As the exile ended and the people returned, many had lost faith in God, believing that God had neglected them and allowed them to be captured.  They still did not see that it was their own disobedience and rebellion that brought punishment from God.

They seem to be accusing God in Isaiah 40:27 of being disregarded by God. Again God explains who He is and what He has provided for them.

Read Isaiah 40

• How does God answer their complaint?
  
• How does God describe Himself throughout this chapter? Of His characteristics, what are you most in need of today?
  
• Spend some time praying and preparing your heart to welcome the promised Messiah tomorrow.
  

Yesterday we heard Adam and Keith share from a passage called the Magnificat of Mary. Isn’t it amazing to think of the Jewish people at long last receiving their promised Messiah? We read and read in Isaiah so far how they strayed, how the Lord pursued them, how He promised to bring them a Savior. And at last He arrives, unexpectedly as a helpless baby. Let’s finish reading the chapter that Adam started yesterday.

Read Luke 1:67-80

• What kinds of phrases do you recognize in Zechariah’s praises that he surely learned as a student of the Old Testament as he served at the temple?
  
• As we head into Christmas week, what is heavy on your heart? Are there family situations that will be difficult? Will there be more pain this week than celebration?
  
• Ask the Lord to give your heart praise where there doesn’t seem to be any.

This week we are going to start into the second section of Isaiah, chapters 40-66.  

Isaiah 39 ends with the Israelites being carried off to captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah then begins a message of hope to the exiles and beyond. Interestingly much of what is written is from a future vantage point.

Listen to the Bible Project summary here:

Listen again this morning to another rendition of O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Reflect on all the characteristics you saw in the chapters from this week. 

• Sit quietly this morning. Try to  just sit with the Lord without thought or agenda for several minutes- just enjoy His presence and know that He is enjoying you.
  
• Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you to hear from His word and His messenger this morning.
  
• Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a soft and teachable heart.
  

Again today we are going to look at the continued sin and rebellion of the Israelites, and hopefully relate it to our own lives.

Read Isaiah 28:1-19 & 29:13-16

Write out again the three topics we covered yesterday.

• Words and phrases that convey God’s feelings for His people:
  
• Why they are being judged:
  
• A promised hope:

Stop, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you ways that:

• You resent God’s guidelines seeing them as pointless rules?
  
• You honor Him only with your lips but not with your life?
  

Today we are going to return to the vineyard. In chapter 5, we saw a beautiful vineyard that God had tended and sung over.

Read Isaiah 27

Remember, the Lord has loved, warned, sent the prophets to warn, and offered promises of hope.

Let’s look at three things from this chapter and list out the verse references for each.

• Words and phrases that convey God’s feelings for His people:
  
• Why they are being judged:
  
• A promised hope:
  

Tradition says that two verses from our hymn springs from Isaiah 11:1-3 & 11:10.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high
And order all things, far and nigh
To us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, Shall come to thee, O Israel.

All over scripture, God tells us to ask for wisdom. In Isaiah 11:2, we see that Jesus, the promised Messiah, will have the Spirit of Wisdom.

• Where do you lack wisdom? Where do you need wisdom?
  
• Who are the people or places you go to find wisdom?

Spend some time praying right now. Pray on your knees if you are able. I find that posture matters a lot in my mindset as I pray. When I get down on my knees, I know immediately that I am in the humble, asking position. I need wisdom. I need guidance. I need help. And I’m seeking it from the Father, from the Spirit. Cry out your need

Read Isaiah 11

Today we are going to return to the Know, Be, Do practice. Though it may be heavily focused on the “know”, I love this study tool.

KNOW (what does the text say about God?)
BE (What does the text say about us?)
DO (what is the text calling me to do?)

Take time today to think through those questions from this passage.

KNOW:

BE:

DO: