Month: July 2023

Week 28  Isaiah 9

Isaiah says Something Big is going to happen. As of right now I’m not too concerned about what will happen or when. I’m wondering where it’ll happen. The answer is: the land of Zebulun and Naphtali will soon be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
Hmmm… Galilee-of-the-Gentiles? I’m thinking these are NT words so I check my word book. I’m wrong (but nearly right). Both words are in the OT (Galilee six times & Gentiles once).
Okay… I also check my bible maps. The OT tribal districts of Zebulun & Naphtali are west of the Sea of Galilee. I look at a map of the NT and see that Galilee’s right in the Z&N spot. Geographically OT Z&N are NT Galilee.
I look at Isaiah’s forecast again. Something Big happening in the north will likely surprise people in Jerusalem (the place where big things happen). A Great Light is going to be turned on in Galilee. A child from Galilee will grow up and rise to prominence: the government will rest on his shoulders and his ever expanding peaceful government will never end. A man from the north country.
Based on Isaiah’s prediction this upcountry outsider will likely be taking some of the burnish off Jerusalem. Which doesn’t sound like good news for the metropolis.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 9:1 6 7 (NLT)

Week 28  Isaiah 8

Partway through the chapter Isaiah says: I will write down all these things as a testimony of what the Lord will do. I will entrust it to my disciples, who will pass it down to future generations. I noticed a couple of things.
For one thing I saw that Isaiah used the word “disciples”. I was surprised because I think of “disciples” as a NT word. I looked at a word book:
“Disciple” is used ~30 times in the bible. Once in the OT (by Isaiah).
“Disciples” is used ~240 times. Twice in the OT (both by Isaiah).
So it is a NT word. But I’m not sure what to make of Isaiah using it. Not sure if there’s anything to be made of it. But I am surprised that Isaiah was the only OT writer to use it.
The other thing I noticed was the four-step communication sequence. I backtracked and saw that Isaiah had already said three times in chapter eight that the Lord had spoken to him – so that’s step one. And then he said: I will write down all these things – step 2.  Isaiah planned to give that written document to his trustworthy disciples – step 3. Once the original document was reproduced the disciples would pass copies to their contemporaries and then on to future generations – step 4.
The chain of communication: the Lord > Isaiah > Isaiah’s disciples > future generations (and all the way down to the 21st century).

Note: quote from Isaiah 8:16 (NLT)

Week 27  Isaiah 7

I’m reading about Ahaz in chapter seven. Ahaz was one of Isaiah’s four kings (the prophecy begins: these visions concerning Judah and Jerusalem came to Isaiah son of Amoz during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah).
Uzziah Jotham Ahaz & Hezekiah are familiar names. In May I looked at all of the kings of Judah and ranked them Best-to-Worst. So I flipped back to that list to see where I’d placed Isaiah’s four:
Uzziah #8
Jotham #3
Ahaz #14
Hezekiah #2.
So Ahaz was 14th out of 15 kings. Not so good.
Isaiah didn’t give specific details about Ahaz’ numerous flaws (I had to reread Kings & Chronicles to see those).
What Isaiah did do was forecast Ahaz’ future: the Lord will bring a terrible curse on you, your nation, and your family…The mighty king of Assyria will come with his great army (plus eight more verses describing Judah’s national devastation).
But the thing is that rereading the Ahaz story I saw that the king of Assyria did not demolish Judah the way Isaiah described it. Sure…Ahaz ends up being a yes-sir-no-sir guy subject to Assyria. But Judah wasn’t demolished. That only came later – after Ahaz was dead & gone.
So it’s a reminder to me that I have to be careful about predictive prophesies. Isaiah’s forecast sounded like an exclusive just-for-you-Ahaz message. But it looks like Ahaz was just part of a longer range comprehensive future of the country over the next forty-or-fifty years.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 1:1 7:17 (NLT)

Week 27  Isaiah 1

Isaiah tells Judah: you act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The verse catches my attention because I already have a niggling question about Sodom & Gomorrah. I’ve been wondering about what specifically bad things S&G did that qualified them for annihilation. The Genesis 18-19 story only comments generally about how awful the two cities were.
So now I see Isaiah comparing Israel to S&G. He says Judah is just like S&G. If Judah is acting just like S&G then I can answer my question about what S&G were like by looking at Judah. If I find out how Judah was being just like S&G then I’ve found out what S&G was like.
Isaiah compares Judah to S&G this way: your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
Isaiah goes on to list five things Judah should be doing (things that S&G should have done too):
Learn to do good
Seek justice
Help the oppressed
Defend the orphan
Fight for the rights of widows.
So I’m discovering some useful specific things about S&G. It’s a good start.
But when I grab a word book I see that even though S&G are mentioned twice in chapter one Isaiah only refers to them two more times in the next sixty-five chapters.
I’m a bit disappointed. I thought Isaiah would helping with my S&G question. But I’m not all that surprised. It’s not my first good question that didn’t get answered.

Note: quotes from Isaiah 1:10 16-17 (NLT)