Isaiah: Lesson 1
Overview
Isaiah as a "Little Bible"
The book of Isaiah, which begins around 740 B.C., is often described as a Bible in miniature: 66 chapters that divide naturally into 39 and 27, mirroring the shape of the canon itself. Luther summarized Isaiah's purpose in two movements—to rebuke sin and idolatry, and to prepare God's people for the coming of Christ. Both movements run through the entire book, and they shape how we are meant to read it today.
The Social and Spiritual Setting
Isaiah's ministry begins in the shadow of King Uzziah, whose 52-year reign in Judah brought building projects, agricultural reform, and reclaimed territory. Yet prosperity gave way to pride. Uzziah "grew proud, to his destruction" and presumed to take on a priestly role reserved by God's law for the priests alone 2 Chronicles 26:16. A river cannot rise above its source, and the king's spiritual sickness spread through the people. Isaiah opens by indicting a nation that has turned its back on God, sick with sin from head to foot, its rebellion pervasive, its leaders corrupt, its widows and orphans neglected (Isaiah 1:3-6; Isaiah 1:21). Into this mess God sends a prophet.
The Call of Isaiah
In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, the seraphim crying "Holy, holy, holy," covering themselves before God's blazing purity Isaiah 6. Every encounter with the holiness of God in Scripture is traumatic—Peter on the lake falling at Jesus' knees Luke 5:8, the disciples on the mount of Transfiguration falling on their faces Matthew 17:1-8, Isaiah crying, "Woe is me! I am lost." Notice that Isaiah confesses not only his own sin but the sin of his people: "I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Biblical faith is communal, not merely individual; we belong to one another and bear one another's burdens before God. Then comes absolution—the live coal from the altar—and only then the sending: "Here am I! Send me!" This is the very rhythm of Christian worship: confession, absolution, and being sent in peace to serve the Lord.
Law and Gospel in Isaiah
The first 39 chapters lean heavily on the law, and we need them to. Sin tempts us in two opposite directions: the libertine celebrates sin, and the legalist conceals it; neither one confesses. As John writes, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves" 1 John 1:8. The law crushes that self-deception, and "the LORD is near to the brokenhearted" Psalm 34:18. Faithful preaching always proclaims both law and gospel—not motivational talk, but the word that convicts and the word that saves. For Isaiah is also the great evangelist of the Old Testament. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" Isaiah 1:18. Even when judgment leaves only a stump, "the holy seed is its stump" Isaiah 6:13—a remnant from which the Messiah will come. The virgin will conceive and bear a son called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23). The Suffering Servant will bear our iniquities and "see light" in resurrection Isaiah 53:11. And in Christ, those once far off—Jew and Gentile alike—are brought near by his blood Ephesians 2:11-14.
Pastoral Application
Isaiah invites us first to honest confession, both personal and communal. Pride hardens kings and congregations alike, and only the holiness of God exposes how deeply we need a Savior. But Isaiah also invites us to lift our eyes: the same God who shows us our sin places the burning coal of forgiveness on our lips and sends us out in peace. Like the prophet, our response to grace is simple and ready: "Here am I. Send me."
Transcript
Let's pray together, please. 3s
Versatile Lord, you open the prophet Isaiah's eyes so that he could see the wonders of heaven 8s
and learn his calling here on earth. 15s
Open now our eyes that we may read and understand Isaiah's heavenly prophecies. 19s
Lead us to see your calling for our lives here on earth. 25s
If the prophet's words be upon our lips as a burning, purifying fire, 30s
and the message of salvation for all nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. 36s
Well, welcome to a new cycle of adult education. 44s
Rally day is always a great day, isn't it? 48s
In the life of the congregation, and I'm very, very excited about this new cycle. 50s
Of adult classes, that's going to extend through May 19th of 2024. 57s
We've been showing you the topics here for a couple of weeks, 64s
and it's just going to be a great, great cycle. 68s
We open up here this cycle with a study on the first 33 chapters of the book of Isaiah. 72s
For the next nine weeks, I'm going to be with you here, 80s
and then we'll return to the second part of Isaiah, 84s
the next 33 chapters at the end of January. 88s
When you look at the book of Isaiah, it really is structured like a little Bible. 94s
There are 66 books in the Bible, 99s
and Isaiah can be divided in terms of 39, the first 39 chapters, 103s
and the next 27 chapters. 110s
Now, we're going to do 33 and 33, so it's not a perfect division, 114s
but it'll be 39 and 27 is the best way to divide Isaiah. 120s
You've got Isaiah Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. 127s
Those are considered the major prophets in the Old Testament. 131s
The term major is applied to them, not because they're more important, 135s
but because they're simply longer. 140s
And so we're going to study one of these major prophets, 144s
which is Isaiah. Isaiah began his ministry 740 years before the birth of our Lord. 147s
And Luther said that Isaiah accomplished two things here in this book that God inspired. 157s
One is to rebuke sin and idolatry, and secondly, it is to prophesy and prepare the people 165s
for the coming of the Christ. So to rebuke sin and idolatry and also to prepare the people for 174s
the coming of the Christ. Well, today I want to lay some pavement here that we're going to go 182s
over in these weeks ahead. I want to take a look with you at the social setting of this book, 190s
the social setting of the book. We're going to take a look at the call of Isaiah. 204s
And then we're going to see how law and gospel is so much a part of this book. 213s
So we'll set the social setting. We'll see the call of Isaiah. 223s
And then we're going to see how law and gospel is so much a part of the book of Isaiah. 227s
King Uzziah reigned in Judah, the kingdom of Judah for 52 years. 236s
And Uzziah did a lot of good things. One of the things that Uzziah did is he had a building 244s
program. And that led to a sense of pride of the people of Judah. They were filled with pride 252s
at this building that was going on. Secondly, Uzziah had a series of agricultural reforms. 260s
And that led to the insurance of the feeding of the people. It also led to really massive 270s
employment of unskilled labor that was really well received in the kingdom of Judah. 280s
So you had a building project here. You had these agricultural policies that led to positive 288s
results. You also had the reclaiming of territory that had been lost. 296s
So when you look at King Uzziah's reign, King Uzziah did some really good things. 303s
But as one author puts it, King Uzziah started to believe his own publicity. 315s
And King Uzziah believed that he was above the law, that he was above the law of God. 325s
The King believed that he could do whatever he wanted to do, because he was King. 337s
Second Chronicles, the 26th chapter, says. But when he was strong, he grew proud to his destruction. 346s
For he was unfaithful to the Lord, his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense 357s
on the altar of incense. God had specified clearly in his law that that was to be done by the 365s
priests and the priests only. But the King thought, I can do whatever it is, I want to do. 375s
And so he goes in and does what was reserved for the priests. There's an old phrase that said, 387s
A river can't rise above its source. A river can't rise above its source. And so we see then, 397s
in the spiritual lacking with regard to King Uzziah, we see that then reflected in the kingdom. 410s
We see then that even though the Lord had raised this people as his children, 422s
they didn't know him. Let's take a look, please. At Isaiah, the very first chapter, 430s
good way to find the book of Isaiah is to open up to the middle of your Bible, to the book of 436s
Psalms, and start to move right. So you have Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, 441s
then you've got Isaiah. Isaiah, the first chapter, please. 448s
So we see now the spiritual sickness of King Uzziah, and we see it reflected in the people that he led. 457s
Isaiah, chapter 1, verses beginning with verse 3. 469s
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey, its master's crib. But Israel does not know my people. 475s
Do not understand. Osinful nation, people laden with an equity off spring, who do evil. 485s
Children who deal corruptly, who forsake in the Lord, who have despised the holy one of Israel, 494s
who are utterly estranged. The first thing then that we see from the people is that they had turned 502s
their backs on God. Secondly, we see that they were sick with sin, verse 5. 509s
Why do you seek further beatings? Why do you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, 521s
and the whole heart faint. We see that their rebellion is absolutely pervasive, 529s
verse 6. From the soul of the foot even to the head there's no soundness in it. 539s
But bruises and sores and bleeding wounds, they've not been drained or bound up or softened 546s
with oil. They had turned their back to God, they were sick with sin, the rebellion was pervasive, 554s
and God's bride had become a prostitute. Their actions deplorable. 564s
Chapter 1, verse 21. How the faithful city has become a whore. 573s
She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. 582s
Verse 21. Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water, your princes are rebels, 589s
and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, 597s
and the widow's cause does not come before them. Kingdom of Judah, and its leader, 606s
the mess. It's an absolute mess. And so God sent prophets to confront the people with regard 617s
to their sin and to warn them to repent. Let's go now to Chapter 6, because in this first session 629s
with you I want to tie chapters 1 and 6 together. The next week we'll loop back to 2 and 5. 638s
Because this gives us the setting here in terms of King Luzaya, in terms of what was going on, 646s
it's the social setting, it's the political setting, it's the spiritual setting here of the Kingdom 655s
of Judah, and now we go to the call of Isaiah. Chapter 6, verse 1. 660s
In the year that King Luzaya died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty. 670s
At the hem of his robe filled the temple. In the year that King Luzaya died, I saw the Lord 676s
sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Now this is, 683s
this is most likely a vision here. It's probably similar here to what we see, for example, 690s
Peter experiencing and acts the 10th chapter, or Paul experiencing in 2 Corinthians, the 12th 697s
chapter, or John as he receives the revelation in the book of Revelation. And Isaiah tells us here 704s
how he received this call. Going on in verse 2. 713s
Seraphs were in attendance above him. Each had six wings, with two they covered their faces, 719s
and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said 725s
holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. You know, 732s
they hem holy, holy, holy. There's the origin of it right here. And notice here how the seraphs 741s
are covering themselves. They're covering their faces, they're covering their feet here, 748s
they're covering themselves. Why is that? Because because God is so holy, they don't, 754s
they don't look upon him. They cover themselves in the presence of a, of a holy God. Verse 4. 762s
The pithets on a thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house was filled with 771s
smoke. An encounter with the holiness of God that we see in Scripture is a traumatic 780s
experience, traumatic experience. Why look at verse 5, and I said, whoa is me? I'm lost 793s
for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, 803s
yet my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts, encountering the holy God, traumatic. 810s
Let's go over to Matthew the 17th chapter, new testament, very first book, Matthew chapter 17, 820s
verse 1. And here is the story of the transfiguration in which God, in which Jesus reveals his post-easter 832s
glory. Here he hasn't gone to the cross yet, so this is a revelation of his post-easter glory. 842s
And Matthew the 17th chapter, verse 1. 848s
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high 855s
mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his 860s
clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, there appeared to them Moses on a lide, a talking with him. 868s
Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three 875s
dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 881s
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them in the voice, 887s
from the cloud, and from the cloud of voice said, this is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well 891s
pleased, listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome 898s
by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, get up and do not be afraid, and when they looked 907s
up, they saw no one except Jesus himself. Encounter with the holiness of God is traumatic. 914s
Let's go over to Luke the 5th chapter, please. Luke chapter 5. 922s
Verse 1. 932s
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Ganesheret and the crowd was pressing 941s
in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake, 945s
the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 951s
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little 954s
wave from the shore, and he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 960s
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into the deep water and let down your 966s
nets for a catch. Simon answered, master, we've worked all night long but have caught nothing, 970s
yet if you say so, I'll let down the nets. When they had done this, they caught so many fish that 977s
their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners and the other boat to come 982s
and help them and they came and filled both boats so that they began to sink. 988s
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, go away from me, Lord, 993s
for I am a sinful man. Experiencing the holiness of God is traumatic. 999s
One last reference here. Let's go back to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 5. 1008s
Isaiah 6 verse 5 again and I saw and I said, whoa is me, I'm lost. 1020s
For I'm a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen 1028s
the king, the Lord of hosts. The response is despair when allowed to see the holiness of God 1035s
because we are forced to reckon with the depth and breadth and height of our own sinfulness. 1049s
And notice what Isaiah does here. He not only confesses his own sin, 1059s
but he confesses the sin of the people. That is really instructive for us. We live in a culture 1065s
in which is very individualistic, very individualistic. You hear about rugged American individualism. 1078s
You hear all of that. That is really not a biblical view of society. A biblical view of society 1088s
is communal. A biblical view of society is we belong to one another. We are part of one another. 1097s
So our culture with its emphasis on individualism, it's not a biblical understanding of society. 1108s
What Isaiah does is he confesses not only his own sin, but he also confesses the sin of the community 1116s
because he correctly understands that they're all joined together. It's not just Isaiah and the Lord. 1126s
You see, but it is this communal understanding of society. 1136s
What comes then is the word of absolution, verse 6. Then what are the seraphs, 1144s
flew to me holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs? 1150s
Seraph touched my mouth with it and said, now that this is touched your lips, your guilt has departed 1156s
and your sin is blotted out. There's absolution, and now notice the response, verse 8. 1164s
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? And I said, 1174s
here am I, send me. That is really the rhythm of our worship, is it not? We come and what is 1182s
the first thing that we do? We have the opening him and then we're right into confession and we 1194s
receive the absolution. And through the service we are empowered through word and sacrament to 1199s
then go forth in ministry. How does the service end? Go in peace and what? Serve the Lord. Here we are, 1206s
send me. We receive absolution and we are then sent forth in ministry. 1215s
Well, what was God's response to the willing words here of Isaiah? What was the response here 1223s
to these willing words? What he reveals is how unsuccessful Isaiah is going to be. 1232s
So Isaiah says, here am I, send me, and then God tells it. And this is the way it's going to be. 1242s
It's going to be, look at verse 9 here of chapter 6. 1249s
And he said, go and say to this people, keep listening but do not comprehend. 1255s
Keep looking but do not understand. Make the mind of this people dull and stop their ears and 1264s
shut their eyes so that they may not look with their eyes and listen with their ears and 1272s
comprehend with their minds and turn and be healed. Then I said, how long, Lord? And he said, 1279s
until cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without people and the land is utterly 1288s
desolate. Until the Lord sends everyone far away and vast is the emptiness in the midst 1298s
of the land. God will put the words in Isaiah's mouth and God will also make sure that no one listens 1306s
to it. Because God is preparing the people for judgment, for judgment. Look again at verse 9. 1321s
And he said, go and say to this people. Notice that God doesn't say, go and say to my people, 1331s
says go and say to this people, that separation language, isn't it? And there's separation here 1343s
because God sees their sinfulness. So we see then the social, political, and spiritual situation. 1354s
We see now the call of Isaiah to address the social, political, and spiritual. 1365s
We also see that Isaiah here is given the task of proclaiming, indeed, that judgment will come 1373s
because he's given the words, but God will also keep the people from hearing. Like the rest of 1383s
Scripture, we see in Isaiah law and gospel. Overwhelmingly, the first 39 chapters of Isaiah has to do with 1392s
the law. Overwhelming. When we become comfortable in our sin, which is our sinful tendency, 1406s
to become quite comfortable with it, to justify it, the law comes and confronts us. It shows us 1419s
our sinfulness. The people of all need of the law and we need the law. We need that 1428s
because we are tempted to be liberty. We are tempted to embrace lawlessness. The liberty 1439s
celebrates sin, celebrates it. The liberty says, sins a good thing. The liberty celebrates it. 1453s
The opposite of the liberty is the legalist. The legalist conceals sin. So the liberty celebrates it 1464s
and the legalist conceals it and delights in supposed triumphs over sin. As Matthew Richard puts it, 1478s
neither the liberty or the legalist confess, they just celebrate or conceal. You see, we need the law 1490s
because we too have the tendency to either be the liberty or the legalist. Take a look with 1508s
it. At first John, chapter 1, good way to find that. In the New Testament, go to the book of Revelation, 1518s
work backwards here and you're very quickly going to run into first John, first John, 1526s
chapter 1, verse 8. 1533s
And John writes this, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not 1545s
in us. Sounds familiar? Well, there's part of our confession, right? How beautiful it is when 1554s
when the liturgy keeps echoing that which God speaks to us. And so we speak back that to which God 1563s
has already given us. The truth is not in the liberty. The truth is not in the legalist. The truth 1572s
is not in us when we celebrate sin or when we simply conceal sin. The truth is not in us. Let's 1580s
go to Psalm 34, Psalm 34, verse 18, Psalm 34, verse 18. 1591s
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. The law does to us. 1614s
In front of us of our sin, we're crushed by the law. We see our inability to save ourselves. 1626s
Worth it, ox, Lutheran preaching. You'll hear law and gospel. Hear law and gospel. 1635s
The sermon is not a motivational talk. I'm not a motivational nor is pastoralic, a motivational 1643s
speaker. See, and pastors increasingly are taking on that role. It departs from what the 1651s
call of a pastor is to faithfully proclaim the word and the word is law and gospel. And the word 1661s
must be rightly divided between law and gospel. And so in every sermon, you're going to hear the law. 1667s
And in every sermon, you're going to hear the gospel. Because if we don't hear the law 1675s
that convicts us of our sin, we don't need a savior from our sin. You see, if the proclamation 1682s
is simply a motivational talk of how wonderful we are, we don't need Jesus. We don't. 1693s
That's why in Orthodox Lutheran preaching, it's always law and in always gospel. You'll hear it again 1704s
in the sermon. If you haven't heard it yet, you'll hear when I get to the law section and 1713s
save yourself. There it is. There it is. Because that law, we need it. We need it. Or we don't need 1721s
Jesus. What we see here in Isaiah is law. And we're also going to see in Isaiah, gospel. 1733s
Because God longs to show is mercy. Let's go back to chapter 1 of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18. 1744s
Come now. Let us argue it out. Says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, 1770s
they shall be like snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 1778s
God longs to show his mercy. Let's go over back to chapter 6 of Isaiah. 1787s
Verse 11. 1803s
Then I said, how long will Lord? And He said, until cities lie waste without 1807s
inhabitant and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate. Until the Lord sends 1810s
everyone far away and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land. Even if a tenth part 1818s
remain in it, it will be burned again like a terabenth or an oak whose stump remains standing 1826s
when it is felled. Catch this. The holy seed is its stump. That's God saying that indeed he will 1834s
save a remnant. And the holy seed comes from the remnant and who is the holy seed? But the Lord 1848s
Jesus Christ who dies for the sin of the world. Isaiah then is also known as the prophet of the 1858s
he's also known as the evangelist of the Old Testament. No prophet is quoted more in the New 1871s
Testament than Isaiah. So we're going to hear law and we're also going to hear gospel. 1882s
Let me just peek ahead to the good news. Let's go to Matthew chapter 1, verse 18, Matthew chapter 1, 1896s
verse 18. 1915s
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way when his mother Mary had been engaged to 1922s
Joseph but before they lived together. She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 1927s
Her husband Joseph being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace 1933s
planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord 1938s
appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife 1943s
for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you are to name 1949s
him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been 1955s
spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Look the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they 1962s
shall name him Emmanuel and that's Isaiah 714. There's law in Isaiah. There's also gospel in Isaiah. 1968s
Let's go to Ephesians the second chapter. Matthew Mark Luke John, Acts and Romans. First and 1981s
Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11. 1992s
So then remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth called the uncircumcision by those who 2003s
were called the circumcision, a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands. 2008s
Remember that you were at that time without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel 2014s
and strangers to the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world. 2019s
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 2026s
For he is our peace. In his flesh he became both he in his flesh he has made both groups into one 2034s
and has broken down the dividing wall that is the hostility between us. And the peace that is 2045s
referenced here is what we'll read about in Isaiah the 9 chapter verses 6 to 7. 2053s
Let's go to Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53. 2063s
For the sake of the time I won't read the whole section. But you can start in verse 3, 2085s
read it all the way down. You come to verse 11 out of his anguish, 2092s
he shall see light. He shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one my servant 2097s
shall make many righteous and he shall bear their iniquities. And what we see in Isaiah the 53rd 2104s
chapter is a prophecy with regard to the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ and that he will see light 2113s
which is a prophecy of his resurrection. Back to Isaiah 6 now. 2119s
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw verse 1 the Lord sitting on a throne high and lofty 2135s
and the hell of his robe filled the temple. Serif's were in attendance above him each had six wings 2141s
with two they covered their faces and with two they covered their feet and two they flew. 2148s
And one called to another and said holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is 2154s
full of his glory. The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called and the 2160s
house filled with smoke. And I said, woe's me I'm lost. From a man of unclean lips and I live 2167s
among the people of unclean lips yet my eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts. 2174s
And one of the serif's flew to me holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with 2182s
a pair of tongs. The serif touched my mouth with it and said now that this has touched your lips, 2188s
your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 2194s
whom shall I send and who will go for us? And I said, hero my send me. And so we'll follow in the 2202s
footsteps of Isaiah. We're going to see the amazing ministry of his witness and we're going to see 2213s
an even greater message. We'll continue with chapters two through five next Sunday. 2221s
and 2238s