Isaiah - Chapters 13-37

In this information, the host of the amazingbible.book club discusses the book of Isaiah. They mention that Isaiah was a prophet during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. They also talk about Isaiah's commission and his vision of the Lord. The host discusses the invasions of Judah by Israel, Aram, and Assyria. They mention the hope of a child being born who will sit on the throne of David. The host also talks about the oracles against various nations and the message of trusting in God. They mention the destruction and judgment that will come, but also the future salvation and praise for the Lord. They discuss the woes to Ephraim, David's city, and those who look to Egypt for help. The host describes what the kingdom of God will look like and the destruction of Assyria. They end by discussing the storyline of Judah and King Hezekiah's encounter with the field commander of Assy Hi ladies, and welcome to the amazingbible.book club, I'm Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. By chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are switching from 2 Kings back to Isaiah with chapters 13 through 37. Isaiah was a prophet during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah kings of Judah, chapter 1 verse 1. He may have been the longest serving prophet of the Lord, or at least the longest ministry. In chapters 1 through 5 it explained what the book was about, and as Dr. Betts from Old Testament class said, it raised the question, how can the promised holiness and blessedness that God wants to bring about on His people replace the rebellion and corruption that is in His people? Then in chapter 6 of Isaiah we have Isaiah's commission, which happened during the year that King Uzziah died, chapter 6 verse 1. It was here he saw a vision of the Lord, recognized His sinfulness. A seraph touched Isaiah's lips with a hot coal from the altar, and his guilt was taken away and his sin atoned for, verse 7. Then the Lord sent Isaiah to go and prophesy to His people, but they will not hear, nor understand, nor perceive the truth with their heart. Isaiah asked how long that would go on, and the answer was until the land was in ruin, and the people were sent away, and only a remnant was left. Dr. Betts also said, just as the man of unclean lips had to abandon all hope before being cleansed by fire, so too must the nation. Then the story switched to the time of Ahaz, king of Judah, and Israel and Aram, also known as Syria, tried to invade Judah. So Ahaz made a pact with Assyria, and it was Assyria that invaded Aram, also known as Syria, and their capital of Damascus. And we learned in 2 Kings chapter 17 that it was Assyria that invaded Samaria, the capital of the northern ten tribes of Israel, and exiled the Jews, and brought in people from other nations to live in Samaria and surrounding towns. Yet in the book of Isaiah we see a glimmer of hope that a child will be born who will sit on the throne of David, who will reign in justice and righteousness, and the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Chapter 9 verses 6 and 7, there will be a remnant of Jews that will return, and chapter 12 ends this section with a song of praise for salvation is coming, and the key word for Isaiah is salvation. Now chapters 13 through 23 is a section of oracles against the nations, which include Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Syria, and Israel, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ethiopia and Egypt, Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem, Shebna, and Tyre. Dr. Betts also said about chapters 7 through 39, the question here is do God's people really trust God? The message is they can trust God, if they will trust God then they will be delivered from the nations. The people tend to be impressed by human glory and trust in the nations rather than being impressed by God's glory and trust in him. As a result of this they will be captured, they will be destroyed by the very nations that they have placed their trust in. These nations listed are largely border nations or nations that at various times Israel and Judah have made alliance with, yet one of the things we find in these chapters is that the Lord is over all nations because he is the creator of the world. The Lord used these nations to bring about his bidding, but they also will be judged by their ungodly actions. We see verses like chapter 14 verse 24, the Lord Almighty has sworn, surely as I have planned so it will be, and as I have purposed so it will stand. Another thing we notice in this passage of judgment is that Isaiah is grieved over the destruction. Chapter 15 verse 5, chapter 16 verse 9, chapter 21 verses 3 and 4, and chapter 22 verse 4. His heart cries, he weeps, his body aches, his heart falters, he does not want to be comforted. Isaiah gets a future glimpse that the Lord will raise up Eliakim son of Hilka to help save Jerusalem and he's mentioned in second Kings chapter 18 verse 18. Chapter 23 verse 9 says, the Lord Almighty planned it to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. Chapter 24 tells us that the Lord will lay waste the earth and devastate it, and on that day it does not matter your social status, we will all be in the same boat. Yet verse 16 says, from the ends of the earth we hear singing, glory to the righteous one. Then chapter 25 is a praise song unto the Lord. It begins in verse 1, O Lord you are my God, I will exalt you and praise your name for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. Verse 9 says, in that day they will say, surely this is our God, we trusted in him and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him, let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. Then chapter 26 is also a song of praise. Verses 1 through 4 start, in that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah, we have a strong city, God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith, you will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the rock eternal. Then chapter 27 covers the deliverance of the true Israel and there will be a remnant who will come back to the holy mountain in Jerusalem. Chapters 28 through 33 are filled with woes. There are woes to Ephraim, another name for the 10 northern tribes of Israel. Chapter 28 woes to David's city and in chapter 29 it is named Ariel. According to C. Hasselblock in his book, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books, he says Ariel appears to mean altar hearth in Ezekiel chapter 43 verses 15 and 16. The citizens of Jerusalem would become the victims on the altar. Chapter 30 begins, woe to the obstinate children, declares the Lord, to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance but not by my spirit, heaping sin upon sin. Again the Lord's children did not look to him but to various nations to help them. Verse 15 says this is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Dr. Bett said that throughout Isaiah the Lord as the Holy One of Israel is used 30 times and only six other times in all of the Old Testament. He also said the Lord is the creator who is separate from his creation. Also it speaks of God's holiness as moral righteousness, sinless, perfect and he calls his people to this as well. Then verse 18 says yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion for the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him. Also found in chapter 30 is verse 26 which says the moon will shine like the sun and the sunlight will be seven times brighter like the light of seven full days when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted. The Lord inflicted these wounds on Israel and soon to be Judah because of their sin but that judgment, that hardship, those wounds are meant to bring his people to holiness. Ladies it's not fun during the pain but I can testify that I am a much better person and more like Christ now after the various wounds I've experienced. Plus I have seen the Lord so sweet afterwards. If you're going through a tough time look to him to guide you. He can make something beautiful out of the rubble. Chapter 31 there are woes to those who look to Egypt for help. Then in chapter 32 we see what the kingdom of God will look like. The king will reign in righteousness and justice. These words are repeated a lot in this section. Verses 17 and 18 say the fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Chapter 33 is the woe to the destroyer and that probably means Assyria and when they are done destroying they too will be destroyed and we know that was done by Babylon. Even in the midst of that verses five and six tell us the Lord is exalted for he dwells on high. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Verse 22 says for the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. It is he who will save us. The Lord fulfills the judicial legislative and executive branches of this kingdom that stands on justice and righteousness. Chapter 24 covers judgment against the nations and then chapter 25 again ends this section with praise and joy because the Lord will save those who look to him. Verses three and four say strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful hearts be strong do not fear your God will come. He will come with vengeance with divine retribution. He will come to save you. There will be a highway of holiness for the redeemed and the ransomed of the Lord. Then verse 10b they will enter Zion with singing everlasting joy will crown their heads, gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sign will flee away. Now in chapters 36 and 37 we go back to the storyline of Judah and their king Hezekiah. After Assyria was finished with Israel in 722 BC they came against Judah. Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army to king Hezekiah. Verse three tells us that Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shibnah the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to meet the field commander. The field commander said in verse 4b this is what the great king the king of Assyria says on what are you basing this confidence of yours. He then went on and announced that their God could not stand against Assyria and then he listed all the other gods who were nomads for them. King Hezekiah went to the Lord in his temple plus he sent his men to go and inquire of Isaiah the prophet. They prayed and the Lord sent word they would not attack because they got word of other fighting going on so Assyria left. In chapter 37 this time the king of Assyria came himself because he had heard that the king of Egypt was coming out to fight him so he stopped at Judah. His messengers brought king Hezekiah a note. Again they blasphemed the Lord to say that the God of Judah could not stop them. Then king Hezekiah again went to the temple laid the letter before the Lord and prayed. Verse 20 says now oh Lord our God deliver us from his hand so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone oh Lord our God. The Lord spoke to Isaiah who sent word to king Hezekiah and said that since they blasphemed and insulted the Lord the Holy One of Israel. Then verses 33 through 35 say therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria. He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return. He will not enter this city declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it for my sake and for the sake of David my servant. The angel of the Lord came through the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 men. The next morning they saw all the dead bodies withdrew and returned to Nineveh. Verse 38 tells us that the king of Assyria went to worship in his temple to his god Nishrak and he was killed by the sword and his son succeeded him as king. Ladies the question of this passage is on what are you basing your confidence? Do you even have confidence in anything? The Bible is telling us that there is one the Holy One of Israel who is righteous just and true. Even if our kingdom is shaking his kingdom is a solid foundation and we can trust in him. If you have heard his voice today please don't harden your heart like Assyria and the nations. Instead let's be like King Hezekiah who takes our concerns and lays them at the feet of Jesus who cares and who can do something about it. He is our confidence and he is our guide. Until next time and thanks so very much for listening.