The Book of Isaiah

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The Book of Isaiah
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• Isaiah, the Prophet
• Traditional View Isaianic Authorship (1.1)
• Modern Critical View
• Proto-Isaiah (1-39)
• Deutero-Isaiah (40-55)
• Trito-Isaiah (56-66)
• Objections to the Modern Critical View
• Isaiahs Superscriptions (21 73 131 202
  372,6,21 381,4,21 393,5,8)
• Denial of Supernatural Character of Prophesy
• The Analogy of Scripture (Mat. 1217-21 Rom.
  1016, 20 John 1238-41)

Authorship (1.1)
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Yahweh as Emperor
Benevolence
Blessings
Curses
Prophets as Diplomats
Loyalty
Israelite King and Nation
Covenant Dynamics (1.2)
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• Divine Benevolence Great promises to the
  patriarchs (2922, 418, 512) he had brought
  the nation out of Egypt (524ff), given them his
  law (4221,24 517) he had been patient with
  them as they broke his law time and again (713,
  524, 4224) God had ordained Jerusalem as the
  place of his throne (2423 319 522) and he
  had established David as Israels permanent
  dynasty (97, 165).

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• Human Loyalty Accused various segments of the
  nation of violating their moral responsibilities.
  The north had turned away from God (79, 99-10)
  and the south had done the same (14, 21 38).
  The priests had offered false worship (287) the
  political leaders had failed to fulfill their
  roles (314 914-15). The house of David
  rebelled against God (123).

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• Curses Variety of curses in nature and warfare
  (25-41) curse of exile (51-7, 7 13)

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Blessings Deliverance on a number of occasions
such as 42-6 111-126 271-17 498-503
611-11. He assured Gods people in Judah that
they would be spared utter defeat by the
Assyrians (371-5). He announced that Hezekiah
would be healed (381-8). Isaiah also announced
judgments on the enemies of Gods people which
were in effect a way of blessing the people of
God. For instance, he pronounced woes over
Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Ethiopia and
Egypt in 1424-1917. As important as these
blessings were to Isaiah, by and large he gave a
lot of attention to the greatest blessing of all
the unprecedented blessings that would come to
Israel when God would restore his people after
exile. Time and again, he focused on this future
event as a time of magnificent blessings for the
people of God. The throne of David would be
restored and glorified (96-7 1110 165). The
temple would be restored and glorified (22
6620). The exiles would return (1112 2713
351-10 5111 611-11). In fact, nature will
be renewed to such an extent after exile ends
that Isaiah called the condition of restoration
the new heavens and new earth in Isaiah
6517-25.
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• Isaiah 11 the prophets public ministry took
  place during the reigns of Uzziah (792740
  B.C.), Jotham (750731 B.C.), Ahaz (735715 B.C.)
  and Hezekiah (715686 B.C.).
• Early Assyrian Judgment During the eighth
  century B.C., Assyria rose to dominance in the
  ancient Near East. Judgment came against northern
  Israel from Assyria in 740734 B.C. (61)
• Syrian-Israelite Coalition (734732 B.C.)
  Chpts. 7-8 Isaiah warned Ahaz to trust the Lord,
  but he did not.
• Destruction of Samaria (722 B.C.) Chpts.7-8
  Isaiah warned that God was going to destroy
  Samaria the capital of Israel through Assyrian
  invasion.
• Invasion of Judah and Jerusalems Siege
  (705701B.C.) Sennacherib (705681 B.C.)
  destroyed much of Judah and laid siege to
  Jerusalem (361-3738).
• Babylonian Judgment and Restoration (586539
  B.C.) In Isaiahs future. (391-7 40-66)

T I M E L I N E
Isaiahs Circumstances (1.7)
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• Date of Writing (3737-38) Ascension of
  Esarhaddon (681 B.C.).
• Early Assyrian Judgment During the eighth
  century B.C., Assyria rose to dominance in the
  ancient Near East. Judgment came against northern
  Israel from Assyria in 740734 B.C. (61)
• Fulfillments e.g. 78-9 (spoken 734 fulfilled
  722) To establish credibility for predictions
  not fulfilled (exile of Judah and restoration of
  Israel and Judah)
• Goal 1-6 to shock with overall picture, 7-39 to
  establish credibility 3937-39 Babylonian exile
  is coming 40-66 restoration is coming.
• Summary To encourage the prophets
  contemporaries
• To be loyal to the Lord and to exhort future
  readers in exile to repent of sin and trust the
  Lord to bring the faithful remnant of Israel and
  other nations to unprecedented blessings after
  the exile. of Israel and Judah after the
  punishment of exile.

P U R P O S E
Purpose of Book (1.8)
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Motyer 1-37 Book of the
King 38-55 Book of the
Servant 56-66 Book of the
Anointed Conqueror
Clements 11-31 Introduction 21-126
Concerning Judah and Jerusalem
13-23 Against
Foreign Nations 24-27 Apocalypse
of Isaiah 28-33 Concerning
Judah 34-35 Judgment and
Salvation 36-39 Isaiah
Narratives
Pratt 11 Superscription 12-613
Message of Judahs
Judgment
and Restoration 71-398
Response to Assyrian
Judgment 401-662
4 Response to Babylonian
Judgment
Comparative Outlines (1.9)
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11 Superscription I. 12-613 Message of
Judahs Judgment and Restoration A.
Judgment and Restoration to Righteousness and
Justice (1225) B. Judgment and
Restoration on That Day (2646) C.
Judgment Leading to Restoration (51613) II.
71-398 Response to the Assyrian Judgment
A. The Syrian-Israelite Coalition (71126)
B. International Upheaval During the Assyrian
Judgment (1312713) C. Sennacheribs
Invasion (281398) IV. 401-6624 Response to
the Babylonian Judgment A. Isaiahs Call
to Proclaim Restoration (40111) B. Gods
Power to Restore His People (40124423)
C. Gods Instruments of His Sure Salvation
(44245513) D. Israels Sin, Repentance
and Restoration (5616624)
The Big Picture of Content (1.10)
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• 11 Superscription
• 12-613 Message of Judahs Judgment and
  Restoration

Original Meaning Inauguration
Continuation Consummation
Meaning and Application (A) (1.11)
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II. 71-398 Response to the Assyrian Judgment

Original Meaning Inauguration
Continuation Consummation
Meaning and Application (B) (1.12)
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IV. 401-6624 Response to the Babylonian
Judgment
Original Meaning Inauguration
Continuation Consummation
Meaning and Application (C) (1.13)