Week Thirty-One Reading Assignment:
Isaiah 12 - Isaiah 34

"So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets.  You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts.  Above all else, however, remember that no one can explain by himself a prophecy in the Scriptures.  For no prophetic message ever came just from the will of man, but men were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God."

(2 Peter 1:19-21 TEV) 

This Week's Teaching Video: Time Lapse Prophets
As we have noted before, scholars debate the exact dates of certain kings, and the biblical record is not always entirely clear. 

The dates employed here represent the chronology published by the American Bible Society in the Good News Bible (c) 1976. 
When we were studying the history books -- and, specifically, when we were in the era of the divided monarchy -- we provided a teaching video called "Time Lapse Monarchy." The design was to offer a kind of moving illustration of the passage of time and the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah.  

Below you will find an updated version of that same video.  This time, though, we have introduced into that video history a number of the prophets who are prominent in the story along the way.  

In most cases, the dates of the prophets are much less certain than those of the kings.  Still, this video will provide a general sense for where the prophets come in relation to the larger history.  

(Note: The dating of some prophets is so speculative that we have not included them in this video.  Also, the post-exilic prophets will be dealt with separately.)

Good Book Review:
The Prophet Who Has It All

In any given field, some people are said to “have it all.” 

In the entertainment industry, that may mean that a person has looks and talent.  In baseball, it may mean a given player has good speed, can field, and can hit for power.  In basketball, it may refer to the player who excels at both ends of the floor.

When it comes to the Old Testament prophets, we might say that Isaiah has it all.  Whatever we find in the prophets in general, we also find in Isaiah. 

The Book of Isaiah includes both biography and message.  It is written from both the 1st-person and the 3rd-person perspectives.  The prophet serves as a personal (i.e., a one-on-one) prophet, as well as God’s spokesman to the nation.  His message is addressed to God’s people and to other nations, too. 

The time line of Isaiah’s message covers the entire prophetic panorama:  the past, the present, the near future, the inter-mediate future, and the far future.

And, finally, whatever kind of message from God we find in any other prophet we will also find in Isaiah.  There is the gentle voice of wooing and the stern voice of warning.  There is condemnation and there is comfort.  His broad message includes both the threat of judgment and the promise of restoration.  And, best of all, Isaiah anticipates the person and work of Jesus Christ, from the virgin-born
infant called Emmanuel, to the bruised and afflicted suffering servant by whose stripes we are healed, to the eternal king reigning in peace and glory.

Enjoy reading Isaiah, for he's the prophet who has it all!    

What to Watch for This Month

Isaiah is sometimes referred to as the “messianic prophet” because his book includes so many words and images that seem to anticipate Jesus.  Watch for signs of Jesus in Isaiah. 

God’s word seldom meets with a unani-mous reaction.  Different people respond differently (cf. Jesus’ parable of the soils in Matthew 13).  Watch for the different ways that people react to God’s word as proclaimed by Isaiah and by Jeremiah. 

Isaiah and Jeremiah preached in the same place, but at different times.  In each case, try to identify what were the most prevalent sins and issues among God’s people at that time.

Isaiah and Jeremiah are both  “judgment prophets.”  In both cases, watch for themes of judgment.  What is the nature of the predicted judgment?  What is its source?  What is its cause?  What is its purpose? 

Although judgment is, as we might expect, the prevailing theme of a judgment prophet, both Isaiah and Jeremiah look to a time beyond the judgment.  What are the characteristics of that time?   How far away does it seem to be? 

Compare the “call” experiences of Isaiah and Jeremiah, as well as their responses to their sense of calling. 

In what ways does Jeremiah share the experience of His people?  In what ways does Jeremiah share the experience of God? 

The despair and pain of the songs in Lamentations are to be expected.  Watch, however, for the more surprising elements of hope. 

At the end of a day’s reading, it might be helpful to ask, “If I didn’t know anything about God except for what I read today, what would I know about Him?”