Isaiah_30
Isaiah 30:1-11 (ESV) Woe against Trusting Worthless Egypt
1 “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;
2 who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
3 Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
4 For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hanes,
5 everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace.”
6 An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them.
7 Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”
8 And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.
9 For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD;
10 who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions,
11 leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”
Judah faces a large army that come and destroyed the Northern Kingdom and already destroyed defeated many cities in Judah.
They had Four choices:
1) Submit to the Assyrians & suffer severe punishment with death, raping, taxation and rule.
2) Can resist as long as possible and some would die of starvation and in battle, in hope they would give up and leave.0
3) Seek help from Strong neighbor, Egypt.
4) Trust God to miraculously deliver them.
A & B would involve severe suffering with some loss of freedom.
C & D – C – to go elsewhere for help except to God and thus D was best, but not chosen.
TODAY, can people control their own circumstances and fulfill their own plans?
NO, thus we need to humble ourselves and trustingly submit to God’s plans.
God clearly told them not to place their trust in fellow humans or nations. Reality: All human efforts would be useless in time, money and effort.
They found that placing trust in God in such a dire circumstances a risk that wasn’t easy for them to accept. It would mean to put everything on the line to let God take care of things. People today need to do the following: (a) repent of their present rebellious acts; (b) rest securely in God’s salvation; (c) be calm rather than fearful; (d) rely on God’s heroic strength; and (e) stop trusting in human power (30:15–16).
Remember that faith is engaged when we remember the past accounts provided in the Bible.
(a) God acts in compassion and justice; (b) he will answer all who cry out to him for help; (c) he will teach people how to act rightly; (d) he will bless and heal; and (e) in his wrath he will defeat their enemies (30:18–33).
When God’s power is displayed in destroying their enemy it was no longer a situation of blindness. They were blind in their own will, but after the display of God’s power, the blindness was lifted by the new reality.
MEANING: When one has personally experienced a glorious sure foundation that makes acting in faith justifiable. Faith is not blind acceptance of something totally unknown. It is a confident relational walk based on spiritual knowledge that directs the will to act in reliance on the character and promises of someone who sovereignly controls this world. (Quote: NAC)
V.1-2 – Announced God’s lamenting woe over the rebellious attitude that caused his covenant children to act independently and contrary to his plans. V.2 – The nature of this plan is clarified as they went to Egypt to find refuge without asking God for advice. Three sources of wisdom was available: 1) Past revelation to see if God supported making political alliance. 2) Go to a priest to have him inquire of God through the Urim and Thummim as on earlier occasions in their history. 3) the prophetic word from God that was given then by Isaiah.
V.3-5 – the description of how worthless this plan was and warns their leaders. This crutch will not assist in the defense of Judah in dire times. They will not stand up against the Assyrians to defend Judah. Isaiah was clear about that.
V.6-7 – It shows Egypt to be a useless helper. Mentions “Rahab who sits sill” – meaning Egypt will not come. The NIV translates: “Rahab the Do-Nothing”… Quote: “….Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing.
V.8-11 – The imperative for the prophet to write a message on a tablet and a scroll. The tablet would be small with the main thrust of the prophecy and the scroll would contain the details. THUS, after it was fulfilled they could go and read were it was foretold prior to the occurrence with details.
V.9 – God warns Isaiah that his audience is obstinate.
V.10 – “…no more visions….no more vision of what is right!” – “Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.”
They want to hear only pleasant things and illusions, even if they may not be true. The Irony is that the people are in effect demanding to be deceived by false assurances.
Quote NAC:
This desire to optimistically believe that the love and grace of God will somehow make everything work out well in the end is still a false hope that many church attendees rely on today, even though their daily walk demonstrates that they have little interest in following the instructions in God’s Word. Although positive messages of hope are much more encouraging and enjoyable to hear, the truth should always be valued above a deceptive lie that lulls one to sleep. These people rejected God’s “path” (derek) and do not want the true prophets to talk about the “Holy One of Israel” (30:11). The Holy God requires righteous behavior, holy living, obedience to his instructions, and trust in his deliverance, but Isaiah’s audience just did not want to be reminded of these things. In many ways things are not much better than in the days of Isaiah. People still want to follow their own plans, not God’s.
Another issue:
For them to turn to Egypt would be astonishing:
1 – It was Egypt that God freed the people from.
2 – It was Egypt that God demonstrated his wrath against their idolatry.
3 – They were returning to their old slave-master to ensure her freedom. V. 2 ‘ seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt.”
4 – In their history they were given instructions not to make any alliances or covenants with any foreign nations. The principle found in Exodus 34:12 (ESV)
The principle is: That trusting in anything or any group of people other than in God is considered to be idolatry.
The making of an ‘alliance’ was “idolatry”! The Hebrew word(s) used did identify it as such, however, our English Bible translations might not give a clear identification of the base issue involved. In V. 1 it uses the word “alliance” and in English that means: Dictionary: “A union or association formed for mutual benefit, especially between countries or organizations:”
Isaiah 30:1 (ESV)
1 “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the LORD, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; Isa30:1
Note the Hebrew word (H4541) for “alliance” meaning, an idol
H4541. מַסֵּכָה mac̨c̨êkâh, mas-say-kaw´; from 5258; prop. a pouring over, i.e. fusion of metal (espec. a cast image); by impl. a libation, i.e. league; concr. a coverlet (as if poured out):—covering, molten (image), vail.
In Isaiah 30:22 – the word translated “images” (H4541) is the same Hebrew word.
Isaiah 30:22 (ESV)
22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images (4541). You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
For future reference note the word “unclean” H1739 at the end of the above strip and the sense of it being: “menstrual object”.
V.12-14 – “Therefore” announces the consequences
12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them,
13 therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out, and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;
14 and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.”
V.12&13 – It tells us what our own native ideas are really worth. The reason why: “you despise this word” – you misplace your trust in self and human ways to resolve problems or situations.
They (Judah) did NOT want to hear what the Holy God had to say. They wanted to hear what was in line with their thinking.
Instead they chose to ‘trust, rely’ on human methods on dealing with their problems. Thus the people depend on: ‘oppression’ and ‘deceit’.
V.14 – the consequences, they will break as a piece of pottery. Warning that Judah’s destruction will happen with little warning as a piece of pottery falls and breaks.
The point:
True spirituality comes when we stop setting our minds on the obvious and the immediate.
God is patiently instructing us in another way to think and live. He is instructing us in another way to think and live.
Isaiah 30 points out the surprising ways of God. It helps us see that ‘true spirituality’ is not a lifestyle option that we choose to pick up. God’s ways are really going against the grain of our nature as we are from a corrupt lineage.
V.15-17 – a second introduction to another message from “the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One”. – Challenges!
15 For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,
16 and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
17 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill.
V.15 – They are to return and rest” and will be saved. “returning” is repenting and to choose another way, His way. To Turn from their present path of self-destruction. True “rest” is by trusting God as He is dependable and will deliver.
V.16– – a demonstration of their hasty human efforts to make alliances. Their speedy resolution of running to Egypt to seek aid. One needs to run to the Almighty for safety and protection as he already promised that to them. God was their only real source of strength and salvation.
V.17 – RESULT: Prophetically pictures the situation in 701BC when the Assyrians defeated all the fortified towns in Judah except the city of Jerusalem recorded in chapters 36-37.
We face today situations that we need to calmly trust God’s strength and deliverance when difficulty occurs that seemingly insurmountable odds. We need to be careful not to jump into doing human actions to bring victory with our own (or others help) strength.
Bottom Line: God’s way offers life; any other choice will bring failure and death.
Isaiah 30:18-26 (ESV) a Salvation oracle….
18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
23 And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures,
24 and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.
25 And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.
26 Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
The Assyrians were attacking when this oracle of salvation.
V.18 – “…the LORD waits to be gracious to you…” The Lord’s waiting and our waiting is different. We wait for him in faith, humility and confident that his timing is right. We wait feeling assured that His methods and ways are best. God doesn’t forsake us for he anticipates and compensates us for our needs. Nothing can separate us from his love. It is His faithfulness, not ours, that we look forward to.
V.18-19 – God will have compassion on them as helpless… (Points to the 1000 Yr. reign.)
V.20-22 – God give them different experiences, including of adversity or punishment for sin. God will give understanding of his ways…
Isaiah would be speaking of the time period in the future. That time period would be with the second coming of Christ when ultimate grace will flow over us.
V.23-26 – Remove the curse on creation and bountifully so. (Future promise) God will give agricultural prosperity and healing…
V.25 – theme of abundant water at a time that God blesses his people. Showing that God was not finished with his choose people.
V.26 – the slaughter of God’s enemies.
Their “Zion theology,” which was centered on God’s special relationship with his temple in Jerusalem, might have seemed like a false hope at first, but in these verses God describes his desire to bless his people in order to establish a righteous kingdom on earth.
What motivates one to accept? For some it may be because of God’s punishment and others their desire to enjoy the blessing of God.
The contrasts found in this chapter dramatically illustrate how people’s choices are related to the different ways God responds to human action. In spite of bad choices, their future is not hopeless or unknown. The people of Judah, at this time, were blind to the truth. Yet God will overpower their sinful ways and transform their eyes to see via the power of his grace.
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Isaiah 30:27-33 (ESV)
27 Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;
28 his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
29 You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
30 And the LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones.
31 The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD, when he strikes with his rod.
32 And every stroke of the appointed staff that the LORD lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them.
33 For a burning place has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
This address Judah’s present military problem with the Assyrian army. God announces that he will come with theophoric power to destroy them. He does this with fired, his voice, his scepter, and his rod. God comes and action demonstrates his attention to the situation. With the ‘rod’ of punishment to the Assyrians.
God sends his Angel to strike 185,000 and a large pit is needed to burn all the bodies. Isa. 36 & 37 will give the historical account of the defeat of the Assyrians by God’s hand.
V.33 – This army or any other would be no threat to the power of God accomplishing his plans.
Verse 33: For a burning place (tapte(h)) (H8613_ has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of sulfur (gaprit) (H1614), kindles it.
The word used here is the word that means: “a place of cremation” – H813
S8613. תָּפְתֶּה Tophteh, tof-teh´; prob. a form of 8612; Tophteh, a place of cremation:—Tophet.
Cremation – meaning: complete destruction.
In the next phrase and note “sulfur” H1614: a stream of sulfur (gaprit) (H1614), kindles it…
S 1614. גָּפְרִית gophrîyth, gof-reeth´; prob. fem. of 1613; prop. cypress-resin; by anal. sulphur (as equally inflammable):—brimstone.[1]
Brimstone is the Bible is used to describe the final outcome of the enemies of God after Armageddon where Satan and his angles will be thrown in the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 (NLT)
8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (LN1.22). This is the second death.”
Louw Nida 1.22 explains the word and meaning:
LN 1.22 λίμνη τοῦ πυρὸς (καὶ θείου): (an idiom, literally ‘lake of fire (and sulfur),’ occurring in some slightly different forms six times in Revelation, three times with the addition of θεῖον ‘sulfur’) a place of eternal punishment and destruction—‘lake of fire, hell.’ καὶ ὁ διάβολος ὁ πλανῶν αὐτοὺς ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ θείου ‘then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur’ Re 20:10.
In a number of languages it is impossible to translate literally ‘lake of fire,’ since water and fire seem to be so contradictory that a lake of fire is not even imaginable. It may be possible in some instances to speak of ‘a place that looks like a lake that is on fire,’ but in other languages the closest equivalent may simply be ‘a great expanse of fire.’ In some parts of the world people are fully familiar with the type of boiling magma in the cone of volcanoes, and terms for such a place may be readily adapted in speaking of ‘a lake of fire,’ since volcanic activity would seem to be the basis for this particular biblical expression.[2]
A different Strong I.D. of G2303 is uses and is a times translated “brimstone”.
2303 θεῖον [theion /thi·on/] n n. Probably of 2304 (in its original sense of flashing); TDNT 3:122; GK 2520; Seven occurrences; AV translates as “brimstone” seven times. 1 brimstone. 1a divine incense, because burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify, and to ward off disease.[3]
[1] Strong, J. (2009). A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Vol. 2, p. 28). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[2] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 5–6). New York: United Bible Societies.
[3] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.