9/07/17 Isaiah 8:11-22 “Every
choice has consequences!”
Paul had difficulty persuading
people that the gospel didn’t involve added extras; it does sound like such as
calvinism, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, making up extra rules
to establish one’s salvation!
Acts 15:1-2 – 1 And
certain men which came down from Judæa taught the
brethren, [and said], Except ye be circumcised after the manner of
Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul
and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question.
Isaiah 8:11 – For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that
I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
spake – to say; to command; to promise; to intend.
instructed – disciplined; corrected; chastised, warned. God spoke to
Isaiah with authority (as a command through His prophet) and instructed
(warned) him that he should not walk in the way (manner) of this people of
Judah.
The idea is that of God grabbing
hold of Isaiah with His hand in order to get his full attention to what God is
about to say. God wants Isaiah’s attention, and He will get it!
Isaiah 8:12 – Say ye not, A
confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy;
neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Looking back at Vs 9-10, this can
be seen as a warning to avoid being part of the conspiracy of the people
against God, for it will come to nought. Or, the conspiracy of the enemy
(Israel and Syria) against them. Isaiah is to be separated from the worldliness
of the people around him. If supporting the truth means being on your own, then
so be it. Far too many “Christians” today are compromised simply because they
cannot bear to have others against them. Maybe it’s low self-esteem, or perhaps
a feeling of insignificance, to be on their own, but it does drive many to
compromise in order to continue to “belong”. The social group is therefore more
important than their strict adherence to the truth.
Isaiah was told that if people
should advise him to gather with them to withstand the threat of the enemy –
that is, there’s safety in numbers – then Isaiah was to not associate with them.
He was not to fear that which they feared (the advancing enemy), nor to be
afraid because they (the people) were afraid. (Fear can be quite infectious!)
The people were afraid of Syria and Israel, and then were afraid of the
Assyrian advance into Judah, but should have put their trust in God instead of
physical options.
Psalm 46:1-2 – 1 God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the
earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the
sea;
Psalm 20:7-8 – 7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but
we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are
brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
Isaiah 31:1 – Woe to them that go
down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because [they
are] many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not
unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
Isaiah 8:13 – Sanctify the Lord of
hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him
[be] your dread.
sanctify – to set apart; to regard or treat as sacred or holy.
That is, the Lord Sabaoth (Lord of
hosts) only is to be declared holy. If you have to be afraid or have dread of
anything, let it be God Himself whom you should fear and dread!
Hebrews 10:31 – [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Do not be afraid of them who can
destroy your physical body, but only God can condemn you to be destroyed
forever in hell (Matthew 10:28).
God is holy and His people must be
holy as He is holy (Leviticus 20:26); such fear should generate within such
people a fear of Him who cannot be approached with unholiness.
Isaiah 29:23 – But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of
him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall
fear the God of Israel.
Isaiah 8:14 – And he shall be for a
sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the
houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
If we declare God to be holy, then
He will be for us a sanctuary (holy place), but to those (both Israel and
Judah) who do not declare God to be holy (but instead despise or dismiss His
word), God will be a rock whom they (both houses of Israel) will fall over
(literally a rock that will strike them, even fatally).
Daniel 2:34 – Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which
smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake
them to pieces.
1 Peter 2:7-8 – 7 Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the
word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Romans 9:31-33 – 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of
righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore?
Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of
the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone
and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
gin – trap; snare.
snare – bait; lure; snare.
Thus, if they (the inhabitants of
Jerusalem) deny the holiness of God by refusing His sanctuary, then He will set
a trap for them; He will cause them to be lured into strife.
Isaiah 8:15 – And many among them
shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
And many among them will stumble,
fall and be broken because they were struck a blow by this stumbling block, or stumblingstone (Romans 9:32).
Many of them will be ensnared
(caught in a trap lured by a bait) and will be captured. What will the bait be?
Well, satan has many “attractions” that can deceive people into thinking they
are getting a real bargain when in reality they are getting much more than they
bargained for, much of it not attractive! It happened then, and it’s still
happening today.
This verse may be describing the
stages of the entrapment: stumble on the stumblingstone,
fall over (or perhaps fall into a pit?), break some bones in the fall, be
snared (be caught so they cannot get away, either by the height of the pit or,
more likely, be caught on sharp spikes often placed at the bottom of such pits
for that purpose), and finally be taken by those who have desired your capture.
Isaiah 28:12-13 – 12 To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith]
ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet
they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was unto
them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon
line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall
backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
But, note Psalm 7:15-16 – 15 He made a
pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch [which]
he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,
and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
Isaiah 8:15 can be seen as being
what happens when you reject the gospel, when you think about it. Note that
many among them shall stumble, the implication being that not all of them will
stumble. The nation will not be totally destroyed.
Isaiah 6:13 – But yet in it [shall
be] a tenth, and [it] shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance [is] in
them, when they cast [their leaves: so] the holy seed [shall be] the
substance thereof.
Isaiah 8:16 – Bind up the
testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
The testimony of God as spoken in
Vs 12-15 is now completed. It is now to be sealed (such as by wax on a scroll)
to be opened at some point in the future, or to be only made available
to a specific group of people (which in this case are the disciples). It may
also imply that most of the people would reject the statement of God and that
sealing it among God’s disciples (learners; followers) would ensure that this
statement would endure (be preserved from being lost).
There are times when God appears
to forbid the public knowledge of prophecy.
Daniel 12:9 – And he said, Go thy
way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of
the end.
However, there are also times when
God desires that the prophecy not be hidden from public knowledge.
Revelation 22:10 – And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this
book: for the time is at hand.
The disciples are those who are
being taught the word of God; they are active learners.
John 6:44-45 – 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It
is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man
therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Isaiah 8:17 – And I will wait upon
the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of
Jacob, and I will look for him.
And – Yet (in spite of this) (see its use in Jeremiah 2:32;
35)
God has turned His face away from
Jacob’s race; He doesn’t want to be part of their apostasy nor be seen in any
way to approve of their rebellion.
Deuteronomy 31:17 – Then my anger shall
be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide
my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles
shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come
upon us, because our God [is] not among us?
I will look for him – I will hope (wait eagerly for) Him. There appears to be
no positive future for Judah now but Isaiah is willing to wait in eager
expectation (assured hope) for God’s deliverance.
Habukkuk 2:2-3 – 2 And the
Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon
tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For
the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall
speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come,
it will not tarry.
Isaiah 8:18 – Behold, I and the
children whom the Lord hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in
Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
Isaiah by this stage had two sons
whom God had given to him as signs: Shear-jashub (the remnant shall return) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz
(“speed the plunder, hasten the spoil”, or “swift is the booty, speedy is the
prey”). They were for signs and for wonders (both can mean miraculous portents)
given by God (Lord Sabaoth, Lord of hosts) to the nation of Israel. And who is
this God? He is the One who still dwells in mount Zion; that is, He hasn’t left
His throne; He is still Immanuel (God with us). It was Isaiah’s children who
were constant reminders of this to Isaiah and to the whole of Israel.
Note that the use of “Lord of hosts” points
out that the absolute authority of God has not diminished in any way at all.
Isaiah 8:19 – And when they shall
say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that
peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living
to the dead?
This was already a big problem
with Judah.
Isaiah 2:6 – Therefore thou hast
forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the
east, and [are] soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please
themselves in the children of strangers.
They had been warned by God
through Moses that such things were absolutely forbidden by God.
Deuteronomy 18:9-13 – 9 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those
nations. 10 There shall not be found among you [any one] that
maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a
charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12
For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the
Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out
from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy
God.
Those with familiar spirits were
those who were advised by or under some control of a demon or demons. The
following was probably an example.
Acts 16:16-18 – 16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain
damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters
much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us,
and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew
unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days.
But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the
name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
And the penalty in the law was
harsh and final.
Leviticus 20:27 – A man also or woman
that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death:
they shall stone them with stones: their blood [shall be] upon them.
wizard – a knower; one who has a familiar spirit; soothsayer;
necromancer.
peep – to chirp, peep (of birds or ghosts)
Isaiah 29:4 – And thou shalt be
brought down, [and] shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall
be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar
spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
people – nation; fellow-countrymen
And when this people (nation) say
to you, “Seek those who use demonic divination for advice, and those who use
witchcraft to utter unintelligible sounds (peeping and muttering),” shouldn’t
they really be seeking the advice (counsel) of their God, instead of seeking
the advice of the dead for the sake of the living?
However, in times of trouble,
Israel far too often sought the advice of those with familiar spirits (who allegedly
sought the advice of the dead, but actually demons).
1 Samuel 28:7 – Then said Saul unto
his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to
her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, [there is] a
woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
Isaiah 8:20 – To the law and to the
testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there
is] no light in them.
To the law and to the testimony – a cry of affirmation of the light of the truth. Also see
Isaiah 8:16.
if they speak not according to
this word – if counsel is not according to
this word (of God), that is, if they speak according to the counsel of familiar
spirits and wizards instead.
light - dawn
There is no light in those who do
not speak according to the word (utterance) of God. That is, if they do not
affirm this word of God, it is because there is no light of His truth in them.
The lack of light in them causes them to not speak according to the word of
God. However, an alternative interpretation of the second part of this verse
could read: “If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no
dawning of light upon them.” That is, the lack of light may be the consequence
rather than the cause of not speaking according to the word, that is, listening
to counsel that is in opposition to the word (counsel; advice) of God.
The light of the word (especially
the gospel) illuminates our paths/minds/hearts.
Psalm 119:105 ; 130 – 105 Thy word
[is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
130 The
entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
2 Corinthians 4:4&6 – 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine unto them.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 8:21 – And they shall pass
through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when
they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and
their God, and look upward.
This passing through the land
could imply a desperate seeking for answers.
Amos 8:12 – And they shall wander
from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find [it].
And they (either Israel, but maybe
Judah) pass through it (the land), hardly bestead (hard-pressed; ill-treated)
and hungry (or with failing strength), they shall fret themselves (put
themselves in a rage; be enraged, angry), and curse (make despicable) their
king and their God (both personages) and look upward (seemingly with a
shaking of their fists at God who dares to make their lives miserable. An act
of rage and defiance.
Revelation 16:21b – and men blasphemed
God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding
great.
Isaiah 8:22 – And they shall look
unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and [they
shall be] driven to darkness.
Looking toward heaven produced no
acceptable result for them in Vs 21, so now they look to the earth, but will
likewise find no acceptable answer. All they will find will be trouble
(distress), darkness, dimness (gloom) of anguish (distress), and all this will
drive (thrust) their souls into darkness (gloominess; calamity; wickedness).
This last part strongly suggests a
picture of hell.
Matthew 13:40-42 – 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the
fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of
man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall
cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 22:13 – Then said the king to
the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into
outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is clear that the consequences
of their actions are serious. They have followed what seemed right to them at
the time, but the consequences are deadly.
Proverbs 14:12 – There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the
ways of death.
They have followed their desires,
yet have failed to delight themselves in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4 – Delight thyself also
in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
It is clear that their desires in
today’s passage are not the consequence of delighting themselves in the Lord.
Thus, there are definitely two categories of desire, one good and the other not
good. We do not have the right to determine (judge) what is good and what is
not good, yet we will all have to take responsibility for whatever choices we
make, whether good or evil. And it is not we who will ultimately judge our
lives, but God, and He makes and administers the rules.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done,
whether [it be] good or bad.
Therefore, it is irrelevant what
we decide to be good and proper, for the final decision is always God’s
decision. No matter how dedicated we are to our cause, no matter how much we
cry out for the sovereignty of God, if we do not practise scriptural truth, we
will be judged for it.
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