Isaiah, Part 9
God’s Promise for the Rebellious
Isaiah 14:3-23
Introduction
- Welcome to Seasons! We are so glad that you’ve chosen to worship with us
- Last time, we unpacked Ch 11 and 12 … we saw one great focus:
-- God’s promise for His people: Given a hymn of praise (reason to celebrate)
-- Because of the salvation God gives - it must motivate us to bring others in
- Ch 12 is also the close of the judgment ‘proclaimed against Judah’
-- Remember, the first part of this book is written FOR Judah’s rebellion
-- It is God’s specific grievances against the disobedience of His calling to live
-- It ends with the great hope of salvation shown to us in Chapter 12 (Jesus)
- CHART (handout): Shows us where we are in our journey through Isaiah
-- Today, we turn our eyes towards the judgment of the ‘neighbors of Judah’
- I want us to see (rem: Isaiah’s focus is hope) the future of God’s adversary
-- Whole point covers Ch 13 - 18 … focus on part of 14 only – see why at end
-- Ultimate focus: Isaiah outlines God’s defeat for the ultimate rebel!
- Read Isaiah 14:3-23 / Pray TR: Let’s start with the obvious …
Point 1 – God’s victory is assured, even for our greatest enemy
- The ‘king’ will be taunted by those who are delivered (vv3-4) – what sovereign?
• The king who opposes God! 2 Corinthians 4:4, “Satan, who is the god (think: ruler) of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
• Know this: In Heaven, we will have nothing to fear; no judgment to face
• And we will see who it was who oppressed us; that he has no impact on us!
- The oppressors brutality will be ended by the power of God (vv5-8)
• God will break the rod of the ‘wicked king’ (think: end his rule: crushed)
• Hebrew: shebet; rod, staff, scepter (signified authority; sword surrendered)
• Why? Because of his aggressive conquests of nations God defeats him
• Understand: He governs people with brutality; with sinful consequences
- But now, we have Isaiah’s promise (v7): God will give rest to the whole earth
• The earth will be at peace because of its release from his oppression
• The trees – which is a metaphor for the oppressed multitudes – will rejoice
• Why? Because the greatest persecutor has no authority over us anymore!
- TR: I know that we are all tired of the tyranny of this world; rescue is coming
-- Our role: Continue to preach, to teach, to love, to minister, to give HOPE of it!
Point 2 – Big Question: What happens to God’s enemy after defeat?
- God will doom his enemy, the evil one, to a place called: “Sheol” (v9)
• Even departed spirits awaiting judgment are excited to see him there!
• They will take note of his arrival, crane their necks to see him better
• APP: They will rejoice to see the wicked one defeated!
- They will ridicule his fall from power & realize his uselessness (vv9-12)
• SEE: He becomes as weak as they are (compared to God’s power)
• HOW: The ‘wicked king’ loses his glory, his wealth, his status & power
• Even maggots and worms will cover his body (sign of death/decay)
- TEACH: Sheol does not always mean “the place of the damned” (a.k.a. hell)
-- But, it does have the same meaning as the word used in Greek: “Hades”
- It is literally translated as a “grave” or a “pit”: to be separated from this world
-- Genesis 37:35, “His (Jacob on hearing his son, Joseph, is dead - lie) family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave (Sheol) mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.”
-- Wisdom tells us: Proverbs 1:12, “Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave (Sheol); let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.”
- Jesus talked about it as another world, an unseen world, a spiritual world
-- FACT: It is a place consisting of two separate areas with an impassable gulf
-- Luke 16:22-24, “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead (Hades). There, in torment (basanos), he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’” Take away: Jesus is saying:
• There is a place of torment (rich man’s resting place) – this is ‘hell’
• The other is a place of paradise; a place of rest/comfort (where Lazarus is)
• Don’t miss: The rich man knew who he was, he was fully aware (scary!)
- True, Sheol often has the implication of hell or place where sinful are punished
• EX: In pronouncing judgment on the Israelites, God speaks of his anger
• His anger was so raging that it burned like the fire from Sheol
• Deuteronomy 32:22, “For my anger blazes forth like fire and burns to the depths of the grave (Sheol). It devours the earth and all its crops and ignites the foundations of the mountains.”
- Lesson: Scheol includes hell, and it is one of the two places of our final rest
• Bible’s book of wisdom tells us that will be a final resting place for all
• Psalm 9:17-18, “The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God. But the needy (poor in spirit) will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.”
• LESSON: Life after death exists and there is hope for some!
- TR: So, let’s get to the main event, the reason we can have hope in this life …
Point 3 – The Fall of Lucifer (The real enemy of God)
Three things that Isaiah sees and prophecies clearly about this ‘defeated king’:
1. He is the morning star from heaven (v12)
• Hebrew: helel; morning star (a reference to Venus)
• Isaiah is actually delivering a mocking description to the Israelites
• RE: Venus is seen in the morning, and appears to fall away as the sun rises
• It becomes invisible compared to the power of the sun (appears to fall away)
• He is using graceful language to describe the massive fall of this ‘king’
2. He will be thrown down, or, removed from his lofty place of power
• APP: Even the power of the most wicked is only temporary…
• Why? Because nothing is more powerful than the authority of God!
3. His judgment: To be cast down from his famous position … but, why?
• B/C of his sin: Pride! Sought to ascend to Heaven, to God’s throne (v13)
• He wanted his throne above the stars; he wanted to be more God than God!
• He even desired to be worshiped on God’s sacred mountain (the temple)
• Lends to credibility for the Abomination of Desolation (Matt 24 / Rev 13)
- Re-read vv16-17 – Want us to fully understand his position in the afterlife
-- Consider: In eternity, we will be able to look upon him and wonder:
• Is THIS all that kept me from God’s richest blessings?
• Is THIS the great deceiver who had me fooled to think my sin was ok?
• Is THIS the keeper of all lies who convinced me that my way was better?
Big Idea
- REALIZE: If God would do this to one of His most beautiful, rebellious angels
-- How can we (also created by God) think that we won’t answer for our sin too?
- Homework: Read through Chapter 18 this week … No Wed service this week
-- Note: Isaiah has shown us what God will do to #1 enemy
-- Now, see the warning for all nations who rebel against God!
-- Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Israel, & Ethiopia – all treated equally!
- BIG APP: The punishment for ALL who go against God will be the same!
- Our challenge is to get out of our own way; Martin Luther, “Let God be God”
-- Realize this: This is a lesson the Israelites had to learn (the hard way)!
- EX: Remember when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years?
-- They were told to follow the cloud of glory – not the other way around!
-- The cloud God provided did not follow them – they had to follow God!
- Lesson: If you’re not following God, who are you following?
-- If it is the enemy (was a glorious angel, king) we’ve discussed this morning …
• Why would your ending be different than what is awaiting him in eternity?
• Why would we deserve less than God’s wrath? Must repent: need Jesus
- Pray
