Dr. John Oswalt, Isaiah, Session 20 -- Isaiah 40-41

Biblical eLearning (https://biblicalelearning.org) presents (audio is also available on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/31I...
Dr. John Oswalt (Ph.D. Brandies University) on the book of Isaiah. This series was first made available by the Francis Asbury Society (http://www.francisasburysociety.com).
Dr. Oswalt has been the distinguished professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary for many years. Dr. Oswalt was president of Asbury College from 1983 to 1986.
He is the author of 11 books, most notable of which is the two-volume commentary on the book of Isaiah in the New International Commentary of the Old Testament. His most recent book is The Holy One of Israel: Studies in the Book of Isaiah, released in 2014. He has also written numerous articles that have appeared in Bible encyclopedias, scholarly journals and popular religious periodicals. He has served as a part-time pastor in congregations in New England and Kentucky, and is a frequent speaker in conferences, camps and local churches. The audio, full text in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and others are freely available at https://biblicalelearning.org.

Timed Outline:
00:00 Opening Prayer
2:50 Isaiah's Messages spoken, copied down, organized
3:50 Overview/Review: Trust & hope, God can be trusted (chs. 1-39); 38/39 Hezekiah not promised one
8:20 Second reason Book doesn't end ch. 39; Who is the child?
8:50 God delivered from Assyria but will not from Babylon
10:15 Isaiah 40-55 Grace: motive and Means of Servanthood
11:25 World of Cause/effect
13:05 Isaiah 40 Introduction, 41-48 motive; 49-55 Means
14:10 Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, not a good translation, better = encourage, put steel in the backbone
15:50 Time frame 560 BC [150 years in the future]
16:55 In commentaries: 1st Isaiah 1-39; 2nd Isaiah 40-55; 3rd Isaiah 56-66; Discussion; book not written by committee
18:35 Chs. 1-39 Lot of Historical detail; 40-66 almost no historical details; Isaiah didn't know details of 40-66
20:40 What attitude required encouragement. God was defeated, they would think; not chose, God's house desecrated
22:40 Isaiah 40.2 Speak to heart
24:30 Questions exiles asking are: Does God want to deliver? Can God deliver from Babylon? Is he going to deliver?
26:35 Isaiah 40.3-5 Punishment is over, glory of Lord all flesh will see it; Event=coming of Christ, John Baptist
29:20 Earth moving; valley's full and mountains cut down; God can come to his helpless people  hope
30:50 Isaiah 40.6-8 Babylon is like grass, word of God lasts forever
32:30 Isaiah 40.9-11 Zion destroyed, hope
34:20 Isaiah 40.12-26 Face of Hopelessness, Can God deliver? Rhetorical questions
36:35 Isaiah 40.15 What about the nations? Drop in the bucket
38:30 Isaiah 40.18-20 what will you compare God to?
39:45 Isaiah 40.22 Circle of the earth
40:50 Isaiah 40.23 Do not fear: gods, nations, rulers
41:15 Isaiah 40.25-26 stars=gods, Yahweh not so; who do you compare God to? God can deliver
43:50 Isaiah 40.27 They are saying: God not paying attention to us; God creator [major theme]
45:50 Isaiah 40.31 they that wait/trust
50:00 I have needs/I must meet those needs (not God)
51:50 Isaiah 40.31 Walk of faithfulness
52:55 Isaiah 41.1-4 Yahweh raises up Cyrus
55:55 Isaiah 41.5-7 nations terrified, response build new idol
57:00 My servant
58:20 Reasons not to fear: I AM

Dr. Oswalt's teaching in audio format is now available on Spotify Podcasting playlist [Biblical eLearning - Ted Hildebrandt]: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Y...