Class Notes on Background for Isaiah

1. Isaiah, son of Amoz (not Amos) - Isa 1:1;
• Contemporary of Amos, Hosea, in Israel, but younger.  Possibly Jonah
• Contemporary of Micah, in Judah
2. Review Larger timeline
• Israel's time of Kings 1043-931 BC (Saul, David, and Solomon)
• Split into two kingdoms (Jereboam and Rehoboam)
• Israel (10 Northern Kingdoms, 931-722 BC)
• Judah (2 Southern Kingdoms, 931-586 BC)
3. Review Kings (multiple sources for dates)
• Uzziah, 52 years, good, 792-740/739 BC
• Started good
• Finished poor
• Jotham, 16 yrs, good, 750-732 BC (8+yrs joint rule w/Father)
• Prophecies are probably mostly oral
• Ahaz, 16 yrs, evil, 732-715 BC
• Chp 7-10:4
• Would see the destruction of Israel
• Hezekiah, 29 yrs, good, 715-686 BC
• Chp 10-39 [till the middle of Hezekiah's reign]
• Manasseh, 55 yrs, evil, 686-632 BC
• Additional key dates / points of interest
• 681 BC Murder of Sennacherib
• 736 BC Micah begins to prophesy
• 732 BC Hoshea becomes king of Israel
• 727 BC Shalmaneser IV becomes king of Assyria
• 722 BC Sargon II becomes king of Assyria; Samaria falls; the ten tribes go into captivity
• 705 BC Sennacherib becomes king of Assyria
• 701 BC Judah invaded by the Assyrians
• Legend is that Manasseh sawed Isaiah in two (Heb 11:37)
4. History is found in 2 Kings 15-21:17 and 2 Chron 26-33:20
5. Outline -- 2 Divisions
• Chapters 1-39
• Isaiah's time
• Story of Judgment
• Chapters 40-66
• Refer to Judah's exile (150 years later)
• 40-55 in Babylon during exile
• 56-66 in Israel rebuilding Jerusalem
• Story of Comfort
• Similarity to the bible
• 39 OT books of Judgment
• 27 NT books of Comfort
6. Economic Times
• Peace and prosperity at the beginning
• Isa 2:7 Their land is full of silver and gold;

there is no end to their treasures.

Their land is full of horses;

there is no end to their chariots. NIV

• Things get progressively worse (it will reach a point where only  Jerusalem is left of Judah)
• The nation was economically strong but already spiritually cold
• Isa 3:8-9 Jerusalem staggers,

Judah is falling;

their words and deeds are against the Lord,

defying his glorious presence.

9 The look on their faces testifies against them;

they parade their sin like Sodom;

they do not hide it.

Woe to them!

They have brought disaster upon themselves. NIV

• Sounds a lot like today