Isaiah 3

A Nation away from God

Isa 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.

stay : support

The LORD of hosts, does take away from rebelling Jerusalem and from Judah, their support; their staff, all types of support; their bread and water.

Isa 3:2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
Isa 3:3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

They will be stripped of all their might and honor; their armies, their judges, their prophet of false prophecy of wealth and pleasures; the prudent seers and diviners, the elders and leaders. The leaders of the military, the honourable, (armorbearer), trusted men. and wise men, the counselor and advice giver, the wise builders and craftsmen, and the eloquent speakers. God is removing the strength that makes a nation strong. This is happening in our country, as the rebellion of the 60's redefines America. We have lost our industry and skilled craftsmen, we rely on foreign powers, so far we still have food and water, but that could be cut off too.

Isa 3:4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

Immature leaders with small ideas shall rule over them.

Isa 3:5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Everyone will be seeking their own thing, suing one another over trivial things; crime and injustice. Children shall accuse and manipulate the parents, there will be no respect for authority.

2 Tim 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2 Tim 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Isa 3:6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

People will exalt those who look good, who are TV stars or movie stars and have them rule over them. Take care of this mess; drugs, rebellion, gangs, prisons full, etc.

Isa 3:7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.

The ruler will say, there isn't enough money, perhaps he will raise taxes and oppress you more? Letting foreign peoples come in illegally and receive welfare when no one has enough. Not enough jobs, not enough help. All trust in immature leaders after their own immature judgment. Seek God, seek his word and His will. Without him, a nation is cursed.

Psa 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Psa 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Evil Hearts, Evil Ways

Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

What has caused them to fall? Their tongue and their doings are against the Lord. Their words are not respectful to God, they speak evil things.

Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

Their doings, were evil as well; idolatry and fornication, the fruit of evil hearts.

Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Isa 3:9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

They look evil, their eyes are wicked, their words spout forth blasphemy and corrupt words. They glory in their sins as Sodom; gay pride, even legislating immorality, passing laws for evil works and laws prohibiting the teaching of God's word. Open tolerance of every evil way in the name of free speech, while limiting the things of God. Woe unto their soul!

Ezek 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

They have rewarded evil, they openly defy the old ways of righteousness. They call the forefathers hypocrites for failing to keep the Biblical standard; but they themselves have thrown away the Bible, the truth of God and made their own evil hearts their truth. They have rewarded evil and outlawed the light and truth of God. This was not just for Israel, but for our nation today.

Isa 3:10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Judgment may fall upon all the nation because of sin, but God shall keep the righteous, those in Christ Jesus, they shall reap the fruit of righteousness. They have the comforter and the peace of God.

Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Psa 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
Psa 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
Psa 37:32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
Psa 37:33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Psa 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Children oppress, women rule

Isa 3:11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Isa 3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Because they have left the counsel of God, children oppress them. Children are to obey their parents and the husband is to provide for and lead the family. If the family structure is destroyed the nation is weakened.

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Women rule over them, do I dare comment on this? What does the Bible say?

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

The idea of Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you is that the woman would desire to rule over her husband, yet God will ordain men to have the leader's role in the family.

Women rule over them: this was seen as a curse, not a blessing. Certainly, God may raise up particular women at particular times to be leaders in different spheres. Deborah (Judges 4-5) and Esther are examples of this. But this entirely different than a society where, in general, women rule over them. Such a society is cursed, not blessed. (Guzik)

O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

The leaders ignore God's commands and destroy the way of the paths, they destroy the way of their fathers, the way of Gods word.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God Stands Up

Isa 3:13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

God sees the unrighteous acts of people. He stands as both prosecutor, to plead the case for the oppressed people and he stands as judge of these evil people. When righteous Stephen spoke the gospel to the stiff-necked Jews, they were angry and stoned him, but Jesus at the right hand of the Father stood up, he stands up for justice and judgment.

Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
Acts 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Jesus put a stop to persecution, personally convicting and calling Saul, who we know as Paul the apostle.

Isa 3:14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

The voice of the Lord and the forefathers agree in judgment against an unrighteous people in power, who oppress the poor, indulging as many suffer and go without.

Isa 3:15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

They had better watch out, for God is the avenger.

1 Th 4:6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1 Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1 Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Ornaments of shame

Isa 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

The LORD has two things he dislikes among the women of this time. He will judge their arrogance and pride; also their immoral seductive behavior.

Isa 3:17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Babylon would invade Jerusalem, there would be great poverty and sickness. The women would be molested and defiled by the invaders; they would be shamed.

Isa 3:18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

In that day, they would no longer be so carried away with jewelry and ornaments, as described here.

Isa 3:19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
Isa 3:20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,
Isa 3:21 The rings, and nose jewels,
Isa 3:22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
Isa 3:23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.

All this was vanity, pride and of an unclean heart. The Bible says we are to have more concern for the heart, and our relationship to God.

Isa 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

These would be terrible times, but we should also take heed and draw close to God, putting away vain pride and lustful behavior.This applies to men too.

Prov 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Prov 1:9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
Prov 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Prov 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Prov 25:12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

1 Pet 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
1 Pet 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
1 Pet 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
1 Pet 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1 Pet 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

1 Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
1 Tim 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
1 Tim 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Isa 3:25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
Isa 3:26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

They would be taken as slaves, their ways would be changed. For sure the devil will not treat you well. Our hope is in the Lord, not empty vanity.

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Psa 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Job 22:29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

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