| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isaiah with Lee Campbell |
previous page |
Week 5: Theology Proper and Chapters 56-66
Theology in Isaiah
Perhaps better than any other single biblical book, this one reveals the name and the nature of the God who invites us to be his servants. He is holy, he is just, he is steadfast love. He is glorious, he is terrible, he dwells with the lowly and contrite. He is faithful, he is forgiving, he demands perfection. He is passionate, both in loving right and hating evil. He calls us to lay aside our independence and trust in him, for he has chosen us and redeemed us in Christ and will empower us to be like himself.[1]
Attribute |
Citation |
Eternal |
9:6 For a child will be born to
us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name
will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 26:4 "Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. 40:26,28 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars…Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 43:13 "Even from eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?" 48:12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. 60:19,20 "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. "Your sun will set no more, Neither will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be finished. |
Immutable |
31:2 Yet He also is wise and will
bring disaster, And does not retract His words, But will arise against the house of
evildoers, And against the help of the workers of iniquity. 46:4 Even to your old age, I shall be the same, And even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; And I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you. |
Omnificent |
All references to God as Maker:
17:7; 27:11; 29:16; 44:24; 45:9, 11; 51:13; 54:5 All references to God as Former: 29:16; 43:1,7,21; 44:2,21,24; 45:18 All references to God as Creator: 27:11; 40:26,28; 41:20; 42:5; 43:1,15; 45:8,12,18; 54:16 40:26,28 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars…Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing 43:1,7 But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!…Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made." 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone, 45:9,12,18 "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?…"It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their host. …For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else. 46:4 Even to your old age, I shall be the same, And even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; And I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you. 48:13 "Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. 51:13 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? |
Omniscient |
37:28 "But I know your
sitting down, And your going out and your coming in, And your raging against Me. 40:13-14, 28 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding?…Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. Also, consider God’s knowledge of future things 37:26 "Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps. 41:21-23 "Present your case," the LORD says. "Bring forward your strong arguments," The King of Jacob says. Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them, and know their outcome; Or announce to us what is coming. Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. 42:9 "Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you." 43:9 All the nations have gathered together In order that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, 44:7 'And who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. Or let them hear and say, "It is true." 44:24-26 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone, Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, causing wise men to draw back, And turning their knowledge into foolishness, confirming the word of His servant, And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins again. 45:21 "Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. 46:9,10 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; 48:3-5 "I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. "Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew, And your forehead bronze, Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, Lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.' |
Omnipotent |
40:15-18, 21-23, 26,28 Behold,
the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the
scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to
burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before
Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. To whom then will you
liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?…Do you not know? Have you not
heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from
the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its
inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And
spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who
makes the judges of the earth meaningless…Lift up your eyes on high And see who has
created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by
name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them
is missing…Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is
inscrutable. 43:13 "Even from eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?" |
Self-sufficient |
Isa 40:12-14 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding? |
Sovereign |
All references to God as Yahweh
and Adonai: There are nearly 500 such references in Isaiah 14:26-27 "This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. "For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?" 40:15-18, 21-23 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?…Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. 45:9-10 "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'? "Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'" 45:6b-7, 9, 21-24 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these…."Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?… "Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. "Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. "They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame. 46:10-11 Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. 49:22-50:3 Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, And set up My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. "And kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame. "Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?" Surely, thus says the LORD, "Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. "And I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." Thus says the LORD, "Where is the certificate of divorce, By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away. "Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water, And die of thirst. "I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering." 51:13-16 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, And laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? "The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. "For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name). "And I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" 55:11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. |
Holy |
God is holy. According to Holman
this term conveys four meanings:
Notice the title used so often by Isaiah, "The Holy one of Israel" and related expressions: 1:4; 5:6, 19,24; 6:3; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19,23; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 40:25; 41:14,16,20; 43:3, 14-15; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9,14 Notice the awe and dread inspired by the presence of God: 2:12-21; 5:16; 6:3; 8:3; 33:14 6:3-5 And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." 8:13 "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. 29:23 But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, And will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Notice the presence of God with those who fear him: 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. 66:2b …"But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Notice the moral purity of God: 1:2-31; 3:15; 5:1-30; 1:2-4 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand." Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. 35:8 And a highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. 45:19,21-24 "…I, the LORD, speak righteousness Declaring things that are upright…"Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. "Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. "I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. "They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame. 58:5-59:2 "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed, And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry, And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness, And your gloom will become like midday. "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. "And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. "If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure, And speaking your own word, Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. He hides himself from the rebellious: 6:9-10; 8:17; 16:12 He refuses to atone for unrepentance: 22:14 (c.f. 1Jn.4:16 5:16f; Heb. 6:4; 10:26; unpardonable sin); 26:14; 27:11b; 29:9-12; 45:15; 55:6 Notice the retributive justice of God: 1:14, 20, 24, 28, 31; chs 3-5; 9:8-10:34; chs.13-24; ch. 24; 26:11; 26:20-27:1; ch. 27; 28:17-22; 312-9; ch. 34; 35:4; 37:28f; 59:15b,17,18; 63:1-6; 65:6-7 Notice the transcendence of God 40:18-25 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble. "To whom then will you liken Me That I should be his equal?" says the Holy One. 42:8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. 43:10-11 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, In order that you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. "I, even I, am the LORD; And there is no savior besides Me. 44:6-7 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. 'And who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. 45:5-7,22 "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these…"Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. 46:5,9-13 "To whom would you liken Me, And make Me equal and compare Me, That we should be alike?…"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. "Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness. "I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel. 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. |
Loving |
God is love
45:4-6 "For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, 55:1,3,7 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. …"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David….Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 59:16,20,21 And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him…."And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD. "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the LORD: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the LORD, "from now and forever."
30:18-21 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 49:14-16 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. 54:5-8 "For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. "For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," Says your God. "For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer.
|
An Overview of Chapters 56-66
The Day of the Lord (13:6,9)
"The Lord Almighty has a day" 2:12; 22:5/"in that day," occurs 35 times, 52:6/"in the last days" 2:2-4
A day of judgment 2:19,21; 13:1,10,13; 24:1,18,21; 29:6; 34:4,9; 66:24;
A day of victory 27:2-6; 54:23
The rule of the Messiah 11:2-9; 24:23; 32:1-2,15-18; 55:5; 59:16; 60:13,17; 66:18
The new heaven, earth and Jerusalem 51:6; 54:11,12; 60:11-20; 65:17-25
Eternal punishment 1:31; 33:14; 48:22; 57:20-21; 66:24
Characteristics of and God’s response to people 56:1-59:21
The godly 56:1-8
The wicked 56:9 - 58:5
The godly 58:6-14 (If...then)
The wicked 59:1-21
Zion 60:1-64:12
Zion’s glory 60:1-22
God’s rule 61:1-11
Prayer for Zion 62:1-12
The Avenging Lord 63:1-6
Prayer for Zion 63:7-64:12
Conclusions 65:1-66:24
Notes
[1] John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, In: The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, R.K. Harrison, General Editor, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986, p. 60. Return to Text
