Jeremiah 1 : Jeremiah is predestined to be a prophet

In Jeremiah 1, Jeremiah is called to prophecy in the name of the Lord when he was very young:

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because I am a youth.”
7 But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.


The Lord details his mission:

10 See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to tear down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.”


The Lord watches over His word to fulfill it:

12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am [c]watching over My word to perform it.”

The Lord is in control of everything. The Lord reveals that will punish Judah. Babylon will destroy Judah:

14 Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north the evil [d]will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the Lord; “and they will come and place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will [e]pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have abandoned Me and have [f]offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah must spread this particular message from the Lord, but he will face problems:

17 Now, belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18 Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
 

Isaiah 66: the Lord looks for one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at His word

 In Isaiah 66 we read Jerusalem, a place where earth and heavens meet. It begins with:

1 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that [a]I may rest?
2 For My hand made all these things,
So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.

Is there a temple made by man that can house the Lord? The answer seems to be "no"; but  the Lord looks for a place, a person to live:

2 ... “But I will look to this one,
At one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

However, the Lord is against hypocrisy. He is against people who claims to praise the Lord and make sacrifices but don't fear the Word of the Lord:

4 So I will choose their [c]punishments
And bring on them what they dread.
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen.
Instead, they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”

The Lord says from the temple:

8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be [d]born in one day?
Can a nation be given birth all at once?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also delivered her sons.
9 Shall I bring to the point of birth but not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.

I suppose that the Lord is talking about Zion giving birth to Christians in verses 8-9, but some say it refers to Jerusalem (perhaps because Jerusalem must be destroyed):

10-11 “Rejoice, Jerusalem,
    and all who love her, celebrate!
And all you who have shed tears over her,
    join in the happy singing.
You newborns can satisfy yourselves
    at her nurturing breasts.
Yes, delight yourselves and drink your fill
    at her ample bosom.”

I still think that the newborns from Jerusalem are Christians (as Christian faith began in Jerusalem according to the book of Acts).
Indeed Christians are people form other nations and languages that is gathered by the Lord:

18-21 “.... I’m going to come and then gather everyone—all nations, all languages. They’ll come and see my glory. I’ll set up a station at the center. I’ll send the survivors of judgment all over the world: Spain and Africa, Turkey and Greece, and the far-off islands that have never heard of me, who know nothing of what I’ve done nor who I am. I’ll send them out as missionaries to preach my glory among the nations. They’ll return with all your long-lost brothers and sisters from all over the world. They’ll bring them back and offer them in living worship to God. They’ll bring them on horses and wagons and carts, on mules and camels, straight to my holy mountain Jerusalem,” says God. “They’ll present them just as Israelites present their offerings in a ceremonial vessel in the Temple of God. I’ll even take some of them and make them priests and Levites,” says God.

The people that belongs to the Lord are winners that bow down before the Lord:

23 And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All [n]mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
24 “Then they will go out and look
At the corpses of the people
Who have rebelled against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be extinguished;
And they will be an abhorrence to all [o]mankind.”

Isaiah 65: new heavens and a new earth

 In Isaiah 65, 1-2, the Lord invites people to come to him:

1 I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’
To a nation which did not call on My name.

however, Israel didn't listen to the Lord and rebbeled against Him:

2 I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in the way which is not good, [a]following their own thoughts,

Israel made a lot of things that displeased the Lord such as: offering sacrifices to other gods, eating pork, spent a night in cemiteries to get messages from the dead, etc; but there are still servants of the Lord that will be treated in a special manner:

9 I will bring forth [g]offspring from Jacob,
And an heir of My mountains from Judah;
My chosen ones shall inherit it,
And My servants will live there.

They will inherit the mountains from Judah
But those that don't repent will die:

12 I will destine you for the sword,
And all of you will bow down to the slaughter.
Because I called, but you did not answer;
I spoke, but you did not listen.
Instead, you did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.

while the servants will eat, drink and rejoice.
The chapter finishes with a promise of new heavens and new earth:

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to [o]mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
19 I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

Isaiah 64: we are sinners and even our righteous deeds are repugnant.

 Let us imagine that the God of Israel was created by men. Certainly, this false god would praise Israel and its leaders. However, the Lord is Holy and wants his people to be holy. He insists so much on it that the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed as in Isaiah 64:

8 But now, Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter,
And all of us are the work of Your hand.
9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord,
Nor remember wrongdoing forever.
Behold, please look, all of us are Your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness,
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful house,
Where our fathers praised You,
Has been burned by fire;
And all our precious things have become a ruin.

Before, the prophet acknowledges the sin of the people of the Lord:

5 (..) Behold, You were angry, for we sinned,
We continued in [c]our sins for a long time;
Yet shall we be saved?
6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have [d]surrendered us to the power of our wrongdoings.

The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. Will the Lord rescue his people? Certainly He is powerful to do it:

1 Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down,
That the mountains would quake at Your presence—
2 [b]As fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3 When You did awesome things which we did not expect,
You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him.

The Lord wants to meet us when we rejoice in doing righteousness:

5 You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.

Let we have a new heart from the Lord!

Isaiah 63: You cause us to stray from Your ways

 In Isaiah 63 we read:

God’s Vengeance on the Nations (1-8)

4 For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.

6 I trampled down the peoples in My anger
And made them drunk with My wrath,
And I [e]poured out their lifeblood on the earth.

The Lord poured out lifeblood from many people on his anger, on the day of vengeance.

God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled (9-14)

The Lord made great things to his people :

9 In all their distress [f]He was distressed,
And the angel of His presence saved them;
In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
And grieved His Holy Spirit;
Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy,
He fought against them.

You Are Our Father (15-19)
15 Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious lofty habitation;
Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds?
The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.
16 For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us
And Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our Father,
Our Redeemer from ancient times is Your name.
17 Why, Lord, do You cause us to stray from Your ways
And harden our heart from fearing You?
Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
18 Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while,
Our adversaries have trampled it down.
19 We have become like those over whom You have never ruled,
Like those who were not called by Your name.

These final verses are very interesting. The Lord is called "Father" of his people in v16 what is not so common in Old Testament where "father" is applied to a nation, not individually. In the New Testament we see the Lord being called Father, Aba in more personal way. We read in v17:

17 Why, Lord, do You cause us to stray from Your ways
And harden our heart from fearing You?
Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

I doubt that anyone would ask the Lord such question: "do You cause us to stray from Your ways And harden our heart from fearing You?"

However, it is prayer like: "You Lord can change my heart and bring me to you; so please do it!". He finishes saying: "Return for the sake of your servants" because it seems that the Lord has forsaken his people in the Babylonian captivity.

Isaiah 62: Jerusalem: from a destroyed woman to a queen.

 In Isaiah 62 we read:

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.

As in other chapters of Isaiah after chapter 40, we suppose this chapter was written in Babylonian captivity; thus now Zion is destroyed. Is Jerusalem righteous? Jerusalem was destroyed because it is not righteous, so the Lord is working on Jerusalem, transforming Jerusalem so that her righteousness appear. It is very similar to the Lord changing me into a new creature.


2 The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal headband in the hand of your God.
4 It will no longer be said to you, “[a]Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “[b]Desolate”;
But you will be called, “[c]My delight is in her,”
And your land, “[d]Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the [e]groom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.


Jerusalem that is now destroyed will no longer be called "desolate" but it will become a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord. It is very similar to the Lord changing a destroyed life into somebody very beautiful.

6 On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen;
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;
7 And give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes Jerusalem an object of praise on the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm:
“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies,
Nor will [f]foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”
9 But those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord;
And those who gather it will drink it in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

Jerusalem was very unsecure, but the Lord will change it. This prophecy must be in the hearts of the people of the Lord. They must pray and somehow fight for this fulfillment instead of just rest and do nothing.

10 Go through, go through the gates,
Clear a way [g]for the people!
Build up, build up the highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a flag over the peoples.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation is coming;
Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “The holy people,
The redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City Not Abandoned.”

The prophecy continues: many people are coming in Jerusalem. It is very interesting that in verse 11 we read: "His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him. The holy people that is going through Jerusalem gates are the Lord's reward to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 61: Jesus release the captives

 In Isaiah 61 we read:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon who? Isahiah? Some other prophted? Someone who is in first person in Isaiah text such as the suffering servant from Chapter 42?
Jesus read this passage in Luke 4 and applied to himself. Thus, Jesus read that Isaiah 61 is connected to many other chapters about the suffering servant.
I understand that the "brokenherated", "captives¨, "prisioners" are applied to all who believe in Jesus and find in Him freedom.

4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

Based on the verses above, we could understand that "captives" or "prisoners" refers to Judah in Babylonian captivity, but we know problems (sins) of those who returned from Babylon to Zion; so do "oaks of righteousness" in verse 3 may be applied to them? As a Christian I understand that we may be called "oaks of righteousness" not because based on our righteousness but base on Jesus's.

6 But you will be called the priests of the Lord;
You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And you will boast in their riches.

Those former captives will be called "priests of the Lord" which is really a great honor.

Although Christians may see themselves as righteous due to Jesus; the Lord expect that they behave accordingly as people of the Lord:

8 For I, the Lord, love justice,
I hate robbery in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their reward,
And make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the offspring whom the Lord has blessed.

As a Christian, I may read Jesus saying the following verses:

10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a groom puts on a turban,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth produces its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.

Psalm 60: Jerusalem will be restored

 In Isaiah 60, the Lord promises to restore Jerusalem:

14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down at your feet
and will call you the City of the Lord,
    Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Foreigners will treat well Jerusalem:

10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor I will show you compassion.    
11 Your gates will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—
    their kings led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.

the children of oppressors will bow before Jerusalem:    
    
14 The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down at your feet
and will call you the City of the Lord,
    Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

The best thing in the restoration is the presence of the Lord:

19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.

It is true in our lives. The Lord wants to restore us, and the best thing is his presence.

Isaiah 59: the Lord provides salvation through the Redeemer

 Isaiah 59 says that we are corrupted and apart from the Lord:

2 But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
4 No one sues righteously and no one pleads [b]honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies;
They conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
8 They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
Whoever walks on [d]them does not know peace.

We are far fro the Lord:

9 Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us;
We hope for light, but there is darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like people who are blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are like the dead.

However, the Lord is merciful and intervenes:

16 And He saw that there was no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, [h]so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, [i]retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [j]deal [k]retribution.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a [l]rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.

The Lord provides salvation, a Redeemer will come to Zion:

20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob who turn from wrongdoing,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 59 says that we are corrupted and apart from the Lord:

2 But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
4 No one sues righteously and no one pleads [b]honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies;
They conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
8 They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
Whoever walks on [d]them does not know peace.

We are far fro the Lord:

9 Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us;
We hope for light, but there is darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like people who are blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are like the dead.

However, the Lord is merciful and intervenes:

16 And He saw that there was no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, [h]so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, [i]retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [j]deal [k]retribution.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a [l]rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.

The Lord provides salvation, a Redeemer will come to Zion:

20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob who turn from wrongdoing,” declares the Lord.

Isaiah 58: unmerciful people who searches for Lord's wisdom

In Isaiah 58, there is a question:
Israel think of themselves as very devoted and show interest in learning more from the Lord (to get wisdom). 

 ² Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done righteousness
And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight in the nearness of God.

They fast and keep the Sabbath. So, they ask themselves: Why are we  ill-treated by the Lord?
The Lord answers saying that He is not so pleased by great demonstrations of humility, but much more of mercy:

5
Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it for bowing [b]one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
6
Is this not the fast that I choose:
To release the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the ropes of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free,
And break every yoke?
7
Is it not to break your bread [c]with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8
Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will spring up quickly;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.


Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to the needy, specially inside the church. I am very selfish, but this text is saying to me: pay attention to your siblings in the church! Church is not a place to show yourself as a respectful guy.

13
“If, because of the Sabbath, you restrain your foot
From doing as you wish on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a pleasure, and the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
14
Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

In verse 13, the Lord is asking to restrain my foot to do as I wish. In my selfishness I don't want to help others, for instance; however, the Lord wants me to call the Sabbath a pleasure when I desist from my own ways. In doing so, the reward is to take delight in the Lord.

Isaiah 57: Despite many problems in Israel, the Lord is merciful and changes hearts.

 In Isaiah 57 we see the problems in Israel. The first problem was his leaders in final of Isaiah 56, the second problem is idolatry in Isaiah 57:3-13 which is called adultery and prostitution.

3
But you—come here,
    you children of witches,
        you descendants of adulterers and prostitutes!

 
5 You burn with lust under oak trees
    and under every large tree.
    You slaughter children in the valleys
    and under the cracks in the rocks.
6
Your idols are among the smooth stones in the ravine.
    They are your destiny.
    You have given them wine offerings
    and sacrificed grain offerings to them.
    Do you think I am pleased with all this?

7
You’ve made your bed on a high and lofty mountain.
    You’ve gone to offer sacrifices there.
8
You’ve set up your idols beside doors and doorposts.
    You’ve uncovered yourself to the idols.
    You’ve distanced yourself from me.
    You’ve made your bed with them.
    You’ve made a deal with those you have pleasure with in bed.
    You’ve seen them naked.

Does this behavior brings satisfaction? No:

10
You’ve tired yourself out with many journeys.
    You didn’t think that it was hopeless.
    You’ve found renewed strength,
    so you didn’t faint.

However, in 14-21, we see the Lord changing the hearts of his people:

15
The High and Lofty One lives forever, and his name is holy.

This is what he says:

I live in a high and holy place.
    But I am with those who are crushed and humble.
        I will renew the spirit of those who are humble
            and the courage of those who are crushed.
16
I will not accuse you forever.
    I will not be angry with you forever.
    Otherwise, the spirits, the lives of those I’ve made,
        would grow faint in my presence.

The Lord is merciful: He will no accuse me forever otherwise, my life would grow faint in His presence.

17
I was angry because of their sinful greed,
    so I punished them, hid from them, and remained angry.
        But they continued to be sinful.
18
I’ve seen their sinful ways, but I’ll heal them.
    I’ll guide them and give them rest.
    I’ll comfort them and their mourners.
19
I’ll create praise on their lips:
    “Perfect peace to those both far and near.”
    “I’ll heal them,” says Yahweh.

May the Lord heal me, comfort me, guide me, give me rest and create praise on my lips.
In contrast, this chapters talks about the wicked at the end:


20
But the wicked are like the churning sea.
    It isn’t quiet,
        and its water throws up mud and slime.

21
“There is no peace for the wicked,” says my Elohim.

The wicked doesn't find peace, satisfaction in the Lord.

Isaiah 56: come foreigners and castrated men!

 In Isaiah 56:1-8, the Lord calls foreigners and castrated men to join the people of the Lord.

3 Foreigners who have joined Yahweh should not say, “Yahweh will separate us from his people.” Castrated men should not say, “We’re only dead trees!”

 4 This is what Yahweh says: I will remember the castrated men who keep my days of worship, choose what pleases me, and faithfully observe the conditions of my promise.[a] 5 Inside my house and within my walls, I will give them something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a monument and a name. I will give them a permanent name that will not be forgotten. 6 And I will remember the foreigners who have joined Yahweh to worship him, to love Yahweh’s name, and to be his servants. All of them will keep the day of worship from becoming unholy and will faithfully observe the conditions of my promise. 7 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, because my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

 The Lord wants that the foreigner and thre castrated men adores Him inside the community, together, in the day of worship. The Lord promises that He will make them happy in his house of prayer. Besides them, there are others that the Lord will gather:

 8 Adonay Yahweh, who gathers the scattered people of Israel, declares, “I will gather still others besides those I have already gathered.”

 In Isaiah 56:9-12, the Lord is against Israel’s watchmen. They should watch, but they don't, instead they are taking care of themselves. It reminds Jesus discourses against hypocrisy.

Isaiah 55: the word of the Lord brings life. He calls us to reckon his superior ways

 In Isaiah 55, the Lord invites us to come to Him and receive good food (food that satisfies) for free. However, we, as sinners, are eating our food that don't really satisfy:

2
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.

This is calling to repentance:

3
Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

6
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
7
Let the wicked abandon his way,
And the unrighteous person his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

But, how really we repent? The Lord leads us to repentance through his word:

10
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it produce and sprout,
And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.

The one who comes to the Lord, receives joy:

12
For you will go out with joy
And be led in peace;
The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13
Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper will come up,
And instead of the stinging nettle, the myrtle will come up;
And [f]it will be a [g]memorial to the Lord,
An everlasting sign which will not be eliminated.”

Isaiah 54 - the Lord declares his love to his people.

 In Isaiah 54, the Lord declares his steadfast love for his people. He compares his people to a childless women who never gave birth to children; however the Lord will change it:

3
You will spread out to the right and left.
    Your descendants will take over other nations,
        and they will resettle deserted cities.

The Lord is the husband os the woman:

5
        Your husband is your maker.
            His name is Yahweh Tsebaoth.
        Your Go’el is Qedosh Yisrael.
            He is called the Elohim of the whole earth.

Although Israel must be suffering in the Babylonian captivity, the Lord says:

8
I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger,
    but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness,”
        says Yahweh your Go’el.

but, what is happening to Jerusalem?

12
I will rebuild your towers with rubies,
    your gates with sparkling stones,
        and all your walls with precious stones.”

13
All your children will be taught by Yahweh,
    and your children will have unlimited peace.

The Lord will defend Jerusalem:

17
No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed.
    You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you.
        This is the inheritance of Yahweh’s servants.
            Their victory comes from me,” declares Yahweh.

Isaiah 53 - The Christian chapter in the Jewish Bible

Isaiah 53 - The Christian chapter in the Jewish Bible

Isaiah 53 talks about the Suffering Servant. The New Testament clearly says that the Suffering Servant is Jesus in Acts 8:26–40 and 1 Peter 2:21–25. Isaiah is talking about the Suffering Servant since Chapter 42. For the Jews, the Suffering Servant refers to Israel and the suffering happened in the Babylon captivity. I didn't read Jewish commentaries but, using their approach, it must be very difficult to interpret passages such as:

 
4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering
    and carried our sorrows,
        but we thought that Elohim had wounded him,
            beat him, and punished him.
5
He was wounded for our rebellious acts.
    He was crushed for our sins.
        He was punished so that we could have peace,
            and we received healing from his wounds.
        
Let us suppose that Israel in captivity carried our sorrows. Who are the beneficiaries of Israel suffering? If we understand that Israel suffered for his own sins, it seems that our earthly sufferings leads to redemption. However, the verse indicates that someone else suffered the sorrows in place of another one.

6
We have all strayed like sheep.
    Each one of us has turned to go his own way,
        and Yahweh has laid all our sins on him

This verse must be really difficult to understand if the Suffering Servant were Israel, it is difficult to understand "we" in verse 6. Who have strayed like sheep? Israel again? I may see the disciples strayed like sheep in Jesus crucifixion, and I can see myself strayed like sheep following my own way. I also can thank the Lord for his salvation provided when He laid my sins on Jesus.

8
He was arrested, taken away, and judged.
    Who would have thought that he would be removed
        from the world?
    He was killed because of my people’s rebellion.
9
He was placed in a tomb with the wicked.
    He was put there with the rich when he died,
    although he had done nothing violent
        and had never spoken a lie.

He was killed and put with the rich. It is very easy to understand that Jesus was judged, that He was killed because of the "people of the Lord" rebellion. It is easy to see Jesus being buried in a tomb that was for a rich person. However, it is difficult to understand it if the Servant were Israel.


11
He will see and be satisfied
    because of his suffering.
    My righteous Ebed will acquit many people
    because of what he has learned through suffering.
    He will carry their sins as a burden.

Will Israel carry the sins of many people as a burden? Will Jesus carry the sins of many people as a burden? We, Christians, understand that Jesus accomplishes what Israel should do. In a way, Jesus is the temple and Jesus is Israel; however, verse 11 is much easier to understand when we think of Jesus as the Servant, as the redeemer.

12
So I will give him a share among the mighty,
    and he will divide the prize with the strong,
        because he poured out his life in death
            and he was counted with sinners.
                He carried the sins of many.
                    He intercedes for those who are rebellious.

Jesus is the one who interceded for me as rebellious guy. He is the one who carried my sins. I understand that Jesus will divide his prize with me. In a way, I belong to Jesus' prize because I am of Jesus.

Isaiah 52: the Lord will rule over Jerusalem

 In Isaiah 52, we read:

 1-3: Wake Up, Jerusalem!

 The people of the Lord are in the Babylonian captivity (not 100% sure). Jerusalem are destroyed.

 2
Shake the dust from yourselves.
    Get up, captive Jerusalem.
    Free yourself from the chains around your neck, captive people of Zion.


4-6: Reflection on Past Injustices.

The Lord is sovereign, but how Egypt and Assyria let them mistreat his people? Is the Lord really ruling over his people? Perhaps not.

4 This is what Adonay Yahweh says: In the beginning my people went to Egypt to live there as foreigners. Later the Assyrians oppressed them for no reason. 5 So what do I find here? asks Yahweh. My people are taken away for no reason. Their rulers are screaming, declares Yahweh. And my name is cursed all day long. 6 Now my people will know my name. When that day comes, they will know that I am the one who says, “Here I am!”

7-10: Proclamation of Salvation

Jerusalem is destroyed, a good news is proclaimed:

7 (...)
Elohim rules as king.
8
Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices
    and shout together joyfully.
        When Yahweh brings Zion back,
            they will see it with their own eyes.
9
Break out into shouts of joy, ruins of Jerusalem.
    Yahweh will comfort his people.
        He will reclaim Jerusalem.

11-12: Call to Depart from Babylon
The people of the Lord are called to leave Babylon and go back (to Jerusalem).
11
Run away! Run away!
    Get away from there!
    Do not touch anything unclean.[a]
    Get away from it!
    Make yourselves pure,
    you Levites who carry the utensils for Yahweh’s temple.

13-15: The Suffering Servant

Now we are introduced to the "Suffering Servant". How this Servant is important in the return to Jerusalem? We read:

13
My servant will be successful.
    He will be respected, praised, and highly honored.
14
Many will be shocked by him.[b]
    His appearance will be so disfigured
        that he won’t look like any other man.
        His looks will be so disfigured
            that he will hardly look like a human.
15
He will cleanse many nations with his blood.
    Kings will shut their mouths because of him.
        They will see things that they had never been told.
        They will understand things that they had never heard.

As a Christian, I understand that it refers to Jesus. He cleanses many nations with his blood. Perhaps a Jew would think this servant as Israel that was mistreated by many nations.

Isaiah 51: The Lord will save his people in Babylonian captivity

 In Isaiah 51, the prophet talks to those in the captivity of Babylon that pursue what is right and seek the Lord. Perhaps, they shouldn't worship the Babylonian gods. If so, they were mistreated and trying to understand what the Lord is doing. We read:

2
Look to Abraham, your ancestor,
    and to Sarah, from whom you are descended.
    When I called Abraham, he was childless.
    I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
3
So Yahweh will comfort Zion.
    He will comfort all those who live among its ruins.
    He will make its desert like Eden.
    He will make its wilderness like the garden of Yahweh.
        Joy and gladness will be found in it,
            thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

The Lord says that He is saving:

5
My righteousness is near.
    My salvation is on the way.
    I will bring justice to people.
    The coastlands put their hope in me,
        and they wait eagerly for me.

However, what is "salvation" here? I think that it means to get freedom from Babylon:

9
Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Yahweh!
    Wake up as you did in days long past, as in generations long ago.
    Didn’t you cut Rahab[a] into pieces and stab the serpent?
10
Didn’t you dry up the sea, the water of the great ocean?
    You made a road in the depths of the sea
        so that the people reclaimed by the Lord
            might pass through it.
11
The people ransomed by Yahweh will return.
    They will come to Zion singing with joy.
        Everlasting happiness will be on their heads as a crown.
            They will be glad and joyful.
                They will have no sorrow or grief.

The Lord asks his people to keep trusting in Him:

12
I alone am the one who comforts you.
    Why, then, are you afraid of mortals, who must die,
    of humans, who are like grass?

14
Chained prisoners will be set free.
    They will not die in prison.
    They will not go without food.

    
Jerusalem is destroyed. Can it revive?

17
Wake up! Wake up!
    Stand up, Jerusalem!
    You drank from the cup in Yahweh’s hand.
        That cup was filled with his anger.
    You drank from the bowl, the cup that makes people stagger,
        and you drained it!

22
Yahweh your Elohim defends his people.

This is what your Adonay says:

I’m taking from your hand the cup that makes people stagger,
    the bowl, the cup of my fury.
        You will never drink from it again.
23
I will put it in the hands of those who made you suffer.
    They said to you, “Lie down so that we can walk over you.”
        So you made your back like the ground
            and like a street for them to cross.    

The Lord will revive Jerusalem and will make Babylon suffer.