Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

Rev. Neil Wehmas, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove, Iowa, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 5. It begins as a beautiful love song fit for a vineyard wedding reception, but it quickly turns into an accusation fit for Good Friday: “When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” Israel had been unfaithful to her God, and the bloodshed of injustice flowed like wine. The sung prophetic poem of Isaiah 5 is different from the previous prophecy, but it seems to be set in a similar time, around the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz or even during the reign of Uzziah. During this time, wealth and idolatry blinded the people to God as the true source of all goodness, so Isaiah here predicts the Assyrian invasion and the exile of the northern tribes. It seems like the Exodus is reversed, with God summoning the armies of Pharaoh instead of fighting against them. As we repent for the same kinds of sins, we can only look to Jesus, who took God’s accusations on Himself on Good Friday

Rev. Nate Ruback, pastor of Grace Lutheran Chapel in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 4. Isaiah 4 ends the same way that Isaiah 2 began, with a word of grace and a vision of a glorious future. This poetic structure distinguishes this section from chapters 1 and 5, and it draws our attention to how the destructive fire of judgment is transformed into a protective fire that provides warmth and light in the night. The fire of God’s presence is a terror to be sure, but for God’s people there is peace even in the midst of fear. The greed and faithlessness under Jotham and Ahaz would give way to reform and devotion under King Hezekiah. Yet Hezekiah was still under the thumb of Assyria, and his reforms wouldn’t go far enough. Similarly, our repentance is always imperfect as sin creeps back into our lives. Our sinful nature is desperate to hang on to the status quo and resists real change. Peace and reform are only perfect in Christ, who is our true “shade by day from the heat” and o

Rev. David Andrus, pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in St. Louis and Not-Alone.net Ministries, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 3. Chapters 3 and 4 of Isaiah continue the same poetic prophecy that began in chapter 2 of God’s judgement against Judah in its opulent idolatry. The boom will indeed be followed by a bust, but here Isaiah reminds us that busts do not force everyone to repentance by themselves. Isaiah describes a situation of spiritual depravity that dulls the heart even amidst disaster: frantically scrambling to maintain the status quo at all costs, appointing children and infants to positions of power, setting up ruins as a kingdom. We are reminded of the prayer in Proverbs 30: “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” Even in our own day, we see that the “Great Recession” did not necessarily turn people away from greed. Judah failed to repent even after the devastation wrought by Assyria, which eventually led to the total destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. T

Rev. Nathan Meador, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 2. Isaiah’s introductory chapter looks out on the wastes of Judah following Assyria’s siege of Jerusalem. Isaiah chapter 2 takes us back to ‘the good old days’ under Jotham and Ahaz, when Judah was “filled with silver and gold,” but those precious metals were often in the form of idols. Isaiah challenges the people of his day: Judah may look prosperous now, but spiritually speaking, it’s a mess. The Messianic kingdom will know spiritual peace, not just temporal peace. Isaiah challenges us to see that “the house of the LORD” was lifted up for the nations at the crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha. The Cross of Jesus offers salvation, grace, forgiveness, and the promise of the true Messianic kingdom, but it also means God has declared war on our pride and our greed. We should know joy and peace, but also true fear, not merely reverence.

Rev. Scott Adle, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Isaiah 1. Like Daniel, the prophet Isaiah saw kings come and go. His first chapter begins by looking at the destruction experienced under Hezekiah, when the Assyrians destroyed much of Judah and nearly captured the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah declares that this destruction is punishment for Judah’s greed and indifference, their corruption and lust, their hypocrisy and idolatry. They lift up hands of prayer, but their “hands are full of blood.” We too are condemned by Isaiah’s words. Has our society looked after the most vulnerable? Have we given our civic duties our full attention? Have we put God first, or have we put Him alongside a long list of other hobbies and memberships? We must repent as a society and “learn to do good.” And ultimately, the stain of sin is only removed by the blood of Jesus Christ.