Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 3

Verses 1-26

1. Intro:
   1. Good evening! - This is our 1^st Thursday night live, so let’s give a warm welcome to our listening audience on 88.9 tonight!
   2. Isaiah continues w/his list of punishments which will fall on Jerusalem & Judea.
      1. He 1^st deals with the leaders, then with the women(vs.16 on).
   3. Outline: How to Sack a City; & how to Save a City!
2. HOW TO SACK A CITY! (ch.3,4)
   1. DISINTEGRATION! (3:1-7)
   2. (1-3) Judah’s problem…Trusting in substitutes!
      1. Isaiah lists: natural resources, material wealth, military might, political experience, & even “religion”.
      2. Everything that makes for a stable society will soon be removed by Divine action! (even leadership he removes & appoints)
      3. Takes away(1) - proves He has constant control over it!
      4. God will take away anything that has dethroned Him in the hearts of His people!
         1. Here even their basic staples…life, bread, & water.
      5. Q: Who sits on the throne(you, or the Lord, or someone else) in each of the areas in your life? [throne=the control center of your life]
         1. ​​​​​​​Q: Who sits on your decision making throne? Your dating throne? Your financial throne? Your relationship throne?
      6. Explain the diff between the Natural man, the Spiritual man, & the Carnal man(all found in 1 Cor.2:14-3:3) (This section is taken from One-to-One discipleship.)
         1. Natural man – Circle w/you on the throne, & Christ outside of the circle.
            1. [He never received Christ, He seeks entrance]
         2. Spiritual man - Circle w/Christ now in the circle, & on the throne.
            1. [This man invited Christ in, & allows Him to direct & empower his life]
         3. Carnal man - Circle w/Christ in the circle, but not on the throne.
            1. [he has received Christ but lives in defeat]
      7. A Christian becomes carnal when he/she develops an attitude of running his own life rather than allowing Christ to do so.
         1. “You do not become carnal simply by committing sins, but by refusing to confess your sons & allowing God to fill you once again w/His Spirit.” (ibid; pg.43)
         2. We are to be continually filled w/the H.S.(i.e. controlled by, or empowered by Him)
      8. A Paradox - The Christian life is very simple. Yet, it is so difficult that no one can live it! Why? Because the Christian life is a supernatural life! And the only one that can live it is Christ!
      9. Q: Ok, so what do I do? Learn Spiritual Breathing!
         1. Exhale – Confess. [If you retake the throne of your life, thru sin, breathe spiritually]
            1. 1^st Confess/exhale(homologeo)=suggests agreement w/God concerning our sins]
            2. {a} Agree that it is sin {b} Agree He has forgiven you {c} Agree to change your attitude toward your sin.
         2. Inhale – appropriate by faith.
            1. Now inhale by appropriating the filling of God’s Spirit by faith.
            2. Trust him to direct & empower you.
   3. (4-8) Not only does he remove food & water supplies but also those in positions of leadership. They are weaklings, nobodies, w/o ability, who would oppress the people.
      1. The result? Children are left to fill governing roles.
         1. Like young Absalom with his young leaders.
      2. Other results? Anarchy & greater exploitation of the weak.
      3. Notice the main complaint of Haiti was “the leadership of our country is stealing from us”. So they revolt, & many turn to looting their own people & shops???
   4. CAUSE & CONSEQUENCE! (3:8-15)
   5. (8) Their tongue & their doings – What they say & what they do!
      1. i.e. They not only sinned(doings) but boasted about it(tongue).
      2. Their doings! – It is a practical problem.
      3. Are against the Lord! – It is a spiritual problem!
   6. (9) They declare(parade NIV) their sin as Sodom…they do not hide it.
      1. Sin is no longer sin…it is the new morality!
         1. And thus it is that a society collapses.
   7. (10) Say to the righteous that “it shall be well” with them –
      1. The righteous are not promised immunity to earth’s troubles!
         1. But nevertheless…it shall be well with them!
         2. In all conditions, in all circumstances.
         3. Well fed, well clothed, well housed, well married, well provided for, well endowed, well upon divine authority…
      2. Spurgeon, “O beloved, if God declares that all is well, 10,000 devils may declare it to be ill, but we laugh them all to scorn.”
      3. Q: What can you apply that to today in your life? Anything seem to not be going to well in your life today? It shall be well saint!
   8. (13-15) Here is a vignette of a courtroom scene.
      1. The Judge takes His seat; & then brings the charge against the accused.
   9. Crushing(means the most severest maltreatment)& grinding(as in a mill)
   10. The poor - These vss are equally applicable to our lives today.
       1. How have you fulfilled Mt.25:34-40 this week?
       2. How might you?
   11. THE WOMEN OF ZION! (3:16-4:1)
   12. The women of the land became addicted to wealth & fashion.
       1. They were more interested in social status than spiritual character!
       2. They used everything at their disposal, every art & ornament to be sexually attractive.
   13. (24) Those who paraded their wealth w/pride will suffer the shame of being treated like cattle in captivity.
   14. (26) The day would come when they find their artificial glamour gone, & be left just sitting in the dust!
       1. 1^st Jr.High Retreat – Circle J Ranch! Camp Pendleton Tent(no floor); Jr. high girls w/sleeping bag in the dirt…& their make-up bags sitting next to them.
   15. Isaiah’s words are just as relevant in our society w/its emphasis on accumulating wealth & materialistic values.
       1. As Christians, we need to re-examine our own attitudes & lifestyles, our concern for the poor & suffering.
   16. (4:1) Many men would die in the coming war that the women would do anything to get a husband.
       1. Remember, in their society if a women wasn’t able to find a husband, they were objects of shame; now these proud women faced lives of disgrace.
   17. Ch.3’s warning? - Beware of living on substitutes!