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December 05, 2010 |
| Comfort in Prophecy | ||
Isaiah was a prophet in the 8th century1. His ministry covered the period when Israel and Samaria were conquered by the Assyrians. Because King Hezekiah followed the words of God given by Isaiah, Judah was not conquered at that time. But Isaiah also prophesied of the future time when Babylon would conquer Judah and take its people captive. That would not happen for more than 100 years.
This is the first lesson in a series covering Isaiah chapters 40 through 45. In these chapters Isaiah prophesies the end of the captivity of his people. By that time the Medo-Persian Empire had conquered the Babylonian Empire. Ultimately in these chapters Isaiah names Cyrus the Persian by name as the king who will free them. This prophecy will not be fulfilled for 200 years2.
In this lesson Isaiah has a message for God's people who are captives of the Medo-Persian Empire. The purpose of the message is to comfort his people by telling them their exile is almost over. But Isaiah's prophecy also includes references to the coming of the Messiah. So they are to be comforted also in the knowledge that God is still watching over them, his plan for them continues on and his promises are true.
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
"The exiles had mourned that they lacked anyone to comfort them (Lam 1:2, 9, 16, 21)"3. This comfort would come to them as words that were written to them before they were born.
"The reference ["hard service"] is to the immediate hardships of the exile. The implication is that there will be a radical break with the physical suffering of the exile."4
In saying 'her sin has been paid for' "the message here is not that the Israelites have simply paid a debt and therefore deserve pardon. The intention is that God views the suffering of the exiles as an acceptable sacrifice. The nation justly deserved the punishment. God had no obligation to do anything more. It was by His gracious choice that He willingly accepted their suffering as atonement for their iniquity and by that offered pardon. He has simply said, 'It is enough.'
"The people did not earn the shift from wrath to mercy introduced here; God granted it. A better reading [of 'her hard service has been completed'] might be 'her punishment has been accepted' or even 'her guilt has been pardoned'"5
3 A voice of one calling:
"In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
All four gospels use verse 3 as prophecy of John the Baptist heralding the coming of the Messiah. The wilderness, or desert, spoken of here is not a literal wilderness. It is a spiritual wilderness – Israel, as it had become when Jesus was born. Therefore the valleys, mountains, and rough and rugged places are spiritual defects in Israel. "Specifically John's duty was to bring back the people to obedience to the law and to remove all self-confidence, pride in national privileges, hypocrisy, and irreligion, so that they should be ready for [the Messiah's] coming"6
Verse 4 describes the function of a herald for a king. The herald would notify the people that the king was coming. We see that in verse 3. He was also responsible for planning the route the king would take and making sure the route was passable. This was John's function.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Sending the Messiah to his people with a better plan of salvation does reveal the glory of God. Note these verses from Luke 2 spoken by Simeon after he had seen the baby Jesus " 29 'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.' "
But we know that the plan of salvation did not end there. Consider these verses from Revelation 1. " 7 'Look, he is coming with the clouds,' and 'every eye will see him, even those who pierced him'; and all peoples on earth 'will mourn because of him.'"
Note carefully the last part of the verse "For the mouth of the LORD has spoken". It means that the prophesied words are true and will come to pass. Without that part of the verse the next few verses can be a mystery.
6 A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever."
Because we have been told the meaning of 'grass' and 'flowers' in this allegory, we can simplify verse 8 to say "When tested, people lose their strength and their faithfulness fails, but the word of our God endures forever". So the point is that Israel lost their desire to serve God and became unfaithful to him, but he is always faithful to them.
This chapter continues on to say how great God is and describes some of the mighty things he has done with words like "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" The message of comfort to his people who are slaves in a foreign country is that God is still there and still powerful.
But those verses also describe the idolatry of Israel that lead to their captivity. Paraphrased, the verses say "a metalworker casts the idol, a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and a skilled worker sets it up so that it will not topple and you worship it as though it was somehow comparable to God."
Now we jump to the end of the chapter.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?
Does Jacob have a valid reason to complain about their exile and captivity? No, they had sinned and violated their covenant with God. God had been faithful to them but due to their unfaithfulness to him, they were punished. But now they cry out that God no longer sees them or cares about what happens to them.
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
What is there to comfort Israel in this prophecy?
Is there anything in the list above that does not also comfort us?
Israel's comfort came from scripture that was written 200 years before. Are Christians any different?
To Christians and Jews what is the meaning of the word 'prophecy'?
God may correct us or even punish us, but does that mean he has forsaken us?
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah
2 http://www.moellerhaus.com/40-45.htm
3 http://www.crivoice.org/isa40.html
4 http://www.crivoice.org/isa40.html