Okay, start recording? Okay. All right, we're looking at Isaiah chapter 32 and 33. Isaiah chapter 32 is prophecy of the coming of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the first section of it is in reference to his nature and the kind of king he would be. Not only will he be a king that he rules, but it says that when he comes that he would be our hiding place and our refuge.

So he, again, is presented to us as a savior. Chapter 33 mainly is about Assyria. And again, it's not 100%, but most people believe that the historical context behind chapter 33 is in reference to Assyria's domination over that area. And again, if that's the case, King Hezekiah is the king behind it.

And it gives a description about his wrath against Assyria once the judgment is finished. So let's go into the text. Okay. So Thursday's first question is in verse 3, write it in your own words. In verse 3 it says, "Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed and the ears of those who hear will give attention." So the first thing, again, it says, "Once our eyes have been enlightened, we can never go back." Meaning, closely related to the second doctrine, the perseverance of the saints.

And to clarify, the perseverance of the saints is not in reference to that if you work hard and if you persevere, then you're going to somehow earn your salvation. The doctrine of perseverance of saints means that once your eyes have been opened, you can't choose to close your eyes.

Kind of like a child, when he grows up and he recognizes that he's naked, you can never go back once those eyes are open. So in the same way, those people who have seen the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, if they genuinely have seen it, they won't go back.

And that's basically what that means. And in 1 John it also says that those people who backslide left because they were never really of us. And if they were really of us, they would have never left. So leaving proved that their eyes were never truly open. So that's what he's saying in verse 3.

And then along with that, the third part of it says, "Truth will clearly be understood and be clearly spoken." So again, everything that we know about God was from a distance according to Corinthians. But when the true King comes, that His truth is going to be clearly understood. And because we clearly understand it, we're able to clearly communicate it.

The second section, all of it, we'll just put it up all at once. "Who are the fools and scoundrels?" referring to in verse 5 through 8. "A, the fool is a nation of the false leaders that people ran to in times of trouble." So during this period where there was a lot of foolish counsel toward Hezekiah and to the nation of Israel, saying that just give in to Assyria or make amends with other nations.

And so basically what it's saying is God's going to prove them all wrong. "B, they will no longer be honored when the true King is revealed and His princes rule." So when Jesus finally shows up, they're going to be able to distinguish between who is right and who is wrong.

So those people who are honored, the false prophets, the false leaders, they're going to be proven to be wrong and they will no longer be honored. "C, the fool only speaks folly because his heart is filled with folly." And okay, so how do we get here? "And his foolishness is not by chance but by plan." See in verse 6 it says, "For the fool speaks folly and his heart is busy with iniquity to practice ungodliness." So it's not something that he just kind of does instinctively, it just, it says that he's actually planning, he devises it in his heart.

"They practice ungodliness." "D, E, they utter error concerning the Lord." In other words, they are false teachers. "F, because they're false teachers, the truth that they're disseminating does not feed the people. And they do not provide drink for the thirsty." And the ultimate reason why is because their motive is false.

They're not leading because they're trying to shepherd the people and really care for the people. Ultimately, their motive is selfishly motivated. And that's exactly what Paul says in the New Testament. He says, "When they come, they will devour you." Because their goal is ultimately for their own benefit. And so that's how Isaiah describes these false leaders as people who are being honored because the true king has not come.

But when the true king comes, he said, "The truth is going to be revealed who is and who is not." What is the spiritual condition of the woman judged in verse 9? He said, "They are at ease and are complacent." And this is a description of the condition of the nation of Israel.

Again, we mentioned this before, that the judgment of Israel is coming in a period of time when there was a lot of temple worship. For the most part, they were enjoying peace. They had money. So it's not that everything was perfect, but they had freedom to worship. But they became complacent over and over again.

God wars the nation of Israel. That period of danger in the nation of Israel is not when they're being attacked, is not when they're being judged. It's when things seem to be going okay. There's no sense of urgency. There's no persecution going on. That they become complacent and satisfied.

And you'll notice that their complacency is the beginning of all this folly. So the scripture says that once God fed them, they became proud. And once they became proud, they forgot God. And once they forget God and become complacent, that's when all this other trouble comes into the nation of Israel.

So the other stuff that we're going to be looking at is directly linked to the complacency of the nation of Israel. They're called in verse 11 to strip and to make themselves bare, meaning to put away the superficial adorning that they are proud of. And again, this is indicative of a period in Israel's history, and it's also relevant to any culture where they have excess money, they have excess time, excess freedom.

And instead of using that to pursue God, they're spending a lot of time in frivolous stuff. So what God is calling the nation of Israel to do in their complacency is to strip away, to bear, to take all these things out so that they may put their priorities straight.

So what resulted in the exultant city because of their complacency, and again, all related to a lukewarmness toward God. God calls them to beat your breasts for the pleasant fields. Now, on the surface, what does that mean? You may just read that and just kind of, you know, one of those things that we don't understand.

But the meaning is to give attention to giving of life. It means to give attention to the giving of life. To give life to the people who are growing up in Thorn's empire. So in other words, the imagery is of a mother who is breastfeeding, and instead of using her breasts and the breast milk to feed the nation, she again, is not using it properly.

So basically, this imagery is, again, it's not just a rebuke to women, even though it says to complacent women, it is to the whole nation of Israel. That the resources that God has given for the purpose of life is being squandered for other things. And so, as a result of that, He says the city has been forsaken.

So all of this happens simply because of complacency. And so, this is what's happening in the nation of Israel. Again, this is a warning to all generations that, you know, we may think in comparison to all the other vices and sins, that complacency just kind of seems like maybe even a part of what it means to be a Christian.

You know, we all have a tendency to kind of not to be serious at certain points, but there's a reason why in the book of Revelation, the harshest criticism and judgment is to the church of Laodicea. Because complacency is the beginning of all other sins. Because once we become proud, and once we begin to think that we're not desperate for God, all the other sins begin to creep in.

And that's basically what He's saying to the nation of Israel. And what would call the wilderness to become fruitful? Eventually, if this is going to be turned around, what has to happen? He says, when the Spirit comes, when the Spirit is poured out on high, He says the revival is going to come.

And that's exactly what the Scripture says. In the end times, God's going to pour out His Spirit, the young men will see visions, and old men will prophesy. So in other words, revival is not simply an effort of man. Revival comes when God answers our prayers, and the Holy Spirit begins to work in the hearts of men and women.

So when we sense complacency, when we sense that maybe we're going down the wrong path, first and foremost, God calls us to Himself. That we need to pray and to cry out, because only when the Holy Spirit is engaged is there true revival. So when the Holy Spirit comes and says the wilderness will become fruitful again, again when you think of wilderness, you think of barrenness or judgment, and you say, but God is going to turn that around, that there may be more fruit, and there may be peace, quietness, and righteousness.

In other words, God's going to intervene, and all the judgment of God that was coming because of complacency is going to be returned. So chapter 33, who are the destroyers and what will happen to them? We could think of the different nations, whether it's Assyria or Syria or Egypt or Babylonians.

This particular context, there's enough historical hints that it is most likely referring to Assyria, and especially as we get to the next chapters, chapter 34 through chapter 39, it's clear that he's referring to the period when Assyrians were trying to attack Hezekiah. So again, but we have to remember whenever we study the book of Isaiah, that the primary application is not ultimately historically at that particular time.

Isaiah's prophecy is, uses the particular historical event as a springboard to talk about and prophesy about the last days, about the coming of Christ. So even though there's enough evidence for us to say, "Hey, this is talking about Assyria," ultimately, it is talking about the end times. He says, "Those who destroy will be destroyed." And he says, "Those who betray will betray." In other words, God's going to turn the tables around.

And over and over again, we see that in the New Testament, he says, "The rich should be ashamed," not to say that you can't have money, but he's talking about how in our cultural system, in the God of this age, has it so that the rich are honored and the poor are ashamed.

But he said when Christ comes and He restores His kingdom, in His kingdom, he says that the poor actually are the ones who are blessed. He says, "God is going to dumbfound the wise, and He's going to make the foolish seem wise in the Gospel." And that's exactly what He does.

He deliberately chose Paul because he was the worst of sinners. Not because he was the smartest, not because he was the most righteous. So when God's judgment comes, He says He's going to reverse everything that this world has valued and honored and pursued, that He's going to turn it upside down, and realizing not only did they get it wrong, they got it absolutely wrong.

What will Zion be filled with? The primary characteristics of Zion is that the Lord will be exalted. So if we think about heaven, we think about the last times, like what is the main characteristic about that time? We could think about how all this other stuff that we'll be talking about, no disease, no crying, there's going to be better communication, we're going to have better physical bodies.

But the primary characteristics of Zion is a place where God is exalted. So all the blessings that we think about, all the great things that we think heaven is going to be like, He says the primary, at the center of that, is because God is exalted. It's when He is exalted, all this other stuff happens.

And He says, "The fear of the Lord will be their treasure." When was the last time you thought of fearing something as a treasure? And yet the scripture over and over again tells us the chief end of man is to fear God, and here, He actually says it's actually a treasure from God, it's a gift.

Fear of the Lord is not only a command, but a gift. Recognizing the gift of righteousness and obedience is like falling in love with what is good for us. People who love to run can reap the benefits of running while enjoying the process as well. It is only when we do not see the gift of fearing God that fear becomes a dread rather than our treasure.

So, you know, oftentimes we think about God's commandments, maybe even His warnings, that we become burdened by it because we think that that's somehow a way to appease God. Not realizing that the very commandments of God is a source of joy. That's a source of our treasure. Just like when we're raising our kids and we tell our children, if you want to have, you know, we're going to go to Disneyland tomorrow or whatever, that you need to have a good night's sleep.

And He may be kicking and fighting and resisting, but in the end, we're telling them so that they can have enough energy to enjoy what's coming the next day. But if He kicks and screams, "You know what, I'm going to do whatever I want," and He doesn't go to sleep until 5 in the morning, and then they wake up at 7 in the morning, they're going to be miserable the whole time.

So the command of God, the fear of God, is not simply to measure us and to see who's going to be righteous and who's not going to be righteous. In the end, it is a gift. That's why the scripture says, "Righteousness with contentment is great gain." When we realize that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.

See, obedience is not a burden. Obedience actually is a source of joy. So what does it mean to conceive chaff and give birth to stubble? Again, in God's judgment, the chaff and stubble are worthless things. Again, so we don't live in an agricultural context, so this needs a little bit of explaining.

So the Bible talks about separating the wheat and the chaff. During that time, the chaff basically were the coverings of the wheat, and they need to separate that so that they can get to the wheat, and they would throw away the chaff. The stubble was basically what the stem that the chaff and the wheat was on.

So once you remove the wheat, the chaff and the stubble basically is trash. So what it's saying is, these Assyrians or these conquerors who were coming in and they were suppressing God's people, once their work is done, once God's period of allowing judgment to come to Israel, whether it's Assyria, whether it is Egypt or the Babylonians, they will become worthless and be thrown out.

So as the nations are judged and brought low, the Lord will be exalted at the same time. So even in His judgment, ultimate end result is that God is going to be glorified. So to describe the characteristics of those who are able to dwell in Zion, so in contrast to those who are being judged, those remnants that God will restore, He said, one, they will walk righteously and speak uprightly.

You notice that whenever we talk about righteousness, that speech always comes along with it, and as we mentioned before, it's because Jesus said it's what comes out of a man. So when we talk about righteous walk and upright speech, He's talking about a man who's not only righteous externally, but someone who's righteous internally, that the Holy Spirit has genuinely regenerated that person.

He despises the gain of oppression. In other words, His selfish desire to advance Himself and to use any means, He said He despises that. To shake His hand lest they hold a bribe. In other words, what He holds, He holds loosely. A bribe is something that you are willing to have and cut corners and cheat because you want something so desperately that you're willing to cheat, lie, and do whatever you need to do.

So to say that He shakes His hand lest they hold a bribe, in other words, He's always shaking it. He's not holding onto anything too tightly. He stops His ear from hearing bloodshed, that He refuses to engage even the planning and talk of evil, and then He shuts His eyes from looking on evil.

He actively avoids what is wrong. So He said, these are the characteristics of an individual, not simply somebody who's achieved righteousness, but somebody who's been regenerated. There's not a description of an A student in the church. This is a description of somebody who's been deeply affected by the cross.

And so His righteousness is not simply externally, it is internally. That His glory and His self-gain is not something that He seeks. He doesn't want bribes. He avoids evil. He actively pursues righteousness. What will the righteous see? Again, that term see is repeated over and over again when restoration happens, when salvation happens, as we see the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Christ comes and all that God intended is restored, we see, just like we were talking about on Sunday, that our life comes when we see Zoe in Christ, and that we want that and we follow Him. And so we trade our life for His life, right? And so, first thing they see is that we will be whole.

We will see the King in His full beauty. And that's what's going to change us in the end. That we're not going to be in heaven thinking like, "Ah, I don't want this, the worship is boring." So once we see His true beauty, we will be changed. They will see a land that stretches afar.

In other words, he's talking about peace, right? When you see a land just kind of going on and on and on, there's no turmoil there. They will not see the insolent people and strange speech. In other words, these enemies will not be in their land and there will not be war.

There will be peace in the land. How is Zion described in verses 20-24? It is an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent. In other words, it is permanent. But this is not just a temporary period. When Christ comes and He establishes His Kingdom, that there is nothing beyond that. That once He comes, that habitation is going to be permanent.

That when the Lord comes, it will be like a broad river for us by His presence. So, Scripture describes river as a place of life, right? A blessed man is like a tree planted by the rivers of waters because there is resource of life constantly sustaining and causing this tree to bear fruit.

And so the description of the end times when Christ comes and establishes His Kingdom is like He Himself is going to be like a broad river that we're all going to feed off of. And so just like He said to the Samaritan woman that He is the river, He is the living water that whoever drinks of Him will never go thirst again and again.

So it's related to how this describes when He comes. That He will be the ultimate… It's not working. Can you just press the button? Okay. He will be the ultimate judge and the lawgiver. There will be no injustice in the land. Next D, no one will be sick. And then E, the people will be forgiven of their sins.

Now if you notice that all the promises that are made about the restoration of Zion, that there's going to be peace, that we're going to have life, that there's not going to be any sickness, we're going to be forgiven of sins. All of this because God is exalted. That we're going to see His beauty, right?

So again, as we wrap up at least this section of it, the focal point of salvation is God, is Jesus, is the Holy Spirit. John Piper wrote a book saying God is the gospel. He is the gospel. The gift of salvation isn't that through Him that He answers our prayers, that through Him we're going to have health, that through Him we're going to have eternity and peace and safety.

He said the ultimate gift is when we recognize that true beauty, true life is Christ Himself. And so we'll see again all these descriptions. And that's why complacency is so dangerous. Complacency basically means that we don't necessarily need Him. There's no sense of urgency to be with Him, to have intimacy with Him.

So if everything that we desire is centered upon knowing Christ, seeing Christ, beholding His beauty, beholding His glory, complacency basically is to hear that and say, "Eh, I don't know if that's that important to you. Maybe for you, not for me." So again, we may not think of complacency as such a dangerous sin, but it is the beginning of the slippage where we're no longer beholding the things of God.

Complacency basically is not seeing God, not being near God. And everything else that the scripture says happens as a result of a proud heart that has become complacent. Okay. All right. So that's it for the study. You can take the rest of the time to discuss with your group.

And there are instructions about what to do for the next couple of weeks. Next week, we don't have Bible study. And then the week after that, I will come back. And you're actually going to be studying or reading all the way through chapter 39. So we're going to be covering all of that, at least bits and pieces of it.

You'll notice that the last four chapters, 39, 38, 37, 36, they're all very historical. So I'm having you guys read each chapter for each day. But then there's instructions there. There's only memory verses for one week. And then for the second week, I'm asking you to review all the other verses.

Okay. So I've given some instructions to Brian about that. And then I've asked James Hong to kind of just oversee the locking up and all this stuff. So again, we'll see you guys in a few weeks. Okay. Bye.