A Study of Isaiah 41-53

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lifeHERITAGE Bible Studies are designed to encourage you to thoughtfully reflect on the biblical text. Please take the time to look at the text in its context before answering. If you experience difficulty in seeing how the text relates to the question, please let us know. Remember to pray before you start, and click "finish" when you are done. May the Spirit be with you.
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1. How does God refer to Israel in Isaiah 41:8, 44:1, 2, 21; 45:4 and 48:20? What is the role of a servant? How does Exodus 19:6 assist in the understanding of Israel’s role as servant? What does it mean to be a royal priesthood? What is the relationship between servant-hood and the priesthood? According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, how does the servant designation apply to God’s Christian church?
2. When Isaiah writes, the kingdom of Israel had just been vanquished by the Assyrians, and the kingdom of Judah was being threatened on several fronts. Idolatry was also a problem in the nation. How does Isaiah 44:9-20 demonstrate the absurdity of idol worship? In light of Isaiah 44:21-22, why does Yahweh still want Judah (Israel) to be his servant? In spite of the fact that the people of Israel had let Yahweh down on several occasions, he still exercised faith in them. What lesson is there for the modern church? Is there a limit to God’s grace?
3. The fact that Babylon conquered Judah in the sixth century BCE is an indicator that the people did not “return” to God. However, even in captivity, God did not forget his people. As he would later do with Abraham Lincoln who would assist in the deliverance of African people enslaved in America, God chose a deliverer in a foreign king. Who is the foreign king that God chose, and how is he described in Isaiah 44:28? What role did Cyrus play in the deliverance of God’s people? Why would God get a foreign king to deliver his people? In a sense, could Cyrus also be considered a servant?
4. Cyrus enabled political deliverance, but hundreds of years after emancipation the Jews were still under the power of the Greeks and later the Romans. According to Romans 3:23, what was the real problem with God’s people? What service did the people really need? According to Matthew 1:21, who was the only one who could deliver God’s people? List the many titles that the Bible gives to Jesus. What does each mean? Why is Jesus described as a servant? Carefully meditate on Isaiah 52:13-53-12. How does this passage help to drive home the true meaning of John 3:16-17?