NIV® Standard Lesson Commentary® 2016-2017

By Standard Publishing

As the nation's most popular annual Bible commentary for more than two decades, the Standard Lesson Commentary provides 52 weeks of study in a single volume and combines thorough Bible study with relevant examples and questions.

The NIV SLC Paperback Edition is perfect as the primary resource for an adult Sunday school class and personal study or as a supplemental resource for any curriculum that follows the ISSL/Uniform Series.

Nearly two dozen ministers, teachers, and Christian education specialists provide the Bible commentary, lesson plans, discussion questions, and other features that make the Standard Lesson Commentary the most popular annual Bible commentary available.

The Standard Lesson Commentary is based on the popular Uniform Series, also called the International Sunday School Lessons. This series, developed by scholars from several church fellowships, provides an orderly study of the Bible in a 6-year period.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David C Cook
• Release date: Jun 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780784794937

Book preview

New International Version®

STANDARD

LESSON

COMMENTARY

2016–2017

International Sunday School Lessons

Jim Eichenberger

Senior Editor

Ronald L. Nickelson

Commentary Editor

Margaret K. Williams

Activities Editor

Volume 23

Contents

Index of Printed Texts

Fall 2016: The Sovereignty of God

Winter 2016–2017: Creation: A Divine Cycle

Spring 2017: God Loves Us

Summer 2017: God’s Urgent Call

IN THIS VOLUME

Standard Lesson Commentary is published annually by Standard Publishing, www.standardpub.com. Copyright © 2016 by Standard Publishing, part of the David C Cook family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.® Lessons and/or readings based on International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching; copyright © 2013, by the Committee on the Uniform Series.

INDEX OF PRINTED TEXTS

The printed texts for 2016–2017 are arranged here in the order in which they appear in the Bible.

FALL 2016

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

QUARTERLY QUIZ

Use these questions as a pretest or as a review. Click here for answers.

Lesson 1

1. The Messiah is prophesied to be able to slay the wicked with his breath. T/F. Isaiah 11:4

2. In the coming peace, the wolf will live with the what? (lamb, owl, snake?) Isaiah 11:6

Lesson 2

1. Isaiah believed future blessings of the Lord would fall only on Israel. T/F. Isaiah 25:6

2. Isaiah foresaw a time when the Lord will wipe away _​_​_​_​_​. Isaiah 25:8

Lesson 3

1. From God’s perspective, people are like what? (grasshoppers, sparrows, roses?) Isaiah 40:22

2. Isaiah teaches that those who hope in God will soar on wings like _​_​_​_​_​. Isaiah 40:31

Lesson 4

1. The year of the Lord’s favor will include a day of vengeance. T/F. Isaiah 61:2

2. God will give the garment of _​_​_​_​_​ for the spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3

Lesson 5

1. In Old Testament times, God spoke to Jewish ancestors by the _​_​_​_​_​. Hebrews 1:1

2. What has the Son inherited that is much superior to that of the angels? (mission, people, name?) Hebrews 1:4

Lesson 6

1. Biblically, Jesus can be called what? (pick two: dove, apostle, high priest, shaman?) Hebrews 3:1

2. The wise man builds his house on _​_​_​_​_​. Matthew 7:24

Lesson 7

1. What did Jesus experience that is just like what we experience? (commission of sin, failures of faith, temptations?) Hebrews 4:15

2. The Jewish high priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins. T/F. Hebrews 5:3

Lesson 8

1. Melchizedek was the king of what city? (Salem, Ai, Tyre?) Hebrews 7:1

2. Who gave Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils from battle? (Noah, Abraham, Saul?) Hebrews 7:2

Lesson 9

1. Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. T/F. Hebrews 12:2

2. The first readers of Hebrews had resisted to the point of bloodshed. T/F. Hebrews 12:4

Lesson 10

1. When John sees the new heaven and earth, there is no more _​_​_​_​_​. Revelation 21:1

2. The fiery lake of burning sulfur is called the second _​_​_​_​_​. Revelation 21:8

Lesson 11

1. How many gates will the new Jerusalem have? (3, 7, 12?) Revelation 21:12

2. The new Jerusalem will have an extraordinarily large temple. T/F. Revelation 21:22

Lesson 12

1. The tree of life in the new Jerusalem will produce healing leaves. T/F. Revelation 22:2

2. John was assured that the sayings were trustworthy and what? (profound, honorable, true?) Revelation 22:6

Lesson 13

1. When Christ returns, he will bring what? (reward, crown, leaves?) Revelation 22:12

2. Jesus is the bright Morning _​_​_​_​_​. Revelation 22:16

3. Adding things to the book of Revelation will bring plagues. T/F. Revelation 22:18

QUARTER AT A GLANCE

by Douglas Redford

The Bible clearly teaches the sovereignty of God, the theme of this quarter’s lessons. Believing in that sovereignty is not difficult when life is going well. What often leaves us perplexed (and sometimes annoyed or even angry) are the turmoils and tragedies of daily life. These can cause us to wonder, Is God really sovereign? If so, then why do nations wage genocide? Why do people flaunt wickedness with impunity? Why do families continue to disintegrate?

Troubling Times

We take care to note that many portions of the Bible that proclaim God’s sovereignty were recorded during periods of great turmoil and tragedy. The prophet Isaiah, for example, carried out his ministry during a time when God’s people were confronted by the seemingly invincible Assyrian empire. God’s sovereignty? Nice in theory, perhaps; but that idea can be hard to embrace when Assyrian troops are overrunning your territory! As if that were not enough to discourage God’s people, Isaiah also looked ahead to the time when Babylon would pose a similar threat. Can God be truly sovereign amidst all this chaos?

The Scripture texts for our first unit of lessons boldly assert the Lord’s plans for his kingdom. That kingdom is to be characterized by true and lasting peace (lesson 1), freedom from grief and want (lesson 2), and the riches of an everlasting covenant (lesson 4). No enemy can limit what the Lord’s sovereign purpose intends to accomplish. Foes such as Assyria and Babylon may have their day in the sun, but the Lord is the one who brings their princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing (Isaiah 40:23, lesson 3).

Our third unit of lessons also considers daunting threats to the people of God—in this case, his church. These four lessons from Revelation concentrate on the grand finale of God’s sovereign plan to bring his people to a place where the brokenness of a sin-cursed world exists no more. All of the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). Isaiah’s vision in lesson 2 is fulfilled in the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1, lesson 10).

Sovereign Savior

What Revelation describes is possible only through the all-sufficient work of Jesus. His sovereignty is the primary message of the book of Hebrews. From that book come the lessons of our second unit of study. The unsurpassed excellence of Jesus is proclaimed right from the book’s opening words (lesson 5). Jesus is the Son over God’s house, the house to which we belong if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory (Hebrews 3:6, lesson 6).

In exercising his sovereignty, Jesus has become the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2, lesson 9). His suffering at the cross earned him these designations as well as that of great high priest (Hebrews 4:14, lesson 7).

With a similar spirit of endurance, Christians today proclaim Christ to a sin-soaked world, the very existence of which causes people to challenge the concept of a sovereign God. As we endure and respond to these challenges, we must not forget that his sovereignty has been questioned before​—​during the onslaught of the Assyrians in Old Testament times, amidst the shame of the cross in New Testament times, etc. Yet God’s promises and purposes have remained steadfast.

They remain so for us—during whatever today’s times may bring. We acknowledge that sovereignty when we pray Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20, lesson 13).

GET THE SETTING

by Mark S. Krause

In the game Rock-Paper-Scissors, no position is all-powerful. Rock breaks scissors; scissors cut paper; paper covers rock. The pagan nations in Bible times had a similar view of their gods.

Less Than All-Powerful Gods

Pagans did not see any one deity as being almighty. Take for example Baal, worshipped by the Canaanites. Baal was understood to be the god of weather and therefore of agricultural abundance. Although seen as very powerful, there were checks on his abilities. Canaanites believed that Baal was subservient to the creator god, named El. They did not worship El as much, though, seeing him as distant and uninvolved in the world. Baal had consorts (goddess wives) who wielded great influence over him. Furthermore, Canaanite priests and priestesses supposedly knew the weaknesses of the gods and how to curry their favor. In this sense, people had limited power over their deities.

Competitive Gods

The various pantheons of pagan deities were not places of harmony! The Greeks pictured Mt. Olympus (the home of many gods) as a place of plots, intrigues, and rivalries. Such gods could be jealous, petty, and vain. Although the gods had great power, humans could challenge and trick them at times, a favorite theme of the myths.

Other ancient cultures saw their gods as needy beings who competed for human worship and devotion. For example, the Gilgamesh flood myth relates the story of a certain man named Utnapishtim who builds a giant boat and survives the deluge. When the waters subside, he leaves the boat, offers animal sacrifice, and burns incense. The story says the gods, who apparently were starved for human adoration while Utnapishtim and his people were afloat, swarmed like flies over the smell of the sacrifice and the incense.

Changing Gods

Ancient peoples created new deities when agendas called for it. Pharaoh Akhenaten, of the fourteenth-century BC, is an example. He abandoned the gods of his ancestors to focus on Aten, his version of the sun god. Seen by some historians as a shift toward a one god doctrine, Akhenaten’s ideas did not last. Egyptians quickly reverted to their many gods outlook after his death.

Students of ancient history know of a set of Greek gods and a parallel set of Roman gods. For example, the Greek Zeus is the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Hermes is the Roman Mercury. It wasn’t quite as simple as different names for the same gods, though. As the Romans occupied Greek-speaking lands, they imposed their own view of deities. For example, the city of Ephesus had a famous temple dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, that the Romans aligned with their goddess Diana. Although these goddesses were similar, they were not identical (see Acts 19).

God of the Bible

In contrast with these pagan deities, the Bible presents a singular, all-powerful God. He alone sustains the world that he alone created. He doesn’t compete with other gods, because there are no other gods. It doesn’t matter if kings change allegiance among various false gods, because the God of the Bible remains the true God. He is not needy for our worship, but has created us to worship him. In this, worship is about our fulfilling our purpose, not about fulfilling God’s needs. The God of the Bible is not a mix of various national deities and their myths, but is the true God who has revealed himself to us through his Word.

Our God, the sovereign Lord of the universe, is unlike any pagan god of the ancient world or any false god of the modern one. All the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens (Psalm 96:5).

THIS QUARTER IN THE WORD

LESSON CYCLE CHART

International Sunday School Lesson Cycle, September 2016–August 2022

Copyright © 2015 Standard Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Based on International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2012 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.

NO BAD SINGERS

Teacher Tips by Ronald L. Nickelson

Many years ago, I was watching a TV program about people who were learning to sing. Family and friends considered them to be hopeless cases—people who couldn’t carry a tune in the proverbial bucket. Their attempts to sing were truly cringeworthy.

But the instructor had a positive outlook. Her philosophy was that there are no bad singers; there are only untrained singers. And her training method worked!

I have adopted the same outlook regarding teachers of the Bible: there are no bad teachers; there are only untrained teachers. Take my father, for instance. When I was in high school in the early 1970s, he was thrust into the role of teacher of my Sunday school class. So with Standard Lesson Commentary in hand, he stood and read it to us. Head down. No eye contact. Bored students. My father was not a bad teacher, merely an untrained one.

Broadly speaking, there are two aspects to becoming an able teacher: (1) developing a certain level of subject-matter expertise and (2) developing skills in the teaching craft itself. Both can involve self-training and training by others.

You, the Subject-Matter Expert

The most important thing you can do to improve your teaching is to work toward subject-matter expertise on the Bible as a whole. How can you teach something you don’t know (compare Hebrews 5:12–14)? Don’t merely read the Bible in your private times; study it. There is a difference (2 Timothy 2:15).

Even so, self-study usually can take one only so far. A person desiring to learn about medicine can study medical textbooks personally, but the highest levels of learning will come through the guidance of those who are already physicians. That’s why people go to medical school. Not everyone is able to attend Bible college in residence, of course. But many such colleges offer online courses. Avail yourself of these! To prepare yourself and others for deeper levels of study, your church can offer the Bible overview in Standard Publishing’s Training for Service 26-session certification program.

Today, I have considerable skills in carpentry and auto mechanics. One reason is that my father’s subject-matter expertise in those areas went a long way in enabling him to teach them to me in his one-on-one classroom at home. Even so, subject-matter expertise does not automatically translate into good teaching skills. We have all encountered (or heard others complain of) teachers who know it, but can’t teach it. Subject-matter expertise must be accompanied by teaching skills.

You, the Skilled

Teaching is a spiritual gift (see Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; compare 1 Timothy 3:2). But having been so gifted by the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn about the teaching craft! All teachers can grow in techniques and skills.

A good place to start is self-directed study of the methods of skilled teachers. I do that every time I look back over the years at my father’s one-on-one classroom at home. He knew how much to expect from me at my age. He knew when to be hands on in directing my learning and when to be hands off so I could make my own mistakes. He knew my learning style. He knew how to handle me when I became a problem student.

I learned a lot about teaching when I had the privilege of attending the Air Force’s Academic Instructor School. Eye-opening it was! If you are not in a position to receive formal instruction regarding the teaching craft, invite a mentor to attend your class for the express purpose of evaluating how you can improve. Search YouTube® videos on the teaching craft. And if you ask for feedback from your learners, they will oblige!

September 4

Lesson 1 (NIV)

THE PEACEFUL KINGDOM

DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 72:1–7

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 11:1–9

ISAIAH 11:1–9

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of might,

the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—

³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

⁵ Righteousness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

Graphic: Dynamic Graphics / liquidlibrary / Thinkstock

KEY VERSE

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

—Isaiah 11:9

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

Unit 1: The Sovereignty of the Father

LESSONS 1–4

LESSON AIMS

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Summarize the impact that the promised Branch was prophesied to have.

2. Contrast the peace that the Branch inaugurates with modern understandings of peace.

3. Suggest one way he or she can promote the peace that the Branch inaugurates and make a plan to do so.

LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction

A.Searching for Peace

B.Lesson Background

I.The Just Ruler (ISAIAH 11:1–5)

A.His Humanity (v. 1)

Out of the Ashes

B.His Divinity (vv. 2, 3a)

C.His Righteousness (vv. 3b–5)

II.The Peaceful Rule (ISAIAH 11:6–9)

A.Radical Change (vv. 6–8)

Getting Along

B.Global Change (v. 9)

Conclusion

A.Two Pictures of Peace

B.Prayer

C.Thought to Remember

Introduction

A. Searching for Peace

Before there were GPS (Global Positioning System) devices, I used the set of maps in the back of the telephone book to find a location in my city. First, I had to look up the street name in the index. Then I had to find the correct map by referring to the code that accompanied the index entry. I had to make sure I ended up looking at the right map, otherwise I could find myself running out of room as the street trailed off the edge of the (wrong) map before I found the desired location.

Our world seeks many of the positive qualities described in today’s lesson text from the prophet Isaiah. Who in his or her right mind does not desire righteousness, justice, and peace? The problem is that the ethical maps that the world consults are too small—they are limited to this world’s sinful perspective, and they do not reflect God’s point of view. We will find righteousness, justice, and peace (along with many other blessings) only when we humble ourselves enough to consult Heaven’s GPS: God’s Promised Son. It is he who is at the heart of today’s study.

B. Lesson Background

The book of Isaiah appears in our Bibles as the first of the group known as the Major Prophets​—​so-called because of their length (the Minor Prophets are shorter books). Isaiah is known for his numerous prophecies of Jesus, many of which are quoted in the New Testament. Some of these prophecies will be highlighted in the first four lessons of this quarter, a unit titled, The Sovereignty of the Father.

The issue of God’s sovereignty likely was a hot-button topic in Isaiah’s day, since that was one of the more chaotic times in the history of God’s people. Isaiah’s call to prophetic service came in the year that King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1). That was about 738 BC, not quite two hundred years after God’s people had split into the two kingdoms of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. Uzziah (or Azariah; see 2 Kings 15:1, 13) was one of Judah’s better kings, though he finished poorly as a result of pride (2 Chronicles 26:16–21).

Isaiah 7 records the prophet’s confrontation with one of Judah’s worst kings, Ahaz (grandson of Uzziah). At the time, Judah was facing the rising threat of Assyria to the northeast. Ahaz rejected the counsel of Isaiah to trust in the Lord (Isaiah 7:1–12). The prophet warned the defiant king of the folly of this course of action (or inaction) and declared that Assyria would indeed wreak havoc on Judah (7:17–20; 10:5, 6).

It is always a mistake, though, to underestimate God in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. Often that is when he does his best work! Isaiah 10:10, 11, 22, 23 predicted that God’s judgment on his people would not leave much. But it would leave something: a remnant sufficient for God to carry out his sovereign purpose (10:20, 21).

God had informed Isaiah that his ministry would not appear to be that successful. The prophet was to proclaim God’s message until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, … and the fields ruined and ravaged (Isaiah 6:11). The population of Judah would go into exile (6:12). Although God compared the people with a tree stripped of its leaves, the holy seed would remain from which new growth would come (6:13).

I. The Just Ruler

(ISAIAH 11:1–5)

A. His Humanity (v. 1)

1a. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

Isaiah provides another picture of life emerging from unpromising conditions. Hindsight establishes that Jesus is the subject of the unfolding prophecy. But why would Jesse, the father of King David, be mentioned rather than David himself?

In the case at hand, Isaiah is not prophesying the coming of a successor of David; Isaiah is announcing, rather, that another David will come. This is in keeping with prophecies such as those found in Jeremiah 30:8, 9; Ezekiel 34:23, 24; and Hosea 3:5. About 270 years before Isaiah’s day, God raised up a shepherd boy (David) to become king over Israel; about 740 years after Isaiah, Jesus will come as the good shepherd who will lay down [his] life for the sheep (John 10:14, 15). The idea of humble origins suggested by the verse before us applies to both David and Jesus.

1b. from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The word Branch is used elsewhere in the Old Testament as a title for the coming Messiah (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12). The Hebrew language has no uppercase letters, but the word is capitalized here to call attention to the divinity of the one being foretold.

The Hebrew word for Branch is netzer, a point that may help to illuminate a passage in the Gospels. Matthew 2:23 states that Jesus resided in the town of Nazareth, so was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. Noticing how close in sound are the words Nazareth and netzer, perhaps Matthew has in mind the promise concerning the Branch. Jesus’ living in Nazareth (Branchville) fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy by describing the lowly village (compare John 1:45, 46) where Jesus grew up.

OUT OF THE ASHES

Peter Gladwin was barely a year old when his family’s house caught fire, leaving him scarred and disabled. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he was frequently in trouble with the police. He lost the use of an arm in a knife fight. He eventually descended into a life of substance abuse.

Then Peter found the Lord. Peter eventually became a probation officer, working in dangerous communities, drug rehabilitation centers, and prisons. He founded a ministry called Out of Ashes, which uses the transforming power of the gospel to rescue people from the consequences of their poor, sinful decisions.

Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would come in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. But the Lord specializes in bringing hope out of hopelessness! When all options seem exhausted, he has ways of making the impossible happen. Gladwin discovered that the Lord remains our first and final hope. Have you?

—D. C. S.

B. His Divinity (vv. 2, 3a)

2. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of might,

the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—

The Spirit of the Lord refers to the Holy Spirit, who came upon Jesus at his baptism (Matthew 3:16). The word rest implies a constant dwelling. John 3:34 tells us that Jesus possessed the Spirit without limit. That is implied here as well, given that the Holy Spirit abounds in wisdom … understanding … counsel … might … knowledge … and fear of the Lord.

The qualities Isaiah lists call to mind passages that highlight their presence in Jesus. For example, Paul notes Jesus’ wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:24 and Colossians 2:2, 3. The word counsel suggests the prophecy of a Counselor in Isaiah 9:6. Might could be linked to the title Mighty God, also in Isaiah 9:6, since the words might and mighty come from the same Hebrew word.

3a. and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

The Hebrew verb translated delight occurs only 11 times in the Old Testament, with an aromatic sense in 8 of the other 10. If the same is intended here, the idea would be to perceive something in a positive sense (compare Genesis 8:21). This implies the promised Branch’s high degree of commitment to pleasing the Lord.

C. His Righteousness (vv. 3b–5)

3b. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

The remainder of verse 3 refers to two other senses of perception: seeing and hearing. The promised Branch will not be guided by visual, physical appearances or by opinions voiced by others. His eyes and his ears are to be governed by the will of his Father. Centuries hence, Jesus (the Branch) will say, By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me (John 5:30).

4a. but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

The Branch will be guided by God’s unchanging standards of right and wrong, not by the shifting whims of culture. The Branch will display the qualities of righteousness and justice on behalf of those most often neglected or mistreated: the needy and the poor. God requires his people in both Old and New Testament times to care for the poor and not become callous toward them (Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 15:7, 8; Psalm 41:1; Galatians 2:10; James 2:1–4).

Isaiah’s words may be intended to acknowledge those who recognize their spiritual poverty and humbly admit that they depend on God for help. One should note Jesus’ language about the poor in spirit and the meek in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3, 5).

4b. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

This half-verse goes on to describe an aspect of the Branch’s judgment that is far more severe. Such language calls to mind the picture given elsewhere in the New Testament of Jesus’ final judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7–9; Hebrews 10:26–31; Revelation 19:11–15, 21). We may note that during his earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrates both sides of judgment described by Isaiah. Jesus deals compassionately with the outcasts of his day, but some of his harshest words are reserved for those religious leaders who look at the sinners around them with great contempt. Such leaders frequently feel the sting of the rod of his mouth. Jesus does not mince words with them!

5. Righteousness will be his belt

and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

This verse offers another way of picturing what is to characterize the conduct of the promised Branch. A belt or sash is worn around an individual’s waist in biblical times to hold clothing in place. Thus righteousness and faithfulness will support or sustain the promised Branch’s character and conduct, specifically the justice highlighted in verse 4a, above.

The word translated waist can also point to the inner organs where emotions and motives are believed to originate (Psalm 7:9; 26:2; 73:21; Jeremiah 20:12; Revelation 2:23). For faithfulness to be the sash of the Branch’s waist implies that this quality is to be the prime motivation behind every phase of his conduct.

II. The Peaceful Rule

(ISAIAH 11:6–9)

A. Radical Change (vv. 6–8)

6a. The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

This verse begins a very striking series of portrayals of the impact of the promised Branch’s ministry. The changes described are radical—in fact, miraculous—in nature. Only the Creator himself can bring about the kind of transformation among his created beings that we see here. The wolf, the leopard, and the lion are predatory animals. The lamb, the goat, the calf, and the yearling (a young cow being raised for meat) do not stand a chance of survival before any of them under normal conditions. Here, however, are these creatures living at peace with one another, with no violence or aggressiveness whatsoever!

6b. and a little child will lead them.

As if the unusual pairings of verse 6a were not remarkable enough, the leader of the menagerie is to be a little child! We would never place animals like wolves, leopards, or lions in a petting zoo for young children to touch them. Yet that is the picture Isaiah paints.

7. The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The prophet continues his depiction of peaceful surroundings. Again we see animals acting quite contrary to what we expect of them. A cow, with no worry of being attacked, shares a meal with a bear. Meanwhile, their young ones nap side by side. The carnivorous lion switches to a vegetarian diet (see parallel expressions in Isaiah 65:25a).

Visual for Lesson 1. Keep this chart on display for the first four Sundays of this quarter to give your learners a chronological perspective.

8. The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

Once more, the degree of human interaction with deadly creatures is amazing: an infant (a nursing baby) need not be protected from the cobra’s den. The last phrase offers parallel elements. The young child in view here is no longer an infant in the nursing stage, but is weaned (weaning normally occurs at around three years of age). Like the first child, this one is seen to do something that no conscientious parent would allow: explore an area known to be infested with deadly snakes, for that is what a viper is. See Proverbs 23:32, where the word viper stands parallel with the word snake. The snake, or serpent, was humanity’s first enemy (Genesis 3).

GETTING ALONG

A cheetah kitten named Sahara and a puppy named Alexa grew up together in the Cincinnati Zoo and became good friends. They maintained their playful relationship even a decade later. Perhaps you have seen YouTube® videos of house cats and parakeets, etc., lounging around together. Such odd couples amaze us because their behavior is not the norm.

Isaiah describes a time of peace where everything seems unnatural: lions eating grass; cows and bears grazing together; leopards and goats, wolves and sheep, babies and snakes—all getting along. Such peace will characterize humanity when Jesus returns to reign in all fullness. This peace will not just be a state of harmony between people, but also between people and God.

This kind of peace is not as the world gives, but as only God’s Son can provide (compare John 14:27). The curse of sin will be lifted fully, never to return. How do we prepare for the great day when Jesus brings that final peace?

—D. C. S.

B. Global Change (v. 9)

9a. They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

The phrase holy mountain occurs 21 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, with differing English translations (example: Daniel 9:20). The book of Isaiah features 6 of these 21, and this is the first. Of particular note among the others is Isaiah 65:25b, which features identical wording in both English and Hebrew to what we see in the verse before us (compare Isaiah 56:7; 57:13; 65:11; 66:20).

9b. for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

The conjunction for points us to the cause of the marvelous picture of peace that Isaiah paints up to this point. The fact that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord is quite a positive thing (Habakkuk 2:14 is very similar; compare Jeremiah 31:34). Two ways are suggested for understanding the fulfillment of this prophetic portrait of peace, each with biblical support.

One way is to view Isaiah’s description as that of the literal new heavens and new earth, mentioned in Isaiah 65:17; 66:22. Between those two texts, 65:25a is quite similar to 11:6, 7, and 9 in today’s lesson. All this is seen to imply Isaiah to be depicting the complete elimination of the curse of sin (compare Revelation 21:1). According to Paul, the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22) as it longs for the day of deliverance from the bondage to decay (8:21). The pain that we see in the created world​—the violence that animals inflict on one another (and on humans)—will no longer be present when God re-creates the universe where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).

The other potential interpretation is to see the prophecies fulfilled in a more figurative sense, with the animals representing humans who clash with one another. In the Bible, human enemies are often compared with animals (Psalm 22:12, 13, 16, 20, 21; Acts 20:29; etc.). But because of the Branch’s impact and the forgiveness and peace he brings about (through Jesus’ death and resurrection), hatred and bitterness are no more.

Possibly Isaiah’s words are intended to be understood both ways. Just as the words of Isaiah 11:4 are descriptive both of Jesus’ earthly ministry and what will occur at his return, so verses 6–9 may be picturing the impact of the church’s ministry as it takes the gospel to the world as well as what Jesus himself will bring to pass when he returns to usher in the new heavens and the new earth.

Conclusion

A. Two Pictures of Peace

The story is told of two artists who were commissioned to paint a picture that conveyed the theme of peace. One painted a quiet rural scene featuring a beautiful country home in the center. Next to the home were fields with crops awaiting harvest. Contented cows loitered under trees. The sun was setting in the distance, with the skies tinted at just the right colors. The other artist drew an entirely different picture. In his, a storm was raging. Trees swayed on the mountainside and in the valley below. Flashes of lightning punctuated the dark and gloomy sky.

At first glance, the second painting seemed to depict the very opposite of a peaceful setting. But on a rock projecting from a cliff protected by an overhang, a small bird sat calmly on her nest. She remained at peace in spite of the storm.

In a day to come, everything that is destructive, harmful, painful, and sorrowful will be eliminated without exception. That is God’s clear promise to us. Until then, we reside in a world that still suffers the brutal effects of sin. The circumstances of many Christians are especially stormy. Some are persecuted because of their faith; many are in anguish as they, family members, and/or close friends wrestle with intense pain, wondering how they can make it through another day.

Under such conditions, the peace that God promises becomes a cherished anchor for the soul. Pointing to the unceasing strife in the world, cynics note the lack of peace that Jesus came to bring (see Luke 2:14). But until Jesus returns, peace is not found in the absence of life’s storms, but rather in the midst of life’s storms. Jesus was very clear: In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33b). Anyone could say that, of course, but only Jesus could say what follows: But take heart! I have overcome the world (16:33c). And only Jesus could say, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace (16:33a).

That peace is not of this world (John 14:27) just as Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (18:36). Jesus’ peace sustains us when the world around us is coming to pieces. The way we model that peace can be a compelling witness to the stormy, broken world around us. There is a peaceful kingdom here and now. It is the church, whose Lord is the Prince of Peace.

B. Prayer

Father, we thank you that we are part of Jesus’ unshakable kingdom of peace, a kingdom not of this world. Embolden us to invite others in as well. We pray this in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

We have the peace of Jesus now, with more to come.

VISUALS FOR THESE LESSONS

The visual pictured in each lesson (example: page 14) is a small reproduction of a large, full-color poster included in the Adult Resources packet for the Fall Quarter. That packet also contains the very useful Presentation Tools CD for teacher use. Order No. 1629116 from your supplier.

INVOLVEMENT LEARNING

Enhance your lesson with NIV® Bible Student.

Into the Lesson

Edward Hicks (1780–1849), American Quaker minister and folk painter, illustrated today’s text more than 50 times. Most are labeled Peaceable Kingdom. Download one of these images from the Internet for use as an introduction to the lesson. Ask learners if they recognize the image and which Bible verse it relates to. After discussion, say Hicks’s view of the peaceable kingdom is different from the image of the peaceable kingdom described in today’s text.

Alternative. Read the first two paragraphs of War and Peace by Tolstoy. Ask, Can anyone identify what story this is? If no one does, identify the title, with the comment, Tolstoy knew of war and peace. The Napoleonic incursions into his beloved Russia had begun a long, hard period of oppression and then freedom, war, and peace. Isaiah, the author of today’s text, knew also of war and peace. Use the Lesson Background on the conflicts of Isaiah’s day between God’s people and pagan conquerors and oppressors.

Into the Word

Ask your class to name qualities of the perfect monarch or ruler from an earthly, political perspective. Write the list on a board. Have someone read Isaiah 11:1–5. Ask, What attributes do you see in Isaiah’s description of the ideal monarch? Add this second list beside your initial list for comparison and contrast.

Such descriptors as the following may find their way into either or both lists: fears and reverences God; has and resembles the Spirit of God; is fully perceptive of the behaviors and motives of others; will condemn and punish wickedness; judges others with righteousness and fairness; will preside over a people who live in harmony in every way. Your list(s) may include elements such as: he tells the truth, she is well-informed on all matters of necessity, and others. Relate entries to the text.

Display these two words: UTOPIA and SHANGRI-LA. Note that these are writers’ designations for fictional ideal kingdoms in which people and other creatures live in marvelous harmony and unity. Have someone read Isaiah 11:6–9. Ask, How does this picture of a fully harmonious existence of God’s creatures reflect a sense of an ideal existence, an ideal kingdom? The absolute absence of fear and death is at the heart of the desired answer.

Ask, How do you see the absence of these elements in government leaders’ and in species’ interrelationships as reflective of the fact that sin is at work in the world? Note the different concepts of peace as reflected in today’s text and in today’s world.

Emphasize that Isaiah is describing a peaceable kingdom that does not exist on the earth and will not. Have someone read John 16:33; the emphasized truth is that peace is in Christ, who has overcome this world and its curse of sin. Say, That is the peaceable kingdom we are looking forward to.

Option. Make copies of The Family Tree activity from the reproducible page, which you can download. Assign half of the class to answer the first question by referring to the Matthew genealogy, and the other half to answer with the Luke genealogy. Complete the rest of the activity together.

Into Life

The Spirit’s picture of the peaceful kingdom wherein animals and children get along regardless of what we consider to be natural tendencies reveals much about God’s plan and the future. It is obvious that God’s Spirit and the Branch can create an idyllic existence such as today’s text and general biblical revelation suggest. Ask, What can you do to bring about the peaceable kingdom?

Alternative. Distribute copies of the An Odd Zoo activity from the reproducible page. Have students work in pairs. Ask for ideas on how to be a peacemaker.

ACTIVITY PAGE

Click here to download the free reproducible pdf page

September 11

Lesson 2 (NIV)

THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD

DEVOTIONAL READING: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 25

ISAIAH 25:6–10A

⁶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare

a feast of rich food for all peoples,

a banquet of aged wine—

the best of meats and the finest of wines.

⁷ On this mountain he will destroy

the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations;

⁸ he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

he will remove his people’s disgrace

from all the earth.

The LORD has spoken.

⁹ In that day they will say,

"Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the LORD, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

¹⁰ The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Photo: Toltek / iStock / Thinkstock

KEY VERSE

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

—Isaiah 25:8

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

Unit 1: The Sovereignty of the Father

LESSONS 1–4

LESSON AIMS

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. List some characteristics of our final deliverance by God from oppression.

2. Compare and contrast Isaiah 25:6–10a with 1 Corinthians 15:54 and Revelation 7:17; 21:4.

3. Identify an oppressive situation in his or her community and suggest a way to bring the love of Christ to bear on it.

LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction

A.Memories in the Mountains

B.Lesson Background

I.God’s Graciousness (ISAIAH 25:6–8)

A.Offering a Feast (v. 6)

Christmas Down Under

B.Overcoming Death (vv. 7, 8)

Forgiven and Free

II.People’s Gratitude (ISAIAH 25:9, 10a)

A.Words of Testimony (v. 9)

B.Words of Truth (v. 10a)

Conclusion

A.A Somber Anniversary

B.A Song of Hope

C.Prayer

D.Thought to Remember

Introduction

A. Memories in the Mountains

One weekend during the fall of 2013, our daughter and daughter-in-law planned a weekend getaway for our family at a cabin up in the Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The cabin turned out to be much farther up in the mountains than we first had thought; once we turned off the main highway, it was still another 30 or 40 minutes of curving and swerving our way up the road until we finally arrived at the cabin.

Our family had never gone on an excursion like this, but it became one of our most memorable experiences. For my wife and me, having our children and grandchildren together in one place for three days created an array of truly precious memories. Of course, the day came when we had to come down from the mountaintop and face life back in the real world. That is typical of any mountaintop experience; eventually one has to return to the valley below.

Many mountains are mentioned in the Bible, including Mounts Horeb, Gerizim, Ebal, Sinai, Nebo, Zion, Carmel, and Hermon (which may have been the mount of Jesus’ transfiguration). Some of the most significant events in Scripture occurred on those mountains. In today’s text Isaiah describes a mountain where some truly memorable events will take place in the future.

B. Lesson Background

Our lesson title ties nicely into last week’s text from Isaiah 11:1–9. That passage concluded with the statement that nothing harmful or destructive is to have any place in God’s holy mountain. Today’s text comes from a section of the book that is often called The Isaiah Apocalypse (chapters 24–27). This is because the scenes pictured are similar to the apocalyptic language (which is imagery describing the end of the world) found in the book of Revelation (compare Zechariah 9–14; Mark 13:24–27).

Using the kind of vivid symbolism found there, the prophet pictures the whole earth coming under the judgment of God. Isaiah 24 in particular uses such language, illustrated quite well by verse 20. There Isaiah’s apocalypse opens with a description of the Lord’s plans to devastate utterly.

The tone shifts rather abruptly with Isaiah 25, moving from somber words of judgment to words of praise to God. (Such a shift is not unusual in Isaiah or in other prophetic books.) God is praised for the wonderful things he has done (25:1), including being a source of strength to his people and bringing judgment on their enemies (vv. 2–5). The language at the conclusion of verse 5 is especially noteworthy: The song of the ruthless is stilled. Last week’s lesson highlighted the marvelous things that God’s Branch would accomplish. The branch of chapter 25 has a very different future from the one of chapter 24!

Isaiah previously described the mountain of the Lord as a place where noteworthy events in God’s sovereign plan are to unfold. Isaiah 2:2–4 pictures the place as established as the highest of the mountains, a place to which all nations will stream. They will do so because that is where the house of the Lord is located, a place where his Word is taught. The reference suggests Jerusalem, or Zion; indeed, both Jerusalem and Zion are mentioned in Isaiah 2:3. This sets a backdrop for today’s study.

I. God’s Graciousness

(ISAIAH 25:6–8)

A. Offering