Isaiah 30
Sunday Morning Bible Study
September 26, 1999
Introduction
The nation of Judah was facing the threat of the invading Assyrian army. They knew it was coming. God had encouraged the people to trust in Him, but there were some people who had a problem with that.
:1-7 Following bad counsel
:2 to trust in the shadow of Egypt!
There were some people in King Hezekiah’s court that wanted the nation of Judah to make a treaty with Egypt to have the Egyptians help against the coming Assyrian invasion.
:3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame
Egypt would not be a help to Judah. Judah would be ashamed of Egypt’s help.
:4 princes were at Zoan … ambassadors came to Hanes
Zoan (also known as Tanis) … Hanes (khaw-nace') – two of the chief cities of Egypt. The ambassadors from Judah had already gone to these cities for help.
:6 The burden of the beasts … treasures upon … camels …
the burden – or, "the prophecy". The picture is of the envoys coming from Jerusalem, through the desert, to Egypt bearing treasures.
:7 I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still
their strength is to sit still – bad translation … literally it means, "Rahab, sitting still". Rahab was a name sometimes applied to the nation of Egypt based on a mythical dragon that sat in the Nile river and did nothing (see also Isa. 51:9; Psa. 87:4).
(Isa 30:7 NIV) Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing.
The help from Egypt would be non-existent.
Lesson
God’s counsel versus the world’s counsel.
The whole issue of these verses is about where you are going to go for help. You can either choose to do things God’s way, or the world’s way. Two Basic Questions:
1. Do you want to know God’s will?
If you really don’t want to know what God’s will is, or are afraid of finding out, then you’re not going to find God’s will. It could be staring you right in the face and you won’t see it because you don’t want to see it.
(Jer 29:11-13 KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. {12} Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. {13} And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
If you are truly and sincerely looking for God’s will, you will find it.
Illustration
There was a man who was walking along a narrow cliff on a dark night. It was so dark that he couldn’t see what was over the edge. Suddenly he slipped and found himself falling off the edge. As he started to fall, he caught a tree branch sticking out, and managed to just barely hang on. But there was no where to go. He didn’t have enough strength to climb back up. He cried out, "Oh God, if You’re really there, please help me!" Nothing. He cried out again, "Oh God, I’ll go to church every Sunday and read my Bible. Please help me!" Nothing. He cried out again, "Oh God, I’ll do whatever you tell me to. Just please help me!" And then he heard a still, small voice, "Just let go." He thought about it a little bit. He cried out again, "Is there anybody else up there?"
Sometimes we say we're willing to do what God wants us to, but it's only as long as it's agreeable to us.
2. Are you seeking God’s will in God’s way?
Are you praying? Are you reading God’s Word? Are you seeking counsel from godly men or women?
We believe that man is made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. Your emotions technically belong to that part of you known as your "soul", the Greek word is psuche. We get the word "psychology" from it.
For a non-Christian, their "spirit" (Greek pneuma) is technically dead (Eph. 2:1,5). They are separated from God. They are unable to have a relationship with God, who is by nature a "spirit" (John 4:24). At least until they are "born again" and gain a new life in the spirit realm.
When we go to a non-Christian for counsel, though they may be very knowledgeable in some areas that may be of benefit to us, they will be absolutely blind in regards to spiritual things. And the problem is that often many of our emotional difficulties aren’t just emotional in nature, they are spiritual as well. It is almost impossible to tell the "spirit" apart from the "soul" in a Christian because the two are woven so closely together (Heb. 4:12).
A non-Christian counselor can be of some benefit to a Christian, but they will be totally unable to cope with the spiritual side of you.
(1 Cor 2:14 NLT) But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.
They won’t have a clue about it. And what often happens is that well-intentioned counselors can do more harm than good. They are like a doctor who prescribes cough medicine for your cough and ignores the fact that you’ve got lung cancer.
:8-17 Spiritual deafness brings judgment
:11 cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us
These people want to pick and choose what they will accept and listen to.
(2 Tim 4:3-4 KJV) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
There are churches who try to tailor their messages so as not to "offend" people.
I’ve heard musicians talk about going into some of these churches and being told not to sing any songs that have to do with sin, the cross, or the blood of Jesus. Yet these things are at the very heart of what we call the "gospel". And the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). The message of the good news of Jesus Christ has the ability to change people.
What is the "gospel"?
It starts with understanding that mankind is sinful. We are all hopeless sinners. We have all fallen short of what God requires of us. I cannot know God nor live with Him forever in heaven while I have a problem with my sin.
Jesus Christ came to die on a cross and take the penalty for my sins. When my sins are paid for, I can be forgiven by God.
I need to put my trust and hope in Jesus’ work on the cross. When I have learned to count on Jesus paying for my sins, when I "believe" in Him, I am saved from the consequences of my sins and I can now have a relationship with God.
This will offend some people. But you aren’t going to avoid hell unless you come to trust in Jesus.
:13 a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall
The picture is of a high wall that begins to swell up at the top and finally the wall collapses. This is what the coming judgment will be like, swift and deadly.
:14 there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire
Even when a pot breaks, sometimes the pieces are big enough to still be useful. But these people who refuse to listen to God’s warnings will be totally broken.
:15 In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength
returning – shuwbah – retirement, withdrawal, as in returning from their trip to Egypt.
Sometimes when we are faced with new problems, we want to rush out and try to take control of the situation. That’s okay if we’re being led by the Spirit, but too often we go rushing into things because our flesh is impatient and it wants to be in control.
To those who venture out ahead of God and want to find some way of fixing things but in an ungodly way, God says to "come back home".
quietness – shaqat – to be quiet, be tranquil, be at peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed
confidence – bitchah – trust, trusting, confidence
Lesson
Quiet trust gives strength.
Don’t get me wrong here. There is certainly a time to be taking action. God doesn’t desire that we just sit around on the sofa all day because we’re living with "quietness and confidence".
But have you spent time just silently waiting on the Lord?
Elijah had gotten himself into a mess by getting the wicked queen Jezebel mad at him. When she put out a contract on Elijah’s life, he ran as far away as he could. It was time to hear from God:
(1 Ki 19:11-13 KJV) And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: {12} And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. {13} And it was so, when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
When Elijah was quiet enough to hear the still small voice, he was able to get back to his ministry. Too often we have so much going on around us, so much noise inside of our heads, that we couldn’t hear if God shouted.
(Rev 3:8 KJV) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
All it takes is a "little strength" to go through an open door. Strength comes from quiet trusting.
:15 and ye would not.
Lesson
Will you?
God showed these people how to begin to deal with their problems, but they didn’t want to have anything to do with God’s answers.
There are some people that when you share the gospel with them, they respond with something like, "Well, that’s nice for you, but I don’t think I want to believe in that." It’s almost as if you have chosen to believe something that you’ve made up. But the gospel isn’t MY idea, it isn’t YOUR idea. It’s God’s idea. When a person rejects God’s offer of eternal life, they’re not rejecting your "religious beliefs", they are rejecting God.
Are you willing to listen to God’s ideas? Are you for God or against Him?
:17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one
Lesson
Victory comes from staying close to the Lord
God had promised His people that one of the benefits of walking close to Him was victory over their enemies –
(Josh 23:10 KJV) One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
But now they’ve strayed from the Lord, they will suffer defeat.
If you’re going through a tough battle right now, the place to be is as close to Jesus as you can get. And stay there. When you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, get up and read your Bible. Wait on the Lord.
:18-26 Glimpse at the end
The prophecy now takes a turn and flips into the future when Jesus comes back.
:18 therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you
Lesson
He waits for you.
Even when we don’t wait for Him, He waits for us.
God is patient towards us and is waiting to give us a chance to repent.
(2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But know that there is a limit to His patience. There will be a day when He stops waiting. Don’t think you have twenty more years to make up your mind.
:19 he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry
God is just waiting for you to cry out to Him for help.
(Psa 145:18 KJV) The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
:20 the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed
Even though these people will go through difficult times, they will still have their "teachers" with them.
The NAS & NLT seem to indicate it is the Lord Himself (see also Is. 2:3):
(Isa 30:20 NASB) Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher.
Lesson
God seems closest when times are hardest.
We hate to admit it, but it’s usually the times that are hardest when we find ourselves crying out to the Lord the most.
(Isa 57:15 KJV) For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Sometimes it takes difficult times to humble us and break us. It’s at those times that God is closest to us.
:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver
These people will get rid of anything in their lives that would keep them from the Lord.
Lesson
Take care of business.
If there are things in your life that don’t belong there, take care of it.
If you are serious about following the Lord, then there are probably going to be some closets that need to be cleaned out in your life. You don’t have to worry about what will need to be changed, God will show you. But when He points something out, do something about it. The longer you drag your feet, the more you retard your growth in the Lord.
:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it
Technically this is talking about the voice of the "teachers" in verse 20, their voice coming from behind us telling us which way to turn.
But if the "teachers" in verse 20 is referring to the Lord, then this is talking about us hearing God’s voice.
Lesson
Listening for God’s voice.
It doesn’t matter exactly how we choose to view verse 20, God desires to speak to you. It may be through "teachers", but it most certainly is also through His Holy Spirit.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
In our context in Isaiah, there are some qualities of these people who hear the "voice" of their teachers, the voice of the Holy Spirit:
1) They cry to the Lord for help (vs.19). Though others want to trust in Egypt, these people cry to the Lord for help. And God answers their cries.
2) They’ve trusted the Lord even through hard times (vs.20) They’ve eaten the "bread of adversity", but have still trusted the Lord. They haven’t given up on the Lord.
3) They have listening ears (vs.21) These are people who hear because they listen.
4) Obedience (vs.22). These are people who have responded to the Lord by doing away with their idols. They may not have yet had all the answers to all the questions that they were asking, but they took time to do what they knew they ought to be doing.
Are you wanting God to speak to you? The cry to Him for help. Keep trusting in Him even when it’s tough. Take time to just listen. Be sure to do the things that you already know you ought to be doing.
After that, there’s only one other thing to do. Wait (vs.18). God’s blessings come to those who wait. Wait for it … wait for it …
:23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed
During the reign of Jesus on earth, there will be a great time of prosperity.
:27-33 Destruction of the enemy
:27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far
The prophecy now seems to flicker back and forth between the end times and the coming destruction of the Assyrian army in Hezekiah’s day.
:31 through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten
The Assyrians suffered a great defeat at the hands of a single angel in 701 BC.
:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared …
Tophet – Tophteh – "place of fire". A place in the southeast end of the valley of the son of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, also known as "Gehenna". It was where the Jews who worshipped Molech had burnt their children in the fires, but eventually was turned into a garbage dump where the fires were kept burning to consume garbage, animal carcases, and dead bodies. A vivid picture of hell.
:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night
song in the night – the joy of a night time feast such as the Passover which was to remember the deliverance that took place at night for Israel.
Lesson
A song in the night
To me the "night" is a picture of our most difficult times, our "darkest" hours.
Illustration
British preacher Charles Spurgeon once vacationed at an isolated spot in England because he had been told that many nightingales lived there. To his great disappointment, however, it started to rain just as he arrived at the hotel. The weather turned unseasonably cold and Spurgeon feared that the primary purpose of his trip had been spoiled. But as he sat by his open window, he suddenly heard a delightful melody—a nightingale perched on a branch outside. The only light was a dim lamp burning at the entrance to the hotel. The nightingale, oblivious to the rain and cold, was exulting in that tiny bit of light. Spurgeon wrote of his experience, "I do not expect to listen to anything so sweet and thrilling again until I hear the angels sing in glory. The God of that nightingale is the same loving Savior I serve. In spite of darkness, storm, or thorns, He always provides some ray of light and gives a song in the night."