Is Isaiah really that difficult to understand? The challenge with this book is mostly to do with historical context. We are not familiar with the geography and customs of his day so we miss most of the references. Just imagine if someone 3,000 years from now picked up a book from today and had to try to understand references such as Yugoslavia, dog-days of summer, WiFi or selfie. It is not that Isaiah is complicated, the problem is we need a guide to understand his references. The bottom line is, there is no getting around having to put in some effort to learn the references. Fortunately, there are lots of scholars who have done all the homework for you. But this begs the question, why is Isaiah so much more difficult than other Old Testament books that also require historical context? The reality is, few people properly understand anything in the Old Testament because of a lack of detailed study. This lack of study is what produces creationists who think genesis 1 is talking about the formation of the universe. At least, that is my opinion. (more…)

In order to understand the poem, you need to understand the poet. Understanding the circumstances that brings about the text will help you understand the intended message. Isaiah is perhaps the most familiar prophet of the Old Testament, and also the least understood. Many people use the Book of Isaiah as an example of what is difficult about the bible. I have found that the greatest stumbling block to understanding Isaiah is a lack of familiarity with the man himself. Once you get a handle on his circumstances such the geography and customs of Isaiah and the people he is talking to, the passages open up. (more…)