Isaiah-Intro-Outline

Isaiah, an introduction and outline…

Isaiah’s ministry spans the reigns of four kings of Judah over a period of around 60 years, but most of his prophetic activity relates to crisis during the reign of Ahaz (circa 732 bc) or the Assyrian king Sennacherib’s invasion and siege of Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah (701 bc).

Most Bible readers are aware of those passages in Isaiah that introduce important theological themes about the Messiah that were fulfilled in the New Testament.  Others have heard about some of the prophet’s unusual experiences that stand out as pivotal events strongly impacting his life.  Outstanding are:

·        The glorious appearance of Israel’s Holy God on his throne in the Temple (6:1–8) is one such event that captures the imagination of all who read it.

·        The wonder of the moment is enchanting, as Isaiah observed the seraphim proclaiming God’s holiness and as he saw a glimpse of the glory of God sitting on a high throne. One can almost visualize the prophet bowing and humbly confessing his sins. Many have heard sermons that challenged listeners to follow the example of Isaiah and be willing to go and serve God wherever he might send them (6:8)

o   Isaiah saw the splendor of the “Holy One” when he was recommissioned to serve God in a new way in 6:1–13, and this changed his life and transformed his thinking about God. Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord:

·         ⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” ⁹ And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
We need to: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;  keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

·        Another well known event might be Isaiah’s words of hope to Judah’s king Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite War (734–732 BC) and his subsequent prediction that a virgin would bear a son called Immanuel (7:1–14).   

·        Equally memorable is the story of the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem during the days of Hezekiah (36:1–37:38). In response to Hezekiah’s prayer God sent an angel to kill 185,000 Assyrian troops in order to deliver the city of Jerusalem.

·        Referencing of  Christian theology in Isaiah such as: 

o   the coming “Servant of the Lord” who will establish justice on the earth (42:1–4),

o   be a covenant and light to the nations (42:6–7; 49:6),

o   then suffer and die for the sins of all the world (52:12–53:12).

·        The challenge to trust God is an important theme found in Isaiah.

o   As one traces the themes of pride and trust through the messages of this book, one discovers the consistent theological message that:

§  in all kinds of situations God hates pride and will destroy the proud; and

§  what pleases God is for people to trust in him for the forgiveness of sins, for security from their enemies, for guidance in the future, and for their eternal hope.

These memorable passages only scratch the surface of Isaiah’s most important messages, and in some ways they tend to draw attention away from all the other equally important ideas that the prophet communicated to his audience.

 

1:1–31The first chapter of Isaiah serves as a summary vision and presents the major themes of the book: judgment on Judah for rebelliousness, and hope for the future restoration of Zion.

Judah and JerusalemThe northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 bc, posing an imminent threat to Judah. These events provide the dramatic backdrop for Isaiah’s warning of impending judgment against the southern kingdom.

kings of JudahThe full reigns of all four kings covers a period of about a century (790–687 bc). The reference to Uzziah’s death in 6:1 suggests Isaiah’s ministry started around 740 bc. Compare Hos 1:1 and note.

 

The keys that enables the modern reader to discover an indirect relevance comes from.

a.     Understanding the meaning of the prophet’s message to his audience,

b.     developing broad theological principles from these specific incidents and teachings,

c.      finding analogies between the Old Testament theological teaching and the modern world today

The prophet tells much about what he believes in but very little about his feelings, what he did, where he traveled, or how he reacted to what God was doing in Jerusalem. What was of utmost importance to Isaiah was to proclaim and then record what God was communicating to his people, not to express his own opinions or explain his own joys or struggles with God’s messages of judgment or hope.

 

The remainder of this document is a Quote from the New American Commentary (NAC):

PURPOSE. The prophecies within the book of Isaiah address the spiritual, social, economic, political, and personal needs of people in Judah and Jerusalem. His messages call for a consideration of Israel’s current circumstances—why the nation was in trouble—and for the leaders of Judah to stop trusting in themselves or other nations. The oracles often take the rhetorical shape of pointing out the problem and warning of forthcoming dire consequences. The prophet usually suggests a possible alternative action and describes an alternative world that the audience could enjoy if they make the right choices and trust God. Isaiah believed that the present ideology that dominated Judah was misguided on issues of social justice (3:12–15), how to deal with the threat of war (7:1–12; 30:1–5), and how to please God with their worship (1:10–18). His method aimed to unmask the hopelessness of the people and the leader’s false perception of reality (39:1–5; 31:1–3). They were all too often blind and stubborn (6:9–10; 29:9–10), needing God to open their eyes (32:3–4; 25:5).

The prophet sought to persuade his audience to transform their minds and change their behavior changed; but he also sought to harden the hearts of some unbelievers (6:9–11). The prophet’s message also served political purposes when he was attempting to persuade a king or his political advisors that God had a better plan than the inappropriate political policies they were pursuing (chaps. 7–8; 28–31; 36–39). Some oracles, such as the messages of hope in 2:1–4 and 4:2–6, were designed to lift the spirits and remind God’s people of his great plan to bless them and all the nations of the earth. Knowing the future can give a reason to live today in preparation to enjoy God’s future kingdom and not suffer the fate of the wicked. The purpose of many of the oracles against foreign nations in chaps. 13–23 was to convince the Hebrews not to act like these nations and not to depend on or make alliances with those whom God would soon defeat. They must remove arrogance, trust God for their future, and live with the assurance that their divine, holy King will one day establish his kingdom, send forth the messianic King, and create a time of peace among his holy people.

Outline of Isaiah 1–39

      I.    God’s Threatened Court Case against His People (1:1–31)

            1.   Superscription (1:1)

            2.   God’s Accusations of Rebellion against Judah (1:2–9)

            3.   God’s Call for Reconciliation, Not Useless Worship (1:10–20)

            4.   God’s Purification of Judah’s Leaders (1:21–31)

      II.  Depending on Human Resources or Trusting God (2:1–12:6)

            1.   Exaltation of God and Humbling of the Proud (2:1–4:6)

                  (1)  Promises of God’s Future Kingdom Produce Trust (2:1–5)

                  (2)  Removal of Pride and Exaltation of God (2:6–22)

                  (3)  Removal of Judah’s Male Leaders (3:1–15)

                  (4)  Removal of Judah’s Proud Women (3:16–4:1)

                  (5)  God’s Glorious, Holy Kingdom (4:2–6)

            2.   The Destruction of Judah (5:1–30)

                  (1)  A Vineyard Song of Love and Rejection (5:1–7)

                  (2)  Reasons for Judah’s Destruction (5:8–25)

                  (3)  An Army’s Destruction of Judah (5:26–30)

            3.   A Holy King’s Calling to a Calloused Audience (6:1–13)

                  (1)  The Vision of the Holy King (6:1–4)

                  (2)  The Prophet’s Purification (6:5–7)

                  (3)  A Hardening Message for a Calloused Audience (6:8–10)

                  (4)  Hope in the Midst of Destruction (6:11–13)

            4.   The Destruction of Judah (7:1–8:18)

                  (1)  Ahaz’s Failure to Trust God Brings Assyria (7:1–25)

                  Do not Fear; Stand Firm in your Faith (7:1–9)

                  The Sign of Immanuel (7:10–17)

                  Judgment of the Land (7:18–25)

                  (2)  Fearing God, not Military Might (8:1–22)

                  The Birth of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1–4)

                  The Coming Assyrian Flood (8:5–10)

                  Fear God, not Armies (8:11–15)

                  Follow God’s Instructions; Other Ways Bring Darkness (8:16–22)

            5.   The Reign of a Righteous King, the Humbling of the Proud (9:1–11:16)

                  (1)  The Reign of a Righteous King (9:1–7)

                  (2)  The Judgment of Proud and Sinful Israel (9:8–10:4)

                  God’s Wrath against Proud Israel (9:8–12)

                  God’s Wrath against Unrepentant Leaders (9:13–17)

                  God Is Destroying the Nation (9:18–21)

                  Lament: Judah’s Oppression Will Lead to Its Demise (10:1–4)

                  (3)  The Judgment of Proud Assyria (10:5–34)

                  God Will Judge Assyrians for Pride (10:5–19)

                  God Will Save a Remnant (10:20–27)

                  Invading Assyria Will Be Cut Off (10:28–34)

                  (4)  The Reign of a Righteous King (11:1–16)

                  The Just and Peaceful Reign of a Davidic Branch (11:1–9)

                  The Gathering of the Nations to God (11:10–16)

            6.   A Song of Trust in God (12:1–6)

      III. God’s Sovereign Plan for the Nations (13:1–23:18)

            1.   God’s Plans for Babylon and Assyria (13:1–14:27)

                  (1) Destruction on the Day of the Lord (13:1–16)

                  (2) God Will Destroy Proud Babylon (13:17–22)

                  (3) God Will Restore Israel (14:1–2)

                  (4) A Taunt Song for the Babylonian King (14:3–23)

                  (5) God’s Plan to Crush Assyria (14:24–27)

            2.   God’s Plans for Philistia (14:28–32)

            3.   God’s Plans for Proud Moab (15:1–16:14)

                  (1)  A Lament for Moab (15:1–9)

                  (2)  Moab Requests Help from Judah (16:1–5)

                  (3)  Pride Will Cause Lamenting in Moab (16:6–12)

                  (4)  Destruction in Three Years (16:13–14)

            4.   God’s Plans for Damascus—and Israel (17:1–18:7)

                  (1)  Damascus and Israel Will Lose Their Fertility (17:1–11)

                  (2)  God Will Rebuke the Raging Nations (17:12–14)

                  (3) Cush Will Honor God for Destroying Its Enemies (18:1–7)

            5.   God’s Plans for Egypt (19:1–20:6)

                  (1)  God Will Defeat Egypt and Her Gods (19:1–15)

                  (2)  God Will Save Egypt; Egyptians Will Worship God (19:16–25)

                  (3)  Isaiah’s Nakedness Symbolizes Egypt’s Defeat (20:1–6)

            6.   God’s Plans for Babylon (21:1–10)

                  (1)  The Prophet’s Terrifying Vision of Babylon (21:1–4)

                  (2)  Watchmen Report on the Fall of Babylon (21:5–10)

            7.   God’s Plans for Dumah (21:11–12)

            8.   God’s Plans for Arabia (21:13–17)

            9.   God’s Plans for Jerusalem (22:1–25)

                  (1)  Jerusalem Rejoices Even Though She Faces Defeat (22:1–14)

                  (2)  Shebna: Disgraced and Replaced (22:15–25)

            10. God’s Plans for Tyre (23:1–18)

                  (1)  Lament over Proud Tyre (23:1–14)

                  (2)  Restoration after Seventy Years (23:15–18)

      IV. Trusting Now in God, Who Will Reign over All (24:1–27:13)

            1.   God’s Final Curse on an Evil World (24:1–23)

                  (1)  God’s Curse Brings Destruction (24:1–3)

                  (2)  The Reason for God’s Curse (24:4–13)

                  (3)  Joy and Sorrow over God’s Destruction (24:14–16a)

                  (4)  After Destruction, God Will Reign (24:16b–23)

            2.   Eschatological Words of Praise to God (25:1–12)

                  (1)  A Song of Thanksgiving (25:1–5)

                  (2)  God’s Joyous Feast (25:6–8)

                  (3)  A Song of Praise for God’s Deliverance (25:9–12)

            3.   Judah’s Trust in God for Deliverance (26:1–27:1)

                  (1)  A Song of Trust in God (26:1–6)

                  (2)  A Lament while Waiting for Salvation (26:7–19)

                  (3)  God Will Destroy the Enemy (26:20–27:1)

            4.   God’s Assurance of Salvation (27:2–13)

                  (1)  God’s Song of Care for His Vineyard (27:2–6)

                  (2)  An Explanation of God’s Ways (27:7–11)

                  (3)  Gathering to Worship (27:12–13)

      V.  Not Trusting in Enemies, Who Will Be Defeated (28:1–35:10)

            1.   Trusting Blind Leaders or Trusting God (28:1–29:24)

                  (1)  First Woe: God’s Instruction to Proud Leaders (28:1–29)

                  Woe to the Fading Wreath of Ephraim (28:1–6)

                  The Failure of Priests and Prophets in Judah (28:7–13)

                  God’s Cornerstone Rejected by Judah’s Leaders (28:14–22)

                  Parable of the Farmer: Accept God’s Wisdom (28:23–29)

                  (2)  Second Woe, to the Oppressed of Jerusalem (29:1–14)

                  Jerusalem Besieged, then Relieved (29:1–8)

                  The Blindness of Prophets and People (29:9–14)

                  (3)  Third Woe: A Reversal for the Rebellious (29:15–24)

            2.   Disgrace from Trusting Egypt; Redemption of Zion (30:1–33:24)

                  (1)  First Woe, to Those Who Trust Egypt (30:1–33)

                  Woe against Trusting Worthless Egypt (30:1–17)

                  God’s Future Grace Transforming Judah (30:18–26)

                  God’s Plan to Destroy Assyria (30:27–33)

                  (2)  Second Woe, to Those Who Trust Egypt (31:1–32:20)

                  Woe against Reliance on Egypt Rather than God (31:1–9)

                  God’s Exaltation of a Righteous King (32:1–8)

                  Mourning from Complacency; Life from the Spirit (32:9–20)

                  (3)  Third Woe: Confidence in God’s Victory over the Destroyer (33:1–24)

                  Woe to Assyria, and Jerusalem’s Confidence (33:1–16)

                  The Reign of God in Zion (33:17–24)

            3.   Trusting God to Ruin the Nations and Transform Zion (34:1–35:10)

                  (1)  God’s Wrath against the Nations (34:1–17)

                  (2)  God’s Glory Transforming Zion (35:1–10)

      VI. Hezekiah’s Challenge to Trust God (36:1–39:8)

            1.   Overcoming Sennacherib’s Threats against Hezekiah (36:1–37:38)

                  (1)  Challenging Hezekiah’s Trust for Deliverance (36:1–22)

                  The First Challenge: On Whom Can You Depend? (36:1–10)

                  The Second Challenge: Who Can Deliver You? (36:11–21)

                  (2)  Cutting Off the Blaspheming Assyrian King (36:22–37:7)

                  (3)  Sennacherib’s Final Warning to Hezekiah (37:8–13)

                  (4)  God’s Promise to Rescue Hezekiah (37:14–35)

                  Requesting God’s deliverance (37:14–20)

                  Promise to Defeat Proud Sennacherib (37:21–29)

                  God’s Sign of Survival and Promise of Protection (37:30–35)

                  (5)  Assyrians Defeated (37:36–38)

            2.   Hezekiah Delivered from Death (38:1–22)

                  (1)  Hezekiah’s Prayer for Healing (38:1–8)

                  (2)  Hezekiah’s Thanksgiving for Healing (38:9–20)

                  (3)  Concluding Comments (38:21–22)

            3.   Trusting Babylon Rather Than God (39:1–8)