Daily Read

Psalm 22 (NIV)

“Eloi Eloi, lema sabachthani!” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The words of Jesus as his life poured from his body on the cross... Some who were watching thought he was calling out to the prophet Elijah, and they waited to see if Elijah would come to save him… Others, centuries later, have focused on the idea of Jesus being forsaken by the Father, and whole theologies have been born from this idea. But when we read that Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22 with his dying breath, maybe we should take a deeper look at the psalm itself…

This psalm is attributed to King David and is set up as a song to be sung corporately, to a well-known tune. It was written in first person but sets its declarations within a context of “the great assembly.” The speaker has a deeply personal, intimate experience of connection with God—from the womb there is trust and belonging. But alongside it he experiences horrific abuse and violence, and in that place of suffering he calls out to his God, remembering the history of his people—their cries for deliverance from Egypt and the faithfulness of God to rescue them.

As you listen to the psalm read aloud, try to enter in with your imagination. Stand at the foot of the cross and hear these words as you know they are in Jesus’ mind. Step into the story... and behold your savior.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. Where in this passage did you see Jesus?

3. Jesus' afflictions on the cross bear both the evil we’ve done and the evil that has been done to us, in him we are forgiven and healed, redeemed and restored. How does this reality comfort you on this Good Friday?

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In the church calendar today is Maundy Thursday, commemorating The Last Supper, the Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. He told them that the bread they ate was his body, which would be broken… and the wine was his blood that would be shed, as a new covenant... As he sat with his disciples, imagine now all that they would be remembering—imagine the collective memory of Israel as we’ve read through Isaiah. Deliverance from Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, the ups and downs of all the kings, the failure of the people, and the faithfulness of God… But now, it’s been a long time since they had seen deliverance. They were under Roman occupation, feeling a lot like slaves and exiles once again. The stories of the Messianic King and of the Suffering Servant were tucked away… remembered, hoped for, but perhaps seeming more like a fool’s dream than a coming reality. And yet here is Jesus, telling them he is about to suffer, claiming essentially that he is the Passover lamb. Do you think they could see it? Would they have remembered his words and actions over the past few years and set them in the context of Isaiah’s Servant King? “Like a lamb led to the slaugher…” “The shoot from the stump of Jesse…” Or today’s passage that Jesus read in the synagogue and proclaimed to be fulfilled its hearing—“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor…”

----------REFLECT----------

1. What connections did you see in the passage to the rest of Isaiah?

2. As we look towards the end of Holy Week, the death and resurrection of Jesus, we cannot ignore the fact that he saw himself fulfilling the role of the Suffering Servant King in Isaiah. How does that change or deepen your understanding of him?

3. The beauty of this passage calls us to see people the way God sees them. It is to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives that the LORD announces this good news. And they will be the LORD’s planting, the priests and ministers to the nations. How is this passage good news to you? And in what ways is the LORD drawing you into the work and worship of showing the world what he is like?

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Isaiah 60:15-22 (NIV)

Read by: Emily Johnston

The LORD will once again inhabit the earth. He will be its light. There will be no more sorrow, no more violence… Rather, the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into the city of God, and the nations will be at last together—working, worshipping together in peace, fully bearing the image of the God in all their unique ways. It’s a vision that flows from the rivers of the Garden of Eden to the River of Life—From Genesis 1 to the end of Revelation. The beginning and the end of the Biblical narrative are both here in today’s passage, tied together by the hope and expectation of the renewal of humanity and of the entire cosmos.

Remember that the “You” in this chapter is the New Jerusalem, the symbol of God’s New Creation brought about by the work of The Suffering Servant to bring not only Israel out of exile in Babylon but the whole of humanity out of exile, disconnected from God because of their sin.

As you listen, try to picture it. Think of what it will be like and allow your heart to take hold of this hope.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. Holding the whole of chapter 60 in your mind, imagine your family, your people bringing the wealth of your culture into New Creation. What good things do you imagine being restored and renewed and offered as a gift to the LORD for the flourishing of the world?

3. In New Creation, things are very different than they are now. No more violence. No more sorrow… means no more fear… and no more loss. In this season of the coronavirus pandemic, political upheaval, and racial injustice, what about this chapter, and about the picture of New Creation offered in the book of Isaiah has especially spoken to you?

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Isaiah 60 (NIV)

Read by Emily Johnston

From the second chapter of Isaiah on, we’ve had this hope… of a New Creation, a place with no more suffering, no more war, where nations would come together, lay down their weapons and learn from their Maker how to be truly human. We walked with this hope in our pocket through the drama of the Assyrians and the Babylonian exile, through the poems and prophecies of God’s judgment on Israel, her kings, and her violent oppressors. We’ve seen The Servant of the LORD do what Israel could not… we’ve seen him be the human God could partner with. And we’ve seen him suffer and die on their behalf. We’ve seen him rise to the throne as the Messianic King—his suffering vindicated, his eyes satisfied by the inheritance... of the nations. And now, in today’s passage, we see in full color the nations streaming to the New Jerusalem, the New Creation so hoped for, so longed for by the faithful. Abraham’s descendents from far and wide bring their wealth—offerings of praise to Yahweh. And the walls that were destroyed by foreign nations will be rebuilt by them as well. RESTORATION. RECONCILIATION. PEACE…

----------REFLECT----------

1. What words or phrases stood out to you in the passage?

2. The opening of this chapter is a distant echo of the first Creation… Arise, Shine, for your light has come. Let. There. Be. Light. It’s a picture of the LORD’s victory over sin and evil and his determination to inhabit his Creation. How does this passage give you hope today?

3. Throughout the Bible the promise of New Creation is that of the world made right. But, empowered by God’s Spirit, we don’t have to wait to participate in that New Creation… as signposts pointing to what will be, we can live out of that hope now. So, is there someone who needs your forgiveness? What might it be like to forgive them now, in anticipation of the healing to come? Or, is there someone whose forgiveness you need to ask for? Ask the LORD for courage to respond to Him today.

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Isaiah 59:12-21 (NIV)

We all know the feeling of helplessness. Most of us don’t like to feel helpless, but we understand it nonetheless. Maybe when you picture someone who is helpless you picture a young child, or someone who is ill. But sometimes even as grown up healthy people we find ourselves in situations that are beyond our ability to get out of or fix. And that’s where we find the writers of today’s passage. It’s the second part of a prayer—a prayer of grieving and repenting over the sins and failures of their people and the ways those things have made life miserable for everyone. It’s an honest appraisal of their desperation, they’re separated from God, and utterly helpless.

But then...  There’s a bend in the road, a turn that opens up a new horizon. Help is coming. The LORD sees clearly the pain, the injustice, the rebellion, and he is ready to fight against it. For the sake of those he made with his own hands, he is ready to fight.

As you listen to the passage read aloud, try to imagine how the people would have felt. They were literally described as “people without eyes,” so deep was the darkness and evil around them. Imagine the desperation. Maybe it’s not too hard. But imagine too the feelings that would have welled up in them at being rescued. Maybe… that’s not too hard either.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What about this passage caught your attention?

2. The LORD is described as a warrior, wearing righteousness, salvation, vengeance and zeal as his battle armor. Where in your life do you need the LORD to fight for you today?

3. The promises at the end of this passage are surely good news to us. From the west to the east the LORD will make himself known, there is redemption for those who repent, and he makes a new covenant—a promise of God’s own Spirit, with them, forever. The LORD is faithful to save, to heal, and to restore, even if he has to do it all by himself. In what ways is this good news for you?

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Isaiah 59:1-12 (NIV)

So in the past several chapters we’ve been given a picture of the Servant and of those who follow in his footsteps. In contrast to the wicked who essentially get what they ask for, those who follow after the Servant are the ones who will inherit God’s kingdom. Empowered by him, they act with justice for the poor. They bring restoration and renewal to those around them. But as they go, they remember. They remember that God’s kingdom is not yet here in fullness. Evil is still around them, and they are still frustrated by it. And it’s not foreign nations, it’s their own people. Today’s passage is the first half of a poem- a prayer of grieving and repentance over the sins of Israel and the consequent separation from God.

As you hear the passage read, listen carefully to the many images the writer employs to describe both the sinful ways of the people and the resulting repercussions. Take note of what stands out to you and think about why that might be.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What images caught your attention?

2. If we dare to watch the news these days, we could probably write a similar prayer about our country, or our people. No culture, ethnic group or nation has a corner on moral superiority, and we are often even overwhelmed with the sin within the church itself. What about this prayer of grief resonated with you as you thought about the sin around you?

3. And what about your life? The sins of our family, our community, our culture and our nation affect us, whether we participate in them or not. Is there anything that’s weighing you down today? That’s making you feel like you’re walking in deep shadows? Bring that honestly to the LORD now.

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Isaiah 58 (NIV)

Even though we haven’t talked about it much during this series, we are going through the book of Isaiah during the season of Lent. If you’re not familiar with the church calendar, Lent is the season of 40 days that lead up to Easter. It’s a season to reflect on our mortality, our sin and our inability to rescue ourselves from the mess we’ve made of the world… a reflection that grows in hope as we look forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection as the rescue we need. It’s also a season of fasting, intended to help us enter more deeply into prayer and God’s presence as we set aside things that we tend to use to distract us or satisfy our cravings. People might pick something like social media, alcohol, or sugar… and they might try to pray more or spend more time in Scripture. But for some, Lent is more of just a cultural tradition, like a semi-religious detox preceded by the overindulgence of Mardi Gras and ending with Easter bunnies.

Today’s passage is all about fasting. Similarly, the Jewish people had ritual, communal seasons of fasting. And just like us, it could easily be just a show. What was to keep them from going back into their overindulgent, selfish ways when it was all over? They needed a fast that would change their hearts, not just make them look spiritual. And so do we.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What words or phrases stood out to you in the passage?

2. The kind of fasting the LORD desires is a total shift in the way we live our lives. It’s the life that flows, with God’s help, out of that repentant, contrite heart we saw in yesterday’s passage. What part of this different kind of fasting stood out to you in particular?

3. Repairer of Broken Walls… Restorer of Streets with Dwellings… The people who choose this kind of fasting are given titles, honored as those whose lives reflect the LORD. He is the one who repairs and restores, and we have the invitation to reflect him into the world… to join him in his good work. What in your life needs to change in order to partner with God in this way?

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Isaiah 57:14-21 (NIV)

Read by: Sasha Mackoon

One of the most miraculous things about the Christian faith is the opportunity for forgiveness. No matter what we’ve done, the door is open for repentance—turning away from evil, selfishness, greed… and turning towards the LORD, who is waiting with open arms to receive even the worst of us. His longing is for renewal… for those in darkness to have light, for the sick to be healed, and for the dead to open their eyes and breathe again.

Today’s passage is the LORD speaking, and the words we hear are his heart, his longings for those he created to have life and peace. The words are for Israel, but they are also for us.

As you prepare to hear today’s passage, find a place where you can be still, where you can allow your thoughts to rest for a minute and just listen.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. The LORD says that he is high and exalted but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit. How does that bring you comfort today?

3. The obstacles to return home must be removed. The roads must be built up because the LORD wants us. He desires to heal us. What obstacles do you need to be removed to receive healing and revival in your life? And in what ways can you partner with God to remove obstacles and build up the road for others to receive his healing? Ask the LORD for what you need today.

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Isaiah 57:1-13 (NIV)

Read by: Sasha Mackoon

Today’s passage might come as a shock after the beautiful, hopeful verses of the past few days. Today’s words are, in essence, a reminder of the reality of living life in the in-between. Even after experiencing God’s grace in return from exile, Israel still cozied up to foreign kings and adopted the idols of foreign nations, allowing false religion and superstition to provide a cover for all kinds of evil. In the same way, even we, on the other side of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection find ourselves caught up in worshiping all kinds of idols and allowing false religions and attachment to political power to excuse all kinds of evil. In forgetting the one true God, we have allowed ourselves to fear any number of other things that deserve neither our reverence nor our emotional energy. We too live in the in-between. We are not yet in the world that will be. Heaven and earth are not yet one.

But this passage doesn’t leave us without hope. It begins and ends by recognizing that there are some who are faithful, some who are righteous, some who fear the LORD and take refuge in him. And in this contrast there is an invitation. Be on the side of justice. Lay down your idols. Remember your God and cling to him.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What feelings were brought up in you as you listened to the passage?

2. A friend of ours who grew up Hindu once said that it’s easy for Westerners to critique the idols of other religions because they’re easy to see. But we don’t see our idols as clearly. They aren’t painted statues or pictures on the wall. Our culture instead serves the gods of nationalism, comfort, status and self-indulgence. What idols in your life do you need to lay down at the LORD’s feet?

3. The passage opens and closes by acknowledging the righteous. No matter what evil is happening around them, the LORD will give then peace, rest in death and a home with him in New Creation. How does this reassurance bring you peace today?

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Isaiah 56:1-8 (NIV)

Read by: Javelin Lewis

Today’s passage really moves us into the global picture of restoration the LORD has in mind. In fact, he has always had it in mind, as we’ve seen throughout Isaiah, but now it’s beginning to take shape in (as one writer puts it) “the marks of a redeemed community.” He says that God’s people are those who are following in the footsteps of The Servant, listening to the LORD, growing in wisdom, choosing to go His way and not our own way. And this kind of redeemed community will be known by two things: Justice and Openness. No one who is willing to follow the Servant is to be excluded from this new family, and everyone should be treated fairly. Remember, a big part of Israel’s trouble was that they had become marked by injustice and exclusivity. Their religion had been separated from living rightly, and their embrace of outsiders was virtually nonexistent. But the LORD’s Servant brought these qualities back together, embodying in his life, his suffering, and his sacrifice both God’s justice and his desire for the whole earth to know him. The Servant is God’s perfect human partner, and he made a way for everyone to serve the LORD with him.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What words or phrases caught your attention?

2. There’s a beautiful echo in today’s reading of the barren woman from chapter 54. The desolate woman would have “more children than her who has a husband,” and the eunuch will have an everlasting name. It’s about honor in place of shame, and security in the family of God, regardless of your sexual identity or parental or marital status. It’s about faithfulness to Jesus. How does this idea challenge your ideas of blessing and honor in our culture?

3. The church today is no stranger to the separation of our religion from justice. We have a deep history of living a disembodied faith. In what ways might God be calling you to bear his image in every area of your life? At work? In your social life? In your community? Ask him for wisdom to live a life of integrity, embodying justice and openness in your whole life.

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