Isaiah 15-23

Isaiah 15–16

- Moab was too proud and was thus doomed to be destroyed, and Isaiah was crying out in pain because of this.

- Moab will be destroyed because of their pride.

- I think one of the major barriers that prevents a person from receiving God’s help is pride. This is really hard to overcome because that person will never think he/she needs anyone’s help. This person would never think he/she makes any mistakes and believe he/she can succeed without anyone’s support. And when things don’t work, this person will never think he/she need to reflect because he/she may be the root of the problem. Instead, this person will lay blame on others.

If you know pride is your own barrier, then that is a step-up already. Knowing, in this case, truly wins half the battle. Because by admitting that pride is getting in your way, you are now open to taking suggestions and taking the steps needed to move away from that. The scariest thing is actually to not be aware that pride is your own barrier. At times like this, friends and family are critical.

How do you help a blind see? I think this is the toughest quest of all. But I believe we all must try. For me, it’s all about patience and understanding. A person who has been blinded by pride will never be able to see no matter how hard he/she tries. Friends and family should step in to help because they known this person best. From my personal experience, all we can do is to communicate endlessly. It is not an easy feat, and it will not be accomplished in one sitting. It may take months. It may take years. But we cannot give up. This is also why fellowship is so important. We can rely on each other to point out our blind spots, so that we may move forward to amend them.

Isaiah 17–18

17:1–3

Both Israel and Damascus will fall as the result of their alliance.

17:4–6

The glory of Jacob—the glory of Israel—will fade, yet some will remain.

17:7–11

Israel had forgotten God as its savior, choosing instead to seek other gods. On the day of its fall however, Israel will then remember its Maker, turning its eyes back to the Holy One of Israel.

17:12–14

The people and the nations that rage and roar against God’s people will flee away when God rebukes them. God will drive them out.

18:1–6

God has often remained in the backdrop, just observing. However, when the time is ripe, He will give a warning (such as sounds of a trumpet). And then, He will cut off all those who are not His people and leave these people to their demise.

18:7

“At that time,” and this is my guess, means the period encompassing the Tribulation.

- God was symbolized as Savior, Rock, and Fortress. Compared to man-made idols, such as Asherah poles and incense altars, God is a solid support. Placing trust in man-made idols is pointless because such idols have no power in making anything happen. It’s man-made! But God, He is the Creator of all. He exists before and after us. He exceeds our abilities, and where we fail, He will not. And so, by placing our trust in Him, we will be safe. And this is why He is our Savior, Rock, and Fortress.

Isaiah 19–20

- The idols of the Egyptians trembled before God. And this will cause the Egyptians to finally realize who the true God is.

19:2–15

- Egyptians, because they chose to place their trust in their man-made idols, will be led to fight against one and another. Nothing will grow, rivers will dry up, and life will be desperate.

- I think it is dangerous to think how God may be using natural conditions to reveal Himself to us today, because the truth is, we just don’t know. Many people like to say that Katrina or 911, or other natural catastrophes happened because God wanted to punish us for our wrongdoings, but we have no proof of this! I thus disagree very much with the notion to even hypothesize how God may be revealing Himself to us through natural conditions.

However, we should still bear in mind what has been taught to us in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that we may not know the specific day and time of Jesus’ second coming. But there are tell-tale signs of His coming. Events that need to occur to set His coming in place. And if we look at the times that we are in and compare to the trends of what has been happening (the formation of the EU, the beginning of the Fall of the US, massive spread of Christianity across the globe, etc.), we should all realize that we are close to the end of times.

This is a tough but very important topic and should really be discussed with fellowship and in further detail.

- “In that day,” Egyptians will show fear for God and come under His kindom.

- The stripping of Isaiah symbolizes shame. It is a warning to Cush and Egypt that if these two nations were to remain prideful, they, too, will be stripped of their powers and be completely exposed of their sin and be put to shame.

Isaiah 21–23

21:1–10

God’s judgment for Babylon: Babylon will fall.

21:11–12

God’s judgment for Edom: Edom will be no more.

21:13–17

God’s judgment for Arabia: Arabia will run from battle (but will not succeed).

23:1–18

God’s judgment for Tyre: Tyre, once the center of commerce, will be destroyed by many nations. It will be no more and have no chance to be rebuilt.  (See also Ezekiel 26:1-28:19)

Excerpt taken from

http://seminary.lds.org/manuals/old-testament-seminary-student-study-guide/ot-ssg-7-isa-15.asp:

Isaiah 23 contains a prophecy about Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, is the last of the chapters prophesying the overthrow of nations surrounding Israel and Judah. Tyre was a city focused on the buying and selling of the treasures of the world. The things of the world were always more important to the inhabitants of Tyre than anything else, including God. Isaiah referred to Tyre as a harlot. This is because, in a sense, the people sold themselves and their sacred relationship with God for money—much in the same way a harlot sells her sacred virtue for money.

- Isaiah prophesies that Jerusalem will fall because its people are proud. The people thought they could solve problems on their own and did not realize the blessing given to them by their Maker, the Lord (Isaiah 22:11). Instead of repenting and be humbled, the people of Jerusalem celebrated the downfall of the nations around it (Isaiah 22:12-14). Isaiah thus used the story of Shebna as a warning to Jerusalem: That if they continue to be prideful, they will be brought down like how Shebna was brought down. However, the sin of Jerusalem will not be atoned for until its dying days (Isaiah 22:14). It will thus be atoned by Jesus Christ. And once Jerusalem returns to God’s side, it will then once again arise.