RBT Reading Plan for Easter and Isaiah Part 2 Chapters 36-66
| Date | Passage | Content |
| Thurs Apr 1st | 1 Cor 11:23-33 | Remember the Lord, sacrificed in our place |
| Fri Apr 2nd | Psalm 22 | The Lord forsaken by His Father? |
| Sat Apr 3rd | 1 Cor 15:1-34 | Don’t doubt, He is risen from the dead |
| Sun Apr 4th | 1 Cor 35-58 | You ask, “How are the dead raised?” |
| Mon Apr 5th | Isaiah 36 | Jerusalem surrounded. Who can deliver from Assyria? |
| Tues Apr 6th | Isaiah 37 | The Lord answers Hezekiah’s prayer and brings about His long standing plans |
| Wed Apr 7th | Isaiah 38 and 39 | Hezekiah’s illness, prayer, healing and his foolishness |
| Thurs Apr 8th | Isaiah 40 | Comfort for God’s people through the dark days ahead |
| Fri Apr 9th | Isaiah 41 | “Fear not for I am with you”, says the Lord |
| Sat Apr 10th | Isaiah 42 | Behold God’s Servant in whom He delights |
| Sun Apr 11th | Isaiah 43:1-44:5 | Salvation for Israel comes from God alone |
| Mon Apr 12th | Isaiah 44:6-28 | The folly of idolatry |
| Tues Apr 13th | Isaiah 45 | The Lord will deliver Israel from captivity through a future king called Cyrus. |
| Wed Apr 14th | Isaiah 46 and 47 | God’s coming judgement of Babylon |
| Thurs Apr 15th | Isaiah 48 | Assurance of deliverance given to stubborn Israel |
| Fri Apr 16th | Isaiah 49 | God will make His Servant a light for the nations |
| Sat Apr 17th | Isaiah 50:1 – 51:8 | God’s Servant is faithful, trust in Him |
| Sun Apr 18th | Isaiah 51:9 – 52:12 | Awake, O Lord, stretch out Your mighty arm and deliver us |
| Mon Apr 19th | Isaiah 52:13-53:12 | God’s Servant pierced for our transgressions |
| Tues Apr 20th | Isaiah 54 | The Eternal Covenant |
| Wed Apr 21st | Isaiah 55 | Come to Him and drink that you may have life eternal |
| Thurs Apr 22nd | Isaiah 56 | Salvation for all the peoples of the Earth |
| Fri Apr 23rd | Isaiah 57 | The futility of Israel’s idolatry |
| Sat Apr 24th | Isaiah 58 | True and false fasting contrasted |
| Sun Apr 25th | Isaiah 59 | Sin, confession and redemption |
| Mon Apr 26th | Isaiah 60 | The future glory of Zion |
| Tues Apr 27th | Isaiah 61:1-62:12 | The year of the Lord’s favour |
| Wed Apr 28th | Isaiah 63:1-64:12 | God’s vengeance and redemption, followed by prayer |
| Thurs Apr 29th | Isaiah 65 | God’s response to prayer |
| Fri Apr 30th | Isaiah 66 | God’s judgements and Zion’s rejoicing |
Introduction to the Book of Isaiah Ch 36-66
Isaiah 36-39 is an historical section centred around the time Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah. In the supreme crisis of the Assyrian invasion, Isaiah’s repeated call to trust in the Lord was followed. The Lord answered Hezekiah and Isaiah’s prayers by miraculously slaying, during the night, one hundred and eighty five thousand of the Assyrian army surrounding Jerusalem.
During the same period Hezekiah was seriously ill. The Lord told him, through Isaiah, that he would not recover but would die. Hezekiah wept and prayed. God responded by sending Isaiah to tell him that fifteen years would be added to his life and that the city of Jerusalem would be delivered from the Assyrians.
Chapter 39 tells of Hezekiah’s great foolishness in welcoming envoys from the distant land of Babylon and showing them all his treasures. Following this visit Isaiah brought the King God’s message that in future days all these treasures would be taken to Babylon and that Hezekiah’s descendants would be taken there as captives
The remainder of the book (chapters 40-66) concerns events which will take place after Isaiah’s time. Its main purpose was to comfort and strengthen the believing remnant of the people through the dark days of the Babylonian captivity, the return from exile and subsequent events.
Isaiah tells how God will deliver His people from exile through His named “anointed servant” Cyrus. However, throughout the prophecy he looks beyond this restoration to the coming of the Messiah and deliverance from spiritual captivity. At the very beginning of this section (chapter 40:3-4)) are the words used by John the Baptist to describe his mission preparing the way for Jesus. “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord…”
Isaiah’s description of God’s “Suffering Servant”, embodied in his prophecies, found exact fulfilment in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Much else in these chapters speaks concerning His life and ministry. As He said in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21), having read from Isaiah chapter 61:1-2, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”. The prophecy and explanation of the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary in chapter 53, written hundreds of years before the event, shows so clearly the Saviour’s love for His people.
Outline of Isaiah 36-66
Historic Centrepiece
| Chapters 36-37 | These provide an understanding of the historical. context of the prophecies contained in the first half of the book |
| Chapters 38-39 | These provide an introduction to the second half of the book, containing details concerning God’s first announcement, through Isaiah, of the future Babylonian captivity |
Prophecies concerning events to happen after Isaiah’s time
| Chapters 40-48 | God will deliver His people from the Babylonian captivity, through His “anointed” Cyrus. |
| Chapters 49-57 | God will deliver His people from spiritual captivity through His “Suffering Servant” |
| Chapters 58-66 | The glory of redeemed Israel and the judgement of the impenitent |
“Suffering Servant” Passages
Ch 42:1-7, Ch 49:1-9, Ch 50:4-9, Ch 52:13-53: