Reading from Sunday, September 12

Hey.

Reading for September 12
Isaiah 10:1-11:16
This book continually swings back and forth from the image of God the angry father to Jesus the redeemer - though Jesus is not named.

There are sections of "Woe to you..." and "woe to those who..." followed by the severe punishment that God will dish out on those people. Each of these sections ends in this same refrain:

   Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
       his hand is still upraised.

Striking the people of the earth, only to raise his hand for another strike - over and over. I think this may be referring to Israel's continual adoption and abandonment of God, in addition to the "wickedness" of other nations. So Chapter 10 is all about these people who will fall victim to God's judgment, while Chapter 11 is about this "Root of Jesse".

Isaiah talks about how very few people will be left from the lineage of David in the days of God's anger. He keeps mentioning this "remnant"

²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel,
       the survivors of the house of Jacob,
      [...]will truly rely on the LORD,
       the Holy One of Israel.
²¹ A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob
       will return to the Mighty God. 
 ²² Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea,
       only a remnant will return.
       Destruction has been decreed,
       overwhelming and righteous. 

That's some pretty terrifying stuff to hear as an Israeli. But then God counters with something quite comforting.

 ²⁴ "O my people who live in Zion,
       do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
       who beat you with a rod
       and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
 ²⁵ Very soon my anger against you will end
       and my wrath will be directed to their destruction."

Now - with absolutely no knowledge on the subject - I think this is a misinterpretation of Isaiah. I think what God is saying that his anger against humanity will soon end, and his wrath will be directed at the destruction of sin. Which to me would mean sending Jesus to die on the cross for all of us. And funnily enough - that's where he goes next:

¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.


 ⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
       with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
       He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
       with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
¹² He will raise a banner for the nations
       and gather the exiles of Israel;
       he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
       from the four quarters of the earth. 

Verse 12 there really reinforces my theory - Jesus, this "root of Jesse" will return to reunite all people. Forgive all people. And when he says "gather the exiles of Israel" I believe that means everyone. If we take the Adam and Eve story as truth, then technically every nation other than Israel are exiles of said nation.

Right?



2 Corinthians 12:11-21
Nothing. Skip.

Psalm 56:1-13
Hope.

¹¹ in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
       What can man do to me?
 ¹² I am under vows to you, O God;
       I will present my thank offerings to you.
 ¹³ For you have delivered me ^[c] from death
       and my feet from stumbling,
       that I may walk before God
       in the light of life. ^[d]

Proverbs 23:6-8
OK...sure

⁶ Do not eat the food of a stingy man,
       do not crave his delicacies;
 ⁷ for he is the kind of man
       who is always thinking about the cost. ^[a]
       "Eat and drink," he says to you,
       but his heart is not with you.
 ⁸ You will vomit up the little you have eaten
       and will have wasted your compliments.