Isaiah - Part 3

Welcome to the third week of Isaiah!  The prophecies against the nations continue in our readings this week, but we also get a little narrative as we encounter chapters 36-39.  You can also read the Hezekiah account in 2 Kings 18-20.

But then a shift happens in Chapter 40.  The bad news, the words of judgment are replaced by words of comfort and hope to God's people.  "Comfort, comfort my people."  "Fear not, I have redeemed you." Those aren't words that we typically associate with Old Testament prophets, but there they are!

Some question whether chapters 40-66 were addressed to post-exile Judah or if they were spoken to pre-exile Judah as a message of hope before the judgment comes.  Either way, they are words of hope for God's people long ago, and words of hope for God's people today.

What words of hope spoke to you?  How might those words of hope bring hope to our world today?  Who in your life needs to hear the words of hope from Isaiah?  Would you share those words with that person?

As you read, keep these layers in mind.  Enjoy your reading!  Please share your reflections and questions.  Be sure to use the guiding questions as you read.


Our guiding questions are these: 
  • What stood out to you in the reading?
  • Was there anything confusing or troubling?
  • Did anything make you think differently about God?
  • How might what you read change the way you live?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 1 - Luke 1-11

Welcome to Encounter!  I'm glad you have signed up for this journey.  As we read through the New Testament, we will be going in an order different from how the books are arranged in the New Testament.  We will be doing our reading in four "blocks," each headlined by one of the gospels. We will begin with the "Luke Block."  This block will include Luke, Acts (Luke's sequel to his gospel), and the letters of Paul (Paul's missionary journeys are recorded in Acts). This week, we will read through the first half of Luke.  In this section, we encounter Jesus' birth narrative and the beginning of his ministry, including teachings and miracles. Our guiding questions are these: What stood out to you in the reading? Was there anything confusing or troubling? Did anything make you think differently about God? How might what you read change the way you live? Please interact with each other through the comments using the questions above along with other reflectio...
Read more

Week 3: Acts 1:1-16:5

  February 9, 2021 Welcome to Week 3 of Encounter! This week we begin Luke's sequel to his gospel, the book we know as Acts.  Its longer, more official title is Acts of the Apostles.  I've often wondered if it should be called Acts of the Holy Spirit, since in a lot of ways, the Holy Spirit is the main character, working through people like Peter, John, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, Luke, and so many others.  This week, we'll cover the first 15 chapters and begin chapter 16.  Next week we'll finish Acts and move into the letters of Paul. As you read, keep in mind our reading questions.  We will use these every week as general questions to keep in mind as we read and that will help to formulate our reflections, observations, and questions. Our guiding questions are these: What stood out to you in the reading? Was there anything confusing or troubling? Did anything make you think differently about God? How might what you read change the way you live? Pl...
Read more

Week 5: Corinthians

February 23, 2021 Welcome to Week 5!  This week we will be in 1 and 2 Corinthians (we'll finish 2 Corinthians next week).  The church in Corinth had been in communication with Paul and had lots of questions (and some problems).  Paul's letters to the church in Corinth are filled with all kinds of pastoral wisdom for a church trying to find its way.  1 Corinthians ends with the wonderful message of resurrection (chapter 15).  In some ways, things haven't changed much.  Many of the same issues facing the church in Corinth are still facing the church today.  Despite the challenges we face, we join with Paul in saying, "Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Just a word of encouragement:  Keep at it!  Even if you're falling a little behind, that's OK.  Keep reading.  I'm praying that all of us receive a rich blessing from being in God's Word together. As you read, keep in mind our reading questions.  ...
Read more