The Study Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gateway Seminary
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner covers the servant song in chapter 42, the foolishness of idolatry and how God uses Cyrus to bring justice to Israel. They continue to progress through the current palistrophe by reaching the centerpoint!
PalistropheA. Assurance of God's Deliverance (Is 40)
B. The Case for God's Deliverance (Is 41)
C. God Explains His Plan (Is 42:1-44:5)
D. A Real God Cannot Be Made (Is 44:6-23)
Yahweh is the Only God (Is 44:24-45:7)
D1. The Real God is the Maker (Is 45:8-17)C1.God Explains His Plan (Is 45:18-25)
B1. The Case for God's Punishment (Is 46-47)
A1. The Logic of God's Deliverance (Is 48:1-22)
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders discuss the time jump that occurs between chapters 39 and 40, encouragement as a major theme in the book, and whether God was able and willing to deliver the Israelites from Babylonian captivity (hint: yes) and how that rescue will occur (hint: Cyrus).
Also, Dr. Wegner introduces a new palistrophe beginning at chapter 40 and ending with chapter 48!
A. Assurance of God's Deliverance (Is 40)
B. The Case for God's Deliverance (Is 41)
C. God Explains His Plan (Is 42:1-44:5)
D. A Real God Cannot Be Made (Is 44:6-23)
Yahweh is the Only God (Is 44:24-45:7)
D1. The Real God is the Maker (Is 45:8-17)C1.God Explains His Plan (Is 45:18-25)
B1. The Case for God's Punishment (Is 46-47)
A1. The Logic of God's Deliverance (Is 48:1-22)
On this episode of Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders finish the first major section of Isaiah, made up of chapters 1-39. They discuss King Hezekiah, who was a good king (rare as that is), Assyria's role as a tool of destruction wielded by God against Jerusalem, and Hezekiah's prayer for Jerusalem.
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders cover Isaiah 34-35, discussing the final judgment and restoration. This section of Scripture is part of a palistrophe and corresponds to Isaiah 24-27, the Little Apocalypse. Also, this specific section of Isaiah is appears in a diptych pattern: Isaiah 34 is about destruction and chapter 35 is about hope for the future.
On this episode of Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders cover Isaiah 24-27, the Little Apocalypse. Then they discuss the judgment and restoration oracles that make up Isaiah 28-33. In the course of the episode they also talk about how context helps determine the translation of Hebrew words and some clues for identifying poetry in the Old Testament.
Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders talk through the oracles against the nations this week on Study Isaiah. Israel’s punishment, in which God will use the surrounding nations as a means of discipline, is incoming. Additionally, God is going to punish the wicked in those neighboring nations - Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Cush, Egypt, Tyre and Sidon.
This week on Study Isaiah is a bit of a recap - Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders go over Isaiah 9:8-12. Though these passages have already been covered in previous episodes on the related elements of the palistrophe, this episode goes straight through the back passages in order - they got a little less attention in previous episodes!
You are probably already familiar with the themes that will be coming up this week - God is going to punish Israel, through the surrounding nations, but peace and restoration of a remnant will come later.
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Wegner and host Tyler Sanders complete the palistrophe that begins in chapter 5 and ends with chapter 12. Together they talk through chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9, covering topics like the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, Israel misplacing their fear onto Assyria instead of God, and the instructions Israel receives to bind and seal up the testimony until after the prophecy had been fulfilled as a kind of proof of Isaiah's status as a prophet.
Palistrophe Structure of Isaiah 5-12
A. Song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7)
B. Six Woe Oracles (Is 5:8-23)
C. Uplifted Hands Oracle (Is 5:24-30)
Isaianic Memoir (Is 6:1-9:7)C1.Four Uplifted Hand Oracles (Is 9:8-10:4)
B1. Woe Oracle (Is 10:5-11:16)
A1. Song of Thanksgiving (Is 12:1-6)
This episode of Study Isaiah is a doozy. The Syro-Ephraimite War is a major topic and with lots of historical background and challenging naming conventions for the various nations, cities and rulers. In light of this war, Isaiah delivers a message to King Ahaz:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14 ESV
This leads to an important question: Are there two virgin births in the Bible? Dr. Wegner has an answer!
Palistrophe Structure of Isaiah 5-12
A. Song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7)
B. Six Woe Oracles (Is 5:8-23)
C. Uplifted Hands Oracle (Is 5:24-30)
Isaianic Memoir (Is 6:1-9:7)C1.Four Uplifted Hand Oracles (Is 9:8-10:4)
B1. Woe Oracle (Is 10:5-11:16)
A1. Song of Thanksgiving (Is 12:1-6)
This week on Study Isaiah, Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders continue hopping around the palistrophe in Isaiah 5-12. First, they talk about what an uplifted hand oracle is (hint: it is about punishment), where they are (Isaiah 5:24-30 and 9:8-10:4), and what they mean for Israel.
Then they get to the Isaianic Memoir (6:1-9:7), and focus on what is probably the most familiar passage in the book: Isaiah's commission. Listen in as they discuss important details in this passage: forgiveness of sins, the difficulty of Isaiah's task, and the remnant that will return after God's punishment of Israel.
The uplifted hand oracles make up C and C1 of the palistrophe structure in Isaiah 5-12 below. Isaiah's calling is the first part of the Isaianic memoir.
Palistrophe Structure of Isaiah 5-12
A. Song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7)
B. Six Woe Oracles (Is 5:8-23)
C. Uplifted Hands Oracle (Is 5:24-30)
Isaianic Memoir (Is 6:1-9:7)C1.Four Uplifted Hand Oracles (Is 9:8-10:4)
B1. Woe Oracle (Is 10:5-11:16)
A1. Song of Thanksgiving (Is 12:1-6)
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders get into the Song of the Vineyard, the Song of Thanksgiving and the woe oracles - that means they are jumping back-and-forth through the text!
Why are they talking about Isaiah 5 and 12 and skipping 6-11 this week? Because 5-12 is a palistrophe—a big one! In case you have forgotten, a palistrophe is a literary structure that relates parallel lines, phrases or thoughts in reverse order to highlight a central idea. So, the Song of the Vineyard in chapter 5 and the Song of Thanksgiving in chapter 12 are related, parallel ideas and they are located on opposite sides of the structure—the beginning and end. In between these two songs is the central thought of this passage—we'll get to that idea in a later episode—as well as a series of oracles that fit inside the palistrophe.
Palistrophe Structure of Isaiah 5-12
A. Song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7)
B. Six Woe Oracles (Is 5:8-23)
C. Uplifted Hands Oracle (Is 5:24-30)
Isaianic Memoir (Is 6:1-9:7)C1.Four Uplifted Hand Oracles (Is 9:8-10:4)
B1. Woe Oracle (Is 10:5-11:16)
A1. Song of Thanksgiving (Is 12:1-6)
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders walk through Isaiah 2-4. The people of Israel continue to disobey and God continues to call them to obey. The disobedience of Israel brings severe punishment, but the refining discipline leads to a hopeful future.
This week on Study Isaiah, Dr. Wegner and host Tyler Sanders get into the text: Chapter one of Isaiah! Dr. Wegner introduces the theme of Isaiah - Will Israel ever obey? - and covers additional thematic elements related to that question: restoration, punishment of the wicked and a remnant that is saved.
A common theme in Isaiah's prophecy is asking the people of Israel: Can you trust the God that you serve? How does this question impact the question of authorship? Hear about the timeline of Isaiah's life and prophecy and the arguments against and for Isaiah's penmanship.
In the second episode of Study Isaiah, join Dr. Paul Wegner and host Tyler Sanders as they discuss common literary devices used in the Book of Isaiah. This introduction to parallelism, Hebrew word play, similes, chiasms, and more is a good foundation for later episodes that dig more directly into the biblical text!
Meet the hosts of Study Isaiah - Dr. Paul Wegner and Tyler Sanders! More importantly, get to know Isaiah! Get an overview of the historical context of the text, the structural layout of the chapters, and major topics in Isaiah studies.