The Book of Isaiah stands as one of the major prophetic works in the Bible, attributed to the prophet Isaiah, who ministered in Judah during the eighth century BCE. This expansive and influential book comprises both messages of judgment and promises of hope. Isaiah’s prophecies address a range of themes, including the sins of the people, the coming Messiah, and the ultimate restoration of God’s people. The book’s poetic and profound language, coupled with its historical and messianic significance, places Isaiah among the most profound prophetic voices in the Scriptures.
Isaiah 1: Rebellion and Redemption
[1:1] The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah:
[1:2] Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.”
[1:3] The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
[1:4] Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
[1:5] Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.
[1:6] From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.
[1:7] Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
[1:8] Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.
[1:9] Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
Isaiah 2: The Mountain of the Lord
[2:1] This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
[2:2] In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
[2:3] Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
[2:4] He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
[2:5] Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
The Book of Isaiah begins with a proclamation of rebellion and the consequences of forsaking the Lord. Despite the people’s waywardness, the prophet introduces the hope of redemption. The subsequent chapter unveils a vision of the future, depicting the exaltation of the Lord’s temple and the establishment of divine justice and peace among the nations. Isaiah’s words resonate with both warning and promise, emphasizing the importance of walking in the light of the Lord.