Truth from Long Ago To Guide Followers of Christ Today

Fact #1:  Isaiah’s ministry begins about B.C.

Fact #2:  The backdrop of Isaiah’s ministry is the threat of a rising empire.

So why should we read Old Testament books like Isaiah?

1. Scripture is .

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV)

2. God uses the Old Testament Scriptures to give us , , and .

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4, ESV)

3. It helps us put our contemporary historical and cultural moment in better .

So what are our key takeaways from Isaiah so far?

1. God is and his will be accomplished.

²⁴  The Lord of hosts has sworn:
     “As I have planned,
        so shall it be,
     and as I have purposed,
        so shall it stand,
²⁵     that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
        and on my mountains trample him underfoot;
     and his yoke shall depart from them,
        and his burden from their shoulder.”
²⁶  This is the purpose that is purposed
     concerning the whole earth,
     and this is the hand that is stretched out
        over all the nations.
²⁷    For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
        and who will annul it?
     His hand is stretched out,
        and who will turn it back? (14:24-27, ESV)

2. God’s will come upon the unrepentant who refuse to submit to his authority, love him, worship him, and live by his ways.

⁶  Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
        as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
⁷ Therefore all hands will be feeble,
        and every human heart will melt.
⁸  They will be dismayed:
        pangs and agony will seize them;
        they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.
     They will look aghast at one another;
        their faces will be aflame.
⁹  Behold, the day of the Lord comes,
        cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
     to make the land a desolation
        and to destroy its sinners from it. (13:6-9, ESV)

3. — both personal and national – is singled out as especially offensive to God.

¹¹  The haughty looks of man shall be brought low,
        and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
     and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (2:11, ESV)

 ¹¹  I will punish the world for its evil,
        and the wicked for their iniquity;
     I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
        and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. (13:11, ESV)

4. God promises to send his to rule, to reign, to punish the wicked, and to gather his people. 

⁶  For to us a child is born,
        to us a son is given;
     and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
        and his name shall be called
     Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷  Of the increase of his government and of peace
        there will be no end,
     on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
        to establish it and to uphold it
     with justice and with righteousness
        from this time forth and forevermore.
     The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (9:6-7, ESV)

5. Until Jesus comes again, God will preserve and protect a of his faithful people who will eventually be gathered from every nation.

¹¹ In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.

¹²  He will raise a signal for the nations
        and will assemble the banished of Israel,
     and gather the dispersed of Judah
        from the four corners of the earth. (11:11-12, ESV) 

So too at the present time there is a remnant,
chosen by grace.
(Romans 11:5, ESV)