Journey Through Isaiah
What if I could show you one book of the Bible that is, in a very real sense, the Bible in miniature, a microcosm of the entire Bible? That is exactly what we have come to in our journey through Scripture — to the amazing Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament.
Listen: Journeying through Isaiah
Overview of Isaiah
There are many parallels between the book of Isaiah and the whole of Scripture. For example, there are 66 books in the Bible. Did you know the book of Isaiah has 66 chapters? In our Bible, the Old Testament has 39 books, and the New Testament has 27 books. The book of Isaiah is divided into two parts: the first section comprises 39 chapters and the second contains 27 chapter
Our Old Testament emphasizes God’s judgment on sin, and the New Testament emphasizes the hope that comes through Christ the Messiah. In the Book of Isaiah, the first section deals with judgment on sin, and the second section deals with hope found in the Messiah. Our New Testament begins with a ministry of John the Baptist, and it ends with the new heavens and the new earth. The second section of the Book of Isaiah begins with the ministry of John the Baptist, as prophesied, and it ends with the new heavens and the new earth. There are many more, and Isaiah is a fascinating book of the Bible. If you have never read through the entire book, I encourage you to take that journey through Isaiah.
Key Word
Isaiah’s name means the salvation of Jehovah. Well, the appropriate thing, because salvation was his great message. The word itself appears about 28 times in the book, and it only appears about seven times in all the other prophets combined. Isaiah truly is the prophet of salvation. He was a contemporary of Hosea, Micah, and Nahum. Isaiah has been called the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets, the Paul of the Old Testament.
He is known as the Messianic prophet because he refers more to the coming Christ than any other book in the Old Testament, outside of the Psalms. Isaiah is quoted more in the New Testament than any other prophet, over 300 times. He is quoted in every New Testament book except for James and Jude.
Ministry of Isaiah
His ministry lasted 65 years, through the reign of four different kings. He was a married man who had two sons. Those sons were actually given as signs of God’s message to the nation of Judah at this particular time. He was martyred under Manasseh. Most people believe, according to tradition, that he was placed inside a tree trunk and sawn in half.
Remember, Hebrews 11:37 says, “Some were sawn asunder.” Well, that very well may have been the prophet Isaiah. He is a man that I am looking forward to meeting when I get to heaven someday. Because, way back in the Old Testament, thousands of years before Christ, he got a glimpse of God. He got a glimpse of Christ such as none have ever known.
Theme of the Book of Isaiah
The theme of the book is very simple: it is to reveal the throne and the lamb. The Book of Isaiah is divided into two parts: the first 39 chapters and then the last 27. The first part revolves around Isaiah’s vision of God. In Isaiah 6:1, we read, “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.”
He responds in Isaiah 6:5, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” The first thing God reveals to us in the Book of Isaiah is a high, holy God, a God seated on the throne, a God of government and retribution, a God who says, “You have to be right to come into my presence.”
And in view of that, Isaiah trembles. He cries out, “Woe is me! for I am undone;”. That is where we must begin, with a fresh glimpse of God and His greatness, in His power, in His holiness. Why must we begin there? Because no one appreciates the grace of God until they understand the government of God. No one appreciates redemption without understanding retribution. No one is grateful for salvation apart from the law that says you violated God’s holy character and law and deserve death and judgment because of it.
Outline of Isaiah
The opening chapters of Isaiah deal with God’s government. It shows us the throne. But when you come to the second half of the book, there is a totally different picture. It is a picture of the Lamb. I love this! The One who is now seated on the throne, the One who has taken that throne and made it a mercy seat for us. Who is that? That is the Lord Jesus Christ. (Click HERE to access the Bible App plan on “Who is Jesus?”)
And the key chapter of the second half of the book is Isaiah chapter 53. And the key verse is verse number five: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Remember in Isaiah six: “Woe is me! for I am undone;…I am…unclean.” Well, now, when you come to Isaiah 53:5, you are not undone, you are made whole! You are not unclean, you are now cleansed! How does that happen? Because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain for you, and His blood was shed for the remission of your sins.
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
It is one thing to get a glimpse of the throne and tremble in the presence of a holy God. But you must hurry to catch a glimpse of the Lamb of God. In the words of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The Problem of Sin, The Promise of Hope
The problem in Israel and the problem in Judah was their sin. Judgment was coming. That is what the book of Isaiah is all about. But there was hope, and the hope was found in the person of Jesus Christ, the only One who can bring us into the presence of a holy God. We have no merit of our own.
Consider that after all these thousands of years, our need is the same. Our problem is the same. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, and no one can come into the presence of a holy God on their own. We are all undone, and we all face judgment.
And then the Lamb comes. Look at the Lamb lifted up for you between heaven and earth, between life and death. He takes a holy God in one hand on that cross, and unholy men on the other, and makes a way so the two can be made one. That is the message of Christ. That is the message of the cross.
The Throne and the Lamb
Isaiah 53 is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible, because it shows us plainly the Christ of Calvary. I would challenge you today. You may not be able to read the whole book of Isaiah today, but you could read Isaiah 53 today. There are only 12 verses there. Read it today. Read it on your knees. Ask the Lord to give you a fresh glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ. That one chapter is referred to 85 times in the New Testament.
It seems as though the Holy Spirit felt it was very important to us. He keeps pointing back to it again and again. Christ, who bore our sin, became our substitute, and bought our salvation. This is the message of the book of Isaiah.
If you are trembling today thinking about your sin, thinking about a holy God, thinking about judgment, I say to you, it is good to tremble in the presence of a Holy God. But while you are there, fall on your knees, look to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” He does not want to just bring you low; He wants to lift you up and give you joy. He does not just want you to tremble in His presence; He wants to bring you into a relationship and fellowship with Him, to spend your life and your eternity with Him. (If you would like to know more about this relationship with God, CLICK HERE.)
This is the message of Isaiah. This is the message of the throne and the lamb. And this is the same message that our generation and our nation desperately need today. Journey through Isaiah and then carry the good news to someone else this day.
