Isaiah 33: 1 – 24
I’ve Seen That Trick Before
1 Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you. 2 O LORD, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. 3 At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered; 4 And Your plunder shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar; As the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them. 5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure. 7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, the traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. 9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. 10 “ Now I will rise,” says the LORD; “ Now I will be exalted, now I will lift Myself up. 11 You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. 13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “ Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, his water will be sure. 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. 18 Your heart will meditate on terror: “ Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” 19 You will not see a fierce people, a people of obscure speech, beyond perception, of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, a tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, nor will any of its cords be broken. 21 But there the majestic LORD will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will sail, nor majestic ships pass by 22 (For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us); 23 Your tackle is loosed, they could not strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.
Are you aware of the phrase, ‘If it works once, why not do it again.’ Not too sure? Do you like football? If you are familiar with a football game watch the plays that gain some good yardage. The offensive coordinator will save that play to be used later on. If it works again the same thing will happen until the defense wises up and stops that particular play.
If you watch the news the Islamic nations that surround the tiny nation of Israel plays diplomatically by the same rules. They will claim that they will grant peace if certain concessions are made by Israel. Usually through world pressure Israel concedes to the demands. Is the end result now peace? Nope, the Islamic nations almost immediately want new concessions from Israel. Unlike a football team, however, the world does not wise up.
The evil country which our Bible points out that deals in this manner in the nation of Assyria. The king by the name of Sennacherib had accepted peace terms and a financial pay off from Judah. While the Jewish ambassadors were still leaving their tribute with this foreign nation, their army was already on the march to wipe out the people of Israel.
We read this in chapter 18 of the book of 2 Kings, “13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, which was on the highway to the Fuller’s Field. 18 And when they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 21 Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?”’ 23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’” 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’” 36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.”
This is the predicament that the people of Judah are coming face to face with as we being this 33rd chapter of the book of Isaiah.
1 Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you.
Our Holy El Roi – The Strong One Who Sees – knows of this nations evil plans. They think that they are going to pull a fast one on God’s people. As we all know from our study of His Holy Word that ain’t gonna happen. It is all going to splash back in their faces.
When all attempts at human reason and planning fails, why not pray. Of course this should be our first action, but our sinful self dominion continues to plague us. We wait to when the enemy is at our very doors until we cry out – ‘Help Daddy!’
2 O LORD, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
When you point your finger at someone who is guilty we all need to remember that three of those fingers are pointing right back at us. [I know that some of you are already pointing to see if three fingers are actually pointing back at you, aren’t you?]
But I say this but at the same time show how unique we are. By this, don’t forget that Judah had already left God out of the picture and tried to scheme their way out of disaster. Now, that the enemy had in turn tricked them by taking their money and still coming after them, look again at their words seeking God’s Grace, “2 O LORD, be gracious to us; We have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” Did you catch their words again – ‘We have waited for You’. Oh yeah, right. We all try to pull the same old stick. No, in humble truth, our prayer should be, ‘Oh Lord we have failed you again. Forgive us, that we tried on our own to solve our problems. We should have come to our Loving Heavenly Father first and always to seek Your Counsel and Help.’ Is this not so?
3 At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered; 4 And Your plunder shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar; As the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them.
Now here is truth about how Powerful and Majestic our Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High – Is. This fact should have been in the people’s hearts and minds from the beginning and probably all this mess would never be happening.
5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.
Now that He has our minds set on Him then our Precious Holy Spirit will remind us through the power of His Word that He Is All In All. He Is Everything we will ever need. Our very breath is in His hand so why not trust Him for all things.
We are reminded of His Holy and Righteous Position - 5 The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. The people now have confidence in Him. They are assured of the coming victory over the Assyrians. The Jews know the only True and Living God Who dwells on High. He will makes things right again for all those that put their faith in Him.
Wisdom and knowledge will again take place as men and women look toward Him - 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.
7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste, the traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. 9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. 10 “ Now I will rise,” says the LORD; “ Now I will be exalted, now I will lift Myself up. 11 You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
Today is ‘Veterans Day in the US. I was watching the history channel and it was covering the story about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I found it amazing as the film showed the Japanese ambassadors at the State Department coming and talking about peace when all the while they knew that their fleet was sailing towards Hawaii. It was a totally different picture as they showed the replacement ambassadors on the aircraft carrier off the coast of Japan discussing their country’s surrender agreement. It was the same picture our Great God was pointing to His people regarding the punishment that Assyria would receive and it also involved the humiliation of their leaders – ‘7 Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.’
Those who would make war see upon their own land the ruin - 8 The highways lie waste, the traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. 9 The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
You’re in trouble now Sennacherib, you got the Lord’s attention to act, and He Is now Rising off His Throne to come and deal with you - 10 “ Now I will rise,” says the LORD; “ Now I will be exalted, now I will lift Myself up. 11 You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; Like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “ Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, his water will be sure. 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. 18 Your heart will meditate on terror: “ Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” 19 You will not see a fierce people, a people of obscure speech, beyond perception, of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.
If you want to survive then hear what you have to do as He issues a summons for all who dwell in the land – ‘13 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.”
The Lord now decides to deal with all those who oppose Him - 14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “ Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
The righteous person who has all along been faithful to the Lord will be protected during the time of the Lord’s Wrath. These people try to live godly lives. They do everything above board. They do not try to gain power or riches through unholy means. Those who sit as judges and public figures refuse to accept bribes. They will not be taken by foreign enemies who speak a different language. These people faithful to the Lord’s Commandments will receive all their needs met by Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Who Provides - 15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, his water will be sure. 17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off. 18 Your heart will meditate on terror: “ Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?” 19 You will not see a fierce people, a people of obscure speech, beyond perception, of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.’
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, a tabernacle that will not be taken down; Not one of its stakes will ever be removed, nor will any of its cords be broken. 21 But there the majestic LORD will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will sail, nor majestic ships pass by 22 (For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us); 23 Your tackle is loosed, they could not strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. 24 And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.
Jerusalem is called the ‘City of Peace’. Sadly, it hasn’t seen peace until the Prince of Peace Rules. When He does He will assume the rightful throne of His father David. He will rule in Rightness and Peace will finally be had for all. This is why we should all remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We all wait for You our King. Come quickly Lord Jesus.
