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PROPHETICAL BOOKS

LECTURE 32

ISAIAH (LECTURE TWO)

(Continued from the previous lecture)

Students will be able to:

1. explain the circumstances surrounding the decision of Ahaz to seek help from Assyria rather than take Isaiah's advice to trust God.

2. describe the Davidic King mentioned in Is. 11.

3. locate on a map the major countries mentioned in Is. 13­23.

4. characterize the servant mentioned in Is. 42­53.

5. identify the two major divisions of Isaiah (chaps. 1­39 and 40­66) and understand the different historical settings these sections address.

OUTLINE OF LECTURE (Continued)

II. The Threat against Judah in 735 B.C. (Is. 7:1­12:6)

A. Ahaz warned by Isaiah not to fear the alliance (7:1­25)

The kings of Aram or Syria (Rezin) and Israel (Pekah) formed an alliance that threatened Judah. Although Isaiah reassured Ahaz that he could depend on God, Ahaz turned to Assyria for help.

Isaiah promised that God would give a sign by allowing a virgin or young maiden (the Hebrew 'almah can mean either)­­to bear a son who was to be called Immanuel (that is "God is with us").

B. Isaiah's Son and David's Son (8:1­9:7)

1. Isaiah's wife (a prophetess) gave birth to a son whose name meant "quick to the plunder and swift to the spoil," reassuring Ahaz that before the child could talk the Assyrians would plunder Damascus and Samaria (8: 1­5).

2. David's son (the Messianic King) is described in Is. 9:6­7.

C. Judgment against Israel (9:8­10:4)

D. Destruction of Assyria (10:5­34)

E. The Davidic king and Kingdom (11:1­16) (DQ#2)

F. Songs of Deliverance (12:1­6)

 III. Judgment against the Nations (13:1­ 23:18) (TN#3 )

A. Babylon (13:1­14:23)

B. Assyria (14:24­27)

C. Philistia (14:28­32)

D. Moab (15:1­16:14)

E. Aram and Israel (17:1­14)

F. Cush (18:1­7)

G. Egypt (19:1­25)

H. Egypt and Cush (20:1­6)

I. Babylon (21:1­10)

J. Edom(21:11­12)

K Arabia (21:13­17)

L. Jerusalem (22:1­25)

M. Tyre (23:1­18)

IV. Judgment and Promise (24:1­27:13)(TN#4)

A. Universal Judgment for Universal Sin (24:1­23)5 (TN#5)

B. Deliverance and Blessing (25:1­12)

C. Praise and Deliverance (26:1­21)

D. Israel Delivered, Enemies Destroyed (27:1­13)

V. The Egyptian Temptation in 702 B.C. (28:1­35:10)

A. Woe to Scoffers (28:1­29)

B. Woe to Schemers (29:1­24)-­Here is one of Isaiah's familiar condemnations: ". . . This people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up of rules taught by men." (29:13).(DQ#6)

C. Woe to Those Who Trust an Alliance with Egypt (30:1­ 32:20). (DQ#7 )

D. Woe to Assyria ­­ but Blessing for God's People (33:1­24)

E. The Nations Destroyed (34:1­17) This describes the terrible end of God's enemies.

F. Future Joys of the Redeemed (35:1­10).

VI. Historical Transition from Assyrian Threat to Babylonian Exile (36:1­39:8) (TN#8)

A. Jerusalem saved from Assyria (36:1­37:38)

B. The Lord extended Hezekiah's Life (38: 1­22)

C. The Babylonian Exile Foreseen (39:1­8)

PART TWO: The Book of Comfort (chaps. 40­66) (TN#9 )

VII. The Deliverance and Restoration of Israel (40:1-48:22)

A. Comfort and the God Who Brings It (40:1­31)­­The last few verses of this chapter offer hope for those who wait upon the Lord (28­31).

B. The God of History and Prophecy (41:1­29).

C. The Lord's Servant--Light for the Gentiles (42:1­25). (TN#10)

D. Israel's Gracious Redeemer (43:1-44:5)

E. The Lord Versus Idols (44:6­23)

F. God's Plan to Deliver Israel through Cyrus (44:24­45:25)

G. The Lord Versus Babylon's Gods (46:1­13)

H. The Fall of Babylon (47:1­15)

I. Israel Stubborn, but God Gracious (48:1­22)

VIII. The Servant--God's Agent of Deliverance (49:1­55:13)

A. The Servant's Mission and Reassurance for Zion (49:1­26)

B. Israel's Rebellion and the Servant's Steadfastness (50:1­11)

C. Comfort for the Faithful (51:1­52:12)

D. The Suffering and Glory of the Savior Servant (52:13­53:12) (TN#11)

E. Zion's Glory from Servant's Victory (54:1­17)

F. A Call to Share in what the Servant Has Won (55:1­13)

IX. The Fulfillment of Salvation (56:1­66:24)--This last section of Isaiah is a group of post­restoration oracles.

A. A New Criteria for Belonging to Israel (56:1­8)

B. The Triumph of Grace over Faithlessness (56:9­57:21)

C. False and True Worship (58:1­14)

D. Sin, Confession and Redemption (59:1­21)

E. Zion's Glory (60:1­22)

F. The Servant Proclaims God's Favor (61:1­11)

G. Impending Glory when the Savior Comes (62:1­12)

H. Impending Wrath when the Savior Comes (63:1­6)

I. Praise and Prayer for that Day (63:7­64:12)

J. The Lord's Answer: Judgment and Salvation (65:1­66:24)

 OUTLINE OF ISAIAH

Part 1: The Book of Judgment (chapters 1­39)

I. Rebuke and Promise (1:1­6:13)

A. Introduction: Judah charged with breaking the covenant (1:1-31)

B. The future of Judah and Jerusalem (2:1-4:6)

C. Judah sentenced to judgment and exile (5:1­30)

D. Isaiah's commission (6:1­13)

II. The threat against Judah in 735 B.C. (7:1­12:6)

A. Ahaz warned not to fear the alliance (7:1­25)

B. Isaiah's son and David's son (8:1­9:7)

C. Judgment against Israel (9:8­10:4)

D. The destruction of Assyria (10:5­34)

E. The Davidic King and Kingdom (11:1­16)

F. Songs of joy for deliverance (12:1­6)

III. Judgment against the Nations (13:1­23:18)

IV. Judgment and Promise (24:1­27:13)

V. The Egyptian Temptation in 702 B.C. (28:1­35:10)

A. Woe to scoffers (28:1­29)

B. Woe to schemers (29:1­24)

C. Woe to those who trust alliance with Egypt (30:1­33)

D. Woe to Assyria--but blessing for God's people (33:1­24)

E. The nations destroyed (34:1­17)

F. Future joys of the redeemed (35:1­10)

VI. Historical transition from Assyrian threat to Babylonian exile (36:1­39:8)

A. Jerusalem saved from Assyria (36:1­37:38)

B. The Lord extended Hezekiah's life (38:1­22)

C. Exile in Babylon foreseen (39:1­8)

Part II: The Book of Comfort (chapters 40­66)

VII. The deliverance and restoration of Israel (40:1­48:22)

VIII. The servant--God's agent of deliverance (49:1­55:13)

A. The servant's mission, and reassurance for Zion (49:1­26)

B. Israel's rebellion and the servant's steadfastness (50:1­11)

C. Comfort for the faithful (51:1­52:12)

D. The suffering and glory of the savior servant (52:13­53:12)

E. Zion's glory from the servant's victory (54:1­17)

F. A call to share in what the servant has won (55:1­13)

IX. The fulfillment of Salvation (56:1­66:24)

Outline was adapted from an outline provided by NAVPRESS.

 

ASSIGNMENT

Read chapters on "Hosea" and "Amos" in text such as chapters 33 and 35 from Hill and Walton.

Read Hosea and identify the principal characters: Hosea, Gomer, and their children.

 

Discussion Question #2: The King is described in 11:2­5. What are his attributes? From 11:6­9, what will be the distinctive features of his kingdom?

 

Discussion Questions:

#6 Why is the practice which Isaiah condemned so prevalent? When would contemporary worship fall under Isaiah's condemnation?

#7 What is the basic problem which the prophet is addressing in 30:1, 2? What is the basic challenge of the prophet suggested in 30:8­10?

 

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think that prophetic activity increases as the crisis within the nation of Israel heightens?

2. In what sense was the ministry of Isaiah a success and a failure?

3. What ideas come to mind in association with the two major divisions of Isaiah--Judgment? Promise?

 

Teacher's Notes:

The instructor might begin this lecture by allowing students to respond to the following situation. Where do you think an American president would turn for advice if the political and military interests of this country were threatened by another country? After students have had an opportunity to respond, introduce the crisis which Ahaz, King of Judah, faced as he saw the alliance of Syria and Israel threatening the security of Judah.

He was confronted with two options:

(1) listening to the prophet Isaiah or

(2) creating a military alliance with Assyria. Why might Ahaz and Isaiah have had different opinions about what should be done?

#1 Second Kings 16:1­20 provides a description of how Ahaz turned to Tiglath-pileser of Assyria and paid tribute for the Assyrians to devastate Damascus and Israel, something the Assyrian King had already planned to do. Why are people usually more inclined to depend on human resources than God?

 

Teacher's Notes:

#3 Use a map to locate the countries mentioned in this section in relationship to Israel.

#4 This section has been designated the "Isaiah Apocalypse" because it contains eschatological themes which are commonly found in later apocalyptic writings.

Themes such as

judgment (24:17,21),

promise (25:6­8),

and hope (27:12,13)

are common.

#5 Selected verses from this chapter might characterize the universality of sin (24:2) and judgment (24:17­20).

  

Teacher's Notes:

#8 This material is a reproduction of 11 Kings 18:13­20:19.

#9 These chapters offer comfort to two groups: (a) those in exile (chaps. 50­55) and (b) those in the postexilic situation (chaps. 56­66).

#10 In this section, there is the first of four "Servant Songs" (42:1-4; 49:1­6; 50:4­11; 52:13­53:12).

The identity of the servant has been a point of debate. Sometimes

  • the servant represents Israel (42:18­25, 45:4, 49:3) and, at other times,
  • seems to signify the Messiah or one who restores Israel (49:5). Some interpret the servant to represent
  • the prophet himself in Is. 5O:4­11. New Testament writers certainly see
  • references to Christ in Isaiah 52:13­53:12 (Romans 15:21 refers to Is. 52:15 and I Peter 2:24 describes Christ in terms which echo Is. 53:5).

#11. The teacher might ask students to read this passage and characterize the "suffering servant." What parallels are there between the servant of Isaiah and Christ? In spite of this passage most Jews did not expect the Messiah to suffer. Why would many people of the first century have been so reluctant to associate the Messiah with suffering? What kind of Messiah were people expecting? What would he do for them?

 RESOURCES

 

Credits and Copyright This online text book is provided by the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 N. Washington Dallas, Texas 75246-1798 214.828.5100 Use the text to meet your academic needs. If you copy any part of this online text, please give credit to the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Any donations which you give will be used in the Division of Student Ministry Summer Missions Programs.

Credits and Copyright This online text book is provided by the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 N. Washington Dallas, Texas 75246-1798 214.828.5100 Use the text to meet your academic needs. If you copy any part of this online text, please give credit to the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Any donations which you give will be used in the Division of Student Ministry Summer Missions Programs.