One or Two Isaiahs

I believe the Bible is God’s Word – every word of it. I concur with Paul’s statement that the Scripture is inspired, literally God-breathed. Paul also told Timothy to study the Word so that he might be an approved interpreter. There is a strong hint there that while the Bible contains truth, it might take some effort to mine the truth. If you haven’t read “Take the Bible Literally” and “Understanding the Bible as Literature,” I recommend them. What I wrote then is simply that the words in Scripture are often couched in imagery, symbolism, hyperbole, and metaphor. That means that the words convey truth, but they are not intended to be taken literally.

I also believe the process of gathering the books we now hold as the Bible was superintended by God. The Holy Spirit oversaw the councils who chose which writings to include and which to exclude from the canon of Scripture. Some things have been imposed on the text that were not in the original manuscripts. For example, chapter and verse numbering was added much later to aid in locating specific passages. Also, the names of some of the books had titles added that were drawn from assumptions about authorship. Sometimes there were multiple options for a book that was named: who was the James who wrote the New Testament epistle bearing his name? Was the author of Revelation John the apostle or some other man with the same name? These later additions and assumptions do nothing to invalidate the truth of the words they contain.

There is a long-standing debate about whether all the book of Isaiah was written by the same author. Some argue that the change in tone and apparent time gap at chapter forty indicates that someone other than the man named in the early chapters wrote the later chapters. If that were true (I don’t believe it is.), it would not detract from the truth of the message. The wonderful truths about the coming Messiah and the final state of God’s creation remain safe and sound regardless of who wrote them.

Another message that is contained in the book of Isaiah predicts that there would be people with eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear. The prophet was told to speak God’s word to them regardless. Paul told the Ephesians something similar. He said that because some people had denied the existence of God, their minds were blinded to His truth. This fact helps us understand what Paul told the Romans: God had given rebellious people over to their own destructive practices because they refused to accept the truth that was evident to all: God exists.

When I wrote “How Can They Think That?” after the 2020 election debacle, I reminded my readers that no matter who is elected to office, God remains in control. That was precisely Isaiah’s message to the people of Israel. They had been bounced around between Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and Persia for generations. During their captivity in Babylon, God promised that another nation, namely Persia, would defeat the Babylonian oppressors and set them free to return to their homeland. That happened as foretold by Isaiah, and the portion of the book bearing his name that starts in chapter forty is a record of that as well as giving assurance of a future when all the nations would come to worship God.

The incorrect application of the truth of Scripture has led to some disastrous conclusions throughout history. The Crusades represent one of the most egregious. Thinking that Isaiah’s prophecies about a future Jerusalem were to be taken literally, the Crusaders committed horrible atrocities in the name of God. Thinking the cosmology of the Bible was literal, the Inquisitors murdered scientists who described the universe as it truly was made. Thinking they knew a witch when they saw one, the Inquisitors and the Puritans executed thousands of innocent women. Fear born out of ignorance and misapplication of Scripture led to the persecution and death of Catholics and Mormons in America.

Because many modern Christians (so-called) have ignored or misinterpreted Scripture, millions of unborn babies have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience. Countless teenagers have undergone “gender-affirming” surgery and have taken hormones because they believe God put them in the wrong body. The sanctity of marriage was destroyed when it was applied to same-sex couples. I am laying this at the feet of Christians in America for two reasons. First, many who call themselves Christians approve of these practices. That is clearly due to misunderstanding or ignoring Scripture. Second, I believe that if Christians in this country had voted as a block against unbiblical politicians and policies, they would have been defeated.

Isaiah warned the nations of his day that God would judge them for their sinful practices. Isaiah reminded Israel that they were being punished for their apostasy. The message could be applied to America today. I like what Matt Erbaugh wrote in Bible Study Magazine some years ago. “Don’t spend so much time trying to figure out the rules [or interpretation of rules] that you miss hearing his voice." The voice of God spoken through Isaiah, whether one man or two, needs to be heard today. Are you listening?

 

Matt Erbaugh, “Little White Lies,” in Moment with God: A Devotional on Every Biblical Book, ed. John D. Barry and Rebecca Van Noord (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).