October 2026
Isaiah 04
Reflections on the writings of Isaiah
As chapter 5 opens, Isaiah seems to take a look back to the beginning. (or at least back to Genesis 12 !!) “The Beloved”, a metaphor for YHWH Elohim, created the most beautiful ‘vineyard’. In His wisdom, He carefully cleared the ground, chosen as a prime place for vines to grow, “and planted it with the choicest vine”. But as harvest time approached, disappointment quickly followed. In spite of seemingly meticulous preparation, the grapes which came from that vineyard turned out to be ‘wild grapes’.
Now at this point, I see an important lesson. What God did in His creative power, (In the beginning), was to produce mankind, intended to enjoy sweet fellowship with Himself. We all know the story. But in His wisdom, He also gave mankind the gift of ‘freewill’. Nobody is forced into compliance. Each one of us makes a freewill choice regarding our relationship with Him. As we return to the narrative, the question arises .. what sort of ‘grape’ does God see when He looks at us ?
As our dismayed God saw the harvest of the vineyard, He shared with Isaiah His decision about what He was now going to do with this vineyard. The prophetic significance of His action has multiple fulfilments, both in past history, and future prospect. “I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down …. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it”.
It is now just history for us living today. About 140 years after this prophecy, Jerusalem was trampled down and the 1st Temple burned by the forces of king Nebuchadnezzer. Move on another 600 years, and in the year 70 CE the Emperor Titus of Rome burned down the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem, and dispersed many of the Jews there at the time. Further, in the year 135 CE Emperor Hadrian of Rome, at the conclusion of the Bar Kokhba revolt against oppression, barred all Jews from Jerusalem, and renamed the city “Aelia Capitolina”. The majority of the Jews scattered to other countries. But that’s not the end of it. History shows that after that dispersal of the people, Israel endured approximately 1,800 years of drought !! No meaningful rain in the land until the mid 1880’s.
(Mark Twain, in his best selling travel book “Innocents Abroad” wrote about his visit to Israel in 1867, describing it as ‘desolate, barren, and utterly devastated’. He also depicted the country as a ‘ hopelessly, dreary, heart-broken land’ that ‘sits in sackcloth and ashes’.)
Some might think that God had executed vengeance upon His chosen. But that was not His intent or desire, quite the opposite. He is a loving and faithful promise keeper. Certainly, God has shown His displeasure by allowing Israel to ‘fend for itself’. And the decisions they had made, despite His several messages through faithful prophets, was deeply offensive to Him. The choice was, and always remains, a personal one for individuals. The Apostle Peter puts it well (2 Peter 3:9). The LORD “is not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”. It is well that we, in our turn, learn lessons from the Scriptures else we might fall into similar mistakes.
The words of Isaiah are both encouraging, and chastising. A quick reading of these early chapters seemed a bit daunting, but the message in the vision of Isaiah is designed to ‘raise us up’ to a place where we see clearly that God is on our side. There are mountains to climb and valleys to cross. But He is faithful, and is clear regarding His expectation of what He expects from those who have reached out to Him in faith. “He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and whistle to them from the ends of the earth”
As chapter 6 opens, Isaiah recalls the precise time, and provides us significantly more detail about his remarkable ‘vision’. The Seraphim (high ranking celestial beings) were mouthing praise to YHWH Elohim. Isaiah was alarmed at the vision before him. (Woe is me, for I am undone! … for my eyes have (mistakenly) seen the King, the LORD of hosts). One of the Seraphim flew to him and touched his mouth with a live coal saying “This has touched your lips … your sin is purged”. Then he heard the voice of the LORD, and received from Him the commission to give the people the message which we are ‘reflecting’ on today.
Isaiah asked the LORD “for how long ?” (will I have to give this message).
(Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant. The houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate.)
My conclusion? This message of Isaiah is as relevant to us today as it was for the people who first heard it. Our God is on our side. His concern is for all people for all time. He wants the best that is possible for us. And He wants the best that is possible FROM us.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Isaiah 03
Reflections on the writings of Isaiah
“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem”
A key item from last week’s passage of Scripture was the invitation of the Lord to “come now, let us reason together”. Isaiah begins the portion today by offering a glimpse of what is ahead. The LORD’s house will be established. It will be “high and lifted up … and all Nations shall flow to it … He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” Now we might imagine that those words were for that time when Isaiah was focussed on the plight of those with whom he lived. And he did. But there are TWO other times, both future for Isaiah, when such prophecy was relevant to the vision the LORD gave to Isaiah. For we who are alive today, ONE of those times is also behind us. And the second is still ahead. I refer, of course, to the times when God Himself, in human form of Yeshua, our Saviour, inhabits this earth.
When Yeshua came to this earth, about 600 years after Isaiah had left it, He spent much of His three year teaching ministry, drawing countless numbers of disciples to salvation. He also found significant opposition, primarily from the ‘religious’ authorities, set in their ways, unbending, stubborn, vindictive even. The focus of those leaders teaching was what Yeshua described as “the traditions of men” (Matt 15:3-9. Mark 7:8). Rules of behaviour designed to ‘protect’ the Torah from the minutia of inobservance, and losing the purpose of observance as a result. Note carefully Isaiah’s words in our reading today. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”.
It was that “law”, the Torah, given to Moses on the mountain, which people of that day were neglecting, which the vision of Isaiah was focussed upon. That was what the invitation to “come now let us reason together” was all about. Isaiah wrote “For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD …. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.”
Almost, in evidence of this comes a candid assessment of what I suspect to be both the observance, as well as the ‘vision’, of Isaiah as he walked the streets of Jerusalem. The scene presented is one of inappropriate conduct. Noteworthy is the fact that the Torah has little to say about dress standards, other than cross dressing (Deut 22:5), but later the Rabbi’s drew up rules for both men and women regarding head covering in public and in prayer.
Nevertheless, if there is a lesson here for us today, it surely is that the eye of the world is on us, and people make judgement on what they see. There is a certain expectation about what is acceptable, and what is not. It may also be true that when we make a profession of faith, the standard is markedly higher. Regardless of that, our world is quite judgemental whether we like it or not,
There are a number of references to “In that day”, referencing changes which will occur. These seem to me to be changes which will be a standard when there is a new King ruling from Jerusalem. “In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped (the judgement of the LORD). We know that the “Branch” is a reference in our Scriptures to Yeshua. Such reference revealed to Isaiah in this ‘vision’ 600 years before He appeared on this earth.
It refers also to a time “when the LORD has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning”. A future time, of which we learn more as we continue to ‘reflect’ in future chapters of this remarkable ‘vision’ the LORD gave to Isaiah.
These are lessons of warning, even for us today, as they were for people of Isaiah’s day because of their neglect in observance of the Torah of God given to Moses. Today many of us have been taught in our churches that God’s ‘instructions for living righteously’ are obsolete, no longer applicable. “Jesus fulfilled the ‘law’ so we do not have to” is the message we are given.
But I cannot find that in my Bible. (reference ‘reflection’ on Matthew 5 in the series on” Hebraic understanding of the Gospels and Acts”)
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Isaiah 02
Reflections on the writings of Isaiah
“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
Isaiah 01
‘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
Reflections 51
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