Isaiah 44:6-48:11 One of the things that proves God’ superiority is he knows the future. He is omniscient, so he knows all things. He also has foreknowledge, which means his omniscience includes events which have not yet happened. Often in Scripture we have God communicating through his prophets to reveal this foreknowledge. God says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, w...  Read More

Isaiah 40:1-44:5 A conversation in a noisy restaurant can be an impossible task. You speak, the other person nods their head, but they probably do not understand. This must have been what the prophets felt, they spoke but nobody listened. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah─not the glory days of Judah. Much of his ministry was to rebuke people for their idolat...  Read More

2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38:1-8; 2 Chronicles 32:24-31; Isaiah 38:9-22; 2 Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39:1-8 My heart seems to vacillate between a cry of, “O God, how I need you. Every hour I need you” to “I can handle this on my own.” This is ultimately a movement between humility and pride─the very same attitudes we see in Hezekiah's life. We saw humility in his prayer for salvation yesterday and his ...  Read More

2 Kings 19:1-19; Isaiah 37:1-20; 2 Chronicles 32:9-19; 2 Kings 19:20-37; Isaiah 37:21-38; 2 Chronicles 32:20-23 Hezekiah and Judah were surrounded by an army that was insurmountable. In the face of these overwhelming odds they turned to God. From their response I think we can learn two critical lessons. When we pray, we should remember we are praying to God. Hezekiah calls out to God and acknowled...  Read More

Micah 6:1-7:20; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8; 2 Kings 18:13-18; Isaiah 36:1-3; 2 Kings 18:19-37; Isaiah 36:4-22 Trust. In whom or what do we trust? Hezekiah “trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel” and he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.” Hezekiah removed the places of idol worship. He broke the bronze snake that Moses had made in the wilderness calling it ‘Ne...  Read More

Isaiah 34:1-35:10; Micah 2:1-5:15 We began the book of Micah about a month ago, and today and tomorrow we will finish it. Judgment seemed imminent as Assyria lingered nearby; yet the prophets and others tried to convince the people that everything would be fine. They wanted the people to underestimate their predicament and to live blissfully unaware of the judgment that awaited. Satan has always w...  Read More

Isaiah 30:1-33:24 Where do you turn for help? Maybe you google something, watch a YouTube video, ignore the problem, or call a friend. But does your strategy consistently work? Israel once again finds itself in a predicament and once again does not turn to God for help. Their initial response to their problems was to turn to idols, horses, technology (chariots), and Egypt. God is a distant afterth...  Read More

Isaiah 24:1-27:13, 29:1-24 One of the themes in Isaiah is salvation achieved through judgment. Salvation and judgment are intricately connected throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 24:1 we read “the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it,” but also some people will “raise their voices, they shout for joy” (Isaiah 24:14). Then in Isaiah 25 praise is given to God for making “the city a hea...  Read More

Isaiah 18:1-23:18 It is easy to misunderstand the Old Testament as God's focus on Israel to the neglect of the nations. Though much of the attention of the Hebrews Scriptures is on God working through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, God's heart has always been for the whole world. His desire was for Israel to be a light for the nations that would draw them into a relationship with hi...  Read More

Psalm 136, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150 The last five of the psalms (Psalms 146-150) all begin and end with the phrase "Praise the Lord." It could not be clearer what we are supposed to do. We are called to praise God. These psalms answer several questions about praising God. If we ask the question when we should praise God, the answer is always (Psalm 146:2). We are to begin praising God now and conti...  Read More

Psalm 128, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135 Today is part 2 of the psalms of ascent (if you did not read yesterday, I encourage you to read through all the psalms of ascent (Psalms 120-134 today). As people journeyed dozens or hundreds of miles up towards Jerusalem, they would have continuously repeated these psalms. Repetition is the key to learning. When the people came to Psalm 128, it was a reminder th...  Read More

Psalm 120, 121, 123, 125, 126 Psalms 120-134 are psalms of ascent. They were psalms which were repeated and sung by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem for various feasts. As you read through these psalms, consider what they were meant to teach those traveling to Jerusalem, and in turn us. Psalm 120 pictures God as the judge of wickedness and evil in the world. Psalms 121 and 125 teach us God is watch...  Read More