When a nation is in serious trouble, where do we go for help? Let’s look at Isaiah 8.
What was the purpose in God naming Isaiah’s second son the longest name in the Bible? Is his name “swift booty, speedy prey,” a prophecy of Assyria conquering the northern tribes of Israel?
The Lord said, “Isaiah, get something to write on. Then write in big clear letters the name, MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ. I will tell Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah to serve as witnesses to this.” Sometime later, my wife and I had a son, and the Lord said, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Because before he can say ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy,’ the king of Assyria will attack and take everything of value from Damascus and Samaria.” (Isa 8:1-4 CEV)
Had the northern tribes rejected the gentle waters of Jerusalem, God’s loving provision? So, will they be symbolically flooded with the waters from the Euphrates, the Assyrians?
The Lord spoke to me again: “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” (Isa 8:5-8 ESV)
Will any human schemes thwart God’s plans to punish the nation? Does the meaning of “God with us” (Immanuel) shift from God being with the faithful remnant of Judah to God is literally with us in Christ?
Band together, peoples, and be broken; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for war, and be broken; prepare for war, and be broken. Devise a plan; it will fail. Make a prediction; it will not happen. For God is with us. (Isa 8:9-10 HCSB)
Who should we fear, those who spread panic and conspiracy theories or God?
For this is what the Lord spoke to me, as his forceful hand was resting on me, and as he was warning me not to live the way this people were living: “Don’t call conspiracy everything that this people calls conspiracy, and don’t fear what they fear, or live in terror. The Lord of the Heavenly Armies—he’s the one you are to regard as holy. Let him be the one whom you fear, and let him be the one before whom you stand in terror! Then he will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel he’ll also be a stone with which someone strikes himself, a rock one stumbles over, a trap and a snare to those who live in Jerusalem. Many will stumble on them; They’ll fall and be broken; They’ll be snared and captured. (Isa 8:11-15 ISV)
Were Isaiah’s sons Shear-Jashub (a remnant shall return) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (swift booty speedy prey), and Isaiah’s name (God is salvation) prophetic signs of what God was about to do?
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. (Isa 8:16-18 KJV)
What does God say to those who seek an answer from the occult?
Now when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. And they will pass through the land hard-pressed and hungry, and it will be that when they are hungry, they will be angry and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be banished into thick darkness. (Isa 8:19-22 LSB)
How is Jesus both the chief cornerstone and a stone of stumbling?
For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for unbelievers, “A stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief cornerstone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed. (1 Pet 2:6-8 NASB)
When a nation is in serious trouble, where do we go for help? You decide!
Judgment on the North (Isaiah 7)
Buried in a warning of a coming Assyrian invasion of the northern ten tribes, is there a prophecy of Jesus? Do we believe that if God is for us, who can be against us? Let’s look at Isaiah 7.
Did the northern tribes of Israel align with two foreign kings against Jerusalem?
Now it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. When it was told to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. (Isa 7:1-2 LSB)
Did God offer Ahaz of Judah, king in Jerusalem, calm assurance that enemy plans would fail and he need only believe?
Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field, and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, “Let’s go up against Judah and terrorize it, and take it for ourselves by assault and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” this is what the Lord God says: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces, so that it is no longer a people), and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”’” (Isa 7:3-9 NASB)
Is this important prophecy of Immanuel familiar to those who remember Christ’s birth?
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. (Isa 7:10-16 NIV)
Was there a warning regarding the northern tribes, with Ephraim at its head, regarding a future destruction by Assyria?
The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. (Isa 7:17-20 NKJV)
How thorough would the destruction by Assyria be upon the northern tribes?
In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there. (Isa 7:21-25 NLT)
How was part of this prophecy used in explaining Jesus’ birth? Was Jesus God with us during His ministry on earth?
Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.” (Mat 1:22-23 WEB)
How should we understand the presence of God here on earth?
So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is [can be] against us? (Rom 8:31 CEB)
Buried in a warning of a coming Assyrian invasion of the northern ten tribes, is there a prophecy of Jesus? Do we believe that if God is for us, who can be against us? You decide!
Did the northern tribes of Israel align with two foreign kings against Jerusalem?
Now it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. When it was told to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. (Isa 7:1-2 LSB)
Did God offer Ahaz of Judah, king in Jerusalem, calm assurance that enemy plans would fail and he need only believe?
Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the fuller’s field, and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, “Let’s go up against Judah and terrorize it, and take it for ourselves by assault and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” this is what the Lord God says: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces, so that it is no longer a people), and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you certainly shall not last.”’” (Isa 7:3-9 NASB)
Is this important prophecy of Immanuel familiar to those who remember Christ’s birth?
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. (Isa 7:10-16 NIV)
Was there a warning regarding the northern tribes, with Ephraim at its head, regarding a future destruction by Assyria?
The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. (Isa 7:17-20 NKJV)
How thorough would the destruction by Assyria be upon the northern tribes?
In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there. (Isa 7:21-25 NLT)
How was part of this prophecy used in explaining Jesus’ birth? Was Jesus God with us during His ministry on earth?
Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.” (Mat 1:22-23 WEB)
How should we understand the presence of God here on earth?
So what are we going to say about these things? If God is for us, who is [can be] against us? (Rom 8:31 CEB)
Buried in a warning of a coming Assyrian invasion of the northern ten tribes, is there a prophecy of Jesus? Do we believe that if God is for us, who can be against us? You decide!
Deafen their Ears (Isaiah 6)
Why did both Isaiah and Jesus not want the stubborn and unrepentant to understand? Are we repentant? Let’s look at Isaiah 6.
Is Uzziah the first of four kings during whose reign Isaiah prophesied? Was he one of the good kings of Judah?
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. (Isa 6:1 WEB)
Are the seraphs around God’s throne a unique kind of angel? The Hebrew im-ending is the same plural as our English s-ending. What did they look like? What were they doing?
Winged creatures [Seraphim] were stationed around him. Each had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew about. They shouted to each other, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heavenly forces! All the earth is filled with God’s glory!” The doorframe shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isa 6: 2-4 CEB)
Does a mature believer realize deeply how sinful our nature actually is?
Then I cried out, “I'm doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.” One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.” (Isa 6:5-7 CEV)
Did God call for a volunteer to go and did Isaiah respond? Is God asking for volunteers today?
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isa 6:8 ESV)
How did God respond to Isaiah volunteering? Was his message to be similar to that of Jesus, who spoke in parables to hide the meaning from unrepentant crowds?
And He replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Dull the minds of these people; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed. (Isa 6:9-10 HCSB)
How long was Isaiah to prophecy during the reigns of four kings of Judah? Who is the holy seed?
Then I asked, “For how long, Lord?” He replied: “Until cities lie waste, without inhabitants, and houses without people; and the land becomes utterly desolate. Until the Lord removes people far away, and there are many empty places in the middle of the land. Even though a tenth of its people remain in it, it will once again be burned, like a terebinth or an oak tree, the stump of which, though the tree has been felled, still contains holy seed.” (Isa 6:11-13 ISV)
When asked why He spoke in parables to people who did not really want to repent, did Jesus echo this chapter of Isaiah?
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Mat 13:14-15 KJV)
Why did both Isaiah and Jesus not want the stubborn and unrepentant to understand? Are we repentant? You decide!
Is Uzziah the first of four kings during whose reign Isaiah prophesied? Was he one of the good kings of Judah?
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. (Isa 6:1 WEB)
Are the seraphs around God’s throne a unique kind of angel? The Hebrew im-ending is the same plural as our English s-ending. What did they look like? What were they doing?
Winged creatures [Seraphim] were stationed around him. Each had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew about. They shouted to each other, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heavenly forces! All the earth is filled with God’s glory!” The doorframe shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isa 6: 2-4 CEB)
Does a mature believer realize deeply how sinful our nature actually is?
Then I cried out, “I'm doomed! Everything I say is sinful, and so are the words of everyone around me. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.” One of the flaming creatures flew over to me with a burning coal that it had taken from the altar with a pair of metal tongs. It touched my lips with the hot coal and said, “This has touched your lips. Your sins are forgiven, and you are no longer guilty.” (Isa 6:5-7 CEV)
Did God call for a volunteer to go and did Isaiah respond? Is God asking for volunteers today?
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isa 6:8 ESV)
How did God respond to Isaiah volunteering? Was his message to be similar to that of Jesus, who spoke in parables to hide the meaning from unrepentant crowds?
And He replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Dull the minds of these people; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed. (Isa 6:9-10 HCSB)
How long was Isaiah to prophecy during the reigns of four kings of Judah? Who is the holy seed?
Then I asked, “For how long, Lord?” He replied: “Until cities lie waste, without inhabitants, and houses without people; and the land becomes utterly desolate. Until the Lord removes people far away, and there are many empty places in the middle of the land. Even though a tenth of its people remain in it, it will once again be burned, like a terebinth or an oak tree, the stump of which, though the tree has been felled, still contains holy seed.” (Isa 6:11-13 ISV)
When asked why He spoke in parables to people who did not really want to repent, did Jesus echo this chapter of Isaiah?
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Mat 13:14-15 KJV)
Why did both Isaiah and Jesus not want the stubborn and unrepentant to understand? Are we repentant? You decide!
Six Woes (Isaiah 5)
Does God warn Israel of six woes, consequences of their wrong ways? What can we learn from this? Let’s look at Isaiah 5.
What does this song picture and what does the vineyard symbolize?
I will sing a song about my friend's [beloved’s] vineyard that was on the side of a fertile hill. My friend dug the ground, removed the stones, and planted the best vines. He built a watchtower and dug a pit in rocky ground for pressing the grapes. He hoped they would be sweet, but bitter grapes were all it produced. (Isa 5:1-2 CEV)
Did God tend His vineyard well but still it did not produce well?
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 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? (Isa 5:3-4 ESV)
Does God warn what He is about to do to His vineyard? Does God finally name His vineyard?
Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness. (Isa 5:5-7 HCSB)
Are there six woes that God warns Israel and Judah about? Is greed still driving us to make smaller and smaller house blocks and farms with no room for wildlife between fields?
“How terrible it will be [Woe #1] for you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you have settled yourselves alone in the middle of the land!” The Lord of the Heavenly Armies has declared this so I could hear it: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great and beautiful houses, without occupants. For ten acres of vineyard will produce only one bath, and one omer of seed will produce only one ephah.” (Isa 5:8-10 ISV)
Do we also have a problem with alcoholism among our people?
Woe [#2] unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. (Isa 5:11-12 KJV)
What will happen to the nation because of their sins? Does God eventually treat all nations alike in this regard?
Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without limit; And Jerusalem’s majesty, her multitude, her rumbling, and the exultant within her, descend into it. So the common man will be bowed down and the man of importance will be made low, The eyes of the lofty also will be made low. But Yahweh of hosts will be lofty in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And sojourners will eat in the waste places of the wealthy. (Isa 5:13-17 LSB)
Will criminals with their deceptive scams, bribery, labeling evil good and vice versa be among the first to be punished by God?
Woe [#3] to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes; Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!” Woe [#4] to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe [#5] to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Woe [#6] to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink, Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! (Isa 5:18-23 NASB)
After initial punishment will God relent or double down?
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (Isa 5:24-25 NIV)
Did God then beckon Assyria to invade Israel? Will our modern nations escape God's punishment for our sins?
He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver. In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds. (Isa 5:26-30 NKJV)
Rather than the bad fruit of a rebellious nation, what fruit does the Holy Spirit produce?
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Gal 5:22-23 NLT)
Does God warn Israel of six woes, consequences of their wrong ways? What can we learn from this? You decide!
What does this song picture and what does the vineyard symbolize?
I will sing a song about my friend's [beloved’s] vineyard that was on the side of a fertile hill. My friend dug the ground, removed the stones, and planted the best vines. He built a watchtower and dug a pit in rocky ground for pressing the grapes. He hoped they would be sweet, but bitter grapes were all it produced. (Isa 5:1-2 CEV)
Did God tend His vineyard well but still it did not produce well?
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 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? (Isa 5:3-4 ESV)
Does God warn what He is about to do to His vineyard? Does God finally name His vineyard?
Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or weeded; thorns and briers will grow up. I will also give orders to the clouds that rain should not fall on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness. (Isa 5:5-7 HCSB)
Are there six woes that God warns Israel and Judah about? Is greed still driving us to make smaller and smaller house blocks and farms with no room for wildlife between fields?
“How terrible it will be [Woe #1] for you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you have settled yourselves alone in the middle of the land!” The Lord of the Heavenly Armies has declared this so I could hear it: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great and beautiful houses, without occupants. For ten acres of vineyard will produce only one bath, and one omer of seed will produce only one ephah.” (Isa 5:8-10 ISV)
Do we also have a problem with alcoholism among our people?
Woe [#2] unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. (Isa 5:11-12 KJV)
What will happen to the nation because of their sins? Does God eventually treat all nations alike in this regard?
Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without limit; And Jerusalem’s majesty, her multitude, her rumbling, and the exultant within her, descend into it. So the common man will be bowed down and the man of importance will be made low, The eyes of the lofty also will be made low. But Yahweh of hosts will be lofty in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And sojourners will eat in the waste places of the wealthy. (Isa 5:13-17 LSB)
Will criminals with their deceptive scams, bribery, labeling evil good and vice versa be among the first to be punished by God?
Woe [#3] to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes; Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him do His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!” Woe [#4] to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe [#5] to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight! Woe [#6] to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink, Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! (Isa 5:18-23 NASB)
After initial punishment will God relent or double down?
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. (Isa 5:24-25 NIV)
Did God then beckon Assyria to invade Israel? Will our modern nations escape God's punishment for our sins?
He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, And will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one will be weary or stumble among them, No one will slumber or sleep; Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver. In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds. (Isa 5:26-30 NKJV)
Rather than the bad fruit of a rebellious nation, what fruit does the Holy Spirit produce?
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Gal 5:22-23 NLT)
Does God warn Israel of six woes, consequences of their wrong ways? What can we learn from this? You decide!
Jerusalem Cleansed (Isaiah 4)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? Let’s look at Isaiah 4.
Does warfare often kill so many male soldiers that women become a majority for a time? Does this depict desperate women?
In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” (Isa 4:1 NIV)
Is there a reference to Jesus in this prophecy? Is that just a thought of Him giving people hope in dark times or does this also apply in some way to His return? What does it mean that some are recorded among the living?
In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. (Isa 4:2-3 NKJV)
When the Branch of the Lord reigns will He wash Jerusalem’s sins, and because they are clean, will God’s presence be there again?
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. (Isa 4:4-6 NLT)
How are we saved, by our own goodness or by a washing from heaven?
not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5 WEB)
Who is the Branch that will bring cleansing to Jerusalem, mentioned here in this prophecy?
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant [Branch] of David, the bright morning star. (Rev 22:16 CEB)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? You decide!
Does warfare often kill so many male soldiers that women become a majority for a time? Does this depict desperate women?
In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!” (Isa 4:1 NIV)
Is there a reference to Jesus in this prophecy? Is that just a thought of Him giving people hope in dark times or does this also apply in some way to His return? What does it mean that some are recorded among the living?
In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. (Isa 4:2-3 NKJV)
When the Branch of the Lord reigns will He wash Jerusalem’s sins, and because they are clean, will God’s presence be there again?
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. (Isa 4:4-6 NLT)
How are we saved, by our own goodness or by a washing from heaven?
not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5 WEB)
Who is the Branch that will bring cleansing to Jerusalem, mentioned here in this prophecy?
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant [Branch] of David, the bright morning star. (Rev 22:16 CEB)
Do we believe that Jerusalem will finally be cleansed and become holy? You decide!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)