Something Greater

Isaiah 8: The Witnessess (Part 1 of 4) The LORD directs Isaiah to seal the documentation concerning the future Assyrian invasion of Israel, again using Isaiah's child as a sign. The LORD compares Assyria to a mighty river flooding all of Israel and Judah, all the land belonging to God's Chosen: Immanuel. The LORD gave Isaiah a stern warning: do not allow Israel's fear to infect you: "Fear God alone". Isaiah responds in the voice of Immanuel: "I will hope in the LORD". Those who seek the occult forces of necromancery will be thrust into thick darkness. This chapter will be divided into four parts, each part posted weekly for the next four weeks: The Witnesses The Flood The Conspiracy Waiting And Hoping The Tablet Isaiah writes the words of the LORD on a tablet and has two witnesses seal it for authenticity. The prediction is accompanied by a symbol: Isaiah's child. The tablet is large, and Isaiah is to write on it in "common c...

Isaiah 7: God With Us Two generations after the downfall of King Uzziah, Jerusalem was attacked by two enemy nations: Syria and Israel. How could Israel have become an enemy of itself, an enemy of Judah's capital city, Jerusalem? The LORD spoke to the prophet Isaiah, giving him a message for Ahaz, king of Judah: Do not let your heart be faint. The two enemy forces would be shattered within 65 years. The LORD gave to Ahaz a sign of his sovereign power over people and events: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son who shall be named Immanuel, and the king of Assyria will sweep away the nation of Syria and the rebellious state of Israel. The remnant remaining will enjoy abundance and comfort. THE ATTACK: Verses 1-2 The political situation in Israel was chaotic. Civil war had divided Israel north and south. The northern state, still called Israel, joined with Syria to attack the southern state, called Judah. The king of Judah, Ahaz, a descendent of David, was shaken to his co...

Isaiah 6: A Vision and a Commission Isaiah describes a vision of the LORD, holy and glorious, and it shook Isaiah to his core with guilt and fear. But the Lord forgave Isaiah's guilt and sin, and Isaiah gladly offered his life as servant to the Lord. The Lord set Isaiah on a mission to preach a warning of judgement upon the people of Israel. Cities would be ravaged and the land wasted, with only a tenth of the population remaining. HOLY IS THE LORD: Verses 1-7 Isaiah saw the Lord enthroned in a temple, attended by seraphim who sang of the LORD's holiness and glory. The temple shook and filled with smoke, and the Lord's robe covered the entire temple. Isaiah cried out in fear, knowing the depth of his dirtiness compared to the holiness of the King. But the seraphim touched Isaiah's mouth with a burning coal and pronounced his sin atoned for and his guilt taken away. Isaiah's vision was connected with King Uzziah: Isaiah 6:1 (ESV) In the year that Kin...

Isaiah 5: The Parable of the Vineyard Isaiah sings. His beloved had a vineyard, planted with vines, provided with a watchtower. But the vineyard yielded only wild grapes. Now the Beloved takes up the song: Why did my vineyard yield only wild grapes? He plans to destroy his vineyard, trampling the vines, commanding the rain to withhold its rain. The vineyard is the nation of Israel. God had made the nation his people and he had looked for justice and righteous, but got only bloodshed and outcry. Through Isaiah God pronounces judgement upon his people. Their haughty affluence would become desolate. Their disregard of the LORD will bring them into exile, hunger, thirst and death. God will exalt himself as holy when the land is broken and empty. Those who are wise in their own eyes, those who treasure their lies and wickedness, those who reject the law of the LORD and despise his holiness will be struck by the LORD's anger. Invaders from far away will lay siege and bring dark dis...

Isaiah 4: From Reproach to Restoration The previous chapter ended with a description of the Lord taking away from Israel all sources of strength and beauty, and the violence that would bring death to most of the men of Israel. Chapter 4 describes the end of that sorrow and the beginning of their salvation. Isaiah proclaims the future exaltation of "the branch", and the reversal of fortune for the survivors left in Zion. Judgement will bring pride and honor, holiness and safety. Verse 1: God brings reproach. This verse seems a conclusion of the previous chapter. In the wake of God's removal of support and supply, the political and religious leadership will crumble, and war will decimate the male population (Isaiah 3:25). The ratio of men to women will plummet. Women will suffer reproach. Isaiah 4:1 (ESV) And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; ...