Isaiah 14: 16-19

¹⁶ “Those who see you will gaze at you,
They will ponder over you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
¹⁷ Who made the world like a wilderness
And overthrew its cities,
Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’
¹⁸ “All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
Each in his own tomb.
¹⁹ “But you have been cast out of your tomb
Like a rejected branch,
Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit
Like a trampled corpse.

The Sheol serenade continues this week, its residents dumbfounded at the appearance of the King of Babylon. Even though they are surprised, the chant they sing takes a mocking turn. They recognize that, even though in Sheol, they received a king's burial. Not so this newcomer, who is "cast out of your tomb" and buried "like a trampled corpse." (vs 19) [More on the significance of this final treatment next post.]

Our text today isn't particularly challenging from a study standpoint. What makes this so interesting for me, though, is something my Canadian bloggy friend intimated in comments after last week's post. This week in particular--see if you agree with me, Carmen--contrast this description of the King of Babylon with what Scripture says about God or Jesus Christ. Pretty remarkable contrast....


King of Babylon:
"'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms...." (vs. 16)
Jesus Christ: 
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

King of Babylon:
"Who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities...." (vs. 17)
God: 
"You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years...." (Deuteronomy 8:2a)

King of Babylon:
"Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'...." (vs. 17)
Jesus Christ: 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed...." (Luke 4:18, Jesus speaking from Isaiah 61) 

King of Babylon:
“All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb." (vs. 18)
Jesus Christ:
"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.... 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him....' Jesus said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God."'" (John 20: 1 and 2; 17)

King of Babylon:
"But you have been cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch...." (vs. 19)
Jesus Christ:
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." (John 15: 5 and 6)

King of Babylon:
"Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword...." (vs. 19)
Jesus Christ:
"To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen." (Revelation 1: 5b-7)

King of Babylon:
"Who go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse." (vs. 19)
"Bless the Lord, O my soul....":

"Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion...." (Psalm 103:4)

For me, regardless of to whom "King of Babylon" refers, the text makes no doubt that he is as far from Jesus as one could be.

 

The dirge is done in a couple more verses, but the Chapter continues.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo:hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu

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Next week: Isaiah 14: 16-19
 
Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 11:6-10

⁶ And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
⁷ Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
⁹ They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ Then in that day
The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;
And His resting place will be glorious.

Today's text in Isaiah Chapter 11 inspired Edward Hicks' creation, "The Peaceable Kingdom." Not difficult to see the relationship between the two, at least as far as the animals and children. What I didn't remember about the painting was the inclusion of the adults in the distance. "Hicks incorporated a vignette of William Penn's treaty with the Indians, an image he adapted from a popular painting by Benjamin West (q.v.). Hicks may have viewed parallels in the two parts of the composition, inasmuch as Penn, who had introduced Quakerism into Pennsylvania, had also brought about a measure of the peaceable kingdom on earth." [Worcester Art Museum] What Hicks--and Penn, for that matter--could not capture in their work was something that only the Prince of Peace could and will.

The first three verses of our passage show the sharp contrast between images of peace and images of fear, terror, brute strength and death. The ferocity of the beasts of the jungle and field (wolf, leopard, bear, lion, snake) will be tamed in this time, as they shall dwell and eat and live with the calm, gentle, passive creatures (lamb, goat, cow, babies) that they would have otherwise maimed or devoured. The ferocity of empires like Assyria, Babylon, Rome, fill-in-current-threats-here will be tamed in the presence of Him who embodies perfect peace. "They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain...." (vs. 9) Though times of peace would be known, what Isaiah describes here is a time unrelated to any we have known except, perhaps, in the days of the Garden of Eden [and they weren't long enough!].

^{“In that day I will also make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
The birds of the sky
And the creeping things of the ground.
And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land,
And will make them lie down in safety."}

^{--Hosea 2:18}

Matthew Henry says in his commentary, "Peace signifies two things: unity or concord... [and] safety or security." For me, verse 9 holds the key: "For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord...." With Jesus Christ coming, there is the knowledge of what true peace is, and with His coming to reign on earth, there is the permanent establishment of that true peace. There is no peace in the absence of Jesus:

"Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

--John 16: 32 and 33 (emphasis mine)

^{Christ's ministry emphasized peace and ways to make peace, even as He knew that perfect, sustained, everlasting peace would not be possible here on earth. But His word to us to seek peace, to end conflict (Matthew 18), to be united and sanctified in Him (John 17), is truth to be lived out now. Accepting Him as our Savior warrants our response to living as He did, bringing about peace as we are enabled through Him.}

"This [bringing about peace] is fulfilled in the wonderful effect of the gospel upon the minds of those that sincerely embrace it; it changes the nature, and makes those that trampled on the meek of the earth, not only meek like them, but affectionate towards them. When Paul, who had persecuted the saints, joined himself to them, then the wolf dwelt with the lamb."

--Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Not only will Christ's word and example change hearts, but His very rise as the "root of Jesse" will be a calling out to the nations. Isaiah says here that this Prince will not only come to save the Jews but will come to save the nations, also referred to as the Gentiles. The stem that arose from the root of Jesse would touch a man named Simeon, who would not only find peace in his dying--having seen the Savior of the world--but who would affirm Isaiah's prophecy:

^{"For my eyes have seen Your salvation,}

^{Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,}

^{A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."}

^{--Luke 2: 30-32 (Simeon, upon holding the infant Jesus)}

Let's finish out our passage today with verse 10, looking at it from the King James Version:

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."

--Verse 10

The root of Jesse, Christ, will stand as a signal or ensign for the people. The Hebrew word means "flag; also a sail; by implication a flagstaff." [Strong's] The dictionary definition of 'ensign' is "flag or banner indicating nationality," "badge of office or authority," or "sign, token or emblem." [Dictionary.com] This strikes me as being a very good word choice! As we talked about last week, Christ comes from the house and line of David--a long line of kings from the early days of a united Israel. He represents the Israelites, God's people, in that He came as one of them. Christ came as "the Word" which was "with God" and "was God." (John 1:1) All authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. (Matthew 28:18) Christ also came as a token of everything that His Father was--an emblem of peace and so much more! And, yes, the Gentiles will seek Him, too.

"...and his rest shall be glorious" or, as put in another translation, "His resting place will be glory." Again, looking at the Hebrew, 'rest' can mean "abode." [Strong's] This time of rest and extreme peace, Christ's abode, is glorious--of greatest honor, abundance, fullness. It is hard to describe, much less fathom, what this Kingdom that is to come will be--again, not having known a time of peace in all situations and relationships. Unparalleled unity in mind and purpose. What might the nation of Israel have thought at hearing Isaiah's words? A nation torn apart, to be reunited? A remnant to be saved, after all that had happened? A world that no longer questioned, challenged, nor oppposed the Lord?

"They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'"

--Jeremiah 31:34

Speaking of the remnant, more on its restoration, as Isaiah Chapter 11 continues.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: www2.gol.com

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Next week: Isaiah 11: 11-13

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 9: 4-7

⁴ For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
⁵ For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
⁶ For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

This is going to be an interesting post. I say that because even though it contains one of the most oft-quoted passages of Scripture for this upcoming season, I find myself reading it with new eyes. I've spent enough time with the prophets, thinking about their call and how they carried it out, that I'm starting to see this more from the point-of-view of the prophecy's first audience. That's good for my understanding, but, knowing how Judah and the nation of Israel have yet to come around to the true knowledge of the passage makes reading this not nearly as exciting as it should have been, perhaps.

Last week's passage left off with a time of celebration and thanksgiving, with God being the One celebrated and thanks being given to Him for what He had done. Celebrate "as men rejoice when they divide the spoil." (vs. 3) The next verse picks up with similar thoughts, as the people will celebrate as conquerors because God has broken the yoke of their oppression. (vs. 4) God had freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and He would do it again in breaking the yoke of the nation's ties to foreign nations. They would not be in alliance with them nor would they be held in captivity by them. More figuratively, God would also break the yoke of the Law, once and for all, in the manifestation of His Son as King upon this earth. The invitation for yoke-breakage is available now:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

--Jesus speaking in Matthew 11: 28-30 

Before we leave verse 4, just a note on the reference to the "battle at Midian." This is the story of Gideon's victory over the Midianites, as mediated by God. (You can read this wonderful account of God's hand and provision in Judges 7.) Such a trust Gideon had built up through God's working in him. God also helped him to understand that the battle truly does belong to the Lord, and success comes through Him and not the power of the people alone. Judah needed to hear that message again in light of its kings and its kings' ways.

"If God makes former deliverances his patterns in working for us, we ought to make them our encouragements to hope in him and to seek to him."

^{--Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible}

<sup>Love Matthew Henry! Feel like you don't see God at work? Sometimes, it's just a matter of looking to the past and remembering. This is advice passed down through the generations back to Abraham. How many times does God tell people in His Word to remember?

Verse 5 continues on the theme of battle, speaking of a time of no war, as the boots and cloaks of warfare will be burned. According to the Reformation Study Bible, "The debris left from battle can be removed and burned when the fighting stops." "Every boot," the passage says will be available for burning. A time of ultimate peace was coming, and it would come through the sign that Isaiah revealed in Chapter 7.</sup>

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."

--Isaiah 7:14

As we go through these phrases, try to put yourselves in the shoes of the first hearers. What were their impressions of this prophecy? Not trying to be cynical. Just remembering what it was like not to know the Truth.

^{"A child is born...a son will be given"--Isaiah revealed the sign of the Lord, that a newborn son would usher in an era of unknown and lasting peace. From Chapter 7, we know his name is Immanuel, which means God with us. Every name in Hebrew is significant. But were the people thinking literally or that this was just the announcement of another birth of a son, born under very unusual [unexplainable] circumstances?}

"Government will rest on His shoulders"--With the addition of this phrase, it now suggests that Isaiah is announcing the arrival of another king. Good news or same-old/same-old? Later, in verse 7, he says that this king will be "on the throne of David." Would that create a flurry of activity as present-day family members were sought for clues and details? Despite his shortcomings, David was still an honored name as far as kings went. "Justice and righteousness" would be established and upheld. (vs. 7) The longing for a good and proper king would be fulfilled. I can see how anyone in the nation of Israel at that time would be anxious for restoration of government. But, did anyone understand that this King's kingdom was not known of this world?

"Wonderful Counselor"--This phrase denotes a thoughtful wisdom. All kings should possess this quality, and smart Judeans should have questioned King Ahaz's counsel, especially in conspiring with nations that would ultimately defeat and haul away the homeland. Did anyone suspect that the King to come would truly display signs and wonders, not to mention the wisdom of the ages?

"Mighty God"--Strength! This king would not be a wimp. But, Judah would not understand that it was literally God who would be--and should have always been--its King. Had they only embraced His power and might in seeking Him sooner.... Would this king be a mighty warrior, like a Gideon or David or Joshua, or would they understand that He would come with the might to save them for all eternity?

"Eternal Father"--Looking at the line of kings, they were fathers, but many not great fathers. What would an "eternal" father have looked like to them? Did they understand that God the Father had been their Father from the beginning of time and was providing them an eternal salvation? Maybe so, yet this eternal salvation would come not through their own efforts or merit or history, but through the giving of His Son, the child born?

"The Jewish nation, and particularly the house of David, were preserved many a time from imminent ruin only because that blessing was in them. What greater security therefore could be given to the church of God then that it should be preserved, and be the special care of the divine Providence, than this, that God had so great a mercy in reserve for it?"

 --Matthew Henry

"Prince of Peace"--King and Prince? A champion of peace? In a nation that to this very day continues to be warring, could Israel accept the arrival of a Prince of Peace?

"As a King, he preserves the peace, commands peace, nay, he creates peace, in his kingdom. He is our peace, and it is his peace that both keeps the hearts of his people and rules in them. He is not only a peaceable prince, and his reign peaceable, but he is the author and giver of all good, all that peace which is the present and future bliss of his subjects."

--Matthew Henry

This was a kingdom that would have no end to its increase or its peace. (vs. 7) Unheard of, right? So many things desired. So much to put one's hope toward. But, what is Isaiah really saying? When? Who? Really?! Given the political climate and worldview of the day, it strikes me, not surprisingly, that people missed it. Even with the heritage, the covenants, the promises, the teachings.... They were still looking to fill holes on the outside instead of those in the inside. What do you think?

But, if you do believe, you know that hearing these words of prophecy throughout this Advent season is a source of great comfort, encouragement, hope and joy!

"'...Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'"

--Luke 2: 10-14

"God's anger with Israel's arrogance." 'Til next Wednesday.... 

* * *

Next week: Isaiah 9: 8-12

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).

Isaiah 2: 1-5

Isaiah 2

God’s Universal Reign

 ¹ The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.  ² Now it will come about that in the last days
The mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
³ And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
⁴ And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
 ⁵ Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

With the beginning of Isaiah Chapter 2, we engage in the prophet's speaking on a solitary subject across the next four chapters. This will be obvious as we start Chapter 6, in which we read about Isaiah's call to the prophecy. My study Bible says of our verses today that these are "the first of three pictures of Zion (Jerusalem) in this discourse that depicts her future exaltation."

By "future," the commentaries I review suggest times following Isaiah's receiving of this word from God. As I read through this portion, I can clearly see how the passage refers to the millennial kingdom, to be established by Jesus Christ at His second advent and earthly reign. Though it is also true that the text can apply to a time that has already passed. The beauty of Scripture is such that it can apply across multiple time frames. Let's explore that notion today!

"Now it will come about that in the last days...."

--vs. 2

When I see "last days," I generally think end times. Referring back to a passage I explored not long ago in Hosea, "Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days." (Hosea 3:5, emphasis mine) The sons of Israel will not recognize Jesus as Messiah until He appears in the flesh in His second coming. But, the New Testament writers use "last days" to refer to the time after Christ's first advent. Consider this from Hebrews 1: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son." (Hebrews 1: 1 & 2a)

Matthew Henry continues in the vein of the New Testament writers when he suggests that our Isaiah text today refers to the establishment of Christianity:

"Now the prophet here foretels: I. The setting up of the Christian church, and the planting of the Christian religion, in the world. Christianity shall then be the mountain of the Lord’s house; where that is professed God will grant his presence, receive his people’s homage, and grant instruction and blessing, as he did of old in the temple of Mount Zion."

--Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

 

When I was studying Daniel through Beth Moore's teaching, she introduced a couple of terms from Biblical commentators that, I think, apply here as well. "Dual reference" indicates a place in Scripture which can be referred to in a more present time as well as a forthcoming time, like the establishment of "the mountain of the house of the Lord." It is then possible to have a "dual fulfillment" of said prophecy, which would support Matthew Henry's viewpoint on the beginnings of Christianity while allowing for a second fulfillment of the prophecy under Christ in the time when "every knee shall bow...." (Romans 14:11) As you and I continue to digest that, let's look at some other passages more closely, tying in this concept. 

 

The people head to the mountain "that He may teach us...that we may walk in His paths." (vs. 3) Isaiah writes in a time when people went to the mountain to worship their created idols. Certainly, even in that time, Jerusalem had the opportunity to correct their steps. But pride and self-righteousness would keep them from listening to God (which is why He stopped listening to them--Isaiah 1:15).

 

"Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.

All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

For Your name’s sake, O LORD,

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.

--Psalm 25: 8-12

Isaiah 2:3 also speaks of "the law" (or, per other translations, the instruction) and "the word of the Lord"  coming from Zion/Jerusalem. In addition to Zion referring to Jerusalem, "the mountain of the Lord"--Mount Zion--was the location of the temple in Jerusalem, as the earlier-mentioned Henry comment says. God's word was always available to His people. Not surprisingly, the fulfillment of the law, through Christ and the "going forth" of His word would begin in Jerusalem--following His crucifixion there, His commissioning of the disciples and their receiving of the Holy Spirit:

"Now He said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'"

--Luke 24: 44-47 (emphasis mine)

Isaiah 2:4 speaks of judgment and rendering decisions. Again, not hard for me to see this as an end-times fulfillment, with Christ bringing decisions regarding eternal judgment of all people. But, can we also see this passage as being fulfilled earlier? "Render decisions" in other translations can mean "reprove" or "rebuke." God's power in admonishing and correcting the nations can be seen throughout the course of history. Surely his words through the prophets culminating in the exile of His own people could be included as reproof.

 

The next line is one you have likely heard before: "And they will hammer their swords into plowshares...." Popular musicians--from Stephen Stills to Michael Jackson--have pulled this text for their song lyrics, as have politicians, including Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, used these words in their speeches. The sculpture in the picture above is entitled "Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares," by Evgeniy Vuchetich, part of the United Nations Art Collection. The representation in art, speech and verse refers to a time of peace. Interestingly, when God gave these same words to the prophet Joel, they were flipped around to indicate preparation for a time of war: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears...." (Joel 3:10)

 

With the Messiah, the Prince of Peace--as Isaiah would name Him in Chapter 9--coming to reign, the earth will know a time of peace, a prelude to that in the eternal Kingdom. Yet even our Lord Himself proclaimed, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you." (John 14: 27a) He is our peace, and when there is no peace in our relationships and circumstances, we need to remember that He has shown us what His peace looks like. Do we not have the tools to hammer our swords into plowshares, even now?

"The design and tendency of the gospel are to make peace and to slay all enmities. It has in it the most powerful obligations and inducements to peace; so that one might reasonably have expected it should have this effect, and it would have had it if it had not been for those lusts of men from which come wars and fightings." 

--Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

 This has been difficult study today. I get the basics, though it is still "too lofty" for me to completely understand. This is one of the reasons why I veered away from the prophets for so long. But, I'm thankful for the teachings of others to guide me as I seek to understand where the Spirit is leading through all of this. Thankful to "walk in the light of the Lord." (vs. 5)

"This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

--I John 1: 5-7

 

No new subhead for our verses next week, but the tone and direction sound a lot like the judgments of Chapter 1. Why God abandons His people.... 'Til next Wednesday!

Photo: swordandploughshare.com

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Next week: Isaiah 2: 6-9

Note: I read from the New American Standard Bible translation,
specifically, The MacArthur Study Bible (NASB).
I will quote other sources if used in a post.
I also use Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
(with notes from the King James Version).