2019, January 20 ~ Isaiah 62:1-5 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Isaiah 62:1-5

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.

Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 20 years before Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66. For the most part, a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.

Today’s reading is from Third Isaiah. The prophet asserted in a poetic manner that he would continue to speak for God until Jerusalem was restored (v.1) and had a new name (a new beginning), namely, “My Delight is in Her” (v.2).

As is often characteristic of poetic verses in the Hebrew Bible (and also true of ancient Canaanite poetry), the verses are repetitive – the idea in one phrase is repeated in slightly different words in the next. For example, “Nations shall see your victory” is followed by “And every king your majesty.” “You shall wear a glorious crown” is followed by “a royal diadem.” The same pattern is followed in verses 4 and 5.

The “nations” (v.2) means non-Jews (Gentiles) and is sometimes (depending on the context) translated in the Hebrew Bible as “the peoples.” The derivation is goyim (Heb) = ethne (Gk) = gentes (Lat) = peoples, nations, Gentiles.

The reading concluded with marriage symbolism in which YHWH (translated as “LORD” in all capital letters) rejoiced over his bride, Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community.

Today’s reading began “Now concerning.” This indicates that Paul was responding to something written to him by the Jesus Follower Community in Corinth. Here, Paul emphasized that all spiritual gifts come from God (v.6) and are manifestations of the Spirit for the common good (v.7). He listed (v.8) gifts that Greeks would value most (wisdom and knowledge) and affirmed that they come from the Spirit. He then enumerated other gifts (faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, tongues) as being equally important and also as coming from the Spirit.

The verses which follow today’s reading make clear that the diversity of gifts exists within unity. “We were all baptized into one body – Jews [Jewish Jesus Followers] or Greeks [Gentile Jesus Followers], slaves or free” (v.13).