Isaiah. It was out of this situation that the Prophets arose

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1 After Solomon s death, the Jewish People were divided about who should be the rightful king of the country. The country split into two countries the Kingdom of Israel, and the Kingdom of Judah. The descendants of David continued to reign in Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. The Books of Kings and Chronicles are records of the lives of the kings of both Judah and Israel. While there were a few good kings, it appears that most of them were very bad. Isaiah Following the influence of Solomon, Israel and Judah alike were caught in the cycle of idolatry, social injustice, political corruption, and religious corruption in the Temple. The number of people who worshipped only Yahweh was decreasing, while the number of people who worshipped other gods (Baal, Ashtaroth, etc.) and Yahweh increased. It was out of this situation that the Prophets arose Prophets were messengers who were called by God to speak to Judah, Israel and Foreign Nations. In the Old Testament, the Major Prophets are known as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. They are called Major Prophets because their writings are so long. The writings of the Minor Prophets are also important, but their writings are much shorter in length. Because of the limitations of time, we will study about only one of the prophets Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet for 58 years. He had a wife and two children. He was well educated. He does not fit the stereotypical image of a prophet that of a half-crazed old man living in the desert.

2 Isaiah is the most quoted prophet of the Bible, and representative of much that is found in the writings of other prophets. We will look at his call from God, his message, and the peoples response. Read the Bible Sections below. Answer the Questions Isaiah s Call Isaiah Chapter 6 1. What does Isaiah see? 2. Why is Isaiah sad? 3. What does the Seraph do to Isaiah s lips? 4. What do you think the action of the Seraph symbolizes? Isaiah s Message Isaiah Chapters 1 and 2 1. Why is the judgment of God coming on to the Children of Israel (1:4, 1:10-15, 1:21-25)? 2. What are other reasons why God s judgment is coming on the Children of Israel (2:6-9, 2:12-18)? 3. What can the Children of Israel do to avoid the coming judgment (1:16-20)?

3 This message turning from sin and rebellion and returning to God is found in the writings of all the prophets. If people turn away from their evil deeds and return to God, there are promises of great comfort and joy. Isaiah 40: What does the Lord say will happen after the punishment of Israel? (40:1-3) 2. What do you think is the meaning of 40:3-5? What could it symbolize? 3. How does Isaiah describe people? How does he describe God s word? (40:6-8) 4. How does Isaiah describe God s feelings towards Israel? (40:9-11) 5. Read 40: How does Isaiah describe God s nature? Why are idols seen as meaningless?

4 6. What promises of comfort does God give? (40:27-31) The Empire of Assyria was invading countries all over the Middle East. As Isaiah predicted, Israel was invaded in 722 BC. Judah avoided invasion, but Isaiah (as well as other prophets) preached that Judah would fall too if the people did not change their ways. Isaiah also preached that a Messiah who would come later to save the People of Israel after they had become a defeated and broken people. Here are a few examples: 1. What do you think this prophecy might mean? Isaiah 7:14 1. What do you think this prophecy might symbolize? Isaiah 9: What do you think is the meaning of this prophecy? Isaiah 53:1-12

5 As with the other prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah was rejected by the kings and people of Israel and Judah. The Peoples Response Isaiah 30: How do you think Isaiah felt at the response of the people to his message? 2. In your opinion, why did the people of Israel reject his message? Most of the Prophets were killed as a result of their message. Legend has it that Isaiah was sawed in two by King Manasseh for preaching against him. More prophets came and all were rejected. In 586 BC, Judah was invaded by the Babylonian Empire. Reflections What would you do if you knew that God would judge this country in a year s time? What do you trust the most during your times of great darkness and difficulty?

6 Have you ever spoken about something your believed was right, and then been rejected by the people around you? How did you feel? Have you ever heard a person telling you something you knew was correct, but you rejected the advice? Why did you do this? What happened as a result of your decision? Imagine that you and God were sitting at a table. From reading Isaiah, what would God say to you? How would he assess your life? What sorts of plans do you think He would have for you? Are prophesies about the immediate moment or the future? Some of the prophesies in the Bible seem to be vague and can fit many circumstances. Some seem to be talking about a time too far into the future to be proved wrong. Some prophesies, such as those about the fall of Israel and Judah, the length of time of the Jewish people s captivity in foreign lands, and Israel s return as a nation, have come true. Others don t seem to have come true yet. Some prophesies are past/present/future, meaning that they relate to a past event, but the same sort of thing will happen again in the future if we are not careful about what we are doing in the present. The idea that history repeats itself can be found in the prophesies of the Bible. The question is what sort of decisions will you make now as you prepare for the future?