Reading for April 19th

 The wonderful deliverance of Jerusalem

In 36.1-37.38: Jerusalem was saved from destruction when threatened by the forces of the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, in 701 BCE. The account is repeated from 2 Kings 18.17-19.37 because it provides the main background to chs. 28-31 and because of the major part Isaiah played.The account itself is straightforward: After assyrian forces had captured most of the towns and fortified cities of Judah (36.1), the Assyrian king sent his representative, called Rabshakeh, to king Hezekiah in Jerusalem, urging him to surrender. The ultimatum is exceedingly dismissive of the Lord as protector of Jerusalem, regarding any God save that the king of Assyria as worthless (36.13-20). The Assyrian ultimatum leaves Hezekiah gravely troubled until Isaiah encourages him to refuse (37.22-35). Isaiah insists that the Assyrian king, who has blasphemed God will be punished accordingly, and that God will defend Jerusalem. Soon afterwards, the angel of the Lord strikes down 185,00 of the besieging force, compelling Sennacherib to return home (37.36-37).

Read Isaiah 36.1-37.7. In 36.1-37.7: The report of the speech of the assyrian Rabshakeh and Isaiah's response. Two closely parallel accounts tell the story of the Assyrian address mocking Hezekiah's God along with Isaiah's reply. In the first account (36.1-37.7), the Rabshakeh speaks in the hearing of all Jerusalem, whereas in the second (37.8-38) the ultimatum is conveyed by letter and a much longer reply is given by Isaiah (37.6-7 compare with (37.22-35). In 36.2: The king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish. The siege and capture of Lachish formed the major battle of the Assyrian campaign in Judah and was afterwards extensively illustrated in carved wall panels that decorated Sennacherib's palace. These have been recovered and are now displayed in the British Museum in London. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 18th

 Read Isiah 35.1-10. In 35.1-10: The triumph of Zion. In verses 1-4: In contrast to the grim and forbidding warnings of ch 34, ch 35 presents a picture of hope that awaits the people of God when they rebuild the land of Judah and reestablish Jerusalem as their capital. It will be a fitting place to which all the scattered survivors of Israel can return. This chapter, without a clear historical context, may have been added to link chs. 40-55 with chs. 5-34. In verses 5-10: The hope for the special eminence that will come to Jerusalem (Zion) is consistent with chs. 60-62. The theme of the highway by which the scattered survivors of the nation will be enabled to return to their homeland (40.1) is anticipated in v. 8 (see also 19.23). The opening up of pools in the wilderness alludes to the promise of 41.17-18, while the opening of eyes and ears (v. 5) marks the end of the time of Israel's blindness and deafness (compare 6.9-10). Chapter 35 summarizes and concludes chs. 5-34, with their many threats and warnings, and opens the path to more consistently hopeful message of chs. 40-66. Chapters 36-39 bridge these two major collections by reporting a triumphant sign of hope for Judah at the close of the eighth century. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 17th

 Read Isaiah 34.1-17. In 34.1-17: The Lord's day of vengeance. Taken together, chs. 34-35 provide a sequel to the prophecies of chs. 24-27, with which they are closely related both in theme and character. The major exception is the warning of the divine punishment that is to befall the people of Edom (34.5-17), a nation that is unexpectedly absent from the foreign peoples included in chs. 13-23. Their inclusion separately at this point may reflect a sharp condemnation of their treacherous role after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian forces in 587 BCE. In verses 1-4: The opening addresses all nations and people with a fearsome warning of judgment to come upon them all,  similar to the warning of 24.1-23. In verse 5-17: The especially fierce and bloodthirsty warning of the judgment that is to befall Edom foretells that this land will be reduced to a total ruin, with all its population annihilated (vv. 9-13). It will become a home for wild animals, instead of a place of human habitation (vv. 14-17). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 16th

 Read Isaiah 33.13-24. In verses 13-16: The reference to those who are far away and those who are near reflects the divided condition of Israel in the wake of the removal of people into exile. The former nation was in danger of becoming two peoples with some still in the territory of Judah and others scattered among many nations. Isaiah emphasizes the unified purpose of God for both groups and the central significance of Jerusalem as the spiritual capital of all. In verses 17-24: Babylonian control over Judah and the catastrophes that had befallen Jerusalem had cast doubt on the future of the Davidic kingship. The message of 11.1-5 reveals how eagerly the people awaited a descendant of Judah's royal dynasty, and this hope is further repeated here. Instead of the hated representatives of foreign domination--zealous only for plunder and gain (v. 18)--there would be a king upholding justice and building prosperity (v. 17). Jerusalem would once again become a quiet habitation and an immovable tent (v. 20). The broad rivers and streams, strangely out of place in a city with no major waterways, establish a contrast to the many waterways of Babylon, with their oppressive associations. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 15th

 Read Isaiah 33.1-12. In 31.1-24: A miscellany of prophetic themes. This chapter, and the following two, are difficult to place in context, but they probably reflect the period after the fall of Babylon when the fulfillment of the glowing promises of chs. 40-55 was still awaited. In verses 1-6: The destroyer is not identified, but the general context points to Babylon. Deliverance from oppression is still eagerly awaited, but requires patience and trust in God's purpose (v. 6). In verses 7-12: The lamentation of vv. 7-9, revealing the devastated condition of the land, is followed by warnings in vv. 10-16 that the wrongdoing of leaders in Jerusalem now hinders the fulfillment of God's promises. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 14th

 Read Isaiah 32.1-20. In 32.1-20: A king will reign in righteousness. In verses 1-8: The deliverance of the city in 701 BCE was a dangerous precedent: It implied that God's protection could always be relied upon unconditionally. The warning to Hezekiah in ch. 39 on the occasion of the visit of Babylonian emissaries was aimed at countering such false expectations. The Davidic kingship could not survive unless it was founded on just government and compassionate administration. This oracle may be a portrait of the great reforming king Josiah, during whose long reign (639-609BCE). Assyrian rule over Judah ended and the royal administration was reformed (see 2 Kings 22.1-23.25). During this period a substantial part of Isaiah's prophecies was probably complied. In verses 9-14: The brief respite of hope and renewal during Josiah's reign ended suddenly and disastrously. Babylonian rule swiftly replaced Assyrian oppression. Israel would suffer devastation once again, as Isaiah  had declared (see 6.11-12) and the rampant growth of thorns and briers (see 5.6) would return. In verses 15-20: The outpouring of God's spirit (v. 15) and the transformation of the ruined land into farmland once again anticipated the hope of the later chapters, especially 60-62. The forest (v.19) indicates oppressing foreign powers (Assyria and Babylon; see 10.18-19), which will disappear completely. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 13th

 Read Isaiah 31.1-9. In 31.1-9: The Lordship of the God of Mount Zion. Isaiah continues to warn against complicity with Egypt in rebellion against Assyria. The Lord fighting upon Mount Zion and upon its hill (v. 4) was perhaps originally a threat that God would fight against, not with, Jerusalem (compare 29.4). Once again, a rebuke (vv. 1-3) shifts suddenly to assurance (vv. 4-9), raising the question at what point this new spiritual direction arose. Was Isaiah compelled to change his warning into one of promise, or has the situation that occurred with King Hezekiah's surrender to the Assyrian forces (2 Kings 18.13-16) necessitated a revised perspective? The warning and promise introduce (v. 6) the rebuke that Israel, a rebellious people, must first reject idolatry before God's deliverance can come. Threat and assurance are two aspects of one consistent, loving purpose of God, to protect and preserve the people. The reference to a sword, not of mortals (v. 8) alludes to the angelic slaughter described in 37.36. Comments or Questions..