BrBob - Anyone that gets one of my CDs may feel free to copy and distribute it
BrTom - Almighty Father Yahweh, we bless and praise your great name! We come before you in the name of Yahshua your son. We ask you to forgive our sins and uncleanness for his sake.
BrTom - We thank you for all the blessings you pour out on us...
BrTom - Blessings in our families
BrTom - our jobs
BrTom - our congregations
BrTom - our friends
BrTom - and the blessing of this hi-tech gathering :).
BrTom - Father, we ask your presence here tonight.
BrTom - Be with us as our guide and teacher through your spirit.
BrTom - Be with us in our conversations.
BrTom - And be with us during the message. Let the words be yours and let them enter our heart.
BrTom - We love you, Father. We wish you 'good Sabbath'
BrTom - We thank you also for the gift of your son Yahshua. for his example and his great friendship for your children.
BrTom - We yield ourselves into your hands,
BrTom - in the name of Yahshua the Messiah, our master.
BrTom - HalleluYAH ! ! !
Tonight/Today begins what may be a lengthy series of studies on the book of Isaiah.
There is so much to learn from this book and I have been wanting to study it in depth for quite some time.
In the studies, we will take our time closely examining each verse and look at related verses to help us understand the fullness of what is being spoken. I will not necessarily speak on Isaiah every week, but plan to do it from time to time.
The prophet Isaiah is one of the prophets most quoted from and mentioned in what is commonly called the "New Testament" scriptures. In fact, Isiaiah's name is mentioned there 21 times!
It is interesting to note that his actual name ("YeshaYahu") carries the same basic meaning as Yahushua, both meaning "Yahweh saves/will save, or Yahweh is salvation." This book is so full of prophecies and details about the Messiah, that we can learn new things about Yahushua that are not even mentioned in the "new testament".
With this as a backdrop, let's begin:
Isaiah 1:1 - 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.An important point to remember when reading prophetic books is that the prophecies are spoken in a specific area of time, and often to a specific nation or group of people.
Prophetic books give deeper spiritual evaluation to the narratives in Kings and Chronicles in the same way the letters of the Apostles give a deeper spiritual evaluation to the narratives in Matthew-Acts.
Too frequently, someone will quote from the book of Isaiah and claim the verse is speaking of something specific in this age, but when the context is examined it becomes obvious that the words spoken are for another time and people. It is important to understand the true context of a prophecy!
While I do not doubt the existance of a "Dual Prophecy", there are so many ministries based on "prophecy" that make false predictions, we need to be very very careful
The timing of Isaiah coincides with the approximate time of other recorded prophets, namely Jonah, Amos, Hosea and Micah.
Micah and Isaiah were primarily prophets of Judah, while Hosea and Amos were primarily prophets of the northern tribes. Jonah, of course, was a prophet to Ninevah.
Micah and Isaiah were primarily prophets of Judah, while Hosea and Amos were primarily prophets of the northern tribes. Jonah, of course, was a prophet to Ninevah.
Notice carefully that Isaiah was a prophet during the reigns of "Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah", all kings of Judah.
It is very important to understand the context of his prophecies. We can learn important characteristics about each king by reading the books of Kings and Chronicles. In these, we see spiritual evaluations of each king.
Let's first examine Uzziah:
2Chronicles 26:1 - Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
2Chronicles 26:2 - He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
2Chronicles 26:3 - Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.
2Chronicles 26:4 - And he did that which was right in the sight of YAHWEH, according to all that his father Amaziah did.We see that Uzziah is considered a righteous king, one that did that which was right in Yahweh's sight. Uzziah did a foolish thing later in life when he tried to burn incense unto Yahweh instead of the sons of Aaron:
2Chronicles 26:16 - But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against YAHWEH his Elohim, and went into the temple of YAHWEH to burn incense upon the altar of incense.Uzziah's father Amaziah was also considered to be a king that did right in Yahweh's sight, but Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh later in life. We also learn a little something about the people of Judah during this time:
2Chronicles 25:27 - Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following YAHWEH they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.
2Chronicles 25:28 - And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
2Chronicles 26:1 - Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.This adds some curiousness to the situation Isaiah begins his prophecies in. It seems that the it was possibly the will of the people is to serve Yahweh.
I'm not sure why else would they conspire to destroy Amaziah when he turned away from Yahweh and set up his 16 year old son Uzziah to be king in his place?
We also will see that later in Isaiah chapter 1, the sabbath and feasts were also being observed.
Uzziah is called "Azariah" in the book of Kings. In it, we learn a little more about the king's spiritual walk:
2Kings 15:2 - Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
2Kings 15:3 - And he did that which was right in the sight of YAHWEH, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
2Kings 15:4 - Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.So we see that Uzziah/Azariah did not remove the high places where the people sacrificed and burnt incense. While these high places may have been places dedicated to Yahweh ( see 2 Chr. 32:12; 33:17), this was in opposition to the command of Yahweh:
Deuteronomy 12:2 - Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their elohim, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
Deuteronomy 12:3 - And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their elohim, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
Deuteronomy 12:4 - Ye shall not do so unto YAHWEH your Elohim.
Deuteronomy 12:5 - But unto the place which YAHWEH your Elohim shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:So Yahweh's will was for one place to make offerings, and for the high places to be destroyed. He did not want the mixing of the way the heathen worship their elohim, with His worship, as we discussed last week
Uzziah's lack of reverence is also revealed when we see he decides to make an incense offering, where the Torah only permitted the high priests to do so. For this reason, he became a leper and died a leper.
2Chronicles 26:16 - But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against YAHWEH his Elohim, and went into the temple of YAHWEH to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
2Chronicles 26:17 - And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of YAHWEH, that were valiant men:
2Chronicles 26:18 - And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto YAHWEH, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from YAHWEH Elohim.
2Chronicles 26:19 - Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of YAHWEH, from beside the incense altar.So now we have a better understanding of what Uzziah and the people of Yahweh were like.
The other kings we will examine later, but it is interesting to note that Jotham, and especially Hezekiah are generally spoken of favorably in scripture.
This leads to an important question for us..
Are we sure that we are more righteous than they?
If there were an Isaiah among us, what would be written?
Would Yahweh speak of leaders who compromise and people who secretly walk corruptly?
Would there be scriptures about a lukewarm attitude and words about ignoring the oppressed?
Now that we better understand the situation that Isaiah was in, let's now examine the words here closely and learn, lest we fall under the same judgment that Isaiah speaks of.
I could make many studies about how mainstream christianity is in error, and that is important to point out. But it is very important for us to look at OURSELVES when we examine scripture!
Continuing:
Isaiah 1:1 - 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.
Isaiah 1:2 - Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for YAHWEH hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.It is interesting that Isaiah uses the same words that Moshe uses in his final words to Israel:
Deuteronomy 32:1 - Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.The heavens and the earth were witnesses to Yahweh's covenant:
Deuteronomy 30:19 - I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:The Torah is the foundation of everything after it, including prophecy and the so-called "New Testament".
In the Torah, the punishment for a rebellious son is death. But these people fail to even recognize their Heavenly Father who owns them:
Isaiah 1:3 - The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.Here we have an interesting lesson. In the same way an ox is fed, and an ass or donkey is fed in his master's crib, Yahweh nourishes us and feeds us with spiritual food.
But do we consider, understand or regard the words spoken?
Do we care to understand them and seek to know the meaning of them?
These people were well nourished (see verse 2), and were even keeping the sabbath and feasts (as we will see) but they failed to really consider His words. How important it is to consider His words for ourselves!
Isaiah 1:4 - Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken YAHWEH, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.The people who are loaded down/laden with sin are among those Yahushua spoke to when He said:
Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:29 - Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:30 - For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Yahushua's burden is one of righteousness, salvation and freedom - unlike the burden of sin which is heavy.
Isaiah 1:5 - Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isaiah 1:6 - From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.Yahushua also spoke of a people who were in a similar condition, but didn't know it:
Revelation 3:14 - "And to the angel of the assembly of the Laodiceans write, `These things says the I AM, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of YAHWEH:
Revelation 3:15 - "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
Revelation 3:16 - "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:17 - "Because you say, `I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
Revelation 3:18 - "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Revelation 3:19 - "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.This assembly of believers lived in a very rich city. Those living here were very wealthy. It is easy to see why they were just sitting back and being lukewarm.
They weren't really denying Yahweh but just not seeking Him and being on fire for Him. I imagine they felt that they had all their needs met. Could this be similar to the condition of the people in Isaiah's day?
Let's read more about what King Uzziah did and find out:
2Chronicles 26:6 - And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
2Chronicles 26:7 - And Elohim helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims.
2Chronicles 26:8 - And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly.
2Chronicles 26:9 - Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
2Chronicles 26:10 - Also he built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he loved husbandry.
2Chronicles 26:11 - Moreover Uzziah had an host of fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.
2Chronicles 26:12 - The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and six hundred.
2Chronicles 26:13 - And under their hand was an army, three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
2Chronicles 26:14 - And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
2Chronicles 26:15 - And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.We see that Uzziah had defeated many opposing countries and the people of the land had relative rest from their enemies.
Could the people have been a little too confident in these victories and became lukewarm like Laodicea? We see that Yahweh was ready to separate them from His presence:
Isaiah 1:7 - Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
Isaiah 1:8 - And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
Isaiah 1:9 - Except YAHWEH of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.Why does the above description say that Judah was desolate?
The situation Judah was in under Uzziah/Azariah was one of peace. In fact, Judah enjoys relative peace from all enemies until the third king listed in Isaiah 1:1, Ahaz.
Therefore we can understand it to be what Yahweh plans to do. Other examples of this are in Isaiah 53 where it speaks of the Messiah and how "WAS despised and rejected of men" (53:3) even though the Messiah had not yet come.
Yahweh can speak of future things as if they have already taken place because when Yahweh says they will happen, THEY WILL HAPPEN!
So Yahweh was ready to separate them from his presence, just like Yahushua was ready to spew the Laodiceans out of His mouth unless they repented. Could any of this pertain to a similar situation we are in today?
I believe so, yes.
Whether or not we realize it, we in this nation are very wealthy. Even many of the poorest people in the USA own a television set.
Many poor in other 3rd world countries would consider OUR poor to be "WEALTHY."
It is very easy to forget Yahweh when things are going well. It was easy for Israel to forget, and for the Laodiceans to forget, and it is easy for us to forget also! But as Yahweh warned Israel in the Torah:
Deuteronomy 8:11 - Beware that thou forget not YAHWEH thy Elohim, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
Deuteronomy 8:12 - Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
Deuteronomy 8:13 - And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
Deuteronomy 8:14 - Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget YAHWEH thy Elohim, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;We ALL need to heed this warning! When we don't, we are "wounded, bruised, sick, wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked!"
So what are we to do? Yahushua counseled us to:
"Buy from Me gold refined in fire":
Yahweh tests us (puts us thru trials that we can overcome) and refines us as gold is refined making us a purer people. Seek to be refined and purified before Yahweh!
"Buy clothing":
The robe of righteousness given to us through Yahushua, who was "wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5).
"Anoint the eyes":
Do not walk in blindness and in darkness , but according to the Spirit in the lighted path of truth found in the Torah. Seek truth! If we can't see, how can we know if we are walking on the narrow path that only a few find? (Matthew 7:14).
Brethren, if we are in this situation and we refuse to do these things, He said will spit us out of His mouth.
In other words, seperate us from His body, the true Assembly of Yahweh's people, the remnant who will not be barred from the Promised Land. Let's seek to be among the remnant! For Yahweh says:
Isaiah 1:9 - Except YAHWEH of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Isaiah 1:10 - Hear the word of YAHWEH, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our Elohim, ye people of Gomorrah.And what was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Ezekiel 16:49 - Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.Brethren, are we starting to see the connection!?
Context is so important! Isaiah isn't just speaking about people who are idolators, homosexuals and blatant sinners who have no desire to serve Yahweh, he is also speaking of a prideful, lukewarm, idle, and (as we shall see when we study later in this chapter), sabbath keeping, feast keeping people who appear before Him and make prayers to Him!
Therefore, let us be diligent to not fall under the same condemnation. These things are written for our admonition and example:
1Corinthians 10:11 - Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Corinthians 10:12 - Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but YAHWEH is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.We need to overcome all temptation and be diligent in pursuing righteousness, that we might without spot and blameless when Yahushua appears.
2Peter 3:13 - Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2Peter 3:14 - Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;Brothers and sisters, let's be meek, humble, diligent disciples of Yahushua, praying for Yahweh's mercy - that we might not be spewed out of His mouth and barred from the Promised land, but instead be prepared and ready to reign with Yahushua in the kingdom to come! Let's overcome!
Revelation 2:7 - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the garden of YAHWEH." '
Revelation 3:5 - "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 3:21 - "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Revelation 3:12 - "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim. And I will write on him My new name.Let's all meet there :)
May Yahweh bless you and may He help us all!
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