Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION
Unlike most of the other oracles against the nations, which gloat over their eventual downfall, this oracle about Moab is sympathetic. In v. 5 and 16:9–11, God Almighty laments over the misfortune of Moab. Still, the same sin of pride and arrogance requires judgment. Jeremiah offers a similar prophecy against Moab in Jer 48.

Summary on Isaiah 15:1–16:14

Chapter 15
15:1 Moab was Israel and Judah’s neighbour to the east across the Jordan River. Many of the northern Moabite cities described in this passage were once possessed by Israel. 
Several of them—such as Heshbon and Elealeh—were built by Israelites (Num 32:37).
When Israel and Judah were strong, they dominated and controlled this area of the Transjordan. During Isaiah’s day, Moab—along with all the other countries in the region—was subject to Assyrian invasion.
Ar is devastated in a night, Moab Locations throughout the territory of Moab are named, beginning with their main center of power in the south and moving northward. The northern cities of Moab are destroyed; the southern cities are depicted mourning over the
loss, while fugitives flee southward.

15:2 Dibon Located in disputed territory; Israel claimed the territory east of the Jordan for the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Historically, those areas were predominantly controlled by Moab and Ammon. 
The high places The temple and high places indicate sites of worship for Chemosh, the god of Moab. He is mentioned in 1 Kgs 11:7, 33 as one of the foreign deities whose worship was promoted in Israel. The deity is mentioned outside the Bible in an inscription attributed to Mesha, king of Moab.
Every head is bald A sign of mourning (see Isa 22:12).

15:3 They gird themselves with sackcloth A symbol of despair, humiliation, and mourning, wails, going down in weeping.

15:4 Heshbon and Elealeh Cities in the northern part of Moab’s territory that may have been built by Israel (Num 32:37).

15:5 My heart cries out for Moab; we see God Himself empathizing with the Moabites. Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah are locations in the southern part of Moab. On the road of Horonaim The fugitives are fleeing from the destroyed northern cities and heading south. The exact location of Horonaim is unknown; but its connection here with the ascent of Luhith suggests a general location in south central Moab.

15:6 the waters of Nimrim Likely refers to a stream running along the southwest edge of the Moabite plateau and into the Dead Sea. There is no greenness, economic and ecological destruction brings down Moab, leaving its inhabitants with nothing.

15:7 they carry the abundance it has made and their store of goods The wealth and supplies of the kingdom are carried off as spoils of war. The devastation envisioned is likely connected to one of the Assyrian campaigns.

15:9 The waters are full of blood The blood is from those who fell during the Assyrian invasion. The Assyrians took pride in cruel and bloody tactics that kept their subjects living in fear. A lion for the survivors of Moab The few who escape the invaders will have to contend with an untamed wilderness, where even the beasts are under God’s command to destroy them in judgment. Other nations in this sequence of oracles have similarly been promised that they will have no remnant. See Isaiah 14:22, 30.

Chapter 16

16:1 Send a ram Moab, in distress, sends a gift to Judah along with a request for asylum. Referring to Judah as the “ruler of the land” acknowledges the Moabites’ past status as subjects of Israel. See 2 Kgs 3:4–8.
The mountain of daughter Zion Jerusalem.

16:2 Like a bird fleeing from a thrust away nest The refugees are weak and defenceless—they are women seeking shelter at the fords of Arnon. The Arnon River, the primary river in the region, formed a large canyon that created a natural boundary for Moab. It would have presented a difficult obstacle for fleeing refugees to bypass.

16:3 “Bring counsel The daughters of Moab appeal to standards of social justice in requesting protection in Zion. Their request is found in Isa 16:3–4a, Isa 16:4b begins God’s response.

16:4 Let my outcasts of Moab dwell as aliens among you.
Oppressor is no more, God later laments over their plight. Here, He simply defers their plea until the Messiah comes to hear it. The time when all the nations come to Zion has not yet arrived; they are too early (see Isa 2:2–4).

16:5 in the tent of David The Davidic Messiah.

16:6 the pride of Moab Pride is again the besetting sin of all peoples. See 2:11–12; 10:12; 14:10.

16:7 Kir-hareseth A city in south central Moab.

16:8 Heshbon withers the fields Focuses on the physical and economic ruin of the northern part of Moab. Heshbon was a city near the northern border of Moab.

16:9 I weep with the weeping of Jazer for God Almighty empathizes with Moab in vv. 9–11, even though He is responsible for bringing the destruction (v. 10).
Jazer A city north of Heshbon. Sibmah was in the same region. Both Jazer and Heshbon are part of the land allotted to the tribe of Gad in Josh 21:39.
Heshbon and Elealeh Cities in the northern part of Moab’s territory that may have been built by Israel (Num 32:37)

16:10 joy and gladness are taken away similar language appears in Jeremiah’s proclamation about Moab (Jer 48:33).
Make reference to a scenario or in the vineyards where no one triumphs Isa 5:1; Judges 9:27.

16:11 my heart the Hebrew term here refers to the belly, which is associated with emotions in Hebrew or “my stomach trembled.”

CONCLUSION
16:12 - 14 This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. 14, But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendour and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.” Taking a cue from our study last week we can see how pride became the downfall of Satan, Moab and destruction became inevitable. Let us therefore come to God for mercy, with a heart full of gratitude for His sacrificial Love and change our ways to that which is pleasing to God. Pride is dangerous and a killer of destiny. Don’t pride rob you of your final destination. Eternity is not a few years but forever and ever lasting.

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we examined the prophetic declaration of Isaiah on the last days, with particular emphasis on Babylon. We observed that Babylon being a province in Assyria was also a term used by the Lord to typify wickedness in the end times. Today, we shall continue to examine what Babylon represented in the end time agenda of God and the ultimate goal of establishing Christ’s kingdom on earth with the restoration of Israel.

A. The Fall of The King of Babylon.
1. (vs 1-2) Judgment on Babylon Indicates Mercy on Israel.
a. For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob. Isaiah 13 ended with desolation and gloom that would come upon Babylon. Since Babylon was Judah’s great enemy, any judgment on Babylon was an expression of mercy to Israel. So, Isaiah followed the pronouncement of judgment on Babylon with ‘for the Lord will …., and still choose Israel’. Sometimes we feel that God chose us, but if He had to choose again, God would change His choice. Here, the Lord reminds His children that He does still choose us and would choose us all over again.

b. And settle them in their own land: The promise of restoration to their own land was also important. The Babylonians had forcibly exiled most of the population of Judah, so the promise of return to their own land was precious.

c. The strangers will be joined with them: The invitation to Gentiles was precious. The regathered and restored Israel would invite Gentiles to receive the goodness of God with them.

d. They will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors: In inviting the strangers to come and be joined with them, Israel would eliminate their enemies. The ultimate way to conquer an enemy is to make them your friend.

2. (vs 3-8) The Joy of the Earth at the Fall of the King of Babylon.
a. In the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from the fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve: The Lord announces a day when He will give real rest to believing Israel. They will have rest from sorrow, from fear, and from their hard bondage. This rest is the birth right of every believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Mat 11:28). Do you have rest from sorrow? Do you have rest from fear? Do you have rest from hard bondage? b. That you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon: In the day of restoration, the defeat and weakness of the king of Babylon will be exposed, and Israel will rejoice.

As this prophecy continues from the context of Isaiah 13, it is important that we remember that Isaiah has two aspects of prophetic fulfilment in mind. First, there is the immediate and partial fulfilment regarding the empire of Babylon and its king. Second, there is the distant and ultimate fulfilment regarding the spiritual empire of Babylon – the world system – and its king, Satan. So, this proverb against the king of Babylon was, in a partial sense, in the mouth of the returning exiles when Babylon was finally conquered, and the people of Judah could return to the Promised Land. But in an ultimate sense, this proverb against the king of Babylon will be in the mouth of God’s people when the world system and her king, Satan, are each conquered and destroyed.

He who struck the people in wrath …who ruled the nation in anger: Both the king of literal Babylon and the king of spiritual Babylon were mighty, oppressive rulers over the people and the nations. But now, the one who once persecuted is himself persecuted and no one hinders, and as a result, the whole earth is at rest and quiet, and they even break forth into singing. Even the trees rejoice over the fall of the king of Babylon. This is true of the king of literal Babylon because the attacking kings cut down thousands of trees for both fuel and lumber, leaving Israel and Lebanon deforested

3. (vs 9-11) Hell Receives the Fallen King of Babylon.
Hell from beneath is excited about you: Hell, itself is excited to meet the king of Babylon because it can’t wait to be the place where the one who tortured so many is tortured himself. This was true both for the king of literal Babylon, and the king of spiritual Babylon.
God wants us to know now that Satan is destined for hell. He isn’t a winner, he is a loser, and he certainly isn’t the boss or lord of hell. Satan will go to hell as a victim, as the ultimate prisoner in the dungeon of darkness, and hell will be happy to receive him this way. Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us? When he went to hell, the king of literal Babylon was exposed as a mere man, though he thought of himself as greater than that. As well, when the king of spiritual Babylon goes to hell, all will be amazed to see that he was only a creature.

We often – to his great delight – exaggerate Satan’s status and importance. We think of him as the opposite of God; as if God were light and Satan were darkness, as if God were hot and Satan were cold. Satan wishes he was the opposite of God, but God wants us to know now what everyone will know someday – that Satan is a mere creature and is in no way the opposite of God. If Satan has an opposite, it is not God the Father or God the Son, it would be a high-ranking angelic being such as Michael.

Your pomp is brought down …. the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you: In the end, it just won’t be a defeat for the king of Babylon. Both for the literal and spiritual kings of Babylon, their defeat in hell will be disgusting and degrading.
Knowing this now – how disgusting and degrading the end of Satan will be – why would any of us serve him or work for his cause, even for a minute? Who wants to end up with the maggots and the worms?

And the sound of your stringed instruments: Before his fall, Satan was associated with music in heaven Ezekiel 28: 13 says of Satan before his fall, the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. Apparently, the musical career of Satan did not end with his fall, because the sound of his stringed instruments is only brought down when he is imprisoned in hell.

4. (vs 12-15) The Fall of Lucifer
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning: Here, the prophet identified the king of Babylon as Lucifer, son of the morning. Some debate if Lucifer is a name or a title; the word means morning star or day star, referring to a brightly shining object in the heavens. Whether it is a title or a name makes little difference; this once brightly shining king of Babylon is now fallen from heaven.

In the prophetic habit of speaking to both a near and a distant fulfilment, the prophet will sometimes speak more to the near or more to the distant. Here is a good example of Isaiah speaking more to the distant, ultimate fulfilment. It is true that the king of literal Babylon shined brightly among the men of his day and fell as hard and as completely as if a man were to fall from heaven. But there
was a far more brightly shining being who inhabited heaven and fell even more dramatically – the king of spiritual Babylon, Satan.

Fallen from heaven: In fact, there are four falls of Satan, and this passage refers to his final, fourth fall.

• Satan fell from glorified to profane (Ezekiel 28:14-16). This is what Jesus spoke of in (Lk 10: 18) when He says He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. This is the only fall of Satan that has already happened.
• Satan will fall from having access to heaven (Job 1:12, 1Kgs 22:21, Zech. 3:1) to restriction on the earth (Rev. 12:9).
• Satan will fall from his place on the earth to bondage in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1-3).
• Finally, as mentioned here in Isa. 14:12, Satan will fall from the bottomless pit to the lake of fire, which we commonly known as hell (Rev. 20:10).

This Son of the morning: This is a title of glory, beauty, and honour, which fit Lucifer well before his fall. The morning is glorious, and in Hebrew thinking, the son of “x” is characterized by “x.” So, before his fall, Lucifer was characterized by the glory of the morning.
Jesus Himself is called the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). Satan, though a created being, had some of these glorious qualities in himself. No wonder that Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), deceiving many with his apparent glory, beauty, and goodness.

How you are cut down to the ground: What a contrast! This being, once so high, once so shining, once so bright, is now cut down to the ground.

For you have said in your heart: Here, God tells us the reason behind the fall of both the literal and spiritual king of Babylon. The fall was prompted by something he said, even though he may have never said it with his lips – it was enough that he said it in his heart.

I will: The pride, the grasping selfish ambition, the self-will of the king of Babylon is powerfully expressed in five I will statements. This is the essence of the self-focused and self-obsessed life.

• I will ascend into heaven: It was as if Satan said, “Heaven will be my home and my place of honour”.
• I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: “I will be enthroned and will be exalted above all other angelic beings.”
• I will also sit on the mount of the congregation: “I will sit in the place of glory and honour and attention.”
• I will ascend above the heights: “I will continue to rise, even in heaven, until all see me in my bright shining glory.”
• I will be like the Most High: “I will be glorious, and be set equal to God, far above all other created beings.”

We see in these statements not so much a desire to exalt one’s self above God, but the desire to exalt one’s self above one’s peers. From this passage, it seems that Satan’s desire was not so much to be above God, but to be honoured and regarded as the highest angel, above the other stars of God, receiving the glory and attention one would receive being next to God, equal with God, like the Most High. We don’t have to want to be exalted higher than God to be like Satan. It is enough to want to be exalted above other people.

Lucifer was certainly a glorious angel (day star, son of the morning, and also called the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…the anointed cherub who covers in Ezekiel. 28: 12,14). Yet, there came a time when despite all his beauty and glory, he departed from the heart of God by wanting to exalt himself above his peers. Instead, the heart of Jesus says, “The status of equality with God is not something to hang on to. I will let it go. I will give up My reputation, be a servant, live humbly among men, and even die an excruciating and humiliating death.” (Phil. 2:5-8).When Lucifer departed from this heart, he fell from glory.

I will be like the Most High: What prompted Satan’s desire to exalt himself above all other creatures? What prompted these five I will statements?

Why Did Lucifer Rebel?
Perhaps because he rejected God’s plan to create an order of beings made in His image (Gen. 1:26) who would be beneath the angels in dignity (Heb. 2:6-7a; 2 Pet. 2:11) yet would be served by angels in the present (Heb. 1:14; 2:7-8; Psa. 91:11-12) and would one day be lifted in honour and status above the angels (1Cor. 6:3; 1 John 3:2) Satan wanted to be the highest among all creatures, equal to God in glory and honour, and the plan to create man would eventually put men above angels. He was apparently able to persuade one-third of the angelic beings to join him in his rebellion (Rev. 12:3-4, 7 and 9).

If this is the case, it explains well Satan’s present strategy against man: to obscure the image of God in man through encouraging sin and rebellion, to cause man to serve him, and to prevent the ultimate glorification of man.

Yet you shall be brought down: Despite Satan’s desire to exalt himself, he will not be exalted at all. Certainly, there is a sense in which he is exalted right now, but this is but an eye-blink in the scope of eternity. Satan, like all those who desire to exalt themselves, shall be brought down.
1Pet. 5:6 expresses the true path to being exalted: Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. In Mark 9:35, Jesus said If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.

5. (vs 16-17) The Nations are Amazed at the Fall of the King of Babylon
Those who see you will gaze at you …”Is this the man who made the earth tremble… who did not open the house of his prisoners?” When the king of literal Babylon fell, his weakness was exposed, and others were amazed that at one time he had so much power, and so many feared him. The same will happen when the king of spiritual Babylon falls. People will see him for what he really is and be amazed at how much power he actually had.

6. (vs 18-23) The Amazing and Bloody Destruction of Babylon
All the kings of the nations: In this brief section, Isaiah brings his focus back more upon the king of literal Babylon. He notes the comfort and ease the other kings of the earth enjoy, but not the fallen king of Babylon, who is instead cast out of your grave like an abominable branch.
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction: The destruction of Babylon – both literal and spiritual – will be complete. The Lord will cut off from Babylon the name and remnant. There will not even be a remnant of Babylon left.

CONCLUSION
It is important for us as believers to know that every prophetic word of the Lord will definitely come to pass. We should not be like “last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from beginning of creation”. 2 Pet 3:3-4. God wants us to know now that He has numbered the days of the king of spiritual Babylon – Satan. There will come a day when his oppression will cease, when the Lord will break the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. Therefore, we should not get so weary and discouraged from Satan’s attack and schemes in this present age. We should not think his day will last forever. Moreover, we should always remember that one reason Satan works so hard is because he knows his time is short. Today’s lesson should be view as an encouragement to us. We can remain steadfast; we can outlast him the devil.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In this Chapter, Isaiah had several prophetic declarations against Babylon. Babylon, apart from being a province in Assyria is also a term used by the Lord to typify wickedness in the end times. What Isaiah foresaw was a graphic destruction of Babylon, the degradation of its nobility, and the universal wickedness of its masses. Each era of the earth has known its own Babylon, but the Babylon of the latter days was seen by the prophets as being among the most wicked of any era and the object of destruction at the coming of the Lord. So when Isaiah speaks of Babylon he refers to both the empire of that time and spiritual Babylon of our present time.

Dual Fulfilment
Isaiah’s prophecies are broadly grouped into two, the near fulfillment and the far fulfillment. The prophecies were sort of like a two-edged sword in that they had an immediate connotation, but oftentimes there was also a future connotation. If we recall from chapter 7 and verse 14 when he said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel". It had a near fulfilment, not of the virgin bearing a son, but if a child was born at that time, before he would be old enough to really know much, the kings would be destroyed from Samaria and from Syria. (Which did happen), as well as a far fulfilment of Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary.
In this chapter, the prophesies were against Babylon. This particular cry against Babylon is the same as we see in Revelation 17:1-18, and Revelation 18:1-24. It talks about the Babylon of the last days. So this prophecy is carrying us out to these end times.

Judgment Upon Babylon - God Judges Nations Verse 1
At the time of this prophecy, Babylon was a significant nation, but they were definitely behind the Assyrian Empire in status. Yet, God who knows the end of all things spoke of the judgment on the pride of Babylon hundreds of years in advance.
We will all one day stand in judgement. Everyone that have been on the planet since Adam and Eve will stand at the judgement seat of God. It has been said that since Adam and Eve there have been over 77 billion people that have lived and died on earth. Judgement will come for everyone. Revelation 20 tells us that God judges the lost, 1 Corinthians 3 tells us that Christ judges His own. Revelations 2 tells us that churches are judged and here in this chapter, God judges nations.

God Raises An Army Against Babylon Verses 2-8 (Near Fulfillment)
Verse 5: “They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the Lord and the weapons of his wrath—to destroy the whole country.
This speaks of Media and Persia, coming from the north and the east to destroy Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:1 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer.

Jeremiah 51:11 “Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple.”

It was this destruction that Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream was all about. Media and Persia are the arms of silver. Daniel 5:32 “The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze”

History tells us that Babylon finally fell in 539 BCE to Cyrus and came under Persian control. The Bible in Ezra 1:1 says: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom . . .”
The Terrors of judgment Upon Babylon. Verses 9-16 (Far Fulfillment)

Verse 9 - The day of the LORD comes: Isaiah now speaks in the “prophetic tense,” having in mind both a near fulfillment (the day of judgment against the Babylonian Empire), and an ultimate fulfillment (the final day of judgment at the return of Jesus).

Verse 10 - The stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened: Several prophetic passages describe the cosmic disturbances that will precede and surround the return of Jesus (Joel 2:10, Revelation 6:12-14, Isaiah 34:4). Here is what Jesus said in Matt. 24:29

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Verses 11-12 - “11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. 12 I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.”

Once again, God not only tells us judgment is coming, but also gives the exact reason for it.

The Devastation of Babylon. Verses 17-22 (Near and Far Fulfillment)
In Verse 20 Isaiah prophesied that Babylon will never be inhabited or lived through all generations
“She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.”

And over time, that is what happened; and to the present day, Babylon has remained uninhabited! Today, a Google search of the question: “is Babylon habitable” returns this result.
Isaiah 55:11 says of the Lord’s Words
“[11] So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Whatever it is the Lord has promised us, by His Word, hold on to it and don’t let it go because it shall not return to Him void!

CONCLUSION
Whenever we see the destruction of cities, the calamities of nations, and the overturning of kingdoms, as in the case of present day Babylon, that has become desolate. And when we realize that these were as a result of the Lord’s judgements prophesied years ago, we must allow them humble us that we may learn to gather wisdom from the affliction of others, and pray for divine intervention in our own circumstances and situations. Proverbs 28:26 MSG says:
“If you think you know it all, you're a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.”

Contributor: Ayomide Oladipo

INTRODUCTION
Isaiah 12 is a song that follows the events of chapter 10 & 11. Those chapters showed us the dual prophecy that applied to the near-term invasion of Judah by the nation of Assyria, as well as a future invasion of Israel by the Antichrist. The prophecy by prophet Isaiah in those chapters gave us an insight into the destruction of the enemies of God’s people, God’s deliverance of His people and the establishment of messiah’s kingdom. Last week, we were taught and asked to imagine what life will look like when we get to heaven, when God comes to take the people that are still left on earth Isaiah 11: 11, those things that used to be afraid of for example: lions, we will play with them, Isaiah 11:6 talks about how wolfs will dwell with sheep, everyone will be at peace with each other. Isaiah11:13 was a revelation of the Messiah’s kingdom. This whole chapter was reveling to us how God will deliver his people In the same similitude by which he delivered the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.
(Isaiah 11:16 KJV) “And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt”
The prophecy is telling us that the people that are remaining on earth will now have a way out of their troubles and oppressions. Just like God made a way for the children of Israel, after Moses lead the Israelite through the red sea, Moses lead the people in a song:
(Exodus 15:1-2 KJV) “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. (2) The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God …”
In our study today, we are going to look at the song Israel will sing when Jesus comes again to rescue them from their oppressors.

Song of Praise
Verse 1: And in that day thou shalt say,O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou was angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comforted me.

This confirms to us that God could be angry, and that he has the right to be angry. The bile in Romans 6:23 “"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This verse shows us that at some point we were all sinners and by law we are meant to die, but God been a loving father that he is, gave Christ to us for the remission of our sins. The anger of God was turned away because Christ paid the price for our sins (Death) and the later per said “and thou comforted me”, comfort there means “Salvation”. Now because the price for our sins have been paid, the anger of God is turned away and we are comforted (Saved).

Lesson:
The people that are singing here are the people of God from whom God’s anger had been turned away. They also represent those who have been that have accepted that gift of Christ Jesus. Those are the once God was once angry at, but the anger of God is turned away.

How Was God’s Anger Turned Away?
God’s anger was not turned away because we kept all the laws, or that we are righteous. The Bible says in:
(Isaiah 64:6) “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

No one can turn the anger of God away by his own deeds, (Luke 18:9-14) is the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee that went to the temple to pray, the Pharisee was talking to God about his righteousness but the tax collector acknowledge that he was a sinner and no righteousness is found in him, Jesus said it was the tax collector that went home justified. Not because of his own righteousness, but because he acknowledges his filthiness before God, mercy was given to him, (God’s anger was turned away from him).

Romans 3:20-26 tells us that we can’t be made right before God by just trying to obey the laws. All the laws do is show us just how sinful we are, just how far short we fall of God’s standards. But being right with God comes when we accept the righteousness of Jesus and trust in his faithfulness. We go from being sinners to being declared right before God because of the price (redemption) that Jesus paid for us. God made Jesus to be the one who paid the price for our sins, the one who "appeased" His righteous anger for our sins.

Accepting the price that Jesus paid is however our individual choice to make, it is those who accept his gift of salvation that can sing this song that we are talking about today. It’s when we’ve come to the point where we are no longer going to try and please God by our own actions but have realized that the only way to please God is by accepting His solution to my sins, which is Christ Jesus.

Vs 2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

This is telling us that though Jesus Christ was the one that paid the price for our sins on the cross, that price was a gift from God to mankind.

Vs 3: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
This is telling us that after the anger of God is turned away from us when we have accepted the gift of salvation of Jesus Christ (Isiah 12: 1&2), then we can take hold of all that salvation has to offer us. The salvation that we receive gives us access into the kingdom of God.

How Do We Draw With Joy?
In John 4: 14, Jesus talks about the water He has made available for Believers.
“ . . . Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Here we see Vs 3 saying that it is with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. So, to draw this water, we need joy. Joy is the bucket we need to draw this water from the wells of salivation.
That is why the enemy targets our joy because as it is in warfare the enemy targets the strongholds of their opponents. He knows if he steals our joy, he has not only prevented us from accessing this water but he has also stolen our strength.

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

John 16:13-14 “However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. (14) He will glorify me, for he shall receive from mine, and show it unto you”.

The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit, which is the life of Christ in all of us. This life of Christ in us comes alive when we accept Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit will teach us how to please the father, how to work towards perfection. We would not have to struggle in our own strength but through the teaching of the Holy Spirit in us. Struggling is not a joyful process but teaching and following is a Joyful one. Provided we are willing to obey, we are assured that our father is happy because the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself, but of that which He hears the Father say.

Vs 4-6: “In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. (5) Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things, let this be known to all the world. (6) Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

In the day when Jesus comes to rescue his people that are left on earth, when that anger of the Lord is turned away, then the people shall sing this song to the Lord.

CONCLUSION
We believers must learn to obey the Holy Spirit that is in us, because He is the life of Christ in us and the living life of Christ in us is our advantage over the unbelievers. And if you are here and have not at any point made that decision to accept Jesus or you have accepted him but have backslidden, you are at a great disadvantage on earth, not only on earth even in eternity. The gift of salvation through Christ Jesus is available for all and you can make that decision today.
We believers (Those that have taken that decision to accept Jesus) have a responsibility to rise for the salvation of others. Jesu said, “I will work the work of him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work”.
And together in that day, we will all sing songs of praise to the Lord.

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

INTRODUCTION
The previous Chapter concludes with a picture of doom and gloom, the nations being levelled, chopped down to bare stumps, with no new growth, no future and no hope due to arrogance and oppression. God’s judgment was going to cut down the nations like the trees of Lebanon and leaving just stumps. But suddenly, in chapter 11, amid that scene of worldwide devastation, with the final destruction of Assyria, this contrasts with the recuperative energy of Israel, which, though equally levelled to the ground (Isaiah 9:18, Isaiah 9:19), it shall spring afresh into life, and birth hope for all.

SECTION 1: The Description of the Coming Messiah
1. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. Although through the times, David’s lineage seemed to have been cut down to the stumps. God causes a new life, a new branch to come forth in fulfilment of His words. A MESSIAH WILL COME FORTH . 

2. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him- He is a suitable place or vessel for the Spirit to rest. --The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, (unreproachable leadership), The Spirit of counsel and strength (ability to strategically wage war, overcome sin and deliver victories), The Spirit of knowledge and of the [reverential and obedient] fear of the LORD (intimacy and holiness)—The sevenfold anointing of the Spirit working in Jesus. (Rev 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, 5:6)

3. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, (God is the priority and He desires to please God), And He will not judge by what His eyes see, (He is omniscient.), Nor make decisions by what His ears hear – (he has no need to call witnesses or listen to testimonies, defendant or plaintiff, no need for argument or retrials, evidences or forensics)

4. But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; (He is the voice for the voiceless, a holy judge, morally upright). And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. (He is a righteous judge and recompenses all according to their deeds.)
5. And righteousness will be the belt around His loins, And faithfulness the belt around His waist. (There is no injustice or unfaithfulness in Him – John 14:30 (Satan) is coming. And he has no claim on Me, no power over Me nor anything that he can use against Me)

Lesson For Us
As Christ has made us joint heirs with him we need to grow in his knowledge and our intimacy will cause his anointing to work in and through us- 2 Timothy 2:20 – 26.

We must be suitable a place for the spirit to rest. If we do not imitate God with our lives, we will not be able to do exploits for him.

SECTION 2: The Description of the Messiah’s Kingdom 6-9
6. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatted steer together; And a little child will lead them.
7. And the cow and the bear will graze [together], Their young will lie down together, And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8. And the nursing child will [safely] play over the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den [and not be hurt]. 9. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea..

All kinds of crises and wars we are seeing now will cease The coming of our Messiah will terminate every evil work have all disappeared because they have been solved by the Messiah. Painted before us was what obtained in the garden of Eden before the fall into sin. When the curse is removed, that situation will be restored by the Lord The earth will then have been freed from the curse that has been placed upon it since man fell into sin. Peace and harmony will return.

The curse between humans and animal will cease, the curse on the ground will cease and it will no longer yield thorns and thistles. (Genesis 3:18 ). The animals no longer at war with each other. Can you picture a 2 year old riding on a lion or sitting on the back of a crocodile or your 6 months old swimming with sharks? No more hurt or pain, the instigator of evil can do no more evil and cause no more destruction, currently the earth as it is suffering as the result of man's rebellion against God. And that is why it is manifestly wrong to blame God for all of the pain and the hurt and the bloodshed and the evil and the hatred that is in the earth today.

Lesson For Us
When we allow the Lord to reign in our lives, we will enjoy the days of heaven on earth, we will enjoy the peace of God, Christ dealt with the curse on the cross. 1 Kings 5:4 But now that the LORD my God has given me rest [from war] on every side, there is neither adversary nor misfortune [confronting me]. We can pray His kingdom to manifest in our lives even now. Jesus has defeated devil and death, he has finished the work of restoration and healing, when we pray His kingdom come, we are praying for harmony, absolute peace, love and joy, no sickness, no disease, no pain, no suffering, so sorrow, no war, no poverty and lack, wickedness, manipulations, adulteries, abortions, fornications, lies, barrenness, murders and envyings – etc. But even if we don’t see it now in the world - its coming is guaranteed.

SECTION 3: The Assignment of The Coming Messiah Verses 10-16
10. Then in that day, The nations will make supplications to the Root of Jesse. Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.- As we are in the last days, we need to preach the gospel more than before, the Gentiles would seek Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and find rest for their souls 11. Then it will happen on that day that the Lord, Will again acquire with His hand a second time. The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, from [Lower] Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush (Ethiopia), from Elam [in Persia], from Shinar [Babylonia], from Hamath [in Aram], And from the coastlands bordering the [Mediterranean] Sea. 12. And He will lift up a signal for the nations And ASSEMBLE THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL, And will GATHER THE DISPERSED OF JUDAH From the four corners of the earth. - God will gather the remnant of his people, He does not leave any behind. 13. Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim – There will be peace and harmony, no more evil operations. 14. Ephraim and Judah will [unite and] swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines toward the west; Together they will plunder the sons (Arabs) of the east. They will possess Edom and Moab, And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them – Children of God will arise and possess their possessions. 15. And the LORD will utterly destroy, The tongue of the Sea of Egypt; And with His scorching wind. He will wave His hand over the River; He will strike and divide it into seven channels And make [it possible for] people [to] walk over in sandals God’s hands of Judgement will be outstretched and he will utterly destroy. 16. And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of His people who will be left, Just as there was for Israel In the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt.

Lesson For Us
God is our hope and help, we must strive to know him personally, He is a loving God, he does not want any destroyed. He wants His children to be at peace and enter into His rest. But we must submit ourselves unto Him, because he will not force Himself upon us. God will put an end to the wickedness of the wicked and make His children triumphant. Isaiah 60: 16-22
The shoot of the Lord will endure for ever- Will you abide in Him.

CONCLUSION
This world will not continue like this for ever, Jesus is coming back. Are we ready for Him? While we await His coming we must be fully occupied as profitable servants. His Spirit is available for us to do His works.
Rev 22: 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [of their fulfillment] is near. 11Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy (vile, impure), still be filthy; and the one who is righteous (just, upright), still be righteous; and the one who is holy, still be holy. ” 12. Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one [d]according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness). 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].” 14.Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those who wash their robes [in the blood of Christ by believing and trusting in Him--the righteous who do His commandments], so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15. Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating). 16. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.” 17. The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
In our last week’s study we saw the love of God exhibited in an interesting way in spite of the sins of the Israelites. His promise of the great light that was later seen in the new testaments as Jesus Christ. This light was to give them a way out of darkness. He was to be characterised as Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God and Everlasting Father. Emphasis was placed on the fact that those who refused to repent will surely bear the consequences which is also applicable to us all today. It was reiterated that the punishment that followed the disobedience of the Israelites was indeed started, fanned and fuelled by the sinners themselves and this is also the applicable to us today. We are therefore to continue to keep ourselves clean and pure as we await the glorious future.
Today we are continuing with the prophecy of Judgment on the Israelites who having heard the word of God through His prophets and were still not listening. This chapter 10 has been sectionalised into 3 parts. The first part being the judgement of the oppressors (Isaiah 10:1-4) and second section being the destruction of Israel by King of Assyria – Sennacherib and prophecy of his destruction due to pride. Third section is on the encouragement to the people of Israel.

SECTION 1: JUDGEMENT OF OPPRESSORS/EVIL LEGISLATORS JUDGED (VERSES 1-4)
The prophet continued with his prophecy of punishment that was to follow as a result of God’s anger on the proud legislators that oppressed His people. These people abused their power and perverted justice. Isa 10:1–4 connects to the similar “Woe” sayings in 5:8–30; those sayings also condemned the leaders of Judah for disregarding their responsibility to deal fairly with the poor and weak.
Let’s take a closer look at how these rulers managed to do this.

They made unrighteous laws (vs 1) note that even though they had righteous commandments /laws yet they had corrupt judges that were able to find a way of making unrighteous decrees that is contrary to the good laws God already made.

They deprived the poor (v2) – by perverting justice in the way they interpret and carry out the laws, thereby turning aside the poor from judgement so that they do not get what is due to them. It was so bad that they enriched themselves through evil means like bribery and made the poor ones like the widows, fatherless to be at their mercy! See Isa 5:23. Refers to the injustice of the rich and powerful exploiting the poor and weak.

They are interrogated (Vs 3) - The prophet then challenged them on what will become of them with their power and pride when the real judgment of God comes upon them.

Sentence passed on them (Vs 4) – The prophet went to confirm their judgement and the kind of sentence that befalls them. They will be doomed, imprisoned or sent to captivity! Showing that Gods anger is still very hot on them. The same phrase occurs in 5:25.

Lesson For Us
For us as believers this goes to reiterate what we were discussed in our previous chapter that those that do not live in accordance to Gods will surely be destroyed. When we put God out of our daily living, we are bound to be heading for destruction as we will be out of his protection.

Destruction of Israel by King of Assyria

• Commission to King of Assyria – Verse 5-6

Verse 5 Assyria, the rod of my anger. Yahweh used Assyria to punish Israel. Victory in the ancient world was often attributed to the superiority of one’s god. Yahweh is thus presented as truly superior—He, not Assyria’s god, is behind their success. The foreign nations are simply tools in the hands of God

Isaiah does not explicitly identify the king of Assyria in this passage, though 2 Kgs 17–18 identifies the king who attacked Israel as Sennacherib. The omission is likely intentional, as the prophet wants this oracle against Assyria to apply equally to all of Assyria’s kings. The cities listed in Isa 10:9–11 seem to reflect the conquests of several Assyrian kings who were active during Isaiah’s ministry.

Verse 6 - A godless nation. Israel is considered godless since it had turned away from Yahweh. See 9:17. the clay of the streets Assyria will trample everything in its path like dirt on the roads, leaving behind a muddy mess.
So we see here that the Assyrians were called the rod of God’s anger! Why? because God employed them. God emphasised how he sent the Assyrians. Making us realise the power they had was derived from God.

Lesson For Us
It is worthy of note also that sometimes disobedient children of God can be undergoing some rough times simply because God allowed it having gone out of the protection of God. We as children of God should ensure that we are under Gods protection at all times by living a life of obedience to His will.

• The Assyrian Kings Pride - Verse 7-14

Assyria’s arrogance is revealed in this self-confident speech. The king of Assyria believes his military victories represent spiritual victories over the idols of the cities he has conquered. He also elevates himself to demigod status, boasting in his own strength, wisdom, and understanding.

Verse 8 Are not my commanders altogether kings ..The Assyrian Empire turned conquered kings into subject vassals, so the king of Assyria could rightly boast that his subject commanders were kings in their own right.

Verse 9 Are not Samaria like Damascus … The king boasts over the cities he has conquered. Each pair moves geographically closer to Israel.

Verse 10 Outlines images …Assyria has already conquered stronger city-states than Israel and Judah. The boast is asserted in a religious sense—the cities with the most powerful gods already fell. See 37:12–13.

Verse 12 All his work refers to the predicted judgment. Mount Zion Yahweh’s holy mountain, the location of the temple. Symbolically, Zion often refers to the city of Jerusalem. Here they are mentioned separately.

I will punish… Assyria will also be judged for pride and arrogance once Israel’s punishment is complete. .

Verse 13 ….by the strength of my hand ….The king of Assyria believes his victory is the result of his own strength and cunning. Psalm 9: 20 Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal.
So In carrying out the assignment from God, Sennacherib did not wase time to exhibit his wickedness. Showing his pride and insolence. Magnifying himself and even showcasing his ignorance that he was in control as a fact. Unknown to him these were the very characteristics
that God abhor and God was to deal with him in the later verses. He actually demonstrated himself as a real punisher just like God intended as we saw in 2 kings 18.
So the prophecy continues to show case his pride and arrogance in his letter to Israel in vainglory. He boasts of his prowess over other nations, making of other kings and how he made them subjects to himself thereby making himself their master and even went as far as laying siege over – this actually came to pass in 2Kings 18:13-16 even after Hezekiah had given gifts to the Sennacherib, yet he did not let go of the Israelites.
We also see how King Sennacherib enriched himself through the peace making gifts that we later got to know were from Hezekiah just as he had always done to other nations as was prophesied by Isaiah(vs 14)

Lesson For Us
God sometimes makes use of men as instruments in His hands to do His work. Though in most cases those being used do not realise this. As children of God, we should strive to always make ourselves ready to be used as vessels of honour instead of dishonour.

SECTION 2 : JUGEMENT ON ASSYRIA – SENNACHERIB (VERSES 12-19)

Isaiah have outlined in his prophesy the use of the king of Assyria by God and went on to prophesy how God was going to deal with him. He would have served the purpose for which he was raised by God. So now we are going to see how God in his Justice reproves his pride and prophesies his fate. God by His servant Isaiah shows that God is above him.

Verse 15 The axe boast against the one who cuts. God used Assyria to bring judgment on rebellious Israel and Judah, but the Assyrians are still accountable for their actions and their arrogance. A tool is useless on its own. Assyria is judged for not recognizing that it is only a tool in the hand of God.

Verse 16 will send leanness See 37:36.

Verse 17 in one day See 9:14. The Assyrian king Sennacherib abruptly leaves his siege of Jerusalem. See 37:37 and 2 Kings 19:15-21. So due to his evil doings the prophet prophesies his down fall and destruction – it’s important to note that when God has finished doing his work of salvation on his people as we shall see in the chapter 37:37 and 2 Kings 19:15-37. Hezekiah and the children of Israel eventually repented.

Verse 20 the remnant of Israel Contrasts with the imagery in v. 19, which depicts the destruction of Assyria until only a remnant of forest remains, the survivors of the house of Jacob See 1:9 and 4:2.

Verse 21 A remnant will return referring to a spiritual, not necessarily physical, return. The phrase “a remnant will return” is also the name of Isaiah’s first son, Shear-Jashub. See 7:3 and 8:18.

Verse 22 like the sand of the sea …The Apostle Paul quotes this verse in Rom 9:27–28. overflowing with righteousness See Isa 28:22. God’s judgment is righteous and necessary.

Isaiah had foretold that the Lord himself will perform his work on mount Zion which we saw done by Sennacherib invading the land. Vs 20-23 elaborates how Gods promise of grace to His people and their suffering under affliction. The suffering indeed yielded some fruit as the remaining children of God eventually returned and repented as we shall see later in Chapter 37:14-37 Then the second part of the Vs 12. We see the punishment of King Assyria for his pride being elaborated which later came to pass in 37:38.

SECTION 3: GOD’S CHILDREN ENCOURAGED (VERSES 24 - 34)

The prophet now comforts the sincere ones. He encourages them not be afraid. He gives them hope promising them that all will eventually end well.

Verses 24 - 34

Verse 24 Assyria -This group of people came from central Mesopotamia on the Tigris River. They were the dominant power in the ancient Near East during the eighth and seventh centuries BC.

Verse 26 - Assyrians will be dealt with just as when Midian was defeated. The coming deliverance is compared to God’s victory over Midian in Judges 7:19–25. Also just as he did in Egypt. Referring to the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:15–31.

Verses 28–32 The path of the Assyrian invaders is laid out from the northeast part of Judah to the vicinity of Jerusalem. The place names are mentioned in order, drawing geographically closer and closer to the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem.

Verse 32 he will shake his fist at the mountain of Assyria gets close enough to threaten Jerusalem, but does not conquer her. Zion Refers to Jerusalem. Isa 1:8.

Verse 33 is about to lop off the branches with great power. Assyria was metaphorically depicted as a tool in the hand of God.

Verse 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. That metaphor is turned about as a cut down to size.

Isaiah in these last verses prophesied to confirm that all suffering will end soon. These words were intended to encourage the children of Israel. Letting them know that for sure their enemy will be destroyed in the end. That the storm will soon be over. The enemy that has been threatening them will soon come to his doom. Assurance that they will all be delivered from the power of the Assyrians.

Continues to reassure the children of Israel that the more daring the enemy was the more God will be exalted in all his strength. He flies to the defence of his Children in Zion. The power of the enemy will eventually be broken. In all these we should always remember that God does not leave the wicked unpunished.

Lesson For Us

This is an assurance that no matter the challenge that is threatening us , we should not be afraid as God will surely come through for us.

CONCLUSION/SUMMARY

Isaiah predicted that because of the evilness of Judah and Israel, the Assyrians would attack both nations. The Lord would no longer protect and help them. The Assyrian invasion would fulfil the Lord’s purposes in turning Judah to repentance and scattering the nation of Israel. From this chapter we have come to realise that our God is a sovereign God who has the power to make and to kill. Just s Proverbs 21:1 says - In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. He did just that with the heart of Assyria King. We are made to understand that walking in disobedience to Gods word can endanger us into the camp of the enemy. It is better to be on the right side of God at all times so that we will not be exposed to evil as we may not even come out of it. God is also a merciful God that forgives once we come to repentance. No matter how far gone or how long it may take. He is always waiting to take us back. We also need to understand that there is nothing too difficult for our God as he is a God of impossibility.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Last week’s study of Chapter 8 concluded with gloom and darkness for God’s people. Verse 22 says: “Wherever they look there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. And they will be thrust out into the darkness.” The invasion of the Assyrians would be terrible for the Jewish people, especially for the northern regions of the Promised Land, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. In today’s study is split into two parts, we will be looking at promises (from a loving God) and Judgement (from a just God).

PART I: PROMISES (FROM A LOVING GOD)
Verses 1-2: The Promise of Glory
Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair shall not go on forever. Though soon the land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be under God’s contempt and judgment, yet in the future these very lands, Galilee and northern Transjordan, where lies the road to the sea, will be filled with glory. 2 The people who walk in darkness shall see a great Light—a Light that will shine on all those who live in the land of the shadow of death.

From verses 1-2 of this chapter we see that although the land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be under God’s judgment. He now decrees that despite the fact that He has afflicted them for their sins, He will now show them a great light; giving them a way out of the darkness. See Matthew 4:13-16

What does this mean to us?
Jesus is that great light that has shone in our lives. It’s a light of deliverance and freedom from the power of darkness purchased by His blood. But we must accept it, arise, and shine! Isaiah 60:1

Verses 3-5: The Lord Will Make Israel Great Again and They Shall be Joyful!
“3 For Israel will again be great, filled with joy like that of reapers when the harvest time has come, and like that of men dividing up the plunder they have won. 4 For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the vast host of the Midianites by Gideon’s little band. 5 In that glorious day of peace there will no longer be the issuing of battle gear; no more the bloodstained uniforms of war; all such will be burned.”

These verses spell out the consequences of the great light the Lord promised. Israel will again be great, filled with joy because God will break the chains binding His people and the whip that scourges them, just like He granted Gideon victory over Midian in Judges 7.

What does this mean to us?
We must take God for His Words and promises in our lives, whatever the situation or circumstances, He has promised a change! Wherever we have fallen, we will rise and be great again!

Verses 6-7: The Glory of the Messiah and His Reign
“6 For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” 7 His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David. He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world. This is going to happen because the Lord of heaven’s armies has dedicated himself to do it!

A child is born, . . . a son is given
God could have sent an angel, or the Messiah could have been God without humanity. He could have also come as a fully-grown man, created as an adult even as Adam was created, but none of these options would have qualified the Messiah to be our Saviour and High Priest as Jesus is. The Child had to be born so that He could fully identify with humanity, and to display in His life the servant nature that is in God, He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7).

His name shall be called . . .
These are not to be literal names of the Messiah, but aspects of His character, that describe who He is and what He has come to do.
• Wonderful –Full of wonder! The glory of who He is and what He has done for us should fill us with wonder. There’s nothing too difficult for Him.
• Counselor – He knows the answers we need. He is the only One fit to guide our lives and should be our immediate resource as a counselor.
• Mighty God – He is the God of all creation and glory, the LORD who reigns in heaven, the One worthy of our worship and praise. He is Jesus, fully man and fully God.
• Everlasting Father – The idea in these Hebrew words is that Jesus is the source or author of all eternity, that He is the Creator Himself. Not that Jesus Himself is the Person of the Father in the Trinity.
• Prince of Peace – He is the One who makes peace, especially between God and man and puts peace in our hearts.
Jesus our Messiah will not only reign for 1,000 years, though the millennium is a special aspect of His reign, but there will be no end to it. He will rule for all eternity.

What does this mean to us?
We must accept what the Lord Jesus has paid the price for, believe in Him unreservedly and take refuge in His names in every area of our lives.

PART II: JUDGMENT (FROM A JUST GOD)
The prophecy now switches from the coming of the Messiah back to present day Israel, who has heard the Word of God through His prophets but has not listened. This section (Isaiah 9:8-21) is in three parts, the concluding fourth part is in the first few verses of chapter 10, each part concluding with an indication that more punishment was to follow because the Lord’s anger had not been satisfied.

Verses 8-12: Because of Their Unholy Pride, Israel Will Be Defeated By Her Enemies
“8-10 The Lord has spoken out against that braggart Israel who says that though our land lies in ruins now, we will rebuild it better than before. The sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars! 11-12 The Lord’s reply to your bragging is to bring your enemies against you—the Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west. With bared fangs they will devour Israel. And even then the Lord’s anger against you will not be satisfied—his fist will still be poised to smash you.”

In their pride, the leaders and the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel said, “Who cares if God judges us? Whatever is torn down, we will rebuild with something better. We have nothing to fear from what God can bring against us.” Instead of humbling themselves before the face of God on account of the many calamities that had already descended on them, they still entertained a light-hearted optimism regarding the future. So, God sent successive waves of enemies against Israel (The Syrians before and the Philistines behind). The destruction of Israel would be complete, and their proud promise to rebuild would be unfulfilled.

What does this mean to us?
God does not tolerate pride. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6
We must be humble and live our lives in humility before our Maker. James 4: 10 says: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Also see Micah 6:8

Verses 13-17: Because They Refuse To Repent, Their Leaders Will Be Destroyed
“13 For after all this punishment you will not repent and turn to him, the Lord of heaven’s armies. 14-15 Therefore the Lord, in one day, will destroy the leaders of Israel and the lying prophets. 16 For the leaders of his people have led them down the paths of ruin. 17 That is why the Lord has no joy in their young men and no mercy upon even the widows and orphans, for they are all filthy-mouthed, wicked liars. That is why his anger is not yet satisfied, but his fist is still poised to smash them all.

Each episode of judgment was followed by Israel’s refusal to turn to the LORD. They refused to turn to God for an explanation of why they were experiencing such evil. They were like dumb animals that resist even more when they are beaten.
“So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; 15 the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

What does this mean to us?
Although God is under no obligation to explain His divine decisions to us, He desires us to understand that His actions are not based out of ill-will but out of necessity as an answer for the sin and evil we humans create on the earth. It is the wickedness of Pharaoh’s heart that was hardened by the Lord. God did not put the wickedness there. See Romans 1:28.

Verses 18-21: Because of Their Wickedness They Will Attack Their Own Brothers
“18 He will burn up all this wickedness, these thorns and briars; and the flames will consume the forests too, and send a vast cloud of smoke billowing up from their burning. 19-20 The land is blackened by that fire, by the wrath of the Lord of heaven’s armies. The people are fuel for the fire. Each fights against his brother to steal his food but will never have enough. Finally they will even eat their own children! 21 Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh—and both against Judah. Yet even after all of this, God’s anger is not yet satisfied. His hand is still heavy upon them to crush them.”

The wickedness of Israel was as a raging wildfire: unstoppable, swift, uncontrolled, and devouring everything it touches. However, the people shall themselves by their wickedness, be the fuel for the fire. If they had ceased from their wicked ways, the fire would have no more fuel to continue to burn. But their wickedness prevailed to the point where they lost all sense of reasoning and started attacking each other. Verse 20 says:
“Each fights against his brother to steal his food but will never have enough. Finally they will even eat their own children!”

What does this mean to us?
Proverbs 21:7 says, “Because the wicked are unfair, their violence boomerangs and destroys them". Let’s be wary of any and every form of evil. Psalm 34:21 says: “Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned”

CONCLUSION
In today’s study, we see how the Lord decreed that despite the fact that He has afflicted Israel for their sins, He will now show them a great light; giving them a way out of the darkness. However, for those who refuse to repent, there are consequences. Jesus Christ shone His marvellous light in our darkness; and we must continue to walk in the light (1 John 1:7). To refuse and be adamant is to grope in darkness (Job 12:25,Isaiah 59:10) and like Israel, suffer the consequences. The fire that burned Israel was not started by God, neither did He fan the flames; it was started, fanned and fuelled themselves. He simply did not extinguish the fire when it started. We are therefore encouraged that in this world of evil, to by the Grace of God, keep our hands clean and our hearts pure and know that there is a glorious future ahead, that the world will see the day of redemption, that the oppressed and the weak will be delivered. (Titus 2:11-13)

Parts of this wtudy was culled from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/isaiah-9/

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
The previous study of the seventh chapter emphasized on how Ahaz King of Judah feared being conquered by an alliance between Israel and Syria. God assured King Ahaz not to fear and gave him a sign “IMMANUEL” as an everlasting protection for His people which meanings He will always be with them. 

Isaiah 7: 13-16 Then said Isaiah, Hear ye now, O house of David, Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.15He shall eat butter and honey that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good; the land that thou dost abhor shall be forsaken of both her kings).

Despite  God’s warning to King Ahaz, he went ahead to make a treaty with the Assyrians for protection. The consequences of Ahaz’s action will be that the Assyrians take over Judah as the waters flood over a territory.
Isaiah’s message in this eighth chapter explained the confederacy of Syria and Israel against the house of Judah. God’s assurance to protect Judah, the disobedience of King Ahaz and the consequences that lies ahead on the people. Although Israel and Judah both were brethren, they were divided as two separate kingdoms.

Isaiah 8:1-9 explained God’s message to Judah through Isaiah with instruction that he should write it with a pen on a scroll and also call the priest –Uriah as a witness so that it can be in records for everyone to see and then reveal it to King Ahaz. Why was this done? This was because King Ahaz did not trust God for the salvation of Judah. The Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz was mentioned figuratively as a prophecy which means son of plunder which is opposite to God’s redemption of humanity “IMMANUEL”. God did not take Ahaz’s actions lightly because King Ahaz himself did not trust God to depend on Him for protection for the fear of attack from Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah despite His assurance of victory to the House of Judah.
The significance of Judah is beyond a territorial extension of Israel but part of the covenant and as such should “stood out to honor the praise of God” and from which is the lineage of David and also Christ the Messiah.

2 Kings 8:19 Yet for the sake of His servant David, the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and His descendants forever).

Also, Joshua willed Judah the Southern of the promised land which became part of Jerusalem in Judah (Joshua 15) and this region became the site for the temple in Jerusalem, Mount Moriah, and also Mount Zion, and became the spiritual headquarters and strength of other tribes. We see this in Genesis 22:2, And later David affirmed in Psalm 132:13 that God has chosen Zion as His desired habitation. Bible scholars also tells us that Mount Moriah where God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac later became known as Zion in Southern Jerusalem. David own his own evolution willed Judah the Southern part of the city to God (2 Samuel 5: 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David). This region of Judah was also where Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 3: 1 Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.

Despite the good news of God’s redemption that will be pioneered by the House of Judah, God will bring judgment against the House of Judah because of the actions of King Ahaz in which he aligned with the Assyrians to fortify Judah against the aggression of Syria and Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah. King Ahaz was justified and had reasons to be afraid because they had suffered similar situation in the past and the antecedent of the Syrians, Ephraim and Remaliah was enough to frighten King Ahaz.

We notice this in - 2 Chronicles 28:6-8

For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed one hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. 7 Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king’s son, Azrikam the officer over the house, and Elkanah who was second to the king. 8And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

However, we will observe despite Ahaz’s justification in Isaiah 8:7, that God showed displeasure with Judah for King Ahaz’s treaty with the Assyrians and how such an action will be a yoke and snare to them.

The Assyrians were also the enemies of Israel who had invaded them before which also made God not pleased with the actions of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 5: 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of King Pul of Assyria, the spirit of King Tilgath-pilneser of Assyria, and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day).
However, the warning of judgement of the consequences of Judah and Israel’s disobedience will be a long lasting consequence on its people which we can trace in the scripture as it continued to Hosea to Malachi with emphasis on God’s desire for the restoration of Israel out of their backsliding state.

Isaiah 8:10-16 – At this point, God makes a demand on King Ahaz to ask for a sign as an assurance over His people. God’s intention was for King Ahaz to understand that He will be an everlasting savior over the people of Israel and Judah, and also out of the tribe of Judah comes forth salvation “IMMANUEL”. This prophecy was beyond the immediate threat of the Syrians and Israel against the House of Judah. As a people the task of trusting God for the fulfilment of His word means not settling for Ismael because of the NOW situation of temporary comfort which is short sightedness and only an opposition to God’s everlasting blessing of Isaac that requires our faith and complete obedience to Him.

Isaiah 8:16-20, God warns Isaiah not to focus on the conspiracy against Judah but to tell the people to adhere to His law but regardless Ahaz put his trust and that of His people in the might of the Assyrians. Furthermore, the people Judah continued in their ways and then God tells Isaiah to pay attention to the testimony (law) of the Lord; wait on Him and position himself and his children as God’s sign and wonder which the people will now read because they have derailed to seeking mediums and fortune tellers. The became a case of backsliding and complete derailment from the only true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The failed to come to the understanding their action of seeking other gods through mediums was a rejection of God’s law and also an abomination before Him.

Isaiah 8:21-22 The consequences of Judah’s level rejection of God will bring His God’s judgment and hardship on both Israel and Judah which prevailed for many years until the fulfilment of the coming of Jesus Christ, Immanuel (Mathew 1: 23) whose coming reconciled humanity to God.

CONCLUSION
Sometimes Christians struggle to trust God due to fear of the security of the future and most often our confidence is rather tilted towards other processes such as education, insurance policy, pension and retirement plans, etc. that point us towards a good future. God is calling us to a faith-based relationship

Hebrews 1: 1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear).

This is a life void of sentiment, because life of sentiment focuses on reality and pragmatism which cannot pass the test of faith in God. Did you wonder why God’s rebuke of Judah and Israel was so severe? This is because God does not spare His own when it comes to complete adherence. He expects us to trust Him in order to bring out the best in us even though the process might seem unrealistic just as He assured King Ahaz of the safety Judah and His redemption “Immanuel”, but Ahaz was shortsighted by aligning with the Assyrians.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight)

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
Throughout the history of God’s people, there are several instances where siege was laid against them, and also several accounts where the Almighty God intervened. There is an interesting account in Isaiah 37:1-38 where God sent one Angel in verse 35 to destroy the entire army of the Assyrians made up of 185,000 soldiers. This account is also recorded in 2 Kings 19:1-36 and 2 Chronicles 32:1-23. Isaiah Chapter 7 is the account of another of such failed attempt of the enemies of God’s people, that later culminates in the greatest deliverance in Isaiah 37:1-38; during king Hezekiah’s reign. 
But this time, Ahaz is king; and the prophet Isaiah summarises the entire failed attempt with this statement at the end of verse 1. “However, they were unable to carry out their plan.”
And then, from verse 2, he tells us how it all happened. And as we progress through the incident, it presents us with very important learning points.

IMPORTANT LEARNING POINTS
1. Point 1 (Verses 2-4): See Your Challenges Through The Eyes Of God!
“The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.” [NLT]

As we see in verse 2, Bad news had come that Israel and Syria had formed an alliance to fight against Judah and they were terrified. Just like Israel at the walls of Jericho who said they were like grasshoppers in the eyes of the Anak (Numbers 13:33) the people were terrified. But the Almighty has this to say in verse 4
“Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those
two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah.”

God called the two kings burned-out embers. All smoke no fire. All bark no bite. Here is an unfailing truth. “Everything fades into irrelevance when they come in contact with the Almighty.” So whose report will you believe? Isaiah 53: 1

2. Point 2 (Verse 7-9a): Sometimes God Does Things For His Namesake
“But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “This invasion will never happen; it will never take place; for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus, and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be crushed and completely  destroyed. Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria, and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah.

Psalms 23: 4 says: “He leads me in the path of righteousness for His namesake”
That’s why we see here that although Ahaz was not a good king, God still saved His people and thwarted the attempt of Syria and Israel. He does certain things in spite of us, not because He is pleased with us. He, choosing to remain faithful to His Word and promises, is not a yardstick to measure our standing with Him. We must consistently seek His grace made available to us through Christ, to live each and every day of our lives in right standing with Him.

3. Point 3 (Verse 9b): We Need Faith to Stand Firm
“Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”
The MSG says: If you don't take your stand you won’t have a leg to stand on.

This statement stands true even to today. It is very important for us as Christians to in faith, stand up for what we believe
• 1 Cor.16:13 says: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
• 1 Pet. 3:15 says: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
• Phil.1:27 says: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel”

4. Point 4 (Verses 10-12): Faith and Trust is better than Signs and Wonders
Ask for a sign from your God. Ask “God spoke again to Ahaz. This time he said, “ anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!” But Ahaz said, “I’d never do that. I’d never make demands like that on God!”” MSG
Having faith and trusting in God completely is the sign of a healthy relationship with God. And people with such give Him more pleasure as opposed to those who will not believe unless they are given signs. (See 1 Peter 1:8)
Signs are really for the unbelieving. Matthew 16:4a says: “A wicked and adulterous  generation looks for a sign . .”
In John 23:20, Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Ahaz was an idolater. So God asked Ahaz to choose a sign. And when he refused, God gave him His own sign.

5. Point 5 (Verse 14): The Significance of the Virgin Birth
“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” NLT
In this verse, Isaiah prophesies of a virgin birth.

Why was the birth of Christ through a virgin very important?
It is because it is crucial to and the bedrock of our faith. After the fall in Eden, sin started to be passed down through Adam, through the father. So if a human father had been responsible for the birth of Christ, Jesus would have been born with sin Himself. And His death on the cross would not have been substitutionary for us. He would have been dying for His own sins not ours. For Jesus to die for us, it was necessary for him to be born sinless. It was the virgin birth that enabled Jesus to be as human as his mother, Mary while at the same time as sinless and divine as His Father God Almighty

6. Point 6 (Verses 15-16) Assurance of Safety
“By the time the child is twelve years old, able to make moral decisions, the threat of war will be over. Relax, those two kings that have you so worried will be out of the picture.” MSG

Here again is where the prophecy of Isaiah spans two eras. He prophesies the birth of a miraculous child and that before that child will attain maturity, Israel and Syria would have been dealt with by the Assyrians and will no longer be a threat. Although the virgin birth refers to Jesus here, but it was 730 years after this prophecy that Jesus was born. However, if Jesus had been born at that time, the time frame would still have been valid!
Because a Hebrew child celebrates his passage to adulthood at age 12; and in less than 12 years, the Assyrians came and wiped out Israel and Syria. See Isaiah 17:1-6
2 Kings 17:6 also records how Assyria swept out of the north, captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and took the ten tribes into captivity. And from there they became lost to history.
“In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.”
Also see 2 Kings 18:5–18

7. Point 7 (Verses 17-25): God Does Not Compromise When It Comes To Consequences
In these verses, the prophet Isaiah prophesies against Judah. Immediately after prophesying against their enemies. Verse 17 says

“But also be warned: God will bring on you and your people and your government a judgment worse than anything since the time the kingdom split, when Ephraim left Judah. The king of Assyria is coming!” MSG

This prophecy came to pass as recorded in 2 Kings 18:13, when the new Assyrian King Sennacherib led a powerful invasion force to suppress Judah’s revolt. He came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.
“In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.”

CONCLUSION
We have looked at seven learning points from the study of this chapter. We are admonished to take these learning points to heart and allow them guide us as we journey through our paths in life. Every of our actions and inactions have consequences. Galatians 6:7-9 says:
“God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted. If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit. And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming!”

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION
We shall be reviewing Chapter 5 - the six woes/curses pronounced on Israel, borne out of their defiance to God’s commandments. And in Chapter 6, we shall x-ray the birth of prophet Isiah’s ministry and a call to service.
Societal decadence of morals and spirituality in Isiah’s time is not any different from what we see around us today.

Is 5:1-7. It begins with a very sorrowful, bitter and heart-breaking song. Here the song composer (God Almighty) who gave a description of a vineyard that He had invested in.

Verses 1-2 - He bought a land, removed stones that will hinder the roots of the vine from nourishment, He planted special breed of vines/not genetically modified, ensured there is wall of protection around the vine, and employed experienced vine dressers to keep it.
He expected bumper harvest of sweet choice grapes, but on the contrary He harvested useless and sour grapes.

In Verse 3, God asked His people to judge between Himself and the vineyard he had planted (the people of a Israel). He asked why the vineyard produce sour grapes against His expectation.

In Verse 5, God describes what will happen to this fruitless vineyard; destruction and curses await them. God tearing down the hedge that was meant to protect it, and dressers will no longer prune/hoe it. It was left for weeds and thorns to choke it to death till it becomes stone dried.

In Verses 5 & 6, God pronounced His judgment on the vineyard.
He will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. He will break down its walls and let the animals trample it. He will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. Rain to cease from falling.
Now God itemizes specific sins, 6 in number, for which curses “WOEs” are pronounced in V8, V11, V18, V20, V21, & V22.

Verse 7 tells us, who this vineyard of the Lord is. The vineyard is the people of Israel and by extension the body of Christ, living unrighteous. God chose the most fertile piece of land - Israel. He dug a trench around them, because they are surrounded by enemies. Removal of the stones may well indicate how God empowered them to eliminate the Canaanites in order for His people to give undiluted service to Him. They are the choicest vine.
The expectation God from them, for all the privileges (provision, protection, nourishment, etc.) enjoyed by these chosen people, is that they produce excellent fruits.
The expectations of God of them is holiness, righteousness, justice and love for mankind.
God asked in Verse 3, what else was expected of Him to do for them, reason He asked that they judge between Himself and they - the vineyard.

Verse 8: The focus here is on how His people have abandoned the faith and focused on material possessions.
God pronounced a curse Verses 9 & 10 reminiscent of famine conditions, where many of the land and houses they acquired illegally will become desolate and yield very little fruits.
The next “WOE” - curse is directed at the sin of drunkenness and pleasure seeking in

Verses 11 & 12. Within the body of Christ some defend their position on strong drinks with the popular quote by Apostle Paul 1Tim 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

In Verses 14 & 15 this class of sinners (drunks and pleasure seekers) are condemned to death. The mouth of hell is open to swallow them in large numbers.

God in Verse 16, vindicates Himself of their judgement as He remains holy and righteous.
We see the next judgement - “WOE” in Verse 18. It paints a picture of those who have truck load of sin, evil, iniquity immortality and wickedness: yet they drag their sins all over the place with impunity and without shame.

Verse 19 states that not only are they shamelessly exhibiting their folly, they have the audacity to challenge God to do His worst.
I struggled to exonerate the church from this group, but having pondered over the list, I asked sincerely, don’t we still have pride, deceit, envy, unforgiving and disobedience to parents, still prevalent with the church - I want to believe that Miracle Land is absolved in Jesus name.

We find the next category of “WOE” in Verse 20 where everything is made contrary to the norm. This seems familiar to what is happening in our world today. What is evil they call good and vice-versa. What was light they call dark, what was bitter they call sweet. I want us to critically review this with practical examples in our world today.

The next curse “WOE” in Verse 21 is matted to those who indulge in the sin of arrogance - what we call back home as “ITK”. They have a very arrogant disposition to life. They are highly opinionated of themselves. They hate being corrected and do not heed advice. One of the learnings from our Proverbs challenge is Prov. 24:6.” No wonder the arrogant goof always.

Verses 22 & 23 reel out the final curse “WOE” upon leaders in government, the society the church who take bribes to pervert justice, and take away the rights of the righteous. These are leaders who are corrupt and lack integrity.
The above are the specific sins in Chapter 5 that propelled God to bring judgement’s upon the children of Israel.

And in Verse 24, it reels out the unavoidable punishment where all that fall into the above categories are consumed like grass in a summer bonfire, because they all have rejected the word of the Lord and despised God.

Verse 25 says God is furious against these people. He promised to whisper to the enemies of Israel to go into a battle with them and destroy, and even the remnants captured by the enemy.

This above prophecy of Isiah was fulfilled during the Babylonian destruction of Israel and captivity of remnants into exile. The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat in the Jewish–Babylonian War and the destruction of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

Chapter 6

Isaiah must have struggled with this prophecy of doom and gloom. He must have asked, if God was still in charge and in control. This led to the birth of Isiah’s ministry in Chapter 6.
The opening verses 1-4 gave vivid account Isaiah’s visit to the temple to seek the face of God, after the death of king Uzziah. King Uzziah became king at age 16 (2 Chron. 26:1-4).
God showed Isaiah a vision of His throne, that in spite the confusion, He - God is still on His throne, in control and He reigns in His majesty. Angels are at His beck and call. That He - God remains Holy.

In Verse 5, the awesome wonders of God’s majesty, His power, glory and honour in His throne Isaiah was faced with no choice than to curse himself, just as he had been instructed to curse the people of Israel in chapter 5. How filthy, unrighteous and sinful natured he was as a human being became glaring to him as he compared himself with God in His throne room.
Isaiah admitted that he is a man of unclean lips, living in the mist of unclean people.

Verse 6: Isaiah had to go through a purification process after a genuine repentance. The coal touching his lips portrays atonement of sin, purification and cleansing from all forms of unrighteousness

Verse 8: The question here is who is God looking to send into a world in crisis and confusion as we have today? As we have learnt, this person must have a clear vision of God’s glory, majestic splendour, His holiness and unshakable kingdom.
This person must be broken, having an awareness of his sinful nature.
The person should be humbled enough to admit his sins and ask for forgiveness. Only such will be willing to Go.

Verse 9: Having displayed his preparedness and willingness to Go, Isaiah was asked to keep preach until there will be no one left to hear it.

CONCLUSION
Finally in Verse 13: Despite the confusion, impunity and blatant disregard for God’s commands, God still kept His 10%, His holy seed who will hear, see and understand with a brokenness of heart.My prayer is that Miracle Land will be among the holy seed of God in Jesus name.