Lesson on Isaiah 2:6-9

In the last lesson, we examined an invitation that Isaiah issues to the people of Judah to walk in the light of the Lord. We also noticed how that invitation fits into the future of the redeemed. In this lesson, we will continue to examine God's plans for Judah's future. In order to purify and discipline the people, He must first purge them of idolatry.

Isaiah 2:6-9.(NIV)(NASB)(NKJV)(NCV)

This passage in Isaiah contains an interesting pattern. Once we read, "They are full of _____." Three more times, we read, "Their land is full of _____." The four things filling Judah include superstitions, silver and gold, horses, and idols.

This description targets the country, not individuals. Clearly, every individual is not wealthy, or we would not hear so many admonitions from God for the people to take care of their poor. Verse 7 may even refer to a command God gave many years previously through Moses: "The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them . . . . He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold" (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).

The king, it seems, exerts strong influence on the spiritual climate of the nation. For instance, when Hezekiah decides to reinstate the Passover celebration, he sends an invitation to both Israel and Judah to attend the celebration at the temple in Jerusalem. In Israel, the townsmen mostly ridicule Hezekiah's messengers, but a few of them accept the invitation. But in Judah, Hezekiah's own nation, the citizens respond with excitement. Hezekiah doesn't threaten or mandate that the people join him. A large crowd appears in Jerusalem at the appointed time. The Bible summarizes the event, "There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 30:1-27).

The description we read in 2 Chronicles 30 certainly sounds nothing like that we read in this passage of Isaiah. We don't know specifically when Isaiah receives this part of his message from the Lord. Perhaps it occurs earlier in the ministry of Isaiah, and the people heed his warning. Perhaps they have responded by crying out for God to purify them.

But even if this is true, the problem is the short life span of religious reforms. As far back as the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites have undergone a cycle of rebellion and repentance. The book of Judges, in fact, presents a terribly clear picture of this cycle, during Israel's early period in the Promised Land. Every time the people cry out in true repentance, God responds by rescuing the people from their oppressors. But before long, God's children have hardened their hearts once again and returned to their old patterns of behavior.

At whatever point Isaiah receives this particular word of the Lord, the people apparently have entered a time of hardness. Isaiah says that God has "abandoned" His children. We must understand this term in light of the history we've just considered. God has indeed abandoned His children, but not in the sense we might think. God never permanently abandons His children. Never. He does, however, temporarily abandon them to the consequences of their actions. He withdraws His blessing and protection. But when the people return to Him, He responds once again to their pleas for help. We can be confident that the abandonment Isaiah speaks of is temporary because God continues to interact with the nation of Judah after Isaiah's time.

God doesn't allow His children to suffer under foreign oppression for no reason. Isaiah even identifies the result of this suffering - God will humble mankind (v. 9). Now, we can look at this result in one of two ways. On one hand, we can view it as punishment. On the other hand, we can view it as discipline.

We can draw the same distinction in a parent's motivation behind discipline of children. A parent who acts foolishly may punish children who disobey. End of story. But a wise parent will discipline a child out of a desire to help the child - to train and teach the child to have better relationships with God, friends, family, teachers, and other people. Likewise, God will discipline His children in order to teach them.

God continues to discipline His children today. The writer of Hebrews encourages the believers, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:7, 11). Accepting this idea of discipline requires a long view. Instead of viewing our circumstances as they appear right now, we stretch our vision along the line of the future. In that future, we find that God has plans to purify us, His children, so that we can enjoy Him to the fullest.

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.