ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD CONTROLS THE FUTURE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 21 TO 30 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 29 THE FATE OF *JERUSALEM V1 *Woe to *Jerusalem, the city of David! It will not matter how often you repeat your series of special services in the *Temple. V2 I am bringing great troub... [ Continue Reading ]
Although this passage is similar to 3:1-4, people consider it difficult to understand. There are very many different ideas about its meaning. Some people say that these events happened on the night after the wedding, or soon after that. Some people say that this was just a dream. So they think that... [ Continue Reading ]
However, on this occasion, she refused to meet with him. Her reason was simply that it was not convenient. She did not want to make her feet dirty. She did not want to put her dress on again. (Notice that she would not see him without her dress on. It mattered very much to this couple that they did... [ Continue Reading ]
The man very much wanted to see the woman. He tried to open the door from outside. *Myrrh is a sticky substance. It seems that people could sometimes use something sticky in order to open a lock. He tried to do this, but he was not successful. He remained outside. She had promised to love him. But... [ Continue Reading ]
But the *Assyrians did not defeat *Jerusalem. In fact, they suddenly gave up. Vast numbers of their soldiers mysteriously died during the night (see Isaiah chapter 37).... [ Continue Reading ]
She quickly changed her mind. She saw that he wanted to be with her. And she decided to open the door. But it took time for her to put on her dress again. And when, at last, she had opened the door for him, she was too late. Again, she had made a wrong, foolish decision. She had delayed for much to... [ Continue Reading ]
The city’s guards behaved in a very cruel manner to the woman. They probably did not believe that she was outside by night for a proper reason. Thieves went out by night. Women who were not loyal to their husbands would visit other men by night. There were murderers on the streets by night. And some... [ Continue Reading ]
Attackers were eagerly expecting to seize huge quantities of silver and gold when they captured *Jerusalem and its wonderful *Temple. But reality disappointed the attackers. They could not even enter the city. They too had been merely dreaming. GOD’S PEOPLE CANNOT SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING V9 Be as st... [ Continue Reading ]
Isaiah only pretends to speak seriously. He does not actually want the people to be stupid. He wants them to realise the effects of their stupid behaviour. The women in Jerusalem reply here and in 6:1 to the woman’s request for help. There are two things that they want to know. * Why is this man... [ Continue Reading ]
As frequently elsewhere in the *Old Testament, it only SEEMS that the *Lord is the direct cause of events. • In reality, it is the inhabitants of *Jerusalem themselves who are responsible for their troubles. They themselves are responsible for the result of their own actions. They have chosen not t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Books’ in the ancient world were often pieces of skin (like leather) that a person would sew together to make a single long *document. After use, the writer rolled his *document. He then closed it in a special way. Nobody else could now open the *document to read it, without the writer’s authority.... [ Continue Reading ]
God had appointed Isaiah to speak for him. But at the same time, God warned Isaiah that people would not listen (see Isaiah 6:9-10). His eyes are so beautiful that they seem like precious stones.... [ Continue Reading ]
Beautiful smells in the Song always seem to refer to love. She describes many beautiful smells that remind her of him.... [ Continue Reading ]
The people’s religion has become a mere performance. It has lost all real meaning. HOPE FOR THE FUTURE V15 *Woe to those who try to hide from the *Lord the advice that they give. *Woe to those who form evil schemes in secret. *Woe to those who think that nobody can see their actions. They believe... [ Continue Reading ]
These substances are all strong and beautiful. His whole body seems so strong and powerful; but it is also very beautiful. Especially, this is so about his arms and legs. And he is tall, like the beautiful *cedar trees in Lebanon.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nobody can hide anything from God. Jesus also warned people about this (see Luke 12:2-3).... [ Continue Reading ]
He speaks such beautiful words with his mouth. This is the woman’s only complete description of the man. But the man describes the woman in three places: 4:1-7; 6:4-7 and 7:1-9. There are other astonishing descriptions of God, Jesus, or God’s glory (the beauty of God’s splendid greatness) in the Bi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Very soon’, that is, as God measures time. God’s sense of time is very different from ours (see 2 Peter 3:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus the Christ (*Messiah) will cure vast numbers of sick people (see Matthew 11:3-5).... [ Continue Reading ]
Even when Abraham’s trouble was his own fault, the *Lord still rescued him (see Genesis 12:10-20). JERUSALEM ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah. But the ‘New Jerusalem’ is God... [ Continue Reading ]