Isaiah 18: prophecy against Cush/Ethiopia

 In Isaiah 18 we read a prophecy against Cush/Ethiopia. It will not be all lost for Ethiopia with people tall and smooth. We read:

7 In that time a present shall be brought to the Lord of Hosts

from a people tall and smooth,

    and from a people feared far and wide,

a nation strong and oppressive,

    whose land the rivers have divided,

to the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts, even Mount Zion.

At the end, people of earth will have to surrender to the Lord. Those who don´t surrender will be erased; at least, this is what is happening to Ethiopia.

Isaiah 17: prophecy against Damascus and against Jacob (Judah, Israel).

 In Isaiah 17 we see a prophecy against Damascus:

1 Watch this: Damascus undone as a city,

    a pile of dust and rubble!

Her towns emptied of people.

    The sheep and goats will move in

And take over the towns

    as if they owned them—which they will!

I suppose that this Damascus is the same as today Damascus, but when I read "her towns", it seems to me that the prophecy talks against a nation called Damascus, but I am not sure.

In verses 4-9, we a day of judgement. Although the Lord will punish his people (Israel, Judah), few people will remain:

7-8 Yes, the Day is coming when people will notice The One Who Made Them, take a long hard look at The Holy of Israel. They’ll lose interest in all the stuff they’ve made—altars and monuments and rituals, their homemade, handmade religion—however impressive it is.

From verses 12-14, the Lord will silence the voice of nations that is compared to  the roar of a massive waterfall. In verse 14, we read:

14 At bedtime, terror fills the air.

    By morning it’s gone—not a sign of it anywhere!

This is what happens to those who would ruin us,

    this is the fate of those out to get us.

The Lord delivers his people, saves his people.

Isaiah 16: Isaiah laments for Moab

 In Isaiah 16 we see that Moab was very arrogant v6, but Moab had a change of mind v7 and asked Judah for help v1-3. Moab even asks for Judah to hide refugees. Isaiah prophecies about a new government of love according to David tradition v5. Isaiah cries for Moab:

I’ll mingle my tears with your tears!

The joyful shouting at harvest is gone.

    Instead of song and celebration, dead silence. 

Isaiah 15: Prophecy against Moab

 In Isaiah 15 we see a prophecy against Moab. Cities of Moab will be destroyed. People will be crying at the temple of Dibon (v2). Although Moab is idolatrous, Isaiah laments:

4 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out,

Their voice is heard all the way to Jahaz;

Therefore the [d]armed men of Moab cry aloud;

His soul trembles within him.

5 My heart cries out for Moab;

Isaiah has compassion of Moabe. The Lord says:

9 I will certainly bring added woes upon Dimon,

A lion upon the fugitives of Moab and the remnant of the land. 

Certainly the Lord wants me to have mercy of people suffering, not only Jews but even Muslims in the Israel/Hamas war.

Isaiah 14: prophecies against Babylon, Assyria and Philistia

 In Isaiah 14 we see prophecies against:

. Babylon : 1-23, 

13 But you said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God,

And I will sit on the mount of assembly

In the recesses of the north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,

To the recesses of the pit.

16 Those who see you will stare at you,

They will [h]closely examine you, saying,

‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

Who shook kingdoms,

17 Who made the world like a wilderness

And overthrew its cities,

Who did not [i]allow his prisoners to go home?’

. Assyria : 24-27

24 Certainly, just as I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand, 25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders.

. Philistia

29 “Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you,

Because the rod that struck you is broken;

For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out,

And its fruit will be a winged serpent.

30 [n]Those who are most helpless will eat,

And the poor will lie down in security;

I will kill your root with famine,

And it will kill your survivors.

Isaiah 13: the fall of Babylon

 Was Isaiah 13 written after the fall of Assyria? If not, it is very interesting this prophecy against Babylon by the Medes (v 17). The Medes were called saints in the sense that they were separated to the Lord to carry out his anger (v 3). Although the destruction of Babylon will be made by men we read:

6 Cry loudly, for the day of Yahweh is near.

    It will come like destruction from Shadday.

This destruction will be very severe:

22 Hyenas will howl in Babylon’s strongholds,

    and jackals will howl in its luxurious palaces.

Isaiah 12: Praise the Holy One of Israel.

 Isaiah 12 continues talking about the future restoration of his people. His people will praise the Holy One of Israel (v6).

Isaiah 11: Righteous Reign of the Branch

The descendants of David were, in general, bad kings, but there will be a new Branch from the stem of Jesse v1, a new descendant of David that will receive the Spirit of the Lord. He will reign with the spirit of wisdom and the fear of the Lord v2. He will defend with fairness the poor and the humble of the earth. Even animals such as wolves and lambs will get along, live in peace. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious. v10. The Master for the second time will reach out to bring back what’s left of his scattered people. 

Isaiah 10: Assyria is an instrument of the Lord, but has wrong purposes.

In Isaiah 10 we read:

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger

And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

6 I send it against a godless nation

And commission it against the people of My fury

To capture spoils and to seize plunder,

And to trample them down like mud in the streets.

7 Yet it does not so intend,

Nor does it plan so in its heart,

But rather it is its purpose to destroy

And to eliminate many nations.

The sovereign Lord uses Assyria as his instrument: the rod of his anger; however Assyria don't see herself in this way. She is very arrogant. She relies in her officers and says:

Are not my officers all kings?

Her king says:

13 By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,

Because I have understanding;

And I removed the boundaries of the peoples

And plundered their treasures,

And like a powerful man I brought down [l]their inhabitants,

Assyria disdains of the other nations nations, inclusive of Jerusalem and Samaria v11. 

The Lord will punish Assyria:

16 Therefore the Lord, the God of armies, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;

And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

The Lord loves Jacob. He promised:

20 Now on that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will no longer rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 9: a child will be born as the Prince of Peace

 Isaiah 9: a child will be born as the Prince of Peace

A child will be born as the Prince of Peace and Everlasting Father. Reading Isaiah only, it is not yet clear that Immanuel of chapter 7 is this child, but we Christians understand so: Jesus is Immanuel and the Price of Peace. We read a message against Israel in 8-21. The Lord is against the arrogant the people of Efraim who say: 

“Bricks have fallen,

    but we will rebuild with hand-cut stones.

        Fig trees have been cut down,

            but we will replace them with cedars.”

Efraim will be attacked by the Arameans and Philistines v12, however, his people will not return to the Lord. The Lord will cut from Israel both head (leaders) and tail v14.

Isaiah 8: The Lord shows that the coalition between Syria and Israel against Judah will fail

Isaiah has a child with a prophet and names him : "The Looting Will Come Quickly; the Prey Will Be Easy" because the wealth of Damascus and the loot from Samaria will be carried away to the king of Assyria. The Lord shows to Isaiah that the wealth of Damascus and the loot from Samaria will be carried away to the king of Assyria v5-10. Some in Jerusalem will search for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter. The Lord says:

  Shouldn’t people ask their Elohim for help instead?

    Why should they ask the dead to help the living?

20 They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions.

    If people don’t speak these words,

        it is because it doesn’t dawn on them.

21 They will pass through the land when they are hard-pressed and hungry.

    When they are hungry, they will be furious.

        Then they will look up, cursing their king and Elohim.

22 They will look at the earth and see only distress and gloom.

    They will go in anguish and be forced into darkness.

Isaiah 7: A Virgin Will Bear a Son

The king  Ahaz of Judah is afraid of a coalition between the king Rezim of Aram (Siria) and king Pekah of Israel. 

Isaiah goes to the king Ahaz with a message:

Listen, calm down. Don’t be afraid. 

It won’t happen.

    Nothing will come of it

Because the capital of Aram is Damascus

    and the king of Damascus is a mere man, Rezin.

As for Ephraim, in sixty-five years

    it will be rubble, nothing left of it.

The capital of Ephraim is Samaria,

    and the king of Samaria is the mere son of Remaliah.

If you don’t take your stand in faith,

    you won’t have a leg to stand on.

Ask for a sign from your God. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!

Isaiah demands that the king Ahaz stand in faith, otherwise, trouble will come. Isaiah demands that Ahaz asks for a sign (in order to believe, stand in faith), but Ahaz doesn't ask for anything. Thus, Isaiah prophesies:

A girl who is presently a virgin will get pregnant. She’ll bear a son and name him Immanuel (God-With-Us). By the time the child is twelve years old, able to make moral decisions, the threat of war will be over. Relax, those two kings that have you so worried will be out of the picture. But also be warned: God will bring on you and your people and your government a judgment worse than anything since the time the kingdom split, when Ephraim left Judah. The king of Assyria is coming!

Isaiah 6 continues with prophecies about Judah's doom due to the king of Assyria.

 

we understand that this prophecy was fulfilled: when Jesus was child, the thread of this coalition was over.

Isaiah 6: Holy, Holy, Holy!

Isaiah have a vision of the Lord in his throne with angel-seraphs hovering above him saying to one another:

Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

    His bright glory fills the whole earth.

This vision was terrifying to Isaiah, a sinner, who should not be in the presence of the Lord. However, Isaiah is purified. He volunteered to be sent by the Lord, to send a message. One problem: the message is going to be heard, but not to be understood untill the cities were emptied out. There is hope:  there’s a holy seed in those stumps.

Isaiah 5: the Vineyard

 The Lord planted a vineyard (Israel) expecting good grapes but  it produced only sour, wild grapes. Poor (v11 - drunkers) and rich (v8) citzens of Israel will be condemned. Israel will go to exile (v13). The Lord will use a foreign nation to punish his people (v24-30)

Isaiah 4: the Branch of the Lord - the hope of Jerusalem.

After the chaos over Jerusalem, there will be hope.

The "Sprout of the Lord" will grow or (as we read in Jeremiah 23:5) a new King that descends from David will come. The remanescentes of Jerusalem will be called holy.

Isaiah 3: Jerusalem's doom

 In Isaiah 3, Jerusalem will be judged by the Lord. He says: 

“Jerusalem’s on its last legs.

    Judah is soon down for the count.

Everything people say and do

    is at cross-purposes with God,

    a slap in my face.

Brazen in their depravity,

    they flaunt their sins like degenerate Sodom.

Doom to their eternal souls! They’ve made their bed;

    now they’ll sleep in it."

The city will be in chaos:

People will be at each other’s throats,

    stabbing one another in the back:

Neighbor against neighbor, young against old,

    the no-account against the well-respected.

Isaiah 3 is prophecy against Jerusalem that felled due to its depravity. In a way, it is prophecy against the world of today which is falling due to its depravity.

Isaiah 2: the last days

 Isaiah 2 talks about the last days, more specifically about:

1. the glory of God's mountain: all nations will come to Jerusalem in order to learn and live according to the Lord's will.

2. the punishment of the Lord: the Lord alone is to receive glory and nont men or things made by men. 

It finishes with:

Quit scraping and fawning over mere humans,

    so full of themselves, so full of hot air!

    Can’t you see there’s nothing to them?

Isaiah 1: Jerusalem must repent

 Isaiah 1

Although the Lord has punished severely his people, they seem worse than animals because they don't recognize his Owner (v3). They pretend to worship the Lord by being very religious (v11-12), but in fact, they abhor the Lord who demands purity from his people (v16-17). The Lord is merciful and invites his people to repent from their sins: 

18-20 “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”

    This is God’s Message:

“If your sins are blood-red,

    they’ll be snow-white.

If they’re red like crimson,

    they’ll be like wool.

If you’ll willingly obey,

    you’ll feast like kings.

But if you’re willful and stubborn,

    you’ll die like dogs.”

That’s right. God says so.

The Lord loves Jerusalem although she is very dirt behaving like a whore (v21). The Lord decides to clean Jerusalem (v25): the Lord will save who repent but will destroy the rebels (v27-28).