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Encountering the Book of Isaiah

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Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological Survey,Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2007. Used by permission.

Encountering Biblical StudiesWalter A. Elwell, General Editor and New Testament Editor Eugene H. Merrill, Old Testament Editor

Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian SurveyBill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer

Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary Sources for Old Testament StudyBill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, editors

Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey, Second EditionWalter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough

Readings from the First-Century World: Primary Sources for New Testament StudyWalter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, editors

Encountering the Book of Genesis: A Study of Its Content and IssuesBill T. Arnold

Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological IntroductionC. Hassell Bullock

Encountering the Book of Isaiah: A Historical and Theological SurveyBryan E. Beyer

Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological PerspectiveAndreas J. Köstenberger

Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological SurveyDouglas J. Moo

Encountering the Book of Hebrews: An ExpositionDonald A. Hagner



Encountering the Book of IsaiahA Historical and Theological Survey

Bryan E. Beyer

K Beyer_Enc-Isaiah_BKB_bb.indd 3 7/16/07 12:01:34 PM


© 2007 by Bryan E. Beyer

Published by Baker Academica division of Baker Publishing GroupP.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287www.bakeracademic.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataBeyer, Bryan.

Encountering the book of Isaiah : a historical and theological survey / Bryan E. Beyer.

p. cm. — (Encountering biblical studies)Includes bibliographical references and indexes.ISBN 10: 0-8010-2645-8 (pbk.)ISBN 978-0-8010-2645-4 (pbk.)1. Bible. O.T. Isaiah—Textbooks. I. Title.

BS1515.55.B49 2007 224 .1061—dc22 2007012918

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTER-NATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.



To Mom and Dad,

with deep gratitude for

your immeasurable contribution

in shaping my life

to follow Jesus.

Proverbs 6:20–22





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Contents in Brief

Preface 17 To the Student 19 Abbreviations 21

1. Who Was Isaiah, and What Do We Know about Him and His Book? 23

2. Isaiah’s Opening Words to God’s People: Isaiah 1:2–31 37

3. God’s Call to Live in Light of the Future: Isaiah 2:1–5:30 47

4. Isaiah’s Call to Prophetic Ministry: Isaiah 6:1–13 59

5. The Signs of Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz: Isaiah 7:1–8:22 69

6. God’s Kingdom Will Surpass All Earthly Kingdoms: Isaiah 9:1–12:6 81

7. Oracles against the Nations: Isaiah 13:1–23:18 95

8. The “Little Apocalypse”: Isaiah 24:1–27:13 111

9. Oracles of Woe: Isaiah 28:1–33:24 121

10. Eschatological Summation: Isaiah 34:1–35:10 133

11. Highlights from Hezekiah’s Reign: Isaiah 36:1–39:8 141

12. Introduction to Isaiah 40–66 153 13. God’s People Are Coming Home!

Isaiah 40:1–31 163 14. Proclamation of Deliverance

and Restoration: Isaiah 41:1–45:25 171

15. The Fall of Babylon: Isaiah 46:1–47:15 185

16. Israel’s Release and Exaltation: Isaiah 48:1–52:12 191

17. The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 52:13–53:12 203

18. Celebrating the Return: Isaiah 54:1–59:21 215

19. The Grand Finale of God’s Restoration: Isaiah 60:1–66:24 229

20. Isaiah and the Old Testament 243

21. Isaiah and the New Testament 253

22. Isaiah and the Great Commission 263

Notes 277 Glossary 282 Select Bibliography 288 Scripture Index 291 Subject Index 301



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2 Isaiah’s Opening Words to God’s PeopleIsaiah 1:2–31

Outline•God’sWitnessesagainstthePeople

(1:2–3)•God’sDescriptionofthePeople(1:4–9) The People (1:4–6) The Land (1:7–9)•God’sIndictmentofthePeople(1:10–15) The Situation (1:10–14) The Result (1:15)•God’sSolutionforthePeople(1:16–20) God’s Commands (1:16–17) God’s Promises (1:18–20) •God’sLamentoverthePeople(1:21–26) Jerusalem’s Sinful Condition (1:21–23) Jerusalem’s Coming Purge (1:24–26)•God’sPromisetoHisPeople(1:27–31) Blessing to the Repentant (1:27) Judgment to Transgressors (1:28–31)

ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to 1. Explain the relationship of chapter 1 to

the rest of Isaiah’s message. 2. Describe specific details of Judah’s sin. 3. Articulate Isaiah’s remedy for Judah’s

sin problem.



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Have you ever noticed how news items in a newspaper follow a stan-dardformat?Typically,everythingthereader really needs to know appears in the first sentence. Who, what, when, where, why, and how—if those things are important, they appear in that first sentence. Other items in the story may be important, but that first line usually summarizeseverythingthatfollows.

Isaiah 1 functions in a similar way for the book of Isaiah. The chapter lays a solid foundation for the rest of Isa-iah’smessagebyincludingimportantthemes the prophet develops in the next sixty-five chapters.

Isaiah 1:1 gives no date for the de-livery or composition of chapter 1, though scholars have proposed various suggestions.1 Perhaps it includes the firstwordsIsaiahprophesiedtoGod’speople. Perhaps God gave them to him later as a summary of all he had prophe-sied. Either way, the chapter prepares readers well for the prophetic words that lie ahead.

God’s Witnesses against the People (1:2–3)

Sounding much like a prosecuting attorney, God called heaven and earth as witnesses against his people. Why heavenandearth?Becausetheyhadseen everything Judah had done. And whyshouldheavenandearthlisten?Be-cause the Lord was speaking. The sov-ereign God of the universe commanded the attention of all his creation.

God then spoke: “I reared children and brought them up” (1:2). God was describing his tender care of the nation of Israel from its birth. He had cared for his people every step of the way—dur-ingAbraham’slife,duringhispeople’sslavery in Egypt, and through the wil-derness wanderings. He had brought them into the land triumphantly, a land he had promised their ancestors cen-

turies earlier. When the people failed him, he continued to act graciously toward them. In response to their cries for a king, he gave them a king. But no matter what God did for his people, little seemed to change their rebellious attitude.

Godillustratedthepeople’srebel-lion by comparing them with common animals. Oxen and donkeys learned respect for and dependence on their human masters. But the people of Israel—led through the centuries by God’ssovereignhand—didn’tseemtounderstand the first thing about follow-ing him. Nonetheless, God continued tolovethem;noticehowhereferredtothem as “my people” (1:3).

God’s Description of the People (1:4–9)

God the prosecutor then continued to build his case. Now that his witnesses were in place, he began to describe in more detail the sin of his wayward people.

The People (1:4–6)The Hebrew word translated “ah”

at the beginning of verse 4 can also be translated “alas.” The Lord lamented the sinful condition into which his people had fallen.

Have you ever tried to run or move quicklywhilecarryingaheavyburden?When we carry something heavy, we cannot move as fast as we can when wearecarryingnothing.God’speoplecarried the heavy load of their own sin. Isaiah described them as “loaded with guilt”(1:4).Israel’ssinfulnesswaslikea burden, prohibiting the nation from becomingallitcouldbeinGod’spur-pose. Even today, sin keeps people from achievingGod’shighestpurpose.

Israel’s sin had continued overmany generations. The Hebrew word translated “brood” (1:4) literally means



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Isaiah’s Opening Words to God’s People

“seed”or“offspring.”Israel’sancestorshadstrayedfromGod’sways,andtheirchildren followed in their footsteps. The sin problem had compounded over the generations,andGod’speoplewerehaving a hard time breaking the cycle. Intoday’sfamilies,sincanalsocarryits effect across generational lines, but the power of God remains available to thosewhoseekittobreaksin’shold.

Why had the people become so im-mersedintheirsin?Becausetheyhadturned their backs on the Lord. The expression “Holy One of Israel” (1:4) occurs twenty-five times in Isaiah as a designationfortheLord.God’schar-acter displayed infinite holiness, and he called his people to uphold his holy standard (see sidebar 1.5).

Isaiah then described the pitiful con-ditionofGod’speople,usingthemeta-phor of a human body. He described the body as totally sick, covered with wounds, bruises, and welts. Perhaps thewoundsweremarksofGod’slovingdiscipline. God had struck the people to get their attention, but they had refused to acknowledge his discipline (see Am 4:6–11). Or perhaps God had simply al-lowed the nation to experience the sad consequences of its sinful actions. In ef-fect,thewoundshadbeenself-inflicted,and Israel would only get worse until the nation turned back to God.

The Land (1:7–9)IsaiahthendescribedhowIsrael’s

sin had affected the land. God had allowed and sometimes brought sad consequences in an effort to turn his peoplebacktohim, justashesaidhe would (Lv 26:14–29). But the land lay desolate, with fields devoured by enemy and famine. Perhaps the people saw drought, nomadic raiding parties that looted their crops, and foreign na-tionsthatinvadedthemasflukesofhistory,butIsaiahsawthemasGod’sinstrumentsofjudgmentagainsthiswayward people.

The expression “daughter of Zion” often occurs in Isaiah as a metaphor to describethepopulation(10:32;16:1;

37:22;52:2;62:11).Isaiahusedthreesimiles to describe the daughter of Zi-on’sdesperatesituation.First,shewasas a shelter in a vineyard and a hut in a field of melons (1:8). Such a hut pro-vided a place out of the sun and wind. A watchman often could stay there and protect the field or vineyard from wild animals. But these structures provided no protection at all from an invading army.Thatwasn’ttheirpurpose.

Second, Isaiah described the daugh-ter of Zion as “a city under siege” (1:8). An invading army typically surrounded the city to cut off any hope of assistance or escape. A besieged city needed to have access to water, because invaders were certain to try to cut off its water supply.2WhenKingHezekiahpreparedtofaceSennacherib’sarmy,heorderedatunnel dug from the Gihon Spring near Jerusalem’swalltothePoolofSiloamfurther inside the wall (2 Chr 32:30).

But third, as isolated as the people were, Isaiah said they would have been farworseapartfromGod’sgrace.Theirfate would have become as that of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities God destroyed for their wickedness during the days of Abraham (Gn 19:24–25).

Sometimes when we face difficult circumstances, we are tempted to blame God or to think he is no longer listening. However, the Lord knows our every circumstance. Usually when we stop to reflect,wecanthinkofmanyblessingsremaining in our lives.

God’s Indictment of the People (1:10–15)

The heavenly prosecuting attorney now took his case to the next step. He had called his witnesses—heaven and earth—into the courtroom (1:2–3). He haddescribedhispeople’ssinfulcon-dition and the sad consequences that befell both them and the land because of it (1:4–9). In the next section, the Lord

daughter of Zion

Sodom and Gomorrah



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would bring an indictment against his people in which he challenged the value of their responses to him. Perhaps they thought they were appeasing his wrath or even pleasing him, but Isaiah assured them this was not the case.

The Situation (1:10–14)Isaiah’swordsmusthaveshocked

the people, for he had described them as Sodom and Gomorrah. Why would the prophet associate them with those names?Perhapssomeoneevenchal-lenged him: “Isaiah, this is Jerusalem, not Sodom and Gomorrah!” Isaiah no doubt would have replied that God was having a hard time telling the difference between the cities. The prophet used strong words against his people, but he did so to get their attention so they would turn back to God. He had no desire to condemn them for their sin only to leave them in it. Christians today need to remember that God hates their sins, but he also loves them and wants to rescue them from sin.

The people were certainly already surprised that Isaiah had referred to Jerusalem as Sodom and Gomorrah, but now Isaiah really must have confused them. He maintained that God was

sick of their sacrifices and wanted no more of them. In fact, he considered them absolutely worthless. They were not the blessing he had intended them to be, but rather, they had become a burden.

The book of Leviticus describes in detail all the sacrifices and festivals God desired his people to observe (Lv1:1–7:38;23:1–44;seesidebar2.1).HadGodnowchangedhismind?Hewanted no more burnt offerings and took no pleasure in sacrifices. In fact, hecalledIsrael’sappearancebeforehimthe “trampling” of his courts (1:12). He counted their offerings meaningless, as he did all their assemblies. Moreover, God went further than that: he hated them(1:14).Why?

The Result (1:15)Verse 15 indicates the reason for

God’sdispleasure.Thepeoplehadcommitted great sin against one an-other.Isaiah’sreferencetotheirbloodyhands means not the blood of sacrifices but the blood of their fellow Israelites that they had shed.3 The people lived livesfilledwithsinandinjusticeandthen turned to God with their prayers and sacrifices. God wanted none of it. It was as if he would hide his eyes and

View of the Dead Sea from Masada. Schol-ars have usually identified the southern edge of the Dead Sea as the area formerly occu-pied by Sodom and Gomorrah. (Courtesy of Chris Miller)



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Sidebar 2.1The Place of the Sacrificial System in Israel’s Faith

Isaiah 1:11–15 appears at first to read like an utter denunciation of Israel’s sac-rificial system. Among the many offerings and festivals God prescribed, these offerings, described in Leviticus 1–7, played a key role.

1. Burnt Offering (Lv 1)This was the typical Hebrew offering, dominant throughout Old Testament his-tory, and probably the oldest form of atonement sacrifice. The term describes an “offering of ascent,” or an offering that goes up to the deity. The animal was completely burned on the altar, its smoke rising toward heaven. A male animal without blemish was required. Various animals were used according to the worshiper’s financial means.

2. Grain Offering (Lv 2)This offering may have originally been a gift, since the term often means “gift.” In Levitical regulations, the grain offering carried an expiating sense and was also linked to the agricultural seasons. Some scholars believe it may also have served as a less-expensive burnt offering for those who could not afford an animal.

3. Peace Offering (Lv 3)The peace offering was a celebrative offering consumed by both the priest and the worshiper. It could be offered for general thanksgiving, in fulfillment of a vow, or freely by the worshiper for no reason in particular.

4. Sin Offering (Lv 4:1–5:13)The sin offering was expiatory for offenses against God. It emphasized the act of purification and served for cleansing from ceremonial defilement, deception, misappropriation, and seduction. The details of the sacrifice varied depending on the class of the one offering it (priest, congregation, ruler, individual).

5. Guilt Offering (Lv 5:14–6:7)The guilt offering was a subcategory of the sin offering. It was expiatory but devoted to restitution and reparation. It often related to the profaning of sacred items and violations of a social nature.

Isaiah was not condemning the sacrificial system per se in his words to Judah. Rather, he decried the emptiness of sacrifices offered apart from genuine re-pentance marked by faithful obedience to God’s commands. Ritual apart from a change in attitude was worthless.

Adapted from Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1999), 120.

sacrificial system

cover his ears whenever they called to him.

God’sstrongwordsindicatetheim-portance of a proper attitude toward

him. Merely attending worship services does not make one a Christian. The Bible affirms that genuinely Christian faith comes from a personal relation-



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ship with Jesus Christ (Rom 3:21–22). When believers depend on the Holy Spirit’spower,theyareabletoserveGod faithfully, and he makes them morelikeJesus(2Cor3:18;Eph2:10).

God’s Solution for the People (1:16–20)

God’swordstothepeoplenowtookan interesting twist. Up to this point, he had functioned as a prosecuting attor-ney, calling his witnesses into court, de-scribingthepeople’sbasicsinfulstate,and bringing indictments against them for their wickedness. But now God Al-mighty became their advocate, their en-courager.Hetoldthemitdidn’thavetobe this way. God had, in fact, provided a solution for the people if they would only listen and follow it. God gave the

people certain commands to follow and promised blessing if they did.

God’s Commands (1:16–17)Verses 16–17 contain nine impera-

tives. The first six stress the basic heart decisions the people would have to make. They needed to choose to cleanse themselves from their wicked ways. Doing that involved washing, but it also involved getting out of the filth of their sin. Once they had washed and cleansed themselves of their evil deeds, they would be able to see clearly to choose between right and wrong. God encouragedthemto“seekjustice”(1:17)when they reached that point. The last three imperatives in verse 17 describe specific actions the people could take to follow through on their decisions to refuse evil and choose good. The words translated “encourage the oppressed” also can be translated “rebuke the op-pressor.” If the first is correct, Isaiah was calling the people to stand alongside

Artist’s impres-sion of priests making a burnt offering on the altar. Isaiah denounced the people for bringing their sacrifices apart from attitudes of genuine repentance. (Courtesy of Tim Dowley As-sociates Ltd.)



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and support those who felt the oppres-sion of society. If the second is correct, Isaiah was calling his listeners to chal-lenge the wickedness of their day.

The second and third imperatives focus on the fatherless and widows, who often became the focus of oppres-sion because they did not have the power or means to fight back against acorruptsystem(Ex22:23–24;Dt24:17).Eventoday,onesignofaperson’struecharacter is the way he or she treats people who either cannot possibly repay them or who cannot fight back (see sidebar 2.2).

God’s Promises (1:18–20)The Lord called his people to per-

sonal dialogue with him. They should understand the wonderful blessing he planned to bring them if they would only listen. He would wash away their

sins,andtheywouldeatoftheland’sbounty. But if they refused and con-tinued to resist him, the sword would eat them. The words “eat” (1:19) and “devoured” (1:20) translate the same Hebrew word and thus constitute a wordplay in the Hebrew. In Isaiah 1:2, the Lord called heaven and earth to pay attention because the Sovereign was speaking. Now, that same Sov-ereign called his people to heed his promises.

God’s Lament over the People (1:21–26)

Biblical lament often begins with the word“how”(2Sm1:19;Lam1:1).What

Sidebar 2.2The Prophets and Social Justice

Isaiah 1:21–26 denounces social injustice. Indeed, for the prophets, a proper relationship with God demanded that God’s people treat others fairly. What about today? Are issues such as feeding the poor, providing shelter for the homeless, working for civil rights for all, and fighting abortion part of the gospel? Should Christians care about social justice? The gospel message centers on Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection. Through repentance and faith, we can receive his offer of salvation. The Holy Spirit then begins to work in us to make us more like Jesus (Rom 8:29). The Bible teaches that social justice should be a natural product of our relationship with God. Consider the examples below:

• ThelawofMosesinsistsonfairtreatmentofforeigners,widows,andorphans(Ex22:21–24).•TheprophetsspeakofGod’sconcernforsocialjusticeanddemandfairandcompassionate

treatment of underprivileged people and/or those who have no advocate to speak for them (Is 1:21–26; 58:6–7; Am 2:6–7).

• TheearlychurchsendsfaminerelieftoJerusalemonmorethanoneoccasion(Acts11:27–30;1 Cor 16:1–3).

• James,theLord’sbrother,encouragesChristianstoputtheirfaithintoactionandhelpthosein need (Jas 2:14–26).

As the Holy Spirit makes Christians more like Jesus, we learn to share God’s concerns. Christians today should work to bring about social justice in our society.

Adapted from Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1999), 446.

lament

social justice



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typically follows then is a statement of great contrast. In 2 Samuel 1, the mighty warriors have fallen in battle. In Lamen-tations 1, a formerly rich and populous city lies desolate and deserted. And here in Isaiah, Isaiah writes of how Je-rusalem has experienced utter moral collapse.

Jerusalem’s Sinful Condition (1:21–23)

Notice the moral extremes Isaiah described for his audience. The once faithful city had become like a harlot, a woman faithful to no one. The city once full of righteousness now only had room for murderers.

Sooftenasociety’sdirectionisdi-rectly linked with its leaders, and Je-rusalem was no exception. Its rulers lovedbribesanddidnotjudgecrimi-nals but associated with them. Isaiah had encouraged his people to defend the helpless, but the rulers brushed them aside.

Jerusalem’s Coming Purge (1:24–26)

God again identified himself in the most sovereign of terms: he was “the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel” (1:24). He would bring vengeanceonhisfoesandjudgesinwherever he found it. He would re-move their impurities and restore their leaders as in earlier days when the city experienced faithful leadership.

Isaiah used an image from metal-lurgy to drive home his point. Metal

workersremovedametal’simpuri-ties by heating it until it was molten. Typically impurities of lighter weight would come to the surface and be removed by the metal worker. When the metal worker could look into the molten metal and see his image reflected,themetalwaspure.WhatapictureofGod’sworkinpeople’slives! Isaiah had described the city as having fallen from the state of faith-fulness and righteousness (1:21). But God promised a day in which the city would again lay claim to the name “City of Righteousness, the Faithful City” (1:26). God wanted to restore hispeople,justashewantstorestorepeople today.

God’s Promise to His People (1:27–31)

Before he died, Moses set before Israel words of blessing and words ofcurse(Dt28:1–68;30:19–20).IfIs-rael demonstrated its faithfulness by obeyingGod’scommands,blessingswouldfollow;ifpeopleshowedtheirlack of faith by disobedience and rebel-lion,judgmentwouldfollow.Godhadlaid before them both choices in Isaiah 1:18–20.Inthechapter’sclosingverses,he did so again.

Study Questions

1. How does Isaiah 1 prepare the reader for the rest of Isaiah’s message?

2. Why did Isaiah suggest God was not pleased with the people’s sacrifices when the law of Moses had com-manded them?

Key Terms

daughter of Zion

lament

redeem

sacrificial system

social justice

Sodom and Gomorrah



45


Blessing to the Repentant (1:27)IsaiahprophesiedZion’sredemp-

tion. The word “redeem” means to buy back or to restore from a fallen state. But God’splanincludedmorethansimplybuying his people back. He wanted to restore their moral character so that it displayedjusticeandrighteousness.TodayGod’sdesireisnotonlytore-deem people but also to make them into his image again (Col 3:10). Notice toohowGod’sofferofredemptionwas linked to repentance. God was not promising blanket redemption for all the nation regardless of how indi-viduals responded to his grace. He wanted to see genuine repentance, to which he would respond with grace and restoration.

Judgment to Transgressors (1:28–31)

Isaiah also warned of the impending disasterloomingjustaheadforrebelsand sinners. They would be broken, and they would perish. They would experience great shame at their pagan practiceswhenthelightofGod’sholi-ness shined on them. The fire of their judgmentwouldburnforever.

The Christian faith—like the mes-sage of Isaiah 1—calls us to embrace one of two options. We can experience a personal relationship with God by faith, along with all the blessings that rela-tionship includes. Or we can choose to rejectGod’sways—eitherintentionallyor by neglect—and miss everything he has to offer. Isaiah warned his people, and the Bible warns us, that God has left us no other choice.

redeem



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