Isaiah Chapter 7:1-9

Isaiah Chapter 7:1-9

vs. 1-2

- This is a story from the time of King Ahaz.

- “When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan. The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.”

- Jotham was the son of Uzziah. Both Uzziah and Jotham had this problem... They themselves followed God... but they didn't get rid of the shrines and idols in Judah. As leaders, they may have led by example... but they didn't bring the sin of the people into question. They let them do as they pleased.

- If we look at the king and nation relationship as a parent and child relationship... These kings... spoiled their children and let them do whatever they wanted... no questions asked. Every once in a while, they might have tried to reason with the people... or gave some kind of “Now, you really shouldn't do that” kind of statement... but... for the most part... they lived their lives and let the people run wild. They were more focused on themselves and their own well-being than they were the spiritual... “lostness” of the people.

- We can take a lesson from this in many aspects of our lives... not only towards children if you are a parent, but as a friend, or as a co-worker, or as family, or as church family... There sometimes comes a time in life when you have to confront the sin not only in your own life, but in the lives of those around you.

- Now this isn't to say that you go to everybody you know and start nit-picking at their lives... “Take the log out of your own eye” ring a bell?

- Luke 6:39-42

- However, blatant, open sin, cannot be allowed to grow in a life that claims the name of Christ.

- I don't watch much reality TV... but every once in a while I see this show advertised called “Intervention.” Basically, family and friends are getting together to have an intervention with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. They all sit down and explain that this addiction is detrimental to their health and to these relationships, and that a change needs to happen...

- In my mind... that's what needs to happen in our relationships sometimes. It might not be a whole group setting... but sometimes, people don't see what kind of effects their lifestyle is having on other people.

- Granted... a conversation like this is not an easy one... you might lose the relationship for a while over it... but I guarantee it's a necessary conversation when it comes to a Christian insisting on persisting in their sin.

- I John 5 starts by explaining who a Christian is. Someone who believes that Jesus is the Christ. Someone who loves God and his children. Someone who obeys God's commandments... so on and so forth...

- Then in verse 16, he says 'If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that they world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and He is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.”

- Now, give me a second to explain all this...

- What is the sin unto death? What is so terrible as to be unforgivable?

- Go with me to Matthew 12. The Pharisees have been keeping tabs on Jesus. They heard that He cast a demon out of a man. Their response to this was to say “No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons.”

- Jesus then replied by saying, well... if I am empowered by Satan, then Satan is fighting against himself... so his kingdom is in a civil war. A kingdom divided cannot stand, so that doesn't really make any sense... Only someone stronger and greater than Satan can bind him up and plunder his house...

- Then Jesus says: “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”

- Matthew 12:22-37

- Mark 3:20-30

- Barnes Notes on the Bible on the Matthew verses reads thusly: “In this place, and in Mark 3:28-30, Jesus states the awful nature of the sin of which they had been guilty. That sin was the sin against the Holy Spirit. It consisted in charging him with being in league with the devil, or accusing him of working his miracles, not by the "spirit" or "power" of God, but by the aid of the prince of the devils. It was therefore a direct insult, abuse, or evil speaking against the Holy Spirit - the spirit by which Jesus worked his miracles. That this was what he intended by this sin, at that time, is clear from Mark 3:30, "because they said he had an unclean spirit." All other sins - all speaking against the Saviour himself - might be remitted. But this sin was clearly against the Holy One; it was alleging that the highest displays of God's mercy and power were the work of the devil; and it argued, therefore, the deepest depravity of mind. The sin of which he speaks is therefore clearly stated. It was accusing him of working miracles by the aid of the devil, thus dishonoring the Holy Spirit.”

- So this sin unto death is that in which we attribute the works and power of the Holy Spirit... to Satan.

- footnote: “Christians sometimes wonder if they have committed this sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Christians need not worry because this sin is attributing to the devil the work of the Holy Spirit. It reveals a heart attitude of unbelief and unrepentance. Deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy because it is rejecting God Himself. The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, but ironically they were the guilty ones when they looked Jesus in the face and accused Him of being possessed by Satan.”

- So, as Christians. When we see a brother or sister who is sinning... we are first to pray for them. Then to speak to them. If praying that they are convicted and that they see their need for a life change works... then there is no need to speak openly... However, if they persist after a time of praying, or seem to be under conviction, but not heeding the hints from God... then it is time to speak. But in Matthew 18:15-18, we have the rest...

- “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth, will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

- In some translations “forbidden” is read as “bound”.

- So, to make the full circle...

- If the kings Uzziah and Jotham had done what they were supposed to do... then righteousness would have abounded... The people's hearts would have been affected and their own lives would have reflected the change.

- As it was... Ahaz came along... who was a very evil king. The apathy of his father and grandfather led to him being a completely evil king. He sacrificed his son to an idol. He wasn't just worshiping an idol... he was involved in human sacrifices...

- The story of Ahaz can be found in II Kings 16 and II Chronicles 28.

- Last chapter, God told Isaiah to say to the people to listen but not understand, to watch, but learn nothing. That their hearts would be hardened and their ears would be shut. That they would not understand with their hearts or turn to God for healing.

- The people were getting to the point that the only way that God was going to get through to them, was through trials and tribulations. “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland.” When things get rough... we HAVE to turn to God. It's our only choice. We either turn to God... or... perish. Judah was to the point... that God was going to have to present them with that choice.

vs. 3-9

- “Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah. Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying, “We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah's king.”

- footnote- “Shear-jashub means “a remnant will return.” God told Isaiah to give his son this name as a reminder of his plan for mercy. From the beginning of God's judgment He planned to restore a remnant of his people. Shear-jashub was a reminder to the people of God's faithfulness to them.”

- Again, in the last chapter, the last verse talks about the stump being cut down and yet becoming a seed for the tree to regrow.

- Even though God was bringing judgment down upon His people... a remnant would remain and survive. And they would indeed grow again into the tree that He had intended them to be.

- And even though Ahaz was an evil, wicked king... God still was trying to speak to him. He sent Isaiah to the king to encourage him. To show him that God was still in control.

- Maybe God was yet again trying to prove His love through kindness and gentleness. Even though they were turning against Him... still He was going to try to win them back over.

- So God said this to Ahaz. Personally... I find this incredibly encouraging to look at from the perspective of possibly being ready to be attacked...

- “This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is not stronger than its king Pekah son of Remaliah. Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”

- What I get from this is simply that God is in control. A country is no stronger than its king... and God is stronger than all men... God is still in control.

- And furthermore, the prophecy that before 65 years were up, Israel would be destroyed... well... about 15 or 20 years after this event... Israel was indeed destroyed and taken captive by Assyria.

- However, God also gave Ahaz a warning. That unless his faith was firm, God couldn't make him stand against his enemies... His faith had to be placed in God in order for there to be victory.

- That's a good statement for us in general. God will make us victorious... but our faith must stay strong... This is not to say that bad things won't happen... just that we will be able to get through them because God is with us.

- In Romans 12:3, It says to “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

- And in Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus how they could increase their faith. Jesus said 'If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea, and it would obey you!'” (Matthew 17:20 says that the mountain could be moved and that nothing would be impossible.)

- What I get from all this is something along the lines of the parable of the talents. God has given each of us a measure of faith... now what we do with it... is up to us. God can put circumstances in our lives that act as faith builders. He can put people in our lives that demand growth of our faith. He can show us how much He deserves our faith by all the good things He gives to us... but ultimately... it's up to us what we do with our faith. Do we allow our circumstances to grow our faith? Or do we let them smother it out and end up with nothing?

- With faith... nothing is impossible... Without faith... things look pretty hopeless...

- Ahaz... well... had faith in many things... but I don't know how his faith was in God... as we shall see...

Isaiah Chapter 6

Isaiah Chapter 6

vs. 1-4

- “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.”

- For history on King Uzziah, read II Chronicles 26.

- My dad did a sermon on this a couple months or so ago. So some of this may be taken from that...

- Okay... The Lord is sitting on His throne, high and lifted up. He is above the rest. He is exalted in the heavens. For He is worthy of praise and adoration and His essence demands our obeisance.

- His train fills the Temple. His presence cannot be denied. He is everywhere. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary says that a flowing train was a “badge of dignity in the East.” This wasn't just a little train... this one filled the entire Temple.

- The only thing I have to relate this to is a wedding dress with a really long train... There are trains that are like a foot long... and then there are trains that flow the length of the aisle and require assistance in managing...

- God's train wasn't a little one. His dignity demands a HUGE train. Something that shows just how much honor He deserves.

- Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says this about the seraphim : “Above the throne stood the holy angels, called seraphim, which means burners; they burn in love to God, and zeal for his glory against sin. The seraphim showing their faces veiled, declares that they are ready to yield obedience to all God's commands, though they do not understand the secret reasons of his counsels, government, or promises. All vain-glory, ambition, ignorance, and pride, would be done away by one view of Christ in his glory.”

- “Seraphim” literally meant to burn... they were literally on fire for God. As they circled the throne, they called out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies (or the Lord of Hosts)! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”

- Now, yes, these were created beings... and yes their job may have been to circle the throne... but these created beings... could not help but cry out at the holiness of God.

- Now, when dad did his sermon, he used a picture that my brother had done. It was a pencil sketch of the Mona Lisa... done entirely with doodles. So the shading etc. was all done with doodles. Every part of the picture... was made up of hundreds of other little pictures. There were animals, and food, and people... all kinds of things hidden within each other.

- Dad had one of the kids come down and walk around the picture. He was to explain what he saw each time he walked past... And every time, he saw something new in the picture...

- The seraphim were the same way. As they circled the throne... they continually saw new aspects, or facets of God. As they saw God's glory revealed in the earth, they couldn't help themselves! They just had to cry out in amazement! “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is this God! Look at all that He is! Look at all that He has done! WOW!!!!!!!!”

- They just kept circling and calling out to each other in amazement and awe over all that they saw and perceived.

- They called out so much and so loudly, that the whole Temple was shaken to its foundations and was filled with smoke...

- Smoke is usually perceived as the presence of God, or His Spirit...

- This just gives me such a picture of God's awesomeness and power. The Temple is shaking to its foundation and is completely filled with the presence of God. That just sounds like it would be scary to witness first hand. Can you imagine? And here stands Isaiah... what's his response?

vs. 5-7

- “Then I said, “It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.”

- Despair. Hopelessness. Sorrow.

- I was thinking a lot about the unclean lips thing. When the seraphim comes with the coal here in a second, He doesn't say, “now you can go speak to the people.” And I always thought it had to do with Isaiah being a prophet and speaking to the people.

- But then why would he say that the rest of Israel was also of unclean lips? Could none of them speak of God?

- Have you ever seen a movie where someone goes to meet the king or queen and they bow down before them and kiss their ring or their hand?

- Well, in idol worship, kissing the idol was a type of worship.

- In Job 31:26-28, it says: “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”

- In I Kings 19:18, God is talking to Elijah and He tells him that He has kept 7,000 others in Israel who haven't bowed down to Baal or kissed him.

- And in Hosea 13:2-3, it says: “Now they continue to sin by making silver idols, images shaped skillfully with human hands, “Sacrifice to these,” they cry, “and kiss the calf idols!” Therefore, they will disappear like the morning mist, like dew in the morning sun, like chaff blown by the wind, like smoke from a chimney.”

- One of the commentaries I was reading said that sometimes the ground was kissed as a sign of the fullness of submission.

- So here stands Isaiah... and all he can think of is... “how unworthy am I! Here I stand... not even worthy to kiss the feet of this God I serve! For I have sinned!” Whether that meant that Isaiah had at one point kissed an idol... or if that means simply that he was struck with the gravity of his sin...

- I am reminded of John the Baptist when he said “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much great that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of His sandals.” (Mark 1:7)

- And the rest of the nation! Not only is Isaiah a man of unclean lips... so too is the nation of Judah!

- In II Chronicles in the story of Uzziah and his son Jotham, it remarks that although the kings were godly... the people did not follow their example and continued in their idolatry.

- Have you ever felt like that before God? Unworthy. Presumptuous. Fearful. Dismayed. Hopeless.

- Isaiah is standing in the throne room of God, completely surrounded by this awesome display of power and holiness... and in the presence of that holiness, Isaiah finds himself sorely lacking in his own...

- And yet... here he stands in the presence of God...

- “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

- When we fall before God and ask for forgiveness for our sins... It is freely given... but then begins a purging process. This walk is not a one time commitment... This is a day in, day out walk that requires constant resubmission.

- This is not a simple or painless process. That coal probably hurt like crazy... But it was worth it.

- When God accepts us as we are... He then asks us to become more like Him in all our ways. Yes the initial acceptance is unconditional. He will take you as you are. You don't have to fix yourself up before you come to Him... however, you do have to allow Him to work in you after that point.

- Isaiah was letting God do a work in him. He saw the need in himself, and accepted the Father's work in changing something about him.

- Just as we should. When you find yourself faced with your sin... and the fact that you are guilty beyond repair... That's when you too should fall on your knees before an almighty God, crying out, “Woe is me! For I am doomed! I have sinned against a holy and righteous God!” Then allow God not only to take your sin and guilt and cleanse you from it... but also to start to work a change in who you are.

vs. 8-9

- “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” And He said, “Yes, go, and say to this people...”

- God starts a change in Isaiah... and the first thing He asks for... is for Isaiah to go speak to the people. A hard task in and of itself... but wait until you see what God tells Isaiah to SAY!

- Isaiah doesn't hesitate. He jumps at the chance to do something for God.

- When we have accepted this God, and we have seen our unworthiness... and still have been accepted and cleansed from our sins... we owe a debt to God. He could have let us die in our sin... He didn't have to provide a way out... but He did. And freely.

- Now when God asks us for something... what is our response? Do we sit and mull it over trying to think about how we can do this with as little effort as possible? Do we see if we can figure out a way to have somebody else do it and we still get the credit? Do we ask God not to make us do it? Do we try and bargain with God to see if we can do something more in our comfort zone?

- Or do we step up and say, “Yes God, I will go. Send me. I will do whatever You ask of me. No matter what it is... Just lead and guide me and I will trust that You will provide me with the answers, the strength, the wisdom, that I need to fulfill the purpose You ask of me.”

- That's a hard question. Sometimes God asks us to pick up and go somewhere new. Leave all we know behind. Sometimes God asks us to say hard things to people we love. Sometimes it means that we're probably going to be persecuted in some way for our words or actions.

- But it's not about us... it's about God... And it's about being obedient whenever He asks us to be.

- The purging and growing processes are not easy... but they are necessary for us to be healthy, growing, thriving Christians. If we're not growing and changing for the better... we're not letting Christ work in our lives... and if we're not letting Him do a work... we are growing stagnant, apathetic, or we are spiritually dying... None of which are great options...

vs. 9-13

- So what does God ask Isaiah to tell the people?

- “Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.” Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, not hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.”

- WHAT???? Aren't I supposed to lead them to You? Aren't I supposed to heal them? Make them better? Teach them to follow You? Why do You want to harden their hearts? Why do You not want them to turn to You for healing? Are they not Your people? Are they not Your children whom You love?

- “Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”

- No arguments. No holding back... just... “okay, so how long will I do this? What comes next?”

- Surely there's hope here somewhere. Surely God wouldn't just leave them stranded with no hope. Surely there's more.

- “And He replied, “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the Lord has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth—a remnant—survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed.”

- footnote- “When would the people listen? Only after they had come to the end and had nowhere to turn but to God. This would happen when the land was destroyed by invading armies and the people taken into captivity. The “tenth” refers either to those who remained in the land after the captivity or to those who returned from Babylon to rebuild the land. Each group was about a tenth of the total population. When will we listen to God? Must we, like Judah, go through calamities before we will listen to God's words? Consider what God may be telling you, and obey Him before time runs out.”

- The people had so hardened their hearts towards God... that He finally decided that drastic measures were in order... If they could not depend on Him in times of prosperity... or even times of a little persecution... then... they would learn to depend on Him by losing everything and having ONLY He to cling to. Nothing else would be available. He was giving them no other option.

- In order to do so however, He had to harden their hearts completely. Stop up their ears so they could not hear... and allow them to get to the place that He needed them to be... secure in and dependent on themselves. And then... He would rip out their foundations. He would take everything away so that they HAD to turn to Him.

- But... just as a tree leaves a stump that produces shoots after it is cut down... so would Israel become a holy seed. They would once again grow up to be a holy people. They would once again truly become His people... heart, mind, and soul.

- The means to the end... is not pretty... but the end... is very worth the struggle to get there...

Isaiah Chapter 5 (part 4)

Isaiah Chapter 5:20-30

vs. 20

- “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”

- The first thing that comes to mind with this is peer pressure and drugs... I remember getting thrown the “it's fun! We promise!” one a lot... or “what's it gonna hurt?” or something about not being cool if you didn't participate and this was how you were really going to make a mark in the world... I even had my best friend at the time to give me a key chain that said “You gotta do something to be anything.”

- Anytime somebody comes to you and presents a bad thing as a good thing... it's generally a sign that either they're not all together right, or they have your destruction in mind. Whether out of maliciousness or just a desire to wreak havoc and then sit back and watch the fun... it's not ok.

- Sometimes... it's not a person... it's not a friend... or family... or stranger... it comes in a whisper from Satan himself... reasoning with you. “Why deny yourself? What sane person denies themselves? Aren't you taught to succeed? Aren't you taught to go after what you want?” And just like in the garden... he twists God's truth... to fit his own perverted purposes.

- When we start taking wrong things... whatever they may be... no matter how small they might seem, and saying that... well... maybe they're not SO wrong... maybe they're ok to do... then we can start to see possible compromises on big things as well.

- footnote- “When people see no distinction between good and evil, destruction soon follows. It is easy for people so say, “No one can decide for anyone else what is really right or wrong.” They may think getting drunk can't hurt them, extramarital sex isn't really wrong, or money doesn't control them. But when they make excuses for their actions, they break down the distinction between right and wrong. If people do not take God's Word, the Bible, as their standard, soon all moral choices become fuzzy. Without God, they are headed for a breakdown and much suffering.”

- There was a friend of mine who's a fairly new Christian this week who was talking to my dad about his usage of cuss words. That's usually one of the first things to come up with new Christians... they're not used to having to watch their tongue.

- But even taking that small thing and saying... “well I'll be a Christian in other ways... but not this one.” or “Well I'm a Christian, but what's to say that I can't accept Christ and still live like I did yesterday?”

- Satan's lies that come either directly from him, or through someone in your life... can destroy your walk with Christ. Little by little, he erodes your walk and then throws your failure in your face any chance he can get. “You call yourself a Christian? Christians don't do that!”

- This verse says that sorrow will come to those who tell lies in place of the truth...

- II Peter 2 talks about false teachers coming to spread lies among the church. He says that they will even deny the Master who bought them... in other words... they will even deny Christ...

- “These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done.... These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped form a lifestyle of deception. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.” (vs. 12-13, 17-21)

- Thus why sorrow will come... Jude 1 says that they will perish in their rebellion. If they die in their rebellion... there is no hope. To die in your sin is a death sentence for all eternity... you are condemning yourself to endless torment and suffering in hell.

- These are teachers who knew the truth... and instead of following it... they learned to twist it for their own purposes... and they began to teach things other than the truth.... but were still trying to pass it off as truth. They rebelled against what they KNEW as truth. They are rejecting God... as God... and putting their own flesh on the throne in His place... and while they might think they are now free from the burden of living a holy life... the burden of being good all the time... they are now enslaved to their sin. Instead of being free... they are more bound than ever. And most of the time... they don't even realize it!

- Jude 1:3-23

- II Peter 2

- Micah 3:1-7

- II Thessalonians 2:1-12

vs. 21

- Isaiah goes on with other things that will eventually bring sorrow to the doers.

- “What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.”

- Romans 1 says this: “But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.” (vs. 18-23)

- When man begins to think that he is wise... that is when he finds that he is not...

- These men started to think that they could determine what God was like... maybe what He looked like... or maybe they started with the above section... maybe they started attributing qualities to God that were not His... they started to assume truths about God... that were in reality false... or they started to put what they would LIKE God to be, into His character where they didn't belong.

- So what will happen to these people?

- “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. .Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.... They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” (vs. 24-32)

- Because they rejected God, He abandoned them to their sin. He allowed them to do what they liked... because God doesn't force Himself upon us. He gives us every possible chance to turn around and do what we should... but when we don't... when we persist in our sin... when we make the conscious decision to turn away from God time after time... He will eventually let us go our own way. He will eventually let us sin as we like...

- These people above... when God abandoned them to do whatever they liked... it says that they traded the truth about God for a lie. They knew the truth... and instead, they took the lie. Knowing that they were condemning themselves... they did it anyway... and then they encourage others to join in their sin with them! They invite others to rebel and join in their destruction!

- And it all started with a thought... a false thought... about who God is. They thought they had it all figured out. They thought they had found the answers. But in their man-wisdom... they made themselves utter fools.

- I was reading “The Case for a Creator” by Lee Strobel a few weeks ago... and there was a story about a man who was either trying to prove or disprove evolution. He had all these facts to prove his theories and all this stuff that he was using to make his theory truth... except that by the time he was finished and his findings were published... he basically proved the other side of the matter. Or at least helped the other side significantly. Lol

- Our man-wisdom... doesn't even remotely match up to God's... We can try all we want... but our wisdom is just a drop in the ocean. We are nothing in comparison to the all-knowing and all-seeing God.

- Sorrow and destruction will come to those who think themselves to be more wise than the God who is the Author of Knowledge...

- Colossians 2:1-15

- James 3:13-18; 1:2-18
- Proverbs 3:7-8
- I Corinthians 3:18-20

vs. 22

- “What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold.”

- This takes us back to the idea that you are a slave to whatever you serve.

- Alcoholics are slaves to alcohol. Their daily lives are determined by the drink. The phrase “heroes at drinking” brings to mind a lot of college stories... lol I remember sitting at dinner or in class or whatever and hearing all these stories about the past weekends or the plans for the coming weekend. Drinking contests were almost always a part of that.

- But what good does it bring? When alcohol becomes the master... who knows what kind of direction the slave will get...

- I remember one of the guys in my music classes got drunk one night and tried to punch a hole through a brick wall... he did crack the brick... but he also messed up his hand pretty good...

- And of course there's always stories about the drunk driver who kills a car full of people...

- Or the alcoholic who falls asleep and lets the stove keep cooking or drops a cigarette and burns the house down around themselves.

- They bring destruction to themselves because their senses are inhibited. They're not thinking clearly... and so they do things that are harmful. Either to themselves or to people they have contact with.

- And the same goes for drugs or anything else that inhibits right thinking. To drink or do drugs until you don't know who you're hurting or what you're doing... just causes pain... both to you, and to everyone around you. Your drunkenness becomes your own punishment.

- Romans 13:11-14

- Luke 21:34-36

vs. 23

- “They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent.”

- So in reading this statement... I was reminded of law enforcement.

- Law enforcement officers are in place to help you. While yes they do give you speeding tickets etc., they do so as a check to your impulses and for the safety of yourself and other drivers. Their job is to protect you from yourself and others from you and vice versa.

- However, if these officers start taking bribes to let you off from speeding, or for domestic violence calls, or drug charges, or whatever it is... eventually, you're going to really do some damage to someone... and then... it's on their hands. It's their fault that innocent people suffer if they don't do their jobs.

- Or maybe these particular officials needed to have someone to take the blame... so they took the bribe, let the guilty guy off, and had an innocent man take the punishment for the guilty one.

- James 4:17 says: “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

- Proverbs 17:15

- Psalm 94:20-23
- Micah 3:8-12
- James 5:1-6

vs. 24

- “Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven's Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. That is why the Lord's anger burns against His people, and why He has raised His fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of His people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the Lord's anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike! He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing towards Jerusalem. They will not get tired or stumble. They will not stop for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal strap broken. Their arrows will be sharp and their bows ready for battle. Sparks will fly from their horses' hooves, and the wheels of their chariots will spin like a whirlwind. They will roar like lions, like the strongest of lions. Growling, they will pounce on their victims and carry them off, and no one will be there to rescue them. They will roar over their victims on that day of destruction like the roaring of the sea. If someone looks across the land, only darkness and distress will be seen; even the light will be darkened by clouds.”

- Because they have rejected the Lord as God and King... their destruction will follow. Many times God held back His anger and gave them another chance to change their ways... many times did He send warnings to them... and many times did they turn away in scorn.

- So now destruction is their just dessert.

- In Deuteronomy 28, God lists over the blessings that Israel will receive for their obedience... and the destruction that will come if they rebel against Him. Part of this conversation is quoted in the above verses from Isaiah. “The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand, a fierce and heartless nation that shows no respect for the old and no pity for the young.” (vs. 49-50)

- Some of the things about the nation who is coming relates back to Israel's own history. Like the sandal straps not being broken. In Deuteronomy 29:5, Moses reminds the people of this: “For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out.”

- Isaiah 40:28-31 says: “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

- In Luke 12:35-40, Jesus is talking about being prepared for when He comes again, and He says “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let Him in the moment He arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for His return will be rewarded.... You also must be ready all the time...”

- Basically... the enemy that God sends after Israel will be prepared. They will be ready for anything. They will be coming with the blessings that Israel SHOULD have had... if they had listened to God. They will run and not grow weary. Their clothing will be lasting for the battle. They will have... good fortune in battle so to speak. Not necessarily because God is WITH them... but more because He is no longer protecting Israel because of their continued rebellion.

- Thus... Israel's rejection of God... will lead to their destruction.

- Just as our rejection of God will lead to our destruction. But ours won't be an exile to another nation... ours will be an eternal separation from communion with God...

- Joel 2

- Jeremiah 4:1-6:30

Isaiah Chapter 5:8-19

Isaiah Chapter 5:8-19

vs. 8-12

- “What sorrow for you who buy up house after house and field after field until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land. But I have heard the Lord of Heaven's Armies swear a solemn oath: 'Many houses will stand deserted; even beautiful mansions will be empty. Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten baskets of seed will yield only one basket of grain.' What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties—lyre and harp, tambourine and flute—but they never think about the Lord or notice what He is doing.”

- footnote- “In this section (8-25) God condemns six sins:

1. exploiting others

2. drunkenness

3. taking pride in sin

4. confusing moral standards

5. being conceited

6. perverting justice.

Because of these sins, God punished Israel with destruction by Assyria. A similar fate was awaiting Judah if they didn't turn from these sins.”

- Judah was becoming greedy and selfish.

- The buying up of land around them was something they weren't supposed to do to their brothers. In Leviticus 25, the law was given that if you sold land to someone else whether to a tribal member or to someone else, then the seller was to keep the right to redeem the land back later. Or in the year of jubilee (which came every 50 years) the land would revert back to the original family owners. They weren't supposed to keep it for forever. They technically weren't buying the land itself. Verse 16 says “after all, the person selling the land is actually selling you a certain number of harvests.” They were buying the right to harvest the land for the number of years until the family could redeem it, or it reverted back at the time of Jubilee.

- Land laws were set up so that the land never left the possession of the tribal family or the family that the land was allotted to. Everybody got a fair portion and had the ability to care for their families. Nobody could be homeless with these laws. They provided a consistent place for each family to reside.

- In Leviticus 26, God said: “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.... I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfill my covenant with you. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be My people.”

- This was the promise... However, Israel walked away... and although God tried many times to change their minds and get them back on the right path, they persisted in their sin. So they were taken into captivity and their cities were destroyed. They were so scattered that by the time of Jesus, the tribes of Israel had been swallowed up and they became known as the Samaritans rather than as children of Israel. They had intermarried enough that their past heritage was lost...

- Judah is following that same path. They have turned away from the decrees of God and broken the covenant that they made with Him.

- Hence the land will be deserted. The things that have strove to build up around them... will be taken away. All their many acres of crop land... will not produce even a tenth of what it's supposed to.

- Judah has started looking to their own pleasures instead following the decrees of God. When it talks about those who get up early looking for alcohol and then spend all evening drinking... and having grand parties with great entertainment for them. Worried more about their daily pleasures than anything else... it says that they never think about the Lord or notice what He's doing.

- They have blinded themselves to God and all the things of God.

- In Philippians 3:18-19 says: “....there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”

- Colossians 3 warns us that we are to look to the things of heaven and stay focused on Christ rather than on earthly things.

- “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.... So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.” (vs. 1-10)

- As Christians, we are to avoid lifestyles that pull us away from God... or that will make us focus on earthly things as opposed to heavenly things.

- Judah was long past the pulling away stage. They were entirely focused on the things of this earth. From their waking up, to their laying down again... from morning til night... totally focused on themselves.

- footnote- “These people spent many hours drinking and partying, but Isaiah predicted that eventually many would die of hunger and thirst. Ironically, our pleasures—if they do not have God's blessing—may destroy us. Leaving God out of our lives allows sin to come in. Pursuing our own pleasure while ignoring or exploiting the needs of others leaves us empty and under God's anger. God wants us to enjoy life (I Timothy 6:17) but to avoid those activities that could lead us away from Him.”

- Romans 1:18-2:16

vs. 13-17

- “So my people will go into exile far away because they do not know Me. Those who are great and honored will starve, and the common people will die of thirst. The grave is licking its lips in anticipation, opening its mouth wide. The great and the lowly and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up. Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down; even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation. But the Lord of Heaven's Armies will be exalted by His justice. The holiness of God will be displayed by His righteousness. In that day lambs will find good pastures, and fattened sheep and young goats will feed among the ruins.”

- Because Judah no longer knows her God... because she has walked away from the husband of her heart... He will send her away into exile.

- Have you ever heard the term “gold digger”? It refers to women who seek to marry men for their money... and then usually divorce them soon after if they can get away with it... or marry old men who the woman is hoping will die soon so that she can get all of his money...the last few years there has been a lot of young girls getting pregnant by old men on social security so their children will have the social security benefits!

- Judah had become that kind of wife. She was using God for His provisions... but not really loving Him for who He was. They had ceased to know God for Himself.

- Hebrews 3:5-4:7

- I've been reading a book by A. W. Tozer, “The Knowledge of the Holy.” He says that “[a]mong the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is—in itself a monstrous sin—and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges.”

- In their minds they had made God into something that fit their idea of the kind of god that they wanted to have... one who wouldn't discipline them... one who wouldn't care if they sinned... one that would let things slide... one who would bless them no matter what they did...one who created them and therefore accepted all their “faults.”

- And in doing so, they began to ignore the voice of God and the things they KNEW to be true about God... They forgot the past... or said that God had changed...

- This happens with us today as well... We change our mindset about God and in effect, change who He is to us... except that He hasn't changed... He is unchanging... everlasting...

- James 1:17 says: “He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” and Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

- God doesn't change.

- I don't know how many times I've heard “Well... that's the God of the Old Testament... God's not like that any more...” or “God's getting older... He's getting soft in His old age.” or “God's out of date and He knows it so He's just letting us drift through because He knows He can't keep up with the times.'”God has gray areas for those special circumstances.”

- Seriously? I don't think so! GOD DOES NOT CHANGE! He's the SAME! So His thoughts on sin haven't changed. Just as He was going to expel Israel from the land because of their unbelief, so will He turn aside from us if we continually walk away. Just as He punished their sin, so will He punish ours. Just as their nation fell when their sin grew to huge proportions, so will our nations fall because of their sin.

- God hasn't changed... no matter how many centuries have passed...

- If we walk away and refuse to know God as Himself... His reaction to us... will be the same as it was to Israel...

- Malachi 3:6

- I Samuel 15:28-29

- Numbers 23:19
- Romans 11:1-36
- Ephesians 5:1-20
- Colossians 3:1-17

vs. 18-19

- “What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! They even mock God and say, 'Hurry up and do something! We want to see what you can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out His plan; for we want to know what it is.'”

- Dragging sin and wickedness... pulling it with you wherever you go... the burdens we carry...

- But it's not just that... it's that the sin and wickedness are displayed for all to see... it's not just in their hearts... they're taking it around with them everywhere! It's infected every area of their lives...(and everyone around them ).

- So whether they are dragging them around with guilty burdens... or whether they are flaunting them for all to see with pride in their sins... they are still carrying them around... maybe the lies are covering them up... or maybe the lies are what they tell themselves... maybe they keep telling themselves that they're alright... that there's no reason to repent. Maybe it's that kind of lie...

- And then they have the audacity to command God?! This echoes of the moment at the cross when they asked Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by coming down off the cross. “Prove your existence and THEN we'll believe in you. When you prove that you are powerful... when you prove that you are worth following... THEN we'll follow...” But had He not already proved Himself?

- God has proved His existence a hundred times over... He has proven His love for us as His creation... and yet... we continue to throw up to God this command of “prove yourself.”

- I was reading a book by Lee Stroebel last week called “A Case for a Creator.” He had a couple of quotes from different scientists that went a little like “even though I'm an atheist I have to admit the probable existence of something outside the universe as creator.”

- In His creation, God has proclaimed His presence and His greatness.

- Through Christ's sacrifice, He has proven that He will do whatever it takes to save us... because He loves us THAT much. He loved us enough to come to earth and bear all the pain and humiliation... just for us... just for our sake.

- So why the hold up? Why do we still ask God to prove Himself?

- Well partly because our human minds just can't comprehend the incomprehensible... to rationalize God is to put Him into human terms and human boxes... and He doesn't fit... so therefore, our minds just can't wrap around the idea that is God.

- and partly, I think it comes down to our rebelling human nature. We want an excuse not to follow.

- I had a friend once who told me that when God came down and sat in his living room and told him that He was real and living and wanted him to follow... then he would... but until then... he wasn't going to follow some God that wouldn't talk to him or prove his existence...

- That's not how God works... He who seeks... finds... He who doesn't seek... won't find. God doesn't reveal Himself to people who don't care to listen. If you read through the gospels, you will find that God told the Pharisees the truth... He told them exactly Who He was... but it was with His disciples that He sat down to explain the parables and His teachings... not to the Pharisees...

- Luke 8:4-18

- Mark 7:1-23; 10:1-12
- Matthew 13:1-52; 15:1-20

- The gospel does go forth... and people do come to tell you about God... but God is not going to force Himself on you... and He's not going to throw His pearls before swine... He's not going to open Himself up for interpretation and explanation to someone who is just going to toss it aside as nothing.

- However... to a ready and willing heart... the seeker... will find.

- “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)