Isaiah

What makes Isaiah special?

Isaiah contains some of the most beautiful poetry and some of the best-known words of hope in the entire Bible. Isaiah's message shows a deep understanding of God's Law as it relates to the history of God's chosen people, Israel. The people and their leaders disobeyed the Law of the Lord and so were punished. They were taken into exile in Babylon, but they returned home to Judah.

Their temple was rebuilt, as God had promised it would be, and the people looked forward to a brighter future.

The New Testament writers often quote from Isaiah to show that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the long-awaited king from the family of David. His coming fulfills God's promise to save all people and to create a future filled with promise. This Messiah is described as the one who will rule David's kingdom forever and bring everlasting peace (Isa 9.6,7; 11.1-9). Christian teachers also interpreted the suffering and death of Jesus as a fulfillment of the passages in Isaiah that describe the work of God's special “Servant” (Isa 42.1-9; 49.1-6; 50.4-9; 52.13—53.12).

Why was Isaiah written?

The meaning of Isaiah's own name reveals one of the key themes in the book. In Hebrew, Isaiah means “The Lord (Yahweh) saves.” A major theme in the center section of the book (Isa 40–55) is comfort and hope for God's chosen people, who have been living in exile in Babylonia. The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, will open a pathway for the people to return home to Judah and will restore the temple on God's holy Mount Zion in Jerusalem. There, God will once again live among the people (Exod 25.8; 2 Sam 6.1,2; 1 Kgs 8.1,2,10-13).

The first main section of Isaiah (1–39) contains quite a bit of “bad news” about God's coming judgment. Many of Israel's people had rejected the Lord by worshiping other gods and sacrificing to idols made of wood and stone. Israel's leaders also made peace treaties with foreign powers and paid taxes to them. They did not trust in God alone to save them. They forgot that it was the Lord who saved them from slavery in Egypt, and they rejected the Law that God had given to Moses and the people. That Law commanded the people to worship the Lord God above all other gods and to work for justice by helping those in need (Isa 1.16,17; 3.8-15). Because they turned their backs on the Lord and disobeyed him, the people of Jerusalem and Judah were punished. That punishment took the form of defeat at the hands of their enemies.

The final section of Isaiah (56–66) provides a picture of the people of Israel who have been commanded to rebuild Zion and to live according to God's commands. The new people of Israel will be shining examples of the Lord's justice (60.1-3; 61.1-4). Foreign nations will recognize the power of Israel's God (62.1-3) and even serve God's people (60.10-18).

What's the story behind the scene?

Isaiah lived in or near Jerusalem in Judah and brought his messages from the Lord during the time that four different kings ruled Judah (see the note at 1.1). Isaiah's work as a prophet began when he received a vision from the Lord in the temple. This was in 742 b.c., the year King Uzziah died (6.1). At this time, Assyria's armies had captured Aram (Syria) and threatened the northern kingdom (Israel). In 733 b.c., the kings of Aram and Israel invaded Judah and tried to force King Ahaz of Judah to join them in fighting against Assyria. Instead, Ahaz made a treaty with the Assyrian king, ignoring Isaiah's warning not to make such a treaty. Ahaz's strategy backfired when Assyria invaded and defeated the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 b.c. Israel's defeat meant that Judah was much more exposed to an attack from Assyria. In 701 b.c., King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened to capture Jerusalem, but King Hezekiah remained faithful to the Lord and Jerusalem was saved (36–38).

But Judah's troubles were not over. When some visitors from Babylonia came to see Hezekiah, Isaiah said that one day the kingdom of Babylonia would capture Jerusalem and take many of the Israelite people into exile along with the treasures of the palace and temple (Isa 39). Isaiah's words came true over one hundred years later when Babylonia defeated Judah and destroyed Jerusalem. The final group of Israelite captives were taken to Babylonia in 586 b.c. The prophecies in chapters 40–55 assume that this defeat has already taken place, so now the prophet's message is one of comfort and hope. The Lord would use King Cyrus of Persia to defeat the Babylonians (41.2-4), allowing the people of Judah to return home to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple (44.28; 45.13; Ezra 1.1-4). Cyrus did defeat Babylonia in 539 b.c., and in 538 b.c. he gave an official order that allowed the Israelite people to return home.

After returning, the people rebuilt the temple, and it was rededicated in 515 b.c., even though Jerusalem's city walls were not yet rebuilt (Ezra 6.13-15; Neh 1–6). Though closely related to chapters 40–55, the final section of Isaiah (56–66) seems to focus on this time after the return to Judah.

How is Isaiah constructed?

Isaiah is often divided into three sections, based on the historic situation each section seems to address. The first section (chapters 1–39) deals primarily with the history of Israel and Judah from about 740 b.c. to some time shortly after 700 b.c. The message of judgment against Judah, Israel, and the surrounding nations is the main theme of this section, but words of hope and restoration also can be found here (11.1—12.6; 14.1,2; 24–27; 34,35). The Lord's punishment of Babylonia, which took place about one hundred fifty years after the time of Isaiah, also is predicted in this section (13.1—14.22).

The second section of Isaiah (40–55) focuses on the promises God made to the people of Judah that they would return home from exile in Babylon. But this section also includes strong words for those who trust in idols instead of the living God of Israel (44.12-20).

The final section of Isaiah (56–66) focuses on the rebuilding of the temple on Mount Zion and a new start for Jerusalem and its people. But along with these promises, God's people are challenged to turn away from idols and obey God's commands. Promises of God's new creation (65.17-25) are mixed with threats of punishment for those who reject the Lord and God's Law (65.1-16).

Here is one way Isaiah can be outlined: