Day 0 – Introduction: Why Isaiah? Why this series?

Opening Prayer

Father, as we begin this journey through Isaiah, please quiet my heart and make me ready to hear your voice. Lift my eyes to your greatness, humble me before your holiness, and lead me to Jesus, my hope and King. Amen.

Isaiah is a big book in every sense.

At sixty-six chapters, it is one of the longest books in the Bible. It is also one of the richest. In fact, Isaiah is arguably the most theologically profound book in the Old Testament, and it is quoted more than any other prophecy in the New Testament.

That can make it feel a little daunting at first.

Some parts of Isaiah are immediately familiar and deeply beautiful. Other parts feel weighty, strange, or confronting. There are soaring promises and severe warnings. There is poetry, judgment, comfort, history, hope, and mystery. But that is part of what makes Isaiah such a life-giving book. It does not skim the surface. It takes us deep into the heart of God, the reality of our world, and the hope of salvation.

One of the great gifts of Isaiah is the way it enlarges our vision of God.

Again and again, Isaiah calls him “the Holy One of Israel.” He is not a bigger version of us. He is utterly distinct from his creatures — pure, glorious, sovereign, and beyond compare. And yet this holy God is not distant or indifferent. He binds himself to his people in committed love. Nor is he merely a local deity concerned with one patch of land or one moment in history. He is the Lord of all peoples, the God of the nations.

That is something we need.

We live with such small horizons. Our minds are often filled with our own pressures, fears, ambitions, disappointments, and anxieties. Isaiah lifts our eyes. He reminds us that the nations themselves are tiny and fleeting before the majesty of God. And yet the wonder is that this great God is not too great to care. He commits himself to the good of his people.

But Isaiah does not only show us God. He also shows us ourselves.

And the picture is not flattering.

Isaiah speaks with painful honesty about human sin. He describes it as rebellion against God, the proud refusal of the creature to honour the Creator. That is why Isaiah can be unsettling to read. It exposes us. It names the pride, self-reliance, false worship, and stubbornness that run far deeper in us than we often care to admit.

And because God is holy, he does not simply overlook our sin. Isaiah shows us that judgment is real. God responds to evil with justice — whether through disaster, defeat, exile, or ruin. Those themes are not easy, but they are good for us. A God who never judges evil would not be good. He would not be holy. He would not be worthy of our trust.

But judgment is not the end of Isaiah’s message.

Mercy is.

Running through this great book is the promise of redemption. God calls people to turn from proud rebellion and return to him in repentance and trust. And even more wonderfully, he promises to act himself to mend what sin has broken, through the mysterious figure of the Servant of the Lord — a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

So Isaiah is not simply a book to study.

It is a book to receive.

It calls us to bow before God, to grieve our sin, to tremble at his word, to cling to his promises, and to find our hope in the salvation he provides. It teaches us that the holy God is also the saving God. It teaches us that his judgment is not his final word to those who turn to him. And it teaches us to long for the King and Servant who will bring peace, cleansing, justice, and joy.

That is why this blog exists.

When we did our Lent series in Mark, the aim was to hear God speak through his word, with hearts attentive and Jesus in view. That is our aim here too. Not to rush, not merely to tick off readings, and not to master every difficult verse. The aim is to place ourselves, day by day, under the word of God — to listen, to repent, to believe, and to be changed.

About the plan and blogs

Over the next 12 weeks, we will read through the whole of Isaiah together. 60 days with the weekend to catch up.

Each weekday there will be:

• a short prayer to prepare your heart
• the Bible reading for the day
• a devotional reflection
• some questions for reflection
• and a closing prayer of response

That follows the same basic pattern as the Mark blog. As before, not every part will be equally easy. Some days will comfort us. Some will challenge us. Some will do both at once. But through it all, the prayer is simple: that God would speak, and that we would hear him.

As we read, watch for the great themes that run through Isaiah: the holiness of God, the smallness and pride of humanity, the seriousness of sin, the certainty of judgment, and the wonder of redemption. Above all, watch for the way this book stretches forward toward Jesus — the promised King, the suffering Servant, and the Saviour in whom all God’s purposes find their yes.

So let’s begin with open Bibles and open hearts.

And let’s ask God to do what only he can do: to show us his glory, to humble us by his truth, and to strengthen us with his grace.

Closing Prayer

Holy Father, thank you for giving us your word. As I read Isaiah, please teach me to know you better, to hate my sin more, and to trust your promises more deeply. Keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, and by your Spirit make your word bear good fruit in my life. Amen