The Story that Changes Everything

After a break of about 160 years, the voice of comfort breaks into exile and speaks words of hope and newness for God's people.

Hezekiah responds to the threats of Sennacherib by running to the temple and throwing himself down in prayer and in trust in God. God not only delivers him from Assyria but from illness as well. 

The places that flourish with injustice will be devastated, and the places of desertion and barrenness will be renewed in God's great reversal. These texts also step back into history with the trash-talk of Assyria against Jerusalem and Judah's God.

The woes continue, but there is hope that God will bring about a new king who will be the source of God's sustained peace.

The question is one of security for Isaiah. Where do the leaders of God's people find their hope and strength? Isaiah is afraid their trust in Egypt is a sign of a lack of trust in God.

The Little Apocalypse of Isaiah concludes with laments, but also with the hope that God will conquer even death itself.

The oracles against the nations end with judgment upon the unjust economic systems of the world and then transition into the "Little Apocalypse" of Isaiah. No one is exempt from God's judgment.

The oracles against the nations continues with a lament over Moab and a word against Cush. In the midst of judgment is still the hope that the nations would stream to Jerusalem and come to know the ways of the LORD.

The oracles against the nations continue with a word against Egypt. But the irony is that there is a hope that Egypt will repent and draw near to God. Like Israel, the prophetic hopes are that whatever wounding Egypt experiences would become the source of its healing.

The book of Isaiah turns in this section to the Oracles Against the Nations. The oracles begin with one against Babylon, the empire that in the imagination of Israel is most problematic because of its great allure.

The visions of hope break forth. The stump will not have the last word, but a shoot will bring a new creation that invites the lion and lamb to lay down together.

Isaiah and Ahaz have a confrontation. Ahaz refuses to trust or even ask for a sign. But God will give him a sign anyway.

Isaiah experiences his call. He winds up in the holiest place but instead of being destroyed he is healed and sent with a message.

We've reached the halfway point through the Bible and enter the beautiful book of Isaiah. The prophet speaks words of both judgment and hope that Jerusalem can not only survive but become a light to the nations.

The Song of Songs ends as though the whole poem may have been words of expectation from a woman still too young to marry. The psalm for today also waits in expectation for God to come and make things new.

There is nothing more painful than young love separated. But nothing better than young love reunited. It is a reminder that we were created as desirers and we are what we love.

Love is in the air as we read the Song of Songs. Although there is not a lot to glean theologically from this book, there is much to be said about how God created us and the kinds of relationships God hopes for us to have to be found here.

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes laments how little folly it takes to overcome the good results of wisdom. He hopes for some kind of restitution or justice to happen after life is over.

The book of Ecclesiastes ends with the recognition that the Teacher was right. Life is hard to hold onto. We should receive the life we have as gift. And we should obey God and trust that God sees and will reward the righteous.

We begin the book of Ecclesiastes. Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless... Or is it?

Qoheleth continues on to wonder why we work so hard for things we cannot keep. Working solely for one's own benefit is like chasing the wind. Ultimately, life together with others is better than life alone. 

Proverbs ends with both the embodiment of how to read wisdom but also how to live it. Agur embodies the person who reads the Scripture to gain wisdom and the virtuous woman of chapter 31 demonstrates who wisdom might be lived.

The proverbs from the time of Solomon continue with great words about friendship and the use of money.

These chapters end the advice of the sage to their son or apprentice. The fourth major section of Proverbs turns to all kinds of metaphors and analogies. Words spoken at the right time are like gold apples in a silver setting. Those who speak honestly are like those who kiss on the lips.

The second major section of the book concludes and a new section of sayings from the wise begin. The sage has some important wisdom for the young, aspiring leader.

The Proverbs begin to include the presence of God in their words of wisdom. There are also important proverbs for the leaders of God's people.

The Proverbs continue to encourage us to guard our speech and beware of fools. But it also reminds us that even though we plan our lives, God holds our futures.

What is the role of discipline in the wise life? Are our emotions good guides to wisdom? Those are the kinds of questions that the wisdom tradition wrestles with in these chapters.

The second long section of Proverbs offers contrast after contrast between the life of the righteous and the wicked. There is a lot of wisdom here about life at home, in the community, and how we use our words.

Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly? Which voice will you follow? Divine wisdom not only gives life, but is woven into the very fabric of creation.

There are two areas that often bring destruction and bondage rather than life: sexual temptation and financial ruin. The wisdom writer wants the young to learn to discipline their desires and their work.

Today we begin the journey through Proverbs. The question is not so much what do we know, but what do we love? Wisdom invites us to come and fall in love with her and receive a good life from her.

The book of Job comes to a conclusion with God showing Job the majesty and power of the hippo and the crocodile. Can Job make creatures like these or even understand the beauty and power of them? There are some things Job will never know, but he experiences God's presence in his suffering and the all-creative God can work in ways that don't allow evil to have the final word in human existence.

Finally God begins to answer Job's demands. However, God answers in ways that are unexpected. Rather than answering the problem of evil, God seems to point to what we might call the problem of good. How did all this potential for flourishing get here, Job? Can you create and sustain this life-giving universe?

Young Elihu continues on to demonstrate the sometimes lack of humility and wisdom of youth.

Job completes his summary, but before God shows up we are introduced to one last character - the young, brash, and arrogant Elihu.

There is a little break in the action for a celebration of wisdom, but then it is right back to Job laying out his life and his case against God.

Job's friends get their final words in. They may have wanted to be comforting, but their constant refrain that "everything happens for a reason" is not true and is not helpful for Job.

The friends start into their closing arguments with the final speech from Eliphaz. Job is not very interested in responding, he would just like the absence of God to end.