Isaiah 29
Sunday Morning Bible Study
September 12, 1999
Introduction
We’ve finished the section known as "Isaiah’s Apocalypse" (Is. 24-27), and are now in a section that deals with times a little more current to Isaiah’s day. He’s dealing with all the problems in his own nation, the nation of Judah. The main idea behind this chapter is that God’s people aren’t in a good place with the Lord. God will be doing something that’s kind of scary for them in an attempt to wake His people up. He wants them to learn something from what they’re about to go through.
:1-8 Coming siege and deliverance for Jerusalem
:1 Ariel, the city where David dwelt …let them kill sacrifices
Ariel – "lion of God", or "altar hearth of God" (Eze. 43:15). It’s talking about Jerusalem.
The idea of the verse is, "let them keep adding year after year of sacrifices, it won’t change my mind about the coming trouble."
Lesson
Obedience, not sacrifice.
Too often we think we can just skate through life and it doesn’t really matter what we do or don’t do. We think that as long as we keep throwing God little scraps, little "sacrifices", then He’s happy and everything is fine.
King Saul operated this way. He was commanded by God to wipe out the Amalekites. When he didn’t do all that God asked him to do, he responded by saying that he was just planning on making lots of sacrifices to God.
(1 Sam 15:22-23 KJV) And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. {23} For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
David wrote,
(Psa 51:16-17 NLT) You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. If I brought you a burnt offering, you would not accept it. {17} The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.
God isn’t interested in you thinking that you have to do something to "butter Him up". He just wants you to get serious about following Him.
Illustration
Norene Craig of Tucson, Arizona writes, "Joe, our nearly-4-year-old, was well-behaved except for one habit—he didn’t like to wear shoes. When it was time for his first Vacation Bible school, we told Joe he must keep his shoes on at church. He nodded in agreement, but I worried about his ability to resist temptation. My fears were set to rest on parents’ night. On display were the crafts the children had completed during the week. Hanging up for all to see were eleven plaster plaques of children’s feet, and one plaque of our little Joe’s hand."
Maybe you might think that little Joe did more than he needed to. But the point is this, he kept his shoes on. He did what mommy wanted him to. God would rather have you obeying than making excuses. Keep your shoes on.
:2 Yet I will distress Ariel… it shall be unto me as Ariel
God will bring distress to Jerusalem, making it like a bloody altar, an "Ariel".
:3 And I will camp against thee round about
God would send Sennacherib lay siege to Jerusalem in 701 BC.
:4 brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground…familiar spirit
familiar spirit – one who contacts the dead, allowing demons to speak through them.
The people will be so humbled before their enemies it will seem that they can’t get any lower. Even their voices seem to come from beneath the ground.
:5 the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust
The enemy will be like fine dust or chaff that is blown away by the wind. They will be removed quickly, blown away.
:7 the multitude of all the nations … shall be as a dream
The nations fighting Jerusalem would vanish, just as happened with Sennacherib’s army (Is. 37:33-37). This would also be a picture of what would happen when Jesus comes back and He will fight to rescue Jerusalem. (Zec 14:2-3)
:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth
The picture is that the enemy armies around Jerusalem will be like the guy having a dream. They will feel like they’re just about to get their goal in conquering Jerusalem when they suddenly "wake up" and their victory has vanished.
:9-12 Lack of understanding
:10 the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep
God gives them up to their own hardness of heart. "You want a hard heart? You’ve got a hard heart!" (Rom. 11:8)
:11 as the words of a book that is sealed
Even though Isaiah is writing all this down, the people who should be able to understand what is being said won’t. It will be like a book that’s locked up tight.
Lesson
Spiritual Understanding
There’s a sense in which not everyone is going to understand things that will seem so clear to others.
Sometimes Scripture talks about certain prophecies being "sealed". The idea is that they are difficult to understand (Dan. 12:4). John had a vision (Rev. 5:1-5) of a book that was sealed with seven seals. But there was One who was able to open the seals. It was Jesus.
Jesus is the one who opens up prophecy for us. He’s the one who makes things understandable in God’s Word to us.
(1 Cor 2:12-16 KJV) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. {13} Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. {14} But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. {15} But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. {16} For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Do you desire to understand the things of God? You won’t be able to until you have Jesus.
Illustration
There are certain children’s games where there is a picture hidden on a page, and the page is written over with all kinds of red-colored scribble. When the normal person looks at the page, it’s just a bunch of gobbilty-gook. But when you put on the special red-tinted glasses, you no longer are confused by all the red scribble, and you see the picture that’s hidden underneath.
It’s not that Jesus gives us some kind of "magic glasses", but there’s a sense in which we just don’t "see it" until His Spirit is living in our hearts. When Jesus is in our hearts, it’s not like we’re totally aware of what’s happening, but we suddenly start understanding things we never had a clue about.
:13-16 Rebellious hearts
:13 with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart …
This is what happened to the Pharisees, in fact Jesus quotes this passage when talking about them (Mat. 15:1-11). The Pharisees were worshipping God by outward expressions. They were more concerned about "the way we’ve always done it" rather than learning what God’s heart was. They did things properly on the outside, but their hearts weren’t close to God.
Lesson
God wants your heart.
God doesn’t want your "religion", He wants a "relationship" with you. "Religion" is when a person does outward, "religious" kinds of things. "Religion" is when you are more concerned about doing what other people are doing rather than doing what is right.
Illustration
Four men are driving cross-country together: one from Idaho, one from Iowa, one from Florida, and the last one is from New York. A bit down the road the man from Idaho starts to pull potatoes from his bag and throws them out the window. The man from Iowa turns to him and asks, "What are you doing?" The man from Idaho says, "Man, we have so many of these darned things in Idaho. They’re laying around on the ground, I’m sick of looking at them!" A few miles down the road, the man from Iowa begins pulling ears of corn from his bag and throwing them out the window. The man from Florida asks "What are you doing that for?" The man from Iowa replies, "Man, we have so many of these darned things in Iowa. I’m sick of looking at them!" Inspired by the others, the man from Florida opens the car door and pushes the New Yorker out.
Are you just concerned about doing what other people seem to be doing? God is concerned about your obedience, but He’s looking for obedience that comes from a heart of love for Him.
:14 I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people
JFB: The "marvellous work" is one of unparalleled vengeance on the hypocrites.
:15 them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD
These Jewish leaders thought the Lord was not aware of their political intrigues and alliances. They were planning on making an alliance with Egypt and Ethiopia to protect themselves from the Assyrian invasion.
The worst hypocrite is the one who not only tries to hide their real self from other people, but who thinks they can hide themselves from God.
:16 Surely your turning of things upside down …
"You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay?" (NASB)
:16 He made me not? … He had no understanding?
Two questions are being asked:
1) Did God make me?
You are not a product of a chance random accident. You have been created through intelligent design.
2) Did God make a mistake in creating me?
Lesson
God doesn’t make mistakes.
I think that some of us have this idea that compared to other people, God must have made a mistake when it came to "me".
(Psa 139:13-17 NLT) You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. {14} Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. {15} You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. {16} You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. {17} How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable!
God doesn’t make mistakes. We may not totally understand why He’s done things in a certain way in our lives, but He doesn’t make mistakes.
:17-24 Learning to do what’s pleasing to God
:17 Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field
The land where the Assyrian army had currently been camping out in would one day be a fruitful place. Some see this as talking about when Jesus returns.
:19 meek … poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel
meek and poor – just the opposite of what the world calls successful.
Lesson
The source of satisfaction.
Where do you find your satisfaction? Is it in having more and more "stuff"?
(Phil 4:10-13 KJV) But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. {11} Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. {12} I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. {13} I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The secret is in learning to be content in my current circumstances. It’s not something that just happens naturally, we have to "learn" to be content. That doesn’t mean I can’t look into different jobs or ask for a raise. But even if my circumstances don’t change, I need to find contentment in the Lord.
Illustration
An ancient Persian legend tells of a wealthy man by the name of Al Haffed who owned a large farm. One evening a visitor related to him tales of fabulous amounts of diamonds that could be found in other parts of the world, and of the great riches they could bring him. The vision of all this wealth made him feel poor by comparison. So instead of caring for his own prosperous farm, he sold it and set out to find these treasures. But the search proved to be fruitless. Finally, penniless and in despair, he committed suicide by jumping into the sea. Meanwhile, the man who had purchased his farm noticed one day the glint of an unusual stone in a shallow stream on the property. He reached into the water, and to his amazement he pulled out a huge diamond. Later when working in his garden, he uncovered many more valuable gems. Poor Al Haffed had spent his life traveling to distant lands seeking jewels when on the farm he had left behind were all the precious stones his heart could have ever desired.
My satisfaction shouldn’t be based on what I have, but on who I know. Do you know the Lord? Then be content in the Lord and in what He has given you.
:20-21 all that watch for iniquity are cut off …
This is talking about the Jewish leaders who have been persecuting their own people.
(Isa 29:21 NIV) those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.
:22 Jacob shall not now be ashamed
This is what God says about the descendants of Jacob. After all these changes take place, where the deaf and the blind are healed, where the poor rejoice in the Lord, where the powerful oppressors are wiped out, after these things Jacob won’t be ashamed of his children.
The picture is almost as if Jacob is standing next to the Lord in heaven, and he’s watching his descendants and is kind of embarrassed before the Lord for what they’re doing. An interesting idea. Ever feel like somebody’s watching you? (Heb. 12:1-3)
:24 they that murmured shall learn doctrine
NAS – "those who criticize will accept instruction."
The people had hearts that were full of complaining. But now they would be in a place where they could receive from the Lord.
Lesson
Are you complaining or are you teachable?
So often we are called upon to form an opinion or to evaluate something. But sometimes if we don’t guard our hearts, we can develop a "critical spirit". We find that we have to offer an opinion on everything, and generally that opinion is full of what we see as wrong in the thing we’re evaluating.
Illustration
An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution. "You don’t want to try these techniques at home." "Why not?" asked somebody from the audience. "I watched my wife’s routine at breakfast for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, ‘Hon, why don’t you try carrying several things at once?’" "Did it save time?" the guy in the audience asked. "Actually, yes," replied the expert. "It used to take her 20 minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven."
The Israelites were infamous for their grumbling and murmuring. God would rather that we be teachable, willing to learn, even able to be corrected and to grow from it.
Illustration
Howard Hendricks shares this insight about the value of learning: When I was a college student—I worked in the college dining hall, and on my way to work at 5:30 every morning I walked past the home of one of my professors. Through a window I could see the light on at his desk, morning after morning. At night I stayed late at the library to take advantage of evening study hours, and returning home at 10:30 or 11 o’clock I would again see his desk light on. He was always pouring over his books. One day he invited me home for lunch, and after the meal I said to him, "Would you mind if I asked you a question?" "Of course not." "What keeps you studying? You never seem to stop." His answer, "Son, I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than a stagnant pool."
What do you have to offer to others? Complaints or an ear that’s open to learn? Complaints from a stagnant pool or the words that flow from a running stream? David wrote,
(Psa 86:11 KJV) Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth.