What We Are As the Bride of Christ

 

Isa 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

 

What a beautiful picture of Christ and His church. Words like “beautiful, glorious, excellent, appealing, and holy,” are used to describe those who have escaped judgment through faith in Jesus Christ.

The enduring faithful will have their names recorded in the Book of Life. The filth of all their sins washed away by God’s gracious gift of faith in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of His Son. The conviction of this truth coming to us through the work of the Holy Spirit who, “will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  9 "of sin, because they do not believe in Me;  10 "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;  11 "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (Jn 16:8-11)

 

Every local congregation, every body of believers, will gather with the glory of God…..Jesus, in their midst. Mt 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

His glorious and washed clean bride will be a place of refuge and shelter from the storms of life.

 

This is what we are to be as the Bride of Christ. This is who and what He will make of us. As we yield to Him and the Holy Spirit, ever thankful for the mercy He has shown us through the saving gift of faith. We show that same grace and mercy that He extended to us to others. Eph 4:32 reminds us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

 

A correct understanding of what God has done for you in His mercy, will be mirrored in your own life and consequently the life of your congregation and God will make you and your church,  “beautiful, glorious, excellent, appealing, and holy,”

 

There are no man-made evangelism programs that can top that!

The Ultimate Light At the End of the Tunnel

 

Isa 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning

 

“In that day,” the Day that the Lord will take away the “reproach” of Israel The idea of reproach is shame. In this case it is like pointing a finger at believers and asking them, “Where is your God in all this that has befallen you?

It’s a common question on the heels of God’s judgment against His children. When the reproach has run it’s course the Lord steps in and turns reproach into beauty and glory!

This word from Isaiah was both a short term and long term prophecy. In the short run, the Babylonian captivity would end and God’s people (the church) would once again return to Jerusalem and rebuild. In the long term, this prophecy speaks of the coming of Jesus (the capital “B” Branch arriving on the scene.

This is the first reference and likening to Jesus  as a Branch in the Book of Isaiah, but it is not the last mention given the Branch in the prophets.

Isa 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

 Jer 23:5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

 Zec 3:8 'Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.

 

The Promised Branch from the root of David. Always a picture of Christ and His church. As a believer YOU are a branch attached to the Vine, (the mother branch) of the church. It is just as Jesus said in Jn 15. You are either with Him or not. Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Yes there is Light at the end of every tunnel. Don’t run from it, run to it. For that Light is the Light of the world, the Son of God, the Branch of David, sent to redeem the world from the reproach of sin. Jesus said in Joh 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The Only Certainty

 

Isa 3:24 And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. 25 Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. 26 Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground. 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, "We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; Only let us be called by your name, To take away our reproach."

“And so it shall be.” No getting around it. This will be the price that Judah and Jerusalem will pay for their rebellion against God. It will be a full-fledged war against the armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the Israelites will lose big time. Their “mighty” men will perish “in the war.”

 

The women will be enslaved, branded like cattle to let all know that they belong to their captors. Heads shaved to get a handle on lice. No perfume to cover up the lack of showers. No fancy dresses and sashes, but gunny sacks and ropes to hold it all together. Although this speaks of the Babylonian captivity, I can’t help but think of the lot of the Jewish women during the holocaust!

 

The loss of life so colossal in the war with Nebuchadnezzar that in the aftermath, there will be a shortage of available men to marry.

 

These kinds of conditions went hand in hand with losing a war in the days of Isaiah. I shudder to think of the post war conditions that are possible to the losing parties in this day and age.

To think of such consequences is unsettling because in this uncertain world, it is always a possibility. That’s why the best thing we can do as a nation is turn back to God the only One who is Certainty!

Ps 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

The Crime (Sin) of the Daughters of Zion

 

Isa 3:16 Moreover the LORD says: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, 17 Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the LORD will uncover their secret parts." 18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; 19 The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; 20 The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; The perfume boxes, the charms, 21 and the rings; The nose jewels, 22 the festal apparel, and the mantles; The outer garments, the purses, 23 and the mirrors; The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.

The women of Zion, (the Israelites) are about to be judged by God. Their fine clothing, jewelry, perfume, Coach handbags, and even the mirrors that they used to highlight their wanton eyes will be taken away. This is what happens when you are carried off into captivity.

Why? What was their sin? They were overly provocative in their dress and in their mannerisms. They were proud of their “female goods” and used whatever was at their disposal to flaunt them, shamelessly enticing men to do and think things that are not fitting according to the Word of God.

 

Look around the world we live in today. Sex sells! Whether it’s in fashion magazines, television commercials, the internet, movies, or what have you, the women are portrayed as walking tall with outstretched necks, flirtatious eyes, and a walk designed to jingle and attract attention.

 

Immodesty is fashionable and good luck to the woman seeking to dress modestly in this sex-crazed world we live in. It’s an age-old problem that God sought to address here in the days of Isaiah, and in the days of the New Testament letters as well. Paul told Timothy in 1Ti 2:9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

God’s fashion statement good for all the ages is found in 1Pe 3:3,4, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

 

So look nice! Seek modesty on the clothing rack, and most importantly check your spiritual mirror for that gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God.

 

How About A Walk-through With Jesus?

 

Isa 3:16 Moreover the LORD says: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, 17 Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the LORD will uncover their secret parts." 18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; 19 The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; 20 The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; The perfume boxes, the charms, 21 and the rings; The nose jewels, 22 the festal apparel, and the mantles; The outer garments, the purses, 23 and the mirrors; The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.

After passing judgement on the men, (the elders of the church and the princes of civil government) the Lord turns His attention to the women of the land. They have strayed and the prophet tells us of their sin. This is a fine line and I want to be very careful here.

 

Let me start out by reminding you that it’s not a sin to be rich, it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil. (1 Tim 6:10) In like manner it’s not a sin to want to dress nicely, rather the desire to “look nice,” must be in its proper place.

 

If the needs of your closet get to be more important than the needs of others……Houston, we have a problem!

 

God understands the woman’s desire to look nice and He reminds us in Jer 2:32 “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” Do you see the problem?

 

The Gap, can become a gap between a woman and her Lord if she’s not careful!

I think an honest look at our current closet space in America tells us much about our priorities. Maybe it’s time for a walk through your “walk in closet” with Jesus. Ask Him to help you downsize and accessorize your fashion needs. While you’re at it, bring Abraham’s wife Sarah with you, she knew where true beauty comes from: Speaking of Sarah, the Holy Spirit says in 1Pe 3:3,4, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

 

Please note there is no forbidding of outward beauty, just a reminder where the source of true beauty lies.

Don't Trample

 

Isa 3:13 The LORD stands up to plead, And stands to judge the people. 14 The LORD will enter into judgment With the elders of His people And His princes: "For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?" Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

The Lord stands. He is done sitting idly by, while the wrongs continue in the land. He will do something about it! Woe to those on the other end of God’s judgment. The leaders of the church (elders) and the leaders of civil government (princes) have finally gone too far!

 

The elders, (the church) has eaten up the vineyard of God, they have gobbled up His grace and used it as a license to continue in sin. The cheapening of God’s grace is serious business in His vineyard. (His church) Ro 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

And in  Heb 10:29, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”

God asks, “What do you mean by crushing My people? What do you mean by substituting My grace with your man-made rules and regulations? (that’s what happens when grace is cheapened, it’s replaced by man-made rules in an attempt to manufacture righteousness.)

The leaders in civil government have also abused their privilege by plundering the poor and lining their pockets with ill-gotten wealth.

Instead of lifting up the poor, the poor have their faces rubbed in their lot further demeaning them! God won’t take this abuse of grace and justice lightly. He will stand up against it, and when HE does. Woe!

Pr 22:22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 23 For the LORD will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

Don’t trample grace and don’t trample the less fortunate.

A Can of Worms

 

Isa 3:12 As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths."

Pardon me, while I open a can of worms. The Lord, speaking through Isaiah says, “As for My people,” (let’s call them believers!) “As for My believers, children are dictating their actions!” It’s all about the kids! It’s getting to the point where schools need air traffic controllers with all the “helicopter parents” around.

Look at the average day planner of parents these days! Keep em busy! Keep em occupied, that will keep em happy and fulfilled. It’s gotten so bad, that (never mind biology) we are allowing children to determine whether they are male or female, and we’ll do whatever it takes to their God-given bodies to give them their wishes.

Children have in a sense become oppressors, driving the behavior of the parents, instead of parents guiding the behaviors of their children.

Then there’s the matter of women ruling over men! It’s not to say that women aren’t capable leaders….they are. But it is not the way of God’s created order. First of all, this is not the path He intended for men and women in marriage…… Eph 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Or in church…… 1Co 11:3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

To the women I say, I don’t blame you. Men have in many cases abdicated their leadership responsibilities. That problem is as old as Adam leaving Eve to deal with the serpent on her own!

From the moment of that original sin, God told us plainly that this would always be a struggle between man and woman. Ge 3:16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

 

 

Understand the battle! Resist it and seek to carry out headship in the way God has ordained it. Men! Step up to the plate and lead! Not with an iron fist but as Christ leads His bride the church, willing to give yourself up for the love of your woman.

 

I believe the recent rise in transgenderism and the whole LGBTQ movement is a direct result of the confusion of the roles of men and women in God’s created order. It’s been coming for years. When men abdicated their responsibilities of leadership and confused their God-given roles, the Lord said. “Let me show you what happens when you acquiesce to giving up your God-given roles of headship and submission”

Gender confusion to the max as we are now experiencing it in our world today. The solution? The same for all sins. Repentance! Men confess your lack of true Christ-like leadership and start to lead as Christ leads His church. Women be willing to accept your God-given role as a submissive helpmate to the man.

Doings: The Trailer Hitched To Faith

 

Isa 3:10 "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him.

That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it? This is the end game that Jesus spoke of in Joh 5:28,29, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 "and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

The writer of Romans put it this way

Ro 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath,

 

There is a dangerous trap here that we really need to be aware of. These verses are absolute truth, but they must also be taken in with the rest of Scripture, lest one starts thinking that his “good works” will save him, or his “bad works” will condemn him!.

Never forget Eph 2:8,9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

We have nothing to boast of in ourselves. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23)

Saved by faith in Jesus alone, our good “doings” will follow as we are led by the Spirit of God in accordance with His Word.

 

Faith without works is dead, and the opposite is just as true, works without faith are also dead. Our starting point is the God-given assertion that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. He is our righteousness and every one of our doings come through Him.

Our good works, or as Isaiah put it, our “doings” are well noted when done in the name of Jesus! Mr 9:41 "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Nonchalant Sorrow Over Sin

 

Isa 3:9 The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.

It’s one thing to sin, but quite another to boast about it. The look of pride is unmistakable on the faces of the proud. The look of godly sorrow over sin is also unmistakable. One says, “look what I have done,” the other, “ Look! What have I Done? The difference is eternal life or eternal death! Isaiah puts it plainly, “woe to their soul!”

No wonder Paul was so concerned about the Corinthian church and their attitude toward a man committing the sin of incest! We read in 1Co 5:1-5, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

 

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul, urges the congregation at Corinth to mourn over this sin in their midst, and to expel the sinner if he refuses to change his ways. The goal of this kind of church discipline is always the restoration of the sinner, that “he may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

 

In the case at Corinth, there was a happy ending as the man repented, and was restored to fellowship with the Lord and with the church.

 

It always starts with heartfelt sorrow over sin.

2Co 7:10 says, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Calling out sin, is not to be regretted. It is the path that leads to salvation, whereas the nonchalant sorrow of the world produces death!

Thought, Word, and Deed

 

Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem stumbled, And Judah is fallen, Because their tongue and their doings Are against the LORD, To provoke the eyes of His glory.

 

Jerusalem stumbled and Judah fell, therefore the preceding judgments mentioned in the first seven verses of this chapter would come upon the people. How did they stumble and fall? In word and deed.

One of the most sobering portions of the traditional Lutheran worship service is the time when the congregation confesses their sins. Together we plead to God, “Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.”

 

We are sinners! And we need to be reminded of that fact often, lest our pride makes us think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

 

Our lustful thoughts are the equivalent of adultery as Jesus reminded us in Mt 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

 

Our hateful words are equated to the sin of murder: Mt 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.”

Our sinful deeds and lack of good deeds speak for themselves as it says in Jas 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

 

These things set the glorious eyes of the Lord ablaze because He hates sin! Hab 1:13 says this about God, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.”

So we confess our sins, and believe the gospel promise of the pardon offered through faith in Jesus Christ. 1Jo 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 God gets our attention through judgment in the land and we get His through heartfelt confession and repentance.

When

 

Isa 3:6 When a man takes hold of his brother In the house of his father, saying, "You have clothing; You be our ruler, And let these ruins be under your power," 7 In that day he will protest, saying, "I cannot cure your ills, For in my house is neither food nor clothing; Do not make me a ruler of the people."

 

I like the use of the word “when” here. It puts a time frame on the judgment of God. “When” is a great question for man to naturally ask, and “when” is God’s great answer. It is His great warning to those who have spiritual ears.

In the case of these first several verses in Isaiah, “when” the people see these things unfolding, it is God’s warning shot that judgment is about to go down, and this is what it will look like.

There will be a crisis of supply with basic necessities. (verse 1)

A sudden dearth of courageous men, justice will be fleeting in the court systems, true proclaimers of God’s Word…rare, the line between right and wrong, wise and foolish will become blurred, and the wisdom of the elders regarded as “old-fashioned.” (verse 2)

There will be a famine of gifted leaders, honorable men, wise counsel, skilled craftsmen will, and eloquent speech will become profane and guttural. (verse 3)

Rulers will be like petulant children! (verse 4)

There will be a decline in respect for authority (verse 5)

And in verse 6, we see that qualifications for being a ruler will be greatly diminished. The wealthy will be seen as qualified leaders. “You’re doing better financially than the rest of us….you must be a good ruler!”  

And in verse 7, it gets so bad that no one wants the job! Can’t blame them, can you? Who wants someone rummaging around in their closet, looking for clothing and other things like skeletons from their past?

 

Does any of this sound familiar? I think it does, and we should use these signs in our own land as a call to personal repentance. God’s not allowing such things to happen to drive us away from Him, He wants us rather to return to Him. He wants us to draw near to Him with godly sorrow over our sins, and receiving His forgiveness, then living out our faith in loving obedience to His Word!

The Problem of Insolence

 

Isa 3:5 “The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable

 

It’s hard for me to imagine a more disrespectful generation than the one we live in now. The lack of respect for those in authority is appalling! The base (those not in authority) are insolent toward the honorable (those in authority) The child, (even those of kindergarten age) often insolent toward those older and wiser than he.

Oh the venom that spews out of the mouths of the insolent…..young and old.

 

We shake our heads and fists and say, “What is this world coming to,” without thinking the situation all the way through. We curse the darkness instead of seeking light, not even entertaining the thought that this insolence is likely a judgment put upon us by God.

He did it in biblical days and He can do it today as well. Insolence toward authority is a sign of the judgment of God placed upon a nation. In it, God is simply saying. “So, you won’t respect Me? You won’t honor Me? Let me show you what a lack of respect for those in authority looks like, so you can see how it feels.”

 

The Bible is rife with warnings about insolence. Rebellious children could be put to death in the Old Testament! Incidentally, there is no record of this ever happening, nonetheless it shows us how serious God views this lack of respect.

 

The honoring of those in God-granted authority over you is a COMMAND of God. It is the first commandment, that if obeyed, has a great promise attached to it. Eph 6:2,and 3 reminds us "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:  3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

 

Luther’s explanation of this command is well worth repeating here: “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God so that we do not despise our parents and superiors, nor provoke them to anger, but honor, serve, obey, love, and respect them.

 

In the days of Isaiah this judgment was carried out by God. The insolence of children toward their elders and the societal lack of respect for authority was one of the reasons the Israelites were removed from their land and carted off to Babylon.  

 

Teach your children this command! It starts with them observing your own attitude toward those in authority, and your attitude toward authority starts with your attitude toward God’s authority.

Judgement Begins With Us

Isa 3:5 The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor

Isaiah continues pronouncing God’s judgment upon His rebellious children. The people will be oppressed on every side. The word “oppressed” here means to drive like one would drive an animal, or a laborer, or an army, or a debtor’ It is to harass someone or tyrannize him.

Usually when we think of “oppression,” we think of overbearing governments who use their muscle to place heavy burdens on the people, but in this judgment of God, even the people will terrorize their fellow citizens. Have we not seen enough of this in our land this past year to get our attention?

 

Did we miss the fires and looting in the streets of our cities?  Did we not see the frightening, vigilante like, fiasco in our nation’s capital? This was tyranny committed, “every one by another and everyone by his neighbor.”

 

Oh, we didn’t miss it! We were quick to blame those “others” who we felt were responsible. White vs black, right vs left but never us against God. But if we were honest, if we would take the blinders off, we would see that this is the sort of thing that God has used in the past to judge His people, and HE certainly is able to use it again..

 

Instead of blaming others, maybe it’s time to start blaming ourselves. We have sinned, we have turned away from God and follow our own rules instead of His.

Isaiah would later write, “Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; (Is 53:6a)

 Peter would later affirm it in 1Pe 2:25A,  “ For you were like sheep going astray,”

 

 Instead of the self-righteous finger pointing, it seems a far wiser course of action would be to repent. To confess our wrongdoings against God and then receive His pardon through faith in Jesus.

Isaiah went on to say in Isa 53:6b, “And the LORD has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.

 And Peter would add:  1Pe 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

Repent! Return to the Lord. Zec 1:3 "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts.

 

The remedy to the trouble in our streets this past year is found first and foremost in returning to the Lord and it doesn’t start with “them,” it starts with “us.” Let us then confess our sins, repent of them, and seek to live a life of new found gratitude and obedience to the Lord!

The Reign of Manasseh

 

Isa 3:4 "I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them.

The prophecy concerning the immediate future of Judah and Jerusalem continues. Not only would God remove all the gifted men of the land, but he would see to it that children take the reigns of government. This quite literally came to pass when Manasseh became king at the ripe old age of 12. He went on to be one of the most wicked kings in the history of the nation!

His actions while in charge give proof to the truth found in Ec 10:16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! Woe to the nation whose ruler is like a petulant child!

 

Let’s turn to 2Ki 21 and look at the track record of this childish king! Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. 7 He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 2Ki 21:8 "and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers-only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them." 9 But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

Skipping down to verse 16 we see one more of the sins of Manasseh highlighted: 2Ki 21:16 Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

 

This blatant idolatry and the spilling of innocent blood, (can you say legalized abortion?) stirred up the wrath of God as we read in 2 Kings 21,beginning at verse 11.

 

Then in, 11 "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), 12 "therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13 'And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

 

If this isn’t a wakeup call to the nations, I don’t know what is! God will not put up with idolatry Isa 42:8 says, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

And He hates the shedding of innocent blood!

Pr 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

Thankfully, this was not the end of Manasseh’s story. Later in life he came to repentance over his sins and God forgave him. Leaving us with a forever reminder that there are no sins that Jesus didn’t pay for on the cross!

Pulling the Plug On the Gifted

 Isa 3:1 For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah The stock and the store, The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; 2 The mighty man and the man of war, The judge and the prophet, And the diviner and the elder; 3 The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the skillful artisan, And the expert enchanter.

As we continue looking at the judgement of God against his rebel children, we see that He not only takes away the supply of bread and water, but also competent men in every arena of vocation. Military men, (mighty man and man of war) civil servants, (judges)  preachers, (prophets) godly seers (diviners such as Daniel) the wisdom of the elderly, gifted supervisors, (captains of fifty) honorable men on every level, counselors, artisans, and eloquent orators (enchanters)  

 

God is certainly able to crimp the hose of gifts and abilities that He has poured out on men in the church and in the world. He can confound or remove bright minds from every walk of life and in every nation. Or as in this case, He can simply have them all carted off to another nation. This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the Babylon captivity and we read about it in 2Ki 24:14 “Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.”

 

Sometimes as I hear our leaders speak, and look at some of the court decisions in our land, I have to wonder if we are not experiencing the same kind of judgment that Jerusalem and Judah experienced!

 

Well, no matter, the point of all this, is that God is able to perform such an act as a way to carry out His judgment against a land. Knowing this, should we not be quick to turn to Him with godly sorrow over our sins, and receive the forgiveness offered through faith in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ?

 

Imagine a nation stripped of such gifted men? Would that be a place where you would want to live and hand over to your children. I think not!

Who's In Charge Anyway?

 

Isa 3:1 For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, Takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah The stock and the store, The whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water;

Here in chapter three, we find ourselves back in the immediate mode of prophecy. These things are going to go down against Jerusalem and Judah for their willful disobedience to God. That God is able to do such things should get the attention of His children for all time. Yes! This could happen here today! These things could be stripped away from us too, if God so chooses.

 

Before we look at what is going to be taken away from Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom, let us note who we are dealing with. “Behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts,” Double emphasis! Don’t blow this off! Always pay attention in Scripture when things like this are repeated!

 

The Lord, the Lord will cause drought and famine. The stock and store will be depleted. The whole supply of bread and water gone! Well, that was a long time ago, God couldn’t do that today! We have a bountiful supply for all our needs.

 

Is that really true? How were those store shelves looking when the Covid pandemic arrived? How was the water supply holding up in Texas last February.  Tell those 1.4 million Texans who were without a water supply for over a month due to a freak winter storm.

 

Did I say freak? In light of the Word of God, that was a careless choice of words! Nothing is freak when it comes to weather. God is in charge! Mt 8:27 assures us of this fact! “So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

If God so chooses, He is able to use weather to get our attention. Na 1:3says, “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.”

But alas, I’m afraid it will take more than temporary shortages of necessities to get our attention. We still pretty much believe that self-sufficient man is able to overcome anything God throws our way.  

 

As for me and my house, we will continue to believe that our help is in the name of “the Lord, the Lord of hosts.”

Idolatry: Different, But the Same

 

Isa 2:18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats, 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 22 Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?

It’s difficult for our culture to identify with the things spoken of here, not so much for the people in the days of Isaiah. Caves, crags, moles, and bats were all part of the environment, as were the gold and silver figurines that served as representations of the false gods that the people worshiped, in the numerous “high places.”

These things were everywhere!

 

They are not quite so evident in our culture. Oh, there may be a few who have porcelain statues around, maybe even some made of precious metal. And there are certainly people who still pray TO them as if they have some sort of power. Such people ought to read this portion of Scripture and tremble.

 

Because in the Day of the Lord, these idols will be exposed for what they really are……nothing. 1Co 8:4b says, “ we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one”

Case closed.

 

Our idolatry today is much more subtle. We can’t just sweep figurines off of shelves and tables and dismantle any shrine we may have built. No! It’s more difficult than that! The truth is, we have elevated all sorts of man-made things, and ideas and doctrines to a place ahead of the One True God.

 

What crevice can we throw that kind of worship into? What cave covers up that kind of idolatry? Let’s face it, idolatry is anything that mankind has made or invented, that the devil uses to separate us from God, and if we fall into it, we too will be looking for a place to hide to escape the holy gaze of God on the last Day!   

Today, we might call our idolatry “secular humanism.” It’s the same kind of idolatry that was practiced in the days of Isaiah, just robed differently. It’s man deifying things that he has made up with his hands or his mind.  

 

What to do? Follow the advice of verse 22 and “sever yourself from such men and their doctrines.” They both are birthed in the false reasonings of men and will be laid bare on the Last Day.

 

Jer 17:5 reminds us: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.”

God Wants Us To Get This!

 

Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up-And it shall be brought low- 13 Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan; 14 Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up; 15 Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall; 16 Upon all the ships of Tarshish, And upon all the beautiful sloops. 17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

Isaiah continues to tell us about Judgement Day. He uses symbols of pride and invincibility that the people of his day would be very familiar with. Today, he might liken the redwoods of California to the cedars of Lebanon, or the stately aged oak trees of Georgia to the oaks of Bashan. Imagine them all reduced to rotting stumps.

 

The high mountains of the Rockies or Himalayas to the black hills of South Dakota. Turned into desolate plains.

 

Sadly, we have already seen two very high towers brought low in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Now imagine too, the fortress of the Rock of Gibraltar reduced to rubble.

Or the ships of Tarshish, like the unsinkable Titanic sinking to the depths of the sea, or the most beautiful sailing ships ever built by man, (like the USS Constellation or the 7 masted Thomas W. Lawson) with masts snapped like toothpicks and sails tattered and torn.

 

What great word pictures  God uses to get our attention! He wants us to get this! These symbols of pride and invincibility are meant to be a strong message to Isaiah’s readers.    WE ARE NOT INVINCIBLE! ONE DAY THE LOFTINESS, AND THE HAUGHTINESS OF MAN WILL BE BROUGHT LOW! GOD ALONE WILL BE EXALTED ON THAT DAY!

 

Yes, even the semblances of pride in the BELIEVER will be vanquished as we are completely emptied of our pride in the presence of a holy God and Judge! Sadly, for some, this worship of God will come too late and they will spend eternity with their dreams of invincibility dashed forever, just as the case of the Titanic.

 

What to do? Fear God now, before it’s too late. If you don’t then your souls will spend eternity in the pit of hell, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth forever!

Jesus said this in Lu 12:5 "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

You get no second “purgatory” like chances. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you today. Heed His call! Commit your life, your soul, to the Lord Jesus and be saved!

 

Beware of Falling Rocks

 

If you have ever driven in the mountains, you have likely seen the signs, “Beware of falling rocks,” Most people will look up when they see such a sign….not a bad idea. Look up, but learn to look above the rocks, look to the heavens. Instead of having frightening thoughts of your car being flattened like a pancake, turn your thoughts instead to what it will be like on Judgment Day, when the Lord Jesus returns to judge the earth.

Isa 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. 11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up-And it shall be brought low-

“In that day….the day of the Lord,” these are expressions used in Scripture to speak of Judgement Day. I wonder how many really grasp how terrible this Day will be for the proud in spirit. How absolutely frightening it will be for those who, in their pride and haughtiness, have rejected Jesus Christ the Lord of Life! Those who have despised the grace of God and counted the sacrifice of His only Son as something they didn’t really need.

 

Can you imagine dying by being crushed to death by rocks? Certainly not number one on my list for ways to leave this world, yet on that Day, (on judgement Day) the unbelievers will be begging to be covered with rocks. Hoping that will help them evade the holy gaze of the Son of God whom they rejected!

 

This is not some secret hidden away in the Scriptures. It was mentioned here in Isaiah and also in Ho 10:8, “They shall say to the mountains, "Cover us!" And to the hills, "Fall on us!"”

Jesus mentioned it in  Lu 23:30 "Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'

 And again in  Re 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!

How then do we escape such bone chilling terror? The answer is found in verse 10 of our text today.

 

Enter into the Rock and hide in the dust!  Two requirements. (1) Repent – hide in the ashes and dust of repentance, and (2) enter into the Rock - receive Christ!

Put on Christ! Be robed in His righteousness and not the filthy rags of your own. Believe and be baptized, and be saved! (Mk 16:16)

Don’t delay, for the Lord can come at any moment. Those who have heeded God’s call to surrender have no need to be concerned about falling rocks, but the unbelievers will have their concern arriving too late, and what was spoken of in Php 2:10,11 will come to pass: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth  11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Where Is Your Treasure

 

 

Isa 2:7 Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. 9 People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them.

God’s testimony against Judah continues: Their wealth and material goods have become their god. And it’s not just the wealthy, it is EACH man “humbles” himself before the god of materialism. Please note the parallels here between Judah and the United States of America.

 

We are a wealthy land! There is no end to our treasures! We can’t even fit them into our houses and so we rent storage facilities to hold our overflow. We are like that rich farmer that Jesus talked about in Lu 12:18-20,  "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' 20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

We may not have a land “full of horses” and chariots, but most houses built these days come with a three-car garage! And we have a tendency to worship, (put great worth) on the expensive toys parked in our yard. Wake up America! This might as well be us!

 

Then Isaiah adds these chilling words, “Therefore do not forgive them.” Whoa! What’s he getting at here? It’s not the wealth that stirs up the judgment of God, it is our love of it. It is putting the love of money above our love of God! Mt 6:24 says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

 

And in 1Ti 6:10 we read, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The love of money and material goods is a deadly trap that is difficult to escape from. (Ask the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus when challenged to surrender his money) Remember how Jesus’ disciples reacted to this? “When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Mt 19:25,26)

 

So what can we do? Who then can be saved? How about asking God to help us put our priories in order as we read in 1Ti 6:17-19, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

 

Please note that this is not a suggestion, it is a command! Lord help us to be obedient children and rightly handle the material blessing You have given us.