Closing Thoughts (Isaiah)

Three things that struck me while reading this book:

1) The first 39 chapters, for the most part, are grueling to read. Judgment after judgment, with just the faintest glimmers of hope.

2) From chapter 40-66, the tone of the book is the opposite. Hope, restoration, and comfort come in waves. There are only a few mentions of brutal judgment.

3) I came across a number of popular verses, some Messianic, some restorative, some deep, some hopeful, some not so hopeful. It’s easy to see that this book still gets to people’s hearts today, just as it has throughout church history. In fact, it is, along with Psalms and Genesis, one of the most quoted books in the New Testament. Isaiah is quoted / referenced some 85 times in the New Testament. Jesus often quoted Isaiah. In Matthew’s Gospel, the book of Isaiah is quoted 10 times. Obviously, the book of Isaiah was important for understanding New Testament events.

After reading through it this time, which is probably my fifth or sixth, I realize I need to read it again. Really, I need to do an in-depth study. Have Isaiah opened on one side, and New Testament on the other. It would be a goodie I think.

But for now, I must move to the next book…