Isaiah 33:1-12 He is the Stability of your times
A translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 20 May 2007
1 Woe, destroyer, while you yourself are not being destroyed,
and the traitor while they were not treacherous with him.
As soon as you reach the completion of destroying, you will be destroyed,
as soon as you reach the conclusion to betray, they will be treacherous with you.
2 Jehovah; be gracious to us! It is for You that we wait!
Be their arm for the mornings, yes our salvation in a time of distress!
3 From the voice of tumult, peoples fled;
from Your uprising, nations scattered.
4 Then your plunder will be collected,
a gathering of the locust, like a rushing of insects rushing about in it.
5 Jehovah is being exalted,
for He is sitting on high, saturating Zion with justice and righteousness.
6 And He will be a stability of your times,
a treasure-trove of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge,
a fear of Jehovah, this is his store-house.
7 Look, their lions bellowed outside;
messengers of peace will bitterly weep.
8 Highways were desolated; passing over the way has ceased.
He has broken covenant; he has despised cities; He had no regard for mankind.
9 The land mourned and drooped;
Lebanon blushed; it withered.
The Sharon became like the desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shook.
10 Now I will get up, says Jehovah.
Now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted!
11 Y’all will conceive chaff;
Y’all will give birth to straw.
Your breath is a fire which will consume you.
12 And the peoples will be burnings of lime; cut thorns will burn in the fire.
Can you see the force that keeps it stable in the midst of the turbulence?
Put in airplane wings to keep them stable.
We’re like the gyroscope if we have trust in God. He is our invisible stability.
This first half of Isaiah 33 describes a time in history when there was a lot of turbulence surrounding God’s people, but in the midst of it all, Isaiah says that God is the stabilizing factor that keeps him from panicking.
v.1
5th woe (Ch. 28, 29, 30, 31) delivered in Hezekiah’s 14th year.
The words for “destroy” and “betray” both appear 4 times in verse 1! They describe a
destroyer / devastator-Del / spoiler-KJV / Violent-BDB / Powerful-Strong one
who is treacherous-NAS / act covertly-Strong / deceiver-Yng / traitor-NIV / deals perfidiously-Brendon
and, for the time being, this party is not destroyed or betrayed
It’s addressed to the enemy (Young), speaking of Sennacherib & the Assyrian army (Del, Kimchi). The Assyrians were destructive, deceptive & boastful (36:13ff). “Believing it was acting in its own strength, [Assyria] had boasted of its might & power (10:7ff). As a matter of fact, it was but an instrument in the hands of the Lord; and when it had plundered as much as He had determined to permit, then its time of plundering would be concluded, and men would turn against it… and plunder and oppress it.” (Young)
History bears out that the Babylonians did indeed destroy Assyria.
“Let us cheer our hearts with this consolation, when we see tyrants insolently and fiercely attack the Church of God; for the Lord will at length compel them to stop, and the more cruel they have been, the more severely will they be punished.” (Calvin)
Now, there is a stark contrast between the enemy v.1 who is destroying & will be destroyed, and the righteous who asks God for salvation in v.2.
v.2 Jehovah; be gracious to us! (30:18ff) It is for You that we wait / long-NIV
Ps. 33:22 “Let Your mercy be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.”
30:18-Jehovah is a God of judgment; blessed are all who wait for Him”
40:31-they that wait upon Jehovah will renew their strength
49:23-they shall not be ashamed that wait
“…deliverance can [not] come from man. God must be their salvation, else here will be no salvation.” (Yng.)
“This sentiment was added by the Prophet, in order to remind the godly where they ought to go amidst such distresses, even when they shall appear to be deprived of all hope of safety; that they ought to betake themselves to prayer, to supplicate from God the fulfillment of [His] promises” (Calvin)
lit. “be their arm to the mornings” / fig.. be strength
continually (NAS,NIV) help & defense / our -ES,NI
This is an intercessory prayer for God’s
people. Each morning brings fresh problems
(28:19) so every day we need God’s strength (50:4).
yes our salvation in a time of distress
Jehovah IS our salvation v.6&22
50:2-8 “…Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power
to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert…
Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are
taught … I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull
out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord GOD
helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced … He who vindicates me is
near...”
v.3-4 turns to describe the terror God will inflict on the “bad guys”
v.3 from the voice/noise/sound, peoples flee
· 30:30 through the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be beaten down (cf. Dan. 10:6; Rev. 1:10)
· v.12, The Assyrian host was composed of many nationalities, so this is the tumult of the angel destroying the Assyrian camp-Kimchi
· Medes & Persians yelling and invading Nineveh.-Calvin
when you rise up-NAS / lift yourself up - ESV, nations scattered/ dispersed
· actually a noun, so I translated “from your uprising” rather than “when you rise/lift yourself up”
· The rising is the act of rising from a state of seeming inaction (Barnes) to action (Young).
v.4 Then your spoil / plunder is gathered/harvested/collected / snatched up - Speaks of the spoil of Assyria’s army camp after they flee from it (Del.).
a gathering of the caterpillar / young locust / like the leaping /running/swarming of locusts in it
a. The Hebrew word for the first insect can be translated literally a “consumer”
b. Harmful insects which can destroy a harvest.
c. The picture is of a field covered with insects crawling and hopping all over it, eating whatever is there.
d. Young describes seeing locusts being driven into trenches and destroyed by blowtorches in Jordan and says, “Great & vast as the spoil is, it will be carried away completely so that nothing remains for the enemy… As locusts run here & there, so men will run to gather up what had been collected by the enemy.”
Now, in vs. 5-6, Isaiah turns to reflect on God, who is behind the destruction of the enemy
v.5 Jehovah is being exalted (Niph. Ptc.).
Why? Because: 1) He is sitting/dwelling (Ptc.) on high, and
2) He fills (intensive Piel - saturates) His people (Zion) with justice and righteousness. As we’ve seen last week, these virtues of justice and righteousness can only come from God.
“Seeing the people of Jerusalem victorious, Isaiah breaks out into praise of God… Assyria had thought that it could ascend to God and bring Him down; but God is exalted… so that man cannot reach Him … Assyria had conquered many gods (10:9-15; 36:18-37:24)… [Jehovah] however, is different, and in overthrowing them, He has shown that He is exalted.” (Young)
Then, along with the outward victory come inward blessings - wonderful promises to the people whom God loves (justice, righteousness, and in v.6, stability, richness, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge).
v.6 And/then He will be durability-Del. / certainty, security-Yng. / stability, a sure foundation-NIV (v.16) for your times (i.e. times of trouble –v.2)
a treasure trove / rich store-Del.,NIV / wealth-NAS / strength KJV, Young / abundance -ESV of salvations (v.2), wisdom and knowledge
a fear of Jehovah this is his treasure / store-house
This ends the first section of the message. Isaiah now goes back to the beginning of the story of the Assyrian army threatening Jerusalem before the time of God’s deliverance:
v.7 their valiant ones-KJV / brave men-NAS,NIV / their heroes-ESV / lions-Kimchi cry out / bellow
The Assyrian warriors yelled outside Jerusalem (without,-KJV; in the streets-NAS,NIV,ESV - not city streets but highways outside of town) while the frustrated negotiators wept bitterly (Q. Impf.) within the city.
Isaiah Chapter 36 describes the whole situation: (2) And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army... (3) And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. (4) And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: …In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? (6) Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. (11) Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall." (12) But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you… (13) Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! (14) … 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you… (15) Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us… (22) Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. (ESV)
37:3 Hezekiah said “This is a day of distress” this is one of those times when we really need stability, salvation, and wisdom (v.6)!
See their lions bellow outside; messengers of peace bitterly weep. The lament of the ambassadors is found in vs.8-9, picturing the desolation of the Assyrian army:
v.8
· highways / caravan paths / routes followed by Assyrian armies lie waste-KJV,ESV / are deserted-NIV,LXX / desolate-NAS (Niph. Pf. 3pl) – the country side is empty because nobody wants to get clobbered by a marauding band of foreign soldiers.
· The wayfaring man-KJV / traveler / lit. man passing over the road has ceased – travel and transportation of goods is impossible, as is often the case in a war.
· He has broken the covenant (NIV-treaty) - II Kings 18 describes how Hezekiah and Sennacherib reached an agreement that Hezekiah would pay 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold in order to remove his offense against the king of Assyria for conquering Philistia, and Sennacherib would withdraw his troops from the area. However, after receiving the payment from Hezekiah, Sennacherib sent his army to lay siege to Jerusalem, thus breaking covenant.
·
He despised (Q. Pf. 3ms) cities / witnesses-DSS,
NIV (עדים instead of ערים) - He doesn’t consider them a
challenge to conquer (Young). 36:1 describes Sennacherib capturing the fortified cities of Judah effortlessly.
· Lit. “He does not regard a man - His merciless killing and conquering demonstrated a lack of proper respect for fellow humans, and left destruction & desolation in the wake of his army’s path.
“This is a day of distress” (37:3); this is one of those times when we need stability, salvation, & wisdom!
v.9 The land mourns and languishes-KJV,ESV / wastes away-NIV / pines away-KJV / droops-BDB
v.7 had Jerusalem in view; v.8 the rural areas; v.9 is the entire country (Young)
Fertile places in Northern and Central Palestine are mentioned as being turned into badlands.
SHOW ON MAP: Lebanon, Bashan, Sharon, & Carmel (cf. 35:2).
“To Lebanon he assigns confusion [shame], because it is elsewhere mentioned as beautiful and glorious, in consequence of having been covered with lofty and valuable trees. [It’s also interesting that Lebanon means white, while the verb assigned to it means to blush red.]
He declares that Sharon, which was a level and fertile district, will be like a wilderness/ desert,
and that Bashan and Carmel, which abounded in fruits [Carmel was known for its greenery; and Bashan had oaks (2:13)], will [shake off leaves-Own,ESV / drop their leaves-NIV / lose their foliage-NAS / shake off fruits-KJV (Q. Act. Ptc.)]” (Calvin)
“This is a day of distress” (37:3); this is one of those times when we need stability, salvation, & wisdom, and that’s why Isaiah prayed for God’s grace and salvation in distress in v.2.
v.10 Transition: change to First person with 3 “Now’s” in it & 3 verbs having to do with rising up.
1. Now I will get up/rise (Q. Impf. 1s) 31 He will rise against the house of evildoers
2. Now I will be exalted / lift myself up-ESV (Hit. Impf. 1s) 6:1-he’s been high and lifted up all along in heaven, just not visible; 30:18-I will rise into view to show mercy
3. Now I will be lifted-NAS,NIV / be exalted-ESV (Niph. Impf. 1s)
a. 2:2 – In order to show what should be exalted and what should not be exalted
b. 57:15 “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
c. How does He revive the heart of the contrite? By forgiving sins v.24 uses same word for “being lifted up” to say their sin will be lifted off of them.
d. How is this sin lifted off? Through Jesus. Isaiah describes Jesus in 52:13ff “Behold my servant; He will deal wisely and be exalted… He was pierced for our transgressions… crushed for our iniquities.”
God is not an impersonal force; He plans, and executes plans (“Now I will arise”).
And His timing is perfect. However, sometimes things get uncomfortable and we wonder if His timing is off.
ILLUSTRATION: Mary and Martha had to wonder if Jesus’ timing was off when He delayed in coming to heal Lazarus, and Lazarus died before Jesus arrived.
Why does God delay in acting? Calvin answers: “it is useful:
Jesus explained to His disciples, “I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:15) and so that “you would see the glory of God” (v.40) and then… He Raised Lazarus From The Dead!
John Calvin wrote,“…when our affairs are desperate, we think that we are ruined, at that very time we ought especially to hope, because the Lord generally selects it for giving a display of His power… by extolling His loftiness, He arouses believers to the exercise of courage, that they may boldly defy the insolence of their enemies.” (Calvin)
Now strengthened in faith, Isaiah turns to taunt the Assyrians in v.11-12! “You” is now the enemies of God’s people:
v.11 You will conceive (Q. Impf. 2mp) chaff
“The metaphor is taken from pregnant women… denoting designs & efforts of men.” (Calvin)
You give birth (Q. Impf. 2mp) to stubble/straw
Assyria is “pregnant” with plans which they hope to carry out, but they are up against the plans of God, and you know who’s going to win that contest!
“There is nothing, therefore, in the brilliant military forces of our adversaries that ought to alarm us; for, although God may permit them for a time to bustle, toil, and rage, yet God will at length turn into “chaff” all their rash… attempts…. What Isaiah foretold about Sennacherib relates to all the adversaries of believers & of the Church.” (Calvin)
your breath (speech) is a fire which will consume/devour you
all - Targums & NAS remove a suffix from one
word and attach it to the beginning of the next word to get “my breath like a
fire” but this changes the meaning which was originally that the wicked end up
destroying themselves!
“They shall fall into the pit which they dug.
They are entangled in a net which they prepared for others. The sword which they
drew entered into their own bowels. Their arrow turned back to pierce their own
hearts.” (Ps. 7:15; 37:15; 57:6.)
v.12 And the peoples will be burnings of lime; cut thorns will burn in the fire.
· “lime [is] a figure that expresses the completeness of their annihilation” (Young)
· These metaphors are “appropriate; for although [thorns] hinder men from touching them by the painful wounds which they inflict on the hands, yet there is no kind of wood that burns more violently or is more quickly consumed. Something of the same kind… may be observed in lime[stone], which at first is hard, but is softened by the fire.” (Calvin)
This speaks of the fruitlessness of humanism; not only is it self-destructive, but it is doomed to God’s wrath too!
ILLUSTRATION: Russian Communism was doomed from the start because it was against God. The same will happen to all who speak against God today:
· Nancy Pelosi using her influence to pressure congressmen in Mass. to defeat the ban on same-sex marriage;
· Lou Dobbs using his media coverage to silence pastors from applying God’s word to civil government;
· Iowa State denying tenure to one of the best astronomy professors because he believes in intelligent design.
The ideas of these politicians and media icons and university leaders will end up destroying themselves, because they have exalted themselves above God, and God is mighty jealous about that king of thing.
APPLICATION
Note the three things Isaiah did in the midst of a turbulent time in history:
Standing on the stable rock of faith in Jesus Christ, let us confidently warn rebels of God’s judgment, let us pray for each other, and let us encourage one another with the promises of our God!
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