Study Desk

The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.

About this time King Hezekiah became sick and almost died. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to see him and said to him, "The Lord tells you that you are to put everything in order because you will not recover. Get ready to die."

I thought that in this world of the living I would never again see the Lord Or any living person.

Then King Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign to prove that I will be able to go to the Temple?" Isaiah replied, "The Lord will give you a sign to prove that he will keep his promise. On the stairway built by King Ahaz, the Lord will make the shadow go back ten steps." And the shadow moved back ten steps. After Hezekiah recovered from his illness, he wrote this song of praise: I thought that in the prime of life I was going to the world of the dead, Never to live out my life. I thought that in this world of the living I would never again see the Lord Or any living person. My life was cut off and ended, Like a tent that is taken down, Like cloth that is cut from a loom. I thought that God was ending my life. All night I cried out with pain, As if a lion were breaking my bones. I thought that God was ending my life. My voice was thin and weak, And I moaned like a dove. My eyes grew tired from looking to heaven. Lord , rescue me from all this trouble. What can I say? The Lord has done this. My heart is bitter, and I cannot sleep. Lord, I will live for you, for you alone; Heal me and let me live. My bitterness will turn into peace. You save my life from all danger; You forgive all my sins. No one in the world of the dead can praise you; The dead cannot trust in your faithfulness. It is the living who praise you, As I praise you now. Parents tell their children how faithful you are. Lord , you have healed me. We will play harps and sing your praise, Sing praise in your Temple as long as we live.

"What did they see in the palace?" "They saw everything. There is nothing in the storerooms that I didn't show them."

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it. The Lord himself has promised this."

Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? The one who leads them out like an army, he knows how many there are and calls each one by name! His power is so great— not one of them is ever missing!

People will see this and know that I, the Lord , have done it. They will come to understand that Israel's holy God has made it happen."

"I, the Lord , have called you and given you power to see that justice is done on earth. Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples; through you I will bring light to the nations.

Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.

People will see you naked; they will see you humbled and shamed. I will take vengeance, and no one will stop me."

"You felt sure of yourself in your evil; you thought that no one could see you. Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray, and you said to yourself, ‘I am God— there is no one else like me.'

Israel's holy God and savior says to the one who is deeply despised, who is hated by the nations and is the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you released and will rise to show their respect; princes also will see it, and they will bow low to honor you." This will happen because the Lord has chosen his servant; the holy God of Israel keeps his promises.

Look around and see what is happening! Your people are assembling—they are coming home! As surely as I am the living God, you will be proud of your people, as proud as a bride is of her jewels.

How wonderful it is to see a messenger coming across the mountains, bringing good news, the news of peace! He announces victory and says to Zion, "Your God is king!"

Those who guard the city are shouting, shouting together for joy. They can see with their own eyes the return of the Lord to Zion.

The Lord will use his holy power; he will save his people, and all the world will see it.

But now many nations will marvel at him, and kings will be speechless with amazement. They will see and understand something they had never known."

The Lord says, "It was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. And so he will see his descendants; he will live a long life, and through him my purpose will succeed.

He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory.