Isaiah |
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Notes on Isaiah 3
This seems to indicate a famine for Judah and Jerusalem.
We see here oppression and disrespect. The old and elderly not honored. This lack good leadership and lack of respect for the elders and those in authority is actually a judgment because of the sin of Jerusalem and Judah. While it is wrong when this type of thing happens and we begin to lose respect for authority also disregarding the importance of the elders in leadership, that alone would be something that deserves judgment from God and it will. So lack of respect and good leadership in this case is judgment for their sins. We get the leaders we deserve. They have no experienced wise rulers in the land. Judgment has come to all types: Judges, prophets, mighty men etc. There seemed to be confusion, oppression and violence.
No one seems to want to rule because the ruin would be under their leadership. If a country is going to ruin, either someone wants to rule that wants to take advantage of the chaos in order to become a despot or dictator as we have seen in history, or someone would care enough about the people to want to help. Most would not want to have anything to do with leadership if a country was going to ruin.
Verse 8 tells us the reason for all this ruin and calamity. The reason is that their tongues and doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of His glory. No glory, worship and honor is given to the Lord. Neglect of spiritual things and concern for the visible material things is present. They forgot the God who parted the Red Sea on their behalf, they forgot the God who delivered them from their enemies many times. They chose to follow other nations and the gods of other nations rather than serve the living true God. Oh that we would honor and worship the Lord from the depths of our soul. Not just an outward show or formalism. True religion causes our actions to flow in the Love of God. How we should praise Him for His creation, that we should acknowledge Him in all our ways. Oh that we would seek His guidance and intervention into our lives. That we would receive His great gifts that He gives to those who will but believe His word and promises. The eye has not seen neither the ear heard what God has prepared for those that love Him. The deep spiritual peace and one on one relationship with the Lord God Himself is more than any material blessing we might desire. God seeks to become part of our lives, not leave us alone. So why does God desire us to acknowledge Him alone instead of doing our own thing or worshipping false gods? Because doing our own thing and serving evil will eventually destroy us both in this life and in eternity. We lose our souls. God wants us to live eternally in joy, peace and perfect love.
This verse further describes their sin. They are sinning openly and are not even ashamed. This seems to be a day in which everyone is doing what is right in his or her own eyes. Nothing is wrong. The attitude is "I can do what I please and no one has the right to tell me what to do." Little did they realize that the freedom to sin, brings bondage instead. The world around us is getting like that today as well. We think this brings freedom but it brings misery. Lack of godly leadership, lack or respect for God, lack of moral restraints, and lack of true holiness will bring us into bondage of sin. We will never live in peace and safety.
We reap what we sow. If we sow righteousness, we reap the same.
If we sow evil, we reap evil.
This verse may offend the feminists somewhat but it seems that it was a curse for women and children to be in charge of the government. Apparently this suggests that the men had become so corrupt that they were unfit to rule and as a result those who were inexperienced and without wisdom begun to rule. There can be men as well that have not experience or wisdom. There have been good women in the past who have ruled but obviously this is referring to women who have no wisdom or experience. These are women who know not God neither follow His ways. It is only in modern times that women have become educated and capable of doing things they were not capable of doing in the past except for a few exceptions that we see recorded in the bible or from history but for the most part women and young people had no experience to rule properly and for any country to have that kind of leadership was a country reaping what it sowed as a result of departing from the true God that is the giver of good leadership. Godly leadership is a blessing and will benefit a country. I mean true godly leadership though, not a harsh dictator that uses forced conversions to a religion. Deborah in the book of Judges was an example of good leadership. The harsh leadership of Mary who was once a queen of England was an example of bad female leadership.
Although this refers mostly to Israel and Judah, the Lord sees all the unfairness, lack of compassion and neglect of the poor and widows and will bring judgment. Sometimes a nation may think God will never do anything about their evil oppression toward the innocent but their Day of Judgment comes without fail. Where is Hitler, Stalin and Nero today? They thought that they would rule forever. However, we must remember that bad leadership is a judgment as a result of people who want nothing to do with God and righteous leadership.
Even though bad leadership comes as a result of backsliding and rejecting God, still God will judge bad leaders especially if they are cruel and neglect the poor, widows and orphans.
They were found to be proud, haughty, and well dressed. They had abundant jewelry and pomp. They considered themselves above the poor and had no compassion on those in need. This doesn't mean that jewelry and nice clothing are wrong necessarily but to have many good things, being proud and haughty without any compassion on the poor and suffering, brings judgment.
The rich and proud should take heed that they not become haughty and neglect those who are poor. This too seems to indicate the rich who may remember the poor but forgets God. The proud, haughty who feed themselves and live comfortably, taking no thought for the poor and suffering, taking no thought for the Lord who created them and some even go so far as to worship other gods. Judgment comes in the form of famine, poverty, disasters and captivity by other nations.
This is indeed a prophecy of judgment for those that rebelled against God. Verse 8 is the reason for the tragedies in the rest of the chapter. This is the reason for the hand of God coming against Jerusalem. We ought to take heed to these prophecies and not take them lightly with the attitude, "This was in the past in those days, not today". Instead we should learn from the mistakes of those in the past. Why were they judged and why did judgment come upon them? Their tongue was against the Lord. Their deeds and activities were against the Lord to provoke the eyes of His glory. They were proud and haughty, refusing to recognize their sin and repent. Lack of respect for the older ones and elders is also serious. I see this even from some in the church. It seems like everything is geared toward the youth. I know we should consider the youth and provide for them, but we must allow the youth to learn from the experience of the elders who live in godliness. When we cut off the elderly from teaching, we rob ourselves of their wisdom and experience of years walking with the Lord.
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