All Articles For Harbach Robert C

1.The Command to Choose a Sign. “And further Jehovah spoke to Ahaz, saying, ‘Ask for thee a sign from Jehovah thy God; deepen (thy petition), ask, whether to a lofty place or the height.'” (Isaiah 7:10-11). “And Jehovah added to speak to Ahaz” (Isaiah 7:10 andIsaiah 8:5, literally).

Studies in and preaching from the prophecy of Isaiah should be essentially exegetical. If we follow the plan of reading out what is written in this portion of the Word of God, we will give little or no space to so-called “critical” interpretation. Our efforts will rather be that of the expository preacher. In this way we will avoid any waste of time and space on the intellectual dust of “higher criticism.” True, criticism, indeed, is not only commendable, but is necessary. That is, we most constantly make judgment on every form of error which is repugnant to the Word.

1. The Loathsome Replacing Finery. “And it shall come to pass (that) instead of spicy odor there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle (apron, Gen. 3:7), a rope; and instead of the work of turned work (artificial curls?), baldness; and instead of an embroidered tuxedo, a girdle of sacking, a branding instead of (female) beauty” (Heb. 3:24).

Come you now, and argue together, saith Jehovah: if your sins were made as crimson, as snow they will be made white; if they were caused to be red as crimson, as wool they will be. If ye be willing, and hear, the goodness of the land ye shall eat. But if ye refuse and rebel, by the sword ye shall be eaten: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

“On that account, the Lord, He will give to you a sign—Behold! the virgin: pregnant! and bringing forth a son! and she calls His name Immanuel” (v. 14, Heb.). For the meaning of words in the original languages, we, naturally, must turn to the lexicons. This means, however, that we are largely dependent upon the word of a modern, rationalistic, destructive critic. For the best lexicons have been produced by such. One lexicon is by Gesenius, translated by Robinson of Union Theological Seminary. This means the production of a work doubly Unitarian.

“If ye be willing, and hear, the goodness of the land ye shall eat. But if ye refuse and rebel, by the sword ye shall be devoured; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20). The context shows that the Lord had very severely denounced His people Israel. Through the prophet Isaiah He had called them rebellious children, a seed of evil-doers, from head to foot totally corrupt. The heads of the people God called men of Sodom.

1.Deliberate defiance of God’s judgments. Woe! “to the ones saying, Let Him hurry His work in order that we may see (it), and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel approach and come (to pass), so we may know (what it is He threatens to do.)” He whom the world calls a free-thinker the Scripture calls a fool (nabal) and a scorner (letz). They flout the judgments of God; since they doubt whether they, as prophesied, shall ever occur. They say, If they are coming, we ought to be able to see and hear their approach!

Isaiah 7:15-17

1. God will stagger carnally secure sinners (10). Read the text in your King James Bible and compare with the Hebrew offered as we consider verse by verse. “Go in the rock and hide thyself in the dust from the faces (God is triune) of the terror of Jehovah, and from the splendor of His majesty” (Hebrew). With judgment ready to fall there is nothing left but for the nation to dive into the rocks to bury itself in the dust to hide from the many faceted terror of Jehovah. Not a call to repentance, this is a warning of...

Isaiah 5:24-30