Ending Isaiah

I wish the last lines of Isaiah were not so grim:

"My people will go out and look at the dead bodies of those who turned against me. The worms there never die, the fire never stops burning, and the sight of those bodies will be disgusting to everyone." Isa 66:24

But, we are to receive the Word with reverence and thought, not change it to suit our preferences. 

I've been in Isaiah since mid November--it's now mid February--3 months of Isaiah.  A rich journey, I've come away with many "old" favorite verses fresh in my mind and new things to ponder.

The biggest realization I've had is the crazy extent to which Jesus pulls from and references Isaiah.  Or, as Briggs prefers to put it, the extent to which Isaiah pulls from Jesus.  Either way, many of the seeds of Jesus' parables and principles are sprinkled throughout Isaiah.  Here are two fresh on my mind, but there are many more:

• The strong emphasis on the quality of a man's thought life--not just his actions.  I knew this was touched upon in the Old Testament, but thought Christ was the first to draw that distinction so strongly.  Actually, the thought issue goes all the way back to Noah.

"...their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity." Isaiah 59:7

• Isaiah references and anticipates God as Father in these verses, a perspective that I thought began first with Christ:
  
  "Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting." Isaiah 63:16

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8

•  The idea of thirst and everlasting water which Jesus brings up with the woman at the well:

If you are thirsty, come and drink water! If you don't have any money, come, eat what you want! Drink wine and milk without paying a cent.  Why waste your money on what really isn't food? Why work hard for something that doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will enjoy the very best foods. Pay close attention! Come to me and live. I will promise you the eternal love and loyalty that I promised David. Isaiah 55:1-3

Painted image of Jesus reading from Isaiah

• Isaiah anticipates Jesus' wheat/tares parable with this grape imagery:

Isa 65:8  Here is what the LORD says: A cluster of grapes that produces wine is worth keeping! So, because of my servants, I won't destroy everyone. Isiah 65:8

Again though, this concept goes back to Abraham--ever since and including Abraham, God has chosen to work with a remnant, to preserve a remnant.  In this sense, Christ's ministry is broader, though there is still a divisive split. 

I always knew that Isaiah foreshadowed the events of Christ's life quite heavily; my newer revelation is the extent to which Christ's philosophy and perspective toward many things is anticipated in Isaiah.  If I had weeks to pull out as the examples, I would---would probably have to go back and re-read the whole thing again with an eye to document just that.

In some regards, Isaiah is just as I remembered it--full of sweeping imagery, promises you long to curl up and rest in, "those who wait upon the Lord...." "I am the potter and you are the clay"  "a new Heaven and new Earth...the former will not come to mind..."

Yet, Isaiah never lets us curl up.  Instead we also have to take in the kings on the beds of maggots, the waywardness of His people, the worms and the fire at the end.

How does one reconcile these facets of our Father? It's never clean.    I can hold His great mercy in one hand, his perfect justice in the other.  I know both are true and lovely.  What I don't know is how they reconcile themselves and become something beyond them.

Isa 61:8  I, the LORD, love justice! But I hate robbery and injustice. My people, I solemnly promise to reward you with an eternal agreement.

Isa 61:11  The LORD will bring about justice and praise in every nation on earth, like flowers blooming in a garden.

I know God's plans are perfect and beyond me.  I know mercy triumphs over justice.  That verse in particular guides my heart and actions when the way seems hazy.  Mercy wins.

When Paul talks in 1 Corinthians about seeing God someday face-to-face it reminds me of this passage in Isaiah:

"Though Adonai may give you but bread and water, and not very much of that; your teacher will no longer hide himself, but with your own eyes you will see your teacher."  Isaiah 30:20

This time through Isaiah has been my favorite time thus far---the connections between Isaiah and Jesus, the New Testament and Old are in themselves, deeply reassuring.