Bible In One Year Day 222 (Isaiah 65, Ezekiel 23-24, Proverbs 13:21-25)

  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 

Day 222: Idolatry & Adultery 

Agape Bible Study 
Isaiah 65 

Chapter 65: The Coming Judgment

In this chapter God answers Isaiah's lament in chapter 64. In the continued warnings concerning the destiny of the righteous and the wicked, God's message to Isaiah in chapter 65 concerns:

1. God's judgment that is coming for the rebellious (65:1-7).
2. The contrast between God's righteous servants who listen to God and the rebellious wicked who have abandoned Him (65:8-16).
3. God's promise of a new creation with a new heaven and new earth (65:17-25).

Isaiah 65:1-7 ~ God's Judgment that is coming for the Rebellious

God begins with a consoling message. He makes Himself available to so that even those who never sought for Him and those who were rebellious toward Him can find Him ready to listen to them and call them back. St. Paul repeats the same words in Romans 10:20-21 when he writes: And Isaiah s even bold enough to say: I have let myself be found by those who did not seek me; I have let myself be seen by those who did not consult me; and referring to Israel, he says: All day long I have been stretching out my hands to a disobedient and rebellious people (quoting Is 65:1-2). This passage is fulfilled in the Gentile nations who did not know Yahweh but still found Him because Christ was calling to them as opposed to the Jews who were rebellious and rejected the Messiah with the exception of the faithful remnant who received Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In this passage God lists the reasons why He has not come to Israel in a divine manifestation of His glory to frighten them into obedience as Isaiah requested. It isn't that He hasn't called them to repentance; it is that they have not listened to His voice through His prophets. His first great manifestations were to convince Israel that He is the One, all-powerful God and all other so-called gods are false. They have the evidence they need, but they have not desired of their own free will to turn away from sin and back to Him.

Question: What are the sins of the people that God lists in verses 3-5?
Answer:

1. They sacrificed using inappropriate sacrifices and worship sites.
2. They sat among the unclean graves of the dead expecting a revelation to guide them.
3. They ate forbidden (unclean) foods like pork and yet considered themselves holier than others.

Isaiah 65:8-16 ~ The Contrast between God's Righteous Servants and the Rebellious Wicked and their Destiny

The "bunch of grapes" is the covenant people after the return from exile. Those identified as the "servants" are those like the grapes "found still to have juice" and who remain a blessing as opposed to the others who are withered and dry spiritually. It is for the sake of the righteous servants that God will "not destroy them all" (verse 8b). God will give Jacob-Israel heirs to return to the land and prosper. The Sharon Valley is a fertile valley that began near Joppa and extended northward to Mt. Carmel. The Valley of Achor, located near Jericho, is a barren plain. Both areas will be a blessing for the righteous. But the rebellious will not prosper. They will be spiritually infertile and will face divine judgment.

Isaiah 65:17-25 ~ The New Heavens and the New Earth

In verses 17-18 God promises a new creation at the end of time and a return to the condition of mankind before the fall of Adam in which joy and gladness will be unending; it is a promise that was alluded to in 51:6, and it will be repeated in 66:22. In the Book of Revelation these are the opening words of St. John's vision in Revelation 21:1. It is the vision of the final establishment of the Kingdom of God (Rev 21:1-22:5). In his second letter, St. Peter urges the faithful to transform this present world in preparation for what is coming at the end of time when the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness: What we are waiting for, relying on his promises, is the new heavens and new earth, where uprightness will be at home. So then, my dear friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live blameless and unsullied lives so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord's patience as your opportunity to be saved (2 Pt 3:13-15a).

God will take joy in us because tears and cries of suffering, that are the works of sin, will be gone forever. From the time of the fall of Adam, God has been working toward this day of complete renewal. God will rejoice because His compassionate heart will no longer ache or be wrenched and torn by those things that have brought humanity such suffering "we will be restored to the way He created us. 

After the Last Judgment, the faithful who are glorified in body and soul, will reign forever with Christ: "The Church will receive her perfection only in the glory of Heaven, when will come the time of renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ" (Lumen gentium, 48). Scripture calls this glorious renewal, which will transform mankind and the world, "the new heavens and a new earth (2 Pt 1:3; Rev 21:1). It will be the completion of God's divine plan to bring together "all things in Christ" (Eph 1:10) in a new universe of the heavenly Jerusalem in which God will make His dwelling among men for all eternity (see CCC 1042-1044, 1047).

Another blessing of the future kingdom will be perfect communication with God. In this fallen world, communication with God through prayer is sometimes difficult. Our sins too often intrude in our lives and confuse prayer or become a barrier to communication with God. But in the restored Kingdom of Zion, He will answer before we speak. This blessed communication is already available to us in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus through the power of God the Holy Spirit who is our Advocate in our prayer life (Mt 6:8; Jn 14:13-14; 1 Jn 5:14-15).

25 The wolf and the young lamb will feed together, the lion will eat hay like the ox, and dust be the serpent's food. No hurt, no harm will be done on all my holy mountain, Yahweh says.
In 65:25 Isaiah describes the era of the Messianic peace in images similar to what he used in 11:6-9. Verse 25 also recalls the verses of the serpent's curse in Genesis 3:14. When the Messianic peace is established, God will return creation to the holy condition before the fall of man when there was no death upon the earth and even the animals lived in harmony.

Agape Bible Study 
Ezekiel 23 - 24 

Chapter 23: An Allegorical History of Jerusalem and Samaria

The oracle in Chapter 23 presents an allegory of Israel's idolatry symbolized as two sisters, insatiable in their sexual lewdness: Oholah is Samaria (capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel), and Oholibah is Jerusalem (capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah). In Hebrew, Oholah means "her own tent" while Oholibah means "my tent is in her." The names appear to refer to Samaria's schismatic, illicit worship as opposed to Jerusalem's authentic worship in the Temple built by King Solomon on Mount Moriah. The allegory uses the symbolic imagery of covenant marriage and the violation of that sacred union in terms of adultery. The covenant marriage imagery typically has four parts:

Image Group	Part I Covenant relationship	Part II Rebellion	Part III Redemptive Judgment	Part IVRestoration Fulfilled
Covenant Marriage	Israel Bride of Yahweh	Unfaithful adulteress/harlot	Humiliated, abused & abandoned by lovers/false gods	The Bride restored to her Bridegroom
[examples in Scripture]	Isaiah 61:10-11 Jeremiah 2:2 Ezekiel 16:4-14	Isaiah 1:21 Jeremiah 3:6-8; 13:22-23, 26; 23:10 Ezekiel 16:15-34; 23:1-12; Hosea 4:10-14	Ezekiel 16:23-61; 23:35-49; Amos 4:7-8; 4:30-31; Hosea 2:4-15	John 3:28-29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2; 9; 22:17

The outline of the oracle in Chapter 23 that is the judicial indictment for Yahweh's Covenant Lawsuit against Samaria and Jerusalem:

1. The opening formula (verse 1)
2. The introduction of those accused (verses 2-4)
3. The historical background of the crimes (verses 5-35)
   1. The indictment of Oholah/Samaria (verses 5-10)
      1. The charges (verses 5-8)
      2. The punishment (verses 9-10)
   2. The indictment of Oholibah/Jerusalem (verses 11-35)
      1. The charges (verses 11-21)
      2. The punishment (verses 22-35)
4. Summary of the case against Oholah/Samaria and Oholibah/Jerusalem (verses 36-49a)
   1. The charges (verses 36-45)
   2. The punishment (verses 46-49a)
5. The concluding formula (verse 49b)

Ezekiel 23:1-4 ~ Opening Formula and Introduction of the Accused: The Two Sisters

The oracle begins with an opening formula in verse 1 followed by Yahweh's charges against the accused and the revelation of their identities.
Question: Who are those who stand accused?
Answer: Verse 4 establishes the subjects of the allegory as Samaria and Jerusalem. The city of Samaria, capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem, capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah

Both capital cities had the "same mother" since they were "daughters" of the United Kingdom of Israel (verse 1). The Egyptian period was the beginning of their attraction to pagan idols, described as the seduction of a young girl. It was an introduction that began when they were resident aliens and continued later when the Israelites were an enslaved people. Once again, the Lord describes idol worship in the terms of illicit sexual behavior (verses 2-3). It is Part II of the symbolic covenant marriage imagery associated with rebellion.

Ezekiel 23:5-10 ~ Oholah/Samaria's Historical Background and Her Indictment for Crimes Against Yahweh's Covenant Treaty

The people of the Northern Kingdom belonged to Yahweh under the terms of the Sinai Covenant. Under those terms, they swore to worship only Yahweh (Ex 20:2; Dt 5:3). God expresses their violation of that exclusive devotion as an act of sexual infidelity. King Jeroboam I, the first the ruler of the Northern Kingdom (930 BC), set up altars to worship Egyptian gods (1 Kng 12:28-32). Israel's relationship with Assyria began with the tribute King Jehu paid to King Shalmaneser III (841 BC) to gain support for his new regime. This relationship led to Israel adopting Assyrian gods. "Dressed in purple" in verse 6 refers to the expensive dyed purple fabric Assyrian kings and noblemen wore. King Hoshea of Israel sought an alliance with Egypt in his rebellion against Assyria. It was a rebellion that led to the destruction of Samaria by the Assyrians in 722 BC (2 Kng 17:1-6, 24).

Ezekiel 23:11-21 ~ The Indictment and Charges Against Oholibah/Jerusalem

This section of the oracle describes Judah's lurid history, making treaties and worshipping the pagan gods of the major powers of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Yahweh's people were supposed to keep themselves separate from foreign alliances and rely on Yahweh to protect them. Instead, they went running after their more powerful neighbors like a harlot seeking wealthy and influential lovers.

Verses 14-17 describe the Southern Kingdom's alliance with the Babylonians. It was an association that began at the end of the reign of good King Hezekiah when he was flattered by the visit of a Babylonian delegation and showed them all the Temple treasures. The prophet Isaiah warned the king that a future association with the Babylonians would prove to be disastrous (Is 39:3-8). Babylonian influence over Judah and Jerusalem increased when the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians and Egyptians at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. At that time Judah became a vassal state of the Babylonian Empire. Judah's associations with foreign powers increased the people's acceptance of pagan gods.

Ezekiel 23:22-35 ~ Oholibah/Jerusalem's Punishment

The Southern Kingdom of Judah was not only guilty of breaking her covenant treaty with Yahweh but also with foreign powers like the Babylonians. He will use the Babylonians to punish Judah for her rebellion from them, but the real punishment is from her rebellion from Yahweh. ... the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa refers to a Babylonian army that will include warriors from other vassal states of the Babylonian Empire. Pekod was an Aramaean tribe that lived to the east of the Tigris River, and the Shoa, like the Koa, were a people of Mesopotamia.

Verses 32b-34 are a short satirical poem the prophet applies to Jerusalem. The "cup" in verses 32b and 33 refers to the cup of Yahweh's divine wrath. Samaria drank the "cup of Yahweh's wrath" when the Assyrians destroyed the city in 722 BC (2 Kng 17:6). The self-mutilation in verse 34 refers to the city's self-loathing because of the revelation of her lured sins. This is the judgment imagery from Part III of the symbolic covenant imagery of drinking wine:

Image Group	Part I Covenant relationship	Part II Rebellion	Part III Redemptive Judgment	Part IV Restoration Fulfilled
Drinking Wine	Joy of drinking good wine	Abuse of the wine/becoming drunk	Drinking the "cup of God's wrath"	Rejoicing in the best "new wine" at the Master's table
[examples in Scripture]	Psalm 23:5 Isaiah 25:6; 62:8-9 Jeremiah 40:12;	Isaiah 5:11-12; 28:1 Jeremiah 8:13; 48:26; 51:7 Joel 1:5	Joel 4:13; Isaiah 51:17; 63:2-3; Jeremiah 13:12-14; 25:15-31; 48:26	(Messianic Banquet) Eucharist foreshadowed: Zechariah 9:15-17 fulfilled: Luke 22:19-20 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Revelation 19:7-9

Ezekiel 23:36-49 ~ Judging the Sins of Samaria and Jerusalem

Yahweh asks His prophet if he is willing the judge the sins of Samaria and Jerusalem after hearing the evidence, taking on Yahweh's role as judge while Yahweh continues in the role of prosecutor in presenting the evidence. The sentence is to be carried out publically for all the nations to witness, just as a prostitute or adulterous wife was publically condemned after a trial and stoned to death (Lev 20:10; Dt 22:22-24; Jn 8:4-5). Verses 48-49 speak of the cleansing effect of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile that will lead to restoration and the blessings in a renewed relationship in which the people will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.

Chapter 24: Announcement of the Siege of Jerusalem

Chapter 24 is in two parts. Part I is the oracle foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem (verses 1-14), and Part II concerns two ordeals for the prophet: the death of Ezekiel's wife followed by the command not to mourn her death (verses 15-27).

Ezekiel receives an oracle concerning the beginning of the destruction of Jerusalem on December 589/January 588 BC (in our calendar). According to the dates in 2 Kings 25:1 and Jeremiah 52:4, the date was the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel's wife dies the same day (Ez 24:1, 15-18). Her death is the sign that death is coming to Jerusalem.

The outline of the oracle in 24:1-14:

1. Preamble (verses 1-3a).
2. Parable of the Boiling Pot (verses 3b-5).
3. The dispute (verses 6-8).
4. Yahweh's wrath vented (verses 9-12).
5. The justification of God's vengeance and conclusion (verses 13-14).

In verses 13-14, the oracle reaches its climax as the prophet abandons the figurative and turns to the theological significance.

This oracle, like the others in this lesson, reveals that He who issues the divine word guarantees its fulfillment. It is what God declares in a threefold self-identification: "I have spoken" (Ez 24:14); "I shall act" (Ez 24:14), "I am Yahweh" (Ez 24:24, 27).

Ezekiel 24:1-14 The Parable of the Boiling Pot

The parable recalls the Jerusalemites' claim in Ezekiel 11:12 that they are the choice "meat" in the "pot" of Jerusalem and is a challenge to their illusion of security. The citizens of Jerusalem perceived themselves as the ones God selected for a sacred banquet in the "pot" of Jerusalem, and by implication, the exiles were the disgraced spoiled meat.

Question: In the parable, what role does Yahweh assume? What is Jerusalem and what are its citizens? What is the rust?
Answer: God assumes the role of the cook. Jerusalem is the pot, and the citizens are the contents of the pot. The rust inside the pot that is the color of blood and represents the pot drenched in blood, symbolizing the bloodshed within the city caused by the sins of the Jerusalemites.

Ezekiel 24:15-27 ~ Ordeals for the Prophet

This final oracle of judgment against Judah/Jerusalem brings this section of Ezekiel's written prophecies to a close. As announced in 21:19-27, Nebuchadnezzar's army has begun the siege of Jerusalem. This last oracle begins with the familiar word formula: The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows... in verse 15 and concludes with the recognition formula they will know that I am Yahweh in verse 27. The keyword in this section is "sign" (verses 24 and 27). Two "signs" are involved with both relating to the same event. The first is the death of Ezekiel's wife. Her death prefigures the end of Jerusalem, she who is "the delight of his eyes" just as Jerusalem was the delight of Yahweh (verses 15 and 24). The second sign will be Ezekiel's actions after her death. The oracle divides four parts:

1. The command to perform a sign-act (verses 16-17)
2. The report of the performance of the sign-act (verse 18)
3. The people's request for an explanation (verse 19)
4. The interpretation of the sign-act (verses 20-24)

The death of Ezekiel's beloved wife and his grief that God orders him not to express are signs for the people of the death of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. It is a just act of Yahweh's judgment that they are powerless to stop. They do not deserve to grieve for that which they helped to bring about by contributing to and turning a blind eye to the abuses of the covenant people. How will the people know that Yahweh is the Lord? Everything His prophet spoke to the people has come to pass.

Question: What commands does God give Ezekiel as far as withholding signs of grief for his wife's death and what actions are he to give in his "sign-act" in verses 16b-17?
Answer: God commands him not to lament (mourn), not to visibly weep, not to display the normal acts of mourning for the dead including covering his beard. He is to wear a turban, sandals, and eat the usual food. He is to suppress all external expressions of grief.

+++

A Daily Defense 

DAY 222 “Justification by Faith and Works”

CHALLENGE: “The Catholic Church is wrong to say we’re justified by faith and works.”

DEFENSE: The Church doesn’t use “by faith and works” as an overall summary of how we are justified.

It’s not to be denied that some individual Catholics do this, but that’s not the same thing as the Magisterium of the Church doing it:

• The Church’s most authoritative and key historical document on justification is the Council of Trent’s Decree on Justification, and the phrase “justified by faith and works” never appears in it.

• The Church’s most important and authoritative presentation of the faith as a whole is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the relevant phrase doesn’t appear in it either.

• The Church’s most important and detailed contemporary discussion of justification is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, together with the Church’s official response and the annex (all available online), and the phrase appears in none of these.

• The phrase appears nowhere on the Vatican website (Vatican.va).

That the Church does not use the phrase “justified by faith and works” is indication that the discussion has been misframed by both individual Catholics and individual Protestants. The reported phrases simply aren’t used in the Church’s official documents.

So what does the Church say ? How does it handle the famous passage saying “man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24)?

It’s dealt with in chapter 10 of Trent’s Decree on Justification, which discusses the increase in righteousness Christians experience after their initial justification. According to Trent, after we first come to God and are forgiven, we continue to grow in righteousness (justification) by cooperating with God’s grace and performing good works (Eph. 2:10). It’s with respect to this ongoing justification that the Church holds good works have a role to play (see also Days 312 and 354).

With respect to initial justification, “none of those things that precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification” (Decree on Justification 8). Good works therefore flow from, but do not cause, our initial justification.

It’s misleading for Catholics to say we’re justified by “faith and works,” because to Protestant ears this will mean we need good works to be forgiven, which we don’t.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist