Lesson 1 - September First Week
LESSON 1 * September First Week
Isaiah’s Prophecy to God’s People
Background Reading:
Isaiah 8:14; 9:6-7; 11:1-2; 42:1-4; 53:3-5; 10-11; 61:1-2;
Devotional Reading:
Isaiah 1:4-6; 16-19
Central Verse:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14, KJV.
“All right then, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look! The Virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
Isaiah 7:14, NLT
Key Terms:
Messianic – Of or relating to the expected king and deliverer of the Jews-Jesus Christ, regarded as the savior of the world by Christians
Redemption – The purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom.
Oscillate – To vary between opposing beliefs, feelings, or theories.
Comprehensive – Something having a wide scope or including all or nearly all relevant details, items, or aspects.
Introduction:
The Book of Isaiah gives the believers a rich and comprehensive view of the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. It tells of the judgment of God, but it is also filled with messages of hope and restoration. It is filled with warnings to the family of God as well as the many woes of God, God loves His people with an everlasting love; therefore, He chastens them, but He lets them know that He is yet there to redeem them. During Isaiah’s prophesies he calls out the sins of God’s people. God had done so much for them, yet they refused to trust and obey Him. They were disobedient and rebellious people. Though God loved Israel, He could not allow them to continue in their rebellion and not say anything to them.
We can find many Messianic prophecies in the Book of Isaiah. These prophecies foreshadow the coming of the Messiah and allow the believers to know of the promise of redemption, by providing great insights into who the Messiah would be. Whose He would be and the nature of His mission. Isaiah gives the believers a Birdseye view of the purpose of the Messiah’s coming into the world through a virgin birth. Never in the history of mankind nor after, has it been recorded that a woman who is a virgin would be with child and give birth to that child.
Discussion:
It was important to man that he understands that Jesus became God in the flesh, so that He could condemn sin in the flesh so that man could renew his fellowship with his Father. Isaiah addressed this truth in the purest way that he could. He was known as “the eagle-eye prophet” because God used him to look through the corridors of time and see Christ 700 years before he came and to see thousands of years ahead of events that would happen.
Things that God prophesied about are yet coming to pass. Isaiah apparently came from an influential upper-class family. He was the son of Amoz of Jerusalem during the reign of four kings of Judah: (Uzziah (Azariah), Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He was educated, had gifts as a poet and prophet, he was acquainted with royalty, gave prophetic counsel to kings concerning Judah’s foreign affairs.
Isaiah did not prophesy about or record his own ideas, but he received visions from God inspired by the Holy Spirit, because he had a relationship with God Himself. He learned how to communicate with God during his devotion every day. Every believer should learn how to communicate with God for themselves.
He was married to a wife gifted as a prophetess, (Isaiah 8:3) her name is not explicitly named in the Bible. But it is said that they had two sons whose names contained a symbolic message to the nation. The son’s names were Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-hash-Baz.
It’s important that the men and women of God have a God filled home. It seemed that Isaiah’s wife helped give balance to their home even though her name was not given in our King James Bible, but there is reference to her as a Prophetess.
Isaiah’s prophecies are characterized by their vivid imagery, poetic language, and profound theological insights. His ministry occurred during a tumultuous period in the history of Israel and Judah. Marked by political instability, social injustice, and spiritual decline such as it is in this season. Isaiah’s prophecies often addressed the political alliance and military strategies of Judah, urging reliance on God rather than foreign powers.
Some of the major themes of Isaiah prophecies oscillated between judgment and salvation. He warned of the coming judgment due to the people’s idolatry, injustice, and unfaithfulness, but he also offered hope of redemption and restoration. (Isaiah 1:8) “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Another theme in Isaiah is centered around the holiness of God. Isaiah’s vision underscores the contrast between God’s holiness and human sinfulness. For in Isaiah 6:3, he tells the believers that because God is holy, His glory fills the whole earth. Paul tells the believers that he that prophesieth, speaketh to men to edification, and exhortation and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Next we find that Isaiah has some of the most significant Messianic prophecies that are rich with Messianic expectations. He foretells the birth of the child Jesus who will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This prophecy points to a future deliverer who will establish an eternal kingdom of justice and righteousness.
After the Messianic expectations, Isaiah gives the believers an insight into the life of the Suffering Servant, who will bear the sins of the entire world and bring healing through His own suffering. The passage in Isaiah fifty-three is pivotal in Christian theology, as it is seen as a prophecy of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
Conclusion:
Isaiah does not leave the people in despair. He prophesied hope to them. He continues in the sixty-fifth chapter and gives an eschatological vision that underscores the ultimate deliverance and restoration that God promises to his people.
Questions:
1. Who was Isaiah?
2. Who did he prophesy to?
3. What was included in his messages?
4. What was his primary message?
5. What is known about his wife?
Essential Thought:
When there is no hope,
men are miserable;
judgment without mercy
is not fruitful.