God Devastates the Earth (Isaiah 24)

Isaiah 24:1-23

"See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants— ³ The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word" (Isa 24:1, 3).

The nations do not dictate what God does. The focus and overriding theme of Isaiah 24-27 is the worldwide triumph of God, not only over his enemies but also for his people. Isaiah moves from the particular statements of ch.13-23 to a broader, more generalized statement of God's lordship of the earth. Also, in Isaiah 13-23 the nations could be thought of as the main actors with the Lord reacting to them. Thus, one could get the idea that the nations are somehow originators of the events of history. Isaiah 24-27 corrects that impression. It is not God who reacts to the nations, but the nations who respond to him.

God is the sovereign actor on the stage of history. All things come from him, and all things must eventually return to him. He created time, and he will bring it to an end. Thus, Israel's hope is not to be in the nations of the world. They will wither away in a moment under God's blast. Rather her hope should be in the Lord, who is the master of the nations.

A contrast of cities and songs. This theme is developed by means of a recurrence of contrast: between the City of Man and the City of God. The former is cast down, forsaken, destroyed. The latter is a lace of security, abundance and life. There is also a contrast in song. In the former city of chaos, the drunken revelry which was there is now silent. In its place there comes from the ends of the earth the song of Judah, a song about a God who is strong enough to save the helpless and compassionate enough to redeem the sinful.

1. Judgment (24): Cheating one's conscience (24:5).
2. Response (25): Surely, this is our God (25:9).
3. Thanksgiving (26): Trust God the Rock forever (26:4)
4. Confirmation (27): God makes his vineyard fruitful through adversity and cleansing (27:1, 7-9).

I. The Stong City of the World is Crushed (24)

Universal judgment. The focus of Isaiah 24 is the destruction of the earth ("earth" occurs 16 times in 23 verses). The one who brings destruction is the Lord (Isa 24:1, 3, 21). The judgment is universal (Isa 24:1-3); everyone will be subject to it and no one will be exempt (Isa 24:2). Neither gender, nor rank, nor function will permit any to escape what God is bringing on the earth.

Judgment is the result of choices made. "The earth dries up and withers" (Isa 24:4) like a vine (Isa 24:7). All the merry making and gaiety associated with wine is stilled (Isa 24:8). The forced and artificial gaiety induced by alcohol (Isa 24:7, 9, 11) vanishes like a vapor before the awful realities of judgment and destruction. Why is such destruction and judgment coming? "They have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant" (Isa 24:5). Implicit here is the understanding that humans know enough to behave better than they do. Destruction is coming because humans have violated the terms of their creation. They cheat their own conscience. As a result, they are accountable to God and him alone, he who is the Creator of all the nations.

The earth as a whole is regarded under the image of a city (Isa 24:10). Why? The city offers wealth, glamour, excitement, pleasure, intrigue, and power--all the things humans are prone to sell their souls for. But as mighty and alluring as the city of earth is, a day of harvest is coming when all the fruit will be stripped off and nothing will be left of all the riches that earthlings thought were their own (Isa 24:13).

Isaiah 24-27 may be divided into two segments, 24-25 and 26-27:

1. The city of the world (24-25): A strong city laid waste.
• Its overthrow (24): The earth is crushed.
• The destruction of the earth (24:1-13).
• A dramatic contrast (24:14-18a).
• The entire creation subject to God (2418b-23).
  
• The response to its overthrow (25): God's feast.
  
2. God's effort on behalf of his people (26-27): The Lord's day.
• Judah's song (26).
• Thanks for God's deliverance (26:1-6).
• Dependence on God (26:7-19).
• Promises to the faithful (26:20-27:1).
  
• The Lord delivers Judah (27).

God's Plan is to Humble the Proud (Isaiah 23)

Isaiah 23:1-18 (Your money is not yours. It is a gift from God.)

"The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendor and to humble all who are renowned on the earth" (Isaiah 23:9).

Tyre is like Babylon; both are proud. With the pronouncement against Tyre in Isaiah 23, Isaiah fittingly concludes his judgments upon the nations (ch.13-23). As Babylon, the great city in the east, opens this section (ch.13-14), so Tyre, the great city in the west, closes it. As Babylon is described in general, universalistic terms, so is Tyre. As it is difficult to pin down the precise historical events in ch.13, so also it is with ch.23. So much similar are the two chapters that Revelation uses the language applied to Tyre to describe the great world city Babylon (Rev 18:11-24). Thus, Tyre, like Babylon at the beginning, is being used in a representative way. For instance, both are proud and arrogant (Isa 13:11; 23:9).

All that the world desires. The central focus of Isaiah 23 is on mercantile wealth. Tyre, the southernmost of the Phoenician cities, was--until the fifth century with Sidon then replacing her--the dominant city in that region. They were known for being excellent seafarers and became fabulously wealthy. Babylon's greatness lay in her glory, achievements and accomplishments. Though Tyre did not have all of that, she had her wealth from her maritime contracts with other nations. Between them Babylon and Tyre, from east to west, they had all that the world thought was significant. But...

Why trust the nations? The singular message of Isaiah 13-23 is "Don't trust the nations. They are not preeminent. They do not hold your destiny in their hands. In fact, like you, they are under the judgment of God--your God." So the question posed and raised repeatedly in these chapters is "Why would you trust any of the nations instead of God when all the nations are subject to him and some of them will actually turn to him in faith before history closes?" A singular lesson of Isaiah is that God alone is our refuge and strength (Ps 46:2). To sum up, ch.13-23 seems to be saying:

• The glory of the nations (ch.13-14) equals nothing.
• The scheming of the nations (ch.14-18) equals nothing.
• The wisdom of the nations (ch.19-20) equals nothing.
• The vision of this nation (ch.21-22) equals nothing.
• The wealth of the nations (ch.23) equals nothing.
  

God is able to do what he says. In Isaiah, Judah's destruction and captivity happened as promised because of Judah's persistent trust in the nations instead of God. Yet God's purpose is to one day restore his people from captivity. But is God really capable of doing this? The oracles against the nations (ch.13-23) demonstrate that the God of Israel knows the future of each of the nations and that they are ultimately accountable to God. They are in God's hands, not he in theirs, as is true of the idols and of everyone in the world. Therefore, God can deliver his people whenever he chooses.

1. The Overthrow of Tyre (23:1-14): Tyre's Destruction.
2. The Restoration of Tyre (23:15-18): Tyre's Turning to the Lord.
   

We know God through history, for there are no accidents with God. Tyre's fall is not merely an accident of history, nor the result of Assyria's overwhelming need to dominate. For Isaiah, there is one great consciousness: it is God's consistent purposes which are being worked out in human affairs. God's people should know that human history is the only arena through which God can be definitely known, and that he has a great purpose in that history. In fact, God desires to share his character with as much of humanity as will receive what he offers (Isa 2:1-5; 58:6-12).

Pride does not work. Negatively speaking, God desires to show the foolishness of human pride (Isa 2:11; 37:26), and the transitory nature of human glory and the folly of dependence upon such glory (Isa 2:11, 17; 4:2; 5:15-16; 13:19; 14:12-20; 28:1-6; 60:15). It is not that God is opposed to humanity being lifted up (Isa 60:7, 9, 13, 15; Ps 8:6). What God opposes is that pride which seems to make itself independent of him. He opposes not merely because it denies God's preeminence, but more importantly, because it is in fact false (Isa 40:6-8). Thus, as long as pride exists, it presents people from finding their true glory in God through Christ (Phil 3:7-11; Col 1:21-22).

No more codependency. When Tyre is destroyed (Isa 23:1), Egypt will be in anguish (Isa 23:5) and Tarshish will no longer have a harbor (Isa 23:10). Egypt's anguish is not only because she lost a trading partner, but also that after Tyre being conquered their own time of terror is drawing nearer. Without a harbor, Tarshish can no longer be dependent on Tyre and will have to become self-subsistent. To become ultimately dependent on anything other than God is finally destructive, even if it appears that we are not dependent.

No matter how much we have, we always want more. Whereas Babylon's love was for glory and military power, Tyre's love was for money and the luxury and influence it could buy. The strange thing about money is that there is never enough. No matter how much we get, we always want more.

For the Christian, all our money is God's. Money is the Lord's, not ours. There is the fatal error, when Christians think they are being generous for giving 10% to God. John Wesley had it right in his sermon on money when he said that we have it backward. The only issue for Christians is not how much we decide to give to God, but how much of God's money we are going to spend on ourselves. Those in Tyre found out the hard way when they were destroyed that all their wealth was not theirs (Isa 23:1, 7-8). It was a gift from God that could be taken away anytime. It would be prudent for Christians to take this truth to heart.

The Unforgivable Sin (Isaiah 21-23), Tue 7 pm, 9/29/15

•  True Believers (Isaiah 19-20).

• The Unforgivable Sin (Isaiah 21-23) often scares Christians. From Isaiah, the unforgivable sin is simply to ignore God and sin by living it up as though everything is fine.
  

But You Did Not Look to God (Isaiah 21-23)

Isaiah 21-23

1. What nation is "the wilderness of the sea" referring to (Isa 21:1, 9)? What was said about the glory of this land earlier (Isa 13:19)? What might be some reasons for calling it by this term?
2. If God has brought down Babylon (21:2), why is he grief–stricken (Isa 21:3–4)? [The Persians (Elam) and the Medes captured Babylon in 539 BC, ending the Judeans' exile in Babylon (Isa 21:2).] To understand Isa 21:5 see Daniel 5.
3. [Dumah (21:11–12) was an oasis deep in the Arabian desert where Nabonidus, the last Babylonian king lived.] What is happening on the caravan routes (21:14–15)? 21:16–17 seem to swing back to Isaiah's own lifetime when perhaps the Assyrians devastated Edom's trade. Why include this with a prediction of events in the far future? [A caravan route came across the northern Arabian desert to Dedan, Tema, and Kedar, sites in Edom (21:13-17).]
4. [It is not clear what event is referred to in 22:1–3. Is it the temporary lifting of the siege of Sennacherib in 701 BC, when the Assyrian officer withdrew his army to support the emperor at the time when the Egyptians came out to battle (Isa 37:8–9)? Or is it the final lifting of the siege after the death of the Assyrian army?] Who is being addressed in this oracle of judgment (Isa 21:8–10)? Why would this country be included in this list of untrustworthy nations?
5. What is the irony of "valley of vision" and why use it (22:1)? Where do we normally go to see a long distance?
6. Why does Isaiah not share in the general jubilation (22:5–7)? What does this say to us about short-term and long-term vision? But suppose we are called "killjoys" and "spoilsports"? [Elam and Kir (22:6) are both locations in extreme south Mesopotamia.]
7. A title for God (22:5) appears in one form or another 6 times in the chapter. What is its significance in this context?
8. What is the central problem addressed in 22:8-11? What did Hezekiah do and not do? Should he not have made defensive preparations? What's the problem? What does 11b mean? How should such a person have done?
9. Why should the people be "weeping and mourning" (22:12)? Is there never a time for celebration? What was wrong with this celebration? What is the proper Christian attitude towards heaven?
10. 22:14 seems very harsh. Why will this "iniquity" not be "atoned for"? What is the  unpardonable sin? (Heb 10:26–29; 1 Jn 5:16–17)
11. How does 22:15–19 function as a graphic illustration of what was said in 22:1–14, and especially in 22:13? What is Shebna "looking to" and what should he be looking to? What does 22:20-25 say about a guarantee of success (from a human perspective) if we are faithfully doing God's work? Isn't this unfair? Shouldn't doing things God's way always enjoy God's evident blessing? What does 22:24 suggest might be one reason for Eliakim's eventual failure? What is the message for us? ["the steward…who is over the household" (22:15) almost certainly is a term for "the prime minister" of the country. Note that in 36:3, it is Eliakim who is "over the household" as per Isaiah's prediction in 22:20–22. Isaiah 22:17–18 suggest that at some point Shebna would be taken as a hostage to die in a foreign land.]
12. What has happened to Tyre (and Sidon) and what is the response of her/their trading partners (23:1–14)? What question are they asking and what is the answer (23:8–12; 14:24–27)? What truth should we draw from this? [The cities of Tyre and Sidon were the two dominant ports on the coast of Lebanon. They seem to have been the places where Canaanite culture and religion chiefly survived after Israel took over Canaan proper. These are the people whom the Romans knew as the Phoenicians. These cities largely controlled trade to the west around the Mediterranean Sea. "Tarshish" (23:1, 6, 10, 14) was probably located in what is today Spain.]
13. If 23:1–14 says not to trust in Tyre and Sidon because of their coming destruction, why do 23:15–18 say there is no reason for Judah to put her trust in them? [In 23:15–18, prostitution is apparently being used as a figure of speech for being a trans-shipper of merchandise. Tyre is selling her services to the various nations, like a prostitute would. But clearly there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this since the wages are to be dedicated to the Lord (18).]

Judgment and Hope, Trust and Rebellion in Isaiah

Outline of Isaiah by John Oswalt.

Figures of speech. These repeated figures of speech in Isaiah crop up throughout the book, giving the careful reader a sense of discovery and delight in recognizing the author's craft in recalling an earlier figure and using it in a related, but amplified way:

• trees (Isa 1:29-30; 2:13; 6:13; 10:33-34; 29:17; 32:15, 19; 37:24; 44:14, 23; 55:12; 57:5; 60:13; 61:3).
  
• highways (Isa 2:3; 7:3; 11:16; 19:23; 35:8; 40:3; 49:9, 11; 57:10, 14; 59:7-8; 62:10).
• banners (Isa 5:26; 11:10-12; 13:2; 18:3; 30:17; 49:22; 62:10).
• deserts (Isa 5:6; 6:11-12; 32:14; 34:13-17; 41:18-19; 43:20; 48:21; 50:2; 64:10).
• gardens and fertile fields (Isa 29:17; 32:15; 35:1-7; 41:18-19; 51:3; 65:3, 10; 66:17).
• children (Isa 1:4; 3:12; 9:6; 11:8; 26:17; 37:3; 49:19-21; 54:1-3; 66:7-12).
  
• light and darkness (Isa 2:5; 5:20, 30; 8:22; 9:2; 26:19; 29:18; 30:26; 42:6-7, 16; 45:7; 49:9; 51:10; 58:8, 10; 59:9-10; 60:1-3, 19-20).

Central themes. A recurring feature is the paring of opposites, such as:

• Judgment and Hope.
• Servanthood and Kingdom.
• Trust and Rebellion.
• Arrogance and Humiliation.
• The Uniqueness of Yahweh.
• Righteousness.
• The Nations.

The two themes of judgment and hope are interchanged.

• 1:1-31 - primarily an announcement of judgment.
  
• 1:1-15 - accusations.
• 1:16-20 - a promise of restoration if there is genuine repentance.
• 1:21-24 - perversion of the leaders.
• 1:25-27 - destruction is for the purpose of purification.
• 1:28-31 - accusation.
• 2:1-5 - a promise of hope.
• 2:6-4:1 - an announcement of judgment.
• 4:2-6 - a promise of hope.
• 5:1-30 - an announcement of imminent judgment.
• chapters 7-39 gives primary emphasis to judgment and a minor emphasis on hope (while the major emphasis of chapters 40-66 is hope with a secondary emphasis on judgment).

Hope and blessing comes through judgment. Isaiah's point seems to be that if there is to be hope for the nation (through whom the nations could be blessed as per the promise to Abraham, and in 2:1-5), it is only through judgment. The promise of God would only be realized through fire. Just as Isaiah's unclean lips had to be purged with fire (Isa 6:5-7), so the unclean nation had to be purged with the cleansing fires of judgment before they could ever proclaim those promises of God to the nations of the world. The people needed to believe that there was hope beyond judgment before the exile (1-39), and especially after being exiled when all hope of blessing seems lost, and beyond to the postexilic period (40-66).

Trust and Rebellion: Isaiah 7-39 develop the theme of trust. In Isaiah 1, the people are identified as rebels (Isa 1:2, 5, 20, 23, 28). They are told the contrasting results of these two behaviors (Isa 1:19-20). After ch.1 specific occurences of terms for rebelliousness are scattered (Isa 3:8; 24:20; 30:1; 31:6; 36:5), with 36:5 being most telling. In ch.7 Isaiah challenges Ahaz to trust God instead of the nations. Ahaz refuses, choosing instead to trust his worst enemy, Assyria. Isaiah 13-35 explore whether it is God or the nations who is supreme. In various ways they assert the lordship of Yahweh over the nations, concluding in ch.34-35 that if we trust the nations, we will end up living in a desert, but if we turn to God even then, God can make that desert blossom like a rose. After those lessons Ahaz's son Hezekiah is put to the test and passes where his father failed. So also where he is fatally ill, he turns to God and is delivered. But in the much more subtle crisis when Babylonian ambassadors came to congratulate him after his recovery (ch.39), he fails, parading his wealth and armaments instead of giving glory to God. The Ahaz units begins in no trust and ends in joy, whereas the Hezekiah unit begins in trust and ends in grief, with Isaiah predicting the Babylonian conquest.

Trust is a way of life, not a one-time panacea. At various points the people of Judah turned back to God, yet those moments of trust did not become the settled pattern of their lives. Ch.7=39 taught the truth theologically. All that needs to be said has been said and its truth demonstrated. Yet the lesson has not been applied in an ongoing practical way. Hezekiah illustrates both of these points.

How do God's people make trust a way of life, laying aside pride and self-interest in a life-changing trust? When God delivers his people from the justly deserved consequences of their sin, turn to him in trust (Isa 12:1-3). Or will they persist in rebellion? This is the burden of ch.40-66. God forgives rebellion and continues to forgive those who turn away from rebellion to trust in him. But will we turn away? The sin problem is not merely wrong acts but a way of thinking about and relating to the supreme Lord of the universe. If we will relate to him in submission and trust, all the treasures of heaven are ours. But if we will not, then the day will come when those who do not trust him will see destruction (Isa 66:24). Thus, Isaiah ends on the same note with which it began: Surrendering to the Creator-Redeemer in trust is the height of wisdom, whereas rebellion against him is the height of folly.

Pope Frances to Congress on 9/24/15

"The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience."

"Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you."

My favorite quote by Pope Francis, which is always worth re-quoting again:

"...we succumb to attitudes that do not permit us to dialogue: domination, not knowing how to listen, annoyance in our speech, preconceived judgments and so many others. Dialogue is born from a respectful attitude toward the other person, from a conviction that the other person has something good to say. It supposes that we can make room in our heart for their point of view, their opinion and their proposals. Dialogue entails a warm reception and not a preemptive condemnation. To dialogue, one must know how to lower the defenses, to open the doors of one's home, and to offer warmth." Jorge Mario Bergoglio, On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the 21st Century.

Babylon Has Fallen, Has Fallen (Isaiah 21)

Isaiah 21:1-17

"Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!" (Isa 21:9b)

The whole world in His hands...at the moment and into the future. Isaiah 13-23, a new section of oracles against the nations, began with the Mesopotamian powers of Babylon and Assyria (ch.13-14). Then the oracles moved to the neighbors Philistia (14b), Moab (15-16), Aram and Israel (17a). Isaiah 17b-18 is an interlude chapter (17:12-18:7), where Cush (Ethiopia) was used to declare that Yahweh is the Lord of the nations (Isa 17:13). Then came the oracle against Egypt (ch.19-20). In essence Isaiah 13-20 declares that God rules decisively over the nations. In Isaiah 21-23 he makes more declarations to the same effect, but with an interesting difference. He speaks more allusively, more vaguely, more mysteriously, because he is giving less attention to his immediate surroundings and peering out further into a more remote future. What does Isaiah see? He sees a redeeming God at work in a deeply troubled world.

A contradictory title that smells of anything but life. The title, "A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea" or "wilderness of the sea" (Isa 21:1), is a puzzle. It is a contradiction in terms. The desert is not wet, and the sea is not dry. Isa 21:9 suggests that the subject is Babylon and that she will be destroyed. But Babylon is well inland, not on a seacoast. So why does Isaiah give Babylon this improbable title? He is being sarcastic. A desert cannot sustain human life. And the sea is "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink" (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, 1772-1834). The sea cannot sustain human life either. "The desert by the sea" is the worst possible scenario--both dry and wet together, but neither condition conducive to human life. In other words, Babylon, as glamorous, glorious and glittering as she is, has nothing to offer! Do not trust Babylon. Do not admire her. Do not invest your hopes there. Flee from her (Jer 51:6; Rev 18:4), for she WILL be destroyed (Isa 13:19; 21:9; Jer 51:1-46; 52:1-64; Rev 14:8; 16:19; 18:2). God has another kingdom, another glory, another salvation that is lasting and forever.

The mention of Elam (Persia) and Media (Isa 21:2) suggests the final destruction in 540 BC, because prior to that the Medes were allies of Babylon, not enemies.

The uncertain world goes on. In "the prophecy against Dumah" (Isa 21:11), Isaiah is talking about the nation Edom. But he calls it "Dumah," which means "silence." He is playing on words: "edôm" becomes "dûmâh." Why? He is saying that God has no word of hope, nothing but silence, for Edom. In 21:11 an Edomite voice is asking, "Watchman, what time of the night?" In other words, "Mr. Watchman, Mr. Prophet, what time of the night is it? How much more darkness and gloom do we still have to endure? How long until the dawn of a new era?" The prophet responds in 21:12, but his answer is vague. And that's the point. God is not giving Edom a clear word. Everything hangs in suspense, but God puts them off, "Come back again." As history moves forward, greater darkness invariably envelops the world, bringing greater uncertainty, with questions like, "Where is everything going?" as the Edomite asked.

There are needs but no human solutions. In the "prophecy against Arabia" (Isa 21:13), Isaiah is playing on words again. The Hebrew consonants in the word translated "Arabia" are the same as the Hebrew word for "evening." The prophet is using double entendre to portray Arabia slipping into the night. The sun is setting on that nation. It's the twilight of their culture. The net impression Isaiah creates throughout this passage is the civilizations of man in a darkening world. There is no salvation for us in any society of human devising. But — and here is Isaiah's subtext — the sun will never set on the kingdom of God. The Bible says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved" (Phil 3:20-4:1).

One World, One People, One God (Isaiah 19-20)

Isaiah 19-20 (Converted, Saved, Healed and Whole)

Can the world be one? Isaiah's oracle on Egypt shows that the God of Israel has something glorious in mind for the whole earth. Egypt is the first enslaver of the Lord's people and their most memorable adversary. But through her, Isaiah opens up a truly magnificent view which includes thinking of Egypt as "my people" (Isa 19:25). [This follows the vision of a remnant of both Gentiles and Israel being drawn to the Lord in Zion (Isa 18:7).] At the climax of the oracle (Isa 19:23-25), Isaiah links Egypt with Assyria, the contemporary oppressor. If these two can be brought into co-equality with Israel then the world will be one indeed!

1. Egypt's fall (19:1-15): Egypt smitten, collapsed, fallen and defeated.
2. Egypt's restoration (19:16-25): Egypt saved, healed and converted.
3. Egypt's unreliability (20:1-6): Egypt is untrustworthy; she will be taken captive (20:1-6).

I. Egypt's Fall (19:1-15)

1. Social collapse (19:1-4).
2. Economic collapse (19:5-10).
3. Political collapse (19:11-15).
   

Relying on Egypt in a time of crisis was a constant temptation. With the disappearance of the northern states, Aram (732) and Israel (722), into the maw of Assyria, the political center of gravity in western Palestine moved south. At least from 715 onwards, Egypt was behind every anti-Assyrian movement. To Judah, an alliance with Egypt as a means of throwing off the Assyrian yoke and having national sovereignty was a constant temptation (ch. 28-31, 36-37). Isaiah resolutely opposed this, seeing Egypt as no help but only disaster (Isa 30:6-7). Thus, 19:1-15 is an attempt to dissuade them from trusting Egypt, based on the failure of her three prominent "strengths": her longstanding idols/religion (1-4), her reliable natural resources, the Nile (5-10) and her ancient wisdom and supposedly "wise counselors" (11-15).

II. Egypt's Restoration (19:16-25)

1. Fear of God (19:16-17). Prov 1:7; 9:10.
   
2. Allegiance to God (19:18). Speak the language of Canaan.
   
3. True religion (19-22). Reconciliation.
   
4. Unity in worship (23). No more alienation and separation.
   
5. Co-equal with God (24-25). Israel, Egypt and Assyria are placed on par.
   

From judgment to redemption. 19:16-25 moves from judgment upon Egypt (19:1-15) to the most sweeping promises of redemption. It is marked by five repetitions of "in that day" (Isa 19:16, 18, 19, 23, 23) which makes it plain that these events will occur in the end times, or at the point where God takes decisive action in world events. These five segments seem to show a progression of thought from an Egypt terrorized by the very thought of Judah's God (Isa 19:16-17) to an Egypt joining with Assyria and Israel in glad worship of God (Isa 19:23-25). These five thoughts illustrate in an ascending order Egypt's coming allegiance to Yahweh.

Negative and positive reasons to not trust Egypt. 19:1-15 negates all the Egyptian attributes which might draw Judah to trust Egypt. 19:16-25 say that it is foolish for Judah to turn to Egypt when one day Egypt is going to turn to Judah's God. They present the positive side to the point being made negatively in 19:1-15. This brings the whole argument to a fitting climax in a vision of all nations living in harmony because of their common submission to God (Isa 2:2-4).

Five marks of true religion. Reciprocity of relationship is the keynote (19:19-22). Prayer finds a response (Ia 19:20). Revelation leads to acknowledgment, worship and fidelity (Isa 19:21). Divine disciple leads to repentance and plea is answered in healing (Isa 19:22).

1. Meeting with God (19-20a). The altar is the place of reconciliation (19-20a).
2. Talking with God (20b). In prayer, the Egyptians are to have a speaking relationship with God.
3. Knowing God (21a). True religion is not people searching for God but people responding to revelation by God.
4. Making sacrifices and vows (21b). They will have both public expression and personal commitment.
5. Turning to God (22). God's purposeful discipline (hurt in order heal)--a part of life under God's care (Prov 3:12)--causes penitents to turn to God in faith and trust God by receiving his disciplinary "wounding" love.
   

God's purpose is to unite the world in his worship (Isa 19:23). True religion heals wounds between people. Spreading the kingdom of peace happens first with a few cities (Isa 19:18), then a whole country (Isa 19:19) and then the whole world (Isa 19:23). A highway--a favorite metaphor in Isaiah--is for the removal of alienation and separation (Isa 19:23; 11:16; 33:8; 35:8; 40:3; 49:11; 62:10).

Co-equality with one another (Isa 19:24-25). True acknowledgment of God begins with acknowledgment and submission to those who are already his people (Isa 19:16-17; 1 Cor 14:24-25). But the convert at once enjoys a co-equal membership. In a remarkable statement Isaiah applies terms previously restricted to Israel to both Egypt and Assyria. In Egypt the word once was "Let my people go" (Exo 5:1). But now Egypt is "my people" (Isa 19:25). Assyria is "my handiwork." The point made is that if Israel turns to the nations in trust she will be prostituting her ministry to them. Instead, she is to be the vehicle whereby those very nations can turn to her God and become partners with her in service to God and enjoy his blessings.

III. Egypt's Unreliability (20:1-6): The folly of trusting Egypt

This concludes Isaiah's oracle against Egypt. Egypt was under judgment, and reliance on her was useless. As an example, he takes the city of Ashdod, the northernmost of the five great Philistine cities, about 33 miles west of Jerusalem and about 2-3 miles inland. The general background is the same as for 14:28-31: the Egyptian-backed Philistine revolt against Assyria in 713-711 BC, with Assyria crushing the revolt. Similarly Sargon destroyed Ashdod in 711. With Ashdod in ruins the revolt was effectively ended. Yamani, king of Ashdod, fled to Egypt. But the Egyptians cravenly handed Yamani over to Sargon, out of fear of his military might.

Two Cities (Isaiah 24-27)

Isaiah 24-27

Isaiah 24-27 contain the third set of visions of the future. In the first set (ch.13-20) Isaiah looked at the world around him. In the second set, using cryptic titles (ch.21-23), he probed forward and found the same features dominating the future as he had seen in the present. In this third set, Isaiah is looking right to the End. Similar aspects to prior visions emerge:

• The collapse of the "world city," the human attempt to organize the world into one "global village" (24:1-20).
  
• At long last, the Lord's reign over the kingsof the earth in Zion (24:21-23).
• Gentile problems at last solved in the great messianic feast (25:1-12).
• The Lord's people secure in the strong city of salvation (26:1-21).
• The joy of the world-vineyard (27:1-13).

God's Triumph over the Nations (John Oswalt, 1988).

1. A strong city laid waste (24-25).
• The earth is crushed (24).
• God's feast (25).
  
2. The Lord's day (26-27).
• Judah's song (26:1-27:1).
• Hymn of thanksgiving (26:1-6).
• Psalm of dependence (26:7-19).
• Oracle of salvation (26:20-27:1).
  
• The Lord delivers Judah (27:2-13).
• The Lord's vineyard (2-6).
• Cleansing versus destruction (7-11).
• Return (12-13).
  

Two Cities in Contrast: Endurance Through to Glory (24-27) [J. Alec Motyer, 1993]

1. The Lord's harvest from a destroyed world (24:1-13).
• Destruction (1-12).
• Gleanings (13).
  
2. The song of the world remnant (24:14-16a).
3. The sinful world overthrown (24:16b-20).
4. The waiting world (24:21-23).
5. The song of the ruined city (25:1-5).
6. MOUNT ZION (25:6-12).
7. The song of the strong city (26:1-6).
8. The waiting people of God (26:7-21).
9. Spiritual forces of evil overthrown (27:1).
10. The song of the remnant of the people (27:2-6).
11. The Lord's harvest from a destroyed people (27:7-13).
• Destruction (7-11).
• Gleanings (12-13).
  

The End of the World-City (24:1-20) [J. Alec Motyer, 2011]

1. Earth devastated: divine action (1-3).
2. The earth withered: explanation (4-6).
3. The song stilled: the fall of the city (7-12).
4. The song overheard: the Lord's gleanings (13-16a).
5. Personal wasting away: grief over the ultimate consequence of sin (16b-18a).
6. Earth devastated: moral/spiritual causation (18b-20).
   

The Unforgivable Sin (Isaiah 21-23)

Isaiah 21-23

"...but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider the One who created it long ago" (Isa 22:11b, HCSB). "The Lord of Heaven's Armies has revealed this to me: "Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin." That is the judgment of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies" (Isa 22:14, NLT).

Why bother with God when you're got walls, water and weapons? The One who made all things has a plan, and the person who does not take him into account is being very foolish (Isa 22:11; 37:26; 40:21, 28; 41:21-29). "To not look or consider or have regard" are the negative counterparts of Isa 22:8-9. The Lord was not in their consideration or purview. Why bother with faith when you have walls, water and weapons? Why look to God when you can look to your own resources?

Responding to a call to repentance with revelry. Not only had Judah offended the Sovereign by depending on her defenses instead of on him (Isa 22:8-11), but she also responded to his call for repentance (Isa 22:12) with parties (Isa 22:13), whose intended purpose was to put out of mind the terrible events which might soon engulf them. Instead of allowing the dire situation to prompt them to look at possible causes, they only let their grim situation unhinge their moral restraints. To the Lord's eyes this is the final mark of apostasy (Isa 22:14).

Two responses to a crisis. Instead of a deep grief over a long series of offenses against a holy God, God's people in Jerusalem responds with an outburst of hilarity and self-indulgence, slaughtering livestock in excess (valuable and expensive), eating and drinking "for tomorrow we die" (Isa 22:13). This expresses the ultimate rationale for a life of acquisition and indulgence. If there is nothing beyond the grave it is foolish to live in any other way. Paul understood this (1 Cor 15:32). In modern terms it may be how a person responds to the horrific tragedy of 9/11. Those who are alive could consider their ways and turn to God in repentance and faith (Lam 3:40-42). Or they could respond in a reckless abandon of indifference and indulgence. Which course one would choose would say volumes about the true nature of our commitments.

The unforgivable sin. This depicts a people who are the fulfillment of Isa 6:9-10, who are a contrast to Isaiah, for he acknowledged his sinful condition and experienced gracious cleansing (Isa 6:5-7). The result is that their sin cannot, and will not, be covered or atoned for (Isa 22:14). A people who will not recognize their sin will never exercise faith in God's provision which makes a right relationship to him possible (Isa 27:9; 2 Ch 7:14; Rom 5:1-2). God is not short-tempered and arbitrary. He is Almighty. Failure to pay reverent and serious attention to him can only be considered foolish.

The World in the Shadows (J. Alec Motyer, 1993, 2011)

1. The Desert by the Sea (Babylon): the fall of the gods (21:1-10). The Babylonian principle; imperialism a false trail.
• The vision received (1-2).
• The end envisaged (3-5). Reaction: horror (3-4); pleasure (5).
• The end accomplished (6-9).
  
• The message reported (10).
  
2. Silence (Edom): the prolongation of time (21:11-12).
3. Desert Evening (Arabian tribes): needs but no solutions (21:13-17).
4. The Valley of Vision (Jerusalem): the unforgivable sin (22:1-25).
• Questionable joy (1-2a).
• Coming calamity (2b-4).
• Explanation: a day the Lord has instigated (5-7).
• Past choices (8-11).
• Culpable joy (12-14).
• Illustration: A case study; an interim fulfilment; a tale of two men (15-25).
• The Lord's opposition to Shebna (15-19).
• The Lord's plan for Eliakim (20-23a).
• Warning (23b-25).
  
5. Tyre: pride and holiness(23:1-18).
• Lament for Tyre (1-14).
• The future for Tyre (15-18).

Judgment on Babylon and her allies (Isaiah 21-22) (John Oswalt, 1986, 2003).

1. Babylon (21:1-10). The desert by the sea.
   
2. Dumah (21:11-12).
3. Arabia (21:13-17).
4. Jerusalem (22:1-25).
• The valley of vision (1-14).
• Shebna the steward (15-25). A picture of two men.
  

Judgment on Tyre (23:1-18).

An Altar to the Lord in the Heart of the Land (Isaiah 19-20)

Isaiah 19–20

"On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border" (Isa 19:19, HCSB).

Background:

• In both Canaan and Egypt the storm god was depicted as riding on a cloud (Isa 19:1).
  
• At least twice in Egypt's history a period of total political breakdown followed a period of absolute monarchy. Isa 19:2 seems to reflect knowledge of this tendency.
• Egypt was easily the most idolatrous nation in the ancient Near East. Only surpassed by modern Hinduism.
• Egypt was famous for its ancient wisdom. The first known collection of proverbs comes from Egypt (1900 BC?).
• The (Philistine) king of Ashdod fled to Egypt for protection in about 707 BC (Isa 20:1). But the Assyrians threatened Egypt and demanded that they give up the Philistine, which they did. So much for Egypt's protection.
• Ch. 20 tells us how little we know about the life of Isaiah. Evidently he had been wearing burlap (garment of mourning) for some time previous to 707, but then took even that off. It seems likely that he had on still a loincloth, but nothing else, imitating the dress of captives who were carried off into exile.
• At this time the ruling dynasty in Egypt were Ethiopians (Cushites).
• The Persians (Elam) and the Medes captured Babylon in 539 BC, ending the Judeans' exile in Babylon (Isa 21:2).
• The meaning of the imagery in 21:7–9a remains a mystery.
• Dumah (21:11–12) was an oasis deep in the Arabian desert where Nabonidus, the last Babylonian king lived.
• A caravan route came across the northern Arabian desert to Dedan, Tema, and Kedar, sites in Edom (21:13-17).

Questions:

1. What would the Egyptians be inclined to turn to in a crisis (Isa 19:1, 4)? What about America in a time of crisis? (Think of the aftermath of 9/11.) What does this say about us and our faith?
2. What was the source of Egypt's wealth and power (19:5-10)? What is going to happen to it? As far as we know this prophecy was not literally fulfilled. What is the enduring theological truth being taught by these statements? Why should we not put our trust in natural abundance?
3. What is the reason for trusting Egypt in this stanza (19:11-15)? What will their wisdom be unable to tell them (Isa 19:12)? What is the significance of that? What should the proper attitude of Christians be toward their leaders? What should we do, and what should we not do?
4. In 19:1–15 three possible reasons are given why Judah might trust Egypt–what are they and what will they amount to? What is the lesson for us?
5. How many times is the phrase "in that day" repeated in this passage (Isa 19:16, 18, 19, 23, 24)? What do you think is the significance of the phrase, and what is the significance of its repetition?
6. What are 19:16–17 saying about the meaning of the historical events that are going to overtake Egypt?
7. What are 19:18–25 saying about Egypt's future? What does this say about the wisdom of trusting Egypt for deliverance from Assyria? What should the Judeans be doing in regards Egypt in the light of this message?
8. Why would God ask Isaiah, who was apparently educated and cultured, to undergo such humiliation as this (Isa 20:2-3, 1-6)?
   

21:1–10

1. Look at Isa 21:9 to see what nation "the wilderness of the sea" is referring to (Isa 21:1)? Remember what was said about the glory of this land earlier (Isa 13:19). What might be some reasons for calling it by this term?
2. If God has brought down Babylon (Isa 21:2), why is he grief–stricken in Isa 21:3–4? To understand Isa 21:5 see Daniel 5.
   

21:13–17

1. What is happening on the caravan routes according to Isa 21:14–15?
2. Isa 21:16–17 seem to swing back to Isaiah's own lifetime when perhaps the Assyrians devastated Edom's trade. Why might this have been included with a prediction of events in the far future?
   

Remember the God Who Saves You (Isaiah 17:10)

"You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress…" (Isaiah 17:10a).

"Forgotten" and "not remembered" (Ps 78:11, 42) refer to the failure to keep the mind fixed on God. What does it mean to keep the mind fixed on God? In the theology of Deuteronomy, remembering and forgetting form a fundamental concept (Dt 8:11-20; 8, 19-20). What is in view is not primarily a mental activity, although it does involve such activity. Rather, remembering is a mental activity which issues in certain kinds of behavior. Conversely, the absence of the behavior negates any claimed mental activity.

Remember and act accordingly. God wants his people to recall his unique, never-to-be-repeated acts on their behalf with the result that their present actions will be in keeping with his character. If their present actions are not of such a nature, then they do not truly remember what God has done.

Thinking you remember God when you're not. If God has touched my life, yet my life is not different, then I have not perceived the implications of that touch; it is in fact void of significance (1 Cor 11:24-29; Gal 3:1-5). Thus, the Israelites may well have continued to look to Yahweh as their national god. They probably continued to see themselves as being faithful to God and orthodox, even while assimilating idolatry and paganism into their faith. Though they claimed to be the people of God they were not trusting God, for they were trusting in their idols and other nations for their security.

"Salvation" is not an occasional act but an attribute of God. "God your Savior" is "the God of your salvation." He is a "saving God," "your saving God." God's people (Israel) could never say, "Ah, but he will not save (me / us) now," for God is ever the saving God and "your saving God." God is never not saving us, unless we refuse to trust him to do so, by making our own plans and insisting on our own schemes.

Rock is a dynamic metaphor, not static, providing fortress-like protection. In the OT, "rock" is not just a broad symbol for divine strength, durability, etc (Dt 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31; 1 Sa 2:2; Ps 19:14; 28:1; 62:2, 6; 78:35; 95:1). It's link with salvation indicates that it is not a static but a dynamic metaphor. Its origin is from Exodus 17 regarding the provident rock from which the saving waters flowed (Ex 17:6). The Lord as Rock is the Lord in his dependable, saving actions, providing the fortress-like protection which his people need in a menacing world.

"Fortress" is "place of strength." It is the same word as in "strong cities" in Isa 17:9. Thus, Isaiah insists that the way of faith is the way of true realism in this world.

True Religion (Isaiah 19-20)

"On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border" (Isa 19:19, HCSB).

Five Marks of True Religion (19:19-22):

1. An altar of reconciliation (Isa 19:19).
2. Prayer (Isa 19:20). A speaking relationship with God.
3. Revelation (Isa 19:21a). God makes himself known.
   
4. Response (Isa 19:21b). Acknowledge God, worship and making vows.
5. Wholeness (Isa 19:22). Trusting God's providence in striking and healing us.
   

Egypt: One World, One People, One God (J. Alec Motyer, 2011)

1. The Smiting of Egypt (19:1-15).
• Religious and social collapse (1-4)
• Economic collapse (5-10).
• Political collapse (11-13).
• Divine action (14-15).
  
2. The Healing of Egypt (19:16-25).
• In that day (1): The fear of the Lord (16-17).
• In that day (2): One language, one Lord (18).
• In that day (3): True religion (19-22).
• In that day (4): The world in the harmony of worship (23).
• In that day (5): One world, one people, one Lord (24-25).
  
3. Egypt: A Test Case, an Interim Assurance (20:1-6).
   

Egypt: One God, One World, One People (J. Alec Motyer, 1993, 1999)

1. The smiting of Egypt predicted (19:1-15).
2. The healing of Egypt (19:16-25).
3. The smiting of Egypt exemplified: An interim fulfilment (20:1-6).

God's Plans for Egypt (Gary Smith, 2007)

1. God will defeat Egypt and her gods (19:1-15).
• Civil war (1-4).
• Economic disaster (5-10).
• Poor leadership (11-15).
  
2. God will save Egypt; they will worship God (19:16-25).
• Egypt's trials (16-17).
• God's deliverance, Egypt's revival (18-22).
• Egypt and Assyria will Worship God (23-25).
  
3. Isaiah's nakedness symbolizes Egypt's defeat (20:1-6).

Judgment on Egypt (John Oswalt, 1986, 2003)

1. Egypt has nothing to offer (19:1-24).
• Egypt's might confounded (19:1-15). Prediction of Egypt's fall.
  
• Egypt will come to Judah (19:16-25). Egypt's coming worship of God.
  
2. The folly of trusting Egypt (20:1-6). Certainty of Egypt's judgment.

Concerning Egypt (19:1-25) (Barry Webb, 1996)

1. Judgment (19:1-15).
2. Salvation (19:16-25).
3. Isaiah goes naked (20:1-6).

Egypt (19:1-25) (Derek Kidner, 1994)

1. Egypt brought to its knees (19:1-15).
2. Egypt converted (19:16-25).
3. The Ashdod crisis (20:1-6).

Am I Relying on God as my Savior and Rock? (Isaiah 17-18)

The attack of Israel and Aram on Judah (Isa 7:1) precipitated a crisis of faith and trust. Judah [Ahaz], instead of turning to God, turned to the nations of the world [Assyria] for its help at the critical moment of difficulty. Thus, in Isaiah 17, Isaiah used this good opportunity to declare the truth that all nations of the world are subject to Yahweh (Isa 17:12-14; 18:1-7). So it would be entirely foolish for Judah to either fear the nations or trust the nations (Isa 7:2, 4a, 9b).

According to 17:12-14, it is unnecessary to become afraid because of the raging of the nations, for they will be gone.

18:1-3 says that instead of envoys coming from the Ethiopian king of Egypt to invite Judah to join a coalition against Assyria, envoys should go to the Ethiopians to them them what God says.

18:4-7 is a direct message from God. While the nations are in turmoil like the waves of the sea, God quietly waits and will take action at just the right moment, cutting off the oppressing nations and leaving their corpses on the mountains.

In the midst of earth's struggles, it is often hard to believe that God is really on the throne. Suppose a modern-day Isaiah announced in 1942 that Germany and Japan (who ruled fully half the world between them) would be completely powerless in just a little over three years, he would have been laughed at and scorned. Despite the military power of those two great nations, they were swept away. God is the one reality who does not change or fade away. God is the One with whom we must come to terms.

What and whom are we relying on, putting our trust in, linking our lives, welfare and futures with? Ephraim chose Damascus, and sank along with its chosen associate. The powers of the world offered no security, rather the reverse.

Are we careful and discriminating enough when it comes to forming relationships, taking on business partners, falling in love? Is our confidence in well-founded insurance and assurance policies, sound investments, sufficient goods stored up? Or are we as firmly wedded to the God of our salvation ad the Rock of our stronghold (Isa 17:10)? What do our neighbors see? Much more, what does the Watcher of Isa 18:4 see?

Isaiah Outline by John Oswalt, 2003

1. Introduction: God's Servants, Now and Then (1-5).

2. A Call to Servanthood (6).

3. Lessons in Trust--the Basis of Servanthood (7-39).

4. The Vocation of Servanthood (40-55).

5. The Marks of Servanthood--Divine Character (56-66).

 

      I.        Introduction: God's Servants, Now and Then (1-5). The present and future of God's people.

A.     God's Denunciation, Appeal, and Promise (1:1-31).

B.     The Problem: What Israel Is Versus What She Will Be (2:1-4:6).

1. The Destiny of the House of Jacob (2:1-5).

2. The House of Jacob Forsaken (2:6-4:1).

3. Israel Restored (4:2-6).

C.     A Harvest of Wild Grapes (5:1-30).

     II.        A Call to Servanthood (6).

    III.        Lessons in Trust--the Basis of Servanthood (7-39).

A.     God or Assyria? No Trust (7-12).

1. Children, Signs of God's Presence (7:1-9:6).

2. Measured by God's Standards (9:8-10:4).

3. Hope for Restoration (10:5-11:16).

4. The Song of Trust (12:1-6).

B.     God: Master of the Nations (13-35).

1. God's Judgment on the Nations (13-23).

2. God's Triumph over the Nations (24-27).

3. The Folly of Trusting the Nations (28-33).

4. Trusting God or the Nations: Results (34-35).

C.    God or Assyria? Trust (36-39).

1. The Assyrian Threat (36-37).

2. The Human Limits of Trust (38-39).

    IV.        The Vocation of Servanthood (40-55).

A.     Introduction: The Servant's Lord (40).

B.     Motive for Servanthood: Grace (41-48).

1. The Servants of the Lord: His Witnesses (41:1-44:22).

2. The Lord Delivers His Servants (44:23-46:13).

3. The Lord's Testimony (47-48).

C.    Means of Servanthood: Atonement (49-55).

1. Anticipation of Reconciliation (49:1-52:12).

2. Revelation of the Means of Reconciliation (52:13-53:12).

3. Invitation to Reconciliation (54-55).

     V.        The Marks of Servanthood--Divine Character (56-66).

A.     Human Inability (56-59).

B.     The Lord Has Glorified You (60-62).

C.    Divine Ability (63-66).

1. Israel's Faithfulness; the Lord's Faithfulness (63:1-65:16).

2. The Final Judgment (65:17-66:24).

Isaiah in 71 days by Alec Motyer, 2011. Part I: Backdrop to Isaiah's Ministry (1-5)

I. Backdrop to Isaiah's Ministry (Isaiah 1-5).

1. 1:1-9. Title (1:1). Author's preface (1:2-5:30) outlines the situation in which he ministered. Backdrop to Isaiah's ministry (1): You are not what you ought to be (1:2-31).
• The state of the nation (1:2-9).
  
2. 1:10-20. The people were spared the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (1:9) but the spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah lives on among them (1:10) and is seen especially in their religion.
• The state of the church (1:10-20).
3. 1:21-31. Isaiah's review of the state of affairs is social breakdown.
• The state of society (1:21-26).
• The surprising future (1:27-31).
  
4. 2:1-4. Backdrop to Isaiah's ministry (2): You are not what you were meant to be (2:1-4:6). The glorious vision of 2:2-4 expresses what the Lord expects from his people. The elect was meant to be a magnet to all the earth, drawing all others into the knowledge of the Lord. The reality proved very different. Religiously (2:5-21) and socially (2:22-4:1) his people sadly conformed to the world rather than being the point of its transformation. But the future will see the ideal restored (4:2-6).
• Heading (2:1).
• The great "might have been" (2:2-4).
  
5. 2:5-21. The Lord's people became like the nations (2:6-9). They made their own gods and must come under divine judgment (2:10-21).
• The actual Jerusalem: (1) Worldliness and man-made gods (2:5-21).
6. 2:22-4:1. cf. 2:2-4 Jerusalem is falling apart: Disintegration (3:1-7); its cause (3:8-15); a case in point being the daughters of Jerusalem encapsulating the spirit of their mother (3:16-4:1).
• The actual Jerusalem: (2) Social collapse and its cause (2:22-4:1).
  
7. 4:2-6. Isaiah concludes his sad record of failure by predicting that the Lord's purpose cannot be thwarted and that the intended glory will yet come.
• The greatness that is yet to be (4:2-6).
  
8. 5:1-7. Backdrop to Isaiah's ministry (3): You are not what you might have been (5:1-30).
• The song of the vineyard: Nothing left undone. Was there more that God could have done (5:4)? Unlike the first two sections of Isaiah's "backdrop," this third section ends without a note of hope (5:1-30).
  
9. 5:8-30. Isaiah spells out what he meant by the "stink-fruit" which the vineyard produced.

II. The Book of the King (Isaiah 6-37).

Not Remembering and Not Trusting God (Isaiah 17-18)

Isaiah 17-18

"For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge..." (Isa 17:10, ESV).

God's Plans for Damascus--and Israel (17:1-18:8) [Gary Smith]

1. Damascus and Israel Will Lose Their Fertility (17:1-11).
1. Key cities of Syria and Israel will disappear (1-3).
2. Israel will be gleaned with few gleanings left (4-6).
3. People will reject idols and turn to God (7-8).
4. Judah warned not to follow Israel's path (9-11).
   
2. God Will Rebuke the Raging Nations (17:12-14).
3. Cush Will Honor God for Destroying Its Enemies (18:1-7).
1. Instructions for messengers of Cush (1-3).
2. God's message for Cush (4-6).
3. Cush will honor God in Jerusalem (7).
   

Concerning Damascus (17:1-14); Messengers from Ethiopia (18:1-7) [Barry Webb]

1. Syria and Israel (1-11).
1. Judgment (1-6).
2. Repentance (7-8).
3. Judgment (9-11).
   
2. Assyria (12-14): Judgment.
3. Messengers from Ethiopia (18:1-7).

Damascus/Ephraim: the way of death and the promise of life (17:1-18:7) [J Alec Motyer]

1. The two nations (17:1-11).
1. Failed security (1-3).
2. Explanations: destruction and survival (4-11).
2. Many nations (17:12-18:7).
1. World rule in principle (12-14).
2. A signal to the world (18:1-7).
   

Damascus and northern Israel (17:1-14); Ethiopia (18:1-7) [Derek Kidner, NBC]