Lesson #28

ISAIAH 31
LESSON #28
EXPOSING SELF-DECEPTION

• MEMORY VERSE: MATTHEW 24:4
• READ ISA 31:1-9
• THIS CHAPTER CONTINUES THE WOE UPON THE POLITICAL PARTY I CALL THE “EGYPTCRATS” FROM CHAPTER 30. THE “EGYPTCRATS” ARE THOSE WHO COMPROMISE THE TRUTH WITH WORLDLINESS.
• THE JEWS ALWAYS FACED THE TEMPTATION OF GOING TO EGYPT (WORLDLINESS) FOR HELP. (NUM 11:5,18)
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
• THERE IS A PROMISE OF PROTECTION AND DELIVERANCE FROM THE ASSYRIAN FOR THE CITY OF JERUSALEM AND GOD’S FAITHFUL REMNANT IN VERSE 5 AND 8. THIS DELIVERANCE WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY GOD IN 701 BC.
• IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE WORDS “PASSING OVER” IN THAT VERSE ARE THE SAME AS THE WORD “PASSOVER” USED IN EXODUS WHEN GOD DELIVERED THE ISRAELITES FROM EGYPT.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL FEAR AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING. (9)
• THE “ENSIGN” IN VERSE 9 IS JESUS CHRIST.
• THE “FURNACE IN JERUSALEM” IS THE VALLEY OF HINNON OR GAHENNA SOUTH OF JERUSALEM, WHICH JESUS USED TO ILLUSTRATE ETERNAL HELL.
• THIS LOCATION WAS THE GARBAGE DUMP FOR THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. PERPETUAL FIRES BURNED TRASH IN THIS LOCATION WHICH WAS INHABITED BY ALL TYPES OF VERMIN AND RATS.
• FOR THAT REASON JESUS USED THIS FOUL-SMELLING PLACE TO ILLUSTRATE ETERNAL HELL.
• BEFORE THIS LOCATION BECAME THE GARBAGE DUMP FOR THE CITY, THE JEWS CONSTRUCTED A HUGE IDOL TO THE GOD MOLECH. THIS GOD REQUIRED HUMAN SACRIFICE. THE IDOL WAS HEATED TO THE POINT THAT IT GLOWED RED. BABIES WERE PLACED IN THE HEATED ARMS.
• READ ISA 29:13 MAT 15:7-14 JER 6:10-16
• DESPITE THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY THAT CAME UPON THE JEWS AFTER ISAIAH 31, THERE WERE THE SAME KINDS OF PEOPLE AS THE “EGYPTCRATS” DURING JESUS’ EARTHLY MINISTRY. IN JESUS’ TIME, THEY WERE CALLED THE PHARISEES.
• THESE WERE THE POLITICALLY “RELIGIOUS” PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE DOING THE WILL OF GOD. SOME OF THEM WELL-MEANING LIKE PAUL BEFORE HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN. BUT MANY OF THEM KNEW THE TRUTH AND DELIBERATELY HID IT FROM THE PEOPLE.
• WHY? BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF THE LOSS OF POLITICAL POWER, PRESTIGE, POSITION, AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT.
• IN OTHER WORDS THEIR MOTIVE FOR THEIR ACTIONS WAS SELF-CENTERED WORLDLINESS.
• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE “EGYPTCRATS”?
• READ ISA 30:10-11 JER 23:16-17 JER 5:31
• REMEMBER THAT THEY MAKE LYING A HABIT.
• THEY MAKE WRONG SEEM RIGHT, EVIL SEEM GOOD, BLACK APPEAR TO BE WHITE.
• THE WORDS THEY SAY ARE A RATIONALIZATION OF EVIL BASED ON A VISION IN THEIR OWN HEARTS.
• THERE IS A SELF-DECEPTION THAT LEADS TO TEACHING DECEPTION TO OTHERS.
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• WHERE IN CHRISTIAN SOCIETY TODAY DO WE FIND THE “EGYPTCRATS”?
• READ 2JOHN 7,9-11 2COR 11:3-6 1TIM 4:1-2
• A RELIGIOUS DECEIVER THAT PREACHES ANOTHER GOSPEL ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IS OFTEN VERY CLOSE TO CHRISTIANITY BUT NOT QUITE BIBLICALLY BASED.
• WHAT ARE THE OBSERVABLE ASPECTS OF “ANOTHER” DOCTRINE ACCORDING TO “CHRISTIAN WORLDLINESS”?
• THE RATIONALIZATION OF SIN:
• WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COMMON EXPRESSIONS OF RATIONALIZATION FOR SIN THAT WE HEAR TODAY?
• BAD GENES
• “I WAS BORN WITH “BAD GENES” SO I CAN’T HELP IT.”
• DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY:
• “I GREW UP IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY. BECAUSE I AM PSYCHOLOGICALLY IMPAIRED, I CAN’T HELP IT.”
• RAISED IN THE ‘60’S:
• “I GREW UP IN THE TURBULENT, REBELLIOUS ‘60’S, SO WHAT MORE CAN YOU EXPECT OF ME?
• HORMONES:
• “EVERYONE GETS “RESTLESS” IN HIS 50’S, SO I’M NOT TO BLAME. IT’S JUST HORMONES.”
• LEADERSHIP:
• “IF OUR LEADERS SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, IT MUST BE OK.”
• EVERYBODY:
• “EVERYBODY DOES IT, SO WHO AM I TO RESIST, OR WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
• “EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES.”
• CONSENTING ADULTS:
• “THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HURT ANYONE.” (PRO 14:34)
• THE COMPROMISE OF BIBLICAL STANDARDS:
• WHAT BIBLICAL STANDARDS ARE OFTEN COMPROMISED BY “ANOTHER” DOCTRINE?
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH THE TRUE NATURE OF SIN ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE. (ISA 64:6)
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH REPENTANCE FROM SIN AND ITS BIBLICAL MEANING. (ISA 1:16-18 ISA 55:6-7 JER 8:6 JER 7:8-10 EZE 18:30 EZE 33:18-19)
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH WHAT CONSTITUTES SIN. FOR EXAMPLE: THAT LYING IS A SIN. (EXO 20:16 JER 23:14-15 ACT 5:4-5)
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH THAT CHRIST SETS US FREE FROM SIN. (JOH 8:36)
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH THE TRUE BIBLICAL MEANING OF

THE WORD “JUDGE” IN “JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED.” (MAT 7:1) THE GREEK WORD (KRINO) TRANSLATED “JUDGE” IN ENGLISH HAS MANY DIFFERENT MEANINGS FROM “TO DISCERN” TO “TO CONDEMN”.

• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR FORGIVENESS.
• THERE IS A FAILURE TO PREACH THE BIBLICAL MEANING AND REALITY OF ETERNAL HELL.

• WHY ARE CHURCHES AND PASTORS PREACHING “ANOTHER” DOCTRINE TODAY?
• THE LIBERAL CHARACTER OF MUCH SEMINARY TEACHING HAS PRODUCED PASTORS THAT DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE VIRGIN BIRTH, THE VICARIOUS DEATH OF CHRIST FOR US, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, ETC. ETC.
• THE MODERN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS SINCE THE KING JAMES BIBLE THAT INCREASINGLY REMOVE KEY WORDS FROM THE BIBLE LIKE “REPENTANCE”, “REDEMPTION”, “JUSTIFICATION,” ETC. ETC.

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 32
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 31
• WHAT IN THIS LESSON SPOKE TO YOU THAT RELATED PERSONALLY TO YOUR OWN LIFE? EXPLAIN:

• ARE THERE ANY SINS FOR WHICH YOU NEED TO REPENT AND ASK FORGIVENESS? IF SO, WHY NOT DO THAT NOW.

• THANK GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND FORGIVENESS.

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 32
• READ ISA 32:1-20
• IN THE TOTAL SCHEME OF PLANET EARTH, TO WHAT PERIOD OF MAN’S HISTORY DOES THIS CHAPTER REFER? HOW DO YOU KNOW?

• WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS DO YOU LEARN ABOUT JESUS CHRIST FROM THIS CHAPTER?
• WHAT IS THE FIRST FULFILLMENT AND THE SECONDS FULFILLMENT FOR VERSE 15? (JOEL 2:28-29 ACT 2:15-21)

MEMORY VERSE: JOEL 2:28