LESSON ONE

QUESTION 1

HOW DOES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ISISAH COMPARE WITH THOSE OF GOSPEL MINISTERS
TODAY? INDICATE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES THAT YOU NOTE AS YOU MAKE THE
COMPARISON.

SIMILARITIES

PROPHET ISIAH MINISTERS

o Isaiah was married(Isaiah 8:3) Ministers today are married

o Isaiah hated sham religion and sin. Today’s ministers of the Lord hate sin
He said of the crowded courts “they
and false religion.
have forsaken the Lord, they have
provoked the holy one of Israel to
anger they have gone away
backward” (Isaiah 1:4)
DIFFERENCES

PROPHET ISAIAH MINISTERS

o He had communicating skills which It’s doubtful that our ministers today have
drew the attention of his audience communicating skills like those of Isaiah
e.g. compared the nation to a
deceased body(Isaiah 1:5-6), a harlot
(isaiah1:21) ,useless
vineyard(chapter 5)

o He was a courageous man and was Our ministers rarely denounce political
not afraid to denounce kings and leaders when they go astray. They want to be
religious leaders even when people good to them so as to get favors.
were against it. He was bold to speak
the word of God
Today’s ministers have not reached the level
o He saw Gods glory and so he was in
of being in touch with God like Isaiah and do
touch with God always and wanted to
not have the zeal to bring back the nation
bring back the nation to God
back to God.

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QUESTION 2

How can we effectively communicate to our culture about judgment (or is it impossible)

ABOUT JUDGMENT:

o Isaiah compared the nation to a harlot ((Isaiah 1:21).it had forsaken the Lord and
followed idols. Our nations have also forsaken God and followed idols of wealth and
properties etc.
o Those days of prophet Isaiah people trusted oppression and perverseness and despised
the word of God, were like branch waiting to fall, swelling out in a high wall whose
breaking comes suddenly at an instant(Isaiah 30 :12-13).
Because also in our nation oppression is rampant and perverseness is the order of the
day, there is a risk that it may fall suddenly and break at an instant.

o Isaiah compared his nations to a diseased body with wounds which have not been put
ointment. Even our nation’s sins resemble those of the Jews and are like a body of
undressed wounds. It’s a sinful nation full of bloodshed, evil doers, corrupters(Isaiah
1:5-6)
o The nation was like a deaf and dumb person who can’t respond because of sins. Ears
were dull of hearing, heart is heavy with fat. They therefore cannot understand with
their hear or hear with their ears, they can’t be converted and healed(Isaiah 6:9-10)

ABOUT HOPE:
o Whereas our nation was like a useless vine producing wild fruits (Isaiah 5) the vine can
start producing good fruit. Where there was oppression, exploitation and murder,
people can learn to do well.
Do justices, seek judgment, help the fatherless, and plead for the widows and the lord
will receive you. If you are willing you will eat the fruits of the land. (Isaiah 1 and 5)

o Where the nation was compared to a harlot(Isaiah 1:22), it can stop idol worship and
trusting in wealth and riches (which is likened to idol worship) and start trusting in God
For our silver had become dress (Isaiah 1:22).

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 QUESTION 3.

As you look at the main divisions of Isaiah’s book, which topics sound appealing to read
about? And why?
Preaching about sin .In chapters 1-6 prophet Isaiah talked about sin of the people and
in chapter 7-12 the prophet talked about national sins of leaders

Prophet Isaiah made a post mortem of the sin problem in his nation and he came out
with two broad categories.
One was the sin of the people and the other was the sin of the sin of the leaders. This
made it easy to deal with the sins according to their category and see how they can be
handled. The sins of the people were covetousness (Isaiah 1:7-8) this was when the rich
exploited the poor and grabbed their land, drunkenness (Isaiah 1:11-17), carelessness
(they mocked the lords warnings) Isaiah 1:18-19, deception (1:20), pride, injustice (1:22-
25).
After the prophet Isaiah diagnosed the problem of the people, he pleaded for their
repentance.
The political leaders made secret alliances with heathen nations instead of trusting God.
King Ahaz made a treaty with Assyria (2 kings 16:5-9). He was playing “power politics”.
This arrangement backfired and later Assyria invaded Judah and impoverished it up to
the point of people surviving on dairy products (Isaiah 7:15, 21-25).
Instead of trusting God the rulers chose:
o A flood instead of a peaceful river(Isaiah 8 :5-10)
o A shrine instead of a sanctuary(Isaiah 8:11-15)

Despite all this, Isaiah promised a remnant shear “a remnant shall return”.

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 LESSON TWO
QUESTION 1

Isaiah message to his culture including promises of hope and warnings of judgment

How effective do you think this method would be in motivating those in our culture who have
strayed from God’s standard? What makes you say that?

Judah looked like a religious and prosperous nation from an onlooker’s point of view. The
people attended all the temple services and brought sacrifices prescribed in the Mosaic Law,
but their hearts were far from God in their worship. They were likened to a body of untreated
wounds (Isaiah 1:5-6), a harlot and a useless vine (Isaiah 5). Many of the worshipers in the
temple also participated in idol worship among other evil dealings. This was hypocrisy in the
people called by God’s name. after prophet Isaiah let the people know about their sins, he went
further and urged them to forsake their evil ways, he wanted Judah to be a righteous people.
( Isaiah 1 :16-31)

He told the people to go and reason (decide in a court case) with God and God would pardon
them of their sins if they forsook their way (Isaiah 1:18).

The message of Isaiah is very relevant in our culture today.

The sins that were there in prophet Isaiah’s time are more or less the same. Our society
portrays a very religious image but under that cloak is a whole host of dirt. It’s like a wolf in a
sheep’s skin.

In our society today murder, bloodshed, corruption in high places, sodomy, robbery, bribery,
exploitation of the helpless is the order of the day.

Despite all these evils, God can forgive people of their sins if they repent and forsake those (2
Corinthians 7:1). It’s not Gods will that people should perish but that they should repent and
come to the knowledge of truth (1 timothy 2:4, 2 peter 3:9)

In prophet Isaiah’s example, he saw himself sinful and repented first. He then started Gods
work and told people to forsake their evil ways (Isaiah 6).

It’s rare for ministers today to do as prophet Isaiah did.

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QUESTION 2

Why do you think Isaiah was concerned about people’s use of money and their treatment of
the poor? What relevance does this emphasis have for us today?

When the nation of Judah became prosperous the leaders were proud and covetous. The rich
and wealthy people were defrauding the poor and helpless. They took their tracts of land
through illegal means. They trusted in the wealth instead of trusting in the Lord. The leaders
exploited the poor crushing them like grain in a mill (Isaiah 3:13-15). The rich also built large
mansions and developed their illegally acquired land (Isaiah 1:8-10, 1 king 21:1-3). After all that,
God warned them that their wealth will evaporate quickly.

The scenario in our society might be even worse. This is evident since the rich and powerful
always grab land from the poor and helpless. This happens as people and ministers alike watch
and do not raise alarm. The rich and politically powerful people develop the farms, build high-
rise buildings. In the event of anybody challenging them in court, they bribe the judges and they
release them while jailing the poor and helpless. This is the same type of injustice as the time of
prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 1:22-25).

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 LESSON THREE.

THE FUTILITY OF TRUSTING MEN RATHER THAN GOD.

King Pekah of Israel and king Rezin of Syria attacked Judah. King Ahaz sent word to the king of Assyria
because he had made a secret alliance with him. Meanwhile King Ahaz and the people of Judah feared
greatly (Isaiah 7:2). Prophet Isaiah sent word to king ahaz not to fear or be fainthearted, this when he
was with his son shear-Jushub. He told him “a remnant shall return”. The two kings were like “two
smoldering stubs of firewood” Isaiah 7:4.

Despite prophet Isaiah’s assurance that God was going to help king Ahaz, the king ignored the prophets
warning. Later Assyrians invaded Judah and impoverished it. People resorted to feeding on wild beats
and dairy products for food. This was a time of great humiliation and suffering (Isaiah 7:20, 2 Samuel
10:4-5). The leaders of Judah made the mistake of trusting the Assyrians instead of trusting the lord. In
this lesson, we learn that it is good to and wise to trust in the lord rather that in people. (Psalms 118:8-
9). We also learn that it’s good to trust in Gods ministers (Isaiah 7:9)

They chose flood instead of a peaceful river( isaiah 8:5-10)

They chose snare instead of a sanctuary (isaiah 8:11-15). They chose darkness instead of light.

In this lesson we learnt that its good to trust the lord and his servants isaiah 7:9

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 LESSON FOUR

QUESTION A

In which ways would you compare the nations during Isaiah’s time today? What other lessons
can be learnt from this lesson for the church and nations today.

o The nation of Judah is the only one that had Gods law given to them on Mount Sinai and
over the years thereafter. God always held nations accountable for what they did even if
they did not have his law.” For as many as have sinned without the law will perish
without the law (romans 2:12 NKJV). This shows us that even today God holds everyone
responsible for what they do, whether they know their God or not.

o After judgment of the nations, God always gave words of promise and hope. Nations like
Moab, Assyria and Egypt which were enemies of Gods people were accepted and even
made to worship God. Assyria, Egypt and the Jews were initially enemies later glorified
God together (Isaiah 19:23-25).

o God hates the sin of pride (Isaiah 13:1, 16:6, proverbs 8:13). When nations stopped
trusting the living God and trusted idols and wealth, they were humiliated and ashamed
(Isaiah 19).
Even today when nations stop trusting God and start trusting idols, false gods of
pleasure, wealth, military superiority, scientific achievement and even religious
experience; they are doomed to fail and will be humiliated for God is the Lord .He is our
rock and salvation (Isaiah 17:10,17:3).
o God is in control of the whole world. He determines the fall and rise of nations. In so
doing, he uses tools like Assyria in the time of Isaiah to execute his will (Isaiah 10:5).

Today, God is in charge and controls everything that happens in the world.
o We learn that God answers prayer when we pray in faith (romans 10:17). When King
Hezekiah was confronted by the Assyrians, he trusted God and even in sickness God
granted him victory always.
This shows that there is power in prayer mixed with faith (Isaiah 38).
Even today when we get a problem or crisis and turn to God, through prayer He will
always hear us when we pray by faith.

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 QUESTION B
What other lesson can be learnt from this lesson for the church and nations of the earth
today?
o A king will reign in future (Jesus Christ) who will reign in righteousness, justice, will be a
rock of refuge to the people, He will be like a refreshing river in the desert (Isaiah
32:1,16,33:5, 9:7.
This will happen only when you make Jesus your Lord and savior John 1:49
o The sinful world will be judged, God will judge the nations for the way they treated his
people and exploited their land (Isaiah 34:1-17,Joel 3:1-17.isiah 34:5-6)
o A glorious kingdom is coming (Isaiah 35:1-10). Those who will be redeemed will go to
Jerusalem yearly to feast and praise the Lord.
o God is faithful to fulfill his promise.

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 LESSON FIVE

Question 1

Discuss how the messages of Isaiah 40-66 could be applied to those who have been through
difficult times and are trusting God for a change.

God, through prophet Isaiah gave his people assurance that they should not fear (Isaiah 41:10, 13, 14,
43:1, 5, 44:2, 8). He told them that he will go before them and will help them in their problems that they
were going through and they will succeed. He was also working on their behalf.

He told them that God is the only one and there is no other one. Therefore they should trust him to fight
their enemies. They should not trust idols as they cannot do anything or help them (Isaiah 45:1).

Also in Isaiah 40: 1-11, 40:12-20, 40:29-30. God is in them, behind them and before them. As they want
upon him he will give them strength to overcome their problems.

He will give them strength that they don’t faint. He increases strength to those who have no might.

As they wait upon him they shall “mount with wings like eagles” and that they will run and not grow
weary. This means that God will make them overcome the problems they are going through.

In Isaiah 43:2, God promised them that He will be with them in their problems.

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