During the reign of Ahaz, Syria and Israel attacked Judah. Isaiah was sent to reassure Ahaz. God promised to give Ahaz a sign that in a few years Syria and Israel would be desolate and no threat to Judah. Isaiah prophesied, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Judah would be spared from Syria and Israel, but God would use the Assyrians and Egyptians to punish them for their wickedness.

In the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah had a vision of God sitting on His throne. Isaiah’s sins were atoned for when an angel touched his lips with a burning coal, and he accepted God’s commission to be a prophet to Judah. God told him to preach to the people even though He knew they were too stubborn to listen.

God compared Judah to a vineyard that produced bad fruit. God was going to tear the vineyard down. God would summon foreign nations to punish His people because Judah had disrespected His holy name.

Isaiah described a day of refreshing that would follow God’s judgement. God would wash away the filth and a holy remnant would be left. Isaiah wrote, “In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.”

Because of Judah’s depravity, God was going to strip the nation of everything. Its wealth, food, and leaders would be taken, and it would be left in a sorry state. God pronounced woes on the wicked, warning them that hardship awaited them. Jerusalem’s immoral women would trade their bracelets for a slave’s brand, and Judah’s mighty men would fall in battle. 

Isaiah prophesied that in the “latter days” the mountain of the house of the Lord would be elevated, and the word of the Lord would go out from Jerusalem. Isaiah described the day of God’s judgement, the day when God would punish the proud nations, including Judah if they continued in their idolatry.

Judah’s wickedness and God’s displeasure with their vain worship. Jerusalem was once a city of righteousness, but it became a city that welcomed evildoers. God called on them to put away their evil and cleanse themselves.

This is a short introduction to the Book of Isaiah, covering the author, dates, and scope of Isaiah’s ministry. Free downloadable notes.

The final chapter of Song of Solomon is yet another celebration of the love between Solomon and his bride. Her virtue and virginity are celebrated, and the anticipation of intimacy at the beginning of the book gives way to the satisfaction of married pleasure at the end of the book.

Solomon continues complimenting his bride in Song of Solomon 7, beginning with her feet and going all the way up to her head. He described his intimate desire for her, and she responded by inviting him to her vineyard to taste the delicious fruits that would satisfy him.

The anxious dream of missing her lover now over, the young bride is reunited with her husband in the poetic garden of love and intimacy. As they enjoy one another’s company, the young man launches into another description of his lover’s beauty.

The first half of Song of Solomon 5 is a recounting of a dream the young woman had in which she lost her lover. He came to her door, but then vanished, leaving her lovesick. In the second section, the young woman describes the physical attractiveness of her beloved to the Daughters of Jerusalem.

Solomon opens the chapter admiring the beauty of his new bride and anxiously anticipating their wedding night. He compared her virginity to a locked garden, one that was now ripe, untouched, and ready to be enjoyed.

Song of Solomon 3 begins with the young woman recounting a daydream of searching out her lover in the streets of the city during the night and bringing him back to her mother’s house. The second half of the chapter describes Solomon’s grand royal entourage bringing the bride and groom into Jerusalem for their wedding day.

The young woman is the primary speaking in Song of Solomon 2. She tells the reader how her heart is sick with love and overwhelmed by affection for her young man. He provides for her, pursues her, complements her, and gives himself entirely to her, leaving her with no doubt that his love is as ardent as hers.

The short introduction tells us Solomon was the author of this book. In chapter 1, we are introduced to the 2 lovers of the Song of Songs as they express their attraction to one another and their desire to spend time together.

The Preacher encourages young people to remember their Creator while they’re young, before the hard days of old age take their toll. He concludes Ecclesiastes stating that the whole of man is the “fear God and keep His commandments.”

Solomon continues his proverbs discussing the principles of generosity and trusting God through the unknown. At the end of the chapter, he encourages young men to enjoy their youth but ultimately declares youth to be just another vanity.

Solomon continues his discussion on the value of wisdom, contrasting it with the destructive power of folly. He councils his readers to avoid the lifestyle of a fool and to embrace the benefits that wisdom can bring to their lives.

Solomon was frustrated by the seeming randomness of life’s events. It wasn’t clear to him why God allowed similar events to befall the righteous and the wicked. At the end of the chapter, he described the value of wisdom using a story about a poor wise man who saved a small city.