Introduction to the Book of Isaiah

Mon. January 26 Isaiah 1:1-17

Like many of the prophetic books, Isaiah begins by telling us two important facts about what we are about to study (see 1:1). The first is that this is a 'vision' that the prophet 'saw'. It is the word of God, not something he dreamed up, and it therefore demands reverent and obedient study. The second is that it nevertheless came through a particular personality (Isaiah ben Amoz), and it originally applied to a particular people (Judah and Jerusalem) in a particular period (the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah - about 750-700 bc). We need to understand as much as we can about the author, his audience, and their times, if we are to understand the book and see how to re-apply it to our world. We discover something of Isaiah's background, family experiences, and personality from chs. 6-8, 20, and 36-39. This was a period of religious enthusiasm, but one of moral and social disorder, and one in which the people of God were tempted to rely on astute politics rather than on the Lord as the key to their welfare. Although the lessons Isaiah urged cannot all apply directly to the church (because it is not a political entity) or to any particular nation (because it is not God's people), his message challenges both.
In the notes occasional reference is made to the commentaries by O. Kaiser (Isaiah 1-12 and Isaiah 13-39 - both SCM Press) and by G. A. Smith (The book of Isaiah 1-XXXIX - now out of print). Neither is by a conservative evangelical, but both are helpful. So also is the small Torch Commentary by J. Mauchline (Isaiah 1-39 - also SCM Press), and the several volumes on Isaiah by John Calvin.

Although we are the people of God, we are always in danger of becoming just like the world. And in that situation prayer may do us no good at all. The book of Isaiah begins by describing two ways in which Israel is too much like Sodom and Gomorrah (9, 10) for comfort.
She has been battered almost as severely as those two infamous cities were (2-9). Judah is quite desolate (7) - suffering like the untreated victim of a mugging (5, 6), as exposed as a bivouac in an open field (9). The language is like that of the psalms, and these are probably her own descriptions of herself as she threw herself on God's mercy in prayer. But God her Father knows that the prodigal is not yet ready to come home (2-4). Just as well that the grace that called the nation into being (2) still keeps her in existence (9).
She has been living as wickedly as those two infamous cities did too (10-17). All the prayer meetings, gift-days, and festivals of praise in the world are worthless in the circumstances (11-15). The trouble is not that they weren't sincere - as far as we know, they meant every hallelujah. The trouble was that they had the blood of the oppressed on the hands that were lifted in prayer and praise (15-17). Of course that doesn't have to mean that many of them were directly guilty. But they were guilty by virtue of doing nothing about it.
For thought: If your church is weak, is it because of surrounding circumstances or because of sin within? Could God say vs. 15-17 to
your

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Tues. January 27 Isaiah 1:18-31

Wed. January 28 Isaiah 2:1-11

'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow'. To the person who is overcome by guilt and despairs of ever finding cleansing, those words can be an invitation that brings release from the blackness of despair. They speak of the grace of a father (see v.2) whose arms are never closed to his prodigal child.
But the trouble with the Israel of Isaiah's day was that she was not aware of guilt at all. Her eyes were blind to the blood covering her hands (15, 21), her ears were deaf to the pleas of the needy (23), she had forgotten what she had been before she became a fallen woman (21-23), and her spirit was insensitive to God's concern for justice. So God's words about the washing of stained hands are hardly to her a promise of forgiveness. They are rather a challenge to repentance. She has to get the blood off her hands, by replacing one way of life with another (19, 27).
Otherwise, a painful scenario is envisaged. Its purpose is a positive one (25, 26). But for those who have to be purged, it is simply an end (20, 24, 28-31). Verse 29 alludes to Canaanite fertility worship and reminds us that enthusiastic worship where there is no concern for justice (10-28) and worship which ceases to be given to the Lord at all (29) are not so far from each other, and receive the same judgement. The idea that social injustice was as evil as idolatry would have shocked the Jews -how do we receive it?
For thought: For any who are grieved at their sin v.18 is God's promise. For any who are easy-going about their sin v.18 is God's challenge.
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The description of Judah and Jerusalem that we have been given so far might seem a fundamentally depressing one. The second half of today's reading paints the same picture - we will look at it further tomorrow as it continues through the rest of the chapter.
Verses 1-5, however, offer a vision which contrasts with the solemn reality of how things are in Jerusalem. Sin (1:10-31) and chastisement (1:2-9) are not the final realities. God has a vision for Jerusalem. Indeed, it is his vision for his people, and thus also his vision for us as his church. He is determined that it shall be fulfilled, and the sin and suffering of his people do not make the slightest difference to whether it is going to come about.
God has three chief intentions for his people, according to this vision. They are going to attract the world (2, 3a) - instead of being attracted to it. They are going to teach the world God's truth (3b) - instead of being ignored by it. And they are going to bring peace to the world (4) - instead of being as strife-torn as the world. The vision brings its challenge to those who are privileged to see it (5).
For study: Look up other expressions of this vision: Gen. 12:1-3; Ezek. 47; Zech. 8:20-23. Note how it is applied to the church in Matt. 28:17-20; Acts 2. But it still also applies to Israel - see Rom. 11.
For prayer: Lord, hasten the time when the vision becomes full reality !
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Thurs. January 29 Isaiah 2:12-22

Fri. January 30 Isaiah 3:1-15

If vs. 1-5 are Isaiah's vision, vs.6-22 are his nightmare. But they, too, reflect his insight into the mind of God - and into the mind of men. His countrymen are enjoying a period of economic prosperity and military achievement and security. (The picture is a very different one from that in 1:2-9, which probably came from later in his ministry: 2:6-22 seem to come from early in his ministry, when Israel was prosperous and successful. Read 2 Chron. 26; 27 for the background). But he sees that interwoven with this success is pride, superstition and idolatry. It is odd how all these things tend to go together, now as then.
But most attention is given to pride and idolatry. Pride is the refusal to let God be God - we make ourselves into God. But we are not content with that, so we make idols. Man 'will not lower himself before his creator, and yet bows down to the work of his own hands' (Kaiser). Today men may not make idols, but they do manufacture their own ideals. The nightmare of the chapter is the vision of a day when the Lord judges pride and idols. Its challenge comes in v.22 (which deserves to be set alongside v.5 -these two verses represent two sides of a coin).
For thought: Why do prosperity, achievement, security, pride, superstition and idolatry (false ideals) tend to go together? Can you illustrate their close relationship in your own life or in your nation's life? What are the world's ideals and how do they affect us? What implications should v.22 have for us?
SU Prayer focus on evangelism. Please pray that many people may come into a new relationship with Jesus Christ, through the major evangelistic thrust that SU has planned for several regional centres this spring.
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These verses complement 2:6-22. The nightmare picture of cosmic disintegration is replaced by a much more down-to-earth, literal portrayal of what God's judgement on a nation can mean in practice. Bread and water, the basics of human need, disappear - 'consumer goods' are not even mentioned! (1). Leadership - military, judicial, religious, political, social -disappears (2, 3). Those who are available, rather than those who are able, hold office (4) - if you are lucky (6, 7). The social structure collapses (5).
It is a judgement in the area of leadership because it is the leadership that is especially guilty (12-15). The section closes as it began with reference to 'the Lord Yahweh of hosts' - the real leader, the real one who makes things happen, the one with all heaven's armies at his disposal. His might guarantees that this is not just talk. Verses 13, 14a are probably not merely a figure of speech. We are to picture leaders and people gathered before God at a festival - this will have been the context of many of Isaiah's prophecies (compare the account of his call in the Temple, ch.6). There they praised God for the past and sought his blessing for the future - but found that the prophetic word was one of judgement.
It is a fearful picture even for those who seek to walk in God's way. But vs. 10, 11 tell us that we need not fear that God will not be fair. His judgement is not indiscriminating.
Pray for your nation's leaders and for nations experiencing (or in danger of) the kind of collapse described here.
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Sat. January 31 Isaiah 3:16-26; 4:1

Sun. February 1 Isaiah 4:2-5:7

Yesterday's passage was concerned with the kind of wrongs that tend to be practised by men. But in their own way Jerusalem's women are as self-assertively proud and as much a threat to the fabric of society as their husbands are. Isaiah treats them as just as responsible and answerable to God as their husbands are. But the precise area of their wrongdoing is different. The Bible is not against jewellery and perfume, colour and beauty as such (see, for instance, Ps. 45). But it recognises that a concern to be outwardly attractive easily displaces a desire for inner adornment (see 1 Pet. 3:4). Here Isaiah notes two sins which can accompany a concern to be outwardly attractive. One is sexual lust (16). A mere man may be forgiven for finding it amazing how 'innocent' even Christian girls can be over a provocative dress or an inviting look; Isaiah seems not to give them the benefit of the doubt! The other sin is excess (18-23). We do not know exactly what all these items of adornment were, and no one could have worn them all at once, but the point is in the length of the list. Women today have still to examine themselves regarding the number of dresses in their wardrobes that they can't wear because they represent last year's fashion!
The punishment fits the crime. They flaunt themselves, so they are exposed (19). They beautify themselves, so they are defiled (24). They try to make the men chase them, so the men are taken away, and they compete for one who will at least give them some limited protection (3:25-4:1).
Men and women may well respond differently to these verses, so
Pray about your own response and ask for tolerance and understanding of the reactions and attitudes of the opposite sex.
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Today's passage rather resembles Wednesday's. After a chapter of grievous denunciation of sin and declaration of judgement, the sun is again allowed to break from the clouds, and 4:2-6 corresponds to 2:1-4 in picturing once more God's positive purpose for his people. Verse 4 in particular promises that the sins and chastisements of ch.3 are not the end of the story.
We too may feel we live in an age which has known God's chastisement of his people - the church counts for little in our world. But God promises to us that on the other side of chastisement there are restoration, glory, and prosperity (2), true holiness (3), cleansing (though the purging of sin looks a painful process) (4), the return of the felt presence of God (the symbols of cloud and fire come from the story of the Exodus - see Exod. 13:21, 22) (5), and protection from dangers that will threaten but will not overwhelm us (6).
Chapter 5:1-7, like other messages of Isaiah, was perhaps first given as a sober interruption at one of Jerusalem's joyful harvest celebrations. But the story of the vineyard is an allegory for a love-story. The singer is the best man, his 'beloved' or friend is the groom, the vineyard is the bride who was unfaithful. But at the end of the song the singer reveals that the groom is the Lord and the bride is the people who are listening. If they have joined in condemning her, they have condemned themselves. And if we join in condemning them, we risk condemning ourselves (see John 15: 2, 6; Rom. 11:17-21).
For meditation. These two passages in different ways appeal to our imagination. Let your imagination live with them for a while, calling forth your response.
verse of the week : Isaiah 9:6
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Mon. February 2 Isaiah 5:8-17

Tues. February 3 Isaiah 5:18-30

Here are some more of the 'wild grapes' (2). The first two issues Isaiah itemises are the problems of property and drink - G. A. Smith comments that every civilisation eventually has to grapple with these. What is wrong with the accumulation of property, and especially of land? This is expressly forbidden because the land belongs to the Lord; it is not man's to buy and sell (Lev. 25:23). And to accumulate property deprives others (8).
Drink is a problem because it dulls the senses. People no longer care about what the Lord is doing (12). They no longer know what's best for themselves and follow it (13). So, paradoxically, people's attempts to produce bigger harvests (8) and enjoy drink (11, 12) lead to famine and thirst (13).
The song of the vineyard ended by noting the Lord's concern for justice and righteousness (7). These first two woes end by explaining that the reason for judgement is that the Lord himself is just and righteous (16). Indeed, this is how he reveals his 'holiness'. God's holiness is his 'God-ness', his awesome difference from men. But according to Isaiah, the outward expression of holiness is justice or righteousness. Justice means being able to make decisions and implement them - the Lord proves his authority in this way. Righteousness means ensuring that these decisions respect the rights of the situation, bringing judgement for the wrongdoer and relief for the oppressed. By means of these words v. 16 offers us a definition of the character of God.
For thought: 'God is love'. How do we relate this to 'God shows himself holy in righteousness'? What implications does 'God is righteousness' have for us?
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The declarations of woe which continue through vs. 18-23 are expressions of sadness as much as of judgement. God shakes his head at the blindness of his people, a blindness that may reappear in the world today - though also (in more subtle forms, perhaps) in the attitudes of believers. Here people are blind to the burden of sin - they do not realise the weight of what they are dragging around and the restrictions it places on them (18). They are blind to the real power of God - they mock Isaiah's talk of God acting in their lives (19). They are blind to true standards of right and wrong (20) - though the verse may also imply that they pretend that the trouble that comes from evil isn't trouble and that the blessing that comes from good isn't really worth having. They are blind to their own folly (21) and blind to their real feebleness (22) which makes them unable even to stand up for the truth (23). And behind or alongside their self-imposed blindness is a rejection of the source of illumination (24b). Where can we see these blindnesses in our world? And where can we see their seeds in our own attitudes?
To appreciate the force of Isaiah's pictures of the judgement that will therefore follow (24a, 25-30), we need to re-express them in terms of the images of natural destruction and military might of today. We can get some idea of the scale of the judgement God threatens by thinking of the way floods in India can sweep villages away, of the way acid can consume, or of destruction on the scale of Hiroshima.
SU Prayer focus on the use of the Bible. In a day when many wrong ideas are current, pray that in all its work SU may demonstrate the truth and relevance of the Bible.
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Wed. February 4 Isaiah 6:1-13

Thurs. February 5 Isaiah 7:1-17

Isaiah's distinctive title for God is 'the Holy One of Israel' (e.g. 5:19, 24). This vision of the Holy One (3) explains that title's background and meaning. Holiness means awesome splendour (1-4). The average Israelite (like the average Christian) could easily presume on his special relationship with God. But to see the mighty God is an awesome experience for the mere creature. It is even more fearful because the creature is a sinner and holiness means purity (5). The angels can speak God's praise but Isaiah realises that his lips are not worthy of doing so. Yet holiness means forgiveness, too (6, 7). The nature of God himself is to hold together absolute righteousness and justice with loving condescension and mercy; those who humbly acknowledge the first can also benefit from the second. When our lips have been touched, we can then join in the worship of v.3. But holiness means judgement (8-13) for people who do not share Isaiah's own sensitiveness to sin - we can only have forgiveness if we know we don't deserve it. Verses 9b, 10 perhaps mean that, although Isaiah is to warn people of judgement so that they may repent -certainly this is what he did do - God knows that most of them will not listen and will thus end up even worse off than they are now. But because God can foresee this and he is still sending Isaiah, it can be spoken of as in a sense his will. Isaiah is told this now so that it will not surprise him then. But it is a solemn calling, and to say 'Here am I' is always a serious matter. Yet even for the people, as for Isaiah, holiness means mercy. The last phrase of v. 13 seems to mean that even when the 'tree' of Israel is felled, there will still be a stump there, and thus the possibility of new growth.

If we believe that our God is the Lord of hosts (6:3), it should make a difference to how we cope with crises. In this crisis the northern kingdom of Israel (here referred to as Ephraim) is in unholy alliance with Syria. They are trying to resist the power of mighty Assyria (to the north-east) and want to force Judah to join them. Ahaz is therefore inspecting his own defences (3). But Isaiah suggests a different response to the crisis. It is to remember that, given the power of God, the human powers that look impressive are really nothing (4-9). The rational thing to do is trust God and relax (4a, 9b).
People can ask for a sign because they want to believe (Gideon) or because they don't (the Pharisees). God can offer a sign to help a believer (Hezekiah) or to expose an unbeliever (Ahaz here). Ahaz prefers to trust in defences he can see rather than those he can't see - and we are all in that danger. The sign God therefore actually gives him is a sign of judgement. The details of its meaning are uncertain (the interpretation of v.14 in Matthew is probably a reapplication of it), but the general point is clear. In the short term there will be deliverance (16, compare the summary in v.2). But subsequently there will be worse trouble. God will see to it that the coalition is a failure (17; vs. 18-25 amplify this).
For meditation:  'Faint not, nor fear, his arms are near, He changeth not, and thou art dear. Only believe ..."

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Fri. February 6 Isaiah 8:1-15

Sat. February 7 Isaiah 8:16-9:7

 

The media pundit can be reasonably sure that no one will have last year's paper handy when his prophecies fail. In vs. 1-4 Isaiah backs up the promise of 7:16 by giving his son a name that will be a standing testimony to his words later. The following verses (5-8) develop the warning of 7:17. The waters of Shiloah, the gentle stream that was long Jerusalem's main water supply, are a parable of the Lord's unspectacular but sure provision of her needs. If she despises these, an awesome flood will replace them.
But if such disaster is inevitable, how does Isaiah himself live with the situation? Verses 9, 10 reveal his overall conviction about history. Even if we have to go through times of discipline, the name Immanuel (God is with us) still means something for the people of God. (That phrase or name at the end of v.8 may well really be the opening of the prophecy in vs. 9, 10. 'God is with us' then opens and closes this prophecy.) Even when others seem to lord it over the people of God, their power is exercised only under God.
The other aspect of Isaiah's steadfast faith under pressure is his further testimony to God's revelation to him (11-15). If we really believe that he is the holy and awesome One (see 6:1-4) that puts other 'threats' in perspective. And if we are aware of his might and power, we know this is not a threat but a comforting reassurance (14).
For meditation and praise: Pray Psalm 46, with which Isaiah's message has so many points of contact.
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Into darkness (8:16-22). Again Isaiah raises the question of how we are to cope when disaster threatens. Many 'advanced' civilisations have been strangely inclined to fajl back into superstition at such times yet it is pathetic that Israel does so when she has the alternative of God's word (19, 20), and it actually only makes the situation worse (20b-22). 'It is the will of the Lord that we shall depend wholly on his word' (Calvin). It is there that we find the insight and instruction, the grounds for faith and hope -and the exhortation to confession and repentance - that we need in such crises. Isaiah himself sets us an example of faith and hope (16-18). He believes that God will fulfil his word, and (like the naming of his son in v.l), the sealing up of a written version of his prophecies is a statement of faith that one day he will be able to prove them right. He is looking forward eagerly to that day (17).
Out of darkness (9:1-7). Even though we get ourselves into places of gloom and darkness, God does not leave us there. Even for northern Israel, allied with Syria against Judah, darkness is not God's last word. Assyria dismembered Israel, making the Mediterranean area ('the way of the sea'), the Galilee, and Transjordan three separate Assyrian provinces (1). But gloom will be replaced by joy (2, 3) and oppression by peace (4, 5). Israel has turned her back on David's line but Israel too will share the beneficent rule of a new David (6, 7). The picture of this ruler would have been understood in down-to-earth human terms by the original hearers of the message. But the supernatural overtones to them encourage the Christian reader to see Jesus as the fullest embodiment of this vision of Isaiah's.
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Sun. February 8 Isaiah 9:8-21

Mon. February 9 Isaiah 10:1-23

In three paragraphs, each with the same solemn ending, three disasters are described - devastation of the land, widespread casualties among the people, and internal civil strife. It is usually possible for us to explain such events in political or social terms. But that may be to avoid asking what God is doing in them (see v.8). It is possible to take reverses as a challenge to be overcome ('We will fight them on the beaches ...')• But that may be the response of pride (9, 10). It is possible simply to ignore such reverses, to try to pretend that life can carry on normally. But that may be to ignore what God wants to teach us through them (13). The awful thing about this chapter is the recurrent refrain (12b, 17b, 21b), because it shows that if we do not respond in the right way to the disasters God sends, that can only mean further disasters.
Note the understanding of God's word (8). Yesterday we noted that God's people are to depend on it alone. One reason for this is its power. Because it is his word, it achieves things. When God speaks things happen. This was true at creation (Gen. 1:3 etc; Ps. 33:6). It is true about his positive purpose for his people. (Isa. 40:8, 55:10, 11). But it is also true about his final judgement (2 Pet. 3:5-7) and about the words of judgement he utters within history (v.8 here).
To think over: How does God use events such as these in the lives of nations, individuals, churches today? How can we see his working in our own situation?
verse of the week : Isaiah 12:2
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How are we to understand the way God works in the affairs of the nations? How is God involved in wars and revolutions - the Second World War, the Korean War, Vietnam, Israel, Lebanon, Uganda? This passage of Isaiah suggests that God's activity for his ends, and men's activities for their ends, are interwoven in an intricate way. Here war comes about because God wishes to punish injustice, and thus the aggressor is his agent (1-6). But this aggressor is not consciously serving God - he is serving his own vindictiveness (7) and his own pride (8, 9, 12-14 - the places in v.9 had already been dealt with by Assyria and compared with them Jerusalem posed no problem; the reference to Samaria indicates that this prophecy comes from after the fall of northern Israel). He is serving his own contempt for God (10-12) and his own ambition and greed (13, 14). Thus there is a strange reversal of proper roles - the agent becomes more important than the one he serves (15). So in his turn the agent of God's justice will himself be dealt with (16-19), while the original recipient of God's judgement will be restored (20-27). Can you see elements of this pattern in the history of your own nation?
Otto Kaiser comments on vs. 13-15: 'The only attitude which man can properly adopt with regard to his own works is, in the words of the Old Testament, "I am not worthy of the best of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness which thou hast shown to thy servant" (Gen. 32:10), and in the words of the New Testament, "What have your that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Man's dominion is given him by God (Gen. 1:28) and he looks for his future to God (Gen. 12:1-3; Phil. 3:13, 14).'
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Tues. February 10 Isaiah 10:33-11:16

Wed. February 11 Isaiah 12:1-6

Verses 33, 34 assert again that God is cutting Judah and her rulers down to size - 'Lebanon' is a metaphor for Zion itself. (Verses 27b-32, a frightening imaginative or visionary report of the advance of the Assyrian army through the last villages on the way to Jerusalem, suggest how God is going to do this.)
But the felled tree can nevertheless grow again (11:1, see, too, 6:13). God promises new growth and new fruit (2-16). Christ is the key to the fulfilment of this picture, though not all is yet achieved, (a) A son of David will rule effectively and justly (2-5). (b) Harmony will be restored to all creation (6-9). This picture might be a metaphor for human peace; but as Scripture elsewhere sees disharmony in nature as a result of sin and sees righteousness as the key to harmony (Gen. 3; 9:1-17; Ps. 72; Rom. 8:19-23), more probably the idea is that nature will work together properly and cease to be a threat to man. (c) The world will be drawn to the son of David (10, compare Rom. 15:12) -though if they resist his authority they will have to be put down (14, 15). (d) The people of God will be gathered from exile, and obstacles to their reunion will be miraculously removed (11, 12, 15, 16). (e) Harmony will be restored to the people of God (13).
Praise God for what he has actually brought about, pray for what is still to be restored, and ask yourself what aspects of the work of the Spirit described here you need especially to seek for yourself.
SU Prayer focus on Scotland where there is an extensive work in schools and camps. Please pray for all those involved in regular visits to schools.
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Living in the future. After the Exodus from Egypt, Moses gave Israel a song to sing in praise of her God (Exod. 15). Isaiah has been promising a new exodus (chs.10; 11) and here he gives Israel her song to sing 'in that day' (1). The difference is that this song is composed before the event. One of the things that keeps the believer going in times of crisis or waiting is the prospect of singing the Lord's praise when the crisis is over.
Living in the past. In turn, this means that 'in that day' the fervour of the believer's praise derives from the fact that he does not forget what he has been through (1). Though in one sense the memory is painful, because the story had a happy ending praise is stimulated by looking back.
Living in the present. On the basis of what the Lord has done, the believer can live in the present in thanksgiving (1), trust and confidence (2), and joy (3). He witnesses, both to other believers and to the world, to the greatness of 'the Holy One of Israel'(4-6). He knows the Lord's presence (6) his power (2), and his salvation (2, 3). What particular challenges do these lessons about the life of faith bring to our own lives before God?
Verse 3 was used each autumn at the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel remembered the Lord's provision at the Exodus and in the harvest. It was sung as the priests drew water from the water of Siloam (see 8:6) and brought it to the Temple. It is this ceremony that Jesus refers to in John 7:37-39. He thus offers to be the ultimate fulfilment of Isaiah's promise here. The question is: How much are we drawing from those wells?
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Thurs. February 12 Isaiah 13:1-22

Fri. February 13 Isaiah 14:1-21

Chapters 13-23 comprise the second major section of the book of Isaiah, and consist in a series of declarations of God's judgement on the nations of the day. Although Scripture warns us not to gain too easy comfort from the thought of God's judgement on the world, since judgement begins at the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17), nevertheless the certainty of God's judgement of evil and oppression is an encouragement we can rejoice in if we are living in repentance and obedience ourselves.
Although Babylon was a major power in Isaiah's day, she comes first in Isaiah's series. This may be partly because she was to become the agent of God's chastisement with the exile. Egypt and Babylon are symbols of all world power exerted against the people of God. Perhaps this explains why the bulk of this chapter (2-16) makes no reference to Babylon at all. It is a picture of world judgement. Babylon stands for world power, under God's control but characteristically arrogant and ruthless (11). Thus Babylon's fall is a foretaste of the day of the Lord itself (6) - it is the Lord's own army that brings it about (2-5).
The temporal fulfilment of this prophecy came with the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians in 539 bc (see Isa. 41-48; Daniel). But the features of Babylon's fall (9-16) are the features of the day of judgement itself (see Rev. 18).
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Verses 1-2 connect closely with ch.13 (they begin with the word 'for' in Hebrew) and they thus explain that the most important thing about the fall of Babylon is that it opens the way for Israel's restoration. Verse 13 then gives a similar significance in the poem which follows in vs. 14-21. We may assume that world history is still church-centred and Israel-centred (to an extent that the world itself would never dream of). The establishment of the State of Israel as a result of World War II may be an example of the second. Can you think of examples of the first - when world events work out for the blessing and growth of the church?
The trouble with the king of Babylon was that he tried to force himself into heaven - to make himself God (12-14). This was accompanied by a policy of oppression on earth (4-8, 16, 17, 20, 21). The two go naturally together but they led to his being thrown down to Sheol (9-11, 15-19). The Old Testament generally pictures all men going to Sheol, although there are occasional glimpses of some relationship with God beyond death. Sheol is a kind of spiritual equivalent to the body's abode, the grave itself; it is not a place of torment - just of nothingness and emptiness. But as such it was a great humiliation for someone of such pretensions as the king of Babylon. (In v.12, AV 'Lucifer' appears, the only place in the Bible. But the context shows that the reference is to the fall of the king of Babylon, not the fall of Satan.)
To think over: How do men today behave as though they were God? What does this chapter say to such ?
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Sat. February 14 Isaiah 19:1-15

Sun. February 15 Isaiah 19:16-20:6

It is inevitable that Egypt has a place in Isaiah's collection of prophecies against the nations. We noted two days ago that, as Israel's original oppressor, she was - along with Babylon - one of the two symbols of world power exerted against God. But further, in Isaiah's day she was Judah's major source of temptation (see chs. 30-31). Egypt had all the impressiveness of the world at its best. She always seemed so strong and secure - not a buffer state tossed from the power of one empire to another, like Israel. Her prosperity seemed guaranteed by the annual floods of the Nile and the sophisticated irrigation system by which she harnessed these. Her intellectual achievements were proverbial. But in Isaiah's vision in three paragraphs each of these three strengths dissolves before the eyes - because the God of Israel says so. And when that happens, the world has nowhere else to turn (1, 3, 14,
15).
As the people of God we, like Old Testament Israel, have no built-in security, prosperity, or wisdom of our own. But at least we have the key to understanding what happens to us and to the nations, and we know where to turn when everything collapses. The Lord's purpose is a mystery to the wise men of Egypt, but it is revealed through the prophets of Israel (12; compare 41:21-29).
A prayer for those who recognise that 'Egypt' can be impressive (see Jer. 9:23-24): Lord, I do not glory in my wisdom, my might, or my riches. I glory in the fact that I know you, as the one who delights to practise steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the world.
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The theme of 19:1-15 is continued in 19:16, 17 and 20:1-6. Egypt is destined for downfall and it is foolish to turn to her for help. In that context, 19:18-25 offers a breathtakingly different message. Point by point the helplessness of Egypt, which vs. 1-15 asserted, is answered by the Lord's provision. If she is, after all, weak (1-4), he rescues her from oppression (20). If she is, after all, devastated (5-10), then the experience is only designed to draw her to the Lord for healing (22) and blessing (25). If she is, after all, at a loss to understand what is happening to her (11-15), now she knows the Lord who makes things happen to her (21).
The passage's significance emerges further when we note that point after point of what belonged distinctively to Israel is here given to Egypt - her language (18), her relationship with God (18), her worship (19-21, 23), the care for the oppressed that she experienced in the Judges period (20), the purposeful chastisement that belonged to Israel as God's son (22), her blessing (24, 25), her position as 'my people' (25).
And here is Isaiah speaking of Israel's original oppressor and her current besetting temptation! For Egypt (and all those who are at the moment outside God's people), it is a promise that no one is beyond God's care. For Israel (and God's people today), it is a reminder that no person or nation can be written off by us. The prodigal son can always be sure that the father's arms remain open, and the older brother always has to resist the temptation to resent this.
verse of the week : Isaiah 26:3
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Mon. February 16 Isaiah 24:1-16

Tues. February 17 Isaiah 24:21-25:12

So far in his book Isaiah has spoken of judgement and salvation for Israel in his day (chs.1-12) and for the other nations of his day (chs. 13-23). In contrast, chs.24-27 refer to no specific contemporary events, persons, or peoples. Instead, they describe a final devastation and renewal of the world as a whole.
In a sermon on 'The Shaking of the Foundations' (the title comes from v.18). Paul Tillich notes that a description of world devastation such as this one can be taken with renewed seriousness by an age which has witnessed the man-made devastations of the present century. Science may have encouraged people to forget how precarious their life on earth is, but now it has made that life more precarious than ever. We know that the power of destructiveness kept in reserve in the nations' armouries now far exceeds that which we have actually seen utilised in any war so far. But that power of destructiveness is itself nothing compared with God's own which is described here.
Verses 14-16a are probably to be taken as a song of praise by one who looks beyond devastation to renewal - though v.!6b indicates the mourning that is nevertheless inevitable in the meantime. We may well wonder how the prophets could proclaim such vivid messages of destruction without giving way to cynicism or despair. It was because they looked beyond the destruction to the ultimate salvation. As we witness in many ways the crumbling of our world let us look beyond to the eternal God, the Rock, and to the everlasting salvation.
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Here three promises (21-23, 6-8,10-12) find their response in three songs of praise (1-5, 9; 26:1-6). Overall we are given a series of reasons why 'that day' will give all of us as believers reasons for rejoicing. We will rejoice in the triumph of the Lord (21-23 - taken up in 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 20). There will come a day when both supernatural and earthly dominations will cease and when God's glory will shine so bright that sun and moon will be outclassed. We will rejoice in the putting down of the ruthless (25:1-5) because it means that the needy - whom God has faithfully protected - are now finally safe. We will rejoice in the restoring oj'the ravaged (6-8, taken up in 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21). The picture is the opposite of the judgement of ch.24 and the reversal of the distress of v.4. Feasting replaces the poverty God's people have often experienced, and the Lord deals with grief and mourning (of which the covering or veil is the outward expression). We will rejoice in the vindicating of hopes (9). God's people live this life by faith and hope, praising God for the redemption they do not yet experience. But then their hope will be proved right! We will rejoice in the laying low of pride (10-12). It is striking how the Old Testament can place a moving picture like that of v.8 next to what may seem a rather distasteful one in vs. 10, 11. But the negative and the positive side to God's final triumph are always held together in Scripture.
For prayer and praise: Work through the passage paragraph by paragraph, turning it into your own personal prayer, intercession for those who need its message, and praise.
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Wed. February 18 Isaiah 26:1-21

Thurs. February 19 Isaiah 28:5-22

As believers we will often find that the difference between what God promises and what we seem to experience produces a turmoil of conflicting attitudes within us. A turmoil of attitudes appears in today's passage, (a) Anticipation (1-6). Isaiah again looks forward expectantly to the song that will be sung when the new Jerusalem is entered. Note the features he especially looks forward to (strength, security, peace, permanence, justice) and the sort of person you have to be to enjoy them (righteous, faithful, reliant), (b) Trust (7-10). He returns in his mind to the present, and here is his statement of faith. God is righteous (7), God must be righteous (9b, 10), so we look for God's righteousness (8, 9a). (c) Longing (11-15). The waiting of vs.8, 9a becomes of a more agitated kind. We may be able to live by faith but unbelievers need to see (11). The 'other lords' of v.13 are probably secular rulers - God's people 'render to Caesar' but they also 'render to God', (d) Disappointment (16-18). Unfulfilled hopes are not a sudden, new experience. They are a familiar one, and this makes them the harder to keep living with, (e) Challenge (19-21). Anticipation returns (19 - probably Isaiah refers to the resurrection of the nation, compare Ezek. 37). Verses 20, 21 follow from it.

We return in chs.28-39 to material with specific reference to Israel, Judah, their kings, and political policies. But whereas in chs. 1-12 the king was Ahaz, the threat was northern Israel and Syria, and the potential ally was Assyria, now (a few years later) the king is Hezekiah, the threat is Assyria (as Isaiah had warned), and the potential ally is Egypt. Verses 1-4 reassert the judgement on northern Israel and vs.5,6 contrast with it. The rest of the chapter shows that Judah is no better.
A simple but theologically profound hymn reminds us to 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus'. The basis of this message is expressed nowhere more clearly than in Isaiah. He reasserts God's standards to people who are inclined to forget them (7, 8, 17) and invites people to rest in God instead of devising their own securities (12, 15, 16).
But Isaiah's repetition of his basic, simple message meets only scorn (9, 10). The basic, simple nature of'trust and obey' is very difficult for us to accept! So God will have to take on the strange (21) but necessary task of teaching his people by more painful means (11-13), and by the same act exposing the real nature of what they choose to trust in (18-20). Perazim and Gibeon were occasions when God fought for Israel (2 Sam. 5, Josh. 10), but now he will fight against her. 'God speaks twice to men, first in words and then by deeds'. If men deride and abuse the simplicity of the former, they experience the directness and simplicity of the latter (G. A. Smith).

For thought: (a) Do my prayers need to manifest more faith or more honest perplexity ? (b) Is there a promise or a challenge among these verses that might be especially God's word to me today ?
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'Trust and obey'. Why is it so hard? Where do you find it hard at present?
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Fri. February 20 Isaiah 30:1-18

Sat. February 21 Isaiah 30:19-33

Continuing his challenge to Judah in the time of Hezekiah (for the background, see ch.36), Isaiah reminds us of four of the characteristics of our God and of the responses to him that are appropriate on our part, (a) He is the holy One to whom we are obliged and to whom we owe obedience (1, 8-14). It is possible to be a man of faith in the wrong thing (12)! In what ways does the holy One try to speak to us, and in what ways do we smother his voice (9, 10)? (b) He is the wise One, to whom it is only sensible for us to turn for advice (1-9). Isaiah is not asking Judah to live by faith rather than facts. He is asking her to look facts in the face. Relying on Egypt is bad politics. Although her empire is impressive (4), there is no point in Judah's camel trains making the tortuous journey through Sinai to Egypt (6) because Egypt is only like a supposedly violent monster that has actually fallen asleep (7). (c) He is the protecting One, whom we can fittingly trust (15-17). 'Shadow' and 'protection' (2b) are just what the Lord promises to be to us (see Ps. 91), and it is an insult to him to apply these words to earthly resources and to trust in our activities to keep us safe (16). So where are the areas where God wants to prove his resources and strength to us? (d) He is the waiting One, for whom we are called to wait (18). There is a poignancy about v.lSa and a humility about the God who keeps longing for us to open ourselves to his grace, and whose greatness lies in his mercy. Where and how are we keeping him waiting? Where do we need to begin looking to him for the blessing he wants to give?

Once again Isaiah looks beyond the judgement of which he warns Judah, to the new message the Lord will have for his people after he has punished them. This is an encouragement for the faithful, to take with them through judgement, as well as a set of promises to be claimed by those who turn back to God through that experience.
(a) The Lord will answer us (19). The words recall the story of the Exodus (see Exod. 2:23-25). In Egypt, Israel had been undeservedly afflicted, but the Lord had heard her cry. But grace means that he also hears our cry when we are deservedly afflicted, as is the case here, (b) The Lord will guide us (20-22). As he had led Israel after bringing her out of Egypt, so he will again. The love of the guide gently restores his pupil to the right path when he strays one step either side. And his work of redemption and renewal is so effective that golden calves will no longer attract anyone (22). (c) The Lord will bless us (23-26). He will again bring his people to the land flowing with milk and honey. For Israel and for us material provision is the outward expression of his personal, loving care for those who are committed to him, and specifically is the sign that the relationship really is mended (26b). (d) The Lord will give us joy in judgement (27-33). The frightening appearance of the Lord in judgement recurs (27, 28). But for the believer this can (and should) be reason for rejoicing in the prospect of God dealing with evil. Yet this will only be the case if we have already gone through God's judgement - either in our own persons or in Christ's being afflicted for us.

29.

For meditation: Pray home the pictures of vs. 19, 21, 26b, and

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Sun. February 22 Psalm 2

Mon. February 23 Isaiah 31:1-9

When the Jewish authorities tried to use force against the infant church for the first time, the believers found in the words of this Psalm an exact expression of their feelings of high resolve and absolute faith in God (Acts 4:24-28). Their quotation ended at v.2, but no doubt they had what follows (4-6) clearly in mind, being absolutely sure that God was with them and was well able to cope with the pretensions of human rulers.
Later, in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13), Paul comes to the climax of his exposition of the gospel, naming Jesus as the true fulfilment of Old Testament aspirations, and finds in the words of v.7 a precise formulation of Christ's deity.
Finally, three times in the Book of Revelation (2:27; 12:5; 19:15) John finds in the first part of v.9 the vivid picture needed to portray the authority of Jesus the King (following the Septuagint in reading 'rule7 for 'break').
So this Psalm stands firmly as an expression of triumphant faith, into which Christians can enter wholeheartedly as they see it already fulfilled, now being fulfilled, and still to be fulfilled - in Christ.
To think over:  Why must Christ's Kingship inevitably bring judgement and destruction as well as blessing (11)?
verse OF the week : 1 Peter 1:3, 4

We read another of Isaiah's arguments designed to win Judah from reliance on Egypt. Again it reminds us of characteristics of God that we, too, ought to take more seriously.
(a) He is the 'Holy One ofIsrael'(1). The holiness of God is his awesome splendour (see ch.6). But in going down to Egypt Judah is ignoring this mighty God. Again they are placing in human resources the trust that should only be placed in God. (b) He is wise (2). To fail to consult him is not merely cheek but folly, for he knows what is actually going to happen - because he decides what is going to happen, (c) He is spirit (3). Flesh stands for creatureliness in its limitations and weakness. That is all we men apart from God are. Spirit stands for God in his dynamic power and effectiveness. When flesh is empowered by spirit, man shows God's dynamic in his life. But the Egyptians are men without that spirit, (d) He is like a lion with his prey (4). Is a lion able to protect his prey from a gang of shepherds? Then the Lord is able to protect his city from a gang of Assyrians. But the image is an uncomfortable one! Perhaps it also hints at the possibility of the Lord's ferocity being turned against his city. Chapter 29 emphasises this. Although in the end the Lord protects Zion from her enemies, for a while because of her rebellion the Lord becomes her enemy, (e) He is like a bird fluttering over her young (5). Verse 4 may be double-edged but in this verse Isaiah clearly means to encourage the people with a reminder of the Lord's loving protection.
Verses 6, 7 suggest the appropriate response to God. What is our response today?

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Tues. February 24 Isaiah 32:1-20

Wed. February 25 Isaiah 33:13-24

The Christian who reads, 'A King will reign in righteousness', must see this as a picture of Jesus, through whom the reign of righteousness is brought in. But Isaiah's picture is a down-to-earth one of a real, visible, this-worldly righteousness of which we ought to expect to see more evidence if the Kingdom of God has come to dwell among us. G. A. Smith comments, 'If every unfulfilled prophecy ought to be an accusing conscience on the breast of the Christian Church, there will be none more clamant than this one'. Each of us is called to be the embodiment of v.2 to people around us, with the results described in vs.3-8.
Smith further suggests that the besetting sins of the women (9-13) are closely related to their strengths. To be at ease and complacent is closely related to being restful and trustful - the same Hebrew words are used in the good and the bad sense. All of us need to beware lest our good points become sources of temptation and weakness. How might this be working in your life?
Isaiah's final description of the age of blessing is more lyrical (14-20). Note that the renewal of nature, the reign of righteousness, and the genuine security of God's people, are interwoven with each other in this picture. And note that all are the fruit of the Spirit (15). The activity of God's Spirit is more wide-ranging than we sometimes allow, and his work of renewal is one which affects the whole world and the whole man.
SU Prayer focus on the Republic of Ireland. A newly-acquired adventure centre, Ovoca Manor, gives new scope in an already active camps programme. Please pray for the preparations for this summer.
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The Lord's amazing deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib (see chs.36; 37) is probably again the background to ch.33. Verses 1, 5-6, 10-12 are the Lord's promises to act in judgement; vs.2-4 is Judah's prayer and vs.7-9 her statement of her desperate straits.
When we are aware of the Lord acting in judgement, our response will include fear and repentance (13, 14). To be brought up short by the fire of God can then help us to begin to take seriously his real demand (15). And when we do that, he promises us real security (16).
It is to those who respond 'woe is me' in this way that the detailed promise of an amazing deliverance is then given (17-24). The king' (17) seems to be the Lord himself (see v.22), but now it is his beauty we can appreciate. The defeat that had been so close now seems only a bad dream (18, 19). The Lord guarantees the permanent security of his people in his city (20-23). And the people themselves will know forgiveness and healing (24). Verses 21 and 23 again refer to the key importance of Jerusalem's water supply. She will have a new miraculous provision in the Lord (2la). But that will not bring the danger that it might (21b). If anyone does try to sail up those waters, they will fail (23a) and lose everything (23b).
The promise looks beyond the literal Jerusalem to the heavenly one, and speaks to us of things that are true for us in Christ. But it found literal fulfilment in the deliverance referred to above. Indeed, it was taken too much for granted by Judah in Jeremiah's day. They forgot vs. 14-15, and God had to let Jerusalem fall to show them they were wrong. Do we do the same with God's promises, and risk a similar experience?
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Thurs. February 26 Isaiah 35:1-10

 

Our readings in Isaiah close with a fourfold vision of what God promises to do for us as his people. Each aspect of the vision needs meditative re-creation in our imagination.
Picture barren steppeland, brown, parched, treeless, plant-less, lifeless, fruitless, useless. Now picture the same terrain, with water flowing in the riverbeds, the fields full of corn, the hills covered in flowers, abounding in pomegranates and olives, grapes and oranges (1, 2). This is God's promise to us.
Picture a series of bare rooms. In each is one wooden chair, on each chair a man, bent, head in hands - afraid? depressed? exhausted? despairing? Set alongside that picture another, the same people with the burden lifted, confidence replacing fear, hope replacing despair, energy replacing fatigue (3, 4). That is God's promise to us.
Picture the ten lepers who came to Jesus, the man being lowered through the roof, the blind man of John 9. Then picture the leper returning joyfully to thank Christ, one man walking home with his bed-roll, the other standing before the Council certain of only one thing - that he can now see. This is the transformation Christ brought as part of his kingdom and this is God's promise to us.
Picture yourself on the way to a city. Dusk is falling and you face open country with all sorts of hazards - ditches, and bats and animal-traps. Then add to that picture a neon-lit road that takes you straight to your destination, abolishing shadows and hidden dangers (8-10). That is God's promise to us.
'Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads'. //' we do not yet
experience this, we will. For it is God's promise.
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