Isaiah 23

1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entrance: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. 2 Be still, you inhabitants of the isle; you whom the merchants of Zidon that cross over the sea have replenished. 3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river is her revenue; she is a market of nations. 4 Be ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea has spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I do not labor or bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. 5 Like the report concerning Egypt, they will be in great pain at the report of Tyre. 6 Cross over to Tarshish; howl, inhabitants of the isle. 7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet will carry her afar off to stay. 8 Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are those honored of the earth?

• The god these people worshipped was commerce.
• They trusted buying and selling to provide for their needs rather than God.
• They trusted ‘things’ to fulfill their needs rather than God.
  
• Satan made this error first (Ezekiel 28:14-16.)

The Lord shakes the kingdoms

9 The LORD of hosts has purposed to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all those honored of the earth. 10 Pass through your land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength. 11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD has given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy its strongholds. 12 And he said, You will rejoice no more, O oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also will you have no rest. 13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people did not exist until the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up its towers and raised up its palaces; and he brought it to ruin. 14 Howl, ships of Tarshish: for your strength is wasted. 15 And in that day, that Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years Tyre will sing like harlot. 16 Take a harp, go about the city, you harlot that has been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered. 17 And it will come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will turn to her hire, and fornicate with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 And her merchandise and her wages will be set apart to the LORD: it will not be treasured or laid up; for her merchandise will be for those that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

• The Lord will bring into contempt all those falsely honored on earth.
• All glory belongs to God. Man didn’t make the universe. Man doesn’t created and sustain life.
• The Lord visits the crooks and takes their stolen goods for those who dwell before Him.
• Fornicating with all the kingdoms of the world means that the city Tyre is unfaithful to God with these kingdoms, trusting and selling goods to them to sustain herself rather than trusting God.
• Romans 11:36 of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
• John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you may ask what you will, and it will be done unto you.

                                           Isaiah 24

1 Behold,the LORD empties the earth, and wastes it, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad its inhabitants. 2 And it will be the same for the people and the priest, the servant and his master, the maid and her mistress, the buyer and the seller, the lender and the borrower, the taker of usury as with the giver of usury to him. 3 The land will be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world droops and fades away, the proud people of the earth droop. 5 The earth is defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 So the curse has devoured the earth, and those that dwell in it are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 7 The new wine mourns, the vine droops, all the merry hearted sigh. 8 The mirth of tambourines ceases, the noise of them that rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases. 9 They will not drink wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those that drink it. 10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, so that no man may enter. 11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 12 The city is left desolate and the gate is battered down. 13 This is how it will be in the midst of the land among the people, it will be like the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

The Majesty of the Lord causes singing

14 They will lift up their voice, they will sing for the majesty of the LORD, they will cry aloud from the sea. 15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the fires, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

• Habakkuk 3:17-19 Although the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive will fail, and the fields yield no food; the flock will be cut off from the fold, and there will be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me walk on my high places.

16 From the farthest part of the earth we have heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, cries of grief to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yes, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. 17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 And it will come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the midst of the pit will be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth shake.

• Job 9:6-8  (the Lord) Who shakes the earth out of her place, and its pillars tremble. 7 Who commands the sun, and it does not rise; and seals up the stars. 8 Who alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.

19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is completely dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20 The earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard, and will be removed like a cottage; and its transgression will be heavy upon it; and it will fall, and not rise again. 21 And it will come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth.

• The high ones are angels.
• God is not unfair. He is longsuffering (2 Peter 3:9).
• Earth’s transgression is heavy on it.
• They abused the power God gave them (Daniel 2:21—the Lord appoints rulers).
• They have led their people to ruin rather than salvation. 
• Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

22 And they will be gathered together, with the gathering of prisoners in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison, and after many days will they be visited/found lacking. 23 Then the moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

• Mount Zion is not high like Everest or the Rockies. 
• Mount Zion can be walked up easily.
• God want us to know that He is accessible.
• Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
• Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

                                            Isaiah 25

The LORD has done wonderful things; His ancient counsels are faithfulness and truth

1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things; your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For you have made a city a heap; a defended city a ruin: a palace of foreigners to be no city; it will never be built. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify you, the city of the awesome nations will fear you. 4 For you have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You bring down the noise of foreigners, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible will be brought low.

• We can seek advice from God who made the universe or men who can’t make a breath of air.
• These were disobedient to their Maker and worshipped idols.

God will make a feast for all people

6 And in this mountain will the LORD of hosts make for all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And in this mountain he will destroy the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.

• Man doesn’t see God today. Man’s eyes are veiled from the majesty of God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Lord will wipe away all tears and swallow up death in victory

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and he will take away the rebuke of his people from off all the earth: for the LORD has spoken it. 9 And it will be said in that day, Look, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 10 For in this mountain will the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab will be trampled down under him, even as straw is trampled down for the dunghill. 11 And he will spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swims spreads forth his hands to swim: and he will bring down their pride together with the plunder of their hands. 12 And the fortress of the high fort of your walls he will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

                                            Isaiah 26

The Lord will guard in perfect peace those who keep their minds on Him

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation that guards the truth may enter in. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trust in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength/the rock of ages: 5 For he brings down those that dwell on high; the lofty city, he lays it low; he lays it low, even to the ground; he brings it down to the dust. 6 The foot will tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

He weighs the path of the just

7 The way of the just is uprightness: you, most upright, weigh the path of the just. 8 Yes, in the way of your judgments, O LORD, have we waited for you; the desire of our soul is to your name, and to the remembrance of you. 9 With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you early: for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

• The word ‘name’ most accurately means person.
• Our desire is to the person that He is, rather than to the name that He is called.
• His judgments teach the world righteousness.
• Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

He is Majestic

10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

• 1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.

11 LORD, when your hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they will see, and be ashamed for their envy toward your people; yes, the fire of your enemies will devour them. 12 LORD, you will ordain peace for us: for you have worked all our works in us. 13 O LORD our God, other lords beside you have had dominion over us: but by you only we will mention your name. 14 They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise: therefore have you visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. 15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, you have increased the nation: you are glorified: you removed it to the far ends of the earth.

• The Lord has ordained peace for us because He works all our works for us (verse 12). He removed the idolatrous nation.

16 LORD, in trouble they visited you, they poured out a prayer/secret speech when your chastening was on them. 17 Like a woman with child that draws near the time of her delivery is in pain and cries out in her pains; so have we been in your sight, O LORD. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have brought forth wind; we have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

• Is mankind perfect? Only the proud think they need no correction.
• Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.

The Lord is going to raise earth’s dead

19 Your dead men will live, together with my dead body they will rise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you: hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation has past. 21 For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also will reveal her blood, and will no more cover her slain.

• Matthew 27:52, 53 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and walked about the city and were seen of many.
• John 11:25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet he will live:

                                            Isaiah 27

The Lord guards and waters His own continually

1 In that day, with his evil and great and strong sword, the Lord will punish leviathan the piercing serpent, leviathan that crooked serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea. 2 In that day sing to her, A vineyard of red wine. 3 I the LORD guard it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will guard it night and day.

• The end of Isaiah 26 speaks of the Lord coming back to earth to punish those dwelling on earth for their idolatry.
• He is the source of their life.
  
• Isaiah 5 speaks of earth, God’s vineyard.
• The wine of His love was to produce joy in man’s heart, but instead, wild grapes grew that were bitter to God since man still refused the awesome love of the Lord.

The Invincible one wants His enemies to take hold of His strength to make peace with Him

4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them; I would burn them together. 5 Or let him take hold of my strength, so that he may make peace with me; and he will make peace with me. 6 He will cause them that come from Jacob to take root: Israel will blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

• Today Israel supplies 1/3 of the world’s fruit.
• In the millennium the Lord’s priests will go forth into all the world to fill the earth with eternal fruit of the heart.

7 Has He struck Israel as He struck those who struck him? Or has He been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him? 8 In measure, when it shoots out, you will debate with it: he stays his rough wind in the day of the east wind. 9 By this the iniquity of Jacob will be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he makes all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in pieces, the groves and images will not stand up. 10 Yet the protected city will be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there the calf will feed, and there he will lie down, and consume its branches. 11 When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no favor. 12 And it will come to pass in that day, that the LORD will beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and you will be gathered one by one, O children of Israel. 13 And it will come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet will be blown, and they will come that were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and will worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

• The Lord shows them no grace because understanding is free for the asking.
• Luke 11:9 And I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened unto you.

SUMMARY: Isaiah 23-27

• The Lord shakes the kingdoms
• The Majesty of the Lord causes singing
• The LORD has done wonderful things
• His ancient counsels are faithfulness and truth
• God will make a feast for all people
• The Lord will wipe away all tears and swallow up death in victory
• The Lord will guard in perfect peace those who keep their minds on Him
• He weighs the path of the just
• He is Majestic
• The Lord is going to raise earth’s dead
• The Lord guards and waters His own continually
• The Invincible one wants His enemies to take hold of His strength to make peace with Him