Isaiah 61:1-11

December 13, 2020

Isaiah 61:1-11

INITIAL THOUGHTS

• RCL skips v. 5-7 which is an interesting choice. Skipping those verses

• Isaiah 61:5-7 admittedly puzzling portion of this passage.

  • Describes a situation where the tables are turned. The Israelites, who had been the foreign people in a foreign land, would now rule over those who had ruled over them.

  • Feels a little like retribution, which is an ugly side of what the prophet is talking about - and seems to contradict verse 8’s call for justice.

  • This is one of those occasions where the sanitizing of the scripture by the Lectionary is probably okay - these two verses can lead to a pretty long wormhole.

  • Instead of retribution perhaps this is about a new creation where foreigners can stay (they aren’t killed or enslaved like the last time Israel returned to the promised land) and where the wealth of the nations is shared with all, not simply enjoyed by those at the top (at the expense of the most vulnerable)

BIBLE STUDY

• Context of Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56-66)

  • “The general setting for Trito-Isaiah is Jerusalem and the community described by Haggai and Zechariah, that is, about twenty years after the latest part of Deutero-Isaiah and perhaps even later; in 60:13 the temple has been built and it is only necessary to adorn it. However, the situation in the country has certainly not improved; it remains critical because of the high incidence of crime in some areas and of incompetence in others, the immediate result of which is that the righteous suffer. For this reason God has shown judgment by continually postponing the fulfillment of his promises.” (J. Alberto Soggin, Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 393)

  • “Those who returned to Zion sadly did not experience the fulfillment of Second Isaiah’s brilliant promises of prosperity and peace and joy… What happened to the brilliant promise of light proclaimed to the exiles by Second Isaiah? Are we dealing with failed prophecy? Is Second Isaiah’s taunting of the gods of other nations coming back to haunt Israel? The answer to that question depends on how one understands biblical prophecy…. It is misleading, however, to identify the truth of those pronouncements with a mechanistic unfolding of the details contained within the threats and promises, for this is to trivialize the office of prophet. The prophet did not locate the essence of their calling in providing clairvoyant abilities but in fostering obedience to God’s covenant among the people.” (Paul Hanson, Interpretation: Isaiah 40-66, p. 187)

• Literary Context

  • Isaiah 60-61 are “often thought of… as the core of Trito-Isaiah, [chapter 60] picks up the motif of transcendent light from Second Isaiah and transforms it into an enthralling poetic vision of Zion magnificently restored.” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, v. 2 The Prophets, p. 822)

• Recalls Isaiah 42:1 “But here is my servant, the one I uphold; my chosen who brings me delight. I’ve put my spirit upon him, he will bring justice to the nations.”

  • This is near the beginning of 2nd Isaiah, after God allows that other gods to present their case. The raising of The Servant is an important theme in Isaiah (one that gets picked up by early followers of Christ)

  • “By applying the words to describe the Servant of the Lord in 42:1 to a new time and situation, some person or group here seems to be claiming the inheritance of the office of that important figure in Second Isaiah’s prophecy. We noted in commenting on the our Servant Songs the presence of considerable ambiguity regarding the figure of the Servant, both as to identity and to whether reference was to an individual or community, We concluded that the ambiguity was intentional and that the Servant was set forth as a model for both the individual and the community that in faith and obedience accepted the calling to be agents of God’s reign of compassionate righteousness.

  • The “me” is intentionally ambiguous.

  • Foreshadows Jesus’ words in Luke 4. In his first public appearance, he reads this passage from the Isaiah scroll. Declares that “today this Scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”

    • Everyone laughs because this is his first sermon, and people want to throw Jesus off a cliff afterwards, but the crowd doesn’t get angry with him reading and saying this. They get angry when he reminds them that the good news is for others, and not just for them.

• The messiah will:

  • Comprehensive list

    • Good news to poor

    • Healing of brokenhearted

    • Release for captives

    • Year of the Lord

      • Forgiveness of debts

      • Freedom from slavery

    • Vindication of God

    • Comfort to those that mourn

    • Sustenance to Zion

    • Crowns replace ashes - Glory replaces mourning

    • Joy replaces mourning

    • Praise instead of discouragement

  • All of these things are still timely.

  • Shift from what “he has sent ME to do…” to what “They” will do in verse 3.

    • They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the Lord.

    • They will rebuild the ancient ruins

    • They will restore formerly deserted places

    • They will renew ruined cities.

  • Who is the they? It is the restored people in verses 1-3.

  • “Those workers, the ‘they’ of v. 4, are the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn. That is, the subjects and agents of teh promised rebuilding are those who have been defeated.” (Beverly Gaventa, Texts for Preaching, Year B, p. 22).

  • The THEY who will rebuild are the same ones who were defeated. This is a communal transformation. People will take part in their own restoration.

    • This should tell us a little about charity. It is one thing to bandage wounds. It is another to work with people who can be a part of their own transformation. Be willing to take the risks of partnership, and relinquish power of privilege.

  • Restoration of the people, the cities, the Temple, and God are all connected. There is no compartmentalizing.

THOUGHTS and Questions

• “Reading the book of Isaiah from a postcolonial Imbokodo perspective in South Africa today impels the readers to consider the following tenets: historical restitution, African identity politics, and the struggle for socioeconomic survival. Black South Africans in postapartheid South Africa are, like the Jewish deportees in Babylon, in exile. Moreover, postapartheid liberation is not as blissful as anticipated.” (Makhosazana K. Nzimande, The Africana Bible, p. 144)

  • The period of exile as described in Isaiah is analogous to the state of black people in South Africa. During apartheid, they were in exile. After apartheid, things weren’t as wonderful as they had hoped. This experience reflects the experience of the Judahites as described by the prophet.

  • This could easily be said of black people in a racist America. Emancipation did not restore Zion. The end of Jim Crow did not restore Zion. The election of a Black President did not restore Zion. Still though, there is a hope that God alone can restore.

• The context of this passage is apparent broken promises and disappointment. The people thought that the end of the exile would bring prosperity and a new day. Yet this hasn’t happened. There is a deep struggle over rebuilding the Temple, rebuilding the city walls, and providing for all the people. There is continued upheaval and crime. Regardless of who is to blame - civil leaders, religious leaders, or outside forces - the situation that was promised seems to be far off. Does this sound familiar? We gather in Advent in the midst of broken promises and disappointment.

  • Personal - the relative/friend who let you down, the bleak prognosis, struggling finances, the new marriage that just isn’t working…

  • Corporate - political party, government, job - almost always fails.

  • Spiritual - When is Jesus actually coming? How long must we wait?

• The “me” is intentionally ambiguous. Is the ‘me’ Isaiah? Is the ‘me’ the Messiah? Is the ‘me’ Jesus? Is the ‘me’ anyone who has fought for justice? Is the ‘me’ me? The answer to all of these questions is “YES.”

Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM

Closing Song by Bryan Odeen