2019, December 29 ~ Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3 and Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3
Reading
10. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
62:1. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Commentary
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 – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Jerusalem to repent in the 30 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 in which a prophet gave encouragement to Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.
Today’s reading is from “Third Isaiah” and is a series of joyful verses. The first two verses (from “I will greatly rejoice” to “spring up before all the nations” are spoken by Zion/Jerusalem. As is often characteristic of psalm-like verses in the Hebrew Bible (as was 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, “I will greatly rejoice” is followed by “my whole being will exult.” Similarly, Zion is “clothed with garments of salvation” is repeated as the “robe of righteousness.”
In the verses beginning “For Zion’s sake,” the speaker shifts from Zion to the prophet, but the use of repetitive ideas continues: “I will not keep silent” is followed by “I will not rest.” You [Zion] shall wear “a crown of beauty” and “a royal diadem.”
Being “called by a new name” (v.2) meant Zion/Jerusalem will have a change of fortune and a new identity given by YHWH.
Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
Reading
23. Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.
4:4. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5. in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7. So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Commentary
Galatia was a large Roman province in what is now western Turkey. This letter was likely written by Paul in the early 50’s (CE), and dealt (in part) with controversies between Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers regarding the continuing importance of Torah (Law) and whether Gentile Jesus Followers had to be circumcised and follow the Kosher dietary laws. It is a “transitional” letter in that – when compared to Paul’s last letter (Romans) — it shows his views on the relationship between the Torah and the Gentile Jesus Followers continued to evolve.
Today’s reading continues Paul’s “law vs. faith” discussion in Galatians. Paul sees the law as “imprisoning” but faith as liberating. When you act because of the compulsion of the law, you are not truly free, but that when live a life of faithfulness because of (and through) the Love of God, you are freed to live as your truest self. All who live a life in the Christ are no longer able to be defined by other categories – all are one in Christ Jesus.
Today’s reading unfortunately omits verses that would help the reader/hearer better understand Paul’s position on the relationship between the law (Torah) and the faithfulness of (not faith in) Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. In the omitted verses, Paul stated that through the grace of the faithfulness of Jesus the Christ/Anointed One, Jesus Followers are “no longer subject to a disciplinarian [the Law] and are children of God through faith” (vv.25-26).
In the second part of today’s reading (beginning with “But in the fulness of time”), Paul emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth was a human and a Jew (“born of a woman under the law”) to “redeem those under the law” (Jews). The Greek word translated here as “redeem” means to buy back, as in redeeming something one owns from a pawn shop. All persons, because of the Spirit of the Son, are children of God who can call God “Abba” (Aramaic for father) and are heirs of the Kingdom.