Day #195

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 9-12 & 2 Chronicles 27 - Audio
Isaiah 9-12 & 2 Chronicles 27 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isaiah 9

Set in the middle of the prevailing visions of judgment against Judah is a vision of the coming Messiah. The poetry accounts for much of the literary power of the passage, along with a list of evocative epithets in verse 6. -ESVLB-

1 - The gloom carries over from Isaiah 8, where Isaiah warned Judah about the coming invasion from Assyria.

2 - Matthew 4:13-16 quotes this passage as clearly fulfilled in the Galilean ministry of Jesus. Since the majority of Jesus’ ministry took place in this northern area of Israel, around the Sea of Galilee, God certainly did have a special blessing for this once "lightly esteemed" land!

6 - Isaiah presents the events as if it were the time of the child’s arrival, with an expectation of what he will achieve (Isa. 9:7). Wonderful Counselor. A “counselor” is one who is able to make wise plans (cf. 11:2). He is a ruler whose wisdom is beyond merely human capabilities, unlike intelligent but foolish Ahaz (cf. 28:29). Mighty God. A title of the Lord himself (10:20–21; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32; Jer. 32:18). Everlasting Father. A “father” here is a benevolent protector (cf. Isa. 22:21; Job 29:16), which is the task of the ideal king and is also the way God himself cares for his people (cf. Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Ps. 103:13). (That is, this is not using the Trinitarian title “Father” for the Messiah; rather, it is portraying him as a king.) Prince of Peace. He is the ruler whose reign will bring about peace because the nations will rely on his just decisions in their disputes (cf. Isa. 2:4; 11:6–9; 42:4; 49:7; 52:15). This kind of king contrasts with even the best of the Davidic line that Judah has experienced so far, because these titles show that this king will be divine. Thus this cannot refer to, say, Hezekiah (whose father Ahaz was king at the time), who for all his piety was nevertheless flawed (cf. 39:5–8) and only human. -ESVSB-

7 - "There will be no end." God's covenant with Abraham was a global one. He would be a blessing to all nations. We can't forget this.

Q. What does this mean for us? What does this look like outside of our "four walls?"

9:8-10:34 - Isaiah seeks to warn his nation that God will judge it if it rejects him and that God will also judge the surrounding nations, so trusting them is a futile venture. As we negotiate all of the topical references, we need to get a grip on the literary principle that writers tell us not only what happened but also what happens, so that Isaiah’s message to his own society still applies today. The names have changed, but the spiritual principles remain the same: seeking satisfaction and security in earthly things will bring us to ruin. -ESVLB-

9 - The northern kingdom rebelled against the throne of David and against the worship of the Lord (see 1 Kings 12:16–33).

10 - Interesting picture given here. Basically, what Isaiah is saying is that the greatest of what once was has fallen down because the people have disobeyed God. However, instead of repenting they will just continue on doing the same things that caused them to crumble.

11-17 - What happens when they don't repent...

*You will see this pharse "His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still." - It means that God is not finished, but there is more sin to judge.

12 - his anger. Not an impersonal process of cause and effect but God’s own hand at work against evil. His love is intrinsic to his nature (1 John 4:16), but his anger can be provoked (Deut. 4:25). Far from arbitrary, as Isaiah shows, God’s anger is principled, and therefore the more to be feared (Deut. 29:22–28; cf. Ex. 34:6–7; Isa. 13:9; 42:24–25; 48:9; 63:3–6; 66:15–16; Nah. 1:2–3; Rom. 2:5, 8). stretched out still. Human pride cannot wear God down and force him to compromise. -ESVSB-

Repentance = God is merciful and compassionate, but His name will not be ridiculed/mocked forever. At some point everyone falls under judgment. God's will is that we recognize our sin (when we choose against his created order), and repent, that is turn 180 degrees toward Him. Israel did not.

18 - Their self-seeking will become their own destruction

Isaiah 10

10:1-4 - Because of their lack of social justice, they will be exiled and killed. They show no concern for the poor, the broken, and the needy. God is claiming in these verses that He has protected them, but will not for any longer...this will lead to their destruction.

3 - "ruin" - This is the Assyrian invasion

5-7 = Weird paradox here. God is going to use Assyria as the rod of his anger to carry out this mission against Israel, but He still says "woe to them," for they do and will do great evil in God's sight. It seems that God is just not holding Assyria back from what they've always wanted to do. Although, Assyria will have no idea that this is the case.

5-7 = The "rod and staff" were used by shepherds to guide and correct the sheep.

8-14 = Assyria will say that it is by their power that they conquered, thus, God will look down on them. Many military leaders have said this after their victories, only to fall later on (Alexander, Caesar, etc)

15 = An axe without a hand to wield it is useless. Assyria is useless without God.

20-27 = A people will turn to God, there is a "remnant" of Israel.

27 = The "anointing oil" is both argued as the presence of the Holy Spirit among the peoples, or because of the Messiah, Jesus, being the source of victory and freedom.

33-34 = God seems to make a point that the haughty and proud will be destroyed. God opposes the proud.

Isaiah 11

Oracles of redemption: visions of the coming Messiah [ chapters 11–12 ]. As an antidote to the false promises of deliverance by earthly kingdoms, we receive a famous messianic prophecy of the branch of Jesse (chapter 11). As the chapter unfolds, we confront the mysteries of prophetic time: some of the references point to what Jesus accomplished by his incarnation (11:1–5), but those fulfillments telescope into pictures of a golden age that seem to fit the coming millennium and eschaton (11:6–16). In any event, the mode is visionary rather than literal. Chapter 12 is a *psalm of praise, imagined as being uttered by beneficiaries of God’s salvation as just named (“you will say in that day”—12:1). -ESVLB-

1 - family line of Jesus
2 - spiritual empowerment of Jesus - wisdom/understanding/counsel/might/knowledge/fear of LORD
3 - Remember, the fear of the LORD, is the beginning of knowledge. -Prov 1:7
4 - Jesus' compassion/mercy/grace for the poor and needy was evident throughout his earthly walk, as was his rebuke and harsh words for the self-righteous.
5 - Jesus was faithful to death on a cross

6-9 = These verses give us a depiction of the ideal creation. This is how God's creation should have been, and will be. Notice that this section discusses nature.

10-16 = Same thing, but with God's people and the other nations relationships with them. God will gather all His people during this time.

10 = Paul quotes this passage in Romans 15:12 - Paul is stating that this is the time that Isaiah saw coming. A time for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

Isaiah 12

As an antidote to the false promises of deliverance by earthly kingdoms, we receive a famous messianic prophecy of the branch of Jesse (chapter 11). As the chapter unfolds, we confront the mysteries of prophetic time: some of the references point to what Jesus accomplished by his incarnation (11:1–5), but those fulfillments telescope into pictures of a golden age that seem to fit the coming millennium and eschaton (11:6–16). In any event, the mode is visionary rather than literal. Chapter 12 is a *psalm of praise, imagined as being uttered by beneficiaries of God’s salvation as just named (“you will say in that day”—12:1). -ESVLB-

1 - This is a song of thanksgiving for God "passing over" their sins. We see this happen through/in Jesus.

See 2 Corinthians 5:19 - "In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation!"

2 - This is the expression we should have upon salvation.

3 - This is a picture of an endless supply of salvation that will be enjoyed. Salvation is not a lifeless, life-sucking, draining truth. It is an amazing truth, a transformational action that is to be proclaimed in every area of our lives.

Q. What does it look like to "proclaim salvation in every area of your life?"
Q. Do people see and are they puzzled by your unending joy?

4 - Salvation can not be an internally exclusive right. It is to be passed on. It must flow to others. It is not an "I got mine, I'm all set" mentality.

5-6 - Spurgeon: “We ought not to worship God in a half-hearted sort of way; as if it were now our duty to bless God, but we felt it to be a weary business, and we would get it through as quickly as we could, and have done with it; and the sooner the better. No, no; ‘All that is within me, bless his holy name.’ Come, my heart, wake up, and summon all the powers which wait upon thee! Mechanical worship is easy, but worthless. Come rouse yourself, my brother! Rouse thyself, O my own soul!”

2 Chron 27

The reign of Jotham [ chapter 27 ]. The brief nine-verse summary of Jotham’s reign teases us into wishing that we knew more. It is primarily a story of political success, but that success is placed within a religious framework of the king’s doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (v. 2) and ordering “his ways before the Lord his God” (v. 6). The Chronicler chose not to elaborate on the summary statement that “the people still followed corrupt practices” (v. 2). -ESVLB

Jotham’s reign is depicted in decidedly positive terms. His religious obedience brings prosperity; even the notice at 2 Kings 15:37 concerning the military campaign by Aram and the northern king Pekah are omitted here, being diverted to the reign of Ahaz. This contrasts markedly with the reign of his son, Ahaz, whom Chronicles portrays as wicked in the extreme (see ch 28). This pattern may reflect the influence of Ezek. ch 18. -JSB-