Daily Reading Week 29
Sunday
Isaiah 1
DISCOVER
What accusation does the Lord bring against His children in verses 2-4?
What cities does God compare them to? (v 8-9)
How does the Lord view the sacrifices they are offering to Him? (v 13)
As a result of their attitude and approach to God, how will He now respond to their prayers? (v 15)
In the midst of all of this, God offers a remedy. As you read through verses 16-20, how would you describe this remedy?
Has the city always been wicked? What change occurred? (v 21-23)
RESPOND
The Lord nourished and brought up His children, providing for them in so many ways, yet they chose to rebel against Him. The care that God had for His people is illustrated clearly in chapter 1.
He cared for them like a parent cares for a child.
He cared for them like a farmer cares for his ox.
He cared for them like a master cares for his donkey.
However, in all of this, God’s people still lived and functioned daily like they wanted to. They were in effect ignoring Him and by doing so, they were failing to enjoy the privileges that come from being His child. Unfortunately, God announced the charge against His people because of the way they were living.
At the very core of God’s indictment is hypocrisy. It’s not that they were not worshiping, they were worshiping with an impure heart and in fact Isaiah addressed this idea again in Isaiah 29:13-14. The whole purpose behind the instructions God gave in Leviticus regarding worship, was intended to produce godliness, which would be evident by humility, purity of heart, and a desire to see and promote the well-being of others. Tragically, they were going through the motions of worship without pure motives.
God takes our worship very seriously. Without the heart, it’s not worship. It has been stated, “We may truly worship God though we lack perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we lack sincerity.” Allow this passage to challenge you to make sure that your worship is not about formality, but rather it’s about humility, purity, and honesty.
Monday
Isaiah 2
DISCOVER
Look back at verses 5-6. What grounds does Isaiah give for God rejecting His people?
Instead of worshiping God, what have the people chosen to replace Him with? (v 8)
What is the significance of “things made with their own hands? What idea does it suggest?
What promise does God give in verse 9 as a response to the people’s attitude towards Him?
In what ways does God plan to humble His people? (v 12-18)
God’s day of reckoning is pretty intense. It’s so intense that Isaiah references how the enemies will respond. Based on verses 19-21, what reaction will the Lord’s enemies have when He rises up.
RESPOND
This chapter begins with Isaiah describing what he has seen in Israel’s near future. Interestingly, these same words appear in Micah 4:1-3. The prophets appear to be emphasizing the glory that is to come in the near future. It’s a day when all the nations of the earth will finally understand that Israel’s God is the one true God. This is a perfect picture into the future reign of Christ when He will bring order to the world and all will be right on earth.
In the meantime, Isaiah urges God’s people not to wait for this day, but rather go ahead and walk in this great truth now. Tragically, as Isaiah is encouraging this he knows they are not going to listen to him. God’s people refuse to trust in the Lord and have to face the consequences that come with the choice. Instead of seeking after the Lord and trusting in Him, they have sought after other gods and sources for prosperity and hope. They have become full of superstitions associated with other religions and have even fascinated themselves with fortune tellers and divinations. Even worse, they actually think their idol worship is working!
As a result, Isaiah lays forth a coming judgment. Their countless idols will be thrown aside while their creators hide in holes and caves. Isaiah concludes by challenging his listeners not to trust in men, but rather in the Lord.
While it’s pretty safe to say we’re not guilty of building some kind of statue or an image in our life that we might worship, we are guilty at times of creating things that we might put too much trust in. There shouldn’t be anything in our lives that we trust in more than we trust in the Lord.
Tuesday
Isaiah 3
DISCOVER
In the first 3 verses God tells them what all He is going to take. He will remove all the things they depend on. He will take their heroes, the soldiers, prophets, etc. Notice in verse 4 what he plans to replace them with. If you heard these words, how would you respond?
Look back at verses 8-9. Describe the conditions that brought these consequences on the people.
What’s the striking contrast between verses 10 and 11?
God takes leadership very seriously. According to verses 12-15, what criticism did the Lord have of rulers?
Instead of all the beauty and finery they had enjoyed (v 16-23), what does the Lord promise to give in verse 24?
RESPOND
Isaiah 2 ends with a clear call for God’s people to stop trusting in themselves and the things of this world, and lean into Him. Now in chapter 3, Isaiah shows the problem with trusting in men and things other than the Lord. The Lord is going to remove all the powerful rulers and the only ones left will be young and inexperienced. The tendency will then be to look for anyone to be a leader.
The question is, why will all of this happen? God’s people have been defying the Lord right to His face. They have sinned openly, boldly, and given little to no care of His desires and plan for them. The tone of this chapter is much like a courtroom. The Lord rises to give His charges against the leaders. Clearly they are guilty of not helping God’s people but rather demonstrating a selfish attitude. Then the Lord brings charges against the wealthy. Instead of being humble in the sight of the Lord, they have held their heads high and neglected others and the Lord. In response, the Lord will take away their beauty and glory and bring shame upon them. Literally he says God will take away everything from the top of their head all the way to their ankles.
Take a few moments and really reflect where you are placing your trust. There’s nothing wrong with having those people in your life that encourage you. There’s nothing wrong with having various things in your life that you’ve worked hard to get. However, have you allowed these people or these things to become your place of hope?
Wednesday
Isaiah 4
DISCOVER
After reading verse 1, how intense do the consequences seem to be? Why do you think so?
In verse 2 Isaiah references a “branch of the Lord.” After reading this verse in conjunction with Isaiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5, who do you think this is in reference to?
Beginning in verse 2, Isaiah begins to paint a picture that stands in stark contrast to chapters 2 and 3. How does he describe this picture in verse 2?
What promise does Isaiah make in verse 4?
What does verses 5-6 teach us about God and His mercy?
RESPOND
Isaiah 4 begins with the end of the prophecy from chapter 3. As this chapter begins, he paints a picture of so many women living as widows. In this era men were expected to provide their wives with food, resources, and other necessities of life. The situation that Isaiah describes in chapter 4 is so dire that women want nothing more than a name and a family so they can have a permanent place in the community.
Then there’s a shift in the chapter. Beginning in verse 2 he describes a bright future when he references the “branch of the Lord.” Since this chapter is speaking with a future tense in mind, it’s fair to say that this title, or name, also carries with it a future perspective. Most scholars agree this title is referencing The Messiah, Jesus Chirst. In the midst of His wrath, God remembers His mercy and it’s seen in the person of His Son, Jesus. H.A. Ironside stated, “When times are darkened, deliverance will come through the Branch of the LORD, the promised Messiah of Israel, and the loveliest of the sons of men. Those left in Zion and remaining in Jerusalem will be the special objects of His favor and will be set apart to the Lord who will wash away their filth in His own blood and cleanse their hearts with the spirit of burning, in accordance with the promises made through many other prophets.”
Though judgment was coming to refine God’s people, the Messiah was coming beyond that judgment for God’s people. In His coming He would provide a fruitful earth, He would make His people holy, and He would cleanse His people from their moral bankruptcy. Praise God that judgment wasn’t the end of the story for God’s people. Praise the Lord that judgment doesn’t have to be the end for the story for us. Even though our sins may be many, the coming of the Messiah, as foretold by Isaiah, provided a way for all our sins to be forgiven. Today you can experience this forgiveness and this newfound hope by placing your trust in Jesus. No matter how dark the days may appear, no matter how hard the rains may be coming down, and no matter how bleak the situation may look, Jesus came to this earth, died a cruel death, and gloriously resurrected so you may have eternal life.
Thursday
Isaiah 5
RESPOND
While expecting to find a crop that would be pleasant, what does verse 7 tell us the vineyard actually produced?
What reason does Isaiah give in verse 13 for God’s people going off into exile?
In what ways will God’s holiness be displayed? What does that day look like? (v 16-17)
According to verses 18-23, how does Isaiah show the reader what “sorrow” looks like?
Why does the Lord express His anger with His people and why has He raised His fist at them to crush them? (v 25)
How does Isaiah describe the enemies that will come and take God’s people off into captivity? (v 26-30)
DISCOVER
Isaiah 5 begins with a parable in the form of a song. Isaiah sings to his "beloved" about a vineyard. His beloved is revealed to be the Lord, and the vineyard will turn out to be the people of Israel. There has been so much work put into the process of creating the vineyard and the necessary steps taken to plant the crops with the hope of producing a bountiful harvest. However, when the grapes are produced, it appears to be short of the desired expectation. Since the vineyard proved to be useless, the plans are in place to destroy the vineyard. The plan included removing the barriers that had been put in place to keep the animals away. Now, the vineyard was open for any and all enemies to come in and destroy it.
Isaiah then lists a series of “woes” that come as a result of Israel’s disobedience and unwillingness to do what the Lord called them to do. These “woes” are a reminder to us that God takes sin very seriously. This chapter ends darkly, with nothing but pending judgment, like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. Gary Smith commented, “These woes assure the reader that God will judge sin severely. The lament conveys the truth that God is terribly saddened when his people reject him or his revealed instructions. Nevertheless, in the end he will hold all people accountable for their actions, especially his own privileged people”
InMark 9:43-48Jesus forcefully warns us to take sin seriously. The temptations we flirt with will be the sins we fall to. We must not seek to explain away, excuse, rename or minimize sin. Instead, we should call it out by name and then do whatever it takes to kill it.
Friday
Isaiah 6
RESPOND
What is the first thing you notice Isaiah saw when he went into the temple? How does he describe what he saw? (v 1)
Isaiah is overwhelmed with the angels in the temple. As he stands there taking it all in, he records a song being sung by the angels. What are they declaring in their song? How does the theme of this song relate to the succeeding verses in this chapter?
Notice how Isaiah describes God in verses 1-3 and how he describes himself in verses 4-5. What are the major differences?
What 3 reasons does Isiah give in verse 5 for declaring “It’s all over, and he is doomed?”
How does the prophet respond to the Lord’s call upon his life in verse 8?
DISCOVER
Isaiah 6 describes Isaiah's call from God to take His message to the people of Judah. Some scholars believe the book may have been meant to begin with this chapter. This chapter establishes the beginning of Isaiah's work as a prophet. This came in the year King Uzziah died, around 740 BC. Uzziah was one of the great kings of Judah. At the time of his death, the Assyrians were beginning to mount the great war machine that would roll over the nations of the middle east.
This experience described here in chapter 6 is one of the most remarkable experiences in the entire Bible. Isaiah is fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the Lord in all His beauty and glory. Just hearing the holiness of God proclaimed through the mouth of the angels, Isaiah is led to an understanding of his own unworthiness. Interestingly, all that he experiences through his senses, led him to an understanding of the role that he’d been called to walk out among God’s people.
The Lord tells Isaiah the message He wants His prophet to give to the people of Judah. They are to hear without hearing and see without seeing. In other words, the Lord knows the people of Judah are too far gone into their sin and rebellion to receive Isaiah's warnings about God's coming judgment. Yet, they will not be given the excuse that they were never warned. In the midst of all of this, the tiniest bit of hope remains. The Lord's promise is there that even after everything is destroyed a "holy seed" remains. This seed is referring to when the Messiah will come and bring salvation to the world.
In today’s world it’s super easy to look around and see a world that doesn’t appear to give much thought, if any, to the things of the Lord. People live in ways that please them, do things that make them happy, and consider themselves the number one priority. However, God has called us to be the hands and feet of the good news. As believers we’ve been given the task and the joy to accept the commission to go and tell others (Matthew 28:18-20) about the good news that is found only in Jesus Christ.
saturday
Isaiah 7
RESPOND
What plans did Syria and Israel make against Judah? (v 5-6)
What word of assurance did the Lord give to King Ahaz and what warning did God give him? (v 7-9)
In verses 10-13 God gave King Ahaz a promise. How did he respond to God’s promise?
Since King Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, what does God decree that He is going to do in verse 14?
What kind of conditions would the people face as punishment? (v 21-25)
DISCOVER
Isaiah 7 moves from Isaiah's prophecy about God's coming judgment to focus on Israel's history. It takes place during the reign of King Ahaz over Judah who was the grandson of King Uzziah. Historically this is a time when the king of Syria and the king of Israel joined forces in an attempt to remove the king of Judah from his throne. As one can only imagine this idea struck fear in the life of the king and the people of Judah. The Lord tells Ahaz to stop being afraid and to be firm in his faith. The Lord even tells Ahaz to ask Him for a miraculous sign as evidence that what He has said is true. Ahaz refuses, though, saying he will not test the Lord.
With Ahaz refusing to ask for a sign, God then lets him know that in spite of his failure to ask, God is going to give a sign anyway. In 7:14 Isaiah records the great promise that God is going to send someone who will forever be known as “the one who’s always with us (Emmanuel).”
Each of us to some degree can empathize with King Ahaz. We all know what it’s like to face a fearful situation. We all know what it’s like to look at the circumstances in front of us and be overwhelmed with fear. Yet, in all of this, the same great truth that was spoken to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7:14 has been repeated for our benefit and comfort in Matthew 1:20-23. As you face the enormity of your situation and the fears that come with life, hold fast to the promise that God is with you. He has promised that he would never leave you, nor forsake you. Alexander MacLaren said, “Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.”