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NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)

New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Now I will sing for the one I love on a rich and fertile hill. 2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones, but the grapes that grew were bitter. 3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could I have done for my vineyard why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? 5 Now let me tell you and let the animals trample it. 6 I will make it a wild place to drop no rain on it. 7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. but instead he heard cries of violence. 8 What sorrow for you who buy up house after house and field after field, until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land. 9 But I have heard the LORD of Heaven’s Armies even beautiful mansions will be empty. 10 Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten baskets of seed will yield only one basket of grain.” 11 What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning to make themselves flaming drunk. 12 They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties— or notice what he is doing. 13 So my people will go into exile far away and the common people will die of thirst. 14 The grave is licking its lips in anticipation, and all the drunken mob will be swallowed up. 15 Humanity will be destroyed, and people brought down; even the arrogant will lower their eyes in humiliation. 16 But the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice. The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness. 17 In that day lambs will find good pastures, and fattened sheep and young goats will feed among the ruins. 18 What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! 19 They even mock God and say, for we want to know what it is.” 20 What sorrow for those who say that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. 22 What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold. 23 They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent. 24 Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people, His fist is still poised to strike! 26 He will send a signal to distant nations far away They will come racing toward Jerusalem. 27 They will not get tired or stumble. not a sandal strap broken. 28 Their arrows will be sharp and the wheels of their chariots will spin like a whirlwind. 29 They will roar like lions, and no one will be there to rescue them. 30 They will roar over their victims on that day of destruction even the light will be darkened by clouds.

Introduction to Isaiah

Background of Isaiah

What is the Book of Isaiah About?

Time: 4 Minutes

If you open the Bible to the middle, you’re likely to land in Isaiah, one of the biggest books in the Old Testament. Isaiah was a prophet like many others in the Bible, but his book is the epic of the Old Testament—not in length alone, but also in scope.

The prophet Isaiah belonged to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, after the nation had fractured in two. He witnessed the collapse of the Northern Kingdom to the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 722 BC during the reign of Ahaz, the Syro-Ephraimite wars in 734-732 BC, and Hezekiah’s crisis with Sennacherib (King of Assyria) in 701 BC. Isaiah lived in wartime, under the stress of national insecurity.

Isaiah spoke to three audiences: the pre-exilic generation of his time, those taken into exile by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and those returning from exile. In this context, he often gave political instruction to Israel’s kings. He was God’s means of direction for their state. Some people wonder how this is possible, because Isaiah didn’t live long enough to personally address each audience. Surprisingly, God not only gave Isaiah foresight into the present course of his nation, but also into the cosmic course of history. Some scholars are so astounded by the visions given to Isaiah by the Holy Spirit that they try to explain it away by saying his book had to have been authored by three different people!

The book of Isaiah helps us understand the complex nature of biblical prophecy. Here’s how.

Prophecy is like a photograph of a mountain range. Imagine it. Looking at the photo, there seems to be one row of mountains, all different hues of color.

You know, though, that if you were to fly over those mountains, they would no longer look like they stand in a line. The mountain ranges would be separated by great lengths.

When we open Isaiah and read his prophecy, we are looking at a sort of mountain photo—a beautiful polaroid of God’s promises. They seem to be indistinguishable from one another, all scrunched together and overlapping.

But if we were to fly over the Bible’s story, we would see clearly that the closest range of promises found their fulfillment in Isaiah’s day. The range of promises beyond that found their fulfillment in the coming of Jesus—the one Isaiah speaks about as “The Suffering Servant.” But the mountains in Isaiah’s photo span even further. Isaiah’s prophetic photograph spans all human history.

At the beginning and end of his prophecy, Isaiah clarifies that his audience includes all of creation, because God has one plan for the entire world. At the beginning, he writes: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken…” (Isaiah 1:2). At the end, God says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind… From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 65:17; 66:23). God’s plan of redemption involves all of creation.

Isaiah is a collection of one man’s sermons from the 7th and 8th century BC given to his home country. When Isaiah’s first hearers looked at the picture he painted through his prophecy, they saw judgment, for Israel had sinned against the Lord and broken his covenant, thus they would be driven into exile by their political enemies, away from their homeland. But even in that near vision, God promised to restore Israel and bring Israel home from exile one day.

A vision far grander than Isaiah’s first audience could imagine stood behind their present circumstances. God would rescue his people through a coming suffering servant who would bear the exile of sin and death for us and free us from our bondage to sin.

Isaiah is also a poetic anthology that retells God’s plan to redeem all of humanity. A vision far grander than Isaiah’s first audience could imagine stood behind their present circumstances. God would rescue his people through a coming suffering servant who would bear the exile of sin and death for us and free us from our bondage to sin. We find out as we read the rest of the Bible that this servant is God himself, come to us as one of us in the person of Jesus, the Christ.

We pray that as you open Isaiah, that photo would turn to flight for you, and the Holy Spirit would help you soar through God’s promises, and recognize the magnitude, beauty, and significance of each one.

What Is the Background of Isaiah?

Time: 20 Minutes

The Background of Isaiah

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Author and Date

Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isaiah 6:1), around 740 BC He lived long enough to record the death of Sennacherib (Isaiah 37:38), in 681. However, most of the book can be dated only in very general terms because few specific dates are given.

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Theme

The central theme of the book is God himself, who does all things for his own glory (Isaiah 48:11). Isaiah defines everything else by how it relates to God: is it rightly related to him as the center of all reality (Isaiah 45:22–25)? God’s people find strength only as they rest in the promises of their God (Isaiah 30:15). They find refreshment only as they delight themselves in his Word (Isaiah 55:1–2). To serve his cause is their worthy devotion (ch. 62), but to rebel against him is endless death (Isaiah 66:24).

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Simplified Overview of Isaiah

Background of Isaiah

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Key Themes

1. God is offended by religious practices that come from an empty heart or a careless life (Isaiah 1:10–17; 58:1–12; 66:1–4).

2. God’s true people will someday become a multinational community of worship and peace that will last forever (Isaiah 2:2–4; 56:3–8; 66:18–23). They will be the predominant culture of a new world (Isaiah 14:1–2; 41:8–16; 43:3–7; 60:1–22).

3. God opposes human pride (Isaiah 2:10–17; 13:11; 23:9).

4. The foolish idols that man creates are destined for destruction (Isaiah 2:20–21; 44:9–20; 46:1–7).

5. God’s judgment will reduce Israel to a remnant. From this remnant he will raise up a holy people (Isaiah 1:9; 6:1–12:6; 40:1–2).

6. God sometimes judges people by making them deaf and blind to his saving Word (Isaiah 29:9–14).

7. The only hope of the world is in one man. He is the promised Davidic king (Isaiah 7:14; 9:2–7; 11:1–10), the servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:1–9; 52:13–53:12), the anointed preacher of the gospel (Isaiah 61:1–3), and the victor over all evil (Isaiah 63:1–6).

8. God uses everything, even human sin, for his own glory (Isaiah 44:24–45:13).

9. All people are called to repent of sin and trust in God alone (Isaiah 12:2; 26:3–4; 32:17–18; 50:10; 66:2).

10. Often, when God’s people feel abandoned by him (Isaiah 40:27), they foolishly trust in worldly powers (Isaiah 31:1–3; 39:1–8).

11. God will vindicate his cause with a world-transforming display of his glory (Isaiah 11:10; 40:3–5; 52:10; 59:19).

12. God is guiding all of human history (Isaiah 41:1–4; 44:6–8; 46:8–11).

13. God’s faithfulness and the certainty of his final victory should motivate his people to pray and to be obedient (Isaiah 56:1–2; 62:1–64:12).

14. The wrath of God is to be feared above all else (Isaiah 9:19; 13:9, 13; 30:27; 34:2; 66:15–16).

5

Outline

I. Introduction: “Ah, Sinful Nation!” (1:1–5:30)
II. God Redefines the Future of His People: “Your Guilt Is Taken Away” (6:1–12:6)
III. God’s Judgment and Grace for the World: “We Have a Strong City” (13:1–27:13)
IV. God’s Sovereign Word Spoken into the World: “Ah!” (28:1–35:10)
V. Historical Transition: “In Whom Do You Now Trust?” (36:1–39:8)
VI. Encouragement for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed” (40:1–55:13)
VII. How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant” (56:1–66:24)

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The Near East at the Time of Isaiah

Background of Isaiah

The Global Message of Isaiah

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A God-centered Vision of All Things

Dating from the eighth century BC, and centering on God’s promises of protection, deliverance, purging, and restoration for his guilty and defiled covenant people, the book of Isaiah presents an incredibly rich landscape of salvation history in all its eternal and global scope. God has a purpose and plan, and his eternal decree will stand. It will be neither thwarted by strong and aggressive nations (Isaiah 14:26–27) nor derailed by unfaithful ones (Isaiah 1:4, 9). God has a message for the world that he created, and he declares without equivocation,

“I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9–10)

At the center of this global and eternal stage stands the Lord. He stands as the sovereign God (Isaiah 43:13), the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11, 12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5, 60:9, 14), our redeemer (Isaiah 41:14; 43:14; 47:4; 48:17; 54:5), and the only Savior of the world (Isaiah 43:11).

2

Judgment and Salvation for All Nations

A Righteous God

God himself is our salvation (Isaiah 12:2; 17:10; 33:2, 6). He alone is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1). He is incomparably great (Isaiah 40:25), and he is “holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3). The message of the book of Isaiah to the world begins with warning. Human pride and boasting are utterly foolish and a great danger before this righteous God (Isaiah 2:11–17; 10:33; 13:11; 16:6; 23:9; 28:1–4). Indeed, a day of judgment is coming (Isaiah 2:12–22, 24:1–23), so let all the nations of the earth take heed. Whether it is corporate greed, national pride, individual self-dependence, or Babel-like self-exaltation (Genesis 11:1–9), this is a message for our world today. Sin will not go unpunished. The sovereign Lord is watching.

A Saving God

But warning gives way to merciful promises of salvation. The message of the book of Isaiah to the world is that there is indeed a Savior, the Messiah, who has humbly, painfully, and gloriously won salvation for sinners and for all who would trust in him (Isaiah 4:2; 7:14; 9:6–7; 11:1–5; 42:1–4; 52:13–53:12; 61:1–3). Death itself is swallowed up, and our reproach is removed (Isaiah 25:8). What an astonishing salvation! There is no one in our world today too sinful to be saved, too hurt to be healed, too lost to be found, or too far away to be brought near. God, our Savior, is Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14). He saves. It is who he is.

A Global God

This salvation is for all nations. God’s promise to Abraham to bless the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1–3) is affirmed throughout the book of Isaiah. Even as the seraphim declare that “the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3), so it shall be, and so it is coming to pass even today, that the whole world will be filled with God’s glory (Habakkuk 2:14; Numbers 14:21; Psalm 72:19). In Isaiah 19 we read that one day even the hated nations of Assyria and Egypt, both of whom at some time enslaved Israel, will be included within God’s gracious purposes (Isaiah 19:16–25).

A Trustworthy God

Our confidence in our global missionary endeavor is not in our techniques, resources, or strategies. It rests instead upon the promises and faithfulness of God. As declared in Isaiah 25:5–7, the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it; the feast of the Lord Almighty will be enjoyed by all peoples, and the veil of sin, ignorance, and death will be removed from all peoples and nations! No tribe, language, people, or nation will be excluded from the salvation of the Lord (Revelation 5:9). This is not the language of exaggeration. It is the declaration of the invincible determination of our almighty and trustworthy God (Isaiah 46:9–10).

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Gospel Freedom and Proclamation to All Nations

A Divine Liberation

The gospel is a message of freedom to a world that is weary from bondage. So many among the nations are burdened—burdened by the relentless demands and empty promises of mankind’s religions, philosophies, and idols. Such things are “borne as burdens on weary beasts” (Isaiah 46:1). But God’s message to a weary world today is that, rather than being a burden to us, the Lord himself has borne his people; he has carried us from the womb, and will carry us to our dying day, finally saving us (Isaiah 46:3–5).

A Proclaimed Salvation

God’s people worldwide have the glorious privilege of proclaiming this message of freedom: “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 43:10, 12; see also Acts 1:8). Indeed, our very lives are an indispensable part of our witness that God uses to attract the nations to himself. As Christ taught, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The glory and goodness of God is reflected in and through his people, by their words and by their actions.

A Fearless Proclamation

As we serve our God, make known his deeds among the peoples (Isaiah 12:4; 66:19), and herald the good news from high mountaintops (Isaiah 52:7), we are commanded not to fear (Isaiah 40:9). Because God is our salvation, we “will trust, and will not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2). To those persecuted because of their witness to Christ around the world today, we have the great comfort of Isaiah 43:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

God will protect, renew, and restore his global people. Our assurance rests in his deeply comforting words to us:

“Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4)

He has proven this love in an ultimate way by sending us his Son to give his life in exchange for ours.

4

A Message of Cosmic Significance

We have a glorious message to proclaim to the world. We are to be “beautiful feet” bringing good news of happiness and salvation to the nations (Isaiah 52:7). We are privileged and called to “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5). We are to present to the world the open invitation of God—the invitation for cleansing and forgiveness (Isaiah 1:18). The invitation to receive compassion, feeding, care, and life (Isaiah 55:1–3). The invitation to seek the Lord and turn from our wicked ways (Isaiah 55:6–7).

With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3), and on that day we will all say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.” (Isaiah 12:4–5)

5:1 The one I love refers to the Lord; the prophet was singing this song on the Lord’s behalf. • At first, the song sounds like a love song, but by 5:3 readers realize it is actually a complaint. • On Israel as God’s vineyard, see also 3:14; Matt 21:33-46; John 15:1-17.

5:1-5:7 The Song of the Vineyard expresses in poetic form God’s indictment of the wicked leadership that had ruined his vineyard, Israel. Like some wisdom literature, it presents readers with an account of a puzzling situation (5:1-2) before giving its spiritual significance (5:3-7). The theme of the vineyard’s transformation is found again in ch 27 and in Jesus’ teaching (Matt 21:33; Mark 12:1).

5:1-5:30 The prophet pronounced judgment through song (5:1-7) and prophecies of woe (5:8-30). Although Israel’s future condition would be one of purity and fellowship with God (4:2-6), that future cannot ignore the present sinful condition of the people and their leaders.

5:2 The Lord gave the best care to his vineyard, preparing and nursing it as an expert agriculturalist. He watched over it with great attentiveness, planting the best vines—ones that had the potential for abundant sweet grapes. God had great expectations of Israel as his people (see Exod 19:5-6), so the bitter grapes they produced—their unrighteous deeds—were useless and disappointing (cp. Gal 5:22-23).

5:3-5:4 Clearly, the Lord had graciously done everything possible for the vineyard. He was not to blame for the bitter grapes. • you judge: Isaiah wanted the audience to condemn the vineyard before he revealed that in fact they were the vineyard (5:7). This rhetorical tactic is similar to the one Nathan used to confront David (2 Sam 12:1-5).

5:5-5:6 The Lord promised to make his vineyard, Israel, a desolate place because it was fit only for destruction. Later, Isaiah prophesied the gracious, glorious transformation of Israel from desolation to fruitful vitality (see 55:13).

5:6 The withholding of rain was at times a divine judgment (Deut 28:23-24; Hag 1:11; 2:16). It was especially devastating to a society that depended heavily on agriculture.

5:7 The identification of Israel as the vineyard is a surprise that resolves the riddle of this passage. • Here, a powerful play on Hebrew words indicted Israel. The Lord expected justice (Hebrew mishpat) but saw only oppression (mispakh) of the needy. Instead of righteousness (tsedaqah), there were cries of violence (tse‘aqah) against the poor (see 1:21-23).

5:8-5:10 What sorrow: The first threat of judgment was against oppressive greed. Properties (house and field) were being taken by illegal means. The new owners were thugs who used every avenue to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor (see 1 Kgs 21:1-29; Amos 2:6-7).

5:8-5:23 This section contains six pronouncements of sorrow—six threats of dreadful judgment (5:8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22). The sorrows identify some of the “bitter grapes” produced by the vineyard of Israel (5:1-7).

5:10 As with drought (5:5-6), the reduction of crops was at times a divine judgment (see Hag 1:6, 9; 2:16).

5:11-5:17 What sorrow: The second threat of judgment concerned indulgent lifestyles. The language throughout this section indicates a life of corruption.

5:12 Self-indulgent and contented, these people never think about the Lord. They were too busy enjoying their drunken parties to reflect on why things went bad in the first place, such as why God sent no rain, or why they lost a battle.

5:13 Israel and Judah would go into exile to Assyria (722 bc) and Babylon (586 bc). • The people did not respond to the Lord because they did not know him (see 1:3). They likely knew about him, but their behavior showed that they did not know him in any intimate way.

5:14 The grave (Hebrew Sheol) represented the place of the dead in ancient Near Eastern thinking (see 14:9).

5:16 God’s kingship is by definition just and righteous, and he will be exalted by his justice. At his exaltation, oppressors will be condemned (see 1:21-23).

5:18 God’s ropes were “ropes of kindness and love” for Israel (Hos 11:4).

5:18-5:19 What sorrow: The third threat of judgment was against mockers, who openly treated God’s authority with contempt.

5:19 The people challenged God to hurry up and do something to prove that he really exists and is in control of this world. The verb hurry up translates two Hebrew verbs: maher (“be quick”) and khush (“be speedy”). The same Hebrew words are used in the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa 8:1). • God’s plan was revealed to Isaiah. Little did the people know that God’s purposes would turn against them.

5:20 What sorrow: The fourth threat of judgment was against a lack of integrity. • evil is good . . . dark is light . . . bitter is sweet: This twisted way of looking at life corrupts God’s holy order.

5:21 What sorrow: The fifth threat of judgment concerned the folly of self-deception.

5:22-5:24 What sorrow: The sixth threat of judgment was against the indulgent lifestyle of the wicked.

5:24 The image of rotting roots reflects human transience (cp. 11:1; 27:6; 37:31). • To despise the Lord’s word means to ignore it, to live without regard for keeping it. Such an attitude toward God’s revelation leads to folly and ruin (Prov 1:30; 5:12; 15:5).

5:25 mountains tremble: God’s wrath against sinners is often expressed as the shaking of the earth’s foundations (13:13; 23:11; 24:18-19; 29:6; 54:10). God’s appearance in judgment or salvation in natural phenomena such as smoke, darkness, lightning, and earthquake is called a theophany (see 6:1-4, 6; 13:13; Exod 19:18-19; Ps 18:7-15; Mic 1:3-4; Rev 8:5; 16:17-18; 18:21-22).

5:26 The signal was a banner raised on a long pole and often placed on a high hill (see also 13:2; 18:3; 30:17). The expression signal to distant nations is common in Isaiah and might be a call for participation in battle (as here) or in salvation (11:10, 12; 49:22; 62:10). • Distant nations refers to the Assyrians and Babylonians, who served as instruments of God’s judgment on Israel (722 bc) and on Judah (586 bc). They were the wild “animals” (5:5) called in to trample the vineyard (5:1-7). They would fiercely attack Israel and Judah, not letting up until God’s judgment was complete (5:27-30).

5:30 day of destruction (literally that day; see study note on 2:5-22). • In Old Testament prophecy, darkness represents the experience of God’s alienation, wrath, and judgment (see also 8:22), while light stands for his holy presence (see especially 60:2, 19).

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