Reading for May 30th

Read Isaiah 30.1-5. In 30. 1-33: In quietness and in trust shall be your strength. These memorable phrases present a central teaching: Salvation and peace come through trusting in God, not through human plans and alliances (v. 15). The chapter is built up from a number of short prophetic sayings (vv. 1-5; 6-7; 12-14; 15-17) deriving from the time of King Hezekiah's rebellion against Assyria (703-701 BCE) and the negotiations with Egypt for protection. Subsequently, admonitions (vv. 8-11) and assurances (vv. 18-26; 29-33) were added. The assursances includes a warning: God will judge wrongdoers (vv. 27-28). In verses 1-5: isaiah rejects Hezekiah's plan to rebel against Assyria and to trust Egypt's promises of help. The s ending of royal emissaries fromJudah to Egypt 9v. 4) must have prompted the orginal prophecy. This, along with Isaiah's awareness of secret consultations and plans made in Jerusalem (see 29.15), suggests that he held a priviledged position at court. Comments or Questions..