Prophet #3 Isaiah: The Holy One of Israel rules over all nations which He will use to humble His special people for their infidelity before bringing them back through His suffering servant. . INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPHETS—ISAIAH SESSION 3
ast week we saw how God used Isaiah to call on His people to correct their false worship. Israel made wicked the very instruments God had appointed for their repentance. They were filthy in their sin and idolatry with no way to L cleanse themselves. This was all the more horrifying in light “Therefore the Lord Himself of God’s holiness presented in chapter six. They desperately will give you a sign. Behold, the needed a Savior, but they were not yet ready for Him. virgin shall conceive and bear a IMMANUEL & THE COMING INVASION son, and shall call his name Chapters 7-11 Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 One of the most famous passages in Isaiah is the prophesy of the virgin-born Immanuel. Let’s look at the context of confrontation with King Ahaz’s participation with the Syrian-Israelite Coalition (734 BC). Ahaz was trusting Assyria, rather than Yahweh, to help deliver him from Syria. When confronted by Isaiah Ahaz responded in a very spiritual sounding quotation of Deuteronomy 6:16. God was not impressed. In fact He contrasts Ahaz’ lofty sentiment with an unnamed young girl who would trust God rather than all that she saw around her to name her child “God is with us.” The following four chapters bear out how God will carry His people off into exile while preserving a
remnant to eventually return.
HYMN OF THE REDEEMED Chapter 12
There is a day of judgment coming, but there is also a day of restoration that will surely come also. In that day God’s people will sing (see inset). This song parallels that of Moses in Exodus 15
but the enemy that God has overcome is You will say in that day: not some external oppressor, but God’s “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, people themselves. Praise to the Lord that for though you were angry with me, He rescues us from ourselves! your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 2 “Behold, God is my salvation; ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS I will trust, and will not be afraid; Chapters 13-27 for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” God reveals how He will dismantle the very 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of “powers” in which His people have salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: foolishly placed their hope culminating in “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, an apocalypse (ch. 24). Desolation, silence, make known his deeds among the peoples, stillness, and waste will fill the land. It is in proclaim that his name is exalted. this context that the Lord’s deliverance will 5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; be so striking as He swallows up death let this be made known in all the earth. forever (25:8). 6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Isaiah 12:1-6
First Congregational Church Woodstock Adult Sunday School Fall 2020 Prophet #3 Isaiah: The Holy One of Israel rules over all nations which He will use to humble His special people for their infidelity before bringing them back through His suffering servant. .
WOES LEADING TO REPENTANCE Chapters 28-35
Ephraim as the second son of Joseph received the blessing his brother Manasseh was to receive. As the largest of the Northern tribes, Ephraim is used to refer to the whole of Northern Israel in their coming exile. The fall of Israel in 722 BC is the occasion of these oracles of woe. The devastation is to lead them to repentance from their great rebellion against God.
HEZEKIAH Chapters 36-39
In the midst of great evil and infidelity by the kings of Israel and Judah, Hezekiah stands as an example of reform. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. He removed the high places and
much of the idolatry of Judah. This portion “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned parallels the record in 2Kings 18:13-20:19. We above the cherubim, you are the God, you find that Hezekiah for all his reforms still struggles. God spares Jerusalem for His own alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you sake and for David (37:35). Yet Hezekiah falls have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, ill and is told he will not recover (38:1). As a O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, result of his prayer God relents and adds 15 and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, years to his life. Even with this provision which he has sent to mock the living God. Hezekiah cannot seem to help himself from Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid bragging to the Babylonian envoys. All that he has gloried in will be carried away to Babylon. waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no CALL TO REPENTANCE gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. So now, How should the people of God responded then O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that to Isaiah’s call to repentance? How should we? What remains constant? What is altered based all the kingdoms of the earth may know that on what Christ has done? What is different you alone are the Lord.” living in Christ’s kingdom now in a nation like ours rather than Judah? Isaiah 37:16-20
First Congregational Church Woodstock Adult Sunday School Fall 2020