Tuesday (Read Isaiah 51) This chapter begins with the oppression of Jerusalem and the promise that it will not always be so. There's recognition of the fact that the Babylonians take great delight in their captivity of Jerusalem, as seen by the comment in verse 5, "...my name continually every day is blasphemed“. We also see how God loves man, and yearns to let him enter His glories, to live a holy dignified and glorious life. In verse 13, states "Behold My Servant”. This is a description of the servant through whom God will deliver Israel from sins. That is the Servant Is Jesus Christ. These verses are clear references to Christ's suffering on the cross as the obedient servant redeeming Israel and all mankind. This message continues on into the next chapter, Chapter 53- which is the most famous chapter in Isaiah…. Summary 1.The Comforter Through Salvation (Chapters 40-66) a. Comforting the people (40-44) b. Cyrus attacks Babylon (45-47) c. The coming of salvation (48-59) d. The establishing of the ‘City of the Lord’ (60-66) Monday (Read Isaiah 51) Isaiah encourages us to look back to the rock from which we came. Why? 1. The Lord blessed in the past. He reminds us of the story of Abraham and Sarah and how they hoped against all hope and God provided for them. Since He has blessed in the past we should be encouraged knowing that He will bless in the present and future. 2. The Lord provides comfort and compassion on His own. When things appear to be at their worst, God has a way of stepping in and providing hope. 3. The Lord takes wastelands and makes them into gardens. What we make wastelands, God turns to beautiful lush gardens. 4. When we remember such things it should lead us to joy, gladness and thanksgiving. We find in this chapter, God calling His people to enjoy a life resurrected in Him. “The cup of His fury (Isaiah 51:17) A cup that came from God’s hand was a common symbol in ancient times for a person (or nations) destiny. “Cup of His fury” symbolised punishment for sin. Cup of His blessings symbolsied a bright future.

Friday & Saturday (Read Isaiah 55) God is opening its gates wide to all, to come to the fountain of living water, to drink and quench their thirst; to find food that fulfills the needs of everyone; and to enter into a new eternal covenant. Before this invitation, it is fitting for the thirsty to proclaim their response, practically through seeking the Lord, rejecting evil, together with complete deliverance into the hands of the Savior, with joy of heart and praise. Thursday (Read Isaiah 54) We saw the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53. Now we transition from suffering to the result of that suffering - deliverance for Israel. In verse 3 we see the Messiah's work with Gentiles and verse 5 identifies the work of the Messiah at his return; He will rule the whole earth. Verses 7-8 speak of the fall of Jerusalem and Israel, but promise a restoration where Jerusalem will be the center of authority. In verse 9, Isaiah compares the strength of this promise with that of the covenant God made with Noah after the flood. The Messianic kingdom is clearly seen in this passage, the main emphasis being God's protection of Israel. Wednesday (Read Isaiah 53) You need to get a running start into this passage by reading again 52: Here's the suffering servant, the Messiah, in great detail enduring what we now know to be the crucifixion of the Messiah. It is remarkable that Isaiah saw this over 700 years before it was to happen. You will notice that verses 2-3 identify the horrible disfiguring beating that Jesus received prior to being placed on the cross. Then, on the cross, he suffered as a criminal...despised and rejected. This remarkable chapter has been always considered as one of the most beloved to believers, because it reveals the mystery of the cross and its power, as the Lord outstretched His arms in practical love to redeem humanity. In verse 4 it states: "borne our grief’s, and carried our sorrows”, expressing the result of the physical pain and sorrow that Jesus suffered on the cross on our behalf. “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter… So He opened not His mouth” Isaiah 53:7 He prays, but he hears prayer. He weeps, but he causes tears to cease. He asks where Lazarus was laid, for he was man; but he raises Lazarus, for he was God. He is sold, and very cheap, for it is only for thirty pieces of silver, but he redeems the world, and that at a great price, for the price was his own blood. As a sheep he is led to the slaughter, but he is the shepherd of Israel, and now of the whole world also. As a lamb he is silent, yet he is the Word and is proclaimed by the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He is bruised and wounded, but he heals every disease and every infirmity. He is lifted up and nailed to the tree, but by the tree of life he restores us, yes, he saves even the robber crucified with him. … He dies, but he gives life, and by his death, he destroys death. He is buried, but he rises again; he goes down into hell, but he brings up the souls; he ascends to heaven and shall come again to judge the living and the dead. St Gregory of Nazianzus