Monday- READ- Psalm 46 Big Picture
Psalm 46 serves as the positive position of God’s judgment of the arrogant, something we’ll consider from the other perspective in Isaiah 2. God’s Sovereignty and rule is a given (vs.10), here the Psalmist rests in this truth from the very first verse. Is He your refuge, and are you at peace (still) or tumult (uproar) in your heart knowing that the nation’s will be judged?
Tuesday- READ- Isaiah 2 Your Way or My Way?
Isaiah 2 is a rebuke- an explanation for why God’s judgment will come, and a plea to be on the right side (the Psalm 46 side) of God’s rule. While we acknowledge that there are strong parallels to our situation as a country, (see Thursday’s devo), more importantly- Where is my heart? Where are my loyalties? Where does my pride rest?
Wednesday- READ- Isaiah 2:1–5 Walk in the Light
These verses appear in Micah 4:1–3 and are similar to part of Psalm 2. What is Isaiah’s plea in verse 5? Note the repetition of the word “will”, how are these opening lines a reminder to us to “walk in the light of the Lord”? Are we doing that as a church? Are we consumed with His Kingdom, or our own?
Thursday- READ- Isaiah 2:6–9 Much Like Us
Think through the modern-day equivalents in American culture to the things listed as points of prides or achievement in these verses. Is there anything inherently wrong with prosperity? What is at issue here for Judah and Jerusalem, and for us today? What does God call us to in our material prosperity? What is the link between material success and worship for the Christian?
Friday- READ- Isaiah 2:10–21 Go to the Rocks!
The fate of those who refuse to submit to the inevitable is not glamorous. This phrase, and it’s associated lines are repeated three times in the chapter. In Biblical text repetition is used to emphasize a point. In many ways these verses serve to reinforce the message of the first 4 verses, and the plea of the 5th verse. Will we hear this cry? Come GBC, abandon all hope in yourselves, and walk in the light off the LORD. Value what He values, love what He loves, because He is going to rule in the end!
Saturday- READ- Isiah 2:22 Man’s Account
Where are we, where are you placing your trust? Material wealth? Success? Family relationships? The church? In today’s language Isaiah taunts- “Who the heck is man, that you look to Him as a Savior!?”
Where is your: Trust? Hope? Peace?
Sunday- READ- Psalm 2 Kiss the Son
Psalm 2 echoes these themes and introduces the Son as the hidden agent of God’s judgement of the arrogant, spoken of in Isaiah 2. As you head to church today rejoice that we “kiss the Son” not simply “lest He be angry” as the Old Testament would have us, but because we know the magnitude of His sacrifice for us in His Cross, having the perspective of the New Testament. Indeed He is our refuge!
Chapter 2 Extended Notes
Chapter 2
Note: Isaiah’s name means- the Salvation of Jehovah and is really the theme of this great book.
Chapters 1–4 serve as the case to be made regarding Judah and Jerusalem’s state of rebellion and contempt for her God, and the looming judgment because of that. Chapter 5, “the song of the vineyard”, has been noted to be a “soft”, yet concise delivery of God’s judgement. The following chapter, chapter 6 is a narrative relating Isaiah’s commissioning, and also begins a new subdivision of the book extending to chapter 12.
Key verse(s)-11 & 17 “The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,”
A nearly carbon copy of Micah 4:1–3 (see also Psalm 2 & 46), the first six verses are a parenthetical picture of the Messianic Kingdom, declaring that in the just rule of the law going out from Zion, the nations will seek obedience and will disarm. While clearly not the circumstances of either Isaiah’s time or ours, the prophet anticipates and describes a future reality, and then as if to say, “in lieu of this coming reality”, (vs.5) “Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
An exhortation that we can certainly enjoin ourselves to as well as we await the return and rule of King Jesus!
In verse 6 through the end of the chapter Isaiah returns to his present environs, so to speak, and describes the spiritual state of a nation with wealth, comfort, and material prosperity. This passage in particular serves as a stark parallel to our own country, and would do well to be used in an evaluative way.
The rest of the chapter is devoted to revealing the intent of the day of the LORD, that the arrogant man might be brought low and the LORD alone exalted. From verses 16–22 there are two noted repetitions of the same warnings and descriptions (vs.16,19,21; vs. 11 & 17) and one contrast of imagery- (vs.7–8 & vs.12–16)-
Their nation is prosperous and proud in the described various ways, and is contrasted with the LORD humbling them throughout the imagery of several proud personifications (trees, mountains, towers, and ships) These may also be literal, in that on the day of God’s wrath, these very things will be leveled as well.
The lessons of this second chapter have everything to do with the exaltation of the LORD and the proper place of men, from the beginning section looking forward to the anticipation of Christ’s Kingdom, where all nations seek to know about the LORD and disarm themselves under His rule, to the coming Day of the Lord, where the “lowering” of man is intentionally contrasted multiple times with the exaltation of God, it is clear that God is to be, and will be, exalted, and that man finds his greatest situation in submitting to this order willingly. Note the final verse…
(I love the KJV here)
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”
Theme- “Your Way or My Way?”- A stark contrast relating to when we get what we think we want. There are great points to be drawn from this text about God’s sovereignty, our volitional option to submitting to the LORD, and the inevitability of God’s making all things right even when it looks as if the wicked are prospering
