The Final Unity of Isaiah

Transcription

1 Isaiah Words against Judah and Jerusalem Oracles against Foreign Nations Isaianic apocalypse Assyrian Cycle Salvation appendix Historical materials//2 Kgs 18:17-20:19 Hezekiah and Isaiah (cf. Ahaz and Isaiah in chap. 7). Exile to Babylon!

2 The Final Unity of Isaiah Isaiah 1//Isaiah Disobedience of Ahaz in 7-8//Faithfulness of Hezekiah in Anticipation of Exile in 39; Exile presupposed in This unity is literary or redactional, not historical Did ever exist separately?

3 Isaiah 1 and Cultic abuses disrupt the relationship with God. I, Yahweh, am fed up with sacrifices. 1:11; 65:3; 66:3 There must be a separation between the righteous and the impious. All flesh will worship me dead bodies of wicked who rebelled 66:23-24 Judgment of the impious leads to a resumption of relations with God. You will be faithful city. (1:26) Isaiah 1 and form an inclusion.

4 Themes in Isaiah The fate of Zion conditional on faith 28:14-22 (One who TRUSTS will not panic) after defeat of Zion will come its final vindication Future of Kingship conditional on faith 7:9 (If you do not stand firm in FAITH, you will not stand firm at all) after end of kingship, a new messianic figure in chaps 9 and 11 Exodus and covenant--absent in Isaiah 1-39!

5 Isaiah 5:1-9:7 5:1-7 Song of the Vineyard (I will make it a waste, without rain) 5:8-24 Woes that specify the indictment 5:25 For all this his anger is not turned away 5:26-30 God summons a nation far way (Assyria?) as his agent 6:1-9:7 Memorandum about the Syro-Ephraimite War (call of Isaiah; conflict with Ahaz; messiah in 9:1-7) 9:8-21 For all this his anger is not turned away 10:1-4a Woes that specify the indictment 10:4b For all this his anger is not turned away 10:5-34 Words against Assyria for its arrogance remnant of Israel will lean on Yahweh Yahweh the woodsman will chop down the tallest trees

6 Outline of Isaiah 9:8-12:6 9:8-21 Refrain: for all this his anger is not turned away... 10:1-4a Woes specifying the indictment (refrain 10:4b: for all this his anger is not turned away) 10:5-34 Words against Assyrians 11 Messianic promises 12 Hymn of Thanksgiving ( my salvation y[wvy in v 2 may be a pun on the name Isaiah why[vy)

7 Outline of Isaiah 6:1-9:7 6:1-9:7 Memorandum about Syro- Ephraimitic War 6 Call of Isaiah--legitimizes judgment that befalls Judah 7 Shear Yashub and Immanuel 8 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz 9:1-7 Birth of new royal child

8 Sins condemned by Isaiah in Woes 5:8-10 people gobble up land 5:11-17 people drink wine to avoid social responsibility 5:20 people call good evil and vice versa (U. S. missiles are peacemakers ) 5:23 people acquit guilty for a bribe 10:1-4 people use the law (oppressive statutes) to defraud the poor (Exod 21:4-6?)

9 Isaiah 7:1-9 Context in Syro-Ephraimitic War Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel tried to force Ahaz, king of Judah, into an anti-assyrian coalition. They intended to install the son of Tabeel (v 6) as a puppet king.

10 Isaiah 7:1-9 (continued) Isaiah takes along Shear Jashub Only a remnant of the invading army will return home in safety, those who return to Yahweh in repentance will survive, or only a very few people will survive this catastrophe 10:21 a remnant will return to the mighty God; cf. 30:15 (In returning (= repenting) and rest you shall be saved)

11 Faith words in the book of Isaiah If you do not stand firm wnymat, you will not be made firm wnmat Isa 7:9 8:17 I shall wait for Yahweh and hope in him 10:20 the remnant will lean on Yahweh 30:20 In quietness and trust will be your strength--no! We will speed on horses 31:1 Alas for those who do not look to the Holy One of Israel

12 Isaiah 7:10-14 Ahaz refuses the sign offered by Isaiah; cf. Deut 6:16: Do not put Yahweh to the test. Young woman or virgin : Four things I do not understand: the way of eagle in the sky, of a serpent on a rock, of a ship on the seas, of a man and young woman (hmlo[) making love. Prov 30:19

13 Identity of the Pregnant Woman and the Meaning of the name Immanuel Ms. Ahaz--child = Hezekiah? Ms. Isaiah--children = Shear Jashub; Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and Immanuel? A woman whom Isaiah noticed in the vicinity? Collective (women in general)? God is with us--is this good news or bad in 7:15-17?

14 Isa 7:15-17 Six Choices Are curds and honey (v. 15) the food of prosperity (A-1) or the food of affliction (A-2)? Is know in v 15 to be understood temporally (B-1 By the time he knows) or as part of a result clause (B-2 so that he will know)? Is the choice between good and evil (v. 16) moral (C-1) or merely a sign of maturity (C-2 old enough to make his own decisions)?

15 Isa 7:15-17 Six Choices Does Ephraim s departure from Judah (v. 17) refer to the prosperous days before the breakup of United Monarchy (D-1) or the times of hardship immediately thereafter (D- 2)? Is the king of Assyria in v 17 a gloss (E-1) or authentic (E-2)? Does he come against Judah or against Judah s enemies? Is Immanuel positive (F-1) or negative (F-2)?

16 Isa 7:15-17and the meaning of Immanuel 15 By the time (B1) that he has learnt to reject evil and choose good (C1), he will be eating curds and honey (A1); 16 before that child has learnt to reject evil and choose good, desolation will come upon the land before whose two kings you cower now. 17 The LORD will bring on you, your people, and your house, a time the like of which has not been seen since Ephraim broke away from Judah (D1, E1, F1). NEB D 1--good old days of United Kingdom E 1--king of Assyria deleted F 1 Immanuel--God is with us positively.

17 Isa 7:15-17 and the Meaning of Immanuel 15 He will eat the sparse fare of curds and honey (A2) so that (B2) he will know how to reject what is wrong and choose what is right (C1). 16 For before the boy learns how to reject what is wrong and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you now dread will be abandoned. 17 Yahweh will bring upon you, your people, and your father s house bad days (D2), which have not existed since the aftermath of the time when Ephraim left Judah. That is, he will bring the king of Assyria (E2, F2). God is with us in judgment

18 Further Oracles in 7-8 7:18-25 Assyria will devastate the land 8:1-4 Assyria will carry off Ephraim and Syria- -Maher-shalal-hash-baz 8:5-8 The people s lack of faith leads to the Assyrian invasion of Immanuel s land 8:9-10 God with us means defeat for nations 8:11-15 People should fear Yahweh rather than the nations

19 8:16-18 The Prophet and his children as signs Isaiah retires temporarily--waits for Yahweh, hopes in him Isaiah himself = Yahweh saves Shear-jashub = only a remnant will survive the coming disaster Immanuel = God is with us Maher-shalal-hash-baz = the spoil speeds, the prey hastens

20 Isaiah 7-8//Isaiah Isaiah and Ahaz//Isaiah and Hezekiah Ahaz shows unfaith in the crisis of chs 7-8//Hezekiah shows his faith in the Assyrian crisis of 701 BCE when Jerusalem is threatened with death Hezekiah trusts in Yahweh during his own mortal illness ch 38

21 Isaiah :1-37:38//2 Kgs 18:13; 18:17-19:37 Victory over the Assyrians 2 Kgs 18:14-16 Hezekiah capitulates to the Assyrian king not included in Isaiah no blemish on Hezekiah s faith 38:1-22 Hezekiah s illness, recovery, prayer of thanksgiving//2 Kgs 20:4-11. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. Isaiah 38:9-20 Psalm of Hezekiah without a parallel in Kings shows Hezekiah s faith 39:1-8//2 Kgs 20:12-19 Hezekiah welcomes a delegation from Babylon and Isaiah s response: All your treasures will go to Babylon; also your sons What is to be the fate of Jerusalem and the Davidic dynasty in view of the threat posed by Babylon? Introduces Isaiah 40-55

22 Purpose of Isaiah Confirms prophetic power of Isaiah (hence no report of capitulation by Hezekiah to Assyrians [2 Kgs 18:14-16] or fall of Jerusalem to Assyrians) Yahweh cares for city during reign of faithful king Hezekiah These chapters provide bridge between previous prophecies of Isaiah during the Assyrian period and the prophecies during the Babylonian exile (chs 40-55) Yahweh spared Jerusalem in the Assyrian period, but these chapters warn of darker days ahead cf. chaps 7-8 Isaiah s words of judgment in the Assyrian period are to be fulfilled in the Babylonian period

23 Hezekiah, man of faith Faithful deeds of Hezekiah thrown into his teeth by foreigners 36:4-10. Do you trust in Yahweh whose sanctuaries Hezekiah has destroyed? Hezekiah rends his garment, asks Isaiah to pray 37:1-2; Rabshakeh sends letter to Hezekiah 37:8-13 Hezekiah himself prays 37:15-20, and his prayer turns Yahweh against Sennacherib 37:21-35b, as reported by Isaiah Signs offered by Yahweh are accepted by Hezekiah and not scorned as Ahaz had done a. 37:30 crops will return to normal in the third year b. 38:7 sundial c. 38:22 What is the sign that I will go to temple?

24 Swords into Plowshares Isa 2:2-5//Mic 4:1-5 Utopia? Heaven? God s in-breaking future? Liturgical response in Isa 2:5 (O household of Jacob, come let US walk in the light of Yahweh) and Mic 4:5 Christian eschatology--1 Corinthians 15 the first one popped out!