Isa 13-18 HG Sermon Discussion

Literary Context:

Isaiah 13-18 begins God’s judgment of the nations and is part of a larger section of Isaiah 13-27 which reveals God as the sovereign ruler and just judge over the whole world and the savior of his people. In this section of Isaiah there are two series of oracles. Of which Isaiah 13-18 is the first.

Read Isaiah 13-18 – cycles of judgement of the nation.

Looking at themes in the sermon. Testify to God as ruling over all the nations with righteousness in his justice and pouring forth his wrath

Main Point of Sermon:

These chapters teach us that God’s justice is right, His compassion is great, and His rule is steady. Therefore, we must honor God’s justice, grieve with compassion and rest in His rule.

Three points: Who God is (attribute) and how we should respond.

1. God’s justice is right, and we should honor it

a. Isiah writes this 730 ish BC, cultural center, modern day Iraq. Assyria was the ascendent power in the region. See Isa 39:6 Babylon will carry away everything 100 yrs + in advance

b. Babylon as the humanistic attitude of man. See Isa 14: 12-14. Sinful man’s arrogance

c. Day of the Lord 13:9-13 cruel means without mercy

d. God’s justice is sometimes his removal of restraint of man’s evil allowing man to reap what he sows Romans 1:21-33

e. 13-18 describes evil waring nations when God pulls back his restraint Wherever we look in the world are those who are wicked and reject God

f. All are answerable to God (Rom 3:29) and there will be a day of reckoning a day of judgement

2. God’s compassion is great, and we should grieve with compassion (the cost of sin)

Ch 15 judgement on Moab by invasion causing people to flee

Isa 15:5 “My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction;”

Isa 16:9 “Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased.”

Isa 16:11 “Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab, and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.”

Weeping not for his judgement but for their sin and its consequences Isa 16:6 “We have heard of the pride of Moab— how proud he is!— of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence; in his idle boasting he is not right.”

3. God’s rule is steady and we should rest in it

Isaiah 18:1–7 (ESV)

1 Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, 2 which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide. 3

Cush (Nubia or Ethiopia but not modern day Ethiopia). Northeast Africa = southern Egypt today. Mankind tries to save itself sending ambassadors to seek help from other nations. Political and human power

All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear! 4 For thus the Lord said to me: “I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. 6 They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.

Pay attention to the work of God in the world. He sits silently from heaven watching and until he has determined it is time to act in his wisdom and knowledge. He ultimately frustrates human attempts. Clear heat and dew pictures of him seeing everywhere and everything from his throne, ruling quietly, not caught off guard by anything, and he will act when he alone decrees it.

7 At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion,

When God consummates history, the victory of his kingdom (either, at the future millennial kingdom or God establishes the new heavens and new earth tribute will be brought to the Lord. Gentiles will worship God and give of their wealth to honor him

Application Questions:

1. As you’ve read and studied through Isaiah 13 through 18 what were some of your responses to God’s judgment of the nations?

a. Read Romans 1:21-31.

b. What insights does this passage give that help to explain what is happening in Isaiah as God uses the evil fury of sinful nations to carry out His judgment?

2. Do you ever struggle with God’s justice against evildoers?

a. How do passages like Psalm 137:8; Proverbs 21:15; and Revelation 16:4-7 teach us to respond to God pouring out His wrath?

3. Isaiah 15:5 and 16:9-12 show divine laments over what?

a. How moved to compassion are you by the power of sin and its devastating consequences?

b. Is this an area that should cause you to pray for compassion that follows the example of the Lord?

4. In Isaiah 18 we see man frantically trying to accomplish his own rescue, without help from God.

a. How is God pictured in Isaiah 18?

b. When was the last time that you found yourself frantically trying to solve your own crisis, without prayer or seeking wisdom from God or counsel from His Word or His people?

c. Spend time this week thanking the Lord that His rule is steady and sovereign and praying that He would help you to grow in your trust in His rule.

NOTES

Outline of Passage:

1. 13:1-14:23 An oracle concerning Babylon

a. 13:1-16 Day of the Lord

b. 13:17-22 Describes God’s judgement against Babylon Medes destroyed it in 539BC

c. 14:1-2 Lord’s compassion towards Israel reversing the situation. Gentiles join Israel

d. 14:3-23 Taunt for King of Babylon on the judgement of Babylon

2. 14:24 – 27 An oracle concerning God’s judgement against Assyria

3. 14:28—32 An oracle concerning Philistia (715BC)

4. 15: 1- 16:14 An oracle concerning Moab

5. 17:1-18:7 Syria-Israel Alliance and judgement against Damascus

a. Damascus destroyed by Assyria in 732BC

Event; Chapter; Date

Uzziah’s death; Isaiah’s call; ch. 6; 740 b.c.

Days of Ahaz; ch. 7; 735

Assyrian invasion; chs. 36–38; 701

Sennacherib’s death; 37:38; 681

Babylonians will destroy Jerusalem; 39:6–8; 586

Israel will return from Babylonian exile; chs. 40–48; 538

Kings of Judah, Years of Reign

Uzziah (Azariah) 767–740 b.c.

Jotham 750–735

Ahaz 735–715

Hezekiah 715–686

MAP

Application Questions:

1. As you’ve read and studied through Isaiah 13 through 18 what were some of your responses to God’s judgment of the nations?

a. Read Romans 1:21-31.

b. What insights does this passage give that help to explain what is happening in Isaiah as God uses the evil fury of sinful nations to carry out His judgment?

2. Do you ever struggle with God’s justice against evildoers?

a. How do passages like Psalm 137:8; Proverbs 21:15; and Revelation 16:4-7 teach us to respond to God pouring out His wrath?

3. Isaiah 15:5 and 16:9-12 show divine laments over what?

a. How moved to compassion are you by the power of sin and its devastating consequences?

b. Is this an area that should cause you to pray for compassion that follows the example of the Lord?

4. In Isaiah 18 we see man frantically trying to accomplish his own rescue, without help from God.

a. How is God pictured in Isaiah 18?

b. When was the last time that you found yourself frantically trying to solve your own crisis, without prayer or seeking wisdom from God or counsel from His Word or His people?

c. Spend time this week thanking the Lord that His rule is steady and sovereign and praying that He would help you to grow in your trust in His rule.

Scripture for Questions

Romans 1:18–20 (ESV)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:21–31 (ESV) God’s wrath on sinful man is to give him over to his evil desires/actions

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Fortheir women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Psalm 137:8 (ESV)

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!

Proverbs 21:15 (ESV) Christians should respond in Joy when God’s true and perfect justice is carried out

15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

Revelation 16:4–7 (ESV) A just and holy God gives sinners what they deserve

4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”

Isaiah 15:5 (ESV)

5 My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction;

Isaiah 16:9–12 (ESV)

9 Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I drench you with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh; for over your summer fruit and your harvest the shout has ceased. 10 And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field, and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no cheers are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses; I have put an end to the shouting. 11 Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab, and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth. 12 And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.

Isaiah 18:1–7 (ESV)

1 Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, 2 which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide. 3

Cush (Nubia or Ethiopia but not modern day Ethiopia). Northeast Africa = southern Egypt today. Mankind tries to save itself sending ambassadors to seek help from other nations. Political and human power

All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! When a trumpet is blown, hear! 4 For thus the Lord said to me: “I will quietly look from my dwelling like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” 5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks, and the spreading branches he lops off and clears away. 6 They shall all of them be left to the birds of prey of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth. And the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.

Pay attention to the work of God in the world. He sits silently from heaven watching and until he has determined it is time to act in his wisdom and knowledge. He ultimately frustrates human attempts. Clear heat and dew pictures of him seeing everywhere and everything from his throne, ruling quietly, not caught off guard by anything, and he will act when he alone decrees it.

7 At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, from a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide, to Mount Zion,

When God consummates history, the victory of his kingdom (either, at the future millennial kingdom or God establishes the new heavens and new earth tribute will be brought to the Lord. Gentiles will worship God and give of their wealth to honor him