Survey - Isaiah 40-66

40-48: An Announcement of Hope

In the first half of the book we explored Isaiah’s message of Judgment and Hope. He accused Israel’s leaders of rebellion against God and said that through Assyria and later Babylon Israel’s kingdom would be destroyed. So chapter 39 concluded with Isaiah predicting Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon and exile and 200 years after that it all sadly came to pass. But Isaiah’s greater hope was for a new purified Jerusalem where God’s kingdom would be restored through the Holy Seed and all nations would come together in peace. So chapter 40 and following explore this great hope.

The first mail section 40-48 open with an announcement of hope. It is a message of comfort ( 40 ), the Babylonian exile is over. The people’s sins have been dealt with an a new era is beginning. So they should all return home to Jerusalem where God himself will bring his kingdom and all nations will see his glory. So Isaiah hopes that Israel will respond by becoming God’s servant, that is, that after experiencing God’s justice and mercy they will share with the nations who God truly is. But that is not what is happening! Israel instead of bearing witness to the nations is actually complaining and accusing God. They say the Lord isn’t paying attention to our troubles, in fact he is ignoring our cause ( 40:27 ).

Readings

Chapter 40 ( 40:3-8; 12-15; 21-23; 27-31 )

Chapter 41 ( 41:8; 10-11 ; 21-24 )

Chapter 42 ( 42:1-4; 7-10; 14-17 )

Chapter 43 ( 43:1-7; 10-12; 25-26 )

Chapter 44 ( 44:9-17; 22-24 )

Chapter 45 ( 44:28 - 45:7; 20-23 )

Chapter 46 ( 46:3-7 )

Chapter 47 ( 47:5-11 )

Chapter 48 ( 48:3-11; 17-19 )

Chapter 40: ( 40:3-8; 12-15; 21-23; 28-31 )

This is the start of the second (2nd) half of this book. Chapters 1-39 are entitled the Government of God and correspond to the Law and the OT. The next twenty-seven (27) chapters 40-66 speak of the Salvation of the Lord and correspond to the message of the NT. Like the NT, this second section starts where the NT starts with the announcement of John the Baptist and ends where the NT ends with the new heaven and new earth

40:3-8

— The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

— Where the NT starts; quoted in all 4 gospels

Prepare the Way

— Isaiah heard a voice calling for the leveling of a path so that God could lead His people out of Babylonian captivity

— Foreshadows the final and great return of Israel from spiritual darkness to God by the spiritual redemption of Messiah

( 40:6-7 ) Our lives are just a vapor, short, not permanent

( 40:8 ) In contrast to the passing of nature, there is one thing that is permanent: The Word of God

40:12-15

Missler

— Emphasis on quantitative measures ; not the qualitative

— Calling our attention to His precision

— You’ve heard about the global warming and how the temperature has gone up; if a 1/10th of one percent will somehow bring cosmic doom, flip the coin and ask yourself how did it get so precisely tuned in the first place?

( 40:15 ) as small dust on scales — Surrounding Nations that oppressed Israel are utterly insignificant

— They cannot prevent God’s plan for Israel to be accomplished

— He can easily bring them to nothing as easily as He brought them out of nothing

40:21-23

— How foolish to trust wood, gold and silver ( idols )

— The Lord has created all of them

( 40:22 ) It is He who sits above the circle of the earth

— Interesting statement for a book written 8 centuries before Christ

— People writing in this time period and this culture had bizarre ideas, folklore

Missler

Isaiah states fact that is without error despite living in a time when this was not common knowledge

40:27-31

—( 40:27 ) The people accused the Lord of not paying attention to their plight in captivity

— They thought he was ignorant of their condition

— He was asleep. Wake Up!

— God is not too weak to act on their behalf

— The young and the strong might tire, but God never does

Chapter 41-47

Isaiah had hoped that Israel will respond by becoming God’s servant, that they will share with the nations who God truly is. Instead of bearing witness to the nations is actually complaining and accusing God of not paying attention to their troubles and ignoring our cause ( 40:27 ). So 41-47 are setup like a trail. God responds to these doubts and accusations with the following arguments. First, the exile to Babylon was not the result of neglect. In fact, it was divinely orchestrated as a judgment of Israel’s sin. Second, it was for Israel’s sake that God raised up Persia to conquer Babylon so they could come back home to Jerusalem fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy ( 13:17 ). So, the right conclusion that Israel should draw is that their God is the king of history. In the fall of Babylon and the rise of the Persian king Cyrus Israel should see God’s hand at work and thus become His servant and tell all the nations who He is. But that’s not what happens.

Chapter 41: ( 41:10-11 ; 21-24 )

Chapter 41 continues looking at God’s greatness - but also admonishes us to keep from idols and to trust in God. We also saw three pictures of divine intervention from God: human hostility, human weakness and adverse circumstances

41:8

— “But you, Israel, are My servant” ( 41:8 )

— God is giving Israel to the world as a light

— The covenant and the light are not just for Israel, but the world

41:10-11

— Even though God would destroy the nations, Israel had nothing to fear

— He would protect them with His righteous hand

41:21-24

— Like a beauty contest, the Lord says, Let’s see what you have

— You think your idols are better than me? Let’s see

( 41:22 ) God challenges the idols to prove they are gods by predicting future events

— not only can they discern the flow of event but also control the flow of events?

Chapter 42: ( 42:1-4; 7-10; 14-17 )

The first of four (4) servant songs. In this song we see that He will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, bring justice and righteousness to the world, He shall be called a servant, ebed, slave

42:1-4

— The first of four (4) servant songs

— 42:1-4

— 49:1-6

— 50:4-7

— 52:13 - 53:12

— In the last chapter, God called Israel my servant

— “But you, Israel, are My servant” ( 41:8 )

— Jesus applies these verses to Himself

( 42:3 ) Smoldering was no good to give life

— He will not break them ( the flute or the reed )

— They are deemed useless to the world, but He shows them compassion

— He bears our weakness

7-10

— To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison

— Jesus literally fulfilled these words

— LORD; A summing up of all that God is - His holiness

( 42:10 ) A new song! The gospel - a new song never sung before

14-17

( 42:14 ) I have held My peace ...and restrained Myself

— He remained silent until it was time to step into history

— At just the right time Christ entered the world ( Gal 4:4 )

( 42:16 ) Those who were spiritually blind God will now lead them by a way they did not know — And crooked places straight

— Sometimes the path of righteousness doesn’t seem smooth

— life doesn’t get easier when you are a Christian

Chapter 43: ( 43:1-7; 10-12; 25-26 )

The familiar courtroom setting. God announces the issue: who of your idol gods could predict the future? The idols are silent and the nations produce no witnesses. God declares His verdict which is total destruction of Israel’s enemies. Verse 25 is the high point of the OT - which reminds us that God forgives our sins and He does it for His own sake not based on our past

43:1-7

—water, river, fire: symbolize the many perils Israel has endured and continues to endure

— Isaiah is talking about millennial kingdom; the Lord will regather His faithful remnant from the four corners of the earth

— The remnant are regathered in the millennium

43:10-12

— Israel is His servant

— Israel has the responsibility to be His witness and they will be in the millennium

( 43:11 ) I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior

— Interesting that of all the religions of the world, only Christianity has a savior

43:25-26

— Sin blots our character and the Lord sees the mark that it leaves

— Even more amazing in light of ( 43:24 ) we have burdened and wearied Him with our sins and He still choose to forgive us

— The high point of Grace in the OT

Chapter 44: ( 44:9-17; 22-24 )

Man’s idol factory: We see the great length that men will go to worship their idols. They chop the wood and make breakfast and whatever is left over becomes the idol. The decision as to which piece of wood becomes an idol is up to man. After breakfast, the man bows down to the wood and cries, “Save Me!”

44:9-17

( 44:11 ) These men are merely human and they are going to create the divine?

( 44:12) The prophet pulls back the curtain

— Takes away all the glamour

— Hot fire, dirty coal, tools, strength of arms, sweat of the brow, muscle and brawn

— Tiring work — It isn’t the idol that provides him the water or the food if he gets hungry

( 44:13 ) We see the manufacturing process

— Beginning - stretches out his line

— Work - makes an outline, roughs it out, marks it

— The carpenter has no idea what God looks like, so he picks the only thing he knows!

( 44:16 ) With half (1/2) he makes breakfast

— makes a roast

— he even warms himself

44:22-24

— He blots out our sins

— Said the same thing in ( 43:25 )

— Despite our unworthiness, He forgives our sins

Chapter 45: ( 44:28 - 45:7; 20-23 )

44:28 - 45:7

Cyrus

— This prophecy was given a century and a half before Cyrus was born

— It predicted that God would use the Persian king to gather the remnant back to Israel

— Cyrus was his shepherd to bring the sheep of Israel back to the land

— He is also God’s anointed judged of the nations, i.e. loose the armor of kings

Josephus

The Jewish writer and historian Flavius Josephus - when Cyrus saw his name in Isaiah, he was so astonished that he gave the command to return the Jews

45:20-23

— The idol worshippers are to come together and appear before the Lord

— They carry a god on their shoulders and they expect this god to carry them?

— He can’t even stand up without their help

( 45:22 ) The world is invited to be saved

— This is the verse that Charles Spurgeon heard and was saved

( 45:23 ) The Jews might have found it hard to believe that Gentiles were included

— But God removes all doubt He adds an oath

Chapter 46 ( 46:3-7 )

Babylon was in imminent danger and under full scale evacuation. The people are hurrying to evacuate and evacuate their idol gods as well. The Lord is inflexible in His determination what to do ( 10-11 ) and is equally inflexible in His commitment to His people ( 3-4 ). The theme of the chapter is the “Burden Bearing God”

46:3-7

— God carried us in His arms

— He carried His people as upon Eagle’s wings

God carries us! As opposed to the heathen gods, who cannot save their own worshipers (v 2)

— He carries our sorrows

— Our sin and grief

— Cast your cares on Him ( Ps 55:22 )

— He is our refuge, our rock that we cling to

( 46:7 ) They carry it, they cry out, but it cannot answer

Chapter 47 ( 47:5-11 )

This chapter turns to the judgment of Babylon. Isaiah has already spoken of Babylon’s judgment in 13, 14, 21 and now 47. We had a suggestion of it in the last chapter (46) when the city was being evacuated and they were loading their idols onto carts. This chapter also deals with a topic still very much resurgent again today, astrology, sorceries, mysticism and the like. People today are confused. Babylon means confusion

47:5-11

— Once exalted, now brought low in humility

( 47:7 ) Once a Queen, now a slave women

— They were arrogant, they said they would be a lady forever

( 47:9 ) The two things that Babylon took pride in:

— She would neither be a “widow”; a boast (cf. Mystery Babylon makes the same boast Rev 18:7 )

— nor “childless”; is it possible that Mystery Babylon is a post-rapture brag (Missler)

— God punishes both

( 47:7-9 ) In Rev 18:7, 8, 10, 16, 19 John alludes to these verses in describing the downfall of Babylon just before Christ’s return

— Compare “a lady forever” with 18:7, “am no widow” with 18:7 and “in one day” with 18:8

( 47:10 ) Thought no one would see you when you sin — Sinners foolishly think that they are safe, that no one sees the sins done in secret

Chapter 48 ( 48:3-11; 17-19 )

By the end of the trail ( 41-47 ) we ind find that Israel is still as rebellious and hard hearted as their ancestors. The captives of Babylon have been liberated and sent home. They should be coming home rejoicing, but they are still wicked and without peace ( 22 ) They haven’t learned anything . So, God disqualifies them as His servant but He is still on a mission to bless the nations of the world. So, God says he is going to do “A New Thing” to solve this problem.

48:3-11

( 48:4 ) Their Neck was iron (un-submissive)

— Brow was bronze ( intractable )

— God did not choose Israel because they were superior. He choose US because he saw our great need

( 48:8 ) Did not hear.. did not know..would deal treacherously

— He knew they would pervert the truth and ascribe the fulfillment of the predictions to idols and not to God Himself (Young)

( 48:10 ) He refined them but (the result is ) not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction

— Unlike silver, their purging is not complete and they are not refined

48:17-19

— If you had heeded, you would have had peace like a river

— Sorrowful, pleading, all of this could have been avoided ( 48:19 ) Because of Israel’s disobedience, the promise of Abraham has not been fulfilled

Chapter 49-55

We are introduced to God’s Servant who is going to fulfill God’s mission and do what Israel failed to do. God gives this servant the title Israel. God sends his Servant on a mission. First, to restore the people of Israel back to their God and second to be a light to the world. And we are told that this Servant is empowered by God’s Spirit to announce good news and bring God’s kingdom over all the nations. This sounds just like the Messianic king from chapters 9 and 11, but then we learn the surprising way in which this servant will bring God’s kingdom. He’s going to be rejected, and beaten and ultimately killed ( 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12 ) by his own people. As he is dying he is actually dying on behalf of the people’s sins. Isaiah says that the servant’s death is the sacrifice of atonement for the people’s evil and rebellion. And then after his death he is alive again and we learn that his death has provided a way to make people righteous, that is, put them in a right relationship with God ( 53:10-12 ). So the section concludes ( 54-55 ) with two ways that people can respond to the servant. Some will respond with humility and accept what the servant has done on their behalf. These people are also called “the servants” and also “the seed” remember the holy seed from chapter 6. But there are others who are simply called “the wicked” and they reject the Servant and his servants.

Readings

Chapter 49 ( 49:1-6; 14-18 )

Chapter 50 ( 50:4-7 )

Chapter 51 ( 51:7-12; 17-52:1 )

Chapter 52 & 53 ( 52:13-53:12 )

Chapter 54 ( 54:1-8; 13-15 )

Chapter 55 ( 55:1-11 )

Chapter 49 ( 49:1-6; 14:18 )

Chapter 49 introduces the second of 4 Servant Songs. The first glimpse was in chapter 42. Here is the second song. It is almost as if we are at His feet listening to Him describe Himself. We also learn that Israel is not forsaken and then reminded of Israel’s amnesia

49:1-6

— Matrix refers to the bowels, the body

— The Servant will be human, born of a women and yet a virgin ( 7:14 )

— Sword: has has the power to speak effectively and conquer His enemies, judge

— Hidden: Similar to John 10:28, No one will snatch us out of His hand; No one is able to snatch us out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29)

( 49:3 ) glorified; He calls Him Israel but refers to the Messiah

— Before Israel was a nation, it was the name of a man

— Isaiah comes full circle and now bestows the name Israel on the Messiah

— Israel had a role to fill but failed

— Now Messiah will be Israel

( 49:4 ) Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain — I have laboured, spent my strength

— Nothing has been achieved… to no purpose

— In vain, for nothing

— Almost despondency, the last two songs emphasize His suffering ( 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12 )

— Shows the real humanity of Christ

( 49:5 ) His mission will include bringing Israel back to the Lord

( 49:6 ) He will provide salvation to the Gentiles as well, light to the whole world

49:14-18

( 49:14 ) Zion thinks she has been forsaken

— Zion would have better employed in exercising her own memory than accusing the Lord of losing His!

( 49:15 ) Can a woman forget her nursing child

— cherishes in her bosom, nourishes

— A women has sleepless nights worrying about their children, strong affection, continued anxiety ( 49:17 ) The residents of Jerusalem will return just as those who destroyed the city are leaving

( 49:18 ) The return of the people from Babylon

— They return in 539 BC

— It should have been a greater number, but only 40,000 returned

— The majority settled for the comforts of Babylon

— The book of Esther was written about the group that remained

Chapter 50 ( 50:4-7 )

This chapter also introduces us to the 3rd Servant Song (50:4-7). It provides another picture of the suffering Servant. It also provides insight into what J. Vernon McGee called, “The Greatest Sin Committed by Christians Today.” The chapter ends with a call to the unconverted to believe

50:4-7

( 50:4 ) The Lord was learned

— He was a student of the Word

— He never studied in rabbinical schools ( John 7:15 ) but He knew the Word

J. Vernon McGee

J. Vernon McGee says this is the greatest Sin among Christians today

— There are sins of commission and omission. Christians today don’t know the Word

( 50:4d ) A word in season to him who is weary

— “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.” ( 40:29 )

— ”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ( Mt 11:28 ) — morning by morning; he had a daily appointment with God ( 50:5 ) He was never rebellious; He was obedient to the Father’s will

Treated Cruelly

( 50:6 ) My back…my cheeks… my face

— He was struck

— He was plucked

— He was spit on

— He didn’t suffer because of wrong doing but because of obedience to God

— It was a costly obedience, a suffering not merited, but accepted: gratuitous torture, personal humiliation

Chapter 51 ( 51:7-12; 17-52:1 ) Turning from the godless, Isiah now addresses the godly of the nation. They are called the pursuers after righteousness ( cf. Deut 16:20 ). They are active, vigorously seeking after righteousness, hungering and thirsty after it which results in action. The curse will be removed. God’s alarm clock telling us to Wake up!

51:7-12

— Don’t fear men; these are men that will die ( 51:12 )

( 51:8 ) The moth will eat them up

— Your enemies will perish but the Lord’s salvation is permanent

— Our hope is in God, not ourselves

— ”Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.” ( 11:5 )

( 51:9 ) Awake, awake, put on strength

51:17-52:1

( 51:17 ) Awake, awake!

—Earlier, they told the Lord to awake

— They thought He was sleeping ( 40:27 )

Chapter 52 & 53 ( 52:13-53:12 )

52:13-53:12

( 52:13 ) Robert Stephanus was a 16th century printer

— He first put verses in the bible

— Here is an example where Chapter 53 should start at (52:13) which is where we will start

( 52:13 ) Behold, My Servant

— God commissioned it, and because He did, He is saying Christ is qualified for it

— And as His Servant, He will do the will of the Father, not His own will

( 52:15b ) Kings shall shut their mouths at Him

— He will leave them speechless

— Astonish the rulers of the world

( 53:1 ) John applied this verse to Jesus ( Jn 12:37-38 ) — Paul quotes ( 53:1 ) to state Israel’s rejection of Christ despite his many miracles in their presence

( 53:2 ) There is no beauty that we should desire Him

— He appeared as a man

— Not noble that they expected from a King

( 53:3 ) A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

— Bible nowhere records that He laughed

( 53:5 ) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities

— My sins caused nailed Him to the cross

— But His love held Him to the cross

( 53:6 ) And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all

— He didn’t suffer for His sin

— He suffered for our sins

( 53:8 ) For He was cut off from the land of the living

--“to be cut off…living” is a Hebrew reference to death

( 53:10 ) His soul and offering for sin — The Servant was the lamb of God ( Jn 1:29 )

— His sacrifice was expiatory

— He will see a seed from his own seed, those redeemed from the guilt and power of their sins

The Result

( 53:11 ) justify many

( 53:11 ) He shall bear their iniquities

( 53:12 ) bore the sins of the many

( 53:12 ) made intercession for the transgressors

Chapter 54 ( 54:1-8; 13-15 )

Prophet just told us about the suffering Servant. Now, he turns to the restored wife. He tells us of the welfare and prosperity of Jews in Babylon, He encourages them, tells them they will flourish. Also applicable to the Gentile church

Matthew Henry

— The death of Christ is the life of the church and of all that truly belong to it

— it is only fitting that after Isaiah tells of Christ’s suffering he tells of the flourishing church

— The primary reference is Jews returning from captivity, yet Paul quotes this verse and applies it to the church ( Gal 4:27 )

— Jerusalem had been in the condition of a wife written childless, or a desolate solitary widow; but now it is promised that the city should be replenished and the country populated again

— The city will be repaired, the foundations rebuilt, and the land which was taken by their enemies will be returned

54:1-8

Q: What will happen to the women in 54:1?

( 54:1 ) barren…have not borne…have not labored…desolate

— She will sing

— She will have children

A picture of the church - the temple will be enlarged for worship

( 54:2 ) Lengthen the cords, and strengthen the stakes

— The bounds of the church are extended as never before

— The descendants / Children will be so numerous they will have to make more room

( 54:4 ) For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore

Glories will be so great that it will overshadow the past

— Slavery in Egypt

— Captivity in Babylon

Endless Love

( 54:8 ) His anger is contrasted with His endless love, everlasting mercies

— He turns His back but not His face

54:13-18

— In the millennial Jerusalem will be the center of worship

( 54:13 ) Taught by the Lord Himself

Matthew Henry

— Our Saviour quotes it with application to gospel grace, and makes it to have its accomplishment in all those that were brought to believe in him (Jn. 6:45)

MacArthur

— Jesus paraphrased Is 54:13 to support the point that if someone comes to faith and repentance to God, it is because they have been “taught,” and hence drawn by God

— Jesus during his ministry foreshadowed what life would be like during the kingdom

( 54:16 ) The Lord will burn up his enemies ( Rev 20:7-9 )

— He created the Blacksmith (16) so He can tie his hands

Chapter 55 ( 55:1-11 )

Remember, a verse taken out of context is a pretext

As we had much of Christ in the 53rd chapter, and much of the church of Christ in the 54th chapter, so in this chapter we have much of the covenant of grace made with us in Christ. The “sure mercies of David”

— There is one condition on which men must receive it

— This is not a mechanical offer

This is the OT formula for salvation: the sinner must come believing God, recognizing His sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from sin. This is one of the clearest OT invitations to Salvation. 55:11 is where we find a verse that all of us have committed to memory

Q: What is the qualification for those who want God’s grace and forgiveness ( 55:1 )?

( 55:1 ) “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price

Matthew Henry

— They must thirst ( 55:1 )

— Those that are satisfied with the world and its enjoyments for a portion, and seek not for a happiness in the favour of God,—those that depend upon the merit of their own works for a righteousness, and see no need they have of Christ and his righteousness,—these do not thirst

— But those that thirst are invited to the waters, as those that labour, and are heavy-laden, are invited to Christ for rest

Q: Who does the call go out to in 55:1 ?

— The call goes out to everyone, not the Jew only

— The poor, the blind, the weak

— In Christ there is more than enough room

— He that has ears to hear let him hear

Q: And what is the cost ( 55:1 ) ?

— indicates how free it is; nothing worthy you can give God for it

— Salvation is free because of what the suffering Servant accomplished

— Christ paid it all ( Is 53 )

( 55:2 ) Why do you spend money for what is not bread

— Rather than rely on the FREE Grace of God, they would rather go spending money on what does not satisfy ( 55:3 ) God will make a new covenant with Israel, an everlasting covenant

( 55:6 ) Seek the Lord while He may be found

( 55:7 ) Turn from sin, forsake your thoughts

— 55:6,7 are one of the clearest OT invitations to salvation

— This is an example of how people in the OT were saved

— You must first seek the Lord ( Deut 4:29; 2 Chr 15:4 )

— Call on Him while He was still available ( 65:1; Ps 32:6; Prov 8:17 )

— True seeking in faith is accompanied by repentance

— Not only a change in behavior but a change in thinking

— True repentance strikes at the root, the heart, the thoughts

( 55:8 ) Watch what you “think” of God; he is so very different than us

— At the same time he must recognize his own inability to be righteous and must cast himself on God’s mercy

— This OT pattern of salvation is illustrated in Luke 18:9-14

What an encouragement ! God will have mercy ( 55:7 )

( 55:11 ) Water, snow, the Word of God all have a heavenly origin and power and effectiveness that doesn’t fail

— rain and snow come down from heaven and accomplish their purpose

— God will do what He has spoken

56 - 66 The servants inherit God’s kingdom

This is the final section of the book. In these chapters the servants inherit God’s kingdom. In 60-62 is a series of poems with the Servant announcing God’s kingdom to the poor, and he reaffirms all of the promises of hope form earlier in the book. Salvation from the curse. The New Jerusalem will be the place from which God’s justice and mercy and blessings from out to all the nations of the world. Surrounding these chapters are two long poems ( 59, 63-45 ) confessing Israel’s sin and grieving the evil that they see in the world around them. And around these poems are more poems ( 56b-58, 65-66a ) that contrast the destiny of the servants and that of the wicked. God says that he will remove the wicked from his city forever. But the servants those who are humble before God and who repent and own their evil they are forgiven and will inherit the new Jerusalem which is an image for an entirely new creation. In this new world of God’s kingdom people from all nations are invited to come and join the servants of God’s covenant family so that everyone can personally know their creator and redeemer.

Readings

Chapter 56 ( 56:1-5 )

Chapter 57 ( 57:14-21 )

Chapter 58 ( 58:1-7; 13-14 )

Chapter 59 ( 59:1-8; 16-18 )

Chapter 60 ( 60:3-5; 9-11; 16-20 )

Chapter 61 ( 61:1-2; 8-10 )

Chapter 62 ( 62:8-12 )

Chapter 63 ( 63:1-6; 8-14; 19 )

Chapter 64 ( 64:1-7; 9 )

Chapter 65 ( 65:1-7; 111-12; 17-23 )

Chapter 66 ( 66:2-3; 5; 22-24 )

Chapter 56 ( 56:1-5 )

Continues the theme of chapter of chapter 55 which was that Gentiles are welcome at the great banquet. Chapter 56 paints a picture of the millennial kingdom. The Lord will reinstitute the Sabbath and all are welcome to come to worship. But there is also a reminder that the prophets were tasked with being watchman and the people and their leaders fell short in their moral obligations

56:1-5 ( 56:1 ) Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come

— A call to practice righteousness

Matthew Henry

— The scope of these verses is to show that when God is coming towards us in a way of mercy we must go forth to meet him in a way of duty

( 56:2 ) Keep the Sabbath

— God will reinstitute the Sabbath in the millennium

( 56:3 ) Foreigners were excluded by the law — The foreigner will no longer say, “The LORD has utterly separated me from His people”

( 56:5 ) The eunuch will no say, I am cut off!

— These outcasts are offered Grace and acceptance by Isaiah upon personal faith in the true God

( 56:9 ) Reproof that starts with the leaders and continues for the next 3 chapters

— The sheep of God’s pasture are now to be made the sheep of his slaughter, to fall as victims to his justice, and therefore the beasts of the field and the forest are called to come and devour

— beasts…watchman… shepherds : these titles identify the wicked

— Prophets, who should have been watchmen and warned Israel to repent, ignored their responsibility ( cf Ezek 3:17 )

Chapter 57 ( 57:14-21 )

Two groups of people. Those who enter into peace and the other that runs to their idols. Isaiah refers to these wicked as backsliders. We looked at the term backslider and how it applies to our walk with the Lord. The chapter ends with a message to those who are wicked: There is no peace for the wicked, not even in death.

On the Ground

This is a report from the front lines

— Tension between two groups

— The righteous ( 57:1 ) and those who are in cults ( 3-13 ) and forgotten the Lord ( 11 )

Prepares a Home

One group enters into peace ( 2, 19 )

— The Lord dwells with them ( 15 )

— Promises a home for them ( 14 )

McGee

( 57:1- 59:21 ) Describes where the church is today

— We are waiting for the promise of righteousness

— But we are also in the midst of the unrighteous, the wicked

57:14-21

( 57:15 ) God sends true revival, which comes to the humble and contrite (MacArthur)

— Corresponds to the Beatitude ( Matthew 5:3 ) Poor in Spirit

— After all the years of Israel’s backsliding, God’s grace will prevail and spiritual healing and restoration will come

( 57:16 ) God will not always be angry

( 57:17 ) sinful greed is another type of idolatry; unscrupulous pursuit of self-interest produced God’s anger

— iniquity = perversions, double over

— Back Sliding OT term and a favorite of Jeremiah (uses it 9 times)

— Here, men continue in their sin despite God’s judgment

— See also how insufficient afflictions of themselves are to reform men, unless God’s grace work with them ( Henry )

— Backsliding for a believer is always temporary and always involves God’s chastening which in turn produces repentance ( Heb 12:20 )

( 57:19 ) creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel

— Peace, Peace - a call to people everywhere, come to the Lord. Receive spiritual healing

( 57:21 ) No Peace for the wicked

— If someone says they have found peace part from God, they are lying

— There is no peace apart from God

— No peace in death

Chapter 58 ( 58:1-7; 13-14 )

Chapter 58 is a critique of religion and hypocrisy. It is a call for the people to recognize their sin and rebellion. Some people thought their fasting could protect them. They blame God for not noticing ( 58:3 ). Another call to observe the Sabbath ( 58:13 )

58:1-7

( 58:1 ) Tell them their sins; just as bad as ever

( 58:2) Show them their hypocrisy

— They seek Me daily; They are constant in their devotions and never miss church

— Delight to know my ways; They like to hear good preaching; as Herod liked to hear John the Baptist; the stony ground that received the word with joy

— As a nation they did righteousness; They pretended to be as such; but many men will go to hell with a good reputation

— They take delight in approaching God; They enjoyed the festivals but not for his sake but for the music, and fellowship

( 58:3 ) Actually convincing and calculated

— Designed to make God take notice

— The essence of [True Religion] is response not doing things to influence the Lord but doing them to obey him

( 58:5 ) It is not something that I choose; It has no currency in heaven

— Not abolishing Fasting - but the improper use of it

— Fasting is an appendage to prayer ( Matt 17:21 )

( 58:7 ) Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

— Notice share your bread

— Deny yourself so that someone else can eat

— And clothe those with no clothes

58:13-14

— Honor the Sabbath

— It calls for careful, thoughtful living

— It is not a day for doing as you please because it is My holy day

— The Sabbath was set aside in the NT

Chapter 59 ( 59:1-8; 16-18 )

We saw the consequences which follow sin: separation from God. Israel’s sin had separated them from God and to make matters worse, they were running with their feet to commit sin. Just like us - we can willfully commit sin and the consequences are always the same. Others are hurt and our fellowship with God is broken. But God did what no one else could do and provided a redeemer

Here we see how exceedingly sinful sin is, and how exceedingly gracious grace is.

1-8: The sins that had kept good things from being bestowed on them

9-11: The sins that brought judgement upon them

12-15: Specific sins that caused God to send judgment

16-19: God would deliver them for his own namesake

20-21: He would show them mercy

59:1-8

( 59:1 ) The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save

— The Lord’s strength is more than able to bring deliverance to His people

( 59:2 ) Their inequities have separated them from God.

— Our sin separates us from God (cf. Rom 3:2 )

( 59:4 ) No one calls for justice

— Misuse of the legal system for illegal means

( 59:6 ) Spider’s webs are no good as clothing

— The sinner’s best efforts always leave him or her unsatisfied, unprovided for

( 59:7 ) Their feet run to evil

— They run because they are eager to do evil

— Hands, tongue and now feet

— No part of the body is free from evil

— These thoughts are evil and spell trouble for others

59:16-18

— How sin abounded but how grace much more abounded!

— The Lord saw that there was no one to intercede on His behalf

— The Lord took it upon Himself to change Israel’s condition through the intercession of His suffering Servant (53:12)

( 59:17 ) The Lord arms Himself for the deliverance of His people

— Breastplate of righteousness ( Eph 6:14 )

— Helmet of Salvation ( Eph 6:17 )

— Garments of vengeance - clothing is a metaphor for character, commitment to the task

Chapter 60 ( 60:3-5; 9-11; 16-20 )

Chapter 60 portrays Zion (Jerusalem) as the city of Light and any nation that does not serve Zion will perish. The chapter centers on the theme that those who bless Him will be blessed and those who curse Him will be cursed (

Gen 12:3, 27:20). But this is really a continuation of 59:21 which is God’s covenant with his church and the blessings. The long continuance of the church, even unto the utmost ages of time is promised. Christopher Columbus quoted all of Isaiah 60 in connection with his voyage to the America (1492) He quoted it to the King and Queen of Spain. His aim was to bring the resources of countries across the seas to aid in Jerusalem’s restoration. His journey was simply the fulfilment of what Isaiah had prophesied. This is a continuation of the first “anointed” song (59:14-60:22)

60:3-5

— Salvation during the Millennium

( 60:4 ) They come from the remotest parts

( 60:5 ) Joy and wealth

— An abundance of material possessions

— The merchants shall write holiness to the Lord upon their merchandise and their hire

— The mighty men of the nations shall employ their might in the service of the church

60:9-11

( 60:9 ) They come to honor His name

( 60:10 ) The final rebuilding of the walls will be assisted by Gentiles when Christ returns to earth

60:16-20

( 60:16 ) Gentiles will provide wealth and power to Zion (milk) ( 60:17 ) The inferior will be replaced by the superior

— Bronze with God

— Iron with Silver

— Wood with Bronze

— Stones with Iron

Maybe this is what Columbus had in mind in terms of Jerusalem’s restoration

— Columbus looked for gold, silver, pearl’s but found very little

( 60:19 ) New Jerusalem as described in the NT ( Rev 21:23; 22:5 )

( 60:20 ) the Lord will be your everlasting light,

Matthew Henry

— In heaven there shall be no occasion for sun or moon, for it is the inheritance of the saints in light, such light as will swallow up the light of the sun as easily as the sun does that of a candle

RC Sproul

— The problem with the sun and moon as sources of light is their changeableness. The sun goes down at night, while the moon waxes and wanes. In contrast, the Lord’s presence with His people in the eternal state is unchanging and unending

— no variableness, nor shadow of turning,” James 1:17

Chapter 61 ( 61:1-2; 8-10 )

In the previous chapter Isaiah described the future blessing of Zion. Here, Isaiah goes on to introduce the One who is to bring that blessing (Young)

61:1-2

— The speaker is the messianic Servant. See 11:2; 42:1; 48:16; 59:21

— This is the second of 4 anointed songs ( 61:1-9 )

This is quoted at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry

— He quotes this when he launches His ministry ( Lk 4:16-22 )

Preach to the poor

— The downtrodden, the disadvantages

— Those held back by people and circumstances

— The penitent, the humble

Heal the broken hearted

— Heal/bind up - personal attention, soothing, healing, restoring to wholeness

— Broken hearted conveys everything from emotional issues - to sin

Proclaim liberty to the captives

— Captives are people in bondage

( 61:2 ) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord

— He quotes the first half of this verse (to proclaim…the Lord)

— He left out - (60:2b) And the day of vengeance of our God

— This is the first clue that there would be a second coming

First Coming

The Lord understood His mission

— This was a search and rescue mission. To save, not condemn ( John 3:17 )

— His second coming will be for vengeance

— The Demons understood it as well ( Matt 8:29 )

61:8-10

Salvation and Righteousness are connected

— Here is the OT picture of imputed righteousness, the essential heart of the new covenant

— He has clothed me the garments of salvation ( 61:10 )

— When a penitent sinner recognizes he can’t achieve his own righteousness by works and repents and calls on the mercy of God, the Lord covers him with His own divine righteousness by grace through faith ( Rom 3:19-22; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:8, 9 )

( 61:11 )

— Those that are clothed will show the righteousness and praise and they will come from all nations

— The goal of God’s acts of salvation is to have a holy people for the praise of His glory ( Eph. 1:4–6 )

Chapter 62 ( 62:8-12 )

Chapter 62 is about the assurance that Zion will be saved, restored. Today it is forsaken, but in the future, salvation is coming to Israel. We’re in the middle of the third anointed song which began at 61:10 and runs to the end of this chapter. The theme is salvation

62:8-12

Q: What did God promise His people? Who would not receive it (vv8-9)?

Matthew Henry

— God’s people had been in great distress and had sustained losses

— Their corn had been meat for their enemies, which they needed for their own families

— But now outward prosperity, crowning its piety, shall help to make Jerusalem a praise in the earth

( 62:8 ) No more foreign domination

— The enemies will no longer take their grain

— It is certain as God’s oath

— No more foreign domination. The enemies will no longer take their grain.

— It is certain as God’s oath

( 62:9 ) Instead, those who gathered the grain will eat it

— The Holy Courts - refers to the millennial temple

— There is no temple in Jerusalem today

Prepare the Way

( 62:10 ) Prepare the way for the people

— John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord ( Matt 3:3 )

— And, before Christ by his graces and comforts comes to any for salvation, preparation is made for him by repentance, which is called the preparation of the gospel of peace, Eph.

Salvation Coming

( 62:11 ) Behold, His reward is with Him

— His saved people are both what He earned and what He has accomplished

— both His portion and His spoil ( 53:12 )

Holy People

( 62:12 ) And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord

— The work that will be done in them and upon them will make them a Holy People

— Cured of Idolatry, consecrated to God only

— We are also be called Holy in the NT

— ”but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” ( 1 Peter 1:15-16 )

Chapter 63 ( 63:1-6; 8-14 ; 19 )

The theme is the day of vengeance and the year of salvation. A very solemn chapter. The wine press of the Lord ( 1-6 ). Then the Saviour remembers mercy ( 7-19 ). Verses 15-19 are a prayer that continue to the end of 64. The passage depicts God coming as the divine warrior (59:15–19), having accomplished the salvation of His people.

63:1-6

Q: Who is speaking in verse 1?

But who is this?

( 63:1e ) “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

— The Saviour, that’s who!

— Jesus, signifies a Saviour, for he saves his people from their sins

Beauty/Majesty

In His first coming there was no majesty

— No beauty

— Here, He is recognized for His majesty and beauty

— This is His second coming

Judgment

Coming in Judgment. Judgment always precedes the kingdom

— Judgment before the kingdom

( 63:3 ) He says the red is from the winepress

— He has trodden Israel’s enemies in anger

— It’s not grape juice, rather blood on His clothes

His Zeal

Matthew Henry

— He undertakes the war purely out of his own zeal

— It is in his anger, it is in his fury, that he treads down his enemies (v. 3)

J V McGee

Early church Fathers thought this was Christ’s suffering; first coming. He was trodden at his first coming; here he does the trodding

( 63:4 ) Vengeance is in my heart

— In His heart - He’s fixed on it

— He cannot forget, He cannot let it slip

— 63:4-5 ) His Salvation will be single-handed; my own arm

63:8-14 ( 63:9 ) saved them…redeemed them

— In His love and in His pity He redeemed them

— in all their affliction He was afflicted

( 63:10 ) He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them

— Those who refuse His way become His enemies ( 1:24 )

( 63:11 ) The days of old (63:12,13)

— Bringing them out of Egypt through the Red Sea

— Moses was the shepherd

( 63:14 ) make Yourself a glorious name

— His purpose for Israel was to make them great and to glorify / magnify His name

— And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest

— The most references to the Holy Spirit in the OT

Israel’s Complaint

63:19 From the outside, they looked like other nations that had no special relationship with God

— This is a cry; it is for divine intervention that Isaiah prays

— May there be a true theophany like the one that appeared at Mt. Sinai for the purpose of destroying the enemies and again blessing the chosen people? ( Young )

Chapter 64 ( 64:1-7 ; 9 )

A continuation of the prayer from Chapter 63. This is a pleading, crying prayer. A prayer that God would appear in some remarkable way against His enemies (1-2). A confession of their sins and that they deserve judgment (6-7). They pray for pardon and forgiveness (9-12). Verses 64:1-6 describe God’s incomparable Glory that is like a consuming fire. If we are so impure how can we be possibly saved?

64:1-7

With eloquence Isaiah pleads with God not just to look down from heaven ( 63:15 ) but to come down, making His presence unmistakably clear, especially in the fires of judgment on His enemies (4:4, 5 and notes; Ex. 19:18; Heb. 12:18)

— Here, they pray that he would rend the heavens and come down, as when he delivered David he is said to “bow the heavens, and come down“ ( Ps. 18:9 ), to display his power, and justice, and goodness, in an extraordinary manner, so that all may take notice of them and acknowledge them

— This is exactly what we expect when the Lord comes again at his second coming

— “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” ( 1 Thess 4:16 )

Water Boils

— Just like fire makes water boil, God’s presence makes nation’s tremble

— Today, we have godless nations

— No fear of the Lord

( 64:5 ) And we need to be saved

— Direct exposure to His holiness, judgment we realize we need to be saved

( 64:6 ) All our righteousness is like dirty menstrual rags

— Isaiah includes himself

— True of Israel and of individuals

— John Bunyan, who saw this truth clearly, once said that the best prayer he ever prayed had enough sin in it to damn the whole world

Matthew Henry

— As we have the Lamentations of Jeremiah, so here we have the Lamentations of Isaiah; the subject of both is the same—the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans and the sin of Israel that brought that destruction—only with this difference, Isaiah sees it at a distance and laments it by the Spirit of prophecy, Jeremiah saw it accomplished

— The people of God in their affliction confess and bewail their sins, thereby justifying God in their afflictions, owning themselves unworthy of his mercy, and thereby both improving their troubles and preparing for deliverance

Q: What do the people ask God to do in verse 9 (64:9 )?

64:9

— Nor remember iniquity forever (cf. 43:25, 54:7, 8 )

— “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. ( 43:25 )

— “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.” ( 54:7-8 )

— They entreat God that his anger is abated

— He will not remember their sins

Chapter 65 ( 65:1-7; 11-12; 17-23 )

The new heavens and the new earth. The prophecy ends where the NT ends in Revelation. We see here the rejection by the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and the saving of a remnant from Israel (8-10). And blessings reserved for the church (17-25).

65:1-7

( 65:1-2 ) Israel sought the Lord but superficially

— They did not genuinely seek Him

Q: Where is 65:1-2 quoted in the NT? What is the meaning?

Rom 10:20

Paul illuminates this verse (Rom 9:24, 10:20-21)

— Applies this to Gentiles who find Him through sovereign Grace

( 65:3-4 ) The People provoke me anger, upon my face, always (Young)

— They were idolatrous

— The communed with the dead

— They broke dietary laws

( 65:5 ) Holy, self-righteous

— such pretensions are smoke in My nostrils

( 65:7 ) payback in full - He will punish sin

— I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds (NIV)

— Payback in full

— Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, the one aggravating the other, constitute the former work, which, though it may seem to be overlooked and forgotten, shall be measured into their bosom

65:11-12

— There are some who Isaiah will call brethren but they are apostates

— They turn their back on the Lord

Idol Worship

( 65:12 ) sword…slaughter

— They have no one to blame but themselves for the sword of damnation that fell on them

65:17-23

— A new heaven and a new earth

— No weeping or crying will be heard

— It was the belief of the Jews that Messiah would renew the earth and the heavens based on the prophecy of Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22

— Peter called it “the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times” ( Acts 3:21 )

( 65:20 ) J. Vernon McGee says, we will not need nursing homes in the Millennial kingdom. If you die at 100, you’ll die as a youth. If you die that young, it is assumed God took your life because of sin

( 65:22 ) They will enjoy the work of their hands

( 65:23b ) Nor bring forth children for trouble

— These children will be a comfort to their parents

Chapter 66 ( 66:1-4; 5; 22-24 ) In the previous chapter 65:1-12 we saw that there were both Jews and Gentiles that will inherit the future glory and then there were those who might have but will not. Here we are explicitly told about “making your calling and election sure” ( 2 Peter 1:10 ). The major theme is found in 2-3, 5b, trembling at the Word of the Lord.

McGee

The world is full of churches but for God, where God never shows up

MacArthur

The most glorious building ever erected by man to honor God was actually designed by God Himself

Gold

Completely covered with gold so that no stone was visible. 200,000 men and 7 1/2 years to build this temple

Not His dwelling place

Even that was not His dwelling place

— When it was completed

—”so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” ( 1 Ki 8:11 )

— That wasn’t the whole Lord, only His Shekinah presence

— That was not all of God, only a symbol of His presence

— “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” ( 1 Kings 8:27 )

A warning

At the same time just as the temple was completed, there was a warning given

— He will meet us if we walk in His Word. If we don’t, He will leave us and abandon His House

— ”57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.” ( 1 Ki 8:57-58 )

66:2-3

Because they rejected the Word and failed to be obedient to Him

— The Lord is saying - I’m not impressed with a building even if it has My Name on it, even if I designed it

— Where would there be a place where I could rest?

— Don’t you know (66:2) My hand has made, And all those things exist

— Including the material out of which you might make a building

— thus all things came into being declares the Lord

— God has everything so give Him back what He wants

— God finds His home in a contrite heart

— A trembling heart

— A heart humbled before Him

— A heart broken over sin before Him

( 66:3 ) Good loathes even the sacrifices of the wicked

— Some Jews were offering Bulls as sacrifices with the same empty heartedness as pagans offering a man on the altar

— The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord ( Prov 15:8 )

We know how this ends: The glory of the Lord leaves the temple and He never comes back

66:5

— Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word

— It becomes a title for a true believer

66:22-24 — Where the NT ends ( Rev 21:22 )

— ( 66:22 ) Never ending existence

— ( 66:23 ) All flesh will worship the Lord during the 1,000 year kingdom

— Then, the battle of Gog and Magog and the Great White Throne judgment

( 66:24 ) A vision of Hell, all those who opposed God

— Jesus referred to the valley of Gehenna, never ending pain of the lost (Mark 9:47,48)

— worm … fire. Jerusalem’s garbage dump becomes symbolic of perpetual punishment and anguish (30:33 note; Mark 9:47, 48)

— As Jesus taught, there will be a final separation of the righteous and the wicked, the one going to everlasting joy and the other going to everlasting torment (Matt. 13:24–30, 47–50)

Matthew Henry

— As it will aggravate the miseries of the damned to see others in the kingdom of heaven and themselves thrust out (Lu. 13:28), so it will illustrate the joys and glories of the blessed to see what becomes of those that died in their transgression, and it will elevate their praises to think that they were themselves as brands plucked out of that burning

Closing

— When Isaiah is read in the synagogue worship, the next to last verse is repeated after the last verse so as not to end on such a grim note