The Date and Location of Isaiah

56-66 • Jerusalem destroyed 58:12; 64:10-11

• Additional exiles will return 56:8; 60:4

• Temple has been restored and is functioning

– 56:5 in my house I will give a monument and a name

(~vw diy) yad washem) better than sons and daughters 56:1, 6-8

Lectionary 20 A

– 56:7 my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples

– 66:6 Listen, a voice from the temple

• A sharply divided community

• Exiles are back in Jerusalem, after the rebuilding of temple

“Servants” in Third Isaiah

• I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it [Judah], and my servants shall dwell there 65:9

• Cf. 56:6; 63:17; 65:8, 9, 13, 14, 15; 66:14

• No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper…This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh 54:17

Salvation-Judgment Oracle

• My servants shall eat, but you (the wicked or

the syncretists [believe in Yahweh and…]) shall

be hungry

• My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty

• My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put

to shame

• My servants shall sing for gladness, but you

shall cry out for pain of heart 65:13-15

• You = syncretists (65:1-7, 11-12)

• 65:1-9 Lectionary 12 C

Social Reality of Third Isaiah

• Interest focused on internal affairs

• A community in which the poor are exploited by the wealthy

• Syncretised religion (including mortuary rites and cults with a strong sexual orientation) is still being practiced, and practitioners include the temple priesthood (57:3-13; 65:1-12; 66:17) 65:1-9 Lectionary 12 C

• A community under severe stress—hostility between a prophetic group and the religious authorities. This prophetic group was excluded from the cultic community and marginalized socially and economically.

• Offer of salvation requires removal of individual and collective immorality.

Social justice vs. ritual practice

• The fast that I choose 58:6-9 = – To loose the bonds of injustice

– To let the oppressed go free

– To share your bread with the hungry

– To bring the homeless into your house

– To cover the naked

• Then you shall call and Yahweh will answer

• Such “fasting” requires greater self denial

• 58:1-9a (9b-12) Epiphany 5 A; 58:1-12 (Alt) Ash Wednesday ABC; 58:9b-14 Lectionary 21 C

Themes in Third Isaiah

• Mission to foreign lands 66:18-19—all nations will come

and see my (Yahweh’s) glory; they shall declare my

glory among the nations.

• Ethnic and physical qualifications for membership are set

aside (foreigners and eunuchs welcomed [per contra

Deut 23:1-8]), Sabbath observance is central. Temple is

a house of prayer for all peoples (56:1-7; per contra

Deut 23:2-9)

• God will create a new community, beginning with his

“servants”—my chosen ones will inherit the land (65:9-

10)

More themes in Third Isaiah

• Round-the-clock intercessory prayer 62:6-7; prayer is gaining in popularity at the expense of sacrifice

• Redemption is conditional on moral regeneration 56:1 Maintain justice…for soon my salvation will come

• Self-indulgent conduct of the community leaders (56:9-12) and those who have settled for the syncretistic option (57:3-13)

• Judgment by fire is expected (66:15-16); lurid fate of the reprobate—their worm shall not die; an abhorrence to all flesh (66:24); new heavens and earth (65:17; 66:22); divine intervention: soon my salvation will come (56:1); reversal of fortunes and roles (65:13-15)

Syncretism 57:1-13; 65:1-12;

66:17 • You burn with lust among the oaks 57:5

• You have set up your bed…you have uncovered your bed…you have made up a bargain for yourself with them, you have loved their bed 57:7-8

• Journeyed to Molech = child sacrifice…sent envoys to Sheol v. 9

• Sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks 65:3

• Eating the flesh of pigs, vermin, and rodents 66:17 (real sin or hyperbole?)

Isaiah 65-66 and Isaiah 1

Bookends • God spreads out his hands to

a rebellious people 65:2, 24

• Creation of new heavens and earth 65:17

• I will answer 65:24

• Offspring blessed by Yahweh 65:23

• Critique of animal and grain sacrifices 66:3

• On new moon and Sabbath all flesh will worship me 66:23

• Inextinguishable fire 66:24 (last verse)

• Garden cults 66:17--they sanctify and purify themselves to go into the garden

• Children I have reared, but they have rebelled 1:2, 28

• Heaven and earth listen to Yahweh’s lawsuit 1:2

• I will not listen 1:15

• Offspring who deal corruptly 1:4

• Offerings, incense, new moon, and sabbath rejected 1:13

• Inextinguishable fire 1:31: they and their work shall burn together

• Garden cults 1:29—you shall blush for the gardens you have chosen

Isaiah 60:1-6 Epiphany ABC

• Your light (God’s epiphany) has come, O Zion (v 1)

• Yahweh’s glory shines like the dawn, but darkness covers the earth (v 2; cf. 40:5: the glory of Yahweh will be revealed)

• Nations shall come to your light; kings to your dawn (v 3)

• Your sons shall come from afar; your daughters on their nurses’ arms (v 4)

• The abundance of the sea, and the wealth of nations shall come to you by sea (v 5); Countless camels from the east (v 6)

• Tribute of nations used for sacrifices on Yahweh’s altar (v 7)

• OT // to the wise men/magi

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Advent 3 B; 61:1-8 (9-

13) Epiphany 5 C;

61:10-62:3 Christmas 1 B

• Yahweh has anointed me (the prophet or the servant) to preach good news to the oppressed, to comfort all who mourn (cf. the sermon of Jesus in Luke 4:18-19)

• To provide for those who mourn in Zion a garland instead of ashes

• They shall repair the ruined cities

• I, Yahweh, love justice and hate wrongdoing

• I (the prophet or the servant) will greatly rejoice in Yahweh for he has clothed me with victory (salvation) garments

Isaiah 62:1-5 Epiphany 2 C

61:10-62:3 Christmas 1 B • I will not be silent until Zion is vindicated v 1

• You shall be a splendid crown in Yahweh’s hand v 3

• Jerusalem no more called Azubah (forsaken; cf. “Yahweh has forsaken me” 49:14) or Shemamah (desolate), but Hephzibah (my delight is in her; 2 Kgs 21:1) and Beulah (married) v 4. 65:15 Yahweh’s servants will also be called by a different name

• Your builder (God) %nEåAB or your children %yIn"+B' will “marry” you; God will rejoice over you v 5

Isaiah 62:6-12 Christmas Day

ABC • Sentinels are to give God no rest until God establishes

Jerusalem (vv 6-7)

• I will never give your grain and wine to your enemies; rather, those who harvest grain will eat it (vv 8-9)

• Build up the highway (v 10; cf. Isaiah 40)

• Say to daughter Zion: Your salvation comes (v 11)

• New names for the people: “Holy people” (v. 12; cf. holy seed in 6:13); “redeemed of Yahweh” (v. 12; cf. 35:8-9 a holy way for the redeemed); “sought out,” “a

city not forsaken” hb'z")[/n< al{ï ry[iÞ

A Community Lament 63:7-19

(63:7-9 Christmas 1 A) • Yahweh lifted and carried Israel in days of old (9)

• Israel rebelled and grieved his holy spirit (10)

• Then they recalled the days of old: Where is the one who brought them up from the sea? (11)

• Look down….Where is your zeal, your power, your compassion? (15)

• You are our father/redeemer even if Abraham and Israel (our ancestral parents) do not acknowledge us (16)

• We have become as those who no longer bear your name (19)

Isaiah 64:1-9 Advent 1 B

• Oh that you (Yahweh) would tear open the heavens and come down as at Sinai, and make the nations tremble (63:19b [64:1])

• No God besides you who works for those who wait for him (v 3 [4])

• We have sinned and you have hidden your face (cf. 45:15) and handed us over to iniquity (vv 5-6 [6-7])

• Yet, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter (v 7 [8])—relationship to God based on his creative acts prior to the saving history.

• Do not remember our iniquity forever; we are all your people (v 8 [9])

• Jerusalem a place of desolation (v 9 [10]); Our temple has been burned by fire (v 10 [11])

• After all this, will you restrain yourself, Yahweh? Will you keep silent and afflict us beyond measure (v 11 [12])]

Isaiah 65:17-25 Lectionary 33 C Semi-

continuous

• I create new heavens and new earth v 17

• No more weeping v 18

• People live 100+ years v 20

• They will build houses and live in them v 21

• Peace among animals v 25; cf. Isa 11:6-9

• Dust will be the serpent’s food. Serpents are the

exception to ideal harmony v 25; Cf. Gen 3:14

Isaiah 66:1-9

• Heaven is my throne…what is this house that you would build for me? (56:7 a house of prayer and sacrifices; 60:7 Yahweh’s glorious house)

• I look to the humble…who trembles at my word (vv. 2, 5). Cf. those who trembled at the words of the God of Israel in Ezr 9:4 and also 10:3

• VV. 3-4 against syncretistic cult

Isaiah 66 Continued

7-14 an epilogue to Third Isaiah—population explosion and prosperity; wrath to Yahweh’s enemies in v. 14

• Great population increase in Jerusalem: Before she goes into labor she gives birth! God stands behind this population explosion: Shall I open the womb and not deliver? (vv. 7-9)

• 15-16 These verses develop idea of Yahweh’s wrath from v. 14; original conclusion to 56-66?

• 17 Those who are slain = syncretists of vv. 3-4

• 66:10-14 Lectionary 14 C

Isaiah 66 (cont.)

• 18-21 broad, inclusive approach to membership in Jewish community. Conversion of Gentiles; some of the Gentiles even become priests and Levites

• 20 Gentiles limited to providing sacrificial material

• 22-23 new heavens and earth; all flesh worships Yahweh

• 24 excipit to book; worshipers go out to witness corpses of the rebels.

Isaiah 66:10-14 Lectionary 14 C

• Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad, all you who

love her

• That you may nurse and be satisfied from her

consoling breast, her glorious bosom

• Yahweh gives prosperity and wealth to her

• As a mother comforts her child, I will comfort

you (cf. Isa 40:1-2)

• The hand of Yahweh is with his servants; his

indignation against his enemies

The Hand of Yahweh in Isaiah

• For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand (of judgment) is stretched out still (5:25; 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4)

• Yahweh will extend his hand a second time to recover the remnant that is left of his people 11:11; His hand will divide the Euphrates 11:15

• The hand of Yahweh will rest on this mountain 25:10

• Yahweh’s hand is exalted, but the nations don’t see it (26:11)

• Yahweh’s hand is with his servants 66:14

57:3-13 Vs. Syncretism

• Vs. the children of the sorceress, a male

adulterer, and a prostitute: seeking consolation

with shades of the dead, sacrificing children (3-

5)

• Vs. the sorceress herself. Deviant

cults//female sexual transgression. Also religious

consequences of exogamous marriages (6-13a)

• The one who takes refuge in me will inherit the

land (13b)