Isaiah 51:17-52:12

Dear RTB’ers,

Christmas Eve. I see much of Israel’s exile experience in today’s reading. First, we have God’s judgment on them for their apostacy in not seeking Him: Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath … they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God. (v. 51:17a, 20b) But now God has had enough of His wrath poured out on His people (God speaking): Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of My wrath you shall drink no more; and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors… (v. 51:22b, 23a) And then we see them returning from exile with great joy! The voice of your watchmen… eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. … For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (vv. 52:8-9, 12)

Now, let’s put ourselves into that story. Let us be the Israelites who have in many ways abandoned our God. Hard times have been upon us, events and outcomes allowed to befall us, but not without God’s watchful eye, all designed for our growth, that we return to Him. And yes, He is ever faithful; He goes before us and behind us. Thank you, Lord! Glory!!

I hope to see you at church this evening!

Blessings!

Isaiah 50:4-51:16

Dear RTB’ers,

Pronouns and quotation marks… Today’s portion of chapter 50 has no quotation marks (they end with 50:3), so who is speaking? Is it Isaiah (the author) or is it God or is it the (S)servant? Verses 4-9 are all first-person pronouns – I, me, and my – with “Me” and “My” capitalized in the NASB. So, who is speaking? It’s easy to see Jesus as the speaker, especially in verse 6: I gave My back to those who strike, and My cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not My face from disgrace and spitting. In spite of His treatment, Jesus is confident of His victory over His adversaries. Then we have a third-person “His” in verse 10 and another first-person “My” in verse 11. Yes, it’s confusing. But whatever might be our understanding, those last two verses of chapter 50 provide clear warning – do not contend with this “His” or “My” person! This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment. (v. 50:11b)

Then we move to our 16 verses in chapter 51. In the NASB it’s all in quotation marks, except for verses 3 and 9-11. The ESV agrees, except that verse 3 is not excepted. So again, who is speaking. It is my understanding that when the translators use “stand alone” quotation marks in Isaiah that it is the Lord speaking. The NASB agrees – everything inside quotation marks in chapter 51 has capitalized pronouns. And if so, He is speaking to a “you”, clearly the Israelites: Look to Abraham your father… (v. 51:6a) And, as I’ve said before, when God speaks to the Israelites back in Isaiah’s time, we can often read His words as speaking to us in our time: Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD… (v. 51:1a) So today, in the chapter 51 verses, as if spoken to us, it’s all comfort for His people: …My righteousness will be forever and My salvation to all generations … I, I am He who comforts you… And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ (vv. 51:8b, 12a, 16) Yes, we are His people! Claim it!

Blessings!

Isaiah 49:1-50:3

Dear RTB’ers,

As the STS introduction reports, we are now moving away from a focus on Israel’s neighbors and oppressors: our “attention is turned to Israel’s glorious future”. Yes, it is a much easier read to see Israel being lifted up by this “servant”: And now the LORD says … “It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nation, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (vv. 49:5a, 6b) That is, my sense is that the Lord is speaking of the exiles returning from captivity, but that this return is a small item compared to the outreach that Israel (or the “servant”) will have on the entire world.

OK, this “servant”… Early on we read that the servant is Israel: And he said to me, “You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” (v. 49:3) However many scholars see these “servant” passages as referring to Jesus, the Messiah. The NASB and NKJV have all four uses of “Servant” capitalized (vv. 3, 5, 6, 7); their clear intent is that these “servant” passages are Messianic. Naturally, as John S. often suggests, it is up to us to make our own interpretation. However, my NASB Study Bible suggests that the entire passage from verses 1 to 13 refers to the Messianic Servant. Either way, with Israel as the servant or interpreting a Messianic Servant, today we read of Israel’s future glory, with the Lord’s deliverance and care for her especially prominent in the rest of today’s reading. Enjoy!

Blessings!

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See also: August 22 (2023) / Isaiah 49-51.

Isaiah 48

Dear RTB’ers,

Yesterday I posted, “God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge Him.” Then John repeated that point in his comment, “Are we, as Fred says, acknowledging the Lord God Almighty? Or are we instead stubborn of heart and far from righteousness? (Isaiah 46:12)” Intriguing, because today we read that many of Israel’s people were NOT acknowledging God or His ways, His prophecies. They were people …who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. (v. 1b) God says of them, You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. (v. 8a) But God, ever merciful, did not deal with them as they deserved: For My name’s sake I defer My anger; for the sake of My praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. (v. 9)

The Israelites serve as an example for us. We also can be stubborn of heart and far from righteousness, hard of hearing, rebellious in our own ways. And while we know that God is merciful, do we really want to count on His mercy instead of simply acknowledging Him from the start? Again, God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge Him.

Blessings!

Isaiah 46-47

Dear RTB’ers,

Babylon. Both chapters today. Their idols contrasted with the Lord God, herein speaking: To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be alike? … They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer… [but] My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose… (vv. 46:5, 7a, 10b)

Again, God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge His ways and His means. Babylon failed in that regard: I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy… Now therefore hear this you lover of pleasures… These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure… (vv. 47:6a, 8a, 9a) Again, God will do what He will do. Our only response is to acknowledge Him.

Blessings!

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See also: August 21 (2023) / Isaiah 46-48.

Isaiah 44:24-45:25

Dear RTB’ers,

Cyrus. Isaiah mentions him by name, some two centuries before he frees the Jews from exile in Babylon: He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all My purpose; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus … “I will go before you… For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.” (vv. 44:28-45:2, 4) Cyrus, chosen and named by God centuries in advance, but it is God who makes all the events unfold. So interesting…!

By Myself I have sworn; … a word that shall not return:‘ To Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ (v. 45:23) Words that we have seen before…?? Yes, Paul quotes this verse in Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Easily lost in that Isaiah quote is another phrase, a word that shall not return. We often speak these words in referring (in particular to a sharing session where we trust that the Holy Spirit will use those words that we have spoken. Most of us know these words from a verse that we will read later in Isaiah: … so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (v. 55:11) Glory!

Blessings!

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See also: August 20 (2023) / Isaiah 44-45 (the latter parts).

Isaiah 43:14-44:23

Dear RTB’ers,

Three major items in today’s reading – the fall of Babylon, Israel’s sinfulness, and the folly of idol worship. It is worth noting, again, that Isaiah is predicting Babylon’s downfall some two centuries before it happens. In Isaiah’s time Babylon had not even become dominant. Hezekiah had shown Babylonian envoys all the treasure of the house of the Lord (II Kings 20:12-19 and Isaiah 39:1-8), but Judah was still its own nation, fully some century and a half before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

As for Israel’s sinfulness, it’s interesting when you put it all together – Israel is no longer sacrificing as it had in the past and God does not expect it of them, and with (or because of) all that, they are pretty much forgetting Him! God speaking: You have not brought Me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with frankincense. … But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities. (vv. 43:23-24) They will pay a price for their misdeeds: Therefore I will … deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling. (v. 43:28)

Finally, one of the best sarcastic renditions of the folly of idol worship in all of Scripture, Isaiah 44:9-20. So much humor in those verses – a craftsman fashions idols of metal and wood, but with the wood, from the same tree he makes an idol and also cooks his meals. To me the best line, Shall I fall down before a block of wood? (v. 44:19b) Utterly ridiculous! Some good, light humor for your day!!

Blessings!

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See also: August 20 (2023) / Isaiah 44-45 (the first part).

Isaiah 42:1-43:13

Dear RTB’ers,

For the remainder of our readings in Isaiah I recommend that you first read the STS introduction, then the text, then the introduction again and the text again, then my comments, then the 2023 posts. It’s not easy to follow Isaiah when you just read his words; it requires a bit of digging, but it’s worth it. That’s why he is the most quoted prophet by Jesus and in the other New Testament writings.

Today’s STS intro suggests that much of today’s reading refers to Israel as God’s servant: Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (v. 42:1) As I have mentioned before, the ESV (quoted) does not capitalize deific pronouns (in bold above). However, the same verse in the NASB (and the NKJV and others) has the words my, him and he capitalized. Obviously, with “my” God is speaking in the first person, but the “he” and “him” are Messianic references in that verse and the next three. These first four verses in Isaiah 42 are quoted in Matthew 12:18-21 as a direct reference to Jesus. My Study Bible notes three other “Servant” passages later in Isaiah in chapters 49, 50, and 52-53. So while Isaiah was likely referring to Israel as God’s servant, many scholars see Messianic references.

And with reference to Israel, two verses today show God’s intent: Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey? So He poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart. (vv. 42:24-25) It was the Lord, not the advancing nations who were defeating Israel and taking them into captivity; it was His retribution for their sins. But His love also prevailed and He would bring them home: But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. … I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made. (vv. 43:1, 5b-7)

As we read these verses, with Isaiah referencing Israel, we might want to put ourselves “into the story” – where Isaiah is referencing Israel (My servant), maybe we are that servant? His discipline and His salvation for Israel – and for us? Those past (or current) difficult times – God knows what He is doing, to us and for us. We need to keep that in mind.

Blessings!

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See also: August 19 (2023) / Isaiah 42-43.

Isaiah 41

Dear RTB’ers,

The STS intro refers to today’s reading as a “magnificent chapter” in which “the supremacy of the God of Israel is further demonstrated” – further demonstrated, in that yesterday’s Isaiah 40 had already established His greatness.

I have suggested many times that you read through the links to prior posts that we offer most days. That’s especially true for Isaiah; John’s posts from 2023 are particularly helpful. Yesterday that link covered both yesterday’s and today’s readings. Let me quote him:

…the LORD’s message of hope and salvation is rooted entirely in Himself. He depends on no one. He is without equal. All else is trivial before Him. Idols are utterly worthless.

Therein John sums up today’s reading. Nations, kings, and idols are worthless. Period.

A verse for us to claim: For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the One who helps you.” (v. 13) Pray through this verse as you go through your day.

Blessings!

Isaiah 40

Dear RTB’ers,

We return to Isaiah and will be with him for the rest of this year and into 2026. In fact, we will not finish Isaiah until January 4, the date of our first RTB gathering of the new year. So, three weeks, get it on your calendars! [NOTE: Carol and I will be out of town, so we will not have an end-of-the-year gathering as in past years.]

Please read your STS introduction. Isaiah began his ministry to Judah in 740 BC, a century and a half before Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC and its people were taken into captivity to Babylon. Their exile ended around 537 BC, so Isaiah is prophesying their release some two centuries before that outcome – and he speaks most of it in the present tense. Isaiah lived more than seven centuries before Jesus was born. It’s one of the reasons why his Messianic prophesies are so amazing! We read one of them yesterday in our first lesson from Isaiah 7:10-17.

I was taken back to Job beginning in verse 12 today. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span… God challenging his people that He has no equal. Isaiah speaks these rhetorical questions, then makes fun of idol-casting later in Isaiah 40:19-20.

A number of well-known verses today:

• Comfort, comfort my people… (v. 1a)
• A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (v. 3)
• The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (v. 8)
• Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? (v. 21a)

And finally,

• …but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (v. 31)

Blessings!

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See also: August 18 (2023) / Isaiah 40-41.