
“The Prophet Isaiah Foretells Christ’s Birth” (detail), by Harry Anderson
“Great are the words of Isaiah,” said the Savior during His ministry on the American continent (3 Nephi 23:1). “My soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah,” said Nephi (2 Nephi 25:5, 2 Nephi 11:2). And Moroni urged us, “Search the prophecies of Isaiah,” adding, “behold, I cannot write them” (Mormon 8:23). About a third of the book of Isaiah is reproduced in the Book of Mormon, but Moroni clearly wants us to study all of Isaiah’s words, not only the chapters which he and his predecessors quoted.
For the next five weeks, we are going to follow these admonitions and study the book of Isaiah.
If you would like some practical tips, see my blog post Understanding Isaiah. That post also contains links to all of my posts about Isaiah, organized by chapter, in case you want to see what I’ve written about specific passages.
So what’s going on in the first twelve chapters? Note that eleven of these chapters (2-12) also appear in 2 Nephi 12-22. Nephi tells us that he is quoting these chapters in order to teach us about Jesus Christ. So let’s see what they say:
- Chapter 1 – Isaiah calls Israel to repentance, telling them that their hearts are no longer with God, that they are merely going through the motions of religious observance. But he reaffirms that God will forgive them if they repent.
- Chapter 2 – Isaiah contrasts those who come to “the mountain of the Lord’s house” and walk in His light from those who hide in “the holes of the rocks” and “the caves of the earth.”
- Chapter 3 – Isaiah prophesies that pride will be the downfall of Judah. He testifies that worldly possessions cannot provide stability.
- Chapter 4 – Judah will become holy when God washes away its filth. Every home will be a sanctuary, like the ancient tabernacle.
- Chapter 5 – Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard, followed by six warnings (“woes”).
- Chapter 6 – Isaiah describes how he was called to be a prophet.
- Chapter 7 – Isaiah tells King Ahaz not to be afraid of the armies of Israel and Syria. He also provides a sign that God will be with him.
- Chapter 8 – Isaiah tells the people of Judah to trust God and not to be obsessed with conspiracies. God’s voice may be quiet, like the waters of Shiloah in their city, but it is the key to their deliverance.
- Chapter 9 – The Messiah will bring light, even in the midst of darkness. Israel will be scattered, but Isaiah repeatedly testifies that God will not forget them: “His hand is stretched out still.“
- Chapter 10 – The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, will claim credit for his expanding empire. But when the empire falls, he will recognize how fleeting success can be.
- Chapter 11 – God will raise up leaders to gather Israel after they have been scattered by the Assyrians. He will establish an “ensign for the nations” to signal the gathering.
- Chapter 12 – Two psalms of praise
How do these chapters teach us about Jesus Christ? I would suggest the following strategy for reading them: Think of the challenges facing Isaiah’s people as a metaphor for your own life. We all need God’s grace to overcome the challenges we face, both external and self-inflicted. As Isaiah’s people face invading armies as well as their own sins, how do his words help them to exercise faith in God and receive His saving power?
Happy studying!
Blog Posts: September 7-11
“I Will Not Hear”
The book of Isaiah opens dramatically. The Lord tells the children of Israel that they have forsaken Him, that they are damaging themselves by their actions, and that He doesn’t want to be a part of it any more. In words that must have been shocking to Isaiah’s listeners, the Lord tells them to stop…
Tzedakah/Tze’akah
One of the hard things about being a parent or a teacher is when your children or students fall short of their potential. You can give them guidance, you can help them find opportunities, and you can provide encouragement and support. But the decision of whether to follow that guidance, take advantage of those opportunities,…
Hubris, Arrogance, and Haughtiness
Ezra Taft Benson said that pride manifests itself in different ways, which he called the “faces of pride.” Some of the manifestations he identified were selfishness, contention, defensiveness, and unwillingness to repent. (See “Beware of Pride,” General Conference, April 1989.) I’ve been thinking today about a few other manifestations of pride. These thoughts were prompted…
The Mountain of the Lord’s House
Moses ascended a mountain to talk with the Lord. (See Exodus 19:20, Exodus 24:12, Exodus 34:4.) Elijah followed a similar pattern (1 Kings 19:8-9), as did Nephi (1 Nephi 11:1, 1 Nephi 17:7, 1 Nephi 18:3, 2 Nephi 4:25) and the brother of Jared (Ether 3:1). Jesus also “went up into a mountain apart to pray”…
“I Pray That He’ll Use Us”
In a video about the Church’s efforts to provide training for neonatal medical professionals in developing countries, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Prayers are answered in great measure…by God using other people. Well, I pray that He’ll use us. I pray that we’ll be the answer to people’s prayers.” (See “Video: Saving Babies from Becoming…
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