Nature of the Contents of the Book.  The contents of the Book have been said to include:  (1) Warnings and threats against his own people because of their sins. (2) Sketches of the history of his times. (3) Prophesies of the return of Israel from captivity. (4) Prophesies concerning the coming of the Messiah. (S) Predictions of the judgment of God on other nations. (6) Discourses that urge upon Israel moral and religious reformation. (7) Visions of the future glory and prosperity of the church. (8) Expressions of thanksgiving and praise.

The Center of Interest.  The prophet deals primarily with the nation and not with the individual.  He speaks primarily of the present and not of the future.  These two facts must be kept constantly in mind as we read and interpret the book.

Analysis.

  I. Discourses Concerning Judah and Israel, Chs. 1-12.

  1.  Some promises and rebukes, Chs. 1-6.

  2.  The book of Immanuel, Chs. 7-12.

II.  Prophesies against Foreign Nations, Chs. 13-23.  III.  The Judgment of the World and the Triumph of God’s People, Chs. 24-27.

   1.  The judgments.  Ch. 24.

   2.  The triumph.  Chs. 25-27.

 IV.  Judah’s Relation to Egypt and Assyria, Chs. 38-32.

  V. The Great Deliverance of Jerusalem, Chs. 33-39.

 VI.  The Book of Consolation, Chs. 40-66.

   1.  God’s preparation for certain deliverance, Chs. 40-48.

2.  Jehovah’s servant, the Messiah, will bring this deliverance.  Chs. 49-57.

3.  The restoration of Zion and the Messianic Kingdom, with promises and warnings for the future.  Chs. 58-66.

For Study and Discussion. (1) The sins of Israel and Judah that he rebukes. (2) Other nations against which he makes predictions and what he said of each. (3) Isaiah’s call.  Ch. 6. (4) Isaiah’s errand to Ahaz, Ch. 7. (5) The way in which Isaiah rests the sole deity of Jehovah upon his ability to predict a future, Ch. 41.  Give other illustrations. (6) The express predictions of the Messiah as we find them fulfilled in Jesus. (7) Point out the passages portraying the future glory of the church and the spiritual prosperity of the race. (8) Passages predicting the restoration of the Jews from captivity. (9) Some predictions already fulfilled:  (a) God’s judgments on the kings of Israel and the nation of Israel, Ch. 7. (b) The overthrow of Sennacherib, Chs. 13 and 37. (c) Disasters which should overtake Babylon, Damascus, Egypt, Moab and Idumea, Chs. 13, 15, 18, 19 and 34. (d) Vivid and marvelous descriptions of the final fate of Babylon and Idumea, 13:19-22; 34:10-17. (10) The theology of Isaiah or his views on such subjects as the moral condition of man, the need of a redeemer, the consequences of redemption, Divine Providence, the majesty and holiness of God, the future life, etc.

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Chapter XVI.

Jeremiah and Lamentations.