Today’s passage: Isaiah 12

Helpful thoughts:

• This chapter contains two songs of praise and thanksgiving.
  • Verse 1 and 4 give the introduction, “In that day”
  • Both songs end with reason for joy!
• In order to have joy drawing from the wells of salvation, you first have to realize that your attempts to save yourself would prove futile.
  • But when you humble yourself and receive salvation, you receive joy and God gets glory and praise!
• When God is your greatest delight and joy, it brings you more joy when others see and rejoice with you.
  • Joy in God fuels evangelism.

Questions to consider:

1. What produces genuine, sincere shouting and singing?  When does God become someone we would shout and sing about (Not in the future, in the present)?
2. Does the greatness of God amaze you?  What are the reasons (And there are many) that we should be amazed by God’s greatness?  What things tend to distract us/allure us in such a way that God drops in the order of significance in our heart?
3. If what keeps you from enjoying God is people, how do you need to think about those people differently?  How does gaining their temporary favor compare to having Christ forever?  What do they need?  What could be their greatest joy?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 11

Helpful thoughts:

• This “Shoot” or “Branch” can be no one but Jesus Christ.
• Christ will not rule as other men, being easily persuaded or tricked.  His judgment will be perfect.
• God’s transforming, recreating power will return things to Eden like conditions.
• The destruction of the final verses (15-16) is not of peoples or nations, but instead barriers that would prevent people from having easy access to the LORD.  Once judgment is completed, God will make it so that the nations have “highways” to get to the LORD in Jerusalem!

Questions to consider:

1. What will be different in that day?  What do you look forward to the most?  What things that are wrong in the world will be made right?
2. What is the difference between the “Coming” that occurs when Christ returns and the “Going” that Christ has called us to while we wait for His return?
3. How long has God been including the nations?  Was the worship of the LORD ever intended to be exclusively limited to Israel?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 10:20-34

Helpful thoughts:

• The Lord is in complete control.  He knows who the remnant is, He knows when judgment should come, He knows when destruction should cease, and He will see to it according to His perfect righteous will.
• Even when Israel/Judah were “under the control” of nations like Egypt or Assyria, God was in complete control.
• The Assyrians had grown “fat” due to their oppression of Judah (i.e. Taxes).  Their fatness would be their downfall (Verse 27).

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it helpful to some and troubling to others that God is in complete control (Especially when “bad things” happen)?  Why is it so important to remember that His will is perfect, righteous and just?
2. Can you think of a time in your life when you eventually realized that God’s timing was better than your own?
3. Does God only use people who are following Him or is He even able to use those who are not?  How does God’s ability to use the Assyrians for His purposes display His power and glory?  How can that help you during difficult times?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 10:5-19

Helpful thoughts:

• Assyria had come to think they were pretty special.  But, they were a tool/weapon in God’s hand.
• When Assyria considered what power Judah and Israel had to hope in, all they knew of were the false idols they had been worshiping.  There was no testimony of the LORD in Israel or Judah (Verses 10-11).
• This prophecy was written about Assyria.  But it was written for Judah’s knowledge.  It therefore served as a relief, that Assyria would not defeat Jerusalem and Judah.  It also served as a rebuke.  Judah had turned to the Assyrians for help instead of the Lord, and the Assyrians were nothing more than a tool in God’s hand.  Judah should have repented and turned to the Lord in the first place!

Questions to consider:

1. What do I tend to hope in when things look bleak?  If what I hope in isn’t God, who created and owns that thing?
2. Why didn’t the Assyrians know they were going to have to contend with the LORD of the Jews if they proceeded to battle?  What are some ways people could see where our strength comes from today?  How can a Christian show who fights our “battles” today?
3. When God calls Himself the Lord of hosts, He is reminding us that He doesn’t lose…ever.  What struggle might you be fighting right now without turning to Him?  How can we think about a question like this and not fall into the trap of the prosperity gospel?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 9:8-10:4

Helpful thoughts:

• God first “cut off” the leaders of Israel, but the sin of the leaders had permeated the whole nation, so that even those typically oppressed were just as guilty.
• God’s judgment of Israel was further compounded by Israel’s own self-destruction.  In their selfish sin, they destroyed themselves!
• In 10:1-4, the audience changes.  Isaiah has turned to Judah after describing the outcome of Israel’s sin and asks the nation, “What will you do?”

Questions to consider:

1. What was the significance of the sinful leaders being both governmental and also religious (Prophets)?  How would this be different in our context today living in a constitutional republic which holds democratic elections and holds forth freedom of religion?
2. What are the other leaders that “speak into our lives” in our day and age?  Who are the “heads” and “tails” of our culture?  How much of an impact does it appear they have on the thinking of the people?
3. Knowing that the Lord is righteous and just, what will you do?  What do you need?  What does your household need?  What does the church need?  What does our community need?  Etc.  Romans 10:15 – As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Today’s passage: Isaiah 9:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• Go back and read Isaiah 8:22 for the contrast of this passage’s promise.
• Matthew 4:12-14 – Now when he (Jesus) heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled
  • John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
• The military victory that Israel enjoyed over Midian was not a typical military victory.  Only the Lord could have accomplished it.
  • This future victory will be of the Lord’s doing, and the Kingdom of God will be left to rejoice under a new King!  He will be a Wonderful Counselor (Wisdom), Mighty God (Power), Everlasting Father (Care), and Prince of Peace.

Questions to consider:

1. Who is going to make everything right?  Who is the only One who could?
2. How must the Christian walk with Christ while we wait for His return?  How would a passage like Romans 8:31-39 compare with Isaiah 9:1-7 and encourage us as we wait for King Jesus?
3. How long will Christ’s kingdom last?  Why can we be confident that this will happen?  Whose character and power are we trusting in (End of verse 7)?

For more study on this passage, you can watch these videos:

Desiring God: Look at the Book

Today’s passage: Isaiah 8:11-22

Helpful thoughts:

• God is bigger and more powerful than anything in this world.  He is the LORD of hosts!
• God never changes.  People will either stumble over God, or they will find refuge and sanctuary in Him.
• People can turn to everything but God in their times of need (Or want), but then be angry with God when life isn’t going “well”.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways was God’s summary of the people of Judah still true of people today?
2. Who is God?  How does a low view of Him result in all kinds of trouble?  How does a high view of Him result in “sanctuary”?
3. What must we do in order to not begin seeing things the way the world sees things?  (“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy”)  How can we continually be transformed by the renewal of our minds?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 8:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

• That long name in verse 1 and verse 3 means, “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens”.
• Rezin was the king of Syria and the son of Remaliah was the king of Israel (Northern kingdom).  God was rebuking Judah because they had sided with Assyria against Syria and Israel and were therefore rejoicing in the losses suffered by Syria and Israel.  Judah did not trust in the Lord, they trusted in Assyria, and now Assyria was coming for them.
  • The Jordan River runs north to south, this is the direction from which the Assyrian army will “flood” Judah.
  • God had given Judah gentle streams (Verse 6), but they chose a flood.
• God is telling Judah that they will be judged for their wickedness, but not to their demise (“Reaching even to the neck”, God’s promise to Ahaz would be fulfilled).  But, God also tells the nations that no one can destroy Judah without His consent.  God’s people will stand victorious in the end!
• “God is with us” in verse 10 ties back to “Immanuel” from verse 8.

Questions to consider:

1. How easy is it to get caught up in all the conflicts around us in this world and lose track of what God is doing?  Is God ever absent or not involved?  Are we ever on our own, in need of turning to others instead of Him?
2. With all of the world events happening today, whose kingdom is guaranteed to stand?  Why will that kingdom always stand?
3. How will you keep your eyes on King Immanuel today?  How will you serve Him as He continues to build His Church?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 7:10-25

Helpful thoughts:

• God gave Ahaz (Really, the royal line of David, the “You” is plural in verse 14) the birth of Immanuel (God with us) as a sign.  This is Jesus Christ.  But, it was a sign that Ahaz would never see.
• This boy who would be born would be able to refuse evil and choose good.  He alone is righteous,
• Before the Messiah would come, judgment would come on Judah, and that judgment would still be felt.

Questions to consider:

1. If God offered Ahaz a sign, should Ahaz have taken Him up on that offer?  Was Ahaz being spiritual here or not?  What was the sign even supposed to alert Ahaz about?
2. How does this prophecy of a boy being virgin-born compare with the curse of Jeremiah 23:30 against Jechoniah/Coniah and the royal line of David?  How does the virgin birth promised solved the problem of the curse?
3. How did Isaiah’s prophecy of the boy’s diet come to fulfillment?  Did Christ grow up as royalty or in a normal, if not lower class home?

Today’s passage: Isaiah 7:1-9

Helpful thoughts:

• Perhaps Isaiah’s first assignment to Ahaz king of Judah was to tell him not to fear because God was in control.
  • Samaria thought that partnering with Syria would result in the fall of their own brothers in Jerusalem.  Instead, it brought about their own.
• You can read more about Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28.  Judah lost these battles, but the city of Jerusalem was never captured.
• God’s message to Ahaz concluded with the charge to be strong in faith (He wasn’t), and that the kingdom would only be made firm through firm faith.

Questions to consider:

1. What should Ahaz have been more sure of after Israel and Syria’s plan failed?  Who should he have trusted and worshiped more?  Who did he end up worshiping (2 Chronicles 28:22-23)?
2. How does Ahaz’s response give a good example of God’s explanation to Isaiah, “Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
   keep on seeing, but do not perceive“?
3. What did Isaiah do when God told him to take this message to Ahaz?  Why do we sometimes take for granted the obedience of these prophets to take the message, even to kings, just as they are commanded?