Lord’s Day, Vol. 12 No. 42
Opening the Book of Isaiah (1)
There are threefold purposes in the Book of Isaiah with the overall theme that the LORD is King over all the earth and from His throne above the mercy seat in the Temple of Jerusalem – Isaiah 6:1 (KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Firstly, to point the people of Judah to Christ the King in His First Coming as a Suffering Servant to come for their salvation (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-8; 11:1-5; 53). Secondly, to point people of Judah and the surrounding nations to repent and return and come to the LORD from their straying for judgment is nigh (Judah – Isa. 1; 3-5; 6:9-13; 7-10; 22 and Assyria – Isa. 14:24-27; Babylon – Isa. 13-14, 21:1-10; Moab – Isa. 15; Damascus – Isa. 17; Ethiopia – Isa. 18; Egypt – Isa. 19-20; Edom (Dumah) – Isa. 21:11-12; Arabia – Isa. 21; Tyre – Isa. 23). Thirdly, the glory of the Messianic Kingdom when Christ will rule the earth from Jerusalem in His Second Coming (Isaiah 2; 11; 12:1-6; 26:1-4; 29:18-24).
The plan of God was to create the nation of Israel as His witness to all the nations of the earth so that they may know Him through His chosen nation. Through Israel will come to the Christ, the Saviour of the world. Christ’s first coming was prophesised, as the Saviour that will come forth out of the nation and in His second coming, as King reigning physically upon earth for 1000 years which Israel projected in prophecy.
The ministry of Isaiah spans five kings of Judah, four of them recorded in Isaiah 1:1 (KJV) 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. And the fifth one was Manasseh, the son of king Hezekiah.
Isaiah’s ministry was to Judah and it began at the death of king Uzziah (Isa. 6:1) when also he received his call from the LORD to the ministry. Isaiah 6, therefore precedes Isaiah 1-5 which are 3 key sermons of Isaiah. Isaiah ministered in the courts of Jerusalem. He is the first of the major prophets and his writings are most influential. Isaiah 7-10 was during the time of king Ahaz when the Northern Kingdom in coalition with Syria (king Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria) threatened the well-being of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Judah allied with the Assyrians to their detriment. Instead of relying on the LORD, they sought the Assyrian power north of the Israel-Syria coalition to subdue their enemy.
The climax of the first section (Isa. 1-39) is in Isa. 36-37 with the destruction of Assyria by the angel sent by the LORD in their bid to destroy Judah and Jerusalem. Isa. 38-39 gives the background leading to the events of Isa. 36-37 which is the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians.
The lesson for Judah was to rely on the LORD rather than the alliance made with Egypt – Isaiah 31:1-3 (KJV) Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! 2 Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. 3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he
that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
The admonition of Isaiah was for Judah to return to the LORD and trust Him to deliver them – Isaiah 30:15 (KJV) For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
This would happen during the godly reign of king Hezekiah – Isaiah 33:20-22 (KJV) Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. 21 But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.
The sins of the nation of Judah were pointed out by Isaiah – Isaiah 1:2-6 (KJV) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
The desire of the LORD through Isaiah was that the nation repent from the idolatry and lukewarmness and come back to Him – Isaiah 1:16-20 (KJV) Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
The climax in the first section from Isaiah 1-39 was the LORD’s deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians – Isaiah 37:31-38 (KJV) And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. 33 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
To be continued…
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee