Text: 2 Kings chapters 14 – 27; 2 Chronicles chapters 26 – 28; Books of Hosea and Micah; Isaiah chapters 1-39
Supplemental Text: The Fourth Thousand Years chapters 18-19
BYU Lecture 39
Judah on the south and Israel on the north had both become strong, powerful nations, yet they were cankered with corruption, immortality, evil and decadence like the heathen. The prophet Hosea cried repentance in vain but remained hopeful. As Israel began to derail under corrupt government and assassinations, her tributaries began to flee and join with Judah. Israel broke into civil war under tyrannical rule of wicked king Menahem.
In Judah, Uzziah rose to power and became a king after the pattern of Solomon. Judah embraced tributaries fleeing from Israel and conquered territories on the south, becoming a powerful, independent nation.
Suddenly, from the north of Israel came the menacing forces of Assyria. Israel tried to make alliances with all the western nations to confront Assyria, but Judah, now ruled by the wicked king Ahaz, refused to join. Israel was so angry, an army was sent to Judah to force them to join.
Isaiah comes on the scene and counsels king Ahaz not to fight Israel and Syria. But Ahaz did not listen, rather he stripped the temple of gold and valuables, sent them to the king of Assyria and asked for help in defending Judah. Assyria accepted the bribe but did not defend Judah. So Ahaz turned to the pagan gods and offered obscene sacrifices, pleading for help. He even sacrificed his own son on the alter. To Ahaz, this must have seemed to be successful for Israel turned from Judah to face the attacking Assyrians from the north.
The prophet Isaiah is introduced and his ministry during this period is reviewed. The Book of Isaiah is difficult to read for several reasons. It is deliberately obscure to prevent too many prophetic details to be revealed which can manipulate our choices. It is also difficult because it is written in poetic form and he skips around history. He is also a brilliant and advanced writer with a large vocabulary.
A brief biography and history of Isaiah is given, along with some of his Messianic prophesies we study today. For example, he gives Ahaz a sign that a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel.
