Isaiah 3:13-4:6

So far in this vision we have seen what the millennial messianic kingdom will look like in chapter 2 verses 1-4, then beginning in verse 5 of chapter 2 we saw how that was drastically contrasted with the spiritual state of Judah at the time that Isaiah delivered this prophecy. If you remember the section of the prophecy that we are now in began with a call for Israel to return to the LORD before Isaiah began laying out the specific sin that Judah was guilty before God of and how God was going to bring judgement upon the people and the land of Judah because of their sin.

As we jump into verse 13 of chapter 3 tonight we will begin by looking at the way the rich in Judah constantly mistreated the poor of the land, then we will have an interesting view of how the women in particular were mistreating the poor and how luxuriantly they were living and how God was going to take away their luxuries as well as destroy the majority of the men in Judah and the problems that will arise from that.

And by the time we finish our time tonight Isaiah will return to a picture of the coming messianic kingdom.

So in this vision Isaiah describes the conditions of the coming messianic kingdom contrasted with the sin of Judah and how God will bring judgement upon them to chasten them so that they will repent and desire the kingdom of Messiah (jesus Christ) instead of their own fallen way of living in the kingdom of Judah.

Verses 13-15

plead His case - contend

stands to judge - God is the judge

So here we see God is both the prosecuting attorney and the judge. This is not a good place for Judah to be in the heavenly courtroom that is to come. The clear picture here is that Judah will be found guilty for their sin against God who is all knowing and totally righteous.

What is the thing they are guilty of here?

The leaders of Judah have robbed the poor of the land to make themselves and their wives rich!

Verses 16-23

haughty - proud - they thought they were better than everyone else, they were conceited

It was this issue of the heart that was shown in what we read from verses 16-23. All of the stuff we read is just a display of their haughtiness. Realize that they were not just haughty towards others, they were acting haughty (proud, conceited) towards God as well.

outstretched necks - heads held high

wanton - seductive - These women were looking for sexual attention from others all the time. They were sexually immoral or we might say today they were loose, wild or easy. Not the thing you want your daughters to become, nor the thing a Godly man would desire of his wife to be. Certainly not what a Godly woman should be.

mincing - prancing along constantly looking for attention from everyone. Today we see this fulfilled by social media accounts as women post duck lips and wanton eyes and pose in seductive ways. The same things always happen just in slightly different ways as the technology changes.

jingling with their feet - as their ankle bracelets with charms ring like bells. Again a way for these rich women living in luxury to try and get and keep the attention of those around them. These ladies were masters of accessorizing.

strike with scab - Instead of the luxurious head of hair and all the ways that the women would adorn their hair, God would instead give them heads with no hair that were full of scabs.

uncover their secret parts - there are 2 ways that Bible translations render this phrase:

1 - make their foreheads bare

2 - lay bare their secret parts or expose their private parts.

In verses 18-23 we will see 21 accessories that the LORD is going to take away from the rich women living in luxury in the faces of the poor that they too have robbed.

finery - the beauty of their luxury items that they used to look beautiful.

mantels - capes/ shawls

fine linen - under garments

From the list of things the LORD is going to take away it seems their was no lack of nice places (malls) for women to shop in those days!

This has been an ongoing issue throughout history. John Calvin who loved from 1509-1564 said...

Isaiah 2. The Sinful Women of Judah, and the Judgment of the Lord against Them (16–23)

“It is worthy of notice that the Prophet had good reason for reproving, with so great earnestness and vehemence, the luxury of women; for while they are chargeable with many vices, they are most of all inflamed with mad eagerness to have fine clothes. Covetous as they naturally are, still they spare no expense for dressing in a showy manner, and even use spare diet, and deprive themselves of what nature requires, that their clothes may be more costly and elegant. So grievously are they corrupted by this vice, that it goes beyond every other.” (Calvin)

Peter warned godly women about this when he wrote...

1 Peter 3:3–4 NKJV

3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Verses 24-26

Instead of Instead of Instead of...

Chapter 4

Verse 1

The people will be brought so low by the coming judgement that most of the men will be killed and the women who are left will be so desperate to find a husband to remove their reproach/disgrace.

It will be drastically different from the way the rich mistreated the poor as they will all be poor and beat down because of their pride!

No wonder we read in Proverbs...

Proverbs 16:18–19 NKJV

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Verse 2

Now Isaiah returns to the good news of the coming Messianic kingdom!

The Branch of the LORD - This is a Messianic title that speaks of Jesus Christ!

The picture of Jesus as the branch is used many places in the books of prophets to speak of the coming kingdom of Christ.

Isaiah 11:1 NKJV

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Jeremiah 23:5 NKJV

5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Jeremiah 33:15 NKJV

15 ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Zechariah 3:8 NKJV

8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.

Jesus is referred to here as the Branch because branches bring fruit from the tree. When the Branch rules and reigns in the millennial Messianic kingdom it will be a time of great fruitfulness unlike the times of devastation that are about to come upon Judah as Isaiah prophesied.

That’s a good word and reminder for us in here tonight as well. As I was in Hart’s Hardware today buying a couple last minute things to finish the job of changing the carpet out the manager was telling me how they had to change vendors because things are so hard to come by right now. There is coming a time when we will not have shortages of anything we need, but instead it will be a time where we are satisfied and fulfilled as Jesus reigns as King in a fruitful land!

for those of Israel who have escaped - this coming kingdom will be experienced by those who trusted God by faith even when their land was being judged for their sin by God. In fact the hope and the glory of the Messianic kingdom would be even more desired by them as they went through the horrible judgement as the Babylonians will come and destroy all that they had.

Verse 3

Now again, this is something that will take place during the 1,000 year reign of Christ not something they would experience in their lifetime.

When Christ rules the time will be marked as a time of holiness unlike Judah in those days or America in our day.

When Christ rules in His perfect righteousness and holiness we will have His holiness upon us as we see what holiness actually looks like lived out among others.

I really liked this note from Guzik...

Isaiah 1. Holiness Marks the Society Where the Branch of the Lord Reigns (3)

Shall be called holy: in the days of the sinful daughters of Zion, they were called beautiful, they were called delicate, they were called attractive, they were called fashionable, and they were called sexy. But they were not called holy.

everyone who is recorded among the living - the broader idea here seems to be those who’s names have been written in the book of life as the CSB renders the verse...

Isaiah 4:3 (CSB)

3 Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem written in the book of life—

Verses 4-6

When Jesus the Branch of the LORD reigns in the Messianic kingdom age it will be filled with people who are washed and clean! That cleansing will come by way of the Holy Spirit referred to hear as the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning, but that is what is necessary to prepare a people to come to the Lord and live in His kingdom.

But also notice that when the Branch reigns the LORD will bring His presence there in a tangible way that people will recognize from the way He showed Himself during the wilderness wanderings. Remember from our study in Exodus that the fire and cloud were ways for the Shekinah glory of God to be on display before His people whom He called out from the world to follow Him.

As you study the OT you will see that God’s shekinah glory is displayed as fire, cloud or light. This no doubt was so that God’s people would recognize when their Messiah Jesus arrived...

John 1:1–4 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 8:12 NKJV

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Lastly we see in this description of the conditions in the Messianic kingdom that He will provide a way for everyone to stay cool in the heat and warm and dry in the stormy weather.

In short God will care for His people in a similar way to the way He took care of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.