Isaiah, Part 2
Isaiah’s Warning to Today’s World
Isaiah 2:1-22
Introduction
- Welcome to Seasons! We are so glad that you’ve come to worship with us!
- Last week, we discussed the revelation of Isaiah to God’s people
-- If there was any encouragement we must takeaway it was this:
• Faithfulness to God is more than performing ceremonially, ritualistic stuff
• It is an eagerness to live for, to worship freely, and to testify about … Him!
-- Isaiah unashamedly gives us great insight into what irritates God – “warning”
- Beginning this week, we will look at a further breakdown of Chapter 1
-- Chapters 2 to 5 contain encouragements/wisdom for present and future Judah
-- FACT: Judah’s residents were being forsaken by God because of their rebellion
- Simply stated: Judah preferred the world’s “things” over following God
-- Lesson: God will allow you to make dumb choices and hold you accountable
-- The application of God’s ways are found in the way Isaiah presents this to us
-- Isaiah is not an easy book to study; but it is necessary for right here and now
- Will do this in a read & unpack format instead of reading all at once / Pray
- TR: Let’s start with undeniable wisdom – are you ready?
Point 1 – We must understand: God is always in charge
- Read Isaiah 2:1-4
- Setup: This is intro to prophecy; this will happen “in the last days” (v2)
-- What? God will establish His house, and it will be exalted above ALL things
- APP: The House is the Heavenly realm, the place where His authority is
-- We will see this more in Chapter 6, but we’ve also seen this in Revelation 4
-- Isaiah refers to a time when people will go “up” there and seek wisdom (v3)
- Why? Because there is knowledge to be had, instructions on how we must live!
-- Isaiah is seeing a time when God will call His children to fellowship with Him
-- He sees God’s wisdom going out to all lands and nations, even settling wars (v4)
-- This is a great word: God’s wisdom will be what leads nations to draw to Him
-- FACT: But in order to gain wisdom you have to be teachable - must desire it
- Preach: We must see the truth of God’s authority – it’s still in place today
• God’s commands are not undone by “feelings”; we cannot hide from them
• Our feelings and preferences will never replace God’s authority over us
• This means that not liking it doesn’t mean it undoes it; that is pride talking
• Meaning? Sin must still be repented of and abandoned in order to follow
• APP: We cannot choose the things we like over God and call ourselves His
- TR: This becomes evident because of a very simple truth for all time …
Point 2 – Proclamation: God will be the only one exalted!
- Read Isaiah 2:5-9
- Look at the description of the people that Isaiah lives among:
-- (It’s ~700 BC) Must see their condition and note: God has rejected their things
• They are in love with pagan symbols, their customs and rituals (v6b)
• They value their status and possessions over faithfulness to God (v7)
• Their land is filled with idols to god’s that are not to be worshiped (vv8-9)
• CHALLENGE: What are we exalting today that is not of God?
- Read Isaiah 2:10-18
- Understand the warning to all people who choose their ways over God:
• When He comes, enemies will crawl into the caves; they will hide in the dust
• Human pride (haughtiness) will be brought down (humbled before God)
• Even the mountains will be brought down; cities laid to waste (crushed)
• Yes, even our pride in all of our accomplishments will not stand before God
• Only God will stand on day of His judgment (He will still be praised)
- Preach: You might ask, why does this matter today?
• Must realize: Only He is worthy; only God can truly be called “good”
-- Let me give you some homework (not now): Go home and read Mark 10:17-31
-- See if you can identify what is truly “good” in view of, in the eyes of, Heaven …
• Have to see the warning for the future (v11): It is God who will be lifted up
• ANS TO QUES: We must live like this now; must turn our hearts to Him
- Yes, our works will be rewarded – but it is God who will be exalted!!
-- Ref bottom of handout, these are the only “rewards” promised in Heaven:
-- But the glory of the rewards is still the Lord’s; it is God who is worshiped!
• The Imperishable Crown (for faithfulness to God) – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
• The Crown of Rejoicing (live to praise God’s goodness) – 1 Thessalonians 2:19
• The Crown of Righteousness (for wanting God’s things) – 2 Timothy 4:8
• The Crown of Glory (those who long to see Jesus) – 1 Peter 5:4
• The Crown of Life (for believers who endure persecution) – Revelation 2:10
- Know this: The rewards/crowns are symbolic rewards!
-- They don't signify a royal position or authority over others
-- They are also not a sign of how “awesome” you are to all of Heaven
-- They are a representation of the everlasting joy in the life to come in Heaven
- We should be careful not to consider them idols; rewards from a merciful God
-- Why? We just saw (ref vv7-9) how God views placing our value in “things”
-- APP: These rewards are a measure of our faithfulness from a God who loves us
-- It is a calling for us to receive good things from a Father who has not forsaken us
-- Wisdom: If we choose the things of this world these crowns cannot belong to us
- TR: You might ask: What if we choose our things/wants over God?
Point 3 – Isaiah’s warning: God’s judgment is coming!
- Read Isaiah 2:19-22
- FACT: God’s judgment is still promised b/b He will be the victor in this war
-- Wonder: What is the war? It is the same war fought in the Garden of Eden!
-- Check out Genesis 2:15-17, “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden - except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
- Command: Don’t eat of the tree containing knowledge (key) of good and evil
-- SEE THIS: God did not want us to understand what the difference was
-- He never intended for us to know about the “things of evil”; Satan already there
-- God wanted us to choose the things of Him and deny our “materialistic wants”
- From the very beginning His desire was not robots – but willing faithfulness
- Simply stated, God wanted us to:
• Avoid the things that would bring us destruction, and,
• Choose to desire what He offered (re: He gave domain over His world!)
- EX: Parents don’t let their kids juggle knives for same reason … we say NO!
-- So, why would we think God wants people to do these things now? (pause)
- Let’s see what Isaiah said about what’s coming:
1. Isaiah clearly shows the fate of God’s enemies (v19)
o EX: When the Lord shakes the Earth, His enemies will hide in fear
2. He discusses the fate of their idols (their trinkets, their worship) (vv20-21)
o EX: These are the things that we consider more valuable than God
3. SEE: Isaiah gives a strong admonition to not trust in humanity (v22)
o Why? Because we are frail (will die); we cannot be the “foundation”
-- APP: Peace can only come when we place our trust in God, in His wisdom
-- It is why we are called to go “up” to Him (from a place of humbleness) (vv2-3)
-- HUGE: If He is exalted in our life, then to get to Him we must go UP TO Him!
Big Idea
- For us … Isaiah is screaming a truth that we need to examine – need to adopt!
-- It’s the same question asked of Judah – God’s chosen people for His glory
-- It is the truth that our reward cannot and will not come from the things we want
- FACT: We cannot put our worth in things that we’ve gone out and possessed
-- WHY? When we do, we make it our hope and put it at risk of being destroyed
- In full view of the work of the cross of Jesus Christ; what can we do to compare?
-- When will we realize the things we “treasure” are nothing compared to God?
-- When will we admit all He wants is us; all He wanted was for us to choose Him?
-- When will we realize how valuable HE is – that He has everything we need?
- THINK: What will we choose to value this week? Will it be God’s glory? (Pt 3)
- Pray
