Isaiah 1-39 Overview
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
General Overview of the Book
General Overview of the Book
40,000 Foot view
— A forty-thousand foot view of the book
— Can’t go chapter by chapter or verse by verse, but we will in our study
— For now we will hit the highlights of the book
Major Prophet
— Not because he was more important but because of the length of the book
McGee
— Prophets were more than foretellers
“Raised up by God in a decadent day when both the Priest and King no longer were worthy channels through which the communications of God might flow”
Far/Near
— Spoke of events in the far off future but also local near term events.
— They had to speak in this manner in order to qualify for this office according to the Mosaic Law
— God put down the law for King, Priest and Prophet (Deut 18:20-22)
Near
— Judgment of the nations surrounding Israel (1-39)
— Predicted the fall of both Israel and Syria (7:7)
— and that Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrian army (37:6)
— Both happened in his lifetime
Far
— Predicted events that he did not live to see
— Babylonian Exile (39:5-7)
— Babylon’s fall to Cyrus II (44:28, 45:1, 13)
— Suffering Messiah (53)
Double
— Some prophecies had a double fulfillment
— Restoration of Jerusalem after the Exile was fulfilled (537 to 520 BC) but Isaiah speaks of a new Jerusalem (65:17-25)
— Spoke of the fall of Babylon but we also see a revised Babylon fall in Revelation (Rev 18)
Millennial
— The millennial Kingdom 11x (11:6; 14:1-3; 19:16; 24:23; 27:2-6; 35:1-10; 42:10-12; 43:5-6; 49:19ff; 56:1-11; 61:1-9)
— Sometimes speaking to the immediate future
— Sometimes a future time (Millennial)
— Sometimes a prophecy of both near and far
Q: What are some of the other major prophets?
— Lamentations
— Daniel
— Jeremiah
— Ezekiel
Contemporaries
— Contemporaries were
— Amos
— Hosea
— Micah
— All wrote at about the same time
Title
— Isaiah means “The Lord is Salvation”
— He lived during the reign of 5 kings:
— Uzziah
— Jotham
— Ahaz
— Hezekiah
— Manasseh
— For our purposes, we will only look at Ahaz and Hezekiah in depth
— These are the kings that Isaiah speaks to in this book
Nobility
— Isaiah was probably of some nobility and not some crazy peasant from the countryside
— He had access to the inner circles of power
Literary Style
— The highest literary style in the entire bible
— World classic after nearly 3,000 years
— A mixture of Poetry and Prophetic literature
Robinson
George L. Robinson said “For versatility of expression and brilliance of imagery Isaiah had no superior, not even a rival”
— Come, let us reason together (1:18-20)
— The song of the vineyard (5:1-7)
— Unto us a child is born (9:2-7)
— The peace of the Messiah who rises from Jesse’s stump (11:1-9)
— The Highway of holiness (35:1-10)
— Comfort, comfort my people (40:1-31)
— Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker (45:5-10 )
— By His wounds we are healed (52:13-53:12)
— Come, all you who are thirsty (55:1-12)
— Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen? (58:1-14 )
— The spirit of the Lord is upon me (61:1-11 ) (Wilson)
Q: Why should we study the book of Isaiah?
— Quoted 87x in the NT
— Jesus quoted Isaiah 8x
— All of the apostles and early church knew this book
Died
— According to Christian and Hebrew legend Isaiah was killed by King Manasseh
— We have no extra biblical evidence
— But Hebrews does seem to elude to his death
— He was placed in a tree trunk and sawed to death alive (Heb 11:37)
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
Audience
— Isaiah wrote to both
— the Southern Kingdom (Judah)
— and the Northern Kingdom (Israel)
Time
— Near and Future prophecies
Split
— The book of Isaiah is split the same way the bible is divided
— OT (39) books of judgement
— The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are books of judgment or “the government of God”
— NT (27) books of salvation
— The last 27 chapters of Isaiah
— A Total of 66 chapters
1-39
— The first 39 chapters regard the “government of God” or judgement
— This is a very somber section of the book
2 Messages:
— The First message of Isiah is (1) Judgement
— Israel’s rebellion would come at a cost
— God would use Assyria and then Babylon to punish Isreal if they continued in their idolatry and oppression of the poor
— Obedience and Blessings
— Obedience results in blessings
— a covenant view of history
— Your children will be healthy, your crops and animals will increase (Deut 28:4)
— You will be safe when you travel (Deut 28:6)
— God will defeat your enemies (Deut 28:7)
— You will be blessed when you go to work (Deut 28:8)
— He will send abundant rain for your crops
— You will Lend but not borrow (Deut 28:12)
Disobey and Curses
— Deut 28:15 and until the end of the chapter - all the curses if the Nation turns from God
— All of this applied to Isreal as Isaiah will demonstrate
— The Second message of Isaiah is (2) Hope
— God would one day fulfill all of his covenant promises
— He would send a king from the line of David to establish an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam 7:12ff)
— He would lead Israel in obedience of all the laws in the covenant at Mt Sini (Ex 19)
— So that God could bless all the nations of the earth through Israel (Gen 12)
Organization of the book
— 3 Large Sections that develop Isiah’s warning of Judgment on Israel
— 1-12 ; 13-27 ; 28-39
— These culminate in an event: the fall of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon
1-12 First Main Section: Judgment and Hope
1-12 First Main Section: Judgment and Hope
1 -12
— Accuses the city of Rebellion, Idolatry and Injustice
— He will judge Israel by sending the nations to conquer Israel
— This will be like a purifying Fire (5:24) that burns away all that is worthless in order to create a New Jerusalem
— This New Jerusalem will be populated by a Remnant that has repented and turned back to God
— That is when God’s kingdom will come and all nations will come to the temple and learn of God’s justice
Old and New is a reoccurring theme
— This story line of the old Jerusalem being replaced by the new Jerusalem
— A reoccurring theme throughout the book
— Isaiah adds more and more details as we go through the book
5
— Chapter 5 is the grimmest, saddest part of the introduction
— A personal disaster
— A sad song
— The speaker does everything to cultivate the vineyard
— Life savings, toil, sweat.
— All their human effort and the crop is worthless (isa 5:4)
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?
— worthless grapes (NAS)
— wild grapes (NKJV)
— bad fruit (NIV)
— Play on word In the Hebrew Isaiah uses a play on words
— “He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.” (5:7b)
— Notice Justice and Righteousness here
— These often appear together
— They are the Hebrew words “mispat” (Justice) and “sdaqd” (Righteousness)
— The Lord looked for “mispat” (Justice) but instead found “mispah” (Oppression)
— He looked for “sdaqd” (Righteousness) but instead found “saq” (a cry for help)
— The Lord is the vineyard owner
— Israel is the vineyard
Sins
— Isaiah lists the sins that Isreal has committed
— These are enumerated as a series of “woes” or judgments
— Materialism (5:8)
— Stock piling - therefore, I will send famine conditions (5:10)
— Drunken pleasure seeking (5:11)
— Defiant sinfulness (5:18)
— At the end of Chapter 5 he says “Your Finished.”
— The Nation is finished; circle it (5:24)
24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
The Grand Vision (6)
6
— Isaiah has this grand vision of the Lord sitting in His temple, surrounded by His glory
— Creatures around the throne shouting that God is “Holy, Holy, Holy”
— Isaiah realizes how corrupt he and his people and he is certain that he is going to be destroyed by God’s holiness (but he’s not)
— Isaiah is touched by a coal from the altar that purifies him
— This is where Isiah receives his commission and we read this famous verse (6:8)
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Preach
— Isaiah is told to preach
— But his preaching will have a paradoxical effect
— Because Israel has reached a point of no return
— his preaching will only harden their hearts (6:10)
— no one will listen to you
— It will just fall on deaf ears
— He asks (6:11) how long?
— The Lord answers, until there is no one left
Trust
— He is told to trust God’s plan
— Israel is going to be chopped down like a tree (6:13)
— And that stump itself will be scorched and burned
— But a remnant (the stump, the 1/10) will be called a holy seed (6:13)
— Who or What is that holy seed?
7-12
— Offers an answer to that question
— Isaiah confronts king Ahaz, a descendant of David and the king of Jerusalem
— Isaiah tells Ahaz that Assyria will first chop down Israel and desolate the land (7:17-25)
— The Northern Kingdom has joined forces with a foreign power (Assyria, the enemy) to destroy the Southern Kingdom (Judah).
Comfort
— Isaiah provides words of comfort and hope
— But there is hope!
— Because of God’s promise to David God will send a new king after Israel is chopped down and desolated
— His name is Immanuel (7:14) “God with us”
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
— His new kingdom will set men free from oppression and violence (9:6-7)
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Small Shoot
— Isaiah describes this coming king as a small shoot (11:1)
— This stump will emerge from the old stump of David’s family
— This king is the “holy seed” from 6:13
Empowered
— This king will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to rule over a new Jerusalem (11:2-9)
— And the Gentiles will flock to this new Jerusalem (11:10) to seek him, the small shoot, the holy seed (6:13)
— He will bring justice for the poor and slay the wicked
Summary (1-12) about judgment and hope
— We saw the old Jerusalem and new Jerusalem theme repeated again
— Isaiah saw another empire coming after Assyria and that was Babylon
— They attacked Jerusalem and actually destroyed it
— Described in the next major section of the book
Noteworthy
Some noteworthy verses in this section
— His name is Immanuel “God with us” (7:14)
— Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (9:6)
— We went through Jesus’ genealogy and we saw how Matthew solved the “Jeconiah problem”
— The relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility (10:5-15)
13-27 - Second Section: Judgment and Hope for the Nation
13-27 - Second Section: Judgment and Hope for the Nation
13-27
— This large section looks at the judgment of the nations.
— We learn of the fall of Babylon — it gets 3 chapters (13, 14, 21) and Israel’s neighbors
— Isaiah is pointing out that Assyria will be replaced by Babylon which will be even more destructive than Assyria
— Babylon’s kings declare that they are higher than all other gods ( 14:13ff )
— “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God”
— We saw the double meaning as it could apply to Satan’s fall ( 14:12ff )
Pride
— Isaiah goes on to list judgments or “woes” against all of Israel’s enemies:
— Damascus ( 17 )
— Edom (21)
Egypt
— Egypt (19) incredible promise Egypt and Assyria will turn to the true God of Israel and be the Lord’s people.
— Moses said, “Let my people go!” In the future they will be the Lord’s people
— Moab (15,16)
Moab
J. Vernon McGee asks the question: “It’s obvious why Isaiah would spend 3 chapters on Babylon. But why two chapters on Moab, someone who we have never heard of?”
— Descendants of Lot, nephew of Abraham
— The first son born was Moab (cf. Gen 19:37)
— Like Felix and Festus, they were close to being a Christian
— They were always close to Israel
— not far from the Kingdom
— David is from Ruth’s genealogy
Modern Day
— In our church we have people who have a form of godliness but they are not Christians
— This described the Moabites
— Jude warned of these people (cf. Jude 1:4, Jude 1:12)
Others
— Philistia (14)
— Tyre (23)
Babylon
— Babylon (13, 14,21)
— A near and long-term prophecy
— The city represented rebellion against God; Tower of babel (Gen 11:1-9)
— There will be a revised Spiritual & Economic Babylonian empire in the end times which God destroys (Rev 18)
Not Final For Isaiah God’s judgement is never the final word for Israel or the Nation
— This leads to the next section (24-27) that tells the tale of two cities
Noteworthy
— Some noteworthy verses in this section
— (28:15) They made a covenant with death
24-27 - Third Section: A tale of two Cities
24-27 - Third Section: A tale of two Cities
Lofty City
— The Lofty City
— Exalted itself above God and has become corrupt
— An ARCHETYPE of rebellious Humanity
— Described with images from chapters 4-23
— This city is destined for ruin
Courtroom
— Isaiah uses his court room Analogy as he often does in the book (1:2; 3:13, 41:21-29; 43:8-9; 59:9-13)
— He says that the Earth is defiled
— He lays out the charges (24:5)
5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant.
— First, you transgressed the law - refused to live by divine revelation
— Second, violated my statues - you altered the moral code
— Third, You’ve broken the everlasting covenant - refused to live in fellowship with the Lord
Tribulation
— These four chapters (24-27)are often called “Isaiah’s Apocalypse.”
— They discuss God’s judgment on the entire world for its sin
— Isaiah’s prophecies were first directed to
— Judah
— then to Israel
— then to the surrounding nations
— and finally the whole world
— Judgment comes on everyone no matter what their social or economic status
— The high and the low
— Rich and the poor
— religious and non-religious.
— God holds all men accountable even those who have not heard the gospel
New City
— One day replaced by the New Jerusalem
— God reigns as king over a redeemed humanity
— “the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed” (24:23)
— No more death, suffering, diseases
— This is a picture of 1,000 year millennial kingdom ( 11:6; 14:1-3; 19:16; 24:23; 27:2-6; 35:1-10; 42:10-12; 43:5-6; 49:19ff; 56:1-11; 61:1-9 )
— This is the climax of the section and illustrates how Isaiah’s prophecies pointed far out from his own day
— It was a message of Hope for all who are waiting for God to bring His justice on violent oppressive kingdom and bring His kingdom of Justice, peace and healing love
Noteworthy
— Some noteworthy verses in this section
— “the resurrection of the dead” (26:19)
19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.
28-39 - Final Section: The Rise & Fall of Jerusalem
28-39 - Final Section: The Rise & Fall of Jerusalem
28-35
— We see God’s people have failed under pressure
— Isaiah accuses the leaders of Jerusalem of turning from God and relying on Egypt for military protection against Assyria
— Hezekiah made an alliance with the Egyptian Pharaoh Tirhakah against Assyria (2 ki 19:9, Isa 37:9)
— They made a covenant with death (28:15)
— A They’ve left the faith
— They trust in the shadow of Egypt (30:2)
— Isaiah says that only Trust in your God and repentance can save Israel now (30:15)
Woes
God delivers 6 ‘woes’ or judgments against
— the Northern Kingdom
— Assyria
— Egypt
— Judah (the Southern Kingdom)
— and Zion (Jerusalem)
36-38
Trusting in God is Illustrated by the rise of king Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem
— The Assyrian armies come and try to attack the city
— Hezekiah humbles himself before God (37:20) and the city is miraculously saved (37:36)
39
Hezekiah’s rise is immediately followed by his Fall
— He hosts a delegation from Babylon and shows them all the treasures of the temple (39:2)
— Clearly an attempt to make another political alliance for protection
— Isaiah confront Hezekiah and rebukes him for his foolishness.
— He says that Babylon will betray him and return as an enemy and carry off all of these treasures (39:6)
— And we know that Isaiah was right (cf. 2 Kings 24-25)
Divine Judgment
All of Isaiah’s warnings of divine judgment (1-39) lead up to this moment
— The Babylonians will come Destroy the City, Burn the Temple, and carry off the nation into captivity into Babylon
— He is shown to be a true prophet because it all happened exactly like he said
Remember
The purpose of God’s judgment was to
— Purify Jerusalem
— Save a remnant and bring the Holy Seed and Messianic kingdom over all nations
— That “hope” is what is explored in the next section of the book (40-66)
Noteworthy
Some noteworthy verses in this section
— A Rock of Stumbling (28:13)
— I lay a stone for a foundation, a precious cornerstone (28:16)
— The great battle of Armageddon (34)
— Sundial moved back and Hezekiah’s life extended (38:8)
Additional Resources
Isaiah Overview Part Part 1 1-39 https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8
Isaiah Overview Part II 40-66 https://youtu.be/_TzdEPuqgQg
J Vernon McGee Overview: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-intro-745777.html
Introduction to Isaiah, Ralph Wilson: http://www.jesuswalk.com/isaiah/00_intro.htm