Lesson #03

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS

ISAIAH 1:1-31
Lesson #03
ISRAEL IN GOD’S COURTROOM

• MEMORY VERSE: ISA 1:18

• ISAIAH CHAPTER 1 TAKES PLACE AROUND THE TIME OF THE FALL OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM TO ASSYRIA. SOME COMMENTATORS SAY THE NORTHERN KINGDOM HAD ALREADY FALLEN WHILE OTHERS SAY IT WAS ABOUT TO FALL. ASSYRIA WAS ON THE MARCH FOR WORLD CONQUEST. UP TO THAT TIME, ASSYRIA WAS THE MOST BRUTAL NATION EVER TO FIELD AN ARMY. ITS ARMY HAD 185,000 MEN. THEY WERE MARCHING TOWARD JERUSALEM.
  • IF YOU WERE AN AVERAGE JEW LIVING IN JERUSALEM DURING THAT TIME, YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ATTITUDES:
    • APATHY…………”DANGER? IT’S ONLY RUMOR. I DOUBT IT’S TRUE THAT THERE IS AN ARMY HEADED OUR WAY.”
    • DENIAL…. ……..” AREN’T WE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE? HE LOVES US. HE WOULDN’T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO OUR NATION.
    • FEAR……………..”GOD HAS FORSAKEN US. WE WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED.
    • SKEPTICISM….”SEE, THERE IS NO GOD. THE PROMISES YOU SAY HE MADE TO US ARE NON-EXISTENT. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.”
    • IF YOU WERE A BELIEVING JEW WHO KNEW ISRAEL’S PAST HISTORY, WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE?
      • GOD IS IN LOVING CONTROL.
      • GOD SOMETIMES CHASTISES HIS OWN PEOPLE.
      • GOD SOMETIMES USES NON-BELIEVING NATIONS TO CHASTISE HIS PEOPLE.
      • GOD WILL NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE EVEN DURING CHASTISEMENT.
      • GOD WILL RESTORE HIS PEOPLE IN THE END AND FULFILL HIS PROMISES.
    • QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION

    :

    • WHAT PREVIOUS OLD TESTAMENT EXPERIENCES SHOW US THAT THESE THINGS ARE TRUE?

• GOD NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITHOUT FIRST TELLING HIS PEOPLE WHAT WILL HAPPEN. (AMOS 3:7) THE WARNING USUALLY CAME THROUGH THE PROPHETS.
  • THE FIRST WARNING TO ISRAEL WAS BEFORE THEY EVEN POSSESSED THE PROMISE LAND UNDER JOSHUA.
    • READ DEU 28:63 DEU 31:19-21 DEU 4:26-31,40
      • A CONDITION FOR REMAINING IN THE PROMISE LAND WAS FAITHFULNESS TO GOD. (NEH 9:7-8)
• READ ISA 1:1-31 GOD’S HEAVENLY COURTROOM:
  • THE PICTURE OF THE REBELLIOUS SON (2,4)
    • EVERY JEW KNEW WHAT THE MOSAIC LAW SAID ABOUT THE PUNISHMENT OF A PERSISTENTLY REBELLIOUS CHILD. (DEU 21:18-21)
    • GOD CONSIDERED ISRAEL LIKE A REBELLIOUS CHILD WHO DESERVED DEATH.
      • THE MOSAIC LAW DEMONSTRATED GOD’S JUSTICE. HOWEVER, THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON (LUK 15:11-32) IN THE NEW TESTAMENT DEMONSTRATES GOD’S MERCY.
    • THE PICTURE OF THE UNINTELLIGENT SON (3)
      • THE TWO ANIMALS REPRESENTED HERE, THE OX AND THE DONKEY, HAVE A REPUTATION FOR NOT BEING VERY INTELLIGENT.
  • GOD’S LEGAL CHARGES AGAINST ISRAEL:
    • WHAT LEGAL CHARGES DID GOD HAVE AGAINST ISRAEL? (LIST ISRAEL’S OFFENSES)

• HOW WAS ISRAEL LIKE A PATIENT WHO GOES TO THE DOCTOR? (5-6)

• HOW WAS JERUSALEM LIKE SODOM AND GOMORRAH? (9-10) (GEN 18-19)

• IN LIGHT OF THE PROMISE OF A GREAT NATION GIVEN TO ABRAHAM, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE FACT THAT THE PROPHET, ISAIAH, TALKS ABOUT A “REMNANT”? (9)

• DO YOU SEE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR ISRAEL TO REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN? IF SO, WHERE? (16-19)

• VS. 18 THE WORD “REASON” MEANS = TO DECIDE A CASE IN COURT
  • VS. 18 “THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW”
    • THIS IS A VEILED REFERENCE TO THE OFFERING OF THE SCAPEGOAT. (LEV 16)
      • ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, THE HIGH PRIEST WOULD TAKE THE SCAPEGOAT TO THE WILDERNESS, TIE HALF OF A SCARLET CORD ON THE GOAT’S HORNS REPRESENTING SIN. THE OTHER HALF OF THE CORD WAS TIED TO A ROCK (REPRESENTING CHRIST). IF GOD FORGAVE THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE, THE CORD TIED TO THE ROCK WOULD TURN WHITE WHEN THE SCAPEGOAT WAS PUSHED OVER A CLIFF AND DIED.

• WHAT KIND OF RELIGION WERE THE PEOPLE PRACTICING?(29)
  • USUALLY OLD TESTAMENT REFERENCES TO “OAKS”, “GROVES”, “HIGH PLACES”, AND “GARDENS” REFER TO PAGAN RELIGIONS THAT BUILT THEIR TEMPLES AND IDOLS ON MOUNTAIN TOPS SURROUNDED BY GARDENS. THESE PAGAN RELIGIONS WERE INVOLVED IN IDOLATRY.

• WHAT WAS GOD’S REACTION TO THEIR RELIGIOUS PRACTICE?

• APPLICATION:
  • DISCUSSION: ACCORDING TO THIS PASSAGE, WHAT TO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT IN SOCIETY?

 

• FOOTNOTES:
• GIBBON, THE HISTORIAN WHO WROTE THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE LISTS 5 STEPS TO A NATION’S DECLINE:

 

• UNDERMINING OF THE DIGNITY AND SANCTITY OF THE HOME.

 

• HIGHER AND HIGHER TAXES AND THE INDULGENT SPENDING OF PUBLIC MONEY.
• THE MAD PURSUIT OF PLEASURE AND SPORTS WHICH BECOME MORE BRUTAL AND MORE IMMORAL.
• THE BUILDING OF GREAT ARMAMENTS FOR A PERCEIVED EXTERNAL ENEMY WHEN THE REAL ENEMY WAS THE FAILURE OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
• THE DECAY OF RELIGION INTO AN IMPOTENT AND VAIN FORM.
• PHILOSOPHY SAYS: THINK YOUR WAY OUT.
• INDULGENCE SAYS: DRINK YOUR WAY OUT.
• POLITICS SAYS: SPEND YOUR WAY OUT.
• SCIENCE SAYS: INVENT YOUR WAY OUT.
• INDUSTRY SAYS: WORK YOUR WAY OUT.
• COMMUNISM SAYS: STRIKE YOUR WAY OUT.
• FASCISM SAYS: BLUFF YOUR WAY OUT.
• MILITARISM SAYS: FIGHT YOUR WAY OUT.
• DEMOCRACY SAYS: VOTE YOUR WAY OUT.
• RELIGION SAYS, PRAY YOUR WAY OUT.
• BUT JESUS SAYS, “I AM THE WAY OUT”.

 

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 2-4
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

 

• APPLICATION OF ISA 1
• WHAT CAN YOU DO IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE TO BETTER PROMOTE THE ATTITUDE OF LOVE?
  • LOVE TOWARD GOD:

• LOVE TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE:

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 2-4
  • READ ISA 2:1-22
    • YOU CAN FIND ISA 2:4 WRITTEN ON THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING AS THEIR PURPOSE AND GOAL ON EARTH.
      • WHY WILL THE UNITED NATIONS BE UNABLE TO FULFILL THIS VERSE?

• WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 1-5 OCCUR?

• WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 10-22 OCCUR? (REV 6:15-16)

• WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF SOCIETY WILL GOD JUDGE?
  • (FOR EXAMPLE: VS. 15 “HIGH TOWER” AND “FENCED WALL” REFERS TO THE MILITARY)

• READ ISA 3:1-26
  • WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WEAK GOVERNMENT?

• WHAT ONE BASIC CRITERIA DOES GOD USE TO JUDGE A NATION?(3:8)

• DISCUSSION

: IN WHAT WAY DOES WOMEN’S FASHION RELATE TO GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY?

• READ ISA 4:1-6
  • WHEN IN THE TOTAL HISTORY OF MANKIND ON EARTH DO VERSES 2-6 OCCUR?

MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 3:10