The Bible in a Year

Old Testament

Isaiah 19 to 38
Read this coming week:
Oct 3 Isa 15‐19, Ps 87, Acts 10 Oct 4 Isa 20‐22, Ps 88, Acts 11 Oct 5 Isa
23‐25, Ps 89:1‐29, Acts 12 Oct 6 Isa 26‐28, Ps 89:30‐52, Acts 13 Oct 7 Isa
29‐30, Ps 90, Acts 14 Oct 8 Isa 31‐33, Ps 91, Acts 15 Oct 9 Isa 34‐36, Ps
92, Acts 16 Oct 10 Isa 37‐38, Ps 93, Acts 17

Reading Questions
For next week you’re reading Isaiah 19 to 38. Answer
the following:
• Normally, the last nation mentioned in a string of
oracles is the worst. What nation is “worst” and
who is blessed? (19)
• What sign does God give through Isaiah that
foreshadows the slavery of Egypt and Cush? (20)
• What will God “swallow up” on the mountain when
His day comes? (25)
• What monster does God defeat to show His
victory? (27)
• What does the “burning place” remind you of?
(30)
 • What 3 “jobs” does God take in 33:22?
• What country does Rabshakeh accuse Hezekiah
and Judah of putting their trust in? (36)
• How does Sennacherib, King of Assyria, die? (37)

Isaiah – one, two, or three?

The book of Isaiah has been under speculation by a few
scholars within recent history. Some scholars see Isaiah
as monolithic –the work of one person. Others point to
a division around Isaiah 39/40, and still others point to
two divisions, one around 40 and one around 56. These
theories seem to question the specificity with which
Isaiah can see things that go beyond when we generally
recognize he was alive (including Babylonian captivity
and exile).

The Lutheran response to the question of “many

Isaiahs” has consistently been to recognize one singular
“Isaiah”. Isaiah’s scope of prophecy may involve over
200 years of Israelite history (not to mention the life of
Jesus and the nature of the Resurrection) but it need not
be considered the work of several prophets to do that.
Recent scholarship of the great Isaiah scroll of Qumran
has given much credibility to the faithful response that
Isaiah is one monolithic prophetic book.
Please don’t throw this away. If you’re not going to use it, leave it for
someone else to use.