ISAIAH CHAPTER 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, 2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. a) the Lord, the LORD of hosts: A title that is expressive of the power to execute what is about to be mentioned. hosts: AV - host 393, war 41, army 29, battle 5, service 5, appointed time 3, warfare 2, soldiers 1, company 1, misc 5; 485 1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host 1a) army, host 1a1) host (of organised army) 1a2) host (of angels) 1a3) of sun, moon, and stars 1a4) of whole creation b) doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah: Again Jerusalem and the Jews are in focus, not the Gentiles, though the principle of chastisement may indeed apply to gentile Christians. The Lord uses the present tense "doth" because, though future, it is certain. c) staff and stay: two words very kin. In fact the Hebrew word translated "staff" is from the word that was translated "stay" and according to the Lexicon, mean the very same thing. 1) support (of every kind), staff In our verse here it is the support of bread and water and all that went to support their society and govenrment, including "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." d) The reason: Their sins Even though they were His elect people, as a nation, they were to be chastised because of their sin. The "For" in verse 1 looks back to the previous chapter of idolatry. We also have the reason stated in verses 8-11. 4 And I will give children [to be] their princes, and babes shall rule over them. 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. 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: 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. a) children: either in age or in understanding. They will be ruled by weaklings instead of strong men, because "the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, 3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor" have all been removed by the hand of the Lord. Ec 10:16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 2Ch 34:1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. b) the people shall be oppressed: becuase there were no strong men running the nation but the rulers were as children, therefore anarchy sets in and the people become oppressed. Oppressed means "to be hard pressed." c) the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable: There appears to be no respect for the elders, nor authority. Le 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I [am] the LORD. d) When a man shall take hold of his brother: Gill says his own kindred rather than a stranger. De 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. They wanted someone of their brethren to take over and become responsible for the situation their nation was in. "let this ruin be under thy hand": Not that the ruin would be his fault but that he would become ruler of the ruin and it would be under his power to do something about it. The ruin spoken of is government of Judah. "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen" (vs 10). But it appears that no one wanted to be ruler and take upon themselves such great responsibility as leading a nation of people. 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. a) They had become such a ruined state, that they were fallen. It had crumbled to the ground. b) The reason: is stated in our verse. Their tongue and their doings were against the Lord. We can not as God's people sin against our Lord and continue to sin and get away with it. The principle here applys to the Christian as well. Though our sins have been covered by Christ's blood, if we sin and continue to sin without any repentance, then we are sure to fall under the chastening hand of the Lord. c) to provoke the eyes of his glory: Gill thinks that they openly blasphemed before the eyes of Christ when he came the first time, and therefore received the ruin of their city which followed after Christ was crucified. It seems that they were open in their sin and were not trying to hide it. At least if they were trying to hide it, it would signify that they had some reservation about it and did not want anyone to know about it, but they fact that they sinned before their neighbours and openly before God, they provoked the eyes of His glory. Notice in verse 9 "they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide [it] not." 9) The shew 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. a) shew of their countenance: Their appearance was a witness against them. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress and act and look. A prideful person will show his or her pride. The immoral person will show forth his or her immorality. The worldly person will look worldly. Look and act like the world and your countenance will witness against you. Compare verse 16: 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: b) That these verses may be connected to Jerusalem in the end times as well as in Christ's day, compare: Re 11:8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. c) Woe unto their soul: Gill says, "they have brought upon themselves, soul and body, the just recompence of reward; they have been the cause of their own ruin, and have wronged their own souls." Could these words apply to the apostates of Israel, who were in the elect nation of people, but were not really of Israel, as the Pharasees in Christ's day. Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 10) Say ye to the righteous, that [it shall be] well [with him]: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked! [it shall be] ill [with him]: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. a) Say to the righteous: The Lord always has His remnant even in the worst of times. There was a remnant in Christ's day, and there will be a remnant in Israel in the last days, again. The righteous of course are righteous through Christ, but they believe and do crucify the flesh, and it shall be well with them and they shall eat the friut of their doings. b) Woe: But the wicked shall reap woe. It will not be well with him, but ill, and he shall reap the reward of his doings. That reward is of his own doings which his own hands gave to him. It is as if he handed the evil of his doing to himself. c) In these two verses we see the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. They live two different life styles. Not that the rightoeus do not sin but they are eventually greived to their heart by it and eventually repent with bitter tears. The Christian and the Lord's Supper and sin in his life: 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 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. a) my people: The people of Israel. b) children: Their oppressors were their rulers, who were nothing but children (vs 4). Their rulers were children and women, which may show that this is figurative to children in understanding and weak in ability and values. They were not strong rulers but weaklings, effeminate, and given to pleasure. Could also mean that women shall rule over the child which is ruling over the people. Some weak rulers were greatly influenced by the women in their lives. c) they which lead thee: political and spiritual leaders caused them to err against God's laws. God's laws are all for a purpose. The ceremonial part of the law may have been fulfilled in Christ, so that we do not observe the Jewish feast days, or offer animal sacrifices, etc. but God's moral law still should govern our lives. d) destroy the way of thy paths: The scribes and Pharisees were blind leaders of the blind and turned men away from the way, which was Christ, and called the right way evil. Mt 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. The religious leaders in Christ's day did all they could to destroy "the way." Paul: Ac 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 13) The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 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. 15 What mean ye [that] ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts. a) standeth up to plead: to make a complaint, to coduct a case or suit. Jehovah standeth up and makes his case against them, which will result in righteouss judgement. b) to judge: Gill: Both expressions show indignation and resentment; he rises up out of his place, and stands up in defence of his cause, and avenges himself on a wicked and ungrateful people: it seems to have reference to the judgments of God on the people of the Jews, the tribes of Israel. c) enter into judgment with the ancients of his people: Gill: Both civil and ecclesiastical; the princes, chief priests, and elders of the people, who set themselves and took counsel together against the Lord and his Christ; would not suffer the people to be gathered to him; sought his life, and at last took it away. d) the vineyard: The house of Israel and Judah, which are compared to a vineyard. Isa 5:7 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. e) the poor: Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. f) beat my people to pieces: The Pharisees and Jewish rulers in Christ's day beat the true believers, and also in the end times, antichrist will do the same. Da 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. 34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. 36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 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: 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. 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, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 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. a) stretched forth necks: Pride. Above others. b) wanton eyes: Dictionary on wanton: Immoral or unchaste. Freely extravagant; excessive; Luxuriant; over abundant. One explanation was "painted eyes." c) walking and mincing [as] they go: Gill said kind of dancing. They were walking in a way to be noticed, evidently. d) making a tinkling with their feet: Bells on the feet. e) But the Lord shall bring all of their pride to nothing. 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. 26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she [being] desolate shall sit upon the ground. a) This probably has some fulfillment when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD. The war: The war of the Jews, which Josephus calls it when Jerusalem was beseiged by the Romans in 70 AD. He tells of horrible situations where the woman even ate their own babies. Great multitudes of men were slain in this war. Many so called leaders had promised liberation from the Roman empire, but they were sadly mistaken and were nothing but false prophets to the Jews. What happened to them was as Christ had predicted. b) her gates: Jerusalem is in view here. Lu 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. c) desolate: Gill: Jerusalem was clear of inhabitants, quite emptied, and exhausted of men; being laid even with the ground, and her children within her. d) shall sit upon the ground: Being leveled to the ground as Christ had predicted. Lu 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Lu 21:5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6 [As for] these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. According to Josephus, Titus who was leading the Roman army at the time wanted to save the temple, but his men were in such a frenzy that he could not prevent it from being laid to the ground.