Isaiah

AMK LEADERSHIP STUDIES

Isaiah

Commentary:

It was prophesied by Moses and others that the house of Israel would be smitten and scattered because of sin and apostasy. It was also prophesied that the descendants of these people would be gathered again in the latter days and that the Abrahamic covenant would be fulfilled. In the days of Isaiah much pertaining to these things was plainly manifest. (KJV Deuteronomy 4:27-31; Isaiah 1:4-28; Isaiah 5:20-21) [Isaiah's ministry was from about 740 B.C. to 701 B.C.]

The Lord blessed Isaiah with great insight and vision and language. Isaiah spoke sharply concerning the iniquity and hypocrisy which was in Israel. He chastised them for their vain offerings and described the purging which was descending upon them. He spoke concerning the earthly ministry of the Messiah, when Christ would be born of a virgin and come as a man of sorrows to suffer, die, and atone for the sins of the world. Isaiah also prophesied of the second coming of Christ when he would come in great glory, and bring judgment upon the wicked. Isaiah said many things concerning the last days and the redemption of Zion. He prophesied that the righteous ones of Israel and the gentiles would greatly rejoice in Christ's return and in the millennial kingdom. (KJV Isaiah chapters 49-66; 3 Nephi 23:1-3; D&C 133:46-52)

Reference:

"2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

"13 Bring no more vain oblations . . . 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

"23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them" (KJV Isaiah 1:2, 13, 16-17, 23)

"And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. 12 . . .O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." (KJV Isaiah 3:5, 12)

"13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

"15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled . . . 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter . . . 23 Which justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" (KJV Isaiah 5:13-15, 20, 23)

"16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed." (KJV Isaiah 9:16)

Commentary:

Leadership was one of Isaiah's greatest concerns. Many of those who should have known better rebelled against the Lord. They have become selfish, proud, hypocritical, dishonest, greedy, and oppressive. Leaders with these traits are responsible for bringing people into error, captivity, destruction, and hell.

Reference:

"1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: 9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

"12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: 13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach . . . 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (KJV Isaiah 30:1,8-13, 20-21)

Commentary:

Some people don't want to hear the law of the Lord. They don't want the Lord or his prophets to get in their way. Their religion must be soft and easy and their god must save them in their sins. Such people despise the word of God by rejecting commandments and living prophets. If they continue to shun repentance and trust in deceit and oppression, they will be broken by their own evil. After much suffering, some will listen to those who teach the truth and guide them in the right way.

Reference:

"17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

"18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me." (KJV Isaiah 48:17-19)

"2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good . . . (KJV Isaiah 55:2)

Commentary:

The Lord teaches his followers what they need to know and do in order to receive the greatest possible benefit. Why would anyone be willing to settle for less?

Reference:

"10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs . . . 11 greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." (KJV Isaiah 56:10-11)

"20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." (KJV Isaiah 57:20-21)

"Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city." (KJV Isaiah 1:24-26)

"2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

"3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (KJV Isaiah 2:2-3)

Commentary:

Leaders who seek selfish gain at the expense of their followers lack understanding. Their wickedness is a constant source of trouble and they will have no peace.

After the Lord has purged away the evil ones, he will restore righteous leadership. In the last days the Lord will establish temples. Many will come to the House of the Lord for instruction and guidance.

Reference:

"6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty One, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come.

"7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." (Composite of KJV Isaiah 9:6-7 and Masoretic text, also Septuagint Isaiah 9:6 [Alexandrine Text]; see also I Timothy 6:14-15)

Commentary:

The Son of God will be the head of the government. He will be acknowledged as the superlative leader. His dominion of peace and justice will increase forever.