Isaiah

Biographical Details

• Isaiah = God has Saved• Born ca.760, son of

Amoz• Inhabitant of Jerusalem,

where he practices his ministry

• Ministry during the reign of four kings – Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah

• No mention of his name after 1:1

Difficulties With the Text• Ch. 1-39 – 8th reflect the

situation of 8th century B.C.

• Ch. 40-66 – appear to address people after the fall of Jerusalem in exile (6th Century)

• 56-66 seems to address a community returned from exile (after 538)

• The material in the text seems to cover a period of 207 years or more. The United States is 233 years old.

Historical Context

• Syro-Ephraimite War• Assyrian Invasion• Conquest of Jerusalem and Exile• Return from Exile• Isaiah of Jerusalem is alive for the

first two of these periods

Syro-Ephraimite War• Israel (Northern Kingdom) is

often called Ephraim in reference to its largest tribe

• 745 BC – Tilgath-pileser III begins conquering lands west of Assyria, including Israel, Judah, and Syria.

• Ahaz becomes king Ca. 740 – pressure from Pekah, King of Israel, and Rezin, King of Syria, to join alliance against Assyria – Ahaz refuses.

• Syria and Judah attempt to depose Ahaz

• Ahaz turns to Assyria for help – Syria and Israel are defeated – Judah becomes a vassal to Assyria

The Assyrian Invasion• Assyria expands in influence

in the area taking control of Syria and Israel, which fell in 722

• 705 – Hezekiah (Judah) revolts, and seeks help of Egypt, which fails to materialize

• 701 - Sennacherib of Assyria retaliates, destroying much of the Southern Kingdom, and is convinced to spare Jerusalem only because he is promised even higher tribute

Conquest and Exile• Over the next century, Assyria

influence begins to wane• 612 – Babylon conquers

Assyrian capital of Nineveh – International power struggle is now between Egypt and Babylon

• 605 – Egypt defeated by Babylon and Judah falls under Babylon’s control

• Zedekiah, the last King of Judah revolts

• Babylon invades and eventually lays siege to Jerusalem

• 586 the city is sacked, the temple destroyed, and the majority of the people were sent into exile

Restoration

• 6th Century, Babylon faces pressure from Persia

• 539 – Cyrus of Persia defeats Babylon

• Jews are given leave to return to their homes – Many do so

Themes of Isaiah

• God’s providence – He is behind all historical events (10:5; 41:25)

• Sufficiency of God alone to protect his people

• Importance and Centrality of Jerusalem – Right Worship

Messianic Expectation

• Arrival of God’s anointed (9:1-6)

• Associated with Right worship (2:1-4)

• Restoration of the Temple

• Peace – Eutopia (11:6-9)

• Inclusion of people previously excluded (56:2-5)

Items of Theological Consequence for the New Testament

• 7:1-16 – The Virgin shall bear a child

• Virgin = Young woman?

• Curds and Honey – Hard to get during a siege

• Before weaning – w/in three years, the siege will end and the Northern Oppressor will be defeated

The Suffering Servant

• Chap 42• Chap. 53

A Word on Biblical Authorship

• Scripture is first and foremost about God

• It has two authors, one human and one divine

• The human author may not have known the divine intention of God

• Simply to know the intention of the human author is not to know the intention of the Scripture.

Isaiah Summarized

• The Lord will fulfill his ideal for Israel by purifying his people through judgment and then restoring them to a renewed relationship in the covenant. He will establish Jerusalem as the center of his worldwide kingdom and reconcile once hostile nations to himself.