Isaiah 52:7
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him
who brings good news,
who announces peace
and brings good news of happiness,
who announces salvation,
and says to Zion, Your God reigns.
Basar shema shalom - Who brings good news, Who announces peace,
Basar shema tob yeshua - Who brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation.
This verse uses some of the most important Hebrew words in a poetic verse that certainly sounds more beautiful in Hebrew than we can hear in English.
“Shema” is one of the most important Hebrew words. Found in Deuteronomy 6:4, this single word "Hear!" became a signifier of the message of the entire passage beginning, “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Jesus cited this passage as the greatest commandment. (See Mt. 22:35-40, Mk. 12:28-32)
In Isaiah 52:7, the same root word is used to mean “to announce.” The good news that is announced is first “peace” (shalom) and then “salvation" (yeshua). "Yeshua" was both the name of Joshua and the Hebrew name of Jesus. So, this brief poem, which is part of a much larger poem, expresses the awesome thought that the beautiful messenger of God brings the message of God’s peace/shalom and God’s salvation/Yeshua.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Breakfast Club Devotion #19 - Isaiah 51, 52, 53: The Arm of the Lord
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
There is a song by Rich Mullins which contains only line, and that line comes from a single verse of the Bible, Isaiah 52:10. It is on the 1993 album “A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band.” “The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the Lord’s salvation.” The image of the arm of the Lord is a powerful concept which expresses God’s activity in the world. The first two references in our passage of study indicate a contrast of different aspects of God’s presence in consecutive verses: (40:10) “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (40:11)
The arm of the Lord carries the lamb next to his heart; the arm of the Lord judges the peoples and rules the nations; the coastlands wait expectantly for the arm of the Lord.
It is a beautiful and powerful image. Note that 51:5 combines many of the concepts we have studied …”My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.”
I am pondering why the prophet used this image to open Isaiah 53, what some have called “The Mount Everest of Old Testament Prophecy.” As the prophet begins the awesome passage in which we learn that the future Messiah will be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities,” he opens with the question “ Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
I pray that we can live in light of the truth that to us the arm of the Lord has been revealed.
There is a song by Rich Mullins which contains only line, and that line comes from a single verse of the Bible, Isaiah 52:10. It is on the 1993 album “A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band.” “The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the Lord’s salvation.” The image of the arm of the Lord is a powerful concept which expresses God’s activity in the world. The first two references in our passage of study indicate a contrast of different aspects of God’s presence in consecutive verses: (40:10) “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (40:11)
The arm of the Lord carries the lamb next to his heart; the arm of the Lord judges the peoples and rules the nations; the coastlands wait expectantly for the arm of the Lord.
It is a beautiful and powerful image. Note that 51:5 combines many of the concepts we have studied …”My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.”
I am pondering why the prophet used this image to open Isaiah 53, what some have called “The Mount Everest of Old Testament Prophecy.” As the prophet begins the awesome passage in which we learn that the future Messiah will be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities,” he opens with the question “ Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
I pray that we can live in light of the truth that to us the arm of the Lord has been revealed.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
BC Devotion #18 - Freedom to Captives
In Isaiah 40-66, at least fifteen different Hebrew words are used to express the concepts related to the captives, the prisoners, and the oppressed, in at least twenty-three different Scripture references, including prophetic references to Jesus himself. Apparently, the captive is on God’s heart. In the historical context, these passages deal with the return of the displaced exiles of Israel back to their homes and communities. But here as elsewhere, Scripture speaks to universal human experiences. Nowhere is this more evident than in Jesus appropriation of Isaiah 61:1 … “He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to prisoners” in his first public preaching in Luke 4:18. The first reference to prisoners and captives in our passage of study (Isaiah 42:6-7) immediately follows the passage that Matthew cited in reference to the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 12). “I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, and as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” Note the combination of images of light/darkness and freedom/captivity.
In ministry to the downtrodden, it is powerful share the prophets’ expression of God’s concern for those who are going through hard places in life. The prophet speaks to people who have been taken from their communities, their homes, and their way of life, people who have lost everything. The prophet rehearses God’s concern and offers hope “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, also expressed to the exiles).
Equally important is God’s expressed interest in stirring leaders to act on his concern. Through the prophet, God at once expresses his concern for the captive and his agenda of deliverance. “This is a people plundered and despoiled … hidden away in prison; they have become prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to bring them back” (42:22), or similarly of Cyrus the deliverer, “I have aroused him in righteousness ... he will build my city and will let my exiles go free” (45:13). In Isaiah 58, the prophet speaks of the ministry of deliverance as a form of worship, “Is this not the fast (i.e. worship) which I choose ... to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free?” (v. 6)
Nor does God neglect to encourage the oppressed to fight for their own deliverance … “Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the chains around your neck” (52:2).
Among these references, the one which I consider to be most powerful at once touches the deepest despair of imprisonment while expressing an unwavering hope in God’s faithfulness, while touching also on God’s concern for the most basic human needs ... “The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking (51:14).
Take a moment to consider that awesome promise. My prayer is that we can embrace even a glimmer of God’s heart for the captive, and somehow represent in our ministry his agenda of deliverance.
In ministry to the downtrodden, it is powerful share the prophets’ expression of God’s concern for those who are going through hard places in life. The prophet speaks to people who have been taken from their communities, their homes, and their way of life, people who have lost everything. The prophet rehearses God’s concern and offers hope “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, also expressed to the exiles).
Equally important is God’s expressed interest in stirring leaders to act on his concern. Through the prophet, God at once expresses his concern for the captive and his agenda of deliverance. “This is a people plundered and despoiled … hidden away in prison; they have become prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to bring them back” (42:22), or similarly of Cyrus the deliverer, “I have aroused him in righteousness ... he will build my city and will let my exiles go free” (45:13). In Isaiah 58, the prophet speaks of the ministry of deliverance as a form of worship, “Is this not the fast (i.e. worship) which I choose ... to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free?” (v. 6)
Nor does God neglect to encourage the oppressed to fight for their own deliverance … “Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the chains around your neck” (52:2).
Among these references, the one which I consider to be most powerful at once touches the deepest despair of imprisonment while expressing an unwavering hope in God’s faithfulness, while touching also on God’s concern for the most basic human needs ... “The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking (51:14).
Take a moment to consider that awesome promise. My prayer is that we can embrace even a glimmer of God’s heart for the captive, and somehow represent in our ministry his agenda of deliverance.
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