We are about to study Isaiah. Most people don’t. They
consider his writings a hefty challenge but there is a way to understand the
beauty of his revelations and his testimony of Christ.
Imagine
being a prophet, a writer and a poet. Now imagine that your revelations and
literary works are so great that Jesus Christ himself issues a command that
they should be studied and understood. Jesus quoted Isaiah more frequently than
any other prophet. He issued the following edict to all who would be his true
disciples: ".....a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things
diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1). The
operative word in this commandment is to 'search'. To search something means
having the intent to find and discover. This takes reading Isaiah to another
level.
Nephi
loved Isaiah and referred to him simply as ‘the prophet’. He quoted him
extensively to his people, for one reason, that they may have hope (1 Nephi
19:24)…..and hope is something we desperately need in this, what has become, a complex
and disturbing world.
“Isaiah
is everywhere known as the messianic prophet because of the abundance, beauty,
and perfection of his prophetic utterances foretelling the first coming of our
Lord. And truly such he is. No old world prophet, whose inspired sayings have
come down to us, can compare with him in this respect. Moreover, the first
coming of the Messiah is past, and so even those among us who are not overly endowed
with spiritual insight can look back and see in the birth, ministry, and death
of our Lord the fulfilment of Isaiah’s forecasts.
“But
if we are to truly comprehend the writings of Isaiah, we cannot overstate or
overstress the plain, blunt reality that he is in fact the prophet of the
restoration, the mighty seer of Jacob’s seed who foresaw our day and who
encouraged our Israelite fathers in their spiritually weary and disconsolate
state, with assurances of glory and triumph ahead for those of their
descendants who would dreturn to the Lord in the last days and at that time
serve him in truth and righteousness.” (Elder
Bruce R. McConkie, Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah, Special Issue: Old
Testament, Exodus to Malachi)
Before
studying Isaiah, one needs to know and remember that his writings are meant for
the converted. It is imperative that we already have at least the basic
knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that we have a testimony of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that through Him only salvation comes and “that faith,
repentance, baptism the gift of the Holy Ghost, and righteous works are
essential to an inheritance in His Father’s kingdom. To illustrate, it takes a
prior knowledge of pre-existence and the war in heaven to recognise in Isaiah
14 the account of Lucifer and his hosts being cast down to earth without ever
gaining mortal bodies” (ibid).
Isaiah’s
writings basically focus on these themes: 1. The everlasting Covenant; 2.
Restoration; 3. Christ’s Return; 4. Millenium; hence the reason for basic
conversion. However, Isaiah’s role was to take the basic to another level, the
level of spiritual maturity:
“Many
of the people of Jesus’ time were spiritually immature and unprepared to
receive the doctrines He taught. Through parables He was able to teach the more
spiritually mature and at the same time veil His teachings from those who were
not prepared to understand or follow them. In that manner He kept many from
being condemned for having a knowledge of principles they were unable to live
(see Alma 12:9-11)” [this is the mercy of Christ]…..”Spiritually speaking,
Isaiah’s writings are meat; not milk (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:13-14;
Isaiah 28:9).” (Understanding Isaiah,
Enrichment E, Old Testament Student Manual)
If
you are already spiritually mature and want to enrich that maturity, study Isaiah.
If you are not spiritually mature yet, there is one way to become so….pay the
price in study and effort….and have the desire to understand and know the
weightier matters of doctrine by the power of the Holy Ghost which will reveal
all things to you…..”for behold, there are many that harden their hearts
against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast
many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught” (2
Nephi 33:2)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
