The Book of Isaiah
Rev. Dr. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
Title
- Hebrew meaning of Isaiah: Yahweh is Salvation.
- Greek and Latin versions followed Hebrew titles.
Canonical Place
Isaiah is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament and the primary book in the Prophetic literature.
Authorship
Traditional view
- Isaiah, the son of Amoz, is the author of the book, and a royal prophet during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh, and married and had two songs.
Modern Scholarship view
- Isaiah was the collection prophetic sayings between 737 B.C to 537 B.C. The first part of the book Chapters 1-39 belonged to 8th century aand Chapters 40-55 belonged to 7 or 6th Century and Chapter 56-66 belonged to 6th Century
- If this is true, then we assume that Chapters 1-35 was written by Isaiah in the pre-exilic period and Chapters 36-55 was written by another prophet lived in the time of exilic period and Chapters 56-66 was written by someone, called as Deutero-Isaiah or Second Isaiah, coming from post-exilic period.Based on this assumption.
Date and Place
- Traditional view: 740-701 B.C. based on Jerusalem as the place of origin
- Modern Scholarship view: 737-537, edited in Jerusalem
Prophetic Features
- Forth teller: Prophets are proclaimers of God's message.
- Foreteller: Prophets bring predictions of the future.
Literary units
- In Isaiah, most of the prophecies are written as Hebrew poetry. Hebrew Poetry in this book has two primary elements.
- Parallelism
- Synonymous Parallelism : The first line is reinforced in the second line.”They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks." (2:4b)
- Antithetic Parallelism : The first line is contrasted or negated in the second line as a means of reinforcing it. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (1:18)
- Imagery
- The use of imagery is to compare one thing to another and also it is a way of fixing an idea in our minds with clarity. Isaiah.11:6-9
- There are two kinds of images used in Isaiah
- Simile: A comparison is made explicitly by the presence of the word “like or as”. Isaiah.40:11,15
- Metaphor: A comparison is made implicitly without mention of the word “ like or as”. Isaiah. 28:17a
Purpose
- To emphasis the holiness of God and Jerusalem becoming the worship centre for all nations historically and eschatologically.
- To emphasis that God’s Suffering servant is the king coming from David’s Kingship line but his saving activity within the history through sufferings
- To emphasis that God’s reign is shown to the world through the history of Israel but his reign eschatologically to the whole creation.
- To emphasis that God’s eschatological kingdom is progressively builds on prior history
- To emphasis that the prophecies are the promises of God to be fulfilled in God’s salvation history.
Theological Themes
- The primary theme of the book is this: Salvation is for the Lord through Messiah the Servant of the Lord. Here the word ‘salvation’ is used for 26 times in Isaiah and only 7 times used in other prophetic books
- The main theme of the book is all about the Messiah.(2:1-4; 4:2-6; 7:14-15; 11:1 - 12:6; 24:21-23; 25:6-8; 26:1-2; 27:12-13; 30:18-26; 32:1-7,16-20; 33:17-24; 35:1-10; 42:1-9; 49:1 - 55:13; 60:1 - 62:12; 66:18-24) and Isaiah is quoted 54 x in the New Testament more than any other prophet
- There are two sub-themes in Isaiah. One is the Holiness of the Lord (The Holy one Israel is mentioned 26 x in Isaiah and 6x in the entire remainder of the Bible). The other theme is Humility before God as he refers to the Lord’s servant ( Israel, Messiah and Redeemed People)
Simplified Overview of Isaiah
Chapters 1-39
- Date: The eighth century
- Setting: The Assyrian Threat
- Audience: God’s rebellious people craving worldly security
- Actions: God purifies a remnant of his apostate people through judgment
- Message: “In retiring and rest you shall be saved.. but you were unwilling.” 30:15
Chapters 40-55
- Date: The sixth century
- Setting: The Babylonian Exile
- Audience: God’s defeated people under worldly domination
- Actions: God consoles his discouraged people in exile
- Message: "The glory of the LORD shall be revealed" (40:5)
Chapters 56-66
- Date: The sixth century
- Setting: Post exilic period and prophecies about all times and occasions until the end. All who hold fast to God’s covenant
- Audience: All who hold fast to God’s covenant
- Actions: God prepares all of his true people for his promised salvation
- Message: "Keep justice, and do righteousness" (56:1)
Key word:
Salvation or restoration
Key Verse:
Isaiah 51:6:Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
Key Theme:
Restoration of the created order
Outlines
I. Introduction: “Ah, Sinful Nation!” (1:1–5:30)
- Judah’s sins confronted (1:1–31)
- Judah’s hope, guilt, hope (2:1–4:6)
- Hope (2:1–5)
- Guilt (2:6–4:1)
- Hope (4:2–6)
- Judah’s sins condemned (5:1–30)
II. God Redefines the Future of His People: “Your Guilt Is Taken Away” (6:1–12:6)
- Grace—through judgment—for Isaiah (6:1–13)
- Grace—through judgment—for Judah (7:1–9:7)
- Grace—through judgment—for Israel (9:8–11:16)
- The enjoyment of God’s grace (12:1–6)
III. God’s Judgment and Grace for the World: “We Have a Strong City” (13:1–27:13)
- First series of oracles: The here and now (13:1–20:6)
- Babylon (13:1–14:27)
- Philistia (14:28–32)
- Moab (15:1–16:14)
- The Syria-Israel alliance (17:1–18:7)
- Egypt (19:1–20:6)
- Second series of oracles: The deeper truth (21:1–23:18)
- Babylon (21:1–10)
- Edom (21:11–12)
- Arabia (21:13–17)
- Jerusalem (22:1–25)
- Tyre (23:1–18)
- Third series of oracles: The final end (24:1–27:13)
- The wasted city (24:1–20)
- The Lord will punish (24:21–23)
- He will swallow up death forever (25:1–12)
- He will ordain peace (26:1–21)
- The whole world will be fruitful (27:1–13)
IV. God’s Sovereign Word Spoken into the World: “Ah!” (28:1–35:10) Six laments, with assurances (28:1–33:24)
- The proud crown of Ephraim (28:1–29)
- The city where David encamped (29:1–14)
- Those who turn things upside down (29:15–24)
- Stubborn children with their own plans (30:1–33)
- Those who go down to Egypt for help (31:1–32:20)
- The destroyer who has not been destroyed (33:1–24)
- Two final outcomes: judgment or salvation (34:1–35:10)
V. Historical Transition: “In Whom Do You Now Trust?” (36:1–39:8)
- Practical trust in God vindicated (36:1–37:38)
- Human inconstancy sent into exile (38:1–39:8)
VI. Comfort for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed” (40:1–55:13)
- The God of glory: his coming, exclusivity, power (40:1–31)
- The one true God moving history for his people (41:1–20)
- False hopes, the Lord’s servant, a new song (41:21–42:17)
- God reclaims his people for his glory (42:18–43:21)
- God revives his people for his glory (43:22–44:23)
- God predicts his use of Cyrus (44:24–45:25)
- The gods and pride of Babylon doomed (46:1–47:15)
- God will free his people from Babylon for his own sake(48:1–22)
- The Lord’s servant displayed, his people assured (49:1–50:3)
- The Lord’s servant taught, his people attentive (50:4–51:8)
- Encouragements to a responsive faith (51:9–52:12)
- The Lord’s servant: the exalted sin-bearer (52:13–53:12)
- Compassion for God’s people, offered to all(54:1–55:13)
VII. How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant” (56:1– 66:24)
- The true people of God redefined (56:1–8)
- The false people of God exposed (56:9–57:13)
- The true people of God invited (57:14–21)
- The path to blessing: ritual vs. responsibility (58:1–59:13)
- Present failure, eternal covenant, future glory (59:14–60:22)
- The anointed Preacher renewing the world (61:1–62:12)
- The coming Victor; his past faithfulness (63:1–14)
- Praying for the power of God(63:15–64:12)
- The eagerness of God for his people’s eternal joy (65:1–25)
- True worship now and forever (66:1–24)