Category: Isaiah

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

The LORD’s first woe against the Nation of Judah in the 8^th century B.C. was materialism. The second woe was directed towards drunkenness and devotion to pleasure while concurrently the people neglected the LORD’s work of judgment and redemption. The third woe was against those who ridiculed and mock the LORD and His people; especially His prophet, Isaiah.

The fourth woe concerns the reversal of morality. It is when a culture calls good evil and evil good. It is when moral darkness is preferred than moral light. It is when bitter is called sweet and sweet is called bitter. It is when people pride themselves in their wisdom and shrewdness and reject God’s wisdom. It is when all moral and biblical distinctions are reversed resulting in confusion and chaos.

The Apostle spoke of this in Romans 1:18-32. It is for such things that the wrath of God is coming.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

John Calvin writes, “The Lord particularly reproves the insolence of those who endeavor to overthrow all distinction between good and evil.”

 There is only one remedy for a culture spiraling ever downward in a morass of immorality: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Nothing else will correct a culture which has become morally corrupt.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

¹⁸ “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, ¹⁹ who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” (Isaiah 5:18-19)

The LORD’s first woe against the Nation of Judah in the 8^th century B.C. was materialism. The second woe was directed towards drunkenness and devotion to pleasure while concurrently the people neglected the LORD’s work of judgment and redemption. The third woe was against those who ridicule and mock the LORD and His people; especially His prophet, Isaiah. The LORD is against the peoples’ obstinate perseverance in sin, as if they wished to provoke God’s divine judgments.”

As I write this blog, it is Saturday, April 4. The world is caught up in the midst of a widespread pandemic. A mandatory quarantine is in effect requiring people to remain, and work, within the confines of their homes for at least the rest of this month. With the exception of essential services, such as those who work in the food industry, many people find themselves either unemployed or experiencing a new normal. In the state of Indiana, where I live, the state government has even cancelled the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Turbulent times to be sure.

It is during such times that you would think a return to acknowledging, and calling upon the sovereign God of the universe in prayer, would be welcome and even encouraged. However, when one such Christian businessman, Mike Lindell of My Pillow, did so recently from the White House Rose Garden the mainstream, liberal media severely derided and criticized him.

Lindell announced Monday, March 30, that he hoped to have his company producing 50,000 medical face masks a day to distribute around the country by the end of the week. “This isn’t a political thing,” Lindell said Tuesday, March 31. “We’ve gotta get back to God and pray. … I’m so thankful everybody from all walks of life and all sides of the political aisle did get behind it against this, this evil media that’s out there. … I don’t even know why they do that. I can’t explain it. I don’t know Jim Acosta. I’ve never met him before.” Acosta, a CNN reporter, suggested Lindell’s appearance during the press conference was a shameless act of self-promotion for his business.

Ridiculing God, and His people, is not new. What is done in our contemporary culture was done in Israel in the 8^th century B.C. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

The unbelieving people of Judah consistently mocked the LORD who created them and provided for them. They lived in shameless rebellion against the LORD and then taunted Him, and His prophets, regarding when His so-called judgment was going to occur.

Today’s text says, ““Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes.” Within the context, the people were consistently seizing and drawing out iniquity, falsehood and sin in their lives. Like drawing water from a well, or dragging a cart with ropes, they did not cease from this ceaseless activity of wickedness.

If that were not enough, they then challenged God by saying, ““Let him (God) be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The taunting unbelievers said, “Where is the judgment of which you have spoken, Isaiah? Bring it on. We will believe it when we see it.” This challenge for God to hasten his judgment represented their disbelief that the Holy One of Israel would judge the people.”

God did bring judgement upon the Nation of Judah (2 Chronicles 36; Daniel 1). He will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7-8). Not then, in the 8^th century B.C., and not now in the 21^st century A.D.

Soli deo Gloria!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹¹ Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! ^12 “They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands. ¹³ Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst. ¹⁴ Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her. ¹⁵ Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. ¹⁶ But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. ¹⁷ Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.”

The LORD’s first woe against the Nation of Judah in the 8^th century B.C. was materialism. The second woe was directed towards drunkenness and devotion to pleasure while concurrently the people neglected the LORD’s work of judgment and redemption.

The people’s desire for strong alcoholic drink from early in the morning until late at night prompted condemnation from Isaiah. The people were more concerned with partying and being entertained than having regard for the LORD’s work. The judgment from God would be hunger and thirst. Since this is what the people lived for, God would remove the idol of their appetites.

However, the appetite of Sheol, or the place of the dead, would continue to be large and be enlarged. From the nobility to the commoner, all the rebellious and unrepentant would feel its pain. The prideful sinner would be humbled.

Dr. John MacArthur writes that, “This term (Sheol) in this context pictures death as a great monster with wide-open jaws, ready to receive its victims. Such was to be the fate of those who perish in the captivity God will send to punish the people’s sinfulness.”

The only one who would be exalted, even in judgment, would be the LORD. It is because the LORD shows Himself holy in His righteous justice.

The only ones who would inhabit the land would be lambs and nomadic herdsman. They alone would eat among the ruins of the rich.

The striking parallel between Judah in the 8^th century B.C. and America in the 21^st century A.D. is huge. Even in the midst of a pandemic, there are those who cannot face the possibility of no parties. So, they engage in at risk behavior and become infected with the corona-virus.

It is time for people to repent or face the judgment from the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁸  Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land. ⁹ The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. ¹⁰ For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.” (Isaiah 5:8-10)

The prophets of God had a twofold message from God to the people of God. The prophet’s message from the LORD was called an oracle. An oracle was a divine revelation communicated through God’s spokesperson (prophet, priest, or king), usually pronouncing blessing, instruction, or judgment.

An oracle of blessing would be prefaced by the word “blessed.” However, an oracle of judgment would be preceded by the word “woe.” In the Song of Isaiah the Prophet, which is contained in Isaiah 5, Isaiah issued a series of six woes upon the Nation of Judah in general, and the Jewish people in particular. The reasons for the woes was Israel’s bad fruit of unrighteousness, previously referred to in Isaiah 5:1-7. The first woe is contained in vs. 8-10.

The LORD pronounced judgment upon Israel because of their greedy real estate owners and their crass materialism. The vocabulary indicates that these owners were violently attacking dwelling place after dwelling place and pasture and pasture in their desire for more.

Dr. Roy Zuck explains that, “Selling houses permanently in a walled city was allowed under the Law, but selling houses in unwalled cities and fields was allowed only until the Year of Jubilee when the houses would revert back to their former owners. Because God had given the people the land they were not to get rich at others’ expense.”

Due to this materialism, the houses and lands, which were so coveted, would become desolate. No one would inhabit them. This would be God’s judgment upon them.

Dr. John Walvoord comments that, “As noted in the Mosaic Covenant (Deut. 28:20–24), their crops would fail. Normally a large vineyard would produce many gallons of wine, but here the amount would be a mere six gallons (a bath). And six bushels (a homer) of seed would normally yield scores of bushels of grain, but ironically the grain would be only one-half a bushel (an ephah), just 1/12 the amount of seed sown!^”

Dr. John MacArthur explains that, “God judged the greedy rich by reducing the productivity of their land to a small fraction of what it would have been normally. Such amounts, (as listed by Isaiah) indicate famine conditions.”

Proverbs 30:7-9 says, “⁷ Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: ⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, ⁹ lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”

I Timothy 6:6-11 says, “⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.¹¹ But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

Perhaps the LORD has allowed this recent pandemic to remove the sin of materialism from our own souls. It is worth considering.

Soli deo Gloria!  

 

 

 

 

“Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. ²  He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. ³ And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴ What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? ⁵ And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. ⁶ I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. ⁷  For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” (Isaiah 5:1-7)

Of the many characteristics of the Prophet Isaiah, one thing that might not come to mind when thinking about the prophet is that he was a musician and a composer. Isaiah 5 contains the prophet’s love song on behalf of the LORD toward His people, Israel.

John Calvin explains that, “Isaiah composed this song that he might present to the people a clearer view of their wickedness. Undoubtedly, he handled this subject with magnificent and harmonious language for the highest skill is commonly exercised in the composition of poems.

Who are the subjects of this love song? First of all, there is the beloved. This is the LORD. He is the One who possesses a vineyard. The word vineyard is a metaphor symbolizing God’s people (Isaiah 27; Ezekiel 15; John 15:1-7). In the immediate context, the vineyard is Israel.

What does the text say about the vineyard, aside from being the object of the LORD’s love and affection? To begin with, the vineyard was located on a fertile hill. The LORD dug this ground, removed the stones and planted the vineyard with choice vines. The LORD also built a watchtower in its midst in order to be on the alert for any predators who might seek to damage or destroy the vineyard or steal its grapes. The LORD also constructed a wine vat fully expecting the grapes would yield fine juice, which when fermented would become excellent wine.

However, the vineyard did not produce fine grapes for wine, but rather wild grapes. The phrase “wild grapes” means sour, hard, stinking, rotten and worthless grapes.

As Isaiah composes this song, he speaks on behalf of the LORD. The prophet asks a series of rhetorical questions in vs. 3-4. “³ And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴ What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes” The answers are obvious. The LORD did everything He could in order to ensure the fruitfulness of His vineyard.

What will the LORD do in response to the vineyard producing rotten and unusable grapes? The answers are found in vs. 5-6. “? ⁵ And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. ⁶ I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”

 The significance of the vineyard metaphor is finally clarified in vs. 7. ^“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!” The sour and rotten grapes of Israel is not justice and righteousness but rather bloodshed and the cry of injustice.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “The vineyard in this song is identified as Israel and Judah. As elsewhere in Isaiah, “Israel” is sometimes a synonym for the Southern Kingdom (Neh. 1:6; 13:3). Delighting in His people, God wanted good fruit, that is, justice and righteousness (cf. comments on Isa. 1:21). Instead He saw only bloodshed (cf. 1:15) and heard cries of distress. Because of its “bad grapes” (injustice) most people would be killed or taken into captivity. Isaiah used two interesting cases of assonance (similarity in word sounds) to stress the contrast between what God expected in His people and what happened to them. “Justice” (mišpāṭ) was replaced with “bloodshed” (miśpoḥ), and instead of “righteousness” (ṣeḏāqâh) there was “distress” (se‘āqâh).”

Calvin comments that, “Isaiah does not illustrate every part of this metaphor; nor was it necessary. It was enough to point out what was its object. The whole nation was the vineyard, the individual men were the plants. Thus, he (Yahweh) accuses the whole body of the nation, and then every individual, so that no man could escape the universal condemnation. The same doctrine ought to be inculcated on us at the present day. Christ affirms that he is the vine (John 15:1) and that having been engrafted into this vine, we are place under the care of the Father.”

Let each of us examine the fruitfulness of our spiritual lives (Galatians 5:16-23) to see if each of us who are in Christ are yielding, and being, good fruit.

As one commentator explains, “We are not counted as righteous before the Lord because of our service to Him. Nevertheless, if we are not fruitful in serving Him, then we do not abide in His choice vine—the Lord Jesus Christ—whose work alone can save us. By the Spirit, we must continue to abide in Christ and bear fruit unto the Lord’s glory in the form of love for God and neighbor.”

Soli deo Gloria!

² In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. ³ And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, ⁴ when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. ⁵ Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. ⁶ There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” (Isaiah 4:2-6)

Who, or what, exactly is the Branch of the LORD? The phrase “branch of the LORD” is a Messianic title which is also found in Jeremiah 23:1-5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:1-8 and 6:1-12. The concept behind the metaphor is that of spiritual growth. The Branch is the source of spiritual life for all believers. Therefore, the life of the Branch will bear spiritual fruit (John 15:1-5) in the lives of all true believers.

As one commentator explains, “Of special interest is the Messianic use of the word (Heb. ṣemaḥ) for the scion of the family of David who would come to rule Israel in righteousness. Explicitly prophesied in Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15, the expression looks back to Isaiah 4:2 (cf. Is. 11:1, Heb. nēṣer). Zechariah 3:8; 6:12 show that the title ‘branch’ was a recognized Messianic term after the Exile, used to incorporate the idea of a priest-king.”

 Isaiah describes the Branch as being beautiful and glorious. This means the Branch will be abundantly honored because of the substance of His being. Consequently, the fruit of the land will become a source of pride and honor for those who belong to the spiritual remnant of the Branch following the Babylonian Captivity.

What will mark the land will not be so much its material prosperity but rather its spiritual prosperity. In other words, the people of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be called holy. The LORD will wash away the spiritual filth which existed. He will cleanse Jerusalem of its sin by a spirit of judgment and burning.

When this is accomplished, the future inhabitants of Jerusalem will enjoy the LORD’s protective glory on Mt. Zion. His glory is likened to a cloud or smoke by day and a flaming fire by night. This resembles the glory of the LORD throughout Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness ((Ex. 13:21–22; 40:34–38).

John Calvin writes, “Though the Prophet confirms what we have already noticed, that God will be our perpetual guide till He has brought us to the end of our journey. Yet we are reminded that believers will always be exposed to numerous calamities. Scorching heat and piercing cold and still heavier distresses press on them severely. When they (believers) escape from one danger, they meet another. But the highest consolation is that against every inconvenience the shadow of the LORD will be sufficient. For it will cover them in such a manner that nothing can injure or do them any harm. See Psalm 121.”

 What was true of the LORD towards the Nation of Judah is true today for all believers in Christ. Do you belong to the Branch?

Soli deo Gloria!   

 

 

  

 

 

^12”For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; ¹³ against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan; ¹⁴ against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills; ¹⁵ against every high tower, and against every fortified wall; ¹⁶ against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft. ¹⁷ And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. ¹⁸ And the idols shall utterly pass away. ¹⁹ And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. ²⁰ In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, ²¹ to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. ²² Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:12-22)

The subject of the Day of the LORD has already been defined as an expression used by Old Testament prophets (as early as the eighth-century bc prophet Amos) to signify a time in which God actively intervenes in history, primarily for judgment. Thus “the day of the Lord” is also called “the day of the Lord’s anger” (Zep 2:2). Isaiah 2:12-22 also provides characteristics of the Day of the LORD.

First, it is a day which belongs to the LORD of hosts. The title “the LORD of hosts” refers to Yahweh’s authority and His rule over a vast army of warriors. It is an Old Testament name for God found mostly in the prophets. The hosts are the heavenly powers and angels that act at the LORD’s command.”

Secondly, this Day of the LORD is about what Yahweh is against, vs. 12b-16. It is a day of judgment against those who by their attitudes and actions continually display rebelliousness against the LORD.

What is the LORD against or what He will ascend upon? The text says the proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up in worship instead of the LORD. He will be against all the cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan. These sources of wood were fashioned into idols of worship. The LORD will also be against the mountains and uplifted hills which were places of idolatrous worship. He will also be in opposition to high towers and fortified walls which represent man’s military power. Yahweh will also be against the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft representing commercial activity and a strong economy.

Thirdly, what will be the result of God’s judgment during the Day of the LORD of Hosts? Vs. 13-19 gives us clear descriptions of man’s response to God’s glorious judgment. Man’s pride will be brought low or humbled. There will be no more false worship of false gods. People will hide in caves and rocks when the glory and splendor of God’s majesty appears (Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:16).

In 2:20-21, Isaiah provides a summary of what the Day of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish. “²⁰ In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, ²¹ to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.” Precious metals will be forsaken for the normally detestable haven and caverns of moles and bats.

Isaiah 2:22 provides a solemn warning. “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” The believer must stop trusting in, being dependent upon, be committed to and worshiping man. Mortal man is but a breath.

It is time to return to the God of our salvation. It is time to repent and receive the LORD’s righteousness.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁶For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. ⁷ Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. ⁸ Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. ⁹ So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! ¹⁰ Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. ¹¹ The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:6-11)

Isaiah 2:6-22 concerns the subject known as the Day of the LORD. Often, prophecy of a near-future event and an end-time prophecy are merged—the immediate judgment being a preview of the final Day of the Lord. The prophecy of Isaiah against Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:6-22) and Babylon is an example (Isaiah 13:5–10).

Why did the LORD determine to judge the Nation of Judah and when did this historically occur? The reasons for the judgement are set forth in today’s text.

To begin with, God rejected His people because they chose to ignore and reject His revelation and opted to consult fortune tellers. The Hebrew word for fortune-tellers refers to those who practice sorcery, magic or conjuring the spirits of the dead to appear before the living. These behaviors were clearly prohibited in Scripture ((Levicitus19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10, 14; Judges 9:37; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 27:9; Micah 5:11).

Secondly, they were consumed with material wealth. This led them into business dealings with non-Jews.  This was not done for the sake of fidelity but rather to amass great amounts of gold, silver, treasures and horses. They became obsessed with the trappings of wealth.

Thirdly, they were idolatrous. Instead of worshipping Yahweh alone, they chose to worship false gods. They perhaps concluded that these worthless and false deities were the source of their wealth. Idols were crafted images which were artifacts of worship (Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; 1 Chronicles 16:26; Psalm 96:5; 97:7).

Therefore, because of their self-exaltation God will humble His people by bringing humiliating judgement. God alone is to be exalted among the people.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “God had abandoned His people (on the house of Jacob see comments on v. 5) not because He no longer loved them but because they had become like the pagans around them. The people of Judah were as superstitious as the people in the East, that is, they were following the practices of the Assyrian Empire, which at that time was encroaching on the entire Syro-Palestinian area.”

Additionally, Dr. Walvoord comments that “At the same time Judahites were engaging in divination like the Philistines. The Philistines occupied the southwestern part of Canaan and had sought to control Israel. So Israel was influenced by pagan practices from several sources. That Philistines were involved in divination is evident from 1 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 1:2. Divination (from ‘ānan, “to practice sorcery”; cf. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10, 14; 2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12, “cast spells”) was the attempt to control people or circumstances or to seek to know the future through power given by evil spirits (demons).”

Finally, Dr. Walvvord concludes that, “Isaiah’s irony here is strong, for Judah should have known what her future would be because of the Word of God; yet she was trying to discern the future by pagan means. No wonder Isaiah asked God not to forgive her (Isa. 2:9). Judah had great material wealth (silver and gold) and military strength (horses and chariots, v. 7) which they no doubt mistakenly thought came to them because of their worshiping idols. This probably led to pride and self-confidence because God said they would be brought low and humbled (v. 9; cf. vv. 11–12, 17). Their sinful condition made judgment a necessity.”

It is because of these sinful behaviors, that God would finally bring judgment upon Judah by the Nation of Babylon in 605 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:1-21; Daniel 1:1-2). This captivity would extend for 70 tears (Daniel 9:1-2; Jeremiah 25:1-14).

We must be careful that we do not practice the same sinful behavior as the Nation of Judah in the 8^th century B.C. To do so presumes upon the grace of the LORD and fosters the probability that God will judge our nation in much the same way. Let us resolve to be salt and light in a rotting and darkened culture (Matthew 5:13-16).

Soli deo Gloria!

Soli deo Gloria!

⁶For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. ⁷ Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. ⁸ Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. ⁹ So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! ¹⁰ Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. ¹¹ The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:6-11)

Isaiah 2:6-22 concerns the subject known as the Day of the LORD. The Day of the LORD was an expression used by Old Testament prophets (as early as the eighth-century BC prophet Amos) to signify a period of time in which God actively intervenes in history, primarily for judgment. Thus “the Day of the LORD” is also called “the Day of the LORD’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:2).

Sometimes “the Day of the Lord” is used in the OT to speak of God’s past judgment (Lamentations 2:22). More often, the phrase describes an impending future judgment of a nation (Joel 2:1–11). However, the term most frequently refers to a climactic future judgment of the world (Joel 3:14–21; Malachi 4:5).

Often, prophecy of a near-future event and an end-time prophecy are merged—the immediate judgment being a preview of the final Day of the Lord. The prophecy of Isaiah against Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:6-22) and Babylon is an example (Isaiah 13:5–10).

Jesus Christ combined events described in Isaiah with other prophecies to explain his second coming (Mk 13:24–37). Another example is Joel’s prophecy of the Day of the Lord (Joel 1:15–2:11). Though the prophet initially spoke of God’s judgment on Israel by a locust plague, that judgment prompted further pronouncements about a final Day of the Lord far beyond Joel’s time (2:14–17, 31). That Day of the Lord extended even beyond the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost predicted by Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:16–21; Revelation 6:12–13). The New Testament uses the term exclusively to mean the end times.

The final Day of the Lord is described in the Scriptures as a day of gloom, darkness, and judgment. Along with God’s judgment, is the language depicting changes in nature, including a darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12).

All nations will be judged for their rebellion against God’s anointed people and king (Joel 3:19; cf. Psalm 2). Israel is counseled not to be eager for that day, because it will also include judgment on that particular people (Amos 5:18–20). However, the prophets promise that a believing “remnant” will be saved by looking to the Messiah they once rejected (Joel 2:32; Zechariah 12:10). Following the judgment, the future Day of the Lord will be a time of prosperity, restoration, and blessing for Israel (Joel 3:18–21).

The more explicit NT expressions—“the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:8), “the day of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14), and “the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10; 2:16)—are more personal and more positive. They point to final events related to Christian believers, who will not experience the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9). When the Day of the Lord comes, the earth will be renewed and purified through a judgment of fire (2 Peter 3:10–13). In the book of Revelation the final purging seems to come after the Millennium—that is, the 1,000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 21:1).

 As mentioned earlier, Isaiah 2:6-22 carries a near-far fulfillment regarding the Day of the LORD. When next we meet, we will examine Isaiah 2:6-11 to see why God chose to judge the Nation of Judah and when this judgment historically occurred.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴ He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. ⁵ O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:4-5).

Of all the many familiar verses from the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah 2:4-5 falls into this category. The LORD will have an extensive ministry of judging and settling disputes throughout the world. It will be the LORD who will require nations and peoples everywhere to abstain from warfare and be at peace. A world at peace, instead of a world at war with no military conflict or training, will prevail because the implements of warfare (swords and spears) will be turned into implements of agriculture (plowshares and hooks; cf. Joel 3:10).

At this time of worldwide peace all nations will go to Jerusalem to learn from God (Isa. 2:2). Peace will come not by human achievement or government, but rather because of God’s presence and His work in Jerusalem. At that time Israel will be filled with God’s Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24–30) and her sins will be forgiven (Jeremiah 31:31–34).

Isaiah closed this brief section with an exhortation for his Jewish readers to walk (live) in the light of the Lord. All believers in Christ are encouraged to do the same (Ephesians 5:1-21). To walk means to obediently live and behave in response to God’s revelation of Himself in the Scriptures.

When Isaiah called the Nation of Judah the house of Jacob, this was a reference to Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s descendants. Isaiah used this term eight times (vv. 5–6; 8:17; 10:20; 14:1; 29:22; 46:3; 48:1) whereas it is used only nine times by all the other prophets.

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “When great truths about the future are given in the Scriptures, readers are often reminded of how they should live in the present (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 5:1–8; 2 Peter 3:10–14; 1 John 3:1–3). In view of the fact that in the Millennium all nations will stream to Jerusalem to learn God’s Word, it would be sensible for Israel, already knowing that Law, to follow it (walking in its “light”) until the Lord sets up His glorious kingdom. It would be sensible for believers in Christ today to do the same.”

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!