The Potter's Hands (Isaiah)
August 8, 2020
Kings revealed how evil men would become under a human king. It seems like a repeat of Numbers and Judges. But God is not giving up on mankind. We read in the prophets that God is still there. As we looked at 2 Kings, I mentioned that the prophets are supplements to the books of Kings. Kings tell us the history of how men fail. In contrast, the prophets tell us how God will succeed.
Isaiah is arguably the most comprehensive description of all that God thinks, feels, and plans to do for his people and the nations. This excellent book is loaded with details about the future of Judah and Israel. If we were to break down this book, we might start by looking at the first little section. In this first short section, we have a thesis statement for the entire book.
My People Don't Know Me (1:1-2:5)
The book of Isaiah begins with an explanation of what is going on in Israel.
Isaiah 1:1--6 (ESV) --- 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” 4 Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. 5 Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.
Isaiah prophesied during the reign of many kings. Uzziah, Jotham, and Hezekiah were good kings of Judah, but Ahaz was a horrible king. He did all kinds of evil. This listing of kings makes it surprising to read what comes next. The words in verses 2-5 tell us that there is a significant problem in Judah. Israel does not know God. If they don't know God, how will they live in a relationship with him? They can't. They have wholly forsaken the Lord. They have rebelled against the covenant. God asks them why they continue to rebel, and he gives a devastating diagnosis. He says, "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint." They can't wrap their minds around doing what is right. Their heart does not love the Lord. In the rest of Chapter 1, he tells them their sins have made them like Sodom and Gomorrah even though they worship God. Their worship is meaningless because their hands are full of blood.
In verse 18, he offers to cleanse them, but they need to repent and change their ways. We repeatedly see that God wants to save them. He wants them to be his chosen people as he desired at first, but they have to come to him and submit. What is God going to do now? He has done everything for them. They wouldn't even be a nation without God. But how can he help these stubborn and rebellious people?
In verses 21-31, he lays out a plan to destroy those who are evil and lift up all who repent.
Isaiah 1:26--28 (ESV) --- 26 And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” 27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
We see in this text that God has a plan. He will bring judgment and clear out the rebellious sinners.
In Chapter 2, he tells us that the ultimate goal is not destruction. The ultimate goal is to bring peace and prosperity throughout the world.
Isaiah 2:1--5 (ESV) --- 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall 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 his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Here in Chapter 2, he says that he will accomplish his purpose in the latter days. He will make Jerusalem a place where everyone goes to learn the ways of the Lord. This is what the whole book of Isaiah is about.
The first 39 chapters are tied together with a discussion of kings Ahaz (7) and Hezekiah (36-39). These chapters reveal God's plans to punish his people, and they teach us the importance of trusting in the Lord. The other half of the book (40-66) reveals God's plans to comfort his people after the judgment is over. The first words of Chapter 40 are, "Comfort, O Comfort my people." All of the chapters that follow teach us of God's grace and compassion toward mankind. Everyone comes to know the Lord through a new covenant that leads to peace and prosperity. Everyone says, "Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord."
Idolatry Leads To Exile (2:6-5:30)
In Chapters 2 through 5, God describes the sins of his people in greater detail. He explains how they have humbled themselves before the wrong gods and regarded man instead of God. So god will respond by taking away all of his support. This is what we do to ungrateful children. If they don't appreciate what we give them, we take it away from them. Then they understand where it comes from.
In 5:11-13, God reveals the punishment of exile.
Isaiah 5:11--13 (ESV) --- 11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! 12 They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands. 13 Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
God has decided to remove the blessings that they are abusing and let them go without for a while. He promises her to send them into exile. This is something that was foretold in Deuteronomy if they rebel against God and refuse to repent. Things have gotten that bad.
Isaiah's Call (6)
Then, the book pauses for a second to discuss Isaiah's call. He is taken to a throne scene before the Lord, and he cries out with great humility, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Isaiah knows he does not belong in the presence of God. He is not even close to worthy. So an angel brings a lump of hot coal from the altar and touches his lips with it. That coal is said to atone for his guilt. Then, Isaiah volunteers to give the message to the people. The message is primarily of judgment, but it includes a word of hope.
Isaiah 6:13 (ESV) --- 13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.
A Sign For Ahaz (7-12)
In Chapter 7, Isaiah is told to go to the evil King Ahaz and encourage him as the northern kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim) has joined with Syria to conquer Judah. Ahaz and all of Judah are terrified, but God tells him not to be afraid. He will protect Judah, and the northern kingdom will be destroyed. Isaiah even tells Ahaz to ask God for a sign if he does not believe, but Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign and refuses to believe.
But God goes on to foretell his judgment against Ephraim and his deliverance of people through a child who will be a great king. God promises to protect his treasured possession through this Messiah and transform his people so that they trust in God.
Isaiah 9:6--7 (ESV) --- 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 10:20 (ESV) --- 20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Isaiah 11:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Isaiah 11:10 (ESV) --- 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples---of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Judgments (13-24)
In the next section, we have a lot of judgments against the nations. Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Syria, Egypt, Tyre and Sidon, Jerusalem, Edom, and Arabia are all condemned. These foreign nations either caused Israel to sin, or they were proud as they oppressed God's remnant. God promises in this section to destroy the destroyers. No one will get away unscathed. Chapter 24 ends with the whole earth going through great judgment like in the time of Noah. We might start to wonder if this is talking about the end of time, but the next section clearly dispels those thoughts.
Reasons For Judgment (25-27)
In Chapter 25, he brings up the mountain of the Lord, where all the people from all nations will come and feast.
Isaiah 25:6--9 (ESV) --- 6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
This quickly transitions into an explanation behind the judgment. God is bringing about all of this judgment on the nations so that they might learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:8--9 (ESV) --- 8 In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
The goal of the judgment is to refine the people and purge those who refuse to be refined. God's purpose in judging them is to cause a transformation into a righteous people who glorify God. Chapter 27 illustrates this with a pleasant vineyard that fills the whole world with fruit.
"Ah" - The Six Woes (28-35)
The next section pronounces more judgments, but this time the judgments are against specific sins. Each of the six woes starts with describing a sin. He condemns Ephraim for being proud and Judah for being fake. Then, he condemns all of the people who turn things upside down (Making themselves out to be gods) and all stubborn people who conspire against the Lord. Finally, he condemns those who turn to Egypt for help and those who destroy God's people. But in each section, he goes back and forth between declaring judgment and describing what God is going to do to bring righteousness.
This section is loaded with Messianic language. Chapter 35 is the culmination of it. He says that he will turn the wilderness into a fruitful habitation. He will show mankind the Way of Holiness so that even a fool could find it and not go astray.
Isaiah 35:10 (ESV) --- 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Signs For Hezekiah (36-39)
In Chapters 36-39, we have a similar situation from the beginning of the book. Ahaz's son Hezekiah is a good king. He rebels against Assyria and chooses to put his trust in the Lord. But we learn about how Assyria sends messengers to instill fear in Hezekiah, saying, "Don't trust in God. He is deceiving you." Hezekiah goes to God in prayer, and God responds by promising that Assyria will not defeat Judah. God gives Hezekiah a sign that the crops will grow abundantly. God defends Jerusalem and sends an angel to destroy 185,000 soldiers in one night.
Hezekiah did the opposite of his father, and he found the Lord's ability to help him. After this, Hezekiah was sick, and God healed him. Then, in Chapter 39, we read that Hezekiah proudly showed everything that God had given him to men from Babylon. God was not happy. Isaiah prophesies that Babylon would destroy and take away everything in Jerusalem in the coming generations.
This ends the first major section of the book. At the beginning and end, he demonstrated how the kings trust in many things, but they always fail to trust in God perfectly. In the middle, he explained why they should. God is sovereign over all the nations of the earth. He plans to judge them to make a more righteous nation of nations. In the next section, he will go into greater detail about these plans.
Comfort (40-55)
This section begins with God telling Isaiah to comfort his people.
Isaiah 40:1 (ESV) --- 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
This sets the stage for the rest of the book. If learning about judgment with rescue and salvation mixed in isn't fun to you, you might like this section. This section has rescue and redemption, with punishment being given to the enemies of God's people. All of God's promises to set things right and redeem a remnant are made clear in this section of scripture so that God's people can find comfort.
Behold Your God (40:3-41:20)
In Chapter 40, Isaiah is told to go up on a high mountain and declare who God is as he comes down to judge and to redeem. He tells all of God's people about how glorious and strong God is. Then, verse 31 transitions into a call for God's people not to fear. They need to wait on the Lord to provide the deliverance that he promises.
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) --- 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) --- 10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:13 (ESV) --- 13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
All of this is in direct response to the beginning of the book, where the people's problem was that they did not know God. Here God promises to answer the poor and needy. He promises to deliver them.
The God of gods (41:21-48:22)
Then, he starts discussing how the idols of this world can do nothing. He will do everything that is needed to save his people. He is setting up a righteous king who is also a gentle servant. He will destroy all of those who do not listen and put their trust in idols. But those who listen and turn to his servant will be loved by God. They will be set free from captivity and forgiven of their sins.
In Chapter 45, he calls out Cyrus by name. He says that Cyrus will set his people free from Babylonian captivity. Remember, Babylonian captivity won't happen for another one hundred years. Babylon is hardly a nation at this point. Cyrus is King of the Medes, and he won't be born for over a hundred years. This is all a fantastic prophecy.
Lifting Up His Servant (49-55)
In Chapter 49, he begins a section full of descriptions of God's servant. He will redeem all the tribes of Jacob and the nations.
Isaiah 49:6 (ESV) --- 6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
God contrasts Israel's faithlessness and this servant's faithfulness. This servant will willingly let his own body suffer for the cause of the Lord. He trusts in the Lord to vindicate him and make his way right. This servant does everything as God asks him to bring salvation to everyone. Chapter 53 gets the most attention out of this section because it is a beautiful chapter. It describes how willing this servant was to trust in the Lord. He was willing to endure tremendous suffering at the hands of men. They were calling him despised by God and rejected. They beat him, kill him, and consider him to be cursed, but God loves him and allows him to intercede for the transgressors. This servant will make many righteous, accomplishing the purpose that God has for mankind. He will institute a covenant of peace, multiply the offspring of Abraham, and bless many with David's covenant.
The Humble Made Righteous (56-59)
This whole last section contains God describing all of those who are typically rejected finding salvation and glorifying God. Chapters 56-57 detail several people who would usually be left out of the promised blessings. In the first eight verses, God says that all of the outcasts will be saved, the foreigners and the eunuchs included. Then he discusses how the murderers and oppressors will be judged, but the humble and lowly in spirit will be saved. These descriptions all sound just like the beatitudes. All who come to God with humility and a contrite heart will find salvation.
In Chapters 58-59, God describes those who are evil but religious. This has been the case with the southern kingdom of Judah. They have offered many sacrifices to God, but they never had a heart that loved him. He tells them that those who do evil of any kind can be forgiven, but they must turn from their wickedness and submit to God.
Isaiah 59:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. 4 No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
Chapter 59 ends with a statement about his covenant being instituted based on the redeemer's words. That transitions us into the Chapters 60-62, where those humble, forgiven people are told to shine for all the world to see God's glory.
Isaiah 60:1--3 (ESV) --- 1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60:21 (ESV) --- 21 Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.
Isaiah 62:11--12 (ESV) --- 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12 And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
Conclusion (63-66)
Finally, Chapters 63-66 seems to summarize everything in the book. Judgment is coming, so the people pray for mercy. God seeks people to know him. He curses the proud/blesses the humble and gives the humble new heaven and a new earth.
What's The Message?
The message throughout this book is that God's people must come to know God. Isaiah's trying to show the steadfast love, justice, and righteousness of God to all the people. They have failed to see or acknowledge his power because they choose to trust in the temporary things of this world. So he has decided to punish them to open their eyes to the truth. He is faithful to his promises and covenants even when the people are not.
One amazing aspect of this book is that it was written before Babylon was a world power. Isaiah predicts the rise of Babylon one hundred years before it happens. This book was written to give the people a clear understanding of what God is doing.
It was also written to give people comfort in the fact that God loves his people. He wants to bless them and remain faithful to his promises. Isaiah describes how he plans to go about doing that. He will send his servant to save a remnant and destroy the enemies. In the end, he will make his people righteous (to the praise of his glory), bring them to a heavenly home, and destroy all of those who have destroyed them.
Application
There are many applications in this book, but the main one for us to take away is, "The more we know the Lord, the more humble we will ought to become." God portrays his people as a lowly and humble people whom he loves to exalt. He displays this for all to see in his servant, the Messiah. Then, he freely invites us to join him even though he points out that we are unworthy.
Isaiah 59:1--2 (ESV) --- 1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."