Bible Study on Isaiah, introduction

 

Introduction

This book of the Bible is called, in the New Testament, the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, in Luke 3:4 with Esaias transliterated from the Greek rendering of Isaiah, sometimes only as, Esaias the prophet, or, the prophet Esaias, in Acts 8: 28,30, and the book of the prophet Esaias in Luke 4:17. John Gill wrote that it was listed first of the prophets even though it was written in time after some of the later prophets because Isaiah was the most important of the prophets as the early church “father”, Jerome, noted that Isaiah did not only the work of a prophet but of an evangelist. Jerome noted that Isaiah prophesied often of Christ. Others have noted Isaiah’s looking forward to the millennial reign of Christ and eternity itself. Eusebius called him the greatest of prophets. Wolfgang Musculus noted that, outside of the Psalms, Isaiah was the most quoted book of the Old Testament in the New. There are more direct prophecies of Christ here than anywhere else in the Old Testament, or at least more clearly expressed.

Isaiah prophesied, authorities say, in the 7^th and 8^th centuries for a period of 64 years. I am dismissing the modernist, and I might add skeptic’s, view that there were two Isaiahs or that Isaiah was penned by two people, as being simply an expression of contempt for the Bible. One person, the prophet Isaiah, wrote Isaiah. I’ll explain why I believe that later. Certain tradition has it that he was executed by being placed in a tree log and sawn in half at the order of King Manasseh. We really have no idea what happened to him but we will see him in eternity.

Bible Study on Matthew 12, verses 14 to 21, And in his name shall the Gentiles trust

 

Matthew 12:14 ¶  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 15  But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16  And charged them that they should not make him known: 17  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

 

As the Pharisees take council among themselves as to how to kill Christ without a riot or a revolution against them taking place Jesus heals a multitude of people. He tells them to keep silent about what He is doing. The Holy Spirit here alludes to some Old Testament verses. For verse 18;

 

Isaiah 42:1 ¶  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

 

Notice how the Holy Spirit provides us with the meaning of the Old Testament verses with slight word changes for definition purposes. Victory and truth become synonyms as do the idea of waiting for God’s law and the Gentiles’ trust. In this way, this passage in Isaiah is clearly a prophecy of Christ and the Holy Spirit is letting us know in a way the Old Testament Jews would not have understood.

 

The Isles in Isaiah 42:4 is a reference to the Gentiles. Think of Greece, Italy, and the islands of the Mediterranean or even of Britain, which is an island.

 

Genesis 10:5  By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

 

Jesus is not being confrontational in the way of a regular revolutionary. He is simply going about His business. There are two ways, at least, to do God’s work. One is an in-your-face way of confrontation and defiance of the authorities and one is simply obeying God, doing what He has called you to do and not worrying about the consequences but not carrying placards and screaming in someone’s face. I think of the woman recently who was arrested for silently praying in front of an abortion clinic in England. She was not confrontational but her silent prayer inspired the anger of the authorities anyway. Eventually they had to drop the charges and let her go.

 

But how do you keep great multitudes from talking about amazing things?

Bible Study on Genesis 42, verses 29 to 38, Reuben offers his two sons

 

Genesis 42:29 ¶  And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, 30  The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31  And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: 32  We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33  And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 34  And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. 35  And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36  And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 37  And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 38  And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

The brothers return to their father and report what happened to them. Jacob joins in their fear. Reuben offers his own sons as hostage to Jacob if he does not take Benjamin to Egypt and return him again. Their situation must be most desperate. But Jacob refuses to let his precious youngest son, who may be a young adult now, go. Losing him will be the death of Jacob he says.

The earth has been drying out since the Flood. Land use studies of the Ancient Near East show the climate was cooler before 1,000 BC. and better suited to crops and forests. The Scriptures themselves give evidence to this wetter, cooler climate so unlike the arid landscape we see today. It is likened to the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 13:10 ¶  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Exodus 3:7 ¶  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Josephus, chronicler of the war against the Romans, tells of the climate himself at Christ’s time.

Its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty; its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it, and the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there; for the temper of the air is so well mixed, that it agrees very well with those several sorts, particularly walnuts, which require the coldest air, flourish there in vast plenty; there are palm trees also, which grow best in hot air; fig trees also and olives grow near them, which yet require an air that is more temperate. One may call this place the ambition of nature, where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together; it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if every one of them laid claim to this country; for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men’s expectation, but preserves them a great while; it supplies men with the principal fruits, with grapes and figs continually, during ten months of the year and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together through the whole year” (The Jewish War, Book 3, Chapter 10:8).

So, no matter what you’ve been told the testimony of Scripture and history shows that this area was once a fertile place that was a great producer of food. The famine must have been a very great shock and source of dismay to the inhabitants. Many people probably starved to death. His status as the eldest son, this famine, and his brother’s hostage state were great motivators to get Reuben to make his offer.

Bible Study on Matthew 12, verses 1 to 13, mercy on the sabbath day

 

Matthew 12:1 ¶  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9  And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 10  And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12  How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13  Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

 

The religious elite has gone from interpreting the law far too loosely, needing Christ’s correction in chapter 5, to here interpreting it too strictly, missing the point. Remember what Paul will write;

 

2Corinthians 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

 

Mercy and necessity, according to Jesus Christ who was God in the flesh, are acceptable behaviors on the Sabbath Day. While Christians are not under the rule of the Sabbath Day observance there is no crime in our having a meal out on a Sunday unless we were to find that our server was a Christian who was forced to work on that day in which case we have a decision to make.

 

Jesus answers the Pharisees from an event in the life of David.

 

1Samuel 21:1 ¶  Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2  And

David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3  Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4  And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5  And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6  So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

 

And refers to the command for the priests to offer sacrifices on the Sabbath Day from Numbers.

 

Numbers 28:9 ¶  And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: 10  This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

 

Then, in verse 6 there is another declaration of His divinity.

 

For verse 7 note this;

 

Hosea 6:6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

 

Micah 6:6 ¶  Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

 

Verse 8 has Christ use the phrase Son of man. I noted before that Christ used this phrase linking His role as the Messiah to Daniel 7:13.

 

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

 

Concerning the man with the withered hand Christ made it clear yet again that acts of mercy and necessity were okay on the Sabbath. Christ also makes it clear that while God approves of mercy to beasts so much the more so should we be willing to show mercy to man, made in God’s image. In fact, one characteristic of evil people is their wanton disregard for the welfare of their animals.

 

Proverbs 12:10  A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

 

But the point made here is that this healing of this handicapped man is a good thing to be done on the Sabbath. It is not a violation of God’s standard, only man’s self-righteousness.

Bible Study on Genesis 42, verses 21 to 28, the brothers remember what they did to Joseph

 

Genesis 42:21 ¶  And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22  And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 23  And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 24  And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes. 25  Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26  And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 27  And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. 28  And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

The brothers’ guilt in regard to Joseph is brought before their minds. They believe that they are in trouble now, forced to pay, for what they did to him. Reuben reminded them that he had pleaded with them to do no harm to Joseph. He views this as cosmic justice for what they did to Joseph. It was acknowledged by preachers such as Jonathan Edwards in his sermon entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God that sin carries with it the burden of justice. We do awful things and awful things come back on us. Heathens understand this in the Hindu concept of Karma and mostly in its popular Western application of getting what you have coming to you. God has His ways of dealing with people, sometimes slowly, and nations, sometimes slowly, in regard to their wickedness and evil treatment of others but God repeatedly warns people;

Genesis 4:10  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Numbers 32:23  But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

You cannot escape the evil that you do to others. Do you beat-up your wife or children? It will come back to you. Are you cruel to other people or to animals? God sees all that you do. The fact that some people seem to get away with much evil is no guarantee that you can walk in your wickedness with impunity. Bible figures lamented what seemed like a lack of needed judgment at times.

Jeremiah 12:1  Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

But, judgment does come and God does visit those who act wickedly. The brothers see this situation they are in as just payment for their mistreatment of Joseph.

Joseph hears, of course, what they are saying but since Joseph feigned to be Egyptian he spoke through an interpreter so they didn’t know he spoke their language. We use the word interpreter today for a person who translates languages, for instance, at the UN.

Joseph can’t help but cry but he doesn’t want them to see him. He then bound Simeon and sent the rest of them away filled with food and provisions for the journey home but he also ordered their money to be returned to them.

When they realize that they have their money back they are terrified and ask What is this that God hath done unto us? Clearly, they believe that they are going to be in deep trouble with this Egyptian government official. They have no idea that it is Joseph or what he is up to.

This is important to add to the long list of things that indicate the Bible is telling us that there is no such thing as blind chance, that God works through our reality, through people and events, to accomplish something which we may have no understanding of in our finite minds. Moderns would do well to ask this question when things go awry or seem unexplainable. What is this that God hath done unto us?

Bible Study on Matthew 11, verses 16 to 30, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light

 

Matthew 11:16 ¶  But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17  And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19  The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. 20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

 

Christ moves from His praise of John the Baptist and the people desperately clamoring to enter the kingdom of Heaven to condemnation of those Jews who would not hear. He compares them to unrepentant cities of the Old Testament. The Jewish cities of His day on earth have a greater testimony given to them than cities of Old Testament and the cities of Old Testament may have responded favorably had they had the presence of Christ and the gospel of the kingdom of heaven presented to them. Tyre and Sidon, two maritime cities, were known by the Jews for their idolatry and wickedness much as seaports are known today. Even Sodom is spoken of favorably in this comparison.

 

See how Christ regards mankind’s rejection of Him, as worthy of destruction as Sodom itself.

 

Matthew 11:25 ¶  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26  Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

For verse 25 see;

 

Isaiah 29:14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

 

Jesus states that God has kept things back from the so-called wise men, the elite of the world. It is to the meek, those who submit to Him and hunger for His understanding, that He reveals the great truths.

 

Christ looks to heaven, honoring God’s sovereignty and the security of the covenant made with man through Christ. Christ looks around Him to mankind as well inviting them to take on the light burden He gives them, to receive eternal life. Here is an non-exclusionary offer to all people to receive Him and be saved. There is nothing complicated or burdensome about it. Only later institutional state-religions and cults will try to create chains out of rays of light.

 

For Christ to reveal Himself to you it must be so that you are willing to receive Him. Many people know of Christ but their hard hearts and stubborn minds prevent them from receiving Him as their Saviour.

Bible Study on Genesis 42, verses 7 to 20, bring your youngest brother to me

 

Genesis 42:7 ¶  And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8  And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9  And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10  And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11  We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. 12  And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 13  And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 14  And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15  Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16  Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 17  And he put them all together into ward three days. 18  And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: 19  If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: 20  But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

Joseph puts on a good show for his brothers. He probably has spoken to several envoys from suffering lands around him and has his speech set by repeated usage. “Where are you from?” is the first thing he wants to know. There are probably countries that Egypt would be concerned about possibly sending spies in preparation for an attempted invasion to seize Egypt’s supplies. Joseph probably was normally wary. But he knows his brothers. He is successful in keeping them from knowing who he is.

As he speaks roughly to them he remembers the dreams he had where his family all bow to him.

Genesis 37:5 ¶  And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6  And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 9  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10  And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11  And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Joseph realizes the fulfillment of these prophetic dreams. Now, notice the prophetic similarity regarding the Jews and Christ at the end of human history in the following verse.

Revelation 12:1 ¶  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

We can see how the Holy Spirit imparting wisdom to Moses to write this account of early history uses a metaphor to describe the tribes of Israel. We can then have a better understanding of prophetic verses in later parts of the Bible.

In this passage there is then an exchange where the brothers declare that they came to buy food but Joseph accuses them of being spies, come to check out the land. The brothers declare their innocence of this. When they admit that they have a brother that was left behind with their father Joseph demands that, to prove who that they are speaking the truth, they bring that brother to him. One of them is to go fetch Benjamin and the rest are to be hostages. He locks them up for three days, again symbolizing the bondage that death represents for God’s people until He releases them. Here, in this passage we see the synonymous comparison between ward and prison.

On the third day Joseph changes his order and demands that only one of them be a hostage and, in his mercy, the rest can take food back to their families. But, the younger brother must be brought to him. There are some interesting prophetic ideas here regarding Israel’s relationship with Christ, the Messiah whom they rejected and demanded that Rome murder. Who does Benjamin represent in this relationship? Whatever we think we must remember that this is regarding the Jews rather than Gentiles.

Joseph wants so badly to see his little brother.