Theological Message
Introduction It is an arduous task to determine the theological message of Isaiah. This undertaking directs the biblical scholar to rely on the viewpoints by an assortment of theologians. Nevertheless, it is the biblical scholar’s duty to make an effort to discover on his or her own what the theological message is. This analysis will attempt to discover the theological message of Isaiah by examining the book of Isaiah. However, the viewpoints from an assortment of theologians will provide a part of the outline to the analysis. After examining the book of Isaiah and scholars of Isaiah the theological message is that God will bring judgment upon the sinful world and salvation will come to God’s people who place their trust in Him.
Theological Message J.J. M. Roberts writes that the central premise of the book of Isaiah “is the vision of Yahweh as the Holy One of Israel.” Without a doubt the central premise of the …show more content…
book of Isaiah, is the holiness of God. Yet, it seems that Isaiah uses the holiness of God to establish a more thorough theological message. Robert’s study on Isaiah’s meaning is based on Isaiah chapter 6, “The whole scene may be seen as an explication of what the seraphs meant when they proclaimed Yahweh as holy.” There is no doubt that Isaiah’s trademark title for God the “Holy One of Israel” connects with His call. But to characterize the entire book message as the “Holy One of Israel” provides a restraint on the proper exegesis of the book.
The first task of Isaiah provides more than just an explanation of “Holy One of Israel.” The book of Isaiah additionally concentrates on how people should answer to the holiness of God. However, the details of His holiness is essential to know when His people to respond to Him. Conversely, the reader doesn’t need to divide the book up into several parts. Isaiah illustrates the basic answer to responding to the holiness of God and the result of that answer. Larry M. Taylor writes, “This prophecy is about God and his way with his people.” It’s too narrow to state the theme of Isaiah “is the vision of Yahweh as the Holy One of Israel.” However, the central premise of the book should incorporate the understanding of His holiness. Accordingly, the central premise should be recognized as, the Holy One of Israel will bring judgment upon the sinful world and salvation will come to God’s people who place their trust in Him. Barry G. Webb recognized two important features to the book’s message. “The first commits Isaiah to a ministry of judgment, the second to a ministry of comfort; and these become the dominant notes of the first and second halves of the book respectively.” These two key aspects introduce God’s judgment and His salvation to humanity as the central premise of the book of Isaiah. Webb also emphasizes three areas pertaining to these two features in Isaiah. The first one is the discipline that is brought upon the people of Judah and Jerusalem, secondly, Isaiah’s characteristic description of God as ‘the Holy One of Israel,’ and lastly, that it was God’s intention that His blessing would flow out of Israel and into the world. Comparing Roberts and Webb the same central premise is described, yet the difference generally exists in the manner one comprehends them. John N. Oswalt’s examination seems to be the most appropriate in regards to the central premise of the book. He writes, “The book of Isaiah is rather like a modern symphony, with themes appearing and reappearing in fascinating harmony.”
God’s Judgment and Salvation The exchange among the topic of judgment and salvation starts with Isaiah 1:1-15, 21-24, and 28-31. There is an intimate union between the two as salvation which is the subject in Isaiah 1:16-20, and 25-27. The alternating among judgment and salvation carries on all through Isaiah 1-5. God’s judgment and salvation is found throughout the book of Isaiah, judgment is prominent in Isaiah 7-39 and salvation is prominent in Isaiah 40-66.
The reasoning behind the back and forth among judgment and salvation isn’t just a structure that is used by Isaiah to convey the message. It assists with the study of the doctrine of salvation. Salvation for Israel can only come after God’s judgment. Webb supports this by stating, “salvation emerges out of judgment and is possible only because of it.” God tells the prophet Isaiah that salvation isn’t established by preventing His impending judgment, but it is established through His judgment. Very much like how Isaiah in chapter 6 saw himself as unclean, then becoming cleansed and forgiven in order for God to send him to proclaim His message. God is preparing Israel to be a blessing to all nations by cleansing the people. The theological message between judgment and salvation only increases the urgency to seek out, believe, trust and be obedient to the Word of God.
Trust and Rebellion Along with judgment in Isaiah 7-39, there is also a matter of trust. Furthermore, besides the premise of salvation found in Isaiah 40-66, there is the idea of rebellion. Isaiah combines opposites together with judgment and salvation as well as judgment and trust and salvation and rebellion. The difference of trust and rebellion are given throughout Isaiah 1. The topic of trust is extended all through the Isaiah 1-39. Isaiah 7-39 objective is to demonstrate the utmost trust and dependence upon God considering the rebellion of the people. The depiction of God’s trust comes to a climax in His deliverance (Isaiah 12:3). Nonetheless, although God showed His trust by delivering His people, they still disobeyed and rebelled, which develops into prominence in Isaiah 40-66. “Thus the book ends on the same note with which it began: Surrendering to the Creator-Redeemer in trust is the height of wisdom, whereas rebellion against him is the height of folly.” The central premise of judgment and salvation is appropriate with the required response that decides the just and holy God’s judgment.
Uniqueness of God Comparable to the importance Robert’s had given to the holiness of God throughout Isaiah. There is not one book in the Bible that looks upon the uniqueness of God as compellingly as the book of Isaiah. In chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah, Oswalt acknowledged the magnitude of the holiness of God, yet Oswalt correctly identified the importance of its objective within the central premise of the theological message of the book of Isaiah. Nevertheless, if God had no holiness, all the other particular topics wouldn’t flow properly from each other, and so it is vital to identify its benefit to the central premise of the book of Isaiah. The concept of the holiness of God is spread all over Isaiah. In chapter 6 of Isaiah, the prophet reminds the people of Israel, that only God is worthy of worship, and in chapter 19 Isaiah shows that worshiping false idols will bring condemnation. In Isaiah 7-39, God frequently confronts false idols to demonstrate that they are unworthy of worship, and the assertions made by the additional topics mentioned frequently serve as an understanding that it is only through the one true God that one can put their trust in for their salvation.
Righteousness The term “righteousness” in Isaiah is so obviously apparent that it’s an essential topic covered in the book Isaiah, it shows up approximately 48 times in the ESV Translation. Although the term righteousness is covered throughout all of Isaiah, it’s particularly accentuated in Isaiah 1:21-27 and chapters 32-33. In the passages in the first half of Isaiah, he stresses the practical, transforming power of God’s grace that is needed for righteousness (Isaiah 33:15). Still, it’s obvious that the people of Israel did not and could not live obediently to the Word of God. The following portion of the book of Isaiah 40-55 targets God’s righteousness, basically instructing salvation occurs for God’s righteousness and that the righteousness of the people will come through His righteousness. To be more specific, the servant’s righteous obedience enables people to be put right with God (Isaiah 53:11). Throughout the last portion of Isaiah, the true people of God will inherit all of His promises, which are universally inclusive to everyone who holds fast to His everlasting covenant, regardless of their outward, and visible disqualification (Isaiah 56:3-8). “God himself will defeat the enemy of sin and enable us to live lives of righteousness before the world.” Israel can’t be synonymous with God’s chosen people anymore. Instead, it must be determined by their relationship with the Suffering Servant.
Conclusion A comprehensive examination at the book of Isaiah necessitates the central premise to be generally comprehended, integrating all of its components into a single theological message. After evaluating all of the prominent topics in the book of Isaiah, the central premise occurs to be the instruction that God, Holy One of Israel will guide the rebellious people to judgment and those who are obedient to the Word of God and place their trust in Him will earn salvation. The numerous inferences of the central premise is conveyed in the illustration of the uniqueness of the holiness of God, the prospect of God and His salvation to people all over the of the world, and the idea of righteousness.
Bibliography
Lessing, R.
Reed. “Preaching from Isaiah 56-66.” Concordia Journal 39, no. 1 (Winter 2013): 46-54. Accessed December 18, 2015.http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=66bc0a8a-fb1a-499c-b92f-0dfb46355ff4%40sessionmgr112&vid=18&hid=118.
Oswalt, John N. Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
Roberts, J.J. M. “Isaiah in Old Testament.” Interpretation 36, no. 2 (April 1982): 130-43. Accessed December 15, 2015.http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7cdf3810-1a81-47c4-bcc2-a5786539e258%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4109.
Taylor, Larry M. “The Holy One of Israel is Savior: Theological Themes in Isaiah.”Southwestern Journal of Theology 34, no. 1 (Fall 1991): 13-19. Accessed December 15, 2015.http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=7cdf3810-1a81-47c4-bcc2-a5786539e258%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4109. Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press,
1996.
Theological Message J.J. M. Roberts writes that the central premise of the book of Isaiah “is the vision of Yahweh as the Holy One of Israel.” Without a doubt the central premise of the …show more content…
book of Isaiah, is the holiness of God. Yet, it seems that Isaiah uses the holiness of God to establish a more thorough theological message. Robert’s study on Isaiah’s meaning is based on Isaiah chapter 6, “The whole scene may be seen as an explication of what the seraphs meant when they proclaimed Yahweh as holy.” There is no doubt that Isaiah’s trademark title for God the “Holy One of Israel” connects with His call. But to characterize the entire book message as the “Holy One of Israel” provides a restraint on the proper exegesis of the book.
The first task of Isaiah provides more than just an explanation of “Holy One of Israel.” The book of Isaiah additionally concentrates on how people should answer to the holiness of God. However, the details of His holiness is essential to know when His people to respond to Him. Conversely, the reader doesn’t need to divide the book up into several parts. Isaiah illustrates the basic answer to responding to the holiness of God and the result of that answer. Larry M. Taylor writes, “This prophecy is about God and his way with his people.” It’s too narrow to state the theme of Isaiah “is the vision of Yahweh as the Holy One of Israel.” However, the central premise of the book should incorporate the understanding of His holiness. Accordingly, the central premise should be recognized as, the Holy One of Israel will bring judgment upon the sinful world and salvation will come to God’s people who place their trust in Him. Barry G. Webb recognized two important features to the book’s message. “The first commits Isaiah to a ministry of judgment, the second to a ministry of comfort; and these become the dominant notes of the first and second halves of the book respectively.” These two key aspects introduce God’s judgment and His salvation to humanity as the central premise of the book of Isaiah. Webb also emphasizes three areas pertaining to these two features in Isaiah. The first one is the discipline that is brought upon the people of Judah and Jerusalem, secondly, Isaiah’s characteristic description of God as ‘the Holy One of Israel,’ and lastly, that it was God’s intention that His blessing would flow out of Israel and into the world. Comparing Roberts and Webb the same central premise is described, yet the difference generally exists in the manner one comprehends them. John N. Oswalt’s examination seems to be the most appropriate in regards to the central premise of the book. He writes, “The book of Isaiah is rather like a modern symphony, with themes appearing and reappearing in fascinating harmony.”
God’s Judgment and Salvation The exchange among the topic of judgment and salvation starts with Isaiah 1:1-15, 21-24, and 28-31. There is an intimate union between the two as salvation which is the subject in Isaiah 1:16-20, and 25-27. The alternating among judgment and salvation carries on all through Isaiah 1-5. God’s judgment and salvation is found throughout the book of Isaiah, judgment is prominent in Isaiah 7-39 and salvation is prominent in Isaiah 40-66.
The reasoning behind the back and forth among judgment and salvation isn’t just a structure that is used by Isaiah to convey the message. It assists with the study of the doctrine of salvation. Salvation for Israel can only come after God’s judgment. Webb supports this by stating, “salvation emerges out of judgment and is possible only because of it.” God tells the prophet Isaiah that salvation isn’t established by preventing His impending judgment, but it is established through His judgment. Very much like how Isaiah in chapter 6 saw himself as unclean, then becoming cleansed and forgiven in order for God to send him to proclaim His message. God is preparing Israel to be a blessing to all nations by cleansing the people. The theological message between judgment and salvation only increases the urgency to seek out, believe, trust and be obedient to the Word of God.
Trust and Rebellion Along with judgment in Isaiah 7-39, there is also a matter of trust. Furthermore, besides the premise of salvation found in Isaiah 40-66, there is the idea of rebellion. Isaiah combines opposites together with judgment and salvation as well as judgment and trust and salvation and rebellion. The difference of trust and rebellion are given throughout Isaiah 1. The topic of trust is extended all through the Isaiah 1-39. Isaiah 7-39 objective is to demonstrate the utmost trust and dependence upon God considering the rebellion of the people. The depiction of God’s trust comes to a climax in His deliverance (Isaiah 12:3). Nonetheless, although God showed His trust by delivering His people, they still disobeyed and rebelled, which develops into prominence in Isaiah 40-66. “Thus the book ends on the same note with which it began: Surrendering to the Creator-Redeemer in trust is the height of wisdom, whereas rebellion against him is the height of folly.” The central premise of judgment and salvation is appropriate with the required response that decides the just and holy God’s judgment.
Uniqueness of God Comparable to the importance Robert’s had given to the holiness of God throughout Isaiah. There is not one book in the Bible that looks upon the uniqueness of God as compellingly as the book of Isaiah. In chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah, Oswalt acknowledged the magnitude of the holiness of God, yet Oswalt correctly identified the importance of its objective within the central premise of the theological message of the book of Isaiah. Nevertheless, if God had no holiness, all the other particular topics wouldn’t flow properly from each other, and so it is vital to identify its benefit to the central premise of the book of Isaiah. The concept of the holiness of God is spread all over Isaiah. In chapter 6 of Isaiah, the prophet reminds the people of Israel, that only God is worthy of worship, and in chapter 19 Isaiah shows that worshiping false idols will bring condemnation. In Isaiah 7-39, God frequently confronts false idols to demonstrate that they are unworthy of worship, and the assertions made by the additional topics mentioned frequently serve as an understanding that it is only through the one true God that one can put their trust in for their salvation.
Righteousness The term “righteousness” in Isaiah is so obviously apparent that it’s an essential topic covered in the book Isaiah, it shows up approximately 48 times in the ESV Translation. Although the term righteousness is covered throughout all of Isaiah, it’s particularly accentuated in Isaiah 1:21-27 and chapters 32-33. In the passages in the first half of Isaiah, he stresses the practical, transforming power of God’s grace that is needed for righteousness (Isaiah 33:15). Still, it’s obvious that the people of Israel did not and could not live obediently to the Word of God. The following portion of the book of Isaiah 40-55 targets God’s righteousness, basically instructing salvation occurs for God’s righteousness and that the righteousness of the people will come through His righteousness. To be more specific, the servant’s righteous obedience enables people to be put right with God (Isaiah 53:11). Throughout the last portion of Isaiah, the true people of God will inherit all of His promises, which are universally inclusive to everyone who holds fast to His everlasting covenant, regardless of their outward, and visible disqualification (Isaiah 56:3-8). “God himself will defeat the enemy of sin and enable us to live lives of righteousness before the world.” Israel can’t be synonymous with God’s chosen people anymore. Instead, it must be determined by their relationship with the Suffering Servant.
Conclusion A comprehensive examination at the book of Isaiah necessitates the central premise to be generally comprehended, integrating all of its components into a single theological message. After evaluating all of the prominent topics in the book of Isaiah, the central premise occurs to be the instruction that God, Holy One of Israel will guide the rebellious people to judgment and those who are obedient to the Word of God and place their trust in Him will earn salvation. The numerous inferences of the central premise is conveyed in the illustration of the uniqueness of the holiness of God, the prospect of God and His salvation to people all over the of the world, and the idea of righteousness.
Bibliography
Lessing, R.
Reed. “Preaching from Isaiah 56-66.” Concordia Journal 39, no. 1 (Winter 2013): 46-54. Accessed December 18, 2015.http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=66bc0a8a-fb1a-499c-b92f-0dfb46355ff4%40sessionmgr112&vid=18&hid=118.
Oswalt, John N. Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
Roberts, J.J. M. “Isaiah in Old Testament.” Interpretation 36, no. 2 (April 1982): 130-43. Accessed December 15, 2015.http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7cdf3810-1a81-47c4-bcc2-a5786539e258%40sessionmgr4005&vid=1&hid=4109.
Taylor, Larry M. “The Holy One of Israel is Savior: Theological Themes in Isaiah.”Southwestern Journal of Theology 34, no. 1 (Fall 1991): 13-19. Accessed December 15, 2015.http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=7cdf3810-1a81-47c4-bcc2-a5786539e258%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4109. Webb, Barry G. The Message of Isaiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press,
1996.