Isaiah

Purpose
Isaiah reminded Judah of the trustworthiness of the Lord despite major threats they faced from the Assyrian Empire. He ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah during the reign of kings Ahaz and Hezekiah. During this time, Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and threatened Judah as well. Isaiah not only demonstrated Gods faithfulness in the present day through His deliverance from the Assyrian threat, but also looked ahead to how He would remain faithful in the distant future.

Authorship & Genre

Since the book focuses on two distinct periods of historythe Assyrian Empire in chapters 1-39 and the Babylonian Empire in chapters 40-55some have suggested that the book was written by different people from the different time periods. However, if we accept the idea that God could have revealed to Isaiah details about the Babylonian Empire before they happened, there is no need to look for a second author. The book was probably written by only one authorIsaiah himselfwho accurately foretold what God would do in the future in order to provide comfort in the present day.

Key Verse
Isaiah 53:6: All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (NASB)

Structure
1 39 40 55 56 66 Prophecies Prophecies Message for Message for Introduction & Concerning Concerning King Ahaz King Hezekiah Commissioning Captivity Restoration of Isaiah Babylonian Assyrian Threat Post-captivity Threat Prophecies of Condemnation Prophecies of Consolation Isaiah denunciates the present sins of Israel, including Isaiah reminds Israel of Gods drunkenness, false alliance, and hypocrisy. supremacy, glory, and salvation. 6 7 27 28

Theological Themes

Servant: Isaiahs five Servant Songs point to a future individual to restore Gods people through his own suffering. Israels Messiah would not only be a royal ruler as revealed through David, but also a suffering servant. Holiness: The people of Israel are consistently measured against the holiness of God. Isaiah frequently calls God the Holy One of Israel.