Week 4: Isaiah's Messianic Prophecies

Week 4: Isaiah's Messianic Prophecies

The History of Humanity from Adam to the End of the World

Introduction:

• Isaiah:
  • Isaiah was of royal lineage, the nephew of King Amaziah. He had two sons,  Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, whose names symbolized exile and return from captivity. Coming from a wealthy and educated family, Isaiah prophesied for sixty years, beginning at the age of twenty and continuing through the reigns of four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He was martyred at eighty years old during the reign of King Manasseh

Author: Isaiah: A Hebrew word meaning "The salvation of God."

Date:

• Isaiah began his prophetic ministry in the year 740 B.C. and continued until the year 680 B.C., meaning he wrote for about sixty years during his prophecy. In the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
• His ministry commences around the time the Northern kingdom is carried into captivity (722 BC ). About 140 years before the Southern kingdom went into captivity ( 586BC ).

Major Theme:

• Repent and turn back to God
• Rely on God rather than earthly powers and possessions
• Warning against outward religious appearances, as it is considered hypocrisy.
  
• Hope in the awaited Messiah, the Savior, and the new life in Him.

Outline:

Isaiah

• God the disciplinarian: (Chapters 1-35)
  • A call to repentance for the kingdom of Judah, Israel, and the surrounding nations.
    • King Uzziah (Chapters 1-5)
    • King Jotham (Chapter 6)
    • King Ahaz (Chapters 7-14)
    • King Hezekiah (Chapters 15- 66)
• God the victorious (Chapters 36-39)
  • Judah's victory over Assyria by God's power and the healing of king Hezekiah
• The Messiah the savior and God's promises (Chapters 40-66)
  • Prophecies about the incarnation of Christ, His crucifixion, and resurrection.

Objective: Week 4

• Isaiah's Messianic Prophecies

Resources:

• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty (Book of Isaiah)
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)
• Fr Luka Maher Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• Isaiah
  • Chapters 51-53

Key verse(s):

• "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?." Isaiah 51:9

Comments:

Isaiah chapter 51: 

• A call for unity with God and to enjoy the work of redemption.
  • A call to unite with God the Redeemer. God invites His people who desire to be with Him to come together and follow His word. In verse 2, He reminds them of their humble beginnings, which were filled with desolation. Nevertheless, God saved them and bestowed His blessings upon His people.
  • God promises His people through the Church of the New Testament. He assures them that His promises of salvation are everlasting, unlike the temporary nature of earthly things.
  • God comforts His people and calls them to awaken. He redirects His wrath toward the enemies of His people.

Isaiah Chapter 52:

•  Joy of salvation:
  • Put on your beautiful garments (Verses 1-2).
    • "Awake, awake!" is a call to repent and rise from the deep slumber of sin. "Put on your beautiful garments" signifies that while sin leaves us exposed, repentance restores and covers us.
  • A free special gift (Verses 3-6).
    • Our Savior has come to redeem us by His precious blood
  • A joyful proclamation (Verses 7-10)
  • Abstaining from evil (Verses 11-12)
  • The glory of the servant of the Lord (Verses 13-15).
    

Isaiah Chapter 53:

• "The arm of the Lord" refers to the Son of God
• The Jews had certain expectations for the Messiah that did not match Christ’s humble beginnings and His life filled with suffering.
• Isaiah begins with a detailed account of all the pains, sins, and punishments that our Lord endured.
• He carried our sorrows and pains, bearing all the grief of humanity that resulted from sin.

• He was wounded for our disobedience, yet He remained obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

• Isaiah described His injustice during an unlawful trial held at night, which is against the regulations of any court.

• He faced false accusations, like a lamb led to the slaughter, He remained silent throughout all His trials and did not respond.

• He carried our sins and endured the punishment we deserved, providing salvation through His crucifixion. His suffering is symbolized by the thorns, nails, and spear that inflicted pain upon Him, yet through it, He saved us.

Review/recap questions:

**Servant may add more questions

• What is the cup of trembling? How was it taken from one nation and given to another?
• Read verse 10. What does it refer to?
• What good news will be announced from upon the mountains?
• “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high”
  Explain

Homework:

**Servant may add more questions

•  Awake, awake! Put on your ________, O Zion; Put on your __________ garments.
• All we like _______ have gone astray; We have turned, every ______, to his own way; And the 
  LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us _______.