Isaiah, Chapter 48

I know a little something about being stubborn. It may take me awhile to make up my mind about something, but once I do, it is very hard for me to change my mind. Chapter 48 of Isaiah deals with that stubbornness as it pertains to the nation of Israel. In this chapter, the prophet Isaiah points out to the people of Israel that they are being warned in advance of what is coming. If you remember our discussion on the timeframe of these late chapters, you will see that this warning against the Babylonian exile was given well in advance as it was happening. The opening verses of this chapter deal with this warning.

1 "Listen to this, O house of Jacob,
       you who are called by the name of Israel
       and come from the line of Judah,
       you who take oaths in the name of the LORD
       and invoke the God of Israel—
       but not in truth or righteousness-

 2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city
       and rely on the God of Israel—
       the LORD Almighty is his name:

 3 I foretold the former things long ago,
       my mouth announced them and I made them known;
       then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

 4 For I knew how stubborn you were;
       the sinews of your neck were iron,
       your forehead was bronze.

 5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
       before they happened I announced them to you
       so that you could not say,
       'My idols did them;
       my wooden image and metal god ordained them.' – Isaiah 48:1-5

Basically, Isaiah is saying here that the people of Israel had no excuse for their actions. God told them in advance what was going to happen, not only when it comes to the Exile, but to other things. By the time these things would actually happen, God made it clear he had told them in advance so they could not attribute those actions to someone or something else. This left the people of Israel little doubt that God was in control of all things. It is important to remember here that we are dealing with a very detailed prophesy of the Babylonian exile centuries before it actually happened. By the time it happened, the people of Israel would have little doubt God "called His shot" so to speak, and even King Hezekiah recognized this prophesy back in chapter 39.

It is our human nature to be stubborn, and this warning against being stubborn can carry over to us as believers. There have been numerous times in my life where I have been warned about my actions, but I have continued along that path even though I knew there would be consequences in the future. This is a case of me being "stubborn with a forehead made of bronze," and I have run that bronze forehead directly into a wall before I got the point.

9 For my own name's sake I delay my wrath;
       for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
       so as not to cut you off.

 10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
       I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
       How can I let myself be defamed?
       I will not yield my glory to another. – Isaiah 48:9-11

This is a beautiful passage because it points out the basis for all this testing and affliction. God does not want us to worship Him as mindless drones who worship Him simply because we have not. Instead, He has us face trials so that we can see the glory in His actions. It is a test we must pass that makes us stronger spiritually. God does this so that we see His glory, not our own. Verse 11 here even states that God cannot let His name be defamed, and He will not yield that glory to another. This includes claiming His glory for ourselves. We remember that we are refined and glorified through Christ and Christ alone, who is God in His own right.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How do you combat your own stubborn nature?
   
2. What tests do you face as you are refined?
   
3. Why would Israel still be stubborn in the face of these words?

Isaiah, Chapter 47

Chapter 47 of Isaiah takes on an interesting tone as Isaiah appears to be openly mocking Babylon for what is to come. I find this interesting because it is not usually God's style to be mocking. We have seen numerous times throughout the New Testament that God is ultimately merciful. He does not delight in punishing people. Still, He is a God of discipline as we know from Isaiah here. While he does not delight in causing pain, in His mercy he will use His hand of correction in order to guide us when we lose our way.

We see part of that in this chapter. God is certainly not a fan of those that are prideful, and at the time Babylon was one of the most proud nations on earth. They felt they were invincible, and Isaiah uses the comparison to a virgin daughter to show this. Here we see this virgin daughter as a pampered princess in a palace that always gets her way. This can also be seen if you turn on MTV and watch My Super Sweet 16, but we're not going to get into that today. The leaders of Babylon were proud of their accomplishments, but that pride would be their downfall.

 5 "Sit in silence, go into darkness,
       Daughter of the Babylonians;
       no more will you be called
       queen of kingdoms.

 6 I was angry with my people
       and desecrated my inheritance;
       I gave them into your hand,
       and you showed them no mercy.
       Even on the aged
       you laid a very heavy yoke.

 7 You said, 'I will continue forever—
       the eternal queen!'
       But you did not consider these things
       or reflect on what might happen.

 8 "Now then, listen, you wanton creature,
       lounging in your security
       and saying to yourself,
       'I am, and there is none besides me.
       I will never be a widow
       or suffer the loss of children.'

 9 Both of these will overtake you
       in a moment, on a single day:
       loss of children and widowhood.
       They will come upon you in full measure,
       in spite of your many sorceries
       and all your potent spells. – Isaiah 47:5-9

These five verses illustrate both God's mercy through discipline and His desire for justice. His desire for justice comes from the fact that Babylon never recognized him, and in fact had openly flaunted His authority. Still, God's mercy through discipline comes through because God used the nation of Babylon to discipline Israel. Unlike Babylon, Israel recognized God's power at one time and had turned away from Him. God was angry with Israel for turning away from Him, but He still loved them.

13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!
       Let your astrologers come forward,
       those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
       let them save you from what is coming upon you.

 14 Surely they are like stubble;
       the fire will burn them up.
       They cannot even save themselves
       from the power of the flame.
       Here are no coals to warm anyone;
       here is no fire to sit by. – Isaiah 47:13-14

I found these couple of verses interesting because of how they deal with astrology. Personally, I don't understand how any sane, thinking person can believe that looking at stars will tell the future. The heavens are a wondrous creation, and when I look at the stars on a clear night I marvel at God's power to create and control something so vast. The fact he can make everything dance in such harmony in the midst of chaos is incredible. Still, there is little meaning other than that behind them.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Are there times when you doubt God's love?
   
2. Could God have disciplined Israel in other ways that would have been as effective?
   
3. What are your thoughts on Astrology?

Isaiah, Chapter 46

I wanted to interject on a personal note first that this week has been an absolutely amazing week in terms of God revealing his word to me here in Isaiah. It has been incredible to see how documented history has interacted with the actual Word of God. We will see more of that today in Isaiah, chapter 46 as the prophet continues talk about the impending Babylonian exile. Today's passage focuses once again on the weakness of the Babylonian gods and how they were powerless to do anything in the face of God. It is another prophetic vision involving Cyrus the Great and how God used him to accomplish his aims as well. There is an interesting note I found about this that helps give credence to the theory that Isaiah wrote this section. Cyrus the Great is referred to as a bird of prey in this prophetic writing. It is documented that he had an Eagle depicted on a royal banner, so it could have been one of the visions Isaiah saw.

5 "To whom will you compare me or count me equal?
       To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?

 6 Some pour out gold from their bags
       and weigh out silver on the scales;
       they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god,
       and they bow down and worship it.

 7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;
       they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
       From that spot it cannot move.
       Though one cries out to it, it does not answer;
       it cannot save him from his troubles.

 8 "Remember this, fix it in mind,
       take it to heart, you rebels.

 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
       I am God, and there is no other;
       I am God, and there is none like me. – Isaiah 46:5-9

Wednesday's writing on chapter 44 took on a very similar message to this. In both cases it is not so much the physical objects that we have in our lives, but the importance that we attach to them that makes them false gods. There is a certain amount of absurdity in attaching godly characteristics to something that is manmade. That is what the Babylonians are guilty of here and it is the cause of their downfall. Idols are not limited to physical objects either, as they can be anyone or anything that becomes more important to us than God.

A disturbing example occurred earlier this week when LeBron James had a great night for the Cleveland Caveliers. James scored 50 points, had 10 assists, and 8 rebounds in an all-around incredible game, but what was disturbing was the actions of a fan near the end of the game. A fan came on the court and risked arrest and prosecution just to talk to James and be his presence. One writer, Dan Shanoff, described the event as such:

(Of course, the big night in Gotham prompted instant speculation about LeBron's fit as a future New York Knick or Brooklyn Net. The former is wishful thinking, the latter is quality conspiracy theory. LeBron laughed it off, as easily as he did the scary-but-not-really fan who ran on the court to touch King James' hem. Laugh ... for now.) – Dan Shanoff

To me, that is creepy about touching the hem of King James, and it is disturbing to attribute Christ-like characteristics to a mere basketball player. Isaiah 46 serves as a warning against such false idols because Babylon was a great society. They stood in the face of God, however, and were erased from the earth.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What are your thoughts on the LeBron James comparison?
   
2. How is Cyrus the Great a bird of prey?
   
3. What would Babylon think about this if they received a copy in advance?

Isaiah, Chapter 45

Chapter 45 of Isaiah is quite interesting. It is here that the author mentions Cyrus the Great by name and outlines his deeds in regards to freeing the people of Israel from Babylon's control. What make it so interesting is that Cyrus the Great lived from either 590 of 576 B.C. to about 529 B.C. Isaiah was born in the 8^th century B.C. and is believed to have died in 698 B.C. Since the Babylonian Exile ended in 537, B.C. we are presented with an interesting dilemma here. Obviously Isaiah could not personally witness an event that occurred 161 years after his own death. Still, this chapter is written almost like a historical account after the fact. This means either one of two things: either this part of the book of Isaiah was written by someone else, or it was written by Isaiah in a very specifically detailed prophetic vision. Both are clearly within God's power.

We do know that there was one prophet (Ezekiel) who wrote during the actual exile, but we have no indication that he had any input on this part of Isaiah's book. Ezra and Nehemiah also wrote their books around the time the Exile ended as well, but there is no indication they had input here. There are clearly two schools of thought in terms of the authorship of this second part of Isaiah's book, but because of the style of writing, I tend to believe this is a clearly prophetic vision revealed to Isaiah and written down. In that case, one can view it as a message of hope for those Israelites that were faithful to God during the time of the exile. They knew they were going to be delivered based on God's promises, so they had something to maintain their faith. It is clear that Isaiah wrote several prophecies about the life of Jesus in the first part of this book that we know were definitely written by him, so why wouldn't God clearly outline the role of Cyrus the Great?

1 "This is what the LORD says to his anointed,
       to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
       to subdue nations before him
       and to strip kings of their armor,
       to open doors before him
       so that gates will not be shut:

 2 I will go before you
       and will level the mountains;
       I will break down gates of bronze
       and cut through bars of iron.

 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness,
       riches stored in secret places,
       so that you may know that I am the LORD,
       the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
       of Israel my chosen,
       I summon you by name
       and bestow on you a title of honor,
       though you do not acknowledge me.

 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other;
       apart from me there is no God.
       I will strengthen you,
       though you have not acknowledged me, -- Isaiah 45:1-5

To me, this sounds more like prophetic writing that sets up the reign of Cyrus the Great before he even came to power. Though Cyrus did not follow God per se, he was still anointed by God for the purpose of freeing the exiles from Babylon. We know that when he conquered Babylon he also released the treasure of Israel back to the Israelites. When the Babylonians originally conquered Jerusalem, they also looted and destroyed the temple. In a magnanimous gesture, Cyrus chose not to horde these treasures for himself and the large empire he had built. He released them to the Israelites and allowed them to return home and rebuild the temple.

There is also an important lesson here in the area of works. Clearly Cyrus the Great accomplished great works by releasing the captives, allowing them to go home, and returning their treasures. Still, these works were not enough for his personal salvation. Verse four states this, as God and Israel honored him for his works though Cyrus did not acknowledge God. In this, we learn that it is important to do good works, but it is more important still to acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to salvation since he intervenes with God on our behalf.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. How is this still a message of hope today?
   
2. How does this allow us to overcome doubt in our own lives?
   
3. What signs do you see throughout this chapter that make it a a prophetic vision rather than a historical account?

Isaiah, Chapter 44

Chapter 44 of Isaiah certainly takes on a different tone than some of the previous chapters. Instead of providing a warning or speaking in prophetic tone the author takes a position in defense of God. He attacks the other gods and false idols of the day as he defends God's position of authority. Basically, our author is calling out the religions and idols of other people and showing them that their gods and idols were powerless in the face of God. He even goes as far as to use sarcasm to show just how ludicrous people were in worshipping idols.

10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
       which can profit him nothing?

 11 He and his kind will be put to shame;
       craftsmen are nothing but men.
       Let them all come together and take their stand;
       they will be brought down to terror and infamy.

 12 The blacksmith takes a tool
       and works with it in the coals;
       he shapes an idol with hammers,
       he forges it with the might of his arm.
       He gets hungry and loses his strength;
       he drinks no water and grows faint.

 13 The carpenter measures with a line
       and makes an outline with a marker;
       he roughs it out with chisels
       and marks it with compasses.
       He shapes it in the form of man,
       of man in all his glory,
       that it may dwell in a shrine.

 14 He cut down cedars,
       or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
       He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
       or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

 15 It is man's fuel for burning;
       some of it he takes and warms himself,
       he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
       But he also fashions a god and worships it;
       he makes an idol and bows down to it.

 16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
       over it he prepares his meal,
       he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
       He also warms himself and says,
       "Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."

 17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
       he bows down to it and worships.
       He prays to it and says,
       "Save me; you are my god." – Isaiah 44:11-17

This passage does a good job of putting the practice of idol worship into perspective. Basically, the author is saying here that worshipping the idol and turning to it for guidance is the same as turning to the material it is made of for guidance. Here the material in question is wood. Isaiah asked the absurd question of whether someone would turn to a block of wood for guidance or salvation. That is what happens when we worship idols because the idols themselves have no power. How absurd would we be if we worshipped a block of wood? This carries over to today when people place too much faith in physical objects. How different is this from placing too much significance in a crucifix, or a rosary, or a stone like the Kabba?

We also have the potential to make certain things in our lives idols or false gods. Idols don't necessarily have to be made out of wood or stone. They can be other things like money, sex, power, or anything else we place too much emphasis on. For example, in high school I would say I had basketball as a false idol. For three years from late October until late March it consumed everything I was. I only went to school because it allowed me to be on the basketball team. I savored going to practice and games more than anything. Because we were a very good team losses were few, but when we did lose it affected my mood for days, especially if it was a tournament loss. Even now I still feel this somewhat, as Purdue's loss to Ohio State ruined my good mood and still has me feeling down this morning. I have realized though that this is not everything. I realize that my true strength and what defines me comes from God, and that is what Isaiah is trying to teach us here.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What do you feel is your false God?
   
2. Is Isaiah's use of sarcasm here more powerful?
   
3. How is God like a rock when other idols fail?

Isaiah, Chapter 43

We have seen much punishment throughout our study of the book of Isaiah, but out of that punishment comes hope. Today that hope manifests itself as Isaiah outlines in chapter 43 Israel's need for a savior. We have seen allusions to Christ's coming before as we have gone through this book, but today's chapter deals exclusively with the coming of Christ - the first time, more than 800 years from the time these words were written. There are some that believe from chapter 40 forward the book of Isaiah was written by a different person around the time of the Babylonian exile, but even then it was still more than 550 years before Christ came.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.

6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-

7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made." – Isaiah 43:4-7

These four verses outline a beautiful promise, and one that I am not sure was completely understood at the time it was written. Much of the Old Testament is centered on the lives of God's chosen people. We know from Peter's vision and from what Paul preached in the New Testament that the gift of salvation is not limited to the Jews. This passage is also evidence of that, because while it is stating that Israel will be gathered together once again, it is also saying that all are created for God's glory. Those that call on His name, through Christ, are saved because all are created by God.

10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.

11 I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.

12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.

13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?" – Isaiah 43:10-13

Isaiah takes his message a step further here. In the first passage we looked, at he outlines the need for a savior and informs us that one is coming. In this passage he states that this is the only way that salvation can be attained. Many Israelites believed falsely that works decided one's salvation. One of the fallacies of Judaism today is that it ignores the needs for this savior as outlines in verse 11. Isaiah clearly states that this savior is God incarnate, and that only He has the power to deliver us. These writings clearly point to Christ as that savior.

So how does this apply today? Many people believe that the Bible is a literary collection of stories and fairy tales, but that cannot possibly be true. How then could someone write about the life of a man in great detail more than 800 years before his birth? If this is not the word of God, then why does it flow together so well? To me, Isaiah's words in this chapter are an affirmation of my faith. To me, it affirms Christ's life and sacrifice because we have the proof that it was written long before He walked the earth, then what we have of His life confirms it. There will always be skeptics and questions, but that is the nature of ideas that are based solely on faith. Faith is what we are asked to have, and it is through God's written Word that we are given the tools to grow this faith.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. Did the Israelites understand this need for a savior at the time?
2. How did this need for a savior lead to the false belief in Jesus' time that He would be a conquering king?
3. Why did God take man out of the salvation equation?

Isaiah, Chapters 41 and 42

There are two primary characters that are referenced in the prophesies of Isaiah 41 and 42: Cyrus the Great, and Jesus. We all know who Jesus was, but Cyrus the Great is a bit more of an obscure character. Cyrus the Great was a Persian ruler from 559 B.C. to 529 B.C. During his reign, he expanded the borders of the Persian Empire and helped build it to one of its greatest heights in history. He also took on several other empires of the time, including Babylon. It is because of his actions against the Babylonian Empire that he is held in such high regard in both Jewish and Christian history. Cyrus the Great is one of very few people outside of the Israelites that is held in incredibly high esteem because it is through him that the Israelites were allowed to return to Jerusalem from Babylon after the exile. We see this return referenced in chapter 41, and it is important to remember here that Isaiah is talking about an event more than 200 years in the future.

 2 "Who has stirred up one from the east,
       calling him in righteousness to his service?
       He hands nations over to him
       and subdues kings before him.
       He turns them to dust with his sword,
       to windblown chaff with his bow.

 3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,
       by a path his feet have not traveled before.

 4 Who has done this and carried it through,
       calling forth the generations from the beginning?
       I, the LORD -with the first of them
       and with the last—I am he." – Isaiah 41:2-4

Even though Cyrus the Great was an outsider the Lord was still working in him. We see in later verses, specifically verse 25, that Cyrus would be a ruler that would conquer many lands. Historically, Cyrus conquered Babylon, Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and even Egypt. He created the largest empire the world had ever seen, and in doing so he honored the gods of all the people he conquered. The people of Israel viewed him as a liberator since he allowed them to return to their homeland and worship their own God.

This brings us to chapter 42 and another set of prophecies that can be linked to either Cyrus the Great or Jesus. While Jesus could certainly fulfill many of the prophecies in chapter 41, they are meant for Cyrus. The reverse is true in chapter 42, as now Isaiah has knowledge of events almost 800 years in the future.

1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
       my chosen one in whom I delight;
       I will put my Spirit on him
       and he will bring justice to the nations.

 2 He will not shout or cry out,
       or raise his voice in the streets.

 3 A bruised reed he will not break,
       and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
       In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

 4 he will not falter or be discouraged
       till he establishes justice on earth.
       In his law the islands will put their hope." – Isaiah 42:1-4

Both Cyrus and Jesus were servants of the Lord, but here we see Isaiah take on an almost reverential tone. As great as Cyrus was, he was still a mere man. Jesus, however, was the chosen one. In Matthew 3:17, Jesus hears a divine voice as he is baptized, and it references Isaiah 41:1. Part of the beauty of Christ is that, even with his power, he taught an attitude and a posture of servanthood. We discussed this in many areas throughout the New Testament, but it was one of the most important lessons Jesus had for us.

Personally, this lesson was brought to the forefront yesterday in a lesson on Revelation 3 and the church at Sardis. Though they felt they were serving the Lord, they were guilty of merely completing busy work and forgetting the true purpose of serving the Lord: creating disciples. It is a lesson that much of the church today is guilty of because its definition of service is service to the church, not to the Lord. If we do not truly serve the Lord, we don't truly know Him. I have thought long and hard about this over the last 24 hours and wondered how much of my life is spent in this service. I like to think that much of what I write here is part of that service and I think it is because of my attitude going into it. I think we are each given specific things we are supposed to do as part of that service without fully knowing why. It is then up to God to do the rest. I don't know why I am supposed to write here, I just know I am and I trust God to fill in the gaps I don't understand.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. What do think it means to serve?
   
   
2. How was Isaiah treated in his day with these prophecies?
   
   
3. What else can we take from Isaiah 41 and 42?