Happy Friday everyone!

Here are the readings for this next week, with day one beginning today, April 30! also included are some reflections from the Bible Project crew.

This week we finish Isaiah. Nice work!

Hey reading community, Last week we thoroughly explored the judgment that was brought against Israel, Judah, Assyria, and Babylon. In fact, if you wrap up all these rebellious empires into one, you have the lofty city that became an archetype for human rebellion in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 23-27). This city would be brought low and judged in this era and the next, making way for a new Jerusalem that would become a place where all people could experience God. After Isaiah warned Hezekiah of the coming exile to Babylon in chapter 39, the book jumps 150 years into the future. The exile we read about in 2 Kings 24-25 has now passed. The opening poem of Isaiah 40 presumes that the exile is over, and the prophet announces that God has not forgotten his people or his covenant promises. Isaiah goes on to address the shattered faith of his people in chapters 41-47 and then moves on to develop the portrait of a suffering servant king, who will take up rightful rule over his people through his death. Read more about this concept in this week’s blog post. The same persecution that would be waged against this suffering king would also be waged against those who choose to follow him. But God has a plan for protecting those who repent and turn to him and punishing those who cling to evil and wickedness. BibleProject P.S. Who is this servant king, and what will he accomplish? We dive into this central theme in Isaiah in this week’s blog post, Isaiah and the Suffering Servant King.

Day 1: Read Isaiah 45-48, Psalm 119:33-64.  Day 2: Read Isaiah 49-51, Psalm 119:65-96. Watch Compassion. Day 3: Read Isaiah 52-54, Psalm 119:97-128. Watch Gospel of the Kingdom. Day 4: Read Isaiah 55-57, Psalm 119:129-152.  Day 5: Read Isaiah 58-60, Psalm 119:153-176.  Day 6: Read Isaiah 61-64, Psalm 120.  Day 7: Read Isaiah 65-66, Psalm 121. Watch Isaiah 40-66.