October 9 (Isaiah 34–36; Psalm 92; Acts 16)

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
Host: Crossway
Episode: October 9 (Isaiah 34–36; Psalm 92; Acts 16)
Date: October 9, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, listeners journey through passages from Isaiah (chapters 34–36), Psalm 92, and Acts 16 as part of a daily Bible reading plan. The readings move from the severe judgment and coming restoration described in Isaiah, through the worship and encouragement of Psalm 92, to the dynamic missionary activity and dramatic events of Acts 16. Together, the selections blend themes of God’s justice, comfort, power, and salvation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Old Testament: Isaiah 34–36

• Judgment Against Nations (Isaiah 34):

  • God’s wrath and judgment are pronounced on all the nations, especially Edom. The language is vivid and apocalyptic, describing total devastation.
  • Notable imagery includes blood-soaked mountains, the sky rolling up "like a scroll," and desolation inhabited by wild creatures.
    • “For the Lord is enraged against all the nations and furious against all their host. … Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise.” (00:01)
    • “All the hosts of heaven shall rot away. And the skies roll up like a scroll...” (00:27)

• Promise of Restoration (Isaiah 35):

  • The tone shifts dramatically to one of hope and redemption.
  • The wilderness will become glad; healing and joy will come to God’s people. There’s a vision of a “highway… called the Way of Holiness” on which only the redeemed will walk.
    • “Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, be strong; fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance… he will come and save you.” (02:46)

• Assyrian Threat to Jerusalem (Isaiah 36):

  • The historical account of Assyria threatening Jerusalem under King Hezekiah.
  • The Assyrian envoy, Rabshakeh, taunts Jerusalem's leaders and rebukes their trust in God or Egypt for deliverance.
    • “On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust…?” (04:23)
    • Rabshakeh delivers threats publicly to demoralize both leaders and people (05:14), trying to sway their loyalty.

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Psalm 92

• A Psalm of Thanksgiving and Praise:
  • The psalm expresses joy at God’s faithfulness and the flourishing of the righteous.
    • “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night.” (07:21)
  • A contrast is drawn between the fleeting success of the wicked and the enduring, fruitful lives of the righteous, who “still bear fruit in old age.”

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New Testament: Acts 16

• Paul and Timothy's Missionary Work:

  • Timothy joins Paul’s missionary team after being circumcised to avoid conflict with Jewish believers (08:35).
  • The team is “forbidden by the Holy Spirit” to preach in Asia, indicating God’s direct leading (08:55).

• The Macedonian Call:

  • Paul receives a vision of a Macedonian man asking for help (09:20), leading to the gospel’s spread into Europe.
    • “A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” (09:28)

• Lydia’s Conversion:

  • In Philippi, Lydia, a businesswoman and God-fearer, listens to Paul, and the “Lord opened her heart” to believe and be baptized—showcasing divine initiative in salvation (09:52).

• Deliverance and Persecution:

  • Paul casts out a spirit from a slave girl, leading to conflict with her owners and subsequent imprisonment of Paul and Silas (10:44).
    • “Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.” (10:44)

• Praise in Prison and the Jailer’s Salvation:

  • While imprisoned, Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns; an earthquake opens the prison doors (11:24).
  • The jailer, desperate and on the verge of suicide, is saved when Paul reassures him. He asks, “What must I do to be saved?” and receives the gospel.
    • “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (12:11)
  • The jailer and his household believe and are baptized, and the episode ends with their rejoicing.

• Civil Justice for Paul and Silas:

  • After their release, Paul insists that the magistrates publicly acknowledge their wrongdoing (as Paul and Silas are Roman citizens) (12:50).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Judgment Imagery in Isaiah:
  “All the hosts of heaven shall rot away. And the skies roll up like a scroll.” (00:27), emphasizing the cosmic scope of judgment.

• Encouragement for the Anxious:
  “Say to those who have an anxious heart, be strong; fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance…he will come and save you.” (02:46)
  A word of hope after severe pronouncements of judgment.

• Divine Initiative in Salvation:
  “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (09:52) – Lydia’s conversion is directly attributed to God’s action.

• Simple Gospel Invitation:
  “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? … ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (12:08–12:11)
  A succinct, classic affirmation of faith.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Isaiah’s Judgment and Restoration (Isaiah 34–35): 00:01–03:18
• Assyrian Threats and Hezekiah’s Response (Isaiah 36): 03:19–07:21
• Thanksgiving and Righteousness in Psalm 92: 07:21–08:32
• Paul’s Macedonian Call and Lydia’s Conversion (Acts 16): 08:35–10:44
• Deliverance, Imprisonment, and the Jailer’s Conversion (Acts 16): 10:44–12:33

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Conclusion

This episode takes listeners from the sternest warnings of judgment to bright visions of God’s redemptive promises and the spread of early Christianity. The readings are punctuated by powerful proclamations (“Be strong; fear not.”), heroic acts of faith (Paul and Silas in prison), and God’s surprising interventions (Lydia’s conversion, the jailer’s rescue). The tone moves from solemn to triumphant, echoing the movement of the biblical narrative itself.

Transcript

[Reader]

A reading from the book of Isaiah. Draw near, O nations, to hear and give attention. O peoples, let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations and furious against all their host. He has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise. The mountains shall flow with their blood. All the hosts of heaven shall rot away. And the skies roll up like a scroll. All their hosts shall fall as leaves.

[Respondent]

Fall from the vine.

[Reader]

Like leaves falling from the fig tree. For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens. Behold. It descends for judgment upon Edom. Upon the people I have devoted to destruction. The Lord has a sword. It is sated with blood. It is gorged with fat. With the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah. A great slaughter in the land of Edom. Wild oxen shall fall with them, and young steers with the mighty bulls. Their land shall drink its fill of blood, and their soil shall be gorged with fat. For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch and her soil into sulfur. Her land shall become burning pitch, night and day. It shall not be quenched. Its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste. None shall pass through it forever and ever.

[Respondent]

But the hawk and the porcupine shall possess it.

[Reader]

The owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it. And the plumb line of emptiness its nobles. There is no one there to call it a kingdom. And all its princes shall be nothing. Thorns shall grow over its strongholds. Nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. And wild animals shall meet with hyenas. The wild goat shall cry to his fellow. Indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow. Indeed there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate. Seek and read from the book of the Lord. Not one of these shall be missing. None shall be without her mate. For the mouth of the Lord has commanded and his spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them. His hand has portioned it out to.

[Respondent]

Them with the line.

[Reader]

They shall possess it forever. From generation to generation. They shall Dwell in it. The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad. The desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, be strong. Fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With the recompense of God he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.

[Respondent]

And the haunt of jackals.

[Reader]

Where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way, even if they are fools. They shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come upon it. They shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. In the 14th year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pole on the highway to the washer's field. And there came out to him Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder and the rabshakeh said to them, say to Hezekiah, thus says the great king, the king of Assyria. On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust that you have rebelled against me? Behold, you are trusting in Egypt that broken reed of a staff which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it, such as Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who trust in him. But if you say to me we trust in the Lord our God. Is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, you shall worship before this altar. Come now, make a wager with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them. How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants when you trust in Egypt for.

[Respondent]

Chariots and for horsemen?

[Reader]

Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, go up against this land and destroy it. Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the rabshake, please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall. But the rabshakeh said, has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you and not to the men sitting on the wall who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine? Then the rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah, hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus says the king, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, the Lord will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria, make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat.

[Respondent]

Of his own vine and each one of his own fig tree.

[Reader]

And each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a.

[Respondent]

Land of grain and wine, a land.

[Reader]

Of bread and vineyards. Beware, lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, the Lord will deliver us.

[Respondent]

Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

[Reader]

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpat? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

[Respondent]

Who among all the gods of these.

[Reader]

Lands have delivered their lands out of my hand? That the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? But they were silent and answered him. Not a word for the king's command was, do not answer Him. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and. And Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the rabshake. A reading from the book of Psalms. A psalm. A song for the Sabbath. It is good to give thanks to.

[Respondent]

The Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night. To the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me.

[Reader]

Glad by your work.

[Respondent]

At the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O Lord. Your thoughts are very deep. The stupid man cannot know. The fool cannot understand this, that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever. But you, O Lord, are on high forever. For behold your enemies, O Lord. For behold, your enemies shall perish. All evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. You have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies. My ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord. They flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age they are ever full of SAP and grain to declare that the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

[Reader]

A reading from the Book of Acts.

[Respondent]

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer. But his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra, in Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So passing By Mysia. They went down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. And when Paul had seen the vision.

[Reader]

Immediately we sought to go on into.

[Respondent]

Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the Gospel to them. So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer. And we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized in her household as well, she urged us, saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, these men are servants of the most.

[Reader]

High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.

[Respondent]

And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, these men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the Prison doors were open. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, do not harm yourself, for we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in. And trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. And he was baptized at once, he.

[Reader]

And all his family.

[Respondent]

Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced, along with his entire household, that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police saying, let those men go. And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, the magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace. But Paul said to them, they have beaten us publicly, uncondemned men who are Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison. And do they now throw us out secretly? No, let them come themselves and take us out. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them, and they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.