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Home , Isaiah 37, Isaiah 39

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH Gaithersburg, Maryland

The Book of the Prophet “Isaiah – Before and During the Exile” The Forth of Six Sessions Twenty Third Sunday – November 8, 2020

I. Two Prophetic Passages: Before and During the Exile Today’s session takes us into two interesting passages of Isaiah coming before the fall of and the exile and then a part of a chapter 40 of Second Isaiah, announcing the coming end of the Babylonian exile (539). As has been noted before, there are 169 years between Isaiah’s 39th and 40th chapters. Both of these chapters are well known to most of us. The release of the Hebrew captives from will not be from the graciousness of the Babylonians, but by that of , the King of the Persian Empire, following their defeat of Babylon. It was the policy of Cyrus, not alone to release the Jews in captivity in Babylon, but to release all captives from the nations which Cyrus defeated and captured. He was said to be a friend of the Jews, giving money towards the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and asking their prayers in his behalf. Jerusalem would now be considered a colony or Isaiah territory of the Pension Empire,1 A Fresco on Ceiling of Sistime Chapel by Michelangelo

II . Isaiah, ’s “Secretary of State.” During our 2019 series on the Twelve Prophets and the first session of this series we spoke on a few occasions about the role of the prophets in Hebrew tradition from the pre- writing prophets to the major prophets of the Kingdoms of and of Judah.2

1. Ancient Persia is now modern day Iran. The ruins of Babylon are in Iraq. (At least, those ruins not destroyed in recent years by ISIS.) Previous to the ISIS movement, many of the ruins of Babylon had been restored.)

2. At first, as they came into the Promised Land, there were the “12 Tribes of Israel,” Israel being the God- given name of . Under the kingship of Saul, an effort was made to draw the 12 Tribes into a single nation. King would complete that task. The new name of the unified kingdom would be Israel. That lasted through the reign of David and his son, Solomon. But at the death of Solomon, the united kingdom divided. The 10 northern tribes were known as “Israel,” and the 2 tribes to the South were known as Judah. For the mmost part, Jerusalem and

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 1 In the ancient world, there were many “prophets,” “astrologers,” and many called “soothsayers.” Popular in Roman society were readers of the entrails of animals! And today, we have our crystal ball and palm readers. During World War II, there were Ouija Boards!3 Hebrew prophets, almost from the beginning, were different. They mostly shared “call experiences“, and those we recognize biblically as “true Prophets”, had a strong spiritual relationship with God. As Jeremiah liked to suggest, “they had stood in the Council of the Lord.” Isaiah remains one of the most respected among these spiritually prominent and historically significant of the prophets. Isaiah and the prophets were solidly rooted in the knowledge of God’s law. The , so central in Jewish life today, was equally so then. Every Synagogue has its own copy of the Torah, and if possible also the books of Wisdom, the , and the Prophets. It is believed that Jesus was very regular in the Synagogue, and he had an incredible knowledge of the Scriptures. He often prefaced his teachings with “Have you not read . . . .?” The prophets were also well informed about the history of the Jews and of the history of the nations surrounding them. They seemed Icon of Isaiah the Prophet to know the stories of the Exodus, and even of the nations who had welcomed or not welcomed them along their journey. They were therefore, politically astute. Isaiah appears to have been especially so. According to Jewish tradition, Isaiah’s father was the brother of King Amaziah. 4 This would make Isaiah of royal descent. It appears that, at least during the time of King , he enjoyed a close relationship with the king. He may have have lived in the palace. We might properly think of Isaiah as the “Secretary of State” for the Hezekiah administration.

III. Isaiah And Sound Political Insight The year is 702 BCE. It was just 20 years before (722) that had conquered the Northern Kingdom and led nearly all of its people away. It was a massive forced exodus

Solomon’s Temple, remained the religious center for both Kingdons. The Northern Kingdom declared to be their religious center, but it never seemed to attain the strength of Jerusalem, especially after the deep defeat of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BCE and the deportation of most of their people. We speak today of the ‘10 Lost Tribes of Israel.” mrash

3. As a High Schooler, I was on several occasions called upon as a supply organist for a “Spiritualist Church” in Norfolk, VA.

4. Midrash – Midrash has three technical meanings: (1) Judaic biblical interpretation, (2) the method used in interpretation, and (3) a collection of such interpretations. It is written commentaries on the written Torah and the Oral Torah. “Midrash,” especially if capitalized, is thought to refer to specific compilations or rabbinic writings originating between 400 and 1200 CE.

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 2 from which they would never return. Moreover, the Assyrians imported people to live in the land with the remnants who were not taken captive. In a generation or two, any remnants were now blended. It was an Assyrian practice. Thus, we speak of the “10 Lost Tribes of Israel.” Only Judah is left, and Assyria is still active in the region. Their power extended all the way down into . Every nation in the region was paying high taxes to Assyria for their “independence.” Now, let us read Isaiah’s counsel and prophecy. Just so we know, Isaiah begins this prophecy in chapter 30. This is chapter 31:1-9. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! 2Yet he too is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will rise against the An Egyptian War Chariot house of the evildoers, and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. 3The Egyptians are human, and not God; their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and the one helped will fall, and they will all perish together. 4For thus the Lord said to me, As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey, and—when a band of shepherds is called out against it— is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount and upon its hill. 5Like birds hovering overhead, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it, he will spare and rescue it. 6Turn back to him whom you have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel. 7For on that day all of you shall throw away your idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. 8“Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of mortals; and a sword, not of humans, shall devour him; he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. 9His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic,” says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

IV. A “NATO” ALLIANCE WRONGLY CONCEIVED The experience of the Jews in the Holy Land has been that there was a history of Egyptian presence in Israel’s territory. Archaeologists today show examples of Egyptian occupation for some several and long periods of time. The area of Beit Shean, just below the Galilee, is today a rich source s of such evidence. Tired of such high taxation of the region by the Assyrians, a treaty developed, with Egypt as the primary miliary force, and Judah, under King Hezekiah, was perhaps the second largest of the players. It was for Judah and for Egypt an opportunity for mutual self- protection. It might be called today, in our decades of mutual alliances, a “no brainer.”

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 3 Moreover, had it been solely a military treaty, and had Assyria had no interest in marching its army down into Palestine and North Africa again, it might have been the end of it. But there was a non-military side of it as well. That is to say, Judah, and maybe Egypt, intended or actually began to stop paying the “peace tax” which was so huge and painful, to Assyria. They had been paying this tax, it is assumed, for nearly two decades. Why was the treaty wrong? There are at least two reasons. Reason # 1 Israel lived as a Theocracy. They were the children of Yahweh, who lived under His rule and His protection. They have and tell awesome stories about God’s deliverance. The Passover celebration was already a few hundred years old and it is yet today a glorious remembrance and celebration. It is thought to be the oldest continuing religious festival celebration in the world today. God has saved and delivered His people over and again. The question is: Whom do you trust? Let’s hear a part of Isaiah again: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! 2 Yet he too is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will rise against the house of the evildoers, and against the helpers of those who work iniquity` So, the question is again: In whom do you trust? Reason # 2 Bad Military and Political Decision – Both Egypt and Judah, as were any other “partners” in this “NATO Alliance,” were living in Assyrian territory. Assyrian government agents were everywhere – including the tax collectors! They knew what was happening. If Egyptians wish to have a fight with Assyria, that may be all well and good for them. Assyria can march down the “Via Maris,” around the Sinai, and be in the Egyptian delta. Jerusalem is a fortified city on Siege of Jerusalem by Assyrian Army a mountain 33 miles from the in 702 BCE Via Maris. Assyria does not need to attack Jerusalem, taxing its strength a bit before dealing with Egypt. They can march right by it. But because of the NATO alliance with Judah, they cannot risk an attack from the rear while they are heading toward Cairo! That’s dumb! So, the Assyrians must attack Jerusalem first.

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 4 The issue for Isaiah is simple: Do you or do you not trust God first, or do you go down to Egypt and trust in horses because they are many and horsemen because they are strong, but do not trust in nor consult the Holy One of Israel. This story continues in chapters 36, 37, 38 and 39. Over these chapters, this story continues. We hear about the arrival of the Assyrians, now encamped outside of Jerusalem, and we read about the insulting and cruel slurs aimed at the God of Israel and the invitations to surrender and accept deportation, with the assurance that “at least you shall live.” When the news reached King Hezekiah, he tears his clothes, dresses in sackcloth and goes to the Temple to pray. Near the end of Chapter 37, the Lord spells out his judgement against the Assyrians. “He shall not come into the city, shoot an arrow there, come before it with a shield, or cast up a siege machine against it. By the way he came, by the same way he shall return; he shall not come into this city,” says the Lord. “For I will defend the city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”5 In the last two chapters of First Isaiah, we learn of Hezekiah’s severe illness, very near death, and about the visiting emissaries from the king of Babylon.

V. God’s Promised Judgement: Delivered! Then the angel of the Lord set out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; when morning dawned, they were all dead bodies. Then King of Assyria left, went home, and lived at Nineveh. As he was worshiping in the house of his god , his sons and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. His son Esar-haddon succeeded him.6

It is a story almost like that of the Passover angel in the story of the Exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. In that story, the Passover Angel took the life of the eldest son of every Egyptian home that was not marked with the blood of the Passover Lamb. Of course, the stories are different, but . . .

VI. Chapter 39 – First Isaiah’s Last Conference with Hezekiah At that time King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. 2Hezekiah welcomed them; he showed them his treasure-house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house

5. :36-38.

6. Isaiah 37:36-38. – This story is also told in II Chronicles and Ii Kings.

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 5 or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 3Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and said to him, ‘What did these men say? From where did they come to you?’ Hezekiah answered, ‘They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.’ 4He said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.’ 5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: 6Days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 7Some of your own sons who are born to you shall be taken away; they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ 8Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my days.’7

VII. First Words from Second Isaiah The abrupt ending of First Isaiah has concluded. Tradition tells us that Hezekiah ruled for 18 more years, and they were peaceful years in the land. Isaiah is said to have lived into the reign of King Mannaseh, and tradition tells us that he was executed by King Mannaseh. Chapter 40 is the first of the chapters attributed to Second Isaiah. It begins with cheering words of hope for the exiles. We’re going home! Not now, but soon. The beginning of this section of Isaiah is at least one hundred and fifty years after the close of First Isaiah, and their actual return home took one hundred sixty-nine years. Cyrus the Great of Persia after his victory over Babylon, allowed the captives to return to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. It was his policy when he conquered a nation who had taken captives. It is likely that the exiles fron Jerusalem had heard in advance about Cyrsus. There John the Baptist was hope again. Let us begin, now, with the first chapter of Second “In the wilderness, Isaiah, verses 1 to 11. Prepare the way of the Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Lord!” Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has

7. :1-8.

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 6 spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

By the time of the writing of Chapter 40, one may assume that the exiles in Babylon have been there for a while. The good news of God’s plans for the return of the exiles from Babylon must have been after a number of those 37 to 39 years exile in Babylon. And what good news it must have been as they neared 539 BCE. But what prompted it? Could it have been the news of the rise and the conquests by Cyrus the Great and his policy of releasing exiles of other conquered nations to return to their native lands? The exiles in Babylon, hearing the news of such things, may have felt that, with the blessings of Yahweh, their times could be coming as well. The joy of Second Isaiah’s opening chapter surely does not sound like the joy of newly arrived exiles, but rather of those who have been in Babylon for a while. Therefore, if the latest of the arrival of exiles from Judah was in the year 586 BCE, what we are reading today in this session most likely would be somewhere around 539 BCE. Chapter 40 reports excitement of the prophecy that Yahweh is working toward the exiles “going home,” back to Judah and Jerusalem. Yahweh is the active agent in this prophecy. “And, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together!”

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah A Historical - Textual Study October 18 “Who Was Isaiah? How Many Isaiah’s Were There? October 25 “The Day Isaiah Went to Church” Some Significant Passages in Isaiah November 1 “A Beloved Prophecy and a Vineyard”8 November 8 “Isaiah - Passages before and After the Exile”

8. Philippians 4:8-9.

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah – Session 4 Rev.4 Pdf Page 7 November 15 “Prophecies of the Suffering Servant” Passages that Have Inspired Hymns November 22 “Hymns Inspired by Isaiah”

A PROMISE ALREADY IN THE MAKING - (For when this Pandemic breaks!) There is an oft expressed hunger among us to be able to be together in worship and to be able to sing with our wonderful choir and one another. That could be a while yet, and it will probably come to us in “steps.” However, in the meantime, I am already working on a class series on “Hymns We Hunger to Sing Again! Yes, Doris and I are regular worshipers in our online worship, singing with Peter and our outstanding quartet, and with Mr. Pannebaker at the organ. How blessed we are! But Doris and I, two octogenarians, don’t raise much noise as we sing in our Den each Sunday. and on some Wednesdays. Nonetheless, we believe that in God’s grace there will be better days. And, we want to be ready! The class series planned for THAT day will begin with the wonderful hymn based on :1-6, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” But I need your help! Please send me the hymn or hymns you are hungering to sing when we can gather and sing again. My e-mail is: [email protected]. And, there is more wonderful news. Already, since my “announcement”, I am receiving hymns for this promised series. I have a folder started . . .! We shall study the scripture that inspires the hymn, we shall study the hymn stanzas, and we shall sing the hymn. And by the way, I mentioned that powerful hymn from Isaiah 6 last week, but this week I have another: It is the refrain to the hymn “My Life Goes on in Endless Song.” (ELW 763) There are four stanzas and each concludes with these powerful words: “No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging! Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?”

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