Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts

By John and Jenny WiseEducationArtsBooksHistory
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Simple Gifts episodes

  • ISAIAH, Chapter 42
    “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
    though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
    If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
    but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
     
    Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
     

    If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

    Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

    Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

    As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
     

    https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

     

    Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

    https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

    https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

    5 min
  • ISAIAH, Chapter 41
    “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
    though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
    If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
    but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
     
    Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
     

    If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

    Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

    Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

    As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
     

    https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

     

    Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

    https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

    https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

    7 min
  • ISAIAH, Chapter 40
    “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
    though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
    If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
    but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
     
    Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
     

    If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

    Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

    Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

    As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
     

    https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

     

    Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

    https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

    https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

    7 min
  • ISAIAH, Chapter 39
    “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
    though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
    If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
    but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
     
    Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
     

    If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

    Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

    Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

    As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
     

    https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

     

    Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

    https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

    https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

    2 min
  • ISAIAH, Chapter 38
    “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
    though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
    though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
    If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
    but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
     
    Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
     

    If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

    Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

    Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

    As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
     

    https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

     

    Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

    https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

    https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

    5 min
  • HABAKKUK, Chapter 3: Conclusion

    The book of Habakkuk is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, likely written around 610–605 B.C., just before the Babylonian invasion of Judah. It is unique among prophetic books because it does not primarily address the people with God's message, but instead records a dialogue, or argument, between the prophet Habakkuk and God. Habakkuk expresses his profound struggle to reconcile God's goodness and justice with the rampant evil and injustice he sees in his own nation, Judah.

    Quick Summary:

    The book is structured around a back-and-forth between the prophet and God:

    1. Habakkuk's First Complaint (1:2-4): Habakkuk cries out to God, asking why He allows the violence and injustice in Judah to continue unchecked.

    2. God's First Answer (1:5-11): God responds that He is raising up the Babylonians (Chaldeans), a fierce and swift nation, to bring judgment upon Judah.

    3. Habakkuk's Second Complaint (1:12-2:1): Habakkuk protests, asking how a holy God can use a nation even more wicked than Judah to punish them. He questions God's justice in using the Babylonians, who are violent, ruthless, and worship their own power.

    4. God's Second Answer (2:2-20): God instructs Habakkuk to write down the vision: the Babylonians will also face inevitable judgment for their arrogance and violence through a series of five "woes." Crucially, God gives the famous promise, "the righteous shall live by his faith" (2:4), assuring Habakkuk that even if justice seems delayed, it will surely come, and the faithful must trust God in the meantime.

    5. Habakkuk's Prayer of Faith (Chapter 3): The book concludes with a poetic psalm where Habakkuk recalls God's powerful acts of deliverance in the past, leading him from a place of fear and doubt to a profound expression of joy and unwavering trust in God, even if disaster strikes all around him.

      The central theme is a transition from perplexity and doubt to absolute faith in God's sovereignty and ultimate justice, regardless of present circumstances.

      4 min
    6. JEREMIAH, Chapter 52: Conclusion

      The prophetic books of Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel mark a radical change in the life of God's people, Israel. Starting with Jeremiah, the Babylonian exile is predicted, and then experienced. Daniel is taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar during Jeremiah's ministry, and after the 586 BC fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is called by God to minister to Israel in exile. Indeed, these prophets were aware of each others' ministries, and God's voice in them. Twice Ezekiel refers to Daniel (14:14 and 28:3), and Daniel mentions Jeremiah's prophecies (Daniel 9) as a source of his own prophetic ministry.

      Reading Jeremiah should be a learning experience par excellence, as getting clear on all its details and references - seeking to understand the discoveries of biblical archaeology that relate to it, and all the history of Israel, including the two kingdoms, their kings and their successes and failures, their faithfulness and their apostasy - sets one up to understand both the whole progression of scripture from Genesis to Revelation, and God's plan of salvation set in place "before the foundation of the world."

      Listen and read with a mind open to God's voice. Search the scriptures to answer the questions you encounter, search the archaeology to display the truth of God's word verified, search the language to understand better the nuances of God's meaning. Read/listen carefully, reverently and inquisitively, and God will show you amazing things!

      You have HIS promise on that!

      We suggest, as usual, starting here:

      https://youtu.be/RSK36cHbrk0?si=KaJSPPn7n6z7x_Pl

      7 min
    7. JEREMIAH, Chapter 51

      The prophetic books of Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel mark a radical change in the life of God's people, Israel. Starting with Jeremiah, the Babylonian exile is predicted, and then experienced. Daniel is taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar during Jeremiah's ministry, and after the 586 BC fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is called by God to minister to Israel in exile. Indeed, these prophets were aware of each others' ministries, and God's voice in them. Twice Ezekiel refers to Daniel (14:14 and 28:3), and Daniel mentions Jeremiah's prophecies (Daniel 9) as a source of his own prophetic ministry.

      Reading Jeremiah should be a learning experience par excellence, as getting clear on all its details and references - seeking to understand the discoveries of biblical archaeology that relate to it, and all the history of Israel, including the two kingdoms, their kings and their successes and failures, their faithfulness and their apostasy - sets one up to understand both the whole progression of scripture from Genesis to Revelation, and God's plan of salvation set in place "before the foundation of the world."

      Listen and read with a mind open to God's voice. Search the scriptures to answer the questions you encounter, search the archaeology to display the truth of God's word verified, search the language to understand better the nuances of God's meaning. Read/listen carefully, reverently and inquisitively, and God will show you amazing things!

      You have HIS promise on that!

      We suggest, as usual, starting here:

      https://youtu.be/RSK36cHbrk0?si=KaJSPPn7n6z7x_Pl

      13 min
    8. ISAIAH, Chapter 37
      “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
      though your sins are like scarlet,
      they shall be as white as snow;
      though they are red like crimson,
      they shall become like wool.
      If you are willing and obedient,
      you shall eat the good of the land;
      but if you refuse and rebel,
      you shall be eaten by the sword;
      for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
       
      Isaiah 1:18–20 (ESV)
       

      If you want to know that "the LORD He is God! the LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) your search for confirmation finds its best resolution in the book of Isaiah. I would argue that Isaiah, more even than Elisha, "wore the prophetic mantle" of Elijah. Only John the Baptist was a greater merely human incarnation of the role of prophet (Matthew 11:11).

      Isaiah 42:9 tells us: "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

      Below find two articles that discuss fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. By any objective measure, only God could do this.

      As with other books of the Bible, we suggest this brief overview of Isaiah. May your listening to this great OT prophet be as blessed by God as was our reading of it!
       

      https://youtu.be/d0A6Uchb1F8?si=Nhsvg2DCZgWRZq_7

       

      Check out these two articles on calculations of the probability of one first-century man, Jesus, fulfilling so many OT prophecies!

      https://nickcady.org/2020/02/18/the-statistical-probability-of-jesus-fulfilling-the-messianic-prophecies/

      https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-messianic-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20Jesus%2

      9 min
    9. HABAKKUK, Chapter 2

      The book of Habakkuk is one of the twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, likely written around 610–605 B.C., just before the Babylonian invasion of Judah. It is unique among prophetic books because it does not primarily address the people with God's message, but instead records a dialogue, or argument, between the prophet Habakkuk and God. Habakkuk expresses his profound struggle to reconcile God's goodness and justice with the rampant evil and injustice he sees in his own nation, Judah.

      Quick Summary:

      The book is structured around a back-and-forth between the prophet and God:

      1. Habakkuk's First Complaint (1:2-4): Habakkuk cries out to God, asking why He allows the violence and injustice in Judah to continue unchecked.

      2. God's First Answer (1:5-11): God responds that He is raising up the Babylonians (Chaldeans), a fierce and swift nation, to bring judgment upon Judah.

      3. Habakkuk's Second Complaint (1:12-2:1): Habakkuk protests, asking how a holy God can use a nation even more wicked than Judah to punish them. He questions God's justice in using the Babylonians, who are violent, ruthless, and worship their own power.

      4. God's Second Answer (2:2-20): God instructs Habakkuk to write down the vision: the Babylonians will also face inevitable judgment for their arrogance and violence through a series of five "woes." Crucially, God gives the famous promise, "the righteous shall live by his faith" (2:4), assuring Habakkuk that even if justice seems delayed, it will surely come, and the faithful must trust God in the meantime.

      5. Habakkuk's Prayer of Faith (Chapter 3): The book concludes with a poetic psalm where Habakkuk recalls God's powerful acts of deliverance in the past, leading him from a place of fear and doubt to a profound expression of joy and unwavering trust in God, even if disaster strikes all around him.

        The central theme is a transition from perplexity and doubt to absolute faith in God's sovereignty and ultimate justice, regardless of present circumstances.

        4 min

      About Simple Gifts

      From the publisher's feed

      Simple Gifts is the gift of time and freedom. It is the simple presentation of the written word spoken without commentary. Join us in ruminating on great stories, poems, history, philosophy, theology, art and science. Amidst chaos, find the “valley of love and delight,” a true simplicity, where “to bow and to bend we will not be ashamed,” where we can ponder the greatest words ever written, turning them over and over, “till by turning, turning, we come round right.”