Zion's Voice

Reflections on the writings of Isaiah

Isaiah 1 : 1 - 31

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”

There is no prequel to this statement. We do not know if this was the first, or one of many such visions Isaiah had experienced. However, what we do know is that the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28)  had foreseen the days about 200 years earlier, when the Spirit of God would be poured out on men to see dreams and have visions. Furthermore, from that quotation we might deduce that Isaiah was a ‘young man’ ! About 20 years old probably.  Also, Ezekiel (Ezekiel 39:29) was able to look back at Isaiah’s prophecy.

Isaiah saw the anguish and disappointment of a Father who had brought up children who were His “special treasure” (Exodus 19:5  Deut 7:6) and “the apple of My eye” (Zechariah 2:8), only to find that they had, in large measure ‘rebelled’ against His authority and abandoned promises sincerely made much earlier. In order to get the full measure of such feeling of ingratitude, it needs to be applied  personally by each one of us if such experience is to be fully understood.

The text before us is compelling. Read it slowly. Sense the pain. All the hopes and ambition of a Father for His children vanished. “My people do not consider” quite thoughtless.

Such a monumental lesson for each one of us who lay claim to the salvation of our God. At this point, it is relatively easy to see this in the ‘third person’ isn’t it? What a disgraceful situation these Israelis have put God in. How could they do such a thing? They deserve all they are going to get. And on and on our righteous indignation takes us. Until we ask the obvious right question.  This inspired Word of God is in our Bible for a reason. The people in our text failed a test of loyalty and obedience to their commitment. They were not living the way a Holy God requires of them.

The people were told by God (Numbers 15:37-41) to put “tzitzit” (tassels) on the corner of their garment’. Sounds odd doesn’t it? But it was specifically to act as a reminder of the promises and commandments about lifestyle into which they had voluntarily entered. A very personal note here. I have put “tassels” in my life (not “tzitzit”) to remind me of promises which I have made regarding how God requires me to order those elements of my life about which He has had cause to challenge me. For that reason, because it has been a worthwhile experience for myself, I recommend others to consider ways in which to remain constant and effective in compliance with what you know God expects your conduct to be.

Isaiah continues his searing chastisement of the insincere conduct of the people who were evidently acting hypocritically in their ‘religious’ observances. This might be another timely lesson for some believers today. Ask Him. Ask yourself. You WILL get an answer.

Then the text moves to more favourable comment. Isaiah, in his vision, sees Almighty God looking favourably on His children again. “Wash yourselves, make yourself clean;… Cease to do evil, learn to do good”.  Please take careful note here that this is an invitation to personal action. This is not anything God does. Its what each individual person has to choose to do. Then follow words that most people would think come from the Apostolic Scriptures. “Come now, and let us reason together”.  What a mighty, gracious, loving, thoughtful, caring, God we serve. But it is not an invitation to continue in the lifestyle which caused the problem. It is a Father, reaching out in love. All is not lost … yet. Reconciliation is still an available option. “If you are willing and obedient, you shall (still) eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and (continue to) rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”

The chapter concludes with some inevitable situations, which the wise would do well to heed and participate in, and others which should be avoided. God’s plan for Jerusalem will not be changed. Yes, some will oppose the plan. They will be swept away. Zion, God told Isaiah, “Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness”. That’s the good part. But this is His promise too. “And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.” Aha, I hear, what about John 6:37?  No one will be cast out. But, the free will God has provided does allow us to walk away. And that is exactly what the folk in Isaiah’s day were doing.

The overall impression for me is clear. God is so concerned for those who are His that He goes to significant lengths to retain them in His care. BUT, as we all know, some get slack and inconsiderate in their attitude to commitments once sincerely made. The message here from the faithful Isaiah, is that God too has limits to His patience.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

‘Reflections’ on the writings of Isaiah

An introduction

There will always be questions of accuracy of dates regarding many events recorded in our Bible. For that reason, I have chosen to avoid controversy by utilising the word “about” in reference to times. But what we do know, because he told us, is that Isaiah was active in his prophetic ministry for about 56 years, beginning in “the year that king Uzziah died”, around 742 BCE, and Isaiah  himself died in about 686 BCE.

Isaiah was evidently a close, fervent, reliable, trustworthy confidant of YHWH Elohim. The vast gap between the two ‘groups’ of the tribes of Hebrews was quite marked. The ten tribes of the Northern kingdom had moved far from the dictates of the covenant their forefathers had made and were worshipping a ‘golden calf’. The two tribes in the Southern kingdom, Judea and Benjamin, were apparently at a point of mainly mere ‘lip service’. Isaiah was concerned for both groups.

There might be little doubt that Isaiah was, a short time later, a witness to the events which took place in the Northern kingdom, Israel, in 722 BCE, when God caused the removal of those ten tribes residing there, from the land at the hands of Shalamanezer the Assyrian. (2 Kings 18 :9,10) That being the case, it accounts for the increasing fervour of Isaiah in his warning message to the Judeans. 

Our Bible neatly divides the prophecy of Isaiah into 66 chapters, and they in turn are readily identified in two groups. The first, being 39 chapters, and the second of 27 chapters. Each group has a distinctively different emphasis. Because our Bible is made up of 66 books, of which the Hebrew Scriptures contains 39 books, and the Apostolic Scriptures has 27 books, some commentators see the prophecy of Isaiah as reflective, in miniature, of our whole Bible.

It is certainly true that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah contain a severe rebuke of the people. He has many warnings and protestations against them about their slackness and wanton disregard for the covenant promises made by their forefathers regarding the way they should live. But it is also worthy of note that of the four kings (see 2 Chronicles 26 to 32) who reigned during the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, three of them are described as “good kings”, meaning that they “did right in the sight of God”. The final 27 chapters contain a message of encouragement, comfort, and hope for the restoration of the nation, as well as the comforting message regarding to promise of the One who would be Saviour and everlasting King.

However, we know that the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls”, discovered in the caves at Qumran by a shepherd boy in 1947 and subsequently by others in early 50’s, are not divided by chapters and verses!! The chapters were provided by the Roman Catholic Cardinal, Stephen Langton, in about 1227 CE. The verse division came in 1448 CE when the Jewish Rabbi ‘Nathan’ applied them to the Hebrew Scriptures. Then in 1555 CE the French printer Robert Estienne provided them for the Apostolic Scriptures. (for your reference, that is around the time that Martin Luther was actively challenging the ecclesiastic authority of the Roman Catholic church) Nevertheless, we might perhaps consider that those chapter and verse divisions, which are extremely convenient for study and memory purposes, were also God inspired for our better understanding of the Scriptures !

Prophetic words of Isaiah are quoted liberally in the Apostolic Scriptures. (At least 80 times I believe.)  But we should not consider this exceptional, because ALL the early believers had ONLY the Hebrew Scriptures for reference to what God required of them. As we proceed through our ‘reflection’ of Isaiah’s prophecy, where it is relevant to so do, we will draw attention to some of those instances of quotation.

For the sake of completion, I am aware that some scholars have deduced, from what they describe as ‘the writing style’, that the divisions referred to above about the first 39 chapters and the last 27 chapters, were written by different authors. The whole Book is under Isaiah’s name, and that satisfies me.

So with that brief introduction we will begin another “reflection” of discovery next week. The nature of Isaiah’s prophecy is such that we may well have different lengths of reading (number of chapters) each week.

The ‘reflections’ of what God gives me are not exclusive to me. I invite you to read the Scriptures in advance in order that you might see what gems God has in store for you as you give precious time to reading His inspiring Word.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Brit Hadashah

Torah portion

Haftarah portion

Brit Hadashah        Acts 26 : 1  - 28 : 31

Hebraic understanding of the Gospel of Yeshua

Our final ‘reflection’ in Acts sees Paul begin his arduous and eventful journey to Rome. His audience with King Agrippa had ended on an interesting note, with Agrippa declaring Paul’s complete innocence of the charges brought against him by the Sanhedrin. This is yet another example of the way God works to bring about His purposes. He had prophesied that Paul would go to Rome (to Kings) to witness for Him. And now it is about to be fulfilled. But not without God demonstrating yet again, to Paul and his travelling companions, His awesome might and power during the hazardous voyage.

(For interest and information, scholars have determined that Paul’s encounter with the risen Yeshua was probably in the year 37 C.E. and now, at this point in his life, Paul had already written epistles to the “ekklesia” in Thessalonica (twice) 52 C.E., Corinth (twice) 57 C.E., Galatia 57 C.E. and Rome 58 C.E.. His journey to Rome occurred during the period from 60-61 C.E. and he died there about 67 C.E.)

The eventful journey is described in some detail, but consequent upon Paul’s strength and faith in Almighty God resulted in all 276 persons on the ship arriving safely in Malta. There God miraculously used Paul to His own glory by the survival of Paul from a deadly serpent’s bite, and in the healing miracle wrought in the life of the father of Plubius, a leading citizen of Malta. Thus, although Paul was never one to seek glory for himself, it never-the-less resulted in significant benefit to Paul and his companions. (Those who visit Malta today will observe an overwhelming Christian influence, which is thought to be a result of Paul’s visit 2000 years ago). One is tempted to observe that God always looks after His own, and Paul was definitely one of His own!  Does anyone else remember the refrain from the old hymn? :-

God is still on the throne,
And He will remember His own;
Tho’ trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true, He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.

After resting in Malta for about three months they continued on to Rome. Upon arrival, Paul was allowed to live freely in the community, albeit under the watchful eye of one of the soldiers. There was no “jetlag” in Paul’s day! So after three days Paul set about his task of teaching, firstly the Jewish population, about Yeshua. At last they were able put a ‘face’ to the ‘letter writer’.

(Let us note here that Paul had written to the Roman “ekklesia” from Corinth a couple of years earlier in an attempt to mend breaches in the relationship between the Jewish and Gentile believers, which had been occasioned following the expulsion of the Jews from Rome by Emperor Claudius in 54 C.E. then, just three years later invited back by Emperor Nero … but that is another story!!).

In establishing his credentials to the Jewish leaders, and to counter any misinformation which might have preceded him from Jerusalem he quickly stated, as he had done to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, that he had done NOTHING against the laws and customs of Judaism. But they had heard nothing contrary about him from Jerusalem, or from anyone else. However, they were aware that  “The Way” was spoken of with contempt by many other orthodox Jewish communities. They were anxious to get the story ‘at first hand’ so to speak. So on an appointed day they met again at Paul’s lodging where he “solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the prophets, from morning till evening”. The record shows that some were convinced and others were not. It has always been the same. But in their case, Paul rebuked them with words from the Prophet Isaiah and declared that the salvation in Yeshua which was (and is) freely available to them would be offered, just as freely, to the Gentiles, and they would hear it!! The rest, as they say, is history.

There are many lessons to be learned from our readings in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. From Yeshua’s ascent into heaven and His promised return in like manner. The gift of the fullness of God’s Holy Spirit to empower trusting men. And the exploits of the Apostle to the Gentiles, our beloved Paul (Rabbi Sha’ul). We have learned that Paul’s own testimony, from his own lips, was that he was remarkably changed, by Yeshua, from blindness to Him in Pharisaic Judaism, to worship of Him in Messianic Judaism. We are the beneficiaries.   

Shabbat Shalom

RS