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Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
the Fourth Week of Advent

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Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 31

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Verses 1-9

Intro:
1. (Spurg) A swallow having built its nest upon the tent of Charles V, the emperor generously commanded that the tent should not be taken down when the camp moved, but should remain until the young birds were ready to fly. Was there such gentleness in the heart of a soldier toward a poor bird that was not of his making, and shall the Lord deal harshly with his creatures when they venture to put their trust in him? Be assured that he has a great love to those trembling souls that fly for shelter to his royal courts. He that builds his nest on a divine promise shall find that it abides and remains until he shall fly away to the land where promises are lost in fulfillments. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990))
2. Hymn -’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, And to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, And to know, “Thus says the Lord!” (Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
TRUST! (1-9)
1. Trust! (1-3)
2. (1) Trust has to do with faith, belief, hope, conviction, confidence, expectation, dependence, & reliance.
  1. Maybe there is some truth to the sign that read, “In God we trust; all others pay cash.”
3. What would Isaiah warn us in Murrieta today? Maybe…
  1. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in the counsel of “Dr. Phil, or Oprah, or Dr. Laura Schlessinger”…& not coming to Me for help!
  2. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in U.S. Superior Military might.
  3. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their efficient technology.
  4. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their knowledge of the Bible
  5. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their Degrees & Education.
  6. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their savings,stocks,or IRA’s
  7. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their Weather Channel for tomorrow’s weather.
  8. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their biased News Stations to learn what is going on in their world.
  9. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in the world of Academia to give them their interpretation of truth.
  10. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in MTV to give their children morals???
  11. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in teachers they’ve never took time to meet, to the complete education of their children.
  12. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their children’s friends to explain to them the facts of life.
  13. Wow to those Murrietans who trust their Children’s Church Workers &Youth Pastors to train them up spiritually by themselves.
  14. Wow to those Murrietans who know they can financially fall back on their parent’s over & over...But do not trust in God, nor seek His Son Jesus!
  15. “Stay your heart only on the Lord.”
  16. Trust how? - Cry out to God, Call out to God, Hope in Him, Believe He’ll work, & Know that He cares.
  17. “If we love Christ much, surely we shall trust Him much.” (Benton Brooks (1608-1680))
  18. O holy trust! O endless sense of rest! Like the beloved JohnTo lay his head upon the Savior's breast,And thus to journey on! [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]
  19. We must learn to consult Him in our hour of decision.
    1. Not like Abraham who didn’t wait for God’s promise, but sought to bring it about by himself, through Hagar.
4. (3) Still our 2 biggest problems: We place more trust in man than in God, & more trust in our flesh than in the spirit.
5. God’s Power! (4,5)
6. The lion won’t release its paw from the prey!
  1. Like my dog “Bongo” growing up, would never let go of his bone.
  2. Like mother mockingbirds darting, diving, swooping like little fighter pilots at enemy crows…never giving up their little one’s protection.
  3. And so, God will never let go of His own! - But will Defend, Deliver, & Preserve them!2.6.3.1. As with His City of Peace(Jer.), so with His people of peace!
7. Q: What other animals or insects does the Lord use for Himself to further describe Himself? (ask)
  1. Lion; Lamb; Worm; mother hen; Flying Bird; Serpent on a pole.
8. Q: What do we learn about God from these descriptions?
  1. Lion(bold, strong, majestic, king of the jungle); Lamb(meek, innocent); Worm(easily crushed); mother hen(protection, mothering nature/love); Flying Bird(safety, protection); Serpent on a pole(crucified).
9. Protection is the theme…& note, the New Passover here!
  1. Passing over & preserving once again!
10. God’s Intervention! (6-9)
11. (6) Return to Him - Isn’t this the Prodigal’s fathers plea?...Come home! Return!
  1. For some of you it has been like a daily metronome prayer for your wayward child.
12. (7) Q: Any sin your own hands have made that needs to be tossed?
13. (9) His Banner, His Fire, & His Furnace.
14. Let’s look at 3 ways to fight your battles:
15. [1] God’s Sword minus Man’s Sword = The Angel of the Lord
  1. (8) Read 2 Kings 19:35,36 [How brief & how serious a record!]
  2. During the night the angel of the Lord took out 185,000 Assyrians.
    1. 185,000!!! - That would be like heading north on the15 Frwy at the border check, cresting the hill & coming down into our valley & seeing all the citizens of Murrieta, Temecula & Wildomar scattered dead across the landscape.
  3. Wow…one angel is enough! - How strong they must be.
    1. No wonder when they show up they always say don’t be afraid!
    2. What would be the power of 12 legions of angels??? (That’s approx 72,000 angels give or take a few)
    3. How foolish to war with God!
  4. What else do we learn from this short account?
    1. We learn to see the end of these boasters!
    2. We learn to not be afraid of these boasters!
    3. We learn the advantage of our entire reliance on God!
  5. 2 Chron.32:6-8 “(Hezekiah) gave them encouragement, saying, "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”
  6. Poem Pulpit Comm. Pg.396.
16. [2] God’s Sword + Man’s Sword = David & Gideon
  1. David & Goliath.
  2. 1 Sam.17:45-47 "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts , the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."
  3. Gideon
  4. Judges 7:18 “The Sword of the Lord & of Gideon.”
  5. Judges 6:11,12 – 5^th judge, a farmer, a warrior?(hiding?)
    1. Was he Bold or afraid? A Don Quixote or a Knight in Armor?
  6. (6:15 weakest, least) If you have low self-esteem, are a weak person, & have been voted least likely to succeed in your family...then God wants you!
  7. Pick what side you want to be on?
    1. Pharaoh Ramses II, strongest of the Pharaohs. He sat on the throne. He built the Great Cities of Egypt….Or, a little weak, slave’s baby. Condemned to die. Floating in the bulrushes of the Nile River? Which side?
      1. God says, “I’ll take the Little Tike!”
    2. Jellyfish Peter becomes Rock-Man!
  8. Pick again! – To be on Caesar Augustus side who had the power to sign a Tax Bill & the whole known World was taxed…or, a little baby born to poor parents in Bethlehem in a barn?
    1. God says, “I’ll not only take the Little Baby…I Am that little baby!”
  9. Gideon says, “I can’t do this!” – God responds, “Of course you can’t, but I can through you”(16).
  10. (7:18) The Sword of the Lord & of Gideon –
    1. [1] God must be the one doing it!
    2. [2] God chooses weak people to do it through!
    3. [3] Never let it be your sword alone!
17. [3] Our Sword minus God’s Sword = Peter & Joshua.
  1. Peter – hacking off Malchus’ ear.
    1. "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
  2. Joshua – takes on The Angel of the Lord...accidentally.
    1. Joshua 5:13,14 "Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" (now there’s a great question to ask every morn)
  3. Tired of fighting with your dull weapon?
  4. Tired of fighting alone?
  5. Ex.14:13,14 “And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
  6. (Spurgeon)When you have no helpers, see all your helpers in God. When you have many helpers, see God in all your helpers.
    When you have nothing but God, see all in God.
    When you have everything, see God in everything.
    Under all conditions, stay thy heart only on the Lord.
18. Hymn - I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
  Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
  And I know that Thou art with me,
  Wilt be with me to the end.
  
  (Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
  How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
  
  O for grace to trust Him more!

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Verses 1-9

Intro:
1. (Spurg) A swallow having built its nest upon the tent of Charles V, the emperor generously commanded that the tent should not be taken down when the camp moved, but should remain until the young birds were ready to fly. Was there such gentleness in the heart of a soldier toward a poor bird that was not of his making, and shall the Lord deal harshly with his creatures when they venture to put their trust in him? Be assured that he has a great love to those trembling souls that fly for shelter to his royal courts. He that builds his nest on a divine promise shall find that it abides and remains until he shall fly away to the land where promises are lost in fulfillments. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990))
2. Hymn -’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, And to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise, And to know, “Thus says the Lord!” (Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
TRUST! (1-9)
1. Trust! (1-3)
2. (1) Trust has to do with faith, belief, hope, conviction, confidence, expectation, dependence, & reliance.
  1. Maybe there is some truth to the sign that read, “In God we trust; all others pay cash.”
3. What would Isaiah warn us in Murrieta today? Maybe…
  1. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in the counsel of “Dr. Phil, or Oprah, or Dr. Laura Schlessinger”…& not coming to Me for help!
  2. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in U.S. Superior Military might.
  3. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their efficient technology.
  4. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their knowledge of the Bible
  5. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their Degrees & Education.
  6. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their savings,stocks,or IRA’s
  7. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their Weather Channel for tomorrow’s weather.
  8. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their biased News Stations to learn what is going on in their world.
  9. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in the world of Academia to give them their interpretation of truth.
  10. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in MTV to give their children morals???
  11. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in teachers they’ve never took time to meet, to the complete education of their children.
  12. Wow to those Murrietans who trust in their children’s friends to explain to them the facts of life.
  13. Wow to those Murrietans who trust their Children’s Church Workers &Youth Pastors to train them up spiritually by themselves.
  14. Wow to those Murrietans who know they can financially fall back on their parent’s over & over...But do not trust in God, nor seek His Son Jesus!
  15. “Stay your heart only on the Lord.”
  16. Trust how? - Cry out to God, Call out to God, Hope in Him, Believe He’ll work, & Know that He cares.
  17. “If we love Christ much, surely we shall trust Him much.” (Benton Brooks (1608-1680))
  18. O holy trust! O endless sense of rest! Like the beloved JohnTo lay his head upon the Savior's breast,And thus to journey on! [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]
  19. We must learn to consult Him in our hour of decision.
    1. Not like Abraham who didn’t wait for God’s promise, but sought to bring it about by himself, through Hagar.
4. (3) Still our 2 biggest problems: We place more trust in man than in God, & more trust in our flesh than in the spirit.
5. God’s Power! (4,5)
6. The lion won’t release its paw from the prey!
  1. Like my dog “Bongo” growing up, would never let go of his bone.
  2. Like mother mockingbirds darting, diving, swooping like little fighter pilots at enemy crows…never giving up their little one’s protection.
  3. And so, God will never let go of His own! - But will Defend, Deliver, & Preserve them!2.6.3.1. As with His City of Peace(Jer.), so with His people of peace!
7. Q: What other animals or insects does the Lord use for Himself to further describe Himself? (ask)
  1. Lion; Lamb; Worm; mother hen; Flying Bird; Serpent on a pole.
8. Q: What do we learn about God from these descriptions?
  1. Lion(bold, strong, majestic, king of the jungle); Lamb(meek, innocent); Worm(easily crushed); mother hen(protection, mothering nature/love); Flying Bird(safety, protection); Serpent on a pole(crucified).
9. Protection is the theme…& note, the New Passover here!
  1. Passing over & preserving once again!
10. God’s Intervention! (6-9)
11. (6) Return to Him - Isn’t this the Prodigal’s fathers plea?...Come home! Return!
  1. For some of you it has been like a daily metronome prayer for your wayward child.
12. (7) Q: Any sin your own hands have made that needs to be tossed?
13. (9) His Banner, His Fire, & His Furnace.
14. Let’s look at 3 ways to fight your battles:
15. [1] God’s Sword minus Man’s Sword = The Angel of the Lord
  1. (8) Read 2 Kings 19:35,36 [How brief & how serious a record!]
  2. During the night the angel of the Lord took out 185,000 Assyrians.
    1. 185,000!!! - That would be like heading north on the15 Frwy at the border check, cresting the hill & coming down into our valley & seeing all the citizens of Murrieta, Temecula & Wildomar scattered dead across the landscape.
  3. Wow…one angel is enough! - How strong they must be.
    1. No wonder when they show up they always say don’t be afraid!
    2. What would be the power of 12 legions of angels??? (That’s approx 72,000 angels give or take a few)
    3. How foolish to war with God!
  4. What else do we learn from this short account?
    1. We learn to see the end of these boasters!
    2. We learn to not be afraid of these boasters!
    3. We learn the advantage of our entire reliance on God!
  5. 2 Chron.32:6-8 “(Hezekiah) gave them encouragement, saying, "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”
  6. Poem Pulpit Comm. Pg.396.
16. [2] God’s Sword + Man’s Sword = David & Gideon
  1. David & Goliath.
  2. 1 Sam.17:45-47 "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts , the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."
  3. Gideon
  4. Judges 7:18 “The Sword of the Lord & of Gideon.”
  5. Judges 6:11,12 – 5^th judge, a farmer, a warrior?(hiding?)
    1. Was he Bold or afraid? A Don Quixote or a Knight in Armor?
  6. (6:15 weakest, least) If you have low self-esteem, are a weak person, & have been voted least likely to succeed in your family...then God wants you!
  7. Pick what side you want to be on?
    1. Pharaoh Ramses II, strongest of the Pharaohs. He sat on the throne. He built the Great Cities of Egypt….Or, a little weak, slave’s baby. Condemned to die. Floating in the bulrushes of the Nile River? Which side?
      1. God says, “I’ll take the Little Tike!”
    2. Jellyfish Peter becomes Rock-Man!
  8. Pick again! – To be on Caesar Augustus side who had the power to sign a Tax Bill & the whole known World was taxed…or, a little baby born to poor parents in Bethlehem in a barn?
    1. God says, “I’ll not only take the Little Baby…I Am that little baby!”
  9. Gideon says, “I can’t do this!” – God responds, “Of course you can’t, but I can through you”(16).
  10. (7:18) The Sword of the Lord & of Gideon –
    1. [1] God must be the one doing it!
    2. [2] God chooses weak people to do it through!
    3. [3] Never let it be your sword alone!
17. [3] Our Sword minus God’s Sword = Peter & Joshua.
  1. Peter – hacking off Malchus’ ear.
    1. "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
  2. Joshua – takes on The Angel of the Lord...accidentally.
    1. Joshua 5:13,14 "Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" (now there’s a great question to ask every morn)
  3. Tired of fighting with your dull weapon?
  4. Tired of fighting alone?
  5. Ex.14:13,14 “And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
  6. (Spurgeon)When you have no helpers, see all your helpers in God. When you have many helpers, see God in all your helpers.
    When you have nothing but God, see all in God.
    When you have everything, see God in everything.
    Under all conditions, stay thy heart only on the Lord.
18. Hymn - I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
  Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
  And I know that Thou art with me,
  Wilt be with me to the end.
  
  (Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
  How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
  Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
  
  O for grace to trust Him more!

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IsaiahIsa 30 IsaiahIsa IsaiahIsa 32

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 31". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/isaiah-31.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesIsaiah 31

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-9

Verses 1-9

Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 31