The Message of Isaiah (Bible Speaks Today) [Paperback]

Barry G. Webb (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bible Speaks Today | Publication Date: January 13, 1997

Ever since Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue of Nazareth, Christians have gravitated to this great prophecy as the interpretive center of the Old Testament. Here the story of Israel, scourged by judgment and exile and hopeful of restoration, is framed by its witnesses, heaven and earth. How will Israel be brought through its school of suffering and be propelled toward its divine destiny as the vanguard of a new heaven and earth? In the visionary world of Isaiah, the varied themes and imagery of the Old Testament converge and blend to transcend their plainest meanings as they project an extraordinary climax of the story of Israel and of the world. Barry Webb calls Isaiah the "Romans" of the Old Testament, where all the threads come together and the big picture of God's purposes for his people and for his world are most clearly set forth. Attuned to the magnificent literary architecture of Isaiah, Webb escorts us through this prophecy and trains our ears and hearts to resonate with its great biblical-theological themes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (January 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830812407
• ISBN-13: 978-0830812400
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #416,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellant commentary for beginners and exegetists., September 19, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Bremerton, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Message of Isaiah (Bible Speaks Today) (Paperback)

Mr. Webb, writting within the confines of "The Bible Speaks Today" has done an outstanding job of making a very difficult book of the Bible very understandable. If you don't believe in prophecy and miracles, you will probably disagree with me. But, if your standard is the Bible, or you are looking to understand the Bible (a great way to come to know God), then I highly recommend this book. I am using it as the text for my adult Sunday School class which consists of brand new Christians to people who have been studying the Bible for decades. Mr. Webb is providing the necessary foundations and fresh insights for all of them. I started out with commentaries from H.A. Ironside and J. Vernon McGee, but I have settled on this book as my primary source with Mr. Ironside's and Mr. McGee's commentaries supplementing it.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Exposition of Isaiah, December 29, 2002

By 

Paul M. Dubuc (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Message of Isaiah (Bible Speaks Today) (Paperback)

A while back I started reading through Isaiah again--one chapter a day. I wanted to supplement to my reading with a commentary that would give me historical background and help me better understand this wonderful book in Scripture. I wanted something that would help me apply the inspiration and insights of Isaiah to my own life. I found this book well suited to the purpose of personal devotional study. It is a fine exposition of Isaiah. It provides enough material to clarify its message and put it in context without getting the reader bogged down in technical details. It treats the book of Isaiah as a unified whole rather than a fragmented collection of writings from 2 or 3 sources. It is written from the conviction that God speaks to us through Isaiah today as well as He did to the prophet's primary audience.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good overview of Isaiah; sadly lacking in some areas, January 4, 2008

By 

moviemusicbuff (Walnut, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Message of Isaiah (Bible Speaks Today) (Paperback)

I bought this commentary based in part on the glowing reviews that I've read in [...]. Barry Webb offers an excellent overview of the message of Isaiah -- he does a great job of getting the reader to know the forest. However, the sad part is that he does not help us to know the trees (or certain very important ones at least).

Case in point: In his treatment of Isaiah 9: 6-7, the famous Messianic passage, Webb completely leaves out any explanation or exposition of the meaning behind the names "Wonderful Counselor," "Mighty God," "Everlasting Father," and "Prince of Peace." In fact, Webb does not even discuss those verses at all! By contrast, J. Alec Motyer's recent commentary on Isaiah (in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series), offers a very brief explanation of each of those names. However, in the Servant passages such as Isaiah 42: 1-4 and Isaiah 53 chapter, Webb does give a brief exposition of the respective passages. I don't understand why he chooses to totally ignore Isaiah 9: 1-7 and then explain the other Messianic/Servant passages.

Other reviewers have done an excellent job of evaluating the strengths of Webb's commentary. I would give a better evaluation of Webb's commentary if he did a more consistent job of explaining key Messianic passages. Hence 4 stars. I felt that J. Alec Motyer did a more consistent and better explanation of the key Messianic passages.