Isaiah is cited often in the New Testament (Matt. 3:3, 8:17, 12:17; Luke 3:4, 4:17; John 1:23; 12:38; Acts 8:28; Romans 10:16-20.)

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview March 1, 2009 Meet Divine Expectations Background: Isaiah 1:1 5:30 Lesson: Isaiah 5:1-14 Motivation: How do we become closer to God? Isaiah gives us several insights in this study: Recognize sin, repent, and realize that God wants to use you. Reco gnizing His enduring kingdom will motivate us to kingdom work. Examination: I. Calling For Purity (1:1-31) A. Introduction (1) 1. Author: "Isaiah, the son of Amoz" - Although liberal scholars have challenged the sole authorship of Isaiah, conservative scholars have maintained its unity. Isaiah is cited often in the New Testament (Matt. 3:3, 8:17, 12:17; Luke 3:4, 4:17; John 1:23; 12:38; Acts 8:28; Romans 10:16-20.) Jesus quotes Isaiah often, especially the disputed section of (44:1/Matt. 12:17; 53:1/John 12:38; 53:4/Matt. 8:17; 61:1/Luke 4:17). Tradition holds that Isaiah was a brother of Amaziah of Judah which would make him a cousin of the kings listed below. 2. Date "...concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, 1 / 15

2 Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (1) Believer's Study Bible, 922: 1:1 "Thi s is the list of kings whose reign Isaiah's public ministry spanned. This list allows us to date his ministry and, therefore, gives us an idea of when he began writing this book. Uzziah reigned independently (after his father's death) from B.C. Jotham reigned from B.C. Ahaz reigned from B.C., Hezekiah from B.C." 3. Themes This was a time of great prosperity which fostered a sense of independence from God resulting in idolatry, false prophets and immorality. Believer's Study Bible, p. 920 "...Isaiah stressed (1) salvation by faith (e.g. 7:9; 28:16; 30:15), (2) the holiness of God and ethical living (e.g., 6:1-8; 37:23), (3) the offense of man's sins (e.g., 1:2-4; 29:13-17), (4) the certainty of judgment (chs. 1-35), and (5) the assurance of redemption for a repentant remnant (e.g., 1:9, 19; 10:19-22; 46:3, 4; 65:8-10). Of all the books in the Old Testament, only the Psalms contain a larger number of messianic predictions than Isaiah. Isaiah sets forth every aspect of the glory and ministry of Christ: (1) His incarnation (7:14; 9:6), (2) His youth (7:15; 11:1; 53:2), (3) His mild manner (42:2), (4) His obedience (50:5), (5) His message (61: 1, 2), (6) His miracles (35:5, 6), (7) His sufferings (50:6), (8) His rejection (53:1-3), (9) His shame (53:4-6), (10) His vicarious death (53:10), and (11) His resurrection and ascension (52:13)." Phil 3:10 B. Rebellious People (2-31) 1. Rebellion "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me'" (2) a. Ignorance "The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but 2 / 15

3 Israel does not know, My people do not consider" (3) Even "dumb" animals know their masters and can find their way home; Israel was truly lost. The cycle of discipline included rebellion, retribution, repentance, restoration and reward. b. Apathy "Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD. (4) Could Judah have had a more stark portrait of the consequences of forsaking the Lord than the ruin of the Northern kingdom in 722 B.C.? In spite of "cities...burned with fire" (7) on their border, God's people continued in sin. (Judges 21:25) Even though judgment was certain, God promised to spare a remnant (9). (Rom. 11:6) 2. Rejection "rulers of Sodom...people of Gomorrah" (10) - Isaiah addressed the so-called religious Jews as acting no better than the pagans of Sodom and Gomorrah. a. Sacrifices rejected "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?" (11). (I Sam. 8:7) b. Incense rejected "Incense is an abomination to Me" (13). c. Religious meetings rejected "The New Moons, the Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting" (13b). (Col. 2:13-23) d. Feasts rejected "your appointed feasts My soul hates" (14). 3 / 15

4 e. Prayers rejected "Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear" (15). 3. Repentance "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.'" (16-19) Four things are involved in restoring a relationship with God: a. Repentance "Cease to do evil" (16) - Repentance involves a change of attitude with a resultant change in actions. b. Change "Learn" (17) - We are not by nature doers of good things. The repentance of verse 16 is evidenced by the actions of verse 17. (James 1:22-25; Romans 12:9-21) c. Cleansing "They shall be white as snow" (18) if we repent God will be faithful to cleanse us. (I John 1:9-10) d. Obedience "willing and obedient" (19) Obedience will bring blessing. Beli ever's Study Bible, p. 923: 1:16, 17 "These verses describe the difference between true and false righteousness. The word wash' is not a reference to ceremonial washing, but refers to the cleansing of the heart which issues in repentance (cf. James 4:8) and, therefore, is a plea for a thorough reformation of heart, rather than a call for acts of penance. Repentance is clearly defined in this passage by the terms put away' (i.e., turn aside) and cease to do evil' (i.e., stop doing evil and go God's way). 4 / 15

5 True righteousness is expressed in five positive exhortations: (1) learn to do good," which implies the need for someone to teach God's way; (2) seek justice,' i.e., divine justice; (3) rebuke the oppressor,' i.e., correct and punish the one who does evil; (4) defend the fatherless,' and (5) plead for the widow.' Both orphans and widows need help and justice and are the most likely members of society to be mistreated." (James 1:27) 4. Redemption "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness." (27) What God calls for individually in the previous verses, he now calls for corporately. Redemption (27) is available if God's people will repent. The process of redemption calls for God to "thoroughly purge away your dross" (25b) (Matt. 5:20.) II. Coming Peace & Penalty (2:1-4:1) A. Prophecy of Hope for a New Jerusalem (2:1-5) "In the latter days..." (2) This prophecy obviously concerns a period in human history when God's rule is absolute. Contrast this exaltation of God's House to the end of chapter 1 and chapters 2 & 3. For another description of the Millennial reign of Christ see Micah 4:1-5. Kind of city God wants: 1. Jerusalem as the acknowledged center of God's government, will be set upon God's Mountain. (2) 5 / 15

6 2. Spreading of true religion is brought about, not by conquest, but by the influence of Israel. (3a) Micah 6:8 3. Nations of the world spontaneously respond to God and eagerly seek to learn his ways. The curse of the Tower of Babel is reversed. (3) (Zeph. 3:9) 4. Nations of the world are not a part of the Hebrew nation but they retain their independence. (4) 5. Ideal world is ruled by God not by Israel; rules by word not by sword. (4) 6. Because God is ruler, war ends, peace reigns. (4) (Isa. 11:11; Heb. 9:28) B. Proclamation of the Day of the Lord (2:6-22) "For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come..." (12) 1. Reasons for Judgment: eastern religions (6), greed (7), idol worship (8), false worship (9). 2. Results of Judgment: fear (10), humility (11), exaltation of the Lord (11, 17, 19). C. Punishment of God's People (3:1-4:1) 6 / 15

7 1. Era of Anarchy (3:1-7) (2 Tim. 3:1-5) a. People will be deprived of food (1) b. All people in positions of honor will be removed (2-3) c. The young and inexperienced will rule over people (4) d. People will oppress people, no respect for authority (5) e. No one will want to take the reigns of government (6-7) 2. Sorry state of Judah (3:8-12) a. Men bring judgment upon themselves, judgment by sin (8-9) b. They do not respect the needs of the poor (10-12) 3. Reminder of God's Judgment (3:13-15) 4. Sins of Women (3:16-4:1) a. aloof, snobbery, seductive (16) 7 / 15

8 b. 21 points of feminine finery (18-23) (Prov. 6:12-19) c. Judgment for cultivating beauty for beauty's sake (24) (2 Pet. 3:1-3) i. A stench instead of perfume ii. A rope instead of a sash iii. A brand instead of beauty d. No man left for which to be pretty after judgment (3:25-4:1) Believer's Study Bible, p. 926: 3:16-4:1 "This passage contains a double reference: to the arrogant and immodest women of Jerusalem, and to the nation as a whole. In view of the context, Isaiah is just continuing his efforts at condemning pride and self-sufficiency and announcing the coming judgment for such sinful attitudes. This passage is not saying that it is improper for women to be well attired. Rather, it is saying that it is wrong for one to so trust in his material wealth that he becomes self-sufficient instead of dependent on God. Isaiah notes several sins of women: (1) vanity, (2) immodesty and shamelessness in conduct, and (3) pride and haughtiness in spirit. These are all corrupting influences which decay and ruin a nation. When women fall into corruption, the moral decay reaches the heart of the land." 8 / 15

9 (2 Cor. 3:5; Prov. 29:18, 24:33) III. Cleansing People (4:2-6) A. Messianic Leadership "In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped." (2) The "Branch" looks forward to Jesus' return in glory while "those who have escaped" may reference those redeemed Jews from the Great Tribulation. B. Godly Character "And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy - everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem." (3) C. Purity "When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning." (4) 1. Holy "will be called holy". 2. Cleansed "washed away the filth". D. Presence of God "Then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering." (5) E. Reestablished Tabernacle "And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the head, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain." (6) 9 / 15

10 IV. Contemplating Production (5:1-30) A. Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7) The parable (song) of the Vineyard (Isa. 5:1-30) is a masterpiece of rhetorical skill. There is a tradition that Isaiah came disguised as a wandering minstrel and sang this at festivals. The main theme of the song is that the Lord did everything expected of a successful farmer yet the vineyard (Judah) produced wild grapes. The expected response of the farmer would be to abandon the vineyard (5-6). 1. Introduction "Now let me sing to my Well-beloved. A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard" (1) The hearer would understand "Beloved" as a reference to God. 2. Description of the Vineyard a. Choice location "on a very fruitful hill" (1b). b. Cultivated "He dug it up and cleared out its stones" (2a). c. Chosen vines "He planted it with the choicest vine" (2b) d. Concrete plan "He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it" (2b). e. Clear expectations "So He expected it to bring forth good grapes" (2b). 10 / 15

11 3. Disappointing Results "But it brought forth wild grapes." (2b) This is a major contrast between expectations and results. a. Hard work resulted in disappointment. (4) b. Protection was removed "And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down." (5) Some well known preachers referred to this example in post - 9/11 preaching. c. Abandonment is the final result "I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns, I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it." (6) "He looked for justice, but behold, oppression" (7) Believer's Study Bible, p. 927: 5:7 "There is a play on the words for justice' ( mishpat, Heb.) and oppression' or bloodshed ( mispah, Heb.). Similarly, instead of righteousness' ( sedakah, Heb.), God found a cry for help' ( se'aqah, Heb.). Cf. Jer. 1:11" B. Judgment of the Worldly (5:8-30) Woes are pronounced on various groups: 11 / 15

12 1. Greedy - Those who join "house to house" and "add field to field" (8) only want their land and all that borders it. The judgment of massive land devaluation is chronicled in verses Drunken - Those who "follow intoxicating drink" (11) "do not regard the work of the Lord" (12). They will be taken "into captivity because they have no knowledge" ; "their honorable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst." (13) It's an interesting contrast between their desire for intoxicating drink and their resulting thirst. Proverbs 31:4 says "It is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the justice of all the afflicted." (Prov. 20:1) Hosea 4:6; Rom. 1:21-23; 2 Pet. 3:5. 3. Proud - Those with "glory...and their pomp" shall descend into Sheol (1 4), (Prov. 16:18). The arrogance of God's people prevented them from repenting. Their judgment is recorded in vs. 15 "...each man shall be humbled." (cf vs. 21) 4. Mockers "Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope; That say, Let Him make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it.'" (18-19) Those who mock God's power receive severe judgment as illustrated by Elisha and the bears (II Kings 2:23-24). Jude records "there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts" 12 / 15

13 (18) Peter writes "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts" (II Peter 3:3; Heb. 10:35-39). 5. Rebellious - "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" (20-21) Believer's Study Bible, p. 928: 5:20, 21 "These verses paint a perfect picture of the modern morality' with its glossing over of evil, and its re-dressing of wickedness to give it the appearance of righteousness. This insensitivity to moral decay is the sign of deepest corruption. Light' and darkness' are symbols for good' and evil' (cf. 1 Sam. 2:9; 2 Sam. 22:29; Job. 29:3; Ps. 112:4; Prov. 2:13; Acts 26:18; Rom. 13:12). Bitter' is sometimes used of wickedness (Jer. 2:19; 4:18) and sweet' of good (Ps. 103; 109). According to the modern morality,' which is based on the principle of self-gratification, cheating is a way to prosperity, adultery only a casual pleasure, lying merely a means to an end, and homosexuality simply the result of a difference in body chemistry. There can appear no modern morality,' however, until God's law, as it is found in the Scriptures, is pushed aside and discarded." 6. Dishonest "Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man!" (23) One who will "bear false witness" for a bribe is especially disgusting to God. 7. God's Judgment: The "anger of the Lord" (25) is depicted as an all consuming fire that will devour the chaff and rottenness of Judah's rejection and derision (24). 13 / 15

14 The instrument of God's judgment will be "nations from afar" (26). 11:10-12 Application: 1. God promises blessing for obedience and judgment for disobedience. 2. God provides redemption for those who respond in faith and repentance. 3. God's power will establish His kingdom forever. (Jude 24-25; Rev. 5:11-13, 11:15, 19:1, 6) Leader Pack - Item 1: Lesson Illustration; Item 2: Maps: Item 3: Poster: Unit 1 outline Biblical Illustrator: p. 43: "The Political Climate for Isaiah & Micah" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 1 1/13-3/31 - LivingProof with Beth Moore; 1/14-5/13 - Midlink; 2/28-3/1 - Summit Winter Retreat; 3/5-6 - FBA Spring Musical; 3/8 - Time Change Sunday; 14 / 15

15 3/21 - Share Your Faith Workshop; 3/22 - Guest Speaker - Curt Jones all three services; 3/29 - Spring Loaded; 4/3 - FBA Wax Museum & Intl. Festival; 4/3 - First Things First; 4/9 - Broken for You Service; 4/12 - Easter - no Bible Studies; 4/16-18 SBTC SENT Conference; 4/19 - Dr. Jerry Rankin a.m.; 4/25 - AID Sudan Run/Walk - Bear Creek Park; 4/26 - Dr. Rick Rigsby all three services. 15 / 15