Isaiah, Week 10, Days 5 & 6: Isaiah 53:4-12, & 54

Day Five: Read Isaiah 53:4-12 

 1. Look up the words "transgression" and "iniquity" in the dictionary. Why does Isaiah 53:4-6 say Christ suffered and died?

transgression, noun--An act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offense. < Latin trānsgressiō the act of going across

iniquity, noun--Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness.[Middle English iniquite, from Old French, from Latin inīquitās, from inīquus, unjust, harmful : in-, not; see in-1 + aequus, equal.]

He was "pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities" (v 5)

 2. Circle the words "we," "our," "ourselves," "each of us," and "all of us" in verses 4-6. Can you substitute your own name in each place?

Isa 53:4  Surely he has borne Elizabeth's griefs and carried her sorrows; yet she esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5  But he was pierced for her transgressions; he was crushed for her iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought her peace, and with his wounds Elizabeth is healed.
Isa 53:6  All, like Elizabeth, are sheep have gone astray; she has turned—every one—to her own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of her.

 3. According to 53:10, who actually crushed Him and why? What will be the outcome? (See Acts 2:23; Leviticus 5:1-17; John 12:23-24)

It was God's will for this to happen, that he shall prolong his days and prosper.  I think The Message is clearer here:

"The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him."  -The Message

"Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

Act 2:23  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

In Leviticus 5, it lays out the principle that when someone realizes they have committed a sin, they are to make an offering or have the priest make an offering for  atonement.

Joh 12:24  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

 Day Six: Read Isaiah 54 

1. What three images does Isaiah use to describe God's miracle of grace in

a. v 1  A barren woman who is made fruitful.
b. v 6  An abandoned wife
c. v 11-12 Afflicted city

2. What does God reveal about Himself in Days 1-6 that causes you to "Shout for Joy"? (54:1) 

He reveals that His plan is constant, that it will be worked out for our great joy, prosperity, and peace through the sacrifice of Christ.

Isaiah, Week 10, Day 4, Isaiah 53:13-53:3

Day Four: Read Isaiah 52:13-53:3 

 1. What are the contrasting attitudes toward the Servant according to Isaiah 52:13 and 14?

Some will raise him up so that He is exalted. Others were appalled. He will startle many nations; kings will be speechless. They will see things they were never told and ponder things they never heard.

 2. Compare the Servant's description in Isaiah 52:14 with Matthew 27:28-31;39-44.

Isaiah 52:14 describes a disfigured person who doesn't look human.

They stripped off his clothes and put on him a scarlet robe, wove thorn-branches into a crown and put it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then they kneeled down in front of him and made fun of him: "Hail to the King of the Jews!"  They spit on him and used the stick to beat him about the head. When they had finished ridiculing him, they took off the robe, put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be nailed to the execution-stake.   Matt 27:28-31

Mat 27:39-44  People passing by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads, along with the leaders and even robbers.

 3. According to Isaiah 53:1-3, in what way would He suffer? Did this happen? (See also Mark 9:10-12; Luke 17:25; John 1:11; 1 Peter 2:4) 

He was not particularly attractive (v2).  People saw him and avoided him, despised him.  He was a man of pains, well acquainted with illness (v3).   

In Mark 9, Jesus comes down the mountain after the transfiguration and Jesus charges them to tell no one what they have seen until the Son of Man rises from the dead.  This caused confusion among them, and they asked him about Elijah coming first.  Jesus replied that Elijah had come.

Mark 9:12-13: "And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Mar 9:13  But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

In reply, Jesus made two things clear. First, He acknowledged on the one hand that Elijah does come (lit., “is coming”) first (before the Messiah) and restores (“is going to restore”) all things through spiritual renewal (Mal_4:5-6). On the other hand this does not remove the necessity for the Son of Man to suffer much and be rejected (cf. Psa_22:1-31; Isa_53:1-12, esp. Isa_53:3).

Second, however, Jesus declared that indeed Elijah has come already. In a veiled way Mark recorded how Jesus identified John the Baptist as the one who fulfilled at Jesus’ First Advent the role function expected of the end-time Elijah (cf. Mar_1:2-8; Mat_17:13; Luk_1:17). Jesus gave John his true significance which John did not even recognize about himself (cf. Joh_1:21; comments on Mat_11:14).

The expression, They have done to him everything they wished, denotes the ruthless, arbitrary suffering and death John experienced at the hands of Herod Antipas and Herodias (cf. Mar_6:14-29). In like manner Elijah suffered persecution at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel (cf. 1Ki_19:1-3, 1Ki_19:10). What these antagonists did to Elijah and John, people hostile to God would do to Jesus.

 John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah prophecy (Mal_4:5-6) typically at Christ’s First Advent. Yet Malachi’s prophecy (Mal_4:5-6) indicates that Elijah himself will also appear just before Christ’s Second Advent (cf. Rev_11:1-19).

Luke 17:25:  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

John 1:11:  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

1Peter 2:4-5  As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Yes, Jesus did suffer at the hands of his own people in multiple ways.  They accused him of crimes against God and the people.  They handed him over for suffering and death.  His friends betrayed him--Judas most obviously, but also the others fled at his death.  He was misunderstood by all, even his close friends, during his time on earth.

Isaiah, Week 10, Day 3: Isaiah 51-52

Day Three: Read Isaiah 51:1-52:12

 1. This passage contains a series of "imperatives." Briefly summarize the Lord's message that follows "Listen to me"/"Pay attention to me;” "Awake, awake;" "Depart, depart;" or "Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! in

Isaiah 51:1  Pursuing righteousness, seeking the Lord, looking to your beginnings in Him:

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. Isaiah 51:1-2

Worthy of reflection---my beginnings are humble, but they are the stuff from which the Lord builds the future.  There is a sense that I should not over-estimate my contribution to His work (as we are hewn by Him) but not underestimate it either, "for he was but one when I called him...that I might bless and multiply him."  However, notice the work is predominately His; we are active participants but not to originators or finishers of the work.  We enter into it "en medias res."

If God has hewn us from the rock we ought to hope for all humanity. -W. Birch

Take in all your life: if God has made so much of you, He can make still more. The miracle is not in the great umbrageous tree; it is in that little green blade that pierces the earth and looks like a thing that means to pray. It is not the universe, but the molecule, that is a miracle to me. Looking back at what we were, it is easy to believe and yearn to be more. -J Parker

Isa 51:3  For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.

I am teaching a high school American Literature & Writing class and one of my struggles (personally and professionally) is how to give them a framework through which to understand Modernism and the big destructive events of the 20th century--the World Wars, the Holocaust, atomic bomb, etc.   Do we give into despair?  Is our conclusion so bleak?  How do we process destruction and evil?  How do we acknowledge its toll and cost without sinking?

In contrast to T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland," I love that Isaiah speaks here of a different way and perspective---that our God is not distant and removed but that He sees it all and is in the process of restoring and comforting:  "He comforts all her waste places."  Yes, we have waste places, waste lands, but the story is unfinished, and we may not judge it properly until we see His canvas in full.

Isa 51:3  For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.

This reflective commentary on "Rain/Reign" by Hillsong echoes this dynamic of restoration.

51:4  A law will go out from me and I will set my justice as a light to the people.
The law going forth from Zion was introduced in Isaiah 2:3 and is also found in Micah 4:2: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." -Isaiah 2:3

51:7  He urges his people not to fear criticisms of men.

"fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings."

51:17---You drank the cup of his fury--have drained to the dregs the goblet of drunkenness.

52:1--Dress in splendid garments, clothe yourselves with strength. For the uncircumcised and unclean shall enter you no more.  Break out into joy.  Sing together (v9) L

52:11--Leave, get out of there, don't touch anything unclean

2. What are the people calling on the Lord to do in 51:9-11 and how does He respond in 51:12-16?
They are calling Him to awake and repeat bold deeds of the past (defeating Rahab, drying up the sea).  God responds by saying "I am He who comforts you. He asks "who are you, afraid of man who dies..."

" I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name.  And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” Isaiah 51:15-16 

3. What message from the Lord in Isaiah 51:1-52:12 has convicted and/or encouraged you?

 Isaiah 51:1-2  The Lord sought me in my obliviousness, includes me in his Kingdom, and restores my sinful nature, promising everlasting life.   From small things (consider the rock from which you were hewn), he promises comfort and sustenance--a plan.

Isaiah, Week 10, Day 2: Isaiah 50

Day Two: Read Isaiah 50

1. Why was Israel sent into captivity?   Because of her iniquities and transgressions

 2. Describe the servant of Isaiah 50:4-9.   

* With words of the taught, he is able to sustain the weary. (v 4)  The Lord has opened his ear to wisdom (v5).  He did not rebel or turn away (v5).

Andrew MacLaren points out that Jesus faithfully followed His father's will/wisdom:

He Himself has said, ‘As the Father taught Me, I speak these things.’ With emphatic repetition, He was continually making that assertion, as, for instance, ‘I have not spoken of Myself, but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak . . . the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto Me, so I speak.’

*He made himself open to abuse (v.6)  The Lord helps him, so he is determined, "set my face like flint" (v7-9).

The sequence in this context is worth noting. We had first Christ’s communion with God and communications from the Father; then the perfect submission of His Will; then that submission expressed in His voluntary sufferings; and now we have His immovable steadfastness of resistance to the temptation, which lay in these sufferings, to depart from His attitude of submission, and to abandon His work.

The perfect inflexible resolve.

‘Face like a flint’ seems to be quoted in Luk_9:51; ‘Steadily set His face.’ The whole story of the Gospels gives the one impression of a life steadfast in its great resolve. There are no traces of His ever faltering in His purpose, none of His ever suffering Himself to be diverted from it, no parentheses and no digressions. There are no blunders either. But what a contrast in this respect to all other lives!  Mark’s Gospel, which is eminently the gospel of the Servant, is full of energy and of this inflexible resolve, which speak in such sayings as ‘I must be about My Father’s business’; ‘I must work the works of My Father while it is day.’ That last journey, during which He ‘steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,’ is but a type of the whole. Christ’s life was a continuous or rather a continually repeated effort. -Andrew MacLaren

 3. How many times is the name "Lord GOD" found? Give verses. Four times--verses 3, 4, 7,  and  9  Adonai Elohim

4. What are the two different responses to the Servant of the Lord described in verses 10 and 11.

Verse 10--person fears in the Lord, obeys the voice of His servant, walks in darkness--urged to trust and stay upon the Lord.

"There are times when the most that we can do is to trust even in the great darkness, ‘Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him.’ Submissive silence is sometimes the most eloquent confession of faith. ‘I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because Thou didst it.’" 

How can we face the troubles of life without Him? God calls us when in darkness, and by the darkness, to trust in His name and stay ourselves on Him. Happy are we if we answer ‘Though the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my salvation.’ -

 And the highest hope and nearest possible approach to joy is sometimes ‘Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.’ -Andrew MacLaren

Verse 11--person that kindles a fire and compasses himself with sparks--walk in the light of your fire and the sparks you have kindled, and lay down in sorrow.

In this comparison, a person who fears the Lord and looks to the Lord is contrasted with a person who creates his own "light" or fire.  The contrasting results are that the person will be subject to what they respect/follow--their own light, which leads to sorrow, or walking in the darkness and trusting the Lord, which leads to sparks.

Isaiah, Week 10, Day 1: Isaiah 49

Day One: Read Isaiah 49

"The previous nine-chapter section (chaps. 40-48) dealt mainly with Cyrus and his mission in the Jews’ restoration. These nine chapters (49-57) deal primarily with the Servant-Messiah fulfilling His ministry of restoring the covenant people to the land just before the Millennium will begin.  

Chapters 49-57 may be divided into four parts: (1) The Servant, being rejected by His people, will take salvation to the Gentiles (chaps. 49-50). (2) The believing remnant will be exalted (51:1-52:12). (3) The Servant, however, will be abased and then exalted (52:13-53:12). (4) Salvation through the Servant will come to Jews and Gentiles in the Millennium (chaps. 54-57)." -BKC

1. Who is speaking in verses 1-6? What verses provide clues? (Feel free to use other passages in scripture to support your answer).  The "Suffering Servant"

"And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”  Isaiah 49:3

"He says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”"  Isaiah 49:6

From BKC:

Why is the Servant here called Israel? This cannot refer to the nation because the Servant is to draw that nation back to God. The Messiah is called Israel because He fulfills what Israel should have done. In His person and work He epitomizes the nation.

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THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL SERVANT  (From BI, F.B. Meyer)

1. A holy motherhood. “The Lord hath called me from the womb.”

2. Incisive speech. “He hath made My mouth like a sharp sword.” Speech is the most God-like faculty in man. Christ did not scruple to be called the word or speech of God. This regal faculty is God’s chosen organ for announcing and establishing His kingdom over the earth. Our mouth must be surrendered to God, that He may implant there the sharp two-edged sword that proceeds from His own lips (Rev_1:16).

3. Seclusion. “In the shadow.” We must all go there sometimes. The photograph of God’s face can only be fixed in the dark chamber.

4. Freed from rust. “A polished shaft.” Weapons of war soon deteriorate. Rust can best be removed by sand-paper or the file. Similarly we must be kept bright and clean. For this purpose God uses the fret of daily life, the chafe of small annoyances, the wear and tear of irritating tempers and vexing circumstances.

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2. Who is speaking in verses 7-13? To whom is he speaking?

3. In verses 14-26, what promises does the Lord make to Israel?

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

--One of my favorite verses

Isaiah, Week 9, Day 6: Isaiah 48

 Day Six: Read Isaiah 48 

 1. How does God characterize Israel in verses 1-5?
Who are called by the name of Israel
Who are from the waters of Judah
Who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel
BUT not in truth or right.

Israel is obstinate--her neck is an iron sinew and her forehead brass

 2. What evidence of God's grace toward stubborn Israel is found in

Verses 6-11  God has announced new things to Israel
Verses 12-16  He will perform His purposes on Babylon
Verse 17-19  He teaches Israel to profit, leads them in the way they should go.
Verse 20-22  He made the water flow out of the rock in the desert

But note:

“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”  Isaiah 48:22

3. What evidences of God's grace have you experienced.
Daily.  All the time.

Isaiah, Week 9, Days 4 & 5 : Isaiah 44:24-31-47

Day Four: Read Isaiah 44:24-28; 45

 1. What prophecy does God make regarding Jerusalem in Isaiah 44:24-28?  That Jerusalem and Judah's other cities shall be rebuilt, reinhabited, the temple's foundation laid, that Cyrus will be His shepherd and "shall perform all my pleasure."

 2. From Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1-7, who will be the Lord's instrument and why has the Lord chosen him? Give verses.

Cyrus 44:28

Isa 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

For Jacob and Israel's sake. Isaiah 45$

 3. From verses 9-13, what is God's answer to those who might question His using a Gentile king as His instrument?

He made everything, who can question it?

4. Who will be saved (verses 14-25)?

Isa 45:17  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Isa 45:25  In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory

Day Five: Read Isaiah 46-47

1. From 46:1-7, what is the relationship between these people and their God or gods?

a. Israel--In contrast, God carries His people (instead of them carrying Him, lol!)
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. Isaiah 46:3-4

b. Babylon--They carry their idols and the weight/burden of them causes the idols to stoop.
Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop; they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.  Isaiah 46:1-2

2. From 46:8-13, what is Israel supposed to

a. Remember--the former things of old--that there is no other God but He, able to declare the end from the beginning

b. Believe--that His counsel will stand and He will accomplish His purpose (v11)

3. What names of God are found in 47:4? Our Redeemer, Lord of Hosts, Holy One

4. From 47:5-11, what has Babylon said of herself that only God can truthfully say?  "I shall be mistress forever." (v 7)  The idea is that she can control her own destiny--is self existent in a sense, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children” (v 48).

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Reflections on Babylon's fascination with astronomy:

"You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.
Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!" Isaiah 47:13-14

Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee. The astronomical "wisdom and knowledge" of the Babylonians, confessed by the Greeks to have been the origin of their own astronomical knowledge, led them on to that perversion of true science, astrology, which, when once entered upon, seduces the mind from all genuine and fruitful study of the celestial phenomena, and leads it into a labyrinth of absurdities. It also puffed them up, and made them regard themselves as altogether superior to other nations (see the comment on Isa_47:8, sub fin.). -Pulpit Commentary

Babylon was enamored with fortune-telling, spells, incantations, and such.  I was browsing this online book this morning ,Myths and Legends of Babylonian and Assryia, by Lewis Spence, 1917. I don't have the time to get too far into the history of such here, but lots of interesting information in here for sure.  One tidbit is that Babylonian superstitions were the foundation for the Medieval fascination with such.  Another area for thought is the close ancient connection between science, religion, and superstition (pseudo-science)---fields that have since fought to distance themselves from each other.  State and church were also united, as the priesthood and kingship were closely affiliated.  Medical knowledge was also intertwined, as the priest was often viewed as a healer as well.

Babylonian assault--Assault on a City from a
bas-relief representing the Campaigns of
SennacheribPhoto W.A. Mansell and Co.

We find the gods so closely connected with ancient Chaldean astronomy as to be absolutely identified with it in every way. A number was assigned to each of the chief gods, which would seem to show that they were connected in some way with mathematical science. Thus Ishtar’s number is fifteen ; that of Sin, her father, is exactly double that. Anu takes sixty, and Bel and Ea represent fifty and forty. Ramman is identified with ten. -Spence, p. 237

Another interesting point:

But as civilization proceeded and theological opinion took shape, religious ceremonial began to take the place of what was little better than sorcery.
The tight connection between religious ritual/high church ceremony and sorcery is scary to think about.  My gut thought here is that although remembrance (through ritual, such as the Lord's Supper) is important and meaningful, we must be careful to not become lost in the ceremonies themselves or let them assume undue powers.

The final comments of this work are poetic and profound:

A Great Lesson

The answer to such a question depends upon ourselves—upon each and every one of us. If we quit ourselves as civilized men, striving and ever striving to refine and purify our lives, our conduct, our intellectual outlook, to spiritualize our faith, then though the things of our hands may be dust, the works of our minds, of our souls shall not vanish, but shall remain in the consciousness of our descendants so long as human memory lasts. The faith of ancient Babylon went under because it was built rather on the worship of frail and bestial gods than the love of truth,—gods many of whom were devils in disguise, but devils no whit worse than our fiends of ambition, of greed, of pugnacity, of unsympathy. Through the worship of such gods Babylon came to oblivion. Let us contemplate the colossal wreck of that mighty work of man, and as we gaze over the gulf of a score of centuries to where its “cloud-capp’d towers and gorgeous palaces” glitter in the mirage of legend, let us brace ourselves for the struggle which humanity has yet to wage with darkness, with disease, with superstition. But while we remember her fall with sadness, let us think generously and kindly of her dead mightiness, of the ancient effort she made, striving after her lights, of her picturesque and many-coloured life, and, not least, of her achievements—the invention of those symbols by which the words of man can be transferred to his brother across the silent ocean of time.  -p. 380

Published a hundred years ago, Spence's charge to humanity is still relevant and piercing.  It smacks of the positive humanism of the early 20th century, but it carries the weight of our involvement well. I would add that, as in this commentary of Isaiah 45, the battle and outcome is not determined by us, by our power, or goodness, but by the unalterable, solid, already spoken and determined will of God, the only self-created one.

Isaiah, Week 9, Day Three, Isaiah 43-44:23

Day Three: Read Isaiah 43; 44:1-23

1. To what events is the Lord referring in Isaiah 43:2? (See Exodus 14; Joshua 3; Daniel 3)
The textual parentheses refer to the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites' crossing of the Jordan as they entered the promised land, and Daniel's persecution in the fiery furnace.  To me it seems that the Lord is speaking here more generally of persecutions and trials that His people must endure in the future, "When you go...."

2. What does the Lord promise His people in Isaiah 44:3,4? Has this promise been fulfilled?

He will pour out His Spirit on Israel's descendants and bless their children.  I'd say it's been fulfilled in part.  The promise has been extended beyond Israel to all who believe in Christ, but it has not been fully realized, especially among the Jews.

3. From Isaiah 43 and 44:1-23, in what verses does God say He is God, Creator, LORD, Savior, Rock, Redeemer, King, Holy One of Israel? In what verse(s) does He say He is the only one?

Creator:
Isa 43:1  But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the One who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine.

Isa 43:7  everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 

Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator and King

Isa 44:2  Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you

Isa 44:24  Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 

Lord and Savior:

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isa 43:11  I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. 

Rock

Isa 44:8  Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” 

Redeemer

Isa 43:14  This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

Isa 44:22  I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Isa 44:24  Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 

King: 

Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator and King

Holy One of Israel:

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

The only One:

Isa 43:10 Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 

Isa 43:11  I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. 

Isa 43:12  First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God," says the LORD. 

Isa 44:6  Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 

Isa 44:8  Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” 

Isa 44:24  Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 

Isaiah, Week 9, Days 1 & 2 Isaiah 41-42

Day One: Read Isaiah 41

 1. What are the two "Who" questions in verses 1-7 and what is the answer? Give verse.

Isa 41:4  Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? v 2

Who called the generations from the beginning? v 4

 2. In verses 8-20 what does God call Israel? Jacob? Abraham?

Israel--my servant
Jacob--whom I have chosen, worm (14)
Abraham--my friend

He says He will make a sharp threshing sledge of them.

 3. What command does he give His servant in verse 10? What promise?

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

His command: Fear not. Be not dismayed.
Promise:  I will strengthen you,  help you, uphold you.

 4. What is the Lord's challenge to the nations' idols (vv 21-24)?

Set forth your case.  Let the nations bring the idols and have them tell us what has happen and what will happen. (v 22)

Day Two: Read Isaiah 42 

1. List some characteristics which the Servant of Isaiah 42:1-7 has in common with the Branch of Isaiah 11:1-4.

Shared qualities of Isaiah's Servant in Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 42:

His Spirit
*I have put my Spirit upon Him. Isaiah 42:1
Isaiah 11: 4--The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him.

His justice, His faithfulness
*He will faithfully bring forth justice to the nations.  Isaiah 42:1, 3
He will judge with an intuitive righteousness. Isaiah 11:3-4
Faithfulness will be the belt of His loins. Isaiah 11:5


Other qualities of Isaiah's Servant in Isaiah 42:
Whom I uphold
My chosen
In whom my soul delights
He will not cry aloud.
A bruised reed, He will not break.
I [God] have called you in righteousness.
I [God] will give you as a covenant for the people.
A light for the nations
to open the eyes of the blind.
bring the prisoners out of the dungeon
from the prison, those who sit in darkness.

 a. Is this the same servant mentioned in Isaiah 41: 8?  No

 b. If not, who is this Servant? The Messiah, Christ

 2. What will be the mission of the Servant (verses 4-7)?  See qualities above in question #1

 3. Considering God's challenge to the idols in Isaiah 41:21-24, what is He saying in Isaiah 42:8,9?


In contrast to the idols who cannot tell the past or future, He is the proof, able to set forth His case and abilities, to tell the future and past, fully able to fulfill all His promises.

"I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  Isaiah 42:8-9

4. Who is called to sing the "New Song?"

From BKC:

People everywhere (in the ends of earth), should sing this song of praise to the Lord. These should include (a) people who make their living by sea commerce, (b) those who live in the islands and (c) those in the desert regions and towns. Kedar is an area in Northern Arabia, and Sela was a city in Edom. People everywhere should sing and shout to the Lord because of His victory over His enemies at the Messiah’s second coming.

Isaiah, Week 8, Days 4-6: Isaiah 40:9-31

Day Four: Read Isaiah 40:9-11 

 1. Where is the messenger to go to proclaim the "good news?" (See also Matthew 10:27; Luke 12:3) 
"Go up on a high mountain" (v9), to Judah, Zion, Jerusalem.

"What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops." -Matthew 10:27

"Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops." Luke 12:3

2. a. What is the four-word message (three words in ESV)? "Behold Your God." (ESV, KJ) "Here is Your God." (CJB)  "Your God is coming!" (NLT), Look! Your God! (MSG)

 b. Find New Testament passages that show this is a prophecy that has been fulfilled.
Way too vague a question, way too many passages.

3. What attributes of God do you see in verses 10-11? How does Jesus also have those attributes (give verses from the NT)?  Mighty (v10), Ruler (v10), Rewarder (v10),  A Sheperd, who tends his flock by feeding, gathering, and carrying them (v11).   Gentle (v11).

 4. How are you being faithful to obey the command of Isaiah 40:9? In many ways--as an extension of my life, I carry the Lord's name as a banner and object lesson.  I should exemplify Him in all I do, and although I fail often, I try and am aware of my nature as an ambassador of Christ.

 Day Five: Read Isaiah 40:12-26 

 1. Briefly paraphrase the ten questions Isaiah asks in verses 12-14? Give verse. (Hint: the first four are in verse 12)
a) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?
b)Who has marked off the heavens with a span?
c) Who has enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure?
d) Who has weighed the mountains in scales and the hills with a balance?
e) Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord?
f) What man shows Him counsel?
g) With whom did He consult?
h) Who made Him understand?
i) Who taught Him the path of justice?
j) Who taught Him knowledge and the way of understanding?

2. What is the answer to the first four questions? The remaining six?  God.  No one...He is self-existent. 

3. According to Isaiah 40:18-26

a) How does one go about constructing an idol?  A craftsman crafts it.  A goldsmith overlays it with gold and overlays it with silver chains.

 b) How does a man-made idol compare with God? What about other created things?An idol is a substitute creation made by a creation.  It rots and decays.  It cannot move.   God is the original Mover, the Creator of all.

Day Six: Read Isaiah 40:27-31

1. Why would "Jacob/Israel" be complaining (verse 27)?

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?  Isaiah 40:27

They might complain their way is "hidden from the Lord" and "their right" is "disregarded."  In other words, they feel God is distant, doesn't see them, consider them, or value their rights.

 2. What attributes of God do you see in verse 28? Everlasting, indefatigable, does not faint, His understanding is unsearchable.

 3. What does God promise those who wait on (hope in) Him? That He will renew their strength.

"The Lord promises to transfer his strength--that is, His very own strength--to those who hope in Him." (v. 27-31)  Memphis Bible Church

Isaiah, Week 8, Days 2 & 3: Isaiah 40:3-8

Day Two: Read Isaiah 40:3-5 

 1. In addition to telling the people to prepare for the Lord to lead them from captivity in Babylon, what future event is prophesied in verse 3? (See also Matthew 3:1-5; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 1:17,76; John 1:22,23)

The coming of the Messiah.

2. What is the fulfillment of the prophecy?

Jesus

3. What specific things are the people to do to prepare this highway?

Repent (Matt 3:2), make paths straight (Matt 3:3)  turn hearts of parents to children (Luke 1:17), the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous (Luke 1:17), make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).

 3. a. From verse 5, what will happen once the highway is prepared and did the people of Isaiah's time know it would happen?

The glory of the Lord will be revealed and all the people will see it together.  I would say no.

 b. Has this prophecy been fulfilled? (See John 1:14)

"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Yes.

Day Three: Read Isaiah 40:6-8

1. What does the grass represent?  The flesh of the people and their kindness toward God.

A second voice (cf. Isa_40:3) spoke. This voice, probably God’s, gave the command, probably to Isaiah, to cry out. The voice told him to contrast the difference between people and God. People are temporary and they change. They are like wild grass and flowers that come up in the springtime only to fade and fail when the weather gets hot (cf. Psa_37:2; Psa_102:11; Psa_103:15-16). By contrast, God never fails for His Word endures forever.  -BKC

2. What is the "breath of the LORD"?  The Spirit of the Lord.

3. How can you apply verses 6-8 to your own life? Stay in the Word because it is eternal.  Do not expect more from man than God does; recognize the fleeting affections and nature of man.

According to Peter, although the flesh withers, and the flower thereof falls away, yet in the children of God there is an unwithering something of another kind. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” “The Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.” The Gospel is of use to us because it is not of human origin. If it were of the flesh, all it could do for us would not land us beyond the flesh; but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is superhuman, Divine, and spiritual. -Spurgeon

"The word of our God stands forever" has been adopted as the motto of a number of Christian schools, usually in Latin: Verbum Dei manet in aeternam. William Kelly wrote that as the end draws nearer we do greatly need simplicity to rest upon God's Word. There may be difficulties to such as we are, and the Word seems a weak thing to confide in for eternity, but in truth it is more stable than heaven or earth. -Believer's Bible

Isaiah, Week 8, Day 1: Isaiah 40

Day One: Read Isaiah 40:1,2 

Voices are ever speaking to us from the infinite; let us heed them. F.B. Meyer

Here beginneth the Gospel of the prophet Isaiah, and holdeth on to the end of the book. (J. Trapp.)

In passing from chaps, 36-39, to chap. 40. we find ourselves introduced into a new world. To arouse the indifferent, to reassure the wavering, to expostulate with the doubting, to announce with triumphant confidence the certainty of the approaching restoration, is the aim of the great prophecy which now occupies the last twenty-seven chapters of the Book of Isaiah. (Prof. S. R. Driver, D. D.)

This section divides into three parts of nine chapters each (chaps. 40-48; 49-57; 58-66). The first two parts each conclude with the statement, “There is no peace… for the wicked” (Isa_48:22; Isa_57:21).

These prophecies of deliverance center around three events:
(1) Deliverance from captivity in Babylon (already prophesied by Isaiah, Isa_39:7). This is the main subject of chapters 40-48 and the chief deliverer is Cyrus, mentioned near the middle of the section (44:28-45:1).
(2) The rejection and restoration of the Suffering Servant. This is discussed in 52:13-53:12, near the middle of chapters 49-57.
(3) The consummation of God’s restoration of Israel and the world. At the heart of this third section (chaps. 58-66) is the coming of the Messiah (chaps. 61-63).

1. What two personal pronouns do you find in verse 1 and what word does each modify?
My people, says Your God.   There is a sense of belonging---Israel is the Lord's people, and He is their God.




 2. To whom is Isaiah to speak the Lord's word (verse 2)? Why is comfort needed? (from previous lessons)?  Jerusalem.   Comfort is needed because of the punishment/exile they have endured.

In our text, there is a specification of one large class of medicine; and therefore, by inference, ONE LARGE CLASS OF SICKNESS. “Comfort” is the staple of the prescription. 

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.” Here there is the same medicine—“comfort”; but you have the disease more clearly defined—a “multitude of thoughts.” Bishop Austin’s version is, “The multitude of my anxieties within me”; whilst the representation in the original Hebrew would seem that of a man involved in a labyrinth, from whose intricacies there was no way of escape. -H. Mevill, B. D.

3. What is the three-part message from the Lord to His people?

1-Warfare has ended.
2-Her iniquity is pardoned.
3--She has received from the Lord double for all her sins.

"To receive double for all her sins does not mean to be punished beyond what she deserves but in keeping with what she deserves. The point is that she has now received “full” or “sufficient” punishment for all her sins." -BKC

Isaiah, Week 7, Day 5: Isaiah 39

 Day Five

Read Isaiah 39 with Jeremiah 25:1-12; 29:10 

 1. After Hezekiah received the envoys from Babylon, what did Isaiah say would happen in the future?

He said the day  is coming when all that is in your house and storehouse will be taken away to Babylon.

 2. What was Hezekiah's attitude upon hearing this prophecy?

He said the word of the Lord was good, and he was glad it wouldn't happen in his lifetime.

3. How long did Jeremiah say the "Babylonian Captivity" would last?  70 years

Day Six

This overview is helpful:

The captivity of Judah took place in stages. In 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar entered Jerusalem, made Jehoiakim a vassal, and took captives to Babylon, including Daniel (2Ki_24:1). In 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar again invaded Jerusalem, deported Jehoiachin, and took additional captives, including Ezekiel (2Ki_24:10). Finally, in 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple and took captive all but the poorest of the people (2Ki_25:1-10).  -Believer's Bible Commentary

Considering the prophecies of Isaiah 39 and Jeremiah 25:1-14; 29:10 in Day Five, read:

2 Kings 24:8-17--Jehoiachin 18-year-old king, did what was evil...only reigned 3 months. Nebuchadnezzer carried off him, his mom, all the treasures of the Lord from Solomon's time, pluse 10,000 captives.  He put his uncle in his place, renamed him Zedekiah (age 21, reigned 11 years). Jehoiachin was captive for 37 years, then King Evil Merdach of Babylon set him above other captive kings.

2 Chronicles 36:15-30-- here the emphasis is that Lord sent prophets to try and circumvent this, but because the people didn't listen and mocked them, they had to suffer 70 years of captivity.

2Ch 36:15  The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
2Ch 36:16  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Daniel 1:1-7--During captivity, Daniel and three other wise men were appointed to be indoctrinated in the Babylon ways for 3 years, and eat the king's food,  with the intent that these men would be in leadership positions in the king's court.

Daniel 9:1-19--1st year of Darius as King of Babylon, 539 BC, 66 years after Daniel had been exiled. They had been in exile under Nebuchadnezzer since 605 BC. Daniel read in Jeremiah that the land must lie desolate for 70 years.

Evidently moved by Darius’ victory Daniel searched the Scriptures to understand the events of which he was a vital part. He understood Darius’ victory meant that the termination of the 70-year Captivity was near. Thus these significant events became even more momentous for Daniel.-BKC

Daniel was sensitive to the climate of the times, historical timing, and God's word.

 He prays and fast for his people and pleads an earnest, thoughtful prayer to God, full of self-reflection, admission of guilt, knowledge of God's greatness, asking for rescue for God's sake, the sake of His name, not theirs.

Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing His truth.  -Daniel 9:13

I find it interesting that Daniel had a copy of and was reading Jeremiah.  It makes me wonder about how much of the Word was written down, when, and how accessible it was.  I wouldn't expect Daniel to have access to it in captivity, but he was set apart and considered wise, certainly as part of the King's servants, had greater access than most.

Isaiah 44:28; When I say of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,' he will certainly do as I say. He will command, 'Rebuild Jerusalem'; he will say, 'Restore the Temple.

Isaiah 45:1-7--God said he would use Cyrus as an instrument to bring about judgement on other nations and allow Israel to return home.  Cyrus=Persian monarch. 

Isa 45:1  This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, His anointed one, whose right hand He will empower.

BKC: He Cyrus would easily conquer other nations (Isa_45:1-25 :lb), with God’s help (Isa_45:2), and would receive wealth from the nations he overcame (Isa_45:3). This he did in conquering Lydia and Babylon. All this would be for the sake of Jacob, God’s Chosen People (see comments on Isa_41:8-9). And even though Cyrus would enjoy a special relationship with God (God called him by name; cf. Isa_43:1) and was honored by God, he still was not a believer for he did not acknowledge the Lord as the true God.

 1. How were the prophecies regarding the Babylonian Captivity fulfilled? (Note: Darius the Mede is also known as Cyrus)  Cyrus the Great allowed Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple.

 2. How has your study of the history recorded in Chapters 36-39 and previous chapters given you perspective regarding "recent" events in the world, your country, your church, your family, or your personal life? How might it help with your response to future events?

It's a good reminder that God's hand is over all history--personal and private.  His timing

Isaiah, Week 7, Days 2-4: Isaiah 37-38

Day 2

Read Isaiah 37:1-20

 1. What did Hezekiah do when he received the report from his officials? He tore his clothes, put on clothsack, and went into the sanctuary of the Lord.  He took the letter and spread it before the Lord in the sanctuary and prayed.

 2. What is the first thing you do when faced with overwhelming difficulty?  Depends.

 3. According to Isaiah, what will be the outcome? Give the verse.  Isaiah 37:7--Isaiah says that God will send a rumor (which turns out to be that the King of Assyria is attacking him) that leads the King of Assyria to rush home where he will die.

 4. For what purpose did Hezekiah ask the Lord to save them from Sennacherib? Give the verse.  v 20 Let all the nations know that You are God.

Day 3

Read Isaiah 37:21-38

 1. What did God want Sennacherib to know (See vv 26-28)?
He wanted him to know that this was not a new thing, but a longstanding plan.  He was using him as a tool.

 2. Based on the sign God gave Hezekiah in verses 30,31 a. how long would the siege last? Two years

 b. what would be the outcome? No weapons would be used.  He would go home and life would return to normal after 2 years.

3. How was Isaiah's prophecy of 37:7 fulfilled? Give the verse. (See also 2 Chronicles 32:21)
An angel of the Lord struck the Assyrian camp v 27  The King fled, went home, and while worshiping in the temple was killed by two of his sons.

Day 4

Isaiah 38

 1. How did Hezekiah react when he heard he was dying? (2 Chronicles 32:24-26)  He wept and pleaded with the Lord "remember how I've lived my life"

 2. What actually happened? The Lord gave him 15 more years of life (v 5).

 3. What was Hezekiah's response when he learned he would live?   "It seems it was good for me to go through these troubles" (v 37) "God saves and will save me"  (38:20).

Isaiah, Week 7, Day 1: Isaiah 26, 2 Kings 18:1-16

Day One: Read Isaiah 36 and 2 Kings 18:1-16 

The BKC describes Isaiah 36 as a historical interlude that shows the fulfillment of some of Isaiah's prior predictions:

"The historical material in these chapters concerns two events which are foundational to a proper understanding of Isaiah’s theology and Judah’s history. The first event (chaps. 36-37) concerns the Assyrian threat which God miraculously dissipated. This event climaxes Isaiah’s argument in chapters 1-35. In those chapters he had argued that God brought the Assyrians into Judah as a punishment for Judah’s sins and as a catalyst to turn them back to Him. However, he had prophesied that Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrians and that God would miraculously destroy the Assyrian army because of their pride."

"The second event (chaps. 38-39) concerned Hezekiah’s breach of the covenant when he was delivered by God from death but then allowed pride to enter his heart. This event serves as a foundation for chapters 40-66 which speak of the deliverance from the Babylonian Captivity prophesied in Isa_39:5-8."

This attack occurred in 701 b.c. This was the 14th year of… Hezekiah’s sole reign (cf. 2Ki_18:13), which began in 715. Some scholars have proposed that Sennacherib (705-681) made several attacks against Jerusalem, but extrabiblical evidence does not seem to support that view. Sennacherib boasted of taking 46 walled villages in Judah. He went from the north along the coast defeating (among others) the towns of Aphek, Timnah, Ekron, and Lachish. Lachish was then his staging area for attacking a number of other towns. From Lachish he sent a large army against Jerusalem to surround it and to demand its surrender.

The Assyrian commander stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. Besides setting the stage geographically, that information has theological significance. Ahaz had faced the Aram-Israel challenge at that same place (Isa_7:3). Isaiah had told Ahaz that he would not fall to his enemy, that the Lord would deliver him. But Ahaz had refused to believe the man of God. Now Hezekiah was also confronted with a message of deliverance from the same man of God. The geographic notation heightened the tension over the question of whether Hezekiah would respond positively to the Word of God. Eliakim… Shebna… and Joah (cf. Isa_22:20; Isa_36:11, Isa_36:22; Isa_37:2) were chosen to negotiate with the Assyrians. These men, in important positions, were trusted by Hezekiah.

 1. From the passage in 2 Kings, what were Hezekiah's actions in the first 13 years of his reign?
He was 25 when he began to reign and reigned for 29 years.  "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord" v 3.  He removed the high places and broke the bronze serpent Moses had made." v 4

 2. What important questions did Rabshakeh ask in Isaiah 36:4,5 that are relevant today?

He asks, "On what do you rest this trust of yours?"

 3. What did Rabshakeh say to taunt the men of Jerusalem in:

Verses 14,15--Don't let Hezekiah deceive you, as he cannot deliver you.  Don't believe him if he says the Lord will deliver us.

Verse 16--You should join Assyria, accept their offer of peace and life will be good (land, water, and good life).

Verse 18--Don't believe Hezekiah's claim that your God will save you.  Has any God yet saved their people from Assyria?

4. a. What important choice did these men have to make that people still must make today?

To trust God or the voices of others/their own fears/ taunts of enemy.

 b. Have you trusted (relied upon) God, in the person of Jesus Christ, to save you?

Yes.

Isaiah, Week 6, Day 5: Isaiah 33

 Day Five: Read Isaiah 33 

 1. Upon whom is the final woe pronounced? Assyria

 2. Find the words "salvation" or "save" in this chapter. Give verses.

Isa 33:2  But LORD, be merciful to us, for we have waited for You. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.

Isa 33:6  In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD will be your treasure. 

Isa 33:22  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

 3. How is the Lord described in verses 5-6? Is He all of these things to you? righteous and just, sure foundation, rich store of salvation, wisdom, knowledge.  Yes.

 4. What roles does God have in our lives according to verse 22? judge, law giver, king, savior

Day Six: Read Isaiah 34-35 

 1. From Isaiah 34:1-7, how will God judge evil? He will completely destroy nations (v2) The dead will be left unburied and their mountains full of blood (v 3).  The heavens will melt away and stars fall from the sky (v 4).  When He has finished this work, His sword will fall on Edom "the nation I have  marked for destruction (v5). The land will be soaked with  blood (v7).

 2. From Isaiah 34:8-17, what guarantee do you have that the day of the Lord's vengeance will come? Give the verse.  v 16  "No one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit, it hath gathered them."  v 17 "He hath cast the lot for them."

 3. How does this knowledge encourage you to share the gospel with unbelievers? (See 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)  We are ambassadors for Christ. 

 4. According to Chapter 35, what will be restored in the final kingdom? Give verses.  The land itself will have what it needs to bloom (35:2)  Sight.  Hearing, Physical Ability, Speech (v5-6)  A highway for the righteous with no dangers (8-9), joy will be characteristic of saints (v10).

Isaiah, Week 6, Day 4: Isaiah 31-32

Day Four: Read Isaiah 31-32 

 1. From 31:1-3, what does it mean to "rely on the flesh?" What happens to those who do? Give verses.

Disaster will come to them (v2).  Those who help and those who are helped (Egypt & Israel) will both fall (v3).  "They will all fall down and die together." (v3)

2. What will happen to:
a. Jerusalem?  The Lord will hover over Jerusalem, protect it, and deliver it (v5).

b. Assyria?  The Assyrians will be destroyed by the sword of God not men, they will panic and flee (v8).  The strong, young ones will eventually be taken away as captives (v 8)

3. From Chapter 32, describe the transformation that will occur when the "righteous king" reigns.

The King will rule justly, and his princes (v1). Those who follow him will be perceptive, no longer spiritually blind (v2-3)

Gorgeous image here:

Isa 32:2  And a man [alternately rendered "each one"] shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

KJ, CJB--a man

ESV, MSG, NLT, NRSV--each

BKC: "In the Millennium the King (cf. comments on Isa_33:17), that is, the Messiah, will reign in righteousness (Isa_11:1-5; cf. Jer_23:5), and rulers under Him (cf. 2Ti_2:2; Rev_5:10; Rev_20:6; Rev_22:5) will be just. In fact every person entering the Millennium will be a believer. Each one will be protective of others like a shelter from the wind and will refresh others like… water in the desert and a rock that gives shade from the desert heat."

There is scholarly debate over whether this was an immediately fulfilled prophecy via Hezekiah or a longer term Messianic one and over whether it refers to a single individual or to the people in the Millennial Kingdom in general.

"A man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, etc. Modem critics mostly render, "each man"—i.e. the king, and each of his princes. But it is, to say the least, allowable—with Vitringa and Kay—to regard the word as referring to the king only (comp. Zec_6:12, where ish, a man, is used in the same vague way of One who is clearly the Messiah). There was never but one man who could be to other men all that is predicated in this verse of the "man" mentioned (comp. Isa_25:4, where nearly the same epithets are predicated of God). A covert; i.e. a protection against Divine wrath. Such is Messiah in his mediatorial character. Rivers of water; i.e. refreshing and invigorating (comp. Isa_55:1; Joh_4:14; Joh_7:37). The shadow of a great rook. At once refreshing and protecting (see Isa_25:4)."-Pulpit Commentary

If you approach the verses from the "each one" perspective, from the perspective of this being a collection of believers, this passage is affirming, refreshing and supporting.  Christians being a shelter for other Christians...protecting them, refreshing them, shading them--what a great and appropriate call to repentance and action.  Are believer's consistently this way currently?

There are two problems 1)man's current sin nature--Christian or no  2)Our ability to discern what is noble:

E.A. Lawrence: "But great characters can only exercise their full and proper influence when they move among those who are able to discern their greatness."

Isaiah 32:5  "The fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable."

 "A third good fruit is CALLING AND TREATING EVERYONE ACCORDING TO HIS TRUE CHARACTER (Isa_32:5-8). Nobility of birth and riches will give place to nobility of disposition, so that the former will not be found, nor find recognition without the latter" (F. Delitzsch).

"The differences between good and evil, virtue and vice, shall be kept up and no more confounded by those who put darkness for light, and light, for darkness" (Isa_32:5). (Matthew Henry)

Isa 32:8  But the generous person devises generous things, and his generosity will keep him standing.

From the Believer's Bible: 32:1-8 The first five verses describe the Millennial reign of Christ. He is the king who reigns in righteousness; the princes may be the twelve apostles (see Mat_19:28). "A man will be as a hiding place from the wind . . ." —that Man is the Lord Jesus, providing shelter, protection, refreshment, and shade. No longer will judicial blindness afflict the people, nor will ears be closed to listening obediently. Those who now make rash decisions will have discernment, and those who now stammer will express themselves without hesitation. Moral distinctions will no longer be blurred. The senseless person will not be honored. The coming of Christ will reveal men in their true light. The fool and the knave will be exposed as such (and punished accordingly). The generous man also swill be manifested and blessed. Verses 6-8 describe life as Isaiah saw it in his day. -Believer's Bible

4. Define "complacent."

Per Strong's concordance--"at ease, secure (in a bad sense), haughty

 a. How many times does Isaiah use the word in vv 9-11?  2 times, plus also the adjectives "troubled" and "careless."

 b. In what ways are we Christians, complacent today?  We are complacent in the perception of our "goodness," with regard to our abundance of food, wealth, and leisure time.  We are complacent about the suffering of those in other areas of the world.  We are complacent with regard to our knowledge of the scriptures and of the condition of our own spirits.  We can be way too complacent about the state of our own souls while nit-picking others.

******************************
This is a beautiful, restful image from the end of the chapter:

Isa 32:20  Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters.” Why? Not because the sowing is itself an absolute benediction. Oftentimes it is attended with a great deal of pain, and labour, and anxiety, and sacrifice. It is the casting away of that which is in itself of great value. The sowing is blessed because it is a prophecy of the increase of that which we sow, the promise of the reward of our labour and our sacrifice. -WJ Hocking

The skill of the farmer lies in his knowledge of the relation of his seed to the soil, to the season, and the atmosphere, and the conditions of the growth and development of the seed. The highest wisdom of life is the knowledge of the relation of conduct to character, and of character to destroy: the perception of the conditions under which h e s highest elements are perfected and its fruit-bearing qualities ripened. That is the mystic meaning Of the benediction of my text: there is the secret of the blessedness of every Sower.  WJ Hocking