Isaiah, Chapters 3 through 5
Exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1840 and dated c.1838 by Hungerford. Isaiah was a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century BC. Traditionally he was the author of the Old Testament Book named after him. One of Meissonier’s few religious subjects, this is a study for a steel engraving in Léon Curmer’s edition of Bossuet’s 'Discours sur l’histoire universelle' (1841).
Please have your Bible with you as you go through these lessons. My favorite is the ESV as it is closer to the Greek than most translations and is easy to read; however, this study was created with the NKJV and the NASB. Your favorite will work, too! It is highly encouraged to read the verse or chapter first, then go through the lesson - either way is fine. There are questions at the end to hopefully help you remember some things from the study.
Need a Bible? Super Giant Print? Would you rather a NKJV?
Isaiah 3-5
More of the “real” Jerusalem
Chapter 3
V1
I. “For” - connects what is about to be said to the verses 2:6-22.
II. “Behold” - hinneh, prophet speech that introduces a threat. (Oswalt,1:132).
III. God is going to cut Judah and Jerusalem off, contextually,
physically.
V2-3
I. Eleven descriptions (titles) are listed. Nine are legitimate. Two, they
never should have had to begin with. The specific calling out of the
leadership here is telling. What leaders do, how they act, and the
attitude they have permeates throughout a culture. When you remove
leadership, any entity will crumble. We see a progression of those
who protect to those who are intricate to the daily life of Judah.
V4-7
I. People expect to be governed by wise leadership. With this gone, all
that is left is either children, or at least the very inexperienced. “When
respect for age goes, moral anarchy is at hand. Youths will storm
against, that is, they will act insolently or will press on against the
aged. Respect for old age has been coupled in the law with the fear
of God.” (Young, 144).
V8-12
I. V8 - Because of what they say and do, the people have fallen. What
they say and do is against the Lord! It is a provocation.
II. V9 - Sodom! They are so brazen in their sin that it is done openly
and with, the feeling here is, a sense of pride. They have no one to
blame but themselves. The Lord saved them, the Lord protected
them, the Lord gave them land, gave them prosperity, and the Lord
gave them the law; here they are acting as if they can treat God and
each other anyway they see fit.
III. V10 - The righteous will be cared for because they have not
forgotten who they are and who they are supposed to be. They are
speaking and doing according to the law.
V11-12
I. Punishment comes for the wicked. Their leaders have failed them,
the inexperience failed! “Oh my people!” is an anguished cry; be it
from God or from Isaiah, the deepness of the hurt and the heartache
is proclaimed. “Cause you to err” or “lead you astray”- math’im,
literally means, “mentally and morally mislead”. (Brown, Driver,
Briggs, 80)
V13-15
I. “Plead” or “contend”, rib, “to conduct a legal case”. (Ibid, 936). The
Lord is entering into judgment against the leadership of Judah. These
charges specifically refer to their treatment of the poor. We see this
over and over again in Isaiah: 10:1-2; 11:4; 58:7. We also see it in
Amos: 4:1; 5:11-12.
V16-23
I. God’s message turns to the women of Judah. God will judge them
just as he has judged the men/leadership. “Isaiah’s picture of them is
one of utter self-centeredness. When women lose a sense of
propriety and compassion, the nation is in dire
circumstances.”(Shackleford, 68). Remember,
Israel/Judah/Jerusalem is a theocracy. The application here
contextually looking forward is the same for the church, rather than a
nation; “more broadly it can be said of a nation”.(Holland, 14).
V24
I. A contrast is made: human glory versus exile. The descriptions:
(NKJV) sweet smells/ stench; sash/rope; well-set hair/baldness; rich
robe/sackcloth; beauty/branding. The reality that is soon to come is in
sharp contrast to what they have known.
V25-26; (continued in 4:1)
I. In war, the mighty would fall, eventually the city would be destroyed.
We see here, so far in Isaiah, that the condition of the leadership is
important. In the church, leadership is important. It matters what type of
leadership we have!
Chapter 4
The Redeemed
Vs 1
I. So few men would be left after this warring that we know is coming,
that women will stoop themselves to levels not seen before. We
mustn’t take the “seven” literally. In numerology, it would symbolize
their being humbled completely at the hand of God. If taken more
literally, it shows how far they have fallen to be willing to be taken on
with several other wives and not even expect to be cared for except
by their own hand.
V2-3 - Redeemed
I. V2
A. “In that day” - that day appointed by the Lord; whenever our God
chose.
B. “Branch of the Lord” - this may or may not refer to Christ;
however, this use of the word branch is always elsewhere a title
pointing to the Messiah: Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12.
C. “Those who have escaped” or “the survivors” - the remnant!
Those who have repented and also those who have fled the
terror coming.
II. V3 - “left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem” - also the remnant!
“Holiness includes being separated from the world and
separated to the service of the Lord.” (Snaith, 29-30).
“Recorded” - Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Mal. 3:1; Lk. 10:20; Philp. 4:3
V4-6
I. “Washed away” and “purged” - God cleanses, God purifies.
II. “Create”, bara’, - “This word is used exclusively for divine activity in
the Bible.” (Shackleford, 75).
III. Tabernacle/Canopy; (NASB) - shelter, shade, refuge are all words
to depict God’s protection for His people.
IV. Using imagery from the Exodus, Isaiah confidently stated that the
remnant would be blessed through the Branch, the Messiah.
God always makes good on His promises. He will save! “The Lord is not
slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9, NKJV
“All of Mount Zion (above every dwelling place, vs 5a) becomes holy here -
please observe. There will no longer be a single physical temple that is holy
and restricted only to the priests of the tribe of Levi of the people of Israel.
...this is a spiritual temple that is in view.” (Holland, 16).
blessing. In the New Testament: Matt. 20: 1-16; 21:33-44
V1
I. “Well-beloved” and “beloved”- “Forms of this word are used
forty times in the Song of Solomon to express intimate
relations.”(Shackleford, 78). Other places used: Deut. 33:12; Ps.
60:5;108:6; Jer. 11:15.
V2
I. All that work, all that effort, the mental anguish put into the vineyard
and the results were horrible. “Wild” or “worthless” grapes were the
result. This is heartbreaking. It’s demoralizing.
V3
I. The Lord asks the people to judge. In reality, the people were
judging themselves.
V4
I. The Lord asks a rhetorical question: “What more could be done?”
The obvious answer is nothing.
V5-6
I. The Lord will destroy/eliminate the separation of the vineyard, then
the protection of the vineyard, then the care for the vineyard.
V7
I. The vineyard? Judah and Jerusalem. “Justice”? “Oppression” or
”Bloodshed”. Righteousness? A cry of/for “help” or “distress”. It is
interesting to note the similarity in the Hebrew: mishpat/mispach;
tsedaqah/tse’aqah.
V8-10
I. More charges brought, six “woes” - V8
Let’s recall that in Lev. 25:13-17, 23,24 we see that land was to be sold only for a specific amount of time. The year of Jubilee (15th year) was to bring about a return of that land to its original owner. Isaiah, Micah, and Amos warned the people of their sin pertaining to this.
What sin? Covetousness and greed. Mic. 2:2,9; Amos 2:6,7
II. V9 - By revelation of God, Isaiah has seen that many houses will be torn down. It should be noted that in the Old Testament and implicated in the New Testament, wealth is not condemned, rather how that wealth was/is acquired and how it was/is used. Wealth can lead us down a path of abominations to the Lord, if we don’t attain it and use it how the Lord wants us to use it.
III. V10 - It will be so bad that the people will only harvest a fraction of
the seed sown! A bath is about 6 gallons (23 liters), maybe 8 to 10
(Holland, 17). An ephah is about 26 liters, a homer is about 211 liters.
V11-17
I. V11-12 - Pursuing pleasure had become the goal. They didn’t have
time for the work of the Lord.
II. V13 - The people had no relationship with God. “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected
knowledge, I will also reject you.” Hosea 4:6a
There is a lesson here for the church: we are to be disciples of Christ.
We learn and follow, thusly, we do the will of our Teacher. “Christianity
is taught, not caught!” (Shackleford, 82)
III. V14-15 - “Sheol” - the abode of the dead. Death is the great
equalizer, physically speaking. No amount of earthly
accomplishments or accolades matter come judgment day. What
matters is what we do “as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22; 6:7)
IV. V16 - “Holy” - “...is the divine nature in itself” (Motyer, 72). We see
holiness in God’s righteousness and His judgment.
V. V17 - Referring to their massive homes, God says they will be
destroyed and become room for grazing animals.
V18-19
I. They had replaced the Law of the Lord with sin and iniquity. The
default was in doing wrong. They had explained away God and His
moral law (self justification).
V20
I. Truth perverting. What was right had become wrong in their eyes
and what was wrong had become right. They had made an opposite
of everything the Lord had commanded.
V21
I. Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:3
V22-23
I. Using sarcasm, we see the point that they had stooped so low that
what shouldn’t even be discussed, they were most proud of. Justice
is mentioned again, this time under their taking of bribes. What was
the command of the Lord concerning bribes? Deut. 16:19
V24
I. “Therefore” - what proceeded was directly tied to what preceded.
“Rottenness” and “dust”. They had treated God with contempt. They
rejected and despised the word of God, they had done so to Him.
V25
I. “The Lord’s anger is mentioned twenty-five times in Isaiah.”
(Shackleford, 86) We like to ignore the wrath of the Lord. It is wise
that we heed both His love and His wrath. “His hand is still stretched
out” - God’s judgment being executed.
V26
I. “Banner” or “standard” - a signal for both calling destroyers and His
people back from exile. This particular use is a call to Assyria, later
for Babylon.
V27-29
I. Isaiah uses vivid imagery here for the purpose of making the point.
Assyria will hit Israel hardest, but Judah and Jerusalem will come
under attack. It is worth noting that in the British Museum, there are
relics of the palace walls from Nineveh that depict Sennacherib
besieging the Judean city of Lachish. They were proud of what they
had done to Judah. They were also extremely cruel.
V30
I. Without repentance, without paying attention to the Lord, there was
no hope and all would be lost.
Summation of chapter 1-5
“Three distinct prophecies are now before us: (1) Corruption and sin-
sickness from head to foot would bring upon the people the judgment of
Divine wrath. But out of this judgment God, through His grace, would spare
a remnant(ch1). (2) Though the real Zion in Isaiah’s time was rebellious
and sin-cursed, the ideal Zion would come forth in the latter days through
chastening, washing, and purification in the fires of affliction (ch2-4). (3)
The Beloved’s vineyard had produced only the sour fruit of sin, bringing on
the approaching dark and terrible judgment (ch5). Though this judgment
would not bring the nation to repentance, out of it would come a chastened
and purged remnant.” (Hailey, 73). What comes from this remnant? The
Branch of the Lord, the root of David, the Christ.
I. “For” - connects what is about to be said to the verses 2:6-22.
II. “Behold” - hinneh, prophet speech that introduces a threat. (Oswalt,1:132).
III. God is going to cut Judah and Jerusalem off, contextually,
physically.
V2-3
I. Eleven descriptions (titles) are listed. Nine are legitimate. Two, they
never should have had to begin with. The specific calling out of the
leadership here is telling. What leaders do, how they act, and the
attitude they have permeates throughout a culture. When you remove
leadership, any entity will crumble. We see a progression of those
who protect to those who are intricate to the daily life of Judah.
V4-7
I. People expect to be governed by wise leadership. With this gone, all
that is left is either children, or at least the very inexperienced. “When
respect for age goes, moral anarchy is at hand. Youths will storm
against, that is, they will act insolently or will press on against the
aged. Respect for old age has been coupled in the law with the fear
of God.” (Young, 144).
V8-12
I. V8 - Because of what they say and do, the people have fallen. What
they say and do is against the Lord! It is a provocation.
II. V9 - Sodom! They are so brazen in their sin that it is done openly
and with, the feeling here is, a sense of pride. They have no one to
blame but themselves. The Lord saved them, the Lord protected
them, the Lord gave them land, gave them prosperity, and the Lord
gave them the law; here they are acting as if they can treat God and
each other anyway they see fit.
III. V10 - The righteous will be cared for because they have not
forgotten who they are and who they are supposed to be. They are
speaking and doing according to the law.
V11-12
I. Punishment comes for the wicked. Their leaders have failed them,
the inexperience failed! “Oh my people!” is an anguished cry; be it
from God or from Isaiah, the deepness of the hurt and the heartache
is proclaimed. “Cause you to err” or “lead you astray”- math’im,
literally means, “mentally and morally mislead”. (Brown, Driver,
Briggs, 80)
V13-15
I. “Plead” or “contend”, rib, “to conduct a legal case”. (Ibid, 936). The
Lord is entering into judgment against the leadership of Judah. These
charges specifically refer to their treatment of the poor. We see this
over and over again in Isaiah: 10:1-2; 11:4; 58:7. We also see it in
Amos: 4:1; 5:11-12.
V16-23
I. God’s message turns to the women of Judah. God will judge them
just as he has judged the men/leadership. “Isaiah’s picture of them is
one of utter self-centeredness. When women lose a sense of
propriety and compassion, the nation is in dire
circumstances.”(Shackleford, 68). Remember,
Israel/Judah/Jerusalem is a theocracy. The application here
contextually looking forward is the same for the church, rather than a
nation; “more broadly it can be said of a nation”.(Holland, 14).
V24
I. A contrast is made: human glory versus exile. The descriptions:
(NKJV) sweet smells/ stench; sash/rope; well-set hair/baldness; rich
robe/sackcloth; beauty/branding. The reality that is soon to come is in
sharp contrast to what they have known.
V25-26; (continued in 4:1)
I. In war, the mighty would fall, eventually the city would be destroyed.
We see here, so far in Isaiah, that the condition of the leadership is
important. In the church, leadership is important. It matters what type of
leadership we have!
Chapter 4
The Redeemed
Vs 1
I. So few men would be left after this warring that we know is coming,
that women will stoop themselves to levels not seen before. We
mustn’t take the “seven” literally. In numerology, it would symbolize
their being humbled completely at the hand of God. If taken more
literally, it shows how far they have fallen to be willing to be taken on
with several other wives and not even expect to be cared for except
by their own hand.
V2-3 - Redeemed
I. V2
A. “In that day” - that day appointed by the Lord; whenever our God
chose.
B. “Branch of the Lord” - this may or may not refer to Christ;
however, this use of the word branch is always elsewhere a title
pointing to the Messiah: Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12.
C. “Those who have escaped” or “the survivors” - the remnant!
Those who have repented and also those who have fled the
terror coming.
II. V3 - “left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem” - also the remnant!
“Holiness includes being separated from the world and
separated to the service of the Lord.” (Snaith, 29-30).
“Recorded” - Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Mal. 3:1; Lk. 10:20; Philp. 4:3
V4-6
I. “Washed away” and “purged” - God cleanses, God purifies.
II. “Create”, bara’, - “This word is used exclusively for divine activity in
the Bible.” (Shackleford, 75).
III. Tabernacle/Canopy; (NASB) - shelter, shade, refuge are all words
to depict God’s protection for His people.
IV. Using imagery from the Exodus, Isaiah confidently stated that the
remnant would be blessed through the Branch, the Messiah.
God always makes good on His promises. He will save! “The Lord is not
slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9, NKJV
“All of Mount Zion (above every dwelling place, vs 5a) becomes holy here -
please observe. There will no longer be a single physical temple that is holy
and restricted only to the priests of the tribe of Levi of the people of Israel.
...this is a spiritual temple that is in view.” (Holland, 16).
Chapter 5
The Song
Vineyards are used in the Old Testament as an expression of God’sblessing. In the New Testament: Matt. 20: 1-16; 21:33-44
V1
I. “Well-beloved” and “beloved”- “Forms of this word are used
forty times in the Song of Solomon to express intimate
relations.”(Shackleford, 78). Other places used: Deut. 33:12; Ps.
60:5;108:6; Jer. 11:15.
V2
I. All that work, all that effort, the mental anguish put into the vineyard
and the results were horrible. “Wild” or “worthless” grapes were the
result. This is heartbreaking. It’s demoralizing.
V3
I. The Lord asks the people to judge. In reality, the people were
judging themselves.
V4
I. The Lord asks a rhetorical question: “What more could be done?”
The obvious answer is nothing.
V5-6
I. The Lord will destroy/eliminate the separation of the vineyard, then
the protection of the vineyard, then the care for the vineyard.
V7
I. The vineyard? Judah and Jerusalem. “Justice”? “Oppression” or
”Bloodshed”. Righteousness? A cry of/for “help” or “distress”. It is
interesting to note the similarity in the Hebrew: mishpat/mispach;
tsedaqah/tse’aqah.
V8-10
I. More charges brought, six “woes” - V8
Let’s recall that in Lev. 25:13-17, 23,24 we see that land was to be sold only for a specific amount of time. The year of Jubilee (15th year) was to bring about a return of that land to its original owner. Isaiah, Micah, and Amos warned the people of their sin pertaining to this.
What sin? Covetousness and greed. Mic. 2:2,9; Amos 2:6,7
II. V9 - By revelation of God, Isaiah has seen that many houses will be torn down. It should be noted that in the Old Testament and implicated in the New Testament, wealth is not condemned, rather how that wealth was/is acquired and how it was/is used. Wealth can lead us down a path of abominations to the Lord, if we don’t attain it and use it how the Lord wants us to use it.
III. V10 - It will be so bad that the people will only harvest a fraction of
the seed sown! A bath is about 6 gallons (23 liters), maybe 8 to 10
(Holland, 17). An ephah is about 26 liters, a homer is about 211 liters.
V11-17
I. V11-12 - Pursuing pleasure had become the goal. They didn’t have
time for the work of the Lord.
II. V13 - The people had no relationship with God. “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected
knowledge, I will also reject you.” Hosea 4:6a
There is a lesson here for the church: we are to be disciples of Christ.
We learn and follow, thusly, we do the will of our Teacher. “Christianity
is taught, not caught!” (Shackleford, 82)
III. V14-15 - “Sheol” - the abode of the dead. Death is the great
equalizer, physically speaking. No amount of earthly
accomplishments or accolades matter come judgment day. What
matters is what we do “as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22; 6:7)
IV. V16 - “Holy” - “...is the divine nature in itself” (Motyer, 72). We see
holiness in God’s righteousness and His judgment.
V. V17 - Referring to their massive homes, God says they will be
destroyed and become room for grazing animals.
V18-19
I. They had replaced the Law of the Lord with sin and iniquity. The
default was in doing wrong. They had explained away God and His
moral law (self justification).
V20
I. Truth perverting. What was right had become wrong in their eyes
and what was wrong had become right. They had made an opposite
of everything the Lord had commanded.
V21
I. Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:3
V22-23
I. Using sarcasm, we see the point that they had stooped so low that
what shouldn’t even be discussed, they were most proud of. Justice
is mentioned again, this time under their taking of bribes. What was
the command of the Lord concerning bribes? Deut. 16:19
V24
I. “Therefore” - what proceeded was directly tied to what preceded.
“Rottenness” and “dust”. They had treated God with contempt. They
rejected and despised the word of God, they had done so to Him.
V25
I. “The Lord’s anger is mentioned twenty-five times in Isaiah.”
(Shackleford, 86) We like to ignore the wrath of the Lord. It is wise
that we heed both His love and His wrath. “His hand is still stretched
out” - God’s judgment being executed.
V26
I. “Banner” or “standard” - a signal for both calling destroyers and His
people back from exile. This particular use is a call to Assyria, later
for Babylon.
V27-29
I. Isaiah uses vivid imagery here for the purpose of making the point.
Assyria will hit Israel hardest, but Judah and Jerusalem will come
under attack. It is worth noting that in the British Museum, there are
relics of the palace walls from Nineveh that depict Sennacherib
besieging the Judean city of Lachish. They were proud of what they
had done to Judah. They were also extremely cruel.
V30
I. Without repentance, without paying attention to the Lord, there was
no hope and all would be lost.
Summation of chapter 1-5
“Three distinct prophecies are now before us: (1) Corruption and sin-
sickness from head to foot would bring upon the people the judgment of
Divine wrath. But out of this judgment God, through His grace, would spare
a remnant(ch1). (2) Though the real Zion in Isaiah’s time was rebellious
and sin-cursed, the ideal Zion would come forth in the latter days through
chastening, washing, and purification in the fires of affliction (ch2-4). (3)
The Beloved’s vineyard had produced only the sour fruit of sin, bringing on
the approaching dark and terrible judgment (ch5). Though this judgment
would not bring the nation to repentance, out of it would come a chastened
and purged remnant.” (Hailey, 73). What comes from this remnant? The
Branch of the Lord, the root of David, the Christ.
Material
NKJV, NASB
Don Shackleford, Isaiah, Truth for Today Commentary
Edward J Young, The Book of Isaiah, Vol 1
Paul M Holland, The Gospel According to Isaiah,
Swartz Creek church of Christ
J Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, An Introduction and Commentary
Homer Hailey, A commentary on Isaiah
Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles Briggs, A Hebrew and English
Lexicon of the Old Testament
Norman Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament
Questions
1. How many people does Isaiah list in 3:2,3?
2. Since the older wiser leadership would be taken away, who would the
people be left with?
3. Who will the Lord enter into judgment with in verse 3:14?
4. What attitude did the women of Judah have?
5. Beginning in verse 2 of chapter 4, who/whom does this look towards?
6. Will the remnant be saved?
7. From what story does Isaiah draw the imagery from in 4:5,6?
8. Does the owner do everything right for the vineyard in Chapter 5? Who is the owner?
9. Who is the vineyard in Chapter 5?
10. What will God do to that vineyard?
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