Comfort, Comfort

Comfort, Comfort

Isaiah Chapters 40-43

 

Deutero-Isaiah

Many scholars find evidence that the book we now know as “Isaiah” is composed of at least two parts. The second section, which begins with Chapter 40, was called “Deutero Isaiah”. The root “deutero” is familiar to us from “Deuteronomy” which could be translated “second law”. As with each of the other books of the Pentateuch (five scrolls) the Hebrew name, Devarim, which means “words” is taken from the opening verse of the book. There is some mystery as to the origin of the phrase “second law”, but it is worth noting that, in the order of our canon,Deuteronomyt does provide the second setting for the deliverance of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:1-21).

So “Deutero-Isaiah” is simply a scholarly way of saying “Second Isaiah”. Originally, the first section was referred to simply as “Isaiah” (because it seemed to have the closest association with the prophet) and the second section was referred to with the prefix “Deutero”. There is now even discussion that there is yet a third division of the book, but the name “Trito-Isaiah” never caught on, and the more common nomenclature is now “First”, “Second”, and “Third”.

While scholars see differences in style, nomenclature, and setting that indicate separate sections provided by different authors or editors, such matters are beyond the scope of our discussion and we need only concern ourselves with the way such considerations would affect our understanding and interpretation of the scripture. With that in mind, we can certainly see that, at least with our present chapters, there has been a considerable change in viewpoint from the previous section. Before this section, the major theme was one of Judgment. Though the message was never without hope (Isaiah 35:1-4) the major theme was the outstretched hand of the Lord that brings judgment which cannot be escaped (Isaiah 29:13-15). These latter chapters see the other side of the same coin and it is the love of God which cannot be escaped (Isaiah 40:27-31).

God Is God

An important theme of our present chapters is the never-changing truth and never-failing comfort that God is God. It may take a lifetime to learn an art or a skill, or many lifetimes to learn the sum of human knowledge, but God never learned to be God (Isaiah 40:12-14). There are gods we make with our hands or our minds, but the True God was not made and has always been (Isaiah 40:18-24). The Lord is the Lord, there is no other God; there is no other Saviour (Isaiah 42:8; 43:10-13). The unique God is the creator and sustainer of the universe (Isaiah 40:25-31). The source of all things is our only source of comfort (Isaiah 40:1-2; 41:13; 42:5-7; 43:1-7). From the New Testament, we are familiar with the idea of the searching, comforting, protective God (Matthew 9:36; John 10:14; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 2:25; Revelation 7:17) but God has always been God (Isaiah 40:11; Genesis 49:24; Psalm 23; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:11-16; Amos 3:12).

A New Thing

God is God and has been and will be, but men are like grass (Isaiah 40:6-8). We are mere grasshoppers before the throne of God (Isaiah 40:21-22). When we depend on ourselves or the works of our hands, we will surely fail (Isaiah 41:21-23). How can we escape this dependence on ourselves? This is how it has been from the beginning; is it as it always shall be?

Only our God stands for us between past and future (Isaiah 41:8-10). We hear the voice of one crying out “prepare the way for our God” but who can prepare the way? Who can raise valleys and lower mountains (Isaiah 40:3-5)? God alone can prepare the way; only God can cross the divide between our Lord and ourselves (Isaiah 43:16-19). The new thing is the new covenant, foretold of old (Jeremiah 31:31) and fulfilled in the blood of Christ (Luke 22:19-20). But what is the new covenant? The covenant of God has been established from prehistory (Genesis 9:12-15). What is new about the new covenant?

God has always been; the covenant has always been. On our own we have no way to turn from the idolatry of our past to the salvation of our future, but it is the desire of God, the God who loves to love us, that we ourselves be made new.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21:3-5 KJV)

Therefore… Go!

Therefore… Go!

Matthew Chapter 28

Many Accounts

As far as the world is concerned, Christmas is much more important than Easter. The commercialization of Christmas is such that it seems as though the push for the next Christmas begins before we have cleared away the boxes and bows from the last. As far as the world is concerned, Easter is not so important. Easter sells no more candy than Halloween; it sells no more cards than Valentines Day, and the After Easter Sales are no bigger than the After President's Day Sales. Easter always comes on Sunday, so we do not even get a day off out of the deal.

But, as commonly occurs, the emphasis of the Bible is much different than the emphasis of the world.

The Easter story as we know it is pieced together from separate accounts. Unlike the Christmas story, which we know almost entirely from Luke (Luke 1:26-2:20) with some events from Matthew (Matthew 1:18-24), each of the Gospels contains the Easter story and each contributes to the story in a unique way. Even Paul tells the story. His account is very brief (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) but, since his letters were written before the Gospels, this is probably the first written record of the death and resurrection of our Lord.

In this lesson we will consider the Gospel origins of each of the familiar elements of the Easter story: the women, the stone, the guards, the tomb, the angels, the messengers, the disciples, Jesus himself, and the commission Jesus gave to his disciples. With each element, we will find that each Gospel presents differences in detail, but that they are in agreement in the truth and significance of the death and resurrection of Christ.

The Women

All of the accounts begin with women coming to the tomb immediately when the sabbath had ended. In the Jewish reckoning, a day begins at sunrise and continues to the next sunrise. As soon as they legally could, the women came with their spices for the grim task they expected, the preparation of the body they believed they would find, which would have lain dead for three days.

Who were these women? They are identified differently in the different gospels. According to Matthew (Matthew 28:1) they included Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”, the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus (John 19:25) not the sister of Martha (John 11:1) Mark identifies this “Mary” as “Mary the mother of James” and also includes Salome (Mark 16:1, 9). Luke (Luke 24:10) includes These two “Marys” and also Joanna (Luke 8:1-3) and “others”. The Gospel of John focuses only on Mary Magdalene (John 20:1).

The Stone

There are also some differences in detail that each gospel to the stone that closed the tomb. As we understand it, the stone would have been too heavy for the women to move, and in addition it was sealed and guarded (Matthew 27:65-66). Matthew gives us the detail of the angel who moved the stone with a violent earthquake (Matthew 28:2-3). From his account, it sounds as though the women witnessed this event, but it does not say so definitively. Mark tells us that as they approached the tomb, the women wondered how they would gain access, but when they arrived they found the stone mysteriously moved away (Mark 16:3-4). Luke and John (Luke 24:2; John 20:1) simply mention that the stone had been removed.

The Tomb

Matthew does not mention any particular encounter with the empty tomb. Mark tells us that “the women” entered the tomb and encountered an angel (Mark 16:5). Luke tells us that the women entered the tomb and found it empty. Immediately, perhaps while they were in the tomb, they were joined by two angels (Luke 24:3). John gives us the wonderful account of the footrace between Peter and the other disciple who came to the tomb first, but did not enter, then entered and believed.

The Guards

Only Matthew mentions the guards (Matthew 28:5; 11-15). As we have mentioned earlier, Pilot instructed that the guard be placed at the tomb, and that the tomb be sealed. It is unclear whether these were Jewish guards, as indicated by their immediate report the the chief priests, or whether they were of the Roman guard, as indicated by their concern for how “the governor” would view their failure to adequately guard the tomb. In any event, the priests responded to their report by “throwing money at the problem” – an approach that worked as well then as it does today.

The Angles

We have already mentioned the record in Matthew of the angel the women encountered at the tomb (Matthew 28:2-7). Mark tells us of a “young man” who is seen inside the tomb (Mark 16:5-7). In Luke, we are told that the women encounter two “men” (Luke 24:4-7). John tells us of two “angels” but as we have already noted, John's account is focused entirely on Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-13).

The Messengers

In the unbelievable excitement which follows the encounter with the empty tomb, the Gospel accounts fragment even further in the people and events they choose to report. The basic story is that some of the women rush back to the disciples to tell them what they have found. In Matthew, these women are on their way back to the disciples when they encounter Jesus on the road (Matthew 28:8-10). Mark, perhaps providing two separate accounts, first tells us that the women went away afraid and told no one, then tells us that Mary Magdalene encountered Christ and went and told those who were mourning his death (Mark 16:6-10). In Luke, it appears the the entire group of women, the list of which have already seen, return from the tomb to tell the disciples (Luke 24:9-10). As we have mentioned John only identifies Mary Magdalene as the one who initially tells at least some of the disciples of the empty tomb, then later tells them of her encounter with the Lord.

The Disciples

For the most part, the disciples represent themselves very poorly in this story. Matthew tells us that even when they encountered the risen Lord, some doubted (Matthew 28:16-17). Mark simply tells us that they did not believe (Mark 16:11). Luke, the doctor, tells us that the disciples did not believe the women because they sounded “delirious” as if they were in the throws of illness (Luke 24:11-12). John tells us that the disciples were overjoyed, but only after Jesus appeared to them and showed them his wounds (John 20:19-20).

Jesus

Neither Matthew nor Luke give us any record of the actions of Jesus on the Day of Resurrection itself. Mark, as we have already seen, tells us that the Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene on that day, but does not provide any detail of the encounter (Mark 16:9). We have already mentioned that John records an encounter with the disciples that occurred on the Day of Resurrection. Before that, he also gives us a moving, personal account of Jesus and Mary Magdalene outside the tomb (John 20:14-18).

Commissions

Each of the Gospels gives us a unique account of the way in which Jesus commissioned his disciples (which include ourselves). In Mark, the commission includes mysterious references to snakes and poisons (Mark 16:15-18). Luke tells us that Jesus opened the minds of the disciples and simply declared them to be witnesses (Luke 24:45-49). John gives us an account of the very personal commission “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21-23).

What we now know as The Great Commission is found in Matthew (Matthew 28:16-20). In it Jesus tells us that we have the authority to do the will of God (Matthew 16:17-19, John 17:1-10). Further, we have the assurance that, as Jesus says “I am with you” – a reminder that Jesus is both the Great I Am and “God with us” (Exodus 3:14; Matthew 1:22-23).

The authority and assurance are given to us. It remains to us to go.

 

The Plumb Line of Desolation

The Plumb Line of Desolation

Isaiah Chapters 32-39

 

The Fear of the Lord

The chapters we are given for this lesson can be divided into two sections, each with their own mystery. The first section (chapters 32-36) continues from previous chapters the theme of the Day of the Lord. Already this day has been described as a cruel day (13:6-9) and a day of redemption (25:8-9). These chapters resonate with that idea of a combined day of destruction and salvation, almost continually switching back and forth in the stark contrasts of that day.

Chapter 32 begins (verses 1-8) with the renewed theme of the coming king who will restore order and bring new life to the people of God. As we have noted previously in our study of Isaiah specifically and in our approach to prophecy generally, we must remember that these words of hope where originally preached to a people in real need of hope in their daily lives. The idea of a secure future for Israel would have appealed to them, but they were human, and were therefore almost certainly more concerned for their own future in their own time. The final section of Chapter 32 (verses 14-20) speak directly to this concern as it offers comfort in a time of anguish and safety in a time of insecurity.

Chapter 33 recalls (in verses 5-6) the previous idea of the stone that is both a sure foundation (28:16) and a stumbling block (8:14-15) but adds to it the mystery of the fear of the Lord. We may be comfortable with the notion that sinners should be in terror of everlasting fire (33:14) and may even encourage God to send that fire on our enemies, who must certainly be the enemies of God. It is not so comfortable an idea when in a rare moment of perspective we remember that we are sinners ourselves (Romans 3:23). Such reflection may cause us to think more carefully about the mystery of a God who is both a loving God of creation and an angry God of destruction.

In answer to this question, the prophecy of Isaiah adds to the notion of the stone which is both the cornerstone of our salvation (Psalm 118:22) and the crushing stone of our demise (Luke 20:17-18) by introducing the the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of destruction (34:11b). Normally, the stone, the measuring line, and the plumb bob are for constructive use, but in Isaiah and elsewhere they (2 Kings 21:13) are presented as tools of destruction as the Lord measures the earth with justice and righteousness (28:17).

Is our God then at times a loving God desiring our salvation and at other times an angry God bent on our destruction? No, our God is the One Who is (Exodus 3:14) and in whom there is no shadow of turning (James 1:17). How, then, can we understand this mystery? As we are told by Job (Job 28:20-28) that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding. This couplet is not intended to suggest a distinction between wisdom and understanding. Just as the opening phrase “where can wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding” contains two ways of asking the same question, the ending phrase provides two ways of expressing the same answer. To fear the Lord is to depart from evil. So, in our pursuit to understand the fear of the Lord, and we have found that the fear of the Lord is wisdom itself.

The Splendor of Our God

Chapter 35 is a beautiful, moving, calming psalm of hope. I can do no more than to urge to approach it with an open heart.

Remember, O Lord

Chapters 36-39 are largely, but not completely verbatim with 2 Kings 18:13-19:37 (See, for example Isaiah 36:1-4 and 2 Kings 18:13-17). In this, it is similar to the book of Jeremiah, the ending of which is also almost verbatim with 2 Kings (See Jeremiah 52:1-3 and 2 Kings 24:18-20). In the case of Jeremiah, it seems this more historical (as apposed to prophetic) section is appended to show the way in which the prophecy was fulfilled. This may also be the case for Isaiah. It whether the 2 Kings account is taken from Isaiah, the Isaiah account is taken from 2 Kings, or the two accounts are taken from the same common source which is now lost to us. The placement of this account roughly in the middle of the book seems surprising when compared to the Jeremiah account. There are a number of Biblical scholars who believe that our modem book of Isaiah should be divided into two or three book. The first book (by this understanding) ends in chapter 39, which would make the placement of this historical section constant with the placement in Isaiah.

Whether this section is historical or prophetic, whether it is the end of a book or the middle, it is in any case a passage of scripture and is therefore provides us “instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Though it may be instructive of other topics as well, the passage clearly speaks to us of the power and nature of prayer.

The passage records for us three situations in which Hezekiah turns to the Lord in prayers. The entirety of Chapter 36 tells of the emissary sent by the king of Assyria who ridicules Hezekiah, the nation of Israel, and even the living God. In response to this, Hezekiah prays to God through the prophet Isaiah (37:1-4). In the second instance, Hezekiah receives a taunting letter from the king of Assyria. Hezekiah's response is literally to lay it before the Lord in prayer as he brings it into the temple and lays it before the Lord. Finally, when Hezekiah is Ill and on his deathbed, he prays to God and is given fifteen more years (38:1-6).

The example we are given, then, is to bring our every need to the Lord in prayer. We must be careful, however, in our interpretation of these examples. What do we say when people we know, and also we ourselves, continually go to the Lord in earnest supplication, but do not receive from God that which they desire? We are often happy to attribute this to some fault in the supplicant; this is easy to believe in our own case and convenient to believe in the case of others. Often we pray but do not listen, other times we ask and cannot believe that the answer comes from God. But if we must be perfect in order to pray, then who among us can come before the Lord? The usual alternative to blaming ourselves is to blame the Lord. “It is the Lord's will.” Do we, then, serve a capricious God who arbitrarily hears the prayer of some and not the prayer of others?

There is no easy answer to this question. We could note that these three payers are surely not an exhaustive list of the prayers Hezekiah prayed in his lifetime, and may only be those prayers in which the response of the Lord was evident and immediate, but this is not a idea that gives us move encouragement. In the end I must confess that I have no idea how prayer works, and why there is at least the appearance that it works differently for some than for others; I only know that it works for me. I have through prayer experienced the power of the presence of the Living God. I do not think myself special in this regard. Just as I have faith that prayer will work for me, I believe it will also work for you.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. (Psalms 37:3-7 KJV)

 

The Bread of Adversity

The Bread of Adversity

Isaiah Chapters 24-31

 

The Day of the Lord

In the previous lesson we introduced the concept of the “Day of the Lord” and acknowledged the extensive influence of the idea throughout the Old Testament prophets and even into New Testament discussions. In the previous lesson, the concept was introduced to us as a cruel day of wrath and fierce anger (13:9). These words do not fit the idea we have established for ourselves of a God who dispenses wrath with dispassion and with a reluctance we will gratefully accept for ourselves and hatefully reject for others. Yet even when we are calling forth the wrath of God on those we believe most deserve it, we would shy away from the idea that God could be cruel. We began to move towards an understanding of this “cruel day” by acknowledging that descriptions of God in human terms always miss the mark. Just as the power, majesty, and love of God are beyond human description, perhaps our ideas of anger and wrath fail even more.

The Day of the Lord continues as a dominant theme in the chapters we are given for the current lesson. As before, the day is described as completely devastating. The introductory passage of Chapter 24 (24:1-3) tells us quite plainly that the devastation of that day will be for all the inhabitants of the earth, with exception for no one. Introduced in that passage and elaborated in the following verses (24:4-6) is the idea that the earth itself will be stricken This is the first of several connections between our passage and the book of Romans, where Paul tells us that the entirety of creation is afflicted by our sin, and eagerly awaits redemption as we do ourselves (Romans 8:19-22).

The devastation of that day is further described in verses 17-23, which tell of the judgment of God on both heaven and earth. The beginning verses of that section, which describe the dual threat of the pit and the snare, are similar in spirit to the the verse in Amos (Amos 5:19) where the afflicted will escape one danger only to be captured by another.

A Covenant with Death

There are in our passage a number of references to the guilt of the people which justified the wrath of their God. There is, to begin with the “covenant with death” that the people have established by making a lie their refuge (28:15). The explanation of this strange covenant is seen in later verses (31:1-3) where we find that some of the people had put their trust in the wealth and power of Egypt. It is the wisdom of this world to trust the things of this world, but there is only one source of Truth, and one source of Life (John 14:6).

As the people put their faith in the passing things of this world, they continued to “give lip service” to the Lord (29:13-16). While they worshiped the Lord with their mouths, they had their own plans in mind. Though there are those who claim that God is an invention of the human mind, God knows this is not true. It is ridiculous (though not uncommon) for us to raise ourselves to the place of God (Romans 9:20-21) or to lower God to the place of men (Jeremiah 23:23-24).

In words which more plainly denounce the people's trust in the ways of this world, the Lord also establishes an interesting connection between the people's guilt and their punishment (30:12-17). The very oppression and deceit on which the people had relied would be turned upon them. Their punishment for reliance on the things of this world was that they only had the things of this world on which to rely.

To add to this idea, there is the idea of the “precious cornerstone” (28:16). This is the stone that is both the sanctuary and the stumbling block (8:14-15). It is the stone the builders reject, which has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22-24). It is the stone that may cause us to stumble or make us secure (Romans 9:32-33). It is the stone we can build upon or be crumbled under (Matthew 21:42-44).

The Bread of Adversity

In much the same way that the sin becomes the reward of the sinner, and the stone is both the stumbling block and the head of the corner, in these chapters the Day of the Lord is both a day of devastation and a day of redemption. The refrain “in that day” introduces both terror and comfort. It is the day when death will be swallowed up in victory (25:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Revelation 21:4). It is a day when God has heard our murmured prayers and all memory of the former day is gone (26:12-17; Romans 8:26). It is a day when a new song is sung for the vineyard (5:1-7; 27:2-6). It is a day when all of creation will be redeemed (30:23-26). It is not only a day that is to come, but a day that has always been (25:1-4).

Whenever any one of us is separated from God, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of all the earth and everyone who walks the face of it, that same God longs to be reunited with us. This is the justice of God (30:18-20) who in our adversity gives us the Bread of Life (John 6:51) and in our affliction gives us Living Water (Revelation 7:17).