back to indexWed Bible Study - 08-3-16
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I pray Father God that you would feed us, remind us Lord, of our relationship with you 00:00:10.680 |
and what it means with all the distractions and entanglement and after a long day's work. 00:00:17.600 |
I pray Lord God that it would be a source of rest and encouragement. 00:00:22.600 |
Just asking Lord God that you would guide and lead us and cause us to hear from you. 00:00:30.820 |
All right, let me just give you a quick announcement. 00:00:33.820 |
We weren't sure exactly when we were we would be able to wrap up this Bible study because 00:00:42.580 |
if the hearing went well yesterday and it was all finished and we closed escrow, 00:00:50.740 |
We would probably have to vacate, not Sundays, but weekday Bible study would have probably had 00:00:56.420 |
to end in about a week or two, but because it got kicked down the road and our next continuation 00:01:02.340 |
hearing is not until the end of September, so that's not going to be the case. 00:01:06.420 |
But as you notice, we covered three chapters this week and then next time we're going to 00:01:13.020 |
be doing 65 and 66, which we're going to end and then we're going to have one more session 00:01:19.700 |
And then our classes are, this session is supposed to go a week after that. 00:01:24.460 |
If you guys remember from the very beginning, we said until the end of August. 00:01:27.780 |
So what we're going to do is after the review at the very end, the last session, instead 00:01:31.840 |
of coming together, I'm going to ask you guys to have a meeting with your, with your groups. 00:01:38.660 |
If you want to use the group, use this building. 00:01:41.740 |
If you guys want to go out and, and have dinner and that could be, so those of you who weren't 00:01:45.620 |
able to have the activity in your group, that could be your activity. 00:01:48.700 |
So again, so today, next week we have a break because of VBS and then the following week 00:01:55.180 |
we're going to be finishing up Isaiah chapter 65 and 66. 00:01:59.580 |
And then the following week after that, we're doing final review. 00:02:01.940 |
And then, and then the last session will be within your groups, you know, dinner or whatever 00:02:09.340 |
And then after that, we're going to be taking a break. 00:02:21.020 |
So we're going to basically go over the highlights. 00:02:28.140 |
So if you look at, we're looking at starting from chapter 62, one through 12, what is the 00:02:32.020 |
price that God makes with the nation of Israel here? 00:02:36.540 |
He promises restoration that they're going to be the light to the rest of the world. 00:02:41.620 |
And he says, they're going to be the burning torch. 00:02:45.580 |
We said there's going to be a millennial kingdom of Israel and that's where God's going to 00:02:50.860 |
fulfill all the promises he made to the nation of Israel. 00:02:53.940 |
And then after that will come the final judgment and we're in heaven. 00:02:57.980 |
But he said, during that period, whether that's a literal thousand years, it's talking about 00:03:02.620 |
a period at the end times, he says that that's going to happen in Israel is going to be ultimately 00:03:09.180 |
And the way that they're going to be the light is when they are in the Lord's hands, they're 00:03:17.820 |
They're not, they're no longer politically independent. 00:03:20.420 |
When the Lord firmly has them in their hands, they're going to be the crown of beauty and 00:03:27.060 |
And then he says that they're going to be a delight to them and he's going to love them 00:03:39.980 |
Just you don't have to answer it, but to think about can God be, can God love you more when 00:03:56.900 |
Commonly we hear that there's nothing more you can possibly do to God to love you more 00:04:05.180 |
God knew all your sins, so therefore God, God has never displeased with you. 00:04:18.180 |
You know, our relationship with God is just like our relationship with other human beings. 00:04:25.100 |
So just like with other human beings, if you wrong him, God grieves. 00:04:29.180 |
He gets angry and he punishes and disciplines. 00:04:32.820 |
So we see that even with the nation of Israel, he says it's not because God never not loved 00:04:38.980 |
There are periods when he says, these are not my people because in anger, but he says 00:04:42.300 |
even here when he talks about his judgment, he always says he remembers his covenant that 00:04:48.060 |
And as a, because of that, he is faithful ultimately to himself and to the promises 00:04:57.160 |
But does that mean that in every generation, that no matter what they did, that God's love 00:05:02.060 |
for them was consistent throughout the whole period? 00:05:06.940 |
Clearly not, because that's not what he says. 00:05:09.180 |
He said there are periods in Israel's history where he was so angry with them that he says, 00:05:15.620 |
I'm going to treat you like I become like even in the text that we looked at, he says 00:05:19.060 |
there, there are periods in Israel's history where God says you are not my people. 00:05:24.260 |
So when we talk about God's everlasting love, he's not saying everlasting love to you no 00:05:29.460 |
matter what you do, no matter what you say, no matter how you live, it doesn't matter 00:05:33.300 |
because God's love is consistent forever, never changing. 00:05:37.420 |
When we're talking about God's eternal, everlasting love, he's talking about his nature of love 00:05:42.820 |
that because of his covenant, that his love is consistent because he chose to love the 00:05:49.840 |
And so God is consistent with his commitment to the nation of Israel. 00:05:58.860 |
So if we continue to sin, does God just kind of like, ah, you know, you know, my, my kids 00:06:07.900 |
What does he say about how he deals with sins with his children in the new Testament? 00:06:17.620 |
God disciplines just like any other parental relationship. 00:06:22.300 |
Again, I want to point this out because there's sometimes there's confusion and it leads to 00:06:27.860 |
again, a very cheap grace type of life where it's just like, you know, God's love to me 00:06:39.020 |
He's talking, we're talking about the big picture of God's love, his nature of love, 00:06:46.100 |
So here he describes his relationship with nation of Israel because at the end, God's 00:06:54.140 |
And as a result of that, because of their righteousness, he's going to delight in them. 00:06:58.420 |
And because of that, he says the love between them is going to be like a bride and groom. 00:07:09.620 |
The second section of it in verse six and six and seven, who has he put on top? 00:07:22.220 |
Keep people safe to alarm when harm is coming. 00:07:26.540 |
Is the watchman, the guy out there swinging the sword? 00:07:30.500 |
He is warning so that the soldiers can get ready. 00:07:34.540 |
So the primary duty of the watchman is to watch and see the wolves and enemies that 00:07:39.180 |
And that's why I remember in the previous chapters, one of the judgments against the 00:07:43.220 |
watchman who were the leaders of Israel was that they were like silent dogs. 00:07:48.540 |
They were meant to be out there to bark, but they can't bark. 00:07:55.060 |
He calls them, he says not to be silent, verse six and seven. 00:08:00.620 |
So the language he uses here is on your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen all day and 00:08:13.020 |
Because they are never going to be at peace until the Lord comes. 00:08:19.740 |
And here, the next part is really interesting. 00:08:22.300 |
He says, you who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest. 00:08:45.340 |
The duty of the watchman is to constantly remind the Lord. 00:09:14.420 |
God is basically telling his children to come. 00:09:16.420 |
And it's just like he said, if you abide in me, my words abide in you. 00:09:19.700 |
Ask whatever you wish, it shall be done for you. 00:09:24.500 |
And we are abiding in him, why do we even need to ask? 00:09:30.700 |
He wants us to come continually and say, hey, you made this covenant, remind me. 00:09:37.020 |
So part of our sanctification and part of our worship to God is to keep coming to him 00:09:45.420 |
And not only does he say that, and then verse 7, and give him no rest until he establishes 00:10:05.460 |
About the widow that comes and he just knocks and knocks and knocks and irritates the judge 00:10:09.660 |
to the point, he says, not because he's a good judge, but because you're irritating. 00:10:15.140 |
And he tells the parable to come to him in that way, persistently, continuously. 00:10:19.900 |
And so he says to the watchman that you should not remain silent. 00:10:23.580 |
You should be vigilant, constantly bring into the Lord his will. 00:10:28.300 |
You said you're going to establish your church and to keep praying according to his promise. 00:10:35.300 |
You said that you desire all men to be saved, to constantly bring to remembrance that this 00:10:41.780 |
Not because he forgot, but every time we remind him, what happens to us? 00:10:54.780 |
He says, so never to rest, don't ever give him rest until he establishes what he has 00:11:11.900 |
He says the watchman is not only to warn the people, but it's be constantly vigilant in 00:11:18.500 |
Praying and pleading on behalf of the nation, the church, our generation. 00:11:35.540 |
In 63 he says, who is this who comes from Edom in crimson garments from Bozrah, he 00:11:46.140 |
who is splendid in his apparel, matching in the greatness of his strength. 00:11:50.300 |
Why does he use Edom and he says he's coming from Edom to bring judgment? 00:11:59.580 |
What kind of relationship do the Edomites have with Israel? 00:12:04.820 |
They were the closest kin outside of immediate family. 00:12:08.780 |
And they were constantly in battle with the nation of Israel. 00:12:13.480 |
So a few of the, if you guys remember some of the Old Testament history, Edom was characterized 00:12:20.900 |
by perpetual enmity against the nation of Israel. 00:12:24.820 |
When Israel was invaded by the Babylonians, the Edomites rejoiced in their defeat and 00:12:29.780 |
In fact, there's a whole minor prophet written about the judgment against Edom because of 00:12:35.020 |
And an earlier date, Edom had refused to allow Israel to pass through their land when the 00:12:39.020 |
Israelites are on their way to the promised land of Canaan. 00:12:41.220 |
So right off the bat, from the very beginning, the Edomites were the closest kin, but they 00:12:51.260 |
So when he says from Edom he's coming, right, and he's talking about this judgment, typically, 00:12:58.300 |
if you look at the way God brings judgment upon the nation of Israel, does he just come 00:13:10.500 |
He brings nations, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians. 00:13:13.620 |
So he's talking about the closest of your kin is going to be the source of judgment. 00:13:24.140 |
The city of Basra that's mentioned here, it's because it was the capital of the ancient 00:13:32.500 |
And the reason why that name is mentioned specifically is because the name literally 00:13:40.220 |
And Isaiah develops this detailed comparison between treading graves and pouring out blood. 00:13:44.500 |
So when it's talking about pouring out blood, either it's talking about redemption or what? 00:13:57.500 |
When the Lord pours out his blood, it's because the Lord had brought judgment upon him. 00:14:04.200 |
So that's why he mentions that particular city. 00:14:14.820 |
What does he mean in chapter 63 verse 5 when he says, "I looked, but there was no one 00:14:21.620 |
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold." 00:14:30.880 |
So the Edomites were, they represented all the foreign, outside nation, and the judgment 00:14:37.320 |
He begins with them, but it's not limited to them. 00:14:42.760 |
So when he said he didn't find any help, he's talking about, it doesn't just talk about 00:14:48.440 |
salvation, but it's also talking about his judgment, but there was no one to help. 00:14:56.480 |
Salvation for Israel could not be accomplished together. 00:15:06.600 |
Israel was not going to be playing a part in the salvation of mankind. 00:15:10.920 |
They are, you know, in one sense, but not what the Lord was going to do on the cross. 00:15:30.300 |
So if you look at chapter 63, 7, it says, "I will recount the steadfast love of the 00:15:35.300 |
Lord, the praise of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us." 00:15:38.660 |
So chapter 63, 7 through 14 and on, is a list of things that remind the nation of Israel 00:15:49.360 |
So the history of Israel is the history of God's steadfast love for his people. 00:16:00.320 |
Is Israel's history pretty smooth and non-eventful? 00:16:12.760 |
Majority of Israel's history was filled with turmoil. 00:16:19.220 |
There are periods maybe during Hezekiah's reign, there's periods during David's reign. 00:16:24.560 |
There's pockets of peace in Israel's history, but for the most part, when you think of Israel, 00:16:29.140 |
you're talking a tiny little nation being kicked around back and forth. 00:16:34.340 |
Every once in a while, God would raise up a king or a judge, and then he would use them 00:16:39.580 |
to bring them to prominence, but as soon as that happens, Israel forgets about God, and 00:16:49.700 |
When Isaiah in chapter 63, 7 and on, he says, "This is the history, Israel's history, 00:16:55.020 |
the whole of Israel's history is a record of God's faithful love toward the nation of 00:17:00.780 |
Israel, during the good and the bad, even when they're being disciplined, even when 00:17:05.660 |
God's judgment was coming upon them, it was all because God loved this nation." 00:17:11.540 |
When God's ultimate judgment comes, how is God's ultimate judgment described in the Bible? 00:17:20.740 |
When he kind of pleads with his people, he disciplines them, and they don't respond, 00:17:36.620 |
And that's how it's described in Romans chapter 1. 00:17:38.940 |
They refuse to acknowledge the truth, so therefore God releases them, right? 00:17:43.620 |
If that's what you want, that's what you do, right? 00:17:47.220 |
But here, when Israel history is described, it describes in detail his faithfulness. 00:17:56.100 |
Even when they are being afflicted, the way it's described, God himself is afflicted because 00:18:02.340 |
So even as they're sometimes being judged and overthrown by greater nations, God's love 00:18:14.020 |
Despite all of God's faithfulness, Israel continues to rebel. 00:18:17.820 |
Again, this is, we're kind of closing in at the end of Isaiah, and basically what's happening 00:18:22.340 |
in Isaiah is reminiscing about Israel's history, right? 00:18:26.700 |
And then talking about the faithfulness of God. 00:18:29.620 |
So despite all of that, God remains faithful, because the Lord remembers the old days, the 00:18:39.340 |
So again, a lot of times you read the Old Testament, and people read it kind of like, 00:18:42.500 |
"That's not relevant, because it's in the Old Testament, it's for the nation of Israel." 00:18:47.380 |
But every time you read the Old Testament, and you read the covenants, and how God remains 00:18:51.260 |
faithful, that is a picture of his nature, and that is a reminder to all of us that the 00:19:00.140 |
reason why God is faithful today is because he was faithful before, right? 00:19:09.020 |
So if we read in the Old Testament where God just changes his mind, and a flood comes, 00:19:13.460 |
every generation a flood comes, even though he said he wasn't going to do it, he just, 00:19:16.900 |
you know, he's God, what are you going to do about it? 00:19:20.860 |
Then we should be trembling in fear, no matter what he promised, every time we sin, and every 00:19:26.100 |
time we fail, we should be afraid that the flood is coming. 00:19:29.780 |
But we're not, and the reason why we're not is because God made a covenant, and he's faithful 00:19:35.660 |
So he said even though God was faithful, and they would continue to rebel, he said he would 00:19:40.740 |
always remember his covenant with Moses, right? 00:19:54.100 |
So what does it mean, verse 16, that they do not acknowledge him? 00:19:57.580 |
Verse 16, "For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does 00:20:02.500 |
not acknowledge us, you, O Lord, are our father, our Redeemer from of old is your name." 00:20:19.740 |
There's actually two things, and I didn't write the other thing down. 00:20:21.780 |
It could be in reference to the Gentile nation, that God is bringing them into the fold, right? 00:20:29.380 |
The other one, other possibility, that he's talking about the remnant of Israel. 00:20:35.700 |
The remnant of Israel, who the nation as a whole, remember in the previous chapter, it 00:20:43.940 |
It was the righteous who were being persecuted? 00:20:46.460 |
So in Israel's history, at the end, there's going to be a segment of Israel repenting, 00:21:00.220 |
But either way, whether it's a remnant of the nation of Israel, or he's talking about 00:21:03.300 |
the Gentiles, he's saying that there's a segment of them, that describes verse 16. 00:21:20.480 |
What does it mean in verse 16 when it states that Israel does not acknowledge them? 00:21:26.260 |
Okay, I just wrote what John Calvin wrote concerning this. 00:21:38.540 |
It says, "The prophet uses a common form of speaking, for it is usual in the scriptures 00:21:42.440 |
to say that God gives the wicked over to the reprobate mind, and hardens their hearts." 00:21:46.460 |
So in verse 17, it says, "Oh Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways, and harden 00:21:54.340 |
Return for the sake of your servant, the tribes of your heritage." 00:21:56.500 |
So the question was, is he pleading with God because God is causing them to sin? 00:22:10.620 |
The scripture makes it clear that God is not the originator of evil. 00:22:15.320 |
So here, again, the language may be confusing, but it says, it's not that God is causing 00:22:23.860 |
Remember when he was talking about how he hardens the heart of Pharaoh? 00:22:29.260 |
The same sun that melts the clay, melts the ice, hardens the clay? 00:22:38.180 |
Is he going to be, when Jesus comes, is he going to be two separate people? 00:22:42.380 |
He's going to be this one Redeemer who comes to redeem the church, and then he's going 00:22:45.640 |
to have this fiery fury that's described in Revelations 1. 00:22:55.580 |
Depending on where you stand with that, you're going to meet a very different Jesus. 00:23:00.380 |
You're going to meet the Jesus that's going to come to judge, or you're going to meet 00:23:03.220 |
the Jesus who comes and sheds his blood to redeem. 00:23:07.140 |
But not everybody is going to see Jesus the same way, right? 00:23:13.220 |
When police show up, either you're happy or you're not happy, depending on if you're guilty 00:23:22.660 |
If you've gotten robbed and the police show up, you're very thankful, right? 00:23:26.220 |
And that's why he talks about when the Lord comes, he comes about, he talks about redemption 00:23:33.820 |
Retribution is going to come with restoration. 00:23:37.700 |
And that's like a cop, when a police officer shows up, he's going to punish the bad guys, 00:23:42.500 |
and punishing the bad guys is part of redeeming the good guys, right? 00:23:47.860 |
So that's how it's described at the end when Jesus comes, and he comes in his full glory. 00:23:53.060 |
Not only are the righteous going to be saved, but the wicked are going to be punished. 00:24:04.660 |
And he confesses his own sins, along with the sins of the whole nation. 00:24:16.380 |
You notice that in scripture, that whenever there is an encounter with God, that always 00:24:27.060 |
It always leads to a deeper recognition of sin. 00:24:30.940 |
So if you remember, Isaiah begins, it doesn't happen until chapter 6, but Isaiah begins 00:24:37.220 |
with Isaiah's encounter with the holiness of God, right? 00:24:48.380 |
I'm a man of uncleanness from a people of uncleanness. 00:24:50.780 |
So the first thing that happens before he is set apart for the gospel ministry, the 00:25:02.180 |
So in order for him to be the light to the nation of Israel, he needs to first be in 00:25:08.540 |
So if you, even though it happens in chapter 6, now that we're getting at the tail end, 00:25:20.660 |
So one clear sign that there is a movement of God is that there is a growing movement 00:25:30.540 |
of repentance, acknowledgement of our sins, and our weakness, and our brokenness, right? 00:25:37.660 |
Repentance isn't just singing loud and church growing and people loving each other. 00:25:41.780 |
All of these things are ramifications of genuine revival, but at the core of revival is repentance. 00:25:49.580 |
Repentance over our sins, repentance over what we are inside, repentance over how we 00:25:55.540 |
Revival always at the core of it is repentance. 00:25:57.580 |
It's not like, okay, we haven't been doing this right, so we're going to do this right. 00:26:01.740 |
I guess that could be repentance, but it's always a deeper sense of our sinfulness. 00:26:10.340 |
Not deeper sense of other people's sinfulness, but deeper sense of my sinfulness. 00:26:16.860 |
That's why anybody who has any desire to represent God and is not aware of their own sins, that 00:26:29.780 |
Ministry is declaring the glory of God, and a man who is going to declare the glory of 00:26:34.620 |
God has to be a witness of this glory of God. 00:26:39.300 |
And what is the evidence that he witnessed the glory of God? 00:26:47.940 |
So if a man desires to do ministry and preach the gospel and there is no brokenness over 00:26:52.580 |
his own sins, that's evidence that he is not aware of the glory of God, right? 00:26:59.420 |
So we see at the tail end of his prophecy, Isaiah confesses his sins. 00:27:26.820 |
You guys know this phrase right here, "All our righteous deeds are like polluted garment." 00:27:40.820 |
Every good thing that we do is useless, right? 00:27:46.340 |
In the context of what we've been studying, is that what he means? 00:27:51.780 |
So therefore, every righteous thing that we do is absolutely useless. 00:28:00.780 |
It's going back to the "you can't make yourself" part. 00:28:01.780 |
God was looking for someone to make him right. 00:28:03.780 |
So we can do righteous things in appreciation of it, but it's to restore our relationship. 00:28:22.400 |
There's a lot of chatter going on in that table when nobody's talking. 00:28:34.320 |
What has he been indicting Israel of up to this point in this media context? 00:28:43.200 |
So when he says about all our righteous deeds are filthy rags, why are they filthy rags? 00:28:52.080 |
Because the righteous deeds were tainted with dirty hands. 00:29:01.520 |
And they said all the fasts that they have were fake. 00:29:04.720 |
All the praying that they were doing was for selfishness. 00:29:07.740 |
So all this righteous thing that they were doing was for selfish gain. 00:29:15.520 |
And he said all of that is useless before God. 00:29:17.880 |
That's sometimes this passage is used to knock any kind of like pursuit of holiness because 00:29:35.880 |
He says to plead with him and remind him constantly of his promises. 00:29:41.880 |
Does that sound like a passive, you know, just kind of let God do whatever he does? 00:29:49.380 |
God demands his people to actively, purposefully pursue him. 00:29:56.400 |
So he's not saying that all your active pursuit of God is filthy rags. 00:30:02.200 |
He's saying the nation of Israel in particular in their false religion, right? 00:30:07.920 |
They're oppressing the poor and doing all these sins behind the scenes. 00:30:11.040 |
But they're coming to the temple and offering sacrifices in God's eyes. 00:30:19.160 |
He was angry with the people who were coming with dirty hands. 00:30:27.120 |
They just thought that if they killed the animal, that would take care of it. 00:30:32.800 |
If you're coming and doing all these things for other people to see, that's what makes 00:30:42.360 |
Instead of truly repenting, you memorize scripture. 00:30:46.600 |
Instead of truly repenting, you're more active at church. 00:30:55.200 |
He's not knocking passionate pursuit of Christ and holiness. 00:31:06.120 |
We have two more sessions and we're going to be wrapping up Isaiah. 00:31:09.240 |
Some of you guys who are sat through the whole teaching of Isaiah, you may have a little 00:31:15.320 |
bit more understanding of Isaiah than before.