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Isaiah 16 ✒️ The Sin of Pride

April 8, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette • Isaiah 16

 1Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

 2For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

 3Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

 4Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

 5And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

 6We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

 7Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

 8For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

 9Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

 10And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.

 11Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.

 12And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.

 13This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

 14But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.


COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette


Written By: God through Inspiration


Penned By: Isaiah


Date Penned: (700-681 BC)

Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66)

Theme: Words of Judgment (c 1-39)

Message: God Rebukes Moab Over Pride (v 1-14)


Isaiah 16 Commentary 


(16:1) The Moabites - Attacked by the Assyrians, Moabite refugees would flee to Sela, which lay in the country of Edom to the south. Desperate Moabites would send a tribute of lambs to Jerusalem asking for Judah's protection. Jerusalem would be a safe refuge for a while. Isaiah advised Judah to accept these refugees as a sign of compassion during the enemy's time of devastation. 


(16:5) Hezekiah - This prophecy was fulfilled when Hezekiah became king over Judah. Hezekiah was a descendant of David and a good king. Hezekiah's story is found in 2 Kings 18:1-20:21. 


(16:6) Pride - The Moabites had a reputation of being a proud and arrogant people. Jeremiah said the pride of Moab was well known (Jeremiah 48:29), and Zephaniah mentioned the taunts of the Moabites mocking God's people (Zephaniah 2:8). Their excessive pride and arrogance prevented them from turning to God for mercy. This same pride and arrogance lives in all people; it is part of our fallen human nature. Don't think that the pride of the Moabites was any different than the pride that resides in you. The only difference is that they had watered the seeds of pride into fully bloomed arrogance. When pride blossoms in our lives, it obscures our vision of God and our dependence on him. Do you have a clear sense of your absolute need for God? If you have trouble answering that question, you may have allowed pride to grow too strong in you. Don't allow it to thrive in the soil of your heart. Only humility kills the weeds of pride. Ask God for a good dose of it today. 


(16:10) Treading the Grapes - The treading of grapes (squeezing the juice from them by mashing them with bare feet) was the climax of the harvest season, a time of great joy in the vineyards. But the joy of harvest would soon end because the people, in their pride, had ignored God and rebelled against him. 


(16:12) Our Own Way - When the people of Moab experienced God's wrath, they sought their own idols and gods. Nothing happened, however, because no one was there to save them. When we seek our own ways of escape in order to get through our daily troubles, the effect is the same: No pleasure, pastime, painkiller, or human-made religious idea can save us. Our hope lies in God, the only one who can hear and help us. 


(16:13-14) A True Prophet - Tiglath-pileser III invaded Moab in 732 BC; Sennacherib invaded Moab the same year that he invaded Judah, 701 BC. The earlier event occurred three years after Isaiah's prediction, marking Isaiah as a true prophet. In these events, the people of Israel saw prophecy fulfilled before their very eyes.


LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 16. In our text today, we see God rebuke Moab for its pride. In applying, we see the Biblical truth that pride cometh before a fall because pride is a form of self-worship as we lift ourselves above others and the Lord. How about you? Do you wrestle with Pride? Let us learn from our text today and the example of Moab to remember that pride is a sin and that pride cometh before a fall.  

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Isaiah 55 ✒️ Seek the Lord

May 17, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

Isaiah 54 ✒️ No Weapon Shall Prosper

May 16, 2024 • Dr. Dave Burnette

1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.  2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;  3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.  4Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.  5For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.  6For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.  7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.  8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.  9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.  10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.  11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.  12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.  13And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.  14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.  15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.  16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.  17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette Written By: God through Inspiration Penned By: Isaiah Date Penned: (700-681 BC) Overview: To Tell of God's Salvation through the Messiah (c 1-66) Theme: Words of Comfort (c 40-66) Message: Israel Will Be Rebuilt (v 1-17) Isaiah 54 Commentary  (54:1) Childless - To be childless (barren) in the ancient world brought a woman great shame and disgrace and guaranteed a future of poverty for her. Families depended on children for survival, especially when the parents became elderly. Israel (represented by Jerusalem) was unfruitful, like a childless woman, but in the future restoration God would permit her to have many children and would change her mourning into singing.  (54:6-8) Sins Separation - God said that he had abandoned Israel for a brief moment, so the nation was like a young wife rejected by her husband. But God still called Israel his own. The God we serve is holy, and he cannot tolerate sin. When his people blatantly sinned, God in his anger chose to punish them. Sin separates us from God and brings us pain and suffering. But if we confess our sin and repent, God will forgive us, showering us with love and compassion. Have you ever been separated from a loved one and then experienced joy when that person returned? That is like the joy God experiences when you repent and return to him. Heaven rejoices when a lost person returns to God (Luke 15:7).  (54:9-13) A Covenant - God made a covenant with Noah that he has never broken (Genesis 9:8-17). Likewise, God made a covenant of peace with the people of Israel, promising that the time would come when he would stop pouring out his anger on them; he would restore their wealth, and he would personally teach their children. In Isaiah  (54:11-12) The New Jerusalem - we see a picture of the future new Jerusalem (see also Revelation 21:10, 18-21). LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Isaiah with Chapter 54. In our text today, we see a promise of Israel to be fulfilled and rebuilt as the people of God are protected and restored by God. I love verse 17, which says that no weapon formed against thee shall prosper. In making an application, we see the promise of the Lord is still true today. We might face opposition and even lose a few battles, but the Lord reminds us that He will deliver us. How about you? Are you facing a battle? Let us learn from our text today and the promises of the Lord that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.