[4.3] The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to those in prison; to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour and a day…

[4.2] Isaiah 56–59: Inclusivity, Righteousness and Justice Reiterating what was said earlier in this book, Isaiah 56 starts with Maintain justice, do right; for my deliverance is close at hand, and my righteousness will show itself victorious (v1) And in a closed, privileged group, where your racial lineage and your ability to have children is of…

[4.1] Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant Like I said earlier, this passage feels like it should really start from Isaiah 52:13. Altogether, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the Messiah, not like the White Jesus you see on so many illustrations: many were aghast, nations recoil at the sight of him he had no…

[3.4] Isaiah 49–50: Relentless Pursuit There’s ambiguity about who “I” is in the first part of the passage — is it Isaiah, or is it Jesus? Or is it just “Israel” as the Jewish people in general? …

[3.3] Isaiah 44–46, 48: God vs Idols (a repeat?) Who is like me? Let him stand up, let him declare himself and speak and show me his evidence, let him announce beforehand things to come, let him declare what is yet to happen (44:7) In order of creation, God > man > idols so the logical question is…

[3.2] Isaiah 42: God’s Servant Here’s another prophecy of the Messiah: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight, I have bestowed my spirit upon him, and he will make justice shine on the nations. He will not call out or lift his voice high, or make himself heard in the open street. He…

[3.1] Isaiah 40–41: God vs Man Isaiah 40 feels a little like a showdown, reminiscent of Job. Who or what is man? …all mankind is grass, they last no longer than a flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon them; the grass withers, the flowers fade…

[2.5] Isaiah 34–35: Edom and Israel Here’s another wrath and redemption combo, with all the doom and destruction due on God’s “day of vengeance” and “year of retribution” (34:8). And Edom will be occupied by wild animals for generations! This is coupled with rejoicing for the redemption of Zion — when “your God comes with…

[2.4] Isaiah 32–33: Things will get worse before they get better IDK, Isaiah could have a better editor, it’s a lot of repetition in pretty words. Here we have again a king who will reign in righteousness, with rulers who rule with justice. There’s an anticipated reversal of fortunes that come with this: the scoundrel will no longer be thought…