1 Samuel 16 marks a turning point in the biggest story of the Bible. Israel had demanded to have a king like all the other nations had, and God had given them just what they asked for. Saul turned out to be just like the kings of all the nations. He had no concern for […]

Scripture shows us that God is not only good, wise, sovereign, but also surprsing. He does new things which are often unexpected and astonishing but full of wisdom far beyond what we could ever imagine. This new and surprising way of working is what God’s word of comfort to his people through Isaiah was all […]

In Isaiah 42:10-17, God continues his interrogation and humiliation of Israel’s idols by revealing Himself as the prophesying man of war and shepherding King who commands praise from all of creation. In this sermon, Pastor Joel shows how scripture identifies all of God’s attributes with Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the Lamb of God and […]

So far, in Isaiah 40, we’ve been hearing the word of comfort God speaks to his defeated, faithless, and soon-to-be exiled people. In vv. 1-2, we found that God’s comfort was promised. In vv. 3-5, we learned that his comfort was coming, and in vv. 6-8 that it was guaranteed. Now, in vv. 9-11, we’ll […]