Isaiah
2023
Isaiah 57-58
June 19, 2024 • Pastor Dallas Sandoval
Isaiah 57 “The Hurt Heart of a Holy Husband” · In chapter 57, the prophet Isaiah confronts the idolatry of God’s covenant people. · He speaks of their cruelty, immorality, and religiosity, in the midst of their deliberate rebellion against the LORD. · He ends the chapter by speaking of the Lord’s, longing for His people, assuring them that God’s righteous anger will not continue towards them. · The Lord will bring back repentant backsliders, but He will withhold His peace from those who insist upon continuing in their godlessness. Israel’s Futile Idolatry 1-13 1 The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. · Psalm 116:15 NLT “The LORD cares deeply when His loved ones die.” · Revelation 6:9-11 NLT “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.” · When a society becomes indifferent about the righteous being killed, you have a society that is ripe for the judgment of God. · Some see in this verse, a description of the rapture of the Church. 2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. 3 “But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot {whore}! 4 Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood, · They were living ungodly while mocking the godly. They were living unfaithful while mocking the faithful. 5 Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? · They had sacred groves of trees that they would worship their idols under. These were connected to pagan fertility rituals. · Part of their worship of the false god, Molech, was offering their children as a sacrifice to him. · The mention of valleys and clefts probably elude to the shamefulness of their pagan practices. 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 “On a lofty and high mountain {hilltop shrines} You have set your bed; {a symbol of intimacy and rest} Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. 8 Also behind the doors and their posts {like the Jewish Mehzuza} You have set up your remembrance {probably a pagan symbol}; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. · In verses 7-8, the LORD confronts Israel for her spiritual adultery that she has committed with the pagan idols. 9 You went to the king {Molech means king} with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, {no limit to gratifying the flesh} And even descended to Sheol. {necromancy, séance?} 10 You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; {“This is life”} Therefore you were not grieved. {indifferent in their idolatry} 11 “And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old {silent for a long time} That you do not fear Me? · They made the mistake of thinking because God wasn’t judging them that they were good to go on in their idolatry. · They mistook God’s patience for His approval. · Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” · The lack of the fear of the LORD is the leading cause to persistent sin in a person’s life. 12 I will declare your righteousness {being sarcastic?} And your works, For they will not profit you. · We’re not made righteous before God by our works but by the work of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. 13 When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.” · This verse contrasts the difference between placing trust in idols and placing trust in the living God. Healing for the Backslider 14-21 14 And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way {raise a highway}, Take the stumbling block {idolatry} out of the way of My people.” 15 For thus says the High and Lofty One {Isaiah 6:1} Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: · Have you entrusted your eternity into His hands? “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, · He dwells with those broken over their own sinfulness. To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. · Humility precedes repentance. Ø Pride is what keeps people from repenting. Ø The prideful see themselves above God’s judgment. · God wants to have an intimate relationship with you and me. This intimate relationship happens as we spend quality time with Him. As we spend quality time with Him, our hearts grow closer to Him. As our hearts grow closer to Him, we recognize His awesomeness and our continual need for His unfailing love. 16 For I will not contend forever, {God’s marvelous mercy} Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; · Isaiah 53:5 NLT “But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. · This is speaking of those who mourned Jerusalem’s judgment and destruction. 19 “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.” · The Lord’s desire to heal those who have abandoned Him shows His marvelous mercy, and amazing grace. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest {restless}, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. {constantly causing trouble} 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”” · When a person rejects the One who is Himself, the Prince of peace, they can’t expect His perfect peace. Isaiah 58 “Superficial Sacrifice” · In chapter 58, the LORD through His prophet, Isaiah confronts the hypocritical worship of His people. · They were going through the motions, but their hearts had no devotion. · The specific area of superficiality was in their fasting, it was a false humility, an empty observance. · There was only one fast required which was on the Day of Atonement. · Our spiritual disciplines can be practiced in holiness, or in emptiness. · The genuineness of our spiritual disciplines is displayed most often in the way that we treat others. · Our spiritual disciplines can be fruitful, or they can be futile. · If our spiritual disciplines aren’t benefiting others, then they are most likely being practiced superficially. · Isaiah closes out the chapter with the right attitude of heart in keeping the Sabbath. Fasting that Pleases God 1-14 1 ““Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. · The Lord calls, the pastor, the preacher, or the prophet to comfort those who are afflicted, but He also calls them to afflict those who are comfortable in their compromise. · Isaiah is contrasted with the silent dogs of Isaiah 56:10. 2 Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. · They were seeking the Lord, outwardly, but inwardly were still given over to their idols. · They were religious and self-righteous. Ø It’s possible to be religious and still unrighteous before the Lord. · We should always be willing to confront the hypocrisy in our own lives first. 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. · They rested while others had to carry their load too. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. · The Lord does not hear the prayer of the insincere religious. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict {humiliate} his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? · External expressions of mourning sin. Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? · True humility leads to true repentance and that leads to true fasting. · Matthew 6:16-18 ““Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” 6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? · This is what the Lord did for us in Christ, and we should desire the same for others. 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? · Mark 12:30-31 NLT “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”” · James 1:27 NLT “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. · Verses 8-14 set the tone for the remainder of the Book of Isaiah, which are the promises for the repentant remnant. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ {Wow!} “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger {accusations}, and speaking wickedness {slander}, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build {Rebuild} the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure {self-pleasing pursuits} on My holy day, · The Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between the LORD and Israel. Ø Exodus 31:12-17 NLT ““Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”” · Israel‘s attitude of heart towards the Sabbath revealed the spiritual health of the nation. And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, · He set apart this day to spend with you and me. And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”” · Let us guard our hearts against hiding behind our election, or how long we pray, or how much of the Scriptures we read every day, or how often we go to Church, or the money we give, because in reality, the Lord sees through it all, He sees our motives. · Let us practice genuine faith and live in genuine fellowship.
Isaiah 40
March 27, 2024 • Pastor Dallas Sandoval
Isaiah 40 · The 2nd section of Isaiah is like the New Testament. Its main focus is on the Lord’s salvation, prophecy concerning Messiah and the coming Kingdom. God’s People Are Comforted 1-31 · These are words of hope for God’s people. · Prepare for the Lord’s arrival. 1 ”“Comfort, yes, comfort {cause to breathe again} My people!” Says your God. A] They had been receiving some heavy warnings of God’s impending judgment. They would be carried off to captivity. Jerusalem would be left in ruins. B] Isaiah prophesied about those who would be in captivity. · This is encouragement, written in advance. C] The Lord Jesus Christ taught us that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. D] The psalmist writes that the word of God comforts us. Ø The Holy Spirit takes the holy word, and gives to us a holy comfort. 2 “Speak comfort {tenderly, kindly, speak to the heart} to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’s hand Double for all her sins.” A] The day is coming when there will be no more spiritual warfare. B] There was a time before we came to Christ when our lives were at war against God. The Bible says we were enemies of God, our hearts were enmity towards God. C] Our sin has been totally and forever pardoned through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He has given us grace upon grace. Ø God doesn’t pardon us by punishing us, His Son was punished in our place. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. A] The message of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Messiah. This is recorded in all four gospels. B] Make yourself available to be a voice in the wilderness. C] Prepare your heart for the Lord to enter in, obstacle-free. 4 Every valley shall be exalted {lifted up} And every mountain and hill brought low {made a plain}; The crooked places {uneven ground} shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; A] Whenever a king was coming to town, all of these preparations would be made. B] The King is coming, are you preparing? 5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed {will appear}, And all flesh {humanity, people} shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A] Christ is the glory of the LORD. Ø Hebrews 1:3 ”who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,“ B] The fact that the Lord has spoken, it is good as done. 6 The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh {humanity} is grass, And all itsloveliness is like the flower of the field. · This is why it is important to not choose a spouse based upon looks only. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the peopleare grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” A] Isaiah is contrasting the temporal with the eternal. This life is transitory. The life God promises is forever. B] We can build our lives upon the eternal promises of God. C] Throughout history man has tried to destroy the word of God. Ø Voltaire said he would destroy the Bible in his lifetime. 50 years after he died, the Geneva Bible was being printed in his house. 9 O Zion, You who bring good tidings {herald good news}, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, Youwho bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God {your God is coming}!” 10 Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, Hisreward is with Him, And His work {recompense} before Him. · The Lord will return to establish His eternal kingdom. Ø Isaiah 9:6-7 ”For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.“ Ø Daniel 7:13-14 ”“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.“ Ø He shall rule with a rod of iron. 11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom {close to His heart}, And gently lead those who are with young {mothers who are nursing}. A] The Lord Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. B] This a prophecy that has a dual fulfillment. Near fulfillment was the Lord bringing His people back from Babylon. Far fulfillment is the Lord gathering His people to His Kingdom. 12 Who has measured the waters {oceans} in the hollow {palm} of His hand, Measured heaven {universe} with a span {from the tip of the pinky to the tip of the thumb} And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? A] 71% of the earth is covered by water. 352 quintillion gallons. B] The earth weighs an estimated 6 billion trillion tons. · And this is only the planet earth. He has the whole universe in His hand. He’s got you and me brother, in His hand, He’s got you and me sister, in His hands. If He can carry the weight of the world, He can carry you. 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him? A] Man says in his ignorance, “If I were God….” B] It’s often in times of agony or deep pain that we question God’s goodness, grace and guiding. 14 With whom did He take counsel {consult for advice}, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding? 15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles {continents} as a very little thing. 16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. 17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. · God is not threatened by the nations that have made themselves His enemies. · God’s people do not have to live in fear by National chaos. · National turmoil shouldn’t cause us to live in fear. 18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? 19 The workman molds an image {idol}, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains. 20 Whoever is too impoverished {poor} for such a contribution {gold and silver} Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image {an idol} that will not totter {fall over}. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard {learned}? Has it not been told you from the beginning?Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits {enthroned} above the circle of the earth {it’s not a flat earth}, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers {tiny like ants}, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain {it has a beginning}, Andspreads them out like a tent to dwell in. · The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. · The Milky Way Galaxy is 10,000 years wide by 100,000 years long. · Current estimates is that the universe is 93 billion light years in diameter. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. · God can bring the great men of the earth to nothing. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. · John 10:33 ”The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”“ · Philippians 2:6 ”who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,“ 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host {stars} by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. · How many stars are in the universe? There is a star for every grain of sand upon planet earth. · Psalm 8:3-4 ”When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?“ 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? · If He knows the name of the stars, He knows your name. · The omniscient LORD knows all about you and what you’re going through. 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard {learned}? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable {there is no limit to His understanding}. · The Universe has a Creator. In school we had models of the solar system. See picture of model. Ø This is only 1 of 3,916 solar systems in our Milky Way Galaxy alone. · John 1:3 ”All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.“ · Colossians 1:16 ”For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.“ · Hebrews 1:2 ”has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;“ 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. · We must admit our weakness before we can receive the strength that He wants to give to us. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on {trust in, hope in} the LORD Shall renew {exchange} their strength {for the trials}; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.“ A] The “waiting” used here, is not like playing on your phone, waiting for them to call your name. This is active waiting. Ø Have you put your trust in the Lord yet? Ø The tragic bridge collapse and the sad story of the people that died in the theatre attack remind us that any day could be our time to die and go into eternity. B] The purpose for God’s strength is action, not inaction. C] My prayer is that this study of the Scriptures glorified the Lord, and encouraged and comforted your heart. D] Continue to read ahead in Isaiah and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to encourage your heart in His promises and coming Kingdom.
