Introduction: Isaiah
A. Isaiah = “Salvation is of the LORD”
B. Isaiah the Man
1. Son of Amoz
2. Married with 2 sons: Shear-jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
3. Lived in Jerusalem
C. Isaiah the Prophet
1. Ministered from 740 to 680 BC.
2. For 20 yrs, he prophesied to both Israel and Judah.
3. After Israel’s fall to the Assyrians in 722 BC, Isaiah continued to prophesy to Judah.
4. Isaiah preached during the ministries of Hosea and Micah (2 Kings 15-21; 2 Chronicles 26-33).
D. Isaiah the Book
1. Some scholars believe the Book of Isaiah was written by 2 or 3 different authors.
2. However, the Apostle John quoted from the first and second parts of Isaiah and stated that these were words from the same prophet.
Judah’s Iniquities, vv. 2-8, 16-24
A. The Lord calls the heavens and earth to hear His case against Judah, vv. 2-4.
1. The Lord’s own children have rebelled against Him.
2. The people of Judah are dumber than animals.
3. The Lord exposes their sin.
4. The Lord is provoked to anger.
B. The Lord’s Indictment against Judah:
1. Judah rebelled against God, v. 2.
2. Judah abandoned God and His laws, vv. 3-4, 21-24.
3. Judah rejected God’s correction, and their land lies in ruins, vv. 5-8.
C. The Lord Responds, vv. 9-15, 25, 28-31
1. The Lord rejects their sacrifices and prayers, vv. 9-15.
2. The Lord releases His anger on Judah, vv. 25, 28-31.
Jehovah’s Invitation, vv. 16-19, 26-27
A. Repent, vv. 16-17
B. Return, vv. 18-20
C. Right Away, v. 18–>NOW!
D. Redemption with Justice, vv. 21-23.
Terebinth trees were sites of pagan worship which idol-loving Judah kept among them. Sacred trees played an important part in the Canaanite fertility cult… for deciduous trees like the oak or terebinth may well have symbolized the death and rebirth of the god. The ‘gardens’ may be groves of these trees, or, alternatively, places of sacred springs or wells.