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Book of Isaiah
by
Mary Fairchild
Isaiah is called "The Book of Salvation."
The name Isaiah means
"the salvation of the Lord" or "the Lord is salvation."
Isaiah is the first book containing the writings of the prophets of the
Bible. And the author, Isaiah, who is called the Prince of Prophets,
shines above all the other writers and prophets of Scripture.
His mastery of the language, his rich and vast vocabulary, and his
poetic skill have earned him the title, "Shakespeare of the Bible."
He was educated, distinguished, and privileged, yet remained a
deeply spiritual man.
He was committed to obedience over
the long haul of his 55-60 year ministry as a prophet of God.
He was a true patriot who loved his country and his people.
Strong tradition suggests that he died a martyr’s death under the
reign of King Manasseh by being placed within the hollow of a tree trunk and
sawed in two.
Isaiah's calling as
a prophet was primarily to the nation of Judah (the southern kingdom) and to
Jerusalem, urging the people to repent from
their sins and return to God.
He also foretold the coming of the Messiah and the salvation of the
Lord.
Many of his prophesies predicted events that occurred in Isaiah's
near future, yet at the same time they foretold the events of the distant
future (such as the coming of the Messiah), and even some events still to come
in the last days (such as the second coming of
Christ).
In summary, the message of Isaiah is that salvation comes
from God — not man. God alone is Savior, Ruler, and King.
Author
Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz.
Date Written
Written between (circa) 740-680 B.C., toward the end of the reign of
King Uzziah and throughout the reigns of King Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Written To
Isaiah's words were primarily directed to the nation of Judah and
the people of Jerusalem.
Landscape
Throughout most of his long ministry, Isaiah lived in Jerusalem, the
capital of Judah. During this time there was great political turmoil in Judah,
and the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. Isaiah's prophetic
calling was to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He was a contemporary of
Amos, Hosea,
and Micah.
Themes
As might be expected, salvation is the overarching theme in the book
of Isaiah. Other themes include judgment, holiness, punishment, captivity, the
fall of the nation, comfort, hope,
and salvation through the coming Messiah.
The first 39 books of Isaiah contain very strong messages of
judgment against Judah and a call to repentance and holiness. The people
exhibited an outward form of godliness, but their hearts had become corrupted.
God warned them through Isaiah, to come clean and purify themselves,
but they ignored his message. Isaiah predicted the demise and captivity of
Judah, yet comforted them with this hope: God has promised to provide a
Redeemer.
The last 27 chapters contain God's message of forgiveness,
consolation, and
hope, as God speaks through Isaiah, revealing his plan of blessing and
salvation through the coming Messiah.
Thought for Reflection
It took great courage to
accept the call of prophet. As the spokesperson for God, a prophet had to
confront the people and the leaders of the land.
Isaiah's message was scathing and direct, and although at first, he was well-respected, he
eventually became very unpopular because his words were so harsh and unpleasant
for the people to hear.
As is typical for a prophet, Isaiah's life was one of great personal
sacrifice. Yet the prophet's reward was unparalleled.
He experienced the tremendous privilege of communicating face to
face with God — of walking so closely with the Lord that God would share with
him his heart and speak through his mouth.
Points of Interest
· Isaiah incorporates both
prose and poetry into his gifted writings, which contain sarcasm, metaphor,
personification, and many other skillful literary forms.
· Isaiah is divided into 66
chapters, paralleling the division of the entire Bible into 66 books. The first
39 chapters of Isaiah contain strong themes of God's judgment, resembling the
39 Old Testament books.
While the last 27 chapters of Isaiah focus on comfort and the coming of the
Messiah, bearing a likeness to the themes of the 27 New Testament books.
· The New Testament quotes
Isaiah 66 times, surpassed only by the Psalms.
· Isaiah's wife is referred to
as a prophetess.
Key Characters
Isaiah and his two sons, Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
Like his own name, which symbolized his message of salvation, Isaiah's
son's names represented a part of his prophetic message as well. Shear-Jashub
means "a remnant will return" and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means
"quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil."
Key Verses
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (NIV)
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (NIV)
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (NIV)
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (NIV)
Outline
Judgment - Isaiah 1:1-39:8
· The transgressions of Judah
and Israel
· Judgment against the
surrounding nations
· The purpose of God's judgment
· Jerusalem's true and false
hope
· Hezekiah's reign
Comfort - Isaiah 40:1-66:24
· Israel's release from
captivity
· The future Messiah
· The future kingdom
Mary Fairchild
Introduction
Christian minister since 1988
with General Biblical Studies and Missions degrees
Full-time writer and editor
specializing in Christianity, Bible study, and Christian living since 2005
Author and general editor of
"Stories of Calvary"
Experience
Mary Fairchild has worked full
time in Christian ministry since 1988. While in Bible School, she worked for a
major city church as the assistant to the dean of Christian education. Next,
Mary served on the foreign mission field in Brazil from 1990-1994. Upon
returning to the States, Mary became a pastoral assistant and office manager
for a large intercity church.
Mary worked as the general
editor on several Christian books and booklets for Calvary Chapel St.
Petersburg from 2006 until 2017. Recently, Mary joined the team of writers for
GotQuestions.org, where she provides responses to questions related to the
nature of God, the Scriptures, salvation, and other spiritual topics.
Education
Mary received a General
Biblical Studies degree from an Interdenominational Christian Training Center
in Central Florida. She also holds a Missions degree from Youth With A Mission
Discipleship Training School.
Publications
"Stories of Calvary"
(2008, Winepress Publishing)
"Exposing
Samson" (General Editor, 2009, Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg)
A Message from Mary Fairchild
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