Why did Jesus choose to be humiliated and die for our sins? Let’s look at Isaiah 53.
Did Jesus appear any different to anyone else? Was He despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows?
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa 53:1-3 KJV)
Is this a description of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross for us?
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (Isa 53:4-6 LSB)
Is Jesus called the Lamb of God for a reason? Does Passover foreshadow His self-sacrifice?
He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off from the land of the living For the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due? And His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Isa 53:7-9 NASB)
Did Jesus bear the sins of many and then see the light of life?
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isa 53:10-12 NIV)
Did Philip preach Jesus to the Ethiopian Eunuch beginning with this same chapter?
The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:32–35 NKJV)
Why did Jesus choose to be humiliated and die for our sins? You decide!
Awake, Awake! (Isaiah 52)
Does the message of salvation move from Jerusalem to the whole world? Let’s look at Isaiah 52.
Is this talking of physical circumcision only or is it possibly being circumcised of heart?
Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you. Shake yourself from the dust! Arise, sit up, Jerusalem! Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion! For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing; and you will be redeemed without money.” (Isa 52:1-3 WEB)
With a checkered history of slavery and captivity, did God have a purpose behind it, that Israel would know His name?
The Lord God proclaims: Long ago my people went down to reside in Egypt. Moreover, Assyria has oppressed them without cause. And now what have I here? says the Lord. My people are taken away for nothing. Their rulers wail, says the Lord, and continually all day long my name is despised. Therefore, my people will know my name on that day; I’m the one who promises it; I’m here. (Isa 52:4-6 CEB)
Did Isaiah foresee the Good News, the Gospel, for Jerusalem and all nations?
What a beautiful sight! On the mountains a messenger announces to Jerusalem, “Good news! You're saved. There will be peace. Your God is now King.” Everyone on guard duty, sing and celebrate! Look! You can see the Lord returning to Zion. Jerusalem, rise from the ruins! Join in the singing. The Lord has given comfort to his people; he comes to your rescue. The Lord has shown all nations his mighty strength; now everyone will see the saving power of our God. (Isa 52:7-10 CEV)
Are coming out of Egypt and Babylon symbolic of eternal victory?
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isa 52:11-12 ESV)
Who is this Servant who was so disfigured and who sprinkled the nations?
See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at You—His appearance was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being—so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard. (Isa 52:13-15 HCSB)
Did Paul quote this last verse in explaining his desire to proclaim the gospel where the name of the Messiah is not known?
Rather, as it is written, “Those who were never told about him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Rom 15:21 ISV)
Does the message of salvation move from Jerusalem to the whole world? You decide!
Is this talking of physical circumcision only or is it possibly being circumcised of heart?
Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you. Shake yourself from the dust! Arise, sit up, Jerusalem! Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion! For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing; and you will be redeemed without money.” (Isa 52:1-3 WEB)
With a checkered history of slavery and captivity, did God have a purpose behind it, that Israel would know His name?
The Lord God proclaims: Long ago my people went down to reside in Egypt. Moreover, Assyria has oppressed them without cause. And now what have I here? says the Lord. My people are taken away for nothing. Their rulers wail, says the Lord, and continually all day long my name is despised. Therefore, my people will know my name on that day; I’m the one who promises it; I’m here. (Isa 52:4-6 CEB)
Did Isaiah foresee the Good News, the Gospel, for Jerusalem and all nations?
What a beautiful sight! On the mountains a messenger announces to Jerusalem, “Good news! You're saved. There will be peace. Your God is now King.” Everyone on guard duty, sing and celebrate! Look! You can see the Lord returning to Zion. Jerusalem, rise from the ruins! Join in the singing. The Lord has given comfort to his people; he comes to your rescue. The Lord has shown all nations his mighty strength; now everyone will see the saving power of our God. (Isa 52:7-10 CEV)
Are coming out of Egypt and Babylon symbolic of eternal victory?
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isa 52:11-12 ESV)
Who is this Servant who was so disfigured and who sprinkled the nations?
See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at You—His appearance was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being—so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard. (Isa 52:13-15 HCSB)
Did Paul quote this last verse in explaining his desire to proclaim the gospel where the name of the Messiah is not known?
Rather, as it is written, “Those who were never told about him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Rom 15:21 ISV)
Does the message of salvation move from Jerusalem to the whole world? You decide!
Salvation (Isaiah 51)
Is salvation conditional upon obeying the entire law of Moses, or having the faith of Abraham? Let’s look at Isaiah 51.
Is Moses or Abraham the rock from which we were hewn?
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. (Isa 51:1-3 ESV)
Is the ultimate salvation just Israel being saved from slavery and captivity, or all nations saved forever?
Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation; for instruction will come from Me, and My justice for a light to the nations. I will bring it about quickly. My righteousness is near, My salvation appears, and My arms will bring justice to the nations. The coastlands [far off lands] will put their hope in Me, and they will look to My strength. Look up to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never be shattered. (Isa 51:4-6 HCSB)
When hatefully insulted for our faith in God’s salvation, what should we focus on?
Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you people who have my instruction in their hearts. Don’t fear the insults of mortals, and don’t be dismayed at their hateful words. For moths will eat them up just like a garment, and worms will devour them like wool; but my deliverance will last forever, and my salvation to all generations. (Isa 51:7-8 ISV)
Did God defeat the dragon and will He again grant the redeemed gladness and joy?
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab [a proud monster], and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. (Isa 51:9-11 KJV)
Is there distress in life, caused by politicians, dishonest businesses, wars, etc?
I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, That you have forgotten Yahweh your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you tremble in dread continually all day long because of the wrath of the one who brings distress, As he makes ready to bring ruin? But where is the wrath of the one who brings distress? (Isa 51:12-13 LSB)
Are those who love the Lord sometimes persecuted and imprisoned in this world? Will God set them free?
The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” (Isa 51:14-16 NASB)
Whether we suffer because of our own sins or the sins of the world, does God encourage us to look to and trust Him?
Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger. Among all the children she bore there was none to guide her; among all the children she reared there was none to take her by the hand. These double calamities have come upon you—who can comfort you?—ruin and destruction, famine and sword—who can console you? Your children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the Lord, with the rebuke of your God. (Isa 51:17-20 NIV)
Though we may be drunk with pain from persecution, does God encourage us to trust His rescue, His salvation from those who walk all over us?
Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.” (Isa 51:21-23 NKJV)
Who are the real children of Abraham spiritually speaking?
The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. (Gal 3:7 NLT)
Is salvation conditional upon obeying the entire law of Moses, or having the faith of Abraham? You decide!
Is Moses or Abraham the rock from which we were hewn?
Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. (Isa 51:1-3 ESV)
Is the ultimate salvation just Israel being saved from slavery and captivity, or all nations saved forever?
Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation; for instruction will come from Me, and My justice for a light to the nations. I will bring it about quickly. My righteousness is near, My salvation appears, and My arms will bring justice to the nations. The coastlands [far off lands] will put their hope in Me, and they will look to My strength. Look up to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never be shattered. (Isa 51:4-6 HCSB)
When hatefully insulted for our faith in God’s salvation, what should we focus on?
Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you people who have my instruction in their hearts. Don’t fear the insults of mortals, and don’t be dismayed at their hateful words. For moths will eat them up just like a garment, and worms will devour them like wool; but my deliverance will last forever, and my salvation to all generations. (Isa 51:7-8 ISV)
Did God defeat the dragon and will He again grant the redeemed gladness and joy?
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab [a proud monster], and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. (Isa 51:9-11 KJV)
Is there distress in life, caused by politicians, dishonest businesses, wars, etc?
I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, That you have forgotten Yahweh your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you tremble in dread continually all day long because of the wrath of the one who brings distress, As he makes ready to bring ruin? But where is the wrath of the one who brings distress? (Isa 51:12-13 LSB)
Are those who love the Lord sometimes persecuted and imprisoned in this world? Will God set them free?
The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). And I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” (Isa 51:14-16 NASB)
Whether we suffer because of our own sins or the sins of the world, does God encourage us to look to and trust Him?
Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger. Among all the children she bore there was none to guide her; among all the children she reared there was none to take her by the hand. These double calamities have come upon you—who can comfort you?—ruin and destruction, famine and sword—who can console you? Your children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the Lord, with the rebuke of your God. (Isa 51:17-20 NIV)
Though we may be drunk with pain from persecution, does God encourage us to trust His rescue, His salvation from those who walk all over us?
Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.” (Isa 51:21-23 NKJV)
Who are the real children of Abraham spiritually speaking?
The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. (Gal 3:7 NLT)
Is salvation conditional upon obeying the entire law of Moses, or having the faith of Abraham? You decide!
Human Solutions (Isaiah 50)
Do human solutions naturally cause us grief? Should we trust God? Let’s look at Isaiah 50.
Has God divorced Israel or has she sold herself into her own iniquities? Why did nobody answer when God called?
Thus says the Lord: “Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.” (Isa 50:1-3 NKJV)
Is this a prophecy of Jesus, who submitted to suffering because of His love for us?
The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. (Isa 50:4-6 NLT)
Do we have confidence in God’s help, setting our face hard “like flint” towards God alone, as did Jesus?
For the Lord Yahweh will help me. Therefore I have not been confounded. Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I won’t be disappointed. He who justifies me is near. Who will bring charges against me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord Yahweh will help me! Who is he who will condemn me? Behold, they will all grow old like a garment. The moths will eat them up. (Isa 50:7-9 WEB)
Does the Servant bid us to trust in the Lord as He does? Will those who choose human solutions, to light their own fires instead of trusting God, naturally suffer grief?
Who among you fears the Lord? Who listens to the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light? They will trust in the Lord’s name, and rely upon their God. Look! All of you are kindling fire, igniting torches. Walk by the light of your fire, by the torches you have ignited. This is what will happen to you by my hand: you will lie down in grief. (Isa 50:10-11 CEB)
Do we keep our eyes on human solutions to humanity’s problems or Jesus?
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! (Heb 12:2 CEV)
Do human solutions naturally cause us grief? Should we trust God? You decide!
Has God divorced Israel or has she sold herself into her own iniquities? Why did nobody answer when God called?
Thus says the Lord: “Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away. Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.” (Isa 50:1-3 NKJV)
Is this a prophecy of Jesus, who submitted to suffering because of His love for us?
The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. (Isa 50:4-6 NLT)
Do we have confidence in God’s help, setting our face hard “like flint” towards God alone, as did Jesus?
For the Lord Yahweh will help me. Therefore I have not been confounded. Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I won’t be disappointed. He who justifies me is near. Who will bring charges against me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord Yahweh will help me! Who is he who will condemn me? Behold, they will all grow old like a garment. The moths will eat them up. (Isa 50:7-9 WEB)
Does the Servant bid us to trust in the Lord as He does? Will those who choose human solutions, to light their own fires instead of trusting God, naturally suffer grief?
Who among you fears the Lord? Who listens to the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light? They will trust in the Lord’s name, and rely upon their God. Look! All of you are kindling fire, igniting torches. Walk by the light of your fire, by the torches you have ignited. This is what will happen to you by my hand: you will lie down in grief. (Isa 50:10-11 CEB)
Do we keep our eyes on human solutions to humanity’s problems or Jesus?
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! (Heb 12:2 CEV)
Do human solutions naturally cause us grief? Should we trust God? You decide!
Light to the Nations (Isaiah 49)
Was Israel meant to be insular and exclusive or a light to the nations? Let’s look at Isaiah 49.
Is the Messiah tasked with what Israel failed to do as a nation?
Listen to me, coastlands; pay attention, peoples far away. The Lord called me before my birth, called my name when I was in my mother’s womb. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of God’s own hand. He made me a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in God’s quiver, saying to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I show my glory.” But I said, “I have wearied myself in vain. I have used up my strength for nothing.” Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with my God. (Isa 49:1-4 CEB)
Was the Messiah chosen to not only lead Israel back but to save the whole world?
Even before I was born, the Lord God chose me to serve him and to lead back the people of Israel. So the Lord has honored me and made me strong. Now the Lord says to me, “It isn't enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth.” (Isa 49:5-6 CEV)
Will the Messiah be someone despised and rejected by people?
Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isa 49:7 ESV)
Is Jesus not just the mediator of a new covenant, but is He the new covenant?
This is what the Lord says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances, saying to the prisoners: Come out, and to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves. They will feed along the pathways, and their pastures will be on all the barren heights.
They will not hunger or thirst, the scorching heat or sun will not strike them; for their compassionate One will guide them, and lead them to springs of water. I will make all My mountains into a road, and My highways will be raised up. See, these will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Sinim [a distant Oriental region]. Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains break into joyful shouts! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. (Isa 49:8-13 HCSB)
Doubting, did Zion think that God has abandoned her?
But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, and my God has forgotten me.’ “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or have no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these mothers may forget; But as for me, I’ll never forget you! Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands, and your walls are forever before me. Your builders are working faster than your destroyers, and those who devastated you go away from you. Lift up your eyes and look around—they have all gathered together and are coming to you. “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments, and tie them on like a bride.” (Isa 49:14-18 ISV)
Will the number of descendants of Israel be overwhelmingly large?
For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? (Isa 49:19-21 KJV)
Will nations rescue our children? Will those who hope in God not be put to shame?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And make high My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be lifted up on their shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am Yahweh; Those who hope in Me will not be put to shame. Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of the righteous be granted escape?” (Isa 49:22-24 LSB)
Will God rescue the prey from tyrants and save our children from their oppressors?
Indeed, this is what the Lord says: “Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of a tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And humanity will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isa 49:25-26 NASB)
Did Paul and Barnabas quote verse 6 to explain their mission to the Gentiles?
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47 NIV)
Was Israel meant to be insular and exclusive or a light to the nations?
Is the Messiah tasked with what Israel failed to do as a nation?
Listen to me, coastlands; pay attention, peoples far away. The Lord called me before my birth, called my name when I was in my mother’s womb. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of God’s own hand. He made me a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in God’s quiver, saying to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I show my glory.” But I said, “I have wearied myself in vain. I have used up my strength for nothing.” Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice; my reward is with my God. (Isa 49:1-4 CEB)
Was the Messiah chosen to not only lead Israel back but to save the whole world?
Even before I was born, the Lord God chose me to serve him and to lead back the people of Israel. So the Lord has honored me and made me strong. Now the Lord says to me, “It isn't enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth.” (Isa 49:5-6 CEV)
Will the Messiah be someone despised and rejected by people?
Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isa 49:7 ESV)
Is Jesus not just the mediator of a new covenant, but is He the new covenant?
This is what the Lord says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances, saying to the prisoners: Come out, and to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves. They will feed along the pathways, and their pastures will be on all the barren heights.
They will not hunger or thirst, the scorching heat or sun will not strike them; for their compassionate One will guide them, and lead them to springs of water. I will make all My mountains into a road, and My highways will be raised up. See, these will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Sinim [a distant Oriental region]. Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains break into joyful shouts! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. (Isa 49:8-13 HCSB)
Doubting, did Zion think that God has abandoned her?
But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me, and my God has forgotten me.’ “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or have no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these mothers may forget; But as for me, I’ll never forget you! Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands, and your walls are forever before me. Your builders are working faster than your destroyers, and those who devastated you go away from you. Lift up your eyes and look around—they have all gathered together and are coming to you. “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments, and tie them on like a bride.” (Isa 49:14-18 ISV)
Will the number of descendants of Israel be overwhelmingly large?
For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? (Isa 49:19-21 KJV)
Will nations rescue our children? Will those who hope in God not be put to shame?
Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And make high My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be lifted up on their shoulders. Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am Yahweh; Those who hope in Me will not be put to shame. Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of the righteous be granted escape?” (Isa 49:22-24 LSB)
Will God rescue the prey from tyrants and save our children from their oppressors?
Indeed, this is what the Lord says: “Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of a tyrant will be rescued; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And humanity will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isa 49:25-26 NASB)
Did Paul and Barnabas quote verse 6 to explain their mission to the Gentiles?
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47 NIV)
Was Israel meant to be insular and exclusive or a light to the nations?
Peace Like a River (Isaiah 48)
Could Judah have had lasting peace all along? Let’s look at Isaiah 48.
What did God say about the obstinate hearts of Judah?
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name. I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. (Isa 48:1-5 KJV)
How long has Judah been a transgressor and her ear not open to listen to God?
You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I caused you to hear new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, Lest you say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’ Indeed, you have not heard; indeed, you have not known. Indeed, even from long ago your ear has not been open Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a transgressor from the womb. (Isa 48:6-8 LSB)
Why did God delay His wrath and restrain it from cutting Judah off?
For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. (Isa 48:9-11 NASB)
Who is the real God of the Universe? Will God direct Cyrus to carry out His purpose against Babylon?
Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The Lord’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission. (Isa 48:12-15 NIV)
What would have given Israel peace like a river, and righteousness like the waves of the sea?
“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.” Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “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.” (Isa 48:16-19 NKJV)
Will Israel leave Babylonian captivity with singing and shouting?
Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians. Sing out this message! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The Lord has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink. “But there is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord. (Isa 48:20-22 NLT)
Why have the nations been unable to find lasting peace on earth?
The way of peace, they haven’t known. (Rom 3:17 WEB)
Could Judah have had lasting peace all along? You decide!
What did God say about the obstinate hearts of Judah?
Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name. I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. (Isa 48:1-5 KJV)
How long has Judah been a transgressor and her ear not open to listen to God?
You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I caused you to hear new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, Lest you say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’ Indeed, you have not heard; indeed, you have not known. Indeed, even from long ago your ear has not been open Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a transgressor from the womb. (Isa 48:6-8 LSB)
Why did God delay His wrath and restrain it from cutting Judah off?
For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. (Isa 48:9-11 NASB)
Who is the real God of the Universe? Will God direct Cyrus to carry out His purpose against Babylon?
Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.
Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The Lord’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission. (Isa 48:12-15 NIV)
What would have given Israel peace like a river, and righteousness like the waves of the sea?
“Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.” Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “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.” (Isa 48:16-19 NKJV)
Will Israel leave Babylonian captivity with singing and shouting?
Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians. Sing out this message! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The Lord has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink. “But there is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord. (Isa 48:20-22 NLT)
Why have the nations been unable to find lasting peace on earth?
The way of peace, they haven’t known. (Rom 3:17 WEB)
Could Judah have had lasting peace all along? You decide!
Babylon Judged (Isaiah 47)
Is Babylon symbolic of this world’s greed-motivated system that enslaves people to debt and abandons the poor? Let’s look at Isaiah 47.
Speaking to Babylon like a young woman, will she be uncovered and shamed?
Come down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of the Chaldeans. For you will no longer be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, lift up your skirt, uncover your legs, and wade through the rivers. Your nakedness will be uncovered. Yes, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and will spare no one. Our Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies is his name, is the Holy One of Israel. (Isa 47:1-4 WEB)
When God used Babylon to punish His people for their sins, did they go too far, acting without pity?
Sit silent and go into darkness, Daughter Chaldea, because they will no longer call you Queen of Kingdoms. I was enraged with my people; I made my inheritance impure and put them under your power. You took no pity on them. You made your yoke heavy even on the elderly. You said, “I’m forever; I’m the eternal mistress.” You didn’t stop and think; you didn’t consider the outcome. (Isa 47:5-7 CEB)
Will Babylon’s self-deluded sense of power suddenly fail?
You think that you alone are all-powerful, that you won't be a widow or lose your children. All you care about is pleasure, but listen to what I say. Your magic powers and charms will suddenly fail, then you will be a widow and lose your children. (Isa 47:8-9 CEV)
Did Babylon feel secure and strong in her power? Is this a warning for our nations?
You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing. (Isa 47:10-11 ESV)
How did God challenge those who use spells, sorcery, and astrology?
So take your stand with your spells and your many sorceries, which you have wearied yourself with from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are worn out with your many consultations. So let them stand and save you—the astrologers, who observe the stars, who predict monthly what will happen to you. Look, they are like stubble; fire burns them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside! This is what they are to you—those who have wearied you and have traded with you from your youth—each wanders on his own way; no one can save you. (Isa 47:12-15 HCSB)
Did John also predict what would similarly happen to a future symbolic Babylon?
Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, inflict on her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, ‘I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.’ For this reason, her diseases that result in death, misery, and famine will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because powerful is the Lord God who judges her.” The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. Frightened by the torture that she experiences, they will stand far away and cry out, “How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon, because your judgment arrived in a single hour!” (Rev 18:7-10 ISV)
Is Babylon symbolic of this world’s greed-motivated system that enslaves people to debt and abandons the poor? You decide!
Speaking to Babylon like a young woman, will she be uncovered and shamed?
Come down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of the Chaldeans. For you will no longer be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, lift up your skirt, uncover your legs, and wade through the rivers. Your nakedness will be uncovered. Yes, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and will spare no one. Our Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies is his name, is the Holy One of Israel. (Isa 47:1-4 WEB)
When God used Babylon to punish His people for their sins, did they go too far, acting without pity?
Sit silent and go into darkness, Daughter Chaldea, because they will no longer call you Queen of Kingdoms. I was enraged with my people; I made my inheritance impure and put them under your power. You took no pity on them. You made your yoke heavy even on the elderly. You said, “I’m forever; I’m the eternal mistress.” You didn’t stop and think; you didn’t consider the outcome. (Isa 47:5-7 CEB)
Will Babylon’s self-deluded sense of power suddenly fail?
You think that you alone are all-powerful, that you won't be a widow or lose your children. All you care about is pleasure, but listen to what I say. Your magic powers and charms will suddenly fail, then you will be a widow and lose your children. (Isa 47:8-9 CEV)
Did Babylon feel secure and strong in her power? Is this a warning for our nations?
You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing. (Isa 47:10-11 ESV)
How did God challenge those who use spells, sorcery, and astrology?
So take your stand with your spells and your many sorceries, which you have wearied yourself with from your youth. Perhaps you will be able to succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are worn out with your many consultations. So let them stand and save you—the astrologers, who observe the stars, who predict monthly what will happen to you. Look, they are like stubble; fire burns them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside! This is what they are to you—those who have wearied you and have traded with you from your youth—each wanders on his own way; no one can save you. (Isa 47:12-15 HCSB)
Did John also predict what would similarly happen to a future symbolic Babylon?
Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, inflict on her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, ‘I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.’ For this reason, her diseases that result in death, misery, and famine will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because powerful is the Lord God who judges her.” The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. Frightened by the torture that she experiences, they will stand far away and cry out, “How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon, because your judgment arrived in a single hour!” (Rev 18:7-10 ISV)
Is Babylon symbolic of this world’s greed-motivated system that enslaves people to debt and abandons the poor? You decide!
Empty Idolatry (Isaiah 46)
What is the difference between powerless idols and the all-powerful God? What idols does our culture worship? Let’s look at Isaiah 46.
Could the Babylonian idols Bel and Nebo protect Israel from going into captivity?
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. (Isa 46:1-2 KJV)
Did idols or God carry Israel from birth into old age and promise to rescue them?
Hear Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been burdening Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you, and I will rescue you. (Isa 46:3-4 LSB)
Did Isaiah expose the futility of worshiping idols? Can an idol answer shouts and save anyone from distress?
To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike? Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress. (Isa 46:5-7 NASB)
Who alone makes known the end from the beginning? Who summons Cyrus, a bird of prey from the east, to fulfill His purpose?
Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isa 46:8-11 NIV)
Is God’s righteousness near and will His salvation linger or be delayed?
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory. (Isa 46:12-13 NKJV)
Did Paul criticize the fake manufactured gods of the world?
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. (Rom 1:21–23 NLT)
What is the difference between powerless idols and the all-powerful God? What idols does our culture worship? You decide!
Could the Babylonian idols Bel and Nebo protect Israel from going into captivity?
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. (Isa 46:1-2 KJV)
Did idols or God carry Israel from birth into old age and promise to rescue them?
Hear Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been burdening Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you, and I will rescue you. (Isa 46:3-4 LSB)
Did Isaiah expose the futility of worshiping idols? Can an idol answer shouts and save anyone from distress?
To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike? Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress. (Isa 46:5-7 NASB)
Who alone makes known the end from the beginning? Who summons Cyrus, a bird of prey from the east, to fulfill His purpose?
Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isa 46:8-11 NIV)
Is God’s righteousness near and will His salvation linger or be delayed?
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory. (Isa 46:12-13 NKJV)
Did Paul criticize the fake manufactured gods of the world?
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. (Rom 1:21–23 NLT)
What is the difference between powerless idols and the all-powerful God? What idols does our culture worship? You decide!
God Alone (Isaiah 45)
Who is able to save us, things made by the hands of men or God alone? Let’s look at Isaiah 45.
What did God say prophetically to the future Cyrus, Persian king, who would come along about 150 years later? Was he to be a foretype of the Messiah, the anointed one?
Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:1-3 NKJV)
Why did God call a man who did not yet even know Him?
And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. (Isa 45:4-7 NLT)
Can God command the heavens to give either physical or spiritual rain?
Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it. (Isa 45:8 WEB)
Is us questioning God as foolish as clay questioning the potter? Can God rebuild Jerusalem by a Persian king?
Doom to the one who argues with the potter, as if he were just another clay pot! Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” or “Your work has no handles”? Doom to one who says to a father, “What have you fathered?” and to a woman, “With what are you in labor?” The Lord, the holy one of Israel and its maker, says: Are you questioning me about my own children? Are you telling me what to do with the work of my hands? I myself made the earth, and created humans upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens. I commanded all their forces. I have a right to awaken Cyrus; I will smooth all his paths. He will build my city and set my exiles free, not for a price and not for a bribe, says the Lord of heavenly forces. (Isa 45:9-13 CEB)
Would Israel one day lead the nations to the one true God?
My people, I, the Lord, promise that the riches of Egypt and the treasures of Ethiopia will belong to you. You will force into slavery those tall people of Seba. They will bow down and say, “The only true God is with you; there are no other gods.” People of Israel, your God is a mystery, though he alone can save. Anyone who makes idols will be confused and terribly disgraced. But Israel, I, the Lord, will always keep you safe and free from shame. (Isa 45:14-17 CEV)
Is God the one true God and is idolatry the worship of things that cannot save us?
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. (Isa 45:18-21 ESV)
Where should we turn to be saved? In whom alone can we be justified and find glory?
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the Lord.” All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame. All the descendants of Israel will be justified and find glory through the Lord. (Isa 45:22-25 HCSB)
How is the lesson of the potter and the clay discussed by Paul?
On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?” A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn’t he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay. (Rom 9:20-21 ISV)
Who is able to save us, things made by the hands of men or God alone? You decide!
What did God say prophetically to the future Cyrus, Persian king, who would come along about 150 years later? Was he to be a foretype of the Messiah, the anointed one?
Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:1-3 NKJV)
Why did God call a man who did not yet even know Him?
And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. (Isa 45:4-7 NLT)
Can God command the heavens to give either physical or spiritual rain?
Rain, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may produce salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it. (Isa 45:8 WEB)
Is us questioning God as foolish as clay questioning the potter? Can God rebuild Jerusalem by a Persian king?
Doom to the one who argues with the potter, as if he were just another clay pot! Does the clay say to the potter, “What are you making?” or “Your work has no handles”? Doom to one who says to a father, “What have you fathered?” and to a woman, “With what are you in labor?” The Lord, the holy one of Israel and its maker, says: Are you questioning me about my own children? Are you telling me what to do with the work of my hands? I myself made the earth, and created humans upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens. I commanded all their forces. I have a right to awaken Cyrus; I will smooth all his paths. He will build my city and set my exiles free, not for a price and not for a bribe, says the Lord of heavenly forces. (Isa 45:9-13 CEB)
Would Israel one day lead the nations to the one true God?
My people, I, the Lord, promise that the riches of Egypt and the treasures of Ethiopia will belong to you. You will force into slavery those tall people of Seba. They will bow down and say, “The only true God is with you; there are no other gods.” People of Israel, your God is a mystery, though he alone can save. Anyone who makes idols will be confused and terribly disgraced. But Israel, I, the Lord, will always keep you safe and free from shame. (Isa 45:14-17 CEV)
Is God the one true God and is idolatry the worship of things that cannot save us?
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. (Isa 45:18-21 ESV)
Where should we turn to be saved? In whom alone can we be justified and find glory?
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the Lord.” All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame. All the descendants of Israel will be justified and find glory through the Lord. (Isa 45:22-25 HCSB)
How is the lesson of the potter and the clay discussed by Paul?
On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?” A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn’t he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay. (Rom 9:20-21 ISV)
Who is able to save us, things made by the hands of men or God alone? You decide!
Redemption (Isaiah 44)
How did God pay the redemption price to set sinners free? Let’s begin in Isaiah 44.
Will God give Israel’s dry land water and their descendants the Holy Spirit?
People of Israel, I have chosen you as my servant. I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Israel, don't be terrified! You are my chosen servant, my very favorite. I will bless the thirsty land by sending streams of water; I will bless your descendants by giving them my Spirit. They will spring up like grass or like willow trees near flowing streams. They will worship me and become my people. They will write my name on the back of their hands. (Isa 44:1-5 CEV)
Does God explain to Israel why they can rely upon His promises?
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isa 44:6-8 ESV)
What profit is there in the business of making useless statues to worship as idols?
All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. Who makes a god or casts a metal image for no profit? Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame, and the craftsmen are humans. They all will assemble and stand; they all will be startled and put to shame. (Isa 44:9-11 HCSB)
What futility is involved in the various ways of making idols?
The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures it with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home in a shrine. He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. He divides it up for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. Half the wood he burns in the fire, and over that half he places meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself, and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.” (Isa 44:12-17 ISV)
What has God done to the deceived eyes and hearts of idolaters?
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? (Isa 44:18-20 KJV)
Why should the mountains break forth into a shout of joy? Did God pay the redemption price to set Israel free?
“Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory. (Isa 44:21-23 LSB)
What does our redeemer say about diviners, fortune-tellers and the wisest of us? Did God prophecy of Cyrus rebuilding Jerusalem about 150 years later?
This is what the Lord says, He who is your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb: “I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth alone, Causing the omens of diviners to fail, Making fools of fortune-tellers; Causing wise men to turn back And making their knowledge ridiculous, Confirming the word of His servant And carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise her ruins again. I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’ And I will make your rivers dry up. It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.’ And he says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” (Isa 44:24-28 NASB)
Who fulfilled this passage having paid the price for our redemption?
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Eph 1:7 NIV)
How did God pay the redemption price to set sinners free? You decide!
Will God give Israel’s dry land water and their descendants the Holy Spirit?
People of Israel, I have chosen you as my servant. I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Israel, don't be terrified! You are my chosen servant, my very favorite. I will bless the thirsty land by sending streams of water; I will bless your descendants by giving them my Spirit. They will spring up like grass or like willow trees near flowing streams. They will worship me and become my people. They will write my name on the back of their hands. (Isa 44:1-5 CEV)
Does God explain to Israel why they can rely upon His promises?
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isa 44:6-8 ESV)
What profit is there in the business of making useless statues to worship as idols?
All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. Who makes a god or casts a metal image for no profit? Look, all its worshipers will be put to shame, and the craftsmen are humans. They all will assemble and stand; they all will be startled and put to shame. (Isa 44:9-11 HCSB)
What futility is involved in the various ways of making idols?
The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures it with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home in a shrine. He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. He divides it up for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. Half the wood he burns in the fire, and over that half he places meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself, and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.” (Isa 44:12-17 ISV)
What has God done to the deceived eyes and hearts of idolaters?
They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? (Isa 44:18-20 KJV)
Why should the mountains break forth into a shout of joy? Did God pay the redemption price to set Israel free?
“Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory. (Isa 44:21-23 LSB)
What does our redeemer say about diviners, fortune-tellers and the wisest of us? Did God prophecy of Cyrus rebuilding Jerusalem about 150 years later?
This is what the Lord says, He who is your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb: “I, the Lord, am the Maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth alone, Causing the omens of diviners to fail, Making fools of fortune-tellers; Causing wise men to turn back And making their knowledge ridiculous, Confirming the word of His servant And carrying out the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise her ruins again. I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Dry up!’ And I will make your rivers dry up. It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he will carry out all My desire.’ And he says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” (Isa 44:24-28 NASB)
Who fulfilled this passage having paid the price for our redemption?
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Eph 1:7 NIV)
How did God pay the redemption price to set sinners free? You decide!
A Chosen People (Isaiah 43)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? Let’s look at Isaiah 43.
What kind promise did God make as Israel passed through different difficulties?
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isa 43:1-2 KJV)
Why did God encourage everyone who is called by His name, not to fear?
For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, And gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isa 43:3-7 LSB)
Did God challenge the nations to either prove their false beliefs or accept Him? Which group of people had witnessed God’s hand?
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears. All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, And there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?” (Isa 43:8-13 NASB)
Will God punish Babylon? Is this a dual prophecy which includes the final symbolic Babylon?
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” (Isa 43:14-15 NIV)
In what appears to be a dual prophecy, with final fulfillment in the end of all things, does God encourage Israel not to be stuck in the bad memories of the past?
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. (Isa 43:16-21 NKJV)
Why would believers refuse to ask God for His help, but instead burden Him with their sins?
“But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. You have not brought me fragrant calamus [incense] or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. (Isa 43:22-24 NLT)
Does God offer forgiveness for those who repent? Did their teachers commit evil? Do ours?
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified. Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.” (Isa 43:25-28 WEB)
Is verse 21 (This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise) referred to in the New Testament?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. (1 Pet 2:9 CEB)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? You decide!
What kind promise did God make as Israel passed through different difficulties?
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. (Isa 43:1-2 KJV)
Why did God encourage everyone who is called by His name, not to fear?
For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, And gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth, Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isa 43:3-7 LSB)
Did God challenge the nations to either prove their false beliefs or accept Him? Which group of people had witnessed God’s hand?
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And those who are deaf, even though they have ears. All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, only I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, And there is no one who can rescue from My hand; I act, and who can reverse it?” (Isa 43:8-13 NASB)
Will God punish Babylon? Is this a dual prophecy which includes the final symbolic Babylon?
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King.” (Isa 43:14-15 NIV)
In what appears to be a dual prophecy, with final fulfillment in the end of all things, does God encourage Israel not to be stuck in the bad memories of the past?
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. (Isa 43:16-21 NKJV)
Why would believers refuse to ask God for His help, but instead burden Him with their sins?
“But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel! You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense. You have not brought me fragrant calamus [incense] or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. (Isa 43:22-24 NLT)
Does God offer forgiveness for those who repent? Did their teachers commit evil? Do ours?
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified. Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.” (Isa 43:25-28 WEB)
Is verse 21 (This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise) referred to in the New Testament?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. (1 Pet 2:9 CEB)
Do we believe that Christians are a chosen race to speak of the wonderful acts of the One who called us out of darkness into God’s amazing light? You decide!
Behold! My Servant (Isaiah 42)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? Let’s look at Isaiah 42.
Is this Servant a clear reference to Jesus, His Elect One, who brings justice to the nations?
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isa 42:1-4 NKJV)
Does God give His qualifications to be able to make such promises concerning Jesus? Do idols made by mere men qualify?
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” (Isa 42:5-9 NLT)
Will there be a reason for rejoicing in song throughout the region and the entire world?
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar [Arabian and Syrian Deserts] inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela [Petra] sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. (Isa 42:10-12 WEB)
Will the Lord abandon us or will he bring us blessings beyond measure?
The Lord will go out like a soldier; like a warrior God will stir up rage. God will shout, will roar; over enemies he will prevail. I’ve kept still for a very long time. I’ve been silent and restrained myself. Like a woman in labor I will moan; I will pant, I will gasp. I will wither mountains and valleys, and I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into deserts, and I will dry up pools. I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them. (Isa 42:13-16 CEB)
Will those who trust in useless idols be ashamed? What does God say to religious leaders who claim to see and hear but in reality are blind and deaf?
Everyone who worships idols as though they were gods will be terribly ashamed. You people are deaf and blind, but the Lord commands you to listen and to see. No one is as blind or deaf as his messenger, his chosen servant, who sees and hears so much, but pays no attention. (Isa 42:17-20 CEV)
How is the law magnified? Is circumcision now of the heart, is Sabbath now our rest in Jesus, is Jesus our Passover Lamb?
The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? (Isa 42:21-23 ESV)
Did the discipline God gave them, by being plundered by their enemies, bring about their repentance?
Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against Him? They were not willing to walk in His ways, and they would not listen to His instruction. So He poured out on Jacob His furious anger and the power of war. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he paid no attention. (Isa 42:24-25 HCSB)
Does Matthew confirm Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy?
“Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers. He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear him shouting in the streets. He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory. And in his name unbelievers will hope.” (Mat 12:18-21 ISV)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? You decide!
Is this Servant a clear reference to Jesus, His Elect One, who brings justice to the nations?
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isa 42:1-4 NKJV)
Does God give His qualifications to be able to make such promises concerning Jesus? Do idols made by mere men qualify?
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.” (Isa 42:5-9 NLT)
Will there be a reason for rejoicing in song throughout the region and the entire world?
Sing to Yahweh a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the islands and their inhabitants. Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar [Arabian and Syrian Deserts] inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela [Petra] sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! Let them give glory to Yahweh, and declare his praise in the islands. (Isa 42:10-12 WEB)
Will the Lord abandon us or will he bring us blessings beyond measure?
The Lord will go out like a soldier; like a warrior God will stir up rage. God will shout, will roar; over enemies he will prevail. I’ve kept still for a very long time. I’ve been silent and restrained myself. Like a woman in labor I will moan; I will pant, I will gasp. I will wither mountains and valleys, and I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into deserts, and I will dry up pools. I will make the blind walk a road they don’t know, and I will guide them in paths they don’t know. But I will make darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things I will do; I won’t abandon them. (Isa 42:13-16 CEB)
Will those who trust in useless idols be ashamed? What does God say to religious leaders who claim to see and hear but in reality are blind and deaf?
Everyone who worships idols as though they were gods will be terribly ashamed. You people are deaf and blind, but the Lord commands you to listen and to see. No one is as blind or deaf as his messenger, his chosen servant, who sees and hears so much, but pays no attention. (Isa 42:17-20 CEV)
How is the law magnified? Is circumcision now of the heart, is Sabbath now our rest in Jesus, is Jesus our Passover Lamb?
The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!” Who among you will give ear to this, will attend and listen for the time to come? (Isa 42:21-23 ESV)
Did the discipline God gave them, by being plundered by their enemies, bring about their repentance?
Who gave Jacob to the robber, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord? Have we not sinned against Him? They were not willing to walk in His ways, and they would not listen to His instruction. So He poured out on Jacob His furious anger and the power of war. It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it; it burned him, but he paid no attention. (Isa 42:24-25 HCSB)
Does Matthew confirm Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy?
“Here is my Servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and with whom I am pleased! I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to unbelievers. He will not quarrel or shout, and no one will hear him shouting in the streets. He will not snap off a broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick until he has brought justice through to victory. And in his name unbelievers will hope.” (Mat 12:18-21 ISV)
Did God foretell about a Servant who would bless the Gentiles, a light to guide the nations? Is that Jesus? You decide!
God or Idols (Isaiah 41)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? Let’s look at Isaiah 41.
How does God reason with the coastlands, asking who is in charge of human history?
Be quiet before me, coastlands [distant lands]. Let the nations renew their strength. Let them approach and speak. Let’s draw near for a judgment. Who has awakened one from the east and has authority to summon him to serve—giving him nations, conquering kings, making them like dust with his sword, like scattered straw with his bow? He pursues them and passes untouched, needing no path for his feet. Who has acted and who has done this, calling upon generation after generation since the beginning? I, the Lord, was first, and I will be the last! (Isa 41:1-4 CEB)
Instead of turning to God, what false gods did the people worship?
Islands and foreign nations saw what I did and trembled as they came near. Worshipers of idols comfort each other, saying, “Don't worry!” Woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other workers encourage one another and say, “We've done a great job!” Then they nail the idol down, so it won't fall over. (Isa 41:5-7 CEV)
How does God encourage and promise to strengthen Israel?
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa 41:8-10 ESV)
What does God promise to do for Israel against her enemies?
Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. (Isa 41:11-13 HCSB)
Should those who rejoice in and boast about the one true God be afraid?
Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “See, I’m making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff. You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the Lord, and you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 41:14-16 ISV)
Will the one true God provide abundantly things that no idol can?
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. (Isa 41:17-20 KJV)
Does God invite debate about His prophecies and the ability of idols to do any work?
“Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming; Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination. (Isa 41:21-24 LSB)
How incapable are people to solve our problems? How futile is it to rely upon empty cast metal images?
“I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, As the potter treads on clay.” Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? There was no one at all who declared, There was no one at all who proclaimed, There was no one at all who heard your words. “Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’ But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness. (Isa 41:25-29 NASB)
Are we reintroduced to the One from verse 4 who is described as the first and the last as Jesus Christ, God made flesh?
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:17-18 NIV)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? You decide!
How does God reason with the coastlands, asking who is in charge of human history?
Be quiet before me, coastlands [distant lands]. Let the nations renew their strength. Let them approach and speak. Let’s draw near for a judgment. Who has awakened one from the east and has authority to summon him to serve—giving him nations, conquering kings, making them like dust with his sword, like scattered straw with his bow? He pursues them and passes untouched, needing no path for his feet. Who has acted and who has done this, calling upon generation after generation since the beginning? I, the Lord, was first, and I will be the last! (Isa 41:1-4 CEB)
Instead of turning to God, what false gods did the people worship?
Islands and foreign nations saw what I did and trembled as they came near. Worshipers of idols comfort each other, saying, “Don't worry!” Woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and other workers encourage one another and say, “We've done a great job!” Then they nail the idol down, so it won't fall over. (Isa 41:5-7 CEV)
How does God encourage and promise to strengthen Israel?
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isa 41:8-10 ESV)
What does God promise to do for Israel against her enemies?
Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you. (Isa 41:11-13 HCSB)
Should those who rejoice in and boast about the one true God be afraid?
Don’t be afraid, you little worm Jacob, and you insects of Israel! I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “See, I’m making you into a new, sharp, and multi-tooth threshing sledge. You’ll thresh and crush the mountains, and make the hills like chaff. You’ll winnow them, and the wind will lift them up, and a tempest will blow them away. Then you’ll rejoice in the Lord, and you’ll make your boast in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 41:14-16 ISV)
Will the one true God provide abundantly things that no idol can?
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. (Isa 41:17-20 KJV)
Does God invite debate about His prophecies and the ability of idols to do any work?
“Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says. Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming; Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination. (Isa 41:21-24 LSB)
How incapable are people to solve our problems? How futile is it to rely upon empty cast metal images?
“I have put one from the north into motion, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, As the potter treads on clay.” Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”? There was no one at all who declared, There was no one at all who proclaimed, There was no one at all who heard your words. “Previously I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’ But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer. Behold, all of them are false; Their works are nothing, Their cast metal images are wind and emptiness. (Isa 41:25-29 NASB)
Are we reintroduced to the One from verse 4 who is described as the first and the last as Jesus Christ, God made flesh?
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:17-18 NIV)
Who do we look to for help, God or some man-made substitute? You decide!
Good News (Isaiah 40)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? Let’s begin in Isaiah 40.
What comforting words did God say to Jerusalem to encourage them?
Our God has said: “Encourage my people! Give them comfort. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and announce: Your slavery is past; your punishment is over. I, the Lord, made you pay double for your sins.” (Isa 40:1-2 CEV)
Is the following a prophecy, partially fulfilled in John the Baptist? Will Christ’s return bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment?
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isa 40:3-5 ESV)
What did a voice say to Isaiah about humanity and God’s word?
A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” (Isa 40:6-8 HCSB)
Where did God tell Isaiah to go and what good news did He tell him to say?
“Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Look! The Lord God comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.” (Isa 40:9-11 ISV)
Did God ask Isaiah similar questions to those He had also posed to Job?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? (Isa 40:12-14 KJV)
How much bigger is God than the entirety of His creation?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non-existent and utterly formless. (Isa 40:15-17 LSB)
Two whom can we liken the real God, not some fake man-made idol?
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. (Isa 40:18-20 NASB)
In a world where political leaders threaten our freedoms and commercial greed endangers our very lives, is there someone greater than it all?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:21-24 NIV)
Do we, who live in such a corrupt world, understand who has more strength than us all?
“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. (Isa 40:25-26 NKJV)
Do we ask if God even sees our troubles? Do we trust that He will help us find new strength?
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isa 40:27-31 NLT)
How did John the Baptist fulfill the prophecy in verse 3 above?
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” (Mat 3:2-3 WEB)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? You decide!
What comforting words did God say to Jerusalem to encourage them?
Our God has said: “Encourage my people! Give them comfort. Speak kindly to Jerusalem and announce: Your slavery is past; your punishment is over. I, the Lord, made you pay double for your sins.” (Isa 40:1-2 CEV)
Is the following a prophecy, partially fulfilled in John the Baptist? Will Christ’s return bring this prophecy to complete fulfillment?
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isa 40:3-5 ESV)
What did a voice say to Isaiah about humanity and God’s word?
A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” (Isa 40:6-8 HCSB)
Where did God tell Isaiah to go and what good news did He tell him to say?
“Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don’t be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ Look! The Lord God comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep.” (Isa 40:9-11 ISV)
Did God ask Isaiah similar questions to those He had also posed to Job?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? (Isa 40:12-14 KJV)
How much bigger is God than the entirety of His creation?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are counted as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the coastlands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him; They are counted by Him as non-existent and utterly formless. (Isa 40:15-17 LSB)
Two whom can we liken the real God, not some fake man-made idol?
To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. (Isa 40:18-20 NASB)
In a world where political leaders threaten our freedoms and commercial greed endangers our very lives, is there someone greater than it all?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:21-24 NIV)
Do we, who live in such a corrupt world, understand who has more strength than us all?
“To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. (Isa 40:25-26 NKJV)
Do we ask if God even sees our troubles? Do we trust that He will help us find new strength?
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isa 40:27-31 NLT)
How did John the Baptist fulfill the prophecy in verse 3 above?
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” (Mat 3:2-3 WEB)
Did God begin to comfort His people with good news, Gospel? Was this fulfilled in part by John the Baptist? You decide!
Treasures on Earth (Isaiah 39)
Do the first 39 chapters of Isaiah parallel the 39 books of the Old Testament with a focus on sinfulness, while the last 27 chapters parallel the 27 books of the New Testament with a focus on a Savior? Let’s look at Isaiah 39.
Should a man’s life focus on the emptiness of accumulated wealth?
At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isa 39:1-2 NIV)
What did Isaiah tell Hezekiah about all his accumulated wealth?
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh of Armies: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until today, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. ‘They will take away your sons who will issue from you, whom you shall father, and they will be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace.’” (Isa 39:3-4 WEB)
Did Hezekiah face any consequences for a life filled with meaningless wealth?
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ‘Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.’” (Isa 39:5-7 NLT)
How selfish was Hezekiah after finding out that the next generation would suffer?
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “This message you have given me from the Lord is good.” For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.” (Isa 39:8 NLT)
What would Jesus have said about accumulating a wealth of treasures?
Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:19-21 CEB)
Do the first 39 chapters of Isaiah parallel the 39 books of the Old Testament with a focus on sinfulness, while the last 27 chapters parallel the 27 books of the New Testament with a focus on a Savior? You decide!
Should a man’s life focus on the emptiness of accumulated wealth?
At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isa 39:1-2 NIV)
What did Isaiah tell Hezekiah about all his accumulated wealth?
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of Yahweh of Armies: ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up until today, will be carried to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says Yahweh. ‘They will take away your sons who will issue from you, whom you shall father, and they will be eunuchs in the king of Babylon’s palace.’” (Isa 39:3-4 WEB)
Did Hezekiah face any consequences for a life filled with meaningless wealth?
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: ‘The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ‘Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.’” (Isa 39:5-7 NLT)
How selfish was Hezekiah after finding out that the next generation would suffer?
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “This message you have given me from the Lord is good.” For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.” (Isa 39:8 NLT)
What would Jesus have said about accumulating a wealth of treasures?
Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat 6:19-21 CEB)
Do the first 39 chapters of Isaiah parallel the 39 books of the Old Testament with a focus on sinfulness, while the last 27 chapters parallel the 27 books of the New Testament with a focus on a Savior? You decide!
Fifteen Years (Isaiah 38)
Would we want God to grant us extra time on this earth, if during that extra time we make some big mistakes? Let’s look at Isaiah 38.
What did Hezekiah do when Isaiah prophesied that he was about to die?
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. (Isa 38:1-3 ESV)
How did God let Hezekiah know that his prayer had been granted? How much longer would he live?
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add 15 years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city. This is the sign to you from the Lord that He will do what He has promised: I am going to make the sun’s shadow that goes down on Ahaz’s stairway go back by 10 steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back the 10 steps it had descended. (Isa 38:4-8 HCSB)
How did Hezekiah express his gratitude to God for giving him 15 more years?
A composition by King Hezekiah of Judah, following his illness and recovery: I said, “Must I leave in the prime of my life? Must I be consigned to the control of Sheol [the grave]? Bitter are my years!” I said, “I won’t see the Lord in the land of the living; and I’ll no longer observe human beings among the denizens of the grave. My house has been plucked up and vanishes from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver, I’ve taken account of my life, and he cuts me off from the loom—day and night you make an end of me. I’ve been swept bare until morning; just like a lion, he breaks all my bones—day and night you make an end of me. Like a swallow or a crane I chirp, I moan like a dove. My eyes look weakly upward. O Lord, I am oppressed, so stand up for me! What can I say, so I tell myself, since he has done this to me? I will walk slowly all my years because of my soul’s anguish. (Isa 38:9-15 ISV)
How grateful was Hezekiah for God giving him an extra 15 years of life?
O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. (Isa 38:16-20 KJV)
What simple medicine did Hezekiah use to heal his boil?
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take up a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may live.” Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Yahweh?” (Isa 38:21-22 LSB)
No matter how long a life God grants to us, how should we live it?
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20 NASB)
Would we want God to grant us extra time on this earth, if during that extra time we make some big mistakes? You decide!
What did Hezekiah do when Isaiah prophesied that he was about to die?
In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. (Isa 38:1-3 ESV)
How did God let Hezekiah know that his prayer had been granted? How much longer would he live?
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I am going to add 15 years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the power of the king of Assyria; I will defend this city. This is the sign to you from the Lord that He will do what He has promised: I am going to make the sun’s shadow that goes down on Ahaz’s stairway go back by 10 steps.” So the sun’s shadow went back the 10 steps it had descended. (Isa 38:4-8 HCSB)
How did Hezekiah express his gratitude to God for giving him 15 more years?
A composition by King Hezekiah of Judah, following his illness and recovery: I said, “Must I leave in the prime of my life? Must I be consigned to the control of Sheol [the grave]? Bitter are my years!” I said, “I won’t see the Lord in the land of the living; and I’ll no longer observe human beings among the denizens of the grave. My house has been plucked up and vanishes from me like a shepherd’s tent; like a weaver, I’ve taken account of my life, and he cuts me off from the loom—day and night you make an end of me. I’ve been swept bare until morning; just like a lion, he breaks all my bones—day and night you make an end of me. Like a swallow or a crane I chirp, I moan like a dove. My eyes look weakly upward. O Lord, I am oppressed, so stand up for me! What can I say, so I tell myself, since he has done this to me? I will walk slowly all my years because of my soul’s anguish. (Isa 38:9-15 ISV)
How grateful was Hezekiah for God giving him an extra 15 years of life?
O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. (Isa 38:16-20 KJV)
What simple medicine did Hezekiah use to heal his boil?
Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take up a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may live.” Then Hezekiah had said, “What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Yahweh?” (Isa 38:21-22 LSB)
No matter how long a life God grants to us, how should we live it?
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20 NASB)
Would we want God to grant us extra time on this earth, if during that extra time we make some big mistakes? You decide!
Assyria Defeated (Isaiah 37)
How did God destroy an overwhelming threat to Judah? Can He do the same for us? Let’s look at Isaiah 37.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah enter the temple with sack cloth and prayer and seek Isaiah the prophet’s help?
Now it happened that when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of Yahweh. Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household with Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth. Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore, lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left.’” (Isa 37:1-4 LSB)
What message did God give Isaiah to pass on to king Hezekiah?
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ (Isa 37:5-7 NASB)
Did Sennacherib the king of Assyria once again threaten Hezekiah king of Judah, bragging about his undefeated conquests?
When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?” (Isa 37:8-13 NIV)
Where did Hezekiah go for help, to Egypt or to the Lord?
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.” (Isa 37:14-20 NKJV)
What did God reply to Hezekiah through His prophet Isaiah?
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, the Lord has spoken this word against him: “The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, ‘With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains—yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests. I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’ ” (Isa 37:21-25 NLT)
How else did God rebuke Assyria through his message to Judah’s king Hezekiah? Would He turn Assyria back from conquering Jerusalem?
Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps. Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown. But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me. Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came. (Isa 37:26-29 WEB)
How would Hezekiah know that God has given them victory over Assyria?
Now this will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year, plant seed and harvest it; plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The survivors of Judah’s family who have escaped will put down roots and bear fruit above. Those who remain will go out from Jerusalem, and those who survive will go out from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of heavenly forces will do this.
Therefore, the Lord says this about Assyria’s king: He won’t enter this city. He won’t shoot a single arrow here. He won’t come near the city with a shield. He won’t build a ramp to besiege it. He’ll go back by the same way he came. He won’t enter this city, declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it for my sake and for the sake of my servant David. (Isa 37:30-35 CEB)
What did God do to the Assyrian army and what did Sennacherib’s sons do to him?
The Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them all in one night. The next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. After this, King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king. (Isa 37:36-38 CEV)
Should we confess our sins and pray for one another? How effective is prayer under humanly impossible circumstances?
Therefore, make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 ISV)
How did God destroy an overwhelming threat to Judah? Can He do the same for us? You decide!
Did Hezekiah king of Judah enter the temple with sack cloth and prayer and seek Isaiah the prophet’s help?
Now it happened that when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of Yahweh. Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household with Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth. Perhaps Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore, lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left.’” (Isa 37:1-4 LSB)
What message did God give Isaiah to pass on to king Hezekiah?
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ (Isa 37:5-7 NASB)
Did Sennacherib the king of Assyria once again threaten Hezekiah king of Judah, bragging about his undefeated conquests?
When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah. Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?” (Isa 37:8-13 NIV)
Where did Hezekiah go for help, to Egypt or to the Lord?
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.” (Isa 37:14-20 NKJV)
What did God reply to Hezekiah through His prophet Isaiah?
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria, the Lord has spoken this word against him: “The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee. Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, ‘With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains—yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests. I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’ ” (Isa 37:21-25 NLT)
How else did God rebuke Assyria through his message to Judah’s king Hezekiah? Would He turn Assyria back from conquering Jerusalem?
Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps. Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown. But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me. Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came. (Isa 37:26-29 WEB)
How would Hezekiah know that God has given them victory over Assyria?
Now this will be the sign for you, Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year, plant seed and harvest it; plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The survivors of Judah’s family who have escaped will put down roots and bear fruit above. Those who remain will go out from Jerusalem, and those who survive will go out from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of heavenly forces will do this.
Therefore, the Lord says this about Assyria’s king: He won’t enter this city. He won’t shoot a single arrow here. He won’t come near the city with a shield. He won’t build a ramp to besiege it. He’ll go back by the same way he came. He won’t enter this city, declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it for my sake and for the sake of my servant David. (Isa 37:30-35 CEB)
What did God do to the Assyrian army and what did Sennacherib’s sons do to him?
The Lord sent an angel to the camp of the Assyrians, and he killed 185,000 of them all in one night. The next morning, the camp was full of dead bodies. After this, King Sennacherib went back to Assyria and lived in the city of Nineveh. One day he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, when his sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, killed him with their swords. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon became king. (Isa 37:36-38 CEV)
Should we confess our sins and pray for one another? How effective is prayer under humanly impossible circumstances?
Therefore, make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 ISV)
How did God destroy an overwhelming threat to Judah? Can He do the same for us? You decide!
Assyria Invades (Isaiah 36)
What do we do when faced with an impossible situation that nobody else in similar circumstances has escaped? Let’s look at Isaiah 36.
Did Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, begin to conquer the cities of Judah?
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. (Isa 36:1-3 NLT)
Did Sennacherib’s official Rabshakeh speak against Israel’s trust in Egypt as an ally?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust? I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. (Isa 36:4-6 WEB)
Did the official mock any reliance upon God to protect Judah?
Now suppose you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah removed, telling Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship only at this altar’? (Isa 36:7 CEB)
What bet did Sennacherib make with the people of Judah?
The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation! (Isa 36:8-10 CEV)
Why did the Assyrian army commander speak in Hebrew, the language of the common people, rather than Aramaic, the language of trade and diplomacy?
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.” The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!” (Isa 36:11-12 CEV)
What did Rabshakeh say to glorify Sennacherib and mock God?
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. (Isa 36:13-17 ESV)
What did Rabshakeh say to mock anything that Hezekiah might say about trusting God?
Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of these lands ever delivered his land from my power? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem.” (Isa 36:18-20 HCSB)
What did the people say back to Rabshakeh, and what did Hezekiah’s officials do?
But the people remained silent and didn’t respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, “Don’t answer him.” Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said. (Isa 36:21-22 ISV)
Is there battle armor that God gives us so that we may be victorious?
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:14-17 KJV)
What do we do when faced with an impossible situation that nobody else in similar circumstances has escaped? You decide!
Did Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, begin to conquer the cities of Judah?
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian. (Isa 36:1-3 NLT)
Did Sennacherib’s official Rabshakeh speak against Israel’s trust in Egypt as an ally?
Rabshakeh said to them, “Now tell Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust? I say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. (Isa 36:4-6 WEB)
Did the official mock any reliance upon God to protect Judah?
Now suppose you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose shrines and altars Hezekiah removed, telling Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship only at this altar’? (Isa 36:7 CEB)
What bet did Sennacherib make with the people of Judah?
The king of Assyria wants to make a bet with you people! He will give you 2,000 horses, if you have enough troops to ride them. How could you even defeat our lowest ranking officer, when you have to depend on Egypt for chariots and cavalry? Don't forget that it was the Lord who sent me here with orders to destroy your nation! (Isa 36:8-10 CEV)
Why did the Assyrian army commander speak in Hebrew, the language of the common people, rather than Aramaic, the language of trade and diplomacy?
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said, “Sir, we don't want the people listening from the city wall to understand what you are saying. So please speak to us in Aramaic instead of Hebrew.” The Assyrian army commander answered, “My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you!” (Isa 36:11-12 CEV)
What did Rabshakeh say to glorify Sennacherib and mock God?
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. (Isa 36:13-17 ESV)
What did Rabshakeh say to mock anything that Hezekiah might say about trusting God?
Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of these lands ever delivered his land from my power? So will the Lord deliver Jerusalem.” (Isa 36:18-20 HCSB)
What did the people say back to Rabshakeh, and what did Hezekiah’s officials do?
But the people remained silent and didn’t respond to him with so much as a single word, because the king had commanded, “Don’t answer him.” Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, the recorder, approached Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and let him know what the field commander had said. (Isa 36:21-22 ISV)
Is there battle armor that God gives us so that we may be victorious?
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:14-17 KJV)
What do we do when faced with an impossible situation that nobody else in similar circumstances has escaped? You decide!
God's Restoration (Isaiah 35)
After punishment that may seem harsh from a puny human perspective, is God perfectly capable of complete restoration? Let’s look at Isaiah 35.
Will God restore the desert as He renews everything once more?
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. (Isa 35:1-2 KJV)
Will God strengthen the weak and anxious, saving them?
Strengthen limp hands, and give courage to the knees of the stumbling. Say to those with an anxious heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” (Isa 35:3-4 LSB)
Will the sick and handicapped be healed? Will the dry desert receive much needed water?
Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened, And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped. Then those who limp will leap like a deer, And the tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. (Isa 35:5-7 NASB)
Will there be a large highway only for the redeemed? Will everlasting joy be there, and no more sorrow?
And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isa 35:8-10 NIV)
If God promises no more sorrow or crying, does that mean that there will be no more reason for them?
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Rev 21:3 NKJV)
After punishment that may seem harsh from a puny human perspective, is God perfectly capable of complete restoration? You decide!
Will God restore the desert as He renews everything once more?
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. (Isa 35:1-2 KJV)
Will God strengthen the weak and anxious, saving them?
Strengthen limp hands, and give courage to the knees of the stumbling. Say to those with an anxious heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” (Isa 35:3-4 LSB)
Will the sick and handicapped be healed? Will the dry desert receive much needed water?
Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened, And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped. Then those who limp will leap like a deer, And the tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. (Isa 35:5-7 NASB)
Will there be a large highway only for the redeemed? Will everlasting joy be there, and no more sorrow?
And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isa 35:8-10 NIV)
If God promises no more sorrow or crying, does that mean that there will be no more reason for them?
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Rev 21:3 NKJV)
After punishment that may seem harsh from a puny human perspective, is God perfectly capable of complete restoration? You decide!
God's Anger (Isaiah 34)
Before God can bless humanity, must He prove His existence to a stubborn world, punish all evils, and expose all our efforts as futile? Let’s look at Isaiah 34.
As God was angry with Israel’s evils, is He also angry with all nations’ evils?
Come near, you nations, to hear! Listen, you peoples. Let the earth and all it contains hear, the world, and everything that comes from it. For Yahweh is enraged against all the nations, and angry with all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them. He has given them over for slaughter. Their slain will also be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies will come up. The mountains will melt in their blood. All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree. (Isa 34:1-4 WEB)
Is the punishment of Edom (Esau), Israel’s neighbor and frequent enemy, an example of God’s judgment upon the whole world?
When my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, it will descend upon Edom for judgment, upon a people I have doomed for destruction. The Lord has a sword covered with blood; it is soaked with fat from the blood of lambs and goats, from the kidney fat of rams, for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Wild oxen will fall with them, steers with mighty bulls, and their land will be drenched with blood; its soil soaked with fat. The Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of payback for Zion’s cause. (Isa 34:5-8 CEB)
Is this a time also described in Revelation, where God will punish the nations?
Edom's streams will turn into tar and its soil into sulfur—then the whole country will go up in flames. It will burn night and day and never stop smoking. Edom will be a desert, generation after generation; no one will ever travel through that land. Owls, hawks, and wild animals will make it their home. God will leave it in ruins, merely a pile of rocks. (Isa 34:9-11 CEV)
Will Edom become discounted as nothing, no longer a kingdom?
Its nobles—there is no one there to call it a kingdom, and all its princes shall be nothing. Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. (Isa 34:12-14 ESV)
Would the ecological disaster punishing those who oppose Israel and thus God, be so complete that only wild animals would live there?
The sand partridge will make her nest there; she will lay and hatch her eggs and will gather her brood under her shadow. Indeed, the birds of prey will gather there, each with its mate. Search and read the scroll of the Lord: Not one of them will be missing, none will be lacking its mate, because He has ordered it by my mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit. He has ordained a lot for them; His hand allotted their portion with a measuring line. They will possess it forever; they will dwell in it from generation to generation. (Isa 34:15-17 HCSB)
Does Revelation also describe God’s final anger upon the atrocities of the nations?
So the angel swung his sickle in the earth, gathered the grapes from the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse’s bridle for about 1,600 stadia [300 kilometres]. (Rev 14:19-20 ISV)
Before God can bless humanity, must He prove His existence to a stubborn world, punish all evils, and expose all our efforts as futile? You decide!
As God was angry with Israel’s evils, is He also angry with all nations’ evils?
Come near, you nations, to hear! Listen, you peoples. Let the earth and all it contains hear, the world, and everything that comes from it. For Yahweh is enraged against all the nations, and angry with all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them. He has given them over for slaughter. Their slain will also be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies will come up. The mountains will melt in their blood. All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree. (Isa 34:1-4 WEB)
Is the punishment of Edom (Esau), Israel’s neighbor and frequent enemy, an example of God’s judgment upon the whole world?
When my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, it will descend upon Edom for judgment, upon a people I have doomed for destruction. The Lord has a sword covered with blood; it is soaked with fat from the blood of lambs and goats, from the kidney fat of rams, for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Wild oxen will fall with them, steers with mighty bulls, and their land will be drenched with blood; its soil soaked with fat. The Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of payback for Zion’s cause. (Isa 34:5-8 CEB)
Is this a time also described in Revelation, where God will punish the nations?
Edom's streams will turn into tar and its soil into sulfur—then the whole country will go up in flames. It will burn night and day and never stop smoking. Edom will be a desert, generation after generation; no one will ever travel through that land. Owls, hawks, and wild animals will make it their home. God will leave it in ruins, merely a pile of rocks. (Isa 34:9-11 CEV)
Will Edom become discounted as nothing, no longer a kingdom?
Its nobles—there is no one there to call it a kingdom, and all its princes shall be nothing. Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. (Isa 34:12-14 ESV)
Would the ecological disaster punishing those who oppose Israel and thus God, be so complete that only wild animals would live there?
The sand partridge will make her nest there; she will lay and hatch her eggs and will gather her brood under her shadow. Indeed, the birds of prey will gather there, each with its mate. Search and read the scroll of the Lord: Not one of them will be missing, none will be lacking its mate, because He has ordered it by my mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit. He has ordained a lot for them; His hand allotted their portion with a measuring line. They will possess it forever; they will dwell in it from generation to generation. (Isa 34:15-17 HCSB)
Does Revelation also describe God’s final anger upon the atrocities of the nations?
So the angel swung his sickle in the earth, gathered the grapes from the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. The wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse’s bridle for about 1,600 stadia [300 kilometres]. (Rev 14:19-20 ISV)
Before God can bless humanity, must He prove His existence to a stubborn world, punish all evils, and expose all our efforts as futile? You decide!
Zion's Treasure (Isaiah 33)
Though God’s justice sometimes seems harsh from our perspective, does it result in an eternal joy that is beyond our wildest dreams? Let’s look at Isaiah 33.
What does God prophecy to Assyria who had defeated Israel?
You defeated my people. Now you're in for trouble! You've never been destroyed, but you will be destroyed; you've never been betrayed, but you will be betrayed. When you have finished destroying and betraying, you will be destroyed and betrayed in return. (Isa 33:1 CEV)
As Assyria threatens, do God’s people eventually turn from relying on Egypt, to relying on God alone?
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. (Isa 33:2-4 ESV)
The Lord’s discipline may seem hard by human standards, but does it bring us to humility and an understanding of who He is?
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be times of security for you—a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure. (Isa 33:5-6 HCSB)
Will brave men and those who made a treaty with Egypt weep and feel ashamed?
“Listen! Their brave men cry out in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways are deserted; travelers have quit the road. The enemy has broken treaties; he despises their witnesses, and respects no one. The land mourns and wastes away; Lebanon feels ashamed and withers. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.” (Isa 33:7-9 ISV)
What will happen to those who relied upon a foreign government rather than God?
Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. (Isa 33:10-12 KJV)
Did God punish the sinners, but allow those who walk uprightly to endure?
“You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” Sinners in Zion are in dread; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can sojourn with the consuming fire? Who among us can sojourn with continual burning?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; He who rejects greedy gain of oppression, And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the strongholds of the cliffs; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure. (Isa 33:13-16 LSB)
Who will the righteous see? Will it be a great experience in our eternity?
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see a distant land. Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is one who counts? Where is one who weighs? Where is one who counts the towers?” You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands. (Isa 33:17-19 NASB)
Is this a description of a future Jerusalem as a peaceful abode?
Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. (Isa 33:20-22 NIV)
Will sickness and sin one day be removed from Jerusalem?
Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity. (Isa 33:23-24 NKJV)
Is this also described in Revelation in the new heavens and new earth?
No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. (Rev 22:3-5 NLT)
Though God’s justice sometimes seems harsh from our perspective, does it result in an eternal joy that is beyond our wildest dreams? You decide!
What does God prophecy to Assyria who had defeated Israel?
You defeated my people. Now you're in for trouble! You've never been destroyed, but you will be destroyed; you've never been betrayed, but you will be betrayed. When you have finished destroying and betraying, you will be destroyed and betrayed in return. (Isa 33:1 CEV)
As Assyria threatens, do God’s people eventually turn from relying on Egypt, to relying on God alone?
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. (Isa 33:2-4 ESV)
The Lord’s discipline may seem hard by human standards, but does it bring us to humility and an understanding of who He is?
The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be times of security for you—a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure. (Isa 33:5-6 HCSB)
Will brave men and those who made a treaty with Egypt weep and feel ashamed?
“Listen! Their brave men cry out in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways are deserted; travelers have quit the road. The enemy has broken treaties; he despises their witnesses, and respects no one. The land mourns and wastes away; Lebanon feels ashamed and withers. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.” (Isa 33:7-9 ISV)
What will happen to those who relied upon a foreign government rather than God?
Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. (Isa 33:10-12 KJV)
Did God punish the sinners, but allow those who walk uprightly to endure?
“You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might.” Sinners in Zion are in dread; Trembling has seized the godless. “Who among us can sojourn with the consuming fire? Who among us can sojourn with continual burning?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; He who rejects greedy gain of oppression, And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the strongholds of the cliffs; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure. (Isa 33:13-16 LSB)
Who will the righteous see? Will it be a great experience in our eternity?
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see a distant land. Your heart will meditate on terror: “Where is one who counts? Where is one who weighs? Where is one who counts the towers?” You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands. (Isa 33:17-19 NASB)
Is this a description of a future Jerusalem as a peaceful abode?
Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. (Isa 33:20-22 NIV)
Will sickness and sin one day be removed from Jerusalem?
Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey. And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity. (Isa 33:23-24 NKJV)
Is this also described in Revelation in the new heavens and new earth?
No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. (Rev 22:3-5 NLT)
Though God’s justice sometimes seems harsh from our perspective, does it result in an eternal joy that is beyond our wildest dreams? You decide!
An Ethical King (Isaiah 32)
Who is the king that will reign in righteousness with honest leaders? Let’s look at Isaiah 32.
Who is this king that shall reign? Is this a prophecy of Jesus’ second coming?
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. (Isa 32:1-4 KJV)
Will this be a time when only righteous people will be allowed to be in government?
No longer will the wicked fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous. For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly, And his heart does wickedness: To do ungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh, In order to make the hungry person empty; He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink. As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He counsels wicked schemes To wreak destruction on the afflicted with lying words, Even though the needy one speaks justly. But the noble man counsels noble plans; And by noble plans he rises up. (Isa 32:5-8 LSB)
Will selfish women who care more for their luxuries than for the suffering be given a warning?
Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Listen to my word, You complacent daughters. Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, you complacent daughters; For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come. (Isa 32:9-10 NASB)
Will the inequality of a corrupt society come to an end, one that allows some to live extravagantly, while causing others to suffer?
Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags. Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers—yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. (Isa 32:11-13 NIV)
Will the exclusive housing of the selfish rich be abandoned until the Spirit of God has been poured out? Will Israel’s brown lands turn green?
Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. (Isa 32:14-15 NKJV)
Will Israel finally become a place of justice and righteousness? Will bounteous crops grow in a land where once desert dominated?
Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. (Isa 32:16-20 NLT)
Was the Spirit being poured out experienced in its initial fulfillment on Pentecost?
It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18 WEB)
Was the gift of the Holy Spirit also poured out on Gentiles?
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. (Acts 10:44-45 CEB)
Who is the king that will reign in righteousness with honest leaders? You decide!
Who is this king that shall reign? Is this a prophecy of Jesus’ second coming?
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly. (Isa 32:1-4 KJV)
Will this be a time when only righteous people will be allowed to be in government?
No longer will the wicked fool be called noble, Or the rogue be spoken of as generous. For a wicked fool speaks wicked folly, And his heart does wickedness: To do ungodliness and to speak error against Yahweh, In order to make the hungry person empty; He even causes the thirsty to lack a drink. As for a rogue, his weapons are evil; He counsels wicked schemes To wreak destruction on the afflicted with lying words, Even though the needy one speaks justly. But the noble man counsels noble plans; And by noble plans he rises up. (Isa 32:5-8 LSB)
Will selfish women who care more for their luxuries than for the suffering be given a warning?
Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Listen to my word, You complacent daughters. Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, you complacent daughters; For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come. (Isa 32:9-10 NASB)
Will the inequality of a corrupt society come to an end, one that allows some to live extravagantly, while causing others to suffer?
Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your fine clothes and wrap yourselves in rags. Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vines and for the land of my people, a land overgrown with thorns and briers—yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry. (Isa 32:11-13 NIV)
Will the exclusive housing of the selfish rich be abandoned until the Spirit of God has been poured out? Will Israel’s brown lands turn green?
Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks—Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, And the fruitful field is counted as a forest. (Isa 32:14-15 NKJV)
Will Israel finally become a place of justice and righteousness? Will bounteous crops grow in a land where once desert dominated?
Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely. (Isa 32:16-20 NLT)
Was the Spirit being poured out experienced in its initial fulfillment on Pentecost?
It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18 WEB)
Was the gift of the Holy Spirit also poured out on Gentiles?
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. (Acts 10:44-45 CEB)
Who is the king that will reign in righteousness with honest leaders? You decide!
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