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Home , Isaiah 28

“First ”

Isaiah 28-35

Judgement in 28-33 Judgement in 28-33 • Focus of oracles • Accusation – northern kingdom (28:1-13) – Northern kingdom: rejected God’s “rest” (28:12) • People “bloated with rich food” (28:4) – : injustice (33:14-15) – Judean rulers (28:14-22) • Gain through oppression – (29:1-4) • Accepting bribes • Despite regular festivals • bloodshed • God besieges city – Judah: Arrogance toward God (29:15-16) • Ambiguity about context • Festivals, cult empty (29:13) • Trusting in “covenant with death//lies” (28:14ff.) – Primarily leading up to 701 under • Alliances with (30:1-17; 31:1ff.) • City left like “flagstaff on the top of a mountain” (30:17) • Dictate to the what they want to hear (30:10-11) • Jerusalem protected (31:5) • Enemies fled at God’s intervention (33:2-6) • God’s confusion of the people (29:10) – Babylonian exile? – First northern kingdom (esp. 28:10, 13) • City emptied and no king (32:14) – Then also the south • Righteous survive in the hills (33:13-16) • Divine word like a sealed document (29:11)

Restoration in 28-33 Imagery in 28-33 • Starkly side-by-side with judgement (e.g., 28:5-6) • Substance of the restoration • Judgement – Protection from enemies and justice in leaders (28:5-6; 32:16-19) • Many enemies will suddenly disappear (29:5-8) – Drunkenness (28:1, 3, 7-8) • Involves “slaughter” (30:25) – Of Assyrians (30:31; 31:8-9) • “Destroyer” destroyed (33:1) – Blindness (29:9) • God himself fights? (31:8) – People’s attitude will change (29:23-24) – Sleep (29:10) • Inner guidance from ’s “Teacher” (30:20-21) • Rejection of their idols (30:22; 31:7) – God using a storm (28:2) • God’s Spirit poured out (32:15) – Plenty in land (30:23-25; 32:20) – Potter/clay (29:16) – Cosmic change – Stammering speech • Moon, sun brighter (30:26) – Restored king (32:1) or God as king (33:17) – Jerusalem eternally stable (33:20) • Restoration – End to punishment (28:27-29) – Plowing, threshing doesn’t last forever (28:23-29) • Context ambiguous – ** 30:19-33 seems later – Blind see, deaf hear (29:18; 32:3ff.) • Who receives the restoration? – The “meek” and “needy” (29:19) – Leaders no longer stammer (33:19) – The “remnant”

1 The Final Restoration: 34-35

• Context now clearly exilic – Parallels with 40-55 • Universal judgement (34) – Against “the nations” • singled out – God’s “day of vengeance” for Israel – Includes heavens (34:4) • New life in the desert (35) – Encouraging the weak and fearful – Blind see, deaf hear, lame jump – Water in the desert – A highway in the desert for God’s people • Leading them “back” to

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