ISAIAH
CHAPTER 3-4:1
OBSERVATION
STAGE
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.
.This
limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Isaiah. This
will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
Immediately
below is an excerpt that reviews the context of the previous chapter 2
which continues into chapter 3
Or
skip to the beginning of chapter 3: 
*************
EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 2 ************
(2:10-22)
THE TIMEFRAME OF THE LAST SECTION OF CHAPTER 2 IS THE DAY OF THE LORD -
A TECHNICAL TERM SIGNIFYING THE TIME WHEN THE LORD'S ETERNAL KINGDOM
WILL COME TO THE EARTH BRINGING HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE TO ALL THE
PEOPLES OF THE WORLD THROUGH A FUTURE GENERATION OF HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE,
ISRAEL. AT THIS TIME THE LORD ALONE WILL BE EXALTED. THE SECTION BEGINS
WITH A DECLARATION OF THE LORD'S JUDGMENT OF MANKIND'S HAUGHTINESS AND
LOFTINESS. ISAIAH DECLARED THAT ALL MANKIND WOULD BE HUMBLED, FROM THE
COMMON MAN TO THE GREATEST; FOR ALL THE UNFAITHFUL WILL ULTIMATELY BE
REJECTED BY THE LORD. THE ISRAELITES OF THAT TIME WILL TRY TO HIDE IN
THE ROCKS AND CAVES, IN TERROR OF THE LORD - OF THE GLORY OF HIS MAJESTY
WHEN HE COMES. THEY WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN IN THAT DAY. THE BABYLONIAN
CONQUEST IS NOT IN VIEW. THE DAY OF THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL COME UPON
EVERYTHING - UPON THE CEDARS OF LEBANON, THE HIGH MOUNTAINS AND HILLS
THAT WERE WORSHIPPED AS IDOLS; THE HIGH TOWERS AND FORTIFIED WALLS WHICH
WERE DEPENDED UPON INSTEAD OF THE LORD; THE RICHLY LADEN SHIPS OF
TARSHISH WHICH WERE TREASURED; THE PICTURES OF IDOLS WHICH WERE COVETED.
ON THAT DAY, ALL HAUGHTINESS AND LOFTINESS WILL BE BOWED DOWN BEFORE
JEHOVAH, WHO ALONE WILL BE SET ON HIGH. IDOLS WILL PASS COMPLETELY AWAY.
THE UNFAITHFUL IDOL WORSHIPPERS WILL SEEK HOLES IN THE ROCKS, AND CAVES
IN THE EARTH FROM THE TERROR OF THE LORD AND THE GLORY OF HIS MAJESTY
WHEN HE ARISES TO SHAKE THE EARTH MIGHTILY. EACH ONE WILL CAST AWAY HIS
IDOLS OF SILVER AND GOLD, MADE BY THEIR OWN HANDS, TO THE DUNG BEETLES
AND BATS UNDERGROUND. ISAIAH THEN ADDRESSES ALL THOSE WHO MIGHT LEND AN
EAR TO THE WISDOM OF THE LORD: THEY ARE TO SEVER THEMSELVES FROM IDOL
WORSHIPPERS FOR THE LATTER COMPRISE MEN WHOSE LIVES ARE TEMPORAL, NOT
ETERNAL; AND WHOSE WISDOM IS OF NO ACCOUNT COMPARED TO THAT OF THE LORD
*************
END OF EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 2 ************
I)
[Isa 3:1-4:1]:
A)
(3:1-12) ISAIAH CHAPTER 3 CONTINUES THE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE DAY
OF THE LORD'S COMING INTO THE WORLD, BUT WITH A FOCUS UPON JERUSALEM AND
JUDAH. IN THAT DAY, THE LORD WILL HAVE TAKEN AWAY FOOD, WATER AND
INDIVIDUALS WHICH THAT GENERATION OF THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH
DEPENDED UPON FOR LEADERSHIP. THIS WOULD LEAVE THEM IN A POSITION OF
FUTILITY: RAMPANT OPPRESSION, CHILDREN INSOLENT TOWARD THEIR ELDERS, THE
VILE IMPUDENT TOWARD THE HONORABLE. FOR JERUSALEM HAD STUMBLED, JUDAH
HAD FALLEN - THEIR TONGUE AND DEEDS WERE AGAINST THE LORD - WHICH THEY
DID OPENLY BEFORE HIM. THEY WERE AS EVIL AS SODOM. THE RIGHTEOUS WILL
RECEIVE THE FRUIT OF THEIR GOOD WORKS, BUT WOE TO THE WICKED. THEY WILL
HAVE DONE TO THEM WHAT THEY HAD DONE TO OTHERS. CHILDREN WOULD BE THEIR
OPPRESSORS; AND WOMEN THEIR RULERS
1)
[Isa 4:2-6]:
B)
(3:13-15) ISAIAH CHAPTER 3 CONTINUES THE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE DAY
OF THE LORD'S COMING INTO THE WORLD TO ESTABLISH HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM
RULE BUT WITH A FOCUS UPON JERUSALEM AND JUDAH. THE LORD MADE A PLEA TO
THAT FUTURE GENERATION OF HIS PEOPLE THAT THEY WOULD BE UNDER HIS
JUDGMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD FALLEN. THEY HAD OPENLY PROVOKED THE LORD WITH
THEIR TONGUE AND DEEDS - THEY HAD SINNED AS SODOM HAD - ESPECIALLY THE
RULERS FOR THEY OPPRESSED THEIR OWN PEOPLE MERCILESSLY - THEY TOOK FROM
THE POOR WHAT LITTLE THEY HAD, GRINDING THEM IN THE FACE WITH THEIR
ABUSE
C)
(3:16-4:1) ISAIAH CHAPTER 3 CONTINUES THE CONTEXT OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE
DAY OF THE LORD'S COMING INTO THE WORLD TO ESTABLISH HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM
RULE BUT WITH A FOCUS UPON JERUSALEM AND THAT FUTURE GENERATION OF
JUDAH. ISAIAH SINGLED OUT THE HAUGHTY BEHAVIOR OF THE WOMEN OF ISRAEL OF
THAT TIME AS A REFLECTION OF HOW ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD WOULD HAVE
CONDUCTED THEMSELVES. THE WOMEN WOULD BE ARROGANT, DECEPTIVE AND WANTON.
THEREFORE, THE LORD WOULD STRIKE THE CROWN OF THEIR HEADS WITH SCABS;
THEIR SINFUL SECRETS WOULD BE EXPOSED; THEIR LUXURIOUS CLOTHING AND
ACCESSORIES TAKEN AWAY. AND IN PLACE OF A SWEET SMELL - A STENCH; OF A
SASH - A ROPE; OF WELL-SET HAIR - BALDNESS; OF A RICH ROBE - SACKCLOTH;
OF BEAUTY - BRANDING MARKS. THEIR MEN WOULD FALL BY THE SWORD; THE GATES
OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WOULD BE A PLACE OF LAMENTING AND MOURNING. AND
IN THAT DAY, FOR THE LACK OF MEN, SEVEN WOMEN WOULD DESPERATELY AND
SHAMELESSLY COMPETE TO BE THE WIFE OF ONE MAN
CONTINUE
TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 4
