Isaiah 3 and 4
IN these chapters we reach the end of the first section, the introductory part, of the book of Isaiah. There was soon to fall upon Judah and Jerusalem a partial fulfilment of the promise of unsparing judgment, but what is spoken of, in its direct application, waits for the last days, when the Jews are again to be in their homeland.
Verse 1: We have before called attention to the habit of the translators of our English Bible of substituting “the LORD” for Jehovah which means “HE WHO IS,” a name expanded into “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come” in Revelation 1:4. Only four times (in Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 12:2 and 26:4) have the translators preserved the name Jehovah in our Bible. It is God’s name in relationship with man, first appearing in Genesis 2, and often thereafter until Malachi 4.
The Hebrew word Adonai translated “the Lord” is also often found in the Old Testament; it first appears in Genesis 15: 2, where Abram speaks to God as “Lord Jehovah” (Adonai Jehovah); lord, or master is its meaning, but it is only used for God.
In verse 1 we have “the Lord, Jehovah of hosts,” a name of God first to be found in 1 Samuel 1:3, after Israel had become weak and corrupt. It tells of His power, the mighty hosts of angels and all the forces of nature at His command for use in behalf of His people, or in dealing with the wicked as in our chapter.
Men have been learning ways of making war upon each other in terrible fashion, but when God begins to deal with this world, every man will tremble (see Revelation 6:12-17).
Here in chapter 3 everything upon which mankind rests—food and drink, men for war, judges, prophets, the wise and the elderly, the honorable, and statesmen, clever mechanics and inventors, and those who deal in enchantments—all will be removed from Jerusalem and from Judah. Unfit persons will be the rulers, and oppression and insolence will abound. Sin will be open, unconcealed. They will have brought evil upon themselves.
Nevertheless, it shall be well with the righteous; they, like the wicked, will eat the fruit of their doings, or the desert of their hands. The leaders of the people, who have misguided and robbed them, will be dealt with according to their guilt.
Note that in verse 13 the Gentiles are meant; it is properly “the peoples,” not “the people,” which might be limited to Israel or Judah; mankind will be judged
In considering verses 18 to 23 we are reminded of the verse in Psalm 94:9: “He that formed the eye, shall He not see?” He from whom nothing is hidden, noticed the ways and the details of the dress of the daughters of Zion, and passed judgment upon them. Fashions have changed many times since Isaiah’s day; the things of vanity of today have been substituted for those of 2,700 years ago.
In the last days there will be fearful losses of men in war (verse 25), so that women will far outnumber the men (verse 1, chapter 4).
The short fourth chapter, after verse 1, presents a glorious picture of the coming age, when once the judgments are past.
“In that day there shall be a Branch (the true meaning is Sprout) of Jehovah for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth for excellency and for ornament for those that are escaped of Israel.” (N. T.)
The Branch is the Lord Jesus. (See Jeremiah 23:5, 6, where we are told His name, — “Jehovah our Righteousness,” and Zechariah 6:12).
Every blessing, whether to the redeemed of earth, or the heavenly saints, comes through Christ, and as the result of His God-glorifying, sin-atoning death. The blessing of this earth will however not be brought about through the gospel, as some think, but by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning (verse 4).
Over Mount Zion in the Millennium a cloud by day, and brightness of a flame of fire by night, will be as a covering or canopy over all the glory. These tokens of God’s presence were over the tabernacle during Israel’s journey of old (Exodus 40:38).
ML 04/02/1933