In brief
Isaiah, son of Amoz, is a prophet of Judah who serves in Jerusalem around the eighth century BC by the usual reckoning, under several kings. He receives a striking call in the temple, face to face with God's holiness. He announces judgment, but also hope: a child named Immanuel and a Servant who will bear the sins of many. The New Testament often quotes his book.
What does the name Isaiah mean?
His name is generally linked to the phrase "the Lord saves." This idea of salvation runs through his whole book, which announces the deliverance God prepares for his people.
The story of Isaiah
A Call in the Temple
Isaiah 6:1-8In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees the Lord on a high throne, surrounded by seraphim crying out the holiness of God. He knows he is unclean. A seraph touches his lips with a burning coal: his iniquity is taken away. When God asks whom he will send, Isaiah answers: “Here I am. Send me!”
A Hard Message
Isaiah 6:9-13God sends Isaiah to a people who hear without understanding and see without perceiving. His mission will be hard. Yet the message holds a glimmer of hope: like an oak that is cut down but keeps its stump, a holy offspring will rise again from this people.
The Sign of Immanuel
Isaiah 7:1-14Under King Ahaz, Syria and Ephraim threaten Jerusalem, and the king's heart trembles. God sends Isaiah to tell him not to be afraid. He gives a sign: a virgin will conceive and bear a son, whom she will call Immanuel. Matthew 1:22-23 sees the fulfillment of this word in the birth of Jesus.
The Suffering Servant
Isaiah 53:1-12Isaiah describes a servant who is despised, a man of sorrows, pierced for our sins and crushed for our iniquities. Like a silent lamb, he bears the iniquity of all. The text also announces that he will make many righteous. The New Testament sees Jesus here, who gave himself up to death.
The Healing of Hezekiah
2 Kings 20:1-11Hezekiah is sick to the point of death, and Isaiah tells him he will soon die. The king prays with tears. Before Isaiah has even left the court, God sends him back to say that he has heard the prayer and will add fifteen years to the king's life. The shadow moves back ten steps as a sign.
What Isaiah teaches us
- Before God's holiness, we recognize our uncleanness, and it is God who cleanses us and sends us.
- Saying "Here I am" to God means answering his call even when the mission looks hard.
- God gives signs and promises to calm fear when everything seems threatened.
- The cross was foretold: Jesus bore our sins, and by his wounds we are healed.
- God hears sincere prayer, as he did for Hezekiah.
Key verses
God asks whom he will send, and Isaiah answers: “Here I am. Send me!” This verse shows how to respond to a call after being cleansed by God's grace.
The Lord gives a sign: the virgin will conceive and bear a son and call his name Immanuel. The Gospel of Matthew takes up this word for the birth of Jesus.
The Servant is pierced for our sins and crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brings us peace fell on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Sermons about Isaiah
- The Root of Jesse (Isaiah 11)A sermon on the root of Jesse, announced in chapter 11 of the book of Isaiah.
- Isaiah 42: The Servant King Who Won't Crush YouA sermon on the Servant King announced in Isaiah 42, who does not crush you.
- Isaiah 49: Four Paradoxes of the Servant Who Saves YouA sermon on four paradoxes of the Servant announced in Isaiah 49.
- Healing Your Broken Heart: Isaiah 61 Fulfilled TodayA sermon on Isaiah 61 and the healing of the broken heart.
Frequently asked questions
Why did God choose Isaiah?
The Bible gives no reason tied to merit. In Isaiah 6, the prophet recognizes that he is unclean, and it is God who cleanses him before sending him. The call therefore rests on grace, and Isaiah answers: “Here I am. Send me!”
What does the name Isaiah mean?
His name is generally linked to the Hebrew phrase "the Lord saves." The Bible gives no direct explanation, but the idea of salvation is central to his book, which announces God's deliverance and the Servant who bears sins.
Where can I find the story of Isaiah in the Bible?
It is found in the book of Isaiah, especially chapters 6 to 8, 20, 36 to 39 and 53. The story of Hezekiah's illness also appears in 2 Kings 19 and 20, where Isaiah speaks to the king.