1. Isaiah the First was born about 770-760 B.C. He grew up and lived in Jerusalem and its environs.
Σ.
2. He was very familiar with the temple and its services. He may have been a priest.
3. He married a “prophetess” and they had two sons.
4. Isaiah was a cultured Jew and was well educated. He associated with the elite and was a counselor of kings.
5. His forty years of public work covered the reigns of four kings:
Uzziah (Azariah).
Jot ham.
Ahaz (Jehoahaz I).
Hezekiah.
6. Micah was his contemporary and Amos and Hosea were preaching in the northern kingdom.
7. Isaiah all but practiced medicine.
8. His life was divided into four major periods:
Σ.
Early ministry. 742-734.
Withdrawal. 734-715.
Middle ministry. 715-705.
Later ministry. 705-701.
9. He was a statesman and a sociologist as well as a prophet.
10. Isaiah was “an aristocrat of the spirit.”
11. He was probably a member of the king’s supreme council.
12. He was surrounded by a group of disciples-"school of the prophets.”
IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. Divisions of the book:
A. First Isaiah-Chapters
Isaiah 1-39.
B. Second Isaiah- “
Isaiah 40-55.
C. Third Isaiah- “
Isaiah 56-66.
2. First Isaiah taught before the exile.
Second Isaiah taught during the exile.
Third Isaiah taught after the exile.
3. The three books were put together about 180 B.C.
4. Isaiah is the largest book in the Bible.
5. There are possibly two reasons why the three groups of writings were put together:
A. Because they were the only major prophetic writings in the form of poetry-verse, meter.
B. Maybe the “Isaiah cult” wanted, to have a book bigger than Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or the minor prophets.
(Note: The Psalms were all put together about 150 B.C.)
6. Many of the minor prophets were in poetic form, but not Jeremiah or Ezekiel.
7. With the exception of a few bits of historical prose, all of Isaiah is in verse, and it is so arranged in the Revised Standard Version.
8. There are 17 bits of prose scattered here and there through the book.
9. There is no such person as the Third Isaiah. This group of collected writings (Chapters 56-66) contains passages from both First and Second Isaiah.
10. There is intimation in the Urantia Book that the exile priests were not altogether friendly to the Second Isaiah. They preserved his writings because of their sheer grandeur and beauty. (Urantia Book
(UB 97:7.1)
V. COMPONENTS AND COMPOSITION
1. One of the major components is the oracles-reproaches, threats, exhortations, and promises.
2. There are numerous memoirs-consisting of prophetic biography and autobiography.
3. Other material covers history, wars, and teachings.
4. The Isaiahs wrote most of the book, but later editors added much, sometimes copying from others-see
Isaiah 2:2-4 and
Micah 4:1-3.
5. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the largest find was two manuscripts of Isaiah, dating possibly from the second century B.C.
6.
Isaiah 33 and
34-12 bear marks of the middle of the second century B.C.;
Is. 24-27, after 128 B.C.
VI. TEACHINGS OF ISAIAH THE FIRST
1. The story of the First Isaiah is also found in 2 Kings Chapters
2 Kings 19 and 20.
2. Yahweh was sovereign Lord-holy, just, and good.
3. Yahweh was “the Holy One of Israel.”
4. God was “weary of all the rituals” of the temple service. He wanted Israel to “cease to do evil and learn to do good.”
5. He denounced “pride and self-indulgence.”
6. God was an ideal and ethical aristocrat.
7. God was “universal” and would save the “remnant.”
8. Isaiah had much to say about the relation of God to man and his world.
9. God was a defender as well as a judge.
10. The “Fatherhood of God"-for Israel.
11. Isaiah all but organized a “personal cult"-within Judah.
12. Righteousness and social conduct were more important than sacrifices and formal worship.
13. He thunders: “Believe the oppressed.”
14. His favorite phrases:
“Thus saith the Lord.”
“The Lord of Hosts.”
“Mighty One of Israel.”
“Let us reason together.”
15. He pleads for wise leadership.
16. God will purge, but also restore.
17. Song of the vineyard,
Isaiah 5:1-7 is a beautiful song and parable.
18. He denounced the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
19. The story of the making of a prophet-the live coal touching his mouth.
20. In
Isaiah 7:14 is the passage: “a virgin shall bear a son.” In the Revised Version — “young woman.”
21. In
Isaiah 8:16 he says: “Bind up... seal “-the time of his withdrawal.
22. In
Isaiah 14:13-14 is mentioned Mount Assembly, (See Urantia Book
(UB 43:4.1). Also
Ezekiel 28:14) Mount Assembly is the residence of the Faithful of Days on the constellation headquarters.
VII. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
1. The book has been edited and rearranged many times.
2. Four passages in the Third Isaiah are assigned to the First Isaiah in the Urantia Book, viz.,
Isaiah 60:1,
61:1,
61:10,
63:9. (Urantia Book
(UB 97:5.3).
3. Earmark of editor:
Isaiah 7:20. “Razor” — footnote explains that razor refers to the king of Assyria.
4. Some quotations from Isaiah the First in the Urantia Book:
Isaiah 28:17,
14:3,
30:21,
12:2,
1:18. (Urantia Book
(UB 97:5.2).
5. There is a lot of history in Isaiah, dealing with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.
6. Isaiah advocated a peace policy with Assyria; he opposed Hezekiah’s alliance with Egypt.
7. Jerusalem was saved from the army of Sennacherib by an outbreak of bubonic plague 701 B.C. But in 2 Kings it says that Hezekiah paid a large tribute.
8. There are two separate accounts of this siege of Jerusalem. According to history there was but one event.
VIII. SELECTED TEXTS
1. Learning to do good. “Cease to do evil, learn to do good.”
Isaiah 1:16-17.
2. Let us reason together. “Come now, let us reason together...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18.
3. Learn war no more. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks;...neither shall they learn war any more.”
Isaiah 2:4.
4. Alcoholism. “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening till wine inflames them.”
Isaiah 5:11.
5. The young woman. “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14. (King James Version renders it “virgin.”)
6. Consulting mediums. “When they say to you, ‘Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people consult their God?”
Isaiah 8:19.
7. The seven adjutant spirits. “The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11:2.
8. The little child. “And a little child shall lead them.”
Isaiah 11:6.
9. Trust and not be afraid. “‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid.’”
Isaiah 12:2.
10. Downfall of Lucifer. “‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!...You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God...I will make myself like the Most High.’”
Isaiah 14:12-14.
11. Perfect peace. “‘Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.’”
Isaiah 26:3.
12. Here a little and there a little. “‘It is precept upon precept...line upon line...here a little, there a little.’”
Isaiah 28:10.
13. Source of our strength. “‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’”
Isaiah 30:15.
14. The still, small voice. “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21.
15. The rock in a weary land. “Each will be like a hiding-place from the wind... like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.”
Isaiah 32:2.
16. Bread shall be sure. “He will dwell on the heights;...his bread will be given him, his water will be sure.”
Isaiah 33:16.
17. Joy and gladness. “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah 35:10.