Isaiah
63-66
Introduction
In
antiquity, national Israel stood as a symbol of YHWH worship, the one
true God. Edom, its brother-nation stood as a symbol of opposition to
YHWH and true religion for as it opposed and hated Israel, it opposed
and hated YHWH. Its enmity against Jacob is demonstrated throughout
the history of the two nations. Edom always stood on the other side,
the side of the opponents and destroyers of Israel. For this
perpetual hatred of its brother-nation and YHWH, Edom must be judged
and brought to an end.
This
closing section of the book, chapters 63-66 records the prayer of the
righteous people, not only in appreciation for forgiveness of
their sins but for the promises of restoration and the rebuilding of
their covenant kingdom and the reestablishment of their covenant with
YHWH. Chapters 63:1-14 is Israel's gratitude over the destruction of
her enemies, particularly personified in the nation of Edom. Verses
1-6 tell of judgment on Edom, but also on all of the enemies
represented by Edom.
A.
YHWH, the Solitary Warrior! (63:1-6)
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Isaiah
63
God's
Vengeance on the Nations
1Who
is this who comes from Edom,
With garments
of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This
One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching
in the greatness of His strength?
"It
is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
2Why
is Your apparel red,
And
Your garments like the one who treads in the wine
press?
3"I have trodden the
wine trough alone,
And
from the peoples there was no man with Me
I
also trod them in My anger
And trampled
them in My wrath;
And their
lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And
I stained all My raiment.
4"For
the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And
My year of redemption has come.
5"I
looked, and there was no one to help,
And
I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So
My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And
My wrath upheld Me.
6"I trod
down the peoples in My anger
And
made them drunk in My wrath,
And
I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."
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1.
Judgment on Edom (vs. 1-6).
a.
Description of the Warrior of God (vs. 1-2).
1)
Blood soaked garments. He has been out in judgment!
2)
Royal garments. He is a judging king.
3)
Great strength
4)
Righteous speaker
5)
Mighty savior
6)
Sufficient judge
Note:
It causes great consternation when He says He is the only Savior
because He doesn't look like one. Only in Christianity do we have one
person, the Lord Jesus Christ who is both the powerful warrior,
sufficient judge, strong condemner and yet a mighty savior.
b.
A description of the war of God (vs. 3-6).
1)
Unaided in action. No one comes to the aid of God, not only because
it is not needed but because no one will agree with the judgment of
God.
2)
Angry in attitude. God is angry. Because they touched the apple of
His eye, because they have come is fierce cruel judgment on His
people.
3)
Vengeful and redeeming at heart. Every time God comes in judgment, it
has a two fold purpose. It is to bring vengeance on the evil ones. It
is to avenge God for their refusal to accept Him. It is also to
redeem those who have trusted Him.
4)
Total in character. It is one from which Edom and all the nations on
earth will not recover.
2.
We remember God's Ancient Mercies 7-14
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7I
shall make mention of the loving kindnesses of the LORD, the
praises of the LORD,
According
to all that the LORD has granted us,
And
the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which
He has granted them according to His compassion
And
according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.
8For
He said, "Surely, they are My people,
Sons
who will not deal falsely "
So
He became their Savior.
9In
all their affliction He was afflicted,
And
the angel of His presence saved them;
In
His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
And
He lifted them and carried them all the days of
old.
10But
they rebelled
And
grieved His Holy Spirit;
Therefore
He turned Himself to become their enemy,
He
fought against them.
11Then His
people remembered the days of old, of Moses
Where
is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds
of His flock?
Where
is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of
them,
12Who caused His glorious
arm to go at the right hand of Moses,
Who divided
the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting
name,
13Who led them through the
depths?
Like
the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;
14As
the cattle which go down into the valley,
The
Spirit of the LORD gave them rest
So
You led Your people,
To
make for Yourself a glorious name.
"You Are Our Father"
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a.
The prophet's praise (vs. 7-10).
1)
The goodness of God to His people (v.7).
2)
The expectation of of God of His people (v.8).
3)
The sympathy of God for His people (v.9).
YET:
They rebelled against Him (v.10).
b.
The people remember God's mercy (vs. 11-14). They were led by,
empowered by, and given rest by the Holy Spirit.
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B.
A Half-hearted Confession of Sin and a Prayer for Blessing:
15:-64:12
1.
Prayer for deliverance from sin and suffering (63:15-19)
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15Look
down from heaven and see from Your holy and
glorious habitation;
Where
are Your zeal and Your mighty
deeds?
The stirrings
of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward
me.
16For You are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
And
Israel does not recognize us
You,
O LORD, are our Father,
Our Redeemer
from of old is Your name.
17Why,
O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your
ways
And harden
our heart from fearing You?
Return
for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your
heritage.
18Your holy people
possessed Your sanctuary for a little while,
Our
adversaries have trodden it down.
19We
have become like those over whom You have never
ruled,
Like
those who were not called by Your name.
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a.
The majesty of God (v.15a)
b.
The seeming indifference of God (v.15b)
c.
Faith in the Covenant Father (v.16)
d.
Cry for deliverance (vs. 17-19).
2.
A Call for God to Act (64:1-12)
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Isaiah
64
Prayer
for Mercy and Help
1Oh,
that You would rend the heavens and come down,
That
the mountains might quake at Your presence--
2As
fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to
boil--
To
make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That
the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3When
You did awesome things which we did not expect,
You
came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
4For
from days of old they have not heard or perceived by
ear,
Nor
has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who
acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
5You meet
him who rejoices in doing
righteousness,
Who remembers
You in Your ways
Behold, You
were angry, for we sinned,
We
continued in them a long time;
And
shall we be saved?
6For all of us
have become like one who is unclean,
And
all our righteous deeds are like a filthy
garment;
And
all of us wither like a leaf,
And
our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7There
is no one who calls on Your name,
Who
arouses himself to take hold of You;
For
You have hidden Your face from us
And
have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.
8But
now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We
are the clay, and You our potter;
And
all of us are the work of Your hand.
9Do
not be angry beyond measure, O LORD,
Nor
remember iniquity forever;
Behold,
look now, all of us are Your people.
10Your holy
cities have become a wilderness,
Zion
has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem
a desolation.
11Our holy and
beautiful house,
Where
our fathers praised You,
Has
been burned by fire;
And all
our precious things have become a ruin.
12Will
You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD?
Will
You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?
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a.
Figures of the presence of God (vs. 1-3). "Come and, ......"
1)
"Rend the heavens."
2)
" Shake the mountains."
3)
"Make your name known."
4)
" Do awesome things among the nations."
b.
Man's ignorance of God's wisdom (v.4). This passage quoted by Paul in
1st Cor.
2:9.
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8the
wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has
understood; for if they had understood it they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory;
9but
just as it is written,
"THINGS
WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND
which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL
THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
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C.
The Confession of sin (vs. 5-7).
1)
Continued to sin against the way of God (v.5).
2)
Even their good deeds were nothing but bloody rags (v.6).
3)
No one consistently called God to mind (v.7).
d.
The two fold plea to God (vs. 8-12). They remind God of two great
facts.
1)
The intimacy and fullness of God's relationship with them (vs. 8-9).
"Remember, O Lord, we are your children. You are our
Father."
D.
God's Answer to the Exiles' Pleas (65:1-66:24).
God
isn't hard to Find___Israel won't Look:
1.
Israel's suffering and the
justice of God (65:1-7)
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Isaiah
65
A
Rebellious People
1"I
permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for
Me;
I
permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek
Me
I
said, 'Here am I, here am I,'
To
a nation which did not call on My name.
2"I
have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious
people,
Who
walk in the way which is not good, following their
own thoughts,
3A people who
continually provoke Me to My face,
Offering
sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on
bricks;
4Who sit among graves and
spend the night in secret places;
Who eat
swine's flesh,
And
the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.
5"Who
say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me,
For
I am holier than you!'
These
are smoke in My nostrils,
A
fire that burns all the day.
6"Behold,
it is written before Me,
I
will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I
will even repay into their bosom,
7Both
their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers
together," says the LORD
"Because
they have burned incense on the
mountains
And scorned
Me on the hills,
Therefore
I will measure their former work into their bosom
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a.
God's past dealings with Israel (v.1)
b.
Israel's present dealings with God (vs. 2-5)
1)
Stubborn evil doing.
2)
Continual provocation.
3)
Persistent idolatry.
4)
Unclean food and behavior.
5)
Conceited rebellion.
Note:
The Lord's response:
c.
God's future dealings with Israel (vs. 6-7). "It
is written."
1)
"I will not keep silent."
2)
"I will repay in full."
2.
Salvation Promised to the remnant (65:8-16)
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8Thus
says the LORD,
"As
the new wine is found in the cluster,
And
one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in
it,'
So I
will act on behalf of My servants
In
order not to destroy all of them.
9"I
will bring forth offspring from Jacob,
And
an heir of My mountains from Judah;
Even My
chosen ones shall inherit it,
And My
servants will dwell there.
10"Sharon
will be a pasture land for flocks,
And
the valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
For
My people who seek Me.
11"But
you who forsake the LORD,
Who
forget My holy mountain,
Who
set a table for Fortune,
And
who fill cups with mixed wine for Destiny,
12I
will destine you for the sword,
And
all of you will bow down to the slaughter
Because
I called, but you did not answer;
I
spoke, but you did not hear.
And
you did evil in My sight
And
chose that in which I did not delight."
Therefore,
thus says the Lord GOD,
"Behold,
My servants will eat, but you will
be hungry
Behold,
My servants will drink, but you will
be thirsty
Behold,
My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to
shame.
14"Behold, My
servants will shout joyfully with a glad heart,
But
you will cry out with a heavy heart,
And
you will wail with a broken spirit.
15"You
will leave your name for a curse to My chosen
ones,
And
the Lord GOD will slay you
But
My servants will be called by another name.
16"Because
he who is blessed in the earth
Will
be blessed by the God of truth;
And
he who swears in the earth
Will swear
by the God of truth;
Because
the former troubles are forgotten,
And
because they are hidden from My sight!
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a.
The beam of hope (vs. 8-10).
1)
A remnant will be saved (v.8).
2)
The elect will inherit the land (vs. 9-10).
b.
The blast of anger (vs. 11-12).
1)
Against those who forget and forsake God.
2)
Against those who believe in "fortune" and "Destiny."
3)
Against those who did not hear the Lord's call.
4)
Against those who displease God.
c.
The compensation of the Almighty (vs.13-16).
Notice
the contrast between servants and "you." The servants will
eat, drink, rejoice, sing, etc. "You will go hungry, thirsty, be
put to shame, be in anguish and broken, etc. God never forgets
willful rebellion against Him and never remembers the sins of
those who love Him and serve Him.
3.
Promise of New Heavens and New Earth (65:17-25).
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New
Heavens and a New Earth
17"For
behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And
the former things will not be remembered or come to
mind.
18"But be glad
and rejoice forever in what I create;
For
behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And
her people for gladness.
19"I
will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My
people;
And
there will no longer be heard in her
The
voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
20"No
longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few
days,
Or
an old man who does not live out his days;
For
the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And
the one who does not reach the age of one
hundred
Will
be thought accursed.
21"They
will build houses and inhabit them;
They
will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22"They
will not build and another inhabit,
They
will not plant and another eat;
For as
the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My
people,
And
My chosen ones will wear out the work of their
hands.
23"They will not
labor in vain,
Or
bear children for calamity;
For
they are the offspring of those blessed by the
LORD,
And
their descendants with them.
24"It
will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25"The wolf
and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw
like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food They will do
no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD.
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a.
The New creation (vs. 17-19).
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16Therefore
from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even
though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we
know Him in this way no longer.
17Therefore
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the
old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18Now all
these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
2nd Cor. 5:16-18
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This
is what awaits the remnant when they return to God and His land.
b.
The new conditions (vs. 20-25).
1)
Long life and prosperity.
2)
Peace and security.
3)
Success and blessing.
4)
Answered prayer.
5)
Non-violent existence.
The
"old" heaven and earth is the world dominated by the
unrighteous and the oppressors. It is this world that is dismantled
and destroyed (see 13:10, 11,13; 24:3, 4; 34:3,4; Jer. 4:23,28 and
many more). The language of judgment is God attacking and destroying
the world of the unrighteous and oppressor. The language of blessing
is just the opposite. This section is not intended to be understood in a
literal sense. Over and over we read of turning a desert into a
garden and at the same time a Acapulco for
the animals. The new heaven and new earth speaks of a new set of
circumstances for the righteous simply put, a new environment. Peter
said it best (2:3:13), a new heaven and earth "in which dwells
righteousness." In the creation of something new, the former
things have passed away (in this case their troubles, v.16). There is
a wonderful new state of affairs. (v.18) The new creation is to be
the source of rejoicing since the oppressor is to be destroyed (v.19).
There has been much weeping in and around Jerusalem. The
people cried because of their oppressors. But those days are over.
(v.20) Long life is one of the blessings in the land which God had
promised Israel if they were faithful (Exodus 20:12). Here that
promise is reiterated in a graphic way. Infant deaths and old men
will not die (they will live as long as trees[v.22] and the youngest
to die will be 100 years oldvs. 21-23). Not only long life but
prosperity is theirs. Houses and vineyards to be planted and lots of
food. They will be safe from calamity. (vs.24-25) Their God will only
be a prayer away. Even more to the point, they won't even have to
call Him, He will hear before called. Their place is described in
terms of Isaiah chapter 11 where the animals live in peace with one
another. The animals here do not represent men or other cultures and
any such nonsense. They are simply a word picture.
4.
The Ungodly Exiles Rebuked (66:1-4).
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Isaiah
66
Heaven
Is God's Throne
1Thus
says the LORD,
"Heaven
is My throne and the earth is My footstool
Where
then is a house you could build for Me?
And
where is a place that I may rest?
2"For My
hand made all these things,
Thus
all these things came into being," declares the
LORD
"But
to this one I will look,
To
him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles
at My word.
Hypocrisy
Rebuked
3"But
he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He
who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's
neck;
He
who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's
blood;
He
who burns incense is like the one who blesses an
idol
As
they have chosen their own ways,
And
their soul delights in their abominations,
4So
I will choose their punishments
And
will bring on them what they dread
Because
I called, but no one answered;
I
spoke, but they did not listen
And
they did evil in My sight
And
chose that in which I did not delight."
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a.
God's self-description (vs.
1-2).
1)
Heaven is His Throne.
2)
Earth is His footstool.
3)
Heaven and earth His creation.
b.
God's estimation of man (vs. 3-4).
1)
The humble, contrite, and fearful are esteemed by Him.
2)
The idolatrous evildoer will be judged by Him.
5.
The godly exiles encouraged (66:5-13).
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5Hear
the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His
word:
"Your
brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name's
sake,
Have
said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy
'
But they
will be put to shame.
6"A
voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the
temple,
The
voice of the LORD who is rendering recompense to His
enemies.
7"Before she
travailed, she brought forth;
Before
her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
8"Who
has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can
a land be born in one day?
Can
a nation be brought forth all at once?
As
soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her
sons.
9"Shall I bring to the
point of birth and not give delivery?" says the
LORD.
"Or
shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.
Joy
in Jerusalem's Future
10"Be joyful
with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love
her;
Be
exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over
her,
11That you may nurse and be
satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That
you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful
bosom."
12For thus says the
LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a
river,
And
the glory of the nations like an overflowing
stream;
And
you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and
fondled on the knees.
13"As
one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort
you;
And
you will be comforted in Jerusalem."
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a.
The Lord will repay His enemies (vs. 5-6).
b.
The Lord will bless Israel "in one day" (vs. 7-9).
c.
The Lord will make Jerusalem a nursing mother (vs. 10-11).
d.
The Lord will give Israel, "peace live a river" (vs.
12-13).
e.
The Lord will make Zion "flourish like grass" (v.14).
6.
The Vengeance of God on His enemies (66:15-18).
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14Then you will see
this, and your heart will be glad,
And
your bones will flourish like the new grass;
And
the hand of the LORD will be made known to His
servants,
But
He will be indignant toward His enemies.
15For
behold, the LORD will come in fire
And
His chariots like the whirlwind,
To
render His anger with fury,
And
His rebuke with flames of fire.
16For
the LORD will execute judgment by fire
And
by His sword on all flesh,
And
those slain by the LORD will be many.
17"Those
who sanctify and purify themselves to go to
the gardens,
Following
one in the center,
Who
eat swine's flesh, detestable things and
mice,
Will come
to an end altogether," declares the LORD.
18"For
I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming
to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and
see My glory.
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a.
The flaming chariot of God's terrible judgment (vs. 15-16).
b.
The idolatrous and unclean will meet the anger of the Lord (vs.
17-18).
7.
The coming condition of God's people__the redeemed on earth
(66:19-24).
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19"I
will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them
to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal
and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My
fame nor seen My glory And they will declare My glory among
the nations.
20"Then
they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as a
grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on
mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,"
says the LORD, "just as the sons of Israel bring their grain
offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.
21"I will also
take some of them for priests and for Levites," says the
LORD.
22"For just as the new
heavens and the new earth
Which
I make will endure before Me," declares the
LORD,
"So
your offspring and your name will endure.
23"And
it shall be from new moon to new moon
And
from sabbath to sabbath,
All
mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the
LORD.
24"Then they will go
forth and look
On
the corpses of the men
Who
have transgressed against Me
For
their worm will not die
And
their fire will not be quenched;
And
they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."
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a.
The gathering of the scattered (vs. 19-21)
b.
The blessings of the gathered (vs. 22-24)
1)
Their name and descendants will endure.
2)
Their worship will be continuous.
3)
Their enemies will be destroyed forever.
The
language used in Isaiah has nothing to do with hell. It is meant to
draw a picture as to how bad things will be. Notice the use of this
language in the NT.
See
Mark 9:38ff___
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38
John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons
in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not
following us." 39 But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him,
for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be
able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 "For he who is
not against us is for us. 41 "For whoever gives you a cup of
water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly
I say to you, he will not lose his reward. 42 "Whoever causes
one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be
better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he
had been cast into the sea. 43 "If your hand causes you to
stumble, cut it off ; it is better for you to enter life crippled,
than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the
unquenchable fire, 44 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE
IS NOT QUENCHED.] 45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut
it off ; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having
your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT
DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 47 "If your eye causes
you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the
kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast
into hell, 48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT
QUENCHED. 49 "For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 "Salt
is good ; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make
it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one
another.
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