The bible - Book of Isaiah

1. The Bible - Book of Isaiah – 28th
January 2017
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give
birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”(Isaiah 7:14)
We can identifythe authorof the Bookof Isaiahas the ProphetIsaiah. The Bookof Isaiahwaswritten
between701 and681 B.C. The ProphetIsaiahwasprimarilycalledtoprophesytothe Kingdomof Judah.
Judahwas goingthroughtimesof revival andtimesof rebellion.Judahwasthreatenedwithdestruction
by AssyriaandEgypt,but wassparedbecause of God’s mercy.Isaiahproclaimedamessage of
repentance fromsinandhopeful expectationof God’sdeliveranceinthe future.
Isaiah is widely regarded as one of the greatest prophets of the Bible. His name means “YHWH
(the LORD) is salvation.” He lived in Jerusalem and the prophecies God gave him were directed
toward Israel, Judah and other nations. Jewish tradition says he was of royal descent, and he
may have been a cousin to King Uzziah. This may have given him access to the kings of Judah in
Jerusalem.
The biblical account in chapter 1, verse 1 of the book he authored says he received visions from
God during the reigns of four kings of Judah—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. The time
covered is from the end of King Uzziah’s reign (Isaiah 6:1) to the Assyrian King Sennacherib’s
siege of Jerusalem. It was at least a 40-year ministry during the last half of the eighth century
B.C.
Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other prophet. He speaks of the coming
Messiah, Jesus Christ, in a variety of ways—as Branch, Stone, Light, Child and the King . He
foretells the destiny of Israel and the gentiles, focusing on Zion (Jerusalem) and the great King
who will eventually reign from there. There is much written about Isaiah and his 66-chapter
prophecy in relation to both the Old and New testaments.
More than anyotherbook inthe OldTestament,Isaiahfocusesonthe salvationthatwill come through
the Messiah.The Messiahwill one dayrule injustice andrighteousness asstatedin Isaiah9:7, “Ofthe
greatness ofhis government andpeace there will be no end. He will reign on David’sthrone andover
hiskingdom,establishingandupholdingitwithjusticeand righteousnessfromthat time on and
forever. the zeal of the LORD Almightywill accomplishthis.” The reignof the Messiahwill bringpeace
and safetytoIsrael andthat throughthe Messiah,Israel will be alighttoall the nations(Isaiah42:6;
55:4-5). The Messiah’skingdomonearth(Isaiahchapter 65-66) is the goal towardswhichall of the Book
of Isaiahpoints. He alsostatesthatit isduringthe reignof the Messiahthat God’srighteousnesswillbe
fullyrevealedtothe world.
In a seemingparadox,the Bookof Isaiahalsopresentsthe Messiahasone whowill suffer.Isaiahchapter
53 vividlydescribesthe Messiahsufferingforsin.ItisthroughHiswoundsthat healingisachieved.Itis
throughHis sufferingthatouriniquitiesare takenaway.Thisapparentcontradictionissolvedinthe
Personof JesusChrist.InHis firstadvent,Jesuswasthe sufferingservantof Isaiahchapter53. InHis
secondadvent,Jesuswillbe the conqueringandrulingKing,the Princeof Peace aswe can learnfrom
Isaiah9:6, “Forto us a childis born,to usa sonis given, and the government will be on hisshoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,MightyGod, EverlastingFather,Princeof Peace.”

2. As statedabove,chapter53 of Isaiahdescribes the comingMessiahandthe sufferingHe wouldendure
inorder to payfor our sins.InHis sovereignty,Godorchestratedeverydetail of the crucifixiontofulfill
everyprophecyof thischapter,aswell asall othermessianicpropheciesof the OldTestament.The
imageryof chapter53 is poignantandpropheticandcontainsa complete picture of the Gospel. We
knowthat Jesuswasdespisedandrejected aswe readfrom Luke 13:34,“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,you who
kill the prophetsand stonethose sent to you,how often I have longedto gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,and youwere not willing.”He wasstrickenby
God as statedin Matthew 27:46, “Aboutthree in the afternoonJesus cried out ina loud voice, “Eli,Eli,
lema sabachthani?” (whichmeans “MyGod,myGod,why haveyou forsaken me?” He waspiercedfor
our transgressions; “
Instead,oneofthe soldierspierced Jesus’side witha spear, bringinga sudden
flowof bloodandwater.”(John19:34); ByHis suffering,He paidthe punishmentwe deservedand
became forus the ultimate andperfectsacrifice.
The Book of IsaiahpresentsourSaviorto us inundeniabledetail.He isthe onlywayto heaven,the only
meansof obtainingthe grace of God,the onlyWay,the onlyTruth, and the onlyLife:“Salvationisfound
in noone else, for there is noother name underheaven given to mankindby whichwe must be
saved.” (Acts 4:12). Knowingthe price Christpaidforus,how can we neglectorreject“so great a
salvation”asquestionedin Hebrews2:3, ‘… how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?
This salvation,whichwasfirstannouncedby the Lord, wasconfirmedto us by those who heard him.”
We have onlya few,shortyearsonearth to come to Christand embrace the salvationonlyHe offers.
There isno secondchance afterdeath,and eternityinhell isavery very longtime!.
Key Verses:
Isaiah 6:8,“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,‘Whomshall I send?And who will gofor us?’
And I said,‘Here am I. Send me!’”
Isaiah 7:14,“Thereforethe Lord himselfwill giveyou a sign:The virginwill be with childand will
give birthto a son,and will call himImmanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6,“Forto us a childis born, to usa sonis given,and the government will be on his
shoulders.Andhe will be calledWonderful Counselor,MightyGod,EverlastingFather,Prince of
Peace.”
Isaiah 14:12-13,“Howyouhave fallenfromheaven, O morningstar, sonof the dawn! Youhave
been cast down to the earth, you who once laidlowthe nations!Yousaidinyour heart, "I will ascend
to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God;I will sit enthroned onthe mountof assembly,
on the utmost heightsof the sacred mountain.”
Isaiah 53:5-6,“Buthe waspierced for our transgressions,he wascrushed for our iniquities;the
punishmentthatbrought us peace was uponhim,and by hiswoundswe are healed.We all,like
sheep, have goneastray, each of us hasturned to his ownway; and the LORD has laidon himthe
iniquityofus all.”
Isaiah 65:25,“Thewolfand the lambwill feed together, and the lionwill eat straw likethe ox,but
dust will be the serpent's food.They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,saysthe
LORD.”