25:6 this mountain. In the kingdom the Lord will host His great banquet on Mt. Zion for the faithful remnant (see notes on 1:27; 2:2).
25:7 covering…veil. God will remove the death shrouds from those in attendance at His banquet.
25:8 swallow up death. God will swallow up death, which itself functions as a swallower of human beings (5:14; Prov. 1:12). Paul notes the fulfillment of this promise in the resurrection of believers (1 Cor. 15:54). wipe away tears. The Lord God will remove the sorrow associated with death (cf. 65:19). Revelation alludes to the tender action of this verse twice—once in 7:17 to describe the bliss of the redeemed in heaven, and once in 21:4 to describe ideal conditions in the New Jerusalem. rebuke…He will take away. Israel will be the head of the nations and no longer the tail (Deut. 28:13).
25:9 waited for Him. To wait for God entails an ultimate trust in Him, not becoming impatient when His timetable for final salvation differs from ours (cf. 26:8; 33:2; 40:31).
25:10 Moab. Moab represented the rest of the nations as does Edom elsewhere (34:5–15; 63:1–6; Obad. 1–9).
25:12 fortress…high fort…walls. Moabite cities had highly fortified and elevated walls. Even these will not withstand God’s judgment.
Isaiah 26
26:1–4 The redeemed remnant will sing praise to God over their impregnable city, Jerusalem.
26:1 strong city. In contrast to the typical city of confusion (24:10; 25:2; 26:5) that was doomed, God has a future city of prominence, the millennial Jerusalem (Zech. 14:11).
26:2 Open the gates. Isaiah envisions the future Jerusalem, where only righteous Israel may enter. The redeemed remnant from other nations will come periodically to worship (Zech. 14:16–19).
26:3 perfect peace…trusts in You. A fixed disposition of trust in the Lord brings a peace that the wicked can never know (48:22; 57:21). Such reliance precludes double mindedness (James 1:6–8) and serving two masters (Matt. 6:24).
26:4 everlasting strength. Lit. the expression is “Rock of Ages,” a rocky cliff where the trusting one may find shelter from attackers (cf. 12:2).
26:5, 6 those who dwell on high…poor. The arrogant inhabit the lofty city during its overthrow; the humble inhabit the strong city (v. 1) in its exaltation (cf. James 1:9, 10; 1 Pet. 5:5).
26:7 uprightness…weigh. The Heb. for “uprightness” means “straight,” and the meaning of “weigh” is “make level.” In a land of hilly, twisting roads, he spoke of a straight and level path for the feet of the poor and needy (cf. 40:3, 4; 42:16; 45:13).
26:8 waited for You. The future remnant divulges the key to its redemption—their complete dependence on the Lord, not humanly devised schemes.
26:9 in the night…early. The pious long for God at all times. judgments…learn righteousness. God’s punishing hand benefits sinners in leading them to repentance.
26:10 not learn righteousness. God evidences His love and mercy toward other wicked ones, but they turn their back on it.
26:11 they will not see…they will see. The wicked, who are blind to God’s authority and imminent judgment upon them, will be conscious of His compassion for His people Israel, to their own shame.
26:12 will establish peace. Though Israel’s immediate future looks bleak, Isaiah expresses strong confidence that the nation will ultimately prosper.
26:13 masters besides You. Israel’s history was replete with periods of foreign domination by the likes of Egypt and Assyria.
26:14 they will not rise. These foreign overlords are to be a thing of the past; they are not to appear again on the earthly scene.
26:15 have increased the nation. With prophetic certainty from the perspective of Israel’s future restoration, Isaiah saw the expansion of Israel’s borders as an accomplished fact.
26:16 trouble…chastening. The hard experiences of Israel’s history drove her to call on God.
26:17, 18 woman with child. Israel’s tumultuous history is compared to a pregnant woman in labor.
26:18 not accomplished any deliverance. All the nation’s effort was to no avail because they did not depend on the Lord.
26:19 dead shall live. This speaks of the raising of corporate Israel to participate in the great future banquet (cf. Ezek. 37). Daniel 12:2 speaks of the resurrection of individual OT saints.
26:20 for a little moment. Israel’s final restoration was not immediately at hand. Hence she had to continue praying in solitude for that restoration until the time of God’s indignation would pass.
26:21 disclose her blood. The innocent killed by their oppressors are to come to life (cf. v. 19) and testify against their murderers.
Isaiah 27
27:1 Leviathan. See note on Job 41:1.
27:2–6 This vineyard of the Lord contrasts sharply with the one in 5:1–7. Far from a disappointment to the vinekeeper, this one bore abundant fruit (v. 6).
27:2 vineyard. Verse 6 identifies this vineyard as Israel.
27:3 I keep it night and day. God’s future provisions for restored Israel will be complete.
27:4 Fury is not in Me. The time for Israel’s punishment by God will pass. briers and thorns…burn them. I.e., the enemies of His people.
27:5 make peace with Me. The enemies of Israel may make peace with God.
27:6 fill the face of the world. In the future kingdom of the Messiah, restored Israel will rule with Him and fill the earth with the fruit of righteousness and peace.
27:7 struck Israel as He struck. God has tempered His dealings with Israel, but not so with those He used to punish Israel. His compassion for the other nations has come to an end.
27:8 sending it away. The Lord sent Judah into captivity to awaken the nation to trust in Him.
27:9 iniquity…covered. Jacob atoned for his iniquity by undergoing punishment from God.
27:10 fortified city. The city symbolized Judah’s oppressors (cf. 24:10; 25:2; 26:5).
27:11 will not have mercy on them. In contrast with His dealings with Israel, the Creator will deal a fatal blow to her enemies.
27:12 gathered one by one. After the judgment of her enemies at the end of Daniel’s 70th week, the faithful remnant of Israelites will return to their Land (Matt. 24:31).
27:13 worship the LORD…at Jerusalem. The prophet reiterates one of his great themes: future worship of regathered Israel on Mt. Zion (24:23; 25:6, 7, 10).
Isaiah 28
28:1 Woe. The prominent thought in this word is impending disaster. crown. The walls of Samaria were the “crown” of a beautiful hill overlooking a lush valley leading toward the Mediterranean coast. Ephraim. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrians, leaving a lesson for Jerusalem under similar circumstances to learn about foreign alliances. overcome with wine. Licentious living prevailed in Ephraim before her fall (vv. 3, 7; Amos 4:1; 6:1, 6).
28:2 a flood of mighty waters. Isaiah drew on forceful figures of speech to wake his readers from their lethargy in the face of the awfulness of an impending Assyrian invasion.
28:4 first fruit before the summer. Figs ripened before the end-of-summer harvest were devoured immediately. So the Assyrian conquest of Ephraim would be rapid.
28:5 crown of glory. The true crown will replace the fraudulent “crown of pride” (v. 1). remnant of His people. Isaiah again sounded the note of a faithful remnant in the Day of the Lord (cf. 10:20–22; 11:11, 16; 37:31, 32; 46:3).
28:6 spirit of justice. In that day of Messiah’s reign, the empowering Spirit will prevail in bringing justice to the world (cf. 11:2).
28:7 priest…prophet…err. Drunkenness had infected even the religious leadership of the nation, resulting in false spiritual guidance of the people.
28:8 no place is clean. When leaders wallowed in filth, what hope did the nation have?
28:9 weaned from milk. The drunken leaders resented it when Isaiah and other true prophets treated them as toddlers, by reminding them of elementary truths of right and wrong.
28:10 precept upon precept…there a little. This is the drunkard�
��s sarcastically mocking response to corrective advice from the prophet. Transliterated, the Hebrew monosyllables are Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Ze’er sham, ze’er sham. These imitations of a young child’s babbling ridicule Isaiah’s preaching.
28:11 another tongue. Since the drunkards would not listen to God’s prophet, he responded to them by predicting their subservience to Assyrian taskmasters, who would give them instructions in a foreign language. The NT divulges an additional meaning of this verse that anticipates God’s use of the miraculous gift of tongues as a credential of His NT messengers (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:21, 22; cf. Deut. 28:49; Jer. 5:15; 1 Cor. 14:21).
28:12 the rest…the refreshing…not hear. In simple language they could understand, God offered them relief from their oppressors, but they would not listen.
28:13 Precept upon precept…there a little. In light of their rejection, the Lord imitated the mockery of the drunkards in jabber they could not understand (see v. 10).
28:14 Therefore. In light of the tragedies that had befallen Ephraim (vv. 1–13), the scornful leaders in Jerusalem needed to steer a course different from relying on foreign powers for deliverance.
28:15 covenant with death. Scornful leaders in Jerusalem had made an agreement with Egypt to help defend themselves against the Assyrians. overflowing scourge. Combining images of an overflowing river and a whip, the people bragged about their invincibility to foreign invasion. lies…falsehood. Jerusalem’s leaders yielded to expediency for the sake of security. Without directly admitting it, they had taken refuge in deceit and falsehood.
28:16 stone for a foundation…a sure foundation. The Lord God contrasted the only sure refuge with the false refuge of relying on foreigners (v. 15). This directly prophesied the coming of the Messiah (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6–8; cf. 8:14, 15; Ps. 118:22). will not act hastily. The Greek OT interprets this Hebrew verb for “hurry” in the sense of “put to shame,” furnishing the basis of the NT citations of this verse (Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:6).
28:17 justice the measuring line. When the Messiah rules His kingdom, the system of justice will contrast strongly with the refuge of lies in which Jerusalem’s leaders engaged (see v. 15).
28:18 covenant with death…will not stand. Trusting in foreign deliverers will utterly fail (see. v. 15).
28:19 morning by morning. The Assyrians repeatedly plundered the area around Jerusalem, provoking great terror among the city’s inhabitants.
28:20 bed is too short…the covering so narrow. A proverbial expression about short beds and narrow sheets, telling Jerusalem that foreign alliances are inadequate preparations for the defense of the city.
28:21 Mount Perazim…Valley of Gibeon. Just as the Lord defeated the Philistines at Mt. Perazim (2 Sam. 5:19, 20; 1 Chr. 14:10, 11) and the Canaanites in the Valley of Gibeon (Josh. 10:6–11), He will do so against any who mock Him, even Jerusalemites.
28:22 destruction determined. God had decreed something unusual (v. 21), the destruction of His own wicked people. Yet, they could escape if they repented.
28:23 Give ear. The parable of a farmer underlined the lessons of judgment threats in vv. 18–22. As the farmer does his different tasks, each in the right season and proportion, so God adopts His measures to His purposes: now mercy, then judgment; punishing sooner, then later. His purpose was not to destroy His people, any more than the farmer’s object in his threshing or plowing is to destroy his crop.
28:24 keep plowing…keep turning. No ordinary farmer plows and turns the soil endlessly. He sows also in accord with what is proper.
28:25 sow…scatter…plant. After preparing the soil, the farmer carefully plants the seed.
28:26 God teaches him. Farming intelligently is a God-given instinct.
28:27, 28 God-given understanding prevails in the threshing of various types of grain.
28:29 excellent in guidance. If God’s way in the physical realm of farming is best, why did Jerusalem persist in refusing to accept His spiritual guidance?
Isaiah 29
29:1 Ariel. The word means “lion of God,” referring to the city’s strength, and perhaps “hearth of God,” referring to the place where the altar of God always burns. Verses 7, 8 show this to be a name for Jerusalem, and the chapter looks to the invasion of Jerusalem because of unbelief. where David dwelt. David named Jerusalem “the city of David” (22:9; 2 Sam. 5:7, 9; cf. 2 Sam. 6:10, 12, 16; 1 Kin. 2:10; 3:1; 8:1; 9:24; 14:31; 15:8; 2 Kin. 8:24; 9:28; 12:21; 14:20; 15:7, 38; 16:20; 1 Chr. 11:5, 7; 13:13; 15:1, 29; 2 Chr. 5:2; 8:11; 12:16; 14:1; 16:14; 21:1, 20; 24:16, 25; 27:9; 32:5, 30; 33:14; Neh. 3:15; 12:37; Luke 2:4, 11). feasts. Jerusalem’s cycle of religious ceremonies was meaningless to God.
29:3 lay siege. God encamped against Jerusalem through His instruments, first the Assyrians (701 B.C.) and then the Babylonians (586 B.C.).
29:4 out of the ground…out of the dust. Jerusalem will be like a captive, humbled to the dust. Her voice will come from the earth like that of a medium spirit, like the voice of the dead was supposed to be. This would be fitting for her sins of necromancy.
29:5–8 In God’s time, after Jerusalem’s punishment, those who fought against the city will themselves come under God’s judgment.
29:5 in an instant, suddenly. God’s demolition of Israel’s enemies will be very abrupt, as was the repulsion of the Assyrians from Jerusalem in 701 B.C.
29:6 thunder and earthquake and great noise. This terminology points to the storm theophany marking the termination of the seals, trumpets, and bowls in Revelation (Rev. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18).
29:7 dream. All the threat to the city from enemy nations will fade like a bad dream when one awakens.
29:8 empty…faint. Jerusalem’s attackers will frustrate themselves, as a dreamer who has the illusion that he eats and drinks, but awakens to find himself still hungry and thirsty.
29:9–14 The prophet returned to the theme of the blindness of mechanical religion.
29:9 blind…drunk. The blindness and drunkenness came from the people’s inability to comprehend Isaiah’s message about trusting God instead of Egypt.
29:10 spirit of deep sleep. Because Israel refused to hear her true prophets initially, their ability to hear has been impaired. God gave them up judicially to their own hardness of heart. Paul applied this verse specifically to the general condition of Israel’s blindness during the age of the church (Rom. 11:8). prophets…seers. False prophets and seers have blinded their listeners with their false prophecies.
29:11 one who is literate. Those with ability to read could not do so because they had surrendered their spiritual sensitivity (cf. 6:9, 10; Matt. 13:10–17).
29:12 one who is illiterate. The uneducated had two reasons for not knowing the book’s contents: 1) the book was sealed, and 2) he could not read it even if it were not. It is deplorable when no one is capable of receiving God’s rich revelation.
29:13 hearts far from Me. Empty ritualism does not bring closeness to God. Jesus used this verse to describe the Judaism of His day (Matt. 15:7–9; Mark 7:6, 7).
29:14 wisdom…perish…understanding…hidden. The principle of resorting to human wisdom rather than divine wisdom was the spiritual plague of Jerusalem. The same principle was the downfall of the Greek world in Paul’s day (1 Cor. 1:19).
29:15 hide…from the LORD. The prophet probably referred to a secret plan of the leaders to join with Egypt to combat the Assyrians. The Lord had counseled otherwise, so they hid their strategy from Him.
29:16 He did not make me. For man to make plans on his own without God is a rejection of God as Creator. Paul reasons that it is also a questioning of the sovereignty of God (Rom. 9:19–21). Does the clay think itself equal to the potter?
29:17 fruitful field…a forest. In the future, a reversal of roles between the mighty and the weak will transpire, when God intervenes to bless Jerusalem. The moral change in the Jewish nation will be as great as if the usually forested Lebanon were turned i
nto a field and vice versa.
29:18 deaf shall hear…blind shall see. The spiritual blindness of Israel will no longer exist. Jesus gives the words an additional meaning, applying it to His ministry of physical healing for the deaf and blind (Matt. 11:5; cf. 35:5).
29:19, 20 increase their joy…cut off. The future messianic age will bring a reversal of status. Rejoicing will replace the hardships of the oppressed; the oppressors’ dominance will end.
29:21 make a man an offender…turn aside the just. Those with political and judicial authority are no longer to misuse their power to oppress.
29:22 redeemed Abraham. God delivered Abraham from his pagan background when He brought him from beyond the Euphrates River into the land of Canaan (Josh. 24:2, 3). Paul elaborates on this theme in Rom. 4:1–22. not now be ashamed. Israel in her history had frequently suffered disgrace, but the personal presence of the Messiah is to change that (45:17; 49:23; 50:7; 54:4). After the salvation of Israel in the end time, the children of Jacob will no longer cause their forefathers to blush over their wickedness.
29:23 hallow…hallow…fear. Jacob’s descendants will marvel at the strong deliverance of the Lord and set Him apart as the only one worthy of utmost respect. God will cleanse Israel (cf. 54:13, 14).
29:24 erred…complained. With their newfound respect for God, the formerly wayward ones were to gain the capacity for spiritual perception.
Isaiah 30
30:1 not of Me…not of My Spirit. Hezekiah’s advisers urged him to turn to the Egyptians, not to God, for help against the invading Assyrians. Isaiah denounced this reliance on Egypt rather than God, who had forbidden such alliances.
30:2 not asked My advice. They had failed to consult God’s prophet. Egypt…Pharaoh…Egypt. The Lord had warned Israel against returning to Egypt (Deut. 17:16). Now He warns them against an alliance with Egypt (31:1). Note the similar advice from the Assyrian Rabshakeh, while laying siege to Jerusalem (36:9).
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 337
