Isaiah 4, 5, 6

Isaiah 4, 5, 6

• Isaiah 4:2-6 Vision of the end times, describing cleansing of what is false and blessing of what is truly his.
  
• Isaiah 5:1-7 Extended metaphor summarizing Yahweh's charge against Judah (v.7 is an explanation of the metaphor)
• Isaiah 5:8-24 Woe formula naming specific sins: (1) greed, 8-10; (2) self-indulgence, 11-17; (3) cynicism, 18-19; (4) moral perversion, 20-21; and (5) social injustice, 22-23. [Oswalt, pp. 113-115] (v.24 is the conclusion of 1-7 and 8-23)
  
• Isaiah 5:25-30 Vision portraying the nation under God's judgment
• Isaiah 6:1-13 The commissioning of Isaiah: 6:1-4 (Yahweh enthroned); 6:5 (confession); 6:6-7 (atonement); 6:8 (commissioning); and 6:9-13 (message) [note: 6:5 is the seventh woe, completing the woes from 5:8-24]

Notes from Tuesday

• There is a repeated and contrasting theme in Isaiah: destruction and remnant. Those who consider themselves self-sufficient and self-reliant receive a settled judgment, while the remnant is delivered.
• Isaiah 6 is quoted in Matthew 13 and the passage serves a similar purpose. In both locations, the
• people are told that they will hear and not understand and see and not perceive. The people have hardened their hearts and God has hardened their hearts. Judgment is certain and cannot be avoided. The events surrounding Jonah and Pharaoh are similar.
• Though God took great care of his vineyard and did everything necessary for its thriving, the vineyard puts forth fruit in keeping with its sour soul.
• The "therefore" in 5:24 concludes the woes, while the "therefore" in 5:25 concludes the larger section.
• Did the coal in ch 6 effect long term or short term atonement?
• "Who shall I send?" in ch 6 is similar to Jesus' call for workers in Matthew 10.
• Tangent: How do we get truth in our hearts?
• Holy dissatisfaction: self examination (Bible is the mirror) + intention + means
• Related topic: filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
  

NOTE: literary analysis based on notes in the ESV Literary Study Bible (web access version) by Leland Ryken; I highly recommend this work!