Rsbc 3/12/00
Sunday Night
The Book of Isaiah
Subject‑ “ The Burden’s Carried By Men of God”
Text‑ Isaiah 15‑1‑9
Intro‑ The word burden means¼ “ It is a load carried” that which the soul must carry, it carries the idea of lifting it up and going with it.The study of the Book of Isaiah is an eye opener to say the least.
The chapters that are before begin with the phrase..
Chapter 17 ¼ “ The burden of Damascus”
Chapter 19 ¼ “ The burden of Egypt”
Chapter 21 ¼ “ The burden of the desert of the sea”
Chapter 22 ¼ “ The burden of the valley of decesions”
Chapter 23 ¼ “ The burden of Tyre”
All this is placed upon the Prophet Isaiah and believe when the bible put’s such emphasis on the word burden it really means that hehad a burden to bear by himself. Ofter only God knows the heart of a pastor, not even his wife can help him, the task that is set before him is often grevious to bear.
I¼ “THE CITIES HE IS CALLED UPON TO PROPHESY AGAINST..VS 1
The city of “AR” is the city where the giants lived, it was the city that God had given to Lots children..
Deuteronomy 2:9 And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession. (KJV)
The city of Kir to the best of my knowledge was one of the walled cities in Mesopotamia and
she also held some of the people of God in her walled fortress.
Page # 2
2 Kings 16:9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin. (KJV)
Not much is said about these cities after the Lord destroy’s them. The judgement of God upon them as we will see was very fierce. It reminds me ever time I read of such devastation that God when provoked is unmerciful and rigtfully so.
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (KJV)
II.. “ THE PROPHECY ITSELF”¼VS 2‑9
1st. .. They call unto their gods to know avail¼vs 2‑4
Isaiah 16:12 And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail. (KJV)
The false gods of this world will not help someone when it comes time to face the wrath of God, the troubles of this world. A heathen who does not know Christ will soon find out the futility of their religious activity¼
Note What David said about these people..
Psalm 115‑3‑8
Look at the intense emotion of these people as they appeal to their gods in the high places, it does not help.
They shave their heads and beards¼vs 2
They set in sackcloth..vs 3
They weep¼vs 3‑4
Their soldiers helpless..vs 4
Their watering holes dried up..vs 6
They have no hay for their aninamls ..vs 6‑7
The abundance of their wealth gone..vs 8‑9
Page # 3
III¼. “THE BURDEN OF THE PROPHET”..VS 5
1st. That any man who says that God has called him to a task in the ministry should have a spirit in him like this¼vs 5
Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres. (KJV)
What this is saying to me, that even though he knew this was of God, and even though he believed they may deserve this, it was his human compassion that was standing out above his duty.
The Lord Jesus was that very way¼ Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (KJV)
The passion of the Lords soul is seen in the expression “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem.... what an exclamation of his passion. No man preaching to a church to a city of lost people can rightly do so without some passion and compassion on those he is preaching to this is what Isaiah did, and this is what the Lord Jesus Christ did.
2nd. They burden of this task is escalated by the intensity of the message..
Note the intense manner in which Isaiah preached this prophecy, “My heart shall cry out” preaching is a passion and God gives it. Another way to put it is, he felt what he preached, I do that ever time I preach.
Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (KJV)
He actually see’s the prophecy as though it was already done, we don’t do that in preaching today, but we see the end result of lives that do not serve God, sinners who refuse to believe the gospel, and they die without Christ in this life and spend eternity without the Lord.