Pastor Ralph

Q3. (Isaiah 42:6-7) What does it mean for God’s people to be “a light to the nations”? In what ways are you “letting your light shine”? How well do you represent God’s covenant in your everyday life?

Q2. (Isaiah 42:1-4) What do these verses teach us about the Messiah? What will characterize him and his actions? What does it tell us about his quest for justice? About his tenderness? If this describes our Messiah, what difference should it make in our lives, values, and demeanor?

Q1. (Isaiah 40) What does Isaiah 40 teach us about the necessity of preparing ourselves for the Lord (verses 3-5)? About God’s tenderness and compassion (verse 11)? About God’s glory vs. the glory of nations (verses 15-17)? Why do we get so enamored by the glitter and glory of the world? What pieces are we missing (verses 15-17, 21-26)? According to verse 31, how can we draw strength from the Lord?

Q4. (Isaiah 38:3) What is the basis on which Hezekiah asks for healing? Why is personal righteousness and holiness important in getting your prayers answered? How can unrighteousness prevent answered prayer if all gifts from God are by grace anyway?

Q3. (Isaiah 38:2-3) Why is Hezekiah’s healing important for his nation? How did it relate to God’s promises made to David (2 Samuel 7:11b-16)?

Q2. (Isaiah 37:16) How do the first two sentences of Hezekiah’s prayer (verse 16) correspond to the first sentence of the Lord’s Prayer? How are they important to faith? How are they important to God answering the prayer?

Q1. (Isaiah 37:14) What is the significance of Hezekiah spreading out the enemy’s message before the Lord? What is the underlying principle illustrated here? How can we apply this principle to our own lives? What happens when we don’t apply this principle?

Q6. (Isaiah 35:1-10) How do you think these verses brought hope to their first readers? What is promised here? Why do you think Isaiah relies on heavily figurative language to communicate these promises? How does he describe the “highway of holiness”? Who will walk on it? Who won’t? What does it mean to be redeemed and ransomed?

Q5. (Isaiah 33:14-16) How does ethical behavior display love for God? How does it display love for man? How does the corruption of taking bribes destroy righteous government?

Q4. (Isaiah 31:1) Why do we tend to seek help from every source except the Lord? In what way is this similar to idolatry? People haven’t changed. Jesus recognized this tendency. What was the remedy he taught his disciples in Matthew 6:31-33?

Q3. (Isaiah 30:15-29) Why does God long to show us grace (30:18)? What does that say about God’s character? What prevents his grace? Have you ever experienced the kind of guidance Isaiah mentions in verse 21? What is necessary in us so that we can hear God’s voice?

Q2. (Isaiah 29:13) Have you ever seen a religious person go through all the religious motions, but whose heart is far from God? How can we detect this in ourselves if it applies to us? What is the remedy? How can you tell if your practice of religion is merely following “rules taught by men”? What is the danger of a rule-based faith? How does it differ from a love-based faith?

Q1. (Isaiah 28) How are we humans able to justify and deceive ourselves so easily? Why do we hold onto lies that guide our lives? Why do people stumble over Christ, the tested foundation stone, and his righteous standards? How can we help people come to the truth? What is the alternative if they don’t, according to Isaiah 28:21?

Q6. (Isaiah 27:12-13) When Isaiah prophesies the gathering of all his people at the sound of a great trumpet call, to what New Testament event does this correspond?

Q5. (Isaiah 26:19) Does this passage actually teach a bodily resurrection? What does it teach us about resurrection? When will this resurrection take place, according to the New Testament?

Q4. (Isaiah 26:3-4) According to this verse, what is the key to perfect peace? What happens when we get distracted from trusting in the Lord? Why is the Lord called the “Rock eternal”?

Q3. (Isaiah 25:7) Why does the promise that “he will swallow up death forever” provide such comfort to us when we grieve the death of loved ones? When we contemplate our own death? What will we experience instead of death when Christ comes?

Q2. (Isaiah 25:6-8) Obviously this “feast of rich food for all peoples” is a symbol of something more than just good food. What does this theme represent in Isaiah and the New Testament? What does it promise about the Last Days?

Q1. (Isaiah 24) What is the reason that Yahweh will devastate the earth (24:5-6)? Why do we feel so threatened by this kind of prophecy? Why is this kind of prophecy important to forming faithful disciples who “fear the Lord”? In what way does the glitter and glory of man (1 John 2:15-17) contradict this kind of prophecy?

Q3. (Isaiah 22) Why is Judah faulted for making necessary military preparations in the face of the Assyrian armies? What should they have done at the same time (verses 11-12)? What seems to be the sin of Shebna, steward of the palace (verses 15-19)? Have you ever been guilty of selfishness instead of doing your duty to Christ?

Q2. (Isaiah 20) Why did God command Isaiah to go naked for three years? What was its meaning? What effect did this acted prophecy have on Judah’s foreign policy? If you were Isaiah, would you have obeyed God?

Q1. (Isaiah 14) What was the attitude of heart in the ruler described in Isaiah 14:12-17? What is the scriptural evidence that this indeed refers to Satan? Have you ever exalted your opinion and will over God’s will and God’s word? How does this differ from the ruler in 14:12-17? What is the best way to humble oneself before the Lord?

Q7. (Isaiah 11:10-16) What does it mean that “the nations” will rally to the Messiah when he appears? Who are these “nations”? Who else will be “gathered” at this time? How does this prophecy relate to Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching about the Rapture (Mark 13:26-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:1)? When will this prophecy be fulfilled?

Q6. (Isaiah 11:6-9) The passage speaks in figurative language. What kind of peace does it describe? How far will this peace extend? According to Isaiah 11:9b, why will there be peace? What does “the knowledge of the Lord” mean? How widespread will this “knowledge” be?

Q5. (Isaiah 11:1-5) Who was Jesse? How does his name indicate that this passage speaks of the Messiah? What attributes will he have due to the Spirit of God upon him? What do we learn about this Messiah from verses 4-5? Who seem to be the victims of injustice and oppression here? When the Messiah comes, what will happen to all who involve themselves in injustice?