Homework—April 15, 2026

Watch: Bible Project—Prophets

The major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) are called that because their books are longer. Here’s some basic info about each:

Isaiah

Actually divided into three sections in which three different people wrote under the name Isaiah:

First Isaiah: chapters 1-39 were written by Isaiah, son of Amoz. He preached in Judah from 742-700 B.C.E.
Second Isaiah: chapters 40-55 were written AFTER the people of Judah were exiled in Babylon. We don’t know who wrote this section. Perhaps he was a student of the first Isaiah.
Third Isaiah: chapters 56-66 were written once the people had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem after 538 B.C.E.

There were a lot of complex politics going on, especially during the time of First Isaiah. It gets really messy, but let’s look at some passages that help us figure out what was going on.

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7

We typically read this passage around Christmas time. For us, it is a promise of the Messiah. But Isaiah was likely writing this as a promise to the people of Judah that a righteous king would lead them out of the political mess that had caused the northern kingdom of Israel to attack the southern kingdom of Judah.

What parts of this passage sound familiar to you? Why do you think Christians connect this passage to Christmas?

Read: Isaiah 43:1-7

This is one of my favorite passages. It was written while the people of Judah were still in exile, but it promises a way back home. It doesn’t say that the road will be easy, but it does say that God will be with them.

What phrases or verses bring a feeling of comfort in this passage?

Read: Isaiah 58

I know, it’s a long passage. This was written once the people had returned. And life was very complicated–because some people from Judah remained there while others had been exiled. When the people in exile returned, their homes had been taken over, and the Temple had been destroyed by Babylon. There was a lot of lying and cheating and stealing. People ‘went to church’ but didn’t live out their faith in their daily lives.

How does this passage connect with our lives today?

Jeremiah

Jeremiah also wrote to Judah during the time before the Babylonian Exile. His was a message of warning and criticism of religious leaders.
Jeremiah continued to live in Judah during the exile.
God called him to be a prophet when he was ‘just a boy.’
Jeremiah’s message calls us to return to God because God has a dream for God’s people.
Jeremiah also wrote the book Lamentations. It literally means ‘a book of sorrows’ because it lifts up the cries of grief and mourning after Jerusalem and the Temple have been destroyed.

Read: Jeremiah 29:11-14 and Jeremiah 31:31-34

God desires the people of Israel to be connected to God. God’s dream is that the people will shine God’s love into the world. When Jeremiah uses the word “you,” he’s referring to “ya’ll.” You (plural).

We often think God is talking to us as personal individuals. What difference do you think it makes when God is addressing a whole community, like in this passage?

Ezekiel

Ezekiel also wrote during the time just before and just after the Babylonian Exile.
Unlike Jeremiah, Ezekiel had been exiled to Babylon.
Ezekiel wrote about God’s judgment, weird visions, and God’s hopeful promises.
Ezekiel’s message focused mostly on idolatry–meaning, people worshiping other things and gods instead of their God.
Ezekiel also describes a really wacky image of angels and heavenly beings (Ez. 1:1-28)

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-14

This vision showed Ezekiel that, with God’s Holy Spirit (holy breath), even the lifeless Israel can be made to live again.

How might this passage give people hope when it feels like their nation and their homes and their traditions have all been destroyed?

There are many more shorter books by prophets. Two that I want to lift up are important because they focus on the injustice of the people in power. They were both written about 300 years before the Babylonian Exile, which goes to show that the corruption within Israel wasn’t something new.

Read: Amos 8:1-8 and Micah 6:6-8

What do you think these passages mean for us today?

If you’re bored and want to learn more about any of the prophets, check out the following videos, which break each one down and describe their message more fully.

Isaiah, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0A6Uchb1F8

Isaiah, part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TzdEPuqgQg

Jeremiah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSK36cHbrk0

Ezekiel, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-CIPu1nko8

Ezekiel, part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDeCWW_Bnyw

Hosea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6SZ1ogOVU

Joel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQLazbgz90c

Amos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGgWaPGpGz4

Obadiah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ogCrEoG5s

Micah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFEUEcylwLc

Nahum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y30DanA5EhU

Habakkuk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPMaRqGJPUU