always a problem

— The besieging army could sit tight and wait for the city to run out of water

Q: Who did Isaiah take with him to see the King? (7:3)

His Son

Shear-Jashub: the name means “A remnant shall remain”

— An object lesson of God’s faithfulness. Isaiah named his son years ago

Doesn’t discourage

Isaiah doesn’t tell Ahaz that checking the water supply is a bad thing

— But it is not the key to victory

— Trust in the Lord is the key

Q: What is his message to the king in 7:4? What is the significance?

( 7:4 ) do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands

Spent Forces

— Isaiah says Syria and the Northern tribes (Alliance) are spent forces, smoldering stubs

— They will soon be obliterated - and this happened 10 years later

( 7:4 ) ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted

Faith

— take heed, and be quiet

— Not about politics, but faith

— Don’t make an alliance with the Assyrians to fight the Syrians and the Northern Kingdom

Threat

— ( 7:5-6 ) They planned to invade Judah and set up their own king

— They already had the man picked out: the son of Tabel

— This was an extra element of threat

— It meant that the dynasty of David was about to end

— Human purposes challenge divine purpose

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers > The Lord’s word of assurance (7:7-9)

( 7:7-9 ) thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”

Q: What assurance did God give to Ahaz and what warning did God give vv7-9?

God’s Plan

— We heard man’s plan to overthrow the Davidic line

— Now we hear God’s plan

2 Capitals

— Two capitals Damascus (7:8) and Syria (7:9) are doomed for failure

— Ephraim (Israel) choose the path of human alliance with Syria and sealed its fate

( 7:8 ) Ephraim will be broken

— in 65 years they would cease to be a people

— The Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) went into captivity in 772 BC (2 Ki 17:6)

— Later, a foreign people occupied the land and intermixed in 670 BC (2 Ki 17:24; 2 Chr 33:11; Ezra 4:2)

Judah’s choice

— ( 7:9 ) If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established

— The choice belonged to Ahaz

— He could trust the Lord’s word or fall into the enemy’s hands or, even worse, experience a final heart-hardening (6:9, 10)

— Judah had a choice - the path of faith … if you believe or repeat the mistake of Ephraim (Northern Israel)

— Don’t we have this same choice every day?

Q: What choice did the Northern kingdom make?

He choose poorly!

— Pekah, the son of Remaliah, abandoned faith

— Like the evil Nazi Donovan who sought eternal life in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

— He sought the holy grail that would grant him eternal life

— But instead of selecting an old wooden cup, he selects the most magnificent golden chalice.

— When he drinks from it he suffers a horrible death

— The ancient Knight who protects the grail and looks on and says, “He chose poorly”

( 7:8-9 ) Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 … the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son

— Pekah, the son of Remaliah, chose to make an alliance with Assyria

— Isaiah said that within 65 years the Northern Kingdom would be gone

— Within 10 years (722 BC) Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17:1-6) and resettled other people in the region

— Within 65 years the Jews were gone

— Syria (Damascus) fell in 732 BC

Macarthur

Rezin, king of Syria (Aram) and Pekah, king of Israel ( also called Samaria at this time) decided to remove Ahaz and replace him with a king who would do their bidding. In the face of such a threat to the people of Israel and to the royal line of David, Ahaz, instead of turning to God for help, secretly surrendered his kingdom and people to Tiglath-pileser, the evil king of the Assyrians. It was at that time that God sent Isaiah to face Ahaz and show him the unfaithful stupidity of seeking refuge in the Assyrians instead of God. But Ahaz ignored Isaiah’s plea and did all he could to confirm the relationship with Assyria. he even plundered and sent to Tiglath-pileser the gold and silver from the temple.

Samaritans

— This chain of events led to the Samaritans and Jesus discussion with the women at the well

— “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” (cf. John 4:22)

Non-Jews

— Assyria led most of the population of Jews into captivity

— However, they left some Jews in the area and then intermingled them with non-Jews

— They intermingled, inter-married and established their own worship on Mt. Gerizim

— When the Jews returned there was immediate tension with the Jews living in Samaria

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers > The Lord’s word of assurance > The response of unbelief (7:10-12)

Q: Back to Ahaz. We know the Northern Kingdom lacked faith. What about Ahaz (7:10-12)?

( 7:10-12 ) Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

Ahaz tests God

( 7:10-11) the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord

— God was willing to strengthen the faith of Ahaz through a sign ( cf. Ex 3:12 )

John Goldingay

“Sometimes God disapproves of people who want signs, but sometimes God grants signs. Maybe there’s a difference between people who want to believe but need help and people who don’t want to believe and want an excuse for doing so. Ahaz comes in the latter category.”

Refuses to ask

— ( 7:12 ) Ahaz refuses to ask

— To test God is the sin of disbelief

— Another way of saying: I will trust God if God proves himself trustworthy.

Pious? Ahaz may have sounded pious, but he was unbelieving

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers > The Lord’s word of assurance > The response of unbelief > The Lord’s sign of judgment (7:13-15)

( 7:13-15 ) Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.

— God is telling the wicked king that no one would destroy the people of God or the royal line of David

— Used the plural you, speaking to the entire nation

— God would not allow Rezin and Pekah or anyone else to destroy them and the line of David ( cf. Gen 49:10; 2 Sam 7:13 )

Q: What was the sign?

Fulfilled

— The virgin would be with child

— The birth of Messiah, Immanuel, God with us

Q: Was the sign fulfilled?

Yes

— ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” ( Matt 1:23 )

Curds and Honey

( 7:15 ) Curds and honey He shall eat

— Speaking of the scarcity of supplies and food after the foreign invaders have come into the land

— Curds and honey is the food of poverty

— The child will be born into poverty of His people

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers > The Lord’s word of assurance > The response of unbelief > The Lord’s sign of judgment > The virgin’s son: the destruction of the northern powers (7:16)

( 7:16 ) For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

— Before the promised son of Isaiah was old enough to make moral choices

— the kings of Syria and Ephraim were to meet their doom at the hands of the Assyrians

The house of David threatened > Isaiah’s son: the plans of the northern powers > The Lord’s word of assurance > The response of unbelief > The Lord’s sign of judgment > The virgin’s son: the destruction of the northern powers > The house of David destroyed (7:17)

( 7:17 ) The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

Tiger by the Tail

— By asking for Assyria’s help, Ahaz had taken the tiger by the tail

— Instead of security he was getting destruction

— The king of Assyria not only invaded the Northern kingdom but also Judah

— This was the beginning of the end and eventually led to her captivity in Babylon

Departed from Judah

— All of Israel was guilty of Idolatry

— But Dan and Ephraim were signaled out

— They are both omitted from the list of tribes in Rev 7:5-8

Q: What punishment would come on Judah for the unfaithfulness (17-20)?

Judgment

— This section goes from ( 7:18 - 8:8 )

— The same dilemma that we say earlier in 5:9 with Babylonian used as an instrument of judgement against Judah

— How can God use a wicked people to judge His people?

— Isaiah addresses this again in ( chapter 10 )

( 7:18 ) And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria

Fly…Bee

— Egypt was full of Flies

— Assyria was known for bees

— The Lord would summon armies from these nations to judge Judah

They will come

( 7:19 ) They will come

— Nothing happens by random

— Wicked men may rage but God puts a bridle on them

Shave

( 7:20 ) The Lord will shave with a hired razor

— Speaking of humiliation

— The hair of the head, the legs, the beard will be shaved

— This people will be humiliated

Consequences

— Because of Ephraim’s sin they are not listed among the 144,000 in Revelation 7:4-8

— Sin has consequences

Q: What do you do with something that is rented? Do you treat it like it is your own?

( 7:20 ) The Lord will shave with a hired razor

Hired

— Like a hired car - used, abused to the full extent

— You take full advantage of the thing rented, treat it poorly, not like your own car

— Here, he will use the Assyrians like a razor

— He is not worried about blunting it, he will send them with fury and rage

( 7:21-25 ) It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. 23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns. 24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns. 25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam

Scarcity

— The land is fully desolated

— Curds and Honey - scarcity, poverty

— Not good for anything just grazing cattle

— Where there could be wine vines instead briers and thorns

Chapter 8

Overview

King Ahaz raises to power. Instead of choosing the Lord, he puts his faith in the Assyrian army. He is relegated to a puppet king. Ahaz brings wickedness to Judah. He introduces idol worship, mediums and sacrificing of children to the pagan god Molac. Isaiah writes on a scroll the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Speed-the-spoil, hasten the booty) and then names his newborn son the same. Judah is characterized by despair but God promises a future savior

Continuation

( 8:8 - 13 ) is a continuation of what we read in chapter 7. This is the destruction of the Northern Kingdom by the King of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser III

The course of the conquest (8:1-8)

( 8:1-8 ) Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying: 6 “Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. 8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.

Eye Catching

( 8:1 ) Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

— Make it eye catching so that everyone can see it

The Name

— Isaiah wrote the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

— The name translated means, “Speed the spoil, hasten the booty”

— “ Take away the spoils with speed, quickly take the prey” (D-R)

— “‘This belongs to Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Spoil-Speeds-Plunder-Hurries).’” (MSG)

— This is intended to leave an impression, not to convey facts

— Provoke questions, not answer them

— This name told Assyria what to do - come quickly

Signs

Isaiah used names as signs such as the names of his two sons. (cf. Isa 8:18)

Isaiah 8:18 NKJV

18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.

20/20 hindsight

( 8:2 ) And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record

— They say that hindsight is always 20/20

— Isaiah has his prophecies “notarized” by Uriah and Zechariah

— This prophecy ( Assyria attacking Judah) was fulfilled in his lifetime which upheld his honor as a prophet

Local/near

— All the prophets gave near-time or local prophecies

— These were fulfilled in the near future to prove that they were genuine

— Isaiah wrote about Assyria attacking Judah which happened in his lifetime (near term)

— And about Assyria attacking the Northern Kingdom and toppling it

— And he wrote about far-term prophecies which were not fulfilled in his life time

— Babylonian conquest

— Millennial kingdom

— The suffering Servant

Q: Who is the prophetess in 8:3?

( 8:3 ) Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son

Wife

— Isaiah’s wife was called a prophetess

— Her son was prophetic of victory of the Assyrians over the Northern Kingdom

Son

— Isaiah names his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (speed the spoil, hasten the booty)

— the same thing he wrote in large letters on the scroll

Q: How old are children when they begin to speak?

( 8:4 ) for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother’

Usually ~2

— Usually about two years of age

Swift Judgment

— (734 BC) The Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser marched down the coast

— (732 BC) Damascus (Syrian capital) fell to Assyria (2 Ki 15:29)

Q: vv 5-8 users two rivers as an illustration. How did the rivers differ? Which did the people reject and which did they receive?

( 8:6 ) “Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son

Water supply

— Shiloah was a stream from its fountainhead, the Gihon spring (where the monarchy passed from David to Solomon, 1 Ki 1:33-34,35)

— The water supply was outside the city

— Aqueducts ran under the city

— It required faith to believe the Lord would protect the water supply

— It required Faith to live in Jerusalem

The River they rejected

Refused

— The Northern kingdom refused to put their faith in the Lord (cf. 7:3 Ahaz checking the water supply)

Faith in man

( 8:6 ) And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;

— They placed their faith in strong leaders

— Rezin was the king of Syria

— Remaliah was the king of the Northern kingdom, his son was Pekah (Isa 7:1)

Pekah was an evil king (2 Ki 15:28)

( 8:7 ) Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks.

Lord

— The sovereign one, He, the Lord is directing this

River / King

— The river is the king,

— like a river, the invasion will flow out sweeping over the land

— To chose the world is to get the world

Flood

— Flood represents trouble in general (cf. 2 Sam 22:17, Job 27:20, Ps 18:16; 32:6, 69:1-2, 13-14; 124:2-5; 144:7, Rev 12:15)

Q: Haven’t some people criticized religion and faith as weakness?

To the World

— To the human eye, the life of Faith is full of insecurity and hazard

— Jerusalem had a fragile water supply, to live by faith was to put your life in God’s hands (Goldingay)

— But to the believer we can say ( Heb 10:23 )

Hebrews 10:23 NKJV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

( 8:3 ) He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel

Head above water

— He will reach up to the neck

Glory Departed

— Your land, O Immanuel

— Sums up the tragedy of Ahaz’s decision

— Ruination by disbelief

— His kingship stripped of earthly glory

— Ahaz’s appeal to Assyria and his submission brought temporary cessation of conflict, in reality, he was a puppet king

— The glory departed David’s throne never to return again

The course of the conquest > Judah: The remnant (8:9-22)

( 8:9-22 ) “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us.” 11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. 13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. 14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Peoples s People

— Remnant - not survivors but those who turn to God in repentance and faith

— Judah vs the world. look to His word and obey it

Hostility

( 8:9-10 ) Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us.”

— International hostility towards God’s people

— ( 8:9 ) They are from far countries

— ( 8:10 ) they take counsel together

— ( 8:10 ) but it will come to nothing

Shattered

— They will inevitably be destroyed (shattered) if they fight against God’s people

— Warning against nations

— These countries may think that they conquered in their own strength

— but they were only instruments of God and would eventually come to nothing

Q: Why?

— ( 8: 10 ) For God is with us

God is with us

— For God is with us

— He is on our side

— Fighting for us

— Fighting our battles

( 8:11 ) For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people

Distance

— Isaiah is told to distance himself from this people

Q: Why distance himself?

Popular clamor

— Caught up in the popular clamor

— supposed safety in a political alliance with Assyria instead of obedience to God

The course of the conquest > Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear (8:12-13)

( 8:12-13 ) Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. 13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread

First

— 1. Fear of the ungodly

— Bad type of fear

— ( 8:12 ) Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy

Conspiracy

— People yelling Conspiracy! Conspiracy! Sounds like today’s newspaper headlines

— (8:12) Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled

— Peter borrows this phrase in the context of facing a trail (1 Pet 3:14)

1 Peter 3:14 NKJV

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”

Second

( 8:13 ) The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread

— 2. Fear of the godly remnant

— Good type of fear

Godly Fear

— Fear the Lord

— In the midst of a fearful people who feared Assyria

— Isaiah is not told to be fearless

— but to direct his fear elsewhere

— Fear His holiness, justice

— Have Godly fear

( 8:14 ) He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

Sanctuary

— Sanctuary, not a place to run but to abode (מִקְדָּשׁ, miqdash )

— a holy place

— A place where God dwells in all His holiness

Q: In what way is Christ a stone of stumbling?

( 8:14 ) But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel

( 8:15 ) And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.”

Stumbling

— A stone of stumbling

— Paul quotes this passage speaking of Israel rejecting their Messiah

— “ As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ( Ro 9:33 )

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary

Long before His coming, the OT prophets had predicted that Israel would reject her Messiah, illustrating again that her unbelief is perfectly consistent with the Scripture

— Christ came in all His holiness but the people rejected the messiah

— Peter quotes this verse in 1 Peter 2:8

— “ and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” ( 1 Pet 2:8 )

MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary

To every human being, Christ is either the means of salvation if they believe, or the means of judgment if they reject the gospel. He is like a stone in the road that causes a traveler to fall. disobedient to the word. Unbelief is their disobedience, since the call of the gospel to repent and believe is a command from God. they were also appointed. These were not appointed by God to disobedience and unbelief. Rather, these were appointed to doom because of their disobedience and unbelief. Judgment on unbelief is as divinely appointed as salvation by faith. See notes on Ro 9:22; 2Co 2:15, 16.

— Simeon (Luke 2:34) said that this child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to Rise (cf. Eph 2:6)

Snare

— The same God is both a sanctuary and a snare

— A sanctuary as an abode, a home, a holy place

— Or a snare that captures you

— He either saves your stumble, or fall to your death

— It all depends on how you respond to His holiness

— Your view of God will determine how you think and how you live

— He is a crushing stone in the day of judgment

The course of the conquest > Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear > Two Contrasts and a promise (8:16-22)

( 8:16-22 ) Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness

Those who wait

— ( 8:17 ) Those who wait - I will wait for the Lord

Children

— ( 8:18 ) Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs

— Our children are many things

— Here Isaiah calls them signs

Q: What was Isaiah to do with this message from God in vv16-18? In what sense was Isaiah and his Children signs in Israel? (cf. Heb 2:13)

( 8:16 ) Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples

Bind / Seal

— Wrap it up against tampering

— Testimony - what God says about Himself

— My disciples - his followers

Alt. Meaning

— The Lord is claiming his remnant as his own

— Their relationship to himself, they are under his instruction (cf. 50:4)

— Their privilege is having his testimony and his law

( 8:17 ) And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him

Salvation

— Salvation is promised to the remnant (cf. Isa 40:31, 49:23 )

Hides

— Hides his face

— Ahaz alienated the favor of the Lord and was in darkness

— Faith is made for the dark day

Q: Who is “him” in 8:17?

Messiah We....Wait in Him (cf. Heb 6:19)

Hebrews 6:19 NKJV

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

Q: Instead of heeding God, where did the people turn in vv19-20?

Judah: The remnant>Two types of Fear >Two Contrasts and a promise > The Pathetic Scene (8:19-22)

( 8:19-22 ) And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness

Everything dark

— All was dark and hopeless

— The godly remnant needed assurance

Wicked Ahaz

— Ahaz was wicked

— He brought pagan, idolatrous practices into the worship of the Lord

— Introduced Molac - savage god of the Ammonites

— He abolished worship on the Mt. of Olives, east of Jerusalem

— Placed a furnace at the foot of the statue of Molac

— He threw children (including his own) into the furnace (2 Ki 16:3)

— His son Hezekiah became king and was a very good king ( 14:28 )

This is the stage

— This is what’s happening in Jerusalem when Ahaz was made king and Isaiah is prophesying

— Gold and Silver idols everywhere

— Temple doors are closed

— The temple is allowed to decay

— True worship is eliminated

Q: What did Isaiah do?

Warned

— Isaiah warned Ahaz to turn to God

— be quiet, do not fear or be fainthearted for those two stubs of smoking firebrands ( 7:4 )

— I’ll show you a sign, the virgin will be with child ( 7:14 )

Q: What was the result?

Idol worship They worshipped Idols

— “ And he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.” (cf. 2 ki 16:4 )

— Hosea said the same thing (cf. Hos 4:13 )

Hosea 4:13 NKJV

13 They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery.

Demon worship

— Paul says that you should run the other way from idol worship

— “ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” ( 1 Cor 10:14 )

— Paul takes it one step further

— When you worship idols you worship demons

1 Corinthians 10:19–21 NKJV

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

— To worship anything other than the true God is demon worship

— So Judah was not worshipping God but demons

( 8:19 ) And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

Mediums

— People who contact demons

Remnant

— Isaiah is speaking to the Godly remnant

— don’t follow the ungodly example

Seek the dead

— Trying to talk to the dead (mutter)

— Under Ahaz this happened, known as necromancy

— Happens today, Bishop Pike, 1972

whisper and mutter

— High tones and low tones

— A preoccupation with the demon world

— Refers to the people who were talking to demons

Q: Why are men in darkness? v20?

( 8:20 ) To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them

— if a man will not recognize the Word of God, he is in darkness

— Light came into the world, the law and the testimony

Those who curse

( 8:21 ) They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward

Q: What happened to these people vv21-22?

( 8:22 ) Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness

Despair

— Despair, gloom, anguish

— They reject God and they are in despair

— Despair also characterizes our society

American Pie Don McLean, American Pie (1971)

And the three men I admire the most,

The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost

They caught the last train for the cost

Desires Suicide he wants to kill himself:

Drove my Chevy to the levee

but the levee was dry

Q: if you don’t look to God, where do you look? v22?

( 8:22 ) Then they will look to the earth

To the earth

— Global warming

— melting ice caps

— global cooling

— polar vortexes

— They can’t decide so they call it “climate change”

— The devil is the prince of the earth

( 8:22 ) and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness

— darkness

— no answers

— hopelessness

Chapter 9

Overview

When the Messiah comes he will bring glory to Naphtali and Zebulan. The promise was that a child would be born and He would be a wonderful counselor, mighty God ( Isa 9:6 ). His genealogy from Matthew and Luke addressed the Jeconiah problem

Cont. of chapter 8

We saw in the previous chapter the rise of Ahaz to power and the evil which he introduced to Judah. We saw the pathetic scene. Now we will see the promised salvation which begins in verse 1

Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear > Two Contrasts and a promise > The Pathetic Scene > The Promised Salvation

( 9:1 ) Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles

Light breaks

— Judah, you are really in gloom, distress

— There is a time when it will end

— Misery will dissolve

— Light will break

Zebulun & Nephtali

— Now known as upper and lower Galilee

— God really brought punishment to this area (NE Galilee E of the Jordan river) was the first to suffer the invasion of the Assyrian king

— Tiglath-Pileser ( 2 Ki 15:29 ) wiped this area out around the sea of Galilee

Q: What is he saying here?

Darkness

— This was the first area to suffer the darkness

Glorify

— But it will be the first to be glorified

( 9:1c ) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations (NIV)

— Jesus fulfilled this prophecy (cf. Matt 4:12-16 )

Matthew 4:12–16 NKJV

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

Christ will come

— He will bring glory to this tiny area

— Galilee was just wiped out

— God will show His great mercy

—The king will come to Galilee

Despised

— The Jews always despised Galilee because it bordered the Gentiles - “in Galilee of the Gentiles”

— Can anything good come out of Galilee ? (John 1:43-46)

Bethlehem

— Micah said he would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2)

Galilee

— Isaiah said he would come from Galilee ( 9:1,2 )

Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear > Two Contrasts and a promise > The Pathetic Scene > The Promised Salvation > The Promise Given

( 9:2 ) The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined

The light

— Christ was the light that came into the world

— Preceded by filth and darkness, Christ will shine out of the darkness

— Jesus claimed to be the fulfilment of this prophecy (cf. Matt 4:12-16)

Q: What blessing is promised in vv3-5?

( 9: 3-4 ) You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian

Multiplied

— The remnant was small but God will multiply it

— He will bring many sons to glory (cf. Heb 2:10)

Yoke (enemies)

— Eventually God will free Israel from every other national power

— He broke the yoke of the Midianites by using Gideon (Judges 6-8).

— He will break the yoke of the Assyrians (more in Isaiah 36-37)

Yoke (Law)

— Christ broke the yoke of the ceremonial law

— “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” ( Acts 15:10 )

— “ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” ( Gal 5:1 )

Midian (9:4) As in the day of Midian

— We will look at this more closely in ( 10:26 )

( 9: 5) For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire

Every battle

— A contrast of the victory God would bring

— Other victories are by many men, here God would act alone from heaven, as in the day of Midian (9:4)

— God will burn up the tools of war

— Universal peace will follow

Messianic kingdom

(9:3-5) — overview of the messianic kingdom which was delayed because the nation of Israel rejected Christ the first time he came

Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear > Two Contrasts and a promise > The Pathetic Scene > The Promised Salvation > The Promise Given > The Perfect Savior

( 9:6 ) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Names

— None of these names are a person’s everyday name

— These names are a sentence like some of the earlier names Isaiah used

— A-remnant-shall-return (7:3)

— God-is-with-us (7:14)

— speed-the-spoil-hasten-the-booty (8:1)

Q: What do each of these names mean in Isa 9:6?

A child is born He was human, he hurt like us (cf. Phil 2:6-8 )

Philippians 2:6–8 NKJV

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

A son is given

— Given by God

— He was divine

— He had to be God to defeat sin

— He was God-with-us ( 7:14 )

Wonderful, Counselor

— People search for answers, go to counselors

— Are you looking for a wonderful counselor?

— He knows everything

— He will give you wise counsel, not opinion

— He knows what you need before you say it

( 9: 6 ) Mighty God

Mighty

— He can tell you what to do and energize you to do it

— He is mighty God

Full Power

— He has the full power to act for us

— Resurrection Power

— defeating sin

— destroying sin

— killing death

— snatching men out of hell

— healing

— raising the dead

— answering prayer

— Power beyond power

( 9: 6 ) Everlasting Father

Everlasting Father

— Father external life

— The source of eternal life (John 3:16)

( 9: 6 ) Prince of Peace

Prince of Peace

— He is the Prince of Peace

— He came to bring peace

Judah: The remnant > Two types of Fear > Two Contrasts and a promise > The Pathetic Scene > The Promised Salvation > The Promise Given > The Perfect Savior > The Perfect Sovereign

( 9:7 ) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

Heir

— Upon the throne of David

— The rightful heir to David’s throne

— His Genealogy:

— Matthew 1:1-17 Royal via Joseph (starts with Abraham)

— Luke 3:23-38 Royal via Mary (starts with Abraham)

Matthew’s Genealogy

— Matthew breaks tradition

— Mentions 4 women:

— Tamar (1:3)

— Rahab (1:5)

— Ruth (1:5)

— Bathsheba (1:6)

— The Talmund states: “a mother’s family is not be called a family” (JewsForJesus.org)

Not most prominent

— Of all the women that Luke mentioned, he doesn’t mention Sarah

Matthew’s Point also

— Of all the women that Matthew mentioned, they are all Gentiles

— Jesus came to save the lost sheep of Israel, but Gentiles would benefit

Sexual Sins

— Three (3) of these women were guilty of sexual sins:

— Tamar - incest with her father-in-law Judah (Gen 38). Gave birth to Perez (and Zerah)

— Rahab - prostitution

— Bathsheba - adultery

Matthew’s point

— Messiah came to save sinners

— God uses that which is shameful to fulfill his purposes

Joseph’s Genealogy

— Matthew gives us the genealogy through Joseph

— Joseph a direct descendant of David through Salomon, but also via King Jeconiah, one of the last kings before the Babylonian captivity

— Special curse on Jeconiah (cf. Jer 22:24-30)

— As a result of this curse, you had to not only be of the house of David, but also not from Jeconiah

Joseph and Jeconiah

— According to Matthew’s genealogy, Joseph had the blood of Jeconiah in his veins

— But - disqualified to sit on David’s throne

— Joseph not heir apparent

— No real son of Joseph could sit on the throne

Matthew’s point

— Shows the genealogy, presents the Jeconiah problem, and then gives the account of the virgin birth.

— Jesus was not Joseph’s son, he was born of a virgin

Luke’s Genealogy

— Via Mary, no women are mentioned, not even Mary

— If you wanted to trace genealogy via a women

— but not use her name

— you would use the husband’s name (source:JewsForJesus.org)

Question

— How would you know if it was the husband’s or the wife’s genealogy if you use the husband’s name

The definite article

— In English we never use “the” in front of a proper name, example “the Paul” but this is allowed in Greek

— Every single name in the genealogy has the definite article except Joseph (cf. Luke 3:23)

— The reader would understand this was not Joseph’s genealogy but Mary’s

Mary’s Genealogy

— Family of David ( 32-32 )

— Not Solomon (Like Matthew) but Nathan, David’s son

— She was apart from Jeconiah

Rabbinic Objections

— Many rabbinic objections to the messiahship of Jesus were are based on his genealogy

The Objection

— “Since Jesus was not a descendant of David through his Father, he cannot be Messiah and King”

Different

— He was supposed to be different (cf. Gen 3:15)

Genesis 3:15 NKJV

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

— Contrary to the norm, which was the man’s seed

— His was a virgin birth ( 7:14 )

Four Fold Portrait

— Four fold portrait of the Messiah through Four Titles

— Matthew 1:1

Jesus is King

— Son of David == Jesus is King

Jesus is Jewish

—Son of Abraham == Jesus is Jewish

— Luke 3:38

Jesus is Man

— Son of Adam == Jesus is man

Jesus is God

— Son of God == Jesus is God

A word to the Northern Kingdom (9:8-11:16)

( 9:8 ) The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel

Northern Kingdom

— Isaiah saw his ministry to both the Southern Kingdom and the Northern Kingdom known as Ephraim, Jacob, Israel

Not repeating

— Isaiah covers the same ground as Judah, but he is not repeating himself

— Hezekiah, last king of the Northern Kingdom

Refusal of the Word

— He sends notice of what He will do - He warns before He wounds - but they don’t take the hint

— They refuse to obey

Calvin

“The people shall know by feeling it what they would not by hearing it”

A word to the Northern Kingdom > The Sin Charged(9:9-10)

( 9:9-10 ) All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

Q: What sin do we see in 9:9-10?

Will know

— Awareness of exactly what is happening when the punishment falls (cf. Ho 9:7)

— The word spoken and refused (cf. 28:10-13) becomes the same message turned to chastisement (Motyer, 108)

( 9: 10 ) “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

Pride and arrogance

— Let God do His worse

— If our houses fall down, we will rebuild them ( 9:10 )

— If he cuts down our trees we will replant ( 9:10 )

Hypocrites

— God says that they are all hypocrites and evil doers ( 9:17 )

A word to the Northern Kingdom > The Sin Charged > The sentence dispatched(9:11-13)

( 9:11-13 ) Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts

Rezin The king of Syria

Q: who was the enemy (adversary) of Syria and the Northern Kingdom such that Syria and the Northern Kingdom formed an alliance?

Assyria God would use Assyria to punish the Northern Kingdom

Syria

( 9:12 ) And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth

— Had always been an enemy of Israel (2 Ki 13:23-27)

— They still hated each other until they were thrown into each other’s arms to fight Assyria

— Israel (Northern Kingdom ) thought they were securing an alley

— Isaiah saw them as being swallowed up

Hand

( 9:12 ) But His hand is stretched out still

— This phrase “His hand is stretched out still” is used often by Isaiah ( 5:25; 9:12; 17, 21; 10:4; 14:27 )

— It denotes that judgment will continue

( 9:13 ) For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts

Do not seek

— flee to him, to turn to him

A word to the Northern Kingdom > The Sin Charged > The sentence dispatched > The downfall of leadership (9:13-17)

( 9:13-17 ) For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Q: Why did he punish the leaders vv13-16?

Downfall

— The downfall of leadership and People

Leaders

— The leaders are the head and the tail

— Leaders cause people to err (9:16)

— Job was to restrain people, but they allowed the people to indulge in their wickedness

( 9:15 ) The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

— Unnamed prophets who were liars

Result

( 9:16 ) And those who are led by them are destroyed

— Destruction

— The people will be destroyed

— This is the idea of a nation being judged (vs individuals)

Q: Why did he punish the people v17?

( 9:17 ) Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows

People

— Young men, fatherless, widows

— Reason - wickedness has spread to everyone

— Hypocrite, foul mouthed

— In a judged society the most vulnerable loose their protection

( 9:17c ) For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Repeated Warning

— Isaiah has repeated this

— We should take notice

— Need to be reminded how dreadful are the Lord’s judgments against the wicked

A word to the Northern Kingdom > The Sin Charged > The sentence dispatched > The downfall of leadership > Social anarchy (9:18-21)

( 9:18 ) For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke

Smaller —> Larger

— Briers and thorns… thickets…forests…rising smoke

Self -destructive

— Wickedness spreads like a fire

— Self-destructive

— The only substance that can grow in size (compared to wickedness)

( 9:19-21 ) Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Mans’ cruelty

— No man will spare his brother

— Man’s passion and cruelty towards one another

( 9:20 ) hungry … not be satisfied… eat the flesh of his own arm

— leads to anarchy

— confusion

— famine

— scarcity

Q: Who was Ephraim and Manasseh mentioned in v20?

( 9:21 ) Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Joseph’s Sons

— Born in Egypt (Gen 41:50-52, 48:5)

Manasseh

— Name Manasseh means for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house

— He wanted to forget his childhood

Hit the jackpot

— Ephraim - for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction

Hated each other

— They went to war with each other

— The only thing that they hated more was Judah, and they united to fight Judah (cf 9:21 )

J Alec Motyer

“It is a final condemnation of this society that with all the bonds of family relationship, shared experiences and divine blessing commonly enjoyed, the only thing which in the end united them was a common hatred (enmity)”

Chapter 10

Overview

Assyria will be destroyed in judgment by God. The thorny question of how can a morally just and righteous God use a morally bankrupt and wicked nation like Assyria to judge Judah. Can you blame the tool?

Moral perversion (10:1-4)

( 10:1-4 ) “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Crooked

— unrighteous decrees ( 10:1)

— Enact mischievous, self-serving laws

— Law makers who make laws framed in wickedness

Q: Who do they hurt, v2?

Deny justice

— rob the needy of justice ( 10:2a )

Manipulate

— take from the poor, widows, fatherless

— the least of us who can defend themselves

— The most vulnerable

— Manipulation for gain

Where will you run?

— Isaiah asks, where will you run when judgment comes?

— Who will you flee to then? ( 10:3-4 )

— Paul answers the question (cf. 2 Cor 6:2)

— “ For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” ( 2 Cor 6:2 )

— He quotes ( Isa 49:8 )

— Now is the day of salvation

Moral perversion > Judgment day arrives (10:4)

( 10:4 ) Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still

Judgment

— The outstretched hand finally fell

— Judgment finally came on the Northern Kingdom (cf. 9:8-21)

— Not an idle threat

— Shows the refusal of His word

— It proved fatal (cf . 9:8)

Moral perversion > Judgment day arrives > Assyria’s day of reckoning (10:5-15)

( 10:5-15 ) “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

God used Assyria

— God used Assyria to judge the Northern ( Israel ) and Southern ( Judah ) kingdom

— Assyria was trying to conquer the world, but they were doing God’s work

— They wanted to serve their own interests

Morally responsible

— Assyria is morally responsible

— God holds them responsible

— At this point we face a biblical paradox

— The Lord is sovereign but His agents are morally responsible agents

— How can a tool be responsible?

Horse/Ride

— Only a very bad craftsman would blame the tool

— Isaiah uses the horse / rider analogy (cf. Isa 37:28-29)

Isaiah 37:28–29 NKJV

28 “But I know your dwelling place, Your going out and your coming in, And your rage against Me. 29 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came.” ’

They deserve punishment

— All the energy and even violence belongs to the horse

— All the direction, wisdom and guidance belongs to the rider

Rod of Anger

( 10:5 ) “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation

— God used Assyria as His instrument of judgment against both Israel and Judah

— He did the same with Babylon against Judah later on (cf. Hab 1:6) (MacArthur)

Anger ( אַף 'aph, nose) Hard breathing, snort, exasperation

— Anger is a felt emotion, intense

— God used Assyria to express his anger

— Club of my wrath (NIV)

— And the club is in the hand

Q: Who is the object of his anger? v6?

( 10: 6 ) I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets

Israel and Judah

— People and property destroyed

— Earlier, He called them My People ( 10:2 )

— Now , the people of My wrath

— Recall ( 8:1 ) Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

— Seize loot and snatch plunder

— Speed to the spoil, hasten the booty

— Reap the benefits of the conquered land quickly

Fulfillment

— Fulfillment of the message told by Isaiah (10:6)

— The Lord’s word does not return void ( 55:11 )

Q: What did the king think of his own success, vv7-8?

( 10:7 ) Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations

Disparity of Motives

— Nothing would be further than for the Assyrians to serve God

— “But this is not what he intends” (NIV)

— They would never be obedient to God or yield their will to God

— The King’s plans are to destroy and conquer nations

( 10:7 ) But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations

— The Assyrians had different intentions / motives

— Although their plans are different, it will not prevent God from carrying out what he has decreed

It’s all Me!

( 10:8 ) For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings?

— The King had much success

— He rattles off the cities that he has conquered ( 10:11 )

— Calno

— Carchemish?

— Hamath

— Arpad

( 10: 8 ) Is not Samaria like Damascus?

— Destroying Samaria (The Northern Kingdom) will be no different than any of these other cities

— There are the reasons the King will say he is not the rod of God

— Blinded by pride

— Acknowledges no authority but his own

You will Fail

( 10:10) As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria

— Jerusalem - You shall fail

— I’ve conquered nations with much better idols

— You are more helpless than these other nations, because you’re such poor idol makers

Q: What was the real reason that Israel and Judah would fall?

Reason

— Not because they had poor idol factories or lacked weapons

— Spiritual falsehood and apostasy (cf. 37:17-20)

Q: After Assyria had accomplished God’s purpose, what would God do to Assyria? vv-12-14

( 10:12 ) Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

Punish

— He would punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the King of Assyria

— What the king of Assyria did conformed to the will of God

— But why he did it had nothing to do with the will of God (disparity of motives)

Pride

( 10:14 ) For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man

— My hand

— My wisdom

— My strength

heart

— Seat of pride

— When it swells with haughtiness (superior, disdainful) it overflows with cruelty

— God has power to change the king’s glory to dishonor

Wait

( 10:12 ) ...when the Lord has performed all His work ... “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria

— We ask the question, why does God wait?

— We see the proud man, the evil man

— We wonder why doesn’t God just strike them dead

Q: Have you ever wondered that? Why does God allow evil to exist?

Agency

— God chose the Assyrians as his tool

— The season for evil men’s destruction is not yet at hand

— But we ought to wait patiently

Farmer

“ I once heard of an agnostic farmer who wrote to the editor of his local newspaper, who a Christian man. He said, in defiance of your God I plowed my fields this year on Sunday. I disked and fertilized them on Sunday. I planted them on Sunday. I cultivated them on Sunday and I reaped them on Sunday. This October I had the biggest crop I ever had. How do you explain that? The editor replied, God does not always settle His accounts in October” (unknown)

Look What I’ve Done(10:13-14)

( 10:13-14 ) For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

His achievements

— The King of Assyria boasts what he’s done

— moved boundaries

— robbed treasures

— deposed kings (put down peoples)

— My hand has done all this, i.e. it is all my wok

God’s Response (10:15)

( 10:15 ) Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!

You are a tool

— Answers that you are just a tool in my hand

— This counters the king’s earlier “hand and mind” claim in “By the strength of my hand I have done it” ( 10:13a )

Mind

— Where is the organizing mind found?

— Not in the ax

— Not in the saw

— Assyria had no power or wisdom of its own

— He would have no power except that it was given from above (cf. John 19:11)

Moral perversion > Judgment day arrives > Assyria’s day of reckoning > Jumping into a flame (10:16-19)

( 10:16-19 ) Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them

Q: What illustration is used in vv16-19 to express how God will treat Assyria?

( 10:16 ) Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones

Trusted in riches

— The Assyrians exalted themselves

— trusted in their riches ( fat ones )

— but they will be made poor ( lean )

10:17-19 The Lord will destroy the Assyrians. They marched into Jerusalem but in reality they were jumping into a flame

Total

— The destruction will be total

— thorns and briars…trees and forests

— The trees so few in number that a child could count them ( 10:19 )

Sudden ( 10:17b ) in one day

Moral perversion > Judgment day arrives > Assyria’s day of reckoning > Jumping into a flame > The remnant of Israel (10:20-32)

( 10: 20 ) And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Never again

— Never again a reliance on a foreign power but will trust in the Lord

Remnant

— A small group of people preserved by God

— There will always be a remnant (10:22)

( 10:21 ) The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God

Return

— The remnant will return

— Isaiah called his son Shea-Jashub - “a remnant shall return” (cf. 7:3 )

( 10:22 ) For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness

Cast down hypocrites

— Some had foolish confidence that because they were descendants of Abraham, they were to be counted

— The Lord will do whatever He said He will do:

— Blessings, or

— Threats

— And whatever He does, it will overflow with righteousness

( 10:23 ) For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land

For

— The NIV drops the “for” here and everywhere else where it is used in Isaiah

It comes about:

— not by human will

— not by chance

— not by the mechanical operation of historical armies

But by divine decree

10:22-23

— Paul quotes this section in Romans 9:27-28

— He prophesied that the Assyrians would conquer the southern kingdom and scatter the people

— They would be punished for their unbelief and temporarily rejected by God

— Paul says that this rejection and scattering was a preview of their rejection of the Messiah

( 10: 24-25 ) Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.”

Fear not!

— Isaiah tells Judah not to be afraid of Assyria

— Strange - Judah had every reason to be afraid in the short-term

Q: What is verse 26 saying? What is the reference to Midian mentioned earlier in 9:4? Why?

( 10:26 ) And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt

God will destroy

— Assyria - Scourge ( 10:26)

— Israel with a rod ( 10:25 )

— He intends to treat the Assyrians much more harshly than the Jews

Midianites

— Second time he has mentioned this (cf. 9:4 )

— it must be important

— God fought the battle for Gideon against the Midianites

— God made Gideon reduce his army from 32,000 to 300 (cf. Judges 7:2 )

Judges 7:2 NKJV

2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

— God would fight the battle

— And kill their leaders (cf. Judges 7:25 )

Judges 7:25 NKJV

25 And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

Q: Think of a time when a time when God did something in your life which you only can recognize and appreciate years later. Does recalling these things bring a sense of peace that God is working for our good?

Remember

— Here Israel is told to remember what God has already done for them to encourage them in their present circumstances

Egypt

— We know how God delivered the Jews when he parted the red sea and swallowed up the Egyptian army

Scourge

— Rouse up and scourge, rouse up a whip

— When Sennacherib got home he was assassinated by his sons ( 37:38 )

Paraphrase

A paraphrase of 10:25-26: “Our God will fight our battles like he did when he killed the Midianite army and we stood around and watched, and when he drowned the entire Egyptian army in the red sea, and all we had was Moses’ staff. And our Lord will kill our enemy leaders like He did in Midian, so don’t turn your back”

( 10: 27 ) It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil

Burden

— Yoke and Burden

— Israel will be freed from the control of a foreign power

( 10:28 -32 ) He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem

— Isaiah visualized the Assyrian army approaching from the North

— The place names grow closer and closer to Jerusalem as his vision progresses

— 15 miles ( 10:28 )

— 6 miles ( 10:29 )

— 5 miles ( 10:30 )

— 1 mile ( 10:32 )

( 10:33-34 ) Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Q: What illustration is used in vv33,34 to describe God’s intervention?

Reached the walls

— The Assyrian arm reached the walls of Jerusalem

— But the Lord sent them away in defeat

— Later, Isaiah recorded the literal fulfilment ( 37:34, 36-38, cf. 2 Ki 19:35-37)

Hezekiah

— A faithful king and son of wicked Ahaz

— Saw that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was going to attack Jerusalem

Closed the Walls

— He stopped all the springs that could carry water to Jerusalem (cf. 2 Chron 32:4)

— He knew that if the Assyrians had no water they couldn’t hold out

— Patched up the broken walls and built new towers (cf. 2 Chron 32:5)

The Lord fought

— According to 2 Chron 32:21 the Lord fought the battle

2 Chronicles 32:21 NKJV

21 Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.

( 10:34 ) He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One

Destruction of Assyria

— refers to the destruction of the Assyrian army

What Is the Relationship Between Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility?

Revisiting Isaiah 10:5-15

God used a wicked and idolatrous Nation to judge the Northern Kingdom. He then turns around and judges Assyria. At this point we face a biblical paradox. What is the relationship between our responsibility and God’s sovereignty? How can we be God’s instruments and also be held responsible?

First Step

The first step is to recognize that they are not mutually exclusive. Human responsibility is not removed just because God has sovereign control over his creation.

God’s Instrument

(10:5) Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation

— This seems to make no sense

— If Assyria is God’s instrument, the rod of His anger, why is God declaring “woe” on the Assyrians?

Woe

— Judgment, condemnation

— Woe is an onomatopoetic word (meaning the word sounds like it means; in this case a cry)

Pagan

— This pagan, godless, wicked, idolatrous nation is the instrument God uses to judge his own rebellious people

— He calls them “my people” (10:2) and then the “people of my wrath” (10:6)

Responsible

— God holds Israel fully responsible

— for their rebellion

— disbelief

— idolatry

— rejection of His Him

— rejection of His Word

— rejection of His Worship

Clueless

( 10:7 ) Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.

— God calls Assyria to conquer Israel and the Assyrians have no idea that they are doing God’s bidding

— They are clueless

No intention

— (10:9) The Assyrians had no intention to serve God

— They didn’t believe in Him

— This was just another opportunity to conquer a neighboring nation like they had already done with Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria and Damascus

Confidence

— (10:10-11) Their confidence

— They had destroyed other nations that had greater protection and greater gods than the God of the Hebrews

— They thought that they were acting in complete independence

— They had no idea that they were used of God to deliver His judgment

LXX

— The LXX gives a different reading indicating that Calno was the city where the tower of Babel was built (Gen 11:4)

— Carchemish was one of the most prominent cities of the time

— This was no small feat to defeat these cities

Q: But does being and agent of God somehow exonerate them from being morally responsible?

Yes Scripture is clear that they are held responsible

— They are culpable for their actions ( 10:12 )

( 10:12 ) Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

Actions

— Isaiah says that God will punish the arrogant king of Assyria

— What the Assyrians did was an act of evil, such that God turned on them and destroyed them

— In God’s eyes, they bear full responsibility even though they are fulfilling God’s divine decree.

Motives

— God pronounced judgment not only on their actions but also their motives

— ( 10:12 ) their arrogance: the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king

— they took all the credit : By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, I have removed the boundaries…

— ( 10:13 ) robbed their treasures…put down the inhabitants

— They failed to recognize God’s glory by taking credit for what He had done

Tool

— ( 10:15-18 ) God used Assyria to chop down Israel but he righteously holds the ax responsible

— This answers the King’s “hand and mind” claim in (10:13a)

The nature

God controls everything by His divine decree and sovereign power, everything happens in the world according to His purposes, but that does not remove the culpability from those that do evil. Evil doers are not forced to do evil, they do evil on their own.

Horse / Rider

— Isaiah pictures this in another way later in the book with his illustration of the horse and rider (Isa 37:29)

Isaiah 37:29 NKJV

29 Because your rage against Me and your tumult Have come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back By the way which you came.” ’

Horse

— Assyria receives what it deserves

— All the energy, even the violence belongs to the horse

— All the direction, wisdom, guiding touch belongs to the rider

— Therefore, God will judge Evil doers for both the act and the motive, as well as their failure to give God glory and worship him

Purer Eyes

Hab 1:13 We’ve all heard and maybe memorized this verse

Habakkuk 1:13 NKJV

13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

Habakkuk

— Habakkuk saw injustice all around him

— Habakkuk said how can you allow every conceivable evil to happen?

— Are you even paying attention?

— God said, I am going to send the Babylonians to punish you

— Habakkuk was exacerbated - you are going to allow even more evil people judge us?

— (Hab 1:13) God gives Habakkuk the big picture: they would punish His people ( Hab 1:6-8)

Habakkuk 1:6–8 NKJV

6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling places that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

— but they would not be unpunished

— They would be completely destroyed (Hab 2:2-20)

NT

— We have the same tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility in the NT

— Peter gives this sermon at Pentecost In ( Acts 2:22-23 )

Acts 2:22–23 NKJV

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

Q: Who killed Christ?

God’s Plan

Christ died under God’s authority

— His timing

— His plan

And yet Israel was guilty for his death and their rejection of the Messiah

— Not only Israel alone but all of sinful humanity was guilty of His death ( Acts 4:27-28 )

Acts 4:27–28 NKJV

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

Predestined

— All of us simply carried out what you had already predestined to occur (Acts 4:28)

— Isaiah Concurs

— “The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief” (NAS) (53:10)

— But those who killed Christ are not exonerated

— their actions and their motive were entirely rebellious and murderous

— It was an act of pure evil

Truth confirmed

— Christ’s death is a greatest confirmation of a truth first spoken by Joseph to his brothers ( Gen 50:20 )

Genesis 50:20 NKJV

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Tension

“We see this apparent contradiction (paradox), this tension between divine sovereignty and our responsibility all throughout the bible. But scripture never attempts to ease the tension. We need to remember that we can never hold God to our standard of fairness. He Himself is the standard of righteousness and He never acts in a way that would contradict His righteousness (source: Macarthur, https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-relationship-between-divine-sovereignty-and-human-responsibility/)

Addition Resources

Charnock, Stephen, and William Symington. The Existence and Attributes of God. Baker Books, 2000.

J Vernon McGee Isaiah 6:3-13: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-63-13-749076.html

McGee Isaiah 7:12-14: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-712-14-749077.html

McGee Isaiah 7: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-7-749079.html

McGee Isaiah 8: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-8-749080.html

McGee Isaiah 9: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-9-749081.html

McGee Isaiah 10: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-10-749082.html

RC Sproul, The Splendor and Trauma of Holiness, Isaiah 6:1-8: https://pcpc.org/sermons/detail/1231/the-splendor-and-trauma-of-holiness/

Chuck Missler Isaiah 6:9 - 7:25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OxiZMmxYng

Missler Isaiah 8:-10:4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXpklePt8OU

John MacArthur, It’s Too Late!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD_47QR49I8

John MacArthur, Isaiah: A Godly Man in a Nation in Crisis (Isaiah 5-6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1383/isaiah-a-godly-man-in-a-nation-in-crisis

MacArthur, How Long oh Lord? (Isaiah 5-6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-398/how-long-o-lord

MacArthur, The Lord’s Vengeance (Isaiah 5-6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/81-41/the-lords-vengeance-part-4

MacArthur, Warning to a National in Crisis, Part 2 (Isaiah 6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-163/warning-to-a-nation-in-crisis-part-2

MacArthur, God’s Man for a nation in crisis (Isaiah 6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-229/gods-man-for-a-nation-in-crisis

MacArthur, Experiencing the Presence of God (Isaiah 6:1-8): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1280/experiencing-the-presence-of-god

MacArthur, A Savior is Born (Isaiah 8:19-9:7): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1210/the-savior-is-born

JewsForJesus.org

Young, Edward J. The Book of Isaiah: Volume 1 Chapters 1-18. Eerdmans, 1996.