The main chapters in view for March 2 are Isaiah 28-33, all of which begin with “Woe” except for one (ch. 32). I call them the 5 “Woes,” for they talk about the chastening/discipline God is bringing upon the nation and city because of their sin. Yet, in the middle of these chapters that have definite punitive overtones, Isaiah leaves us with 5 “Wows” — passages that tell us of God’s positive intent in the discipline. It’s like God, in the middle of our waywardness, says to us, “You’ll thank me for this one day.” (reminiscent of when our parents often said similar things to us) 🙂 God is so committed to our holiness/sanctification that even in his training (i.e., discipline, chastening), he makes sure to tell us it is, in the end, for our good.

Here are the five WOWs:

1. Isaiah 28:23-29
2. Isaiah 29:22-24
3. Isaiah 30:15-26
4. Isaiah 31:4-5
5. Isaiah 33:20-24

Exploring each of these ‘WOW’ passages would be a worthwhile study/discussion for any small group, but for now, here’s a general sense of them all: God, even in the middle of perceived punishment, is actually perfecting us. His discipline is truly productive, not punitive. As stated in a previous blog, these 5 passges really resonate with the same themes as we find in the latter portions of Hebrews 12.

It’s as if God is saying through Isaiah, “I know this hurts right now, but you’ll be glad one day.” (Or somthing to that effect.) That’s the delight of our Heavenly Daddy — to discipline (i.e., train) us in a way that prepares us for what’s coming up. He’s thinking way in advance, and getting us ready! He’s the perfect parent, eh? Hallelujah!