Week Thirty-Two Reading Assignment:
Isaiah 35 - Isaiah 57
"It is the prophetic belief that throughout Israel's history, Yahweh has tried to correct and discipline his people in an effort to turn them aside from their evil course. In the Book of Amos, we read that God has used natural catastrophes in order to warn his people. Isaiah under-stands military defeats to have been instruments of Yahweh's discipline. And, of course, Yahweh has always sent his prophets to inform the people of his true will. The prophets were sent as watchmen over Israel, to warn of the consequences of sin, just as military sentinels warn of a coming enemy. But the people have persistently refused to listen to these prophets. Sometimes they have killed them, other times thrown them in prison. Often they have been mocked or made the object of scorn. The will of Israel to do good has been so distorted by sin that the people are no longer capable of heeding Yahweh's word or of profiting from his guidance."
(Paul & Elizabeth Achtemeier, The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith)
(Paul & Elizabeth Achtemeier, The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith)
This Week's Teaching Video: Prophet on a Time Line
Getting a Handel on IsaiahIf you are familiar with Handel's Messiah, then you probably hear tunes running through your head as you read the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Georg Frederic Handel was born in Germany in 1685, and at the age of 56 composed the famous oratorio known simply as Messiah. The lyrics are taken entirely from Scripture, including passages from Job, Psalms, Lamenta-tions, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Luke, John, Romans, 1 Cor-inthians, Hebrews, and Revelation. More than any other biblical source, however, Handel's Messiah sings the words of Isaiah: Comfort, Ye, My People -- 40:1-3 Every Valley Shall Be Exalted -- 40:4 And the Glory of the Lord -- 40:5 Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive -- 7:14 O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings -- 40:9, 60:1 For, Behold, Darkness Shall Cover -- 60:2-3 The People Who Walked in Darkness -- 9:2 For Unto Us a Child is Born -- 9:6 Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind -- 35:5-6 He Shall Feed His Flock -- 40:11 He Was Despised -- 53:3, 6 Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs -- 53:4-5 And With His Stripes -- 53:5 All We Like Sheep -- 53:6 He Was Cut Off -- 53:8 |
Isaiah and JesusWe are many weeks away from reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and their accounts of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And yet, within the book of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, we read quite a bit about Him. For even though Isaiah lived 700+ years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the prophet anticipated much about the Christ.
Isaiah predicts Jesus' virgin birth (7:14), and anticipates His Galilean ministry (9:1-2). Jesus Himself identi-fies His ministry with a passage from Isaiah (61:1-2, Luke 4:16-21, and we recognize other passages as descrip-tive of that ministry, too (e.g., 42:1-4). Isaiah offers compelling portraits of Jesus' suffering (50:4-11, 52:13-53:12), including the redemptive purpose of God in it and the prospect of ultimate vindication and victory. Finally, Isaiah understands that there will be an heir to David's throne who will be divine, who will rule forever, and whose reign will be perfect (9:6-7, 11:1-10). To read Isaiah is not to read the narrative details of Jesus' earthly life, of course. But this Old Testament prophet rightly earns the nickname "the messianic prophet," for we learn a great deal about Jesus as we read Isaiah's book. |