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Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 2

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Verses 1-22

Intro:
1. Trust in God! – Story of Alexander the Great when he was sick.
  1. A very close friend, a physician, came to Alexander when Alexander was sick. Before he could administer the potion to him, Alexander received a letter warning him it was poisoned. When the physician friend came in clutching the letter in one hand he took the cup in the other & drank it all down. Then showed him the letter.
  2. How he trusted his friend!
2. Outline:
  1. God’s City(Jer) as it Ought to Be; God’s City as it Was; God’s City as it Will Be.
3. Ch.1 Isaiah looked within the heart of the nation, now he looks ahead to the future glorious kingdom.
GOD’S CITY AS IT OUGHT TO BE! (1-4)
1. This continues on from 1:27-31 “Zion shall be…”.
  1. Micah 4:1-3 is almost identical. (2 contemporaries)
2. (2b) Jerusalem a beacon in a dark world!
  1. Jerusalem will be both political & spiritual headquarters in those days as God’s truth is transmitted from Jerusalem.
  2. God has always worked in 2 ways in reaching the world!
  3. Centrifugal – Expansive – “Go” – “Sent out”.
    1. Examples:
    2. Israel - Is.49:6 “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
    3. [As Captives] Joseph to Egypt; & young Jewish maid to Syrian commander Naaman. [In Exile] Daniel(Babylon) & Esther(Medo-Persia).[As a Missionary to a pagan land] Jonah/Ninevehites.
    4. Jerusalem was supposed to be a missionary city!
    5. His Church - Mt.28:20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.”
  4. Centripetal – Attractive – “Come” – Attract – magnet.
    1. Examples:
    2. Israel – Here Is.2:2-4.
    3. The Tabernacle/Temple/Synagogues. Ruth the Moabite came; Naaman the Syrian came.At Pentecost Acts 2:5 “And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.” (they had come!)
    4. His Church –
    5. Our churches act the same as the Tabernacle/Temple/Jer. did in the OT times. – People “come” to our churches!
    6. Though, I believe our primary task is to “go” to them; the church also has experienced many who have “come” to church, crusade, etc. & have found salvation.
  5. We are to be both: going out witnessing(go); & being a witness(when people come & see us)!
    1. Q: Which is more difficult for you? (Being a Christian, or talking about it with people?)
3. (4) The U.N. Motto!
  1. the entire earth will experience peace when weapons of warefare will be used for peaceful purposes.
  2. Q: Can we lay down our weapons now? Why will there be no real peace until the time of Christ’s Coming?
  3. A: Because it will only be found when the truth of God is shared(3b).
  4. Q: So what is the recipe for peace? (The Word)
GOD’S CITY AS IT WAS! (5-9)
1. (5) Sounds like 1 Jn.1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
  1. Unless mules that work the mines were brought up regularly & exposed to the sunlight, they would eventually go blind.
  2. The Christian needs similar experiences to keep him from losing his spiritual vision.
  3. “A musician is commended, not that he played so long, but that he played so well. And thus it is not the days of our life, but the goodness of our life; Not the length of our prayers, but the fervency of our prayers; Not the measure of our profession, but the sincerity of our profession…that is acceptable unto God!”
2. (6,7) God had abandoned His people because of their idolatries!
  1. Instead of Jerusalem feeding the world it was being fed by every kind of false religion.
    1. Judah was borrowing new religious ideas!
  2. This happens w/the compromising church in every age!
  3. Along w/superstition went worldly alliances(6b) & materialism(7).
  4. Note: a violation of Deut.17:15-17.
    1. Also see 1 Tim. 6:17,18 (He’s not the cosmic kill-joy)
3. (8,9) Idol worship is bad because:
  1. [1] It’s worshipping something He created…rather than Him.
  2. [2] It destroys the relationship of trust we have w/Him.
  3. [3] It causes us to rely on our own efforts rather than on God. (L.A.B.)
GOD’S CITY AS IT WILL BE! (10-22)
1. (10) He will have the last word & there will be no hiding place on that day.
2. (11) There will be a day when God alone is exalted!
  1. We are foolish to put our trust in anything less than the unchanging God.
3. (12-18) The prophet frequently blends the historical & the future prophetic.
  1. Assyrian/722bc – Babylonian/586bc – Future Trib./Rev.6-19.
  2. Note “all & every” – Future tribulations will be to all the nations of the world.
4. (19) Read Rev.6:15-17.
5. (22) His wrap up with this chapter: Stop trusting in yourself. Stop trusting in your foreign neighbors. Stop trusting in your false religions. Stop trusting in your fellow man.
  1. Realize, they only own 1 breath at a time! (no man can hold 2!)
  2. How could you trust in something so frail?
  3. Q: Could you be guilty of putting your trust in men or women rather in Christ? - Do you trust in that pay check? That child support check? Your employer to have your job there for you tomorrow? The economy not to crumble? Gas prices to go back under $2 a gal
  4. Read – The Road of Life (Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat; The Tale of the Tardy Ox; under “Trust” topic.)

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Verses 1-22

Intro:
1. Trust in God! – Story of Alexander the Great when he was sick.
  1. A very close friend, a physician, came to Alexander when Alexander was sick. Before he could administer the potion to him, Alexander received a letter warning him it was poisoned. When the physician friend came in clutching the letter in one hand he took the cup in the other & drank it all down. Then showed him the letter.
  2. How he trusted his friend!
2. Outline:
  1. God’s City(Jer) as it Ought to Be; God’s City as it Was; God’s City as it Will Be.
3. Ch.1 Isaiah looked within the heart of the nation, now he looks ahead to the future glorious kingdom.
GOD’S CITY AS IT OUGHT TO BE! (1-4)
1. This continues on from 1:27-31 “Zion shall be…”.
  1. Micah 4:1-3 is almost identical. (2 contemporaries)
2. (2b) Jerusalem a beacon in a dark world!
  1. Jerusalem will be both political & spiritual headquarters in those days as God’s truth is transmitted from Jerusalem.
  2. God has always worked in 2 ways in reaching the world!
  3. Centrifugal – Expansive – “Go” – “Sent out”.
    1. Examples:
    2. Israel - Is.49:6 “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
    3. [As Captives] Joseph to Egypt; & young Jewish maid to Syrian commander Naaman. [In Exile] Daniel(Babylon) & Esther(Medo-Persia).[As a Missionary to a pagan land] Jonah/Ninevehites.
    4. Jerusalem was supposed to be a missionary city!
    5. His Church - Mt.28:20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.”
  4. Centripetal – Attractive – “Come” – Attract – magnet.
    1. Examples:
    2. Israel – Here Is.2:2-4.
    3. The Tabernacle/Temple/Synagogues. Ruth the Moabite came; Naaman the Syrian came.At Pentecost Acts 2:5 “And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.” (they had come!)
    4. His Church –
    5. Our churches act the same as the Tabernacle/Temple/Jer. did in the OT times. – People “come” to our churches!
    6. Though, I believe our primary task is to “go” to them; the church also has experienced many who have “come” to church, crusade, etc. & have found salvation.
  5. We are to be both: going out witnessing(go); & being a witness(when people come & see us)!
    1. Q: Which is more difficult for you? (Being a Christian, or talking about it with people?)
3. (4) The U.N. Motto!
  1. the entire earth will experience peace when weapons of warefare will be used for peaceful purposes.
  2. Q: Can we lay down our weapons now? Why will there be no real peace until the time of Christ’s Coming?
  3. A: Because it will only be found when the truth of God is shared(3b).
  4. Q: So what is the recipe for peace? (The Word)
GOD’S CITY AS IT WAS! (5-9)
1. (5) Sounds like 1 Jn.1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
  1. Unless mules that work the mines were brought up regularly & exposed to the sunlight, they would eventually go blind.
  2. The Christian needs similar experiences to keep him from losing his spiritual vision.
  3. “A musician is commended, not that he played so long, but that he played so well. And thus it is not the days of our life, but the goodness of our life; Not the length of our prayers, but the fervency of our prayers; Not the measure of our profession, but the sincerity of our profession…that is acceptable unto God!”
2. (6,7) God had abandoned His people because of their idolatries!
  1. Instead of Jerusalem feeding the world it was being fed by every kind of false religion.
    1. Judah was borrowing new religious ideas!
  2. This happens w/the compromising church in every age!
  3. Along w/superstition went worldly alliances(6b) & materialism(7).
  4. Note: a violation of Deut.17:15-17.
    1. Also see 1 Tim. 6:17,18 (He’s not the cosmic kill-joy)
3. (8,9) Idol worship is bad because:
  1. [1] It’s worshipping something He created…rather than Him.
  2. [2] It destroys the relationship of trust we have w/Him.
  3. [3] It causes us to rely on our own efforts rather than on God. (L.A.B.)
GOD’S CITY AS IT WILL BE! (10-22)
1. (10) He will have the last word & there will be no hiding place on that day.
2. (11) There will be a day when God alone is exalted!
  1. We are foolish to put our trust in anything less than the unchanging God.
3. (12-18) The prophet frequently blends the historical & the future prophetic.
  1. Assyrian/722bc – Babylonian/586bc – Future Trib./Rev.6-19.
  2. Note “all & every” – Future tribulations will be to all the nations of the world.
4. (19) Read Rev.6:15-17.
5. (22) His wrap up with this chapter: Stop trusting in yourself. Stop trusting in your foreign neighbors. Stop trusting in your false religions. Stop trusting in your fellow man.
  1. Realize, they only own 1 breath at a time! (no man can hold 2!)
  2. How could you trust in something so frail?
  3. Q: Could you be guilty of putting your trust in men or women rather in Christ? - Do you trust in that pay check? That child support check? Your employer to have your job there for you tomorrow? The economy not to crumble? Gas prices to go back under $2 a gal
  4. Read – The Road of Life (Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat; The Tale of the Tardy Ox; under “Trust” topic.)

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IsaiahIsa 1 IsaiahIsa IsaiahIsa 3

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Isaiah 2". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/isaiah-2.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesIsaiah 2

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-22

Verses 1-22

Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 2