Isaiah: A Major Prophecy The Book of Isaiah – Two major sections: Chapters 1-39 – Judgment and Promise Chapters – Tripartite division 40-48: Yahweh and Idols Contrasted (40:18-24; 46:5-7); Israel’s Deliverance Through Cyrus (41:2-4) 49-57: Suffering Servant’s Soteriological Ministry 58-66: Kingdom Program of Peace for the Saved

Items of Interest Date 700 B.C. or during the reign of Manasseh ( B.C.) Event – Shortly after God’s deliverance of Judah from Assyrian invasion (Isaiah 36-7) Predictive Prophecy – Cyrus, king of Persia, reigned B.C., about one hundred fifty years after God through Isaiah foretold the king’s role in Judah’s future (45:1-7).

“Servant Songs” First “Servant Song” (42:1-9 ) “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles... A bruised reed He will not break” (vv. 1, 3a). Second “Servant Song” (49:1-13) “My Servant [will] raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth”(v. 6).

“Servant Songs” Third “Servant Song” (50:4-11) “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (v. 6). Fourth “Servant Song” (52:13-53:12) “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently... By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (52:13a; 53:11b).

Thesis and Themes Thesis: God is able to help and to vindicate His obedient Servant while judging the one who trusts in himself. Themes: God’s faithfulness in His redemptive purposes God’s power to deliver His people from danger The obedience of the Servant of the L ORD God’s judgment upon all sinful self-reliance

Isaiah 49: Immediate Context 49:1-13  Universal Ministry of the Servant *Light to the Nations *Comfort to God’s People 49:14  Israel’s Community Lament: “But Zion said, ‘The L ORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’” 49:15-16  Yahweh’s Comforting Promise 49:16b-23,  Message of Life, Prosperity, and Redemption 49:24-26  Yahweh is a powerful Redeemer who will faithfully keep His promise.

Overview of Isaiah 50 Three Divisions 50:1-3  Yahweh’s “Trial Speech” 50:4-9  A Prophetic Psalm of Confidence 50:10-11  Application/Exhortation Part of the “Servant Song” Presents a message of comfort in a section of the prophecy (40-55) that begins with Isaiah 40:1 – “Comfort, comfort, My people”

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled...”

Leviticus 25:39-40a and 2 Kings 4:1 “And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be to you...” “A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the L ORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

Judicial Chastening: Isaiah 6:10 and 42: :10 – “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.” 42:18-20 – “Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect and blind as the L ORD ’s servant? Seeing many things, but you do not observe; opening the ears, but he does not hear.”

Isaiah 59:1-2 “Behold, the L ORD ’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”