Isaiah

I have passed the halfway mark in my conquest. Reading through the Bible chronologically is a bit of a daunting task, but so far it has been a very valuable exercise and one that I would recommend.

Reading Isaiah is a bit of a puzzle. It is a book of prophecy, but I have a difficult time understanding what and to who is being prophesied. It is a word to the nation of Judah who is going through a time of revival and also rebellion. Judah was threatened with destruction by Assyria and Egypt, but was spared because of God's mercy. Isaiah proclaimed a message of repentance from sin and hopeful expectation of God's deliverance in the future.

Probably more than any other book in the Old Testament, Isaiah focuses on salvation through the coming Messiah. Chapter 53 contains that beautiful prophecy of the suffering Saviour which was indeed fulfilled in every detail through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Amazing for being written 700 years before Christ was born!  

National Geographic did a feature story, a few months ago, on the amazing and eloquent language of the Bible, especially in the King James Version. Isaiah is one such book that contains some of the most beautiful writing. Some of the best loved, most familiar, and most memorized verses of scripture come from this book.

Impressions: God does not let sin go unpunished, but he is slow to anger and abounding in grace and mercy, and has provided a way for all to avoid death, which is the consequence of turning one's back on Him. To do a thorough study on this book would be helpful. It seems to be disjointed, but that is from a layman's point of view, whose ignorance about such things is abysmal. 

Readability: 3 stars