Some have asked me to give recommended readings from Isaiah as we're doing a brief walk through highlights from chapters 40-66. A few thoughts and suggestions:
While there's clearly a shift in tone and content that begins in chapter 40, there are many 'hints and glimpses' of what's to come in the first 39 chapters, and in fact some of the most profound expressions of hope - from personal to global to cosmic - come earlier in the book. Not just the promise of the One to come, but the promise of the defeat of death itself, and the transformation of relationships within (and with!) the new creation, feature in this section. While there's nothing like a read throught the whole book to get the full feel and scope of it, I'd suggest the following sections from chapters 1-39 if you want a trimmed-down set of possible readings from the first major 'chunk' of Isaiah (the links are on Biblegateway.com):
- Chapter 1 (a framing 'overview' of sorts for the book)
- Chapter 6 (sermon text for October 7th - Isaiah's calling and message)
- Chapter 9, especially v. 1-7 (familiar from Christmas, Handel's Messiah, etc.)
- Chapter 11 through Chapter 12 (wow....)
- Chapter 25, especially v. 1-9 (note the promise in verses 6-8, especially)
- Chapter 26, especially v. 1-19 (more of same)
- Chapter 27, especially v. 2-5 (this is the verse from which the Vineyard movement was named!)
- Chapter 32:1-8 (see also the restoration promised in v.15-18)
- Chapter 33:24 (how would this be as a 'word' over our church?)
- Chapter 35:1-10 (the Sept. 27th worship 'Commission 101' service was based on this passage...a sort of foreshadowing of the theme of hope that explodes in chapters 40+)
If you're reading a bible with section headings, take note of who's being addressed - there are any number of different nations, peoples and/or leaders addressed by Isaiah, so it helps to know whether the Lord is speaking to Israel/Judah, or Babylon, or Moab, or Egypt, etc. And note that, wherever there are strong statements of judgment and correction, there are almost always corresponding promises of restoration - often far beyond the scope of the preceding judgment.
Also, here is the prospective series of SunAM passages for this two-month 'tour'. It's a bit late, granted (one month in!), but will give an idea of the highlights we are ... highlighting. I've suggested accompanying/surrounding sections to read as we go along.
Oct. 7 - Isaiah 6 (Isaiah's Calling & Series Introduction)
Oct. 14 - Isaiah 40:1-2 (Comfort & Correction - What do we do w/God's discipline?)
Oct. 21 - Isaiah 40 [all, but esp. 1-5, 9-11, 27-31] (The Challenge of Hope)
Oct. 28 - Isaiah 42:1-9 (Hope through God's 'Servant' - see also 44:1-5; 49:1-7; 52:13-53:12; 61:1-7)
Nov. 4 - Isaiah 55 (Salvation: hope in, not just hope for - see also 54:1-17, 56:1-8)
Nov. 11 - Isaiah 58 (Salvation: Love, Justice, Sabbath, Promise)
Nov. 18 - Isaiah 60 (Hope & Confidence - walking in God's purposes for His people)
Nov. 25 - Isaiah 61 (Hope & Fulfillment, series conclusion; see also 65:17-25; 66:1-13)
There are far too many great passages in this section of Isaiah to cover in two months, so this is necessarily a very selective list. Hopefully, though, it's a good exposure to some of the main themes and images that run throughout Isaiah, and particularly to a message of profound hope that was given amidst times of pretty desperate darkness.
Christian hope is always centered in the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and as such, it's neither triumphalistic (and unable to reckon with hardship and setbacks) nor fatalistic (resigned to things working out whatever whichway). but strangely confident of resurrection power emerging in and through our present battles with darkness and (seeming) defeat.
In the words of Paul, one of the greatest hope-ers (so to speak...):
6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4)
- Karl
