This week we
will continue the study of the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament.
Upon the completion of the oracles concerning the nations (chapters 13-23), Isaiah displays the triumph of the Lord over all the earth and His glorious reign on Mount Zion in chapter 24. In response to all this, the prophet bursts into a song of praise in chapter 25:
25:1-5—The Wonderful Things that God Has Done
(1) Isaiah praises God for He has done (i) wonderful things, (ii) in perfect faithfulness, and (iii) things that He has planned long ago, and he cites the following three things as examples:
a. The complete destruction of the nations’ fortified cities (v. 3 seems to indicate that the city in v. 2 is simply a representative of the strongest city among the nations): How does this illustrate God’s wonder and faithfulness, and that He has planned this long ago?
b. God has been a refuge for the poor, the needy, the ones that have gone through life’s storms and searing heat of the desert (v. 4):
- Have you personally experienced God as your refuge in one of the above situations?
- How does it reflect God’s perfect faithfulness and wonder?
c. God has silenced the ruthless (vv. 4-5):
- Why does Isaiah liken the ruthless as a storm or heat of the desert?
- How does the Lord deal with them?
- How does this reflect God’s perfect faithfulness and wonder?
25:6-8—On the Mountain (where God reigns)
(2) In depicting the feast as rich food with the finest of (aged) wines and the best of meats for all peoples, what kind of a feast is Isaiah talking about? (See Ps. 22:27; Matt. 22:2-3)
(3) If we fail to envision the blessedness and joy of that heavenly feast, at least we should be able to appreciate the preciousness of God’s salvation as explained in vv. 7-8:
a. What does v. 8 explain as the shroud and sheet that enfolds and covers all the nations?
b. How are death, tears and disgrace related?
c. What further insights does Revelation 21:1-4 give in this respect?
25:9-12—Those Who Will Not Enjoy the Blessings of God’s Salvation
(4) Why will Moab (presumably used as a representative of the nations) not be able to enjoy such blessings?
(5) What will their fate be?
(6) For those who will be sharing in these blessings (Gentiles and Jews alike), what will they say is the reason that they can be saved (v. 9)?
26:1-15—The Song of Judah: While Isaiah bursts into his personal song of praise, he follows up with a song of Judah as well (in response to God’s judgment of the world and Judah which shall usher in His reign):
(7) 26:1-4: The city of salvation
a. Who may enter this city of salvation?
b. How blessed are those who may enter?
(8) 26:5-6: A city in contrast
a. How will the lofty (proud) cities be humbled?
(9) 26:7-11: God’s righteousness
a. Who will bring about their righteousness?
b. How will Judah respond to the Righteous One (His name and renown)?
c. Will the wicked learn righteousness by God’s grace?
d. How will the people of the world learn righteousness then?
(10) 26:12-15: God is the true “Lord”
a. What will happen to the “other lords” (i.e. Assyrian and Babylon)?
b. Who has accomplished this miracle (v. 12)?
c. What is meant by the nation (of God’s people) being enlarged and their borders extended (spiritually speaking)?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;” (Isa. 25:7)
Benjamin Franklin once said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. However, Isaiah has given us a vision that when God’s kingdom comes, not only taxes, but also death will be “swallowed up forever” (25:8).
We know that taxes are being imposed partly to defray the expenses of government and to support the basic infrastructure of the society, but in ancient times (and perhaps to some measure even in modern times) taxes were imposed to enrich the coffer of the rulers. However when the Lord reigns in His Kingdom in “perfect faithfulness”, instead of imposing burdens on His people, He will be “a refuge for the poor…(and) the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (25:4).
Not only that, “the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations” (which refer to “death”) will be swallowed up forever. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), sin entered into the world, and so did death (Romans 5:12). But, more than 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah has foretold the defeat of sin and death through Christ, the Suffering servant who he prophesies (e.g. 9:6-7; 52-53). The Apostle Paul echoes these words of Isaiah as he shouts in victory:
“Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep [i.e. die], but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [Isa. 27:13], the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed…then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Cor. 15:51-54).
However, Isaiah goes on to use Moab as an example (25:10-12) to point out that death is still a certainty for those like Moab who would not repent and trust Him as their God. They will not be able to rejoice in His salvation “in that day” when God reigns on His holy mountain (25:9).
26:16-19—Deliverance from Death (Note: It appears that the “they” in v. 16 and “we” in v. 17 both refer to the people of God.):
(1) What imagery is used to describe the suffering of God’s people in v. 16-18?
(2) How does v. 18 speak of the futility of their sufferings?
(3) While they have failed, how does v. 19 speak to the victory in God? Who are the “dead” in the Lord?
26:20–27:1—Call for Patience
(4) In spite of this glorious hope, can God’s people avoid the punishment prophesied by Isaiah through all the previous oracles? Why or why not?
(5) What will happen to the people of the earth? Why? (see Note below)
Chapter 27 continues with the song which began in the previous chapter, punctuated with the term “In that day”:
27:2-5—The Song of the Fruitful Vineyard
(6) What does the vineyard refer to? (See Isa. 5)
(7) In order that it would be a fruitful vineyard, what has the Lord done to it?
(8) In addition to briers and thorns, what has this vineyard produced? (5:4)
(9) Since the Lord says, “I am not angry”, what does He desire ultimately — punishment or peace?
27:6-11—Punishment Before Peace
(10) What does the Lord promise Jacob and Israel concerning their future? (v. 6)
(11) Before their restoration, they will still be punished:
a. How different would their punishment be from the nations that God uses as His tool of punishment? (vv. 7-8)
b. Why is punishment of Jacob necessary? (vv. 9 and 11)
27:12-13—A Tender Gathering (many commentators — like K&D and Oswalt — point out that this is a gentle beating to collect the tender fruits, and not a harsh threshing):
(12) What might be the purpose of such a tendering beating?
(13) What will happen at the sound of trumpet “in that day”? (see Isa. 18:3 and 1 Cor. 15:52ff also)
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Leviathan and Rahab are both sea monsters in the ancient world that God uses as metaphors for the world powers that oppose Him. (See Job 3:8; 41:1, 12; Ps. 74:14; 104:26 for Leviathan; see Job 9:13; 26:12; Ps. 87:4; 89:10 and Isa. 30:7; 51:9 for Rahab.)
“I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire.” (Isa. 27:4)
Even though the book of Isaiah, like many prophetic books in the Old Testament, is full of rebukes for sins and warnings about the inevitable judgment that would befall Israel, God’s Chosen People, we can discern that the sense of grief is far greater than wrath. Chapter 27 is no different!
In the midst of words of punishment against the nations (27:1) and against Jacob (27:9-11), the Lord bares His soul and says, “I am not angry” (27:4).
Yes, throughout the book of Isaiah, God’s anger toward His people’s rebellion and betrayal is unmistakable, but His anger toward them is very different from the wrath He has toward the nations.
The greatest difference is that Israel belongs to Him — He likens them to a fruitful vineyard that He has planted, watched over, watered and guarded day and night, “so that no one may harm it” (27:2-3). Even though they have born sour grapes and grown briers and thorns instead (5:1-7), God insists, “I am not angry”. Yes, because of their “lack of understanding” (27:11) and their refusal to repent, He still has to “march against them” and “set them all on fire” (27:4). However, there are two major differences:
- He would have relented, had His people chosen to repent and “make peace” with Him (27:5).
- He strikes them unlike the way He strikes their enemies (27:7-8); for there will be a remnant preserved for them and their guilt will be atoned for one day because of these punishments (27:9-11).
In other words, the punishments are meant for restoration. As a result, we tend to use the term “discipline” to refer to the punishment that the children of God receive from the hand of their Heavenly Father, because discipline does imply an unshakable relationship as the author of Hebrews encourages us:
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined — and everyone undergoes discipline — then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” (Heb. 12:7-8)
Indeed, God will never be angry with His children, even though He disciplines us; He does so, “for our good, that we may share in His holiness… (and produce) a harvest of righteousness and peace” (Heb. 12:10-11). Oh, what love He has for us!
As the songs which respond to the triumph of God (for His people) end, chapters 28-33 continue the theme of the exhortation to trust in the Lord marked by “woes” (thus some call this section as “the book of woes”), except that it has in view the specific political situation in Judah (during the earliest years of Hezekiah’s reign), rather than the world-wide picture, beginning with a message of woe to Ephraim (vv. 1-13) as a warning to Jerusalem (vv. 14-29):
28:1-6—The Fall of Ephraim (fulfilled in 721 B.C.)
(1) Why does the Lord refer to the people as drunkards? (v. 1)
(2) What will happen to their crown of wreath that they take pride in? (vv. 2-3)
(3) Twice, the Lord mentions their “fertile valley”: What is its implication concerning their pride?
(4) How is the grace of God manifested to His people even with such a severe punishment?
28:7-13—The Failure to Listen
(5) Who are being singled out for blame for their condition? Why?
(6) What was God’s message to the priests and prophets (and for them to teach others)? (v. 12)
(7) Why would God’s message become “baby talk” to them? (See Note below)
(8) What are the consequences of their refusal to listen? (vv. 11, 13)
28:14-22—The Stubborn Sin of Jerusalem
(9) In spite of the warnings against Ephraim above, how do the rulers in Jerusalem respond to the words of God? (v. 14)
(10) As we learn from 30:1-7, Jerusalem has chosen to rely on Egypt and has entered into a covenant with them:
a. Why are they so confident of their refuge and hiding place?
b. Why does the Lord say it is in fact a lie and falsehood?
c. Why does the Lord say that they have in fact entered into a covenant with death? (v .15)
d. Instead of relying on Egypt (death), whom should they rely on? (v. 16)
e. Who is this cornerstone — tested, precious and is a sure foundation? (See Ps. 118:22; Eph. 2:20; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:6-7)
(11) What will the consequence of their choice be? (vv. 17-19)
(12) The enemies in the examples of Mount Perazim (2 Sam. 5:20) and in the Valley of Gibeon (Jos. 10:11) were the Philistines and the Canaanites, but who are those now that God will rise to punish?
(13) Why is it called a “strange work” and an “alien task”?
(14) Why is the understanding of this message a “sheer terror”? (vv. 19, 22)
28:23-29—A Rather Strange Ending to This Message
of Rebuke Against Jerusalem: These words basically remind them of how a farmer
would plow his field, sow the various kinds of seeds, and harvest the
different kinds of harvest, and, in particular, the following things:
- Everything has its timing — he will not plow continually, but in order to plant.
- Everything has its place — caraway, cumin, wheat, barley and spelt are sown in different parts of the land.
- The harvest is by the appropriate means — using rod, not sledge; stick not wheel; grounded instead of threshed; and rolled over and grounded.
(15) How then can this farming analogy be applied to the message above that addresses the woe of the Northern kingdom as the glory of their wreath of crown fades, the response of the leaders of Jerusalem, the severe punishment they will face, and the restoration of a remnant through the precious Cornerstone laid in Zion?
(16) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
Note:
While commentators have very different interpretations of the exact meaning of the original Hebrew words, these words, “sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav”, are basically meaningless sounds. Since the Lord mocks these priests and prophets as babies, these words are most likely mimicking “baby-talk”.
“Who is it He is trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? For it is: 'Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there'.” (Isa. 28:9-10)
As the Lord tries to use the demise of Ephraim (i.e. the Northern Kingdom of Israel) as an example to caution Judah, He particularly laments the sins of their priests and prophets.
Indeed, as much as the kings of Israel have done evil in the eyes of the Lord, the priests and the prophets have to bear the greatest blame for they are charged with the teaching of the people the message of the Lord. In the same way, while the lay people and their leaders may be held accountable for the sorry state of a church, the pastors should bear the greatest blame in this respect. Therefore the message to the priests and prophets of Ephraim is one that people like myself, pastors, should heed.
While Isaiah depicts the priests and prophets as drunkards who stagger and vomit their filth on the tables, their core problem lies in the fact that, “they would not listen” to the word of the Lord (28:12). As we know, the kings of the Northern Kingdom have persistently led the people to worship foreign idols ever since the time of Jeroboam (1 Ki. 12:28ff), however the priests and prophets have not only remained silent, but have also condoned and encouraged these evil practices. As a result, what they saw were visions of lies (2 Chr. 18:22) and their decisions caused the people to stumble.
However, it does not mean that the Lord has not spoken to them; He has asked the people to put their trust in Him: “This is the resting place, let the weary rest…this is the place of repose” (28:12). However, His word to the priests and prophets became, “Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there” (28:10, 13).
While commentators have very different interpretations of the exact meaning of the original Hebrew words of 28:13, these words, “sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav”, as one commentator puts it, are basically meaningless sounds. In other words, the word of the Lord is like baby-talk to them (28:9) and is also like “foreign tongues” to them (28:11).
We often wonder why the word of the Lord is so difficult to understand, and we often admire others who seem to be touched by the word of the Lord all the time. The truth of the matter is, the Lord only speaks to those who would listen and obey, otherwise, we may be hearing the same sermon from the pulpit or reading the same passage in Bible study, but the word of the Lord is nothing more than “baby-talk” or a “foreign tongue” to us.
Now the message of woe continues and is directed squarely to Jerusalem: While Ariel might mean “the city of Salem”, “the lion of God” or “altar hearth”, the contents clearly indicate that it refers to Jerusalem — the city where David settled (2 Sam. 5:5, 7):
29:1-4—The Judgment Against Jerusalem
(1) Why might Jerusalem not be aware of the coming wrath of God? (v. 1)
(2) How does the Lord depict the inescapability of the coming destruction?
(3) How does vv. 3-4 describe their mourning, lament and being like an “altar hearth”?
29:5-8—The Judgment of the Invading Nations
(4) As strong and ruthless as the enemies are, how does the Lord manifest His might against them? (v. 6)
(5) What imagery is used to describe the futility of the power and success of the invading hordes of all the nations? (vv. 7-8)
(6) How might it be applied to all human successes?
29:9-16—The Delusion of the Prophets and Seers
(7) Why should they be stunned and amazed that the prophets and seers would not be able to read (or rather, understand) “this whole vision”?
(8) Why would God blind their eyes and cover their heads? (v. 13)
(9) What then is the key to the hearing and understanding of the words of God?
(10) Apart from pride and reliance on wisdom and intelligence, what are the sins being described in v. 15?
(11) What is the root of their problem according to v. 16?
29:17-24—The Glorious Reversal: While the people have turned things upside down (v. 16), the Lord will also turn things upside down in the future:
(12) Who are the deaf, the blind, the humble and the needy? (vv. 18-19)
(13) How will their fortune be reversed and why? (vv. 22-23)
(14) Who then are the ruthless, the mockers and those who have an eye for evil?
(15) How will their fortune be reversed? (v. 20)
(16) Do you think the reversal spoken of in v. 24 applies to the “wicked” of vv. 20-21 as well? Why or why not?
(17) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.” (Isa. 29:2)
Commentators have different opinions concerning the meaning of “Ariel”, but they also agree that it refers to Jerusalem, “the city where David settled” (Isa. 29:1; 2 Sam. 5:5, 7).
Some translate it as the “city of Salem”; some “Lion of God”; and some “altar hearth”. The latter has gained popularity (see NICOT, Isaiah 1-39, 526) and I tend to agree with this translation based on the context of the passage.
In saying “Woe to you, Ariel”, the city of David, the prophet immediately explains the reason for this woe, which is their false piety (already exposed in chapter 1), and their reliance on their “cycle of festivals” as if they have honored God. But the Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (29:13).
As a result, the city will be under siege and “she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like Ariel” (29:2). As part of the judgment of her sin, it is extremely unlikely that she will be to God like “a city of Salem” (i.e. of peace) or a “lion of God” (i.e. victorious), and thus the only logical translation will be “an altar hearth” on which sacrifices will be burnt, and only ashes will be left. Indeed, when Jerusalem is brought low, the prophet says, her voice “will become ghostlike from the earth, out of the dust your speech will whisper” (29:4).
As we pray for peace in Jerusalem, though with a heavy heart, we know that these words of Isaiah will come true, because these are not his words, but the words of the Lord. But we also take heart that “In a very short time” (29:17), once the judgment is over, “the descendants of Jacob will no longer…be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale (and they)…will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.” (29:22-24).
The message of woe continues, with a very specific charge against Jerusalem in that they (under the reign of Hezekiah) had resorted to seek help from Egypt to resist the Assyrians:
30:1-7—Seeking Help from Egypt
(1) What are the sins they are guilty of? List them out one by one (vv. 1-2).
(2) Why does the Lord charge them as “obstinate children”?
(3) What will be the outcome of their action? (vv. 5, 7)
(4) What is their futile effort marked by? (v. 6)
30:8-14—Sins and Punishment
(5) What spiritual depth have they plunged themselves into? (vv. 10-11)
(6) Are “rebellion” and “deceit” fitting charges laid against them? (v. 9) Why or why not?
(7) Why does the Lord tell Isaiah to write these charges on a tablet or scroll? (v. 8)
(8) What two images does the Lord use to describe the futility of their actions? (30:12-14)
30:15-17—“I Told You So”
(9) What should they do to seek salvation and strength? (v. 15)
a. Should they mull over the meaning of repentance and rest?
b. What is their relationship with salvation?
c. Reflect on the meaning of quietness and trust.
d. What is their relationship with strength?
e. What can you learn from this instruction?
(10) These should not be too hard to do, but why would they have none of it?
(11) What will be the result of their choice? (vv. 16-17)
30:18-26—Gracious Hope in Spite of Rebellion
(12) As you read vv. 18-22, consider the following:
a. Does the turning from idols precede or come after the show of grace and compassion by the Lord?
b. What will happen when they “wait for Him” and “cry for help”? (vv. 18-19)
c. As they are being restored to the Lord, what will happen to these?
- Their prayers (v. 19)
- The times when they seek for instructions (vv. 20-21)
d. Have these promises been fulfilled in your life today? Why or why not?
(13) The scene depicted in vv. 23-26 is the result of the Lord binding up the bruises and healing the wounds of His people “in that day”:
a. While vv. 18-26 speak of a spiritual healing, why does the Lord also use physical blessings as part of His healing and binding?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it'.” (Isa. 30:15)
The Lord rebukes Hezekiah and his people as “obstinate children” as they choose to seek help from Egypt in their opposition of Assyria. They are obstinate, because the Lord has already made clear to them that if they want deliverance from their enemies, then they would have to repent from their sins and stop their own planning and effort and rest in Him; and if they want to have strength in facing this crisis, they need to be still and put their trust in Him. However, they “would have none of it” (30:15).
In other words, their problem is not one of “not knowing”, but of “not willing”.
However, we should not be too quick to throw our stone at Hezekiah, because this is also our problem. We have to understand that the message to repent, rest, be still and trust is not something that the Lord requires of us only at the time of crisis, but a continual habit before Him.
If we do not come before the Lord always with an honest spirit that recognizes our sinfulness before Him; if we do not cut out time from our busy schedule to rest physically before Him; if we do not cast away all the cares and spend enough time in stillness before Him; and if we do not humble ourselves by not relying on our own wisdom, plans and connections and trust in Him always; then when a crisis suddenly comes, we will not be able to find deliverance and strength from the Lord.
This is why we need to consistently keep our daily time of devotion before the Lord, because by so doing, we are much better prepared to face life’s crisis God’s way.
The gracious hope continues in the latter portion of chapter 30:
30:27-33—God’s Wrath Against the Nations
(1) The judgment of the nations is certainly fearsome. Why does the Lord describe Himself as coming from afar? (v. 27)
(2) We know that the nations today possess nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction: How are they compared to the Lord in anger? (vv. 27-28)
(3) V. 29 depicts the rejoicing of the people:
a. What causes them to rejoice? (v. 30)
b. Will you join in this rejoicing? Why or why not?
(4) While the shattering of Assyria is a historical fact, her destruction likely foreshadows the destruction of the nations in the End-times. The description in vv. 31-33 is particularly vivid:
a. What does the striking of the rod to the beat of music denote? (v. 32)
b. What about the picture of “topheth”, i.e. a place of burning with abundance of firewood?
31:1-9—As a continuation of the warning against trusting in men, chapter 31 unleashes a further woe, this time specifically against those (in Judah) who go down to Egypt for help:
(5) Why is Egypt so appealing? (v. 1)
(6) God compares Himself with Egypt:
a. What is the difference between Egypt and God? (v. 3)
b. What is the imagery used in v. 4?
(7) What does the imagery of birds illustrate? (v. 5)
(8) Call to repentance (vv. 6-9)
a. Read these three verses carefully: What reasons does the Lord give for them to repent?
b. Given the message of woe in this chapter, if you were one of those who revolted against the Lord, what would be the most powerful reason that would cause you to repent?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.” (Isa. 31:3)
I think you will agree with me that trusting God is not a natural part of us. As much as we know that we should trust in God and God alone, and should not rely on ourselves or for that matter, anyone else, we often end up doing the opposite.
Sure, as good Christians, we will present our problem before the Lord in prayers. However, no matter how reverently and earnestly we pray, once our prayer is over, we find our minds churning for solutions, and we call on everyone around us for help.
A few days ago, I learned a small but valuable lesson about truly trusting in God.
I remember that ever since I was a little boy, I always lived in a home with a piano. Not that I play the piano well, but playing piano is a very important part of my life. My wife knows it well. Therefore ever since I had to part with my piano some 7 years ago, my wife always wanted to find another one for me. Just as we were walking in the neighborhood a few days ago, she came across a small studio piano at an “estate sale”. She quickly bought it, except that she had to move it within the next 48 hours. Being a weekend, our local rent-a-truck offices were closed, and we could not get a hold of any piano mover within such a short notice.
After many failed attempts to get help, I distinctly remembered these words from Proverbs, “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it” (Prov. 10:22). Of course, the piano's cost will not impoverish me (my wife paid only a nominal amount for it) but the thing is this: If it is of the Lord, why should I worry about it?!
Therefore, I chose to focus on the preparation for my Sunday sermon and did not do anything more to find help. As it happened, although the mover that we frantically sought and did finally find, did not show up, but God provided others who somehow knew that we needed help (without me asking). They came with all the necessary equipment to move the piano. Yes, it is only a piano, but God is “perfectly faithful” (Isa. 25:1).
Continuing with the call to repentance of the last chapter, the first part of this chapter describes the perfect reign of the Messiah King:
32:1-8—The Reign by a King in Righteousness
(1) Who is that king? (See 9:7)
(2) How important is it that “rulers” will rule with justice? (v. 1)
a. Have you ever suffered injustice?
b. Do you know of a place (or a country) where rulers do not rule with justice?
c. How blessed is the world under this Righteous King? (vv. 3-4)
(3) Why does the Lord loathe the fool and the scoundrel? (vv. 5-7)
(4) How then is “noble” defined? (v. 8 and also vv. 3-4)
32:9-15—The Women of Jerusalem (Highlighting the sins of the women is to show that it is the whole nation — men and women, who should bear the blame):
(5) From the contents of vv. 9-14, can you tell the sources of complacency and how the women of Jerusalem derive their sense of security?
(6) What are the things that cause people to be complacent and to feel secure these days?
(7) With a very specific time frame of judgment (a little more than a year — v. 10), what do you think the response from the women would be?
(8) Unfortunately, disasters will strike, but what will also happen to bring about restoration according to v. 15?
32:16-20—The Great Reversal
(9) The pouring of the Spirit brings about a great reversal which apart from the physical blessings (in v. 15), restores justice and righteousness:
a. What is the fruit of that righteousness? (v. 17)
b. What then is the relationship between righteousness, peace, quietness and confidence?
(10) However, what will still precede such everlasting blessings? (v. 19) Why?
(11) What will the remnant who survives after the judgment be blessed with? (v. 20)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“And that man
shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge for the tempest, as
rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary
land.” (Geneva Bible 1599) (Isa. 32:2)
In urging Judah to trust in the Lord and not Egypt, Isaiah prophesies about the coming King who will reign in righteousness, and He will be like, “a hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge for the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land" (32:2).
As most of us are urban city dwellers, our appreciation of this glorious promise is limited by our experience. However, those whose profession exposes them to the raging sea have a much deeper understanding of this precious promise. As a result, when the famous hymn writer, Ira Sankey published the hymn, “A Shelter in the Time of Storm”, it became the favorite song of the fishermen on the north coast of England. I invite you to sit back and reflect on the lyrics of this wonderful hymn:
Refrain
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A shelter in the time of storm.
1
The Lord’s our rock, in Him we hide,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.
[Refrain]
2
A shade by day, defense by night,
A shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A shelter in the time of storm.
[Refrain]3
The raging storms may round us beat,
A shelter in the time of storm;
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
[Refrain]4
O rock divine, O refuge dear,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.
[Refrain]