Journey Through The Bible: Isaiah Part 1- Crisis and Faith

Journey Through The Bible
Isaiah Part 1:
Crisis and Faith
Readings:
Isaiah 42:1-9 (Page 513)
Matthew 12:1-21(Page 689)
1
Thursday, 2 October 2014

Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls are a
collection of ancient OT
books of Scripture that were
found by accident in 1949 in
a cave in the cliffs over
looking the Dead Sea in Israel
at a place called Qumran.
One group of scrolls contain
the complete text of the
book of Isaiah copied more
than 200 years before Christ.
2

The Book of Isaiah
The Bible in miniature
The Book of Isaiah Bible
66 chapters 66 books
3

The Book of Isaiah
3
Two sections:
1 - 39 (39 chapters)
40 – 66 (27 Chapters)
Two parts:
Old Testament 39 books
New Testament 27 books

The Book of Isaiah
3
Two sections:
1 - 39 (39 chapters)
40 – 66 (27 Chapters)
Two parts:
Old Testament 39 books
New Testament 27 books
The focus in Chs 1 – 39 is on God's
righteousness and justice
The focus of the Old Testament is on
God's righteousness, holiness and
justice

The Book of Isaiah
4
The focus in chs 40 - 66 is on God's
glory, compassion, and grace
The focus of the 27 books of the New
Testament is on God's glory,
compassion, and grace

The Book of Isaiah
4
Chs 1 -39 show Israel's need for
restoration
The Old Testament shows man's need
for salvation

The Book of Isaiah
4
restoration
for salvation
Chs 40 – 66 predict God's future
provision of salvation.
The NT shows God's provision of
salvation in the Messiah.

The Book of Isaiah
4
restoration
for salvation
Chs 40 – 66 predict God's future
provision of salvation.
The NT shows God's provision of
salvation in the Messiah.
Isaiah begins with a description of
Israel's rebellion and ends with a
prediction of restoration.
The Bible begins with a description of
man's rebellion and ends with the
restoration of all things under Christ.

The Book of Isaiah
5
Central Message: A holy God will gain
glory by judging sin and restoring His
people.
Central Message: A holy God will gain
glory by judging sin and saving those
who call on the name of His Son Jesus.

Isaiah and the Kings of Judah 2 Kings 15 – 20
740 750 BC
BC
6
Uzziah
(Azariah)
732BC
Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah
Isaiah Chapters 1-39
687BC
Chapters 40-66
Tradition says that Isaiah was murdered by Hezekiah’s
evil son King Manasseh some time after 687 BC

The Call of Isaiah
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw
the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted
up, and the train of His robe filled the
temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one
had six wings: with two he covered his face,
with two he covered his feet, and with two
he flew. And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The
whole earth is full of His glory!” And the
posts of the door were shaken by the voice
of him who cried out, and the house was
filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I
am undone! Because I am a man of unclean
lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the
King, The Lord of hosts.”
7

The Call of Isaiah
Then one of the seraphim flew to
me, having in his hand a live coal
which he had taken with the tongs
from the altar. And he touched my
mouth with it, and said: “Behold,
this has touched your lips; Your
iniquity is taken away, And your
sin purged.” Also I heard the voice
of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I
send, And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send
me.”” (Isaiah 6:1–8, NKJV)
8

Isaiah the Man
“Then I went to the prophetess, and
she conceived and bore a son. Then
the Lord said to me, “Call his name
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; for before
the child shall have knowledge to cry
‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches
of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria
will be taken away before the king of
Assyria.”” (Isaiah 8:3–4, NKJV)
His other son also had a prophetic
name given by the Lord, “Shear-
Jassub” meaning “The remnant will
return”.
9

Isaiah the Man
At the same time the Lord spoke by
Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and
remove the sackcloth from your body,
and take your sandals off your feet.”
And he did so, walking naked and
barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as
My servant Isaiah has walked naked and
barefoot three years for a sign and a
wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so
shall the king of Assyria lead away the
Egyptians as prisoners and the
Ethiopians as captives, young and old,
naked and barefoot, with their buttocks
uncovered, to the shame of
Egypt.” (Isaiah 20:2–6, NKJV)
10

How does a prophet prophesy?
2 Peter 1:21 tells us that “Holy men of
God spoke as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit.” The word ‘moved’ is the
same word that is used to describe
how the wind blows on a boat's sails to
move it along in the water.
The prophet is not like a voice
recorder that God just speaks into
and the prophet mechanically
reproduces.
A complex interplay between the mind
and character of the prophet and the
Holy Spirit.
11

The Lord shows the prophet a
picture, a vision in his mind which the
prophet then describes using his
own words.
“The word that Isaiah the son of
Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass
in the latter days that the mountain
of the Lord’s house shall be
established on the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall
flow to it.” (Isaiah 2:1–2, NKJV)
12

The Lord puts His thoughts and feelings into
the prophet's mind and heart. The prophet
then clothes them with his own words to
express what the Lord has given him.
“The Lord is well pleased for His
righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and
make it honourable. But this is a people
robbed and plundered; All of them are
snared in holes, And they are hidden in
prison houses; They are for prey, and no
one delivers; For plunder, and no one says,
“Restore!” Who among you will give ear to
this? Who will listen and hear for the time to
come?” (Isaiah 42:21–23, NKJV)
13

The Lord will speak directly to the
prophet and the prophet then simply
quotes the words the Lord has placed in
his mind.
“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My
throne, And earth is My footstool. Where
is the house that you will build Me? And
where is the place of My rest? For all
those things My hand has made, And all
those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But
on this one will I look: On him who is poor
and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles
at My word.” (Isaiah 66:1–2, NKJV)
14

The Majesty of the Lord
“Behold, the nations are like a drop
from a bucket, and are accounted as
the dust on the scales; behold, He
takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt
offering. All the nations are as nothing
before Him, they are accounted by
Him as less than nothing and
emptiness. To whom then will you liken
God, or what likeness compare with
Him?” (Isaiah 40:15–18, ESV)
15

The Compassion of the Lord
“Oh, what a sinful nation they are—
loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people, corrupt children
who have rejected the Lord. They have
despised the Holy One of Israel and
turned their backs on Him. Why do you
continue to invite punishment? Must
you rebel forever? Your head is injured,
and your heart is sick. You are battered
from head to foot— covered with
bruises, welts, and infected wounds—
without any soothing ointments or
bandages.” (Isaiah 1:4–6, NLT)
16

The Mercy of the Lord
““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 like crimson, they shall
become like wool. If you are willing
and obedient, you shall eat the
good of the land; but if you refuse
and rebel, you shall be eaten by the
sword; for the mouth of the Lord
has spoken.”” (Isaiah 1:18–20, ESV)
17

The Message Rejected
Each time the nation’s rulers rejected the
word of the Lord their hearts became
harder. The wealthy sophisticated élite
mocked Isaiah.
“Dull the minds of these people; deafen
their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise
they might see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, understand with their minds, turn
back, and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10, HCSB)
Every time Isaiah proclaimed the words of
God they hardened their hearts still more
until they became incapable of repenting. It
is a solemn warning to all
18

The Geo-Political Situation in the Time of Isaiah
19

Policy Crisis
Ahaz made a treaty with Assyria
and Judah became a puppet
kingdom.
Isaiah prophesied that the nation
should trust in the Lord not in
alliances.
Assyria itself would be crushed
by Babylon in the future. Only in
the Lord is there true security.
20

The Message Rejected
Ahaz and his luxury loving court didn't believe Isaiah and made fun of him.
“These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the
prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger
with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. For all
tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.” (Isaiah 28:7–8, ESV)
These drunkards think they know it all. They make fun of Isaiah saying his
words are baby talk;
““Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us
like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned? He tells us everything
over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little
there!”” (Isaiah 28:9–10, NLT)
The original Hebrew is a bit like saying “Blah! Blah! Blah!”
21

Hezekiah’s Crisis
The Assyrian army under the
powerful leadership of
Sennacherib has invaded Judah
and only the city of Jerusalem is
left like a sand castle when the
tide comes in.
Read about this great crisis in
Chs 36-39 which are the only
narrative passages in the book
22

Hezekiah’s Crisis
““Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the
king of Assyria says: Make peace with me
and come out to me. Then every one of you
will eat from his own vine and fig tree and
drink water from his own cistern, until I come
and take you to a land like your own—a land
of grain and new wine, a land of bread and
vineyards. “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you
when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has
the god of any nation ever delivered his land
from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where
are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where
are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they
rescued Samaria from my hand?” (Isaiah
36:16–19, NIV84)
23

Hezekiah’s Faith
Because the King humbled himself before
the Lord the Lord answered him through
Isaiah
“When the servants of King Hezekiah
came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Say
to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do
not be afraid because of the words that
you have heard, with which the young men
of the king of Assyria have reviled Me.
Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he
shall hear a rumour and return to his own
land, and I will make him fall by the sword
in his own land.’ ”” (Isaiah 37:5–7, ESV)
24

Who Do You Turn To?
When you face a personal crisis what do you
do? What is your first reaction? Who or what
do you turn to?
Our first reaction should be to turn the the
Lord in prayer.
It pleases the Lord when your first reaction
to a crisis is to turn to Him. He delights to
answer because you have shown that your
faith and trust in Him is great.
Too often people turn to prayer as a last
resort after they have tried everything else
and it has failed.
25

Future Visions of Restoration
Chapters 40-66 record the prophecies that look beyond the
contemporary events.
Chapter 39 ends with a prediction that the Babylonians will capture
Jerusalem.
Then the Lord shows Isaiah a series of visions about a time of
restoration. These are prophecies about the days after the time of
exile in Babylon when the exiles would return to begin again.
Chapters 44 and 45 contain a detailed prophecy that a king called
Cyrus would destroy Babylon, take over its empire and give the
order to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem.
26

“Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and
there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My
mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee
shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.” (Isaiah 45:22–23, NKJV)
27

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God
also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name,
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of
those on earth, and of those under the earth,” (Philippians 2:8–10, NKJV)
28

Journey Through The Bible: Isaiah Part 1- Crisis and Faith

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