a long time ago in a land called Judah there lived a man named Isaiah he was born during a complicated time when God's people were divided into two kingdoms Israel in the north and Judah in the south in the first chapter of the book of Isaiah verse1 we read about the time he lived the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of amamos Saw during the Reigns of Uzziah jotham ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Judah and at that time things were changing quickly and the people faced many challenges Isaiah grew up in the city of Jerusalem a very important place for God's people from a young age he learned about God and the laws that he had given to the people Isaiah observed everything around him watching how people lived and treated each other he noticed that people didn't always follow God's ways and that concerned him greatly when Isaiah was young king oziah ruled Judah in the book of set Chronicles 26:5 we find a description of that time he sought God during the days of Zechariah who instructed him in the fear of God as long as he sought the Lord God gave him success because of this the country was doing well people had food the Army was strong and they were building many new things Isaiah saw all this happening around him he noticed how the cities were growing and how the soldiers were training to protect the country it seemed like everything everything was improving and people were happy but Isaiah also realized that not everything was perfect and there were hidden problems beneath this Prosperity even with all this wealth Isaiah began to notice injustices some people were becoming very rich While others were getting poorer in chapter 5 of the book of Isaiah verse 8 we see how he would later speak about this woe to those who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land Isaiah knew that this was not fair and that God did not like this situation moreover many people were starting to worship false gods forgetting the true God who had freed their ancestors from Egypt Isaiah was saddened to see these things happening and he knew that one day he would have to speak out against these issues meanwhile the world around Judah was becoming dangerous a country called Assyria was growing very strong and threatening to attack Israel the neighboring Kingdom to the north people in Judah were worried wondering if they would be next some wanted to make deals with other countries to protect themselves later in chapter 31 verse 1 of the book of Isaiah he would speak about this problem woe to those who go down to Egypt for help who rely on horses who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the the great strength of their Horsemen Isaiah knew that the people should trust in God not in alliances with other nations he saw that people were looking for security in the wrong places and this worried him Deeply One Day something incredible happened to Isaiah in chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah verse 1 we read in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord high and exalted Seated on a throne and the train of his Robee filled the temple Isaiah was in the temple the special place where people worshiped God suddenly he had an impressive Vision he saw God sitting on a high and Majestic Throne it was something so Grand that Isaiah could hardly believe what he was seeing the temple seemed to be filled with God's presence this vision would change Isaiah's life forever and mark the beginning of his mission as a prophet of God in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 6 Isaiah describes what he saw around God's throne above him were seraphim each with six wings with two Wings they covered their faces with two they covered their feet and with two they were flying and they were calling to one another holy holy holy is the Lord Almighty the whole earth is full of his glory these seraphim were like Angels Celestial beings who served God their voices were so powerful that they made the temple Shake Isaiah was both terrified and amazed at the same time he had never seen anything so incredible in his life the Holiness and greatness of God were overwhelming more than anything he could have imagined but then Isaiah realized something that troubled him deeply he became aware that he was a sinful man living among sinful people how could he be in the presence of such a holy God in verse 5 of chapter 6 we see how he reacted woe to me I cried I am ruined for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the king the Lord Almighty Isaiah thought he would be destroyed because of his sins he knew he didn't deserve to be in God's presence this moment of recognizing his own sins and the sins of the people was crucial to the mission God had for him but God didn't want to destroy Isaiah instead he wanted to purify him and use him for a special task in verses 6 and 7 of chapter 6 we read then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from the altar with it he touched my mouth and said see this has touched your lips your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for this must have been painful but it was an important symbol God was showing Isaiah that he could cleanse even the deepest sins at that moment Isaiah felt clean his sins had been forgiven and he was ready to serve God then something incredible happened Isaiah heard God's voice speaking in verse 8 of chapter 6 God asked whom shall I send and who will go for us it was as if God was looking for someone to be his messenger someone to speak to the people in his name Isaiah didn't hesitate he immediately responded here am I send me he was ready to do whatever God asked no matter how difficult the task would be Isaiah wanted to serve the God he had just seen and who had forgiven him he knew that his life would never be the same after this incredible experience God then gave Isaiah a difficult task in verses 9 and 10 of chapter 6 he said go and tell this people be ever hearing but never understanding be ever seeeing but never perceiving make the heart of this people callous make their ears dull and close their eyes this meant that Isaiah was to go and speak to the people but God warned him that many would not listen to the message the people would hear but not understand they would see but not perceive this seemed discouraging but God wanted Isaiah to keep speaking even when things got tough it was a mission that would require a lot of courage and perseverance from Isaiah Isaiah was concerned about this hard message and asked God how long it would last in verse 11 of chapter 6 we read his question for how long Lord he wanted to know how long the people would be blind and deaf to God's message God's response showed that difficult times s were ahead he spoke of cities that would become empty and houses without inhabitants this meant that a time of judgment and hardship was coming for the people but even in this hard message there was a glimmer of hope in verse 13 of chapter 6 God gave Isaiah a message of Hope to share he said and though a tenth remains in the land it will again be laid waste but as the terbin and Oak leave stumps when they are cut down so the holy seed will be the stump in the land this meant that even though hard times were coming God would not completely abandon his people there would always be a stump a faithful Remnant that would survive God had a plan for his people and that plan included a future of Hope and restoration from that day on Isaiah began his journey as God's prophet he would speak to Kings priests and Ordinary People sometimes his message would be a warning of what would happen if the people did not return to God other times he would bring words of comfort and hope Isaiah knew it wouldn't be easy but he was determined to fulfill the mission God had given him he had seen God's glory experienced his forgiveness and accepted his call now he was ready to face any challenge that lay ahead thus began Isaiah's Ministry the vision in the temple was just the beginning of a life dedicated to being God's voice to his people Isaiah left the temple that day as a changed man ready to make a difference in his world he would confront powerful Kings speak out against Injustice and idolatry and bring messages of Hope about a future savior his life would never be the same and through him God would speak to his people for many years after receiving his call in the temple Isaiah began his work as God's Prophet his early years of ministry were filled with challenges one of the first things Isaiah had to confront was idolatry in Judah in chapter 2: 8 and9 Isaiah speaks about this problem their land is full of Idols they bow down to the work of their hands to what their fingers have made so people will be brought low and everyone hum humbled Isaiah saw that many people were worshiping statues and false gods instead of the true God this made him very sad and concerned he knew this Behavior would bring trouble for the people so he started speaking out against it Isaiah reminded the people that there was only one true God The God Who had freed their ancestors from Egypt and made a covenant with them another major problem Isaiah saw was social injustice many rich people were treating the poor and weak unfairly in chapter 3: 14 and 15 Isaiah speaks harshly about this the Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people it is you who have ruined my Vineyard the plunder from the poor is in your houses what do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor declares the Lord the Lord Almighty Isaiah was very angry when he saw the rich taking advantage of the poor he said this was wrong in God's eyes the prophet called on the rich and Powerful to treat others with Justice and kindness he reminded everyone that God cared deeply about how people treated one another especially the most vulnerable Isaiah didn't stop there he also spoke a lot about the need for repentance in chapter 1: 16 16 and 17 he says wash and make yourselves clean take your evil Deeds out of my sight stop doing wrong learn to do right seek Justice defend the oppressed take up the cause of the fatherless plead the case of the Widow Isaiah wanted the people to change their ways and return to God he said it wasn't enough just to go to the temple and make sacrifices what God really wanted was for people to live justly and lovingly Isaiah called the people to care for Orphans and widows who were the most vulnerable in society at that time he taught that true worship of God was shown in how people treated one another along with his messages of repentance Isaiah also spoke about the Judgment that would come if the people didn't change their ways in chapter 5 he uses a powerful image to talk about this in verse 1 and two he says I will sing for the one I love a song about his Vineyard my loved one had a Vineyard on a fertile Hillside he dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines he built a watchtower in it and cut out a wine press as well then he looked for a crop of good grapes but it yielded only bad fruit in this Parable God is the owner of the vineyard and the people of Judah are the vineyard Isaiah was saying that God had taken great care of his people but they were not producing the fruit he expected that is they were not living the way God wanted them to Isaiah continues this parable of the vineyard in chapter 5 veres 3-6 saying now inhabitants of Jerusalem and Men of Judah judge between me and my Vineyard what more could have been done for it that I have not done when I looked for good grapes why did it only yield sour grapes now I will tell you what I am going to do to my Vineyard I will take away its hedge and it will be destroyed I will break down its wall and it will be trampled I will make it a wasteland neither pruned nor cultivated and Briars and Thorns will grow there I will command the clouds not to rain on it this was a strong message of judgment Isaiah was warning that if the people did not change their ways God would allow bad things to happen he used the image of the vineard to help people understand that their actions had consequences while Isaiah was busy preaching to the people he also started to get involved with the kings of Judah one of the first Kings Isaiah interacted with was zah has in chapter 7 we see Isaiah advising the king during a very difficult time vers verses 1 and 2 tell us when ahaz son of jotham and Grandson of Uzziah was king of Judah King resin of Syria and Pekka son of ramelia king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem but they could not overpower it the House of David was told Syria has Allied itself with Ephraim so the hearts of ahaz and his people were shaken as the Trees of the forest are shaken by the wind this was a very frightening situation two powerful kingdoms Syria and Israel also called Ephraim had joined forces to attack Judah King ahaz and all the people were terrified it was during this crisis that God sent Isaiah to speak to King ahaz in chapter 7:3 we read then the Lord said to Isaiah go out you and your son Shia jashub to meet ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool on the road to the launderer field God wanted Isaiah to deliver a message of comfort and guidance to the king in verses four and five Isaiah tells ahaz be careful keep calm and don't be afraid do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood because of the fierce anger of resin and Syria and of the son of remalia Isaiah was telling the king not to fear these two two kingdoms threatening Judah he wanted ahaz to trust in God rather than panic but ahaz struggled to trust Isaiah's message so God did something remarkable in chapter 7: 10 to2 we read again the Lord spoke to ahaz ask the Lord your God for a sign whether in the deepest depths or in the highest Heights but ahaz said I will not ask I will not put the Lord to the test God was offering ahaz the chance to ask for any sign he wanted to prove that the message was true but ahaz refused pretending to be too religious to test God in reality he had already decided not to trust God and to seek help elsewhere it was then that Isaiah gave one of the most famous prophecies in the entire Bible in chap 7:14 he says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel this prophecy was about something that would happen many years later the birth of Jesus the name Emmanuel means God With Us Isaiah was saying that one day God would come to be with his people in a very special way this message was for both ahaz and God's people Through the Ages even though things looked Bleak at that moment God had a bigger plan years later Isaiah continued his work as a prophet during the reign of another king named Hezekiah Hezekiah was a king who tried to follow God unlike his father ahaz in chapter 38 we see an incredible story about how Isaiah helped Hezekiah verses 1 and 2 tell us in those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death the prophet Isaiah of Amos went to him and said this is what the Lord says put your house in order because you are going to die you will not recover Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord Hezekiah was very sick and Isaiah came with a hard message from God telling the king that he was going to die but the story doesn't end there Hezekiah prayed fervently to God asking for more time to live and God heard his prayer in chapter 38: 4-6 we read then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah go and tell Hezekiah this is what the Lord the god of your father David says I have heard your prayer and seen your tears I will add 15 years to your life and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria I will defend this city God not only promised to heal Hezekiah but also to protect the city of Jerusalem from the Assyrians who were powerful enemies at that time to confirm this promise God performed an incredible miracle in chapter 38: 7 and 8 Isaiah says this is the Lord's sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the 10 steps it has gone down on the stairway of ahaz and that's exactly what happened the the shadow on the Sundial went back 10 steps it was as if time had reversed a little showing that God was giving Hezekiah more time to live this miracle must have been very encouraging for both the king and the people showing God's power and his willingness to answer prayers during hezekiah's Reign Isaiah also had to give advice on political matters one of the biggest problems was the constant threat from Assyria a very powerful ful Empire that wanted to conquer Judah many people including some of the king's advisers wanted to make an alliance with Egypt to protect themselves from Assyria but Isaiah knew this wasn't what God wanted in Chapter 30 veres 1 and 2 he says woe to the obstinate children declares the Lord to those who carry out plans that are not mine forming an alliance but not by my spirit heaping sin upon sin who go go down to Egypt without consulting me who look for help to Pharaoh's protection to Egypt's shade for Refuge Isaiah kept insisting that the people should trust in God not in political alliances in chapter 31:1 he says woe to those who go down to Egypt for help who rely on horses who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their Horsemen but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek help from the Lord Isaiah was trying to show the king and the people that trusting in other nations would not save them only God could truly protect them he wanted them to understand that their choices had consequences and that seeking help in the wrong place would only bring more problems Isaiah's advice wasn't always easy to follow sometimes it seemed safer to rely on armies and alliances than on a god they couldn't see but Isaiah kept reminding the people that God had already done incredible things for them in the past and that he would continue to take care of them if they trusted in him in chapter 37 when Assyria actually attacked Judah we see how important Isaiah's advice was Hezekiah prayed to God for help instead of relying on human alliances and God miraculously saved Jerusalem through all these these events the healing of Hezekiah the miracle of the son's Shadow and the protection from Assyria Isaiah kept showing the people God's power and faithfulness he wanted them to understand that God was in control of everything even the great Empires and the events of History Isaiah's messages weren't just for that time but they would remain important for future Generations including ours they remind us to trust in God in every situation even when things seem difficult or scary besides speaking to the people of Judah Isaiah also had messages from God for other nations these messages are called oracles and many of them talked about the judgments that would come upon these countries one of the most important Nations Isaiah mentioned was Babylon in chapter 13: 1 and 2 Isaiah begins a prophecy against Babylon that I Isaiah son of AOS saw raise a banner on a bare Hilltop shout to them beckon to them to enter the gates of the Nobles at that time Babylon was growing more powerful but Isaiah was saying that one day it would fall he described how God would use other armies to bring Babylon down this was an important message because it showed that no Empire no matter how strong it seemed was greater than God Isa isah also spoke about Egypt and Ethiopia which were important Nations to the south in Chapter 19 Verse one he says a prophecy against Egypt see the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt the idols of Egypt tremble before him and the hearts of the Egyptians Melt With Fear Isaiah was saying that God would judge Egypt causing the
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How-tos
1. How to Understand Isaiah's Prophetic Messages
2. How to Explore the Teachings of Isaiah the Prophet
Listicles
3. 5 Key Lessons from the Prophet Isaiah
4. 7 Insights into Isaiah's Role in Salvation
Other
6. Isaiah: The Prophet Who Foretold Salvation and Justice
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