Adult Class
December 2006-May 2007
Isaiah
Lesson 1: Introduction
When the people of Israel asked for a king, God gave them Saul. At the same time He gave a king, though, He gave a prophet, so that the king would always have His guidance. Saul had Samuel, David and Solomon had Nathan and Gad, and a succession of prophets was raised up by God to serve the people during the reigns of the different kings. Upon the death of Solomon, the kingdom split into the northern half (Israel) and the southern half (Judah), which was governed by descendants of David. The northern kingdom degenerated into idolatry, and even a prophet like Elijah could not convince the people to return to the worship and service of God. Because of their persistent idolatry, God determined to destroy the northern tribes, and the nation of Assyria was His chosen instrument of judgment.
The people of Assyria were residents of what is now Iraq. Their ancient capital of Nineveh is the modern city of Mosul. The Assyrians were very brutal in warfare and ruled by terrorism. The history of Assyria from about 800 B.C. to about 650 B.C. had direct impact on the events in Israel and Judah. Assyria became very powerful by 800 B.C., yet experienced a decline in influence and power about 760 B.C. This is the time that Jonah came and initiated a momentary repentance in Nineveh—which resulted in a resurgent Assyria that expanded in conquest during the next 50 years.
Isaiah is dated “during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” This would indicate an active role for Isaiah of at least 40 years, during a dangerous period of upheaval in the region. However, it did not begin that way. The reign of Uzziah was characterized by peace and stability. He was one of the longest-reigning kings of Judah (52 years) and was counter-balanced in Israel by Jeroboam II (41 years), providing a rare period of steadiness to the area. During these years, the kingdoms were relatively undisturbed by outside invaders, but upon the death of these kings, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Jotham conquered the Ammonites (modern Jordan) and continued the relative stability of Judah (2 Chronicles 27). When he died, though, his son Ahaz was not able to withstand an alliance of Israel and Syria. After a disastrous defeat and raids by the Edomites in the south, he appealed to Assyria for help (2 Chronicles 28). The conqueror Tiglath-Pileser III eagerly responded and plundered Syria, Israel—and Judah. In the reign of Ahaz, the Assyrian Shalmaneser invaded Samaria (2 Kings 17:3-6). He was soon succeeded by Sargon II, who finished the task of leveling Samaria and resettling the land with exiles from other conquered nations. About 15 years later, Sargon was succeeded by Sennacherib, who then invaded Judah and leveled many smaller cities, including Lachish, before laying siege to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 29-32). Unable to take Jerusalem, Sennacherib retired to Nineveh where he was assassinated and Esarhaddon took over as king of Assyria.
It is against this backdrop of invasions, plundering, slaughter and ever-present threat that Isaiah served as a prophet of God to the nation of Judah. At the same time he was busy, three other prophets were active: Hosea and Amos prophesied to the northern kingdom during its final days, and Micah served in Judah. Together, these four are called “the eighth-century prophets” because these events all took place in the eighth century B.C. in the ancestral lands of the Hebrews. Jonah’s work primarily took place in Nineveh.
Isaiah the man
His name means “Salvation is of God,” and is very similar to the names “Joshua” and “Jesus.” Little is known of Isaiah outside the book that bears his name. He is the son of Amoz (not the prophet Amos), and seems to have been of priestly descent. He was married and had at least two children. Jewish tradition identifies him as a cousin of Hezekiah, which might explain his rather easy entry to royal confidence. Likewise, Jewish tradition (several conflicting stories, some quite unbelievable) relates that he was martyred by the wicked king Manasseh by being placed inside a hollow log and being sawn in two—perhaps this fate is referred to in Hebrews 11:37.
We do know that Isaiah was a committed patriot and that he delivered the word of God to four kings and countless other listeners over a long career. He pronounced oracles of judgment and hope—the destruction of the kingdom and the coming of the Messiah. His collection of work comprises 66 chapters and furnished a wealth of quotes in the New Testament. When Jesus came to the synagogue in Nazareth and was offered an opportunity to read, He chose the scroll of Isaiah and unrolled it to chapter 61. Again and again, He used Isaiah’s words to describe the people and events of His ministry (Matthew 13:14-15; 15:7-9, etc.).
When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, they were 1000 years older than the earliest Old Testament manuscripts we had. One of the most exciting finds was a complete copy of Isaiah on one very high-quality scroll. Careful examination of the text revealed that it was virtually identical to the currently-available text of Isaiah—an impressive witness to the integrity of the Jewish scribes across the centuries. It was also a witness to the enduring esteem that all believers in God hold for Isaiah, a prophet whose shadow continues to stretch across our world.
Discussion Questions: