Isaiah
10-11 Sep 2010

Isaiah is sometimes called the "Fifth Gospel". In this work of immense power and breathtaking scope, the God of Israel announces himself as the God of all the world, and reveals his great plans for Israel and the nations. The book of Isaiah deals with themes that are foundational to the gospel by which we are saved: themes of sin, judgment, grace, faith, atonement, salvation, justification and hope. Isaiah contains the clearest indications in the Old Testament of the universal scope of God's plans for the world. It focusses on a figure called the "servant", whose sacrificial death will bring justification for many, and will lead to Spirit-empowered evangelists proclaiming the good news to the world. That's why the New Testament refers to Isaiah so often!

If you really want to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, you need to get a handle on the themes of Isaiah. But Isaiah is a very big book. It covers centuries of ancient history; it contains long passages about nations who lived long ago; it's got page after page of visions and promises and warnings.

That's why this Word Works is designed to give you a bird's-eye view of the book of Isaiah. Where does it begin, where does it end, what are the different sections and how do they fit together? Which bits of Israel's history is Isaiah referring to, and why? We will be exploring these themes by looking at some key passages in the book, and by seeing first-hand how Isaiah deals with these themes that undergird the gospel of Jesus Christ.