Vision of Isaiah – Wisdom for the 21st Century

Introduction to The Book of Isaiah

Many consider the book of Isaiah to be the greatest book in the Old Testament. In the book’s opening, the prophet prophesied to the people and leaders of Judah during a seriously critical point in history. At the end of Uzziah’s reign, which is identified as the beginning of Isaiah’s ministry (Isaiah 1:1), the nation finds itself threatened by the nations of Israel and Syria to the north, while powerful Egypt lies to the southwest. Overshadowing the politics of the entire region is the ominous and powerful Assyrian nation. Judah’s leaders attempt to find a peaceful solution to these military threats by making earthly alliances; turning to God for the help they needed was far from their minds. God eventually utilizes the Assyrian army in judgment against His people, allowing the Assyrians to capture all of Judea but the city of Jerusalem. God’s hand then turns the Assyrians back.

Economically, from the strictly human perspective, the nation was prospering. However, from God’s viewpoint, Judah was like a wretched victim that had been beaten from head to foot and left to die (Isaiah 1:5-6). Mankind has always suffered from an inability to see beyond surface appearances. God is the only One who can really know and judge men’s hearts.

The spiritual health of Judah was suffering from the misguided notion that religious ritual alone was all that was required to secure God’s favor and blessing. It was entirely inconceivable to them that God would pronounce a devastating judgment upon them. Even harder for them to believe was how God could bring blessing back to His people through judgment. The Israelites had the ingrained idea that God would render either hope or judgment, but not both. They couldn’t understand that God’s promises would only be realized after the nation was purged with holy cleansing fire. To them, God’s judgment meant utter destruction, not to cleanse and restore. This concept of judgment linked to inner cleansing and a future hope is the main theme expressed throughout.

Many other important themes are found in Isaiah. The concept of servant-king is expressed openly in Isaiah 40-66, but is also an underlying theme in Isaiah 1-39. Judah desires a tyrant king, one who will lead them and be stronger, crueler, and more stubborn than the leaders of opposing nations. What does God promise them? The vision of a “child” (Isaiah 9:6)! This child-king is to be wise, perceptive, and righteous, and will usher in a kingdom completely void of violence and pain (Isaiah 11:9; 65:25). God’s solution to the cruelty and oppression of the world is not to be more cruel and oppressive, but to allow all the cruelty and oppression to be hurled upon His righteous Son and give back love (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

Other important themes in Isaiah include (1) a contrast of the results of trusting or rebelling against God, (2) how human arrogance leads to utter humiliation, (3) the uniqueness and superiority of Yahweh compared to the false deities of other nations, and (4) how Judah has a responsibility to reveal the one true, holy, and righteous God to all the nations of the earth. (Isaiah 12:4-5; 66:19-23). Of course, for Judah to succeed in this God-ordained mission, she must first trust in God herself. This is a tall order for a people who seem to have put much less trust in Yahweh than in the earthly and devilish ways of the nations surrounding them.

Certainly not least of the important themes in Isaiah is that of righteousness. The forms of the Hebrew root commonly translated “righteousness” (sdq) appear in the book sixty-one times, spread evenly throughout. However, the prophet’s presentation of righteousness actually fits into three distinct sections: to the people of Isaiah’s own time, prior to the fall of Jerusalem (Isaiah 1-39), to the Judeans in Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40-55), and to the remnant who have returned to the land from captivity (Isaiah 56-66). In the first section, righteousness among the people is the clear mandate. If they will repent of their rebellion and live righteously, God will deliver them and stay His hand from judgment. When the people failed, God’s second judgment fell. Babylon conquered Judah, destroying Jerusalem, and the survivors went into exile.

A dramatic shift in righteousness takes place in the “exile” section. Here the emphasis is not on men, but on God’s righteousness. This people who have utterly failed to be righteous will still receive the promises of God, but only by His divine mercy and grace. God is “righteous,” keeping His covenant promises even to a nation that has entirely scorned Him.

The third section, written to the returned remnant, finds Isaiah still calling out for the people to live righteously, but now balanced with the message that God’s own righteousness will defeat human iniquity and enable them to live lives of righteousness before the world. Although God’s righteous acts of grace and mercy to uphold His covenant promises have given Judah renewed hope, yet the Creator demands that His chosen people are to live according to God’s holy standards. Man’s only hope is now the divine Warrior who comes to defeat sin and break its power over man (Isaiah 59:15-21; 63:1-6).

The prophet’s message applies just as strongly for us today. Not only does modern mankind need the cleansing fire of God, but most importantly, we need the Savior!

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version, public domain.

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