Salvation in the City:
an Isaiah Study
Small Group Questions for the week of 31/10/2010
Read Isaiah 1:1-17
This chapter serves as the pre-text of what the book of Isaiah is all about. Isaiah is
preaching to the people of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem (1:1).
From the text itself, what are these people doing? How are they described?
History tells us that after Solomonʼs death in 931B.C. the Kingdom of Israel split into two
separate entities: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. For another 200 years the
northern kingdom of Israel went into a slow decline (attributed to idolatry by the biblical
authors). Around 730B.C., under economic pressure tried to invade the southern kingdom
of Judah. King Ahaz of Judah then appealed to Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria to
intervene. For the next decade, the Assyrians laid waste to the northern kingdom of
Israel, sending most of its inhabitants into exile in Assyria (in 722B.C.)
The southern kingdom of Judah continued for another century before it too started to
decline under growing external threat (by the Egyptians, then Assyrians and lastly
Babylonians). Then in 586B.C. the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzer invaded
Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple and carted off the people into exile in Babylon.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah describe Judahʼs decline before the Babylonian exile
(roughly 740-685B.C. is when Isaiah prophesied) and speak of Godʼs condemnation on
the people. Chapter 1 of Isaiah is a summary of what the people living in Judah were
doing.
Put yourself in Isaiahʼs shoes for a minute. He has witnessed the downfall of one once
faithful kingdom, Israel in the north, and now sees the same trends of injustice and
idolatry and reliance on foreign powers in his own nation.
What would your message be to the people? What would you say?
Do you see these same trends (think of chapter 1) in our world today?
Travis in his sermon mentioned that we often read the story of unfaithful Israel today
and we think, “Oh silly, Israel! Why didnʼt you get your act together?” We certainly are
blown away by things like Godʼs rescuing His people from Egypt and providing the
Promise Land and parting the sea and defeating giants (like Goliath). We see how He
preserved Noah in the flood and Jonah in the big fish (or whale) and think “How could
these people be so delusional?”
Yet we forget that “life” happened to the people of Judah. They lived in the constant
threat of being overrun by foreign empires. They dealt with drought and famine. They
had their own version of the global financial crisis. And they did what many people today
do - they turned to other things for rescue. Money. Other gods. Politicians. Military
power. Education. People who told them what they wanted to hear.
If you were to re-interpret Isaiah 1 (and the remaining 38 chapters as well) in a modern
context, what would Isaiah say? And WHO would he be talking to?
Throughout Isaiah God has one message: “I love you and will get your attention one
way or another.” Why? Because God has made a covenant (a sacred, lasting promise)
with His people - that He will be their God and they His people no matter what. And in
the Bible being Godʼs chosen people always meant you had an expectation to live
according to that promise - to live like you were Godʼs chosen.
Controversial Question Time:
Did God really have to send the people into exile to get their attention? Did He really
have to let their people and their cities get destroyed and children shipped off into
slavery? Isnʼt that a bit...cruel...?
Well regardless of how we view the exile, it happened. The people ended up as
foreigners in a foreign land. Homeless. Hopeless. A shred of what they once were.
Ever feel that way?
But Godʼs not done.
Isaiah has something more to say. Whether he was looking into the future and
predicting this would happen or whether a later disciple of Isaiahʼs continued his work,
we now get to Isaiah 40-66. A section with quite a different tone than the first. Judgment
and condemnation are more or less gone. Replaced with Godʼs new plan. Of rescue. Of
hope. Of deliverance. God hadnʼt given up on them after all.
Read Isaiah 40:1-31
What has happened between Isaiah 1 (or 39 for that matter) and Isaiah 40?
Whatʼs the message of the chapter?
Had God really forgotten His people? Was He really so cruel?
Imagine for a second that youʼre hearing these words while sitting under a tree in the
desert of Babylon. What would reading Isaiah 40 do to you?
And what about now? What does it mean to you now? Today?
Hereʼs what I (Travis) hope you get out of this. Isaiah 1-39 is the reality of our life devoid
of Christ. Whether we like it or not, whether we think itʼs fair or not, itʼs true. And if weʼre
not careful and if we donʼt take Christ seriously, a serious exile may be on the way. Yet
Isaiah 40 (through 66) happens. The first 39 chapters (though good) are not the final
word.
Salvation comes. Are you ready for it?