THE OLD TESTAMENT IN 5 MINUTESIsaiah+to+post.pdfExploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, 2008. • Sawyer, John. The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity

THE OLD TESTAMENT IN 5 MINUTES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I400jhY2DF0

Alla tidslinjer är tolkningar. All timelines are interpretations.

HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAELC

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(Major Power) Assyria Babylon Persia

Source: Mark Gravrock

Historical Context

of Isaiah

DIVIDED KINGDOM

Geo-politics

Note “Israel” depends upon the context!

1. YHWH’s people

2. Northern Kingdom IF ca. 922 to 722/721 BC

3. Both appear in Book of Isaiah!

Primary Sources:• Gaiser, Fred. Isaiah, EntertheBible.org• Goldingay, John. New International Biblical Commentary: Isaiah (NIBC, 13) (2002).• Gravrock, Mark. teaching notes• Klein, Ralph. www.prophetess.lstc.edu/~rklein/• McConville, J. Gordon. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, 2008.• Sawyer, John. The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity (Cambridge, 1996)• Watts, Rikk. Isaiah, lectures from Regent College

PROPHETIC LITERATURE

What is a Prophet? What do prophet’s do?

WHAT DO PROPHETS DO?

Prophecy: NOT just future speak

Re-telling (past)

Forth-telling (present)

Fore-telling (future)

Why? Something is wrong.

PRIMARY PROPHETIC CONCERNS

1. IDOLATRY: Opposition to the worship of false gods

Yahweh as creator contrasted with idolatry

Misplace of trust: idols, self, alliances

2. INJUSTICE: A demand for justice and righteousness in the community that demonstrated covenant faithfulness as the chosen people

Rich getting rich at the expense of the poor

Concern for widows, fatherless, foreigners

McConville xx

Over simplified:A handle to begin to open the door to deeper understanding

THE ISAIAH SCROLL The oldest surviving manuscript of Isaiah Found among the Dead Sea Scrolls Dating from about 150 to 100 BC It contains almost the whole Book of Isaiah. It is substantially identical with the modern Masoretic text.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah

ISAIAH IN HANDEL'S MESSIAH (2) Comfort Ye, Isaiah 40:1-3 (3) Every Valley, Isaiah 40:4 (4) And the Glory of the Lord, Isaiah 40:5 (8) Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive, Isaiah 7:14 (Matthew 1:23) (9) O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 60:1 (10) For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, Isaiah 60:2,3 (11) The people that walked in darkness, Isaiah 9:2 (Matthew 3:16) (12) For unto Us a Child is born, Isaiah 9:6 (19) Then shall the eyes of the blind, Isaiah 35:5,6 (20) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, Isaiah 40:11 (23) He was despised, Isaiah 53:3 (24) Surely He hath borne our griefs, Isaiah 53:4,5 (25) And with His stripes we are healed, Isaiah 53:5b (26) All we like sheep have gone astray, Isaiah 53:6 (31) He was cut off out of the land of the living, Isaiah 53:8b (38) How beautiful are the feet, Romans 10:15 (Isaiah 52:7) (49) Then shall be brought to pass, 1Corinthians 15:54b (Isaiah 25:8)

by George Frederic Handel (1695-1759)

ISAIAH: SUMMARY

Isaiah 1-39 Isaiah 40-55 Isaiah 56-66

Proto-Isaiah Deutero-Isaiah Trito-Isaiah

740-700 BC 550-539 BC 538-520 BC

• Messages of judgment and warning similar to those of the other 8th century prophets

• Condemns:• hypocritical worship• pride• the failure to act with

justice for the poor• Speaks powerful words of

promise, announcing God's coming messianic kingdom.

• Words of comfortand hope to the exiles in Babylonian captivity in the 6th

century BC • Introduces God's

suffering servant

• After return to Jerusalem following the fall of Babylon in 538 BC

• Both warningsand promisesfor the community

Source: Fred Gaiser, Isaiah, EntertheBible.org

ISAIAH: OVERALL STRUCTURE

Isaiah 1-39 Isaiah 40-55 Isaiah 56-66

Focal years 740-700 BC 550-539 BC 538-520 BC

Era Divided kingdom Exile Post-exilic era

Location Judah & Jerusalem Babylon Jerusalem?

“Voice” “Ambassador”“Disciple”

“Poet” “Preacher”

Major power Assyria Babylon Persia

Key figure of promise

Davidic king (ch 9, 11)(messianic)

Servant of the Lord (ch 42, 49, 50, 53)

Anointed One (ch 61)

Central issues 1. Use and abuse of power

2. Trust vs. “pride”

1. Comfort, presence, love

2. Servanthood

The role of God’s people in a pluralisticenvironment

Source: Mark Gravrock *Source: Goldingay(2001) 3-4.

CANONICAL CRITICISM:

Brevard S. Childs believed that biblical books should be read for their theological meaning in their final “canonical” form.

Isaiah had been deliberately set free from its various original historical settings in order to express a theology of judgement and salvation that was valid for many times and places.

See Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (325-27).

McConville, 11

SO WHAT?

Longest and most important of the prophetic books

Covers a long period of Israel's history (before, during, and after the exile)

Full range of God's prophetic message: terrifying words of judgment

comforting words of hopeful promise

Portrays God as: Powerful Creator, like no other

The gentlest comforter, like an earthly lover or mother


ISAIAH: A WEIGHTY BOOK!

Most quoted OT book in the New Testament

250 times*

(with possible exception of the Psalms)

*John Sawyer, The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity (New York: Cambridge, 1996) 21.

WHO WROTE IT?

First part is credited to Isaiah son of Amoz: pre-exilic(preached c. 738 BC and onward).

Other parts were written later Babylonian exile (c. 587-538 BC)

Postexilic

Redactors (c. 538 BC and onward)

Gathered all the material into a long and complex book, with a cohesive message and purpose despite all its diversity

Put together in its present form by editors sometime during the postexilic period


HOW DO I READ IT?

Prophetic books like Isaiah are written with a lot of poetry:

Should be read with an appreciation of their figurative character

Should not be read as literal blueprints for particular historical eras.

Isaiah is a complex book, so knowledge of its historical background is important for understanding the messages


HOW DO I READ IT?

First: Original context = Jewish

Later: Contextual interpretation made only after a good grasp of meaning for original audience

Do not take verses “kicking-and-screaming out of context”

Messianic prophecies should not jump to “Jesus” without first understanding the original context.

HOW DO I READ IT?

Continually ask yourself in your reading:“Who is talking to whom?”

ISAIAH 1-39

Proto-Isaiah

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Isaiah 1-39: Conflicts among Israel, Judah, Syria, and Assyria Chapters 7-8 reflect the Syro-Ephraimite war

Syria and Israel (Ephraim) attacked Judah, perhaps in an attempt to remove King Ahaz (735-715 BC) and force Judah to join a coalition against Assyria.

Isaiah urged Ahaz to "stand firm in faith" (Isaiah 7:9), relying on God's promises to protect the Davidic throne, rather than allying himself with Assyria, but Ahaz rejected this counsel (2 Kings 16:5-9).

Assyria came to the aid of Judah, but success was short-lived.

After Assyria had conquered Damascus (Syria) in 732 BC, it moved against Israel, destroying Samaria in 722/721 BC (the fall of the northern kingdom).

Judah, the southern kingdom, then became a vassal state of the Assyrian empire.


ISAIAH 1-39

READ ISAIAH 1:2-20

What is the setting?

Who are the witnesses?

What are the accusations?

What is God’s remedy?

What if they do not follow God’s remedy?

TRIAL SPEECHES GENRE

Metaphorical portrayals of a trial or lawsuit Generally involve some combination of God, Israel,

the nations, and their gods.

In Isaiah 1:2-20: God calls upon the heavens and the earth as witnesses

Identifies God’s good intentions to Israel

Lays out Israel's failures that now justify a harsh word of judgment

The purpose is not merely to condemn but to call Israel to repentance in order that they avoid the consequences of their sinful actions.


ISAIAH 5

A love story with a twist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lokg8Xtq0UE

ISAIAH 5

5:1-7 A mock love song

Vv 1-2 the “best man”

Vv 3-6 the bridegroom

V 6 He looked for justice (mishpat),but saw bloodshed (mishpakh);

for righteousness (tsedaqah),but heard cries of distress (tse’aqah)

THREE SONS

Context: Syro-Ephraimite war ~733 BC (734-732)

Shear-Jashub (“a remnant shall return”) Isaiah 7:3

Immanuel (“God with us”) Isaiah 7:14

“God with us” in judgment or salvation?

“Age of accountability”

Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“spoil speeds, prey hastes”) Isaiah 8:1-3

Age of first words

*

THE SIGN OF IMMANUEL

God announces the coming birth to a "young woman" of a child named "Immanuel" ("God with us") (7:10-25).

This is a sign to Ahaz that God will come in Ahaz's own day "by the time [the child] knows how to refuse the evil and choose

the good") with mighty acts of judgment and mercy

Young woman or virgin? The later Greek translation of the Old Testament will render

"young woman" as "virgin," and the New Testament will pick up this translation to announce the birth of Jesus, who will also be called "Emmanuel" (Matthew 1:23). (see Goldingay, 67)

Also Isaiah 8:8; 41:10; 43:2, 5

ISAIAH 40-55

Deutero-Isaiah


Isaiah 40-55: “Deutero-Isaiah"

Babylon has become the great power, destroyed Jerusalem, and took many of its people captive (597 and 587/6 BC).

Now a new prophet preaches words of comfort, promising that God will bring release to the exiles.

This happens in 538 BC, when the Persian ruler, Cyrus, captures Babylon.


ISAIAH 40-55

ANCIENT BABYLON

GATES OF ISHTAR FROM BABYLON Dedicated to the

Babylonian goddess Ishtar Constructed of blue glazed

tiles with alternating rows of bas-relief sirrush(dragons) and aurochs.

A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way was built at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin out of material excavated by Robert Koldewey and finished in the 1930s.

It stands 14 by 30 meters (47 by 100 feet ).

IDOLS

Isaiah condemns the idols of Israel (2:8, 18, 20) Isaiah challenges the idols of the nations (19:1, 3). Second Isaiah will:

ridicule the absurdity of idol worship (41:6-7; 44:9-20; 46:1-2)

declare the idols and their makers to have no power at all (41:29; 42:17; 44:9).

The nations did not think that idols were actually gods rather symbols of the gods Second Isaiah makes clear there is nothing behind the

idols for them to represent.http://fontes.lstc.edu/~rklein/

http://fontes.lstc.edu/~rklein/

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

What are the idols today?

How are they similar or different from the idols

of Isaiah’s day?

THE SERVANT SONGS IN SECOND ISAIAH

A. 42:1-4 (5-7)

B. 49:1-6 (7)

C. 50:4-9 (10-11)

D. 52:13-53:12

1. Who is speaking?2. What is the servant’s task?3. Who is the servant’s target?

(those for whom the servant does his work)?

4. What is the servant’s equipment/resource?

5. What is the manner in which the servant carries out the task?

6. What does the servant experience in the process?

FIRST SERVANT SONG 42:1-4 (5-7)

Question Answer

1. Who is speaking? God

2. Servant’s task? To bring forth justice to the nationsTo be a covenant and light (6)To bring out prisoners [exiles?] (7)

3. Servant’s target? The nationsThe bruised and faintCovenant to the people (Israel) &Light to the nationsPrisoners

4. Servant’s equipment/resource?

I have put my spirit upon him (1)

5. Servant’s manner? Gently, quietly! (2-3)

6. Servant’s experience?

No discouragement or failure (4)

SECOND SERVANT SONG 49:1-6 (7)

Question Answer

1. Who is speaking? The servant

2. Servant’s task? To bring Jacob/Israel back to God (vv 5-6)The task is then expanded in v 6 to include being light to the nations and bringing salvation to the earth!

3. Servant’s target? Israel first (5-6a – yet the servant is Israel in v. 3!)Then expanded to all the nations in 6b

4. Servant’s equipment/resource?

A mouth (2): this appears to be aprophetic role – a role with an incisive message.The servant is called from before birth for this role.

5. Servant’s manner? Faithful and trusting even while frustrated (4b).Protected? (2)

6. Servant’s experience?

Frustration! (4a) When the servant is so frustrated, God actually expands his work!

THIRD SERVANT SONG 50:4-9 (10-11)

Question Answer

1. Who is speaking? The servant

2. Servant’s task? To “sustain the weary” with a word (4b)

3. Servant’s target? The “weary” (cf. 40.28-31 for the exiles as the weary)

4. Servant’s

equipment/resource?

A tongue and a word: Once again, a prophetic role:

Morning by morning God gives him a word to speak,

and he speaks it to sustain the weary.

5. Servant’s manner? Not rebellious (5)

Willing to endure abuse (6)

Faithful and trusting (6-9)

6. Servant’s experience? Abuse, contention, adversity, persecution (6-9)

(This element of the poem—abusive experience—is growing

throughout the four songs. In the fourth song it will

overwhelm all the categories.)

FOURTH SERVANT SONG 52:13-53:12

Question Answer

1. Who is speaking?

Varied: Stanza 1 (13-15): God; Stanza 2 (1-3):“we”Stanza 3 (4-6):“we”; Stanza 4 (7-9):“we” (presumably)Stanza 5 (10-12):“we”, then switching to God in 11b.

2. S’s task? Bear our infirmities (4); Wounded for our transgressions (5-6, 9)Become a sin-offering (10); Pour himself out to death (12)Bear the iniquities of many, and make them righteous (11-12)

3. target? “us”; My people (9); Nations & kings? (15)

4. equipment?

His own suffering and death

5. S’s manner?

Nothing desirable, no majesty (2); Silently, uncomplaining (7); No violence, no deceit (9); Innocently (7-9)

6. S’s experience?

Marred horribly (14); Despised, rejected (3); Suffering, infirmity (3)Oppressed, afflicted (7); Perversion of justice (8)Cut off from land of living (8-9)Afterwards: prosper, exalted (13); See his offspring, prolong days (10)See light (11); A portion with the great (12)

THE “SERVANT” IN SECOND ISAIAH

Word servant appears 21 times in 40-55

19 times singular; 2 times plural

8 times in servant poems: 1x = Israel; 2x = not Israel; 5x = unclear

13 times elsewhere:8x explicitly Israel; 3x implicitly Israel; 2 plural



WHO IS THE SERVANT?

Duhm: poems added secondarily by someone who had leprosy

Mowinckel: Servant = Second Isaiah himself Sellin: 1898 = Zerubbabel; 1901 = Jehoiachin; 1922

= Moses Or does the servant represent Israel?

Or the prophet and Israel? Jerusalem/Zion? Rikk Watts, an unknown future figure Goldingay: The task is the issue, not the identity What did the disciples think? (Targum tradition,

Israel is sufferer, messiah carries task.)

http://fontes.lstc.edu/~rklein/; Rikk Watts


ISAIAH 56-66

Trito-Isaiah


Isaiah 56-66: “Trito-Isaiah"

The exiles return and reestablish a new life in Jerusalem.


CYRUS & CYRUS CYLINDER

Cyrus called “messiah” in Isaiah 45:1

Israel's return from exile was permitted when Cyrus the Great, the Persian ruler, conquered Babylon in 539/538 BC.

Cyrus's edict appears in two versions in Ezra (1:1-4; 6:3-5).

The 23-centimeter clay cylinder, written in Akkadian cuneiform, was discovered in 1879 .

Now in the British Museum in London


ISAIAH 56-66

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD

Compare Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-21

What do you notice?

ISAIAH AS A BOOK

YHWH IN ISAIAH

YHWH’s majesty and authority

YHWH’s passion In anger—a natural part of a relationship

In compassion

YHWH’s insight and capacity to formulate a plan and put it into effect Wisdom

Source: Goldingay (2001) 15-16

ISAIAH’S CHARACTERISTICS

It presents YHWH as “The Holy One of Israel” Holy = otherness In relationship with non-holy entity

The word “holy” appears 63 times in the book First Isaiah 26x Second Isaiah 17x Third Isaiah 20x

“Holy One of Israel” is rare elsewhere Ps 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Jer 50:29; 51:5

Source: Goldingay (2001) 6-7, 15; Ralph Klein.

THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM

Several of Isaiah's promises go back to God's pledge to "establish the throne of David's kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7:13).

Thus, Isaiah looks for the birth of a new king (an anointed one or messiah) He will be given throne names like "Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) despite the loss of the monarchy, renewal will come: "a

shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse [David's father]" and establish at last the peaceable kingdom (11:1-9).

Israel waited, and continues to wait, for the coming messianic kingdom

In the New Testament, Jesus is seen to fulfill the promise of a Davidic king.


Documents

THE OLD TESTAMENT IN 5 MINUTESIsaiah+to+post.pdfExploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Prophets, 2008. • Sawyer, John. The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity