VISION OF RESTORATION:
An Interpretive Paper on Isaiah 61:1-11
©Cynthia Serio
OT 6302 Interpretation of the Old Testament II
Instructor:
Dr Richard D. Nelson
SMU Perkins
May 7, 2007
INTRODUCTION
The prophetic book
of Isaiah is one of the most poetic and passionate messages spoken from Yahweh
to all people throughout all ages. As I
explore Isaiah 61:1-11, I hope you will sense the power surging within Isaiah’s
“Vision of Restoration” to reassure
and comfort those who suffer and struggle with feelings of abandonment as they
cry out: “Where is God?” Although there
is a sense of unity in the theological message that can be identified in the
book of Isaiah, the reader is taken on a spiritual journey through three
distinct time periods in the turbulent history of the covenantal relationship
between the “Holy One of Israel” and the people of the one God in a land of
many gods.
The extraordinary
prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, lived and prophesied in Jerusalem of Judah in the late
eighth and early seventh centuries BCE when the Assyrians were a constant
threat to the stability of the land and the survival of the people. As a court prophet Isaiah was an outstanding
prophet to the Kings. He preached doom
and destruction for the kingdom
of Judah for social injustice,
for breaking the covenant with Yahweh, and for calling upon foreign nations
instead of Yahweh when they needed deliverance.
However, as Isaiah of Jerusalem
called for repentance, he also delivered a message of restoration to the
obedient. The material of Isaiah of Jerusalem is found in
Chapters 1-39. With his wisdom and “fear
not” trust in God, Isaiah inspired followers who probably formed a school of
prophets to honor him by writing and redacting in his name as they brought
forth his message to guide and comfort the weary traveler. It is
with this complexity in mind that when I refer to Isaiah, I am in reality referring
to writings I consider to have been formed by Isaianic thought and produced by
this Isaianic School of Prophets.
Second Isaiah, or
Isaiah of the Exile, was written in Babylon
toward the end of exile sometime between the years 545 and 539 BCE. The temple had been destroyed in 586 BCE as
the people were carried into exile. As
the people struggled without the temple and the sacrificial system, Isaiah
promoted a symbolic transference from physical animal sacrifice to a witness of
spiritual saving power through the sacrifices of a “suffering servant.” With the emergence of Cyrus of Persia, the
people began to look anxiously for redemption, return, and restoration. Isaiah refers to Cyrus as “[God’s] anointed”
which served to alert the people of his role in their deliverance. The material of Isaiah of the Exile is found in
Chapters 40-56.
Third Isaiah, or
Isaiah of the Restoration, was written after a segment of the exiles, those who
can be thought of as the remnant in the thought processes of Isaiah, had begun
the slow and arduous return to Judah
under the edict of King Cyrus of Persia in 539 BCE. It can be dated to the late sixth century
between 520 and 515 BCE primarily due to internal evidence suggesting that the second
temple had been rebuilt and was functional. The material of Isaiah of the Restoration is
found in Chapters 56-66. It was written
in a chiastic structure with Chapters 60-62 as its core. As I explore
the world of the Israelites who listened to Isaiah’s vision of restoration in
Chapter 61, which is at the center of the core, I can imagine the healing power
of God’s voice reaching out to lift up those weary pilgrims so they might
become a witness to world.
THE WORLD OF ISAIAH OF THE
RESTORATION
The
Israelites who chose to return to Judah entered the Promised Land
that was the home of their ancestors. Having
been exiled to Babylon
for many long years, the community of people dreamed of the glory days of the kingdom. Before its destruction and the people’s exile,
the Temple had
sparkled and shone as a reflection of the majesty of Yahweh, the God whose
presence dwelled in the innermost sacred chamber, the Holy of Holies. Some remembered because they had seen it and
worshiped God within its walls. Some
remembered because of all the stories they had been told by their families. Some remembered because they listened to
Isaiah of the Exile speak of the future.
“Fear not!” Anticipation and
expectation filled their hearts with excitement and gave them the energy to
make that journey home. Yet now they
were home. It was many long years later. The people were living in that future, worshipping
in the new second temple, and they were disappointed.
The returned
exiles were home in the former Kingdom
of Judah. Yet they had no Jewish King. They were ruled by Persia even though they had local
officials. They were home in the land of
milk and honey. Yet it was dry and
desolate. They lived in tremendous
economic hardship for the land had suffered as harshly in their absence as they
had. They found many foreign people had
settled in and were worshipping their own pagan gods. They found themselves embroiled in a constant
struggle with those outside their community, desperate to be holy among the
unholy.
The returned
exiles were home in the second temple worshipping Yahweh, the Holy One of
Israel once again. They were communally reunited
with those who had not been deported but that did not serve to resolve their
conflicts, for their former community had not always been welcoming for they
really did not know each other. They battled
each other regarding the people who could be included in the new temple community
and what was required of those who sought to worship Yahweh in the temple. The rules and regulations were often overbearing
and difficult to deal with as many people wound up worshipping in form but not
with the faith that true worship required.
Isaiah stepped in to call them to repentance and faith in Yahweh as life
became often unbearable.
It often happens
that when life is not as one believes it should be, a sense of anxiety rises up
within the soul to torment the faithful.
Deep within one wonders what is
wrong – with the self, with the community, with the world, and with God. There is something deep within humanity that
believes God rewards good people who do good things and God punishes bad people
who do bad things. When one finds this
is not true, one sometimes feels abandoned by God, the promise-maker, and
darkness descends upon the world. It was
this kind of darkness that enshrouded the world of the remnant, the returned
exiles of Israel,
as they continued to ask “Where is God?”
As Isaiah sought to mediate the prophetic word from Yahweh to the people
in post-exilic Israel,
he brought light and hope with a Vision of Restoration.
GOD CALLS ISAIAH OF THE RESTORATION
The spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
The Vision of
Restoration found in Isaiah 61:1-11 begins with a simple call narrative. God has heard the question “Where is God?” beating
in the hearts of the people and recognized the dark despair that has descended
upon their world. Into the darkness,
God calls a deliverer. Although it lacks
certain characteristics of the call narrative, this is most likely due to the
nature of the call. It is not a call to
the vocation of prophet, for in a witness to the unity of the book, the
traditional call narrative is found in Chapter 6. In addition, one can hear echoes of Isaiah of
the Exile as he says, “the spirit of the Lord God is upon me.” As he borrows the words, Isaiah of the
Restoration effectively reminds the people that God is always working in the
world, and he is still their prophet.
When God calls,
the prophet is not left alone. The
spirit of the Lord God is active, dynamic, and present with the prophet Isaiah. He speaks not for himself. He speaks for God. The historical custom of anointing gives the
reader a sense that Isaiah has been chosen and set apart specifically for a
mission. In this case, it is a mission
of mediating the message of deliverance.
Whereas Cyrus had been previously anointed by God as agent to physically
deliver the Israelites from Babylon to Judah, the mission that Isaiah receives in the
context of post-exilic Judah
appears to have spiritual overtones as well as physical promises.
THE MISSION OF ISAIAH OF THE RESTORATION
he has sent me to bring good news
to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn; to
provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of
ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the
mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
Isaiah
of the Restoration reveals his mission.
God has seen the condition of the people, God cares, and God is
providing another deliverer. Yet this deliverer will be a gentle servant,
not unlike the suffering servant of Second Isaiah. He will be an encourager and a comforter in the
distress of the people, not a conqueror leading the way to victory. Humanity in distress always seems to be in a
hurry. The post-exilic community is no
exception. They have waited and waited
and waited for the answer to their question, “Where is God?”
While
the returned exiles waited they built their homes, but they were not
content. While they waited, they rebuilt
the temple. But it was not enough. The second temple did not match the splendor
and the glory of Solomon’s Temple. The people still felt abandoned as they
wondered about their unfulfilled dreams.
The community had grown weary, and even though the chosen remnant had
returned to Judah,
the captive human condition remained.
They felt oppressed and brokenhearted.
Yet Isaiah brought good news – God will provide. God has not abandoned the community.
Isaiah
reveals God’s caring. He announces the
year of the Lord’s favor, which the people would interpret as Jubilee, a time
when land was returned to original owners, debts were canceled, and slaves were
set free. The concept of Jubilee
contains a sense of balance. The day of
vengeance was a day for justice and equity.
Balance is an illusive concept. It
seems even if the scales of justice are in perfect alignment, people mourn for
what they have lost, for what they left behind and for what they have not yet received. In the way of Yahweh and in the enduring
prophetic message, justice always has a restorative sense: If the people will repent and return to
Yahweh, Yahweh will be their God, and they will be the community of the Holy
One of Israel.
Isaiah gives the repentant
community three different images they would understand. He connects each symbol of mourning with a
corresponding symbol of joy, which reinforces his message. The only way to the other side of grief is to
mourn your way through it with expressions of release complete with sackcloth
and ashes as you struggle to the other side where joy awaits those who dare to
make the journey.
After
the darkness of mourning descends, the dawn of praise rises to light the
path. Isaiah has been called by God to
make this journey with the people. As
they move into the future, they are transformed by the expression of their
deepest pain. As they are changed, they will
become the redeemed people of God, a vision of restoration for all to see.
THE RESTORATION OF THE PEOPLE
They will be called oaks of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they
shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined
cities, the devastations of many generations.
Strangers
shall stand and feed your flocks,
foreigners shall till your land
and dress your vines;
but
you shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our
God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the
nations, and in their riches you shall glory.
As
Isaiah moves into the heart of the vision of restoration, he gives the people a
sense of the future. His intention is to
give them hope as he describes who they will become, what they will accomplish,
and what they will receive, both physically and spiritually, when they let go
of the past and the pain that resides there to embrace the life that Yahweh
offers them as redeemed people.
In
a barren land, the oak tree, known as a terebinth, would be a rare sight. The terebinth is a symbol of stability,
strength, and endurance. The people will
have a strong relationship with Yahweh, which will be the foundation of their
restoration. With this metaphor, Isaiah
gives them an image that connects with their physical surroundings and hints at
the restoration of creation which will accompany their own restoration. The land will once again produce.
Even
in their despair over the land and their circumstances, the people have rebuilt
slowly and sporadically with less than adequate results. Perhaps they have struggled because they
have forgotten to ask “Where is God?”
Perhaps they have been struggling with only their own resources. Yet as they repent and return to God for
restoration, the strength of their renewed faith will encourage them to
persevere in their rebuilding and reconstruction. As the land produces, so the
people will produce and will one day be prosperous.
One
day, in their prosperity, others will serve them as they have served. The people will serve only Yahweh and will
become rich in wealth and in faith. They
will become the people of Yahweh once again, and in their prosperity all of the
world will know the source of their riches.
Isaiah makes it clear to the community that God is the sole source of
their restoration.
THE GOD OF RESTORATION
Because their shame
was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot,
therefore they shall possess a
double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs.
For I the Lord love justice, I
hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully give them their
recompense,
and I will make an everlasting
covenant with them.
Into
the vision, Yahweh speaks. God answers
the question “Where is God?” Perhaps there is an echo of Jubilee here. Certainly there is balance. The children of Yahweh who suffer shame and
dishonor will be blessed with a double portion of joy, each one as precious as
the first-born son. Yahweh vindicates
the people for they have suffered enough.
The God of Justice is also the God of mercy. Isaiah
reinforces the enduring prophetic message:
Punishment is always followed by restoration for those who repent and
return.
Restoration
will be complete with a renewal of the covenant. The God of Restoration is the God of
Covenant. God has not changed. God will tolerate neither injustice nor
apostasy. The prophetic word resounds
throughout history. Repent and
return! Yahweh is faithful to the everlasting
covenant … even to the end of the age!
A MISSION
FLOWS FROM RESTORATION
Their descendants shall be known among
the nations,
and their offspring among the
peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the
Lord has blessed.
Deliverance and renewal of covenant faithfulness
have a deeper purpose. The people were
not restored simply for their own sake.
The people of Yahweh have been saved to be a light reflecting the glory
of God into the world, for there will always be poor and oppressed people
crying “Where is God?” in the darkness of a world that doesn’t care. And
the people of God must respond in obedience to the covenant. They must always be there to exalt Yahweh as
the God of Restoration. In their riches
and their prosperity, they must offer themselves as an answer and an example as
they lead the way to a holy life with the Holy One of Israel. They must open their hearts to the people of
the world. They must include outsiders for
they once were outsiders in a foreign land.
They must not fall short, for the world must respond and acknowledge
Yahweh. As a restored people, they must
become an instrument of the restorative word of God. As a blessed people, they must become a
blessing to the world.
ISAIAH PRAISES THE GOD OF RESTORATION
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.
The
blessing of restoration results in joyous celebration. It is the kind of celebration that takes
place within the person as well as within the community. There is no longer reason to ask “Where is
God?” for each person basks in the mercy and love that are essential to faith
as garments for the wedding are essential to the wedding party. Perhaps the wedding image drives the promise
of everlasting covenant deeper into the consciousness of those who hear the
praises of Isaiah of the Restoration.
THE GOD OF RESTORATION IS THE GOD
OF ALL NATIONS
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.
The
God of Restoration has always been working in the world of the past, is now
working in the world of the present, and will always be working in the world of
the future. The God of Restoration is
the God of creation. From the beginning
of time, there was God. From the
darkness of chaos, God brought forth light.
This pattern is burned into the fabric of our existence. As the
seed is buried deep into fertile soil, the word of God will be buried deep into
the hearts of the people where it will burst forth in due time. In covenantal faithfulness, the renewed
relationship between God and the restored community will be an example to all
of the people in the world, especially to those lost souls who continue to ask,
“Where is God?”
CONCLUSION
Isaiah
61:1-11 is a grand vision of restoration.
Yet that message must be set within increasingly larger contexts to be
truly understood. It is the center of
Third Isaiah which is enclosed by lament and contained within the familiar prophetic
warnings of doom and destruction even as it ends with the essential note of
promise. It is the third act of a three
act journey toward wholeness for the people of Judah. It is a prophetic word that fits neatly at
the pinnacle of the larger body of prophetic writing.
The prophet Isaiah
and those who followed in his footsteps were not just prophets with a message
for a particular people in a particular time.
The theological message that shapes the prophetic writings included in
the book of Isaiah permeates each passage with God’s glorious presence. There is a grand divine plan. God is in control of the divine plan. God loves both justice and mercy. Both are a part of the plan that Christians
believe includes Jesus Christ, who is God’s “anointed.” I find
I cannot leave my exploration of Isaiah 61:1-11 without making at least a brief
reference, before concluding, to Luke 4:16-21, a passage in which Jesus identified
himself with Isaiah of the Restoration as he quoted a slightly varied portion
of Isaiah 61:1-2.
When [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up,
he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.
He stood up to read,and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah
was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the
blind, to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to
the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them,
“Today
this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
For what purpose
did Jesus refer to this passage from Isaiah?
What can I learn about Isaiah’s message of restoration from his use of this
passage? In what way did Jesus identify
with Isaiah so that he felt compelled to use Isaiah’s words to make his
point? What was the point Jesus was making
to the people he spoke to? How can my understanding of Jesus be enhanced
by seeking to understand Isaiah? These questions and many others are outside
the scope of my exploration of Isaiah 61:1-11.
However, they serve to reveal my belief in the connection between the Old
Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament. I believe it may be impossible to truly
understand the “good news” of Jesus Christ without first understanding that the
“good news” is not really new news at all.
God has not changed and God has not moved. God always has been, is now, and will always
be the God of Restoration. At the end of
my exploration of Isaiah 61:1-11, I pray you have sensed and received the power
moving through and beyond Isaiah’s “Vision
of Restoration.”
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