Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 


Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---
 God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.--- The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---  This book of the Bible happens during this time The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. --- Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 

The Book of  Isaiah

Many year after the Israelites left Egypt, they moved into the land of Canaan. Canaan was divided, and the families of each of Jacob's 12 sons were given land. Jacob was also called Israel, and the land became known as Israel.  Later, the tribe of Judah separated from the other tribes. Then there were two separate areas:  Judah and Israel. Judah had a king, and Israel had a king.  The book of Isaiah includes the times when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah.

Isaiah was a prophet. God showed Isaiah things that would happen in the future. Isaiah saw these events in dreams. Then, he told the people in Judah about them. Isaiah told what would happen to Judah if the people did not obey God. He also told that there would be a Messiah or Savior coming in the future. The Messiah was Jesus Christ.

 


Isaiah 8 - 10
Isaiah talks about the people in Judah. 
Many in Judah do not believe in and trust God.

A great light will come to take away the darkness.
God will use Assyria to punish the Israelites.
After Assyria defeats Israel, God will punish Assyria.

 

 

History of Israel around Isaiah's time

Assyria was getting bigger and was going to attack Israel and Syria.

Israel and Syria joined together to fight Assyria. Israel and Syria wanted Judah to join with them.

The king of Judah said no. Then Israel and Syria attacked Judah. They wanted to control Judah and then set up a new king who would help them fight Assyria.

This book of Isaiah happens during this time

The king of Judah, Ahaz, thought about asking Assyria to help them fight Israel and Syria.  Isaiah said that Judah should not ask Assyria for help. They should trust God to protect Judah. But King Ahaz did not listen to Isaiah. He asked for Assyria's help to fight Israel. Assyria helped Judah, and then Assyria took control of Israel's capital, Samaria, and all of Israel. The Assyrians took away the people who lived in Israel. They took them back to Assyria.

After Assyria defeated Israel, they were planning to take control of Judah. Judah was thinking about asking Egypt to help them. Isaiah said that Judah should not ask Egypt for help. They should trust God to protect them.  Judah's King Hezekiah listened to Isaiah, and he did not ask Egypt for help. Later, though, he did ask Egypt for help.

God helped Judah defeat Assyria. Later, King Hezekiah sinned. He showed some people from Babylon the valuable items that Judah had. Isaiah told Hezekiah that his descendants would be taken away to Babylon.

King Hezekiah's son was Manesseh. He was a bad king. He encouraged the people in Judah to worship false gods and idols again. He was captured and taken to Babylon. Then he repented and started to follow God's laws.

Later, the Babylonians attacked Judah. They took control and then carried all of the Jewish people back to Babylon.

 

Isaiah 8

Isaiah has a new son. God says that Assyria will take away the people in Samaria and Syria before the baby learns to talk.


God told Isaiah to take a roll of paper. He should use a man's pen and write the name:  Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
[1] Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.


Two men were the witnesses that Isaiah wrote the name that God told him. The men were the priest named Uriah and a man named Zechariah (his father's name was Jeberechiah).
[2] And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.


Isaiah's wife was a prophetess (a prophetess is a woman who is married to a prophet). She became pregnant and had a baby boy. God told Isaiah to name the baby Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
[3] And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

God said that before Isaiah's baby learns to say, "my mother" or "my father",  the king of Assyria will take away the valuable things in Damascus, Syria and the area of Samaria.
[4] For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

 



Isaiah talks about the people in Judah. Some will believe in and trust God. Others do not believe in and trust God.


God talks about the stream named Shiloah. It is quiet and small, but it is strong. Isaiah says that the people in Judah refuse the waters of Shiloah. They refuse the quiet waters, like they refuse to trust God who they can't see. They prefer the kings of Samaria and Syria. They can see the kings and think the kings are stronger than God. 


Shiloah was a small and quiet stream of water. It was not big and powerful like a river. Isaiah compares the small and quiet stream to God's quiet strength.
 


[5] The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,
[6] Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;


Now God will bring the powerful rivers on the people in Judah.  The king of Assyria is like a very big and strong river. The king, like the river, will flood and go all over.
[7] Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:


The king of Assyria, like the river, will flood and go all over Judah.  The water will be high--up to the people's necks. The water will spread out like wings and fill the land of Judah.

[8] And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.


Isaiah warns the people that Assyria will defeat them. They will be broken into pieces. People in far away countries should also pay attention. They will also be broken into pieces.
[9] Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.


They can work together, but it won't help. They can speak, but it won't help. God is with the people in Judah who trust Him.

[10] Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.


God told Isaiah strongly that he should not join with the people who do not trust Him.  He should not be afraid like the other people are.
[11] For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
[12] Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
 

He should trust God. God will be a safe place. But for the other people who do not trust Him, God will be a rock that they will trip and fall over.  He will be like a trap to the people in Jerusalem who do not trust Him. Many of them will fall and break. They will be trapped and captured.
[13] Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
[14] And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[15] And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
 

The people who trust God should wrap up these words of testimony and seal the law.
[16] Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.


Isaiah says he will wait for God. He will look for God when God hides His face from the people in Israel.
[17] And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.


Isaiah and his children will show signs and miracles from God. Isaiah says that God lives on the mountain named Mt. Zion.
[18] Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.


Some people will want to talk to dead people and wizards.  Instead, they should look to God.
[19] And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?


The laws and Isaiah's words should be said according to God's will.  If they do not, it is because they have no light in them.

[20] To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.


The people who do not believe in and trust God will go through the world and be hungry.  When they are hungry, they will be upset. They will say bad things about God and look up.
[21] And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.


They will look in the earth and see trouble and darkness. They will see anguish (pain). They will be pushed to the darkness.
[22] And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
 



Isaiah 9
 

A great light will come to take away the darkness.


Isaiah says that a great light will come. The light will take away darkness.  It won't be dark anymore like it was in the past. The dark began when the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali had trouble. Later, the areas across the Jordan River and by the Sea of Galilee had trouble.
[1] Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.


The people who were in the darkness will see a great light. People who lived in the shadow of death will have the great light.
[2] The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.


God will increase the number of people. They will have more joy. They will be joyful like soldiers have joy when they divide the spoils (after a war, the army that wins takes the spoils--the things that belonged to the people they defeated).
[3] Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.


God will make them free. They won't have burdens. Isaiah compares their burdens to oxen who have yokes on their necks. He compares them to people who have heavy poles on their shoulders.  They won't be beaten with sticks by the people who control them.  It will be like it was when Gideon defeated the people in Midian.

[4] For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.


Battles will be noisy and bloody. Their clothes will be bloody. The bloody clothes will be burned.

[5] For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.


A child will be born for us.  God will give us a son. He will control the world. He will have many names. His names will be Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
[6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.


God's son will be in control. His control will continue to increase. It will never end. He will sit on David's throne. He will be the king forever. He will judge and be fair forever.  God will cause this to happen.
[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 


God will punish Israel and Judah.


God sent a message to Israel and Judah. The people in the areas of Ephraim and Samaria were too proud. They said that if the buildings and trees are destroyed, they will build them again and bring in different trees.

[8] The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
[9] And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
[10] The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.


God will allow Rezin (the leader of Syria) and the Philistines to attack Israel.  They will destroy Israel. But God will still be angry. He will continue to punish them.
[11] Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
[12] The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
 

The people still will not turn to God. They will not follow God.
[13] For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.


God will cut off Israel's head, tail, and all parts in one day.
[14] Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.


The old leaders are the head of Israel.  The prophets who tell lies are the tail.
[15] The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.


Israel's leaders have caused the people to sin. The people will be destroyed.
[16] For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.


God will not be happy with the young Israelite men. He will not have mercy on widows and orphans. God says that they are all hypocrites (talk one way, but behave a different way) and sinners. They all say stupid things. God will still be mad.  He will continue to punish them.
[17] Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


Wickedness burns like fire. It destroys the briers and thorns. It will start burning again in the woods. Evil people will go up like smoke goes up in the air.
[18] For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.


God is angry, and He will make the land dark. The people will be like fuel for the fire.  No one will save others.
[19] Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.


The people will grab food with their right hands but they will still be hungry.  They will eat food from the left hand and still be hungry. They will be so hungry that they eat the skin on their own arms.
[20] And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:


The areas of Manasseh and Ephraim will join together. They will be against the area of Judah. Even then, God will still be angry. He will continue to punish them.
[21] Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
 



Isaiah 10


God will use Assyria to punish the Israelites.


Isaiah is warning the people who make bad laws. They make laws that hurt the poor people, needy people, widows, and orphans.

[1] Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
[2] To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!


The people who make laws will have trouble. They will have no one to help them.  The prisoners will be in control of them.  They will be punished but God will still be angry.  He will still continue to punish them.
[3] And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
[4] Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


God will use Assyria to punish the people in Israel. Assyria will be God's rod and staff to show His anger. The Israelites made God angry, and now He will send the Assyrians to punish them. God will give control to the Assyrians. They will defeat the Israelites and take their belongings. They will beat them down like the mud in the streets.
[5] O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
[6] I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.


The Assyrian king wants to do more than punish Israel. He is trying to take control of many nations.  He does not realize that this is God's plan to punish Israel.
[7] Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.


The Assyrian king talks about the places he has already defeated: Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus.
[8] For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
[9] Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?


The other places also worshiped statues and idols. The Assyrian king said the other places' idols were bigger than the idols in Jerusalem and Samaria. He captured Samaria, so he feels he will also capture Jerusalem.
[10] As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
[11] Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

 


After Assyria defeats Israel, God will punish Assyria.


After God has punished Jerusalem and the area of Mount Zion, he will punish the king of Assyria and his descendants. He will punish them because the king was too proud and bragged about himself
[12] Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.


The king of Assyria was proud and vain. He will say that he defeated Jerusalem by himself. He will think he is very smart.  He will say that he defeated the people and stole the things they owned.
[13] For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

   
The Assyrian king will brag about his victory. He will say that he took the Jerusalem belongings easy like people gather eggs from chicken's nests.  He will say that no one tried to stop him.  The Assyrian king will brag that he himself is responsible for his victory. He will be wrong because God will be responsible. It will be like the ax, saw, or rod bragging that they are more powerful than the workmen that use them.
[14] And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
[15] Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.


God will cause the Assyrian soldiers to be sick and lose weight.  The king will have victory, but there will be a little fire that continues to burn.  The little fire will be Israel. God will be the flame.  The fire will burn and destroy Assyria. It will destroy Assyria's thorns, briers forests, fields, body, and soul. There will only be a few trees left. It will be a small number of trees. A child could write the number of his trees.
[16] Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
[17] And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
[18] And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
[19] And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.


After that happens, the Israelites who have escaped will behave better. They will not obey the Assyrian king, but they will obey God's laws. They will follow the true Lord God. They will not worship false gods.
[20] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.


The Israelites who are left will come back to Israel. They will come back to God.
[21] The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.


There are many, many Israelites. There are as many as there are grains of sand in the sea.  But only a small part of them will return to Israel.  God's order for the end of Israel is fair. It overflows with goodness and fairness.

[22] For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.


God has ordered this to happen in all of the land.

[23] For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.


God says that the people in Israel should not be afraid of Assyria.  Assyria will attack them and treat them the way the Egyptians did. But after they are destroyed, God will not be angry anymore.
[24] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
[25] For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

 

Back in the time of Gideon, the Israelites defeated the group of people called the Midianites.  At the place of the rock named Oreb, they killed many Midianites. They killed the Midian leader named Oreb.

God will destroy Assyria. It will be like when the Israelites defeated the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. It will be like when God divided the Red Sea when the Israelites were escaping from Egypt.
[26] And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

 

When God destroys Assryia, the Israelites will not have burdens anymore. God will take their burdens off their shoulders. He will take the yoke (like oxen have on their necks) off their necks.  The yoke will be destroyed because God is helping them. 
[27] And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

 




The Assyrians will march toward Jerusalem. Then they will be destroyed.


These are the towns the Assyrians will travel through. They will travel through Aiath, Migron, and Michmash. When they arrive in Michmash, they will leave some of their carriages there. Then they will travel through a pass (place between two mountains). They will stay at Geba. The people in the place named Ramah will be afraid of them. The people in the area of Gibeah (where the Israelite king, Saul, lived) will run away.
[28] He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
[29] They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.


The people in the area of Gallim will warn the people in Laish. The people in Anathoth will have trouble. The people in Madmenah will be taken away. The people in Gebim will get ready to run away.
[30] Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
[31] Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.


The Assyrians will stay at the place named Nob for a day. Then the Assyrian king will try to attack Jerusalem.
[32] As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.


God will defeat the Assyrians. He will cut them down like trees. He will bring down their leaders. The leaders who thought they were powerful will have no power. God will cut down their thick forests with iron tools. The area of Lebanon will be defeated.
[33] Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
[34] And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.