ISAIAH 41
GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH ISRAEL + STRENGTHEN THEM
God promises to renew the strength of Israel and tells them there is no need to fear—peace and good news is on the way! Isaiah says that God will accomplish His purposes for Judah. God is the one in control, not worthless man-made idols.
Instead, those who oppose God’s people and worship false gods will be put to shame with nothing to show.
God will reestablish Israel and keep His promises to the nation and their ancestors. God’s new creation in Israel will be indisputably His work!
ISAIAH 42
GOD WILL SEND A CHOSEN SERVANT
God will send His chosen servant, whom God delights in and fills with His spirit. This chapter begins to describe the character of Jesus to the Israelites and explains that He will accomplish God’s will on Earth, saying that God’s servant will be a light to the nations and open the eyes of the blind.
God calls the Israelites into righteousness and wants to rebuild their covenant. God will not be discouraged by Israel’s unwillingness to see or hear God’s messages, but instead will bring justice and redemption.
ISAIAH 43
GOD HAS PLANS TO MAKE ISRAEL NEW
God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of Israel. God’s people will pass through rivers, but not drown. They will walk through the fire and not be burned. God will bring glory to His people and use them for His purposes.
There is no other God, He is the only Savior and Redeemer. God is doing something new in Israel that will spring forth new growth.
Israel has sinned and caused more trouble than their sacrifices can cover, but God will blot out their transgressions for His own sake and no longer count their wrongdoings against them.
ISAIAH 44
GOD IS THE ONE TRUE GOD, THE CREATOR OF EVERY OTHER THING
Israel is God’s chosen people, and they will be restored and receive God’s blessing. Through Isaiah, God reminds the Israelites that there is no other God or redeemer besides Him. Israel is God’s servant and will not be forgotten by God.
God responds to the Israelites' worship of man-made idols. God distinguishes that the idols are created out of cedar and cypress, but it was God who created everything on Earth.
ISAIAH 45
GOD ALONE IS THE ONLY CREATOR + SAVIOR
God promised King Cyrus, ruler of Persia, that he would be victorious over his enemies. Eventually, Persia would defeat Babylon, ending the exile of Judah and allowing God to reestablish Jerusalem. God is able to orchestrate enemy nations to coincide with His plans!
God continues to speak against false idols and declares that man-made items cannot save them. Although it might look different today, humanity still relies heavily on man-made constructs for safety and security. Those who cling to false idols will ultimately be put to shame. There will come a day when everyone will acknowledge God’s sovereignty, bowing down and confessing that He is God alone!
Isaiah 45:22 - Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
ISAIAH 46
THE ONE TRUE GOD IS GREATER THAN ALL IDOLS
Isaiah continues sharing God’s message warning against false gods and idol worship. Idolatry will lead people to exile, but following God will lead them to salvation. Isaiah mentions Bel and Nebo, Babylonian and Assyrian gods, saying that they will bow down and be defeated.
God wants the Israelites to remember all that He has done from them and acknowledge the many times He has provided for them. Isaiah questions them, asking what the false idols have provided or accomplished for them. They are worthless in comparison to God.
Regardless of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God’s plans will come to pass, and Israel will be reestablished for God’s glory.
ISAIAH 47
GOD WARNS OF BABYLON’S DESTRUCTION
Isaiah speaks a prophetic warning of the downfall of Babylon. Years later, Babylon would be defeated by Persia, fulfilling this prophecy as well as God’s promise to Persia in Isaiah 45.
God speaks against the pride and selfishness of the Babylonians. They have been living in a state of self-indulgence, but would soon experience suffering. The things that Babylon has been placing their trust in, magic and sorcery, will be proven useless when they need rescue.
ISAIAH 48
GOD WILL REFINE ISRAEL FOR HIS GLORY
God tells Israel that He will save them, despite their unfaithfulness and resistance. God is planning on doing something new with Israel, something that the false gods could never accomplish or take credit for. Although God has allowed for the Israelites to be exiled by Babylon, He has plans to restore and redeem them through Persia’s defeat of Babylon.
God does not refine the Israelites for their glory, but for His own. If the Israelites listened to God all along, their lives would have been filled with more rest and peace. Isaiah uses the illustration of God providing water in the desert (Exodus 17) to remind Israel of His care for them.
ISAIAH 49
GOD’S RESTORATION OF ISRAEL
Israel is named as God’s servant who will bring Him glory. God is the strength of Israel and will bring back the preserved remnant of people who are faithful to Him. God will keep his covenant with Israel and reestablish them. Because of God’s compassion on his people, the Israelites will experience comfort over affliction.
Through Isaiah, God tells Israel that they are engraved on the palms of His hands. Hundreds of years later, Jesus would endure the cross, leaving the scars of nails engraved in His hands.
Those who wait for the Lord will not be put to shame. One day, everyone will know that God is the only Savior and Redeemer.
ISAIAH 50
ISRAEL’S REBELLION + GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
God reminds Israel of His power and authority over creation. It is not God’s inability to save Israel that has brought them to a place of destruction, but their own sin and faithlessness.
Isaiah has been sustained by God and given the strength and understanding to deliver God’s word. Because of God’s powerful message of destruction and warning, Isaiah is beaten up and spit on. Similar to Jesus, Isaiah was sent by God and rejected by man.
Questioning the Israelites, Isaiah asks who fears the Lord and obeys His voice as a servant. Isaiah calls for those who walk in darkness to turn towards God.
ISAIAH 51
GOD IS ISRAEL’S SOURCE OF COMFORT + RIGHTEOUSNESS
Isaiah challenges the Israelites to reflect on their past history with God, including His promise to Abraham and parting the Red Sea. Eventually, the Earth will die out, but God offers salvation that allows His people to dwell in righteousness eternally.
God has authority over the heavens and earth, the seas and the stars. God comforts those who are afraid of death, reminding them that they will not be lacking in eternity.
The Israelites once experienced God’s wrath, but that wrath will be passed to the oppressors and tormentors of God’s people.
ISAIAH 52
GOD’S SERVANT WILL SUFFER FOR THE REDEMPTION OF HIS PEOPLE
Isaiah wants the Israelites to anticipate their redemption, because God is preparing the salvation of His people. God will lead His people into a better, restored, new Jerusalem.
To pay for the price of sin, God’s servant will be tortured and marred, becoming disfigured beyond recognition. Isaiah states that this suffering servant would be pierced for the transgressions of many nations, foretelling the brutal death of Jesus on the cross.
ISAIAH 53
THE SAVIOR WILL BE THE LAMB OF GOD LED TO SLAUGHTER
Isaiah foretells of the coming Messiah, stating that He will be despised and rejected by men. Isaiah begins with the humble beginning of the Savior, explaining that He will have no apparent majesty.
God’s suffering servant will be pierced for the transgressions of mankind and crushed for their iniquities. His chastisement will bring peace and healing to those who do not deserve it. The wounds of Jesus on the cross will cover the cost of sin and provide a means of salvation to all believers.
Isaiah prophesizes that during his oppression and affliction, he would not speak, foreshadowing Jesus’ silence in Matthew 27:14. Like a spotless lamb led to sacrifice, He was silent and obedient. Although He was without sin, He took on the consequences of the sin of the world. The death of the innocent Savior would appease God’s need for justice and permanently deal with sin. Although it grieved Him, God’s will was for the Messiah to die.
This chapter has caused great debate within Christianity and Judaism, with differing interpretations about its meaning and whom the prophecies refer to. For believers, Isaiah 53 contains many references to Jesus, including specific details of His arrest and death.
Isaiah 53:5 - But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
ISAIAH 54
GOD PROMISES PEACE FOR THE ISRAELITES
God uses the metaphor of marriage to describe His relationship with Israel, portraying Himself as a faithful husband and Israel as a wife who has been grieved and temporarily forsaken. Despite Israel's period of suffering due to their faithlessness, God reassures them of His unwavering love and compassion. He affirms them and promises to restore the nation, blessing them with many offspring. Similar to the message of the prophet Hosea, Isaiah describes how God will continually pursue His people and repeatedly save them.
God deserted the nation for only a brief moment, allowing them to suffer for their faithlessness during the exile, but is ultimately compassionate and promises to bring peace. Comparing the rescue of the Israelites to the protection God provided for Noah during the flood, God shows steadfast love for His people. God will protect the Israelites from their enemies, promising that no weapon forged against them will prosper.
ISAIAH 55
GOD’S PROVISION + FAITHFULNESS
God offers an invitation to all who are thirsty and hungry to come and eat, drink, and delight without cost. God’s grace and kindness is on display as He offers provision to those who seek Him. Those who follow God will be included in an everlasting covenant, reinstating the promise God originally made with David to send an eternal king.
Isaiah emphasizes that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than the thoughts and ways of mankind. His words are not empty words; everything He says will come to pass.
ISAIAH 56
GOD INSTRUCTS THE ISRAELITES TO BE RIGHTEOUS + JUST
God challenges the Israelites to live justly and pursue righteousness. Isaiah explains how anyone who loves the Lord will be included as His servants, not only the Israelites. Whoever chooses to follow and love God will be accepted—faithful foreigners will be adopted into God’s chosen family! God redeems the Israelites' lack of faithfulness to include other nations within the faith.
God criticizes the rebellious leaders, comparing them to blind and lazy watchdogs who love to sleep. This is a reminder that Israel is not redeemed because of their works or great leadership, but because of God’s kindness and compassion.
ISAIAH 57
GOD’S COMFORT TO BELIEVERS + WRATH AGAINST FALSE IDOLS
Isaiah explains that the righteous will be taken away from calamity and enter into peace and rest. On the other hand, the wicked and unfaithful who worship false gods are headed for destruction. If someone calls out to God, they will be saved, but whoever trusts in their false idols is hopeless.
God will bring healing to the righteous, but for the wicked there will be no peace. This chapter serves as a stark contrast between the comfort of following God and the consequences of rejecting Him.
ISAIAH 58
GOD CARES ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS
Isaiah describes both a righteous and unrighteous way of fasting, a common practice among God’s people. God does not desire religious acts for show or personal gain. Instead, God desires for his people to show genuine generosity and hospitality. Giving or abstaining should come from a place of love, not one of selfish desire or keeping up appearances. Instead of abuse or arguing, fasting should lead to humility and generosity.
Isaiah encourages the Israelites to keep the Sabbath day, remembering and delighting in God. This weekly celebration is meant for rest and enjoyment, not getting ahead or staying busy.
ISAIAH 59
GOD IS CLOTHED IN GARMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Isaiah reveals that the problems facing God's people are not due to God's absence or unwillingness to rescue them, but caused by Israel’s rebellion. Sin has separated the Israelites from God, not God’s unwillingness to rescue them.
The Israelites are described as acting wickedly, with blood-stained hands, lying lips, and feet that rush toward evil. God is displeased with how far His people have strayed from Him. In response, God is depicted as putting on garments of righteousness, similar to the armor described in Ephesians 6—wearing a breastplate of righteousness, a helmet of salvation, and clothing of vengeance. This description of God shows His ability to balance both compassion and wrath.
Despite Israel’s actions, God chooses to keep His covenant with His people. God promises that His spirit will be upon them and that His words will forever remain on their lips.
ISAIAH 60
THE LORD WILL BE AN EVERLASTING LIGHT IN ISRAEL
Isaiah speaks of a future hope for God’s people foretelling a time when God will rebuild and reunite Israel and Jerusalem, making them prosper and thrive once again. He calls the people to lift their eyes and see, knowing their hearts will be thrilled by the sight of God's glory.
The walls will be rebuilt, and the gate will be opened, allowing all nations to enter and bring gifts of reverence. The light of God will shine, showing His glory in His eternal reign over Israel. In the time of God’s reign, there will be no more devastation or destruction. God has more in store than the Israelites can imagine!