Outline of Isaiah chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
—Isaiah’s burden and lament for Judah
This page provides, for your reference, an outline of Isaiah chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. The complete Outline of Isaiah is spread over several lessons.
1 Context Overview
The first twelve chapters of Isaiah tell us about Isaiah’s purpose in writing the book and his calling to be a prophet. They predict and lament the eventual fall of Jerusalem. However the arm of the Lord will protect Judah from the Assyrians who will destroy Israel and later itself be destroyed. Isaiah looks beyond all these things to the coming of Christ and his glorious kingdom.
2 The burden of the book (Isaiah 1-2)
- The Book’s title (Isaiah 1:1)
- Alas, a sinful nation (Isaiah 1:4)
- Desolation of Judah predicted (Isaiah 1:7)
- Their worship is futile (Isaiah 1:11)
- They need cleansing and forgiveness (Isaiah 1:16)
- They will be purged and restored (Isaiah 1:25-26)
- Hope for Judah (Isaiah 2:1-4)
3 A poem about Judah (Isaiah 1)
Much of Isaiah’s writing is poetry, and in chapter one we have the first poem. It is a trilogy of tragic poems dealing with...
- 1. Judah’s desolation (Isaiah 1:2-9),
- 2. Judah’s futile worship (Isaiah 1:10-15),
- 3. the purging of Jerusalem (Isaiah 1:16-31).
4 Lamenting Jerusalem’s coming fall (Isaiah 2-5)
The next trilogy of poems is mainly a long lament, yet at its beginning and end there are messages of hope...
- 1. Opening message of hope (Isaiah 2:1-5),
- 2. The lament (Isaiah 2:6 to 4:1),
- 3. Closing message of hope (Isaiah 4:2-6).
We will go on to look at that in more detail...
5 Isaiah's Lament in More Detail (Isaiah 2-5)
- The future, the gospel (Isaiah 2:1-4)
- The present, the pagan influences (Isaiah 2:5-9)
- A day of reckoning with the Lord (Isaiah 2:10-22)
- Jerusalem’s decline and stumbling (Isaiah 3:1-9)
- The punishment from the Lord is deserved (Isaiah 3:10-15)
- The worldly and immoral daughters of Zion (Isaiah 3:16-26, 4:1)
- The future, the church (Isaiah 4:2-6)
6 Glossary
NOTE important points and meanings of the following words...
Judah “Judah” was the smaller of the two kingdoms into which Israel split after Solomon’s rule. In Isaiah's time, the larger, mostly northern kingdom of Israel (capital Samaria) was being invaded and conquered by foreign nations. Judah (capital Jerusalem) was under the same threat.
Trilogy Several of the poems and songs in Isaiah are presented in the form of a trilogy. There will be three poems together, making up one larger poem. This style may be a reflection of the divine origin of the poems.
Desolation “Desolation” means a destruction that leaves emptiness and misery, the turning of glory into ruin.
Purging “Purging” is a harsh but thorough cleansing, likened to the purification of precious metals by fire to remove the dross by smelting.
Woe “Woe” means misery, calamity, and affliction. In Isaiah, the word is used to introduce a condemnation of sin and a pronouncement of punishment.
Lament A “lament” or “lamentation” is a poem expressing sorrow, grief, and regret in the face of past, present, or forseen woes. It will usually also contain God's reasons for causing or allowing the woes.