Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20030824.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part IX: God's Salvation From Sinful Leadership's Insensitivity To Needy Subjects
(Isaiah 9:8-12:6)
  1. Introduction
    1. A great need throughout the world's governments and administrations of organizations under human governments is the need for human overseers to be sensitive about the oppressions of their subjects.
    2. Isaiah faced this challenge, and the answer to this need is delivered in his prophecy in Isaiah 9:8-12:6:
  2. God's Salvation From Sinful Leadership's Insensitivity To Needy Subjects, Isaiah 9:8-12:6.
    1. Isaiah announced God's wrath was aimed at people who were destructively insensitive to needy subjects:
      1. He predicted God's anger would be expressed at the Northern Kingdom of Israel for its refusal to repent at His judgments of warning that weakened the nation, Isaiah 9:8-11.
      2. Such an angered God would destroy the nation of Israel in a terrifying manner, Isaiah 9:12-21:
        1. God would press Israel in from all sides by invading, cruel Gentile peoples, Isaiah 9:12-13.
        2. God would cause the invaders to ruin every social institution in the land, Isaiah 9:14-17.
        3. The result would be civil war and its horrendous chaos and destruction, Isaiah 9:18-21.
      3. Specifically, God's wrath was aimed at Israel's leaders who took advantage of needy subjects, 10:1-4.
      4. Then, God would turn His wrath on the instrument of His wrath, upon the Assyrian invaders for the insensitive pride they exhibited in their destruction of Israel, Isaiah 10:5-34.
    2. The Solution to such destruction created by sinful leadership's insensitivity to needy subjects is the Holy Spirit-filled Messiah Who would come and rule the world's subjects to their edification, Isaiah 11:1-12:6:
      1. God would send His ruling Messiah out of the Davidic line that had been temporarily set back by Gentile invaders ("Branch from his roots") Who would be filled with the sevenfold leadership qualities of the Holy Spirit that edify subjects in contrast to sinfully insensitive human leaders, 11:1-2.
      2. These sevenfold qualities of the Holy Spirit are itemized in Isaiah 11:2 as follows:
        1. Messiah would have the Spirit's timeless continuity (spirit of "I AM," Jahweh, [Ex. 3:6]), 11:2a.
        2. Messiah would have the Spirit's wisdom (hachmah), or alignment to God's fixed moral order, 2b.
        3. Messiah would have the Spirit's discernment (bin) to make decisions based on that moral order, 2c.
        4. Messiah would have the Spirit's ability to communicate this insight with good counsel, Isaiah 11:2d.
        5. Messiah would have the Spirit's spiritual power to be effective in ruling others, Isaiah 11:2e.
        6. Messiah would have the Spirit's knowledge of truth to make right decisions, Isaiah 11:2f.
        7. Messiah would have the Spirit's respect for God to consider His interests in ruling others, 11:2g.
      3. Such indwelling by the Holy Spirit will equip the Messiah to lead the world with righteous sensitivity:
        1. Messiah will lead others impartially (Isaiah 11:3), and that so the wicked will be destroyed and the upright and oppressed be blessed in all their human institutions, Isaiah 11:4-5.
        2. Messiah's leadership blessing will spill over to affect the entire earth, Isaiah 11:6-16: (a) the Adamic curse will be lifted, 11:6-9; (b) God's people around the world will be nurtured and salvaged as opposed to being unjustly destroyed by evil leaders, Isaiah 11:10-12; (c) strife among the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of God's people will vanish, 11:13 and (d) God's people will see Him supernaturally provide them a final "exodus" from the nations to return to Israel, 11:14-16.
      4. In joyful anticipation of this Messianic era to come, Isaiah composed a song of praise, Isaiah 12:1-6:
        1. Isaiah expressed relief in having forgiveness provided for the nation Israel, Isaiah 12:1.
        2. Isaiah expressed his joy at the security in Messiah men in His kingdom will enjoy, Isaiah 12:2-3.
        3. In Isaiah 12:4-6, the prophet Isaiah predicted the great praise Israel will give God in the Messianic Kingdom for His saving them from their former oppressions.
Lesson: Isaiah predicted the ANSWER to sinful leadership's insensitive and destructive leadership of oppressed subjects would be for the HOLY SPIRIT-FILLED Messiah to RULE the WORLD!

Application: (1) May our HOPE for WORLD deliverance from evil rulers rest in CHRIST and HIS COMING kingdom, and may we disciple the nations in that hope, cf. Matt. 28:19-20! (2) As WE who KNOW Christ are ALSO indwelt by the SAME Spirit Who equips Jesus to lead so well, may (a) WE YIELD to that Holy Spirit so (b) WE might (+) HELP the oppressed and (+) OPPOSE their oppressors!