Behold Your God! Outlines And Reflections Of Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:9 "Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”

Introduction:

There are certain chapters in God's Word that contain enough revelation about God to provide a sweeping overview of His essence and attributes in one place. Isaiah 40 is a Mount Everest in the study of "Theology Proper" or the doctrine of God. Isaiah's marvelous chapter functions like a Divinely revealed telescope, giving the reader the opportunity to view the reality, the being and attributes of God. Its as if Isaiah is beckoning us to run to this chapter and urging us to "behold your God!". In this one chapter we get thoroughly introduced to the God of sacred scripture.  In today's blog I want to give you the reader an outline of this marvelous chapter. The goal is to whet the appetite for more of God!

The prophet Isaiah begins the chapter with God being the source of comfort and ends with the same truth. We as human beings search for comfort in created things and then consider God. Whenever we turn to the Old and New Testaments, the order is reversed!  To paraphrase the great Christian thinker A.W Tozer's practical application of theology proper: whatever enters into a person's heart when they think about God represents the most important thing about that person. To summarize Tozer's point - the one goal of life is this: to know God. In contrast to pagan deities, Isaiah is aiming to show his readers and us what kind of God God is with respect to His being, attributes and character. 

What kind of God is the God of the Bible and Who is he revealed to be in Isaiah 40?  

1. God is One God Who is Personal.    Isaiah 40:1-9

Note: The seeds of thought pertaining to God's Triune identity in the New Testament are found in the first nine verses of Isaiah 40. God is indeed One in being and plural in terms of His identity. God's capacity to relate within Himself explains why human beings made in his image are by nature relational. Isaiah begins his chapter by showing us how God is one and yet Personal.
  
A. God is the Personal God that is the  One True God.  Isaiah 40:1

B. This Personal God is Father, Son and Spirit. Isaiah 40:2-9 
    
2. God is Perfectly Infinite.    Isaiah 40:10-26

Note: Christian thinkers refer to what is called "Perfect Being Theology". God as a Perfect Being refers to how He is the greatest being that can be conceived. Many of the major characteristics or attributes describing God's very being are found in Isaiah 40:10-26. Like rays of the sun, the attributes of God carry in them the totality of both their source and the other qualities of God. Thus, for example, God is all-knowingly wise and all-wise in terms of the knowledge He possesses. We sometimes refer to God's perfections as "The Perfect Being" as being necessarily perfect, meaning that He cannot be any other way. You and I, dear reader, are not necessary beings, but what we call "contingent", meaning that we could had possessed different qualities than what we have. I could be shorter or taller, fatter or thinner. God, however, is unchanging and thus necessarily exists, possessing the following attributes as described by Isaiah.

A. All-Good God (Omni-Benevolent)     Isaiah 40:10-11

B. All Wise God (Omni-sapient)     Isaiah 40:12

C. All Knowing God (Omni-scient)     Isaiah 40:13-14

D. Infinite.               Isaiah 40:15-17

E. Self Existent (Aseity).
    Isaiah 40:18-20

F. All Present (Omni-present) 
   Isaiah 40:21-22

G. All Powerful (Omni-potent) 
    Isaiah 40:23-26

3. God is the Providing God.   Isaiah 40:27-31

Note: When we study theology proper or "The Doctrine of God", we not only discover how God is above His creation or "transcendent", but also how He is ever relating to and near to His creation or "immanent". God's provisions bring home most practically this point.

A. He is able to provide.                           Isaiah 40:27-28

B. He knows how to provide.

    Isaiah 40:29

C. He knows to whom to provide.

    Isaiah 40:30-31

To God be the glory! May you and I dear reader find our strength in Him as we enjoy Him!

Jesus Came To Be Crushed In Spirit So As To Provide Healing To Those Experiencing The Same

Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners."

Introduction:

When Jesus came into our world, what is it He came to accomplish and experience? No doubt He came to experience what it was like to be a man. The incarnation of the Son of God involved Him taking unto His Person true humanity. Apart from never having sinned, Jesus Christ endured the frailties, limitations, momentary joys and more-often-than-not heartbreaks of what it means to be a human being. 

In the above opening verse, Isaiah is predicting what would be the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah's prophetic telescope saw one coming of Christ. It would take the lenses of further prophetic revelation by the later Old Testament prophets and especially the New Testament to show that what Isaiah was seeing was Christ's first coming in Isaiah 61:1 and His second coming in Isaiah 61:2. 

The Gospels allude to Isaiah 61 as referring to Jesus ministry (see Matthew 11:5 and Luke 7:22). Jesus' words to John the Baptist were that He was indeed the One of prophetic anticipation. In Luke 4:18 we find Jesus' first recorded reading of scripture. As He reads out of the scroll of Isaiah, we see Him reading this very text of Isaiah 61, with Him stopping at the appropriate place in verse 1 of that chapter and exclaiming that its very words were fulfilled by Him. Jesus came to minister to the "brokenhearted and crushed in spirit".

In our last post we explored those two terms: namely "brokenhearted" and "crushed in spirit". We discovered that God permits His people to undergo seasons of hardship that can crush the spirit or the innermost being. Such crushing of the spirit breaks us into pieces on the inside so that He who is already on the inside can work the deeper work in getting His influence to affect us from the inside to the outside. Such breakage of the heart or crushing of the spirit is jarring at first. We find out though that for those who yield to God's inner and deeper working, marvelous experiences of His grace are discovered. 

In today's post we want to explore how it is that Jesus came to experience what it was like to not only minister first hand to those "crushed in spirit", but to experience such a state Himself. 

Whatever Christ came to redeem, He became what He came to redeem

When Jesus came to experience what it was like to be a man, He experienced the full-orbed reality of total humanity. Jesus redeemed what He came to redeem by becoming a man in every sense of the word. He never sinned but He came to be treated as such. He experienced what it was like to undergo heartache and a "crushing of the spirit". God is described in Isaiah 57:15 "For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." God as God could sympathize with man, since He had made man. However, when the Person of the Son became incarnate, that mean as God He could not only sympathize but empathize. Hebrews 2:14 reminds us: "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil." Or again, Hebrews 2:18 "For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." In order for Jesus to redeem and bring healing to our damaged emotions, crushed spirits and broken hearts, He had to experience the same.

Jesus came to be crushed in spirit and to have His heart broken

Does the idea of Jesus' experiencing a crushing of his human spirit and experiencing a broken heart startle you? We tend to forget how human Jesus of Nazareth was. How far did the incarnation go? Isaiah 53:5 begins with the notion of "surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. We esteem Him stricken by God and afflicted". In as much as Christ dies for our sins, He also bore in His body the collateral damage of sin and a fallen world: namely the broken emotions and human psyche, the wrenched hearts and wounded spirits of people. He was rejected and despised and betrayed. Jesus was not a pretend human being - He was flesh and blood humanity with a true soul and spirit. This thought ought not to jar us, but comfort us. He knows all about it!

How else could the Eternal Son of God, Immanuel, who became flesh, heal us in our hearts and put us back together in our spirits lest He too underwent such agonies? He did it for you. He did it for me. When our spirits are crushed and hearts are broken, God in His permissive will is bringing us into contact with a powerful healing stream of His grace that can only be found in Jesus. 

Consider these words from 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort." 

Like railroad tracks running parallel to one another, both suffering and comfort run side-by-side in the Christian life. In the center of this text is Christ. He still endures suffering with His people in that their struggles, heartaches and crushing of spirits are the subject matter of His intercessions on our behalf. He suffered once-for-all for sin on the cross (1 Peter 3:18) and He ever endures with His church by bearing those burdens on His heart in prayer. Jesus Christ has retained His true humanity in the heavenly realms. Those railroad tracks of Christian suffering and comfort are seen meeting off in the distance in Him. In Christ we find a place for the brokenhearted and shattered in spirit. As man He knows all about it. As God, He can do something about it.

By His resurrection He came forth with healing power to bind up the broken hearted and to revive the crushed in spirit

As a final thought for today, we musn't think God's permissive will includes leaving the believer in a permanent state of being crushed in spirit and broken in heart. When Christ raised from the dead, He brought with Him all the healing power to bind up the broken heart. We are broken in order to be healed. Christ experienced this was well. In the famous text of Isaiah 53, we not only see predictions of Christ death, but also of His resurrection. Notice Isaiah 53:10-11 "But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities." As the old song goes: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just, because He lives."

Jesus Christ is revealed as Prince of Peace in the New Testament

Matthew 4:12 -17 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, he withdrew into Galilee; (13) and leaving Nazareth, he came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. (14) This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: (15) 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - (16) the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light has dawned.' (17) From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'

Introduction :

In yesterday's post we explored the significance and the importance of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace. we looked mainly at Isaiah chapter 9: 1-7. We noted that as the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ shines light into darkness, breaks the yoke of bondage and brings order to chaos. We had also looked briefly at a few New Testament passages that utilize Isaiah's prophecy concerning Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace. 

I felt in today's post needed to explore more specifically how Jesus Christ's designation as "Prince of Peace" is developed in the New Testament. The reader will notice that the opening passage for today's post begins in Matthew chapter 4. I find it interesting that Matthew's gospel uses Isaiah's prophecy as one of the defining texts for describing the meaning of Jesus's public Ministry. This decisively tells us that what Isaiah was writing about in chapter 9 of his book was pointing explicitly to what would be the public Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so with these thoughts in mind I wanted to briefly explore some passages in the New Testament but developed further this thought of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

1. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in the four Gospels

In the four Gospels we see various episodes that describe the ways in which Jesus Christ had shone light, broken the yoke of bondage and brought order to chaos in the lives of various people. One example of this is found in the first two verses of Luke chapter 8. The passage describes the various women who had accompanied Jesus and the apostles in the course of his earthly ministry throughout the regions of Galilee and Judea. Luke 8:1-2 states: "soon afterwards, he began going around from one city and village to another proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, (2) and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out." Imagine if you will what it must have been like for Mary - who had been encountered by the Lord Jesus Christ - and the way in which he brought light into her Darkness, delivered her from the Yoke of bondage and brought order into her chaotic world. I can imagine all of those who were associated with Jesus's ministry had powerful testimonies concerning how he is the Prince of Peace had brought peace into their lives.

2. Jesus as Prince of Peace in the book of Acts

As the Apostle Peter was preaching in Acts chapter 10, we read his summary of Jesus' Ministry in verses 36-38 - "The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) - (37) you yourselves know the things which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed. (38) You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." 

Peter's description of Jesus ministry not only in the four Gospels but in terms of how his ministry was continuing on through the power of the Holy Spirit in the church, describes Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

3. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in the New Testament Letters or Epistles

One of the many examples that we can consider the New Testament letters concerning Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace, is found in Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Romans 5:1 states: "Therefore having been justified by faith,  we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We also find this theme of Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in Ephesians 2:14 "for he himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall." The Apostle Paul is talking about how in Jesus Christ, the Jews and the Gentiles - who by grace through faith believe on him - are brought together as one people of God. 

Paul is alluding to what would have been the dividing wall that existed in the temple in Jerusalem in the first century period.  That wall separated the so-called Court of the Gentiles from the innermost remaining courts wherein only Jews were allowed to enter. In that Temple system there were signs which had written in Greek prohibitions against Gentiles. What Jesus Christ did in effect, was to bring about peace and reconciliation to God. All who place their faith and trust in him can have unlimited access to the Heavenly Father.

We could go on, but just for sake of completion, let the reader consider 1 Peter 2:1-12. In Peter's text we see how Jesus Christ had worked salvation as the Precious Cornerstone in order to rescue his people out of darkness in order to bring them into His marvelous light. Incidentally, the Apostle Peter is alluding to what Isaiah wrote in chapters eight and nine of his prophecies.

4. Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace in The Apocalypse of John

When we come to the 19th Chapter of the Book of Revelation, we are witnessing what will be the second coming of Jesus Christ to defeat all of the armies of the world. As the victory of Jesus Christ is without question in Bible prophecy, we understand that when he returns, he will set up his kingdom here on Earth. 

One of the most remarkable statements concerning the uncontestable reign of the Lord Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 19:6 "then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord Our God, the Almighty, reigns."  In so far as Jesus Christ is already the Prince of Peace right now, this fact gives the guarantee of Him continuing on thia role into his future thousand year reign here on Earth, as well as what will be his eternal Kingship over all those who responded to His gospel into eternity.

Closing thoughts

In today's post we briefly surveyed how Jesus Christ as Prince of Peace is developed in the New Testament. We certainly did not cover all the passages. Nevertheless, the Christian is encouraged to not only study these passages, but others that communicate this wonderful truth of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace.

The importance of Jesus Christ being the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6-7 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this."

Jesus - the Prince of Peace

In our church sanctuary there are a series of banners hanging on the wall. The first time I had ever set foot in that beautiful worship space - the banners caught my eye. On each banner is featured a name of Jesus. There are six banners in all - however let not the reader think that there are just six names or ways of referring to Jesus Christ. If one were to survey the scriptures they would discover some 200 names. In today's post we are only going to focus on one of those names - "Prince of Peace". I felt it necessary to offer some thoughts on this particular name ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah's prophecy is dealing with a desperate situation wherein the people and leadership have utterly failed God morally, nationally and spiritually. They are - as-it-were - between a rock and a hard place. No king can save them. The most feared nation of that era (Assyria) and its monarch (Sennacherib) are predicted to come. What were they do do? They needed their King (Yahweh), and they needed to quit refusing His offer to save them. You and I need the Prince of Peace revealed in this passage. Notice what the Prince of Peace can do for you based upon Isaiah 9:1-7 and other passages:

1. He shines light into darkness. 9:1-3

We could extend the context of this first thought to include Isaiah 8:9-9:3. I won't belabor the context - only to say that it seemed as if all resources of hope and help had been exhausted. The people had really gotten themselves into the proverbial pickle. The spiritual sky was dark. The ground was dry. The soul was shriveling. The lamps were flickering. Despair lurked in the shadows. Then Isaiah blurts out in 9:1 how the "people saw a great light". What is this great light? Matthew 4:12-16 takes this very text and ascribes it to Jesus. 

Jesus shines light into darkness. As Martin Luther's Hymn "A Mighty Fortress is our God states: "The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him, one little word will fell him". Certainly the prince of darkness has his way with the people. All of us born into this world can be described in the same manner (Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet, God's glory is revealed on the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:1-6). He is the Prince of Peace. He shines light into darkness and secondly...

2. He breaks the yoke of bondage. Isaiah 9:4-5

Isaiah writes in Isaiah 9:4-5  "For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire." 

Have you ever been under the yoke of bondage? That is to say, have you ever carried in your heart a secret, a hidden sin? Or perhaps you had to shoulder a pain from childhood that was no fault of your own? The people of Isaiah's day had made covenants and allies with people whom they thought they could trust. One can never broker diplomacy with the kingdom of darkness. Eventually, we grow tired of being tired. 

Whenever we recognize that only God's grace can intervene and that we are too weak to do anything about it - that is when the Prince of Peace's work in our lives is most effective. Isaiah 9:4-5 in effect speaks of the warfare being brought to an end. When Jesus enters the picture, fighting God and conflict within ourselves is quieted. The yoke of bondage is broken and we are set free. As Jesus Himself notes in John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." So Jesus as the Prince of Peace shines light into darkness; breaks the yoke of bondage and thirdly....

Brings order to chaos. Isaiah 9:6-7

We of course have been focusing on this one title of Jesus: "Prince of Peace". It is instructive to consider how this title is clustered among several others in Isaiah 9:6-7. In the Hebrew text of Isaiah 9:6 the word translated "name" is singular. Now the reason why this is of particular interest is that there are several names given. Why didn't Isaiah say "names" instead? The unity of the character of the Son is in view. Just as sunlight is all one color (white) composed of seven colors when passed through a prism, the Lord Jesus Christ is truly Divine light passed first through the prophecies of Isaiah and others and then through the taking on of true humanity in the New Testament. 

Now this point is important, since we need a Prince who is able to bring unity and order into what would be otherwise our chaotic world. All of those names of Jesus bespeak of His character, power and goodness that He wished to bestow on His people. Only He can bring order to chaos.

Closing thoughts

Today we considered the title of Jesus: "Prince of Peace". We noted from Isaiah's passage and other texts three truths about Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace:

1. He shines light into darkness

2. He breaks the yoke of bondage

3. He brings order to chaos

How to take the meaning of the Bible back then and relate it to today

Isaiah 9:1-3 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Introduction

It is amazing to think about how old some of the portions of the Bible really are. The above prophecy composed by Isaiah the prophet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit dates back over 2700 years. When we read the above text, we are reminded of the truth conveyed by 2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." All scripture is - in the words of 2 Timothy - profitable, useful, beneficial. Our responsibility as Christians is to grasp the meaning of the scripture and apply it to our lives. The question is: "how do I take a text written over 2700 years ago and apply it to my life today?"

Consider what is referred to as "The Fallen Condition Focus"

Dr. Bryan Chapell is a homiletics professor at Covenant Theological Seminary that teaches young men to preach the Word of God. In his book "Christ-Centered Preaching", Dr. Chapell uses a key idea that helps preachers and people in the pew in applying God's Word. His method involves what he has termed "The Fallen Condition Focus". The "Fallen Condition Focus" is defined by Chapell as follows: "The Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those for or by whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage to manifest God's glory in his people."

According to Dr. Chapell, we must ask three questions when approaching a given text of scripture: what is the meaning of this text? what particular problem or issue motivated the writing of this text? what over-arching concerns are shared between the audience of that day and us living in today's world? With these questions comes the awareness of the tension resident in the text in our lives. To put it another way, the people in Isaiah's time were under the threat of a foreign king ravaging their land. Moreover, they had become so compromised in their spiritual condition that they seemed beyond all remedy. I'm sure you and I have felt that way at one time or another - or perhaps that characterizes your circumstances today. 

This tension must be felt and experienced in order for us to appreciate the light of God's grace. The brokenness of the nation of Judah and the failure of her leadership to heed Isaiah's prophecies is nestled in between two great prophecies of Jesus' first coming. The first of these mighty prophecies speaks of His virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14. The second of these great prophecies concerns not only Messiah's birth and first coming, but also His future second coming and kingdom. The mighty grace of God was needed to shine light in an otherwise hopeless and dark situation. In Isaiah's day of 734 b.c, the failures of a nation and its leadership led to ruin, darkness and hopelessness. That was in Isaiah's day. 

How the New Testament takes Isaiah's prophecy and connects it with the beginning of Jesus' ministry

So with this "fallen condition focus", we are concerned with the mutual human condition shared by us and the people of the Bible that requires God's grace to intervene. Isaiah's prophecies were written in 734 b.c. The Gospel of Matthew (50's A.D) takes Isaiah 9:1-3 and applies it to the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 4:12-17 - "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Taking the meaning of the Bible back then and applying it today

Now when we consider the similarities of circumstances facing the audience of the first century versus the audience of the seventh century b.c, we can easily take the following questions and apply them to our lives in the 21st century:

1. What is the meaning of the text? Isaiah's prophecy dealt with a people (Judah) who were frightened by a foreign power (Assyria) and who had experienced the spiritual failure of their leadership and themselves. Times were dark and only God could intervene. In Jesus' time we see the nation of Israel frightened by a foreign power (Rome) and whom were led by leadership who failed spiritually. 

2. What is the prevailing problem or circumstance? 

The people in the first century were in a state of desperation. No new word from God had shone in the land for 400 years. Then, suddenly, Jesus bursts on the scene as God-incarnate, preaching and doing miracles. Amazingly, the prophecy speaks of the general ministry location of Jesus. Think about those times when you and I have felt like we are between a rock and a hard place. Maybe the circumstance was of our own doing, maybe it wasn't. What we need to do in addressing a problem too big for men to handle is to get God involved.

3. What over-arching concerns are shared by the audiences of Isaiah, Matthew and our own?

All three contexts have this tension of being in an impossible situation wherein man can offer no remedy. Jesus is the only answer. We must make sure we're asking the right questions. Both Isaiah 9:1-7 and Matthew 4:12-17 guide us in asking those questions and pointing us to Jesus. Henceforth, when the tide has turned against us, and it seems as if we're going to drown, the circumstances are ripe for God to show up and for us to be ready for His arrival. 

This type of exercise is illustrated for us within the scripture. Thus, we have a method for application. I would urge the reader to get into their Bibles (begin with one of Paul's letters or the Epistle of James) and walk through the method of application we did here today. May the Lord richly bless you the reader.

Why value, meaning and purpose is impossible without God

Isaiah 22:10-13 "Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall. 11 And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago. 12 Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. 13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine:
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”

1 Corinthians 15:30-34 "Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."

The absurdity of life without God

What happens when people adopt a view of life that excludes God? In the two opening passages we see the attitude and the outcome. Though Isaiah and the Apostle Paul wrote over 700 years apart from one another, their observations concerning the absurdity of life without God are identical. The point of both passages is to show that if God did not exist, then the only alternative would be to "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die".

Now let's make something perfectly clear from both of these passages and thus from this post: I am not saying that lack of belief in God means that one cannot discover meaning, value and purpose in this life. Many atheists and people who claim to have no belief in God can be good parents and fine citizens. The issue at hand is not whether belief in God or lack thereof determines objective moral values and duties. Rather, the point these passages are making is that if God did not exist, there would be no meaning, value or purpose to discover in this life.  Afterall, on atheism, we should not expect to discover such values and duties, and yet atheists themselves will still champion causes for justice, tolerance and the value of human life, and yet such universal moral values are exactly what people know to be the case. 

The people in both these texts are living life as if there were no God. On their viewpoints (which would correspond to Atheism today), since there is no God nor God to regard, then there is no purpose, no value and no meaning to life. Worldviews that deny God and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead have no basis for which to assert the value, meaning and purpose of human life. 

Authors such as the late Francis Shaeffer and theologian and philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig have illustrated how value, meaning and purpose are likened unto an upper story in a house, with man living in the lower story:

God

Meaning, Value, Purpose

--------------------------

Human beings

Since meaning, value and purpose are immaterial objective features of reality, this material realm (i.e our universe) could not possibly explain their role and function in our world. If we were to construct an argument as to why value, meaning and purpose are only possible with God, it would go something like this:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, meaning, value and purpose does not exist

Premise #2: Objective Meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world

Therefore: God exists

Now its not too difficult to prove Premise #2 when you think about it. Whether someone believes the universe and life to have ultimate meaning (i.e significance) or not is to assign some sort of meaning. An atheist such as Richard Dawkins may claim in his book: "The God-delusion" that life is "pitiless indifference", while all the while railing against injustice. Physicist Steven Wienberg in his classic book: "The First Three Minutes" draws out implications from his reflections on the initial moments following the Big Bang. In his estimation, since the universe is all that exists, assigning meaning is pointless. However, Weinberg obviously doesn't consistently hold to such a notion, since he spent countless hours co-developing the scientific theory that explained the unification of the weak and electromagnetic forces that netted him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1979. To say that the universe is without meaning is to assign a meaning to it!

The atheistic worldview is inconsistent and breaks down in the realm of livability and practical application.

When we speak of "value" in premise #2, we are referring to moral values and duties. Morality deals with right and wrong and duties deal with good or bad. Morality is the behavior of individuals that stems from ethical norms that transcend cultures. There is an objective right and wrong. Duties have to do with the obligation I have to perform what is right and wrong. The question we must raise is: "are moral values and duties immaterial, universal and abstract or are they material, personally subjective and concrete?" The atheist would try to argue the latter, with people like Sam Harris for instance asserting that moral values and duties arise from physical brain states and are measured by human well-being. Yet did moral values and duties exist prior to the existence of human beings? If not, then Harris' view of "good and evil" being defined by the level of human well-being does not escape the trap of morality being a matter of personal choice or society. People who murder may find doing such makes them feel good, and thus promote their own sense of human flourishing and well-being. Thus we find meaning and values cannot be grounded in this material realm.

What about purpose? Does the universe, life and humanity have a purpose? Just like the previous two observations, purpose is connected to meaning and value. If meaning and value are derived from outside our material universe, then purpose is as well? Why? Purpose is a value judgment. Again, on atheism there is no purpose to the universe, life and humanity. Athiests like the late athiest Bertand Russell will on the one hand assert that life has no purpose, while all the while producing volumes of philosophical writings declaring that in the end, we have no purpose to discover, and thus we need to bravely hold onto the despair of it all. But now even such a statement begs the question: "why even bother to be brave?" 

Therefore in reflecting on the philosophical and scientific evidence, we can see that even among foremost athiestic thinkers, the reality of objective meaning, value and purpose cannot be escaped. Even by asserting that there are no such things as value, meaning and purpose is to proclaim that there are indeed such features! Thus, premise #2 holds in the following argument:

Premise #1: If God does not exist, meaning, value and purpose does not exist

Premise #2: Objective Meaning, value and purpose exist as part of our world

When we consider how both premises together are logically airtight, the conclusion thus follows:

Therefore, God exists.

Portraits of Jesus Christ from Isaiah

Isaiah 1:1 "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."

Luke 4:18 "And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written."

Introduction:

The four Gospel writers record Jesus referencing Isaiah's prophecies nearly fifteen times throughout the course of His earthly ministry. With the exception of Moses, no prophet influenced Jesus more than Isaiah. Isaiah has been called by past preachers "the prince of the prophets". Undoubtedly his writing style is the most eloquent and most sublime among the writing prophets. Yet that is not what makes Isaiah so precious to students of the Bible. Rather, it has to do with how many prophecies are included in Isaiah's writing that point to the Lord Jesus Christ. Today's post is called: "Portraits of Jesus from Isaiah". I want to alert readers to some of the more significant prophecies about the Messiah contained in Isaiah's book. Afterall, can we ever get too much of Jesus? I think not. Notice....

1. Prophecies of Jesus' earthly reign. Isaiah 2 

When Jesus returns, He will bring into visible sight the Kingly reign with which He inaugurated spiritually following His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:11; 2:33-36). This earthly, visible aspect of Jesus' reign will usher in an age of peace and fulfillment of God's promises to Israel (Romans 11:25). Revelation 20 states on six occassions that Jesus' earthly reign will last a millennium or 1,000 years. Oftentimes Bible teachers call this Jesus' millennial reign on this earth. Throughout Isaiah prophecies we see reference to Jesus' earthly or millennial reign (Isaiah 25,32,35,60-66). Some reputable Bible teachers see these prophecies as giving an earthly description of what will be the eternal state of Jesus' and His people Israel and the redeemed nations. However, the repeated imagery of an earth-based headquarters for Jesus' throne cannot be ignored. Thus Isaiah gives us a glimpse into what will be Jesus' reign on this earth for 1,000 years. 

2. Prophecies Jesus' earthly life. 

Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 both predict the virgin birth/conception of Jesus' in His humanity. Undeniably Isaiah 9:6-7 reminds us of the fact that the Son has been and always will be eternal God. Yet, Isaiah 7:14 predicts what would be the Son's assumption of human flesh in the virgin's womb. New Testament passages such as Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35 and John 1:14 all testify to the beginning of Jesus' earthly life as the virgin born Son of God.

Isaiah 40:1-3 predicts the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ - namely John the Baptist. As the Holy Ghost predicted Jesus' beginning of human life through Isaiah, it is in passages such as Isaiah 40:3 that we see the beginning of Jesus' public ministry as a result of John the Baptist's forerunning ministry (compare Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:23). 

Then of course remarkable physical descriptions of Jesus are given in Isaiah 49:3; 50:6; 53:2. Isaiah 61:1-2a predicts what would be Jesus' earthly ministry as referenced by Jesus Himself in Luke 4:18. So Isaiah predicts Jesus' future earthly reign and the beginnings of His life, as well as his full life and ministry here on earth.

3. Prophecies of Jesus' death and resurrection

Perhaps no chapter in Isaiah stands out more than Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53:1-8 predicts the crucifixion of Jesus. Isaiah 53:9 predicts the burial of Jesus. Then Isaiah 53:10-12 predicts what would be the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Notice how this corresponds with the definition of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." It's like Jesus said to His disciples on the road to Emmaus following His resurrection in Luke 24:44, that is, how the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms testify concerning Him. 

Glimpses of God's Kingdom work in the midst of hopeless despair - Isaiah 24-35

Isaiah 24:21-23 "So it will happen in that day,That the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. 22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders."

Introduction:

One of things I so appreciate about the prophetic books is how much they speak to today's world. Whenever I plunge myself into the world of the  prophets, I'm equipped with the concepts and spiritual tools needed to address my world. These last couple of days have been dedicated to looking closer at the prophet Isaiah. His world was a world where he literally saw his nation and people go from the highest points under the reign of Uzziah to dwindling spiritual ruins by the days of Kings Jotham and Hezekiah. Despite reforms and revival, the nagging reality was that the efforts seemed to be a day late and a dollar short. The ultimate renewal that would abide and last was not going to occur in Hezekiah's day. Isaiah saw the True King and Savior through prophetic vision that would bring in everlasting salvation. 

One of the truths we discover in Isaiah's book is how often he made recourse to Christ's future earthly reign in the midst of judgment and woe on the nation or the people of God. Though the thunder and lightening of judgment was pealing all around Isaiah, the radiant beams of the hope of God's Kingdom always found a way to shine through. To see a sample of this, I thought we would peer into Isaiah 24-35 to grasp this pattern of glimpsing God's kingdom work in the midst of hopeless despair.

1. Despair (24:1-20) and Kingdom hope (24:21-23)

2. Praise for God's Sovereignty in Isaiah 25-26 as a result of what is spoken in Isaiah 24.

3. Isaiah 27 Promised restoration of Judah

4. Isaiah 28:1-13 judgment upon the Northern Kingdom. 28:14-29 Judgment against Judah's leadership

5. Isaiah 29:1-17 Judgment upon Judah's hypocrisy. Yet, promise of Judah's restoration in Isaiah 29:18-24

6. Judgment upon Judah's rebellion in Isaiah 30:1-7. Yet, promises of restoration for Judah in the future and protection in its immediate circumstances from a power enemy in Isaiah 30:8-33.

7. Isaiah 31 details God's Judgment on Egypt for Judah's confidence in her. At the time, Jerusalem and Judah had made an alliance with Egypt.

8. Isaiah 32:1-8 gives us a glimpse of Christ's earthly millennial reign followed by a prediction of Assyria conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

9. Isaiah 33. A cry for for mercy and promise of forgiveness

10. Isaiah 34. Judgment on the nation of Edom.

11. Isaiah 35 details another picture of a restored Jerusalem during Christ's earthly reign. 

As you can see, God has sprinkled the hope of His kingdom promises in the midst of hopeless despair. Perhaps the reader today is dealing with very difficult circumstance. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves but oftentimes difficulties come when we least expect it. Acts 14:22 tells us that in the process of entering the Kingdom, difficulties will come. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33 that many trials would come upon them, and yet not to fear, since He has overcome the world. James 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7 remind us that trials are normal for the Christian, and that God is working with us in the trial to purify our faith and trust in Him. Matthew 6:33 states that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added unto us. Would it be that we would glimpse God's Kingdom work in our midst. Would it be that we would trust in God and His promises, rather than relying on present circumstances to give us hope that will endure. 

An outline and brief exposition of the book of Isaiah

Isaiah 6:1 "In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."

Introduction:

Yesterday we considered Isaiah 1:1. Today's post aims to dig further into the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah has been called by preachers and teachers the "Prince of the Prophets". Among the writing prophets, other than Moses, no other prophet enjoys the influence that Isaiah has on the minds and thoughts of the New Testament authors. Jesus Himself read from Isaiah 61 at the beginning of His public ministry and fulfilled Isaiah 53 to the letter in his crucifixion. Following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the sending of the Holy Spirit is in some fashion connected to the prophecies of the pending Messianic age in Isaiah 12. Today's post is aimed at presenting to the reader a working outline of Isaiah that can be used in teaching or preaching situations. 

1. Chapters 1-5 First set of oracles against Judah

2. Chapters 6-12 Judgment upon Ephraim and the first glimpses of Christ reign here on earth 

To pause here for just a moment, the outline of Isaiah reveals what will be an ever increasing focus of God from Judah and its surrounding regions to ultimately the nations of the world. Isaiah's prophecy is international in its scope. Here is a map for the reader's reference:

3. Chapters 13-23 God's judgment on the nations and glimpses of hope for Israel

4. Chapters 24-35 Glimpses of Christ's earthly kingdom to show Judah how she will be restored

As one reads on in Isaiah, the pattern of judgment/hope/kingdom is repeated. God will pronounce judgment either on His people or a particular set of nations, and then end that given section with a glimpse of Christ's millennial kingdom. This at least characterizes the pattern in Isaiah 1-35. The threat of the Assyrian Kingdom destroying Jerusalem was very near and real, since in Isaiah's day (722 b.c) Assyria had taken the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly Samaria, into exile. God used Isaiah to first chide Judah for her sinfulness and then give her the hope of being restored in Him. The fact that Isaiah 24-35 is bookended with views of Christ's earthly reign and ultimate Kingdom reminds us that all the kingdoms of this world will bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ (compare Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 11:15; 19:1-21)

5. Chapters 36-39 God uses King Hezekiah as the tool for revival in Jerusalem

It is at this point that the first part of Isaiah, dedicated mostly to pronouncing judgment, switches to the second great theme - comfort. Isaiah 40:1 starts out - "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God." 

6. Chapters 40-53 Yahweh is Judah's Sovereign God and Savior

7. Chapters 54-66 Judah is given the hope of restoration through a glimpse of the Messiah and His earthly reign

These final two sections of Isaiah's prophecy deliver home the theme of comfort or hope. Is it no wonder why Isaiah is among the top prophets referenced in the New Testament? For years scholars have noted how often Isaiah is quoted for instance in the four Gospels:

Matthew 3:3 quotes Isaiah 40:3

Matt 8:17 quotes Isaiah 53:4

Matt 12:17 quotes Isaiah 42:1

Matt 13:14 quotes Isaiah 6:9,10

Matt 15:7 quotes Isaiah 29:13

Mark 1:2 quotes Isaiah 40:3

Mark 7:6 quotes Isaiah 29:13

Luke 3:4 quotes Isaiah 40:3-5

Luke 4:17 quotes Isaiah 61:1,2

John 1:23 quotes Isaiah 40:3

John 12:38 quotes Isaiah 53:1

John 12:39 quotes Isaiah 6:9,10

John 12:41 quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 & 53:1

Conclusion:

Today's post was all about delivering a basic outline of the Book of Isaiah with some brief exposition. It is hoped this proved encouraging and can be used by others to proclaim God's Word. To God be the glory!

The value of the opening verse of Isaiah 1:1

Isaiah 1:1  "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."

Introduction:

Today's post is a quick overview of the opening verse of the book of Isaiah. It is amazing what you can learn of a Bible book by just considering the first verse. 

1. The nature of Isaiah's ministry as a prophet

When you read the above verse, what is it that is being communicated about the prophecy of Isaiah? Isaiah was going to write out what he saw by way of vision from God. As a prophet, he was able to see things from God's point of view. The idea of "vision" literally refers to someone given the God-given ability to see things supernaturally. Throughout scripture, though not everyone who saw a vision per se was a prophet in the strictest sense, yet the prophetic office included the idea of seeing, hearing and experiencing God's Word first-hand. The prophet was charged with communicating God's will to the people (see Amos 3:7). The older title for prophet, "Seer", expressed the perspective of the prophet as being one who could look at things the way God did (see Numbers 12:6; 1 Samuel 9:9)

2. Isaiah's audience

The audience to which Isaiah wrote were the Jews occupying Judah and Jerusalem. During the time of Isaiah's ministry, the land of Israel was divided into "two kingdoms", namely "Israel" to the North and "Judah" to the South. Roughly 250 years prior to Isaiah's time and during the end of King Solomon's reign, Solomon's heir Rehoboam had not heeded God's voice and as a result, ten of the twelve tribes of Israel followed after his then army general Jeroboam, with the two remaining tribes - Benjamin and Judah - staying in and around the city of Judah. Throughout the remainder of time, Judah to the South came to be the object of God's loving covenant purposes. Though Israel to the North was given promises of restoration with Judah in the future (Ezekiel 47), Judah to the South would have the favor of God as being the redemptive cradle of Jesus' humanity (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:1-17). For convenience sake I have included a map to illustrate the particular geographical locations just discussed (from biblecity.org).

3. Isaiah's time and circumstance - seeing everything go from prosperity to ruin

Isaiah loved his people and within his long, four-decade plus ministry (740-698b.c), saw his nation go from near the height of its glory under Uzziah 783-742b.c) and Jotham (742-735b.c) to near destruction under Ahaz (735-715b.c) to revival and compromise under Hezekiah (715-687). Adam Clarke's commentary relays the situation in which Isaiah wrote. Though the quote is long, it is worth the time to read. If the reader is pressed for time, the quote can be skipped and the conclusion of today's post will then be given. Here is the quote: "The kingdom of Judah seems to have been in a more flourishing condition during the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham, than at any other time after the revolt of the ten tribes. The former recovered the port of Elath on the Red Sea, which the Edomites had taken in the reign of Joram. He was successful in his wars with the Philistines, and took from them several cities, Gath, Jabneh, Ashdod; as likewise against some people of Arabia Deserta, and against the Ammonites, whom he compelled to pay him tribute. He repaired and improved the fortifications of Jerusalem; and had a great army, well appointed and disciplined. He was no less attentive to the arts of peace; and very much encouraged agriculture, and the breeding of cattle. 

Jotham maintained the establishments and improvements made by his father; added to what Uzziah had done in strengthening the frontier places; conquered the Ammonites, who had revolted, and exacted from them a more stated and probably a larger tribute. However, at the latter end of his time, the league between Pekah, king of Israel, and Retsin, king of Syria, was formed against Judah; and they began to carry their designs into execution.

But in the reign of Ahaz his son not only all these advantages were lost, but the kingdom of Judah was brought to the brink of destruction. Pekah king of Israel overthrew the army of Ahaz, who lost in battle one hundred and twenty thousand men; and the Israelites carried away captives two hundred thousand women and children, who however were released and sent home again upon the remonstrance of the prophet Oded. After this, as it should seem, (see Vitrinpa on Isaiah 7:2;), the two kings of Israel and Syria, joining their forces, laid siege to Jerusalem; but in this attempt they failed of success. 

In this distress Ahaz called in the assistance of Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, who invaded the kingdoms of Israel and Syria, and slew Rezin; but he was more in danger than ever from his too powerful ally; to purchase whose forbearance, as he had before bought his assistance, he was forced to strip himself and his people of all the wealth he could possibly raise from his own treasury, from the temple, and from the country. About the time of the siege of Jerusalem the Syrians took Elath, which was never after recovered. 

The Edomites likewise, taking advantage of the distress of Ahaz, ravaged Judea, and carried away many captives. The Philistines recovered what they had before lost; and took many places in Judea, and maintained themselves there. Idolatry was established by the command of the king in Jerusalem, and throughout Judea; and the service of the temple was either intermitted, or converted into an idolatrous worship.

Hezekiah, his son, on his accession to the throne, immediately set about the restoration of the legal worship of God, both in Jerusalem and through Judea. He cleansed and repaired the temple, and held a solemn passover. He improved the city, repaired the fortification, erected magazines of all sorts, and built a new aqueduct. In the fourth year of his reign Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, invaded the kingdom of Israel, took Samaria, and carried away the Israelites into captivity, and replaced them by different people sent from his own country; and this was the final destruction of that kingdom, in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah."

Closing thoughts
The point of today's post was to unpack the opening verse of the Book of Isaiah to gain insight into the prophecy. The hope was that the reader could see what an opening verse of scripture contains and how one verse can give insight into what a particular Biblical author is going to write under Divine inspiration. As a matter of practical application, to know that Isaiah's day and age mirrors our own encourages us to seek God's will as we read, meditate and apply Bible books like Isaiah to our lives.