Isaiah | Paulsgrove Baptist Church

Isaiah: The holy God of hope

Isaiah is the most quoted prophet in the New Testament – indeed, 90% of the New Testament’s 260 chapters quote from Isaiah’s writings! We see the prophecies about the Messiah in Isaiah fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. But how well do we know the story through the book of Isaiah itself? As well as the messianic prophecies, there are also many other well-known verses from Isaiah, but what was God saying and doing in the lives of His people at that time, and how do they extend to us through the Gospel?

The book of Isaiah is split into two halves.

In the first half, Isaiah speaks from God, warning the leaders in Jerusalem that God’s judgement would come upon them for their corruption and disobedience, using the superpowers of Assyria and Babylon to punish his people if they persisted. Judgement was not reserved for Jerusalem, though – the whole world’s rebellion would be subject to God’s wrath. However, even within these messages, there was the hope that God would send a true king who would fulfil all His covenant promises and establish His kingdom on earth.
If the first half of Isaiah concentrates on God’s judgement, the second half expands on the theme of God’s salvation. As the exile to Babylon came to an end, God reminds His people that He is in charge of history and would offer ultimate hope through His Servant, who would suffer to bring salvation to the world. Through the Spirit’s power, the Servant would restore the city of Jerusalem in a new and perfect Creation!

So, we can learn the Gospel through the story of Isaiah, and we can receive its blessings as we come to trust in Jesus Christ, our Suffering, Servant, Saviour!