1. Creation
The fact that God is the LORD and Creator of everything is emphasised repeatedly in this book, and for good reason! Israel were in a time of chaos and disobedience, and God's judgement was coming upon them; they were going into exile. But Isaiah's message to them as God's prophet in this time was a message of ultimate hope, because they were not simply flies to be squashed, but God's own chosen people whom He was planning to redeem. With big super-powers like Egypt and Babylon looming over them, the Israelites lost confidence in God. Isaiah reminds them that the reason these foreign nations have power over them is because of their sin, and that God is in control behind the human military events that were taking place. Instead of being afraid of other armies, they should be more afraid of God!
'who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die... And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth' (Isa 51:12-13)
2. Sin
Isaiah points out to the people the problem of their sin, from fake religion (trying to impress God with rituals yet not really, in their hearts, loving and trusting Him) to open corruption. The first 39 chapters are pretty hard-going, because there is a constant emphasis on Israel's sin and how God's judgement is coming. But these chapters are in our Bibles for a reason. They show us how seriously God takes sin. They show us that God sees our hearts and motives, and that's what matters more than any outward appearance:
'this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men.' (Isa 29:13)
Note that Jesus Himself quotes this passage in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 when teaching and warning people about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. The more you get familiar with Isaiah, the more you can see the connections with the ministry of Jesus.
3. Saviour
There are several key passages in Isaiah about a 'servant' of God, who will be instrumental in bringing salvation to His people. These are clear prophecies about Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself was very aware of them, and how He fulfilled them in His own person and ministry. Read Isaiah 42 and 52-53 and I'm sure you won't need to look too far to see the clear parallels. If you've got a reference Bible as well, look at how the New Testament uses Isaiah's prophecies and teaches that they are about Jesus (eg. Mt 8:17). In fact, the account of Jesus praying in Gethsemane 'remove this cup from me' (Lk 22:42), doesn't make sense if you don't know the picture in Isaiah 51:17 of the 'cup of His fury' (that is, God's wrath against sin and His judgement upon it). Jesus knew that on the cross, He would drink that cup, fully bearing the punishment for our sin, so that we could be restored to God. The picture in Isaiah of a Saviour help us to love and worship Jesus with more richness and depth than ever before.
4. Restoration
There are so many wonderful passages in Isaiah about a forthcoming time of blessing and peace:
'For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.' (Isa 51:3)When Jesus returns and God's people are raised to life in the new creation, we will experience Eden restored, a closeness with God that we could never have on earth, and a joy of forgiveness knowing that Jesus drunk the cup for us, and has won for us an eternal salvation.
'My righteousness shall be for ever, and My salvation from generation to generation.' Isa 51:8)
