1. ISAIAH
THE PROPHET

2. LIFE HISTORY He was one of the 8thC classical prophets.
His ministry started was BC.
He prophesied in the Southern kingdom of Judah.
His father was Amoz.

3. His wife was a prophetess and they had two children whose names were symbolic.
1. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Quick to plunder, Speedy to spoil) (Isaiah 8:1-4).
2. Shear-Jashub (A remnant returns) (Isaiah 7:3-4).
He must have been related to the aristocracy because of his close interactions with kings.
Some have suggested that he was a political advisor of some of the kings.

4. The book of Isaiah has been divided into three parts.
1. First Isaiah/ Isaiah of Jerusalem (Chapters 1-39).
2. Second/Deutero Isaiah (Chapters 40-55).
3. Third/Trito Isaiah (Chapters 56-66)

5. SUB-DIVISIONS
Chapters 1-39 have been divided into two books (Chapters 1-5, and 6-39) by some scholars.
Chapters 1-5 deal with the social, moral, and economic situation of the time.
Chapters 6-39 deal with the political situation of the time.

6. THE CALL OF ISAIAH (6:1-13)
1. Isaiah was called to the prophetic office during the year King Uzziah died. 2. Isaiah saw the Lord in the temple. Above him were seraphim each with 6 wings. 3. One of them shouted, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!”

7. 4. Isaiah then admitted his sinfulness, and that of his people
4. Isaiah then admitted his sinfulness, and that of his people. He declared that his lips were unclean.
5. One of the Seraphim took amber from the altar and with it touched Isaiah’s lips, as a sign of purification.
6. God then asked, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
7. Isaiah said, “Here I am, send me!”
8. Isaiah was commissioned.

8. CLASSICAL CALL OF A PROPHET
1. God in his holiness reveals himself to an individual.
2. The individual acknowledges his unworthiness and refuses to take up the mission.
3. God forgives and gives promises of support.
4. The individual accepts the mission.

9. THE POLITICAL SITUATION THE SYRO-EPHRAMITE WAR
1. Assyria was growing stronger militarily and was becoming more of a threat to her neighbors.
2. Pekah the King of the Northern kingdom ( BC) decided to have a military alliance with King Rezin of Syria/Aram/Damascus, against Assyria.

10. 3. Pekah then invited the Southern Kingdom of Judah, at this time under Jotham, to join the alliance so that they would establish a formidable army, but Jotham refused.
4. Pekah and Rezin decided to attack Judah in order to remove King Jotham by force and replace him by someone who would support their military alliance.

11. 5. King Jotham died before the allied forces arrived and he was replaced by Ahaz, his son.
6. There is a contradiction concerning the results of this joint military attack on Judah. According to 2 Chronicles 28:1-15, Judah was completely defeated and Jerusalem plundered. But, according to 2 Kings 16:5, Pekah failed to defeat Judah.

12. 7. Whatever happened must have frightened Ahaz who then appealed to Assyria (Tiglath-pileser III) for military assistance to fight off Rezin and Pekah, and by so doing Jotham had willingly become a vassal of Assyria and had to pay a large tribute.

13. 8. This was about the time when King Pekah was assassinated by Hoshea (732-724 BC).
Hoshea immediately surrendered to Assyria and started paying tribute.
He later tried to forge an alliance with Egypt which at this time was at its weakest.
Assyria then attacked Israel.

14. 9. Results of the war were that both Israel and Syria were defeated.
Israel was divided into three provinces of Assyria. Hoshea was captured and taken into exile (724 BC).
A small territory around Samaria was spared only to be destroyed in 722/721 BC.
That was the end of the Northern Kingdom in about 722/721 BC.

15. ISAIAH’S POSITION
1. It was unwise for king Ahaz to ask for help from Assyria. According to Isaiah, Judah would end up in a worse position than before.

16. 2. He talked of a new king who would listen to God (Isaiah 11:1-9).
3. Three signs were given by Isaiah but all were rejected by Ahaz. A. The sign of Emmanuel (Isaiah 7: B. The sign of Maher-shalal-hash-baz. C. The sign of Shear-Jashub.

17. In 701 Sannecherib came to Palestine and besieged Jerusalem.
THE SIEGE ON JERUSALEM
In 705, Hezekiah, king of Judah tried to free himself from the Assyrian yoke. This was after the death of Tiglath-pileser, and during the reign of his son Sennacherib.
In 701 Sannecherib came to Palestine and besieged Jerusalem.

18. ISAIAH’S POSITION (Isaiah 36-37)
1. Prophesied that a plague would come and wipe away the Assyrian army.
2. Because of prayers of the king and Isaiah, Jerusalem would be spared.

19. 3. The existence of the temple on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem would spare Jerusalem from destruction.
4. The king was warned not to seek help from Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-17, 31:1-9).

20. 1. All other great cities of Judah were destroyed except Jerusalem.
RESULTS OF THAT WAR
1. All other great cities of Judah were destroyed except Jerusalem.
2. Hezekia had to pay tribute to keep Assyria away.

21. 3. Because of the miraculous withdrawal of Assyria the people gained false confidence and failed to repent.
The people strongly believed that since they had the temple, Jerusalem was invincible.

22. 4. They also were convinced that as long as the house of King David was ruling they would not be defeated.
Now with the promise of Emmanuel, they were assured of good kings to come (Isaiah 37:35).

23. 5. The holiness of God would keep them safe (Isaiah 6:1ff).
6. It gave them the false hope that because of Jerusalem and the holiness of God, a remnant would return (Isaiah 37:31-32).