9/10/00. Isiah :1-4 The ironic comparison between the gods of Babylon and the Eternal God.

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1 1 2 9/10/00 Isiah The prophet Isaiah now deals with the punishment of Babylon for her idolatry, her pride and how these very gods will not help the people of Judah. This is the recurring subject of the book but and a major focus of the second division of Isaiah, which is evident from chapter forty to the present one. Some say that the Babylonian captivity taught the nation of Israel regarding idolatry but if you examine the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, you will see that they were guilty of idolatry after the captivity. 46:1-4 The ironic comparison between the gods of Babylon and the Eternal God. 46:1-2 The Babylonian gods had to be carried. 1) The name of one of the gods of Babylon was Bel, who was equivalent to the Canaanite god Baal. vs. 1a a) Bel or Belus also called Marduk means lord and often was used in compounds as in king s names, such as Belshazzar. b) Daniel himself was given a pagan name identified with their god, Belteshazzar. Dan. 1:7 c) The posture describes one of false gods who are tottering, * The prophet has already said that every knee is going to bow. Is. 45:23 2) The second god is Nebo or Nabu, was the son of Bel, which means the revealer or speaker, the god of writing, equivalent to the Hebrew word Nabi, meaning prophet. vs. 1a a) He served the same function as did Hermes for the Greeks or Mercury for the Romans. Acts 14:12 b) He also was thought to be the bearer of the tablets of destiny of the gods. c) The temple of Nebo stood at Borshippa and the temple of Bel was at Babylon. d) Again the name of this god was used for the kings, such as Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus. 3) The indictment is that these two gods are lifeless and have to be carried about by beast of burden from place to place, as they pull them on carts, becoming a burden to the beast. vs. 1b-d 4) They could useless to the Babylonians.

2 3 4 a) The two could not deliver the Babylonians from their burden. b) The two gods could not deliver them from Babylon or the Babylonians from their captivity by Cyrus. vs. 2 * Jer. 48:7; 49:3 46:3-4 The Eternal God had carried Israel and would continue to do so. 46:3 God had carried His people. 1) God calls for the ear of the house of Israel and the remnant. a) The Northern kingdom was the house of Israel. b) The remnant was the few that would return and were the true Israel. 2) They had been carried from birth, even as in the womb. Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11 46:4 God would carry them throughout their lives. 1) God would carry them to their old age 2) He made them and bore responsibility of to bear them. 3) He would deliver them, through Cyrus from Babylon. Is. 40:25; 45:1-7 46:5-7 The lack of comparison between the gods of Babylon and the Eternal God. 46:5 The personal question to His people. 1) To whom will you liken Me. * What will you make Me look like? 2) To what will you make Me equal to? * Who is My competitor. 3) To whom will you compare Me? * Who is Twin? 46:6 Their dedicated labor is described. 1) The people are not stingy with their wealth to make gods. 2) They weigh the gold and hire a goldsmith to make a god. 3) They then prostrate themselves and in irony say, Yes and they worship, revealing once again the foolishness of it. 46:7 Their devotion to their gods is declared. 1) They bear it on the shoulder, they carry their god, meaning that their gods are less than they. 2) And set it in its place, and it stands, meaning that their gods are present only in one place at a time. 3) From its place it shall not move., their gods can not go anywhere without human help. 4) Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer., their gods can not communicate with them.

3 5 6 5) Nor save him out of his trouble., their gods are powerless to help them. * They are powerless to hear, to speak and they can not save!. 46:8-11 The unique ability of the Eternal God to foretell the future. 46:8 They were to remember their past in view of their present state. 1) God calls for them to show themselves as men, meaning courageous, while being cowards, unable to think like their gods. 2) God tells them to recall to their mind, identifying them as transgressors, being in present rebellion to Him. 46:9 They were to remember their past in view of the person of God. 1) The former things of old, what God had done, how He had done them! 2) The fact that He was God Elohim, and there was no other, therefore idols were a mistake. 3) The truth that He was God and there was none like Him, He is the only One! Is. 40: :10-11 They were to remember God s unique ability to tell the future. 1) Declaring the end from the beginning, for He lives in an eternal present, outside the time domain of man. vs. 10a; Is. 41:22 2) Declaring things not yet done and His counsel stands doing His pleasure, being in control of all things. vs. 10b-c 3) Deciding weather He uses beast of man for His purposes and plans and then bring it to pass, revealing that He is God. vs. 11 * Certainly this can apply to Assyria, Cyrus, etc. 46:12-13 The promise of the Eternal God for Israel s future. 46:12 God addresses them again by their present spiritual condition. 1) Those who are stubborn-hearted or hardhearted are called to listen, demonstrating the patience and steadfast love. vs. 12a 2) Those who were far from righteousness, living a life-style that was unloving and godless towards their fellowman. vs. 12b 46:13 God would in spite of them bring in His righteousness. 1) Jehovah would bring it to them in the near future. vs. 13a

4 7 8 2) Jehovah would bring salvation in Zion. vs. 13b-c 3) Jehovah would do it for Israel, His glory. vs. 13d * Is. 40:15-17; 44; :1-7 The humiliation of Babylon. 47:1 Babylon s abasement. 1) She is dethroned from her exalted state of power to that of a servant. 2)A virgin protected and admired, not conquered but soon to be a despised slave girl. 3) She would no longer be called or live in opulence and comfort by the phrase tender and delicate. Is. 13 * Some ascribe this prophecy to Sennacherib rather than Cyrus but the context fits Cyrus better. 47:2 Babylon s servitude. 1) She would work hard and degraded not honored, having her veil removed. 2) She would have to travel on foot and cross the rivers as a fugitive, shamed bearing her leg. 47:3 Babylon shamed. 1) Her nakedness would be uncovered. 2) God would do this. 3) The judgment could not be averted. 47:4 The character of Jehovah in contrast. 1) He is Israel s Redeemer. 2) He is the Lord of hosts, the captain of the armies of heaven, that is His name. 3) He is the Holy One of Israel. * All three declare that He is on the throne and reigning over all the affairs of man! 47:5 The sentence of Jehovah. 1) She is to sit in silence in her abasement in darkness. 2) She would no longer be called The Lady of Kingdoms. 47:6-7 The cruelty of Babylon to Israel. 1) God had punished His people by giving them over to Babylon. vs. 6a-c 2) She showed no mercy on the elderly. vs. 6d-e 3) She boasted that she would be a lady forever, not considering her actions and the future consequences. vs. 7 47:8-11 The prideful overconfidence of Babylon. 47:8 The self-worship of Babylon.

5 9 10 1) They trusted in their life of leisure, pleasure and their own safety, so they were commanded to hear. 2) They thought in their hearts that they were the only important ones. 3) They thought they would never become a widow or know the loss of children. 47:9 The coming judgment declared. 1) Two things would come upon them suddenly by the phrase, in a moment and one day 2) The loss of children and widowhood. 3) These would come upon them in their fullness, due to their sorceries and abundance of enchantments. a) Nebuchadnezzar consulted them for his dream. Dan. 2:2, 10 b) Revelation shows us that she never changer with her sorceries. Rev :10-11 Their mistake. 1) They trusted in their wickedness, believing no one saw it, but God did. vs. 10a-c 2) Their wisdom and knowledge warped their perception about themselves, their hears being absorbed with themselves. vs. 10d-g; Is. 14:13-14; 30:1 3) Their judgment will be sudden, inescapable and certain not conquered through Cyrus vs :12-15 The power of the occult are powerless. 47:12-13 God taunts Babylon regarding her prognosticators. 1) She is called to stand with her enchantments and sorceries which she has know form her youth. vs. 12a-b 2) She will perhaps be able to profit against God s prophecy and ever prevail. vs. 12c 3) She was wearied by the multitude of her counsels of astrologers, stargazers and monthly prognosticators, nevertheless she was to see if they could save her from the judgment to come. vs :14-15 The uselessness of her counselors. 1) They shall be as stubble in the fire unable to deliver them. vs. 15a-e 2) They will be no comfort to them. vs. 15fg * What a contrast to the people of God. Is. 40:1 48:1-11 The reproof of Israel by God.

6 :1-2 The religious facade of Israel through pride. 1) They were hear, the house of Jacob, rebellious rather than being Israel, governed by God. vs. 1a-c 2) They swear by God s name. vs. 1d-e 3) They mention the God of Israel. vs. 1f 4) But they do all this not in truth or in righteousness. vs. 1g 5) They call themselves after the holy city. vs. 2a 6) The lean on the God of Israel when convenient, the Captain of the armies of heaven. vs. 2b-c 48:3-5I The brash rebellion against God. 1) God declared future things and brought them to pass. vs. 3 2) God did this know they were unbelieving. vs. 4 a) They were obstinate, hard-hearted. b) Their neck was as iron unable to be led. c) Their brow bronze, under certain judgment. 3) God prophesied so that they would not attribute the credit to their false gods and idols. vs. 5 48:6-8 Their judgment was according to the measure of light they had received. 1) They had heard and seen new and hidden things from God. vs. 6 * Jesus declared the Kingdom parables, things kept secret from the beginning. Matt ) They could not say that they knew them already. vs. 7 3) Their treacherous attitude and rebellion was know by God all along, it was no surprise. vs. 8 48:9-11 The mercy of God towards Israel. 1) For His own name sake He would delay His anger. vs. 9a 2) For His praise He would hold it back, so that they not be cut off. vs. 9b 3) God had refined them in discipline not so much by a testing to bringing about purity as silver, for they would of never made it. vs. 10 4) God is self-existing, self-determining and acts for His own sake. vs. 11 a) Not allowing his name to be profaned. b) Not giving His glory to another. 48:12-19 The benefits Israel forfeited. 48:12-16 God summends the people to listen. 1) The call once again is for His called to listen, for He is the Eternal One, the First and the Last. vs. 12

7 ) The One is also the Creator of earth and heaven. vs. 13 3) The assembly was to proclaim the defeat of Babylon through Cyrus. vs. 14 4) The Lord would be working through Cyrus. vs. 15 5) The prophet tells the people to come near for he had not spoken in secret but the Spirit of the Lord had sent him. vs. 16, Is. 6 48:17-19 God s lamentation over His people. 1) God declares Himself as their Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord their God. vs. 17a-c 2) God is the One who taught them to profit, in His word and led them in the way they should go. vs, 17d-e 3) God s heart is grieved for their disobedience, Oh, that you had heeded My commandments? vs. 18a-b 4) God reveals that they forfeited peace, righteousness. vs 18c-d 5) God would of multiplied them instead of being cut off or destroyed. vs, 19 2) They were to proclaim it to all, that the redemption was certain form Babylon. vs. 20d-g * This is the last time Babylon is mentioned in Isaiah! 3) The ultimate Babylon to stand will be utterly destroyed and god s people in the Great-Tribulation are to flee from it also. Rev. 18:4 48:21 The provisions of God for the new exodus. 1) God provide water and guidance in the first exodus. 2) God would do so again in the second exodus. 48:22 The nature of the life of the wicked. 1) The wicked have no peace, in terms of the soundness of their lives and tranquility. 2) The peace shalom speaks of an entire wholesome abundance that is aliened and related to a person s relationship to God. Phi; 4:6-7 48:20-22 The promise of deliverance. 48:20 The command to go out of Babylon. 1) They were to do it with joy. vs. 20a-c