Isaiah 45-47

Cyrus the Great

Isaiah 45-47 Study Guide: To be discussed March 22
Day 1: Read Isaiah 45:1-8 (with footnotes 1c,e, 3a, 8b), Bible Dictionary entry, “Cyrus,” Isaiah 46:1-4, Psalm 85:11
1. Read the Bible Dictionary entry, “Cyrus”. Was Cyrus part of covenant Israel? Why did the Lord call Cyrus his “anointed,” decades before his birth?* (See also Isaiah 46:1,4.)


2. What did the Lord promise to do for Cyrus? (Note: “loose the loins of kings” means the Lord would take away the swords of Cyrus’ enemies.)


3. Read Isaiah 45:8 with Psalm 85:11. Can you think of a time when truth has come down from heaven and up from the earth? (Hint: Read Ezekiel 37:15-20.)


Day 2: Read Isaiah 45:9-19 (with footnotes 10a, 11c, 13a, 14b), D&C 38:7-8
4. How might our relationship with God be like the relationship between a piece of clay and a potter?


5. Read D&C 38:7-8. What did Isaiah mean when he wrote, “Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior”? (Isaiah 45:15.) Who is the God of the Old Testament, and how does Isaiah bear witness of Him?



6. How does Isaiah 45:18-19 answer the insolent questions raised in Isaiah 45:9-10?



Day 3: Read Isaiah 45:20-25 (with footnote 23b)
7. Who does the Lord say has “no knowledge” in Isaiah 45:20? (See also Isaiah 44:18.)


8. Read Isaiah 45:22 with D&C 6:36-37. What qualifies Christ to offer salvation?


9. In Isaiah 45, the Lord invites Israel to compare Him to false gods and graven images, knowing there is no comparison. Isaiah 45:22-25 invites us to compare ourselves to the Lord’s righteousness if we have any lingering doubts. What then does it mean when the Lord promises, in Isaiah 45:25, that “… all the seed of Israel [will] be justified….”? What does it mean to be justified?



Day 4: Read Isaiah 46:1-4 (with footnotes 1a,b, 2a, 4b), Bible Dictionary entry, “Bel,” Bible Dictionary entry,"Nebo" (2)
10. Read the Bible Dictionary entries for "Bel" and “Nebo” (entry 2). Where were these idol-gods worshipped? Of what was Nebo the god?


11. Read the footnotes to Isaiah 46:1b and Isaiah 46:2a. How is Isaiah being ironic in his description of these false gods?


12. Who carried the idols? Who carries us? How many pairs of footprints are really in the sand?



Day 5: Read Isaiah 46:5-13 (with footnotes 10b, 11a, 12a, 13b), D&C 1:38
13. Think about the false gods we worship today. Who carries them? Why?


14. In Isaiah 46:9, we are asked to “Remember the former things,” or past miracles. Name a miracle ancient Israel could recall. Now name a miracle from latter-day church history or a personal miracle. Why is it good to reflect on these?


15. Read D&C 1:38 with Isaiah 46:10-13. What evidence do we have that we can count on the Lord to fulfill all his promises?


NOTE: The “ravenous bird from the east” in Isaiah 46:11 is a metaphor describing Cyrus, who would swiftly humble Babylon. From the Institute Manual: “This is a fitting insertion and serves as a prelude to chapter 47….”
Day 6: Read Isaiah 47:1-9 (with footnotes 1b,c, 2a,b, 3a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8b, 9a)
16. According to the footnotes to Isaiah 47:1-2, what should the Babylonians prepare to become? This prophecy was fulfilled around 539 BC, but Isaiah wrote between 740-701 BC. Imagine yourself a citizen of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege of 609-587 BC. How might you feel about Isaiah’s 100-year-old prophecy?


17. According to Isaiah 47:6, how did Babylon treat her prisoners? How does spiritual Babylon, or wickedness, do the same?


18. What two things would come upon Babylon “in a moment in one day” (Isaiah 47:9)? Why?


Day 7: Read Isaiah 47:10-15 (with footnote 11a)
19. List phrases from Isaiah 47:10, indicating Babylon was prideful enough to believe she could exercise wickedness without consequence. Compare to 2 Nephi 9:27-28.


20. According to Isaiah, how much help would Babylon receive from Bel and Nebo at the day of reckoning?


21. Note: The term “merchants” in Isaiah 47:15 refers to religious leaders in Babylon. They are here lumped in with astrologers (sorcerers), stargazers and prognosticators. According to Isaiah 47:14, will they even be able to deliver themselves?


*From the Institute Manual: How could Cyrus, a Persian king, be called the Lord’s “anointed”? Alfred Martin, in his work on Isaiah, gave an excellent answer to this question: “Cyrus is the only Gentile king who is called God’s ‘anointed.’ Since this is the translation of the Hebrew word which we spell in English as Messiah, Cyrus is in a sense a type of the Anointed One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Typology is often misunderstood and abused. A type is a divinely appointed prophetic symbol, usually of Christ. When a person or a thing is called a type, that does not alter its literal meaning or deny its historical reality. Cyrus was a Persian king, and we have no evidence that he ever really knew the true God, although the Persian religion was relatively free from the gross idolatries of the Babylonians. Consequently when it is asserted that Cyrus is a type of Christ, it is not said that he was like the Lord Jesus Christ in every respect. The only intended resemblance is in the fact that Cyrus was the anointed one who delivered the people of Israel from their captivity. As such he points us to the greater Anointed One who saves His people from their sins.” (Isaiah, the Salvation of Jehovah, pp. 77–78.)

Isaiah 43-44

Isaiah 43-44 Study Guide – to be discussed March 15
Day 1: Read Isaiah 43:1-7 (with footnotes 1a, 6b, 7a), Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:7
1. Read Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:7 with Isaiah 43:1 and Isaiah 43:7. What verbs, used in Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:7 in the context of God’s relationship with man, are repeated in both Isaiah 43:1 and Isaiah 43:7? What does this tell you about the Lord? About you?*


2. From Isaiah 43:2 and Isaiah 43:4, how do we know we can trust God?


3. Read Isaiah 43:5-7. What do these verses teach about the gathering of Israel and the power of Christ’s atonement to save and renew?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 43:8-13 (with footnotes 10a, 13a)
4. According to Isaiah 43:8, what two groups of people were/are being gathered? What rhetorical question is asked in Isaiah 43:9?


5. Read the footnote to Isaiah 43:10a. Who is being addressed, beginning in Isaiah 43:10? What are they/we being called to do or to be?


6. From Isaiah 43:10-13, list what the Lord said he has done for his people.



Day 3: Read Isaiah 43:14-21 (with footnotes 17a,b, 20a, 21a), Exodus 14:15-18, John 7:37-39
7. How does the Lord identify himself in Isaiah 43:15?


8. Read Exodus 14:15-18 with Isaiah 43:16-17. When, in Israel’s history, did the Lord make “a way in the sea” and extinguish “the chariot and horse”?


9. Looking forward, what did the Lord promise to do for his people in the future? (See Isaiah 43:19-20, also John 7:37-39.)


Day 4: Read Isaiah 43:22-28 (with footnotes 23a, 24a,b, 26a, 28a,b), Isaiah 1:11-13, Mark 12:28-34, D&C 97:8-9,
D&C 20:77, D&C 58:42-43
10. In Isaiah 43:22-24, the Lord reviews Israel’s history of disloyalty. How are we disloyal when we forget to pray (v. 22)?


11. Read Mark 12:28-34 and Isaiah 1:11-13 with Isaiah 43:23-24. Why were Israel’s ritual offerings scorned by the Lord? How can we make our offerings acceptable? (See also D&C 97:8-9.)


12. Compare Isaiah 43:25-28 with D&C 20:77 and D&C 58:42-43. List keys to repentance.

Day 5: Read Isaiah 44:1-8 (with footnote 3a), Deuteronomy 33:26, footnote “a”
13. Read the footnote to Deuteronomy 33:26a. What does “Jesurun” mean? To whom, then, is Isaiah 44:1-8 addressed?


14. List promised blessings from Isaiah 44:3-5.



15. Isaiah 44:6-8 issues a challenge to false gods to care for and prophesy for Israel as God has. How can we be “witnesses” (v.8) of who God is?


BONUS: List names or titles of Christ in Isaiah 44:6.


Day 6: Read Isaiah 44:9-20 (with footnotes 9b, 11a)
16. Isaiah 44:9-20 deals again with the evils of idol worship. List messages regarding the foolishness of idol worship from Isaiah 44:9-11.


17. In Isaiah 44:12-17, the Lord points out the simple facts of idol manufacture. Who fashions worldly idols? Out of what are they made?


BONUS: Read about how careful and precise idol makers are in their craft (Isaiah 44:13). How might exactness in worship of God overcome idol worship?


18. In Isaiah 44:18, the Lord points out that idol worshippers are as blind and numb as the graven images they worship. How are those whose hearts are set on things of this world living a lie, or feeding on ashes?


Day 7: Read Isaiah 44:21-28 (with footnote 21a)
19. Once again, who forms idols and of what are they made? Now, who formed man? Who formed the earth? Who remembers and redeems you? What are you made of?


20. How does the Lord support his own?


21. List the very specific promises in Isaiah 44:28.


*From the Institute manual: Isaiah 43:1–7 . A Shadow and a Type for One Who Is Called, Before He May Be Owned by the Lord. In these verses, as Isaiah promised the eventual restoration and regathering of Israel, he compared it to a person’s walking on a perilous journey where fire and flood threaten. The metaphor is as valid for an individual as it is for the house of Israel. The Lord called her by name, for Israel is the name given her by covenant and symbolizes the fact that she would eventually be preserved and belong to Him (see Genesis 32:28–30 ). He then promised that as she passed through the perils of her journey back He would be with her. Neither waters nor flood nor the fires of trial and persecution could take away His protection of His chosen people. There may also be a spiritual symbolism in these promises. When Israel escaped from Egypt, she passed through the water (the Red Sea) and was overshadowed with fire, the pillar of fire, and smoke (see Exodus 13:21–22 ; 14:21–22 ). Paul saw these phenomena as types or symbols of the baptism of water and the Holy Ghost (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–4 ). Here Isaiah showed Israel being gathered. One is gathered into the fold by becoming baptized; thus, the symbolism is both spiritually and temporally significant.

Isaiah 41-42

Isaiah 41-42 Study Guide – To be discussed March 1
Day 1: Read Isaiah 41:1-7 Note: Isaiah 41:7 has reference to those who manufacture idols.
1. Why might it be a good idea, when the Lord speaks, for scattered Israel (the islands) to “keep silence”?


BONUS: How does listening to general conference renew your strength?


2. The “righteous man from the east” in Isaiah 41:2 may refer to both Christ and Cyrus, who was a conquering king of Persia. It may also refer to an unnamed or composite Elias. Regardless of who is meant, what is the question in Isaiah 41:2 and the answer in Isaiah 41:4?


3. Isaiah 41:5 indicated there will be fear associated with the coming of Cyrus’ army and with Christ’s Second Coming. Who will have reason to fear at Christ’s coming?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 41:8-16 (with footnotes 14a, 15a), D&C 33:3-6
4. List promises to gathered Israel in Isaiah 41:9-13.



5. In Isaiah 41:15, the Lord said he would make his people into “a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth.” What does a threshing instrument do?


6. Read D&C 33:3-6. What “threshing instrument” today has power to gather, sift and save?


Day 3: Read Isaiah 41:17-24, D&C 133:27-29, 2 Nephi 9:37
7. Read Isaiah 41:17-18 with D&C 133:27-29. How can an individual be like a desert? Can a family, a ward, or a nation be like a desert?


8. What are the promises to all who thirst in Isaiah 41:17-20?



9. Isaiah 41:21-29 was addressed to idol worshippers. The Lord asked if false gods can prophesy or expound, do good or evil, or anything at all. What kinds of thirst can idols quench? (See also 2 Nephi 9:37.)


Day 4: Read Isaiah 41:25-29, D&C 133:50-51
Note: Although Cyrus of Persia was from the east (see Isaiah 41:2) he conquered from the north. He may have been the “one from the north” mentioned in Isaiah 41:25. We will look at Cyrus more closely in Isaiah 44-45. Again, a dual interpretation indicates the one from the north may also refer to Christ (see D&C 133:50-51).
10. How will Christ be like a conquering King when he comes again?


11. List some of the false gods we worship today. Have any of these false gods prophesied of Christ’s divinity or brought good tidings?
12. How are false gods and idols like “wind and confusion”?



Day 5: Read Isaiah 42:1-8 (with footnotes 2a, 3a), Matthew 12:14-21
13. Read Matthew 12:14-21 with Isaiah 42:1-3. How did Christ, in his earthly mission, fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy?


14. From Isaiah 42:5, what qualifies the Lord to “set judgment” (v.4) and administer righteous laws?


15. List what Christ does for us, as given in Isaiah 42:6-7.



Day 6: Read Isaiah 42:9-18 (with footnote 13a), D&C 84:99-102
16. Read D&C 84:99-102 with Isaiah 42:10. What “new song” will we sing at Christ’s coming? What is new about it?


17. Isaiah 42:11-12 indicates even the most remote places on earth will praise the Lord. How is this being accomplished today?


18. List what the Lord does for the blind, as recorded in Isaiah 42:16-17. Who are the spiritually blind?



Day 7: read Isaiah 42:19-25, JST Isaiah 42:19-23 (p. 801 in Bible Appendix)
19. How can we be perfect, notwithstanding our blindness?


20. Historically, how have the children of Israel been “a people robbed and spoiled,” snared and imprisoned?



21. Why did the Lord allow his people to be robbed and spoiled?



From the Institute Manual: Isaiah 42:9–16 . The Restoration of the Gospel in the Latter Days Foretold
The prophet Isaiah introduced the vision of the restoration of the gospel in the latter days by explaining that the truths and the keys of former days were to be restored. He also observed the restoration of new keys in the dispensation of the fulness of times (see v. 9 ). Using the metaphor of childbirth he described the restoration of the earthly kingdom following a long period of apostasy, during which the heavens had been sealed (see v. 14 ; compare Revelation 12:1–2, 13, 17 ). The Church will be restored in the last days, before the destruction that will make the mountains as plains and dry up the waters, and before the return of the scattered tribes of Israel, when they will come on paths they have not known, and the light of the gospel will dispel the darkness they have so long endured (see Isaiah 42:15–16 ). Isaiah reiterated the Lord’s promise that the restored gospel would not be taken again from the earth and that the Lord will not forsake His own. (See v. 16 ; compare Isaiah 2:2–3 ; 11:11–16 ; 29:14–15, 18–19 ; Daniel 2:44–45 ; Joel 2:25–29 .)

Isaiah 38-40

Battering-ram, sappers and archers from the Lachish relief.

Isaiah 38-40 Study Guide: To be discussed February 16
Note: The events recorded in Isaiah 38-39 may have preceded the events in Isaiah 36-37. Also, Isaiah 38:21-22 should be read between Isaiah 38, verses 6 and 7. At the time of this prophecy, Hezekiah had no heir to succeed him on the throne.
Day 1: Read Isaiah 38:1-8 and 21-22 (with footnote 21a), 2 Kings 20:1-11
1. What did Hezekiah do when Isaiah told him his illness was fatal?


2. Why do you think the Lord directed Isaiah to administer to Hezekiah and bless him with more years? Why didn’t he do this in the first place?


3. What sign did the Lord offer as a witness that Hezekiah’s life would be spared and lengthened?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 38:9-19 (with footnotes 12b, 14a, 16a, 17a), Alma 34:32-34
4. When Hezekiah was sick, how did he feel about dying? (See Isaiah 38:9-13.)


5. How did Hezekiah show humility? (Note: An alternate translation for Isaiah 38:15 reads, “… I won’t walk in bitterness….”).


6. Compare Hezekiah’s words in Isaiah 38:18-20 with Amulek’s words in Alma 34:32-34. What did both Hezekiah and Amulek understand about Christ’s atonement?


BONUS: To whom did Hezekiah say he would “make known the truth”?

Day 3: Read Isaiah 39:1-8, 2 Kings 20:19-20
7. Why did Hezekiah show his treasures to the king of Babylon?


8. What did Isaiah prophesy regarding Babylon? Why might it have been a bad idea to take the Babylonians on a tour of the temple?


9. What was Hezekiah’s reaction to Isaiah’s prophetic statement? (See also 2 Kings 20:19-20.)


Day 4: Read Isaiah 40:1-8 (with footnotes 2a, 4b,f), Exodus 22:4,7, D&C 101:22-23, D&C 33:9-11, D&C 124:7-8
Note: The Hebrew word translated “comfortably” in Isaiah 40:2 could alternately be translated “tenderly” or “kindly.”
10. Read Exodus 22:4, 7 with Isaiah 40:1-2. What was the law in Israel regarding theft or loss of property? Why did Isaiah say Israel would receive “double” for all her sins?


11. Read D&C 101:22-23 with Isaiah 40:3-5. How can we help prepare the way, or remove obstacles, so the glory of the Lord may be revealed? (See also D&C 33:9-11.)


12. Read D&C 124:7-8 with Isaiah 40:6-8. In what ways are all people like grass or flowers? Is not our eternal life God’s work and glory?*
Day 5: Read Isaiah 40:9-17
13. In Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah tells covenant Israel to (1) go to the temple and (2) lift up their voices and “Behold your God.” List characteristics and attributes of God from Isaiah 40:10-11.



14. In Isaiah 40:12-25, the prophet asks, rhetorically, in various ways, “Who can compare with our God?” Read Isaiah 40:12-17, looking for physical manifestations of the Lord’s power.


15. Now re-read Isaiah 40:12-17, looking for spiritual manifestations of the Lord’s power.


Day 6: Read Isaiah 40:18-25, Isaiah 55:18-19, Psalm 121:1-4, Matthew 26:40
16. How do man-made idols compare with the Lord?


17. Isaiah 40:20 indicates idol worship is not only a rich man’s folly. Even the poor can carve themselves idols of wood. How do we carve out our own idols today?


18. Read Isaiah 55:8-9. How will understanding Isaiah contribute to humility?


Day 7: Read Isaiah 40:26-31 (with footnotes 27a, 28c, 31a)
19. Where is the reader directed to look in Isaiah 40:26? Why? Rewrite the question in Isaiah 40:27 in your own words.


20. Read Isaiah 40:28-30 with Psalm 121:1-4 and Matthew 26:40. What comforting attribute of God is described by Isaiah in these verses?


21. How does faith and hope in the power of the atonement renew your strength?**



*From the Institute Manual: Isaiah 40:6–8 . What Does “All Flesh Is Grass” Mean? The metaphors the prophets drew from the land of Canaan had poignant spiritual messages. The spring rains, called the “latter rains” ( Jeremiah 3:3 ), fall through April and May. During these rains the grass springs up in Israel as a spontaneous, green carpet over the land in such abundance and splendor that it seems it could never fail. Within a very short time the rains end, however, and the fierce summer heat turns the grass brown almost overnight. [Sounds like San Diego!] It simply seems to disappear across the barren hills. The withered, lifeless grass was the metaphor Isaiah chose to describe the wicked whose ways seem to be so attractive to the world but cannot endure long. Only those sanctified of the Lord will withstand the glory of His coming, for the wicked will be as the dried grass before a blazing fire.
** Regarding Isaiah 40:31: The greater promise reserved for those who have been true and faithful in keeping the commandments by waiting upon the Lord is found in their being able to “run and not be weary” and to “walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 ; compare D&C 89:18–21 .) To have the strength to run the race of life without becoming weary is a valuable promise; to be able to journey with safety and not faint or fall away from the truth is a great blessing. What consolation and encouragement it is to those who wait upon the Lord to be able to serve mightily and not weary of it, to walk with certainty and not fall away.

Isaiah36-37

Isaiah 36-37 Study Guide – to be discussed February 9
Note from Institute Manual: “The account in 2 Kings 18:13–19:37 is very similar to the account in Isaiah 36–37 . Sennacherib was the son of Sargon II and had numerous conquests to his credit. Clay tablets recording his various campaigns have been preserved and deciphered. The portion of one tablet that relates to the partial conquest of Judah reads as follows: ‘As for Hezekiah the Jew, who did not submit to my yoke, forty-six of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small cities in their neighborhood, which were without number—by constructing a rampart out of trampled earth and by bringing up battering-rams, by the attack of infantry, by tunnels, breaches, and [the use of] axes, I besieged and took [those cities]. Two hundred thousand, one hundred and fifty people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle, and sheep without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. Himself like a caged bird I shut in Jerusalem his royal city. Earthworks I threw up against him; the one coming out of the city gate I turned back to his misery.’ (In Madeleine S. Miller and J. Lane Miller, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, s.v. ‘Sennacherib.’)”
Day 1: Read 2 Kings 18:1-8, 13-16, Bible Dictionary entry, “Hezekiah,” and Bible Dictionary entry, “Hezekiah’s Tunnel”
1. How old was Hezekiah when he began to reign? List what he did to reform Judah (2 Kings 18:4-7).



2. What happened in the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign (2 Kings 18:13-16)?


3. What was Hezekiah’s tunnel? How long was it? Why was it critical to the safety of Jerusalem?



Day 2: Read Isaiah 36:1-10 (with footnotes 2a, 7a), Isaiah 7:3
Note: The narrative in Isaiah 36-37 took place around 701 BC.
4. Review Isaiah 7:3. Where did the Lord send Isaiah and his son to meet with Ahaz (then king of Judah)? Where did Assyria’s king send his chief officer (Rabshakeh) to deliver Assyria’s ultimatum and diatribe to Judah?


5. What did Assyria have to say about Judah’s alliance with Egypt?



6. How did Rabshakeh attempt to cast doubt on Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord? (See footnote to Isaiah 36:7a.)



Day 3: Read Isaiah 36:11-22 (with footnotes 11a, 19a, 21a), Isaiah 22:20-25
Note from the Institute Manual: “Lachish was a fortified city in the land of Judah that guarded the main highway to Jerusalem from the south. By destroying Lachish, the Assyrians would deprive Judah of any support from Egypt as well as depriving them of one of their strongest fortifications (see 2 Chronicles 32:9 ).”
7. Review Isaiah 22:20-25, with footnote 20a. Eliakim was like a prime minister in Judah. How did he receive this position?


8. Why did Eliakim, Shebna and Joah ask Rabshakeh to speak in the Syrian language (Aramaic) instead of Hebrew? Why did the Assyrian continue to speak Hebrew?


9. What arguments and tactics did Rabshakeh use to try to persuade Judah to surrender?

Day 4: Read Isaiah 37:1-7 (with footnotes 3b,c, 7a,b)
Note from the Institute Manual: “In Isaiah 37 is found one of the most remarkable stories in scriptural history. The Assyrian army, with all its might and power, encircled Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom had already fallen; all of Judah except Jerusalem itself was in Assyrian hands. There was no cause to hope that they could successfully resist. [But] Hezekiah had been a righteous king (see 2 Kings 18:4–6 ), and now he trusted in God again.
10. What did Hezekiah do when he heard the message of the Assyrians?


11. In what ways did the words of Rabshakeh, representing Assyria, blaspheme or mock the Lord?


12. How did Isaiah answer Hezekiah’s call for help?


Day 5: Read Isaiah 37:8-20 (with footnotes 17a, 18a)
13. What “rumor” or report did the Assyrians receive, and what did it cause them to do?


14. Where did Hezekiah go when he received the latest Assyrian threats?


15. List elements of Hezekiah’s prayer, ie: (1) He addressed the Lord, (2) ….



Day 6: Read Isaiah 37:21-29 (with footnotes 22a, 26a), D&C 109:24-28
16. How did the Lord show he accepted and honored Hezekiah’s prayer?


17. When Rabshakeh reproached Judah, whom did he really reproach? What was wrong with the Assyrian boasts in Isaiah 37:24?



BONUS: Read D&C 109:24-28. If you consider yourself a part of God’s army, what kind of protection might you expect?


18. Rewrite the Lord’s response to the Assyrians from Isaiah 37:28-29 in your own words.




Day 7: Read Isaiah 37:30-38 (with footnotes 30a, 36c)
19. What sign did the Lord offer Hezekiah and his people?


20. List the very specific promises the Lord gave Judah in Isaiah 37:33-35.



21. How many in the Assyrian army DID NOT get up the next morning? What was the final fate of Sennacherib?

Isaiah 33-35

Isaiah 33-35 Study Guide – to be discussed February 2
Day 1: Read Isaiah 33:1-6, Omni 1:13, Psalm 97:2
Note: The pronoun “thee” in Isaiah 33:1 may refer to Shalmaneser of Assyria, representing wickedness, oppression, and treachery. “Their” in Isaiah 33:2 should read “our.”
1. What will eventually happen to the wicked, even though they seem to get away with murder?


2. Read Omni 1:13 with Isaiah 33:2. How can we look to the Lord to be our “arm every morning” and our “salvation in time of trouble”?


3. With what has the Lord filled Zion? (See also Psalm 97:2.) What is His treasure?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 33:7-18 (with footnotes 8a, 15b,d,e), Bible Dictionary entry, “Sharon,” Bible Dictionary entry, “Carmel,” Bible Dictionary entry, “Bashan,” Psalm 24:3-4
Note: Isaiah 33:7-9 returns to the theme of an Assyrian attack.
4. Lebanon was the capital of Syria, an ally to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during Assyria’s attack. Look up “Sharon,” “Bashan,” and “Carmel” in the Bible Dictionary, then find them on map 1 in your Bible Map section. What do these three places have in common? What did Isaiah prophesy concerning these areas?


5. What is the end result of a wicked lifestyle?


6. Read Psalm 24:3-4 with Isaiah 33:14-17. Compare questions asked in each passage. List six qualities of discipleship from Isaiah 33:15 and six blessings of discipleship from Isaiah 33:16-17.



Day 3: Read Isaiah 33:18-24 (with footnotes 18a, 19a, 21a)
7. Another translation of the first phrase in Isaiah 33:18 reads, “You shall recount in your mind the terror….” When foreign invaders are gone, what are the righteous remnant encouraged to look upon? Why?


8. Rearrange the verses in Isaiah 33 as follows: 19, 20, 24, 21, 23, 22. The galleys and gallant ships mentioned in Isaiah 33:21 are enemy ships – which, according to Isaiah 33:23, will not be able to sail in the “broad rivers” (living waters) of Zion. List other promises to Israel from Isaiah 33:19-21.



9. Isaiah 33:22, explains why Zion is a goal to be desired. What can we count on the Lord to be and do for us when he comes again?


Day 4: Read Isaiah 34:1-10 (with footnotes 4a, 5a, 7a, 9a), D&C 1:1-3, Revelation 6:12-15, D&C 88:95
Note: Isaiah 34 contains harsh words to the wicked, followed by beautiful promises of hope to the righteous in Isaiah 35. In these chapters, “unicorns” should read “oxen”; “dragons” should be “jackals”; “satyrs” should read “goats.” “Idumea” is another name for Edom, and represents the wicked world.
10. Read D&C 1:1-3 with Isaiah 34:1-3. Although these passages were written nearly 2700 years apart, they have much in common. List similar themes or phrases from these scripture blocks.
11. Read Revelation 6:12-15 with Isaiah 34:4-5 and D&C 88:95. Comparing Isaiah 34:4 with Revelation 6:13, what might the “host of heaven” represent? According to D&C 88:95, what will be revealed when the “scroll” of heaven is unfolded or unrolled?


12. From Isaiah 34:8, what “day” is being described in these verses? (See also chapter heading.)


Day 5: Read Isaiah 34:11-17 (with footnotes 11c, 13a)
13. Look up “cormorant” and “bittern” in any dictionary. (“Bittern” is also in the Bible Dictionary.) What kind of animals are these? Why might they be associated with owls, ravens, and jackals?



14. All the beasts mentioned in Isaiah 34:11-15 are considered unclean according to Mosaic Law. What message might this send to Israel regarding the indignation of the Lord?


15. The JST for Isaiah 35:16 reads, “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read the names written therein: no one of these shall fail, none shall lack their mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and my spirit it hath gathered them.” Read the note below from the Institute Manual.* List promises from Isaiah 34:16-17.


Day 6: Read Isaiah 35:1-4 (with footnote 1c), D&C 49:24-25, Review Isaiah 34:9, D&C 81:5, D&C 45:71
16. Read the footnote to Isaiah 35:1c and D&C 49:24-25. For whom will the wilderness and the solitary place be glad?


17. Compare Isaiah 35:2 with Isaiah 34:9. What is the good news for these areas in the Holy Land?


18. Read Isaiah 35:3-4 with D&C 81:5. How can we actively strengthen tired hands and revive stumbling knees today?


Day 7: Read Isaiah 35:5-10 (with footnotes 6a, 7b)
19. List phrases from Isaiah 35:5-7 indicating the gospel heals.



20. Isaiah 35:8 reintroduces the idea that there will be a “highway” for the righteous remnant in the last days (see Isaiah 11:16). According to Isaiah 35:8, what will this highway be called?


21. From Isaiah 35:10, with what will the “ransomed of the Lord” return? (See also D&C 45:71)


*From the Institute Manual: Isaiah 34:16–17 . What Is the “Book of the Lord”? Not all people, of course, are wicked, and those who are not will be saved from the destroying fire—both the spiritual (hell) and the physical (see 1 Nephi 22:15–17 ). The names of the children of the Lord who have kept their covenants are enrolled in a special book known as “the book of the Lord” ( Isaiah 34:16 ), “the book of the law of God” ( D&C 85:5 ; see also vv. 9, 11 ), or “the book of life” ( Revelation 20:12 ). Records of our works are kept on earth by the Lord’s clerks, but the book of life is the record kept in heaven. Both records should agree (see D&C 128:6–9 ). Of those whose names are recorded in the heavenly book, “no one of these shall fail” ( Isaiah 34:16 ). The promise that “none shall want [lack] their mate” (JST, Isaiah 34:16 ) is particularly interesting to Latter-day Saints since we know that only through the ordinance of celestial marriage can we have our mate eternally.

Isaiah 30-32

Isaiah 30-32 Study Guide – to be discussed January 26
Day 1: Read Isaiah 30:1-7 (with footnotes 2b, 5a, 6a,b), Jeremiah 2:17-19
Note: Chapter 30 was written approx. 705-701 BC. Sargon II of Assyria had died. Judah joined the Philistines and the Phonecians in rebellion against Assyria. Judah made a treaty for protection with Egypt. Oops.
1. How did the people of Judah “add sin to sin” (v.1) when they relied on their alliance with Egypt? See also Jeremiah 2:17-19.


2. If Egypt represents worldly attitudes and tyranny, how do we sometimes look to Egypt for help today? From Isaiah 30:3, what two things will be ours if we misplace our faith?


3. Read the footnote to Isaiah 30:6a and b. What is the “burden of the beasts of the south”?


Day 2: Read Isaiah 30:8-17 (with footnote 9a)
4. Why was it important for Isaiah to record this message of doom?


5. Why did the people reject Jehovah and His truth? In what did Israel put her trust, according to Isaiah 30:12?


BONUS: How is sin like a crack in the city wall?


6. Isaiah 30:16-17 describes the lonely state of scattered Israel. From Isaiah 30:15, what counsel did the Lord give Israel that, if followed, would have given strength and salvation?


Day 3: Read Isaiah 30:18-26 (with footnotes 18a,b, 20b, 21a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a)
7. According to the footnote for Isaiah 20:18a, for what will the Lord wait?


8. List temporal and spiritual blessings from Isaiah 30:19-26. Who is our Teacher?


9. How does the Lord give you the rain for your seed today? How does he “bind up the breach” (v.20)?


BONUS: Make a note of all the metaphors you find in Isaiah 30:18-26.



Day 4: Read Isaiah 30:27-33 (with footnotes 27a, 29a,b,d, 32a,b, 33a), Bible Dictionary entry, “Topeth”
10. When wickedness is destroyed, who will have a sacred, joyful song to sing? (See footnotes 27a, 29a.)


11. According to Isaiah 30:31, what power is greater than the Assyrian army (or forces of wickedness)?


12. Look up “Topeth” in the Bible Dictionary. Where was Topeth and for what was it known? Of what might it be a symbol?
Day 5: Read Isaiah 31:1-9, D&C 45:68-71 (with footnotes 2a, 3a,b, 5a, 8b)
Note from Institute manual: “This chapter follows a theme similar to that of the chapter preceding it . However, “the first warning speaks against trusting the wisdom of man, and the second against trusting the power of man” (Nyman, “Great Are the Words of Isaiah,” p. 118). “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help,” for there is none there ( Isaiah 31:1 ). “The Egyptians are men, and not God”; they themselves and those they help “shall fail together” ( v. 3 ). Only the Lord can save Israel. Isaiah said, “Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted,” and “then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man,” but of the Lord ( vv. 6, 8 ). The “Egyptian” and the “Assyrian” of the latter days may be those in whom a modern people trust rather than in the Lord.”
13. It must have seemed quite practical for Judah to trust in her alliance with Egypt. Why was this a big mistake?


14. What did the Lord compare himself to in Isaiah 31:4? In Isaiah 31:5? Why are these appropriate symbols?


15. Read D&C 45:68-71. Why will the princes of wickedness (or heirs of sin) retreat and be afraid in the face of the Lord’s ensign?


Day 6: Read Isaiah 32:1-8 (with footnotes 2a, 5a,b,c, 6a, 7a, 9b)
Note from Institute manual: Orson Pratt saw this scripture (Isaiah 32) as applying not only to ancient Israel but also to the Latter-day Saints, who were driven from their homes in the East to the deserts of the Rocky Mountains. “Did you see it, Isaiah, as well as the people that live in our day? Did you see a people go into the desert and offer up thanksgiving and the voice of melody? Did you see that desert and wilderness redeemed from its sterile condition and become like the garden of Eden? ‘O yes,’ says Isaiah, ‘I saw it all, and I left it on record for the benefit of the generation that should live some two or three thousand years after my day.’ But Isaiah, are we to understand that the people are to be gathered together in that desert, and that the gathered people are to be instrumental in the hands of God, in redeeming that desert? Yes, Isaiah has told us all this. We will go back to what we read in his thirty-second chapter —’Until the spirit be poured out upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.’ What fruitful field? Why, the wilderness that will be converted into a fruitful field. ‘The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness, and assurance forever; and my people shall dwell in peaceable habitations, and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places.’
16. Read the chapter heading to Isaiah 32. Who is the “king” and “man” referred to in Isaiah 32:1-2?


17. From Isaiah 32:3-4, describe what effect this ruler will have on his people. Would you like to be a citizen in his realm?


18. Isaiah 32:6-8 contain an elaboration on the three types of people listed in Isaiah 32:5. Use the footnotes for Isaiah 32:5 to describe the three types of people (liberal = bountiful). Isaiah’s point is that their true worth will be seen clearly.


Day 7: Read Isaiah 32:9-20 (with footnotes 9b, 12a, 14a, 19b)
19. If the women described in Isaiah 32:9-11 represent all the proud and complacent, what counsel and warnings are extended to them in Isaiah 32:9-14? (Note: Isaiah 32:12-14 describe a long period of destruction to come.)


20. Isaiah 32:15-20 prophesy regarding peaceful conditions to come upon Israel in a future day of righteousness. Look again at the chapter heading. When will this promise be realized?


21. What will the works of righteousness bring?