Overview Notes on Precept Study on Isaiah
Tim Davis
Sept 26, 2010

Isaiah Part 1

    The Word of the Holy One to Israel, the Remnant, and the Nations . . . and
    the Promise of the Child to Be Born (Chapters 1-39) (14 lessons)

    Isaiah is the crown jewel of Old Testament prophets, a book that strikes
    awe in the heart of its reader, especially when its poetry is read in the
    Hebrew. Prophecies from Isaiah are mentioned in twenty-two places in the
    Gospels, Acts, and Romans. The words of Isaiah were often found on the lips
    of the Christ, the Messiah prophesied in Isaiah. If Jesus, God incarnate,
    honored this grand and glorious book so highly, then you and I ought to do
    the same. In Isaiah Part 1, we'll meet the Holy One of Israel, and learn
    how He deals with those who claim Him as God but don't honor Him as God in
    the way that they live. And we'll find the destiny of nations, the future
    of all mankind ... including ours.

Isaiah Part 2

    Comfort My People (Chapers 40-66) (9 lessons)

    In Isaiah 40-66 the Lord told Isaiah to speak kind words to Israel. He
    wanted to comfort His people with His words. After their punishment for
    sins, there will be great restoration for them. This study will give you a
    taste of the world's future.



Goals for lesson zero:
----------------------

    (1) Introduction to the Precept method of inductive Bible study
    (2) Get started into lesson 1, working on parts of it together.
            so we'll spend 2 weeks on lesson 1.

Goal (1) Introduction to the Precept method of inductive Bible study
        : observe, interpret, apply

        In contrast to proof-texting, which starts with an idea then
        goes to find Scripture to support that idea.  Inductive study
        goes in the opposite direction:

            0) PRAY.

            1) observe:  who, what, where, when, why, and how (5 W's and an H)

                Just let the text speak itself.  Go to cross references and
                related passages to get better understanding.  Goal of this
                step is just to get the basic facts, specific events, commands/
                words of God

            2) interpret:  take the specific facts observed in step 1, and
                interpret them, broaden them to a wider / more thorough
                understanding.  Seeing the big picture from the pieces
                observed. 

            3) apply: the take-home message.  how will this change my life?

            4) PRAY.

        Materials in the study:

        1) lessons 1 to 14.  discuss marking process.  why mark:

            (a) help observe the text: direct purpose
            (b) requires careful reading of the text: indirect purpose

            Be sure to read the new-comers guidline

        2) appendix: resources used across lessons

            *   Isaiah Observation worksheets: the text of Isaiah itself,
                    to be marked on
            *   Isaiah at a Glance:  the outline YOU create of Isaiah
            *   2 timelines:
                    Isaiah's Division & Captivity chart: close-view timeline
                    Isaiah' Timeline: big picture timeline
            *   End-Times list: what you observe in Isaiah about the end times
            *   two maps:
                    map of Israel, and "big picture" map
            *   Prophetic Points of History: symbolic timeline
            *   article on Assyria

        Overview of a lesson:  skim the lessons of each day to get an idea of
        what the goals are for the 5-day lesson, and what is planned for
        each day.

Goal (2) getting started on Lesson 1, together

Lesson 1, for first class:

    Do Day One, questions 1 and 2 together
    Do Day Two, whole thing

Application:  "people continued to act corruptly" (2 Ch 27:2)