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Home , Isaiah 10, Isaiah 20, Isaiah 3, Isaiah 64

H A I A S I

Prophetic hope in the midst of destruction

How do we experience hope when everything feels out of control? READING PLAN FOR ADVENT 2020

It's likely been awhile since we have read all of Isaiah.

In addition to studying this prophetic book, we are committing to read it in it's entirety this Advent season. Daily Journal Prompts are provided as well.

Date Passage Journal Prompt November 29 -3:17 Listen November 30 :18-5 Lament December 1 -7 Holy December 2 -10:4 Righteousness December 3 :5-12:6 Wisdom December 4 -16 Together December 5 -19 Branch

December 6 -21 Whirlwind December 7 -23 Reveal December 8 -25 Inhabit December 9 -27 Trust December 10 -29 Dream December 11 -32 Counsel December 12 -35 Exalt

December 13 -38 Messenger December 14 -40 Comfort December 15 -44 Servant December 16 -46 Remember December 17 -48 Called December 18 -51 Seek December 19 -54 Awake

December 20 -57 Covenant December 21 -60 Announce December 22 -64 Anoint December 23 -66 Holy

#splcwesterville WHO WERE THE PROPHETS?

Before 8th Century BCE:

Prophets served as advisors to the early kings of . They were also in charge of anointing kings during their coronations. Their job was to speak God's word to the kings, to ensure the kings of Israel ruled according to God's law and not their own hunger for power, authority, and control.

Examples: Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, and Michaiah

Books: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings 8th-4th Century BCE: God began calling prophets to prophesy to the entire nation of Israel, not only the kings. The entire nation of Israel is continually called to repent & turn back toward a relationship with God, following God's laws & upholding the covenant God made with Moses. The kings and rulers were still held accountable, but the prophecies expanded to the entire nation of Israel.

Books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jonah, Haggai, Obadiah, Joel, Malachi The Babylonian Exile is a hugely traumatic event in Scripture.

Up until this point, God promised to be present in the Temple in . Religious services & BABYLONIAN festivals happened in Jerusalem and people traveled from all portions of Israel to participate and be in God's presence. EXILE When the Babylonians conquered Israel, the temple was destroyed. The Israelites felt as though God's presence was no longer with them. As they were taken into captivity, they felt as though they were being banished from God's presence.

However, one of the pieces of good news in Isaiah is that the Israelites learned that God was, 597-538 BCE in fact, present with them, no matter where they were in the world.

Once the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the temple so that they could worship on the same site again. 1ST ISAIAH 2ND ISAIAH 3RD ISAIAH 1-39 40-55 56-66

"HEAR, O HEAVENS, AND "COMFORT, O COMFORT "THUS SAYS THE LORD: LISTEN, O EARTH; FOR MY PEOPLE, SAYS YOUR MAINTAIN JUSTICE, THE LORD HAS SPOKEN: I GOD. SPEAK TENDERLY AND DO WHAT IS REARED CHILDREN AND TO JERUSALEM AND CRY RIGHT, FOR SOON MY BROUGHT THEM UP, BUT TO HER THAT SHE HAS SALVATION WILL THEY HAVE REBELLED SERVED HER TERM, THAT COME AND MY AGAINST ME." (1:2) HER PENALTY IS PAID." DELIVERANCE BE (40:1-2A) REVEALED." (56:1) This portion of Isaiah focuses on conflicts between Israel, , Syria, and . This portion of Isaiah was written 3rd Isaiah was written after the about 100 years after 1st Isaiah. The Kingdom of Israel had split into 2 Babylonians had been defeated and the Israelites were allowed to Kingdoms: Israel & Judah. These The Babylonians had conquered return to Jerusalem to rebuild the kingdoms were in constant conflict. Jerusalem and took the majority of the Temple. population captive. Syria was roped in to help the Northern Those who returned to Israel found Kingdom of Israel and Assyria helped The voice of Isaiah changes to one of that pagan rituals had become the Southern Kingdom of Judah. comfort, written to a people who more prominent in Jerusalem Eventually, Assyria conquered Syria believed God had forsaken them and during the Exile. and then Israel. Judah remained they independent, but had been taken captive and away from This leads to the ending of Isaiah also under Assyrian rule. God’s presence. being one of judgment and not of hope and sets the stage for the Later, Judah formed an alliance with For them, God’s presence dwelled in prophets who come after Isaiah, to defeat Assyria and Israel was the Temple in Jerusalem. regained. continuing to call God's people back to relationship with God, The writer of this portion promised through following God's laws. that they would be able to return to Jerusalem and they would be free again. WHEN DO WE HEAR FROM ISAIAH DURING WORSHIP? Passage Liturgical Season Isaiah 1:1-20 Season after Pentecost :1-5 Advent :2-6 Easter Vigil :1-7 Season after Pentecost Isaiah 6:1-13 Trinity Sunday & Epiphany :10-17 Advent & Annunciation :1-4 Epiphany Isaiah 9:2-7 Christmas Eve :1-10 Advent Easter Vigil & Advent :1-10 Easter Sunday & Season after Pentecost :1-10 Advent & Season after Pentecost

Isaiah 40:1-11 Advent :21-31 Epiphany :1-9 Baptism of Our Lord :1-7 Baptism of Our Lord Isaiah 43:16-21 Lent Isaiah 43:18-25 Epiphany :1-8 Season after Pentecost Isaiah 45:1-7 Season after Pentecost Isaiah 49:1-7 Epiphany Isaiah 49:8-16 Epiphany :4-9 Passion Sunday :1-11 Season after Pentecost Proper Isaiah 52:12-53:12 Good Friday & Season after Pentecost :5-14 Easter Vigil Isaiah 55:1-13 Easter Vigil, Season after Pentecost, Epiphany, Lent

Isaiah 56:1-8 Season after Pentecost Isaiah 58:1-12 Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Season after Pentecost :1-9 Day of Epiphany Isaiah 61:1-11 Advent Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Christmas :1-5 Epiphany Isaiah 62:6-12 Christmas Eve :7-9 Christmas :1-9 Advent Isaiah 65:1-9 Season after Pentecost Isaiah 65:17-25 Easter Sunday :10-16 Season after Pentecost NOTES

______ISAIAH 2:1-5

1 The word that Isaiah son of saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3 Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of ; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Isaiah begins with setting the stage for Note: The knowledge that other empires wanted to overthrow Jerusalem is the entirety of Isaiah's prophecy. We juxtaposed with this hope-filled knowledge that people outside of God's first learn how far God's people had covenants will come to Mount Zion to learn about God's ways and that God's strayed. Isaiah is prophesying in people will be sent out to be light in the world. Jerusalem, which is in the land of Judah, part of the Southern Kingdom Who do we hope God calls into our lives? ______of Israel. It was the capital city of the ______Southern Kingdom and, we learn in Who are we fearful God will call into our lives?______this passage, will be the location ______where God's presence will reside - in Where are we great with being light-bearers? ______the Temple on Mount Zion in ______Jerusalem. Where do we struggle? ______Jerusalem was in the geographic center of a section of land LOTS of The hope in this passage also centers around change of hearts and behaviors. empires wanted to control. At that "Many peoples" will come to Mount Zion and God will judge and arbitrate time, the city wasn't all that large and between different people. Based on that judgment, there will be a change: didn't have enormous armies or stores weapons will not be needed any longer, but more tools for growing and of weapons. It was fine, but it didn't tending crops so all can eat will need to be increased. Nations will feel secure have anything on the Syrian, Egyptian, in the land, goods, economies, shipping ports and trade routes within their Babylonian, or Assyrian Empires. They country; they will not have the need to overtake one another. This is hope of a knew the other nations were plotting future of living life in relationship together, not at odds with one another. to overtake them and their hope was Where do you see examples of this going well and going poorly? ______that God's presence and faithfulness ______would protect them. ______NOTES

______ISAIAH 7:10-17

10 Again the Lord spoke to , saying, 11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of ! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him . 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’

Who was King Ahaz? We typically read this portion during Have you ever asked for a sign King of Judah (Southern Kingdom of the season of Advent, when we are from God? ______Israel). He began ruling when he was preparing to remember the story of ______20 and ruled for 16 years. He's also an how God became incarnate and ______ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:9). dwelled among us as Jesus. ______

In the verses just before this passage, Reading these verses on their own If you received one, what was it? King Ahaz had just been approached lends to that interpretation. But, ______by King (Northern Israel) and reading them within their context ______King (Syria), who wanted to form shows us that God was prophesying ______an alliance to defend their kingdoms about King Ahaz's son, . ______against the Assyrians.

What is supersessionism? Do you think it's possible for God God then called Isaiah to find King A belief that states the New Covenant to be weary? Why or why not? Ahaz and prophesy to him to trust in through Jesus supercedes the ______God rather than alliances with other covenants of the Old Testament. This ______countries. view believes that Christians are the ______true followers of God. ______King Ahaz is reluctant to ask God for a sign for anything, so God provides him What did Hezekiah do as king? What are signs that give you with a sign, whether or not he is ready He defended Jerusalem (and won!) hope in the midst of anxious for or wanting one. against the Assyrians. He also feelings? ______instituted broad religious reforms, ______reclaiming the Temple in Jerusalem to ______be used only for worshiping God and ______not for other religious or secular activities. NOTES

______ISAIAH 11:1-10

1 A shoot shall come out from the stock of , and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

We have just read oracle after oracle, "God comes to us in this Advent Fun fact: Isaiah 11:2 is part of a condemning other kingdoms for their time and invites us to move beyond prayer that Lutherans pray during actions and inactions in caring for their counting the rings of the past. We milestone events: baptism, neighbor and being faithful to God. may still want to sit on the stump for affirmation of baptism, ordination, God even says the tallest trees will be a while, and God will sit with us. But and weddings, to name a few. cut down; only stumps will exist. God will also keep nudging us: 'Look! Look — there on the stump. The Spirit's presence completely But even after those judgments, there Do you see that green shoot eradicates wickedness and sin, to the is an oracle of hope - there will be a growing?'" - Rev. Dr. Barbara point that all of creation goes against remnant of Israel. The stump that is the Lundblad, Joe R. Engle Professor its own nature of fighting for survival lineage of Jesse will grow a new shoot; Emeritus of Preaching, Union and instead lives in peace with one the stump is not fully wiped out! Theological Seminary another. This isn't just being nice for a day - this is a paradigm shift where Much like the reading we just studied, Where are places of hope and creation is willing to feel deep when read on its own, Christians will new life you see springing forth? hunger pangs out of care for one often interpret this as referring to ______another and shared life together. It is Jesus. Remember: This is pointing to ______a life of sacrificing our wants so that Hezekiah's reign! ______others can thrive. ______NOTES

______ISAIAH 12

1 You will say on that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

This passage is almost immediately after This passage is a hope-filled promise that even though destruction is foretold, the passage we just studied (Isaiah 11:1- hope and restoration is also foretold. There will be a day where God's people 10) - the one that talks about the shoot will rejoice again. It almost reads as a psalm of thanksgiving! that will grow out of the stump of Jesse after every tree has been cut down. 'That Do you ever feel as though God is angry with you? When? Why? day' is the day that is being referenced in ______verse 1 of this passage. ______Why do you think this chapter appears Do you believe that, even when things are literally the worst, that God is so early in Isaiah, before the still present with you? Do you believe that good things will still come? Or, Babylonians have arrived & conquered do you struggle to believe this? ______Israel? ______What does salvation mean here? We discussed last week: Christians read & interpret many passages in Isaiah as referring directly to Jesus; he is the Messiah, the fulfillment of God's ancient promises.

However, those originally reading this prophecy and those who are members of the Jewish faith today do not necessarily hold the same views. In the original context, they were looking toward the birth & reign of Hezekiah, who instituted religious reform for God's people. Those who are Jewish today remember that interpretation and also looking toward the day the Messiah will come to return them from their current exile.

For present-day Christians, there is a wide range of understanding exactly what salvation is, but a fairly accepted answer is: The promise of eternal life with God, through the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

For those who are Jewish, they both understood and understand that salvation was the restoration to full relationship with God. In times of Exile, this meant they would be able to return to God's presence and an end to their separation, both physically and spiritually. This passage foretells that the Exile will end; it is not a permanent severing of God's relationship with God's people. NOTES

______ISAIAH 35:1-10

1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’ 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

We have just skipped a big chunk of Verses 3, 5, & 6 are referring to the spiritual impairments of God's people, Isaiah, with a lot of judgments against not literal physical disabilities. other nations and victories for Jerusalem/Israel/Judah. There are also This passage (along with most healing texts) have been used in harmful continued reminders for the leaders of ways against individuals with disabilities. There are some who, of course, Jerusalem to not form alliances with other would love to live free from their disabilities. But, there are also others countries, but instead to remain faithful whose entire identities have been shaped by their disability. For them, and maintaining their relationship with having it removed would change them from the person they were created God. to be; it would change their entire identity.

Where do your ears, eyes, & hearts need Listen carefully when you hear these texts taught and preached; are we to be opened to hear God and respond honoring the image of God, fully present in our siblings with disabilities? Or, faithfully? ______are we praying for their healing from something they do not want to be ______healed from? What if they are fully made in the image of God & we worked ______for the world to allow them to live that out more easily? What if it's not ______individuals who are disabled, but the world itself? ______If you're interested in learning more about disability theology, there is a list ______of resources available here. NOTES

______ISAIAH 40:1-11

1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out:‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ 6 A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ 10 See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

This is the chapter where all of Isaiah What messages do you think God This is the only passage from 2nd changes. Jerusalem has been is calling us to cry out today? Isaiah (the time during the conquered and God's people are ______Babylonian Exile) that we read during officially in Exile in . ______the season of Advent, a season of ______comfort and hope. Remember, when Jerusalem was ______conquered, the Temple was ______Why do you think we reading more destroyed. God's people believed Why do you think God's prophet from 1st Isaiah than 2nd Isaiah God's presence had left them because have (almost?) always hesitated during Advent? ______of that and because they were to deliver the message God gives ______captured and taken away from the to them? ______place God promised to be - in the ______Temple, on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. ______What is your elevator speech (20- As you have been reading through Everything had been destroyed and 30 seconds) for why Isaiah, what other hopeful changed. Their identity and faith had still matters today? passages have you found? ______been reduced to rubble heap, literally ______and metaphorically. ______NOTES

______ISAIAH 61:1-11

1 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken- hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; 6 but you shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches, you shall glory. 7 Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. ISAIAH 61:1-11 (CONTINUED)

What is 'the year of the How many things is the prophet Isaiah called to do here? 7! Lord's favor'? 1) Bring good news to the oppressed, 2) Bind up the brokenhearted, 3) Proclaim In Leviticus 25, God liberty to the captives, 4) Proclaim release to the prisoners, 5) Proclaim the year of the commanded that God's Lord's favor, 6) Provide for those who mourn in Zion, and 7) To give garland instead people observe a year of of ashes. Jubilee, once every 50 years. During this year, Often, when the number 7 shows up in Scripture, it is an indication of completeness. everyone is able to return When Genesis 1 records the account of creation happening in 7 days, it is pointing to to their land, if they had the fact that all of creation - the completeness of creation - came about because of been working as servants God. Here, the number 7 is referring to the completeness of what will be transformed in another household to through God's action in our world - everything will be restored, those who have pay off a debt. Note this received injustice will receive freedom, those who mourn will be comforted, etc. We only extended to Israelites hear echoes of this in the in the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56) and the who were indebted to one Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6:20-26). another; slaves from other countries and tribes were not guaranteed release Why do you think the Year of Jubilee is no longer observed? ______during the year of Jubilee. ______If an Israelite had sold ______themselves to someone outside of Israel to pay off a If it were to be observed, do you think there would be support or resistance? debt, a family member Why? ______could come to redeem ______them during the Year of ______Jubilee. The writer of the according to Luke believes that Jesus is the They were not to farm or fulfillment/continuation of this prophecy (Luke 4:16-21). Where do you see this harvest, to allow the land a prophecy being fulfilled through Jesus? ______year to rest. Instead, they ______were to live solely off what ______the land provided, taking ______as much as they needed, ______not creating stockpiles ______during the Year of Jubilee. ______They were to prepare ______ahead of time so that they had enough to eat for the What 7 things do you feel particularly called to do to continue this prophecy Year of Jubilee and the today? Are you willing to do it? Why/why not? ______year afterwards, where the ______crops would not be mature ______enough to yield a full crop. ______NOTES

______ISAIAH 64:1-9

1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

God's people have returned to Israel from being held How have you, as an individual, not followed God's captive in Babylon. However, between Isaiah 61 & commands today, this week, this month, this season, this Isaiah 64, God's people have rebelled again. They year? (You won't be asked to share these with the have only been back a relatively short amount of time group!) )______and they have already begun to be unfaithful and not ______diligently following God's laws and commands. ______This is the part of Isaiah where we celebrate that ______God's people have returned to Israel, but we are also ______confronted with the reality of how they attempt to ______restart their lives there when others kept going while ______they were in Exile. The location of the Temple had ______been used for other religious observances that were ______intermingling with their faith. The celebration is short- ______lived; we're but a few chapters from the end of Isaiah, ______which ends with God being disappointed in God's people. But, we know that God has not given up on Remember that we are followers of a God who extends God's people; there is a continual promise and hope unending and ever-flowing grace. Trace a cross on your in forgiveness, grace, and restoration of relationship, forehead and say, "I am forgiven. I am a child of God." over and over again. Repeat as often as necessary. NOTES

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