🌊 Isaiah 43:2 | "When you pass through the waters..."

👐 support our work // ⚡️ sponsorship // 📧 subscribe

📧 In today’s email…

• 📖 Background context for the book of Isaiah

• 🤓 Historical context: Isaiah in 3 parts

• 🙏 A prayer and reading to set the tone for the week

• 🎵 A song to help you meditate and memorize this week

Let’s dig in…

 🧠 Memorize

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

Author & Book Context: Isaiah ✍️ 

• What: The book of Isaiah is first book of the Major Prophets. It has the second most chapters of any book in the Bible (second only to the Psalms)

• Original Audience: Jews in the Southern Kingdom of Judah

  • The division of Israel began after Solomon's death.

    • 2 southern tribes (collectively called Judah) remained loyal to the memory of King David

    • The 10 northern tribes (collectively called Israel) revolted from following Solomon's son, Rehoboam.

• Time Period: During the 8th century BC "in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah" (Isaiah 1:1)

Book context: Isaiah in 3 Parts 📖 

Many scholars see the book of Isaiah as organized into 3 sections:

Chapters 1-39 (sometimes called Proto-Isaiah): 

Proto-Isaiah speaks of Israel's desertion of God, the need for repentance and what will follow: Israel will be destroyed by foreign enemies.

Chapters 40-55 (sometimes called Deutero-Isaiah): 

This section is thought to have been written during the Babylonian exile.

It offers comfort and hope of restoration and talks about the liberation of Israel from captivity in Babylon in another Exodus.

Chapters 56-66 (Trito-Isaiah): 

This section is considered to be from a later period, addressing the community after they’ve been liberated from exile in Babylon.

It focuses on themes like restoration and renewal.

Apply & respond: A Way Out of the Cycle ♻️ 

Throughout the Old Testament, we see the nation of Israel in a constant cycle of sin and abandoning God.

God and Israel formed a covenant, and despite Israel’s lack of faithfulness, God pursues them and redeems them.

Again and again.

In contrast to Israel’s cycle of unfaithfulness, we see the cycle of God responding in great mercy.

This is our story.

If we’re honest, we find ourselves caught up in this same cycle of sin and unfaithfulness to God that we see the people of Israel caught up in.

Yet, we have hope.

God made a way for us to be freed from sin and rebellion against Him.

Praise God!

Pray 🙏 

Lord, as I memorize Isaiah 43:2 this week, give me a humble heart and ears to hear your voice.

I trust that you will speak to me through your Word. Show me what work you want to do in my heart. Amen.

Read 📖 

Read Isaiah 43 slowly, preparing your heart to be worked on this week.

🍽️ Bonus: Read it out loud, a few verses at a time, at your dinner table.

Listen 🎵 

Ever wonder why you can remember lyrics from a song you haven’t heard in 20 years? What if we could use that to help us memorize Scripture?

Occasionally, there are songs we find that can help us soak in the verse we’re memorizing.

Here is one where the lyrics pull from the first half of Isaiah 43.

You can click below to listen to Isaiah 43 (Part 1) on Spotify to help you meditate on this passage this week! (or click here to listen on Apple music)

LAUGH 😂 

Our prayer is that God speaks to you through our study of Isaiah 43:2 this week!