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Invitations are neat things. They mark celebrations in the lives of people we love. Birthday invitations remind us that kids are growing older. Anniversary invitations call us to celebrate love and faithfulness. Wedding invitations invite us to an intimate moment when hearts make promises and lives are united. Some of my favorite invitations are High School Graduation invitations. They speak of long years of work and commitment. They call us to celebrate achievement. They invite us to share a special moment in life. As you read through Isaiah, don’t miss the invitations. In Isaiah 48:14-16, God issues a series of invitations. An invitation to assemble and celebrate the power of God. An invitation to draw near to God and experience intimacy and protection. As God calls His people to repentance, He invites them to share in a life of abundance. A pouring out of mercy, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and friendship. That same call goes out today to you and I. God invites us to be His. What an invitation!

In Isaiah 40, Isaiah announces God’s coming glory and His power while showing the people their helplessness. Isaiah holds up God’s faithfulness and promise to bring home a faithful remnant as a source of hope and assurance. By pointing out the power of God to do all that He has promised to do, Isaiah reminds the people of God that He is at work in His purpose and His desire to walk with them, renewing their strength day by day. These images are replayed in the chapters to follow, offering comfort and assurance to the people. It is a change from the first 39 chapters. While we have seen broad judgments before, Isaiah now concentrates on Babylon and the coming captivity, as well as the promise of release and return. Isaiah 41 shares God’s promise of deliverance from captivity. A captivity that was brought on by the sin of the nation, but that would be overcome by God. Isaiah 43-45 goes back to the picture of redemption and is followed by a picture and promise of God’s judgment against Babylon in chapters 46-47. Chapters 48-52 and 54-59 reveal that Israel’s release from Babylon will result in exultation and celebration by the people of God. The foundation laid in chapter 40 is worked through the remaining book by drawing the people, and the reader, into the surety of God’s faithfulness and power.

Isaiah 31:1 holds one of the neatest pictures in the Bible for me. Isaiah proclaims that the people go down to Egypt and trust in the swiftness of their horses or the might of their chariots. It is a picture of people who put their trust in things of this world. How many times do I find myself trusting only what I can see or feel? How many times do I trust in things that are found in this world, but never stop to think or ask what God is doing in this moment? Isaiah calls for us to examine what we trust. He asks us to watch where we put our faith. We stand in a world that proclaims its own power. The power to make better lives, stronger families, and smarter kids. Isaiah reminds us that God has a plan for man. God is working to transform our lives and our hearts. The world does not hold the answers for what troubles man. Only God knows how to change who we are and how we live. Where is your trust?

Sometimes the Book of Isaiah can be tough reading. Just looking through the last week, we find that God has called His man, Isaiah, to pronounce judgment on nation after nation. There is talk of famine and fire, death and destruction. It is a plea for repentance and a call for faithfulness. But it is still hard to read. It is hard to read that the God who is love would have to move in such a way in the world. It is a clear sign that man can get so caught up in sin that he misses the truth that destruction, pain, and death follow. Some of the most encouraging things about these readings come in places like Isaiah 25:8. As man struggles with the consequences of sin, God reminds them that He is a God who swallows up death. He has the power to wipe the tear from every eye. He holds forgiveness in His hand and freely offers it to those who will surrender to Him. We live in a fallen world. A world marred by sin. Death still looks formidable. The good news is that God still moves. He still swallows up death. He is still sovereign.

The song goes, “What a mighty God we serve! What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him, what a mighty God we serve!” I can hear it being sung at camp, at church, and in college devotionals. It is a wonderful song that defines who we are and Who we belong to. In Isaiah 9-12, Isaiah gives a description of the coming Messianic era promised by God. The time of Jesus walking the earth and leading His people. The time when the church would live under the leadership of Christ. It would be a time when God shone a “great light” in the world and call people to repentance and relationship. The Messiah would carry names and titles that would set Him apart. Names like “Wonderful Counselor”, “Mighty God”, “Father of Eternity”, and “Prince of Peace.” This week’s reading draws our eyes and our hearts to see Jesus. To know that He comes to transform our lives. That He comes to walk closely with us. That He comes to draw us into a relationship that impresses His image on every part of our lives.

This week, we begin reading the Book of Isaiah. As you embed the Word of God on your heart, be watching for five important themes in Isaiah: remnant, the sovereignty of God, servant, Holy One of Israel, and Messiah.

Remnant – the promise that when exile comes, God will lead those who have lived in covenant faithfulness to Him back to their home.

The sovereignty of God – God is the creator of nations and has the right to rule and control those nations. God had the power to send His people into exile and the power to deliver them from exile.

Servant – describes someone who dedicates themselves to faithfully doing God’s work in the world despite obstacles and challenges. The servant could be an individual, the nation of Israel as a whole, or refer to the Messiah.

Holy One of Israel – used twenty five times in the Book of Isaiah to describe God. God’s character is holy and God acts in holiness to judge sin, punish nations, and call His people back to covenant faithfulness.

Messiah – God’s anointed one who would redeem God’s people and accomplish God’s purpose. The Messiah would one day rule but would first suffer.

The Book of Esther is amazing. It tells the story of Esther and Mordecai, two Jews living in captivity in Persia. The story holds all the elements of storytelling that draw us in and call us to invest in the lives of these people. A king loses his queen, who is replaced by Esther. A plot forms and the evil villain, Haman, hatches a dastardly plan to kill the Jews. Mordecai’s integrity and honesty come to the mind of the king late in the night. Haman is shamed and seeks personal revenge. Esther uncovers the plot and intervenes on behalf of her people. Haman is killed, the Jews are saved, and Esther saves the day! But where is God? His name is not mentioned in the entire book. No prayer is offered, no worship given. Is He absent? No. His fingerprints are all over the story. Each turn of the page shows the hand of God at work in the lives of Esther and Mordecai. As you read this week, watch for His touches, His shaping, and His movement in the story. Be on the lookout for His hand in your heart too.

Nehemiah 8:1-8 will always be one of my favorite passages of Scripture. The wall around Jerusalem has been rebuilt. Nehemiah and Ezra gather the people together to celebrate. The wall is a physical sign of God’s power and protection. The people know that God has been at work and that the promise of a return to their homeland has been accomplished. As the people gather, the rebuilt wall in plain sight, Ezra stands before them and opens the book of the Law. In reverence and respect, the people stand as the Law is read. From early morning until midday, the men, women, and children of Jerusalem stand and listen as the story of God unfolds. When Ezra is finished reading, the raise their arms and shout “Amen!” Then they fall down to worship. It an incredible response from the first until the last. The Word of God speaks into the hearts and lives of men. As we embed the Bible, we need to remember that God is speaking and that we are responding in surrender and in faith. God is at work among us.

Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia, and Jew in exile, heard the news that his homeland was struggling. The captives had begun to return from exile in Babylon, but the walls of Jerusalem were still a mess. So Nehemiah takes his heart to God in prayer. Nehemiah 1:4-11 records the words of Nehemiah as he talks to God. His prayer shows us so much about surrender. First, Nehemiah remembers that God is in control, that God is sovereign. Second, Nehemiah remembers and confesses his sin. He knows that God is holy, and that only God can make man holy. As Nehemiah walks closely with God, he covers himself in the mercy and grace of God. Third, Nehemiah remembers the promise of God. God has told His people that restoration and a return to relationship is possible. Fourth, Nehemiah asks God to act. He knows that God is able. He knows that God has the power to change the lives of men. As we walk with Nehemiah this week, remember the surrender that Nehemiah models for us. As we come to God, God moves in us.

Ezra was a scribe, a man who made the study of God’s Law his life’s work. Empowered by King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra leaves captivity and heads home to Jerusalem. It is a time of promise and of great hope. The people of God are returning to the promised land. The Temple is being rebuilt. Worship is once again instituted in Jerusalem. Prophets walk the streets and call the people to surrender to God. It is also a time of trouble. The return is not welcome by everyone. Foreigners have moved into Jerusalem and made it their home. The right to rebuild is challenged. Threats, bullying, and political maneuvering all come to bear in the effort to stop the people of Israel from regaining their homeland. How does one deal with the shifting moods, changing rules, and uncertain ground that mark the landscape? Ezra 7:10 makes a powerful statement. It reads, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra knows that God is a rock and a refuge. It is only in following God that His people can stand on sure footing. So Ezra sets his heart to study. God’s law brings light, boundaries, hope, promise, and a foundation on which to build. It was true for Ezra and it is true for us.