Come, Follow Me · Week 41 · October 5–11

Isaiah 50–57

This Week's Reading

This week's Come, Follow Me reading from Isaiah 50–57 presents a profound portrait of Jesus Christ as the Suffering Servant and the source of eternal peace. The chapters transition from the prophet's personal testimony of enduring suffering for righteousness to the glorious exaltation of the Messiah who bears our sins. We see the Savior's willingness to be "smitten" and have his face turned away, yet he remains confident because the Lord will help him. The reading also emphasizes God's unchanging covenant love, promising that His kindness will not depart even when mountains move. Furthermore, it invites all people, including those often marginalized like eunuchs or strangers, to join the house of prayer and receive an everlasting name. Ultimately, these verses teach us that Christ's ways are higher than ours, offering free forgiveness and a path back to God for anyone who returns with a repentant heart.

Key Passages

Isaiah 50:4–9: The Lord gave the prophet a tongue of learning to speak comfort to the weary, and though he faced shame and spitting, he set his face like a flint because the Lord would help him and justify him.
Isaiah 52:13–15: The servant will be exalted and very high, even though his visage is marred more than any man, for through his suffering he will sprinkle many nations and reveal truths they had not heard before.
Isaiah 54:10–12: God promises that while mountains depart and hills are removed, His kindness and covenant of peace will never leave us, and He will build our home with precious stones like agates and sapphires.
Isaiah 55:1–10: Everyone who thirsts is invited to come to the waters and buy wine and milk without money, for God offers an everlasting covenant and abundant pardon to those who return to Him.
Isaiah 56:1–8: The Lord calls all people, including strangers and eunuchs who keep His sabbaths, to join His house of prayer, promising them a place and name better than sons or daughters.

Questions to Ponder

In what ways do you feel weary or burdened today, and how can you invite the Lord to speak a word in season to your spirit?
How does the image of Christ setting His face like a flint despite suffering encourage you when you face opposition for doing what is right?
What specific areas of your life need the healing touch of God's kindness, and how can you trust that His covenant will not be removed?
Who are some people in your life who feel like "strangers" or outsiders, and how can you help them experience the joy of being welcomed into the house of prayer?

A Thought to Take Home

The Savior is the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies, bearing our sins on His shoulders so that we might be justified and never ashamed. Just as the Lord promised to build a house of beautiful stones for the afflicted, He has prepared an eternal home for us where our names are written forever. We can find comfort in knowing that God's ways are higher than ours, and He invites every single person to return to Him with confidence in His mercy.

Further study Isaiah 50:4–9, Isaiah 52:13–15, Isaiah 54:10–12, Isaiah 55:1–10, Isaiah 56:1–8

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This guide was prepared with AI from the scriptures and checked against the text; it can still make mistakes. For the Church's own guidance, read the official Come, Follow Me manual for this week. Nephite Atlas is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Key passages

Isaiah 50:4–9

⁴The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ⁵The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. ⁶I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. ⁷For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. ⁸He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. ⁹Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

Isaiah 52:13–15

¹³Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. ¹⁴As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: ¹⁵So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 54:10–12

¹⁰For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. ¹¹O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. ¹²And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

Isaiah 55:1–10

¹Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. ²Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. ³Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. ⁴Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. ⁵Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. ⁶Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: ⁷Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. ⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isaiah 56:1–8

¹Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. ²Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. ³Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. ⁴For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; ⁵Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. ⁶Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; ⁷Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. ⁸The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.