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Read Isaiah 3 (entire chapter) and Isaiah 4:1-6
The Lord withholds food and supply from the nation of Israel as a form of judgement. God also withholds proper leadership from the nation. Instead what fills the void of the leadership is unwise and corrupt leadership. Remember, Isaiah is prophesying to GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, not those who do not know God.
1. When God’s people worship their own practices, their own traditions and their own ways, instead of obeying God’s ways, they will be punished by God and death/destruction will occur.
We must understand that God is superior, God has full authority over earth, God created this earth meaning that He has full sovereignty over it. Isaiah is acknowledging this by stating “Lord, LORD of Hosts…” Lower case Lord has the word Adonai as its original Hebrew word meaning “master, owner, sovereign.” This is used for both God and other leaders or masters (humans in power). Uppercase LORD is used for the original word Yahweh which is a sacred name for the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). So the rough translation for seeing “Lord, LORD of hosts” means “Master Yahweh.”
The specific phrase “Lord of Hosts” is used around 15 time in the OT and is mainly used in Isaiah. This prophet is specifically calling God this name showing that God is the one true God—the only one in this world that must be worshiped. It emphasizes the majesty and power of God because the idea behind LORD of hosts is that God is “Commander in Chief” of heaven’s armies.
This is important to note because God is allowed and fully justified to do whatever He wants to do to His own creation—especially if they have disobeyed God’s given law and have abandoned a relationshiop with God. Remember, God is not mean to humanity, Humanity has abandoned God. When God’s people follow their own way, when they create and worship themselves and their own tradition, it will only lead to death and destruction.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
God has taken wise leadership away and now the nation has descended into chaos—why? Because they have turned their backs on God. They have generations mocking each other, the leadership has turned upside down and lost order (4-8) they are not ashamed of their sin (9-10) all order is gone (11-12).
2. What a sinful humanity thinks is good and worthy is not good and worthy in God’s eyes; we must see what is good through God’s eyes, not ours.
God later will denounce the woman of Judah and it is described that they have power, worldly beauty and wealth—God will then take that away. It is fleeting, futile and not godly (16-26). People love earthly wealth and prosperity. We love to be taken care of by everything except for God. We strive to have control over our lives instead of submitting to God and letting Him have control and authority in our lives.
These women of Judah were doing this and leading their whole nation astray from God because of it. Judah and Jerusalem have descended into chaos…..
….But there is hope in which God gives.
3. In the midst of the chaos; God already has established a solution; A True Hope of His people to be saved from their sinful nature.
God has already established redemption in midst of the chaos found in Israel (Judah and Jerusalem). Remember, God has all authority above this world and His plan is to save it from itself and the devil. He wants to do this through His called people, Israel in the OT and the jews and gentiles in the NT. How do we know this?
God’s redemption in Isaiah is found in a group of women. (Isaiah 4:1-6). This “Brand of the Lord” is Jesus language found in the Old Testament.
“I (Jesus) am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me…for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:1-5
Jesus says it clearly here—as Isaiah has said it in Isaiah 4:1-2. When these seven women are in adoration to this one man that branch will bear much fruit and it will be beautiful and glorious. Again, this is both pointing to the future of the Israelites in the future and pointing towards the day of the Lord in which we studied last week. This points directly to Jesus being the savior of the world. ONLY JESUS SAVES. Humanity does not save itself. Remember, the branch does not bear its own fruit however it bears the fruit of the vine.
What is the point of all this? Its simple. Worship Jesus. Not yourself. Abide in Jesus. Not your own goals, aspirations and strength. Dwell on God’s Holy Word. Not your favorite book series. You cannot fix your regrets, you cannot save yourself, you cannot do every good work in this world on your own. Go to Jesus and you will be saved; He will bear your sin and give you absolutely freedom—and amazing fruit.
Psalm 131.
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