Lifespan

7??-701 B.C.

Ministry

For forty years Isaiah served as a prophet in Jerusalem (740-701 B.C.). He was chief adviser to King Hezekiah and had significant influence on the national religious and political scene.

Preparation and Calling

Although little is known about Isaiah’s preparation, his calling is recorded in dramatic fashion. Isaiah 6 chronicles the vision that Isaiah had, in which he was lifted up into heaven. Here he saw angels, confessed his sins, went through a symbolic cleansing, and saw and heard the Lord, who called him to “Go, and tell this people” a message of repentance.

Interaction with God

Isaiah is known for his gift of seeing and poetically describing multiple future eras simultaneously. But in addition to the gift of prophecy, through which Isaiah hears the voice of God speaking to him, he also has visions (including seeing and conversing with God Himself) and writes inspired verse.

Social Situation

Two major social situations are addressed in Isaiah: the first, covering chapters 1-39, focuses on the immorality of the leaders in Jerusalem, while the second, covering chapters 40-66, concentrates on the plight of the exiled Jews in Babylon.

Key Teachings

Isaiah is known for his complex prophecies and their layered meanings. They frequently deal with events of his own day while having meaning also for the First and Second Comings of Jesus Christ. He is the most quoted prophet in all the Bible. Specifically, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John all quote Isaiah more than any other Old Testament prophet.

Despite the fact that he is quoted so often, his writings can be difficult to understand. Isaiah seems to have been well educated, and his writing style involves a great deal of symbolism. The text is dense and packed with layered interpretations.

Key concepts that Isaiah weaves throughout his writings include holiness, peace, justice, righteousness, salvation, and faith in the coming Messiah, the notion of becoming holy or being holy having perhaps the highest frequency. Many of his prophecies focus on the Savior, with layered images addressing both His first and second coming. Isaiah’s testimony of the Redeemer of all is undeviating.

Modern sacred texts continue this emphasis, as the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants both refer to Isaiah more than any other prophet. These two books also provide helps to the modern reader for improving understanding through diligent study.

Prophecies of Christ

Isaiah’s writings are filled with prophecies of the coming Christ. Here are but a few:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14).

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

“I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of th prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:6-8).

“I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off my hear: I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isa. 50:6).

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and caried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the inquity of us all” (Isa. 53:2-6).

Living with the Prophet

Isaiah was well educated, highly literate, and firmly devout in his belief in God. Some people feel that as they become better educated, their belief in God wanes. Have you ever been challenged by intellectual issues that have complicated your belief in God? How can you use your mind to support your belief in God?

Sources

Oxford Companion to the Bible, s.v. “Isaiah, the Book of”

Encyclopedia of Religion, s.v. “Isaiah”

The Learning Bible, the book of Isaiah

Holy Bible, the book of Isaiah

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. “Isaiah”

Lifespan

10??-1015 B.C. (There are no references to David in any records outside the Bible, so these dates cannot be collaborated from other sources.)

Ministry

David was anointed by Samuel in 1063 B.C., became king of the southern kingdom in 1055, and united both Judah and Israel under his reign in 1047.

Preparation and Calling

The Lord instructed Samuel the prophet to seek out a son of Jesse, a farmer and keeper sheep from Bethlehem in Judah, to anoint as the next king. After reviewing Jesse’s oldest seven sons, he saw the youngest, David, and heard the Lord say, “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.” Samuel promptly “anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Subsequent experiences during his youth brought him into the king’s court as his harp player and armor bearer, and brought him to battle the giant Philistine warrior Goliath. These and other military experiences were important to David’s particular calling because of his later dual role as prophet-king over all Israel.

Interaction with God

David as an individual is emotional, passionate, and creative. His relationship with God seems to echo those traits. The psalms, many of which are attributed to him, reveal the heights and depths of his feelings-his pleadings for forgiveness, his soaring praise for a benificent God, his devotion to the Almighty, his recruiting of God’s power in revenge on the unholy. But little is recorded of how David received God’s word in response-open vision? dreams? angelic ministrants? Because these more dramatic experiences are not mentioned, perhaps David simply was led by a spirit of prophecy and of revelation which came by means of a still, small voice that spoke to his soul.

Social Situation

David is one of the best-known of all biblical figures. His life can be divided into four major sections: (1) a youthful shepherd, (2) a member of the court, (3) a fugitive, and (4) king over all of combined Israel.

David first won favor with the royal court of Saul, king of Israel, because of his musical skills. Soon after came the famous triumph over Goliath, the giant warrior of Gath and champion of the Philistines.

His friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, creates considerable tension, as the conflict between David and Saul grew. David married Saul’s daughter, Michael, and secured his own considerable military force. Although he had opportunity to kill Saul, David’s respect for Saul’s position prevented him from doing so. But when Saul died, David became king of the southern kingdom of Judah, and shortly after brought the northern kingdom of Israel into his rule as well.

One of David’s failings was recorded with the story of Bathsheba. His lust for her began a downward slide of the house of David, and before long rape, murder, and rebellion erupted within his own family.

In short, David was passionate and full of faith. That passion both fueled his success and caused his eventual demise. At its highpoint, the kingdom of David was remarkable for his ability to consolidate a divided kingdom under a single devotion to the Lord.

Key Teachings

Through his psalms and his life, David teaches that God has all power and reigns over all. It is in God that we find protection, solace, peace, joy, prosperity, vengeance, and purpose.

David also seemed to have a clear sense of the coming Messiah, and many foreshadowings of His advent are contained in the psalms that bear David’s name.

Prophecies of Christ

David’s psalms are filled with foreshadowings of the coming Christ. Here are but a few:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsake me? . . . “The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. . . . They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Ps. 22:1, 16, 18).

“Lift up your heads, . . . and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory” (Ps. 24:9-10).

“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:21).

“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. . . . The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:1, 4).

“I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Ps. 118:21-22).

Living with the Prophet

One of David’s best-known experiences was his battle with Goliath. Through faith in God and a well-placed stone, a young man took down a seasoned giant of a warrior. We all have Goliaths to face in our daily lives, whether they be a physical addiction, social peer pressure, economic need, or a myriad of other challenges that may seem simply too big for us to overcome. But we each have a bit of David in us. Beyond that, David succeeded because he had God’s support with him. So do you. Choose one of your Goliaths today, and invite God’s help in defeating that imposing challenge!

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, vol. 4, s.v. “David”

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

Psalms

1 Kings

The Religion Book: Places, Prophets, Saints, and Seers, Jim Willis, pp. 170-75