Isaiah 60 Dear RTB’ers, New Year’s Eve. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the …
Category Archives: RTB 2025 – Search the Scriptures, Part 2
December 30 / Isaiah 59
Isaiah 59 Dear RTB’ers, The STS intro provides a really good summary of today’s reading (as it often does), helping us to understand what might have been more confusing without that help. For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us … we hope for justice, but there is none; for …
December 29 / Isaiah 58
Isaiah 58 Dear RTB’ers, Isaiah writing as if Israelites were speaking: Why have we fasted, and You see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You take no knowledge of it? (v. 3a) Integrity test here – am I (are we) like the Israelites of old, fully confident in my (our) own righteousness, expecting …
December 28 / Isaiah 56-57
Isaiah 56-57 Dear RTB’ers, Again, the STS introduction is super helpful in reading today’s two chapters. In that intro the authors highlight the Gentiles and the eunuchs, the leaders and the idolators. They surely enhance our understanding compared to our reading it on our own! As is often the case, one verse stood out for …
December 27 / Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55 Dear RTB’ers, It is often the case that I’ll be reading sections in Isaiah that are not very familiar to me, but then I’ll run across verses that I know quite well – often because I know them as music or as tried-and-true teachings. That’s the case today with Isaiah 55:6,8-9,11,12. All five …
December 26 / Isaiah 54
Isaiah 54 Dear RTB’ers, We have an emotional God: For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid My face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer. (vv.7-8) Desertion, compassion, anger – …
December 25 / Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Dear RTB’ers, Christmas Day. It’s so fitting that today’s entire passage is our fourth and final “Suffering Servant” passage, quoted more often in the New Testament than any other passage or set of verses from the Old Testament. So, no further comments from me on the passage itself. Rather, I would encourage you …
December 24 / Isaiah 51:17-52:12
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 …
December 23 / Isaiah 50:4-51:16
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” …
December 22 / Isaiah 49:1-50:3
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 …