Reading for May 29th

 Read Isaiah 64.1-12. In 64.1-12: The silence of God. In verses 1-7: The present situation appeared as a contradiction to God's power (v.4). The reason for this lay with the sins of the present generation, which now came in penitent lamentation to confess the rebelliousness to God (vv. 6-7). In verses 8-12: Even in its failures, Israel remained God's people and confess its wrong doing and return to God. The renewed conflict and destruction (v. 11) had arisen in the wake of the rebuilding of the Temple. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 28th

 Read Isaiah 63.1-19. In 63.1-19: The day of vengeance. In verses 1-6: In vivid and frightening imagery, human frustration and longing for the end of violence calls forth this powerful picture of God acting alone to pass judgement on the warring nations. Where no human ruler could impose justice and peace (v. 5), God had to act directly and decisively (vv. 5-6). In verses 7-14: In the past, God's presence had accompanied the people and given them victory over their enemies (v. 9). In the present, the rebelliousness of the people grieved the spirit of God, aroused the divine anger, and led to failure and defeat (v. 10). The people of Israel had learned this lesson in the past when failure humbled them (see Josh 7.1-26), and now they had to relearn it (vv. 11-14). In verses 15-19: Even after temporary success had brought about partial change in Judah's fortunes (v. 18), new threats and new oppressions had robbed the people of the justice and prosperity they sought (v. 19). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 27th

 Read Isaiah 62.1-12. In 62.1-12: A city not forsaken. In verses 1-5: As the situation in Jerusalem failed to change after the downfall of Babylon, the prophet reassured the people of God's intense love for the city. These are presented here in terms of the intense love for the city (vv. 4-5). In verses 6-9: The wealth and food that foreigners took were prime examples of the frustrations and disappointments of the past. The people must pray that such injustice never again occurs (vv. 8-9). In verses 10-12: A note of urgency colors the prophet's insistence that God's promise will not fail. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 26th

 Read Isaiah 61.1-11. In 61.1-11: The year of the Lord's favor. In verses 1-4: All that God had promised regarding the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem would shortly be fulfilled. In verses 5-9: Expectation of God's direct action to overthrow the present world order becomes a marked feature of the hope expressed throughout chs. 56-66. Where chs. 40-55 had recognized the hand of God at work in the rise of Cyrus, king of Persia, to direct the destiny of Judah, now Israel awaits a more direct divine intervention. In verses 8-11: Assurance that this transformation will take place derives from the very nature of God. Love of justice and hatred of all forms of wrongdoing are aspects of God's rule. Comments or Questions.

Reading for May 25th

 Vision of the new Jerusalem.

In chs. 60-62: After setbacks and dissensions in chs. 56-59.  60--62 recover the vision of the future central to chs. 40-55. Jerusalem will be rebuilt, a city of peace and righteousness. These chapters reflect the spiritual reawakening that came with the rebuilding and restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem in 520-516 BCE. More broadly, these chapters express a positive, if ideal, portrayal of human beings living in peace, prosperity, and harmony. They reveal a goal to strive for, not a simplistic expectation of a condition of human a happiness that will drop down as a gift from heaven. 

Read Isaiah 60.1-22. In 60.1-22: Arise, shine for your light has come. In verses 1-7: The expected return had not occurred. At best, only token numbers of the former population had come back. The vision of a great return was still a distant dream. A new pattern of Jewish life emerged that established rules of conduct for living as peaceably as possible in alien lands. In verses 8-14; The high point of the great vision of 45.22-23, that foreigners too would share in the coming salvation and prosperity, is here sharply reduced to granting them the role of being servants and suppliers to the restored Israel. In verses 15-22: Hope for the future Jerusalem as a city of wealth, learning, and authority contrasts with the revelations of conflict and violence that 59.1-8 has revealed. The need to restore a vision of God's intentions for Jerusalem became urgent as a counterweight to the current difficulties. The Temple was restored and a new focus provided for those who worshipped the Lord in every land. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 24th

 Read Isaiah 59.9-21. In verses 9-15a: The Lack of an effective administration of justice allowed violence and corruption to flourish. Those who had won power under foreign masters were now unwilling to relinquish control and to empower a new order of religious leaders. It was not until the work of Ezra and Nehemiah, in the middle of the fifth century BCE, that the situation began to be put right. In verses 15b-21: Without protection that God alone can bring,the helplessness described so vividly in vv. 10-11 must continue. The assurance in v. 21 that God's word will prove effective indicates that Chs. 56-59, at one time, formed a separate collection to which this section was a conclusion. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 23rd

 Read Isaiah 59.1-8. In 9.1-21: Why God's face is hidden. In verses 1-8: God's salvation has not come, not because God is weak and powerless, but because the people's wrongdoing creates barrier between themselves and God (vv. 1-2). The rebukes (vv. 3-8) condemn violence, injustice and brigandage, whether arising from lack of any recognized authority to implement justice, or whether because those who weld power in Jerusalem are themselves the chief culprits. Comments or Questions...

Reading for May 22nd

 Read Isaiah 58.1-14. In 58.1-14: The fast acceptable to God.  In verses 1-10: A fresh problem concerns those who maintain a bold public display of piety, but whose actions and way of life flout the basic requirements of justice and goodness. The central issue is fasting, self-denial aimed at concentrating mind and body on prayer, which was publicly declared by wearing sackcloth (a rough garment) and smearing the face and hands with ashes (symbol of mortality) (v. 5). Yet such deeds unaccompanied by compassion and concern for those less fortunate were meaningless to God (vv. 6-9). In verses 11-14: The efforts to restore Jerusalem had focused on externals--restoring ancient buildings and replanting neglected fields--instead of the inner recovery of spiritual health and wholeness. Only a renewal of this inner direction of life could bring about the true rebuilding of the city. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 21st

 Read Isaiah 57.1-21. In 57.1-21: No peace for the wicked. In verses 1-10: The sense of disunity within Jerusalem reveals that the end of the captivity had not brought an end to its troubles. It had simply given rise to new ones. There was injustice and false and immoral worship, tolerated under foreign rule (vv. 5-7). Old customs of gods worshipped for centuries throughout the region (v. 9) had ben revived while the Temple of the Lord lay in ruins. Molech is probably one of the titles of Baal, a god especially linked with child sacrifice. In verses 11-21: The sharp prophetic critique of wrongdoing within the community that characterizes earlier prophecies reappears here with added vigor (see 5.11-25). The warning of 48.22 that there would be no peace for the wicked receives a dismal confirmation in the vain efforts of those who try to secure it (vv. 19-21). There is note of both lamentation and despair in the repetition of God's call to build and be patient (vv. 14-19) and the response of vv. 20-21, affirming that the wicked are incapable of creating peace. Comment or Questions.. 

Reading for May 20th

 Read Isaiah 56.1- 12. In 56.1-12: Soon my salvation will come. In verses 1-8: The call to rebuild Jerusalem had been an open invitation (especially 55.6-7). This openness, however, did not take into account strong traditional rules, concerning who belonged in God's family (see Deut 23.1-8). Now these rules were being used to exclude those, such as foreigners and eunuchs, who were treated as outcasts (v. 3), even though this mocked the Temple as a house of prayer (v. 7). In verses 9-12: This sharp rebuke addressed to the blind and silent dogs reflects the bitter divisions that had emerged within the community. Most likely the presence of returned exiles contributed to this bitterness with those already holding positions of power in Jerusalem reluctant to give it up. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 19th

 Read Isaiah 55.6- 13. The concluding unit (vv. 6-13) makes a rich and memorable appeal concerning the power of the divine word given through the prophet and the certainty that will accomplish its purpose. What appeared impossible to the human mind was possible with God (vv. 8-9). As rain and snow made the earth fertile and productive, so would God's word prove equally effective in achieving its intended purpose (v. 10). The promise of v. 13 summarizes in pictorial language the message of hope for the future by insisting that the ruination of the vineyard of God (Israel) by briers and thorns would be a feature of the past (see 5.6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 18th

 Read Isaiah 55.1-5. In 55.1-13: Seek the Lord while he may be found. Although this chapter concludes of the prophet of the return, chs. 54 and 55 form a bridge to 56-66. Two separate units are in the present chapter. In verses 1-5 The first unit concerns God's promise to the royal dynasty of David (2 Sam 7.1-7), an everlasting covenant (v. 3). This covenant is an act of God's love, an unmerited gift. Along with the promises set out in 11.1-5 and 32.1-8, it affirms that God will hold fast to the unqualified promise that, through the authority entrusted to this royal dynasty of kings, Israel will exercise leadership over the nations (v. 5). This can mean either that, although the royal family itself would not return to the throne, leadership among the nations would be shared throughout the servant-nation, or that the restoration of the Davidic monarchy is promised here. The course of the events in the following half-century reveals that such an expectation remained alive and exercised a strong political influence, even though it failed to reach fruition. In later years, a larger "messianic" interpretation concerning the coming of a divinely sent savior was built on this, and the other royal prophecies, of the book of Isaiah and Psalms. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 17th

 Read Isaiah 54.1-17. In 54.1-17: Consolation for the new Jerusalem. In verses 1-8: The city must put behind it the memory of its past, forgetting its shame and disappointments. It must instead make plans for enlargement and growth (vv. 2-3). Using the peaceful imagery of widowhood, the prophet looks ahead to the prosperous and bustling future that awaits (vv. 6-7). In verses 9-17: Another lesson from the traditions of the past is the lesson of Noah, who after ending the great Deluge was the recipient of a divine promise that never again would such a catastrophe overtake humankind (see Gen 9.8-17). So God would ensure that Jerusalem's citizens were taught the divine way (v. 13), and those who brought strife (v. 15), or made war against the city, would fail in their purpose (v. 17). Comments and Questions..

Reading for May 16th

 Read Isaiah 52.13-53.12. In 52.13-53.12: The suffering servant. One of the most remarkable passages in all prophetic literature, this is the fourth of the distinctive Servant passages, or Songs, which describe the fate of Israel as the servant of God. The servant will suffer as a result of his commitment to the task (50.4-9). Now what the suffering entails is spelled out in all its horrifying detail. This enigmatic passage seems to combine many experiences. Even if the references in 53.8-9 are not actual death but to an extreme of suffering, the prophet himself cannot have written it. It is not the death and torture of one person alone is being being reported here. The servant mission is divisive in its challenge. Not all the prophet's hearers respond to his demands, and many have already shown themselves to be rebellious and unresponsive. It is those who have identified themselves with this servant task, who have bore rebukes, reproaches, and wounds of their fellow, whose fate is described here. So the prophet has woven into one tapestry of suffering the terrifying experiences that many had undergone. It is a mission portrait of servanthood. There is a positive and reassuring outlook that sees beyond the immediate pain to the rich reward of such endurance (53.12). It is not a resurrection of an individual that is described in he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days (53.10-11). Rather it is the fruit that will be borne by those who assume the servant's task and find that for all its pain, it gains a portion with the great (v. 12). Moreover, a remarkable sensitivity to the way in which the righteous often suffer at the hands of wrongdoers leads to a new perception of the meaning of suffering. The righteous individual may bear the sin of the many who are guilty. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 15th

 Read Isiah 52.1-12. In 52.1-12: Put on your beautiful garments. In verses 1-2: The uncircumcised and unclean are the foreigners who ruled over Jerusalem. Once God's people had returned to take control of their beloved city, then this hated foreign rule would be ended. In verses 3-6: This short prose digression summarizes Israel's sufferings at the hands of foreigners. It looks ahead to the time when the promises and assurances of chs. 40-55 will have been fulfilled. In verses 7-10: In this prophetic image watchmen on the city walls see a messenger bringing news of Israel's deliverance (from the power of Babylon). When God's people return to Zion, then God will return to be with them (v. 8). In verses 11-12: The command to depart is a reference to the many places of exile to which Jerusalem's citizens had been driven. In contrast to the departure of Israel's forbearers from Egypt--the event that marked the beginning of the nation's history--this departure would not be in haste (see Ex 12.39); now it wouldn't include the plundering of their captors (v. 11; see Ex 12.35-36). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 14th

 Read Isaiah 51.9-23. In verses 9-16: Cut Rahab in pieces refers to the ancient pictorial account of creation in which the earth was formed by cutting in pieces a great dragon monster, here called Rahab (see Leviathan in 27.1). Dried up the sea (v. 10) combines themes from creation, when dry land appeared amid the ocean (see Gen 1.9-10), and the drying up of the sea in the miraculous crossing, when the ancestors of the nation fled from Egypt (see Ex 14.21-22). In verses 17-23 Jerusalem is directly addressed and it's ruined state vividly described (v. 23). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 13th

 Read Isaiah 51.1-8. In 51.1-23: Stand up, O Jerusalem. In verses 1-8: A fresh argument strengthen the appeal, Abraham was but one when God call him (v. 2). Yet from this one man a whole nation came into being. How much more certainly is God capable or restoring the scattered remnants of Israel. God's salvation is even more certain and secure than is the sky above. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 12th

 Read Isaiah 50.1-11. In 50.1-11: Israel servant and rebel. In verses 1-3: The opening questions highlights the need for choice between a positive believing response and an unbelieving rejection.These differing responses show the contrast between the submissive and obedient servant and the mocking and insolent rebels. In verses 4-9: The third of the four Servant Songs shows that the servant undergoes humiliation and rejection in the course of fulfilling his mission. The autobiographical form shows how wholeheartedly the  prophet identifies himself with the mission of servant-Israel. In verses 10-11: The prophet contrasts those who seek light (salvation) in order to walk by it, and those who use torches (firebrands) to kindle destruction (see 10.17 for a similar use of the picture of light becoming fire). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 11th

 Read Isaiah 49.14-26. In verses 14-21: The apparent impossibility of the promised restoration of the ruined city is now possible due to the compassion and love that God has for it (vv. 14-16).  In verses 22-26: What might sometimes rarely be possible in human terms--that a human tyrant may set free his captives (v. 25)--is possible with God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 10th

 Read Isaiah 49.1-13. In 49.1-26: The servant's mission to the world. In verses 1-6: The second of the four Servant Songs. Israel's servant mission will reach beyond the survivors of the former Israel, and will bring light (salivation) to the nations (v. 6). Servant-Israel (v. 3) also has a mission to Israel, suggesting that Israel may have been added later. More probably, one part of the nation has a mission to the other part. In verses 8-13: The task of restoring the tribes of Jacob (v. 6) consists or establishing the land, apportioning the desolate heritages, and releasing the prisoners. Exiles will be able to return. Syene (perhaps southerner Egypt) is an example of the distant locations to which the people had fled. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 9th

 Read Isaiah 48.9-22. In verses 9-16: Because the Lord is forgiving and gracious, even imperfect Israel may, with God's help, fulfill a great purpose (vv. 9-11). What would be impossible for a people left to their own resources was possible with God (vv.12-16). In verses 17-22: The concluding command: Go out from Babylon, flee from Chalea. Fleeing from Babylon would be like the flight from Egypt by which Israel had first achieved its freedom (v. 21). So it was appropriate to recall the providential care which had made that beginning possible. Once again God would if necessary, bring water from the rock to sustain the returning exiles (see Ex 17.1-7). A final word or warning (v. 22) is a necessary addition to the message concerning Israel's rebellious nature that echoes through the chapter (vv. 1, 4, 5, 18). From the very beginning Israel had received great promises but had failed to respond (v. 18). That could happen again and those who, in pursuit of peace, shunned the risks and dangers of the journey home would find they enjoyed a worthless tranquillity. Comments or Questions...

Reading for May 8th

 Read Isaiah 48.1-8. In 48.1-22: Reassurance for God's people. In verses 1-8: A significant change of mood occurs with less attention to the rise of Cyrus, although his imminent defeat of Babylon is still taken for granted (v. 14). Instead the prophet addresses Israel, preparing its survivors to make a positive response to the new message of hope. The high mission of Israel contrasts with the persistent unbelief and self-pity of Israel's response. This ambiguity is clear in the rebuke that is added to the privileged title of Israel: who invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or right (v. 1). Offering fine prayers to God was not in itself proof that they were sincerely meant. The evidence that God is guiding Israel is found in the fulfillment of prophecies (v. 3). Yet if the people had been reluctant to believe and act upon prophecies that had been fulfilled, how would they believe new ones? The failures and rebelliousness of the past are the reason for making sure that such mistakes were not repeated in the present (v. 8). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 7th

 Read Isiah 47.1- 15. In 47.1-15: The fall of Babylon. In verses 1-9: Babylon is depicted as a mature young lady, accustomed to pampered luxury, but suddenly seized, stripped, and humiliated. The empire had absorbed many nations and had plundered their lands and treasures, showing no pity even to the weakest (v. 6). The proud assumption that her power would remain unchecked forever (v. 8) had encouraged the city to revel in it excesses, without pity or compassion. Now the pain she had inflicted on others would be brought home to her. In verses 10-15: It is by divine authority that such terrible retribution comes. Babylon's elaborate rituals and techniques for uncovering the mysteries of the future could not fend off the disaster. The all-consuming fire ravaging the countryside concludes this forewarning of Babylon's imminent downfall. This is not gloating over an enemy so much as the conviction that a divine will for justice ultimately shapes the course of human history. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 6th

 Read Isaiah 46.1-13. In 46.1-13: The uselessness of false gods. In verses 1-7: The theme of idolatry highlights the helpless situation of the priests and worshippers of Babylon. With Babylon facing imminent capture, those who cared for the images of the gods would soon be forced to flee with them to a place of safety (v. 1). Yet they would not find it. There would be no place to hide, and the absurdity of human beings trying to save their gods shows they are in reality no god at all. The true deity is the one who carries, not who is carried (vv. 6-7). In verses 8-11: The true God shapes the destiny of nations (vv. 10-11). The bird or prey is the man for my purpose from a far country, none other than Cyrus, who will bring release to Israel. In verses 12-13: Rebuilding and restoring the ruined Jerusalem is God's salvation. God's deliverance has a very practical aspect to it. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 5th

 Read Isaiah 45.18-25. The prophet turns to address the many nations of the world. If God can shape the destiny of Israel, God's purpose is that every nation should know that there is no God but one and worship this one God alone. Those who had once made light of it (see 36.18-20) will be ashamed of their foolishness (v. 24) and confess that Israel was the first of many nations to acknowledge the Lord God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 4th

 Read Isaiah 45.8-17. Human beings cannot challenge God's declared purpose any more than clay can question a potter (v. 9). Nor can people question parents as to the kind of offspring they will bring into the world (vv. 10-11). Even the distant tribes of North Africa will recognize Israel's God (v. 14). To exchange knowledge of this true God for the spurious aid of an idol would be utter folly (v. 16). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 3rd

 Read Isaiah 45.1-7. In 45.1-25: Turn to me and be saved. In verses 1-7: Cyrus is the world conqueror whom God has chosen to overthrow the power of Babylon and enable the survivors of Israel to return to their homeland, a reaffirmation of the sovereign power of the Lord God (v. 7). This verse expresses fully the claim that God, as God of all nations, is all-powerful. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 2nd

 Read Isaiah 44.21-28. Jerusalem will be rebuilt, the restored city will be inhabited once again and a new Temple will be constructed (vv. 26-28). The designation of the Persian ruler Cyrus as God's shepherd (v. 28) and "anointed" (45.1) includes titles used of Israelite kings (for "shepherd" as a title of kings and rulers, see Jer 23.1-5; Ezek 34.1-24). Even foreign and pagan ruler who attained world power did so as the agent of the God of Israel who directed the course of history. Jews living outside the land used this language to show due recognition to the rulers of the nations among whom they lived. Such an understanding did not, however, entirely rule out a special role for the surviving dynasty of David (see 55.3-5). Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 1st

 Read Isaiah 44.1-20. In 44.1-28: Do not fear, or be afraid. In verses 1-8: Just as God's rainstorm transforms desert into fertile land (v. 3), so will God transform scattered and weakened Israel,. No other god can prevent this happening, and the gods themselves are nothing (v. 6). They have no witnesses among the nations who can foretell future events (v.7). In verse 9-20: A sharp reproof of idolatry: "The very fact human beings make such images demonstrate that they are false, since human beings cannot make gods" (v. 20). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 30th

 Read Isaiah 43.14-28. In verses 14-21: Verses 16-17 refers to crossing the sea and the destruction of the pursuing Egyptians (Ex 14.15-30). The return of Israel from among the nations will constitute a new Exodus. In verses 22-28: Israel is presented on one hand as God's servant and witness to the nations and on the other as a weak and sinful people who have burdened God with their sin. Both portraits are valid. The suffering were necessary and inevitable (v. 28). Yet the consequences of Israel's wrongdoings had not been fully atoned for (see 40.2). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 29th

 Read Isaiah 43.1-13. In 43.1-28: I will be with you. In verses 1-7: The presence of God with Israel is assured, in spite of the apparently hopeless situation in which many survivors of the nation found themselves. Their widely scattered locations reach far beyond the borders of Judah, or even Babylon. A slave's freedom could be negotiated. God would ensure that the host nations to which Judah's citizens had fled for refuge would grant them freedom to return to their homeland. In verses 8-13: The foretelling of the former things (vv. 9, 18) refers to the fulfillment of earlier prophecies, probably those now preserved in the book of Isaiah, as the allusion (v. 8) to the warning given in 6.9-10 makes clear. The Lord God of Israel providentially controls all history and is the only true God. Verse 10 shows how the title my servant could be used to describe a whole community. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 28th

 Read Isaiah 42.14- 25. The references to the blind and deaf in vv. 16, 18-19 reverse the threatening aspect of the warnings given in 6.9-10 by the eighth-century Isaiah of Jerusalem (see further 43.8). The descriptions of the weak and distressed state out of the prophet's own people in v. 22 (see 41.7) may indicate that he himself was suffering in Babylon. It seems probable, however, that the descriptions are typical of the misfortunes that had befallen the former inhabitants of Judah in many places. The mission of servant requires a recollection (v. 24) that Israel's present situation was consequence of its own wrongdoing. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 27th

 Read Isaiah 42.1-13. In 42.1-25: The mission of the servant. In verses 1-4: The introduction of the servant follows the pattern of a royal emissary being introduced at court. The authority of the sender in conferred on the deputy who is sent. In verses 5-9: The servant of God is to bring a light to the nations (v. 6). This is the coming of salvation and the ending of Israel's spiritual blindness (v. 7), is this promise only for the scattered survivors of Israel who dwell among the nations, or is it also for those nations themselves? Verse 49.6 answers this question: It is for everyone, although 45.22 comes very close to anticipating this message. The inescapable force of the argument that the Lord God of Israel is the creator and Lord of all nations leads to this larger hope for the nations of the world. In verses 10-13: The revelation of the new task assigned to Israel, God's servant, called forth a response of praise in the most distant places. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 26th

 Read Isaiah 41.11-29. In verses 11-16: The present weakness of Israel (v. 14) is contrasted with the strength that God will confer upon them (vv. 15-16). In verses 17-24: Israel's tradition taught that, at the beginning of the nation's history, God had provided sustenance for the journey through the wilderness (see Deut 8.1-4), and now that same care would be  repeated. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 25th

 Read Isaiah 41.1-10. In 41.1-29: I am your God. In verses 1-5: The speech of the Assyrian Rabshakeh in 36.20 had asked in complacent irony: "Who among the gods of the countries have saved their countries out of my hand, that the Lord should save Jerusalem out of my hand?" The prophecies of ch 41 provide a magnificent rejoinder to this question, showing how and why the God of Jerusalem is different. The Holy One of Israel is creator and director of human history. Proof of this is first seen in the victories that Cyrus, king of the Medes and Persians has already won (vv. 2-5, 25). This ruler is mentioned by name more fully in 44.28; 45.1-4, 13. The coastland (vv. 1, 5) are the most distant parts of the earth, so that all nations may recognize that a divine plan is at work. In verses 6-10: Again the prophet ridicules the foolish work of the idol maker (see also 23-24, 29). God had already called Israel to be the servant people who would fulfill God's special purpose on earth (compare 49.6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 24th

 Read Isaiah 40.12-31. In verses 12-20: Such a message would be unbelievable if God were other than the sovereign creator of the entire universe (vv. 12-14). Even the multitude of the nations of the world are as nothing before such immense power (v. 17). In verses 21-28: The very stars adhere to the divine places set for them at creation (v. 26). Already vv. 19-20 answer the question posed in v. 18: False ideas of God lead to false expectations about the divine purpose. Only by abandoning the absurdities of idolatry can the people grasp the power of God. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for April 23rd

 Read Isaiah 40.1-11. In 40.1-31: A highway for our God. In verses 1-11: The prophet begins by calling on the reader to bring a message of comfort to Jerusalem. Her period of servitude is now complete and freedom is at hand (v. 2). This message of hope pictures a great highway stretching across the desert and leading to Jerusalem (vv. 3-5), providing a way home for those scattered remnants of the former Israel who have been captive among the nations, particularly in Babylon. God will strengthen the weakened survivors who feel they cannot make the journey (vv. 10-11; 29-31). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 22nd

 Read Isaiah 39.1-8. In 39.1-8: The visit of the Babylonian emissaries. The book of Isaiah is built around belief in God's concern with the Davidic dynasty of kings and the city of Jerusalem where God's Temple stood. The contrast between the fate of the dynasty and the city in 701 BCE, when Isaiah was active as a prophet, and events as century later when Babylonian forces confronted Jerusalem (in 598 and again in 587 BCE), effectively divides the book between two main periods--The Assyrian and the Babylonian epochs. The visit of Babylonian emissaries to Hezekiah when Sennacherib threatened the king and his city forms a bridge between these two main sections. The events in vv. 6-7 occurred in 598 BCE when Jehoiachin was removed from the throne and taken prisoner to Babylon, with most of his immediate household (2 Kings 24.10-17). God's protection of Jerusalem and its Davidic dynasty was not unconditional, but depended upon the obedience and submission of each ruler. The comment of Hezekiah, There will be peace and security in my days (v. 8), is not selfish complacency but a submissive acceptance of the conditions under which Good's promise was conferred. More than this could not be given. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 21st

 Read Isaiah 38.1-22. In 38.1-22: Hezekiah's sickness and recovery. The story of Hezekiah's illness (v. 2) is a further illustration of piety (v. 3): His total submissiveness to the will of the Lord God and his subsequent recovery from the sickness are inseparably related to the wonderful deliverance of Jerusalem from the forces of Assyria (v. 6). Signs were evidence of the validity of a prophetic pronouncement (see Isa 7.10-17). The exact nature of the sign is not clear. In verses 10-20: This psalm of thanksgiving is not included in 2 Kings 20.1-11, but is added as further evidence of the king's piety. It is a personal psalm of thanksgiving for recovery from serious illness. It includes a lamentation during the time of distress (vv. 10-15) and thanksgiving for recovery (vv. 16-20). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 20th

 Read 37.8-37.38. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah: A repetition of the Assyrian ultimatum. In verses 15-21: The prayer of Hezekiah demonstrates the trust and piety of the king (see especially v. 21). In verses 21-35: Isaiah replies to the Assyrian letter with a series of prophetic declarations. Jerusalem survived intact and the king retained his throne. These facts were more central to Isaiah's message than the punishment eventually inflicted on Sennacherib, who is accused of blasphemy (37.38). In verse 36: The work of the angel of the Lord may have been an outbreak of disease among forces camped in unhygienic conditions (as foretold in 10.16). Verse 37.7 declares: "I myself will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land." Other possibilities cannot be ruled out, and no precise information is available. In verses 37-38: Sennacherib's assassination by members of his own family is not reported in Assyrian royal chronicles. The king's death occurred some time after the events of 701, but his insult to the God of Jerusalem was seen to demand personal punishment. Comments or Questions..

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..

Reading for April 12th

 Read Isiah 30.27-33. In 30.27-33: A song in the night. The concluding comments, a later development of the original message, elaborate on the theme of God's judgment, which will bring an end to the present unsatisfactory world order and establish in its place the righteous order of God. The Assyrian (v. 31) has become symbolic for every oppressor of God's people. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 11th

 Read Isaiah 30.18-26. This poetic reminder of future hope counters and criticism that the message of rest and quietness (v. 15) was too submissive and politically inactive to end foreign oppression. Human acceptance of the divine plan for the nations may require patience and fortitude in enduring the present order. A later scribe has described more fully (vv. 19-26) what this longed-for future would bring. Only when God's judgment puts an end to human violence and oppression-when the towers (v. 25)-will such peace and prosperity come. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 10th

 Read Isaiah 30.6-17. In verses 6-7: Egypt was famous for palaces and monuments, and as the gateway to Africa for the caravans that brought wealth and luxuries (see 1 Kings 10). The prophet contrasts such exoctic wealth with the worthlessness of the promises of Egyptian help. Rahab (v. 7) was a dragon monster of ancient story comparable to the Leviathan creature (27.1). Since Egyptian religion was well know for its many deities portrayed in mixed animal/human form, the ironic title "rahab who sits still" (v. 7) may allude to the sphinx-like images of Egypt. In verses 8-11: The command to inscribe it in a book is a remarkably rare recognition that prophecy was written down and read long after the time when it had originally been given. The writing is to become a witness forever to the truth that Israel was a rebellious people (v. 9). The readers would be no more willing to heed the message than the original hearers (see 29.11-12). In verses 12-14: Its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel (v. 14) emphasizes the suddenness and completeness of the disaster that was to come. Hezekiah's attempt to build security through an alliance with Egypt would prove disastrously misjudged. In verses 15-17: The poetry of returning, rest, quietness, and trust attests that God alone is the defense of Jerusalem. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 9th

 Read Isaiah 30.1-5. In 30.133: 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 assurance includes a warning God will judge wrongdoers (vv. 27-28). In verses 1-5: Isaiah rejects Hezekiah's promise to rebel against Assyria and to trust Egypt's promises of help. The sending of royal emissaries from Judah to Egypt (v. 4) must have prompted the original prophecy. This along with Isaiah's awareness of secret consultations and plans made in Jerusalem (see 29.15), suggests that he held a privileged position at court. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 8th

 Read Isaiah 29.17- 24. In verses 17-21: The renewal of hope. It is not clear why this message of hope, and the following one, have been added at this point. Verse 18 affirms that Israel's period of blindness (see 6.9-10) will pass, suggesting a link with the renewed warning of this in 29.9. In verses 22-24: And those who err in spirit: Israel's foolishness and lack of discernment (v. 14) requires a look toward God's deliverance. All who have forsaken God and the path of righteousness will come to understand the truth. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 7th

 Read Isiah 29.5-16. In 5-8: The visitation of the Lord of hosts. God would intervene to protect Jerusalem, but it is not clear what actually occurred in 701 to explain this report (see comment on 37.36). This assurance my go back to Isaiah, or it may result from subsequent reflection on the deliverance of the city and King Hezekiah's continuing reign. The survival of the Davidic dynasty in Jerusalem was of great significance when the destruction of Samaria and its royal house was recalled (see 2 Kings 18.10-12). In verses 9-12; The people's inability to discern God's purpose is like drunken staggering. The warning in vv. 11-12 witnesses to the way in which the spoken word of the prophet was preserved to become part of scripture. The reader of the book takes the place of the hearer of the word. In verses 13-14: The wisdom of their wise shall perish. The foolish policies of the royal counselors and advisers would prove ruinous. in Verses 15-16: The prophet mocks the secrecy and subterfuge by which the royal counselors seek to hide their policy with high risk military disaster, from the people. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 6th

 Read Isaiah 29.1-4. In 29.1-24: The siege and deliverance of Jerusalem. This chapter centers on the threat to Jerusalem by Sennacherib's campaign in 701 BCE (see chs. 36-37). These oracles attest to both the danger they city faced and its remarkable escape. Warnings explaining the near catastrophe occur in vv. 9-10, 13-14, and 15-16. Jerusalem's survival demanded further reflection on Isaiah's warnings, and Jerusalem's later destruction (587 BCE) posed further questions. these reflections are in vv. 5-8, with further messages of hope in vv. 17-21 and 22-24. In verses 1-4: Ah, Ariel, Ariel the city where David ecamped!Ariel, "altar hearth," refers to the sacred altar in the city' and the reference to king David recalls taking the city in 2 Sam 5.6-10, evoking its unique importance both the God and to Israel. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 5th

 Read Isaiah 28.23-29. In 28.23-29: The lesson of the farmer's year. This is one of the most instructive prophetic parables of the Hebrew Scriptures. The variety of activities that make up the farmer's year illustrate the force of vv. 21-22. To the question, "would not destroying the city where the Temple stands be a strange work for God the protector?" The prophet's answer is that, like the farmer, God has many varied tasks to perform--and judging a rebellious people is one of them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 4th

 Read Isaiah 28.14-22. In 28.14-22: God's strange work. This powerful prophecy expresses the fundamentals of Isaiah's conviction: God alone is the defense and protector of the people of Jerusalem. Instead of trusting in God, however, these leaders has chosen a covenant with death and an agreement with Sheol (v. 18). These titles may refer to a strange ritual with the god of death to make sure no harm could come to them. Or more likely, they may be a sharply ironic, description of the treaty with Egypt that Judah hoped would protect it against any Assyrian reprisal for rebellion. Egypt is caricatured as the kingdom of death (by constructing great pyramids and embalming national figures). In contrast, Isaiah insists that Judah's actions will simply hasten death's arrival. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for April 3rd

 Read Isaiah 28.7-13. In 28.7-13: God cannot be mocked with impunity. It is unclear whether this oracle is addressed to the revelers in vv. 1-4, or whether it is a rebuke to a group of Jerusalem's leaders (compare v. 14). The signs or excess are evident (v. 8) when they turn to mock the prophet and, by implication God (vv. 9-10). These leaders accuse the prophet of treating them like little children (v. 10). Instead God will teach them a lesson in the language of foreign invaders (v. 11). By rejecting and mocking the prophet's warnings (v. 12), and choosing rebellion against Assyria, they were playing with their own lives and those of the people and would pay the price (v. 13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 2nd

 The Lord is a refuge and protection.

In 28.1-29: The four units of this chapter (1-6; 7-13; 14-22, 23-29) condemn the foolishness of the leaders of both Ephraim (Israel) and Judah, who show by their drunken and mocking behavior that they neither understand their problems nor are able to remedy them. In contrast, Isaiah sets out the simple and direct message: "One who trusts will not panic" (v. 16).

Read Isaiah 28.1-6. In 28.1-6: The folly of Ephraim's leaders. It is surprising that the opening prophecy focuses on Ephraim, rather than Judah, which Isaiah usually addressed. Yet Ephraim suffered first and more severely, from the deportations of Assria. Judah should learn the necessary lesson: As a sudden rainstorm (v. 2) ruins the festival of those leaders who had already eaten and drunk too much so would God's judgment wreck the complacent peace of the kingdom (compare 9.8-10.4). A brief word of hope and relief (vv. 5-6) shows that God's judgmental ways has a way of escape for a penitent remnant. Comments or Questions..

Reading for April 1st

 Read Isaiah 27.1-13. In 27.1-13: The new song of the vineyard. In verse 1: The assurance that the Lord will punish Leviathan reflects the ancient belief that the earth was created after a great battle between the creator God and a monster symbolizing chaos. In the Babylonian creation epic, the monster is called Tiamat, but other versions us the name Rahab (compare Isa 51.9). The power of God to impose order is needed not simply in the primary act of creation but in every natural disaster or historical catastrophe, when God's rule needs to be reestablished. In verse 2: A pleasant vineyard, sing about it! Reference to the vineyard parable of Isa 5.1-7 shows that the new song marks the end of the period in which the former vineyard (Israel) was reduced to a wasteland. In verse 4: The thorns and briers will at last be removed (see 7.23-25; 9.18; 10.17) In verses 7-11: The restoration has not yet taken place, and the field of Jacob still lie desolate and forsaken (v. 10). The people without understanding (v. 11) are those who hold back God's saving work. In verses 12-13: The promise of return to their homeland for the scattered survivors remains central to the hope for the future in Isaiah. Here and in 11.12-16 (compare 19.23-23), this return is the prelude to the restoration of Israel to its former glory, the completion of God's saving purpose. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 31st

 Read Isaiah 26.1-21. In 26.1-21: praise to the God of justice. The hymn of the praise to God for the justice of the divine judgments upon the earth in vv.1-15 indicates that chs. 24-27, and probably the entire scroll of Isaiah, were designed to be read, and prayerfully responded to, in acts of worship. The message of God was a call to penitence and faith, so that unresolved questions and doubts could be answered by trust, as in v.3: Those of steadfast mind keep you in peace-in peace because they trust in you. It is necessary to accept the purpose of God and to await salvation without fully understanding the violent wrongs of human history. This trust is expressed in the remarkable outburst of vv. 16-19: When the promises of God appear so far from fulfillment, a new vision breaks in, a vision of life beyond the grave and of life renewed for those long dead. The only other passage in the Hebrew Scriptures that compares with this visionary insight into the world beyond the grave in Dan 12.2. The prophet is attempting to reconcile the righteousness of God with the problems of suffering and conflict. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 30th

 Read Isaiah 25.1-12. In 25.1-12: The banquet of the Lord of hosts. The great festival to be celebrated in Jerusalem on the holy mountain gives pictorial expression to the praise of God (vv. 1-5). Even in the most violent trouble, God is a refuge to the needy in their distress (v. 4). The prophetic vision, however, recognizes that there are wrongs and sufferings on earth that cannot be put right by stilling the blast of the ruthless. The ultimate resolution of injustice can come only when God overcomes the power of death itself (v. 7: compare 26.19). In verses 10-12: The humiliation of Moab. This appears to belong with the other warnings in chs. 15-16. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 29th

The terror of the day of the Lord and the ensuing reign of blessedness.

In 24.1-27.13: Chapters 24-27 contain no clear indications of their time of origin and therefore are difficult to relate to known events. They contrast a time of fearful judgment upon the city of chaos (24.10) with a new era of blessedness, a spectacular feast on the mountain of God (25.6-10). These chapters may have been a separate prophetic book, but clear references to earlier themes and pronouncements, most notably the "New Song of the Vineyard" (27.2-6; compare 5.1-7), make it more likely that they are a sequel to the prophecies against foreign cities and nations in ch. 13-23. The great empires will be over taken by a fearful day of God's judgment, followed by a time of peace and justice. The evocative word pictures of doom and disaster, intermixed with hymns of praise and promises of a new age of great peace and blessedness, lift human history into the realm of a great spiritual "super-history" in which evil is overthrown and the faithful are vindicated. 

Read Isaiah 24.1- 23. In 24.1-23: The day of terror for the city of chaos. This remarkable picture of a tortured and pain-wracked earth view the sufferings of its inhabitants (vv.17-20) as a consequence of the curse-ridden state of the earth itself (v. 6). The very order of the world, disturbed and in turmoil, can only be put right by divine punishment of the evil in anew era of divine rule (vv. 22-23). Despair for the earth combines with trust that untimely God will prevail, which explains the praise of God in vv. 14-16. Judgment, as proof of divine justice, is itself a necessary part of God's created order. The city of chaos (v. 10) is a symbolic city, like Bunyan's Vanity Fair in Pilgrim Progress. Even though the host of heaven rebels against God (v. 21), this prophet believes God will prevail. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 28th

 Read Isaiah 23.1-18. In 23.1-18: A prophecy concerning Tyre. In verses 1-12: The Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon were famous in antiquity as as the seafaring and mercantile trading centers of  the Mediterranean world. The pride of Tyre was its fine buildings, wealth, and honor. In 701 BCE, the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib laid siege to the Phoenician cities forcing Luuli, king of Sidon, to flee to the island of Cyrus (v. 12). In verses 13-18: A brief editorial note (v. 13) points out that Babylon (from 604 BCE) had replaced the threat from Assyria (compare the book of Nahum, which celebrates the fall of Nineveh in 612 BCE). This succession of Mesopotamian oppressors led the later compilers to supplement earlier prophecies to provide a fuller picture of God's purpose. Tyre, like an aging prostitute (v. 16), will shamelessly pursue wealth (a refence to the rich merchants for which Tyre was known). In contrast, the final note (v. 18) recognizes that wealth, rightly earned, can be used in the service of God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 27th

 Read Isaiah 22.12-25. In verses 15-25: Three short, but related, condemnations (vv. 15-19, 20-23,24-25) concern Shebna, the master of the royal household (v. 15), and Eliakim son of Hilkiah (v. 20) who had briefly succeeded him (v. 21). These officials are mentioned in 36.3, 11, 22 and played a prominent role in the negotiations for Hezekiah's surrender to Assyria (see 2 Kings 18.18). Their personal ambitions and folly, which affected their roles informing national policy, are condemned. Isaiah also condemned the king for relying upon Egyptian promises or support (see Isa 30). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 26th

 Read Isaiah 22.1-11. In 22.1-25: Warnings to Jerusalem and it's leaders. In verses 1-4: The valley of vision is Jerusalem, apparently because Isaiah's call-vision took place there (ch. 6). The prophecies refer to the events described in 2 Kings 18.9-12: The northern Israelite city of Samaria was besieged, captured, and destroyed by the king of Assyria. Jerusalem's escape from a similar fate by the timely, but humiliating surrender of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18.13-16) may also be referred to. In celebrating their own escape, the citizens of Jerusalem ignored the suffering of their own sister nation. Isaiah strongly believed that both Judah and Israel (Ephraim) were two houses of one people before God (see 8.14; 9.21). In verses 5-8a: The fate that had so recently overtaken their compatriots would also befall the citizens of Jerusalem. A century later Babylonian forces captured Jerusalem in 598, destroying it in 587 BCE. In verses 8b-11: Instead of trusting the Lord, the beleaguered citizens trusted their own human defense system. It would fail them, just as surely as the defenses of Samaria had failed. Comments or Questions..

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..

Reading for March 18th

 Read Isaiah 17.1-11. In 17.1-11: Prophecies concerning Israel and Damascus. In verses 1-6: The background is that of the alliance of Syria (Damascus) and Ephraim (Israel) against Judah, which is also present in chs. 7-8. The message is that expressed in the name of Isaiah's son Shear-jashub ("a remnant returns," Isa 7.3). Instead of the defeated remnant of an army, this time the image is that of gleanings after a harvest. In verses 7-9: The original threat gives only a general reason for the coming disaster (vv. 10-11); this added warning against trust in the power of idols intensifies the threat (see 2.8). In verses 10-11: Reference to the hyperbolic growth of plants reflects a form of fertility with religious (and probably also sexual significance). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 17th

 Read Isaiah 16.1-13. In verses 1-11: The appeal to Jerusalem to offer refuge to fugitives from this disaster is a sign of hope that Moab would renew allegiance to a Davidic king. This prophecy may allude to to the reign of Josiah, a link with the promise of 32.1-8. Verses 6-11 rebuke the pride of Moab. In verses 12-13: Subsequent to the disaster of 586 BCE, the relations between Judah and Moab worsened. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 16th

 Read Isaiah 14.28-15.9. In 15.1-16.13: Prophecies concerning the downfall of Moab In 15.1-9: Moab was one of the smaller kingdoms neighboring Judah in the south and to the east of the River Jordan. It covered much of the territory now occupied by Jordan. Moab, though once part of David's kingdom (2 Sam 8.20), had broken away and suffered Assyrian and Babylonian exploitation. In the course of one or another campaign, this fearful killing took place. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 15th

 Read Isaiah 14.22-27. Assyria will suffer divine punishment (see 10.5-34), and although out of chronological sequence, this warning to all nations who threaten God's people (vv. 26-27; see 8.9-10; 17.12-14). In the literary and historical structure of Isa 13-27, the historical rise and fall of great imperial powers was a preparation for God's rule. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 14th

Read Isaiah 13.1-21.  In 14.1-23: A mocking lament for the death of the king of Babylon.  In verses 1-2: The Babylonian threat occupies most of chs. 40-55, so this great world power takes on a symbolic role as the supreme example of oppression. This editorial note provides a summary of the message of hope (chs. 56-66; see also 11.12-16). In verses 3-11: A brillant, mocking lament for the death of the king of Babylon ironically contrasts the king's power in life and powerlessness in death and celebrates the passing of Babylon as a world power. No ruler is named, and, apart from the introductory heading in v. 4, direct identification with Babylon is lacking. The original subject maybe some earlier ruler's death, possible the Assyrian Shalmaneser V (whose death in 705 occurred during Isaiah's ministry and had a major repercussions for Judah's political stance). But this passage celebrates the down fall of tyranny rather than the death of a specific individual. Sheol (vv. 11, 15) is the mysterious underworld to which spirits descended after death. The spirits of other dead persons rise up in amazement that a figure once so proud and supreme could be brought so low (vv. 16-20). In verses 12-15: The Day Star, son of dawn is the morning star (Venus). In verses 16-21; In extensive royal households other sons were usually a threat to a crown prince (see 37.38). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 13th

 Read Isaiah 13.1-22. In 13.1-22: The overthrow of Babylon. In verses 1-22: It is a surprise that Babylon, rather than Assyria, is the great oppressing power to be punished for its excesses and cruelties. The reason lies in the importance of Baylon for the structure of the book. Chs. 40-55 reflect the period of Babylon imperial control over the nations dealt with in chs. 13-23. Reference to the attacking Medes (v. 17) points to this fierce prophecy as a forewarning of the defeat of Babylon in 538 BCE, later anticipated  so eagerly in chs. 46-47. Judah's bitter sufferings at the hand of Babylon explain the vengeful spirit in vv. 14-16 and the longing that such a great kingdom should become a perpetual ruin (vv. 20-11). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 12th

 Read Isaiah 12.1-6. In 12.1-6: A psalm of thanksgiving. Isaiah has been constructed to form a series of "books within books." A psalm of thanksgiving for the salvation of God which will surely come to Jerusalem concludes the section that began in 5.1. These shorter collections display a broad editorial structure where hope and promise follow threats and warnings. Even the punitive fires of judgment are placed within this larger context of the saving purpose of God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 11th

 Read Isaiah 11.1-16. In 11.1-16: The renewal of God's promise. In verses 1-5: The shoot from the stump of Jesse refers to the situation after Babylonians had removed the last of the Davidic rulers, Zedekiah (2 Kings 25.1-7). His predecessor and nephew, Jehoiachin, had been taken and held in prison in Babylon (2 Kings 24.10-12), and this prophecy reflects the hope that either he, or one of his descendants, would return to rule (see 55.1-5; 1 Chr 3.16-24). This hope was not fulfilled, and the promises of Davidic kingship became messianic hope. In verses 6-9: An addition that conveys a wider message than one of government and justice: a time of world peace extending throughout the natural order, witnessing the end of violence, not simply between nations (see Isa 2.4) but between wild and domestic animals. The violence and disorder that had confounded God's purpose since the beginning would be transformed by the fashioning of anew heaven and a new earth (66.2-3). As a prominent, and unique, hope in Isaiah, the message is repeated in 65.25. In verses 10-16: Chapters 5-12 form a connected series of prophecies, from the devastation foretold in 6.11-13 until the return of survivors to repopulate it and rebuild Jerusalem. This promise of return forms a significant feature of the book's overall message. Detailed promises of this return begin in chs. 40-55. Prophecies fulfill in that hope are included in chs. 56-66. as God's judgment had been heralded by a signal to a "nation far away" (5.26), so the ending of the period of judgment and dawning of the age of peace would begin with a further signal to all nations (11.10-12). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 10th

 Read Isaiah 10.20-34. "Shear-jashub" of 7.3, "a remnant returns," could be understood in more than one way, as the three interpretations of vv. 21-23 show. There would be a future nation, but shaped by suffering and loss. Only some of the nation would survive. Similarly, the interpretations in vv. 24-27a  of "the rod of their oppressor" (9.4) show that God would free Judah from foreign domination. In 27b-32 short passage probably refers to the march on Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BCE, the background for Isaiah's later prophecies (see ch. 28-30 and 36-37). It is out of chronological sequence with the events in chs. 7-9 (the reign of King Ahaz). However, its abrupt ending ending with the oppressor threatening, but not attacking. Jerusalem (v. 32) fits the Assyrian punitive campaign into Judah during the reign of Hezekiah, whose accession is foretold in 9.2-7. In verses 33-34: The out come of Sennacherib's campaign is presented as the cutting down of the forest foretold in vv. 18-19. The failure to complete the punitive attack upon Jerusalem in 701 was a judgment of God upon Assyria's blasphemous boasts. The events in chs. 36-37 are understood to fulfill the punishment on Assyria declared in 10.15-19. Comments or Questions.

Reading for March 9th

 Read Isaiah 10.5-19. In 10.5-34: Assyria will not escape the judgment of God. In verses 5-19: Assyria was the agent of God, but its ministers were arrogant and blasphemous (see 36.13-20). When God judged that the time was ripe (v. 24) Assyria would suffer a severe punishment from God (vv. 15-19), set out is a series of word-pictures related to other sayings. In verses 17-19: The tree imagery is related to the language of "briers and thorns" in 5.6 (see 7.23-23; 9.18; possibly also relates to the wooden rod of 9.4 and 10.5). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 8th

 Read Isaiah 9.8-10.4. In 9.8-10.4: No respite for the land of Ephraim. In 9.8-21: The Assyrian intervention proved ruinous. Judah fared less badly than Ephraim; 2 Kings 17.5-23 tells how Ephraim was destroyed (see also Isa 7.8). The prophet warns against pride and complacency (vv. 9-10) in trusting that ruin would be overcome. During the following half-century, persistent external interference and internal conflicts ruined the region of Ephraim-Samaria. Not till the reign of Josiah more than a century later were serious attempts made to reunite parts of this land with Judah. In 10.1-4: Verses belong to the condemnation of the leaders of Jerusalem in 5.8-24 (note also the use of the refrain from 9.8-21 in 5.25), while 10.4 clearly belongs to the warning against Ephraim (9.8-21). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 7th

 Read Isiah 9.1-7. In 9.1-7: Light in the darkness. A brief editorial note looks ahead to the time when the darkness of Assyrian destruction will end and a new era of peace and hope will dawn. The difficult text anticipates the celebrated prophecy of the new king that follows. In verses 2-7: The coming of a new king. A coronation hymn celebrates the coming of a new king who will restore the honor, fame, and authority of David's royal house (see Ps 2 for a similar coronation hymn). The new ruler would reverse the harm wrought by Ahaz. The new king is probably Hezekiah, Ahaz's successor (2 Kings 16.20). His accession year is uncertain (perhaps 725 or 715 BCE). His ascent to the throne marked the beginning of new royal policy, which was expected to bring change in the nation's fortunes. Since Hezekiah was not successful in ending Assyria's rule (Isa 36-39), it may be Josiah (639-609 BCE) whose reforming reign is foretold. Under Josiah, Assyrian control over Judah finally ended. The arrival of the new king is described as a royal birth, which involves divine assurance for the royal dynasty. The "birth" probably refers to the king's coronation, a moment of spiritual rebirth (Ps 2.7). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 6th

 Read Isaiah 8.5-22. In 8.5-22: Rejection of the prophet's message. In verses 5-8: The message of the names is refused. Isaiah becomes the bearer of a new message: Ahaz will indeed seek military help from Assyria (see 2 Kings 16.7-9), but it would open the flood gates to a torrent that would overwhelm the entire land, immersing Judah as well as the sister kingdom in the north. In verses 9-10: The prophet proclaims: God will establish justice upon earth (the book's overall message; compare 14.24-27; 17.12-14; and see chs. 13-27). In verses 11-22: The prophet retires from public activity  until the truth of his warning is established. Verse 16 refers to the testimony of the name inscribed on the tablet in 8.1, so the disciples are witnesses of 8.2. The prophet's written "memoir" would originally have ended at v. 18, reemphasizing the message of his children's names, the message the king rejected. In verses 12-15: Isiah, isolated and spurned, is accused of conspiracy, although it was the king who had committed conspiracy against God. in verses 19-22: Short prophecies warn of the folly of rejecting the true word of God. When, in despair, the people turn to seek assurance and knowledge of the future from forbidden practice of consulting sorcerers and spirits of the dead, they simply plunge themselves into deeper darkness. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 5th

 Read Isaiah 8.1-4. In 8.1-4: The sign-name of Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This is the third message attached to the name of a child, which had not yet been conceived when name was given. The name, "The spoil speeds, the prey hastens," points to the defeat of the forces threatening Judah. The witnesses would confirm that the name was given before the child had been conceived. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 4th

 Read Isaiah 7.18-25. In 7.18-25: Further Interpretations of the prophet's words. A series of short statements spells out the message of the prophet. In verses 18-19: The fly and bee symbolize the threat from Egypt and Assyria: Israel and Judah where sandwiched between two major world powers. In verse 20: The hired razor is Assyria, which would ravage and destroy Israel's entire land. In verses 21-22: A further interpretation is given of the sign in v. 15. In verses 23-25: Three fresh interpretations are provided of the briers and thorns from the parable of the vineyard in 5.1-7. In verse 24: The briers and thorns are soldiers with bows and arrows. Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 3rd

 Read Isaiah 7.10-17. The king rejects a sign, showing that he had not abandoned his plan to seek help from Assyria. In verse 11: This sign indicated that the prophetic word would, in due course, be fulfilled. Sheol was the place to which the spirits of the dead descended and is here used for poetic emphasis. In verse 14; In spite of the traditional translation of the young woman as "virgin," the Hebrew noun implies no more than a woman of a marriageable age. The prophet's right to confer the child's name indicates that she is probably his wife.  In the context of concern about the future of the Davidic line, however,the child may be a royal heir, possibly Hezekiah who succeeded Ahaz on the royal throne of Judah. The later "messianic" interpretation of prophecies relating to the Davidic kingship belongs to the period after the royal dynasty ceased to rule in Jerusalem (9.2-7;11.1-5; 55.3-5). Immanuel, "God with us," is an exclamation used in worship to affirm God's presence and protection (see Ps 46.11). Ahaz had no need to seek help from Assyria when God was his true helper. In verses 15-17: Eating curds and honey and refusing the evil and choosing the good came at the time (1-2years of age) when the child would begin to take solid food and respond to parental discipline. Within less than two years Judah's present enemies would have been forced to flee home. The day that Ephraim departed refers to the time when the united kingdom of Israel over which David and Solomon had reigned, split over allegiance to the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kings 12.1-9). Comments or Questions..

Reading for March 2nd

 Read Isaiah 7.1-9. In 7.1-84: The message of the names of three children. In verses 7.1-3: For the political context, see 2 Kings 16.5-9. The threat to depose Ahaz was an attempt to force Judah into joining the anti-Assyrian coalition. The king countered by seeking assistance from Assyria (2 Kings 16.7-9), trying to secure his throne and gain an advantage over Ephraim in a territorial quarrel (see 2 Kings 14.25). Ahaz's overture to Assyria was disastrous. Isaiah coveys a message through children's names: Shear-jashub, Immanuel, and Maher-Shalalhashbaz. The first is already the prophet's infant son, whereas the third has not even been conceived when his name was given and is inscribed on a tablet (8.1-2). At the child's birth, witnesses would unveil the prescribed name (8.2). The name of the second child, Immanuel (7.14), may indicate a royal figure, an heir to the throne who would assure the future of the dynasty to the troubled Ahaz. It is more probable, however, that, likely the other two, the child is the prophet's and the unnamed young woman of 7.14 is the prophet's wife. In verse 3: Shear-jashub, "a remnant returns," implies the defeat of the armies threatening Jerusalem and their return home in greatly reduced numbers. It could be later interpreted in other ways (see 10.20-23). In verse 6: The son of Tabeel is not otherwise identified, and it is not even clear that he was from a Judahite family. The prophet's emphatic form of address to the king (v. 13) implies that the future of the royal dynasty was threatened. In verse 8: The not on the dissolution of Ephraim (Israel) reflects an editor's awareness that the veiled threat was fulfilled. Comments or Questions

Reading for March 1st

 Read Isaiah 6.1-13. In 6.1-13: The prophet's call and commission. In verses 1-8: The year in which King uzziah died is not precisely known, but his death occurred sometime between 742 and736 BCE. The king (also called Azariah, 2 Kings 15.1-7) had been stricken with severe illness (2 Kings 15.5), which meant that his son Jotham served for a time as co-regent with him before succeeding to the throne (2 Kings 15.7). This co-regent period must be included in the sixteen years ascribed Jotham's reign (2 Kings 15.33). It was in this time that the major conflict arose between an alliance of Syria-Israel (Ephraim) and Judah (2 Kings 15.37). The central issue was resistance against Assyria expansion in the region (see 2 Kings 15.17-20). Judah's neighbors intended to remove Ahaz from his throne and replace him with an otherwise unknown figure called Tabeel (7.6). Isaiah's call therefore came to cause sever political up heaveal in the region. In verses 9-10: The sharp irony of the commission given to Isaiah implies awareness of the popular hostility to his message and the people's refusal to accept it (see 8.11-15).  In verse 11: One of Isaiah's central warnings is that the entire land of Israel will be ruined because the rejection of God's message. The continuing relevance of these prophecies led to their preservation in this book. In verses 12-13: The cruel Assyrian policy of exiling whole populations (see 36.17) is reflected in this warning. The further threat that, even after severe devastation, the land will be burned again reflects later awareness of deportations by both Assyrian and Babylonian armies. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 28th

 Read Isaiah 5.26-30. This key prophetic declaration shows how clearly how judgment will fall upon the land of Israel and Judah and that, although a foreign nation will bring about devastation, the voice of God has summoned it. The image of God acting against Israel by raising a signal for the nation far away becomes a repeated theme showing how God' acts to control human destiny (see 11.10-12; 49.22). Although in this pronouncement the identity of the distant nation is not revealed, one quickly discovers that it is Assyria (see 7.17; 8.4). Comments or Questions...

Reading for February 27th

 Read Isaiah 5.8-25. In verses 8-24: The conduct of the ruling classes in Jerusalem involved greed, manipulation of justice, violence, and dishonesty. Divine judgment is therefore necessary. The concluding part of this indictment many occur in 10.1-3, with 5.25 correspondingly misplaced from 9.8-21. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 26th

 Read Isaiah 5.1-7. In 5.1-30: The song of the vineyard. In verses 1-7: The parable of an unfruitful vineyard is an apparently unremarkable story whose full meaning only becomes clear when the storyteller reveals that he is describing Israel and Judah. The verdict of v. 6 is valid also for this larger meaning: The land must soon suffer utter devastation and ruin. This is the theme-message which underlies all the prophecies of chs. 5-12 (see especially 6.11-13). The parable is made more complex by the opening address in which the speaker declares: Let me sing for my beloved my love-song. As a "friend of the injured vine owner, the speaker is an interested onlooker or perhaps the owner's supporter at a feasts. In this case, the claim to present a love-song suggest that the story will be about a disappointed lover (see the use of vineyard imagery for courtship in Song 8.11-12). In v. 7 The vineyard represents both Israel and Judah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 25th

 Read Isaiah 4.2-6. In 4.2-6: The glory of the new Jerusalem. In verses 5-6: Judgment is the necessary path to the rewal of hope and to the dawning of a time of justice and world peace. Hence, the opening chapters conclude with the vision of a chastened and glorified Jerusalem in which the presence of God will be evident everywhere (vv. 5-6). The visionary presentation is filled with symbolic word pictures in which the title the branch of the Lord (v. 2) refers to the new Davidic king (compare 11.1). As God had led the ancestors of the nation through the desert (see Ex 13.21-22), so now the same presence would indicate the protection and blessing of the favored city. The picture of shade and shelter (v. 6) counter the warnings of the sufferings and trials in 3.1-4.1. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 24th

 Read Isaiah 3.13-4.1. In 3.13-4.1: The Lord's case against the people. The reasons for Judah's misfortunes are detailed in a lawsuit which God is bringing against the people. In verses 15-16: Oppression of the poor and women who indulge in absurd luxury are outward signs of spiritual sickness. Accordingly, God's punishment will fit the offense (v. 24): the horrors of warfare will reduce many of the women who had so pampered themselves to a state of destitution (3.25-4.1). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 23rd

 Read Isaiah 3.1-12. In 3.1-4.1 Confusion in Judah and Jerusalem. In verses 1-8: The city and land will suffer famine and lose of their natural resources, bringing confusion and panic. There will be no capable judges and elders (vv. 1-5), bringing economic and social chaos (v. 6) with the breakdown of law and order. The broader context indicates that this is the consequence of oppressive foreign invasions and interference (see chs. 5-12). In verses 9-12: The readers of that time would know, only too well, the ruined state of Judah and its chief city. Disobedience and indifference to the Lord God had brought such misfortune upon them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 22nd

 Read Isaiah 2.5- 22. In verses 5-11: Seeking commercial prosperity and success, neglected its spiritual foundations. On that day (v. 11) point to an indefinite time of God's judgment and comes to refer to the great judgement and renewal for Judah and all the nations (see Isa 25.9). In verses 12-22: The prophet depicts God's punishment of human pride through the image of bringing down natural features such as tall trees and high mountains (vv. 12-15). Arrogance is the root of idolatry (vv. 19-20), the belief that human beings can control the divine realm. The day of the Lord (v. 11) now points to God's judgment against human violence and disregard of the divine laws. The ships of Tarshish (v. 16) were the famed ships of the maritime nations of the Mediterranean. In Gen 10.4 Tarshish is a great-grandson of Noah, but several biblical references to it as a place point to its fame as a source of trade, especially trade in precious metals. It is often located in the southwestern Spain, but probably more than one site where mining and metal-refining took place bore such a name. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 21st

 Read Isaiah 2.1- 4. In 2.1-22: Jerusalem: Its destiny and wrongdoing. In verses 1-4: From the time of David's adoption of the city as his capital, Jerusalem had been celebrated as the place to which many nations paid homage and brought tribute (Ps 2.2-11). This memorable prophecy reinterprets this theme, giving divine assurance that the city will become a center from which God's law will be administered among the nations (the city's name is related to the Hebrew word for peace, "shalom" peace, God's purpose for all nations (v. 4), can only come when there is justice. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 20th

 Read Isaiah 1.21-31. As a royal city, Jerusalem was a center for the administration of justice over which the king resided. the failure to uphold such justice allowed the most serious crimes to go unpunished. God would therefore have to take action, not only against the criminal wrongdoers, but also against those whose indifference encouraged evil deeds. In verse 29: The oaks were simple rustic shrines, devoted to fertility and the gods and goddesses who believed to guarantee life-giving power. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 19th

 Read Isaiah 1.10-20. Criticism of the Temple rituals and prayers show that without justice and compassion their are meaningless to God, who ignores them. Comments or Questions....

Reading for February 18th

 Read Isaiah 1.1-9. In 1.1-20: The ruin and desolation of Jerusalem and the land of Judah. In verses 1-9: The portrayal of the desolation of the land and the isolated situation of Jerusalem probably refers to the events of 701 BCE in which the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, laid siege to the city (see 36.1-37.38). Such attacks were repeated in later times and hence provide a context for the whole book. The prophet's rebuke shows how the people's own wrong doing brought about their misfortunes. In verse 8: The booth and shelter in vineyard and field were watchmen's huts set up to protect the vines and crops. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 17th

 Read Ephesians 6.21-24. In 6.21-24: Epistolary closing. In verse 21: Tychicus, 4.7; 2 Tim 4.12; Titus 3.12; Acts 20.4-6. In verse 22: Col 4.8. Comments or Questions.

Reading for February 16th

 Read Ephesians 6.10-20. In 6.10-20: A call to arms and prayer for strength to proclaim truth.  In verse 14: Ephesians 4.25. In verse 17: Helmet of salvation, Isa 59.17. The sword of the Spirit,the word of God, the only offensive weapon. In verses 18-20: On the importance of prayer throughout Ephesians, see 1.15-23; 3.14-21. In verse 20: The ambassador is an envoy sent on behalf of another. Chains suggest dishonor. Yet the writer accepts the title and only asks for boldness. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 15th

 Read Ephesians 5.15-6.9. In 5.15-6.9: Strengthening believers. Contrasts 5.15-18 clarify the believers' walk, they are strengthened through worship with others (5.18-20) and mutual submission (5.21-6.9). In 5.20: On continous thanks, see 1 Thess 5.18; Col 3.17. In 5.21-6.9: Household codes governed social relations within an extended family. See Col 3.18-4.1. Ephesians expands on relations between husband and wife. In verse 22-23: Col 3. 18-19. For the writer, the unity of the husband and wife, unlike the unity of Jews and gentiles does not result in equality. In 6.1-4: Col 3.20-21. In Verse 3: Deut 5.16. In verses 5-9: Col 3.22-4.1. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for February 14th

 Read 5.3-14. In 5.3-14: Believers as children of the light. In verses 3-7: Paul (Gal 5.19-21; 1 Cor 6.9-10) uses the vice list, here expressing the former life of darkness (5.8). In verses 8-14: Live (walk) as children of the light (1 Thess 5.5) to influence the world through the church's character. In verse 14: The hymn's origin is unknown, it recalls Isa 60.1. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 13th

 Read Ephesians 4.17-5.2. In 4.17-5.2: Old  and new walks. (See 2.1-10). The new walk, which avoids the walk of the gentiles (4.17a) with its futility, vices, opposition to instruction (4.17b-24), has practical implications (4.25-5.1). In verse 17: Affirm and testify, a pleonasm (deliberate repetition) drawn from legal language. In verse 20: Learned ... heard ... taught, instructions preceding baptism. In verses 22-24: Put away, clothe yourselves with the new self, baptismal terms. In verses 25-26: Speak the truth, Zec 8-16; be angry and sin not, Ps 4.4. In 5.1-12: Imitators of God, never used by Paul, though he speaks of imitating Christ (1 Cor11.1), himself (1 Thess 1.6; Phil 3.17) or others (Phil 3.17). Comments or Questions.

Reading for February 12th

 

ETHICAL EXHORTATIONS

In 4.1-6.20: This section contains exhortations to unity and full stature in Christ, admonitions against vice, encouragements to worship, and even household rules, in order to participate in the love of Christ. Much of this material is also in Col 3.1-4.6. 

Read Ephesians 4.1-16. In 4.1-16: Maintain Unity. Unity comes from the spirit (vv. 1-6) and the diversity of gifts of the Spirit brings the church to maturity (vv. 7-16). In verse 1: Calling , see 1.18; 2.11. In verse 2: Patience, literally, the ability to endure the pressure of heat. In verses 7-10: Ps 68.18 explains the origin (Christ) and the goal (Christ's filling) of Christian gifts. In verses 11-16: The gifts are essential for the church to reach maturity (contrasted with immaturity). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 11th

 Read Ephesians 3.1-21. In 3.1-21: Paul's imprisonment and ministry. In verse 1: The prayer (vv. 1, 14-21) is interrupted by vv. 2-13 (see Col 1.23-27) clarifying Paul's work on behalf of gentiles. On Paul as prisoner, see 2 Cor 6.5; 11.23; Philem 1.9; Phil 1.13-14. In verse 2: Commission, a management or stewardship position. In verse 3: As I wrote above, uncertain, but possibly the mission to the gentiles (2.11-12) or Christ's revelation (1.9-10). In verse10: The church manifests the wisdom of God's plan of reconciliation. In verse 14-21: The prayer resumes in a single sentence (vv. 14-19) and closes with a doxology (vv. 20-21). In verse 14: A play on father (patera") and family ("patria"). In verses 16-19: The goal is the fullness of God by way of the love of Christ. In verses 20-21: The doxology recalls the emphasis on power and abundance ( 1.19-20; 2.7). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 10th

 Read Ephesians 2.11-22. In verses 11-22: Jews and gentiles are reconciled to God in the body of Christ. In verse 12: Aliens, those without knowledge (Col 1.21). In verse 13: The far off ... brought near (also 2.17), possibly drawn from Isa 57.19. In verse 14: Dividing wall, possibly the temple barrier separating the court of the gentiles from the parts of the Temple open only to Jews. In verse 18: Access, the right of approach, as if to a king (3.12). In verse 19; Household of God: For the patriarchal writer, God is father over the social relations in the believer's family (1.3, 17; 2.18; 3.14; 4.6; 5.20; 6.23). In verse 20: Paul speaks of Christ as a foundation (1 Cor 3.10-15), but not apostles and prophets. Cornerstone or keystone, a messianic term (Isa 28.16, perhaps Ps 118.21-23). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 9th

 Read Ephesians 2.1-10. In 2.1-22: God's reconciling grace. God saves humankind from enemy powers and Christ ends the enmity between Jews and gentiles. In verses 1-10: Contrast between past walk (vv. 1-3) and present walk (vv. 4-10). In verse 2: Lived, literally "walked," connects the former walk (2.2) and the new way of walking in 2.10 (see 4.1, 17; 5.2, 8, 15). Ruler of the power of the air, Satan (4.27; 6.11-12). In verse 3: Flesh, fleshly disposition. In verses 5-6: By grace you have been saved, similar to Paul's language elsewhere, but never views the resurrection of the believers as a present reality. In verse 10: The good works that the community does are possible because God has created them in Christ. The life they lead is the way (literally "walk," v. 1). God has made it possible. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 8th

 Read Ephesians 1.15-23. In 1.15-23: A thanksgiving. In verse 18: Heart, the seat of knowledge and understanding. because of the hope to which he has called you, the church must live out its, calling, as described in 4.1-3. In verses 20-22: At the right hand, the most honored position (Col 3-1); under his feet, a sign of victory, both quoted from Ps 110. In verse 22: Christ as head of the church (Col 1.18) is not found in the undisputed Pauline letters, which speak of local churches, not the universal church. Comments or Questions. 

Reading for February 7th

 Read Ephesians 1.3-14. In 1.3-14: Praise to God. The repetitions of praise (vv. 6, 12, 14) divide the one Greek sentence into three parts (vv. 3-6; 7-12; 13-14). In verse 3: Heavenly places occurs nowhere else in the New testament but Ephesians (1.20; 2.6; 3.10; 6.12). In verses 5-6: Adoption, a favorite concept for Paul (Gal 4.15; Rom 8.15, 23; 9.4); Paul never uses beloved to characterize Christ though later Christian writers, like Ignatius, do. In verse 7: For Paul, redemption (a purchase payment) covers all of the believers' loves and is completed only at the second coming ("parousia"). (See 3.24; 8.23; 1 Cor 1.30; see also 1 Cor 15.23). Ephesians holds a similar view but never mentions parousia. In verse 8: Wisdom and insight emphasize adequate perception; the recipients should avoid deceit and spread truth (4.14, 25; 5.6; 6.14). In verse 9: Mystery, Colossians reserves this expression for Christ (Col 1.26-27; 2.2;4.3); here it indicates God's reconciliation of all things, including Jews and gentiles in the body of Christ (3.3-4, 9). In verse 10: Gather up, "headup": Jesus is head of the body and the church grows toward the head. In verse 11: Paul links adoption to inheritance (Gal 3.29; 4.7; Rom 8.17). In verses 12-14: We you connects vv. 7-12 to 13-24, anticipating the direct address to gentiles in 2.1 and 3.1. A seal confirms authenticity; a pledge is a deposit against the full amount to be paid later; both are used similarly in Paul's undisputed letters (2 Cor 1.22; 5.5; Rom 8.23). Comments or Questions.  

Reading for February 6th

Read Ephesians 1.1-2. In 1.1-2: The epistolary opening. It is typical for Paul's letters: Identification of the letter's sender and recipients, followed by words or greetings. Comments or Questions. 

Reading for February 5th

 Read Song of Songs 8.6-14: In verses 6-7: Sayings on love. Documents were secured with wax, which were then stamped with a seal bearing the owner's distinctive symbol. The woman marks the man as her own. In verses 8-14: Miscellaneous poems. The brothers, mentioned in ch. 1, speak. In verse 9: If on her wedding day she has been chaste (a wall), they will give her silver ornaments. If she has not, they will guard her. In verse 10: She maintains that she is chaste, and mature with full breasts (towers). In verses 11-12: The man maintains that his vineyard (that is, the woman) is better than that of Solomon, where a single piece of fruit was worth a thousand pieces of silver. Baal-harmon means "possessor of wealth." The location is unknown. In verse 13: The woman speaks these final verses. Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 4th

 Read Song of Songs 8.1-5. In 8.1-5: Expressions of desire. The woman is aware of the social constraints on their expressions of love. She wishes for the same freedom of affection and shared space that she would have with a brother. In verse 2: As elsewhere, pomegranates is a sexual image. In verse 5: The words of the chorus reveal that the lovers have been together in the countryside, perhaps having consummated their desire. For a third time, the woman connects their intimate moments with events of their own conceptions (3.4;8.2). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 3rd.

 Read Song of Songs 7.6-13. In 7.6-13: Dialogue between lovers. The man expresses his desire to touch the woman: She is a delectable as fruit and delicious as wine. In verses 10-13: The woman invites the man into the fields: There, were blooms opening, she will give herself to him. In many cultures mandrakes are considered aphrodisiacs (Gen 30.14-16). Comments or Questions..

Reading for February 2nd

 Read Song of Songs 7.1-5. In 7.1-5: The man praises the woman's body. In his third description of the beauty of the woman's body, the man reverses his gaze and describes her from foot to head. Greater intimacy is implied by these images: He speaks of her navel and belly, normally hidden by clothing. In verses 4-7: The woman is compared to majestic geography and architecture. Hesbon: South of Jerusalem, known for its large reservoir. Bath-rabbim: Literary, "daughter of great ones." Carmel is a mountain range in northwestern Israel. Comments or Questions.

Reading for February 1st

 Read Song of 6.11-13. In verses 11-12: The woman speaks. The regal imagery continues, as the woman calls her lover my prince. In verse 13: A call to the woman. Shulammite: The woman is called "the Shulammite," meaning unclear. it could be a feminine form of the name Solomon, indicating nobility. An unidentified group asks to  gaze upon her. The man rebuffs the request. A dance before two armies may refer to a specific kind of dance or perhaps explains that such a display would be as lewd as a woman dancing in front of two armies of men. Comments or Questions..