Isaiah, Part II

Question 1. What tactics did the Assyrians use to erode the people’s trust in both Hezekiah and God? How do similar strategies work in our world today?

Question 2. The Rabshakeh claimed, “Jehovah said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it” (36:10). Was there any truth in this?

Question 3. How does Hezekiah’s initial response to the Assyrian threat contrast with his later response to the threat of death? What should we learn from his responses?

Question 4. Isaiah repeatedly speaks the word of the Lord into dire situations. What role does prophetic truth play when fear and reason seem to contradict faith? Do we have equivalents today?

Question 5. Why do you think God emphasized that He would save Jerusalem “for His own sake and for the sake of David”? What comfort would this have given His people then as well as today?

Question 6. If God had saved them because of their own actions, why would this have been a problem?

Question 7. What lessons can we draw from the healing of Hezekiah in chapter 38?

Question 8. Why is this sign significant?

Question 9. Could Hezekiah have done more in response to the healing?

Question 10. Why was Hezekiah’s decision to show the Babylonian envoys all his treasures seen as foolish, and what does this teach us about pride, legacy, and short-sightedness in leadership or personal life?

Question 11. What comes before destruction?

Question 12. After being told of the judgment that would come upon his descendants, Hezekiah responded, “There will be peace and truth in my days.” How do you interpret that response — was it faithful acceptance or selfish resignation? What might we learn from that tension for how we think about future generations?

Question 13. Across these chapters, how does Hezekiah’s faith both shine and falter? What does his example teach us about the complex nature of spiritual leadership and the grace God shows to imperfect people?

Question 1. What kind of king would not raise His voice in the street, or would refuse to break a bruised reed?

Question 2. Who is the speaker in Isaiah 42:1–9? Take note of the point of view and how it changes through the song.

Question 3. “In whom my soul delighteth! I have put my Spirit upon him” (v. 1). Does this sound familiar? Where else do we hear it?

Question 4. Who is the Servant? Write down all the characteristics Isaiah records for us in this first song so we can evaluate them.

Question 5. Let’s compare these characteristics to those we’ve already tied to the Messiah in Isaiah 9 and 11. Are the ones you find in chapters 9 and 11 consistent with those here in chapter 42?

Question 6. Isaiah 11:4 says, “with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” How can this align with a Servant who will not break a bruised reed (42:3)?

Question 7. What assurances has God provided to His Servant (especially starting in verse 6)? Given the Messianic theme, where in Scripture can we find these assurances fulfilled?

Question 8. Where have we heard about being a light?

Question 9. God promised His Servant, “I will hold thy hand” (42:6), yet Jesus cried on the cross, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Are these in contrast?

Question 10. How do those still practicing Judaism interpret this passage? Who is the Servant to them?

Question 11. Who is the Servant in the Islamic reading, and what are the problems with that identification?

Question 1. Who is the speaker in this song?

Question 2. The Servant was called from the womb. What significance does this have, not just in terms of the Servant’s identity but God’s purpose?

Question 3. Who else was called from birth?

Question 4. Is there anything in verse 2 that is like chapter 42?

Question 5. The Servant says, “I have labored in vain” (v. 4). But where is the Servant’s reward?

Question 6. Verses 5–7 show Israel the nation being redeemed by the Servant. If the identity of the Servant is Israel the nation, how does Israel save itself?

Question 7. In verse 7, what title does God use for Himself?

Question 8. The Servant will be despised and abhorred, yet kings and princes shall worship. This pattern of suffering and vindication is a common theme not just in Isaiah but the New Testament as well. Why is this so familiar to us?

Question 9. Again, who chose the Servant? Man? The Servant?

Question 10. In this passage, what is God preserving the Servant for? To what is the Servant being given, and what is the significance?

Question 11. The Servant will make them “inherit the desolate heritages” (v. 8). At first glance this is the return from Babylon. What else has been made desolate? What legacies have been tarnished?

Question 12. As the song concludes, who is the Servant? Or rather, who does this passage best describe, considering the Scriptures God has revealed to us?

Question 13. Could the Servant be Israel?

Question 14. Can a prophecy hold different true interpretations?

Question 1. Who is the speaker in Isaiah 50:4–11? How do we know this is the same Servant?

Question 2. Here the Servant Himself describes the suffering He will endure. What encouragement does this bring to us?Personal

Question 3. “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned” — by whose authority does the Servant speak, and what comes before His teaching?

Question 4. Let’s take this section out of the context of the Servant and back toward the Israelites. Did God provide them the same opportunities? If so, how did they respond to such a gift?

Question 5. How does the Servant endure such affliction?

Question 6. How do we respond to such shame for doing God’s will?Personal

Question 7. Who justifies the Servant?

Question 8. Who will contend with the Servant, and what will become of them?

Question 9. Although many view this passage as Messianic as it foretells of a Servant to come, for those living at the time it was recorded, what lessons could they draw just from these two verses? For us today, how does this conflict with our typical understanding of self-sufficiency and faith?

Question 10. Is the Servant Jesus the Christ?

Question 11. Is the Servant Israel or the faithful remnant? Is there any truth in that?

Question 12. Is the Servant Jeremiah?

Question 1. Who is the speaker in this song, and how do we know it is the same Servant?

Question 2. Why does the Servant suffer?

Question 3. Chapter 52 ends with “For what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.” What does this tell us about how many will come to trust in the Servant?

Question 4. Why, perhaps, did the people assume the Servant’s suffering was God’s judgment on Him? How do we interpret the suffering and difficulties we see in others — or even in ourselves?

Question 5. Isaiah 53:7 compares the Servant to a lamb led to the slaughter. Lambs appear in several other key passages, such as Exodus 12 where God introduced the Passover lamb. What does this recurring image of a lamb teach us about the relationship God desires us to have with Him?

Question 6. A “grave with the wicked,” yet “with the rich” in His death — what might this be referring to? (Luke 23:43)

Question 7. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him” — what does “pleased” mean?

Question 8. What does the promise of “seeing His seed” and “prolonging His days” reveal about the outcome of the Servant’s mission?

Question 9. In what ways might we, like the people in Isaiah’s time, misjudge what true success or approval looks like? How does the Servant’s story challenge cultural views of strength and achievement?Personal

Question 10. Taken together, who do these four songs ultimately describe? Who does this sound like?

Question 11. Bonus question: What is the 5th Servant Song?

Question 1. How does the portrayal of God’s creative power help us understand His ability to comfort and sustain?

Question 2. What’s a good “one-liner” for verses 12–17?

Question 3. How does Isaiah portray humanity and what should that tell us about our own power compared to God’s?

Question 4. Verse 31 has a phrase often quoted: “wait upon the Lord”. How should this influence how we go about our lives and walk with God?Personal

Question 5. When God calls all to judgment, what is the reaction of the nations?

Question 6. In verse 8, who chose first: God or Jacob?

Question 7. Although they are “worms”, what reassurances does God give Israel?

Question 8. How does God challenge the idols of man?

Question 9. Are these idols simply statues that are worshiped? If not, what are they or rather what do they represent?

Question 10. How is God’s intimate relationship with His creation shown in verses 1–5?

Question 11. How is the creation of idols described? Wise or foolish? What parallels are drawn in this passage?

Question 12. Verses 24–28 introduce a character familiar to us. Who? How does simply mentioning their name reinforce God’s sovereignty?

Question 13. What contrast is made between those who worship idols and those who honor God?

Question 14. Why do people put such assurances into idols?

Question 15. Who might the “ravenous bird from the east” in verse 11 be?

Question 16. How does verse 13 tie into both God’s sovereignty and the Servant Songs?

Question 1. What phrases are used to underline Babylon’s loss in status? How do these foreshadow God’s judgment to come?

Question 2. God had allowed Babylon to be the instrument of His wrath, but what did the Babylonians fail to do?

Question 3. Babylon says, “I am, and there is none else besides me” (verses 8, 10). Who can say this?

Question 4. “Desolation shall come upon thee suddenly” (verse 11). How did Babylon fall?

Question 5. In what or whom had Babylon placed its trust? Are we susceptible to the same kind of temptations?

Question 6. To whom does vengeance belong, and what does this teach us about God’s justice? When judgment comes, who can stand in its way?

Question 7. What does it mean that Israel was “precious” in God’s sight (verse 4)?

Question 8. God promises to gather His people from east, west, north and south (verses 5–7). What might the state of Israel and Judah be at this point?

Question 9. What imagery does God use to describe His protection? How do these reflect our own challenges?

Question 10. How were the Israelites witnesses—and witnesses to what? What qualifies someone to be a faithful witness today?

Question 11. What behaviors in verses 22–24 show Israel had grown distant in their worship? How do we sometimes ‘worship’ God without engaging our hearts?

Question 12. For what is Israel criticized at the beginning of this chapter, and what does this reveal about the difference between religious identity and genuine relationship?

Question 13. How should awareness of God’s concern for His glory influence our motives for obedience? Why do we obey and what are the consequences when we do not?Personal

Question 14. According to verses 18–19, what had Israel missed out on? Are we also choosing to miss out?

Question 15. What happens when we emphasize either judgment or grace too heavily? How are we to reflect both in how we speak, live, and lead?Personal

Question 16. How does recognizing God’s control over Babylon’s fall and Israel’s redemption challenge our own sense of control or independence?Personal

Question 1. God is speaking to whom in verse 1? How many years approximately is this foretold?

Question 2. Why is it important that he was “anointed”? Was Cyrus aware of any of this?

Question 3. God’s use of Cyrus to fulfill His redemptive plan for His people shows that He can use even unbelievers to accomplish His will. Is this still something God does today?

Question 4. How does verse 7 (“create darkness”) reflect God’s sovereignty without making Him the author of evil?

Question 5. What does God say to those who want to contend with Him?

Question 6. Verse 14 sounds like a global turning to God, but is that really what is happening?

Question 7. Verse 22 offers a universal call to salvation: “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.” How does this connect to the New Testament message?

Question 8. God contrasts Himself with idols in verses 16 and 20. What makes His invitation to “seek” Him so fundamentally different from the gods the nations turn to?

Question 9. Everyone is called to drink and be provided for (verse 1). Is this physical or spiritual?

Question 10. God offers His invitation “without price” (v. 1). How does this challenge our natural tendency to either earn what we receive or believe we’re entitled to it?

Question 11. Verse 6 urges people to “seek the Lord while He may be found.” How urgent is this call? What can cause us to miss the opportunity?

Question 12. We previously studied these verses when studying the Servant Songs. Where was this passage quoted?

Question 13. Why does God’s redemptive work focus so deeply on the inner life before we notice it in outward circumstances?

Question 14. “Desolations of many generations” — how long was the captivity?

Question 15. Why is the metaphor of the redeemed being called “oaks of righteousness” reassuring?

Question 16. How do we live our lives as “evidence” of God’s transformative power?Personal

Question 1. What do we really know about Abram before God called him? Why is the order important?

Question 2. Abraham’s share was faith, obedience and trust. Why is that last piece important? If God had simply said “Obey Me” and not promised all these things, would Abram still have followed?

Question 3. When Isaiah tells the reader to look back toward Abraham and Sarah, is he pointing to the greatness of two humans or the grace of God? What needs to be our focus?

Question 4. Again, the call is made to whom in verse 7? Where must God’s law be?

Question 5. If the covenant was upheld by God’s faithfulness toward Abraham and responded to by Abraham’s faith in God, how much of our lives needs to be rooted in faith?Personal

Question 6. Isaiah 51 speaks of the return to Zion; people are redeemed and restored back to God. Yes, there will be a return to the homeland of Israel, but the focus is on the spiritual restoration. Do we still believe He is still leading us back to Eden, or rather a state of an intimate relationship with Him? Do we show it? Do our lives reflect that?Personal

Question 7. Why use the imagery of a barren woman becoming fruitful to describe the covenant’s expansion?

Question 8. Isaiah 54 shifted the idea of the covenant being with a specific family lineage to one about relationship and mercy. Jeremiah also spoke of a new covenant being made. Does this mean the covenant with Abraham was flawed?

Question 9. After reading Isaiah 54, could one say God’s covenant is rooted in compassion and not the righteousness or the faithfulness of man? If so, what does that mean in practice?

Question 10. Who appears in verse 1? What does all this harsh imagery mean?

Question 11. Isaiah 63:10 speaks of a rebellion and grieving of His Holy Spirit. Did this do any damage to the covenant; what was God’s response?

Question 12. What do verses 7–9 reveal about God’s connection to His people? What is He showing? What does this teach us?

Question 13. What does the heartfelt cry in Isaiah 63:15–19 reveal about the nature of a true covenant relationship? Had the nation of Israel… have we stayed true to that relationship?

Question 1. We see in verse 1 a familiar phrase, “keep justice, and do righteousness”; why is this phrase repeated over and over in Isaiah’s writings?

Question 2. What does Isaiah 56 teach about who is welcome to worship God? Remember to consider when this would have been written.

Question 3. In verses 9–12 Isaiah directs his comments toward “His watchmen,” or rather Israel’s spiritual leaders. What had they become? Is this message taken to heart or forgotten?

Question 4. In this chapter both Israelites and foreigners are called to keep the Sabbath. Why was the Sabbath of such importance? What did it represent?

Question 5. Verses 1–2 say the righteous will perish and “shall rest in their bed.” What are these verses implying? Is this message meant to comfort or forewarn?

Question 6. The conversation shifts from the righteous to the “sons of a sorceress” in verses 3–10. What sin does Isaiah use to compare how Israel had left God and turned to idolatry? Explain this metaphor; why does it work well to explain their actions?

Question 7. What emotion is called out again as the cause for the fall from God and the drift toward others (verses 11–13)? What lessons do we need to take from this faith-destroying emotion?

Question 8. Verse 15 shifts to one with “a contrite and humble spirit.” What healing is offered to him and for what reason? What then is offered to the wicked?

Question 9. Why does God rebuke His people for fasting? Was fasting forbidden?

Question 10. In verse 2 those who “delight to know My ways” and yet continue to sin are called out. Can someone be passionate about religious doctrine and knowledge of God and yet fail to worship Him?

Question 11. When one does offer sincere worship and obedience to God, what are the results (verses 9–12)?

Question 12. As we look across all three chapters, how can self-serving worship be more harmful than no worship at all?

Question 1. As we’ve seen throughout Isaiah’s writing, what had the people done rather than following the Lord (verse 8)? What are the obvious reasons this is not advisable?

Question 2. Let’s take a closer look at verse 15. What does this verse mean that “he who departs from evil makes himself a prey”?

Question 3. Why did they need an intercessor?

Question 4. In verses 16–21, what does God see that His people lack and then provides?

Question 5. What well-known phrase has its origin in verse 1? What is its true meaning according to this context?

Question 6. In verses 3–4, what draws the Gentiles and kings together? Is the same true today?

Question 7. Compared to the early verses of chapter 59, what do we see happening in the land of Israel in verses 14–18?

Question 8. Verses 19–20 present an illustration showing God as an everlasting light to His people. What should this message bring to His people? Do we see any similar descriptions in the New Testament? What are the key differences between Isaiah’s usage and the usage in the New Testament?

Question 9. We see a lot of familiar themes in the first few verses. What are some repeated themes that we’ve studied in other passages found here?

Question 10. In verses 8–9, God swears an oath to His people. What did He promise them and what is their significance?

Question 11. In verse 2, it says the people will be called by a new name. After reading the whole chapter, what might Isaiah be trying to convey?

Question 1. In verse 1, the people cry out for God to “rend the heavens” and “come down.” What does this reveal about their condition and desperation for His presence?

Question 2. What is the significance of the imagery in verse 6—“filthy rags” and “fading leaves”? How does this describe their spiritual state?

Question 3. Is this Total Depravity?

Question 4. Verse 8 highlights the unique relationship between God and His people as Potter and clay. Though written about Israel, how does this image apply to us today?Personal

Question 5. Read verses 9–12. After everything the people were enduring, how far they had fallen, they still are praying to the Lord. Why?

Question 6. How is the rebellion of the people described in verses 1–7? There are some very specific activities mentioned; why would these activities be of concern?

Question 7. Then we come to verse 8. What comforting message is found in this verse? Who is it talking about?

Question 8. In verses 13–16, a sharp contrast is drawn between God’s servants and the rebellious. How does this serve as both encouragement to the faithful and warning to the wicked?

Question 9. There are many descriptions of God’s “new heavens and new earth” in verses 17–25. Condense this section down into a single thought to help us determine what Isaiah is speaking about. What is he (or rather God) trying to convey?

Question 10. The chapter begins with a familiar discussion on what God truly desires in terms of worship. What points are emphasized here in verses 1–4?

Question 11. In verses 5–13, God comforts His people. What imagery is used to describe this comfort, and what does it teach us about His care?

Question 12. After addressing the comfort to His people, what warning is given to His enemies in verses 14–17?

Question 13. As the chapter concludes, what message is reiterated one last time in Isaiah’s writings that we’ve seen throughout our study?

Question 1. What characteristics of the Servant are revealed across all four songs (Isaiah 42, 49, 50, 52–53)? How do these compare with the Messiah described earlier in Isaiah (chapters 9 and 11)?

Question 2. What assurances does God provide to His Servant, and where do we see these fulfilled in Scripture?

Question 3. What is the significance of the Servant’s calling from the womb (Isaiah 49)? What does this reveal about God’s purpose and timing?

Question 4. How does the Servant’s obedience and reliance on God (Isaiah 50:4–7) contrast with Israel’s historical response to God?

Question 5. How does the Servant endure suffering without retaliation, and what sustains Him through it (Isaiah 50, 53)?

Question 6. Why might people have assumed the Servant’s suffering was God’s judgment (Isaiah 53:4)? How does this shape how we interpret suffering in others and ourselves?

Question 7. What does the imagery of the lamb (Isaiah 53:7, Exodus 12) teach about sacrifice, redemption, and God’s desired relationship with His people?

Question 8. What does the promise of “seeing His seed” and “prolonging His days” (Isaiah 53:10) reveal about the outcome of the Servant’s mission?

Question 9. How do those outside Christianity (e.g., Judaism) interpret these passages? Who is the Servant to them? What are the problems with those interpretations?

Question 10. Taken together, who do these four songs ultimately describe, and how do they shape our understanding of God’s plan of salvation?

Question 11. (Isaiah 36–37) What tactics did the Assyrians use to erode the people’s trust in both Hezekiah and God? How do similar strategies work in our world today?

Question 12. (Isaiah 36–37) How does Hezekiah’s initial response to the Assyrian threat contrast with his later response to the threat of death? What should we learn from his responses?

Question 13. (Isaiah 37) Why did God emphasize that He would save Jerusalem “for His own sake and for the sake of David”? What comfort would this have given His people then as well as today?

Question 14. (Isaiah 44:24–28) Who is introduced here and how does naming them show God’s sovereignty?

Question 15. (Isaiah 45) How does God’s use of Cyrus show His control over nations, even through unbelievers?

Question 16. (Isaiah 45) How does verse 7 (“create darkness”) reflect God’s sovereignty without making Him the author of evil?

Question 17. (Isaiah 47) What phrases underline Babylon’s downfall?

Question 18. (Isaiah 47) God allowed Babylon to be His instrument, but what did they fail to recognize? In whom had Babylon placed its trust? Are we tempted to do the same?

Question 19. (Isaiah 40) How does God’s creative power comfort and sustain His people?

Question 20. (Isaiah 40) What does “wait upon the Lord” mean for our daily walk?Personal

Question 21. (Isaiah 43) What imagery shows God’s protection? How does it relate to our challenges?

Question 22. (Isaiah 43) How was Israel to be His witnesses? What makes us faithful witnesses today?

Question 23. (Isaiah 51) Is the focus on Abraham’s greatness or God’s grace?

Question 24. (Isaiah 54) What does the image of a barren woman becoming fruitful show about God’s restorative covenant?

Question 25. (Isaiah 54) Is His covenant rooted in compassion rather than human faithfulness?

Question 26. (Isaiah 60) “Arise, shine”—what is the true meaning of this?

Question 27. (Isaiah 60) What draws Gentiles and kings to Israel?

Question 28. (Isaiah 61) How do we live as “oaks of righteousness”?Personal

Question 29. (Isaiah 62) What is the meaning of being called by a new name?

Question 30. (Isaiah 41 & 44) How does God challenge man-made idols? Are idols only statues?

Question 31. (Isaiah 43:22–24) What behaviors show distant worship? How can we be guilty of the same?

Question 32. (Isaiah 48) What criticism is made of Israel’s empty identity?

Question 33. (Isaiah 48) How should God’s concern for His glory shape our obedience?Personal

Question 34. (Isaiah 56) “Keep justice, do righteousness”—why repeated?

Question 35. (Isaiah 56) What failure is seen in Israel’s spiritual leaders?

Question 36. (Isaiah 56) Why was Sabbath so important?

Question 37. (Isaiah 57) What picture of peace is promised to the contrite?

Question 38. (Isaiah 58) How does God define true fasting and worship?

Question 39. (Isaiah 58) What blessings follow genuine worship?

Question 40. (Isaiah 41:1–7) What is the nations’ response when God calls to judgment?

Question 41. (Isaiah 47) Who can stop God’s judgment when it comes?

Question 42. (Isaiah 55) God’s free invitation—how does it challenge entitlement?

Question 43. (Isaiah 55) “Seek the Lord while He may be found”—why urgent?

Question 44. (Isaiah 59) “He who departs from evil makes himself a prey”—what does that mean?

Question 45. (Isaiah 59:16–21) What did God see was lacking and then provide?

Question 46. (Isaiah 64:6–8) What do these verses teach about sin and dependence on God?

Question 47. (Isaiah 65:13–16) What contrast is drawn between servants and rebels?

Question 48. (Isaiah 65:17–25) What is the meaning of the “new heavens and new earth”?

Question 49. (Common Theme) What happens when we overemphasize either judgment or grace?

Question 50. (Isaiah 40) How does humanity’s weakness contrast with God’s eternal strength?

Question 51. (Isaiah 41:8–10) What does God’s personal call to Israel as His chosen show?

Question 52. (Isaiah 44) How are idols shown as foolish creations?

Question 53. (Isaiah 44) How is God revealed as Creator and Redeemer?

Question 54. (Isaiah 46) What contrast is drawn between idols and the living God?

Question 55. (Isaiah 48:18–19) What blessings were missed because of disobedience?

Question 56. (Isaiah 45:16, 20) Why is God’s invitation to seek Him unique among other “gods” or idols?