Judgment on Jerusalem
Study note
Ariel is a poetic name for Jerusalem, likely meaning 'altar hearth of God,' since it was the city where sacrifices were offered on the temple altar. God warns that despite their religious festivals, he will bring the city under siege. Jerusalem will be brought so low that its voice will be like a whisper from the dust. But then, suddenly, its enemies will vanish like dust in the wind, like a hungry person who dreams of eating but wakes up still hungry.
1 How awful for you, Ariel — Ariel, the city where David lived! Keep going through your yearly celebrations. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
2 But I am going to bring trouble on Ariel. There will be grief and mourning, and the city will become like a blazing altar hearth to me. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
3 I will set up camp around you and surround you. I will build siege works against you and pile up ramps around you. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
4 You will be brought so low that your words will come from the ground. Your voice will rise softly from the dust. You will sound like a ghost whispering from under the earth. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
5 But then, in an instant, the army of your enemies will become as fine as dust, and the cruel attackers will vanish like chaff blowing away. It will happen in the blink of an eye. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
6 The Lord who rules over all will strike them with thunder, earthquakes, deafening noise, whirlwinds, storms, and sheets of burning fire. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
7 Then all the nations that attack Ariel will vanish like a dream in the night. Every army that surrounds her walls and brings her low will disappear. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
8 It will be like a hungry person who dreams of eating a big meal but wakes up still hungry. Or like a thirsty person who dreams of drinking cool water but wakes up still thirsty and weak. That is what will happen to every nation that fights against Mount Zion. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
Spiritual Blindness
Study note
The people are spiritually blind and deaf. God has poured a deep sleep over the prophets and seers. His message has become like a sealed book that no one can read, whether educated or not. The people worship God with their words but not with their hearts. Their religion is just following rules taught by people, not truly knowing God. Because of this, God will do an amazing and surprising work among them.
9 Go ahead and be shocked. Be amazed if you want! Make yourselves blind! They act drunk, but not from wine. They stumble around, but not from alcohol. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 The Lord has poured a deep sleep over you. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and pulled a blanket over the heads of your seers. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11 This entire vision has become like a scroll that is sealed shut. If you hand it to someone who can read and ask, 'Please read this,' they say, 'I cannot — it is sealed.' And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And if you hand it to someone who cannot read and say, 'Please read this,' they say, 'I do not know how to read.' And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 The Lord says, 'These people talk about being close to me and honor me with their words, but their hearts are far, far away from me. The way they worship me is nothing but a set of rules that people taught them.' Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 So watch! I am going to do something truly amazing among these people. The wisdom of the so-called wise will fade away. The cleverness of the so-called clever will vanish. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
The Potter and the Clay
Study note
Isaiah scolds those who try to hide their plans from God, as if he cannot see what they do in the dark. They have turned everything upside down. Isaiah uses the image of a potter and clay to show how foolish it is for a created thing to deny its creator or to claim the creator has no understanding.
15 How awful for those who work so hard to hide what they are truly doing from the Lord! They do everything in the dark and tell themselves, 'Nobody sees us. Nobody will know.' Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16 You have everything backwards! Can the clay pot tell the potter, 'You did not make me'? Can something that was created say about its creator, 'He does not understand anything'? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Hope for the Future
Study note
Despite the current spiritual darkness, a day is coming when everything will be transformed. The deaf will hear the words of Scripture, and the blind will see clearly. The humble will find joy in the Lord, and the poor will celebrate. Tyrants will be destroyed, and those who twist justice will be removed. The descendants of Jacob will honor God's name and stand in awe of the God of Israel.
17 In a very short time, Lebanon will become a lush garden, and the garden will seem like a dense forest. Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18 When that day comes, deaf people will hear the words read from a scroll, and blind people will see right through the darkness and gloom. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 Humble people will find more and more joy in the Lord. The poorest of the poor will celebrate because of the Holy One of Israel. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 The bullies will be gone, the mockers will vanish, and anyone who spends their time planning evil will be wiped out. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
21 I am talking about those who use lies to accuse innocent people. They set traps for anyone who tries to stand up for justice at the city gate. They twist the truth to cheat honest people out of their rights. That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
22 So here is what the Lord says about the family of Jacob, the same God who rescued Abraham: 'Jacob will no longer be ashamed. His face will no longer turn white with fear.' Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
23 When his descendants see all the children around them — children my hands have created — they will honor my name. They will treat the Holy One of Jacob with deep respect and stand in awe of the God of Israel. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
24 People whose minds were confused will gain clear understanding, and people who always complained will be glad to learn. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.