Second week of Isaiah study. Chapter 2-5:19.

May God bless those who read and study His word, in fact I think its a promise.

Chapter 2:
Lord You are our creator, and You have created everything we have. Lord there is none Like you- not even close, and Father we acknowledge You as God. Please speak to us through the discussion of Your word and lead us into the way You would have each of us go. Help us both to listen and to hear You, that we may all be pleasing in Your sight.

In Jesus name

(1-5)Lords will- Jerusalem chief city, ALL nations will stream there, Christ will be teaching the ways of God in the house of Jacob (Israel). People will want to walk in His path and forsake their own way. Disputes will be settled by Christ, of nations and peoples- it will be like Moses or the judges deciding in Israel. No war. No war means that the disputes will be settled- what causes war- selfish ambition -Hitler, misunderstandings, sin. Causes murder- we want what we can't have so we take it- we aren't happy with God has blessed us with so we covet what others have, and it leads to sin.

(6-11) Now from a glimpse of the future to Isaiah trying to appeal to the people of Israel to walk in God's way. God has abandoned them- influenced from the east (other cultures- not God's way- a mixture). They had gods they worshipped at the same time as God. Idols get worshipped too (american Idol- very popular) - the creation of our hands.

Natural to be happy with what we can make, it can - take the place of God in our lives. We worship a creation rather than the creator.
We tend to concentrate on it rather than Him -so we don't serve Him
makes us aware of our own efforts and makes us feel self sufficient
But God's presence remove's those feelings - we will be terrified by His presence. The Lord will be exalted ALONE.

(12-22)A day of reckoning - The Father setting His kids straight- He will only cover so long, then He will affirm His position. Everyone proud and lofty will be abased.
The Lord alone will be exalted (same as vs 11) repeated passages
Idols will completely vanish
men will hide in caves trying to escape the presence of the Lord. We turn away when people say what we don't want to hear, avoid them. God will come and hiding will be impossible we must make our choice. Our priorities will be shuffled putting God first (money will be of no concern- we won't care).

A dust reminder- stop esteeming man our life is in our God given breath. What value is any of us to anyone or anything apart from what God has given us?

Chapter 3
God will remove remove bread and water from Jerusalem and Judah. This describing seige by invading army. Ultimately the capture of Jerusalem and the forced relocation of the leaders and other affluent people.

Children rulers - inexperienced, oppressed- under control of the invading kingdom. Those countries were conquered- people relocated, and those left had to pay tribute.

Jerusalem and Judah's speech and actions are against the Lord (denying God in word and deed). Did not want His presence, their faces expressed a disdain for God

Displaying sin like Sodom - open sin- not trying to conceal it. They bring evil on themselves God didn't send it, but rather their actions brought about those consequences.

Nugget- say to the righteous that it will go well with them, they will reap the fruit of their action. Note "well" may mean they get relocated- in exile (Daniel is a prime example of an exile that things went well for due to his actions of trying to serve the Lord). He was in a foriegn land, but gained respect.

Wicked- it will go badly, they will get what they deserve. Grace is getting something we don't deserve, I think God has been very gracious to us.

oppressors are children, women rule over them. Their leaders lead them astray and confuse them. It is so very important to have a relationship with God. Leaders with an un-Godly heart will tend to lead you astray. God put leaders in place, but He wants us to have a relationship with Him, and get our direction from Him, not blindly follow the leader.

God will arise to contend- arise - used in 2:19,2:21 and 3:13, 2:2 the Lords mountain will be raised in Jerusalem (earthquake- arises to make the earth trembles in that day 2:19).

Lord Judging the leaders of His people. Plunder of the poor is in your houses- riches gained by position. His people crushed, grinding the face of the poor- connotes to me a refusing to see them, and holding them down against the ground, not seeing them as people.

Women- long description 16-24 focus is on the beauty of women, all the adornments, looks have become their god- definitely similar to this time. The idol or perfect image is on magazine covers, and many women become totally consumed by trying to look that way. Their looks become the god they are serving, the teenagers and young women wrecking their lives by comparing themselves to those images and trying to live up to it. Blood donors- low iron

Men fall by the sword- defending Jerusalem to no avail.

Chapter 4
verse 1 seems to be a continuation of Ch 3. After war and most of the men killed and all the beautiful adorning ornaments taken few men left.

However no accidents in God's word. It could be that was the situation (and I'm sure it was when Jerusalem was over run then) , and will be the situation at the beginning of the millenial reign. It didn't have to be written twice.

Chapter four is looking ahead, in the midst of impending doom and destruction, the ultimate fate of Jerusalem is shown. Those in Jerusalem will be called Holy, only those in the book of life will be able to enter. After redemption Jerusalem will have a cloud over it by day (with smoke) and a fire by night, and a canopy over all that for shelter. Just like how God led the Israelites in the desert.

Chapter 5
Parable of the vineyard- Jesus Parables. Matthew 21:33-45 is the parable of the vineyard. The text is the same in terms of setting. Jesus gave Isaiah the parable, and then later used it in His ministry. Another related parable sticks out to me Luke 13:6-9 the parable of the Fig tree in the vineyard. The owner (God) was ready to cut it down, but the vineyard-keeper (Jesus) wanted another year to try and make it produce fruit.

God gave Israel everything they needed and indeed everything they had, and still they rejected Him.

Within Judah he looked for justice and found bloodshed
looked for righteousness and found distress

Do Justice, love kindness, walk humbly

The wicked in israel faced desolation- famine. Ten acres produced one bath (9 gallons of wine), a Homer of seed planted (11 bushels) produced an Ephah ( 1 bushel) of harvest. The wicked would be better off eating the seed rather than planting, God will suspend His sowing and reaping principle in this case. God provides increase of what we sow, do we sow goodness? kindness?

6 things pointed out- (1)5:8-10- exploiting others- putting house to house and field to field together. Acquiring property isn't sin, but getting more than you need while others suffer and are forced to move away is. Its a building up of worldy treasures, and they come between us and God.

(2) drunkeness- 5:11-12-starting early or staying up late to drink. Drinking is about escape- selfish pleasure. Can you serve others when in a drunken state? Your children? family? Bible says give strong drink to those suffering, drinking just for the buzz can make us ignore the Lord, and the work of His hands.

People will go into exile for lack of knowledge, Isaiah warned them, and yet they did not listen they were marched away hungry and thirsty. So all the extra fields and the drinking of wine was wasted, others got the benefit because of their relationship with God. Men will be abased but the Lord exalted

(3) 5:18-19 Woe to those that drag iniquity with cords of falsehood. The I can't help it crowd- I must sin. Now Christ delivers us from sin, He paid the price, to claim we can't help it makes the sin more powerful than Christ's sacrifice. Untrue. Another interesting statement is the calling for works of God that they may see it. In Jesus time they asked Him for a sign time after time that they might "believe" in other words they did not want to exercise faith. Or did not want to show faith.