Israel's season in the furnace of affliction draws a response of lament and rejoicing--lament over the blessing of peace that had been lost, but rejoicing for the hope of peace to come. What brings peace to a community or nation? It's not an easy solution....

Chapter 48 opens with a stinging rebuke to Israel for not having given God glory for the work He has done in their lives, and He sends her into a furnace of affliction. Even so, there is hope for her peace and restoration as the Servant now re-enters the scene....

Is vengeance comforting? That is an uncomfortable question to answer. Our righteous Christian side will say no, absolutely not, but our carnal side might beg to differ. But if there is no comfort in it, then why to so many people seek it? Because it is empowering. ...

Isaiah 46 opens with a third rebuke of Israel's idolatry. So far, God has made a case for the futility and the foolishness of idolatry. Now He makes a case for the burden of idolatry. What does it take for us to lay down the heavy burdens we carry?...

The beginning of Isaiah 45 focused on the commissioning of a messiah, Cyrus of Persia, in Israel's relatively near future. As the chapter wraps up, the picture of the near messianic figure begins to morph into a more distant picture of a Messiah with a greater tasking as the LORD's salvation plan now expands to include not just Israel but all the world....

The LORD's commissioning of Cyrus, King of Persia, is the high point of the chiastic structure of Chapters 41-48 in which the LORD builds a case for His power. On the surface, Isaiah 45 seems to focus on the figure of Cyrus, but Cyrus is only a tool and a small part of the much bigger picture. The overarching theme is that God is the only Savior, and not just of Israel but the whole earth....

Isaiah 44 ended with the grand reveal of a coming messiah (not "the" Messiah. A messiah.) But it is not this messiah who is Israel's true Savior. He is merely the instrument for phase 1 of God's Highway Project....

Part of straightening out the crooked places requires dealing with sin, realigning of values, and sorting out what is truly valuable and profitable from what is not. How do you get to the experience of abundant life: God's way or the world's way?...

Having declared His power to redeem Israel in previous chapters, God now comforts Israel's fear with the assurance of His love. His love is not based on her works, but simply because He chooses her. All He demands in return is that she be His witness....

The issue of justice and the release of prisoners prevails throughout this passage. God promises to send a Servant who will reestablish the broken justice system, whose light will open blind eyes. But it is not just the oppressor who needs convicting....

There is power in fear. It clouds decision-making and can become a new form of oppression even after the oppressor has been conquered. In this passage, God presents Israel with the contrast between His own power and the power of her idols....

God's first message of comfort is to tell His people all flesh is like the grass, but His word endures forever. He challenges His people to consider where they seek comfort and empowerment....

In the opening verses of Isaiah 40, God outlines His goal, the scope of His project, and the process for redeeming, healing, and restoring His broken people....

As we work through Isaiah 40-66, we will examine the path that God lays out for comforting a broken people and healing a broken community as He addresses Israel in the depths of her despair in exile. From His model we will take some strategies for helping ourselves and others ......