The Book of Isaiah A Message of Hope, Comfort and Salvation. Week 5: 11/24/13

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Cecily Osborne
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1 The Book of Isaiah A Message of Hope, Comfort and Salvation Week 5: 11/24/13 1

Plan for Today Quick review of last week Chapters 24-35 the climax for the first part of Isaiah (chaps 1-39) Chapters 36 39 historical

2 Plan for Today Quick review of last week Chapters the climax for the first part of Isaiah (chaps 1-39) Chapters historical interlude involving King Hezekiah; transition to the second part of Isaiah Overview of Chaps Discussion about the Remnant Review Chapters

3 Chapters Things finally come to a head. Chap 32: Chap 33: Chap 34: Chap 35: The one, true King will finally reign; moral values will be restored Jerusalem will be saved and restored The nations of the earth will face a terrible, global, Divine judgment A glorious Kingdom will be established at the 2 nd coming of Christ; the Earth will be restored, physical bodies will be restored The future is your friend when Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord - Warren Wiersbe. 3

4 Chapters Four-chapter historical interlude between the first and last sections of Isaiah. Main character is King Hezekiah of Judah Hezekiah trusted the LORD God of Israel. No other king of Judah was like Hezekiah, either before or after him. He was completely faithful to the LORD and obeyed the laws the LORD had given to Moses for the people. 2 Kings (CEV) Chapters 36 & 37: Chapters 38 & 39: Hezekiah s response to the pending attack of the Assyrians Hezekiah s illness and a tragic mistake; precursor to the Babylonian captivity 4

the 41 st largest state in terms of area (similar to Vermont) GDP

5 Nation of Israel today: 8 million people would be the 12 th most populous state (similar to Virgina) ~ 10,000 square miles would be the 41 st largest state in terms of area (similar to Vermont) GDP of $274 billion would be 16 th largest state (similar to Indiana) 5

6 Refresher from Week 1 The structure of Isaiah is an interesting parallel to the Bible: o Isaiah has 66 chapters Bible has 66 books o Isaiah: two main sections Bible: two main sections (OT and NT) o 1 st section of Isaiah has 39 chapters OT has 39 books similar themes of Judgment, Rebuke o 2 nd section of Isaiah has 27 chapters NT has 27 books similar themes of Comfort, Salvation, Hope and Grace written to a group of discouraged Jewish refugees in Babylon 6

7 The Righteous Remnant: Who is that? In Isaiah, it refers to the righteous element within the nation of Israel (Kingdoms of Judah and Israel). Are Christians today included in that remnant? Do Isaiah s prophecies about the remnant in the end times pertain to us, too? Paul answers those questions in Romans So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Rom (NIV) But some of these branches from Abraham s tree some of the people of Israel have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God s special olive tree. Romans (NLT) 7

8 Where we left off last week Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven s Armies: The time is coming when everything in your palace all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon s king. Isaiah (NIV) Isaiah spoke these words sometime before the Assyrian invasion in 701 B.C. 8

9 Historical Events After Isaiah s Death Assyria s King Ashurbanipal dies in 633 B.C.; empire thrown into civil war over battle for the throne. Babylonian King Nabopollaser aligns with Persia and conquers Assyria in 626 B.C.; Babylon defeats Egypt in 605 B.C. and becomes dominant world power. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer invades Judah in 601 B.C. and takes many Jews to Babylon as captives (including Daniel); returns in 586 B.C. to destroy Jerusalem and hauls the remaining Jews to Babylon. King Cyrus of Persia invades and defeats Babylon in 538 B.C. Gave permission for Jews to return to homeland ending the exile 9

10 A Message of Hope This section of Isaiah starts with a message of comfort and hope. Keep in mind that the context is from the point of view of a future captivity in Babylon prophesied in chapters 1-39: Comfort, oh comfort my people, says your God. Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear that she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of forgiven! She s been punished enough and more than enough, and now it s over and done with. Isaiah (Message) 10

11 Overview: Chapters Major Themes in this section: God is Great Babylon will be destroyed God will use Cyrus (Persia) as His servant to free them from captivity Israel was chosen to be God s servant False gods will be disgraced Jewish remnant will be delivered God s servant, the Messiah, is coming to make things right 11

12 God is Great Also refer to your handout (Isaiah from the Message) Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it? Isaiah (NASB) I m first, I m last, and everything in between. I m the only God there is. Who compares with me? Speak up. See if you measure up. From the beginning, who else has always announced what s coming? So what is coming next? Anybody want to venture a try? Don t be afraid, and don t worry: Haven t I always kept you informed, told you what was going on? You re my eyewitnesses: Have you ever come across a God, a real God, other than me? There s no Rock like me that I know of. Isaiah (Message) 12

13 God is Great Also refer to your handout (Isaiah from the Message) To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can t rescue anyone from trouble.. For I alone am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Isaiah (NLT) For Discussion: What are some ways God describes His greatness in these verses? 13

com) with the naked eye, we can see a few thousand with binoculars (magnification 9), we can see approximately 200,000 with a small telescope (magnification 13), we can see approximately 15 million

14 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. ( Isaiah 40.26) How many stars are in the Universe? (from universetoday.com) with the naked eye, we can see a few thousand with binoculars (magnification 9), we can see approximately 200,000 with a small telescope (magnification 13), we can see approximately 15 million with a large observatory, scientists can see billions the Milky Way - an average-sized galaxy is estimated to have 400 billion stars some bigger galaxies are estimated to have over a trillion there are an estimated 170 billion galaxies in the universe with all of that, there are an estimated stars in the universe that s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 septillion) the observable universe extends 47 billion light years in all directions that s just what we can see 14

15 God is Great Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, GOD has lost track of me. He doesn t care what happens to me? Don t you know anything? Haven t you been listening? GOD doesn t come and go. God lasts. He s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn t get tired out, doesn t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. Isaiah (Message) Israel, you have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn t ask, Why did you make me this way? Where are the handles? Children don t have the right to demand of their parents, What have you done to make us what we are? I am the LORD, the Creator, the holy God of Israel. Do you dare question me about my own nation or about what I have done? I created the world and covered it with people; I stretched out the sky and filled it with stars. Isaiah (CEV) For Discussion: What is God trying to tell us in these verses? 15

16 Overview: Chapters Major Themes in this section: God is Great Babylon will be destroyed God will use Cyrus (Persia) as His servant to free them from captivity Israel was chosen to be God s servant False gods will be disgraced Jewish remnant will be delivered God s servant, the Messiah, is coming to make things right 16

17 Babylon will be destroyed Excerpts from Isaiah 47 (Message) Get off your high horse and sit in the dirt, virgin daughter of Babylon. No more throne for you sit on the ground, daughter of the Chaldeans. Nobody will be calling you charming and alluring anymore. Get used to it. Get a job, any old job: Clean gutters, scrub toilets. Hock your gowns and scarves, put on overalls the party s over. Your nude body will be on public display, exposed to vulgar taunts. It s vengeance time, and I m taking vengeance. No one gets let off the hook. 17

18 Babylon will be destroyed Excerpts from Isaiah 47 (Message) I was fed up with my people, thoroughly disgusted with my progeny. I turned them over to you, but you had no compassion. You put old men and women to cruel, hard labor. You said, I m the First Lady. I ll always be the pampered darling. You took nothing seriously, took nothing to heart, never gave tomorrow a thought. Well, start thinking, playgirl. You re acting like the center of the universe, Smugly saying to yourself, I m Number One. There s nobody but me. I ll never be a widow, I ll never lose my children. Those two things are going to hit you both at once, suddenly, on the same day: Spouse and children gone, a total loss, 18

19 Babylon will be destroyed Excerpts from Isaiah 47 (Message) You were so confident and comfortable in your evil life, saying, No one sees me. You thought you knew so much, had everything figured out. What delusion! Smugly telling yourself, I m Number One. There s nobody but me. Ruin descends you can t charm it away. Disaster strikes you can t cast it off with spells. Catastrophe, sudden and total and you re totally at sea, totally bewildered! But don t give up. From your great repertoire of enchantments there must be one you haven t yet tried. You ve been at this a long time. Surely something will work. I know you re exhausted trying out remedies, but don t give up. Call in the astrologers and stargazers. They re good at this. Surely they can work up something! 19

20 Overview: Chapters Major Themes in this section: God is Great Babylon will be destroyed God will use Cyrus (Persia) as His servant to free them from captivity Israel was chosen to be God s servant False gods will be disgraced Jewish remnant will be delivered God s servant, the Messiah, is coming to make things right 20

21 Prophecy about King Cyrus of Persia I am also the one who says, Cyrus will lead my people and obey my orders. Jerusalem and the temple will be rebuilt. The LORD said to Cyrus, his chosen one: I have taken hold of your right hand to help you capture nations and remove kings from power. City gates will open for you; not one will stay closed. As I lead you, I will level mountains and break the iron bars on bronze gates of cities. I will give you treasures hidden in dark and secret places. Then you will know that I, the LORD God of Israel, have called you by name. Cyrus, you don t even know me! But I have called you by name and highly honored you because of Israel, my chosen servant. Only I am the LORD! There are no other gods. I have made you strong, though you don t know me. Now everyone from east to west will learn that I am the LORD. No other gods are real. Isaiah (CEV) God called Cyrus by name ~ 160 years before he came on the scene! 21

22 Prophecy about King Cyrus of Persia And now I ve got Cyrus on the move. I ve rolled out the red carpet before him. He will build my city. He will bring home my exiles. I didn t hire him to do this. I told him. I, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies. Isaiah (Message) Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart. Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am GOD, the only God you ve had or ever will have incomparable, irreplaceable From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, I m in this for the long haul, I ll do exactly what I set out to do, Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east, from a far country the man I chose to help me. I ve said it, and I ll most certainly do it. I ve planned it, so it s as good as done. Isaiah (Message) NIV says from the east I summon a bird of prey. Persia was east of Babylon 22

23 Prophecy about King Cyrus of Persia Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last. It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order. Have any of your idols ever told you this? Come, all of you, and listen: The LORD has chosen Cyrus as his ally. He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon and to destroy the Babylonian armies. I have said it: I am calling Cyrus! I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed. Isaiah (NLT) Think about reading these words as a captive Jew in Babylon. What can we take from these words today? 23

24 Overview: Chapters Major Themes in this section: God is Great Babylon will be destroyed God will use Cyrus (Persia) as His servant to free them from captivity Israel was chosen to be God s servant False gods will be disgraced Jewish remnant will be delivered God s servant, the Messiah, is coming to make things right 24

25 False gods will be disgraced In chapters 44 and 46, God mocks the false gods (and their makers). from Isaiah (Message) All those who make no-god idols don t amount to a thing, and what they work so hard at making is nothing. Their little puppet-gods see nothing and know nothing they re total embarrassments! Who would bother making gods that can t do anything, that can t god? 25

26 False gods will be disgraced from Isaiah (Message) The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: Ah, this is the life. And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, Save me. You re my god. 26

27 False gods will be disgraced from Isaiah (Message) Pretty stupid, wouldn t you say? Don t they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? Doesn t it occur to them to say, Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I ve used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood! This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so far gone, that he can t even look at what he s doing, can t even look at the no-god stick of wood in his hand and say, This is crazy. 27

28 False gods will be disgraced The no-god hunks of wood are loaded on mules and have to be hauled off, wearing out the poor mules Dead weight, burdens who can t bear burdens, hauled off to captivity. Listen to me, family of Jacob, everyone that s left of the family of Israel. I ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, and I ll keep on carrying you when you re old. I ll be there, bearing you when you re old and gray. I ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you. So to whom will you compare me, the Incomparable? Can you picture me without reducing me? People with a lot of money hire craftsmen to make them gods. The artisan delivers the god, and they kneel and worship it! They carry it around in holy parades, then take it home and put it on a shelf. And there it sits, day in and day out, a dependable god, always right where you put it. Say anything you want to it, it never talks back. Of course, it never does anything either! Isaiah (Message) 28

29 Possible Applications Read Chapters 40 through 48 in one sitting. Try to put yourself in the place of the people of Judah. How would you have felt to be hearing these words at that time? Are you facing a significant trial like they were? If so, how can you apply these chapters? Look back over the passages about God in section B. Pick one or two that are especially meaningful to you and spend some extended time this week contemplating the power of God. Think about a difficult circumstance you are facing in your life right now. Do you find yourself struggling to understand where God is in all of that? If so, reread 40:25-31 and 45:9-13 and ask God to help you deal with that. Take some time to meditate on the fact that God s promises in this section of Isaiah apply to you, too. (You might even want to memorize 41:10.) 29

30 Next Week Read Chapter 42 and chapters 49 through 55 Prophecies about the Messiah the Suffering Servant 30

them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. Isaiah 44:1-28 ESV "But now hear, O Jacob My servant, Israel whom I have chosen! 2 Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun