Book of Isaiah

saltwn · #1 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 08:32 PM

Isaiah is a book of warning and of prophesy. Here is a little a little background in the words of three great writers.

Quote:

At the beginning of Isaiah's prophecy, Israel and Judah were at the height of their reigns. Together, these two nations held almost as much territory as that held by Solomon. They were wealthy and prosperous. Syria was gone. Egypt was weak. Assyria was not a threat. And Babylon was nowhere to be seen.
At the end of Isaiah's life, Israel was no more and Judah was greatly reduced in size, being only a "gnat" in comparison to Assyria.
The message of the prophets was one of ruin and restoration. They made many references back to the law, warning of the impending judgment because Israel had departed from the law. Schofield

Quote:

These books, being prophetical, are, as such, divine, and of heavenly origin and extraction. We have human laws, human histories, and human poems, as well as divine ones, but we can have no human prophecies. Wise and good men may make prudent conjectures concerning future events (moral prognostications we call them); but it is essential to true prophecy that it be of God. The learned Huetius (Demonstrat. Evang. pag. 15) lays this down for one of his axioms, Omnis prophetica facultas à Deo est-The prophetic talent is entirely from God; and he proves it to be the sense both of Jews and heathen that it is God's prerogative to foresee things to come, and that whoever had such a power had it from God. And therefore the Jews reckon all prophecy to be given by the highest degree of inspiration, except that which was peculiar to Moses. When our Saviour asked the chief priests whether John's baptism were from heaven or of men, they durst not say Of men, because the people counted him a prophet, and, if so, then not of men. The Hebrew name for a prophet is nbyÕ-a speaker, preacher, or orator, a messenger, or interpreter, that delivers God's messages to the children of men, as a herald to proclaim war or an ambassador to treat of peace. But then it must be remembered that he was formerly called rÕh or hä-.-åsä-.-åh, that is, a seer (1 Sa. 9:9); for prophets, with the eyes of their minds, first saw what they were to speak and then spoke what they had seen. Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Quote:

The two chief points of his prophecies are intimated to the people, the judgments of the Lord on the people and the world, and yet His mercy to the elect. ..His Garment of sackcloth (Isa 20:2), … was a silent preaching by fact; he appears as the embodiment of that repentance which he taught….-History, as written by the prophets, is retroverted prophecy. As the past and future alike proceed from the essence of God, an inspired insight into the past implies an insight into the future, and vice versa

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Whew!

saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 08:35 PM

Here's the first four verses of text:

Isa 1:1 I am Isaiah, the son of Amoz. And this is the message that I was given about Judah and Jerusalem when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah:
Isa 1:2 The LORD has said, "Listen, heaven and earth! The children I raised have turned against me.
Isa 1:3 Oxen and donkeys know who owns and feeds them, but my people won't ever learn."
Isa 1:4 Israel, you are a sinful nation loaded down with guilt. You are wicked and corrupt and have turned from the LORD, the holy God of Israel.

saltwn · #3 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 08:42 PM

When I look at this passage it tells me God via Isaiah is filled with righteous indignation at the way his people are acting.

Isa 1:3 Oxen and donkeys know who owns and feeds them, but my people won't ever learn." (CE)

Isa 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib:but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (KJ)

Like God is saying, dude, even the lowest animal knows who feeds him every night and treats his sores when he's hurt. But you chosen people do not act like you know me your benefactor at all.

mlurp · #4 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:14 PM

Isaiah, which means 'salvation of the Lord" was the greatest of the writing prophets and lived during the period of 740-680 B.C. as best as we know.
His writings involve from the eternal Counsels of God and the creation of the universe (42:5) and see into the future to the new heavens and earth (65:17; 66:22)
All the Nations of the world come under the scope of Isaiah's writings. (2:4,
5:26, 14:6 and 26, 40:15, 17 and 22, 66:18)
No other prophet has written with such majestic eloquence about the glory of God.
His writings date to the 8th century B.C. "Intro New Scofield Reference Bible".

saltwn · #5 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Isaiah is a difficult and, therefore often neglected book. Why should we study Isaiah? First, because it is part of holy scripture and is great literature. We should study Isaiah because it is very frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament. We should study these selected passages because trusting God is still essential and troubled times are our lot too.

quoted from introduction to Isaiah/ NIV/ quiet time edition bible

mlurp · #6 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:31 PM

Chapter 1 verse 2 to verse 23 states the case of the Lord against Judah. Chastening, according to Dt. 28-29, has been visited upon Israel in the land (verses 5-8) and now the time of expulsion from the land is near. But here the Lord renews the promise of the Palestine Covenant of future restoration and exaltation (1:26-27, 2:1-4)
(1:26) Under the future kingdom the ancient method of administering the theocratic government over Israel is to be restored.

(1:29) The alllusion is to worship of idols.

(2:2) verses 2-5 are so similar to Micah (4:1-3 and 5) that the idea one copied from the other. But God gave both men the same vision. Micah includes an extra verse (4) thus describing the vision more fully.
(2:2 the mountain described is in scriptures symbolism, means a kingdom, authority or rule. (dan. 2:35, 44-45, Rev. 17:9-11)

The above info is from Scofields referance to help one understand the fuller meaning of what they are reading.

mlurp · #7 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:
Isaiah is a difficult and, therefore often neglected book. Why should we study Isaiah? First, because it is part of holy scripture and is great literature. We should study Isaiah because it is very frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament. We should study these selected passages because trusting God is still essential and troubled times are our lot too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

quoted from introduction to Isaiah/ NIV/ quiet time edition bible

I would add also because it covers all nations in the future.

saltwn · #8 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:51 PM

In chapter 1 Isaiah is called by God to preach. The message to the religious society addressed is that God finds their religion rotten and nauseating.

In every day modern language God says, "I don't want to hear one more empty prayer by 'rote', or smell one more insincere burnt offering- in fact the smell is putrid because you are 'going through the motions' and doing the opposite of what I tell you!"

The lord summons heaven and earth to be a witness to his people's rebellious conduct.

The children of God- the inheritors of His promise are worshiping with the Druids! Not only that, they are neglecting the widow and orphan and often bring unsubstantiated charges against the innocent and the poor who can't defend themselves!

saltwn · #9 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 03:04 PM

In applying the 1st book to modern life, God commands us to

Isa 1:16-20 Wash yourselves clean! I am disgusted with your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong and learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help those in need."
I, the LORD, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.
If you willingly obey me, the best crops in the land will be yours.
But if you turn against me, your enemies will kill you. I, the LORD, have spoken. (CEV)

It is hard for modern man, as I assume it was hard for the Israelites to do what was right instead of just showing up at church and partaking of the holy communion (or Last supper).
It is hard to not just give lip service to the things God specifically instructed us to do and not to do.
A woman who has lost her husband, may be someone we wouldn't want our neighbors to see us visiting because she is unkempt or has done crank. But we are no less obligated to her, for her sins are the same as our own sins in God's eyes. Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23 (KJV)

saltwn · #10 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlurp

Quote:
Isaiah is a difficult and, therefore often neglected book. Why should we study Isaiah? First, because it is part of holy scripture and is great literature. We should study Isaiah because it is very frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament. We should study these selected passages because trusting God is still essential and troubled times are our lot too.

I would add also because it covers all nations in the future.

One reason I want to read and study this through from front to back, is because I have heard many references of this kind. One preacher talks about three time periods for all prophesy, and I've often scanned verses of this book (as well as Ezekiel and Jeremiah) that seemed to speak directly to recent events.

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