Starting today for a while let’s study together the book of Isaiah. We are going to study Isaiah because it is called the Old Testament book of Romans. In the same way that the mystery of the Gospel, and the plan of salvation are systematically talked about in Romans, in Isaiah too God’s plan of salvation appears the clearest. This can be seen in the fact that Jesus and Paul quoted the most prophecies from Isaiah. This is the reason that even though chronologically the prophecies of Amos and Micah were books that were written about the same time, Isaiah appears before them. It is the same as Romans. Paul wrote earlier letters to places like Thessalonica, but Romans is first. In this book God’s plan of salvation appears a lot.
In the first verse of Isaiah we see, “The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Ussiah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” The name of Isaiah means “the Lord is salvation” or “salvation belongs to the Lord”. Throughout this book he says that our salvation is not by a superpower in the North or South of us, but is from the Lord. The Lord is salvation is the theme. Isaiah ministered as a prophet during the age of Ussiah, actually from the year that Ussiah died, 739 B.C., to the end of the reign of Hezekiah in 687 B.C. for about 53 years.
If you were to express in one word what this age was like, it would be “a very dangerous age”. The country of Assyria rose up and united with the neighboring countries. Then in 734 B.C. the people of Northern Israel were captured by Assyria and exiled. In 721 B.C. the capital, Samaria, fell. The Samaritans that appear a lot in the Bible are the descendants of the mixed marriages of the Assyrians that came to Samaria and married with the Jews there.
On the other hand, in Southern Judah Assyria had destroyed the towns near Jerusalem. All that was left was Jerusalem. At that time the King Hezekiah earnestly prayed for Judah and the Lord answered him. Miraculously the Lord saved them. 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died in one night. That was in 701 B.C. That was the Lord’s salvation. It is the contents of chapter 38.
However, King Hezekiah too, became proud and sinned. The king of Babylon heard the Hezekiah who had been sick had gotten better and sent messengers with a letter and present. Then Hezekiah showed them everything that was in his “storehouses-the silver, the gold, the
spices, the fine olive oil-his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.” (39:2) Then Isaiah came and said, “The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD.” (39:6) Just as these words say, in 605 B.C. Southern Judah was captured and exiled, and Jerusalem fell too.
In the midst of such an imminent situation, this prophecy is spoken. In that age both Northern Israel and Southern Judah are ruined by another country and were is a dangerous condition. Even so if they depend on the Lord, the Lord will help them out. God wanted to tell them through many prophets that the Lord is salvation. That’s why in this age there was a high concentration of prophets. This is because God wanted to tell them what salvation is, what the real solution is in this dangerous situation. In other words, to return to God and depend on him is the real answer. Today I would like to talk about three things about this.
- Israel who turned their backs on God (vs. 2-4)
The first point is what Israel who had turned their backs on God was like. Please look at verses 2 to 4.
Isaiah begins God’s message of chastisement. Messages of chastisement or judgment are not very popular. As much as possible people want to hear only warm messages. They want to hear messages of encouragement. However, real prophets see the judgmental hand of God in history, and from that urge for repentance. False prophets even if judgment comes upon them say, “Peace, peace” and paralyze people’s hearts, but real prophets first of all recognize sin, and urge people to devote their hearts to God. Like it says in Amos 6:1, “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” After the Lord tears us to pieces, he heals us. After he injures us, he binds up our wounds. He doesn’t just bring a simple, superficial solution.
Here first Isaiah says, “Hear me you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken:” (2) God speaks so he can be heard in heaven and on earth because he wants everyone to hear him. This is because in Deut. it says that things are confirmed by two or three witnesses. It is like a court case where God is speaking in front of the two witnesses heaven and earth, pleading his case against Judah so that all can hear.
The contents of the case is that “I (God) reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (2,3) The number one reason that God is blaming Israel is because like a parent brings up children, God has brought up Israel, but even so Israel acts like she doesn’t even know God, and has turned their backs on God and has forsaken him. Man is forgetful and easily forgets to be thankful, but to be reared by someone for hundreds, and thousands of years and even so to have forgotten Him is unthinkable.
When we read the Bible starting from the beginning, in the first 10 chapters events of the world like the creation and the flood of Noah are summarized. When we enter chapter 12, Abraham is chosen and is made the people of God. The focus is squeezed down from a world wide field of vision to a small race. Then in the age of Moses the law is given and teaches them until they show the will of God in their lives in detail, and leads them. In other words, within the whole world God brings up this child, and specially loves them only and uses all things for their growth. No matter how many children there are, Israel is special. Like a parent who only sees his own child, God keeps his gaze on Israel.
Even so they completely forgot what their parent, God, did for them. This is even worst than animals. “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know.” (3) This is worst than the animals.
This is a real story, but the police were trying to catch a thief and they thought of many things to do and set the cow that he kept free. The cow naturally started towards where his master was. That is how they were able to find where the thief was and catch him. Like this even though the cow knows his master, “Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” God is very surprised and shocked by this lack of recognition.
God’s grief towards Israel continues in verse 4.
Verse 4
God’s sigh of grief, “ah” (4) makes our heart ache. God sighs in grief because Israel is a “sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evil doers, children given to corruption!” (4)
A “sinful nation” (4) originally means a nation that has missed the mark. What they are doing does not meet God’s standard. A man that is separated from God no matter what kind of life he leads, in the end he has no goal and is haphazard. No matter how industrious he is and how perfect the family is and how sincere a life he has, if a person doesn’t know his final destination then he has a life that is missing the goal…. And is nothing more than a sinner before God. Israel was chosen by God and the nation was given a goal of showing God’s glory but they are a people what have missed the goal, a “sinful nation”. (4)
Also “a people loaded with guilt” because their sinfulness was so great. The guilt of it, and the curse incurred by that guilt, lay very heavily upon them. It was a heavy charge that was exhibited against them, and one which they could never clear themselves from. Their sin was a weight upon them.
“A brood of evildoers” is when you shine justice and what is right on it they are doing it is wrong. “Corruption is falling below God’s standard. In other words, all guilt, evil doing, and corruption starts from being separated from God and being in the condition of not having an ultimate goal.
All different kinds of unhappiness and misfortunes, hurting others, deception, jealousy, discord in the family, lies and all things if we don’t begin with the restoration of our relationship with God, everything will be nothing but emergency measures. In a person’s life even if he is a politician, even if a housewife, he must first deal with the roots of sin in his life. In other words he must begin with the restoration of his relationship with God. Then our lives won’t end only being an emergency treatment of the troubles that happen in life.
- Strongly afflicted Israel (vs.5-8)
Secondly, let’s look at what became of Israel who had “forsaken the LORD,” (4) and had “spurned the holy One of Israel, and turned their backs on him” (4) and is separated from God. Please look at verses 5 to 8.
Israel who persisted in rebellion not only grieved God, but they hurt themselves. Their “whole head” (5) was injured. Their “whole heart” (5) was afflicted. From the soles of their feet to the top of their heads “there is no soundness”. (6) There are only “wounds and welts and open sores” (6) Head and heart refer to man’s inner and outer body. From the soles of the feet to the top of the head means the whole body. In other words the result of persisting in rebellion is that the whole body is strongly afflicted. Not only that, but they can not be “cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.” (6) That means that they can’t be treated. How painful it is to be suffering in sickness, and tossing in pain, but not to be treated! That is how strongly they were afflicted.
The way they were strongly afflicted is described in verses 7 and 8.
Vs. 7,8
By the attack of Assyria both Israel and Judah were “laid waste”. (7) Their cities were “burned with fire.” (7) They looked like they were “laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.” (7) Then when we look at verse 8 it is “like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field.” “A shelter in a vineyard” and “a hut in a cucumber field” would be like today’s hothouses. Recently hothouses are fairly strong, and a little wind and rain doesn’t knock them down, but originally the frame was weak so when something like a typhoon came, it fell down in a moment. They were like a hothouse or shed that is verily standing in a field. The foundation isn’t firm so just a little pressure from the outside it leans to one side. In that condition it is barely standing. Israel is that badly afflicted. Israel that used to be extremely loved by God, but now they are so afflicted that you can’t even see the shadow of God’s love.
That is what man who is separated from God, and is walking with his back towards God is like. Even so, we say, “’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.‘ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17) This type of person needs eye medicine. Before God said to the Church in Laodicea, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Rev. 3:18) We too need to buy salve to put on our eyes so we can see ourselves clearly and can repent.
Rev. 3:19,20
By doing that the Lord will come in to us, and eat with us. To eat together shows a really intimate relationship. It is difficult to have a meal with someone we hate. Jesus is saying that he’ll have an intimate relationship with us.
- The remnant of Israel (vs. 9)
The third point is even so the God of deep mercy, has left a remnant. Please look at verse 9.
Here is the difference between Judah and other countries. Although the Lord is declaring a complete ruin of countries like Assyria and Babylon the reason that Israel will not be completely ruined is because God has left a remnant.
Here we can see one principle that the Lord has. That is if there is a remnant of people that honor the Lord, then God does not entirely wipe them out. Here it says, “become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” (9) This is referring to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. However, Abraham earnestly prayed that the towns would not be destroyed because his nephew Lot was there. Therefore, Abraham prayed, “What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?” (Genesis 18:24) The Lord answered, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” (Genesis 18:26) That is because to destroy the righteous and the wicked together is not the proper thing for the righteous God to do. Then Abraham prayed, “What if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?” (Genesis 18:27) God answered, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:27) Then Abraham asks about 40 and God says he won’t destroy it. Then Abraham at one time dropped the number by 10 people and prayed, “What if only thirty can be found there?” (Genesis 18:30) God answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” (Genesis 18:30) Next it became 20 and then 10. God answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32) However, there weren’t 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. God “rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah,” (Genesis 19:23) and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. However for the one righteous man, Lot, God watched over him and his family. In other words God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Lamentations 3:22
God loves those who love him and follow him and will never forsake us or leave us. “For His compassions never fail.” (Lam. 3:22) “Because of the LORD’s great love” (Lam. 3:22) no matter how great the wrath of God is, those who walk believing in the Lord will definitely not have the wrath of God fall of them. An end to us will never be announced. What a great promise! God is completely faithful, and his promises never change.
By the way, this passage is quoted in Romans 9:29. Here it is referring to the remnant. Towards the question, “Did God reject his people?” (Romans 11:1) Paul answered, “By no means!” (Romans 11:1) In other words even if it seemed like Israel was rejected, Israel is not rejected. God has kept a small group of people that believe in God and had follow him, the remnant. God’s plan is that by this remnant the Israelites will be saved. By this all of Israel will be saved. God’s gifts and calling never change.
From this passage we can find a truth. That is there is definitely a remnant. Even in this age, if pressures from the world cause many people to become separated from God and live a life completely unrelated from God, God will for sure prepare a remnant. Until the Lord comes again there will be a remnant that will firmly keep their faith, and follow God. No matter how great the persecution or how hard the situation, by the grace and faithfulness of God there is a remnant.
The lives of a people that turn their backs on God and are separated from God is really tragic. However, no matter how disobedient Israel is, how much they sinned, they never lost their position as a child of God. God is leaving a remnant. God never forsakes his children. A child that leaves home, like a father that has a daughter, he put his hope in Israel, and waited all the time for them to return to Him. God is now waiting for you. He is waiting for you to return to him. Like the prodigal son who when he returned to his mind, he remembered his father. Let’s remember that we too are miserable, separated from our father, and return to our father. Then the Lord will say, “My son who was dead returned” and have a banquet. That is how much the Lord wants us to return to Him. Now you also please repent of your sin and return to the Lord. You have to begin there. Then the Lord will forgive you and will gladly accept you. Then lamenting will be changed to joy and sorrow to dancing.