An Introduction to the Book of Isaiah____

ISAIAH: THE MAN (YHWH Saves)

At this point I will treat the book of Isaiah as if it was written by just one author although most modern scholarship divides Isaiah into at least three authors. We may look at some of those ideas as we move along but for the moment we will keep it simple.

1. Isaiah was a married man and had two children (7:3; 8:1-3). His wife was called a "prophetess." That may be simply because she was the wife of a prophet but more likely she was the real thing. In some ways she was much like Sara (according to Peter) in that she cared so much for her husband she called him Master (1^st Peter3:6). Isaiah was a husband, a father, and a prophet.

2. His own name and the names of his boys were prophetic. The older son (Shear-jashub___means a remnant will return cf. 7:3) spoke of the certain preservation of a remnant of Israel despite all the national troubles they experienced. There is also implied in his name a call for trust in YHWH.

The younger boy was called Maher-shalal-hashbaz (quick to plunder, swift to the spoil cf. 8:3-4). This spoke of God fulfilling His Word through the Assyrian armies against Syria (under Rezin) and Israel (the northern kingdom) under Pekah. The Assyrians eagerly rushed to make spoil and prey of both those kingdoms that were troubling Judah.

The first boy's name meant "judgment is coming" and the second boy's
 name meant "after judgment a remnant will return."

3. No one can say for sure if Isaiah was related to the royal family. It is certain that he was a historiographer of the Judean court. 2^nd Chronicles 26:22 tells us this. This also explains the easy access Isaiah had to the kings (Isaiah 7:3; 38 & 39).

Isaiah was a city prophet. He did not preach in the country but in Jerusalem. He was different than Amos and Micah and more like Hosea. Hosea seems to have been a man from the city of Samaria however.

Apparently Isaiah understood the courts since he was not "just" a prophet but a prophet in the court of the king. Jewish tradition states that he was at the court of King Uzziah. Isaiah the historian was in a perfect place to know what was going on. By that we mean that before Isaiah was called by God to be a prophet of Israel, Isaiah was Judah's historian (Isa. 6:1-8).

4. Like all other prophets, Isaiah was a sinner and had his human limitations. He was capable of being made afraid, and needed God to speak to him “with a strong hand.” (See Comments on what is a Prophet)

He made his own confession of sinfulness.

He acknowledged the fact that he was not what he should be and was a sinner living among sinners (Isa.6). Anyone who believed that he was not in need of the forgiveness and love and mercy from God could not be a prophet of God. If a prophet was a proud man God could not use him. Moses is the best example of this. When Moses killed the Egyptian Luke describes the event like this:

Here is the point. At the time of the killing, Moses showed that he was too proud to be a worker for God so God sent him into the wilderness for 40 years where he worked as a sheepherder for another man. That ought to dampen the proud spirit.

In spite of his sinfulness, Isaiah was a faithful prophet. With the help of God he was able complete the work of God. As a preacher, having those to whom you preach not listen or even reject you can be a very troubling experience. Not a single prophet in the OT was ever accepted by the people they were working with. Thus, one may work his entire life and have nothing to show for it except taking comfort in that the work of God has been carried out.

5. In the end, Isaiah came through (see 37:21-38). He recognized the sovereign power of God and submitted. He lived through the prosperous times of Uzziah and Jothan when the nation was militarily strong. He watched the nation decline under Ahaz and civil war, the alliance with Assyria and the terrible financial burden of that alliance. He prophesied through the ups and downs of Hezekiah's reign and learned to trust in YHWH.

6. Isaiah 1:1 tells us of Isaiah seeing visions in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah...... It does not speak to his prophesying under Manasseh. And yet___37:38 mentions the death of Sennacherib and the accession of Esarhaddon in 681.

In order to help understand Isaiah the prophet better there are 8 things that ought to be considered.

1. To better understand it is important to have a knowledge of the history of Isaiah's day and of his world. The 8^th century B.C was a Zeitgeist in religious thought. Confucius, Budda, Zoroaster and others all came on the world scene at this time. Isaiah the prophet was called in the middle of an explosion of religious ideas. The tiny nation of Israel was about to go into captivity. The nation of Judah was not far behind. Because of their behavior they were facing God's judgment.

2. As with other OT books, the book of Isaiah has no regard for the chronological progression of time. Books often progress from year to year moving from an early period to a later period but some of the OT books have no such scheme. The history of 1^st and 2^nd Kings and 1^st and 2^nd Chronicles are good examples of this. "A king in Israel may be introduced and studied until the end of his reign and then the author will go back in time and introduce a king in Judah.

3. The next difficulty in studying Isaiah is the confusing way in which the speaker will change from one person to another. The text may begin with God speaking to Israel and without any warning someone else may start speaking. Often times the context is all we have.

4. Sometimes it is hard to tell who is being spoken to. In one verse a prophet may be addressing the Lord, and before that verse is finished, the same prophet will be addressing the nation or some group within the nation.

5. There is difficulty in deciding the period of ministry and the historical context. Sometimes the reader is left wondering what period of Isaiah's ministry is in view and left to an educated guess.

6. It is difficult having independent oracles talking about different things side by side within the context. Since these stories are not always chronological there is some confusion. It is important to remember this is an Asian book written in the 8^th century B.C......The western mind is contaminated by the likes of John Locke whereas the eastern mind tends to reason in a circle.

7. It is difficult to strike a balance between letting Isaiah speak in OT times and letting him speak his truths as they are related to the NT. To remove Isaiah from his history harms his writings.

It is not strange that Isaiah speaks for generations long after him. It is important to see his messianic fulfillment. Isaiah wrote about his day but everything he recorded was not given within the context of Assyria. Nor was everything he recorded later concerning God's overall purpose in Christ.

8. It is difficult to see the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies since sometimes the prophecies were not fulfilled at all when conditions changed within Israel or other nations. Remember the principle upon which prophecy operated___prophecy of judgment for evil was conditional on people continuing their evil. Prophecies of blessings were conditional on people continuing to do righteousness (Jeremiah 18:1-23).

Another example; Isaiah made a prophecy about judgment that was to come on Judah by Assyria but that prophecy was delayed (cf. Isaiah 48:12-22). Assyria came, Babylon came but Isaiah and Hezekiah were faithful and God's judgment to be delivered by Sennacherib was delayed. Sometimes prophecies were only partly fulfilled for the same reason. Many times prophecies were expressed in a non-literal language. These were not meant to be taken literally. Notice Isaiah 11:1-10.

If you read closely, all the above was to happen when the nations (Gentiles) come to Jesus.

Jewish tradition tells us that Isaiah was sawn asunder under Manasseh.

(Put in a hollow tree and sawed in two__Hebrews 11:37).

2^nd Chronicles 33:10 tells us that “YHWH spake to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed.” 2^nd Kings 21:10 informs us that “YHWH spake by His servants the prophets” concerning Manasseh and the evil of his reign.

What if in the later years of Hezekiah, Manasseh was a co-regent and Isaiah and others began to see the evil of Manasseh. This might give us some insight to some of the chapters and language used by Isaiah.

An Introduction to the Prophet ____by the late Richard Rogers, edited by Lane Rogers

For the Class on Isaiah__________

1. The men of the Bible often seem like fairy tale characters but were not.

a. They were men of high character.

b. They were saintly men.

2. In their humanity they were preachers____________

a. Their primary function is to stand for God and to preach the Word of God.

b. These were men of like passion with us as James said of the prophet Elijah. (James 5:17)

c. These were men that ate and drank and they lived with their wives and took care of their children. But still managed to preach the Word of God.

1. They stood for the word of God and the will of God in their lives against all adversaries.

a. Amos and Amaziah in Israel (Amos 7:7-17).

b. Micah talked about all the wickedness of the false prophets, of the false preachers and false priests of that day who prophesied for hire, who prophesied of wine and strong drink. But___in 8:3 He said, "As for me, I am full of power (the empowering of the Spirit), even the Spirit of YHWY, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin."

2. He could not be bound by convention or by public opinion or be restrained by caution diplomats.

1. They did not volunteer to be prophets.

2. God called them to be His mouthpieces, and for that reason they had great spiritual insight given them by God and they great spiritual commitment because of that call. Amos declares, "I was no prophet, Neither was I one of the sons of the prophets" (Amos 7:14-15). Amos said that he was no professional but was answering the call of God.

1. They were hard men in body and character.

a. Their stance commanded attention in any gathering.

b. Their ruggedness caused them to stand alone on many occasions.

2. Micaiah and Abhad (1st Kings 22). Ahab gave the greatest compliment even given to a prophet. He said, There is yet one man, but my soul hates him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil"(1 Kings 22:8).

1. They knew God was with them.

2. They knew they had the support of YHWH in all they said and done.

His often lonely solitary life gave him time to spend with the Lord.

1. Their message was constantly being challenged by evil, false teachers and preachers of the day.

2. There is not one single breath of criticism of their personal life. Each one of them lived a separated life. They were holy men. The were dedicated men.

They realized they carried God's message to man.

1. They did not deal in abstraction.

2. They did not cultivate the art of oblique. Consider the words and manner of Amos and Malachi to the people of their day.

1. God gave to them the message of what is to happen, not only to the nation of Israel but also the nations around Israel.

2. Their number one characteristic was they were to pass on the word of God to the people without addition or subtraction.

A. God's Spokesman for Judgment on the Wicked.

B. God's Spokesman for Salvation (Hope) for the Righteous (Amos 9:11-14).

C. It all culminates in the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 12:22-28).

Six things that are included in the Kingdom of God:

1. Angels

2. Spirits of just men made perfect

3. Jesus

4. God.

5. The Spirit.

6. The Church (assembly)

A. The Prophet:  A Man who was moved by the Holy Spirit (2nd Peter 1:20-21)

The word "moved" here means to be picked up and transported by:

1. The prophet of God was NOT one who gave you his judgment about what was happening.

2. He was given by God a revelation he could not have found any other way.

a. It was not his private interpretation of history.

b. It was a vision given him by God. (See Jeremiah chapter one).

B. The Prophet Cannot introduce Strange things (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). His function was to call men back to the law.

C. The prophet's Oracles Come to Pass (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

D. Sometimes Prophecy Is Conditional (Jeremiah 18:5-11; Jonah and Ninevah) (A threat may be postponed because of Repentance.)

1. A prophecy of judgment is conditioned upon their continuing in evil. In Jeremiah 18:5-11, God says to Jeremiah, "If I speak a word against a people to destroy it or pluck it up, and that people repent, then I will turn from what I said I would do and I will not destroy them" (vs. 7-8).

A prophecy of blessing is conditioned on continuing to do good. He said "If I speak concerning a nation or people to bless them because they are dong my will, and they turn from doing my will, then I will turn from blessing them, and I will curse them' (vs. 9-10).

E. Sometimes the threat may be delayed by Repentance.

1. You will see this principle illustrated in 1st Kings 21:9 where Elijah is preaching to Ahab about what is going to happen to him because of his killing of Naboth and stealing Naboth's vineyard.

2. Ahab was to be destroyed because of his evil.

3. But Ahab repented. And God said to Elijah, "See how he humbles himself before me? Therefore I will not bring this judgment in his day but in the days of his son." (1st King 21:29). And so this judgment still had to come, because God is a just God yet it was delayed.

F. The Prophets Lived Before and Immediately after the Assyrian and Babylonian Exiles.

1. Their threats were fulfilled in the exiles (cf. Zechariah 1:5-6).

2. Their promises of return were fulfilled in the return from Babylon. (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:2-23).

G. Christ's First Coming and Beginning of the Church are Important Subjects of OT prophecy (Romans 1:2; Acts 3:24-26; 1st Peter 1:10-1-2).

1. Christ

a. The ideal King (Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6).

b. The suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).

2. The Church (Assembly)

The Kingdom, God's House, God's Mountain, The Temple, The Sheepfold.

H. God's Final Revelation Is Made in His Son __Hebrews 1:1,2

Read Matthew 21:37ff_________________

The New Testament use of OT Prophets!

A. They used the Prophets to Proclaim that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.

1. Gabriel's testimony concerning John the Baptist makes the point. Gabriel speaks to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist:

a. He alludes to Malachi 4:4-5 and Isaiah 40:3....

b. He refers to these in order to prove that John the Baptist is to be the forerunner of Jesus.

2. An angel speaking to Mary: (Luke 1:32 Quotes Isaiah 9:7)

a. The angel tells of the deity of Christ.

b. The prophet used this to prove that Jesus was the Messiah

3. Luke 1:33 and Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 2:1;

The emphasis here is on the eternal duration of the Messiah's kingdom and also of its continual increase. It will never go away.

4. Luke 1:67-69 and Isaiah 12:2-3; 40:10; Zechariah 9:9:

He quotes Isaiah 40:10. In verse 69:

He quotes Zechariah 9:9 and maybe Isaiah 12:2-3 which speaks not only of Jesus' salvation that is to come but also his power.

a. Luke 1:71,

This is from Isaiah 11:13,15. Jesus will lead His church in triumph over His enemies.

b. Notice verse 76,

This is a quote from Isaiah 40:2-3.

c. Then notice verse 78;

d. Malachi 4:32 has made that prophecy. In the first part of verse 79 in Luke 1.....

This is from Isaiah 11:6,9.

This is a beautiful picture of His kingdom which vicious men will be converted and become humble and gentle ambassadors: Remember the conversion of Saul of Tarsus?

B. Jesus' Message was Substantiated by Predictions in the OT.

1. The gospel of Matthew.

a. Jesus is said to be the son of David and the son of Abraham. Isaiah 7:14, speaking of the virgin birth is quoted in Matthew 1:23.

b. Two things are emphasized in the birth of Christ.

1) It was a virgin conception

2) God has visited our planet and is here in our midst.

c. Micah is quoted in Matthew 2:6, The wise men have come from the east seeking the one that is to be born king of the Jews, and they asked "Where is he to be born?" And the priests and teachers of the law reply immediately in verse 5:

Note: The Jews knew the prophets and were, therefore able to answer in this section that the Messiah was going to be called the King of the Jews, the governor of Judah, the shepherd of Israel, worthy of worship, the divine deliverer.

d. Hosea 11:1 is quoted in Matthew chapter 2 and verse 15. This is when Herod is seeking to kill Jesus. It says in chapter 2 and verse 15 that He is going to go down into Egypt, for it is said through the prophet:

The Messiah was to be called out of Egypt____________

e. Jeremiah 31:15 had spoken of the slaughter of babies in Bethlehem six hundred years before it happened.

f. Isaiah 11:1 is quoted in Matthew 2:23 where we are told that the Messiah was to come from Galilee.

g. Isaiah 40:3 is quote in Matthew 3:3, where we find out that Isaiah spoke of John the Baptist, the harbinger of the Messiah, that he was to precede him.

h. When Jesus was tempted to make stones into bread, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3. Satan, in Matthew 4:6 quotes the 91^st psalm to try and get Jesus to tempt His Father. Matthew 4:7 quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 and says:

And finally when the devil tried to get Him to bow down and worship him in Matthew 4:10, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13

i. Isaiah 9:1, 2 quoted in Matthew 4 again tells us that Jesus after all of the rejection of Nazareth, moves to Capernaum. And he does this to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah.

Next, how did Jesus use the Prophets_________________