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We covered a lot of ground in 2022 through the Bible Reading Plan! If you have followed along with us since January, we have read through 21 different books this year (plus different Gospel accounts throughout Holy Week). Here are the books we covered (in order) this year from January 1-December 31:

• Job
• Obadiah
• Hosea
• Ruth
• Titus
• Judges
• Holy Week readings (primarily in Mark)
• Ephesians
• Amos
• Jonah
• Micah
• Lamentations
• Colossians
• 1 & 2 Kings
• Jude
• Song of Songs
• 1 & 2 Peter
• Leviticus 
• Matthew 
• Isaiah

Our breakdown this year was 82% Old Testament vs. 18% New Testament. This year we continued to bounce back and forth between the Old and New Testaments, giving us a clearer picture of how each book (and type of literature) points us to the common thread throughout scripture: God had a plan to redeem a broken world through Jesus. 

Some of the books we read were cautionary warnings from prophets that are as applicable to us today as they were to their original audiences. The weighty stories in Job and Judges revealed the brokenness in the world around us. Our New Testament readings gave us eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s time on earth and helped develop our theology of who Jesus was and why the Gospel is good news for us.

In his book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, author and theologian Eugene Peterson says this about the scriptures:

“No literature is more realistic and honest in facing the harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempts us from difficulties. What it promises is preservation from all the evil in them. On every page of the Bible there is recognition that faith encounters troubles.”

Hopefully, through our readings this year, you have found that statement to be true and have felt the Bible come alive in new and fresh ways. Even in the chapters that felt hard to read or understand, we can trust that God is still speaking to us today through His inspired Word. 

Before we look ahead to next year, it’s helpful to pause and reflect on what God taught us this year. Think through (and please answer in the comments!) the following questions:

1. 1. Which character or story in scripture that we read this year sticks out the most? Why?
   2. What did you learn about God’s Word in 2022 that you didn’t previously know?
   3. If you were to summarize what God taught you this year into a word or phrase, what would it be?
   4. What is your prayer for 2023? What do you hope God teaches you in the upcoming year? 

As we look ahead to next year, we’ll begin the year studying the book of Proverbs through the month of January. If this resource has been helpful to you, please share it with others! We want to continue to make it freely available to any individuals, small groups, and churches that may find it to be helpful. 

Whether you have been following along since day one or joined us somewhere along the way, we hope that the BRP has helped you know, understand, and love God’s Word more. It is our hope that the BRP is helpful to you as you grow in your relationship with Jesus.

Isaiah 66 closes this book by setting our eyes on eternity, looking beyond the here and now. When it comes to chapters that speak on the judgment of the Father, it can be uncomfortable for us to imagine the condemnation for those who do not believe in Him. Remember: It is important for us to not read scripture with our own opinions, but to keep our eyes set on what is true of God’s character. He is a God of love and every action of His is an outpouring of love. We see very clearly here in this chapter a warning against what will happen to those who don’t follow him. That those who love their sin and ignore him will be put to shame. This isn’t to scare people from hell, rather it is a clear warning of the truth. Heaven will not be filled with people scared of hell. 

Verse 3 also mentions empty religion. It’s important to note that even in the Old Testament that it’s not about the sacrifices themselves, but it’s about our heart. God is making His intentions clear here: He wants us to be near to Him and to experience the joy found in Him!

What is so beautiful about this chapter is that for those who trust in the Lord and proclaim Him to be their savior, we see the other side of His love. “The humble and contrite in spirit” (v. 2) and those who “tremble at his word” (v. 5) will receive “peace like a river” (v. 12). The Lord will comfort us, and this news leads us to rejoice.

He is worthy of praise and from him alone is joy found. Worship is a form of repentance, surrender, and praise. That it isn’t a feeling, but instead a reset and reminder of what is true. That we don’t worship because of what our circumstances look like, rather we do it because He is worthy of it. It brings Him glory. We will be welcomed into His house and “all of mankind will come and bow down before me” (v. 23). This is our eternal mindset and why our hope is in Him!

Isaiah 65 begins with the Lord responding to the prayers of the previous chapters. Isaiah 65:2 says, “I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices.” What does it mean to be rebellious against God? The Lord himself gives us a definition here: people who follow their own devices. The Message translation says, “People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way.” If we trust in our own wisdom, judgment, and thoughts, then we are amongst the rebellious people! Proverbs 16:25 warns us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Isaiah then goes on to look forward, further into the future than any Old Testament prophet has so far. In verses 17-25 he talks about the new heavens and new earth. Isaiah gives us a glimpse into the new creation. One that will be filled with rejoicing and gladness (v. 18-19); one in which long life will prevail (v. 20); and one in which there will be just rewards for labor (v. 21-23). Probably the most Gospel-worthy prophesy about the new creation comes from v. 24: “Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” In the new heaven and the new earth, our relationship with the Lord will be so close that there will be an immediate and constant sense of the presence of God!

How we all long for the day when the earth will be as it was intended! A time of great rejoicing and constant communion with Jesus. A day when all of creation shall graze together as it talks about in verse 25. As believers in Jesus Christ, we can look forward to that day with hopeful anticipation. In the meantime, we can use Romans 12:2 as a road map as we navigate the world in its present state: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” God’s solution for us so that we don’t fall into the same trap as the rebellious Israelites is to continually renew our minds. May we be a people marked by our transformed, not rebellious hearts!

This chapter continues with Israel’s prayer as they plead with the Lord to “look down from heaven” and deliver the believing remnants. The lamenting people appeal for divine favor, remember God’s past faithfulness, and confess their unworthiness before Him. The Israelites had received favor from God, yet they turned their backs on Him and worshiped false gods. God claimed their righteous deeds to be unclean. Isaiah is aware that the natural human condition is uncleanliness. In Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6, he declares, “I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (6:5). When Isaiah gets a glimpse of God’s holiness, he clearly sees the uncleanliness of himself and of the people. This is the same language used in the book of Leviticus, that the people’s uncleanliness caused separation between them and God. 

In this chapter, the remnant of Israel confessed their unworthiness before the Lord. They say that “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (v. 6). The Isrealites found their confidence in their own self-righteousness, and God compared their righteousness to “filthy rags.” Our good deeds are tainted by our sinful motives. Romans tell us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23). Our sin makes us unclean and unworthy to be in a relationship with Him (v. 6). We can not escape our brokenness on our own, and our good acts can not save us. Martin Luther once said that “the most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man was the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God.” Everything we do for a holy God is polluted by our sin. There is nothing we can ever do to work our way up to Him. 

But God, because of His great love, sent His one and only Son to save us from the power of sin and death. Jesus came into this world and took the humble position of a servant. He lived the life that we could never live and died the death that we deserve, so that by believing in Him, we can have a relationship with God forever. Every single one of Jesus’ acts were righteous and pure. He knew that we could never live a perfect life on our own. Jesus paid the price for our sin, so that we can be declared righteous before the Lord. He did the work on our behalf. 

We can’t earn our way into Heaven. We can not work to be justified. If we had to work our way to get to God, either Jesus died for nothing, or His death was insufficient to cover our sins. Jesus saved us, not by works we have done in righteousness, but according to His own mercy (Titus 3:5). Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” We respond to the free gift of salvation by our works, but our works will never save us. We get to walk in the freedom of this reality, and that is good news for us today!

Commentator Warren Wiersbe explains, “Whenever a prophet foretold the future, it was to awaken the people to their responsibilities in the present. Bible prophecy isn’t entertainment for the curious; it’s encouragement for the serious.” This is a great explanation of what’s happening in Isaiah 63.

In the first six verses of this chapter, Isaiah gives a prophecy of the great Second Coming, and it seems to have done its job in awakening the Israelites to their situation. Isaiah reminds them that not only will their Messiah come to save them through His birth and resurrection, He will come again in vengeance to proclaim ultimate and eternal victory. 

We see in the verses following this prophecy that the Israelites begin to recount all of the ways that God has provided and cared for them. This was the God that redeemed them, saved them from Egypt, and brought them across the depths of the Red Sea. This was the God that called them His children and who guided them safely through enemy territory. And yet, they had “rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit.” (v. 10).

Isaiah’s prophetic words and warnings seem to awaken their love for God and encourage their devotion to Him, because the chapter concludes with a prayer to Him in recognition of His glory. They acknowledge the need for His mercy and grace and beg for Him to no longer withhold His tenderness and compassion from them. 

We will see this prayer continue through Isaiah 64 tomorrow and then read how God answers the Israelites in Isaiah 65. But for today, we can learn by putting ourselves in their shoes. We can spend time thinking about the future Second Coming and ultimate victory that we are promised, so that it awakens us to our current responsibilities. Instead of curiously reading this for entertainment, we can recognize the encouragement it provides. The very same God that brought the Israelites across the desert, also has a promised land for us. 

He is still capable of making the impossible possible. He is still able to and delights in moving the unmovable. He forgives the unforgivable, and He loves the unlovable. He finds joy in making the unknown known. He is the Father to the fatherless, and Hope for the hopeless. Today as we focus on His character, ask Him to realign your heart with His and awaken your love and devotion to Him just as He did for the Israelites. 

Throughout the book of Isaiah, there is a lot to say about God’s judgment on His people. They are called out for being a rebellious nation, and Isaiah’s debut prophecy over his people was a harsh one (Isaiah 6:9-13). Now as we get closer to the end of the book, the text has taken a turn. In the past two chapters, we now hear the voice of the Messiah that “the Spirit of the Lord is upon [Him]” (61:1). Reading this with our current perspective we know that this Messiah is Jesus, and that Isaiah is being inspired to write these words.

In the first few verses of Isaiah 62, the Messiah declares that the desolation of God’s people will be replaced with delight. He continues with passion and fervor when describing a deep love for his people and claims them as his own. He loves Zion as a bridegroom and promises them a hephzibah, which can be translated to “my delight is in her.” He uses the word beulah which can be translated as “married.” This paints a heartwarming contrast to the book of Hosea in which Israel is labeled as “unfaithful” and compared to a prostitute.

Additionally, the Messiah reminds His people that He never forgot them because He sent prophets to guide them. He then tells his people that they will no longer be given over to their enemies, but they will be restored by mercy and satisfied by his love. The chapter concludes with the Messiah inviting all the nations of the earth into the salvation of Zion. They are called “Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, Sought After, and the City No Longer Deserted” (v. 12). This is a powerful glimpse of what is to come: a moment in time where “every nation, tribe, people, and tongue” is welcomed with open arms into the salvation of God. This is a brief preview of what we now know as “the church.”

Isaiah 62 might be the most inspiring passage we can read on a day like today. It helps us remember the reason why Jesus came and the vision that the Messiah has, not only for his own people, but for all the inhabitants of the earth.

We are sixty-one books into Isaiah, and many chapters are hard, depicting rebellion or judgment with what seems like only a few hopeful verses thrown into the mix. Leading up to today, we read about all the things separating us from God. Isaiah 59:2 literally reads, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” The passage grows darker before we get to Isaiah 60 which describes the glory of Zion. 

Now today, we celebrate! This chapter, titled “The Year of the Lord’s Favor,” is full of promise and rejoicing! It is redemption from evil! What sounds better than that? 

 In Luke 4, Jesus Christ himself quotes this passage. Before His ministry begins, He spends forty days in the wilderness being tempted. Sometime after this, He goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and reads the scroll of Isaiah. Try to imagine the scene Luke describes. 

Luke 4:17-21 tells us, “and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the  Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them,  ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” 

 Even if we get lost in the judgment and genealogies of the Old Testament, it ALL comes back to Jesus! He is the fulfillment of every promise in Scripture. Jesus brings good news to the poor. He frees the oppressed and gives sight to the blind. Jesus brings us God’s favor. God is a promise-keeper, and Jesus redeems us from every evil thing that tries to separate us from God. It is why He came to earth, our Emmanuel. God is with us, and He is for us. Come, let us adore Him!   

The people of Israel were in total darkness, depravity, and in the depressing consequences of their sin. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). “We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes” (Isaiah 59:9b-10a). The end of Isaiah 59 prophesies a redeemer to come, and in Isaiah 60 we see that redemption brought to life.

 Light and glory have come to God’s people. Their sons and daughters have returned and their wealth has been restored. Those who oppressed them now bow down to them. The picture we see in Isaiah 60 is one of hope, joy, and celebration. It is a parade to restore what was lost. What is interesting to note is at the time they received this prophecy, their world was barren and empty. Things looked dark. Even so, they are commanded to “arise, shine, for your light has come” (v. 1).

 This prophecy served as a reminder to God’s people that one day they would not need the moon or sun because God’s light would surround them entirely, forever (v. 19). What a hope to cling to and what a future to look forward to with God! However, this was not just a Word for a future time. Here, we see God calling His people into action this side of eternity. In the midst of thick darkness, God was commanding His people to rise up and shine bright for others to be drawn into His light.

What was true for the Israelites is true for us today. We have a future hope. We can look forward to an eternity with God as our Light. Praise God! But what about right now? In the darkness that surrounds us, we still have access to God’s light. Though things seem dark, God is near. He has placed us in this dark world on a mission to shine His light to others so the world will know Him. 

The prophet Isaiah writes consistently of the sin and rebellion of Israel, as well as the hope and provision of salvation that is available to Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant. This story continues through Isaiah 59. The nation of Israel was so depraved that salvation could only come by God’s sovereign enlightening of their eyes. In the first few verses of this chapter we learn that God is powerful enough (His arm is not too short) and He is caring enough (His ear is not dull of hearing) to bring about salvation to Israel. However, their sin has separated them from God. The sins of murder, lying, injustice, and rebellion against their covenant with God. They were blinded by their own sin, walking in deliberate disobedience, and they were simply dead. Israel desperately needed to call out to God for rescue. 

Due to their complete and total depravity, no one but the Lord was capable of saving the nation. There was no way they could pick themselves up by their bootstraps or fumble their way towards obedience. It was impossible for Israel to help herself. 

They were in desperate need of divine intervention. Towards the end of this chapter, we hear Isaiah prophesy of the future redemption that awaits Israel through the Messiah, their Redeemer. God will not forsake His covenant with His people, though they continually forsake Him, for He is a covenant-keeping God. 

We are totally depraved apart from the Holy Spirit intervening our lives with a grace irresistible. Only God can forgive sin and transform the human heart. Only God can bring the dead to life. Only God can redeem the unrighteous to righteous. His glory is revealed through judgment against His enemies and His glory is simultaneously revealed through Jesus bringing about redemption to His people through their repentance and faith in Him. It isn’t possible for us to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps. We need a powerful and caring God to save us. He has made a way through the finished work of the cross. All we need to do is simply die to our flesh so He can live in us.