Isa: 13:2-22 In 626 B.C. the Chaldean Nabopolassar restored Babylonian glory by making himself king in Babylon, beginning the Neo-Babylonian dynasty, and participating (with Media) in the defeat of Assyria. His son, Nebuchadnezzar II, was the king who conquered and exiled Judah. How did the city of Babylon finally end? See Daniel 5:1-31. In 539 B.C., … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 13.1-22 Isaiah 13.1 has a heading that names Isaiah as the author (compare Isa: 1:1, Isa: 2:1); it seems, also, to begin a new section of his book. Chapters 13-23 contain oracles of judgment against various nations. Let’s take a look. Why do the prophecies against the nations begin with Babylon? Isaiah 10:5-34 had already announced judgment against Assyria, … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Isa: 13:1-22, Isa: 14:1-32, Isa: 24:1-27:13. Memory Text: “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9). After a minister had preached a searching sermon … Continue reading –>
Three Lost Boys By Andrew Mcchesney, Adventist Mission Marta Aguirre, a nurse, and her physician husband, Luis Arboine, were enjoying Independence Day celebrations on the central square of the town of China, Mexico, when a former patient interrupted their conversation. “Marta, I want to talk to you,” said the elderly woman, Grandmother Ana. She explained … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life’s peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan’s power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more … Continue reading –>
Isa: 12:1-6 Isaiah 12 is a short psalm (song) of praise to God for His merciful and powerful comfort. The psalm, put in the mouth of a member of the restored remnant, compares the promised deliverance to that of the Hebrews in the Exodus from Egypt (see Isa: 11:16); it is like the song of Moses and … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 11.1-16? See also Zech: 3:8; Zech: 6:12. Isaiah 11:1 picks up on the imagery of a felled tree in Isa: 10:33-34. The “stump of Jesse” represents the idea that the dynasty of David (son of Jesse) would lose its power (Dan: 4:10-17, Daniel 4:20-26). But there would arise a “shoot/branch” from the apparently doomed “stump”; that is, a ruler … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 9:8-10:34 This section explains Isaiah 9:1-5, which predicts deliverance for the gloomy, anguished people who had trusted in the occult and fallen prey to military conquest and oppression: “the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian” (Isa: 9:4, NRSV). Read through the sufferings of God’s people as shown in the above … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 9.6-7 Here is the third special birth in the book of Isaiah, following mention of the births of Immanuel and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. What is special about the Child found in these verses? Isaiah 9.6-7. Notice that this Deliverer has several names/epithets that describe Him in various ways. In the ancient Near East, kings and deities had … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 9:1-5 Isaiah 9:1 begin with a word (But/Nevertheless) that indicates a contrast to what precedes it? Isaiah 8.21-22 describes the hopeless condition of those who turn to the occult rather than to the true God: wherever they look, they will “see only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust … Continue reading –>
