The heart of the Bible, Isaiah, is a literary masterpiece and the most-quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament. Set in ancient Israel about 700 years before Christ, it predicts Israel and Jerusalem’s fall to the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, the Messiah’s suffering and atoning work on the cross, His coming kingdom, and the redemption of his people: both ethnic Jews and gentiles.

Stunningly, the exodus of Israel from slavery in Egypt via Moses (told in Exodus, the Bible’s second book) is shown to foreshadow a greater exodus of God’s people from sin and death via Christ’s (Messiah) atoning work (Isaiah 53). The New Testament gospels reveal that this exodus is available to all who believe in and follow Jesus as Messiah.

The scope, drama, and poetry are breathtaking and beautiful. As a study aid, I recommend Tim Chester’s popular commentary, Isaiah For You. It will deepen the reader’s understanding of the Bible’s good news and help him or her profit from it. Highly recommend this study for middle and high school students.

But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! (Isaiah 26:19, New Living Translation)