Isaiah

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Isaiah Reading Guide

Isaiah part 1 - Chapters 1-39

Isaiah’s Message: Judgment and Hope

Historical context: 2 Kings chapters 19 and 20

Chapters 1-5 Judgment and Hope for Jerusalem

What to look for: Old Jerusalem vs New Jerusalem: What is wrong with old Jerusalem? What will happen to old Jerusalem? What will the new Jerusalem be like?

Chapter 6 Isaiah’s vision of God on his throne

Pay attention to the word “lips”.

What is Isaiah’s response to the vision?

What is God’s response to Isaiah?

What do you think Isaiah expected God to do with the burning coal?

What was God's purpose for the burning coal?

What was God’s question? What was Isaiah’s answer?

Summarize in your own words God’s message to the people.

Keep the picture in verse 13 in mind as you keep reading: a tree cut down; a stump; a holy seed. (NOTE: a terebinth is a small tree of the cashew family)

Chapters 7-12 Coming judgment; coming hope; coming king

Pay attention to the “tree” theme: “forest”; “smoking logs”; “shoot”; “stump”; “branch”; “root”; “fruit”.

Pay attention to the alternating themes of judgment and hope.

What nation is the major threat to Israel in this section?

The child and the coming king.

Chapters 13-27 God’s judgment and hope for the nations

Chapters 13-23 The fall of Babylon and Israel’s neighbors

What nation is the major threat to Israel in this section? What will happen to them?

What will happen to Babylon? What will happen to the other nations around Israel? What will be their downfall?

Chapters 24-27 A tale of two cities

The lofty city vs the New Jerusalem; judgment and hope; who will rule in Jerusalem?

Chapters 28-39 The rise and fall of Jerusalem

Chapters 28-35 Accusation of Jerusalem’s leaders

What is the accusation against the leaders? What is Isaiah’s message to them? What does he say is the right solution?

Chapters 36-39 The rise and fall of Hezekiah

Chapters 36-38 The rise and fall of Hezekiah

What was the key to Hezekiah’s “success”?

Chapters 39 The rise and fall of Hezekiah

What was the cause of Hezekiah’s fall, failure?

What was Isaiah’s prediction?

What happened 100 years later? (2 Kings 24-25)

E X I L E

Isaiah Reading Guide

Isaiah part 2 - Chapters 40-66

Isaiah’s Message: Hope for Israel and the nations

Chapters 40-48 Announcement of hope

Chapter 40 Comfort, comfort my people

Exile is over; Israel can return home; God’s kingdom is coming

Note some familiar scriptures quoted in the New Testament. Who are they associated with in the New Testament?

Chapters 41-47 The Trial

• What were Israel’s accusations against God?

• What was God’s response?

• What should the people's right conclusion be?

In chapter 42 note the introduction of the “servant”. Who is the “servant”?

Chapter 48 Israel is still rebellious

Israel is still rebellious: God is going to do a new thing.

Chapters 49-55 THE SERVANT fulfills God’s mission

Chapter 49 Introducing the servant

What is the servant’s name? 

What is the servant’s mission?

• To restore Israel

• To be a light to the nations

Who does this servant sound like? (Chapters 9 and 11)

Chapters 50-53 The servant completes his mission

How will the servant accomplish his mission?

What is the significance of the servant’s death?

Note how the servant is dead but suddenly alive again. (53:10)

What does the servant accomplish through his death and life? (53:10-12)

“I declare you are right with God.”

Chapters 54-55 Two responses to the servant’s mission

“The servants” (“the seed”): humility and repentance

“The wicked”: They reject both the servant and his servants.

Chapters 56-66 The servants inherit God’s kingdom