Isaiah 3: Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

• v.1-3   What the Lord will remove
• v.4-7   The resultant chaos
• v.8-12   Their state described generally
• v.13-16 The Lord as Judge – His accusations
• v.17-26 The Lord as Judge – His sentences

[Preliminary Comment: The state of life inside Jerusalem and throughout Judah comes under the spotlight. There is symmetry in the chapter in the first two sections (about the Lord’s activity) being balanced by the last two sections (that similarly speak of His activity) and these two parts act like bookends to the central section that summarizes their terrible state.  First (v.1-3) comes the warning that the Lord will remove all those in leadership roles who should have acted and didn’t and thus caused the present poor state of the land. The prophet then faces them with what will happen when the authority is removed (v.4-7) and he goes on in the central section (v.8-12) with a general description of their current state. In v.13-16 we see the Lord coming as a Judge who indicts the leaders and affluent women, leading on in v.17-26 to His sentences on them.]

PART ONE: Judgment & Effect

v.1-3 What the Lord will remove

v.1 See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water,

v.2,3  the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.

[Notes: The Lord, in His disciplinary judgement will remove from them the things they presently rely on, their resources, and the people they look up to in society.]

v.4-7 The resultant chaos

v.4 “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.”

v.5 People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored.

v.6 A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, “You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!”

v.7 But in that day he will cry out, “I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.”

[Notes: The result of His activity will mean they are only left with teenagers to rule you and because they lack authority violence & injustice with reign. Indeed, whoever looks better, you will want to take a lead, yet they will acknowledge they’re not up to it.]

PART TWO: The Plight of the Land

v.8-12 Their state described generally

v.8 Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence.

v.9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

v.10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

v.11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.

v.12 Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

[Notes: The truth is they’re in a mess having denied the Lord, and you’ve only got to look at people to know this is true. Those who remain righteous, they will be blessed but the unrighteous… they’re in trouble. The problem is that those who shouldn’t be leaders dominate and life goes wrong

PART THREE: The Lord acting as a Judge

v.13-16 The Lord as Judge – His accusations

v.13 The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people.

v.14 The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.

v.15 What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

v.16 The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.

[Notes: So, because of all this, God steps up to the bench as Judge and He holds leaders accountable and confronts them with their injustices. But it’s also the affluent women who are proud and unrighteous.]

v.17-26 The Lord as Judge – His sentences

v.17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald.”

v.18-23  In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.

v.24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.

v.25 Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.

v.26 The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.

[Notes: So, because of all this, in discipline God will afflict them and all their finery will be removed, all of their false outward adornment will be removed. Indeed, the men who should protect you will fall and the security of Jerusalem will be ended.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: