The Mission of Isaiah the Prophet

Isaiah the son of Amoz. God sent His message through Isaiah to Judah, the people of the Southern Kingdom — specifically to their magistrates, priests, and prophets in Jerusalem. The nation had been divided into two parts: Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and Israel (the Northern Kingdom). While Isaiah’s message was primarily for the Southern Kingdom, it was also for the Northern Kingdom. The entire nation was heading down a path of sin and idolatry that would end in destruction. Isaiah lived to see the nation of Assyria take the Northern Kingdom into captivity in 722 BC. The record of Isaiah’s visions contains the revelations that God gave during the reigns of Uzziah.

Right acts done for wrong reasons are detestable to both God and people. When helping children develop moral reasoning, we probe their values with the simple question, “Why?” Every moral decision consists of two parts, the content and the structure. Content is the actual decision—“Would you steal?” “No!” But the equally important structural question still needs to be asked, the one that taps into underlying values. For instance, we could ask the same child, “Why wouldn’t you steal?” If they answer, “Because I would be punished if I got caught,” most parents would be dissatisfied with the original answer. The second answer indicates that the child values “not being punished” over being honest. Structure defines values; values shape how the child thinks about stealing.

This was the task of Isaiah the prophet to get the people to do the right things for the right reason and the example given above regarding children is an excellent example especially in the lives of Adults. The responsibility to teach children remains with the parent in their early upbringing. We have this mandate to influence everyone we have around us.