No. 3. >> Dr. Lessing, as I understand how the study of Isaiah will work, you will be teaching us about the first 39 chapters. Is that right? I want to make sure that I learn all I can in this study because the Old Testament is not my strength. To help me, would you be willing to take a few minutes to outline Isaiah 1 through 39? >> I would be delighted to provide an overview of the first 39 chapters of the prophet Isaiah. Let's look in terms of comparing Isaiah, first of all, with the other two major prophets in the Old Testament, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. When compared with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah encompasses a greater chronological sweep. What do I mean by that? Isaiah begins in the Eighth Century BC with perhaps the year that King Uzziah died. In Chapter 6 Verse 1, Isaiah says: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. This is probably in and around 740 BC. So it begins in the mid part of the Eighth Century BC with the death of Uzziah. And the prophet Isaiah will continue to speak all the way through the reign of Cyrus, a Persian emperor who reigned from roughly 539 to 530 BC. Certainly Isaiah depicts Cyrus as a great deliverer. He does that twice in the second part of the book. Once in Chapter 44 Verse 28. And then again in Chapter 45 Verse 1. Of course, that's out of the purview of this particular time in Isaiah. But if we look at the year that King Uzziah died, 740 BC, to the reign and the rule of the Persian king, Cyrus II, we are looking at a vast amount of time when compared to the ministries and the prophesies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The historical horizon then of the book of Isaiah extends from the Assyrian time, that would be during the time of Uzziah, to the Babylonian time. And we will look at Babylonians who already appear in the first part of Isaiah, specifically Chapter 39, all the way to the Persian period. There is no straightforward chronicle of these different empires throughout the book of Isaiah. So the student has to keep in mind that Isaiah may be addressing the Assyrian time, the Babylonian time, or the Persian time. And it will be my job to help us keep all of that straight. So within this 250-year period, let me highlight for you several key events that we will discuss in more detail as this course joyfully moves forward. The first of these would be the Syro-Ephraimitic Crisis and outcome of 735 to 732 BC. By Syro I mean the Syrians also called Arum or Aramaeans in the Old Testament. By Ephraimitic I mean the Old Testament's northern kingdom of Israel. There is this huge crisis during this time in the 730s BC. And this is a significant historical event for the life and times of Isaiah. Because it forms the backdrop of the great Immanuel Prophecy in Chapter 7. The next key historical event would be the Assyrian assault upon Judah and Jerusalem climaxing in the Assyrian king Sennacherib's almost capture and almost defeat of the capital city of Jerusalem. This occurred in 701 BC. And this performs the backdrop of Isaiah's prophesies and interaction with King Hezekiah in Chapters 36 and 37 of his book. The next significant point would certainly be the Babylonian captivity that Judah experiences in 587 BC. But these events are already foreshadowed for us in Hezekiah's interaction with one Merodach-baladan, a Babylonian king, in the 39th chapter of the prophet Isaiah. As I already mentioned, the time of Cyrus. Cyrus is called the Lord's shepherd, the Lord's Messiah, in Chapters 44:28 and 45:1. And we, again, won't look at this too much in this class. But certainly the rise of Cyrus and the Persian Empire is important. And then life in the rebuilt Jerusalem would be the fifth important component as we get a huge overall view of the prophet Isaiah. This life in the rebuilt Jerusalem after Cyrus's decree of 538 BC is depicted chiefly in Isaiah Chapters 60 through 66. That performs then an outline for us in terms of Isaiah's similarities and differences with Ezekiel and Jeremiah. As well as just a little idea of the broad historical scope that encompasses this prince of the prophets. Let's look a little bit more specifically now at Isaiah's ministry. The Judean kings that were involved as well as the Assyrian kings that find themselves on the pages of the prophet Isaiah. Let's now look specifically at the dates of Isaiah's ministry. They would be, as I mentioned earlier, roughly from 740 BC, that's the year that King Uzziah died, to roughly 681 BC. That would be the year that Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, died. So here would be the five components of Isaiah's ministry. First is, as I said, Uzziah's death that was mentioned in Chapter 6 Verse 1 of Isaiah. Isaiah then prophesies through the reign of Jotham, who reigned from 750 to 731 BC. There was quite often an overlap between the kings and their rule within Judah. So Uzziah and jot tham were probably co-regions for roughly ten years. So don't let that confuse you at all. He also, that is Isaiah, continues his ministry through the reign of Ahaz, who reigned from 735 to 715 BC. Again, a slight overlap with his predecessor Jotham. The fourth point, as you can see on our slide, is Isaiah reigns through the reign -- I'm sorry; Isaiah ministers and prophesies through the reign of Hezekiah, whose rule was from 715 to 696 BC. Now, the two major kings in Isaiah 1 to 39 in terms of Judean kings would be Ahaz and Hezekiah. Much more on those two kings as we move further into our study. But the fifth point you can see on your slide is that Isaiah continues his Judean ministry through some of the reign of Manasseh. Manasseh's dates are there. 696 through 642 BC. How do we know that? Because Isaiah really doesn't mention Manasseh in Chapter 1 Verse 1 in the superscription. Nor is Manasseh mentioned any time within the prophet Isaiah's writings. But we do know that Isaiah records the death of Sennacherib, this Assyrian king. Isaiah does that in Chapter 37 Verse 38. Then we also have in II Chronicles 26 Verse 22 where Isaiah may have been active before the death of Uzziah. So this is how we say that Isaiah had a ministry that extended for at least 60 years, which is unprecedented within Old Testament prophets and prophetic literature. Well, let's continue then with this modest outline of the prophet Isaiah. It would be helpful as we look at our next slide to gain a better understanding of these Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian kings that interface with the book of Isaiah. Tiglath-Peleser III appears first on our slide also called Pul or Pulu within Old Testament texts. We will be speaking much more about whom I call TP III, especially as we look at Chapter 7 of the prophet Isaiah. There are dates before you on your slide. Shalmaneser V then comes along and Sargon II. Shalmaneser and Sargon would be responsible for the military campaign that finally destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel called Samaria in 721 BC. We will see Sargon II, there are his dates, 722 to 705 BC, prominently in our study of Isaiah Chapter 14. The next king that we want to briefly discuss, I've mentioned him already, would be Merodach-baladan I. There are his dates. 722 to 710. And then again in 703. He would be a Babylonian king who comes and meets the Judean king Hezekiah in Chapter 39 of Isaiah. Then we have several other kings. Esarhaddon is another Assyrian king. Not all that prominent in Isaiah. But certainly Nebuchadnezzar, the evil Merodach, these Babylonian kings, and then Cyrus II, the Persian king that we've already mentioned several times. So there you have it in front of your slide. And we will see especially as we look at our study in Chapter 39 of Isaiah where Nebuchadnezzar II, and there are his dates, 605 to 562 BC, would be the primary person who would be responsible for the sack of Jerusalem in 587 BC. So having looked at these different ancient near eastern monarchs that interface with the book of Isaiah, let's then turn specifically to an outline of the book itself. Now, you can see in this next slide that Chapter 1 is an overview of all 66 chapters. And that's why we will park the car and get out and look quite closely at least at some specific verses in Chapter 1. As you go about I hope teaching Isaiah by means of this class and the notes that I'll provide for you and I'm sure your sheer excitement of the prophet as you're done with this particular study, you will want to spend significant time in Chapter 1. Because all of the themes in Isaiah really are generated by means of this first chapter. The next point on our slide would be Chapter 2 Verses 1 through 5. That's another overview of the book. And we will spend significant time in looking at this great text, as well. After these two overviews of the book, the third bullet point on your slide indicates from Chapter 2 Verse 6 through Chapter 12 Isaiah preaches judgement and hope to the north and the south. Let's make sure we understand that Isaiah is probably born and bred in the southern capital called Jerusalem. But that doesn't mean he has nothing to say about the northern kingdom. Because again, the north falls in 721. Isaiah begins his ministry in and around 740 BC. So he will preach through these chapters to Israel, the north, and Judah, the south. Now, you'll see underneath this third bullet point a modest, smaller point, called the Denkschrift. This would be what Isaianic scholars call Chapters 6, 7 and 8. A denkschrift is simply a dramatic title for a diary or a diary writing. If we want to understand just who Isaiah is, who his children are, was he married or not, we would go to this so-called Denkschrift, this diary writing, in Chapters 6, 7 and 8. Because that's the only play, by and large, where we understand Isaiah as a person and not just as Isaiah as a prophet with oracles for Judah, Jerusalem, Israel and the nations. Continuing on then, the fourth point on our slide indicates that in Chapters 13 through 23 Isaiah is a prophet to the nations. In Jeremiah Chapter 1 Verse 10, the Lord says to Jeremiah: See, I am appointing you over nations and kingdoms to uproot, to tear down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build and to plant. Well, that's Jeremiah. But this appointment that God gives Jeremiah is the same appointment, the same commission, that he gives Isaiah. Because Isaiah is over nations and kingdoms. All Old Testament prophets were called to speak about the Lord's universal plan for the entire cosmos. And so in Chapters 13 through 23 of Isaiah, the prophet speaks oracles or sermons about the nations. Nations like Babylon and Assyria and Moab and Egypt and Tyre and Sidon. And we will spend a short time looking at several of those oracles. As Isaiah then moves on as a book, the next couple chapters would be the so-called Isaianic Apocalypse. This is where Isaiah broadens his message to not just the specific nations in Chapters 13 to 23 but, indeed, to all the nations of all time. So this is why you have on your slide that this section of Isaiah is called Universal Oracles. Chapters 24 through 27. Where Isaiah speaks in terms of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Following this section of Isaiah, Chapters 28 through 33, would bring us back to Judah and Israel entitled there on your slide Preaching Judgement and Hope to Israel. Well, then moving on on our slide and looking at the next section of Isaiah, Chapters 34 and 35 would be oracles of judgement and hope. Many people would say that this is a nice place to break the two sections of Isaiah. Now, in our class we're going 1 to 39, 40 to 66. But I will probably lightly and not too much in-depth speak how Chapters 34 and 35 would be a nice introduction to the second half of Isaiah. That is to say, to be more specific, in the great Qumran scroll of Isaiah, found in the Dead Sea region in and around 1947, we have one entire book of the Old Testament in its entirety. And that's the book of Isaiah. And this great Qumran scroll of Isaiah actually has a space between Chapters 33 and 34 indicating at least in the Qumran Dead Sea community that they saw Isaiah in terms of Chapters 1 to 33 and then 34 to 66. Again, our class isn't designed that way. But Chapters 34 and 35, as you can see on your slide, would be oracles of judgement and hope that really in many significant ways introduce the second part of the book of Isaiah. We will then spend some time on Chapters 36 through 39, the Historical Narrative. So just as we have a historical narrative in and around the Syro-Ephraimitic Crisis from 735 to 732 BC, and that concerns Ahaz and that's a narrative historical part of Isaiah, so we have a similar historical narrative in Chapters 36 through 39 that deal with not Ahaz but King Hezekiah. And this would be the great crisis of 701 BC. Whereas I mentioned already Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, surrounds Jerusalem and demands they surrender to the great Assyrian army. Well, then just kind of moving forward here, Chapters 40 through 55, Oracles of Hope for Judahites who were exiled in Babylon. And then Chapters 56 through 66, Oracles Addressing Life in the Postexilic Community often called Yahood or the Persian province of Judah. So there you have it. You can see that outlining Isaiah Chapters 1 through 39 would be much more complex than trying to outline Chapters 40 through 66. Let's look at this next slide in front of you, which would help you understand now some of the theological themes as well as the way the book is outlined. Specifically now we want to look at Chapters 1 through 39. You can see on the slide that on the upper left-hand part there would be lips. Lips. What are lips doing there? Well, these are going to be hot lips. Very hot lips. Because one of the major chapters of the prophet Isaiah would be Chapter 6 where the seraphim take a hot coal from the altar using tongs of course and place this hot coal upon the lips of Isaiah. Where Isaiah then having been cleansed forgiven says in great Hebrew fashion: ***Hinneh Shalach, Chapter 6 Verse 8. Here am I, send me. You can see then on the upper right of the slide that Isaiah is commissioned to go to people and the people won't see, the people won't hear, the people won't perceive. That's why there are Xs on the eyes and the ears and the mind. What's all of this about? What kind of a ministry is this? Here am I send me. And God says: Go and preach in such a way that people won't hear, they won't listen, they won't understand. Well, we'll leave that hanging a little bit to see what that is all about when we specifically look at Chapter 6. The next circle, moving down on your slide, would be exile. And the crossed swords. So in 1 to 39 over and over again the prophet will speak about not only Assyrian exile for the northern kingdom. But Babylonian exile for the south. As well as all of the blood shed and horrific events that accompany warfare and exile. Moving down the third circle on your slide would be Isaiah's hope of restoration, which concerns a new city of Jerusalem and a new Davidic king. In the last of the four circles as our slide moves continually down and to the left would be Isaiah's hope for the messianic age. Isaiah speaks about peace, shalom, wholeness. And he does that very climatically in Chapter 11 of his prophetic corpus where he speaks about a shepherd, there you have the man with the shepherd staff, leading sheep and goats and lions. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb. And the lion and the kid together. The little child will be the shepherd. So by means of this slide, we're entering deeper into the ministry and the message of Isaiah 1 to 39. This next slide depicts perhaps what Isaiah looked like. There he is. And what's going on here? Well, Isaiah is there. And we have in his right hand a sword. And in his left hand a shield. And all he has is a loincloth on. And he has a helmet on his head. Well, this helps us understand a section of Isaiah 1 to 39, specifically Chapter 20, which just has six verses in it. But in Chapter 20 Isaiah goes around barefoot and naked for three years proclaiming captivity exile and military defeat. Well, what's going on here? I thought the only streaker in the Bible was probably John Mark, who runs away from the Roman soldiers and Jesus as he is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. No, John Mark probably was not the first biblical streaker. Isaiah was. Isaiah goes around barefoot and naked for three years. So Isaiah, along with most of the other prophets, enact their messages. Now, all we have here is Isaiah depicting the ravages of warfare. That's why he has a helmet, a sword and a shield in this picture. But warfare means people quite often are lacking clothing and food and the very necessities of daily bread to sustain their body and life. So that's a little insight into Isaiah, the prophet himself. More specifically on this slide on the upper right we really aren't concerning ourselves with the prophet Hosea. But Hosea likes to name children in theological terms. Jezreel, Loruhamah and Loammi. But Isaiah does that, as well. Perhaps he got this idea from Hosea. Because Hosea also is an Eighth Century prophet. But more specifically there in the middle of our slide is a picture of a child. And Isaiah in his Denkshcrift, remember that, Chapter 6, 7 and 8, his diary writing, speaks about children. Two of these children would be his own. Shear-Jashub, which means a remnant shall return. So Shear-Jashub is this little child of Isaiah's. And he's the Gospel child. He's the good news child. Even though there will be nakedness and famine and death as we see in Chapter 20 of Isaiah, a remnant will return. The idea of remnant is very prominent at the end of Chapter 6 Verse 13 in Isaiah. And then again in Chapter 11 Verse 1. And really throughout the first 39 chapters. So there's little Shear-Jashub. Isaiah's second child is called Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, which is, as you can see, the spoil speeds and the prey hastens. Which means that very quickly spoil and prey would be what foreign armies get when they conquer and defeat the enemy. So Israel and Judah will very quickly become spoil and plunder for the Assyrians and later on for the Babylonians. So he's the law, judgement, destruction child. Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Another child, certainly that Isaiah mentions, though not his own, would be Emmanouel, God with us, in 7:14, which we've already mentioned. One more slide as we conclude our discussion on this particular question. In front of you you have the slide -- again, we understand now that this figure with the circle and the four arrows going out is the Lord God of Israel. And in the middle of this depiction of God would be a judge's gavel. Really we will see quite often where God is the judge of his people Israel. In the six boxes that are below this gavel indicating God's judgement upon his people and the nations would be some of the reasons why God is judging his people at this point in their history together. The first slide that you can see would be someone who is drinking. Alcohol is fine. But everything in moderation. Isaiah in Chapter 5 says: Woe to those who are heroes at mixing drinks. These were people who were saying: MillerTime is every time. These were people who were alcoholics, who were taking in large amounts of beer and wine and mixed drinks. And it's one reason God sent Isaiah to expose this sin and indicates God's judgement upon it. The next slide, as we move down, would be a depiction of scrolls that have cobwebs all over them. The people in Isaiah's day had the Scriptures. They just didn't read the Scriptures. They got dusty and musty and they simply were not read. So Isaiah says the people have no knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness. No knowledge of their God. In fact, in Chapter 5 Verse 20 Isaiah says: Whoa to those who call good evil and evil good. Who call light darkness and darkness light. Who place bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. They simply had no understanding of God's torah, his instruction, that he had given to the people through Moses at Mt. Sinai. So you can also see in that part of the slide a broken tablet, which is just another way of indicating that Israel was stupid and dumb and ignorant. In fact, in Chapter 1 Verse 3 we'll see where Israel is more ignorant than a cattle. Or more ignorant than even a donkey and an ass. The next part that we see on this slide moving down would be the scales that are not balanced. There's a big question mark in that part of the slide. That within the communities of Israel and Judah, the business practices were corrupt. The scales were unbalanced, especially poor people and impoverished people were going into the marketplace and getting ripped off and chewed up by high rollers who were businessmen who had no ethical morals at all. The next part of our slide, moving up to the top right, would show a woman here with large amounts of jewelery. Isaiah in Chapter 3 talks about the women of Zion who go around with flirting eyes and have any number of ornaments and ways of adorning their bodies. So these women in Zion, the upper crust, were part of a social stratum that loved the finer things in life. But they would crush the poor and the needy in the gate Isaiah says. The poor and the needy in the gate would be those impoverished people of the land who would go for judicial justice and righteousness. But they would get nothing at all. In it large part because the upper crust of society was simply spending all their money on looking really good. All the while neglecting those who had little and nothing. The next part of our slide has more lips. These aren't hot lips. These are money lips. Isaiah says that many of the prophets of his day would simply preach would people wanted to hear. People didn't want to hear that God was concerned about their lifestyles and their heart. In fact, when Isaiah comes along and speaks about alcoholism and the lack of understanding of God's Word and dishonest business practices and pampering women, in Chapter 30 we have these words where people are saying: Leave this road. Go that way. Speak to us smooth things, prophesy allusions, stop confronting us with the Holy One of Yisraeli, of Israel. Why is that? Why did they want Isaiah to stop preaching and confronting them? Because Isaiah was different than all the prophets around him who spoke smooth things. Who prophesied allusions. Who were in it only for the money. So that's another major theme in the first 39 chapters of Isaiah. False prophets who are in it just for the dough. Well, the last part of this slide would see another gavel here with another dollar sign. And Isaiah tells us, especially in Chapter 1 Verses 17, 18, 19 where the orphan, the widow, the alien that is the non-residential Israelite would go to the law courts and simply -- and not find justice and righteousness. Because again, just like the prophets, the lawyers, the magistrates were into it for money and were taking bribes. So this particular slide shows us the social and political and religious evils of the day. That Isaiah was called upon to confront and call people to repentance. Well, there you have it. There you have an outline of Isaiah, the prophet. An outline of ancient near eastern kings who interface with the book, as well as some of the specific sins that Isaiah is called upon to confront as God's prophet.