Isaiah 24:10

Isaiah 24:10 says, The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.  Isaiah said that at this time all the city or cities throughout the country would be open to destruction because all their walls of defense would be broken down and that all the doors to every house would be shut.  Matthew Henry says that this would be because there were few men left to fight possibly due to the plague mentioned in chapter twenty-four, verse six.  I also believe that it means they would also be shutting out others in need of help and just looking out for themselves.  We cannot allow fear of anything to stop us from reaching out to others with the gospel.  Even if our numbers become few, we still have the responsibility of sharing the gospel. 

Verse eleven adds, There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.  Isaiah said there would be a crying for wine in the streets and that all joy would be darkened. This could mean that the wine had somehow spoiled or I believe that there just was none left.  Because of that, the mirth that the people of Jerusalem had experienced was gone.  Too often today, people think they need alcoholic beverages to be happy, and when it is gone, they lose their joy.   We as followers of Christ should look to Him alone for our joy, and anything else we think we must have to find happiness will one day be gone. 

Verse twelve continues, In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.  Isaiah said that the city of Jerusalem would be left in desolation, and the gate would be destroyed.  All the things of the world that we look to for safety and security will one day fail us.  Jesus Christ is our gate to everlasting security, and we must put our faith and hope in Him alone. 

Verse thirteen states, When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.  This is a reference to the remnant of the people of Israel that will be left after this coming devastation.  After everything is shaken, there will be a few like the olives after the tree is shaken or the grapes that are left for the gleaning.  The remnant will be dispersed throughout the land.  As Christians, we are part of the remnant of God’s people, and we are often few and scattered throughout the land. 

Verse fourteen adds, They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.  Though few in number, this remnant will lift up their voices in praise to the majesty of God.  We, as followers of Christ, have already been delivered from everlasting punishment for our sins, so no matter what happens in the world, we should be singing praises to God. 

Verse fifteen continues, Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.  Isaiah said they were to glorify God even in the fires or scattered throughout the world, maybe even often exiled to one of the isles.  If we are confronted with being killed for our faith or maybe being banished to some remote place, we still need to sing praises to God.  It is easy to sing praises to God when things are going well, but we too often only grumble and complain when they aren’t.  Our singing praises to God should never be about how things are going materially but should always be about the fact that no matter what happens in this life, He has given us everlasting life with Him if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  We need to be joyous people, no matter what happens in this world. 

Verse sixteen concludes, From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.  Isaiah said that from the uttermost parts of the world that praises to God were heard.  Still, Isaiah lamented the leanness of the number of the people of God that remained, and the people of the world were still treating them treacherously.  Just because God has redeemed us spiritually doesn’t mean that we will not be treated badly by the world.  Often, the opposite may be true.  We cannot allow this to keep us from singing praises to God if it does happen, though. 

Verse seventeen says, Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.  Isaiah then stated that instead of living in the peace and security that God’s people should have that they were living in dread of total ruin.  We may see all the things wrong in the world today or may even lack what we need to do more than barely survive on, but we should never live in fear of the world.  We have everlasting victory through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Verse eighteen adds, And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.  Isaiah basically said that there was no hope of escape by looking for safety in the world.  Those that escaped the pit would be taken by the snare, since the whole earth would be shaken, since God’s judgment was coming.  When God’s final judgment comes, there is no place that those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will find safety, since God controls not just the earth but the universe. 

Verse nineteen continues, The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.  Isaiah said that the whole earth would be broken down, cleanly dissolved, and moved exceedingly.  I believe this is more a reference to when Jesus Christ returns in victory, but there may have been times when God allowed natural disasters to occur that show His power over the world.  Nothing in this world is ever going to keep us safe when God’s judgment comes except a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Verse twenty concludes, The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.  Isaiah said because of the transgressions of mankind, that one day God was going to do away with the old earth, even though it had been declared good when He created it.  It is the sins of mankind that has caused the whole earth to become corrupted.  God will then restore the heavens and the earth to what they should have been all along, once He exiles Satan and all those who follow Him to the pits of hell. 

Verse twenty-one states, And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.  Isaiah said that when God’s judgment comes, those who has been in positions of power and prestige, those who had been sitting on high in the eyes of the world but didn’t acknowledge God would be punished for their sins.  They would no longer be in power but would be sent away to everlasting punishment. 

Verse twenty-two adds, And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.  Once more, Isaiah said that those who were judged and found guilty of sin who had not found forgiveness by putting their faith in Jesus Christ would be cast down into the pit.  There, they will be visited by the wrath of God.  Still, it will be their choice to be there.  God has made the way possible to escape this coming judgment, but those who refuse to accept that way will know the wrath of God one day. 

Verse twenty-three continues, Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.  Isaiah said that in that day even the moon and stars would be ashamed.  When God returns in His glory, the stars, even the sun, will pale in comparison.  The question is will we be going to an everlasting relationship with God or to everlasting punishment. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will be going to their home in heaven with Him and all others will be going to the pit, to hell, for everlasting punishment.

Isaiah 24:1

Isaiah 24:1 says, Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.   Matthew Henry says it is agreed that this begins a new sermon, which concludes in chapter twenty-seven.  When reading the Bible, we must understand what we are reading in context, or we might come up with some wrong ideas about what it actually says.  He also points out that as is many times the case with Isaiah that he concludes by saying it will be well with them and to the wicked he pronounces woe on them.  If we are a follower of Christ, everything is going to end well with us, and if we aren’t we will be sent away to everlasting woe.  This prophecy is not against a particular city or country but is a prophecy against the whole world.  Some people think this is what happened when Sennacherib defeated so many nations, some think it refers to when Nebuchadnezzar did the same, but we can be certain this is what will one day happen throughout the world when Jesus Christ returns in judgment.  The whole world will then be shaken and turned upside down.  We need to also know that it will be God Who brings these calamities to the earth.  We often think about the devastating power that mankind now possesses, but it is God Who will bring it all to an end, and He doesn’t need mankind's power to do so.

Verse two adds, And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.  This prophecy applied to all people.  It wasn’t just for the rich or the poor or for the religious or non-religious.  One day, God is going to judge everyone based on their relationship to Jesus Christ. 

Verse three continues, The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.  This has not happened at any point in history, so it has to be referring to the coming day of judgment in my opinion.  There have been many times when parts of the world were basically destroyed in war, but never a time when the whole earth has been.  After the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, and everyone since as well, the earth has become something that God did not intend for it to be, and He is going to destroy the sin that has entered into the world one day. 

Verse four concludes, The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.  When God’s judgment comes, the whole earth will mourn and fade away.  I am not sure exactly how this will happen, but we are told that there will be a new heaven and earth when Jesus Christ returns, and those who relied on their wealth or anything else other than Jesus Christ for forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven will fade away into everlasting punishment. 

Verse five states, The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.  Isaiah said that God had pronounced the whole earth to be defiled because of the sins of mankind.  When God created the earth, He proclaimed it good, and the same is true of mankind.  Still, He gave Adam and Eve freewill and only a couple of rules to live by, and even in a perfect environment, they disobeyed God’s commandments and sin and death entered the world. Every person since then, except for Jesus Christ, has disobeyed God’s commandments and the world has grown to be less and less the way God created it. 

Verse six adds, Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.  The earth was created as a paradise for mankind to enjoy and tend, but because of sin, it has become a place that is often full of devastation.  We might say that far from there being few people left that there are now too many, but we will never know what the earth could be like today without the sin of mankind corrupting it. 

Verse seven continues, The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.  Isaiah said that the vines for making new wine were going to languish, and then the people who had been using wine to make themselves happy were going to sigh in disappointment.  I am not saying that we should use alcoholic beverages to make life seem better, but I will say that anything we look to outside the will of God to do so will fail us and leave us sighing in disappointment. 

Verse eight says, The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.  Isaiah also said that the music that brought the people happiness, possibly at the same time that they were drinking the new wine, was going to cease as well.  There are many ads and movies today that show drinking and listening to music and dancing as what it means to be happy, but outside of God’s will, anything we look to for happiness is one day going to be gone.  Nothing in this world will ever bring lasting happiness except living under the lordship of Jesus Christ after we accept His gift of salvation. 

Verse nine adds, They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.  Isaiah said that when God’s judgment came on them, they would find strong drink to be bitter and not a way to joy and pleasure.  Matthew Henry said it would be bitter because it was mingled with their tears or through sickness they had lost their relish of it.  If we try to find happiness in alcohol or drugs today, there will come a time when they simply leave us with bitterness in our heart since we will never find lasting joy in them. 

Isaiah 23:10

Isaiah 23:10 states, Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.  Isaiah said God had called on the people to pass through the land as though they were passing through a river.  It would take all their strength to just survive if they were in a river, and there would be no strength left for anything else. That would be my understanding of the verse. 

Verse eleven adds, He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.  Isaiah said that God had stretched forth His hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms and that He was about to do that with Tyre.  I think of the Egyptian army that was destroyed so easily when God stretched out His hand so that the people of Israel could cross over the Red Sea on dry land, but the Egyptian army was destroyed when He allowed the waters to fall in on them.  They didn’t have the strength to survive, just as Tyre wouldn’t have the strength to survive God’s coming judgment on them.  We can also be certain that no one will ever survive God’s coming judgment except by putting their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. 

Verse twelve continues, And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.  Isaiah prophesied that God was going to leave the people of Tyre with no reason to rejoice.  They had rejoiced in self-pride, but they had not obeyed God, and now they were going to suffer because of that.  We may be filled with the greatest amount of self-pride, but if we put our faith in God, we shouldn’t be.  We are all just sinners saved by grace, and if we begin to believe that we somehow deserve God’s blessings or mercy because of how important we are in the world, then we are in for a fall. 

Verse thirteen states, Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.  Isaiah told the people of Tyre to look back to how easily the Chaldeans were destroyed by the Assyrians with the implication being that they could just as easily be destroyed.  The Chaldeans had built towers and palaces, but they did not save them from destruction.  We may think that we are indestructible because of our own wealth or power, but if we are denying or defying God, He will easily destroy it all when His judgment comes if not before.

Verse fourteen adds, Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.  The people of Tyre had depended on trade from the ships that came and went, and they were warned that this was going to cease.  The things that we depend on for strength in the world outside of the will of God are never going to last.  They may even keep us rich and or powerful for this lifetime, but they are not going to last forever. 

Verse fifteen continues, And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.  Isaiah said that when that day came that Tyre would be forgotten for seventy years.  There was a time limit on how long they would suffer defeat.  Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre about the same time he destroyed Jerusalem, and it was going to remain desolate for about the same number of years.  Matthew Henry says that Cyrus may have allowed the people of Tyre to return and rebuild at about the same time he allowed the people of Israel to return to rebuild Jerusalem.  People of the world are never going to have a time limit on the destruction that they suffer when God comes to judge the world.  Theirs will be an everlasting destruction. 

Verse sixteen says, Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.  Isaiah said that at this time, when Tyre was restored, that the people would go back to their old evil ways to attempt to lure people in for trade once again.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we may at times be defeated and then instead of turning to God go right back to our old ways if we begin to be restored. 

Verse seventeen adds, And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.  Isaiah said that after seventy years, when God allowed Tyre to be restored, that it would go back to its same old evil ways.  They would not have learned from their destruction that they should put their faith in God alone and follow His will. People who suffer defeat because of their sin today often look to their old ways for restoration instead of looking to God, but it will be a temporary restoration if they do. 

Verse eighteen continues, And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.  Even though Tyre would still carry on in worldly ways, they would be a blessing to God’s people, Israel.  God can still work through corrupt people to bring about good for Christians today.

Isaiah 23:1

Isaiah 23:1 says, The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.  Isaiah now shares God’s prophesy about Tyre, that ancient and prosperous city that had never really been an enemy of Israel but had often helped them.  He said it was going to be laid waste, which happened during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and lasted for seventy years, according to Matthew Henry.  Those who are not out to destroy Christians, no matter how prosperous they may be, will one day find themselves howling in remorse because they too will be sent away to everlasting destruction if they never become a part of God’s kingdom by putting their faith in Jesus Christ.  There will be no restoration after God's judgment comes. 

Verse two adds, Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.  Tyre had first been more of a colony of Zidon, but had outgrown Zidon, whose people still traded with them.  Zidon had replenished Tyre at one point.  Countries today that once were strong may now be surpassed in strength and prosperity by those they once helped build up, but if we are a part of the kingdom of God, nothing will ever surpass it. 

Verse three continues, And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.  Egypt had also helped build Tyre up, as is implied by the reference to the waters of Sihor.  No nation can truly flourish on its own but needs the help of other nations in trade and often military support, but spiritually, we as followers of Christ must rely on Him alone for our strength and prosperity. 

Verse four states, Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.  Isaiah said the day was coming when the people of Tyre would no longer have the ships coming to trade with them, because the sea would prevent it.  Matthew Henry says that the sea worked against the ships and that the docks of Tyre were destroyed by the weather as well.  For whatever reason, the trade that the people of Tyre had depended on was going to dry up, and they had been totally dependent on it for their welfare.  Whatever may bring us riches today that is based on the values of the world and not on God’s word and our obedience to Him, no matter how rich we may be, is one day going to disappear. 

Verse five adds, As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.  When the people of Egypt heard the news about Tyre, they would be greatly distressed, because of the loss of trade with Tyre and the threat to their own prosperity.  Those who put their faith in anything in this world other than Jesus Christ will one day find all the good that they have received from others in the world dried up. 

Verse six continues, Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.  Isaiah said that the word would go out to avoid Tyre and to pass over to Tarshish instead.  When things start to go badly for people in the world who have depended on and been friends with those living outside of the will of God, it is not unusual for those that they had considered friends to abandon them in favor of someone else. 

Verse seven says, Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.  Though Tyre had been a glorious city, there was coming a day when the people would be carried away captive.  No matter how glorious or powerful a country or even a city may be today, when Jesus Christ returns, if it has been built outside of His will, then the people there who have refused to accept His gift of salvation and obey Him will be carried away captive to everlasting punishment. 

Verse eight adds, Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?  The question is asked about who had proposed such a fate for the crowning city of Tyre.  People in prosperous cities today might think that no one will ever be able to destroy them even if they are denying God, but they will find out that they are wrong.

Verse nine continues, The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.  The answer was that God had proposed it.  He would bring down those who lived for their own glory instead of His and those who were considered honorable by the world but were not living by His word.  No matter how much we may exalt ourselves and be seen as honorable by the people of the world, God is the One Who will ultimately judge us, and if we haven’t put our faith in Jesus Christ, no matter how Glorious we may be seen in the eyes of the world, we will be sent away to everlasting suffering 

Isaiah 22:15

 Isaiah 22:15 says. Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,  God sent Isaiah to the treasurer with a question.  As Christians, we should not be surprised if God through the work of the Holy Spirit causes us to question how we are using the things He blesses us with. 

Verse sixteen adds, What hast thou thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?  The question was what did Shebna, the treasurer, think he was going to do with all the riches he had amassed, since he viewed them all for his honor and glory and didn’t give God the glory and use them for His purpose.  If God blesses us with riches today, we need to give Him the glory and use the things that He blesses us with for the advancement of His kingdom.  I don’t believe that we are ever to use them to bring honor and glory to ourselves. 

Verse seventeen continues, Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.  After asking Shebna about all the riches he had accumulated, Isaiah said God’s message to him was that he was to be carried away to a mighty captivity by God’s authority.  When Jesus Christ returns, all that we own cannot keep us from being sent away as captives in hell forever if we have not put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord and this will be done because God has pronounced the penalty of sin to be death.  This is not just a physical death, which we all will face if Jesus Christ doesn’t return before we die, but an everlasting spiritual death.  

Verse eighteen concludes, He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.  Isaiah said God was going to cause Shebna to be violently tossed a like a ball, something of no real value or power, into a large country where his riches would do him no good.  This was going to happen because he had sought his own glory to while bringing shame to God’s house.  We should never seek our own glory while at the same time ignoring the work of God, which by our actions bring shame to Him and His work in the world.

Verse nineteen states, And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.  Isaiah said that God told him that Shebna was going to be driven from his station, which could have meant out of the country and his position of power.  It is not clear who in the world was going to cause this to happen, but whether it was the Assyrians, Hezekiah, or even Shebna himself fleeing for his life, it was going to be God Who was responsible for this happening.  It doesn’t matter if who is responsible if we fall from a position of authority and strength in the world if we do so while we deny God, since the ultimate defeat will be from God.  Even if we remain powerful in this lifetime, if we have not put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, He has already declared our everlasting defeat. 

Verse twenty adds, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:  Isaiah also said that God was going to promote His servant Eliakim to the position that Shebna had held.  Eliakim had not worked against Shebna in order to get his position but had simply remained true to God while doing his job.   We should never plot against the leaders in the church today in order to make ourselves look better or even to claim their position.  All we should do is follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and do what He calls us to do without being concerned about personal glory. 

Verse twenty-one continues, And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.  Isaiah said God was going to give to Eliakim everything that had once belonged to Shebna, including his position in the government.  We should never serve God for earthly riches, but at times, He may bless us with them, but if He does, that doesn’t mean we can suddenly start to think that we deserve whatever riches He blesses us with.  We just need to give Him the honor and glory and continue to serve Him faithfully. 

Verse twenty-two says, And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.  Eliakim would also be given the physical key to the house of David, and if he opened it, no one else could close it, and if he closed it, no one else could open it.  Jesus Christ is the spiritual key to entering into God’s kingdom today, and He will unlock the door to all who put their faith in Him and will close it to all who don’t.  As follower of Christ, He has opened the door to salvation for us and we have entered in and no one can then shut us out. 

Verse twenty-three adds, And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.  Isaiah said God was going to secure this honor for Eliakim, comparing it to a nail being driven in place.  A nail is used to secure things and is not easily removed.  Isaiah said that Eliakim would be like a glorious throne to his father’s house.  Jesus Christ is the nail that will not be shaken in God’s kingdom, and He is like a glorious throne in His kingdom. 

Verse twenty-four continues, And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.  Everything in his father’s house would be at the disposal of Eliakim at that time, and everything in God’s kingdom is always at the disposal of Jesus Christ.  This has been true since the beginning and will be true forevermore. 

Verse twenty-five concludes, In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.  I believe this refers to when Jesus was crucified, or like the nail cut down, and all the sins of mankind were placed on Him for the time in the tomb, but then they were removed when He arose.  He bore that burden once and for all time, and now it is lifted.  Matthew Henry didn’t say anything about the verse, so this is not something that I can say others may interpret this to mean, but this is my understanding. 

Isaiah 22:6

Isaiah 22:6 says, And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.  Isaiah then begins to speak about the strength of the enemies that were to come against Judah.  Elam, or the Persians, and Kir, or the Medes, were to come with great military might against them.  We may face strong forces in our stand for God today, but He will always be more powerful than them. 

Verse seven adds, And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.  Isaiah said that the choicest valleys of Judah were going to be full of enemy chariots.  They had lost the protection of God when they rebelled against Him.  Things may be going along very well in our life, but if we have not put our faith in Jesus Christ, one day all that we have accumulated will all be destroyed. 

Verse eight continues, And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.  Matthew Henry says exactly what it meant that the covering of Judah was discovered isn’t totally clear.  We can say that without God’s protection that our weakness is discovered, so if we turn away from Him as the people of Judah had, it will soon be discovered how weak we are by our own strength.  The people of Judah found themselves to be very afraid, and unfortunately, instead of turning to God for help, they turned to other countries.  They did at least begin to arm themselves ready to do all they could to stand against the enemy.  We are never going to find spiritual strength and everlasting security anywhere other than in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and we need to always put on God’s armor every day. 

Verse nine adds, Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.  Isaiah said that they also had many breaches in city of David, which I believe would have referred to the wall around the city.  They had likely seen these breaches in the wall many times but were not concerned enough to repair them.  If we see breaches in our faith, we may become so accustomed to them that we ignore them until a time of trouble comes. 

Verse ten continues, And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.  Isaiah said that at least now they were working to fortify the wall, even tearing down houses to do so, putting public good ahead of personal possessions.  He said they had also counted the people who could fight against the enemy.  We as Christians should always put the good of the church, God’s chosen people today, ahead of our own material wealth and always stand ready to fight for God’s truth. 

Verse eleven says, Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.  Isaiah said the people of Jerusalem had made a canal to bring water into the inner city, which would also deprive the Assyrians of the water.  Yet, they hadn’t looked to the Maker of the rain, Who supplied the water to begin with.   When trouble comes in our life, we may look everywhere to find a solution on our own without ever looking to the Maker of it all.  God never expects us to attempt to keep the Living Water from others, even our enemies.  We are to invite them to come and drink as well. 

Verse twelve adds, And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:  In that day, when His people were in danger due to their disobedience to Him, God called them to true repentance.  They needed to be in mourning for their lack of faith, and anytime we are disobedient to God’s will as followers of Christ, we need to be greatly saddened and come to Him in humble repentance. 

Verse thirteen continues, And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.  Instead of coming to God in humility, the people of Jerusalem were feasting, while saying they might as well enjoy themselves, because tomorrow they might die.  Lost people today continue to put their faith in their own strength and abilities and look to pleasure in life with the attitude that they need to enjoy life as long as they are living, never thinking about their everlasting destination.  We as Christians should never have this attitude. 

Verse fourteen concludes, And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.  God was aware of what they were doing, even if they weren’t aware of what He was doing. People may never acknowledge God and what He has done for them, but He will always be aware of what they are doing.  Isaiah said that God had determined that they would never change, so death was coming for them.  If we refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, spiritual death, everlasting separation from God doomed to everlasting punishment, is coming for us one day. 

Isaiah 22:1

Isaiah 22:1 says, The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?  The burden of the valley refers to Judah and Jerusalem.  So far, the prophesies had concerned other nations, but now God was speaking to the Jews through His prophet Isaiah.  We cannot just think that God’s punishment is going to happen to other nations but must ask what His coming judgment means to us personally.  Unless we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, no matter what happens to anyone else, we will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Matthew Henry says this does not refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar but the attempt to destroy it by Sennacherib and was a warning to frighten the people there.  I think that we should come to Jesus not out of fear of what will happen if we don't but out of love for Him for what he did for us when He died in our place, but it is better to come to Him out of fear of the alternative than to never come to Him at all.  

Verse two adds, Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.  Isaiah reminded them that Jerusalem had been a joyous city filled with trade and the noise of business and that its men had not been destroyed by the sword.  As followers of Christ, we should be joyous people who go about everyday life victorious because Jesus Christ has already defeated our spiritual enemies forever. 

Verse three continues, All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.  Isaiah said that now all their leaders had fled their cities and were bound together in Jerusalem looking for protection.  He adds that even though they were in Jerusalem, they were of no use to the people there.  Those who fail to put their faith in God, even if they call themselves Christians, will never stand up to those who threaten them because of their belief in Him.  They also will be of no help to others who do but will only be looking out for their own good.

Verse four states, Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.  Isaiah asked people to look away from him while he was in such grief.  He wasn’t doing this for show but was sincerely brokenhearted for the people of Judah and what was going to happen to them because they had turned away from God.  He was going to keep his grief to himself.  We don’t need to make a big show out of grieving for the fate of lost people today, but we should be heartbroken about their fate due to the fact that they are lost and doomed to everlasting punishment.  This applies to those who profess to be Christians but who claim to be redeemed by some other way than accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord as well, just as the people of Judah claimed to be God’s people in that day but were looking to other gods to save them. 

Verse five adds, For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.  Isaiah said he was in such grief because it was the day when the people of Judah were going to be trampled down and perplexed by what was happening.  When people refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, one day they are going to be trampled down by God’s judgment, and they will never rise up from it again.  This should leave us grieving for them, but we too often have little concern for them it seems to me, myself included.