Chapters 1-4

Question 1

Structure of 1-4

Answer 1

1: 1-31 Epic Fail
1: 1 Heading
1: 2-9 Failure of the Nation
1: 10-20 Failure of religion
1: 21-31 BUT: God will redeem
2: 1-4:6 Present Judgement Leads to Future Exaltation
2: 1 Heading
2: 2-5 Future exaltation of Zion
2: 6-22 Idolatry must be destroyed
3: 1-4:1 Judgement must occur
4: 2-6 Purification of Zion

Question 2

Big Picture of 1-4

Answer 2

“overture to the book’s opera” introducing book’s main themes.

C1
Judgement is declared on God’s people
call to meet God instead of their current empty worship
resulting in either:-
redemption (after purifying judgement of exile) or
destruction for those who persist in rebellion

C2-4
God will restore Zion and correct worship (now including all nations) but first
idols must be destroyed
God’s people must be judged and purified.

Question 3

Key Verses in 1

Answer 3

2-3: outlining the problem of the whole book

Is. 1:2    Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
	   For the LORD has spoken:
	“I reared children and brought them up,
	    but they have rebelled against me. 
3 	The ox knows its master,
	     the donkey its owner’s manger,
	but Israel does not know,
	     my people do not understand.”

Question 4

Key verses in 2

Answer 4

2:3-5- The Ideal Zion

2:3
Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.

TWO- FOUR NO MORE WAR

Question 5

Key verses in 3

Answer 5

3:8- The judgment of God’s people and the reason

8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;
their words and deeds are against the LORD,
defying his glorious presence.

THREE - EIGHT ITS GOD THEY HATE

Question 6

Key Verses in 4

Answer 6

4:2-5: Restoration of Zion- vs 5 particularly important with allusions to Exodus

Is. 4:2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.