Archive for the ‘Isaiah 9’ Category
Above: A Yoke
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 45:1-2 (3-13), 14-22 (LBW) or Psalm 119:137-144 (LW)
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:25-30
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God of glory, Father of love, peace comes from you alone.
Send us as peacemakers and witnesses to your kingdom,
and fill our hearts with joy in your promises of salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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Grant, Lord, that the course of this world
may be so governed by your direction
that your Church may rejoice
in serving you in godly peace and quietness;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 68
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Zechariah 9:9-12 depicts a future scene, in which the Messiah, an ideal king, approaches Jerusalem at the culmination of history–the Day of the LORD. This is the scene Jesus reenacted during his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, without being a regnant type of Messiah.
The image of YHWH as king exists in the assigned readings from Psalms.
In Romans 7:15-25a we read St. Paul the Apostle’s confession of his struggles with sins. We may all relate to those struggles.
My tour of the readings brings me to Matthew 11:25-30 and the topic of yokes.
Literally, a yoke was a wooden frame, loops of ropes, or a rod with loops of rope, depending on the purpose. (See Numbers 19:2; Deuteronomy 21:3; and Jeremiah 28:10.) A yoke fit over the neck of a draft animal or the necks of draft animals. Alternatively, a captive or a slave wore a yoke. (See Jeremiah 28:10; 1 Kings 12:9; 2 Chronicles 10:4; and 1 Timothy 6:1). Also, a yoked pair of oxen was a yoke. (See 1 Samuel 11:7; 1 Kings 19:21; Luke 14:19).
Metaphorically, a yoke had a variety of meanings, depending on the circumstances. It often symbolized servitude and subjection. Forced labor was an unjust yoke (1 Kings 11:28; 12:11, 14). Slavery was a yoke (Sirach 33:27). Hardship was a yoke (Lamentations 3:27; Sirach 40:1). The oppression and humiliation of one nation by another was the yoke of bondage (Jeremiah 27:8; 28:4; Hosea 11:7; Deuteronomy 28:48; and Isaiah 47:6). To break out of subjugation or slavery was to break the yoke (Jeremiah 28:2; Isaiah 9:4; 14:25). God promised to break the yoke of Egypt in Ezekiel 30:18. To break away from God was to break God’s yoke (Jeremiah 2:20; 5:5; Sirach 51:39). Sin was also a yoke (Lamentations 1:14).
The yokes of God and Christ carry positive connotations. The yoke of obedience to God is easy. It is also the opposite of the yoke of subordination and subjugation. This positive yoke is the yoke in Matthew 11:28-30. It is the yoke St. Paul the Apostle wore (Philippians 4:3). It is the yoke in Psalm 119:137-144.
Draw near to me, you who are untaught,
and lodge in my school.
Why do you say you are lacking in these things,
and why are your souls very thirsty?
I opened my mouth and said,
Get these things for yourselves without money.
Put your neck under the yoke,
and let your souls receive instruction;
it is to be found close by.
See with your eyes that I have labored little
and found for myself much rest.
Get instruction with a large sum of silver
and you will gain by it much gold.
May your soul rejoice in his mercy,
and may you not be put to shame when you praise him.
Do your work before the appointed time,
and in God’s time he will give you your reward.
–Sirach 51:23-30, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
You, O reader, will serve somebody or something. That is not in question. Whom or what you will serve is a germane question. Why not serve God, the greatest king? In so doing, you will find your best possible state of being. The path may be difficult–ask St. Paul the Apostle, for example–but it will be the best path for you.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 14, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS MAKEMIE, FATHER OF AMERICAN PRESBYTERIANISM AND ADVOCATE FOR RELIGIOUS TOLERATION
THE FEAST OF SAINT CARTHAGE THE YOUNGER, IRISH ABBOT-BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA DOMINICA MAZZARELLO, CO-FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEODORE I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VICTOR THE MARTYR AND CORONA OF DAMASCUS, MARTYRS IN SYRIA, 165
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Adapted from this post
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Above: King Hezekiah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 9:1b-5 (LBW) or Isaiah 9:1-4 (LW) or Amos 3:1-8 (LBW, LW)
Psalm 27:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
Matthew 4:12-23
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Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom
and to teach with authority.
Anoint us with the power of your Spirit, that we, too,
may bring good news to the afflicted,
bind up the brokenhearted,
and proclaim liberty to the captive;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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O Lord God Almighty, because you have always supplied your servants
with the special gifts which come from your Holy Spirit alone,
leave also us not destitute of your manifold gifts nor of grace
to use them always to your honor and glory and the good of others;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 24
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Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Isaiah 9 opens on a note of mercy. The verb tenses in Hebrew throughout Isaiah 9:1-6 are vague. My historical methodology makes me biased toward interpreting this text as a reference to King Hezekiah of Judah. Yet millennia of Christian interpretation bypasses Hezekiah and makes the text about Jesus. Anyhow, Isaiah 9:1-6 is about the divine deliverance of the Kingdom of Judah from the perils of the Syro-Ephraimite War.
Divine judgment of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel opens Amos 3. Or divine judgment of the Jewish people (in general) opens Amos 3. References to Israel in the Book of Amos are vague sometimes. The status of being God’s chosen people–grace, if ever I heard of it–means that the people (collectively) should have known better than they do or seem to know, we read. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Psalm 27 is a pious Jew’s expression of confidence in God. This text fits well with Isaiah 9 and stands as a counterpoint to Amos 3.
The Corinthian Christians should have known better than they did. That church, still a group of problematic house churches long after the time of St. Paul the Apostle (see 1 Clement, circa 100), compromised its witness by being, among other things, petty and fractious. They brought judgment upon themselves.
Matthew 4:12-23, quoting Isaiah 9:1-2, tells of Christ’s first cousins, Sts. James and John, sons of Zebedee, leaving the family fishing business and following him, after two other brothers, Sts. Andrew and Simon Peter, had done the same.
God sends nobody to Hell. God seeks everyone to follow Him. All those in Hell sent themselves. C. S. Lewis wrote that the doors to Hell are locked from the inside.
Judgment need not necessarily lead to damnation, though. It may function instead as a catalyst for repentance. Some of the Hebrew prophetic books, with their layers of authorship over generations, contradict themselves regarding the time for repentance has passed. That time seems to have passed, according to an earlier stratum. Yet according to a subsequent layer, there is still time to repent.
Anyway, while the time to repent remains, may we–collectively and individually–do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 250
THE FEAST OF SANTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCTISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF GREVILLE PHILLIMORE, ENGLISH PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HAROLD A. BOSLEY, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD ROLLE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL WRITER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Annunciation to the Shepherds, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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First Service (Christmas Eve)
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
Second Service (Christmas Dawn)
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 97 (LBW) or Psalm 2 (LW)
Hebrews 1:1-9
John 1:1-14
Third Service (Christmas Day)
Isaiah 62:10-12
Psalm 98
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20
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Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light.
Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence
and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory;
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 14
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Almighty God, you have made yourself known in your Son, Jesus, redeemer of the world.
We pray that his birth as a human child will set us free from the old slavery of our sin;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 14
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O God, as you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ,
grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer,
may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our judge;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 16
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The Christian observance of Christmas began in the West, in the 300s. At Rome, by 336, December 25 had become the beginning of the church year. Pope St. Gregory I “the Great” (d. 604) wrote of three Christmas Masses–at St. Mary Major, at midnight; at St. Anastasia’s Church, at dawn; and at St. Peter’s, during the day.
Luke 2:1-20 is not historical. I, as a student of history, cannot refute the evidence for this conclusion. However, I embrace the prose poetry of Luke 2:1-20, for it speaks of a great truth: Jesus, not the Emperor Augustus, was the Son of God and the savior of the world, regardless of what the Roman government and coinage claimed.
I have the sources and background to parce all the assigned readings. Yet I choose not to do so in this post. Instead, O reader, I invite you to frolic in divine audacity, evident in the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity as a baby (however that worked). I invite you, O reader, to frolic in divine audacity, which continues to influence lives and societies for the better. I also invite you, O reader, to frolic in the mystery of divine love, to feel comfortable leaving the mystery mysterious, and to respond favorably to God daily, in gratitude.
Merry Christmas!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 9, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY: THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF JULIA CHESTER EMERY, UPHOLDER OF MISSIONS
THE FEAST OF EMILY GREENE BALCH, U.S. QUAKER SOCIOLOGIST, ECONOMIST, AND PEACE ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF GENE M. TUCKER, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF JOHANN JOZEF IGNAZ VON DÖLLINGER, DISSDENT AND EXCOMMUNICATED GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, THEOLOGIAN, AND HISTORIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT PHILIP II OF MOSCOW, METROPOLITAN OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA, AND MARTYR, 1569
THE FEAST OF THOMAS CURTIS CLARK, U.S. DISCIPLES OF CHRIST EVANGELIST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: King Hezekiah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART X
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Isaiah 11:1-12:6
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For context, let us back up into Isaiah 10:
Now the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
is about to lop off the boughs with terrible violence;
The tall of stature shall be felled,
and the lofty ones shall be brought low;
He shall hack down the forest thickets with an ax,
and Lebanon in its splendor shall fall.
–Isaiah 10:33-34, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This, in literal, historical context, is a reference to the deliverance of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah from the Assyrian invasion force in 701 B.C.E., during the reign of King Hezekiah or Judah. The Assyrians are, poetically, majestic and tall cedars of Lebanon. The Assyrians are no match for God, we read:
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom….
–Isaiah 11:1, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This shoot growing out of the stump of Jesse is the ideal Davidic monarch. To whom does this text refer? The text, in context, seems to indicate Hezekiah, probably the prophesied baby in Isaiah 7:1-16. If so, the messianic age of Hezekiah was imperfect, given the continued existence of poverty (11:4), for example.
Yet the text moves on and incorporates material from a later period. We read of the return from the Babylonian Exile long after Hezekiah died. One may wonder legitimately how to interpret 11:1-9.
I am a Christian and a Gentile. I am also a student of history. I chafe against efforts to shoe-horn Jesus into nooks and crannies of the Hebrew Bible in which Jesus does not fit, as far as I could tell. Not everything or every other thing in the Hebrew Bible is about Jesus. When I read in some commentaries that the pious man of Psalm 1 is Jesus, I roll my eyes. I know that this man is a Jewish student of the Torah, actually. At the risk of seeming to be a heretic, I assert that the ideal Davidic king in Isaiah 9:1-6/9:2-7 (depending on versification) and 11:1-9 is, in context of the Babylonian Exile and the final editing of First Isaiah, difficult to identify. So be it.
The text does speak beautifully of a reverse exodus from the former Chaldean/Babylonian Empire after the Babylonian Exile. The emphasis here is on how God acts or will act through human beings. This is ground I already covered, so I choose to minimize the degree of my repetition in this post.
A future much better than the one predicted in Isaiah 11:1-9 awaits fulfillment. The inauguration of the fully-realized Kingdom of God remains in the future. As N. T. Wright tells us in Jesus and the Victory of God (1996), YHWH is the king in the fully-realized Kingdom of God. The world, as it is, has gone off the rails, and more people than usual seem to have lost their minds. These are extremely perilous times.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND MARTYR, 166/167
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 309
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROBINSON, MARMADUKE STEPHENSON, AND MARY DYER, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYRS IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1659 AND 1660
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This is post #2600 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: King Hezekiah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART VIII
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Isaiah 9:2-7 (Anglican and Protestant)
Isaiah 9:1-6 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
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The historical context of Isaiah 9:1-6/9:2-7 (depending on versification) is difficult to specify, given the layers of authorship and the sometimes odd cutting and pasting in the final draft of the Book of Isaiah. What is the adversity in these verses? And who is experiencing the adversity? Perhaps, originally, the reference was to Israelite vassalage and loss of territory to the Assyrian Empire after the Syro-Ephraimite War of 734-732 B.C.E. (Isaiah 8). Maybe the original context was the Syro-Ephraimite War. Perhaps that text took on new meaning for Judah as the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian threat bore down upon that kingdom. Maybe people reinterpreted Isaiah 9:1-6/9:2-7 (depending upon versification) during the Babylonian Exile and again after it.
My historical bias is evident in my methodology. Before I interpret any text for the present, I want to know first when and where it originated. Context is crucial. Is this king Hezekiah, in original context? Or does this text hail from a later period and refer to the expected messiah, apparently a regnant member of the House of David?
I am not reluctant to argue against thousands of years’ worth of Christian interpretation of the Hebrew Bible if evidence leads me to play the role of (alleged) heretic. I affirm that God, who granted me an intellect, intends for me to use it. And even the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church can be objectively wrong.
What I do not know as I read Isaiah 9:1-6/9:2-7 (depending on versification) outweighs what I do know about this familiar text. Yet I do know that this text speaks to what God will do through this ideal king. The text is theocentric. We should always trust in God and have limited trust in human office holders. I am neither an anarchist, a cynic, nor an authoritarian. Some office holders are incompetent and/or objectively dangerous to the common good. Others are competent. Some of these are misguided. Even the most competent and benevolent office holders are only human. Questioning human authority figures makes sense, therefore. Questioning them cynically and to the detriment of the common good does not.
God chooses to act through people, not just those in authority. What has God done through you, O reader? What is God doing through you? And what will God do through you?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH TO SAINT ELIZABETH
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Above: King Ahaz of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART VII
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Isaiah 7:2-9:1 (Anglican and Protestant)
Isaiah 7:1-8:23 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
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The Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.) constitutes the background of Isaiah 7:1-8:23/7:1-9:1 (depending on versification). Read 2 Kings 15:27-31; 2 Kings 16:1-19; and 2 Chronicles 28:1-26. A brief summary of that war follows.
Aram was the chief rival to the Assyrian Empire. King Rezin of Aram (r. 750-732 B.C.E.) and King Pekah of Israel (r. 735-732 B.C.E.) had formed an anti-Assyrian alliance. King Ahaz of Judah (r. 743/735-727/715 B.C.E.) refused to join this alliance. Israelite and Aramean forces waged war on Judah and besieged Jerusalem. They wanted to depose him and replace him with a monarch who would join their alliance. Ahaz turned to the Assyrian Empire, not God. The Assyrian Empire conquered parts of Aram and Israel in 732, and reduced those kingdoms to vassalage. Then, in 722 and 720 B.C.E., respectively, the Assyrian Empire conquered Israel and Aram.
Isaiah 7:16, often reduced to a prophecy of the birth of Jesus and removed from historical context, is most likely a prediction of the birth of the future king Hezekiah, in historical context. The young woman (an almah) of 7:14 was of marriageable age. Almah (not “virgin” in Hebrew) became parthenos (“virgin”) in the (Greek) Septuagint. New Testament writers who quoted the Hebrew Bible quoted it in Greek, not Hebrew.
“Emmanuel” means “God with us.” God is with us even when we are not with God. God is with us even when we pretend to be pious, and thereby weary God (7:10-16).
Recognizing subsequent layers of editing in 7:1-8:23/7:1-9:1 (depending on versification) ought not to obstruct understanding of messages for today in these verses. King Ahaz, who had allied himself with the Assyrian Empire, became a vassal of the Assyrian monarch, King Tiglath-pileser III (r. 745-727 B.C.E.). King Ahaz, despite himself, should have trusted in God. King Ahaz had gravely erred, and he and his subjects suffered because of his faulty judgment. (The imagery of shaving “the hair of the feet” in 7:20 refers to pubic hair, by the way; “feet” is frequently a euphemism for genitals in the Hebrew Bible.) The disgrace of the people in the latter verses of Chapter 7 and throughout Chapter 8 will be great. Yet a remnant would survive and return from the Babylonian Exile.
Divine judgment and mercy remain in balance in Isaiah 7:1-8:23/7:1-9:1 (depending on versification). Divine fidelity to divine promises does not prevent punishment of populations for violations of the covenant. That divine fidelity does, however, prevent complete destruction of the Hebrew people for violations of the covenant.
I am a Gentile and a Christian. I know some fundamentalists and Evangelicals who doubt my Christian bona fides, but I am a Christian. The covenant with the Jews remains in effect, I contend. I, as a Gentile, come under a separate covenant, one defined by Jesus. These Old Testament principles about covenant-related responsibilities apply to Christians, also, via Jesus. We Christians are a branch grafted onto the tree of faith, and the Jews are, as Pope John Paul II called them, our elder siblings in faith.
These chapters also recognize that people benefit from the good decisions of their rulers and suffer from the bad decisions of their rulers. The emphasis is on the latter, of course. Leadership matters. May those who can choose their leaders, do so wisely, in all places and at all times. And may all leaders decide wisely, whenever and wherever they are.
God is with us. We can never escape from the presence of God. Yet are we with God? We all benefit from grace. We all depend upon grace. How many of us also accept the moral responsibilities that accompany grace? Grace is free yet not cheap.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2021 COMMON ERA
TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOAN OF ARC, ROMAN CATHOLIC VISIONARY AND MARTYR, 1430
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, APOSTLE TO THE PYGMIES
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPHINE BUTLER, ENGLISH FEMINIST AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1582
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Above: Vineyard
Image in the Public Domain
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READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART V
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Isaiah 5:1-30
Isaiah 9:7-20 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
Isaiah 9:8-21 (Anglican and Protestant)
Isaiah 10:1-4
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The vineyard, an erotic image in Song of Songs 1:6 and 8:12, was more frequently a metaphor for the people of God in the Hebrew Bible. Robert Alter’s translation of the beginning of Isaiah 5:1 in The Hebrew Bible (2019) is close to the standard rendering in English:
Let me sing of My beloved
the song of my lover for his vineyard.
The lover is God, and the vineyard is the people of Israel. The speaker may be a friend of the bridegroom. Brevard S. Childs, in Isaiah (2001), tells us:
At the outset, the song is not a love song, as often rendered (e.g., RSV), but a song of a beloved one concerning his vineyard that is sung by another.
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The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) translates the beginning of Isaiah 5:1 as:
Now let me sing of my friend,
my beloved’s song about his vineyard.
I checked Isaiah 5:1 in five French-language translations, too. The germane terms are mon ami “my friend” and mon bien-aimé (“my beloved”).
The beginning of the translation in the revised Louis Segond translation (1910) is:
Je chanterai à mon bien-aimé
Le cantique de mon bien-aimé sur la vigne.
The beginning of the translation in the Nouvelle Version Segond Revisée (1976) is:
Or donc, je chanterai à mon ami
Le chant de mon bien-aimé sur sa vigne.
The beginning of the translation in La Bible en Français Courant (1997) is:
Laissez-moi chanter quelques couplets au nom de mon ami; c’est la chanson de mon ami et da sa vigne.
The beginning of the translation in La Bible de Jérusalem (2000) is:
Que je chante à mon bien-aimé
le chant de mon ami pour sa vigne.
The beginning of the translation in La Bible du Semeur (2015) is:
Je veux chanter pour mon ami
la chanson de mon bien-aimé au sujet de sa vigne.
The germane note in The Catholic Study Bible, Third Edition (2016), suggests that the speaker in Isaiah 5:1-2 may be a relative, not a lover, hence the language of friendship in The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) and certain French translations. The note from R. B. Y. Scott, in The Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 5 (1956), agrees:
In accordance with the Oriental fondness for grandiloquent language, the words could be used with the weakened sense of “friend”….It is almost inconceivable that Isaiah, of all people, would use an erotic term for Gods even in a parable; moreover, by no stretch of the imagination can the song be called a long song. It is probably best to take [yadid] and [dod] as synonyms, and to translate: “Now let me sing on behalf of my friend, my friend’s song about his vineyard.”
–196-197
In verse 3, the speaker changes; God begins to speak.
The bottom line in Isaiah 5:1-7 is that the people of Judah have failed to meet divine expectations; they have neglected the covenant. They have failed to maintain a society in which divine righteousness and justice defined values and norms. God, we read, will abandon the vineyard to its fate.
Isaiah 5:8f continues the theme of social injustice. Sins include grabbing land, being indifferent, and drinking to excess. The ruling class of Judah, we read, has been indifferent to the covenant. Therefore, exile awaits the ruling class, and further misery awaits the masses.
Isaiah 5:25-30 may belong after Isaiah 9:7-20/9:8-21 (depending on versification), about judgment on the (northern) Kingdom of Israel. Isaiah 5:25-30 does flow naturally from Isaiah 9:7-20/9:8-21 (depending on versification).
Another editorial oddity is that Isaiah 10:1-4 fits with and may have originally been united with Isaiah 5:8-24.
I, as a history buff, find details of fifth-century B.C.E. editing of sacred texts interesting. I acknowledge them readily. These do not distract me (for long) from my main purpose in this series of weblog posts: to understand and apply the messages of the Hebrew prophets, as those messages are relevant today. These messages are repetitive. After blogging my way through the Books of Hosea, Amos, and Micah already, I recognize the same themes repeating: The covenant and the Law of Moses require societal, institutionalized justice. The societal reality in which any given prophet speaks out is inconsistent with that vision, which includes economic justice and excludes idolatry. Unjust societies will reap what they have sown. Even Gentiles, not subject to the covenant and the Law of Moses, must obey certain standards, or else.
The message repeats on a playback loop because it must. Many people continue to be indifferent to the message. Other people are oblivious to it. Just check the news, if you dare, O reader, for current evidence.
What does God have to do to get attention?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 30, 2021 COMMON ERA
TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOAN OF ARC, ROMAN CATHOLIC VISIONARY AND MARTYR, 1430
THE FEAST OF APOLO KIVEBULAYA, APOSTLE TO THE PYGMIES
THE FEAST OF JOACHIM NEANDER, GERMAN REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPHINE BUTLER, ENGLISH FEMINIST AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1582
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Above: King Hezekiah
Image in the Public Domain
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For Christmas Day, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O God, who hast made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light;
grant, we beseech thee, that as we have known on earth the mysteries of that Light,
we may also come to the fullness of his joys in heaven;
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 118
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Isaiah 9:2-7 (Anglican and Protestant)/Isaiah 9:1-6 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
Psalm 89:1-27 (Protestant and Anglican)/Psalm 89:2-38 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
1 John 4:7-21
Matthew 1:18-25
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On one level, at least, the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-6/9:2-7 (depending on versification) refers to the birth of the future King Hezekiah of Judah (reigned 727/735-698/687 B.C.E.). The Bible is generally favorably disposed toward King Hezekiah, of whom one can read further in the following passages:
- 2 Kings 16:20;
- 2 Kings 18-20;
- 2 Chronicles 28:27;
- 2 Chronicles 29-32;
- Isaiah 36-39;
- Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 48:17-22; and
- Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 49:4.
We read in Ezekiel 34 that Kings of Israel and Judah were, metaphorically, shepherds–mostly abysmal ones. Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 49:4 lists Hezekiah as one of the three good kings, alongside David and Josiah.
The steadfast love of God is the theme that unites these four readings. This faithfulness may be evident in the Davidic Dynasty, a particular monarch, Jesus of Nazareth, or an ordinary human being or community of such people. Such divine fidelity requires a human faithful response. Grace is free, not cheap.
The epistle reading holds my attention most of all. I write you, O reader, to read it again. The text is fairly self-explanatory. There is no fear in love. Anyone who professes to love God yet hates a human being lies about loving God.
These are hard words to hear or read. I can write only for myself; I know the emotion of hatred. Perhaps you do, too, O reader. All of us are imperfect; God knows that. We can, by grace overcome that hatred. We all sin. We all stumble. But we can lead lives defined by love, by grace.
I can think of people who define their lives according to hatred and resentment. These are individuals who leave chaos and destruction in their wake. They are pitiable. They need to repent. And, according to our reading from 1 John, they do not love God. May perfect love drive out their fear, for their sake and for ours.
And may perfect love drive out the remaining unreasonable, destructive fear in the lives of the rest of us. I refer not to proper, cautious fear. I write during the COVID-19 pandemic. A certain level of fear is positive and responsible; it leads to behavior that protects everyone. No, I refer to fear that leads to selfish, destructive decisions. I refer to fear that defines certain people as expendable, subhuman, deserving of fewer civil rights and civil liberties than the rest of us, et cetera. I refer to fear that works against the common good and drags everyone down. I refer to fear to violates the image of God in anyone. I refer to fear that violates the principle of mutuality, enshrined in the Law of Moses, the teachings of Hebrew prophets, and the ethics of Jesus of Nazareth.
Merry Christmas, O reader! May the love of God in Christ fill your life and transform you daily more nearly into his likeness. May you love like Jesus.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 1, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF ALBERT BARNES, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, ABOLITIONIONST, AND ALLEGED HERETIC
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIOC, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT TUDWAL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF DOUGLASS LETELL RIGHTS, U.S. MORAVIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD TIMOTHY MICKEY, JR., U.S. MORAVIAN BISHOP AND LITURGIST
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Above: St. John the Baptist
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year 1
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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Stir up, O Lord, we beseech thee, thy power, and come,
with great might to succor us, that by the help of thy grace
whatsoever is hindered by our sins may be speedily accomplished,
through thy mercy and satisfaction;
who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
ever, One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 111
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Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 8
Hebrews 12:1-12
Luke 1:59-80
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Before I get to my main point, two assigned passages call out for elucidation.
- The literal translation of the line from Psalm 8 is, “a little lower than the gods,” not “a little lower than the angels.” The “gods,” or elohim, in Hebrew, are members of YHWH’s heavenly court.
- Isaiah 9:2-7 speaks of the ideal Davidic king. Perhaps the original monarch was Hezekiah of Judah (reigned 727/715-698/687 B.C.E.). The description fits Jesus better.
The juxtaposition of Luke 1:59-80 and Hebrews 12:1-12 may seem odd at first. Upon reflection, however, its purpose becomes clear and plain. This juxtaposition functions as a reminder of the purpose behind the Incarnation: the Atonement, via the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. One may recall that Johann Sebastian Bach incorporated the Passion Chorale into the Christmas Oratorio. We are correct to rejoice during the seasons of Advent and Christmas, but one must not stop there. No, we need to follow Jesus to Calvary then to an empty tomb, too.
We read foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus in the lesson from Luke 1. Do we not know the fat that befell St. John the Baptist?
What then will this child become?
–Luke 1:66b, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
A question for each of us is,
What then will I become?
May all of us become agents of God whenever and wherever we are. We cannot, temporally, be forerunners of Jesus. We can, however, point to him, as St. John the Baptist did.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 11, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN SWERTNER, DUTCH-GERMAN MORAVIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMNAL EDITOR; AND HIS COLLABORATOR, JOHN MUELLER, GERMAN-ENGLISH MORAVIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT AENGUS THE CULDEE, HERMIT AND MONK; AND SAINT MAELRUAN, ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT EULOGIUS OF SPAIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TOLEDO, CORDOBA; AND SAINT LEOCRITA; ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 859
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS WAYLAND, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER, EDUCATOR, AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAL PRENNUSHI, ALBANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1948
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Above: The Nativity, by John Singleton Copley
Image in the Public Domain
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For Christmas Day, First Service, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Glory be to thee, O God in the highest, who by the birth of thy beloved Son
has made him to be for us both Word and Sacrament:
grant that we may hear thy Word, receive thy grace,
and be made one with him born for our salvation;
even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 118
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Isaiah 9:2-7
Hebrews 1:1-12
Matthew 1:18-25
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Christmas devotions occupy the same category as graduation speeches if one is not careful to avoid thoughtless repetition. I endeavor to avoid vain repetition and traditional platitudes.
Isaiah 9 opens with a text, with an uncertain timeframe, about the ideal Davidic king. Is the setting of the text the past or the future–the “prophetic past,” from our perspective? Historical identification seems to settle on Hezekiah, King of Judah (reigned 727/715-698/687 B.C.E.), son of King Ahaz. Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14 in Greek, not Hebrew, probably originally about Hezekiah yet subsequently interpreted to apply to Jesus. One may read about Hezekiah in 1 Kings 18-20 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. These texts make plain that Hezekiah, although great, was flawed.
Hebrews 1:1-12, with its high Christology, makes clear the superiority of Jesus to Hezekiah.
The birth of Jesus was much more important than that of Hezekiah.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 9, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE DAY OF PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT COLUMBA OF IONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY AND ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIOVANNI MARIA BOCCARDO, FOUNDER OF THE POOR SISTERS OF SAINT CAJETAN/GAETANO; AND HIS BROTHER, SAINT LUIGI BOCCARDO, APOSTLE OF MERCIFUL LOFE
THE FEAST OF JOSE DE ANCHIETA, APOSTLE OF BRAZIL AND FATHER OF BRAZILIAN NATIONAL LITERATURE
THE FEAST OF THOMAS JOSEPH POTTER, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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