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Q3. (Isaiah 38:2-3) Why is Hezekiah healing important for his nation? How did it relate to God's promises made to David (2 Samuel 7:11b-16)? Hezekiah was a good king who was wholeheartedly devoted to God, and who had reformed his nation spiritually. He asked God to give him more years to live knowing that if he died his country would be leaderless as there was no heir to the throne at the time. He must also have known about the promise God had made to David, that his throne would be established forever. He knew that if he died at this moment, the nation would fall into the hands of who knows what, breaking the chain of David’s descendants. Although David’s dynasty was interrupted since the Babylonian captivity, we know it will be restored when our Lord and Saviour returns to reign over all the earth and He will reign forever.

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? Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. All our prayers should be addressed to our Heavenly Father in acknowledgement of His sovereignty over all. We then begin our prayers by worshipping Him as well as honouring, and praising Him. We now pray and ask God to set up His kingdom on earth and to reign in righteousness. In praying for His will to be done, we acknowledge that God knows what is best and that we surrender our will to His. If only the conditions as they are in heaven might exist here on earth! We must trust Him not only for the salvation of our souls but also for the direction of our lives. It must be a commitment without reserve. We cannot always trust ourselves to do what is best for us – we need Divine guidance. I put my trust in the Word of God, Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” So, we must also acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do – we must desire to do His will.

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? Hezekiah was in desperate trouble, and being a man of God, turned to God for help. Before he had made any plans he went to the temple and prayed to the Lord. After receiving this menacing letter, and having been encouraged by Isaiah’s assurances, he appealed to God spreading the letter before Him. The underlying principle illustrated here is the fact that when we are in trouble and face difficulties we are to lay them out before God. If we acknowledge Him in everything we do, we will automatically be in fellowship with Him and will be led by the Holy Spirit. No problem is too great for our Heavenly Father. By not applying this principle we can only make matters worse.

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? After all the chapters of doom and gloom, God’s judgment on nations for rejecting God, we now read about the glorious kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Every type of disability will be removed and there will be the personal presence of the Lord in glory and excellence. This is the state that all believers constantly hope for and it is best expressed in figurative language – it is a utopia in which peace and the parched land will become rich agricultural land. Joy and gladness will accompany this transition. The ‘Highway of Holiness” will be exclusive to God’s redeemed people – in other words a “limited access highway.” The Highway of Holiness will be plainly marked allowing believers to travel safely on it without going astray and for the “ransomed of the Lord” leads to our ultimate home. There will not be any sinners on this highway. Because we as sinners are in bondage to sin and to Satan, we need someone to provide redemption and thereby redeem us out of that bondage. When we speak of redemption, the idea of a ransom comes into view. A ransom is the price paid to redeem someone from bondage or captivity. All this our Heavenly Father did for us, as we read in Colossians 1:13, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”.

Q5. (Isaiah 33:14-16) How does ethical behaviour display love for God? How does it display love for man? How does the corruption of taking bribes destroy righteous government? We display our love for God and man by our righteous and honest behaviour in all the things we do. This separates us from the evil doers whose hearts are evil and whose lips tell lies (sinners in Zion). There must also be the shunning of all evil deeds. An example being the acceptance or giving of bribes which only under mines the justice system. The fear of the Lord and knowing that ultimately we will be accountable to God for our actions helps to keep us on the right track.

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? I think we always want to be in control and demand instant answers. If we ask the Lord we might have to wait awhile and then we might not get the answer we were waiting for. Because of our pride we land up putting our trust in our own plans or those of our advisors instead of in our Heavenly Father. Jesus taught us to put God first in our lives, and to acknowledge Him in everything we do. He then went on to promise us that we will never lack the necessities of life. What a mighty Saviour we serve!

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? We see God’s character vividly displayed here. He is patient, gracious, merciful, and just. It’s because of these attributes and His love for us, that He longs to show us His grace. But it is only for those of us who trust Him and are willing to patiently wait that God blesses. However, we are like naughty children unwilling to wait and in haste we carry on with our own schemes. It is often after having bumped our heads that our hearts and minds are opened, and we hear or even listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I’ve been there and have learned my lesson. To hear God’s voice we need to turn to Scripture. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If only we would ask and be prepared to wait patiently for His answer, will we find the Holy Spirit’s guidance is always there to lead us and guide us in the right direction.

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? Yes, quite often. With so many churches either adding or deleting from the Word of God, there is the danger of man-made rules and errors to creep in. There are many who are years and years in the faith and yet still ignorant of the Word. And this ignorance has provided a void for the devil to fill the Christians heart with false theology. I just pray that it does not happen to me. I know that as a believer I must walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. I have to acknowledge Him in everything I do and in so doing remain in communion with Him. Prevention is better than cure – so it is to be occupied with Christ, knowing that when occupied with Jesus - the flesh or self-life is dead. It is a constant battle between my sin nature and my divine nature I received when born again. I know that if led by the Holy Spirit, I’m not following man made rules. All true believers are led by the Holy Spirit and do not depend on self-effort. In a loved-based faith I feel myself growing and hopefully displaying improvements in my life for others to see – namely in my love for others, as well as patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness towards others. I must always realise that I am a sinner saved by Grace!

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? We deceive ourselves because we put our trust in worldly values like wealth, power, fame, popularity, alcohol, sex, and numerous others. This falsehood and deception in our lives seems to be getting worse and worse - there seems to be a worldly frenzy about in satisfying our desires. The alternative, and only way, is to put our trust in Christ Jesus who is eternal. We must not lean on our own understanding but we must trust Him with all our heart and soul, acknowledging Him in everything we do. It is through the Word of God that we hear His voice and grow spiritually in His likeness. There is only one way to grow as a Christian, and that is to spend more time meditating on His Word. However, most stumble over Christ because they reject Him or refuse to believe that He is who He says He is. By refusing to believe in Christ we only bring judgment upon ourselves. He is the only person who can save us and give true meaning to our lives.

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? Isaiah was speaking about Jesus’ return. Jesus Himself spoke about His return in Matthew 24:44, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him”. Again in John 14:3, He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”. As we read in Matthew 24:31, He will gather His elect with a loud trumpet call. When He comes the whole world will know Jesus is Lord as He is revealed in all His power and glory!! This sound of the mighty trumpet blast will signal the gathering of God’s people. The final result of Christ’s return will be the judgment of unbelievers and the reward of believers who will live with Christ in a new heaven and a new earth for all eternity. We all look forward to this day!

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? Yes, Isaiah states our bodies will rise. As believers we will get new imperishable bodies, similar to Jesus’ body when He was resurrected. This will take place when Christ returns. Since our present bodies are subject to disease, decay, decomposition, and is therefore not suitable for eternal life we will receive our new bodies made for heaven. This day will be a day of great victory because on this day the last enemy, death, will be defeated and destroyed. “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). God is the source of our hope for resurrection into eternal life.

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"? Complete trust in our Heavenly Father is the key to perfect peace. The peace of God is our mental attitude of complete tranquillity based on our relationship with God. We lose this peace as soon as we become distracted and move out of fellowship with God. We do not put our trust in Him and we do not acknowledge Him in everything we do. We can also have the peace with God which only comes when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. This we only receive when we respond by faith to Grace, and God then provides many blessings which result in great inner happiness. He is our Rock Eternal because He is firm like a Rock (fortress) and He is Eternal. “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2). He provides stability and security and His strength is 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? Christ’s death and resurrection defeated death and it is no longer a source of fear, because there is life beyond the grave. We know that every person must die, but death is not the end; instead, it is the just the beginning. It is this promise that comforts me with the death of a loved one. When it comes to my own death, I feel exactly the same. One of my favourite verses is Philippians 1:21 where Paul states, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. What can be better than spending eternity with Jesus? When Christ comes there will be no more death, no more illnesses, no more pain, no more tears, no more mourning, no more separation from loved ones, and no more sin. This certainty of future prosperity and joy should be an encouragement for all of us to put our trust in the Lord and not lose heart.

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? This theme symbolically represents the end of evil and the joy of spending eternity with God. To think there will be no more suffering, no more death, and all our sorrows will be turned into joy! It will be attended by all who have been living by faith – those that have put their trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What an awesome God we serve! However, for unbelievers they have nothing to look forward to. All they hold onto are their world values: money, popularity, power, pleasure, and prestige. We see life from an eternal perspective. After the Marriage Ceremony held in heaven (Rev 19:9), this feast (The Marriage Supper) will be an earthly feast and will take place at the beginning of the Millennium.

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? We have messed up big time! Crime is rampant, injustice and cruelty prevail, and the wickedness of people is getting greater and greater. We have polluted the earth by sin. By disobeying God’s Laws, violating His statutes, and breaking His everlasting covenant – that is disobeying His Word as told in Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:1-6; and Hosea 6:7, we have left God no choice but to destroy the earth as it is. We will suffer the consequences of total contamination by sin – God abhors sin. I can only thank our Lord that I have been saved by grace, and that I have learned to trust Him fully and not to rely on my own understanding. For this reason I have complete peace when I read about such prophecies. What better than to be eternally with Christ! On the other hand, I can fully understand why unbelievers may feel threatened. They are completely unaware of spiritual truths. How illogical can you get – the creature not trusting and obeying their Creator? The world lives as if there is no tomorrow. They are so engulfed in the **** of the flesh, all evil desires, and their selfish ambitions, that they are completely unaware of any prophecies.

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? Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrian armies and they were under the impression that their city was safe and an impregnable fortress. They had made the necessary military preparations and then carried living and partying without a care in the world. This was the time when they should have been turning to God and putting their trust in Him. God had promised the people of Jerusalem a leading role of bringing righteousness and justice to earth. This was the time to have looked up to Him, in repentance, for help. But instead, they rebelled against His love and refused to listen to the warnings of His prophet - they were to put their trust in Him alone. Shebna violated the trust that was put in him by advancing his own agenda. He was obsessed with his own self-glory and tried to preserve his place in history and in so doing betrayed the trust of his high office. Yes, I think we all have been guilty of selfishness at one time or another. But thanks to the grace of our Lord we start to obey Him and slowly but surely our self-interest is replaced with care and love for our fellow brothers and sisters. It becomes less of ourselves and more about our Lord and Saviour Jesus 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? This was a warning by God to the people of Judah not to put their trust in Egypt for protection against Assyria. By walking naked and barefoot Isaiah served as a reminder of God’s warning. This acted prophecy should have warned Judah not to count on foreign alliances to protect them. I doubt if God, who created me, and knows me inside out, would ever command me to carry out this command – I’m too reserved and introverted for this.

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? These verses could be referring to Nebuchadnezzar, who defeated many nations and because of his great power must have thought himself godlike. His arrogance and pride led to his downfall. Isaiah describes the king’s arrival in Sheol (the world of the dead) where all his wealth, glory, and power have vanished. The “morning star” (Venus) suggests that the king’s glory did not last very long – the star shines but is soon swallowed up by the light of the sun. Since “Lucifer” is Latin for “morning star”, it was assumed Isaiah was also referring to Satan. I have been guilty of arrogance, of boasting, and of having a lower estimate of the ability and worth of others. This was more prevalent during my youth. I now know that this was in disobedience to Jesus’ command in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. Jesus preached and taught often about the need for humility, and the best way to humble oneself before the Lord is to become more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ. I do try to submit to His will and hand over control of my life to Jesus; acknowledging Him in every area of my life. It is by no means easy, but day by day chip away at my pride. I really try to live daily by one of my favourite verses: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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? All people and all nations will rally to the Messiah. This includes the remnant of Jews who will be gathered back to Israel. The enemies of the Jewish nation as well as the Gentiles. The prophecy will be fulfilled after the Rapture and the Tribulation period – it is then when the whole world will see the Son of Man returning to earth as the glorious Conqueror.

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? There will be complete and everlasting tranquility, peace, and harmony. The reason for this peace will be because the whole earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. In other words, all people will be living according to God’s principles and by His Word. His Kingdom will extend over the entire earth and will reign forever.

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? Jesse was David’s father. The passage announces the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s kingdom will arise by a “Shoot” coming “up from the stump of Jesse”. God made a promise that a Descendant of David will rule over God’s Kingdom forever. This Descendant, “Branch” is our Messiah! We read further about the attributes the Holy Spirit of God will empower Him with. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. Added to this are the attributes we read about earlier (v9:6), more wisdom, power, love, and peace – what a mighty Lord we serve! Our Lord will reign with righteousness and faithfulness. He will judge the world, and the needy and the poor will not be oppressed as is presently happening. Ultimately all those involved in injustices and wicked deeds will be slain. Come, Lord Jesus. Come!

Q4. (Isaiah 10:1-2) Why do we humans tend to pass laws that oppress the weak and poor? What can we, as Christians, do to prevent this? What can we do to help the poor and weak in our communities? We oppress the weak and the poor because they are easy targets and do not have the resources defend themselves. Nearly all legislation passed, here in my country, that has been devised to help the poor has hurt the poor. Governments are made up of godless people who only have their own interests and pockets in mind. They have no concern for the poor and weak of their country. Lawlessness abounds. The justice system is manipulated by the politicians, for their own gain. So we have a similar situation today where the people who are expected to be models of righteousness and guardians of justice are so corrupt – woe to them! We will always have the poor with us but as Christians we are obligated to help them in as many ways as possible. We have to accept responsibility for what we do for the poor.

Q3. (Isaiah 9:6-7) What in the text convinces us that the Child/Son is the Messiah himself? What do you learn about the Messiah from the four word pairs describing him? Which of these saving attributes do you need most in your life right now? We read about our Lord Jesus Christ, in both His humanity “a child is born” and His Deity “a Son is given”; who will reign in righteousness and justice from David’s throne. In 2 Samuel 7:16, God had promised David that his dynasty and throne would be established forever. Here we will see that the promise will be fulfilled literally when Jesus comes. The descriptive names reveal His character. Wonderful Counselor. All nations will listen to Him as the authoritative One – He will teach God’s ways. He will give sound guidance to His people as He is the teacher of all truth. Mighty God. Meaning that the Messiah does only what God can do. He will be God with us, here on earth. Everlasting Father. The Father and the Son are one and both have the same attributes. He will exist for eternity. He will provide direction and love only as a Heavenly Father ca. We must also remember that He is the source of life. Prince of Peace. The One who will initiate and maintain the peace. We see our Heavenly Father’s purpose of bringing joy, peace, and the hope of salvation to every part of the world. This is in stark contrast to the present situation of a world at war. I think it this attribute that we all need mostly in our lives right now.

Q2. (Isaiah 8:14-15) In what sense is Yahweh (and his Messiah Jesus) a "stumbling stone" and "a trap and a snare"? In what way are people broken in this stumbling? Why do you think people stumble over a God who is almighty and righteous and must be obeyed? The Lord will be a sanctuary, a shelter, and a safe place for those who believe in Him and also for those who put their trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. However, for unbelievers He will be the means of destruction. 1 Peter 2:8 reads, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for”. Jesus can be a stone that will make unbelievers stumble and a rock that will make them fall. On the other hand if we are in Christ, we become new creations, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we progress in the Christian life. Becoming more and more like our Saviour. People stumble because they consciously choose to disobey God and the Word. All who refuse to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ will stumble. Their hearts are hardened, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)”.

Q1. (Isaiah 7-8) What was the gist of Isaiah's prophetic instruction to Ahaz? Why do you think Ahaz chose to disregard it? What did Ahaz do instead? What was the consequence of this disobedience? Why do we sometimes seem to think that we're smarter than God? Why is it sometimes so hard to do what God tells us to do? God told Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah that he need not fear both Syria and Israel’s attack on Judah. He was warned that an attack was imminent and will occur but will largely fail. Ahaz was to ask for a sign. In other words to put his trust in the Word of the Lord. He refuses with false righteousness and humility, and instead places his trust in Assyria for protection. God had given Israel ample warning about the Assyrian invasion, but over the years they continued ignoring these warnings. Eventually Assyria does invade Israel destroying the country completely. People are carried away and resettled in a country with foreigners. Israel had become nothing but a pagan nation. We, like Ahaz, do not obey, or even listen to God, mostly because of our disobedience and rebelliousness. Sin has separated us from God and we are not in fellowship with Him and cannot hear His voice. We also sometimes find it hard to obey God because of our sin of pride. Our self-centredness demands that we do things our way.