Boyd’s Commentary for the Sunday School: 2016- 2017

FIRST QUARTER

Lesson material is based on International Sunday School Lessons and International Bible Lessons for Christian Teaching. Copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education and is used by its permission.

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER 2016

WRITER: REV. DR. MICHAEL A. JOLLA

SUGGESTED OPENING EXERCISES

1. Usual Signal for Beginning

2. Prayer (Closing with the Lord’s Prayer)

3. Singing (Song to Be Selected)

4. Scripture Reading:Psalm 95:1–7 (KJV)

Director: O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

School: Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Director: For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

School: In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.

Director: The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

School: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

All: For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Recitation in Concert:

1 Timothy 6:6–10 (KJV)

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therefore content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

CLOSING WORK

1. Singing

2. Sentences:

Revelation 1:12–16 (KJV)

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

3. Dismissal with Prayer

ISAIAH 11:1–9

MAIN THOUGHT: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: 8th century B.C.

Place: Judah

LESSON OUTLINE

I. A Shoot Appears

(Isaiah 11:1–3a)

II. The Messiah’s Judgment

(Isaiah 11:3b–5)

III. The Peace the Messiah Brings

(Isaiah 11:6–9)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

We live in a world full of divisions, hatred, trouble, and chaos. Will we ever experience harmony? Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that the sovereign God will bring about a world of peace.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to a new quarter of study with Boyd’s Commentary for the Sunday School. This month’s lessons will be drawn from the writings of the prophet Isaiah and will focus on the theme of God’s sovereignty.

For more than fifty years, Isaiah engaged in prophetic ministry among the people of Judah and Jerusalem. His ministry began, as he tells us, in the year that King Uzziah died (Isa. 6:1, NRSV; ca. 740 B.C.). It spanned the reigns of at least four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. (It probably also spilled over into the reign of Manasseh: ancient Jewish tradition records that Isaiah was sawn in two during Manasseh’s reign [see Heb. 11:37].)

Isaiah’s initial preaching came at a time when the nations of Israel and Judah were prospering. Their good fortune, though, was a result of the fact that the Assyrian Empire, gathering strength in the east, had not made any military raids into Palestine. Their prosperity, in other words, was the result of a temporary halt in Assyrian military aggression and expansion.

That was about to change, though. During the early years of Isaiah’s prophetic labors, the people of Judah and Israel were blinded by their own desires and by their greed, and their hearts were hardened by selfishness. Because they would not listen, they were destined for destruction. Not too many years later, in 722/1 B.C., the Assyrians moved against Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and led her people into captivity. More than a century later, Babylonian forces, under the command of King Nebuchadnezzar, laid siege to and destroyed the city of Jerusalem, leading most of her people into captivity.

The first half of the book of Isaiah (chs. 1–39) focuses on the time before those terrible events. It emphasizes the reality of coming judgment. It calls out Israel’s idolatry, the mistreatment of the poor and marginalized by the powerful and wealthy, and the abuse of power on the part of Israel’s royal and priestly leadership class. More over, it promises that judgment upon that wickedness and evil is surely coming. The first half of Isaiah, in short, demonstrates God’s sovereignty as manifested by judgment and wrath.

In the midst of exile, the subject of God’s sovereignty gained a new significance. The people wondered, after years in exile, whether God had forgotten or abandoned them and whether they would ever be redeemed from oppression in a foreign land. The second half of Isaiah (chs. 40–66) demonstrates God’s sovereignty through the promise of restoration and renewal. It looks ahead to the return of God’s people to the land and to the renewal of His blessing upon them as they seek to serve Him wholeheartedly again.

We should note, though, that the division between the two halves of the book of Isaiah is not a simple one. There are notes of hope in the first half of the book, as we will see in the lessons for this week and next week. Likewise, there are stern exhortations to obedience in the second half of the book. All of it, though, shows us the multifaceted glory of God’s sovereignty over all of His creation.

EXPOSITION

I. A SHOOT APPEARS

(ISAIAH 11:1–3A)

God used the prophets to speak to His people during times of turmoil, as well as in times of triumph. In each case, the prophet was required to speak only the Word of the Lord. In today’s lesson, we see both of these forces—turmoil and triumph—at work. Isaiah 10 ends with the Lord’s rebuke of Assyria. Isaiah compares Assyria to a forest of trees that will be chopped down by the Lord’s ax. But even after the forest has been leveled and the trees cut down, God uses one of the roots to bring forth His sovereign will (see 11:1). In our text for today, God tells Isaiah to tell His people that in spite of the destruction, new life will spring forth: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit (11:1, ESV). One day, emerging out of the ground from one of those cut stumps, there will come the Messiah to restore God’s people.

This is all part of the triune God’s work of redemption. Here we see the work of the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father brought forth the shoot (i.e., the Son) who is empowered by the Spirit to undertake His earthly ministry. What does it mean, though, that the Messiah will come out from the stump of Jesse (v. 1, NRSV), King David’s father? Why did God specify that the Messiah would come from the stump of Jesse rather than from David, the more well-known of the two? Little is said about Jesse in the Bible; David is the one given the most recognition. His victories are celebrated: As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’ (1 Sam. 18:7, NIV). David killed the giant, Goliath. He was a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22). But David’s father, Jesse, will always be remembered as the shepherd who was David’s father.

Without a doubt, God was speaking of the Messiah that would come. His Kingdom would be greater than that of the Assyrians. Jesus Christ did not, of course, come looking like a king. Rather, He came as a common man, humble in His origins, but high and exalted in His purpose.

But why would this Messiah come, and what would He be like? We begin to find the answers in verse two. The Messiah would come so that God’s people may bear fruit. Why would this Branch bear fruit? His earthly root would be of Jesse, but He would be empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, which shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD (v. 2, ESV). The attributes of the Holy Spirit will characterize the Messiah, for They are one in purpose and power.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us how it happened: a young virgin named Mary was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. But before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit (1:18, ESV). This Spirit is the same Spirit who was with God in creation when He said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image’ (Gen. 1:26, NRSV). This is the same Spirit who descended upon Christ when He was baptized by John the Baptist (see Matt. 3:13–17). This is the same Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days and nights (see Matt. 4:1).

This is the same Spirit who, Isaiah says, is resting upon Christ, giving Him wisdom and understanding, counsel and power over everything, giving Him the proper knowledge of and reverence for His Father. It is noteworthy that Isaiah did not say that Christ is resting upon the Spirit, but that the Spirit is resting upon Him. It is not the Messiah that is empowering the Spirit, but the Spirit that is empowering Him.

Because the branch will have God’s Spirit upon it, it will bear fruit. The fruit that is produced will have the attributes of the One from whom it comes. But what is the significance of these attributes? First, He will have wisdom and understanding (v. 2, NRSV). In other words, He will not only have knowledge, but He will also understand how best to apply it. He will be able to correctly discern right from wrong, good from evil.

Moreover, He will have the spirit of counsel and might (ibid.). That is, He will not only be able to make good decisions for Himself, but He will also be able to teach others. Finally, He will possess the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD (ibid.). His intelligence in all areas cannot be matched.

II. THE MESSIAH’S JUDGMENT

(ISAIAH 11:3B–5)

All of this indicates a desire to be just and to judge with righteousness (v. 4, NRSV; Heb. tsedeq) in the affairs of the people, like someone carrying a plumb line or a measuring tape. As the Ruler of the world, the Messiah will judge the world with fairness and respect for all. Those who are less fortunate, the poor and the oppressed, will be cared for, and the wicked will be slain (see v. 4). This will be fundamental to His identity. He will wear justice like clothing: Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins (v. 5, ESV).

But what is the nature of this justice? And how does it apply to the poor and the meek? J. Alec Motyer is worth hearing at length on this subject: "The King does not favour the needy so as to sway decisions in their favour. Even in their case, what is right and fair must prevail but, unlike the degenerate princes he will replace (1:21ff.), he gives his full attention to their cause (Ps. 72:2–4, 12–14). But neither favour to the needy nor disfavour towards the wicked subvert the exact balance of justice. Under this king ideal justice will be realized as enshrined in the lex talionis: the penalty to match the crime (Ex. 21:23ff.). Justice is to be evenhanded for all alike (Lv. 24:15ff.), and thus the honour of the law will be demonstrated (Dt. 19:20f.)" (The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary [Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993], 123; emphasis in original).

III. THE PEACE THE MESSIAH BRINGS

(ISAIAH 11:6–9)

Because of the Spirit’s empowering presence in the reign of the Messiah, all of God’s creation will be able to live as God intended: in peace and harmony, safe from engulfing chaos and confusion. When this righteous kingdom is set up, Isaiah points out, those animals who would normally be at odds with one another will rest side by side. The wild animals will lie down with the tame. The lion, who would normally attack the calf, will lie down beside it. The meek and the mild will be able to live in the presence of the wild and the untamed, all because it is a new day that is governed by a powerful, Spirit-led Ruler. What a day that will be when a little baby will be able to play near a cobra’s den, and no harm will come to either baby or snake (see v. 8). This peace is miraculous.

Verse nine gives the reason why this kind of peace will be possible. Because the Messiah will not allow anyone to be hurt, all of God’s creation will be viewed as a holy mountain (v. 9, NRSV). But this is not meant to be restrictive in terms of location. As Motyer observes, It is not that peace is restricted to one place but rather that a dramatic change has come over the whole earth. When the true order of creation is restored the whole earth is the Lord’s hill, indwelt by his holiness (The Prophecy of Isaiah, 125). The world to come will be different from this world of chaos, hatred, and wickedness. All of God’s creation will live in tranquility because this King is with us, dwelling with us and in us.

In that day, the entire earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (v. 9, NRSV), which suggests that there is nowhere the truth of God’s Word will not reach. It will be available and lived out throughout the land. But there is more that can be said. As John Oswalt points out, "In this verse we return to the opening theme of 11:2, true knowledge. The Israel that was too [immature] to know where the barn was, spiritually speaking (1:2–3), will now have true knowledge of reality and will be able to act accordingly. The Hebrew language does not recognize any distinction between knowledge that is an accumulation of information and knowledge that is personal acquaintance. For the Hebrews, all true knowledge is based on experience. Therefore, when the prophet speaks here about ‘knowledge of the LORD,’ he is not speaking primarily of knowledge about the Lord but of insight into reality born of a close and intimate relationship with him" (The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003], 189).

As God’s Spirit is allowed to roam freely in this new age (see Joel 2:28), the world will be given a peace that has not been possible since God first placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Like the waters of the Flood, the Spirit’s outpouring will have a cleansing and renewing effect in the lives of men and women all over the world, generation after generation.

THE LESSON APPLIED

God sent a message of hope through the prophet Isaiah to help His people deal with the suffering that lay ahead of them. The Assyrians may have looked like tall trees towering over the land around them, but they would be cut down. Isaiah is certain of this: Behold, the Lord GOD of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low. He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One (Isa. 10:33–34, ESV). When we allow God to fight our battles—whether they be health issues, relational setbacks, or anything else—the outcome will be one of peace and comfort, even when the outcome is not what we anticipated.

Even though tall trees hover over us, causing us to worry, the Lord will cut them down. Not only will He cut them down, but out of those same trees, He will preserve a branch to protect His people. God says, I will cause a new stem, a new limb to come from the side, and it will not be a temporary branch, but it will bear fruit forever. As believers, our job is to stay connected to the abiding presence of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Messiah has certainly come to redeem us!

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

1. What is the significance of verse two for us?

Prior to Jesus’s ascension, He promised His disciples that He was not going to leave them helpless, but that He would send a Comforter, a Spirit of truth, to walk along beside them to guide them and teach them (John 16:13). This same Comforter—the Spirit of God—was with the Messiah, as today’s text has shown us.

Just as Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, so we also are given the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit empowers us with wisdom, intellectual and moral understanding, counsel and might, the ability to know and to carry out the will of the Lord without hindrance or hesitation, and the knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Without these attributes, the Messiah would not be able to govern His Kingdom according to the will of the Father.

So it was with the early Church. If not for the gifts of the Spirit manifest in the lives and preaching of the apostles, the Good News of the Kingdom would not have spread. The gifts through which this miraculous growth and advance were accomplished were the same gifts as those bestowed upon the Anointed One in today’s text: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD (Isa. 11:2, NRSV). The same is true for us today. Without the presence of the Spirit in our labors for the Lord, we work in vain.

HOME DAILY DEVOTIONAL READINGS

SEPTEMBER 5–11, 2016

ISAIAH 25:6–10

MAIN THOUGHT: He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:8, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: 8th century B.C.

Place: Judah

LESSON OUTLINE

I. A Wonderful Feast

(Isaiah 25:6–8)

II. Worshipful Trust

(Isaiah 25:9–10)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

Oppressed people are always looking for relief from their injustices. Who will deliver them? Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that the sovereign God will give deliverance from oppression.

INTRODUCTION

As we pointed out last week, the major emphasis of Isaiah 1–39 is God’s judgment upon the wickedness of His people and that of the nations around them. Those solemn words of judgment, though, are occasionally broken by vivid pictures of a hopeful future. Such is the case with today’s text.

Most commentators see Isaiah 25 as part of a larger unit that encompasses Isaiah 24:1–27:13 and is dominated by a single theme. As Terry Briley notes, the central theme of this section of Isaiah is God’s sovereignty over the nations, which manifests itself in his judgment of the proud and rebellious (The College Press NIV Commentary: Isaiah, Vol. 1 [Joplin: College Press, 2000], 233). Leading up to today’s text, chapter 24 details God’s judgment of the wicked (Briley, 234). It pictures the whole earth laid desolate (see 24:1–13). This is followed by rejoicing on the part of God’s people in the face of His judgment (see vv. 14–16). The final verses of the chapter (vv. 17–23) return to the subject of judgment: God is a hunter who cannot be escaped; He will round up the enemies of His people like prisoners. The text does not tell us exactly which enemies are in mind here. Perhaps it is a reference to Assyria or Babylon. Whatever the case, these people are headed for destruction.

Isaiah 25 shifts the focus: it contains a song of praise for the way this judgment vindicates the faith God’s people have placed in him (Briley, 234). It opens with praise: O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name (v. 1, NRSV). But why? The answer comes shortly after: For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt (v. 2, NRSV). Again, the destruction of the enemy city, whether that be Babylon or Nineveh, will be total. Strong peoples, Isaiah writes, and ruthless nations (v. 3, NRSV) will fear God as a result. This is because Yahweh is not a God who is on their side. The warrior gods of Assyria and Babylon were understood to give them victory in battle. Like those gods, the peoples who worshiped them were strong and ruthless in battle. The God of Israel, on the other hand, is a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat (v. 4, NRSV). Indeed, through God’s mighty acts, the song of the ruthless was stilled (v. 5, NRSV).

In the aftermath of destruction, though, a great feast would be laid before all peoples (v. 6, NRSV). In last week’s lesson, Isaiah talked about how the coming Messiah would bring peace into the world such that all of the earth would be viewed as a holy mountain (Isa. 11:9, NRSV). In our lesson for today, Isaiah gives praise to God for the amazing things that He has done for the people and against their enemies. He sings a hymn of praise as they are preparing to enter into this great banquet on the mountain. This grand banquet is hosted by the Lord Almighty, their Maker and Creator, the One who sustains and saves.

EXPOSITION

I. A WONDERFUL FEAST

(ISAIAH 25:6–8)

Our text for today opens: On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines (v. 6, NRSV). Imagery of banquets, of rich food and freely flowing wine, are familiar to us, of course. They recur throughout Scripture. Most often, though, they are eschatological in orientation: they look forward to the world to come. Isaiah 25 should also call to mind, for the diligent Bible reader, the role of meals throughout the Scriptures. We can think all the way back to the Passover meal (see Exod. 12:1–14). From there we can move forward to the meal that Moses and the elders of Israel shared on the mountain (see Exod. 24). We might think of the Last Supper. In some sense, all of these meals point forward to the great banquet of which we will partake in the presence of God and of the Lamb—the marriage supper of the Lamb (see Rev. 19). The mountain mentioned here is probably Zion in Jerusalem. We can see this more clearly if we compare this text with Isaiah 2:2–4 (the mountain of the LORD’s house, v. 2, NRSV).

It is interesting to note that the sovereign Lord is not limiting this feast just to Judah, but rather this feast is for all peoples. Why is that? God, as we are explicitly told in the New Testament, is no respecter of persons—Jew or Gentile, the offer of salvation is open to all. As Isaiah wrote earlier: If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land (Isa. 1:19, ESV). This includes everyone. As John Oswalt adds, There is no sense in which God glories in the destruction of the wicked (cf. Ezek. 18:23; 33:11). He does not wipe his hands with a sigh of relief and say, ‘I’m glad that’s over.’ If judgment and destruction cannot be avoided in the end in the name of justice, that is not what God wants to do. Rather, he wants to invite ‘all peoples’ (Isa. 25:6) to his feast. Nor is the ‘all’ merely accidental, for it is repeated no less than four more times in 25:7–8. The author wants us to know that everyone on earth is invited to the celebration (The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003], 289–290).

But what of the larger context of this feast? How does it fit into the larger narrative of the people of Israel? As J. Alec Motyer points out, "Isaiah looks back to the covenant banquet of Exodus 24:11. Moses had promised the people that their exclusion from the holy mountain was temporary (Ex. 19:11), but the ascent by all Israel was never a practical option and the meal was enjoyed by the elders as representative of the whole. But on the true Zion (cf. Heb. 12:22–24) there is no element of representation; all come, all participate. These verses are the counterpart of 2:2–4. The nations gather neither to make offerings nor to serve (cf. 60:9–10) but to enjoy what the Lord has provided: the covenant sealed in the banquet" (The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary [Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993], 209).

According to today’s text, there are at least four things that will accompany this feast. This feast, first of all, is a heavenly feast that will consist of the best that heaven has to offer. Beyond this, we have the removal of the veil (see v. 7) and the end of death: He will swallow up death forever (v. 8, ESV). Finally, there will be no more tears caused by sorrow and sadness. We will expound a bit more on each of these points in what follows.

Isaiah writes, "And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations (v. 7, ESV; emphasis added). Many believe that the covering and the veil refer to death, as further alluded to in verse eight. As E. H. Plumptre points out, to cover the face was, in the East, a sign of mourning for the dead (2 Samuel 19:4); and to destroy that covering is to overcome death, of which it is thus the symbol" (C. J. Ellicott, A Bible Commentary for English Readers [London: Cassell and Company, 1905]). In any case, the Lord will remove that which has caused darkness and gloom for His people. This could also refer to the mourning caused by the attacks of the Assyrian army or the years of captivity by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. When the face is covered in mourning, even though it still experiences light, the fullness of that light is overshadowed by the darkness.

None of this need be overly worrisome because God will swallow up death in victory. Destroy (Isa. 25:7, NRSV) translates from the same Hebrew verb as swallow up (v. 8, NRSV). This anticipates Jesus’ death on Calvary and His resurrection three days later. The Apostle Paul, speaking of the resurrection, wrote: When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ (1 Cor. 15:54, ESV; quoting v. 8). When this happens, God will wipe away all tears from our eyes and we will be with Him forever.

II. WORSHIPFUL TRUST

(ISAIAH 25:9–10)

The feast and the good things attendant to it are an acknowledgment of God’s might and His power to save: It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us’ (v. 9, ESV). In other words, This is the One for whom we have waited, and we know He will save us. Because of this, we will be glad and we will rejoice in His salvation. Finally, God’s sovereignty and His love, protection, and provision will be recognized throughout all the land— especially by His own people.

The praise of God’s people goes further: ‘This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation’ (v. 9, ESV). Just as the ancient worshiper waited for the coming Messiah, now all—Jew and Gentile alike—recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They have ceased to put their trust in other gods.

This brings us to an important point. As Oswalt points out, the notion of waiting (Heb. qwh) in these verses also carries the connotation of trusting. Elaborating on this point, he writes: Verse 9 emphasizes once again the overarching theme of chapters 7–39: the trustworthiness of God. If the nation of unclean lips (cf. 6:5) is to bear a message of hope and redemption to the world, then, like the prophet of unclean lips, they must have a revelation of the supremely trustworthy character of God. So at the great feast in Mount Zion, what will ‘they’—not only Israel but also the redeemed from all peoples—say? ‘Surely this is our God, we trusted in him, and he saved us.’ In other words, they will praise God for his trustworthiness (290).

As we pointed out earlier, notice the inclusiveness of this salvation. It is not just for one nation or race of people; it is for all. In a similar fashion, the Apostle Paul told the Jewish and Gentile believers in Ephesus that we are saved by grace through faith (see Eph. 2:8–10).

Finally, there will be joy and gladness in the heart that has been convicted by the salvific work of the Lord. And we do not wait for Him in vain, for the mercy comes at last with abundant recompense for the delay. We have nothing to fear, for the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain (Isa. 25:10, ESV). The Lord’s powerful presence will preserve and protect His people from future harm and danger (see Ezra 7:6, 28; Neh. 2:8).

As we come to the close of today’s text, we encounter something shocking, something very different from the joy that has characterized these verses. How are we to understand it? More importantly, how are we as pastors and teachers to interpret these words in our preaching and teaching? Even though our text for today concludes with verse ten, the unit in question extends beyond that. Here is the conclusion in its entirety: The Moabites shall be trodden down in their place as straw is trodden down in a dung-pit. Though they spread out their hands in the midst of it, as swimmers spread out their hands to swim, their pride will be laid low despite the struggle of their hands. The high fortifications of [Moab’s] walls will be brought down, laid low, cast to the ground, even to the dust (vv. 10b–12, NRSV). The change here is so abrupt that some commentators have suggested that these verses are an insertion by a later editor.

It is not necessary, however, to see these verses as an out-of-place addition. Oswalt suggests an alternative and points out that these verses fit with [a] characteristic . . . [of] the book ([seen] as recently as 24:14–16), namely, the prophet’s tendency to turn back from glorious promises of the future to the grim realities of the present (290–291). Such changes serve a larger theological purpose, and are similar to the rhetorical move made in Exodus 34:6–7, a passage which also shifts abruptly from hope to judgment. The point, Oswalt declares, is this: "Yes, God is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry, and quick to forgive. But no one dare to presume on that grace to live a profligate life, assuming God will not notice. Sin will be punished, and its deadly consequences will not be immediately curtailed. . . . [If] the end of time will be marked by a great feast where God’s blessings will be made available to all, it will also be marked by terrible destruction on those who refuse to turn to God in trust. Destruction is not God’s intended last word, but we have the choice of making it his last word" (291; emphasis added).

THE LESSON APPLIED

What do we make of today’s text? Well, as John Oswalt points out, This passage has one of the clearest teachings on resurrection in the Old Testament. As such it speaks to the greatest issue in the modern world—the issue of death. Given the insistence today that this world and this life are all there is, death makes a mockery of the whole thing. All our achievements and accomplishments, all our struggles and pain, are meaningless because, as the Preacher says, we all die, the saint and the sinner, the winner and the loser together (Eccl. 9:3–4) . . . but this chapter and its fulfillment in the New Testament tell us that [this] idea is false. We have not been created for death but for life. Death has lost its sting, and the grave has been robbed of its victory (1 Cor. 15:55). God the Father has defeated death forever in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ (293–294).

The day will come when all who love the Lord and put their trust in Him will be invited to sit in His presence. Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will experience the day of gladness and rejoicing described by Isaiah. The invitation is for all. We do not have to belong to a certain class or race. As members of the Body of Christ, we have a greater reward than any paltry status distinction: one day we will be able to live in the presence of the Lord for all eternity. As Jesus said to His disciples, In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2, NRSV).

In the meantime, we will have days in which darkness may cover our lives and obscure the presence of God in our lives. But we can live with confident assurance based on the Word of God. One day, we will not have to worry anymore about being sick, impoverished, or separated from loved ones. In this Kingdom, in this heavenly city, there will be no more sickness, no more sadness. Even death cannot detain us from receiving our rewards, because the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain (Isa. 25:10, ESV). It is only a matter of time until the promise will be made complete.

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

1. Can believers really put our hope and trust in God, even though the promises of God are not fulfilled on our schedules?

The psalmist invites his readers to wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Ps. 27:14, ESV). The prophet Isaiah says to the nation of Judah that God gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isa. 40:29–31, ESV). The NIV rendering of this passage translates wait as hope, which suggests that these ideas are closely intertwined.

If you are not willing to wait while trusting in God, you will never experience the joy of knowing that it is the Lord who brought you through, who kept you, and saved you. We must continue to wait on God until that day comes—wait and be of good courage.

HOME DAILY DEVOTIONAL READINGS

SEPTEMBER 12–18, 2016

ISAIAH 40:21–31

MAIN THOUGHT: Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28, KJV)

LESSON SETTING

Time: Mid-6th century B.C.

Place: Babylon

LESSON OUTLINE

I. God Is Supreme

(Isaiah 40:21–24)

II. Who Can Be Compared with God?

(Isaiah 40:25–26)

III. God’s Strength and Our Strength

(Isaiah 40:27–31)

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE

We often place loyalty in people or systems to sustain and guide our lives. Are these systems able to sustain us? Isaiah declares that God is the absolute Power on whom we should depend.

INTRODUCTION

As stated earlier, the book of Isaiah is typically divided into two sections by commentators. The first section (chs. 1–39) warns Israel and Judah of impending destruction due to their disobedience. It is primarily concerned with judgment upon Israel and Judah, to be sure, but also upon the nations around them. The second half of the book (chs. 40–66) looks ahead to the time when God’s people are in Babylonian captivity. Having languished in captivity for several years, many of the people had lost hope that they would ever be delivered. These chapters speak words of hope and comfort, reminding the people that God has not forgotten them and that He will act on their behalf.

According to Jeremiah 25:9–11, God’s people were in captivity in Babylon for seventy years. Isaiah, as just mentioned, was written in anticipation of that, during a time when Israel and Judah were prospering. Because they would not heed the Word of the Lord in the midst of their prosperity, they eventually found themselves captive in a strange land. But even though they did not listen, the Word of the Lord will stand forever (see Isa. 40:6–8).

In today’s text, God brings comfort to the people in exile, reminding them that He is still in control and there is none like Him. After warning the people of what was going to happen to them, He now speaks to them in captivity, telling them how He would eventually restore their land, rebuild the temple, and restore the walls of the city.

EXPOSITION

I. GOD IS SUPREME

(ISAIAH 40:21–24)

Since Isaiah 40 represents such a significant change in the flow of the book of Isaiah, it will be helpful to briefly survey the chapter as a whole before diving into today’s text. It begins with words of comfort and strength: Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins (vv. 1–2, NRSV). God has not forgotten His people. His Word will stand forever, as will His manifold promises. Isaiah attempts to demonstrate this by reminding the people of just how awesome their God is (see vv. 9–20). Even though they suffered in captivity, they should not lose hope. Instead, they should lift up [their] voice[s] with strength (v. 9, NRSV); they are not to worry because the nations are like a drop from a bucket (v. 15, NRSV).

Perhaps, though, the people were skeptical of this, given what they had suffered. At the outset of today’s text, Isaiah addresses the people directly: Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? (v. 21, NRSV). Even though they were in captivity in Babylon, God was in fact still present with them. At times, they may have felt they could only experience the presence of God back home in Judah. The psalmist hints at this when he writes of their misery in captivity: mockingly asked to sing one of the songs of Zion, their reply was, How could we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:4, NRSV).

But their assumption was not accurate. God is in control in every place. Isaiah uses vivid imagery to depict the sovereign God, looking down upon and controlling the whole world from His heavenly throne (see Isa. 40:22). He has a panoramic view, which allows Him to observe all that is happening to His people. Whenever He desires to focus on any particular area, He can do so (see vv. 22–23).

God controls history