Isaiah 12 - Thanksgiving of the Remnant

Chapter 11 reflects on the reactions and responses of the people for the works of the Lord in chapter 12.

First there will be Thanksgiving. (12:1) The thanksgiving is that God had turned away His anger from the sins. It's a thanksgiving with gratitude.  God "forgets" their sin in a just manner, having paid for the sins through the death of His son.

"For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer 31:34)

It doesn't mean that a believer's sins have no consequences, for sin is a cancer that destroys our spiritual body and affects our whole being. But Christ's work on the cross is effective to forgive any and all our sins we repent of, and a believer can have the same gratitude and thanksgiving.

The second reaction is the complete Trust in God. (12:2). They used to trust in man, on themselves, in their allies to save them. But now they realise that it was God all along who planned their salvation, even while they turned their backs on Him. The salvation is more than saving the nation, but also in giving the eternal life of individual believer.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (12:2)

The third response is the Testimony to His works of salvation to all people. (12:4) It's a proclamation of the good news with much joy and rejoicing. It is not a "commandment" we think of, but a natural reaction to what had happened to us. This is the most effective way to be contagious in our gospel.

Isaiah 13 - Judgement Against Babylon

I.  The call to arms (v1-5)

This chapter is about the judgement on Babylon after they have destroyed Jerusalem and taken the Jews captive for 70 years. All these things will happen 100 years from the writing. The word "oracle" in Hebrew is "mas-sa" meaning "burden" that is placed on the Babylonians. (13:1)

God will bring "mighty men" to execute the judgment on Babylon. "I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones." (13:3)

It reminds us that many evil regime had been kept dormant or destroyed because God still holds the law justice in this world. This includes Nazi Germany, ISIS and South Korea. God is sovereign and has all the rights to change the heart of kings (Prov 21:1) and move nations (Ps 22:28; 75:7),


II. The terror of the day of the Lord (v6-16)

Isaiah made the emphasis that the destruction of Babylon from the Lord WILL come (13:6). It was a statement of fact, rather than a wish. It was God who brought them judge Israel, and God can just as well remove them.

The "day of the Lord" will be a destruction they have never experienced before. Just as they massacred the infants in Jerusalem, their destroyer will also kill their babies in front of them (13:16).  Their pride and pompousness will be removed and very few number of people numbers will remain. (13:11-12).

"Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it." (13:9)

God's time table is very different than ours. Sometimes we see evil and sin being done and wonder why God doesn't do something. Why did God allow evil man to have their day? Well, today man have their day, but the day of the Lord is coming, where sinners will be removed from the land when the Son comes again.


III.  The completeness of the destruction (17-22)

The Bible specifically mentioned that the people God will bring to destroy Babylon will be the Medes. The Medes are the old Persian empire, located where Iran sits today. Even the name of the King, Cyrus, were mentioned in Isaiah 44:28.

Babylon would be destroyed and left to decay so that only wild animals would live there.

Isaiah 11 - The Righteous Reign of the Branch

I. The Righteous Reign of The Branch (1-5)

Out of the stump that were left from the judgment, a branch will grow out of Jesse's line. Jesus was a descendant of Jesse through Mary (v1). Why didn't Isaiah say "branch of David", since David was a lot more famous to the hearers? I believe God deliberately said it this way to emphasize the humble beginning of the Messiah, and not to play up the political card. 

True to the prophecy, the Spirit of the Lord literally came and rested on Jesus during His baptism: "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,c and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,d with whom I am well pleased.” (Mat 3:16,17)

Some people ask why must the Spirit come to Jesus, if He was already the Messiah at birth. I believe Jesus already have the Spirit of God inside him, but this is a public demonstration to everyone there of His anointing and His position as the Son of God. 

Verse 3 to 5 describe His roles. It seems that He has the supernatural ability to know the situation of each person - that He does not need to judge based on outer appearances but is able to judge with righteousness what is equitable to all.  

He is not only the judge, but also the executioner - to be able to take away life with his words. This would be scary if such power is given to any human being, but Jesus will be a benevolent ruler, with perfect righteousness and faithfulness.  (v5)

II. Transformation of Nature (6-10)

Another great miracle is the transformation of nature. When the Son of God rules, there will be no more predators - the lions, leopards, and bears will not kill the preys but will become herbivours. (v6-7).  In addition, the relationship between man and the animals will be restored (the way it was before Noah), such that a child can play with the snakes. (v8). 

"The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything." (Genesis 9:2-3)

The whole earth will have knowledge of the Lord. It is not just knowing Him in faith or in doubt, but the way we know our prime minister today - everyone knows He exists and His works on earth. The nations will come and inquire from Him. (v9,10)

III. The remnant (11-16)

Today, the Jews in Israel are from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. (That's why they are called "Jews", i.e. from the tribe of Judah.)  The ten other tribes in Israel were exiled by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and had never returned. However, God promised that there will be a reunification one day:

"Say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand... then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms."  (Ezekiel 37:19-22)

Here in Isaiah, it speaks about the places where the people will come from. The names of the countries may be obsolete, but the geographical places are still there. Apparently, the exiles have turned the Israelites into natives of different lands such as Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, and from "four corners of the earth"  (v11,12).  In verse 16, Isaiah described a "highway" from Assyria, which is literally there today from Turkey and Iraq. 

We don't know how, but there will some way to identify them (medically?), when God "raise a signal", and those that have lost their ancestral linkages will know who they were. 

Since there are wars being described here (v14-15), it may suggest that the reunification may happen before or during the tribulation period, and this was described in Revelation during the sixth-seal:

"And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:" (Rev 7:4) and it went on to list all the tribes of Israel.  The sealing of the tribes protects them from subsequents plagues during the tribulation. 

And when they return, the conflict and jealousy between the brothers will be gone. They will reunite and combine their strengths against their enemies during the tribulation period.

Isaiah 10 - A Remnant Will Return

I.  Oppression in Israel (1 - 4)

Verses 1 to 4 are continuation of the verdict against Israel from the last chapter. The government passed laws that promotes oppression to the needy. The rich would take advantage of the poor and the widows. All these to grab and horde riches. But when the judgment comes, their wealth will come to nothing. 

II. Assyria: Jehovah’s rod (5-19)

God will use Assyria as a rod of His anger. (10:5)  The rod is a long stick used to guide sheep and to correct those that rebel. 

Though Assyria was a godless nation, God can still use them to do His mission (10:6). I believe God still uses kings, leaders and nations as instruments of his will on earth today. Joseph, for example, was bullied by his brothers so that he can become someone great in Egypt and save the people. 

That's why when our leaders are unfair or incompetent, or if we are having conflict with other nations, the first thing for us to do is to discern what God is trying to do. It could be for correcting us or the majority of the population for not listening to God. 

And we don't have to worry about the wicked - God will bring judgment on them too. Assyria thinks that their success is due to their own strength and for their own glory, and God knows it. (10:7, 13) In fact, Assyria believed that God was just another idol, like those of many nations that they have conquered, and that they will have no problem taking over Samaria and Jerusalem. (10:10-11). 

An instrument is not better than the master that wields it, and have nothing to boast about. In the same way, as Christians, we are to be servants and must decrease as Christ is increased. Everything we do, or enabled to do, is for God's glory. Jesus said: "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10) 

So when Assyria has done what God allowed it to do,  God will punish the arrogance of Assyria as well. (10:12)  Isaiah said that one day "Israel will become a fire and the Holy One a flame" (10:17). We know the Babylonians eventually conquered the Assyrians, but this could also be a prophecy of the future where Assyrian represents the territory of current Syria and Iraq. 

III. A Remnant Will Return (19-27)

The coming events will prove to Judah that they should have relied on God, and not in Assyria. (10:20)  This was opposite of what Ahaz did (Chapter 7), who appealed to Assyria and seek their protection, paying them treasures from the temple as "protection money". 

God promised here again that even though the destruction will come as a punishment, it was done in righteousness and with a purpose. They are not to be afraid of the Assyrians when they come. God will intervene like how He did in the days of the Egyption slavery and the war with Midian.  (10:21-27).   

We know that later, God sent an angel who killed 185,000 Assyrians who camped outside of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 19:35) The "burden" of Assyria will be removed on that day. (10:27)

The final outcome for Judah is that they will be preserved and a remnant will return. This may not just mean the remnants from the war with Assyria, but with Babylon and also with the Romans as well. 

IV.  Prophecy of the arrival of the army of the Assyrians. (28-32)

This prophetic poetry confirmed to the people that the Assyrians will attack Judah. The towns Aiath, Migron,  Michmash, and Geba are towns of Judah listed from North to South. There will be fear and crying and flight of people when they march through and killed both young and old.

The Assyrians will get as near to Jerusalem as Nob (10:32). That's when God stepped in and killed 185,000 within a single night, and Sennacherib retreated. It is as if to show Judah that this army is so overpowering and untouchable, that they can only be stopped by God's intervention. It reminded me how five Arab nations could not destroy Israel after its independence in 1948 in numerous attacks.

This Assyrian invasion was not at the same time as the destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC, but a different attack in 701 BC, during the days of Hezekiah. Hezekiah had seen what Assyria did to Israel and he decided to remove the idols and reformed the priesthood and worship after he replaced Ahaz as King in 715 BC.

Hezekiah's son Manasseh, who became king at age of 12 (696 BC as co-regent with Hezekiah and sole ruler in 686 BC ), never saw the existence of Israel and was too young during the attack on Jerusalem to appreciate what God had done. Manasseh reversed everything his father did and started pagan worship. He restored polytheistic worship of Baal and Asherah and persecuted the Prophets, including possibly murdering Isaiah. He himself participated in the sacrificial cult of Moloch which consisted of sacrificing young children or passing them through fire (2 Kings 21).

This is an example of a "second generation" of Christian children who did not go through the fire of the faith, and can easily depart from God. We must constantly remind our Children how we were and how God saved us.

“Love the LORD your God and always obey all his laws. Remember today what you have learned about the LORD through your experiences with him. It was you, not your children, who had these experiences.  ... Remember these commands and cherish them. ...Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working." (Deuteronomy 11: 1-2, 18-19)

How often has God stopped something terrible from happening in our lives? Many of us have accidents, illness, loss of jobs, or some bad news happening to our loved ones. God had always stepped in to prevent bigger tragedies. Let us be discerning to the message and to be grateful for His loving and righteous intervention!

Isaiah 9 - A Light In Darkness

I. A Great Light

Isaiah painted a glorious future for Israel in a beautiful poetry: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone." (9:2)

Isaiah said that in the "former time", meaning in Isaiah's time, God will bring judgement to Zebulun and Napthtali, that represents Israel in the north. But in future, God will do something glorious that will first be seen by those in Galilee and in the North. Hence those in darkness will be first to see the light. (9:2; see also Matt 4:16)

This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Galilee, where most of His ministry was. He showed the light God's Salvation plan. Indeed, He himself was the light who came: "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The darkness he came to take away was not the suffering under oppression of a foreign governments (Assyria, Babylonians, Persians, etc until the Romans), but to free us from the darkness and slavery of sin. (John 8:34-36)

He will come as a helpless child but His titles are divine. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (9:6)

God is not only good (wonderful), and powerful (mighty) but is wise (counselor), which is why God allows suffering so we can seek for the Saviour Jesus Christ, and avoid His judgment.

The freedom from human government will come in His second coming where the enemies of Israel (and enemies of the faith) are destroyed as completely as Gideon destroyed the Midians. (9:4-7; Judges 7).

He will bring world-wide peace (though people will still be people and will still have sin), until the world is destroyed by fire at the end of 1,000 years. Thereafter He will continue to rule in the new heavens and new Earth "forever more".

II. Arrogance of Israel

Ephraim and Inhabitants of Samaria (Israel and its capital) were pronounced as having pride and arrogance. (9:9)  They were not afraid of the calamities that God had brought. Instead of returning to God and repent, they boasted that they can make their houses better than what was destroyed, and plant better trees than what was uprooted. (9:10, 13)

They allied with Rezin, the King of Syria - but ironically God will bring the enemies of Syria against Israel, from the "head to the tail", meaning all levels of the society. (9:11,14)  Everyone had been judged "godless and an evildoer" (9:17)

III. The Fire of Wickedness

Wickedness is compared to a raging fire. Like a fire that burns down trees after trees, wickedness and violence will spread through vengeance and hate. (9:18)

The northern kingdom came into existence by the rebellion of Jeroboam against David's line of kings. Since then there the rulership of Israel have been through coup d'etat and murders. Families and supporters of the previous kings would be hunted down and killed. Isaiah described: "Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah." (9:21)

As a result, God will make the people themselves "fuel" for the fire that is coming. There will be disunity and betrayals among the people of Israel when the enemies come, and as such they will not be able to survive.