Daily Read

Isaiah 55 (NIV)

Throughout Scripture God provided what the Bible calls “signs.” That can sound spooky or kinda sci-fi, but you can think of it in the same way that we talk about signs. There’s a sign at the entrance to our street so you know where you are. There are signs at restaurants and shops so you know what kind of restaurant it is. God’s covenants always had signs with them, to help tell the people in the story (and those of us reading it later) where we are in the story and what kind of God is writing it. With Noah it was a rainbow in the sky, a reminder that the LORD would never again flood the earth. With Abraham it was circumcision, a way to mark out God’s people from the rest. And the list goes on.

Today’s passage speaks of another sign and another covenant. God’s people have broken there side of the covenant, but after the exile the Suffering Servant has brought Israel back into a kind of covenant renewal moment with the LORD. He says he will make an everlasting covenant and proceeds to describe the sign that will tell them when they have arrived. The sign will be life! Just like the Servant died and then came back to life, the LORD is saying that though his people were desolate, he will restore them. Life where there was death, beauty and nourishment where there was pain and suffering. The sign will be a restored people, flourishing as they were meant to from the beginning. Mercy. Joy. Belonging. Forever.

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

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

2. When you think about your life, what signs can you point to of the faithfulness of God? What memories, experiences or relationships point to the work of God in your life or in the life of your family? And where do you feel in need of living water? In what ways do you thirst for the LORD?

3. The invitation in this passage is to come. You’re invited. Thirst will be quenched, the feast is free. And the celebration is one that will never end. The LORD is inviting you to seek him, to call on him. His mercy and pardon are ready and waiting to be lavished on you. What step do you need to take today to receive His compassion and faithful love?

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Isaiah 54:1-10 (NIV)

The Servant of the LORD has suffered and died, giving his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people, for the sake of the restoration of the world. And he has not stayed dead… in resurrection he is vindicated, given authority, peace, satisfaction, and… offspring. But what does that mean? What does the restoration of the world look like? Who are his offspring? And what does that mean for Israel? What does it mean for us?

The next several chapters turn our attention to the lives of those who are willing to join The Servant in his devotion and obedience to God—those who choose to trust God even in the dark. We see their future. We see the ways these servants are granted the covenant blessings of their forebears and… what restoration will look like for them. Barrenness, widowhood, rejection in marriage—these are all themes the Israelites would have been familiar with in their history from the stories of Sarah & Hagar, Hannah, Ruth and Leah, among others. But just as the LORD worked his purposes in and through these women and their pain, the spiritual barrenness of Israel is not a problem for Him. His Servant has done what needed to be done to both cover her sin and show her what faithfulness looks like. And her Maker, her Husband is there waiting, with compassion in his eyes, calling for her to let go of her shame and return to Him.

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

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. The picture of restoration here is communal—Israel’s faithful servants embody the barren woman, the widow and the rejected wife. But in remembering the stories of individuals, and in light of our place in God’s story, there is room for us to receive it individually as well. The restored creation is both cosmically grand and also deeply personal. Where in your life do you long for the removal of shame? And the restoration of what has been lost?

3. The LORD’s compassion is a central piece of the picture of his restoration. He sees the pain, he feels the loss, and as we’ve seen in the picture of The Servant, he chooses to suffer with his people. A lot of people talk about “The God of the Old Testament” and only see the harshness of his  judgment. Yet throughout Isaiah’s writings we’ve seen a God who is deeply troubled over the sins of his people and determined to bring about renewal in and through them. We’ve seen a God of compassion. In what ways does this picture of God challenge your view of God? In what ways do you need to receive His compassion and renewal in your life?

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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Isaiah 53 (NIV)

Today’s passage feels in some ways like the climax of the book—the turning point and the answer to the question, “How?” How is God going to redeem his people? How can they belong to him again after so much rebellion?... The answer lies, as we’ve started to see, in the person of The Servant—this somewhat mysterious figure who will take on the identity and vocation of Israel to partner with God and bring all the families of the earth together, back to their Creator at last. But again… how? Surely the Servant of the LORD would be strong. He would be handsome, right? Someone everyone would want to follow? Surely he would lead with military power and that would show the world who their God was. Right?

The answer was as astonishing then as it is now. No one was looking for this kind of king. When he came, they didn’t even recognize him. In fact, they hated him, despised him. He wasn’t attractive, he wasn’t kingly. And yet he was the answer to the question. He was the means of God’s salvation. Not by power or strength or wealth, but by offering his own body to be laid on the altar, and to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Today’s passage might be familiar to you, but again, hear it in the context of the book, in the context of the story of Israel, of their longing for release from exile, both physically and spiritually. They were cut off from home, but they were also cut off from the LORD. They longed for restoration.

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

1. What did you feel as you heard the passage?

2. Like the people telling us about The Servant, we often don’t see the LORD when he’s right in front of us. We tend to look for God in the big, in the beautiful, in the powerful and strong. But where in your life might you be blind to the places and ways God is revealing himself to you, simply because they are small, weak or unattractive?

3. Half way through the passage it says “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering” Then it also says that “he was pierced for our transgression, crush for our iniquities.” The cross of Jesus carries both the weight of the pain and suffering we’ve experienced, as well as the pain and suffering we’ve caused. How is this good news for you today?

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Isaiah 52 (NIV)

In today’s passage we hear the prophet calling the very few Jews who remained in Jerusalem during the exile to ready themselves, to awake and to dust themselves off in preparation for the return of the LORD and his people. Despite Israel's lack of trust, Yahweh is bringing his people back to Jerusalem and is going to raise up a Servant who will restore them and take their job of blessing the nations upon himself.

Picture the scene… you are a Jewish child, and you’ve lived in Jerusalem long after the majority of your people have been hauled away into captivity. The Temple is a heap of rubble and the LORD is not present there. There are watchmen on what remain of the walls, and one day you hear them calling out that there is a messenger coming. You wait, because you’ve learned that a lone messenger means something very specific, a lone messenger means that he carries good news. News of Victory… Could it be, could this all be over? Is the LORD returning to Jerusalem, to the Temple, with his people?

The past year at points has felt like a kind of exile. Many of us have felt distant from God; we’ve felt disconnected from our normal lives, our family, our friends, our neighbors. Our society's fault lines are shifting and it has caused the earth to shake under our feet. In many ways this year has felt like exile and we need a return. As you listen to today’s passage, listen with an ear towards your longings for return. Things will never be the same, and in some ways that’s a good thing, but nonetheless each of us needs to get back up on our feet, dust ourselves off and walk into tomorrow with the LORD as our rear guard. We need the Servant who will come and take on our shame and show us the way.

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

1. What image stood out to you in today’s passage?

2. Consider what it must have felt like to hear the news that the exile was over, that Israel was about to return home. That despite all the hopelessness the LORD our God still reigns. In what area of your life do you long for such news?

3. Toward the end of this passage it turns towards the Servant, as if to ask, how is any of this possible? And it says that he will act wisely but will suffer on our behalf. That many will be appalled at him but that he will shut the mouths of kings. The Servant comes to the defense of God’s people. Jesus silences those who would mock us in our shame. In what ways do you need Jesus to act on your behalf today?

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Bible Project : Exile>>

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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Isaiah 51:1-11 (NIV)

Read by: Javelin Lewis

So far in the book of Isaiah, we’ve gotten a good bit of the history of Israel just prior to exile. Few of us can imagine the kind of war and exile that Israel faced during this period. But just for a minute, think about the place you love the most—the place you really call home. Now imagine that you’re forced to leave, to stay away from this beloved place. You settle somewhere else, but your heart always longs for it… You grow up, have a family, and you tell your kids all about it… They have kids, and you share the stories with the little ones. The smells and tastes of your favorite food there, the beauty of the landscape, the sounds of the birds, maybe, or the wind rustling through the trees. To your kids it might seem like a dream, like some kind of fairy tale. They’ve only seen the desert… And yet the hope is placed in their hearts. The hope of home, of the place they really belong.

Today’s passage is for the descendants of those who were exiled to Babylon. Zion is a place in their grandmother’s memory. The LORD’s temple, the feasts and celebrations, the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, like a great big family reunion. Home. Today’s passage calls those who have never seen Zion to dream of it once more. The LORD beckons those who want to trust him— “Believe. Remember where you’re from. Remember who you are.” He calls them to put their hope in Him, and to follow the Servant as he “set his face like flint.” Don’t be afraid of those who would rather forget. The tale is true. Come and see.

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

1. What images stood out to you in the passage?

2. Toward the end of this passage, the writer breaks into a plea for the LORD to hurry up, in a sense. The longing for things to be the way they should be can be overwhelming sometimes. In what ways do you experience this kind of “holy impatience?”

3. As you consider the invitation and encouragement to remember who you are, to trust in God and to journey on towards this vision of home, what do you need for the journey? Maybe it’s a community, a family to walk with. Maybe it’s strength to endure shame or criticism as you go. Or maybe it’s a deeper confidence in the hope. Whatever you need, ask the Holy Spirit to give it to you today.

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Bible Project : Exile

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Isaiah 50 (NIV)

Read by: Brennan Takayama

Israel's sense of identity was centered around the Law, the Torah that set up boundaries that distinguished the nation of Israel from other nations. In it’s design it wasn’t a problem because it was through this nation that who was marked out that God would cause blessing to come to all the other nations. Israel was the means, not the end. But Israel failed to live up to this vocation, but the LORD would not relent in his covenant to bring this blessing through Israel. And so the boundary markers that created Israel, are about to be redrawn around this servant figure.

In today’s passage we learn that  the boundaries of belonging to “God’s people” are not only being broadened to include the Gentiles, but they are being narrowed as well, to exclude those Israelites who don’t want to trust and obey the LORD. Belonging is no longer about who’s in and who’s out. It’s not about who gets the blessing and who doesn’t. It’s not membership in an exclusive club. It’s about choosing to follow God even in the dark. Even when the path heads toward suffering. And the Servant here provides a litmus test - the image of the kind of human God wants to partner with, the kinds of humans we are to become.  The door is wide open, he says. The LORD has not divorced Israel. On the contrary, he is waiting to receive those who want to return to him. Who among you? Who will return?

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

1. What stood out to you from today’s passage?

2. The Servant’s willing obedience calls us to look at ourselves in his light. Are we willing to follow God into suffering? Are we willing to listen and learn from him, morning by morning? Where in your life do you need to press into deeper obedience?

3. The Servant is not afraid because he has confidence in the LORD’s help and that he will be vindicated. His hope is wrapped up in his belief that his suffering will not be in vain. As we consider the difficult places in our lives—whether in work, relationships, or in your personal life, do we believe that faithfulness will be worth it that we will be vindicated? Ask the LORD for faith to trust him.

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Isaiah 49:13-22 (NIV)

Today on Daily Read, we hear of the LORD’s deep deep love for his people. Remember, the people of Israel are reeling from having been exiled… and we have to be careful not to let this get lost on us. This is a nation whose identity is completely wrapped up in the land they were stewards of. For Israel to be exiled... is for their very identity to be shaken.

Today we’ll hear the cry of the LORD’s people saying “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” And then, the tender care of the LORD depicted as a faithful mother caring for her children.

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

1. What image stood out to you in this passage? Why do you think that is?

2. As you think of the ways that you experienced desolation or feeling distant from the LORD, how does this image of the LORD bring you comfort and hope? What does it challenge in you?

3. As you think of the ways that you have experienced consolation or nearness to the LORD, how does this image of the LORD bring you joy and gratitude? And how might you intend to respond to the LORD?

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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Isaiah 49:1-12 (NIV)

Read by: Amanda Koch

Today’s passage brings us into a new section of the book of Isaiah. Even after being freed from Babylon, Israel’s heart remains hard. They just don’t trust God... and would rather decide for themselves what’s best. And so the road curves, the story shifts, and God decides to do something different. Unexpected. Israel will no longer bear the role of God’s servant, and instead a single figure emerges to carry the mission forward. Instead, he will be called Israel, and he will not only restore Jacob’s family, but he will bring all of God’s family back together. He will be a light to the Gentiles, to all nations, to the ends of the earth. This Servant sounds like someone we’ve met before though. He’s foreshadowed earlier in the book—remember the Messianic King? The root of Jesse? And yet there are new details, ways that his rescue and reign will look different than what everyone thought. He will suffer. He will be rejected. But through it all he will be obedient to the LORD, even... to the point of death. He will die for the sins of his own people—to pave the way for their restoration and the redemption of all.

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

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. Israel’s vocation was to be a light to the nations, but their own interests kept getting in the way. The world needed someone whose only vision was to show the world who God was. In your life, how has God revealed himself to you? How do you know who he is?

3. As you look out into the world, and particularly into your world, who can you see who needs to know God? Who in your life has been given a distorted or incomplete picture of God? Pray for them. And as you are given opportunities, ask the LORD to help you show them who He is.

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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Isaiah 44:1-11 (NIV)

Read by: Brennan Takayama

As parents it’s necessary to discipline our children. I don’t know many parents who actually enjoy this part of raising kids, but we all have to do it. And we all have to learn when… and how. What’s worth a punishment? And what kind of punishment will actually work to help your child learn? If out kids are fighting over a toy, we’ve learned to just put the toy away for a while. If they are being mean to each other—saying things to hurt each other, or physically hurting each other, they get a time out. But at the end of the time out, after they’ve worked out their feelings, at the end of whatever strife is going on, we always talk. We always affirm our love for them and try to call them into a different way of behaving, a different way of thinking. Our older daughter usually has a hard time forgiving herself. She hates messing up. The younger one has a harder time convincing herself that listening to Mom and Dad is worthwhile. She prefers to do things her own way.

We find a similar pattern in Isaiah. God’s children mess up… really bad. And they get kind of a cosmic time out… Exile . But after it’s over, the LORD wants to give them another chance, to remind them of how much he loves them and how faithful he has been, and to remind them who he is.  He is the only real God, and he longs for them to bear his name.

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

1. What word or phrase stood out to you in the passage?

2. Idols in the ancient world were not merely statues. They represented other gods and people would worship them… giving the fruit of their labor and their lives over in service of these idols hoping that they would provide peace, prosperity, and power. We may not make sacrifices to statues, but we have idols in our world, they ask for our time and money and allegiance in return for power, comfort, and security… What idols are you tempted to worship?

3. When we worship an idol, it marks us. We become like what we worship. But no matter what we’ve done in our lives, what idols we’ve bowed down to, or how many times, the Creator who formed us in our mother’s wombs sees us, loves us, and longs for us to bear his name. What might you need to lay down today in order to pick up the name of God?

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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Isaiah 43:1-13 (NIV)

I’ll never forget one night as a student in InterVarsity. I was struggling through a very broken relationship, and I was sitting with my staff worker. It was getting late and he was graciously listening as I was wrestling through everything. But in his wisdom and I’m sure in what was his growing fatigue he said, “The Lord has been faithful to you, what reason has he given you not to trust him?”

For many of us this season has left us with a lot of questions. A lot of pain has been drawn up from deep, deep wells and poured out onto the ground before us. The same was true for Israel in today’s passage. And I believe that impact it must have had on them, is available to us today through the Holy Spirit. The same way my staff worker’s words stopped me in my tracks, and caused me to remember the goodness of the LORD, may this passage do the same for you… may we remember together the LORD who loves us.

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

1. What word or phrase stood out to you from this passage?

2. The LORD recalls in this passage so many of the images that bring up stories of rescue and redemption and deliverance for Israel—Moses and the people passing through waters, Daniel and his friends walking through fire. Take a moment and remember the scenes that represent the LORD’s redemption in your life. Maybe it’s a campus, or a home, or a mountain, or a community… let those images come to your mind.

3. The same LORD that redeemed you then, is the same one who is with you even now… where you are… The LORD is faithful and deserving of our trust… take a moment, and maybe it’s a bit of a risk, but in a simple prayer give the LORD your trust again.

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Bible Project: Isaiah 40-66 >>

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