See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. – Isaiah 32:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 26, 2026): Isaiah 32

In 2026, it is hard to listen to the news without worrying about the various conflicts on the world stage. As I write this post, one of the conflicts that worries me is in Iran. I don't think it is a good idea for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, although if I am brutally honest, I don't think it is healthy for anyone to possess a nuclear weapon. The possession of weapons that any unstable, or maybe even a stable, genius could use to destroy a civilization seems like a bad idea. But part of my struggle as the American-Iranian conflict continues is that one of its outcomes has been the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway on which several nations in the neighborhood depend. It seems that it was through this conflict that Iran discovered the power it has to close the Strait and the ways it can economically benefit from controlling the international waterway, something it wasn't sure of before the conflict began. That knowledge won't disappear after the war is over, and there is no telling how Iran might use its newfound knowledge. It is an unintended effect of the conflict that has changed the world in which we live.

Russia's war against Ukraine continues. Russia seems to want to act as a bully in the area, which is nothing new; history has had its share of bullies. And we still don't know how this conflict will end, except that we must not allow Russia to reunite the Soviet Union, especially by forcing smaller nations to follow a path they don't want to take.

We have mentioned several times that the bully on the world stage in this era of biblical writings remains Assyria. And there is no doubt that Isaiah is very aware of the danger presented by the Assyrians. But he also sees a future after Assyria. Part of that future involves the rise of a "Righteous King." Maybe it is too easy for us to see this passage as Messianic in nature, pointing to the coming of the righteous King Jesus and the justice that will emerge as a result of his rule. I would love to be able to assert that the church has fulfilled the prophecy of rulers who have come to spread justice, but the truth is that that hasn't happened, at least, not yet.

I do think that King Jesus is part of this prophecy, but there is a more immediate fulfillment: the reign of King Hezekiah. King Ahaz was not a good King, but his son, Hezekiah, would grow up to be one of the best Kings ever to rule the Kingdom of Judah. He would be a King worthy of the throne of his forefather, David. And Hezekiah would be the godly king that Judah would need to deal with Assyria, and the one who would show the nation a way back to God after the years of apostasy during the reign of his father, Ahaz.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 33

For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made. – Isaiah 31:7

Today's Scripture Reading (May 25, 2026): Isaiah 31

We believe what we believe. And often we twist the teachings of the Bible to suit our own desires and purposes. As countries continue to clash, I think every nation probably believes that God is with them and honors their actions. In the clash between the United States and Iran, it is not surprising that the United States believes that they are fighting in a just war. Others, including the Pope, aren't so sure. One professor I learned from during my seminary years declared that he didn't believe that there had ever been a "just war." It was an amazing statement, considering the wars fought in the last century, especially the one we call the "Second World War." If there was ever a "just war," that would have to be considered one of them. And yet, as the war was being fought, even Germany believed it was on the side of its God; this was what God wanted it to do.

The reason is that we often construct our gods in our own image, including in our Christian theology. We have divergent beliefs about the character of God because we have constructed him, or maybe her, to reflect the things we believe are important. It is this difference in the gods we have created that has resulted in the conflict between the Trump Government and the Catholic Church over the war in Iran. One side believes they are involved in a war of which God approves, and the other believes that God always stands on the side of peace.

Isaiah argues that the day will come when all of our descriptions of God will fall away, and we will be confronted by the real God. For Isaiah, those false gods were often constructed by talented people working with gold and silver, or even less precious materials. Today, we still have some of those gods around us, but we have also constructed false gods in our minds. We have even called those gods Yahweh or Jehovah, even though it is not the Yahweh of scripture but a god we have created out of the things we find important.

We might all be surprised on the day of our confrontation with God and find a God who is very different from the one we have built in our minds. But in the end, the god we have created with our hands or in our minds will fall away in the presence of the real God of the Universe. And we will reject the false gods we have created in the presence of the God who exists. And he, or she, will be all that matters in that moment.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 32

A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys' backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation, to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless. Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing. – Isaiah 30:6-7

Today's Scripture Reading (May 24, 2026): Isaiah 30

It is a story I have heard in several different versions over the years. The story tells of a businessman who is told he will die that very night. In response to this news, the man decides to leave his home in Philadelphia and travel to Toronto, Canada. While on his way to the airport, he runs straight into the arms of Death himself. Death seems surprised to run into the man, so the man decides to continue his plan to run and go to a place where Death won't find him. He makes it to the airport and onto the plane. The man relaxes a little as the plane taxis toward the runway, believing that his plan has worked because Death is nowhere to be seen. The man arrives in Toronto, checks into his hotel, and then decides to enjoy the beautiful Canadian summer evening by walking to dinner. On his way to dinner, he runs straight into the waiting arms of Death.

The man concedes that Death has beaten him, but he has a question that needs an answer. "When I saw you this morning in Philadelphia, you seemed surprised," the man commented.

Death smiled and replied. "I was. I knew I had an appointment with you tonight in Toronto, so I wasn't expecting to see you in Philadelphia."

I am not sure what the moral of the story is supposed to be. Maybe it is as simple as you can't outrun Death. However, it also seems like a common thriller plot. The protagonists are warned about the killer among them. And so, they decide to run someplace else, only to run into the killer or maybe someone else who is just as dangerous.

Isaiah is speaking about the animals of the Negev. Today, the Negev consists of the Southernmost portion of Israel. It is a dry place where not much lives, but, more importantly, it is an area that must be crossed to reach Egypt. So, Isaiah mourns the pack animals of Judah. They will be forced to carry the riches of the people from Judah, across the dangerous Negev, in an attempt to get close to the safety of Egypt, but it will all be in vain. Isaiah calls Egypt "Rahab the Do-Nothing." Rahab is a name, but it is also the Hebrew word for "Pride." Isaiah's point is that Egypt is filled with pride over its position in the world, but running to them isn't going to help because they won't lift a finger to defend Israel in a conflict with Assyria.

But maybe more importantly, the rich of Judah are running from a nation that they fear is a danger to them, and right into the arms of someone who has shown that they are a danger to the nations in the area. Assyria is a danger, but so is Egypt, and only God has the answer to the dilemma that Judah faces.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 31

Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. – Isaiah 29:9

Today's Scripture Reading (May 23, 2026): Isaiah 29

From February 1692 until May 1693, the citizens of the Province of Massachusetts Bay endured a frightening period in their history. In the coastal town in Essex County, four young girls accused a few women of the town of causing them harm. The method these women used to harm the girls was not physical, but spiritual; the women were accused of causing harm to others through witchcraft. This accusation was the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials. It was a time when dreams were evidence, and circumstances could often make people believe that others were in league with the devil. The Witch Trials began with four girls, but it didn't stop there. What happened next became an example of mass hysteria as the accusation began to spread. Conflicts that happened between neighbors quickly escalated to accusations of witchcraft. Childhood pranks became evidence of a spreading evil that had infected the area. Those accused were often outcasts or people who were in some way different from the rest of society.

There is no doubt that many believed that witches were real and that the accused were evidence of Satan's army moving among the people. There is also no doubt that the hysteria was self-inflicted. The more people were accused of witchcraft, the more belief in witches seemed to take hold of the people in the area. In the end, more than two hundred people were accused, thirty were found guilty of witchcraft, nineteen people were executed by hanging, one died as a direct result of torture, and at least five people died in disease-ridden jails without a trial.   

One of the stories that sticks out for me is the tale of Reverend George Burroughs. Burroughs was accused of witchcraft and conspiring with the devil, although the real crime was that Burroughs was believed to be a closeted Baptist. The problem was that Burroughs had not taken communion or the Lord's Supper every Sunday, and only one of his children had been baptized. Even though no witches' mark had been found on his body, and the fact that he had emotionally prayed the Lord's Prayer, something that it was believed that no witch could do, Burroughs was found guilty and hanged on August 19, 1692. There is nothing in George Burroughs' actions that many pastors would not be guilty of today.

As Isaiah looks at Judah, he sees a people who had chosen to be blind. They were drunk, but not with drink or with the Spirit. They stumbled as a direct effect of a kind of hysteria. A lie had convinced them, and there was nothing that anyone could do to help them. Sometimes, I feel like Isaiah. As I interact with the culture around me, I am surrounded by people who have chosen to be blind and drunk. It is the same kind of hysteria that swept through the Province of Massachusetts almost three hundred and fifty years ago, and I am still "stunned and amazed." 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 30

See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground. – Isaiah 28:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 22, 2026): Isaiah 28

Tornado season has arrived. I live in the colder northern part of the world, which means that for a significant part of the year, tornadoes just aren't a worry. Blizzards, snow, and cold temperatures are the things we worry about during the winter months, and those are conditions under which tornadoes don't develop. In my part of the world, the first tornado of the "tornado season" usually occurs between late March and May. Usually, these tornadoes aren't very strong and cause very little damage. Dangerous tornadoes occur when the mercury rises and the days get hot. One of the worst tornadoes to hit this area happened on July 31, 1987. The tornado was rated F4 and stayed on the ground for just over an hour. Twenty-seven people died in the tornado, and it caused 332.27 million dollars in damage (the adjusted value in today's dollars is 796 million). I had a close friend who lived through the tornado. He was in an area destroyed by it, and he still remembers what sounded like a freight train rumbling through his neighborhood. Thirty years later, my friend still goes into a panic whenever he hears a tornado warning during the summer months. I don't blame him. I can't imagine what it was like to be that close to such a dangerous tornado.

Nature can have a powerful effect on our lives. Tornadoes and hurricanes are just the tip of the dangers nature poses to those of us living on Earth. Isaiah has seen some of the worst that nature can throw at an area. He speaks of hailstorms, something else that I see a lot of during the summer months, and destructive winds. Isaiah knows the power of driving rain and flooding that accompany various kinds of storms, which still afflict the Earth. Many of the worst storms are caused by an interaction between the hot and cold air currents. But the cause doesn't ease the damage these storms inflict on the people of the Earth.

Isaiah is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which he calls Ephraim. And he seems to be surprised by the pride of what he calls "Ephraim's drunkards." Ephraim has benefited from many things that might be considered an accident of nature, yet they seem to miss that God put them there. Some dangers are threatening Ephraim, but God is strong enough to handle the threats that are coming, if only the nation would trust him. And if they need proof, all they need to do is look at the power of nature. If God can destroy with a hailstorm or with the wind, if these natural processes are at his command, what more does Ephraim need to know? He has the power to protect, if only the people would trust.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 29

In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. – Isaiah 27:6

Today's Scripture Reading (May 21, 2026): Isaiah 27

Isaiah has already written a song about a Vineyard in Isaiah 5. But this vineyard was not a good one. The owner had done everything the vineyard owner needed to do. The vineyard was planted on a fertile hillside. The rocks were cleared, and the field was planted with only the best vines. (Personal Note: Did you know a field grows rocks? I didn't until I was hired to pick rocks as a teen. And the next year, I was hired to clear the same field of rocks. Who knew that fields grow rocks?) Yet, when it came to getting fruit from the vineyard, the only fruit the vineyard produced was rotten and worthless.

In that "Song of the Vineyard," Isaiah invites the listener to judge between the vineyard and its owner. What would you do if you were the owner of the vineyard? Isaiah concludes that the only option is to destroy the vineyard.

Now I will tell you
    what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
    and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
    and it will be trampled.
I will make it a wasteland,
    neither pruned nor cultivated,
    and briers and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds
    not to rain on it (Isaiah 5:5-6).

Here, Isaiah is speaking of a different vineyard. This time, the vineyard takes root, and the vines bud and blossom. And rather than being overwhelmed with briers and thorns, the vines fill the world with their fruit. Experts admit that Isaiah here is speaking of the day of the Messiah. It is this day we still wait for.

The Messiah has come, and the fruit of the vineyard has spread throughout the world. We aren't perfect. Sometimes, I think that we are moving in the wrong direction, but Isaiah's words are still in force. Briers and thorns still infest the church, but if we trust the Vineyard Owner, those can be dealt with. And the joy and love of God can infect all the Earth, and in that day, I believe this world will be a much better place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 28

Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. – Isaiah 26:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 20, 2026): Isaiah 26

One of my favorite Psalms isn't the famous twenty-third, but the next Psalm in the Psalter, the twenty-fourth. Like the Shepherd's Psalm, it was written by David. But tradition tells us that Psalm twenty-four was written in anticipation of the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem. The Ark had been in exile since it was lost to the Philistines during the reign of the High Priest Eli. Eli is probably best known as the Priest who raised Samuel, the last of Israel's Judges. One of Eli's main responsibilities, as High Priest, was to care for the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle had been set up. But for some reason, Eli must have been convinced, likely by his sons, to whom Eli had always struggled saying no, to allow the Ark to be carried into battle. By law, the Ark was never supposed to leave the Tabernacle, except when the Tabernacle itself was being moved.

The sons of Eli carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle, and there, they lost it. The Philistines tried to keep it, but it had caused them significant trouble, so they sent it back to Israel, and for a while the Ark spent time in Kiriath-Jearim, a town located 10 kilometers west of Jerusalem. However, David wanted the Ark brought to Jerusalem, rather than to the Tabernacle, where it should have been returned. The Ark was placed on a cart; by law, it should have been carried by the priests, and it started for Jerusalem.

About three kilometers down the road, disaster struck. The cart hit a rock, and as the Ark began to fall, a Levite named Uzzah reached out to steady it. Uzzah was not allowed to touch the Ark according to Mosaic Law, and Uzzah died on the spot. David decides that the Ark is too dangerous to bring into his city, so he leaves it at the threshing floor of Nacon.

Later, David decides to try to move the Ark to Jerusalem one more time, but this time he follows the instructions given in the Mosaic Law. Two poles were placed into the rings attached to the Ark, and the priests carried the Ark to Jerusalem. As the Ark approached the city, the priests called out to its inhabitants, and the people responded. This call-and-response is revealed to us in Psalm 24.

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty—
    he is the King of glory (Psalm 24).

I wonder if Psalm 24 is on Isaiah's mind as he writes these words of praise. Maybe we could rephrase David's words.

Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the righteous nation may come in.
Who is this righteous nation?
    The nation that keeps its faith,
    The nation who follows Israel's God.

Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the righteous nation may come in.
Who is this righteous nation?
    The nation that loves the Lord,
    Let that nation be us – the faithful followers of our God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 27

You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners' stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. – Isaiah 25:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 19, 2026): Isaiah 25

Mount Vesuvius. Just the name brings images of destruction to our minds. Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, partially because of the frequency with which it erupts, and partially because three million people live close enough to the mountain to be affected by an eruption, which includes the city of Naples, and more than 600,000 people living in the danger zone. Since the volcano's famous eruption in 79 C.E., Vesuvius has had 36 significant eruptions—the most recent major eruption took place in 1944.

Of course, the eruption for which we most remember Vesuvius is the one in 79 C.E., which destroyed the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, and Stabiae. We remember Pompeii, but often forget that it wasn't the only city to die in that blast from Mount Vesuvius. Oplontis seemed to suffer the bluntest force from the 79 C.E. eruption. Herculaneum might have been the best-preserved of the cities destroyed in 79 C.E., and it was smaller and wealthier than the better-known Pompeii.

But these four cities were destroyed, and today visitors take tours of them and witness what life was like 2,000 years ago in Italy. They are not alone in history. Many great cities have disappeared in the years since Isaiah prophesied. It seems to be something that happens. Sometimes cities disappear because of a natural disaster; sometimes the prosperity of an area changes, forcing people to leave to find work. Nothing in this world is "set in stone," even if they look permanent to us.

Isaiah says that a city has been, or maybe will be, transformed into a pile of rubble, and what was once a stronghold is no longer even a city. And this city will never be rebuilt again. It is a description that fits many cities in history. The four cities destroyed by Vesuvius were destroyed, but not quite like Isaiah predicted, and they have never been rebuilt. The destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 B.C.E and Rome in 70 C.E. echoed the predicted level of destruction, but the city was rebuilt both times. Babylon was destroyed, and the city has not been rebuilt, although there have been plans over the centuries to resurrect it. The most recent plan to rebuild Babylon was developed by Iraq's autocratic leader, Saddam Hussein, who wanted to bring back Babylon, believing that he was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar.

However, I don't think Isaiah is speaking of a specific city, but of any city, and maybe every city. There is no city, no nation, and no empire that is "safe forever." If that is what you want, a city can't do that for you. Every city is vulnerable to destruction and may never be rebuilt, including Jerusalem. As far as Isaiah is concerned, that kind of security comes only from God, and that is something he hopes his readers will remember.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 26

The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. – Isaiah 24:3

Today's Scripture Reading (May 18, 2026): Isaiah 24

I have to admit that I have read a lot of dystopian fiction and watched many dystopian movies over the years. The theme of these stories is that something bad has happened, often a nuclear war or some kind of genetic accident, and it has left the earth depopulated. The government is either gone or under autocratic rule, and the fight to survive consumes the energy of a remnant who are left on the earth.

One of my favorite dystopian novels is Frank Herbert's, the author of the Dune series of novels, "The White Plague." Herbert spins a tale about a man whose family is killed by a terrorist while visiting the United Kingdom, and decides to get his revenge by constructing a plague that will claim the lives of most of the people living on the earth. Nations close their borders, reminiscent of the COVID-19 lockdown, but are unsuccessful at keeping the infection out. At the end of the novel, the man gets to walk the green hills of Ireland, examining his handiwork. Only a few still survive after the plague that has spread throughout the earth, and it is a bad place, the literal meaning of "dystopian," to live.

Dystopian tales like to examine how the world will end. We are probably inundated with more possible ways that this planet of ours could die than anyone else has had to deal with in the history of our Earth. For Isaiah, the only way the earth could die was if God did something. The Bible tells dystopian tales of fire raining down from the heavens or a flood that covered the earth. But the underlying agreement in these stories is that God has done this. Today, we realize that God doesn't need to do anything to destroy this world; we can do it all by ourselves. Nuclear war, accidents, genetic mistakes, out-of-control pollution, and the greenhouse effect are just some of the ways this might happen. Venus is an example of the latter. It is a planet that is very similar to the Earth, except that it is the hottest planet in our solar system, not because it is the closest to the sun; Mercury gets that award, but because it has a naturally occurring greenhouse effect that might foreshadow the artificial one we are creating on the Earth.

On the natural side, the eruption of a supervolcano, like the Yellowstone Caldera, would drastically change life on Earth, killing most of its inhabitants. Almost weekly, we are told about another comet that is going to make a close pass of Earth. If one of them actually hit the Earth, again, it would take most life on Earth with it. But we need to be careful. The potential risk to Earth from natural causes is not increasing; we are simply becoming more aware of the many ways Earth might die.

We know that the Earth will die. It will go out with either a bang or a whimper at some point in the next three billion years. Isaiah says that it will go out with a bang, and whether we kill the earth or it comes to a natural end, God will allow the Earth's destruction as a penalty for our sin.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 25

Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched. – Isaiah 23:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 17, 2026): Isaiah 23

On April 10, 1815, Indonesia's Mount Tambora reached a violent climax after a three-year eruption. The volcano had been active since 1812, but the 1815 eruption is now considered the most powerful volcanic eruption in human history. The volcano would continue to erupt until July 15, 1815, but nothing matched the intensity of the April 10 eruption. Tambora's temper tantrum killed 10,000 to 11,000 people from the direct effects of the eruption. But that was just the start.

The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora had global effects. In Canada, a world away from Indonesia, 1816 was the year without summer. For over a century, we weren't sure why the temperatures plummeted worldwide in 1816, but now we know. Ash in the atmosphere lowered temperatures everywhere, including in Canada, on the other side of the world. Canada can experience harsh temperatures for much of the year, but 1816 saw snow fall in some areas every month of the year, and a hard frost in June destroyed many of the crops that had been planted. The result was a famine in Canada as well as in many other places in the world. All because of Mount Tambora's eruption.

Isaiah is prophesying against the City of Tyre. The city comprises two urban centers: the old city, on an island half a kilometer off the Phoenician coast, and Usha, the mainland component of the city, which provided the island city with fresh water. Together, they made up the trading dynamo that had become famous throughout the known world.

But Isaiah goes beyond just warning the people of Tyre and Usha. Isaiah includes the city of Sidon in his warning, a city up the coast from Tyre. In fact, anyone who relied on or benefited from trade with the island city received a warning because anything that hurt Tyre would also impact almost the entire ancient world.

Tyre had enriched many people. But that also meant the island city's economy was entwined with the world economy. Maybe it wasn't an eruption of a major volcano, but it would have had a similar effect on the world the port city served.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 24

The Lord, the LORD Almighty, has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains. – Isaiah 22:5

Today's Scripture Reading (May 16, 2026): Isaiah 22

On January 3, 2026, the United States invaded, although there is some argument about whether that is the correct word to use, Venezuela, capturing that nation's President, Nicolas Maduro. Whether invaded is the correct word to use has arisen because the attack was so quick, and the United States basically broke into the nation, kidnapped Maduro and his wife, and then left. What is also at issue is that millions of dollars were bet on the event, which very few people saw coming, raising suspicions that someone or a group of people had inside information about the coming attack. It seems to be one of those situations where you're making a bet that you can't win, because either you are wrong or you cheated. It has also brought some focus on the predictive markets and betting present in our contemporary society.

Isaiah is writing his prophecy about Jerusalem (the Valley of Vision) at a vulnerable time for the City of David. The bully on the world stage is Assyria, which is actively attacking and absorbing the smaller kingdoms surrounding it. Thus, in 722 B.C.E., the Kingdom of Israel, the northern neighbor of Judah, fell and was carried into captivity, never to return, by the Assyrians. The obvious question that Isaiah, in his humanness, had to ask might have been, "Can Judah be far behind?"

As Isaiah writes about a day of tumult, trampling, and terror, and as he imagines the walls of the city falling, I wonder if his mind was focused on the Assyrians; that they would be the ones to bring tears to the "Valley of Vision." And in 701 B.C.E., that day of terror arrived as the Assyrians surrounded the city, intending to starve the people and take over the city and the nation.

Isaiah prophesied for a long period in Judah's history. We can date the earliest of his prophecies, Isaiah 1-6, to approximately 739 B.C.E., and the latest of his prophecies to the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C.E. That means Isaiah was present for the story of Assyria and the tribes of Jacob. The last of his prophecies was directed at King Hezekiah, assuring him that Jerusalem would not fall to the Assyrians. I sometimes wonder whether, as Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah in 701 B.C.E., he remembered his prophecies, like this one, and wondered whether he might have been wrong.

Of course, we know he wasn't. We can date this prophecy to approximately 725 B.C.E., three years before the fall of Israel and over two decades before Assyria threatened Jerusalem. And while I am sure the Prophet was focused on Assyria, we know this prophecy is really about Babylon, an empire that was still over a hundred years away from threatening "The Valley of Vision." But the day would come when the valley would be trampled and terrorized, a day when her walls would be battered until they were gone, and the people would be carried into exile.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 23

A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. – Isaiah 21:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 15, 2026): Isaiah 21

As a young child, I lived in an area that had several large lakes. These lakes were so large that you couldn't see the shoreline opposite where you were standing. It was like living in an area that had several oceans or seas. The reality was that until I was about eight, I had never seen a lake where you could see all four, or even three, shores. A lake was, in my childlike mind, an extremely large body of water. I would be almost twenty before I saw a real ocean, in this case, the Pacific. I have been close to the Atlantic Ocean, but I have never viewed that august body of water. But to this day, I love spending time on the shore of a lake or the ocean, though more recently, the bodies of water I look at are much smaller than the lakes of childhood.

The Iraqi desert is a significant feature of Western Iraq. The desert is a mix of various topographical features, including rocky plains, sandy stretches, and dry riverbeds (wadis). It is a hot, water-scarce area, so there is very little vegetation. But that doesn't mean that there is no water. The Euphrates River flows along the eastern edge of the Iraqi Desert, and the region is dotted with several lakes.

Iraq is largely landlocked. The only ports for the country are in the south-east corner of the nation, where a tiny sliver of land meets the Persian Gulf. And it is on this relatively small plot of land that the Iraqi government is trying to build its ambitious Grand Faw Port Project, slated for completion in 2045.

My intention in giving this geography lesson is to note that the Iraqi desert is one of the last places we might call the "Desert (or Wilderness) by the Sea," because there just isn't a sea, at least not as we would describe it. Yet this is the name given to Babylon, now Iraq. The reason for this nickname for Babylon is that the area is dotted with lakes and, of course, the great Euphrates River, and the Hebrew understanding of a Sea is not a large, single body of water like the Mediterranean or Baltic Seas, but rather any collection of waters. The lakes and rivers of Babylon constitute a sea, and Babylon has both a desert and a collection of waters; thus, it really is a Desert or Wilderness by the Sea.

One other note on this verse. Some translations of this verse begin with the words "A burden against the Desert by the Sea" instead of prophecy. The word "burden" is simply a reminder of the weight of seriousness the prophet felt in the words he was sharing. It was Isaiah's way of emphasizing that these words were serious, and he hoped someone would listen to what he had to say.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 22

Then the LORD said, "Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame. – Isaiah 20:3-4

Today's Scripture Reading (May 14, 2026): Isaiah 19 & 20

Coming out of World War I, the Western Powers decided that soldiers who were taken prisoner during a conflict should retain their fundamental human rights. Those rights included protection from torture, access to health care, fair treatment, communication with family, eventual release, and not to be discriminated against, despite the inherent limitations of being a prisoner. Some might argue that these are universal rights, not just something dreamed up by Western Powers. But that is not quite true.

For instance, we know that in World War II, Prisoners of War detained by the Japanese were not provided with these rights. Actually, a lot of prisoners were killed outright. The death rate in Japanese prison camps was 27 percent. Or, seeing it from the reverse, if the Japanese took you prisoner, you had a 73 percent chance of surviving the experience. If the Allied forces took you prisoner, you had a 96 percent chance of living through the experience. And that is a significant difference.

We know that prisoners were tortured by the Japanese, both physically and mentally, and sometimes worked to death. But there was a reason for this difference. In Japanese thinking, being taken prisoner was considered dishonorable. And the dishonored had no rights, so they could be treated any way that their captors wanted to treat them. Allied prisoners had no rights, nor were any protections expected for Japanese prisoners taken by Allied forces.

In ancient times, this was true as well. What we miss about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah was that, at that time, homosexual sex was simply one way of dishonoring a captive. Another method of dishonoring an enemy was to make them march without clothes.

God instructs Isaiah to go without clothes, not just for a day or a month, but for three years. It is amazing that we don't remember Isaiah as the naked prophet. He walked on stony ground with no protection for his feet and under the hot sun with no protection for his body. And this nudity, regardless of how much Isaiah had actually taken off, was to send a message that the Assyrians would take the inhabitants of Egypt and Cush prisoner. When they did, they would be marched out of the country in humiliation with no clothes.

There might have been another message. Judah would leave their nation the same way, although it wouldn't be the Assyrians that would take them captive, but the Babylonians. Regardless of who their captives would be, the people would be marched out of their nation in disgrace because they refused to follow their God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 21

All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. – Isaiah 18:3

Today's Scripture Reading (May 13, 2026): Isaiah 18

Between 1715 and 1789, the population of France increased by about 27%, from 22 million to 28 million. That population increase in France caused a few problems, but the most serious was a food shortage. The population had increased by 6 million, but Frances's ability to feed them hadn't improved, at least not as much as it needed to. France's food shortage set the stage for the French Revolution, but it didn't act alone.

The poorer people began to believe a conspiracy theory that overlooked the population-growth problem. The people began to believe there was enough food because there had always been enough. The people began to believe that the elites were intentionally withholding food to reduce the population. It was a time of great fear in France. And it was at this time, with this fear, that the Queen, Marie Antoinette, supposedly told the hungry people to "let them eat cake." (If this phrase was uttered at all, which seems doubtful, the wording was more likely "let them eat brioche," a rich bread made with eggs and butter.) All of this produced a revolution that might have killed more than 1 million people, and a time when the executioners sometimes quickly became the executed. In the Reign of Terror alone (September 1793 and July 1794), about 17,000 people were officially executed, and another 10,000 died in prison without the benefit of a trial.

Conspiracy theories are like that. If we believe them, they can change our lives, and usually not for the better. Often, conspiracy theories arise from fear. And they still plague us; I still see them circulating on social media, intended to scare us into taking action that benefits someone, but that someone is not us.

God is speaking through Isaiah and is prophesying about the nation of Cush. Cush was a usually landlocked nation west of the Red Sea and south of Egypt, though at times its borders extended to the Red Sea and into the southern portions of present-day Egypt. But in the midst of this prophecy, God says that when He comes, we won't miss that event. It is something the Bible says elsewhere as well. When God acts, all the people will see his movement. His banner will be raised on a high hill, and the sounds of trumpets will roar out so that all will hear it. On that day, there won't be any doubt about whether God really exists; we will all know, because we will see him with our eyes and hear him with our ears. It won't be a conspiracy theory; it will be something that we all know.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 19 & 20

Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. – Isaiah 17:6

Today's Scripture Reading (May 12, 2026): Isaiah 17

There is an apple tree growing in my backyard. Every year, the tree produces more apples than we could possibly use. And so, we share bags of apples with the people around us. There is a bit of ritual. One day, usually in early September, my family gathers to pick apples. Everyone gets involved in the process, with my son and son-in-law often climbing the tree to reach the apples on the highest branches.

Days after the apples have been removed, it is amazing that as I sit by the tree, I inevitably find apples that were missed; apples that, for some reason, we were blind to on the day of the picking. We might take boxes of apples off the tree, but over more than two decades of picking the apples off the tree in my backyard, we have yet to get them all. What is even more amazing, at least to me, is that my neighbor has an apple tree as well. The tree has the same kind of apple, and every year they pick their apples. After they finish picking, I usually spot apples that have been left on their tree as well. We never get them all.

Isaiah speaks of an olive tree and notes that even after the olives have been removed, some remain on the tree. Some of the high ones are left, or olives that are hiding among the leaves. Olives that were still clinging to the tree hard enough that even when the tree is shaken, they do not fall. These olives serve as an important reminder for the prophet. Even when a nation is destroyed, there is always a remnant that is left behind. A remnant that can rebuild and begin the process over again, hopefully in a healthier way.

This idea of the remnant was an encouraging phenomenon for the prophet, and it should be for us as well. I admit that I sometimes worry about the health of the Christian Church. Sometimes I find that hate wins out over love. I worry that we have begun to tolerate our neighbor rather than love them. And maybe even a church that has decided to remake God in our image, rather than the other way around. As a church, it is a transformation that has brought pain in its wings. But Isaiah spoke of a remnant during his time, and I hope that same remnant exists today. I pray for a remnant that will begin to love again as Jesus loved. That we will care for our neighbors and sell out in an attempt to love God with everything that we are. That is the remnant that our church needs today. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 18

The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. – Isaiah 15:6

Today's Scripture Reading (May 11, 2026): Isaiah 15 & 16

Have you ever heard of the Sepik River? What about the Brahmaputra or Guadalquivir Rivers? Maybe the Indus River? I have to admit that I had never heard of the first three Rivers. However, I am familiar with the Indus River, maybe just because I listen to Anita Anand and William Dalrymple's "Empire" podcast. The Indus River flows through China and India, running the entire length of Pakistan, and empties into the Arabian Sea. The Indus is so important that it lends its name to one of the largest countries in the world: India. As for the Brahmaputra, it flows through Tibet, China, India, and Bangladesh, while the Guadalquivir River flows entirely within the boundaries of Spain. The Sepik River is located in Papua New Guinea. Every one of these rivers is essential to life in its area. Like so many rivers in the world, it was along the banks of these rivers that the cities of the area began to grow. Rivers bring life. And while we may not have heard of these rivers, that doesn't mean they are unimportant. Every city I have lived in has had a river running through it, and that is no accident.

We don't know what "the waters of Nimrim" might refer to. It might be a river, a lake, or even a city. What we know is that "the waters of Nimrim" were important for life. The word "Nimrim" refers to "pure" or "wholesome water." It can also indicate "basins of clear water." Nimrim itself was associated with the Kingdom of Moab: here in Isaiah, and again in the prophecy of Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah is also speaking about Moab, and he writes;

"The sound of their cry rises
    from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,
from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,
    for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up (Jeremiah 48:34).

From the context, we know that these waters were necessary for life and that they had disappeared. Without the water, life disappeared as well. It is hard to imagine how life could continue in the places where we live if the rivers or water sources that meander through our towns suddenly disappeared.

It is the subject of a conversation that Jesus had with an unnamed woman at a water source, in this case, a well. And every day, this woman had to come to the well to get the water that kept her alive. Jesus reminds the woman that while physical water gives us life, to truly live we need spiritual water as well.

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John 4:13-14).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 17

The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. – Isaiah 14:5

Today's Scripture Reading (May 10, 2026): Isaiah 14

Legacy is a strange thing. And experiences can shape how we view our leaders, even generations after their leadership ends. One example I have spent some time thinking about is the reign of King Leopold II of Belgium, who reigned for 44 years, from 1865 to 1909. The legacy of Leopold II might depend on where you experienced him. Some see him as a great leader of his time. Statues are built to him in Belgium. In a world that seems to have gone overboard with cancel culture, apparently, Leopold II has not been canceled.

Some of us see a good reason to "cancel" Leopold. Maybe the reason he hasn't been is that his sin occurred in Africa. Leopold believed that a nation's greatness depended on its overseas possessions, especially in Africa, which it could control. So, Leopold took over Congo in the heart of Africa. The problem is that Congo didn't become Belgian property; it essentially became Leopold's personal property. And Leopold might have been a good king in Belgium, but in what he called the Congo Free State, he was about as bad a tyrant as anyone can imagine. I need to make it clear that I have close friends who are Congolese, and I have heard some of the historical stories passed down from that proud nation's history.

The list of Leopold's sins is long. The atrocities ordered by Leopold in the Congo Free State include enslaving a people, torture, murder, kidnapping, and even the amputation of the hands and feet of people, including children, when the quota of rubber was not met. Leopold's practices in the Congo have been described by George Washington Williams, a pastor, naval officer, and politician, as a crime against humanity. The Congo continues to suffer today; it is divided and at war with itself, and one has to wonder how different life in central Africa might have been if it had never come under Leopold II's control. I know that over a century after the King's death, my friends still talk of his terrible reign in their country.

Isaiah argues that God breaks the power of the wicked and the scepter of wicked kings. I think that is sometimes true, but often I wonder if God couldn't do things just a little faster. Leopold II died peacefully in his bed from an embolism. Maybe, in Leopold's case, part of breaking the King's power was that his nephew, Albert I, succeeded him as King.

Or maybe the breaking of Leopold's power is the way some have remembered the King after his death. I have to admit that I feel the emotion and pain in the work of poets like Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931), who wrote of Leopold II,

Listen to the yell of Leopold's ghost.
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host.
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell.
Cutting his hands off, down in Hell (Vachel Lindsay, 1914).

Or maybe it is just the knowledge that even if we escape from this life with our power intact, we will still have to deal with God for our great sin at the end of the age.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 15 & 16