Memory Verse(s)
Isaiah 53:5-6
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Overview|Background
The Prophet Isaiah was primarily called to prophesy to the Kingdom of Judah. Judah was going through times of revival and times of rebellion. Judah was threatened with destruction by Assyria and Egypt, but was spared because of God’s mercy. Isaiah proclaimed a message of repentance from sin and hopeful expectation of God’s deliverance in the future.
Key Passage(s)
Isaiah 53:1-12
(1) Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
(2) For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
(3) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
(4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(7) He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
(8) He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
(9) And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
(10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
(11) He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
(12) Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Key Facts
Authorship & Time Period
Isaiah son of Amoz is often thought of as the greatest of the writing prophets. His name means “The Lord saves.” He was a contemporary of Amos, Hosea and Micah, beginning his ministry in 740 b.c., the year King Uzziah died (see note on 6:1). According to an unsubstantiated Jewish tradition (The Ascension of Isaiah), he was sawed in half during the reign of Manasseh (cf. Heb 11:37). Isaiah was married and had at least two sons, Shear-Jashub (7:3) and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:3). He probably spent most of his life in Jerusalem, enjoying his greatest influence under King Hezekiah (see 37:1-2). Isaiah is also credited with writing a history of the reign of King Uzziah (2Ch 26:22).
Many scholars today challenge the claim that Isaiah wrote the entire book that bears his name. Yet his is the only name attached to it (see 1:1; 2:1; 13:1).
Most of the events referred to in chs. 1 – 39 occurred during Isaiah’s ministry (see 6:1; 14:28; 36:1), so these chapters may have been completed not long after 701 b.c., the year the Assyrian army was destroyed (see note on 10:16). The prophet lived until at least 681 (see note on 37:38) and may have written chs. 40 – 66 during his later years. In his message to the exiles of the sixth century b.c., Isaiah was projected into the future, just as Ezekiel was in Eze 40-48.
Type of literature
Prophetic prose and poetry
Characters
MAJOR CHARACTERS: Isaiah, Yahweh, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Assyria, Babylon, and the Messiah
The Story
Summary
Iisaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC to a nation that had turned a deaf ear to the Lord. Instead of serving Him with humility and offering love to their neighbors, the nation of Judah offered meaningless sacrifices in God’s temple at Jerusalem and committed injustices throughout the nation. The people of Judah turned their backs on God and alienated themselves from Him, which created the need for Isaiah’s pronouncements of judgment—declarations made in the hope that God’s chosen people would return to Him.
Isaiah’s overall theme receives its clearest statement in chapter 12: “Behold, God is my salvation, / I will trust and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2). This echoes the meaning of Isaiah’s name, which means the “salvation of Yahweh.” Having read the book, one might wonder about the strong presence of judgment that runs through the first thirty-nine chapters when the theme is salvation. How can the two coexist? The presence of judgment indicates its necessity for salvation to occur. Before we can have salvation, we must have a need for it!
So the bulk of those early chapters in Isaiah detail judgments against the people who have turned their backs on the Lord, showing us that those who persist in their rebellion will receive judgment. On the other hand, we also see God’s faithfulness to His promise. He will preserve a small remnant of faithful believers, those who will continue on into the glorious renewed world He has prepared for His children in the end times (65:17–66:24).
Major Events
- Uzziah’s death
- Syria and Israel’s invasion of Judah
- Assyria’s invasions of Israel and Judah
- Assyria’s defeats of Babylon
- God’s deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib
- The coming new creation
Themes
- God opposes individual and corporate sin
- God promises to send a Messiah from David’s family who will be both a king and a suffering servant
- God promises to redeem people from the world’s nations through the Messiah and those who serve him
Outline of Isaiah
Part 1: The Book of Judgment (chs. 1 – 39)
- Messages of Rebuke and Promise (chs. 1–6)
- Prophecies Occasioned by the Aramean and Israelite Threat against Judah (chs. 7–12)
- Judgment against the Nations (chs. 13–23)
- Against Assyria and Its Ruler (13:1;14:27)
- Against Philistia (14:28-32)
- Against Moab (chs. 15–16)
- Against Aram and Israel (ch. 17)
- Against Cush (ch. 18)
- Against Egypt and Cush (chs. 19–20)
- Against Babylon (21:1-10)
- Against Dumah (Edom) (21:11-12)
- Against Arabia (21:13-17)
- Against the Valley of Vision (Jerusalem) (ch. 22)
- Against Tyre (ch. 23)
- Judgment and Promise (the Lord’s Kingdom) (chs. 24–27)
- Six Woes: Five on the Unfaithful in Israel and One on Assyria (chs. 28–33)
- More Prophecies of Judgment and Promise (chs. 34–35)
- The Destruction of the Nations and the Avenging of God’s People (ch. 34)
- The Future Blessings of Restored Zion (ch. 35)
- A Historical Transition from the Assyrian Threat to the Babylonian Exile (chs. 36–39)
Part 2: The Book of Comfort (chs. 40–66)
- The Deliverance and Restoration of Israel (chs. 40–48)
- The Coming of the Victorious God (40:1-26)
- Unfailing Strength for the Weary Exiles (40:27-31)
- The Lord of History (41:1;42:9)
- Praise and Exhortation (42:10-25)
- The Regathering and Renewal of Israel (43:1;44:5)
- The Only God (44:6;45:25)
- The Lord’s Superiority over Babylon’s Gods (ch. 46)
- The Fall of Babylon (ch. 47)
- The Lord’s Exhortations to His People (ch. 48)
- The Servant’s Ministry and Israel’s Restoration (chs. 49–57)
- The Call and Mission of the Servant (49:1-13)
- The Repopulation of Zion (49:14-26)
- Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience (ch. 50)
- The Remnant Comforted Because of Their Glorious Prospect (51:1;52:12)
- The Sufferings and Glories of the Lord’s Righteous Servant (52:13;53:12)
- The Future Glory of Zion (ch. 54)
- The Lord’s Call to Salvation and Covenant Blessings (55:1;56:8)
- The Condemnation of the Wicked in Israel (56:9;57:21)
- Everlasting Deliverance and Everlasting Judgment (chs. 58–66)
- False and True Worship (ch. 58)
- Zion’s Confession and Redemption (ch. 59)
- Zion’s Peace and Prosperity (ch. 60)
- The Lord’s Favor (ch. 61)
- Zion’s Restoration and Glory (62:1;63:6)
- Prayer for Divine Deliverance (63:7;64:12)
- The Lord’s Answer: Mercy and Judgment (ch. 65)
- Judgment for False Worshipers and Blessing for True Worshipers (ch. 66)
Where Do We See Christ?
Because of its scope, Isaiah contains one of the clearest expressions of the gospel in all the Old Testament. Even from the first chapter, it is clear that the people have turned away from God and failed in their responsibilities as His children (Isaiah 1:2–17). Yet God miraculously holds out hope to this unrepentant people, offering cleansing of sins and the blessing that comes with faith and obedience in Him (1:18–20). Salvation lies only in God—the only question is whether or not we will accept His offer.
Point of Application
How can we apply this to our lives today?
In addition to its gospel message, the book of Isaiah clearly articulates the sins of God’s people—dealing with others unjustly which resulted in their offering hypocritical sacrifices to God. Do you see anything in your own life that might fall under Isaiah’s critique of injustice—treating family, colleagues, or even strangers with unkindness or even disdain? Isaiah’s message is also a call for believers to come back to purity in our love for God and for our neighbors (Luke 10:26–28).In addition to its gospel message, the book of Isaiah clearly articulates the sins of God’s people—dealing with others unjustly which resulted in their offering hypocritical sacrifices to God. Do you see anything in your own life that might fall under Isaiah’s critique of injustice—treating family, colleagues, or even strangers with unkindness or even disdain? Isaiah’s message is also a call for believers to come back to purity in our love for God and for our neighbors (Luke 10:26–28).
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you in this study or your previous readings of the book of Isaiah?
Why do you think Jews accept Isaiah as scripture, yet reject Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s portrayal of the Messiah (particularly ch. 53)?
Closing Prayer
Holy Spirit, guide us this week and remind us to treat our fellow man with respect and dignity.
Current Prayer Requests:
Doc – renewed vigor to join us on Saturdays
Richard Brooks – faith and courage during the next stage of his journey in Christ
Andrew McKinney – employment provision
Bob & Gaynelle – mother’s hospitalization (from Mike Arras)
Julia (Arras) – health
Jim Allen, friend of Daryl, heart issue, VLAP operation
Jim Sachs – job situation, improvement, wisdom for interaction with leadership
Daryl’s employee Tara – ill (possible tumor) in Cambodia
Daryl’s Son Jonathan and Wife Lizz – spiritual renewal
Tom and Jeanice – Divine Healing and Peace in their spirit
Becky and Lee Davidson, health and healing
Jim & Melissa, father-in-law’s heart condition and spiritual health, marital closeness
Mike Arras’ daughter, mental and spiritual health
Mike Arras’ son, Trevor – employment
Mike Allen – sister Adele and brother
Joe & Deb – continued prayers for Deb’s Dad
Brian – Job situation
Ryan – Interview, new job opportunity
JC – eye procedure
Additional Content
FOR GREATER HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING: ISAIAH’S TIMES
Isaiah lived most of his life during the height of the Assyrian Empire (see map on p. 231), which peaked during King Tiglath-pileser III’s reign (c. 745–727 BC). Assyrian armies were known for their violence and cruelty. The Assyrian economy depended on tribute payments from conquered peoples and from plunder their armies took from defeated peoples.
Isaiah began his work in Judah during the reign of Uzziah (c. 792–740 BC; see 1:1). Uzziah was a strong king, and Judah prospered under his rule. Uzziah’s son Jotham and his grandson Ahaz did not walk with the Lord as Uzziah had done, and Judah weakened. Israel was strong and prosperous during the reign of Jeroboam II (782–753 BC). After Jeroboam II died, Israel declined rapidly (see comments on 2 Kings 11–17).
In 740 BC, Pekah, son of Remaliah, became king of Israel. Pekah made an alliance with Rezin, king of Damascus, to oppose Assyria. In c. 734 BC, they tried to force Ahaz of Judah to join them. They attacked Judah when he refused (2 Chr 28:9). Ahaz did not seek God’s help. He sent tribute money to Assyria to persuade Tiglath-pileser III to attack Rezin and Pekah (2 Kgs 16:5–10). The Assyrian agreed, and Judah became Assyria’s vassal. Judah was dominated by Assyria for the next 100 years—until the time of King Josiah.
Tiglath-pileser conquered Syria and Israel in 732 BC, taking exiles from both countries. He then supported Hoshea’s overthrow of Pekah in Israel. By 724 BC Hoshea had rebelled against Assyria and appealed to Egypt for military support. Assyria responded by conquering Israel, ending its monarchy, and taking more people into exile in 722 BC (see discussion of 2 Kings 11–17). Israelite exiles were taken to various places in the Assyrian Empire (11:10–16; see also map on p. 234). Very few people remained in Israel.
Israel resisted Assyria for decades. From c. 734–670 BC (Isa 7:8), the Assyrians relocated many Israelites near Haran, where Abraham had lived (Ezra 4:1–3). At this time the Assyrians also displaced tribes from southern Arabia into the land of Samaria. This group provided some ancestors of the Samaritans. Jews and Samaritans became bitter enemies by Jesus’s time (John 4:9).
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