Lesson on Isaiah 3:4-5

In the previous lesson, we discussed God's plans to strip Jerusalem and Judah, as well as His fulfillment of His word. In this lesson, we will examine how God, a God of order, can use disorder within His ultimate plan.

Isaiah 3:4-5.(NIV)(NASB)(NKJV)(NCV)

In the last lesson, we reviewed the three waves of exile eroding Jerusalem's leadership. During the first wave, Judah loses its king and members of the royal family. During the second wave, Judah loses its next king, its officials, its fighting force, and its craftsmen. During the final wave, Nebuchadnezzar exiles most of the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The last three kings of Judah bring this destruction upon their families and their subjects. Jehoiakim has been Nebuchadnezzar's "vassal" for three years before he rebels against Babylon's rule (2 Kings 24:1). (A vassal is a subordinate who pays his superior tribute, whether in money, military service, or some other form.) Furthermore, Jehoiakim makes poor spiritual choices; he does evil in the eyes of God (2 Kings 23:36-37). Regardless of Jehoiachin's brief opportunity, he proves no better than his father (2 Kings 24:8-9). Then Zedekiah obtains the kingship by Nebuchadnezzar's decree, yet he also chooses to rebel against foreign rule. He, like the previous two kings of Judah, doesn't make choices that please the Lord (2 Kings 24:17-20).

Isaiah 3:4 says that "mere children will govern" the people. We might wonder what is wrong with a child governing Judah. Out of Judah's nineteen kings, four are younger than age 18 when they begin to rule. Out of these four, three obey God: Joash, who begins ruling at age 7; Azariah, at age 16; and Josiah, at age 8. In fact, we read of Josiah this unqualified praise: "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses" (2 Kings 23:25).

Perhaps the NASB can help illuminate this reference to child-rulers. The NASB says that "capricious children will rule over them" (Isaiah 3:4). A capricious person acts on impulse. In our culture, impulsive children don't usually cause any problems larger than their parents' embarrassment. But what if they had charge of an entire nation? Embarrassment would be the least of anyone's problems.

I'm not certain, but I think that the reference to children rulers in this passage of Isaiah is metaphorical. Perhaps God's judgment doesn't mean He will plague the people of Judah with young kings; rather, perhaps it means He will give them an immature leadership, lacking wisdom. They will make impulsive decisions that lead their nation into misery, from the inside out. Relationships will crumble, "man against man, neighbor against neighbor" (Isaiah 3:5).

If this interpretation is correct, we would expect such a nation to fall into disorder rapidly. And Judah certainly does. After the brief spiritual revival under Josiah's reign, Jehoahaz rules three months (2 Kings 23:31), Jehoiakim eleven years (2 Kings 23:36), Jehoiachin three months (2 Kings 24:8), and Zedekiah eleven years (2 Kings 24:18). Less than 23 years after Josiah's death, the capital of Judah lies burned and desolate.

Such disorder is part of God's ultimate plan. We have already read in Isaiah that His ultimate plan is to bring the people to full redemption someday.

Yet in the New Testament, we read of a God of order, not disorder. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, Paul urges the church to organize their chaotic services because "God is not a God of disorder but of peace." In a subsequent letter to the same believers, Paul places disorder on the same level with quarreling, jealousy, anger, disunity, slander, gossip, and arrogance (2 Corinthians 12:20).

Disorder is a result of sin. We see this clearly in Isaiah. Repeatedly we read that the people's misery is a result of their rebellion. So it is in our own lives. When we sin, we revert the proper order of things in our lives. Naturally, disorder ensues. But God uses even this disorder to bring Himself glory in the end. He only proves Himself greater in our eyes by conquering everything that has corrupted the world. Perhaps we will also sing with the people of Judah to this great God:

"I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:1b-2).

To read the previous lesson from Isaiah, click here.
To read the next lesson, click here.

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.

Also, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org