Page 23 - Isaiah Student Worktext

V. 7-8 I’ve often heard people say when they vote that they had to choose the ‘lesser of two evils’.
Honestly, I have heard that in almost every election I’ve been alive to see. But in this case, they were
offered a choice of peace and tranquility, but they chose chaos instead.

The result? God allowed Assyria to overwhelm them, like a storm surge, like a river overflowing its
banks, filling the ‘breadth of your land’.

One thing I noticed about V. 8 is that the ‘y’ in ‘your’ is capitalized. Not true in all your translations I’m
sure, but that is an indication that even though this is taking place in Israel, it is still God’s land. Even
though calamity may strike you and your household, it is still His.

V. 9-10 Now comes the payback. This is God’s warning to all those who take up arms against God’s
people—even though He is allowing it. All those who have come in from far countries will be broken,
even though they are girded for war.

Their alliance will come to nothing. Because ‘God is with us’…Immanuel.

Here comes more about the 2 roads…

V. 11 Don’t walk in the broad way, don’t necessarily go where everyone else is going. Go where the
Lord directs you. How do we know which way to go?

When we get to Chapter 30 there is a verse I’ve preached from a few times. It says essentially ‘you will
hear a voice behind you saying, ‘this is the way…walk in it.’’

We have to listen, and because the voice comes from behind us, we have to be paying attention. But He
WILL direct our paths, ‘with a strong hand’.

V. 12 Again, this portion could have been written today. Conspiracy theories are a big business. We are
told here not to fear what others fear, don’t believe what others believe, don’t follow others…follow
God.

V. 13-15 This also points to Jesus. In 1 Peter, V. 14 is quoted regarding Jesus. This says that the Lord of
hosts will cause some to your fear and some to be your dread. We could look at this as if God will cause
those who are not in His will to stumble, or we could look at as if it is so obvious what He wants and
where He wants us to go that we have to stumble over Him to go on our chosen path.

God is a sanctuary for believers, but a stumbling block to those who choose another path. Just like the
narrow versus the broad way, many will stumble, fall and be broken.

V. 16-18 To ‘bind up the testimony’ refers to a legal transaction. It is official, signed, sealed and
delivered.

I will wait upon the Lord…with confident expectation of deliverance.

V. 18 is a personal declaration from Isaiah. Here am I echoes his response in Chapter 6…Here am I, send
me.

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