Isaiah 2
OGCEXAMINATION, Chapter S ONE THROUGH SIX
ASSOCIATION
(Associate the persons or events of column one with the correct person or event of column two. Some of column two are incorrect.)
1
2
Amoz
brother
Zion
Lebanon
plowshares pruning hooks daughters of Zion
eyes coal Hezekiah
ox
mountain of the Lord
ass
unclean
hands
owner
cedars
Sheol
Song Uzziah
died haughty
altar
father
lips
spears full of blood
crib
vineyard Holy One of Israel swords
MEMORIZATION
Come now, and let us ______ together, saith Jehovah: though your _____ be as ______, they shall be as ______ as ______, though they be red like ______, they shall be as ______ If ye be ______ and _____, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and ________, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of ______ hath spoken it. Isaiah 1:18-20. Then flew one of the ______ unto me, having a live ______ in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the ______: and he touched my _____ with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy ______; and thine _____ is taken away, and thy sin forgiven. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, _____ shall I _____, and who will ______ for us? Then I said, _________________; ________. Isaiah 6:6-8
EXPLANATION
Explain the meaning of God asking man to reason together with Him. Isaiah 1:18-20
Explain how the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains. Isaiah 2:1-4
Explain how Israel was like a vineyard planted on a hill. Isaiah 5:1-7
APPLICATION
(In its context every scripture has one meaningthe author’s intended meaning. How may the following be applied in the believer’s life?)
How may God’s refusal to accept Israel’s sacrifices and refusal to hear their prayers be applied to God’s people today? Isaiah 1:10-17
How may the idea of beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks be applied in the New Testament church? Isaiah 2:1-4
How may the Christian apply Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the temple? Isaiah 6:1-13
SPECIAL STUDY
THE PROPHETMAN, MESSAGE, MEDIUM by John D. Pommert THE MAN
I.
Names and designations for the prophet.
The O. T. Prophets are called by many names and referred to in several ways each indicating something of the character of the man or the nature of his message.
Man of God Deuteronomy 33:1; 1 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 12:22; 1 Kings 13:5; 2 Kings 5:14; Jeremiah 35:4; 2 Chronicles 8:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 3:17. This name indicates the moral character of the prophet and the ethical quality of his message. (Cf. the N. T. designation holy prophetsLuk 1:70; Acts 3:21; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21).
Servants of God 1 Chronicles 6:49; 1 Kings 14:18; 1 Kings 18:36; 2 Kings 9:7; 2 Kings 14:25; Titus 1:1. Similar to the above but indicating a serving status.
Messenger of Jehovah Isaiah 42:19; Isaiah 44:26; Isaiah 6:9; Jeremiah 26:12-15; Ezekiel 21:1-10; Jeremiah 20:7. An emphasis upon the teaching or preaching function.
Interpreter Isaiah 43:27; Cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21. These men explained as well as announced the message.
Man of Spirit Hosea 9:7 Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 4:10; Acts 26:24; Micah 3:8 (also translated fool, mad, or wind indicating the people’s opinion of this speaker of strange words).
Watchman Ezekiel 3:17. He is to the people spiritually what the watchman on the tower is to the city physically. Both have important functions; both are responsible for the message; both are to be believed by the people.
Seer 1 Chronicles 29:29; 1 Samuel 9:9. He was a man of insight moved by the Spirit of God to see what others could not.
Prophet Exodus 7:1-2 etc. The most common term used indicating one who speaks for anotherin this case, one who speaks forth for God. Again, a special relationship to God is indicated by this term.
Sons of the Prophets 1 Kings 20:35; 2 Kings 2:3-15; 2 Kings 4:1; 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 5:22; 2 Kings 6:1-7; 1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20. Indicating that the prophets were not holy ascetics but men who trained others to carry on their work.1
II.
Personality of the prophets.
What type of men were these holy prophets? Clovis Chappell summarizes them as follows: (1) humanthey had the same feelings and frailties of other menthey were not angels or superhuman creatures; (2) men of insightwho could see (by aid of the Holy Spirit) God’s meanings in daily events; (3) individualistseach has his own peculiarities and personality which refused compromise; (4) fiery zealotsmen who did not preach a Believe-what-you-want message but with a Thus-saith-the-Lord authority and urgency; (5) unpopular menwho endured fire and sword and death because they refused to compromise their message (Hebrews 11).2 Too often we make these men something other than men whom God used. They were holy men, dynamic men, inspired men, courageous men, but MEN!
III.
MARKS of a Prophet
Kyle Yates shows us a different side of these men when he outlines the marks of a prophet.3 He sees the prophet to differ from other men in: (1) his uncompromising individuality; (2) his consciousness of his divine call to be a mouthpiece for God; (3) his awareness of his privileged access to the inner counsel of God; (4) his boldness expressed in action and not just theory-he always commands attention; (5) his awareness of God’s authority and backing in every emergency even when he is a lone man against a mob; (6) his prayer life and communion with God which often results in a separation from men; (7) his cleanness of life and holy moral character (none of the genuine prophets receive even a breath of scandal concerning moral lapses); (8) his outspoken and fearless criticism of social evils; (9) his ability to foresee and reveal the future.
IV.
Social Position and Background of the Prophets
Brant Lee Doty has an interesting two paragraphs about the backgrounds of these men when he writes:
God used a most heterogeneous selection of men for this purpose. Some were of royal blood, while others knew poverty and the hard life of farm or field. Some began their labors while yet virtually children, whereas others did not step fully into the position until well advanced in years. A few probably knew personal wealth, but the great majority were of humble, lowly background. Regardless of these factors of age or wealth or station, the messages came from God and must be delivered fearlessly.
The prophets were not trained by some standardized procedure. Some were called instantly from their occupations, perhaps without prior hint of their selection. Some spent a part of their lives in schools introduced by the time of Samuel (1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20). They learned from the compounded, wisdom of earlier men, with special attention to a full mastery of the laws of God, preparing their hearts in anticipation of the call from heaven, and springing to their tasks when this call clearly came.4
V.
Comparison to Modern Day Preachers
Some have compared the prophets to modern day preachers who also preach the Word of God. However, there are several differencesmainly that the prophet’s message was directed by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) whereas the present day preacher can claim no special guidance. The preacher has a regular congregation and receives a set salary while the prophet was not called by the people, did not preach regularly to the same group, and did not receive any pay. The preacher is under the authority of an eldership while the prophet was answerable only to God. The preacher plans his preaching and can even announce his text in advance; the prophet spoke at odd times and in odd places. The preacher spoke in a religious context to religious people; the prophet usually spoke outside to whatever people were present. Other differences could be noted all indicating the apparent similarity of preacher and prophet to be only in a few particulars.5
VI.
A Summing Up
To sum up the O. T. prophet, we should think of him as a ``holy man (i.e., one set apart with a special mission) speaking a message from God to an impenitent people. His message was often indicative (Webster’s second definition of this wordpointing out, giving intimation or knowledge), sometimes predictive, but always productive (for God’s Word does not return unto Him void.)
THE MESSAGE
I.
The Context of the Message
The prophet always declared that his message was not his own but came from God. Young in My Servants the Prophets uses up four pages simply listing the declarations of Isaiah, Thus saith the Lord, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, etc. These men were convinced that the message they preached came from God. In fact, they were not always happy in their ministry nor with the responsibility to preach but were faithful to its delivery nonetheless (Cf. Jeremiah 15:16 ff; Jeremiah 20:7 ff; Ezekiel 3:3).
This message frequently contained predictions concerning future events, but the main burden of the message dealt with present evils and a call for immediate repentance. Harper’s Dictionary6 summed up the tension between today and tomorrow by noting, Though prophecy was primarily concerned with current situations, the prophets realized that tomorrow is inherent in today.
This gave rise to double-prophecya message which had relevance for those of that day as well as also foreshadowing a far distant event such as the return of Christ from Egypt.
II.
The Content of the Message
What, then, did these men preach? In terms of today they presented doctrine and duty. The doctrine had to do first of all and most of all with God. On the basis of what they believed about God, the prophets also dealt largely and boldly with ethics.7 The prophets came with a message but it was not a new message primarily for as Martin Buber notes,
Generally speaking, it is not a new teaching they advance, but they fashion its form to fit the changing historical situations and have different demands, and they perfect a teaching they have received but where is the beginning of this teaching?8
They always point back to the Mosaic law or the Abrahamic covenant as a basis for their preaching. God’s people have a special relationship to God and thus have certain obligations to Him and the world. When this call to repentance failed, they reached judgment, destruction, and hope. Halley summarizes the mission and message of the prophets under five heads: (1) To try to save the nation from idolatry and wickedness: (2) With little response, to announce impending destruction; (3) But to give hope in that a remnant will be saved; (4) From this remnant will come an influence that will change the world; (5) That Influence will be none other than the Son of David, Jesus.9
III.
The Style of The Message
The prophets employed the noblest characteristics of the Hebrew people (at least in the writing prophets) as they used the poetical forms of that day with its balanced statement, parallelisms, etc. This structure added a structural force to the meaning of their words. A message delivered in a striking and memorable way has greater impact than the same message sloppily given.
They used many types and symbols.
They found that dramatic approaches made the message more urgent.
IV.
The Audience
Primarily, the prophets preached to all people as exemplified by Amos in the marketplace.
Sometimes the message was directed to the king or higher authorities (Nathan, Jonah.)
It was not restricted to Jewish audiences but also extended to foreign peoples (Cf. Amos, Jonah, Obadiah).
The prophets made use of every circumstance be it a home (2 Kings 5:9), a wayside (1 Kings 20:38), in the court (2 Samuel 24:11), or in the temple (Amos 7:10 ff).10
THE MEDIUM
… To the prophet
The message came to the prophet in a variety of ways. Sometimes it came in a dream as with Joseph (Genesis 37). But the prophet knew that it was the voice of God and not just a bit of undigested mutton.
The message might come in a vision or a series of visions such as those Ezekiel received. The prophet understood these scenes as containing a revelation from God and was able to interpret these to the people.
The message seems to come directly to the prophet in most instances. The means are not described, but the prophet is sure that the message came from Jehovah (2 Peter 1:21). I found this comment from the Zondervan Pictorial Dictionary quite interesting:
The Biblical prophet must be distinguished from the, prohetes of Greeks. The latter really acted as an interpreter for the muses and the oracles. The prophets, however, were not interpreters. They uttered the actual words which God had given to them, without any modification or interpretation upon their part. The Bible itself gives an accurate description of the function of the true prophet, … and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him (Deuteronomy 18:18 b). The words are placed in the prophet’s mouth by God, i.e., they are revealed to the prophet, and then the prophet speaks unto the nation precisely what God has commanded him.11
… From the Prophet
The prophet received the message from God; he delivered this same message to the people.
The basic medium used was that of words, those verbal symbols of spirit meanings. Thus, the prophet was very concerned about delivering the exact word(s) of the Lord. (Remember Young’s emphasis upon the frequency of the thus saith the Lord in the prophets.) Rowley had a thought-provoking comment when he wrote, We should not forget that every prophetic word was believed to have a vitality within itself to work for its own fulfillment. (Cf. Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 55:10 f) The prophet’s word was not merely a forecast of the future. It was a living force which helped to mould the future.12 (Remember the early chapter of Genesis when God spoke and the worlds were created,)
But the prophet also spoke by symbolic action. Isaiah would walk naked and barefooted (Isaiah 20:3) as an object lesson to Israel; Jeremiah would bind a wooden yoke to his neck (Jeremiah 27:2) so that he could preach forecoming bondage for these hard-hearted people without saying a word; Hosea took a wife of whoredom to illustrate the love of God. Of course, the action in itself would not proclaim the messageit amplified the verbal one which preceded or attended it.
Some of the prophets put these messages into written form (Cf. Jeremiah and King Zedekiah); thus, they are able to speak to us today through these written forms.
We might even say that God spoke through the personality of the prophet himself (Hosea is a good example as he personifies the love of God as he lives his love for Gomer.)
Oftentimes the personality of the prophet even recedes completely into the background, and the speaker appears to be God Himself. Almost naturally, for example, one reads words such as I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins; return unto me; for I have redeemed thee (Isaiah 44:22). The usage of the personal pronoun in the first person clearly refers to God Himself. Nor is such a phenomenon unusual. It appears throughout the prophecy, and is interwoven naturally with the utterances which the prophet speaks forth as having been given to him by God.13
The godly patience of Jeremiah incarnates the patience of God as did no other until Jesus came. Noble men and great preachers who lived their messagethese were the prophets. Hebrews 11 well describes their faith, courage, and devotion concluding with this poignant statement, of whom the world was not worthy. A nobler group of men have not appearedbut the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest of all these. Praise God for a Christ Who can make the most insignificant Christian of greater import than the greatest of these great men. Greater than Jeremiahby what grace has He wrought it?
FOOTNOTES
Much of the foregoing was taken from Class Notes given by George M. Elliott at Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Cincinnati, O.
Clovis Chappell, And the Prophets, pp. 10-15. Abingdon Press, N.Y. 1946.
Kyle M. Yates, Preaching From the Prophets, pp 3, 4. Broadman Press, Nashville, Tenn. 1942.
Brant Lee Doty, Standard Bible Teacher and Leader, July, 1958. Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio.
David Freedman and James Smart, God Has Spoken, pp. 151, 152. Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pa. 1949.
Quoted by Jerry Phillips, Elements of the Prophetic Call, Christian Standard, August 10, 1968.
Andrew W. Blackwood, Preaching From Prophetic Books, pp. 16, 17. Abingdon-Cokesbury, N.Y. 1951.
Phillips, Ibid.
Homer Halley, The Pocket Bible Handbook, p. 251. Homer Halley, Chicago, Illinois, 1951.
H. H. Rowley, Prophecy and Religion In Ancient China and Israel, Chapter 1. Harper & Brothers, N.Y., 1956.
Merrill Tenney, ed., Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Prophet.
Rowley, Op. Cit., p. 13.
Edward Young, My Servants the Prophets, p. 175. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1965.
Isaiah 2:1-4
B. THE IMPLORING APPEAL - Chapter S 2 - 4 CHAPTER TWO
VISION OF THE COMING MESSIANIC AGE
THE LORD’S HOUSE ESTABLISHED
TEXT: Isaiah 2:1-4
1
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2
And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
4
And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
QUERIES
a.
When are the latter days?
b.
Who are the people of Isa 2:3?
c.
When will the cessation of war take place?
PARAPHRASE
And this is the message to Isaiah from the Lord concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the closing days of the Old Testament era the faithful people of God’s remnant will grow into a great and spectacular kingdom into which people from all the nations and races on the earth will come for membership. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, into this universal kingdom, saying, Let us join with this faithful remnant and learn of the One True God of Israel; He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths. Out of this Heavenly Community shall go forth the revealed will and word of God. And God, Himself, through His word will arbitrate between citizens of this new kingdom. Its citizens shall be people of peace and love and they will not fight against one another any more. All their activities and attributes will be directed toward fruitful and productive ends.
COMMENTS
Isaiah 2:1-2 THE TIME: In the latter days of Judah and Jerusalem as the exclusive covenant people of God. Latter days does not refer to the end of time or the Second Advent of Christ or the so-called millenium. The N.T. definitely and clearly applies the phrase latter days to that period of time which began to run its course with the first advent of Christ (Cf. Acts 2:17 with Joe 2:28; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:3 and 1 John 2:18). Literally the phrase is, the last parts of the days, and means, the end of the ages (Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11). So the Lord’s house is to be established in its glorified and pre-eminent state in the last parts of the days of the Jewish Dispensation. In these last days of Judah, Herod the Great was King and he was the first foreigner ever to be King over Judah. This is a fulfillment of Gen 49:10, The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh (Christ) come; and unto Him shall the obedience of the people be. It is not the present upon which the eyes of the Israelites are to be directed, but a time which is the end or goal of the contemporary course of events, when the Messiah will have come and the breach which sin had introduced between man and God will be healed (Cf. our comments in Daniel, College Press, chapter 9). The figure of Zion being exalted above the hills is significant. At the time when Isaiah spoke, the very reverse was the casemany other hills were higher than Zion (Cf. Psalms 68:16). The Temple in Isaiah’s day was situated on Zion, but the false gods had their mountains as well: the Captiol, Olympus, Albordash, Meru, and Zaphon. But Zion, which, in Isaiah’s day and up to Christ, was comparatively insignificant will one day surpass all others. Even Sinai, the mount of law, will recede into the background, for the new covenant is superior to the old. This is the meaning of Heb 12:18-24 where Sinai represents the old covenant and Zion represents the new covenant, or the church. See also Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44; Jeremiah 31:12 a; Jeremiah 51:44.
Isaiah 2:2 THE SCOPE: All peoples! No longer exclusively to the Jews. A constant accession of converts streaming, (flowing) from all parts of the world upward to God’s house. This high and pre-eminent mount (Zionthe church) is to serve as a unifying force for the whole world. It is to be a reversal of the dispersion (Babel). (Cf. Matthew 8:10-11; Luke 13:29; John 10:16; Acts 13:44-47, etc.).
Isaiah 2:3 THE NATURE: Enlightment! The law here is not the law of Moses for that went forth from Sinai. It is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It is the perfect law of liberty. It is the word of the Lord that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in Christ’s name beginning from Jerusalem (Cf. Luke 24:47). It will be missionary and evangelistic! Many people will go and say, Come ye. No national or racial boundaries. It will be didactic and doctrinal. Those who come to it will necessarily be taught His way. As a consequence of being taught, men will want to walk in God’s way. True doctrine places within one’s heart the desire to walk in the law of God. Truth leads to godliness, and when one has been truly instructed, he will want to do God’s will. One must be instructed first before he can walk in God’s way. Doctrine and ethics must go hand in hand. There can be no right obedience nor any right worship, until first one has learned of God (Cf. Hebrews 8:8-13; Acts 20:32; Titus 2:11-15; John 6:44-46). It is through the church that the manifold wisdom of God is to be declared (Ephesians 3:10). The church’s work is to produce a ministry for evangelizing and edifying (Ephesians 4:11-16). God’s Word is the only source and foundation of truth. Those who preach must preach the Word! This passage teaches that what unbelievers need above all else is teaching which is indoctrination. The missionary and evangelistic activity of the church must be doctrinal in character. The great need of the world is the preaching of revealed absolutes (restrictive and difficult though it may be). The world does not need speculative and theoretical philosophies and theologies of men. There will be some who will reject His Way (Cf. Jeremiah 6:16-21; Isaiah 42:24; Acts 9:2, etc.).
Isaiah 2:4 THE RESULTS: Peace! is the result of this establishing of the Lord’s house. When men are brought into the kingdom of God, the church, they are brought to peacepeace with God and peace with their fellow citizens of the kingdom (Cf. Ephesians 2:11-22; Colossians 3:15; John 14:27; John 16:33; Acts 10:36; Romans 14:17, etc.). It does not necessarily demand the cessation of all literal human or physical war for the fulfillment of this prophecy. There will be war between human beings as long as there are unregenerate people. But if all men knew and did the will of God war would cease. Peace comes through knowing and doing (voluntarily, not by force) the will of God. There can not be war in the kingdom of God, the church, for it is recreated in the image of God and knows no man anymore after a human (unregenerate) point of view (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21). If the peace of Christ rules in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), this will arbitrate any disagreement we might have as Christians (Cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9 to 1 Corinthians 6:8). The Christian, if possible, so far as it depends upon him, must live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18). When the exalted, universal house of the Lord is established and people are so taught His Way that they want to walk in it, the result will be peace and productivity. The instruments of their bodies, the talents they have, formerly used for unrighteousness, will now be beaten into plowshares and pruning hooks and used for productive profitable ends (glorifying God and serving others) (Cf. Romans 6:12-23).
QUIZ
When (latter days) is the Lord’s house to be established?
Cite two scriptures to show that Mount Zion is typical or prophetic of the church in the N.T.
Who is to be included in the exalted house of the Lord?
What will be the essential nature of the establishing of this house?
What will be the result of it?
Isaiah 2:5-9
THE VIOLENCE OF CORRUPTION AND JUDGMENT Isaiah 2:5-22
a. LIGHT UPON THE DARKNESS
TEXT: Isaiah 2:5-9
5
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.
6
For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
7
And their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.
8
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
9
And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is brought low: therefore forgive them not.
QUERIES
a.
What is wrong with the customs of the east?
b.
What is striking hands?
c. Who is the mean man?
PARAPHRASE
If the nations are going to seek to walk in His ways, O house of Jacob, then, come, let us walk in the light of Jehovah also! But, thou O Jehovah, hast withdrawn thy mercy from the house of Jacob because they are filled with the superstition and idolatry of the eastern peoples and God’s sons have become like a nation of uncircumcised Philistines; they reject their own godly heritage to fraternize with foreign unbelievers and their pagan life. They have become money mad and filled the land with the machinery of war. More heinous than that, however, is their inordinate, insatiable hunger to practice idolatrythe land is filled with idols. The common men and the great men all bow down before things they have invented with their own hands. Do not forgive them, O lord!
COMMENTS
Isaiah 2:5 THE APPEAL TO WALK IN THE LIGHT: In view of the vision which has just preceded this of the Gentiles voluntarily coming to walk in the ways of Jehovah, Isaiah attempts to provoke the house of Jacob to seek His ways. To walk in the light of Jehovah they would have to give up all their materialism and idolatry.
Isaiah 2:6 GOD HAS FORSAKEN THEM: This does not mean God would not turn and heal them should they repent, but it means He must forsake them as long as they forsake Him. If they will not have Him, He cannot have them. They are granted the freedom to choose whom they will servethey chose the pagan superstition and idolatry of their eastern neighbors (Syrians, Assyrians, Ammonites, Babylonians, etc.) Striking hands (literally, to clap hands with) means to fraternize with, approve or associate with to the extent of cooperation, indulgence appropriation. It is not wrong in itself to be found in the midst of foreigners or sinners, but to participate in their sin is what the house of Jacob was doing and this is a rejection of Him. Judah was filled with heathen customs of all kinds: animism, sexual sins, human sacrifices, divination, etc. (Cf. Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10). It was not that God did not want themthey did not want God!
Isaiah 2:7 MATERIALISM: In the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 17:17) the king was forbidden to multiply silver and gold, for these would tend toward an indulgent and profligate life. Those who possess much silver and gold generally are never satisfied with what they have but always seek to procure more (Cf. 1 Chronicles 29:4; 2 Chronicles 8:18; 2 Chronicles 9:10). It is not the silver and gold in themselves which are condemned, but the filling of the land with themthey were money mad! When God’s people are filled with the fullness which the world offers, they are empty toward God (Cf. Luke 12:21). God’s people should be filled with those things in which the world is empty (Cf. Ephesians 5:18). They also filled their land with the machinery of warhorses and chariots. A standing army for the purpose of self defense is not wrong and is even advocated specifically in the O.T. and in principle in the N.T. But multiplying a military-industrial complex inevitably leads men to trust more in their own power than in God. The multiplication of horses and chariots was another prohibition of the Mosaic law for kings (Deuteronomy 17:17). The military might of a nation can be made into an idol by proud and vain men (Nazi Germany, Communist Russia and China, Roman Empire, etc.).
Isaiah 2:8 IDOLATRY: Generally speaking, it can be established that there was no national idolatry under Uzziah and Jotham. But by the time of Ahaz, there had been such a wide practice of private idolatry by the people, it had become a national policy. Ahaz promoted it personally. Showing the stupidity of idolatry is one of Isaiah’s recurring themes (Cf. Isaiah 40:18-31; Isaiah 41:21-29; Isaiah 44:9-20, etc.). The utter stupidity of bowing down and worshipping and asking help from a figurine which owes its existence to the one bowing down should be manifest to any intelligent being. Then to receive no utterance or oracle from a block of wood or granite should convince the idolator of his folly, (Cf. Acts 17:22-31). But men have continued for nearly as long as the world has existed to prostitute themselves to objects fashioned by their own hands, or the hands of others, and called them gods,
Isaiah 2:9 DEGRADATION: All classes of men are brought low and degraded as a result of Judah’s sin, Two Hebrew words for man are used hereadam, the general word or mean word for man (common mankind), and ish, the word for men of importance. All men, high and low, educated and uneducated, rich and poor, are bowing themselves before idols. It is a national disease. Therefore, the prophet commands (imperative), forgive them not. Isaiah asks that his message be vindicatedGod is asked to withhold His forgiveness so long as Judah remains in stubborn rebellion and idolatry. This is what Isaiah proclaimednow God will establish the truth of what Isaiah preached.
QUERIES
Upon what basis does the prophet exhort Jacob to walk in the light of God?
When does God forsake His people?
What is striking of hands?
Why did God forbid the accumulation of silver and gold?
Why did God forbid the accumulation of horses and chariots?
Why is idolatry stupid?
How extensive was idolatry in Judah at this time?
Isaiah 2:10-22
b. LOSS OF DIGNITY
TEXT: Isaiah 2:10-22
10
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty.
11
The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.
12
For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low;
13
and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
14
and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
15
and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall,
16
and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery.
17
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.
18
And the idols shall utterly pass away.
19
And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
20
In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
21
to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
22
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?
QUERIES
a.
Why command the sinful people to try to hide from God?
b.
Why does God bring His wrath upon nature and things?
c.
What does cease ye from man. mean?
PARAPHRASE
There is only one recourse left to you, Come, crawl into the depressions in the rocks or holes in the earth and try to hide from the terror and majesty of Jehovah’s inexorable judgment. For the day is coming when your proud looks will be turned into looks of terror and shame and God alone will be exalted. On that day the Lord of Hosts will act against the proud and haughty and bring them down into the dust. All the tall cedars of Lebanon and the mighty oaks of Bashan which you admire and feel secure about will bend low. All the high mountains and hills, and every military tower and fortified wall, and all the proud ocean ships which bring you commercial treasure and all the trim pleasure craft which you enjoy soall shall be crushed before the Lord that day. All the glory of mankind will bow low; the pride of men will lie impotent in the dust, and the Lord alone shall be exalted. Finally, idolatry shall be utterly abolished and destroyed. When the Lord stands up from His throne to shake the earth, His enemies will crawl with fear into the holes in the rocks and into the caves because of the glory of His majesty. Then will be the time when they will at last abandon their gold and silver idols to the moles and bats, and crawl into the caverns to hide among the jagged rocks at the tops of the cliffs to try to get away from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty when He rises to terrify the earth. Quit placing your confidence for salvation in puny man! Man’s life is extremely transitory! He is nothing compared to God!
COMMENTS
Isaiah 2:10-11 TERROR OF JEHOVAH: In view of the sin of Judah and the inexorable judgment of God because of it, Judah’s only recourse is to attempt to hide from God in the limestone rocks of Palestine which are filled with crevices in which people often took cover from threatened danger (Cf. Judges 6:2; 1 Samuel 13:6, etc.). Of course, it is impossible for man to hide from God. But Isaiah is emphasizing that the time for repentance is pastthe only hope for Judah (which is no hope at all) is to try to hide. This is the judgment which is to come upon Judah in the devastation of the Babylonian captivities, but it typifies and foreshadows the final judgment of God (Cf. Revelation 6:15-17; and our Special Study on The Day of the Lord in Minor Prophets, College Press). The appearance of Jehovah in judgment is both glorious and terrible at the same time! God’s glory is manifested in His judgment as well as in His grace! Isaiah’s appeal to the fear of God’s judgment as a motive in preaching runs contrary to most modern psychological theories which assert that it is wrong to use fear as a motive in preaching and teaching. How different God’s methods! Judgment is set before sinful men as a terrible reality! Men must turn from sin if they are to escape such judgment. This is the only motive that will prevail with rebellious sinners. The only way to run from God is to run to Him!
Isaiah 2:12-17 MAN, AND HIS PRIDE BROUGHT LOW: Isaiah announces the judgment of God upon a number of objects in which man had placed his confidence. The cedars of Lebanonused in the Temple (1 Kings 5:6); for masts of ships (Ezekiel 27:5); as a symbol of beauty (Jeremiah 22:6; Zechariah 11:1 ff); particularly admired by Jews (Cf. Psalms 92:12; Psalms 104:16; Ezekiel 31:3). Because of man’s sin, even the great and beautiful things of creation will suffer His judgment. Things created by man’s handhis buildings for wealth, show and fortification will never survive the judgment of God. One only has to read the notes of archaeologists to verify this statement. The greatest fortifications that the mind of man can devise and the hand of man can build can be destroyed by the least, most insignificant handiwork of God. God is able to direct and send the smallest insect to ruin and make helpless the most complex electronic defense instrument ever devised by man! God can shake the tallest and thickest wall or bridge or sky-scraper to rubble and dust through an earthquake. Objects which bring to man the necessities and luxuries of lifeships of commerce from Tarshish which was a critical lifeline of the nation of Judah would be cut off. Also the ships of pleasure which the rich people of Judah used for selfish pleasure would be destroyed. Isaiah 2:11; Isaiah 2:17, beginning and ending of specifying judgments, emphasize that God’s eye of judgment is upon the evil of man and not on things. Man’s sin has perverted the object and the objects have become a cause of man’s sin and so God will remove the cause.
Isaiah 2:18-21 IDOLATRY TO BE DESTROYED: When God begins to act in judgment, the impotence of their idols and their own stupidity in trusting in them will be so evident the people will cast them away in shame. Also, the people will be so intent upon escaping during these terrible times they will consider their idols only hindrances, encumbering their attempts to escape, and they will leave them behind for the heathen to carry off as booty. The destruction of idols is mentioned last because idolatry is the root sin that causes all the rest. Covetousness (the desire to have more) is called idolatry in the N.T. The captives destroyed forever the practice of idolatry among the Jews.
Isaiah 2:22 TRUST IN MAN TO BE DESTROYED: Trust in idolatry is, in a sense, trust in man himself, for the idols are the products of his ingenuity and creative powers. But any trust in any man for salvation of the soul, for redemption is to be stopped! Man’s knowledge, limited by the finitude of his being, is not only unable to extricate him from his predicament, but when trusted in to the exclusion of God, buries man deeper and deeper in his own predicamentignorance and immorality. Man’s life is extremely transitory (Cf. Psalms 146:3-4; Psalms 118:8; Psalms 104:29; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalms 33:10; James 4:13-17, etc.). What can man do against the wrath of God? The answer is: Nothing! Man without God is lost!
QUERIES
Why would Isaiah direct men to try the impossiblehide from God?
Is an appeal to fear God a proper avenue of motivation?
Why will God bring His wrath upon the objects of creation as well as persons?
Why would the people of Judah cast away their idols?
Why not trust in man?