2018, December 30 ~ Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3 and Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3
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” 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” and 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” meant that when Zion/Jerusalem is restored, it will have a change of fortune and a new identity given by YHWH.
Galatians 3:23-25 and 4:4-7
Galatia was a large Roman province in what is now western Turkey. This letter was likely written by Paul in the late 40’s or early 50’s (CE), and deals in part with controversies between Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers regarding the continuing importance of Torah (Law) to Jesus Followers. In particular, did Gentiles have to be circumcised and follow the Kosher dietary law to become Jesus Followers? If not,what was the role of Torah for both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers?
Galatians 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 unfortunately omits verses at the end of Chapter 3 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. Paul stated that through the grace of the faithfulness of Jesus the Christ/the Anointed One, Jesus Followers are “no longer subject to a disciplinarian [the Law]” (vv. 24-25). He then declared (in the omitted verses)that “there is no longer Jew or Greek …for you are one in Christ Jesus … and Abraham’s offspring.” (vv. 28-29).
In the second part of today’s reading (beginning with “But in the fullness of time”), Paul emphasized that Jesus of Nazareth was a human and a Jew (“born of a woman under the law”) whose mission was to “redeem those under the law” (the Jews). The Greek word translated as “redeem” means to buyback, as in redeeming something one already 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.