Light: The Promise

The context

-After Solomon died the Kingdom split into 2 Kingdoms. Israel to the North and Judah to the South.

-During the time of Isaiah…the nations were dealing with the threat of invasion and domination from the northern Kingdom - Assyria

-THey had been dominate in the past…but this was the span of time that say their last great period of greatness.

-For the past 75 years, due to weak leaders - Assyria could not hold the conquests of the previous leaders. because of this the surrounding nations had a period of relief from Assyrian pressure

-This included Israel and Ju

-This was a period of great prosperity for Israel and Judah

-This was a period of great prosperity for Israel and Judah

-created a false sense of comfort and complacency

-assumed that obvously God was pleased with them because of their blessings - especially Israel mindset

-Israel was deep into apostasy (Amos and Hosea to stop it)

-Hosea and Ezekiel likened it to prostitution

-forgetting God and turning to other gods

-745 - New Assyrian King (Pul)

-the time of complacency was over

-it was clear that Pul was going to expand his kingdom as far as possible

-Expansion would go two direction. Southeast along the river toward Babylon and to the west toward the Mediterranean. South was desert, north and east were mountains.

-Israel would be the first target (closest to Assyria)

-Almost immediately Israel’s king paid tribute to Assyria

-all it did was buy some time

-Eventually Assyria would swallow them up

-Judah seeing this pressure on Israel was facing a decision

-be pro Assyria or anti Assyria

735 - Ahaz becomes king of Judah

-no pro-Assyrian policy

-Israel and Damascus attacked Judah as a result

-Judah called upon Assyria for help

-This was all a catalyst for Isaiah’s first phase of ministry (Chapters 1-39)

-

Isaiah’s Approach

-Judah should not be pro or anti Assyria but pro God

-Saw Judah turning away from God and turning to the trappings of human pomp, politics, and power

-Judah headed for the same apostasy as Israel

-Eventually Judah was forced into an even more binding treaty that required them to recognize the Assyrian gods

-The book of Immanuel (chapter 7-12) opens with a date of conflict - Ahaz was in power and JUdah was weakened by an attack by Syria and Israel on Jerusalem (). With enemies surrounding Judah, Ahaz appeals to Assyria for help. This brought Assyria westward on a second major campaign. Before that, Isaiah offers a different alternative (7:10-12). This is the ultimate setting of this part of Isaiah.

Isaiah’s flow

Ch. 6 - Isaiah presents his resume - his call to prophetic ministry

7:10-12 - Ahaz told to ask for a sign but refused

7:13-14 - Ahaz received a sign anyway

8:1-4 - Short term oracle to prove Isaiah’s worth

-when this short prophecy comes true his predictive ability would be confirmed over the longer prophecy he was offering. A common tactic among prophets

8:5-22 - Warning given - Assyria is coming and will destroy them

9:2-7 - Prophecy of hope - The Light is coming (presented as past tense)