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Isaiah 7: 1 – 9

Have you ever felt frightened? I know you have. Who hasn’t? The picturesque description in (2) is no doubt one we can all identify with: ”so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” We know only too well that feeling when there’s a whole lot of (inner) shaking going on! Things that are bigger than us and seem too powerful for us tend to scare us. That’s what was happening in this situation. It felt like ‘2 onto 1’ and that wasn’t fair. (You will see how what happens in the heart of a leader affects the hearts of his people by the way.)”Rezin” king of ”Aram” (Syria) and ”Pekah” king of ”Israel” (the northern kingdom) had been trying to persuade Ahaz to join them in an alliance against the superpower, Assyria. But Ahaz refused. So these two kings decided to try a more muscular approach (see 2 Kings 16:5). In this frightening situation, Ahaz concocted a plan to approach the king of Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:7-9). But that was not a good idea, because ultimately Assyria posed the greater threat. Ahaz was looking to the wrong king for salvation. Furthermore he was looking to buy off the Assyrian monarch with treasures from both the temple and the palace. There is a kind of fear that demoralises men and nations and causes them to take unwise action.

The Lord sent Isaiah with his son, ”Shear-Jashub”, to tell Ahaz not to look to Assyria (3-6). He would not require their help. (Isaiah gave both his sons symbolic names: Is. 8:1-3, 18. This name means ‘‘a remnant will return”. It was both a warning: Judah will be destroyed, and a promise: a remnant will survive and be restored to the land.) It was true that Rezin and Pekah were plotting his downfall and wanted him replaced with their own man, but they would not succeed.

Fear sees ”fierce anger’’ and people plotting. These things loom large. But faith is a quiet confidence in God that views men as but men. In spite of boasted power, it sees their actual weakness before God: ”these two smouldering stubs of firewood”. They might still be burning, but their flame will soon be extinguished. Faith always reduces our Goliaths to their true size before God. (”And don’t panic over these two burnt-out cases…They talk big but there’s nothing to them.” The Message. )

Isaiah brought a very precious word from God. It amounted to, ‘This is not going to happen; their plots will come to nothing. They are ”only” men. But you have got to trust or you will not stand. ”If you don’t take your stand in faith you won’t have a leg to stand on.” The Message. (see Eph.6:10ff./1 Pet.5:9).

We will often face overwhelming odds in this world. Things will loom over us that look ominous and scary and way too big. But the call will always be the same: to trust God and not man.

”Fear knocked at the door; faith answered, and there was nobody there.”

Prayer: Today, Lord, I choose the way of faith.

Isaiah 6: 6 – 8

”Jesus didn’t send only His twelve disciples into the world; He sends every believer into the world. There are not two kinds of disciples: those who are sent and those who can stay back and lead ”normal” lives. All of us who claim to be Christians have been sent. The only crucial question is: Will we obey? God waits to hear us say, ”Send me.” Then He will show us where. ” Tom Hale: The applied Old Testament Commentary, p.1001.

Warren Wiersbe says that Isaiah had both ‘sight’ and ‘insight’. As we observed yesterday, when He saw the Lord he saw himself, and he did not like what he saw. He thought he was a dead man (5; see 1 Sam. 6:20). But in that moment of confession and self-humbling the door was opened for him to receive cleansing (6, 7). Thank God there is provision for all who will truly repent. It comes ”from the altar.” The cross where Jesus died is the ultimate altar where our forgiveness was procured; our ”sin atoned for”. The one in the temple was a foreshadowing of the cross. At Calvary the Lord Jesus made it possible for our ”guilt” to be ”taken away”. Fire symbolizes God’s cleansing (”live coal”). The coal touched Isaiah’s lips, where his greatest, self-confessed need was at the time (5). At the same time this coal also touched Isaiah’s whole being and cleansed him from all sin. ”Isaiah had pronounced woes on other people, but now he cried, ”Woe is me!” He admitted that he was a sinner, he confessed his sin, and the Lord cleansed him. Were it not for the sacrifice on the altar, we could never approach the Sovereign on the throne.” Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.456

Wiersbe in fact says three things about Isaiah from this story of his commission. He had ‘sight’, ‘insight’ and ‘vision’ (8). God called him to go and use those cleansed lips (and that washed life); to lift up his eyes on the fields, as it were. In this story of Isaiah’s call there is the fascinating interspersing of ”I” and ”us” in God’s words (8).Could this be one of those places in the Old Testament where there is a strong indication of there being both unity and diversity in the Godhead? Many theologians and commentators seem to think so. This, of course, will be more fully revealed in the New Testament, but it is implied in a few places in the Old. This is one of them (see also Gen.1:26; 11:7). ”True worship leads to service. You hear God’s call, and you respond with obedience. God did not send Isaiah to a receptive people or give him an easy message to preach. But when you have seen the Lord and felt His touch, you can obey His will without fear.” Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.457.

Tom Hale, in his excellent ‘The applied Old Testament Commentary’, makes some interesting and helpful comments on (8). He says that God didn’t call Isaiah directly, but the prophet ‘overheard’ a conversation going on in heaven. The call wasn’t just for Isaiah but is meant to be heard by everyone. After Isaiah was cleansed he was ready to hear God’s call. He responded as a servant would. God had first of all forgiven him and removed his guilt and now he was ready and willing for anything: ”If we are having trouble hearing God’s voice, it is probably because we have not yet come to His altar, His fire, and offered ourselves to Him (Romans 12:1)…Too many believers today say to God, ”Here am I – bless me,” when they should be saying, ”Here am I – send me.” Too many Christians come to church to be blessed, but not to be sent. They remain spiritual infants, still drinking milk (Hebrews 5:11-13). Christ gave His life for us; how can we suppose that we’re not called to give our lives for Him?…Christians often say they’re not sure what God is asking them to do; but that’s because they’re not willing to do whatever He might ask…The question remains for each of us: Am I willing to do anything that God might ask? (Pp.1000/1001)

Prayer: Here I am wholly available; as for me I will serve the Lord.

 Isaiah 6: 1 – 5

A leader will see many things, but what is of utmost importance is that he or she should have a vision of God (1). It is not clear whether Isaiah ”saw the Lord” in ”the temple” in Jerusalem, or in the heavenly temple. Either way, it does not alter the essential meaning of the passage. He saw the Lord in His transcendence (”high and exalted”) and in his immanence (”the train of his robe filled the temple”). God is both high above and removed from us, and yet close at the same time. This is paradoxically true. In the New Testament John wrote that Isaiah ”saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (John 12:41). Having just quoted from Isaiah 6:10,he was referring to Isaiah’s experience of seeing God. As someone pointed out, Isaiah may not have recognised Jesus in his vision, but the New Testament writers knew that to see God was to see Jesus (John 10:30). Isaiah had seen a human king who died; one of a great host of mortal kings. But a greater and eternal King filled his vision; the One who lives for ever. ”The throne of Judah had changed occupants, but God was still on His throne and in perfect control of everything.”Warren W. Wiersbe: With the Word, p.456

This was an awesome vision. Not only did he see the Lord in His transcendence and immanence but also in His unutterable holiness (2-4). His holiness is emphasised in the threefold statement in (3). The angelic beings Isaiah saw may correspond to the ”living creatures” John saw around God’s throne (Rev.4:6-8). Just the sound of their voices caused the temple to shake and fill with smoke (4). This is a reminder of Mount Sinai, when the mountain shook at God’s voice (Ex.19:18; 20:18, 19). F.B. Meyer makes a point from the fact that the ”seraphs” had ”six wings” (2). He says that with two each covered his face for reverence’s sake; with two they covered their feet, for humility, and with two they did fly for service and obedience. He continues: ”It may be that we are taught that a third part of our time and energy should be expended in activity; two thirds to reverent fellowship and communion. Probably with most of us the proportion is in the other direction; and we give two -thirds to flight for God, and one-third only for fellowship with God. The service that springs from such communion is directed by deep sympathy with the mind of God.” Great verses through the Bible, p.271

One reason why we need to see the Lord is because we need to see ourselves. When we look up we will be forced to look in. We have to look ourselves fully in the face as reflected in the mirror of God’s dazzling holiness (5). For Isaiah it was not a pretty sight. When is it for any of us? ”Every word I’ve spoken is tainted-blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies!” The Message. ”…the man who lives close to the Eternal Light…is most sensitive to sin.’’ A.E. Cundall. There in the manifest presence of God, Isaiah thought his end had come. In the first place, he felt unclean. It is a sensation common to those who draw near to Almighty God (e.g. Job 42:5, 6; Luke 5:5-8). ”If we are truly worshiping in God’s presence, we ought to have Isaiah’s feeling of uncleanness and unworthiness. True worship is an awesome and humbling experience; it is much deeper and greater than simply the emotions we feel when we are singing our favorite worship songs.” Tom Hale: The Applied Old Testament Commentary, p.1000. Secondly, Isaiah knew that no man can see God and live (Ex.33:20). But of course we can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and, as we saw earlier, that, according to John, is what Isaiah saw. ”Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” John Calvin.

Prayer: Lord let me see you more clearly this day, and worship you more fully.

 Isaiah 5:20-30

I have long thought that (20) has major relevance for our culture and not just Isaiah’s world. People who scoff at God (18, 19) also scoff at his values. Leaders will stand up today and say that what God calls sin is for society’s good. They will applaud perversion. Reading these words in Isaiah should cause us to fear (and weep) for our nation and drive us to prayer. Why? It is because we are like this, and God pronounces a ”Woe” (a curse, a word of judgment) on those who say and do such things. I believe we will face serious trouble if we do not repent.

We also need to be wary of becoming ‘clever-dicks’ (21; see Prov.3:7). In the foolishness of our wisdom we dismiss God. ”Doom to you who think you’re so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves!” The Message. We need to remember that ”The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” (Prov.1:7). We only really learn true knowledge when we humble ourselves before the all-knowing God and learn from Him. We must submit our minds to His. The people described here could have been wise, but refused to drink at the Fount of wisdom (24b).

In (22-25) God scoffs at the scoffers, as someone said. Really, we have a recapitulation of the injustice of (8 -10) in (23), and of the drunkenness of (11, 12) in (22). There could not be a clearer statement of the judgment that is coming than the one we find in (24a). It will be as rampant and as real as fire ravaging through dry grass. All the woes and judgments in this section of Isaiah are because of (24b). If we choose God’s way and follow His Word we will be safe. If we go against it (Him) we will be in the greatest danger.

God is going to use ”distant nations” (26-30) such as Assyria and Babylon to punish His disobedient people. He only has to ”whistle” for the great superpowers of the earth and they will run to do His bidding. (In ancient times a ”banner” was placed on a hill to mark the location where troops were to muster for attack.) Isaiah goes on to describe the speed and power and ruthlessness of these invaders who would soon overwhelm Judah.

The descriptions of judgment in the prophetic books are truly frightening. The good news of the gospel tells us that God, in His love for us, does not want to punish us for our sins, even though we deserve it. Jesus, at the cross, got ‘burned’ (24a) for us; so that we don’t have to face this. That is amazing love. We just have to trust in Him and we will be saved. But if we don’t, it remains true that God is judge of all the earth, and if we will not receive His mercy we will face His wrath against sin.

Prayer: Holy Lord, please help me to see sin as You do; let me hate it and turn from it.

 Isaiah 5:8-19

Following on from the song of the vineyard (5:1-7) in which God was ”Looking for a crop of Justice” (Peterson) , we now have a section of woes and judgments (8-30) because, as we know, God did not find what He was looking for growing on His land.

Verses 8 -10 have to do with the greed of the wealthy. They kept unjustly taking the houses and fields of the poor until there was nowhere for them to live. This was particularly offensive to God because He was the real owner of the land and intended that the poor should have a share in it. (Lev.25:23). ”Taking over the country, leaving everyone homeless and landless. I overheard GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies say: ”Those mighty houses will end up empty. Those extravagant estates will be deserted. A ten-acre vineyard will produce a pint of wine, a fifty pound sack of seed, a quart of grain.” ” The Message. Sin has consequences; it will not go unpunished. We cannot afford to act unjustly or be complicit with it. God cares deeply for the poor in this world, who will always be with us.

Verses 11 – 17 are about drunkenness and debauchery. Indeed there may be a description of alcoholism in there: ”Doom to those who get up early and start drinking booze before breakfast, Who stay up all hours of the night drinking themselves into a stupor.” The Message. It is sad to see here that the ”masses” (14) will not escape the consequences of what their leaders have done. A frightening picture is painted. The ”grave” is personified as someone with a great big greedy appetite. A life not lived in the fear of God, but lived purely for self will, in the end, be swallowed up in judgment. ” Sheol developed a huge appetite, swallowing people nonstop! Big people and little people alike down that gullet, to say nothing of all the drunks. The down-and-out on a par with the high-and-mighty. Windbag boasters crumpled, flaccid as a punctured bladder.” The Message. Once again we see that a day is coming when the pride and arrogance of man will be humbled and God alone will be exalted (15, 16; see 2:17). Wine is one of God’s good gifts, but its abuse can lead to terrible sin and destruction. In our own society we are witnessing some of the bitter fruits of its misuse (along with other substances.)

In verses 18, 19 God denounces those who are quite brazen about their sin and openly defy Him. They mock Him. They are like the scoffers the apostle Peter wrote about who thought God wasn’t going to do anything about the ungodly (2 Pet.3:3-7) They remind me of the many rough, tough lads I knew in the area where I grew up. They would deliberately pick a fight and then ask, ‘What are you going to do about it?!’ Well, me personally, I wasn’t going to do anything. But God is! God most certainly will!! ”Doom to you who use lies to sell evil, who haul sin to market by the truckload, Who say, ”What’s God waiting for? Let him get a move on so we can see it. Whatever the Holy of Israel has cooked up, we’d like to check it out.” ” The Message. In this chapter it is made clear that God will act and will be glorified.

Prayer: Help me Lord to care about the things that break your heart.