19/02/2023
Study on Isaiah
The Prophet Isaiah, son of Amos, prophesied to the Northern kingdom, of Israel and Southern kingdom of Judah. Date of writing 700 BC to 681 BC. He wrote about God's Grace and Redemption of Israel. The Character and divinity of The Messiah and the sufferings, the glory, and the blessings that we the Gentiles would receive through Him are clearly written
The characters seen in this book are Isaiah, his two sons (Shear-jashub and
Maher-shalal-hash-baz), Kings of Judah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, and also the Assyrian King Sennacherib.
The prophecy style is that, soon to occur events and the distant future events have been prophesied in a single prophecy.
We need to know the timelines of this book of prophecy.
TIMELINE
740 BC Isaiah become a prophet
735 BC Ahaz become king of Judah
732 BC Hoshea becomes the king of Israel
722 BC Israel, that is the Northern kingdom, falls into the hands of Assyrians
715 BC Hezekiah becomes the king of Judah
701 BC Sennacherib surrounds Jerusalem
697 BC Manasseh becomes king of Judah
681 BC Isaiah's ministry ends
The book of Isaiah covers approximately a period of 62 years.
The history of the Division of the United Kingdom of Israel
Read 1 Kings 11, fully
Read verses 11 to 13.
Read verses 26 to 40
Read 1 Kings 12, fully especially the first 19 verses.
Important places in the book of Isaiah
1) SAMARIA The capital of the kingdom of Israel. Dan and Bethel were centres of Idolatrous worship
2) JERUSALEM The capital of the kingdom of Judah. This is where Prophet Isaiah lived. The Temple of God built by King Solomon was there, which is the place ordained by God to worship Him.
3) ASSYRIAN EMPIRE The Assyrian Empire was a powerful empire during those times. The Assyrians conquered the Northen Kingdom of Israel. The people of Israel were exiled. They also threatened to capture Judah.
4) BABYLONIA The kingdom of Babylon was becoming increasingly powerful. They conquered the Assyrians. The Prophet Isaiah that God would use Babylon to punish Judah, and that they would destroy Judah and Jerusalem.
5) EGYPT Egypt along with Ethiopia became weaker. Towards the end of this prophetic book. Isaiah prophesied that Egypt and Ethiopia will believe THE LORD and bless the Israelites.
6) PHILISTIA the enemy of God's people, even that of Judah and Israel will ultimately face destruction.
7) MOAB A neighbour of Israel would also be destroyed, since they have been at enmity with Israel.
8 EDOM This close neighbour of Judah will be completely destroyed.
9) DAMASCUS Damascus was the capital of Syria, also known as (Aram), allied with the northern kingdom of Israel, will plan to attack Judah, they would be defeated by the Assyrians.
10) ARABIA Arabian nomadic settlements will be constantly troubled by the Assyrians and the Babylonians
11) TYRE and SIDON were one of the wealthiest cities in the Mediterranean world. Their seaport was extensively used for trading, throughout the Mediterranean world. Isaiah prophesied that Tyre and Sidon would be destroyed. Assyria, followed by Babylon, and finally the Greek army lead by Alexander the Great, will finally destroy the cities of Tyre and Sidon by 322 BC.
IMPORTANT THEMES
1) Israel will be exiled and God would judge the oppressors of Israel.
2) Judah's return from Babylon
3) Messiah's humiliation, followed by blessings on the Gentiles
4) Messiah as The Judge, releasing God's Vengeance
5) Messiah is King David's Righteous Branch, and will rule this earth as The Son of David
6) The new heaven and the new earth.
It is good to know the Chronological Order of the various Prophets of God.
A) The Following Prophets Before Captivities
1) Jonah to Nineveh 862 BC
2) The following to the nation of Israel (10 tribes),
Amos 787 BC, Hosea 785 to 725 BC, Obadiah 887 BC, Joel 800 BC.
3) The following to the nation of Judah, Isaiah 760 to 698 BC, Micah 750 to 710 BC, Nahum 713 BC, Habakkuk 626 BC, Zephaniah 630 BC, Jeremiah 629 to 588 BC
B) Prophets During the Captivity of Judah
Ezekiel 595 to 574 BC, Daniels 607 to 534 BC
C) Prophets after The Captivity Haggai 520 BC, Zechariah 520 to 518 BC, Malachi 397 BC.
Chapter 1notes
Verse 1 Prophet Isaiah prophesied during the time of the divided Kingdom of Israel. Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Both Israel and Judah were in gross Idolatry, injustice, oppressing the poor of the land, forsaking The God of Abraham, and forming military alliances with heathen nations. In the times of King Ahaz and Manasseh the Israelites in both nations practiced child sacrifice. Isaiah lived to see the destruction and captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Verse 2 to 4 Judah had broken the covenant with God. As it is written in Deut 28, they were initially blessed according to the first 14 verses, then after they had forsaken The Lord, the curse began to come upon them. God had warned them through His servants the prophets. Hosea and Micah were contemporaries of Isaiah.
The nation of Judah and Israel refused to listen and obey.
Verses 5 to 9 Do not rebel but repent, was the cry of the prophet Isaiah, 1John 1: 9. The future Babylonian invasion of Judah and the fall of Jerusalem is prophesied. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC. Isaiah did not live to see this prophecy fulfilled. S***m and Gomorrah were destroyed, reduced to ashes and smoke went up from it as the smoke of a furnace. Genesis 19: 1 to 29 & Mathew 11: 23 to 24 & Jude verse 7. The rulers and the people of Judah were like the people of S***m and Gomorrah.
Verses10 to14 God Himself through Moses had commanded that the Israelites offer certain sacrifices and celebrate certain festivals or feast, all this was to be a true outward expression of their revelation of God and Faith in Him. However, the backslidden Israelites along with their priests followed all as rituals, while they were practising sin. These rituals were hypocritical, and never an act of Worship or Faith in God. God was displeased with them. Deut 10: 22 to 18, 1Sam 15: 22 to 23, Psa 51: 16 to 19, Hosea 6: 6. The new moon means the beginning of the month. Offerings were given to The Lord. The Hebrews followed the lunar calendar, Num 28: 11 to 14. There was weekly Sabbath, annual Sabbaths during Day of atonement and Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles (Booths), Lev 23.
Verse 18 to 20 The dye industry of the ancient world used dyes that were permanent. Any stain by the dye was permanent and it could not be washed away. Scarlet and Crimson were deep red colour. Here the prophet is using it as an example for stain of sinful living. 1John 1: 7; Psa 51: 1 to 7. Here we find God pleading to His people to obey and be blessed, or else be destroyed.
Verses 21 to 26 The entire kingdom of Judah were committing spiritual adultery, behaving like a pr******te, following and worshiping false gods, but the religiously followed all the rituals and ceremonies of their Jewish faith. James 4: 4 & in Matthew 16: 4, Jesus called this generation as "A wicked and adulterous generation”. Our first love should be Jesus Christ our Lord, our top priority should be to expand the kingdom of God. A day is coming that Jerusalem will once again be the City of Righteousness and The Faithful City. This will happen when Christ rules this world.
Verses 29 to 31 In the ancient world groves of trees and gardens were used in hills, mountains and in plains, to practice idolatry and commit fornication, as a part of religious practice.
THE LORD speaks through His prophet that these people who are bent on practising evil are like straw, they are spiritually dead. Even though the society thinks of them as mighty and honourable people. Their evil deeds will be like fire. They will be consumed and be destroyed.
In Isaiah we see the Messiah as suffering and in weakness (chapter 53) and as reigning in glory and power (chapter 11). For the prophets all this was a mystery 1 Pet 1: 10 to 12; LK 24: 26, 27
ISA 1: 1 (Num 12: 6-8) How God speaks or reveals Himself to His prophet. 2 Chr 26 to 32, read the history of the kings of Judah.
Verses 2 to 23 states the pleading and the counsel of JEHOVAH THE LORD GOD. It is clear that the chastening has begun as written in Deut 28 & 29: 19 to 28. Next would be that they will be expelled from the land of promise Deut 28: 63 to 68.
Deut 30: 1 to 10, if Israel would repent during dispersion they will be restored
Verses 26 and 27, Theocracy will be restored
Mat 19: 27 to 29; Dan 2: 34, 35, 44, 45;
-----------------------------------