Swords used by the ancient Hebrews were pointed, two-edged, worn in a sheath and suspended from a belt around the waist. When Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s sword this is what would be in the mind of his hearers. In scripture the phrase ‘the sword of the Lord’ carries the sense of divine punishment and judgment. It was Gideon’s rallying cry in his role as Judge in Israel. It is also descriptive of the holy scriptures for their heart-piercing and liberating power. Ignorance no excuse In our passage ‘the sword of the Lord’ is referring to judgment and chastisement upon the nations of the world. Whether the nations ever came near to hear Isaiah’s message is no hindrance to its certain fulfilment. Likewise people today…

The big criticism Isaiah had of the people referred to in this prophecy is that they failed to look to the Lord for help in time of trouble. Instead, they sought support from their southern neighbours, the Egyptians. After all their history it is perverse to think of Israel seeking help from Egypt, but here it is. From the earliest days of the nation, from the time of Jacob, Joseph and Moses, God had proved Himself faithful by saving Israel from Egypt. Now, as danger looms, the first thought of materialists is, ‘who has most horses and the fastest chariots?’ Woe repeated This is the second time a specific ‘woe’ is imposed on the men of Judah who go down to Egypt for help. The…

This chapter speaks of God’s displeasure toward Jews who turned to Egypt for help during the Assyrian campaign. Isaiah called the people of Judah and Jerusalem to trust the Lord but rather than retain a confidence in the Lord and seek a covering under God’s spiritual protection they placed their hope in men and in the flesh. Instead of resting in God their Saviour they tried to forge alliances and buy deliverance using their worldly wealth. Help from an old enemy? The princes and leaders of Judah sent ambassadors to Zoan and Hanes, cities in Egypt, to solicit Pharaoh’s help. As Sennacherib advanced from the north the wealthy took their riches and fled south on donkeys and camels to hide in Egypt. Isaiah labels this…

Ariel is a symbolic name for Jerusalem and is drawn from a word meaning ‘lion of God’, either for strength or victory. Sometimes Ariel is applied more specifically to the altar in the temple at Jerusalem. Then the inference is that the nation’s strength flowed from the true worship of God because divine acceptance is received through blood sacrifice. These ideas combine in the Lord Jesus who is both the Lion of the tribe of Juda for strength and the altar and sacrifice who won victory for His people at the cross. The curse of hypocrisy In our verses Isaiah implies that sacrifices in Jerusalem had become mere rituals. Now they brought woe, not blessing, upon the nation because they were no longer offered to…