Day 51b & 52 - I would bet on Isaiah's predictions

Isaiah is considered a "major prophet." His primary audience is the nation of Judah. He received his call to prophesy in the last year of the reign of Uzziah (2 Kings 14:21-22; 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26) who was the mostly good king who ruled for 52 years, but most of it with leprosy from his bedroom through his son because he had intruded into the priestly duties. Both the northern and southern kingdoms were still intact when Isaiah started his calling, but the capital of Israel (Samaria) fell to the Assyrians and the Northern kingdom was taken into captivity during the time that Isaiah preached to Judah. He prophesied through kings Jotham (mostly good son of Uzziah), Ahaz (wicked), Hezekiah (really good) and possibly onto Manasseh.

Isaiah has 66 chapters, as the Bible has 66 books. It can be divided into two major sections, 1-39 dwelling on failure (corresponding to the old testament) and 40-66 emphasizes the hope of the coming messiah (corresponding to the new testament).

• Chapter 1:7-9 pretty much tells what is going to happen - cities burned, overthrown by strangers, deserted capital after besieged, small remnant. God is not happy, He gets no pleasure out of their sacrifices.
• How can Judah avoid this downfall? 1:16-20 tells us. Wash away your evilness, learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." (1:18)
• Judah is compared to a harlot.
• Jerusalem's haughtiness is described in 3:16-23 - jewels, pendants, headdresses, perfume, nose rings, festive apparel, mirrors...
• God's beloved children are compared to a disappointing vineyard in chapter 5.
• 5:4 - makes me think of a rebellious teen or young adult raised by parents who did what they were supposed to do with parenting yet the child still takes the wrong path - "What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? "
• 6:1 - Isaiah called to be a prophet in the year King Uzziah died (about 735bc). His vision of God includes the refrain of a song - “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
• Does anyone else remember Rod Cameron's ventriliquist puppet Gabby (Rainbow Christian Camp) singing the "Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord...Here am I! Send Me!" - see 6:8
• terebinth tree alert - 6:13
• Isaiah predicts for evil king Ahaz that parts of Judah will be seized, and they will be attacked by the northern kingdom (2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28)

Wait a minute, where did that come from - major messianic prophesy alert! Isaiah's trying to convince Ahaz to test God and reveals "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." 7:14.

• Why did they not listen to Isaiah? He even told them where the attacks would come from - very distinctly, and including Egypt, Assyria, and the other kings by name. Instead, stupid Ahaz will appeal for help from the Assyrians. It gets Israel off his back, but will bring Judah under greater foreign control. Don't touch that, it's hot. I'm telling you, it's hot - don't touch it. OUCH! I told you not to touch it.

I'm tired tonight and I'm dissappointed that I'm sure I'm reading too quickly and not absorbing much. I know that Isaiah is full of prophecy that will be fulfilled in Jesus, and that the promise of eternal life that I looked for in the Old Testament that seems to be missing so far will be pointed to in this book. This will be one I'll want to come back and read more slowly. However, tonight, I must push forward and I'm going to limit my comments as much as I can or I'll quickly lose ground on keeping on track. I am giving myself permission to read quickly.

But...only three verses into my speed reading...another wonderful passage - 9:66 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. "

• Assyria may be given "permission" by God to rule over the promised land, but their day is coming (Babylon will defeat them). Chapter 9.
• Return of the remnant to Jerusalem predicted starting in 9:20
• apparently Egypt's power is in decline (9:24-26)
• Chapter 11 - all about Jesus - "for the Gentiles shall seek Him" - that's us! 11:10
• Is 11:6-9 a description of heaven?
• 13:17 - Medes will be stirred up against Babylon.

Do you remember several entries ago how I questioned how the captured southern tribe was taunted by the Assyrians, but ends up being captured by the Babylonians, then ruled by the Persians? Isaiah seems to already know all this. He knows about the Assyrians. He tells about the Babylonians conquering the proud Assyrians. He knows the Medes (Persians) will overtake the Babylonians. What cool cross references for non-Biblical historical records is this? Talk about confirming the validity of the Bible - this kind of stuff does it for me. Now, I don't know if I would have absorbed this if I hadn't gotten off track and put two and two together several days ago.

• Some history about the fall of Satan (Lucifer) in chapter 14. Isaiah is all over the place in the time line - past, future, present
• Ahaz is dead in 14:28. Philistia will fall
• Negative prophesy given against Moab (ch 15), Syria (17), Ethopia (18), Egypt (19, civil war).
• Someday Egypt will worship God, as will Assyria, and a highway will connect them. I don't think this has happened yet. See 19, starting with vs. 18.
• Did Isaiah walk around naked for three years? (ch 20)
• What is the Valley of Vision? (ch 22)
• Shebna was an official under king Hezekiah. Apparently he had a tomb that was a bit too fancy for God's taste.
• It seems that Tyre will fall, and will in some way supply treasures to the Israelites. (ch 23)

It is hard to tell if Isaiah is making prophecies that came true long ago, or if he is describing things that are yet to come. Chapter 24 describes a pretty desolate landscape, a vast wasteland - is this still to come? How about the praise described in 25? Is the trampling of Moab to come again in the future, or is he back to the fall of Moab in chapter 15 (vs. 10)?

Chapter 26:1 - in what day? When the Lord returns to reign? Our past or our future?