Weekly Recap #29 - (Part 2) - Isaiah 1-12

 Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet who predicted the coming of the Messiah.  He is the author of the Book of Isaiah.  Isaiah spent his early years as an official of King Uzziah of Judah.  When Uzziah died, Isaiah received his prophetic calling from god in a vision of God in the Temple.  The king of Judah had died - but now Isaiah had seen the everlasting King he would spend the rest of his live serving.

Isaiah was married to a woman described as "the prophetess".   According to a popular Jewish tradition, Isaiah died by being sawed in half during the reign of the evil King Manasseh of Judah.

Here is something that I found so very interesting.....Isaiah is the longest prophetic book of the Old Testament.....containing 66 chapters (the same as the number of  books in the entire Bible).  The first 39 chapters (same number of Old Testament books) describe the failure of humanity (much like the Old Testament)....and the next 27 chapters (same amount of books as in the New Testament)....describe the hope of the coming Messiah!!! 

Isaiah means - the Lord has saved!!!

Isaiah lived in Jerusalem and was well educated and had deep insight into human nature.  He opposed evil at all social levels....censuring fortune tellers....and foretelling the coming Messiah.  The book of Isaiah has more overtones of the New Testament than any other Old Testament book....and is often quoted by New Testament authors!!!

Here are some things that stood out to me in the first 12 chapters....

Isaiah brings a message from God to rebellious Judah.....reminds me of rebellious America....and the rest of the world....today!!!

Isaiah 1:2b - The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me.

Isaiah 1:3b - My people don't recognize my care for them.

But...God offers a solution.....

Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, let's settle this", says the Lord.  "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them white as wool.

Isaiah 2:11a - Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance be humbled.   

In Chapter 6, Isaiah describes his meeting with the Lord.....

"He was sitting on a lofty throne and the train of his robe filled the Temple."  He described the mighty seraphim that attended Him.  Isaiah spoke and told the Lord how sinful a man he was - a man of filthy lips, living among a people with filthy lips.  One of the seraphim few to Isaiah with a burning coal he had taken from the altar and touched it to Isaiah's lips, telling Isaiah that his guilt was removed and his sins forgiven.  Then the Lord asked, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people?  Who will go for us?"

Isaiah spoke up and said these wonderful words that I know the Lord would love to hear from all of us....

"Here I am.  Send me."

 God told Isaiah what to say to His people - but warned Isaiah that the people wouldn't listen.

In Chapter 7, Isaiah gave king Ahaz a sign that the Lord would protect Judah from an attack by Syria and Israel.  The sign was "the virgin will conceive a child.  She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God with us'). 

These verses also stood out to me.....

Isaiah 8:11a - The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.

Isaiah 9:6 - For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 11:3 - He will delight in obeying the Lord.  He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on heresay.

Isaiah 11:6b - .....and a little child will lead them all.

Isaiah 12:2b - The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory!!!

Till next week, precious followers!!!

In His Most Precious Love...and with mine!!!