Reading for July 29th

 Read Jeremiah 19.1-15. In 19.1-15: The broken pot. Jeremiah performs a symbolic action in which he breaks an earthenware jug in front of the elders and priests to represent the nation. He summarizes their idolatries, their sins, and their refusals to listen. In verse 15; Then he announces the fulfillment of the long promised disaster. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 28th

 Read Jeremiah 18.18-23. In 18.18-23: Jeremiah's fourth confession. In verse 18: Enemies of Jeremiah speak in a prose comment that illustrates the community's failure to repent. In verses 19-20: Jeremiah reminds God of how faithful Jeremiah has been to his prophetic mission. In verses 21-23: He asks God to punish the enemies who try to kill him. The prophet's enemies are the enemies of God because they refuse to hear the divine word that the prophet claims to speak. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 27th

 Read Jeremiah 18.13-17. In 18.13-17: God's response. God laments their idolatry and turns from them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 26th

 Captivity

In chs. 18-20: These chapters mark a climax in the first part of the book and are more closely woven than previous sections. In them threats of captivity and disaster come to a symbolic fulfillment. After relentless efforts by God and Jeremiah to bring the nation to repentance, punishment comes upon them. 

Read Jeremiah 18.1- 12. In 18.1-12: The potter. Prose narrative describes Jeremiah's visit to the potter. The potter makes a vessel that he dislikes, so he destroys it and starts again. In verse 11: This action becomes symbolic of God's plan for Israel and occasions a final invitation to repent. In verse 12: The people adamantly refuse to repent. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 25th

Read Jeremiah 17.19-27. In 17.19-27: Sabbath sermon. In this prose passage, God directs Jeremiah to announce to the leadership the absolute necessity of keeping sabbath law. They are not to carry burdens or do work, and they must heed divine commands. If they fail, then Jerusalem will be destroyed by fire. This sermon explains again that the exile did not occur because God's cruelty or forgetfulness but resulted from the community's failure to be faithful. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for July 24th

 Read Jeremiah 17.14-18. In 17.14-18: Jeremiah's third confession. Jeremiah is less accusatory of God here than in the previous confessions and asks for healing of his wound. In verse 15: He quotes his enemies, who doubt that he speaks the word of God because it has not come true. He asks God to take vengeance against them. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 23rd

 Read Jeremiah 17.1-13. In 17.1-27: True worship. Many voices combine in this chapter. In verses 1-4: In prose accusation, God accuses the people of Judah of idolatry and promises that they will be exiled. In verses 5-8: In language reminiscent of Ps 1, God announces the cursed fate of those who trust in themselves, and the blessed condition of those who trust in God. In verses 12-13: The voice of worship addressed to God reappears and speaks about the foolishness of abandoning the fountain of living water (2.13). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 22nd

 Read Jeremiah 16.16-21. In verses 16-18: God's punishment here may be against the enemies who have invaded the land and polluted it with idols. In verses 19-20: A worshipping voice addresses God in the style of the children's speech (3.22-25), expressing loyalty and repentance. This speech provides a model of piety for the exiles to follow. Comments or Questions,,

Reading for July 21st

 Read Jeremiah 16.10-15: In verses 10-13: God quotes the people, who ask questions at the very heart of the book. Why has this happened? Exile has happened because of their sin and infidelity. In verses 14-15: Divine promises of a hopeful future addressed to the survivors of the nation's fall interrupt announcements of exile. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 20th

 Read Jeremiah 16.1-9. In 16.1-21: Jeremiah's celibacy. Several voices debate the meaning of exile. In verses 1-9: The first voice of God, who commands Jeremiah not to take a wife and not to beget children. Jeremiah's isolation from the community becomes even stronger. Yet his life becomes a symbolic act, a sign of what will happen to the people in exile. Normal life will be over. There will be no marriages, and that means there will be no children. Domestic life is over and the people have no future. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 19th

 Read Jeremiah 15.10- 21. In Jeremiah 15.10-21: Jeremiah's second confession. In verse 10; Jeremiah laments his calling to announce the coming tragedy to the community. In verse 15: He addresses God directly to complain that he has been faithful, taking the divine words into himself like food. In verse 17: He stayed away from community life. In verse 18: Like people, Jeremiah's wound is incurable, for God is unreliable. In verses 19-21: God replies that Jeremiah must turn to God, just as Jeremiah has asked the people to do (4.2). Then God will be with him and rescue him. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 18th

 Read Jeremiah 15.1-9. In 15.1-16.21: No future, yet a future. In 15.1: Jeremiah cannot intercede with God for this sinful people because their infidelity places them beyond hope. Even the great mediators of the past, Moses and Samuel, could not get God to change the divine mind. These refusals by God to hear the prophet also indicate to the exilic audience that Jeremiah did not fail to prevent the nation's fall. Rather, they had sinned and God had no choice but to punish them. In verses 2-3: Poetry moves from the mythic description of the foe of the north to a more natural description of invasion and destruction. The culprit in this verse is King Manasseh, (2 Kings 21.10-15), who was famous for his idolatry. In verses 5-9: God laments over female Jerusalem, describes the disasters ahead, and accepts full responsibility for bringing calamity upon her. But the poem indicates that God has punished her only after becoming weary of relenting (v. 6). The poem defends God from charges of cruelty. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 17th

 Read Jeremiah 17.17-22. In verse 17: Jeremiah weeps at the woundedness of the people, portrayed as the virgin daughter, grievously wounded by a crushing blow. In verses 19-22: The people use language of worship to protest God's neglect of them and to ask why there is no healing and no rain. The people's voice probably represents the voice of the exiles, expressing repentance and hope in the same style as the children in 3.22-25. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 16th

 Read Jeremiah 14.11-16. In this prose comment we again hear God commanding Jeremiah not to intercede on behalf of the people because their case is beyond hope. Jeremiah stands in contrast to false prophets who preach lies to the people. This conflict suggests that the audience of the book is offered competing interpretations from its religious leaders. Jeremiah is only the prophet sent by God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 15th

 Read Jeremiah 14.1-10. In 14.1-22: Drought and wound. This chapter contains two poems, one concerning a drought (vv. 1-10) and one concerning the wounds of war (vv. 17-22), with a prose comment (vv. 11-16) between them. Though the actual drought may be behind the first poem, it stands here as an image of the destruction of the creation caused by the nations sinfulness. In verse 3: The earth and the animals are affected by the people's idolatry as they return to empty cisterns, instead of to the "fountain of living water" (2.13). In verses 8-9: The people speak in the language of worship, asking why God has forsaken them. In verse 10: God describes again their wandering, as they turn to other gods. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 14th

 Read Jeremiah 13.15-27. Jeremiah warns the people against their pride and urges them to listen. In verse 17: If they do not, his response will be to weep at their captivity as God weeps (9.1). In verses 18-19: The queen mother , that is the mother of the king, will be brought low because the invasion and exile are already underway. In verse 20: The enemy from the north is coming. In verses 22-27: According to the Hebrew text, God addresses Jerusalem, personified again as female, with charges that her infidelity will result in her violation. God will be the one to lift her skirts, that is, to rape her. This shocking language uses the image of rape woman to describe the invasion of the city, directed and accomplished by God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 13th

 Read Jeremiah 13.12-14. In a second symbolic event to occur in the future, God interprets actions to be performed by the people, not by Jeremiah. The filling of wine-jars signifies not feasting, as readers might expect, but drunkenness that is destructive of the people and the land. These verses seem to provide the punishment for the pride named in Jeremiah's symbolic action of hiding the loincloth. This wine-drinking episode points forward to 25.15-29, when all the nations drink from the cup of destruction. Comments or Questions.

Reading for July 12th

 Read Jeremiah 13.1-11. In 13.1-27: The nation's pride. In this chapter Jeremiah performs a symbolic act (vv. 1-11), interprets a symbolic event (vv. 12-14), and in poetry again announces exile (vv. 15-27). The theme of the nation's false pride runs throughout the chapter. In verses 1-11: Jeremiah receives a divine command to purchase a loincloth and hide it in a cleft of the rock (v. 4). The results of his action symbolize his prophetic message. The loincloth is ruined by its exposure to the elements. In verses 8-11: Jeremiah's words explain the action. Judah is supposed to cling to God but instead has been full of pride and has refused to listen; hence, the nation will become to ruin. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 11th

 Read Jeremiah 12.7-17. In 12.7-17: God's lament. Using the first person pronoun, I, God laments the infidelity of the beloved of my heart. Describe as a wild lion, God's beloved heritage has provoked divine hate, so punishment will follow. In verses 14-17: A prose comment reuses language of plucking up from Jeremiah's call (1.10). God seems to address the exiles directly by promising that those who destroy God's heritage will be plucked from their land and God will pluck the people of Judah from where they are and return them home, if they listen. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 10th

 Read Jeremiah 11.18-12.6. In 11.18-12.6: Jeremiah's first confession. In verses 18-19: Jeremiah complains that he is under attack from unidentified enemies. He quotes their plots to get rid of him. In verse 20 he appeals to God, the just judge, to take vengeance against them. In verses 21-23: In a prose comment, God promises to punish the enemies, who are identified as people from Jeremiah's own town of Anathoth. But Jeremiah then accuses the just judge of planting and nourishing wickedness. In 12.5-6: The judge replies that things will get worse, even Jeremiah's family will  turn against him. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 9th

 COVENANT DESTROYED

Chs. 11-20: Like the previous chapters, this section of the book seeks to explain the tragedy that has befallen Judah amd to defend God from the charges of cruelty. It claims that the people brought the catastrophe upon themselves. These chapters continue the poetic accusations of chs. 2-10, but in addition, Jeremiah himself moves into the foreground as a major character in the book. Stories show Jeremiah engaged in symbolic actions (chs 13, 18, 19, 20). Symbolic actions are prophetic activities that express the prophetic message in dramatic behavior. In addition, this section also includes poems called the "confessions' or "laments" of Jeremiah. The confessions portray Jeremiah's sufferings as he tries to be faithful to his prophetic mission. The covenant sermon begins the next ten chapters with a curse whose fulfillment becomes inevitable by ch. 20. No belssings,which usually accompany curses--defeat of Judah--has already occurred and the audience is exile is asking why it happened and if it is reversibile. The sermon interprets their loss of the land as the result of their infidelity. Only obedience to God's voice through this prophetic book can set things right.

Read Jeremiah 11.1-17. In 11.1-17: The covenant curse. In this prose sermon, similar instyle to the Temple sermon (7.1-8.3), Jeremiah announces a curse upon anyone who does not heed the words of the covenant (v. 3). The covenant refers to the relationship of loyalty and love that God made with them at Mount Sinai (Ex 19). This sermon has one point that is presented with great simplicity: To possess the land, the people must obey the covenant. In verse 4: They must listen to my voice. The covenant is a two way relationship, if they obey, then so shall you be my people, and I will be your God. In verse 5: That obedience is the condition of living in the land flowing with milk and honey. In verses 6-13: Otherwise disaster will fall upon them. In verses 14-17: Once again God tells Jeremiah not to intercede for the people because they are so sinful. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 8th

 Read Jeremiah 10.17-25. In 10.17-25: Exile. These verses shift back tot he time before the Exile, and God announces that the attack, expected throughout chs. 4-10, is about to come (vv. 17-17, 22). In verses 19-20: A second voice, probably that of Jerusalem personified as daughter Zion, laments her fate. She is abandoned and her children gone. In verses 23-25: She admits her sins and asks for divine justice in punishment of both herself and the nations who devour Jacob, another name for Israel. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 7th

 Read Jeremiah 10.1-16. In 10.1-16: Hymn of praise. These verses contain a hymn that expresses loyalty to the one true God and makes fun of the other gods as worthless idols. The hymn, which seems to follow 9.22, serves as a model of repentance and reconciliation for the exiles surviving the nation's collapse. The poem is similar in subject and worship style to the repentance of the children from the broken family (3.22-25). In verses 2-5: The people should neither become like the nations around them nor adopt their idolatrous customs. In verse 6: Israel's God is the true king of the nations. In verses 8-11: By contrast, the gods of the nations are stupid, human creations. In verses 12-16: Only the God of Israel is the Creator whose wisdom made the world. Israel is God's special inheritance. In this hymn, creation's harmony is reestablished. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 6th

 Read Jeremiah 9.17-25. In verse 17: Mourning women: In ancient Israel, official mourning women are called to funerals to lead the community in weeping. In verse 21: Here they are summoned to weep over the destruction of the nation, for death has come up into our windows. The funeral to which the people are invited is their own. In verses 23-26: A prose comment, which seems to continue from 9.12-16 rather than from the weeping poem, announces that God acts in justice for those who know me. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 5th

 Read Jeremiah 9.4-16. In verses 4-8: Accusations against the people include their unfaithfulness to each other as they lie, slander, and deceive. In punishment God will refine them like silver. In verse 9: But God expresses hesitancy with a question also asked earlier (5.9, 29):  How can punishment be avoided? In verses 10-11: The command to weep indicates that the destruction of the earth and of the city of Jerusalem cannot be turned away. The poem implies the end of the world for the inhabitants of Judah. Invasion by the foe from the north will end normal life. In verses 12-16: These prose verses interpret further the tragedy about to happen but which for the audience of the book has already occurred. In verses 13-14: The people did not keep God's law nor listen to God's voice. Instead, they worshiped the Baals. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 4th

 Read Jeremiah 8.18-9.3. In 8.18-9.26: Weeping. God, the earth, and official mourning women weep to signify the certainty of the nation's destruction. The poetry of weeping also suggests that God joins with the people and the earth in expressing vulnerability, pain, and grief over the invasion that will destroy life in the land. In 8.18-9.3: There is disagreement among scholars about the identity of the principal speaker in this poem, but it is probably God. In verse 21: The God who suffered in the story of the broken family (2.1-3.25) is in pain and dismay again over the hurt of my poor people. The Hebrew text reads "daughter of my people," to suggest that God is still lamenting over the broken family relationship. In 9.1: The divine speaker then expresses a wish: O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! Divine tears, unlike divine anger, create a brief solidarity and empathy with the people. If the audience is Israel during the Exile, divine tears suggest that God has not rejected them forever but suffers with them. In verse 2: The speaker's mood changes quickly. God desires to escape from the midst of the sinners, an unfaithful people. Comments or Questions.

Reading for July 3rd

 Read Jeremiah 8.4-17. In 8.4-17: Why the attack will come. God speaks to Jeremiah in continued perplexity about the people's failure to repent. In verses 6-7: They behave like wild animals. In verses 8-9: Their punishment will be captivity. The aftermath of military attack shows wives and fields captured by others. In verses 10-12: The refrain of accusation from 6.13-15 is repeated here to explain why the invasion must occur. Everyone is deluded and everyone sins. In verses 14-15 : The people speak in confusion and blame God for failing them. Their voice may reflect the feelings of the book's audience in exile, even though their speech is here set before the recounting of the tragedy. In verses 16-17: God replies by calling attention to the sound of the approaching battle,. Comments or Questions..

Reading forJuly 2nd

 Read Jeremiah 8.1-3. In the horrifying conclusion to the sermon, the kings, who are not only the leaders but also symbolize the nation itself, will die and their corpses will be dishonored. The sermon seeks to bring about obedience and true worship. The people must listen to the voice of God though the prophet. If the book's audience lives in exile, then the sermon makes clear that only true worship will bring about renewed life in the land. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for July 1st

 Read Jeremiah 7.21-34. In verse 29: A poetic verse urges the people to lament, for God has rejected their worship. In verses 30-32: People offer their children in sacrifice on Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom. In verses 33-34: For these crimes the nation will be destroyed. Their corpses will be littered about, normal life in the land will cease, and the land will become a waste. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 30th

 Read 7.8-20. In 7.8-8.3: The sermon mpves in a downward spiral of offenses. In 7.9: The people commit crimes and worship Baal, a storm deity, not the God of Israel. In verses 12-15: For these offenses, Jerusalem will become like Shiloh, a shrine in the northern kingdom that was destroyed by the Philistines. The Jerusalem Temple will meet the same fate if the people of Judah do not repent. In verses 16-17: Yet the sins of Judah are so great that God prohibits Jeremiah from interceding on behalf of the people. In verses 18-19: Entire families worship the astral deity called the queen of heaven. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 29th

The Temple sermon.

Chs. 7-8: This long prose sermon presented by Jeremiah at the Temple in Jerusalem appears to interrupt the poetry of chs. 1-10. The poetry contains multiple images and voices that intrude upon each other and, in chs. 4-6, focus on the cosmic battle. The prose sermon, by contrast, contains only the voice of Jeremiah as the divine spokesperson. The sermon's subject is the hypocrisy and arrogance of the people's worship. Rather than completely changing the subject from the poetry, the Temple sermon focuses attention on one more aspect of the people's sinfulness. The people themselves, not God, should be blamed for the destruction of the nation. Judah and its capital city, Jerusalem, fell to Babylon in the sixth century BCE because their worship was false. The sermon must have been immensely shocking for its original audience. Since the time of David, the king and the Temple had been closely bound  together in the people's thinking. When David came to the throne, God promised that David's son would build the Temple and that David and his throne would be established forever (1 Sam 7.1-7). A century earlier than Jeremiah, the prophet Isaiah had interpreted the promise to David as unconditional assurance of Jerusalem's safety (Isa 36-37). By the time of Jeremiah,the people of judah seemed to think they were safe no matter what they did.

 Read Jeremiah 7.1-7. Standing at the gates of the Temple, Jeremiah tells the people that they must change their ways to dwell in this place (7.3, 7, 10,11). The "place" probably refers to the Temple, the land, and the city. To live there, they must stop their false reliance on the place itself. Instead, they must act justly toward one another. They claim God's protection in the Temple even though, by oppressing weak members of their society, they act as if they are not God's people. The threat to the nation stems notably from the invading foe but also from their own behavior Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 28th

 Read Jeremiah 6.22-30. The attacking army continues to advance against you, O daughter Zion (v. 23). In verse 26: As the symbol of the city there is nothing for her to do but to lament her fate. In verse 27: God speaks to Jeremiah to tell him his role is like one who tests the authenticity of silver. In verse 30: Judah is rejected silver. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 27th

 Read Jeremiah 6.13-21. In verses 13-15: A refrain that will reappear in 8.10-13 charges the entire community with guilt--from the people to the leaders. everyone is greedy and leaders lie; therefore God is justified in punishing them. In verses 16-21: God assembles the nations and the earth itself as witnesses against them in the covenant lawsuit. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 26th

Read Jeremiah 5.30-6.12. In 6.1-30: daughter Zion is attacked.  This chapter gathers images of the cosmic battle into a collection of poems from a chorus of speakers. The mythic nature of the battle increases when the text identifies daughter Zion as the object of the attack. A ferocious military nation wages war against Jerusalem, portrayed as a weaken wanton woman, defenseless in the face of her foe. In verse 1: A voice urges the children of Benjamin, one of the tribes of Judah, to flee the city for evil looms out of the north. In verses 4-7: The poem quotes the enemies' shouts as they prepare for attack. They believe they are acting under divine orders against a wicked city. In verses 10-12: Jeremiah laments the people's stubbornness. They are not even capable of hearing the prophet's warning. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 25th

 Read Jeremiah 5.20-29. God's reluctance to punish is overcome because neither Jacob, the northern kingdom that fell to Assyria in 721 BCE, nor Judah, the southern kingdom that falls to Babylon in 587, sees, hears, or fears the Creator. Unlike the sea and the rains that stay in place and come at the proper times, the people know no boundaries in their wickedness. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 24th

 Read Jeremiah 5.7-19. In verses 7-11: A question that will be repeated (5.29) addresses an unnamed female. She is probably daughter Zion and God's unfaithful wife (2.1-3.5). God asks if there is a way to pardon her, but she and her children have been adulterous. There is not way to avoid punishment. In verses 12-18: Further accusations of infidelity introduce another announcement of the approaching invader, a mighty nation, superhuman in it capacities. However, a prose comment promises not to completely destroy the nation. If the book's audience is the people in exile, v. 18 speaks to them directly. They are the remnant who remain after the invasion. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 23rd

 Read Jeremiah 5.1-6. In 5.1-31: God's reluctance to send the attackers. These loosely connected poems show that God does not wish to destroy the nation. Instead, the people are at fault because they will not act justly or repent. God is neither arbitrary nor whimsical in orchestrating the attack on the nation. In verses 1-6: God will not destroy the nation if Jeremiah can find one righteous person. Though he runs up and down the streets of Jerusalem to the rich and the poor, Jeremiah's search is unsuccessful. God promises invasion by wild animals, which symbolize the invading army. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 22nd

 Read Jeremiah 4.23- 31. In verses 23-28: Creation destroyed. The  speaker describes a terrifying vision of destruction that reverses the world's creation in the first chapter of Genesis. This picture of the earth as a divested landscape, waste and void, implies the cosmic battle somehow overturns the world. The impact of the historical invasion of Judah by Babylon meant the end of their national world, the collapse of daily life in their land. The poem describes the symbolic effects of that invasion. Judah's world has come to an end. In verses 29-31: The battle draws near as suggested by the noise of the attack and the flight of the inhabitants. this poem portrays the city of Jerusalem as a woman called daughter Zion.. She is probably God's first wife in 2.1-3.25. Portraying the city as a woman indicates how impossible defense against the advancing army is for her and creates pity in the reader. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 21st

 The approaching enemy.

In chs. 4-6: No narrative unifies these poems, but the approaching foe looms over the chapters and gives them menacing drama. The voices of God, Jeremiah, a narrator, the people, daughter Zion, and the foe from the north--all speak and argue about God's role in the coming invasion. The battle poems use great art in portraying war. Scenes of approaching armies appeal to the senses and give the superhuman enemy from the north shape in the imagination. With few details of sight and sound, the poems place readers in the thick of the battle.

Read Jeremiah 4.5-22. The sound of the trumpet and the sight of the standard or flag of the army evoke the battle. In verses 6-7: References to the mythic foe add to the unearthly terror coming upon the nation. The enemy is a lion, magnified into a destroyer of nations. Since God is the one bringing the foe, supernatural forces are arrayed against the nation. In verses 19-22: Although God brings the enemy, God also witnesses the battle with uncontrollable anguish . Comments or Questions.

Reading for June 20th

 THE COSMIC BATTLE

In Chs. 4-10: Chapter 4 turns away from the story of the broken family to give prominence to announcements of imminent invasion by the "foe from the "north." The material in this section is largely poetic, but some prose passages as well (4.1-8.3). Although individual passages probably came from many different times, they are collected here around the theme of cosmic destruction at the hands of the mythic "foe" from the north.

Read 4.1-4. In 4.1-4: Repent. This poem reaches back to the broken marriage by repeating the invitation to "return," and it extends forward in the book by promising God's wrathful judgement against those who do not repent. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 19th

 Read Jeremiah 3.19-24. Though still nostalgic for his wife (2.19-20), the husband/father again invites the children to "return" and promises to heal them. In verses 22-24: The children then begin to speak, addressing the father directly and repenting of their infidelity and idolatry. The family is partially restored. the account of the broken family symbolically retells the entire course of Judah's history up to the Exile. It is likely that the children symbolize the exiles who were invited to return and promised a renewed future in allegiance to their father. The story of this broken family explains the Exile symbolically. The historical destruction of Judah and Jerusalem was not God's fault but was punishment for idolatry and betrayal. That betrayal by all the people appears the more intimate and wrong because it is like betrayal by a spouse. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 18th

 Read Jeremiah 3.6-18. In verses 6-10: Jeremiah replaces the husband as speaker and reports that the husband had previously had another wife, Israel who also betrayed him and whom he had also divorced. In the story of the family, both the northern and southern kingdoms have betrayed God and been cast off. Since the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 721 BCE, this story explains that historical tragedy in the symbolic terms of betrayal in marriage. In verses 11-18: The divine husband sends Jeremiah to the first wife and invite her to return. The text reports no response from her. Then the invitation to return is addressed to the children (v. 14). Their father promises them restoration and reunification of the whole people in Jerusalem (vv. 15-18). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 17th

 Read Jeremiah 3.1-5. The relationship between God and his wife, symbolizing all the people of Israel and Judah, is over. The family is broken and there appears to be no future. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 16th

 Read Jeremiah 2.4-37. In these poems, the divine speaker alternates in addressing male Israel (2.4-16; 2.26-32) and female Judah, portrayed as God's wife (2.17-25; 2.33-3.5). The effect of this switch from male to female is to accuse both figures of infidelity and of going after other gods or lovers. Male Israel changes its gods (2.11), forsakes God, the fountain of living water (2.13), digs its own sources of water (2.13) and worships idols (2.27-28). Wife Judah also betrays God, but in more intimate ways. Though she is God's wife, she played the whore (2.20), went after other lovers (2.23-25, 33; 3.1), and would not return to her husband (3.1). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 15th

 The broken family

In Chs. 2-3: A story of a broken family underlies and unifies the poetry and prose of this section. The account of this family functions as a summary of the whole book in symbolic form. God appears as husband and father, betrayed, brokenhearted and in search of reconciliation with his unfaithful wife and children.

Read 2.1-2: God speaks and addresses his wife, remembering how good it was during their honeymoon. Then God addresses male Israel in similar terms. Israel was holy to the Lord. Both female and male were set apart and protected. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 14th

 Read Jeremiah 1.11-19. Jeremiah's gains substance from two visions written in prose. In verses 11-13: Jeremiah sees a branch of an almond tree, a "shaqed" in Hebrew. In a play on words, God replies, I am watching ("shoqed") over my word to perform it. What God says through Jeremiah will happen. Next Jeremiah sees a boiling pot, tilted away from the north. The boiling pot is a symbol of destruction, overflowing and burning. The north may refer to a historic enemy, but more likely the threat from the north refers to a mythic enemy, coming like a superhuman monster. Only in 20.4 will the foe from the north be identified as Baylon. In verses 14-18: The tilting pot will spill out an army of invaders who will stream upon the land. God is calling the kingdoms of the north to invade Jerusalem. Jeremiah himself should have courage throughout the terror, for God will be with him. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 13th

 Read Jeremiah 1.1-10. Chs. 1-10: Cosmic destruction. Ch. 1: Jeremiah's call. In verses 1-3: The introductory verse tells who Jeremiah was and when he prophesied. He was from a family of priests from the town outside Jerusalem, Anaoth. His call came during the time of King Josiah and extended until the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 587 BCE, a 40-year period that symbolically links him with Moses' 40 years of leadership in the wilderness. Jeremiah is presented as a prophet like Moses, as promised in Deut 18.18. In verses 4-10: In a poetic conversation between God and Jeremiah, Jeremiah receives his mission. His call before birth indicates that his prophecy was not his own invention but given to him by God. His resistance on the grounds that he is only a boy and so cannot speak properly also indicates that God has sent him; he has not chosen this task for himself. God tells him not to be afraid, promises to be with him, and touches his mouth. This gesture symbolizes the divine origin of the words Jeremiah speaks and the words recorded in this book. The book claims that Jeremiah's words are from God. In verse 10: Jeremiah is a prophet to the nations and will tear down and build up. This short poem gives Jeremiah and his book authority in the face of opposition. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 12th

 Read Philippians 4.21-23. In 4.21-23: Closing. Mutual greetings (compare 1 Cor 16.19-21; 1 Thess 5.26-27) and a blessing (compare Philemon). In verse 22: The emperor's household, the slaves of the emperor in Rome or the colonies. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 11th

Read Philippians 4.8-20.  In 4.8-20: A call for consistency in all situations. A brief, poetic passage commends right thinking and right action (vv. 8-9) and notes the proper attitude toward changing circumstances (vv. 10-20). In verses 8-9: The whatever statements indicate a series of attitudes for living that can help the community face any difficulty. In verse 10: Revived your concern, the Philippians maintained concern for Paul even when they could not express it. In verses 10-13: Paul's attitude resembles Cynic and Stoic discussions of his time, but he does not see the source of endurance in himself. Paul challenges the Philippians to learn the value of "humiliation," shunned by conventional society but reinforced elsewhere in the letter (2.3, 8; 3.21). In verses 15-19: The community never lacked concern for him (v. 10), even though he neither needed nor sought it. Their reward is from God. In verse 16: Paul never accepted gifts from a church while he was with them (see 1 Cor 9; 1Thess 2.9; 2 Cor 8.1-5). In verse 18: On sacrifice see 2.17. Comments or Questions...

Reading for June 10th

 Read Philippians 4.2-7. In 4.2-7: Exhortations to overcome disunity and opposition. In verse 2: Be of the same mind: The point of disagreement is unknown, but a number of the letter's key expressions (same mind, struggled side by side, work of the gospel) come together here. Book of life, see Ex 32.32; Ps 69.28; Dan 12.1. In verses 4-7: Brief exhortations to develop the right attitude; guard, a military term, describes God's peace. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 9th

 Read Philippians 3.1b-4.1. In 3.1b-4.1: The example of Paul. A transition (v. 1) and warning (v. 2) lead into Paul's renunciation of his advantages to counter any tendencies to arrogance (vv. 3-11). He commends perfection but notes, a play on words, how perfect people (relatively speaking) know they have not reached perfection (vv. 12-16). Finally, while enemies of the cross have an earthly orientation, Paul commends a heavenly citizenship in which the believers await the glorification in the future (3.17-4.1). In verse 1: To write the same things, probably about disunity; Paul positions the words he writes about his own life as a safeguard for the community's problems. In verse 2: Beware, repeated three times, or "watchout for," warns about a possibility, not what already exists. Verses 2 and 18-19 likely refer to practices of the community, rather than actual opponents, that breed disunity. Dogs in ancient writing were examples of shameless greed. In verse 3: Circumcision, metaphorically, God's people. In verse 7: Regard echoes 2.3, which commends church-members to "regard other better than themselves," and 2.6 which asserts that Jesus did not "equality with God as something exploited." In verse 10: Becoming like ("symmorphizomenos") Jesus, a link to 2.7, in which Jesus took on the "form" ("morphen") of a slave. In verses 13-14: The image is of running a race. In verse 17: Imitation, see 1 Cor.16; 11.1; 1 Thess 1.6. In verse 20: Citizenship, not political but heavenly. See Gal 4.26. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for June 8th

 Read Philippians 2.9-3.1a. In 2.19-3.1a: Timothy and Epaphroditus: examples of unselfishness. Timothy (2.19-24) and Epaphroditus (2.25-20), examples of unselfishness concerned with the whole church. In verse 22: Timothy, see Acts 16.1-3; 1 Cor 16.10-11; 1 Thess 3.1-6> In verse 25: Epaphroditus, see 4.18; Col 1.7; Philem 23. In verses 29-30: Honor such people, Paul continues to redefine honor: Honor those who risk their lives for Christ (2.30). In 1a: Finally, a transition (aslo at 4.8). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 7th

 Read Philippians 12-18. In 1.12-18: Applying the hymn to life. Based on the honor of being a slave who brings glory to God, Paul commends efforts that seek to please God, oriented toward the day of Christ, for God began and would continue to work among the Philippians until it was completed on that day (1.6). In verse 12: Work out or "work forth" (that is demonstrate) salvation, a work that is not yet complete. In verse 15: Crooked and perverse generation (Deut 32.5), in contrast to God's blameless children who shine like the stars. In verse 16: Labor, Paul's efforts in proclaiming the gospel, oriented to the day of Christ on which he can boast if his church holds fast. In verse 17: Being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice, Paul's present suffering for the gospel. Later, he views the Philippian's gift as a "sacrifice," That is a financial hardship on behalf of the gospel (4.18). Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 6th

 EXAMPLES OF THE GOSPEL'S RECONFIGURATION OF HONOR

In 2.1-4.7: Specific examples of Jesus (2.6-11), Timothy and Epaphroditus (2.19-3.1a) and Paul himself (3.1b-4.1a) expresses the frame of mind Paul commends before he exhorts the Philippians toward unity in the church (4.1b-7).

Read Philippians 2.1-11. In verses 1-4: The proper mind. The Philippians must seek true honor, not their own glory. In verse 1: If there is any encouragement in Christ ..., not an expression of doubt but a call for consideration. In verse 2: Make my joy complete, that is more joy than he already has despite difficult circumstances; an appeal based on the common benefits he and his audience share as believers. In verse 3: Self-centered ambition seeks to elevate one's own status (1.15, 17); conceit, "empty glorying," is an improper motive when the goal of life is the "glory" of God (1.11; see 4.20). In verses 6-11: A hymn on Jesus' unselfish disposition. It is unclear whether Paul composed this hymn himself or is quoting it. The example of Jesus is central to the message he brings the Philippians. Just as Jesus is described as a slave (v. 7), so are Paul and Timothy (1.1; 2.22). Just as Jesus submitted to the point of death (v. 8), so Epaphroditus moved "close to death" (2.30) for the sake of Christ. Voluntarily giving up privileges for the sake of others and to God's glory redefines conventional views of honor in which persons compete fiercely to gain more favor than their peers. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 5th

 Read Philippians 1.27-30. In 1.27-30: Living worthy of the gospel. In verse 27: Live your life, literally "conduct life as a citizen" of heaven (3.20). Worthy of the gospel of Christ, that is, in a manner that does not seek one's own elevation above another (2.6-11). In verse 29: Paul suffers for the gospel to show that suffering is part of grace. In verses 27-30: A series of athletic or military images includes striving side by side (compare 4.3), struggle (the contest of defending the gospel to outsiders), and even standing firm. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 4th

 Read Philippians 1.12-26. In 1.12-26: Suffering for the gospel. Spread (v. 12) and progress (v. 25) are the same words in Greek, unifying the two parts of the passage: Paul's joy is proclaiming Christ despite his imprisonment (1.12-18a); and his joy in the exaltation of Christ in his body whether he lives or dies (1.18b-26). Everything else--love, envy, life or death--is relative to this joy. Imprisonment (1.12-26) is an example of placing the needs of other above personal concerns. In verse 12: Spread or "progress," clearing (literally "cutting") a path for an army; see v. 25. In verse 13:Whole imperial guard: In Rome, "praetorium" is the emperor's elite soldiers: in Asia Minor, it is the provincial residence of any Roman administrator. In verse 16: Defense of the Gospel, the effort to convince outsiders of the gospel's values. In verse 20: Put to shame, made ashamed because of the paradox of good news about the shameful death of Jesus. Paul will not be ashamed because his circumstances exalt Christ. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 3rd

 Read Philippians 1.3-11. In 1.3-11: Thanksgiving. Preview of the letter's themes. In verse 6: The work extends through life, emanating from God until consummation of the new age. The day of Jesus Christ (compare Amos 5.20; Zeph 1.15) refers to the return of Jesus (see Cor 1.8). In verse 7: Think (2.2, 5; 3.15,19; 4.2, 10), moral reasoning or correct disposition of the mind. Heart , one's inner life, not simply feelings. NRSV share is actually a noun, "partnership" between Paul and his audience. This is one of several compound words (1.17, 27; 2.2, 17-18, 25; 3.21; 4.3, 14) with a syn-prefix (meaning "with"), emphasizing unity. Confirmation, establishing the gospel in believers. In verse 8: Compassion, affection. In verse 9: Knowledge through experience of what really matters so that conduct brings glory and praise to God. In verse 11: Harvest of righteousness, apocalyptic imagery that places present-day problems in the setting of the end time. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 2nd

 Read Philippians 1.1-2. In 1.1-2: Opening. In verse 1: Servants, literally "slaves" (douloi"), anticipates 2.7, "slave" ("douloi"), the form Jesus took in becoming a human being, and 2.22, Timothy "slaved" ("endouleusen") for the gospel. In verse 2: Bishops and deacons, leadership titles, either functions ("overseers" and "servers") or specific offices, like clergy today. Comments or Questions..

Reading for June 1st

 Read Isaiah 66.1-24. In 66.1-24: Final warnings and consolations for Jerusalem. In verses 1-5: The final chapter of the book of Isaiah sets out a fresh several basic themes that have appeared and reappeared throughout the book. Of primary importance is the demand for truth and sincerity in worship. The public performance of ritual and piety shows loyalty to God, but such outward actions must be matched by an inner spirit (see 1.12-17; 29.13). Verse 1 is not a rejection of the Temple, but rather defines its true purpose. In verses 6-11: In spite of the many conflicts and setbacks that have marred Jerusalem's history, the promises of God for the blessing of Israel as people remained valid. In verses 12-16: The message of reassurance and hope for the future of Jerusalem did not mean, however, that the wrongdoing would pass without judgment. In verse 17: Reference to the forbidden foods recalls the warning of 65.4. In verses 18-21: The return of all those who had been exiled from Judah and Israel would mark the fulfillment of God's promise for the people. In verses 22-23: The prophecies of Isaiah set a goal for all nations. All humankind (all flesh) were bound together in one world and would, therefore, ultimately share a single destiny. In verse 24: Divine judgment cannot be evaded. God's call is an imperious command, and the disobedient cannot participate in the final glory of God's kingdom. Comments or Questions.. 

Reading for May 31st

 Read Isaiah 65.17-25. In verses 17-25: God is still in control of human history. The prophet was aware of the promises earlier in Isaiah; v. 25 recalls the promise in 11.6-9. Comments or Questions..

Reading for May 30th

 Read Isaiah 65.1-16. In 65.1-25: The promise of a new heaven and a new earth. In verses 1-7: Chapters 63-66 carry forward the essential message of Isaiah's prophecies into a new age that came with the return from exile. Idolatry marked relapse into indifference to God. The strange and crude rites described in vv. 3-4 were designed to conjure up and manipulate magical power. The belief that human beings could perform symbolic rituals and eat strange food (magic potions) to make themselves holy (v. 5), and thereby gain power to harm or heal others, represented a very ancient (v. 7) and superstitious tradition. In verses 8-16: How could God punish the wrongdoers without destroying the whole community of Judah? The prophetic answer is that, for the present, both groups must coexist, but that God has reserved a future judgment to bless those who are faithful, but to punish those who are guilty (vv. 8-13). Then the very different fates allotted to  the two groups will become plain (vv. 13-16). Comments or Questions..

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..