Isaiah 1–6

Richard Belcher delves into the initial chapters of the Book of Isaiah. He highlights the prophet’s messages of condemnation and invitation towards repentance directed at Israel. Belcher emphasizes the themes of social justice, true worship, and the need for genuine spiritual transformation. The sermon connects these ancient prophetic insights to contemporary challenges facing believers today.

The following unedited transcript is provided by Beluga AI.

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So we start Isaiah, which means now this is for the next exam. See, lecture seven is Isaiah chapters one through six. We start talking in this lecture about the composition of the book, Isaiah.

The book of Isaiah may be a collection of Isaiah’s sermons. They are not necessarily in chronological order. Some think that the commission of Isaiah, the call of Isaiah is in chapter six. That’s debated a little bit, but certainly that is a major incident in his life. Chapter six. The call doesn’t come in chapter one like it does in Ezekiel and Jeremiah, but this incident comes in chapter six. However, there is a general chronological order that is followed in Isaiah. Chapters one through six, probably from Uzziah, maybe Jotham, although that’s not as clear. They may just.

Chapters one through 6 may just be a collection of his sermons, but certainly chapters seven through twelve come out of the context of something that happens with Ahaz, which we will see in chapter seven. And then 36 through 39, and maybe even earlier than that, going back, perhaps even to chapter 28, might relate to Hezekiah. So, Ahaz, Hezekiah, those two kings are significant for chapters seven through twelve and chapters maybe 28, 33 through 39. The first 39 chapters are associated with what is called the Assyrian crisis.

The nation of Assyria is the next major power on the scene, and there are events that take place related to the northern kingdom, especially. It affects the southern kingdom, as we will see, related to the Assyrians, and it’s called the Assyrian crisis. Chapters 40 through 66, if you believe they were written by Isaiah himself, would then come under Manasseh. Manasseh, a very wicked king, following on the heels of Hezekiah, who was a very good king. But 40 through 66 is connected with the Babylonian crisis.

So 1 through 39, the Assyrian crisis; 40 through 66, the Babylonian crisis. And the setting of chapters 40 through 66 is beyond the time of Manasseh. We’ll talk about that when we get there. Now, let’s come to look at chapters 1 through 6. Yes. Isaiah was prophesied to the southern kingdom, right? Yes. And so the first Assyrian crisis, they didn’t get taken away, correct. They just got bombarded with their Ahaz. We’re gonna see Ahaz makes some decisions that affects. Ahaz is king of the southern kingdom.

He makes some decisions that affect the southern kingdom in relationship to Assyria. But ultimately, it’s Assyria that’s going to take the northern kingdom during this period. Yeah. So Isaiah is primarily a prophet to the southern kingdom, but the events in the southern kingdom are related to what’s going on in the north. So we will talk about some of the northern kingdom stuff. The northern kingdom falls to Assyria in 722. Jeroboam II ends in 750. So you can see the connection there. If you have your chart, that also can help.

Now, chapter one is perhaps an introductory chapter, maybe an introductory sermon to the book as a whole. It may be a summary of what Isaiah preached. He had both judgment and salvation prominent in chapter one. The first five chapters of the Book of Isaiah lay out the problem. The problem is the character of God’s people. Proud, rebellious, arrogant. Pride and rebellion especially, are going to be themes that are emphasized several times in Isaiah, because that fits the character of God’s people, proud, rebellious and arrogant. Yet this is not what God created Israel to be.

And so, what you have in Isaiah is a description of the present condition of God’s people that is going to be contrasted with God’s intentions for his people. And these two things are at odds with each other. The present condition of God’s people does not line up with God’s designs for his people. This is not why God established the nation of Israel to be proud, arrogant, and rebellious against him. And so, you’re going to have a going back and forth in the book of Isaiah, the first five chapters. Chapter one is sort of a mixture.

You got verses 18 through 20 in the middle of chapter one that are the call to repentance, a call back to what God had established Israel to be. But then you have a going back and forth. Chapter 2:1-5 is the glorious future, the description of the glorious future. Chapter 26:41 comes back to the present condition of God’s people. Chapter 4:2-6 again talks about God’s purposes for Israel, what he wants for his people. And then chapter 51:20 comes back to the present sinful condition of God’s people.

So you go back and forth in these first five chapters between the present condition of God’s people, the sinful condition of God’s people, contrasted with what God’s people can become, what God meant for them to be. And one of the questions how can God’s people, who are in this present sinful condition, how can they get to the place where they will reflect the character of God? They will begin to live in a way that God had wanted them to live. How can we go from this to this?

And there are several answers given to that question, as we will see as we go through the book of Isaiah. Now, the occasion of the first 39 chapters, especially, as we have said, is the Assyrian crisis. And at the heart of this crisis is a theological question. The Assyrian crisis pushes Israel, the southern kingdom of Judah, both, really, but we’re focusing on Judah primarily. Who are you going to trust in the midst of this crisis? Who are you, Judah? Who are you, Ahaz, going to trust? That culminates in chapter seven.

As we will see, the problem is Israel. Judah has not trusted in God and has lived in a way that does not demonstrate trust. Let me go on for just a minute here, and then we will take a break. In Isaiah 1, we have a covenant lawsuit. God brings a lawsuit against his people because they’ve not trusted in him. There’s the invocation of witnesses in chapter one. In the treaties of that day, they would call the gods as witnesses, but God calls heaven and earth as witness to this lawsuit.

The indictment against God’s people, several things. He charges them with rebellion. He’s reared them as children. They have rebelled against him. He charges them with ingratitude. Chapter 1.

² Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. ³ The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:2-3, ESV)

Israel is dumber than the ox. At least the ox knows where the food is, which side of the bread it’s buttered, so to speak. Israel does not acknowledge God. In gratitude. Verse 4. Sinful nation. Sinful goy. The term nation is goy.

Now, goy doesn’t always have to have negative connotations. But you wonder here if it doesn’t have negative connotations. Used a lot for gentile nations. Israel is living like the gentile nations. Verse six: They are completely corrupt from the sole of the foot, even to the head. There’s no soundness in it, only bruises, sores, raw wounds.

⁶ From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. (Isaiah 1:6, ESV)

Verse nine: They’re compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. So you see this progression. Verse three: My people. Verse four: Sinful goi. Verse ten: People of Gomorrah. And the way this has manifested itself in their lives in many ways.

But what’s pointed out in chapter one is their hypocritical worship, which is hated by God. God hates their worship. Verse 13 and 14:

¹³ Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. ¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. ¹⁵ When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:13-15, ESV)

Not all worship is pleasing to God. And so, verses 16 through 20 call God’s people to a proper response of submission to God. Submit to God. Get rid of your pride and rebellion, and begin to show that in the way you live your life. You say you’re my people. You worship as if you’re my people. Live like you are my people.

And so, here you have the offer of grace within the framework of covenant responsibility. Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression. Demonstrate in your life that your heart is where it should be, that you trust in me and God will be gracious.

¹⁶ Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, ¹⁷ learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:16-17, ESV)

Otherwise, this ends certain judgment is coming. Chapter 1:24-25. The reality of the present situation is that judgment is coming. Verse 9 gives a little hope with this remnant idea, a few survivors, which is going to become prominent in Isaiah. But a lot of Chapter 1 focuses on the judgment that will come if they do not submit to God. So there’s both judgment and restoration in Chapter 1.

But the emphasis there is on judgment, and there’s reason for that. In light of the condition of God’s people, we need to take a break. But intentions of God for Israel, what Israel was meant to be, what Israel could still become. So let’s read this passage first just to get it out in front of us. Chapter two, verses one through five. BJ, would you, since you’re kind of halfway near a microphone there, would you read Isaiah 2:1-5, the word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem?

¹ The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ² It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, ³ and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ⁴ He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. ⁵ O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord . (Isaiah 2:1-5, ESV)

All right. This glorious future. We say future because verse two didn’t come to pass in the latter days. The only time this phrase occurs when I say it does occur in Genesis 49, where Jacob gives that prophecy about his twelve sons. That is going to their character is in some ways going to be reflected into twelve tribes. And this phrase “latter days” occurs there. It occurs in Numbers 24. Balaam’s prophecy about what Israel will do to Moab in the latter days. The star will rise out of Jacob, and a scepter out of Israel. A ruler to destroy the nations is what is said there.

¹⁷ I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. (Numbers 24:17, ESV)

It’s also used in Deuteronomy 4:30.

³⁰ When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. (Deuteronomy 4:30, ESV)

So in the Old Testament, this phrase “latter days” refers to some future period of time. And things that are described in this future period of time have what we would call messianic associations, especially Genesis 49:8-12, Numbers 24. Isaiah talks about something that will come to pass in the latter days. He says, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as chief of the mountains.

Now, Mount Zion was a small mountain compared to some of the other mountains in the region, but it will be the chief mountain, meaning the most important mountain. The truth of God will triumph. Chapter two. Here, verses one through three, the truth of God will triumph, and all nations will come to this mountain to be taught. This is the ideal for Israel to live in the land God has given her, to live in obedience to the law.

³ and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord , to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3, ESV)

The nations see the great law God has given to them, Deuteronomy 4-6. And they will come to find out about the law, because they see blessings poured out upon God’s people as they live in obedience to God in the land that God has given to them. The nations come to Jerusalem. The nations come to Mount Zion. The nations come to Israel. And we sort of represent this with arrows coming in.

That’s the ideal. You talk about mission in the Old Testament. That’s what you’re talking about, Israel living for God, and nations coming to find out what’s going on, because they see the blessings being poured out there. You have some of that with the queen of Sheba coming to inspect Solomon’s kingdom. But also, it says, “the law will go forth from Zion in verse three.” So the nations come to Jerusalem, they learn about the law, and then they take that back to where they came from.

The law goes forth from Zion, and as the law goes forth, peace comes to the nations. They beat their swords into plowshares, and they don’t train for war anymore, as verse four says. Now, how are we to understand this passage as being fulfilled? Well, we’re not going to go through all the different scenarios. Of course, you can guess that the classic dispensational view would say that this is all fulfilled in the millennial period because there’s a separation between Israel and the church. This has nothing to do with.

Well, nothing to do, but it’s primarily fulfilled in the millennial period. It’s about Israel, not about the church. So all of this will take place in that thousand-year millennial reign. All the other views that we talked about, progressive dispensationalism, historic premillennialism, amillennialism, postmillennialism, understand that this passage is being fulfilled in some way in the church. In the New Testament, you have the phrase “last days” used as well, don’t you? Acts 2:17. It’s used with reference to the pouring out of the Spirit, so that with Pentecost, the last days have begun.

Hebrews 1:2:

² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:2, ESV)

James 5:3:

³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. (James 5:3, ESV)

You stored up treasure in these last days, referring to that present time in which James lived. And so, the last days in the New Testament is this period between the cross and the Second Coming. We are now living in that period of the last days begun with the ministry of Christ. What happens during this period? Well, it’s interesting.

Hebrews 12:22-24. Might want to turn over there just a second. Hebrews 12:22-24 talks about coming to Mount Zion, which is what’s mentioned in Isaiah, chapter two, coming to the mountain of the Lord, coming to Mount Zion. And in Hebrews 12:22, he tells that church, the author of Hebrews tells that church, you have come to Mount Zion. you’ve come to Mount Zion. And he identifies Mount Zion as the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.

It’s not geography that’s important here, but you have come to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, Mount Zion. What Isaiah prophesied about is now in the process of being fulfilled. It has begun in the Old Testament. People came to the temple, the place of God’s presence, Jerusalem, Zion in the Old Testament, associated with that city. Yes. But it also begins to have broader implications, even in the Old Testament. Christ fulfilled the temple. We come now to Christ. He is the reality of God’s presence with his people.

And he doesn’t serve in an earthly tabernacle. He serves in the original. The earthly tabernacle is just a copy. He serves in the original heavenly Tabernacle, which is Mount Zion. It’s where God reigns. It’s where God dwells, he reigns from. And so the author of the book of Hebrews says, you have come to Mount Zion, you’ve come to Christ, you’ve come to Mount Zion, you’ve come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and the law, the word of God is going forth, is it not? Acts 1:8.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV)

So, we talk about our mission in the new covenant. Is this not this? This was good for that Old Testament period. This was the ideal that Israel never lived up to. This is what’s being talked about in Isaiah 2. But then, with the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of a lot of the Old Testament shadows, this is what our mission is.

And the focus is not on some geographical place, but the focus is on where Christ reigns from. He sits at the right hand of the Father, the heavenly Jerusalem, as the word of God goes forth from Judea, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Peace comes now. It’s not the ultimate, final peace yet. We’re in the last days and now, but not yet situation. But peace does come. Peace comes between human beings and God. Peace comes between human beings that have been at war with each other, enmity between each other.

But with Christ, there is the prospect of Jew and Gentile coming together. In the New Testament, there’s a prospect of people who have been at enmity with each other, finding this reconciliation through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God is here, but it’s not yet here in its fullness. And so we look forward to the day Christ comes, when the kingdom will come in its fullness, and peace will then after that last great battle, peace will reign on the earth. Until then, we pray for peace. We work for peace.

We preach the gospel, but we know the enemy is still very much active in this world. And so, this vision that Isaiah gives has begun to be fulfilled now in the church and in the mission of the church. As the gospel goes forth into all the world, calling gentiles and others to the good news of this message. And on the basis in Isaiah 2:5, on the basis of that glorious future, Isaiah exhorts the people to walk in the light of the Lord.

⁵ O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord . (Isaiah 2:5, ESV)

This is what God has intended for you as his people. This is what God has in store for you. This is what could happen in light of that walk today in the light of the Lord that you serve. And Paul sounds very Pauline, doesn’t it? You know, light of the second coming. How should we live today? We should live today in a way that shows our expectation of the coming of Christ.

So this great vision in Isaiah 2:1-5, in Isaiah’s day, he’s holding this out as to what Israel could become if they would trust in God and live in obedience to God. But any questions or comments on that before we move on to the bad news? Chapter 2:6-41, we come back to the present sinful condition of God’s people.

In 2:6-41, we see the foolishness of humanity in exalting itself against God. We come back to that theme of rebellion, arrogance, pride that was mentioned in Chapter 1. It comes into play prominently here in these chapters. Human pride, self-sufficiency, rebellion. They will bring humiliation because they will bring the judgment of God.

The abrupt shift in chapter two, verse six brings you back to the reality of God’s people.

⁶ For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (Isaiah 2:6, ESV)

This goes on to describe Israel learning how to live from the nations, totally opposite of God’s plan. God’s plan was that Israel was to live in obedience to God, and the nations will come to Israel to learn how to live.

But Israel has learned how to live from the nations. It shows a lack of trust in Yahweh and things that are listed here. Pagan practices in Chapter 2:6. Materialism, militarism, idolatry. Chapter 2:8. They are confident in the work of their own hands. Chapter 2:11.

¹¹ The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11, ESV)

But as verse 11 says, the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted. And that’s what verses, in essence, ten through 22, describes the destruction of pride, the destruction of rebellion, and the humbling of man before God and the dread and the terror of rebellious people when God comes. So chapter two, verse 22,

²² Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? (Isaiah 2:22, ESV)

You know, why are you trusting in human ability? Human things, a lack of trust in God. The result in the nation of learning how to live from the nations. The result within the nation of Israel is that the leaders of Israel reflect the poverty of the nation. The leaders of Israel, the leaders of Judah, are just like the nation. They’re no different. This present sinful condition describes them as well. And so instead of being ruled by great men, the nation is ruled by incompetence, which also leads to humiliation for God’s people.

You probably have described in verses two through four of chapter three a social breakdown. And because of the breakdown of basic societal structures, verses four and five say they are ruled by children.

Chapter 4:1 may describe a complete loss of social standing and identity.

¹ And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.” (Isaiah 4:1, ESV)

The breakdown of basic societal structures within the nation of God’s people. The nation of Israel, Judah, because of her rebellion against God. That’s the bad news. That’s the present condition of God’s people. But then you have the rest of chapter four, another passage that looks at what Israel could become, what Judah could become. Chapter 4:2:

² In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. (Isaiah 4:2, ESV)

Now, survivors are talked about, people left in Zion. It gives you the idea that you have the remnant concept. And this is one of the prominent answers to the question, a question that we’ve asked. How does Israel get from her present sinful condition to what God wants her to be? One of the answers to that is through judgment leading to a remnant who will then fulfill and live in the way that God wants Israel to live. That’s one of the answers to this question. But the rest of chapter four, verses two and following, describe a branch. And there is a debate here as to whether this branch is referring to a leader and therefore perhaps messianic, or whether it’s a broader concept.

Calvin doesn’t believe that the branch here refers to the messiah because of the parallel branch of the lord, fruit of the land. So he thinks the parallel fruit of the land is a broad concept. And if you put branch in parallel with fruit of the land, that means branch is a broader concept, and it’s referring more to the renewed fruitfulness of the land in that day. Others, however, argue, and I tend to lean in this direction, that the branch could be an individual.

And if the branch is an individual, you will see the development of this branch idea in Isaiah and other prophets that connects the branch to a leader, and the branch connected to a leader may have messianic connotations. And if that’s the case, then you have the branch leader and you have the fruit of the land, the remnant. And so you have a leader and you have his followers. And so I think that’s an appropriate way to look at this, so that a true leader will arise and true fruitfulness will come to God’s people.

Again, this is the positive hope that is being held out for God’s people, what God intends for his people. Yes, sir. Is there ever any reference to this in John 15? I’m finding connection there. They may have, not that I’m aware of. Usually, this branch concept, those are the Hebrew consonants. Some connect this to. Is it the passage in Matthew about being a Nazarene? Some think there may be some wordplay going on there. So there are some associations with the New Testament, and I’m sure that the vine and branch idea might be fruitful here.

Chapter five. And there’s not much in your notes about chapter five. I’ll just say a few words about it. Chapter five. We come back to the present sinful condition of God’s people. You have the song of a vineyard, and this is really a poem of rebuke of God’s people. This is, again a description of their present sinful condition and their failure to be what God intended them to be. God put a lot of time and effort into his people, and yet they have not produced good fruit.

That’s basically what the song of the vineyard, the time, effort, the care that God has given to his people planting them. But the fruit that you would expect to be there from a vineyard has not been there. Therefore, judgment is coming. Now, chapter six. Chapter six is a strategic chapter in the book of Isaiah. It’s a conclusion to the chapters one through five. It’s partly an answer to our question, how do God’s people get from the present situation, their sinful condition, to what God wants them to be? We’ve answered that question.

One way is through the judgment of God, leading to a remnant. Another answer to this question, if you pick up on this branch idea, would be leadership. God raises up the right leader. That’s an important concept. But then you have in chapter six, in Isaiah’s own response to God, an answer to this question. Israel needs to respond to God as Isaiah responds to God in chapter six: repentance, confession, bowing before a holy God, submitting yourself to the holiness of God, cleansing. All these things are important in this great vision of chapter six.

And you’re familiar with this chapter, this vision of the Lord sitting on the throne when King Uzziah died. You wonder there if there’s not some implicit contrast. Uzziah is dead. And now this vision of Yahweh, because Yahweh is the true king of Israel. And the contrast we’re going to see between the true King Yahweh and the human king Ahaz in chapter seven. So there might be some of those things going on here as well.

But this great vision of the holiness of God, with the foundations shaking, Isaiah as woe is me, and then a seraphim taking a burning coal and touching his mouth and pronouncing that your guilt is taken away and your sins are forgiven.

³ And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” ⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:3-7, ESV)

Beautiful passage. And that’s how Israel should respond. That’s how Judah should respond to understand who God is, the holiness of God key. And if you understand the holiness of God, you’re not going to be living this way.

And then to respond in the appropriate way of bowing for this holy God and receiving the forgiveness that he offers through the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. And so Isaiah, receiving forgiveness, says, “Here I am.” God says, “Who will go for me?” Isaiah says, “Here I am, send me.” Then God tells Isaiah what’s in store for him as he goes and preaches, “Go and say to this people, this is Isaiah 1:9.

⁹ And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ ¹⁰ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10, ESV)

God tells Isaiah, “you’re going to go preach to my people. And your preaching to my people is going to harden them in their rejection of God.” I’d like to have that call to ministry. And we see the dual function here of God’s word. Whenever God’s word goes forth, we pray. We hope it has the salvation effect. That’s what we want.

But it is an appropriate function of God’s word to harden people in their rejection of God. When people reject the word of God now, this many times can be a process. But as they continue to reject the word of God, they continue to become hardened, and they can get to a place where God’s people are. Here in chapter six, complete hardness of heart toward God is a function of the word of God.

And every time you stand to teach Sunday school or preach, you’re going to have people that were going to be rejecting what you’re saying. You may have people that come under conviction because they’re fighting against what you’re saying, and yet the Spirit of God is working in their heart. This is why it’s so important that we preach the word of God faithfully, preach the whole counsel of God, because if we’re not faithfully preaching the word of God, people aren’t going to become under conviction. God uses his word in the lives of people.

And don’t be afraid when people are under conviction and mad at you or struggling because they don’t like necessarily what you’re preaching. As long as you’re faithful to the word of God, their ultimate problem is not with you, it’s with God. So this aspect of the word of God is extremely important and doesn’t get a lot of play in the broader evangelical circles today. But this is the ministry God called Isaiah to. And we thank God he hasn’t called many of us to that same ministry.

We probably get a little more fruit maybe than Isaiah did. But to be sustained in his ministry, he has to have this vision of who God is and the way God works through his word. And we see that here in chapter six. Now, chapter six is also an introduction to chapters seven through twelve. It’s a conclusion, if you will, to chapters one through five. But it’s also an introduction to chapters seven through twelve, because we are going to see an example of the rejection of the word of God, leading to the hardening.

There will be an example of that in a particular king. The nation cut down like a stump, chapter six, verse 13. And yet a 10th remains, life in the stump through which God will bring and accomplish his purposes. You see that also reflected 613, chapter ten, verses 33 and 34. 613, chapter eleven, verses one and following. And then you have kingship ideas. This 1 may not be in your notes. In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw a vision of Yahweh, the true king of Israel.

And now we are going to see how a human king in chapter seven responds to a crisis situation, showing the need for God to raise up a future ruler, which is going to be a part of the chapters in seven through twelve. Chapter seven, chapter nine, chapter eleven. Messianic passages that talk about a ruler that God will raise up. The need for that is because of the condition of the kingship in Judah and in Israel.

So all those are important concepts here in chapter six that sort of set the stage for what comes in chapter seven through twelve. Comments or questions on the first six chapters? Yes, sir. Yes. Yeah, you could focus on one through six in that question, but to answer that question, you need the whole. And you could really, some even take that trust in God as to be one of the major themes of Isaiah, and they carry it forward in the 40 through 55 and 56 through 66 as well.

But clearly, in the first 39 chapters, it is a major emphasis, and we’ll see a contrast between Ahaz and Hezekiah that focuses and revolves around the whole issue of trusting in God. All right, we have several more minutes, maybe ten or twelve more minutes. So let’s get a start on the next lecture, which is a fairly larger lecture. I don’t know if we will finish this today, but we might. All right, lecture eight, we are going to cover chapters seven through 39.

Chapter six predicts unbelief and a hardening of God’s people against the word of God. Chapter seven shows an historical example of that very thing, as we will see when we get specifically through chapter seven. If you look at all of chapters seven through twelve, you see alternating sections of judgment and hope here as well. Remember, in chapters one through five, you see sort of had alternating sections of the present sinful condition of God’s people contrasted with what God intended them to be. Well, in seven through twelve, you have alternating sections of judgment and hope.

Judgment because Ahaz does not trust in God. Now there is some hope mixed into chapter seven and eight. We have the sign of Emmanuel. We’ll talk about. But then specifically hope through the royal child. Chapter 9:1-7, judgment. In 9:8-10:34, Israel and Assyria’s pride. And then chapter 11 and 12, hope again through the branch concept, again comes into play here. The judgment sections expose the false views of Ahaz, Israel, Assyria, their false perspectives on life, because Israel, Ahaz, is not trusting God.

The hope sections unfold messianic promises, promises related to a future ruler. Now we come to chapter seven and the crisis that Judah is facing in chapter seven. The first two verses set the stage for that crisis. Mister Westmoreland, would you read 7:1-2 just to sort of get those two verses out in front of us, and we’ll describe what’s going on.

¹ In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. ² When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. (Isaiah 7:1-2, ESV)

All right, what’s going on here? Yeah, that’s not the right way to draw it. I’ll just do the straight one. Now you have Judah, Israel, Aram or Syria, and then Assyria over here. Those are the major players. Assyria is the major power of this day. And the king of Israel, Pekah, and the king of Syria, Raisin. They come together, form a coalition in order to do battle or stand against Assyria, because Assyria is the major power of the day. Now, the more people you get join your coalition, the stronger you will be. So they want Ahaz. Ahaz is king of Judah. They want Ahaz to join them.

In fact, they’re going to force him to join them. And if he is not willing to join them, they are going to place on the throne another king, which verse six mentions set up the son of Tabeel as king in midst of it. So Ahaz is being forced, pressured to join this coalition, and he’s not going along with it. So they come up to the city of Jerusalem, and they are going to wage war and put a siege on the city of Jerusalem to force him, Ahaz, to join their coalition.

And chapter 7:1 is sort of a summary statement. They could not prevail against Ahaz, and so they are making preparations to lay siege against Jerusalem. And you see the reaction of the people in verse 2. The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. They’re scared. They’re fearful. This is the context that Isaiah is sent by God to Ahaz. Verse 4. This is what Isaiah is to say to Ahaz:

⁴ And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. (Isaiah 7:4, ESV)

Don’t be afraid. Don’t be fearful. These are just two smoldering stumps of firebrands, which tells you what they’re going to fizzle out. In a short period of time, they’ll be gone. Verses seven through nine, actually. Yeah, verse seven.

⁷ thus says the Lord God : “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. (Isaiah 7:7, ESV)

And then verse nine is the key verse, the end of verse nine. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.

⁹ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'” (Isaiah 7:9, ESV)

That’s the issue, Ahaz. Who are you going to trust? Where are you going to put your faith in this crisis situation? Don’t do anything, Ahaz. Be careful. Be quiet. Don’t fear. Have faith in Yahweh, and this thing will pass. Try to sell that to your military advisors. Don’t do anything. That’s his dilemma now. Perhaps. And we’ll set this up before we have to break for chapel and come back and look closer at this price. Ahaz is having trouble deciding. Let me think about it a minute. What are your options?

He could trust in Yahweh and do nothing and believe the word of the prophet that these two smoking firebrands will come to nothing very quickly. There’s another option. Assyria can help me. Assyria has all the power. These guys are wanting me to join a coalition against Assyria. Why don’t I just call for Assyria for help? A powerful nation. They’ll come down and take care of these guys like nothing. Well, either Ahaz is having trouble deciding or he’s hiding his true intent because he’s already made up his decision.

But God comes to Ahaz in this context and says, this is chapter seven, verse eleven.

¹¹ “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” (Isaiah 7:11, ESV)

The Lord is willing. He has to give you a sign. As deep as Sheol, as high as heaven. Which gives you the impression, wow, this. This could be quite a sign. Miraculous sign. God is giving you the opportunity. He has to ask for a sign to confirm that he will do what he said. Miraculous sign. Ahaz gives some pious answer here.

I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test. Doesn’t Deuteronomy somewhere say, “you shall not put the Lord to the test”? I don’t want to put the Lord to the test.

¹⁶ “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16, ESV)

Appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to put the Lord to the test. And it’s in response to his rejection of the signal. And it’s, I really think, in response to his unbelief that God didn’t go ahead and give us a sign anyway. And this is where we have, which we’ll come back and look at verse 14 through 17.

The Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel.

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14, ESV)

But we’ll come back and talk about that after chapel. So we’ll start up again at 11:00. Any comments or questions before we go? All right, we’ll see you at eleven.

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