(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Isaiah 2:
The Mountain & Day of the Lord
For
structure & preliminaries, see chapter 1
v.1-5
Jerusalem to be exalted in the last days (Prophecy)
v.6-8
The State of the Land (Prayer)
v.9-22
The Coming Judgment – the Day of the Lord (Prayer & Prophecy)
[Comment:
This chapter looks at both the present and the long-term future.
Verses 2-4 are prophecy of what will happen in ‘the last days',
Jerusalem being exalted above all else as a place of worship to
God. But the tragedy is that present-day Israel (Judah) is full
of affluence but empty of spiritual life and so in v.6-9 Isaiah
prays to the Lord, acknowledging its state. The back half of the
chapter (v.10-22) is prophecy declaring what will happen when
the Lord deals with the land. The ‘day of the Lord' can mean a
day in the near future or The Day when He brings judgment as His
Son returns]
v.1-5
Jerusalem to be exalted in the last days (Prophecy)
v.1
(Isaiah's next vision)
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
v.2
(the place of God's worship
on earth will be greater than any other (false) worship on earth
) In the last days the mountain
of the Lord 's temple will be established as the highest of the
mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations
will stream to it.
v.3
(many people will come
seeking Him) Many peoples will
come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
v.4 (He
will reign in nations and peace will come) He
will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many
peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword
against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
v.5
(This is a call to come
to this Lord) Come, descendants
of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord .
v.6-8
The State of the Land (Prayer)
v.6
(but for the present
God seems to have stepped away because of the folly of His people)
You, Lord,
have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are
full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination
like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs.
v.7 (materially
they are well off) Their
land is full of silver
and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their
land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.
v.8 (but
they are also foolishly idolatrous) Their
land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers
have made.
v.9-22
The Coming Judgment – the Day of the Lord (Prayer & Prophecy)
v.9
(call to the Lord)
So people will be brought low and
everyone humbled— do not forgive them.
v.10
(call to the people)
Go into the rocks, hide in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor
of his majesty!
v.11 (declaration
of what will be) The eyes of
the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the
Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
v.12
(God will deal with the
proud ) The Lord Almighty has
a day in store for all the proud and lofty for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled),
v.13 (everything
that signifies strength will be humbled) for
all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the
oaks of Bashan,
v.14 (everything
that signifies might will be humbled) for
all the towering mountains and all the high hills,
v.15 (everything
that speaks of security will be brought down) for
every lofty tower and every fortified wall,
v.16 (everything
that signifies business security will fall) for
every trading ship and every stately vessel.
v.17 (pride
will be brought down and God exalted) The
arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
v.18 (idolatry
will be removed ) and the idols
will totally disappear.
v.19
(fear will make the ungodly
and unrighteous flee) People
will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor
of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.
v.20 (people
will abandon the idols they have relied on) In
that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols
of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship.
v.21 (they
will hide from the Lord's greatness) They
will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging
crags from the fearful presence of the Lord and the splendor of
his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.
v.22
(So, wise up, stop trusting
in weak humans) Stop trusting
in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold
them in esteem?
Continue
to Chapter 3