(Reading July 18-July 24)

30. More Hope from Isaiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah

Key Point: 
Isaiah’s prophecies of hope continue, as do his explanations for why Israel experienced the calamities of exile in the first place.  Two new prophetic voices emerge, Nahum and Zephaniah.  Nahum proclaims the fall of Nineveh (the Assyrians), while Zephaniah’s poetry proclaims the day when God will execute his judgment against all his enemies. 

Key Verses:
The Lord is good,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in Him,
    but with an overwhelming flood
He will make an end of Nineveh,
    He will pursue his foes into darkness.  (Nahum 1:7-8 )


Thought Questions:

1.  Parts of these readings in Isaiah sound quite universal, but parts sound quite exclusive.  How do you explain the difference?





2.  What is the “fast” that the Lord wants, as opposed to the meaningless one that Isaiah critiques?





3.  What does this section say about the glory of God?  What is God doing for his glory?





4.  Isaiah speaks here about how God will make everything new.  What needs to be made new in your own heart or in the world around you?





5.  Nahum seems to be a deeply just book.  Does it encourage you to know that God deals with and corrects injustice in the world?  Does it scare you?





6.  Zephaniah is a remarkable short book, both fierce and joyous.  It provides an anticipation of ultimate salvation and the joy that accompanies it.  What are you anticipating from God?  How invested are you in that anticipation?

7.  What is the “Day of the Lord”?  Sometimes it sounds fearful and at other times wonderful.  Which tone do you hear in Isaiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah?