July 21, 2025
Judgment or Salvation?
Isaiah 32-36
Anne Rodgers
Big Book Idea
Though his judgment would come upon Israel, God is marked by mercy and compassion. But God's forbearance toward sinful Israel wouldn't last forever.
Key Verse | Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 32-36
Chapter 32
A King Will Reign in Righteousness
1
Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.
2
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a shelter from the storm,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
3
Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will give attention.
4
The heart of the hasty will understand and know,
and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak distinctly.
5
The fool will no more be called noble,
nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.
6
For the fool speaks folly,
and his heart is busy with iniquity,
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the LORD,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
7
As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil;
he plans wicked schemes
to ruin the poor with lying words,
even when the plea of the needy is right.
8
But he who is noble plans noble things,
and on noble things he stands.
Complacent Women Warned of Disaster
9
Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice;
you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech.
10
In little more than a year
you will shudder, you complacent women;
for the grape harvest fails,
the fruit harvest will not come.
11
Tremble, you women who are at ease,
shudder, you complacent ones;
strip, and make yourselves bare,
and tie sackcloth around your waist.
12
Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vine,
13
for the soil of my people
growing up in thorns and briers,
yes, for all the joyous houses
in the exultant city.
14
For the palace is forsaken,
the populous city deserted;
the hill and the watchtower
will become dens forever,
a joy of wild donkeys,
a pasture of flocks;
15
until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17
And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust
1
32:17
Or security
forever.
18
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19
And it will hail when the forest falls down,
and the city will be utterly laid low.
20
Happy are you who sow beside all waters,
who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.
Chapter 33
O LORD, Be Gracious to Us
1
Ah, you destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed,
you traitor,
whom none has betrayed!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.
2
O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
3
At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;
when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,
4
and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.
5
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
6
and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion's
2
33:6
Hebrew his
treasure.
7
Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
8
The highways lie waste;
the traveler ceases.
Covenants are broken;
cities
3
33:8
Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses
are despised;
there is no regard for man.
9
The land mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is confounded and withers away;
Sharon is like a desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10
“Now I will arise,” says the LORD,
“now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted.
11
You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;
your breath is a fire that will consume you.
12
And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.”
13
Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
14
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
16
he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
17
Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
they will see a land that stretches afar.
18
Your heart will muse on the terror:
“Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute?
Where is he who counted the towers?”
19
You will see no more the insolent people,
the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.
20
Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent,
whose stakes will never be plucked up,
nor will any of its cords be broken.
21
But there the LORD in majesty will be for us
a place of broad rivers and streams,
where no galley with oars can go,
nor majestic ship can pass.
22
For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver;
the LORD is our king; he will save us.
23
Your cords hang loose;
they cannot hold the mast firm in its place
or keep the sail spread out.
Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;
even the lame will take the prey.
24
And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”;
the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
Chapter 34
Judgment on the Nations
1
Draw near, O nations, to hear,
and give attention, O peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it;
the world, and all that comes from it.
2
For the LORD is enraged against all the nations,
and furious against all their host;
he has devoted them to destruction,
4
34:2
That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verse 5
has given them over for slaughter.
3
Their slain shall be cast out,
and the stench of their corpses shall rise;
the mountains shall flow with their blood.
4
All the host of heaven shall rot away,
and the skies roll up like a scroll.
All their host shall fall,
as leaves fall from the vine,
like leaves falling from the fig tree.
5
For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom,
upon the people I have devoted to destruction.
6
The LORD has a sword; it is sated with blood;
it is gorged with fat,
with the blood of lambs and goats,
with the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah,
a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
7
Wild oxen shall fall with them,
and young steers with the mighty bulls.
Their land shall drink its fill of blood,
and their soil shall be gorged with fat.
8
For the LORD has a day of vengeance,
a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
9
And the streams of Edom
5
34:9
Hebrew her streams
shall be turned into pitch,
and her soil into sulfur;
her land shall become burning pitch.
10
Night and day it shall not be quenched;
its smoke shall go up forever.
From generation to generation it shall lie waste;
none shall pass through it forever and ever.
11
But the hawk and the porcupine
6
34:11
The identity of the animals rendered hawk and porcupine is uncertain
shall possess it,
the owl and the raven shall dwell in it.
He shall stretch the line of confusion
7
34:11
Hebrew formlessness
over it,
and the plumb line of emptiness.
12
Its nobles—there is no one there to call it a kingdom,
and all its princes shall be nothing.
13
Thorns shall grow over its strongholds,
nettles and thistles in its fortresses.
It shall be the haunt of jackals,
an abode for ostriches.
8
34:13
Or owls
14
And wild animals shall meet with hyenas;
the wild goat shall cry to his fellow;
indeed, there the night bird
9
34:14
Identity uncertain
settles
and finds for herself a resting place.
15
There the owl nests and lays
and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow;
indeed, there the hawks are gathered,
each one with her mate.
16
Seek and read from the book of the LORD:
Not one of these shall be missing;
none shall be without her mate.
For the mouth of the LORD has commanded,
and his Spirit has gathered them.
17
He has cast the lot for them;
his hand has portioned it out to them with the line;
they shall possess it forever;
from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.
Chapter 35
The Ransomed Shall Return
1
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2
it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
5
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8
And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
10
35:8
Or if they are fools, they shall not wander in it
9
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Chapter 36
Sennacherib Invades Judah
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh 11 36:2 Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking Assyrian military officer from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 3 And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
4 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 5 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6 Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7 But if you say to me, “We trust in the LORD our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? 8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 12 But the Rabshakeh said, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 16 Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me 12 36:16 Hebrew Make a blessing with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18 Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Footnotes
[1] 32:17 Or security[2] 33:6 Hebrew his
[3] 33:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses
[4] 34:2 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verse 5
[5] 34:9 Hebrew her streams
[6] 34:11 The identity of the animals rendered hawk and porcupine is uncertain
[7] 34:11 Hebrew formlessness
[8] 34:13 Or owls
[9] 34:14 Identity uncertain
[10] 35:8 Or if they are fools, they shall not wander in it
[11] 36:2 Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking Assyrian military officer
[12] 36:16 Hebrew Make a blessing with me
Table of Contents
Introduction to Isaiah
Timeline
Author and Date
Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (6:1), around 740 B.C. He lived long enough to record the death of Sennacherib (37:38), in 681. However, most of the book can be dated only in very general terms because few specific dates are given.
Theme
The central theme of the book is God himself, who does all things for his own glory (48:11). Isaiah defines everything else by how it relates to God: is it rightly related to him as the center of all reality (45:22–25)? God’s people find strength only as they rest in the promises of their God (30:15). They find refreshment only as they delight themselves in his word (55:1–2). To serve his cause is their worthy devotion (ch. 62), but to rebel against him is endless death (66:24).
Simplified Overview of Isaiah
| Isaiah 1–39 | Isaiah 40–55 | Isaiah 56–66 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Setting | The eighth century B.C. (700s); the Assyrian threat | Prophecies for the sixth century B.C. (500s); the Babylonian exile | Prophecies about all times and occasions until the end |
| Audience | God’s rebellious people craving worldly security | God’s defeated people under worldly domination | All who hold fast to God’s covenant |
| Actions | God purifies a remnant of his apostate people through judgment | God encourages his discouraged people in exile | God prepares all of his true people for his promised salvation |
| Message | “In returning and rest you shall be saved; . . . But you were unwilling” (30:15) | “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed” (40:5) | “Keep justice, and do righteousness” (56:1) |
Key Themes
1. God is offended by religious practices that come from an empty heart or a careless life (1:10–17; 58:1–12; 66:1–4).
2. God’s true people will someday become a multinational community of worship and peace that will last forever (2:2–4; 56:3–8; 66:18–23). They will be the predominant culture of a new world (14:1–2; 41:8–16; 43:3–7; 60:1–22).
3. God opposes human pride (2:10–17; 13:11; 23:9).
4. The foolish idols that man creates are destined for destruction (2:20–21; 44:9–20; 46:1–7).
5. God’s judgment will reduce Israel to a remnant. From this remnant he will raise up a holy people (1:9; 6:1–12:6; 40:1–2).
6. God sometimes judges people by making them deaf and blind to his saving word (29:9–14).
7. The only hope of the world is in one man. He is the promised Davidic king (7:14; 9:2–7; 11:1–10), the servant of the Lord (42:1–9; 52:13–53:12), the anointed preacher of the gospel (61:1–3), and the victor over all evil (63:1–6).
8. God uses everything, even human sin, for his own glory (44:24–45:13).
9. All people are called to repent of sin and trust in God alone (12:2; 26:3–4; 32:17–18; 50:10; 66:2).
10. Often, when God’s people feel abandoned by him (40:27), they foolishly trust in worldly powers (31:1–3; 39:1–8).
11. God will vindicate his cause with a world-transforming display of his glory (11:10; 40:3–5; 52:10; 59:19).
12. God is guiding all of human history (41:1–4; 44:6–8; 46:8–11).
13. God’s faithfulness and the certainty of his final victory should motivate his people to pray and to be obedient (56:1–2; 62:1–64:12).
14. The wrath of God is to be feared above all else (9:19; 13:9, 13; 30:27; 34:2; 66:15–16).
Outline
- Introduction: “Ah, Sinful Nation!” (1:1–5:30)
- God Redefines the Future of His People: “Your Guilt Is Taken Away” (6:1–12:6)
- God’s Judgment and Grace for the World: “We Have a Strong City” (13:1–27:13)
- God’s Sovereign Word Spoken into the World: “Ah!” (28:1–35:10)
- Historical Transition: “In Whom Do You Now Trust?” (36:1–39:8)
- Encouragement for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed” (40:1–55:13)
- How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant” (56:1–66:24)
The Near East at the Time of Isaiah
c. 740 B.C.
The prophecies of Isaiah took place during the rise of the Assyrian Empire. Assyria posed a great threat to Israel and Judah as well as the entire Near East.
Fact: Watchtowers
Watchtowers (32:14) sometimes served as signal beacons when an invading force was approaching. By lighting small fires at the tops of the towers, watchmen could signal other towns that danger was near.
Fact: “He who counted”
“He who counted” (33:18) refers to tax collectors. If people couldn’t pay their taxes, their property might be seized or they might become forced laborers. If the official failed to collect all the taxes due, he himself was punished.
Fact: To eat of your own vine and fig tree
To eat of your own vine and fig tree was a traditional blessing found in both the historical and prophetic books of Israel (36:16; 1 Kings 4:25). It was a reward for trusting in the Lord. On the other hand, to lose those precious resources was a sign of God’s disfavor (Jer. 5:17).
Afflictions of Assyria against Israel
The Neo-Assyrian period (935–609 B.C.) brought renewed threats from the Assyrians. God used the Assyrians to chasten wayward Israel. In Nah. 1:12 the Lord tells Judah that “Though I have afflicted you [through the Assyrians], I will afflict you no longer.”
| Assyrian Ruler | Reign | Affliction | Significance and Biblical References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shalmaneser III | 858–824 B.C. | Exacted tribute from “Jehu, son of Omri” according to the Black Obelisk | Defeated at Qarqar in 853 B.C. by a Syrian coalition that included “Ahab the Israelite” |
| Adad-nirari III | 811–783 | Exacted tribute from Jehoash of Israel | His attacks on Damascus enabled Jehoash to recover Israelite cities lost previously to Hazael (2 Kings 13:25) |
| Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) | 745–727 | Invaded the land and exacted tribute | To avoid deportation, Menahem paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III (Pul) (2 Kings 15:19–20); Pul deported the Transjordanian tribes (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chron. 5:26); Pul aided Ahaz of Judah against Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel (2 Kings 16:5–10; 2 Chron. 28:16–21) |
| Shalmaneser V | 727–722 | Exacted tribute from Hoshea of Israel; took the northern kingdom (Israel) into exile | Hoshea refused to pay tribute and sought Egypt for help, the Assyrians besieged Samaria (2 Kings 17:3–6; 18:9–12) |
| Sargon II | 722–705 | Took credit for the invasion and exile of the northern kingdom (Israel) that began under Shalmaneser V | Sargon II may be the unnamed king of Assyria in 2 Kings 17:6 |
| Sennacherib | 705–681 | Invaded Judah | Sennacherib besieged Lachish and forced tribute from Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13–16); he besieged Jerusalem and demanded Hezekiah’s surrender (2 Kings 18:17–19:9); the Lord delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:10–37). See also 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36–37 |
| Esarhaddon | 681–669 | Exacted tribute from Manasseh of Judah | Mentioned at 2 Kings 19:37 as successor to Sennacherib (see also Ezra 4:2) |
| Ashurbanipal | 669–627 | Exacted tribute | Increasing tensions from Babylonia required Assyria’s direct attention. The increased political freedom of the western city-states is reflected in the reforms instituted by Josiah |
Simplified Overview of Isaiah
| Isaiah 1–39 | Isaiah 40–55 | Isaiah 56–66 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Setting | The eighth century B.C. (700s); the Assyrian threat | Prophecies for the sixth century B.C. (500s); the Babylonian exile | Prophecies about all times and occasions until the end |
| Audience | God’s rebellious people craving worldly security | God’s defeated people under worldly domination | All who hold fast to God’s covenant |
| Actions | God purifies a remnant of his apostate people through judgment | God encourages his discouraged people in exile | God prepares all of his true people for his promised salvation |
| Message | “In returning and rest you shall be saved; . . . But you were unwilling” (30:15) | “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed” (40:5) | “Keep justice, and do righteousness” (56:1) |
Activity of the Writing Prophets during the Reigns of the Kings of Israel and Judah
| Timeline | King of Judah // Event | Prophet to Judah | Prophet to Israel | King of Israel // Event | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780 B.C. | Jeroboam II (781–753) | ||||||
| 770 | |||||||
| 760 | Uzziah | (c. 760) | (c. 760) | ||||
| (Azariah) | Amos | Jonah | |||||
| (767–740) | |||||||
| (c. 755) | |||||||
| Hosea | Zechariah (753–752) | ||||||
| Shallum (752) | |||||||
| 750 | Jotham | Menahem (752–742) | |||||
| (750–735) | Micah (c. 742) | Isaiah (c. 740) | Pekahiah (742–740) | ||||
| 740 | Pekah (740–732) | ||||||
| Ahaz (735–715) | Hoshea (732–722) | ||||||
| 730 | |||||||
| 720 | Fall of Samaria (722) | ||||||
| 710 | Hezekiah (715–686) | ||||||
| 700 | |||||||
| 680 | Manasseh (686–642) | Nahum (c. 660–630) | |||||
| 660 | Amon (642–640) | ||||||
| 640 | Josiah (640–609) | Zephaniah (c. 640–609) | |||||
| Habakkuk (c. 640–609) | |||||||
| 620 | (c. 627) | ||||||
| 600 | Jeremiah | ||||||
| Jehoahaz (609) | |||||||
| Jehoiakim (609–597) | (c. 605) | ||||||
| Jehoiachin (597) | Daniel | ||||||
| Zedekiah (597–586) | (c. 597) | ||||||
| Ezekiel | |||||||
| Fall of Jerusalem (586) | Obadiah | ||||||
| (after 586) | |||||||
| 580 | |||||||
| 560 | |||||||
| 540 | |||||||
| 520 | 1st return of exiles (538) | Haggai (c. 520) | |||||
| Temple rebuilt (516/515) | Zechariah (c. 520) | ||||||
| 500 | |||||||
| 480 | |||||||
| 460 | 2nd return of exiles (458) | Malachi (c. 460) | |||||
| 440 | 3rd return of exiles (445) |
- Major prophets
- Minor prophets
Joel is not displayed as the dates are uncertain and estimates range from the 9th to the 4th centuries B.C.
Micah’s prophecy was likely directed toward both Judah and Israel.
The LORD of Hosts: Frequency and Use in the OT
Why does the title “LORD of hosts” appear more frequently in Malachi than in any other OT book, and in the time of prophetic books more than during other time periods? In the period of Isaiah, the northern kingdom was overrun and destroyed and the southern kingdom almost destroyed by the “hosts” (armies) of Assyria. God’s people had so few troops that the Assyrian King Sennacherib could mockingly challenge King Hezekiah with the offer of a gift of 2,000 horses if Hezekiah could find enough soldiers to ride them (Isa. 36:8). Similarly, in the period of Jeremiah, the southern kingdom was wiped out by the hosts (armies) of Babylon.
In the postexilic period of Malachi, the postage-stamp-sized Judah, as a tiny province within the vast Persian Empire, had no army of its own. It is precisely in such times, when God’s people are painfully aware of how limited their own resources are, that there is no greater comfort than the fact that the Lord has his invincible heavenly armies standing at the ready. It is like the comfort that Elisha prayed for his servant at Dothan when they were surrounded by the Syrian armies: “‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). Perhaps it is like the comfort felt by Jesus before the cross: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53).
The following chart shows the percentages of verses in a book containing at least one occurrence of the phrase, “LORD of hosts” (or related variation):
| Malachi | (43.6%) |
| Haggai | (31.6%) |
| Zechariah | (21.8%) |
| Amos | (6.1%) |
| Jeremiah | (5.9%) |
| Isaiah | (4.7%) |
| Nahum | (4.3%) |
| Zephaniah | (3.8%) |
| Habakkuk | (1.8%) |
| Micah | (1.0%) |
| 2 Samuel | (0.9%) |
| Psalms | (0.7%) |
| 1 Samuel | (0.6%) |
| Hosea | (0.5%) |
| 1 Kings | (0.4%) |
| 1 Chronicles | (0.3%) |
| 2 Kings | (0.3%) |
Isa. 32:1 Behold, a king will reign. Isaiah foresees the triumph of the Messiah (see 7:14; 9:2–7; 11:1–10).
Isa. 32:3–4 Not only will a perfect king reign in righteousness, but his subjects will be perfected in their ability to respond to him (see 29:24).
Isa. 32:8 Isaiah foresees a kingdom of true human decency, by the grace of God.
Isa. 32:10 The Assyrian invasion of 701 B.C. (see ch. 36) is little more than a year away, but the people are too careless to see it coming.
Isa. 32:11–12 A call to serious repentance.
Isa. 32:13 all the joyous houses in the exultant city. This is a false, escapist joy (see 24:7–11).
Fact: Watchtowers
Watchtowers (32:14) sometimes served as signal beacons when an invading force was approaching. By lighting small fires at the tops of the towers, watchmen could signal other towns that danger was near.
Isa. 32:15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high. Salvation is beyond all human capability. The One who is spirit (31:3) not only defends his people but also enriches them with new life: the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, reversing the disasters of 32:14.
Isa. 32:19–20 Isaiah concludes the vision of messianic glory with two metaphors: the destruction of Assyria and the humbling of Jerusalem in the short term (v. 19), and the undisturbed peace of the Messiah’s kingdom in the long term (v. 20). See 30:23–26.
Isa. 33:2 This verse expresses the trust in God that Isaiah is calling for.
Isa. 33:3–4 when you. That is, God. your spoil. That is, the goods taken after the defeat of the “destroyer” nations; they are collected by God’s people, who benefit from his final victory (see Ex. 3:21–22; Isa. 9:3; 11:14; 33:23).
Isa. 33:5–6 stability. This confidence lies at the heart of Isaiah’s message. Zion’s treasure, unlike the treasures that were taken by enemies (v. 4), is an endless resource (see Ps. 31:19).
Isa. 33:10 Now . . . now . . . now. God has waited, seemingly inactive. Now that his people respond to his grace (v. 2), his kingdom comes.
Isa. 33:11–12 God dooms Assyria’s plan against Judah, repeating the prophecy of v. 1.
Isa. 33:13–14 You who are far off are the godless, and you who are near are sinners in Zion. God’s people, though called to share his holiness, must admit their own unholiness (see 6:1–7).
Isa. 33:15 Isaiah emphasizes the transforming power of God’s grace.
Isa. 33:16 To dwell on the heights is to be near God (v. 5).
Isa. 33:17 the king in his beauty. See vv. 21–22.
Fact: “He who counted”
“He who counted” (33:18) refers to tax collectors. If people couldn’t pay their taxes, their property might be seized or they might become forced laborers. If the official failed to collect all the taxes due, he himself was punished.
Isa. 33:20 God’s people are secured forever in their perfect home, reversing the distress of vv. 7–9 (see 4:5; 32:17–18).
Isa. 33:21 broad rivers and streams. Abundant provision (see 41:18). where no galley with oars can go. No attack is possible by sea, matching the secure land in 33:17.
Isa. 33:22 the LORD . . . the LORD . . . the LORD . . . he. The redeemed finally attribute all of their happiness to their all-sufficient Lord alone.
Isa. 33:23–24 Currently God’s people are like a drifting ship. But then, even the lame will take the prey (even the weak will become successful hunters). God’s sin-sick people will be forgiven their iniquity (see 53:4–6).
Isa. 34:1 Draw near, O nations. God summons the whole world to judgment at the end of history.
Isa. 34:2 the LORD is enraged. The Hebrew could be translated, “The LORD has rage.” Thus, four times in ch. 34 Isaiah says, “The LORD has . . .”: The Lord has rage (v. 2), a sword (v. 6), a sacrifice (v. 6), and a day of vengeance (v. 8) as his resources for judgment. devoted them to destruction. See note on Deut. 20:16–18.
Isa. 34:5–7 Edom represents “all the nations” (v. 2) under God’s judgment (see 63:1; Ezekiel 35). sacrifice . . . great slaughter. The world becomes a bloody altar as God requires payment for sin. Bozrah. The capital city of Edom (see Jer. 49:22).
Isa. 34:11 confusion . . . emptiness. These words first appear in Gen. 1:2 (“without form”; “void”), describing the world before God ordered it and filled it with life.
Isa. 34:13 Thorns . . . nettles and thistles recalls the curse of Gen. 3:17–18.
Isa. 34:16 the book of the LORD. His decrees—in this case, as revealed by Isaiah (see Ps. 139:16; Rev. 20:12).
Isa. 34:1–17 God’s word to all who oppose him: everlasting wrath is coming.
Isa. 35:1–2 be glad . . . rejoice . . . rejoice with joy and singing. The tone of ch. 35 is established by these verbs and their echoes in v. 10. (See note on 34:1–35:10.) God’s people once made their exodus through a desert (Ex. 15:22; Deut. 1:19), but their final homecoming is through a blooming landscape exploding with joy. The curse of Gen. 3:17–19 will be reversed (see Rom. 8:20–21).
Isa. 35:3–4 Behold, your God will come. Perseverance is possible because of God’s commitment to his people (“your God”) and the trustworthiness of his promise (“will come”).
Isa. 35:5–7 Then . . . then. The prophet points to the promised future, which began with the first coming of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:16–21; 7:18–23) and will be fully completed at his second coming (Rev. 21:4; 22:1–5). the eyes of the blind shall be opened. The salvation that God will provide includes both spiritual well-being and physical wholeness. This was demonstrated repeatedly in Jesus’ own ministry and it will be fully realized in the resurrection bodies of God’s people when Christ returns.
Isa. 28:1–35:10 God’s Sovereign Word Spoken into the World: “Ah!” God controls history (chs. 28–33), moving events toward final judgment and salvation (chs. 34–35). He is the powerful ally of his people, greater than all earthly powers. “Ah!” indicates God is taking action. To trust in him is always the wisest policy.
Isa. 34:1–35:10 These chapters describe God’s final judgment of the world (ch. 34) and vindication of his people (ch. 35), with their everlasting happiness.
Isa. 35:8–10 a highway. In an environment of joyful abundance, God’s people are led to Zion, singing their way into their eternal home (see 33:8; 34:10).
Isa. 36:2 Rabshakeh is the title of a high-ranking Assyrian military officer (see ESV footnote).
Isa. 36:4 Thus says the great king. The Rabshakeh pronounces a royal decree, amplified in vv. 13–14, 16. It is answered by a higher royal decree in 37:6, 21–22, and 33. On what do you rest this trust of yours? The word “trust” appears seven times in the Hebrew text of this paragraph (36:4, 5, 6, 7, 9). At the heart of Isaiah’s message is a call to God’s people to trust his promises during difficulties.
Isa. 36:7 Because the Rabshakeh does not understand that the God of Israel is different from the gods of the pagan high places and altars, he assumes that Hezekiah’s destruction of those altars was offensive to the Lord (see 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chron. 31:1).
The LORD of Hosts: Frequency and Use in the OT
Why does the title “LORD of hosts” appear more frequently in Malachi than in any other OT book, and in the time of prophetic books more than during other time periods? In the period of Isaiah, the northern kingdom was overrun and destroyed and the southern kingdom almost destroyed by the “hosts” (armies) of Assyria. God’s people had so few troops that the Assyrian King Sennacherib could mockingly challenge King Hezekiah with the offer of a gift of 2,000 horses if Hezekiah could find enough soldiers to ride them (Isa. 36:8). Similarly, in the period of Jeremiah, the southern kingdom was wiped out by the hosts (armies) of Babylon.
In the postexilic period of Malachi, the postage-stamp-sized Judah, as a tiny province within the vast Persian Empire, had no army of its own. It is precisely in such times, when God’s people are painfully aware of how limited their own resources are, that there is no greater comfort than the fact that the Lord has his invincible heavenly armies standing at the ready. It is like the comfort that Elisha prayed for his servant at Dothan when they were surrounded by the Syrian armies: “‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). Perhaps it is like the comfort felt by Jesus before the cross: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53).
The following chart shows the percentages of verses in a book containing at least one occurrence of the phrase, “LORD of hosts” (or related variation):
| Malachi | (43.6%) |
| Haggai | (31.6%) |
| Zechariah | (21.8%) |
| Amos | (6.1%) |
| Jeremiah | (5.9%) |
| Isaiah | (4.7%) |
| Nahum | (4.3%) |
| Zephaniah | (3.8%) |
| Habakkuk | (1.8%) |
| Micah | (1.0%) |
| 2 Samuel | (0.9%) |
| Psalms | (0.7%) |
| 1 Samuel | (0.6%) |
| Hosea | (0.5%) |
| 1 Kings | (0.4%) |
| 1 Chronicles | (0.3%) |
| 2 Kings | (0.3%) |
Isa. 36:14 he will not be able to deliver you. “Deliver” is the key word in vv. 13–20, occurring seven times (vv. 14, 15, 18, 19, 20).
Isa. 36:15 The LORD will surely deliver us. Hezekiah had taken a public stand of confidence in God’s promises.
Fact: To eat of your own vine and fig tree
To eat of your own vine and fig tree was a traditional blessing found in both the historical and prophetic books of Israel (36:16; 1 Kings 4:25). It was a reward for trusting in the Lord. On the other hand, to lose those precious resources was a sign of God’s disfavor (Jer. 5:17).
Isa. 36:18–20 See 10:7–11. Who among all the gods . . . that the LORD should deliver? The Assyrian takes a fatal step, equating the Lord with the gods of this world.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Isaiah 32-36
Does judgment or salvation await you? In this section of Scripture, the scales tip favorably on the side of redemption and the beautiful gifts that await those who return to the Lord and trust in him. The Lord summons the rebellious, forgetful, and prideful Israelites repeatedly to come back to him and his ways.
We have a choice to make. We know the end of the story because we have the full revelation of Scripture right now. We, the ransomed, will join the Lord with singing and joy, no sorrow or sighing in sight. What a zap to the heart and what overwhelming quiet contentment this brings to me. Isaiah's descriptions of what lies ahead propel me to choose God and the merciful, compassionate salvation he offers. Here we also see a picture of what awaits those who don't choose him—the judgment that will come.
See the differences:
Judgment: the destroyer and traitor is destroyed and betrayed, trembling seizes the godless (Isaiah 33), a day of vengeance, streams turned to pitch, burning sulfur, unquenched burning of the land, smoke rising forever, desolation, isolation, chaos, thorns, nettles, brambles (Isaiah 34).
Salvation: quiet resting places (Isaiah 32), land filled with justice, HE will be the stability of our times, an untroubled habitation, sins forgiven (Isaiah 33), wilderness rejoicing, feeble knees strengthened, fearful hearts strengthened, blind eyes opened, deaf ears unstopped, the lame leaping, the Way of Holiness leading us to see the glory of the Lord and the splendor of our God (Isaiah 35).
In Isaiah 32:17, God's salvation and his righteousness in us lead to peace, quietness, and trust. Good King Hezekiah, whom Isaiah is writing about, reminds the Israelites of this truth, while the messenger of the opposing King Sennacherib attempts to dissuade the Hebrew people by saying, "Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, 'The Lord will deliver us.'" (Isaiah 36:18, NIV)
Let us not be led astray by worldly messages. Continue to choose him and his salvation and preach it to others in your midst.
This month's memory verse
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
– Isaiah 53:5-6
Discussion Questions
1. Does judgment or salvation await you? This is not a rhetorical question. Can you answer with certainty? Remember, Ephesians 2:8-9 is your way to assurance in the Lord!
2. Where does your assurance lie? Have you taken stock of your life to see where you might be replacing God with idols? Isaiah 36:4 asks, "On what do you rest this trust of yours?"
3. How do you remind yourself that you are the Lord's and he is yours? How would the world see this played out in your life?
4. The Way of Holiness is exactly that. We are constantly being refined and sanctified as we are on our way with him guiding us. In what areas should you ask the Lord to help you be more holy? Confess that to believers in your midst. Romans 12 is a good place to start as a barometer for holiness.