27/11/2025
Study notes from The Garden Church, Whitland Bible study today on Isaiah.
*Historical prelim:*
Isaiah is all about Jesus.
Isaiah either talks of Jesus' present judgement on Judah and Benjamin by way of Assyrian exile (1-39), or future hope and restoration in his Jesus' future coming as the King (40-66).
For example, Isaiah 7 shows us king Uzziah's son began to reign. But there would remain war. Until one day when a great king called Emmanuel (God with us - Matthew 2) would come and be the king that brings peace.
This king Emmanuel would be born of a virgin (Is 7).
Isaiah was a prophet during the reign of 4 different kings (Is 1:1). These kings reigned over what was known as the Southern Kingdom (the 2 tribes - Judah and Benjamin).
In around 930BC king Rehoboam had mistreated a chap named Jeroboam. This led to a split among the 12 tribes of Israel (2 Chronicles 10-12).
Jereboam became king over the Northern Kingdom (10 tribes of Israel), and Rehoboam reigned over the Southern Kingdom (2 tribes - Judah and Benjamin).
Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom, calling them to trust in Jesus.
Isaiah's message was a message of repentance from trusting in idols and abusing the poor, otherwise, Jerusalem would see Assyrian (Is 7) and eventually Babylonian captivity (Is 39).
Judah and Benjamin did not trust in Jesus and repent, so they were carried into exile under the Lord's judgement.
----- *Structure:*
Isaiah is structured in the following way -
Chapters 1-39 deal with the Lord's current judgement on Judah and Benjamin in Jerusalem in Isaiah's day.
Chapters 40-66 deal with the coming awaited King (Is 7), "Emmanuel - God with us", who is the faithful seed (Is 6:13), who would be born of a virgin (Is 7), who was seen high and lifted up in the temple (Is 6, Jn 12:41), who would be the suffering servant to set his people free (Is 53), and would be the Messiah filled with the Spirit to bring the great year of freedom and jubilee to sinners who trust in him (Is 61).
----- *Isaiah's placement in the Bible:*
Over history Isaiah has been moved around in its placement within the scriptures. However, it's placement in the dead centre of our Bibles is appropriate.
Why? Because Isaiah spends so much time looking at the history of God's people (1-39) in the Old Testament,
And,
So much time pointing to the future of God's people summed up in the Person and work of Christ, in the New Testament.
----- *The Use of Isaiah in the New Testament:*
Isaiah undergirds so much of the New Testament.
Not least the Gospel of Mark which walks through Isaiah 40-66 proving Christ the whole way through.
Thus, we cannot read Mark's Gospel apart from Isaiah 40-66. And, we understand more fully Isaiah 40-66 when we have the Gospel of Mark open alongside.
Mark shows us that the portrait Isaiah was painting of the future-coming Saviour was noone less than our precious Jesus.
----- *4 Main Passages in Isaiah:*
4 main passages hit us instantly from the Book of Isaiah.
For example,
Isaiah 6 - Jesus in the temple High and lifted up (Jn 12:41).
Isaiah 7 - Jesus-Emmanuel, born of the virgin, who is the future King (Matt 2).
Isaiah 53 - Jesus the suffering servant (Matt 26).
Isaiah 61 - Jesus the Messiah and Saviour (Lk 4).
----- *Main point of study:*
The main point of the study today was to show that not only the content, but the history, structure, theology, and use of Isaiah elsewhere in scripture is all thoroughly Jesus-shaped.
For those who have ears to hear, we cannot listen to Isaiah and miss Christ. We cannot read Isaiah and miss the Gospel. Hence, Mark 1 begins:
"The beginning of the good news [Gospel] about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet..."
