Isaiah 3:1
I. (Chapters 1-39) Condemnation
A. (Chapters 1-12) Prophecies against Israel and Judah
1. \\#Isa 1:1-31\\ God’s Case Against Judah
2. \\#Isa 2:1-5:30\\ Judah’s Condition Described
a. \\#Isa 2:1-5\\ God prophecies concerning Judah’s temple
b. \\#Isa 2:6-9\\ Judah’s sins are categorized
c. \\#Isa 2:10-22\\ Prophecies concerning Judah’s destruction
d. \\#Isa 3:1-8, 12-15\\ The present judgments against Jerusalem -
The prophecies against Judah continue as does the message of
the last chapter.
e. \\#Isa 3:9-11, 3:16-4:1\\ The obvious signs - The outward
appearances of the people indicate there is something wrong
on the inside.
I. \\#Isa 2:1-5:30\\ Judah’s Condition Described
A. \\#Isa 3:1-8, 12-15\\ The present judgments against Jerusalem -
\\#Isa 3:1\\ "the Lord of hosts DOTH take" - The verb is present tense
Chapter three is a continuation of chapter two’s condemnations, except
this chapter is describing what is happening in Judah at the present.
God’s judgment usually does not come all at once, but in stages. Much of
what God would use to destroy Judah was already underway.
1. \\#Isa 3:1\\ "bread… water" - God had removed the NECESSITIES from
Judah. Although they had their gold and silver, they could not
secure the items they needed most with it.
2. \\#Isa 3:2-4, 12\\ "…I will give children to be their princes…" - Not
only had God removed the essentials, He WILL also remove the
QUALIFIED LEADERS AND DEFENDERS.
a. The verb tense changes here from present to future.
(1) How far into the future some of these judgments will take to
be completed is not clear. Some of these judgments are likely
to carry all the way into the tribulation.
(2) \\#Isa 3:7, 18\\ Notice the phrase, IN THAT DAY. This phrase
is sometimes used to denote the end time.
(3) \\#Isa 4:1, 2\\ The use of the phrase, "in that day," continues
into the next chapter. Chapter four is certainly end time and
strengthens the thought that these judgments run into the last
days.
b. When God gives the foolish and inexperienced as leaders and
defenders, destruction cannot be far behind.
c. \\#Isa 3:12\\ So it is when God gives CHILDREN and WOMEN to rule
over a people.
(1) "children are their oppressors" - The word CHILDREN in this
verse does not have to be understood as literal. The word is
sometimes translated ABUSE, MOCK. It means TO ACT OR TREAT
SEVERELY, or TO DIVERT ONESELF. The notion could be to have
childish behavior.
(2) "women rule over them" - Does God ever give women rulers in
the civil arena or female prophets in the religious arena?
Yes, but it is an indication that there aren’t enough godly
men who would lead when they should have.
3. \\#Isa 3:5\\ "the child shall behave himself proudly" - God had removed
some things but He had also given Judah some things.
a. He had given them UNDISCIPLINED CHILDREN.
b. Many children do not seem able to control themselves or behave.
c. Certainly, people of understanding would not think such a wide-
spread condition could afflict a nation’s children without God’s
hand of judgment being behind it!
4. \\#Isa 3:6-7\\ "…make me not a ruler" - God has removed the DESIRE TO
LEAD. This passage is difficult to understand, but describes a man
being promoted for no other reason than that he has some
belongings. That man, in turn, refuses the position.
a. Perhaps the man did not want to be ruler because there was no
longer an honor or profit to be had in the position. If so, the
man probably deemed life difficult enough to survive without
having to care for others.
b. \\#Isa 3:14-15\\ "The Lord will enter into judgment with the
ancients of his people" - Perhaps the man did not want the job
because he understood that God’s judgment was to begin with the
leaders of Judah. That is the direction that chapters 2-3 seem
to point. In \\#Isa 1:23-24\\, God calls the rulers HIS (God’s)
ADVERSARIES and ENEMIES.
5. \\#Isa 3:8, 13\\ The results
a. \\#Isa 3:8\\ "For Jerusalem is ruined" - These are all signs that
Jerusalem and Judah were already destroyed, although their fall
would not come for many years yet.
b. \\#Isa 3:13\\ "The Lord standeth… to plead… to judge" - That the
Lord is standing implies that He is ready to do something about
His people.
c. God will do two things.
(1) First, He will PLEAD with His people.
(2) If that fails, He will JUDGE them.
B. \\#Isa 3:9-11, 3:16-4:1\\ The Obvious Signs
1. \\#Isa 3:9\\ "The shew of their countenance doeth witness against them"
The outward appearance of the people demonstrates the condition
of the inward heart. Man will try to tell you that when it comes to
people, you can’t judge a book by its cover. God is implying that
you often can. The question to ask of a person who looks devilish
but claims to be Christ-like is, "Why do you want to advertise for
the enemy?"
a. \\#Isa 3:10\\ "Say to the righteous" - Tell the righteous that God
is about to reward them.
b. \\#Isa 3:11\\ "Woe unto the wicked" - Tell the wicked that they too
are about to receive
their reward.
2. \\#Isa 3:16-4:1\\ God is about to remove all their outward prizes.
a. It should be noted that all of the items in this list are outward
accessories such as clothing and jewelry, items that might come
with a certain type of lifestyle.
(1) \\#18\\ "tinkling ornaments
(2) "round tires like the moon" - crescent-shaped ornaments
(3) \\#19\\ "chains… bracelets… mufflers" - A muffler was
likely a veil.
(4) \\#20\\ "bonnets" - head attire
(5) "ornaments of the legs… headbands"
(6) "tablets" - Most consider this to mean a perfume container.
(7) "earrings
(8) \\#21\\ "rings… nose jewels"
(9) \\#22\\ "apparel"
(10) "mantles" - a tunic
(11) "wimples" - a cloak
(12) "crisping pin" - A bag or purse
(13) \\#23\\ "glasses… linen… hoods… vails"
b. The fact that God is about to remove all of these things does not
make them all bad, but they are things that Judah has come to
value more than their God. Because of that, God will remove them.
Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for
I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
c. \\#Isa 4:1\\ This verse seems to be fit better with chapter three
than four.
(1) "in that day" - An often used phrase, probably relating to
the end times. In using it, there is a connection to the
other verses where it is used
\\#Isa 2:11, 17, 20, 3:7, 18, 4:2\\.
(2) "seven women shall take hold of one man" - This verse is a
verse of judgment, like the judgment being described in
chapter three. Because of what God judgment, there will be
seven times as many women as men. It would appear that the
men had been killed or otherwise removed from Jewish homes.
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