Christ Alone
A year ago, a resident in Niger informed Words of Hope’s Hausa language producer that he was suspicious of our Christian programming. As a Muslim, he expected to find much of the content of our Hausa programs offensive. He was angry at the thought that local programming might be attacking the majority Muslim faith of the region.
Assyria, the Rising River of Plunder
Read: Isaiah 8:1-15 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (v. 13) As Isaiah continues to bring God’s message in the tense political situation under Ahaz, he writes a strange message on a large placard: “Quick to the plunder; swift […]
Immanuel: God With Us!
Read: Isaiah 7:1-17 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and shall call his name Immanuel. (v. 14) This well-known verse is often quoted at Christmas. Matthew himself connects this verse to the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:23), adding that Immanuel means God with us. The surprising context in which Isaiah spoke these words […]
A Model Response to God’s Call
Read: Isaiah 6:1-10 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (v. 1) In the year that King Uzziah died, God called the young man Isaiah to be a prophet through a remarkable vision. Though […]
A Love-Song Parable
Read: Isaiah 5:1-8, 21-24 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (v. 4) In this parable a woman of noble character sings a love song to her husband about a tragic disappointment he has experienced. He had worked diligently to build a vineyard on a fertile […]
Beyond Judgment to Grace and Glory
Read: Isaiah 4:2-6 In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. (v. 2) In this bit of prose using the phrase “in that day,” Isaiah speaks about a future time when survivors in […]
Discerning God’s Judgment
Read: Isaiah 3:1-11 Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. (v. 9, NIV) Isaiah provides important insights into a troubling but important issue: God’s judgment. It’s something that many of us find uncomfortable. Throughout the Bible, God’s judgment begins with his assessment of our inward thoughts and attitudes but also includes our outward […]
Advertising Bibles
Words of Hope’s Turkish director has recently begun partnering with a ministry called the Bible Correspondence Course. This ministry advertises free Bibles and Bible study materials in local newspapers.
A Lesson on National Peril
Read: Isaiah 2:5-22 The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear. (vv. 17-18) Having read yesterday about God’s glorious future for his people, we can empathize with Isaiah’s dismay at the decadence in the religious and social […]