Pride Before Babylon's Fall

Isaiah 47

Sermon Notes:

I. God Is Jealous for His Glory and His People, 1-7

II. God Will Crush All of His impersonators, 8-11

III. God Exposes the Emptiness of Alternative Saviors, 1-3, 12-15

Reflection Questions:

1) Why is ancient Babylon’s destruction good news for God’s people? Consider this quote: “Scripture sometimes uses the term ‘Babylon’ to convey everything that is evil and hostile towards God and his people (e.g. Rev. 17:5). But evil will one day be destroyed (Rev. 14:8; 18:2).”

2) Why can Israel take comfort in this passage, despite the fact that God admits that he was “angry” with her? See Is 47:3-6 (the ‘you’ is Babylon); Hebrews 12:5-11.

3) Read Isaiah 47:12-15, and compare it to Psalm 2:10-12. What warnings and/or comforts do you see in each passage?

I Have Spoken

Isaiah 46

Sermon Notes:

I. The God Who Carries Our Burdens, 1-4

II. The God Who Saves us from Our Distress, 5-7

III. The God Who Declares Our Future, 8-11

IV. The God Who Draws Near to His Beloved, 12-13

Reflection Questions:

1. What are vv. 1-7 teaching us about idols? See especially vv. 2, 7. Compare this to the story of Dagon in 1 Samuel 5.

2. People carry idols; God has been carrying (and will continue to carry) His people. What promises and past actions of God would that truth have brought to mind for Israel. See Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 1:31; 32:11; Isaiah 63:9.

3. How has God brought His righteousness and salvation near to us who were far off? See Ephesians 2:11-22, especially vv. 13, 17.

Cyrus, God’s Ungodly Servant

Isaiah 45

Sermon Notes:

1) What the Ungodly meant for evil, God meant for good news, 1-7

2) What God’s people despised, God meant for freedom and restoration, 8-13

3) When God means to save and bless, God makes His Plan and Promise Clear, 14- 25

Reflection questions:

1) Read Genesis 50:20. How does Joseph’s life (in slavery, in prison) remind you of Israel’s exile and God’s plan to bring them home through Cyrus’ decree?

2) Read Psalm 1. Does God promise (through the metaphor of the tree, which represents “the blessed man”) that His people will never experience hardship? If not, what does He promise? What is He trying to tell us about our life?

3) Are God’s plans always 100% clear to us? Is God’s Word always 100% clear about every detail? Are they clear enough? See also Jeremiah 29:10-14; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Isaiah 45:15-22.

A Superior, Astounding Savior

Isaiah 44

Sermon Notes:

1) The Only God Who Can Save, 1-8

2) The gods Who are Only Good for Firewood, 9-20

3) The Only God who Astounds as He Saves, 21-28

Reflection questions:

1. If a human says, “I’m the only one who can save you,” then what would you call it? If God says the same thing, what would you call it?

2. What is an idol? A carving of wood or stone? Something you trust more than God? Something that you think can give your life ultimate meaning and purpose? Who worshipped/worships idols?

3. Why did God use Cyrus to release God’s people out of exile? Read Romans 11:33-36, and ask yourself: What does this passage show me about God that I need to understand better?

Redemption: The Past Forgotten, the Exodus Renewed

Isaiah 43

Sermon Notes:

1) No Fear, 43:1-7

2) No Rivals, 43:8-19

3) New Exodus, 43:16-28

4) New Israel, 44:1-5

Reflection questions:

1) In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us not to fear man, but to fear God, “who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” In Isaiah 43, God tell His people not to fear, and then lists all of the reasons to trust Him, including His great power (vv3, 8- 15). How are both commands based on God’s superior power?

2) How does knowing that God has no rivals (vv8-13) help you avoid trusting idols? What does this (from John Calvin) mean: “The human heart is a perpetual idol factory”?

3) How is the salvation that Christ brings like a new and better Exodus? (See Exodus 20:1-2; John 8:34; Gal 4:8; Romans 6:15-23.)

God's Chosen Servant

Isaiah 42

Sermon Notes:

1) The Stubborn Servant, 18-25

2) The Saving Servant, 1-9

3) The Song of the Servant, 10-13

4) The Zeal of the Servant, 13-17

Reflection questions:

1) What was Isaiah’s mission and expectation as a prophet? See Isaiah 6:8-13. Had God’s prediction come true? See Isaiah 42:18-25.

2) Compare Isaiah 42:1 to Matthew 3:16-17. Now read Isaiah 42:1-9. How else would Jesus embody the servant of Isaiah 42?

3) Why is the zeal of the servant good news for us? How do you see this zeal in the New Testament? See Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Hebrews 13:20-21; Jude 24-25.

Hosanna Now and Always

Isaiah 41

Sermon Notes:

1) An Awesome God, 1-7

2) A Helpless Idol, 21-29

3) A Pitied and Protected People, 8-20

A) Protection promised, 8-10

B) Enemies scattered, 11-13

C) Obstacles conquered, 14-16

D) Needs met and more, 17-20

Reflection questions:

1) How do you see God – strong or kind? How does Scripture present Him? In Isaiah 40-41? In Psalm 62:11-12? In Psalm 2:9-12?

2) How should God’s people respond to both His strength and His kindness? See Psalm 23, Ps 121 and 124, Ephesians 4:32.

3) If idolatry is putting too much trust in something that is not God, then how might 1st-century Jews have committed idolatry? Did they trust in a different idea of the Messiah than the one that Jesus came to fulfill? What did they want (see John 6:13-15)? What did Jesus come to do (see Matthew 16:13-24; Isaiah 53)?

The God of All Comfort

Isaiah 40

Sermon Notes:

1) The Ever-Comforting God, 1-2

2) The Ever-Conquering God, 3-5, 9-11

3) The Ever-Constant God, 6-8

4) The Incomparable God, 12-26

5) The Everlasting God, 25-31

Reflection questions:

1) Do you need God’s comfort any less than Isaiah’s original audience did? What is one result of God’s comfort shown to us? See 2 Cor. 1:3-7.

2) How does the coming of John the Baptist (which prepares the way for Jesus) result in “comfort” for God’s people? Compare Isaiah 40:1-5, Mark 1.

3) Read Isaiah 40 aloud, especially vv.12ff where the rhetorical questions start, whether you’re in a group or in your home by yourself. (If this is too touchyfeely for you, then congratulations; you might be a Presbyterian.)

Happy Ending?

Isaiah 38

Sermon Notes: 

1)   A Brush with Death and a Gracious Reprieve, 1-8

2)   A Good Affliction and a Reflective Rejoicing, 9-20

3)   A Mundane Ending and an Ominous Request, 21-22

Reflection questions:

1.    Does Hezekiah deserve the reprieve that he gets in vv.1-8? What should this kind of kindness teach us? See Romans 2:4

2.    How can affliction possibly be good? See Psalm 119:65-71.

3.    Just because God sometimes gives signs, should we ask for more? See 2 Cor. 2:1:22-24. What do the signs God gives say about Him?