“Lesson 119: Isaiah 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 119: Isaiah 1–2”
Lesson 119
Isaiah 1–2
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit will teach you as you seek to learn.
Begin your study with prayer.
Why do you think we talk about repentance so much in the Church? Does the Lord really expect us to repent of all our sins?
Listen for answers to these two questions as you watch this video of Sister Julie B. Beck, who served as Relief Society General President. You can read the text for this video here: “Remembering, Repenting, and Changing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 110, 111.
Two Scenarios
Read the following scenarios, looking for indicators of the spiritual condition of the young man and the young woman.
A young man attends church every Sunday and regularly attends seminary. He also frequently uses foul language, watches inappropriate media, and is cruel to his younger brothers and sisters.
A young woman never misses a day of seminary, always attends church, and recently earned her Young Womanhood Recognition. However, she does righteous things primarily to please her parents and to receive praise from others. When she is at school, she and her friends make fun of people they see as being different from them.
Like the young man and young woman in these scenarios, the Israelites in Isaiah’s time were performing outward acts of righteousness but were inwardly sinful and unrepentant.
As you study Isaiah 1, look for principles that can help you avoid going through the motions of appearing righteous without having pure intent.
Isaiah’s Poetic Writing
Isaiah ministered in Jerusalem for about 40 years. He died approximately 100 years before Lehi and his family left Jerusalem. Jesus Christ taught: “Great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel” (3 Nephi 23:1–2). Many of Isaiah’s teachings pertain directly to our day.
Isaiah often recorded the Lord’s words in a poetic form called parallelism. Parallelism occurs when a writer expresses an idea and then repeats or contrasts the idea, sometimes using a similar sentence structure with different words. For example, in Isaiah 1:2 we read, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.” This was one way Isaiah invited all people everywhere to listen to the words the Lord had given him.
Isaiah also used images to illustrate ideas.
Read Isaiah 1:3–4, looking for the images he used to describe rebellious Israel. (It may be helpful to know that a crib as it is used here is a feeding trough where an animal receives food from its master.) How does Isaiah’s use of the images in verse 3 help you understand the spiritual condition of Israel described in verse 4?
Recognizing Isaiah’s use of poetic parallelism and images can help you better understand his words.
The Israelites’ Wickedness
We read in Isaiah 1:5–9 that Isaiah compared the spiritual condition of the Israelites to a body that is covered with “wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores” that “have not been closed, neither bound up” (verse 6). Isaiah warned the Israelites that their wickedness would cause their land to become desolate and “overthrown by strangers” (verse 7).
At this time, the Israelites were still offering sacrifices at the temple and outwardly observing sacred occasions such as the Passover and other religious feasts. However, the people were not doing these things with sincere hearts.
Read Isaiah 1:9–15, looking for how the Lord felt about the Israelites’ insincere offerings.
Quiz 1
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What wicked cities did the Lord compare the Israelites to?
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Damascus and Nineveh
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Sodom and Gomorrah
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Babylon and Shinar
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According to Isaiah 1:13, what did the Lord say about the insincere worship of the Israelites?
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It was vain and full of iniquity.
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It would eventually bear fruit.
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It helped them remember to pray always.
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Complete the following statement using a truth you can identify from Isaiah 1:10–15: Our outward acts of devotion to God .
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will be written in the book of life and remembered on Judgment Day
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will help us overcome the trials and temptations we face in mortality
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are more meaningful to Him when the intentions of our hearts are pure
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Meaningful Worship
One truth we can identify from Isaiah 1:10–15 is that our outward acts of devotion to God are more meaningful to Him when the intentions of our hearts are pure.
Read Isaiah 1:16–19, looking for the invitation the Lord offered to those who were suffering because of their sins.
What principle about repentance and forgiveness can we identify from these verses?
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
From Isaiah 1:16–19 you may have identified a principle similar to the following: If we sincerely repent, we can be purified of all of our sins through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 1:18 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider marking doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so you can locate them more easily.
1. Respond to the following questions:
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In the two scenarios presented at the beginning of the lesson, what can the young man and the young woman do to repent and become clean through the Savior’s Atonement?
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How does sincere repentance affect our outward acts of devotion?
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What do verses 17 and 19 teach you about what is necessary for complete repentance?
Isaiah’s Vision
In Isaiah 1:20–24 we learn that the Lord told the people if they would not repent they would continue to suffer. However, as recorded in verses 25–31, He promised that in the latter days, He would redeem His people.
Read Isaiah 2:1–5, looking for what Isaiah saw in a vision.
Quiz 2
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According to verse 2, when did Isaiah say the events described in verses 1–5 would happen?
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In the last days
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In the due time of the Lord
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At the birth of Christ
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According to verse 3, what did Isaiah refer to as “the mountain of the Lord”?
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Mount Sinai
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The Mount of Olives
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The house of the God of Jacob, or the temple
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What principle can we identify from Isaiah 2:1–5?
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As we attend the temple and obey the Lord, He will teach us of His ways.
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If we are faithful to the end, the Lord will be with us.
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If we wait for the Lord, then we can receive His salvation and rejoice.
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Instructions in the Temple
One principle you may have identified from Isaiah 2:1–5 is that as we attend the temple and obey the Lord, He will teach us of His ways.
Read the following statement by President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, looking for blessings promised to us when we attend the temple.
“The temple is a great school. It is a house of learning. In the temples the atmosphere is maintained so that it is ideal for instruction on matters that are deeply spiritual. …
“If you will go to the temple and remember that the teaching is symbolic, you will never go in the proper spirit without coming away with your vision extended, feeling a little more exalted, with your knowledge increased as to things that are spiritual” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Holy Temple,” Ensign, Oct. 2010, 31, 32).
2. Answer one of the following questions:
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How has attending the temple or studying about the temple helped you learn about the Lord’s ways?
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Previously in this lesson we identified the truth that our outward acts of devotion to God are more meaningful to Him when the intentions of our hearts are pure. How can you make sure your heart is pure when you serve the Lord in the temple?
Pride
We read in Isaiah 2:6–22 that in Isaiah’s time the Israelites had become obsessed with wealth and idol worship. This prideful attitude is also common among people in our day. Isaiah prophesied that at the time of the Second Coming, the proud and powerful would be humbled for their wickedness.
Why is it difficult to draw close to God when you seek material objects above other important goals? Why is pride an obstacle to spiritual progress?
Greater Purity
As you conclude your seminary lesson today, ponder any impressions you have received from the Holy Ghost.
What is one thing you can do today to make your heart purer in your outward acts of devotion to the Lord?
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) a; (3) c
Quiz 2: (1) a; (2) c; (3) a