Christ, not the Bible, is the True Word of God; Tyranny

"It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true Word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit, and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him. But we must not use the Bible (our fathers too often did) as a sort of Encyclopedia out of which texts (isolated from their context and read without attention to the whole nature and purport of the books in which they occur) can be taken for use as weapons." – C.S. Lewis. The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis.

"You diligently study the Scripture because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me." – John 5:39.

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock.

Verses That "Did Me"

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Mt 7:24). [A Rock Solid Life.]

What are some of my "hear and do" verses? Verses that "did me" and that led to self-discovery, enlightenment and transformation.

1. Gen 1:2. I found my true self.
2. Gen 2:16-17. This led to my conversion.
3. Mt 6:33. This prioritized my life, along with Lk 9:23. Otherwise it is too easy to be driven by ego, selfish ambition, pleasures.
4. 1 Cor 15:36. In some peculiar way, this gave me courage and conviction to marry.
5. Ex 20:5. This is my parenting verse. It helped me practice my two favorite pair of words: "fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12) and "humility and tears" (Ac 20:19).
6. Mt 11:29, 28-30. Humility (and gentleness) should be the foundation of my character (Mt 5:3; Phil 4:5).
7. Prov 29:25. I discovered the key to boldness and confidence.
8. Jer 31:3. This gave me reassurance at one of my lowest points of life.
9. Mt 5:23-24. There is never any excuse not to always seek reconciliation.
10. Ac 20:27. This gave me the motivation of the scope of Scripture I should strive for.
11. Ac 20:24. This gave me a singular focus. Kiekegaard said, "Purity of heart is to will one thing" (Mt 5:8).
12. My trifecta of Grace (Ac 20:24), rest (Mt 11:28) and freedom (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17), in contrast to faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13:13). With grace I never have to prove anything to anyone. With rest, I am never tired or bummed out. With freedom I will never be enslaved.
    

Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3) [Outline of the Sermon on the Mount]

The indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom is spiritual bankruptcy. Charles Spurgeon said, "The way to rise in the Kingdom is to sink in ourselves."

To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge spiritual poverty, our spiritual bankruptcy in ourselves, before God. It is to acknowledge that we are sinners, under the wrath of God, and deserving the judgment of God. It is to acknowledge that we have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing with which to buy the favor of heaven, as the hymn says, "Nothing in my hand I bring."

"He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit. To such, and only to such, the kingdom of God is given as a free gift." John Calvin. This blessedness is an absolutely free and utterly undeserved gift. It can only be received humbly, like a little child.

No oppressors in God's kingdom, only those who humble acknowledge their neediness. The "poor in Spirit" ("poor" in Lk 6:20) describes an impoverished person (economically, physically, spiritually) or oppressed person who recognizes his or her need and trusts in God for full redemption. They comprehend that they must be faithful in the midst of oppression and also form solidarity with other oppressed people. They love God enough to trust God, love the self aright, and love others enough to form alliances of hope, compassion, and justice. The antithesis of the "poor in spirit" is the rich oppressor (Jas 1:9-11; 2:1-13; 4:13-5:6). The "poor in spirit" is a perfect blend of the economically destitute who nonetheless trust in God and put their hope for justice and the kingdom of God in God. In contrast, the rich who are self-sufficient struggle to enter the kingdom (Mt 19:23-24).

Turning the world upside down. From the outset Jesus contradicted all human judgments and expectations with regard to the kingdom of God. The kingdom is given to the poor, not the rich, to the feeble, not the mighty, to little children, not to powerful soldiers, to the publicans who knew they were bad, not to Pharisees, who strongly believed they were good and better than others, to those who did not know the Bible well, not to those who were sure they were the Bible experts.

A counter cultural revelation. Jesus blesses all the wrong people, those whom no one else blessed. Jesus goes against the grain. He finds all the "wrong" people on God's side and all the "right" people against God. Beginning with the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12) Jesus shapes the entire servant and jolts us into listening attentively. We ought to ask, "If these are the people who are in, what does that mean for me? If this is how Jesus' in-group lives, how should I live?"

Not to strive for... "Too often those characteristics (of the Beatitudes) ... are turned into ideals we must strive to attain. As ideals, they can become formulas for power rather than descriptions of the kind of people characteristic of the new age brought by Christ... Thus Jesus does not tell us that we should try to be poor in spirit, or meek, or peacemakers. He simply says that many who are called into the kingdom will find themselves so constituted." Stanley Hauerwas, on the Beautitudes.

A fulsome translation for "blessed" is "God's favor is upon..."

Christ's Portrait of a Christian: A Study of the Sermon on the Mount (John Stott)

1. A Christian's Character (Mt 5:1-16).
2. A Christian's Righteousness (Mt 5:17-48).
3. A Christian's Ambition (Mt 6:1-34).
4. A Christian's Relationship (Mt 7:1-29).

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

The Sermon on the Mount (TSOM) is certainly the best known and possibly the least heeded part of the teaching of Christ. In this sermon Jesus listed the chief characteristics which are to mark the citizens of the kingdom of God. It is Jesus' own description of Christians or Jesus' people. It is not just how a Christian lives, but who a Christian truly is. It is the expression of his life that exudes from the very core of his being that has being touched and transformed by Christ. It sets forth his ideals for Christian discipleship.

St. Augustine was the first to call Matthew 5-7 "The Lord's Sermon on the Mount." Augustine also said that TSOM was the "perfect standard of the Christian life."

Quotes regarding TSOM:

"The Sermon ... isn't just about how to behave. It's about discovering the living God in the loving, and dying, Jesus, and learning to reflect that love ourselves into the world that needs it so badly." N.T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone.

"The sermon...is not a list of requirements, but rather a description of the life of a people gathered by and around Jesus." Stanley Hauerwas, Matthew.

"(Jesus') life is but a commentary on the sermon, and the sermon is the exemplification of his life." Stanley Hauerwas (American theologian, b. 1940).

"The Sermon on the Mount is not a statement to be treated in a cavalier fashion -- by saying that this or that isn't right or that here we find an inconsistency. Its validity depends on its being obeyed. This is not a statement that we can freely choose to take or leave. It is a compelling, lordly statement." Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

"What Jesus teaches in the sayings collected in the Sermon on the Mount is not a complete regulation of the life of the disciples, and it is not intended to be; rather, what is taught here is symptoms, signs, examples, of what it means when the kingdom of God breaks into the world which is still under sin, death, and the devil. You yourselves should be signs of the coming kingdom of God, signs that something has already happened." Joachim Jeremias (German Lutheran theologian, 1900 - 1979).

"The Sermon on the Mount has a strange way of making us better people or better liars." Dean Smith.

A Rock Solid Life (Matthew 7:24-27)

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Mt 7:24, NIV). "...and does them" (ESV). "...and acts on them" (NASB, HCSB). "...and follows it" (NLT).

The Sermon on the Mount is probably the most famous of all the teachings of Christ. (A General Introduction by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

1. What are "these words of mine" that Scripture encourages people to take to heart (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21; Ps 1:2; 119:97)?
2. Why do you think Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) with the wise and foolish builders (7:24-27)? What is the contrast? How might they appear similar? Why can't they be distinguished? When does the difference become apparent? What does this suggest about those who profess to be Christians and believers?
   
3. Since "hears these words" is similar in both groups (24a, 26a), what is the difference? What does this mean (7:24a; Jas 1:22; 2:20-22; Isa 8:16, 20)? What would be the result of doing so (Mt 13:23; Mk 4:20; Lk 8:15)?
4. How is this "like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (7:24b-25; Ps 62:2; 112:6-8; 20:7; Isa 28:16; Jn 16:33)?
5. What is the problem of the foolish person (7:26-27; Isa 6:9-10)? What usually reveals one's true colors?

• Do you do what you say? Do you do what you know? How important is this?
• What "words" have been significant and instrumental in your life (Mt 6:33; 11:29; Lk 9:23; Phil 4:5; Ac 20:24, 27)?

Do Not Understand and Perceive the Truth (Isaiah 6:9-10)

"Yes, go, and say to this people, 'Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.' ¹⁰ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart and turn to me for healing" (Isa 6:9-10, NLT).

Tell people not to understand and to never be able to. Isaiah 6:9-10 is quoted in all four gospels and Acts (Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:39-41; Ac 28:26-27). It is an odd commission because the plain meaning says to tell people not to understand (Isa 6:9) and then to make sure they will not (Isa 6:10). The communication is to be comprehensive. It specifies the "outer" (hearing, seeing) and the "inner" faculties (understanding, perceiving). Also, Isa 6:10 is arranged into a rounded structure (heart ... ears ... eyes ... eyes ... ears ... heart) thus emphasizing the people's total inability to comprehend.

Is it because Isaiah was such a bad teacher and communicator? On the contrary, Isa 28:9-10, NIV, says, "Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? ¹⁰ For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there." Or: "Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?" (Isa 28:9, NLT) This suggests that Isaiah presented the truth with such a plain, reasoned, systematic simplicity, and with such force and clarity that his people mocked and ridiculed him for being too simplistic and repetitious, as though he was teaching children the same things little by little and over and over. So they wanted to pack him off to teach kindergarten.

The same truth changes and hardens hearts. Isa 6:9-10  alludes to the preacher's dilemma: those who resist the truth can be changed only by telling them the truth simply and plainly. Yet to do this exposes them to the danger of rejecting the truth yet once again --- and maybe this further rejection will push them beyond the point of no return and they will become irretrievably hardened in mind and heart (Heb 6:4-8).

Only God sees and knows the human heart. The human eye cannot see this "point of no return" in advance --- nor necessarily recognize it when it is past. But the all-sovereign God both knows it and indeed appoints it as he presides, with perfect righteousness and justice, over the human psychological process.

The only two options are be saved or be judged. Isaiah understood what his terms of commission meant: he was to bring God's word with fresh, even unparalleled clarity -- for only the truth could win and change them. But in their negative response his hearers would pass the point of no return. The very opportunity which could spell their salvation would spell their judgment.

Rather random rambling ruminating reflections from Isaiah 6 commentaries

The Call: Woe To Me (Isaiah 6a).

Isaiah 6 towers like a majestic peak and is of central importance in the book of Isaiah. It records a pivotal turning point in Judah's history and marks a new era in Isaiah's preaching. The experience of having a glimpse of the majesty of God's glory dramatically impacted his theology and caused him to understand God's purpose for his life in a new way. The prologue or introduction (ch. 1-5) of Isaiah culminates in Isaiah's call to ministry.

Holiness is the essence of God's nature and God himself is the supreme revelation of holiness (Isa 6:3). God's absolute holiness reveals how separate, different, or totally other he is in comparison to all other aspects of the created world.

Glory is the shining out of who God is, and therefore it is of his holiness. Holiness is part of the inner distinctiveness of God that is revealed in all his activity and his "glory" is the outward manifestation of the brightness of his majesty and holiness.

Holiness is the Lord's hidden glory; glory is the Lord's visible (omnipresent) holiness.

The necessary first step before any true confession of sin is having an understanding of the glory and holiness of Almighty God who rules the heavens and the earth.

Not rapture but terror. When Isaiah saw God in all of his majesty and glory (6:1-4), it produced not rapture but sheer terror (Isa 6:5a). He knows himself to be utterly ruined and his absolute need for deliverance because he is unclean (6:5b). Before the presence of God Isaiah identifies himself so completely with those whose sins he has been denouncing throughout chapters 1-5. Before God degrees of sin become irrelevant.

Purely by grace. Isaiah is cleansed, not by his own efforts, but purely by the grace of God (6:6-7). The removal of guilt indicates that the consequent punishment will not be exacted from Isaiah. The same grace is available to Israel as a whole (Isa 1:18), but by their arrogance they cut themselves off from it.

The messenger is just as guilty as his congregation. Isaiah's words and message will be those of a forgiven man (6:7), himself as guilty as those to whom he will offer life or death.

Experience fire before cleansing. It is characteristic that judgment is prominent in the cleansing. The fiery messenger and burning coal must have seemed at first anything but salvation (Isa 4:4), yet they come from the place of sacrifice and spoke the language of atonement. Fire, in the OT, is not a cleansing agent but the expression of the active, even hostile, holiness of God (Gen 3:24; Num 11:1-3; Dt 4:12, 33, 36).

Brought in to be sent out. The immediate effect of atonement is reconciliation (Isa 6:8). Being joined to God means joining a missionary society. Isaiah has been brought in in order to be sent out. Isaiah first saw the Lord far off (Isa 6:1), but now he is near enough to hear the divine musing (6:8). He had once been silenced by sin (Isa 6:5), but as the redeemed sinner he is free to speak. The God who shuts him out with smoke (Isa 6:4) has brought him home.

Hard and calloused hearts. 6:9-13 reveal that Isaiah's message is essentially one of judgment. It is described more in terms of its effects rather than its content: it will harden hearts (9-10). The very unresponsiveness of the people show that they have chosen arrogance and indifference. They will thus experience devastation and exile (11-12). Isaiah's messages will simply confirm the hardened hearts of those who are already refusing to listen to God. In short, God warns Isaiah that there will be no positive results in the hearts of many who will listen to what Isaiah says. Instead of bringing conviction, humility, and confession of sins, Isaiah's divine messages will have the primary effect of hardening people or confirming their hardened unwillingness to respond positively to God. These people have repeatedly chosen to refuse to follow God. For most of them it is past the time of repentance; the time of judgment is at hand. Those who think of God as one who offers only grace and mercy may have trouble accepting this image of God. Isaiah 1-5 give ample evidence of the people's refusal to follow God.

Isaiah was a man with:

1. a big vision of God (1-4).
2. a deep awareness of his own sinfulness (5).
   
3. a profound experience of the grace of God (6-7).
4. a willingness to spend and be spent in God's service, whatever the cost (8).
   

The Call (Isaiah 6): Bible Study Questions

Isaiah 6:1-13

"I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne..." "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips ... and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa 6:1, 5, 8, NIV).

Outline:

1. Confronting a vision of God (1-4).
2. Conviction and confession (5).
3. Cleansing and consecration (6-7).
4. Calling and commissioning (8-13).

Ponder and ask yourself:

• Have you heard "the call"?
• Have you "seen" God?
• Have you felt woe? Doomed by your sins?
• Do you have a sense of what your specific calling is?

Questions:

1. There are very few dates elsewhere in Isaiah, so why might Isaiah have dated his experience (1a)?
2. What does "high and lifted up," "sitting upon the throne" convey (1b)? What does this say about the identity of the Servant in 52:13 (57:14)? If the hem of his robe filled the temple (1c), how big was the Lord? Why do you think that this is the only description of God in the poem (cf. Ex 24:10)?
3. Why do you think the seraphim covered their faces and feet (2)? What is the appropriate attitude of worship?
4. 6:3 says two things about Yahweh. One has to do with his essence: The Holiest One. The other has to do with his relationship to creation. What is the point of this latter statement?
5. How loud was the cry of the seraphim (4; Ps 19:1–3)? What affect does "filling with smoke" convey?
6. Why do you think Isaiah reacted in such a strong way (5)? What does seeing the King have to do with it (Lk 5:8)? Why doesn't he say "a man of unclean heart"? Why does he include the people? Why does he repeat "Lord of Hosts" (Lord Almighty, Lord of Heaven's Armies) from the cry of the seraphim?
7. What is the significance of a coal from the altar touching Isaiah's lips (6–7)? How hot was the coal? What is the part of fire in all of this? What kind of an experience was it? Fun?
8. Why does Isaiah only now hear God speak (8)? Why doesn't God speak directly to Isaiah? Why does Isaiah respond so readily?
9. Why would God say such a thing (9–10)? Does he not want the people to be healed?
10. What does Isaiah's question say about the level of his commitment (11a)? (What questions might you/I have asked?!)
11. Why was the destruction to be so thorough (11b-13a)? What is God's intended last word (13b; Job 14:7–9)?

Isaiah 5 Power Point

The sermon write up: What More Can God Do?

Isaiah's Cry of Woe and Doom

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isa 6:5, NIV).

When Isaiah cried out (Isa 6:5), it was a cry of pain. It was the revealing cry of conscious uncleanness.

In genuine conversion, in the transaction of the new birth, there ought to be that real and genuine cry of pain. There should be the terror of seeing ourselves in violent contrast to the holy, holy, holy God (Isa 6:3).

Unless we come into this place of conviction and pain, I am not sure how deep or real our repentance or regeneration is.

A.W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship.

Isaiah 6 is strategically located between 1-5 and 7-12

Isaiah 1-5 raises a serious problem. Sinful, arrogant Israel is going to be the holy people of God to whom the nations will come to learn of God (Isa 2:1-4; 43:8-14; 49:5-6; Ezek 36:22-38). But how can this be? Isaiah 6 provides the solution. Sinful Israel can become servant Israel when the experience of Isaiah becomes the experience of the nation. When the nation has seen itself against the backdrop of God's holiness and glory, when the nation has received God's gracious provision for sin, then she can speak for God to a hungry world. (ch 60-66 follow immediately upon the promise of 59:21.) If ever Isaiah's experience should be duplicated on a national scale, then the promises of 1:16-19; 2:1-4; and 4:2-6 could be experienced.

Isaiah 6 is not merely the conclusion of ch.1-5. One of the marks of the book's style seems to be its smooth transitions, so smooth that it is frequently difficult to decide whether an element is the final one in the preceding segment or the initial one in the following. For just as ch.6 is the conclusion to ch.1-5, it is also the introduction to ch.7-12. In a real sense the, ch.7-12 are a fulfillment and an explication of the word given to Isaiah in his call--the hardening impact of Isaiah's gracious invitation to trust. In a real sense the destruction coming to Judah from Assyria's hand toward the end of the 8th century B.C. is caused by Ahaz's refusal of Isaiah's invitation (8:6-8; 6:11-12).

So it is impossible to link Isaiah 6 solely to ch.1-5 or solely to ch.7-12. It functions with both sections, both showing the way of hope for the future (ch1-5) and explaining the present situation (ch.7-12). It is a genuinely strategic chapter, shaping and defining the book as a whole.

The vision of 6:1-8 is clearly fundamental to the entire course of Isaiah's ministry and to the shape of his book. When Isaiah saw the Sovereign, he saw him in such a way as to change the shape of the rest of his life. The glory, majesty, holiness and the righteousness of God became the ruling concepts of his ministry. It also explains Isaiah's contempt for, and horror of, any kind of national or individual life which did not pay adequate attention to the one God.

The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (p. 174-176) by John N. Oswalt.

The Heart of Mission

June 9, 2011 at 5:00pm

There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of "the missionary mandate." This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel.

If one looks at the NT evidence one gets another impression. Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact?

The mission of the Church in the pages of the NT is more like a fallout which is not lethal but life-giving. One searches in vain through the letters of St. Paul to find any suggestion that he anywhere lays it on the conscience of his reader that they ought to be active in mission. For himself it is inconceivable that he should keep silent. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor 9:16). But nowhere do we find him telling his readers that they have a duty to do so. . . .

At the heart of mission is thanksgiving and praise. . . . When it is true to its nature, it is so to the end. Mission is an acted out doxology. That is its deepest secret. Its purpose is that God may be glorified.

(Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society, [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989], 116, 127)

Isaiah 5 Bible Study Questions

What More Can God Do? (Isaiah 5:1–7, 8-25, 26-30; 1a, 4)

"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard..." "What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?" (Isa 5:1a, 4, NIV)

Outline (5:1-30):

1. The Song (1-7): Love and grace.
2. The Woes (8-25): Laments of sorrow.
3. The Judgment (26-30): Defeat and darkness.

Recap: In Isaiah 1-4, what challenges and choices does Isaiah present to his audience (Judah and us)?

• Be a ______ (1:2) Or be __________ (1:27).

• Be _________ and __________ Or _______ and ________ (1:19-20).

• Walk in the _______ Or ___________ (2:5; 5:30).

• Trust _____ Or _____ (2:22).

• _______ God alone Or remain _________ and ________ (2:11, 17).

• Live with the glorious ______ of God's coming kingdom (2:1-4; 4:2-6) or live in _______ (2:11, 17; 3:16).

5:1-30

1. Who is "I"? "The one I love" (1)? What does this show about the relationship between God and the prophet?
2. What does verse 2 teach us about God (5:1)?
3. In terms of rhetoric (the art of persuasion) what is Isaiah doing in verses 3–4?
4. Compare 5:5–6 with 4:5–6. What is the significance of this?
5. How might the function of this song (5:1-7) function like Nathan's parable to King David (2 Sam 12:1-10)?
6. What is the relation of 5:8–25 to 5:1–7? Look especially at the last part of verse 7.
7. Find the six "woes." List and title each behavior or kinds of behaviors mentioned (8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22). Do you see any progression? What would the opposite "good grapes" be in each case?
8. What does it mean to have "no regard for the deeds of Yahweh" (12)?
9. "Therefore" in 5:13, 14, 24, and 25 introduces the effect of a prior cause. What is the cause and what are the effects? How are they related in the context of the vineyard imagery?
10. Note vv. 15 –16 and compare them with 2:11,17. Where is true human glory to be found?
11. Compare 5:25 with 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4. What do you think the significance of this is? How does what is said in this section relate to America and the West today?
12. What does 5:26–30 say about Yahweh's lordship of history? Why is Assyria coming? How do they relate to 5: 5–6? What effects is the imagery designed to convey? What is Isaiah seeking to convey?
13. Compare 5:30, 5:20 and 8:22.

What is God's Own Heart Like?

David is described as a man after God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14; Ac 13:22). How might such a heart be characterized?

1. A _________ / true heart (1 Sam 16:11; 17:34‒36) (cf. Mt 25:21).
2. A ________ / hungry heart (Ps 63:1) (cf. Ps 42:1‒2; Mt 5:6).
3. A ____________ heart (Ps 9:1‒2; 13:5) (cf. Prov 17:22).
4. A __________ / fixed / immovable heart (Ps 57:7) (cf. Ps 112:6‒8; Isa 26:3‒4).
5. A _________/ ___________ heart (Ps 32:3‒5; 51:17) (cf. Isa 57:15; 66:2).
6. A _______ / _______ heart (Ps 24:3‒4; 51:10‒12) (cf. Mt. 5:8; I Tim 1:5).
7. A _______-filled heart (I Sam 16:13‒14) (cf. Acts 15:8‒9).
8. An __________ / _______ / ________ heart (1 Chron 28:9; 29:19; Ps 86:11) (2 Chron 25:2; Eze 11:19; Jas 4:8). Your __________ heart will be the ________ in your armor, the _____ in your boat, the ____ in the perfume that allows the devil to come in and _______ your ____________ flaw.

Reason for God's Destruction of Judah (Isaiah 5:8-25)

Isaiah 5:8-25, 15-16

"So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. ¹⁶ But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts" (Isa 5:15-16, NIV).

Woe denounces and laments. Isaiah is not a blindly ranting and rebuking condemnatory demagogue. Though this passage does pronounce powerful denunciations, they also express deep pathos, for the word "woe" itself--appearing 6 times in the passage--does not just denounce our sins, it laments our sins. Also, Isaiah's words of woe are measured and reasoned. He presents indisputable evidence (the "woes"), and then carefully draws out logical and inescapable conclusions (the "therefores").

The six woes specify the "bad fruit of Isa 5:2, 4. They specifically mention denunciations of particular sins. The list is damning:

1. Greed (5:8): Land-grabbing. Property acquisition. The "good life."
   
2. Drunkenness (5:11-12): Self-indulgence. Pleasure. Leisure.
   
3. Deceit (5:18-19): Arrogant defiance of God. Mocking God.
   
4. Self-justification (5:20): Reversal of good and evil.
   
5. Conceit (5:21): Wise in one's own eyes.
6. Injustice (5:22-23). Perversion of justice. Oppressing the poor.

The four therefore's (5:13, 14, 24, 25) introduces the judgments to the offenders that accompany the woes. Roughly, the coming judgment matches the sin.

1. Land-grabbing (5:8) will be followed by exile (5:13a), and alcoholic indulgence (5:11) will be followed by thirst (5:13b).
2. Those who are greedy for pleasure and leisure (5:11-12) will be swallowed up by death (5:14).
3. The third and fourth "therefore" forecasts death and destruction (5:24-25, 26-30) on all who live in defiance of God and who pervert justice (5:18-23).

A Proud Man/Church vs. a Humble Man/Church

How might one tell the difference?

	The Proud Person / Church	The Humble Person / Church
1	It's all about ___.	It's all about _____ and ________.
2	Get's joy from promoting ______.	Gets joy from promoting _________.
3	Gets ______ and ____________ when confronted.	Is ________ and ___________ when confronted.
4	Loves to _______ / _________.	Loves to _________ / ________.
5	________ about what they know.	__________ about what they don't know.
6	Seeks to ________ others.	Seeks to ______ _____________.
7	Compares self to ________.	Compares self to ______.
8	"Lord, change _______."	"Lord, change _____."
9	_______ ___ sin.	________ ____________ sin.
10	Concerned with _______ / ______________.	Concerned with _______ / ____________.

Answer key:

1. me; God, others.
2. self; others.
3. angry, defensive; humble, responsive.
4. talk / teach; listen / learn.
5. cocky; humble.
6. blame; take responsibility.
7. others; God.
8. them; me.
9. covers up; openly confesses.

A Vineyard Song of Love and Rejection (Isaiah 5:1-7)

Isaiah 5:1-7, 1, 4

"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside." "What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?" "The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress" (Isa 5:1, 4, 7).

The function of this song (5:1-7) reminds the reader of the function of Nathan's parable about the poor man who had only one lamb and the rich man who had many (2 Sam 12:1-10). Both stories aim to trap the unsuspecting listeners who do not expect the final shocking application of the story (Isa 5:7; 2 Sam 12:7). The song presents evidence against the vineyard and requests a judgment.

1. Tender care (1-2).
2. Decision requested (3-4).
3. Destruction planned (5-6).
4. Identification revealed (7).

Meaning hidden initially. The people mentioned in this parable are initially and purposely disguised so that the audience does not recognize the singer's ploy until the end of the song. Isaiah was probably trying to hide the full import of his words from his listeners at the beginning of his song (Isa 5:1-2). He wanted them to agree with his anger at the vineyard (Isa 5:3-6) before they perceived the full application of his final indictment in Isa 5:7.

Entirely by grace. This song reminded the listener that God is the lover who poured out his love for his special vineyard (Isa 5:2). The vineyard was specially created, planted, and continually cared for entirely by God's grace. People deserve no credit for their election or their privileged status, for it happened totally by grace.

Expecting good fruit. Once God chooses a people, he tenderly cares for and protects them. He patiently waits for his people to produce good fruit in their lives (Isa 5:2b, 4b, 7b). God views all fruit as either rotten or good according to his standards--not ours (Mt 7:15-23). God's protection and care may be withdrawn from those who fail to produce godly fruit (Jn 15:1-7). God is especially severe on privileged people who mistreat others through injustice.

Evaluate the fruit of your own life. Jesus uses a somewhat similar parable of the vineyard (Mk 12:1-9) to indict those who were supposed to take care of God's vineyard. People who are true to God produce good fruit, walk in the ways of justice, exalt God alone (Isa 2:11, 17; 5:16) and honor God's Son.

The Heart of the Matter (What does God really want?) [An overview of Kings and Chronicles]

We want a king! God's people in the Promised Land were initially ruled by _________ (Judg 2:16). These were Spirit-anointed leaders raised up to deal with national emergencies. The people of Israel soon became discontent with this leadership and asked God to give them a _________, like the nations around them (I Sam 8:4‒9).

The United Kingdom. Israel's first king _______ turned out to be a disaster. God rejected him and chose a new king, "a man after his own heart" (I Sam 13:14). _________ was the greatest king Israel ever had and set the standard for all future kings. Next came _____________ who led Israel to her greatest splendor. But he modeled a ___________ heart.

The Divided Kingdom. Solomon's divided heart made possible a divided kingdom. Israel in the north (10 tribes) lasted about 200 years (930‒722 BC) and had ____ kings from many dynasties. All of these kings "did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord." Judah in the south (2 tribes) lasted about 350 years (930‒587 BC) and had ____ kings, all descendants of David. ____ of these kings "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord."

Even the "good kings" of Judah had a ______________ ______, and all finished _______! One _____ can sink a ship. These flaws are not _________ but ______________! And their sins cast a shadow over lives otherwise marked by godliness and faithfulness. The race is determined at the _______ _____, not in the ________ _______.

Study of the "good kings" may help us to better understand:

1. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________. What should we realistically expect from our leaders?
2. _________ character. How holy can a man/woman be?
3. ______. Who is he and what does he really want?
4. ____________. Is there a flaw in my character? Will I finish well?

What is a heart like David's heart (1 Sam 16:1‒13)? Why did God choose David? What did God see in this teenager with a guitar? The answer is crystal clear. It wasn't his birth order, height, appearance, pedigree, education, or gifting that mattered to God. God was looking on the _________, at the _______ (v. 7). When it comes to leadership and character, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. David was a man "after (God's) own heart" (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). The word "after" can mean either a heart "______" God or a heart "____" God… or both.

1. What does God really want? (2 Chron 16:9; Dt 6:4‒5).
2. Why can't I give God what he really wants?
3. Can God heal my heart and make it whole? (Dt 30:6).
4. How does this happen? (2 Chron. 7:14).

Reflection:

1. The key to every leader is not in his ______ and _________ but in his/her ________. Do you agree/disagree?
2. Has this study brought __________ / _______ to you, or has it been ____________? Explain.
3. Do Christians/evangelicals today attempt to __________ heart disease (we're all sinners!) or cure it?
4. What is your heart reading?

What kind of heart did David have?

1. A faithful / true heart (1 Sam 16:11; 17:34‒36) (cf. Mt 25:21).
2. A hungry / thirsty heart (Ps 63:1) (cf. Ps 42:1‒2; Mt 5:6).
3. A worshipping heart (Ps 9:1‒2; 13:5) (cf. Prov 17:22).
4. A fixed / steadfast / immovable heart (Ps 57:7) (cf. Ps 112:6‒8; Isa 26:3‒4).
5. A contrite / repentant heart (Ps 32:3‒5; 51:17) (cf. Isa 57:15; 66:2).
6. A pure / clean heart (Ps 24:3‒4; 51:10‒12) (cf. Mt. 5:8; I Tim 1:5).
7. A Spirit-filled heart (I Sam 16:13‒14) (cf. Acts 15:8‒9).
8. An undivided / single / whole heart (1 Chron 28:9; 29:19; Ps 86:11) (2 Chron 25:2; Eze 11:19; Jas 4:8). Your __________ heart will be the ________ in your armor that allows the devil to come in and exploit your character flaw.

 

King	Chapter (2 Chronicles)	Text (1 or 2 Kings)	Character Flaw
Solomon	1-9	1 Ki 1-11	Lust
Asa	14-16	I Ki 15:8-24	Unbelief
Jehoshaphat	17-20	1 Ki 22:41-50	Moral compromise
Joash	22-24	2 Ki 11:1-12:21	Fickle faith
Amaziah	25	2 Ki 14:1-20	Divided heart
Uzziah	26	2 Ki 15:1-7	Pride
Hezekiah	29-32	2 Ki 18-20	Bitterness
Josiah	34-35	2 Ki 22:1-23:30	Spiritual deafness

 

Manasseh (2 Chron 33; 2 Kings 21:1‒18) is added to this list of "good kings." He is of interest because of the contrast he brings. All the "good" kings ended up "bad." But evil Manasseh repented in the end, and finished well!

Good Kings of Judah (Workbook with Answers). Stan Key, Francis Ashbery Society.

God's Glorious Holy Kingdom (Isaiah 4:2-6)

Interchange and Contrast in Isaiah 1-6

1:1-31	2:1-5	2:6-4:1	4:2-6	5:1-30	6:1-13
Negative (+)	Positive	Negative	Positive	Negative	Positive (-)
Judgment	Salvation/Hope	Judgment	Salvation/Hope	Judgment	Salvation/Hope

Outline of 2:1-4:6

1. The Ideal: Our Glorious Future Hope (2:1-5).
2. The Actual: Our Dark Present Reality (2:6-4:1).
3. The New: Our Glorious Future Hope (4:2-6).
   

The immediate future will be terrible for Judah if the nation does not stop trusting mankind and start exalting God alone. Isaiah wanted God's people to know that their rebellion and pride (2:6-4:1) will not defeat God's ultimate plan to establish his glorious kingdom in the future (2:1-5; 4:2-6). In contrast to 2:1-5 which focuses on the coming of the foreign nations to hear God's laws, 4:2-6 focuses on the purification of a holy remnant.

The New will be characterized by (4:2-6):

1. Beauty (2).
2. Holiness (3).
3. Cleansing (4).
4. Glory (5).
5. Security (5).
   

The New will be:

1. Beautiful (2).
2. Holy (3).
3. Clean (4).
4. Glorious (5).
5. Secure (6).
   

Walk in Light of the Lord (Isaiah 2:5)

What does it mean to walk (live) in the light of the Lord (Isa 2:5)?

1. Be honest with yourself. This happens when we see ourselves in light of who God is (Isa 6:3; Lk 5:8).
2. Live a holy life because God is holy (Isa 1:4; 6:3, 5; Gen 17:1; Eph 1:4; Lev 11:44; 1 Pet 1:16).
3. Live by the word of God (Ps 119:105, 97; 1:2; Jn 6:63).
4. Live with no hint of darkness (Jn 8:12; 1 Jn 1:5).
5. Trust God "alone" (Isa 2:11, 17) not man (Isa 2:22).
6. Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Mic 6:8).
7. Clean out your heart; clean up your life; care for the fatherless and the widows (Isa 1:16-17).
8. Have a clearly defined goal of life (Phil 3:14; Ac 20:24) as our practical expressing of seeking God and loving God and exalting God alone (Isa 2:11, 17).

The Removal of Proud Women (Isaiah 3:16-4:1)

To deal with the pride of man expressing itself in self-exaltation (2:6-4:1), God will humble:

1. God's people (2:6-11)--for their idolatry (magic, money and military might).
2. All people (2:12-22)--resulting in humiliation, disillusionment and fear.
3. Men--for their oppressive leadership (3:1-15). Removal of Judah's arrogant male leaders.
4. Women--for their vanity leading to flirtatiousness, ostentation, shame and insecurity (3:16-4:1). God's judgement would be the removal of Judah's proud women.

Proud men oppress others, proud women draw attention to themselves. The pride of man--their essential sin--is expressed as oppression, while the pride and essential sin of women is expressed as ostentatious vanity.

God's judgment on proud women results in:

1. Judgment: Proud women will be judged (3:16-17).
2. Loss: Her objects of pride will be removed (3:18-24).
3. Humiliation: She will be humiliated and become desperate (3:25-4:1).

God hates pride. God loathes arrogance in his people. God's judgment on people (2:6-4:1) should compel and challenge each person to test their own heart to see if anything is motivated by pride or if it will result in pride. [In my case it might be my desire to study in depth "less common" books of the Bible.] Also, an excessive concern for my rights, my opinions, my way, and my honor is a sign of a sick self-centered society that fails to give complete honor and glory to God. Isaiah desires that we evaluate the central motivations and highest priorities that guide our lives. If we (male and female) exalt ourselves and thus fail to exalt God, we cannot but experience what the proud men and women of Judah experienced on the day of God's judgment.

The Removal of Male Leaders (Isaiah 3:1-15)

Leadership failure. 3:1-15 addresses the questionable character of leaders. It is closely related to 2:6-22 for Isaiah is addressing the people of "Judah and Jerusalem" (Isa 2:1). The leaders were proud. They trusted in their human accomplishments and in human security. Isaiah 2 emphasizes the demise of mankind in general, but Isaiah 3 considers the specific removal of the leaders (3:1-15) as well as the proud and vain women (3:16-4:1).

Trusting in man (leaders) could suggest not trusting in God. In 2:6-22 Isaiah repeatedly focuses on the humbling of the proud, the exaltation of God alone and the rejection of idolatry. But in 3:1-15 he illustrates the hopelessness of trusting in the specific accomplishments of the human leaders in Judah, which is in sharp contrast to the general exhortation not to put one's trust in mankind in Isa 2:22. People should not trust in human leaders to solve their difficulties (Isa 2:22; 3:7) because they do not have the power to bring about any real, lasting solutions.

Outline:

1. The problem: Childish, Immature Leaders (3:1-7).
2. The judgment: According To Your Deeds (3:8-11).
3. The indictment: Oppressing Others (3:12-15).

Reference:

1. Smith, Gary V. Isaiah 1-39. The New American Commentary: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture. B & H Publishing Group. Noshville, TN. 2007. 143-149.
   

Interchange and Contrast in Isaiah 1-6

1:1-31	2:1-5	2:6-4:1	4:2-6	5:1-30	6:1-13
Negative	Positive	Negative	Positive	Negative	Positive
Judgment	Hope	Judgment	Hope	Judgment	Hope

The interchange and contrast from Isaiah 1 to 2 is repeated as it is throughout Isaiah 1-5. The current Israel is totally corrupted (Isa 1:1-31). The future Israel (the Israel that will be) will be glorious (Isa 2:2-4). The abruptness of the shift in mood from ch. 1 to ch. 2 is very striking. In Isaiah 1 repentance was viewed as a hypothetical possibility (Isa 1:16-20) and restoration as an end product of destruction (Isa 1:27-31). The main focus of attention was on Israel's rebellion, hypocrisy and injustice. Suddenly in 2:2-4, with no transition at all, the focus is on Israel's glorious future destiny as a light of blessing to the whole world.

From Isaiah Session 2 by John Oswalt - Isaiah 2-3 (1 hr 4 min).

What Isaiah 1 Challengers People To Do

The message of Isaiah 1 serves as an introduction to the rest of Isaiah. The message of Isaiah demarcates people into two groups:

1. the rebellious people who forsake God.
2. the redeemed people who trust God.

Isaiah's goal is to open the eyes and heart of both groups to:

1. God's view of sinners who continue in iniquity and rebel against God (Isa 1:2-8, 11-15, 21-23);
2. God's offer of grace (Isa 1:18);
3. the seriousness of God's judgment on those who rebel/do not worship God (Isa 1:20, 28-31).

Isaiah wants his listeners to make a choice, take a stand, make a decision by ask ourselves questions such as:

• Is there a spirit of rebellion in you (Isa 1:2; 66:24)?
• Does justice and care for the oppressed characterize your Christian life (Isa 1:17, 23)?
• Is your heart attitude and worship acceptable to God with no hint of deceptive rituals (Isa 1:11-15)?
• Do you need to ask God for forgiveness of any particular sin (Isa 1:18)?
• Do you understand the consequence of not following God (Isa 1:20, 28-31)?
• Are you willing to brutally and honestly examine your own heart (Isa 1:16-20; Jer 17:10)?
• Do you think that because you keep some identity as a Christian that you're basically fine (like the people in Isaiah's day)?
• Does God's holiness and his standard of justice and righteousness uncover a veneer of piety and religiosity hiding a life of selfishness, rebellion, and unwillingness to trust God?

There are two ways to live and two destinations. All paths do not lead to God. Isaiah 1 presents choices that everyone of us must face as it did for the people during Isaiah's time:

1. Being God's children or rebelling against God (Isa 1:2-3).
2. Continuing to receive God's punishment or having the wars stop (Isa 1:5-9).
3. Offering prayers and sacrifices that please God or having God hide his face and reject useless ritual (Isa 1:11-15).
4. Making efforts to remove the stain and guilt of sin or allowing that stain to bring a curse (Isa 1:18-20).
5. Acting like faithful and righteous people or behaving like harlots and murderers (Isa 1:21).
6. Accepting God's redemption or being burnt up with fire in disgrace (Isa 1:27-31).

Random Questions on the Life of Abraham (Genesis 12-22)

Some questions for pondering and reflection:

1. What is your understanding of God calling a person (Gen 12:1)? What do you think is the affect on the life of one who has heard God's calling (Gen 12:2-4)?
2. What does the account of Abram and Lot in Genesis 13 teach about what can and cannot fulfill us human beings (Gen 13:10)?
3. How does one become right with God (Gen 15:6)? Is your righteousness credited or earned? What was God teaching Abraham in Genesis 15:9-16 (Jer 34:18-20)?
4. What is the problem with trying to have a child through Hagar instead of through Sarah (Gen 16:2)? Do you have a sense that God sees you (Gen 16:13)?
   
5. How does God expect his chosen person to live (Gen 17:1)?
6. Has God "appeared" to you (Gen 18:1)? Have you encountered God? How is your friendship with God? Is it experiencial? Does God reveal his secrets to you (Gen 18:17)?
7. Have you felt visited by God (Gen 21:1; 18:9-10)? Is your Christian life a life of laughter (Gen 21:6)? A life of wonder (Gen 21:7)?
   
8. How might Abraham have understood God's command to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen 22:2)? Have you deeply felt God's provision for you (Gen 22:14)?
   
9. What is your understanding of:
• The grace of God (Ac 20:24; Eph 2:8-9)?
• The life of faith (Heb 11:6)?
• Trusting God (Prov 3:5-6)?
  
• The God of Abraham?
• Justification (Rom 3:24; 5:1)?
• Sanctification (Phil 2:12-13)?
  

The Ideal and the Actual (Isaiah 2-4): Bible Study Questions

Isaiah 2:1-4:6 (2:1-5; 2:6-4:1; 4:2-6); 2:2a, 5, 22

 

"In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains..." "let us walk in the light of the Lord" "Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?" (Isa 2:2, 5, 22, NIV). [Exaltation of God and Humbling of the Proud; Present Judgment and Coming Glory; Hope in the Midst of Judgment.]

 

Theme: Despite our dark present reality (Isa 1:4-8, 10-15, 21-23), our hope is in Isaiah glorious vision of God's coming kingdom. Therefore, live in light of this (2:5). Set your heart on God. Live in the power of this future hope.

1. The Ideal: Our Glorious Future Hope (2:1-5). [The opening positive part has 5 verses.] Promises of God's future kingdom produce trust.
1. What God does: God establishes his rightful rule (2-3) and judges the nations (4).
2. How we respond: We walk in his paths and in the light of the Lord (3b, 5).
2. The Actual: Our Dark Present Reality (2:6-4:1). [The middle negative part has 44 verses!]  The removal of pride and the exaltation of God (2:6-22). The recurring common theme is human exaltation (pride, arrogance and self-sufficiency). This results in God's judgment on:
1. God's people (6-11). Idolatry (magic, money and military might).
2. All people (12-22). Humiliation, disillusionment and fear.
3. Men. Oppressive leadership (3:1-15). Removal of Judah's arrogant male leaders.
4. Women. Vanity leading to flirtatiousness, ostentation, shame and insecurity (3:16-4:1). Removal of Judah's proud women.
3. The New: Our Glorious Future Hope (4:2-6). The Branch (What is yet to be). [The closing positive part has 5 verses.] God's glorious holy kingdom.
1. The Branch of the Lord (4:2a).
2. A fruitful land (4:2b).
3. A holy city (4:3-4).
4. A canopy of glory (4:5-6).

2:1-5

1. What is the relationship between 2:1–5 and 2:6–4:1? How is Jerusalem described in 2:1–5 and in 2:6–4:1?
2. Why is the "mountain" of God's house so important that all nations will come there (2:2)? What is the significance?
3. Notice the same verb in 2:3 and 2:5. What does this say about salvation? God's intent for us (Gen 17:1; Eph 1:4)?
4. What does it mean to judge (2:4)? Why do people not like to hear about judgment?

2:6–4:1

1. Look for a common theme in 2:6-4:1. What is the problem with humanity (2:9, 11-12, 17; 3:16)? What is the most deadly sin according to church teaching (Gen 3:5; Prov 3:34; Jas 4:6)? Why?
2. What is a common word in 2:6–8? What are the four topics? Compare to 6:3. What is the problem?
3. How are 2:9–11 the logical result of 2:6–8? How do we find worth and significance (Lk 14:11)?
4. Why does the worship of humanity (which is what idolatry amounts to) necessarily humiliate us (2:18–22). What is the point being made by 2:22?
5. What is the repeated theme among the three stanzas in this section (3:1–5, 6–8, 9–15)? What happens when we idolize or idealize our human leaders? What should we do?
6. Why does the prophet "pick on" the women here (3:16ff)? Why the "overkill" in the list of finery in 3:18–23? What is the relationship between 2:16 and 17, and between 2:18–23 and 2:24-4:1? How does this relate to what has been said ever since 2:6?

4:2-6

1. What is the relationship between 4:2–6 and 5:1–30? How is Jerusalem described in 4:2–6 and in 5:1–30?
2. What is the question about the identity of  the branch in 4:2?
3. Compare the condition of Jerusalem in 2:6–4:1 with the condition described in 4:3–4. Specifically, what is the difference? Read Ex 19:5–6; Dt 28:9–10.
4. How will the cleansing occur (4:4)? Reflect on what has been said about God's intended purpose in judgment.