Isaiah 28-35

I am Julie Callio your host and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me you can do that at zab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are looking at Isaiah chapters 28-35. The first section chapters 28-33 are called woe articles because the sections are divided up by woes. Chapter 28 verse 1 woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim what the Lord calls the northern tribe of Israel. Then verse 3 repeats that phrase the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden underfoot. In contrast verse 5 in that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of his people. The religious leaders are so drunk that they all vomit and there is not a single clean place and they are so messed up they can't hear or understand the word of the Lord and they stumble backward and they will be broken snared and taken captive. Verse 14 therefore and ladies when you see the word therefore you are to stop and see what it is there for therefore since Ephraim the northern tribe is like this and it will bring their ruin so you Judah and Jerusalem hear the word of the Lord especially the leaders of Jerusalem because you are living in falsehood and deception. Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation stone a stone a precious cornerstone a sure foundation he who believes will not be disturbed or shall not make haste this stone is the Messiah that God has promised and his name is Jesus. Jesus is our foundation he is our rock. In the New Testament Peter quotes this verse in his first letter chapter 2 Peter's name means rock and in my Bible I wrote in the margin Peter the rock shows that Jesus is the rock. He then shares with us Peter says that Jesus the living stone was rejected by men but precious in the sight of God. He continues that those who believe in Jesus are also living stones and we are being built up as a spiritual house for the holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ for this is contained in scripture behold I lay in Zion a choice stone a precious cornerstone and he who believes in him will not be disappointed and then Peter continues after quoting Isaiah this precious value then is for us who believe but for those who disbelieve the stone which the builders rejected this became the very cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense and here Peter quotes Isaiah but way back in chapter 8 for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word and to this doom they were also appointed in Isaiah's day they were to follow the Lord and his ways in our day with the New Testament we see that Jesus is also the Lord the Lord's ways are just and righteous verse 17 chapter 21 starts whoa oh Ariel Ariel the city where David once camped so according to my study Bible Ariel is not a Disney princess but the name for Jerusalem it may mean lion of God saying that Jerusalem is strong as a lion or it may mean altar hearth because this is where the temple was which was where the altar of God was the Oracle says that Ariel and their righteous leaders are in deep sleep and they are blinded with hypocrisy verse 13 says the Lord said because this people draw near with their words and honor me with their lip service but they have removed their heart far from me and their reverence for me consists of tradition learned by rote Jesus uses this verse in Isaiah to describe the religious leaders of his day and we find this in Matthew 15 verses 7 through 9 and Mark chapter 7 verses 6 through 8 the religious leaders in Jesus's day were also full of hypocrisy in verse 15 of chapter 29 of Isaiah we have another whoa and it is a whoa to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord and whose deeds are done in dark places ladies the Lord sees even if it's in a dark place then verses 17 through 24 we see hope in just a little while it says verse 17 the deaf will hear the eyes of the blind will see afflicted will be glad the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel this is the phrase that's used a lot in Isaiah and I think this is number four ruthless and scorners and evil people are now gone and then verse 23 we see the name of God as the Holy One of Jacob we're going to count this is number five in chapter 30 the rebellious children get a whoa the ones who plan their plan but not God's plan the ones who make alliances with Egypt but not with the Lord these people do not want to hear what is right they only want to hear pleasant words they don't want to hear from the Holy One of Israel number six therefore the Holy One of Israel number seven says since you have rejected this word verse 12 and have put your trust in oppression and guile therefore this iniquity will be to you then verse 15 says for thus the Lord God the Holy One of Israel number eight has said in repentance and rest you will be saved in quietness and trust is your strength but you are not willing verse 18 the Lord longs to be gracious to you and therefore he waits on high to have compassion on you for the Lord is a God of justice how blessed are all who long for him verse 19 O people in Zion inhabitants in Jerusalem you will weep no longer he will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry when he hears it he will answer you verse 21 says your ears will hear a word behind you this is the way walk in it ladies the Lord longs for us to turn to him to cry out to him and when we do that he will guide us then verse 31 of chapter 30 says this for at the voice of the Lord Assyria will be terrified this we know happens in second chronicles chapter 32 verse 21 and also found in second kings chapter 19 verses 35 and 36 and this is when Assyria is surrounding Jerusalem but they encounter the Lord and they flee chapter 31 addresses woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses and chariots for only the Lord can protect them then verse 6 Isaiah says return to him from whom you have deeply defected O sons of Israel chapter 32 we see what a kingdom with a righteous king looks like it's a refuge a shelter there are streams of water shades a hot day the eyes see ears hear minds discern truth tongues speak clearly justice dwells there righteousness abides there peace is their quietness and confidence it is secure and undisturbed but that is not what they have now which leads us to chapter 33 chapter 33 continues with the woe and this time it is to the destroyer in this instance that's Assyria for they will be destroyed and in this instance by Babylon and that is verse 1 then verses 5 and 6 say but the Lord is exalted for he dwells on high he has filled Zion with righteousness and judgment and wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of our times and strength of salvation the fear of the Lord is his treasure verse 6 in verse 22 Isaiah says for the Lord is our judge the judicial branch the Lord is our lawgiver the legislative branch the Lord is our king the executive branch and he will save us now chapters 34 and 35 go together according to my old testament textbook it is the apocalyptic conclusion of the previous articles in chapter 34 we see the Lord's indignation against all nations and in verse 8 it reads for the Lord has a day of vengeance a year of recompense for the cause of Zion in other words the Lord does fight for his people verses 16 and 17 say seek from the book of the Lord and read it will not fail for the Lord's mouth has commanded it and the Lord's spirit has gathered it it continues that his people will possess it forever from generation to generation shall they dwell therein the Jews and Christians alike are people of the book as I have heard it said this book messes with you we believe what we believe because of the book because the Lord speaks through it almost everything the prophets declare in the old testament comes from the book of Moses especially the giving of the law in Deuteronomy ladies if you want to know the Lord read his book ask Christians I love how it says let's dwell in it our section today ends with a picture of God's salvation verses 3 and 4 say encourage the exhausted strengthen the feeble say to those with an anxious heart take courage fear not behold your God will come with vengeance the recompense of God will come but he will save you verses 8 says a highway will be there a roadway and it will be called the highway of holiness then there is a list of those who won't walk on that highway found in verses 8 and 9 the unclean the fool no lion no vicious beast just the redeemed and then verse 10 says and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion with everlasting joy upon their heads they will find gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing will flee away in other words the remnant the redeemed will come home with joy so ladies are you on the highway of holiness we get there by believing on Jesus Christ the rock of foundation for us let me also ask do you say you believe but you do what you do out of duty or is it done out of love and reference for the Lord is your heart far from God or does your heart dwell with him the holy one of Israel my guess is if you are listening today and you have a desire to know the Bible God's book then you are on the holy road remember as we walk on it if you are seeking him he will tell us this is the way walk in it trust him to guide you if you have just started seeking what the Bible is all about it is about God the creator of the universe and the creator of you and he loves you deeply in the first man and woman Adam and Eve in Genesis the first book of this Bible they sinned because of that sin it separated all of us from this holy God through the old testament books we see that God made a way of coming to him through sacrifices at the temple but that was just to pave the way for the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ and he comes in what we call the new testament in second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 the book the new testament for he meaning the Lord God made him who is the Lord Jesus to be made sin for us who knew no sin Jesus was also fully human and yet he was sinless so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him in Christ Jesus the one who died on the cross and became our sacrifice and ladies it is by grace that we are saved through faith and not of ourselves it's a gift of God it's not of works lest anyone should boast that's found in the new testament in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 so where is your heart today do you have ears to hear and eyes to see today if you hear his voice don't harden your hearts like so many who have come before us like so many religious leaders instead let's be like the few who believe and obey and walk on the highway of holiness until next time and thank you so much for listening