Introduction
Isaiah is one of the Major Prophets in the bible; he is remembered for his straightforward message and a call to repentance. He was mainly called after God realised the wickedness that was in the land. It was at a time when the people of Judah had forsaken God and worshiping other idols. God had planned to destroy the land but decided to warn the people through his prophet Isaiah (Lee, 53). The nation of Judah had apparently become rebellious, worshiping other gods. Isaiah walked from one city to the other with his message of repentance. This made him to be dreaded by people who did everything to avoid him. Due to his calling, Isaiah was hated my most people who thought he was a messenger of doom and cared less about the people of the land. It was hard for people to believe that his harsh message was actually from God. He received his messages mostly through visions that had a symbolic message. Such visions were interpreted by God through his spirit as he send Isaiah to proclaim it.
The relevance of Isaiah’s message then
The book of Isaiah is presented in sixty-six chapters, which were relevant during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Even though he was considered a harsh prophet, his message was relevant especially to the people of Judah who were part of the Israelite community. God is considred to be a jealousy God who does not allow the attention of his people to be drifted from him to other gods. As the sovereign creator of human beings and choosing Israel to be a people that he would show his glory, he was obliged to protect them. One of the ways that he showed his divine protection was to prevent his chosen ones from worshiping other gods and hence withholding his wrath. Whenever God felt that his people had forsaken him, his wrath burned against them and felt the need of destroying them so that he comes up with a different generation. Being a loving and compassionate God, he felt it was not just right for him to destroy his people without warning.
It should be noted that the Israelites had passed through various generations of which some had no understanding of the initial covenant that God had made with the Israelites. It was therefore up to the older generation to repeat the words of the covenant and teach their children to observe them. With each passing generation, people had a tendency of forgetting the words of the law or rather taking them for granted. They were also influenced by their neighbouring communities whom they considered more superior than they were. They had physical gods whom the Israelites thought were more effective than they were. Whenever the Israelites faced defeat in any form, they thought that most probably they had been forgotten by their God or rather their God did not exist.
It was the jealousy they had towards other nations that made them not only forget and forsake their god but also prevented them from passing a similar message to their subsequent generations. More often God had to use his prophets to remind the people of the initial covenant he made with them and made them to renew it. This mostly happened when they had forgotten all about the laws and taken for granted some of the kings and prophets that he had sent them. It also happened that some of the kings and rulers that God had appointed to take charge of his people led them into sinning. In fact, in most cases where God had to sent his prophets, the kings were misleading the people and even encouraging them to worship idols. This is the main reason why the wrath of God had to send his prophets to warn them of the judgement that was about to come.
The message of Isaiah was relevant to the people of Judah in a number of ways. Primarily it was an opportunity for the prophet to remind the Israelites that they had earlier entered into a covenant with God. This therefore implied that they were not just like any other nations but had been specifically chosen to manifest God’s glory and righteousness. The message of prophet Isaiah acted as a reminder to the newer generation who had not had the opportunity to hear the words of the law. It motivated them to know that they were aspecial kind of peope who were cared for by the Lord. Whenever the prophet Isaiah delivered the message of God, he mentioned to the people about the earlier covenant that he had made with their forefathers, how he delivered them from the hand of slavery, the signs and the wonders he performed in Egypt and how he provided and protected them when they were in the desert. These memories were necessary and important in strengthening the faith of the Israelites.
Isaiah’s message was also important in the sense that it prevented the wrath of God from the people of Judah. In the process of talking to people and conveying His message, they came back to their senses and realised that what they were doing was contrary to the covenant. Even though they lived sinful lives, they knew how powerful God was and how bale he was to destroy them. It was the fear that came with the message that made people to repent and once more seek the face of God. During these days, people were given the option of either repenting and forsaking their sinful ways or to be completely destroyed. Nobody wanted to be destroyed and more especially by the wrath of God. They were therefore obliged to turn back to God and burn away their idols.
The other essence factor about Isaiah’s message in the early years was covenant renewal. In the process of warning people of the coming judgement and leading them into repentance, Isaiah prophesied about the coming messiah who was a symbol of covenant renewal with the people of Israel. The people had to be reminded that being a chosen generation, salvation would come through them. Prophet Isaiah was one of the first messengers that God used to predict about the birth of Jesus. This was relevant in giving people hope and reminding them that of the coming messiah. Prophet Isaiah therefore acted as a bridge between the past, present and the future. This gave the people of Judah hope and motivated them to serve and worship the only God that their forefathers knew.
Relevance of Isaiah’s message today
Isaiah’s message remains to be relevant today, centuries after it was written. Isaiah’s message remains to be a reminder of how far the history of Christianity has come from as well as how God related and still relates to His people. One clear thing about the message of Isaiah and Christianity today is God’s compassion and grace towards his people. It is a clear sign that God cherishes the relationship of His people and is in the business of revealing and conveying his message of love and hope using his chosen people. It is also a clear sign that God will use different means to warn people of the coming wrath before passing his judgement. This therefore calls for people to be alert and responsive to the vice of God so that they are not punished. The fact that the message of prophet Isaiah about the coming messiah was fulfilled is an indication that he was a true prophet of God. Christians all over the world can always refer to this message when clarifying about the birth of Jesus.
Isaiah’s message is also a reminder of the covenant that God made with his people. It is relevant to Christianity today in the sense that they are reminded of the unchanging nature of God. Through out the book of Isaiah, God has manifested himself as unchanging, covenant keeping, jealousy, merciful and just. These are also the qualities that Christians can associate with especially I this dispensation of Jesus and the holy spirit. Even though Jesus was not manifested in he days of prophet Isaiah, the nature of God is still being manifested in believers today just as the earlier days. Preachers frequently quote the words of the prophet especially when they fall short of God’s glory and therefore have to repent. The message of repentance can be delivered effectively using the words of prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah’s message also reminds believers today of the origin of the covenants that God made with humanity. Through out the bible, God uses covenants to reveal to his people that he is faithful and will never leave nor forsake them (Umoren, 64). By reading the words of the New Testament, which form the basis of modern Christian faith, they can always relate the messages of the Old Testament and find its relevance in the New Testament. For instance, the birth of Jesus, which was first foretold in the book of Isaiah, has a lot of relevance among Christians today. The founding fathers of Christian faith have been frequently mentioned in the book of Isaiah. We see the same being mentioned in the New Testament, which is relevant to Christianity today.
The book of Isaiah mentions more about the challenges that God’s messengers go through. This is also relevant especially to prophets and preachers who have to face a lot of resistance especially when delivering the message. It serves as a reminder and consolation to them that what they are going through is not new and that it was also faced by other prophets before them. The fact that Isaiah, stood firm and never gave up, it serves as a reminder to the current prophets never to loose their focus no matter how much they are despised (Oswalt, 67). Isaiah had a strong personality and character; he delivered the message of God without fear and favour. This implies that the current preachers and prophets need to posses such a spirit. They are required to deliver the message not according to what the people want but how God wants it to be delivered.
Preachers are currently caught between obeying God and pleasing the people. It reaches a time when there is so much iniquity among people that God sends his prophets to warn them of his wrath. However, it becomes quite challenging for the pastors to tell the truth especially to the very people they have become familiar (Wells, 378). There is the fear of losing their congregation, which would rather be encouraged rather than rebuked. People have a tendency to think that what they are involved in is understandable however sinful it maybe. With the current conformity, most people including preachers find themselves compromising the truth of the gospel. The message of prophet Isaiah becomes relevant during such times as it reminds people to flee from all form of inequity.
When condemning the sinful nature of the people of Judah, neither God nor Isaiah felt that the people were justified to sin because of their current circumstances. They were obliged to keep the words of the law to the latter end and persevere through the hard times. He book reveals to us that what was being faced by believers is only a means through which God’s power shall be manifested. Trials are also God’s way of rooting his people in faith and keeping them focused on him. For instance, whenever the Israelites sinned against God, he would send his prophet to warn them of the coming judgement. This humbled the people and made them renew their covenant (De Jong, 32). Their faith was even more strengthened as they got a different revelation of God altogether. This is also relevant to Christians today who find their faith strengthened after being warned about their sins. A prophetic word serves as a revelation to a fallen believer as it reminds them that God is still mindful of them.
The message of prophet Isaiah is a relevant tool not only to early believers but also to believers today. The message that was spoken by prophet Isaiah has a lot of significance to the church today (Hugh, 39). It is a bridge of the past, the present and the future. By connecting the past, we are reminded of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is mainly on the basis of what he promised to them that he was kind enough to the people of Judah even after they had sinned against him. It is also a connection to the present especially when believers enjoy the benefits of what was decreed many years ago. Christian believers can always obtain mercy and grace whenever they are reminded of God’s word spoken to the prophet. In relating the words of prophet Isaiah to the future, believers have an eternal hope. The fact that God dies not change gives them hope that they can always trust in him. They can always relate to the work and ministry of Isaiah and realise that they have an obligation to continue with the ministry.
Works Cited:
De Jong, Matthijs J., Isaiah Among The Ancient Near Eastern Prophets: A Comparative Study of the Earliest Stages of the Isaiah Tradition and the Neo-Assyrian Prophecies, BRILL, 2007, p. 13-17 [1]
Hugh Williamson Ed., Interpreting Isaiah: Issues and Approaches (288 pp. Nottingham: Apollos, 2009)
Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Isaiah: Messages 1-16. California: Living Stream Ministry, 1991
Oswalt, John. The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39. New York: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986.
Umoren, Gerald. The Salvation of the Remnant in Isaiah 11: 11-12: An Exegesis of a Prophecy of Hope and Its Relevance Today. London: Universal-Publishers, 2007.
Wells, John C. Longman pronunciation dictionary. Harlow, England: Longman, 1990. p. 378.
