Isaiah (Page 2)

This week we look at all four of the Servant Songs of Isaiah, with special focus on the fourth song in Isaiah 52:13–53:12. This section of the book (chapters 49–55) has been building up to this point. Now God will show how he will overcome oppression and redeem his people. Slides for Isaiah 53

This week we read Isaiah 50:4—52:12. In it we cover the 3rd of Isaiah’s four servant songs. If, when we’re in dark places, we want God to wake up to our situation (as Israel did in this passage), God responds by telling us to wake up. He is acting and engaged. Slides for Isaiah 50–52  

We make a turn into a new section of 2nd Isaiah this week, where the Servant moves into prominence. In Isaiah 49, we see the second of the four Servant Songs. We also see the Servant and Israel struggle with discouragement, and God answer them both. Slides for Week 12

This week we read Isaiah 44–48 as a unit, following the reading from the previous session. Slides from this class

This week we set out to read Isaiah 40–48 out loud, but actually only get through most of chapter 44. We examine the themes that we’ve covered so far, and see how they are woven into the narrative as a whole. Slide Deck for Isaiah 40–44

This week we connect the themes from the first four chapters of 2 Isaiah. This will prepare us for next week’s class, where we’ll deal with several chapters of Isaiah as one unit. We also spend some time on the application of the teaching of Isaiah to us, claiming again the promise of 2 Timothy 3:16 where we are told that all Scripture is meant for us. Slides from Week 9 Book Referenced: The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation…

Israel failed as the servant in part because they adopted the thinking of the nations around them. This included adopting the religious practices of using rituals to manipulate the actions of God. In Isaiah 43, God reminds them that the reverse is instead true: He acts on their behalf, and they respond to his activity. The reading this week is Isaiah 42:18–44:5. Slides from Week 8 Commercial: It’s Only Weird if It Doesn’t Work

This week we look at the different uses of the word “servant” in Isaiah. Isaiah 42:1–9 is the first of four Servant Songs. These songs all predict the ministry of Jesus. But Isaiah sometimes uses servant to mean other things, and the changing meaning can throw us off when we try to read and understand. Slides from Isaiah 42

In this session we read chapter 41 out loud. We look at how fear kept Israel from living up to its calling as the servant of God. Then we make the application to us and our fear, and how we have the same choice: whether to trust the One who Reveals Himself, or the solution that we make for ourselves. Slides from Week 6

This week we begin with Isaiah 40, the “introduction” to the next section of the book. The goal of this reading is for us to experience the text as a whole. The best way to experience poetry of any kind is to read it aloud, so that’s what we do in this class. Slides for Week 5