Isaiah 3:1

Isaiah 3:1 says, For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.  Isaiah gives the people of Jerusalem and Judah a warning.  Since they were not obeying God and were following false god’s instead, He was about to remove His protective hand from them, and they would no longer be sheltered by Him.  He was also no longer going to provide them with the other basic needs of life, food and water.  If we do not put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will one day find ourselves with all the basic needs to enjoy life removed and we will have nothing left to help us.   

Verse two adds, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,  Isaiah also tells then that God said He was going to remove their mighty men from them, those that had defeated their enemies under the power and leadership of God.  He said that the judge, those representing the law, and the prophet, God’s spokesmen, were going to be removed.  If we refuse to follow God’s leadership, we will find ourselves without His protection or guidance.   

Verse three continues, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.  Isaiah just ontinues to tell them that God said He was removing all those who should be following His law, but were following false God's instead.  We cannot follow false god’s and expect God to guide and protect us at the same time.  Though if we are saved by putting our faith in Jesus Christ we will be forever saved, if we stop obeying the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we may no longer have God’s protection in this lifetime.  We cannot put our faith in God and something else at the same time.   

Verse four states, And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.  God said He was going to remove the older men in power who had not fulfilled their responsibility to follow Him, and He would put children and babies in their place,  If the older people who are supposed to be leaders in the church today fail to live up to their responsibility, God will call younger Christians to replace them.  We cannot just assume that since we have always served in a position in the church and take pride in the position without being dedicated to following God’s will and doing His work that we will always be in that position.    

Verse five adds, And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.  God said that the people would be oppressed not only by their enemies, but by their neighbor as well.  He also warned that children would behave proudly against their elders and that those who were without honor would rise up against the honorable men and women.  We don’t have to look to another country to see his happening today.  Even young children seem to think that they are smarter than older people and often show them no respect.  Of course, if the older people have denied God and the younger people have put their faith in Him, this would be the expected outcome, but often young people deny God and His word and still feel superior to their elders, even those who are Christians.   

Verse six continues, When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:  God also warned that people would look to those who had clothing, or were better off materially than they were, to be leaders, thinking this would imply that they were wiser than other people.  Just because someone may be rich and famous today does not mean that they are qualified to lead the country, much less God’s people.   

Isaiah 2:16

Isaiah 2:16 says, And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.  This destruction was also to come on all their ships used in trade and to increase their wealth.  Nothing that we value more than God in this world is of lasting value.  When Jesus Christ returns, it will all be destroyed or done away with.   

Verse seventeen adds, And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  Though there may have been a day after Isaiah was prophesying and now that this was partially fulfilled, I believe that the main fulfillment refers to what is going to happen at the return of Jesus Christ.  All of mankind will bow down to Him, and Jesus Christ alone will be exalted when that day comes.  

Verse eighteen continues, And the idols he shall utterly abolish.  I don’t believe there has ever been a time when all idols were utterly abolished, though the people of Israel and Judah during the divided kingdom did at times destroy all those there.  God will one day destroy all idols everywhere, but we as followers of Jesus Christ need to do our best to destroy them in our life every day.   

Verse nineteen states, And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  Isaiah said that people would try to hide everywhere, even in caves, but there would be no place to hide when God’s judgment comes.  The only place that is safe will be in the rock of faith in Jesus Christ.   

Verse twenty adds, In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;  Isaiah then said that the idols of silver and gold made for men to worship would be cast out to the bats and moles, but it would be too late for it to do them any good.  We cannot wait until the return of Jesus Christ and then try to start believing in Him.   

Verse twenty-one continues, To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.  People will go to what they think are safe places to avoid God's judgment, but it will not save them.  We can only be saved by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord before He returns.   

Verse twenty-two concludes, Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?  Isaiah then asked what a man was compared to God that people would put their faith in him.  No matter who or what we put our faith in in this world, it is never going to save us. Only faith in Jesus Christ can.

Isaiah 2:10

 Isaiah 2:10 says, Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.  Isaiah told the people of Judah that they were to enter into the rock, but in this case it was not for assurance but to hide from God since they hadn’t been obedient to Him.  We today are called on to put our faith in the Rock, the unmovable assurance of Jesus Christ, if we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  If we haven’t, there is no place to hide from God to escape His coming judgment.  

Verse eleven adds, The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  There are many haughty people in positions of power today, but one day, in the life to come if not in this one, they will be brought down low, bowing to Jesus Christ after it is too late to be saved.   

Verse twelve continues, For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:  I believe this means all those who remain proud and lofty by believing that they don’t need God.  They put more faith in themselves and their knowledge than they do in God.  Of course, I also believe that as followers of Christ we should never have an attitude of being high and lofty over other people.   

Verse thirteen states, And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,  Now, Isaiah begins to move on to the idols that people worship.  People may exalt or worship nature, which would include trees, but they are going to be cast down as well when God's judgment came, and this will always be true. No false god will ever save anyone.   

Verse fourteen adds, And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,  Isaiah then said that the mountains that people worshipped on would one day fall.  All false places of worship and false gods are going to pass away when Jesus Christ returns.   

Verse fifteen continues, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,  There was to be no protection for the people of Judah as they rebelled against God, and there will be no protection for anyone who does not put their faith in Jesus Christ when He returns to claim His people.