710 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 1 Part 2 Book 60 - Making Choices - Part 2

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 60 MAKING CHOICES - PART 2 ISAIAH 1:1-2:2 Isaiah is going to be prophesying to the nation of Israel in near-term events because of their falling headlong into idolatry. Jerusalem, right off the northern end of the Dead Sea, and slightly north of Jerusalem is where the nation was divided. The ten tribes comprising the Northern Kingdom, the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin comprising the Southern Kingdom are staying down here at the south where they have the Temple. Now, as Isaiah is writing, the near invasion of the Ten Tribes by the Syrians is right at hand. Because, if you go back into the account of the Kings and the Chronicles and study the civil wars, and they did have civil wars, the tribes of Judah would have a civil war with Israel and back and forth. Okay, let’s pick up where we left off in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 4. Isaiah 1:4 "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters; they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger, they are gone away backward." For the nation of Israel it was choice after choice. Deuteronomy 28:1 "And it shall come to pass, (it’s going to happen however Israel chooses, and what’s the next word?) A nation of priests. Deuteronomy 28:2 "All these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if (you make the right choice. And what’s the choice?) thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." Then he begins to show the blessings that God is going to shower on the nation if they’re obedient. Deuteronomy 28:3 "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field." Deuteronomy 28:4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, (children) and the fruit of thy ground, (crops) and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kind, and the flocks of thy sheep." All right, but now let’s come down to verse 15. What’s the first word? Here’s the other choice and it’s a choice. Deuteronomy 28:15a "But it shall come to pass, if you wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes…" Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. 17. Cursed will be thy basket and thy store. 18. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, (you see what an awesome choice we’ve got here?) and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kind, and the flocks of thy sheep. 19. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 20. The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation and rebuke…" So, if they choose wrong, is that God’s fault? It’s not God’s fault. No, they made choices. Israel now, for 200 years, has been choosing to rebel against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and against the Law of Moses, they’re going their own way. Isaiah 1:5a Isaiah 1:5b It’s a warning. God will turn them into a blessing. But, if they do not respond, judgment’s going to fall. Isaiah 1:6-7a (The nation is sick and getting sicker by the day.) 7. Your country is desolate…" Now, remember, what was the Promised Land really called? They’ve made God bring the curse upon it and it’s no longer beautiful and productive. Isaiah 1:7a Isaiah 1:7b-8 Isaiah 1:9a "Except (or unless) the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant…" What’s that? It is that small percentage of faithful believers that God has always kept. With millions and millions and millions of people gone? Isaiah 1:9 "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, (now we’re talking about Israel remember, Judah in particular but Israel as a whole) we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." Isaiah 1:10a "Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom;…" Jerusalem. Isaiah 1:10 "Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." It’s still talking about Jerusalem. Now, verse 11. Isaiah 1:11a saith the LORD:..." The Temple is going full blast. It is just emptiness; like Israel. Isaiah 1:11b Isaiah 1:12 What’s the other word? Trample! Trample! Matthew 21:12a "And Jesus went into the temple of God, (there on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem) and cast out all them that sold and bought (where?) in the temple,…" Matthew 21:13 "And he said unto them, ’It is written, my house (the Temple) shall be called the house of prayer; but ye (Israel) have made it a den of thieves.’" Okay, back to Isaiah verse 13. Isaiah 1:13 Isaiah 1:14 What God hated was what they were doing with it. They were just making it a trumped up, false religion, and thought they were doing God a service. Isaiah 1:15 You think God’s going to stand for it? #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible