1 2 9/10/00 Isiah 46-48 the Prophet Isaiah Now Deals with The
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1 2 9/10/00 b) Daniel himself was given a pagan name identified with their god, Isiah 46-48 Belteshazzar. Dan. 1:7 c) The posture describes one of false The prophet Isaiah now deals with the punishment gods who are tottering, of Babylon for her idolatry, her pride and how * The prophet has already said that these very gods will not help the people of Judah. every knee is going to bow . Is. 45:23 This is the recurring subject of the book but and a 2) The second god is Nebo or Nabu, was the major focus of the second division of Isaiah, which son of Bel, which means “the revealer or is evident from chapter forty to the present one. speaker”, the god of writing, equivalent to the Hebrew word “Nabi”, meaning Some say that the Babylonian captivity taught the prophet. vs. 1a nation of Israel regarding idolatry but if you a) He served the same function as did examine the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, you will Hermes for the Greeks or Mercury for see that they were guilty of idolatry after the the Romans. Acts 14:12 captivity. b) He also was thought to be the bearer of the tablets of destiny of the gods”. 46:1-4 The ironic comparison between the c) The temple of Nebo stood at gods of Babylon and the Eternal God. Borshippa and the temple of Bel was at Babylon. 46:1-2 The Babylonian gods had to be d) Again the name of this god was used carried. for the kings, such as Nabopolassar, 1) The name of one of the gods of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus. was Bel, who was equivalent to the 3) The indictment is that these two gods are Canaanite god Baal. vs. 1a lifeless and have to be carried about by a) Bel or Belus also called Marduk beast of burden from place to place, as means “lord” and often was used in they pull them on carts, becoming a compounds as in king’s names, such burden to the beast. vs. 1b-d as Belshazzar. 4) They could useless to the Babylonians. 3 4 a) The two could not deliver the 46:5 The personal question to His people. Babylonians from their burden. 1) To whom will you liken Me. b) The two gods could not deliver them * What will you make Me look like? from Babylon or the Babylonians 2) To what will you make Me equal to? from their captivity by Cyrus. vs. 2 * Who is My competitor. * Jer. 48:7; 49:3 3) To whom will you compare Me? * Who is Twin? 46:3-4 The Eternal God had carried Israel and would continue to do so. 46:6 Their dedicated labor is described. 1) The people are not stingy with their 46:3 God had carried His people. wealth to make gods. 1) God calls for the ear of the house of Israel 2) They weigh the gold and hire a goldsmith and the remnant. to make a god. a) The Northern kingdom was the house 3) They then prostrate themselves and in of Israel. irony say, “Yes and they worship”, b) The remnant was the few that would revealing once again the foolishness of it. return and were the true Israel. 46:7 Their devotion to their gods is 2) They had been carried from birth, even as declared. in the womb. Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11 1) “They bear it on the shoulder, they carry their god, meaning that their gods are 46:4 God would carry them throughout less than they. their lives. 2) “And set it in its place, and it stands”, 1) God would carry them to their old age meaning that their gods are present only 2) He made them and bore responsibility of in one place at a time. to bear them. 3) “From its place it shall not move.”, their 3) He would deliver them, through Cyrus gods can not go anywhere without from Babylon. Is. 40:25; 45:1-7 human help. 4) “Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot 46:5-7 The lack of comparison between the answer.”, their gods can not gods of Babylon and the Eternal God. communicate with them. 5 6 5) “Nor save him out of his trouble.”, their 1) Declaring the end from the beginning, for gods are powerless to help them. He lives in an eternal present, outside the * They are powerless to hear, to speak time domain of man. vs. 10a; Is. 41:22 and they can not save! 2) Declaring things not yet done and His . counsel stands doing His pleasure, being 46:8-11 The unique ability of the Eternal in control of all things. vs. 10b-c God to foretell the future. 3) Deciding weather He uses beast of man for His purposes and plans and then bring 46:8 They were to remember their past in it to pass, revealing that He is God. vs. view of their present state. 11 1) God calls for them to show themselves as * Certainly this can apply to Assyria, men, meaning courageous, while being Cyrus, etc. cowards, unable to think like their gods. 2) God tells them to recall to their mind, 46:12-13 The promise of the Eternal God for identifying them as transgressors, being Israel’s future. in present rebellion to Him. 46:12 God addresses them again by their 46:9 They were to remember their past in present spiritual condition. view of the person of God. 1) Those who are stubborn-hearted or hard- 1) The former things of old, what God had hearted are called to listen, done, how He had done them! demonstrating the patience and steadfast 2) The fact that He was God “Elohim”, and love. vs. 12a there was no other, therefore idols were a 2) Those who were far from righteousness, mistake. living a life-style that was unloving and 3) The truth that He was God and there was godless towards their fellowman. vs. 12b none like Him, He is the only One! Is. 40:26-30 46:13 God would in spite of them bring in His righteousness. 46:10-11 They were to remember God’s unique 1) Jehovah would bring it to them in the ability to tell the future. near future. vs. 13a 7 8 2) Jehovah would bring salvation in Zion. 3) The judgment could not be averted. vs. 13b-c 3) Jehovah would do it for Israel, His glory. 47:4 The character of Jehovah in contrast. vs. 13d 1) He is Israel’s Redeemer. * Is. 40:15-17; 44;26-28 2) He is the Lord of hosts, the captain of the armies of heaven, that is His name. 47:1-7 The humiliation of Babylon. 3) He is the Holy One of Israel. * All three declare that He is on the 47:1 Babylon’s abasement. throne and reigning over all the affairs 1) She is dethroned from her exalted state of of man! power to that of a servant. 2)A virgin protected and admired, not 47:5 The sentence of Jehovah. conquered but soon to be a despised 1) She is to sit in silence in her abasement in slave girl. darkness. 3) She would no longer be called or live in 2) She would no longer be called “The Lady opulence and comfort by the phrase of Kingdoms.” “tender and delicate”. Is. 13 * Some ascribe this prophecy to 47:6-7 The cruelty of Babylon to Israel. Sennacherib rather than Cyrus but the 1) God had punished His people by giving context fits Cyrus better. them over to Babylon. vs. 6a-c 2) She showed no mercy on the elderly. vs. 47:2 Babylon’s servitude. 6d-e 1) She would work hard and degraded not 3) She boasted that she would be a lady honored, having her veil removed. forever, not considering her actions and 2) She would have to travel on foot and the future consequences. vs. 7 cross the rivers as a fugitive, shamed bearing her leg. 47:8-11 The prideful overconfidence of Babylon. 47:3 Babylon shamed. 1) Her nakedness would be uncovered. 47:8 The self-worship of Babylon. 2) God would do this. 9 10 1) They trusted in their life of leisure, 3) Their judgment will be sudden, pleasure and their own safety, so they inescapable and certain not conquered were commanded to hear. through Cyrus vs. 11 2) They thought in their hearts that they were the only important ones. 47:12-15 The power of the occult are 3) They thought they would never become a powerless. widow or know the loss of children. 47:12-13 God taunts Babylon regarding her 47:9 The coming judgment declared. prognosticators. 1) Two things would come upon them 1) She is called to stand with her suddenly by the phrase, “in a moment enchantments and sorceries which she and one day” has know form her youth. vs. 12a-b 2) The loss of children and widowhood. 2) She will perhaps be able to profit against 3) These would come upon them in their God’s prophecy and ever prevail. vs. 12c fullness, due to their sorceries and 3) She was wearied by the multitude of her abundance of enchantments. counsels of astrologers, stargazers and a) Nebuchadnezzar consulted them for monthly prognosticators, nevertheless his dream. Dan. 2:2, 10 she was to see if they could save her b) Revelation shows us that she never from the judgment to come.