We are beginning a new series – so in this lesson you have both the intro and the first chapter. \u00a0Just a s head’s up, much of the intro came from Charles Swindoll but the rest is from various work and personal study. \u00a0Because this is the an OT book, I will attempt to make an effort to look at some principles that transcend the OT period and the southern kingdom of Judah. For example, near the end of this lesson, you’ll read “Wickedness is never defeated through religious activity”. \u00a0Watch for those kinds of statements that are aimed to help bridge the gap from the context of Isaiah to our modern day use.<\/p>\n
Isaiah Who wrote the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n As is the case with nearly all the books of \u201cthe prophets,\u201d the book of Isaiah takes its name from its writer. Isaiah was married to a prophetess who bore him at least two sons (Isaiah 7:3; 8:3). He prophesied under the reign of four Judean kings\u2014Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1)\u2014and he likely met his death under a fifth, the evil King Manasseh. Christian tradition as early as the second century identifies Isaiah as one of the prophets whose death is described in Hebrews 11:37, specifically the prophet who was \u201csawn in two.\u201d Isaiah likely lived in Jerusalem, given the book\u2019s concern with the city (Isaiah 1:1) and his close proximity to at least two significant kings during the period of his prophecy (7:3; 38:1).<\/p>\n Much of scholarship for the past two centuries has assigned multiple writers to Isaiah, dividing the book into three sections: 1\u201339, 40\u201355, and 56\u201366. However, these divisions come out of a scholarly denial of predictive prophecy. This position not only limits the power of God to communicate with His people but also ignores the wide variety of specific, predictive claims about Jesus Christ scattered throughout the book.<\/p>\n The Big Picture<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n You might have heard that book of Isaiah is 66 chapters long, and in fact can be divided between two parts that are highly symbolic of the Old and the New Testament.\u00a0 Chapters 1-39 is a often referred to as the Book of Judgment.\u00a0 Chapters 40 \u2013 66 the Book of Comfort and provides us with the most complete picture of Christ in the entire Old Testament.<\/p>\n Where are we?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Isaiah prophesied from 739\u2013681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. Instead of serving Him with humility and offering love to their neighbors, the nation of Judah offered meaningless sacrifices in God\u2019s temple at Jerusalem and committed injustices throughout the nation. The people of Judah turned their backs on God and alienated themselves from Him, which created the need for Isaiah\u2019s pronouncements of judgment\u2014declarations made in the hope that God\u2019s chosen people would return to Him.<\/p>\n Why is Isaiah so important?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The book of Isaiah provides us with the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament. It includes the full scope of His life: the announcement of His coming (Isaiah 40:3\u20135), His virgin birth (7:14), His proclamation of the good news (61:1), His sacrificial death (52:13\u201353:12), and His return to claim His own (60:2\u20133). Because of these and numerous other Christological texts in Isaiah, the book stands as a testament of hope in the Lord, the One who saves His people from themselves.<\/p>\n What’s the big idea?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Isaiah\u2019s overall theme receives its clearest statement in chapter 12: \u201cBehold, God is my salvation, \/ I will trust and not be afraid\u201d (Isaiah 12:2). This echoes the meaning of Isaiah\u2019s name, which means the \u201csalvation of Yahweh.\u201d2 Having read the book, one might wonder about the strong presence of judgment that runs through the first thirty-nine chapters when the theme is salvation. How can the two coexist? The presence of judgment indicates its necessity for salvation to occur. Before we can have salvation, we must have a need for it!<\/p>\n So the bulk of those early chapters in Isaiah detail judgments against the people who have turned their backs on the Lord, showing us that those who persist in their rebellion will receive judgment. On the other hand, we also see God\u2019s faithfulness to His promise. He will preserve a small remnant of faithful believers, those who will continue on into the glorious renewed world He has prepared for His children in the end times (65:17\u201366:24).<\/p>\n How do I apply this?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Because of its scope, Isaiah contains one of the clearest expressions of the gospel in all the Old Testament. Even from the first chapter, it is clear that the people have turned away from God and failed in their responsibilities as His children (Isaiah 1:2\u201317). Yet God miraculously holds out hope to this unrepentant people, offering cleansing of sins and the blessing that comes with faith and obedience in Him (1:18\u201320). Salvation lies only in God\u2014the only question is whether or not we will accept His offer.<\/p>\n In addition to its gospel message, the book of Isaiah clearly articulates the sins of God\u2019s people\u2014dealing with others unjustly which resulted in their offering hypocritical sacrifices to God. Do you see anything in your own life that might fall under Isaiah\u2019s critique of injustice\u2014treating family, colleagues, or even strangers with unkindness or even disdain? Isaiah\u2019s message is also a call for believers to come back to purity in our love for God and for our neighbors (Luke 10:26\u201328).<\/p>\n A word about Prophecy<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n One of the ways that prophecy was explained to me is that many (not all but some) prophecies had both immediate and long-term predictions in store.\u00a0 So although God was explaining what was on the immediate horizon, He was also giving a larger picture of His plans through time.\u00a0 It was the image of a far reaching series of hills.\u00a0 The prophecy comes and you think it is about the first mountain you see in the valley, but after getting to that hill and discovering that the prophecy was correct, you can then see the much further hill from your new observation point.\u00a0\u00a0 So although much of Isaiah deals with the state of Judah, God is also directing things past the timeframe of Hezekiah\u2019s reign to a far reaching future.\u00a0 We\u2019ll look at some specifics as they come along. <\/p>\n Isaiah 1<\/p>\n Isaiah 6<\/p>\n Isaiah 35<\/p>\n Isaiah 37<\/p>\n Isaiah 40<\/p>\n Isaiah 41<\/p>\n Isaiah 42<\/p>\n Isaiah 45<\/p>\n Isaiah 48<\/p>\n Isaiah 49<\/p>\n Isaiah 50<\/p>\n Isaiah 51<\/p>\n Isaiah 53<\/p>\n Isaiah 54<\/p>\n Isaiah 55<\/p>\n Isaiah 56<\/p>\n Isaiah 57<\/p>\n Isaiah 58<\/p>\n Isaiah 59<\/p>\n Isaiah 60<\/p>\n Isaiah 61<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Isaiah 1<\/strong><\/p>\n We are beginning a new series – so in this lesson you have both the intro and the first chapter. \u00a0Just a s head’s up, much of the intro came from Charles Swindoll but the rest is from various work …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[108],"tags":[111,109,110,54],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1914"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1915,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914\/revisions\/1915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nImportant Chapters in the Major Prophet<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPotentially, these are the chapters (I think) we will look at more deeply.<\/p>\nKey Verse<\/h3>\n
1:18<\/h3>\n
18\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cCome now, and\u00a0let us reason together,\u201d Says the\u00a0Lord, \u201cThough your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.<\/h3>\n
This first chapter sets out the condition of the nation along with the call of verse 18 where God calls His people to work together with Him to be His nation.\u00a0 In the setting that feels a lot like a court-room, we see the following pieces of that courtroom.\u00a0 The time (the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah) and the ministry (concerning Judah and Jerusalem) of the prophet is clearly provided.<\/h3>\n
The jurors<\/span> \u2013 Verse one – Listen, O heavens, and hear, O\u00a0earth; For the Lord speaks. God is about to put out the case to the jurors \u2013 all of creation \u2013 as He calls to light the actions and responses to His mercy by His own people.<\/h3>\n
The Crime<\/span> – \u201cSons I have reared and brought up, But they have\u00a0revolted against Me.<\/h3>\n
The Law that was broken<\/span> \u2013 verse 3 – \u201cAn ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master\u2019s manger, But<\/em>\u00a0Israel\u00a0does not know, My people\u00a0do not understand.\u201d \u00a0In all of nature, there are common laws that are in place and they are seen in what is normal.\u00a0 I was listening to a message online about how if we belong to Jesus, and He is our Master, we are under obligation to believe what He says is true.\u00a0 We are to believe that when He created marriage for one man and one woman, He meant it.\u00a0 If someone has a problem with that, it is not a problem with me, it is a problem with my Master.\u00a0 Here is a case where there was a law in place, that a people should know their God but Israel did not act that way.\u00a0 They were first of all revolting against God\u2019s order of things by behaving in a manner that showed they did not understand. They were revolting in their relationships but all this stems from not understanding that they are God\u2019s.<\/h3>\n
The wickedness of the nation ran very deeply throughout the people.\u00a0 They were a sinful nation, where both their parents and their children were evil. God also defines corrupt with the words \u201cThey have abandoned the Lord, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.\u201d<\/h3>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Abandoned the Lord<\/h3>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Despised the Holy One of Israel<\/h3>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Turned away from Him<\/h3>\n
In an attempt to call them back, God had tried to reach them by other means.\u00a0 God had tried to reach them disciplining the nation as He struck them in the head (their leadership) in their heart (removed their hope) and from their head to their feet (physically).\u00a0 God continues with the strikes of discipline that He did against their land (population) cities (fortifications or protections) and fields (sufficiency and crops). \u00a0Verse 8 – He has left their land like the watchtower\u2019s hut over the cucumber field.\u00a0 Watchtowers were abandoned when the season was finished \u2013 very often they were just places thrown together to protect the guard of the field from the wind.\u00a0 Shanty buildings not designed to last for longer than they were needed.\u00a0 This was a picture of the towns of Israel.<\/h3>\n
Now God instructs the hearer of the message from Isaiah beginning in verse 10.\u00a0 This is what life looks like for the nation of Israel when they have pushed God beyond His endurance.\u00a0 It is not that God has run out of patience but only that God has proven to mankind that no matter what measure of grace is provided, a rebellious nation will not repent and God\u2019s patience has already provided ample opportunity for them to return to Him. One important observation to make from the next few verse:\u00a0 The presence of religions activity does not impact the absence of fellowship for the Lord.\u00a0 You can have people who are very busy with the activity of serving God while living in the wickedness of verse four – \u201cThey have abandoned the Lord, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.\u201d<\/h3>\n
When God has Enough:<\/h3>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He calls it like it is: You rulers of Sodom; You people of Gomorrah. God is not afraid to be direct and truthful with sinners.\u00a0 By calling them out for the sins they know were punishable by destruction, God is letting them know where they stand.\u00a0 Before God, they are worthy of death and destruction.\u00a0 But before we get the idea that we have the right to call out others, let us remember the verse in James where we are told that the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. (James 1:20)<\/h3>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sacrifices don\u2019t placate His desire for them to walk with Him: \u201cI have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12<\/sup> \u201cWhen you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13<\/sup> \u201cBring your worthless offerings no longer,.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget this clear principle: Wickedness is never defeated through religious activity.\u00a0 Verse 10-15.\u00a0 God requires a change in heart, not increased sacrifice.\u00a0 Remember that God does not require your sacrifices to be complete.\u00a0 We are the needy party in our relationship with God.<\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Celebrating Feasts are no joy to Him when they are not in fellowship with Him: \u201cI hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.\u00a0 Even the celebrations that God Himself had instituted don\u2019t bring joy to God.<\/h3>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The presence of dross in the nation of Israel does not mean God will discard the nation.\u00a0 This is pretty easy for us to move over to a NT principle as we see God dealing with us and our sin.\u00a0 Just because sin is present in the life a believer does not mean that God will abandon a true believer.\u00a0 Just as God has a plan to redeem the nation, so God has a plan to redeem us.\u00a0 And don\u2019t get the mistaken idea that all suffering is a result of sin, because the Bible teaches us clearly that it is not.\u00a0 Notice that the powerful but destructive hand of God is reaching out to correct and not to destroy:<\/h3>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will purify the nation v. 25<\/h3>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will restore godly leadership v. 26<\/h3>\n
c.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will restore their reputation v. 26 – Zion will be redeemed with justice<\/h3>\n
d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He will crush the transgressors, sinners and those who have forsaken the Lord.<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
God finishes this chapter with a warning about the future \u2013 that in the future those who have trusted in the oaks (a sign of idol worship) and Strong Men will be ashamed.\u00a0 In fact, it will be those very things that God will use to ignite His judgment and in the ensuring flames, both will be consumed.\u00a0 And there will not be anyone who will be able to stop the judgment that is sparked by these two.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"