Isaiah Study Guide

📖 Read Isaiah 1 (←Click Link)

A Vision of Judah and All Creation (vv. 1–3)
Isaiah begins with a vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. From our perspective, these events took place long ago, in places we may never see. Yet the focus quickly expands: God is speaking, and all of creation must listen.

1. Big picture: Is Isaiah’s vision still relevant and meaningful for us? (Let verses 2–3 guide your thinking.)

2. What is God declaring in these verses?

3. Does His pronouncement still hold true today?

4. Is it surprising that God not only expects, but desires, to be known?


God’s Charge Against His People (vv. 4–8)
Isaiah narrows the charge to those who should know God best—His own people. It is serious when humanity ignores Him, but far worse when those who have His Word turn away (see Romans 1:18–23).

5. Why is this especially grievous?

6. What responsibility does this place on us?

7. How bad does God say the problem is?

8. Would the Israelites listening to Isaiah have agreed with his assessment?

9. Why do the Israelites (and we) tend to see ourselves differently than God sees us?

10. What was the socioeconomic reality that angered God, and what might be the equivalent in our society today?


Empty Worship Exposed (vv. 10–15)
Isaiah warns that worship, when empty of obedience, offends God.

11. Summarize God’s message to Israel in your own words.

12. What is the danger of believing God is easily appeased by religious activity?


A Path Forward (vv. 16–17)
Acts of worship must be genuine. God offers hope and shows His people how to return to Him.

13. What path does God lay out here?

14. What connection do these verses suggest between inner transformation and outward action?


God’s Ultimatum (vv. 18–20)
God presents Israel with a clear choice—and the same choice is offered to us today.

15. What ultimatum did God give Israel?

16. What choice are you making today?

📖 Read Isaiah 6  (←Click Link)

Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord (vv. 1–2)
In the year King Uzziah died (c. 780 BC), Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the throne. This vision came at a moment of political uncertainty.

1. Why do you think Isaiah received this vision at that moment?

2. How should this shape our perspective about the rise and fall of leaders in our own time?


The Seraphim and God’s Holiness (vv. 3–6)
Isaiah describes heavenly beings surrounding God’s throne and the overwhelming holiness of His presence.

3. How are the seraphim described, and what does their appearance communicate?

4. In Hebrew, words are sometimes repeated twice for emphasis, but rarely three times. Why is “holy” repeated three times here, and what does that tell us about God’s holiness?

5. Isaiah is overwhelmed and dismayed. Why does Isaiah feel out of place in God’s presence?

6. When you imagine standing before God, do you feel fear? Why or why not?


The Call to Ministry (vv. 8–10)
Purified, Isaiah accepts God’s call to speak to a people who will resist.

11. How does Isaiah’s call challenge our view of ministry?

12. God tells him the people will reject his message for decades. How would you respond to such a call?

13. In God's eyes, faithfulness is required; success is not. Have you ever stepped back from something He asked you to do because you didn’t see results or feel successful?


Responsibility and Judgment (vv. 11–13)
This passage is difficult to interpret. Some scholars hear sarcasm in the people’s refusal to listen, while others see God underscoring their rebellion against His truth. Either way, both divine action and human responsibility are at play. Israel’s choice to resist only deepened their guilt, and further revelation would expose it all the more. Before the nation could be rebuilt, a complete cleansing would be required.

14. How could Israel have avoided judgment?

15. How can we?

📖 Read Isaiah 7  (←Click Link)

The Threat Against Judah (vv. 1–9)
Five years later, Isaiah confronts King Ahaz during a political crisis. Israel and Syria planned to attack Judah.

1. Does God keep up with politics? Is He ever caught off guard?

2. How might young King Ahaz (20 years old) have felt facing these threats? Can you relate to that fear?

Isaiah refers to the king of Israel only as “the son of Remaliah” because he is of no consequence to God. While this king may loom large in Ahaz’s eyes, he is quite literally not worth mentioning by name in Isaiah's prophecy.

3. Who or what looms large in your imagination today? Will they stop God’s plans?

God’s Offer of a Sign (vv. 10–25)
Knowing King Ahaz needed a jolt of faith, God sent Isaiah to meet him while he was inspecting the city’s defenses. Isaiah offered him a miracle from the Lord—any sign at all, even something supernatural—to prove that God was with them.

4. How did Ahaz respond to God’s offer, and why was it hypocritical?

At first, Ahaz’s reply may sound pious, but it was not. Instead of trusting the God he could not see, he intended to put his faith in the Assyrians (see 2 Kings 16:7–8). By using religious language, he sidestepped God’s clear offer.

5. How are we guilty of doing this today?

6. What are some “godly phrases” people use to sidestep the deeper message of Scripture? (e.g., “Judge not!”)

Even though Ahaz tried to keep the Lord out of it, God chose to give a sign anyway.

7. What was the sign? Why did this seemingly positive prophecy take on a sour note?

Meanwhile, the nations around Judah—Egypt and Assyria—were on a course for confrontation and God's people are caught in the middle. Egypt wanted Judah as a buffer, while Assyria wanted it as a staging ground for invasion.

8. How does God describe these nations?

Ahaz was young and scared. God offered him miraculous help, but he explained it away with pious words. The chilling conclusion is that a lack of faith can forfeit God’s blessing.

9. How can we Christians avoid making the same mistake as Ahaz?

📖 Read Isaiah 13  (←Click Link)

*Chapters 13–23 form a unique and often overlooked section of Isaiah. Most of these chapters begin with the word “oracle” (or “woe,” depending on the translation). The section opens with an oracle against Babylon in the west (Chapters 13–14) and closes with an oracle against Tyre and Sidon in the east (Chapter 23). Together, these oracles form a sweeping message: God is the ruler and judge of all nations. Through Isaiah, Israel—and we—are called to place confident trust in the God who holds the whole world in His hands.


An Oracle Against Babylon (vv. 1–5)
Isaiah delivers an oracle against Babylon, even though they were not yet a major power.

1. Who delivered this oracle, and who was the intended audience?

2. If the message never reached Babylon, why did God give it?

It’s easy to lose interest in passages like this if we feel they aren’t directly for us. But Scripture reminds us that all of God’s Word is useful for our spiritual growth (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Pause and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to what He wants to show you in this chapter.

3. How should we approach texts that seem “not for us”?


God’s Wrath Revealed (vv. 6–16)
Isaiah emphasizes God’s anger against sin.

4. Why is God angry in this passage?

5. How does this challenge our modern discomfort with God’s wrath?

6. Why does it matter that we understand this aspect of God’s nature?

7. What specific sins does Isaiah name in these verses?

8. On our human scale—from “minor” to “horrific”—where would most people place these sins, and why?

9. Does God’s intense anger toward these sins surprise you? What does that reveal about your own view of sin?

Verse 16 is disturbing. When we come across challenging passages like this, we need to stop and think carefully:

10. How should we understand the difference between God advocating something and God foretelling something?


The Fall of Babylon (vv. 17–22)
Isaiah prophesies Babylon’s destruction as a symbol of pride.

9. What would be the end of Babylon?

10. Why are wild animals pictured in the ruins? What do they have in common?

11. Did this prophecy come true?

Babylon represents more than just a city or an empire. In Isaiah’s day, Babylon was not yet the dominant power it would later become. Here, Babylon symbolizes the sin of pride—trusting in human achievement apart from God. Much like in Revelation, the name “Babylon” is used to describe a spirit of arrogance and self-reliance that sets itself against the Lord.

12. As you consider the whole chapter through this lens, how is Babylon’s pride—trusting in human achievement apart from God—still relevant in our world today?

📖 Read Isaiah 15  (←Click Link)
📖 Read Isaiah 16  (←Click Link)


The Oracle Against Moab (Isaiah 15:1–9; 16:6–14)
Isaiah turns to Moab, a neighboring nation closely tied to Israel’s story.

1. What important Old Testament figure came from Moab?

2. What tone do these chapters take, and how is it different from previous oracles?

In Chapter 14, God is pictured as rallying forces to come against Babylon. In Chapters 15–16, however, the coming war and destruction of Moab are described more as the natural outcome of nations fighting among themselves.

This contrast between Babylon and Moab invites us to consider the different ways God works in human history:

3. How does God’s involvement look different in these two scenarios?

4. When conflict, crisis, or war happens in our world today, how should we understand God’s involvement and sovereignty?


Compassion in Judgment (Isaiah 15:5; 16:1–5)
Isaiah shows God’s heart of compassion even toward enemies.

(Isaiah 15:5)

5. In 15:5, whose heart cries out, and why?

6. How does this challenge the idea that the “Old Testament God” is only angry and vengeful?

7. Can justice and mercy coexist? How?

(Isaiah 16:1-5)

8. What was God’s response to Moab’s suffering and how did He call Judah to respond to the fugitives of Moab?

9. What outcome was expected if Judah sheltered the Moabite fugitives?

10. What does God’s compassion for Moab reveal about His care for nations beyond Israel, even for people who do not know or worship Him?

11. How should this challenge our own view of people outside the church?

📖 Read Isaiah 24  (←Click Link)
📖 Read Isaiah 25  (←Click Link)


Judgment and Praise
Isaiah moves from global judgment to a song of praise.

1. What is the mood of Chapter 24?

2. How is it different from the tone of Chapter 25?

Isaiah erupts into praise after so many heavy passages because God, the ruler of the whole earth, is using judgment for a purpose.

4. What is that purpose?

5. How does God use judgment in your life today? Do you see it as positive?

Notice Isaiah’s words in 25:1: “O Lord, you are my God.” After speaking of God as ruler of the nations, Isaiah suddenly addresses Him in deeply personal terms.

6. What does it say about the God of all the earth that Isaiah can call Him my God?

7. What is the difference between knowing God personally and knowing about Him conceptually? Which best describes your relationship with Him?

God’s Wondrous Works (Isaiah 25:1, Psalm 78:1–16)
Isaiah praises God’s purposeful and miraculous works.

6. In 25:1, why does Isaiah praise God?

7. Have you seen God do wondrous things? What were they?

8. According to Psalm 78, what is one important way we experience God’s wondrous works?


God’s Shelter and Feast (25:4–6)
God provides not just survival, but abundance.

​In verse 4, God is pictured as a shelter for those in dire need, a matter of life and death. But in verse 6, Isaiah describes a rich feast.

9. Why does Isaiah use the image of a rich feast? How does this expand our view of God beyond simply saving us and seeking His glory?

10. What does this reveal about God’s care?


The Promise of Victory (25:7–9)
Isaiah points to a future where death and shame are defeated.

11. What vision does Isaiah give of that future day?

12. If it would not be fulfilled in their lifetime, why share it with Judah?

13. Why does God share it with us today?

14. How should the reality of heaven shape our outlook today?
 

"Winning the War In Your Mind"

📖 Read Isaiah 36 (←Click Link)

The Rabshakeh Threatens Violence (vv. 1–3)
Verses 1–2 set the backdrop for the next few chapters. These events were well known in Isaiah’s day and marked a turning point in Judah’s history. Both 2 Chronicles 32 and 2 Kings 18 record the Rabshakeh’s threats and Hezekiah’s response. Because his readers would have known the story, Isaiah offers a brief, straightforward introduction to the crisis. For us, it’s worth pausing to step into Hezekiah’s world at this moment.

1. Even without knowing all the names and places, the situation is clear. How would you describe it?

Assyria’s advance seemed inevitable, and reports of its victories gave Judah plenty of reason to fear what was coming.

2. How do you think the people of Judah felt? What is uniquely challenging about a looming threat?

When we meet Hezekiah in this chapter, he is by the upper pool. This is the second time a ruler has stood by an upper pool under threat of siege in Isaiah.

3. What is the significance of this, and what must have been on Hezekiah’s mind?


The Rabshakeh’s Speech (vv. 4–10)
The Rabshakeh led a vast army and soon arrived outside Jerusalem’s walls. The king of Assyria had sent him to subdue the city by any means necessary. Verses 4–10 record his message to Hezekiah.

4. How would you summarize both the content and tone of his speech?

The Assyrian envoy even claims that the Lord—the God of Israel—has abandoned Hezekiah because he tore down worship in the high places.

5. What does he mean by this, and more importantly, was the Rabshakeh right? (See 2 Chronicles 29.)

The Rabshakeh argues that recent history is against Judah—Assyria has already conquered forty-six cities—that their allies will fail them, and that even their God has deserted them.

6. Have you ever faced a situation where you began to doubt everything? What caused your doubt—and what helped it grow or fade?


The Rabshakeh’s Public Challenge (vv. 11–22)
When Hezekiah’s officials asked the Rabshakeh to speak in Aramaic instead of Hebrew, they refused.

7. Why did Hezekiah’s ambassadors make this request, and how did the Assyrian respond? How do most people react when a private confrontation becomes public?

The Rabshakeh begins to threaten risk and reward in equal measure. He argues that the god of the Assyrians was stronger than all the gods of the nations they had conquered.

8. What is his theology here? In what ways do people still believe this today—trusting power, success, or dominance as proof of divine favor?

9. How does the chapter end, and what does it reveal about the mental and spiritual state of Judah’s people?

Sowing doubt is one of the enemy’s oldest tactics—first appearing in the garden when the serpent questioned God’s Word. It remains alive and well today, often taking root subtly in our thoughts and surroundings.

10. Why is this kind of doubt so destructive, and where do you see its roots in your own life or culture today?

11. What are the most common sources of your own doubt?

The effects of doubt are cumulative, eroding confidence and faith over time. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 reminds us that our battle is not merely physical or circumstantial. Hezekiah faced a visible army, yet the deeper conflict was in the realm of faith.

12. How can we recognize when doubt is taking hold, and how can we stop its progression?

13. What does it mean to “take every thought captive” (See 2 Cor. 10:3-5)? Practically speaking, how can we cultivate awareness of our thoughts and align them with truth?

14. Is anything currently causing doubt in your life? How can you begin to win the war in your mind this week?

"Choose Your Influencers"

📖 Read: Isaiah 37:1–13 (←Click Link)
 
A Day of Distress (vv. 1–4)
Chapter 37 picks up immediately after the events of Chapter 36. When Hezekiah’s ambassadors return with the Rabshakeh’s threats, the king becomes overwhelmed with the news.

1. What does verse 1 say that Hezekiah does? What is the significance of his actions?

It seems counterintuitive for a king to put on sackcloth rather than armor. Most of us would expect him to deliver a stirring speech or rally his troops.

2. What message does wearing sackcloth and ashes send to those who were watching? What message did it communicate to God?

We rarely use outward symbols to express our inward fear and pain.

3. What benefits can you see in this? Are there any expressions like this in your own culture or context today?

In the previous chapter, Hezekiah was inspecting the city’s water supply—the upper pool—in preparation for siege. Now, his first response is to go before God.

4. What does this response reveal? What is the unique balance a leader must strike between prudence and providence? Which of these comes more naturally to you?

Hezekiah sends a message to the prophet Isaiah, describing the nation’s distress.

5. What stands out about how the king frames the Rabshakeh’s threats? Does Hezekiah seem more focused on his own safety, the nation’s welfare, or God’s honor? What does this reveal about how he sees the problem before him?

It’s natural, though mistaken, to make crises about ourselves. Hezekiah recognizes that this conflict is about something much bigger—God’s name and reputation.

6. How can this perspective help us in our own moments of crisis?


Isaiah’s Response (vv. 5–7)
Isaiah receives Hezekiah’s plea for prayer and sends his reply. In his reply, Isaiah refers to Hezekiah as “your master” rather than addressing him directly.

7. Why do you think he does this? Do you think it was meant as a slight—or as a reminder of something else?

8. How would you summarize Isaiah’s prophecy? If you had opened the scroll and read this reply, would you have been encouraged—or wanted more?

God’s replies are often short and lacking the details we crave.

9. Why do you think God rarely gives full explanations or assurances? How could constant clarity actually make faith harder, not easier?

Isaiah’s words promise that God will act, but in an unexpected way.

10. If this prophecy comes true (and it does), who will get the credit?

God defends His own glory, yet His ways are not our ways. Many believers feel compelled to defend every attack or insult against God or His Word.

11. Is that always necessary or wise? Why or why not?


The Rabshakeh Reminder (vv. 8–13)
The Rabshakeh receives word that events back in Assyria require his attention.

12. What was taking place, and why would this pull him away from Jerusalem?

The passage lists many names and locations—evidence of a vast network of political intrigue and national ambition.

13. What does this reveal about God’s sovereignty over all nations? Read Daniel 2:21. What encouragement does that verse offer us today?

Before leaving, the Rabshakeh sends a final message to Hezekiah, repeating his earlier threats.

14. Why does he feel the need to remind Hezekiah? What is he trying to accomplish?

Notice the contrast between Isaiah’s brief prophecy and the Rabshakeh’s long speech.

15. Why do the threats in our lives often sound louder than God’s Word?

As the Rabshakeh departs, Hezekiah is left holding two scrolls—two very different voices responding to the same threat. Each seeks to shape the king’s perspective and decision.

16. How many times do you think Hezekiah reread these messages? How might his feelings have shifted depending on which one he focused on?

Though we imagine ourselves to be steady and consistent, our thoughts and feelings are often shaped by whatever lies before us. This has always been true of humanity, yet technological advances have multiplied both the volume and the velocity of information we encounter.

17. How might today’s constant flow of information make it harder to stay grounded or discerning?

Technology and personalized media content are now shaping what we pay attention to and care about most.

18. How are these influences forming you? Are they drawing you toward greater faith and obedience to God—or away from Him?

Hezekiah had to decide which influencer to trust.

19. How can we learn to do the same today?

"Desperate Prayers for Desperate People"

📖 Read Isaiah 37:14-36 (←Click Link)

Hezekiah’s Prayer (vv. 14–20)
Verse 14 shows that Hezekiah’s first instinct is to go before God.

1. Why is it significant that he did not turn first to his advisors, military commanders, or even the prophet Isaiah?

After hearing Isaiah’s prophecy in the previous chapter and witnessing the Rabshakeh’s sudden departure, Hezekiah must have hoped God’s promise was already beginning to unfold. Yet the king had no way to know for sure. He brings his mixture of hope and uncertainty honestly before God.

2. Take a closer look at Hezekiah’s prayer. What does the king choose to focus on as he prays?

3. What does it mean to make an appeal before God? What do you think God would find appealing in Hezekiah’s prayer?

As you read, try to identify the different sections or movements of Hezekiah’s prayer—his praise, his petition, and his trust.

4. How is this similar to or different from how we tend to pray today?


God’s Response (vv. 21–29)
Through Isaiah, God answers Hezekiah’s prayer with assurance and a sign of deliverance. God’s sovereignty and glory are central—He saves for His own name’s sake.

5. How quickly does God respond to Hezekiah’s prayer? What does that tell us about His character and His attentiveness to His people?

6. Why do you think God chose to speak through Isaiah instead of directly to the king? What might that say about how God works through His Word and His messengers?

7. Does God address Hezekiah’s fear in His message, reflecting the king’s prayer? What instead becomes the main focus of God’s reply?

From the outside, Assyria seems to have every advantage—military, political, and strategic. Yet God views the situation very differently.

8. How does God describe the conflict? What might this teach us about His perspective on power?

A Prophecy of Deliverance (vv. 30–35)
God concludes His message by giving Hezekiah a sign: not only will Jerusalem survive, but its people will again eat from their own fields outside the city walls.

9. Why is this sign so meaningful in light of their situation? Why do you think it unfolds over three years?

10. What might it mean to partner with God’s promises as they develop over time?

God also promises that He will win this war without a single arrow being fired.

11. According to verse 35, why will God do this? What is significant about the two reasons He gives?


The Fall of Sennacherib (vv. 36–38)
The fall of the Assyrian army and the decline of its empire are summarized in just three verses. Isaiah, normally so detailed, records it with remarkable brevity.

12. Why do you think the prophet doesn’t dwell on the destruction of Judah’s enemies? What does that reveal about where the story’s focus truly lies?

Hezekiah’s prayer, God’s response, and Isaiah’s commentary all point to a central truth: God acts for the sake of His own glory.

13. What can we learn from Hezekiah and Isaiah about centering our own prayers and appeals around God’s honor rather than our outcomes?

"A Theology of Death"

📖 Read Isaiah 38 (←Click Link)

Hezekiah’s Terminal Illness (vv. 1–3)
Few people know when they will die; for most, it comes as an untimely surprise. Hezekiah, however, is told directly by Isaiah that he will not recover from his illness.

1. Try to imagine receiving that prophecy. How would you respond? How did Hezekiah respond?

Hezekiah’s sickness likely occurred during or shortly after Sennacherib’s campaign against Judah. Given the instability of the time, there were urgent reasons for the king to “put his house in order.” One crucial matter was who would succeed the king. According to 2 Kings 20 and 21:1, Hezekiah did not yet have a son at the time of his sickness.

2. What was truly at stake if King Hezekiah died without an heir—especially in light of God’s promise to David (See Psalm 89:3–4)?

The text says that Hezekiah wept bitterly.

3. Is that what you would expect from a godly leader? Is a stoic response necessarily more faithful?


A Second Lease on Life (vv. 4–7)
According to 2 Kings 20:4–5, Isaiah had not even left the palace before God sent him back with a new message.

4. What might this imply about Hezekiah’s response after receiving the news of his own death?

Throughout these chapters, Hezekiah’s instinct is consistent: whatever the threat—an invading army or a word from the Lord—he takes it straight to God.

5. What is your natural first response to trials or bad news?

God identifies Himself as “the God of your father David” and affirms His covenant faithfulness.

6. If that is true, why would God allow Hezekiah to face death without an heir? And if He planned to heal him, why not invite Hezekiah to ask for healing from the start?

God tells Hezekiah that He is responding to the king’s prayer and tears.

7. What does this reveal about God’s heart toward sincere emotion and honest prayer? Do you ever feel self-conscious about expressing your own tears before God?

God also promises a sign to confirm His Word.

8. Why do you think Hezekiah needed a sign?

Scripture shows that God can fulfill miracles in different ways—sometimes through direct, cosmic intervention, and other times through personal or localized signs. In this case, God may have supernaturally reversed the sun’s movement or created a visual miracle seen only by Hezekiah.

9. What do you think this miracle reveals about God’s power and His desire to confirm His promises?


Facing Death and Celebrating Life (vv. 9–22)
Instead of a simple psalm of praise for his recovery and new lease on life, Hezekiah chooses to record his own processing of death.

10. Why is his honest reflection—rather than a straightforward psalm of praise—so valuable for us?

Verses 10–14 sound very different from verses 15–20.

11. What imagery does Hezekiah use in verses 10–14, and what do these images have in common? How would you describe his emotional state in your own words?

As Hezekiah reflects on his recovery in verses 15–20, he makes a striking statement in verse 17.

12. What does he say there? How did facing death change him—and how might it change us?

Hezekiah’s story offers profound insight into how people of faith can face mortality bringing grief, fear, and hope honestly before God.

13. How should a Christian approach the reality of death? What does Hezekiah’s example teach about facing the end of your own life?

14. Why is it wise to reflect on death while we still have life and strength?

"Possessed by Possessions"

📖 Read Isaiah 39 (←Click Link)

Isaiah 39 serves as a bridge between the first and second halves of the book. In the earlier chapters, Assyria is the dominant threat; in the later chapters, the focus shifts toward hope and redemption in the midst of exile.

This chapter foreshadows the events of Daniel, when Assyria falls and Babylon rises to power—ultimately conquering Jerusalem and carrying its people into captivity. Even these tragic events, however, were not outside of God’s knowledge or control.

Chapter 39 contains both a chilling prophecy and a revealing response from King Hezekiah.

A Visit from Babylon (vv. 1–4)
The chapter opens with a visit from Merodach-Baladan, king of Babylon (also known in historical records as Marduk-apla-iddina). His reign coincided with Assyria’s decline and Babylon’s return to power.

1. What prompted the visit from Babylon’s envoys to Hezekiah? Was that their only purpose for visiting?

Hezekiah warmly received them and proudly showed them his treasures.

2. What do you notice about how Hezekiah welcomed his guests? What might this reveal about his state of mind?

3. Why do you think he chose to show them all his possessions? What internal motives might have been at work—and what political motives might have justified it in his mind?

The text says there was “nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.”

4. Why do you think the author emphasizes this? What point is Isaiah making through this exaggeration?

Isaiah appears suddenly and begins to question the king.

5. Why might God have sent His prophet at that exact moment?

6. Why does God sometimes ask questions when He already knows the answers? (Consider His questions to Adam and Eve when they were hiding in the garden—see Genesis 3:9–13.)


A Prophecy Against Hezekiah (vv. 5–8)
Isaiah delivers a sobering message: everything Hezekiah showed the Babylonians would one day belong to them.

7. The prophecy begins, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts.” What does this title—Lord of hosts—mean, and why is it especially fitting here?

8. According to verse 6, whose possessions were these really? How is this statement a rebuke of Hezekiah’s pride?

9. What else does Isaiah predict about Hezekiah’s descendants? Why would this be especially devastating for a king like Hezekiah?

10. What was Hezekiah’s underlying sin here?

11. How does God’s response expose the deeper issue of his heart?

Hezekiah’s reaction to the prophecy in verse 8 is striking.

12. How does his response compare to his earlier reaction to illness in Isaiah 38? What does this reveal about his perspective?

This passage warns us of the danger of being owned by what we own.

13. What is the difference between having possessions and being defined by them? How can we enjoy God’s good gifts without becoming enslaved to them?

14. What practices or perspectives can help Christians hold wealth and success loosely, using them to honor God rather than themselves?