Isaiah: Lesson 8

Overview

The Same Sermon, Again: Isaiah's Call to Judah

Reading Isaiah 28-30, one cannot help but notice that Isaiah keeps preaching the same sermon. He calls the people to repentance, sees no response, and preaches it again. Having warned the northern kingdom of Ephraim, the prophet now turns to Judah and Jerusalem with a series of pointed "what about you?" questions. What about the drunkenness of your spiritual leaders, who "reel with wine and stagger with strong drink" so that they "err in vision" and "stumble in giving judgment" Isaiah 28:7? What about your refusal to hear God's word, mocking the prophet's "precept upon precept, line upon line" as though only babies needed such instruction? What about your false hope that the coming scourge will pass you by because you have "made lies our refuge"? And what about your demand that preachers tell you "smooth things" and "prophesy illusions" Isaiah 30:10?

That last temptation is perennial. Paul warned Timothy that people would not endure sound doctrine but would gather teachers to suit their itching ears 2 Timothy 4:3. The faithful response, then and now, is to keep preaching what God has given—the law in its severity, which exposes sin, and the gospel of Christ in its sweetness. In the middle of these chapters of warning, Isaiah lifts our eyes to the cornerstone: "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone… whoever believes will not be in haste" Isaiah 28:16. Peter applies this directly to Christ: precious to those who believe, but a stone of stumbling to those who reject Him 1 Peter 2:4-8. When choosing a church, then, doctrine must come first. Programs are good gifts, but doctrine is the foundation.

These chapters also press a question worth pausing over: are some sins worse than others? Scripture answers both yes and no. No, because "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it" (James 2:10; see also Galatians 3:10). One sin is enough to condemn us before a holy God. Yet yes, because Scripture distinguishes lesser and greater forms of evil at least two dozen times. Jesus told Pilate, "He who delivered me over to you has the greater sin" John 19:11. Luke 12 teaches that sinning against known truth is worse than sinning in ignorance. The most dangerous sin of all is unbelief, the willful rejection of Christ's sacrifice—"for if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" Hebrews 10:26. This is why faith and impenitence cannot coexist, and why the church lovingly confronts sin in her members—the spiritual welfare of the soul is at stake.

The warnings of these chapters do not have the last word. Isaiah 30 ends with breathtaking promises for the people of God. "He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you" Isaiah 30:19. The Teacher will no longer hide Himself; your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it" Isaiah 30:21. God dries our tears, directs our paths, empowers us to cast away our idols like filthy rags, and supplies our every need in abundance. So let us never tire of the old, old story of Jesus and His love—keep crying, "Come, Lord Jesus," and trust Him to use His word for His glory.

Transcript

Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the opportunity to be in your house and 3s

to receive your word. 8s

We give you thanks for your goodness and for your greatness and the opportunity to open 10s

up the pages of Scripture for the voice that we hear is your voice. 15s

Bless now we pray, this time of study to your glory in Jesus' name. 19s

Amen. 25s

Well, we looked last week at chapters 24 to 27 of the book of Isaiah and that is known 26s

as Isaiah's apocalypse. 35s

Apocalypse is that word of something hidden then that becomes revealed. 39s

And what Isaiah did was Isaiah gave us a picture of the day of judgment of the last day. 46s

So the breadth of how the Lord used Isaiah is really incredible in the breadth of his 54s

prophecy that he gave. 61s

We also studied other portions of God's word that had to do with the last day. 64s

Talked about how the posture of the church as we live in the last days. 69s

I remember the last days began when Christ came. 74s

As we live in the last days, it's that posture of watchfulness that we have. 77s

We took a look at the falsehood of the belief of the rapture. 83s

That's a very, very popular view that is out there. 89s

And that's the belief that Christians will be snatched away before the suffering comes 93s

upon upon the earth. 102s

It's a false view when you look at the ancient language and the Greek. 104s

It's just an incorrect understanding. 110s

The very popular these days, but incorrect. 113s

We examine further the message of Isaiah regarding the day of judgment. 118s

And for God's people they'll be singing. 122s

Indeed, God will gather His people and God calling to worship Him. 124s

And so we can be a people that constantly cry, come Lord Jesus. 130s

Well, today I'm going to take a look with you at Isaiah 28 through chapter 30, 137s

Isaiah 28 to 30. 142s

Imagine if you would that you were sitting in some church. 147s

Or imagine that the pastor gets up, reaches a sermon. 153s

The next Sunday, pastor gets up again, 158s

preaches the same exact sermon. 162s

And in the third week, the pastor preaches again the same exact sermon. 165s

Well, that could understandably occasion a question, right? 172s

Of why do you keep preaching the same exact sermon every single week? 176s

And imagine the pastor responding by saying, 183s

when I see the people act on the sermon, I'll come up with another one. 187s

Have you noticed in the book of Isaiah, I'm sure you have. 194s

Isaiah keeps preaching the same sermon, doesn't he? 200s

He just keeps preaching the same sermon over and over again, 203s

calling the people to repentance and seeing that there was not a response to that call, 207s

but yet Isaiah keeps preaching the same sermon. 216s

As we come to chapters 28 to 30, 221s

the Isaiah here has turned his attention to God's own people. 225s

The people of Judah and particularly the people in Jerusalem. 230s

And in chapter 28, it is referenced to Ephraim, 236s

which is the northern kingdom. 240s

The chapters that we're going to study today, 244s

and we're going to drive this morning to the question of, 246s

are some sins worse than others? 251s

That's what we're going to drive to. 253s

So this is going to be background to driving to that question here. 255s

In chapters 28 to 30, it is really difficult to date these chapters. 259s

It's very, very difficult. 268s

It's possible that the Assyrians had not carried away the people into captivity in 722 BC. 270s

It's also possible that by the time you get to chapter 28 and 30 was being referenced, 279s

that the northern kingdom has fallen. 286s

And the words are actually directed to Judah, 290s

which is in the southern kingdom, as opposed to Ephraim in the northern kingdom. 293s

Again, really difficult to date these chapters, 299s

but whichever way you take it, if you were going to come down on one side or the other. 303s

The bottom line is that there's still no repentance. 309s

There's still no repentance. 312s

And the question comes to Judah in the southern kingdom, ultimately, which is, 315s

what about you? 322s

What about you? 323s

Are you going to be like your sister, Israel? 326s

So there's a series of, oh, we can read the classifier, 331s

and is, what abouts? 334s

So let's go to Isaiah 28, Isaiah 28. 335s

And one of the things then that could be posed here to Judah is what about your drunkenness? 341s

And in particular, the drunkenness associated with people that were the so-called spiritual leaders. 349s

So chapter 28, verse 7. 357s

These also real with wine and stagger with strong drink. 361s

The priest and the prophet real with strong drink. 366s

They're confused with wine. 370s

They stagger with strong drink. 372s

They air in vision. 374s

They stumble in giving judgment. 376s

All tables are covered with filthy vomit. 381s

No place is clean. 384s

The question then comes to Judah and what about you? 388s

Will you also have spiritual leaders that are drunken? 392s

The question comes to Judah, what about your refusal to keep God's word and to hear it? 396s

Verse 9. 405s

How will he teach knowledge and to whom will he explain the message? 407s

Those who are weaned from milk, those taken from the breast? 412s

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, 416s

hear little there, little. 422s

Tually with stammering lip and with alien tongue he will speak to this people to whom he has said, 424s

this is rest, give rest to the weary, and this is repose, yet they would not hear. 430s

Therefore the word the Lord will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, 437s

line upon line, line upon line, hear little there, little, in order that they may go and fall 442s

backward and be broken and snared and taken. 447s

All sounds like a refrain there. 453s

That was a mocking response of Isaiah's hearers there, like there was mimicking his words. 457s

He keeps going on, keeps saying the same things. 466s

And in the first verse there are references, it was almost like little babies, 471s

then are the only ones fit to be instructed. 474s

You can see here that eyes by the ears are just absolutely closed here to this message, 480s

and not only is it closed to the message, there's actual mockery of the message of Isaiah. 486s

What about your drunkenness of your spiritual leaders? What about your refusal to hear the word 494s

of God and keep adjudo? What about the mocking here response here that you may? 499s

What about the falsehood that you will be spare? The blind refusal to accept the reality 506s

of the danger that you have put yourself in with regard to your sin. Look at verse 14. 515s

Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. 523s

Because you have said, we have made a covenant with death, and with sheol we have an agreement. 528s

When the overwhelming scourge passes through, it will not come to us. 535s

For we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter. 541s

Lies the refuge, and falsehood they have taken shelter. And so the question 550s

coming to Judah, what about you? Will you be the same? Also amidst all of this, 557s

Isaiah points to Christ, verse 16. 567s

Therefore thus says Lord God, see, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, 571s

a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. One who trusts will not panic. 580s

Let's keep our finger there. Let's go over to first Peter chapter 2. Good way to find first 591s

Peter's, go to the last book, Revelation, then work your way backwards. You'll cross over the 596s

Johns, and you're going to come to first Peter chapter 2, verse 4, and here comes the reference. 602s

Remember, no prophetic book is quoted more in the New Testament than Isaiah. 612s

So here's the direct reference to this. In first Peter chapter 2, verse 4, 619s

Come to him a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, 628s

and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, 636s

to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, for it stands in Scripture. 645s

See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious. 653s

Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 660s

To you then who believe he is precious, but for those who do not believe, 664s

the stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner, 669s

and a stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall. 673s

They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do. 679s

Christ is the cornerstone, the sure foundation of the church, but for those that reject Christ, 687s

Christ then becomes the stumbling stone, the stone upon which they stumble. 695s

It's an amazing breadth here of prophecy, isn't it? 702s

In last week we're in the last days, and now here comes this word here to Judah. 707s

Are you going to be like Israel in the North? Are you going to be like them? 714s

With regard to your drunkenness and refusal to hear the word of God, 721s

regard to your false hope of being spared, and amidst all of that, then there's a pointing head 724s

to Christ who bears our sins. When you go into chapter 29, follows the same pattern of chapter 20, 729s

28. Verses 1 to 8, you've got a threat of coming punishment, 9 to 16. You've got charges here 740s

of drunkenness, 17 to 24. You've got risk, God's rescuing of those who return to him and 750s

destroying those who refuse his mercy. God's continual call to repentance and preaching it through 758s

the prophet Isaiah, and Isaiah just keeps preaching the same sermon over and over and over again, 770s

because there is no repentance, and the message does not change. 781s

Okay, go into chapter 30 now, verse 11, verse 9, chapter 30, verse 9, 790s

for they are a rebellious people, faithfulest children, children who will not hear the instruction 806s

of the Lord, who say to the seers, do not see, and to the prophets, do not prophesy to us what is 814s

right. Speak to us, smooth things, prophesy, illusions, leave the way, turn the side from the 824s

patch, let us hear no more about the holy one of Israel. Not only is there a fuselage here, 838s

there's out and out mockery of the message, and the people telling Isaiah to just knock it off, 851s

and tell us what we want to hear. Tell us smooth things, smooth things. 861s

That is the temptation of the church for every single generation, not to proclaim the law of God 872s

in all of its severity, the law of God shows us of our sin, the temptation is not to proclaim the 881s

law of God, but to give people the smooth things, what it is that they want to hear, to entertain them. 889s

Look over at 2 Timothy, chapter 4, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 899s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and you hit the T-books, 906s

1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and then 1st and 2nd Timothy, 2nd Timothy, chapter 4, and you can see 913s

here that it's a continuing problem. 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 3, for the time is coming when people 922s

will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves 937s

teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander 944s

away to myths. They'll have itching ears, and notice what it says here in the very beginning, 952s

they'll not put up with sound doctrine. When people move away, quite often they'll say, 959s

hey, do you have a recommendation of a church in X number of states, or that kind of thing? Sometimes 967s

I'll have a connection on that that I can refer into, but I always tell people that as they move 973s

away, the Lord be with them, but as they look for a church, pick a church, 983s

based upon the church's doctrine. And doctrine, all the ministries and the programs, those are great, 989s

they're great, but doctrine has to be number one on the list. When we have folks that visit, 997s

sometimes folks will say, I'd like to like to meet with you, and I'd like to know more about 1007s

the doctrine of this church. There's nothing that makes my heart skip and pitter-patter more, 1012s

than that, because that is the question to ask. You see, it's not, do you have this program for me, 1017s

or this program for my kid, or whatever, but they start with the question, and that is, what is it 1030s

that you believe here? And what is it based on, and what is it that you teach? Always pick a 1036s

church based upon doctrine, doctrine. So, chapter 28, and then you go into 29, it follows the same 1047s

kind of outline once again, into 30 there. There's the condemnation of those that want the smooth 1057s

things. Then that all drives to the question of, are some sins worse than others here? As you see, 1066s

Isaiah keeps calling for repentance, and you see here the issues that he's dealing with. And so, 1075s

are some sins worse than others? Well, let's use the book of James here as a starting point to help. 1083s

Good way to find James, go to Revelation, last book, work your way backwards. 1091s

If you go to Hebrews, you've gone too far. James chapter 2 verse 10. 1097s

James 2 verse 10. 1110s

And James writes, for whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point, has become accountable 1118s

for all of it. So, you break one thing, one thought, one word, one D there, right? Of course, 1131s

all stemming from the fact that we are sinners here. Those are all symptoms of the condition of sin 1141s

that we are born in. But James is making the point, point if you kept all the law here. But the one 1147s

thing, then you are guilty of all of it. Or, let's go to Galatians, the third chapter. Galatians, 1154s

the third chapter. Keep turning left. You're going to cross over Ephesians, then you're going to bump 1164s

into Galatians chapter 3. And we'll look at verse 10. For all who rely on the works of the law 1171s

say, all the things written in the book of the law. So, are some sins worse than others? Well, 1194s

you can say no. No, every sin against God makes us worthy of His divine wrath. 1205s

But looking at it from another aspect, are some sins worse than others? We have to say, yes, 1216s

from what Scripture tells us. On the one hand, we answer that question, no, and on the other, 1224s

hand we answer that question, yes, there are at least 25 times in the New Testament, 1230s

where a distinction is made between the lesser and greater forms of evil. At least 25 times. 1239s

Take a look, for example, at John 19, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John 19 verse 11. 1249s

Jesus answered him, 1277s

you would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, 1280s

the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a, most the word, greater sin, a greater sin. 1286s

So, on the one hand, you answer the question, no. On the other hand, you answer the question, 1298s

yes, in Luke 12 for the second time, we won't turn there. But in Luke 12 chapter, it shows us that 1304s

sinning against the knowledge of the will of God is worse than sinning in ignorance. 1311s

Sinning against the knowledge of the will of God is worse than sinning in ignorance. 1318s

And worst of all, the sin, worst of all sins is unbelief, which is the rejection of the, of 1327s

the scripture that faith and impenetence, they can't exist together. That's why you've got all 1341s

those passages in scripture that talk about if a brother or sister is caught in a sin, 1350s

we are to gently confront them in that because faith and impenetence can't, can't exist together. 1357s

That's why you see a discipline in the church in which you go and you talk with a person 1366s

who is sin, if that doesn't work, you go to, and you bring witnesses, and that doesn't, then 1372s

if that doesn't work, you take it to the church. Why? Because the ultimate, ultimate concern here 1377s

is for the spiritual welfare of the person. Why? Because faith and impenetence can't exist together. 1383s

Let's look at Hebrews, the 10th chapter. Hebrews chapter 10, back to Revelation, 1391s

cross over the, the the the heaters, cross over James, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26. 1399s

And here's the point about impenetence and faith unable to, to exist together. 1414s

So Hebrews 10, 26, for if we willfully persist and sin after having received the knowledge of 1421s

the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. There's the rejection, then, of the sacrifice 1429s

for sin. So the concern, then, is to say, what is the spiritual state of the person? 1439s

Are they repentant and trusting in Christ or are they unrepentant living in, in sin? 1448s

Are some sins worse than others? Then what's the answer to that? Yes and no. Right? Yes and no. 1460s

Because you've got two truths here coming at you from Scripture and the gospel addresses 1470s

both the yes and the no in terms of that question. So if someone, someone says all sins are the same, 1477s

no one is not worse than the others? Well, I guess then you can say, well yes, because you break 1491s

once and you've broken all of the law of God, once and can, it condemns you before God Almighty. 1501s

You say, well, is once and worse than the other? No, is once and worse than the other? Yes. 1509s

You see, you got to answer it both ways with regard to that question. 1517s

Less than half here of verse 30 is just this gorgeous, gorgeous section. 1524s

So let's go back to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 30 and verse 19. 1531s

And this part here is just ringing with the blessings that belong to us as God's children. 1542s

At verse 19, truly O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. 1553s

You will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry when he hears it, he will answer you. 1561s

God, God, dries our tears and he hears our cry. Verse 20, though the Lord may give you the 1569s

bread of adversity in the water of affliction, your teacher will not hide himself anymore, 1579s

but your eyes shall see your teacher. But when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, 1585s

your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, this is the way walking it. 1591s

Our father directs our palm, our feet into the paths of righteousness. Of course, we have 1597s

God in his grace, empowering us to write actions as we are the father's children. 1609s

He empowers us to throw away our idols and to rely on him, verse 22. 1619s

Then you will defy your silver covered idols in your gold-plated images. You'll scatter them 1625s

like filthy rags. You'll sit in them away with you. God been empowering us, convicting us of our idols. 1630s

And empowering us to throw them away. We see how God, in verses 23 to 26, 1639s

supplies each and every one of our needs in abundance. Look at 23. He will give rain for the seed 1646s

with which you sow the ground and grain the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plentious. 1655s

All that day your cattle will graze and broad pastures, and the oxen and donkeys that till the ground 1663s

will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, 1668s

every high hill there will be brooks running with water on a day of the great slaughter when the 1675s

town towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light 1681s

of the sun will be sevenfold like the light of seven days on the day when the Lord binds up the 1687s

injuries of His people, and heals the wounds inflicted by His blow. We see He provides and supplies 1692s

our every, every need. When you come to thirty here, we see these blessings that are ours as His people 1703s

that He has made us to be. It's a wonderful, wonderful word of consolation. 1713s

As they kept preaching the same sermon, it didn't he? It was the sermon that God gave to him. 1720s

Let us never tire of preaching what He has given us to preach, which is the old, old story of Jesus 1729s

and His love. And let us preach it, preach it, preach it, and preach it, whatever the response, 1738s

that's our call, is to just keep preaching it and trust in Him to use it to His glory. 1748s

Well, next week we come to chapter 31 to 33, which will bring to conclusion this first part of 1760s

of Isaiah. And what I want to look with you at is thinking through the implications of the five 1768s

major themes of Isaiah 1 to 33. So when we in 2024 loop back and pick up Isaiah again, 1776s

we're going to have these themes here, these five here, fresh in our minds. And we'll look at the 1786s

implications of that next week. We'll continue next. 1794s