Intro to Isaiah

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 
Isaiah 1:1 

The book of Isaiah contains some of the most well-known passages in the Old Testament, as they relate to the Messiah, and paints vivid images in our minds of what the throne room of God would appear like. Isaiah can be divided neatly into three major sections, and we will take a closer look at each of these sections in the coming weeks. The first section is encapsulated in the first 39 chapters. They are very bleak chapters and mainly consist of judgments from God on the kingdom of Judah. In Isaiah 40, there is a transition, which leads us into the second section, where we consider the coming Messiah and the suffering that he will endure unto death. Finally, the last section in Isaiah centers on the doctrines of soteriology, matters concerning salvation, and eschatology, matters concerning end times. However, in this post I will only provide a background of the book and attempt to summarize the principles we learn from it.

Isaiah’s prophetic ministry spans the reigns of four kings of Judah, which is the region his prophecies and judgments from God are oriented to. Additionally, most of this book takes place after the death of King Uzziah, which was a period of peace and prosperity for the kingdom of Judah. During the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, things take a dramatic turn for the worst as the southern kingdom face major wars with the Syrians and are facing an imminent invasion from the Assyrians who have conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The warning is clear, if the people do not turn from their idols and repent of their sins, judgement is at hand.

Isaiah predicts that the people will not repent and, so, be brought into exile. All the while God will remain faithful to His promises and will preserve a remnant, for His glory and name’s sake. This book is not all doom and gloom though for the Southern Kingdom, because Isaiah also prophecies that their will be a return from exile. This is a word that the people will need to recall while in the midst of exile as they await restoration and salvation from the Lord.

This is ultimately the main message of Isaiah; that all of humanity is corrupted by sin and that salvation alone comes from the Lord. In order to receive salvation, we must turn from idols and sin and return to the Lord. It is through Isaiah that we can see the stark contrast between God and ourselves, between perfect holiness and our sinful compromises, between the One who is sovereign over all and the ones who cannot even understand the ways of God. It is also a comforting message for us to know that though God’s people will face many trials and persecution, God will remain faithful to His promises and the gates of hell will not prevail. Praise Him for His never-ending love, unwavering faithfulness, and awesome majesty.

Grace and Peace,
Alex Galvez

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