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2018, December 25 (Christmas III) ~ Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-4

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READINGS FOR CHRISTMAS III

Isaiah 52:7-10

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 and, for the most part, are the words of a prophet who 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 Second Isaiah tells the Exiles that the sentinels (prophets) can “see” the return of YHWH/LORD to Zion/Jerusalem, the restoration of the ruins of Jerusalem and that YHWH/LORD will bring salvation to his people. 

Hebrews 1:1-4

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers who were suffering persecution. It urges them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. Although the Letter is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE but likely before 100 CE. 

In today’s reading, the author identifies the Son with Holy Wisdom that was present at creation (Prov. 8:22) with the words ”through whom he also created the worlds.” (v. 2) The author also anticipates the language of the Gospel According to John – “all things came into being through him” (John 1:3). 

Because the theology of the Trinity was still evolving, the author stopped short of identifying the Son with the Father as God, and referred to the Son as “a reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” (v.3) and as superior to angels (v.4).  

2018, December 23 ~ Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10

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Micah 5:2-5a

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets”(Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.  Micah was a prophet to Judea after Northern Israel (Samaria) was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars therefore date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 720 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were threatening to conquer Judea.  

This short Book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness [right relationship with YHWH] (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7). 

In today’s reading from Chapter 5, Micah offered a Messianic poem and said that a new David would come from Bethlehem of Ephrathah. (Ephrathah was the name of a clan in Judea, and a region that included Bethlehem.) The new David would feed his flock and they would be secure in the peace that the new David would bring.

First Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39) was a contemporary of Micah. He also spoke of an ideal king coming from the House of David (Is. 7:14).  

Hebrews 10:5-10

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE.  The letter was addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers who had suffered persecution. The letter introduced many important theological themes, such as Jesus the Christ as the perfect High Priest of the order of Melchizedek. 

In today’s reading, the author presented a meaning of the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. He asserted (vv. 5-8) that Jesus had stated that God takes no pleasure in animal and grain sacrifices. This same idea is also found in verses in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos and in Psalm 40.  

The author of the letter went on to say that the Crucifixion of Jesus “abolishes the first order” [animal and grain sacrifices] and that we have been sanctified once and for all through the offering of the body of Jesus the Christ. 

2018, November 18 ~ 1 Samuel 1:4-20; Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25

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In some denominations, two different readings from the Hebrew Bible are available, and one is chosen to be read.

Track 1 – 1 Samuel 1:4-20

The Book of Samuel is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books emphasized that God controls history, and when the people (and their kings) worshiped YHWH properly, good things happened to them. When they worshiped false gods, however, bad events overtook them.

At the end of the Book of Judges, Israel was in political and moral disarray. Today’s reading begins to introduce Samuel, one of the most important persons in the Hebrew Bible. Samuel was a transitional figure – the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. The circumstances of his birth were extraordinary – his mother, Hannah, was barren until the priest Eli told her that God heard her petition. Samuel was a kingmaker – he anointed the first king, Saul, and even when Saul was still king, he found David in Bethlehem and anointed him as king.

Hannah designated Samuel as a nazirite – a person consecrated to God who did not drink alcohol, did not cut his hair and refrained from actions that would make him ritually unclean such as touching a dead body. The other named nazirite in the Hebrew Bible was Samson (who did not fulfill his vows). In the Christian Scriptures, John the Baptist is presented in Luke 1:15 as a nazirite.

Track 2 – Daniel 12:1-3

The Book of Daniel has two distinct parts. Chapters 1 to 6 are stories of Daniel in the Court of the Babylonian Kings and the Persian Kings just before, during and just after the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE). Because the kings in the stories were presented as ignorant (but not malevolent), scholars date these six chapters to the 4th Century BCE when Judea was under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians (539-333 BCE) and the Greeks (333 to 281 BCE). Chapters 2 to 7 of the Book were written in Aramaic rather than in Hebrew.

Chapters 7 to 12 were written later – during the oppression of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE) whose desecration of the Temple led to the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE.

These later chapters present an apocalyptic vision – a situation so dire that an external intervention (such as by God) was needed to put things right. Like other apocalyptic writings, the Book of Daniel used images to describe the conflict between good and evil.

In today’s reading, at the time of the final victory over evil forces, Michael is presented as the great prince who will battle on behalf of Judea and God. The reading refers to a “book” in which human deeds are recorded, and is the first explicit reference in Scripture to the ideas of Resurrection, final judgment and afterlife.

Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes.

The letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflects the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is).

Today’s reading concluded the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the great high priest and the once-and-for-all sacrifice. The humanity of Jesus is the means for approaching God, and the author encouraged hearers of the letter to maintain their hope (undergirded by their faith) as they await the Second Coming (the “Day”).

2018, November 11 ~ Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17; 1 Kings 17:8-16; Hebrews 9:24-28

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 11, 2018

In some denominations, two different readings from the Hebrew Bible are available, and one is chosen to be read.

Track 1: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17

The Book of Ruth is one of the shortest books of the Bible (four chapters) and is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman (Ruth) and her devotion to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi.
It is important to note that the Moabites were always regarded as dire enemies of Judah.

In the chapters leading up to today’s reading, Naomi, her husband, and their two sons (whose names meant “Sickly” and “Frail”), left Bethlehem and went to Moab because of a famine in Judea. (Ironically, Beth-lehem means “House of Bread/Food”.) In Moab, the husband died, and the two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later, the two sons (not surprisingly) died, and the three women were left destitute. Naomi decided to return to Judah and urged Ruth and Orpah to stay with their own people in Moab and remarry. Orpah decided to remain in Moab, but Ruth “clung” to Naomi and swore “your people shall be my people and your God my God.” (These are words read today when a person converts to Judaism.)

In Judah, Ruth worked in fields owned by Boaz, a kinsman. In the first part of today’s reading, Naomi advised Ruth to lie down on the threshing floor where Boaz was lying down and “uncover his feet” (v.5). In the Hebrew Bible, “feet” is usually a euphemism for “private parts,” so Naomi’s advice has a clear sexual overtone. In the conclusion of today’s reading, Boaz and Ruth married and had a son, Obed, the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

At the time the Book of Ruth was written (5th Century BCE), there was a conflict in Judea between the “exclusivists” (Ezra and Nehemiah) who required that all foreign wives be sent away, and the “inclusivists” such as the author of Ruth, who (even though she was a Moabite) was presented as the great-grandmother of the great King David. The exclusivist/inclusivist controversy continued into the time of Jesus of Nazareth, and beyond.

Track 2: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Elijah and his successor, Elisha, were two of the great prophets (speakers for YHWH) in Jewish History. They opposed the (mostly) Baal-worshiping kings in Northern Israel for 90 years (from approximately 873 to 784 BCE), and their stories comprise about 40% of the Book of Kings.

The authors of the Book of Kings were also the authors of the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Samuel. These books were given their final form around 550 BCE – long after the events they described. The authors used the stories in these books to demonstrate that it was the failures of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judea to worship YHWH and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)

Elijah and Elisha are both credited with numerous healings, restoring people to life, and other extraordinary events involving food, such as the one recounted in today’s reading.

Just prior to today’s reading, Elijah confronted the Baal-worshiping King Ahab (873 to 852 BCE) and told Ahab that there would be no rain in Israel until YHWH decided to make it rain. This pronouncement was fully consistent with one of the major themes of the Book of Kings – that YHWH is in control, rather than the kings or their false gods.

In today’s reading, YHWH directed Elijah to walk about 80 miles from east of the River Jordan to Zarephath, which is on the Mediterranean coast near Sidon (in modern Lebanon). This area was a center of Baal worship, and the story of the continued supply of meal and oil for the widow shows that YHWH’s powers extend even beyond the lands of Judea and Israel.

Hebrews 9:24-28

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter was addressed to Jesus Followers who had suffered persecution and it introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.

Today’s reading continues discussing the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the high priest and uses this image as another way of conveying to the Jesus Follower Community “who and what” Jesus was (and is). The author focuses on the “once and for all” aspects of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, and emphasizes that Jesus was both priest and sacrifice in the Crucifixion. The reading concludes with an allusion to the Second Coming – a theological recognition that not all of Ancient Israel’s (and the Jesus Follower Community’s) expected outcomes of the Messianic Age were accomplished in Jesus’ lifetime or even after the Destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.

2018, October 28 ~ Jeremiah 31:7-9 and Hebrews 7:23-28

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Jeremiah 31:7-9

After the good King Josiah (who instituted many Deuteronomic reforms) was killed in battle in 609 BCE at Megiddo (the Greek name for which is Armageddon), the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 BCE until Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians in 597 BCE and destroyed by them in 586 BCE. The deportations of the Babylonian Exile occurred in two phases, one in 597 and the second in 587 BCE.

Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 – 586 BCE) and the First Century. In fact, parts of Jeremiah are word-for-word the same as 2 Kings, a book written by the Deuteronomists (authors of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings). Many of the sections in the book of Jeremiah that are in “poetry style” are attributed to the prophet, and the parts in “prose style” were added by the Deuteronomists.

Today’s reading is in “poetry style” and comes from a two-chapter section of Jeremiah called “The Book of Consolation.” It describes a return from Babylon by the Judeans and the reunification of Samaria (“Ephraim” – the son of Joseph and the most powerful Northern Tribe) and Judea (“the remnant”). The prophet uses “Jacob” and “Israel” interchangeably because Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” when he wrestled with an angel/God in Genesis 32.

Hebrews 7:23-28

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes.

The letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflects the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is).

Today’s reading continues the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the high priest of the Order of Melchizedek. The first part of Chapter 7 described Melchizedek and recounted that Abraham treated Melchizedek as a superior. The author then discussed the differences between the high priests of the tribe of Levi (“priests of Aaron”) who were imperfect and who died, and the priesthood of Jesus. Because of the Resurrection, Jesus holds his priesthood permanently and without weakness. His offering of himself was once and for all. He was appointed “by word of [God’s] oath” (citing Ps. 110.4), rather than by the law and is the Son who is perfect forever.

2018, October 21 ~ Isaiah 53:4-12 and Hebrews 5:1-10

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Isaiah 53:4-12

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 and, for the most part, are the words of a prophet who 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 part of Second Isaiah and is part of the Fourth Suffering Servant Poem (Is. 52:13 to 53:12). The identity of the “Suffering Servant” is sometimes understood as the prophet Isaiah but is more commonly is seen as the Judeans themselves, whose suffering in the Exile (as the servants of YHWH) would lead to vindication by YHWH and the restoration of Jerusalem after 539 BCE. Today’s reading concludes on the hopeful note that the servant will have long life and a “portion with the great” and notes that “he poured himself out to death” and “bore the sins of many.”

Many elements of the Suffering Servant Poems and Psalm 22 were used by the author of the Gospel According to Mark (and therefore by the authors of the other Synoptic Gospels) to describe the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth in his Passion and Death. In particular, “Mark” used this Suffering Servant Poem for the representation that “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Hebrews 5:1-10

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes.

The letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflects the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is).

In today’s reading, citing Psalm 2.7, the author states that Jesus was appointed high priest by God, and that Jesus was a high priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (quoting Ps. 110.4). In Genesis 14, King Melchizedek of Salem (the old name of Jerusalem) was introduced as the priest of The Lord Most High who made an offering of bread and wine and then blessed Abraham. In the final verses of today’s reading, the author emphasized Jesus’ humanity and asserted that Jesus “learned obedience” and was “made perfect” so he would be a source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

2018, October 14 ~ Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 and Hebrews 4:12-16

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Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel with 10 tribes) and the South (called Judea with two tribes). Each of the Kingdoms had their own king.

The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous and a time of great inequality between rich and poor.

Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by YHWH to go north to prophesy (speak for the LORD) against Israel from about 760 to 750 BCE. Amos is one of the 12 “minor” prophets whose works are shorter than the three “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel). He was the first (chronologically) of the prophets whose words left an indelible stamp on later thought about God.

In today’s reading, Amos warned Israel (the “house of Joseph”) and the city of Bethel (where there was a shrine) of coming destruction if they did not change their ways. (Israel was later conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.) Amos warned that injustice would lead to “wormwood” – the leaves of which are very bitter.

In ancient Israel, legal proceedings were held at the city’s gates, and Amos condemned the corruption of the legal system by the rich and the unjust treatment of the poor at the gate. He urged the leaders to “establish justice at the gate” (v.15) so that YHWH would be gracious to Israel, the “remnant of Joseph.”

Hebrews 4:12-16

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter was addressed to Jesus Followers who had suffered persecution and it introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.

In today’s reading, the author interpreted the life, death and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfects the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).

The letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflects the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is).

2018, October 7 ~ Genesis 2:18-24 and Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

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Genesis 2:18-24

Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.

The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.

In Genesis, there are two Creation Stories. In the First Story (Gen. 1:1 to 2.4a), God created humankind (men and women) in God’s image on the sixth day and told them to be fruitful and multiply (1:27-28). God rested on the seventh day.

Today’s reading is part of the Second Account of Creation that begins in Gen. 2:4b. This Second Account is attributed to the “Jahwistic” Source and is generally dated to about 950 BCE. This Source presents God’s name as YHWH (translated with all capital letters as LORD or LORD God) and gives God many anthropomorphic qualities such as speaking with humans.

In this Second Creation Story, YHWH formed an earthling/human (in Hebrew, adam) from the fertile earth/humus (in Hebrew, adamah). In today’s reading, YHWH gave the human a “partner” (in Hebrew, ezer).

Ezer is not a word often used in the Bible, and it is usually used to refer to God as the “partner” of Israel. Accordingly, the partner/ezer (the female) of the adam should not be understood as subordinate to the male. In today’s reading (somewhat amusingly), God created animals as the first attempt to find a helper/partner for the human, but then created a woman from the adam’s rib/substance to be the ezer of the man.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter was addressed to Jesus Followers who had suffered persecution and introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explore the word of God spoken through the Son.

In today’s reading, the author affirmed that the Son is the “exact imprint of God’s very being” (v.3) and participated in creation (just as Wisdom participated in creation as stated in Proverbs 8). He described the Son as superior to the angels, and re-interpreted Psalm 8:4-6 as referring to Jesus. The author stated that Jesus was made lower than the angels (as a human being) only “for a little while” (2:9).

2018, March 18 ~ Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 5:5-10

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Jeremiah 31:31-34

After the righteous King Josiah was killed in battle in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported a number of Judean leaders in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the beginning of the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e. speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.

Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word for word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists.)

Jeremiah is largely a prophet of doom and gloom, but today’s reading is part of a two-chapter “Book of Consolation” (Chapters 30 and 31). Today’s section is in prose style, and although it purports to be written during the Exile (586-539 BCE), it is part of a “late stage” of the Deuteronomists’ continuing development of the Book of Jeremiah after the Exile.

This reading claimed the houses of Israel (Northern 10 tribes) and Judah (southern 2 Tribes) broke the Sinai Law Covenant (v. 32). YHWH promised to make a new covenant with them and write the Law on their hearts (vv. 31, 33.) so they will know YHWH who will forgive them. (v.34)

Hebrews 5:5-10

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urges them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution. Most scholars agree it was written well after Paul’s death in 63 CE.

Today’s reading develops the image of Jesus the Christ being designated by God as a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek (v.6 and 10). Melchizedek was introduced in the Book of Genesis as the King of Salem (an ancient name for Jerusalem). He was also a High Priest of El (one of the oldest names for God and still found in names like Beth-el – House of God). Melchizedek made an offering of bread and wine and blessed Abram (Gen. 14:18).

Here, the author of the letter recites Psalm 2:7 (which was addressed to the House of David) to assert that Jesus the Christ is God’s begotten Son (v.5) who, by his obedience, became the source of eternal salvation (v.9).

2016, December 25 ~ Isaiah 52:7-10 & Hebrews 1:1-4

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Isaiah 52:7-10

The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel’s history. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and were mostly written in the 30 years before Jerusalem was under direct siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and brings hope to the Judeans during the time of the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they have suffered enough and will return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 and contains encouragement to the Judeans who returned to Jerusalem after the Exile.

Today’s reading is central to the message of Second Isaiah. It describes the return of Yahweh (whenever the word “LORD” is in all capital letters, the word in Hebrew is “YHWH”) to Jerusalem and Mount Zion. The “sentinels” in verse 8 are the prophets who sing for joy that the Babylonian Exile will end.

Hebrews 1:1-4

The Letter to the Hebrews is an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers who were suffering persecution. It urges them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. Although the Letter is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE but likely before 100 CE.

In today’s reading, the author identifies the Son with Holy Wisdom that was present at creation (Prov. 8:22) by saying ”through whom he also created the worlds.” (v. 2) The author also anticipates the language of the Gospel According to John – “all things came into being through him” (John 1:3). Because the theology of the Trinity was still evolving, the author stops short of identifying the Son with the Father as God, and refers to the Son as “a reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” (v.3) and as superior to angels (v.4).