07/20/2023 – Day 048 – Isaiah – Chapters 34 – 39
Isaiah is so rich! I hesitate to focus on just one chapter here, but maybe I can come back with more… Henry H. Halley calls this chapter: “One of the choicest chapters in the Bible.” (see Halley’s Bible Handbook)
I highly recommend Matthew Henry’s summary commentary on the chapter. Take note of the plethora of both Old Testament and New Testament connective verses! :
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/isaiah/35.html
Henry’s summary commentaries are available on the web free. If you have time, you can read, reflect and pray over all the chapter summaries.
“Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees! Say to the faint-hearted: ‘Be strong: do not fear! Here is your God: vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming: He will save you.” Isaiah 35: 3 -4. Grab on and don’t ever let go brothers and sisters!
Here is a short excerpt from 35: 3 – 4 from J. Alec Motyer’s “Isaiah”:
“It is for this reason that Isaiah now calls his pilgrims to strengthen their hands. Hands means strength for personal action (as we speak of ‘putting our hands to the task’); knees suggest stability and persistence, the durability to stick with the pilgrimage; hearts need nourishing in those convictions that keep us going with mental, emotional and spiritual commitment. In this last matter especially we must minister encouragement to each other (say … ‘Be strong, do not fear …’; cf. Hebrews 10: 24 – 25). But the great ground of encouragement is your God. Again, we may think of the darkest days of Egypt when one and another would recall the promise of God to Jacob, ‘I myself will go down to Egypt with you, and I myself will surely bring you up again’ (Genesis 46:4, lit.), or the words of Joseph, ‘God will surely visit you ( 34:8) takes account of the wrong suffered by the people; retribution replays the wrong done to his people. Vengeance and retribution are what he will do to his adversaries; but for his people he will work salvation.”
Finally, Here again are our fellowship and prayer generators. I would like to emphasize for this reading in particular a focus on the last three questions:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.
Soli Deo Gloria!