I am starting the Book of Isaiah today. My impression is that it is the longest book among the books of the prophets. It is most often quoted in the New Testament (especially by Jesus) and many of its verses were used in the lyrics of the famous Handel's Messiah. Like other prophets of the Bible Isaiah pronounced judgement against the people of Israel and predicted the coming of the messiah. I often think of the Dead Sea Scrolls which offered evidence of the historical authenticity of the book. It is the one book both Jews and Christians can learn from and agree with. So I did a bunch of googling and found some references to support or dispute my initial impression here:
Is the Book of Isaiah the longest book among the prophetic books?
Deafmissions.com: yes it has the most number of chapters (66 chapters - same as the number of books in the entire protestant Bible!) but the book of Jeremiah has more verses (1364 versus 1292 in the book of Isaiah)!
What Old Testament books are most quoted in the New Testament?
Biblestudytools.com: The New Testament does not simply express its dependence on the Old Testament by quoting it. The fourth edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek Testament (1993) lists 343 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, as well as no fewer than 2, 309 allusions and verbal parallels. The books most used are Psalms (79 quotations, 333 allusions), and Isaiah (66 quotations, 348 allusions). In the Book of Revelation, there are no formal quotations at all, but no fewer than 620 allusions.
So if I add up quotations and allusions the book of Isaiah edges out the book of Psalms by 2 (414 vs 412)!
How many verses of the book of Isaiah appear in the lyrics of Handel's Messiah?
Wheatwilliams.com: Apparently a preacher named Charles Jennens was attributed to have compiled the scriptural verses (Messiah Libretto) which Handel later used for the lyrics. Also of interest is that Handel wrote the Messiah in 21 days! Here is the stats (in sequence of appearance) - Part I of Messiah: Isaiah 40:1-3, 40:4, 40:5; Haggai 2:6,7, Malachi 3:1, 3:2, 3:3; Isaiah 7:14, Matthews 1:23; Isaiah 40:9, 60:1; Isaiah 60:2,3; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:8,9; Luke 2:10,11; Luke 2:13; Luke 2:14; Zachariah 9:9,10; Isaiah 35:5,6; Isaiah 40:11, Matthews 11:28,29; Matthews 11:30
So at least for Part I of Handel's Messiah Isaiah wins hands down! But Parts II and III of Handel's Messiah contain more verses from the book of Psalms and new testament references.
Enterthebible.org summarizes the book of Isaiah this way: Isaiah is the longest and most important of the prophetic books. It covers a long period of Israel's history (before, during, and after the exile) and offers the full range of God's prophetic message: terrifying words of judgment and comforting words of promise. Isaiah portrays God as the powerful Creator, like no other, and also the gentlest comforter, like an earthly lover or mother. Isaiah is taken up in the New Testament more fully than any other prophet.
Isaiah survived four Kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1):
Uzziah/Azariah (overlap), GOOD mostly, 787—735 BC
Jotham (overlap), GOOD, 749—734 BC
Ahaz, wicked, 741—726 BC
Hezekiah, THE BEST, 726—697 BC
He lived among people who are mostly rebellious to God (verse 1:2). They were not atheists or agnostics. They were religious people! It's just that they practiced a religion that did not honor God. They offered meaningless sacrifices and celebrated meaningless festivities (verse 1:13). Therefore God refused to listen to their prayers (verse 1:15) and would not rescue them from their desolate situations (verses 1:5-8). They were told to repent of their sins - stop the corruptions and blood shed (verses 1:4, 1:15) and turn back to God:
Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow. (verse 1:17)
He has promised that:
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. (verse 1:18)
God's discipline is meant to purify us:
Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.
I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
I will restore your leaders as in days of old,
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City.” (verses 1:24-26)
We are living in times of uncertainties and instability. We live among people who mostly do not acknowledge their creator. For me it is important to get to know the God who is like my father and my shepherd (verses 1:2,3). Hold on to his promises for his intention is to recreate in us his perfect kingdom. The day will come when there is lasting peace:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:3-5)
I so look forward to reading through the Book of Isaiah!
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