Isaiah
Restoration of True Worship
In Isaiah’s day, Israel had become perplexed by God’s indifference toward them. They had prayed and even fasted and yet God seemed to ignore them (v. 1). They even appeared eager to know God and His ways. They attended worship services faithfully (v. 2a). They participated in …
Judgment of Babylon
The “Desert by the Sea†could refer to the desert lands southeast of Babylon (v. 1). Possibly it was the great plain that Babylon stood on. The prophet saw in a vision an invader approaching and most commentators suggest this crisis as Elam and Media are viewed as going …
Blessings of The Nations
God invites people in need to come to Him (vv. 1-2). By coming to the Lord people will have life and the benefits of God’s everlasting covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:11-16). The Lord promised that David’s line would continue forever (v. 3). The nations are to be under th …
The Lord Establishes a New Heaven And New Earth
All those that love and mourn for the Holy City are commanded to rejoice with Jerusalem (v. 10). The imagery of a mother nursing her baby with fresh milk is illustrative of the nations of the world that shall look once again to Jerusalem for spiritual nourishment (v. 11). It is during that time that she shall experience peace like a river and glory like a flowing stream (v. 12). God is compared to a mother who comforts …
Babylon Will be Punished
This passage starts off expressing Isaiah’s “burden of Babylon†(v. 1). The prophet was carrying a heavy weight because of the solemn nature of his message. He was announcing judgments that would involve April 27, 2011he destruction of many cities and the slaugh …
Prayer For Mercy And Help
Realizing their uncleanness (vv. 5-7), they ask God to smite their enemies (vv. 1–4). They prayed that the Lord tear the heavens like a piece of cloth, come down (vv. 1-2) and execute judgment on the nations. Fire and boiling water picture judgment (Jer. 1:13–14). The …
The Lord Condemns Jerusalem
Isaiah didn’t stop with the diagnosis of their sin but he gives a prescription for righteousness. If they would cleanse themselves by repenting and turning from their sin, then God would wipe the record clean in response to their faith (vv. 18-20). Scarlet or crimson, was …
Deliverance From Israel’s Enemy
This fifth “woe†is a brief summary of what Isaiah had already told the people. Their faith was in men and not in God (vv. 1-3). They trusted in “horses†and “chariots†and not in the hand of the Lord. God had warned the Jewish kings not …
Condemnation of Idolaters
The society was so bad that the righteous people in Israel had to die in order to find peace (vv. 1-2). They could do nothing to turn the nation back to the Lord. The rest of the Israelites were engaged in false religious practices picked up from the pagans around them, i …
Reassurance of Israel’s Future Restoration
A third wake-up call is addressed to Jerusalem and is a command not only to wake up, but to dress up (vv. 1-6). She must put on her beautiful garments (v. 1). She shall no longer be a servant girl trodden under foot by the gentile nations but she shall once again be the hol …