Proclaimer Blog
Why preach Isaiah?
In a world of preaching ‘mini-series’ and sound bites, like ours, teaching Isaiah can seem an impossibly difficult task. The book is vast; its structure is complex, the material is often historically remote from our own times. Not surprisingly, contemporary excursions into Isaiah tend to be restricted to the passages predicting the incarnation at Christmas (Chapter 7, 9, 11 and perhaps 35) and the songs of the servant (especially chapter 53) at Easter. But we miss so much, as a result, and we deprive our congregations of so much benefit and nourishment, which we all desperately need.
It is being convinced of the benefits that will motivate the contemporary preacher to put in the hard work which Isaiah’s magnificent book will undoubtedly demand. We are unlikely to preach it well ‘on the backstroke’, without considerable diligence and effort, because its treasures are not given up easily to the casual observer or skim-reader. But think of what characteristics you would like to see developed in your church life and Christian discipleship and you will find a remarkable match with Isaiah's own concerns. Once that connection is made in your own mind and heart you will need no further persuasion to teach Isaiah.