Week 31d--Zephaniah

Zephaniah speaks and preaches in the days of Josiah, a good king who obeys the Lord, but who receives a warning of the desolation to come.

And the warnings keep on getting worse.

Zephaniah speaks of the great day of the Lord, the day of the Lord’s wrath. All living creatures (people and animals) will be dead.  There will be a complete end of all the earth’s inhabitants.

There is hope, as usual, in Zeph 2:3: “Seek the Lord...Seek righteousness...Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Chapter 2 is filled with more devastation and the downfall of many lands. Why do they suffer so? For the same reason the Israel has suffered--because they have not acknowledged the Lord as the One True God. 

There is also a dreadful, violent, final judgment on Jerusalem. God warns the prophet, “All the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal,” Zeph 3:8.

In the end, as is the pattern in almost all the prophets, there is a promise of restoration. God reminds Zrphaniah that a remnant will survive. Listen to these beautiful words:

“The Lord has taken away his judgments against you.” (3:15)

“He will exult over you with joy...He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (3:17)

“ ‘I will give you renown and praise...when I restore your fortune before your eyes,’ says the Lord.” (3:20)

These words also remind us that even in the midst of devastation, there is hope for the future.

Week 31c--Habakkuk

Again we find ourselves reading a minor prophet, Habakkuk. Like many of the other prophets, there is a lot of pain to be found here. God is fed up with sin--death and destruction are coming in the form of natural disasters as well as by invading hordes. In the midst of this, Habakkuk is a man of great faith; that is clear in his words.

He begins the book by asking God, “How long must I cry out and wait until you answer?” 

God answers back: “Just pay attention. I am working all around you. You just aren’t going to like what you see, because it’s mostly judgment.”

Habakkuk says, “I will watch and see how You will speak to me.”

God replies, “Record the vision you are given. Bad things are coming, but (and here’s the important part) the righteous shall live by faith.”

“The righteous shall live by faith.” So much meaning in so few words! When all the world falls down around you, when death and destruction are the order of the day (again), when financial ruin is the main headline in the papers and in your household, then how shall we live? By faith. By walking in faithful obedience to God.

So simple to say. So hard to do.

Back in Habakkuk...desolation is foreseen for the wicked, but God also tells that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

The third chapter of Habakkuk takes the poetic form of a Psalm--it even has musical directions at the end. Habakkuk’s personal faith is on display mostly in this chapter. Fifteen of the 19 verses describe the power and might of the Lord’s righteous anger. Then, at the end, Habakkuk says this:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (3:17-19).

In the midst of all the pain, there is peace.

Week 31b--Nahum

Nahum has the unique distinction of being a sequel. His message is addressed not to God’s chosen people Israel, but to one of God’s adopted children--the city of Nineveh. Jonah had been to Nineveh with a message of “Doom and gloom, unless you repent.” Nineveh repented, God relented. For a while.

Enter Nahum. Nineveh has returned to their wicked ways, as it seems all people will do. God is fed up with their sin, and punishment is coming. He is “slow to anger and great in power,” but He “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:3). 

The book of Nahum is also different in that there is almost no good news to be found in this book. The few positive words in this book describe the character of God: a stronghold, good, a refuge. However, Nahum warns that God will “pursue his enemies into darkness” and it is clear that Nineveh is among the enemies of God. He even declares Himself against the city of Nineveh in 2:13.

Nahum’s third and final chapter is dedicated to the ruin of war. The people will be consumed by fire, cut down by the sword, and scattered into the mountains. Nothing will be left. 

The thing that makes the book of Nahum so sad is this: there is no hope. There is no call to repentance here,  no “if...then” as in the other prophets we have read. No hope for restoration.

Historical note: Nineveh was destroyed around 612 BC and even the ruins were not discovered again until the 1840s.

Week 30-31 History: 2 Kings 20-24, 2 Chronicles 32-36

These weeks are short on history and long on prophets, so two weeks of history are in one post. Want to see which kings are good and how many are wicked? Let’s get to it!

Good king Hezekiah dies, as all men must do. He leaves behind a great legacy, for he has restored the Temple and reinstituted the Passover. His son Manasseh becomes king at the age of 12, and...

HE DOES EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD!!!! WHY??? All his father’s good work is gone! Manasseh reigns for 55 years, during which Israel sins more and more. One bad leader, and the country goes downhill. It hurts to watch the nation of Israel sink into depravity again, since they had just had such a wonderful king one generation before.

Finally, the Lord has had enough. God says, “I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, turning it upside down,” (2 Kings 21:13).

Manasseh is captured by the Assyrians, the same nation who has taken the Northern Kingdom captive. While he is being held there, he sees he wrong that he has done, humbles himself, and God brings him back to Jerusalem. God never misses a chance to restore His people! Manasseh then takes down the foreign gods that he has placed in the temple (smart move).

When he dies, his son Amon becomes king. Guess what? Amon does evil in the sight of the Lord! Only two years into his reign, Amon is killed. Those who killed the king are put to death, because it is wrong to kill the Lord’s anointed, even if he is an idiot.

Amon’s son Josiah becomes king at age 8. In a shocking turn of events, Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord! Whoo-hoo! The Bible tells us “He sought the Lord in the 8th year of his reign,” when he was only 16 years old. There are no more Ba’als, no more Asherah poles, no more false altars. These are broken, burned, even the very stones are ground to dust so that they cannot be rebuilt. Josiah also repaires the Temple. During this restoration, the priest Hilkiah finds the lost book of the law (The Torah, or the books of Moses). Josiah reads the book and understands that the nation of Israel has sinned gravely, led by his father and grandfather. God tells Josiah that he himself will die in peace--for Josiah has been a good ruler--and that the coming punishment will fall on the nation that is to follow. Like Hezekiah before him, Josiah hosts the Passover for the first time in decades. Sadly, this great king is killed in battle.

Josiah’s son Jehoahaz becomes king, and I find myself asking again, why oh why oh WHY do such great men have such evil sons? Jehoahaz leads the nation of Israel for only three evil months before he is deposed by the Pharaoh of Egypt, and his brother Jehoiakim becomes king. He is also evil, as evil as Ahab and Jezebel had been.

Because of the evil of these two men, as God has promised, Judah is invaded by king Nebuchadnezzar. We will learn more about him...next week.

Week 30b--Isaiah 40-66 (The good parts!)

You know how last week I told you how much people love the book of Isaiah? How much people love to read the promises and the beautiful language? Well, here we are! 

Here’s a selection of the best of the best of Isaiah. These are the verses that lift our spirits, encourage us, and remind us that God...is. When we lose sight of all else, the fact that GOD IS keeps us steady.

Isaiah 40:1 “ ‘Comfort, O comfort My people,’ says your God.” (See? I feel better already.)

From 40:2-5: "Speak kindly to Jerusalem...Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low...Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”   

And my life verse from high school, Isaiah 40:30-31: “Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

43:1 “But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!’ ”

49:16 “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”

The words in Isaiah 53 are not pretty. They speak of Christ’s messy, painful, redeeming work on the cross. Because of what they describe, these words make up one of the most beautiful chapters in the book. “He was despised and forsaken of men...a man of sorrows...acquainted with grief. He bore my griefs and sorrows. Pierced. Crushed. Chastened. Scourged. He has taken on himself the iniquity of us all. Led like a lamb to the slaughter. Poured out, even to death.”  

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 58:6-8: “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” Notice the “If...then” condition of this verse: The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard, if you choose to obey.

Isaiah 59:17: “He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.” This verse is a precursor to the Armor of God that we find in Ephesians.

Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God;” (Jesus himself read these next verses when he spoke in the Temple;)

Isaiah 65:17: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.”

Isaiah ends with beautiful words of the New Jerusalem, which is echoed in Revelation. The new heaven and the new earth will endure, says the LORD.

Week 29b--Isaiah 18-27, 29-39

Many people enjoy reading the book of Isaiah. I have often heard people refer to the beautiful language and the joyful words that are found in these prophecies. 

They’re usually not referring to the prophecies we read this week.

I myself love the book of Isaiah, for the previously mentioned reasons, but I found it hard to slog through all the death and destruction found in these chapters, despite the joy and hope that I knew was waiting at the end.

This was a painful bit of scripture to get through--Isaiah 18 even begins with the word “Alas!” Messages are sent out specifically to Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon, Tyre, Edom, and Arabia--they will all be destroyed because they have not followed the One True God. By the time we get to chapter 24, the LORD has planned to lay the whole earth waste. God says the earth is polluted by its inhabitants and a curse devours the whole earth. (No more! Make it stop!)

In Ch. 33 we see a new facet of God’s character. The LORD appears as judge, lawgiver, and king. He will forgive. And this is the most important part of these chapters--after all the punishment comes the repeated promises of forgiveness and restoration.

Once we start looking deeper in to these chapters, though, we find good news all over the place. We can find songs of praise. Isaiah 25:8 reads: “He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.” Finding this verse is like seeing the sun in the middle of a cloudy winter day. We also have a comforting thought in Isaiah 26:3: “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in you.” Again and again in the book of Isaiah there is a balance of pain and hope. This is the reality of Isaiah, and the reality of our lives.

In chapter 27, we are told that Israel will be delivered and will return to worship the LORD at His holy mountain in Jerusalem. Isaiah 29:19 tells us that “The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” Chapter 30, while not full of good news entirely, has one important message. When you start listening to God and paying attention to Him, He will speak to you. He will tell you, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you begin to turn from the way.

Finally, we come to Isaiah 35, which is a whole chapter full of joy! The blind will see, the lame will leap, the dry ground will sprout. Finally, “the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” I want to stand up and cheer! Oh, for that great and glorious day!

Week 29c--Micah

The third post this week is on the writings of the minor prophet Micah, who prophesied in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and (my new hero) Hezekiah. 

There is a lot of pain and anguish in the book of Micah, with a great deal of focus on the specific sins of the people. God promises the people will be judged for their rebellion. He also pronounces specific pain and anguish on evildoers in chapter 2. We find list of wrongs committed. Yet, as in all the prophets we have read, there is hope. The remnant will be gathered like a shepherd gathers his flock; He will lead them as their king.

In chapter 3 we find words specifically against false prophets. God has other harsh words in this chapter, too. Jerusalem is soon to become a heap of ruins.

Hope is found in chapter 4, however. “In the last days...” things will be better. This will be a peaceful, fruitful time; some say that this chapter points to the Second Coming of Christ. Micah echoes the “swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks” imagery that we read last week in Isaiah. God also tells the people that they will go to Babylon, but that they will be rescued.

Micah 5 contains prophecies concerning Jesus. “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity. And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.” (5:2, 4).

By the time we get to chapter 6, God is finished with His charges against His people.  He asks, “How have I exhausted you? Do you not remember what I have done?” The people want to know how best, then, to honor God. Micah tells them in 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Chapter 7 begins with the words “Woe is me!” Here again there is a list of the unrighteous doings of the Israelites. Fortunately, prophets always deliver the bad news first. Micah 7:7-8 gives us these words: “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.” 

Despite the wretchedness of this present world, hope, promise, life, forgiveness and restoration wait for God’s people.

Week 29a--2 Kings 18-21, 2 Chronicles 32

This week we read more about good king Hezekiah and learn what happens when an enemy mocks The One True God. As I read the challenge Sennacherib gave to the Lord, I couldn’t help rubbing my hands together and chuckling, “Oh, this is gonna be good...”

As you may remember, Hezekiah was the greatest king Judah ever had. He restored the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. He also reinstituted the Passover ceremony. The Bible goes so far as to say that life was better than it had been since the days of Solomon. 

In these days, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came to invade Jerusalem and demanding treasure of silver and gold; Sennacherib also sends a messenger, Rabshekah, to say that the Lord had told him to go up against Jerusalem and destroy it. Rabshekah also says, “None of the other gods have delivered their people from Sennacherib’s hand, why should your Lord be any different?” Outsiders don’t usually use the covenant name of God, so the fact that Rabshekah does is significant. This is also the challenge that he offers: basically, God must prove that He is real.

Like I said, this is gonna be good...

Sennacherib also sent Hezekiah a nasty letter; Hezekiah shows it to the Lord. This reminds me of the verse in which we are told to cast our cares on Him, for He cares for us--even nasty letters from military enemies. Hezekiah prays to the Lord, reminding Him that all the false gods have been destroyed, and asking for deliverance “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:19).

God answers Hezekiah, telling him that He will protect the remnant and that Sennacherib will not move against them. “I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 19:34). That night the Angel of the Lord moves through Sennacherib’s camp, killing 185,000 soldiers. The next morning he wakes up to find his army dead, so he goes home. I’d say God proves He exists.

Soon after, Hezekiah becomes deathly ill, and Isaiah tells him he will die. Hezekiah weeps and prays, and God heals him and grants him 15 more years of life. Unfortunately, during those years his pride gets the better of him and God brings judgment on him. In the end, Hezekiah humbles his heart and God preserves the land.

Hezekiah was a good king--he was faithful, honored the Lord, and followed His word. He wasn’t perfect, but he can definitely be added to the Bible’s Hall of Heroes. 

Oh, not to forget, Micah and Isaiah prophesied during the last days of Hezekiah’s reign. See you soon!

Week 28--Psalms, Part 4

In which we finish reading the rest of the Psalms, and the poets have a “Who can praise God the most?” contest.

I don’t have a lot to say about the Psalms. I love letting them speak for themselves. Here we go!

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

Psalm 119 is the looooooongest chapter in the Bible, and it’s all about the awesomeness of God’s word. 

Psalm 119:1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psalm 119:7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:97 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. (Another song!)

Psalm 119:171-172 Let my lips utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes. Let my tongue sing of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 128:1 How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.

Psalm 130:3-4 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

Psalm 136 is fondly known as the Psalm of Subliminal messages, for every verse ends in the phrase “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” It’s a nice thing to get stuck in your head, yes?

The last 5 Psalms all begin and end with the phrase “Praise the Lord!” I love it! Here is Psalm 150, in its entirety, because, well, it’s awesome. The band geek in me would say it’s my favorite.

1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

2 Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. 

4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Once again, Praise the Lord! 

Have a great day!

Week 27--Psalms, Part 3

This week and next week we read the Psalms not written by David. I was surprised to find out how few David had actually written--less than half of the 150 were written by the shepherd/poet/king.

We read 28 Psalms this week; as always, many of them are “my favorites.” Highlights:

Psalm 42:1-2: As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:10: Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

I love the words used in the NASB: Cease striving. Stop fighting it. Know, in the depths of your soul, that He is the One True God and that He will be exalted. It gives me chills (the good kind).

Psalm 84:11-12, which I cannot say but must sing because Mom used to sing it to me all the time when I was a kid: 

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

I remember actually finding this verse in college--all this time I thought it was just a clever song, and I had known a Bible verse my whole life! How cool is that? 

Psalm 86:11: Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

We backtrack to Psalm 1:1, for weird chronological reasons (I didn’t make the chart, I’m just following it). 

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

Psalm 91:1,5,7, from the Psalm of the Soldier:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

We end this week with Psalm 100:5, which is better than any words of mine:

For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

Amen!

Week 26c--Hosea

“Warning: Explicit Lyrics.” No, seriously. Hosea has harsh words for the people of Israel, harsh metaphors that come straight from God and describe graphically the main problem that has plagued Israel from the time that they left Egypt. 

God’s main command to the Israelites, the one that is repeated over and Over and OVER again (you should know this by now if you have been following along) is to Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart And Serve Him Only (and don’t follow other gods). This is the commandment, the covenant, that they break over and over again, leaving The One True God in the dust while they go prostituting themselves after the false gods of the Amorites, Hittites, Moabites, and Alltheotherites. God is tired of it. So he calls on the prophet Hosea actually show the people how he feels.

(Hosea prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah of Judah, and Jeroboam of Israel.)

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. What? Why? Because she would be unfaithful to Hosea as the nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God. Their first child was named Jezreel, but their next children were given symbolic names, a daughter named No Compassion and a son named Not My People.

The phrase “This is the Lord’s Declaration” returns again; the children of Israel will be punished for their fathers’ wanton ways. Hosea, quoting God, uses harsh words, comparing Israel to a prostitute throughout the whole book.

God does promise that He will heal the relationships; He will have compassion on No Compassion, and Not My People will be his people again.

In Hosea’s life, by this time, Gomer had left him for another man, as was her inclination. But Hosea went to buy her back, and God will purchase His beloved people back again.

Judgment is coming to Israel because of their spiritual promiscuity--this is the theme of the book of Hosea. Instead of following God and loving Him with all their hearts, the nation of Israel prostituted themselves by following false gods and “loving” and serving them. God, their original love, is really angry about this. Israel has broken the covenant, they have broken their vows, and God is both heartbroken and furious. What else does God have to say? “They will seek me and not find me.”

But there is a promise also. Hosea 6:2: On the third day he will raise us up!

Again, God speaks of wanting loyalty and not sacrifice. The children of Israel have violated the covenant. But God promises that they will one day be returned from captivity.

More accusations of adultery. Also, the Lord mourns. His people have fled; they continually rebel.

God declares the people incapable of innocence. Not just “guilty,” but “incapable of innocence.” So black are their hearts that they are almost beyond the point of redemption. Almost, but not quite, because that is how it is with God. There is no one He cannot save, no nation He cannot redeem. Even in the midst of all these horrific accusations--believe me, I am only skimming the surface of the horror that is Hosea--God promises healing and salvation for those who heed His words and walk in His ways. Notice that it is conditional--you must follow and obey to be healed. 

Israel has proved again and again that they do not know the law.  Israel has forgotten his maker, and then multiplied cities, so God will send judgment and fire.

Their bad behavior is both literal and figurative--there are people in Israel literally doing the promiscuous things God describes. Also, the nation as a whole has forsaken the Lord God and prostituted themselves by sleeping around with other gods. That’s not me being gross, that’s how God Himself describes their actions.

Is there any relief from the pain, from the judgment, from the condemnation? Of course there is--this is God’s pattern. Hosea chapter 14 contains this message: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God” (v 1); “I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely” (v 4);  “For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them” (v 14). The choice is clear; the choice must be made.

But will they?

Week 26b--Isaiah 1-17, 28

The prophecies of Isaiah are not necessarily presented in chronological order. We will attack them in that order--skipping around in the chapters--because that’s how we’ve been attacking the Bible all year. Ready? Here we go!

Ch 6: In the year that King Uzziah dies, The Lord God calls Isaiah to prophesy in the lands of Judah and Israel. God asks the question that is so often repeated: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah famously replies, “Here am I, send me.” The people will not like the message of death and destruction, but they need to hear it or they will not repent.

Ch 7: Isaiah speaks to Ahaz, telling him to ask God for a sign. Ahaz does not want to test God. God replies, “But I told you to ask! Fine, here’s a sign anyway. A young woman will be with child, and you will call his name Immanuel, which means God with us.” Does this sound familiar? This prophecy refers to Christ, of course, but it also refers to a young child that is born in the days of Isaiah. He also prophesies that the king of Assyria is coming. He is bringing invasion, thorns and a razor to remove hair from their heads (which will bring shame). 

Ch 8: The Lord is presented as holy and the only refuge from the invading hordes. Deep darkness is coming. However...

Ch 9: Those who walk in darkness will see a great light! (9:2) For a child will be born, and his name shall be called “Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty GOD, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!” The Zeal of the Lord God will accomplish this! Hoo-ah! (Sorry, got a little carried away there. I love this chapter, can you tell?)

Unfortunately, Isaiah has nasty things to say about the nation of Israel. All in Israel are godless evildoers. For the first time, the Lord even condemns orphans and widows! Eventually, though, Assyria will be punished for its crimes against Israel. The remnant will return, as always. 

Ch 11: A shoot will grow from the root of Jesse. Who is this? The Messiah, Christ the king. Isaiah describes the actions of an active, military king. 

Ch 17: Israel will be overthrown because they have forgotten the God of their salvation. There will be judgment against Israel, for they have forgotten the Lord. But then the nations are judged for plundering Israel. God is deeply disappointed with his children, but will punish anyone who moves against them.

Ch 28: Yet, the Lord of Hosts will be a crown of beauty to the remnant. In the midst of all the destruction, there is hope. We see this repeated again and again in the prophesies of Isaiah: destruction, but hope for the remnant. 

Isaiah quotes the children of Israel: “We have made falsehood our refuge.” 

God replies, “I have laid a stone in Zion. Your deal with death will not last.”

Ch1:God asks questions we have seen before: Why do you keep rebelling? He wants no more incense. No more iniquity with a festival. This relates to the “mercy and not sacrifice” theme that we have heard before.

Then God says in 1:18 “Let us reason together,” using the cool Hebrew word yakah that means “mediator” or “intercessor.” If you obey, you will eat the good things of the land. Rebel, on the other hand, and you will be destroyed. You will burn; there will be no one to quench the flames.

In the future there will be a city of peace, with swords beaten into plowshares. The Lord alone will be exalted. Before this there is more judgment. When will it stop? “Eventually” is our best answer. “When the people stop being stupid and return to God,” is a better guess.

Glory is coming, when the Lord will wash away the filth and cleanse the guilt.

Ch 5: There is a lovely vineyard, but it will be demolished. So much sin, So much destruction. So much pain. Had there only been obedience...

Ch 13: Oracle against Babylon, for death and destruction are coming there, too. Babylon’s time is almost up.

Ch 14: However: THE LORD WILL CHOOSE ISRAEL AGAIN!!!!! We cannot overestimate this point.

Later in Ch 14-16: The year that Ahaz dies, Isaiah speaks a message against Philistia. The message? More death and destruction. (Surprised? Yeah, me neither.) There is also a warning for the nation of Moab, which will soon be an object of contempt. The fun never ends with these prophets, does it?

Yet even in the midst of all the doom and gloom, the thing which must not be missed is the message of reconciliation offered for all who choose, and for the salvation of a remnant after the destruction.