You may subscribe yourself at the Ascension site here and receive notifications in your email, or just follow along on my blog. Bible in One Year Readings Index
Isaiah 3 - 4
Chapter 3: Judgment against Judah and her Leaders and against Jerusalem's Women
Notice that in this part of the continuing oracle begins and ends with the "Yahweh Sabaoth" (see Is 3:1, 15), the Lord's title as commander of armies of angels and of all forces in the natural and supernatural order, in proclaiming God's sentence on Judah and Jerusalem for their pride and self-sufficiency. They have become a society of anarchy in which no one is ready to enforce justice and the rule of law and leaders are incapable of making sound judgments. Do you see any similarities to conditions today?
Isaiah 3:1-15 ~ Judgment against Judah and her Leaders
The Bible encourages us to submit to our nation's leaders and show them respect (Rom 13:1-7; Heb 13:17); however, ultimate allegiance must be to our Lord God and not to human leadership. God vows to take away all natural resources and human leadership from Jerusalem and Judah. The natural resources are food and water followed by 11 different positions of human resources that the people mistakenly believe has made their city great.
Question: What are the 11 different kinds of human resources?
Answer: (1) hero, (2) warrior, (3) judge, (4) prophet, (5) diviner, (6) elder, (7) captain, (8) dignitary, (9) counsellor, (10) architect, (11) soothsayer.
Isaiah 3:16-4:1 ~ The Women of Jerusalem
Question: What is the sin of the women of Jerusalem?
Answer: They are immodest in dress and in behavior.
Chapter 4: The Holy Remnant
Isaiah 4:2-6 ~ Yahweh's Messianic Branch
"That day" does not refer to the Day of Judgment on Judah and the women of Jerusalem but a day of redemption when the land and people will experience a rebirth. "Branch" (shoot or bud), in 4:1, is a title the prophets used for the Redeemer-Messiah. Two Hebrew words are used in the "branch" prophecies: tsemach (Is 4:2; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zec 3:8; 6:12) and netzer (Is 11:1; 14:19; 60:21; Dan 11:7).
+++
A Daily Defense
DAY 193 Jesus Calling His Mother “Woman”
CHALLENGE: "Mary should not be given special honors. Jesus certainly didn’t show her any. In fact, he abruptly called her 'woman.'"
DEFENSE: At the time, “woman” was a respectful form of address, like ”ma’am.”
Jesus refers to his mother as “woman” (Greek, gunai) in two passages—the wedding at Cana (John 2:4) and the Crucifixion (John 19:26–27).
In the first, Mary informs him their hosts have run out of wine and (translating literally from the Greek), he says, “What (is that) to me and to you, woman?” Notice he puts Mary in the same category as himself—asking how their hosts’ concern affects the two of them. This is not a sign of disrespect.
In the second, John says: “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” Here again, there is no disrespect. Jesus tenderly provides for his mother’s care after his death.
Concerning the way the term “woman” is used as an address in the New Testament:
• Jesus uses it to address the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matt. 15:28).
• Jesus uses it to address the woman with a hemorrhage (Luke 13:12).
• Peter uses it to address the high priest’s servant girl (Luke 22:57).
• Jesus uses it to address the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:21).
• Two angels use it to address Mary Magdalene (John 20:13).
• Jesus uses it to address Mary Magdalene (John 20:15).
• Paul uses it to address individual wives among his readers (1 Cor. 7:16).
• Paul uses it to address the wives in his audience (Col. 3:18, using the plural: gunaikes).
• Peter uses it to address the wives in his audience (1 Peter 3:1, using the plural: gunaikes).
None of these uses are disrespectful, and they reveal that “woman” was a polite form of address.
The same was true of the term “man” (Greek, anthropē or anēr) when used as a form of address. It functioned like the English terms “sir” or “mister.” Among other examples, see Luke 5:20, where Jesus tells the paralytic: “Man, your sins are forgiven you.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
No comments:
Post a Comment