INSIGHTS FROM ISAIAH

                                                                           ISAIAH 9 For unto us a Child is Born Messianic prophecy Isa 9:1  Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.  As a silver lining on a grey cloud, the prophecy reveals that the darkness and calamity foretold shall not continue to afflict the people as severely as in the past — first when King Benhadad of Syria brought affliction (1 Kings 15:20) and later, more grievously, through the coming invasion by the Assyrian king (2 Kings 15:29). God assured them that this affliction would not last fore...

  ISAIAH 8   Mahershalalhashbaz The Coming Assyrian Invasion Isa 8:1  Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.  The LORD instructed Isaiah to take a large tablet—whether of wood, stone, or parchment—and engrave upon it, using a stylus, the message concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in bold, deep characters so that the information would be read by all the people of Judah. It was to be like a public proclamation. Isa 8:2  And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.  In obedience to the LORD’s command, Isaiah gathered faithful witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah, son of Jeberechiah—to attest to the engraving of this prophetic message. Isa 8:3  And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.  Isaiah then went to his w...

  ISAIAH 7   Faith forsaken, Judgement unleashed Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz Isa 7:1  And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.  Ahaz became king at twenty years of age, but he was not a righteous ruler. During his reign, Judah was invaded twice. The first invasion, despite the alliance of enemy forces, failed to overcome Jerusalem. (A detailed account of this can be read from 2 Kings 16 ). Isa 7:2  And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.  When King Ahaz and the people of Judah heard that Syria and Israel had joined forces against them, they were overcome with fear, trembling like trees swayed by a stro...

                                                                         REFERENCES Barnes A. Notes on the Whole Bible. StudyLight.org. Available from: StudyLight Clarke A. Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. StudyLight.org. Available from: StudyLight Jamieson R, Fausset AR, Brown D. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. StudyLight.org. Available from: StudyLight Perowne JJS, et al. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. BibleSupport.com. Available from: Bible Support Henry M. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Available from: CCEL   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS   I gratefully acknowledge the use of e-Sword , a valuable digital tool that has provided access to insightful commentarie...

  ISAIAH 6 YAHWEH on the throne   Isa 6:1  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Isaiah’s prophetic ministry began during King Uzziah’s reign. This vision came at a time of personal distress, when Isaiah had delivered several messages from God but was troubled by their nature. The vision is precisely dated for certainty. He saw the LORD—manifested through the Lord Jesus Christ—enthroned above all rulers, His majestic robes filling the Most Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem. Isa 6:2  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  The seraphim hovered above the Lord’s throne, each possessing six wings. Two covered their faces, two covered their feet, and the remaining two enabled them to fly. Their posture reflected deep reverence and awe, teaching us...

  ISAIAH 5 Destruction of the Lord's Vineyard   Isa 5:1  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:  The prophet sings a song in honour of God, reflecting on His care and attention towards His people, represented as a vineyard. The beloved Lord established His vineyard on the summit of a fertile hill, ensuring it had the best conditions for growth. Isa 5:2  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.  God nurtured His vineyard—His people—with great care. He ensured their safety and protection, symbolized by the hedge He placed around it. He removed the stones, making the land suitable for cultivation, and planted it with the finest vine. A watchtower was...