THE GOSPEL IN THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
God
has graciously displayed the thread of His redemption story throughout the Old
Testament, and His writings in the book of Isaiah are no exception. As He
presents the nation of Israel with their sin, brings judgment on them, calls
them to repentance, and gives hope of restoration and complete redemption, the
Lord is pointing Israel and all future readers to His Son, Jesus Christ, who
would come to do what they could not do themselves, that is, accomplish
salvation and forgiveness of sin.
Throughout
the book of Isaiah, God tells the nation of Israel who He is, namely that He is
holy, sovereign, and far beyond their ability to comprehend. King Hezekiah recognizes that God is
Creator and that He is sovereign over His whole creation.[1]
In Isaiah 6, we gain a glimpse of heaven, where angels are praising God,
saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His
glory.”[2]
Isaiah responds to this vision, recognizing that he in his sin cannot stand
before a holy God without being cleansed: “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because
I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my
eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”[3]
Later, he writes: “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all
our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a
leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”[4] Isaiah knows he and all Israel are
hopeless in their sin, separated from God[5],
just as all mankind is.
God
calls Israel to wash themselves from all their sin, but they cannot do it: “And
He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to
intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness
upheld Him.”[6]
Because man is incapable of living up to the standard of God’s holiness and
because God loves His people and desires to be worshipped by them, He comes to
save us Himself: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was
crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each
of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
to fall on Him.”[7] He
accomplishes this promise in His Son, Jesus Christ, the One who lived perfectly
for mankind who could not, and through His death and resurrection, God “wipes
out your transgressions for [His] own sake[8]
and calls mankind to Himself in repentance and faith.[9]
He promises that His salvation and His covenant with those who believe Him last
forever.[10]
Enthroned above all things, God reigns and will establish His reign in such a
way that all people will come and bow before Him one day, those who trusted in
Him in this life, in joy; but those who rejected Him in this life, in shame and
dread of eternal punishment apart from Him.[11]
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