(Below is a list of questions and quotes that help me think about each verse as I read it. The numbers represent the verses in the chapter.)
Jesus Christ is a God of judgment and mercy. His mercy is extended to those who repent and keep his commandments.
1-7. How do these verses prophesy that the Savior will come to earth and prepare a way for people to escape from spiritual darkness and despair?
"There will not remain a state of darkness over the land… which is now in a state of distress; but those very districts which God has hitherto caused to suffer deep humiliation, He will bring to honor by and by… The height of glorification would correspond to the depth of disgrace."
1-2. What two lands are referred to in these verses? What significance do they have to Messianic prophecy?
"Over the centuries prior to the time Isaiah wrote these verses, multiple wars had been fought in an attempt to control the area known as the Holy Land. Some referred to this area as the land of the shadow of death because so many had lost their lives there in battle. During New Testament times, Nazareth, Capernaum, Nain, and Cana were located in the regions formally known as the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. These are cities where Jesus Christ spent much of his time, ministering to the people more than 500 years later. It is known today as the Galilee area." – Book of Mormon Study Guide for Home Study Seminary Students [2012], p. 65
2. What did Isaiah prophesy that the people of this region would eventually see?
6. Contemplate which of the Saviors titles in this verse might have been especially meaningful to the people of Judah given their circumstances. How does one or more of these titles describe how you feel about the Savior?
12-21. What often happens in the world when one person gets really angry with another? Why is it so hard to forgive when we are hurt or wronged by another? For what reasons is the Lord angry with Israel in these verses? What did the Lord do about his anger over the wickedness of Israel? How can you tell that he loves Israel very much? How does it make you feel to know that even when you have offended the Lord or made him angry His hand is stretched out still to help you?
12, 17, 21. What common sentence or question is asked in each of these verses? Substitute the word judgment in place of anger. Substitute the word mercy for the word hand. Read the sentence aloud: 'For all this his judgment is not turned away, but his mercy is stretched out still.' How does this sentence describe how the Lord responds to nations, families, or individuals who have rejected him? What meaning does this truth have to you? When have you felt the Saviours mercy in your life?
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