READING FOR APRIL 3, 2026: ISAIAH 48, 1 CORINTHIANS 1, PSALM 27:6-14 ISAIAH 48 God opens the chapter by telling Judah, His people, to listen up. He accuses them of using the language of an obedient people, but not obeying Him with their deeds. We might label them today as hypocrites. God says one way He proves Himself is that He has made predictions about what He will do and then brings them to pass—in other words, fulfilled prophecy. Jesus says the same: “’Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?”’ Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:26-27). God goes on to say if He had not predicted these events, Judah would have given credit to their manmade idols for achieving them.
Then God says He going do a new thing for Judah, something they could never have thought of themselves. As almost aside, He tells them they have been rebellious from the womb. This is true of them and all of us due to Adam’s first sin. Because of His own name’s sake, God delays His wrath against their sin. For His own name’s sake, He also refines them by fire. This is God letting trouble come into their/our lives to burn off that which detracts from their/our faith: “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:7).
What is this new thing He is going to do for Judah? In the future He will refine them by direc- ting Babylon to take them into exile and then God will redeem them back. Would we say, “No thanks”? Notice the wording in verse 16: “And now the Lord God has sent Me, and His Spirit.” If according to verses 12-13 the One speaking is the beginning and end, the One who founded the world, who is saying the Lord God sent Him? Isaiah isn’t the beginning and end. One reasonable explanation is that this is a statement by Jesus the Messiah. Notice how Jesus identifies Himself in Revelation 22:13: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Also, remember the work of Jesus in creation: “All things came into being through Him [Jesus], and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). Thus, this seems to be a clear Old Testament reference to the Trinity.
Verses 17-19 are particularly fascinating. Here God says what would have happened had Judah been obedient all along. This is what the 16th century theologian Molina described as middle knowledge. God knows every possible scenario of events, but He only actualizes the events that actually happen based upon what He knows what we would choose to do in a certain set of circumstances. Thus, it is possible that those whom God knows will not freely receive Jesus as Savior and Lord are not placed in a position to hear the Gospel. This chapter concludes with God telling Judah, hundreds of years ahead of time, to loudly praise God as they are returning to Judah from Babylon. He reminds them of His provisions for them in the first exodus as with Moses and the principle that the wicked will not experience peace, as with Pharaoh’s army.
CORINTHIANS 1 1 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in the Greek city of Corinth. The
READING FOR APRIL 3, 2026 CONTINUED: 1 CORINTHIANS 1, PSALM 27:6-14 over-arching purpose of the letter was to address problems in the church with respect to Christian conduct. It proclaims a progressive sanctification and the continuing development of one’s holy character. The letter shows that Paul was concerned with the Corinthians’ problems, revealing a true pastor’s heart (NIV Study Bible). The city of Corinth was a thriving city at this time. Because of its location near the Corinthian isthmus, by the time of Paul’s writing the letter, Corinth had become the chief city in Greece both commercially and politically. The harbors were a key port along the shipping lanes between Asia and Europe.
The Introduction (1:1-9) If you read most of Paul’s letters contained in the New Testament, you’ll find introduc- tions are similar. In many ways, these introductions are the way that proper letters were addressed to people in the Greek and Roman world at the time of Paul. The uniqueness of Paul’s introduction is the address “those sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:2).
Division in the Church (1:10-17) This is one of the main reasons that Paul wrote this letter to the church in Cor- inth. There were beginning to be differing factions within the congregation. Well-meaning members were begin- ning to hold the teachings of one person as more important than another. These differences were beginning to divide the church into different camps. Paul calls this church to unity. We will delve into this later in the chapter.
God’s Power and Wisdom (1:18-31) This section of the chapter can get a little confusing. It requires a brief discussion of Greek philosophy and Jewish wisdom. Paul makes the following statement: “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor. 1:22-23a). In the Jewish religion, adherents see the cross as a stumbling block. Their objection is rooted in their understanding of Deut. 21:22-23a: ‘If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day be- cause anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.’’ A person who had been crucified on a cross was cursed by God. When Christians say that the Messiah (Christ), Jesus, was crucified, it’s hard for the typical Jewish person to comprehend. How could someone under God’s curse be the Messiah? How could one cursed by God have save them? It is a stumbling block.
In Greek philosophy, the goal of life was to pursue pleasure, wealth, and wisdom. In Greek religious life, the “gods” were the source of those things. The gospel that we preach is that God’s Son willingly came down from heaven, suffered, and died. For the Greek, this seems foolish. The One who should be the source of pleasure is the One who chose to suffer to save them. To these groups, the cross presents a problem. And yet, God’s act in Jesus Christ goes far beyond human wisdom. Paul says: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1Cor. 1:18). For those of us who believe God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for us, we find power. Through the cross, God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Through Christ’s death, God set the stage for us to be reconciled to God. Through his crucifixion, Jesus paid the price for our sins. When we put our faith in Christ, our sins have been forgiven. The penalty for our sins has been paid.
PSALM 27:6-14 Verses 7-14 is a prayer for deliverance from our enemies. It was written by David at a time when his enemies were using false charges to discredit the king. There are two things to remember in times of adversity. First, seek God’s face (verse 8). When times are tough, intentionally seek the presence of God. Second, allow God to teach you (verse 11). The best testimony to your innocence is to follow the path that God is calling you to follow.
