Free Grace Women

By Kathryn Wright

Over the summer, Free Grace Women held a six-week Zoom study on the book of Isaiah. We were blessed with a fruitful time of fellowship and study with like-minded believers. Over the next few months, FGW will be using that study as a springboard to produce blogs, covering key passages in the book of Isaiah. This will include blogs on Isaiah 1:18-19, the Throne Room of God in chapter six, a deeper look at the fall of Satan in chapter fourteen, and more! You can expect these blogs on the first Monday of each month. To jump-start this series, two elements of the book of Isaiah are useful to remember as we go through these passages. In short, the book of Isaiah could be summarized as a tale of two cities. 

The City of Rebellion:

First and foremost, the book of Isaiah is directed to the Jewish people. Specifically, it is addressed to the southern kingdom of Judah (1:1). Sadly, the Jewish people had fallen into idolatry and immorality. Due to this, the book opens with an indictment as the Lord says: 

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me; (Isaiah 1:2 NKJV)

It should be noted that this is not directed towards a pagan nation. This indictment was directed toward the Lord’s own children, the people of Judah. This would have included both believing and unbelieving Jews living in the land. Sadly, they had become too comfortable. The Lord had protected them from their Gentile neighbors and blessed them with good crops and wealth. He had nourished them, yet the people had become prideful in response to the Lord’s good and tender care. They stopped trusting in the Lord and began to trust in themselves, other men, and pagan gods. Due to this arrogance, they had rebelled against the One true God of Israel. 

To summarize the depths of their depravity, the prophet looks to Jerusalem, the crowning jewel of the nation, and makes this shocking statement: 

“How the faithful city has become a harlot” (Isaiah 1:21 NKJV)

A city that was called to be a light was now a depiction of sexual immorality. While the Lord’s temple, and people, were meant to draw the Gentile nations to Him, now, like a red-light district, the city had become a beacon of spiritual prostitution. 

In response to their rebellion, the Lord would open the nation to His disciplinary work. He would remove His protective hand, and allow the Gentile nations surrounding Judah to come in and destroy them (1:20). First the Assyrians oppressed Judah, and then later the Babylonians came in and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. They would also take the nation into captivity for 70 years. Much of the book deals with these dark days, in which the nation of Israel was under the punishment of the Lord. 

The City of Righteousness: 

However, the book of Isaiah is not just about gloom and doom. The book of Isaiah is one of contrast, for while the days of Isaiah were dark and scary, he also foresaw a glorious future for Judah. The book of Isaiah looks forward to the day when the nation of Israel will indeed fulfill its purpose. While the Lord would discipline them, His discipline had a purpose. One day, the nation of Israel will be a righteous people, who know the Lord, and worship Him in the Millennial Kingdom. 

In contrast to the City of Rebellion, Isaiah also foresaw a day when Jerusalem would be a righteous city, saying: 

²⁶ I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” ²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her penitents with righteousness. Isaiah 1:26-27 NKJV 

Notice, the prophet is contrasting the adulterous city of Jerusalem during his day, with this coming day, when Zion will be a place of righteousness and peace. Of course, this looks forward to the day when the Prince of Peace will rule from Jerusalem, during the Millennial kingdom (Isaiah 9:7, 11:1-10, Revelation 20:4-6). Therefore, the book of Isaiah is also a message of hope. While the nation would experience the disciplinary hand of the Lord, this does not mean He is done with the nation of Israel. He did, and continues, to preserve a remnant from Israel (Isaiah 1:9), and one day, all the nations of the world will flow to the righteous and faithful city of Jerusalem, to worship the Lord. 

Conclusion: 

  While we are not the nation of Israel, there are many lessons we can learn from the book of Isaiah. To begin with, the church-age believer can learn about the faithfulness of our Lord. Even though the nation had fallen into sin, He was still faithful to His promises. He preserved a remnant of Israel and will fulfill all His promises to His people in the coming age. The Lord is not done with Israel, and one day, Jerusalem will be at the center of the world. In short, the promises of the Lord are not nullified by human failures. In the same way, the Lord is faithful to His promises to us, even when we fail. However, there is also a warning for believers. The Lord disciplines His people when they fall into sin. The nation of Israel serves as a picture of this truth. While a born-again person can never lose eternal life, we can fall under the disciplinary hand of the Father. The purpose of this discipline is to hopefully draw us to repentance, so we can walk in fellowship with the Lord. 

We hope you can join us as we dive into this incredible book over the next few months. We encourage you to sign up for the email list so you can get notified directly about new blogs or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

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