Beginning Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, 6:45 pm, we will be studying the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Please join us!
THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
INTRODUCTION
What is the Book of Isaiah?
“The Book of Isaiah is an anthology of prophesies that were written down at different times and combined into a single work” (page. 13). What does this mean?
How important is the Book of Isaiah?
The Book of Isaiah has been referred to as the “Fifth Gospel.” After the Psalms, it is the most frequently quoted book in the New Testament. The entire scope of the Christian message is presented in the Book of Isaiah. (You can actually re-construct the New Testament Gospel message using the text of the Book of Isaiah!). The Book of Isaiah was the main book that was used to preach the Gospel, before the four Gospels were written.
Who is the author of the Book of Isaiah?
Tradition. According to Jewish and Christian traditions, the author of this collection is the prophet Isaiah, who proclaimed God’s messages to Judah and Jerusalem between 742 BC and 687 BC.
Modern Scholarship. Modern scholars have proposed up to three authors for three sections: First Isaiah (1-39); Second Isaiah (40-55); and Third Isaiah (56-66).
However, it is increasingly recognized among scholars that the Book of Isaiah is a unified work, compiled by one author – Isaiah (page 13).
What do we know about Isaiah?
Isaiah was most-likely a priest, the son of Amoz, who lived in Jerusalem.
Because of his close association with the royal court, Isaiah was also most-likely a member of the Jerusalem nobility (upper class).
In the year 742 B.C., Isaiah experienced a vision of God, within the Temple in Jerusalem. In this vision, God called him to be His prophet and to proclaim His messages. This happened during the reign of the king Uzziah of Judah (also known as Azariah [2 Kings 15:1-7]). Uzziah was a good king.
Isaiah was the husband of a prophetess (8:3), the father of two sons (7:3; 8:3), and the leader of a group of disciples (8:16).
After the death of king Uzziah (good king), Isaiah continued his prophetic ministry under the reign of Jotham (good king), Ahaz (bad king) and Hezekiah (good king).
According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah died as a martyr under the wicked King Manasseh of Judah (687-643 BC), who succeeded king Hezekiah. Manasseh who had Isaiah sawn in two.
What was the historical context?
The people of Israel were divided into two kingdoms: 1) the northern kingdom, referred to as the “Kingdom of Israel,” with Samaria as its capital; and 2) the southern kingdom, referred to as the “Kingdom of Judah,” with Jerusalem as its capital.
Ten tribes belonged to the northern kingdom; only two tribes belonged to the southern kingdom (Judah and Benjamin; Simeon assimilated into the tribe of Judah).
The main sanctuary of worship in the southern kingdom was the Temple in Jerusalem. There were two sanctuaries for worship in the northern kingdom: at Bethel and at Dan. At these two places, sacrifices were being offered to idols – molten calves made of gold.
When Isaiah started his ministry in 742 BC, both kingdoms enjoyed peace, economic prosperity and military strength. Everything seemed to be going well.
However, the people of both kingdoms were committing grave sins against God. These sins were crying out to heaven for God’s vengeance and justice:
- The poor were being oppressed;
- Orphans and widows were ignored and not cared for;
- The practice of bribery had corrupted the court system;
- Cheating and lying had corrupted the economic system (i.e., use of false scales, defrauding of labourers, using water to dilute wine);
- The rich were buying up the land and expanding their property ownership; the amassing of gold and silver;
- Willful murder;
- Sexual immorality among the rich and ruling classes (fornication, adultery, sodomy);
- Spiritual idolatry – the worship of Canaanite pagan gods (Baal and Asherah) at various high places (oaks and gardens);
- The sacrifice of children to pagan gods (Moloch);
- The practice of divination, occult practices, calling up the dead;
- Empty liturgical worship and sacrifices;
- The practice of the Jubilee year is ignored.
What prophets were Isaiah’s contemporaries?
Amos was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel (ca. 770-760 BC). Hosea was also a prophet in the northern kingdom (ca. 750-725 BC). Micah has a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah (730-700 BC).
What is “double prophecy”?
A double fulfillment or dual fulfillment of a Bible prophecy is the circumstance in which the prophecy has both a short-term and long-term fulfillment. A prophecy is made, and the first fulfillment comes to pass relatively soon thereafter. Later, there is a second fulfillment to the prophecy, and that second fulfillment is usually fuller and more literal. So, there is a “near” fulfillment and a “far” fulfillment. A prophecy having a dual fulfillment helps to unify Scripture and emphasizes God’s masterful control of events.
The near fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecies points to future events in Israel’s history that take place within approximately two hundred years. The far fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesies points to the first and second coming of the Messiah, the end of the ages as we know it, and the establishment of a new kingdom of God, and a new Jerusalem, that will have no end.
IMPORTANT DATES – HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1010 B.C. King David becomes king of Judah and reigns in Hebron for seven years.
1003 B.C. David becomes king over all of Israel (all 12 tribes); he conquers Jerusalem and it becomes his capital. David reigns as king of one royal kingdom for 33 years; in total, he reigns as king for 40 years.
970 B.C. King David dies. Solomon, his son, becomes king. He reigns for 40 years.
957 B.C. First Temple is completed and dedicated by King Solomon.
931 B.C. King Solomon dies.
930 B.C. The kingdom is divided. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, rules in Judah (the southern kingdom) for 17 years (930-913 B.C.). Jeroboam rules in the northern kingdom of Israel for 20 years (930-910 B.C.). The north goes immediately into apostasy. Jeroboam makes two calves of gold and set them up for worship: one in Bethel and one in Dan. He creates his own pagan religion (1 Kings 12:26-33).
880 B.C. The prophet Elijah begins his ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel (born c. 900 B.C. taken up in a chariot in 849 B.C.)
851 B.C. The prophet Elisha begins his ministry and succeeds Elijah when he is taken up in a chariot.
785 B.C. King Jeroboam II begins his reign in the kingdom of Israel (north).
783 B.C. King Uzziah (Azariah) begins his reign in the kingdom of Judah (south).
770 B.C. The prophet Amos begins his ministry (circa). Amos is from Tekoa, a village to the south of Jerusalem. He is an agricultural worker who raises sheep and tends an orchard of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14). Amos is sent by God to minister in the north.
760 B.C. The prophetic ministry of Amos ends (circa).
750 B.C. Hosea becomes active as a prophet (circa) and his ministry takes place in the northern kingdom. Hosea’s writings precede the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 B.C.
745 B.C. Tiglath-Pileser II becomes king of Assyria.
745 B.C. Jeroboam II dies and his succeeded by his son, Zechariah. After six months, Zechariah is assassinated by Shallum. The Jehu dynasty comes to an end. Shallum reigns for only one month. He is assassinated by Menahem. Menahem holds the throne for 10 years.
743 B.C. Assyria initiates a military campaign into Syria.
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742 B.C. Isaiah is called and begins his prophetic ministry, during the reign of king Uzziah of Judah.
742 B.C. King Uzziah dies; Jotham becomes king of Judah (ca. 742-735 B.C.).
736 B.C. Menahem in the northern kingdom is succeeded by his son, Pekahiah, who reigns only for two years (736-735 B.C.)
735 B.C. Pekahiah in the northern kingdom is assassinated by Pekah, who reigns for about two years (735-732 B.C.).
735 B.C. Ahaz succeeds his father, Jothan, and becomes king of Judah (735-715 B.C.)
733 B.C. Israel and Damascus invade the kingdom of Judah (Syro-Ephraimite War). King Ahaz of Judah refuses to join their coalition to resist the Assyrians. He appeals to Assyria for help (2 Kings 16:5-9; Isaiah 7:1-17).
733-732 B.C. Tiglath-Pileser III puts a stop to the rebellion. He conquers the city-state of Damascus and annexes Syria. He also invades Gilead and Galilee, adding them to his empire as provinces. The northern kingdom is reduced to the area around Samaria.
King Ahaz travels to Damascus to make obeisance to Tiglath-Pileser. He returns to Jerusalem with an Assyria-style altar for the Temple.
731 B.C. King Pekah is assassinated by Hoshea. Tiglath Pileser III confirms Hoshea as the vassal king of Israel.
730 B.C. Micah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah (730-700 B.C.)
727 B.C. Tiglath-Pileser dies. He is succeeded by Shalmaneser V, who rules from 727 to 722 B.C. Israel (northern kingdom) rebels against Assyria.
725 B.C. The prophetic ministry of Hosea ends (circa).
722 B.C. CONQUEST OF SAMARIA. Sargon II comes into power. Shalmaneser V and Sargon II conquer Samaria, the capital of Israel. A total of 27,290 inhabitants are led away into exile. The northern kingdom comes to an end. Ten of the Twelve Tribes, who had lived in the northern kingdom, almost vanish from history.
715 B.C. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah (ca. 715-687 B.C.). Hezekiah purges the idols, shattering the bronze snake that stood in the Temple, and summoned his people to celebrate an early version of Passover in Jerusalem.
712-11 B.C. Sargon II leads a campaign against the Philistine cities, during which Isaiah walked naked, or half naked, through Jerusalem (Is 20:1-6; Micah 1:8).
705 B.C. Sargon II is killed in battle. Sennacherib becomes king of Assyria. The city of Babylon rebels. Ambassadors are sent to Hezekiah to form a new coalition against Assyrian. Egypt promises support. The Assyrians destroy the kingdom of Chaldea.
701 B.C. Sennacherib begins his campaign on the west to Phoenicia. They invade and conquer most of Phoenicia. The Assyrians devastate northern Judah. The Assyrians then bypass Jerusalem and besiege Lachish, Hezekiah’s second fortified city. Lachish is conquered. Sennacherib swiftly defeats an Egyptian army that had come to aid Hezekiah. Hezekiah frantically builds fortifications around Jerusalem’s new quarters. He prepares for a siege by ordering two groups of craftsmen to hack a tunnel 1,700 feet through the rock to link the Gihon Spring outside the city to the Siloam Poo, south of the Temple Mount below the City of David, which now, lay inside the walls. North of the Temple Mount, Hezekiah dammed a valley to create one of the Bethesda Pools to deliver more water into the city, and he seems to have distributed food – oil, wine, grain – to his forces, ready for siege and war. Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem. The army encamps to the north (the same place chosen by Titus over 500 years later). Hezekiah poisons any wells outside of Jerusalem.
The prophet Isaiah counsels patience. God will intervene and provide victory. Hezekiah prays in the Temple. Sennacherib brags that he had surrounded Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage.”
The Assyrian army is smitten by God. “The angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians… and when they arose in the morning, they were all dead corpses.” The Assyrians suddenly pack up their camp and depart, probably to supress a rebellion in the east. However, Sennacherib’s annals describe Hezekiah’s crushing tribute, including 30 talents of gold and 800 of silver; he seems to have paid them to leaven.
Sennacherib reduces Judah to a romp not much larger than the district of Jerusalem and boasts that he had deported 200,150 people.
687 B.C. King Hezekiah dies, and his oldest son, Manasseh, assumes the throne at the age of twelve, and reigns for 55 years. He is one of the most wicked kings to rule in Judah. According to rabbinic literature, Isaiah is murdered during his reign. Manasseh re-builds the high places that his father, Hezekiah, had torn down. He erects altars for Baal, makes graven images of Baal and Asherah, and erects Asherah poles. He installs ritual male prostitutes and the idols of Baal and Asherah in the Temple. He introduces the worship of the Assyrians gods (sun, moon, stars) into the Temple. Most dreadful of all, he encourages the sacrifice of children at the Tophet in the Valley of Hinnom, south of the city. He burns his son as a sacrifice; and sheds much innocent blood during his reign (2 Kings 21:16).
687 B.C. The prophet Isaiah ends his ministry. According to tradition, he dies a martyr’s death. Upon the orders of king Manasseh, he is sawn in half.
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667-663 B.C. Assyrian conquest of Egypt led by king Esarhaddon.
643/42 B.C. King Manasseh dies, and his son, Amon, assumes the throne when he was twenty-two years old. His reign lasted only two years.
641 B.C. King Amon is assassinated. His son, Josiah, is enthroned as king at the age of nine.
630 B.C. The prophet Zephaniah begins his ministry, breaking the silence of fifty years. There was no prophetic voice heard in Judah from the time of Isaiah and Micah, until the time of Zephaniah.
629/627 B.C. Ashurbanipal, the king of Assyria, dies. The Assyrian empire begins to disintegrate. It becomes increasingly difficult for the central government to maintain control over the subject provinces. A new enemy emerges from the north, the Scythians.
627 B.C. Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry.
626-20 B.C. Babylonian revolt and war for independence. By 620 B.C., Babylon breaks free from Assyria and establishes an independent kingdom under the rule of king Nabopolassar, a Chaldean general. The Babylonians and Medes form an alliance against Assyria.
626 B.C. Nahum begins his prophetic ministry.
623 B.C. Copy of the book of Deuteronomy is found (18th year of the Josiah’s reign).
621 B.C. King Josiah initiates a great religious revival. His reforms spread through Judah and extend even into Samaria (2 Kings 22:3 – 23:25; 2 Chron 34:3 – 35:19). The king had the idols burned in the Kidron Valley and expelled the male prostitutes from the Temple; he smashed destroyed the Tophet in the Hinnom Valley and killed the idolatrous priests. He then held a Passover festival to celebrate.
612 B.C. Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, is conquered by the Babylonians and Medes. The Assyrian Empire comes to an end. Nahum’s prophecy is confirmed.
612 B.C. The fall of the Assyrian capital, Nineveh, marking the end of the world’s first great Empire. Josiah may have extended his kingdom northwards into the former land of Israel, southwards towards the Red Sea and eastward toward the Mediterranean.
610 B.C. The prophetic ministry of Zephaniah ends.
609 B.C. Habakkuk begins his prophetic ministry.
609 B.C. Nico, the Egyptian Pharaoh, marches up the coast, to assist the Assyrians. Josiah rushes out with his army to stop him. Josiah fails, and he is killed at Megiddo. The Pharaoh, Nico, advances on Jerusalem and places Josiah’s brother, Jehoiakim on the throne of Judah.
605 B.C. Battle at Carchemish. Egypt fails to stop the rise of a new Near Eastern empire. The Babylonian king’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, is victorious over the Egyptians at Carchemish. The Assyrian empire vanishes. Babylon inherits Judah. Nebuchadnezzar establishes hegemony over the Levant and reduces Judah to a vassal state. Some members of the Jerusalem aristocracy are taken as hostages into exile (Daniel 1:1-7).
599/98 B.C. In the midst of political instability, King Jehoiakim sees a chance to liberate Judah. He calls a national fast to win God’s protection. The prophet Jeremiah warns him that God will destroy Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim publicly burns Jeremiah’s writings. He allies himself with Egypt, but no Egyptian help comes. The Babylonian army descends upon Jerusalem.
598/97 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:7-11). Jehoiakim apparently dies during the siege. He is succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah) assumes the throne. He reigns only for three months (December 9, 598 B.C. to March 16, 597 B.C.).
597 B.C. Jehoiachin surrenders. The Babylonians take the city on March 16, 597, and capture the king. Nebuchadnezzar plunders the Temple. During the first wave of deportations (exile), Jehoiachin is taken as a prisoner to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. 3,023 Judeans were deported. (Another source says 10,000).
597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar places Zedekiah, the youngest son of king Josiah, upon the throne in Jerusalem. He reigns for eleven years as the last king of Judah (597-586 B.C.).
594 B.C. Zedekiah visits Babylon to make obeisance to Nebuchadnezzar, but on his return, he launches a rebellion, haunted by the prophet Jeremiah, who warns that the Babylonians will destroy Jerusalem.
589/88 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar marches southwards. Zedekiah appeals to the Egyptians, who send meagre forces that were soon defeated. Inside Jerusalem, Jeremiah, observing panic and paranoia, tries to escape but is arrested at the gates. The king has him imprisoned in the dungeons under the royal palace.
588 B.C. For 18 months, Nebuchadnezzar ravaged Judah, leaving Jerusalem until last.
587 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar encircles Jerusalem. After several months, food supplies run out. The people in the city suffer from famine… there are hints of cannibalism.
586 B.C. In August 586, after 18 months of siege, Nebuchadnezzar breaks into the city. Jerusalem is conquered by the Babylonians. The Edomites from the south join the Babylonians in ravaging the city. Zedekiah tries to escape through the gate close to the Pool of Siloam, heading towards Jericho. He is captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah’s sons are killed before him, and his eyes are taken out. He is then taken prisoner to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. A total of 832 Jewish prisoners are deported. (Another source says 20,000). Many of the poor are left behind. Nebuchadnezzar gives Nebuzaradan charge of Jerusalem. He is the general of the imperial guard. Jeremiah is released from prison and brought to Nebuzaradan. A month later (September), Nebuchadnezzar gives orders to his general to obliterate the city. Nebuzaradan “burned the House of the Lord, the king’s palace and all the houses of Jerusalem” and “broke down the walls.” The Temple was destroyed, its gold and silver vessels were plundered, and the Ark of the Covenant vanished forever. “The cast fire into Your Sanctuary” (Psalm 74). The priests were killed before Nebuchadnezzar. The destruction of the Temple seems to be the death not just of a city but of an entire nation.
582 B.C. Reprisals for Gedaliah’s assassination (see Jer. 40:7-41:18; 2 Kgs 25:22-26). In Babylonian exile, some of the Judeans keep their commitment to God and Zion. The begin to define themselves by their own biblical texts and their faraway city. While young Jerusalemites such as Daniel were educated in the royal household and the more worldly exiles became Babylonians, Judeans develop new laws to emphasize that they are distinct and special – they respect the Sabbath, the circumcise their children, adhere to dietary laws, adopt Jewish names. Away from Judah, the Judeans becomes Jews.
562 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar dies. He is succeeded by Evil-Merodach (562-560), Neriglissar (560-556) and Nabonidus (556-539).
539 B.C. On the death of his father, Cyrus seizes his kingdom. He unites the Medes and the Persians. They march on Babylon. Babylon surrenders to Cyrus. Cyrus inherits the Babylonian Empire.
He offers religious tolerance in return for political dominance to “unite peoples into one empire.”
538 B.C. Soon after, Cyrus, the King of Persia, issues a decree allowing the Judeans to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their Temple. Cyrus appoints Sheshbazzar, son of the last king, to govern Jerusalem, returning to him the Temple vessels. Sheshbazzar leads 42,360 exiles back to Jerusalem.
530 B.C. King Cyrus is killed in battle in Central Asia. His son, Cambyses II, succeeds him.
525 B.C. King Cambyses II marches through Gaza and across the Sinai to conquer Egypt. Far away in Persia, his brother rebels. On his way home to save his throne, Cambyses dies mysteriously near Gaza. Seven conspirators meet to plan the seizure of the empire. Darius, with the help of his six co-conspirators, succeeds in reconquering the entire Persian Empire, supressing the rebellion in almost every province. During the civil war, work on the Temple in Jerusalem ceases.
522 B.C. Darius I seizes the throne.
520 B.C. Prince Zerubabbel, grandson of the last king of Judah, and his priest, Joshua, son of the last priest of the old Temple, set off from Babylonia to rescue Jerusalem. Zerrubabel rededicates the altar on the Temple Mount. He hires artisans and buys Phoenician cedarwood to rebuild the Temple. The prophetic ministry of Haggai (520 B.C.) Zechariah begins his prophetic ministry (520-518 B.C.)
515 B.C. In March 515 B.C., the Second Temple is dedicated.
586 B.C. King Darius I, dies.
334 B.C. Alexander the Great successfully invades Persia.
THE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
Read Isaiah 1 (eight oracles).
Questions:
- What is 1:3 pointing to? (The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand)?
- To what event (or events) in the future is the oracle in 1:9 referring to?
- Why does God reject the sacrifices and religious ceremonies of Jerusalem and Judah in 1:10-17)? What needs to take place first?
- What are the graves sins taking place in the land of Judah?
- Does God offer hope?
- How do these oracles apply to our times?
Read Isaiah 2 (five oracles)
Questions:
- The first oracle in Chapter 2 offers great hope. Mountains are places of prayer and worship. What is “the mountain of the Lord” that God will establish as the highest of all mountains?
- NOTE: “Mount Zion” can refer to three things. First, it an alternate name for Jerusalem, the city of David. Second, the Temple was built on Mount Moriah, at the northeast part of the city of Jerusalem. “Mount Zion” is used sometimes to refer to the Temple mount. Third, Mount Zion is the name given to the highest hill, which was located just west of the old city of Jerusalem. After the rebuilding of Jerusalem (after the exile), this hill became part of the city of Jerusalem. It is the highest point of the entire city. This is the place where the Last Supper took place.
- In 2:3 we read, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” To what event in the future is this prophesy pointing to?
- What was the name of the first Church in Jerusalem?
- About whom is Isaiah speaking about in 2:4? When will this prophecy be fulfilled?
- The third oracle (2:5-11) speaks about several grave sins being committed in Jerusalem and Judah. What are these sins? What are the consequences, if repentance does not take place. What is the Day of the Lord?
- The fourth and fifth oracles (2:12-22) speaks about the “Day of the Lord.” How is this a double prophecy? To what near and far event is the prophecy pointing to?
Read Isaiah 3:1 to 4:1 (six oracles)
Questions:
- The first three oracles in Chapter 3 (1-12) describe some of the consequences that will take place because of Judah’s rebellion against God. What are the consequences? When will these things begin to happen?
- According to the fourth oracle (3:13-15), what is the grave sin being committed by the leaders of Judah?
- What are the sins being committed by the women of Jerusalem? (3:16-17)
- The fifth oracle (3:18) speaks about the final humiliation that will be brought upon the women of Jerusalem. To what event in the future is this pointing to?
Read Isaiah 4:2 to 4:6 (one oracle)
Questions:
- What is the “branch of the Lord”? To what is Isaiah referring to?
- To what event in the future is Isaiah referring to? Is this a double prophecy?
- In the Book of Exodus, the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud rested over the Tabernacle (Tent of Meeting), specifically over the Holy of Holies. How are we to understand the prophecy in 4:5, “Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fore by night…”? What does this mean? When will this happen? What is the cloud?
Read Isaiah 5 (Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard; and Six Woes)
Questions:
- In Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7), who is the “Beloved” in 5:1? What does the watchtower represent? What does the hedge represent? What does “the wine vat” represent? What did the owner expect to yield? What was he looking for? What did He find instead?
- Since the vineyard failed to produce good fruit, what are the consequences outlined in Is 5:5-7?
- Jesus drew from Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard when He gave the parable of the Wicked Tenants about the leaders of Israel in His own day. See Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12.
- What follows the Song of the Vineyard are six woes or reproaches. They describe in further detail the grave sins being committed by the people of Judah. What are they? How do these woes apply to our times?
- How is the ninth oracle (5;26-30) a double prophecy, or even a triple prophecy? What events are being predicted here?
Read Isaiah 6 (one vision)
Questions:
- Where does the vision take place? In what year?
- What does the smoke represent? (See Exodus 19:18 and Lev. 16:13).
- Why does Isaiah cry out “Woe is me! For I am lost”? What does he think will happen to him?
- What is the altar in heaven, which stands before the very throne of God the Father?
- What does the burning coal from the altar in heaven pre-figure?
- What does the burning coal do for Isaiah?
- God commissions Isaiah to be His prophet, His messenger. What effect will God’s word have on the people of Israel?
- What will be the final outcome?
- What does the stump represent?
Read Isaiah 7
Questions:
- When did king Jothan reign in Jerusalem? What kind of king was he?
- When did king Ahaz, the son of Jothan, begin his reign? How long did he reign?
- In general, was Ahaz a good king or a bad king?
- Only two years into his reign as king, Ahaz is faced with a serious political crisis. The kingdom of Judah is attacked by the armies of the King of Israel (Pekah) and the King of Syria (Resin). Why are they attacking Judah?
- Which tribe in the northern kingdom is the most important tribe, the leading tribe, with the most power and influence? Historically, why is this?
- What did God instruct Isaiah to do? What prophetic message does Isaiah deliver to king Ahaz? What does God want king Ahaz to do?
- Read the Word Study of “Virgin” (7:14) on page 30.
- Isaiah encourages Ahaz to ask for a sign to confirm the truth of the message. Does Ahaz believe? Why does he not ask for a sign?
- What sign does God give to confirm the truth of His word? How is the sign a double prophecy?
- Hezekiah was the son born to Ahaz and Abijah (Abi) the virgin daughter of the high priest Zechariah. When was Hezekiah born? What happened when he was two or three years old? What happened when Jesus was two or three years old?
- Does Ahaz listen to God’s word, or does he rely on himself and his own political solutions? What does king Ahaz do? What negative effect did this have on the kingdom of Judah?
- How does this all apply to our own times and our own lives? What should be the foundation of our countries and our laws?
- Is it acceptable to ask for a sign from God, when we are face with major decisions?
- How does God guide us? Can you name five ways in which God guides us?
Read Isaiah 8
Questions:
- In His generosity, God gives an additional sign. What is the additional sign that is given?
- What are the consequences of king Ahaz’s lack of faith, and the faithless people of Judah who follow him, trusting in their own political solutions, rather than in the Lord?
- What does Isaiah instruct his disciples (his followers) to do?
Read Isaiah 9 (three oracles)
Questions:
- In the first oracle, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the time when the land of Zebulun and Naphtali will come into darkness, after the conquest of Assyria (734-32 BC). It will remain in darkness for a long time. But the time will come when a great light shall shine upon them. What or Who is that light?
- What follows is a prophecy about the Messiah to come (Is 9:6-7). He will be a descendant of what king?
- In the second oracle (Is 9:8-17), Isaiah foretells the fall of the northern kingdom. When will land of Galilee and Gilead fall under the control of Assyria?
- When will the capital city, Samaria, fall to Assyria?
- What will happen to the ten tribes of Israel? Who is left behind to tend to the land?
- What will Assyria do to maintain the lands of the northern kingdom?