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10-11-20, Isaiah 31, God Protects
1. Isaiah 31
God Protects
October 11, 2020
His Followers Sunday School Class
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
Whatâs the number one thing?
The glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.
References
⢠Palmer, Edwin H., The NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1985).
⢠MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible NKJV (Nashville, Nelson
Publishers, 1997).
⢠McGee, J. Vernon, THE PROPHETS: Isaiah, Chapters 1-35 (Nashville, Nelson
Publishers, 1991).
⢠Wiersbe, Warren W., BE COMFORTED: Isaiah (Colorado Springs, Chariot
Victor Publishing, 1992).
Focus of Lesson Today
⢠Godâs promise of protection for Israel and Judah.
⢠The condemnation of Israel and Judah for not trusting God for protection.
⢠Godâs formula for returning to Him.
Godâs promise of protection to Moses and the people
⢠Deuteronomy 1:29-31 NIV
29 Then I said to you, âDo not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The
Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you
in Egypt, before your very eyes 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the
Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you
went until you reached this place.â
2. Obedience to Godâs Commands was a condition for His blessing and protection
⢠Deuteronomy 4:39-40 NIV
39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven
above and on the earth below. There is no other. 40 Keep his decrees and
commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you
and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord
your God gives you for all time.
Godâs conditions on relationships with other nations
⢠Deuteronomy 7:1a, 2b NIV
1a When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to
possess and drives out before you many nations
2b Make no treaty with them,
⢠Deuteronomy 17:15b-16 NIV
15b Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.
16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself
or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has
told you, âYou are not to go back that way again.â
The Lordâs exhortation to Joshua and the Israelites (1406 BC)
⢠Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NIV
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all
Israel, âBe strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into
the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must
divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before
you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not
be afraid; do not be discouraged.â
3. Introduction to Isaiah the Prophet
⢠Isaiahâs name means âsalvation of the Lord.â
⢠Isaiah prophesied during the time of the divided kingdom, directing the
major thrust of his message to the southern kingdom of Judah.
⢠Isaiah ministered in the Jerusalem area as a prophet from 739-686 B.C. (53
years) during the reigns of 4 kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,
Hezekiah.
The Fall of Israel (Northern Kingdom) in 732 BC
⢠2 Kings 17:1-7 NIV
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became
king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil in the
eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been
Shalmaneserâs vassal and had paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria
discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of
Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done
year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.
5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria
and laid siege to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of
Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He
settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the
Medes.
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord
their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of
Pharaoh king of Egypt.
4. Setting for Isaiah 31
⢠After capturing the Northern Kingdom (Israel) in 732 BC, Assyria is
threatening Judah.
⢠Some are urging an alliance with Egypt, which is ruled now by the
Cushites from Ethiopia.
⢠Egyptâs military strength lies in horses and chariots.
⢠In 711 BC, Sargon II of Assyria attacks Ashdod, a Philistine city, who has
been allied with Egypt.
God requires Isaiah to preach in an unusual state of undress
⢠Isaiah 20:1-2 NIV
1 In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria,
came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it (711 BC)â 2 at that time
the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, âTake off the
sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.â And he did so,
going around stripped and barefoot.
⢠This state of undress represented humiliation and disgrace.
⢠Isaiah 20:3-5 NIV
3 Then the Lord said, âJust as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and
barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,
4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian
captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared âto
Egyptâs shame. 5 Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be
dismayed and put to shame.
⢠King Esarhaddon fulfilled this prophecy in 671 BC.
Isaiah 31:1 NIV (Donât go down to Egypt)
1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord.
The horses of Egypt
⢠The Assyrians were a heavily armored military with skilled charioteers,
infantry, archers, and siege machinery.
⢠The military of Judah had some of these same weapons, but not at the
level of the Assyrians.
⢠Chariots required trained horses.
⢠Egypt could provide these horses and chariots for Judah.
5. Isaiah 31:2 NIV (God can protect)
2 Yet he (God) too is wise and can bring disaster;
he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against that wicked nation,
against those who help evildoers.
Isaiah 31:3 NIV (The Egyptians are not God)
3 But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;
their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
those who help will stumble,
those who are helped will fall;
all will perish together.
Isaiah 30:1-5 NIV (Additional warnings about Egypt)
1 âWoe to the obstinate children,â
declares the Lord,
âto those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;
2 who go down to Egypt
without consulting me;
who look for help to Pharaohâs protection,
to Egyptâs shade for refuge.
3 But Pharaohâs protection will be to your shame,
Egyptâs shade will bring you disgrace.
4 Though they have officials in Zoan
and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
5 everyone will be put to shame
because of a people useless to them,
who bring neither help nor advantage,
but only shame and disgrace.â
Isaiah 31:4 NIV (Assyria Threatens Judah)
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
âAs a lion growls,
a great lion over its preyâ
and though a whole band of shepherds
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamor â
so the Lord Almighty will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
6. Meaning of Isaiah 31:4
⢠âAs a lion growls,â = Reference to the Assyrian king.
⢠âband of shepherdsâ = Rulers of the nations.
⢠âLord Almighty will come downâ = In His defense of Jerusalem, the Lord is
to be like a strong and determined lion, unafraid of shepherds summoned
against him.
Isaiah 31:5 NIV (God will protect)
5 Like birds hovering overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
he will âpass overâ it and will rescue it.â
⢠Like an eagle hovering over its young, the Lord will protect His
people.
⢠Like the death angel âpassed overâ the Israelites houses with lambâs
blood on their doorposts.
Isaiah 31:6-7 NIV (Return to Godâs protection)
6 Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites. 7 For in that day
every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have
made.
⢠There is still time to repent and return to God.
⢠When judgment occurs, the treasured idols will be worthless and thrown
away.
Isaiah 31:8 NIV (Prophecy about Assyriaâs destruction)
8 âAssyria will fall by no human sword;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labor.
⢠Isaiah predicts with exactness the battle of the fall of Assyria in 700
BC.
Assyria will fall by a sword that is not of man
⢠Isaiah 36:1-2 NIV
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiahâs reign (700 BC), Sennacherib
king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured
them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large
army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem.
7. Assyria will fall by a sword that is not of man
⢠Isaiah 37:15-17 NIV
15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 âO Lord Almighty, the God of Israel,
enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the
kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear,
Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words
Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
⢠Isaiah 37:36-37 NIV
36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and
eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the
next morningâthere were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of
Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed
there.
Isaiah 31:9 NIV (Assyriaâs capital will fall)
9 Their stronghold will fall because of terror;
at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,â
declares the Lord,
whose fire is in Zion,
whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
âTheir stronghold will fallâ
⢠Isaiah 37:38 NIV
38 One day (681 BC), while he (Shennacherib) was worshiping in the
temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him
with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon
his son succeeded him as king.
⢠Nineveh was the Assyrian capital and was destroyed by the Medes
and Babylonians in 612 BC.
Why did Israel and Judah look to Egypt and other nations for protection instead
of God?
⢠God had stopped protecting them because of their disobedience.
⢠2 Kings 17:7-8 NIV
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord
their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the
practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as
the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.
8. Why are we tempted to run to âEgyptâ instead of the Lord with the troubles in
life?
⢠The answers are the same for us as for Israel & Judah.
1. I can fix this myself. (Sin of pride.)
2. God will require obedience, and I want to keep living for myself. (Sin of
idolatry.)
3. God has not answered my prayer. (Impatience.)
4. God will not help me because of my sins. (Misunderstanding Godâs
grace.)
Godâs formula in Isaiah for returning to Him
⢠Isaiah 30:15 NIV
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
âIn repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
The Formula in Isaiah 30:15
⢠Repentance + Rest Salvation
⢠Quietness + Trust Strength
Repentance + Rest Salvation
⢠Repentance = Confession, regret, a turning away from.
⢠Rest = Stillness, inaction, allowing God to work.
⢠Salvation = Recovery, restoration, peace, protection.
⢠Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
13 Moses answered the people, âDo not be afraid. Stand firm and you will
see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see
today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only
to be still.â
Jesus promises ârestâ
⢠Matthew 11:28-30
28 âCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.â
9. Quietness + Trust Strength
⢠2 Chronicles 20:15, 17 NIV
15 âListen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This
is what the Lord says to you: âDo not be afraid or discouraged because of
this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but Godâs.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm
and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and
the Lord will be with you.ââ
Isaiah 30:18, 21 NIV (The result of returning to God and waiting for Him)
18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind
you, saying, âThis is the way; walk in it.â
Psalm 46 NKJV (Our Encouragement!!)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
The Plan of Hope & Salvation:
John 3:16-17 NKJV
16 âFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not
send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him
might be saved.â
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, âI am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.â
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
10. Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
⢠Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
⢠Even Jesus, the only one who doesnât deserve death, died in this life to
pay the penalty for our sin.
⢠The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the âsecond deathâ explained in
Revelation 21:8.
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 âBut the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death.â
⢠Anyone whoâs lifestyle is one or more of the sins listed in Revelation 21:8,
will experience the âsecond death,â if they do not repent.
⢠To Repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, to turn
away from sin and believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 âHe who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be
My son.â
⢠Romans 10:9-10 explain to us how to be overcomers.
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For âwhoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.â
Do you have questions?
Would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
https://www.firstbaptistjackson.org/contact-us/