Lesson #40

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RETURN TO A LIST OF LESSONS

ISAIAH 50 AND 51
Lesson #40
THE SERVANT SONG AND THE DIVINE DIVORCE

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 51:7

• READ ISA 50:1-3 THE TWO PARABLES:
  • GOD, THE FATHER, IS SPEAKING.
    • PARABLE #1: THE DIVINE DIVORCE
      • BACKGROUND:
        • READ DEU 24:1-4
        • ACCORDING TO THE MOSAIC LAW, A MAN COULD DIVORCE HIS WIFE ON THE SLIGHTEST WHIM. SOMETIMES A WOMEN WOULD NOT KNOW WHY HER HUSBAND DIVORCED HER. SHE WAS FREE TO REMARRY, BUT SHE COULD NEVER RETURN TO HER FORMER HUSBAND.
      • IN THIS SECTION GOD TALKS ABOUT A DIVINE DIVORCE. TO UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT WE MUST IDENTIFY THE PERSONS IN THIS PARABLE.
        • WHO IS THE HUSBAND IN THIS PARABLE? (1)

• WHO IS THE WIFE IN THIS PARABLE? (1)
  • (ISA 54:4-5 ISA 62:1-5 JER 2:1-3 JER 3:1-11 HOS 2 EZE 16)

• WHAT DOES GOD SAY IS THE REASON FOR THIS DIVINE DIVORCE? (1)
  • IN VERSE 2, IT SAYS, “WHEN I CAME WAS THERE NO MAN? WHEN I CALLED, WAS THERE NONE TO ANSWER?
    • THIS REFERS TO THE FIRST COMING OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS REJECTION BY THE JEWS.
      • READ ACT 2:22-24
• UNLIKE THE DIVORCE UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT MOSAIC LAW, GOD IS TELLING ISRAEL WHY THEY ARE DIVORCED:
  • IT WAS NOT BECAUSE GOD DIVORCES THEM, THOUGH HE HAD CAUSE TO DO SO.
  • IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE LEFT GOD FOR OTHER GODS.
    • REMEMBER THAT ACCORDING TO THE MOSAIC LAW, A DIVORCED WOMAN COULD NEVER RETURN TO HER FORMER HUSBAND.
      • READ JER 3:8-13
        • GOD DIVORCED ISRAEL, THE NORTHERN KINGDOM, BUT HE DID NOT DIVORCE JUDAH, THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM. AS A RESULT, THE NORTHERN KINGDOM NEVER EXISTED AGAIN AS A NATION. WHEN THE JEWS RETURN ED FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY, IT WAS NO LONGER 2 NATIONS BUT ONE. GOD WOULD FORGIVE AND RECEIVE THIS REMNANT AS HIS WIFE ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER DIVORCED THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM.

• PARABLE #2: CHILD SLAVERY
  • FROM TIME TO TIME, POOR FAMILIES WOULD SELL THEIR CHILDREN INTO SLAVERY FOR MONEY.(2KIN 4:1-7 NEH 5:1-5)
  • GOD SAYS HE DID NOT SELL HIS CHILDREN, THE JEWS, INTO SLAVERY. INSTEAD, THEY SOLD THEMSELVES TO SLAVERY.
    • BUT GOD IS ALL POWERFUL AND HE WILL REDEEM THEM.

 

• READ ISA 50:4-9 THE THIRD “SERVANT SONG”
• BACKGROUND:
  • THE SERVANT, JESUS CHRIST IS SPEAKING. THE NAME FOR GOD, THE FATHER, WHICH HE USES IS “JEHOVAH ADONAI” TRANSLATED, “LORD GOD“. JEHOVAH IS THE NAME WHICH MEANS = “COVENANT MAKER”. ADONAI IS THE NAME FOR GOD WHICH MEANS = “SOVEREIGN”.
• ISA 50:4 TELLS US WHAT IT WAS THAT JESUS DID THE FIRST 30 YEARS OF HIS LIFE ON EARTH. WHAT WAS IT?

• THE PIERCING OF THE LOVE SERVANT:
  • “THE LORD GOD HATH OPENED MINE EAR…” (5)
    • READ EXO 21:1-6 THE PRACTICE OF A LOVE SERVANT
      • IF A SERVANT WANTED TO BECOME A PERMANENT SERVANT BECAUSE HE LOVED HIS MASTER, HE HAD HIS EAR LOBE PIERCED WITH A PIECE OF WOOD.
      • THE PIERCING WAS A SYMBOL OF SUBMISSIVE LOVE.
      • JESUS CHRIST DID NOT HAVE HIS EAR PIERCED, BUT HIS ULTIMATE SUBMISSIVE LOVE WAS TO HAVE HIS BODY PIERCED ON THE CROSS.
    • THE MOCKERY OF THE SERVANT (6): (MAT 26:67 LUK 22:64)

• READ ISA 50:10-11 THE PLEA OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
  • THIS IS A TWO-FOLD MESSAGE TO THE REMNANT BY THE THIRD MEMBER OF THE HOLY TRINITY.
  • THE HOLY SPIRIT PLEADS WITH THE REMNANT TO TRUST THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST, AND REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD, THE FATHER. (10)
  • THE HOLY SPIRIT WARNS THOSE WHO DON’T WALK IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S TRUTH BUT WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR OWN TRUTH. IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T REJECT JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (11)

• WHAT REFERENCES DO YOU SEE TO JESUS CHRIST IN THIS CHAPTER?

• IN THE FIRST TWO “SERVANT SONGS” WE SAW A HINT HERE AND THERE THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD BE REJECTED BY HIS PEOPLE.
• IN THIS “SERVANT SONG” WE BEGIN TO SEE NOT ONLY REJECTION BUT SUFFERING. THIS THEME WILL GET MORE DESCRIPTIVELY VIVID AS WE CONTINUE IN ISAIAH.

• READ ISA 51:1-8 HARKEN UNTO THE LORD
  • THIS CHAPTER IS DIVIDED INTO 3 SECTIONS BEGINNING WITH THE PHRASE:
    • “HARKEN UNTO ME”.
      • SECTION 1 VS. 1-3 A LOOK TO THE PAST:
        • A WARNING ADDRESSED TO THE FAITHFUL REMNANT IN ISRAEL.
          • GOD IS SAYING, “DON’T BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (THE HOLE OF THE PIT vs1) AND SEE THAT YOU ARE A SMALL MINORITY.” THEY ARE TO LOOK BACK TO ABRAHAM WHO STARTED SMALL AND BECAME A GREAT NATION. GOD SAYS THAT THE BEST IS STILL TO COME.
      • SECTION 2 VS. 4-6 A LOOK TO THE FUTURE:
        • THEY ARE TO LOOK AHEAD TO THE FUTURE AND NOT THE FAILURES OF THE PAST.
          • NOTICE THAT THE WORD “MY” IS USED SIX TIMES TO EMPHASIZE THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL OF MAN’S SITUATION.
            • MY PEOPLE
            • MY NATION
            • MY JUSTICE
            • MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
            • MY ARMS
            • MY SALVATION
          • WHY ARE THERE 6?
            • SIX IS A SYMBOLIC, BIBLICAL NUMBER MEANING “MAN” WHO HAS FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD (NUMBER 7). BECAUSE MAN HAS FAILED, WE NEED GOD TO TAKE CONTROL.
      • SECTION 3 VS. 7-8 A LOOK WITHIN:
        • IT IS INSIDE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS THAT EITHER FEAR OR FAITH GROWS.
  • DON’T BE AFRAID OF MEN AND NATIONS BECAUSE THEIR DESTRUCTIVE WORK IS EASILY SEEN.
    • IT IS THE MOTH AND WORM THAT IS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE BECAUSE THEIR DESTRUCTIVE WORK IS UNSEEN UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. THIS IS WHAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAN SHOULD FEAR.
      • WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY “MOTH AND WORM”?

 

• AS YOU EXAMINE YOUR HEART, YOU SHOULD FIND FAITH IN GOD AND A TRUST IN HIS SALVATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• READ ISA 51:9-23 WAKE UP!
  • THE REMAINDER OF THIS CHAPTER IS DIVIDED INTO 2 SECTIONS:
    • SECTION #1 VS. 9-16 “AWAKE, AWAKE…OH ARM OF THE LORD!”
      • THIS IS A CALL BY THE REMNANT TO JESUS CHRIST TO BE READY TO COME AND SAVE HIS PEOPLE. THEY CRY FOR A SECOND EXODUS.
        • NOTICE THAT IT IDENTIFIES THE LORD AS THE ONE WHO CAME IN THE PAST TO ACCOMPLISH SPECIFIC TASKS ON EARTH:
      • CUT RAHAB AND WOUNDED THE DRAGON (9)
        • RAHAB IS A MYTHOLOGICAL SEA MONSTER WHICH BECAME A POETIC SYMBOLIZATION OF THE NATION OF EGYPT. THEREFORE, WAS IT NOT GOD WHO DESTROYED THE EGYPTIAN ARMY AND DRIED UP THE RED SEA?
      • DRIED UP THE RED SEA FOR MOSES TO PASS (10)
    • SECTION #2 VS. 17-23 “AWAKE, AWAKE….OH JERUSALEM!”
      • VERSES 17 AND 22 MENTION, “A CUP OF HIS FURY” AND “THE DREGS OF THE CUP OF TREMBLING”. TO WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT REFERS?

• WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF THE NEW GENERATION OF JEWS BORN AND RAISED IN BABYLON?
  • THEY ARE WITHOUT A GUIDE AND A TEACHER. (18)
  • THEY ARE DISCOURAGED (20)
  • THEY ARE ANGRY AT THE PERSECUTION (20)

• GOD ENCOURAGES THEM WITH THE WORDS:
  • “I WILL TAKE OUT OF THINE HAND THE CUP OF TREMBLING…BUT I WILL PUT IT INTO THE HAND OF THOSE WHO AFFLICT THEE…”

• SUMMARY:
  • THOSE COMING OUT OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY WILL HAVE A PRAISE SONG TO SING AS THEY RETURN TO THE PROMISE LAND. IT WILL BE LIKE A SECOND EXODUS OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
  • WE HAVE THE SAME SONG TO SING AS WE COME OUT OF SIN INTO GOD’S SALVATION.
    • “THEREFORE THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SHALL RETURN , AND COME WITH SINGING UNTO ZION, AND EVERLASTING JOY SHALL BE UPON THEIR HEAD. THEY SHALL OBTAIN GLADNESS AND JOY, AND SORROW AND MORNING SHALL FLEE AWAY.” (51:11)

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 52
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 50-51
  • WE ARE TO HEED THE WARNINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ISA 50.
    • TRUST THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST, AND REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD, THE FATHER. (50:10)
    • DON’T WALK IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR OWN TRUTH. IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T REJECT JESUS CHRIST WHO IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (51:11)
      • ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK TO HEED THESE WARNINGS?
• PREPARATION FOR ISA 52
  • READ ISA 52:1-6
    • VS. 1-6 IS A CONTINUATION OF CHAPTER 51.
      • WHO IS TOLD TO AWAKE IN THIS SECTION AND WHY?

• WHAT DAY IS REFERRED TO IN VERSE 6?

• READ ISA 52:7-12
  • WHOSE FEET BRINGS GOOD TIDINGS? (7)

• WHY IS JERUSALEM TOLD TO “BREAK FORTH INTO JOY? (9)

MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 52:6