The prophet Isaiah belongs to the last years of the kingdom of Judah. His vocation to prophecy came in the year that King Uzziah died, 740 B.C. and it was his mission to announce the fall of Israel and of Judah as the due punishment for the whole nation's unfaithfulness or infidelity - 6:1-13 - At this time, the kingdom of Judah, living under the threat of Assyrian invasion was looking for military alliances to preserve its independence; Isaiah resisted all such human expedients as showing a lack of faith in God and his purposes. When eventually the armies under Sennacherib reached the walls of Jerusalem and called for the surrender of the city, Isaiah advised the king not to capitulate and in fact the city was saved without a battle.

This is the background to the prophecies in the first part of the book which ends with a history of the period written by his disciples at chapter 39. The prophecies show Isaiah as a man of lofty vision with a strong sense of the transcendence of God; beyond the destined fall of his nation he sees a coming age in which a remnant of the people will survive to rebuild peace and justice under a future descendant of David.

In the same part of the book some prophecies from the time of the Exile about a hundred years later have been included. These include oracles against Babylon - chapter 13 to 14 - an apocalypse - chapter 24 to 27 - and some poems - chapter 33 to 35 -

The prominent part played by Isaiah in his country's affairs made him a national figure but he was a poet of genius. Brilliance of style and freshness of imagery make his work preeminent in the literature of the Bible; he wrote a concise, majestic and harmonious prose unsurpassed by any of the biblical writers who were to follow him. But his greatness lies above all in the religious order. The vision in the Temple at the time of his vocation, a revelation of the transcendence of God and the unworthiness of man, left a lasting mark on the prophet. His monotheism has a note of exultation in it but also of awe: God is Holy, the Strong, the Mighty One, the King. Man is a creature defiled by sin for which God demands reparation.

For God insists on justice between men and sincerity in divine worship. God looks for faithfulness and Isaiah is the proper of faith; in times of crisis all he prescribes is trust in God and in no one else; by this alone will salvation be won. He knows clearly how hard the test will be but his hope is that a 'remnant' will be spared with the Messiah for its king. Isaiah is the greatest of the messianic prophets.

ISAIAH - (1) Oracles before the Syro-Ephraimite War - Against a thoughtless people - The punishment of Judah - Against religious hypocrisy - Lament for Jerusalem - Against tree worship - Everlasting peace - The coming of Yahweh - Anarchy in Jerusalem - A warning to the women and widows of Jerusalem - The remnant of Jerusalem - The future restoration - The song of the vineyard - Curses - The anger of Yahweh - The Assyrian invasion - Chapter 1 to 5 -

(2) The Book of Immanuel - The call of Isaiah - The first and second warning to Ahaz. The sign of Immanuel - The birth of a son to Isaiah - Terror for the invaders - Yahweh a stone in the way - Isaiah addresses his disciples - Wandering in the night - Epiphany - The vengeance of Yahweh - Against a king of Assyria - The name Shear-jashub - A prophecy of destruction - Oracle - The invader - The coming of the virtuous king - The return of the exiles - Two hymns of thanksgiving - Chapter 6 to 12 -

(3) Oracles on Foreign Nations - Against Babylon - The return from the Exile - A satire on the death of a tyrant - Oracle against Babylon - Assyria will be destroyed - A warning to the Philistines - Lament for Moab - The Moabites take refuge in Judah - Lament for Moab - Oracle on Moab and Damascus - An end to idolatry - Against the gardens of Adonis - The upsurge of the nations - Oracle against Cush and Egypt - The conversion of Egypt and Assyria - Prophecy of the capture of Ashdod - The fall of Babylon - Answer to the Edomites - Oracle on the Arabs - Against Kedar, untimely rejoicing in Jerusalem, military preparations and Shebna - Another oracle against Shabna - The calamity of the family of Eliakim - On Tyre and Sidon - The subjection of Tyre - The sentence - The city in ruins - Continuation of the poem on the sentence - A prayer of thanksgiving - The messianic banquet - Song of victory - A psalm - Oracle - The vineyard of Yahweh - Pardon for Jacob; punishment for the oppressor - Oracle - Chapter 13 to 27 -

(4) Poems on Israel and Judah - A warning to Samaria - Against the priests and the false prophets - Against evil counsellors - Oracle - Continuation of the poem against evil counsellors - The parable of the farmer - Oracle on Ariel - Secrecy of the revelation - Oracle - Against evil counsellors and the embassy to Egypt - A second oracle against the embassy - The testament of Isaiah - The coming prosperity - Assyria will be sacrificed - Against Egypt - Yahweh wages war against Assyria - The integrity of the king - Contrasts between fool and noble - A warning to idle women - Salvation from Yahweh - Psalm of hope in Yahweh - The intervention of Yahweh - The glorious future - The end of Edom - The judgment of God - Chapter 28 to 35 -

(5) Appendix - Sennacherib's invasion - The prophet Isaiah is consulted - The cup bearer returns to his master - Second account of Sennacherib's activities - Isaiah intervenes - A sign for Hezekiah - An oracle on Assyria - Sennacherib is punished - The illness and cure of Hezekiah - The canticle of Hezekiah - The Babylonian embassy - Chapter 36 to 39 -

(6) The Book of the Consolation of Israel - The calling of the prophet - Prophecy of the theophany - The majesty of God - The might of Providence - The calling of Cyrus - God is with Israel - Miracles of the new Exodus - Yahweh is the only God - Yahweh foretells victory for Cyrus - First song of the servant of Yahweh: part one and two - Hymn of triumph - The blinding of the people - The liberation of Israel - Yahweh alone is God - Babylon will be destroyed - Miracles of the new Exodus - The ingratitude of Israel - The blessing for Israel - Monotheism without compromise - A satire on idolatry - Oracle - Song of joy - The might of Yahweh - Oracle in favour of Cyrus - Oracle of salvation - The supreme power of Yahweh - The heathen will rally to Yahweh - Evidence of the work of Yahweh - Yahweh is the God of all - The fall of Bel -

Yahweh is without equal - Yahweh is lord of the future - Lament for Babylon - Yahweh acts alone and is sole master of the future - Cyrus is the beloved of Yahweh - What Yahweh had intended for Israel - A song of departure from Babylon - Second song of the servant of Yahweh - The marvellous epic of the return - The offer of salvation remains open - Third song of the Yahweh - The salvation of the sons of Abraham - Yahweh will soon judge the world - The awakening of Yahweh - Yahweh is all powerful consoler - Salvation - The awakening of Jerusalem - The nation in captivity - The awakening of Yahweh and of Jerusalem - Fourth song of the servant of Yahweh - The fertility of Jerusalem - The love of Yahweh - The new Jerusalem - The food of the poor - The covenant - The nearest and remoteness of Yahweh - The word of Yahweh cannot fail - Conclusion of the Book of Consolation - Chapter 40 to 55 -

(7) Yahweh welcomes converts from paganism - The unworthiness of the leaders of Judah - Prophetic elegy against idolatry - A poem of consolation - Fasting - The sabbath - A psalm - Fragments of an apocalypse - Oracle - The glorious resurrection of Jerusalem - The mission of the prophet - Second poem on the glorious resurrection of Jerusalem - Conclusion - An apocalyptic poem on the vengeance of Yahweh - A psalm - A diatribe against idolatry; eschatological discourse - Oracle - Against the intrusion of idolatrous practice - An apocalyptic poem - A fragment condemning pagan mysteries - An eschatological discourse - Chapter 56 to 66 -

In summary : The outstanding prophet of condemnation and Messianic consolation.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -