The Book of Isaiah contains the Gospel because it reveals the holiness of God, the sin of man, the necessity of repentance, the promise of atonement, the preservation of a remnant, and the hope of a coming Redeemer who restores both Israel and the nations.
In Isaiah’s day, Judah faced an attack by the Assyrians. The nation thought they could stand against this threat through political and foreign alliances. Isaiah announced instead that true deliverance comes only by trusting the God of Israel. That salvation and life flows from obedience to the Lord and His commands. Isaiah was raised up by God to teach His people His Law and ways.
Isaiah prophesied of coming national restoration and personal redemption through the coming Servant of the Lord. Rashi affirmed themes of repentance, covenant faithfulness, and future redemption.
A brief reminder about Rashi; his name is an acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040 to 1105). He is considered the most influential medieval Jewish commentator on the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. He lived and wrote in northern France. Rashi is known for emphasizing “peshat”, the plain meaning of the biblical text, also incorporating Talmudic interpretations when they help to clarify the text.
In Isaiah, Rashi explained prophecy first its historical setting, such as Assyria or Babylon, before applying them to the future exile the regathering of the Jewish people and their redemption. Nearly every printed edition of the Hebrew Bible includes Rashi’s commentary. His explanations are central to traditional Jewish study.
He is important to us as Christians because his instruction relied on God’s faithfulness to His covenant, the seriousness of sin, the necessity of repentance, and God’s justice and mercy toward Israel. Citing him in conversations can help in sharing with Jewish people in understanding Isaiah’s teaching that points to Yeshua as the promised Messiah in both His first and second coming.
Isaiah 30:1-5 continues with the fourth woe for Judah’s stubborn rebellion. “Woe to the rebellious children… who execute a plan, but not Mine.” Hezekiah’s was counseled by his advisors to turn to the Egyptians, rather than God, for help against the invading Assyrians. Isaiah condemned reliance on Egypt rather than God, who had commanded not to make alliances apart from Him. Ex. 23:31-32 … “I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
Solomon made alliances through marriage with Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Sidon, and other nations and peoples. This directly violated Deut. 7 and 17. The result was that His wives turned his heart after other gods. Idolatry entered Jerusalem and God discipline was to divide the kingdom after his death. Israel split into Northern and Southern kingdoms
Rashi emphasized that the sin of both Israel and Judah was acting without seeking God through the prophets He sent to them. The rebellion was not merely political but spiritual. This is an ongoing and recurring temptation to Israel and the Church today by trusting in people and alliances rather than God and His promises. To trust in man rather always results in God’s discipline.
As always, Egyptian aid proved too little too late. God had specifically warned Israel not to look to Egypt ever again Deut 17:16 “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ Pharaoh gave no more help to Judah than any of Egypt’s other pharaohs. All Judah received in return was shame and disgrace. Judah failed to learn from her history or listen to God’s prophets. She continued to trust her political know-how by sending political emissaries to the Egyptian cities of Zoan and Hanes seeking counsel and military help.
V 6-7 — Egypt’s help was useless “vain and empty”. Judah wasted all her effort and resources trying to entice Egypt to help her. Rahab was a name used to describe a mythical monster bringing chaos (Jb 9:13; 26:12; Ps 89:11; Is 51:9). It’s also used as a name for Egypt (Ps 87:4). Hope in weak people and alliances will always disappoint.
V 8-11 “Speak to us pleasant words.” Israel is not just ignoring the truth, they reject it. Saul was told by Samuel when he disobeyed the commands of God “to obey is better than sacrifice” 1 Sam 15:22. Rashi identifies this as refusal to hear rebuke. Paul echoes this in 2 Timothy 4 about itching ears. Rejecting prophetic and Biblical truth will lead to later rejecting John the Immerser and the Messiah when He comes. This failure to heed the word of the prophets and those sent to Israel and the Jewish people has continued in the ongoing Jewish communities rejection of their Messiah.
V 12-14 — The consequence for rejecting God’s message will be the destruction of the nation. When we reject God’s truth and believe lies it inevitably leads to judgment. The people’s unwillingness to accept the truth and embrace of deceit is compared to a high, cracked wall that will fail to stand when needed. Instead, it will collapse. The wall constructed by their sin is like pottery that is easily broken. When it fails there will not be a piece large enough to take fire from a hearth or gather water from a cistern (v. 14). Discipline precedes restoration. God breaks to rebuild.
V 15 Is the Heart of the chapter. “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” This verse is Isaiah’s theology of salvation and life found in God, in one sentence. Sadly, the people refused to trust and believe in God and the Word of His prophet. That refusal was a tragedy, then and today and the writer of Hebrews in chapters 3-4 who warn of similar behavior in Believers today.
V 16-17 Because of their refusal they will flee on horses. Instead of standing firm, they will run in fear. This fulfills the covenant curses Israel acknowledged as they stood between Mt. Gerezim and Mt. Ebal in the region of Samaria Deut 28:25: “The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.” What we trust becomes what pursues us.
V 18 But that is not the end “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore, He waits on high to have compassion on you.”
This is an ongoing motif in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation: After rebellion, God extends His scepter to those who will turn, humble themselves, and confess their sin. The Rabbi’s teach that God delays judgment to allow repentance. This is a New Covenant as well where truth and grace precedes repentance. God’s justice is matched by His mercy. This is the Gospel according to Isaiah.
V 19-22 These verses in Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the work of the comforter and teacher, The Holy Spirit will no longer be hidden from Israel and Judah. The people will hear a voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it”. That way points to Yeshua the Messiah who said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. When the Spirit is fully functioning quickening and repentance occurs and the regenerated person forsakes his idols. God’s grace and our response in submission is informed by God’s Word, leads to the power of God’s Spirit to obey.
V 23-26 These verses underline the promised blessing as prophesied of Deut 30:1-10 which follows repentance after discipline. Rain, fertility, healing, light in the darkness, all characteristics of abundant life leading to the reign of Messiah on earth as it is in heaven. Redemption restores creation just as Paul wrote in Rom. 8:22-23 “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”
V 27-33 Here in poetic form Isaiah describes God’s judgment on Assyria and her future enemies. Israel’s future blessings include not only the coming Messiah and the blessings He brings to the nation, but also his wrath on Israel’s enemies. The coming Good Shepherd who brings healing and light, now is portrayed as a mighty avenging warrior. He is burning in His anger with smoke (v. 27) reminiscent of the scene that was so terrifying to Israel when they stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19. It is far better to fear the Lord now rather than when He comes in judgment.
God will shake the nations as if they were in a sieve (v. 28). This is a picture that is understood clearly by those exposed to farming drawing on agricultural imagery. As wheat is separated from the tares, so will the nations be sifted. This is what Yeshua was alluding to in Matt. 13:24-30 in the parable of the wheat and tares. The description of bridles in a horse’s mouth pictures how God will move Israel’s enemies like a mounted horseman in battle leading them to being crushed with His judgment (v. 28). The nations will be led by the Lord to a place of destruction. The joy over an enemy’s destruction is found in Psalm Ps 96.
Topheth in v. 33 is located near Jerusalem and was used as a burial ground of the wicked (cf. Jr 7:32; 19:11). This all serves as a warning to Assyria and all of Israel’s enemies, past, present, and future. This points to Assyria’s defeat and in the future all God’s judgment on all nations that will come against Israel, leading to the return of the King and His kingdom.
Isaiah 30 shows that the Gospel is not new in the New Testament. It is woven into the word of God through His prophets a call to return, trust, and receive the salvation of the Lord found in the future hope of His Messiah.
