Isaiah 1–12: Lesson 113

Introduction to Isaiah

“Great are the words of Isaiah”

The prophet Isaiah had the very important responsibility to teach about redemption through Jesus Christ. This message was intended for the people in Isaiah’s time, as well as for us in our time. It is worth the effort to diligently study Isaiah’s teachings about Jesus Christ. This lesson can help students feel motivated to learn about Jesus Christ through studying Isaiah.

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to come to class prepared to share a significant fact about Isaiah. They could look up Isaiah in the Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures.

Possible Learning Activities

A book recommendation

Consider beginning class by displaying the following statements and inviting students to put them in order from most likely to least likely to persuade them to read a certain book.

• Looks very interesting

• Recommended by a family member or friend

• Assigned for a class at school

• Has great online reviews

You might invite a few students to share what their top reason was and why.

Read 3 Nephi 23:1–3, looking for what book the Savior invited us to study.

• What thoughts do you have about the Savior’s commandment to search the words of Isaiah diligently?

• How might the Savior’s commandment influence how you approach your study of Isaiah?

You might ask students to demonstrate their confidence in their ability to study the words of Isaiah diligently. One way to do this is to label one wall of the classroom as “very confident” and another wall as “not very confident.” Invite students to stand in between the walls according to their confidence level. Willing students could explain their level of confidence.

Share with students that the Holy Ghost can help them gain confidence that the teachings of Isaiah can help them come closer to Jesus Christ.

What is helpful to know about the prophet Isaiah?

To help students gain some understanding about the prophet Isaiah, consider displaying the infographic “The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at a Glance.” Invite students to locate Isaiah.

You might ask students to find answers to the following questions in the infographic:

• What kingdom did Isaiah live in? (Judah)

• What other prophets preached around the same time as Isaiah? (Micah, Hosea, Jonah)

• What significant event happened about a century after Isaiah prophesied it? (Judah was taken captive by Babylon)

For more information, see entries for “Isaiah” in the Bible Dictionary or Guide to the Scriptures. You could invite students to share anything else they learned about Isaiah in their student preparation.

Read or summarize the following paragraph.

During his life, the prophet Isaiah preached to people who had turned away from faith in Jehovah (Jesus Christ). Isaiah’s message to them is reflected in his own name which means, “The Lord is salvation.” Isaiah’s teachings also apply to other periods when people would turn away from Jesus Christ—such as the time of Christ and the present day, as we prepare for His Second Coming.

Isaiah’s words can help us believe more fully in Jesus Christ

Students might be interested to know that “Jesus quoted Isaiah more frequently than He quoted any other prophet. Isaiah is also quoted frequently by Peter, John, and Paul in the New Testament. The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants contain more quotes from Isaiah than from any other prophet and provide much help in interpreting Isaiah” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Isaiah,” Gospel Library).

Read 1 Nephi 19:23, looking for why Nephi read the words of Isaiah to his brothers.

• What did you find?

If students do not point it out, help them understand this truth: Studying the words of Isaiah can help us believe more fully in Jesus Christ.

This could be a good opportunity for students to reflect on the value of coming to know Jesus Christ better through Isaiah’s words. One way you could do this is to invite students to complete the following sentence in their journals: “Believing more deeply in Jesus Christ could impact my life by …” Once students have had a chance to write, you might invite volunteers to share what they wrote with the class. Remember to express appreciation for each student who shares.

Alternatively, rather than having them write in journals, you could invite students to turn to a partner and share their thoughts.

Names and titles of Jesus Christ

Help students understand that one of the ways Isaiah leads us to believe more fully in Jesus Christ is by teaching about His titles and roles. One way to study these titles and roles is to use a diagram. You could draw the following diagram on the board. Or, organize students into small groups and invite them to draw it on a piece of paper. Write “Jesus Christ” in the center circle. Students could then be invited to write the titles and roles of Jesus Christ that they discover in the other circles.

Read the following verses and identify and consider marking the titles or roles of Jesus Christ.

• Isaiah 7:14

• Isaiah 9:6–7

• Isaiah 33:22

• Isaiah 40:28

  After students have read, you could display several pictures of Jesus Christ selected from the Church media library. Students could then share what titles or roles they see being fulfilled in the image.

  Consider inviting group members to select a title or role and learn more about it by using footnotes or looking up “Jesus Christ” in the Guide to the Scriptures or Topical Guide. You could invite students to add to the diagram by creating circles branching out from the title or role they focused on. They could list insights they learned about that title or role. (Note: this activity will be referred to in Lesson 133: “Assess Your Learning 8.”)

  You might invite them to share what they learn about the Savior with their group.

• Why do you need the Savior to fulfill one or more of these roles in your life?

• How have you seen the Savior fulfill one of these roles in your life or the life of someone you know?

Additional Resources

What time period did Isaiah write about?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency shared:

The book of Isaiah contains numerous prophecies that seem to have multiple fulfillments. One seems to involve the people of Isaiah’s day or the circumstances of the next generation. Another meaning, often symbolic, seems to refer to events in the meridian of time, when Jerusalem was destroyed and her people scattered after the crucifixion of the Son of God. Still another meaning or fulfillment of the same prophecy seems to relate to the events attending the Second Coming of the Savior. The fact that many of these prophecies can have multiple meanings underscores the importance of our seeking revelation from the Holy Ghost to help us interpret them. As Nephi says, the words of Isaiah “are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Nephi 25:4). (“Scripture Reading and Revelation,” Ensign, Jan. 1995, 8)

What more can we understand of Jesus’s name “Immanuel”? (Isaiah 7:14)

The scriptures teach that “Immanuel” means “God with us.” (See Matthew 1:23.)

President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered insights about how Heavenly Father is with us through Jesus Christ:

Of the many magnificent purposes served in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, one great aspect of that mission often goes uncelebrated. His followers did not understand it fully at the time, and many in modern Christianity do not grasp it now, but the Savior Himself spoke of it repeatedly and emphatically. It is the grand truth that in all that Jesus came to say and do, including and especially in His atoning suffering and sacrifice, He was showing us who and what God our Eternal Father is like, how completely devoted He is to His children in every age and nation. In word and in deed Jesus was trying to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven. (“The Grandeur of God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 70)

How does the book of Isaiah fit into the organization of the books of the Old Testament?

The Old Testament is organized into four sections: the Law, History, Poetry, and the Prophets. The book of Isaiah is the first book of the Prophets, the final section of the Old Testament, which concludes with Malachi.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Learning more about Jesus Christ from Isaiah

This activity could be used along with the scriptures students studied about the Savior’s titles and roles. By studying the following verses, students could learn about the Savior’s attributes and the ways He helps us.

Isaiah 12:2

Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 49:15–16

Isaiah 53:3–5

Students could then share what they learned or felt about Jesus during this activity.

Nephi helps us understand Isaiah

After studying the names and titles of Jesus Christ, you may want to provide students with more helps for studying Isaiah. You could focus on what Nephi taught about understanding Isaiah—that we can better understand Isaiah’s teachings as we:

1. Learn about “the manner of prophesying among the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:1). This includes seeking to understand the imagery, symbols, and poetry Isaiah used.

   For example, what might he have been communicating when he wrote about a vineyard (see Isaiah 5:1–7), the waters of Shiloah (see Isaiah 8:5–10), and an ensign (or flag) (see Isaiah 5:26; 11:10, 12)?

2. “Are filled with the spirit of prophecy” (2 Nephi 25:4). “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). If we believe in Jesus Christ and focus on what Isaiah teaches about Him, we will better understand Isaiah’s writings.

   After every chapter, ask yourself, “What am I learning about Jesus Christ?” (See 1 Nephi 19:23.)

3. Know “the manner of the Jews” and the “regions round about” Jerusalem (2 Nephi 25:6). Learning about the geography of Jerusalem and the surrounding nations can help us understand Isaiah’s writings.

   For example, Babylon could be seen as a symbol of worldliness and pride, not just as an ancient city. Israel could be understood to be God’s people in any era. Zion could be viewed as the latter-day cause God’s people embrace, instead of as just another word for Jerusalem.

   Where available, use study helps, such as a dictionary, the Bible footnotes, chapter headings, and the Guide to the Scriptures.

4. Live in “the last days.” Nephi taught that Isaiah’s words are “of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them” (2 Nephi 25:8). Connecting Isaiah’s teachings with events and conditions in the last days can help us understand his prophecies.

   Look for topics that feel relevant to our day, such as the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the scattering and gathering of Israel, the last days, and the Millennium. You could also keep lists of references from Isaiah that teach about these topics.

Students could also study the article “Nephi’s Four Keys for Understanding Isaiah” or “How Can I Understand Isaiah?”

Isaiah 9:7

To understand the names and titles of Jesus Christ, “Unto Us a Child Is Born” (Liahona, Dec. 2009, 8–9) could be helpful. You might display the portions that describe the meaning of the titles mentioned in Isaiah 9:7 and invite students to choose one or two they would like to understand better.

Video

The video “Isaiah the Prophet” could help students see how Isaiah taught about Jesus Christ.