Confrontation, Consolation, Conquest (Isaiah 1-39, 40-55, 56-66)

Isaiah 1-66 in broad strokes

Chapters	1-39	40-55	56-66
Context	Assyrian invasion	Babylonian exile	Return from exile
Addressing	Sin Rebellion	Despair Hopelessness	Helplessness Weakness
God is the	King	Servant	Conqueror
Status	Unrighteousness	Righteousness	Righteous living
Tone / Thrust	Confrontation Conviction	Consolation Comfort	Conquest Character
Theme	Trust	Grace	Power

Sketch and Overview of Isaiah 28-33, 2016

Woe To Those Who Do Not Wait / Trust in God (Isaiah 28-35): John Oswalt's overview. Other commentators title this section as "Six Woes," "Human schemes and God's plans," and "Do not trust in enemies who will be defeated."

• Isaiah 28-29: Bad/false leadership. Human rulers implementing human rules. Leaders are drunken, blind and deaf to God's word.
• Isaiah 30-31: Bad/false solution/advice/decision. Trusting in Egypt, instead of God.
• Isaiah 32-33: Good/true leadership/government. When the Messiah reigns and rules.
• Isaiah 34-35: Conclusion of Isaiah 28-33 (13-33): The summary of judgment and blessing. A desert (Isaiah 34) or a garden (Isaiah 35).

God's Triumph Over the Nations (Isaiah 24-27), 1-39

Outline of Isaiah 1-39:

• 1-5: The problem: A lack of servanthood.
• 6: The solution: The call to servanthood.
• 7-39: Lessons in trust, the basis of servanthood.

7-12 (739 BC): God or Assyria. No Trust (Ahaz). Thus the need to learn lessons in trust.

13-23: God's judgment on the nations--Don't trust the nations.

24-27: God's triumph over the nations--God is the sovereign actor on the stage of history.

28-33: Woe to those who trust the nations, who do not trust and wait on God.

34-35: Trusting God or the nations--Results.

36-39 (701 BC): God or Assyria. Trust (Hezekiah).

True Religion (Isaiah 19-20)

"On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border" (Isa 19:19, HCSB).

1. Egypt smitten (19:1-15). Because of her religion (1-4)--idolatry, resources (5-10)--Nile, and self-reliance (11-15)--human wisdom.
2. Egypt healed (19:16-25).
3. Egypt unreliable (20:1-6).

Five Marks of True Religion (19:19-22):

Isaiah Outline by John Oswalt, 2003

1-5    Intro: Introduces the idea/problem of servanthood. Who will you trust? God or man?

6       Call to servanthood/to trust God. It is the solution to the problems addressed in 1-5. It is the pivotal chapter in Isaiah.

7-39   Lessons in Trust (7-35: No Trust. 36-39: Trust).

    7-12    God or Assyria? No Trust. Ahaz fails to trust God and the consequences.

    13-39    Study lessons on trust again.

        13-23    Don’t trust the nations.

        24-27    God is the sovereign actor on the stage of history.

        28-33    Woe to those who will not wait/trust.

        34-35    Conclusion

        36-39    God or Assyria? Trust. Hezekiah passes the test of trusting God.

40-55    Grace motivates us to trust God.

56-66    Grace enables us to live in the righteousness of God.

Isaiah in 71 days by Alec Motyer, 2011. Part I: Backdrop to Isaiah's Ministry (1-5)

I. Backdrop to Isaiah's Ministry (Isaiah 1-5).

1. 1:1-9. Title (1:1). Author's preface (1:2-5:30) outlines the situation in which he ministered. Backdrop to Isaiah's ministry (1): You are not what you ought to be (1:2-31).
• The state of the nation (1:2-9).
2. 1:10-20. The people were spared the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (1:9) but the spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah lives on among them (1:10) and is seen especially in their religion.
• The state of the church (1:10-20).
3. 1:21-31. Isaiah's review of the state of affairs is social breakdown.
• The state of society (1:21-26).
• The surprising future (1:27-31).
4. 2:1-4. Backdrop to Isaiah's ministry (2): You are not what you were meant to be (2:1-4:6). The glorious vision of 2:2-4 expresses what the Lord expects from his people. The elect was meant to be a magnet to all the earth, drawing all others into the knowledge of the Lord. The reality proved very different. Religiously (2:5-21) and socially (2:22-4:1) his people sadly conformed to the world rather than being the point of its transformation. But the future will see the ideal restored (4:2-6).
• Heading (2:1).
• The great "might have been" (2:2-4).

Isaiah 6 is strategically located between 1-5 and 7-12

Isaiah 1-5 raises a serious problem. Sinful, arrogant Israel is going to be the holy people of God to whom the nations will come to learn of God (Isa 2:1-4; 43:8-14; 49:5-6; Ezek 36:22-38). But how can this be? Isaiah 6 provides the solution. Sinful Israel can become servant Israel when the experience of Isaiah becomes the experience of the nation. When the nation has seen itself against the backdrop of God's holiness and glory, when the nation has received God's gracious provision for sin, then she can speak for God to a hungry world. (Ch. 60-66 follow immediately upon the promise of 59:21.) If ever Isaiah's experience should be duplicated on a national scale, then the promises of Isa 1:16-19; 2:1-4; 4:2-6 could be experienced.

Interchange and Contrast in Isaiah 1-6

1:1-31	2:1-5	2:6-4:1	4:2-6	5:1-30	6:1-13
Negative	Positive	Negative	Positive	Negative	Positive
Judgment	Hope	Judgment	Hope	Judgment	Hope

Let's Talk (Isaiah 1:1-31): Bible Study Questions

Isaiah 1:1-9, 10-20, 21-31; Key Verses Isa 1:18, 3, 13, 23

"Come now let us reason together" (1:18a, ESV). "Let us settle the matter" (NIV). "Let us discuss this" (HCSB).

Most scholars regard Isaiah 1–5 as an introduction to at least chapters 1–39 if not to the entire book of 66 chapters.

1:1-31	2:1-5	2:6-4:1	4:2-6	5:1-30	6:1-13

How Stupid Can You Be (1.1-9)	Stop Your Church Activities (1:10-20)	Care For Whom I Care For (1:21-31)
1. God's broken heart (1:2-3)	1. What displeases God (1:10-15)	1. Judgment (21-23)
2. Our broken life (1:4-8)	2. What pleases God (1:16-17)	2. Purification (24-26)
3. God's unbroken grace (1:9)	3. How to please God (1:18-20)	3. Redemption or ..... (27-31)

Questions: 1:1-9 (national failure): Sin. "The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but...my people do not understand." (1:3).

Let's Talk, Part I: How Stupid Can You Be (Isaiah 1a)

Isaiah 1:1-31; 18, 3 (1-9, 10-20, 21-31)

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isa 1:18, ESV). "Let us settle the matter" (NIV). "Let's settle this" (NLT). "Let us discuss this" (HCSB). "Let's argue our case."

"The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand" (Isa 1:3, NIV).

Theme and title for the book of Isaiah: The Broken Heart of God (Isa 6:8). (Other titles: A Savior will suffer to save you; Only God saves; The Lord is salvation; God preserves a remnant; A suffering Messiah/Savior; Behold the beauty of the Lord; God loves and hopes as his heart breaks; God saves sinners; God judges and saves; Your God reigns; I am God and there is no other; On eagles wings.) [Some key verses of Isaiah: Isa 6:8; 12:2; 45:22; 48:11; 53:5.]

The Whole World in His Hands (Isaiah 13-27)

Isaiah 13-27; 13:11; 26:3

"I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty" (Isa 13:11, NLT). "You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You" (Isa 26:3, HCSB).

2 part outline of Isaiah (4+3=7 parts):

1. Judgment (1-39): Assyrian period. God is the Holy One of Israel.
1. The Lord is King (1-12). Prophesies concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2. Lord of the nations (13-27). The whole world in his hand. Prophesies concerning the nations.
3. Human schemes and God's plans (28-35). The source of true deliverance. God pronounces woe on human alliances. The Lord of history.
4. In whom shall we trust? (36-39) Good and bad Hezekiah. Historical interlude.

Isaiah Outline 2015

Key Verses: Isaiah 6:8; 12:2; 45:22; 48:11; 53:5

1. Judgment from the Holy One of Israel (1-39): The Assyrian period. Conflict and victory.
2. Salvation from the grace of the Suffering Servant (40-66): The Babylonian period. Hope in troubled times.

1. The Holy Judge (1-12).
2. The Sovereign King (13-39).
3. The Suffering Servant (40-55).
4. The Final Conqueror (56-66).

Isaiah Outline; Intro; "Come, Let's Chat" (Isaiah 1)

Pictorial Overview: Chart of the Book of Isaiah.

Outline/overview of Isaiah (loosely adapted from Ortlund, McArthur):

• Isa 1-5: God indicts his people for their sins (Judah)
• Isa 6-12: God reveals grace through judgment for his people
• Isa 13-27: God reveals judgment and grace for the world
• Isa 28-35: God pronounces woe to worldly alliances
• Isa 36-39: Good & bad Hezekiah; God alone is good, and is man's only hope
• Isa 40-55: Comfort for God's exiles: "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed"
• Isa 56-66: How to prepare for the coming glory: "Hole fast my covenant"

[The prophesies of ch. 1-39 addressed Judah in her situation during Isaiah's ministry (739 B.C. - 686 B.C.). The prophesies of ch. 40-66 address Judah as though the prophesied Babylonian captivity (Isa 39:5-7) were already a present reality, though the captivity did not begin until 605-586 B.C. ]

Isaiah may be divided into 3 sections, where each section focuses on/addresses:

1. (Isaiah 1-39) God's judgment on Israel by Assyria (740-700 B.C.)
2. (Isaiah 40-55) the exiles in Babylon (600-539 B.C.)
3. (Isaiah 56-66) the remnant after her return from Babylon (539-500 B.C.)

Outline of Isaiah (John MacArthur):

1. Judgment (1-35)
2. Historical Interlude (36-39)
3. Salvation (40-66)

Outline of Isaiah (ESV Study Bible - Ray Ortlund)

1. Introduction: "Ah Sinful Nation" (1-5)
2. God preserves a remnant for his people through grace: "Your guilt is taken away" (6-12)
3. God's judgment and grace for the world: "We have a strong city" (13-27)
4. God's sovereign word to the world: "Ah" (28-35)
5. Historical transition: "In whom do you now trust?" (36-39)
6. Comfort for God's exiles: "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed" (40-55)
7. How to prepare for the coming glory: "Hold fast to my covenant" (56-66)

Brief Intro: The central theme of Isaiah is God himself, who does all things for his own sake. Isa. 48:11 says, "For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another." When God called him, Isaiah discovered to his dismay that God was not sending him to save Israel but to harden their unrepentant hearts (Isa. 6:9,10). But he calls the godly to seek the Lord, to hope for God's kingdom, to experience God's peace within, and to respond with faith to God's new acts of redemption. In the end a godly remnant will survive the judgment (Isa. 6:13).

• Isaiah means "The Lord is salvation" (similar to Joshua, Elisha, and Jesus).


• Isaiah is quoted > 65 times, far more than any OT prophet, and mentioned by name > 20 times.


• He is married, has 2 children (Isa. 7:3, 8:3), and according to tradition was martyred by being sawn in 2 (Heb. 11:37).


• He ministered for ~40 years from 740 B.C. (Isa.6:1 - the year King Uzziah died) till after 700 B.C. (37:38 - death of Sennacherib). The kings who ruled in Judah during that time: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1). It was an era of great political turmoil due to Assyrian imperialism.

• Since Isaiah prophesied during the period of the divided kingdom, he directed the major thrust of his message to the southern kingdom of Judah.


• Also known as the "evangelical Prophet," Isaiah spoke much about the grace of God toward Israel, particularly the last 27 chapters (Isa. 40-66). The centerpiece is Isaiah's unrivaled chap. 53, portraying Christ as the slain Lamb of God.

The first section of Isaiah (chap. 1-5) is the introduction, where Isaiah rebukes the people of God in order to place them under the judgment of God's word. His lament is "Ah, sinful nation" (Isa. 1:4).

Isa. 1:2-2:5 is a microcosm of the book's message, where the Lord announces his basic charge against the people: they have received so much privilege from God and ought to be grateful children, but instead "they have despised the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. 1:2-4). His indictments are to bring them to repentance, or to preserve a remnant who will repent (Isa. 1:5-9). But the people seemed very faithful in keeping their religious traditions, yet their hearts were far from God, as evidenced by their unwillingness to protect their own weakest members (Isa. 1:10-20, 23). Yet, God appeals to them: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isa. 1:18).

The Lord called his people to be the embodiment of faithfulness in this world. Yet they were filled with rampant unfaithfulness at every level--personal, religious, social (Isa. 1:21-31). Despite his people's hard unrepentant hearts, God himself will fulfill his own purpose through those who would commit themselves to "walk in light of the Lord" (Isa. 2:1-5).

Posted via email from benjamintoh's posterous