The Gospel According to Isaiah 53, Encountering The Suffering Servant In Jewish And Christian Theology, Darrell L. Bock & Mitch Glaser Editors

   Eleven evangelical, biblical scholars combine their skills to provide the church with a thorough and faithful exposition of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Each writer provides dispassionate and profound research into one of the most fascinating chapters in the entire Bible. Questions such as

• What is a Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 53? 
• What is a Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53? 
• Are there any agreements between the two? 
• What are the differences? 
• How do we preach Isaiah 53 today?    

   This book is not a quick read. It is well researched and therefore can get quite academic at times. On the other hand, pastors, professors, seminarians and serious students of the Bible will find page after page of in-depth research coupled with warm devotion. Though not written in a simple style The Gospel According to Isaiah 53 is worth the effort. Having now worked my way through this helpful volume, it will not leave my study. On every page, after page, the wonderful beauty of God's plan of redemption is on full display! Thank you, Richard E. Averbeck, Michael L. Brown, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Michael J. Wilkins, Darrell L. Bock, Craig A. Evans, David L. Allen, Robert B. Chisholm Jr., John S. Feinberg, Mitch Glaser, and Donald R. Sunukjian for giving the church this delightful expose on Isaiah 53. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, Barry G. Webb

   Considering the modern debate about whether or not Isaiah the Prophet really wrote the book in the Bible that bears his name, keeping a little gem like Barry Webb's, The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, readily available to believers is vitally important. Webb's position falls within the scope of a conservative stance on the authorship and dating of the book. Webb argues somewhat against the prevailing modernistic views that question even the existence of a prophet Isaiah and break up the unity of the book by proposing multiple "Isaiahs." He is concerned for the validity and unity of the book and rightfully so seeing that it has suffered greatly at the hands of scholarly investigation, so-called. Beneath much of this "scholarly investigation" is belief that is predisposed to doubt the possibility of biblical prophecy. Hence, there cannot have been only one Isaiah because it is impossible for him to have predicted future events with such assurance. Instead, there must have been multiple men we may call Isaiahs which means that these are not prophecies but simply men speaking about current events, so the thought goes. Webb's approach is not distrusting of the Bible's ability to foretell future events. Webb endeavors to take the text at face value. I appreciate that. In fact, at times he is quite devotional. I appreciate that as well. On the other hand, Webb is not naive. He wrestles with the text and the facts. 

   In this work, Webb is fixated on the task of giving his readers a faithful and concise expose of the majestic message of Isaiah's prophecy. In a little more than 250 pages, he sweeps over the towering landscape of Isaiah's prophecy with amazing insight and observation. He is concise but does not let that fool you. Webb deals with the text as well. There is much sound exposition to be helpful to the student of the Bible. You will not waste your time reading this book. The book has become somewhat of a classic for a good reason. It's good! This is brevity that has grown from a thorough knowledge of the book. 

   If you would like to study the book of Isaiah on your own time, for Bible study, for a sermon, or a college class let me encourage you to include The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings by Barry G. Webb. It's clear, concise and trustworthy. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

How Many Isaiahs Were There & What Does It Matter, Prophetic Inspiration in Recent Evangelical Scholarship, Richard L. Schultz

   Did Isaiah the prophet write the book that bears his name? Were there two, three, or four "Isaiahs?" Did Isaiah the prophet even exist? Is the book of Isaiah simply a compilation of writings from other scribes? A troubling trend is afoot in Evangelical scholarship. As evangelicals gain acceptance in the academy there has with this acceptance comes the temptation to yield and to use, the higher- critical methods that have plagued liberalism from its inception. Respect can be a powerful draw that leads to a perversion of the historic and traditionally accepted doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures. And lest we minimize the danger, we must remember that to forsake the biblical doctrine of inspiration or to pervert it is to lose the Scriptures themselves. Schultz's concern is that "One of the primary threats today to a traditional understanding of biblical inspiration and inerrancy is the unrestricted employment of historical-critical tools by evangelical biblical scholars."
    How Many Isaiahs... is actually an excerpt from the larger book, Evangelicals & Scripture: Tradition, Authority, and Hermeneutics; a book that will henceforth be on the Sorry, I'm Booked "must-read" list. This is good for the reader. Making How Many Isaiahs...a stand-alone book makes it small enough for the average person. Since this is a subject that the typical Christian might shy away from reading, IVP Academic has performed a great service to the church by publishing it. The issues of this book, especially to the book of Isaiah, are of vital importance. "Contemporary evangelical approaches to the book of Isaiah illustrate vividly how historical-critical approaches to the book entail a changing doctrine of Scripture," Schultz writes. Church members mustn't ignore this book because, as the saying goes, what begins in the classroom ends on the street. Pastors go to seminaries to learn the Word and the skills of ministry and godliness but if what they learn is wrong then they will be as well. How can a local church pastor preach Isaiah with conviction when he is not confident that Isaiah is a trustworthy book or if his belief in the traditional understanding of inspiration and inerrancy has been shaken? Issues such as these are not simply scholastic past-times but have profound implications for the growth and vitality of the local churches. 

Post tenebras lux,
Scott