By Michael C. Mack 1. What is your level of joy at this holiday season? Read Isaiah 52:1, 2, 7-12. 2. What words describe the situation for the Israelites as Isaiah wrote this? 3. How and to whom was this message of good news spread? How did the people respond? 4. In the midst […]
By Sam E. Stone God called on the people of Israel to rejoice. Though they still were to be exiled in Babylon (Isaiah 40–55), they could rest assured that Almighty God would deliver them. John N. Oswalt emphasized the significance of this prophecy: “The tone of anticipation becomes more intense as God calls on […]
By John H. Corbin Allow me to introduce you to a person who truly rejoices over the people in his life: Jagger is a 4-year-old with curly blond hair; when he walks each step has a bounce of enthusiasm; his smile cheerfully says I appreciate you; the sparkle in his eye is a gleam […]
By David Faust Are you ready for a break? Sometimes Jesus had his disciples “come apart” with him and get away from the crowds for a while. It’s been said that if we don’t come apart with Jesus, we simply come apart. Henry Kissinger once said, “There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. […]
By Sam E. Stone Our final lesson from Ezekiel brings us to the largest section of the book—chapters 40–48. This apocalyptic message has been described as a “counter-vision” to the disaster of Ezekiel 8–11. At that time God’s glory departed from the temple, but now he had returned (43:1-5). The promised restoration was shown […]
