Isaiah 27 - Bible Study in 5 Minutes

Isaiah 27 Short Summary:

Isaiah 27 concludes the small section that began in chapter 24. Isaiah prophesied that God would destroy Israel’s enemies (symbolized by Leviathan), and regather the people from their exile in Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria back to Jerusalem, back to the Promised Land, where they would unite to worship Him once more.

Isaiah 27 Bible Study

TIMELINE:

• The prophetic ministry of Isaiah spanned the reigns of King Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

• We do not know the date Isaiah spoke/recorded this prophecy.

KEY CHARACTERS:

• Isaiah – The son of Amoz (1:1). God commissioned Isaiah as His prophet to Judah.

• The People of Israel and Judah – God’s people who would be scattered across the face of the earth due to God’s judgement, but who He would later regather to the Promised Land.

DEFINITIONS:

• Leviathan (27:1) – The leviathan was a mighty creature, likely now extinct, described in detail in Job 41 and mentioned in Psalm 74. It was a powerful scaled creature that was untamable by men and unkillable with human weapons. Some “scholars” have suggested leviathan is the crocodile, but the description in Job 41 rules that out. More likely, the leviathan was an animal we would classify as a dinosaur. In Isaiah 27, it appears the leviathan was used to represent a mighty nation or city on which God intended to pour out His judgement.

• Jacob (27:6) - Jacob was the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel. His name is sometimes used to refer to the collective nation that grew out of the 12 Tribes (the Nation of Israel).

• Asherim (27:9) - Worship sites dedicated to the pagan goddess Asherah. It’s thought she was associated with fertility.

OUTLINE:

• GOD REGATHERS ISRAEL AND DEFEATS THEIR ENEMIES (27:1-13):

  • The first verse of chapter 27 fits with the final verse of 26. God was going to pass judgement on the evil people of the earth, and on that day, He would kill Leviathan, the twisting serpent in the sea.

  • Leviathan was a mighty animal of the ancient days, and it seems Isaiah used it to represent a mighty nation that God was going to strike down with His “strong sword” (27:1).

  • In verse 2, a picture of a vineyard is put forth, God’s vineyard that He cultivates and protects.

  • The vineyard represented God’s people, Israel, who He was going to cause to flourish.

  • “In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit” (27:6).

  • There are several possibilities for the fulfilment of this prophecy. A potential fulfilment is in the return of God’s people from exile and captivity, after which they were allowed to return to the Promised Land. Another possibility is that this refers to spiritual Israel (Gal 6:16; 4:28), the collection of Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) who were followers of Jesus. If the second view is taken, the prophecy is fulfilled in the growth of the Christian Church.

  • Isaiah prophesied that Israel’s guilt would be atoned for when their idols were discarded and destroyed (“like chalkstones crushed to pieces”, 27:9).

  • Israel’s enemies would be dealt with, and God would make them desolate, their cities would be forsaken, and animals would graze where they once ruled.

  • On the day God determined to restore Israel, He would gather His scattered people from their nations of exile (Egypt and Assyria are mentioned specifically, 27:13) and bring them to Jerusalem, to His holy mountain, to worship.

APPLICATION:

• You notice how it was God who was going to save Israel, God who was going to make Israel flourish, it was God who was going to punish the evil nations, and God who was going to regather His scattered people.

• What work was left for Israel to do? Simply to obey God and allow Him to use them.

• Everything is clay in the hands of God, and He shapes history as He wishes.  

• Governments are clay, politicians are clay, armies are clay, businesses are clay, and we are clay.

• We think we shape the world… We don’t!

• We simply participate in God shaping the world.

• We either work with Him or we resist Him, but it makes no difference, we are clay for His molding.