See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. – Isaiah 52:13

Today's Scripture Reading (October 31, 2026): Isaiah 52

On November 11, 1843, Danish poet and author Hans Christian Anderson first published his fairy tale, The Ugly Duckling. The tale is a barnyard story about a misfit bird who is unlike the other birds. Because of the differences between this bird and all of the other birds, the misfit is abused by the other animals in the barnyard. In the story, the bird is chased from the barnyard and decides to live with the wild ducks and geese. However, even here in the forest, the torment that started in the barnyard continued. So, the Ugly Duckling moves on to find a home with an older woman, but her cat and hen continue the merciless teasing. So, once more, the duckling leaves. The duckling encounters a migrating flock of swans and is impressed by their beauty and majesty, but he is too small and too young to fly with them, so he wanders off again. A farmer finally finds the duckling cold and dying and brings it home, but the children are noisy, and the duckling is easily frightened, so he runs away again. That winter is miserable for the duckling, but he survives on what he can find to eat and hides in a cave for most of it. When spring arrives once more, he is confronted by the returning flock of swans. Lonely and tired, the duckling decides to join the swans, thinking it would be better to be killed by such beautiful birds than to spend the rest of his days alone. However, to his surprise, the swans do not kill him; instead, they accept him into their group without question. The duckling is bewildered until he sees his reflection in the pond and realizes he has grown into a beautiful swan. The story is often used to encourage children who are teased by their peers as a reminder that there is something special in them as well. Each of us harbors a swan inside, waiting to be released.

This verse starts a new prophecy for Isaiah. We know it as the "Suffering Servant" passage. Composed about 500 years before Christ's birth, it has been almost universally accepted as telling the story of Jesus. The passage talks about Jesus being beaten and mocked. It describes Jesus's humility; nothing in his appearance commended him to us. The "Suffering Servant" begins with this reminder: the Suffering Servant would do all that was asked of him, and in the end, he would not just be lifted up, but highly exalted. The one we could, for a while, find no beauty in would one day be the most beautiful sight the world could imagine.

The baby, born in a manger and born to die for the sins of the world, will one day be placed back on the throne of heaven to reign over all creation. In the end, the Bible says Jesus's story is the real tale of the Ugly Duckling, the Savior of the world who became like us and was abused by us, all to save us. And that is the real mystery of the incarnation and Christian life.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53

I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass? – Isaiah 51:12

Today's Scripture Reading (October 30, 2026): Isaiah 51

Kings and empires die. It is simply a fact of life. I have to admit, sometimes I wonder why kings don't ask themselves one simple question: How will I be remembered when I am gone? What lasting legacy will I leave my people and my family, the ones who carry my name? But instead of asking that question, the more common one seems to be: How do I get what I want out of this life? And it is not just emperors asking; that is the question on our lips as well.

I admit that I have done things in my lifetime that have hurt my legacy. Even I am not immune to the temptation to simply want what I want. Sometimes, as Christians, we need reminders that the beginnings of our faith were humble: a baby born in a manger and a people called by God to serve the culture in which they lived. In the beginning, Christianity was anti-empire; it had no means to gain power and no ambition to do so. Christians were aliens, strangers in a strange land. Christians were persecuted, but that did not seem to change their outlook; after all, their founder had been executed on a cross. For Aristotle, dying in battle to defend the king and empire was the greatest example of courage and honor. For the early Christian, to die in non-violent service to Christ the King, to be executed because of Jesus's message, was the path of real courage and honor. In the early days of our faith, many Christians died that way. However, when Constantine rose to become Emperor of the Roman Empire, all of that changed. Strangers living in a strange land became chosen and honored residents, and, in a strange twist of history, the persecuted became the persecutors. In that moment, we lost the legacy we were meant to carry (and many would argue we lost our souls, too). Almost 1700 years after Constantine, the Christian church has never regained the legacy we lost in the early moments of the fourth century.

That might be why Jesus was born in a manger rather than in a warm room in the inn: to remind us of the legacy we were meant to carry. We are still aliens, strangers in a strange land. We were never meant to be lawmakers; we follow the law of Christ, which makes us servants to those around us. We are salt and light, members of the anti-empire, or anti-kingdom, a countercultural force standing against this world's darkness. We recognize that only our God is permanent. Kings and empires will always rise and fall (as much as some of us don't want to believe it; that includes the Christian Empire, which rose in the fourth century and has been slowly diminishing for the last few generations). All the things of man are like grass; they are here today and gone tomorrow. But Christ, born in a manger, executed on a cross, and rising again on the third day, is the only piece of permanence we have. And if he is for us, "then who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 52

I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. – Isaiah 50:6

Today's Scripture Reading (October 29, 2026): Isaiah 50

In the movie "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," a great scene shows the family gathered around the dinner table. They are ready to eat, but before they do, they want to pray. Ricky Bobby begins the mealtime prayer by addressing it to Baby Jesus. He is reminded by various family members that Jesus grew up, but that fact has little effect on Ricky, who starts his prayer over again. "Dear Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Baby Jesus, in your golden, fleece diapers, with your curled-up, fat, balled-up little fists pawin' at the air …" Ricky is pressed by the other characters that Jesus was a man and that he had a beard, but Ricky Bobby is undeterred. After all, Ricky likes the baby version of Jesus the best. 

As I write this, Christmas is getting close. It is still almost two months away, but stores where I live start putting up Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween is over. A reminder that the joyful time of year is closing in on us whether we are ready for it or not. And many of us would admit we like the baby version of Jesus best. At its best, Christmas is a happy time. At least, that is what we want it to be. The Christmas story is filled with comforting images: a baby in a manger, surrounded by love; angels descending from heaven to bring the good news to shepherds; and even wise men bringing gifts to the child they believe will one day be "The King of the Jews." However, along with the comforting images, there are also disquieting ones, including a prophecy from an old priest named Simeon:

This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too (Luke 2:34-35).

They were probably not the exact words that Mother Mary was waiting to hear.

Yet in some of the earliest writings about the Messiah, the suffering of the one who would be the Christ is also a common thread. We can't speak of the birth of Jesus without being reminded of the death for which he was born. As much as the birth of Christ might comfort us, his purpose is fulfilled only in his death. This purpose is one reason the death and resurrection of Jesus were immediately recognized, while the birth wasn't celebrated for centuries.

This passage in Isaiah is messianic (meaning it is about Jesus). Jesus attests to that fact. As he was preparing for his last journey into Jerusalem, he said,

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him …" (Luke 18:31-33).

The scene Jesus had in mind seems to come directly from this passage in Isaiah. There is no mention of Jesus's beard being pulled out by his tormentors (Isaiah mentions it), but it would not be surprising if they did; that painful act would have been a common torture of the day.

So, our reality is that even in the joy of our Christmas celebrations, we are reminded of the death of Christ. In many ways, the two events cannot be separated. As much as we may want to pray to Dear Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Baby Jesus – the Baby grew up, and he had a beard that could be pulled out and a back that would be laid open to the flogger’s whip; the Baby who was born to die so that we might live. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 51

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother's womb he has spoken my name. – Isaiah 49:1

Today's Scripture Reading (October 28, 2026): Isaiah 49

Christmas is coming. I guess that is an ever-present reality. I mean, the day after Christmas, some people start planning for the next Christmas celebration, which, depending on the year, is only 364 or 365 days away. I have friends who have already finished preparing for a Christmas celebration that is now just under two months away. I have always waited until much closer to the day before I start my preparations. However, even when Christmas is still months away, the story of Christmas is always with us. The Incarnation, God with us, shapes our faith and everything that we do.

The eighth-century B.C.E. prophet Micah wrote about the coming incarnation. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:2). The biblical historian Luke wrote that;

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:30-33).

Isaiah sends a message to distant lands: someone is coming for them. The Messiah's coming was not just an event important to Israel. His coming would matter to the entire world. Before he was born, God would call him, supporting Micah's message that his roots would be "of old, from ancient times." Luke confirms Isaiah's message that "from my mother's womb he has spoken my name" by declaring that the angel called him Jesus before he was even conceived.

So, Merry Christmas. The celebration might still be a couple of months away, but the reality of the Incarnation of the Messiah is with us every day of the year, and not just in the cold, snowy days of December.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 50

Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob." – Isaiah 48:20

Today's Scripture Reading (October 27, 2026): Isaiah 48

In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Infinite Regress," Seven of Nine is confronted with a Borg version of multiple personality disorder. Voices begin to speak to Seven, and at times the voices threaten to overwhelm her. She starts responding to stimuli that aren't there. The result is confusing; Seven can't understand what's happening to her. It might be the most terrifying condition a person can suffer through: finding yourself in a place where you can no longer trust your own senses, yet knowing you need to take some kind of action.

Earlier in this blog, we discussed the theory that the chapters starting with Isaiah 40 were written later than the book's first thirty-nine chapters. A few passages seem to have been written later. Again, part of the issue is with verses like this one. This command makes absolutely no sense if it was written to the pre-exilic Judean community who had no idea that they were going to spend 70 years in exile in Babylon. For those living in Judah during the lifetime of the original Isaiah, Babylon wasn't even a threat to Judean independence. The passage in itself is a reaction to a stimulus that just is not there, not yet. However, it was a badly needed message for those who were taken to Babylon and a reminder that they would one day be redeemed by God and returned home.

There would be another problem. After 70 years in Babylon, Babylon had become the only home many exiled Jews knew. So when the moment of release came, many seemed unwilling to return to Jerusalem and Judea. It was like they had a personality disorder; in this moment, they identified more with Babylon than they did with their homeland, and more with the gods of Babylon than with the God who had promised to them the very land into which they were being invited back.

So, Isaiah instructs the people to scream the news from the rooftops. God has redeemed the descendants of Jacob, and he is calling them home. This message needed to be repeated continually, as far as the Babylonian empire extended, until the children of Jacob heard it and returned to their land, their homes, and their inheritance.

Sometimes we miss the obvious. Like a person who can no longer trust their own senses, we tend to forget who we are and that our Father loves us. We forget He is still calling us to make a difference. Sometimes we need someone willing to remind us of what should be obvious, someone willing to shout the message from the rooftops in the hope that we will hear it and understand. We are the loved and valued of God, and God is calling us to a purpose, a purpose that can only be fulfilled by us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 49

All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. – Isaiah 47:13

Today's Scripture Reading (October 26, 2026): Isaiah 47

I don't like horoscopes. I know quite a few people who never leave the house without checking their stars, but it has never made much sense to me. I am also not big on fortune tellers, or fortune cookies, for that matter. My problem with all of this is that it feels like I am waiting for life to happen to me. Either I have a tall, dark, and handsome stranger in my future or not (being a guy, I am not sure what I would do with one of those, but maybe you ladies can tell me why you are all meeting the same guy), but either way I am just not convinced that any of it is written in the stars. I want to pursue life and chase it down, not passively wait for life to happen to me.

The real message of Isaiah seems to be that Babylon had become complacent. There seems to have been a change in the way that the Empire was being run following the days of the proactive Nebuchadnezzar. The current method of defending the Empire seemed to rely on the nation's magicians: enlisting stargazers to read the stars and predict the enemy's moves, then using their magic to stop the attack, all without expending any physical energy in their own defense.

Isaiah reminds Israel that the strategy wouldn't work. Babylon's reliance on its stargazers to predict the future and their magical defense of the Empire was about to fail. All their chasing after astrologers and stargazers, and all their readings of the monthly reports from their fortune tellers, would accomplish nothing except make them tired. In the end, Babylon would still fall.

All of this might help explain the strange night Babylon fell. That night, Belshazzar, the prince left in charge of the city, was enjoying himself at a drunken feast with his friends while the city's gates were left undefended. The city's lack of preparedness might simply be because the prince trusted his magicians and astrologers more than his advisors. Although we know Belshazzar received numerous reports about the advancing Persian army, he chose to ignore them, trusting the stars instead of his military.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 48

 

From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. – Isaiah 46:11

Today's Scripture Reading (October 25, 2026): Isaiah 46

The Shahbaz was a fabled bird said to live in Iran's mountain ranges. The Shahbaz has been described as being a bird much like the American Bald Eagle. Like the Bald Eagle, the Shahbaz was regal in nature; in fact, the name "Shahbaz" means "Royal Bird." However, the Shahbaz was more than just a bird. For the ancient Persians, the Shahbaz was a god. People believed the Shahbaz guided the Persian Empire. Circling high above the sacred Persian land, the bird's eyes saw everything that happened within the empire, and it protected the people and their king.

What is maybe significant for Bible scholars is that archaeologists have found flags and military standards from the time of Cyrus the Great decorated with this mythical bird of prey. It is thought that, beginning with the reign of Cyrus the Great and continuing through his immediate descendants, the Shahbaz became the symbol of Persia and was celebrated on the standard that flew above the empire's conquering military. Some have suggested that the Shahbaz was an appropriate symbol for Cyrus, whose armies struck swiftly and often without much warning.

So once again we have a very specific prophecy given to the Judean exiles living in Babylon, reminding them that God is already at work in sending them relief. Isaiah speaks of God summoning a bird of prey from the East. The allusion seems to be to the Shahbaz, represented by Cyrus and the Persians. According to Isaiah, God summons Shahbaz to fly to Babylon and send his people home, and Isaiah makes it clear that this foreign king serves the purposes of Israel's God.

Cyrus the Great became known as the great liberator for sending the slaves and exiles of the nations he conquered back home. This practice of freeing exiles earned Cyrus the Great something very few conquerors could claim: the respect of the people he ruled.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 47