Preacher without a Pulpit Podcast

1.    The Kingdom of Humanity - vs. 9-14  

       Two Foundational Principles of Humanity’s Kingdom:

      A.     False Security 

• Notice, in the first three verses the women of Judah feel secure; thus they are complacent and confident about their situation.
•  In Isaiah 3:16, Isaiah addressed the ‘daughters of Zion’ because he found them the epitome of their mother’s character.
• They are content with their situation.
• Complacency is a destructive human trait spoken of by Jesus:Mt. 24:38-3
• The men failed to listen; thus, maybe the women can make a difference. (rise up and listen) Repentance:  Isaiah 31:6

     B.      Destruction

•  Destruction is on the way; The Assyrian invasion of 701 B.C. is little more than a year away, the the people are to carefree to see it coming. 
• Take off your dress clothes and prepare for enslavement; You are not heading to a party: Nahum 2:7
• This is a false escapist joy which can be seen in Isaiah 24:7-11
• The Assyrian invasion is a warning for the future.

2.    The Kingdom of God - vs. 15-20

        Two Foundational Principles of God’s Kingdom:

     A.      Restoration (Instead of Disaster)

•  Salvation is beyond all human capability.
• The first fruits of the Spirit was inaugurated at Pentecost and will be complete when Jesus returns: Acts 2:16-17
• The one who is spirit not only defends his people but enriches them with new life.
• Humanity and the Earth will be restored: Rom 8:19-22

      B.     True Security

•  It is this abundant righteousness which will produce true peace and Security. He has given them the antidote to their problems: Isaiah 30:15

     Isaiah concludes the vision of the contrasting Kingdoms with two metaphors:

    1)   The Destruction of Assyria and the humbling of Jerusalem   -    V. 19

• The forest represents Assyria, while the City represents Jerusalem.

    2)   The Undisturbed Peace of the Messianic Kingdom    -    V-20

•  Both Judgment and glory lie ahead and now is the time to choose!  1 Pet 3:9
• Which Kingdom do you want to be associated with?
• Which foundation?  Mt. 7:24-27

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•  The Messianic Age is again in view: Isaiah 9:7
• This is the state of affairs we pray for in the words of the prayer Jesus taught us: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt. 6:10)
• Kingdom leadership is characterized by Righteousness and Justice. 

Three results of Kingdom Leadership:

1.        Security 

•  Complete security is expressed by the two contrasting dangers   of wind and storm;       there is protection from every threat. Isaiah 25:4
• God has promise to send good shepherds: Jeremiah 23:4
• Water and shadow are the two components of provision and refreshment, therefore symbolizing every beneficial care.  Ps. 23:1-4

2.        Insight and Understanding 

•  It is best to take the blindness and deafness of verse 3 in the same    metaphorical sense as in Isaiah 29:11, namely, unresponsiveness    to the word of God especially among the nations leaders.
• Spiritual clarity is the result of walking the path of God:  Proverbs 4:18-19
• Grasping the truth leads to proclamation. Psalm 40:9-10

3.         Prestige based on Noble Character

•  An imperfect society imperfectly accords honors.
• It accords honors, regardless of character to the rich and powerful; Social Ideas are redefined so that prestige goes only to the truly Noble.
• ‘Seldom are the significant famous and seldom are the famous significant.’ (Dennis Prager)
• The fool is amoral while the scoundrel is unscrupulous. 
•     Verses 6 & 7 further define the fool and the scoundrel.
• Again, the fool denies God and thus spreads error about God: Psalm 53:1
• Instead of heeding the just plea of the needy bad leaders  refuse to do what God has instructed them to do: Isaiah 1:17
• The worlds values are that the rich are the winners and the poor are the losers.
• In God’s economy moral behavior gives us a firm place to stand:  Psalm 20:7-8
• Leave with encouragement:  Psalm 24:3-4

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• The fire denotes both Gods Holiness and his Judgment: Isaiah 33:14

            Three ways to Escape God’s Judgment:

 1.       Consult the Lord 

•  Judah has completely overlooked God’s counsel, which God provided through his prophet.
• They are overlooking his word and His way.
• Judah had questioned God’s wisdom: Isaiah 29:15-16
• Those who thought they were wiser than God are about to learn otherwise: Isaiah 5:21
• Consult God’s Holy Word: 2 Tim 3:16-17

  2.      Trust in God, Not in Man 

•  God is so sovereign that he just has to stretch out his hand.
• We have to understand that God cannot be manipulated before we are ready to throw ourselves upon his mercy.
• God is not your personal Genie!
• You can trust God to protect you: 1 John 5:18
• These two illustrations point to the fact that the Lord, himself is ready to fight and defend his people if they would only humble themselves.
• This promise was in effect to the bitter end (King Hezekiah Prayed for deliverance): Isaiah 37:33-35

3.        Repent 

•  God is always ready to forgive, even in the midst of an all out revolt: Isaiah 1:2
• Repentance is more than mental; it involves the redirection of life: Isaiah 2:20, 22
• The Assyrian army was no match for God: Is. 37:36
• His Rock refers to the king of Assyria, in contrast with the Rock of Israel: Isaiah 30:29
• When Assyria attacked Jerusalem they walked into a furnace: Is. 30:33

        Conclusion:  Three ways to Escape God’s Judgment:

                                     1.   Consult the Lord, 

                                     2.   Trust in God, not in man, and 

                                     3.   Repent: Rom 12:2

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                                      “Universal Judgment”
                                             Isaiah 30:27-33

•    The Lord’s action as Judge is the final expression of his grace to those who have cried out to him for salvation: Isaiah 30:19
•  The distance points to their believe that he is disconnected from them; It also points to the fact that although God seems far off,  He is wholly involved in world history.
• You may feel alone, but you are not: Dt. 31:6
• Jesus made the same promise: Mt. 28:20

       Three Metaphors:

       1.   The Torrent: An overflowing torrent speaks to a desert community that understood                         the   issue of flash floods; thus, God’s judgment will be sudden and without warning:                       Nahum 1:8

• Rising up to the neck: If Assyria had come in upon Judah like a torrent, God would sweep over them: Isaiah 8:5-8

      2.     The Sieve;  It separates the true believer from the false: Am.9:9

      3.      The Bit;   Its purpose is to control and direct: Isaiah 37:29

•  The coming defeat of the Assyrians will be a foretaste of that final victory and just as the victory at the Red Sea was celebrated in song, so will his final victory be celebrated: Ex. 15:1-4
• His Arm recalls his promise to his people: Ex. 6:6
• Again, it comes swiftly without warning: 1Thes 5:2
• The voice that created can also destroy: Psalm 29:5-9
• Topheth: a region outside Jerusalem where children were sacrificed to Molech in the fire: 2 Kings 23:10

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                                         “Effective Grace”
                                           Isaiah 30:18-26

      Four Effects of God’s Grace:

1.       Compassion - He demonstrates compassion in his waiting!

•  Earlier Isaiah realizes that he must wait and trust:Is. 8:16-17
•  He can’t dispense grace without their recognition of their rebellion, but there is always a remnant who are waiting and trusting in the Lord as evidenced in Isaiah 8:16-17.
• To be given time to repent is a great mercy which should be grasped with profound gratitude: Romans 2:4
• God does not want anyone to parish: 2 Pet 3:8-9

2.       Comfort - He comforts through answered prayer.

•  After punishing Israel God will once again bless them:  Isaiah 40:2
• God’s judgment is tempered by grace and ultimately fulfilled through the cross of Christ: Col. 1:21-22

3.        Clarity - He is recognized as their teacher.

•  Because of judgment their eyes and ears will be opened to what it is he has been trying to say: Isaiah 26:9
• God’s Spirit will guide us: John 16:13
• We are defined by who we follow: Rom 8:14
• The casting away of idols is the natural consequence of a vibrant relationship with God; For idols speak of divided loyalties: Ex. 20:3

4.       Covenant Blessing Restored

•  If chapter 1 refers to the devastation caused by Assyria's invasion, this present passage refers to the restored covenant blessing promised in  Dt. 28:11-12
•  Remember first comes Judgment and then the blessing: Isaiah 1:7
• The outpouring of creation’s bounty speaks, of the end of sin and the curse and of the return Eden: Amos 9:13
• When the towers of Judah’s pride are smashed, she may expect a new era of unbelievable fruitfulness: Isaiah 2:12-17
• Instead of the darkness of despair, uncertainty and sin, and the misery of the pains resulting from running into God in the darkness, there will be perfect clarity  and the tender ministry of the Father bandaging our  wounds and bruises: Isaiah 60:19-20

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• The purpose of the writing is of great importance to the interpretation. The written material was to stand as an eternal witness about the days to come.
• Its chief value was not for the present deaf generation but for the next generation: Isaiah 8:16
• Even the New Testament uses the failures of God’s people for our benefit: 1 Cor 10:1-6
• Notice, Isaiah as well as the Apostle Paul strongly emphasizes its everlasting value: 2 Tim 3:16-17
• They are in rebellion against their Father: Isaiah 30:1
•  Isaiah’s message did as God predicted.  It had the effect of blinding and deafening them because they refused to hear or see what contradicted their wishes: Isaiah 6:9-10

       Here he recounts the three strikes against them:

       1.    Rejection of the Message

       2.    Oppression:  Especially in Domestic Policy: Isaiah 29:21  

       3.    Deceit:  Especially in Foreign Policy:   Isaiah  29:15

       This impending disaster is described in two figures, both of them indicate suddenness                and  totality:

       1.     Collapsing Wall:  Instead of the wall assuring their safety and prosperity, it will                                   collapse on them.

       2.     Smashed Jug:  This double figure of brokenness stresses both  suddenness and
                completeness.

• The NT also picks up the same kind of warning about the final judgment:  1 Pet 3:8-10

      The Prescription: 

       1.    Repentance & Rest: The active pathway back to the Lord: Isaiah 1:27

• This will bring them rest or peace in the Lord: Isaiah 26:3 

       2.   Quietness and Trust: 

•  God offers himself and they choose horses: Ps. 33:17
• Nevertheless, God gives them hope: Isaiah 5:25-26
• The end game is always redemption: Isaiah 17:6

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        Two Acts of Rebelliousness:

1.          Human Plans instead of Divine Help - vs. 1-5

•   While there are political overtones in this text, the primary reference here is to rebellion against God.
• This is clear from the word children (literally, sons) which points at once to the special relationship between the Lord and those who are addressed here: Isaiah 1:2
• Their determination to rebel against Assyria (with Egyptian support) is the political expression of a rebelliousness which runs far deeper: Isaiah 28:15 Remember, Israel was delivered from Egypt and to go to them for help was a blatant act of rebellion against the Fathers Lordship:  Dt. 17:16
•  Instead of confessing our sin, we compound it:2 Pet 2:14
• They did not consult with the Prophet of God because they wanted to do it their way: Mark 14:36
• They had exchanged the large shadow of the Almighty for the small shade of the Egyptian Pharaoh: Psalm 91:1
• The words shame and disgrace are synonymous.  They place more emphasis on ‘reaping shame’, than on ‘feeling embarrassed’.   Shame is the result of  the mistrust of God!

2.          Foolishly Risking all for the help of Humans - vs. 6-7

•  Ironically, they are retracing the Exodus: Dt. 8:15
•  They are trusting man instead of God: Isaiah 2:22
• Isn’t that just what we do?
•  Rahab is a poetic name for Egypt: Psalm 87:4
•  Rahab is the sea monster (Dragon) of popular legend.  She is the ancient chaotic Matter against whom the gods struggle for survival. It is a metaphor for the struggle against chaos: Job 26:12
•  God always overcomes chaos!
• The future for Ancient Israel looked grim; one day there would be nothing left of the rebel’s grand plan; Jerusalem itself would stand isolated and under siege: Isaiah 1:8
• Peter addresses the Rebellious Children: Acts 2:36-39

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                        “Spiritual Transformation”
                                     Isaiah 29:15-24

       Three Kinds of Transformation:

1.   The Subverting of Reason - vs. 15-16

• They have lost their faith (trust) in YHWH.
• They have become fools: Psalm 14:1
• They have upside down thinking: Isaiah 5:20

              They deny three facts about God:
      1.) His Distinctiveness (He is not like the clay)

• Unlike hand-made god’s, Israel’s God is the real deal: Isaiah 17:7-8

      2)  His Sovereignty (He did not make me!)

• As the creator of the world, God has a right to choose its direction: Rom 9:20-21

     3) His Wisdom (You know nothing).

• God has all the answers in the Scriptures: 2 Tim 3:16-17

2.    The Coming World Renewal - vs. 17-21

• In verses 17-21, God promises some overturning of his own; there will be a complete reversal of the present situation.
•  Even the seemingly ordered creation is out of wack and needs to be put back to the correct order: Rom 8:19-22
•  Let us not forget the self-imposed blindness that God has heightened:  Is. 29:9-11

          Three kinds of corrupt leaders:
         1)  The ruthless
         2)  The scoffer
        3)  All who have an eye for evil 

          Corrupt Leaders corrupt the Legal system in Three ways:

          1)  False Testimony: False witness 
          2)  Tampering: Bent Lawyer
          3)  Depriving the innocent of Justice: Corrupt Judge

• When values decline in society the legal system is not immune: Amos 2:6-8

3.   The Changed Fortune of Jacob - vs. 22-24

•  As Israel was delivered out of Egypt, so Abraham also was delivered out of the pagan world: Gen 12:1

        There are two aspects of the individuals transformation:
        1)  They will experience Steadiness of life through the Spirit of God.
        2)  They will be Teachable

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• At his inauguration Isaiah was warned that he was called to a prophetic office at a crisis point:  Isaiah 6:9-10

            Three Facts about Spiritual Blindness:

1.         Spiritual Blindness is a Choice

•  They were literally drunk in: Isaiah 28:7-8
• Now, it is figurative, a spiritual stupor.
• If you refuse to listen to God today, you may be unable to hear him tomorrow.      Hebrews 4:6-7 

2.        Spiritual Blindness is Part of God’s Judgment

• Interestingly enough it is not the priests who are chiefly to blame for the blindness of the people; it is those who had access to God--the prophets and the seers:1 Sam 9:9
• Paul’s message escaped the grasp of the Philosophical elite: Acts 17:32-34
• The sheep are without shepherds:  Mt 9:36

3.         Spiritual Blindness leads to Manipulative Religion

•  Manipulative religion is the very worst kind of pride because it attempts to make God our servant instead of recognizing that we are his servant
• This verse is quoted in part by Jesus to show the hypocrisy of the Pharisees: Mt. 15:8-9
• God will do a wonder that will destroy the wisdom and intellectualism of the world: Jeremiah 8:9
• True wisdom recognizes that the meaning of life is to be open to God, to give him freedom with us, and to live in radical trust of him:  1Cor 1:18-21

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                                                     “Chastisement & Deliverance”
                                                                      Isaiah 29:1-8

           Two Sections:

1.        Chastisement - vs. 1-4  (Rebuke)

• Jerusalem prided herself on her pure worship as opposed to idolatrous Samaria, but in fact pure worship does not replace a pure heart, and the very source of her pride was her downfall: Isaiah 1:13-14  ‘Worthless Worship’
• The Lord is going to light another kind of fire in Jerusalem; the fire of judgment, and when he does so the entire city will be like one vast blazing altar hearth: Isaiah 4:4
• If we treat lightly the sacrifice God has made available, then we ourselves become the sacrifice; we will then carry the burden of our sin: Hebrews 10:26-27
• We all sin/point in time: 1John 1:8-10
• The Hebrews writer is talking about life-style sin:1Jn 3:6
• Back to Basics: Walking in the Light (episode 2)
• Whisper was used by mediums and spiritists: Isaiah 8:19
• Judah speaks as from the realm of the dead--so much for their covenant with death:  Isaiah 28:15

2. Deliverance   -  Vs. 5-8  (Always the End Game or Goal)

•  Because of our fear of humanity, God becomes less and less significant for us.  The fact remains that it is God who is the real threat.  His instant judgment reduces the human factor to its appropriate place: Psalm 56:4
• The weighty, powerful enemies are in fact no more substantial than powder or wind-driven chaff.
•  There was no actual noise or upheaval when God suddenly defeated the Assyrians:  Isaiah 37:36-37
• What a relief it was to wake up and discover it was not so.  It must have seemed that way when Sennacherib was suddenly gone from outside the city: Is 37:36-37
• Who hasn’t dreamed of satisfaction only to awaken to wanting?
•  But we will not be wanting on that last morning when we awake to the knowledge that once and for all we are truly awake, forevermore with Him: 1 Thes 4:16-17

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