The Book of
Isaiah
Judgment
Leading to
Restoration
I. Overview
II. Original
Meaning
III. Modern
Application
Isaiah’s
Incredible Scenario
of Exile Leading
to Restoration
(1-6)
Isaiah’s
Response
to the
Assyrian Judgment
(7-39)
Explaining
Divine
Purposes
in
Exile Leading to
Restoration
Establishing
Isaiah’s Credibility
to Support His
Message of
Exile Leading to
Restoration
Isaiah’s
Response
to the
Babylonian Judgment
(40-66)
Predicting
Divine Processes
and
Israel’s
Responsibilities
for Restoration
Structure/Content of 1:2-6:13 (2.1)
Chapter 6
Autobiography
(6:1)
Death of
Uzziah
740 B.C.
Closing Out
Opening Section
Why did Isaiah
say these things
about Judah
and Jerusalem?
Both Narrative
Chapter 7
Biography
(7:1)
Coalition
Syria-Israel
734 B.C.
Beginning
New Section
What was the historical
context of Isaiah’s
Ministry during
Assyrian judgment?
Division Between 6-7 (2.2)
Cycles of Judgment Leading to Restoration
Justice and
Righteousness
Modified Lawsuit
1:2-31
That Day
Judgment
Oracle
(2:5-21)
Judgment
and Restoration
Parable
of Judgment
(5:1-7)
Judgment
Oracle
(2:22-3:15)
Judgment
Oracle
(3:16-4:1)
Oracle of
Salvation
(2:1-4)
Oracle of
Salvation
(4:2-6)
Woes
(5:8-10)
Call Narrative
(6:1-13)
(“the holy seed”
v. 13)
Structure/Content of 1:2-6:13 (2.3)
Judgment
Leading to
Restoration
I. Overview
II. Original
Meaning
III. Modern
Application
Lawsuit against Unrighteousness and Injustice in Jerusalem (1:2-31)
Setting: After Sennacherib Invasion (8-9)
Prosecutor
and Judge
Yahweh
(2)
Witnesses
Heaven & Earth
(2)
“reason together” xky
Legal Terminology (18; 2:4; 11:4)
Defendants
Judah/Zion
(4,8,21)
Summons of Witnesses (2a)
Accusations (2b-4)
Questioning (5-8)
Response (9)
Summons of Defendant (10)
Accusations (11-14)
Sentencing (15)
Call to Repentance (16-20)
Closing of Case (21-31)
Accusation (21-23)
Sentencing (24-31)
Isaiah,
an Observer
Themes of Unrighteousness and Injustice
jP'v.mi (17)
“justice” jP'v.m (21)
“righteousness” qd,c, (21)
“city of Righteousness” qd,C,h ry[i; (26)
“justice” jP'v.miB. (27)
“righteousness” hq'd'c.Bi (27)
“justice”
(Positive Result from Judgment)
Structure/Content of 1:2-31 (2.4)
Eschatological Vision of Jerusalem Overflowing with Righteousness and Justice (2:1-4)
Setting: Before or After Sennacherib Invasion (see Mic 4:1-4)
Superscription (1)
Supremacy of Jerusalem (2)
Recognition of the Nations (3a)
Universal Justice from Zion (3b-4)
Zion and Universal Justice
jpv (2:4) [jP'v.mi (1:17,21,27)]
xky (2:4; 1:18)
Structure/Content of 2:1-4 (2.5)
Judgment on “That Day” (2:5-4:1)
Setting: Before or After Sennacherib Invasion (surrounding context: call to people (5)
Judgment against Syncretism (5-21)
Call to Judah (5)
Oracle of Judgment (6-21)
Accusation of Syncretism (6-8)
Sentencing (9-21)
Should v. 5 be included?
2:5-6; 2:22-3:1
Imperatives followed by
yKi
Judgment against Trusting Human Strength (2:22-3:15)
Call to Judah (22)
Theme of “that day”
Oracle of Judgment (3:1-15)
(11, 12,17, 20, 3:7, 18; 4:1)
Sentencing (1-12)
Accusation Oppression (13-15)
hw"hy> ~Ay
Judgment against Haughty Women of Zion (16-26)
Accusation of Haughtiness (16)
Sentencing (3:17-4:1)
“Day of the Lord”
Structure/Content of 2:5-21 (2.6)
hw"hy> ~Ay
“Day of the Lord”
ANE Background
Royal political motif indicating that a worthy king could defeat
All of his enemies in a single day.
(D. Stuart, “The Sovereign’s Day of Conquest” BASOR 221 [1976] 159-164)
In Israel
Applied to Israel’s great King, the Lord, to describe his
Interventions into history to destroy his enemies and to establish
his reign.
Blessing for Israel
Curses for Israel
Isa 13:6,9
Ezk 30:3
Joel 2:31; 3:14
Ob 1:15
Am 5:18
Ezk 13:5
Joel 1:5; 2:1,11
Zeph 1:7,14
Acts 2:20; 1 Co 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Th 5:2; 2 Th 2:2; 2 Tim 4:8; 2 Pet 3:10; 2 Pet 3:12; Rev 16:14
Day of the Lord (2.7)
Salvation on “That Day” (4:2-6)
Setting: Before or After Sennacherib Invasion (surrounding context)
Adornment of the Survivors (2)
Holiness of Zion (3)
Cleansing of Zion (4)
Protection of Zion (5-6)
hw"hy> xm;c
“Branch” (11:1-5; 53;2)
Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12; Jhn 15:1ff
[J. Baldwin, VT 14 (1964) 93]
Women (3:16)
arB
(65:17,18)
Structure/Content of 4:2-6 (2.8)
Catastrophic Judgment (5:1-30)
Setting: Before or After Sennacherib Invasion (surrounding context)
Parable of the Vineyard (1-7)
The Parable (1-3)
Questioning (4)
Sentencing (5-6)
Explanation (7)
Series of Woes (5:8-24)
Woe over Property (8-10)
Accusation (8)
Sentencing (9-10)
Woe over Self-Indulgence (11-17)
Accusation (11-12)
Sentencing (13-17)
Woe over Impatience (18-19)
Accusation
Woe over Self-Justification (20)
Accusation
Woe over Arrogance (21)
Accusation
Woe over Drunken Injustice (22-24)
Accusation (22-23)
Sentencing (24)
Parable as
Legal Discourse
“Woe!”
Funerary Expression
Judgment Oracle (25-30)
Sentencing (25-30)
Structure/Content of 5:1-30 (2.9)
Isaiah’s Call (6:1-13)
Setting: 740 B.C. (Death of Uzziah)
Historical Note (1a)
•Isaiah and the Divine Holiness (1b-7)
Isaiah and Divine Exaltation(1b-4)
God on the Throne (1b)
Seraphs Attending (2-4)
Isaiah and Divine Forgiveness (5-7)
Isaiah’s Confession (5)
Divine Response (6-7)
•Isaiah and the Divine Call (8-13)
Isaiah and Divine Desire (8-10)
Divine Desire (8a)
Isaiah’s Response (8b)
Isaiah and Divine Commission (9-13)
Divine Instruction (9-10)
Isaiah’s Response (11a)
Divine Explanation (11b-13)
Divine Holiness
(33 times in Isaiah, 26 elsewhere)
vAdq' vAdq' vAdq
Metaphysical, Moral
“clean” / ”unclean”
rAhj' rAhj' al
“for us” (v. 8)
Divine Counsel
(Gen 1:26; 11:7)
Compare 40:6
Structure/Content of 6:1-13 (2.10)
Spiritual Ignorance (1:3)
Despising God (1:4)
Violence (1:15)
Lawless Rulers (1:23)
Idolatry (2:8)
Trust in Humans (2:22)
Proud & Immodest Women (3:16)
Drunkenness (5:22)
Rejecting God’s Law (5:24)
Sins
Of Judah
Judah will be
Judged and Purified
Desolation of Land (1:7)
No Answers to Prayer (1:15)
Devoured by Sword (1:20; 3:25)
Physical Affliction (3:17)
Jerusalem Laid Waste (5:5)
Exile (5:13)
Wicked
Will be
Destroyed
Righteous
Remnant will
Be saved
Purging of Dross (1:25)
Repentant are Redeemed (1:27)
People Walk with the Lord (2:5)
Righteous are Rewarded (3:10)
Survivors Purged/Sanctified (4:3-4)
Restoration
“In the last days” (2:1)
After the Exile
(Deut 4:30; Hos 3:5)
Remnant will
Return
Concept of Remnant
“survivors” (1:9)
“remaining” (4:3)
Zion will
Be Glorious
Righteous, Faithful City (1:26)
Zion, Chief of Mountains (2:3)
Glory Cloud (4:4-5)
[Holy Stump (6:13)]
Summary of 1-6 (2.11)
Judgment
Against
Judah &Jerusalem
I. Overview
II. Original
Meaning
III. Modern
Application
Lawsuit against Unrighteousness and Injustice in Jerusalem (1:2-31)
OM
I
C
C
Summons of Witnesses (2a)
Accusations (2b-4)
Questioning (5-8)
Response (9)
Summons of Defendant (10)
Accusations (11-14)
Sentencing (15)
Call to Repentance (16-20)
Closing of Case (21-31)
Accusation (21-23)
Sentencing (24-31)
Application of 1:2-31 (2.12)
Eschatological Vision (2:1-4)
OM
I
C
C
Superscription (1)
Supremacy of Jerusalem (2)
Recognition of the Nations (3a)
Universal Justice from Zion (3b-4)
Application of 2:1-4 (2.13)
Judgment on “That Day” (4:2-6)
OM
I
C
C
Judgment against Syncretism (5-21)
Call to Judah (5)
Oracle of Judgment (6-21)
Accusation of Syncretism (6-8)
Sentencing (9-21)
Judgment against Trusting Human
Strength (2:22-3:15)
Call to Judah (22)
Oracle of Judgment (3:1-15)
Sentencing (1-12)
Accusation Oppression (13-15)
Judgment against Haughty Women
of Zion (16-26)
Accusation of Haughtiness (16)
Sentencing (3:17-4:1)
Application of 4:2-6 (2.14)
Salvation on “That Day” (4:2-6)
OM
I
C
C
Adornment of the Survivors (2)
Holiness of Zion (3)
Cleansing of Zion (4)
Protection of Zion (5-6)
Application of 2:5-21 (2.15)
Catastrophic Judgment (5:1-30)
OM
I
C
C
Parable of the Vineyard (1-7)
The Parable (1-3)
Questioning (4)
Sentencing (5-6)
Explanation (7)
Series of Woes (5:8-24)
Woe over Property (8-10)
Accusation (8)
Sentencing (9-10)
Woe over Self-Indulgence (11-17)
Accusation (11-12)
Sentencing (13-17)
Woe over Impatience (18-19)
Accusation
Woe over Self-Justification (20)
Accusation
Woe over Arrogance (21)
Accusation
Woe over Drunken Injustice (22-24)
Accusation (22-23)
Sentencing (24)
Judgment Oracle (25-30)
Sentencing (25-30)
Application of 5:1-30 (2.16)
Isaiah’s Call (6:1-13)
OM
I
C
C
Historical Note (1a)
•Isaiah and the Divine Holiness (1b-7)
Isaiah and Divine Exaltation(1b-4)
God on the Throne (1b)
Seraphs Attending (2-4)
Isaiah and Divine Forgiveness (1b-7)
Isaiah’s Confession (5)
Divine Response (6-7)
•Isaiah and the Divine Call (8-13)
Isaiah and Divine Desire (8-10)
Divine Desire (8a)
Isaiah’s Response (8b)
Isaiah and Divine Commission (9-13)
Divine Instruction (9-10)
Isaiah’s Response (11a)
Divine Explanation (11b-13)
Application of 6:1-13 (2.17)