The Book of Isaiah (NIV)
Today we begin our journey through the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a Jewish prophet who lived during the latter part of Israel’s kingdom period (which, for some background, you might want to read 1 and 2 Kings). Isaiah prophesied to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah, warning of God’s judgment but also calling Israel to place their trust and hope in God.
The book is pretty well divided into two sections: Chapters 1-39, and 40-66.
In the first section, we learn that Israel, like all of the other nations, was caught up in all kinds of idolatry, greed, abuse and oppression of the poor. God hated this because not only were they abandoning him, they were also abandoning their role as his image-bearers and their vocation to reconcile all of the families of earth back to God and to one another. So the message of judgement was this: If Israel keeps walking down this path of evil, God is going to allow them to be conquered by foreign nations. First Assyria, then Babylon. It’s referred to over and over as a purifying fire, a way to burn off the evil and uncover the real humanity—in repentance and humility—and to sift the people down to a remnant or a “holy seed” that could once again join God in his mission to redeem to the world.
Therefore alongside this message of Judgment was a prophecy that God’s covenant promises would not be forgotten. His blessing would flow out to all nations through the remnant, in submission to a King—a King from the line of David who would be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” And all of the peoples of earth would be family again in a renewed, restored creation.
The second section repeats a lot of the same ideas as the first, but it speaks of life after the Babylonian exile. In spite of God’s rescue and deliverance, Israel will still be hard-hearted. Still not up to the task of being the kinds of humans God can partner with. But God is not deterred, and we’re then introduced to a character called the Servant.
The Servant is given the title and the mission of Israel, empowered by God’s Spirit, called to restore Israel and the nations. It sounds an awful lot like the Messianic King from the first section. But the way this Servant is going to fulfill the mission is way unexpected. Instead of conquering other nations with military power, he will suffer, be rejected, and die on behalf of the sins of his own people—a sacrifice… of atonement. And… he would not stay dead. Sound like someone we know?
The last section of the book has this living Servant leading and empowering other “servants” with God’s Spirit to again take up the role of Israel and inherit the Kingdom of God, reaffirming the hope of a New Jerusalem—a symbol of the renewed and restored Creation, welcoming all the nations to enter in and live in peace together.
Bible Project: Isaiah >>
InterVarsity Press Selections: Isaiah >>
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