Isaiah

So far we have been talking about what are called “minor” prophets. That’s an unfortunate label. Minor doesn’t mean that their books were not best sellers and quickly ended up on the bargain table. It simply means that they were short (not the prophets, but the books). Now we move onto the first of the “major” prophets, Isaiah. The other Major Prophets were Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

As you read through Isaiah you will find many of the same point made earlier by other prophets. Imagine you read through some of the greatest sermons of the past 2,000 years from pastors all around the world. You would notice that they preach on the same issues, the same problems are addressed. This is because people haven’t changed. Under our different outfits, behind our different cultures and languages, there are more commonalities than differences in man. In Isaiah you can see many similarities with Amos. Besides speaking about phony religious practices by people who are unethical and immoral, you will also see Isaiah having something to say about neighboring nations. Both prophets had messages condemning neighboring nations and both condemned empty religious ritualism. This is why these messages are relevant for us today, in our churches.

Isa 1:13, 15, 17 Stop brining me meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me . . . I cannot bear your evil assemblies. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus had something similar to say about the churches in Asia Minor. He demonstrated to the Apostle John that He knew exactly what was going on in the local churches. He knew their strengths and weaknesses. What would Jesus have to say about your church congregation? Would it sound anything like Isaiah’s message to Judah?

Isa 2:2-5 In the last days . . . He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his path. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.

Now I am all for peace and disarmament, but not quite yet, not until the Lord is ruling the world. Thomas Jefferson said, "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

One of the features the prophets is that they will often speak of what will happen not just in the near future, but in the distant future. This passage speaks of the time yet in the future when Jesus rules from Jerusalem.



Isa 5:13 Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding.

This was the punishment predicted by Moses back in Deuteronomy 28. Who is responsible for their lack of understanding? The false prophets and priests were responsible for preaching lies and the people were responsible for encouraging it. Are some pastors responsible for the level of Bible illiteracy in the churches today?

Isa 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

This passage describes the calling of Isaiah to be a prophet of God. Here I am, send me! This is quite different from Jonah’s response. Jonah said, “I’m not here, send someone else.” Or even Moses, who said, “Are you kidding, I can’t do that!”

Isa 7: As you read this chapter you will find what is called the “Sign of Emmanuel.” There is a two-fold fulfillment of this prophecy. In Isa 8:3 we find the first fulfillment of a child being born of a virgin. This was a sign that God would provide Judah with is a physical deliverance from the Assyrians who were attacking them. The second fulfillment was a spiritual one predicting the supernatural conception and birth of the Son of God to deliver us from spiritual bondage to sin and death. The first deliverance was physical, the second was spiritual.

Isa 8:19; When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?

Deut 18:9-12; condemns such practices. Today, many seek advice from horoscopes and spiritists rather than seeking guidance from God and His Word. Saul, if you recall, sought out the witch at Endor to consult with the spirit of Samuel.

Isa 10:24 O my people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who beat you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.

Here you see God using the Assyrians, a wicked and violent people, as his tool to punish Judah. In time, He will punish the Assyrians.

Isa 11 This is another passage that looks beyond the near future. Here we see a description of the time when Jesus rules the earth and brings peace and righteousness. 

Isa 11:6, 9 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 . . . v 9 for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

It is obvious that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. But it is something to look forward to. 

Isa Chapters 13-23 Isaiah has a message for nearby nations. As you can imagine, it is not “good news” for them.

Isa 29:13 These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Here Isaiah returns to Judah and condemns them for worship that consists of church traditions. Oh how they loved to talk about “God” and talk “church talk” and keep up with their denominational traditions. 

Isa 30:9-11 These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instructions. They say to the seers, “See no more visions”! and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things; prophesy illusions . . . stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

One way some pastors can get themselves fired it to actually preach the Word of God or speak on controversial subjects, subjects that make people feel uncomfortable. Many simply want little messages of sweetness and fluff which makes everyone feel comfortable as they are. 

Now we move onto the second section of the book. Chapters 1-35 speak of the Assyrian threat against Judah. Chapters 36-39 warn of the future invasion by the Babylonians and their captivity.

We are now introduced to a good king, one of the few good kings in Judah, Hezekiah. He was a friend of Isaiah, he becomes sick and nearly died. But God gave him fifteen more years of life.

Isa 38:16-17 You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction.

Hezekiah says that the sickness was for his benefit. Sometimes God allows things to happen to us that are unpleasant, but for our long-term benefit.

Isa 39 Hezekiah welcomes envoys from Babylon and he foolishly shows these folks all the wealth of his nation. Isaiah confronts the king (verse 5) and says that a time will come when the Babylonians will strip away all of the nation’s wealth.

Now we enter the third section of the book. Chapters 40-66 speak of the end of the Babylonian captivity and their return to Jerusalem.

Isa 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for.

Isa 43:18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 

This advice is repeated by the Apostle Paul in Phil 3:13. Don’t dwell on the hardships of the past, focus on where you will be spending the rest of your life – in the future.

There are several verses in the following chapters that emphasize that there is only ONE God. One religious group has taught, “As man is, God once was; as God is, man can become.” This is a polytheistic view that we can become Gods.

Isa 44:6 I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

Isa 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.

So, if you had the hope that someday you would get a huge promotion to “god,” it’s not going to happen.

In Chapter 44 we see Isaiah identifying the future king of Persia, Cyrus, who is referred to as God’s “Shepherd” who allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem and resume their lives.

Isa 44:26-28 . . . Who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited.’ Of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’ . . . who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my Shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” 

These passages have led some to conclude that there was more than one Isaiah. Some have an anti-supernatural bias and they assume that there was no such thing as predictive prophecy. Isaiah could not have known the name of the future king of Persia. They also claim a difference in writing styles between chapters 1-39 and 40-66. Arguments in favor of one Isaiah include: the difference in styles are minimal and are explained by a different subject spoken of; Jesus acknowledged the book as from Isaiah in Luke 4:17; other New Testament authors acknowledge passages from chapters 40 on as by Isaiah. And finally, the Dead Sea Scrolls show a complete copy of the Book of Isaiah with no gaps between sections. Any argument against one Isaiah is rather weak.

Isa 52 and 53 describes the coming Messiah as the “Suffering Servant.”

Isa 52:4 Just as there were many who were appalled at him-his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness . . . This passage refers to the appearance of Jesus after he was scourged. The beating that Jesus endured was not just getting slapped around a bit. Many condemned prisoners never survived the scourging. Jesus was so battered that not only was he hardly recognizable, he was so weakened that He had to have someone else carry his cross.

Isa 53:4-6 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried out sorrows . . . But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities . . . and by his wounds we were healed.

This passage is sometimes used to claim that God promised us physical healing by faith. The passage deals with “transgressions” and is referring to spiritual healing, not physical healing. For information on healing, go to the website tab “Questions and Answers” and find the article, “Does God Heal.”

Isa 58 This chapter has much to say about fasting. The Jews were required to fast only one day a year, the Day of Atonement (Lev 23). In time, Jews added to the Laws of God with traditions that also became mandatory. (Churches do the same today). God condemns them for fasting that was little more than an outward example of false piety. He would rather they “fast” from their immoral and unethical behavior. 

Isa 58:3,6 Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists . . . Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you seek the naked, to clothe him and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Before Easter many Christians give up something for Lent. Some give up chocolate or coffee, etc. I think what God would rather we give up is fruit of the flesh, some of which are listed in Gal 5:19-22. Here Paul says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Do you think God cares a bit whether or not we give up chocolate of coffee? Why do we focus on such items? Because it distracts us from what is really important and is easier to give these things up than things like gossip, hate, complaining, etc.

Isa 66 This chapter speaks of the New Heavens and the New Earth where, v 19 the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more and v 25 the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.