Amos 6-9 - A Famine for Hearing the Words of Yahweh

Woe to Those at Ease in Zion

Amo 6:8 LSB – [8] Lord Yahweh has sworn by Himself, Yahweh God of hosts has declared: "I abhor the lofty pride of Jacob And hate his citadels; Therefore I will deliver up [the] city as well as its fullness."

Amo 6:14 LSB – [14] "For behold, I am going to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel," declares Yahweh God of hosts, "And they will press down on you from Lebo-hamath To the brook of the Arabah."

Yahweh Will Rise Up Against Israel

Amo 7:9 LSB – [9] "The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."

Amos Accused

Amo 7:14-15 LSB – [14] Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. [15] "But Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel.'

A Famine for Hearing the Words of Yahweh

Amo 8:11-12 LSB – 

[11] "Behold, days are coming," declares Lord Yahweh, 

"When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, 

But rather for hearing the words of Yahweh. 

[12] "People will wander from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; 

They will go to and fro to seek the word of Yahweh, 

But they will not find [it].

Sinful Israelites Will Die by the Sword

Amo 9:2 LSB – 

[2] "Though they dig into Sheol, 

From there will My hand take them; 

And though they ascend to heaven, 

From there will I bring them down.

Psa 139:7-10 LSB – 

[7] Where can I go from Your Spirit? 

Or where can I flee from Your presence? 

[8] If I ascend to heaven, You are there; 

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 

[9] If I lift up the wings of the dawn, 

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 

[10] Even there Your hand will lead me, 

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

 

Yahweh Will Rebuild Israel

Amo 9:11-12 LSB – 

[11] "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David 

And wall up its breaches; 

I will also raise up its ruins 

And rebuild it as in the ancient days, 

[12] That they may possess the remnant of Edom 

And all the nations who are called by My name," 

Declares Yahweh who does this. 

Act 15:14-20 LSB – 

[14] "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 

[15] "And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 

[16] 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE FALLEN BOOTH OF DAVID, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 

[17] SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' 

[18] SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO. 

[19] "Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

[20] but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood. 

Amos 1-5 - Seek Yahweh that you may live

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

Amo 1:1-2 LSB – 

[1] The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he beheld [in visions] concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 

[2] And he said, "Yahweh roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He gives forth His voice; And the shepherds' pasture grounds mourn, And the top of Carmel dries up."

Punishment of Judah and Israel

Amo 2:6 LSB – 

[6] Thus says Yahweh, "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn back its [punishment] 

Because they sell the righteous for money 

And the needy for a pair of sandals.

Amo 2:13 LSB – [13] "Behold, I am weighted down beneath you 

As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Amo 3:7 LSB – [7] Surely Lord Yahweh does nothing 

Unless He reveals His secret counsel 

To His slaves the prophets.

Gen 18:17 LSB – [17] Now Yahweh said, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do,

Jhn 15:15 LSB – [15] "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

Yet You Have Not Returned to Me

Amo 4:11 LSB – [11] "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, 

And you were like a firebrand delivered from a blaze; 

Yet you have not returned to Me," declares Yahweh.

Amo 4:12 LSB – [12] "Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

Seek Me That You May Live

Amo 5:6 LSB – [6] "Seek Yahweh that you may live, 

Lest He come mightily like a fire, O house of Joseph, 

And it will consume with none to quench [it] for Bethel,

Amo 5:25-27 LSB – 

[25] "Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? 

[26] "You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 

[27] "Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus," says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.

Isaiah 64-66 - We are the clay, and You our potter;

Prayer for Mercy and Help

Isa 64:6 LSB – 

[6] For all of us have become like one who is unclean, 

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; 

And all of us wither like a leaf, 

And our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.

Isa 64:8 LSB – 

[8] But now, O Yahweh, You are our Father; 

We are the clay, and You our potter; 

And all of us are the work of Your hand.

Jer 18:6 LSB – [6] "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter [does]?" declares Yahweh. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

Rom 9:21 LSB – [21] Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

 

Judgment and Salvation

Isa 65:12 LSB – [12] I will destine you for the sword, 

And all of you will bow down to the slaughter, 

Because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. 

And you did what was evil in My eyes 

And chose that in which I was not pleased."

Isa 65:13 LSB – [13] Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, "Behold, My slaves will eat, but you will be hungry. Behold, My slaves will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, My slaves will be glad, but you will be put to shame.

Luk 15:17 LSB – [17] "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

Isa 65:15-16 LSB –
[15] "You will leave your name for a curse to My chosen ones,
And Lord Yahweh will put you to death.
But My slaves will be called by another name,
[16] Because he who is blessed in the earth
Will be blessed by the God of truth,
And he who swears in the earth
Will swear by the God of truth;
Because the former distresses are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My sight!

New Heavens and a New Earth

Isa 65:17 LSB – 

[17] "For behold, I am creating a new heavens and a new earth; 

And the former things will not be remembered or come upon the heart.

Isa 65:24 LSB – [24] "And it will be that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Isa 65:25 LSB – [25] "The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain," says Yahweh.

Heaven Is Yahweh’s Throne

Isa 66:1-2 LSB – 

[1] Thus says Yahweh, "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the footstool of My feet. 

Where then is a house you could build for Me? 

And where is a place that I may rest? 

[2] "For My hand made all these things, 

Thus all these things came into being," declares Yahweh. 

"But to this one I will look, 

To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

Isa 66:22-24 LSB – 

[22] "For just as the new heavens and the new earth 

Which I make will endure before Me," declares Yahweh, 

"So your seed and your name will endure. 

[23] "And it shall be from new moon to new moon 

And from sabbath to sabbath, 

All mankind will come to worship before Me," says Yahweh. 

[24] "Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men 

Who have transgressed against Me. 

For their worm will not die 

And their fire will not be quenched; 

And they will be an [object of] contempt to all mankind."

Isaiah 61-63 - You are our Father

Exaltation of the Afflicted

Isa 61:1 LSB – 

[1] The Spirit of Lord Yahweh is upon me 

Because Yahweh has anointed me 

To bring good news to the afflicted; 

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

To proclaim release to captives 

And freedom to prisoners,

Isa 61:10 LSB – 

[10] I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; 

My soul will rejoice in my God, 

For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, 

He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, 

As a bridegroom decks himself with a headdress, 

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isa 61:11 LSB – 

[11] For as the earth brings forth its branches, 

And as a garden causes the things sown in it to branch out, 

So Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise 

To branch out before all the nations.

Zion’s Glory and New Name

Isa 62:11-12 LSB – 

[11] Behold, Yahweh has announced to the end of the earth, 

Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; 

Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." 

[12] And they will call them, 

"The holy people, 

The redeemed of Yahweh"; 

And you will be called, 

"Sought out, a city not forsaken."

Vengeance of Yahweh

Remember the Lovingkindness of Yahweh

Isa 63:7 LSB – 

[7] I shall bring to remembrance the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, the praises of Yahweh, 

According to all [the ways] that Yahweh has dealt bountifully with us, 

And the abundant goodness toward the house of Israel, 

Which He has dealt bountifully to them according to His compassion 

And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

Isa 63:13-14 LSB – 

[13] Who led them through the depths? 

Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; 

[14] As the cattle which go down into the valley, 

The Spirit of Yahweh gave them rest. 

So You led Your people, 

To make for Yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy and Help

Isa 63:16 LSB – 

[16] For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us 

And Israel does not recognize us. 

You, O Yahweh, are our Father, 

Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.

Isaiah 58-60 - Yahweh for an everlasting light

True and False Fasting

Isa 58:6-7 LSB – 

[6] "Is this not the fast which I choose, 

To loosen the bonds of wickedness, 

To release the bands of the yoke, 

And to let the oppressed go free 

And break every yoke? 

[7] "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry 

And bring the afflicted homeless into the house; 

When you see the naked, you cover him; 

And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Keeping the Sabbath

Separation from Yahweh

Isa 59:1-2 LSB – 

[1] Behold, the hand of Yahweh is not so short 

That it cannot save; 

Nor is His ear so dull 

That it cannot hear. 

[2] But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, 

And your sins have hidden [His] face from you so that He does not hear.

Transgressing and Denying Yahweh

Isa 59:20-21 LSB – 

[20] "A Redeemer will come to Zion, 

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares Yahweh. 

[21] "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says Yahweh: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed's seed," says Yahweh, "from now and forever."

A Glorified Zion

Isa 60:1-2 LSB – 

[1] "Arise, shine, for your light has come, 

And the glory of Yahweh has risen upon you. 

[2] "For behold, darkness will cover the earth 

And dense gloom the peoples; 

But Yahweh will rise upon you, 

And His glory will appear upon you.

Isa 60:19-20 LSB – 

[19] "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, 

Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; 

But you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light, 

And your God for your glory. 

[20] "Your sun will no longer set, 

Nor will your moon wane; 

For you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light, 

And the days of your mourning will be finished.

Rev 21:23 LSB – [23] And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb.

Jhn 8:12 LSB – [12] Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

 

Isaiah 55-57 - Seek Yahweh While He May Be Found

Seek Yahweh While He May Be Found

Isa 55:1 LSB – 

[1] "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; 

And you who have no money come, buy and eat. 

Come, buy wine and milk 

Without money and without cost.

Jhn 7:37 LSB – 

[37] Now on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

Isa 55:6 LSB – 

[6] Seek Yahweh while He may be found; 

Call upon Him while He is near.

Psa 32:6 LSB – 

[6] Therefore, let every holy one pray to You at a time when [You] may be found; 

Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

Isa 55:8-9 LSB – 

[8] "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 

Nor are your ways My ways," declares Yahweh. 

[9] "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, 

So are My ways higher than your ways 

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 55:10-11 LSB – 

[10] "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 

And do not return there without watering the earth 

And making it bear and sprout, 

And giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 

[11] So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; 

It will not return to Me empty, 

Without accomplishing what pleases Me, 

And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it.

Salvation for the Foreigner

Isa 56:3 LSB – [3] Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh say, "Yahweh will surely separate me from His people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."

Isa 56:6-8 LSB – 

[6] "Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh, 

To minister to Him, and to love the name of Yahweh, 

To be His slaves, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath 

And takes hold of My covenant, 

[7] Even those I will bring to My holy mountain 

And make them glad in My house of prayer. 

Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; 

For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." 

[8] Lord Yahweh, who gathers the banished of Israel, declares, 

"Yet [others] I will gather to them, to those [already] gathered."

Jhn 10:16 LSB – [16] "And I have other sheep, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock [with] one shepherd.

 

Israel’s Futile Idolatry

Isa 57:1-2 LSB – 

[1] The righteous man perishes, and no man puts it upon his heart; 

And men of lovingkindness are gathered away, while no one understands. 

For the righteous man is gathered away from evil, 

[2] He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, 

[Each one] who walked in his upright way.

Yahweh Revives the Spirit of the Lowly

Isa 57:15 LSB – 

[15] For thus says the One high and lifted up 

Who dwells forever, whose name is Holy, 

"I dwell [on] a high and holy place, 

And [also] with the crushed and lowly of spirit 

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly 

And to revive the heart of the crushed.

Isaiah 52-54 - He was pierced through for our transgressions

Hope for Captive Zion

Isa 52:7 LSB - 

[7] How lovely on the mountains 

Are the feet of him who proclaims good news, 

Who announces peace 

And proclaims good news of good things, 

Who announces salvation, 

[And] says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

The Exalted Servant

Isa 52:13-14 ESV - 

[13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely; 

he shall be high and lifted up, 

and shall be exalted. 

[14] As many were astonished at you-- 

his appearance was so marred, 

beyond human semblance, 

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind--

The Suffering Servant

Isa 53:2-3 LSB - 

[2] For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, 

And like a root out of parched ground; 

He has no [stately] form or majesty 

That we should look upon Him, 

Nor appearance that we should desire Him. 

[3] He was despised and forsaken of men, 

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; 

And like one from whom men hide their face 

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Isa 53:4-5 LSB - 

[4] Surely our griefs He Himself bore, 

And our sorrows He carried; 

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, 

Smitten of God, and afflicted. 

[5] But He was pierced through for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities; 

The chastening for our peace [fell] upon Him, 

And by His wounds we are healed.

Isa 53:6 LSB - 

[6] All of us like sheep have gone astray, 

Each of us has turned to his own way; 

But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all 

To fall on Him.

Isa 53:10-11 LSB - 

[10] But Yahweh was pleased 

To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; 

If You would place His soul [as] a guilt offering, 

He will see [His] seed, 

He will prolong [His] days, 

And the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in His hand. 

[11] As a result of the anguish of His soul, 

He will see [it and] be satisfied; 

By His knowledge the Righteous One, 

My Servant, will justify the many, 

As He will bear their iniquities.

Isa 53:12 LSB - 

[12] Therefore, I will divide for Him a portion with the many, 

And He will divide the spoil with the strong; 

Because He poured out His soul to death, 

And was numbered with the transgressors; 

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, 

And interceded for the transgressors.

The Inheritance of the Slaves of Yahweh

Isa 54:5 LSB - 

[5] "For your husband is your Maker, 

Whose name is Yahweh of hosts; 

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, 

Who is called the God of all the earth.

Isaiah 49-51

I Will Give You as a Light of the Nations

Isa 49:5-6 LSB - 

[5] So now says Yahweh, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, 

To return Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him 

(For I am glorified in the sight of Yahweh, 

And My God is My strength), 

[6] He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant 

To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to cause the preserved ones of Israel to return; 

I will also give You as a light of the nations 

So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

Isa 49:13 LSB - [13] Shout for joy, O heavens! 

And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! 

For Yahweh has comforted His people 

And will have compassion on His afflicted.

Promise to Zion

Isa 49:15-16 LSB - [15] "Can a woman forget her infant 

And have no compassion on the son of her womb? 

Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 

[16] "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms [of My hands]; 

Your walls are continually before Me.

Isa 49:26 LSB - [26] "I will feed those who mistreat you with their own flesh, 

And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; 

And all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior 

And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Yahweh Helps His Servant

Isa 50:4 LSB - [4] Lord Yahweh has given Me the tongue of disciples, 

That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. 

He awakens [Me] morning by morning; 

He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

Isa 50:5 LSB - [5] Lord Yahweh has opened My ear; 

And I did not rebel Nor did I turn back.

Isa 50:7 LSB - [7] Even [now] Lord Yahweh helps Me, 

Therefore, I am not dishonored; 

Therefore, I have set My face like flint, 

And I know that I will not be ashamed.

Isa 50:9 LSB - [9] Behold, Lord Yahweh helps Me; 

Who is he who condemns Me? 

Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; 

The moth will eat them.

Yahweh’s Righteousness Is Forever

Isa 51:1-2 LSB - 

[1] "Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, 

Who seek Yahweh: 

Look to the rock from which you were hewn

And to the quarry from which you were dug. 

[2] "Look to Abraham your father 

And to Sarah who brought you forth through labor pains; 

When [he] [was but] one I called him, 

Then I blessed him and multiplied him." 

Isa 51:6 LSB - 

[6] "Lift up your eyes to the sky, 

Then look to the earth beneath; 

For the sky will vanish like smoke, 

And the earth will wear out like a garment, 

And its inhabitants will die in like manner; 

But My salvation will be forever, 

And My righteousness will not be dismayed.

Isaiah 46-48 - even to [your] graying years

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

Isa 46:3-4 LSB - [3] "Hear Me, O house of Jacob, 

And all the remnant of the house of Israel, 

You who have been burdening Me from birth 

And have been carried from the womb; 

[4] Even to [your] old age I will be the same, 

And even to [your] graying years 

I will bear [you]! I have done [it], and I will carry [you]; 

And I will bear [you], and I will rescue [you].

Isa 46:9-10 LSB - [9] "Remember the former things long past, 

For I am God, and there is no other; 

[I am] God, and there is no one like Me, 

[10] Declaring the end from the beginning, 

And from ancient times things which have not been done, 

Saying, 'My counsel will be established, 

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure',

Lament for Babylon

Israel Refined for God’s Glory

Isa 48:10-11 LSB - [10] "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; 

I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 

[11] "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; 

For how can [My name] be profaned? 

And My glory I will not give to another.

Yahweh Redeems Jacob

Isa 48:12 LSB - [12] "Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

Rev 1:17-18 LSB - [17] And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not fear; I am THE FIRST AND THE LAST, [18] and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Rev 1:8 LSB - [8] "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." 

Isa 48:14 LSB - [14] "Assemble, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? Yahweh loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm [will be against] the Chaldeans.

Isa 48:14 NLT - [14] Have any of your idols ever told you this? Come, all of you, and listen: The LORD has chosen Cyrus as his ally. He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon and to destroy the Babylonian armies.

 

Isaiah 43-45 - Return to Me, for I have redeemed you

The Redemption of Israel

Isa 43:1 LSB -
[1] But now, thus says Yahweh, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Isa 43:3-4 LSB -
[3] "For I am Yahweh your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
[4] "Since you are precious in My sight,
[Since] you are honored and I love you,
I will give [other] men in your place and [other] peoples in exchange for your life.

Isa 43:6-7 LSB -
[6] "I will say to the north, 'Give [them] up!'
And to the south, 'Do not hold [them] back.'
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
[7] Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."

Israel Is Yahweh’s Witness

Isa 43:10 LSB -
[10] "You are My witnesses," declares Yahweh,
"And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no god formed,
And there will be none after Me.

Rivers in the Wasteland

Isa 43:25 LSB -
[25] "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.

Isa 43:27-28 LSB -
[27] "Your first father sinned,
And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
[28] "So I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
And I will give Jacob to be devoted to destruction and Israel to revilement.

 

No God Besides Yahweh

Isa 44:3 LSB - [3] 'For I will pour out water on the thirsty [ground] And streams on the dry land; I will pour out My Spirit on your seed And My blessing on your offspring;

Isa 44:6 LSB - [6] "Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: 'I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.

The Futility of Idolatry

Yahweh Forgives and Redeems

Isa 44:21-22 LSB - 

[21] "Remember these things, O Jacob, 

And Israel, for you are My servant; 

I have formed you, you are My servant; 

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. 

[22] "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud 

And your sins like a cloud. 

Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."

Col 1:13-14 ESV - [13] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Eph 1:7 LSB - [7] In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace

Gal 3:29 LSB - [29] And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.

 

Cyrus, Yahweh’s Anointed

Isa 44:28 LSB - [28] "[It is I] who says of Cyrus, '[He is] My shepherd! And all My good pleasure he will complete.' And saying of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"

Yahweh the Maker

Isa 45:12 LSB - [12] "It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. 

I stretched out the heavens with My hands, 

And I commanded all their host.

 

Isaiah 40-42 -Do Not Fear, for I Am with You

The Glory of Yahweh Will Be Revealed

Isa 40:1-2 LSB - 

[1] "Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. 

[2] "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem; 

And call out to her, that her warfare has been fulfilled, 

That her iniquity has been removed, 

That she has received from the hand of Yahweh 

Double for all her sins."

Handel’s Messiah – Comfort Ye

Isa 40:3-5 LSB - 

[3] A voice is calling, 

"Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness; 

Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 

[4] "Let every valley be lifted up, 

And every mountain and hill be made low; 

And let the rough ground become a plain, 

And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 

[5] Then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, 

And all flesh will see [it] together; 

For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."

Isa 40:30-31 LSB - 

[30] Though youths grow weary and tired, 

And choice young men stumble badly, 

[31] Yet those who hope in Yahweh 

Will gain new power; 

They will mount up [with] wings like eagles; 

They will run and not get tired; 

They will walk and not become weary.

Do Not Fear, for I Am with You

Isa 41:8 LSB - [8] "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend,

Gal 3:29 LSB - [29] And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise.

Gal 3:7 LSB - [7] so know that those who are of faith, those are sons of Abraham.

1Pe 2:9 LSB - [9] But you are A CHOSEN FAMILY, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Isa 41:10 LSB - [10] 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will make you mighty, surely I will help you; Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Yahweh’s Chosen Servant

Isa 42:1-4 LSB - 

[1] "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; 

My chosen one [in whom] My soul is well-pleased. 

I have put My Spirit upon Him; 

He will bring forth justice to the nations. 

[2] "He will not cry out or raise [His voice], 

Nor make His voice heard in the street. 

[3] "A crushed reed He will not break 

And a faintly burning wick 

He will not extinguish; 

He will bring forth justice in truth. 

[4] "He will not be faint or crushed 

Until He has established justice in the earth; 

And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."

Isa 42:6-7 LSB - [6] "I am Yahweh, I have called You in righteousness; 

I will also take hold of You by the hand and guard You, 

And I will give You as a covenant to the people, 

As a light to the nations, 

[7] To open blind eyes, 

To bring out prisoners from the dungeon 

And those who inhabit darkness from the prison.

Israel’s Blindness and Deafness

Isa 42:16 LSB - [16] "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not forsake them."

Isaiah 37-39 - Because you have prayed to Me

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah’s Help

Hezekiah’s Prayer in the Temple

Yahweh’s Answer Through Isaiah

Isa 37:21 LSB - [21] Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent [word] to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria,

Isa 37:31-32 LSB - [31] "And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. [32] "For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this."'

The Defeat and Death of Sennacherib

Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

Isa 38:2-5 LSB - [2] Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh [3] and said, "Remember now, O Yahweh, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept greatly. [4] Then the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah, saying, [5] "Go and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says Yahweh, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

Isa 38:8 LSB - [8] "Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps." So the sun's [shadow] went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down.

Hezekiah Shows His Treasures to Babylon

Isa 39:8 LSB - [8] Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good." For he said, "For there will be peace and truth in my days."

Isaiah 34-36 - None will lack its mate

Yahweh’s Wrath Against the Nations

Isa 34:16 LSB - 

[16] Seek from the book of Yahweh, and read: 

Not one of these will be missing; 

None will lack its mate. 

For His mouth has commanded, 

And His Spirit has gathered them.

Matthew Henry

V. Here is an assurance given of the full accomplishment of this prediction, even to the most minute circumstance of it (v. 16, 17): "Seek you out of the book of the Lord and read. When this destruction comes compare the event with the prediction, and you will find it to answer exactly." Note, The book of the prophets is the book of the Lord, and we ought to consult it and converse with it as of divine origin and authority. We must not only read it, but see out of it, search into it, turn first to one text and then to another and compare them together. Abundance of useful knowledge might thus be extracted, by a diligent search, out of the scriptures, which cannot be got by a superficial reading of them. When you have read the prediction out of the book of the Lord then observe,

1. That according to what you have read so you see; not one of these shall fail, either beast or fowl: and, it being foretold that they shall possess it from generation to generation, in order to that, that the species may be propagated, none shall want her mate; these marks of desolation shall be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the land.

2. That God's mouth having commanded this direful muster his Spirit shall gather them, as the creatures by instinct were gathered to Adam to be named and to Noah to be housed. What God's word has appointed his Spirit will effect and bring about, for no word of God shall fall to the ground. The word of God's promise shall in like manner be accomplished by the operations of the Spirit.

3. That there is an exact order and proportion observed in the accomplishment of this threatening: He has cast the lot for these birds and beasts, so that each one shall know his place as readily as if it were marked by line. See the like, Joel 2:7, 8, They shall not break their ranks, neither shall one thrust another. The soothsayers among the heathen foretold events by the flight of birds, as if the fate of men depended on them. But here we find that the flight of birds is under the direction of the God of Israel: he has cast the lot for them.

4. That the desolation shall be perpetual: They shall possess it for ever. God's Jerusalem may be laid in ruins; but Jerusalem of old recovered itself out of its ruins, till it gave place to the gospel Jerusalem, which may be brought low, but shall be rebuilt, and shall continue till it give place to the heavenly Jerusalem. But the enemies of the church shall be for ever desolate, shall be punished with an everlasting destruction.

 

The Joy of the Redeemed

Isa 35:5-6 LSB - 

[5] Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, 

And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 

[6] Then the lame will leap like a deer, 

And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. 

For waters will break forth in the wilderness 

And streams in the Arabah.

Mat 11:4-5 LSB - [4] And Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: [5] [the] BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and [the] lame walk, [the] lepers are cleansed and [the] deaf hear, [the] dead are raised up, and [the] POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

Isa 35:8-10 LSB - 

[8] And a roadway will be there, a highway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not pass by on it, But it [will] be for him who walks [in that] way, And ignorant fools will not wander [on it]. 

[9] No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk [there], 

[10] And the ransomed of Yahweh will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting gladness upon their heads. They will attain delight and gladness, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. 

Sennacherib Invades Judah

Isa 36:1 LSB - [1] Now it happened in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, [that] Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them.

Isaiah 31-33 - Every Morning

Woe to Those Who Go down to Egypt

Isa 31:1 LSB - [1] Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help 

[And] rely on horses, 

And trust in chariots because they are many 

And in horsemen because they are very mighty, 

But they do not have regard for the Holy One of Israel, nor seek Yahweh!

A King Will Reign Righteously

Isa 32:15 LSB - [15] Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, 

And the wilderness becomes a fruitful orchard, 

And the fruitful orchard is counted as a forest.

The King in His Beauty

Isa 33:2 LSB - 

[2] O Yahweh, be gracious to us; we have hoped in You. 

Be their strength every morning, 

Our salvation also in the time of distress.

Isa 33:2 ESV - 

[2] O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. 

Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.

Psa 143:8 LSB - 

[8] Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; 

For I trust in You; 

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk; 

For to You I lift up my soul.

Lam 3:22-23 LSB - [22] HETH
The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
[23] [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Isa 33:14 LSB -
[14] Sinners in Zion are in dread;
Trembling has seized the godless.
"Who among us can sojourn with the consuming fire?
Who among us can sojourn with continual burning?"

Isa 33:22 LSB -
[22] For Yahweh is our judge,
Yahweh is our lawgiver,
Yahweh is our king;
He will save us--

Isa 33:24 LSB - [24] And no one who dwells [there] will say, "I am sick";
The people who inhabit there will be forgiven [their] iniquity.

Isaiah 28-30 - Your Eyes Will See Your Teacher

Woe to Ephraim

Isa 28:9 LSB - 

[9] "Whom would He instruct in knowledge, 

And whom would He provide understanding about the report? 

Those [just] weaned from milk? 

Those [just] taken from the breast?

A Cornerstone in Zion

Isa 28:16 LSB - 

[16] Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, 

"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, 

A costly cornerstone [for] the foundation, firmly placed. 

He who believes [in it] will not be disturbed.

Psa 118:22 LSB - [22] The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner [stone].

Luk 20:17-18 LSB - 

[17] But when Jesus looked at them, He said, "What then is this that is written: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]'? 

[18] "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

Act 4:11-12 LSB - 

[11] "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, [but] WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]. 

[12] "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

1Pe 2:6-8 LSB - 

[6] For [this] is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER [stone], AND HE WHO BELIEVES UPON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME." 

[7] This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNER [stone]," 

[8] and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE." They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this [stumbling] they were also appointed.

Isa 28:21 LSB - [21] For Yahweh will rise up as [at] Mount Perazim; He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon, To work His work, His unusual work, And to labor in His labor, His exceptional labor.

Woe to Ariel

Isa 29:13-14 LSB - 

[13] Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their mouth 

And honor Me with their lips, 

But they remove their hearts far from Me, 

And their fear of Me is [in the] command of men learned [by rote], 

[14] Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; 

And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, 

And the discernment of their discerning men will be hidden."

Isa 29:16 LSB - [16] You turn [things] around! 

Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, 

That what is made would say to its maker, 

"He did not make me"; 

Or what is formed say to him who formed it, 

"He has no understanding"?

The Afflicted Will Rejoice

Isa 29:23-24 LSB - [23] But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob And will stand trembling [before] the God of Israel. 

[24] "Those who err in spirit will know discernment, And those who criticize will gain learning.

Alliance with Egypt Condemned

Isa 30:15 LSB - [15] For thus Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your might." But you were not willing,

Yahweh Is Gracious and Just

Isa 30:18 LSB - [18] Therefore Yahweh waits [with longing] to be gracious to you, And therefore He is on high to have compassion on you. For Yahweh is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Isa 30:20-21 LSB - [20] The Lord has given you bread of distress and water of oppression; 

[He], your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. 

[21] And your ears will hear a word behind you, 

"This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Isaiah 25-27

Yahweh Will Swallow Up Death

Isa 25:7-8 LSB - [7] And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. [8] He will swallow up death for all time, And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For Yahweh has spoken.

Yahweh Will Establish Peace

Isa 26:4 LSB - [4] "Trust in Yahweh forever, 

For in Yah--Yahweh [Himself]--[we have] an everlasting Rock.

Isa 26:8 LSB - [8] Indeed, [while following] the way of Your judgments, O Yahweh, 

We have hoped for You eagerly; 

Your name--the memory of You--is the desire of [our] souls.

Yahweh Will Deliver Israel

Isa 27:1 LSB - [1] In that day Yahweh will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who [lives] in the sea.

Isa 27:2-3 LSB - [2] In that day, "A vineyard of delight, sing of it! 

[3] "I, Yahweh, am its keeper; I water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I keep it night and day.

Isa 27:12-13 LSB - [12] And it will be in that day, [that] Yahweh will start [His] threshing from the flowing stream of the River to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. [13] And it will be in that day, [that] a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were banished in the land of Egypt will come and worship Yahweh in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Isaiah 22-24

An Oracle Concerning the Valley of Vision

Isa 22:11 LSB - [11] And you made a reservoir between the two walls 

For the waters of the old pool. 

But you did not look to Him who made it, 

Nor did you see Him who formed it long ago.

Isa 22:13 LSB - [13] Instead, behold, [there is] joy and gladness, 

Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, 

Eating of meat and drinking of wine: 

"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die."

1Co 15:32 LSB - [32] If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.

Isa 22:22 LSB - [22] "Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.

Rev 3:7 LSB - [7] "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: This is what He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says:

 

An Oracle Concerning Tyre

Isa 23:17-18 LSB - [17] And it will be at the end of seventy years that Yahweh will visit Tyre. Then she will go back to her harlot's wages and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. [18] And her gain and her harlot's wages will be set apart to Yahweh; it will not be treasured up or hoarded, but her gain will become sufficient food and choice attire for those who inhabit the presence of Yahweh.

Yahweh Will Empty the Earth

Isa 24:1 LSB - [1] Behold, Yahweh empties the earth to destruction, eviscerates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.

Isa 24:23 LSB - [23] Then the moon will be humiliated and the sun ashamed, For Yahweh of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And [His] glory will be before His elders.

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.

Acts 22-24 - You Must Bear Witness at Rome Also

Paul’s Defense Before the Jews

Act 22:14-15 LSB - [14] "And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth. [15] 'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Act 22:21 LSB - [21] "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

Paul, a Citizen of Rome

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

Act 23:11 LSB - [11] But on that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also."

A Plot to Kill Paul

Paul Is Brought to Caesarea

Paul’s Trial Before Felix the Governor

Act 24:25 LSB - [25] But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and answered, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will call for you."

Act 24:27 LSB - [27] But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

Acts 19-21- Knelt Down and Prayed

Paul in Ephesus

Act 19:4-5 LSB - [4] Then Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." [5] And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Miracles in Ephesus

Act 19:15-16 LSB - [15] And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" [16] And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Act 19:20 LSB - [20] So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

Riots in Ephesus

Act 19:29 LSB - [29] And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia.

Through Macedonia and Greece

Act 20:4-5 LSB - [4] And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, [the son] of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. [5] But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead in Troas

Act 20:7, 11 LSB - 

[7] And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul [began] speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. ... 

[11] And when he had gone [back] up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left.

Act 20:9-10 LSB - [9] And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep. And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. [10] But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him."

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

Act 20:18-21 LSB - 

[18] And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 

[19] serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 

[20] how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 

[21] solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 20:24 LSB - [24] "But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Act 20:36-38 LSB - [36] And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37] And they [began] to weep aloud and falling on Paul's neck, they were kissing him, [38] being in agony especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.

Paul Sets Out for Jerusalem

Act 21:5 LSB - [5] And when our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until [we were] out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

Act 21:13 LSB - [13] Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

In Jerusalem

Paul Is Arrested

Paul’s Defense Before the Jews

Acts 16-18 - Come Over to Macedonia and Help Us

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

The Macedonian Vision

Act 16:6-10 LSB - 

[6] And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 

[7] and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 

[8] and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 

[9] And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 

[10] And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Act 16:14-15 ESV - 

[14] One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 

[15] And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

The Philippian Jailer Converted

Act 16:30 LSB - [30] and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Act 16:31 LSB - [31] And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house."

Act 16:32-34 LSB - 

[32] And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household. 

[33] And he took them that [very] hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his [household]. 

[34] And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

Act 17:5-7 LSB - 

[5] But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly. 

[6] And when they did not find them, they [began] dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; 

[7] and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

In Berea

Act 17:11-12 LSB - [11] Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so. [12] Therefore many of them believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men.

In Athens

Act 17:16-17 LSB - [16] Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. [17] So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present.

Act 17:28 LSB - [28] for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring.'

Aratus: Phaenomena

From Zeus let us begin; him do we mortals never leave unnamed; full of Zeus are all the streets and all the market-places of men; full is the sea and the havens thereof; always we all have need of Zeus. For we are also his offspring; and he in his kindness unto men giveth favourable signs and wakeneth the people to work, reminding them of livelihood. 

Act 17:29 LSB - [29] "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man.

In Corinth

Act 18:6 LSB - [6] But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood [be] on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Act 18:9-10 LSB - [9] And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; [10] for I am with you, and no man will lay [a hand] on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos

Act 18:24-26 LSB - [24] Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. [25] This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; [26] and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 13-15 - Paul and Barnabas Separate

Barnabas and Saul Sent from Antioch by the Holy Spirit

Act 13:1 LSB - [1] Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Act 13:2-3 LSB - [2] And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." [3] Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

On Cyprus

Act 13:9-10 LSB - [9] But Saul, who was also [known as] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, [10] and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

In Pisidian Antioch

Act 13:15 LSB - [15] And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."

Act 13:42-43 LSB - [42] And as Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept pleading that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. [43] Now when [the meeting of] the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Many Gentiles Believe

Act 13:48 LSB - [48] And when the Gentiles heard this, they [began] rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Act 13:52 LSB - [52] And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

In Iconium

In Lystra and Derbe

Act 14:19-20 LSB - [19] But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning over the crowds and stoning Paul, they were dragging him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. [20] But while the disciples stood around him, he rose up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

Act 14:21-22 LSB - [21] And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, [22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and [saying], "Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God."

Act 14:23 LSB - [23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

The Return to Antioch

Act 14:27 LSB - [27] And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they [began to] report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

The Jerusalem Council

Act 15:8-9 LSB - [8] "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; [9] and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Act 15:11 LSB - [11] "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

James Issues a Judgment

Act 15:19-20 LSB - [19] "Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, [20] but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

Act 15:40-41 LSB - [40] But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. [41] And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.