The Book Of Isaiah. Day 52, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part One

Earlier in the book of Isaiah we found the Lord pronouncing a prophecy against Assyria. Assyria was the nation that would conquer the northern kingdom of Israel but the Lord said that, in time, Assyria too would fall. This came to pass when the Assyrian Empire fell to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which in turn conquered the southern kingdom of Judah. But Babylon will also fall, in time, to the Medo-Persian Empire. Chapter 13 deals with the coming judgment of Babylon, which is still somewhat far in the future during the lifetime of Isaiah. The kingdom of Judah did not fall to Babylon until approximately one hundred years or so after the days of Isaiah's ministry.

"A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded those I have prepared for battle; I have summoned My warriors to carry out My wrath---those who rejoice in My triumph." (Isaiah 13:1-3) These are the words of the Lord, spoken by Isaiah, so the use of the personal pronoun "My" is a reference to the Lord and I have capitalized it as such.

I do not think that the Lord issued this prophecy as a warning to Babylon but that He intended it as a comforting promise to the people of Judah. The citizens of Babylon would have been unlikely to listen to a message preached against them, though some might have repented. But primarily the Lord wanted His people to know that although He intended to use Babylon to discipline them for their sins, He would then turn His attention to judging that wicked enemy nation. 

The Lord's discipline upon His children lasts only as long as it needs to last. The severity of it never goes beyond what is necessary. The Lord had a plan in place to release the citizens of Judah from captivity in Babylon and He announced it ahead of time---long before Babylon appeared capable of conquering any great nation, long before Judah fell to Babylon, long before anyone was carried off captive to Babylon---so the people would have His words to comfort them during their years of hardship.

The Lord continues: "Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war. They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens---the Lord and the weapons of His wrath---to destroy the whole country." (Isaiah 13:4-5) At this time, so far in advance of the war happening, the people cannot with their ears hear this enormous and powerful army mustering for battle but the Lord speaks of this event as if it is happening at that very moment. Indeed, anything the Lord says is going to happen is as good as done; therefore, I think the Lord literally hears the army He's going to call together. I think He views this event as if it is already in progress.

The Lord makes it clear that the judgment of Babylon is His doing. Kings and presidents and dictators may think they are the ones in charge, but it has always been the Lord who determines their fate. Average citizens may think they are ordering their lives under their own volition, but it has always been the Lord who is in control of all things. He will put it into the heart of the conqueror to come against the Neo-Babylonian Empire and He will give the conqueror the military might to accomplish the fall of that empire. That is why He refers to the weapons used in the war as "the weapons of His wrath" because everything is His and everything is under His control.

It is a facet of human nature to want to be in control of our own lives and of events taking place around us. It provides us with a sense of comfort (false comfort) when we feel like we have things under control. But the truth is that only the Lord is in control of anything. Instead of feeling alarmed by the knowledge that the things of this world are not truly under our control, we can be comforted by accepting that they are under the control of the One who is perfect, holy, and righteous. We can be comforted by the assurance that they are under the control of the One who created us and who loves us so much that He was willing to do anything it took to offer salvation to us. In His hands we are safe. We may not always understand why He allows certain things to happen but we can be certain that there is a purpose for everything He allows to happen and that someday we will see that His plan was perfect.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 51, Songs Of Praise

Chapter 12 is so short that we can study it in its entirety today. It talks about the songs of praise that will be sung when the Messiah reigns.

It begins by saying, "In that day," which refers to the events of the preceding chapter in which Isaiah foretold the coming King. "In that day you will say: 'I will praise You, Lord. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away and You have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:1-3)

In Isaiah's day the Lord was angry with the northern kingdom of Israel for their idolatry and waywardness. He was angry with the southern kingdom of Judah as well, for the same reasons, although they would experience a revival for a time after a godly king came to the throne. But He chastened both nations in His anger by allowing them to be conquered by their enemies. 

He kept His promise that a return to the land would be allowed. In ancient times many returned and rebuilt. He kept His promise that Israel would someday be a sovereign nation in the world again, which it is today. And He also promised that a day was coming in which the descendants of Jacob would return to the land in numbers never before seen. The fulfillment of that promise is still in the future; it will come true when the Messiah rules over the earth from David's throne. Never again will the Lord be angry with the people. Never again will they be attacked by an enemy. Never again will they be unfaithful to Him.

"In that day you will say: 'Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.'" (Isaiah 12:4-6) They will proclaim to the entire world ("the nations", meaning the Gentiles) that the Lord has kept all His promises. They will acknowledge that it was in righteousness that He chastised them but that He has made a way for them to be forgiven for their sins. 

The Lord always intended to extend the offer of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. All the way back in the book of Genesis, when He promised a son to Abraham, He vowed that someday all nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham's offspring, meaning Christ. (Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16) When the Jewish people proclaim the great works of the Lord to the whole world during the eternal reign of the Messiah, the Gentiles who have placed their trust in Him and are a part of this kingdom will rejoice with them, for He has done great things for them also.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 50, The Branch From Jesse, Part Four

Isaiah has been foretelling the advent of the Messiah, the eternal King, who will be a descendant of King David the son of Jesse. We conclude Chapter 11 with a vision of a spirit of brotherhood throughout the earth.

"In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of His people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth." (Isaiah 11:10-12) Not only will the Jewish people rally to Him, but the Gentiles as well; hence the reference to "the nations". 

In ancient times there was a partial return of the Lord's people from the nations where they had been scattered by their enemies. Some chose to remain where they had been dispersed although they had the freedom to return, some chose to return as soon as permission was given, some delayed their return. In our own day, many of the descendants of Jacob are still scattered throughout the earth. But when the King of kings sits on David's throne, there will be a return to the land of Israel such as has never happened before. 

In those days no one will call himself a citizen of the northern kingdom of Israel (referenced in this next segment as "Ephraim") and no one will call himself a citizen of the southern kingdom of Judah. The people will no longer be divided as they were in Isaiah's day. "Ephraim's jealousy will vanish, and Judah's enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim." (Isaiah 11:13) All the descendants of all of Jacob's sons will consider themselves one nation. They will be a united front.

All of their enemies---all who have persecuted the chosen people of God---will be judged by God. To symbolize this, the Lord names several ancient enemies of His people. "They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them." (Isaiah 11:14) These nations ceased to exist as sovereign people in ancient times. Descendants of those people still exist, though in some cases it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who they may be, but a day is coming when neither they nor anyone else will make war against Israel.

"The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals. There will be a highway for the remnant of His people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt." (Isaiah 11:15-16) No obstacle will stand in their way. 

The words of verses 15 and 16 are figurative as well as literal, for in the book of Revelation we will see the Lord actually drying up waterways and seas, but the main application of these words is symbolic. The dry rivers symbolize His intention to make a way for everyone to return to their native land. Just as He opened up the Red Sea so His people could cross over on dry ground on their way to the Promised Land, He will open up avenues for His people that no one can block. They will return to the Promised Land. They will abide there in peace, with no threat from any enemy on any side. They will live under the righteous and holy reign of their Messiah and King forever.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 49, The Branch From Jesse, Part Three

Isaiah has been talking about the One known as the "Branch" and the "Root" of Jesse, which are Messianic references to the eternal King who will be a descendant of David, son of Jesse.

When He reigns over the world, the entire creation will be restored to an Eden-like state. Just as in the days right after the Lord created the first humans, humans will not prey on animals. Animals will not prey on humans or on each other. 

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." (Isaiah 11:6) Animals will be so docile that they will calmly follow a small toddler around. Animals will return to eating a vegetarian diet, as they did before the fall of man, and the leopard and the lion and the wolf will lie down in green pastures with goats, sheep, and cattle.

Wild animals and domestic animals will be friends, not enemies. "The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox." (Isaiah 11:7)

It's not only the mammals that will become harmless to each other and to humans. Reptiles will become harmless as well. "The infant will play near the cobra's den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest." (Isaiah 11:8) 

These are the faithful and true words of the living God, who says of the eternal era in which peace will reign on earth: "They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9) The entire creation will co-exist in peace, not only in Jerusalem (referenced here by the Lord as "My holy mountain") but all over the world. Carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores will be friends with each other. Animals and humans will be friends with each other just as they were in the Garden of Eden when all the living creatures came to Adam to be named, and just as the animals came to Noah to board the ark. Humans will be friends with each other; no war will ever be made again. 

After man fell from grace, and after man continued to fall farther and farther from the Lord, the Lord sent a flood upon the earth. After the flood waters receded, something about the soil or the earth's atmosphere must have changed because the Lord gave man permission to eat certain creatures which He referred to as "clean". This was presumably done because man could no longer obtain enough iron or protein from crops grown on the earth or from fruits harvested from trees and shrubs. At least, this is the theory of a number of Bible scholars and people of the scientific and medical community. If man could have obtained everything he needed from a vegetarian diet after the flood, and if all the animals could obtain everything they needed from a vegetarian diet, we would have to wonder why the Lord suddenly told humans they could eat meat and why He instilled a predator instinct into certain animals to prey on other animals. At the same time the Lord gave man permission to eat meat, He placed a fear of man into the animal kingdom in order to give the animal kingdom a fighting chance against humans who were now predators. If He had not done this, no doubt we would have driven far more species to extinction than we have already. If He had not at the same time given prey animals a fear of predator animals, they would not have known to be on guard; many species would have been driven to extinction by other animals. 

But a day is coming when the current situation will be reversed. The creation itself will be redeemed by the righteous King. The Apostle Paul spoke of that glorious day in Romans 8:19-21: "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." 

We who have been saved by faith are looking forward to a day when we will inhabit our resurrected, immortal bodies and live under the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ as He rules over the world from David's throne. In this same way, the creatures of the earth look forward to their redemption as well. They did not need to be redeemed from sin, as we needed to be redeemed, but they need to be redeemed from the effects our sin had on them. Our sin polluted the earth, its atmosphere, and its creatures. Because man fell from grace and became subject to death, the creatures also became subject to death. But when the Lord Jesus Christ liberates the creation from bondage to decay, the creatures themselves will share in the glorious destiny the Lord has in store for those who have placed their trust in Him.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 48, The Branch From Jesse, Part Two

In our last study session we began looking at a segment of the book of Isaiah which discusses the One called the "Branch" and the "Root" of Jesse. This is a Messianic reference to the eternal King who will be of the line of David who was the son of Jesse.

Even though the nation of Judah will fall to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and even though all but the poorest of the citizens of Judah will be carried captive to a foreign land, the Lord's promise of an eternal King and kingdom from the royal line of David still stands. It will appear to human eyes as if it is impossible for the Lord to keep His promise but nothing is impossible for the Lord. Babylon will be conquered by another nation, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the captive people of Judah will be given permission to return and rebuild. In addition, the line of succession from David's descendants will not be cut off. It was customary for many conquering kings of ancient times to execute the kings of the nations they conquered. But this will not happen to the direct line of succession for the royal house of Judah. This is why, in the New Testament, we find the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth descending directly from King David.

We learned in our last study session that the coming King will delight in the laws of God the Father and will be the embodiment of all holy wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge. Because He is God the Son, and because He operates according to all the laws and righteousness of God the Father, He will be the only ruler who has ever ruled with perfect justice, as Isaiah assures us below.

"He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth." (Isaiah 11:3b-4a) Human judges can be deceived. Human judges can only rule according to the evidence that has been presented to them. Evidence is sometimes circumstantial and scanty. Witnesses sometimes lie under oath. A human judge---even one who dearly wants to do what's right---is limited by his inability to see into human hearts and human minds. The Lord has no such limits. He knows the truth of every situation. He doesn't judge by outward appearances or by what people say. In addition, He cannot be bribed to rule in someone's favor. In Isaiah's day some of the judges had been swayed by greed. They were accepting bribes from rich people to rule against poor people. The Lord can always be counted on to do what's right. He is not like man and does not suffer from man's temptations.

A day of judgment is coming for all the wicked who have repudiated the Lord and who have scoffed at His righteous laws. The Lord's own words will be a testimony against the wicked, for they have violated His holy word. "He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked." (Isaiah 11:4b) In the book of Revelation 19:15 we find the Lord Jesus Christ depicted with a sword coming out of His mouth. This doesn't mean that He literally has a sword coming out of His mouth but this imagery symbolizes the way He will judge the wicked of the earth by presenting them with the laws they have broken. 

We can compare this to our own court system today. If we break a law, we will stand before a judge in court and be presented with the wording of the law we have broken. We can then plead guilty or innocent but, if we are judged guilty, the judge will then advise us of the penalty that is attached to the law we have broken. In this same way, the Lord Jesus Christ will present the wicked with the wording of the holy laws they have broken, which is why in the Apostle John's vision he saw the Lord with a sword coming out of His mouth when He saw the Lord coming to earth to call the wicked to judgment.

We need not fear that the Lord will make a mistake and throw the righteous into "jail", so to speak, along with the wicked. The Lord knows who are His. (2 Timothy 2:19) We also don't need to fear that the Lord will judge wrongdoers more harshly than they deserve. He will match the penalty to the crime. "Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist." (Isaiah 11:5) 

However the Lord chooses to deal with the wicked will be done in perfect justice. Sins aren't equal and neither is the punishment for sins. It's alright---and good---to feel sad about the judgment that awaits the wicked. We ought to feel sad that there are people who have chosen to reject the Lord. But we can rest assured that the Lord will deal with each person in a way that is perfectly holy, righteous, and fitting. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 47, The Branch From Jesse, Part One

In Chapter 11 we will be studying the prophetic message of the coming Messiah. We find Him referred to as the "Branch" and the "Root" of Jesse, which is a reference to Jesse the father of King David, for the Messiah will be of the direct line of succession of King David. 

We have been studying the growing threat of the Assyrian Empire. After our study of the kings of Israel and Judah, we know that the northern kingdom of Israel will fall to Assyria. We know that Assyria will repeatedly plague the southern kingdom of Judah and cause much trouble and destruction there. 

But we also know that Assyria is not the nation that will conquer Judah; that will be the Neo-Babylonian Empire. When the day comes that Judah falls to this enemy, and when all but the poorest of the land are carried off captive by the Babylonian army, from the outward appearance it will seem as if all hope is lost of a revived kingdom and the restoration of a king upon the throne of David. The hope of placing a human king on the throne will appear fruitless, much less the hope of an eternal king reigning from David's throne.

But the Lord's promises regarding these things are not in vain! He uses the metaphor of a tree that's been cut down to its roots, in regard to the royal line of the house of David, and He compares the revival of Judah and the promise of the coming King to a shoot that sprouts up from the roots of a felled tree. "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him---the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord---and He will delight in the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:1-3a)

When the nation of Judah falls, the royal line of David will not be cut off. In Babylon heirs will be born of that line and that is why the genealogy of Jesus can be traced all the way back to King David and beyond. In the manner of human thinking, it will seem impossible for the Lord to keep the promises He's made regarding an eternal heir to sit on David's throne. But a new empire will be on the rise while the captives of Judah are held in Babylon---the Medo-Persian Empire---and Babylon will itself be conquered; the people it has taken captive will be given permission to return to their homelands. 

The Branch from the root of Jesse is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will rest upon Him and He will possess all wisdom and understanding. He will be the source of righteous counsel and of the power of God on earth. He will be the source of all knowledge of God the Father and He will delight in the fear (in the awesome reverence and obedience of) God the Father. 

Chapter 11 is a treasure trove of information about this coming King and it will take us several days to study the material. The information about the Lord of lords is information we don't want to rush through; we want to meditate upon it and absorb it.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 46, Lofty Trees Brought Low

In yesterday's text the Lord assured the people of Judah that their nation will not fall to the Assyrian Empire. However, as we've mentioned before, the Lord will discipline Judah with the Assyrian Empire. 

The northern kingdom of Israel will fall because the people there began lapsing into idolatry two centuries ago and the problem has only continued to grow worse. But Judah can learn from the fate of Israel. Idolatry has crept into Judah as well, and King Ahaz, to whom Isaiah was sent earlier in the book, is a prime example of ungodly living and ungodly leadership. Many have followed the wicked example of Ahaz and of some of the leaders before him. Many have followed the wicked desires of their own hearts. For these reasons, the Lord will allow Assyria to invade several cities of Judah and to cause destruction in a number of regions. But He will not allow the Assyrian army to take Jerusalem.

These next verses describe the progression of the Assyrian soldiers into Judah. "They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. They go over the pass, and say, 'We will camp overnight at Geba.' Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem." (Isaiah 10:28-32)

It can be difficult for us to stand strong in faith when it looks like things are going from bad to worse. The cities named above are named in order from the outskirts of Judah moving inward toward Jerusalem. As the dreadful army advanced, many people must have shaken in fear. Many may have felt shaken in their faith as well. But the Bible never tells us to go by appearances or by what we feel. We are commanded instead to live by the word of God, in spite of it looking as if the world is falling down around us, in spite of how anxious we feel.

The Assyrian army will make it to as far as Nob, which is just outside of Jerusalem. The soldiers will "shake their fist" at Jerusalem, threatening to take that city as well, but right there is where the Lord is going to stop them. You may recall from our study of the kings that the Lord miraculously struck 185,000 Assyrian soldiers dead in the middle of the night, putting a halt to the enemy king's intention to lay siege or to attack the walls, for he lacked the manpower now and was obliged to retreat.

Every time the people of Jerusalem got word that the Assyrian army was continuing to move their way, they must have experienced intense feelings of dread---except for those who believed the word of the Lord who said to them through the prophet Isaiah, "See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. He will cut down the forest thickets with an axe; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One." (Isaiah 10:33-34)

The Lord compares the fierce warriors of the Assyrian army to the tall cedars of Lebanon. But just as an axe laid to the trunk of a tree cuts it down, He will cut down the men of this army. He will do it in such a way that it cannot be explained by human reasoning. The enemies of His people will be forced to acknowledge that a supernatural power is at work on behalf of Judah.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 45, A Temporary Anger And A Permanent Victory Over Assyria

The Lord assures His people in Jerusalem that Assyria will not conquer their city or the nation of Judah.

"Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says: 'My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. Very soon My anger against you will end and My wrath will be directed to their destruction.'" (Isaiah 10:24-25) The Lord's anger against His people is justified. The fact that it is temporary is not a sign that anger is not the correct response to their waywardness; the fact that His anger is temporary is a sign of His love and of His faithfulness to the covenant He made with Abraham.

"The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when He struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; and He will raise His staff over the waters, as He did in Egypt." (Isaiah 10:26) The reference to "them" is a reference to the Assyrians.

The Lord's people, under the leadership of Gideon who was instructed by the Lord, won a great victory over the nation of Midian in the time of the judges. The Lord's people won a great victory over the nation of Egypt, under the leadership of Moses and by the miracles of the Lord, in the time of the Exodus. Their deliverance from Assyria will be just as complete and just as astonishing.

"In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat." (Isaiah 10:27) The use of the word "fat" is a symbol for prosperity, for blessing, and for strength. 

The Lord will break the yoke off from their necks. The Lord will lift the burden from their shoulders. This is His doing.

Have you ever felt heavily burdened? Do you feel heavily burdened right now? The burdens of this world and the burdens of our sin are heavy---too heavy for human shoulders to carry. Whenever we are feeling heavily burdened and discouraged it helps to remember that the Lord's burden is light. A heavy  burden is not from Him. Our sins burden us down and the weight of the world burdens us down; therefore, what we need to do is bow before Him and repent of anything we need to repent of and surrender our cares to Him. We were never designed to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Whenever we feel like we can't go on, it's because we are trying to do things we were never meant to do. We are either living in an attitude of rebellion and have gotten off track or else we are worrying about things that aren't in our power to control.

The world is a scary place, but He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) We must repent of any sin we are aware of and we must place all our cares at His feet. He will take the heavy burden from our shoulders and replace it with His yoke---and His yoke is comfortable, peaceful, and easy to carry. (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 44, The Returning Remnant

You will recall from earlier in our study of the book of Isaiah that the name of one of Isaiah's sons means "a remnant shall return". This was a prophecy that took place in a number of stages, including a stage which has not yet come to pass in our day, but in today's segment of Chapter 10 we find the Lord reassuring the people that He does not intend to make an end of them.

Assyria will cause the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and will deport a large number of the citizens. But some will return. In addition, although King Ahaz of Israel turned to Assyria for help against the combined forces of Israel and Aram, Assyria is not a nation he should trust; that nation will plague Judah in a number of ways and will attempt to cause the fall of Jerusalem. The Lord will not allow Jerusalem to fall to the Assyrian army. He will, in time, cause Jerusalem to fall to the Neo-Babylonian Empire, but even then a remnant will return and rebuild.

"In that day a remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God." (Isaiah 10:20-21) King Ahaz made a mistake when he made an alliance with King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria. Although this alliance temporarily gave Judah a reprieve from invasion (invasion by Israel and Aram), the real enemy was the nation Ahaz counted as a friend. After conquering Aram and Israel, Assyria set its sights on Judah, which is why the Lord refers to Assyria in verse 20 as "him who struck them down". 

If the people of Judah go by appearances alone, it will appear as though Assyria will conquer their nation as well. But, as we've already mentioned several times in our study of Isaiah, the son and successor of King Ahaz will make many religious reforms in Judah. A revival will ensue, especially in Jerusalem. Although the Lord will still use the Assyrians to discipline the nation of Judah for the people's waywardness and for the idols that dot the landscape, He will not allow Judah to be destroyed. Assyria will trouble Judah greatly but when the enemy army comes right up to the gates of Jerusalem, the Lord will fight for that city. He will destroy the enemy army.

In the days of Ahaz's son King Hezekiah, the people will look to the Lord for help against their foe. He will answer! They will "truly rely" on Him in those days. They also will "truly rely" on Him in the future, when remnants of the people of Israel who were carried off by Assyria return and when remnants of the people of Judah who were carried off by Babylon will return. In addition, there is still a day out there when the Messiah will come and reign over the entire world from Jerusalem and the greatest return will occur. 

At no time in the past or in the present has every descendant of Jacob placed their trust wholly in the Lord. This is why the Apostle Paul said, "Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." (Romans 9:6b) What Paul was saying was that, spiritually speaking, there has really only ever been a remnant who belonged to the Lord. He was saying that only those who trust in the Lord are the real Israel. From a spiritual standpoint, there has never been a time when all Israel was faithful to the Lord; in that sense they have always been a remnant. Therefore, only a remnant will return and rebuild and inhabit the land in Old Testament times, so the Lord says, "Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land." (Isaiah 10:22-23)

The Lord isn't going to give them any false hope. Destruction will come because of their sin and idolatry. Many will be carried off to foreign lands. Compared to how many fall by the sword and how many are taken away captive, only a small percentage will return. Later in the Old Testament we will learn that a number of false prophets were assuring the people that neither Israel nor Judah would ever fall to an enemy. I am sure some of them were falsely promising that, even if the Lord allowed citizens to be captured, He would cause all of them to be recovered with a mighty miracle. Pagan prophets were likely saying that some other god would rescue them from the hand of the enemy. The Lord is telling them the truth through His prophets and He couldn't have spoken more plainly. Even now, if true repentance had taken place and if the majority of the people had turned back to Him, I believe He would have relented. I believe He would have turned His hand against the enemy instead of against the citizens of Israel and Judah. 

He is angry, and rightfully so, but His anger won't last forever. He will assure the people of that when we study the next segment of Chapter 10.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 43, Judgment Against Assyria, Part Two

In Part One of our segment from Chapter 10, the Lord announced His intention to punish Assyria after He is finished using that nation to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel and after He is finished using that nation to discipline the southern kingdom of Judah. He continues with the same theme as we look at Part Two today.

Isaiah prophesies: "When the Lord has finished all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, 'I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: 'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.'" (Isaiah 10:12-14)

Several kings reigned over the Assyrian Empire during its zenith of power but the prevailing attitude of the kings was: "By my own power I have conquered nations. They were easy pickings for me. They behaved like scared chickens who didn't make a peep when I reached into their nests and took all they had. There is no limit to what I can achieve! I have conquered Damascus, the capital of Aram. I have conquered Samaria, the capital of Israel. I will conquer many others, such as Jerusalem the capital of Judah. I will rule over the world!"

The idolatrous leaders of Assyria lacked the spiritual discernment to understand that their nation was merely an instrument of discipline in the Lord's hand. The only reason they could conquer any pagan nations was because the Lord was punishing those nations for idolatry. The only reason they were able to conquer Israel was because of Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord. They could only do what it was within the Lord's will for them to do. He will allow them to make repeated incursions upon Judah and to come right up to the gates of Jerusalem but He will not let Jerusalem fall to them. During Isaiah's lifetime there was a temporary revival in Jerusalem and in Judah; the Lord is granting those people a reprieve. They will drift from the Lord again and the Lord will allow them to be conquered, but not by the Assyrian Empire.

The Assyrian king keeps boasting of himself, not realizing that he couldn't even take the next breath if the Lord didn't let him. No one should boast in himself or herself, for the Bible says, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." (2 Corinthians 10:17, Jeremiah 9:24) The king was given an opportunity to acknowledge and serve the Lord, which would have perhaps led to most of the people of Assyria turning to the Lord, but instead he gave himself all the glory. The Lord reminds him that he is but an implement in His hand: "Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!" (Isaiah 10:15)

The Lord concludes this passage with a prophecy that comes true later in our study of the Old Testament. "Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. The light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. And the remaining trees of his forest will be so few that a child could write them down." (Isaiah 10:16-19) 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 42, Judgment Against Assyria, Part One

The Lord has been speaking of His intention to allow the northern kingdom to fall. This is the judgment for their unrepentant sin. But He will also judge the nation to whom the northern kingdom falls.

"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of My anger, in whose hand is the club of My wrath!" (Isaiah 10:5) Assyria was simply the instrument of the Lord's discipline, but that empire went too far. Later in the book of Isaiah we will learn that it tries to come up against Jerusalem as well, but by then the people there have largely repented (for a time) and the Lord will give Judah a reprieve. 

Discipline only lasts for as long as it needs to last. It only goes as far as the Lord allows it to go. It is not the Lord's will for the nation of Judah to fall to the Assyrian Empire and He will prevent the Assyrian army from taking Jerusalem. In speaking of Assyria, the Lord talks about how He used it for a specific time for a specific purpose because of the sins of His people. But no enemy---not even the devil himself---can go beyond the boundaries the Lord puts in place.

Assyria is the one referred to as "him" in this next segment. "I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger Me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets." (Isaiah 10:6) The "godless nation" is the northern kingdom of Israel. The northern kingdom began falling into idolatrous practices as soon as those ten tribes split off from the two southern tribes. By Isaiah's day, the kingdoms have been split for approximately two hundred years, and the Lord has been sending prophets with words of warning to Israel for those two hundred years. The time for talking is almost finished; the time for action is at hand.

The Lord raised the Assyrian Empire to prominence in order to fulfill His word against the northern kingdom, but Judah has not fallen into such great idolatry as Israel---not yet. During the days of Isaiah, when King Hezekiah reigns over Judah for twenty-nine years, he will reinstate godly practices in the nation and will set an example for the people to follow. This will result in a revival. The Assyrian Empire thinks it because it conquered Israel it can conquer Judah as well, but it cannot because this is not the Lord's will.

The Lord speaks of Assyria's plan to attack Judah after subjugating Israel. "But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations." (Isaiah 10:7) In other words, the king of Assyria won't be content with conquering Israel. He will set his sights on Judah too.

This is how the leader of Assyria thinks: "'Are not my commanders all kings?' he says. 'Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria---shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?'" (Isaiah 10:8-11)

Several kings ruled over Assyria in its glory days but their attitudes were much the same: they would defeat other nations and reign over them, conquering the entire world as they knew it in their day. They believed that the gods of other nations weren't powerful like the gods of Assyria. They even made fun of the idols of other nations, saying they weren't as impressive in appearance as the idols of Assyria. It's true that the idols of the nations weren't powerful, since the gods represented by those idols didn't exist, but the Assyrians don't understand that that there is one true God and that He is the only reason they have achieved so much dominance over nations and tribes in their region of the world. It's true that the capital cities mentioned in verse 9 fell to Assyria, but it's also true that this happened only because it was the Lord's will for it to happen. But it is not His intention for Jerusalem to fall to Assyria and nothing the Assyrians can do will give them success in that endeavor. 

He will allow them to trouble the nation of Judah, for during the early days of Isaiah's ministry there was much repenting that needed to be done, and because during the days of Isaiah's ministry there was a wicked king named Ahaz on the throne, but Ahaz's son Hezekiah will bring about many positive reforms. Hezekiah will learn from his father's mistakes, which is an admirable thing, and by his example many people will turn back to the Lord.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 41, The Lord's Wrath Upon The Northern Kingdom, Part Four

The first segment of Chapter 10 is actually a continuation of Chapter 9. The Lord has been foretelling the downfall of the northern kingdom and as we conclude this particular segment we find Him blaming the injustice in the land for many of the woes that are about to come upon them.

"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." (Isaiah 10:1-2) The Lord is a perfect and righteous Judge and He hates injustice on the earth. He hates to see the poor denied justice in the courts because of judges who accept bribes from the wealthy. He hates to see widows and orphans defrauded of the necessities of life. He hates to see the peaceful foreigner mistreated. He will not stand by and allow the people to get away with this. He will take action to defend those who have no earthly defender.

David spoke of the way the Lord defends the defenseless, saying: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling." (Psalm 68:5) Solomon warned against defrauding the defenseless, reminding the people that the Lord would take up their case: "Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; He will take up their case against you." (Proverbs 23:10-11) Moses urged the people to look out for the weak and to have compassion on them because the Lord has compassion on them and will defend them against their enemies: "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)

These are just a few examples from the Scriptures where the Lord takes up the cause of the needy and warns everyone against defrauding them. He will judge those who harm the defenseless. He warns those who are oppressing their fellow man: "What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain." (Isaiah 10:3-4a)

To whom will they appeal on the day of judgment? To the holy and righteous Judge? No, for He is the one bringing the charges against them. He is the one who has witnessed their idolatry, their depravity, their cruelty, their lack of concern for their fellow man. Now is the time to repent, while the Lord is still speaking to them through the prophets.

But, as we learned from our study of the kings, the majority of the citizens do not repent. This is why the Lord allowed the northern kingdom to fall to the Assyrian Empire. This is why He allowed so many to be taken captive to foreign lands, leaving only the poor behind. It's noteworthy for us to mention that the oppressors were the ones removed from the land while the poor (the widows, the fatherless, the foreigners) remained. But because the majority of those who are doing wrong while Isaiah is still preaching will continue to do wrong, the prophet says of the Lord, "Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised." (Isaiah 10:4b)

The Lord will also judge any nation that oppresses Israel or Judah. It's not as if He is allowing any of the heathen nations to get away with unrighteousness. As we move on through Chapter 10 we find the Lord foretelling the downfall of Assyria.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 40, The Lord's Wrath Upon The Northern Kingdom, Part Three

I'm sorry for having no Bible study session posted for Sunday. I was having one of my inner ear vertigo flare-ups and couldn't look at a screen for more than just a few seconds at a time.

We are still in Chapter 9 and still dealing with the subject of the disaster that's soon going to fall upon the northern kingdom of Israel. The disaster is something the Lord is going to allow due to the rampant idolatry that has grown over the past several centuries, ever since the ten northern tribes split from the two southern tribes during the time of King Solomon's son Rehoboam. With idolatry comes a lot of other sin, for idolaters are a law unto themselves, eschewing the laws of the God of Israel in favor of doing what seems right to man. And this is what we know about the things that seem right to man: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12)

In today's text from the book of Isaiah, the Lord compares the people's sin to a fire burning out of control. The very fire they set ablaze (their idolatry and wrongdoing) will consume them. "Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upwards in a column of smoke. By the wrath of the Lord Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another." (Isaiah 9:18-19)

You are likely familiar with the saying, "If you play with fire, you are going to get burned." The people have been playing with fire for a long time. They sought to keep themselves warm by the fire of idolatry but there is no comforting warmth to be had at the hearth of a false God. There is no help to be had there either; their idols won't save them. Their idols won't save their souls and their idols won't save their nation from falling to a nation that serves idols itself: Assyria.

Their idols won't save them from each other either. Lawlessness will abound more and more as deprivations strike the nation more and more. People will turn on each other, having no compassion for their fellow man, as each of them seeks to get something for himself. An attitude of "every man for himself" will reign, rather than an attitude of loving their neighbor as themselves. This is why the Lord says in verse 19, "They will not spare one another". If a person needs or wants something, and if that person is strong enough to take it from someone else, that is what he or she is going to do.

The people of the northern kingdom know that the greatest threat they are facing is the rising Assyrian Empire. In desperation, rather than turning to God, they made an alliance with the king of Aram in order to join forces with him against Assyria. In Isaiah's day they appealed to King Ahaz of Judah to join with them; when he refused they plotted to come up against Jerusalem, take the city by force, remove Ahaz from the throne, and place a man on it who will gladly enter into a confederacy with them. This is the situation in view here at the end of this next passage: "On the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring: Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; together they will turn against Judah." (Isaiah 9:20-21a)

The tribes of the northern kingdom will want to band together in a united front to attack Judah but they will not even be able to work effectively with each other. They are going to turn on each other and fight against each other, falling apart from the inside before they fall to an enemy from the outside. The imagery here is of them gnashing their teeth on each other and the "feeding" may be both literal and figurative, for we know that cannibalism of the dead has taken place in Israel and in many other ancient nations during times of war and siege when there was no food to be had. But primarily what is being described is a breakdown of government, of society, of law and order, and of common human decency.

Chapter 9 ends on this dire note, with Isaiah letting the people know that this is not the end of the trouble that is coming. The Lord's hand is poised to strike again. "Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised." (Isaiah 9:21b) The discipline is severe because the wickedness is severe. In Chapter 10 we will be provided with some examples of the wickedness for which they are being judged.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 39, The Lord's Wrath Upon The Northern Kingdom, Part Two

Although Isaiah is from the southern kingdom of Judah, the Lord called him to prophesy to both Israel and Judah. Israel is going to fall to an enemy approximately 130 years before Judah and the message against Israel is very urgent and very timely. This is why Isaiah is concentrating on the fate of Israel at this time more than on the fate of Judah.

As we closed our last study session we found the Lord saying that the people of the northern kingdom had not repented even though He has sent correction upon them. Like any good parent, He first gave a verbal warning that they were going astray. When they refused to listen to Him and change their ways, He applied some unpleasant consequences to get them to see the error of their ways. But most of them still have not repented and are not going to repent; therefore, in the near future, they are going to lose their nation.

"So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray." (Isaiah 9:14-16) The elders and the leaders of the government are making poor decisions instead of following the laws the Lord established. They are setting an ungodly example---a public ungodly example---for everyone. The priests and prophets should have been able to give wise counsel, both publicly and privately, but most of those by this time who are calling themselves prophets were not called by the Lord. They are speaking lies in the Lord's name. Many of the priests have compromised with the world and with idolatry in Isaiah's day, even the high priest of Judah who built a pagan altar for King Ahaz, and we know that the priests of the northern kingdom are not even of the tribe of Levi and are serving at the golden calf altars and at pagan altars. 

The Lord says that the people have been led astray but it's not as if they didn't go willingly. It's true that the political and spiritual leaders of Israel are doing the wrong things but it's also true that the citizens are not ignorant of the Lord's laws and commandments. It's not as if they don't know all the great things He's done for Israel in the past. Because they have this knowledge, they are responsible for choosing to do what's right even if their leaders are doing wrong. And because they have this responsibility and have chosen to do wrong, they will face the penalty for their idolatry and for their wicked mode of living. "Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will He pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks folly." (Isaiah 9:17a) 

A great number of the young men will fall in battle. If they had chosen to follow the Lord, He would have been their strength against the enemy, but they are depending on their own strength and on false gods. This will not give them the ability to stand before the invading Assyrian army. Their wives will be widowed and their children will be rendered fatherless, for no person's sin affects only himself; it always affects those around him, even those he loves the most. 

The nation will fall to the powerful and expanding Assyrian Empire. Repeated invasions, sieges, and battles will take place. These types of things always lead to death, disease, scarcity of food, and sky-high inflation. The Lord is going to allow those things to take place in our next study session, so He concludes today's text by saying, "Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised." (Isaiah 9:17b) His hand of discipline is poised to deliver more discipline because the people have not responded correctly. They have not repented and forsaken their sin and their abominable idols. 

They are already cold-hearted toward the Lord and, as a result, are already cold-hearted toward each other. They will become even more callous toward each other when the deprivations become severe enough, causing the Lord to predict in our next study session that they will adopt an attitude that we would call in our day, "Every man for himself."

When we place the Lord in His proper place at the center of our lives, we will naturally care about the fate of our fellow man. But when we forsake Him, we lose a great deal of compassion for those around us. This is why the Lord stated that the first and greatest command was to love Him and that the second greatest command was to love our fellow man. If we don't obey the first command, we are going to have trouble obeying the second command. In fact, we won't ever be able to love our fellow man the way the Lord created us to love them if we don't love Him the way He created us to love Him.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 38, The Lord's Wrath Upon The Northern Kingdom, Part One

Chapter 9 opened on a note of hope: prophecies regarding the Messiah, which would not be fulfilled in the lifetime of Isaiah's hearers. The remainder of Chapter 9 contains prophecies that will take place during the lifetime of Isaiah's hearers. This is a message of wrath about disasters that will fall upon the northern kingdom of Israel due to the people's unwillingness to repent of their sins.

"The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. All the people will know it---Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria---who say with pride and arrogance of heart, 'The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.' But the Lord has strengthened Rezin's foes against them and has spurred their enemies on. Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west have devoured Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised." (Isaiah 9:8-12) As we learned from our study of the kings, the northern kingdom of Israel fell approximately 130 years before the kingdom of Judah fell. The fall of Israel is coming soon, so Isaiah's message is timely.

We know the Lord is referring to the northern kingdom because, as He often does, He uses the name of "Ephraim" (the largest tribe of the northern kingdom) synonymously for "Israel". He also makes reference to Samaria, which was the capital city of the northern kingdom. In addition, He speaks of King Rezin of Aram, who was allied with King Pekah of Israel in Isaiah's day, and states that the enemies of the nation of Aram will become enemies of Israel as well. Militarily and politically this makes sense; it's natural that Aram's enemies would view Israel as a threat now that Israel's army was combined with Aram's army.

Although the king of Israel threw in his lot with the king of Aram, it was at great cost to him. It must have been galling to have to ally himself with a Gentile king in order to try to protect Israel from Assyria. It must have stung to have to agree to whatever demands the king of Aram made upon him and to appeal to King Ahaz of Judah, upon whom Pekah looked down, to join the army of Judah with the combined armies of Israel and Aram. (Ahaz refused, which is what led to Pekah and Rezin plotting to remove him from the throne to install a man of their choosing in his place.) 

If the king of Israel had bowed to the Lord and appealed to Him for help, and if Pekah had repented of his sinful and idolatrous ways, he would never have had to be in league with anyone. His nation would have been protected by Almighty God, no matter how big an army marched out against him. But his spiritual failures led to political and military failures. His poor spiritual condition led to allying himself with a heathen Gentile king who, no doubt, looked down on him. This unwise decision is likely what led to Pekah's assassination by his own army captain (Hoshea), who killed him and assumed the throne. Hoshea was not as spiritually wicked as Pekah or as several other kings who preceded him, according to 2 Kings 17:2, and he wanted to ally himself with Egypt against Assyria, not with Aram. 

Things will keep going from bad to worse in the northern kingdom because the hard times don't cause the king or most of the people to repent of their waywardness against the Lord. "But the people have not returned to Him who struck them, nor have they sought the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 9:13) The Lord disciplined them not to destroy them but to heal them. The hardships were intended to help them take stock of their lives, recognize what they were doing wrong, and repent of their sins. Like any loving parent, the Lord wants His children to walk in the right ways so they can enjoy the fruits of godly living. When the child goes astray, it's the parent's responsibility to correct willfully wrong behaviors, and that is exactly what the Lord is doing by allowing other nations to plague Israel here in the book of Isaiah. Since He created human beings with free will, it's up to the people how they respond to this correction. They can respond appropriately and have the Lord on their side or they can respond inappropriately and suffer the consequences of making themselves His enemy.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 37, A Messianic Prophecy, Part Two

The Lord has been foretelling a time of distress but He is also foretelling a time of rejoicing. The first part of this prophecy, which we studied yesterday, was fulfilled during the days of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The remainder of this prophecy will be fulfilled when He returns to reign over the earth.

"You have enlarged the nation, and increased their joy; they rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, You have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire." (Isaiah 9:3-5) Gideon and his men won a great victory over the enemy nation of Midian in Judges 7 and there was much rejoicing, but that victory pales in comparison to the victory of the Messiah. Under His eternal reign, war will cease to exist. Israel will have peace on every side. Death and conflict and disease and distress will be no more.

These things will be possible because the King of kings and Lord of lords, of the royal tribe of Judah, of the direct lineage of David, will be in charge. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6) Isaiah says "to us", meaning the nation of Israel as a whole and to the tribe of Judah specifically; the Messiah will be of Jewish descent. But He will be the Savior of the Gentiles as well. He will be the Savior of all who place their trust in Him, Jews and Gentiles alike.

There can be no doubt that Isaiah is speaking of the Messiah. It would be blasphemy to refer to an ordinary man by the titles of "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace". This can only be the Lord who is reigning over the earth---the Lord in the person of God the Son. To call anyone else by these titles would be an abomination.

If this were not already made clear by what Isaiah says in verse 6, the concluding verses of Isaiah's prophecy will make it clear. No mere man can reign over every nation of the world, much less reign over the entire world forever and ever. "Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7)

How can a human being born of the line of David live forever? How can the Lord be born as a man? This is something that can only be done by the Lord Himself, so Isaiah says, "The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Even the prophet Isaiah didn't know exactly how the Lord was going to fulfill this prophecy but he had faith that the Lord would accomplish it. 

We are blessed to be living in a time when we know how the Lord accomplished it! He accomplished it through the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ who is fully God and fully man. Because He has already fulfilled that portion of the prophecy, we can be absolutely confident that He will fulfill the second portion of the prophecy, which is that someday the Lord Jesus Christ will be King over all the earth, forever and ever, and that we who have placed our faith in Him will live forever and ever under His peaceful and glorious reign.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 36, A Messianic Prophecy, Part One

Chapter 8 ended on a note of warning and a plea to return to the living God. Very sore troubles are about to come upon the tribes of Israel: the northern kingdom will soon fall to Assyria and, although Assyria won't be able to take over the southern kingdom, its soldiers will plague Judah severely. In time even Judah will fall, but to the Neo-Babylonian Empire rather than to the Assyrian Empire.

In spite of these judgments that are going to come about because of the people's sin and idolatry, all is not lost. The Lord will still keep His promise to bless all nations through the seed of Abraham. The tribe of Judah will still be the royal tribe of Israel. The Messiah will still come from the line of David.

Chapter 9 opens on a positive note. "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan." (Isaiah 9:1) The Lord speaks from a future standpoint here, as if He is looking back on things that have already happened, for anything the Lord says is going to happen is as good as done. There will be gloom and distress in the near future for Judah and Israel but there will be rejoicing in the far future.

The Assyrians will make more violent incursions upon the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali than on the other territories of Israel. They will "come up to the neck" of Judah, as the Lord previously predicted, but they won't be able to take the "head" (Jerusalem). But the area of Galilee, which lay within the area most devastated by the Assyrians, will be "honored" by the Lord. Of that time the Lord says, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2)

The light spoken of here is the light; or rather, we should say the Light, because this is a reference to the days of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. This prophecy is fulfilled in the New Testament when Jesus begins His ministry in the regions that were so horribly devastated by the Assyrian Empire. Matthew's gospel account quotes from Isaiah 9 in the passage below in order to clearly link Isaiah 9 with Jesus' ministry.

"When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali---to fulfill what was said by the prophet Isaiah: 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles---the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.' From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:12-17) 

The Apostle John (not the John mentioned above by Matthew, which was a reference to John the Baptist) described many events and miracles that took place in the region of Galilee in his account of the gospel. Matthew doesn't go into as much detail regarding what Jesus did in that region but proclaims Him as the "light" of the world and indicates that Jesus' ministry began in the region of Galilee. This is where He first began preaching a message of repentance to all the land, as predicted by the prophet Isaiah. The "light" first began to dawn in that area and from there it shone into the uttermost parts of Judea: on Jews and Gentiles alike, for at that time the nation was under the control of the Roman Empire. 

Jesus began His public ministry in the territories named by Isaiah. This was the territory over which Herod was tetrarch and Herod was the one who had put John the Baptist in prison. John's ministry was effectively put to an end at that point; he was beheaded soon after being imprisoned. But John laid the important groundwork for Jesus' ministry and then was content to step to the side, saying of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:13) Jesus started preaching to the nation, in the very region where Isaiah said the light would first dawn, as soon as John's ministry was completed.

In our next study session we will look at the next segment of Isaiah 9, which is also a Messianic prophecy and contains perhaps the most famous quotation from the book of Isaiah in regard to Christ.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 35, Avoiding The Occult And The Practices Of Divination

The Lord is speaking to His people very clearly through Isaiah and through the other prophets of Isaiah's day. He could not make His instructions any plainer than He's already made them, yet many of the people prefer to practice divination---to consult mediums, to consult fortune tellers, and to use various other occult methods in order to obtain an answer from the spiritual realm. 

We find the Lord accusing them of doing such things as we near the end of Chapter 8. "When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19) 

We know that King Ahaz, to whom Isaiah was sent in Chapter 7, is an idolatrous man. A number of the people of Judah in Isaiah's day are either dabbling in idolatry or have forsaken the Lord in favor of it. I would suggest that the person who mixes idolatry with their worship of the Lord is actually the most dangerous. Why is that? For one thing, they know better. This makes them a danger to themselves because they know that the Lord forbids participating in such things but they are deliberating choosing to disobey Him in this matter. Because they know better, they are more responsible for their sins than a heathen who has never heard of the God of Israel. 

Another reason they are a danger to themselves (and to others) is that they have one foot in the church and one foot in the occult. This puts them in a position to fall very far from the Lord and to influence others to fall from the Lord. A person who mixes their worship of the Lord with occult practices is a "lukewarm" believer, and we know that in Revelation 3:16 the Lord said lukewarm religion makes Him sick. He compared His distaste for lukewarm faith to the sensation of taking a big gulp of water, expecting it to be refreshing, but finding it to be at a disgusting temperature that makes a person want to spit it out. Cold water is refreshing. Hot water can be pleasant as well, for it is soothing to a dry and scratchy throat. But lukewarm water feels disgusting in the mouth, making a person want to spit it out rather than swallow it. 

Lukewarm believers think they are alright. They think that because they have knowledge of the Lord, they are free to dabble a bit in things they shouldn't. This is a dangerous state to be in. It's a state where a person tells himself or herself, "The Lord understands. He will forgive me if this isn't something He wants me to do." But the Lord isn't an irresponsible Father; He must step in and take action when a person fools around with occult practices. That person is hurting himself or herself and will usually end up being a bad influence on those close to them as well. 

The Lord asks the people of Judah something like, "Why would you forsake the living God in favor of having a medium call upon the dead? How can the dead help you? While they were still alive, they didn't possess the power to deliver you from your enemies. How does being dead imbue them with a power they didn't have while on the earth? It doesn't! Only the living God can help you! Only the living God has the power to deliver you from your enemies!"

The vast majority of people who claim to be able to contact the spirit world are charlatans. They are in the business of taking advantage of people. At best, a person will waste their money consulting them. t worst, they will be drawn into something spiritually dark and dangerous. In the small percentage of cases where a person is in contact with the unseen realm, I believe they are in contact with demons, not with our dead relatives. I do not believe the Bible supports the idea that mediums are actually talking to the souls of departed humans. For example, the medium in Acts 16 was possessed by a demon. She was a slave girl whose owners were taking advantage of her demon-possessed state by having her tell fortunes for money. The Apostle Paul cast the demon out, at which point the young lady could no longer perform this service for her masters, causing them to have Paul and his friend Silas beaten and arrested. Anyone who consulted this young woman for the purpose of divination was receiving a message from a demon, not from their deceased loved ones. 

Even in the case of the medium consulted by King Saul in 1 Samuel 28, when Saul asked her to call upon the spirit of the prophet Samuel, there is no proof that the woman actually saw Samuel. She claimed to see a man dressed in a prophet's robes and she passed along a dire message to Saul---the type of message we would expect Samuel to speak to him because of Saul's sinful ways---but we cannot be certain the woman actually saw or heard anything. The Bible does not say that Saul saw the man and we don't know whether the woman saw anything either. Even if she did, the Lord forbids His people to attempt to contact the spirit world, and that commandment should be enough to prevent us from doing it. Supposing we really could speak to the dead (or that a medium could do it for us), the Lord has said not to do it and that should be the end of the matter. There is no way we could be certain whether we were speaking to our departed loved one or whether a demon was masquerading as that person. There is never a good reason to open ourselves up to a demonic influence.

The believer is to consult the word of God when making decisions. The believer is also allowed to seek counsel from people who are demonstrably living godly lives, but with the caveat that those people's advice must be tested against the word of God. If their advice conflicts with His word on any point, it must be disregarded. No matter how much a person may love the Lord and how much they strive to be obedient to Him, all human beings make mistakes. A person could give bad advice without intending to lead anyone astray. "Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn." (Isaiah 8:20) 

The one who consults the powers of darkness for direction will end up in disastrous circumstances. The one who eschews the Lord in favor of worldly advice will also miss out on what is best for them. They will stumble aimlessly through life like a person lost in the desert. Sadly, many will miss the Lord altogether because they prefer darkness to light. "Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." (Isaiah 8:21-22)

The concluding verses of Chapter 8 remind me of these words of King Solomon: "A person's own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord." (Proverbs 19:3) Solomon lived centuries before the prophet Isaiah but he had observed the same attitude in his time that Isaiah observed in his day: people were making foolish choices (choices that went against the word of God), then they were blaming God when their bad choices led to unhappy circumstances. It's not too late for any of the people of Judah to turn away from the practices that led them to make foolish choices. It's not too late for them to turn back to the living God and see what He says in His holy and perfect word. Most of them will not do this, but the Lord is offering the opportunity.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 34, Signs And Symbols

The final verses of the first segment of Chapter 8 involve Isaiah's sons being signs and symbols to the nation and they involve a prophecy that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

After faithfully relaying the Lord's warning regarding falling into a spirit of fear and regarding placing their trust in Assyria (or in anyone or anything except Him), Isaiah says to the people, "Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God's instruction among my disciples." (Isaiah 8:16) The word of God is true. Everything He has foretold will take place exactly as He said it would.

However, not everyone will heed this warning. In fact, most of the people won't heed this warning. But Isaiah purposes in his heart to believe that the Lord is true to His word. Isaiah intends to keep his trust in Him. "I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding His face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him." (Isaiah 8:17)

Isaiah is waiting for the Lord to prove the message true. Isaiah told the people exactly what the Lord said to tell them. They can either accept or reject the message, but the message won't change. Many people scoffed at the Lord's prophets but Isaiah will be proven as a prophet of the Lord when the things he's predicted come true.

Two of the things he's predicted are reflected in the names of his sons, to whom he makes reference next. "Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion." (Isaiah 8:18) 

The name of Isaiah's son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means "hurry to the plunder". This is a reference to how the nation of Assyria, in whom Judah has put her trust, will attack and plunder Judah's enemies Israel and Aram, and it is also a reference to how Assyria will attack and plunder Judah. Israel and Aram will fall to Assyria, whereas the Lord will allow Assyria to plague Judah but not take the city of Jerusalem. The Lord had said that before Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is old enough to say "mama" or "dada", this prophecy will come true.

The name of Isaiah's firstborn son, Shear-Jashub, means "a remnant shall return". This is a promise that although Israel will fall to Assyria and most of her citizens will be deported, and that although Judah will eventually fall to an enemy (Babylon) and most of her citizens will be deported, this is not the end of the descendants of Jacob. A number of them will return and rebuild after a time. The sign that this will really happen is that, as the Lord said, before Shear-Jashub is old enough to know right from wrong, Judah's enemies Israel and Aram will no longer be a threat. 

These prophecies both came true within about three years: Israel and Aram fell to Assyria; Assyria began plaguing Judah. But the fact that these prophecies came true is the proof that all of Isaiah's other prophecies are going to come true. The people will return. The people will rebuild. The Promised One will be born of the line of David. 

The Apostle Paul, who is believed to have been the author of the book of Hebrews, ascribed verse 18 to the Promised One when he used the words "Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me" in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and His church in Hebrews 2:13. So we see that Isaiah's prophecy was twofold: it regarded the prophecies symbolized by the names of his own sons and it also regarded the prophecy of God's own Son. Because the prophecies symbolized by Isaiah's sons came true, the prophecies about the advent of the Promised One were also going to come true---and indeed they have come true!

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 33, The Solid Rock

In Tuesday's study we found the Lord urging the people, through the prophet Isaiah, not to panic because the kings of Israel and Aram are planning to come up against Jerusalem. He cautioned them not to fall for conspiracies or to believe rumors, for He will not allow Jerusalem to fall to these enemy kings. 

Our study concluded with this wise advice: "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread." (Isaiah 8:13) This type of "fear" means a holy and reverent awe, holding the Lord in the highest esteem and looking to Him for help. 

But we know, from our study of the kings, that although Judah experienced several spiritual revivals during her declining years, she eventually fell into as much sin and idolatry as did her sister Israel. If either of these nations had heeded the warnings of the prophets to regard the Lord as holy and to worship only Him, He would have been a source of comfort and protection and provision. But whenever anyone refuses to regard Him as Lord of their life, their hearts tend to grow ever harder against Him as time goes on. 

He will be the "Rock of Ages"---a firm and unshakable and unchanging foundation---for the one who trusts in Him. But for the one who "stumbles" over this Rock of Ages, (trying to bypass it and reject it rather than choosing to stand upon it), He will be the judge of their iniquity. This is the point Isaiah is making when he says: "He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah He will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem He will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured." (Isaiah 8:14-15)

It's not that the Lord wants them to stumble and fall. He doesn't want that at all. But He knows they are going to stumble and fall while trying every way possible to get around Him instead of basing their lives on Him. To paint a picture of this in our minds, let's imagine we need to travel across an area of ground but there is a large rock in the middle of it. The rock is easily climbable and offers safe footholds and a firm place to stand, but instead we decide to squeeze around it, getting ourselves scratched and entangled in briers, stumbling on the uneven ground around its base, stumbling and falling, getting bruised and cut. In this same manner, the Lord (the Rock) is the safe place to stand but many of the people of Isaiah's day were attempting to get through life without ever trusting Him, choosing instead to squeeze past Him at significant cost to themselves. 

Isaiah intends to trust the Rock of Ages, no matter what anyone else does. He warns those who have heard the word of God and rejected it; to them the Lord is the Rock upon which they will stumble. His words assure those in the minority who have decided to trust the Rock of Ages that to them the Lord is a firm foundation. "Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God's instruction among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding His face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him." (Isaiah 8:16-17) The remainder of this particular passage from Chapter 8 is a twofold prophecy and time does not permit us to study it fully today, so tomorrow we will take a look at it and discuss how it pertains to Isaiah and his two sons and also to Christ and His church.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 32, Do Not Fear What They Fear

In today's text the Lord cautions Isaiah and other godly people not to fall prey to panic. The people of the Lord must keep their focus on Him, not on the state of the world, not on rumors, not on conspiracy theories. Fixating on such things only brings fear into the heart. In contrast, this is what the Lord will do for the one who keeps their eyes on Him: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You." (Isaiah 26:3)

The people of Isaiah's nation of Judah have been thrown into a panic by the news that the kings of Israel and Aram have banded together to come and lay siege to Jerusalem. Isaiah is not to give way to such panic and the Lord has made that very clear to him. The prophet states, "This is what the Lord says to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people: 'Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.'" (Isaiah 8:11-12)

I am about to turn fifty-four years old and I have never seen such a time as the one in which we are currently living: a time in which so many citizens of the world have fallen prey to hundreds of conspiracy theories. People are panicking over things that are discussed online by people who are living in as much fear as they are. The more they immerse themselves in such panic-filled discussion boards, the more their own fear grows. Lately I've Googled some of the current conspiracy theories going around and was astonished to learn just how many people have lost everything they have by buying into various theories. I was astonished to learn how many people have cut off relationships with their loved ones because their loved ones aren't interested in doomsday prepping with them. What are all these things doing for anybody? I think the main purpose of it is Satanic: to get people's minds off the Lord and to isolate them from those who might try to direct their focus back to the Lord. 

We don't have to fear what the world fears. The child of God is never commanded to live in fear. In fact, over and over in the Scriptures we find the Lord saying to those who trust in Him: "Do not fear." 

How do we keep from becoming overly concerned about things that are going on in this world or when we see those around us going about their lives in a spirit of fear? We are to do what Isaiah, on the authority of Almighty God, says we are to do: "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread." (Isaiah 8:13) The "fear" of which Isaiah speaks is a holy and reverent awe. He's not saying we are to be living in constant dread that the Lord is going to smite us down; he's saying that if we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into its proper place. He's saying that if we revere and serve the Lord, we will have a sense of calmness and peace that the world can't give us, which is why the Lord Jesus spoke these comforting words: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

The peace the world gives is shallow and temporary. It depends on everything going the way we think it should. But the peace the Lord gives is a deep and abiding peace. It's the kind of peace that holds firm even when, by man's standards, it looks like the world is falling down around us.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 31, Prepare For Battle

King Ahaz of Judah thinks he's going to have to fight a battle against King Pekah of Israel and King Rezin of Aram. But the Lord has promised him, through the prophet Isaiah, that this threat will be overcome within a short time. He need not worry about this allied army; he needs to trust in the Lord and revere Him. If he does this, no army can stand against him. But as we learned from our study of the kings, Ahaz will pay the king of Assyria a great deal of money in order to "buy" him as an ally. He will even commission the construction of an altar to an Assyrian god and order it to be placed in the temple, with the Lord's altar relegated to an out-of-the-way place, and he will command all of his own sacrifices and offerings to be made upon that altar. He will even command all of the people's sacrifices and offerings to be made upon that altar, whether the people want this or not.

The nation that is currently Judah's friend will soon make itself a foe. The Lord is going to allow Judah to be plagued by Assyria because the king and so many of the people are placing their trust in Assyria (and in pagan gods) instead of trusting in the Lord. The nation must brace itself for battle---not a battle against Israel and Aram but a battle against Assyria. 

Isaiah says, "The Lord spoke to me again: 'Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates---the king of Assyria with all his pomp.'" (Isaiah 8:5-7a) This passage is generally believed to indicate that there was a growing political group in Judah whose members wanted to submit to the allied forces of Israel and Aram. The Lord says people of Judah are "rejoicing over Rezin" (the king of Aram) and "the son of Remaliah" (Pekah, king of Israel). This indicates that a not-insignificant number of people in Judah are dissatisfied with King Ahaz and are putting their support behind these two other kings. Perhaps they believe Judah should join with Israel and Aram to form the largest coalition of nations and armies of the era, thereby relieving all three nations of the threat of invasion from Assyria, Egypt, or any other country on earth.

The Lord refers to the stream of Shiloah which lay just outside of Jerusalem because it is a vital source of water for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Lord refers to this gently flowing stream as a symbol of Himself---Himself as the source of their provision. So we see that some of the people are not only rejecting Ahaz, their earthly king, but are rejecting the Lord, the King of kings. The Lord promised the tribes of Israel before He ever brought them into the promised land that if they remained faithful to Him, He would protect them from every enemy. It wouldn't have mattered how many nations banded together to come against them; the Lord would have given them victory. They would never have had to worry about the size of anyone's army, even if they themselves were desperately outnumbered, because the Lord would have been on their side. But they have been dabbling in idolatry for a long time. They have not yet fallen as far into it as the citizens of the northern kingdom of Israel, but they eventually will. Therefore, in saying that they have rejected Shiloah, the Lord is saying they have rejected Him. They are instead calling upon the king of Assyria, whose nation was founded along the Euphrates River, and just as a large river can rush in and inundate the plains, the Assyrian army to rush in and inundate much of Judah's territory.

We will reread verse 7b and go on from there. "Therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates---the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks, and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel." (Isaiah 8:7-8) It's only by the mercy of the Lord that the Assyrians will not be able to take Jerusalem, which is why the prophecy says that the enemy will come "up to the neck". The "head" of the nation is Jerusalem and the Lord will prevent it from falling to the Assyrian army. 

Although Judah will not be conquered by the Assyrian Empire, as Israel and several other countries will be, Assyria will be a continual threat to Judah and will cause much distress and destruction upon Judah. "Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted.; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:9-10) The Lord has determined that some nations will fall to Assyria. The Lord has determined to discipline Judah by Assyria but not to allow Jerusalem to fall to this enemy. Therefore, the concluding verses of our text today are both a warning and a word of comfort. The warning is that the same thing can happen to Judah that will happen to other nations if the people don't turn back wholeheartedly to the Lord. During the days when the Assyrian army comes to lay siege to Jerusalem, a better man than Ahaz will be occupying the throne and he will be a godly influence on the people. Because of this, the Lord will have mercy on Jerusalem and will repel the enemy. If the people had remained in their revived spiritual state, the Neo-Babylonian Empire would never have been a threat to them, but eventually they will fall farther from the Lord than they ever have been before.

Sometimes the enemy is not who we think it is. We can actually be our own worst enemy---a far greater enemy to ourselves than anyone or anything else can ever be---when we drift away from the Lord and place our trust elsewhere.