Adult Class
December 2006-May 2007
Isaiah
Lesson 15: God’s Sovereign Salvation
As the threat of Assyria drew nearer and nearer, the danger to Jerusalem seemed more and more acute. God’s oracles of judgment did nothing to reduce the anxiety among those who feared God already, but they did nothing to spur repentance among those who disdained God. It all seemed like bad news, but with characteristic love God held out a message of grace—salvation and restoration were in His hand.
Isaiah 32—Things will be turned right-side up
In the time Isaiah wrote, the world called good, evil and evil, good (5:20). Fools who despised God sat on the throne of Judah, a kingdom established by God. Those who did what was right and good were persecuted, while those who were ruthless and tyrannical were praised. Those were supposed to be prophets were blind and deaf to God’s word, while those who actually delivered God’s messages were despised. The women, who somewhat encouraged this kind of decadence, considered themselves beyond consequences. Yet God promised that this upside-down world would suddenly and catastrophically be turned right-side up.
A time would come when the order of society would become what God intended it to be. Rulers would rule in righteousness as they should. Individual citizens would each be people of noble character and true goodness, making the nation strong. The prophets would hear the word of God and declare it fearlessly as they should—and people would hear it. Fools would be exposed as the fools they really were and the wicked would be labeled wicked instead of “clever.” The women would grieve the destruction that will be visited upon the city, yet God can and will restore and rebuild the nation. Peace and security will be established and people will be allowed to live in happiness.
When will all this blessedness come? It seems obvious to us that this blessing is only for the Messianic age, when the kingdom of God is firmly established on the earth. It is when the Spirit descends that the desert will bloom. Although destruction seemed imminent from the army of Assyria, and most of the nation of Judah suffered terribly during that invasion, God has a plan for a glorious future, when truth will be securely established and evil people will no longer reign over His people.
Isaiah 33—Victory!
This chapter is a long poem of victory, almost a psalm. It celebrates God’s victory over Assyria. He will certainly be glorified and exalted as the avenger of His people. Until this point, Assyria had been victorious in every circumstance—they overwhelmed every kingdom they faced, from the Persian Gulf to Egypt. They conquered by terror, by diplomacy, by treachery or any other means necessary to secure success. But now, they will be stopped at the walls of Jerusalem by the hand of God.
When this great event takes place, the people in far-off lands will hear about it. The wicked in Jerusalem will suddenly be terrified by the actual presence of the living God. They had no idea He was real! It never occurred to them that He might act! Against all their expectations, His presence is truly among them and He means what He says! In their terror and confusion, they are as stricken as Isaiah was when he ventured into the Temple, only to see a vision of God on the throne (chapter 6). These irreligious people have no idea who will ever be able to live in a place where God might actually be stirred to exploits. But the godly understand exactly what is needed for people to live in the presence of God—righteousness.
Jerusalem will be spared the fury of Assyria. It is not clear what the imagery means concerning the stricken ship of verse 22. It may be that Isaiah envisions one of the Assyrian ships which sailed around Arabia with troops and supplies. Now, the ship is in disarray, unfit to return with troops or plunder. Consequently the surviving refugees will collect the discarded booty.
Isaiah 34—Judgment on Edom
The Edomites lived to the south of Judah and were some of the bitterest enemies the Jews had to deal with. At times they existed in an uneasy alliance with Judah, but nearly always the alliance would end in an act of betrayal by Edom. Here, God promises to wreak a final judgment upon Edom so that the entire kingdom is destroyed, abandoned and desolate.
The language of this chapter is fascinating and sets the pattern for much of the prophetic language that follows. The pictures of the heavens being shaken, stars falling, the sky rolled up like a scroll (revealing what?), all make their appearance in other prophetic writings and must be understood on the basis of this oracle.
The Edomites were, in fact, destroyed by invaders and their cities were abandoned. To this day, the ruins are uninhabited and deserted to the wild animals. God’s judgment is absolutely certain.
Isaiah 35—The New Age
This chapter is clearly Messianic in intent. What is described here is a reversal of the degeneration of a fallen world. The ruined earth will be restored and will again provide blessing to all. Glory will radiate throughout the creation and God will be exalted in the earth. This message is one of hope, of encouragement to the faint and weary.
One of the most exciting parts of the message is found in verses 5-6. This instantly recalls to our minds the reply Jesus gave to John’s messengers in Matthew 11:2-6. He knew that John would immediately understand the implications of the blind seeing and the deaf hearing. In fact, the vision of a highway of holiness in the desert is precisely how John’s ministry was described. The image of verse eight is repeated in 40:3, and that passage is quoted as the purpose of John’s preaching (Mark 1:2-3).
The picture is one of safety, security, blessing and great holiness when Jerusalem is really the city of God. It is a harbinger of heaven, the goal of those who put their faith and trust in God.
This whole section reminds us that danger and suffering seem to loom over us, and our pain and sorrow in this life may be very real, there is a promise of fulfillment in our future. God has not forgotten His people and He will see to our good. There will be a final accounting, when the wicked receive the payment that is due them for their actions and the righteous will be gathered to their eternal home with God. Truth will be established and all creation must acknowledge it.