ISAIAH LESSON 13

 
     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 10:17 "And the light of
Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall
burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;"  Isaiah 10:18
"And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field,
both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer
fainteth."

     We have repeated verse 17 to get a better picture of where we are
picking up on the punishment that God brings on the Assyrians. They
were not God's people, but God had used them to come against Israel.
They were just the instrument He used, but they thought it was by
their great power they had done this thing. We saw in the last lesson,
that the Light and the fire was from God. The quick destruction had
made it appear to be in one day. The forest and the fruitful field
shows the total destruction of the people, and the things useful to
them for a livelihood. They are not of God, so this destruction is not
just of their body, but their soul, as well. The battle is lost when
the standardbearer falls.

     Isaiah 10:19 "And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be
few, that a child may write them."

     The trees left, after this destruction, are so few that even a
small child would be able to count them. This is destruction to the
utmost.

     Isaiah 10:20  "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the
remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob,
shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon
the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."

     Those left of Israel have turned to God. They place their faith
and trust in the only One who can help them, and that is God. The
time, spoken of here, is the time when Assyria is destroyed. There
will be no worship involving false gods of Assyria, but they will now
worship and adore the One True God. Their strength will be in Him.
Lord, the Holy One of Israel, is the One True God.

     Isaiah 10:21 "The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of
Jacob, unto the mighty God."

     The remnant of Jacob is speaking of the family of Jacob, the
Israelites. God will always have a remnant. He is Mighty God.

     Isaiah 10:22 "For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the
sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed
shall overflow with righteousness."

     The promise to Abraham, handed down through Isaac and Jacob, was
their seed would be as many as the sand of the sea. The physical house
of Israel had been into the millions for number, but never reached the
number so large as the sand of the sea. The remnant, spoken of, is of
the physical house of Jacob {Israel}.  The descendents that are as the
sand of the sea for number {promised to Abraham} are spiritual Israel.
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise." The promise is fulfilled in the
spiritual house of Israel, the Christians. The remnant of physical
Israel, and the number without number of spiritual Israel, are full of
righteousness. Christians may not appear to be righteous, but we have
taken on the righteousness of Christ.

     Isaiah 10:23 "For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption,
even determined, in the midst of all the land."

     The word "consumption" was translated from the word kalah, which
means completion, or utterly consumed. We can see from this, that the
completion was done by the Lord God of hosts. It is not by the efforts
of the people it is finished, but by the wishes of God.

     Isaiah 10:24  "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my
people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall
smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after
the manner of Egypt."

     We see the Lord God of hosts speak to both houses of Israel here.
The physical house of Israel that God is speaking to here, dwell in
God's holy city. The spiritual house of Israel dwells in the church
{Zion}. This does not mean just the Assyrian. It means do not fear the
world and its people. Egypt is a type of the world. We are not to
fear. We have hope. Our faith is in Jesus Christ and His resurrection.
Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell."

     Isaiah 10:25 "For yet a very little while, and the indignation
shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction."

     "Indignation" is speaking of the wrath of God. God is a forgiving
God. He forgave Israel over and over and restored them to Himself. God
is like a loving parent, who punishes his child and then restores him.

     Isaiah 10:26 "And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for
him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and [as]
his rod [was] upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of
Egypt."

     In this, we see the LORD of hosts stirring up a punishment
against Assyria, as he did when Gideon took three hundred men and
destroyed the army of Midian at the rock of Oreb. God, also, destroyed
the army of the Pharaoh of Egypt, when they were drowned in the Red
Sea. God fights the battles for His people. He is our very present
help in trouble.

     Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] his
burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from
off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the
anointing."

     "Christ" means the Anointed One. Jesus Christ set the people free
from the bondage of sin and death. This could, also, be speaking of
the physical yoke. They had been under the rule of a sinful man. God
will send them a king who will do right. Hezekiah is spoken of as a
man who trusted God. He prospered, because of his trust in God. He was
a good king. The people were released from the wicked rule of Ahaz.
Hezekiah
means strengthened of Jah. His power was in his anointing from God.

     Isaiah 10:28 "He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at
Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:"

     Aiath is probably the same as Ai, which is near bethel. Migron
was in the land of Benjamin. Micmash was 7 miles north of Jerusalem.
It seems these cities were on the way to Jerusalem. This is a
description of the attack by an Assyrian army on Jerusalem.

     Isaiah 10:29 "They are gone over the passage: they have taken up
their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled."

     Geba is near a valley just out of Jerusalem. Ramah is Er-Ram,
probably. It is even nearer Jerusalem. All of this is just explaining
the route they take to get to Jerusalem. Fear causes the people to
flee from the oncoming army.

     Isaiah 10:30 "Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it
to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth."

     Both, Gallim and Laish, are both believed to be near Jerusalem.
Anathoth was, probably, Anata, a city of refuge.

     Isaiah 10:31 "Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim
gather themselves to flee."

     These were, probably, little suburbs of Jerusalem. It seems the
people were so frightened that they ran in front of the army.

     Isaiah 10:32 "As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall
shake his hand [against] the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill
of Jerusalem."

     Nob was the city destroyed by Saul. This is speaking of the
Assyrians, probably. His real attack is against the mount of the
daughter of Zion, or the hill of Jerusalem. It is a dangerous thing to
come against God and His people.

     Isaiah 10:33 "Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the
bough with terror: and the high ones of stature [shall be] hewn down,
and the haughty shall be humbled."

     Notice, it is the Lord God who defeats these Assyrians. Lopping
the bow with terror, to me, means, they are so afraid they are not
able to raise their weapon. These Assyrians have taken on more than
they are able to handle. The Lord strikes down their leaders, the
haughty ones. They would have to be at least haughty to think they
could destroy people protected by the Lord.

     Isaiah 10:34 "And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest
with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one."

     Lebanon is speaking of these Assyrians who think they are as
strong as the cedars of Lebanon. The strong tree must be cut down with
a strong saw. That is what is meant by iron. The Mighty One is the
Lord God Jehovah. Who can fight against God? No one.









































                          Isaiah 13 Questions


1.  What terrible assumption had the Assyrians made about their part
    in the destruction of Israel?
2.  What made it appear to be one day?
3.  Why is the soul of the Assyrian mentioned as destroyed?
4.  How few trees were left after God's punishment on Assyria?
5.  What are the few of Israel who are saved called?
6.  Who would the remnant worship and adore now?
7.  Where will their strength be?
8.  Who is the remnant of Jacob?
9.  What is the name of God in verse 21?
10. Who was the promise to Abraham handed down through?
11. What was the number of God's people compared to?
12. Who are the descendents who are as the sand of the sea for number?
13. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 29.
14. Why is a Christian righteous?
15. What does kalah mean?
16. Verse 24 says God's people dwell where?
17. ________ is a type of the world.
18. What must our faith be in?
19. Quote Matthew chapter 10 verse 28.
20. What is "indignation" in verse 25?
21. In verse 26, we see the LORD stirring up what?
22. Who fought the Medianites at the rock of Oreb?
23. What did God's defeat of Pharaoh have to do with the sea?
24. What does "Christ" mean?
25. What did Jesus Christ set His followers free of?
26. What good king did God send them in place of Ahaz?
27. What does "Hezekiah" mean?
28. The verses beginning with verse 28 are telling of what?
29. In verse 33, what action does God take against Assyria?
30. What is meant by "cutting down the thickets of the forest with
    iron"?