Usually our At A Glance posts go up on a Friday, but unfortunately we had a few small technical issues. So please take our apologies for posting this late, and we hope you enjoyed your Easter break, and were able to reflect on just what it means for each and everyone of us!

It seems appropriate to write on Isaiah, at this time of year even though a lot of verse from Isaiah are used at Christmas time. Isaiah wrote like he knew Jesus. Isaiah lived 700 years before Christ, he wrote like he knew Him.

The themes of Isaiah are judgement and redemption. The book constantly emphasizes God’s Power and Might. God hates sin {wrong doing} and will bring judgement against it, but God has also put into place a rescue plan of redemption.The book is scattered with vivid descriptions and graphic scenes, that read as if he was seeing, the miraculous birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Jesus’ crucifixion and His resurrection.

Even  though Isaiah seems to be a sneak preview of the life of Christ. Isaiah is a study of sin, of how it slowly destroyed the two Jewish nations and how God will one day wipe sin from off His Creation.

Isaiah ministered in Judah during the reigns Uzziah, Jotham, Abaz and Hezekiah and during the early years when Manasseh was a co regent with Hezekiah.

From the first chapter, God people are pictured as rebellious sons, who sinned against God, and did not offer sacrifices that pleased God. they were unfaithful, were murders, oppressed the weak and worshiped pagan gods. To sum up the early part of Isaiah , would be justice not religion.

Isaiah taught that everything proud and exalted will be humbled and brought low and that only God was to be exalted In Isaiah 5 we see a parable about a vineyard that produces only bitter grapes. This is an image of Israel that is referred to as a vine or vineyard in the Old Testament. Jesus also uses this image. This was condemnation of Israel’s moral decay and a warning to what the future holds for them.

Oh how! this compares to today’s society, that knows how to party, but not how to worship, how to be disobedient, and not how to obey.

Isaiah vision: 6 verses 1 to 13: which is a beautiful call of God. Isaiah mouth is touched by a burning coal to purify him and he is sent to speak. This appears to be a fruitless task in V9, but will end with a promise that few chosen will be left.

What God wants are servants who worship Him and follow His instructions. Ahaz was not willing to bend his knee and serve God {7 v 1t012}. Even Hezekiah described as the righteous king struggled with serving God completely.

Assyria destroys the Northern Kingdom of Israel. {8 v 1 to 10}.

To us a child is born. {9 V 2 to &} In a prophecy. Isaiah appears to reflect back on the birth of King Hezekiah and portrays this birth as a sign of hope. New Testament writing also interpret it as a signpost, pointing the promised Messiah, Jesus.

Throughout Isaiah the pagan nations of the world are seen as rebellious and proud opponents of God, but Isaiah proclaims that there will be a future day when the nations will come to Zion to worship God.  This theme informs the readers about God’s ways, motivates the trusting soul to worship God, and warn the wrong doers to turn from their pride and wicked ways. God’s Kingdom plan are established so everyone must choose who they will serve.

Enlarge your vision and grow: 55 verses1 to 7: Isaiah describes first a necessary thirst for god himself, not just for what god can do or give. God is the source of all spiritual life. With that thirst comes acknowledgement of our spiritual  bankruptcy, and a call to seek Him while He may be found.

We are called to shine in the world: Chapter 6: Isaiah encourages God’s people {all of us} to get up and go out. the time for mission has arrived, the Light of the World is to shine in the darkness, and the Spirit of god will always equip us. We are born for such a time as this.

In Isaiah 42 to 45: Isaiah describes God’s people {all of us{ as carrying God’s trade mark.  We are crafted in His workshop and stamped with His image. We are made by God, we are joined to Him by His unbreakable covenant and the task he gives us cannot fail. God will redeem His people, He will not let them be held in slavery.

We are to beware of offers from false gods, the gods are products of hum inventiveness and they will lead to destruction. God will be with us in the good time and the bad.

Isaiah in a Nutshell:

Justice not religion:   1 verses 1 to 20:

The vineyard              5 verses 1 to 30:

Isaiah vision:               6 verses 1 to 13:

The Messiah;               8 verse 16 to 9 verse 7:

Homecoming                 11 verse 1 to 12 verse 6:

Punishment:                   28 verses 1 to 29;

The Assyrians                36 verse 1 to 22:

Hope                               40 verse 1 to 31;

Lord servant:                   42 v 1 to 9 and Suffering servant : 53 v 1 to 12

True religion                     58 verse 1 to 14:

The New world                  65 verse 17 to 25:

in Luke 4 verse 21 Jesus when He stood in the synagogue in Nazareth, His home town, opened the scroll of Isaiah and read the first two verses of chapter 61.

Christianity is an exclusive religion, because in a sense it renounces all other beliefs, but it is also inclusive, in that it know no barriers of class, or culture, or race, or gender or handicap.Anyone who seeks the Lord, is welcome as long as they are repentant and acknowledge the work of Our Lord and Our friend on the cross, will be welcomed by the Lord and His followers.

This is only Isaiah at a Glance, it is such a wonderful book to condense like this. We also suggest reading in from a Book ‘What the Bible is All About’,

Chapter 53  is the Chapter quoted the most, read it for yourselves and reflect what great promises are in for all of us.

Read Isaiah and enjoy it all, it is wonderful to read in it’s entirety .

God Bless.

O F J.