Isaiah wrote these prophecies of the Servant about a time when all God’s people are scattered and the Davidic throne has disappeared into the sands of Babylon. Does the exile mark the end of the history of God’s people? Have they forfeited the divine promises made to Abraham?
Twice Paul raises the question: “Did God reject His people?” Twice he answers: “By no means!” In Romans 11:1-15, Paul gives five reasons why it is evident that God has not forgotten His people, the Jews.
In Romans 10, Paul is answering the question of why some people who have little knowledge are saved while some who have much knowledge are not saved. He gave part of his answer in Romans 9. All of us are born lost, and God in His mercy and grace chooses to call some people to him. Paul continues his answer into chapter 10. Taking religion seriously is not the answer.
On what is the basis does God choose the elect? Paul’s answer is that God — as God — has a sovereign right to choose who receives mercy.
Romans 9-11 must be read as a unit that builds to a wonderful climax. It contains some of the most difficult material in the Bible.
Isaiah gives us the fullest revelation of Christ in the Old Testament, most notably the Servant Songs. The exile raised the question: Can we fail such that God will abandon us? In the Servant Songs, God demonstrates that not only will He remain committed to His people, He will willingly choose to endure suffering in order to forgive and redeem them.
Paul argues that because of the activity of the Spirit, we can have confidence that everything that happens to us is in our own best interests.
Paul argues that the Holy Spirit produces within believers grief over sin and eager hope for their inheritance.
By my count, Isaiah is referenced (quoted or alluded to): 21 times in the Gospels; 25 times in Paul’s letters; 6 times in 1 Peter; 5 times in Acts; 4 times in Revelation; and once in Hebrews.
While Miriam was more focused on getting glory than on doing good, Barnabas was more focused on doing good than on getting glory and in the process he changed the world.
How do we deal with the fact that we serve and work in a local church where some people just seem to get a better deal than we do? Miriam had the same problem with her baby brother Moses. This talk looks at Miriam and how we go wrong when we focus on who gets the glory rather than doing good.
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Isaiah.
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.