Isaiah 30-32

Introduction

I hear some others already talking, so I know some other classes have already begun. So we’re going to shoot a minute or two this morning.

Yeah, you might also go ahead and close the door to you with me. So we won’t be disturbed.

There comes one to let them both in.

Actually, our class I studied this morning is is from Isaiah chapters 30, 31 and 32. But since it really joins together with what we did Wednesday night, I’m going to kind of back up a little bit. In fact, I said we would start 29 verse 15. Actually, this whole section, chapters 28 through 32, really form a section. There’s six different times where the prophets speak of woe. There’s going to be distress upon those who are uh certainly failed to trust in the Lord. If I were to ask you, and I hope you would answer the question, what is the basic theme from the prophecy of Isaiah? Obviously, there are several different topics as we go through 66 chapters, but if you had one underlying theme, what would it be?

And why would Isaiah need to say that over and over again and in various ways throughout his period of time? Because what did they trust in? Other nations. All right. Sometimes they trusted in the strength of Assyria or the strength of Egypt against Assyria or their own wisdom and their the their might of man and what man can do. And so over and over, or I should also add when we get to chapters 42 and 45, trusting in idols so greatly as the heathen nations do. So there’s the temptation of men. Do we ever have that problem today? I think over and over, especially in a country now where there’s prosperity, and man seems to be able to do so many wonderful things while we can shoot to the moon and come back, and we aren’t we very wise.

So we tend to trust in man and what we like to do. And because of the prosperity that we enjoy, we can kind of go where we want to go and do what we want to do, and we have the rights to do it. We get to where we become rather self-centered and selfish. Isaiah believed today, no doubt, would say some of the same things that he did even back then. Trust in the Holy One of Israel. I said these in each five chapters, particularly, there’s a series of six different woes. We talked about a couple of them on Wednesday night, chapter 28. Chapter 28 was a woe to the proud, rulers of Israel and of Judah, even rulers who who were guilty of uh, he said, uh drunkenness, even as they came to serve the Lord in the tabernacle.

Uh they were kind of an attitude, you know, again, they did what they wanted to do, trusting in in their own attitude. They had a ridicule against God’s word. It was it was too simple for them. It was line upon line, and precept upon precept. And uh the Lord didn’t need to teach us, you know, it’s so ridiculous sometimes, it’s too simple for them. And and with ridicule, you know, he cannot teach us anything, kind of an attitude. But rather, God’s word is line upon line, precept upon precept. And therefore, they trusted maybe in their own wisdom. What he did say, who should they trust in? God has set forth a cornerstone, a rock, a foundation. And of course, pointing, no doubt, we would say, even to the coming of the Lord.

For as in Ephesians 2, he is the cornerstone of the church. He is our guide. He is the one in whom there’s truth, security. Uh indeed, the Lord has made in Zion a stone, tested and precious. In a time in which justice is uh is the measuring line and righteousness, he said, the plumbing. But the fact he said that they trust in man, he said they would be like a bed that is what too short, too narrow, and a covering that won’t be quite over. And we know the human thing of like best. You’ve ever gotten all our people at least might get into a bed where it’s just too short for you. You know, it doesn’t fit. Well, he says, you know, you can trust in man’s wisdom, but it won’t fit.

It won’t really be there when you need it. The fact is, even in chapter 29, Jerusalem or Ariel, as he describes it. Woe unto Ariel and to Ariel, uh, a city where David dwelt. But literally, the meaning of Ariel seems to be the hearth of God, because on down in about verse 6, God would have a devouring fire. Would Jerusalem fall? Yes, it would fall. Why? Well, because it came to a point where, again, it trusted in man. Form religion was the cause of Jerusalem’s affliction. And uh, in fact, uh, they got to a point again where they just would not trust in the Lord or seek his counsel. We got really down to chapter 29 and verse 15, where he says, again, this uh the woe, uh, the third woe, uh, those who try to hide from God.

Or to those who seek deep uh to hide their counsel far from the Lord, and their works are in the dark. They say, Who sees us and who knows us? And his response is, You have surely you have turned, uh you have things turned around. Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay? Or shall the thing made say of him who made it, he did not make me? Or shall the thing form say of him who formed it, he has no understanding? When man really refuses the true wisdom from God, he truly is a fool. If he thinks that God does not see or know.

Sometimes there are those who think, well, you know, I go to church. I’m a Christian. But can even Christians think they do things that God won’t see? You know, that’s what the true hypocrite does, anyway, isn’t it? Because he may can hide from other people what his actions are. He may think God doesn’t know either. But that’s not just our generation. Even Isaiah said that was one of the charges that they had at that time. But he goes on in this section in verses 17 through 19, he said, Is it not yet a very little while till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? In that day. I can, I think, referring to the time of the Messiah.

What will happen is the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel. So Isaiah throughout will try to say, and you might say in a section where he said, Here’s woe, here’s distress coming. But then he would look also to the Messianic period. The people of his day deserved a war or distress or God’s devouring fire upon them because of their hypocrisy. Because they refused God’s word and turned simply to the wisdom of men. Tried to hide from God. But then he would also say, Well, yes, God will destroy Jerusalem, but there’s going to come a day when Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem, as we have in Hebrews 12 22, shall be exalted.

It’ll be in the day of the Messiah. And rather than being a people who will not hear and will not see, Isaiah, God foretold Isaiah, you’ll go preach to the people, but that’s they’ll close their eyes and they’ll stop their ears and they won’t hear you, Isaiah. That was true of the people of his day, but he said, the time will come when people will see and will hear. And I think he’s forecasting the period of time in which you and I live, and of course, since the time of the Christ. That people who really serve God do not take an attitude with closed eyes and closed ears, just trying to please themselves, or try to hide from God, but rather in sincerity, seek to know the Lord.

And therefore, the message of Isaiah is a living message because it says, look back at how people did then, but look also what he promised of the future. And are we living as the people of the future? Or are we repeating the sins of the past? We have to constantly look at Isaiah and ask, Well, what was why was God displeased with his own people? And would he be displeased with us today if we did the same things? And the answer, of course, is yes, God would be displeased with us. But now into our lesson for today in chapter 30, again we find another woe. And you might say, just as he had been talking about a woe to those who tried to hide their counsel from God.

1. Woe to the Rebellious Children

Now I think kind of makes a specific application. Now he speaks about woe to the rebellious children, Isaiah 30 in verse 1, says the Lord, who take counsel, but not of me, who devise plans, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin. Who walk to go down to Egypt and have not asked my advice to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt? Therefore, the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame. And trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hamid. They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them or be of help or benefit. But a shame and also a reproach.

Verse 1 said they add sin to sin. What does he mean by that? What is adding sin to sin, John? Well, I look at it in this fashion, and this is in part based on uh uh my background, and I would call it compounding a felony. In that think of armed robbery. Robbery, robbery is a is a crime, it is also a sin. When we arm ourselves to do it and take up a weapon against other people, that is another felony or another sin, therefore it is compounded. So we’re laying sin on top of sin or crime on top of crime. Good police officer would put it that way. What was their sin? What did they add to? First of all, did they heed God’s word?

Yeah. That’s a sin, right? Now, secondly, what were they try would really even some might hide it from God, but they were really trusting instead of God, they were trusting in whom? In Assyria. No. Egypt. So there’s adding sin to sin in turn. And what does God say is the result going to be?

The penalty is a little worse. Well, he’s saying they they go down to Egypt, but what’s going to happen to them? Verse 3, the strength of Pharaoh shall be what? Shame and Son. Who are you to turn to Egypt? Back in chapters 18, 19, and 20, I believe it was, when David was teaching us, he even specifically talked about Egypt and Ethiopia, didn’t he? And you remember that whole section about the nations around. God not only was concerned about Jerusalem or Judah, where Isaiah himself lived, but he was concerned about those surrounding nations. Is God the only the God only of Israel? No. And so in that section of Isaiah, he’s sovereign over all, really, isn’t he? So why would you turn to Egypt? Who made you to start with?

Back in the last chapter 29. Are you turning things around and are you kind of like, you know, saying to the potter, though you’re the clay, you’re saying to the potter, you didn’t make me. I made myself. Is that what you’re going to be like? Are you just turning things upside down? Instead, you ought to have an attitude, you know, is the Lord made me. Who made Egypt? The Lord did. Now, before this period of time, they have turned to Assyria. So your answer wasn’t that far off because we’ve seen them turning to Assyria and trying to seek the help of Assyria. But the thought at this point in time that what has happened here is that the Assyrian king has died. Sargon, who was the Assyrian chief at the time that Samaria was overthrown in 722 BC.

But now, probably around 705, the period of time is that Sargon had died. And so rather than paying tribute to Assyria, it’s as though maybe, you know, we won’t have to fight. We won’t have to worry about Assyria. We’ll, and of course, when they quit paying tribute, or thought that we could get by without it. Now what’s Assyria going to do? They’re gonna come in and show really who is in power. And so it seems maybe this is the political idea. Well, we’ll just turn to Egypt now, and maybe Egypt will spare us from Assyria. So it seems that perhaps this is the uh circumstances prevailing at this point in history. Well, as we know, it’s only about four years later, 701 BC, when Jerusalem really is severely attacked by the Assyrians, and we’ll get to that in chapters 37 and 38.

But uh, when Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and helped spare Jerusalem at a critical time. But in our text, the timing seems to be, oh, well, we’ll turn to Egypt and maybe Egypt will help us. But it’ll be to your shame. In fact, look at verse 7, where it says, for the Egyptians shall help in vain, and no and to no purpose. Therefore, I have called her Rahab Hem Shabbat. What is Rahab Him Shabbat mean? They do nothing. Pardon? They do nothing. They do nothing. All right. You may have my my footnote says literally, Rahab sits idle. Or they do nothing, is literally what he’s saying. Who is Egypt? You think Egypt’s gonna come help you? And of course, the point is absolutely not. You’re foolish to turn to anyone else other than trusting in the Lord.

2. Speak to Us Smooth Things

But in verses 8 and 9, he says for them to do something specifically. Something for future generations. What is it? Writing God. Why write it on a tablet? Confirms prophecy. If I write it now, you know, one of the things we talk about prophecy. How does prophecy confirm that it really is from God? That it happens. Alright. If he could tell you before it happens, the end before it happens, even it had to come from someone who had power to foresee. And that’s one of the strengths of prophecy. Prophecy fulfilled is one of the strengths that the Bible really is the word of God. So in effect, he’s saying even to the people of that. Read verses eight through eleven. Which is now go, write it before them on a tablet.

Noted on a scroll, that it may be for a time to come, forever and ever, that this is a rebellious people. Lying children, children who will not hear the law of the Lord. Who say to the seers, do not see, and to the prophets, do not prophesy to us right things. Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Well, that’s pretty strong writing, isn’t it? You mean the people of Isaiah’s day would say, speak to a smooth thing? Don’t tell us the real truth. Don’t tell us that it’ll be a shame if we turn to Egypt. Don’t tell us that. Why? Why would people be that way?

They want to do what they want to do. Alright. We want to please ourselves. Even if it’s not the truth, we’d rather that happen today. Oh no. Do you think of any scripture in the New Testament that might say to preachers, don’t preach to us those things that we don’t like to hear? Anybody think of scripture? I do. 2 Timothy. Yeah, 2 Timothy chapter 4. Let’s turn to it right quickly. 2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 2 through 4. What did the apostle Paul say to Timothy and why to do it? And what will be the result of his doing it? 2 Timothy 4, verse 2 through 4. You have it, Kathy, you want to read it? Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season.

Reprove, rebuke, exhort, and with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. You mean there are some preachers who would preach things that are not true? Like Paul said. And you mean there’d be people who would rather hear them? Paul said again. In his own day. And if that’s true, then it was true in Isaiah’s day, it’s true in Paul’s day. I believe it’s true in our day. There are men who know how to say what you want to hear, and they’ll preach what you want to hear.

And frankly, there are people who don’t like to be told you’re wrong. Are there people like that today? There are people like that who even can get angry at you because you have something that’s wrong and you’re stubborn about it. There are people that way. So, attitudes toward God’s word. What’s that? That’s really what we’re saying. In Isaiah’s day there was a problem with it. In Paul’s day there was a problem with it. And in our day, we have to keep our hearts clear and pure to say, give me the word of God.

Same attitude. Yes. So what does he say their attitude gets them? Look with it at me now at verses 12 through 14. Isaiah 30. Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel, because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them. Therefore, this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant. And he shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel which is broken in pieces. He shall not spare. So there shall not be found among its fragments a shard to take fire from the hearth or to take water from the cister. Here’s a bulging wall. Have you ever seen a wall, maybe, and it begins to kind of bulge a bit and then it collapses.

It falls. He says it’ll fall into so many pieces, you won’t even have enough to take fire to the hearth, or even to take a bit of water. In other words, it’s going to be broken in pieces. What is he saying to them? You despise God’s word. You’ve relied on oppression, true silencing true prophets, that is.

Jehovah. And it’ll be broken like a clay pot in so many small pieces for that sake, that’s not even large enough to carry a coal of fire from the hearth or the river drink, the water from the cistern. Verses 15 through 17, though, has God extended an invitation further? Does God do this without extending at least hope and help? Yeah, he always does. Always does. So in verse 15, for thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel. You see, over and over this, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah uses the term. In returning and rest, in other words, if you return and rest, you shall be saved. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But what’s that? You would not. Did God hold an invitation?

Yes. But you would not. And verse 16, you said, no. Or we will flee on horses. Therefore you shall flee. And we will ride on swift horses. What does that say, man? What’s trusting in that? Horse. And what we can do. We’re smart and we’ll get on something strong. Horses were strong in battle, of course, in that day and day. It’s kind of like, I guess, like we’d say a thank yesterday, but horses were the methods of real victory. And so it says, you’re going even on swift horses, and therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. One thousand shall flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you shall flee till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain and as a banner on the hill.

3. The Lord Will Wait, That He May Be Gracious

What does it mean? And it doesn’t matter how fast you go, where you go, you’re going to flee. In fact, even from one, you will flee. And you be left maybe at the top of a hill or a great hill, but you’d be like a banner or pole. Everybody’ll see you. You cannot hide from God. That’s what he’s really saying. So beginning in verse 18. Yet now, here we have coming right back. Oh, there’s going to be destruction to those who trust in man and refuse God’s word. What’s the future going to be? So in verse 18, he begins to turn how that there’s true security in the Messiah to come. Verse 18, therefore, the Lord will wait, that he may be gracious to you. And therefore he will be exalted that he may have mercy on you.

For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him. In the midst of this bleak picture of judgment, God does encourage his people for the future. And Isaiah over and over, and throughout this next section, we might say, really, verses 18 through 26. He’s speaking about how the time is coming where God will be very gracious. God will provide and make his presence known, and he provide.

There come a time where there will be spiritual blessing. Verse 22, in fact, in this better day of the future, God’s people will do what? Verse 22. They’ll throw away as an unclean thing. He will say to them, get away. And in other words, they will throw away their idols. Get away from him. And so, verse 23, he will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth that will be fat and plentiful. In that day your cattle will feed in large pastures. What he’s saying is in a figurative way, blessings from God. He will indeed bless his people. I like verse 26 too. It’s kind of an exaggeration of the point. It is an exaggeration of the point.

Where he says, Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun. The light of the sun will be sevenfold. As the light of seven days. In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of his people and heals the stroke of their wound. You know, think of the moon being bright as the sun. Or the sun being seven times brighter. It’ll be no longer symbolical, it is, of course, of the glory of this age in which the Lord binds up the brooders of his people. The Lord will bless his people. And so throughout Isaiah, of course, that’s an underlying theme over and over again. But now in verse 30, verse 27, again, he turns back to their enemy. So you have mixed in with the blessings of God.

In verse 27. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with his anger. His burden is heavy, his lips are full of indignation, his tongue like a devouring fire, his breath is like an overflowing stream. Stop and think of that one.

In fact, uh it’s in verse 31. We know through this context, through the voice of the Lord, Assyria will be beaten down as he strikes the rod. So we know he’s talking about beginning in verse 27, this time of the enemy. And three metaphors really are used. When God comes, the Lord will come with indignation. Number one, his tongue will be like what? A devour and consuming fire. His breath like what? Overflowing stream. An overflowing stream. And then the third one, like a bridle in the jaws of his people. Nations will be sifted like a sieve of destruction. The Lord comes to deliver his people and sifts all enemies that rise up against his purpose. So in verses 29 and 31, maybe more specifically, if you’re reading with me, chapter 30, verse 29, you shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept.

And gladness of heart is when one goes with the flute to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty one of Israel. The Lord will cause his glorious voice to be heard and show the descent of his iron with the indignation of his anger and the flame of a devouring fire with scattering tempest and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord, Israel, I mean, sorry, Assyria, will be beaten down, as he strikes with the rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, which the Lord lays on him, it will be with tambourines and harps, and in battles of brandishing, he will fight. For Tohet was established of old. Yes. For the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large.

It’s pyre, his fire with much wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, hence it. Now the word tofhet is an interesting word. Now one particularly to read that verse 33. Who knows where tohet is? What to really describes here? He said he’s going to make for Assyria a massive funeral pyre. And uh it’ll be called Topheth. Is that human sacrifice? Alright. Tophet.

It was a place where it should have offered in sacrifice, just uh outside of Jerusalem. In fact, in the valley of Hinnum, we come to the New Testament period. The valley of Henem became known, and then the Lord used the term as what? Anybody under the Greek for hell is the word Gehenna, translated as hell. 80 is a different word from Gehenna. So it’s the same place outside of Jerusalem in the valley of Henam. First of all, it was a defiled place where children were sacrificed even to their idols. So Tophet, uh the fire devouring, became the place where refuge was burned, and therefore became symbolic of a place where wickedness uh shall be, or now, as we say, Gehenna. David, you just looked like you had a comment you want to made on that, did you?

4. Woe to Those Who Rely on Horses and Chariots

All right. David’s always got frames up there that I don’t have. Make some comment on that on Gehenna or Tophet for us. Well, then to chapter 31. Now, another woe. Uh woe to those who rely on horses and chariots. Here’s the fifth word in this whole series that we looked at. Chapter 31, reading verses 1 through 3. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, in horsemen because they are very strong, but who do not look to the holy one of Israel, nor seek the Lord. There’s a real fault, isn’t it? That’s the real problem. Is it wrong to have horses or wrong to have chariots? No. But what they’ve done, adding sin to sin, they’ve not trusted the Lord, and they have trusted in these things that are purely material and physical.

And in fact, he says in verse 2, yet he also is wise and will bring disaster and will not call back his words, but will rise against the house of evildoers and against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, not God. Their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down. They all will perish together. Why trust in God, not man? Because who is man? God made man. Why not trust in horses and chariots? Though those may be the strength that man used in his battles with other men, now, in effect, they’re battling against God when they have defiled or gone against God’s people.

So they’re going to lose that battle, really. In fact, in verses four and five, he says, For thus the Lord has spoken to me, as a lion roars and a young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor be disturbed by their noise. So the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill, like birds flying about. So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending. He will also deliver it. Passing over. He will preserve it. What’s the illustration in verse 4? A young lion over his prey. A young lineover’s prey, let’s say he’s got the prey and he’s eating on it, and shepherds come rushing against it.

Does a lion move? No. No. And so, even though the Egyptians may come up and think they’re going to go against God, does God going to move? He’s not afraid. And he will indeed be there. He will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise. Pretty good common illustration of that day. And I think either we we know enough about how a wild beast would certainly not be moved away from its uh from its food once it’s captured it. So, verses six and seven, what does the Lord do? He calls his people to repent. Return to him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold.

Sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves. When is that going to be? The expression, in that day is a key.

So in verse 8, then Assyria shall fall by sword not of man. And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become forced labor. He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the banner, says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem. You see, overwhelming again and again. Trust in the Lord. Don’t trust in Egypt. Don’t trust in Assyria. Those were the two great empires of that day. And if they didn’t turn to the one, they were turning to the other, and God really sets forth both of them. They’re just mere men. And therefore do not trust in them. In chapter 32, then a new era is coming in which men can trust in a king who reigns in righteousness.

5. A King Will Reign in Righteousness

You see the very first verse. I’m going to read verses 1 through 4. Behold, a king will reign in righteousness. And princes will rule with justice. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. The eyes of those who see will not be dim. The ears of those who hear will listen. The heart of the rash will understand the knowledge, and in and the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly. Any key in that verse 4 was he mean the heart of the tongue of the stammerers.

And yet they will not hear, they will not understand because they have really turned their heart against God. But in this period of time, the king is going to reign. And you know it’s talking about the Messianic period because now he’s going to reign in what? Righteousness.

Although Judah has made the mistake of turning to Egypt for its refuge from adversity. You notice too again some uh I think really key words in this where in verse uh the refuge is in a I’m trying to find it now. Verse 2. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind or from refuge or from adversity. He’s finding refuge from adversity. And then he’s a cover or shelter from the tempest of the storm. Thirdly, as rivers of water in a dry place. Water is a necessity of life, isn’t it? And fourth, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary or parched land. There’s protection from sun and fierce winds. God provides the necessities of life for his people. And so in this heart, in this period of time, also men will understand.

Verses 3 and 4, the spiritual blindness and deafness of former times will be taken away. Let’s see if I can get a verse. Well, back in back in chapter 29, you remember there’s a spirit of deep sleep.

Does God force us to understand his word? No. Certainly does not. And in fact, when people make up their minds that they know what they want to believe and they’re going to believe it regardless. What is we read from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, what has God allowed to happen? Happen, allow when people who are not received are love of the truth, God will send them a strong that they will believe a lie in the place of truth. So we’ve got to make up our minds, you know, not to get that we are so fixed in our heart that it just doesn’t matter what the Bible says. But that’s one of the things that happened to God’s people when they turned away from him, they closed their eyes and closed their ears.

But what he’s saying in in verse 4, or 3 and 4, the ears will now listen. And verse 4, they will understand. And therefore they’ll even be able to understand the language that is spoken. Because they’re seeking to know the truth. In verse 5, in fact, what changes is, he says, the foolish person, now I’m reading the New King James Version, will no longer be called generous, nor the miser said to be bountiful. Hmm. Things are going to change, but what is he saying in that verse? The foolish person, you may have that the King James Version says the vile person. Will no longer be looked upon as generous. King James Version says liberal. Or the New American sentence says noble.

And sometimes people we honor as being very generous or noble really aren’t. Some people of the world who may have a smooth tongue and maybe be wealthy materially, and we say, Oh, what a great person that is. And really it may not be great. But the world may bow down in front of that person and say, Oh, here’s the one worthy of honor. What he’s saying is things will finally be seen for the truth. In verse 6, the foolish person will speak foolishness. His heart will work iniquity to practice ungodliness, to utter error against the Lord, to keep the hungry unsatisfied, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. Also, the schemes of the schemer are evil. He devises wicked plans to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.

But a generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand. In other words, he’s saying here that time will be reversed so that people will be known for what they really are. The man who may now deceive others and look upon like he’s great and generous or noble when he really isn’t, he’ll be exposed. And those who may be humble and not seek to praise everybody else, truly they are the ones who are generous, they will then be known as the one who is generous or noble. Um kind of reminds me of when Jesus was coming up against the Pharisees and telling them, preaching them about the first will be the last and the last will be the first coming into the kingdom. Yeah, who is first?

6. Women at Ease and the Work of Righteousness

He who makes himself first or he who is willing to be served. A servant, that is, and so the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. So that’s a good uh application, I think, of that verse. But now, in the last few verses from verses uh here on 9 through 20, kind of turns things around. Who’s he talking about? Verse 9, rise up who? You women. Women are what? These women are what? At ease. And hear my voice, you complacent daughters. What do you think he’s meaning by that? Did the women are the women involved, or is it just the men who led Israel? I’ll tell you what, women may be uh people who are not leaders. You don’t find them among God’s people even back then, certainly not even today, as elders and deacons, not in the Lord’s church, but do they have an influence?

Yes, they have an influence. Very strong influence. And therefore, even then, you see, we had it back in chapter 3, verses 16 through 26, where he addressed the women then. And now Isaiah uh again addresses the women who were easy and complacent. Perhaps they had shown a little concern over the condition that Isaiah had rebuked them. They were at ease and they were complacent. Women are the fiber that make a home or a nation stand apart. No men may be out in the forefront, but the women, uh, certainly if they are indifferent to the Lord’s message, so will likely be their husbands or their men. He warns uh that within a year or two things will change. He says, Therefore, give ear to my speech. In verse 11, Tremble, you women who are at ease.

Be troubled, you complacent one, strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, gird, sack cloth on your waist. Back verses 15 through 16. This desolation will continue until when? Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful filled. And the fruitful filled is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field. Verse 17, the work of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. That’s a beautiful passage. I mark it. I don’t know if you mark it in your Bible or not, but passages like that. Also back in chapter 26, verses 3 and 4, he said much the same thing. Chapter 26 and verse 3. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.

Conclusion

Trust in the Lord forever, for in the odd the Lord is everlasting strength. And so you want peace in your life, you want real prosperity, you want really to have the blessings of the Lord. The work of righteousness would be peace. Seek peace and your thing. So although the present condition is Isaiah’s writing this of God’s people, uh were rejecting God’s word, and although it would certainly result in punishment, hell and humiliation would come upon them after that’s over. Isaiah again is promising a time will come when God’s people will sow and be blessed with prosperity. Perhaps the same time as we’ve had earlier in the prophecy of Isaiah. So if you were now, uh let’s take a look at the questions on these two lessons.

I didn’t deal with any of them on the wind tonight. So let’s go back to page 68 in your workbook. 68. The prophets and priests have erred and stumbled in what? Ed, you want to start us off there. What is it?

Number two on page 68. Oh, the prophets and priests have erred and stumbled when rendering decisions and through what cause? Drunkenness. Alright. Actually, uh chapter 28 and verse 7, that’s where the answer of that is. In their vision and in their judgment. You mean the prophets could err? Well, yeah, because they had become false prophets. And so even in that time, and even the priests, in fact, he said when they came into the tabernacle, they were guilty of intoxicating drink and drunkenness. They were violating God’s cause. You know, there was pure hypocrisy. They may have the sham of appearance as though they were priests and as though they were prophets, but they were not God’s prophets, because they had sinned earlier in the very attitude that they had with drink.

Number three, but what had they made a covenant and an agreement with death? You know what that meant? They said they had a covenant with death, but it won’t work. What did it mean they had a covenant with that? Adding sanctify the sins of the right. Really, they in effect they had made a treatise, they had made a covenant that perhaps they were going to be protected by Assyria. And so, you know, maybe, maybe Jerusalem is going to fall, but we’ll be protected. It’s kind of like a political maneuvering. And yet he said their covering uh was like the bed that was too short, or the covering that was not uh that was too narrow. And so they they may say they had a covenant that they’re going to be protected, but they really won’t be.

In fact, I just answered the next question for asking number five. What would the bed and covering be like when God brings them low from verse 20 of chapter 28? Let’s go to the last two, nine and ten. What was the attitude of the people toward God from chapter 29? I’ll go to the back. You don’t have it, do you, Frank? Verse 13. Chapter, chapter what, verse 13. Right, chapter 29 and 13, what was the answer?

They removed their hearts far from God. That’s a strong word. Remove their hearts from God. Can men do that today? Absolutely. Number 10, in the end, whom would men sanctify and fear? Finally, again, a turning toward the future from chapter 29 and 23, they would do what? They would sanctify a hallowed God’s name and fear the God of Israel. On your research question, just quickly, did anybody put down? Find from where Isaiah 28 16 is quoted in the New Testament, explain its meaning. Where was it quoted from? Romans 9 33. Romans 9 33. You might have also put parts of it in 1 Peter 2 6. Romans 10 and verse 11. Ephesians 2 20. So the idea in explaining its meaning was that the Lord would in Zion place a stone, a sure foundation.

Turn to the Lord, and you will have real security and real strength. Alright, so quickly, let’s look over to page 74. What will the rebellious children do that adds sins as sin? What was the first sin and what was the second sin? Come? Not take counsel. Alright. They would take counsel and devise plans that are not of the Lord. From chapter 30 and verse 1. Number two, what do they say to the seers and prophets? Their attitude is so strong against God, they say to the prophets, what? No. Memoir visions, memoir gas. Don’t say anything to us. You know, prophesy to see. We’d rather hear smooth words. Don’t prophesy things that upset us. We like to be praised, and we like to talk about heaven. Don’t talk about hell.

Talk about things, talk about love. Don’t talk about repentance. That’s kind of an attitude today sometimes. Let’s just talk about positive things. Well, that’s what they were saying, too. Number six, for what reasons would Israel turn to Egypt and trust in horsemen and chariots? Why would they turn there even? What would what would motivate them to turn to Egypt? Strength and numbers. Strength and numbers. Yeah, you’re going to look at what man sees and what man counts as strong. Chapter 31 and verse 1, because they are many and strong. Number seven question. Why were they so truly for trusting in these rather than the Lord? Chapter 32 and verse 3. Trusting in man and not in God. Right. Trust in men. Horses are flesh and not spirit.

So why turn there? Number 10. What is the work and effect of righteousness? We just read. Verse 17. Yeah, from verse 17. Righteousness will be peace in the effect, quietness, and assurance forever. Beautiful passages. The research question. Find other verses that speak of the peace which comes through serving the Lord. Luke 2.14. Luke 2.14 at the birth of Christ. It depends peace. Philippians 4. Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7. Peace that surpasseth all understanding. Isaiah 26, 3. Isaiah 26, 3 and 4. Psalm 119, verse 165. Okay, I can’t quote that one right off. You got me there. John 14, 27, Jesus said, I would I leave you peace, but not the kind of peace the world gives, right? On page 76, your thought question. Isaiah 30 verses 9 and 10 has a New Testament parallel.

Warning of a time when men will not, quote, endure sound doctrine. Find the verse and describe what man would seek as a substitute for the word of God. Where’s the verse? 2 Timothy 2. Well, we’ll read it here. Really? I’m thinking about the verse in 2 Timothy 4, 2 through 4. You said Acts what? Acts uh 8 through 11, and I’m thinking of magicians and dividers. Okay. All right. But in Second Timothy 4, where he said to Timothy, preach the word, because the times will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. Having itching engineers, seeking says teachers have to not us. Alright, Lord willing, we will not meet with tonight because Brother Hall will be preaching with tonight, and I hope you’ll be there or here for that.

But next Sunday morning, God willing will do lesson thirteen.