What's ISAIAH about?

Summary

The book of Isaiah was originally three separate books by three different authors. But early on they were combined into one manuscript. We don't know what the three original books were called, so now we call them “First Isaiah,” “Second Isaiah” and “Third Isaiah.” Not very imaginative. But at least it's easy to know which one we are talking about.

The most famous and most often quoted is the middle book, “Second Isaiah.” It runs from chapter 40 through chapter 55. So the chapters before that are First Isaiah, and the chapters after are Third Isaiah.

Skip to: First Isaiah (ch 1-39), Second Isaiah (ch 40-55), or Third Isaiah (ch 56-66)

What's FIRST ISAIAH about? (1-39)

All three sections of Isaiah deal with the problem of why God allowed the people to be conquered by Babylon, around 700 years before Jesus. First Isaiah foresees the invasion of the northern part of Israel and attributes it as God's response to the crushing of the poor to make more money for the wealthy. The reason God responded to this cruely by allowing an invasion is because God has the character of caring for the poor. To exploit those already grindingly poor is to abandon the God who had rescued the people despite their tiny size. This is an offence to God. For the religious and military background to his analysis, click here.

What's SECOND ISAIAH about? (40-55)

All three sections of Isaiah deal with the problem of why God allowed the people to be conquered by Babylon, around 700 years before Jesus. Second Isaiah foresees the return of the people to Jerusalem after they have been enslaved in Babylon for seventy years. Second Isaiah is puzzling over how their local god could force Cyrus, the emperor of the world's largest empire, to let an enslaved people go. What Second Isaiah didn't realize is that Cyrus wanted the Israelites to return home and grow crops so his army could expropriate the food when they were attacking Egypt. But Second Isaiah sees another reason, which is more profound.

Second Isaiah proposes that God had embedded into the creation of the universe, justice and equity for all, and has special care that the powerless never be abandoned. In Second Isaiah's view, everything that was ever made was created to be part of this just distribution of goods. That's why he uses images about God's creative power and how it is that God can influence an emperor like Cyrus. Since God treats the stars like a tent curtain, God can make history go in any direction God wants in order to bring about justice. God can even do things that were never predicted in the Bible—that people will speak about the new escapes God is devising and forget about the wonderful miracles in the past like crossing the Red Sea. This is a revolutionary idea that God isn't constrained by anything in the universe or in religion.

As we read Second Isaiah we bear in mind that he is explaining to us how powerful God is to bring about justice for everyone by directing the course of history. That's a profound understanding of what's going on between nations, even now, and can energize us with expectation and hope as we face enslavement to discouragement in our time.

For the religious and military reasons for his analysis, click here.

What's THIRD ISAIAH about? (56-66)

Third Isaiah is concerned with what happens as the people return to Jerusalem after Cyrus decreed their release. Third Isaiah may have encountered sophisticated religious leaders in Babylon and suggests a radical new idea—that the Jewish God would even include the Babylonians in God's new society in Jerusalem. That's an entirely new idea—that God is the God of the entire earth and of all cultures and religions and peoples, and that God cares for them all.

However, Third Isaiah is aware that, as the temple dedicated to the God of justice and inclusion is being rebuilt, there are people who are resuming the exploitation of the weakest members of society. Third Isaiah insists that God, who rescued them even though they are very small country, will not be pleased if the people continue to exploit the poor. He predicts disaster if such behaviour continues.

Nevertheless, God's purpose is that the world should be complete again, as it was in creation, and that Jerusalem will be a place of unimaginable joy and fulfillment.

These various emphases are helpful in our time and as we read Third Isaiah we can apply the expectations of Jerusalem as a place full of life and glory to our world. If we long for that to happen we will be joining Third Isaiah in his understanding of God's promise of fulfillment of all people.