Isaiah Woes. Introduction:

Transcription

1 Isaiah Woes Introduction: This section falls into two parts: (1) Chapters concerning the proclamation of six woes; and (2) Chapters that re emphasize God s judgment on the nations and the return of God s redeemed people to Zion. Chapters are structured around six woes (28:1; 29:1, 15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1) that decry the unfaithfulness of God s people and the world. Over and over God criticizes His people for their unwillingness to rely on Him for their protection and provision. Israel has become willfully blind and has chosen to trust in the strength of others such as Egypt (and previously, Assyria), rather than in the Lord. The focus of chapters changes the global focus to narrow on Judah, where God s people have become hardened and blind. They have refused to rely on the Lord and so God gives them over to judgment. The now familiar themes of God s anger at His people for their hypocrisy, injustice, and unrighteousness are present throughout. He calls to the people to trust in Him, but only a remnant responds. Isaiah therefore prophesies about the certainty of the Lord s judgments and the coming of the future Messiah/King who will restore God s reign among God s faithful remnant. Throughout these chapters we see the Lord s anger with His wayward people, but perhaps more surprisingly, we see His incredible patience and longsuffering, pleading with His people to turn and trust in Him. What applies to God s people as a nation, applies also to believers individually that is, the necessity of God s people to trust only in Him. In our troubled and frenetic society, we search for security and peace. We sometimes gauge our future stability on the health of our 401K plans and investments. We chart the economy as if its health in some way translates to our own. God calls His people to a peace and security based on different principles. He calls us to trust entirely on Him irrespective of what our eyes see and what we may perceive as financial or personal security. Trusting in God is more than receiving the eternal reward of heaven. Trusting in God brings true peace and confidence in the face of life s uncertain challenges today. Page 1

2 I. (Chapter 28) Woe #1 to Ephraim: for her wickedness and self reliance A. The six woes ( ah or hoy / (הוֹי throughout these chapters Ah. Chapters are marked by a sixfold exclamation of alarm (28:1; 29:1, 15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1; cf. 5:8 30). Ah represents Hebrew hoy, an interjection signaling alarm or grief (LXX translates it as ouai, woe ). (NET NOTE ON ISAIAH 28:1) 1. (28:1) WOE#1: The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim a) God will bring judgments against northern Israel. b) They will be trodden under foot. 2. (29:1) WOE#2: Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped a) God will also bring judgments against Jerusalem and Judah. b) They will be besieged and Jerusalem will fall. 3. (29:15) WOE#3: You who hide deep from the Lord your counsel a) God will judge the people of Judah for their arrogance. b) They shall be cut off and come to nothing. c) But the redeemed shall be saved. 4. (30:1) WOE#4: Stubborn children a) God will judge the rulers of Judah for making an alliance with Egypt. b) Egypt will be no help as the walls of Jerusalem become breached. 5. (31:1) WOE#5: Those who go down to Egypt a) God will bring judgment on Judah for relying on the Egyptian military. b) Both Egypt and Judah will falter together. 6. (33:1) WOE#6: You destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed a) God will bring judgment against the hostile nations, including Assyria. b) When the nations are through destroying and deceiving, they too will be destroyed and deceived. Page 2

3 B. Background to chapter These are the intervening years between Samaria s fall (721 BC) and Assyrian King Sennacherib s attack on Jerusalem (701 BC). a) The Assyrian Empire dominates the entire Near East. b) Damascus has fallen. c) The northern tribes have been taken into captivity (722 BC). d) Only the southern tribe of Judah survives; but she survives barely by paying heavy tribute to the Assyrians. Her security hangs by the proverbial thread. 2. During this period Judah no longer sought protection from Assyria, but apparently made overtures toward Egypt for her protection. This action would be as pointless as previously appealing to Assyria. 3. The Lord wants His people to trust Him, but they are too proud. They do not understand and they choose death. It was a course of action which could only be proposed by a cynical, faithless leadership drunk on its own power and privilege blind to the necessarily destructive results of such a course. Thus, this section is marked by the repetition of the funeral cries of Woe! If Judah persists in this way there is only a funeral ahead for her as there is for Ephraim. Yet, she need not persist; there is an alternative. She may turn from blind, drunk politicians to the King whose character had been impressed upon Isaiah from the day of his calling 1 C. (vs. 1 13) The focus of these verses is on the northern tribes of Ephraim/Israel, but Isaiah highlights them in order to caution Judah. 1. (vs. 1 6) Two crowns (wreaths) 2. (vs. 1 4) Using the image of a crown (wreath / ע ט ר ה ), the Lord portrays Ephraim (Israel) as a fading flower due to her immorality. Consequently, He will bring judgment on them. (1) The double meaning here for crowns refers first to the wreaths worn on the heads of the drunken partygoers 1 John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1986), 504. Page 3

4 (2) Secondly, it refers stands as a garland at the head of a fertile valley Samaria (the capital of the northern tribes of Israel) (3) The point is to show to Judah that her fate is going to be the same as that of her northern sister (4) Here are the people of the northern tribes partying in the face of imminent disaster. They continue to ignore the clarion call of God s warnings. b) (vs. 5 6) On the other hand, the Lord Himself will be a glorious crown (wreath) for the remnant of His people. (1) He will rule them with justice and righteousness. (2) He is the true crown the true head of this people the one in whom they should trust He is the one who will rule in righteousness and justice 3. (vs. 7 13) The religious leaders (of the northern tribes), priests and prophets, are in the same drunken condition as the political leaders. Therefore the nation is without site and without guidance. a) Again, these verses concerning the northern tribes are here in order to warn the southern tribe of Judah against a similar fate. Judah refuses to learn by example. b) The leaders of Ephraim have not only swallowed wine, but they are swallowed up by wine. That is, their sins have overtaken them. (1) (vs. 8) All their tables were covered with vomit. (2) They were neither repentant nor concerned. (3) (vs. 9 10) They felt as if they were being treated as toddlers to whom would Isaiah dare to talk this way? Does he think they are toddlers having to place precept upon precept? c) (vs ) But that is exactly what the prophet does. For the lips of foreigners God will instruct his people as infants and toddlers, line upon line precept upon precept. (1) Note the parallel in Romans 11:11 where the Gentiles in order to make Israel envious. Page 4

5 (2) Note also 1 Corinthians 14:21. Paul s point is that God only uses an extraordinary means of speaking to people when they refuse to listen to ordinary means. 2 D. (vs ) The verses now focus directly on the southern tribe of Judah and its capital city Jerusalem. 1. (vs ) Jerusalem s fate will be the same as Samaria s. a) (vs. 14) Isaiah labels the rulers in Jerusalem with the harshest term scoffers. b) (vs. 15) Its leaders have made a covenant with death thinking they can cheat the inevitable by an alliance with Egypt against Assyria. c) But surprisingly God s judgment is also mixed with hope one day for God s people. d) It is typical throughout the book of Isaiah to see judgment and hope linked together as they are in these verses. E. (vs ) Stone in Zion 1. Against the self confidence and arrogance of His people, God will install in Zion His own ruler a cornerstone ultimately fulfilled in the coming and reign of Jesus Christ. 2. He will be the true foundation for the nation, and ultimately the nations. 3. (vs. 18) He will annul the people s covenant with death and will judge them. 4. He will rule in justice and righteousness. 5. (vs. 21) The Lord will arise to protect his people as he did a) On Mount Parazim against the Philistines (2 Sam 5:20; 1 Chr. 14:11) b) And in the valley of Gibeon (Josh. 10:11 12) when the sun stood still 2 John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1986), 513 fn. 37. Page 5

6 6. (vs. 22) This final decree will be upon the whole earth, not just on His.(א ר ץ / land people ( earth, not simply F. (vs ) God is the true counselor of His people and God s counsel is simple: trust Him. 1. Isaiah uses an agricultural image understood by common farmers. 2. Not all seed is sown or harvested the same way. It is the Lord s wisdom to know how to sew, how to cultivate, how to thresh. Even a simple farmer understands simplicity of God s counsel. 3. (vs. 26) This is an important and interesting verse because it uses the phrase that the farmer is rightly instructed by God. The Hebrew term here is מ שׁ פּ ט) / mišpä ), which a specific meaning of justice, but a broader meaning that things are done in the right way. That is, everything is in order according to God s nature as patterned in his creation. 4. So, if God has taught the simple farmer, then His counsel to obey His is a simple directive to His people that they refuse to obey. II. (Chapter 29:1 15) Woe#2 to Jerusalem A. Judgment on Jerusalem 1. (vs. 1 4) The Lord will bring judgment on Jerusalem, the capital city, because of her faithlessness and sin. a) Ariel is Jerusalem b) (NET note) "Woe [to] Ariel." The meaning of the name "Ariel" is uncertain. The name may mean "altar hearth" (see v. 2) or, if compound, "lion of God." The name is used here as a title for Mount Zion/Jerusalem (see v. 8). c) Jerusalem prided itself in the pure form of cultic worship as opposed to Samaria d) (vs. 2) Like an altar hearth before me (1) There is a play on words here because Ariel can mean altar hearth. (2) But you will be brought low Jerusalem will not only mourn and lament, but the text says that the city will become morning and lamenting. That is the greatest degree of their sin. Page 6

7 e) (vs. 3) God will encamp against Jerusalem the reference here is God using the Assyrians 2. (vs. 5 8) The tone shifts from judgment to redemption Here the tone shifts from judgment to redemption. The prophet wants his hearers to know that only God can save them now, he can also save them after they will have experienced the consequences of their refusal to trust him. How foolish to trust Egypt in view of such powerful grace. What now seems so horrifying and insurmountable is in fact of no more substance than a dream. But human beings have a very hard time getting above the immediate and getting perspective upon their lives. This is where the divine word assumes critical importance. When we see issues from God s point of view, we are much less likely to rush into foolish attempts to extricate ourselves (30:15 18; 33:2; 40:28 31). 3 a) (vs. 5) The Lord will also bring judgment on Jerusalem s enemies. b) (vs. 6) Visited by the Lord who will fight for her (1) He comes to rescue His people (2) He comes over the forces of nature c) (vs. 7 8) The advancing armies will appear as a dream (1) It will not be as a reality they will not be able to conquer (2) The Assyrians are in view here (Sennacherib s invasion; 701 BC; c.f. 2 Kings 18 19) d) Here we see the strong dichotomy between God s justice executed on His people and His mercy in protecting her from her enemies. (1) We see God s patience with His people. (2) We see God s mercy in protecting His people. 3. (vs. 9 14) The focus shifts back to the sins of God s people. a) (vs. 9 12) The leaders are willfully blind. (1) God has removed the sight of the prophets (2) So now both prophets and leaders are blind 3 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, 528. Page 7

8 b) (vs ) They have a heart problem. (1) (vs. 13) Jesus quotes Isaiah to the Pharisees and scribes to condemn them as Israel s religious leaders (Mat. 15:1 9). (Mat 15:1 9 / ESV) 1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat." 3 He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' 5 But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given to God," 6 he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (2) (vs. 14) God will do wonders in the face of wise men to expose the folly of their wisdom. (a) C.f. Song of Moses (Exodus 15) (Exo 15:11 / ESV) 11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (b) C.f. 1 Corinthians 1: :8 (1Co 1:19 / ESV) 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." (1Co 2:8 / ESV) 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Page 8

9 c) It s not just the religious and political leaders who are blind, but the people as well. It s at these points in history when God often sends revival. 4. (vs. 15) The reference here is probably too the decision to break the vassal covenant with Assyria in favor of an alliance with Egypt. a) This decision was probably made without consultation from people or profits. b) The hidden this is much the same as that of Adam and Eve in trying to hide their sin from God. III. (Chapter 29:16 24) Woe #3: Against those who hide deep their counsel from the Lord A. (vs ) They walk in arrogant self reliance. 1. Shall the clay presume on the Potter? (Romans 9:16 24 / ESV) 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 2. In forgetting their Maker, God s people are led to ethical relativism. It s the same in all ages as we try to hide from God. We refuse his moral standards and invent standards of our own. We believe that we, the clay, should determine our own destinies. Page 9

10 B. (vs ) HOPE: In the short term, the Lord will show His sovereignty by bringing relief from the Assyrian enemy. 1. (vs. 17) God will soon reverse the curse toward blessing for his redeemed people. This intermingling of judgment and hope runs throughout the book of Isaiah. 2. (vs ) In the future, God will bring total restoration for His people and they will no longer be ashamed. a) (vs. 18) In that day has eschatological reference to the Day of the Lord. b) (vs. 19) The deaf shall hear and the blind shall see. (c.f. Isa 42:18; 61:1 3; Matthew 11:4 6) c) In Matthew 11:4 6, Jesus uses this prophecy to refer to Himself. IV. (Chapter 30) Woe#4: Against Judah for her reliance on Egypt A. (vs. 1 7) Woe to Judah in the time of Hezekiah when she sought to rely on Egypt for help against the Assyrian threat, rather than relying on the Lord. 1. Isaiah focus is now on the effects of Judah s sin in refusing to trust God in trying to switch alliances to Egypt. 2. Keep in mind that the Lord had delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. To rely on her now is unthinkable. The equivalent would be the believer who wants to go back to living as the world lives. 3. Judah s wisdom is utterly foolish because Egypt cannot protect her. It is hard not to see a picture of the waning global power of the United States or even her ability to protect the nation of Israel in the following quote: But Egypt cannot afford the protection Judah seeks. Her time as a world power was long past. Shabako, the Pharaoh at this time, was a Nubian, not an Egyptian. Egypt did not even have the cultural strength to produce her own leadership, let alone protect anyone else. In the event, the Egyptians were put to rout barely 100 miles from their own border by an Assyrian army 600 miles from home. So, Isaiah says, to lean upon the staff of Egypt is to be publicly disgraced, for that staff will collapse under you So they have rejected trust in God who would not have failed them and Page 10

11 instead have committed themselves to Pharaoh, who most assuredly will (vs. 7) The reference to Egypt as Rahab who sits still is interesting because of its mythological overtones in Scripture. a) Rahab is also equated with Leviathan, the serpent, and as such is a stand in for Satan. b) Rahab who sits still, therefore, is a reference not only to Egypt s weakness, but Satan s ultimate weakness as well. c) Keep in mind that when God did battle in the ten plagues of Egypt, he was simultaneously doing battle against the gods of Egypt (Exod. 12:12) There are spiritual warfare overtones to this passage and reference. B. (vs. 8 11) She has become willfully blind. 1. (vs. 8 9) She is unwilling to listen to the Lord. a) (vs. 8) Writing the people s rebellion in a book is a way of recording it for all of history. C.f. Psalm 78. b) (vs. 9) The people are unwilling to hear the counsel of the Lord. (1) They instruct the profits not to see because they do not want to know the word of God. (2) They asked the profits to prophesy good things only. They are like people seeking teaching for their itching ears. (3) In such light, Paul instructs the young Timothy to be diligent in teaching the word (). (2 Tim. 4:1 4 /ESV) 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, 546. Page 11

12 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2. (vs ) She is willfully deceived. C. (vs ) Result will be judgment by Assyria and then Babylon 1. The Lord will bring judgment on Judah first by Assyria, ultimately through Babylon. 2. (vs. 15) However, God still calls her to repentance and salvation, which shows His incredible mercy and patience. a) In returning and rest is a choice to repent and return to the Lord with a whole heart. b) It is a quietness that pictures on who relies completely in Him (Psa. 23) 3. (vs ) If only His people were willing! The result of God s presence will be seen in the future. a) (vs ) answered prayer and guidance b) (vs ) rain and physical provisions c) (vs ) God s protection (1) (vs ) Assyria will be destroyed. (2) (vs. 29) Israel will have a song in the night and will be protected by the Lord in peace. (3) (vs. 30) The Lord is sovereign over nature and will bring His full strength to bear against the Assyrians. (4) (vs ) The Assyrians will be utterly and completely destroyed. V. (Chapters 31 32) Woe#5: Against those who go down to Egypt A. (31:1 9) Reality of the present and glimpse of the future 1. Chapter 31, though shorter than chapter 30, contains the same content that Judah is foolish to trust in Egypt rather than in the Lord. 2. (vs. 1) The mention of horses may indicate part of Judah s motive in turning to help from Egypt. They are turning to what would be considered a superior military power in modern terms, they re looking for an ally who has smart bombs in nuclear missiles. Page 12

13 The emphasis upon horses here suggests the likely reason why Egypt s help seemed especially desirable. Ever since the introduction of the horse into the Near East in the Middle Bronze Age (ca B.C.), warfare in that part of the world had been revolutionized, first through cherry tree, and by this time to the beginnings of cavalry. The horses speed, stamina, and maneuverability gave an army a mobility and a shock effect many times its numerical size. As a result equine forces came to have great prestige even in small, hilly countries like Judah where their effectiveness was greatly limited, much as Third World countries today insist on having the most sophisticated weaponry. The weapon is apparently felt to have an almost magical effect, apart from its actual utility in a given situation. So the Rabshaqeh commented sarcastically that the Judeans would not know what to do with horses if they had them (36:8, 9) (vs. 2 4) These verses express sarcasm against royal counselors who do not recognize that the Egyptians do not have the strength that the Lord possesses. There are only men, not God. 4. (vs. 5 6) The Lord will protect Jerusalem. He will protect, spare, and rescue it. So the people should turn to Him. 5. (vs. 7 9) Again, in that day refers both to the destruction of the Assyrians, but also to the future day of the Lord when Israel will return to Him and cast away its idols. B. (32:1 20) What life will be like under the true King 1. Chapters 32 and 33 show what it would like for Judah to trust in the Lord rather than in foreign helpers. Trusting human resources leads to injustice, blindness, corruption, and destruction. But trust in God leads to justice, clarity, integrity, and life. The thought in the two chapters moves through four stages. The first describes the nature of true leadership and the effects stemming from it (32:1 8). The second explains what is the fundamental ingredient for that kind of leadership to exist: God s Spirit (32:9 20). The third makes the necessity of divine intervention even more explicit, stating that Judah is helpless without him (33:1 16). Finally, in a more even out of segment, the 5 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, Page 13

14 author imagines the day when Yahweh rules over a serene and quiet land delivered from all her enemies (33:17 24) (vs. 1 8) When the true King rules the Messiah then there will be justice, eyes will see and ears will hear. The people will accept the counsel of the Lord. This period is yet future. 3. (vs. 9 14) But in the meantime, Jerusalem remains wicked and under judgment. 4. (vs ) The desolation will change when God s Spirit is poured out during the Messianic Age. a) That age is inaugurated with the coming of Christ, yet the nation hardened its heart once again and refused to accept its Messiah. b) In a sense, the church is a foreshadowing of the fulfillment yet to come. The kingdom is present in one form within its people, but not yet fully inaugurated. It awaits the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. VI. (Chapter 33) Woe#6: Against hostile nations, including Assyria A. The context 1. The historical context may be that period of time around 701 BC when all looks gloomy as the Assyrian army approaches. Threatened with complete annihilation, Hezekiah leads the people to repentance and calls out to the Lord. 2. That may be the historical situation, but the logical connection with the previous chapters is what is most important. The people need to rely on the Lord on His terms, not as some sort of religious talisman to be called on when the people needs delivering. There is a great distinction between calling on the Lord for who He is, and calling on Him simply because of his power. When the Lord is a talisman and human reasoning prevails, destruction follows. When the Lord is not only called King but treated as one, the result is the very deliverance sought by the former methods. 7 6 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, 590. Page 14

15 B. (33:1 6) The destruction of Assyria 1. (vs. 1) When Assyria has completed destroying others, she herself will be destroyed by the Lord. Historically, the destruction of the Assyrians occurred in 612 BC (the fall of its capital Nineveh) at the hand of the Babylonians. 2. (vs. 2) This cry to the Lord is a reversal of position by the people who repent and now depend upon God. It makes sense if this historical situation was the threatened attack of Sennacherib in 701 BC. 3. (vs. 3 6) The Lord defends His people, scatters nations, and is victoriously exalted. a) The mention of Zion set the background of God as a holy warrior defeating the nations and reigning over the earth from his holy mountain. b) The Lord will fill Zion and therefore the entire world with His justice and righteousness. The picture here is the world set right in the future. Everything is returned to order. Everything is put right when the Lord reigns. C. (33:7 24) The Lord will reign from Mount Zion. 1. (vs. 10) He will be exalted above all nations. 2. (vs ) He will burn His enemies and fire. 3. (vs ) The sinners and godless will now fear this consuming fire. 4. (vs ) Yet those who are righteous will be protected by the Lord and will dwell with Him. 5. (vs ) The Lord will bring peace to Jerusalem, blessing to his people, healing, and forgiveness. VII. (Chapter 34) The Lord judges the proud nations of the earth as represented by Edom. A. Context Chapters present a striking contrast between a productive land turned into a desert (ch. 34) and a desert turning into a garden (ch. 35). As such they bring to a close the collection of teachings concerning the nations and God s sovereignty over them (chs ). When all is said and done, the prophet says, the issues are clear and rather simple. Page 15

16 Arrogant, self important humanity cannot stand before God. In our attempts to be independent of him and to build the kingdom of Man on earth, we have sinned, and the world is the same for all: The soul that sins shall die (Ezek 18:4, 20). In a real sense, to send is to forfeit one s life into the hands of God as a sacrifice (34:6, 7). On the other hand, those who reject the blandishments of this earth with its temptations to make their own way, those who choose to wait for God, to put themselves in his hands, though that be in a desert, will discover a highway which leads to a glory not their own. Rather, it is something which is freely shared by the One to whom glory belongs. To align oneself with the nations of the earth is to choose a desert; to trust in God is to choose a garden. 8 B. (vs. 1 7) The nations are devoted to destruction 1. (vs. 1) The Lord is pronouncing judgment in a lawsuit reminiscent of one brought against God s people in Chapter 1. The entire earth is gathered together to hear the judgment against the sin of the entire world. 2. (vs. 2) Devoted to destruction is an important term in the Hebrew text (µ rem / ר ם.(ח It has connotations of divine warfare. God will utterly destroy His enemies and burn them as He had commanded Joshua to devote to destruction the cities of Jericho, Ai, and Hazor. 3. (vs. 3 7) The references to the host of heaven further support this contention that divine war is at in view here. God is sovereign over both heavens and earth and the war takes place on both fronts. As God rises against the nations he also rises against the host of heaven that seek to control the same nations (Deut. 32:8). C. (vs. 8 17) The Lord has a future day of vengeance. 1. It is important here to understand that Edom itself is not being singled out but being used as a type to stand in for all of the nations of the world. a) This condemnation of Edom was not included in the oracles of nations because it stands here as a type for all of them. b) Why? Throughout the Old Testament Edom was used as an antithesis to Israel (c.f. Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2 3). Edom 8 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, Page 16

17 attempts to block what God is doing for the world in his selfrevelation to Israel (Num 20:14 21). (Num 20:14 21 / ESV) 14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: "Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory." 18 But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you." 19 And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more." 20 But he said, "You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. c) Edom even assisted the Babylonians in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC (Obadiah 1:11 14; Ezek. 35:1 15). 2. (vs. 5 8) He will pay back those who have sought harm against His people. Edom therefore depicts the fate of the world a sacrifice to God. a) Edom (and the nations) is devoted to destruction. b) The use of this term refers to the fact that God has claimed them for himself alone. They refused to become devoted to him voluntarily, so they now will become so involuntarily. This is the issue which must face every human being: we do belong to God and we will belong to him; it is only up to us how we shall belong. 9 9 Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, 611. Page 17

18 3. (vs. 9 10) The land of Edom shall be utterly destroyed. a) The wrath of God comes upon nations, not simply for their rebellion against the Lord, but also because they have attacked His people. b) The emphasis is on the perpetuity of the destruction. It s a final curtain call for the world, so to speak. VIII. (Chapter 35) The Lord s people rejoice over the future salvation and reign of the righteous King. A. Context 1. This chapter stands in contrast to the desert of chapter Whereas chapter 34 representative desert for mankind, chapter 35 gives a picture of a garden for God s people not unlike the original Garden of Eden. B. (vs. 1 2) The wilderness will bloom the desert will become a garden 1. (vs. 2) They shall see the glory of the Lord 2. The macro temple of the earth a) C.f. Isaiah 6:3 the whole earth is filled with His glory b) The earth is a macro temple of the Lord designed to show His glory c) That display was tainted by sin but will one day be restored 3. God displayed His glory in the temple. (2Ch 7:1 2 / ESV) 1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. 4. And then now, the glory of the Lord resides within his people, the church, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16 17). (1Co 3:16 17 / ESV) 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? Page 18

19 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. C. (vs. 3 7) The oppressed will be healed and blessed D. (vs. 8 10) There will be a highway The Way of Holiness where the ransom of the Lord shall return with joy. 1. The picture here is in the millennial kingdom as Jesus rules from Jerusalem. 2. And so at the end of all the prophecies of God s judgment on his people and on the nations there is hope in the future as the Lord reigns from Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and Jesus sits on his throne. Page 19