Today I struggled with what to write. So I went and read some commentaries and I want to share with you directly from a commentary by Paul Apple entitled, “Jehovah is Salvation”
I don’t know that I agree with every point, but I found it interesting. So here it is:
(Isaiah 17:1-14) Judgment on Damascus-Warning Against Forgetting God-Forgetting God dishonors Him greatly but does not cancel out His covenantal remnant program
a. (Isaiah 17:1b-3) Devastation coming for Syria and Israel
b. (Isaiah 17:4-6) Glory fading away for Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel-yet a small remnant preserved
c. (Isaiah 17:7-8) Faith refocusing on the only true God
d. (Isaiah 17:9-11) Root sin = forgetting God and seeking security in the arm of the flesh
(Isaiah 18:1-7) Core Salvation Message for the Gentiles (Isaiah represented here by the Ethiopians)-Transition from Woe to Worship – Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord and Worship Him Alone
a. (Isaiah 18:1-2) Woe-Dangerous threats can stir up a frenzy of protective activity
b. (Isaiah 18:3) Waiting-Wait for the Lord to manifest His dominion
c. (Isaiah 18:4-6) Watching-The oppressive invasions by world powers will be nipped in the bud by the Lord who reigns over all
d. (Isaiah 18:7) Worship-Submission and tribute will be gratefully offered when the Lord reigns visibly from Mount Zion
(Isaiah 19:1-20:6) Judgment on Egypt-The Futility of Trusting in the Arm of the Flesh and the Process of Salvation-Egypt will face deserved judgment and experience undeserved blessing-but will never be a dependable source of salvation
a. (Isaiah 19:1-15) Egypt cannot save itself-human wisdom leads to ruin
b. (Isaiah 19:16-25) Egypt cannot save you because it needs salvation itself-The Process of Salvation:
1) (Isaiah 19:16-17) Conviction of Sin-starting point of the conversion process-Fear of God
2) (Isaiah 19:18) Crossroads of Decision-pledging allegiance-Salvation vs. Destruction
3) (Isaiah 19:19-22) Consummation of Salvation-leading to worship and growing knowledge
4) (Isaiah 19:23) Congregation United in Worship-reconciliation and fellowship on human plane
5) (Isaiah 19:24-25) Congregation United in Blessing-unity of saved Jews and Gentiles experiencing God’s blessings
c. (Isaiah 20:1-6) Trusting in the arm of the flesh (Egypt and Ethiopia) will be futile-always leads to bondage and humiliation and shame
(Isaiah 21:1-10) Judgment on Babylon-The Horror of God’s Judgment-Horror strikes those who perceive the destructive consequences of trusting in the arm of the flesh
a. (Isaiah 21:1-2) Harsh vision of unrelenting attacks
b. (Isaiah 21:3-4) Horror overwhelms God’s prophet
c. (Isaiah 21:5-9) Hopes crushed by the shattering of the arm of the flesh
d. (Isaiah 21:10) Hard times lie ahead for the people of God before millennial blessing
(Isaiah 21:11-17) The Certainty of God’s Judgment-There will be no stay of execution with respect to God’s judgment plans for the nations-regardless of how general or how precise the revelation of His timeline
(Isaiah 21:11-12) Judgment on Edom (Dumah = Silence)-How much longer? Uncertain timeline but hope will be followed by even more severe hardship
(Isaiah 21:13-17) Judgment on Arabia-Precisely one year until fleeing refugees reduced to a very small defeated remnant
(Isaiah 22:1-25) Judgment on Jerusalem-The Valley of Vision-Unbelief = The Unpardonable Sin –
Two Specific Examples of Self-Reliance:
a. (Isaiah 22:1-14) The refusal to trust in God constitutes the unpardonable sin as divine protection is removed from the self-reliant who blindly party their way to destruction
b. (Isaiah 22:15-25) Self-reliance leads to condemnation-whether the fault lies with the leader (and his presumptuous self promotion) or with the people (and their proclivity for hero worship)
Tomorrow’s Reading: Matthew 8-10