Isaiah 19-21 - Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.

An Oracle Concerning Egypt

Isa 19:1 LSB - [1] The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, Yahweh is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will shake at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Yahweh Will Bless Egypt, Assyria, and Israel

Isa 19:20-22 LSB - 

[20] And it will become a sign and a witness to Yahweh of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to Yahweh because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. 

[21] Thus Yahweh will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know Yahweh in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make a vow to Yahweh and pay it. 

[22] And Yahweh will smite Egypt, smiting but healing; so they will return to Yahweh, and He will be moved by their entreaty and will heal them.

Isa 19:23-25 LSB - 

[23] In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 

[24] In that day Israel will be the third [party] with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 

[25] whom Yahweh of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."

The Fruits of Grace by Spurgeon

A Prophecy About Egypt and Ethiopia

Isa 20:5-6 LSB - 

[5] "Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their boast. 

[6] "So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, 'Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?'"

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

Isa 21:9 LSB - [9] "Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs." And one answered and said, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the graven images of her gods are shattered on the ground."

Oracles Concerning Dumah and Arabia

Isa 21:16-17 LSB - [16] For thus the Lord said to me, "In a year, as a hired man would count it, all the glory of Kedar will end; [17] and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has spoken."

Isaiah 16-18

An Oracle Concerning Moab

Isa 16:13-14 LSB - [13] This is the word which Yahweh spoke earlier concerning Moab. [14] But now Yahweh speaks, saying, "Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be dishonored along with all [his] great population, and [his] remnant will be very small [and] not mighty."

An Oracle Concerning Damascus

Isa 17:7-8 LSB - [7] In that day man will have regard for his Maker And his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. [8] He will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands, Nor will he look to that which his fingers have made, Even the Asherim and incense stands.

A Message to Ethiopia

Isa 18:5 LSB - [5] For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms And the flower becomes a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives And remove [and] cut away the spreading branches.

Isaiah 13-15

An Oracle Concerning Babylon

Isa 13:17 LSB - [17] Behold, I am going to awaken the Medes against them, Who will not think about silver or take pleasure in gold.

Israel’s Restoration and Dominion

Isa 14:4-5 LSB - [4] that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the taskmaster has ceased, [And how] fury has ceased! [5] "Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers

Isa 14:12-15 LSB - 

[12] "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 

[13] "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 

[14] 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 

[15] "Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Yahweh’s Plan to Break Assyrian Rule

An Oracle Concerning Philistia

An Oracle Concerning Moab

Isa 15:5 LSB - [5] My heart cries out for Moab; Those who flee [from] her are as far as Zoar [and] Eglath-shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; Surely on the road to Horonaim they keep awake with crying in distress over [their] destruction.

Isiah 10-12

Yahweh’s Anger with Assyria’s Arrogance

Isa 10:15 LSB - [15] Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to magnify itself over the one who wields it? [That would be] like a rod wielding those who lift it, [Or] like a staff lifting [him who] is not wood.

A Remnant Will Return

Isa 10:20 LSB - [20] Now it will be in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.

Isa 10:21-22 LSB - [21] A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. [22] For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, [Only] a remnant within them will return; A [destructive] end is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

The Judgments of the Branch

Isa 11:6-9 LSB - 

[6] And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a young boy will lead them.

[7] Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 

[8] And the nursing baby will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. 

[9] They will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh As the waters cover the sea.

A Remnant Remains

Yahweh Is My Strength and My Song

Isa 12:1-2 LSB -

[1] Then you will say in that day, "I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. 

[2] "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not dread; For Yah--Yahweh [Himself]--is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation."

Isaiah 7-9 - Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

Isa 7:9 LSB - [9] ... If you do not establish your faith [in Yahweh], you surely shall not be established.

The Sign of Immanuel

Isa 7:14-16 LSB - [14] "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. [15] "He will eat curds and honey in order that He will know to refuse evil and choose good. [16] "For before the boy will know to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

Trials to Come for Judah

Isa 7:18 LSB - [18] And it will be in that day, [that] Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

Isa 8:4 LSB - [4] for before the boy knows how to cry out 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria."

Yahweh, a Sanctuary and a Stumbling Stone

Isa 8:13-15 LSB - 

[13] "It is Yahweh of hosts whom you should regard as holy. 

And He shall be your fear, 

And He shall be your cause of trembling. 

[14] "Then He shall become a sanctuary; 

But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, 

[And] a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

[15] "And many will stumble over them; 

Then they will fall and be broken; 

They will even be snared and caught."

Isa 8:17-18 LSB - 

[17] And I will wait for Yahweh who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope for Him. 

[18] Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from Yahweh of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Darkness to Light Through the Prince of Peace

Isa 9:1-2 LSB - 

[1] But there will be no [more] gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make [it] glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 

[2] The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shadow of death, The light will shine on them.

Isa 9:6 LSB - [6] For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Yahweh’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

Isaiah 4-6 - Yahweh Sends Isaiah

The Branch of Yahweh Glorified

Isa 4:2 LSB - [2] In that day the Branch of Yahweh will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [will be] the pride and the honor of those of Israel who escape.

The Song of the Vineyard

Isa 5:7 LSB - [7] For the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He hoped for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

Woes to Those Who Call Evil Good

Isa 5:21 LSB - [21] Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And understanding in their own sight!

Isa 5:26 LSB - [26] He will also lift up a standard to the distant nations, And will whistle for it from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will come with speed swiftly.

Isaiah’s Vision of Yahweh

Isa 6:1-7 LSB - 

[1] In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 

[2] Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 

[3] And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory." 

[4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house [of God] was filling with smoke. 

[5] Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts." 

[6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 

[7] And he touched my mouth [with it] and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for."

Yahweh Sends Isaiah

Isa 6:8 LSB - [8] Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Isa 6:9-10 LSB - [9] He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not know.' [10] "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."

Isa 6:11 LSB - [11] Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He said, "Until cities are devastated [and] without inhabitant, Houses are without people, And the land is devastated [to] desolation,

Isaiah 1-3

Judah, a Sinful Nation

Isa 1:1 LSB - [1] The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he beheld in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isa 1:2-4 LSB - [2] Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; 

For Yahweh speaks, 

"Sons I have reared and raised up, 

But they have transgressed against Me. 

[3] "An ox knows its owner, 

And a donkey its master's manger, 

[But] Israel does not know; 

My people do not perceive." 

[4] Alas, sinful nation, 

People heavy with iniquity, 

Seed of evildoers, 

Sons who act corruptly! 

They have forsaken Yahweh; 

They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; 

They have become estranged from Him.

Isa 1:18 LSB - 

[18] "Come now, and let us reason together," 

Says Yahweh, 

"Though your sins are as scarlet, 

They will be as white as snow; 

Though they are red like crimson, 

They will be like wool.

Zion Will Be Redeemed with Justice

Isa 1:27-28 LSB - [27] Zion will be redeemed with justice 

And her repentant ones with righteousness. 

[28] But transgressors and sinners will be broken together, 

And those who forsake Yahweh will come to an end.

Yahweh Will Judge the Nations

Isa 2:2-4 LSB - 

[2] Now it will be that 

In the last days 

The mountain of the house of Yahweh 

Will be established as the head of the mountains, 

And will be lifted up above the hills; 

And all the nations will stream to it. 

[3] And many peoples will come and say, 

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, 

To the house of the God of Jacob, 

That He may instruct us from His ways 

And that we may walk in His paths." 

For from Zion the law will go forth 

And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. 

[4] And He will judge between the nations, 

And will render decisions for many peoples; 

And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. 

Nation will not lift up sword against nation, 

And never again will they learn war.

Yahweh Will Have a Day of Reckoning

Isa 2:5 LSB - [5] Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.

Isa 2:22 LSB - [22] Stop regarding man, whose breath [of life] is in his nostrils; 

For why should he be esteemed?

Yahweh Will Judge Judah’s Leaders

Isa 3:14 LSB - [14] Yahweh enters into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes, "It is you who have consumed the vineyard; The [plunder] robbed of the afflicted is in your houses.

Yahweh Will Judge Zion’s Daughters

Isa 4:1 LSB - [1] And seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!"

Acts 25-28 - Paul’s Ministry in Rome

Paul Before Festus

Act 25:11 LSB - [11] "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."

Festus and Agrippa Discuss Paul’s Trial

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

Agrippa the king was Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I (see notes on 12:1; 24:24), and great-grandson of Herod the Great (see note on Matt. 2:1). He ruled over several minor, primarily Gentile territories. The emperor Claudius had given Agrippa II rule over the temple in Jerusalem. He also gave him the right to appoint the high priest. Bernice was his sister and constant companion.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

Act 26:16-18 LSB - 

[16] 'But rise up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 

[17] rescuing you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 

[18] to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

Act 26:29 LSB - [29] And Paul [said], "I would pray to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

Act 26:32 LSB - [32] And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

Paul Is Sent to Rome

The Storm at Sea

Act 27:23-25 LSB - [23] "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, [24] saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' [25] "Therefore, be cheerful, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.

The Shipwreck

On the Island of Malta

Paul Arrives in Rome

Act 28:14-15 LSB - [14] There we found [some] brothers, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome. [15] And the brothers, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Paul’s Ministry in Rome

Act 28:26-28 ESV - 

[26] "'Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive." 

[27] For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 

[28] Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen."

Act 28:30-31 LSB - [30] And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, [31] preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, unhindered.