Isaiah is a prophet who speaks the oracles of God to the people of God. What was God trying to communicate to his people through the book of Isaiah?
My study Bible has a phrase in the outline for the book of Isaiah that I think sums up God’s message to His people quite nicely; “return, repent, and be renewed.”
The first half of Isaiah focuses on God’s judgment of Israel for their sins as well as the surrounding nations.
The second half is a message of hope that promises the salvation of a remnant of God’s people, the coming of the Messiah, and the future glory of Israel.
What did God communicate to you through the book of Isaiah?
This is probably the first time I’ve taken a close look at one of the prophetic books of the Old Testament. God’s sovereignty is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the past couple of months we’ve spent in Isaiah. Over and over again, He calls His shot, and over and over again, he follows through. The Babylonian exile, the remnant of Israel, the Persian king Cyrus, and the Messiah, all foretold by Isaiah and all came to pass. And because of his track record, we can trust that what Isaiah wrote about the end times also came from God and will come to pass as well.
God’s divine judgment also stands out to me, looking back over this book. God showed me in chapter 6 that He does not veil His message from anyone who has not already heard it and rejected it. Both in the time of Isaiah and Christ, we see where God hardened the hearts of the Israelites, not merely because He chose to, or for no apparent good reason, but because despite having revealed Himself to them repeatedly, they continued to reject Him. God met their constant rejection of Him with His divine judgment when He eventually hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes.
The third thing that stood out to me in Isaiah is God’s mercy amid His divine judgment. Even though they repeatedly turned their backs on Him, God still preserved a remnant of Israel. Not only does this show God’s mercy but also His faithfulness. Promises made to Abraham and David would have been broken had God not been faithful and preserved this remnant.
Summarize the end of the book of Isaiah (66:15-24)
These verses speak of God’s final judgment on the earth and on humanity. The Lord will come in fire and enter into judgment, and many will be slain (66:15-16). Idol worship will come to an end (66:17). God will send His remnant to the ends of the earth to declare His glory (66:18-19), they will gather His people to His holy mountain (66:20), and some He will take as priests and Levites (66:21). The new heaven, the new earth, and God’s people will remain forever (66:22) and will worship Him day and night (66:23). Those who came under the Lord’s judgment will endure everlasting torment, and their bodies will serve as a reminder to all the cost of rebellion (66:24).