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Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 30

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-33

  1. Intro:
    1. John Gotz – Share on Belize.
    2. Wilbur Rees said, “I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.” (Wilbur Rees, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.)
      1. Q: How much of God do you want?
  2. Trusting in….? (1-12)
    1. A 3rd woe is pronounced on Judah for their rebellion against the Lord.
      1. They trusted more in their diplomacy (their skill & tact in dealing with other people).
    2. Confidence in….! (1-5)
      1. Confidence is keeping your chin up; overconfidence is sticking your neck out.”
    1. Q: How could Israel go back to their old slave masters Egypt who would be useless?
      1. Q: As a new Christian did you ever go back to your old slave masters?
      2. Q: As an older Christian do you ever go back to your old slave masters?
    2. Rahab The Do Nothing Serpant! (6,7)
      1. The animals/beasts of the Negev.
        1. The Judeans sent donkeys, & camels, loaded w/gifts to pay Egypt for their help. - Yet it was in vain!
      2. Egypt was like Rahav-hem-shevet the mythical female Sea Monster…who did nothing!
        1. Egypt - A Big-mouth do-nothing Mythical sea monster that appeared but was harmless. (Nessy, the Lock-Ness monster)
      3. They went through dangerous territory for the worlds help…How far will you go?
    3. A Rebellious People ! (8-11)
    4. (9) Hurrying my 11-year-old daughter to school, I turned right on red where it was prohibited. "Uh, oh," I said, realizing my mistake. "I just made an illegal turn." "It's all right," my daughter said. "The police car behind us did the same thing."
    5. The Worlds’ Help! (12-14)
      1. Thus will be the eventual collapse of all the enemies of God.
    6. Oh Egypt was helpful…AS a shadow!(2,3); as a wall about to fall down!(13a); as a bulge in a high wall!(13b); as a broken clay vessel!(14).
    7. Rest or Run? (15-17)
    8. (15) The Lord waits for you to come to Him for help!
      1. Oh come to Him tonight!
    9. True peace(15) comes after repentance & is the opposite of frantic busyness of the unbeliever(16).
      1. “We need, all of us, to be in control of our lives, and we shrink them until they're small and mean enough so that we can feel in control.”
    10. (17) Fear doesn't want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.
    11. Wait a Minute! (18-22)
    12. (18) This verse marks a transition as Isaiah looks out into a distant day when Judah’s discipline was over.
    13. The call in this verse is to wait for Him,…note He waits 1st!
      1. Q: Are you prepared to wait for Him?
      2. What are we actually waiting for when we wait for Him?
        1. Wait for an answer, His leading, His green light, timing.
      3. Q: What does this mean in the planning of your life? The planning of your time? The planning of your priorities?
      4. And what are the blessings in store for waiting on Him???
        1. Answered Prayer(19b); God’s guidance(21); Cleansing(22); Fruitfulness(23-26); Victory(27-33); and a Song & Gladness of heart(29).
    14. God is Just – An important attribute, meaning he is entirely right in all His dealings w/humanity.
      1. ​​​​​​​His dealings are always in relation w/His standard & His word.
      2. The justice of God demands he reward the obedient & punish the disobedient.
    15. (20) Q: Who gives you adversity & affliction? – The Lord!
      1. Opposition will…come BUT all in God’s plan & purpose!
    16. Teachers no longer having to hide from persecution (i.e. Israel hadn’t wanted to hear the prophets so they would persecute them)
      1. The Teacher(Messiah) would be among them. He will teach them the truth & they will walk in it.
        1. Sounds like Jn.14:26 & 16:13.
        2. When Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount they said, “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mt.7:28,29)
        3. The 4 gospels give approximately ½ of their writing to the words of Christ, reflecting his authoritative teaching.
    17. (21) Q: Are you sensitive to the promptings of the H.S.?
    18. Four questions a Christian might ask when making a career decision:
      1. What is the leading of the Holy Spirit?
      2. What is the counsel of godly men/women I respect?
      3. Is this a realistic opportunity?
      4. Am I reasonably prepared to meet the challenge?
    19. Story - The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message: "Alter yourcourse 10 degrees south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north." The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south --I am the captain!" Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north-- I am a seaman third class Jones." Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship." Then the reply came: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a lighthouse."
      1. In the midst of our dark and foggy times, all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives.
      2. Out of the darkness, one voice signals something quite opposite to the rest--something almost absurd. But the voice happens to be the Light of the World, and we ignore it at our peril.
    20. Healing, Land & People! (23-26)
    21. (23) Vance Havner, “Jesus we all have; He is all we need and all we want. We are shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence!”
    22. (25,26) A poetic description of the new age showing the abundance of God’s provision.
    23. A Song & Gladness! (27-33)
    24. (29) Cartoon: Pastor, glaring at the worship leader: "Please disregard the music director's admonition to 'clap your hands, stomp your feet, and boogie till you drop' during the next hymn."
    25. (33) King play on words w/Molech & Melech.
    26. The horses of Egypt can never replace the chariots of God! (Warren Wiersbe; pg.470)
      1. Ps.20:7,8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.”

Verses 1-33

  1. Intro:
    1. John Gotz – Share on Belize.
    2. Wilbur Rees said, “I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.” (Wilbur Rees, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.)
      1. Q: How much of God do you want?
  2. Trusting in….? (1-12)
    1. A 3rd woe is pronounced on Judah for their rebellion against the Lord.
      1. They trusted more in their diplomacy (their skill & tact in dealing with other people).
    2. Confidence in….! (1-5)
      1. Confidence is keeping your chin up; overconfidence is sticking your neck out.”
    1. Q: How could Israel go back to their old slave masters Egypt who would be useless?
      1. Q: As a new Christian did you ever go back to your old slave masters?
      2. Q: As an older Christian do you ever go back to your old slave masters?
    2. Rahab The Do Nothing Serpant! (6,7)
      1. The animals/beasts of the Negev.
        1. The Judeans sent donkeys, & camels, loaded w/gifts to pay Egypt for their help. - Yet it was in vain!
      2. Egypt was like Rahav-hem-shevet the mythical female Sea Monster…who did nothing!
        1. Egypt - A Big-mouth do-nothing Mythical sea monster that appeared but was harmless. (Nessy, the Lock-Ness monster)
      3. They went through dangerous territory for the worlds help…How far will you go?
    3. A Rebellious People ! (8-11)
    4. (9) Hurrying my 11-year-old daughter to school, I turned right on red where it was prohibited. "Uh, oh," I said, realizing my mistake. "I just made an illegal turn." "It's all right," my daughter said. "The police car behind us did the same thing."
    5. The Worlds’ Help! (12-14)
      1. Thus will be the eventual collapse of all the enemies of God.
    6. Oh Egypt was helpful…AS a shadow!(2,3); as a wall about to fall down!(13a); as a bulge in a high wall!(13b); as a broken clay vessel!(14).
    7. Rest or Run? (15-17)
    8. (15) The Lord waits for you to come to Him for help!
      1. Oh come to Him tonight!
    9. True peace(15) comes after repentance & is the opposite of frantic busyness of the unbeliever(16).
      1. “We need, all of us, to be in control of our lives, and we shrink them until they're small and mean enough so that we can feel in control.”
    10. (17) Fear doesn't want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.
    11. Wait a Minute! (18-22)
    12. (18) This verse marks a transition as Isaiah looks out into a distant day when Judah’s discipline was over.
    13. The call in this verse is to wait for Him,…note He waits 1st!
      1. Q: Are you prepared to wait for Him?
      2. What are we actually waiting for when we wait for Him?
        1. Wait for an answer, His leading, His green light, timing.
      3. Q: What does this mean in the planning of your life? The planning of your time? The planning of your priorities?
      4. And what are the blessings in store for waiting on Him???
        1. Answered Prayer(19b); God’s guidance(21); Cleansing(22); Fruitfulness(23-26); Victory(27-33); and a Song & Gladness of heart(29).
    14. God is Just – An important attribute, meaning he is entirely right in all His dealings w/humanity.
      1. ​​​​​​​His dealings are always in relation w/His standard & His word.
      2. The justice of God demands he reward the obedient & punish the disobedient.
    15. (20) Q: Who gives you adversity & affliction? – The Lord!
      1. Opposition will…come BUT all in God’s plan & purpose!
    16. Teachers no longer having to hide from persecution (i.e. Israel hadn’t wanted to hear the prophets so they would persecute them)
      1. The Teacher(Messiah) would be among them. He will teach them the truth & they will walk in it.
        1. Sounds like Jn.14:26 & 16:13.
        2. When Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount they said, “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mt.7:28,29)
        3. The 4 gospels give approximately ½ of their writing to the words of Christ, reflecting his authoritative teaching.
    17. (21) Q: Are you sensitive to the promptings of the H.S.?
    18. Four questions a Christian might ask when making a career decision:
      1. What is the leading of the Holy Spirit?
      2. What is the counsel of godly men/women I respect?
      3. Is this a realistic opportunity?
      4. Am I reasonably prepared to meet the challenge?
    19. Story - The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message: "Alter yourcourse 10 degrees south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north." The captain was angered; his command had been ignored. So he sent a second message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south --I am the captain!" Soon another message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north-- I am a seaman third class Jones." Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing the fear it would evoke: "Alter your course 10 degrees south--I am a battleship." Then the reply came: "Alter your course 10 degrees north--I am a lighthouse."
      1. In the midst of our dark and foggy times, all sorts of voices are shouting orders into the night, telling us what to do, how to adjust our lives.
      2. Out of the darkness, one voice signals something quite opposite to the rest--something almost absurd. But the voice happens to be the Light of the World, and we ignore it at our peril.
    20. Healing, Land & People! (23-26)
    21. (23) Vance Havner, “Jesus we all have; He is all we need and all we want. We are shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence!”
    22. (25,26) A poetic description of the new age showing the abundance of God’s provision.
    23. A Song & Gladness! (27-33)
    24. (29) Cartoon: Pastor, glaring at the worship leader: "Please disregard the music director's admonition to 'clap your hands, stomp your feet, and boogie till you drop' during the next hymn."
    25. (33) King play on words w/Molech & Melech.
    26. The horses of Egypt can never replace the chariots of God! (Warren Wiersbe; pg.470)
      1. Ps.20:7,8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.”
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Isaiah 30". "Bell's Commentary". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/isaiah-30.html. 2017.
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