The Book of Isaiah

The book of Isaiah is filled with sobering accounts of Israel’s sin and rebellion and warnings of their coming judgement. But along with warnings, Isaiah also offers a message of hope—a suffering servant, a coming Messiah, who would come to establish God’s Kingdom on Earth and create a new Jerusalem.

Credit: https://www.biblproject.com

Isaiah 1-39

Chapters 1-39 outline Isaiah's warning of judgment for Israel and the nation's coming exile.

The book of Isaiah is a message of warning and hope.

Though Israel will face the consequences of their rebellion, Isaiah’s prophetic words are full of hope for the day when God would restore his people to himself. This hope would be embodied through God's servant, “Immanuel," who will one day establish a new Israel and God's Kingdom on Earth. Isaiah’s prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Waiting for a New Jerusalem

Like Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets, Isaiah was called by God to deliver his words to Israel. The book of Isaiah is filled with sobering accounts of Israel’s sin and rebellion and warnings of their coming judgement. But along with warnings, Isaiah also offers a message of hope—a suffering servant, a coming Messiah, who would come to establish God’s Kingdom on Earth and create a new Jerusalem.

For generations, Isaiah's words have encouraged thousands of people who have waited in anticipation for the Messiah and for God to set right all that has been wronged.

Isaiah 40-66

Chapter 40 begins the book's second half, which explores the future fulfillment of God's covenant promises after exile.

The book of Isaiah is a message of warning and hope.

Though Israel will face the consequences of their rebellion, Isaiah’s prophetic words are full of hope for the day when God would restore his people to himself. This hope would be embodied through God's servant, “Immanuel," who will one day establish a new Israel and God's Kingdom on Earth. Isaiah’s prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Waiting for a New Jerusalem

Like Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets, Isaiah was called by God to deliver his words to Israel. The book of Isaiah is filled with sobering accounts of Israel’s sin and rebellion and warnings of their coming judgement. But along with warnings, Isaiah also offers a message of hope—a suffering servant, a coming Messiah, who would come to establish God’s Kingdom on Earth and create a new Jerusalem.

For generations, Isaiah's words have encouraged thousands of people who have waited in anticipation for the Messiah and for God to set right all that has been wronged.

The Book of Jeremiah

God sends Jeremiah to give rebellious Israel his final warning. But the people refuse to listen. Despite the resulting tragedy, hope persists.

Judah was given a final chance.

The people of Israel repeatedly refused to listen to Yahweh’s commands, and they gave into the evils of earthly kingdoms. But even though they had broken the terms of their covenant with God, he promised to bless them if they repented.

Jeremiah offered this warning and path to restoration for Israel’s southern kingdom of Judah. But the people didn’t listen. God’s justice can only allow evil to go so far. And when the people still failed to turn back to Yahweh, they were exiled to Babylon.

The Consequences of Rebellion

The prophet Jeremiah announced that God would judge Israel’s sins with an exile to Babylon. And then he lived through the horror of his predictions. The book of Jeremiah shows a graphic but important picture of how disobedience leads to destruction.

Book of Lamentations

This collection of poems captures Israel's expression of grief in the chaotic aftermath of their exile and Jerusalem's destruction.

Jerusalem has fallen.

Israel’s exile was the direct result of their constant rebellion against God's covenant despite his persistent warnings through prophets. After the exile, now surrounded by war, grief and suffering, the people of Israel acknowledge their sin and cry out to God for restoration and repentance in these lament poems.

These poems are powerful and raw expressions of confusion, anger, and heartbreak. The poet is unafraid of being brutally honest with God, helping us understand how a true and honest expression of our pain to God is not only good, it is holy—a sign of a covenant partnership and trust in a holy God. Lament is an appropriate response to evil in the world, and it’s something we can learn to practice through meditating on the words of Lamentations.

A God Who Hears

The book of Lamentations is a collection of funeral poems offered on behalf of Jerusalem after its destruction by Babylon. Despite its bleak subject matter, it offers a biblical view of how humans can respond to God in their grief and distress. Hope is found through the complicated process of lament, a process that leads to true intimacy with a God who hears the cries of his people.

The Book of Ezekiel

The book of Ezekiel can be vague and confusing for some readers, but with careful reading, we can see key details of God’s character and his care for his people. Many of Ezekiel’s divine visions point to God's plans for reconstructing the present world and restoring his people to ideals of the garden of Eden.

Ezekiel 1-33

Explore the first part of the book of Ezekiel, where God speaks to his people in unique ways about coming judgment and the future hope of deliverance.

God’s justice creates future hope.

God reveals himself to Ezekiel when he was exiled in Babylon. His presence with his people has nothing to do with geographic location. It’s about the condition of their hearts. Ezekiel is faithful, and God recognizes that in him, trusting him to carry out his message to Israel.

Through Ezekiel, we learn that the spiritual is just as important as the physical. God’s power and plan for his people surpasses the physical limitations of our life on Earth, and he will make things new once again.

God Wants to Restore His People

The book of Ezekiel can be vague and confusing for some readers, but with careful reading, we can see key details of God’s character and his care for his people. Many of Ezekiel’s divine visions point to God's plans for reconstructing the present world and restoring his people to ideals of the garden of Eden.

Ezekiel 34-48

Explore the second part of the book of Ezekiel, where God speaks to his people in unique ways about coming judgment and the future hope of deliverance.

God’s justice creates future hope.

God reveals himself to Ezekiel when he was exiled in Babylon. His presence with his people has nothing to do with geographic location. It’s about the condition of their hearts. Ezekiel is faithful, and God recognizes that in him, trusting him to carry out his message to Israel.

Through Ezekiel, we learn that the spiritual is just as important as the physical. God’s power and plan for his people surpasses the physical limitations of our life on Earth, and he will make things new once again.

God Wants to Restore His People

The book of Ezekiel can be vague and confusing for some readers, but with careful reading, we can see key details of God’s character and his care for his people. Many of Ezekiel’s divine visions point to God's plans for reconstructing the present world and restoring his people to ideals of the garden of Eden.

The Book of Daniel

The book of Daniel is prophetic and apocalyptic literature about a faithful servant of Yahweh living in Babylonian exile.

Daniel’s prophetic visions offer hope that God will bring all nations under his rule.

Daniel’s visions are packed with apocalyptic imagery, offering hope to Israelites living in exile under Babylonian rule. Daniel remains faithful to the God of Israel, while maintaining influence in the surrounding culture of Babylon. His visions offer guidance for faithfulness and hope of a future where evil hearts and rulers will one day come under the authority of the one true God.

Daniel’s visions also introduce us to the "Son of Man," a Messiah figure who will come to restore Israel to their God and bring about a new Jerusalem. Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus uses this title to refer to himself, activating the prophetic hyperlinks of the Hebrew Scriptures and pointing to his identity as the long awaited Jewish Messiah.

Hope in Exile

What does it look like to be faithful in the midst of exile? The book of Daniel offers a surprising and relevant answer. This incredible work of apocalyptic literature offers a glimpse of God’s plan to restore his people and remain faithful to them no matter the circumstances.

The Book of Hosea

Northern Israel's continued rebellion threatens their covenant with God, but God sends Hosea to warn them of coming judgement and compel them to repent.

Hosea accuses Israel of breaking their covenant with God.

The northern kingdom of Israel enjoyed moderate success from conquering neighboring kingdoms, but they were spiritually bankrupt. King Jeroboam II, one of the worst kings in Israel's history, grew apathetic and allowed idol worship in the nation, opening the doorway for Israelites to cheat, steal, have unlawful sex, and even murder each other. Growing cold and distant, they had forgotten about God’s unending love for them, ushering in tragic consequences.

But God does not forget Israel even in their self-destruction. There is still hope. God will send a Messiah to restore Israel to covenant faithfulness and relationship with him.

God Is Forever Faithful

In the book of Hosea, God sends Hosea to Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II to communicate God’s despair over their perpetual idol worship and dependence on outside nations. Though the people have failed to be faithful covenant partners to God, his commitment to them remains.

The Book of Joel

The book of Joel describes the Day of the Lord through locust swarms, battles, and powerful imagery so that readers can understand its magnitude.

What is the Day of the Lord?

The prophet Joel speaks about this day where evil empires will be brought low and God’s people will be finally delivered from corrupt human systems. It’s a great deliverance that generates hope for God’s people living amidst the consequences of sin and injustice.

Joel also speaks about the promise of the messianic King and the arrival of God’s Spirit. He prophesied that God’s people would be filled with visions, dreams, and the power of the Spirit. We see many of Joel’s prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, specifically in the events at Pentecost.

Justice Will Not Prevail

Though Israel's sin is never specifically mentioned in the book, Joel is clear that God will not allow evil to continue wreaking havoc on his good world. He will deliver his people and bring the new creation and his Spirit to his followers.

The Book of Amos

God calls a Judean shepherd named Amos to confront the wrongdoing of the people of Israel, offering them one more chance before facing God's judgement.

Israel has been unfaithful to Yahweh.

Amos is called to announce God’s coming judgment on the northern kingdom of Israel. Though the kingdom has seen military success and prosperity, they are spiritually bankrupt. They have totally ignored the commands of the covenant and have instead begun worshiping pagan gods and losing sight of their call to live righteously and represent Yahweh to the nations. They have become infamous for cheating, stealing, and oppressing the poor in their community. Is there any hope for Israel?

One Last Chance

God is grieved by how far Israel has fallen. But Yahweh is a merciful God, and he gives them one last chance to turn back to covenant faithfulness. God doesn't want empty religious practices from his people. He wants to see his love for people reflected through the Israelites and faithfulness to Yahweh alone, but this can only come through renewed hearts.

The Book of Obadiah

Obadiah tells of God's harsh judgment against Edom and other ungodly nations. It's a sobering picture that is still relevant today.

Obadiah announces Edom's downfall.

Though the book of Obadiah lays out the specifics of Edom's evil actions, Edom is not alone the only guilty nation. Edom serves as an image for how God will bring down all arrogant and violent nations.

Through Obadiah, God declared judgment over Edom and prophesied their erasure from history. Babylon overtook Edom 100 years after Obadiah, and they never recovered.

Edom Will Fall

The book of Obadiah is the shortest account in the Hebrew Bible. It’s a warning against the nation of Edom, who rebelled against God and enslaved the Israelites.

The Book of Jonah

Through satire and intricate storytelling, the book of Jonah invites readers to consider God's compassion and mercy that extends to us and our enemies.

Do we really want God to love our enemies?

Jonah is a prophet who is called to deliver a warning of judgment to a rebellious nation. He runs from his calling at every turn, showing little faith in Yahweh. But eventually he goes to the nation of Nineveh to deliver God’s message. This is where things start to get confusing.

Despite Jonah’s warning having the intended effect—Nineveh turning in repentance to Yahweh—Jonah is furious with God for sparing the Ninevites. What is going on in this story? There’s a lot to unpack, and it’s probably a lot different than what you learned in Sunday school.

What can we learn from Jonah?

The story of Joanh recounts remarkable experiences with storms at sea, being eaten by a fish, and plants that miraculously grow and die in a day, and the lessons behind these images go much deeper than what is on the surface.

The Book of Micah

Micah describes God's coming judgment on Israel, but it also outlines God's promise to be merciful and restore his people to the land.

Micah announces God's judgment against Israel.

Israel has exploited the poor and twisted the laws of the Torah, and God’s justice means that he will deal with them severely. But Micah’s prophecies are not without hope. The God of Israel is also faithful and full of mercy. God promises to preserve a faithful remnant, from which he will create a new Jerusalem on the other side of sin and exile.

The Good Shepherd

The book of Micah paints a picture of a just yet merciful God. Like a shepherd, God will one day gather and restore a faithful remnant to the land. He will rebuild Jerusalem, defeat evil forever, and send a messianic King to rule over the people and bless all the nations.

The Book of Nahum

Nahum announces the destruction of Assyria and reveals that God will protect his faithful people and punish all arrogant, violent, and evil nations.

Nahum prophesies the downfall of Nineveh and Assyria.

The destruction of the Assyrian empire is an image of how God will confront and bring down all violent human empires. This is about God’s commitment to justice, which is as true today as it was in the time of Nahum. While God will defeat human evil, he does not forget the innocent. He promises to provide a refuge on the day of judgment for anyone who humbles themselves before God.

God Is Just

The book of Nahum is a collection of poems announcing the downfall of some of Israel's worst oppressors. Referencing Daniel, Exodus, and Isaiah, Nahum shows us that the destruction of Nineveh and Assyria are examples of how God works in history in every age.

The Book of Habakkuk

Habakkuk offers hope by recognizing how dark and chaotic the world is and inviting us to trust that God will one day remove evil forever.

Is God really good if the world is so unjust?

This is a central question the prophet Habakkuk wrestles with. He calls out to God asking him to deal with human evil, but he is angry when God doesn’t deal with unjust nations in the way that Habakkuk thinks he should. God reminds the prophet that God will deal with evil in every generation. We can continue to trust his timing and plan as we remain faithful to him.

God Hears Our Lament

Unlike other prophetic books that offer warnings of judgment against corrupt nations, the book of Habakkuk is a compilation of the prophet's laments. Habakkuk questions God's goodness because he sees so much injustice, evil, and tragedy in the world. See how Habakkuk brings his concern, and even anger, before God in his desire to see Israel restored and human evil defeated.

The Book of Zephaniah

Zephaniah shows how God's justice and love work together to give the world hope, purifying his people and restoring Jerusalem.

Zephaniah announces God’s purifying judgment on Israel.

But the coming Day of the Lord is not without hope. It will remove evil from among God’s people and open up a new future where all humanity can flourish in peace.

Judgement and Hope

The book of Zephaniah contains some of the most intense images of God's justice and hope found in the prophetic books. Zephaniah warns Israel and the surrounding nations that the Day of the Lord is near. God will judge the nations with a burning fire as he purifies them from sin, evil, and violence.

The Book of Haggai

Haggai encourages those who have just returned from exile to remain faithful, obedient, and hopeful for God's promise of a new Jerusalem.

Haggai challenges returned exiles to remain faithful and rebuild the temple.

The recently returned exiles face hardship in their rebuilding efforts and struggle to remain faithful after so much loss and disappointment. Haggai assures the people that their efforts and faithfulness will be blessed. God will one day build a new Jerusalem and live amidst his people.

Rebuilding Jerusalem

The people of Israel were conquered by Babylon because they broke their covenant with God through idolatry and injustice. The book of Haggai was written 70 years after this prophesied exile and recounts the experience of a small group of Israelites, led by Joshua and Zerubbabel, who returned to rebuild Jerusalem.

The Book of Zechariah

Through a series of dream visions, Zechariah offers the hope of a new Jerusalem to the Israelites and reminds them to stay faithful and they wait.

Explore the strange dream visions of the book of Zechariah.

These bizarre images remind God's people that they must remain faithful to the covenant if they want the new Jerusalem, messianic Kingdom, and the end of evil to come to pass. Even though the book doesn't follow a neat, orderly pattern and contains scary and bizarre images, it shows glimpses of God's hand in guiding history toward his purposes. It’s a message that’s still relevant to us today—we can look above the chaos and hope for God's Kingdom, which will motivate faithfulness in the present.

Hope for Restoration

Almost 70 years after the exile, the Israelites were experiencing hardships and wondered if the prophetic promises of a new Jerusalem would ever be fulfilled. The book of Zechariah answers this question through several dream visions, challenging God's peopel to remain faithful and hope in God’s promises.

The Book of Malachi

Malachi exposes Israel's corruption, but it also offers hope. Even after exile, God promises to purify a faithful remnant and establish a new Jerusalem.

Will Israel ever be faithful to their covenant with God?

One hundred years after exile, the Israelites who had returned to Jerusalem were as evil and corrupt as their ancestors. The book of Malachi addresses their sins—they’ve corrupted the sacrificial system, hoarded their money, and worshiped foreign gods. But despite all of this, God does not forget his promises to deliver his people and establish a new Jerusalem.

A Final Word on the Future Messiah

The book of Malachi sums up what the whole Hebrew Bible has been pointing to—God’s people cannot be faithful to the covenant. They’ve failed again and again. And while God will deal with their sin, he will not abandon them. He promises to redeem a remnant and send a Messiah to fulfill his covenant promises.