Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 46. “Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock.” No god is like Yahweh the true God, and in Isaiah 46 the prophet names the false gods of Babylon. All they do is weigh you down: you have to carry them around until someone else carries them away from you in your defeat. The Babyonian exilers have become the exiled. God, on the other hand, has carried us from the very beginning, like a mother carrying her child in the womb. The God that carried us around in Abraham is the same God that carried us out of Egypt. He is the same God that carried us out of exile and the same God that carries us out of the grave and into the glorious presence of God in Christ.

Rev. Joel Shaltanis, pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 45. After five chapters of preparation, the cat is out of the bag: Cyrus of Persia is God’s messiah, His chosen king sent to free the exiles. How can this be! Isaiah 45 lets this bomb drop amidst objections and misunderstandings. In the end, it’s not so different from Abraham and Moses. God has done this to reveal Himself to the nations, although He remains hidden apart from His Word. Persia will only partly grasp the reality of Yahweh, confusing Him with the Babylonian god Marduk and their own god Ahura Mazda. Yet some will come to the Temple and hear the Scriptures, and ultimately, as Isaiah says, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Yahweh, the true and only God.

Rev. Steven Theiss, retired pastor in Frohna, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 44. When Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, the exiles from Judah didn’t know what to make of it. Isaiah speaks clearly in chapter 45: this is all God’s doing. This event only proves that the gods of Babylon are useless. Why would you cut down a tree and burn one half for fuel and worship the other half as a god? Idolatry is madness! We too waste so much time, effort, and resources on imitations of ourselves, what we make in our own image. Only the Creator can snap us out of it. Like Moses and Cyrus, God has sent our Lord Jesus to rescue us from alienation and guide us to new life.

Rev. Matthew Wurm, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Brookings, South Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 43. God poured out His anger against Judah, and the Babylonians destroyed them. The exiles felt like God had abandoned them, like He was no longer their God—like He no longer loved them. Isaiah 43 presents us with the only instance in the whole Bible where God utters the Hebrew word for “I” followed by the Hebrew word for “love you” to refer to the whole of His people. He tells them that the exile was not due to any lack of love on God’s part; it was only because of their sins and the sins of their fathers. No other power in heaven or on earth created us, will save us, or loves us as God does in Christ Jesus.

Rev. Brian Davies, pastor of Lord of Glory Lutheran Church in Grayslake, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 42. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” Matthew quotes these words from Isaiah 42 to show their ultimate fulfillment in Christ: powerful but not self-seeking, just but not unforgiving, holy but not arrogant. The Judean exiles had been deaf and blind, receiving God’s punishment but not learning their lesson. We today are even worse, falling into sin despite the full revelation of Christ and the Scriptures. Yet by grace we are all transformed into God’s Christ-like servants, albeit imperfectly for now. We deal gently with the lost as ones who relate all too well.

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 29. At first glance it may seem strange to praise God for floods, earthquakes, and thunderstorms, as David does in Psalm 29. As destructive as these things can be sometimes, more often they are God’s way of renewing and preserving His creation. When God strikes the trees, floods the rivers, and shakes the mountains, He preserves and enriches life on earth, like the peaceful lullaby of a thunderstorm. Faith is audacious to call on such a powerful God, before whom even the spiritual powers tremble in fear. In the flood of baptism however, our sin has been washed away and we have been made true sons of God in Jesus Christ—sons who know God’s peace in the midst of the storm.

Rev. Darrin Sheek, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Anaheim, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 41. The idols of the world are silent. The nations of the earth tremble in fear. The true God has called Cyrus of Persia to conquer Babylon and to set His people free. Like Abraham, God has called someone from the east who did not know Him to serve His righteous purpose. Cyrus would not come to faith the same way Abraham did, but he would call on God’s name by supplying the exiles and asking them to pray to Yahweh on his behalf. God uses a foreign power to transform His people from worm to sledge. Later, He would use a Roman cross to transform His Son and us in the resurrection.

Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 40. The voice of God calls out to His people exiled in Babylon. They have suffered for their sins, but now they will be restored by God’s grace. This is Isaiah 40’s message of comfort, from the perspective of over 100 years after the previous chapter. Compared to God the Creator, Judah’s enemies are like dust and grass. The one who oversees the ways of the stars will guard the way for His people’s journey home. Centuries later, God would prepare the way for Christ the true Temple, and one day, He will lift us up on eagles’ wings to the life of the world to come.

Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 39. “Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon.” This final and ominous prediction concludes the first part of Isaiah in chapter 39; the rest of the book will deal with God’s rescue from the Babylonians. Hezekiah had repented and had been healed, but he failed God’s test. He still trusted in princes, not God. Yet God still grants undeserved peace to him and his son Manasseh, peace which hints at God’s future restoration. We constantly falter like Hezekiah, but God still promises us future hope in Christ.

Rev. John Lukomski, retired pastor in Darmstadt, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 38. “Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Thus Isaiah delivered God’s harsh judgment against Hezekiah. His administration had made an idolatrous alliance with Egypt, and his heart was full of pride. Isaiah 38 gives us not only the history but also Hezekiah’s psalm of repentance. The king laments how his life has been cut short, and yet in faith he still appeals to God, even against God’s own sentence. God gives a sign that He will heal not only Hezekiah, but all of Judah as He fights for the city against Assyria. God “adds” years to Hezekiah’s life and Similarly, when God brought His own Son back to life, He saved all of us His people from destruction.

Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, South Dakota, and Fourth Vice President of LCMS, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 37. The Assyrian Rabshakeh shouted threats of destruction at the gates of Jerusalem. Now what was King Hezekiah to do? He humbles himself before God and His servant Isaiah, trusting in the Creator of heaven and earth. Isaiah predicts that God will turn back King Sennacherib like a tamed horse. When the Assyrians later return to Judah, God works His miracles. Like with Pharaoh of Egypt, God works on Sennacherib’s heart and mind. God makes him worried when he hears a rumor about the homefront, and Yahweh sends His angel to strike down thousands of Assyrians. The combination puts the Assyrians into panic and disarray. They return home, and Jerusalem is saved from the siege.

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 36. After 35 chapters of predictions, the Assyrians have finally come. Chapters 36 to 39 seem to quote from 2 Kings, proving that Isaiah wasn’t just speaking fanciful words of theology in poetic flourishes; theology is God’s real-life plan for human history. In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib of Assyria came and destroyed the whole country of Judah, except for the capital of Jerusalem. Walled up with no allies, not enough men, and not enough food, with their own God angry at them for their sin, the situation seemed totally hopeless. It was the Red Sea all over again—no way out. Yet, nothing is impossible for the Creator of heaven and earth. Who will you trust in?

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 35. “Waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” In chapter 35, Isaiah summarizes all his oracles of good news. In the wake of the Assyrian devastation, there will be relief and restoration for Judah. When Isaiah speaks of “wilderness” and “desert,” he does not refer to a sandy faraway place, but rather to Judah itself. The words in Hebrew should be understood to refer to “wasteland,” a place that has become uninhabited and uncultivated, as we saw in chapter 34. The power of God’s Word through baptism gives life not just for the individual, but for the places we live and work.

Rev. Warren Woerth, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Arnold, Missouri, joins guest host Rev. Dr. Steve Schave, Director of Urban and Inner City Mission and Church Planting with the LCMS Office of National Mission, to study Isaiah 34. Leading into chapter 34 of Isaiah we see that God is leading His people to repentance, through the punishment of their sins, as the nations have conquered them. And yet these nations who are hostile to God and His Word, and who have been destroyers, will face judgment and pay the penalty for what they have done to the people of Zion. The people of God have waited in faith for these promises to be fulfilled as they will be restored. Isaiah 34 is difficult for many because we may not like this picture of God, we may only wish to think of God as being loving and not just, but you cannot have one without the others. And so we are called to pay attention to this very sobering picture of Judgment Day. That if we want the opposite of holiness, and righteousness, and just

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney & St. John Lutheran Church in Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 33. In chapter 32, Isaiah predicts that Assyria would reduce Judah’s cities and fields to ruins and wilderness, but that there in the wilderness there would be justice and the fear of Yahweh. Chapter 33 offers a multifaceted reply with oracles of woe and judgment, a psalm, a proverb, and an oracle of salvation. The theme is appearances. Don’t trust in princes, heroes, envoys, or covenants; they merely appear strong for a short time before they are devoured by hungry caterpillars and locusts. Resist evil illusions and keep temptation far from your hands, ears, and eyes. Instead look on the king in His beauty, Christ who offers forgiveness and heavenly treasure.

Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’Shalom in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 28. Psalm 28 uses the themes of sound and work to offer supplication and praise to God. In the Old Testament, sound is connected to movement, activity, and life. Silence is connected to motionlessness, cessation, and death. We only have life, breath, and song because God first speaks His creative Word of life to create us and save us. When God works judgment and destruction, He is simply turning evil back on itself, letting it be “hoist on its own petard.” The work of faith is to tune out the loud distractions and listen to the voice of our shepherd. Our rock and fortress gives us a quiet place to sing our songs of praise in peace, with the whole body of Christ—even with those who have gone before us.

Rev. Wally Vinovskis, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and President of the SELC District of the LCMS, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 32. “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness. […] The fool will no more be called noble.” After speaking harsh words of law for several chapters, Isaiah gives us some gospel again in chapter 32. Although God will punish Judah for its idolatrous trust in Egypt, King Hezekiah will lead a remnant back to the true God. In that day, scoundrels like Shebna who lined his own pockets while advocating for an alliance with Egypt will fall from power. The corruption under kings like Jotham and Ahaz would finally be over. Overall, Judah would be better off, but so much depends on perspective. With the right priorities, they could see that even amidst the devastation, true peace was more valuable than material wealth. Even in our own day, God will not fail to act, and one day He will finally end corruption once and for all. On that day, it wil

Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, California, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 31. “The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.” Isaiah 31 continues God’s condemnation of Judah for their alliance with Egypt against Assyria, offering a spiritual perspective on the matter. When we compromise our faith in the name of being practical or wise, we sell ourselves into spiritual slavery. God is wise, and He will bring disaster to save us. It seems like foolishness to us, but it is our salvation—just like the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, God sent the Angel of Death to pass over His people a second time, and He struck the Assyrians with the spiritual sword of plague and disaster. King Hezekiah repented of his sinful mistrust and led God’s people back to the Word, as Moses had done earlier at the first Passover and as Luther would do later in the Reformation.

Rev. David Fleming, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 30. Instead of trusting in God and the word of Isaiah His messenger, Judah put their faith in the military strength of Egypt. It seemed prudent in the face of Assyrian aggression, but it revealed Judah’s shameful idolatry of the heart. For all its ferocity, Egypt would prove to be a do-nothing dragon, a tamed beast in a timeout. The sinful human heart still prefers “illusions” and “smooth things” rather than the truth and hard facts. As Luther said, even though the works of God seem unattractive and even evil at times, they are for our salvation. God pours out tempest and flood, fire and hail, to give us our exodus from slavery. He empties His fury against His own Son to save us like a signal on a hill and a serpent raised in the wilderness.

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in North St. Louis County, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Psalm 31. “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” Our Lord Jesus quoted these words from Psalm 31 while He was on the Cross, but the rest of the psalm isn’t as familiar to us. At times the psalmist seems to be begging God for mercy, and at times he seems to be thanking God that he has already received help—back and forth, again and again. What is the psalm really getting at? The answer lies with David, the first person to pray this psalm. David, on the run for his life, has taken refuge in a mountain city. Enemy forces have followed him and have put the city under siege, trying to starve out the inhabitants and drain their resources until they’re forced to surrender. Just like David, our Lord Jesus prayed this psalm when He was surrounded by enemies. Just like David, our Lord invites us to share in His confidence even when things look bleak.