We are about to begin a study of the Book of Isaiah. It’s Christmas and this book is packed with prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. But who was Isaiah and why should we care about him? This information comes from the Amplified Bible, New King James Version, published by Zondervan.
“Isaiah began his ministry in the year of King Uzziah’s death (about 740 B.C.) He continued as a prophet in Jerusalem during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He was a contemporary of Amos, Hosea, and Micah. According to tradition, Isaiah was martyred (by being sawed in half) under Manasseh, the wicked son of Hezekiah, who reigned from 696 – 642 B. C.
The national and international developments during Isaiah’s lifetime provide the essential background for understanding his message. While Isaiah grew to manhood, the kingdom of Judah emerged as the leading power in Palestine opposing the advance of the Assyrian might, while the northern kingdom of Israel declined in power due to internal struggles and revolutions. After Uzziah’s death the Assyrians conquered Damascus in 732 B. C. and Samaria in 722 B.C., reducing Syria and Israel to Assyrian provinces.
In the meantime, Ahaz, the king of Judah, ignored the warnings of Isaiah and introduced idolatry into the Jerusalem temple. In subsequent decades Assyrian kings marched their armies southward and threatened to terminate the Davidic dynasty rule in Judah in 701 B.C. Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem were delivered miraculously, although according to Assyrian records forty – six walled cities in southern Palestine capitulated to Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, and some 200,000 captives were taken into exile.
Isaiah repeatedly warned his people that Jerusalem and Judah would be judged because of the prevailing wickedness. In addition to this message of impending doom, Isiah offered assurance to those who would trust in God that ultimately the kingdom would be restored.”
While Isaiah contains some of the most stirring passages in the entire Bible, there is a fundamental problem: much of this book contains prophecies. Even scanty background research indicates that scholars who refuse to believe in the reality of prophecy would like to assign authorship of the latter half of this book to some unknown individual who came long after Isaiah, assuming that the “prophecies” were actually written in retrospect. But if such were the case, what do we do with the prophecies about the Messiah? Jesus came long after anyone would have amended the Book of Isaiah; yet, he fulfilled every one of the Messianic prophecies.
Elizabeth Barret Browning once wrote, “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.” Belief in the reality of prophecy is a very similar situation. You see what you want to see, and only as much as you want to see. It’s quite likely that had anyone else been accompanying Moses the day he saw the burning bush, they might not have seen anything unusual. Perhaps instead of fire, another person would have seen a small dust devil swirling dust around that bush. But Moses was sensitive to God, and because he was, he saw the holy fire and his life totally changed. St. Paul told the Thessalonians, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20 -21)
I hesitate to write about personal experiences with God, not because I have not had them, but because God works differently in each person’s life and I don’t want to appear as if I am boasting. I learned this lesson in a painful fashion. Years ago, I was in a prayer group that included a lady who was legally blind, although she could perceive light and darkness. This brave woman had to take two city buses to and from work each day and had done so for years. Some members of the prayer group were making statements about things that God had shown them, prefacing those statements with the phrase, “God told me.” Suddenly, this lady broke down in sobs. “God speaks to you, but He never SPEAKS to me!” she wailed. As we attempted to comfort her, we realized we had failed to qualify our remarks. This woman honestly assumed that when we said God had told us something, we meant that God had spoken to us in an audible voice; meanwhile, we meant that God had given us quiet nudges in our spirits. In fact, this woman probably was receiving as much or more divine guidance than the rest of us simply to make her daily commute to and from work.
Having given that disclaimer, I will say this: there have been times in my life when God has given me prophecies, either through someone else or by speaking them quietly into my spirit. I buried my mother and then one week later I moved to Columbus, Ohio, to do a special rotation in pediatric surgery. I began by living in the YWCA, and I was intensely lonely. One night I was begging God to do something about my situation when the Holy Spirit suddenly spoke into my mind, “You will not live alone! I am sending you to someone!” Shortly after that, I became friends with one of the pediatrics residents, who graciously took me into her home. The arrangement helped both of us, and I stayed with her for several weeks until completing the rotation and returning to my regular training program.
In the fall of 1981, I was working in Charleston, S.C. God had given me a prayer partner and we were meeting regularly to pray for the healing of his marriage. But my prayer partner began assuring me that God was about to give me a husband. What??? I had survived a difficult marriage and divorce. At that point, I had NO interest in a husband; it was going to be Jesus and me for the rest of my life, period! But my prayer partner not only gave this prophecy but assured me that he was praying for God to send me a husband. A few weeks later, God moved me to visit a small Assemblies of God mission congregation in Mount Pleasant, S.C., where I instantly became their pianist. (Long story for another time.) Even though my husband – to – be was also not looking for someone, the pastor played cupid. We were married within six months of the day we met. Several months ago, we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.
Does God still speak to us individually? Yes. He does. But be careful! There are large numbers of self – styled prophets out there, and not all of them are bringing messages from God. Some people anoint themselves as prophets, completely forgetting that only God can give such an anointing. How can we tell if a prophecy is real? Real prophecies come true without any manipulation of people or events. Real prophecies from God line up with God’s Word, the Bible. If anyone brings you a “word from God,” that contravenes the Bible, rebuke them and run in the opposite direction.
Real prophets prophesy because they must, not because they are getting rich by doing so. Prophets who charge for prophesying are false and should not be trusted. Jeremiah complained, “If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.” Jeremiah suffered terribly for being a prophet, and Isaiah may have died a horrible death. Prophecy is never an easy calling.
Tomorrow we will begin studying Isaiah. As we do, ask God to speak to your heart. Every time I read this book, I get fresh insights and encouragement. May it be the same for you!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, as we study Your Word, may You speak to our hearts in such a way that we know it’s You and nobody else. In the matchless Name of King Jesus we pray. Amen.
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