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Reading Isaiah
Reading Isaiah
"Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him" (John 12:41). John added this to the story of unbelief of the Jewish people. "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him" (John 12:37). When we pick up and read Isaiah we can begin to see why the New Testament writers held the unbelieving Jews inexcusable for such rejection of the Messiah.
As the Ethiopian Eunuch was returning home from worshiping in Jerusalem, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Philips question: "Do you understand what you are reading". "How can I unless someone guides me". Beginning with this scripture Philip told him the good news about Jesus. This story serves as a good introduction to our reading of Isaiah. (Acts 8:26-40)
It is observed that 47 chapters of this book were directly quoted or alluded to by Christ or the Apostles. This adds up to over 400 allusions to the book of Isaiah by the NT writers. Payne in his study of NT quotes of OT verses stated that there were 111 separate predictions that were recognized by the NT writers.
In the battle for the hearts of the people (Baal/idols or the LORD), God laid down the challenge of being God: foretell the future. (44:6-8). God then picks up the challenge and reveals the future of the Jewish people and other nations of that time. "… remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11).
God foretells the judgments that were coming. In the first 39 chapters Isaiah writes about what will happen with the Assyrians and Jerusalem. In the latter half of the book he writes about the future of Babylon. He speaks of the future King of the Median/Persian empire (more than 100 years and 2 world powers away) that would destroy Israel and calls him by name - Cyrus (44:24- 45:25). Throughout all of this he writes about the coming Messiah.
In a similar line, Jesus used such prophecy to confirm that he was the Messiah. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me" (John 5:39). "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). "Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).
James Smith in his Old Testament Survey series wrote: Among the more important Messianic prophecies in this book are the following:
1. The future temple which attracts Gentiles (2:2–4).
2. The glorious Branch (4:2–6).
3. The virgin birth of Immanuel (7:13–14).
4. The dawning of a new day in the birth of a child (9:1–7).
5. The Shoot of the stem of Jesse (11:1–10).
6. The conversion of Gentiles (19:18–25).
7. The new Jerusalem (54:9–13; 60:19–22).
8. The marriage supper of the Lamb (25:6–8; 26:19).
9. The ministry of the Messiah (42:1–4).
10. The Servant as a light to the Gentiles (49:1–13).
11. The willing obedience of the Servant (50:4–11).
12. The redemption achieved by the Servant (52:13–53:12).
13. The promises made to David to be fulfilled (55:1–5).
14. Converted heathen to become leaders in worship (66:19–23).
