Section outline

  • General

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    Goals of the course:  

    • An understanding to the wholeness of the book of Isaiah
    • An appreciation for the book of Isaiah
    • A new determination to preach or teach Isaiah to others 

     

    Objectives of the course:  Upon completion of the course the student will  

    be able to explain the structure of the book and how that structure serves the overall message of the book, 
    be to recall the main theological emphases of the book, 
    will be able to communicate the message of Isaiah to others.

    Course value:   2 EAP

    Semester: Spring semester 2025

    Lecturer: Dr. John N. Oswalt   john.oswalt@asburyseminary.edu 

  • Resources

  • Assignments

  • 🎞️ Video Lectures

    Select the desired translation audio of the lecture -> 🎧 
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    • 📹 01. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 01 URL

      HOLINESS AND SERVICE
      Isaiah is the most theologically and literarily significant prophet in the Old Testament. God’s holiness, grace, and justice stand at the center and form the basis of human calling. The central theme is servanthood, encompassing trust, grace, and a life of righteousness. The book presents a unified whole in both content and structure.

    • 📹 02. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 02 URL

      IN HISTORY AND LOOKING AHEAD
      The Book of Isaiah addresses three major crises: the Assyrian threat, the Babylonian exile, and the Persian-era return. Each context raises the question of whether God’s promises still hold. The lecture emphasizes that Isaiah should be read as one unified message, even for those facing future struggles. A key turning point is the prophet’s personal encounter with God’s holiness, which transforms his entire perspective.

    • 📹 03. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 03 URL

      TRUST AND A CHILD-SHAPED PROMISE
      Human inability, refusal to trust, and God's unexpected way of salvation form the core. God's strength is shown in weakness, and His promise comes through child-symbols: Shear-Yashub, Immanuel, “a child is born to us.” Ahaz’s crisis shows that anything trusted in place of God will eventually destroy. God's final word is not destruction, but salvation for those who trust Him.

    • 📹 04. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 04 URL

      HUMAN KING OR DIVINE KING
      The lecture covers chapters 13–35 and presents four sections: judgment on the nations, the futility of worldly power, the call to trust, and the final promise. God warns not to rely on Egypt or other nations — that path leads to a desert, but He can turn deserts into gardens. Babylon and other empires are mere tools in God's hands; He alone directs the course of history. God teaches waiting, because only when human strength ends can full trust in Him begin.

    • 📹 05. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 05 URL

      DO NOT RELY ON HUMAN POWER
      Chapters 28–32 contain five “woe” oracles revealing a crisis of leadership and misplaced trust. Drunken leaders, false alliances with Egypt, and reliance on military strength are contrasted with God’s waiting mercy. True strength lies in peace, repentance, and waiting—yet the people refuse to wait. God waits until His people come to their senses and turn to Him, for He alone is the righteous King and deliverer.

    • 📹 06. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 06 URL

      WHO IS THE TRUE KING?
      Chapters 32–35 present the coming of the promised King and the Spirit, whose result is justice, peace, and transformed life. In contrast, trusting in human power leads to destruction, symbolized by the desert (Edom). But when God is trusted, He turns the desert into a fruitful garden and opens a holy highway for the redeemed. The lecture ends with a strong call to trust not in nations but in God, who restores His divine order.

    • 📹 07. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 07 URL

      HEZEKIAH AND THE LIMITS OF TRUST
      Chapters 38–39 reveal that a single moment of trust cannot replace a life consistently grounded in trust toward God. Hezekiah’s prayer brings healing and recognition, but his later pride in showing Babylonian envoys his wealth and weapons signals a loss of trust. The lecture affirms that Hezekiah is not the promised ruler from Isaiah 9—human virtue alone is not enough to redeem the world. This sets the stage for the next section, where the search for the true Messiah and a life shaped by grace and lasting trust begins.

    • 📹 08. Lecture 2025-05-02 - 08 URL

      GOD ALONE IS SAVIOR
      Isaiah 40–48 affirms that only God can predict the future, save His people, and carry them throughout life. Babylon’s pride and the idols’ impotence highlight the uniqueness of God—His purposes cannot be stopped. Israel is called not to forget its chosenness and to serve as witness to God's singular power. This lecture invites trust in God’s grace, which does not forsake but upholds and restores.

    • 📹 09. Lecture 2025-05-03 - 01 URL

      GRACE AND THE TRUE SERVANT
      Chapters 40–48 reveal that Israel’s exile is not rejection, but refining grace. Only God can save and carry His people, unlike powerless idols and deceptive human wisdom. Israel is called to remain a faithful witness and not be assimilated into the surrounding culture. True transformation comes through the work of the Servant—the One who enables sinners to become God’s servants.

    • 📹 10. Lecture 2025-05-03 - 02 URL

      THE STORY OF TWO SERVANTS
      Isaiah 49–55 presents two servants: sinful Israel in need of deliverance and an unnamed Servant of the Lord through whom that deliverance comes. True restoration is not just a return from Babylon but a return to God, made possible by the obedient and suffering Servant. His mission is to restore God's order and be a light to the nations. It is His work—not human merit—that makes possible the invitation into God's new covenant.

    • 📹 11. Lecture 2025-05-03 - 03 URL

      THE SUFFERING SERVANT AND THE CALL TO TRUST
      Isaiah 52:13–53:12 is the climax of the book: the Suffering Servant offers an atoning sacrifice for sinners. His humiliation and pain lead to victory, which God extends to all nations. In light of this, the invitation rings out: “Come, all who are thirsty,” opening the way of salvation not just for Israel, but for the whole world. This is not merely about rescue—it is a call to join God's redemptive mission for humanity.

    • 📹 12. Lecture 2025-05-03 - 04 URL

      RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE CHARACTER OF SERVANTHOOD
      Isaiah 56–66 centers on God’s desire to form a people whose lives reflect His character. Human righteousness fails—God Himself comes as a warrior to defeat sin and impart His righteousness. This calls for true repentance, not religious pride or external rituals. God’s goal is not only to save but to transform us for the sake of the world, so that the nations may see His glory in our lives.