Isaiah Sermon Notes 17-19
The vision of God judging the nations is important (ch. 13-20). Pastor Pete reminded us last week that God’s justice is revealed in God’s judgment; and different judgments reveal different aspects of God’s character. "The Wheels of Justice turn slowly but exceedingly fine." Said by Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus some 1600 years ago. Meaning: at some point a sinner will be punished; many decisions or events that are important in one's life take time in coming. One of Longfellow's translations was a 17th century poem, 'Retribution,' by Friedrich Von Logau: “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; though with patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.” God has a timetable for judgment that is inescapable. How blessed you are if you have taken refuge in Christ.
Speaking of the terrifying Day of the Lord, Zephaniah says of divine judgment: “I will bring distress on men so that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; and their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’S wrath; and all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth” (Zeph 1:17-18).
God is jealous for every beam of His glory. That is a vital truth that is lost in our man/self-centered culture today. As a result, most folks hardly give a thought to what they owe God in the way of worship and obedience. The common man today is oblivious to God’s holiness, not even thinking of his duty to his Creator. Therefore, he imagines that his own opinions and ideas are what matter most, not the authoritative Word of God. Thus, because he does not fear God (the Judge of all the earth) when he reads in Scripture about these historic judgments prophesied in the OT, (Isaiah 13-20), it strikes his ears as violent and rash.
This morning we will be pulling highlights from three chapters in Isaiah (17-19). Chapter 17:1-6, records the downfall of the Samaria/Syria coalition in the reign of Ahaz. Assyria would leave them in ruins. The judgment of God upon Syria (Damascus) and Samaria (the 10 tribes of the N. kingdom) is compared to a stripped field, thoroughly gleaned (not a grape or olive remaining). The once proud cities which trusted in their numbers and their fortresses (fortifications) are now but ghost cities with no pleasant fruitfulness left.
Vv. 7-9 – ‘Regard for his Maker’ ‘Looking to God’ (the Holy One of Israel) means fully attending to our duty to God, with the result being that their formerly disordered world is restored to its proper order. Through the scourge of these chastisements, the cure for the deadly disease of apostasy is found (‘converted’). Vv. 7-9 -- They will no longer look to their idolatrous altars (naked paganism) in sinful confidence. You must turn from idols (and creature dependence) in order to utterly depend upon God. Repentance is a bi-directional turning.
Paul says of the Thessalonian believers: “For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:9-10).
Vv. 10-11 -- ‘Forgotten the God of your salvation’, thus abandoned to every kind of wickedness. Sowing to sin reaps oppressive sorrow. (Vanity, tormenting pain are inherent in sin).
Vv. 12-14 – God who controls and rules nature and history employs language (rushing torrent, roaring sea) which graphically represents His control over the foes (enemy nations). The day of oppression is closing, the heat is on here—the sudden rebuke is the plague of the Assyrian invaders. The night has removed the enemy, they are no more (see Isaiah 37:36).
Isaiah 18:1-7 – Land of whirring wings refers to the swarming insect hoards (Tsetse flies, mosquitos, gnats). This part of the world has been called, ‘the Eldorado of vermin’ (what was Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia combined). Vv. 3-4 – Isaiah is God’s mouthpiece to those who dwell on the earth. God controls the destinies and movements of nations, and the ascendency of world empires. His plans cannot be frustrated. Ethiopia is so impressed with what the Lord has done that she comes to Zion bringing a gift and doing homage to the Lord God.
Isaiah 19:1-25 – The facet of God’s character that is highlighted in Isaiah chapter 19 is His power and wisdom. And we see both in the dismantling of Egypt’s puny strength and foolishness (counterfeit wisdom). This section the judgment of God upon Assyria along with their bitter enemy, Assyria.
Vv. 1-4 – The Egyptians worshipped cats, crocodiles, dung beetles, oxen, the sun, even onions. They ascribed to all these things some divinity. God is going to cast down their pride. They had reckoned themselves superior to other nations (the most distinguished). They never thought their wisdom, discernment, prudence would fail. God opposes the vain glory, exploits, and counterfeit wisdom of men. They will be punished for their carnal ambition to be above all others.
The coming of the Lord in judgment means a complete destruction of idols. They will not be able to withstand what is coming, hearts will melt, idols will sway and topple, the people will be terrified. God will bring a civil war in Egypt, even ‘exciting’ a spirit of war/belligerence. Disunity will follow. V 3. – No strength left, the land laid waste. God Himself will confound their strategy. They will turn to spiritual mediums (no counsel left as to what action to take). V. 4 -- A strong, cruel king will appear on the scene, and his severe rule will inspire great fear (Assyria put Egypt in secondary importance, subduing her in 670 BC). God’s power is so great, He can hand over one nation to another. Our God is the Lord Almighty.
Vv. 5-10 – Egypt’s economy was totally dependent upon the Nile River. Fishing, linen (flax), agriculture (all the flora and fauna of the Nile Valley). The once mighty river becomes a stagnant trickle—rotting reeds and rushes (papyrus). In this prolonged drought, the livelihood of every vocational calling suffers, their river dries up and they are haunted by death.
Vv. 11-15 -- Wise men were not found because their so-called wisdom was rendered foolish. They were not really wise, so they were easily deceived and so led Egypt astray (the best of Egypt’s castes, skilled Egyptian diviners, the pinnacle of her tribes). Scripture frequently attacks the worldly wise as ‘fools’. They are puffed up by blind ambition and self-confidence. They disregard the providence of God and do not fear God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7).
V. 12-13 – Begins with what God has determined against them, in His vengeance. God is rendering her wisdom foolish. This is unthinkable to them, that their sages should destroy the nation with their stupidity. V. 14 – The Lord ‘intoxicates’ the wise men of the world, then they deceive Egypt. God is not the author of this folly; they have imposed it upon themselves. If a person rejects the fountain of light (Almighty God), then they will be unable to guard against deception (see 2 Thess 2:8-12) (Ps 36:9). This is also called ‘being given over to a reprobate mind’ (Rom 1:28). To hate the light is to love darkness (Jn 3:19-20).
A spirit of ‘distortion’ (confusion, that which warps, a spirit of dizziness, giddiness). A stupor, nausea, economic devastation. Having consumed this cup of mingled drink, Egypt is pictured as a staggering, reeling drunken man about to puke and then fall headlong. V. 15 – The work of a united Egypt will cease. Society is thrown into a state of unemployment and want. ‘Head and tail, all strata, ranks of society, and north and south Egypt. This is not the result of mere moral cause and effect alone, or natural causes. God has brought this judgment on them. He is actively, supernaturally bringing about this action which He pronounced against the nation. The result is that it is led astray in all its work (fruitless in all its economy and its business procedures). “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Prov 16:18).
V. 16-17 – They will become as women—they will fear as women fear. In other words, under God’s punishing hand, the mighty military men, the warlike men of renown will be reduced to trembling in dread—they will cower in the corner in terror at the shaking of God’s smiting hand of anger. V. 17, the wondrous power of God in the deliverance of His people, the land of Judah. The Egyptians tremble because God is on Israel’s side. This is a partial fulfillment of: “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you” (Deut 2:25).
Vv. 18-22 -- What an incredible change in tone begins in v.
- Blessings pour forth. The prophet’s purpose is to teach that the complete overthrow of the Egyptian religion is necessary for the worship of the Son of God to replace the worship of the sun god. The gospel makes genuine conquests. Countless individuals in Egypt hear the truth and believe. God in grace, makes Himself known to Egypt. The gospel spread to all the lands of the fertile crescent prior to the Islamic conquest.
Christianity in Africa began in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century. ... Important Africans who influenced the early development of Christianity include Tertullian, Perpetua, Felicity, Clement of Alexandria, Origen of Alexandria, Cyprian, Athanasius and Augustine of Hippo. Final lasting peace will only be in the millennium. (Amazing, Alexandria 110 miles from the Great Pyramid.)
Vv. 23-25 – These two nations (Egypt and Assyria) serve as a symbol of the conversion of the heathen. Through the power of the gospel of Christ, these nations move from hostility, all the way to desiring fellowship. They willingly serve the Lord. (Oppose Christ = oppress the people of God.)
The spirit of anti-Christ that one time animated Assyria, Egypt, Babylonia, continues today to oppose the people of God UNTIL that spirit is destroyed by the glorious return of Christ. “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever’” (Rev 11:15). Full deliverance must wait until Messiah comes. V. 24 – When He does return, Israel is no longer an object of enmity—she becomes what she was destined to be; a source of blessing flowing to the entire earth (See God’s promise to Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen 22:18). (See also Jer 13:11).
V. 25 – The people of God will have become collectively, ‘one new man’—a new creation, God’s workmanship, the household of God—fitly framed into a holy temple of God (Eph 2, 1 Pet 2).
Conclusion: We have seen that God condemns what men applaud. “And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Lu 16:15). (See also John 5:44; 12:43). And that there is no human or demonic wisdom that can come up with a credible challenge to God’s purposes. “There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the LORD” (Prov 21:30). When the Corinthian believers were sliding into the allure of human wisdom, what did God declare to them through the Apostle Paul?
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe (1 Cor 1:18-21).
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:6-8).
Dear brethren, trace the providence of God in human history and we see that God has been dismantling human pride and human wisdom from the beginning. Therefore, we must come to terms with this, our God reveals facets of His glorious character in how He judges. Part of the manifestation of His glory is in how He destroys human wisdom. Rulers, world leaders, thinkers, sages, celebrities—in clutching their counterfeit wisdom and in their rejection of God’s wisdom (in the gospel of Jesus Christ), will lose all their glory (1 Cor 2:6 above).
As Christ followers, we cannot say that we were wise and our unbelieving neighbors were foolish. For, Christ has said, “you did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” (Jn 15:16). The gospel gives God all the glory. For, unlike human wisdom which trusts in man’s achievements, those who are in Christ are trusting what God has done in Christ, in sending His only begotten Son.
A day is coming in which God alone will be exalted (Is 2:11, 17). Will you cling to human wisdom? God is commanding all everywhere, “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Is 45:22). God is calling all to repent, for those who still clutch human wisdom will perish with it. Natural, carnal wisdom trusts in what religious man can do. Religious pluralism (the religions of the world) will come to a dramatic end in a final crushing, “The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place” (Zeph 2:1).
“Thus, you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens” (Jer 10:11).
“In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). Christ is the treasure trove and storehouse of God’s wisdom. Are you still looking elsewhere for wisdom? There is only one thing you will take with you when you die; your relationship with Christ the Lord, or your absence of a relationship with Him.
In this life, everything is on loan. You were given a mind to receive the truth of God’s Word, a will to obey and do His commands, a heart with affections to love God and neighbor, a mouth to speak God’s praise, hands and feet to serve Him. But these are on loan, they will be checked in at the grave.
Then when you stand before God, the question will be: where is the evidence that you knew the Lord? For Jesus said, in a context of what fills a person’s heart and what their actual treasure is: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt 12:37). Your words reveal what you love and serve. Only through the miracle of salvation in Christ are a person’s faculties of soul and body yielded to the Lord in worship and service.