While the Northern Kingdom is tottering on to decay, God commissions the prophet Isaiah to become a mighty voice of judgment and hope to Judah.

Isaiah’s call (Chapter 6) is a classic experience: In the midst of national breakup and personal crisis he suddenly confronts the Holy God, who only is King. At his confession of personal and social guilt, he experiences cleansing and forgiveness through judgment. Then he hears and responds to the commission of God to "go and tell the people."

The first chapter introduces the whole Book: a great charge brought against Judah for presuming upon the Covenant, perverting religion through multiplying ceremonials and corrupting the inner character of the nation. Yet there is hope of cleansing and renewal if only the nation repent.

With Chapter 2, there begins "the book of Judgment" through chapter 35. The first cycle of messages against Judah (Chapters 2-12) tell of the nature of the judgment: against the background of the glory of God’s Kingdom purpose (2:1-4) we see the foreground of Judah’s baseness (2:5-4:1). The Parable of the Vineyard portrays the necessity of judgment upon so favored a nation.

In the days of Pekah the Northern Kingdom experiences its first partial captivity by Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. Seizing an opportune moment when Tig-lath-pileses is absorbed elsewhere, Pekah and Rezin of Syria decide to rebel. They attempt to force Jotham of Judah to join them. In the days of Jotham’s son, Ahaz, this unholy alliance of usurper and heathen threaten to conquer Jerusalem by siege and place a puppet on the throne of David.

Isaiah now confronts Ahaz (Chapters 7-8) with his famous sign to prove to him that God will vindicate His promise and maintain the line of David through the power of "Immanuel" –God with us. When Ahaz, in self-will and relying upon Assyria instead, rejects this sign of hope, God sends another sign in the name of Isaiah’s second son (Chapter 8) to warn of doom upon the Allies. But for the overarching presence of "Immanuel" Judah herself would experience downfall at the hands of Assyria, in whom she vainly hoped.

The promise that protects Judah through this crisis becomes a reality in the virgin birth of Him who is truly "Immanuel." (Matthew 1:18-25)

God’s ultimate Deliverer of His People is seen to be a "child, a son" who shall be endowed with the Spirit of God to rule in righteousness and bring peace (Chapters 9-11). The "Tree" of David’s line, so soon to be cut down, will flourish again through the Righteous Shoot or Branch that finally brings God’s Kingdom to its proper fruit.