Reading for March 25th

 Read Isaiah 21.11-17. In 691-689 BCE the Assyrian King, Sennacherib, extended his campaigns further to the south and west, penetrating the Dumah (Edom and the northwest tip of Arabia where the famed caravan cities of Kedar and Dedan were located). This brief, inclusive prophecy may be reporting the  ineffectual nature of this particular foray. In verses 13-17: The campaign of Sennacherib to plunder the desert cities of Dedan and Tema is reflected in vv.14-15, with vv.16-17 adding an additional note reflecting later attempts to exploit the region, probably by Babylonian forces. Comments or Questions.

Reading for March 24th

 Read Isaiah 21.1-10. In 21.1-17: Prophecies concerning Babylon, Edom, and southern desert lands. In verses 1-10: This anguished warning concerns the fall of Babylon (v. 9). The heading (v. 1 addresses the southern desert of the Negeb, but the content points to Babylon. The oracle may date from the time of the attack on the city by Elam and Media (538 BCE), when the Medo-Persian overthrow of Babylon marked its end as a world power. This prophecy would provide a framework for the series of prophecies against the nations that began in ch. 13 with the threat to Babylon. It may also date, however, from 73 BCE when the Assyrian king Sennacherib captured the city of Babylon after it had rebelled against Assyrian's rule. At this time, the Babylonian ruler Merodach-baladan sent emissaries to Hezekiah of Judah to coordinate rebellion against Assyria (compare Isa 39.1-8). Comments or Questions..

A reading for March 23rd

 Read Isaiah 20.1-6. In 20.1-6: A lesson from the past. A brief narrative reports an event of 715 BCE; A Philistine rebellion against Assyria led to a campaign against Ashdod, one of the five major cities of the Philistines. The Egyptians promised help for the rebellion and Judah was tempted to join. Isaiah's strange action of appearing naked and barefoot, like a prisoner of war being sold into slavery (v. 2), warned against such complicity. Egypt's help would prove to be unreliable and worthless (v. 6). This warning was reaffirmed when Hezekiah trusted the Egyptians promises in rebelling against Assyria in 703 BCE. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 22nd

 Read Isaiah 19.16--25. In verses 16-25: In spite of these failures, Judah's relations with Egypt were prolonged and often close. The prophet looks beyond the turmoil of Mesopotamian rule to the time when a community would dwell there who spoke the language of Canaan (v. 18) and swore allegiance to the Lord of host. Even Assyria would one day become with Egypt and Israel a blessing in the midst of the earth (v. 24). The series of remarkable short prophecies builds on the aftermath of the disasters that befell Jerusalem at the hands of Assyrians and Babylonians. Many citizens fled to Egypt, and, from the sixth century BCE onwards, substantial settlements of exiled Judeans took refuge there. In this bold look across the spiritual boundaries of the ancient world, a genuine religious universalism begins to appear (vv. 21-24). The knowledge of God revealed to Israel would be shared among other peoples, replacing the failed learning of the Egyptian sages (v. 11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 21st

 Read Isaiah 19.1-15. In 19.1-25: Threats concerning Egypt. In verses 1-15: Throughout the period when Assyria and Babylon were assaulting Israel and Judah, Egypt repeatedly promised protection, yet consistently failed to carry through. "For Egypt's help is worthless and empty" (Isa 30.7). The people famed throughout antiquity for learning and literary skill could offer no defense against a ruthless invader (vv. 11-15). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 20th

 Read Isaiah 18.1- 7. In 18.1-7: Prophecy concerning Ethiopia. In verses 1-6: This oracle probably refers to the situation described in 2 Kings 17.4: Judah sent ambassadors to Ethiopia (Cush) to negotiate an alliance against Assyria in 724 BCE. Isaiah warns that the Lord does not support such an alliance, it will fail. In verse 7: This anticipation of the hope in 45.14 shows how an observant editor has unified the message of the book. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 19th

 Read Isaiah 17.12-14. The defeat of a host of nations when they threaten God's people conforms to the warnings in 8.9-10 and 14.24-27. Comments or Questions..