Isaiah 40-55: Introduction Pt 2

0:00 All right, our number two what should be Romans chapter four, verse sixteen, but it will not be our number two. We go back to Isaiah forty through fifty five. As we introduce and began this lengthy study of Isaiah forty through fifty five, I'm not going to go back through all the reasons we're doing this. Let's just say preaching on Isaiah forty through fifty five leaves much to be desired, and a lot of the ways that it is handled is absolutely frightening. So we're going to try to handle Isaiah forty through fifty five and the most accurate way possible. Whether we accomplish that, I don't know, but I know we can accomplish this. By the time we're done, everyone in this room and anyone listening online should understand Isaiah forty through fifty five better than they ever have. That's the goal, and that's what we're attempting to do, all right, So we started by looking at Isaiah forty through fifty five has been given various names throughout church history, and those names are number one, Book of Comfort, Book of Consolation, number two, second Isaiah Duduro, Isaiah, number three, Look of Redemption, number four the Servants Songs plural, I think is the best way to do that. Number five, Prophecy of Restoration.

1:08 Number six, the Book of the Suffering Servant. So we looked at all of that, but then we had to stop and we had to have a discussion about the important point about the timing of events and what have we discovered That Isaiah forty through fifty five is a message of comfort for Israel and exile, but it was given before the exile, in fact, over a hundred years before. So by the time the exile occurs, Isaiah is dead and his original audience is dead. Everybody remember that. So we started breaking this down, trying to kind of create some kind of order. Isaiah's ministry occurs within the eighth century BC, between seven forty and seven hundred BC.

1:52 All right, we got that number two, the prophecy of Babylonian exile. It's a future event we talked about that. We see really the p off see more clearly in Isaiah thirty nine, six through seven, and then the comfort begins in chapter forty. So when you look at forty to fifty five, what is the one event that should transcend everything? The Babylonian exile. If you forget that, you're in trouble all right. Number three, Isaiah forty through fifty five is a message of comfort and restoration written before the exile. We talked about this. Isaiah forty through one through two is comfort, comfort, and it speaks directly to these events we talked about all of that. Number four, the Babylonian exile is five eighty six BC. Now between the first hour and the second hour, Sarah ask questions, well, how do we get seventy years?

2:41 Because if you look at the dates, it's not a full seventy years. Just remember how you start, When does the exile begin? And when does it actually end? There's a wide range there where you can fit seventy years because some say, well it begins with the first time people are deported, but they're not all taken into captivity yet. Well it ends, well when does it end? Does it end when the first group goes back? Does it end when they all go back? So when you when you put it together, you find there is a there is range for seventy years. Does that make sense? God sees it as seventy years? Would I would I like it better if it was more like it was seventy two point five, right, what I Yes, we would like it, but it's just seventy. So that's just the way it works. Okay.

3:28 So the Babylonian exile, according one source that Sarah was looking at, had it beginning whens. Like between six oh three, six, between six oh five. Well, the date that I have here is the sometimes the official date five eighty six PC. So you've got a wide range of years there where it begins. And so we talked about that, and uh so the people of Israel were in captivity for approximately seventy years and then so we looked at all of that number five the return sometimes the return scene is five thirty nine. Of course Sarah caught it. Its numbers to me, five eighty six to five thirty nine. That's seventy to me, right, okay, right, but I guess people who can actually count, you know, like, well, that's not an actual seventy. So I'm glad she brought that up because I would have not until I did the math, and then I probably would have done it incorrectly. I probably would have said it's one hundred and twenty three. Okay, So no, all right, you get the idea so the return from exile somewhere around five thirty nine BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia. Now, what did I tell you when I when I gave you the name Cyrus? Exclamation circles, lots of exclamation points. Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered the babylon and issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their home land and rebuild the temple.

4:48 And what section of scripture specifically refers to this Ezra chapter one, verses one through four. You need to have that as a handy cross reference. Because if you miss Cyrus Babylonian exile, and you miss Cyrus, you're gonna not understand Isaiah forty through fifty five? Is everybody okay with that? Right? So that's kind of like giving us a summary and overview. So now what we want to do is kind of a proper order of events. Now we're going to try to even kind of even go a step further. Right, that's kind of a good overview. Now we're going to try to put this in even in a more more specific order. Everybody ready, Isaiah's Ministry seven forty to seven hundred BC. Isaiah prophesies to the people of Judah during the time of the serious dominance, warning of future judgment and exile by Biblon, but he also offered hope of future comfort and restoration and Isaiah forty through fifty five, So basically, Isaiah tells them, Hey, Judah, judgment's coming for you.

5:46 You're going into exile, but I've got a lot of words of comfort to you. However, all of you are going to be dead before it happens, Okay, so hopefully someone's gonna remember all of this when it gets to time. All right, does that kind of make sense? Number two, So there's Isaiah's ministry seven forty to seven hundred pc. The prophecy of Babylonian exile is Isaiah thirty nine. Isaiah foretells that Babylon will one day conquer Judah and take the people into captivity. This happens more than one hundred years after Isaiah's lifetime. So we have Isaiah's ministry number one. Number two, the prophecy of the Babylonian exile, which. Happens in Isaiah thirty nine. And if you want to go to those verses in Isaiah thirty nine that mentions the exile, you can just put one hundred plus years before the event. It's about one hundred plus years before, right, Isaiah is going to be long gone at the time. Right. Number three the Babylonian exile five eighty six PC. Babylon conquers Jerusalem, destroys the temple, and takes the people of Judah into exile.

6:50 Really starts before that, but five eighty six is the number you typically are here given, all right, So that's number three. So number one Isaiah's ministry seven forty to seven h hundred. Number two the prophecy of Babylonian exile, which is Isaiah thirty nine, which is given over one hundred years before it occurs, one hundred years you know, after it's going to happen more than one hundred years after Isaiah is dead. Number three the Babylonian exile, which is five eighty six PC. Number four the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies, which are Isaiah forty through fifty five. The message of comfort in Isaiah forty through fifty five expresses particularly relevant which was particularly relevant during the Babylonian exile is it assures the people of God's plan to deliver them from exile. So really God gives the prophecy and then really kind of you can kind of say, at least the comfort becomes relevant during well, the Babylonian exile, which is what Isaiah forty through fifty five is given to and during that time, all right, then we have the return from exile, which is around five thirty nine BC, and after Cyrus of Persia conquers Babylon allows Jews to return to their homeland, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of Israel's restoration. Right, So that's just kind of just repeating what we've already said, but trying to make sure you get the timeline.

8:11 We start with Isaiah's ministry. We have this prophecy of the Babylonian exile, we have the exile, We have really Isaiah forty through fifty five, which is the words of comfort now are relevant kind of a fulfillment of those words of comfort. And then number five we have the return from exile, which is five point thirty nine BC. And after. Right, does that sound good? All right? Now? So that gives us kind of at least some insight to how we're going to try to approach this and kind of gives us some timeline and kind of gets us started. So now let's move more into kind of an introduction proper to Isaiah forty through fifty five. Now we're going to kind of get into like a proper introduction and see what we can do to take this apart. Now, here's what we're going to attempt to do. All right, We're going to study Isaiah forty through fifty five. All right, yeah, hang on here, Yeah, I'll do it this way. Yeah, Okay, I'm going to do it this way. What we're going to attempt to do, there's a lot I've got a lot of notes here, but I think what we're going to attempt to do is this. What we're going to do is we're going to attempt to look at this section and we're going to try to stay true to the text and the context.

9:37 That's what we're going to attempt to do. We are going to try to understand the text and the context everything we attempt to do. That's the goal. We're going to look at Isaiah forty through fifty five, right, and we're going to try to stay true to the text and the context. That's the goal. And if we don't accomplish that, then we have failed. If we stay. True to the text and stay true to the context, that hopefully by the time we're done, you will understand Isaiah forty through fifty five from which perspective, the perspective of what the text says and the historical, historical context in which it is found. Now, you would think everyone would want to do that, you would think, but obviously people don't. They say they do. Everyone pays lip service to that. Right you go to any church will say, well, you, when you study the Bible, you need to study it in its original context.

10:28 They say that. But something happens between saying that and doing what preaching a sermon, because the minute you get ready to preach the sermon, the original text and the original context can prove to be wide academic, tedious, not very applicable. It doesn't preach well. But if I can take the text and make it about us, and we say, oh, what a good sermon, pastor, it was so uplifting, it was so encouraging, Well, you know what, it's not uplifting and encouraging. To take something not meant for you and make.

11:10 It about you, you may find it to be uplifting and encouraging. But it's based off completely fraudulent everything is that can google everyone to be okay with to say that. I think I think we're I'm gonna be just dogmatic about that, all right, So that's what we're gonna do. I've got a lot of notes here. I'm gonna skip a lot of these notes and try to move forward, right, So I'm going to now. So, so what we've got kind of down, We've looked at the timing. I just want to really emphasize what our goal is. Our goal is to look at this and really entirely and its proper context. That's what we're going to attempt to do, and if we if we don't do that, we fail. I got a lot more notes that we could get into, but I don't necessarily want to do that because I don't want us to get sidetracked. I want us to keep that. I am going to just make sure we emphasize a couple of more things here that I think is important. All right. This entire section of Isaiah forty through fifty five is primarily a message to Israelites and Babylonian captivity. If you don't get anything else down, I want you to just see Isaiah forty through fifty five.

12:19 It's not primarily I'm just going to be very dogmatic. It is about It is for the people and Babylonian captivity. Right, what is the goal of Isaiah forty through fifty five. Then if it's about and it's two people in Babylonian captivity, what is the goal of the section. It was to offer hope and comfort to those in exile, assuring them of God's intention to restore them physically to their land and spiritually as his covenant people. All right, everybody got that stress it enough. Our goal is to put it in its proper context. And then what is the proper context?

13:05 Simply stated, Isaiah forty through fifty five is to the people and Babylonian exile, and it was meant to give them comfort, peace and hope. Who can we not then we cannot come in and do what kick them out to move in. We can't rush the cockpit, break in, remove the pilot, and fly the plane to wherever we want to go. It's not our plane. It's not for us to hijack it's for us. It's not for us to take over. Because when we rush the textual plane and the textual cockpit and remove the pilot. We're removing God.

13:48 And that's what preaching does in many cases. It removes God so that we can drive them, fly the plane to wherever we want to land. And we like some you know, beautiful island where we can sit back and just you know, have an ice drink, looking at the wash it, listening to the waves crash upon the shore, watching the sunset. And because it's all about us, but it's not about us. We don't get to take. Over the plane, all right. So here's just some interest, some things that we need to at least discuss, all right. Was the message spoken or written? Was the message spoken or written the written form of the message? Most likely the prophecies in Isaiah forty through fifty five were delivered in a written form that was later read to the exiled community, so most likely it was originally written and then it was to be read to those in captivity.

14:46 While Isaiah lived during the time of the Assyrian Empile Empire and prophesied about events affecting his own era, Isaiah forty through fifty five addresses the Babylonian XI, which wouldccur long after Isaiah's time, so most likely it was written to be then what read? That's tips that's what we at least think it was. So was the message spoken or written? It was written and then read most likely the way it was done. Some scholars believe that this section of Isaiah was either written down by Isaiah's disciples or by later followers in the Isaiah prophetic tradition who preserved and expanded his teachings. These writings would then have been available for the exiled Israelites and Babylon, So either he wrote them down or maybe his followers wrote them down. Now, if his followers wrote them down, then that would mean God gave the words to Isaiah. Isaiah then possibly spoke them, and then someone else wrote them down.

15:49 Right. Now, this gets into an issue of transmission. How does it get down? But so at some point, though everyone agrees, what then it was written down at some point? How do we know it was written down at some point? What way have it? Right? Here? So at some point it was written down? Right? Does that? Does that at least make sense? All? Right? So it was so? Obviously was the message spoken or written? You can really argue both to some level. Right, But at some point it is written down all right, Now, the transmission to the exile. Since the Babylonian exile lasted several decades, it is believed that the that Isaiah's words were preserved and passed down and written form likely carried to the exiles by religious leaders and scribes. These texts would have been read and taught among the exiles, giving them hope and reinforcing their faith in God's promise of deliverance. Additionally, the writing could have been read publicly or studied in small groups to encourage the community during their time of suffering and to remind them of God's future plans for their restoration. So how was it.

16:53 Transmit transmitted to those in exile? It could have been preaching, teaching, reading, studying, and you can understand that would have been very relevant to them. Correct. This is why we can't remove the original people. They would have been like whoa, Okay, so we do have some hope here right right? There would have been at least hopefully some hope given. Right, So we have the written form, all right, It was written and spoken and then it was transmitted to the exiles. Now, the possible, the possibility of oral tradition and teaching. There may have also been some oral transmission alongside the written text, where leaders are teachers in exile recited and taught the prophecies to the community. However, it seems that the primary method of preservation and communication was in written form, right, Does that make sense that.

17:54 Giving us a little bit more information. Now, it's just important to just note that because especially when you get into like if you if you study Catholicism, there's a lot of argument about oral tradition versus written tradition, all right, So, but in this particular case, there was a lot of speaking of it, there was a written form of it, and obviously it was preserved in writing. But what I want you to see is to try to understand. I want you to put yourself in the in their shoes, right, if you're in captivity and here's these words from God to offer some kind of comfort, those words would have meant a lot to them. And I just think it's very messed up that we want to take words that would have been so precious to them and we just literally just walk up and slap them in the face and say I'm sorry, that's for me and it's not for you.

18:46 It's just not for you. Can we learn something from it, absolutely, But learning something from it doesn't mean we make it about us. See, there's that fine line. All right. We gotta make sure we do a good enough job there, and we and we hopefully we do a goodenough job there. Right now, before we work on outlining and summarizing the entire section, we need to look some about some structural issues of the section itself, all right, So we're gonna look at some structural issues now, the division of Isaiah forty through fifty five into two sections. Typically, Isaiah forty through fifty five is broken into two sections historically, all right, Typically it's broken into two sections. Here are the two sections, Isaiah forty to forty eight, and then Isaiah forty nine through fifty five.

19:46 It's usually broken into those two sections. So you have one book forty to fifty five, and the book is broken into two parts or two sections. What a section one forty to forty eight, section two forty nine through fifty five. Why is it broken down this way? According to most people's arguments or discussion, they believe it's based on a natural progression in the text. Some scholars recognize this as a reasonable structure to help better understand the flow of the message. There seems to. Be a shift in emphasis and focus between the two parts, though they are closely related. Right, So let's look at these two sections, all right. Isaiah forty through forty eight is simply seen as God's comfort and deliverance for Israel.

20:41 This section seems to focus on Israel's redemption from Babylonian captivity, and Isaiah forty through forty eight deals primarily with Israel's immediate situation of being in exile and Babylon and God's promise to redeem them and return them to their land. So forty eight seems about God's comfort and delivers for Israel. That seems to be the focus. This section emphasizes comfort. How does this section begin? Comfort? Ye? Comfort ye? Everybody see that God's sovereignty over creation and the nations, especially in comparison to the idols that Babylon worshiped. We see this in Isaiah forty verses twelve through thirty one and Isaiah forty four six through twenty. So we have comfort.

21:27 We have sovereignty over creation and the nations, especially in comparison to idols. If you go to forty four twenty eight, what are you having? Forty four twenty eight? What are you having? Forty four twenty. Eight, forty four twenty eight. Oh, Cyrus is mentioned? Hi, do we see him mentioned? How about forty five to one? Oh? Yeah, he's called the Anointed, the Lord's annointed. Everybody says, he's literally mentioned in this section. I see, I told you why you can't forget him? All right? So the so in this section that emphasizes comfort and deliverance, what we have is God's comfort to his people. We have God's sovereignty over the nations, and we have the role of Cyrus is God's chosen instrument to defeat Babylon and allow Israel to return home. So, in other words, this is comfort and deliverance. And the deliverer himself is named Yeah, he wouldn't even have been born. Yeah, And just note that, Well, we can get into higher critical, higher criticism, and remember that's why the Fundamentals were written, because what was one of the major issues of the higher critical approach to texts that wanted to change the dating of the writing, right,

23:00 Because if you change the dating of the writing, then Isaiah is not writing prophecy. This is simply history. Right, So just understand that's one of the big issues that led to the writing of the Fundamentals, right, all right, So so Cyrus, though a Persian king, is portrayed as part of God's plan to redeem Israel from their captivity. All right, then, so you kind of see chapter forty. We have God's comfort forty verses twelve through thirty one, and forty four. In this section we have God's sovereignty over creation and really comparing him to the idols of Babylon. Then we have Cyrus mentioned specifically in forty four, twenty eight and forty five to one. Then judgment against Babylon and other nations who oppress Israel, with God reminding Israel that he is the redeemer and will bring them back.

23:48 You see this in forty seven and forty eight. So in forty seven and forty eight you have judgment against Babylon and the other nations. All of this is a section about God's comforting his people. Really all about God's comfort and deliverance, which goes forty to forty eight. Right, The primary focus in chapters forty to forty eight is on the physical redemption of Israel from babylon captivity. God is encouraging his exiled people to trust him, reminding them of his covenant, faithfulness and the power to save. The symphasis here is on historical deliverance and Israel's national restoration. I cannot stress it enough. What is the primary focus between forty and forty eight Israel's physical deliverance, their physical restoration.

24:35 You can't come in and over spiritualize this. And so a lot of the sermons that we listen to on Isaiah forty three and Isaiah forty gives almost inevitably who they are, what commentary they referenced Matthew Henry, which member I told everyone read Matthew Henry. So you can just see the other. Side of this, and it's well, that's where the problems begin. We don't take when it comes to studying the Bible, where do we take our where? Where in theory we take our cues from what the text and theory? In reality, nobody. Does because we always take our cues from everything else.

25:18 And that's that's the problem. Right, So forty through forty eight, what is it about God's comfort and deliverance? But it's physical restoration, physical deliverance, physical everything. Okay, everybody got that. Now, something changes in forty nine for the new section, and forty nine through fifty five becomes about the servant of the Lord, and it seems a broader plan of salvation is now talked about. So there's a shift that happens in forty nine, right, I don't have it in front of me. Forty nine to one, How does it begin? I'm just curious now, I should have looked it up when I was preparing. But I okay, read that again.

26:12 Okay, So some individuals being spoken of immediately, and inverse Tharyate's identified as the servant, So immediately in forty nine the servant began speaking, So immediately we see there's a shift. Does everyone see that? Yeah, So we're gonna have to do a lot of figuring that out. Yeah, But I just want you to see something changes here, all right. There's a shift in focus to the servant and spiritual redemption. So it seems in forty to forty eight it seems more physical, forty nine to fifty five seems to become more spiritual. Now we'll have to test and challenge that. Okay, we'll test and challenge that, but there is no question there's a shift all right, It continues to address israel redemption.

27:00 It also introduces a broader vision of salvation through the Servant of the Lord. Even in forty nine to one it says people from Afar, does it not? Yeah? Forty nine one says from people from Afar. So it seems to begin broadening the focus a little bit here. These chapters seem to look beyond just the immediate return from exile and speak to a future, more profound spiritual redemption that has implication for all nations. Seems to now this has a broader implication here in forty nine two fifty five. The Servant of the Lord becomes a central figure in this section. It starts in forty nine and it culminates in fifty three, So the Servant really becomes a central figure here. The Servant is not only called to restore Israel, but also to be a light to the gentiles. Look at forty nine to six and tell me if that's true. What happened in forty nine to six, I say, I light it now gentiles are being mentioned.

27:59 There's a major shift here. Does everybody see that? And then we have the suffering servant and an atonement for the sins of the people in Isaiah fifty two thirteen to fifty three twelve. So something really, I mean, you got a major difference happening here. Okay, So now we so fifty two through thirteen of fifty two thirteen to fifty three twelve introduces the concept of a vicarious suffering for the redemption of others, something that moves beyond just Israel's return from Babylon and points to a larger redemptive plan. Right, So the key theme in this section, right, and forty nine to fifty five, really, the key theme is God's global plan of redemption through his servant. Right, everybody kind of see that, everybody, okay with it? I got a lot more notes there, but I think you get the basic idea.

28:56 Right. Forty nine through fifty five expands from the immediate his historical context return from Babylon to God's global plan of spiritual restoration. The section is seen as both a promise to Israel and a prophecy of the coming Messiah, who would bring salvation not only to Israel but to all nations. Isaiah fifty four speaks of the future. Glory of Zion and God's everlasting covenant with his people, emphasizing a future time of peace and restoration, and fifty five serves as an invitation to all people to come and receive God's grace and salvation, moving beyond Israel's national restoration to a universal call. So we see, everyone can see a difference.

29:37 Right. Mainly, forty through forty eight is very would be Israel centric, Israel focused with a focus on their comfort, their redemption, and their deliverance and their restoration. Forty nine to fifty five seems to expand beyond Israel. Israel is still very a focal point here, but it calls in other nations and it now goes beyond a more physical to more spiritual concepts. Okay, so what do you not want to do? You don't want to confuse the two. You want to keep that separation so that you understand the distinction. Does that sound good? Everybody? Okay with that? Yes? All right? So we have a natural division in the text, it seems Isaiah forty through forty eight, the primary focus is on Israel's deliverance from Babylon and the physical restoration of the nation. As I just said, Cyrus is highlighted as the instrument of God's immediate purpose and strong emphasis on God's sovereignty over creation and nations, contrasting him with the idols of the world.

30:36 God's covenant with Israel as a nation is the central focus. That's forty through forty eight. However, you want to write that down. Understand forty through forty eight, right, So if you're just having lunch with someone and they start talking about Israel, or they start talking about Isaiah and they start talking about us, you can go time out. Isaiah forty through forty eight is about what bringing comfort to Israel during the time of Babylonian in exile, and it's about their physical deliverance and their physical restoration, with Cyrus being seen as a key figure into and making this happen. Agreed, all right, God's covenant with Israel out of a nation is the central focus.

31:21 Everybody got that. Now. When you get to forty nine two fifty five, the focus is on the servant of the Lord, who introduces a broader scope of salvation for both Israel and the nations. The concept of spiritual redemption becomes more prominent, especially with the suffering servant's role and atoning for sin. The promises shift from immediate physical restoration to a future spiritual blessing. Now why does this division matter? Well, the division helps highlight the two primary aspects of God's redemptive plan in Isaiah, the physical deliverance from Babylon and the spiritual redemption through the Servant. Both are connected, but they have a different emphasis and scope. So this division matters because it shows the different emphasis. It shows a progression of God's plan, the progression from Israel's immediate needs return to exile to the broader future redemption. The coming of the Servant shows how Isaiah moves from a specific promise to Israel to God's global plan of salvation.

32:24 It's a progressive revealing of the plan from the specific to the broader. Does that make sense? Also? Why does the division matter? Because while recognizing the division allows us to better respect the original context and message for Israel while understanding how the text broadens its vision to encompass all nations and future fulfillment. All right, that sound good? Areybody good with that? Right? So? Do we have a good understanding of things so far? Right? We have a pretty good understanding of the timing. Right, the timing we've gotten down, We got an understanding of being written and spoken and how it ultimately makes its way to the exiles. We've gotten that, right, we now have we have now seen the structure of Isaiah forty through fifty five.

33:21 The structure breaks down into two parts. What are the two parts forty to forty eight or forty nine through fifty five? Right? And how do we understand the distinction between the two sections? You could say one is very physical, nationalistic, about physical deliverance from Babylon, and the other one becomes more spiritual. Israel is still mentioned, but it becomes about the servant and about redemption. That goes beyond Israel. So can everyone now understand that and appreciate that? So now you already understand Isaiah forty through fifty five better than you ever have. Could just pretend that you have? All right, don't pretend that you do. All right, we still have a long ways to go. All right. Now, let's try to outline and do a summary of Isaiah forty through fifty five. Right?

34:06 Does that sound like a good idea? All right? Let's try this, all right. Isaiah forty through fifty fives called by many names, as we've already discussed them, right. Most would argue that this is a very powerful section. It focuses on God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and his promise of redemption. The section addresses the exiled Israelites with a message of hope and assurance, pointing both to their immediate release from Babylonian captivity and their future spiritual salvation through the coming servant of the Lord. So here is we're going to try to do an outline that will summarize and try to focus on some of these main concepts. Right, So you kind of already have the breakdown. This is just going to kind of go through the breakdown again. And I'm just going to be repetitive because this is how you remember it, right, And the better you remember it than anytime you read it, you can be you can avoid any of the things that happen. Right. So forty through forty eight is God's comfort and assurance of deliverance. Right, what do we Here are some of the key themes in this section. Here are the key themes in forty through forty eight. We've already talked about it being God's comfort and assurance of deliverance, have we not.

35:13 Now we're gonna look at. The key themes. Right, obviously, we know the first key theme, comfort and reassurance. That's obviously. And where do we find that chapter forty verses one through two. What is promised in forty three one through two comfort promising, restoration and forgiveness. Do we see that in forty verses went through two. Yeah? Yeah, So okay, So there's the first key theme, comfort and reassurance. Second, God's sovereignty and power. Isaiah emphasizes that God is the creator and ruler over all the nations and idols, and underscores his power and authority to say, look at Isaiah forty twelve through thirty one. Yeah, look at Isaiah forty twelve through thirty one, and see if you see some of those themes emerge. Do you see God's sovereignty and power and creator ruler? Does that show up almost immediately in that section? Yeah, He's creator who can compare to him? And that goes to verse twelve all the way to verse thirty one.

36:22 I think everyone can agree with that. All. Right, Then we have Israel's redemption from Babylon is a key theme, and we see this in chapters forty through forty eight. It focuses on God's promise to redeem Israel from babylon captivity. God assures them of his protection and restoration, promising to lead them back to their homeland. So we have Israel's redemption from Babylon in this section, comfort and reassurance, God's sovereignty and power, and his redemption redeeming Israel from Babylon. Next we see the folly of idolatry in this section. These chapters contain a strong cre of idle worship, contrasting the one True God with the powerless idols, underscoring that Israel's God, that Israel's God alone can save. Look at Isaiah forty four, look at Isaiah forty four, or had started skimming starting in verse nine, Isaiah forty four, starting in verse nine, Just start skimming and see if you see it. These chapters contain a strong critique of idle worship, contrasting the one True God with powerless idols. Right at the beginning, right forty four nine, what does that say? Yeah? You see so immediately it does that. It goes from verse nine to twenty. So another key theme in this section is the folly of idolatry. Right.

37:48 Another key theme in this section is God is Redeemer. Repeatedly, God calls himself Israel's redeemer, emphasizing his covenant love and commitment to rescue them despite their sins. Everybody ready to look at a couple of sections. Look at forty three one through seven. I think you can see him being seen as redeemer here and deliverer here. I have redeemed thee. Everybody see that. That's what forty three to one or forty three two, forty three one? Right, all right, everybody see that. Look at forty four, twenty one, forty four to twenty one, forty four to twenty one, and look at twenty one, twenty two, and twenty three.

38:32 What do we see? I have redeemed they everybody see that. Everybody see it? Okay, everybody got it? All right? So what are some of the key themes in forty to forty eight Comfort and reassurance, God's sovereignty and power, Israel's redemption from Babylon, the folly of idolatry, God is Redeemer, which is repeatedly used. Everybody got that, all right? Now, We're just gonna do kind of a very general outline of these of the chapters in forty to forty eight, You're ready. Chapter forty God's comfort for Israel and proclamation of his majesty as Creator.

39:16 If you want to semmarize forty God's comfort for Israel and proclamation of his majesty as Creator. Chapter forty one assurance of God's help and promise of deliverance from enemies. You see forty to forty one really goes with comfort and assurance? Does it not right? So forty is God's comfort for Israel and proclamation of his majesty as creator. Forty one is his assurance of God's help and a promise of deliverance from enemies. Forty two.

39:56 Some way we refer to this as an introduction of God's servant. It promises of just and a light for the nations forty two. Some would see this as an introduction of God's servant and promises of justice and light for the nations. So forty God's comfort for Israel and proclamation of Majesty's Creator forty one assurance of God's help and promise of deliverance. Forty two and introduction of God's servant, promising justice and light for the nations. Forty three God's declaration of his unique relationship with Israel and promise of redemption.

40:46 Forty three God's declaration of his unique relationship with Israel and promise of redemption. And what is the key thing to understand about their unique relationship? What's the word we need to remember? Covenant? Covenant? Okay, everyone can't forget that, right. So forty God's comfort for Israel and proclamation of his majesty as creator forty one. Assurance of God's help and promise of deliverance from in the enemies forty two, Introduction of God's servant and a promise of justice and light for the nations. Forty three God's declaration of his unique relationship with Israel and promise of redemption. And that unique relationship can be summarized in one word, which is coven It That's so key, is it not? I mean, that's key to everything. Forty four through forty five. Denunciation of idols and a prophecy of Cyrus as God's chosen instrument to release Israel from captivity. Forty four through forty five is denunciation of idols and a prophecy of Cyrus.

41:54 Everybody got that? I know, it's a lot. Forty is God's comfort for Israel and a proclamation of his Majesty's creator. Forty one is assurance of God's help and promise of deliverance from enemies. Forty two an introduction of God's servant and a promise of justice and light to the nations. Forty three, God's declaration of his unique relationship with Israel and promise of redemption. Forty four through forty five is a denunciation of idols and a prophecy of Cyrus, God's chosen instrument to release Israel from captivity. Six through forty seven Judgment against Babylon. God contrasts his eternal power with the fall of Babylon's gods.

42:42 That's forty six through forty seven judgment against Babylon. Right forty eight exhortation to listen and trust in God's plans even as he leads Israel out of exile. Now's an exhortation to listen and to trust leads them out. Now you can kind of see though, the main focus and that simple outline, that simple, simple summary, what's the focus. Hey, comfort Israel, be comforted. I'm gonna deliver you. Listen to me. I'm greater than the idols because they could have been tempted to turn two idols in the time of great suffering because they needed some help, and He's like, no, trust me, I'm greater than those idols. Those idols cannot help you. Does that all make perfect sense? Makes us a perfect progression of thought? All right?

43:34 Now? What are the main lessons in forty through forty eight? What are the main lessons in forty through forty eight? The main lessons in forty through forty eight would be God's faithfulness. Even though Israel has sin, God remains faithful to his covenant and promises to redeem them. It's God's faithfulness. It's not Who's faithfulness. It's not Israel's faithfulness. It's God's faithfulness. So what can we learn if we were to apply this to us, what can we learn? Well, praise God that God was faithful to Israel, because God will be faithful to. Us even when we are. Unfaithful. All right, So it's emphasizing God's faithfulness, not Israel's faithfulness.

44:17 Number two, God's sovereignty. God is in control over all nations and events, even using a foreign king like Cyrus as his instrument. So what does this tell us. God is sovereign even over the nations. Now, this is a perfect time to then that we could use this as a lesson for us. Right, who was in control of all of those nations and everything that happened in all of those nations? God, who is then still in control of all the nations. So then why do we worry, run around, yell, scream, get mad and think and get all caught up in everything when God is the one in control. And that's why when we get to the Book of Romans, is our what's our responsibility to governmental powers?

45:01 Just to submit? Because who put them there? God? Who put them there? Who put them there? Not us? Okay? And so when you when the government gets put there that you don't like, tough, God put them there. Take it up with God. Right, you can run and your go. It's the election was stolen. No, God put who he wanted there, Okay. So you know if it we got stolen, go blame God for letting getting stolen. And you just destroy the sovereignty of God and everything. Now, we love to believe God is sovereign when things work out our way. We're not so prone to believe in God sovereignty when it does it go our way?

45:41 Does it. Right? Another major lesson is the futility of idolatry. God exposes the uselessness of idols, reminding Israel that he is the only He's the only one worthy of worship. So what's some of the main lessons. God is faithful, God a sovereign, and idolatry is feudal, the futility foolishue, however you would like to describe it. And in hope and renewal, God reassures Israel that their captivity is not the end and he promises of future restoration. That's forty through forty eight. We got that down. Forty through forty eight. We got it. We feel pretty good with that. Everybody feel confident, all right, Now, where do we have to go? Forty nine through fifty five? Right, that's the next major section. Right now, the next major section we'll call the Servant of the Lord and Salvation for all nations. What was forty through forty eight? What did we call it? Comfort and assurance of deliverance? Right?

46:46 Everybody got that? Now? Forty nine through fifty five. Is what the Servant of the Lord and a Salvation for all nations? Forty nine forty nine through fifty five, The Servant of the Lord and Salvation for all nations. Now I am curious, can someone look at forty two Chapter forty two. I didn't write down the reference. Some sources say this is the introduction to God's Servant? Does he show up in forty two? I don't have a verse down? Okay, my servant? Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I wanted to make sure that because I didn't write down the reference, and so now I was worried that I messed up. I was worried that I was.

47:33 I had got my notes mixed up. So I was getting nervous. So that's why when I read that originally about Isaiah forty two, I was kind of hesitant, right because I'm like, did I just copy this down? Did I just mess this up? Because I typically would write a reference down, but I didn't write. I just wrote forty two. I didn't write down the verse. So forty two what verse first? Forty two to one? The servant is introduced. I just wanted to make sure, okay, okay, good, all right, there's a multiple ones. Okay, good, and we'll get well, we'll break that down more. But forty nine through fifty five is typically referred to as the section about the Servant of the Lord. So it's just so that you know that, all right, But he's introduced. Uh, the servant concept is introduced prior to So what are some of the key themes in forty nine through fifty five? You're ready for key themes? Number one, The servant of the Lord is a key theme. These chapters introduced the concept of the servant actually has been introduced earlier, but okay, a figure who will bring justice, light and salvation to Israel. This is really emphasized in forty nine to fifty three. So the key theme is the servant of the Lord forty nine through fifty three.

48:38 Everybody got that. The servant is often interpreted in Christian theology as a Messianic prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That's how it's typically understood. Now, what are we gonna do with it? We're gonna have first of all, before we start jumping to Jesus, we're gonna say how in the world would make any sense to the people at the time, Because remember, you're not offering a lot of comfort to people at the time. If you're pointing to Jesus. Right, because these people are going to be long dead. So when we refer to the servant, here's what we're gonna Does a servant always refer to the same individual, does it refer to more than one thing? And how does it fit into its historical context before we jump to Jesus. Now, do we believe that there's a Messianic aspect to it, Absolutely, but that is not the original focus at the time, right, I mean, like, okay, Jesus is coming. That would have been like, so, what the Messiah is coming five hundred years or six hundred years after you're dead? Okay, well that's wonderful, that's great. Right now, I'm in captivity. I don't really care that the Messiah is coming six hundred years from now. Doesn't help me out, right now, does it. That's not comfort. That's like, hey, guys, there's comfort coming about, you know, six hundred years from now.

50:09 And even then it didn't come right, really, it didn't come even at that time from a physical standpoint, all right, So we got that a suffering and redemption. The servant is betrayed as one who will suffer on behalf of others, taking on their sins and bringing healing. This is all about the servant. This, this is one of the key themes, the servant, the servant. The servant. The servant is often interpreted Jesus. The suffering servant is talked about in Isaiah fifty three. Then we have the theme of salvation for all nations. The scope of God's salvation expands beyond Israel to include all people, showing God's universal plan of redemption. And then guess what is a may look? Well, I'll see if we can figure this out. Everyone go to Isaiah fifty four and fifty five. Everybody go to Isaiah fifty four to fifty five. Skim it and tell me if you see a key theme emerge. I don't know how help, I don't know how clear it's seen. I know I'm taking up too much time to do this, but fifty four and fifty five, just start skimming.

51:10 Just what a key theme could jump out here? I'll help you. Is there anything in fifty four and fifty five that screams new Covenant? How does that work? Does that help you? Because a lot of people believe the key one of the key things here in fifty four and fifty five is the new Covenant? Okay, that seems about a covenant. That's some covenant. Any new covenant language.

51:51 New Covenant language is all this kind of language of what God's going to do for them. We may not see it. We may say this could be something that could be argued. Okay, well, now that's seeming to get to some possible new covenant language, is it not? What verse was that? That's fifty four thirteen? Fifty four to thirteen, Maybe getting into a little bit of new Covenant language going on. There any other new covenant language that may jump out. This is how one source puts it. You ready, God speaks of a new God speaks of a new, everlasting covenant of peace and restoration, promising a renewal relation, a renewed relationship with his people, Isaiah fifty four and fifty five. So we just want to we'll put that down as a possible key theme. Obviously, when we go through it, what will we do? We'll do a lot. We may come up with completely different conclusions and different ideas. All right, we may change our mind on some of these things. But just with the fifty four and fifty five, just put new covenant and put a question mark. And it's very important for us to discover it, right because if we find new Covenant language it deals with Israel. That's important because typically what do Christians do with new Covenant language? Make it about us, and that's a major problematic. All right, everybody got those

53:22 key themes. The Servant of the Lord. Basically, the servant is interprets Christ, suffering and redemption, the Salvation of all nations, and New Covenant. Now, let's outline the key chapters. You ready? Are you ready for a quick outline? All right? Forty nine The servants mission to restore Israel and bring Salvation to the nations. Forty nine The servants mission to restore Israel and bring Salvation to the nations. When you got it to say amen? The Servants mission, the service mission to restore Israel and bring salvation to the nations. When you have it, say amen, so I can move on the Servant's mission to restore Israel and bring salvation to the nations. Got an amen? Anybody else named me?

54:07 Repeat it? That was listening online? Sorry, rewind Okay, all right, here we go. Chapter fifty, The Obedience and Suffering of the Servant. The obedience and suffering of the Servant. That was simple. Everybody got that one. Fifty one through fifty two, promise of redemption for Jerusalem and a call for faith in God's salvation. Fifty one through fifty two. Promises of redemption for Jerusalem and a call for faith in God's salvation. Promise of redemption for Jerusalem and a call for faith in God's salvation. Everybody got that one.

54:51 Fifty three, Well. You know what fifty three is. The suffering Servant, a detailed prophecy of a figure who will bear the sins of many. Fifty four is typically described as a promise of a new covenant and a blessing for Israel's future restoration. Promise of a new covenant and blessings for Israel's future restoration. That's fifty four, promise of a new covenant and blessings for Israel's future restoration. And then that would bring us to Isaiah fifty five, which is the invitation to all to receive God's salvation and partake and his everlasting Covenant.

55:39 Fifty five is seen as an invitation. To all to receive God's salvation and partake in his everlasting covenant. All right, everybody good. Now we just probably need I guess the only thing is the main lessons. Right, we did main lessons for forty through forty eight. How about the main lessons for forty nine through fifty five? Right? I guess the main lessons here would be God's plan for redemption. God's plan includes a servant who will suffer and die on behalf of his people, bringing forgiveness and healing. So God's plan for redemption, how does that redemption fit them? How does that redemption fit us? Do we even consider us? While we know at least some of this is going to have something to do with us, be since Isaiah fifty three is referenced in the New Testament. All right, God's plan for redemption? Next, a universal salvation. Oh, we gotta be careful when I say that. When I say universal salvation, I'm not saying universalism. What do I mean by universal salvation?

56:54 The promise to Israel extends to other nations, showing God's desire for a universal relationship with humanity. So, in other words, the promise of salvation extends beyond just the Jews to the Gentiles. I like it state it that way better. New Covenant. God's promise of an everlasting covenant points to a restored relationship with people. Based on grace. So we have new covenant that will show up here. And then an invitation. The last main lesson is an invitation to respond. Isaiah fifty five invites people to seek the Lord while he may be found, urging them to embrace God's grace and salvation. We have an invitation to respond in Isaiah fifty five. Okay, now everybody feel like they got that down pretty well, pretty good, right, So we got what do we have? We have Isaiah forty through fifty five. Clearly comfort is a major focus. Forty to fifty five is broken into two sections forty through forty eight, which is really about Israel and Babylonian captivity and their deliverance, their restoration, giving them comfort, physical restoration, physical deliverance from their situation. Starting in forty nine to

58:25 fifty five becomes about the servant of the Lord, and it becomes about a spiritual restoration and goes beyond that. We've now looked at the all we've done at least a basic summary of each chapter, have we not? Right? We've got to given the key themes and we've looked at the major lessons. That's a lot in two hours that we've done in Isaiah forty to fifty five. We were flying through that, okay, but what was one thing missing and Isaiah forty through fifty five, what was something just absolutely missing us? And it was missing because it's not there, because the section is not about us. Are there lessons that can be drawn from it? Yeah, we looked at some of the lessons that we can apply, right.

59:14 We looked at some of those lessons God's sovereignty. We've looked at some God greater than idols. Right, There's some things that we can take from it, but to take from it is far different than inserting ourselves into it, right, And so many sermons at all they opened their Hey, we're gonna be in Isaiah forty there are forty three this morning. All right, let's read Isaiah forty three and then literally and the one sermon we timed it it was less than forty seconds. It's all of a sudden. Now, even though it's saying them, they, he starts using phrases like you, me, us, we, And I'm like, how who can just go to Isaiah forty three and just put us me, we when it's not there. It's not you, I, it's none of that. It's it's them, it's they. We've got to understand it there. But we so think the Bible is just we can do whatever we want with it, and that can't.

1:00:10 And I hate to do this. The people who are at fault are the people who sit in the pew and let it happen. Don't blame the pastors. You know why pastors do that. It's called supply and demand. If a pastor wants a job, what does he got to do? Give the people what they want? You have to And I know when I say that, people like, no, I want a pastor who's a man of God, who will preach the word of God. You don't want that, Just shut up. You don't want that in any way, shape or form, because if you wanted that, you would You would get ticked off in five point two seconds. As soon as you hear what you don't like, you leave. So the pastor just has to run around appeasing everyone, kissing baby, shaking hands like a car salesman to make everyone happy so that he can have a job.

1:01:04 Because he doesn't, everything falls apart. Nobody wants to actually deal with the text. Because you actually deal with the text, you're gonna take everyone off because as soon as you deal with the text, what do you inevitably hear? Well, I don't think that, I don't see that. I disagree with that. I disagree with that. Well then okay, well then you know what, Then why aren't you the one preaching? That's that's it's so frustrating the way it is. No, No, everyone pretends it's at church's church. Forget Christians condemn Halloween. We should love Halloween. We play dress up all year. We pretend the Bible's the authority. No, it's not worthy authority.

1:01:48 We pretend we want to hear the word of God. No we don't. We want to hear what the word of God says to us, and we tell the Word of God what it means. That's what we're all guilty of doing this. We're all guilty of it, including me. We're all guilty of it. It is hard to take the text and just say take my hands off of it. What does it say? What does it say? As soon as you listen to preaching, the more preaching you listen to, I have determined this, the more preaching you listen to, the more discouraging it becomes because you're just like what what what is happening? And if even more discouraging when you listen to the preaching and then you go look up the church and you're like, yeah, four hundred people, it's like so if I want a church of four hundred people, then I just I just you know, there's no people get mad when pastors do this. But if a pastor's smart, you know what he'll do. He'll just subscribe to the services that will write the sermon for you.

1:02:53 Because the services that write sermons, you know. What they do. They're not going to take anybody off. Will they sound spiritual? Will they give you the impression that you studied the Bible? Well, everyone show up on Sunday afternoon for the Oh church was so good, it was so Yeah, they're going to talk because it sounds so spiritual. Just because something sounds spiritual, just because you like it, just because it's comforting, just because it's encouraging, doesn't mean it in any way, shape or forman had anything to do with the actual meaning of the text. And it's always preached as if the text has how many meanings and you pick a text in church history, has it ever only had one meaning?

1:03:37 No? Because nobody can ever agree on the meeting. At that point, it's just like, hey, we should just pull down like a little chart, like okay, here's all the possible meanings for this text. Okay, and I hand out darts and I'm like, okay, Sarah, take your shut all right, that's where I landed. That's the version we go with this. Next year, we'll have someone else. So oh someone else, Oh Steven he hit this. Oh well, of course he disagrees with his wife. Okay, well we got a major problem now, who really cares? Right, just pick what we wanted to mean Now, as soon as they say to people like no, that's not the way we do church, yes it is.

1:04:19 And the pastors know that. Because a pastor call into question a text that goes against the church's team, oh we can't. He's got to preach the text. And like one of the sermons we were listening to was a church teaching the Heidelberg Catechism. Well, they're teaching the Heidelberg Catechism and they used Isaiah forty three and forty four to talk about the Holy Spirit's work in our life. What in the name of bubblegumm are you talking about. I don't care if it ticks off people who hold to the Heidelberg Catechism. I don't care if it ticks off people who think John Bunyan should be in the Trinity. The team doesn't matter. Right when we talk about the Reformation, because it's almost I mean, most churches who are reformed today will be Reformation Sunday for them, since the Reformation will happen before and they'll talk about the Reformation. Are they gonna talk about all the possible unintended consequences and the negativity that arise. Of course not.

1:05:15 It's gonna be like Luther was the hero. Oh yeah, man, if Luther there was in your church today, you'd kick him out because you yeah, yeah, so so Luther's not your hero, so why stop claiming him? You kick him out. So Luther started talking, people would be like, whoa you want to do? What to the Jews? Okay, what's going on here right now? What are you talking about? Right? Especially with his major distinction between law and gospel, he'd be kicked out every lordship church. Lordship churches would kick him out. But they'll be the one saying we're gonna celebrate the Reformation. Why you don't believe in the Reformation, you believe in the counter Reformation. Well you should be celebrating as the Council of Trent. So it's all such a game. All I can say is when we go through Isaiah forty through fifty five, and hopefully the outline has given you some structure as we go through this, and you can refer back to your notes, going, Okay, we're in this chapter.

1:06:13 This is what we're going to be focusing on as we go through it. What's our hope is that we will do what we'll just try to figure out what the text says. Is it always going to be interesting or exciting? Come on, let's say it. No, probably not. Is it going to be about us? We're pretty assured it's not. Right. Can we find lessons in it? Hopefully? But what should the lessons always be inconsistent with with what the text says? Just remember a lesson can be pulled from the text without inserting yourself in the text. Do does everybody draw that distinction?

1:06:54 Lessons can be pulled from without inserting yourself in Most preach inserts us in which then inevitably hijacks the text to make it about us. Which that's the problem. And a lot of people have a hard time with that. And and and they also want to just insert Jesus whenever they want to insert him into the text. And you can't just insert Jesus into the text because I know everyone will say, well. Jesus is in every verse. That's just trash. It's not true. It's not true. Is the Bible a major part of the Bible points to Jesus, Yes, but not every single verse, right, it just makes no sense. So that's what we're going to hope to do. I know, we need to get to the therefore and and we'll get well, hopefully we can get to that. I think what we're going to try to do is maybe first hour will be Isaiah.

1:07:51 Maybe maybe some days the second hour be Isaiah, the first hour will be Romans. We'll mix it up, you know, because we only got the two hours and then, but also on the podcast, I'll continue to work a lot of the work on Isaiah forty will happen there as well, because I'm going to be reviewing sermons obviously through each section, sermons on Isaiah forty sermons on Isaiah forty one on forty two, forty three, forty four, because then people get to hear what different perspectives, right, and then they can pick and choose, because almost every sermon is going to go after these passages far different than I'm going to go after them. So you get to hear those perspectives and then hear my perspective, and then we'll see we'll just break them down into sections, you know, and we'll see, I mean, most of your Bibles kind of break things down into sections.

1:08:37 Like my Bible has forty one one through two, and then they have a heading on verse above, verse three, and then they have a heading upon verse six. So we may break it down into a little smaller sections instead of trying to necessarily just fly through, right, So smaller section we'll see in some cases maybe it'll be shorter, but some cases that may go longer. Who knows, but we'll try. All right, any questions, all right, Isaiah forty through fifty five, make it your new friend, because that's what we're going to be working on as we also try to figure out that therefore is in Romans. I know, that's what I should have done the second hour, but leaving the introduction all the way to next week, that would have broken it up pretty bad. You know what I'm saying? That flowed together much better, I hope. I think it flowed much better together. So now we can just take each section as one complete sermon, right, so then that you don't have to necessarily go to the next hour other than those times where we are halfway through, then that's when it goes to the next hour. All right, let's Lord, got we come before you this afternoon. Lord, Everyone in this room, we've all been guilty of handling your scripture and incorrect ways making it about us.

1:09:50 Lord, forgive us for that. Forgive us for the way sometimes we just play games that we say it's about your word, when really it's not just about the concept of church. It's the concept of spirituality. It's not about trying to figure out this very complicated revelation you have given us, where there's been no agreement on in almost two thousand years. Lord, if it's really about that, I think our approach would be different. Forgive us when it's been wrong, And as we study Isaiah forty through fifty five, over ever, how long we have I pray that when it's said and done, we understand this section better than we did before we started. And we asked this in Jesus, name it Gost. People said