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?
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.)
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”.
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?
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?
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?
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?