Podcast Summary: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: October 17 (Isaiah 56–58; Psalm 100; Acts 24–25)
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Crossway

Overview

In this episode, listeners hear daily readings from the ESV Bible as part of the "Through the ESV Bible in a Year" series. Today's passages cover Isaiah 56–58, Psalm 100, and Acts 24–25. The segments collectively emphasize God’s invitation to all people, the importance of sincere worship and justice, and Paul’s legal trials as he stands accused before Roman officials and Jewish leaders. The episode focuses on the themes of inclusion, genuine faith, integrity, and the endurance of God’s people amid opposition.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

I. Isaiah 56–58: God’s Welcome and True Worship

(00:01–27:46)

• God's Inclusive Covenant

  • God invites not just Israel but also foreigners ("the outcasts of Israel") and eunuchs into His house if they keep His covenant and honor the Sabbath.
  • “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (00:08)
  • Promise of an "everlasting name" for those often excluded from society.

• Condemnation of Israel’s Religious Leaders

  • Leaders are compared to “blind watchmen” and “silent dogs,” indicating spiritual negligence and self-indulgence.
  • "They are shepherds who have no understanding. They have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain..." (00:20)

• Call to Repentance and Genuine Righteousness

  • Despite appearances of devotion, Israel’s people are rebuked for their injustice, idolatry, and empty religious practices.
  • God values a “contrite and lowly spirit” and promises healing and restoration to the humble.
    • “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit...” (00:45)

• Exposing False Fasting and Defining True Spiritual Practice

  • God rejects fasting disconnected from justice and mercy: “Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?... Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?” (01:36)
  • True fasting:
    • “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free...?" (01:44)
    • Promise of blessings for those who care for the hungry, the oppressed, and those in need.
  • Observing the Sabbath is tied to delighting in the Lord and receiving spiritual and material blessings.

II. Psalm 100: Call to Joyful Worship and Thanksgiving

(27:47–29:17)

• Universal Invitation to Praise

  • Everyone is called to “make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.”
  • Invitation to “serve the Lord with gladness” and enter his presence with singing and thanksgiving. (28:01)

• God’s Unchanging Goodness

  • “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (28:56)
  • Emphasis on God’s enduring faithfulness and love for all generations.

III. Acts 24–25: Paul's Trials before Felix and Festus

(29:18–End)

• Paul before Felix

  • Paul faces accusations from Jewish leaders:
    • Labeled as “a plague, one who stirs up riots… ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” (29:25)
  • Paul’s defense:
    • He refutes the charges, asserts his worship is according to “the Way,” and highlights his belief in the resurrection of the dead. (31:09)
    • “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” (31:50)
  • Felix, the governor, keeps Paul in custody but allows relative freedom, hoping for a bribe while being “alarmed” at Paul’s teaching about “righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.” (34:05)

• Paul before Festus and Appeal to Caesar

  • New governor Festus inherits Paul’s case:
    • Jewish leaders attempt to have Paul sent to Jerusalem to ambush and kill him.
    • Festus insists on a fair trial in Caesarea.
  • Paul, perceiving the threat, appeals to Caesar:
    • “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal where I ought to be tried … I appeal to Caesar.” (39:45)
    • Festus concedes: “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” (40:10)

• Agrippa’s Interest and Public Hearing

  • King Agrippa visits; Festus discusses Paul’s case:
    • They remark that Paul is accused primarily over “certain points of dispute… about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” (43:45)
    • Agrippa expresses interest: “I would like to hear the man myself.” (45:15)
    • Paul is brought before Agrippa, Bernice, the Roman officials, and the city’s prominent men in a grand formal hearing.

• Festus’s Dilemma

  • Festus admits difficulty in articulating specific charges against Paul, deeming it “unreasonable” to send a prisoner to Caesar without clear accusations.
    • “It seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” (47:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• God’s Universal Welcome:

  • “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” — Isaiah narrator (00:08)
  • “The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” (00:12)

• On True Fasting and Justice:

  • “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness… to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke?” (01:44)
  • “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness…” (02:13)

• Paul’s Defense:

  • “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” — Paul (31:50)
  • “For the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.” — Paul (33:07)
  • “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” — Festus (40:10)
  • “Rather, they had certain points of dispute… about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” — Festus (43:45)

Important Timestamps

• [00:01–27:46] — Isaiah 56–58: Inclusion, justice, and genuine worship
• [27:47–29:17] — Psalm 100: Call to thanksgiving and praise
• [29:18–47:18] — Acts 24–25: Paul's trials before Felix, Festus, and appeal to Caesar

Summary Flow and Takeaways

This episode weaves together Old and New Testament readings around the persistent themes of God’s heart for all people, the call to authentic faithfulness, and the perseverance of believers under pressure. Isaiah’s oracles challenge listeners to pursue justice, not just external religion. Psalm 100 grounds worship in God’s enduring love. Acts dramatizes the cost of faith and steadfast witness through Paul's repeated, courageous defenses—all echoing the fundamental biblical call to truth, mercy, and hope in God's ultimate justice.