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OT Survey I

OT Survey I. Isaiah. The Difficulty of the Prophets. Difficult Vocabulary Almost 2,200 total words. That’s ~ 33/chapter. 238 words used nowhere else Difficult Imagery “Was it not Thou who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon?” (Isa 51:9c) “He will eat curds and honey…” (Isa 7:15)

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OT Survey I

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  1. OT Survey I Isaiah

  2. The Difficulty of the Prophets • Difficult Vocabulary • Almost 2,200 total words. That’s ~ 33/chapter. • 238 words used nowhere else • Difficult Imagery • “Was it not Thou who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon?” (Isa 51:9c) • “He will eat curds and honey…” (Isa 7:15) • Difficult Geography • Isa 10:28-34: A convergence on Jerusalem • Isa 11:11: “From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea”

  3. The Difficulty of the Prophets (Cont…) • Difficult Hermeneutics • Isaiah 7:14 – “Fulfilled” in Matt 1:22-23 • Isaiah 61:1-2 – Read (partially?) by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19 • Difficult Structure • How does Isa 13-27 (oracles against the nations) fit into the rest of the book? • How does Isa 36-39 (story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib) fit into the rest of the book? • Is there any ordering to Isa 40-66? • Another example: The Book of the Twelve!

  4. Isaiah as Author • “Prince of the Prophets” • At the head of the [latter] prophets • Master of language, poetry • Long career (spanned 5 kings!) • Much to say about the coming Messiah • Quoted by NT more than any other prophet (at least 65 times, mentioned by name at least 20) • A prophet to Judah and Jerusalem (1:1) • Hosea 1:1 – “…during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.” • Isaiah 1:1 – “during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

  5. Isaiah as Author (cont…) • Briefly, many (most?) believe the book of Isaiah was the result of multiple authors. • 1-39: Isaiah of Jerusalem • 40-66: “Deutero-Isaiah” • [sometimes, 55-66: “Trito-Isaiah”] • Various reasons are given for this, but the primary one is that Isa 40-66 is a Babylonian context (i.e., in or after exile) whereas Isa 1-39 is preexilic and Assyrian in context (see also esp. Isa 45:1). • Various arguments against this, but three are very strong in my opinion: • Structure of the book (more later) • Passages like Isa 41:21-24; 44:6-8; 45:20-22; 46:8-13… • Passages like Matthew 3:3; 8:17; 12:17…

  6. Time Period Israel enters Egypt 1876 BC (Ex 12:40-41) Solomon begins building the temple 966 BC (1 Kgs 6:1) Judah exiled by Babylon 586 BC (also 605, 597) (2 Kgs 25) Israel exiled by Assryia 722 BC (2 Kgs 17) Abraham’s birth 2166 BC (Gen 12:4; 21:5; 25:26; 47:9) The Exodus from Egypt 1446 BC (1 Kgs 6:1) Cyrus allows exiles to return 539 BC (Ezra 1:1-4) Torah (Gen-Deut) Former Prophets (Joshua-Kings) Latter Prophets (Isaiah-Malachi)

  7. Time Period (cont…) Jeroboam II (Israel) Uzziah (Judah) 770 BC Assyrian exile 722 BC Assyrian Defeat 701 BC Babylonian exile 586 BC Cyrus’s decree 539 BC Nehemiah in Jerusalem ~ 420 BC Jonah, Hosea, Amos Isaiah, Micah Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk Ezekiel, Daniel Haggai, Zechariah Malachi Joel? Obadiah?

  8. Time Period (cont…) • Isaiah’s call: In the year of King Uzziah’s death (~ 740 BC) • Before his death, Uzziah was struck with leprosy; thus, Jotham his son had become his coregent (2 Kgs 15:5). • After his death, Jotham reigned alone briefly. The book of Kings reports very little about him but notes that Israel and Syria began coming against Judah during his reign. • Ahaz reigns with Jotham and after Jotham’s death • Commits horrid apostasy • In response to the Israel/Syria threat, turns to Assyria for help • Hezekiah follows • Commits great reforms • God saves Jerusalem from Assyria during his reign • Isaiah writes his book during the reign of Manasseh (Isa 30:9; 37:38)

  9. “Story” of Isaiah • Isaiah 1-5 – The setting • 1 Sin and judgment of Jerusalem; and call to repentance • 2:1-4 Future glory of Jerusalem • 2:5 - 4:1 Sin and judgment of Jerusalem; call to repentance • 4:2-6 Future glory of Jerusalem • 5 Sin and judgment looming; a distant nation is coming! • Isaiah 6 – Isaiah’s call • 6:1-4 A perfectly holy God (separate from creation, sin) • 6:5-7 A proper response: Confession of sin leading to forgiveness • 6:8 Isaiah will bring this message, … • 6:9-13 but the scene of confession and forgiveness will not repeat • {Whitespace between chapters 6 & 7} • Yahweh “whistles” (Isa 5:26) for Assyria • Israel and Syria join together to deal with the threat • They pressure Judah (in particular, Ahaz, who is now ruling after Uzziah’s death) to join the “coalition of the willing” • Ahaz is unwilling, so they decide to attack, hoping to put an end to Ahaz (and the Davidic line!) and set up in his place a “puppet king” who will bring Judah’s army into the alliance.

  10. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 7:1-12 – Ahaz’s response • 7:1-2 Ahaz is afraid! • 7:3-11 God promises help and will give miraculous confirmation • 7:12 Ahaz’s response – He has made up his mind (2 Kgs 16:5ff) • Isaiah 7:13 - 8:18 – Result of Ahaz’s response • 7:13-16 Still, Israel/Syria coalition will fail • 7:17-8:10 But, Assyria will devour all of Israel but Jerusalem • 8:11-18 Those in Jerusalem must trust in Yahweh • Isaiah 9 - 12 – A coming ruler who will trust in Yahweh • 9:1-7 A new ruler will come who will trust in Yahweh • 9:8-10:4 Israel (northern kingdom) will be punished for her sin • 10:5-19 Assyria will be punished for her sin • 10:20-34 Jerusalem (a remnant!) will be spared because of this coming ruler • 11 The coming ruler will restore glory to all Israel • 12 God will be praised for this

  11. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Note some connections between Isaiah 10 and Isaiah 7 • v. 20 – “…will never again rely on the one who struck them” • vv. 21, 22 – “A remnant will return . . . a remnant will return” (cf. Shear-Jashub in 7:3) • [?] v. 20 – “will rely on Yahweh in truth” (unlike Ahaz?) • Note some connections between Isaiah 10 and Isaiah 36-39 • “Prideful eyes” of Sennacherib in 10:12 & 37:23 (same Hebrew) • Self-exalting speech in 10:13-14 & 37:24-25 • Forrest language in 10:15-19 & 37:24 • Those escaping are called a “remnant” and “survivors” (same Hebrew) in 10:20 & 37:32 • Note some connections between Isaiah 7 and Isaiah 36-39 • Both Ahaz and Hezekiah “at the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field” (7:3; 36:3). • God grants a sign to both to confirm that the invasion will be unsuccessful (7:10-16; 38:6-8).

  12. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 7:1-12 – Ahaz’s response • 7:1-2 Ahaz is afraid! • 7:3-11 God promises help and will give miraculous confirmation • 7:12 Ahaz’s response – He has made up his mind (2 Kgs 16:5ff) • Isaiah 7:13 - 8:18 – Result of Ahaz’s response • 7:13-16 Still, Israel/Syria coalition will fail • 7:17-8:10 But, Assyria will devour all of Israel but Jerusalem • 8:11-18 Those in Jerusalem must trust in Yahweh • Isaiah 9 - 12 – A coming ruler who will trust in Yahweh • 9:1-7 A new ruler will come who will trust in Yahweh • 9:8-10:4 Israel (northern kingdom) will be punished for her sin • 10:5-19 Assyria will be punished for her sin • 10:20-34 Jerusalem (a remnant!) will be spared because of this coming ruler • 11 The coming ruler will restore glory to all Israel • 12 God will be praised for this

  13. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 13-27 – Oracles against the nations • Note the lengthy introduction which deals with Babylon, not Assyria! Assyria is mentioned in Isa 19:18-25 as God’s people in the future! Why might this be the case? • Why might Isaiah include these oracles at this point in the “story”? • Cf. Isa 20! (18:2?), Isa 26:1ff! • Isaiah 28-35 – The reason made clear • 28-29 – Israel deserves punishment and it will come, but Jerusalem will be spared • 30-31 – So, trust in Yahweh, not nations (esp. Egypt)! • 32-33 – Yahweh will deliver through a righteous king • 34-35 – Then Yahweh will destroy other nations and exalt Israel, esp. Jerusalem

  14. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 36-39 – Hezekiah exemplifies trust, but… • 36 – A much greater threat than Ahaz faced! • 37 – Hezekiah trusts in Yahweh for deliverance • 38 – Hezekiah is not the king of Isa 7-12! • A behind the scenes look at what really happened • (First, take a look at 2 Kings 17:14-16: Hezekiah first tried to buy off the king of Assyria) • (Second, take a look at Isa 36:6, 9. Is it possible Hezekiah was indeed trusting in Egypt? Cf. Isa 20) • In any case, Isaiah 38 shows that BEFORE the siege of Jerusalem, God promised to defend the city (38:6-8). • However, in 39, Hezekiah made an alliance with Babylon! • Hezekiah died in 687. 15 years earlier was thus 702. • Merodach-Baladan was king of Babylon from 722-710 and from 705-702. Otherwise, he was on the run from Assyria! • He appears to be in Jerusalem to form an alliance against Assyria. • Thus, Isaiah must give a prophecy regarding Babylon (39:5-7) just as he did earlier regarding Assyria (7-8). This time, they will reach even to Jerusalem and Davidic sons will be taken into exile.

  15. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 40-48 – Israel will be restored from captivity • 40 – Promise of deliverance, call to trust in Him • 41 – Advanced notice of how it will come • 1-7 One from the east will come; the nations will tremble at his coming • 8-20 Israel should not fear like them; rather, they should trust in Yahweh • 21-29 Let this advanced notice serve as sufficient reason to no longer trust in anyone or thing other than Yahweh! • 42 – Praise for the work of God’s servant • 43-44 – Israel has not looked to God but Yahweh will still help her • Again, a call to trust in Yahweh based on advanced notice. This time the ante is upped and God reveals the deliverer by name! • 45 – Cyrus as God’s servant • 46-47 – Judgment on Babylon • 48 – Israel is free to leave • 1-16 God had declared this before; He alone can do this • 17-19 The blessing He could have given them had they listened • 20-21 Command to go forth from Babylon • 22 “There is no peace for the wicked”

  16. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 49-57 – Israel will be delivered from sin • 49 – Israel replaced by a new servant • 1-4 It has been in vain for God to use Israel as a servant • 5-7 The new servant’s success reaching the Gentiles • 8-26 The new servant’s success reaching Israel • 50 – The faithfulness of the new servant • 51-52:12 – The servant has brought deliverance near to Israel • 52:13-53:12 – The servant brings it near through sacrifice • 52:13-15 Intro: After humiliation, the servant will be exalted because of His sacrificial work • 53:1-3 Initially, people will despise Him • 53:4-6 His rejection was for the purpose of sin bearing • 53:7-9 The servant was glorious in His humiliation • 53:10-12 The result of this work will be exaltation for Him and justification for many • 54-56:8 – Invitation to partake of what the servant has made possible • 56:9-57 – Israel fails to participate in their purchased deliverance • 57:21 – “There is no peace for the wicked”

  17. “Story” of Isaiah (cont…) • Isaiah 58-66 – Israel will be restored to glory • 58 – False religion still exists alongside of true • 59 – Evil and oppression still exists, so God will act again • 59:16-20 – A redeemer (avenger?) will come • 60-62 – He will bring glory and justice to Jerusalem • 63:1-6 – He will bring judgment on His enemies • 63:7-64:12 – A prayer for God to so act • 65-66 – The final state • Judgment on the wicked • Blessings for the righteous

  18. Next Week More Isaiah!

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