Daily Reading Week 32
Sunday
Isaiah 40
DISCOVER:
Even in the midst of Judah’s disobedience, how does God still look at them and speak to them in verse 1?
What did Isaiah instruct the people to do even while they were in the wilderness? (v 3)
Based on verses 8, how long will God’s Word last?
Verses 12-26 provide a powerful series of contrasts between God and other things. Look back over these verses and make a list of what God is like and what God is not like.
What great promise does God have for the weak and weary? (v 29-31)
RESPOND:
Isaiah 40 is written to take our focus away from all the things that cloud our minds and focus on the Sovereign God of this universe. The chapter begins with a message of comfort and hope that comes only from the Lord. Everything mentioned here is to persuade us to trust God in all circumstances. No doubt there are moments in life that challenge our trust in God.
One of those great forces is the power of others, the apparent strength of those around us. With that idea in mind, Isaiah reminds his audience, and us, that all the power of mankind is nothing compared to the Lord’s strength and power. Isaiah takes several verses here in this chapter to teach us that God has no rival. There is nothing that we can properly compare God to.
Without a doubt Isaiah 40:28-31 provides a few verses that many have claimed and leaned into in some challenging and exhausting days. These verses remind us that even the strongest people are prone to weakness and failure. We all have the potential to experience times of physical, emotional, and spiritual weakness. There’s always the possibility of growing weak and weary under the loads of life.
What greater joy and consolation than knowing that God gives strength, power, and energy to the weak! What’s the key? Waiting on the Lord! Interestingly the word here means to wait with expectation. It’s waiting with hope and a sense of purpose. Ultimately, that hope and purpose is in the Lord. He’s the One that gives some the ability to soar, some the ability to sprint, and some the ability to stroll. As you face whatever you’re facing, take the time to expectantly wait on the Lord to give you the strength, energy, and power to overcome that obstacle that’s weighing you down.
Monday
Isaiah 43
DISCOVER:
What reason(s) does Isaiah give in verse 1 for the reader not to be overwhelmed with fear?
What claim does the Lord make in verses 2- 4 that provides a source of assurance to the reader?
Beginning in verse 14 the Lord promises victory for His people. He does so by first reminding them of what He’s done for them in the past as He led them out of Egypt. Look back at verses 14-17 and see all that He’s done. Take a few moments and reflect on ways that God has been faithful to you.
Based on verse 22, what’s a great accusation the Lord has against His people?
RESPOND:
The unfortunate truth about life is that we’re going to go through tough times and experience some losses that are hard. It’s also true that many of us have prayed over and over for God’s guidance or for Him to answer our specific prayer, yet for some reason we don’t seem to get an answer, or at least the answer we’d like. It’s natural in these seasons to ask God why or where are You? Whenever we face a major loss, the tendency is to look for a cause or an explanation. However, in these moments, we don’t really need an answer as much as we just need to know that God is with us.
The first few verses of Isaiah 43 may be some of the most heartfelt verses in the entire Bible. At the same time, these verses provide such comfort and assurance. God literally says, “no matter where you may go, no matter how hard it may appear, and no matter how bad you think it is, I am with you!” God has not promised an explanation for everything that takes place in our lives. But, for followers of Christ, He has promised you’re not going to go through this alone.
Jesus, the greatest sufferer that ever lived was rejected, mocked, lied and spat upon, falsely accused, denied, whipped and eventually crucified and it appeared that God was nowhere to be found. But guess what, God was there with Christ before the foundation of the world, from the conception to Bethlehem, to Jerusalem, to Calvary, to the ascension and now with Him sitting at His right hand in heaven.
Dear friend, wherever you may be geographically, wherever you may be you may be spiritually, and whatever situation you might be in the midst of, God sends you words of comfort today. He is declaring to you that " you belong to Him and that He is with you.” Fear not!
Tuesday
Isaiah 52
DISCOVER:
In verses 1-2 Isaiah gives 6 commands to God’s people. What are those 6 commands?
According to verse 6, what is the result of God revealing His name to His people?
What word of protection is given in verse 12?
As you look back at your past, what brings a feeling of gratitude and praise to God for His faithfulness? How has God taken care of you despite your times of unfaithfulness to Him?
RESPOND:
God’s people were given the orders to wake up and dress up. They were to remove the garments and chains of captivity and put on their beautiful garments. This chapter is a moment of celebration for God’s people. The years of captivity are over and it’s time to look forward to the future. God is calling His people to wake up and get ready for the future blessings. They would no longer be enslaved or oppressed, and nations would no longer blaspheme God’s name. It would be a time of peace and salvation. In fact, the blessings that God has in store for His people will be declared throughout the whole world.
The picture in this chapter is like a scene from a movie where a bully is picking on someone smaller and weaker. Then an older friend, who is stronger and bigger, shows up and helps calm the situation and change the outcome. Isaiah tells us that God shows up in all His power and splendor. God doesn’t make His saving strength known just for those who are immediately rescued. He also does it as a witness and a testimony to others, so they can see the salvation of the Lord.
Be of good cheer today. The Almighty God holds all power and might. He is over all things, and nothing happens unless He allows it to happen. He alone is Sovereign. He longs to demonstrate His power in your life. Are you willing to humble yourself under His mighty hand?
Wednesday
Isaiah 53
DISCOVER:
What do you notice as a stark contrast between verses 3 and 4?
The language of verse 5 is pretty intense. To what extent did the suffering servant go for the benefit of others?
Read verse 6 again. Sheep tend to stray. What did the Lamb of God suffer because of our tendency to wander from the Shepherd?
Take a moment and soak in verse 9, especially the first part. How does knowing the suffering servant did no no wrong and have never deceived anyone impact this passage?
Although all of this sounds horrific, and it most definitely is, what does verse 10 teach us?
What will be the end result of this servant’s death? (v 11-12)
RESPOND:
Along with Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 is the central prophetic prophecy of the atonement found in the Old Testament. It vividly describes Christ’s substitutionary death 700 years before the cross. The church Father Polycarp said Isaiah 53 is the golden “passional” of the Old Testament evangelist. In addition, in his book The Cross of Christ, John Stott declares that no other passage from the Old Testament is as important to the church than this one. In addition, Stott notices that Jesus Himself made references to Isaiah 53. Christ Himself said that he would be:
Rejected
Taken away
Numbered with the transgressors
The sufferings of the Lord are nowhere more poignantly displayed than here in Isaiah 53. Known as the “Suffering Servant” passage, these verses foretell how the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would suffer and die on behalf of His people to deal with their sins and brokenness. This chapter provides a vivid picture of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross hundreds of years before His birth. When you read this chapter with deep reflection you see the meaning of Jesus’ suffering and substitutionary death for all of humanity. This is a chapter that calls us to repentance while also leading us to a time of worship as we grasp the enormity of what Christ did to ensure our salvation.
Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, was the fulfillment of God’s promises to send a Savior. He was the suffering servant and our substitute. He was the better sacrifice that the writer of Hebews talks about (Hebrews 10:1-18). He was the Lamb of God as proclaimed by John the Baptist. He suffered in our place. He died for our sin. He took the punishment we deserved. He did all of this to fully obey the will and the plan of His Father, walking in perfect obedience and surrender. As a result of His obedience, even to the death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), we can be counted free.
Thursday
Isaiah 55
DISCOVER:
What is the promise for those who seek, call, and turn back to the Lord? (v 3)
According to verses 8-9, how do God’s thoughts and ways differ from ours?
What is God’s Word likened to in verses 10-11 and what does this tell us about God’s Word?
Look back at verses 12-13 again. What terms does Isaiah use to describe the joyous occasion for the ones that seek after the Lord?
RESPOND:
Isaiah 55 begins with one of the great invitations of the Bible. God is inviting His people to a time of redemption, fulfillment, and security. The Lord issues an invitation to “everyone who is thirsty” to come to Him and be satisfied. Water is a precious commodity in many parts of the East, and an abundance of water is a special blessing). In addition, wine, milk and bread are dietary staples. People work daily to provide these for themselves and their families, digging wells, tending crops and watching over their livestock.
Yet, many continue to go hungry and thirsty. What a perfect illustration for the busyness of religious works that fail to satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. While many gladly would pay for the food that sustains spiritual life, God calls us to come and buy “without money and without cost” (v. 1). Salvation is God’s gift to mankind. It may not be earned, bought, traded for or stolen; it is available freely to all who receive it in faith.
Matthew Henry comments: “What is the qualification required in those that shall be welcome – they must thirst. All shall be welcome to gospel grace upon those terms only that gospel grace be welcome to them. Those that are satisfied with the world and its enjoyments for a portion, and seek not for a happiness in the favour of God – those that depend upon the merit of their own works for a righteousness, and see no need they have of Christ and his righteousness – these do not thirst; they have no sense of their need, are in no pain or uneasiness about their souls, and therefore will not condescend so far as to be beholden to Christ. But those that thirst are invited to the waters, as those that labour, and are heavy-laden, are invited to Christ for rest. Note, Where God gives grace he first gives a thirsting after it; and, where he has given a thirsting after it, he will give it.”
Friday
Isaiah 58
DISCOVER:
In verse 1 Isaiah identifies his responsibility to address God’s people with a sense of strength and valor. Interestingly, how does Isaiah describe their behavior in verse 2?
Why did the people of God think they deserved God’s attention? (v 3)
In this chapter Isaiah talks about fasting. What are the characteristics of the type of fasting Israel performs in verses 3-5? What are the characteristics of the type of fasting that is acceptable to God as recorded in verses 6-7?
What is promised to those who fast in the way the Lord has commanded? (v 8-12)
What did the people of Israel need to do in order to experience God’s joy? (v 13-14)
RESPOND:
Isaiah 58 contains some words from God to His people when they were going through all kinds of religious routines. They were fasting and participating in religious rituals, which are good, but they were ignoring the poor and needy around them. They were oppressing others around them. God says to them that is not what He has called them to do. They are guilty of empty rituals and disconnected from the very people they had been commissioned to take care of. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus too was critical of fasting for an external reward.
Through the prophet Isaiah God calls His people to repentance that would prove itself to be genuine through acts of charity, generosity, and delight in the Sabbath. In addition this results in spiritual light rising over darkness and physical healing taken place. God’s grace flows through those who live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before the Lord.
Isaiah 58 is one of those chapters that can really convict us and cause us to examine our priorities and even ask, “why do we do what we do?” We can get so caught up in going through all of the religious motions and doing things that appear to be religious and in doing so, we can miss the clear commands given to us by the Scriptures. Loving God and loving our neighbor sums up the attitude and the lifestyle that most pleases the Lord.
saturday
Isaiah 61
DISCOVER:
What are the characteristics of the servant’s mission in verses 1-3?
In verse 6 God promised His people that they would be priests and ministers of His Word, that His covenant with them would be eternal and that their descendants would be known among and blessed among the nations. How has God made good on these promises?
According to verse 8, what does God love and hate? What will He do about it?
What did Isaiah portray as sprouting like seeds out of the soil in verse 11?
After reading Isaiah 61, take a moment and read Luke 4:16-22. How does this describe Jesus and His ministry?
RESPOND:
Isaiah 61 is a chapter that offers a great hope. The prophet promises a year that will be known as the year of the Lord’s favor. The promises are rich and glorious words of comfort to those who are dealing with affliction on the inside and the outside. In addition, the message gives comfort to the poor, the broken hearted, the captives, and the faint in spirit. To those who are afflicted Isaiah announces the coming of an Anointed One. This One would proclaim the good news of the blessings of the Lord, and He will also provide the blessings he proclaims. In the days of Isaiah, we can only imagine the people asking, “who is he talking about?”
By the time we come to the New Testament Jesus reads part of this passage in Isaiah and it’s recorded in the book of Luke. After Jesus finished reading, every eye in the place was fixed on Him. At that moment Jesus said, “today this Scripture (Isaiah 61) has been fulfilled in your hearing.” So the Lord Jesus affirmed that He is the one Isaiah and all the prophets wore of; He announced the salvation of God.
We look to Jesus for so many things in our lives. We look to Him to help us through our times of affliction, hurt, and brokenness. We are the ones who need salvation. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all that we need. All that God has promised to you and me is found in Jesus. There are people around us with all kinds of needs, and Jesus is the one who can meet their needs. He’s the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. Any person who wants to experience the goodness of God must come through Jesus.