Understanding the Context

1. What is the historical context of Isaiah 46? Why is this important for understanding the passage?
2. Scan Isaiah 44:9–45:25. What key themes are being discussed? How do they compare to Isaiah 46:8–11? What similarities and differences stand out?

The Futility of Idols

1. Read Isaiah 46:1–2, 5–7. How does God describe idols? What happens to those who worship them?
2. How does Isaiah 46:3–4 contrast with 46:1–2, 5–7? What does this reveal about God and his care for us?

Personal Application: Identifying Our Own Idols

1. In what ways do people today still turn to idols? How do those things become burdens? What are some things we rely on that ultimately become burdens?
2. What are some specific idols you struggle with? How have they weighed you down?

God’s Call to Rest in Him

1. What is God calling us to do in response to our burdensome idols?
2. What would it look like to truly rest in God instead of turning to things that cannot save?
3. How can we, as a group, encourage one another to trust God rather than seek security in things that burden us?

The Hope We Have in Christ

1. Read Isaiah 53:4–5. How has Jesus carried our burdens?
2. How does this passage give us a hope that cannot be taken away?