November 12, 2008 notes on Isaiah Bible study class

Thoughts after the last class- why was Moab included in this book? God is telling Isaiah and the people following/reading him of a prophecy that they will see come true. The destruction of Moab- the Assyrians took it over. This will be followed by other prophecies some of which have not come true yet.

Chapter 16

Continued destruction of Moab from pride and arrogance. Actually a very small remnant will be left, the nation will be degraded and impotent. During the destruction refugees would send tribute to Judah asking for protection in Isaiah 16:3-5, and they should not be turned away. Even though these people were not always nice to the Jews, when they call out it is in the nature of God (and the judge who will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David) to accept these people in need and crying out. We should pray that God will stir the hearts of people and change their minds to agree with His. We shouldn't give them "plenty of rope" so they can hang themselves. This is especially true in praying for our leaders- even if we didn't vote for them. Even those seemingly "opposed to us" is God using them to show us something, or is He using us to show them something?

Verse 12 Moab will weary himself in his high place, and his sanctuary, but what has been spoken of the Lord will come to pass. In crisis we turn to our gods, it needs to be God, if He has said something we don't like, we need to submit to Him and get with His program.

This prophecy was given three years before it happened, and verse 14 said it would happen in three years. The Assyrians degraded Moab. People heard the prophecy from Isaiah, and saw it happen. This one the people of his day witnessed.

Is God showing us in His own way today what is about to happen in terms to reassure us of what He plans to do in the future?

Chapter 17

Damascus is about to be removed from being a city. Still exists as a city, destroyed and rebuilt?, destroyed permanenetly at some future date?

Damascus conquered and a lean israel conquered- probably the Assyrian invasion that was about to happen.

v7- in that day man will have regard for his Maker. Hard times bring about revival, people turn "eventually" to Jesus and God, often after realizing the pointlessness of other "gods". Where do you turn first in crisis?

Strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest- ruined? deserted?

God was forgotten- a sure sign that hard times are on the way. In that day it meant they would be overrun.

They put a lot of effort into what they wanted. They sowed very little for God, or sowed the wrong things. Therefore their harvest was a heap of sickliness and incurable pain. What do we put into God's plan, and if we realize God isn't in it- it isn't His plan.

Many nations come together (Assyrians? or later). God will rebuke them and they will flee
At evening they will be a terror, in the morning they will be no more 2Kings 19:35 the way it happened.

Ch 18
Message to Ethiopia (Cush) Assyria was on the way, and they were trying to make alliances to repel them. Hence messengers. Alliances of nations to repel a threat - modern day NATO. Ethiopia was seeking safety through alliances and we would generally agree the world is "safer" with us being a part of NATO.

Other ways we seek "safety" and "security"
Government- laws and legislation, but government can't change hearts- people by nature are selfish
Science - we figure out the way God makes things work (or better He shows us that knowledge) and through our own pride we think we can predict and control events without Him
Education - we seek knowledge as a way to obtain a secure future. Knowledge comes from God, and only through Him is our future secure.
Medical care- "medicines improve our quality of life" - do they? Or is quality of life found in how closely we follow the Lord's leading.
Financial system -the economy, the more money we have the more secure we are. "We have to rescue the economy or our world will be miserable"

Alliances and security and safety can fail- our safety and security is given by God apart from what we might do. Its a gift from Him to us.

Verse three- what God ordains will happen. Judah rejected an alliance with Cush because they were going to rely on the Lord. Exactly what we need to be doing today. This verse also pertains to a future time when the entire world will see God coming to implement His plan in person. Our plans will fail, and His will succeeed.

Beth Moore- the morning I wrote this had a 5 minute message on the radio. What God has given us He has ordained to. What He has witheld from us He means to. It will be glorious when we see how He will work out situations (pastors at this church- a prime example), He is after all in control. As she said He has no "oops" moments.

Now the coming of the army or the coming of the end times? could be both - spring time to give birds of prey the summer to feed on the dead - lots of turkey vultures in the future.

I love the way it talks about pruning vines and cut away spreading branches. A spreading branch is going out on its own in a new direction, different from the main Branch.

People will learn the lesson of Isaiah 18 the hard way probably and bring gifts to the Lord. After being struck down they will realize it isn't out of meanness or cruelty but rather out of love a correction for going in a direction our creator doesn't want us to. Pray our pride and stubbornness is reduced to the point that we will bend (without breaking) in the direction He wants us to go.

Ch 19
The Lord will come to Egypt, and the Idols will tremble at His presence (earthquake). There will be fear as the Egyptians realize who God is. Civil war will break out and they will be demoralized and turn to idols- again what/who/Who people rely on they turn to in crisis. Ghosts of the dead spiritists and mediums- we always feel like if someone can come back from the dead and show us what is on the other side we could get some answers. The devil can pretend to be the person gone (he certainly knows of their life), and fool those seeking that into bad decisions. Yet they will have a cruel master.

Severe drought is described, climate change? The economy -fisherman and weavers affected. Pharoah will seek his wisest advisors council, and yet if God isn't involved in the advice, the advice is stupid, and worthless. Yet people will put stock in such advice. Sometimes God's advice may seem foolish by the world's standards, but if we consider the source and rely on it, it will be good advice. Interesting - seemingly good advice comes from those who don't know what they are doing, and seemingly not so good advice comes from Him who is in control. What advice are we following?

The Lord had a plan - just exactly what He wanted to happen to Egypt, but rather than realize and abide by His plan, they follow distortion, and stagger in their own vomit.

No work for Egypt (the economy dead?), a weakened nation - not the power it once was. Trembling and weak, Judah (another nation) will become a terror to them. It is fulfilling the Lord's purpose. Part of their nation will be taken- like another country.

The people will turn to God (in the midst of oppression, invasion, hard economic times, and drought). Sometimes that is what it takes.

He will deliver them and send them a Savior (Jesus). They will make vows to the Lord (verbal) then perform it (action).

The Lord strikes, but heals, bringing people to Himself. Egypt Assyria has a highway between - freely interact. Both Assyria and Egypt will worship the Lord. Israel will join them, and the three will be a blessing in the midst of the earth.

Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying : Egypt are His people, Assyria is the work of His hands, and Israel is His inheritance.

Different become one- the theme that has been brought up before.