“Aha” Moments from Isaiah

A few months ago, I wrote about the prophet Isaiah, concentrating on who he was and what he prophesied. Isaiah is a tough book to read: it’s not one of the kinder, gentler books of the Bible, and some of the passages are about as clear as mud.

I am currently participating in a women’s Bible study of–you guessed it–the book of Isaiah. I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned about Isaiah and about prophets in general. Please understand that this not a comprehensive commentary on Isaiah. It’s not a summary of the book. Instead, I’m sharing with you a few of the “aha moments” that I’ve had in this particular study. 

The book of Isaiah is sometimes called “the fifth gospel,” because, for those of us who are Christians, it points so clearly to Jesus Christ. Here are a few passages that you already know:

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 7:14  …Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Now, let’s talk about the structure of the Book of Isaiah. It contains 66 chapters. Biblical scholars often divide Isaiah into two major sections. “First Isaiah” (the first 39 chapters) contains Isaiah’s prophecies of judgment and destruction–I call these the “Just wait ’til your Dad gets home” chapters. That’s an oversimplification, but you get the idea. The Jews have once again failed to keep their covenant as God’s chosen people, and, literally, all hell is about to break loose.

But there is a distinct change in Chapters 40-69 (“Second Isaiah”). A central theme in Second Isaiah is the return of the exiled Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem. After the “woes” of Chapters 1-39, Chapter 40 begins with a message of hope:

Isaiah 40:1  Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid….

Let me summarize. Isaiah has 66 chapters. The rules, warnings, and judgments are in the first 39 chapters, and the promises of redemption are in the last 27 chapters. Hmm…66…39…27…. Does that ring a bell?

The Bible contains 66 books. The first 39 books make up the Old Testament and generally contain the rules, warnings, and judgments. Do you see where I’m going here? The 27 books of the New Testament tell us about the promise of redemption through our Messiah Jesus. Coincidence? I think not.

If the structure of the book of Isaiah is an eye-opener, the content will make your hair stand on end. In order to understand more about Isaiah, it’s important to understand the role of the prophet. I’ll be honest–I’ve always pictured the Biblical prophets as crazy old men who wandered around in rags, preaching hellfire and damnation. And like the people of Israel, I wasn’t paying attention.

Let me clear up some misconceptions about the role of a prophet. According to Sandra Richter, author of The Epic of Eden: Isaiah, a book that I highly recommend:

The prophet is a public speaker. In fact, the prophet is the spokesman of Yahweh himself. God promises that He will speak clearly to the prophet, and the prophet will speak clearly to the people.

The prophet is a public figure. In ancient Israel, God’s nation was administered by three theocratic offices: the king, the priest, and the prophet. As a political leader, the king’s job was to keep the nation on track. While the role of the priest was to speak for the people to God, the prophet’s job was to speak for God to the people. If the prophet failed to deliver the message, or if he changed the message, the consequence was death. 

The prophet is a covenant keeper. The prophet is sent to Israel from the court of heaven itself to remind God’s people that if they obey God, they will be blessed. However, if they disobey God, they will be cursed.