ISAIAH LESSON 21


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 18:1 "Woe to the land
shadowing with wings, which [is] beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:"

     I must admit that I had difficulty with this chapter, because it
does not fit the pattern of any of the foreign countries. After
conferring with a friend {a long standing minister} I have come to the
following conclusion. This is really not speaking of Ethiopia, but to
a land beyond them. "Woe", in this instance, should be Ho, or a
greeting.  The only land I know who are shadowing with wings is the
United States.  Our national emblem is the eagle.  The eagle is
symbolic of God. God has overshadowed this country from its beginning.
We are thought of as a Christian nation.  It is almost as if God
established the United States to be a guardian of His Word.  Our
country was founded on Biblical principles. Even our money system was
established with the ratio of gold to silver 15 to 1, which is the
Biblical pattern.

     Isaiah 18:2 "That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels
of bulrushes upon the waters, [saying], Go, ye swift messengers, to a
nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning
hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers
have spoiled!"

     An ambassador carries another's message to someone who has not
heard it. The United States {like no other nation} has carried the
message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. The United States
can only go to the rest of the world by the Atlantic or Pacific oceon.
The "vessels of bulrushes" are the ships that we have sent. If there
has ever been a people who are messengers to the whole world, it is
the United States. The United States was primarily settled by people
seeking religious freedom. We are a nation of mixed nationalities
"scattered". We are a nation {as a whole} of clean-shaven people. The
Indians who lived here, prior to the inflow of the Caucasians were
clean-shaven, as well. The United States has been powerful from the
beginning. I believe, because the blessings of God has been upon them.
At a very early age the United States was powerful enough to win its
independence from England. We are a nation under God. We are a nation
where liberty and justice for all rules. The fact that we are meted
out and trodden down, speaks of a nation which has been surveyed and
property lines drawn. The word "spoiled", in the verse above, means
separated. The great rivers of the United States do separate the
country into sections. One of the rivers that quickly comes to mind is
the Mississippi. This is probably because I live in the south. This
nation is thought of as the food belt of the world. I would say that
God has mightily blessed the United States.

     Isaiah 18:3 "All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the
earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when
he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye."

     We know that the United States has greatly affected every country
of the world. Our flag is even speaking of God. Red symbolizes the
shed blood or life, white symbolizes righteousness, and blue speaks of
the heavenly calling. When we lift our flag, we represent, not only
our land and its people, but we represent God to the whole world. The
fifty states are represented by 50 stars. Just the number 50 means
jubilee, or setting the captives free. Our land is free. There are two
things the silver trumpet did.  One was a call to war, the other was a
call to gather and worship. The United States does both.

     Isaiah 18:4 "For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest,
and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs,
[and] like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."

     Both, "the heat upon herbs and the cloud of dew in the heat of
harvest", is speaking of a growth that takes place. We know that the
reason the Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the
Father, is because all His work is done. He established, and let His
people grow, and will come for them at harvest time. It is refreshing
to God to know the great commission of His Son has been heeded by the
people of the United States. {Go ye into all the world and preach the
gospel}. The United States has done more missionary work than any
other country of the world. This is the very reason God has been with
us.

     Isaiah 18:5 "For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and
the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the
sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away [and] cut down the branches."

     In the beginning, the United States was near perfect as a nation
in the sight of God. Some of our recent growth has not been pleasing
to God. Many times a country who grows so rapidly will find error
creeping in. This is so with us. We have opened our arms to the world
and consequently brought in foreign religion. God is a jealous God. He
will not share His people. Now comes pruning time. The growth that
does not produce fruit will be cut away to make the new growth better
fruit producers. You do not cut the vine back at harvest time.  You
cut the tree back to help it have new growth. A grape is not sour
until after it has been plucked from the tree.

     Isaiah 18:6 "They shall be left together unto the fowls of the
mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer
upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them."

     This is speaking of the branches which have been cut off. The
fowls and the wild animals feed on the refuse.  We could see in this,
the fact of the abundance of food in the United States. Many times the
overflow of food is sent to countries who have had crop failures.
At this moment, Russia is facing a terrible food shortage. Much
foodstuff from the United States will go to help them survive the
winter. Of course, Russia is known as the bear. The Bible says, if
your enemy hunger, feed him. I will say one more time, the United
States has been blessed with an abundance of food. Thank God, we have
fed the hungry world with that abundance.

     Isaiah 18:7  "In that time shall the present be brought unto the
LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people
terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden
under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the
name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion."

     We have mentioned, in these lessons, many times that Zion means
Jerusalem, but also means the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
United States has been a friend of Israel, when it was not the popular
thing to do. God says in His Word, that He will bless those who bless
Isreal and curse those who curse Israel.  Genesis 12:1 "Now the LORD
had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew
thee:" Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a
blessing:" Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the
earth be blessed."  These Scriptures, from Genesis, have 2 meanings.
First, Abram is the physical ancestor of the physical house of Israel.
Second, he is the spiritual ancestor of all who believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ. We see in this, God will bless those who bless the
Hebrews. He will also bless those who bless the church.

     Some of you are probably wondering how this could possibly be
speaking of the United States?  We must first remember that Isaiah was
a prophet, moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. In prophecy, time is
of no importance. The United States has been this great nation spoken
of in this chapter. With greatness goes responsibility. To whom much
is given, much is required. God would not overlook putting a message
in His Bible to so great a nation. God does not overlook anything, or
anyone. God will, even now, look favorably on this land, if we will
return to our early greatness. II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which
are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."



















                          Isaiah 21 Questions


1.  Verse 1 is not speaking of Ethiopia, but whom?
2.  What is a better translation of the word "woe" in verse 1?
3.  Who is the only country the author could think of who was
    shadowing with wings?
4.  Who is doing the shadowing?
5.  What is the national emblem of the United States?
6.  What does the eagle symbolize?
7.  It is as if God established the United States to guard His _____.
8.  The United States was founded on ____________ principles.
9.  What Biblical ratio was the United States money system based on?
10. An ambassador carries what?
11. Who has carried the Gospel, {like no other nation}, to the whole
    world.
12. What oceans are on either side of the United States?
13. What are the "vessels of bullrushes"?
14. Who was the United States settled by?
15. What is meant by "scattered"?
16. What was the first great power the United States showed?
17. We area nation of _________ ________ people.
18. We are a nation under ____.
19. We are a nation where ________ and ______ for all rules.
20. What separates the country into sections?
21. What does "spoiled" mean in verse 2?
22. Who has the United States influenced?
23. What does the color red symbolize?
24. What does white symbolize?
25. What does blue symbolize?
26. What does the number 50 symbolize?
27. What were the two things the silver trumpet were blown for?
28. What do the "heat upon herbs and the cloud of dew" have in common?
29. Why is Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father?
30. What country has done more missionary work than any other?
31. What was the great commission Jesus gave to His followers?
32. What is God doing in verse 5?
33. What is verse 6 showing about the food supply?
34. What are two things that Zion symbolizes?
35. Quote Genesis chapter 12 verse 3.
36. Quote 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14.