Summary #29

Weekly Summary
Isaiah 54-66, Nahum, Various 2 Chron/2 Kings

So Aha

Day #214

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 64-66 - Audio
Isaiah 64-66 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isaiah 64-66

Isaiah 64 – The themes are a continuation of Isaiah 63

v. 3 – The awesome things mentioned here is a reflection on the Exodus.

v. 5-7 – Isaiah uses four similes to lament the patterns of sin among God’s people. “like one who is unclean” – an infected leper (Lev. 13:45). “like a polluted garment” – even their righteousness is disgusting to God (Ezek. 36:17). “like a leaf” – decayed, brittle and lifeless (Isa. 1:30). “like the wind” – the overwhelming power of sin (Ps. 1:4). “for you have hidden your face” – When God’s face shines upon His people, they live in His favor. When He hides it due to their unfaithfulness, they suffer.

v. 10 – Jerusalem was a desolation as a result of the Babylonian invasion.

Isaiah 65 – Though the people of God have unfaithful sinners mixed among them, God is eager to bring His true people into their glorious eternal home.

v. 1 – These verses anticipate the drama of the book of Acts and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts. 28:17-28).

v. 2 – A powerful picture of people who make up their own way of worshipping rather than following God’s standards for worship. God calls us to take worship seriously rather than making up what we believe is important.

v. 4 – God laments over religious practices that offend Him: apparently they mixed Canaanite elements into Israelite religious life.

v. 8 – A cluster of grapes represents Israel and the “juice” is the faithful remnant.

v. 23 – This is a reversal of the curse on humanity (Gen.3).

v. 25 – The serpent keeps eating dust is an illusion to the curse of Gen 3. Satan does not escape nor is he redeemed. This signifies the absence of all evil or harm.

Isaiah 66 – Though the worship of God is violated now, in the future falsehood will be judged, true worship will spread, and God will be honored forever.

v. 3 – “their own ways” – although they offered a bull, a lamb, and grain, their sacrifice was not made from a contrite heart.

v. 5 – Those who God esteems are subject to ridicule for pursuing God rather than pursuing their own imaginations. God says that those He esteems will be vindicated. This reflects a theme in this chapter of God’s people being rewarded and His enemies being punished.

v. 7 – The birth of the new community would come so quickly and dramatically that it would be painless.

v. 13 – God likened His tender love to that of a mother.

v. 18-24 – Isaiah closed his book with a prophecy describing the climax of God’s judgment and salvation: the new heavens and the new earth.

v. 20 – “all your brothers from all the nations” is a contrast to “all your brothers who hate you” in v. 5.

v. 23 - Universal worship of God at His appointed times.

v. 24 – This imagery from Jerusalem’s garbage dump, where unclean corpses were burned, became symbolic of perpetual punishment and anguish.

Day #213

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 59-63 - Audio
Isaiah 59-63 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Daily Reading: Isaiah 59-63

A long daily reading today. A really long daily reading. I'll try to keep the notes short. Isaiah 60 is such a rich passage that I'll use much of my “space” on it.

Isaiah 59

59.1-8 Israel finds themselves waiting on the Lord. Here the prophet outlines why they must wait. It is not that God is not powerful enough or doesn't hear their cries (v 1). It is because of their sin. There is no justice in the land. Some may have thought that the trouble they faced was YHWH's failure, but this is not the case! It is not because of YHWH's failure to act, but rather the people's lack of faithfulness and obedience to Torah. No justice and righteousness=no viable community life.

59.9-11 These verse sound very much like a Psalm of lament. They cry out to God and wait for him. There are some interesting parallel word pairs that explain what they expect of God: justice-righteousness (v 9), light-brightness (9b), and justice-salvation (11). The darkness imagery is vivid. And sets up nicely what waits for us in Isaiah 60, “Arise! Shine! For your light has come!”

59.12-15 Here we finally have a confession on Israel's part. They accept the accusation of verses 1-8. They take responsibility for their sorry state.

Isaiah 60

A REALLY helpful and insightful book written on Isaiah 60 is Richard Mouw's When the Kings Come Marching In. I borrow these thought from him.

Read Isiah 60 alongside Revelation 21-22, and it becomes clear that the two passages describe the same city: the new Jerusalem. So, in one sense we are talking about “heaven.” But this does not push this passage exclusively into the future. Remember: The hope we have for the future is the same hope we have for the present. There are places where, even now, where heaven and earth intersect and interlock…looking forward (of course) to the eventual marriage of heaven and earth. A simple example: A friend of mine asked if I thought there would be fishing in heaven. And I said “yeah” because heaven crashes into earth. He thought so too. I think this guy sees a glimpse of heaven when he’s out there fishing. He is filled with peace. I can guess that he is very aware of God’s goodness and presence when he is out fishing. Fishing is for some people. For other people it’s art, or maybe even athletics. Or a sun rising over a mountain lake. Or a walk on a beach with the person you love. Or lying on blanket under the stars. Whenever things are (you sense) right with the world, it’s like a taste of heaven. You get some imagery like this in other places in Isaiah. The wolf will live with the lamb, calf and the lion will lie down together with the leopard and the goat. The lion eats straw like the ox. A child plays in the nest of a cobra and is not bitten. These things are true. It’s part of the hope that we have. But this passage takes us even deeper.

I watched a movie a while ago broke my heart. I don’t know if any of you have seen Blood Diamond, but it’s based in Africa where civil wars have been fought for decades over the diamond trade. Diamonds are being sold for ammunitions. Thousands have died. And children are being stolen from their parents to be soldiers. It’s a movie I wish everyone would see. The violence is awful, but not glorified. The story follows a fisherman who risks his life looking for his son, who’s been kidnapped and brainwashed.

See Darkness Covers the Earth. And a thick darkness the peoples.

In Isaiah 60.9 it says In the Lead are the ships of Tarshish bringing your sons from afar.

Bringing your sons? Israel’s sons, literally the children of farmers and shepherds had been kidnapped. Kinda like what’s happening to African Children.

But it doesn’t stop there. In the lead are the ships of Tarshish bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. THEY enter the New Jerusalem with gifts of gold and silver. We’re talking about Israel’s enemies here. And Lebanon brings their lumber, in other words, the best they have. Maybe Liberia and Sierra Leone bring their diamonds.

What’s going on here? Heaven Crashes into earth, and…and.. we have reconciliation. Indescribable healing takes place. So…essentially. Relationships are rebuilt with the people who have hurt you the most. Would I be wrong in saying that most of the time people who have hurt you the most are the people who were closest to you? So often it’s family. And those relationships get restored. Peace is made. Things are made right. Love gets injected into those broken places of your heart.

In Revelation 21, we are told more specifically from where the source of light comes from: Jesus Christ. In Collossians 1.20 we find out too that he made this new world possible: peace is made by his blood shed on the cross.

Instead of throwing out what’s broken, God fixes things? God heals. God makes new. Relationally speaking: instead of running off to make new friends-or creating new friends as the case may be- when things get ugly, he sticks it out and makes things right. Which is a tough thing to do. You know if you’ve ever been betrayed or hurt by someone else. If you’ve ever been ignored by a friend. If you’ve ever had your heart broken. If you’ve ever felt belittled, or been pierced by sarcasm. But you also know that if you work to heal the friendship or marriage or father-son relationship, it becomes stronger. It’s far easier just to walk away…or maybe even to hide in isolation. But this isn’t what God does…or what God wants us to do.

Isaiah 61

61.1 This is a profoundly messianic verse. Jesus applies it to himself in Luke 4.18-19. This “annointed servant” was prophesied to usher in the new age that Isaiah 60 talks about. We look forward to this kingdom fully established at his return. Jesus leaves out “Day of Vengance of our God” in Luke not because there won't be a day of judgment, but because the day is still coming!

61.8 The promises of God are ensured by the character of God. He is faithful!

61.10-11 “The speaker is either the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah, or Zion herself. With the Lord God echoing “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me” in v. 1, it is likely that the Messiah is speaking here. as a bridegroom... as a bride. The Messiah will lead his people into the romance of eternal salvation (cf. Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 21:2, 9). As the earth... as a gardensuggests a bountiful harvest (ESV Study Bible).”

Isaiah 62

62.1-5 “the stress is on God’s side of the reunion: the energy of his will (1a); the height (1b) and width (2) of his ambition for her; the pride he takes in perfecting her (3); his joy in bringing home the outcast (4a); and the central mystery—that this is not philanthropy but ardent love (4b, 5b) (New Bible Commentary).

62.1 “For Zion's sake. That is, for the sake of the redeemed people of God who dwell in Zion (another name for Jerusalem), the city of God. This emphasis on God's acting for the sake of his people lies at the heart of Isaiah's ministry: God will glorify himself in the renewed and increased glory of his people, and that future is worth living for now (ESV Study Bible)”

62.4 This verse promises a reversal of the devastation described in Isaiah 32.14 “The once-crowded city is abandoned. Hill and watchtower are permanently uninhabited. Wild donkeys love to go there, and flocks graze there.” and 64.10 “Your chosen cities have become a desert; Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.”

62.6-12 “The great homecoming is viewed from both the centre and the circumference; from the waiting Jerusalem (6–9, 11b–12) and the far-flung exiles (10–11a). Each of these settings provides its picture of the human preparations appropriate to God’s decisive moment. 6–8 God first gives certain people a concern for Zion like his own (cf. vs 6–7 with v 1), summoning these watchmen (cf. 56:9–12.) and remembrancers (the word here for you who call; see on 63:7) to importunate prayer (cf. Lk. 11:8; 18:7), which he encourages with explicit promises (7–8). 10 Secondly, he calls on those who are in bondage to claim their liberty, and to give a lead to the distant nations from whom and with whom he would bring Zion’s citizens home (New Bible Commentary).”

Isaiah 63

63.1 The last clause in verse one is translated “mighty to save” in the ESV Bible. (you might find it interesting that the popular song by that title does use biblical language—if not totally in context.) The messiah here is depicted as a warrior. It is understandable that when the true messiah came, that people were expecting a figure like Alexander the Great. However, Jesus came to defeat the powers of death...not conquer the gentiles.

63.9 “In all their affliction he was afflicted. God was sorrowful over the suffering of his people (even though it was their own sin that brought it on) (ESV Study).” The connection here is to verse 8, where he calls Israel his children. It is hard for a father to see his son be punished...even if it is done for his own good.

63.10-11 God's has been generously self-giving to Israel. However, they “grieve the Holy Spirit” with their rebellion. “This attributes some personal characteristics to the Holy Spirit and is one of the hints the OT gives of the distinct, personal existence of the Holy Spirit within the being of God (ESV Study).” This verse also gives the context for grieving the Holy Spirit in the NT. Paul says in Ephesians 4.30-32 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.”

63.17 “God did not force his people to sin but, in discipline, gave them over to the power of their sins (ESV Study).”

Day #212

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 54-58 - Audio
Isaiah 54-58 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

• 54.1ff: The great hope of the restoration of Israel. The woman (Jerusalem) who was barren will have many children, so many that she will need a bigger tent to hold them all.
• 54.9-10: God will not walk away from his covenant with Israel.
• 54.11: As God has done before in Isaiah he speaks of the beauty with which Jerusalem, his bride, will be adorned.
• 54.13: The promise that all the children of Jerusalem will be taught by God himself (see Jeremiah 31.31-34; Hebrews 8.8-12). It is a promise of the making of many passionate followers of God. As the children obey God so they eternal covenant promised is secured.

55.1: The great invitation of God. Water, according the Rabbis represents the Torah. In Isaiah the symbolism expands as Isaiah uses water to symbolize the great era of God’s salvation, the coming of his kingdom, and the blessings that come from both.

• 55.2: “Why spend your money...on what does not satisfy” these words have echoes of the book of Deuteronomy where we are reminded that God and his word are our very life (Dt. 30.20; 32.47)
• 55.3: In a surprising move not only is David’s throne established forever, but everyone in the kingdom becomes royalty. The idea is carried in New Testament thought where followers of Jesus are seen as prophets, priests, and kings.
• 55.5: As people live out the ways of this kingdom the entire world benefits (cf. Genesis 12.12ff “we are blessed to be a blessing, we are a servant people).
• 55.5: “endowed with splendor” God’s people are once again presented as being dressed radiantly for the King.
• 55.6-8: Great words of hope-God freely pardons all who turn to him.
• 55.10-11: An illustration to show that God’s promises made through his prophets will certainly come true.

Chapter 56 begins a new section in the book of Isaiah. It is a call for people to live righteous lives while admitting that on their own, they can’t do it.

• 56.1: Central to living a righteous life is maintaining justice-which is seeking to build and maintain the intended order of creation. Justice is rooted in living the ways and values of Torah.
• 56.2,3,6: Sabbath is central to keeping Torah because it is a time when people rest from doing evil, as well as, physically rest. It is also a day when slaves and others are given a day off and so given a taste of hope and peace.
• 56.10: Watchman-Israel’s prophets who should warn them when danger is coming because they have strayed from God.
• 56.11: Shepherds-Israel’s leaders who were to keep the people following after God.

Isaiah 57 begins with an amazing declaration by God-that he will let the righteous die so that they will not have to suffer from the exile. These words were particularly applied to King Josiah who is killed in battle (see 2 Kings 22.20)

Isaiah 57 is filled with sexual imagery not because immorality is the downfall of Israel, but because Israel is being portrayed as an unfaithful wife (a covenant breaker).

• 57.6: Instead of God being their portion, their idols have become so.
• 57.10: The people are exhausted and find hopelessness in the way they are living, but they keep going forward in it anyway.
• 57.13: God tells of those who have him as their portion and will be part of his kingdom of hope and peace.
• 57.15: An amazing thing-God chooses to live with those who are humble even though he himself is exalted.
• 57.17: God lays out one of the things that makes him very angry: sinful greed.
• 57.19-21: God tells of a division between true and false Israel and tells of their separate fates.

58.1: Isaiah is to cry as loudly as he can-one translation puts it, “Cry with full throat”-to get his message through to the people that they are not being faithful to God.

• 58.1-8: In a surprise move Isaiah doesn’t speak out against pagan practices, but against Jewish/Biblical religious practice that are done hypocritically. The prayers and fasts of the people have selfish purposes not sacred ones. (cf. James 4.3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”)
• 58.3-10: True religion leads to care for the needy, the oppressed. Note that to spend yourself on behalf of the hungry is to pour yourself out on their behalf. (cf. James 1.27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”)
• 58.6: A true fast leads to the rescue of the poor and the oppressed.
• 58.13-14: The fact that the Israelites are not practicing the rituals of the faith rightly, does not mean that those rituals should be abandoned, it means that they have to start practicing them rightly. At the center of this religious practice is the keeping of Sabbath.

Summary #28

Weekly Summary
Isaiah 31-53, Various 2 Kings/Psalm

So Aha

Day #211

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 49-53 - Audio
Isaiah 49-53 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isa 49-53

Isaiah 49 speaks of restoration with underlying hints of condemnation for those who refuse to follow Yahweh.

• 49.1-7: God’s servant will not only rescue Israel, but he will also reach out to the Gentiles. Together Jews and Gentiles will serve God.
• 49.8: The great hope of Israel is that God will restore her to her land and to her place with God. We discover in the New Testament that God’s plan is bigger than Israel imagined: The people of God will inherit the entire earth.
• 49.10: This verse reminds us of an important principle in Biblical interpretation: the New Testament tells us what the Old Testament writers meant. We read in Revelation 7.16, “They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.” The people being referred to in Revelation are God’s people from every tribe and nation (Revelation 7.9). Isaiah’s prophecy fully understood includes God’s people from all nations.
• 49.23: “those who hope in me will not be disappointed” -- this means those who believe the promises of God and live out those promises in their lives.

Isaiah 50: This short passage includes 1. God’s power to judge 2. the obedience of God’s servant 3. call to trust in God and leave evil behind

• 50.2: “arm too short” i.e. did I not have enough power. God is as powerful today as he has ever been.
• 50.2: God expressed frustration that more people don’t return to the promised land because it shows a lack of trust in him.
• 50.4-9: Hints of Jesus and his life on earth.

Isaiah 51.1-52.12: The words become urgent to the people of Israel to pay attention to God.

• 51.1: A word of promise to the faithful remnant that God would not abandon them. Their faithfulness is reflected in the fact that they are a people who pursue righteousness/justice and seek God.
• 51.1-2: Like Abraham and Sarah, the faithful though few in number, can be assured that God will increase their number.
• 51.7-8: As God does so often through the scriptures he calls his people to faithfulness in the face of powerful opposition reminding them that he rules and that when all comes to an end, he wins.
• 51.9ff: “Awake, awake!” A cry from the faithful for God to come to their rescue. To use his power as he did to defeat Rahab (the forces of chaos) at creation and the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
• 51.17ff “Awake, awake!” God’s response is that it is not he who has been asleep, but the people of Israel. Their sleeping is the cause of their present plight.
• 52.1: Awake, awake!: God calls the city of Jerusalem to awaken from its brokenness and once again be clothed majestically as a royal wife (cf. Revelation 21.2 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”)
• 52.1: “uncircumcised and defiled”—the wicked have no place in the city (cf. Revelation 21.8 and the ones who are not allowed in the new Jerusalem.)
• 52.5: God’s name is being held lightly in the world because his people are in exile—this he can not allow to continue.
• 52.7: Good news: “Your God reigns” Isaiah provides the Old Testament background to the New Testament “gospel” (literally “good news”) The good news, the gospel at its heart is that God reigns and his kingdom has come.
• 52.11: “Depart, depart!” A call to leave Babylon and return to the promised land.
• 52.12: God’s promise that he will go with them even as he went with Israel on the first Exodus.
• 53.1ff: Those who see the suffering servant are amazed that God would use such a one as this to bring deliverance.
• 53.4: We believe that the suffering servant is receiving what he deserves (stricken by God)—when the reality is God strikes him for our sins.
• 53.5: “by his wounds we are healed” the wonder of these words is that they are all encompassing. Not only is our sinful self healed, but so is our need to have a purpose in life (we are brought into his kingdom), to have direction for our lives (we are given God’s word as a guide), and finally, we will have our bodies healed of all our diseases (see 1 Corinthians 15, “Listen, I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep….”). The salvation of God encompasses our complete humanity, not only our sinful hearts.
• 53.11: “knowledge” not only does the Father know the plan, so does the Son. Jesus comes knowing that he will die, being a guilt offering to make restitution to God for the sins of the world.

Day #209

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 44-48 - Audio
Isaiah 44-48 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

44

44.2: God claims ownership of his people

44.2: Jeshurun: a poetic name for Israel

44.4: a wonderful contrast with the earlier words of Isaiah 40 where all men are as grass that wilts and is blown away.

44.6-23: The greatness of God compared with the foolishness and weakness of idols.

44.19: the stupidity of people who worship idols

44.23: a call for all creation to celebrate the redemption of God’s people.

44.26: God can be trusted because he has fulfilled his words (he is a God who tells the future and then causes that future to be so we know he has great power).

45

45.1ff: In an unexpected and surprising move God chooses Cyrus to be his anointed one (Hebrew: messiah—this is the only time in the Bible that a foreign ruler is called “messiah”) to free his people from captivity. This choice causes questions and disbelief from some of the people of Israel.

45.4-5: Even though God brings him to power Cyrus will not acknowledge that God is the Lord.

45.6: “I am the Lord, there is no other” throughout Isaiah 45-46 the theme of Yahweh (the LORD in the NIV) as the great and only God and idols as worthless continues.

45.9ff: Some in Israel argue with God about using a foreign king as messiah. God tells them that he is sovereign and they need to bow before his ways in the world.

45.13: “but not for a price or reward” i.e. the people will not pay to be set free from Cyrus, instead God will bear the cost—just as he does by paying the price for our sin.

8 45.15: “God who hides himself”—the God who’s ways (like making Cyrus messiah) we can’t always understand.

45.23: Hints of Philippians 2.10-11 where every knee will bow and confess that Christ is Lord.

46

46.1ff God mocks the idols of Babylon Bel (Marduk—Babylon’s head god) and Nebo (Marduk’s son). He points out that while He carries his people, the gods of Babylon have to be carried by their people.

46.3: a maternal image of God—even though he is our Father, he often acts in ways that reflect the love and care of a mother.

46.12: “Stubborn-hearted”: some of the people refuse to accept God’s plan for rescue, they think it is an inappropriate way to save. We find much the same ins Jesus’ day as some of the Jews rejected the way of salvation and also the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1.23-25). What was true then, continues today as people reject God’s way of salvation because they don’t like it.

47

God asserts his sovereignty over the nations [ chapters 46–47 ]. The format continues to be a shifting sequence of brief units. The rhetorical mode is a series of declarations from God regarding what he intends to do in the time just ahead, along with statements about his divine power. There is a general focus on nations, and we can discern the following loose (but not strict) division of subjects: God’s superiority to pagan idols (chapter 46); a satiric oracle predicting Babylon’s destruction (chapter 47). -ESVLB-

1-3 = Babylon is seen as a rich young woman being humiliated and brought down to being a slave.

4-7 = The only reason why Babylon conquered Judah/Jerusalem was because God was angry with His people. Now He will bring vengeance on Babylon.

4-11 = Why is this all going to happen? = Pride, Idolatry

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"(Prov 3:34, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5)

12-15 = God challenges Babylon to have their wickedness save them.

48

Oracles of deliverance [ chapters 48–49 ]. God continues to speak a series of messages that the prophet reports. The audience is God’s covenant people, who are called by a range of names (Jacob, Israel, Judah, “my servant,” etc.). The messages are predominantly God’s rehearsal of his acts of deliverance, with an undertow of God’s judgment against the wicked and unbelieving. -ESVLB-

1-2 - The first two verses are actually a rebuke to Judah. There is no genuineness found in the things that they do. They don't exalt God through their lives.

3-5 - God gave warning through Israel to Judah. They did not pay attention.

6-8 - God is being very condescending to the people here. He is basically saying that there is no way that they saw His power and might and continued on in their ways.

9 - Mercy is shown for God's own name...for His glory.

10 - We are refined for God's name...for His glory.

"And I will not give My glory to another. Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand up together."

"I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; his name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.”

Talking this year about "story," I wonder if God is saying to many of us: "Oh, that you had chosen My story and not your own."

20-22 - Despite Israel’s disobedience and unfulfilled potential, the Lord still loves them and will still free them from their captivity in Babylon. His people will declare His name.

Day #208

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 40-43 - Audio
Isaiah 40-43 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Chapter 40

The book of Isaiah makes a dramatic shift at this point. The following chapters discuss the love and majesty of God, who is coming to rule the earth and judge all people. God will redeem his people and restore them to glory. Instead of warning the people of more judgment, Isaiah begins to console them. Chapter 40 refers to the restoration after the people have returned from exile. There has been considerable debate regarding the authorship of the remaining chapters of the book, as some believe they must have been written by a later prophet or "school of prophets."

40.1-2 Because of the agony of the exiles, God instructs Isaiah to speak tenderly with Israel and Judah. The seeds of comfort have taken place in the context of a very difficult time.

40.3-5 preparing a straight highway means removing obstacles and honoring the Lord at his coming. The desert can also serve as a metaphor for the difficulties that Israel has experienced. John the Baptist used these words as he challenged people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah (Matthew 3.3).

40.6-8 People are compared here to grass and flowers that wither away. We are mortal, but God's Word is eternal and unfailing. Kings and cultures change, but the Word of the Lord will last forever. This lends a great deal of humility to our lives. We can easily be filled up with self-importance and grandiosity, but the truth is that we are here today and gone tomorrow! The Word of the Lord will last forever.

40.10-11 God is often pictured as a shepherd, gently caring for and guiding his flock. Jesus considered himself to be the "Good Shepherd". He is powerful, yet careful and gentle. Note that the shepherd cares for the most vulnerable in society and keeps them close to his heart.

40.12-31 Isaiah describes God's power not only as creator, but the sustainer of all things. God is powerful, but he cares for each of us personally too. It is important that we do not try to limit God in our speaking of and thinking. Even the strong grow weak at time, but God's power always wins. This is a great comfort to his people.



Chapter 41

41.1-2 God is calling one from east who is Cyrus II of Persia, a person who would be king within 150 years and mentioned by name in 44.28. Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and was responsible for the decree releasing exiled Jews to return to their homeland. God would use a pagan king to accomplish his purpose.

41.8-10 God chose Israel because he wanted to, not because they were a wonderful, powerful, or godly people. Although they rebelled against God's grace he would redeem them once again. He would never forsake them.

41.21-24 Israel was surrounded by many nations whose gods supposedly had special powers, such as blessing agriculture and causing military victory. These gods failed to deliver and actually became burdens to those who worshiped them. God can be trusted because he is the one true and living God.



Chapter 42

42.1-4 These verses can be found in Matthew 12.18-21 and are said to be referring to Christ. The servant is one who is filled with gentleness, blessing, justice, and truth. When God's people feel broken and bruised, God will not cause further harm. God will gently heal and restore those who have fallen away or crushed.

42.1-9 These verses can also be referred to have the "Servant Song". Israel and the Messiah are often called servant. Often God's people and the Messiah serve in the similar roles.

42.6-7 Part of Christ's mission and ours is to be a light to the nations. God calls us to be servant of his Son, and to help fulfill his mission in the world.

42.19-20 How could Israel and Judah be God's servants and yet be so blind? How could they experience of God's saving activity and be clueless? We must admit that after having been given so much, we find ourselves in the same circumstance.



Chapter 43

43.1-4 In spite of their sin, God would show mercy and carry them back from captivity. He would renew their relationship with him. Going through hard times Israel could expect God to be faithful and to be near to them.

43.5-6 Isaiah was speaking of Israel's return from exile, but we can also see a picture of all God's people being gathered when Christ comes to rule in this world.

43.10-11 Israel's task was to be a witness and tell the world about God and his mercy. The world will know through the ministry of God's people that the Lord is the one who saves.

43.15-21 These verses tell about a new exodus for Israel, who had been oppressed as slaves in Egypt. Once again the people would cry out to God and they would be delivered. This will be an even greater miracle than the exodus from Egypt.

43.22-24 Instead of enjoying a fragrant offering, the Lord could only see their sins in worship.

43.25 God does not remind us of our previous sins like people do. When God forgives our sins, they are forgotten. We do not need to fear that we will be reminded of them at a later date.

Day #207

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 37-39 & Psalm 76 - Audio
Isaiah 37-39 & Psalm 76 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isaiah 37-39 and Psalm 76

Isaiah 37 – Hezekiah didn’t hide himself with his advisors to consider what “spin” to put on the events rather he gave instructions. We don’t need to make Hezekiah look better than he was: we know from 2 Kings 18 that he had already tried to buy himself out of the situation by giving Sennacherib a large sum of money.

Hezekiah called on God to observe the way that Sennacherib had insulted God. The issue wasn’t whether Jerusalem would be taken but whether Sennacherib’s claim would stand that God was just one more god created by humans. Assyria was nothing more than a puppet being moved by God. Just as God had brought Sennacherib on the stage, He could remove him.

v. 1-2 – Unlike his faithless father Ahaz, Hezekiah responds to crisis by turning to God and seeking a word from God.

v. 7 – Sennacherib, who blasphemies God, is actually under God’s control. And God controls him merely by words.

v. 16 – Hezekiah does not put his own safety first or plead his own righteousness. He bases his prayer on the character of God. He directs his thoughts to the King who is above all creation and yet present in everything here below.

v. 20 – “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know” – The ultimate reason why God intervenes for His people is to make them living proof of His glory. Hezekiah sees the exclusivity of God not as an embarrassing problem but as the message the world must know. A real salvation puts the unique reality of God on visible display in human experience.

v. 22 – The virgin daughter of Zion is Jerusalem like a girl mocking her would-be but defeated rapist.

v. 29 – The Assyrians were notorious for leading away their captives by ropes tied to rings in their noses. You have to love God’s sense of humor.

v. 30-32 – God promises Hezekiah that he will faithfully preserve the land, feeding the people as they recover from the invasion, to show that His purpose, not chance, orchestrated the entire event. Moreover the agricultural miracle will symbolize a remnant saved by grace.

v. 33-35 – God will defend His city for His own glory and out of covenant faithfulness to David, suggesting His larger purpose for history consummated in Jesus.

Isaiah 38 – Hezekiah falls terminally ill, receives a message from Isaiah to put his house in order, and receives a reprieve from death accompanied by a confirming sign. Hezekiah then composes a psalm of praise built around God’s rescue from death.

The events of chapters 38-39 take place before chapters 36-37, clarified by 38:6. Isaiah located chapters 38-39 here in order to establish the context for chapters 40-55.

v. 6 – God looks beyond Hezekiah’s personal crisis to what matters more – the defense of the city of God.

v. 7-8 – Perhaps this particular sign – the sun’s shadow moving back up the steps – was chosen to signify that just as God can move time backward, He can add days to our lives.

v. 9-20 – Hezekiah’s psalm is clear about this truth: God alone has the power of life and death, and he prefers life. The psalm is divided into the anguish of death (v. 10-15), the hope of deliverance (v.16-19) and a confession of faith (v. 20).

Isaiah 39 – Hezekiah, having lost the humility that he had voiced in his poem of deliverance, shows off his wealth to the king of Babylon. He is called into account by Isaiah and selfishly disengages himself from the prophecy that his own family will one day be carried into exile by taking refuge in the thought that at least he will be dead by the time that happens.

v. 1 – Babylon comes to woo Judah into joining an alliance against Assyria. Hezekiah shows all his treasures to demonstrate that he can be a valuable member of the alliance. In doing so, he chooses to rely on Babylon rather than God.

v. 8 – Hezekiah reveals little concern for the future; it is a low point for him as king.

Psalm 76 – The psalm was written after God had destroyed Sennacherib’s army when the Assyrians threatened Jerusalem (2 Kings 19). God, the divine warrior who dwelt in Zion, was to be praised among His own and feared by the nations. The adoration of the divine warrior by His own people includes a reflection on past victories and a hope for full establishment of his kingdom on earth.

v. 2 – Salem was another name for Jerusalem.

v. 5 – Those who were strong in the eyes of the world were not able to stand against the power of God.

v. 11-12 – The Psalmist changes from praising God to calling on people to make vows to God. People of other nations are to bring Him gifts as a way of showing that God is the most worthy King.

v. 12 – Not only do the people fear God, so do the kings of the earth.

Day #206

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 35-36 - Audio
Isaiah 35-36 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Daily Reading: Isaiah 35-36

Isiah 35

This is one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. It looks forward to the same day that Revelation 21-22 look forward to: the return of Christ. The imagery is vibrant and full of hope and healing. The reading is very short today. I recommend taking some time in this chapter. Maybe read it twice.

This chapter is situated between two very bloody chapters. It acts as an oasis between the wasteland created by wickedness in Isaiah 34 and the threat of war and sickness of the next few chapters. Though the present looked very bad for Israel (as it does for us), they could look forward to a day when all wrongs would be righted and all hurts healed.

Take notice of how earthy this chapter about God's future reign: wildernesses bursting into bloom, blind eyes be open, hot sand turns into pools, and most importantly we will see the glory of the Lord. I'd like to let NT Wright chime in at this point. The quote comes from Simply Christian (I really recommend it, the whole book is like this!):

Despite what many people think, within the Christian family and outside it, the point of Christianity isn't 'to go to heaven when you die.' The New Testament picks up from the Old the theme that God intends, in the end, to put the whole creation to rights. Earth and heaven were made to overlap with one another... completely, gloriously, and utterly. “The earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.” That is the promise which resonates throughout the Bible story, from Isaiah all the way through to Paul's greatest visionary moments and the final chapters of the book of Revelation. The great drama will end, not with “saved souls” being snatched up into heaven, away from the wicked earth and the mortal bodies which have dragged them down into sin, but with the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth, so that “the dwelling of God is with humans.” ...the Hymn “This is my father's World” points beyond the present beauty of creation, through the mess and tragedy with which it has been infected, to the ultimate resolution:

This is my Father's world; O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world; the battle is not done;

Jesus, who died, shall be satisfied,

and earth and heaven be one.

And earth and heaven be one: that is the note that should sound like a clear, sweet bell through all Christian living, summoning us to live in the present as people called to that future, people called to live in the preseent in the light of that future...

Christian holiness is not (as people often imagine) a matter of denying something good. It is about growing up and grasping something even better. Made for spirituality, we wallow in introspection. Made ofr joy, we settle for pleasure. Made of justice, we clamor for vengeance. Made for realitonsihp, we insist on our own way. Made for beauty, we are satisfied with sentiment. But new creation has already begun. The sun has begun to rise. Christians are called to leave behind, in the tomb of Jesus Christ, all that belongs to the brokenness and incompleteness of the present world. It is time, in the power of the Spirit, to take up our proper role, our fully human roles, as agents, heralds, and stewards of the new day that is dawning. That, quite simply, is what it means to be Christian: to follow Jesus into the new world, God's new worlds, which he has thrown open before us.

35.1-2 Desert, parched land, and wilderness are all describing the same sort of place. The piling on of synonyms adds to the vividness of the land. I have seen the very land that is pictured in this passage. It is a place almost completely void of life—a place impossible to survive without God's help. And now, this lifeless place bursts into life like a crocus.

35.3-4 “Behold, your God will come. Believing perseverance comes from God's commitment to his people (“your God”) and the faithfulness of his promise (“will come”). ESV Study Bible” The second part of that line “He will come with vengeance” is the one phrase that might strike our ears oddly. This is not God seeking revenge, but rather God bringing his justice. From the perspective of the oppressed, this is very good news!

35.8 This is pilgrimage language. As is described in some of the Psalms (Ps 120-134, notably 121). Imagine a parade designed to celebrate the car ride to church. Only this parade is special! It is to celebrate a new age. (Analogous language is used in 1 Thessalonians 4.16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet [a “parade” word] the Lord in the air.

May Isaiah 35 be a comfort and a blessing to all of you who suffer. May it give you hope! Mark it in your Bibles and take it with you to be a comfort in hard times. Be strong, do not fear; your God will come...he will come to save you.

Isaiah 36

A switch back to the history of King Hezekiah's reign. “Against the backdrop of divine faithfulness and human inconsistancy, God stands forth as the only hope of his people (ESV Study Bible).”

36.4 “Thus says the great king. Speaking unwittingly as a false prophet, the field commander pronounces a royal decree...The word “trust” appears seven times in the Hebrew text of this paragraph (36:4, 5, 6, 7, 9). At the heart of Isaiah's message is a call to God's people to trust his promises with an audacious faith amid the hard realities of life.”

36.7 “This reveals the uncomprehending Assyrian viewpoint and the key to their eventual doom. Because the field commander from Assyria does not believe that the God of Israel is different from the gods of the pagan high places and altars (ESV Study Bible).”

36.10 The field commander uses several techniques to try to weaken Israel. This one is particularly interesting in that he perverts Isaiah's own message. Look back at Isaiah 10.5-7 ^I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets (v. 5). He conveniently leaves out Woe to Assyria.

36.11 “Many of the common people would have had difficulty understanding negotiations spoken in Aramaic. The three leaders were concerned that panic would spread throughout the city if the people heard the Assyrian’s demands in Hebrew (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).

36.12 Eat their own excrement and drink their own urine describes the condition of starvation while a city is under siege. They are trying to test Jerusalem's resolve. Both Hezekiah's to surrender and the peoples as to whether or not they will revolt against him. Jerursalem is indeed desperate: many towns in Judah have already been taken and Jerusalem itself is surrounded.

36.15 Hezekiah takes a public stand that his faith is in the Lord. The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

26.16-17 The field commander offers a familiar Israelite blessing that we've heard before every one of you will eat from your own vine and fig tree... (1 Kings 4.25 and Micah 4.4) This describes the good life. It is like the promise of Herbert Hoover in 1928 America: a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. But he is offering to make peace with him at the cost of peace with God...and juts as Hoover's promise, his words were empty.

26.21 “The king’s instruction, Do not answer him (21), took due account of the fact that the speaker was seeking victory, not truth (NBC).” This seems to be proverbial wisdom “Do not answer a fool in his folly.”

26.22 Tearing of clothes is an outward sign of inner distress.

Day #205

Sermon - Audio
Isaiah 31-34 - Audio
Isaiah 31-34 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Isaiah 31-34

Isaiah 31 and 32 treat us to more pictures of God’s rescue and restoration of his people. Chapter 31 begins with a brief word against those who trust in Egypt, but then we head back into restoration and hope.

• 31.8-9: “Young men” are the best soldiers of the army, they are its rock. Fire and furnace refer to the power and anger of God.
• 32.1ff: Compared with those who we find in Isaiah 28.10 (For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”) we know find faithful leaders and teachers. Here Isaiah gives us insight into a godly community. It has leaders and teachers who speak the things of God and who do not put up with fools. The ultimate picture of this becoming true is the arrival of the Messiah.
• 32.9-14: In words the echo the prophet Amos we hear the condemnation of women who care little for the things of God.
• 32.15-20: Isaiah continues his rhythm by speaking of hope after speaking of condemnation of women who will be destroyed because they care not for the things of God.

Isaiah 33 and 34 bring us into a summary picture of God’s judgment. Again the rhythm of judgment and hope goes on--but with an emphasis on judgment.

• 33.1: In typical Isaiah style we are not told who the destroyer is. Most believe it is a reference to Assyria in decline.
• 33.6: The prophet points out that true treasure is the fear of the LORD. Such is treasure because fear is living in obedience to God, honoring him and reverencing him. Such a posture means living so that covenant blessings flow.
• 33.7-9: A picture of failed peace and failed hope.
• 33.13-16: God’s reminder of the kind of life he is looking for in his people.
• 33.17-24: Assyria defeated, God’s people restored. This promise will fully come true when Christ returns.
• 33.23: These words refer to Judah that is weak but will be restored so that even the lame are well provided for and strong.
• 34.1-4: God’s complaint is against all the nations of the earth. Even though these nations are not his people he still demands that they live with justice and righteousness. They fail.
• 34.8: A fourth right is claimed for YHWH, the right to a “vengeance day, a year of retributions.” It is the royal prerogative, even responsibility, to bring retributive justice within his kingdom. “Vengeance,” in the OT is a term used for a judicial act that must be performed to restore a social balanace lost through a violent crime. Vengeance is understood not as satisfying an emotional need but as reestablishing a social and judicial balance (Word Biblical Commentary).
• 34.8-14: A picture of desolation and abandonment.
• 34.14: The Hebrew word “lilith” is translated in the ESV as “night bird”, in the NIV it is “night creatures”, but in the NASB it is “night monster”. Lilith was known as a demonness or a storm demon. Whether Isaiah is using the word this way is debated.