The Prophecy of the Coming Messiah (Isaiah 7:14-16; 9:1-7; 11:1-10)

• 7:14-16 – Prophecy of the virgin birth
  • Opposition from Rezin (Syria) and Pekah (Israel)
  • Fulfillment in Christ (Matthew 1:22-23)
• 9:1-3 – Light in darkness
  • Prophecy of doom (Isaiah 8) vs. promise of joy (Isaiah 9)
  • Fulfillment in Christ (Matthew 4:12-17)
  • Jesus was the light (John 8:12; 1:9; 1:4; Malachi 4:2)
• 9:4-7 – The basis of joy
  • Wonderful, Counselor (Col. 2:3; Isaiah 28:29), Mighty God (John 1:1; Isaiah 10:21), Everlasting Father (John 8:58; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 12:2), Prince of Peace (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 12:14; Philippians 4:7)
  • Reign of the Messiah will be forever (Zechariah 9:10)
• 11:1-5 – The character of Christ
  • Fulfillment in Christ (Romans 15:12)
  • Wisdom and understanding (intellectual faculties)
  • Counsel and might (practical qualities)
  • Knowledge and fear of Jehovah (moral life)
• 11:6-9 – The character of His subjects
  • Representative of how citizens of Christ’s kingdom should relate to each other
• 11:10 – The extent of His kingdom
  • Gentiles included in the promise
  • No more separation of Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-22; Zechariah 9:9-10; Galatians 3:28)

Discussion Questions

1. Do you believe Isaiah 7:14 to be a “dual fulfillment” prophecy? Why or why not?

2. Which of the descriptive names of Isaiah 9:6 is your favorite?

3. Who was Jesse?

4. What is represented in Isaiah 11:6-8?

5. Who is eligible to be a part of Christ’s kingdom?

“Here Am I! Send Me!” (Isaiah 6:1-13)

• 6:1-4 – Isaiah’s vision
  • King Uzziah’s death (2 Chronicles 26:4, 16-21); probably around 740 B.C.
  • The seraphim: six-winged beings; different than cherubim (Ezekiel 11:22)
  • “Holy, holy, holy!”
  • The house filled with smoke (cf. Revelation 15:7-8)
• 6:5 – Isaiah recognizes his unworthiness
  • “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23)
  • Normal reaction – Gideon (Judges 6:22); Manoah (Judges 13:22); Job (Job 42:5,6); Peter (Luke 5:8); John (Revelation 1:17); the thief (Luke 23:40,41)
  • This vision is of the preincarnate Christ (John 12:36-41)
• 6:6-7 – God’s forgiveness
  • “He who a moment before felt that in the presence of the Holy God sin could not exist, and that therefore he must perish with his sin, now felt that he was separated from his sin so that it alone might perish, and he might live.” (Rowley)
  • We must seek purification (Psalm 51:10-13)
  • Example of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 8:3; 9:1; 26:9-11; 22:16)
• 6:8-13 – Isaiah’s commission
  • “Who will go for Us?” (cf. Genesis 1:26; John 1:1)
  • “Here am I! Send me!”
  • God warns of the hardening of hearts
  • “Yet a tenth”; “So the holy seed shall be its stump”

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to recognize the holiness of God in contrast to our sinfulness?

2. What effect did the vision have on Isaiah?

3. What duty did Isaiah have? What is our duty today?

4. Why did God use the word “Us” in verse 8?

5. Reconcile verse 10 with passages such as 2 Peter 3:9.

Isaiah’s Parable of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-12)

• 5:1-2 – The vineyard as a symbol of Israel (Psalm 80; Jeremiah 12:10; Mark 12:1-10)
  • Isaiah adapts his delivery but not the message
  • “My Well-beloved” = God
  • “The choicest vine” = Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
  • “Wild grapes” are toxic/poisonous
• 5:3-6 – A song of lament
  • Similar in method to Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15) and Jesus (Matthew 21:33-43; Mark 12:1-9)
  • Limits of God’s power: He will not violate man’s free will (Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9)
• 5:7 – The meaning of the parable
  • Paronomasia (pun in which the words sound similar but have different meanings)
  • Justice (mishpat) vs. oppression/bloodshed (mispah)
  • Righteousness (sedakah) vs. a cry (seakah)
• 5:8-10 – The first woe
  • Against land-grabbing (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:13-17; Habakkuk 2:9-12)
  • Drastically reduced harvest (Leviticus 26:20; Deuteronomy 26:15,18; Haggai 1:5-6)
• 5:11-12 – The second woe
  • Against drunken revelry (1 Peter 4:1-4; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:19-21)
  • God was not a priority (Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)

Discussion Questions

1. What had God done to ensure the success of the vineyard?

2. How did God respond to the vineyard’s failure?

3. What is wrong with acquiring houses and fields?

4. What are some popular songs that Christians should avoid because of content?

5. Jesus warned against a preoccupation with the “riches and pleasures of life” (Luke 8:14); what is the result of such according to Christ?

Rebellion and Restoration (Isaiah 1:1-20)

• 1:1 – Isaiah = Yesha-Yahu = “Jehovah is salvation”
  • Son of Amoz; married to a prophetess (8:3); 2 sons (7:3; 8:3)
  • Prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (767-740 BC), Jotham (750-736 BC), Ahaz (736-716 BC), Hezekiah (716-698 BC)
• 1:2-9 – Judah is a “sinful nation,” “laden with iniquity,” “brood of evildoers,” “corrupters”
  • Their sin caused suffering
  • Is suffering always caused by sin? (Job 1:1; 1 Peter 3:17)
  • The description of desolation consistent with Micah 6:13-16 and corresponds with Lev. 26 and Deut. 28
• 1:10-15 – God does not want sacrifice without submission
  • Proverbs 15:8; 1 Timothy 2:8; James 5:16
  • “Rite without right is wrong” (Clyde M. Woods)
• 1:16-17 – Restoration is called for
  • “Repentance is surrender; a change of thinking, willing, acting; a life directed toward the will of God as revealed in His Word” (Butler)
  • Cessation of evil must be accompanied by commencement of right (Ephesians 4:25-32)
• 1:18-20 – Reason is a big part of righteousness
  • Paul reasoned (Acts 17:2,17; 18:4,19; 19:8-9; 24:25)
  • “The words of truth and reason” (Acts 26:25)
  • Living sacrifice = “reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1)
  • Choice: “willing and obedient” or “refuse and rebel” (Romans 11:22)

Discussion Questions

1. What is the force of the comparison of the people of Judah to the ox and donkey?

2. What sickness did the people have?

3. God commanded sacrifices through Moses; here, He says He takes no pleasure in them. Does He contradict Himself?

4. What positive commands were the people given?

5. Is it reasonable to serve God? Why or why not?