Monday
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners. (v. 1)
Background
What is the best news you have heard in the last few weeks? Amid the maelstrom of war, political crisis and global power struggles, what candles of hope caught your attention?
The book of Isaiah follows the fortunes of the Israelites from the time of the Assyrian Empire (755-727 BC), via the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib (701 BC) to the Israelites' defeat and captivity during the rule of the Babylonian Empire (587 BC) and finally to their experience of the Persian Empire under Cyrus, who adopted policies in 538 BC that allowed them to return to their land and Judaism to emerge once more.
That journey is, however, somewhat incidental. The main focus of the book of Isaiah is detailed analysis of the good news of God (chapter 61), which according to American theologian Walter Brueggemann searches out the presence and constant character of God (Jahweh) in the midst of the Israelites' displacement and restoration. Scholars have varied views about the shape and origin of the book of Isaiah. The traditional view is that it is all, or mostly, the work of a prophet from the 8th century BC. Others say it is a merging of several distinct voices (usually three) from different historical periods.
The passages we are reading this week focus on life for a nation returned from, and wanting to rebuild, after exile. Here Isaiah proclaims gospel (good news) to every aspect of humanity: he speaks of hope, judgement, comfort, vengeance, and so on. The list is open ended. What would you add to fit the passage for the world around you?
Isaiah does not only speak of the rebuilding of property (v. 4) but also of the community as a “planting of the Lord” (v. 3) just as they were replanting fields and gardens. The planting and protection of trees is vital for the protection of our climate and our life. What might it mean for us to be “oaks of righteousness”? (v. 3)
To Ponder:
- In what ways are you called, wherever you live, to speak and live the good news?
- In Nazareth, Jesus reads Isaiah’s prophecy (to bring good news to the oppressed, etc) and says he has fulfilled it. (Luke 4:15-21) How does that challenge and/or encourage you?
Prayer
Father God, in a world where the news is often bad and threatens to overwhelm us, help me to be constantly renewed, by your grace. May I testify to Jesus, in word and deed. Amen.