Isaiah with Training Wheels – Ch. 30

Chapter 28 & 29 were comprised of three sections. Each of these sections has a corresponding section in 30-35. This chapter corresponds to the same section as Ch. 28 and we see a lot of callbacks to that chapter. Both chapters deal with the rejection of God’s word (28:9-10; 30:9-12), rejecting the rest God offers (28:12; 30:15), seeking false security (28:15; 30:2-3), the discernment of God (28:26,29; 30:18). The purposeful farmer of 28:23-29 with his plowing and harvesting, corresponds to the destruction and punishment (30:12-17) and redemption (30:18-27).

Likewise, Ch. 31-32 corresponds the first part of Ch. 29, including the verse about “a marvelous work and a wonder” and the end of Ch. 29 corresponds to Ch. 33-35. So if you enjoyed Ch. 29, you have more to look forward to.

1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that [make plans, but not by my spirit], but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

2 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not [consulted me]; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4 For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6 The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of [hardship] and anguish, from whence come the [lioness and the lion], the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not [help] them.

7 [Egypt’s help is worthless and in vain; therefore I have called her “Rahab, who does nothing.”]

8 ¶ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:

10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, [let us hear no more about] the Holy One of Israel.

12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and [depend on them]:

13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you [like a high wall, swelling out and ready to collapse], whose breaking cometh suddenly, at an instant.

14 And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18 ¶ [For the Lord waits], that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he [rise up], that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy [Teacher]:

21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, [whenever] ye turn to the right hand, [or whenever] ye turn to the left.

22 Ye shall [destroy your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered in gold]: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the [injuries] of his people, and healeth the [wounds he gave them].

27 ¶ Behold, the Name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of [destruction]: and [he places a bit] in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.

30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

31 For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

Notes:

This chapter is organized as a chiasmus.

v. 1-7 Current Events / Egypt no help

v. 8-17 Future Events / Refusal of the Word brings death

v. 18-26 Future Events / God brings blessings

v. 27-33 Current Events / Assyria no threat

v. 1-5 Point by point, the things they have sought will be elusive.

v. 6-7  This oracle identifys their trust in Egypt as idolatry, and as a burden. It has been suggested that the diplomatic envoys would want to be secret, so they would have traveled through the Negev instead of the more direct route. In other words, this would be a reverse Exodus, carrying their idols back to Egypt for protection.

v. 7 Rahab is a poetic name for Egypt, though it is not clear why. But the emphasis is on how useless it is to ask them for help.

v. 8-17 forms a section of its own.

v. 8 A command to record this. Tablet and scroll suggests both a public and private record, reflecting the Spiritual and Temporal aspects.

v. 9-14 and v. 15-17 are Spiritual and Temporal, respectively. Each of them follow the pattern, Sin – Rebellion – Destruction. Rejection of God’s word has inevitable results.

v. 10-12 ‘smooth things’ – flattering things

They were not asking for preaching to stop, but only for it to make no demands of them, and to hear no more about Christ. They were depending on oppression. Is this depending on things that oppress others, or more likely, they are depending on the very things that oppress themselves?

v. 17 ruins are all that is left

V. 18-26

This section is a chiasmus as well. The emphasis of the chiasmus is v. 22

Abundance of Mercy v. 18

Comforting tears v. 19

Spiritual Blessings v. 20-21

End and destruction of idolatry v. 22

Earthly blessings v. 23-24

Abundance of water, physical protection v. 25

Abundant light, day of healing v. 26

v. 27-33

The first part of the chapter explained that Egypt would be no help at all. This section shows that Assyria is no threat.

Divine Action: Nations shook v. 27-8 (burning, fire, breath of God)

Sacred rejoicing with song v. 29

Voice of God, God shows his power v. 30

Voice of God, Assyria defeated v. 31

Sacred rejoicing with instruments v. 32

Divine Action: King of Assyria overthrown  v. 33 (fire, brimstone, breath of the Lord)