Isaiah Chapter 7:10-25

Isaiah Chapter 7:10-25

vs. 10-12

- “Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.”

- God loves to reveal Himself to willing hearts. Here's Ahaz... an evil king. A man who is NOT seeking after God's heart... and yet God still longs to show Ahaz Who He is. So He gives Ahaz the opportunity to prove Him. “This is your chance! I'll do whatever you want me to do! And in doing so, I will prove myself to your heart!”

- Instead of following God's direction... or even instead of accepting God's challenge... Ahaz refuses.

- “No, I will not test the Lord like that.”

- Now, I understand not wanting to test God... in fact we are told in Matthew 4 and in Deuteronomy 6; “You must not test the Lord your God.”

- So, I can understand Ahaz NOT wanting to test God... for all he knew, the prophet was trying to get the king struck down...

- However, in Malachi 3:10, we have an example of God asking His people to put Him to the test. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”

- God wants us to see His worth, His truth, His righteousness, His faithfulness. Sometimes in order to prove Himself to us, He will ask us to test Him with something... and that means trusting that He'll come through for us.

- Ahaz was given that opportunity. God said, “This is what I'll do... Let me prove myself to you! Test me! Ask me anything you want and I'll answer you!”

- And Ahaz... refuses. Why? Well... maybe out of fear of it being a trick... on God's part or on the prophets part...

- Or maybe... Ahaz, who'd spent his life growing up under the tutelage of a Godly grandfather and father... KNEW truth... and KNEW that God would indeed prove Himself... But then... He wouldn't have ANY excuse for chasing after his idols and his evil ways. He would have maybe felt compelled to follow God... or maybe felt like he now owed God something of himself. So... he didn't want God to prove Himself... because it would give him a conscience concerning his sin...

- John 6:22-40

vs. 13-16

- “Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn't it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us'). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.”

- footnote- “Virgin is translated from a Hebrew word used for an unmarried woman who is old enough to be married, one who is sexually mature.....It is more likely that this prophecy had a double fulfillment.

(1) A young woman from the house of Ahaz who was not married would marry and have a son. Before three years had passed (one year for pregnancy and two for the child to be old enough to talk), the two invading kings would be destroyed.
(2) Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 to show a further fulfillment of this prophecy in that a virgin named Mary conceived and bore a son, Immanuel, the Christ.”

- Ahaz refused to ask for a sign... so God decided to give him a sign anyway.

- Poor Isaiah... he sounds so frustrated here. His patience with this king is just about exhausted. He's trying his hardest to make him see the light... and Ahaz just keeps shutting his eyes or blocking him out.

- Sometimes we meet people in our lives like that. They don't want to know Truth. They don't want to be faced with their need for a savior. They want to live their lives as they please. They don't want to have someone prick their consciences.

- So here stands Isaiah... trying to do what God has asked him to do... and getting the door slammed in his face time after time.

- When we meet with situations like this... where God has asked us to speak to someone, or do something... and our goal is constantly set back because of circumstances... we cannot lose heart. We cannot give up. Even when the road gets rocky... we have to keep pressing on. If God asks us to go, He'll prepare us for the way...

- My pastor used to talk about the relentless love of God. God never stops loving people. He never stops pursuing their hearts. so... neither should we.

- My grandparents have a funny story about how they started dating... My grandfather decided that this was the woman for him. So he went to her house to pick her up. And she hid on the back porch roof so that the family could tell him she wasn't in the house...

- A couple of times she did this... she was determined that she was NOT going to go out with this man. Well... he was just as determined that she WAS going to go out with him. So one night, he finally parked his car along the road and sneaked up to the house. She was inside the house watering plants. He sneaked up to the window and then popped up when she got close to him and said “well, you're home... So can I take you out tonight?” She screamed and threw her water pot straight up in the air... lol

- But you know what? They've been married for over 50 years... persistence paid off...

- God is like that. He sees our hearts... and He wants us for His own. He wants us to love Him. So He goes after us. Time and time again.

- Since we are the body of Christ... sometimes that means that WE have to go after people for God. Time and time again, we have to go speak the love of Christ to them. Even when they turn us away.

- Dad reminded us of a story about my pastor the other night... He was going to talk to this old guy all the time. He was bed fast... and pretty ill. He was extremely bitter against God. Didn't want anything to do with Him.

- So Doug would go and talk to him about things... and always brought it back around to his need for God.

- So this one day, his daughter popped in to say “Dad, you have a visitor”. And he said “It's not that damn preacher again is it?” And Doug popped his head around the corner and said “Yep, it's that damn preacher...” and pulled up a chair and started talking with him again.

- Because Doug was persistent in his love for this man... He eventually did give his heart to God before he died. Doug didn't walk away when the guy asked him to. He didn't give up after one time of getting told that he wasn't interested in God. He didn't stop after the guy told him off. He knew this was where God wanted him... and that's EXACTLY where he went. And God worked in that man's heart.

- Just because people lash out at us about our faith... doesn't mean we should stop trying. We just keep loving on them until they can't stand it anymore... they're eventually gonna want what we have. We make our love apparent by spending time, by showing concern, and by speaking truth when it's needed.

- We don't have to compromise our beliefs in order to do this. For example, I used to go to lunch or dinner with a friend of mine all the time who was not saved. I never went to the bar with him... never went to a party... we spent time on neutral ground together... I didn't have to compromise my beliefs, and he didn't feel threatened by being in a place where he wasn't in control. He wasn't going to set foot in a church... but restaurants were ok. And they were places that we could sit down and talk without pressure.

- I have friends who know where I stand who will invite me when they're going to a movie or something, or out to lunch, but they know I won't go to a party with alcohol... so they won't invite me to those kinds of things... but they still seek my company for other things.

- Being in the world... but not part of it. Doesn't necessarily mean that we have to go TO the bar, or TO the brothel, or TO the drug dealer's residence to witness... just means we have to seek out people to love in God's way.

- I had friends in college who said they were going to the bar so they could witness... they were going to go where the sinners were... except that... they weren't strong enough in their faith to do that... and they themselves fell into alcoholism etc. Make sure it's a God thing when you walk into a place like that to witness... If God CALLS you to go there... you'll be fine... but if He doesn't... it'll be incredibly hard not to fall.

- Luke 11:5-13

- Sorry for the ramble... moving on...

- So the sign is that a virgin will conceive and bear a son. Now, if this indeed was a son in the house of Ahaz at the time... then Ahaz got to see first hand, the hand of God moving in his life. Because the nation of Israel and the nation of Syria, during the reign of Ahaz, was taken over by Assyria.

- Ahaz grew fearful of these nations... and he called on Assyria to come to his rescue... Instead of turning to God... he turned to an enemy nations. Well Assyria did their job. They conquered both nations... and then they came to Judah and attacked Judah. Ahaz took valuables from the Temple and gave them to the king of Assyria as a tribute payment so that he wouldn't destroy them.

- Instead of turning to God in this time of trouble... Ahaz... set up a pagan alters in every corner of Jerusalem and shut the doors of the Temple so that no one could worship there.

- Even after God proved Himself... Ahaz... walked away... and led the nation away with him.

- II Chronicles 28

- Now, looking at the prophecy fulfilled in Christ. This was indeed one of MANY prophecies that Christ fulfilled in his coming as He did.

- Matthew 1:23

vs. 17-20

- “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you! In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.”

- OK so in II Chronicles 28, Ahaz is king and Assyria has to be paid off.

- During Hezekiah's reign in chapter 32, Assyria yet again invades Judah. God sent angels to destroy Assyria because Hezekiah had worked a religious reform in the nation of Judah and he himself was a godly king. However... Babylon (who eventually took over Assyria) sent ambassadors to Judah to visit with Hezekiah. He was proud of his accomplishments... and showed them EVERYTHING that Judah owned.

- So we move on to Manasseh's reign in chapter 33. He was an evil king. Assyria came and captured Manasseh, put a ring through his nose and led him off to captivity. However Manasseh humbled himself before God, and before he died, God brought him back to Judah to be king.

- Josiah, chapters 34 and 35. Josiah was a godly king. He made huge religious reforms amongst the people. He found the law and reestablished it among the people. He got rid of all the idols in the land. However... Josiah heard that the king of Egypt was in the land... he went out to do battle with him... but the king of Egypt was on his way to do something else... and God told the king of Egypt to hurry. He asked Josiah not to interfere with him. But Josiah went up against him anyway and was killed in battle...

- Jehoahaz. Chapter 36. He was king a total of 3 months... Then the king of Egypt took over and demanded that they pay tribute. (Remember Isaiah said that Egypt would come?)

- So Jehoiakim, brother of Jehoahaz, was placed in charge by the Egyptians. He was another evil king. He reigned for 11 years... and then Babylon moved in and captured the land and the king.

- His son Jehoiachin was king for a little while... also an evil king... and then Zedekiah... also evil... He tried to rebel against Babylon... that didn't go so well for him...

- and finally... The Babylonians moved in and killed them all. They even chased them into the temple. “They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm.”

- And then Babylon burned the temple...

- It took a few years... but eventually... Assyria, as part of Babylon... did indeed take Judah captive... and did indeed destroy Jerusalem.

- God kept giving them opportunities to turn back... and they kept refusing. As a nation... they hardened their hearts and walked away from God... so... destruction came to them.

- The enemy came like a plague and took everything... the land, the crops, and the people... everything was killed or burned. Anything of value was destroyed. “The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.”

- So for 70 years... nothing grew. There was no one to tend the fields.

- Jeremiah 29:8-23
- Leviticus 26

vs. 21-25

- “In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. Not one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.”

- Remember that this promised land was called “the land of milk and honey?” God was still going to sustain the people left here... He was still going to give them their fill of milk and honey... but the land itself... was unusable. It grew wild...

- God keeps His promises... whether they are promises of provision... or promises of destruction... God never goes back on His promises. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

- Psalm 73; 81

- II Corinthians 1:17-22
- Hebrews 6:16-20

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