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1. Enemies of the Deliverer
2. Protection of the Deliverer
3. Peace of the Deliverer
4. Justice of the Deliverer
1) Who are the enemies of God in your own personal life? How can you best pray for them?
2) What are things or people you look to for relief and deliverance?
3) What are your abilities, resources, or relationships that you look to as sustaining you? How can we rightly understand God's use of them in our lives vs. a sinful view?
1) Rival Kingdoms
2) God's Response to His Rivals
3) The Son Declares Salvation & Judgment
4) Injunctions to Respond
1. In what ways do you see the nations in an uproar against God?
2. How can our response to the nations be similar to God's?
3. How should our "thick, blood-bought, family" relationship with our God affect our thoughts, emotions, repentance, and obedience?
1) Because His Grace has brought us safe thus far, 2 Sam 7:18. Past Grace
Fellow Christians
Fun Surroundings
Strategic Location
2) Because His Grace our hope secures. Present Grace
The contrast with the world around us – “Rejoice! The culture has turned against you.”
The constant need for missionary activity, across the street and around the world.
The perfect place for a counterculture.
3) Because His Grace will lead us home. Future Grace
1. How has God brought you safe thus far? How have you seen His grace in the past year, two years, over your entire life?
2. Why do we have reason to believe God will be gracious, despite many dangers, toils, and snares, today and in the future?
3. Consider this quote: “When our joy comes from our gifts and our success, we will always be under pressure. For we are only as good as the last sermon, the last youth talk, the last spiritual conversation, the last few months of Christian service, the last success. … The remedy to glory much in grace. It is a privilege to be used in ministry; but it is a much greater privilege to be recipients of grace.” (Christopher Ash, Zeal without Burnout, pp.105-6)
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
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.
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
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?
1) No Fear, 43:1-7
2) No Rivals, 43:8-19
3) New Exodus, 43:16-28
4) New Israel, 44:1-5
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.)
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
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.
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
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)?
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
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.)