Saul Weinreb - Let the Prophets Speak

Isaiah 42b - God's Labor Pains

The fulfillment of Isaiah's mission comes full circle. It was his job to teach the Jewish people, to show them the path, despite the fact that they would make themselves blind and deaf to his message. Now God will finally bring them along the path of redemption and show them the way. But not without a lot of suffering and screaming, like a baby born in pain and screaming, so will it be with the ultimate redemption.

Isaiah 42a - Bringing the Message of Justice to All Nations

God addresses His servant Israel and describes how he is to bring his Torah, his justice. his righteousness to all the nations of the Earth. In what is perhaps the clearest and most detailed explanation of Isaiah's philosophy regarding the task of the Jewish people, it is describes here how the goal is to bring God's message to all of the ends of the Earth.

Isaiah 41b - The Nations Answer Before God

Judgement day is here.  God wants to know,  did you establish nations and ideas that fed the poor? Took care of the needy? Respect my beautiful world? Or did your systems bring about corruption? God declares, only I have been here from the beginning, I have predicted this from the start. The message I taught to Israel at SInai, at Zion, and at Jerusalem,  only that message has been timeless and true.

Isaiah 41a - Time for a Reckoning

God calls out to the people of the world. Gather together all of you! It is time to come to God as He dispenses His judgement. The Jewish people are afraid, could it be that we have lost our special relationship with God? God reassures them, no, I have always been there for you and I always will be. Those that made you suffer will be punished, and your special role in spreading my justice is always precious to Me.

Isaiah 40b - Why Should I be Faithful to God?

In this second part of chapter 40, Isaiah deals with some of the most fundamental questions of religion and belief in God. Why bother having faith if we don't see justice? Why should I go on in life if we all die anyway? Why does God sometimes punish and sometimes reward? Why would such a great and powerful behind even care about one small human being? Does He even care about little me?

Isaiah 40a - Comfort, Comfort My People

Yeshayahu does not despair when Hezekiah fails to be the redeemer he had hoped for. Rather, he turns to people and tells them that they themselves can and will be the comforters. They just need to heed the message of God.

Isaiah 40-66 Introduction

In this introduction to what is sometimes called Isaiah 2, we discuss the question of authorship of the second half of thos book. We take the approach that the similarity of style and the consistency of the messages in both halves indicate the unity of authorship of this book. However,  as the book was not written by Isaiah himself, over time there were various additions of verses here and there that were added to reference events that were more current.

Isaiah 39 - Hezekiah's Failure

In a tragic moment, the King Hezekiah fails to understand the message of Isaiah, as he seeks an alliance with the Kingdom of Babylon.  This failure leads to the prophecy of Isaiah that one day the Kingdom of Judah will fall to Babylon. 

Isaiah 38 - Hezekiah Recovers from Illness and Thanks God

In this podcast we complete Chapter 37, and then study the account of the illness of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was on his deathbed,  and God answered his prayer and gave him 15 more tears of life. However, Hezekiah thanked God with a beautiful song of thanks for his own salvation. but neglected his duty as King to the people of Judah. He failed to sing a song of thanks to God for the salvation of the people, and neglected to establish the Justice and Righteousness that Isaiah had so fervently hoped for. 

Isaiah 37 - Hezekiah's Prayer and God's Response

Hezekiah prays to God to save Jerusalem. You God are the one and only God, not like the false gods of the other nations. God responds that the Assyrians will be sent right back to Assyria and that they won't even be able to shoot one arrow at Jerusalem.