Even four short years ago, I would not have undertaken such a large and grand project of preaching through the mysteries of the Prophet Isaiah. At that time Mike McCabe encouraged me to see if there were any good evangelical and reformed commentaries available for such an undertaking. Two years went by before such commentaries became available and so the project began.At the end of the project, I was faced with a very tiring prospect of correcting grammar, punctuation and such mundane details that I felt like the farmer who lived with and used daily an old barn that leaned in one particular direction. Since he never came from that direction along the back road and since he was always close up to the barn when he went around back, he never noticed the problem! My early training as a typist was in the US Army and the instructor in the typing school hurried us through with the admonition about commas, "when in doubt, leave them out!" Mary Cain has been very gracious to look at the Isaiah manuscript from the back road and to suggest many commas! Also, certain common grammar errors which I have picked up from grading student papers these last twenty years were also noted and corrected. The computer spelling checker also helped, so for the first time, we have a manuscript with some corrections. Any errors that remain are mine entirely, I have reorganized some paragraphs with the simple end in mind of keeping one sermon to one page wherever possible!
Lastly, I would like to thank the members of Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA) who patiently endured the year and a half series and encouraged me to continue to the end.
Max A. Forsythe
Highland Farm: 27 June 1995
Note: the oldest known manuscript of Isaiah dates from about 150 BC. It displays a section break between chapters 33 and 34 (a logical place for such a division) but none between 39 and 40. This observation is but one of many to support the unity of Isaiah. Indeed our Lord Jesus Christ in his quotes of Isaiah passages from both [scrolls] indicates no hint of a second, third or any other author!
Resources Used:
Allis, Oswald. The Unity of Isaiah.
Ellis, Charles. The Wells of Salvation.
Thomas, Derek. Welwyn Commentary Series: God Delivers.
Uprichard, Harry. A son is Given: Christ in Isaiah.
Young, Edward. The Book of Isaiah.
Youngblood, Ronald F. The Book of Isaiah: An Introductory Commentary.
(c) 2001
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213
September 93 to March 95
ISAIAH 1 THE BOOK OF IMMANUEL
Isaiah 1: 1-9 The Chain of Accountability
Isaiah 1: 10-31 Righteous Rebels?
Isaiah 2: 1-22 Perspective & Prophetic Truth
Isaiah 3:1 - 4:1 The Second Team
Isaiah 4: 2-6 Sprout & Fruit
Isaiah 5: 1-10 Will There Be Tears in Our Beer?
Isaiah 6: 1-13 Who Will Go?
Isaiah 7: 1-25 A Sign Rejected The Virgin Birth
Isaiah 8: 1-22 The Brutish Are Coming!
Isaiah 9: 1-7 The Child To Come
Isaiah 9:8 - 10:4 Four Lessons Ignored
Isaiah 10: 5-34 Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord!
Isaiah 11: 1-9 The Glorious Kingdom
Isaiah 11: 10-16 Messiah Shall Come!
Isaiah 12: 1-6 The Eternal Kingdom
ISAIAH 2 ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS
Isaiah 13: 1-22 The Doom of Babylon
Isaiah 14: 1-23 A Fallen Prince
Isaiah 14: 24-32 All the World's a Stage
Isaiah 15:1 - 16:14 Faded Songs & Jaded Glory
Isaiah 17: 1-14 As the World Tumbles
Isaiah 18: 1-7 A Gift For a King?
Isaiah 19:1 - 20:6 Misplaced Trust
Isaiah 21: 1-10 The End of Babylon
Isaiah 21: 11-17 A Winter of Discontent
Isaiah 22: 1-14 The Gift of Sight
Isaiah 22: 15-25 A Man of the World
Isaiah 23: 1-18 Conquest or Profit?
ISAIAH 3 THE ISAIAH APOCALYPSE
Isaiah 24: 1-23 The Mind of God
Isaiah 25: 1-12 He Will Save!
Isaiah 26:1 - 27:1 The City of Peace
Isaiah 27: 2-13 The Lord's Vineyard
ISAIAH 4 THE BOOK OF WOES
Isaiah 28: 1-29 The Book of Zion
Isaiah 29: 1-24 Strange Words
Isaiah 30: 1-18 Dragon Do Nothing
Isaiah 30: 19-33 Return & Redemption
Isaiah 31:1 - 32:20 Lion & Spirit
Isaiah 33: 1-24 Today, Tomorrow & Eternity
ISAIAH 5 THE BOOK OF JUDGMENT & RESTORATION
Isaiah 34:1-35:10 Worst & Best of Times
ISAIAH 6 THE BOOK OF HEZEKIAH
Isaiah 36: 1-22 Who Will Ride?
Isaiah 37: 1-38 The Zeal of the Lord
Isaiah 38: 1-22 Between Pit & Pendulum
Isaiah 39: 1-8 Peace & Security
ISAIAH 7 THEOLOGY: THE DOCTRINE OF GOD
Isaiah 40: 1-11 The Book of Consolation
Isaiah 40: 12-26 Our Creator God
Isaiah 40: 27-31 Spiritual Depression
Isaiah 41: 1-29 His Story
Isaiah 42: 1-25 The First Servant Song
Isaiah 43: 1-28 God With Us
Isaiah 44: 9-20 Of Human Hands
Isaiah 44: 1-28 Created & Purchased
Isaiah 45: 1-25 Unwilling Service
Isaiah 46: 1-13 Who's First: Man or God?
Isaiah 47: 1-15 The Apostate Queen
Isaiah 48: 1-22 Leave Babylon Behind
ISAIAH 8 SOTERIOLOGY: THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION
Isaiah 49: 1-26 The Second Servant Song
Isaiah 50: 1-11 The Third Servant Song
Isaiah 51: 1-23 Which Cup?
Isaiah 52: 1-12 God is King
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 The Fourth Servant Song
Isaiah 54: 1-17 A Covenant Promise
Isaiah 55: 1-13 God's Invitation
Isaiah 56: 1-8 A Trekker Church?
Isaiah 56:9-57:13 Blind Shepherds
Isaiah 57: 14-21 May We Behold His Glory
ISAIAH 9 ESCHATOLOGY: THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS
Isaiah 58: 1-14 Instuaratur Ruinae
Isaiah 59: 1-21 The Lord's Own Arm
Isaiah 60: 1-22 The Light of Salvation
Isaiah 61: 1-11 The Everlasting Covenant
Isaiah 62: 1-12 Rest or Reformation?
Isaiah 63: 1-19 Even in Darkness
Isaiah 64:1-12 Revive us Again!
Isaiah 65: 1-16 Judgment or Salvation?
Isaiah 65: 17-25 All Things New!
Isaiah 66: 1-13 How Large Is Heaven?
Isaiah 66: 14-24 Every Knee Shall Bow!
- Table of Contents