Study On The Book Of Isaiah
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Isaiah 14:24-32 Messages concerning Assyria and Philistia
by Larry Ferrell | March 9, 2018
Concerning Assyria: This short oracle provides the transition from the general treatment of worldly pomp and power, symbolized by Babylon (13:1-14:23), to the concrete and particular expressions of it in Isaiah’s own day which now follow. First in line, naturally enough is Assyria. In its size, its arrogance, and its oppressive imperialism it was the manifestation of the spirit of Babel in the eighth century BC. In one sense there is nothing new here, since the downfall of Assyria has already been treated at length in 10:5-34. But one feature of the present oracle is particularly noteworthy, namely, the tremendous emphasis that is laid here on the Lord’s sovereign purpose which nothing can annul or frustrate. The plan of the Lord has as its first objective the deliverance of His own people (v. 25), but it also concerns the whole of the world and all nations (v. 26). The destruction of Assyria will simply be one manifestation of it, as will the judgments on other nations announced in the following chapters.
Great care is needed, of course, in moving from a passage like this to the particulars of our own day. The way the rise and fall of specific nations fit into God’s sovereign purposes is not revealed to us with the clarity that it was to Isaiah. But the spirit of Babylon is certainly still with us, and if we take revelation 18 as our cue, will be until the very consummation of history. God’s purposes for His people and for the world are still advancing, and as the reflex to that, His wrath is constantly “being revealed … against all the godlessness and wickedness of men” (see Rom. 1:18). Jesus himself spoke of apparently “natural” events such as war, famine and earthquake as signs of the end (Matt. 24:4-8). So while we lack the kind of detailed knowledge that Isaiah had, we do have warrant to seeing his oracles against the nations as illustrating a general truth about history. Every collapse of a proud, immoral regime in our world too is an interim day of the Lord, in route to the final day.
Concerning Philistia: In contrast to the wise and invincible plan of the Lord are the foolhardy plans concocted by men who refuse to acknowledge the Lord. The attempt to implement one such plan clearly provided the setting for this oracle, which is precisely dated to the year King Ahaz died, 715 BC (v. 28). Assyria was still suffering internal instability following the death of Shalmaneser III in 721 BC, and rebellion was in the air in southern Palestine. Philistia was already party to an anti-Assyrian conspiracy headed by Egypt (see chapter 20), and in 715 BC there was apparently an attempt to involve the new king of Judah, Hezekiah. Isaiah was totally opposed to any participation by Judah, as his words in verse 32b make abundantly clear. The only refuge for the people of Zion was in the Lord. This was his consistent message in crisis after crisis. If God’s people looked to the nations for their salvation instead of to Him they could only come to ruin. Plans which did not spring from faith were recipes for disaster.
Hezekiah appears to have heeded Isaiah’s warning on this occasion, and just as well! It was not long before the Assyrian army moved in strength against Philistia (as predicted in v. 31), which suffered the bitter consequences of its action, as did Egypt. Judah as a non-participant in the rebellion was spared. The very colorful image in verse 29 perhaps refers specifically to the death of Shalmaneser III and the rise, in his place, of Sargon II. Whether this is so or not, the general import of the verse is clear. The weakness of Assyria around 715 BC was not the prelude to its demise, as the conspirators had fondly hoped. In fact it was just about to come to its full strength in Sargon, Sennasherib and Esarhaddon. The poor and needy of verse 30a are the hard-pressed people of Judah (see 32b). They will be kept safe if they look to the Lord. But for Philistia there is no hope at all (v. 30b).
Isaiah 14:24-32 Reflection Questions:
Applying these messages to your personal world, what is the Lord saying to you?
In your daily and major decisions are you relying on others or are you relying on the Lord?
What are you doing to continue building your personal relationship with God?
What are some current examples of the “spirit of Babylon”?
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Isaiah 14:1-23 A Taunt for Babylon’s King
by Larry Ferrell | March 2, 2018
The word taunt is perhaps too precise and strong for the Hebrew word used here, but it does capture accurately the tone of the song which follows. It has the form of a funeral lament, but instead of expressing sorrow it communicates profound satisfaction, even delight. It celebrates, in this ironic fashion, the downfall of arrogance and oppression, represented here by the king of Babylon. It moves from the earth (vv. 4b-8) to Sheol beneath (vv. 9-11), to heaven above (vv. 12-14, momentarily down to Sheol again (v. 15), and finally back to the earth (vv. 16-21. Verses 22-23 confirm, in the form of a straight-forward judgment oracle, that what is anticipated in the song will indeed take place.
The cosmic sweep of the poem led some early interpreters, and many since them, to see here a symbolic description of the fall of Satan. But this reads too much into the text (and I think it does), it is equally misguided to reduce it to a description of the fall of a particular earthly monarch. The king of Babylon here, like Babylon itself in chapter 13, is a representative figure, the embodiment of that worldly arrogance that defies God and tramples on others in its lust for power. It is this which lies at the heart of every evil for which particular nations will be indicted in the following chapters. It also lies at the heart of all the horrendous acts of inhumanity which human beings and nations still commit against one another today. That is why the tone of this song should not cause us any embarrassment. This is no cheap gloating over the downfall of an enemy, but the satisfaction and delight which God’s people rightly feel at his final victory over evil. The same note of celebration is heard at the very end of the Bible (Rev. 18) where, again, Babylon is a cipher for all that opposes God and his purposes.
The pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon (v. 8) represents the peoples of northern Israel and Syria who were particularly exposed to aggressors from beyond the Euphrates and had suffered much at their hands. In verse 9 the shadowy remains of former rulers are pictured as greeting the fallen oppressor with astonishment in Sheol. For all his might he has proved to be no more enduring than themselves! The morning star, son of the dawn (v. 12) is probably the planet Venus, which seems to rival the sun in its early brightness but is soon eclipsed. The mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain (v. 13) is Mount Zaphon, where the Canaanite gods were reputed t meet, like the Greek gods on Mount Olympus. Isaiah boldly uses imagery from this pagan background to point to the essence of human pride: self-deification. The ultimate disgrace of the oppressor, in verses 16-21, is to be deprived of honorable burial, and to have no descendants to perpetuate his name.
Isaiah 14:1-23 Reflection Questions:
Have you ever expressed satisfaction or delight about something bad that happened to an enemy? What does Jesus say we should do?
Have we changed much since Isaiah’s day? What are some examples you see?
Could Isaiah use the same imagery in today’s world concerning the essence of human pride? What does Jesus say about our pride?
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Isaiah 13:1-22 A Message about Babylon
by Larry Ferrell | February 23, 2018
Babylon was no newcomer to the world stage. It had a history reaching right back to the tower of Babel, and was therefore a fitting symbol of that arrogant pomp and power of the world that were characteristic of the nations as a whole in their rebellion against God. Babylon had already had one great period of glory in Isaiah’s day, and it was soon to have another before its end came. But come it would; Isaiah was certain of that. The story of Babylon was, for him, the story of all nations that defy God.
This symbolic significance of Babylon becomes more and more apparent as the oracle unfolds. The historical Babylon was not in fact overthrown by the Medes in a violent bloodbath and its site left abandoned, as verses 17-22 would indicate if taken literally. It surrendered without a fight to Cyrus the Persian, who had already achieved ascendancy over the Medes. But in Isaiah’s day the Medes were the barbarians of the ancient Near East, living beyond the eastern fringe of the civilized world and always threatening to overwhelm it. The Lord’s announcement that he will stir up…the Medes (v. 17) is a declaration that he has already settled upon the destruction of Babylon and all that it represents. Isaiah is not so much describing Babylon’s eventual fall as pointing to what that will represent. The fall of Babylon merges, in this oracle, with the final, great day of the Lord, when all human arrogance will be judged in cosmic, larger-than-life terms because of the greater reality that it anticipates and points to: the eventual fall of the whole world system which stands in opposition to God.
Isaiah 13:1-22 Reflection Questions:
Where do you look to first when you are threatened by someone or something (work, school, family)?
Going with Isaiah’s definition of “Babylon,” do you see that playing out in today’s world stage?
Why would today’s “one world order” that many want, in opposition to God?
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Isaiah 12:1-6 The Lord praised in Zion
by Larry Ferrell | February 16, 2018
These two songs is one of personal thanksgiving. It begins with a declaration of intention (I will praise you), followed by a reason (your anger has turned away and you have comforted me), and it concludes with a confession of faith (God is my salvation). But it’s clear from what immediately precedes (and what follows) that it is not a solitary individual who is in view here, but a collection of individuals: “the remnant of [the Lord’s] people”. The first song (12:1-2) looks forward to the time when final judgment has taken place, and every survivor will have learned at last that salvation is to be found in no-one and nothing else but the Lord, and will thankfully and gladly confess that fact.
The second song (12:4-6) is a communal hymn in which the worshipers exhort one another to give thanks to the Lord, to declare His deeds to the nations, and to praise Him joyfully and loudly. Two reasons are given for the responses that are called for: the Lord’s glorious deeds (v. 5a), and His presence in Zion (v. 6b). The second of these is a consequence of the first. It’s the Lord’s glorious deeds in judgment and salvation that have established His presence in Zion and the great and Holy One. But as chapter 2:1-4 has made clear, the final establishment of the Lord’s rule in Zion will have implications for the nations, and this is why the second song in particular places such stress on worldwide proclamation. The two songs of this chapter celebrate good news which, in the end, cannot be contained. It must be proclaimed far and wide, for only as the nations hear of the Lord’s glorious deeds will they be able to recognize at last that He alone is God, and come to Zion to learn of His ways. Thankfulness and praise overflow, as they always must, into evangelism.
Isaiah 12:1-6 Reflection Questions:
What is the second exodus depicted in chapter 11?
Which gospel do you find verse 3 having relevance?
Does your thankfulness and praise for the Lord overflow into evangelism? How?
Isaiah 11:1-16 The Glorious Hope
by Larry Ferrell | February 9, 2018
The movement from the overthrow of the human kingdom (represented by Assyria) to the setting up of the kingdom of God (represented by the Messiah) is a natural one theologically, even though it involves a dramatically shortened view of the historical processes involved. Notice also the movement from the felling of a forest at the end of chapter 10 to the emergence of a shoot from a stump at the beginning of this one. However this is only a surface view. The deeper reality involves a sharp contrast. Assyria is felled never to grow again; Judah is felled only to have new life emerge from its stump. This is not the first time in the book that the transition from judgment to salvation has been depicted as the springing up of a plant, but clearly there is a more particular application of that imagery here.
The expression the stump of Jesse indicates his humble origins, bypassing all the luxurious display of the Davidic house. His fitness to rule will consist essentially in his endowment with the spirit, giving him true wisdom, grounded in the fear of the Lord. The fundamental characteristic of his rule will be righteousness, which in practical terms will mean justice for the poor and meek, something which the current kings had failed to bring about. And he will be in a position to execute perfect justice because he will be possessed of perfect knowledge. The effect of his rule will be universal peace, an ideal described here in symbolic language which recalls the paradise of Eden. It’s a picture of the whole of creation put back into joint. The entire earth, not just Jerusalem/Zion, will be the Lord’s holy mountain. In other words, he will be known, and his rule will be experienced everywhere. Here Isaiah looks beyond the disappointments of his own age to the coming of the one who, in the last analysis, can only be God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The opening words of verse 10 make it clear that this unit has the same end-time focus as verses 1-9, and in view of this the many particular nations mentioned must be understood in a figurative rather than literal sense. Collectively they represent the enemies, great and small, of God’s people.
There are three things that should be noted in verses 11-16. First, the remnant in view of these verses comprises, in one sense, simply the survivors, the people of Israel and Judah who will still be alive, although scattered, when the Messiah comes (v. 12). Secondly, because of the end-time focus of the unit as a whole, the gathering of the scattered people of God here cannot be seen as fulfilled in the later return of the exiles from Babylon, even though both are depicted as a second or new exodus. Thirdly, as Christians it is important to recognize that the nationalistic categories of a prophecy like this are transcended in the New Testament’s vision of the end. In New Testament terms the scattered people of God are all those, Jew and Gentile alike, who gladly acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (Messiah). These are the ones who will finally be gathered from every nation to share in Christ’s rule over those who will only reluctantly bow the knee on the final day. As we see, however, this expansion of the remnant concept to include Gentiles as well as believing Jews is already anticipated within the book of Isaiah itself.
Isaiah 11:1-16 Reflection Questions:
How do these verses encourage you as you go through your struggles here on earth?
Where in the New Testament is it said that Christ was endowed with the Holy Spirit?
Where in the New Testament does Isaiah 11:3 come into play?
Isaiah 10:5-34 The Lord’s Anger Redirected
by Larry Ferrell | February 2, 2018
Verse 12 alerts us to the fact that, while the northern kingdom has not been lost to view entirely, the focus has shifted back to the south and to Jerusalem/Zion in particular. The Assyrian “flood” which overwhelmed the north eventually swept on into Judah as well. It was at Jerusalem that the Lord finished all His work of judging the two kingdoms. It shouldn’t surprise us that the Lord should then, as verse 12 tells us; redirect His anger towards arrogant Assyria. For chapter 2 has already put on record God’s abhorrence of arrogance and His intention to judge it, not only among His own people, but also in the world at large. Of course the judgment on Assyria here, like that on Israel and Judah, is envisioned as taking place within history rather than on the final day, but it is nevertheless entirely in keeping with the character of God as revealed in the earlier chapters. What is surprising is that the Lord should have chosen to use such a proud, pagan nation at all, especially against His own people. But two things are strongly affirmed. First, the Lord did in fact do so (vv. 5-6), and second, this did not absolve Assyria of moral accountability (vv. 7-11, 15). It’s not that Assyria resisted her calling (she was not even aware of it), but that she sinned in the matter in which she fulfilled it (arrogantly, v. 15). The twin truths of divine sovereignty and human responsibility are held together in a fine tension here, as they are in Scripture as a whole.
When Assyria is reduced to a remnant (v. 19), the remnant of Israel will no longer lean on her, but will lean upon the Lord (v. 20). Israel in verse 20 is not just the northern kingdom, but the whole twelve tribes, as the repetition of the name Jacob in verses 20 and 21 confirms. The whole land, both north and south, will be devastated, and only then will Assyria herself be dealt with (vv. 25-27).
Essentially, the choice that Isaiah and his compatriots faced was whether to respond to the circumstances that threatened them with calm reliance on God or with a frenzy of self-help, using whatever means the wisdom of the age deemed most likely to succeed. And since the world is always with us, and has the same basic character from age to age, it is an issue which always faces people of God in a multitude of ways small and great. In the book of Isaiah the issues of faith and unbelief are constantly related to the very pressing and practical business of political, national and personal survival, and this has a most important lesson to teach us. Faith is more than a means of justification; it is also a practical approach to the challenges of daily life, just as much for us as it was for those who faced the Assyrian threat. We are not only saved by faith; we are to live by it!
While God may use evil people to accomplish His purposes, this does not in any way diminish their accountability. We are in touch here with something we will not fully understand this side of heaven; it is part of the mysterious interplay between divine sovereignty and human freedom. We should, however, grasp it firmly and be profoundly grateful for it, for it will preserve us from either denying the reality of evil or fearing that it will ultimately triumph. Wicked men served God’s purpose by nailing Jesus to the cross, but the resurrection lays on them, and on all of us, the urgent need for repentance.
Isaiah 10:5-34 Reflection Questions:
What lessons do we learn with how God used Assyria concerning our Christian walk?
How do you respond to any difficult circumstances that threatened you, with calm reliance on God or with a frenzy of self-help?
What does it mean to you “to live by faith?”
Isaiah 9:8-10:4 The Lord’s Anger against Israel
by Larry Ferrell | January 26, 2018
We are at another of those points in the book where the focus returns suddenly to present realities, in this case the sad condition of the northern kingdom (Israel) and its imminent demise. It’s remarkable to see a southerner (from Judah) like Isaiah so even-handed in his assessment of the two kingdoms. But he understands that “Israel” in a theological sense is one people (north and south together) ruled by the Lord, so what happens in the north is just as significant for him as what happens in the south. But Judah was already infected with the same evils.
This four stanza poem is a classic of biblical social analysis, impressive in its logic, and frightening in its inevitability. The Word which the Lord has sent has fallen on deaf ears and from this easily dismissed beginning everything else follows as certainly as night follows day. The poem is either a prophetic forecast of events or a prophetic meditation bringing out the significance of events which have already taken place. The same issue faced Israel as Judah: would they accept and live by the Word of the Lord? The whole logic of Isaiah’s social analysis stems from this question. The Bible insists large scale national and international consequences follow from spiritual causes. There is no escape from the Word. All the people will know it. The word spoken and refused becomes the same message turned to chastisement. Their pride will not protect them against the coming fulfillment of the word.
In verse 10, the bricks falling down could refer to the earthquake which took place in the reign of Jeroboam II (786 – 746 BC). It was the voice of God, but they took it as a challenge to rise to the occasion: they were equal to it! On the other hand, the words may be metaphorical, indicating an awareness that things are falling apart met by a spirit of self-confidence towards the future, never stopping to read the lessons of the past. Not only will the set-back be overcome but the future will outshine the past as dressed stone and cedars surpass (mud) bricks and (common sycamore) fig trees. Pride made Israel think it would recover and rebuild in its own strength. Even though God made the people of Israel a nation and gave them the land they occupied, they put their trust in themselves rather than in Him. Too often we take pride in our accomplishments, forgetting that it is God who has given us our resources and abilities. We may even become proud of our unique status as Christians. God is not pleased with any pride or trust in ourselves because it cuts off our contact with Him.
The bricks have fallen, now the leaders fall (vv, 13-17). The consequences of rejecting the Lord’s Word unfold. Refusing revealed truth and therefore relying on unaided human wisdom, they find that it’s not enough. Their leaders become misleaders and everyone comes off the worse; from young men in their prime, who might be thought able to look after themselves, to the defenseless fatherless and widows, who are in any case without resource. Even the virtues which the Lord loves cannot be had without commitment to the Lord. When the Word is rejected every grace is subject to erosion. Under deficient leadership the door is opened to unchecked self-seeking. Verses 18-21 expose the betrayal of brotherliness, the essential barrenness of the acquisitive life and the breakdown of social cohesiveness. All this is attributed to a twofold cause: it’s the natural progress of wickedness but it’s also the implementation of the Lord’s wrath.
The fourth stanza (10:1-4) returns to the topic of leadership but not in the same way as verses 13-17. There the charge was general – inept, misleading leaders. Here the charge is of blatant misrule, the willful making of decrees in the interest of class-division and personal advantage. In the end, social unruliness (vv. 13-21) resolves itself into the dominance of an unscrupulous clique who write laws for their own ends.
Isaiah 9:8-10:4 Reflection Questions:
Does God feel distant to you? Could it be your pride and trust in yourself?
Can you remember of a time when you used human wisdom and found that it wasn’t enough? What was the outcome?
How does this study impact your leadership with family, job, church, etc?
What did Jesus have to say about those who used laws to their own ends?
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Isaiah 8:1-9:7 From Darkness to Light
by Larry Ferrell | January 20, 2018
This unit deals with the same events as chapter 7, and the fact that the name Immanuel occurs in 8:8 and is alluded to again in 8:10 suggests that, in general, what we have here is the further outworking of the word spoken to Ahaz in 7:14. That word was a doubled-edged involving both judgment and salvation. Its outworking is now depicted in terms of darkness and light. In the short term it means gathering darkness (judgment), but in the long term brilliant light (the coming of the Messiah and the drawing of a new age). The passage as a whole consists of four oracles, in which Isaiah delivers messages given to him directly by the Lord, and two brief reflections on their significance by the prophet himself.
The verses 8:1-10 are strikingly reminiscent of 7:14-17. Like Ahaz in chapter 7, the people as a whole are being given a last chance to abandon their faithless scheming and rely entirely on the Lord as their deliverer, for the sign does not speak of judgment on Judah, but rather of the destruction of her two northern enemies (v. 4). King and people alike have rejected the Lord’s help (compared to the gently flowing waters of the Shiloh spring in Jerusalem) and preferred the help of Assyria (likened to the water of the mighty Euphrates). But if they thought that the river, once in flood stage, would stop at their own borders, they were mistaken. It will sweep on into Judah, all but engulfing it (v. 8). For all that however, the clever schemes of the nations (whether they be Israel, Syria, or Assyria) are, in the final analysis of no consequence. It’s what the Lord has purposed, not what they have planned, that will ultimately be achieved (vv. 9-10).
The verses in 8:11-15 have a logical connection with what has gone before. The schemes of the nations will come to nothing because they stem from the fear of mere humans. Isaiah and his followers are to have nothing to do with such schemes. Instead, they are to fear the Lord alone. To those who do this the Lord will be a sanctuary (He will protect them), but to those who do not He will be like a great stone in their path, over which they will stumble and fall (vv. 14-15). The bottom line is that the Lord cannot be ignored. Whether He is experienced as Savior or as Judge depends on how we respond to Him.
In verses 8:16-22 Isaiah, at times, appears to be addressing an unspecified individual (v. 16) or his disciples collectively (v. 19), but the mixed speech forms are in reality an indication of his inner turmoil as he reflects on the preceding words and their implications. Those who have rejected the clear message he has brought from God will turn in their lostness to the occult, and in so doing plunge themselves into ever deeper darkness and ruin (vv. 19, 21-22). Isaiah therefore sees the urgency of committing his teaching to his disciples. They will need it to turn to as the darkness closes about them (v. 20), and they will preserve it for a future generation who may be more willing to hear. But if Isaiah has hope in this dark moment (and he does), it is not grounded finally in the disciples but in the Lord. Even the disciples may fail to live up to the expectations Isaiah has of them, but the Lord Himself will never let him down.
Verse 9:1 introduces a sharp contrast (Nevertheless…) which prepares the way for what follows in verses 9:2-7. The change of mood from fearful gloom to no more gloom is possible only because of Isaiah’s confidence in the Lord. With his gaze once more fixed on the future, the time of fulfillment, the imminent devastation of the northern kingdom by Assyria is relegated to the past. By faith he sees a glorious reversal that will one day be effected by God’s grace. Devastation will give way to glory. The dawn will break in the very region that was the first to experience God’s judgment. No wonder Matthew draws our attention to the fact that it was in these northern parts, with their mixed population, that Jesus first proclaimed the gospel.
The theme of salvation is clearly the climax of the whole movement from darkness to light in verses 8:1-9:7. At the same time it represents the final reversal of the situation in chapter 7 where the Davidic house, represented by Ahaz, was rejected. The logical structure is signaled by the threefold “for” of verses 4, 5, and 6 (RSV). The rejoicing of verse 3 is occasioned by release from oppression (v. 4), cessation of war (v. 5), and the birth of an ideal ruler (v. 6). That which is plainly future spoken of as already accomplished, for the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this (v. 7c). Finally the language of verse 6 can apply only to one who is God incarnate. There can be little doubt, then, that this oracle points directly to the coming of the Messiah, the great Son of David and the true Light.
Isaiah 8:1-9:7 Reflection Questions:
Are you bringing the Lord into all your major decisions or are you doing acting alone?
What Scriptures in the New Testament refer to Jesus as the true Light?
In what ways are you daily reflecting His light?
What lesson is God showing you with this study?
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Isaiah 7:1-25 Ahaz at the Crossroads
by Larry Ferrell | January 12, 2018
The question mark put against the doctrine of hope by chapter 5 was erased by Isaiah’s own experience. His sin was as the sin of the people (6:5). If the Lord dealt with Isaiah’s sin, will He not deal with theirs? Hope is restored (6:13b). Isaiah proceeds now to work this out. First, the moment of decision has come. Isaiah found himself faced with the Word of God and the challenge to respond (6:8); so it would be for the people. For them the point of no return had arrived. Secondly, membership of the people of the Lord must now be evidenced by personal decision and commitment. It’s not a matter of nationality. In these chapters (7:1-11:16) the doctrine of the believing remnant flowers. Thirdly, the dying kingship of Uzziah provides the foil for the hope to come: David’s house is sinking fast but the promised King will come.
The setting this encounter between Isaiah and Ahaz is briefly sketched in verses 1-2. A resurgent Assyria has begun to push west and south into Palestine. The kings of Israel and Syria have formed an anti-Assyrian pact and are determined to force Judah to join them by deposing Ahaz and installing a puppet king in his place (v. 6). Ahaz is torn between two fears. He is panic-stricken in the face of the invasion by Syria and Israel (v. 2), but he is even more fearful of joining them against Assyria. When Isaiah confronts him he appears to have already decided to try to hold out in the hope of finding security through submission to Assyria. Isaiah offers him a radical alternative: forswear all alliances and trust wholly in the Lord (vv. 7-9). In view of Ahaz’s refusal to do this (vv. 10-11), Isaiah announces that Judah will soon be overrun and devastated by that very Assyria that Ahaz has foolishly decided to turn to for help (vv. 17-20).
Verses 13-16 are clearly the theological key to the chapter. The encounter with Ahaz in verses 1-12 leads up to them, and verses 17-25 which follow are an extended commentary on them. It’s certain that verse 14 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, but what is its meaning here in its immediate context? In chapter 6:9-10 Isaiah was told to make the ears of the rebellious people dull and to close their eyes. Here in chapter 7 we see Isaiah doing this to Ahaz. Ahaz has rejected the clear word of the prophet (vv. 7-9) and the offer of a clear sign to confirm it (vv. 10-12). Therefore Ahaz is given a sign which is veiled, a sign which he cannot understand (vv. 13-16).
But the sign is not meaningless. It can be understood, but only from the perspective of faith, and again chapter 6 provides the key. The final verse of that chapter spoke of a righteous remnant, a “holy seed” that would survive the coming judgment. At the beginning of chapter 7 Isaiah is pointedly told to take his son Shear-Jashub with him as he goes to meet Ahaz. “Shear-Jashub” means ‘a remnant shall return’ or ‘a remnant shall repent’. Both are possible, but since the immediate context here is one of faith verses unbelief rather than exile and return, the latter meaning is almost certainly the primary one. Isaiah comes to challenge Ahaz to repent and join the remnant who believes, but he refuses. The Immanuel saying of verse 14 is therefore given to Ahaz as a veiled message of judgment.
Two important themes from the previous chapters are strongly developed here in chapter 7. The first is the Lord’s supreme, universal sovereignty, which was so forcibly set before us in 6:1-3. Here in chapter 7 we see Him exercising that sovereignty as He summons the nations to do His bidding. The second theme is closely related to the first, namely, the absolute necessity of wholehearted reliance upon the Lord. In chapter 2 the alternative to such trust was reliance upon man; here that general notion is developed in terms of trusting in the nations (especially Assyria) for protection instead of the Lord. The choice is put squarely to Ahaz in verse 9b: “If you will not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Whatever we rely on instead of trusting in God will eventually turn and devour us.
Isaiah 7:1-25 Reflection Questions:
Have you ever been in a situation similar to Ahaz and to put all your trust in the Lord?
What would be some of today’s examples of “Assyria” and “Syria & Israel” that we face?
Are you receiving signs (dreams & visions) or Words from God that you are ignoring?
What are you relying on instead of God that you might need to repent from?
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Isaiah 6:1-13 Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call
by Larry Ferrell | January 5, 2018
Chapter 6 towers like a majestic peak over the surrounding terrain and is clearly of central importance for the message of the book. It was in this encounter with the Lord that Isaiah’s understanding of both God and his own mission was crystallized. It stands centrally within chapters 1-12 and is intimately related to both what precedes and what follows. Chapters 1-5 as a whole have posed a bigger problem than the corruption that affluence bred and the judgment that this must entail. It is the question of how spiritual renewal can be affected, so that Israel may become the center of world blessing that it is destined to be (2:1-5). Chapter 6 moves from a vision of God (vv. 1-4), to confession of sin (v. 5), to cleansing (vv. 6-7) and finally to commissioning (vv. 8-13); that’s the path by which Isaiah enters into his servanthood, and it’s the path Israel must also take. Isaiah’s experience in this chapter shows them the way. Isaiah’s identification with the sinful nation is made clear by his confession in verse 5.
We see in the first four verses (vv. 1-4) an implied contrast between King Uzziah and “the King, the Lord Almighty” (v.5), and we are taken at once to the central theme of the chapter (divine kingship) and the root problem underlying Israel’s failure (trust in mere humans rather than trust in the Lord). As so often is the case, increased wealth had brought a diminished view of God, so that people felt secure in their sins as long as they performed the appropriate rituals. But Isaiah sees the Lord as He is, high and exalted, beyond manipulation, seated on His judgment throne. The time of reckoning has come. Heaven and earth merge in this blinding vision of the One who is above all Holy (v. 3), a term which includes transcendence and righteousness. The seraphs, by their words and actions, show that the appropriate response is reverence, service and praise.
In verse 5, the vision of God produces not rapture but sheer terror in the prophet. He knows himself to be utterly ruined, for two reasons: he is unclean and he has seen God. The belief that no-one could see God and live has its roots in the encounter with God at Sinai. A privileged few, both then and at other times had been permitted to see God. Isaiah is not proud at being admitted to the inner circle. He is aware only of being unclean, like his fellows. In the presence of God degrees of sin become irrelevant. It is the holiness of God which reveals to us our true condition, not comparison with others. Paradoxically, Isaiah’s confession of being unclean like his fellows has set him apart from them, for he, unlike them, has been willing to acknowledge his condition.
In verses 6-7, the altar from which the burning coal is taken by the seraphs to cleanse Isaiah is not named. But it doesn’t matter. The altar, whatever its identity, symbolizes the entire provision which God had made in the temple and its services for the sins of His people. Isaiah is cleansed, not by his own efforts, but purely by the grace of God. The same grace was available to Israel as a whole but by their arrogance they had cut themselves off from it.
It now becomes apparent why the ‘lips’ and ‘mouth’ have been so prominent in verses 5-7. The Lord seeks a messenger, and Isaiah, now cleansed, is ready and willing to be his mouthpiece. Verses 9-13 reveal that his message is to be essentially one of judgment, but it is described more in terms of its effects than its content: it will harden hearts (vv. 9-10) and lead to devastation of both land and people (vv. 11-12). There is a thread of hope however. Verse 13 likens the land and its people to a tree whose stump remains in the earth after it is felled, and speaks of a righteous remnant (holy seed) within the nation. The closing words of this chapter are a promise rather than a threat. The righteous remnant will not be destroyed, but survive and grow into a new people of God. As we shall see in chapters 7 and 8, Isaiah himself is the nucleus around which this righteous remnant begins to gather.
As well as giving us an awesome view of God, this chapter provides us with a succinct portrait of his servant Isaiah. He was a man with a big vision of God (v. 1), a deep awareness of his own sinfulness (v. 5), a profound experience of the grace of God (v. 7), and a willingness to spend and be spent in His service, whatever the cost (v. 8). May God help us to be more like him.
Isaiah 6:1-13 Reflection Questions:
Do you feel secure in your sins because of your spiritual rituals?
Do you put more trust in yourself and others than trusting in the Lord?
How willing are you to spend and be spent in God’s service, whatever the cost?
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