1. Was God willing to excuse the spoilers who dealt treacherously?
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No: “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee” (Isaiah 33:1).
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The spoilers got their reward (Isaiah 17:12-14 and Habakkuk 2:5-9).
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2. What did those who waited for the Lord want the Lord to do unto them?
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Be gracious and be their salvation in time of trouble: “O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble” (Isaiah 33:2).
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The key is that we are talking about those who waited for the Lord with anticipation of being saved (Psalms 27:13-14, Isaiah 25:9, and Isaiah 26:8; cf. Lamentations 3:25).
They wanted God to be gracious [bestow favor], which He is such based upon repentance (II Chronicles 30:9, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 112:4, and Joel 2:13). God’s graciousness is why God did not utterly destroy Israel (Nehemiah 9:31).
He was their salvation in times of trouble (Psalms 37:39 and Psalms 46:1).
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3. When the tumult arose, people fled, and the spoil was gained by God; who was exalted?
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God: “At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness” (Isaiah 33:3-5).
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God raises up, people get scared (Psalms 46:1-11).
When God led His people to victory they had spoils (II Chronicles 14:13 and II Chronicles 20:22-25).
Victory for God’s people, when their minds were aright, led to the exaltation of God (Exodus 18:9-11 and Psalms 97:6-9).
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4. What brings about stability?
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“And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6).
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Wisdom (Proverbs 24:3-6, Proverbs 28:2, Proverbs 28:16, Ecclesiastes 7:12, Ecclesiastes 7:19, and Ecclesiastes 9:14-18).
Godly fear is treasure (Psalms 85:9 and Proverbs 19:23).
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5. When God executed this time of Judgment and lifted up Himself, what happened to the erring (including the valiant ones and everyone else)?
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They cried, wept, and burned: “Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man. The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire” (Isaiah 33:7-12).
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Their valiant ones [heroes] cried without (Ezekiel 26:16-19) for the battle is not necessarily won by the strong (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
When highways lay waste, that means something (Lamentations 1:4).
When man breaks the covenant with God - not good, the earth will mourn (Isaiah 24:4-5).
God raises Himself up (cf. Exodus 14:18), and His people want to see that (Psalms 7:6-13).
Conceiving chaff, bringing stubble, and setting themselves aflame is all about reaping what you’ve sown (Job 4:8, Proverbs 14:14, Hosea 8:7, and Galatians 6:7-8).
God is the burner (Deuteronomy 4:24, Nahum 1:5-6, and Hebrews 12:29).
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6. What did God want people to hear from far off (prepare to discuss the many observations that can be found in the answer to this question)?
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“Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand. Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed,
neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us. Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity” (Isaiah 33:13-24).
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Ye that are far off (Nehemiah 12:43, Jeremiah 31:10, and Ephesians 2:11-13) and near (Psalms 97:8; cf. Psalms 148:14).
Hear [everyone] what God has done (Isaiah 34:1, Jeremiah 6:19, and Micah 1:1-9).
Acknowledge His might (Isaiah 40:26).
Sinners fear (Jeremiah 2:12-13), for when there is no fear there is more sin (Jeremiah 2:19).
Who can dwell with everlasting burnings - you’d be devoured (Psalms 21:9-10)?
Walking and speaking uprightly (Psalms 106:3 and I John 3:7).
Closing eyes and ears to evil (Psalms 101:1-8).
The righteous dwell safely on high (Psalms 107:41-43 and Proverbs 18:10).
They shall see the king in his beauty could refer to good kings on earth (Psalms 72:1-2 and Isaiah 32:1) or the real king to come (John 1:14; cf. Jeremiah 23:5 and I Timothy 6:14-16).
Meditate (Psalms 77:11-12) terror, for this is a motivator (II Corinthians 5:11).
Won’t see a fierce people or a strong nation when people looked upon Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6-7). People feared them because of God (Deuteronomy 11:25 and Joshua 2:8-11), not who they were.
Zion shall be seen as a quiet habitation (Psalms 128:4-6).
The Lord would be their broad rivers and streams with no ships passing by in a presence of calmness (Psalms 46:1-7).
The Lord is the lawgiver (Psalms 147:19-20 and James 4:12), the judge (Psalms 50:6, Psalms 98:9, II Corinthians 5:10, and II Timothy 4:1).
The presentation of loosing a sinking ship is given (cf. Acts 27:19-41). Point is, only God can save (Jeremiah 3:23).
Sin is forgiven (Jeremiah 50:20 and Micah 7:18-19).
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