Bible Studies

MAKING SENSE OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH Lesson 4648

by Henry Jaegers
10/07/23
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

MAKING SENSE OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH

By Heenry Jaegers

THE DEVELOPMENT AND DETERIORATION

OF A CHOSEN VESSEL

Lesson 46

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mojMGEojieikaS7QTfKotdffJa7yKzsX/view?usp=share_link

Lesson 46-48 as audio

Chapter 10: 5-34

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.  I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

(Isaiah 10:5,6)

Up until now, God’s people have experienced the consequences of their neglect, but they have not turned back from their backsliding. Although it might be unthinkable to the backslidden people, that God would turn to their enemies to accomplish His purposes, nevertheless, it is so.

Back in chapter 8, God sent a message to the kings of the north, in the form of a prophecy using the name Merer Shallum hashbaz. It was a message intended for the king of Assyria, that the time was ripe for them to arise to the spoil and seize the prey. That was the meaning of that name.

And now in the verses before us, notice these opening words to the king of Assyria. “I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey. Is there any doubt, that the prophecy is now beginning to be fulfilled? And is there any doubt that the time has arrived for Assyria to begin its preparation to do God’s work? Perhaps, a surprise to Israel that God would do as He said He would. Up until now, they have downplayed the seriousness of God’s admonitions and warnings, but now they are being fulfilled, though they are presently unaware of how God is working.

But even the king of Assyria himself does not understand His part in accomplishing the work of God. But we see the sovereignty of God fully implemented by the method he is using to accomplish “His New Thing” in the life of His people. God is using Assyria to correct the Northern part of Israel to accomplish His purposes, but later, the tribe of Judah will suffer the same at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Notice how it began with a seeming sense of innocence in these words. “Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart thinks so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. (Verse 7). And although it started this way, it was not long before his heart began to be lifted up, not recognizing the God who chose him for this purpose. And that is often the problem accompanied by success, especially for those who do not recognize the hand of God in their lives.

As we continue to examine the remaining verses, we discover Assyria now takes the place of God in his own mind and fails to Glorify God. He now sees himself as even greater than any of the other gods of the nations that he has conquered. As he gains greater success, his arrogance increases as well. And now, God has a word to him. “Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks. (Verse 12)

The remaining verses speak of his rise to success, and his ultimate defeat, but within these verses is enclosed a message of hope to the faithful remnant. They must pass through the fires of affliction as well as the rest, but it is through these “Faithful Ones” that God promises the greater victory. And there is yet a greater hope than these, as God utters this third prophecy in chapter 11. But notice these closing words that introduce us to the message found in chapter 11.

“ As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. (verses 32-34)

In our next study, we will focus on another king who shall supersede the king of Assyria (or any other king who chooses to side himself against the King of Glory)

Aswe close the end of chapter ten with the prophecy of the fall of an arrogant king, we approach chapter 11, with the promise of a coming greater king.

THE GOOD NEWS

WITH  THE ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER KING

Lesson 47

 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; (Isaiah 11: 1,2)

As we formerly announced the arrival of a different son in chapter 9, now as the people of God need to hear another word, He answers them with a message of the arrival of a different king who will bring forth a kingdom of peace.

In this promise, God refers to a covenant and promise God made to David, the son of Jesse. And from David. will come a greater son than Solomon. Consider:

 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever. (II Kings 7: 16)

And again, consider these words found in Psalm 89: 35-38:

Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.  It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.  

This king that God is promising is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And to confirm this, we need only go to Matthew 1:1 and find these words fulfilled. “The generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham. And our Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the covenants made to both David and Abraham. 

So, we see immediately who this king is and what is His name. This promise is given to David and has its fulfillment in a real person who is historically fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

Then the next thing to consider besides who he was, is to consider what he has to offer to us.

 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Then let’s get a glimpse of what this mean. First, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. He is “The Son of God”, on whom all of the scripture rests. He is behind everything and to whom everything points. He is the appointed heir of all things, and by whom the whole of heaven and earth is created. (Colossians 1: 17)

He does not operate under any Human authority, and in the end, all shall bow their knee to Him.

From him comes also the spirit of wisdom and understanding.

 Bill Gothard gave us a good definition of wisdom. He said that “it is the ability to see life from God’s perspective.” Of course, that involves reading his word. Wisdom is related to our fellowship with God. How would anyone be able to get this wisdom if He neglected that word? And in relation to that, understanding involves thinking. When a person is hungry for God’s word, he is willing to go beyond knowledge. He seeks to understand what God is saying by carefully applying it to himself, and understanding the framework of the passage from which it comes. This is what the scripture means by “meditating upon God’s word. And God promises a great blessing to those who do so. (See Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:8)

The Spirit of counsel and might.

This refers to his going before us. It is like the cloud being lifted over the tabernacle, letting the people know the time and the direction to follow. His power gives us the ability and strength to overcome those distractions that may appear too heavy for us. “Lo, I am with you” is the promise that accompanies his command.

Finally, we arrive at this final couplet. “The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

The words of Proverbs 1:7. come to mind, because both words are used together to define what true wisdom is.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

This word fear may bring some disturbing things to mind because elsewhere in scripture, we are told that it is” A fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. And as we approach him, we do so only on the merits of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through him, we have confidence and boldness, and there is no need of fear. But to seek to enter his presence apart from that is a fearful thing.

As an illustration of this, I recall when Esther sought to enter the presence of the king. To do so without him holding forth the golden scepter, meant certain death. We can liken Jesus our advocate before God to the golden Scepter, which allows us access into the presence of God. And it is this divine respect and fear concerning the absolute holiness of God, that prepares the way for us to attain wisdom. Without this fear of God, true wisdom is impossible because it proceeds from God alone.

So, thus far we have discovered who this king is and what he has to offer to us, but we cannot stop here, for there is much more that we need to know about him.

 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. (Isaiah 11: 3-5)

These verses describe the righteousness that accompanies his reign.

Consider the characteristics of the kingdoms of this world. They are dominated by pride and have no motive for a ruling but that which will enhance their glory. They will do so at any expense including lying and spreading false accusations in order to produce false guilt. They know only their own righteousness. They themselves are ruled by the God of this world and the people are constantly restless and suspicious of all around them. If they are brought before the court, they have no guarantee, that anyone will rule in their favor. And so, it is in these earthly kingdoms.

But now, before us is another word of comfort for God’s people. What motivation for hope, joy, and rest? At last, those words,” Soon I will be done with the troubles of the world" begin to make sense.

There will no longer be any more doubt over a judge who will have perfect knowledge of all things. He will rule perfectly by the standard of heaven. There will be no false charges or fear of such, Even Satan’s crafty accusations will not stand before this king of righteousness. He will not rule or judge after worldly judgments, but everything will be accomplished in truth. The wickedness will be exposed, and they will receive the rewards for their wickedness.

When compared to the times living under the king of Assyria, what a ray of hope and blessing this brings to persecuted people.

Finally, in the closing verses, we notice the Nature of this kingdom.

 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the wasp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11: 6-9)

As remarkable as this verse is, there is a great deal of controversy, even among Christians as to whether these verses should be taken literally or symbolically. It is not an unusual problem when trying to interpret prophecy. We must decide in our minds which way makes the best sense and leave the final decision to the reader.

The verse before us presents a contrast to what is the normal mode of life. In nature, these things cannot happen because they are fearful and threatening to one another. Imagine such harmony and peace taking place in these circumstances. “It is against science(or nature) for this to happen. But it is not natural but supernatural.

Then the question arises, are these things really going to take place? Are they going to take place literally? And there are some who believe that they will, despite their ability to fully understand it all.

There is a point of view, that in the last days, God will set up a kingdom on earth that shall continue for a thousand years. Although there is not a lot of information about this kingdom, regarding some particular details, it will be a kind of peace on earth, and even the natural elements will be reversed, and these things will take place in a supernatural way. And for those holding to such a viewpoint, it is easily explained and understood.

But there is another viewpoint worthy of consideration, and that is what we refer to as a “Symbolic interpretation. And since all prophecy is yet future, and its perfect fulfillment will surprise all, we must make room for another possibility.

The symbolic viewpoint will see this as the nature of the kingdom taking place without the necessity of a literal one. In explaining this, it would be something like this. The kingdom under consideration is a kingdom of peace, even the natural order of things will change, and they will take place and affect these natural things to become supernatural. The emphasis would be on the symbolic nature of the kingdom instead of the literal. There is no reason why Christians with different prophetical viewpoints, cannot live in harmony over this.

In our next study, we will consider the final section in this chapter as we prepare to conclude this third section of Isaiah.

THAT DAY

Gaining a clearer perspective

Lesson 48

 And in that day, there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Up until now, we have seen many negative activities that will take place in the period addressed as “That Day” with the hope that the children of Israel might be persuaded to turn back to God. Unfortunately, because of their disobedience, they will have to face the consequences. But the message before us reveals the positive aspect that will be reserved for “The Remnant who have chosen to be faithful to God.

The first thing to notice is that he will come out of the root of Jesse. That refers to King David, and now the promise made is being confirmed. He is Jesus, the Son of David, (Matthew 1:1. He will stand as an ensign. He will be endowed with authority from God to the people, specifically designated for the people. He is like a Captain of a large army.

Notice next, that the Gentiles will be attracted to Him. Here is a picture of His all-encompassing ministry. This would be a hard fact for inclusive Israelites to fathom. But it is also a prophecy concerning the Jews rejecting Him, and the gentiles, in turn embracing him (John 1: 11 and 12).

Finally, notice the words, “And His rest shall be glorious. The Gentiles will experience the rest of faith as they place their trust in Him, and His rest to them shall be as glorious as that given to the Jewish believers. It will be even more glorious because they will be numbered among “The Remnant” to whom all of these Messianic prophecies apply. Imagine Jew and Gentile together enjoying the blessing of God. This certainly is a “New thing," unknown to the children of Israel.

 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Verse 10-12.)

Although the final dispersion n of the nation of Israel has not yet taken place, the prophecy goes beyond to a period yet to take place. That is, the final gathering, of all, and their rest shall be Glorious as well. These events are confirmed by both the prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Whereas Jeremiah explains their eventual return after 70 years of Babylonian Captivity (Jeremiah 30-33, Ezekiel makes it the main theme ending with the promise of a restored temple as well.

Even Peter addressed a scattered church throughout those regions. But Restoration remains a part of God’s plan to His scattered people.

Then, finally, they will not be like during the periods of the judges, “When there was no king in Israel, and every person did what is right in their own eyes.

And though we are living in a period when there seem to be no more absolutes, there is the promise of our coming King who will rule the nations as with a rod of Iron. There will be no doubt as to who is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod.  And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. (Isaiah 11: 13 -16)

As we close this chapter, two things of note must be mentioned. The Nations that caused Israel such havoc, namely, Edom, Moab, and Ammon (those who once had some relationship as part of Israel) will now become the conquest by the Nation of Israel, and Egypt will be included with these. But I would call you attention to these closing words: And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Remember “The remnant, for by these references we will avoid the many misinterpretations throughout the scripture, as to whom “the True Israel of God pertains.

In chapter 12, we shall consider the response of faithful Israel to these promised Blessings.