Month: June 2020

Week 23 Isaiah

Three different things jump out at me as I read.
One: Isaiah had a vision: I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
It reminded me of Week 22’s post Out of Sight. The events there with Micaiah and Job were located in an outside-of-the-world place, maybe a different dimension. And here Isaiah reports another event, something happening out past the borders of the natural world.
Two: Isaiah mentions a person called The Branch, and he predicts that: he will delight in obeying the Lord. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them…He will be clothed with fairness and truth.
The Branch is a heroic person. But when I checked a word book I saw The Branch was only mentioned six times in the OT. Not many for such a key-sounding player.
Three: there’s a forecast about Babylon’s fall that left me with a bit of a shiver. Death is bad enough, but what about a place of the dead? Isaiah says: Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come. It arouses for you the spirits of the dead.
Maybe not enough there to develop a postmortem view of things. But it makes you wonder what’ll happen.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 6:1, 11:3-5, 14:9 (NASB and NLT versions)

Week 23 Isaiah

Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of four kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
In chapter seven King #3 – Ahaz – was under attack.
Isaiah went to him with a not-to-worry promise from the Lord.
Since anyone can make a promise Ahaz was offered a follow-up reassurance: ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies…Ask for anything you like, and make it as difficult as you want.
So the idea was that if he asked for something impossible and the impossible thing happened then he’d be confident that the victory-promise was solid.
But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign: no, he said, I wouldn’t test the Lord like that.
At first I was thinking how nice is that? Bravo Ahaz! You’re not putting God to the test. What a good guy you are.
But I remember that Ahaz wasn’t a good guy. I read about him a month ago in II Chronicles 28. I went back and looked at his story. He was a terrible king.
What Ahaz said was: oh no, I wouldn’t test the Lord like that.
What Ahaz meant was: what do I care about the Lord and his stupid tests? (and instead he hired a mercenary army).
So anyway this was a bible-reader’s alert to me about jumping to quick conclusions.
I quick-jumped this morning by congratulating Ahaz. Then I had to jump back.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 7:11, 12 (NLT version)

Week 23 Isaiah

I’ve started in on Isaiah.
Right away I notice that Isaiah knocks religious practices – sacrifices, ceremonials, prayers, etc. He quotes the Lord: I have had enough of burnt offerings… Bring your worthless offerings no longer… I hate your new moon festivals… Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.
Surprising since I was reading Moses about twenty weeks ago when he was setting up these rituals & sacrifices. And they were okay then.
Now Isaiah is saying they aren’t.
What’s going on?
After he slams Moses Isaiah goes right on to list things Judah should be doing:
Learn to do good
Seek justice
Help the oppressed
Defend the orphan
Fight for the rights of widows
Is this a replacement list?
Can I overwrite Moses’ laws with Isaiah’s list?
That seems like the simplest option, but I think I’ll be cautious; look-before-I-leap.
I’m only in chapter one so there’s time to decide.
As of today it occurs to me that Isaiah could be saying something like: if I don’t practice some things then that non-practice will negate some other things that I am practicing.
Or, not doing some things can unravel things I am doing. Like there’s an interactivity going on, an interdependent value-retention or value-loss factor in play.
Dumping Moses has a certain tidy appeal to it. So I’ll try to keep that temptation in mind, try to see what else Isaiah says about formal religious practices and ritual.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 1:11, 13, 14 (NASB), 17 (NLT version)