Isaiah

The book of Isaiah reveals few details about the prophet himself. We know that he was the son of Amoz, that he was a husband and a father, and that at God’s command he used some rather unusual methods of getting his point across (20:2–6)! With the exception of a few details such as these, the Bible focuses exclusively on the prophet’s message. God called Isaiah to be a prophet in a time when the people of Judah were no longer faithful to the covenant. The nation’s disobedience meant that their prospects for the future involved God’s judgment rather than his blessing. Isaiah denounced the people’s hypocrisy, greed, and idolatry. The heart of his message, however, is found in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah’s vision is ultimately a message of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 6:8–13)