ISAIAH SESSION 18 — THE LORD WILL JUDGE THOSE WHO DEFY HIM

Text: Isaiah 17 & 18

If I were going to give today’s teaching a title, it would be “The LORD Will Judge Those Who Defy Him.” These chapters are a prophecy of judgment on the people of Isaiah’s day, but also are a prophecy of the end of things, when the Lord judges all dwellers on the earth who have defied Him.

In Chapter 17, Isaiah speaks the prophecy of the LORD’s judgment of Damascus and Jacob (northern Israel), who have defied the LORD. And in Chapter 18, when Cush is threatened by Assyria, they attempt to make an alliance with Judah. But their attempt will fail, because Cush has defied the LORD.

Be careful to note Jacob belonged to the LORD. But He judges those who defy Him. It is the same for those who belong to the Lord today, but defy Him. He warns you today, through Isaiah’s words.

Chapter 17

Verses 1-2  — 

Damascus is the capitol of Syria, with whom northern Israel/Jacob/Ephraim had allied themselves, in order to defeat Judah. But they would not succeed, and the LORD would ultimately destroy both Syria and Jacob, as Isaiah prophesied in 7:1 and 7:8.

Now Isaiah gives an oracle — both a word and a vision — of Syria’s pending destruction. He sees that its capitol, Damascus, is about to be removed as a city, and will become a fallen ruin, at the hands of Assyria.

The city of Aroer are forsaken. Its only inhabitants are flocks of animals who use them as a safe haven, lying down in them. No one frightens them away, for the city is abandoned and empty.

Verses 3-4 —

And in idolatrous Ephraim, there are no longer any fortified cities. There is no more kingdom in Damascus, no more royal power. 

And the remnant of Aram (Syria) will like be the “glory” of the sons of northern Israel, with whom they made an alliance. In this passage, the LORD uses the word “glory” sarcastically. The remnant of Syria will be just a faint shadow, as will be the remnant of Ephraim. 

Those who worship idols — including the idol of self — boast about themselves and glorify themselves. But at the end of things, their glory will vanish.

Together, Syria and Ephraim will be crushed, declares the LORD of hosts, the Captain of the armies of the LORD. Surely, that will be the judgment for all who defy Him, rebel against Him, and refuse to repent — even those who are His people, and His church! 

How does the church defy Him? Believers defy Him by following the strange gospel that is preached, and by greedily seeking the Lord for what they declare He must do for them!

In the day when the LORD crushes Jacob, his glory will fade (be thin and feeble). Again, it will be a faint shadow. And Jacob will no longer be fat (rich) and prosperous, but lean and famished.

Verses 5-6 —

Isaiah sees a harvest — Assyria harvests Jacob. When grain is harvested, the stalks are wrapped tightly, so they can remove many heads of grain with one sweeping cut. In the same way, the Assyrians will cut and gather Jacob like standing grain that cannot escape the sickle. They will wrap Jacob tightly in their arms so they can remove their heads (their sovereignty, and perhaps their heads, literally) with one sweeping cut. 

Gleanings will be gathered in the valley of Rephaim, which is southwest of Jerusalem, for the Assyrians will invade Judah, too, and even come to Jerusalem’s wall! But as I have told you, 185,000 Assyrians were slain in one night by the angel of the LORD, and the Assyrians returned home (2Kings 19:35).

And gleanings will be left in Jacob (northern Israel), like the shaking (striking) of an olive tree. The Assyrian harvesters will beat the branches thoroughly, to leave as little as possible for the gleaners. But a sparse gleaning will remain —  two or three olives on the topmost bough, four or five in the branches of a fruitful tree. 

Who declares this judgment against Damascus and Ephraim, and much of Judah, even to the gates of Jerusalem? The LORD, the God of Israel! He is God alone, and there is no other. And no one can reverse His judgments upon His rebellious people, and upon all who defy Him!

Verses 7-8 —

In the day when the LORD judges Ephraim, man will have regard for his Maker. They have had regard for the idols they made with their hands, but not for Him!But their idols are emptiness and nothing. Now, they will look to the One who created them.

And at the end of things, all that worship the god of self, the ones that want the Lord to bless them while they defy Him, will have regard for Him at the end of things. But it will be too late! While it is still today, repent, O church, O believer!

Ephraim is overrun. There are just a few stragglers left in the land. Now, instead of looking to their idols and false gods, Isaiah sees them look to the Holy One of Israel. 

The false gods they had worshiped required them to do evil acts — child sacrifice, orgies, self-mutilation, homosexuality, and so on. In contrast, the Holy One of Israel requires that His people be holy as He is holy — completely different from the world around them (Leviticus 22:2, Matthew 5:48, 1Peter 1:15)! 

No longer will Ephraim have regard for the altars to the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, which he made with his hands. Instead, he will have regard for his Maker.

After their punishment, Ephraim will no longer look to that which his fingers have made. He will no longer look to the Asherim (wooden statues of the mother of Baal), and the stands on which they burned incense to Baal. He will finally see that Baal and the golden calves could not save him, for they are false gods. 

It will be the same at the end of things. Those who have worshiped a false Jesus, one who does not command them to be holy by being filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5), will see that they have been listening to false prophets who appeal to their greed. They will see that they have worshiped the god of self. 

Verses 9-10 —

Isaiah sees the coming desolation of Ephraim. Strong cities will be like forsaken places in the forest. 

What are the abandoned branches? When Israel was given the land and they conquered the peoples in it, they took over the abandoned buildings in their cities.

But now the tables have turned. Ephraim’s buildings will be abandoned and lived in by those who Assyria brings in from their world empire. And the land will be a desolation (laid waste) by Assyria.

Like Ephraim, today’s church is being overrun by the god of this world. Many abandoned church buildings have been bought for the use of the world system that defies the Lord. Such buildings stand as a witness against today’s church. 

Why is Ephraim abandoned? They have forgotten their God, the One who saved them from slavery to Egypt, and brought them into the land! They have sought refuge in false gods and in an alliance with Syria, instead of the LORD, who is the rock of their refuge, their Strength. David sought refuge in Him, and no other  —

Psalms 18:2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

What is your foundation? In whom do you trust? Is it the Lord? Do you claim to be His, and yet disobey Him? Listen to Jesus’ warning —

Matthew 7:24  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”

Ephraim suffers because they have rejected the LORD who planted them, and instead have planted vine slips of a strange god. The LORD speaks  —

Psalms 81:8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! ⁹ “Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god.”

Isaiah sees a vision of Ephraim’s futile efforts as they plant emptiness and foolishness. With their own hands, they carefully fence in these foreign vine slips. Ephraim sees the blossoms that promise coming fruit. 

But the harvest will be a heap, mounded up and spoiled, in a day of sickness and incurable pain. He judges them, for they have refused to repent for their idolatry.  

What are you planting and tending? Beware! A gospel is being taught that is strange to the ears of Jesus Christ! And its harvest will become a heap!

Verses 12-14 —

Alas! Woe! Isaiah hears the uproar of many peoples! They roar like the roaring of the seas! Their armies are vast, comprised of Assyrians and soldiers from lands they have conquered. Assyria has conquered Assyria’s army are so great that they make a rumbling noise, like the rumbling of mighty waters!

Again, Isaiah hears them, like the rumbling of many waters! Anyone who hears them will be terror-stricken! They rumble on, unstoppable. But the LORD will rebuke them and they will flee far away. 

Assyria will get its due punishment at the hands of Babylon. They will be chased upon the mountains and will blow to and fro by the wind of Babylon’s army. They will no longer march in order, but will flee here and there, seeking safety. They will be chased, surrounded and blinded by the flying dust from Babylon’s many foot soldiers, horses, and chariots!

Isaiah sees that mighty Assyria is terror-stricken at evening. Before morning, they are no more. It will be just as when they attempted to breach Jerusalem’s wall. 

The LORD has used Assyria as His servant to discipline punish Ephraim, so His people might repent from their hearts. But those who plunder and pillage God’s people will meet ultimately meet a bitter end.

Chapter 18

 

Isaiah now sees Assyria’s invasion of Cush — Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Sudan. They also have defied the LORD. Woe to them! Their punishment is just as thorough as that of Assyria and Ephraim!

Verses 1-2 —

Alas! Woe! Pay attention, land of whirring wings (a reference to the abundance of flying insects there), which lies beyond the rivers of Cush. Historically, they were frequently ruled by Egypt. But now, Assyria was a threat to Cush, the land where the tall, handsome, clean-shaven Nubians dwell.

So, Isaiah sees Cush send swift envoys by boat to Judah, to seek an alliance with Judah (from The Expositor’s Bible Commentary). Their purpose is to gather as many nations as they can, to help them withstand the onslaught of Assyria. They travel up the Nile on lightweight craft that are able to move swiftly across the water.

The emissaries swiftly travel to Judah, Judah refuses the alliance, and Cush swiftly returns to their land. They are desperate, and in grave danger!

Cush had recently defeated Egypt, and were a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation whose land the rivers divide. But the LORD did not fear Cush, nor did Judah. In those days, Judah was led by King Hezekiah, who was faithful to the LORD, and would not make an alliance with those who defied God.

Verses 3-4 —

Now, Isaiah speaks not only of Assyria’s fall, but of the end of things, when all the inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth — that is, all who have defied the Lord and who have persecuted and slain believers — will fall. 

The whole known earth will see the demise of Assyria. And all mankind will see the demise of those who have defied the Lord.

At the end of things, martyred believers will cry out to the Lord from beneath the altar in heaven —

Revelation 6:10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 

Oh, Cush! O inhabitants of the earth who defy the LORD! O believer who has defied the LORD and refused to repent! 

Cush, you will see your end as soon as you see the standard raised by the Assyrian army on the mountains, and as soon as you hear the trumpet that sounds when the battle begins. 

At the end of things, those who defy the Lord will see the banner of the Righteous Judge, Jesus Christ, and will hear the battle cry of the armies of heaven —

Revelation 19:11   And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³ He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ¹⁵ From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶ And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Thus the LORD has told Isaiah — the LORD will quietly look upon the destruction of those who have defied Him and refused to repent. He had judged them. Now, He watches his judgment unfold, from on high.

He dwells in unapproachable light (1Timothy 6:16)! His light is so bright that it is like dazzling heat, not only bright white and plainly seen, but hot. His light can be felt AND seen. But all those who defy Him have refused His light.

He is a like a cloud of dew that would have given them shelter from the heat of their spiritual desert, but they have refused to repent. So there will be no shelter for them, from His judgment.

Verses 5-6 —

Before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms and the flower becomes a ripening grape, the LORD will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives. The Vinedresser (John 15:1) will cut off Sennacherib, king of Assyria, before he can bear the fruit of further nations conquered. 

He will ruin Assyria’s harvest. He will also cut away the spreading vine of the Assyrian Empire. 

At the end of things, He will do the same to Satan, and to the earth dwellers who have defied Him and even to His own people who have defied Him and set the vine slips of strange gods in their hearts. They will be cut off forever, consigned to the lake of fire!

The Assyrians will be left for mountain birds of prey to eat. The beasts of the earth will devour their bodies. The slaughter will be so great that birds of prey will spend the summer devouring them. Even into harvest, the beasts and birds will continue to feast, just as at the end of things —

Revelation 19:17   And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God;  ¹⁸ in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” 

Verse 7 —

At that time, at the end of things, a gift of homage (honor) will be brought to Jerusalem. All the people who have defied the LORD will come and bow down to Jesus Christ, His Son, before they are judged and sentenced —

Philippians 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, what should be the response of the nations, and of all humankind? And what should be the response of believers who have rebelled against Him and willfully disobeyed Him?  

As David prophesies and warns —

Psalms 2:10  Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. ¹¹ Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Amen, Lord Jesus! May many believers repent and ask You to change their hearts. And may many earth-dwellers turn from their wicked ways and take refuge in You, while it is still today! 

ABOMINATIONS OF THE LORD’S PEOPLE

[SW389] 07/27/2019 message notes by 

Pastor Susan J. Wynn ©2019

“Abominations of the LORD’s People”

 Text: Ezekiel 8, etc.

The LORD asked me to use this passage to show today’s believers and today’s church the things which are abominations to Him (that which is repulsive to Him). Why? So you might see and repent. That is always His desire!

In Ezekiel’s vision from the LORD, I will show you the abominations that the LORD showed him. The abominations pervaded every aspect of the temple in Jerusalem. From the altar gate of the outer court of the temple, all the way to the inner court of the LORD’s house, each abomination was worse than the prior one. It is the same today, among believers and in churches.

Verses 1-2 —

In the sixth year of Ezekiel’s exile in Babylon, on the fifth day of the sixth month, Ezekiel was sitting in his house in Babylon. The elders of Judah, who were in Babylon, were sitting before him. 

The hand of the LORD fell on Ezekiel, as he sat with the elders. He saw a vision of a likeness as the appearance (shape, form) of a man. 

From His loins and downward, His body looked like fire, and from His loins and upward, a brilliance, like glowing metal. Note the capitalization here! He is the LORD, the same one Ezekiel saw at the beginning —

Ezekiel 1:27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.

Verse 3 —

The LORD stretched out what looked like a hand, caught Ezekiel by the lock of his head (side locks worn by Jewish men, per the Law of Moses). And the Spirit lifted Ezekiel up between earth and heaven, and brought him, in visions of God, to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court (of the temple). 

What was there? An idol of jealousy, placed at the entrance of the north gate (the altar gate, per Verse 5). So the idol obscured the view of the altar, if you stood at the gate.

 

What was this idol of jealousy? Likely a statue of the false god, Baal, the weather god, a god of sensuality who required orgies and child sacrifice, in order for his worshipers to prosper. 

Whom did it provoke to jealousy? YHWH, Yahweh, the LORD, the one true God. The idea of child sacrifice had never entered His heart —

Jeremiah 32:35 “They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech (another name for Baal), which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind (heart) that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

So, the first abomination Ezekiel was shown was a statue of a god that caused Judah to sin, by offering their children in the fire. 

And the next abomination was that the idol obscured the view of the altar.

To today’s church and believers, the Lord says that the idol of self, which is the root of all worship of false gods, is an abomination to Him. The root of the idol of self is the inborn sin nature. 

And the idol of self obscures the view of the altar upon which all believers are commanded to offer themselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing, as Paul exhorted the believers in Rome, and the church as a whole —

Romans 12:1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 

What did he mean? It is a whole burnt offering, in which Jesus Christ purifies your heart with the fire of the Holy Spirit, as Peter described (Acts 15:9).

Verse 4 —

Ezekiel’s vision continued. He said, “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain” —

Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory (kabod, weighty presence) of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

Verse 5 —

And just as in Chapter 1, the LORD spoke. “Son of man, raise your eyes toward the north.” As Ezekiel’s raised his eyes, they became fixed upon the idol of jealousy that was at the altar gate, through which the altar was supposed to be visible. But the idol of jealousy blocked the view.

Again, in today’s church, the idol of self blocks the view of the altar upon which believers are to offer themselves as a living sacrifice, so their hearts are purified. So, the Lord’s promise to purify believers’ hearts and destroy the sin nature is ignored and unspoken and unseen, and today’s church and believers continue in their sin.

Verse 6 —

And the LORD said, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.”

Again, the idol of the false god Baal represented all that was involved in Judah’s Baal worship — sexual perversion, child sacrifice, and more. And the idol of Baal obscured the view of the altar just outside the temple. His people could not see past Baal. They could not see the altar at which those who repented made atonement for sin.

Therefore, these great abominations caused Him to stand afar off from the sanctuary His people had built for Him. He had left the building!

Sin separates God’s people from Him —

Isaiah 59:1  Behold, the LORD’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. ² But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

I tell you the truth, Jesus Christ has left the building! I say this to the sinning church. 

She thinks that she is rich and has become wealthy and is in need of nothing (Revelation 3:17)! But He is outside, knocking at the doors of the hearts of individual believers in the pews, just as He wrote to those in the pews of the church at Laodicea —

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Verses 7-9 —

Next, the LORD brought Ezekiel to the entrance of the outer court of the temple, through which the temple is entered. Ezekiel looked, and there was a hole in the wall of the temple.

The LORD commanded him to dig through the wall, and when Ezekiel did, he saw an entrance. It was a room unable to be viewed from its exterior — a hidden room. And the LORD said, “Go in and see the abominations that they are committing here.”

I tell you the truth, many abominations against the Lord are done behind closed doors in many of today’s churches, and in the homes of many believers. Yet nothing is hidden from the eyes of He with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13)!

Verses 10-11 — 

So Ezekiel obeyed the LORD and went to see the abominations in the room the LORD showed him. He entered and looked, and saw upon the walls of the room a vast array of carvings of every kind of unclean things and all the idols of Israel, all around.

Standing around these carvings were seventy elders of the house of Israel. These represented the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious body of Israel. 

Each man had his incense censer in his hand, and from the censers, a fragrant cloud of incense arose. They were burning incense to all of the false gods and unclean things they had carved into the wall. The LORD said of Judah —

2Kings 22:17 “Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”

So, the next abomination was that the Sanhedrin, who were supposed to give just and righteous judgments on the Law of Moses given by the LORD, were defying the LORD by carving impure and perverse images on the walls, and worshiping carved images of false gods.

Today’s believers and today’s church commit the same abomination. Among their leaders, the ones who are supposed to oversee their denominations, there are many leaders who have carved impure and perverse things, and images of the god of self, on the walls of their hearts. And they teach their followers to do the same.

These leaders and their followers do so because they do not know the LORD, but only know about Him. Therefore, they have never asked the LORD to write His Law on their hearts (Psalm 40:8). Instead, with their own hands, they carve images that please their own lusts and desires.

Verses 12-13 —

The next abomination was that the members of the Sanhedrin were not afraid to do these abominations, but said, “The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.” He had forsaken them because they were worshiping false gods. But there was no repentance. They simply thought that since He had left, He could no longer see their sin. Their actions showed that they never knew the LORD. They did not believe in Him!

It did not trouble them that His presence was no longer in the temple. They assumed that because He was not there, He could not see, so they could worship whatever false god they thought would give them what they wanted, and carve on the walls of their hidden rooms whatever abominations they wanted to carve! But again, nothing is hidden from the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13)!

Today’s believers and today’s church commit the same abomination. The LORD has forsaken many churches, but that does not mean that He cannot see what they are doing! Just as with the Sanhedrin, the leaders of the church are completely aware that He has forsaken them. It does not trouble them at all. 

They foolishly assume that because He is not there He cannot see that they are teaching falsehood and worshiping themselves. They foolishly assume that He cannot see that they have joined hands with the world system that defies God. They foolishly assume that He cannot see that they call evil good and good evil. They foolishly assume that He cannot see that they exalt sinners to high places in their churches, even pulpits and board rooms.

So, they worship themselves, as well as many perverse things that please their sin nature, with its lusts and desires. Their actions show that they never knew the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not believe in Him! 

The LORD said to Ezekiel, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing.” He has shown me still greater abominations which His church is committing.

Verses 14-15 — 

Then the LORD brought Ezekiel to the entrance of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north, and behold, women were sitting there, weeping for Tammuz, a false god who was the son of Baal. This was the gate of the LORD’s house — just outside the temple.

Tammuz was though to be a god of agriculture and fertility. Tammuz died every late summer, when vegetation dried up in the land. So, the women were weeping because Tammuz had died. 

So, the next abomination that the LORD showed Ezekiel was His people’s dependence upon a false god for prosperity and fertility.

And the LORD said, to Ezekiel, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see even greater abominations.”

Today’s believers and today’s church commit the same abomination. They depend on the world’s wisdom and ways, which please the god of self. They think they are wiser than the Lord!

When many of today’s believers do not get what they want, and the prosperity and success they greedily seek dries up and fails, they mourn, for their lusts and desires are not met. They do not see that the Lord is disciplining them so that they will return to Him. 

Instead, they even more eagerly and urgently worship the god of self, and chase after false teachers who preach the god of self, because they are assured by such false teachers that the Lord wants to make them successful and prosperous! All they have to do is believe it, and oh, by the way, sow seed (money) into the false teachers’ ministries, and they will get back a hundredfold more money!

Verse 16 —

Now the LORD shows Ezekiel the greatest abomination against Him. He brought Ezekiel into the inner court of the LORD’s house, to the very entrance of the temple of the LORD, between Solomon’s porch and the altar. 

There were 25 men standing there, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces eastward toward the east. And they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. They were worshiping the sun god!

So, the final abomination that the LORD showed Ezekiel was that by turning their backs to the temple, the leaders turned their backs toward worship of the LORD. They openly rejected Him, and openly worshiped that which was false.

It is the same among many believers and churches today. They turn their backs on the Lord, in favor of worship of the god of self, from whom they believe they will receive all that they lust and desire to have. 

They turn their backs on the truth that they are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit so they become temples of the Lord, as Paul exhorts the believers at Corinth (1Corinthians 3:16). They turn their backs on the truth that they are commanded to offer themselves completely to the Lord, as Paul exhorts the believers at Rome (again, Romans 12:1).

They refuse and refute Paul’s exhortation to the believers at Corinth, in whom the god of self still ruled and reigned —

1Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Paul asked a rhetorical question. By their actions, the Corinthians did not know, because the Holy Spirit was not in them. If He had been in them, they would have known that indeed, their bodies were the temple of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! There would be no need for exhortation by Paul.

But they only knew about the Lord; they did not know Him — they did not have a holy, intimate relationship with the Father and the Son — because they did not obey His command to be filled with His Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5). 

Yet in today’s church, believers are taught that the believers at Corinth had already been filled with the Spirit. At best, that is a misinterpretation, but I believe it is a purposeful one. 

The actions of the believers at Corinth belied their claim that they were already filled, for their sin nature and worship of the god of self were in full view! And it is the same today!

False teachers in today’s church teach believers that they cannot help but sin. But Jesus Christ says He will free you from slavery to sin —

John 8:31   So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

John 8:34  . . . “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. ³⁵ “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. ³⁶ “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

And He teaches that those who do not obey Him (that is, those who sin against Him), do not love Him —

John 14:24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”

Verse 17 —

The LORD’s response to those in Judah, and to today’s believers, is shown in the last words the LORD speaks to Ezekiel, in this vision. “Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah (and the church) to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked Me repeatedly?” 

What violence? Crimes against their fellow man, whom they encourage to do as they do, and perish in hell! 

And how did they provoke Him repeatedly? With worship of false gods! The LORD says, “For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose.” It is an act that signifies they worship the creation (the twig) instead of the Creator (the LORD). By putting creation to their noses, and inhaling the aroma of it, they worship it and thereby defy the LORD.

All of what I have shown you is the fruit of the god of self — both then and now. The church has obscured worship of the LORD and the call of Romans 12:1. With what have they obscured worship of Him, and the offering of believers as living sacrifices? The church has obscured that truth with the abominable idol of the god of self. The leaders, as well as many believers who follow their false teachers, have become an abomination to Jesus Christ. 

Many in the church are led by false teachers down the wide way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). But the fault is in themselves, for they worship themselves, and love the ear-pleasing words of false teachers. 

They choose to refuse the narrow gate, the one where they are commanded to ask their Father in heaven to fill them with the Holy Spirit, so their sin nature, with its lusts and desires, is crucified (Galatians 5:24). I tell you the truth, when the sin nature dies, so does the god of self. 

Verse 18 —

“Therefore,” says the LORD, “I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”

O sinning church and believers who are worshiping the god of self, repent and be restored, while it is still today! A day will come when He can no longer be found or called upon. It will be the day of the Lord, the day of judgment.

Isaiah 55:6  Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, 

for He will abundantly pardon.

Turn from your sin, return to the Lord from whom you have so deeply defected! Call on Him to forgive you and fill you with His Spirit.  He will do it, if you return to Him.

Lord, may believers hear these truths and throw to the moles and the bats the false god of self. Let it be so, I pray. Amen.

ISAIAH SESSION 17 — THE LORD KEEPS HIS WORD

Text: Isaiah 14:28-16:14

When God’s people go astray, He sends His prophets to frankly and bluntly warn them of their sin and admonish them to repent and return to Him. Again, when I speak of God’s people, I am speaking of the church, Jewish believers, and Jews that do not yet believe that Jesus is their Messiah.

The LORD does not desire for any to perish, but all to come to repentance (2Peter 3:9). So, He sends Isaiah to speak to Jerusalem and Judah. And He has assigned me to speak to today’s believers.

If I were going to give today’s teaching a title, it will be “The LORD Keeps His Word.” It begins with the prophecy of Philistia’s complete destruction, and then Moab’s complete destruction. It is the price they, and the world system, will pay because they defy the LORD and worship false gods.

Many thanks, once again, to John Oswalt, whose commentary from The New International Commentary on the Old Testament was helpful regarding the history and geography in these passages. Please excuse my mispronunciations of cities; it is more important that you see the picture of the pronouncement of the LORD’s judgment than for me to pronounce the city names perfectly.

Chapter 14:28-32

Verses 28-30 — 

In the year that King Ahaz died — 715 B.C. — Isaiah received an oracle (a vision and words) from the LORD. Isaiah specifies the date, which lends authenticity to the oracle. But even more, history will prove it. 

So, in the year that King Ahaz died, the LORD warned the Philistines not to rejoice. They assumed that Assyria would totally eradicate the Jews  from the face of the earth. They assumed that the rod that had struck them — Assyria — would be weakened since the Philistines had revolted against Sargon, king of Assyria in 710 B.C.

But the LORD said that from the serpent’s root (Sargon, king of Assyria), a viper will come out (Sennacherib, the next king of Assyria), and its fruit (offspring) will be a flying serpent (Esarhaddon, the next king of Assyria after Sennacherib). And Esharhaddon will destroy Philistia.

But the LORD told Philistia that the remnant in Judah, who were most helpless, will eat, and the needy will lie down in security. In contrast, Philistia’s root will be killed off by famine, when they are overrun by Esarhaddon. Because their root will be dead, they will not spring up again.

Verses 31-32 —

The gate of Philistine will wail, the city will cry. Melt away (be dissolved, be consumed), all of you, says the LORD. “All of you” refers to the five city-states of Philistia — Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath. 

Who will destroy them? Assyria, the smoke (figuratively, anger) coming from the north. And the king of Assyria is powerful — there are no stragglers (no division) in his ranks.

How then will one answer the messengers of the nation — the envoys sent by the Philistines to seek for Judah to join forces with them, when Philistia heard that the king of Assyria was coming to destroy it?

Here is the LORD’s answer  — He has founded Zion. He made Zion the home of the Jews, whom He first chose to be His people. He established them, and promised King David that his house and his kingdom will endure before Him forever (2Samuel 7:16). He keeps His word.

So, the afflicted (humbled, lowly) of His people will seek refuge (trust and find refuge) in Zion (Jerusalem). They did, when the king of Assyria invaded Judah while faithful King Hezekiah prayed for deliverance from the LORD. And 185,000 Assyrian soldiers perished in one night, causing their hasty retreat. He keeps His word.

When Israel became a nation, the afflicted (humbled, lowly) of His people, who were nearly wiped out in the Holocaust, trusted and found refuge in Jerusalem in 1948, when Israel became a nation. He keeps His word.

And the afflicted (humbled, lowly) of His people who believe into Jesus Christ, their Messiah, will trust and find refuge in the LORD, at the end of things (Romans 11:25-27). He keeps His word.

Chapter 15

Verses 1-2 —

Now, the LORD turns His attention to Moab, and gives Isaiah an oracle concerning it. Moab had a history of being off-and-on allies with Judah at times, but also of Moab periodically turning against them, for political purposes. I will speak of Moab’s history when we get to Verse 6.

Isaiah sees a vision of the devastation of great Moabite cities. The city of Ar will be devastated (laid waste) and ruined (made silent). And in one night, the city of Kir will be laid waste and made silent. Though they will go up to the temple of their false God, and to the high places of Dibon, the capitol of the city-state of Mesha, to weep for Chemosh, their national deity, it will be to no avail.

NOTE: Chemosh (Chemosh Melech) and Molech are interchangeable, because they are very likely the same god. And we know that child sacrifices were placed in the metal belly of a likeness of Molech and burned alive, their screams drowned by the beating of many drums.

Isaiah hears a great sound! Moab wails (howls) over Nebo, the mountain at the northern end of the Dead Sea, and for Medeba, an ancient town in what is now Jordan. There are overcome by Assyria. Everyone has shaved their head and beard, in mourning.

Verses 3-4 — 

The description of the mourning of the Moabites continues. They have girded themselves with sackcloth, believing Chemosh will see and save them. Everywhere, both on their housetops and in their squares, everyone is howling, dissolved in tears (going down in weeping, their helplessness in view). Other cities, Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out. Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz, about 12 miles away. Every city in Moab will howl, and the noise is heard by every Philistine.

Even the armed men of Moab make an ear-splitting sound of alarm. Moab’s soul will tremble within him, at the sound, for they realize that neither Chemosh nor even the Moabite army can save him.

Verses 5-7 —

Isaiah says, My heart shall cry out for Moab. The LORD’s heart shall cry out, and so shall Isaiah’s. Why? Moab was the son of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Therefore, Moab was part of Abraham’s family, in the beginning. And as I have said many times, the LORD does not desire any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2Peter 3:9).

Now, Isaiah sees a picture of all Moabites as fugitives, as all of Moab flees as far as Zoar, in an attempt to escape the Assyrian army. He hears their cries of distress (brokenness and destruction) over their ruin.

“The waters of Nimrim” refers to the name of an oasis. But because of the vast number of fugitives seeking water there, it has dried up. The grown grass and the new grass is dead because the water is gone. 

Isaiah sees that there is no green thing left. Then, he watches as the Philistines try to carry their possessions over the brook of Arabim, In their desperation, they abandon their beasts of burden.

Verses 8-9 —

The whole territory of Moab is filled with cries of distress! Its howling is heard from one end to the other. Why? The waters of Dimon will be filled with the blood of the Moabites. 

And the LORD will bring even greater woes to Dimon — a lion (sudden destruction) will come upon the fugitives of Moab and upon the remnant of the land. No Moabite will remain, even though they try to escape His judgment.

Moab’s flight will result in sudden destruction, and it will be the same for believers who sin, and for the world system that defies God, when they try to run away from judgment. The LORD keeps His word. 

The picture here is that there is no escape from the LORD’s judgment which He metes out through Assyria, as Amos prophesies —

Amos 5:19  (It will be) as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or goes home, leans his hand against the wall and a snake bites him.

Chapter 16

Verses 1-4 —

Isaiah sees a time when Moab seeks help from Judah, sending ambassadors and a tribute lamb to the ruler of the land of Judah, as a sign of submission. At this point, they have fled to a wilderness stronghold in Edom. From there, they will send their tribute lamb to the mountain of the daughter of Zion — Jerusalem. 

The ambassadors will come to the fords of Arnon, the northern edge of Edom. The picture is of agitated flight resulting from extreme terror. They will come like fleeing birds, or scattered nestlings whose nest has been overturned and destroyed.

They will cry out to Judah, Give us advice! Make a decision! Cast your shadow like night at high noon! Cover us so the enemy cannot see us! We are outcasts! Hide us! Do not tell the enemy where we are hidden! We are fugitives! Do not betray our location to the enemy!

Let us stay with you. Be a hiding place for us, from Assyria! All of our evil ones, our extortioners and oppressors, have perished and have completely disappeared! It will be safe for you to hide us!

Verse 5 —

But the LORD’s promise is to Jerusalem, not idolatrous Moab. His throne will be established in righteousness, not among idolaters. His judge, Jesus Christ, will ultimately sit on David’s throne in the tent of David. And He will be faithful to judge righteously, justly, and promptly. Jesus Christ says of His Father —

John 5:22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son . . .”

Verses 6-8 —

Why will Moab not be rescued? Because of their pride, which is the root of their idolatry. Isaiah says, Jerusalem has heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride (that is, they are wholly proud and self-reliant). 

Moab has been arrogant, proud, and full of wrath toward Jerusalem. But Moab’s boasts are idle and false, for they trust in Chemosh. Therefore, all their boasts mean nothing and are empty talk, in the LORD’s eyes. 

Therefore, every Moabite will howl. They will mourn for the raisin cakes (considered delicacies) of Kir-haraseth, as those who are utterly stricken (broken, smitten). All their fields and vines have withered, and the choice clusters of grapes have been trampled down by the lords of the nations — all the nations that comprise the army of the world empire of Assyria. 

The Assyrian armies have reached from one end of Moab to the other. They spread out like tendrils from a vine. Nothing can stop them — they even creep over the Dead Sea. 

Verses 9-10 —

Both the LORD and Isaiah weep bitterly. The time of harvest has come in Moab, but there is no more joyful shouting over the harvest. Everything has been destroyed. If they had only repented and turned from their false gods and their pride! Why do I say the LORD also weeps? Because of the last line of Verse 10, in which the “I” is obviously the LORD speaking.

It is true today. Behind every false god is the god of self, which says, “I want what I want, and I want it now!”  Many believers worship the world’s wisdom, and its ways, and bow down to them. The god of self will reign in you until your sin nature is crucified (Galatians 5:24). 

Again, the Lord does not desire that any should perish, but that all come to repentance (2Peter 3:9). Do not wait! Repent now, while it is still today! Ask Him to crucify your sin nature and fill you with His Holy Spirit! He will do it!

Both the LORD and Isaiah drench Moab with their tears — what a picture — for gladness and joy have been taken away by Assyria. There will be no cries of joy, no treader will reach out to tread out wine in the presses. Why? The LORD has made shouting to cease. Jesus Christ Himself, and the Father, and all who are filled with His Spirit drench the church with our tears, for unless believers repent from following after the world and its ways, there will be no cries of joy, but only wailing. He keeps His word.

Verses 11-12 —

Therefore the LORD’s and Isaiah’s hearts wail like flutes for Moab. Can you hear it? The LORD’s and Isaiah’s inward parts churn, to see the destruction of Moab. The hearts of those who love Jesus Christ also wail like flutes, and our inward parts churn, for we see the destruction of many in the church, both now, and in the day of judgment.

Moab will present himself to his false gods, he will weary himself upon the high places and the temples where Chemosh is worshiped, but he will not prevail, because Chemosh is false. It is just as the day at Mount Carmel when Elijah challenged the prophets of the false god Israel was worshiping, Baal —

1Kings 18:25   So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” ²⁶ Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made . . . 

1Kings 18:28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. ²⁹ When midday was past, they raved (prophesied) until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

Verses 13-14 —

This is the word which the LORD spoke earlier concerning Moab. But now He speaks a further word — within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded (vile, contemptible), along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent (feeble).

Beloved, that is what happens to all believers who worship their own wisdom and ways, who want what they want, and want it now, who are prideful and rebellious, who sin against the Lord, as if He does not mind. 

I tell you the truth, the god of self will never be able to save you, in the day of judgment! The Lord keeps His word!

The god of self is dethroned by only one means. You must repent! Turn from your worship of you, and cry out for the Lord to crucify the sin nature you were born with, for that is the root of the god of self. He will surely do it, when you ask your Father in heaven to fill you with His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). The Lord keeps His word!

Lord Jesus, through Moab’s example, may all believers see what happens when they worship the world system that defies God, when they rely upon and trust in the world’s wisdom and its ways. May they repent, for surely, You will receive them. And when they cry out for you to fill them with Your Holy Spirit, you will respond, and change their hearts. So be it, I pray. Amen.

HIS WATCHMEN WARN

[SW388] 07/20/2019 message notes by 

Pastor Susan J. Wynn ©2019

“His Watchmen Warn”

 Text: Ezekiel 33:1-20, etc.

The Lord has asked me to show you these things —

— Why His watchmen warn, 

— Who the Lord commands them to warn, 

— The content of the LORD’s warnings which are spoken by His watchmen, 

— The consequences for those who do not heed the Lord’s warnings, and 

— The consequences for the watchmen if he did not warn, and the consequences for the LORD’s people he did not warn.

First, I will show you the watchman named Ezekiel. Then I will show you today’s watchmen. Ezekiel, a faithful priest of the LORD (1:1), had been in captivity in Babylon for twelve years, at the time of this word from the LORD.

Why did Ezekiel warn? He was commissioned by the LORD as a watchman, while he was among the exiles in Babylon —

Ezekiel 3:4   Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. ⁵ “For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; ⁷ yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.”

In Ezekiel 18, he faithfully obeyed the LORD, giving the same warnings of His coming judgment of His people. But the people had blamed the sins of their fathers for any coming judgment from the LORD (18:2). They did not repent and turn from their own sins that they were committing against the LORD. 

So, because of His pity for His people (2Chronicles 36:15), the LORD gave one final warning, through Ezekiel. 

Verse 1-2a — 

Who did the LORD command Ezekiel to warn? The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel. The LORD commanded him to speak His words to the children of Ezekiel’s people — that is, the Jews who believed in the LORD. His words were for those in exile, and for those who had not yet been exiled (13:2 and elsewhere). 

So, Ezekiel was not sent to warn those who did not believe in the God of heaven. He was sent to believers.

Verses 2b-5 —

What were the consequences, if the LORD’s people were warned by the watchman?

The LORD gave Ezekiel a parable, to explain the consequences regarding a natural watchman, standing on the wall of the city —

— If the LORD brought a sword (a coming judgment, i.e., invasion of an enemy) upon a land, and the people of the land assigned someone to be a watchman on the city wall, to look for a coming sword from the LORD,

— and the watchmen saw the sword coming, and blew the trumpet and warned the people,

— then he who heard the trumpet and did not take warning would perish when the sword came and took him. His blood was on his own head. He refused the warning, so he was responsible for his own death. 

— he heard the trumpet but did not take warning. His blood was on himself. But if he had listened, he would have saved his own life from the coming judgment of the LORD.

So, the watchman blew his trumpet in order to warn the people of coming judgment by the LORD, but if the people did not listen, they perished because of their choice to ignore the trumpet. Had they heeded the watchman’s warning, they would have been saved.

Why did the LORD bring a sword upon the land, allowing an enemy to overrun it? Because His people were sinning against Him. Both then and now, His purpose, in sending a sword is that those who believe in Him would see the sword He is sending, repent from the depths of their hearts, and turn back to Him.

Verse 6 —

What were the consequences for the watchman and the LORD’s people, if the watchman did not warn?  

The consequences for the people —

The people would not be warned, and the sword would come and take a person away (kill them). But take note — that person would still die because of his own iniquity (sin), even though the watchman did not warn him! He would still be held responsible for his own death, because he knew very well that he was sinning against the LORD. 

The consequences for the watchman who did not warn —

The blood of those the watchman did not warn would be required from the watchman’s hand. Here is the meaning of  “blood required from the watchman’s hand” — because the watchman did not warn, he, too, was held responsible for the death of the one who kept on sinning. 

He was held accountable for the death of the one who sinned against his LORD. He, too, would perish because of his sin of disobedience to the LORD’s command to warn!

Verses 7-8 — 

Now as for Ezekiel, whom the LORD often called “son of man,” the LORD said, “I have appointed you a watchman over the house of Israel, so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me.”

As I have said, the LORD’s watchmen are appointed by the LORD. He had set Ezekiel in the position of prophet who spoke His words to His wayward people. 

What was the content of the Lord’s warnings which are spoken by the watchmen?

When Ezekiel heard a warning of coming judgment from the LORD, he was commanded by the LORD to warn God’s people, those who believed in the LORD. He was not appointed or commanded to warn those who did not believe in Him. 

The LORD sent His prophets to His people to exhort them to repent and warn them of the consequences of their sin. False prophets, who were not appointed by the LORD, did not exhort and warn, but spoke only pleasant and reassuring things.

What was the warning from the LORD that He commanded Ezekiel to say to the LORD’s people? 

The LORD’s message was this — “O wicked man, you will surely die.”

What were the consequences for Ezekiel if he did not warn, and the consequences for the LORD’s people whom he did not warn?

If Ezekiel did not speak to warn the wicked (to turn) from his way, that wicked man would die in his sin, but the LORD would hold Ezekiel responsible for the wicked man’s death.

His blood would be required from Ezekiel’s hand. He would be held accountable for the death of the one who sinned against his LORD. He, too, would perish because of his sin of disobedience to the LORD’s command to warn!

Verse 9 —

What were the consequences for those who do not heed the Lord’s warning?

The LORD said to Ezekiel, “But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way (and he does not turn), he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.” 

The wicked man who did not turn when he was warned of coming judgment would be accountable for his own sin. He would perish because he refused to listen to the warning. 

But Ezekiel would not be accountable for the wicked man’s sin, because he exhorted the sinning believer regarding his sin, and warned him of the consequences of his sin.

Verse 10 —

The LORD told Ezekiel that when he warned the wicked among His people, the house of Israel would say to him, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them, how then can we live?” They would say they knew they were sinning. But they were helpless; they could not help but sin. So their situation was hopeless. They would perish.

The LORD knew His people would not mourn regarding their sin. He knew they would not repent and return to Him.

Verse 11 —

And when the people said they were hopeless and helpless, the LORD commanded Ezekiel to speak His response to them — “As I live!” I am a living God, not like the gods you have turned away to worship! 

“As I live, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?”

They knew they were sinning. They knew they were rotting away in their sin. All they needed to do was repent and ask their LORD to change their sin-hardened hearts. But they said, no, it is hopeless. We cannot stop sinning. Our sins are upon us. We are doomed! We will die! 

Verse 12 —

Then the LORD gave Ezekiel a message to those who trusted in their own righteousness, who called themselves right with the LORD because they were His people, but who continued to sin against Him.

— The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day he sins. 

— But as for the wickedness of the wicked man among His people, he will not stumble —  he will be delivered — if he turns from his wickedness. He will be saved in the day when he turns from his wickedness.

— But a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.

Verse 13 —

The LORD says, “When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his own righteousness that he commits sin, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered, but in that same sin he has committed, he will die.”

Verses 14-16 —

The LORD said, through Ezekiel, “But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin, and practices justice and righteousness (does what is right and lawful in My eyes), restores a pledge, pays back that which he has stolen, and obeys Me— he shall surely live; he shall not die!”

The LORD continues, “None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is right and lawful (KJV). He has turned from His sin. He shall surely live!

Verse 17 —

But the LORD told Ezekiel that many of His people say, “The way of the LORD is not right,” when it is their own way that is not right. 

Verse 18-19 —

So Ezekiel repeated the LORD’s words. If the righteous turns from the LORD by sinning against Him, then he will die in his sin. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does justice and righteousness (what is right and lawful in the LORD’s eyes), he will live by them (they are evidence that he has repented, from the depths of his heart). 

Verse 20 —

Yet the LORD said they will continue to say to Ezekiel, “The way of the LORD is not right.” But the LORD says to His people, the house of Israel, “I will judge each of you according to your ways.”

The Lord’s Warning for Today’s Believers

Why do I warn?

Jesus Christ has commissioned me as a watchman, and has commanded me to warn. It was the same for the Apostles, after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter, Paul, and John wrote letters to sinning believers. These letters comprise a large part of the New Testament.

Who am I commanded to warn?

Those who believe in Him, in today’s church. I am not appointed or commanded to warn those who did not believe in Him. 

What is the content of the warnings I am to speak?

The LORD’s message to you, O believer, is this — “O wicked man, you will surely die.”

The LORD has commissioned me to speak to you, to warn you that a day of judgment is coming, and you will be judged by your actions which reveal the content of your heart. Jesus Christ said —

John 5:28 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁹ And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (KJV)

Jesus Christ sent me to you, O believer, to exhort you to repent and warn you of the consequences of your sin. 

But the false prophets, pastors, teachers and leaders in today’s church are not appointed by the Lord. So, they will not exhort and warn. They will speak contrary to what the Lord has said. They will speak only pleasant and reassuring things. 

What are the consequences for believers who do not heed the Lord’s warnings, given through me?

If I warn you to turn from your wicked way, O believer, and you do not turn, you will die in your iniquity, but I have delivered my life. I have obeyed Jesus Christ’s command and have spoken His warning to you, O believer.

If you do not turn because of the LORD’s warning of coming judgment, you will be accountable for your own death. You will perish because you refused to listen to the warning. 

But I will not be accountable for your death, because I warned you, exhorting you regarding your sin, and warned you of the consequences of your sin.

What are the consequences for me, if I do not warn, and the consequences for you, O believer, if I do not warn?

If I do not speak to warn you to turn from your way, you will die in your sin, but the LORD will hold me responsible for your death.

My blood will be required by the Lord. I will be held accountable for your death. I, too, will perish because of my sin of disobedience to the LORD’s command to warn!

The response the Lord has told me to expect from you 

The Lord says your response will be the same as in Ezekiel’s day. You will say, It is hopeless. I cannot help but sin! 

But Jesus Christ said He will deliver you from slavery to sin (John 8:31-36). He will purify your heart, cleansing it of sin (Acts 15:9), and He and the Father will come and fully and permanently indwell you, when you are filled with His Spirit (John 14:23). 

He will do it if you obey His command to stay until you receive the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49), and wait for the Father’s promise, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). 

Jesus Christ tells His disciples that the Father says that if you do not obey Him, you do not love Him (John 14:24). Those who are in Christ should have obeyed by now, so their sin nature is crucified (Galatians 5:24). But many of you have not obeyed.

You will say, But this is the day of grace! It was the day of grace in the Old Testament, too, because the LORD continually held out His hand, but His people were stubborn and obstinate. 

You will say, But those rules no longer apply since Jesus came! They certainly applied when the Apostle Paul warned the church at Ephesus —

Acts 20:25   “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. ²⁶ Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” 

Jesus Christ says you will show me His words, from John 10:27-29 —

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Then I am to say, “But if you are sinning against the Lord, you are not following (obeying) Him. You are following the voice of false ones who say you cannot help but sin. The promise in John 10:27-29 is for those who hear His voice and follow (obey) Him. If you continue to sin after coming into the knowledge of the truth (Hebrews 10:26), you yourself have snatched yourself from His hand, and will be held accountable for your sin, and will perish.”

Many will say to me, “The way of the Lord is not right. He saved me. I am saved, no matter what I do.” But it is your way that is not right, says the Lord Jesus Christ.

If I have warned you of coming judgment for your sin, and you keep on sinning, you will die in your sin. If you mourn regarding His words given through me, and turn from your wickedness, you will live. If you then obey His command and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit (Acts 1:4-5), thereby purifying your heart (Acts 15:9) and crucifying your sin nature (Galatians 5:24), you will no longer sin against Him.

But the Lord says that you will say, “The way of the Lord is not right.” And He will say, “O believer, I will judge you according to your ways.”

The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked — His people who believe in Him but sin against Him. Peter writes to the church —

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Therefore, sinning believer, repent! He is patient toward you, but you must repent, or you will perish.

Lord Jesus, may believers hear and understand that they must turn from their wickedness and ask You to change their hearts. Let it be so, I pray. Amen.

ISAIAH SESSION 16 — THE LORD’S PLANS WILL NOT BE THWARTED

Text: Isaiah 14:1-27

When God’s people go astray, He sends His prophets to frankly and bluntly warn them of their sin and admonish them to repent and return to Him. Again, when I speak of God’s people, I am speaking of the church, Jewish believers, and Jews that do not yet believe that Jesus is their Messiah.

The LORD does not desire for any to perish, but all to come to repentance (2Peter 3:9). So, He sends Isaiah to speak to Jerusalem and Judah. And He has assigned me to speak to today’s believers.

If I were going to give today’s teaching a title, it would be “The LORD’s Plans Will Not Be Thwarted.” It begins with the Lord’s compassion toward Jacob (backslidden Israel), for He will destroy the Assyrians and, in his compassion for Judah, He will deal likewise with Babylon. 

His plans are against the whole earth, against all those who have defied and rebelled against Him, in their human pride and arrogance. And who can thwart His plans? No one!

Verses 1-2 — 

A time will come when the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, after they have received their punishment for rebelling against Him and have repented. Repentance must always precede release from captivity. 

It is true for believers today, for just like the Jews, all of us are born with a sin nature that rebels against the Lord. Believers remain captives to sin until we repent and ask Him to free us by crucifying our sin nature. 

And the LORD will settle Israel in their own land — His kingdom. He will settle in His land —His kingdom — ALL who repent! Israel became a nation in 1948, and many returned. But though they are geographically located there, they will not be settled in His kingdom until they return to Him and recognize their Messiah, Jesus Christ. And they will, as Paul writes —

Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶  and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, 

“THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, 

HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”

²⁷  “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, 

WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”  (See Isaiah 59:20)

And strangers will attach themselves to the house of Jacob (to Israel). This is another prophecy that comes to pass, and then comes to pass again! When the Father sent Jesus Christ, Gentiles believed into Him. It happened after He died and rose and ascended, was glorified, and poured out His Holy Spirit to equip His church! A vast army of believers fanned out across the known world, and many Gentiles believed into Him. 

And many more will believe into Him during the Tribulation, when the 144,000 (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel) go forth with the gospel —

Revelation 7:4   And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

Revelation 7:9   After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; ¹⁰ and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Jesus Christ came not just for the Jews, but first to the Jews. Gentiles, strangers who were not part of God’s people, were in His plan from the beginning, for the Father said this of His Son, Jesus Christ —

Isaiah 49:6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Indeed, strangers have and will yet join with Jews who believe into Jesus. And indeed, His salvation reaches to the end of the earth! Hallelujah!

And Israel and Judah will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors. That is, those who were Israel and Judah’s enemies will bow down to them —

Isaiah 31:8  And the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man, and a sword not of man will devour him. So he will not escape the sword, and his young men will become forced laborers.

How will Sennacherib, king of Assyria, fall? By the hands of his own sons —

2Chronicles 32:21 And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword.

And how will Satan fall? By the hand of the Son of God, Jesus Christ!

Verses 3-6 —

Both Judah and Israel, and all who repent and believe into Jesus Christ, will be given rest from their enemies, once and for all, and from the pain and turmoil and harshness with which they were treated in their captivity. And their reaction is described in this Psalm —

Psalm 126:2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” ³  The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad (filled with joy).”

And they will take up a taunt (mocking lament) against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased, and how fury has ceased. The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers which used to strike the people in fury, with unceasing strokes.”

And spiritual Babylon, as I taught last time, will suffer the same fate. And Satan and his offspring will be taunted in the same way by those who have been saved —

Revelation 19:1   After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; ² BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” ³ And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.”

Verses 7-8 —

Isaiah sees a vision of the whole earth at rest and quiet, when Babylon is destroyed. 

Not only Israel and Judah, but even the trees and cedars of Lebanon will rejoice over Babylon’s destruction, and ultimately, over the destruction of spiritual Babylon, and Satan himself, as Paul writes to the church at Rome  —

Romans 8:21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Verse 9 —

Israel, Judah, all creation, and even Sheol, the temporary abode of the wicked until the great judgment, will be excited over the coming of the king of Babylon. Those in Sheol will eagerly await his arrival! It will be the same for Satan.

Sheol will arouse all the spirits of the dead and all the leaders of the earth. All of the kings of the earth who defied the Lord will be there, and they will arise and stand as the king of Babylon (and ultimately, Satan) enters. 

Verses 10-11 —

The kings and leaders now in Sheol will all respond, and speak to the king of Babylon. This is also a description of Satan’s demise. Even he has been made as weak as we, the kings in leaders in Sheol will say! You have become like us! 

The pomp and the noise of your harps have brought you down to Sheol. Maggots are spread out beneath you, and worms are your covering. 

Pomp and harps are the first links of this passage to Ezekiel’s prophecy of the fall of the king of Tyre, an earthly king who was also a representation of Satan —

Ezekiel 28:12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, “Thus says the Lord GOD, You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. ¹³ You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering . . . and the gold, the workmanship of your setting and sockets (tambourines and pipes) was in you . . . ¹⁴ You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God;  You walked in the midst of the stones of fire . . .” 

Ezekiel 28:17  ^“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty . . . I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you.”

Do you see the similarities? Kings will mock Satan when he is presented to them in Sheol. He was an anointed cherub, created to worship the Lord. But his pride caused his fall. 

Some commentators say this section of Isaiah 14 refers only to human pride, but I disagree. Just as with the passage from Ezekiel, the prophecy goes far beyond natural kings. The parallels of the descriptions in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 are striking.

Verse 12 —

The LORD shows Isaiah much more than the demise of the king of Babylon. Those in Sheol will say, per the King James Version, “How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” Lucifer is one of Satan’s names. As the passage from Ezekiel 28 shows, Satan was in heaven, before the LORD cast Him out because of His pride. 

Those in Sheol will say, “You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations.” How has Satan weakened the nations? By the influence of His demons, who tempted men to make idols to false gods, and are behind all idols, as Paul warns the church at Corinth —

1Corinthians 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

Verses 13-14 —

Just like the earthly king of Babylon, Satan said, I will ascend to heaven, I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I am greater than God! 

I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the recesses of the earth. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High! Satan and his followers reek with pride! 

Verse 15-17 —

Nevertheless — no matter what the king of Babylon and Satan boast — they will be driven down to Sheol, just like the king of Babylon. Ultimately, they will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Those who see the fallen king of Babylon will wonder at him, for his fall will be great! And it will be the same for Satan. 

They will say of the king of Babylon, who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms, “Is this the man who did these things?” Likewise, when Satan is in Sheol, they will say, “Is this Satan, who was once so powerful?” Is this the one who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?

Verses 18-20 —

All the kings of the earth have earthly tombs that are great and glorious. But the king of Babylon will be cast out of his tomb like a rejected branch (literally, a miscarriage)!  Satan and he will be clothed with those they have slain by piercing them with a sword. They will be clothed with those who go down to the stones of the pit of hell, even clothed with the trampled corpses of those they have mown down. In place of their glorious robes, they will be covered with the evil they have committed.

Satan will be united in burial with all he has slain, as will the natural king of Babylon. They have caused ruin, and have slain many. And the offspring of evildoers will never be renowned (famous, celebrated) again — forever!

Verses 21-23 —

The sons of the king of Babylon and the children of Satan will be taken to a place of slaughter, because of their sin. They will not arise and take possession of the earth, nor will they fill the world with cities. 

Satan’s kingdom will be destroyed, as will the kingdom of Babylon. And all of the offspring of the natural king of Babylon, and of Satan, will be cut off (killed). Their name (line), and survivors, offspring, and those who would be their posterity (their remnant) will be destroyed.

And their kingdoms will be places for unclean animals to dwell, a place of swamps filled with disease. The LORD of hosts, Jesus Christ, will sweep it with the broom of destruction! He declares it, and no one can thwart His plans! Hallelujah!

Verses 24-25 —

Now the LORD of hosts addresses the king of Assyria, and again, He also addresses Satan. He says, Surely, as I have intended it shall be done. As I have planned, so it will stand. 

Who is in charge? The LORD!

He will break Assyria and Satan in His land and will trample them on His mountains. He is the Lord of all the earth (Exodus 19:5)! Then the yoke will be removed from those who were Assyria’s and Satan’s captives, and their burden will be lifted from their shoulders. By whom will it be lifted? The LORD!

Verses 26-27 —

This is the plan devised by the LORD, against the whole earth, the whole world system that defies Him. His plan extends far beyond Babylon and Assyria. His hand is stretched out against all the nations (peoples) who have defied Him, and against Satan, who has defied Him— again, His hand is stretched out to punish.

For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate His plans? No one! And no one can turn back His outstretched hand. He will exact His punishment, just according to His plan which He established before anything was. 

Knowing that the LORD will punish those who rebel against Him and defy Him, and knowing that His plan will not be thwarted, how will you respond? If you are rebelling against Him, turn now! Repent and believe into Jesus Christ, and you will be saved from the wrath of God. But do not stop there!

After you are saved, cry out to Him to fill you with His Spirit. He will purify your heart and crucify your sin nature. Then Satan’s devices will be useless against you. All of his plans and schemes will fall to the ground, null and void. 

Lord, I pray all believers hear that Your plans will not be thwarted, and see their need to repent. You surely will have compassion on them, when they do!