Understanding Isaiah, a Little More

In Institute today, we continued the discussion on Isaiah. This week, I've spent a lot of time studying the assigned chapters (2 Nephi 15-24/Isaiah 5-14) During the last couple weeks, I've learned a few things that have helped me to put things together and make some sense of what I'm reading. Here are a few of those things:

Historical background:
See map to left. There are four major areas that we are concerned with here.

1.  Southern Kingdom of Judah
   Capital: Jerusalem
   Major Tribe: Judah
   Leader: Ahaz, of the House of David
2. Northern Kingdom of Israel
   Capital: Samaria
   Major Tribe: Ephraim
   Leader: Pekah, the son of Remaliah
3. Syria
   Capital: Damascus
   People: Aramites
   Leader: Rezin
4. Assyria
   Leader: Tiglath-Pileser III (called Pul in 2 Kings 15:19)

I find it useful to note that Isaiah uses the names/capitals/tribes/leaders interchangeably, so the list above (which I've written in the margins of my scriptures as a reference) helps me figure out who is who. It is interesting to note that Isaiah only once mentions Pekah's name; usually he only refers to him as, "Remaliah's son" and it was suggested that Isaiah didn't have much respect for him.

Assyria was on the rise and had conquered Israel and Syria, forcing them to pay taxes, but largely allowing them to rule themselves. In Isaiah 7, the leaders of Israel and Syria went to war against Judah. Perhaps they wanted the Jews to join them in rebelling against Assyria. Ahaz, the king of Judah, had instead allied himself with Assyria, perhaps hoping Assyria would protect them from Israel and Syria. Maybe Ahaz didn't realize that Assyria was a greater threat, and that before too many years, Assyria would tear the kingdom of Israel apart (Isaiah 7:8), spoil Syria (Isaiah 8:4) and that Judah itself would be conquered by the Assyrians (Isaiah 7:17).  Eventually, after much hunger, famine, captivity, and slavery, a remnant of the people would be allowed to return to their land.

Symbolism:
Isaiah uses a lot of imagery and symbolism, references and allusions that aren't readily apparent to me. Here are a few of the symbols I've learned about (however, there are a lot more, and probably even meanings for the things listed here that I haven't mentioned:

• Razors, baldness, shaving: slaves were shaved of all their hair to humiliate them and make it more difficult for them to escape unrecognized. References to these things were therefore symbols of conquest, captivity and slavery. (Isaiah 3:24; 7:20; 50:6)
• Butter and Honey: These are foods that were available to the poor, or nomads, anyone who had a goat and could go out looking for wild honey. 
• Water, rivers, seas: Cleansing, baptism, sometimes they refer to the miracle of the Parting of the Red Sea, or living water, i.e. Jesus Christ. (Ships, however, can also be symbols for commercial strength or naval power, as in Isaiah 2:16.)
• Fire: cleansing, the Holy Ghost, purifying, refining, God's glory, judgements
• Mountains: temples, places to be near to God. Sometimes mountains are used in contrast to rocks and caves, where people try to hide from God. High mountains, also can mean lofty, or proud, as in Isaiah 2:14, where the people are relying upon their natural fortresses to protect themselves, rather than relying on the Lord.
• Hand or Arm: a symbol of power or strength
• Heart: Inner man, with his personal thoughts and intents

Another thing that makes Isaiah a challenge to understand is his tendency to jump between talking to/about the people of his day, to talking about the people in latter days ("in that day"). He talks about Immanuel's birth (Isaiah 7:14-16; 9:2-7), but it isn't clear immediately whether the babe he is discussing is Hezekiah, who would be instrumental in freeing Judah from Assyria's taxation and tyranny, or Jesus Christ, who would come 680 years or so later, to provide the way to free all Israel, (and all the earth) from Satan's power.

One thing that I do like about Isaiah is the message that he repeats over and over again: turn to God, and he will help you. Although he is angry with those who don't keep his commandments and rebel against him, "his hand is stretched out still". When we repent and turn to him, he is ready to help us; he wants to help us. God only withdraws his protection when we withdraw ourselves from him. For example, Isaiah 5:1-7 contains a parable of a vineyard:

 1 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

 2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

 4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

 5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

 6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

 The vineyard is the land of Israel, the Promised Land (or maybe the entire earth). The vine was the Chosen People, the house of Israel, God's special children. The land was fertile and beautiful. The Lord cleared specifically for them. He watched over them and protected them, and blessed them. And the people chose to reject him and choose wickedness instead. (v. 1-2) Instead of relying on God's power, they took comfort in their own strength, in pride and boasting. (Isaiah 10:13 is spoken by the king of Assyria, claiming that he, by himself, conquered so many lands)

Because of the people's rejection, the Lord decided to withdraw his protection: he took away the hedge, broke down the wall, and commanded the clouds not to rain (a symbol for revelation or divine guidance). Without God's protection, the House of Israel was divided, invaded and the ten tribes were carried off and lost.

But... The Lord will lift up an ensign to the nations (Isaiah 5:26; 11:12). He will gather his people again from the ends of the earth with speed and strength. There will come a day of peace and knowledge (Isaiah 11:9) and the conquerors will be brought low (Isaiah 14:16). These are the latter days. The gospel has been restored. The ensign has been erected, and missionaries are spreading the gospel with speed and with the aid of God's power. The children of God are being gathered from the ends of the earth. The day of peace and knowledge will not be long in coming.