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Agape Bible Study
Isaiah 43 - 44
Isaiah 43:1-13 ~ The Assurance that Yahweh is Israel's Protector and Liberator
This is the third part of the parallel trial sequence that is a restatement of divine election and reassurance of future salvation in 41:8-20. Notice the references to the Exodus liberation in passing "through the waters" that recalls the miracle of the Red Sea crossing (Ex 14:15-31) and "through rivers" that recalls the miracle of the parting of the waters of the Jordan River (Josh 3:14-17) in verse 2. These miracles in the past and others in the future are evidence of God's love for His people and His promised protection.
Question: How many times has Yahweh told Israel not to be afraid between 41:1 and 43:13?
Answer: Five times in 41:10, 13, 14; 43:1, and 5.
Chapters 43:14-28: The Promised Miracles of the New Exodus
In Isaiah 43:14-44:8 Isaiah announces Yahweh's coming blessing upon Israel. The coming blessing is described in terms of four key concepts:
- God is the covenant people's divine Redeemer who ransomed them from slavery in Babylon, which also required a judgment on Babylon (Is 43:14-21).
- Israel has been the guilty party in her covenant relationship with Yahweh and has deserved a just punishment (Is 43:22-24).
- Israel's sin caused God to take action against His people as divine Judge (Is 43:25-28).
- Despite her transgressions, Yahweh has remained gracious to Israel, extending His forgiveness to Israel His servant (Is 44:1-8).
Isaiah 43:14-21 ~ God's Mighty Works for Israel in the Past Repeated
In predicting future events, God will use Babylon as His instrument of judgment to punish Israel/Judah for her sins. The Babylonians will rejoice in their conquest of Judah, but then God will bring them to judgment and they will lament like the covenant people lamented when they were punished by the Babylonians.
Question: According to verse 15, who is Israel's true king? Also see 44:6. Who then are the Davidic kings?
Answer: Yahweh is Israel's true king and the Davidic kings are His civil representatives to the people in the same way the chief priests are His religious representatives.
Isaiah 43:22-28 ~ Israel's Ingratitude
In verses 22-24 God identifies the part of Israel that is the Southern Kingdom of Judah as the transgressor (the Northern Kingdom of Israel has already paid for their sins in the Assyrian exile). The people demonstrate a lack of loyalty and commitment to their covenant with Yahweh by not invoked Yahweh in liturgical worship and in not repenting their sins.
What God asked in the liturgy of worship was not meant to weary the people, but they have wearied God with their repeated sins and offenses (verses 23b-24). The reed and fat in verse 24 probably refers to fragrant reeds made as offerings and burned in religious and secular occasions (see Song of Songs 4:14 and Ez 27:19). The fat of the animal is what was burned on the altar fire when God returned the main portion of the animal in a communion or sin sacrifice (Lev 3:1-5; 7:15/5 and Lev 6:17-22/24-30).
Chapter 44: Yahweh, the First and the Last
Isaiah 44:1-5 ~ Yahweh's Blessings for Israel
Israel has sinned and they have wearied the Lord God with their faults, but God's love is so great that, in spite of everything they have done, He will forgive them and will take them back.
44:2 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant. Jeshurun whom I have chosen. Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel also found in Deuteronomy 32:15; 33:5, 26. There is word play between the words "Jeshurun" and "Jacob." The term Jeshurun probably means "loyal"; it is from the Hebrew root "ysr", with vowels yashar, meaning "honor," or "upright," as opposed to "Jacob" which means "he who supplants."
Isaiah 44:6-23 form Isaiah's assertion that Yahweh is the only God "there is no one or thing that can be compared to Him. Legal language is also employed in these passages in the form of a "riv/rib" as in earlier passages. There are four stages to Isaiah's argument:
- The confession of faith that Yahweh is the one and only God (verse 6).
- The challenge to compare Yahweh to other so-called gods (verses 7-8).
- The ridiculing of worthless, man-made idols (verses 9-20).
- An exhortation to acknowledge Yahweh as the sovereign author of mankind's history (verses 21-22).
Isaiah 44:6-8 ~ There is Only One God
The Church's Catechism refers to verse 6 where it notes that "...our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last (cf. Is 44:6), the beginning and the end of everything" (CCC 198). Notice that Isaiah strings together a series of names and titles that emphasize the power of God alone to bring about these promises for Israel's future: "Yahweh", "Israel's king", "Yahweh Sabaoth (of hosts)", "Redeemer", the "I AM" who is the "first and the last" "the beginning of all and the end of all.
Isaiah says that God challenges any false god to give evidence of past or future events he has predicted. God assures the people through Isaiah that they have nothing to fear because God is their "rock" who has brought to fulfillment events He promised in the past and they are His eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of those events.
Israel's restoration through God's agent Cyrus (Is 44:24-45:25)
Isaiah 44:9-20 ~ The Makers of False Idols
Isaiah makes an argument concerning the futility and foolishness of worshiping idols in verses 9-20 in a satirical passage. It is similar to Wisdom 13:10-12; to Jeremiah 2:26-28, and 10:1-16.
Isaiah 44:21-23 ~ A Call to Remember
Question: What does Yahweh ask Israel to remember and to do?
Answer:
- Yahweh created Israel.
- Israel is Yahweh's servant.
- God will never forget Israel.
- God has forgiven Israel's past sins.
- God calls Israel to return to Him in repentance.
It is for these reasons that Israel can trust God and can believe His promise to redeem His people. Then God asks the heavens, the grave and nature (that is worshipped by pagans) to express joy that the One True God has redeemed His people for the purpose of displaying His glory in them.
Isaiah 44:24-28 ~ Yahweh Alone is Creator of the World and the Lord of History
Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, he who formed you in the womb... The "you" is plural and refers to all human beings. God formed all of us and has known us since we were "in the womb."
"Shepherd" is a title of leadership in the Bible and is used for Yahweh, for kings, and for priests in both the positive and the negative. God is Israel's divine "Shepherd;" David is called "the shepherd of his people;" failed priests are "bad shepherds;" and Jesus will call Himself "the Good Shepherd" (e.g., Ps 80:1; 2 Sam 5:2; Ez 34:2; Jn 10:11). In Isaiah 44:28 God calls Cyrus "My shepherd" in the understanding that he will be God's agent in fulfilling a divine mission in returning the covenant people to their homeland so they can rebuild the Temple.
Cyrus was the king of Persia in the 6th century BC "keep in mind that Isaiah is writing this prediction at the end of the 8th century BC. Cyrus was one of the great military leaders and empire builders of history. Despite his great military successes, very little is known about him personally. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that he was born in the region of the Zargos Mountains. This mountain range begins in northwestern Iran and spreads into Iraq and Eastern Turkey, spanning the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau. In 43:2-3 Isaiah said this individual would have his origin in the north but would come from the east.
Agape Bible Study
Ezekiel 4 - 5
Part II: Judgment of the Covenant People
Chapters 4-5: The Siege of Jerusalem Foretold in Ezekiel's Symbolic Acts
In Chapters 4-5, God orders Ezekiel to act out several symbolic acts that are object lessons foretelling the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem that began in 588 BC:
- Ezekiel inscribes a plan of Jerusalem on a clay tile/tablet and models a siege.
- Ezekiel lies on his left side for 390 days [150 days*] and on his right for 40 days.
- Ezekiel eats a meager diet and restricts his intake of water.
- Ezekiel bakes bread and uses dung for fuel.
- Ezekiel shaves his beard and head and divides the hair into three equal parts.
*Septuagint translation.
Ezekiel 4:1-3 ~ The Object Lesson That is a Model of the Siege of Jerusalem
It is five years (as we count) before the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem that began in 588 BC. God instructs Ezekiel to continue to live out several prophetic acts, the second of which is a model of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem as a "sign" to the exiles (the first symbolic act was in 3:25-26). That the "sign" concerns Jerusalem is obvious from the plan of the city etched on the brick. The trench, earthworks, camps, and battering-rams represent the strategy of the Babylonians. The motionless prophet represents the inability of the people to defend themselves. The iron pan that makes an iron wall between the prophet and the brick that represents the city is symbolic of the barrier of sin that is between God and the people of Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 4:4-8 ~ The Object Lesson/Symbolic Act of Laying on the Left and Right Sides
God commands Ezekiel to take the guilt of the House of Israel and Judah upon himself, as he lays on one side and then the other. Thus, Ezekiel symbolically bears the guilt of the people in keeping with the role of the priestly descendants of Aaron who, Yahweh said, are answerable for the guilt of the Sanctuary in Numbers 18:1. Perhaps he lays on one side facing towards what was the Northern Kingdom of Israel and then on the opposite side toward was is the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Notice that the sin-guilt of Israel is of a greater duration than that of Judah.
Ezekiel 4:9-17 ~ The Object Lesson/ Symbolic Act of the Bread
Yahweh next orders Ezekiel to eat unclean food in an unclean land. He is to ration his food and water in the same why the besieged citizens of Jerusalem will have to ration their food and water during the siege. He will take what was probably for the people of Jerusalem the last of their grain and make bread with the remnants. He will only allow himself 0.5 pounds of bread and 2 pints (1 liter) of water a day. When the people are starving within the city walls, with all the animals slaughtered for food, they cannot go outside the walls to gather any animal dung for fuel. Therefore, all they have for fuel is human dung to cook their food, and the lack of food will mean that the people and priests will be compelled to violate their food restrictions and eat impure food. In the Middle East, it is still common to use dried animal dung for fuel. God tells Ezekiel this is the way the besieged citizens and those sent into exile will have to eat and drink.
Ezekiel 5:1-4 ~ The Symbolic Act of the Shaved Head and Beard
Yahweh commands Ezekiel execute six symbolic acts of judgment on the model of Jerusalem:
- Use a sword to shave his head and beard.
- Use scales to divide the hair.
- Burn one-third of the hair inside the model of the city of Jerusalem.
- Chop another third with the sword and lay the hair around the model of the city.
- Scatter the last third of hair in the wind.
- Save a few hairs to tie up in the folds of his cloak and a few others to burn in the fire.
Yahweh will give His explanation the symbolic acts in 5:9-12.
Ezekiel 5:5-8 ~ Yahweh Pronounces His Judgment Against Jerusalem
Yahweh pronounces that the holy city of Jerusalem, established as a "light" to the pagan nations, has behaved more sinfully than her pagan neighbors. Since Jerusalem refused to set the example of a righteous people for the pagan nations who are her neighbors, God will make her an example of His wrathful judgment.
Ezekiel 5:9-17 ~ The Meaning of the Symbolic Acts
The meaning of the symbolic acts in verses 1-4:
- The shaving of his head and beard are signs of mourning for the fall of Jerusalem under the swords of their enemies.
- The one-third of the hair burned inside the model of the city represents the third of the population that will die of plague or starve to death.
- The second third will die by the enemy's swords.
- The last third of the hair represents the population taken into exile.
This passage is the pronouncement of the judgment of Yahweh's covenant lawsuit against Israel for sins against Yahweh and His covenant. Yahweh enacts the covenant curses of Leviticus Chapter 26 and Deuteronomy 28:
- The prophecy of cannibalism in Leviticus 26:29 and Deuteronomy 28:53 (5:10a).
- The prophecy of scattering the people among the pagan nations in Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64 (5:10b).
- The prophecy of plague and famine in Leviticus 26:25-26 and Deuteronomy 28:21, 59-61 (5:16-17a).
- The prophecy of war and destruction in Leviticus 26:33b and Deuteronomy 28:49-52 (5:17b).
But the curse judgments of Leviticus 26 end in a promise of God's continuing love and a future restoration: "Yet, in spite of all this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I shall not so utterly reject or detest them as to destroy them completely and break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God. For their sake I shall remember the covenant I made with those first generations that I brought out of Egypt while other nations watched, so that I should be their God, I, Yahweh" (Lev 26:44-45).
CHALLENGE: “The Gospels say the disciples had difficulty recognizing Jesus after the Resurrection (Matt. 28:17; Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13 31; John 20:13–16, 21:4–7). So maybe he was actually replaced by an impostor.”
DEFENSE:The passages cited do not support the proposal.
Matthew 28:17 states: “When they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted.” We are not told what they doubted. Were they doubting it was Jesus? Were they seeing Jesus but thinking he was a ghost (cf. Luke 24:36–43)? Is this just a way of saying they were amazed? (As when we say, “I can’t believe it!” meaning “I’m stunned!”) Supposing some did doubt it was Jesus, this was likely because they initially saw him at a distance. The next verse says, “and Jesus came” and spoke to them (Matt. 28:18).
Recognizing someone at a distance is frequently difficult, and this is the natural explanation of John 21:4–7, where the disciples are fishing on the Sea of Galilee and Jesus calls to them from the shore. When they arrive on shore and see him up close, John records (to clear up any potential confusion): “None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord” (21:12).
Distance may also be involved in John 20:13–16, where Mary Magdalen is weeping and doesn’t initially recognize Jesus. The text suggests she got only a brief glimpse amid her tears, but when he said her name, “she turned” (v. 16), got a clear look at him, and recognized him.
Mark 16:12 and Luke 24:13–31 refer to an event where Jesus miraculously kept two from recognizing him. Mark says he appeared “in another form” and Luke indicates they spent time together, but suddenly recognized him when he broke bread in their presence and miraculously vanished.
These passages must be set against those where the disciples immediately recognize Jesus without any questions about his identity (Matt. 28:9; Mark 16:9, 14; Luke 23:34, 36–43; John 20:19–20, 26–28).
Further, it is very improbable that an impostor could convince the disciples he was Jesus. Why would they think someone they’d never seen before was the man they’d spent three years with?
If there was an impostor, what was his motive? How was Jesus’ body removed from the guarded tomb? And how did the impostor ascend into heaven before the disciples?
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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