By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 2

THE DAY OF THE LORD - AN INITIAL VISION OF
THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM, (2:1-5:30)

   The word that Isaiah the Son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the leaf days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

    1. Like the opening verse of chapter 1, the prophet directs these words to a specific people who had so departed from the way of the Lord as to be in danger of forfeiting many blessings which they had come to consider irrevocably theirs!
    2. "The last days" is an expression that the Jews applied to the close of the age - just prior to the coming of the Messiah to inaugurate a new age, and establish His own glorious rule over the whole earth.
    3. A "mountain", in biblical symbolism, denotes governmental authority - in this instance, a kingdom. The establishment here foreseen is that of a literal, visible Messianic kingdom of righteousness - in power and great glory, with Jerusalem as its Capital, (vs. 2-3; 1:25-26; 58:12-14; Jer. 23:5-8; 33:7), and Jesus Christ as its divine king.
    4. "The LORD'S house" refers to His covenant-community (the nation of Israel as set in a relationship of covenant fellowship with Himself on Mt. Sinai) - a peculiar people who are very dear to Him.
      a. Though called to such a position of opportunity and blessing, Israel, through rebellion and the disobedience of unbelief, has forfeited it all. (Nevertheless, God remains faithful to he faith of individual Israelites whose hearts have remained true to Him.)
      b. In the New Testament church our Lord raised up a new house, with whom He established His New Covenant, and is now preparing to share the fullness of blessing and authority in His coming reign of righteousness, (I Tim. 3:15; Mk. 13:34; Heb. 3:1-6, 12-14; Eph. 2:19-22; etc.).
    5. Exalted above all other people, this covenant-community will be highly honored in the coming age - all others bowing before them (in service), and the wealth of the Gentiles flowing into them, (I Pet. 2:9-10; Phil. 1:29; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10; Rom. 8:17-18; etc.).
    6. In the coming millennial era, the Lord will again dwell among His people - reigning from Mt. Zion, in Jerusalem.
      a. Many will then seek instruction in His ways - that they may walk therein.
      b. The authoritative "law of the LORD" will, in that day, go forth from Jerusalem, and the Lord Jesus will reign supremely.
      c. With justice and equity He will rule over all nations with a rod of iron, (Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15; cf. Psa. 2:9).
      d. Since warfare will cease, the costly armaments of destruction may be converted into instruments of productiveness for the common good.

Vs. 5: 0 house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD!

    1. This is a transitional verse - calling one's attention away from the glorious millennial rule of Jehovah, to focus on the state of Judah which had turned away from the Lord.
    2. Flickering sparks of human wisdom are not sufficient to illumine one's path through a world of sin, darkness, doubt and fear, (Jer. 10:23).
    3. To walk with the Lord is to "walk in the light" - for He is "the Light of the world", (I Jn. 1:5-7; Jn. 8:12).
    4. And the light of His Word so illuminates the future that one may face it with confidence, assurance, and the expectancy of hope, (Psa. 119:105, 130).

   Therefore thou hest forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
   Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

    1. Here are four basic reasons the Lord has rejected this people.
      a. Their slavish dependence upon the heathen practices of Assyria and Babylon, and upon the soothsayers of the Philistines, vs. 6a).
      b. Their joining hands and associating in the activities of foreigners, when they were supposed to be a separated people, (vs. 5b).
      c. Their trust in material assets (gold, silver, horses and chariots) rather than leaning on the true and living God, (vs. 7).
      d. Their worship of idols which their own hands have made, (vs. 9-9).
        1) It has been the boast of the Jews, since the destruction of Jerusalem, that they have been free from idolatry; but, they do not see as God does - Who looks upon their hearts.
        2) Isaiah chapter 2 indicates that they will be shamefully ensnared by their idols, at the very time of Our Lord's coming in judgment, (vs. 20; comp. Psa. 97:7; 96:5; Hab. 2:18; Zech. 10:2; Jn. 5:43; Rev. 9:20).
    2. Not only have they lowered themselves in the eyes of the heathen (who once feared them because of God's presence among them, (Ex. 15:11-18); they have also dishonored the name of their covenant-God!
    3. Therefore, instead of forgiveness, they may expect judgment! (vs. 10-11).
      a. Try as they may to escape the judgment, due their sin, there will be no possible way, (Num. 32:23).
      b. In the penetrating brilliance of divine holiness and power, nothing will escape the scrutiny of the judge of the whole earth, (Heb. 4:12-13; Psa. 139:1-12).
      c. The pride of man will ultimately be humbled, (Prov. 11:2; 16:18; I Jn. 2:16-17); the Lord alone will be exalted in the day of His power.

   For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon. that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the bills that are lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, And upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant pictures.
   And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
   In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

    1. The day of judgment will come - not only upon Judah and Jerusalem, but also upon all men and things, (Acts 17:31).
    2. The delightful things, wherein men have placed their trust, will be revealed as worthless.
    3. With loathing and disgust, the idols men have made as objects of worship will be cast "to the moles and bats" - as worse than worthless!
    4. Three times the prophet declares that the pride and haughtiness of man will be utterly broken.
    5. Three times mention is made of man's attempt to hide, or take refuge, in "the holes of the rocks", "the caves of the earth", or "the tops of the ragged rocks" - "for fear of the LORD", Who is coming to judge the earth in righteousness, (comp. 24:20-23; Joel 2:1-3, 10-11; Zeph. 3:8; Lk. 21:25-27; Dan. 7:9-13; Rev. 19:15-17).
    Then the prophet gives some sound advice for men of ALL AGES!

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? (vs. 22).

    1. It is vain to place one's dependence on a man - who may stop breathing at any moment! (Psa. 146:3-10; Jer. 17:5-8; Psa. 144:3-4; Jas. 4:14).
    2. Of what real value is such a support - as compared with Him who is the Maker and Sustainer of heaven, earth, and all things therein?
    3. All who are truly wise will trust in THE LORD - in whom is EVERLASTING STRENGTH!

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 3

JUDAH AND JERUSALEM TO BE JUDGED

   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, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 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. 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: 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. 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.
   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. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

    1. In fulfillment of repeated warning, the Lord withdraws His blessings because of Judah's sins, (vs. 1; comp. Lev. 26:23-26).
      a. He takes away physical necessities which they have too long taken for granted, (vs. 1; 5:13; 9:20; Ezek. 4:16-17).
      b. He also takes away their leaders and counselors, judges and defenders, prophets and honorable men - all who might be expected to exercise wisdom and prudence, (vs. 2-3; 9:13-15; 2 Kings 24:14; Ezek. 17:12-13).
    2. The result of God's action is a state of anarchy and confusion, (vs. 4-7; Mic. 7:3-6; Jer. 9:3-8).
      a. Children are exalted to rule in a time of severe oppression, (vs. 4, 12; Eccl. 10:16).
      b. The young treat their elders maliciously for their own pleasure.
      c. The pride of the base humiliates the honorable.
      d. No one can be found who is able to restore order, provide the basic needs of the nation and be a healer of their divinely-inflicted wounds, (comp. Hos. 5:13-14).
    3. The ruin of Jerusalem, as the fall of Judah, is not without cause, (1:7; 6:11).
      a. Their words and deeds have been stout against the Lord, (9:17; 59:1.3; comp. Mal. 3:13).
      b. They have so provoked Him to Anger that the searching, piercing brilliancy of His glorious eye is against them, (vs. 8; 65:3-7; Jer. 32:27-35; 44:2-8).
    4. No longer trying to hide their sin, they display it as proudly as Sodom, (comp. 1:10; Gen. 13:13).
    5. By such shamelessness they have dealt woeful misery unto themselves, (Prov. 8:36; 15:32; Rom. 6:23).
    6. The righteous have no cause to be afraid, for God will reward them with the fruit of their labors, (54:17; comp. Deut. 28:1-14).
    7. But, woe to the wicked! they will reap as they have sown, (65:6-7; comp. Deut. 28:15-68; Gal. 6:7-8).

   As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. 0 my people; they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 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. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD God of hosts. 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: 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. In that day the LORD will take sway the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires ilk, the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vials. And it shall coma to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be a 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. Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

    1. The people of Judah are ruled, with tyranny, by women and capricious children - misleaders, who cause them to err and confuse the course of their paths.
    2. The cries of the oppressed having reaching the ear of the Lord God of hosts, He is pictured as rising up to judge His people beginning with the elders and princes who have devoured His vineyard and enriched themselves by the plunder of the poor, (5:7; 10:1-2; Mic. 6:2; Hos. 4:1; 12:2; Mic. 3:1-3; comp. Ezek. 20:35-38; Matt. 21:33-44).
    3. He demands to know what they expect to gain by the brutal suppression of His people. grinding the faces of the poor!
    4. The judgment coming upon the nation reaches all who have contributed to the national guilt; here He specifically condemns the "daughters of Zion".
      a. They are proud, haughty and luxuriously robed.
      b. They are scandalously seductive in the way they attract attention to themselves.
      c. Provoked to anger by their sin, the Lord humbles them - smiting their heads with scabs, taking away their extravagant adornments, and revealing them as they really are, (comp. Ezek. 16).
    5. Warfare, captivity and utter humiliation is foreseen for the daughters of Zion.
      a. Their men will fall by the sword so that the ultimate reproach, the one most feared by women of Palestine, comes upon them - widowhood, or the lack of a husband.
      b. Their desperation is clearly portrayed by the prophet in 4:1.

   "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will sat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 4

THE FUTURE GLORY OF MT. ZION, (4:2-6)

      The first verse of this chapter has already been dealt with as describing one consequence of divine judgment upon the sins of Judah announced in chapter three.

   Vs. 2: In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

    1. "In that day" refers, in this context, to the future "day of the Lord" - the millennial era, (comp. 2:20-21).
    2. "The branch of the Lord" is a progressively developed reference to the coming Messiah, (11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12).
      a. When He came the first time, "not to be ministered unto, but to minister", Israel saw in Him "no beauty" that she should desire Him; thus, despised, rejected and crucified her king - the "Lord of glory" and "Prince of Life", (53:2; Acts 3:15; 5:31; I Cor. 2:8).
      b. When He comes the second time, in power and great glory, a severely chastened and humiliated people will not only welcome Him as their Deliverer; they will exalt, honor and extol His name, crying: "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the LORD!" (Rom. 11:26-27; Matt. 23:37-39; Isa. 28:5-6).
    3. Whatever else one may see in "the fruit of the earth" (by way of abundant provision in the Messianic kingdom, Psa. 72:16), he should not fail to recognize its significance in connection with the resurrection of Jesus, as "the firstfruits of them that slept", whereby He was "declared to be the Son of God" and possessor of universal authority, (I Cor. 15:20; Rom. 1:4; Matt. 28:18; Jn. 5:22,27).
    4. Thus, from beneath the prophet's denunciation of the darkest sin, and its consequent judgment, there bursts forth a song of praise for the preservation of a remnant through whom God's faithful covenant may be fulfilled, (10:20-23; 37:31-32; Joel 2:32 Obad. 17).

   Vs. 3-4: And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

    1. Once called "Sodom" because of her wretched sinfulness, and falling under the wrath of God's displeasure, Jerusalem is here viewed once more as "the Holy City" "beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth", (Psa. 48:2; Isa. 52:1; 62:12).

        "Glorious things of thee are spoken,
          Zion, City of our God;
        He, whose word cannot be broken,
          Formed thee for His own abode:
        On the Rock of Ages founded,
          What can shake thy sure repose?
        With salvation's walls surrounded,
          Thou mayst smile at all thy foes."
        -Jn. Newton

    2. Zion is holy because her citizens have passed through the fountain that was opened "for sin and uncleanness", (1:16-18; Zech. 12:1-2; Jer. 2:12-13; 17:12-13; Psa. 51:2, 7; Jn. 1:29).
    3. Her blood-guiltiness has been purged by the fire of divine judgment - designed for her purification, (48:10-11; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:2-6; Matt. 3:11-16; comp. I Pet. 1:6-9).

   Vs. 5-6: And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defense. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

    1. The pillar of cloud and fire signify the presence of the Lord among, and for the defense and blessing of, His people; His glory, as a canopy of love, is spread over them all, (Ex. 13:21-22; Num. 9:15-23; Isa. 60:1-3).
    2. Once again "the tabernacle of the Lord" is with men, and His people will know the fullness of divine comfort, joy, rest and peace, (Isa. 25:4-9).
    3. The language gives, to believing hearts, adequate assurance of God's abiding presence, constant care and protection.
    4. A people so richly blessed ought to rejoice greatly in their eternal king!
    5. Nor should that joy be regarded as something to be experienced only in the future; the blessings of Christ's reign may be ours RIGHT NOW - through such faith as entrusts everything to Him, and receives daily of His sufficient and satisfying grace, (Col. 1:9-14; Rom. 14:16-19; Phil. 4:19).

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 5

DIVINE EXPECTATION, FRUSTRATION AND CONDEMNATION

   Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

    1. Isaiah sings of his beloved Friend (Jehovah) whose vineyard is located on a fertile hill, (vs. 1-2).
      a. With tender care the divine husbandman has prepared the soil and planted His vineyard with the choicest of vines, (Jer. 2:21).
      b. Every necessary preparation has been made, in expectation of a fruitful harvest; but the grapes are wild - unfit for the intended purpose, (comp. Matt. 22:19; Lk. 13:6-9).
      c. The Lord always expects fruit from His planting - even in this century, (Matt. 3:8; Col. 1:10; Gal. 5:22-23; Jn. 12:24; 15:2, 5; 16).
    2. Then the Lord Himself speaks through the prophet - commanding the men of Judah to judge between him and themselves, (vs. 3-4; Rom. 3:4; Jer. 2:5; 2 Chron. 36:15-16).
      a. Surely His loving provision for the vineyard has been adequate! What more could He have done? (Psa. 80:8-11).
      b. Here is a genuine lamentation; an expression of deep sorrow, (Jer. 7:25-26; Micah 6:3-4).
      c. There must be an accounting for the unsatisfactory return in this divine investment! (Mk. 12:1-12; Matt. 21:33-44; 23:37-39).
    3. Dissatisfied with the produce of His vineyard, the Lord will remove the hedge of divine protection from it (Psa. 89:40), so that it will be "eaten up", (6:13; Hos. 2:12).
    4. Furthermore, He will break down its wall, so that it may be trodden down and laid waste, (Psa. 80:12-13, 16; Isa. 10:6; 28:18; Jer. 25:11; Lam. 1:5; Mic. 7:10; 2 Chron. 36:17-21; Rev. 11:2).
    5. No longer will the vineyard be pruned and cultivated, but left to be over-run by briars and thorns; nor will the Lord permit it to enjoy refreshing showers from on high, (I Kings 8:35; Psa. 80:8-13; Jer. 12:10; 14:1-22).
    6. Israel is the Lord's vineyard; the men of Judah His pleasant plant, (Psa. 80:8-11).
    7. Since they have exchanged justice for oppression, and righteousness for cruelty, they must face the consequence of divine judgment - as all must who transgress God's law and holy purpose, (Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; comp. Gal. 6:7-8).

   Vs. 8-10: Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there is no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.

    1. Here is a selfish, unlawful and immoral grasping after property - to the hurt of others, (vs. 18; Jer. 22:13-17; Mic. 2:2; Heb. 2:9-12).
    2. But, what is one profited if he acquires the whole world at the loss of his own soul? (vs. 9; 22:14; Jer. 6:13; Ezek. 33:31; Lk. 12:15; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 16:26).
    3. Divine punishment will lead to the destruction (emptying) of their houses (6:11-12; Matt. 23:37-38), and the barrenness of their fields; their harvest will be only one tenth of that which was sown, (Lev. 26:23-26; Isa. 7:23; Hag. 1:6; 2:16).

   Vs. 11-17: Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
   Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lamb's feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

    1. This woe is for those who devote themselves to the gratification of their own lusts by strong drink (vs. 11, 22; 22:12-13; 28:1, 3, 7-8), amusements and gluttony (Amos 6:1, 5-6; 2 Pet. 2:12-15) - while ignoring the Lord and his plan for their lives, (Job 21:13-15; Psa. 28:5).
    2. Willful ignorance will result in their captivity, humiliation, shame and utter ruin, (1:3; 27:11; Deut. 32:28-29; Jer. 8:7); hell (the holding place of the dead) has opened its mouth wide to consume those who, in pomp, pride and vainglory, have exalted themselves against Jehovah, their God, (vs. 14-15; Prov. 30:15-16; Hab. 2:5; comp. Num. 16:30-34).
    3. The righteous Lord will be exalted by the judgment that He executes upon their wretched heads, (vs. 16; 28:17; 30:18; 2:11, 17; 33:5, 10; 8:13), while the flocks of aliens and strangers graze the pasture-land of an inconsiderate people, (vs. 17; 7:25).

   Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
   Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from Him!

    Here is a series of "woes" addressed:
    1. To those who, instead of being drawn away by sin (Jas. 1:14), gluttonously, laboriously and persistently draw it to themselves - in spite of divine warnings, (vs. 18; 59:4-8; Jer; 23:10-14).
    2. To those who complain that God's hand moves so slowly they cannot see His work, and that His purpose is so obscure they cannot understand it, (vs. 19; Ezek. 12:22-25; 2 Pet. 2:3-4).
    3. To those whose pervert the truth, (vs. 20; Prov. 17:15; Amos 5:7; Matt. 6:22-23; Lk. 11:33-36).
    4. To those who consider themselves wise and clever, (vs. 21; Prov. 3:7; Rom. 11:25; 12:16; I Cor. 3:18-20).
    5. To those who pride themselves on being able to "handle their wine", and to be most efficient at mixing tempting intoxicants, (vs. 22; 56:12; Prov. 21:17; 23:20-21; Hab. 2:15-16).
    6. To those magistrates who, for a bribe, corrupt justice, (vs. 23; Ex. 23:8; Isa. 1:23; 10:1-3; Mic. 3:11; 7:3; Jas. 5:6).

   Vs. 24-3O: Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
   And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

    1. Because they despised the word of God, and cast His law from them, they will be consumed by His wrath, (vs. 24; comp. 8:6-7; 30:9, 12-13; Hab. 1:5).
    2. Though the hand of the Lord is stretched out against this people, until "the hills tremble" and their carcasses are torn in the midst of the street, His anger is still unrequited, (vs. 25; 2 Kings 22:13, 17; Isa. 64:1-4; Psa. 18:7; Nahum 1:5; 2 Kings 9:37; comp. Jer. 16:4; 4:8; Dan. 9:16).
    3. Thus, He will set up an ensign, and "hiss" to the ends of the earth, for nations that will swiftly assemble, (vs. 26; comp. 7:18; Deut. 28:49; Isa. 13:2-5).
      a. The instruments of divine judgment are pictured as alert, and ready for action, (vs. 27; comp. Joel 2:7-8; Dan. 5:6).
      b. Their arrows are sharp, their bows bent, the hoofs of their horses like flint; the wheels of their chariots are like a tornado, (vs. 28; comp. 13:18; Psa. 7:11-13; 45:5).
      c. Like young lions, they will roar, seize the prey and, concealing it, take it away; there will be no rescue! (Vs. 29; comp. Jer. 51:38; Zech. 11:3; Isa. 10:6; contr. 49:24-25).
      d. When the roar of the enemy is like the roar of the sea, those who have forsaken the Lord will find no hope; in darkness and sorrow will their days be spent, (vs. 30; comp. 17:12; Jer. 6:23; Lk. 21:25-28).