Isaiah

Background

• Isaiah’s name means, “the Lord is salvation”

• He tells of the coming Messiah

• He prophesied under 4 kings – Isaiah 1:1– Uzziah (Azariah) – 2 Kings 15:1-7– Jotham – 2 Kings 15; 32-38; 2 Chronicles 27– Ahaz – 2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28– Hezekiah – 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32

Calling Heaven and Earth to Witnesses

• Isaiah called heaven and earth to witness his words against his people – Isaiah 1:2; Deuteronomy 31:28-32:6

• God took the people of Israel as his children – Exodus 4:22-23; Deuteronomy 14:1; 32:6, 18, 20– God had lovingly guided Israel through Egyptian

bondage, wilderness wandering and development as a great nation

– Yet, Israel used violent self-will to break away from God

Israel’s Poor Treatment of God• Israel treated God worse than an animal treats

its master – Isaiah 1:3– The ox submits to its owner– The ass recognizes one who fills its crib with food

• The prophet speaks of God, his wounded friend – Isaiah 1:4-6– They were in apostasy in heart (forsaken the

Lord), in words (provoked the Holy One of Israel) and action (gone away backward)

– How long will they heap apostasy upon apostasy and call down God’s wrath?

– The whole body of Israel is sick from head to toe

The People’s Condition

• They might object that they offered abundantly to God – Isaiah 1:10-15– God asks who required their vain sacrifices– Their prayers were unacceptable because God could

see human blood dripping from their guilty hands

• God calls for them to repent and replace their evil deeds with good – Isaiah 1:16-17

• God calls them to trial where their sins will be made plain and promises to cleanse them when they recognize their wrong – Isaiah 1:18-20

God’s Observations

• Jerusalem had been faithful and righteously dealt with evil within – Isaiah 1:21

• Dross shines like silver and watered wine retains its color, but both are useless – Isaiah 1:22

• The leaders were rebellious, associating with thieves by accepting stolen goods as bribes while failing to protect the fatherless and widows – Isaiah 1:23

• God will right all wrongs and restore his order – Isaiah 1:24-31

The Stump of Jesse• Isaiah 10 pictures Assyria and the worldly forces

as the great cedar forest of Lebanon– God will bring down the forest

• Israel is the stump of a fallen tree – Isaiah 11:1– The stock of the tree of Jesse will send forth a tender

branch– That branch is Christ who was a descendant of David,

Jesse’s son– He started insignificant, like a sprig, thus Isaiah

mentions Jesse instead of David– He was born in Bethlehem and raised in despised

Nazareth – Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1, 23

A Picture of Christ

• Jesus had the Spirit of the Lord without measure – Isaiah 11:2; John 3:34; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38; Colossians 1:19; 2:9

• “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:3, R.S.V.)

• Christ is a judge whose clothes are held up by divine will– He will judge the oppressors of those who are bowed

down by misfortune and free from pride in self (poor and meek) – Matthew 5:3-12; Revelation 1:5; 3:14

Christ’s Reign

• Christ’s reign will be peaceful – Isaiah 1:6-9– Natural enemies, such as the wolf and lamb, will live

in harmony– Beasts that could not be controlled by the strongest

man would submit to the leadership of a child

• All the change would come because of the “knowledge of the Lord”– Christ emphasized the words of God – John 17:8– He also emphasized peaceful, loving relationships

between the bitterest of enemies – Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 13:8-14; Ephesians 4:31-5:2; 2:14-16; Galatians 3:26-29

Christ’s Kingdom• Gentiles would be welcome – Isaiah 11:10; 2:1-

4; Romans 15:12• God will recover his people from foreign lands

and friendship restored between Israel and Judah – Isaiah 11:11-13

• All obstacles to those returning to God would be removed– Enemies would be defeated – Isaiah 11:14– A dry passage would be made through the Red Sea

and the rivers – Isaiah 11:15– There will be a road to God – Isaiah 11:16

Who Believed the Report?

• The report common among us, which was the power and might (arm) of the Lord – Isaiah 53:1; Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; Ezekiel 30:21

• Delitzsch says “we” introduced suddenly in a prophecy, as in Isaiah 53:2, is always Israel speaking along with the prophet– They should have seen God’s power in the works

of Jesus – John 20:30-31; Acts 2:22; Matthew 12:22-30; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Jesus Was Not Desirable• He grew up under God’s protective eye• He had a lowly beginning in a land of

conquered people, from a house as good as dead– Sprang up from a root of a tree cut down and now

in dry ground

• The people sought someone with a special background and attractive appearance– “We saw Him, and there was nothing in His

appearance to make us desire Him, or feel attracted by Him” – Isaiah 53:2b, Delitzsch

Jesus Was Repulsive

• Despised (looked down upon and held in contempt) – Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11; Hebrews 12:3

• He experienced all forms of sorrow– Death of a close friend– Betrayal– Desertion by closest companions– Separation from God

• Jesus’ face was repulsive, so the people turned away from him and counted him as being worth nothing

A Sinner Being Punished by God

• Jesus helped the people with their illnesses and diseases, or griefs, and with pain and mental stress, or sorrows – Isaiah 53:4– Fulfilled according to Matthew 8:16-17– Miracles were clear proof of his Deity – Hebrews

2:1-4

• Yet, Israel viewed him as a sinner being punished by God because he endured such hardship

Jesus Suffered a Horrible Death

• He was pierced and crushed on account of our sins – Isaiah 53:5– He suffered the chastisement, or discipline, which

leads to our peace– His scourging was medicine for our sin-sick

bodies

• The punishment for Israel’s guilt fell upon Jesus’ shoulders – Isaiah 53:6– They were like scattered sheep in exile because of

their selfish rebellion against God

Details of Jesus’ Death

• He would endure suffering voluntarily, like a sheep going to slaughter – Isaiah 53:7

• He would silently endure an unjust trial – Isaiah 53:8– He was carried out of an unjust judicial system to die

for the sins of the people

• He would die with the wicked but be buried with the rich – Isaiah 53:9– Accused of blasphemy and crucified between 2

thieves, he should have received a disgraceful burial, but God would not allow it because of his innocence

– The Romans let Joseph of Arimathea have the body

An Offering for Sins and Conqueror• God used man’s wicked works for his purpose –

Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23– Jesus was an offering for sin– God’s pleasure was to save man and Jesus would see

that purpose prosper because of his work

• Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, Jesus will see God’s purpose fulfilled and be satisfied

• Jesus’ death stood as a part of his exaltation and through it he conquered – Isaiah 53:12– He bore the sins of many – Hebrews 9:28– They had to repent and turn to him to receive help –

Acts 3:12-19