Latest / Marriage Life and More and Bible Study / Isaiah 2:13-16 - What Happens When Pride Builds Towers - 292

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Isaiah 2:13-16 - What Happens When Pride Builds Towers - 292 · Marriage Life and More and Bible Study

• 0:04
  Daniel Moore: If bigger really meant better, Israel would have been untouchable.
• 0:09
  Daniel Moore: Taller trees, stronger walls, higher towers, faster ships.
• 0:13
  Daniel Moore: And yet Isaiah shows up with a message that basically says, none of that's going to save you.
• 0:19
  Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
• 0:21
  Daniel Moore: Today we're going to be in Isaiah chapter 2, verses 13 through 16, where God takes a hard look at human pride.
• 0:28
  Daniel Moore: And he isn't impressed.
• 0:29
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah rattles off a list of everything Israel trusted for security.
• 0:33
  Daniel Moore: In other words, power, protection, and prosperity.
• 0:42
  Daniel Moore: Does that sound familiar?
• 0:44
  Daniel Moore: Well, the problem wasn't that they had these things, the problem was they trusted these things.
• 0:49
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah reminds us that the day of the Lord exposes what we lean on instead of God.
• 0:55
  Daniel Moore: And if Israel can miss it with the prophet spelling it out, we might want to check our own tall trees and strongwalls today.
• 1:02
  Daniel Moore: So let's open up Isaiah 2 and talk about pride, misplaced trust, and why God still isn't impressed by things that look impressive to us.
• 1:11
  Daniel Moore: Let's get to it.
• 1:13
  Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
• 1:23
  Daniel Moore: This is a podcast about marriage, Bible, and book study, and we interview people that have a story.
• 1:27
  Daniel Moore: I'm Daniel Moore, your host.
• 1:29
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• 1:30
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• 1:34
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• 2:01
  Daniel Moore: Also, if you go to our website at connectingthegap.net, we have some resources there, some books that uh we've written here in the last year.
• 2:10
  Daniel Moore: You can check those out.
• 2:11
  Daniel Moore: Those are some books on marriage.
• 2:13
  Daniel Moore: And I will say, I'm gonna go ahead and probably let the cat out of the bag here.
• 2:17
  Daniel Moore: Eventually, sometime this year, I'm going to be releasing this Isaiah study as a book.
• 2:24
  Daniel Moore: So you can look forward to that.
• 2:26
  Daniel Moore: It's gonna be a little while before it's ready.
• 2:28
  Daniel Moore: It'll probably be in two different volumes as we're going through the whole chapter of Isaiah.
• 2:33
  Daniel Moore: So there's a lot there, but that's just something to look forward to here later this year coming from us here at Connecting the Gap.
• 2:40
  Daniel Moore: Well, this week, as I said, we are in uh Isaiah chapter two at this point.
• 2:46
  Daniel Moore: And last week we finished up to verse 12.
• 2:49
  Daniel Moore: So this week we're gonna be going into uh verses 13 through 16, and maybe a little further if we have time for that, but we seem to never have time for more than four verses, but we'll see what we can do here for this week.
• 3:03
  Daniel Moore: So get your Bibles out and turn to Isaiah chapter 2, and let's get back to our study here on connecting the gap.
• 3:11
  Daniel Moore: So to get started this week, we're gonna go ahead and read our text that we're going to be covering for this week.
• 3:26
  Daniel Moore: And because verse 12 technically starts the verses here that we're gonna be covering today, we're gonna go ahead and back up to verse 12 and read that one as we get into verses 13 through 16.
• 3:38
  Daniel Moore: And we are reading from the ESV version of the Bible.
• 3:42
  Daniel Moore: In Isaiah chapter 2, verse 12, it says, For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up, and it shall be brought low, against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of the Bishon, against all the lofty mountains, and against all the uplifted hills, against every tower and against every fortified wall, against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft.
• 4:12
  Daniel Moore: So last week, as we were finishing up the four verses that we covered in that episode, we talked a little bit about uh Israel and Judah at the time that they were really putting a lot of their trust into foreign nations, trusting in their wealth and in their armies.
• 4:33
  Daniel Moore: And he was, they were actually being likened with their self-reliance to arrogance.
• 4:39
  Daniel Moore: You know, God pretty much puts those two in the same category as it reflects a failure to trust in him alone.
• 4:46
  Daniel Moore: So here's these verses play out, um, starting with verse 12 last week.
• 4:51
  Daniel Moore: And as we go through this week, we're gonna be talking about a lot of things here that Judah was putting their trust in, and they were getting their eyes off the Savior, getting their eyes off the creator, our creator God, and they were putting their trust into all of these different things.
• 5:06
  Daniel Moore: So as we start off this week, we're gonna go ahead and start with verse 13.
• 5:10
  Daniel Moore: It says, Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of the Bishon.
• 5:18
  Daniel Moore: So here in this verse in chapter two, Isaiah begins listing symbols of human pride and grandeur that will be brought low in the day of the Lord.
• 5:30
  Daniel Moore: The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bishon are mentioned as representations of strength, beauty, and human exaltation.
• 5:37
  Daniel Moore: These types of trees that are mentioned here were renowned in the ancient Near East, cedars especially associated with majesty and durability, often used in building palaces and temples, even by Solomon in 1 Kings chapter 5, verse 6.
• 5:55
  Daniel Moore: I know there's lots of places that I visited.
• 5:58
  Daniel Moore: One time we was going down to Alabama to go to the beach, and there's a section of highway that we were driving down as we were on our way there, and down both sides of this highway, it was lined with cedar trees.
• 6:12
  Daniel Moore: And one thing that I noticed as we went through there, I told my wife, I'm like, this is so awesome because those trees were so tall, they were so straight, and they made a solid wall down both sides of the highway, which is quite a sight to see.
• 6:26
  Daniel Moore: And so as you look at those cedar trees, you know, they they really look like that they're so solid that nothing could destroy them.
• 6:35
  Daniel Moore: And they just look like a very strong wall of trees down both sides of the highway.
• 6:40
  Daniel Moore: Well, the cedars of Lebanon were enormous.
• 6:44
  Daniel Moore: They were majestic trees, known throughout the ancient Near East for their height, their strength, and their beauty.
• 6:50
  Daniel Moore: You know, I seen these trees and on my way down to Alabama and I thought, boy, those were big.
• 6:55
  Daniel Moore: But these trees that we're talking here about in Isaiah, they could grow up to 120 feet tall.
• 7:02
  Daniel Moore: That's approximately 36 meters, and span over eight feet in diameter or two and a half meters in diameter.
• 7:09
  Daniel Moore: Their straight trunks and durable wood made them especially valuable for construction and symbolic representation in biblical literature.
• 7:19
  Daniel Moore: In the Bible, the cedars of Lebanon are most often associated with strength, stability, majesty, and splendor.
• 7:27
  Daniel Moore: They were used for both literal and symbolic purposes.
• 7:31
  Daniel Moore: So let's take a look at this here.
• 7:34
  Daniel Moore: At some of the most notable uses of the Cedars of Lebanon was, as we've noted, in construction of sacred and royal buildings.
• 7:43
  Daniel Moore: This was probably one of the most known uses that this tree was used for.
• 7:48
  Daniel Moore: Some of those buildings were, for number one, Solomon's temple and palace.
• 7:52
  Daniel Moore: One of the most significant uses of cedar wood was in the building of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.
• 7:58
  Daniel Moore: According to 1 Kings 5, verses 6 through 10, and 2 Chronicles 2, verses 3 through 8, King Solomon formed an alliance with King Hiram of Tyre to obtain large quantities of cedar logs from Lebanon.
• 8:13
  Daniel Moore: These were used to line the temple walls, construct beams, and provide paneling due to their scent, resistance to rot, and high quality.
• 8:23
  Daniel Moore: Another notable place that cedars was used was in David's palace.
• 8:28
  Daniel Moore: Before Solomon, King David's royal house was also built using cedars from Lebanon.
• 8:34
  Daniel Moore: 2 Samuel 5, verse 11 records that King Hiram sent David's cedar logs along with craftsmen to build his palace.
• 8:43
  Daniel Moore: Now, as we look at these cedar logs, they are also used as symbols.
• 8:48
  Daniel Moore: Number one, they can be used as a symbol of strength or pride.
• 8:52
  Daniel Moore: That's what they were used as in the Bible in several places.
• 8:56
  Daniel Moore: Beyond the practical use that we just talked about by building palaces and temples, the cedars of Lebanon became a metaphor in the Bible.
• 9:04
  Daniel Moore: In Psalms and prophetic books like Ezekiel and Isaiah, these trees are compared to mighty nations or proud men.
• 9:12
  Daniel Moore: For example, Ezekiel 31.3 compares Assyria to a cedar of Lebanon, tall, strong, and exalted above the trees of the field.
• 9:21
  Daniel Moore: Also notably in the Bible, the symbol of righteousness is often referred to as the cedars of Lebanon.
• 9:28
  Daniel Moore: In Psalm 92.12, the righteous are told to flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon, symbolizing vitality, stability, and resilience.
• 9:40
  Daniel Moore: Because of the impressive size, the longevity, and the global demand for their wood, the cedars of Lebanon held a revered place in the ancient world.
• 9:52
  Daniel Moore: Biblically, they served both as vital materials in the construction of sacred places, and they were also symbols of strength and pride that, like human arrogance, would ultimately be humbled by God.
• 10:05
  Daniel Moore: As I think about these places that were built with cedar, I've been into homes before where they had like cedar closets.
• 10:12
  Daniel Moore: My daughter, at one point in time, her grandpa had a cedar chest built for her.
• 10:18
  Daniel Moore: If you ever are around that cedar, it has a distinct scent to it.
• 10:23
  Daniel Moore: A scent I really like smelling cedar.
• 10:26
  Daniel Moore: Although sometimes cedar can get a little strong.
• 10:29
  Daniel Moore: I've been in some places where there's been so much cedar in there that it started burning my nose after a while, but it does give it a nice scent and a kind of a clean scent, uh, when is kind of what comes to mind whenever I'm in the middle of something that's built with cedar.
• 10:45
  Daniel Moore: So symbolically, these trees represent not just physical beauty and strength, but also the pride and arrogance of the people who trusted in their own achievements and resources.
• 10:56
  Daniel Moore: Many commentators, including John Oswalt, note that these natural icons are metaphors for proud leaders, rulers, or nations who elevate themselves instead of submitting to God.
• 11:08
  Daniel Moore: The judgment imagery is rich.
• 11:11
  Daniel Moore: Even the most esteemed and enduring human accomplishments will be judged by the Lord when he displays his glory.
• 11:19
  Daniel Moore: So here in verse 13, we were continuing what was started in chapter 2, verse 12, where God was calling out a lot of these things of strength that Judah and Israel were looking to to be something that they put their trust in.
• 11:36
  Daniel Moore: God was informing them that this stuff is going to fall.
• 11:40
  Daniel Moore: It's temporary.
• 11:41
  Daniel Moore: You can sit there and worship it, or you can build all the strong things you want out of it and put all of your trust in it.
• 11:49
  Daniel Moore: But as far as eternity goes, that only comes from the Lord.
• 11:53
  Daniel Moore: So as we move on to verse 14, he continued, against all the lofty mountains and against all the uplifted hills.
• 12:02
  Daniel Moore: So as we continue here, Isaiah expands the imagery of judgment from the cedars and the oaks to the terrain.
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  Daniel Moore: High mountains and uplifted hills often symbolize strength, security, and sometimes places of pagan worship in the ancient world.
• 12:21
  Daniel Moore: And in the Bible, you'll hear those called high places.
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  Daniel Moore: These elevated places could also be metaphors for kingdoms, power structures, or even spiritual pride.
• 12:31
  Daniel Moore: Throughout the Old Testament, mountains are both sacred and strategic.
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  Daniel Moore: However, Isaiah portrays these as targets for divine judgment.
• 12:41
  Daniel Moore: The prophet here is declaring that even the natural or spiritual quote unquote heights that people revere or rely on are going to be humbled.
• 12:52
  Daniel Moore: The pulpit commentary suggests that this may also represent national pride, nations that see themselves as untouchable and powerful.
• 13:02
  Daniel Moore: When you think of a hill or a tall mountain, if you can reach to the top of that, it gives you a sense of security to think that I'm way up here, all the dangers are down below me, so I'm safe.
• 13:18
  Daniel Moore: If a flood comes through, they tell you get to the high points.
• 13:21
  Daniel Moore: You'll be saved if you get to those high areas, and the water can't reach you as long as it doesn't keep raining and get that deep.
• 13:29
  Daniel Moore: So here symbolically, Isaiah is using these to kind of be a metaphor for that type of thinking, in a way.
• 13:38
  Daniel Moore: These hills and these mountains, uh, Judah was looking at these as a place of security, and they were putting more of their security and their trust in those types of things again than they were in God.
• 13:51
  Daniel Moore: This verse here can contributes to the broader theme that everything man exalts, whether if it's natural, political, religious, or material, it's going to be leveled by the holiness and the supremacy of God.
• 14:06
  Daniel Moore: So no matter what the the Israelites or no matter what Judah would try to rise up before God and try to put into place of worship, it was all going to be humbled when God came into the picture and he was ready to judge all of that.
• 14:21
  Daniel Moore: In verse 15, this thought process continues.
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  Daniel Moore: It says, against every high tower and against every fortified wall.
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  Daniel Moore: So the focus here moves now from nature to military infrastructure.
• 14:37
  Daniel Moore: I mean, God, he wasn't pulling any punches.
• 14:40
  Daniel Moore: He's letting Judah know, I've I know what all you're doing in all the different areas of your life, and I'm going to call them all out.
• 14:46
  Daniel Moore: Well, the reason he was calling out tires and fortified walls here is they were key symbols of national defense and military pride in ancient cities.
• 14:56
  Daniel Moore: They stood for security, for autonomy, and a resistance to external threat.
• 15:02
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah says that even these structures will fall under God's judgment.
• 15:07
  Daniel Moore: Judah, like many nations, had come to trust in its fortresses instead of its redeemer.
• 15:12
  Daniel Moore: And if you look on further into Isaiah in chapter 22, verses 8 through 11, it speaks a little bit about that there as well.
• 15:20
  Daniel Moore: We'll get there eventually as we go further into this study.
• 15:24
  Daniel Moore: Their attempts to secure themselves through earthly means instead of by trusting in God were both senseless and offensive to their covenantal relationship with Him.
• 15:35
  Daniel Moore: It's easy for us, especially living in the in the United States, to look at our military and our military might and put all of our trust in that.
• 15:47
  Daniel Moore: Because when we have good leadership in our country, which seems to be every other four years, it seems like, uh, we can actually have a strong military that goes in and does things and takes care of business.
• 16:00
  Daniel Moore: And the more that we see battles won, the more that we see our military be successful in the things that they do and the offenses that they run, the little wars that take place, the more secure we feel.
• 16:15
  Daniel Moore: And it's real easy at that point to put our security in something like that.
• 16:19
  Daniel Moore: But we always have to remember that just because we have a strong military doesn't mean the mistakes can't be made, or it doesn't mean that there is something out there that's stronger, and it could take that down.
• 16:30
  Daniel Moore: So, in essence, when it comes down to it, we can only say that as Christians, we have to actually keep our security and our reliance in God.
• 16:39
  Daniel Moore: And that's pretty much what Isaiah was saying here is he was talking to Judah.
• 16:44
  Daniel Moore: So during the time of Isaiah, the fortified walls of cities like Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah were substantial structures designed for defense against invading armies.
• 16:55
  Daniel Moore: And this would have been taken place about the 8th century BC.
• 16:59
  Daniel Moore: While exact dimensions varied depending on the city and the period, archaeological evidence gives us a good idea of their typical size and construction.
• 17:09
  Daniel Moore: When we're looking at the city walls, we have to look at the height.
• 17:14
  Daniel Moore: During this period, the height of these walls were often between 20 to 30 feet or 6 to 9 meters tall.
• 17:21
  Daniel Moore: In some cases, especially in the major cities like Jerusalem or Lakeish, they could be even tall.
• 17:28
  Daniel Moore: These walls were also thick.
• 17:31
  Daniel Moore: The thickness of these walls could range from 5 to 15 feet, or 1.5 to 4.5 meters.
• 17:38
  Daniel Moore: In key areas such as city gates or vulnerable points, the walls were sometimes reinforced and made even thicker.
• 17:46
  Daniel Moore: The construction of these walls was phenomenal.
• 17:50
  Daniel Moore: These walls are typically built using large stone blocks with an inner core of rubble and smaller stones.
• 17:57
  Daniel Moore: Some sections included casemate walls or double walls with chambers in between that could be used for storage, housing, or reinforcement during sieges.
• 18:07
  Daniel Moore: And in the scripture, towers were called out.
• 18:11
  Daniel Moore: Towers were integrated into these walls at regular intervals, especially near gates and corners.
• 18:17
  Daniel Moore: These towers provided elevated positions for archers and lookouts and often added strength to the wall's structure.
• 18:26
  Daniel Moore: Look at the gates of these cities.
• 18:29
  Daniel Moore: The city gates were the most vulnerable parts of the wall, but they were heavily fortified with multiple chambers, guard rooms, and sometimes double gates.
• 18:37
  Daniel Moore: Archaeological excavations at sites like Lakeish and Jerusalem have uncovered remains of such walls, confirming their massive scale and strategic design.
• 18:47
  Daniel Moore: These fortifications were impressive engineering feats for their time.
• 18:52
  Daniel Moore: But as Isaiah and other prophets emphasized, Judah's reliance on them rather than on God was spiritually misguided.
• 19:00
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah here in verse 15 of chapter 2, he refers to every high tower and every fortified wall as part of a larger poetic list describing the pride and self-reliance of Judah and the things that will be brought low on the day of the Lord.
• 19:17
  Daniel Moore: Again, here during the time of Isaiah, the kingdom of Judah relied heavily on physical defenses like these towers and these walls to protect against invading armies, particularly from powerful empires like Assyria.
• 19:30
  Daniel Moore: Towers were typically built along city walls and at strategic points to serve as lookout posts and strongholds.
• 19:37
  Daniel Moore: They provided elevated positions from which defenders could observe enemy movements and launch arrows or other projectiles.
• 19:45
  Daniel Moore: Fortified walls surrounded cities like Jerusalem, offering protection against siege warfare.
• 19:50
  Daniel Moore: These walls, as we just talked about, were very thick.
• 19:53
  Daniel Moore: They were made of stone, and they had gates that could be securely closed during attacks.
• 19:59
  Daniel Moore: However, here in Isaiah two, these physical defenses are mentioned not to highlight their strength, but to critique Judah's misplaced trust and human made security rather than in God.
• 20:11
  Daniel Moore: The prophet Isaiah warns that all human pride and reliance on earthly power, including military and architectural achievements, is going to be humbled before the Lord.
• 20:22
  Daniel Moore: The towers and walls symbolize Judah's self-sufficiency and false sense of security, which God promises to bring low in the coming judgment.
• 20:32
  Daniel Moore: So while tires and walls were practical tools for defense, Isaiah uses them symbolically to show how Judah had turned to human strength instead of trusting in God.
• 20:42
  Daniel Moore: So this passage calls the people to recognize God's supremacy and abandon their pride.
• 20:49
  Daniel Moore: As we read the dimensions of those walls, the vast size that they are, the towers, the gates, I can get a very good visual of what that probably looked like.
• 21:03
  Daniel Moore: And I can also get kind of an understanding why Judah would be, you know, feeling so secure with those things around them.
• 21:10
  Daniel Moore: It almost seems like nothing could probably break through those at all.
• 21:14
  Daniel Moore: But when it comes to what God wants to accomplish, when it comes to what God wants us to do in our lives, when we build those walls between us and him, he wants us to break those down.
• 21:26
  Daniel Moore: And if we don't break them down, we know that God can put us in positions where he will make sure those walls get broken down.
• 21:34
  Daniel Moore: So here, commentary from Gary Smith on this scripture emphasizes that Isaiah is critiquing an entire world view that substitutes God's protection with human ingenuity and military strength.
• 21:47
  Daniel Moore: The result is judgment on what mankind sees as unshakable sources of safety.
• 21:53
  Daniel Moore: So to move on here to verse 16 for this week, it continues with this this judgmental talk that has been going on from God to Isaiah to Judah.
• 22:06
  Daniel Moore: Next, he's going at war against all the ships of Tarshish and against all the beautiful craft.
• 22:12
  Daniel Moore: The ships of Tarshish symbolize wealth, international commerce, and economic achievement.
• 22:29
  Daniel Moore: These ships would have represented Judah's hope for wealth, power, and influence, all anchored in the economies of men, not the provision of God.
• 22:39
  Daniel Moore: Though its exact location remains debated, most scholars believe it was a city located in the western Mediterranean, possibly in southern Spain near modern day Tarsus.
• 22:50
  Daniel Moore: This theory is grounded in archaeological and linguistic evidence, with ancient sources such as the Septuagint also identifying Tarshush with a region in Spain.
• 23:02
  Daniel Moore: In Isaiah here in verse 16, the ships of Tarshus are used to represent wealth, expansive commerce, and human achievement.
• 23:11
  Daniel Moore: These ships were renowned for their size and capacity to transport luxury goods, metals, precious stones, and other trade items across long distances.
• 23:21
  Daniel Moore: Tarshish was likely known for importing and exporting valuable materials like silver, gold, tin, and iron, which were in high demand in the ancient Near East.
• 23:32
  Daniel Moore: As we look at this from a biblical historical point of view, Tarshish became symbolic of the pinnacle of international economic success.
• 23:41
  Daniel Moore: It's associated with King Solomon's trading empire in 1 Kings 10, verse 22, and is also mentioned in the context of Jonah's attempt to flee from God in Jonah 1.3.
• 23:53
  Daniel Moore: This is implying that it was seen as a far off, exotic, and even unreachable destination.
• 23:59
  Daniel Moore: Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
• 24:15
  Daniel Moore: As we look at Jonah chapter one, verse three, it says, But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
• 24:23
  Daniel Moore: He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.
• 24:27
  Daniel Moore: So he paid the fare, went on board to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
• 24:34
  Daniel Moore: And for those of you that are wondering, that's about an estimated five hundred miles or so is the distance that's been estimated from where Jonah was to where he was headed.
• 24:45
  Daniel Moore: So he was really trying to get far away from the calling that God had put upon his life.
• 24:51
  Daniel Moore: Historians suggest that the Phoenicians, expert seafarers of the ancient world with settlements along the Mediterranean coast, may have helped establish and maintain trade routes to Tarshish.
• 25:03
  Daniel Moore: The Phoenician city of Tyre likely played a significant role in facilitating commerce between the Levant and the Western Mediterranean, including routes to Tarshish.
• 25:13
  Daniel Moore: In Isaiah chapter 2, here in verse 16, by mentioning the ships of Tarshish, the prophet Isaiah is not only referring to literal ships engaged in far-reaching maritime enterprise, but he's also criticizing the pride and false security the people of Judah placed in wealth, beauty, and global trade.
• 25:31
  Daniel Moore: These human accomplishments represented by Tarshish's prestigious vessels will be humbled when the Lord alone is exalted on the day of his judgment.
• 25:40
  Daniel Moore: Thus Tarshish becomes a symbol of the external prosperity that lured Judah away from dependence on God.
• 25:48
  Daniel Moore: In this verse, where it talks about beautiful craft, that may refer to both skilled artisan products and the luxury vessels that carried them.
• 25:57
  Daniel Moore: These were expressions of cultural pride and human glory, drawing attention to man's creativity and progress.
• 26:05
  Daniel Moore: In the context of these few verses here, talking about the judgment of God, Isaiah is revealing the futility of trusting in worldly wealth and commerce.
• 26:16
  Daniel Moore: Even the best, most beautiful, and seemingly invincible forms of human enterprise will fall under God's judgment.
• 26:24
  Daniel Moore: Commentators like Alec Mojcher recognize that these verses are a catalog of all the arenas in which human pride places confidence.
• 26:33
  Daniel Moore: We have a tendency to place our pride in nature.
• 26:36
  Daniel Moore: We place it in security.
• 26:38
  Daniel Moore: We place it in architecture, empire, and economy.
• 26:42
  Daniel Moore: But all of them, no matter how lofty, strong, or beautiful, they are all subject to the judgment of the sovereign and holy God.
• 26:50
  Daniel Moore: Ultimately, Isaiah's prophetic message is that God alone must be exalted and trusted.
• 26:58
  Daniel Moore: All false elevations and securities will be brought low in the day of the Lord.
• 27:04
  Daniel Moore: So as we wrap up this week's episode of Connecting the Gap, as we finish up studying here on verses 13 through 16 in Isaiah chapter 2, Isaiah is part of a prophetic vision where the prophet Isaiah describes the future exaltation of God's house or the temple and a call for the nations to come to Zion.
• 27:42
  Daniel Moore: In verses 13 through 16 here in chapter 2, Isaiah highlights the pride and the arrogance of humanity and the objects of their misplaced worship, detailing how these manifest in their reliance on materialism and power.
• 27:57
  Daniel Moore: As we break these verses down, as we look at Isaiah verse 13 here in chapter 2, this verse mentions the lofty cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bishon.
• 28:09
  Daniel Moore: These trees symbolize pride, power, and human glory.
• 28:12
  Daniel Moore: Lebanon was known for its majestic trees that were used in construction, especially in the building of Solomon's temple, while Bishon was fertile and rich.
• 28:22
  Daniel Moore: In verses fourteen through fifteen of chapter two, Isaiah speaks against the arrogance of military might, referring to high towers and fortified walls.
• 28:31
  Daniel Moore: This metaphor indicates the pride associated with human accomplishments, security and reliance on military strength.
• 28:38
  Daniel Moore: And finally in verse 16, we just discussed that the verse points to the ships of Tarshish, which symbolize commercial wealth and trade.
• 28:47
  Daniel Moore: Tarshish was noted for its distant trade as a place of prosperity far from Israel, indicating reliance on material wealth and economic dominance.
• 28:57
  Daniel Moore: As we look through these verses, there are some theological themes that take place.
• 29:02
  Daniel Moore: The first one is human arrogance and dependence.
• 29:05
  Daniel Moore: This passage that we covered today addresses the pride of human achievements, nature, military prowess, and economic power that leads people away from dependence on God.
• 29:16
  Daniel Moore: It also has a theme of God's judgment on human pride.
• 29:21
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah warns that the day of the Lord will come, a day of reckoning where human pride will be humbled and God's sovereignty will be established.
• 29:30
  Daniel Moore: And finally, there's a call for humility.
• 29:33
  Daniel Moore: Implicit in the passage is a call to humility before God, acknowledging his sovereignty over all creation and our need for repentance.
• 29:42
  Daniel Moore: So as we look at these four verses this week, how can we apply those to our lives today?
• 29:48
  Daniel Moore: Well, the first thing that I can definitely talk about with you today is the caution against materialism.
• 29:55
  Daniel Moore: Just as ancient Israel relied heavily on mighty trees, military strength, and economic stability, today's society we often place our trust in materialism, technology, and economic power.
• 30:10
  Daniel Moore: This passage encourages us to examine what we are truly dependent on.
• 30:14
  Daniel Moore: Where I work at, we have lots of computers.
• 30:18
  Daniel Moore: I'm sure where you work at there's lots of computers.
• 30:21
  Daniel Moore: I'm at a I work at an automated radio station.
• 30:24
  Daniel Moore: So our radio station literally depends on a computer to keep running 24-7 to keep our station broadcasting.
• 30:32
  Daniel Moore: When power goes out, internet goes down, our computer systems shut off.
• 30:37
  Daniel Moore: I can't work.
• 30:38
  Daniel Moore: My job is completely at a standstill at that point.
• 30:42
  Daniel Moore: And then it reminds me how reliant we are just on computer systems.
• 30:48
  Daniel Moore: Technology has grown so much today, as the Bible said in the last days that knowledge was going to increase.
• 30:56
  Daniel Moore: It definitely has.
• 30:57
  Daniel Moore: And I think a lot of ways we actually put that in front of God to be dependent on it a lot of times.
• 31:05
  Daniel Moore: And we've got to be careful with that.
• 31:06
  Daniel Moore: I've done that myself many times, and I still find myself doing that occasionally just in my daily activities.
• 31:13
  Daniel Moore: So as we apply this to us and this caution against materialism, we need to challenge ourselves to reassess our priorities, focusing our growth in faith and service rather than material possessions, because the faith that we have in God and the service that we give to Him, it's what's going to stand in the final days.
• 31:36
  Daniel Moore: The second thing that we can apply to ourselves is the recognition of human limitations.
• 31:41
  Daniel Moore: You know, here in these verses, Isaiah's words serve as a timely reminder of the fleeting nature of human power and success.
• 31:48
  Daniel Moore: Just as in Isaiah's time, the fragility of social and economic systems can be a source of anxiety today.
• 31:55
  Daniel Moore: You know, in the middle of the anxiety that we have and the tension that we place on ourselves moment by moment as we try to be successful in this life that we are living, we need to find some way to find peace in God's sovereignty instead of worrying about worldly affairs and all the things going on around us.
• 32:14
  Daniel Moore: Remind ourselves that the ultimate security does not come from worldly means, but from faith in God.
• 32:21
  Daniel Moore: We have to be able to see God through all of the noise and make sure that He is first in every decision and every choice that we make.
• 32:31
  Daniel Moore: There's also a call to humility coming out of these scriptures for us today.
• 32:36
  Daniel Moore: This passage of Scripture is inviting us as individuals into a corporate humility before God.
• 32:43
  Daniel Moore: Acknowledging our limitations and shortcomings can lead to a deeper spiritual growth in Him, and a huge reliance on God's grace can then begin to form inside of us.
• 32:55
  Daniel Moore: We need to be able to introduce a culture of confession and repentance within ourselves and within our churches.
• 33:03
  Daniel Moore: We need to engage in communal prayers that reflect a humble posture before God Almighty.
• 33:10
  Daniel Moore: And fourth, as Isaiah was talking to Judah here in these portions of Scriptures, we need to be prepared for the day of the Lord.
• 33:19
  Daniel Moore: This prophetic warning about a future day of reckoning compels believers to live with a sense of urgency and purpose, working towards justice, compassion, and humility.
• 33:30
  Daniel Moore: We need to challenge all of ourselves to engage in social justice, advocating for the oppressed and the vulnerable, and we need to make sure that we reflect God's kingdom values now and preparing for the coming of the Lord.
• 33:45
  Daniel Moore: So as we close this episode this week, these scriptures here in verses 13 through 16 of chapter 2 in Isaiah serve a powerful reminder of the dangers of pride and reliance on human strength.
• 33:58
  Daniel Moore: They urge us to place our confidence in God alone.
• 34:02
  Daniel Moore: As we reflect on these verses, we are challenged to seek humility, reassess our priorities, and engage deeply with our faith in a world that often distracts us from what truly matters.
• 34:13
  Daniel Moore: This passage speaks directly to the heart of both individual believers and church congregations, and it should promote a spirit of repentance, groundedness, and anticipation for God's work in our lives and the world.
• 34:28
  Daniel Moore: I do want to say, thank all of you that come in here every week and join me as we do our episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• 34:39
  Daniel Moore: It's happy birthday to us.
• 34:41
  Daniel Moore: I meant to mention this at the beginning, but I forgot.
• 34:44
  Daniel Moore: We've been actually podcasting for five years this week.
• 34:49
  Daniel Moore: We started this in 2021 and we have been going ever since.
• 34:54
  Daniel Moore: It was once a week for a long time until last year.
• 34:57
  Daniel Moore: We started doing two episodes a week when my wife joined me for Marriage Life and more.
• 35:01
  Daniel Moore: And if anybody has been listening since the very beginning, I don't know if there's any of you out there that have, but if you have, thank you so much for sticking through all of uh the stuff that I've shared over the years.
• 35:13
  Daniel Moore: And if you're a new person that's just come along, thank you so much for joining us here and becoming a part of our podcast each and every week.
• 35:22
  Daniel Moore: And I thank you so much for listening, sharing, and getting other people involved uh with our ministry here at Connecting the Gap.
• 35:30
  Daniel Moore: So I just wanted to uh just say that real quick as we close this week.
• 35:34
  Daniel Moore: Uh don't forget you can reach out to us on our website at connectingthegap.net.
• 35:39
  Daniel Moore: Uh, there's a form there.
• 35:40
  Daniel Moore: You can also email us, Daniel at connectingthegap.net, if you'd like to uh send us a message or add to this conversation, whatever it is you'd like to communicate, we'd love to hear from you.
• 35:50
  Daniel Moore: And so you can do it in that way.
• 35:52
  Daniel Moore: Please subscribe so that you don't miss any episodes.
• 35:55
  Daniel Moore: And it's time for us to go.
• 35:57
  Daniel Moore: And as usual, every time we leave, we'd like to remind you that God's word never fails us.
• 36:02
  Daniel Moore: God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap.
• 36:08
  Daniel Moore: This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.