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Bible reading for May 19 -- 20 May 19 -- Isaiah 19-20 and 2 Peter 1 May 20 -- Isaiah 21 and 2 Peter 2 ================    "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians." (Isaiah 19:23) STRIKING AND HEALING (ch 19). The expansion of the Assyrian empire was impressive: the Assyrians would conquer both Egypt (lower Nile region) and Cush (or Nubia; upper Nile; which would encompass Sudan and/or Ethiopia). The distance from Nineveh (Assyrian capital) to Khartoum (upper Nile) was over two thousand miles. There was conflict between Egypt and Cush at that time (reflected in 19:2), but Cush was the ruling power. Be that as it may, both would fall to the Assyrians around 670 BC. This chapter shows the process of judgment against Egypt (vv 1-16), which included national division and infighting, confusion, poor counsel, drought, collapse of the economy, and widesprea...

   Bible reading for weekend May 14 -- 16 May 14 -- Isaiah 13 and 1 Peter 1 May 15 -- Isaiah 14 and 1 Peter 2 May 16 -- Isaiah 15 and 1 Peter 3 ================    "...then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness." (Isaiah 16:5) WOE TO BABYLON. After pronouncing judgment upon Assyria, Isaiah looks forward a hundred years to pronounce judgment upon Babylon, the nation which will eventually destroy the city of Jerusalem and carry many Jews into exile. Chapters 13 to 23 contain a number of oracles against specific nations that have, or will, come against God's people.  There is something within fallen humanity that seeks to unite themselves together in opposition to God. From the tower of Babel (Gen 11) to the final Babylon (Rev 17-18) people build communities that exalt human ability, power, and autonomy, setting themselves against God...