Isaiah, Scroll of the Book, in Jerusalem | By Dennis Jarvis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/34495817550/in/photolist-Uyh5K1-Uyh4Cm-dBtDNx-2e8wjwF-jBgdcY-jBdf7V-CTRdP4-jBeiWe-25ytcH7-jBdiN2-jBecPK-m9hV2p-m9iQF9-m9hUPa-m9hWxv-m9hVei-m9hWg8-CedVSC-2a4BwYk-dTzDmV-YPPzW4-jBeeKZ-nNJRxr-WHZagC-2FSY57-6wk8LM-6wk9je-2ccHtu3-6wk9Ti-dhmDhG-2ccHrN7-eiz5hM-6wk7XB-624ysP-628MMs-6TyrcW-bMJsPv-95dJdi-bMJtzk-bMJuhX-bMJvJZ-bMJwyt-dhmD95-dhmDfU-dhmDbS-dhmCJn-dhmCzc-dhmD7G-byPT43-BYk4yf, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90588359

The Prophet with a Sixty Year Career!

Royal

Isaiah might have been about twenty years old when he began to ask these questions about greed in the face of starving children, the destruction of the environment, the emptiness of religion, and the absence of good and godly leaders.

Born to a father named Amoz (not the famous prophet) his parents named him “God is salvation,” very similar to the name of Joshua, or Jesus.

Tradition says his father Amoz was brother to king Amaziah of Judah. That would have made Isaiah King Uzziah’s cousin, which would explain Isaiah’s easy access to the royal court, and his insider’s knowledge of the politics of his day, and the international situation. He may have even grown up in the palace and overheard conversations about world affairs.

Think of all the eavesdropping he may have done! God had perfectly placed him.

Priest

His ministry began in 740 BC, while he was worshiping in the temple, grieving the death of his cousin, King Amaziah, and worrying about what was going on in his own country, as well as the world. As he was praying, God called Isaiah to cleansing and to preaching.

From the blog

Isaiah 45: Cyrus the Great

The Bible does not offer superficial answers to these questions. The Bible does not offer catchy slogans or rhyming word art. The Bible instead pushes us to a mature view of Who God really is, so that we can put our trust in the God of reality, the God Who actually exists.

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Isaiah 44: Sheer Madness

They are mindless, the prophet wrote, utterly without a clear thought in their heads. Otherwise, how in the world could they look at this perfectly good log, get so much good use out of it – thanks be to God who provided that log – then worship what’s left of it?!

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Isaiah 41: An Exposé

People gravitate towards whatever it is we think is reliable, that will take care of us, that will give us some sense of confidence and meaning, that will make us feel happy. Idols feel real because we can see them. But, much more importantly, we think we can make them do what we need.

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Isaiah 41: Three, Three, and Three

The Lord turned to God’s people and gave them three exhortations, three promises, and three reasons to believe.

The physical promises of land and prosperity were to a specific people, the descendants of Abraham, Israel. From this perspective, God is keeping these promises to this day, as miraculously, Israel is once again a nation located…

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Isaiah 41: A Conqueror From the East

Who directs world events?

Who has that power? 

Is it the nations themselves? 

Is it politics, economics, and diplomacy? 

Is it the power of each of the nations’ local deities? 

Did anybody, in fact, see these world events even coming?

Do things “just happen,” or is God at work? 

Are we part of a larger…

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Isaiah 40: Encouragement of God

Isaiah’s prophecy has been the source of comfort and courage to the heavy-hearted for thousands of years. This is God’s reassurance that the Lord still loves God’s own, that God is still our God, and we who have put our hope and trust in the Lord are God’s people.

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Isaiah 40: God’s Comfort

God has not abandoned you, Isaiah was saying. Your best days are still ahead. Because of God’s grace He is coming to save you; your hope doesn’t need to depend on your ability, but rests completely on God and His love for you. 

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Isaiah 32: Shalom

All of us have experienced being in the desert places. Perhaps that is where you are right now. What act of repentance is God calling of you in order to make you ready for the outpouring of God’s Spirit in your desert place to bring back life?

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Isaiah 25: Paeon of Praise

After delivering emotionally traumatic oracles of God’s coming judgment against the nations, Isaiah took time to refresh his spirit in worship. “O Lord, You are my God,” Isaiah began, as his inner gaze rested on the glory of the Lord.

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Isaiah 17: An Oracle Against Damascus

After beginning with Moab to the south, the prophet Isaiah turned his gaze northwards to the alliance of Israel – called Ephraim in the text, the Northern Kingdom – and Damascus. Isaiah addressed them together, as they were allied in opposition to both Assyria and to Judah.

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Isaiah 13: Shades of Babylon

At first glance, this oracle seems to encompass a final day of judgment and wrath that sweeps up the entire globe in an event still future to us today.

Yet, tucked into this far-reaching oracle are also mentions of Babylon, an empire long since crumbled into dust, with only the remnants of its grandeur ensconced…

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Isaiah 12: Sanctification

When you and I believe in and look for the supernatural goodness in ourselves and in other believers that God has personally put there, as well as gently help each other back into the way when we notice that someone is off the path, we are living into sanctification.

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Isaiah 12: Joy

From the first patriarch, Abraham, to every person mentioned in the Hebrews Hall of Faith, to Peter, to Paul, to the apostle John and the Revelation given him by Christ, it is the reconciliation of all things in Christ that held their attention.

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Isaiah 10: Assyria’s Arrogance Judged

God’s people needed reassurance, just as you and I need it today. They needed to know that God is sovereign over even catastrophic consequences the size of an invading army. They needed to know God still loved them, was with them, and was for them. They needed to know God has a plan, and the…

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Isaiah 9: The Ban

It is the lonely office of every anointed-by-God’s-Holy-Spirit prophet to speak the words God has given that prophet to say. As so often happened in the scriptures, the message from God’s lips was not received with much joy or enthusiasm by the ears of God’s people.

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Isaiah 6: Cross of the Believer

Just as the cost of Isaiah’s call would be high, so the Lord Jesus did not make His call to discipleship any easier. On the contrary, Jesus stressed the cost of following Him. Following Jesus means full obedience and the giving up of all other plans that a person might prefer to make for themself.

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About Me

My passion for the Bible began when I was eight or nine years old, somewhere in there, when on occasion my dad would take me to synagogue, where he sang. I remember watching the men in synagogue pray the words of scripture, murmuring and weeping, lovingly touching and kissing the Torah, and I wished I could read what they were reading.

Imagine, then, my wonder when I was given a Bible of my own! Read more

Let’s hang out


[Image above: Isaiah, Scroll of the Book, in Jerusalem | By Dennis Jarvis – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/34495817550/in/photolist-Uyh5K1-Uyh4Cm-dBtDNx-2e8wjwF-jBgdcY-jBdf7V-CTRdP4-jBeiWe-25ytcH7-jBdiN2-jBecPK-m9hV2p-m9iQF9-m9hUPa-m9hWxv-m9hVei-m9hWg8-CedVSC-2a4BwYk-dTzDmV-YPPzW4-jBeeKZ-nNJRxr-WHZagC-2FSY57-6wk8LM-6wk9je-2ccHtu3-6wk9Ti-dhmDhG-2ccHrN7-eiz5hM-6wk7XB-624ysP-628MMs-6TyrcW-bMJsPv-95dJdi-bMJtzk-bMJuhX-bMJvJZ-bMJwyt-dhmD95-dhmDfU-dhmDbS-dhmCJn-dhmCzc-dhmD7G-byPT43-BYk4yf, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90588359%5D