Isaiah 1-39: Politician and Prophet

First Isaiah

Isaiah is a prophet who lived during the time of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah.  This was a tumultuous time - as times tend to be when prophets appear. Isaiah was very concerned about the proper treatment of those with little protection in society, namely the orphans and widows. His vision for the future was one of violence and loss, but ultimately the kingdom of God would be restored.

Isaiah the Politician

If we discount God's revelation to Isaiah - say the prophet made it all up - we would be able to see Isaiah as a political reformer who uses a clever scheme to convince his audience of his position. Isaiah attributes probable events to a higher authority (God) as retribution for perceived injustices done by human agents. Isaiah's genius - and the genius of all the prophets - lies in his misdirection. He uses a clever sleight of hand to convince his audience. For example, Isaiah does not says that the Assyrians invaded Israel in order to gain land and resources. Rather, he asserts that the Assyrians acted under God's control in order to punish the Israelites for their sins.

This assertion holds an implicit value judgment that the Israelites, as God's chosen people, are better than the Assyrians. Assyria is merely God's puppet, used by the almighty to punish those people who matter more. In fact, it is this mentality that allowed Jews to cope with oppression, invasion and deportation all the way to today. The notion is bittersweet: bitter because they were scattered directly because of their sins, sweet because God was still willing to protect them in accordance with the divine covenant. It is the sweet that keep the Israelites going. No matter how bitter a situation, that sweetness is upheld by an agreement that transcends sin, the covenant between God and his people.

It is no surprise, then, that Isaiah's message speaks of redemption in addition to its dire warning.

But we don't have to view Isaiah that way...

...Because his story is really interesting! Isaiah is fortunate/pious enough to have a direct encounter with God. His description in Isaiah 6 is almost in mystical terms: God is so large that the hem of his garment fills the temple, and he is accompanied by seraphs, each with six wings. Since the encounter is in the temple, we might imagine God on the throne formed by the wings of the cherubim described in 1 Kings 6.23-28. Therefore we have a multitude of creatures. The seraphim are winged cobras that use one pair of wings to cover their genitals out of modesty, another to cover their faces from the glory of the Lord, and a third to fly. Even God's attendants may not look upon him, so Isaiah's discomfort comes as no surprise:

"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a an of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts!"
(Isaiah 6.5)

His lips are cleansed with a live coal from the altar, and he becomes able to speak with God. The message is dire:

“Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.”
(Isaiah 6.9-10)

No one will listen to the message, but God knows and expects this. Therefore he will bring armies against the Israelites. Israel will be punished for its sins.

Isaiah (speaking on behalf of God) asserts that simple sacrifices are not enough to expiate the sins of the people. Rather, the poor and orphans and widows must be protected as well. But because this has not happened, the Israelites will be conquered ad dispersed.

Eventually, though, there will come a great peace, when all the earth acknowledges and worships the Lord. In this time of great obedience, there will be peace.