Today Isaiah says that the Lord’s people will one day go from Babylon and He will reestablish His covenant with them which will even reach the Gentiles. “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” “In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth…”

The Lord will bring His people out of exile and one day form a new covenant with them through His faithful Servant, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8).

Isaiah says, “But Zion said, ’The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’” The Lord assures them that this isn’t true. He says although a nursing mom may forget her child, He would never! “Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.”

God tells the righteous, the ones seeking the Lord, to look to the past in order to remember that He can be trusted. “Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him.” And look to the heavens and the earth beneath. “The earth will grow old like a garment. And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.”

The righteous do not have to fear wicked men for their insults will be destroyed but the righteous will experience eternal salvation. After the Lord disciplines His people through captivity, He will pour out His wrath on their enemies. “For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem…and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

Keep reading to see the Lord’s plans for His people unfold.

(Isaiah 48:12-52:12)

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Today the Lord makes clear who He is. “I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” He calls out those who make false gods to worship. He says it is foolish to worship something you make with your own hands. ”Those who make an image, all of them are useless…Who would form a god or mold an image that profits him nothing?”

The people are spiritually blind, therefore – “They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand…A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he cannot deliver his soul…”

The Lord is sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die so that anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him will have their soul delivered. Later Paul will say, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”(Romans 10:17). When we hear the Word of God, we can either respond by trusting in Jesus and His sacrifice as payment for our sins or we can chose to ignore the Lord and be left to ourselves. “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 2:28). As C.S. Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says in the end, ‘Thy will be done’”.

Isaiah goes on to give the people a word of hope – “Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Soon, Jeremiah will foretell of Judah’s 70 year captivity in Babylon and then the Lord will deliver His people (Jeremiah 29:10). After 70 years in captivity, Cyrus, king of Persia, will make a decree releasing the people to return and rebuild Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-23). That is why Isaiah says today – “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’”.

God is sovereign over all, including pagan kings. The Lord says He has held Cyrus’s right hand so that He might accomplish His purposes by subduing the nations. And this is not a hard task for the Lord bc as He says – “I have made the earth, and created man on it. I – My hands – stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded.”

The Lord says, “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow,

every tongue shall take an oath”.

Isaiah then predicts Babylon’s fall to Persia. The Lord says “I was angry with My people…and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy…Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasure…For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, ‘No one sees me’”. Well, God does see and He is going to humble Babylon with His judgment.

We end the reading with God pointing out the stubbornness of His people. However, the Lord is going to restore them for His name’s sake. “For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”

Nothing can stop the plans and purposes of the Lord! Keep reading.

(Isaiah 44:6-48:11)

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Today Isaiah switches gears from announcing judgment to speaking words of comfort and restoration. He prophesies of the coming Messiah and John the Baptist who will prepare the people for His arrival. Later in the Story, Matthew, Mark, and Luke will all quote Isaiah when describing John the Baptist as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord…”

Isaiah says that people are frail like the grass. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Josh McDowell makes the same point about the Bible enduring the test of time in Evidence that Demands a Verdict: “Written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish its style, correctness, nor existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of classical literature combined.”

Isaiah then speaks of the Good News! “Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand…He will feed the flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm.” When Jesus arrives He will declare Himself to be this Good Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus will first come to die for us but one day He will come back to rule with a strong hand.

Isaiah goes on to speak of God’s greatness; the God of creation for whom there is no equal. Isaiah says that the Lord will renew the strength of the ones who wait on Him. Although because of their sins, Israel has been overtaken by the Assyrians and Judah is about to be carried off by the Babylonians, the Lord will not forget them. “But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen…I have chosen you and have not cast you away.”

God is sending His Son to redeem His people. “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice…He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

Isaiah says Israel has been God’s blind, deaf and disobedient servant but by grace He is sending His faithful Servant, His Son, to redeem them. “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” “I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.”

Tomorrow Isaiah predicts Babylon’s fall. Keep reading.

(Isaiah 40:1-44:5)

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NHezekiah is really sick and Isaiah tells him he is about to die. So Hezekiah cries out to the Lord and the Lord says He will heal him, add 15 years to his life, and deliver him and the city from the Assyrians for the Lord’s sake and the sake of His servant David.

The Lord’s favor is upon Hezekiah. “But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.”

Now Hezekiah has great riches and honor. So when the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon come to check out Judah and all the wonders done there, God withdraws from Hezekiah, “in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart”. See God knows that success is causing a major pride problem in the heart of Hezekiah. So when the men from Babylon come to Jerusalem, an arrogant Hezekiah eagerly, “showed them all the house of his treasures…There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them”. 🤦‍♀️

Isaiah rebukes Hezekiah for this foolish act. Isaiah tells him that there will be a day when all that is in Hezekiah’s house will be carried off to Babylon. “And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you…and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

And Hezekiah’s response to this terrible news – “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good! For he said, ‘Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?’” What!?!?🙄 Ok, we see Hezekiah…all is good if you have peace regardless of what will happen to your sons. 😏

Well, as always, what the Lord said will come to pass. Later in the Story we will discover that “…Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God…Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace…Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.” (Daniel 1)

But we aren’t there yet so keep reading.

(2 Kings 20:1-11, Isaiah 38:1-8, 2 Chronicles 32:24-31, Isaiah 38:9-22, 2 Kings 20:12-19, Isaiah 39:1-8)

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When Hezekiah, king of Judah, hears the message against Judah and the Lord from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, which is delivered by the Rabshakeh, Hezekiah sends his servants to inquire of Isaiah. Isaiah says do not fear bc the Lord is going to send a spirit upon him “and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” “Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish…” But Sennacherib isn’t through with bullying Judah so he sends a threatening letter to Hezekiah.

Hezekiah prays to God to hear and see “all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.” Isaiah gives a word from the Lord regarding arrogant Sennacherib. Sennacherib thinks that all of his military success has been bc of his own awesomeness. The Lord lets him know how ignorant he is. God says everything Sennacherib did was orchestrated by the Lord. “From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, that you should be for crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.”

The Lord goes on to say that Sennacherib will not come into the city. “For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” And since God always delivers on His Word; an angel of the Lord kills 185,000 mighty men of Assyria. Then Sennacherib returns home and while he is worshipping in the temple of Nisroch, a false god, his own sons kill him with a sword. “Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many brought gifts to the Lord at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.”

Tomorrow Hezekiah gets haughty and shows off his wealth to some guys from Babylon which may come back to haunt him. Keep reading to find out.

(2 Kings 19:1-19, Isaiah 37:1-20, 2 Chronicles 32:9-19, 2 Kings 19:20-37, Isaiah 37:21-38, 2 Chronicles 32: 20-23)

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Micah reminds Israel of God’s goodness and their failure. He says all the Lord required of them was to be just, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord. Instead, the people walk in wickedness and follow the practices of the wicked Israel kings, Omri and Ahab, and the Lord isn’t going to tolerate it much longer.

Micah says there’s not one faithful man among them and knowing the Assyrians are about to invade, Micah puts his hope in the Lord. “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation, My God will hear me.”

Micah ends with a prayer asking the Lord to shepherd His people like He did when He brought them out of Egypt so the nations would fear Him and His people would return to Him. Micah knows that God’s mercy is great and that He is working His plan to send a Savior to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves…to cleanse us from our sins and give us a heart that loves the Lord and desires obedience to His Word. One day Jesus will come and fulfill these words from Micah: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

As the Lord said, the Assyrians are now invading Judah. Hezekiah, king of Judah, tells the people not to fear the Assyrians bc “with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles”.

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sends the Rabshakeh (a title meaning “chief of the princes”) to tell Judah not to listen to King Hezekiah and not to trust the Lord to deliver them from the Assyrians. The Rabshakeh says “who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” Sennacherib and the Rabshakeh obviously don’t understand the difference between the Lord and all those other false gods.

The people of Judah do not respond to the Rabshakeh but Eliakim, Shebna, and Joab tear their clothes in distress and leave to tell King Hezekiah all that the Rabshakeh said.

Tomorrow we will see how Hezekiah responds. Keep reading.

(Micah 6:1-7:20, 2 Chronicles 32:1-8, 2 Kings 18:13-18, Isaiah 36:1-3, 2 Kings 18:19-37, Isaiah 36:4-22)

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Today Isaiah announces God’s ultimate judgement against the nations. “For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies.” “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance.” The Lord has a set date for when he will deal with all evil in the world. Jesus will later say “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matthew 24:21). His judgement will be against the people and the land. (This time is described in more detail at the end of the Story in the Book of Revelation.)

Isaiah declares that his prophesy is true and will absolutely happen. “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these shall fail.” That is why Jesus will later say “For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:35-36).

Isaiah also speaks of Jesus’s first coming. He says the blind will see, deaf will hear, lame will walk, and dumb will sing. Later in the Story when John the Baptist is sitting in prison wondering if Jesus is truly the Messiah, Jesus will say “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5). When John the Baptist hears that Jesus is doing all that Isaiah prophesied, he knows that Jesus is the Christ!

Isaiah says “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness…But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.” Jesus is the Highway of Holiness. He will later declare “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Today we also hear from Micah who declares judgement against Judah for their wicked leaders and false prophets. He too calls out Jerusalem for their false sense of security: “…you say to those who prophesy…they shall not prophesy to you…you who are named the house of Jacob”. The people believe they are exempt from judgment bc of their heritage and the proximity of the temple.

Micah tells them that Babylon will invade them and take them off into captivity but the Lord would eventually deliver them. “And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.”

We end the reading with Micah speaking of the coming Messiah. The One God destined to send to save us since the beginning. ”But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” “Then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace.”

Jesus is coming and He will be born in a barn in Bethlehem just as the Lord planned all along. Keep reading.

(Isaiah 34:1-35:10, Micah 2:1-5:15)

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Today Isaiah condemns Judah for seeking help from Egypt, whose help is vain and empty, instead of the Lord. God of creation created His children like a potter creates a vessel. Isaiah says the Lord is going to shatter the people like a smashed potter’s vessel bc of their disobedience and He will do the same to Egypt. “Both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall” but there is hope for anyone who repents and turns to the Lord. “In returning and rest you shall be saved…” “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you…”

Isaiah speaks of a future day when the Lord will restore His people. “For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more.” In this day our righteous King the Lord will reign. “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness…the eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen…”

Isaiah warns the shallow, materialistic, and spiritually lazy women who have no regard for His Word, “You complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. In a year and some days you will be troubled, you complacent women…Tremble you women who are at ease…”

Throughout this Story we are told that Jesus will return one day but no one knows the day. We are warned to be faithful servants who are on alert. Jesus will later say, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes” (Luke 12:35-37).

The Lord also rebukes Assyria who plunder and deal treacherously. The Lord says there will be a day when they will get as they have done unto others.

We end the reading with a word of future restoration for Jerusalem. “Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home, a tabernacle that will not be taken down..But there the majestic Lord will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams…(For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us)…The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.”

Keep reading.

(Isaiah 30:1-33:24)

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Many commentators call Isaiah 24-27 the “Little Apocalypse” because these chapters read similar to the Book of Revelation.

Today Isaiah proclaims the world’s destruction “Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate…and few men are left.” On that day the Lord’s people will praise Him “For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously”. His people will rejoice over their salvation for “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…We have waited for Him, and He will save us…We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation”. 🙌

When announcing Israel’s coming salvation, Isaiah says the Lord will punish Leviathan. Leviathan is mentioned several times in the Bible as a great, powerful sea monster. David said in Psalm 104:25-26 that God formed the sea for the sea creature Leviathan to play in. Here Isaiah is likely using Leviathan as a symbol for the wicked rulers of the earth that will be destroyed. Isaiah goes on to explain that the judgment will be used as a means to bring His people to repentance and draw them to Him. “And it shall come to pass in that day…And you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel…And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

Isaiah says that Jerusalem will be destroyed due to their spiritual blindness and he rebukes the people bc they assume they are exempt from judgment bc they live in the city with the temple of the Lord. They falsely believe that their security comes from the temple building and their phony acts of worship but God isn’t fooled. The Lord says “…these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me…”

“They say ’Who sees us?’” Well God sees and, surprisingly He still desires reconciliation bc God is gracious and merciful. The Lord promises to restore His people; “The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name..These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine.”

The Lord is the One to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Later in the Story, Paul will say, “If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4). BUT Jesus will say “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Therefore Paul can boldy proclaim “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed” (2 Cor 3:16). Amen!

Keep reading.

(Isaiah 24:1-27:13, Isaiah 29:1-24)

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Today Isaiah pronounces judgment from the Lord against several nations:

Ethiopia – Isaiah says the Ethiopians are “people terrible from the beginning and onward” but the Lord will humble them and they will one day worship Him.

Egypt – To the nation that enslaved the Israelites, Isaiah says that the Lord will do the same to them. “And the Egyptians I will give into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them.” Isaiah says the Lord will dry up the Nile River which will wreck their economy.

God has Isaiah walk around barefoot and naked for 3 years to illustrate the shame and destruction coming to Ethiopia and Egypt. 😱

However, the Lord also gives Egypt hope. Isaiah says once they have been humbled “Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day…they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it.”

After the death and resurrection of Christ, we will read a story about an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading the words of Isaiah when Philip, a disciple of Jesus, comes and explains the reading to him. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). The Ethiopian will go on to receive Jesus as his Savior and be baptized in the name of Christ.

Babylon, Edom and Arabia – Isaiah says that Elam and Media will take down Babylon and within a year Edom and Arabia will fall.

Jerusalem – Isaiah warns Jerusalem, who falsely believes it is immune from the wrath of God, that judgment is coming.

Shebna – The Lord says Shebna, the treasurer of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah, will be judged for using his position for personal gain. The Lord is going to remove everything from him and give it to Eliakim.

Tyre – Isaiah says that this strong, wealthy city will be forgotten for a period of time but will ultimately be restored to the Lord.

Tomorrow Isaiah declares judgement against the entire world but there is hope…keep reading.

(Isaiah 18:1-23:18)

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